#NHLPeachy @NHL Bruins, Draisaitl and Ovechkin Highlight 2019-20 Regular Season Trophy Winners
The 2019-20 National Hockey League regular season concluded with the Boston Bruins capturing three of the League’s major awards, including the Presidents’ Trophy as the team with the best overall record.
Bruins right wing David Pastrnak and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin each earned the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s goal-scoring leaders, while Boston’s Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak combined for the William M. Jennings Trophy as the goaltenders who played for the team allowing the fewest goals. Joining these winners was Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, who finished 13 points ahead of the field for his first career Art Ross Trophy as the League’s scoring champion.
The Bruins (44-14-12 in 70 GP) topped the NHL in both points (100) and points percentage (.714) to claim their third Presidents’ Trophy, adding to wins in 2013-14 and 1989-90. (They also finished first in the NHL standings 11 times before the Presidents’ Trophy was introduced in 1985-86.) Boston finished ahead of its 2019 Stanley Cup Final opponent, the St. Louis Blues (42-19-10, 94 points), on the strength of a League-best 44 wins, including 22 victories as both hosts (22-4-9) and visitors (22-10-3). The Bruins, who reached the 40-win milestone for the seventh consecutive season, also posted an NHL-best +53 goal differential while ranking in the top three in both power play (2nd; 25.2%) and penalty kill (3rd; 84.3%) efficiency.
Pastrnak powered Boston’s offense with 48 goals to earn his first career Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy along with Ovechkin, who captured the award for the third straight season and ninth time overall. Pastrnak (48-47—95 in 70 GP) became the first Bruins player to win the Richard Trophy (which was introduced in 1998-99) and the fifth Boston player to top the NHL in goals (outright or shared), joining Phil Esposito (6x, most recently in 1974-75), Bronco Horvath (1959-60), Roy Conacher (1938-39) and Cooney Weiland (1929-30). Pastrnak, who also paced the League with 20 power-play goals and 10 game-winning tallies (tied), produced eight multi-goal performances, highlighted by four hat tricks and a career-high four goals Oct. 14 vs. ANA. The 24-year-old Havirov, Czech Republic, native – who scored the most goals by any Bruins player since 1993-94 (Cam Neely: 50) – became the youngest Richard Trophy winner since Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos in 2011-12 (22 years, 60 days).
Ovechkin (48-19—67 in 68 GP) topped the NHL in goals for the third straight season and a record ninth time overall, two more than left wing Bobby Hull (7x). The Moscow, Russia, native became the eighth member of the NHL’s 700-goal club on Feb. 22 at NJD, making him both the second-youngest (34 years, 158 days) and second-fastest (1,144 GP) player to reach the milestone behind only Wayne Gretzky (29 years, 342 days; 886 GP). Ovechkin achieved the feat after compiling four hat tricks earlier in the season, including consecutive three-goal performances Jan. 16 vs. NJD and Jan. 18 at NYI. Since entering the NHL in 2005-06, the Capitals captain has scored 244 more goals than any other player (706‑572—1,278 in 1,152 GP). Ovechkin’s career average of 0.61 goals per game ranks fourth in League history among skaters with at least 500 appearances, trailing only Mike Bossy (0.76), Mario Lemieux (0.75) and Pavel Bure (0.62).
Rask (41 GP, 26-8-6, 2.12 GAA, .929 SV%, 5 SO) and Halak (31 GP, 18-6-6, 2.39 GAA, .919 SV%, 3 SO) combined to help the Bruins claim their third William M. Jennings Trophy, following wins in 2008-09 (Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez) and 1989-90 (Andy Moog and Reggie Lemelin). Boston allowed a League-low 174 goals in 70 contests, three fewer than its closest competitor despite playing one more game (DAL: 177 GA in 69 GP). Rask, who earned his first Jennings Trophy, led the NHL in goals-against average (2.12), ranked second in save percentage (.929) and shared second place in shutouts (5). Halak, who won the Jennings Trophy for the second time (also 2011-12 w/ STL), placed sixth in the League in goals-against average (2.39). The duo combined to backstop the Bruins to an NHL-high eight shutouts (one more than both CBJ and NSH) and a League-best .921 team save percentage.
Draisaitl (43-67—110 in 71 GP) finished 13 points ahead of teammate and two-time scoring champion Connor McDavid (34-63—97 in 64 GP) to capture his first career Art Ross Trophy. Draisaitl found the scoresheet in 56 of his 71 appearances (78.9%), powered by a League-best 33 multi-point performances – four more than the next-closest players (Pastrnak and Nathan MacKinnon: 29). That included a pair of career-high, five-point outings: March 2 at NSH (4-1—5) and Nov. 14 vs. COL (0-5—5). Draisaitl also topped the NHL in assists (67), power-play points (44) and game-winning goals (t-10) while ranking in the top five in the League in power-play goals (2nd; 16), power-play assists (2nd; 28), shooting percentage (3rd; 19.7%) and goals (4th; 43). The 24-year-old Cologne native became the first German-born player to win the Art Ross Trophy. He and McDavid (2017-18 and 2016-17) have combined for three of the past four NHL scoring titles, making the Oilers the first team to achieve the feat since the Pittsburgh Penguins claimed seven straight from 1994-95 through 2000-01 (Jaromir Jagr: 5x, Lemieux: 2x).
