Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic has been heating up over the last couple weeks, ranking fourth in the NHL in save percentage since Jan. 17 (min. 5 GP).
Team Sweden restored normalcy when they announced Tuesday that forward Rickard Rakell has been added to the roster for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. Rakell has been on a tear this season with 46 points (24G-22A) through 54 games, and his team-leading 24 goals rank tied for second in the NHL among Swedish players. The Stockholm, Sweden native ranks fifth in points among Swedish players this season.
Forward Kevin Hayes tied the game in the third period Tuesday night to help Pittsburgh earn a point against New Jersey. He now has six points (5G-1A) in 16 games since returning to the lineup on a regular basis on Jan. 3. During that span, only Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell have tallied more goals for the Penguins.
Sidney Crosby has historically been successful against the New York Rangers. In 87 career games versus the Rangers, Crosby has registered 40 goals, 68 assists and 108 points. Crosby’s points-per-game average (1.24) against the Rangers is tied for 10th in NHL history (min. 25 GP), and no active player has more points versus New York than him. Crosby is currently the only active player in the NHL with 100-plus points against at least three franchises (New York Islanders, 136; Philadelphia, 133; NY Rangers, 108).
Crosby is leading the charge for the Penguins with 58 points (17G-41A) on the season. The forward is just two points away from becoming the ninth player in NHL history to have 17 or more 60-point seasons, and only Washington’s Alex Ovechkin (17) has more 60-point seasons than Crosby among active players. Crosby also has four goals in his last five games, and with his next tally, he will tie Bobby Hull for 18th place on the all-time goals list. Finally, Crosby has assists in three-straight games (3A), and his 1,045 total career assists are four shy of tying Gordie Howe for 10th place on the all-time assists list.
Quick Hits
1) Philip Tomasino has points in four of his five career games versus the Rangers (3G-1A).
2) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forward Ville Koivunen has been named the AHL Rookie of the Month for January. Koivunen tallied nine goals, five assists, 14 points and two hat tricks in 11 games during the month.
3) Over the last four games dating back to January 27, the Penguins have allowed a league-low six goals against.
4) The Penguins rank sixth in the NHL in power-play percentage (25.0%).
5) Anthony Beauvillier has 25 points (13G-12A) in 32 career games against New York. It’s the most goals and points he’s recorded against any one team
