The Lightning added another accomplishment to their historically dominant season, John Tavares‘ return to New York ended on a much more positive note this time around, the Islanders finally scored a power-play goal on home ice and Jordan Binnington‘s incredible rookie season continued.
Here are four things we learned in the NHL on Monday.
Lightning become third team in history to win 60 games
We’ve known the Tampa Bay Lightning are an unstoppable juggernaut for a while now, and considering how dominant they’ve been throughout the 2018-19 campaign, it felt like it was only a matter of time before the Bolts hit the rare 60-win mark.
With a win on Monday over the lowly Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay did just that, becoming the third team in NHL history to win 60 games or more in a single season.
The Lightning tied the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens with their 60th win, and now trail only the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for the all-time single-season win mark of 62.
Three games still remain on the Lightning’s schedule, so the team has a chance to either tie the Red Wings’ record or surpass it by winning each of their games from here on out.
The league’s leading point-producer, Nikita Kucherov, was in on the fun in Tampa’s win (as he typically is), setting up goals by Mikhail Sergachev and Brayden Point to bring his point total up to an incredible 124.
Kucherov’s assists were also his 85th and 86th of the season, which made him the first player since Joe Thornton in 2006-07 to record 85 or more assists in a season.
Now all that’s left for Tampa Bay is living up to the lofty expectations the club is faced with in the playoffs.
Maple Leafs clinch third consecutive playoff berth
It wasn’t a matter of if, but when.
With a win over the New York Islanders in Tavares’ second game as a visiting player in Long Island, the Maple Leafs clinched a playoff berth for a third consecutive season.
After Calle Rosen opened the scoring with his first career NHL goal, Tavares added an insurance marker in the third period, and in doing so set a new franchise record for goals scored by a centre.
Tavares’ goal was also his 87th point, which set a new season-high for the centre.
Binnington continues to lead Blues back from abyss
Late last week Vladimir Tarasenko’s role in the St. Louis Blues’ resurgence in the Western Conference was a prominent topic. At the time, though, I ignorantly forgot to shine a light on another key figure out in St. Louis who has been just as important to the team, goaltender Jordan Binnington.
The rookie netminder has been playing like a Vezina calibre talent for months now, carrying his team with an incredible 22-5-1 record to go along with a sparkling 1.85 goals-against average. Without Binnington (and Tarasenko, of course), this team wouldn’t find itself in the position it’s in.
Binnington added win No. 22 on the season after stymying the Colorado Avalanche Monday, and in doing so he matched Jake Allen’s franchise record for most wins by a rookie goaltender.
Assuming Binnington keeps up the other-worldly level of play he has all season in St. Louis’ four remaining games, I would bet on the 25-year-old taking sole possession of that Blues’ rookie record in short order.
Islanders’ power play struggles mightily on home ice
Under Barry Trotz, the New York Islanders have been one of hockey’s most surprising stories and will be back in the playoffs after a two-season absence.
But if there’s one area of improvement the Isles should look to shore up ahead of their hopefully lengthy playoff push, it’s the performance of their power play on home ice.
The Islanders’ lone goal against the Maple Leafs was scored on the man advantage, but get this: it was the first power-play goal scored by the Islanders on home ice since Feb. 16.
And if you take away the Islanders games played at Barclays Center, it’s the first time they’ve scored in Nassau Coliseum in nearly two-and-a-half months.
You can be sure Trotz is well aware of his team’s power-play drought and will adjust accordingly, ideally before the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway in one week’s time.
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