Daily Faceoff Morning Report — 04/16/22
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.
Sorokin continues top-tier season
On the day that New York Islanders legend Mike Bossy passed away at age 65, the team celebrated his life and career with a 3-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Zach Parise scored the game-winning goal for the Islanders to give him four goals in his last three games.
Zach Parise is now on a three-game scoring streak after this 3-on-0. 😏 pic.twitter.com/UU8zwueWa1
— NHL (@NHL) April 16, 2022Ilya Sorokin (G) saved all 47 shots he faced and, despite a largely-porous season by the Islanders, ranks near the top of the league with a .928 SV% (2nd), 2.29 GAA (5th), and seven shutouts (2nd). The only other goalies to rank top five in each of those categories are Igor Shesterkin (G) and Frederik Andersen (G). Carey Price (G) played in his first NHL game for the Canadiens since being eliminated from the Stanley Cup Finals on July 7, 2021. Price made his long-awaited season debut after battling through off-season knee surgery and a lengthy personal leave to start the season. The Canadiens did a good job of limiting chances on Price in the first two periods as he saved all 12 shots he faced but eventually succumbed to allowing two goals on 19 shots in the 3-0 loss.
Panthers win, Huberdeau continues climb up leader-board
Sergei Bobrovsky (G) saved 30 of 31 shots for his 36th win of the season, a franchise record for the Florida Panthers, as they defeated the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 6-1. Jonathan Huberdeau (LW) had three points (2G / 1A) to reach 108 points (30G / 78A) on the season and 30 goals for the second time in his career. Huberdeau ranks second for most points in the league, only two points behind Connor McDavid (C)’s 110 points (42G / 68A). McDavid and the Oilers have seven games remaining while Huberdeau and the Panthers have eight.
It's goal No. 2 tonight for Jonathan Huberdeau (@JonnyHuby11)! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8XQAwEpoKD
— NHL (@NHL) April 15, 2022Claude Giroux (C, RW) played on the same line as Huberdeau and recorded three assists to give him 10 points (2G / 8A) in his last six games. Gustav Forsling (D) scored two goals for the Panthers to give him nine points (6G / 3A) in his last eight games after having only four points (0G / 4A) in his previous 21. The Panthers have won nine straight games and have scored six or more goals a whopping 16 times this season. Nikolaj Ehlers (LW, RW) scored the lone goal for the Jets to give him 13 points (6G / 7A) during an eight-game point streak. With the loss, the Jets are virtually out of the playoff race as they sit eight points behind the Dallas Stars for the final Wild Card position with only seven games remaining.
Western Conference Weekend
This weekend could shed a lot of light on a very tight race for the final few positions in the Western Conference playoff race. The Nashville Predators play two games, including a Sunday evening meeting with the red-hot St. Louis Blues who are fresh off their seventh straight win. The Predators have eight games remaining with one of the toughest schedules in the league, playing non-playoff teams only twice, with the first of those matchups on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Vegas Golden Knights have a big meeting on Saturday afternoon against the Edmonton Oilers, who have won seven of their last nine games (7-1-1). The Dallas Stars face off against the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings will play the Columbus Blue Jackets in games that both teams cannot afford to lose.
