* Cale Makar helped the Avalanche improve to 18-0-0 in their last 18 home games, while Kevin Fiala extended his double-digit point streak in a Wild win.
* Igor Shesterkin and Frederik Andersen helped their clubs pick up wins and bolster standings positions in the tightly-contested Metropolitan Division.
* Monday’s five-game slate is highlighted by a collision in the Motor City between several of the NHL’s highest-scoring rookies this season.
AVALANCHE, WILD EXTEND TEAM, PLAYER STREAKS SUNDAY
Colorado extended a plethora of streaks, while Minnesota forward Kevin Fiala found the score sheet once again:
* Cale Makar (38-100—138 in 140 GP) recorded the 100th assist of his NHL career as the Avalanche (32-8-3, 67 points) extended their overall and home winning streak to 10 and 18 games, respectively, and reclaimed first place in the NHL standings. Colorado concluded January with a 15-0-1 (31 points) record and became the third team in NHL history with 15 wins in a calendar month, joining Boston in March 2014 (15-1-1, 31 points) and Pittsburgh in March 2013 (15-0-0, 30 points).
* Fiala (0-1—1) extended his career-high point streak to 11 games (8-6—14) as the Wild (27-10-3, 57 points), who claimed third place in the Central Division, improved to 8-0-1 in their last nine contests and kept pace with the Avalanche. Fiala owns the League’s longest active point streak and is one game shy of matching the lengthiest in franchise history, a mark set by Mikael Granlund from Jan. 12–Feb. 4, 2017 (5-12—17 in 12 GP).
METROPOLITAN DIVISION GOALTENDERS FEATURED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The Jan. 30 edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates features several more notes from Sunday’s slate, including notable achievements by goaltenders Igor Shesterkin and Frederik Andersen:
* Shesterkin stopped 40 shots as the Rangers (29-13-4, 62 points) passed the Penguins (27-11-7, 61 points) for second in the Metropolitan Division and remained two points back of the first-place Hurricanes (31-9-2, 64 points). Shesterkin concluded January with a 7-1-0 record in eight appearances (1.86 GAA, .947 SV%, 2 SO) – the only other New York goaltenders who appeared in as many games as Shesterkin and recorded a save percentage of .947 or higher in a single calendar month are Henrik Lundqvist in February 2012 and Gump Worsley in November 1955 (since 1955-56 when shots on goal were officially tracked).
* Andersen made 27 saves to improve to 24-6-0 in 30 appearances since joining the Hurricanes (2.02 GAA, .929 SV%, 1 SO). Andersen’s 24 wins are tied for the League lead this season and mark the most by a goaltender through their first 30 appearances with an NHL franchise.
QUICK CLICKS
* Roman Josi, Evgeny Kuznetsov added to roster at NHL All-Star Weekend
* Patrice Bergeron heads to All-Star Game focused on present with Bruins
* Brayden McNabb signs three-year contract with Golden Knights
* Carey Price hoping to return to Canadiens ‘pretty soon’
* Jeremy Colliton to coach Canada for injured Claude Julien at 2022 Beijing Olympics
RAYMOND, SEIDER SET TO SQUARE OFF WITH ZEGRAS, DRYSDALE MONDAY
A total of 10 teams take to the ice Monday, including the Ducks and Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in a game which is set to feature the three NHL rookies with the most points this season: Detroit forward Lucas Raymond (11-24—35 in 45 GP), Anaheim forward Trevor Zegras (12-20—32 in 41 GP) and Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider (4-25—29 in 45 GP). Ducks blueliner Jamie Drysdale (3-16—19 in 47 GP) also ranks second in scoring among rookie defensemen with 19 points in 2021-22, while Red Wings goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic paces rookie netminders with 12 wins this season.
* For the first time in nearly 37 years, an NHL game at this stage of a season (min. 690 GP) is set to feature both the two highest-scoring rookie forwards and the two highest-scoring rookie defensemen. The last such instance came March 31, 1985, when the Penguins hosted the Canadiens at Civic Arena – entering play that day, Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux (40-52—92 in 68 GP) and Warren Young (38-30—68 in 75 GP) led rookie forwards in scoring, while Montreal’s Chris Chelios (8-52—60 in 70 GP) and Tom Kurvers (10-33—43 in 71 GP) ranked first and second place, respectively, in points among rookie defensemen.
* The last game to feature the three rookies with the most points at this stage of a season (regardless of position) was on March 2, 2014, when the Lightning visited the Avalanche at Pepsi Center. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (22-25—47 in 60 GP) paced League rookies with 47 points entering play, while Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson (17-20—37 in 60 GP) and Ondrej Palat (14-23—37 in 60 GP) shared second place with 37 apiece.
