NHL MORNING SKATE – MARCH 23, 2018 THURSDAY’S RESULTS Home Team in Caps Tampa Bay 7, NY ISLANDERS 6 PHILADELPHIA 4, NY Rangers 3 CAROLINA 6, Arizona 5 COLUMBUS 4, Florida 0 Edmonton 6, OTTAWA 2 Washington 1, DETROIT 0 Toronto 5, NASHVILLE 2 Vancouver 5, CHICAGO 2 Los Angeles 7, COLORADO 1 SAN JOSE 2, Vegas 1 (OT) QUICK HITS * Seven of 10 games witnessed at least seven goals. The NHL is averaging 5.9 goals per game thus far in 2017-18 (including shootout-deciding goals), the highest single- season average since 2005-06 (6.2). * The Golden Knights became the first team in NHL history to record 100 points in their inaugural season. * Connor McDavid (2-2—4), Claude Giroux (0-3—3), Anze Kopitar (4-0—4) and Nathan MacKinnon (0-1—1) all found the score sheet. Each player has factored on at least 38% of his team's goals this season – all among the top-five in the League. McDAVID POSTS FOUR-POINT NIGHT TO CLIMB ART ROSS LEADERBOARD Connor McDavid (36-58—94) collected 2-2—4 to notch his third game with at least four points to leapfrog Evgeni Malkin (41-50—91) and Nathan MacKinnon (38-54—92) into second place in the battle for the Art Ross Trophy, behind Nikita Kucherov (37-58— 95). Malkin was idle, while Kucherov and MacKinnon each notched one assist Thursday – with the latter extending his point streak to a career-high 14 games. * In 2016-17, McDavid became just the second Oilers player to win the Art Ross Trophy, finishing with 30-70—100, but has yet to hold the League lead in points this season. Kucherov has held that position since Dec. 12 and for 64% of the entire 2017-18 campaign thus far. * With eight games remaining, McDavid now sits six points shy of becoming just the fifth active NHL player with multiple 100-point seasons; Sidney Crosby (5), Alex Ovechkin (4), Evgeni Malkin (3) and Joe Thornton (3) are the others. * McDavid is just the second player in the last 25 years (since 1992-93) to score at least 35 goals in a season for Edmonton. Since entering the League in 2015-16, the 21-year- old Oilers captain leads the NHL with 26 games of at least three points. LIGHTNING SURVIVE FRANTIC THIRD TO ESTABLISH FRANCHISE RECORD The Eastern Conference-leading Lightning (51-19-4, 106 points) built 4-1 and 7-3 leads before holding off a frantic Islanders third-period rally – which saw them score three goals in 3:01 – to set a franchise record for wins a season and tie the Predators (48-15- 10, 106 points) for the most points in the NHL. * The Lightning posted their fifth consecutive victory as visitors to extend their franchise record for road wins in a season (24-11-2, 50 points), with four such contests remaining. In 2016-17, the Rangers (27-12-2) paced the League in road victories. * The Lightning scored at least seven goals in a game for the fourth time this season. They lead the League with 271 goals this season (including six shootout-deciding goals), a new franchise record (previous: 262 GF in 2014-15). In 2016-17, the Penguins paced the NHL with 282 GF. * Jon Cooper was behind the bench for this 239th career win, tying John Tortorella (239) for the most by a Lightning head coach. KOPITAR NETS FOUR, INCITES KINGS OFFENSE Anze Kopitar (4-0—4) recorded his fourth career hat trick and the first four-goal game by a Kings player in more than 24 years to lead Los Angeles (41-27-7, 89 points) past Colorado (40-26-8, 88 points) in a matchup between two clubs battling for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. * The Kings extended their road point streak to eight contests to leapfrog the idle Ducks (38-24-12, 88 points) for third place in the Pacific Division, while the Avalanche maintained their hold on the first Wild Card spot. * After collecting 12-40—52 in 2016-17, Kopitar now shares sixth in League scoring with 33-53—86 this season. His 34-point improvement over last season is the highest year- over-year increase ever by a Kings player (min. 75 GP in each campaign), besting the previous mark of 32 points held by Drew Doughty (2008-09 to 2009-10). * This is just the fifth instance in the past 24 years of a Kings player recording more than 85 points in a season. * The two-time Stanley Cup champion became the fifth player to score four goals in a game this season; only two other campaigns since 2003-04 have featured at least five instances of a player scoring 4+ goals in a game: 2005-06 (6) and 2013-14 (5). SHARKS EDGE GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN PACIFIC-DIVISION BATTLE Logan Couture scored 39 seconds into overtime to lift the Sharks (42-23-9, 93 points) to their season-high sixth consecutive victory, pulling closer to the Golden Knights (47- 21-6, 100 points) for first place in the Pacific Division. The two clubs close their season series March 31 at T-Mobile Arena (VGK: 2-0-1; SJS: 1-1-1). * Vegas, meanwhile, became the first team in NHL history to reach the 100-point mark in its inaugural season. The previous benchmark for was three seasons, set by the Oilers in 1981-82 and four campaigns for a team that did not merge from the WHA (a mark set by the Islanders in 1975-76). * With a seven-point lead and eight games remaining, Vegas aims to become just the second expansion team from any of the four North American professional sports leagues to finish first in its division. The NBA’s Denver Nuggets are the only team to accomplish the feat, doing so in 1976-77 (aside from 1967-68 Flyers, when all teams in the NHL’s West Division were expansion clubs). BLUE JACKETS KEEP ROLLING WITH 10TH STRAIGHT WIN Sergei Bobrovsky (33 saves) recorded his fifth shutout of the season and Cam Atkinson (1-1—2) notched the game-winning goal for the second time in three contests as the Blue Jackets (42-28-5, 89 points) earned their 10th consecutive victory. * The Blue Jackets’ 10-game run is six victories shy of the franchise record set last season. They are the third club in NHL history to record a double-digit win streak in consecutive seasons, joining Philadelphia (1984-85 and 1985-86) and Pittsburgh (2010- 11, 2011-12 and 2012-13). * Columbus matched Colorado and Nashville for the longest win streak this season. This marks just the third time in NHL history that at least three teams posted a win streak of 10 or more games in the same season: 2015-16 (3) and 2016-17 (4). FLYERS DUO CONTINUE TO LEAD PLAYOFF PUSH Claude Giroux recorded three assists for the second time in as many contests and Jakub Voracek tallied 1-0—1 to propel Philadelphia to its third win in four games (3-0- 1). * The Flyers (38-25-12, 88 points) opened a six-point cushion over the idle Devils (37- 28-8, 82 points) for the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. They also moved within one point of the Penguins (42-27-5, 89 points) and Blue Jackets (42-28-5, 89 points), owners of the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Metropolitan Division. * Giroux (26-64—90) broke a tie with Voracek (19-61—80) and overtook Jets forward Blake Wheeler (19-62—81) for the assists lead in 2017-18. The Flyers captain reached the 90-point mark for the second time in his career (also 2011-12: 28-65—93). * Voracek sits one point shy of matching his best single-season points output (22-59—81 in 2014-15). In fact, Voracek and Giroux are the first set of Flyers teammates with at least 80 points each since Jeff Carter (46-38—84) and Mike Richards (30-50—80) in 2008-09. MAPLE LEAFS SNAP PREDATORS STREAK WITH FIVE-GOAL OUTING Five different players scored – including Auston Matthews (1-0—1) in his return from a 10-game absence – to power the Maple Leafs (44-23-7, 95 points) to victory, snapping the League-leading Predators’ point streak at 15 games (14-0-1). * Toronto boasts a 14-4-2 record in their last 20 games and a 5-1-0 clip over its last six contests. They moved within one victory of matching the franchise record for most wins in a season, accomplished three times (1998-99, 1999-00 and 2003-04). * James van Riemsdyk (1-1—2) opened the scoring for Toronto and found the back of the net for the fourth time in five contests (8-2—10), including three multi-goal performances. QUICK CLICKS • Eddie Olczyk announces on air that he is cancer free • Cam Ward has some very bad luck, skates into net with puck stuck in blade • Golden Knights success surprises, delights GM George McPhee • Robert Bortuzzo fined for cross-checking SNEAK PEEK AT FRIDAY’S ACTION NBC Sports Channel Finder | Sportsnet Channel Finder | NHL Network Channel Finder JETS SET SIGHTS ON 100-POINT MARK AGAINST SURGING DUCKS The Jets (44-19-10, 98 points) aim to reach the 100-point mark for the first time in franchise history when they host the Ducks (38-24-12, 88 points) at Bell MTS Place. * Jets captain Blake Wheeler shares second in the NHL with 62 assists in 2017-18, seven shy of the single-season franchise record set by Marc Savard (69 in 2005-06 w/ ATL).