Solely six factors separate the Canadiens and the lowest-seeded workforce within the Jap Convention after Montreal and Buffalo every required greater than 60 minutes to safe a victory on a four-game Monday. This marks the newest right into a season the Canadiens have occupied a playoff spot for the reason that 2020-21 marketing campaign – one which ended with the franchise showing within the Stanley Cup Ultimate.
* A trio of U.S.-born stars celebrated milestone moments Monday as John Carlson joined the 700-point membership whereas Quinn Hughes skated in his four-hundredth recreation and brother Jack Hughes registered his two hundredth help.
* Leon Draisaitl will look to push the NHL’s longest level streak this season (tied) to fifteen video games when the Oilers and Bruins collide (SN1, TVAS), whereas Auston Matthews eyes his two hundredth multi-point efficiency when the Maple Leafs and Flyers face off for the second time in three days (ESPN+, Hulu).
EAST PLAYOFF PICTURE TIGHTENS AFTER CANADIENS, SABRES EARN VICTORIES
The Canadiens (19-18-3, 41 factors) and Sabres (15-21-5, 35 factors) every required greater than 60 minutes to gather two essential factors within the Jap Convention standings – a playoff image that now options all golf equipment inside six factors of a postseason place.
* Captain Nick Suzuki (1-2—3) and 20-year-old Lane Hutson (1-2—3) helped the Canadiens erase a multi-goal deficit after which mixed on the time beyond regulation winner after the Canucks netted a game-tying tally within the third interval. Montreal, which leapfrogged idle Pittsburgh (17-17-7, 41 factors), Ottawa (19-17-2, 40 factors) and Columbus (17-17-6, 40 factors), occupies a playoff spot at this stage of a season (639 GP) or later for the primary time since 2020-21 – when the membership made the Stanley Cup Ultimate for the primary time in almost three many years.
* Hutson, who factored on three straight Canadiens targets to eclipse the 30-point mark in his profession (3-29—32 in 42 GP), turned the third rookie defenseman in franchise historical past with a minimum of eight multi-point video games in a single season. The others: Chris Chelios (17 in 1984-85) and Man Lapointe (10 in 1970-71).
* Tage Thompson (1-0—1) scored one in every of Buffalo’s three targets in regulation because the Sabres improved to 4-2-1 of their previous seven video games and defeated the Jap Convention-leading Capitals. Their 4 wins since Dec. 23, 2024 are one shy of probably the most amongst all groups.
* Thompson, who already owned the NHL’s hardest shot in 2024-25 (106 mph on Dec. 31 at DAL), additionally took over the title of the League’s hardest aim after he beat Charlie Lindgren with a 103.7 mph shot halfway by the second body. Thompson has recorded the toughest shot by a ahead in every of the previous 4 seasons since NHL EDGE started monitoring in 2021-22.
U.S.-BORN STARS CELEBRATE MILESTONES MONDAY
Three U.S.-born stars celebrated milestones throughout a four-game schedule as John Carlson (0-2—2) notched his 700th profession level, Quinn Hughes (0-2—2) discovered the rating sheet in his four-hundredth NHL recreation and Jack Hughes (0-1—1) registered his two hundredth profession help.
* Carlson (154-546—700 in 1,049 GP) recorded his 99th profession multi-assist recreation and have become simply the seventh U.S.-born defenseman in NHL historical past to succeed in the 700-point milestone because the Capitals (26-10-4, 56 factors) handed the idle Jets (27-12-2, 56 factors) for second place within the League standings behind the Golden Knights (27-9-3, 57 factors).
* Hughes collected every of his factors with an help on a game-tying aim and tied Thomas Gradin (77) for the fourth-most multi-assist video games in franchise historical past. The Canucks captain has collected a number of factors in 4 of his previous 5 video games and boosted his profession totals to 51-326—377 (400 GP). Solely 4 different defensemen in NHL historical past have collected a minimum of 300 assists by the milestone contest: Bobby Orr (358), Paul Coffey (327), Brian Leetch (321) and Gary Suter (300).
* The Kraken tied the sport twice, however the youthful Hughes brother (129-200—329 in 349 GP) collected a main help on a go-ahead aim early within the third interval and required the fewest video games in franchise historical past to succeed in 200 profession helpers – two contests sooner than Scott Gomez (351 GP).
RANTANEN EXTENDS HIS POINT STREAK IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The newest version of #NHLStats: Stay Updates featured notes on Mikko Rantanen, who scored to increase his level streak to 14 video games and assist the Avalanche (25-15-1, 51 factors) push their level streak to eight (7-0-1). Rantanen matched the longest stretch of his profession (additionally 14 GP in 2018-19) and tied Leon Draisaitl (14 GP; energetic) for the longest run within the NHL this season.
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STREAKS ON THE LINE DURING 10-GAME TUESDAY
A busy 10-game slate contains a rematch between the Atlantic Division-leading Maple Leafs (26-13-2, 54 factors) and Wild Card-chasing Flyers (17-18-5, 39 factors) broadcast nationally within the U.S. on ESPN+ and Hulu. Toronto, in search of its fifth straight win, is one in every of a number of groups and gamers that may put streaks on the road throughout the League on Tuesday.
* Auston Matthews, who has factors in every of his previous six contests, enters Tuesday’s contest with a nine-game level streak versus the Flyers relationship to Nov. 10, 2021 (7-9—16) – his second-longest energetic run towards one franchise (11 GP vs. DAL relationship to Feb. 7, 2017). Matthews, who had two factors towards Philadelphia on Sunday, can even turn into the fourth-fastest energetic participant to succeed in 200 profession multi-point video games (588 GP), following Sidney Crosby (465 GP), Connor McDavid (466 GP) and Alex Ovechkin (570 GP).
* Leon Draisaitl will look to increase his level streak to fifteen video games and assist the Oilers snap the Bruins’ dwelling level streak at seven contests (6-0-1) once they go to TD Backyard. Ought to he achieve this, Draisaitl would turn into the sixth completely different participant in Oilers historical past with a 15-game level streak and simply the second in 35 years, following McDavid (5x, longest: 17 GP in 2022-23 & 2021-22).
* The Penguins have earned a win in every of their previous 15 dwelling video games towards the Blue Jackets relationship to Dec. 21, 2015 – the League’s longest energetic run versus one franchise – and can look to increase their stretch once they host Columbus at PPG Paints Area. Sidney Crosby (4-15—19) and Evgeni Malkin (9-10—19) lead Pittsburgh gamers in factors throughout that streak.
* The Golden Knights have recorded some extent in all 16 highway video games they’ve performed towards the Sharks since coming into the League in 2017-18 (13-0-3). Vegas already holds the longest energetic highway level streak versus one opponent and may tie the fifth longest in NHL historical past – the final workforce with a lengthier stretch was Detroit, which had some extent in 21 straight highway video games towards St. Louis from April 9, 1991 to Jan. 26, 2007 (13-0-8).
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