NHL Playoffs

NHL Playoffs 2022: Ovechkin, Crosby and NHL Records That Could Fall

Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby are among those looking to rewrite the NHL record book

NHL Playoffs 2022: Ovechkin, Crosby and records that could fall originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Records are meant to be broken. Unless they’ve been set by Wayne Gretzky.

Many of the NHL records held by “The Great One” sure seem unbreakable. Others, however, could soon fall thanks to Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and players who continue to rewrite the record books. 

With the 2022 NHL Playoffs underway, some postseason regulars have continued what could prove to be a record-breaking chase. So, it’s a perfect time to highlight some playoff records that eventually could be broken and history that soon could be made. 

How many teams have won three straight Stanley Cups?

The Tampa Bay Lighting are looking to do what only two teams in the post-Original Six era have accomplished: threepeat.

During the 2022 playoffs, the Lightning will try to become the first team to win a third straight Stanley Cup championship since the New York Islanders, which won four consecutive titles from 1980 to 1983. 

The Montreal Canadiens also won four straight from 1976 to 1979. During the Original Six era (pre-1967), the Canadiens won five straight from 1956 to 1960. The Toronto Maple Leafs won three straight on two occasions, from 1947 to 1949 and from 1962 to 1964. 

Who is the NHL playoffs all-time points leader? 

Yes, that’s an easy one, it’s Wayne Gretzky. But do you know how large his lead is? Hint: it’s a lot. 

Gretzky is the all-time leader in playoff goals scored with 122, which is 13 more than Mark Messier in 28 fewer games. 

Gretzky is also the all-time leader in playoff assists with 260. Messier once again is in second by a wide margin with 186.

Add it all up and Gretzky leads the postseason in points with 382. No other player has reached 300, and only four have more than 200, with Messier in second with 295. 

Who is the active leader in NHL playoff goals? 

Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby are both in the top 20 for career postseason goals. Ovechkin is 16th with 71 goals and Crosby is 19th with 69. 

Crosby is approaching the rare 200-postseason-point club. Having entered the 2022 playoffs as the active leader in the postseason points with 191, Crosby is set to become the seventh player to reach the 200-point milestone. He would join Wayne Gretzky (382), Mark Messier (295), Jari Kurri (233), Glenn Anderson (214) and Jaromir Jagr (201). 

In addition, if Crosby can record another postseason hat trick, it would be the fourth of his career. Only eight players have four or more playoff hat tricks, led by Gretzky’s 10. No other player has more than seven.

Who is the NHL active playoff leader in games played?

No player competing in the 2022 NHL postseason has been in more playoff games than Joe Thornton of the Florida Panthers.

The 42-year-old Thornton - who also leads all active players in regular-season games with 1,712 - has played in 186 playoff games, which is second among active players and 28th overall. But the future Hall of Famer, who spent 15 seasons with the San Jose Sharks, is yet to hoist the Stanley Cup. He has a chance to do so this season with the top-seeded Panthers. 

With a long postseason run, Thornton could surpass the league’s overall active leader in playoff games played, Zdeno Chara. 

The New York Islanders defenseman, who spent 14 seasons with the Boston Bruins, has played in 200 playoff games, which is tied for 20th on the all-time list. Chara won’t add to that total this season, and still has a long way to go to catch the all-time leader in postseason games played: Chris Chelios with 266. 

Which player has won the most Stanley Cups?

Henri Richard of the Montreal Canadiens has won more Stanley Cups than any other player with 11. Eight active players have won three Stanley Cups: Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Jonathan Towes and Pat Maroon. Only 119 players in NHL history have won four Cups.

Which coach has the most Stanley Cup championships? 

Only 11 NHL head coaches have won three or more Stanley Cups. Three coaches in the 2022 playoffs have a chance to join that exclusive club this season: Darryl Sutter of the Calgary Flames, Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Four coaches have won the Cup four times, and Scotty Bowman holds the record with nine.

Which goalie has the most Stanley Cup playoff appearances?

Marc-Andre Fleury of the Minnesota Wild will play in his 16th postseason, which is tied with Jacques Plante and Andy Moog for the third most ever among goaltenders. Fleury needs just one more postseason appearance to tie Patrick Roy (17) and Martin Brodeur (17) for most all time. Fleury, with 16 postseason shutouts, has 90 career postseason wins, which trails Grant Fuhr by two victories for third place all-time.

Who has the most overtime goals in the Stanley Cup playoffs?

Corey Perry of the Tampa Bay Lightning needs one overtime goal to tie Maurice Richard for second most in playoff history. Joe Sakic is first with eight OT goals.

How quickly was the fastest goal scored in a Stanley Cup playoff game? 

The fastest goal scored in an NHL playoff game was six seconds in by Don Kozak in the Kings’ 7-4 win over the Bruins in Game 4 of the 1976-1977 quarterfinals. 

Has an NHL team ever gone 16-0 in the playoffs?

The longest winning streak during one postseason is 11 games, held by the 1991-1992 Chicago Blackhawks, the 1991-1992 Pittsburgh Penguins and the 1992-1993 Montreal Canadiens.

The longest losing streak over multiple postseasons is 16 by the Chicago Blackhawks, which dated from April 20, 1975 to April 22, 1979.

Which team has won the most Stanley Cup championships?

The Montreal Canadiens have the most Stanley Cup Finals appearances with 32 and the most championships with 23. 

What NHL team has the longest active playoff streak?

The Penguins have made the playoffs every season since 2006-2007, which is the longest active streak at 16 seasons. The second-longest active streak is held by the Nashville Predators, with eight consecutive appearances. The record for most consecutive playoff appearances is held by the Boston Bruins, who made 29 straight postseasons from 1967-1968 to 1995-1996. 

What player has the longest active playoff streak?

Ryan McDonagh of the Tampa Bay Lightning holds the active playoff streak record, with 11 straight postseason appearances dating back to the 2010-2011 season. The record for most consecutive postseasons is 20, held by Niklas Lindstrom and Larry Robinson.

What is the most goals scored in a playoff game by one player?

The record for most goals scored by one player in a playoff game is five, held by Newsy Lalonde in 1919, Maurice Richard in 1944, Darryl Sittler in 1976, Reggie Leach in 1976 and Mario Lemieux in 1989.

Who is the NHL’s active leader in postseason game-winning goals?

Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins leads active players with 12 postseason game-winning goals, which is 23rd most all-time. Brett Hull and Wayne Gretzky are tied for first with 24. 

Which goalie has the highest save percentage in NHL postseason history?

Tim Thomas posted a .933 save percentage over 51 playoff games with the Boston Bruins and Dallas Stars, which is the highest percentage in the NHL postseason (since the 1955-1956 season). Among active players, Mike Smith of the Edmonton Oilers and Craig Anderson of the Buffalo Sabres are tied for third all time with a .929 save percentage.

The only other active player in the top 10 is Dallas Stars goalie Braden Holtby, who is eighth with a .926 save percentage in 97 games.

What is the longest game in NHL postseason history?

Five overtimes just weren’t enough. Twice in NHL postseason history, a game went into a sixth overtime to determine a winner. In 1936, Detroit defeated the Montreal Maroons, 1-0, after 116 minutes and 30 seconds of hockey, the longest NHL playoff game in history. That broke the record set in 1933, when the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Boston Bruins, 1-0, in a game that took 104 minutes and 46 seconds. 

Imagine watching more than 100 minutes of scoreless hockey? 

In more recent history, the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-1, in the 2000 conference semifinals during a game that went five overtimes and took just over 92 minutes for the third longest postseason game. And in 2020, the soon-to-be-champion Tampa Bay Lighting defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-2, in the first round during a 5-OT thriller that lasted 90 minutes and 27 seconds, the fourth longest postseason game.    

What are the most goals scored in a NHL playoff series?

The most goals by a team in a playoff series is 44 by the 1984-1985 Edmonton Oilers in a 4-2 series win over the Chicago Blackhawks in the conference finals. 

The fewest goals scored by one team in a four-game series is one by the 2002-2003 Wild.

The fewest goals scored by one team in a seven-game playoff series is eight by the 2010-2011 Canucks in a 4-3 series loss to the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals.

What is the most goals scored by one team during a Stanley Cup playoff game?

The most goals scored by a team in a playoff game is 13 by the Edmonton Oilers in a 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings in the 1987 division semifinals. Jari Kurri had four goals and an assist and Wayne Gretzky had a goal and six assists.

The most goals scored by a team in one period of a playoff game is 7 by the 1943-1944 Montreal Canadiens. That was in the third period of an 11-0 win over Toronto.

Records per https://records.nhl.com/

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