While the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to move up the Eastern Conference standings, their captain Victor Hedman keeps checking off milestones.
The Lightning and their hulking defenseman will finish a two-game homestand Saturday night against the sizzling Detroit Red Wings in the opener of four matchups between the Atlantic Division foes.
Holding third place in the division, coach Jon Cooper’s squad won for the fourth time in six games (4-1-1) with Thursday’s 4-3 shootout win over the visiting Anaheim Ducks. Tampa Bay, which closed to within four points of the second-place Florida Panthers, also has three games in hand over the Stanley Cup champions to the south.
A 16-year veteran after being selected No. 2 overall by the franchise in the 2009 draft, Hedman became the organization’s first player ever to hit assist No. 600 — though he only leads teammate Nikita Kucherov by two.
Assistant coach Jeff Blashill, a former Wings head coach, used to scheme against Hedman but said he enjoys having the 6-foot-7, 245-pound rear guard on his side now.
“I’ve been lucky to have been around some pretty good players in my time in the NHL, and he’s certainly right up there near the top of the list of those great players,” Blashill said after the first period of Thursday’s 4-3 shootout win over the Anaheim Ducks. “He’s been such a good offensive player for a long time.
“I like being on the bench with him rather than on the other side, I can tell you that.”
Hedman is fourth all-time in assists by Swedish defensemen, trailing Nicklas Lidstrom (878), Erik Karlsson (656) and Borje Salming (637).
Brayden Point recorded his team-leading 26th goal against Anaheim, while linemate Kucherov ascended to 65 points (20 goals, 45 assists).
Anthony Cirelli is just two tallies from becoming the fifth team member to reach 20 goals.
Following the hiring of new coach Todd McLellan on Dec. 26, the Red Wings have run off on an 8-2-0 stretch, leapfrogging their way up the wild-card standings.
On Christmas Day with McLellan about to arrive, the Wings were 13-17-4, next-to-last in the Eastern Conference and only two points ahead of the woeful Buffalo Sabres.
However, after losing the first outing under McLellan, they flew off on a seven-game winning streak, beating four Eastern Conference opponents they are chasing. Now, Detroit resides only three points behind Boston for the second wild-card spot with two games in hand over the Bruins.
“(He has) us playing more aggressive, that’s probably the biggest (reason),” Patrick Kane said in an ESPN interview during Thursday’s 5-2 road win over the Panthers. “He’s simplified some things for us, but being more aggressive and on our toes instead of sitting back.”
Detroit went 3-for-4 on the man advantage in beating the champs, with Kane, Jonatan Berggren and captain Dylan Larkin nailing goals.
Six of Kane’s 11 markers have been on the power play, while the unit has scored in 17 of 34 chances in McLellan’s 10-game tenure and has failed to notch one just once in Tuesday’s 6-3 loss against the San Jose Sharks.
Larkin paces the group with 20 goals, followed by Alex DeBrincat (19), Lucas Raymond (18) and Kane.
–Field Level Media
