• Craig Anderson pens storybook return
• Washington Capitals continue to roll
• Henrik Lundqvist one of many to hit milestones
Most of the story lines this season have been dominated by everything the next generation of players has to offer. Sure, those young stars played key roles again on Saturday but the veteran players dominated the headlines.
In Ottawa, 35-year-old Craig Anderson returned from a two-month absence and pitched a shutout. Nicklas Backstrom, in his 10th season, passed the 700 point mark. And 34-year-old Henrik Lundqvist became the fastest goalie to 400 wins.
So while the Toronto Maple Leafs rookies made some history of their own, we saw Saturday that the vets have still got it. Here are four things we learned from a busy Saturday night in the NHL.
Craig Anderson perfect in return to Sens
It’s been an emotional season for Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson, in and out of the lineup to be with his wife Nicholle while she battles cancer. On Saturday he made his first start since Dec. 5 and it couldn’t have been more perfect. He pitched a shutout, making 33 saves in the Senators’ 3-0 win against the New York Islanders.
Anderson has been back with the team for about two weeks, working on getting up to game speed. Mike Condon was spectacular filling in for him and it’s not hard to argue that the Senators now have one of the stronger goaltending duos in the NHL. The team currently sits second in the Atlantic Division and with the return of Anderson, a playoff spot seems more likely than not.
Anderson joined the panel on Hockey Night in Canada to discuss his perfect performance and the support he and his family have received this season.
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Maple Leafs rookies set another record
It was mostly a night to forget for the Toronto Maple Leafs, falling behind early and ultimately losing 3-1 to the Buffalo Sabres. But when Mitch Marner scored his 15th goal of the season and Nikita Zaitsev picked up his 23rd assist, the Maple Leafs set a new club record for points by their rookies.
Marner especially has enjoyed playing at home in front of family and friends. Of his rookies-leading 47 points, 28 have come at the Air Canada Centre. He also has 13 points in his last 12 home games.
Five of Toronto’s next seven games will be at home before they head out on a road trip to California, so they will want to take advantage of Marner’s love for home cooked meals as they chase a playoff spot.
But as Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston writes, they can’t rely on it too much.
The Washington Capitals are really, really good
When the calendar flipped to 2017, a magic fairy sprinkled pixie dust on the Washington Capitals and since then they have been unstoppable.
So far this calendar year, the Caps are 18-2-1. Their win against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday gave them six straight wins, their second streak of at least six wins already in 2017.
The Capitals have been getting wins the old fashioned way too… by scoring more goals than the other team. A lot more goals actually. Their +71 goal differential is way ahead of the second place Minnesota Wild (+55). And they tied an NHL record Saturday by scoring five or more goals in their 11th straight home game.
Maybe the most the most surprising stat to come from the Capitals’ incredible run is that Nick Backstrom is leading the way offensively. While Alex Ovechkin is still tops with 26 goals, Backstrom leads the team with 60 points. On Saturday, he picked up a goal and two assists, crossing the 700 point mark for his career in the process.
The Capitals’ bye week starts Sunday. After such a hot start to 2017, we think they’ve earned the break.
Milestone Mayhem
Normally in our daily recap, we highlight one or two milestones that were hit the night before. But on Saturday, no less than 13 milestones of various kinds were reached. So here is a quick roundup of some of them.
First Career Goals: Two players hit this mark on Saturday. Zach Sanford’s first goal ended up being the game winner as the Capitals beat the Anaheim Ducks 6-4. Josh Archibald of the Pittsburgh Penguins scored two goals in his first career game, including a shorthanded one that included a little help from Mike Smith.
Games Played: A lot of players crossed this off their list on Saturday: Connor McDavid (100), Vincent Trocheck (200), James van Riemsdyk (500), Patrick Eaves (600), Jiri Hudler (700) and Tomas Plekanec (900).
But perhaps the most interesting games played milestone was hit by Shane Doan. He passed Ray Bourque for fourth place on the NHL’s career list of games with one team at 1,518.
Points: As mentioned above, Nick Backstrom now has 702 career points after picking up three points against the Ducks. T.J. Oshie, his teammate in Washington, also hit a major milestone on Saturday by getting to 401 points with a goal and an assist. David Pasternak’s 50th career goal and 100th career point was the game winner for Boston on Saturday. He is second to Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl in points by players drafted in 2014, despite being picked 25th overall.
Wins: Saving the best for last, Henrik Lundqvist became the 12th and fastest goalie to hit 400 career wins. Sportsnet’s Joe Pack has a more detailed breakdown of just how big of a deal this milestone is.
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