NEW YORK – Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev has been fined $5,000.00, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for slashing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting during NHL Game No. 513 in Toronto on Tuesday, Dec. 20, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.
The incident occurred at 19:53 of the first period. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox have added six non-roster invitees to the team’s 2023 Spring Training roster: pitchers Norwith Gudino and Oddanier Mosqueda, catchers Caleb Hamilton and Ronaldo Hernández, outfielder Narciso Crook, and infielder/outfielder Niko Goodrum.
Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.
Norwith Gudino, RHP – Gudino, 27, posted an 8.87 ERA (47 ER/47.2 IP) with 60 strikeouts in 26 appearances (six starts) for Triple-A Sacramento last season. The right-hander owns a 3.74 ERA (166 ER/399.2 IP) with 0.72 home runs allowed per 9.0 innings over 125 career minor league appearances (61 starts). A native of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, Gudino was signed by San Francisco as an international free agent in 2014.
Oddanier Mosqueda, LHP – Mosqueda, 23, posted a 4.30 ERA (28 ER/58.2 IP) with Double-A Portland in 2022, recording career highs in innings pitched, appearances (45, all in relief), holds (seven), strikeouts (76), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.8). Originally signed by Boston as an international free agent in 2015, the left-hander has averaged more than 11.00 strikeouts per 9.0 innings in five of his six seasons. A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Mosqueda holds a career 3.96 ERA (119 ER/270.2 IP) over 148 minor league appearances (10 starts).
Caleb Hamilton, C – Hamilton, 27 made his Major League debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2022, playing in 22 games while making three starts at catcher and one at first base. The right-handed hitter spent most of 2022 with Triple-A St. Paul, batting .233 (48-for-206) with 10 doubles, 11 home runs, and 43 RBI in 62 games. Selected by Minnesota in the 23rd round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Oregon State University, the Washington native has batted .213 (323-for-1,517) in 467 career minor league games.
Ronaldo Hernández, C – Hernández, 25, hit .261 (107-for-410) with 27 doubles, 17 home runs, 63 RBI, and a .748 OPS in 105 games for Worcester in 2022, making 67 starts at catcher and 38 at designated hitter. He led the WooSox in doubles and total bases (185) and ranked second in home runs, RBI, and extra-base hits (44). A native of Arjona, Colombia, the right-handed hitter was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on February 17, 2021. Hernández was recalled to Boston for two Major League stints in 2022 but did not appear in a game.
Narciso Crook, OF – Crook, 27, made his Major League debut with the Chicago Cubs last season, going 2-for-8 with a double and two RBI over four games while making one start in center field and one in right field. The right-handed hitter spent most of 2022 with Triple-A Iowa, batting .260 (94-for-362) with an .837 OPS, 19 home runs, and 67 RBI in 101 games. Born in Nagua, Dominican Republic, Crook was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 23rd round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Rowan University.
Niko Goodrum, INF/OF – Goodrum, 30, has hit .226 (311-for-1,375) with 42 home runs and 152 RBI in 402 Major League games with the Minnesota Twins (2017), Detroit Tigers (2018-21), and Houston Astros (2022). The switch-hitter has started at every defensive position except pitcher and catcher during his big league career, making 137 starts at shortstop, 107 at second base, 43 at first base, 33 in left field, 13 in right field, 10 at third base, 10 in center field, and seven as the designated hitter. The Georgia native was selected by Minnesota in the second round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of Fayette County High School.
BOSTON RED SOX 40-MAN ROSTER (40)
Pitchers (24): Matt Barnes, Brayan Bello, Ryan Brasier, Kutter Crawford, Franklin German, Darwinzon Hernandez, Tanner Houck, Kenley Jansen, Zack Kelly, Chris Martin, Bryan Mata, Wyatt Mills, Chris Murphy, Kaleb Ort, James Paxton, Nick Pivetta, Joely Rodríguez, Chris Sale, John Schreiber, Connor Seabold, Josh Taylor, Brandon Walter, Garrett Whitlock, Josh Winckowski
Catchers (2): Reese McGuire, Connor Wong
Infielders (5): Triston Casas, Bobby Dalbec, Rafael Devers, David Hamilton, Trevor Story
Outfielders (5): Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Rob Refsnyder, Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida
Infielder/Outfielders (4): Christian Arroyo, Kiké Hernández, Ceddanne Rafaela, Enmanuel Valdez
BOSTON RED SOX NON-ROSTER INVITEES (6)
Pitchers (2): Norwith Gudino, Oddanier Mosqueda
Catchers (2): Caleb Hamilton, Ronaldo Hernández
Outfielders (1): Narciso Crook
Infielder/Outfielders (1): Niko Goodrum
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Drew Rucinski on a one-year contract for the 2023 season with a club option for 2024, the club announced today. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A’s designated left-handed pitcher Zach Logue for assignment.
Rucinski has spent the last four seasons with the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization and compiled a 53-36 record and a 3.06 ERA in 121 games, all starts. He made at least 30 starts and pitched 177.1 or more innings in all four seasons and was a 19-game winner in 2020. The 33-year-old right-hander was 10-12 with a 2.97 ERA in 31 starts last year. He tied for the KBO lead in games started, ranked second in strikeouts (194) and innings pitched (193.2) and eighth in ERA.
Rucinski last pitched in the majors in 2018 with Miami when he went 4-2 with a 4.33 ERA in 32 relief appearances. He is 4-4 with a 5.33 ERA and .294 opponents batting average in 41 games over four seasons with the Angels (2014-15), Twins (2017) and Marlins (2018).
Logue was one of four players acquired from Toronto in the Matt Chapman trade prior to the 2022 season and made his Major League debut with the A’s last season. He was 3-8 with a 6.79 ERA and .918 opponents OPS in 14 games, including 10 starts, over six stints with Oakland and 3-6 with an 8.12 ERA and 1.097 opponents OPS in 17 starts with Triple-A Las Vegas.
CLEVELAND, OH – The Cleveland Guardians today announced the following additions to the Major League Spring Training roster:
Signed LHP CALEB BARAGAR and RHP CALEB SIMPSON to Minor League contracts with non-roster invitations to Major League Spring Training camp.
Baragar (BAIR-uh-ger), 28, appeared in 49 games with the San Francisco Giants during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, posting a Major League ERA of 2.78 (1GS, 2SV, 45.1IP, 36H, 14ER, 35SO, .222 avg). The Jenison, MI native spent the 2022 season in AAA Reno (3-1, 5.51 ERA, 43 games) in the Arizona system after being claimed on waivers from the Giants on March 21. He owns a career Minor League ERA of 4.21 in 156 games/75 starts (468.1IP, 431H, 219ER, 429SO) since his ninth-round selection by the Giants in the 2016 MLB Draft out of Indiana University.
Simpson, 31, spent the majority of his professional career in the San Francisco Giants system (2013-19), spending 2020 with the Cubs (NRI) before latching on with the Red Sox starting in Summer Camp 2020 thru the 2022 season. He split the 2022 season between AA Portland and AAA Worcester. He owns a professional Minor League ERA of 4.20 across 164 relief appearances (199.1IP, 143H, 93ER, 254SO, .198 avg) since debuting in 2013. The Norman, OK native was selected by SF in the 21st round of the 2013 MLB Draft and converted to a pitcher after catching at Seminole State College (OK).
CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today agreed to terms with shortstop Dansby Swanson on a seven-year major league contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Swanson, 28, last season was named the N.L. Gold Glove Award winner at shortstop and made his first career N.L. All-Star Game, hitting .277 (177-for-640) with 99 runs scored, 32 doubles, one triple, 25 home runs, and a career-high 96 RBI and 18 stolen bases in a major league-best 162 games for Atlanta. He became the first MLB player to start all 162 games at shortstop since the Royals Alcides Escobar in 2017 and the first N.L. shortstop since the Cubs Starlin Castro did so in 2012. According to Fangraphs, Swanson’s 6.3 WAR was second among major league shortstops, trailing only the Mets Francisco Lindor (6.8), and his .986 fielding percentage (8 E/592 TC) was second among shortstops with at least 1,100 innings.
The six-foot one-inch tall, right-handed hitting Swanson is a career .255 batter (775-for-3,043) with 161 doubles, 13 triples, 102 home runs, 411 RBI and 58 stolen bases in 827 games spanning seven seasons with the Atlanta Braves since making his major league debut in 2016. He has played at least 136 regular season games in four of his five full campaigns, including a N.L.-best 322 contests since the start of the 2021 season. Swanson has recorded a .978 fielding percentage (68 E/3,113 TC) in 821 games at shortstop and, starting with the 2018 season, his 42 errors are the fewest among shortstops with at least 5,000 innings at the position.
In 2021, on the way to helping the Braves to the World Series championship, Swanson hit .248 (146-for-588) with 33 doubles, two triples, a career-high 27 home runs and 88 RBI in a N.L.-leading 160 games. His 27 home runs set the Braves single-season record for a shortstop while his .982 fielding percentage (10 E/571 TC) ranked fourth among N.L. shortstops. Swanson batted .224 with two home runs and four RBI in 16 postseason games, and delivered a game-tying home run in World Series Game 2, becoming the third Braves player to hit a game-tying home run in the World Series.
Selected first overall by Arizona in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft, Swanson was traded to the Braves December 8 of that year in a five-player deal. He made his major league debut in 2016 after just 127 career minor league games, collecting 39 hits in 38 games for Atlanta.
A native of Kennesaw, Ga., Swanson played at Vanderbilt University from 2013-15 and led the Commodores to consecutive College World Series appearances his final two seasons. He helped the school to its first-ever championship in 2014 and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series.
Swanson, who resides in Nashville, Tenn., is actively involved with the West Nashville Dream Center during the offseason. His wife, Mallory Pugh, is a member of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team and since 2021 has played with the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League.
The New York Yankees today announced that they have signed two-time All-Star LHP Carlos Rodón to a six-year Major League contract extending through the 2028 season.
Rodón, 30, went 14-8 with one complete game and a 2.88 ERA (178.0IP, 131H, 59R/57ER, 52BB, 237K, 12HR) over 31 starts with the San Francisco Giants in 2022. He posted career highs in wins, innings pitched, strikeouts, double-digit strikeout games (11) and games started.
The 6’3” left-hander led the Majors last year in strikeouts-per-9.0-innings (11.98) and double-digit strikeout games, finishing second in pitcher WAR (6.2, FanGraphs), third in strikeouts, fourth in opponents’ OPS (.571), fifth in opponents’ slugging percentage (.308), sixth in HR/9.0IP (0.61) and eighth in opponents’ batting average (.202). Additionally, 135 of his strikeouts last season ended with a fastball. According to Statcast, that was the third-highest total in the Majors, trailing only teammates Nestor Cortes (144K) and Gerrit Cole (141K).
A two-time All-Star (2021, ‘22), Rodón is 56-46 with three complete games and a 3.60 ERA (847.1IP, 731H, 368R/339ER, 319BB, 947K, 91HR) in 152 career games (147 starts) with the Chicago White Sox (2015-21) and San Francisco Giants (2022). He has also finished in the top-six of Cy Young voting twice (fifth in 2021 and sixth in 2022).
Over the last two seasons (2021-22), Rodón has gone 27-13 with two complete games and a 2.67 ERA (310.2IP, 222H, 98R/92ER, 88BB, 422K, 25HR) in 55 starts. Over that span, he led the Majors in strikeouts-per-9.0-innings (12.23), while finishing third in pitcher WAR (11.1, FanGraphs) and opponents’ slugging percentage (.307), fourth in opponents’ OPS (.567) and double-digit strikeout games (16), sixth in opponents’ batting average (.196), tied for sixth in wins, seventh in strikeouts, ERA and opponents’ OBP (.259), and eighth in HR/9.0IP (0.72).
In his final season with the White Sox in 2021, he went 13-5 with a career-best 2.37 ERA (132.2IP, 91H, 39R/35ER, 36BB, 185K, 13HR) in 24 starts. On April 14, 2021 at Guaranteed Rate Field, Rodón tossed the 20th no-hitter in White Sox history, retiring the first 25 Cleveland batters faced before allowing his only baserunner on a hit-by-pitch in the ninth.
Originally selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 16th round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, Rodón did not sign and played at North Carolina State University for three seasons (2012-14). The White Sox then made him the third overall pick of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. On March 16, 2022, he signed with the Giants, inking a two-year Major League contract extending through 2023 with a player opt-out following the 2022 season. He exercised that option on November 6, 2022.
MINNESOTA WILD NOTES:
SERIES NOTES
UPCOMING WILD GAMES
GAME BROADCASTS
ANAHEIM DUCKS
All-Time Wild Record: 43-31-7 (22-12-6 at Xcel Energy
Center, 21-19-1 at Anaheim)
2022-23: The Wild is 2-0-0 in two contests against Anaheim this season… Minnesota earned a 4-1 victory in the series opening game at Honda Center (11/9) and tallied a 5-4 shootout victory the second meeting at Xcel Energy Center (12/3)…LW Kirill Kaprizov (3-0=3), C Joel Eriksson Ek (1-2=3) and D Calen Addison (1-2=3) lead the Wild with three points each…LW Matt Boldy (0-2=2), C Connor Dewar (1-1=2), C Mason Shaw (0-2=2) and RW Mats Zuccarello (0-2=2) have all recorded two points…G Filip Gustavsson is 2-0- 0 in two starts with a 2.40 GAA and a .923 SV%…D Dmitry Kulikov (0-2=2), C Mason McTavish (0-2=2), RW Troy Terry (1-1=2), RW Frank Vatrano (0- 2=2) and C Trevor Zegras (1-1=2) lead Anaheim with two points each…G John Gibson is 0-1-1 in two starts with a 3.87 GAA and a .909 SV%.
WILD LEADERS: Zuccarello (8-17=25 in 28 games) leads Minnesota with 25 points (8-17=25) in 28 games vs. Anaheim… D Alex Goligoski has 24 points (6-18=24) in 54 games…D Jared Spurgeon has 17 points (7-10=17) in 38 contests…Kaprizov owns 14 points (4-10=14) in 13 games…C Ryan Hartman has 13 points (7-6=13) in 22 games.
WILD GOALIES: G Marc-Andre Fleury is 21-5-0 with a 1.93 GAA, a .930 SV% and three shutouts in 26 career starts against Anaheim…Gustavsson is 2-0- 0 with a 2.40 GAA and .923 SV% in two starts against the Ducks.
DUCKS LEADERS: D Kevin Shattenkirk leads Anaheim with 23 points (4- 19=23) in 44 matches against the Wild…D John Klingberg has 22 points (6-16=22) in 31 games…C Adam Henrique owns 21 points (8-13=21) in 27 contests…D Cam Fowler (8-7=15 in 42 games) and RW Jakob Silfverberg (8-7=15 in 28 games) each own 15 points vs. Minnesota.
DUCKS GOALIES: Gibson is 7-6-4 with a 2.51 GAA, a .925 SV% and three shutouts in 18 starts against the Wild…G Anthony Stolarz is 1-2-0 with
a 4.44 GAA and a .892 SV% in three career starts…G Lukas Dostal has appeared in one game vs. Minnesota, stopping 12 of 13 shots faced…G Olle Eriksson Ek has not faced Minnesota.
FAST FACTS: Minnesota has won the last 12 meetings, the longest winning streak against an opponent in team history…The Wild is 14-1-1 in the last 16 games against Anaheim…The Wild is 10-2-0 in its last 12 games at Honda Center, outscoring Anaheim, 37-20…The Wild has earned points in 23 of its last 33 games played at Xcel Energy Center (20-10-3)…Minnesota was swept by Anaheim in the 2003 Western Conference Final and lost 4-1 in the 2007 First Round.
INJURIES
Brandon Duhaime: upper body
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Dec. 10, 2022 – Dec. 20, 2022
12/20/22 Recalled F Steven Fogarty from Iowa
12/17/22 Reassigned F Sammy Walker to Iowa
12/13/22 Reassigned F Nic Petan to Iowa
12/11/22 Reassigned D Andrej Sustr to Iowa
ON THE POWER PLAY DYNAMIC DUOS
• Through 31 games the Wild has converted 24.8 percent (25 of 101) of power-play opportunities, 10th-best in the NHL.
• The Wild have converted 32.1 percent (18 of 56) of power-play opportunities at home this season, second-best in the NHL.
• The Wild have registered a PPG in 11 of its last 13 games. Since Nov. 23, Minnesota ranks tied for sixth in the NHL with a 31.0
power-play percentage (13 of 42).
• Minnesota recorded a power-play goal in a season-high six consecutive games from Nov. 23 – Dec. 4, going eight-for-19 (42.1 pct.) during that span. The streak tied for the fifth-longest in franchise history.
PENALTY KILLERS
• Since Nov. 8, Minnesota is third in the NHL with a 83.3 penaltykill percentage (60 for 72).
• Minnesota is fifth in the NHL with a 83.3 penalty-kill percentage (40 of 48) on the road this season.
TOTAL TEAM EFFORT
IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT
• The Wild hold an active seven-game home win streak, the NHL’s longest active streak and tied for second-longest in the NHL this
season.
• Since Oct. 25, the Wild is tied for third in the NHL with 17 wins and tied for fourth with 35 points.
• Since Oct. 25, Minnesota is giving up 2.35 goals per game (third in NHL), allowing 28.3 shots per game (fourth in the NHL) and recording a .917 save percentage (seventh in the NHL).
ANAHEIM DUCKS NOTES:
LAST ANAHEIM DUCKS GAME
DEC. 20, 2022 – ANAHEIM 1 @ LOS ANGELES 4
The Ducks concluded a season-tying five-game road trip with a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena last night. The contest marked Anaheim’s 21st road game, tied with Arizona for the most in the NHL this season. Frank Vatrano scored Anaheim’s lone goal on the power play at 14:27 of the second period, extending his point streak to a season-tying three games (2-2=4) with his sixth goal overall in 2022-23. Kevin Shattenkirk and Jakob Silfverberg earned assists on the goal. Lukas Dostal made 37 saves in his career-best third straight start.
PP: 1-5 PK: 4-5 SF: 25 SA: 41 TOI: Cam Fowler (24:10)
Three Stars: 1. D. Doughty 2. K. Fiala 3. A. Iafallo Game Summary | Event Summary | Game Recap
UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (PT) TV / AUDIO
Dec. 23 Calgary Honda Center 7 p.m. BSSC / Ducks Stream
Dec. 28 Vegas Honda Center 7 p.m. BSSC / Ducks Stream
Dec. 30 Nashville Honda Center 2 p.m. BSSC / Ducks Stream
Jan. 2 Philadelphia Honda Center 7 p.m. BSW / Ducks Stream
Jan. 4 Dallas Honda Center 7 p.m. BSSC / Ducks Stream
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
Dec. 5 Reassigned LW Pavol Regenda to San Diego (AHL).
Dec. 6 Claimed C Jayson Megna on waivers from Colorado. Activated LW Max Comtois from Injured Reserve (IR) and placed C Isac Lundestrom on IR.
Dec. 9 Activated D John Klingberg from Injured Reserve (IR).
Dec. 10 Recalled G Lukas Dostal from San Diego (AHL). Placed C Derek Grant on Injured Reserve (IR).
Dec. 14 Recalled G Olle Eriksson Ek from San Diego (AHL). Placed G Anthony Stolarz on Injured Reserve (IR).
Dec. 19 Acquired D Michael Del Zotto in a three-team trade. Detroit acquires C Danny O’Regan from Anaheim while Florida receives RW Givani Smith. Assigned D Colton White to San Diego (AHL) on a Conditioning Loan.
Dec. 20 Recalled C Justin Kirkland from San Diego (AHL). Placed LW Max Jones on Injured Reserve (IR).
ANAHEIM DUCKS INJURIES
Man-Games Lost: 167
PLAYER INJURY/ILLNESS EXPECTED ABSENCE GAMES MISSED
John Moore Upper-body Indefinite 33
Jamie Drysdale Torn labrum (shoulder) 4-6 months 25
Isac Lundestrom Upper-body 6 weeks 9
Derek Grant Lower-body Day-to-day 8
Anthony Stolarz Lower-body Day-to-day 5
Max Jones Upper-body Day-to-day 4
John Gibson Lower-body Day-to-day 3
Urho Vaakanainen Illness Day-to-day 1
ANAHEIM DUCKS NOTES
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Anaheim Ducks begin a franchise record 10-game homestand tonight against the Minnesota Wild at Honda Center (7 p.m. PT, TV: Bally Sports West AUDIO: Ducks Stream). The Ducks enter tonight with wins two of their last three games (2-1-0).Tonight closes the Ducks fifth set of back-to-back contests this season, posting a 1-7-1 record overall (0-4-0 in the second game). Anaheim continues its 14-game December schedule, consisting of six home and eight road contests. All-time, Anaheim is 155-144-48 in the month of December. Since the start of 2013-14, Anaheim is 62-34-19 in December, picking up points in 81 of the 115 contests. Upcoming milestones include Trevor Zegras one point from 100 career NHL points (currently 36-63=99). Zegras can become can become the third player in Ducks history to reach the milestone in 140 games or fewer (all with Anaheim), joining Paul Kariya (45-56=101 in 98 GP) and Bobby Ryan (55-45=100 in 126 GP). Following tonight’s game, the Ducks will continue the franchise record 10-game homestand on Friday, Dec. 23 vs. Calgary (7 p.m. PT).
RECORD HOMESTAND: The Ducks begin a franchise record 10-game homestand with the stretch of contests at home spanning 24 days (Dec. 21 through Jan. 13). The homestand is tied for the third-longest in NHL history, trailing 12 straight at home by Tampa Bay (2010-11) and Calgary (1975-76). It is the second-longest continuous homestand in NHL history, with Tampa Bay taking a six-day break due to the 2011 NHL All-Star Game. The 24 days during the stretch are the third most, trailing Winnipeg (22 days, 2017-18) and Vancouver (22, 1981-82). Anaheim’s longest prior homestand was eight games (three times), including Dec. 28, 2014-Jan. 16, 2015 (6- 2-0, 12 pts.), Mar. 2-18, 2007 (6-1-1, 13 pts.) and Oct. 28-Nov. 14, 2001 (2-4-2, 6 pts.). Anaheim begins the homestand tied for the most road contests in the NHL this season (21, also Arizona). The Ducks will also host an eight-game homestand from Mar. 12-27, 2023. Below is a list of the longest homestands in NHL history:
SEASON TEAM GAMES DATES DAYS RECORD (W-L-T-OT, PTS.)
2010-11 Tampa Bay 12 Jan. 23, 2011 – Feb. 25, 2011 34 7-3-0-2, 16 pts.
1975-76 California 12 Nov. 26, 1975 – Dec. 28, 1975 33 4-7-1-0, 9 pts.
2022-23 Anaheim 10 Dec. 21, 2022 – Jan. 13, 2023 24
2017-18 Winnipeg 10 Jan. 30, 2018 – Feb. 20, 2018 22 6-3-0-1, 13 pts.
2005-06 Phoenix 10 Jan. 28, 2006 – Mar. 4, 2006 36 3-5-0-2, 8 pts
1981-82 Vancouver 10 Jan. 13, 1982 – Feb. 3, 1982 22 4-3-3-0, 11 pts.
DUCKS-WILD: Anaheim and Minnesota conclude a three-game season series tonight with the second matchup at Honda Center. The Ducks own a 36-30-15 all-time record vs. the Wild, including a 20-16-5 mark in Orange County. Anaheim has earned one point in the 2022-23 season series, a 5-4 shootout loss Dec. 3 at Xcel Energy Center, with the Wild picking up a 4-1 win in the first matchup of the season at Honda Center Nov. 9. Through the two games, five Ducks skaters have posted multiple points, including Troy Terry (1-1=2), Trevor Zegras (1-1=2), Mason McTavish (0-2=2), Frank Vatrano (0-2=2) and Dmitry Kulikov (0-2=2).. Kevin Shattenkirk (4-19=23 in 44 games) leads active Ducks skaters in career scoring and assists vs. the Wild, and Adam Henrique (8-13=21 in 27 GP) and Jakob Silfverberg (8-7=15 in 28 GP) co-lead the Ducks in career goals vs. Minnesota.
ANA-MIN SEASON SERIES:
DATE LOCATION TIME / RESULT TV / AUDIO
Nov. 9 Honda Center 4-1 MIN win
Dec. 3 Xcel Energy Center 5-4 MIN SO win
Dec. 21 Honda Center 7 p.m. PT Bally Sports West / Ducks Stream
ANA-MIN ALL-TIME SERIES:
Overall @ Anaheim @ Minnesota
All-Time Series: 36-30-15 20-16-5 16-14-10
Current Streak: 12 MIN wins Five MIN wins Seven MIN wins
Last ANA Win: Jan. 18, 2021 (1-0) Jan. 18, 2021 (1-0) Dec. 10, 2019 (3-2 SO)
Last MIN Win: Dec. 3, 2022 (5-4 SO) Nov. 9, 2022 (4-1) Dec. 3, 2022 (5-4 SO)
ANA Last 10: 0-6-4 2-7-1 3-3-4
CLUTCH COMEBACKS: The Ducks co-lead the NHL with three third-period, multi-goal comebacks wins this season (also NYI), including Oct. 12 vs. SEA (5-4, OT win, trailed 4-2 with 15:51 in third), Oct. 30 vs. TOR (4-3 OT win, trailed 3-1 with 12:36 remaining) and Nov. 5 @ SJS (5-4 shootout win, trailed 4-2 with 9:33 remaining). The Ducks four multi-goal comeback wins this season rank second behind only Chicago’s four. Anaheim’s comeback win over San Jose marked the second time in franchise history the club has come back from a multi-goal deficit in the final 5:00 of regulation in the regular season (also Dec. 7, 2016 vs. CAR). Anaheim has recorded four third-period, multi-goal comeback victories in a single regular season just three times in franchise history (six in 2014-15 and five in 2009-10 & 4 in 2013-14).
TERRY TALK: Right wing Troy Terry leads Anaheim in points (12-16=28), goals, PPG (4) and assists this season, and he co-leads the club with eight multi-point outings. Terry has earned 4-3=7 points his last 10 games and 5-3=8 points his last 13 outings. He also has collected 8-11=18 points his last 23 appearances and 8-13=21 points his last 26 contests. He had a career-best five-game assist streak Oct. 30-Nov. 6 (1-7=8), surpassing his prior best of four straight games with an assist Nov. 9-16, 2021 (3-4=7). Terry’s 28 points in 33 games are on pace for 72 points this season which would surpass his career high 37-30=67 points set last season.
GENERATION Z: Center Trevor Zegras co-leads Anaheim in PPP (2-6=8) and is second among Ducks in points (10-15=25), goals and assists. Zegras has 2-6=8 points his last 12 games, 3-10=13 points his last 19 outings and 6-14=20 points his last 24 games. Zegras’ career 36-63=99 points in 131 GP are the second-most points by an Anaheim player 21 or younger, trailing only Paul Kariya (68-79=147 in 129 GP). Zegras currently co-leads Anaheim with eight multi-point efforts this season, and paces the Ducks in multi-point outings (29) since his debut in 2020-21. On Nov. 27 vs. SEA, he tied a career high with three assists (0-3=3), his third career three assist game, the most by a Ducks skater before the age of 22. His three points also tied his single-game career high (last: Feb. 19, 2022 @ VAN; 0-3=3). It was his fourth career three-point game, tying Ryan Getzlaf for the second-most three-point games by a Duck at age 21 and trailing only Paul Kariya (12).
M(A)C ATTACK: Rookie center Mason McTavish picked up consecutive multi-assist games Dec. 17 @ EDM (0-2=2) and Dec. 15 @ MTL (0-2=2), marking 4-14=18 points this season. He co-leads Anaheim in PPP (2-6=8) and PPA, and ranks third among team leaders in points and assists. He currently has seven assists his last eight games (0-7=7) to rank second among NHL rookies in assists and is fourth in points. McTavish recorded his sixth multi-point outing of his career Dec. 17 @ EDM, with Cam Fowler the only Ducks player with more before age 20 (nine times).
CAM’S CORNER: Defenseman Cam Fowler leads Anaheim blueliners in points (4-12=16), and assists, and co-leads in goals through 33 games. Fowler has 4-11=15 points his last 17 games, including four multi-point outings (three multi-assist). Since Nov. 15, Fowler’s 15 points (4-11=15 in 16 GP) rank tied for fourth among all NHL defensemen in that span, trailing only Winnipeg’s Josh Morrissey (5- 18=23), Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin (3-17=20) and San Jose’s Erik Karlsson (2-17=19). Fowler had a career-tying five-game point streak Nov. 15-23 (2-6=8), matching his prior high set four prior times; last: Nov. 7-16, 2021; 1-4=5). The last Ducks defenseman with a longer run was Chris Pronger (six games, Oct. 29-Nov. 7, 2009; 3-6=9). Fowler recorded three straight multi-point efforts Nov. 15-19 (1-5=6), joining Karlsson (four straight multi-point games, Oct. 27-Nov. 3; 7-4=11) and Hronek (three straight, Nov. 19-25; 4-2=6) as the only defensemen in the NHL with three or more consecutive multi-point outings. Fowler is one of four defensemen in Ducks history with multiple points in three consecutive games and the first since Scott Niedermayer in 2008-09.
KLING-ON: Defenseman John Klingberg has scored three goals his last two games (3-0=3), netting the game-winning goal in back-toback games. He became the second defenseman in Ducks history to score a game-winning goal in consecutive games (also Sheldon Souray Feb. 4 and Feb. 6, 2013) while only Carolina’s Brett Pesce has done so this season (Nov. 26 and 29). Klingberg co-leads all Ducks skaters in game-winning goals (2), while he co-leads Anaheim blueliners in goals (4), and ranks second in points (4-7=11) and is tied for second in assists.
GIBBY’S GAME: John Gibson ranks third among NHL goalies in saves (677) and is tied for fifth in appearances and starts (22). Gibson leads the NHL with nine games of 35-plus saves this season, three more than any other goaltender, while he co-leads the league with four 40-save performances (also WPG’s Connor Hellebuyck). Gibson was one of seven goalies the last 10 years with eight 35-plus save contests through the first 19 starts in a season, and is the only goalie to do so twice (also 2018-19). Gibson has recorded four 40-plus save games this season (Dec. 3 @ MIN, 45; Nov. 23 vs. NYR, 41; Nov. 6 vs. FLA, 43; Oct. 12 vs. SEA, 44), co-leading the NHL with Connor Hellebuyck (WPG). Gibson earned his fifth career helper, the primary assist, on Troy Terry’s OT winning goal Oct. 12 vs. SEA and tied J.S. Giguere for second in Ducks all-time goaltender assists with his sixth career helper Nov. 3 @ VAN. Gibson stopped his eighth career penalty shot (10th attempt) against Alexander Kerfoot Oct. 30 vs. TOR. He has stopped an NHL-leading six penalty shots since the start of 2020-21, with two goalies tied with three penalty shot saves (Connor Hellebuyck, WPG & Frederik Andersen, CAR/TOR).
QUE RICO!: Center Adam Henrique has earned 1-2=3 points his last three outings and also has 9-9=16 points his last 23 contests. He ranks third among team leaders in goals (9) and is tied for fourth in scoring overall (9-8=17). He recorded points in a season-long six straight games Nov. 5-19 (5-3=8), his best as a Duck and one short of his career-long point streak set over 10 years ago in seven straight contests with New Jersey Nov. 25-Dec. 8, 2011 (2-7=9). He scored goals in a season-best three straight games Nov. 5-12 (3- 0=3, +3; missed Nov. 9 due to birth of first child), including his 100th goal as a Duck (100-90=190) Nov. 12 vs. CHI, becoming the 10th player in franchise history to reach the milestone.
ARIZONA COYOTES NOTES:
3 HARD LAPS
• Arizona is 3-5-2 in the month of December but is 2-2-1 in its last five games
• Clayton Keller leads ARI with 30 pts (12-18-30) and became just the fifth Coyote (since 1996-97) to reach the 30-pt plateau within his 30th game of a season…Keller enters tonight with 8 pts (5-3-8) in his last 6 GP and has a 4-game point streak versus Vegas
• Jakob Chychrun comes into tonight 1 assist shy of 100 in his career. He’s also near the top of the leaderboard for most assists by a Coyotes/Jets defenseman through 14 games played in a season
LAST GAME
Canadiens 3, Coyotes 2 (OT) – December 19, 2022 – Mullett Arena
ARI Goals: Schmaltz (5), Maccelli (3)
MTL Goals: Caufield (19), Dvorak (7), Hoffman (7)
ARI Goalie: Vejmelka (O) – 23 svs on 26 shots
MTL Goalie: Montembeault (W) – 37 svs on 39 shots
PP: 0-2 PK: 2-2
Notes: ARI fell in OT to MTL but got a point to finish the homestand 1-1-1…Nick Schmaltz scored Arizona’s first goal and is now on a five-game home point streak…In Schmaltz’s five home games this season, the forward has produced 2-6-8…Jakob Chychrun joined Schmaltz by extending his home point streak to five games when he assisted on Matias Maccelli’s goal…Chychrun’s helper was his 10th of the season…The dueling five-game home point streaks are the highest by a Coyote this season…Clayton Keller assisted on Schmaltz’s goal for his 30th point of the season (12-18-30 in 30 GP)…Lawson Crouse also chipped in an assist…The Coyotes set a season-high in shots on goal in a game with 39 and net shots with +13…The last time the Coyotes out-shot a team by at least 13 shots was 12/28/21 at SJ (+19)
MAN GAMES LOST (Name/Roster Status/Injury Type/Games Missed/Last Game Played)
Liam O’Brien…Week-to-Week…Upper-Body (2 / 12/16)
Total man games lost: 65 games
Jakob Chychrun (16), Nick Schmaltz (15), Zack Kassian (9), Connor Timmins (9), Andrew Ladd (6), Josh Brown (3),
Ben McCartney (3), Juuso Valimaki (1), Lawson Crouse (1)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
-12/18 – Assigned F Jan Jenik to Tucson (AHL)
-12/17 – Recalled F Jan Jenik from Tucson (AHL)
-12/15 – Assigned D Dysin Mayo to Tucson (AHL)
-12/8 – Loaned F Dylan Guenther to Team Canada for the 2023 WJC
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
DATE TIME
(AZ)
OPPONENT VENUE TV RADIO
Fri, Dec 23 7:30pm vs LAK Mullett Arena Bally Sports Arizona
Extra
ESPN 620
Tue, Dec 27 7pm vs COL Mullett Arena Bally Sports Arizona
Extra
ESPN 620
Thur, Dec 29 7pm vs TOR Mullett Arena Bally Sports Arizona 98.7 FM
YOTES & KNIGHTS
-Tonight is the second of three ARI-VGK matchups this season. Vegas took the first game 4-1 on 11/17 at T-Mobile
-They’ll play again at Mullett on 1/22
-Clayton Keller scored Arizona’s goal in the November matchup. That goal gives him sole possession of the most career points against VGK by current Coyotes (12)
-Keller also comes into tonight with a 4-game point streak against VGK, totaling 1-3-4 in that span -Nick Schmaltz is expected to face the Golden Knights for the first time this season. The forward notched two goals against them on 2/25/22, one of five multi-goal games he tallied in 2021-22
-Schmaltz’s 8 career goals against VGK are the most he’s produced against an NHL opponent
-Coyotes vs Golden Knights:
• All-Time: 7-12-0-5
• Home: 4-4-0-3
• Road: 3-8-0-2
• L10: 3-6-1
• STRK: L2
SCORING NOTABLES AGAINST THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Clayton Keller…2-10-12…23 career GP
Jakob Chychrun…2-7-9…19 career GP
Nick Schmaltz…8-3-11…17 career GP
Zack Kassian…1-6-7…14 career GP
Travis Boyd…1-2-3…6 career GP
Career Leaders
Goals (Schmaltz, 8)… Assists (Keller, 10)…Points (Keller, 12)
Career Leaders Among Defensemen
Goals (Chychrun, 2)… Assists (Chychrun, 7)…Points (Chychrun, 9)
KELLER INSTINCT
-Clayton Keller enters tonight among Arizona leaders in goals (12, 2nd), assists (18, 2nd) and points (30, 1st) in 2022- 23
-Keller got back on the scoresheet with an assist on Monday and is on a run of 8 pts (5-3-8) in his last 6 GP
-The helper was Keller’s 30th point of the campaign, which took place in his 30th game. Since the franchise relocated to Arizona, Keller is the fifth Coyote (eighth instance) to reach 30 points within his first 30 games of a season
FEWEST GAMES BY A COYOTE TO 30 PTS (SINCE 1996-97)
NAME SEASON GP SCORING LINE DATES
Jeremy Roenick 1999-00 19 14-16-30 10/2/99 – 11/28/99
Jeremy Roenick 1998-99 25 10-20-30 10/11/98 – 12/16/98
Keith Tkachuk 1998-99 26 17-14-31 10/11/98 – 12/22/98
Ladislav Nagy 2005-06 27 11-20-31 10/8/05 – 12/5/05
Ladislav Nagy 2003-04 28 14-16-30 10/10/03 – 12/12/03
Shane Doan 2003-04 29 11-19-30 10/10/03 – 12/12/03
Clayton Keller 2022-23 30 12-18-30 10/13/22 – 12/19/22
Keith Tkachuk 1997-98 30 17-14-31 10/1/97 – 12/10/97
-2022-23 also marks Keller’s sixth consecutive season of reaching the 30-point benchmark. Only Dale Hawerchuk (7) has recorded more 30+ point seasons with the Coyotes/Jets franchise before turning 25
-The winger has been clear of a point per game since 11/18/21, recording 37-50-87 in 81 GP since then. His 1.07 points per game in that span ranks 6th among RW (Min. 50 GP)
IN THE NICK OF TIME
-Nick Schmaltz has begun his season with 5-7-12 in 15 GP and comes into tonight on a 3-game point streak. A point tonight would establish a season-high point streak for Schmaltz
-All 12 of Schmaltz’s points have come since returning from injury (11/21), which ranks T-3rd on the Coyotes since then
-The forward has registered 1-4-5 in his last 3 GP as well as 2-6-8 in his last 6 GP
-Arizona is 12-3-2 when Schmaltz records a multi-point game since the start of 2021-22…This season in Coyotes wins, he’s registered 2-5-7 in 4 GP
-In his last 82 games (since 4/26/21), Schmaltz has recorded 28-47-75
-Since his Coyotes debut on 11/27/18, Schmaltz has tallied 54-108-162 in 217 GP. His 0.75 PPG paces the Coyotes since then (min. 50 GP) and his point total trails just Keller in that span
CHYCHA CHYCHA BOOM BOOM
-Jakob Chychrun has posted a 3-10-13 scoring line in 14 games this season. All 13 of his points have come in his last 13 games
-Since 11/23 (his last 13 GP), Chychrun ranks among NHL blueliners in goals (T-6th), assists (T-5th), points (T-4th) and shots (50, 3rd)
-Chychrun is also on simultaneous runs of 2-8-10 in his last 9 GP and 8 assists in his last 8 GP
-Chychrun reached 10 assists this year with an assist on Monday, his 14th game. Per NHL Stats & Info, he’s the eighth defenseman (10th instance) in Coyotes/Jets franchise history to require 14 or fewer games in a season to reach 10 assists. Keith Yandle was the last to do it to begin 2014-15
-Only four Coyotes/Jets defensemen (five instances) have recorded 11+ assists within his first 15 games of a season
(Source: NHL Stats & Info)
NAME SEASON SCORING LINE DATES
Phil Housley 1992-93 3-15-18 10/6/92 – 11/12/92
Phil Housley 1991-92 6-15-21 10/4/91 – 11/3/91
Dave Ellett 1987-88 2-12-14 10/10/87 – 11/12/87
Moe Mantha 1983-84 7-12-19 10/25/83 – 11/24/83
Oliver EkmanLarsson
2020-21 0-11-11 1/14/21 – 3/8/21
-The seventh-year NHLer enters tonight with 99 career assists. A helper tonight would make him just the ninth defensemen in Coyotes/Jets history to register 50+ goals and 100+ assists with the franchise
-Chychrun extended his home point streak to 5 games on Monday. The last Coyotes defenseman to post a 5+ game home point streak was Oliver Ekman-Larsson in March of 2019
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Shayne Gostisbehere (8-15-23 in 30 GP) enters tonight ranking among NHL d-men leaders in goals (T-4th), points(T-13th), power-play goals (3, T-6th) and even-strength points (14, T-12th) on the campaign
-The blueliner has compiled 9 pts (4-5-9) in his last nine games, as well as 13 pts (4-9-13) in his last 13 GP (since 11/23)
-Since 11/23, Gostisbehere ranks T-1st among NHL d-men in goals, T-4th in points as well as T-8th in assists
-Gostisbehere (82-211-293 in 493 GP) is closing in on 300 pts and 500 games for his career. He is on track to become the sixth player and second defenseman from the 2012 Draft Class to play in 500+ games and record 300+ points (Filip Forsberg, Tomas Hertl, Morgan Rielly, Teuvo Teravainen, Alex Galchenyuk)
ROOKIE MAKING HIS MARK
-Matias Maccelli (3-19-22 in 28 GP) comes into tonight among NHL rookie leaders in multiple statistical categories
-He ranks among NHL rookie leaders in assists (1st), points per game (1st, 0.79; [min 15 GP]), points (2nd), powerplay assists (7, 2nd) and power-play points (8, T-2nd)
-Maccelli has found the scoresheet in three of his last four games, including a goal last time out. He enters tonight just two points off the rookie lead (SEA’s Matty Beniers)
-Since 1996-97, only three Coyotes (four instances) have reached 20 assists in a season within 30 games or fewer regardless of rookie status:
Jeremy Roenick – 21 GP (1999-00)
Jeremy Roenick – 23 GP (1998-99)
Craig Janney – 26 GP (1997-98)
Ladislav Nagy – 27 GP (2005-06)
YOTES COACH’S CHALLENGE
2022-23: 0-for-0, -%
Interference Challenge Rate: 0-for-0 (-%)
Offsides Challenge Rate: 0-for-0 (-)
Miscellaneous Challenge Rate: 0-for-0 (-%)
Last Team Challenge: (W) March 27, 2022 – Original Call Overturned; ARI requested a Coach’s Challenge for a missed stoppage of play. The Situation Room determined that the puck hit the protective netting behind ARI’s net prior to WPG’s Adam Lowry’s goal and, therefore, was out of play
Last Situation Room-Initiated Challenge: (Overturned) Oct. 17, 2022 – Original Call Overturned; The situation room called to review if Morgan Rielly batted the puck with his hand inside the attacking zone before Mitch Marner subsequently gained possession and control. It was deemed that Marner was the first player to gain possession and control of the puck after Rielly batted it with his hand and, therefore, no goal
2022-23 OVERTIME RESULTS: (1-3-2)
Last overtime win: 12/11/22 vs PHI (W, 5-4, GWG – C. Keller)
Last overtime loss: 12/19/22 vs MTL (L, 3-2, GWG – M. Hoffman)
Last overtime that led to shootout: 11/25/22 at DET
2022-23 SHOOTOUT RESULTS: (0-2)
Last shootout win: 2/1/22 at COL (W, 3-2, SDG – A. Galchenyuk)
Last shootout loss: 11/25/22 at DET (L, 4-3, SDG – D. Larkin)
CAREER OT POINT CHARTD
PLAYER NAME GOALS ASSISTS POINTS
Shayne Gostisbehere 7 9 16
Clayton Keller 5 6 11
Nick Schmaltz 1 7 8
Jakob Chychrun 2 4 6
Christian Fischer 2 1 3
Travis Boyd 1 1 2
Nick Bjugstad 0 1 1
Troy Stecher 0 1 1
Barrett Hayton 0 1 1
Juuso Valimaki 0 1 1
Matias Maccelli 0 1 1
2022-23 COYOTES RECORD ON…
1-Day Rest: 7-9-3
2-Days Rest: 3-1-1
3+ Days Rest: 0-3-1
Back-to-Backs
Coyotes record on…
First Game of Back-to-Back: 1-1-0
Second Game of Back-to-Back: 0-2-0
When ARI and opponent is completing a back-to-back: 0-1-0
When completing a back-to-back where opponent is not: 0-1-0
When ARI is not completing a back-to-back but opponent is: 0-1-1
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS NOTES:
GOLDEN KNIGHTS UPCOMING GAMES
Golden Knights 2022-23 Record: 22-11-1, 45 points (8-9-0 at Home, 14-2-1 on Road)
DATE OPPONENT TELEVISION RADIO SPANISH RADIO
Dec. 21 vs. Arizona Coyotes AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
Dec. 23 vs. St. Louis Blues AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
Dec. 27 at Los Angeles Kings AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM None
Dec. 28 at Anaheim Ducks AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM None
Dec. 31 vs. Nashville Predators AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
GOLDEN KNIGHTS LAST GAME RECAP
December 19 – Vegas Golden Knights 2, Buffalo Sabres 3
The Vegas Golden Knights (22-11-1) came up short against the Buffalo Sabres (16-14-2) in a 3-2 defeat on Monday night at T-Mobile Arena. After a scoreless first period, the Sabres used goals from Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson and Lawrence Pilut to take a 3-0 lead through 40 minutes. Chandler Stephenson and Reilly Smith scored for the Golden Knights, but Ukko-Pekka Luukonen stopped 41 shots to secure the 3-2 win for Buffalo.
LAST GAME BY THE NUMBERS
Reilly Smith is Coming to Town
Reilly Smith’s goal against Buffalo on Monday was his fifth in three games. Last week, the forward had two goals in back-to-back games for the second time this season. Smith now owns 17 goals this season, leading all Vegas players and ninth in the NHL.
Easy Steph-y
Chandler Stephenson scored against the Sabres to extend his point streak to five games. This is the third time this season Stephenson has reached a point streak of this length, matching his career high. The forward recently broke his 16-game goal drought in Vegas’ win over Chicago. Stephenson has eight points in the last four games (2-6—8) including his four assists in Winnipeg last Tuesday to tie his career high and the road record for VGK (last Stone 2/23/20). Stephenson leads the club in helpers with 22 on the season (T-12th for NHL forwards). Stephenson’s 61.0 faceoff win percentage ranks fourth in the NHL among all qualified skaters.
Shooting Stars
Vegas has put 81 shots on goal in the last two games, its most in consecutive games since the first two contests of the season (88).
The team’s 43 shots on goal Monday vs. Buffalo included 23 in the third period.
The Shorty King
Reilly Smith netted his fourth shorthanded goal of the season at Chicago last Thursday, which leads the league. Vegas has the second most shorthanded goals by a team with five this season. Smith’s 12 shorthanded goals since joining Vegas in 2017-18 are the most in franchise history.
Martinez Block Party
Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez leads the NHL with 124 blocked shots in 34 games and is the only player in the league to reach the century mark this season. Martinez has led the team in blocked shots in 21 of 34 games.
Spreading the Wealth
Eight Golden Knights have recorded 20 or more points this season, which is the most of any team in the league. Chandler Stephenson leads the club with 30 points, followed by, Jack Eichel with 29 points and Jonathan Marchessault with 26 points.
Golden Knights Point Leaders
Against the Coyotes
Vegas’ contest with Arizona on Wednesday marks the second of three this season. The Golden Knights own an overall record of 17-7-0 against the Coyotes and are 10-3-0 on home ice. The last time these two teams met, Vegas dominated Arizona in a 4-1 victory seeing goals from four different Golden Knights: Alex Pietrangelo, William Carrier, Mark Stone, and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights outscored the Coyotes 14-4 last season and have held them to three goals or less in their last seven meetings. Alex Pietrangelo leads in career points against Arizona with 28 points (8G, 20A) in 44 games played.
2022-23 Season ARI Series: 1-0-0 (Home: 1-0-0, Road: 0-0-0)
Nov. 17 – at Vegas (Vegas 4, Arizona 1)
Dec. 21 – at Vegas
Jan. 22 – at Arizona
2021-22 Season ARI Series: 2-1-0 (Home: 1-0-0, Road: 1-1-0)
Dec. 3 – at Arizona (Vegas 7, Arizona 1)
Feb. 25 – at Arizona (Vegas 1, Arizona 3)
Apr. 9 – at Vegas (Vegas 6, Arizona 1)
EDMONTON OILERS NOTES:
17-14-2 – 36 PTS RECORD 19-8-6 – 44 PTS
Div. – 4th Conference – 8th RANK Div. – 1st Conference – 2nd
1st –32.8% (40/122) POWER PLAY 8th – 25.8% (25/97)
26th – 72.6% (90/124) PENALTY KILL 3rd – 83.6% (97/116)
ALL-TIME RECORDS vs. DALLAS GP RECORD HOME (50) AWAY (50) GF GA
OILERS ALL-TIME vs. DALLAS 100 26-59-4-11 16-23-2-9 10-36-2-2 248 339
OILERS vs. DALLAS – 2022-23 1 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 2 6
QUICK FACTS
• Wednesday’s game will mark Edmonton’s second and final game against Dallas this season and the lone game in Dallas.
• The last time these teams met was on November 5th in Edmonton where the Stars won 6-2.
• Tyson Barrie and Connor McDavid lead the team with 25 career points against Dallas and Tyson Barrie has also appeared in a team leading 31 career games against the Stars.
POINT STREAKING
-Connor McDavid is currently on 13-game point streak posting 29 points (12G, 17A)
-Tyson Barrie is on a 7-game point streak, posting 11 assists
-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is on a 4-game point streak, notching five points (3G, 2A)
GOALS BY PERIOD
The Oilers rank 1st in the NHL in goals for in the second period with 45. They also rank 4th in the league in third period goals with 45.
HATS OFF
Zach Hyman scored his first career hat trick on Dec. 13 at NSH, while posting four points (3G, 1A) in the Oilers 6-3 win over the Predators.
MCDAVID AND DRAISAITL – 1, 2 PUNCH
Connor McDavid (12-17—29 in 13 GP) extended the League’s longest active point streak to 13 contests on Dec. 19 at Nashville. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid had five and four points, respectively on Dec. 13 against Nashville and became the fifth pair of teammates in NHL history each with at least 20 goals and 30 assists through 30 games in a season.
McDAVID GOES “ZERO TO SIXTY” IN 31 GAMES
Connor McDavid scored on Dec. 15 en route to becoming the first skater to reach the 60-point mark in 2022-23 – just four games after eclipsing the 50-point plateau on Dec. 7. McDavid reached the 60-point plateau in the fewest games (31) the NHL has witnessed in more than 25 years.
BOUCHARD’S LATE GOAL MAGIC
On Nov. 28 vs. Florida, Evan Bouchard scored the game-tying goal in the final five seconds of regulation before Connor McDavid (1G, 2A – 3PTS) capped off his three-point performance with an assist on Leon Draisaitl’s overtime winner.
OVERTIME WINNER
Connor McDavid scored the overtime winning goal on Nov.19 vs. Vegas. The goal marked his 14th career overtime goal and he ranks first in the NHL in overtime goals since 2015-16.
MOST OVERTIME GOALS SINCE 2015-16
Connor McDavid – 14
Jonathan Toews – 13
Brad Marchand – 13
Sidney Crosby – 12
POWER PLAY PUNCH
Leon Draisaitl scored his 100th career power play goal on Nov. 21 against New Jersey and recorded his 101st power play goal which also stood as the game winning goal on Nov. 26 against the New York Rangers. Draisaitl holds sole possession of 5th spot all-time in Oilers power play goals and is just 25 goals shy of the all-time lead held by Glenn Anderson and Ryan Smyth. Draisaitl is one power play goal from tying Jari Kurri (107) for 4th on the Oilers power play goals list.
200 CLUB
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his 200th career goal with the Oilers on Oct. 26 at STL which stood as the game winning goal. Nugent-Hopkins becomes just the ninth player in Oilers history to record 200 goals with the Oilers and has achieved the mark in 726 games all with the Oilers.
OILERS LEADERS OF THE PACK
Points – McDavid (64) – 1st in NHL
Goals – McDavid (28) – 1st in NHL
Assists – McDavid (36) – 1st in NHL
TOI/GP – Nurse (24:04) / (23:01 – McDavid) – Forwards – 1st in NHL
Shots – McDavid (132)
Blocks – Nurse (62)
Hits – Puljujarvi (69)
Takeaways – McDavid (30)
Power Play Goals – Draisaitl, McDavid (13) – T-1st in NHL
Power Play Points – McDavid (34) – 1st in NHL
Even Strength Points – McDavid (29) – 3rd in NHL
LAST 10 GAMES vs. DALLAS
Record: 4-4-2
GF: 23 GA: 31
2022-23 11/5/22 @ EDM 6-2 L
2021-22 4/20/22 @ EDM 5-2 W
2021-22 3/22/22 @ DAL 5-3 L
2021-22 11/23/21 @ DAL 4-1 L
2019-20 3/3/20 @ DAL 2-1 W (OT)
2019-20 12/16/19 @ DAL 2-1 W
2019-20 11/16/19 @ EDM 5-4 L (OT)
2018-19 3/28/19 @ EDM 3-2 (SO)
2018-19 12/3/18 @ DAL 4-1 L
2018-19 11/27/18 @ EDM 1-0 W (OT)
DALLAS STARS NOTES:
LAST DALLAS STARS GAME
Dec. 19, 2022 – STARS 2 at BLUE JACKETS 1
In his 100th career NHL game, goaltender Jake Oettinger turned aside 27 of 28 shots to backstop the Stars to a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Monday night. Oettinger improved to 13-4-3 in 22 starts this season and boosted his career mark against Columbus to 7-0-1. Rookie forward Wyatt Johnston (1-0—1) opened the game’s scoring with his eighth tally of the season and forward Jason Robertson (1-0—1) busted a seven-game goal drought with an empty-net marker for his team-leading 24th goal of the season. Defenseman Ryan Suter (0-1—1) recorded his third assist/point in his past four games, while captain Jamie Benn (0-1—1) picked up career point No. 799 with the secondary helper on Johnston’s goal. Dallas dominated on the dot, winning 63 percent of the game’s faceoffs. Benn led the way going 9-of-11 (82%), Tyler Seguin went 7-for-9 (78%), Joe Pavelski won 5 of 8 (63%) and Johnston went 4-for-6 (67%).
PP: 0-0 | PK: 1-1 | SF: 34 | SA: 28 | DAL TOI: Heiskanen (23:59 – game high) | Attendance: 16,402
Three Stars: 1. DAL – J. Oettinger 2. CBJ – D. Tarasov 3. DAL – W. Johnston
UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time (CT) Location TV/Radio
Wed., Dec. 21, 2022 Edmonton Oilers 8:30 p.m. American Airlines Center TNT/KTCK
Fri., Dec. 23, 2022 Montreal Canadiens 7 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSWX/KTCK
Tue., Dec. 27, 2022 Nashville Predators 7 p.m. Bridgestone Arena BSSWX/KTCK
Thu., Dec. 29, 2022 Minnesota Wild 7 p.m. Xcel Energy Center BSSWX/KTCK
Sat., Dec. 31, 2022 San Jose Sharks 7 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSWX/KTCK
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Nov. 19 – Recalled forward Matej Blumel from Texas (AHL)
Nov. 22 – Loaned forward Matej Blumel to Texas (AHL)
Nov. 22 – Recalled forward Fredrik Karlstrom from Texas (AHL)
Nov. 29 – Loaned forward Fredrik Karlstrom to Texas (AHL)
Dec. 12 – Recalled forward Riley Tufte from Texas (AHL)
Dec. 15 – Acquired defenseman Oskari Laaksonen from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Joseph Cecconi
INJURIES
Man-games lost, 2022-23: 14
NAME INJURY # OF GAMES DATES
D Miro Heiskanen Upper body 3 Oct. 25-29
G Jake Oettinger Lower body 4 Nov. 1-8
F Denis Gurianov Upper body 6 Nov. 11-21
F Roope Hintz Lower body 1 Nov. 19
DALLAS STARS NOTES
TONIGHT’S GAME: After a five-game road trip out East, the Stars are back in the Lone Star State to open a brief two-game homestand beginning tonight against the Edmonton Oilers. (8:30 p.m. CT, TV: TNT, Radio: The Ticket 96.7-FM/1310-AM). This is the second of three meetings between the two clubs this season and the only contest in Dallas. The Stars opened the three-game season series with a 6-2 victory at Rogers Place on Nov. 5 led by a hat trick performance from captain Jamie Benn. Following tonight’s game, Dallas will welcome another Canadian guest as the Montreal Canadiens come to town for the only time this season on Friday.
WE GOT HEART WHEN WE PLAY, TAKE YOU ON ANY DAY!
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
Nov. 5: Stars 6 at Oilers 2 (Rogers Place)
Dec. 21 vs. Edmonton
March 16, 2023 at Edmonton
YOUR PRESENCE IS BIGGER THAN ANYTHING I’VE EVER SEEN
THE RHYTHM HIT, IT GOT MY MOVEMENT OFF THE GROUND
I GUESS THE YEARS WENT BY, BUT THE YEARS JUST MADE YOU SHINE
WELL, I LIKE TO ROCK AND I LOVE TO ROLL
A NAME PLAYED ON THE RADIO, IT WENT STRAIGHT TO MY HEART
YOU’RE MY ROCK STEADY BEAT
YOU INSPIRE DEVOTION, EVERY EMOTION
THIS ONE GOES OUT TO YOU
ANOTHER STORY, ANOTHER MEMORY, ANOTHER DAY THE WAY THINGS SHOULD BE
MONTREAL CANADIENS NOTES:
À SURVEILLER CE SOIR / KEEP AN EYE ON…
DERNIER MATCH / LAST GAME – MTL 3 @ ARI 2 (P/OT) (@ MULLETT ARENA)
Buts MTL Goals – Caufield, Dvorak, Hoffman (P/OT)
Buts ARI Goals – Schmaltz, Maccelli
Gardien MTL Goalie – Montembeault (37-39)
Gardien ARI Goalie – Vejmelka (23-26)
Avantage numérique MTL Powerplay – 0/2
Avantage numérique ARI Powerplay – 0/2
Meneurs MTL Leaders – TOI (Guhle – 23:37) ; S (Anderson, Caufield, Guhle, Hoffman – 3) ; HT (Edmundson, Richard – 3) ; BS (Harris – 3)
MATCHS À VENIR / UPCOMING GAMES
23 DÉC. @ DALLAS 20h / 8 p.m.
28 DÉC. @ TAMPA BAY 19 h / 7 p.m.
29 DÉC. @ FLORIDE 19 h / 7 p.m.
31 DÉC. @ WASHINGTON 16 h / 4 p.m.
3 JAN. @ NASHVILLE 20 h / 8 p.m.
RAPPORT MÉDICAL DE LA SAISON / SEASON INJURY REPORT
Joueur
Player
Date Blessure
Injury
Matchs ratés
Games lost
Retour
Return
C. Price – Genou / Knee 32 –
P. Byron – Hanche / Hip 32 –
M. Matheson – Haut du corps / Upper-body 17 19/11/2022
B. Gallagher – Bas du corps / Lower-body 10 –
D. Savard – Haut du corps / Upper-body 8 –
S. Monahan – Bas du corps / Lower-body 7 –
RÉAFFECTATIONS, SIGNATURES ET TRANSACTIONS / ROSTER MOVES, SIGNINGS AND TRANSACTIONS
Les Canadiens ont cédé l’attaquant Rem Pitlick au Rocket de Laval et ont rappelé l’attaquant Anthony Richard (18/12)
The Canadiens have loaned forward Rem Pitlick to the Laval Rocket and recalled forward Anthony Richard (12/18)
Les Canadiens ont rappelé l’attaquant Rem Pitlick du Rocket de Laval (01/12)
The Canadiens have recalled forward Rem Pitlick from the Laval Rocket (12/01)
Les Canadiens ont cédé l’attaquant Rem Pitlick au Rocket de Laval (18/11)
The Canadiens have loaned forward Rem Pitlick to the Laval Rocket (11/18)
Les Canadiens ont rappelé l’attaquant Rem Pitlick du Rocket de Laval (16/11)
The Canadiens have recalled forward Rem Pitlick from the Laval Rocket (11/16)
Les Canadiens ont placé l’attaquant Rem Pitlick au ballottage (07/11)
The Canadiens have placed forward Rem Pitlick on waivers (11/07)
NOTES DES CANADIENS / CANADIENS NOTES
STATISTIQUES D’ÉQUIPE / TEAM STATISTICS – AVANT LES MATCHS DU 20/12 – BEFORE GAMES ON 12/20
PTS (32 – 23e/23rd)
V/W (15 – 21e/21st)
BP/GF (88 – 26e/26th)
BC/GA (112 – 24e/24th)
Tirs-PM/Shots-PG (28.7 – 30e/30th)
Tirs accordés-PM/Shots allowed-PG (33.0 – 26e/26th)
MÉ/Hits (558 – 30e/30th)
MP/PIM (387 – 3e/3rd)
AN/PP (13.7% – 32e/32nd)
DN/PK (79.3% – 16e/16th)
LES CANADIENS CONTRE CHAQUE DIVISION L’AN DERNIER / THE HABS VS. EVERY DIVISION LAST SEASON
Adversaire
Opponent
Fiche
Record
PTS Buts pour
Goals for
Buts contre
Goals against
Atlantique 9-14-3 21 84 89
Centrale 3-9-4 10 39 65
Métropolitaine 6-17-1 13 55 103
Pacifique 4-9-3 11 43 62
Total 22-49-11 55 221 319
*Inclut les buts en fusillade / Includes the shootout goals
LES CANADIENS CONTRE CHAQUE DIVISION CETTE SAISON / THE HABS VS. EVERY DIVISION THIS SEASON
Division Fiche
Record
PTS Buts pour
Goals for
Buts contre
Goals against
Atlantique 3-4-0 6 15 25
Centrale 4-3-1 9 25 25
Métropolitaine 4-3-0 8 22 25
Pacifique 4-5-1 9 30 37
Total 15-15-2 32 92 112
*Inclut les buts en fusillade / Includes the shootout goals
MARTIN ST-LOUIS EN CHIFFRES / MARTIN ST. LOUIS’ NUMBERS…
Matchs/Games : 69
Victoires/Wins : 29
Fiche : 29-34-6
Points de classement/Standing points : 64
CANADIENS VS. COLORADO
À vie / All-Time
CANADIENS vs. COL 72-57-15-4 (148 PJ / GP)
Dom. / Home 44-19-10-2 (75 PJ / GP)
Étr. / Away 28-38-5-2 (73 PJ / GP)
Dern. Match / Last game:
DP 3-2 OTL @ COL (22/01/22)
C. Primeau 3-46 | D. Kuemper 2-30
BG / WG: G. Landeskog (P/OT)
10 DERNIERS MATCHS CONTRE COLORADO / LAST 10 GAMES VS. COLORADO:
22/01/22 – MTL 2 @ COL 3 (P/OT)
02/12/21 – COL 4 @ MTL 1
05/12/19 – COL 3 @ MTL 2
12/01/19 – COL 0 @ MTL 3
19/12/18 – MTL 1 @ COL 2
14/02/18 – MTL 0 @ COL 2
23/02/18 – COL 2 @ MTL 4
07/02/17 – MTL 0 @ COL 4
10/12/16 – COL 1 @ MTL 10
17/02/16 – MTL 2 @ COL 3
CETTE SAISON CONTRE COLORADO / THIS SEASON VS. COLORADO
Match #1: 21/12/2022 @ COL
Match #2: 13/03/2023 @ MTL
MEILLEURS BUTEURS CONTRE COLORADO / LEADING GOAL SCORERS VS. COLORADO:
1) Mike Hoffman (9-11-20, 20 pj/gp)
2) Sean Monahan (7-13-20, 23 pj/gp)
3) Brendan Gallagher (5-2-7, 12 pj/gp)
MEILLEURS POINTEURS CONTRE COLORADO / LEADING SCORERS VS. COLORADO:
1) Mike Hoffman (9-11-20, 20 pj/gp)
2) Sean Monahan (7-13-20, 23 pj/gp)
3) Brendan Gallagher (5-2-7, 12 pj/gp)
COLORADO AVALANCHE NOTES:
UPCOMING GAMES
Date Opponent Time (MT) TV Radio
Wed, Dec. 21 MONTREAL 6 p.m. Altitude 92.5
Fri, Dec. 23 at Nashville 6 p.m. Altitude 92.5
LAST GAME – Dec. 19 (Colorado 1, NY Islanders 0 in shootout)
Alexandar Georgiev stopped all 26 shots through regulation and overtime and turned aside all three shootout attempts to give the Avalanche a 1-0 victory over the New York Islanders at Ball Arena … Evan Rodrigues tallied the lone goal of the shootout as the Avs won for the fourth time in their last five games …. The Avalanche out-shot New York 46-26 and out-attempted them 92-51, with Ilya Sorokin making 46 saves for the Islanders
SF: 46 SA: 26 PP: 0-2 PK: 1-1
• Georgiev became the second goalie in Avalanche history to post a 1-0 shootout win, joining Reto Berra on April 9, 2015 vs. Winnipeg
• The 46 shots were the most ever by Colorado/Quebec in a game in which they did not score a goal … The previous high was 45 shots on Dec. 22, 1998 vs. Anaheim and Oct. 30, 2000 vs. Phoenix
• The Avalanche improved to 5-2 in games decided beyond regulation, 3-1 in shootouts … The three shootout wins are tied for second in the NHL behind only Montreal (4-0)
• Mikko Rantanen set a career high in shots-on-goal (10) and ice time (29:04)
• J.T. Compher logged a career-high 27:47 of ice time
TONIGHT’S GAME
COLORADO vs. MONTREAL
6:12 p.m.
Sportsnet, Altitude / 92.5
Sportsnet: John Bartlett (play-by-play), Garry Galley (analyst), Kyle Bukauskas (reporter)
Altitude: Marc Moser (play-by-play), Mark Rycroft (analyst), Katie Gaus (reporter)
Radio: Conor McGahey
The Avalanche finishes their season-long, five-game homestand tonight against the Montreal Canadiens at Ball Arena … The Avs are 3-1-0 so far on this home stay and 4-1-0 in their last five games … The Avs are currently in a stretch that finds them playing seven of eight and 10 of 13 at home … This is the last home game before the Holiday Break, as the Avalanche will play in Nashville on Friday before taking three days off … Friday’s game concludes a stretch of 13 games in 25 days as the club has played every other day since Nov. 29 … There have been no games on Christmas Eve since 1972 (when three were played) and none on Christmas Day since 1971 (when six were played) … There have been none on Dec. 26 since 2011-12
AVALANCHE & CANADIENS
Tonight is the first of two meetings between the Avalanche and Canadiens … Colorado won both matchups last year, sweeping the season series for the first time since 2015-16 … Tonight is the 149th regular-season meeting between these two franchises who used to share a province … Colorado/Quebec is 61-72-15 all-time against Montreal but do hold a 22- 10-3 edge since the franchise relocated to Denver … The Avs are 13-2-1 at home against the Canadiens since relocating which includes five straight wins here at Ball Arena.
SCHEDULE vs. CANADIENS
Dec. 21 vs. MTL
Mar. 13 @ MTL
RECORD VS. CANADIENS
THIS SEASON 2021-22 ALL-TIME SINCE 1995-96
Overall: — Overall: 2-0-0 Overall: 61-72-15 Overall: 22-10-3
Home: — Home: 1-0-0 Home: 40-28-5 Home: 13-2-1
Road: — Road: 1-0-0 Road: 21-44-10 Away: 9-8-2
CROWDED DRESSING ROOM
The Avalanche have used 35 players this season (33 skaters, two goalies), tied with Columbus for the most of any team in the NHL … If Denis Malgin makes his Avalanche debut tonight he would become the 36th player to appear in a game for Colorado this season … The club used 39 players in each of the last two seasons, which tied the Avalanche record (since relocating) also set in 2010-11, 2003-04 and 1998-99 … Colorado’s injury list is now at 172 which puts them unofficially fourth in the league behind Washington (216), Columbus (196) and Philadelphia (192).
WORKING OVERTIME (AND SHOOTOUTS)
The Avalanche are 5-2 in games decided past regulation, 2-1 in overtime and 3-1 in shootouts … Colorado’s three shootout wins are tied for second in the NHL behind only Montreal (4-0) … Following Monday’s win over the Islanders, the Avalanche improved to 80-45 all-time in shootouts, the highest winning percentage (.640) of any team since the tiebreaker started in 2005-06 (not including Seattle) … The Avs have the best all-time shooting percentage at 38.3% (161/420) and the fifth-best save percentage at .717 (306/427) … Alexandar Georgiev has participated in all four shootouts this year, allowing just three goals on 13 shots (.769) … His three wins are tied with Jake Allen for the league lead while his .769 save percentage ranks second among all netminders who have faced 10+ shots behind Logan Thompson (.917) … Georgiev is 9-4 with a .688 save percentage in career shootouts (48/15) … Pavel Francouz is 3-0 in career shootouts stopping all nine shots he’s faced … Evan Rodrigues is 2-for-2 in shootouts this year, scoring the winning tally in both contests.
EAST SIDE STORY
The Avalanche are 9-6-1 against Eastern Conference teams this season … Colorado finished 22-8-2 against the East last year, its most wins and tied for its most points (46) ever against the “other” conference … Since Jared Bednar was hired in 2016, the Avs are 99-60-16 against the Eastern Conference, which includes a league-best 52-20-7 (.703) mark since 2019-20.
20-20 VISION
Mikko Rantanen is tied for fifth in the NHL in goals (21) and ranks second in even-strength tallies (17) … He scored his 20th goal of the season on Dec. 15 against the Sabres, reaching the 20-goal mark for the sixth time in his seven NHL seasons … Rantanen, who hit the milestone in Colorado’s 28th game of the season, became the first player in Avalanche history to reach the 20-goal mark in fewer than 30 contests … Joe Sakic (1995-96) and Nathan MacKinnon (2018-19) both did it in the 30th game of those respective seasons … Rantanen has 26 points (14g/12a) in 15 home games this year.
GEORGIE(OUS)
Alexandar Georgiev ranks seventh in the NHL in wins (13-tied) and save percentage (.923), is fifth in shutouts (2-tied) and 11th in goals-against average (2.46) …. Going back to last year, he is 21-7-2 in his last 31 regular-season games (30 starts).
ALL HAIL CALE
With 208 career points, Cale Makar is tied with Rob Blake for sixth place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list among defensemen … Makar (55 goals) is one tally behind Adam Foote (56) for sixth place in that category … Cale recorded his 200th career point on Nov. 21 in Dallas, reaching the milestone faster than any defenseman in NHL history (195th game) … He appeared in his 200th career NHL game on Dec. 3 at Boston, with his 203 career points at the time the most ever by a defender through 200 contests … Among defensemen who appeared in at least 200 games during their career, only Makar (1.00), Bobby Orr (1.39) and Paul Coffey (1.09) averaged at least a point-per-game … Cale ranks fifth among NHL blueliners this season with 28 points (7g/21a) in 30 contests … He leads the entire NHL in ice time, averaging 27:07 minutes per game.
FASTEST DEFENSEMEN TO 200 POINTS NHL HISTORY
195 GP Cale Makar COL
207 GP Sergei Zubov NYR, PIT
211 GP Brian Leetch NYR
212 GP Phil Housley BUF
212 GP Denis Potvin NYI
216 GP Mark Howe HFD, PHI
216 GP Bobby Orr BOS
POINTS/GAME AVERAGE, DEFENSEMAN MINIMUM 200 GAMES PLAYED
PT/GP Player PTS GP
1.39 Bobby Orr 915 657
1.09 Paul Coffey 1531 1409
1.00 Cale Makar 208 208
0.99 Denis Potvin 1052 1060
QUICK ON THE DRAW
J.T. Compher leads the NHL with 154 faceoff wins this month (154-127, 54.8%) … Compher won a career-high 25 draws (25- 10, 71%) on Dec. 15 against Buffalo, tied for the third-most faceoff wins in Avalanche history … Colorado won a season-high 48 faceoffs against the Sabres, tied for the eighth most in club history and matching its highest total over the last 20 seasons.
FACEOFF WINS, AVALANCHE HISTORY TEAM FACEOFF WINS, AVALANCHE HISTORY
28 Joe Sakic Jan. 6, 1999 vs. Florida 54 Jan. 6, 1999 vs. Florida
27 Joe Sakic Nov. 3, 2000 vs. Carolina 52 Feb. 22, 2000 vs. Atlanta
25 J.T. Compher Dec. 15, 2022 vs. Buffalo 51 Nov. 1, 1997 vs. Calgary
25 Chris Drury Feb. 22, 2000 vs. Atlanta 51 Feb. 10, 2000 vs. Calgary
25 Peter Forsberg Dec. 19, 1998 at San Jose 50 Oct. 14, 2000 vs. Columbus
50 Oct. 28, 1999 at Philadelphia
50 Jan. 18, 2001 vs. Vancouver
48 Dec. 15, 2022 vs. Buffalo
48 Jan. 6, 2017 vs. NY Islanders
DAYDREAM BELIEVER
The Avalanche will play nine afternoon contests this season … The schedule originally called for 10 daytime contests but the Nov 25th game in Nashville was postponed due to a water main break at Bridgestone Arena … The Avs are 1-0-0 in day games this season and 14-3-1 (.806) in afternoon contests since 2019-20, the second highest points percentage in day contests during that span behind only Carolina (19-3-2, .833) … The Avs finished 5-1-0 in day games last year, 3-0-0 at home.
THAT’S THE POWER OF LOVE
Colorado ranks sixth in the NHL in power-play percentage at 27.2% (28-103) … The Avalanche had the NHL’s top-ranked power play for 55 consecutive days from Oct. 15–Dec. 9 … The Avs are 12-5-1 when scoring a PPG this year, 3-6-1 when failing to do so … Colorado tallied a power-play goal in a season-high eight consecutive games from Oct. 29–Nov. 26 … The Avalanche’s power play scored at a 32.8% clip during the 2022 playoffs, the highest rate on record (since 1977-78) by an NHL team that played at least 20 games … During the 2021-22 regular season, Colorado finished seventh in power-play percentage (24.0%) and led all teams in power-play goals (67).
GRAND CENTRAL
Colorado is 7-2-1 against Central Division teams this season, 4-1-1 at home and 3-1-0 on the road
FIN-ISH WHAT YOU STARTED
Mikko Rantanen tallied his fifth career hat trick, including the tying score with 8.1 seconds left in regulation and the game-winning goal in overtime to finish Colorado’s Dec. 11th victory in St. Louis … Rantanen became the second player in Avalanche history to complete a hat trick with an overtime goal, joining Valeri Kamensky on Jan 3, 1998 at Pittsburgh … Overall, he’s the fourth skater in franchise history to accomplish the feat, as two Quebec Nordiques did it during the 1992- 93 season: Owen Nolan on Nov. 26, 1992 at Toronto and Scott Young on Dec. 12, 1992 at San Jose … Rantanen’s five hat tricks are tied for the sixth most in franchise history and the third most since the team relocated behind Joe Sakic (10) and Peter Forsberg (7).
ONE MONTH AT A TIME
Colorado finished 8-3-0 in November, the 23rd consecutive month that the Avs have posted a .500 or better record in… And 21 of those 23 months featured a winning record.
REVERSE RETRO JERSEY
The Avalanche are 2-0-0 in their adidas Reverse Retro 2022 ADIZERO jerseys … Colorado will wear the RR jersey four times this season: Nov. 26 vs. Dallas (W, 4-1), Dec. 11 at St. Louis (W, 3-2 OT), Dec. 29 vs. Los Angeles and Jan. 2 vs. Vegas … The 2022 Colorado Avalanche Reverse Retro uniform pays tribute to its home state by incorporating colors of the Colorado flag while reintroducing the original jersey design donned in the 1995 inaugural season.
FINNISH FIREWORKS
Led by Nathan MacKinnon’s seven combined points (0g/7a) and Mikko Rantanen’s hat trick in the opener, the Avalanche swept the two-game NHL Global Series from the Blue Jackets in early November, out-scoring Columbus 11-4 … Colorado’s six goals in the 6-3 opening win set an NHL record for a single game outside of North America while the 11 combined goals were also the most over a two-game overseas series … Rantanen’s hat trick was just the third outside of North America in history, while MacKinnon’s four helpers that first night set a record for the most assists in a single game outside of North America … Alexandar Georgiev started and won both games, allowing four goals 71 shots (2.02 GAA, .944 Sv%) … His two victories already equal the record for career wins in games played overseas … MacKinnon’s seven assists and eight career points (he had one goal in the 2017 Global Series in Sweden) are both records for games played outside North America.
SHORT AND SWEET
Colorado is tied for third in the NHL with four shorthanded goals
BACK-TO-BACK
The Avalanche will play 13 back-to-backs this season … They have competed in four back-to-backs so far, going 2-2-0 in the first game and 2-2-0 in the second … The Avalanche posted a 15-5-2 (.727) combined record in back-to-back games last season, the second-best mark behind Minnesota (.732, 19-6-3) … The Avs finished 7-3-1 in the first game and 8-2-1 in the second (.773), with only Tampa (10-0-2, .917) posting a better record in the second half of a back-to-back.
RECORD REGULAR SEASON
The 2021-22 Avalanche set a franchise record with 56 wins and 119 points en route to winning their second straight division title and 11th since moving to Denver (13th in franchise history) … The Avs clinched the conference’s top spot despite facing a 10-point deficit behind the No. 1 seed on Dec. 3 … The last team to win their conference after overcoming a deficit of 10 or more points was the Rangers in 2014-15 (13) … The Avalanche sat in first place in the Western Conference over the final 106 days of the season and from Feb 10–April 19 were first in the entire NHL for all but one day (68 out of 69).
WINS, FRANCHISE HISTORY POINTS, FRANCHISE HISTORY
56 2021-22 119 2021-22
52 2000-01 118 2000-01
52 2013-14 112 2013-14
TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT
The 2021-22 Avalanche posted their best home season in franchise history with a 32-5-4 record (68 points) … Colorado tied Florida for the league lead in home points, ending with the most home points in the NHL for the second straight season after tying Pittsburgh with 46 in 2020-21 … The Avs posted an 18-game home winning streak from Nov. 11–Jan. 30, the fifth longest run in NHL history, and had a franchise record 22-game home point streak (20-0-2) from Oct. 30–Feb. 10.
AINT NO MOUNTAIN HIGH, AINT NO VALLEY LOW
Colorado’s Stanley Cup championship came five years after a last-place finish in 2016-17 …. The Avs became the fifth team in the expansion era (1967-68) to win a title within five years of a last place finish and the first since the 2009 Penguins … Colorado won the Presidents’ Trophy the previous year in 2020-21, becoming the first NHL team to go from worst to first overall in four seasons or less since the Bruins in 1970-71.
DOWN BUT NEVER OUT
Ten of the Avalanche’s wins during the 2022 postseason were earned in come-from-behind fashion, including four thirdperiod comebacks … colorado’s 10 comeback wins tied the 2009 Penguins for the most in NHL history … The Avs trailed in all four of their series-clinching victories, the first team in NHL history to do so.
ROAD, SWEET ROAD
The Avalanche finished a league-best 9-1 on the road during the 2022 postseason, tied for the fewest road losses by a Stanley Cup champion since 1987 (the 2012 Kings and 1995 Devils were both 10-1) … Colorado earned all four series-clinching wins on the road.
MAGIC YEAR FOR MAKAR
After becoming the first player in franchise history to win the Norris Trophy in 2021-22, Makar followed that up by winning the 2022 Conn Smythe as playoff MVP … At 23 years, 239 days, he became the youngest defenseman in 52 years to win the Conn Smythe and just the third overall to do so at age 23 or younger, joining Bobby Orr with the 1970 Bruins (22 years, 51 days) and Serge Savard with the 1969 Canadiens (23 years, 102 days) … Makar won the Conn Smythe just five days after receiving his first Norris Trophy … He became the third player to win both awards in the same season, following Orr in 1970 and Nicklas Lidstrom in 2002 … Makar led the Avalanche and all NHL defensemen with 29 points (8g/21a) in 20 games, the fourth-highest total by a defenseman in Stanley Cup Playoff history behind Paul Coffey (37) with the 1985 Oilers, Brian Leetch (34) with the 1994 Rangers and Al MacInnis (31) with the 1989 Flames.
SONG SUNG BLUE(LINE)
Colorado’s defensemen produced 64 goals last season, a franchise record and the most by any team since the 1992-93 Capitals (94) … The Avalanche’s blueline also lead all teams in points with a franchise-record 238, the most since the 1995-96 Red Wings had 240 … Colorado’s defensemen finished with 69 points (18g/51a) during the playoffs, the most by any blueline in a four-round postseason since the 1984-85 Oilers (77).
IN BEDNAR WE TRUST
Jared Bednar is in his seventh season as the Avalanche’s head coach … Hired on Aug. 25, 2016, he is the third-longest tenured coach in the NHL behind Jon Cooper (March 25, 2013) and Mike Sullivan (Dec. 12, 2015) … Jared led the 2021-22 Avalanche to their most successful regular season in franchise history (56-19-7, 119 points) and continued that into the postseason with a 16-4 playoff mark en route to capturing the 2022 Stanley Cup … Bednar, who won a Calder Cup with the Lake Erie Monsters in 2016 and a Kelly Cup with the South Carolina Stingrays in 2009, became the first individual to win a championship in the NHL, AHL and ECHL as a head coach … He is the winningest coach in Avalanche history with a 257-179- 48 (.581) regular season record … Bednar owns a 40-22-1 (.635) record in 63 postseason games, the best playoff winning percentage among active coaches and the third highest all time (min 50 GP) behind Glen Sather (.706) and Toe Blake (.689).
SUPER JOE ACHIEVES RARE FIRST
General Manager (now President) Joe Sakic, who captained the Avalanche to a pair of titles in 1996 and 2001, became the first individual in league history to win a Stanley Cup as a captain and GM with the same organization … He was just the third to win a championship as a player and general manager with the same franchise, joining Serge Savard of the Canadiens and Milt Schmidt of the Bruins.
TIP OF CAP
Gabriel Landeskog is in his 12th NHL season and 11th as team captain … He was the youngest captain in NHL history when he assumed the role at 19 years, 286 days on Sept. 4, 2012, a title he held for four years before Connor McDavid was given the ‘C’ by Edmonton at 19 years, 266 days on Oct. 5, 2016 … Landeskog is the second-longest serving captain in franchise history behind Joe Sakic (17 seasons, 16 consecutive) … Only three players have been captain of their current teams longer.
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