Sidney Crosby moves up the all-time points leader list as the Penguins reveal their Quarter-Century Team, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski extends his home points streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
RECAPPING THURSDAY’S GAMES
NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored a goal and picked up two assists to move into ninth on the NHL all-time points list, leading his club over the Edmonton Oilers 5-3. Bryan Rust also had a goal and two assists and Alex Nedeljkovic kicked out 40 shots as the Penguins snapped a four-game winless skid (0-3-1). Leon Draisaitl tallied twice and Connor McDavid collected three assists as the Oilers’ win streak ended at four games.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has 1,643 career regular-season points, surpassing Hall-of-Famer Joe Sakic (1,641). He’s 80 points behind Penguins legend Mario Lemieux (1,723).
Crosby is also part of the Penguins’ First Team as they revealed their Quarter-Century Team, joining forwards Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel, defensemen Kris Letang and Sergei Gonchar, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
Lemieux was on the Second Team with forwards Phil Kessel and Chris Kunitz, defensemen Brooks Orpik and Brian Dumoulin, and goaltender Matt Murray.
Some might be surprised to see Lemieux on the Second Team. That’s because his greatest seasons were between 1984-85 and 1996-97 before he retired for the first time. He’d be on the First Team of the Penguins’ All-Time Greatest Team.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski extended his home points streak to 16 games with a goal and an assist in a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Rookies Denton Mateychuk and Luca Del Bel Belluz also had a goal and an assist each as the Blue Jackets hold the final Eastern wild-card berth with 44 points. Eeli Tolvanen scored both Kraken goals as they’re winless in four games (0-3-1).
A hat trick by captain Jordan Staal carried the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Jordan Martinook collected three assists and Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 30 shots for the Hurricanes. Nick Robertson, William Nylander and Auston Matthews scored for the Leafs.
The Dallas Stars picked up their sixth straight win with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Jason Robertson had two assists and Casey DeSmith made 27 saves as the Stars sit third in the Central Division with 53 points. Morgan Frost scored for the Flyers as they’re 0-3-1 in their last four contests.
A 30-save shutout from Ilya Sorokin allowed the New York Islanders to upset the league-leading Vegas Golden Knights 4-0. Brock Nelson scored and added an assist while Isles captain Anders Lee scored in his 800th NHL game. The loss snapped the Golden Knights’ three-game win streak, leaving them one point ahead of the Winnipeg Jets with 59 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sorokin became the third goaltender in Islanders history to reach the 20-shutout plateau, joining Glenn Resch (25) and Billy Smith (22). It shouldn’t take long before he surpasses those two.
Colorado Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen each had a goal and an assist in a 6-1 drubbing of the Minnesota Wild. Logan O’Connor also had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche. Zach Bogosian tallied the Wild’s only goal as their four-game win streak ended.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild were without several key players as Kirill Kaprizov, Jared Spurgeon, Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin are sidelined by injuries.
An overtime goal by Sam Carrick (the first of his NHL career) lifted the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils 3-2. Igor Shesterkin made 21 saves as he returned from a four-game absence due to injury while Adam Fox had a goal and an assist for the Rangers. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt scored for the Devils, who’ve dropped five of their last six.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers also got some positive news about Filip Chytil. The upper-body injury he suffered on Tuesday against the Stars might not be as serious as originally feared. Chytil skipped practice on Wednesday but participated in the club’s optional skate on Thursday.
The Tampa Bay Lightning downed the Boston Bruins 4-1, handing the latter their sixth straight defeat. Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 11 of his 27 saves in the third period. Empty-net goals by Brandon Hagel and Brayden Point clinched the victory for the Lightning. Mason Lohrei scored for the Bruins.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 35 saves in a 4-0 blanking of the Ottawa Senators. Jack Quinn scored two goals and Ryan McLeod had a goal and two assists for the Sabres. The Senators have dropped six of their last seven games (1-5-1).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators fans booed their team off the ice following this contest. Before their current slump, they held the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with a record of 18-13-2 (38 points). They’re currently three points out of that spot with a record of 19-18-3.
The Senators also lost winger Noah Gregor, who left the game with a lower-body injury.
Four straight first-period goals powered the St. Louis Blues to a 6-2 romp over the Anaheim Ducks, ending a two-game losing skid. Robert Thomas scored twice while Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich each had a goal and an assist for the Blues. Ducks goalie John Gibson replaced Lukas Dostal early in the second period after the latter gave up six goals on 22 shots.
IN OTHER NEWS…
TSN: Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine remains sidelined with flu-like symptoms. His last game was on Dec. 31.
DETROIT FREE PRESS: Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Nashville Predators forward Luke Evangelista will be sidelined for four weeks with a lower-body injury.
DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club recalled goaltender Connor Ingram from his two-week conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate in Tucson.
ESPN.COM: As Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin chases Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, Greg Wyshynski profiled Mike Knuble, the only NHL player to be a teammate of both men.