This latest NHL Stat Corner covers the last three days to end a busy and exciting November. You can find all the player and team stats and milestones from the featured teams as well as anything else you missed from around the NHL.
Campbell Leads Maple Leafs to Historic Month
Jack Campbell is the first goalie in Toronto Maple Leafs history to have a goals-against average (GAA) of below 1.30 in a calendar month since 1953 when Harry Lumley did so. Campbell also posted the second-best save percentage (SV%) in a calendar month in franchise history with .959. The only goalie to record a higher SV% was Ed Chadwick (.976) in 1956.
Backstopped by one of the best goalies in the league thus far and possibly one who could go down as the best to suit up for the Maple Leafs, Campbell has been lights out and a huge reason for the success in Toronto. In just his first start of the season as a Maple Leaf, he is doing what has barely been done in the long history. Jason Spezza also played his 1,200th career game.
The Maple Leafs are the eighth team in NHL history to win 12 games in November. The team tied a franchise record by winning seven consecutive road games, also doing so in 1940-41, 1960-61, and 2002-03. The Maple Leafs’ plus-25 goal differential is the highest in a calendar month since February of 1993 when the team finished with plus-26. The winning streak on the road, team goal differential, and ability to both score and keep pucks out of the net all contributed to a great month to be around this organization.
Kraken With More Franchise Firsts
Caron Soucy scored the first shorthanded goal in Seattle Kraken history. The team also tied for the most shorthanded goals in a game by an expansion team with two. The other teams that did so in their inaugural seasons were the Minnesota Wild, Hartford Whalers, Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, and Los Angeles Kings. This feat is more impressive now than it is for most of the other expansion teams I mentioned considering the amount of goals scored per game today rather than back then.
Will Borgen recorded his first career point. He became the 33rd player in NHL history to record his first career point against the team that drafted him. Borgen was selected in the expansion draft from the Buffalo Sabres by the Kraken and recorded the point in just his second game in the Kraken uniform. He is one of many defencemen used for this team in their first year.
Yanni Gourde recorded his 200th career point in 328 games. Only five active undrafted players have reached that mark in fewer games. They are Artemi Panarin (223), Jonathan Marchessault (277), Tyler Johnson (297), Mats Zuccarello (299), and Tyler Bozak (316). Former teammate Johnson appears above, a credit to former general manager Steve Yzerman. Another reason why Gourde was generally believed to be one of the future pieces from the Kraken’s expansion draft.
Predators’ Forsberg & Saros Shine
Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators recorded his 15th career shutout. Filip Forsberg‘s four-goal night was the third time in franchise history that has happened. The other times were done by Eric Nystrom and Rocco Grimaldi. Forsberg also recorded his 400th career point. It is a huge relief for the Predators to have him back in the lineup after missing time, and Forsberg has looked better than ever on a surprisingly offensive team.
Related: NHL Stat Corner: Capitals, Penguins, Oilers, Panthers, Predators, & Kings
The Predators are 40-9-1 in franchise history when the Columbus Blue Jackets visit them. The one represents a tie. This is a greatly outmatched battle whenever the Blue Jackets visit Nashville. These teams used to be in the same division, the Central, back when the Blue Jackets were in the West.
Stars Impress as Their Season is Turned Around
Roope Hintz scored his first career hat trick and Braden Holtby played his 500th career game in a win vs the Carolina Hurricanes. These both came as the Dallas Stars knocked off another top-ranked team in the NHL at home. The team has the longest current home winning streak in the NHL at six games.
Rick Bowness coached his 2,500th regular-season game as a head coach or an assistant coach. It is the most in NHL history. He has coached 576 games as a head coach. It wasn’t the best end to a season last year, missing the playoffs after making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final the season before, but after a slow start, the team has got it on track.
Panthers Storm Back for Impressive November
The Florida Panthers are the first team to come back from at least a three-goal deficit heading into the third period and win in 303 instances. The last team to do so was the Capitals in 2020. In typical fashion, this win came at home where the Panthers have been dominant this season, and even dating back to the end of last season.
It is the third time in franchise history where the Panthers have at least 13 wins by the end of November. It was their 22nd game this season. They also did so in 1995-96 (17 in 24 games played) and 1996-97 (16 in 24 games played). Their team hasn’t looked this good in a long time, and recently the success has come without their captain.
Joe Thornton recorded his 1,533rd point, tying him for 12th on the all-time points list with Mark Recchi. He had just recently moved into 13th a few days ago and continues to climb in points.
Sabres Spreading the Wealth Early in the Season
Rasmus Dahlin recorded his 100th career assist. He is the second-fastest among defencemen to debut with the Buffalo Sabres to record that many (219 games played). Only Phil Housley (160 games played) did so faster. For how much he gets criticized, players develop at their own pace, and it’s hard when he’s a part of a franchise that has been near the bottom of the standings for his entire tenure. Dahlin is only going to get better and reach more milestones with the Sabres. Brett Murray also scored his first career goal, as lots of players are getting their shot in Buffalo this season.
Player & Team Stats From Around the NHL
Team
- The Detroit Red Wings recorded the 3,000th win in franchise history. The team has 7,001 all-time points.
- Erik Cernak and Corey Perry scored two goals five seconds apart, the fastest in Tampa Bay Lightning history. The previous mark was nine seconds apart.
- The Minnesota Wild have won eight consecutive games against the Coyotes. Each of those wins has been by at least three goals.
Player
- Quinn Hughes is the sixth-fastest defenceman in NHL history to record 100 career assists, reaching the mark in 151 games. Sergei Zubov (127 games played), Mark Howe (135), Stefan Persson (135), Al MacInnis (144), and Larry Murphy (150) did so faster. Hughes is also the second-fastest player in Vancouver Canucks history to record 100 assists, next only to Barry Pederson (147 games played).
- Arizona Coyotes’ Karel Vejmelka recorded his first career shutout. His 46-save shutout is second-most in franchise history to only Mike Smith’s 54. Vejmelka recorded the second-most saves by a goaltender in his first shutout since 1955-56. Only Thatcher Demko recorded more saves with 48.
- Alex Ovechkin has more career goals against the Carolina Hurricanes than against any other team. His 44 goals, 52 assists, and 96 points is the most vs. the Hurricanes by an active player.
- Andrew Mangiapane played his 200th career game.
- New Jersey Devils’ Nico Hischier recorded his 100th career assist.
- Aliaksei Protas of the Washington Capitals scored his first career goal.
- Capitals’ Beck Malenstyn scored his first career goal.
- Kirill Kaprizov has four goals and 14 points in his last seven games.
The Capitals continue to get scoring from rookies while their team is banged up and have yet to fall off. Kaprizov and the Wild continue to roll, while we got some bright spots from players on struggling teams in Q. Hughes and Vejmelka. The Red Wings, an original-six team, finally reach the 3,000 win mark, while some players reach personal milestones. Check back soon for all the latest stats and milestones from around the NHL.