#NHLPeachy @NHL @PR_NHL NHL Morning Skate – April 7, 2022
* John Carlson collected four points and Alex Ovechkin reached another noteworthy milestone as Washington edged the defending Stanley Cup champions at Capital One Arena.
* The Canucks claimed a victory against the Golden Knights to keep their playoff hopes alive, while the Flames defeated the Ducks to open a six-point lead atop the Pacific Division standings.
* A total of 20 teams are in action Thursday, including Carolina which can become the third club to clinch a berth in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
CARLSON COLLECTS 2-2—4, OVECHKIN ECLIPSES 1,400 NHL POINTS IN CAPITALS’ WIN
John Carlson (2-2—4) factored on all four Washington goals to record the third four-point game of his NHL career and help the Capitals (38-22-10, 86 points) defeat the Lightning. Washington holds the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and moved within six points of Pittsburgh (41-20-10, 92 points), which occupies third place in the Metropolitan Division.
* Alex Ovechkin (773-628—1,401 in 1,265 GP) had 1-1—2 and became the 21st player in League history to reach the 1,400-point milestone. Wednesday marked Ovechkin’s 395th career multi-point game in the NHL – he tied Guy Lafleur for 17th place on the League’s all-time list.
BLUES BEAT KRAKEN AHEAD OF PIVOTAL MATCHUP WITH MINNESOTA
Brayden Schenn (20-30—50 in 54 GP) and Ivan Barbashev (22-28—50 in 69 GP) each had at least one assist Wednesday to become the fifth and sixth 50-point scorers for St. Louis this season and help the Blues defeat the Kraken. St. Louis (40-20-10, 90 points) strengthened its grip on third place in the Central Division and moved within one point of second-seeded Minnesota (43-21-5, 91 points) – the Blues and Wild are set to square off at Enterprise Center Friday in the penultimate contest of their three-game season series (also April 16).
VICTORIES BY VANCOUVER, CALGARY FEATURED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
Wednesday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates features more notes from the five-game slate, including Vancouver vanquishing Vegas to keep its playoff hopes alive and Calgary edging Anaheim to pad its lead atop the Pacific Division:
* Elias Pettersson (2-2—4) posted a game-high four points as the Canucks (33-28-10, 76 points) defeated the Golden Knights (39-29-4, 82 points) and moved within seven points of the Stars (40-26-3, 83 points), who hold the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Vancouver and Vegas are set to conclude its four-game season series at Rogers Arena Tuesday.
* Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau (34-63—97 in 70 GP) generated his team-leading 62nd and 63rd assists of 2021-22 to match his single-season NHL career high, a mark set in 2018-19 (36-63—99 in 82 GP).
QUICK CLICKS
CAROLINA CAN CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH DURING THURSDAY’S 10-GAME SLATE
The Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes (45-17-8, 98 points) will clinch a berth in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs if they earn a win in any fashion during the second half of their home-and-home set with the Sabres (26-34-11, 63 points), one of 10 NHL games scheduled Thursday.
McDAVID, MARNER SET TO PUT LENGTHY STREAKS ON THE LINE
Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner will put their lengthy streaks on the line as Edmonton (41-25-5, 87 points) takes on Los Angeles (38-24-10, 86 points) while Toronto (45-19-6, 96 points) visits Dallas (40-26-3, 83 points).
* McDavid (12-15—27 in 14 GP) will aim to extend the NHL's longest active point streak to 15 games in a key Pacific Division matchup that features the second-place Oilers taking on the third-ranked Kings. McDavid, who has already posted a 17-contest run in 2021-22, can become the seventh different player in NHL history to record multiple point streaks of at least 15 games in a single season. He would join Wayne Gretzky (1990-91, 1988-89, 1986-87, 1985-86, 1984-85, 1982-83 & 1981-82), Mike Bossy (1983-84), Marcel Dionne (1979-80), Guy Lafleur (1979-80), Denis Savard (1987-88) and Bobby Orr (1970-71).
* Marner enters Thursday with points in 11 straight games and multiple points in each of his last seven. He can become the fifth Maple Leafs player in the past 35 years to record a point streak of 12 or more contests, which would add his name to a list with Eddie Olczyk (18 GP in 1989-90), Dave Andreychuk (16 GP in 1993-94), Auston Matthews (13 GP in 2020-21) and William Nylander (12 GP in 2016-17). With another multi-point outing, Marner can join McDavid as just the second active player to record at least two points in eight or more consecutive contests.
JOSI ONE POINT AWAY FROM TYING FRANCHISE RECORD
Predators captain Roman Josi (19-65—84 in 67 GP) enters Thursday already with the highest single-season point total by a Nashville defenseman and the most by any NHL blueliner in a campaign since Brian Leetch with the Rangers in 1995-96 (15-70—85 in 82 GP). Josi sits one shy of matching Paul Kariya’s club record for the most points in a single season by any player (31-54—85 in 2005-06). No active franchise currently features a defenseman owning its single-season mark for points among all positions.
