Alex Ovechkin is on a tear, determined to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal-scoring record. I didn't think he'd do it this year, but he has other ideas. Ovechkin has 853 goals, 32 away from breaking the record. Ovechkin has eight goals in his last seven games, with two game-winning goals and doing it with his lowest career ice-time. At 39, breaking a record that most thought couldn't be broken would be quite an accomplishment. Personally, I prefer he doesn't break it because he's not as well-rounded as Gretzky and because Gretzky's 43 WHA goals should count. But I say that every time.
Things I like
1.The Winnipeg Jets became the second team to start the season with at least 13 wins in 14 games and then the first to have 14 in 15. That's great, but what did the team they tied with do? That team is the Ottawa Senators, who made the playoffs as a seventh seed in 2007-08 and lost in the first round. So, what does this streak mean? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We'll see what happens to the Jets.
2.Besides the Jets, the hottest teams are the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Minnesota Wild. The Panthers aren't surprising, but typically, playing this many games catches up with you in the playoffs. Don't expect a two-peat. I know it's only November. The Hurricanes keep rolling without Frederik Andersen. Pyotr Kochetkov is winning but has a sub .900 SV%. The Minnesota Wild are surprising, considering where they finished last season. Kirill Kaprizov has been on fire with 27 points in 14 games and is second in the NHL in scoring.
Things I don't
1.Every year, there's hope for cities that maybe this year their team will improve. If you're in the Atlantic division, however, that's not happening. The top four teams are the same four that have been there the past few seasons, and if you remove the Florida Panthers, it's the same three that have been there forever. It's always possible something changes because they are bunched up together, and it's early, but don't count on it. Quite a bummer for fans in those other cities.
Fights of the Week
Special thanks to hockeyfights.com for making this section a little easier to do.
Jamie Benn vs Adam Lowry
A bit of an odd fight, but stil worth a look.
Goat of the Week
Jordan Kyrou - St. Louis Blues
Kryou isn't aware that Dylan Guenther is behind him even though he should be able to feel him, and he just swiped at the puck seconds earlier. Guenther goes the other way for the game-winning goal on a 2-1.
https://www.nhl.com/video/uta-stl-guenther-scores-goal-against-joel-hofer-6364377031112
Saves of the Week
Jordan Binnington - St. Louis Blues
Binnginton slides from out of position to make a spectacular save with the tip of his stick.
https://www.nhl.com/video/wsh-stl-binnington-with-a-great-save-against-taylor-raddysh-6364488303112
Kevin Lankinen - Vancouver Canucks
Not to be outdone, Lankinen makes his best Binnginton impression, but he didn't travel as far.
https://www.nhl.com/video/edm-van-mcdavid-scores-ppg-against-kevin-lankinen-6364496815112
Stat Line of the Week
11/09/24 Colorado 6 vs. Carolina 4
| Skater | TOI | G | A | +/- | SOG | PPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.MacKinnon | 23:17 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
Nathan MacKinnon has started the season on fire and leading the NHL in scoring. He has 29 points in 15 games almost two points a game. At this rate, he'd end up with 160 points. Against the Carolina Hurricanes, MacKinnon had a goal and three assists in a much-needed win for the Avalanche. Two games ago, he had five assists against the Seattle Kraken.
Numbers, Numbers
1 – Goal by Macklin Celebrini, the NHL's youngest player, scored on Marc-Andre Fleury, the league's oldest
1.17 – GAA for Jonathan Quick
.964 – SV% for Jonathan Quick
61 – Career shutouts for Jonathan Quick tied for 18th all-time
4 – Game-winning goals by Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild
-12 – Boston Bruins plus minus
Rankings
The rankings are based on how the teams are currently playing.
Top 5
- Winnipeg
- Florida
- Minnesota
- Carolina
- Vancouver
Bottom 5
- Montreal
- Chicago
- Anaheim
- San Jose
- Columbus