Tuesday’s top NHL players
Erik Källgren, Maple Leafs
Now this is how you make your NHL debut. During a brutal time for Maple Leafs goaltending, Erik Källgren pitched a 35-shutout to blank Dallas, handing the Stars their third consecutive loss. (Not the best way to celebrate keeping Joe Pavelski around, by the way.)
Understandably, a natural reaction to Erik Källgren pitching a shutout during the NHL action on Tuesday is to ask, “Who is Erik Källgren?”
Here are a few quick tidbits:
- He’s the fourth goalie in Maple Leafs franchise history to generate a shutout in their NHL debut.
- The 25-year-old was drafted ... barely. Back in 2015, the Coyotes picked Erik Källgren in the seventh round (183rd overall).
- Källgren apparently skated with fellow Swede Rasmus Dahlin this summer. Sandin told David Alter that the netminder “smiles a lot” and is the “nicest guy.”
- So far, his work has been sparse in North America. In 26 games with the AHL’s Marlies this season, Källgren recorded a 15-8-1 record and .904 save percentage. In 2019-20, Källgren played two games for the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate. Other than that, he’s spent most of his time playing overseas.
So, not much to go off of there. Strange things can happen with goalies, but this mostly seems like a nice story instead of a building storyline.
Tuesday NHL highlights
Watch Alex Ovechkin pass Jaromir Jagr for third all-time in NHL goals with number 767:
In an emotional moment, Sharks fans greeted Joe Thornton during his return to the “Shark Tank.” Apparently 6,934 days passed between Thornton’s games as a visitor in San Jose.
Jumbo just wanted to get the game started 😂
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 16, 2022
WELCOME BACK, JOE 🐐 pic.twitter.com/6QXhmaYOj6
Artemi Panarin set up Adam Fox for an overtime game-winner. Both Rangers players generated three points in that win against the Ducks:
It's Adam Fox (@foxyclean) with the @TwistedTea overtime winner for the @NYRangers! 🦊 pic.twitter.com/AOjgRjOnQM
— NHL (@NHL) March 16, 2022
David Pastrnak, Taylor Hall, and Matt Grzelcyk combined for a nice OT game-winner to keep the Bruins hot:
GRIZZY CALLS GAME.#NHLBruins | @JagermeisterUSA pic.twitter.com/5GNUsNobo4
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 16, 2022
Not many announcers will use the phrase “full tentacles,” but this Jake Oettinger save earned the unusual description. Did you guess that Daryl “Razor” Reaugh made that call?
JAKE OETTINGER, HOW DID YOU DO THAT? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/utRmLAFgXA
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) March 16, 2022
Josh Bailey made some great moves to set up Kyle Palmieri:
"WOW. WOW." - Anson Carter
— Isles on MSGSN (@IslesMSGN) March 16, 2022
Palms stays red hot and Bails with the ELITE play. pic.twitter.com/eNwE5hIUzd
Tuesday NHL Takeaways
Alex Ovechkin passes Jaromir Jagr for third all-time in goals with number 767
In the 1,256th game of his career, Alex Ovechkin scored goal 767, breaking a tie with Jaromir Jagr for third all-time in NHL goals. You can see that nice little tally in the Tuesday NHL highlights section.
With that, Ovechkin only trails Gordie Howe (801) and Wayne Gretzky (894) on the NHL’s all-time goal scoring list.
As Jagr noted in a kind video to Ovechkin, the Capitals winger now owns the most goals scored of any European skater. For all Jagr accomplished in his splendid (and still-going) career, Ovechkin’s goal pace really is on another level:
Alex Ovechkin scores his 767th career goal, passing Jaromir Jagr (766g) for the third most goals in NHL history. Ovechkin passes Jagr in 477 fewer games played.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) March 16, 2022
Auston Matthews and others hold an edge in the Maurice Richard Trophy race, but Ovechkin’s 37 goals remain impressive. Consider a few other facts about Ovechkin at 767 goals:
- In the likely event Ovechkin reaches 40 goals, he’d hit that mark for a 12th time, which would tie Wayne Gretzky for the all-time mark.
- If Ovechkin reaches 50, he’d be the third player (along with Gretzky and Mike Bossy) to record nine seasons of 50+ goals, and he’d be the first to do so at age 36 or older.
- With 120 career game-winning goals, Ovechkin ranks third all-time. He’s one away from tying Gordie Howe for second (121 GWG), while Jagr is number one with 135.
- Ovechkin’s 279 power-play goals already represent the most in NHL history.
🗣 "I was saving it for home."
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) March 16, 2022
Alex Ovechkin on what it means to pass Jaromir Jagr as the @NHL's third-highest goal scorer: pic.twitter.com/6quzpglc7N
Golden Knights, Ducks both lose fifth game in a row
It’s been mentioned before, but every loss should push the Ducks closer to being obvious trade deadline sellers. Generally, Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has been messaging that way, and they already traded defenseman Josh Manson.
As bizarre as it might seem, the Golden Knights inspire at least some questions about slipping to trade deadline seller status. Really, how could they not?
Following an ugly 7-3 loss to the Jets, the Golden Knights are now on a five-game losing streak. They managed zero points from a five-game road trip, as every defeat happened during regulation.
[A look at the Golden Knights’ predicament earlier in this losing streak]
Painfully, the Golden Knights should’ve won most of these games, at least on paper. Beyond the Penguins, the Golden Knights lost to four teams likely to miss the playoffs: Buffalo, Philadelphia, Columbus, and Winnipeg.
Yes, injuries hurt matters. To an extent, that’s a risk you run with a top-heavy team, not to mention one that’s skewing a bit on the older side. In the case of this loss to the Jets, Peter DeBoer grumbled about goaltending.
Pete DeBoer is clearly not happy with the goaltending lately- “He just didn’t get in front of enough pucks. It’s pretty simple. I’m not a goaltending expert but you’ve gotta get in front of a couple.”
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) March 16, 2022
But that’s not really been a fair way to summarize their overall struggles. Despite paying big on the likes of Alex Pietrangelo, the Golden Knights’ defense has often been a big problem this season. Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Chandler Stephenson are doing what they can, but the team’s only point-per-game players are injured.
Should this losing streak push the Golden Knights to sell at the trade deadline? They don’t need to panic -- really, they’re stuck to the point where they can’t really “blow things up” -- but it may not be a bad idea to be mild sellers. With expiring contracts, Reilly Smith and others likely know their days are numbered. Maybe it would be best to move them along, and hope to make the playoffs anyway?
Not a lot of easy answers for Vegas right now.
Avalanche trade for Sturm, Wild receive Jost
Wisely or not, teams are marking names off of the trade deadline list. The Avalanche are still working on moves, though, ones that may or may not open up a possible Claude Giroux trade. Either way, saving some money and possibly upgrading by landing Nico Sturm for Tyson Jost is a nice bit of business.
Here’s hoping that we see some splashy trades, though. This is more a nice, modest move, as this RAPM comparison chart exemplifies (via Evolving Hockey):
While I’m not in love with the trade for the Wild, they might bank on perceived potential. Jost (24) is a little younger than Sturm (26).
Wednesday’s big story
Bruins vs. Wild: battle of two 2022 NHL Trade Deadline buyers?
Few teams make as much sense as trade deadline buyers as the Bruins and Wild. There are teams in more desperate situations, and clearer top contenders. But context gives each team incentive to improve via a trade.
In the case of the Wild, they’ll see a big salary cap crunch starting next season, and spiking for the two seasons afterward. The Bruins have their own looming uncertainty (particularly Patrice Bergeron’s expiring contract), and also boast the sort of aging core whose window may close.
[PHT Roundtable on teams who should be aggressive at trade deadline]
So both the Bruins and Wild should gear up at the trade deadline. They’re worth watching beyond that armchair GM angle, too. The red-hot Bruins are hot enough to possibly move above the wild-card fray. Due to some recent slippage, the Wild have to worry about the West wild card situation at least a bit. (Games in hand make things a little complicated.)
The Bruins and Wild don’t meet that often, yet a game like this could nudge each team ever so slightly toward being more or less aggressive at the trade deadline.
Tuesday NHL scores
Maple Leafs 4, Stars 0
Coyotes 6, Canadiens 3
Rangers 4, Ducks 3 (OT)
Capitals 4, Islanders 3 (SO)
Predators 4, Penguins 1
Jets 7, Golden Knights 3
Bruins 2, Blackhawks 1 (OT)
Oilers 7, Red Wings 5
Canucks 6, Devils 3
Avalanche 3, Kings 0
Panthers 3, Sharks 2 (OT)
—
James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.