#NHLPeachy @NHL #SportyPeachy #WhomYouKnow 2017-18 NHL Season in Review Storylines, Milestones, Streaks, Records and Timelines
TOP STORYLINES
* Washington captain Alex Ovechkin concluded a milestone-filled season by hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time – also a first for the Capitals franchise – and claiming the Conn Smythe Trophy, leading the playoffs with a franchise-record 15 goals. During the regular season, Ovechkin became the fourth-fastest player in NHL history to reach the 600-goal milestone and scored twice in his final game of 2017-18 to hit 49 goals and capture his seventh Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy – tied for the most seasons as the League’s goals leader. * The Golden Knights took the sports world by storm in their inaugural season, beginning with an unprecedented 8-1-0 start that rallied a city in the wake of tragedy and concluding with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. In between, Vegas became the first modern-era expansion team from any of the four North American professional sports leagues to start from scratch and win its division (excluding mergers and all-expansion divisions). The Golden Knights’ appearance in the Final marked the sixth time in NHL history that a team making its first-ever trip to the postseason reached the championship series; they were the third to do so in their inaugural campaign, with the others advancing in the League’s first season (1917-18) and in the first year of the expansion era (1967-68). * For the first time since 1993-94, seven rookies recorded at least 50 points, led by Islanders forward Mathew Barzal, who paced rookies in assists (63) and points (85) en route to winning the Calder Memorial Trophy. Jets forward Kyle Connor led rookies in goals (31), pacing a group of eight who hit the 20-goal mark – only two campaigns since 1990-91 featured more 20- goal rookies: 1992-93 (12) and 2005-06 (11). * Overall, the 2017-18 regular season averaged 5.9 goals per game, up 7% compared to last season – the largest year-over-year spike since a 9% rise from 1979-80 to 1980-81, excluding a 20% increase from 2003-04 to 2005-06 that followed various rule changes. The increase was marked by 81 hat tricks, including two on each of the first two days of the season – the first such occurrence in a century – and four on the second-to-last day; only five seasons since 1990-91 saw more three-goal games. * Off the ice, players, coaches, executives and fans from across the NHL showed the strength of the hockey community in response to tragedy. In October, Golden Knights players and staff were joined by first responders as they took the ice for the first time at T-Mobile Arena to honor victims of the Las Vegas shooting. The pre-game ceremony included a 58-second moment of silence and concluded with a speech from center ice by Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland, a longtime Las Vegas resident. In February, goaltender Roberto Luongo, a longtime resident of Parkland, Fla., addressed the crowd at BB&T Center with an emotional speech as the Panthers honored victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. In April, the Jets, Flames and Oilers – three teams that play approximately 400 miles from Humboldt, Sask. – were among the clubs to honor the victims of the tragedy involving the Humboldt Broncos. The team later was honored at both the NHL Awards and NHL Draft. * In the playoffs, fans gathered by the thousands in streets and otherwise empty arenas – from Washington to Winnipeg to Las Vegas and beyond – to support their team’s Stanley Cup drive.
