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Winnipeg Jets Are On Track To Break NHL's Power-Play Success Rate Record
The Winnipeg Jets have the most power-play goals in the NHL despite having the 20th-most opportunities and only one player tied for 10th in most power-play points.
As the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off reaches Thursday's grand finale, the focus will soon turn back to the pursuit for the Stanley Cup. The Winnipeg Jets look very good in that regard.
If the regular season ended today, the Jets would win the Presidents' Trophy with 81 points at the mid-season break. Those are the most points the Jets have had after 56 games since relocating from Atlanta ahead of the 2011-12 season.
But the Jets haven’t just bested themselves. They are on track to beat another Canadian squad for the NHL's most successful power play since tracking began in 1977-78.
Coming into this season, the 2022-23 Edmonton Oilers held the record for the best power play percentage at a dazzling 32.4 percent.
Winnipeg currently has a 33.3 power-play percentage. Even though the season's not over yet, the 2022-23 Oilers had a 31.5-percent success rate after 56 games.
Not only do the Jets have the most power-play goals in the NHL with 51, which is six more than the second-place Detroit Red Wings, but they only have the 19th-most power-play opportunities at 153.
The Jets only have one player tied for 10th in most power-play points, and it's an eight-player tie. Kyle Connor's 23 points are tied with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Jack Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk, among others.
Quite simply, the team has scored by committee on the special teams.
Eight Jets players have at least 10 power-play points, which is more than can be said for other teams with skaters in the top 10. Many of these teams are front-loaded on two skaters: Tampa Bay (Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point), Colorado (Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar), New Jersey (Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt), Toronto (Mitch Marner and William Nylander) and Edmonton (Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid).
Even in 2022-23, the Oilers only had six players with at least 10 points on the man advantage. McDavid's 71 points, Draisaitl's 62 and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' 53 led the NHL. This season, Winnipeg's Connor (23), Gabriel Vilardi (22) and Mark Scheifele (20) don't even combine for as many points as McDavid's 2022-23 total.
While the Winnipeg Jets promoted Scott Arniel to replace Rick Bowness as the team's coach, they also hired assistant coach Davis Payne to help with the power play and the forwards.
“There’s not a lot of focus on end results,” Payne told Connor Hrabchak of illegalcurve.com. “We basically stick to the process about what we want to do, how we want to do it. And we’ve got good players out there that are finishing off plays.”
From Jan. 7 to Feb. 7, Winnipeg registered a jaw-dropping 41.4 power-play percentage, going 12-for-29. That was also the highest success rate in the NHL despite getting the fifth-fewest power-play opportunities in that span.
Momentum seems to be at its peak in the capital of Manitoba. While all of Canada is anxiously watching Sidney Crosby and the Canadians at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Winnipeggers perhaps can’t wait for it to be over for the Jets to focus on chasing the hardest trophy to win in sports.
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Golden Knights' Brayden McNabb Deserves Even More Attention For His Shot Blocking
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb has always been a frequent shot-blocker, but it's been a big help to the squad and its netminders this season.
In just their eighth year of operation, the Vegas Golden Knights seem to have all the pieces for their second Stanley Cup.
With Jack Eichel being a dark horse in the Hart Trophy conversation and Mark Stone recording eight points in his last eight games, Vegas is buzzing with the fifth-most goals per game in the NHL.
It’s only fitting that we give the blueline some attention as well, particularly perennial shot-blocker Brayden McNabb.
The 34-year-old may not be lighting up the stats sheet, but he has been key to Vegas having the ninth-fewest goals against per game.
With 122 blocks, which are the eighth-most in the NHL, McNabb has helped ensure his goaltenders face the fourth-fewest shots on goal. That's saying something, considering the Golden Knights have had the ninth-most shot attempts against in the NHL. It makes work a little easier for Vegas goalies Adin Hill (.900 save percentage, 2.64 goals-against average) and Ilya Samsonov (.897 SP, 2.71 GAA), whose stats aren't up there with the elite netminders.
McNabb's shot blocking isn't new, either. Since the franchise began play in 2017-18, three of the team's five highest shot-blocking campaigns are by McNabb, and each were in the last three seasons. It's no wonder the team signed him to a three-year contract extension worth $3.65-million annually in November.
The next Golden Knights player with the most blocks this season is Alex Pietrangelo, with 100, which are tied for the 29th-most in the NHL.
Unlike McNabb, Pietrangelo is not a stay-at-home defenseman and has been a vital contributor to the Golden Knights' scoring with 22 assists and 25 points, compared to McNabb's three goals, nine assists and 12 points.
Pietrangelo and McNabb have played in a pairing this season, albeit sparsely.
They've been paired up for only about 21 minutes all season over a span of 34 games, according to moneypuck.com. The stats from their brief pairing show that while the duo was on the ice, the team produced 5.73 goals per 60 minutes (second-highest among the team's 19 different defense combinations) and allowed 20.05 unblocked shot attempts per 60 minutes (second-lowest).
Perhaps that pairing deserves more minutes. But as the team battles for first place in the Pacific Division to get a better matchup in the playoffs, the shot blocking continues to be an important part of its success.
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Team Wolf: Flames' Rookie Goalie Making Case For Calder Trophy
Calgary Flames freshman netminder Dustin Wolf has been key to his team’s surprising success this season, earning a place in the ‘best rookie’ conversation.
With an offense that’s sputtering along at a paltry 2.70 goals per game and a power play that ranks in the bottom half of the league, the Calgary Flames have remained in the playoff hunt thanks in large part to one individual: rookie goalie Dustin Wolf.
The 23-year-old Wolf holds a record of 18-7-2 in 27 starts this season and has put himself in the conversation for the Calder Trophy. This is undoubtedly so, because his record is one of the best amongst all NHL goalies this season, and the best among the league's rookie netminders.
He currently has an impressive .916 save percentage and a 2.54 goals-against average. It can be noted that Wolf’s GAA is lower than the Flames’ goals scored per game, further supporting the statement that he has almost singlehandedly kept Calgary afloat.
What stands out about Wolf is that he was the fourth-last pick in the 2019 NHL draft – 214th overall – and the last of 22 goalies to be selected. The fact that Wolf has played more games than all but two of those goalies alone is almost Calder-worthy on its own.
There have been three goalie Calder winners in the 21st century: Steve Mason (2008-09), Andrew Raycroft (2003-04) and Evgeni Nabokov (2000-01), all of whom have set the bar for Wolf.
But given how much of a rarity it is for goaltenders to win the Calder, it is safe to say the bar may be at a rather challenging height for the undersized netminder.
It also doesn’t help that other rookies – namely San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini, Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov and Montreal’s Lane Hutson – have been putting on a show in their own bids for the Calder. That is heavy competition.
Wolf fans can keep their faith alive seeing that the former WHL Everett Silvertip has gone against the odds before and come out on top, winning the AHL’s MVP award with the Calgary Wranglers in 2022-23. He was the first goalie to win the award since Jason LaBarbera in 2003-04. (Ironically, LaBarbera is currently Wolf’s goaltending coach in Calgary.)
Regardless of the outcome, one thing is for sure: the sky is the limit for Dustin Wolf.
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Five Hilarious Hockey Bloopers
Hockey is an intense game, to say the least, but every now and then, fans are treated to some absolutely hilarious moments.
Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto began the first full week of 2025 with a classic.
The Long Island native was ready to go at the Senators' Jan. 6 practice but forgot to look below both his skates and stepped on the ice with one skate guard still attached.
"I thought it was a puck was under my foot so I just whipped it, and then I took a tumble,” Pinto told reporters on Monday. “It was a good one. I’m alright. Didn’t feel good, but the boys got a laugh out of it so that’s all that matters."
Just like any other hilarious blooper that has gone viral, the internet got a good giggle out of it, too.
With the history of hockey on the internet, there are many more funny moments on the blooper reel. Let's look at five more embarrassingly funny hockey moments the internet has to offer, starting with another recent viral video.
1. Dropped Call
It’s a problem that can only happen in the 21st century.
A KHL player went onto the ice to start his shift when his cell phone fell off his equipment onto the ice.
Ak Bars Kazan forward Nikita Dynyak chased a player from Avangard Omsk when the comedic incident happened and went viral on social media.
An official picked up the phone and brought it back to the Ak Bars Kazan bench, asked players whose phone it was. Dynyak acknowledged ownership of the phone and took it back.
Avangard Omsk coach Guy Boucher reportedly tried to take advantage of the situation and advocated an illegal equipment penalty, but the officials decided otherwise.
After the game, Dynyak said he put his phone on the shelf behind him, it must have fallen into his equipment, but he didn't feel anything.
We can only hope Dynyak has a warranty on the phone.
2. Brad Marchand's Shootout Decider
On Jan. 13, 2020, the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins had a high-scoring regular-season clash. Every time the Bruins tried to build a lead, the Flyers continued to chase.
Both teams were tied 5-5 after regulation and overtime, which left a shootout to decide the winner.
The first four shooters for each team missed to begin the shootout, but the Flyers' Travis Konecny finally scored in the fifth round for the Flyers. That meant Brad Marchand had to score to keep the game alive.
The Stanley Cup champion charged toward the resting puck like a man on a mission, but he barely nipped it a few inches forward as he skated into the offensive zone.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZwDcXKVytE[/embed]
After officials briefly convened, it was declared a shootout attempt, as Marchand made contact with the puck. Just like that, the game was over, and the Flyers won.
Well, that was rather anticlimactic.
3. Condor Runs The Show
During a Bakersfield Condors home game in 2013, when they were still in the ECHL, the organization brought out a real-life condor accompanied by a bird trainer on center ice during the American national anthem.
Things started well, but then the condor, named Queen Victoria, started to flap its wings frantically on the trainer’s shoulder before falling to the ice. Limited by her claws, Queen Victoria slipped along the ice to make a quick getaway, much to the fans’ amusement.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcd3DKWlqUk[/embed]
The trainer caught up with the condor, but on the way back toward the carpet on center ice, the trainer slipped and fell, giving Queen Victoria a second attempt at a great escape.
This time, she got all the way to the boards by Condors' bench, and as the team's players and staff tried to get away from the large bird, Queen Victoria jumped up on the boards and then on the bench itself.
While everyone else seemed to find the moment hilarious, the same might not be said for the bird trainer as he chased the bird away from the ice through the home dressing room.
He might as well have taken a shower while he was there to cool down.
4. Dion Phaneuf
During a Flames/Canucks game on Nov 5. 2005, a young Dion Phaneuf tried to make an early impact in his career but fell flat on his back.
With Calgary already leading 1-0 in the third period, the Flames’ Phaneuf tried to challenge the relatively experienced Jarkko Ruutu to a fight after getting hit into the boards by the Finland native.
As expected, Phaneuf flung his gloves and stick to show Ruutu it was on. But, as Phaneuf backed up, his legs seemed to get caught in Ruutu’s stick, and the rookie dropped to the ice while Ruutu skated to his bench. Phaneuf could only humbly get up and pick up his gear, pretending nobody had seen the incident.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X17J5O6z85w[/embed]
However, the officials did see it (as did the entire internet), and to add insult to injury, Phaneuf and the Flames were given a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Double ouch.
5. Patrik Stefan Blew It
Four days into 2007, Dallas forward and 1999 No. 1 overall pick, Patrik Stefan, probably wished for a redo to the New Year.
With the Stars leading the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 late in the final minute of the game, the Czech took the puck away from Edmonton defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron and looked poised to put in an easy empty-netter.
However, instead of burying the puck in the back of the net, Stefan tried to backhand the puck into the goal. The biscuit bounced over his stick and Stefan fell to the ice.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhTs_O0atdI[/embed]
Oilers center Jarret Stoll grabbed the loose puck and quickly skated the other direction, and Ales Hemsky dramatically scored to tie the game with just two seconds left in regulation.
The Stars would save face by winning the game in a shootout, but whenever people recall Stefan’s NHL career, this fail is the first thing they remember.
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