The NHL had 16 games in one day for the first time ever as the regular season winds down. Here are 16 things to know after the jam-packed Saturday.
The NHL had a sweet 16-game slate on Saturday, and it did not disappoint.
It featured crucial battles for playoff spots, post-season seeding and even positioning for better draft odds. It showcased milestones and records. It even had games some would call meaningless, but they created meaningful moments.
A lot happened, so in honor of the first time the NHL has ever had 16 games in one day, here are 16 things to know:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins Beat Detroit Red Wings as Crosby Reaches 1,500 Career Points
'Sid the Kid' had a Saturday to remember, recording three points against the Red Wings. His third point – a power-play goal assisted by Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel in the third period – made him the 15th NHL player ever to hit 1,500 career regular-season points. The 5-1 matinee win temporarily put the Penguins in the Eastern Conference's first wild-card spot with 90 points in 80 games. They needed either the Panthers or Islanders to lose in regulation to stay in a wild-card position heading into Sunday. THN.com/Pittsburgh's Nick Horwat has more.
2. Florida Panthers Remain in the East's First Wild Card With Win Over Washington Capitals
The Panthers arguably have the most difficult remaining schedule between them, the Penguins and the Islanders. But they extended their season-high win streak to six games with a 4-2 victory against the Capitals, who were without Alex Ovechkin due to an injury. The win puts Florida up to 91 points in 80 games. This time last year, the Panthers were amid their longest winning streak in franchise history at 13 games. THN.com/Florida's David Dwork has the Cats' recap.
3. New York Islanders Blank Philadelphia Flyers to Stay in Playoff Position
The New York Islanders know they can control their destiny by winning their final games of the season. After beating the 26th-place Flyers 4-0, they'll face the 25th-place Capitals on Monday, followed by a meeting with 28th-place Montreal on Wednesday. The Isles pushed the Penguins back to the outside of the playoff picture and now sit at 91 points in 80 games. The Panthers hold the tiebreaker on the Islanders, so New York sits in the Eastern Conference's second wild-card slot. THN.com/NYI's Stefen Rosner has the details.
4. Winnipeg Jets Win a Crucial Game Against the Nashville Predators
The Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators badly needed a win in the race for the Western Conference's final playoff position up for grabs. Nashville entered the game only one point behind Winnipeg with the same number of games played. It was a goaltending duo between two stars, Connor Hellebuyck and Juuse Saros. Despite Saros turning away 36 of 38 shots, Hellebuyck gets the 28-save shutout in a 2-0 Winnipeg win. The Jets are now at 91 points in 79 games, while the Preds sit at 88 points in 79 games. Carter Brooks has the recap on Winnipeg's win, while Ann Kimmel covers the Predators' difficult loss.
5. Calgary Flames Lose to the Vancouver Canucks in a Shootout
THN.com's Adam Proteau wrote recently about how most of the teams in or battling for a wild-card spot have struggled this season in shootouts. In fact, some teams won't make the playoffs because of missed opportunities past overtime. The Flames may be one of those teams, falling to 2-4 in the shootout this season after a 2-1 loss to the Canucks. They're now one point behind the Jets for the second Western Conference wild-card spot, and Winnipeg has a game in hand. THN.com/Calgary's Randy Sportak has more. Also, cheers to Cole McWard, who signed his first NHL contract with Vancouver on Tuesday and scored his first goal on Saturday.
6. Connor McDavid Reaches 150 Points in 2022-23
It feels fitting that Crosby and McDavid reached rare milestones on the first 16-game day ever. McDavid became just the sixth NHL player all-time to reach 150 points in a season. He needed two points against the San Jose Sharks to get it done, and it only took the first period to do so. He added his 151st point in the third period of a 6-1 Oilers win.
7. Boston Bruins Tie NHL Record for Most Wins In a Season
The Presidents' Trophy-winning Boston Bruins took on the third-place New Jersey Devils, who had an opportunity to pass the Carolina Hurricanes into second place overall. Former Devil Pavel Zacha scored twice for Boston in a 2-1 Boston victory. The Bruins tied the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning for the most wins in a regular season. Boston plays the Flyers on Sunday, the Capitals on Tuesday and the Canadiens on Thursday to break that record. They're also only three points behind the 1976-77 Canadiens for the most in a season (132).
8. "Dream Come True": U Sports Goalie Jett Alexander Plays for the Maple Leafs
It may have only lasted 70 seconds at the end of a 7-1 Leafs win over Montreal, but Jett Alexander got to experience NHL action playing for his childhood team on Hockey Night in Canada. The University of Toronto netminder signed an amateur tryout on Saturday since Matt Murray was unavailable to return from injury. Playing with an EBUG means Toronto can call up an extra player on an emergency basis on Sunday. Alexander faced no shots but said it was a dream come true and that he might start studying on Sunday for his four exams.
9. Cam Fowler Sets the NHL Record for Most Ice Time In a Regular-Season Game
The Anaheim Ducks played with five defensemen in a Mullett Arena matinee against the Arizona Coyotes, but Cam Fowler pretty much played for two D-men anyway. He logged 38:54 in ice time in a 5-4 Coyotes OT win. Fowler passed Dennis Wideman's 38:05 of ice time in 2014 for the most all-time in an NHL regular-season game since 1997-98 when it was first officially tracked. In the process, Fowler got an assist, and his team stayed in 30th place while the Coyotes moved up to 27th in a match with draft lottery implications.
10. Vegas Golden Knights Clinch Home Ice But Not Pacific Division Title
The Vegas Golden Knights have a 22-12 home playoff record and a 16-16 away record in their four trips to the post-season. Securing home-ice advantage in the first round surely won't hurt them. They earned a point in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars to guarantee a Game 1 at home, but the Knights needed a win and an Oilers loss to clinch the Pacific Division title. For Dallas, meanwhile, goalie Jake Oettinger earned his 35th win – only Ed Belfour and Marty Turco have more wins in a season in Stars history.
11. Colorado Avalanche Take the Central Division Lead
Colorado blew a 2-0 lead to the Los Angeles Kings but built another two-goal cushion in the third frame. Kings forward Adrian Kempe's second goal of the night cut the lead to one, but Los Angeles couldn't get the job done. Avs goaltender Alexandar Georgiev recorded his seventh straight road win, tying Patrick Roy for the longest run in franchise history. The Avalanche have a game in hand on the Dallas Stars, so they moved to the top spot in the Central. If Colorado loses Sunday's game against the Ducks, they'll return to second in the division.
12. Minnesota Wild Stay Close to the Top of the Central
Only two points separate the Wild from the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars for the top spot in the Central Division after the Wild beat the St. Louis Blues 5-3. Any of these teams could clinch home-ice advantage for the first two rounds of the post-season or start the playoffs on the road. While the Avs and Stars have more wins on the road than at home, the Wild have five more victories as the hosts than as visitors. Keep in mind Minnesota now has Gustav Nyquist, who recorded two assists in his Wild debut on Saturday.
13. Buffalo Sabres Stay Alive as the Carolina Hurricanes Wait to Clinch Home Ice
It was a must-win game for the Buffalo Sabres to survive Saturday without being eliminated from playoff contention. The game was tied at 3-3 in the third period when Sabres D-man Rasmus Dahlin blocked a shot from an open net. The play carried over to the Hurricanes' end, where Tage Thompson one-timed a pass from Dylan Cozens to take a 4-3 lead. Buffalo held on to reach 85 points in 78 games.
14. Egor Sokolov Scores His First As Claude Giroux Inches Closer to 1,000 Points
The game between the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning had 11 different goal-scorers, including Brayden Point getting his 49th of the season. But Ottawa came out with the 7-4 victory, and the game-winning goal went to 22-year-old Egor Sokolov. That was the forward's first career NHL goal in his 11th career game. And with a 3-on-2 rush toward an empty net, Sens captain Brady Tkachuk passed to Tim Stutzle, who fed Claude Giroux so he could score his 998th career point.
15. Igor Shesterkin Sets New Career High in Wins for the New York Rangers
Shesterkin likely won't win back-to-back Vezina Trophies this season, but he's now won more games than last season's 36 after a 4-0 shutout against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Rangers' win brought them to within two points of the New Jersey Devils for second place in the Metropolitan Division. Columbus remains last in the NHL with the best odds to pick No. 1 in the 2023 draft.
16. Seattle Kraken Score Seven Goals in a Game for the Seventh Time This Season
Seven Seattle skaters scored in a 7-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Minnesota's victory means Seattle stays seventh in the Western Conference. Alliterations aside, the Kraken are tied with the Edmonton Oilers for the most seven-goal outings in 2022-23. One player to keep an eye on is goaltender Martin Jones, who did not play in the third period after reportedly leaving the ice sore after the second.