Yesterday’s NHL Scores
Last Night’s News 📰
A DECADE OF YOU CAN PLAY: Today, March 4, is the 10th anniversary of the You Can Play Project to promote acceptance and inclusivity in the sports world for the LGBTQ+ community. Started by Patrick Burke in honor of his brother Brendan who came out as gay before perishing in a car crash in 2010, along with Glenn Witman and Brian Kitts, You Can Play works to develop a culture of safety and respect for everyone involved in sports. Hockey is for everyone, and if you can play, you can play!
CAROLINA ON MY MIND: It’s a great time to be a fan of the Carolina Hurricanes. Not only do they own the second-highest points percentage in the league (.731), but yesterday, the NHL announced Carolina as hosts of the 2023 Stadium Series game on Feb. 18, 2023, against the Washington Capitals, playing at Carter-Finley Stadium on the campus of North Carolina State University.
CALE SMOOTHIE: Although the Arizona Coyotes ended the Colorado Avalanche’s four-game winning streak on Thursday with a 2-1 victory, it was Cale Makar who entered the history books. Recording an assist on Devon Toews’ second-period goal, Makar set a franchise record for Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques defensemen. It was Makar’s 10th consecutive game with a helper, passing John-Michael Liles and sitting two games behind Joe Sakic for the longest assist streak by any Colorado/Quebec player.
CEREMONIAL PUCK…BATTLE?: Not only did the Chicago Blackhawks welcome back former standout and current Edmonton Oilers blueliner Duncan Keith to the United Center on Thursday, but it also happened to be Niklas Hjalmarsson night. Hjalmarsson and Keith were integral parts of a Blackhawks team that went on to win three Stanley Cups, led by captain Jonathan Toews. As the three came together for the ceremonial puck drop, Keith made the most of his (first?) faceoff, trying to win the draw from Toews.
Friday Favorites
Let’s look back at our favorite moments of the week.
Hockey-tonk in Smashville
Another Stadium Series game is in the books. The Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning met under the lights at Nissan Stadium in front of 68,619 fans on Saturday night. In addition to a physical 3-2 game, some special musical guests included Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, and Lit. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos had a three-point night and netted the game-winning goal. The NHL put on a great event that everyone enjoyed, and the overall production helped ease the Predators’ loss for fans at the stadium.
Five for Scoring
It was a fun night at American Airlines Center on Wednesday. The Dallas Stars hosted the LA Kings, and with a little over five minutes left in the second period, the home team found themselves down by a score of 3-1. All that changed within a time frame of 5:34 as Jason Robertson, Ryan Suter, and Alexander Radulov scored three unanswered goals before the period came to an end. Jake Oettinger played a perfect third period, leading to an unforgettable night for the Stars and their fans.
A Happy Homecoming
Duncan Keith made his return to the Madhouse on Madison on Thursday night. His Oilers’ teammates made sure he had a red carpet welcome with their sticks raised in the air as he walked past them into the visitor’s locker room. Keith spent 16 seasons with the Blackhawks winning three Stanley Cups and one Conn Smythe Trophy, although his Oilers lost the game in overtime 4-3.
Goalie Goals
On Wednesday night, Lukáš Dostál, goaltender for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, scored an empty-net goal with 19 seconds remaining in the third period of the Gulls’ 5-2 win over the Colorado Eagles. The 21-year-old was drafted 85th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2018 and has appeared in three games for them this season. Dostál is the 17th goalie in AHL history to be credited with a goal.
Let’s look at the history of goalie goals in the AHL, ECHL, and NHL.
AHL
Collin Delia of the Rockford IceHogs was the last AHL goalie credited with a goal on Dec. 17, 2021. With less than 10 seconds left in the game and Rockford leading the Texas Stars 2-1, a Stars player got a rebound off of a Delia save and tried to make a centering pass but accidentally put it in his net.
Meanwhile, the last AHL goalie to accomplish the feat by shooting the puck was current Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry, who did so for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Nov. 14, 2018. With just under 90 seconds remaining, and the Penguins leading the Springfield Thunderbirds 3-1, Jarry rocketed one into the empty net.
Darcy Wakaluk was the first AHL goalie to score a goal. While playing for the Rochester Americans, Wakaluk shot a puck the length of the ice into an empty net during a game against the Utica Devils on Dec. 5, 1987. Wakaluk went on to play 191 games in the NHL and work as a goaltender coach after retiring.
ECHL
The other minor league affiliated with the NHL has had 13 goals scored by goaltenders in its history, with the first coming on March 18, 1995. Hampton Roads Admirals goaltender Corwin Saurdiff shot the puck the length of the ice into an empty net against Charlotte. Saurdiff played in 179 regular-season games across seven seasons of minor league hockey between 1993-2003 but only appeared in 28 ECHL games.
C.J. Motte was the most recent ECHL goalie awarded a goal while with the Quad City Mallards. In a similar fashion to Delia’s goal, Motte scored against the Fort Wayne Komets on Dec. 9, 2017. However, the last to do it with a shot was current Detroit Red Wings netminder Alex Nedeljkovic, who scored an empty-net goal for the Florida Everblades on Dec. 30, 2016, against the Atlanta Gladiators. He replicated the feat two years later with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL, eight months before Jarry hit the net.
NHL
A goal has been scored by a goaltender 15 times in NHL history, with eight being direct shots on the net. The first NHL goalie credited with a goal was the New York Islander Billy Smith on Nov. 28, 1979, against the Colorado Rockies. He also holds the dubious distinction of the only netminder on the list to lose the game he scored in, as Colorado went on to win 7-4.
The first NHL goaltender to shoot a puck into the opponent’s net was current Penguins GM Ron Hextall, who did so on Dec. 8, 1987, three days after Wakaluk became the first AHL goalie to do it. Hextall’s tally happened between his Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins. He would score again in 1989 during a playoff game against the Washington Capitals.
Hextall and New Jersey Devils legend Martin Brodeur are the only two NHL goalies to score multiple times. Brodeur did it three times, but only one was off his stick. Hextall did it twice, both coming from a shot. Meanwhile, Chris Mason is the only netminder to score in the NHL and the minor leagues, recording an AHL goal in 2001 and lighting the lamp for the Nashville Predators in 2006.
Pekka Rinne is the most recent NHL goaltender to score a goal, who recently had his number retired by the Predators. He launched the puck into an empty net with 22 seconds remaining in a 5-2 Nashville win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 9, 2020.
Trade Deadline Primer: Atlantic Division Buyers
Welcome to Morning Skate’s daily segment leading up to the NHL trade deadline! Through March 21, we will break down the buyers, sellers, and potential Wild Cards in each division to see who could be making noise in the coming weeks. Can you tell we’re excited??
Let’s kick things off in the Atlantic Division, where Florida’s NHL representation—the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers—are chasing divisional supremacy and, possibly, the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Today, we’re looking at the Atlantic buyers.
Tampa Bay Lightning
As you might expect from a club that reigns as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Lightning don’t have a laundry list of needs even as they’re gearing up for another deep playoff run. Established top-line star power, cheap veteran depth, and young AHLers staking their claim to a spot on the big club mean that things are pretty set among the forward corps. Perhaps GM Julien BriseBois will set out to address a blue line that looks pretty thin behind Victor Hedman. Could a Ben Chiarot, Justin Braun, or Colin Miller serve as this year’s David Savard?
Florida Panthers
After years of being a seller at this time of year, the Panthers have built upon the momentum of last year’s playoff breakthrough and are an elite team. Still, the motivation will be sizeable for GM Bill Zito to go all-in, both in pursuit of a Stanley Cup and to push back against their in-state rival Lightning. Could Owen Tippett and future picks form the basis of a trade package for Jakob Chychrun or John Klingberg?
Toronto Maple Leafs
The expensive core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander remain locked in for the Maple Leafs. However, there is a lingering sense that substantial changes are coming with another first-round exit. Needs on the blue line and suddenly shaky goaltending likely mean that GM Kyle Dubas will be busy over the next few weeks. Regardless of what happens, I’m sure Leafs fans will remain rational and level-headed and not overreact or anything.
NHL Standings
NHL’s Leadings Scorers
Today’s NHL Schedule
- Today’s newsletter was edited by Kyle Knopp, with contributions by Ben Fisher, Kristy Flannery, and Brooke LoFurno.
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