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Daily Faceoff Morning Report — 04/04/22

Nick Szeman
Nick Szeman
Apr 4, 2022, 01:18 EDT
Daily Faceoff Morning Report — 04/04/22

The Daily Faceoff Morning Report will be released on weekdays, recapping the key news and events from the day before.

We will highlight injuries that will affect today’s games, hot streaks, cold streaks, and anything relevant for everyone from the casual hockey fan to the Fantasy Hockey grinder.

Panthers win, clinch playoff berth

The Florida Panthers defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-3 on Sunday to become the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season. After having broken the NHL record for most assists by a left-winger in NHL history last week, Jonathan Huberdeau (LW) scored a goal to give him 97 points (24G / 73A) on the season, a new franchise record for the Panthers. Huberdeau has been held pointless only two times in his last 26 games and has 39 points (8G / 31A) in that span.

Schneider backstops surging Islanders

Cory Schneider (G) played his first game in the NHL in over two years (March 6, 2020) and made 27 saves on 30 shots to help the New York Islanders defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-3. Jean-Gabriel Pageau (C) had a huge four-point night (3G / 1A) after having recorded only three points (0G / 3A) in his previous 10 games. Kyle Palmieri (LW, RW – 1G / 2A) and Adam Pelech (D – 0G / 3A) both had three-point games for the Islanders, who have now won four straight games. Don’t look now but the Islanders are only 11 points back of the Washington Capitals for the final playoff spot with one game in hand. It’s still a massive longshot but considering the two teams play each other two more times this season, it could at least make things a little interesting in an Eastern Conference playoff race that has seemingly been set since Christmas.

Norris, Senators top Red Wings

Josh Norris (C) scored three goals for his first career hat-trick, leading the Ottawa Senators to a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Norris has points in five straight games (4G / 3A / 7PTS) and since returning from injury last month has 17 points (12G / 5A) in 16 games. Mathieu Joseph (C, LW, RW) had four points (3G / 1A) on Friday, also against the Red Wings, and picked right back up on Sunday with a three-point performance (0G / 3A). The Red Wings have now lost six straight (0-4-2) and have been outscored 33-13 in that span.

Stars fall to Kraken

Chris Driedger (G) made 29 saves on 30 shots to help the Seattle Kraken hand the Dallas Stars a crushing 4-1 loss. Driedger has three consecutive quality starts, posting a 2-1-0 record and .958 SV%. Jared McCann (C, LW) opened the scoring less than four minutes into the game with a shorthanded goal, his team-leading 25th goal of the season. Seattle has scored eight shorthanded goals this season, the sixth-most in the league. The Stars were 0 for 3 on the powerplay and are 1 for 16 in their past six games. With a win, the Stars would have jumped into the top Wild Card spot but instead, they sit one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Wild Card position.

Lehner returns, Vegas stays hot

Robin Lehner (G) played his first game since March 8 after dealing with a lower-body injury and made 26 saves on 28 shots for the Vegas Golden Knights in a 3-2 overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks. The Golden Knights have won five consecutive games and sit in the final Wild Card spot. Shea Theodore (D) scored for the overtime game-winner, giving him goals in three consecutive games after having no goals in his previous 27 games. The Canucks have lost three straight games (0-2-1) and nine of their last 12 (3-5-4) as they drop to six points behind the Golden Knights.

Rangers comeback falls short against Flyers

The New York Rangers were trailing the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 early in the third period but came storming back to tie the game before ultimately losing 4-3 in the shootout. Martin Jones (G) made 43 saves on 46 shots in the victory and, despite a 3-5-0 record, has a .914 SV% in his last eight games. Igor Shesterkin (G) allowed three goals on 26 shots to continue his run of inconsistent play after a heroic start to the season. Shesterkin is 4-4-1 in his last nine games with a pedestrian .886 SV%.

Wild continue making statement-run

Through much of February and into mid-march, the Minnesota Wild had lost 10 of 14 games (4-9-1) and allowed a league-worst 64 goals. Since then, they are playing like a different team entirely with a league-best 9-0-1 record and have allowed only 16 goals, the fewest in the league during that time. Joel Eriksson Ek (C) had three points (2G / 1A) on Sunday to lead the Wild to a 5-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Eriksson Ek has eight points (3G / 5A) in his last seven games.

Draisaitl scores 50, joins the 100-point club

Leon Draisaitl (C, LW) had two points (1G / 1A) for the Edmonton Oilers in a 6-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, making him the second player this season to score 50 goals and the second player to score 100 points. Draisaitl hit the 50-goal mark for the second time and the 100-point milestone for the third time in his eight-year career. He currently has 21 points (12G / 9A) on a 12-game point streak. Mike Smith (G) made 31 saves on 32 shots and improved to 4-1-1 with a .913 SV% in his last six games.

Other News and Notes

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