Alex Ovechkin scored his League-high 40th goal for the Washington Capitals in a 5-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Sunday. It is the 10th season he has reached 40 goals, joining Wayne Gretzky (12), Mario Lemieux (10) and Marcel Dionne (10) as the only NHL players to do so.
It is the second straight season Ovechkin has scored 40 or more goals, and the fifth time in the past six seasons. His NHL career high is 65 in 2007-08.
Last season, Ovechkin scored 49 goals but did not reach the 40-goal mark until his 65th game on March 3. This season he accomplished the feat in 58 games.
Ovechkin, who is averaging 0.69 goals-per game this season, would become the third player in League history to reach 50 goals at least eight times if he scores 10 more. Gretzky and Mike Bossy scored 50 or more goals nine teams each.
Miller is No. 1
Ducks goalie Ryan Miller earned his 375th victory in the win against the Capitals to set the NHL record for victories by a United States-born goalie. He tied John Vanbiesbrouck with a win against the Capitals on Dec. 2 but had been sidelined with a knee injury since Dec. 9.
The 38-year-old goalie is 375-270-80 with one tie in 748 games with the Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks and Ducks. He twice reached 40 wins in a season with the Sabres (41 in 2009-10; 40 in 2006-07) and won 30 or more seven times in the NHL.
In 11 games this season (eight starts), Miller is 5-2-1 with a 2.64 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.
Video: WSH@ANA: Miller becomes winningest U.S.-born goalie
Binnington, Tarasenko lead Blues to 10th straight victory
The Blues matched the longest winning streak in their history and longest in the NHL this season with a 4-0 victory against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.
St. Louis, which also won 10 straight games from Jan. 3-23, 2002, tied the Sabres (Nov. 8 -27) for most consecutive wins this season.
It was the third straight shutout for the Blues, the fifth time St. Louis has posted such a streak during the regular season. Rookie goalie Jordan Binnington blanked the Wild with 31 saves after shutting out the Arizona Coyotes 4-0 with 21 saves on Thursday. Jake Allen made 32 saves in a 3-0 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
Binnington earned his eighth straight victory, passing Brent Johnson for the longest winning streak by a rookie goalie in Blues history. The shutout was his fourth, most by a Blues rookie goalie in a season.
The four shutouts come in his first 14 NHL starts, making Binnington and Antti Niemi the only goalies to do so in the League’s modern era (since 1943-44).
Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists Sunday to extend his point streak to 12 games (11 goals, 11 assists). Tarasenko, who has 51 points (26 goals, 25 assists) in 57 games, also surpassed 400 points for his career (204 goals, 197 assists).
from A Viral Update http://bit.ly/2SXYrGw
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