Tkachuk Fourth American NHLer With Back-to-Back 100-Point Seasons

Good morning and happy Friday, March 31st.

In case you missed our announcement yesterday, we've partnered with ProStockHockey.com to give one lucky winner and their entire team up to 20 FREE hockey sticks. And entering to win couldn't be easier...

Matthew Tkachuk produced his fifth NHL hat trick and reached the 100-point mark for the second consecutive season on Thursday.

But neither of the milestones were as important to him as the fact they were accomplished in a 5-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens. That triumph allowed the Panthers to stay one point behind the Penguins in the race for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins beat the Nashville Predators 2-0 on Thursday.

Tkachuk also had an assist in the contest to give him a four-point night and push his season total to 101 points. He posted 104 points last season playing for the Calgary Flames. The Flames traded him to the Panthers in the offseason after Tkachuk informed them he wouldn’t re-sign when his contract expires this summer. The Panthers and Tkachuk have already worked out an extension.

He joins Wayne Gretzky, Jimmy Carson and Mike Rogers as the fourth NHL player to generate consecutive 100-point seasons for two different franchises.

Gretzky amassed 149 points for the Oilers in 1987-88 and 168 with the Kings in 1988-89. Carson put up 107 for Los Angeles in 1987-88 and 100 with Edmonton in 1988-89, while Rogers had 105 with the Hartford Whalers in 1980-81 and 103 for the New York Rangers in 1981-82.

Tkachuk is the fourth U.S.-born player to post consecutive 100-point seasons. Jeremy Roenick had three in a row for the Chicago Blackhawks from 1991-92 to 1993-94. Kevin Stevens (Pittsburgh Penguins, 1991-92 and 1992-93) and Carson (Los Angeles Kings, 1987-88, and Edmonton Oilers, 1988-89) also did it.

🦑 Jaden Schwartz & Matty Berniers lead Kraken to 4-1 win over the Ducks to pad wild card lead. Jaden Schwartz came down the left wall midway through the first and unleashed a rocket clapper past the blocker of Ducks' Lukas Dostal to open the scoring for his 19th of the year. And less than three-minutes later the NHL's rookie scoring leader Matty Berniers scored his 21st of the season and eventual game winner. Schwartz and Berniers assisted on Daniel Sprong's 3rd period tally, Alex Wennberg added an empty-netter, and Martin Jones made 18 saves on 19 shots against as the Kraken padded their lead for the first Western Conference wild card to 5 points over the Winnipeg Jets.

😈 Timo Meier's game winner helps Devils down the Rangers 2-1, extend lead on Metro rival. The 26-year-old Swiss-native one-timed a Jack Hughes pass to score his 36th goal of the season, a new career high, late in the first period on the power play that proved to be the game winner. Devils' forward Erik Haula deflected in a Dougie Hamilton pass from the point just five minutes into regulation for his 10th of the year and Devils' netminder Vitek Vanecek collected 24 saves and a .960 save percentage as the Devils extended their 2nd place Metropolitan lead over the Rangers to four points with 7 regular season games remaining. Plus, the win puts the Devils just one point back from the Metro-leading Carolina Hurricanes who are just 4-5-1 in their last ten.

• Bruins clinch Presidents' Trophy with OT victory against Blue Jackets

• Jarry, Penguins edge Preds, remain in Wild Card spot

• ‘A really good building block’: Oilers shut out Kings in potential playoff preview

• Golden Knights clinch playoff berth, then lose to Sharks in OT

• Blues win to hand Blackhawks seventh straight defeat

• Maroon scores twice, Lightning gain in Atlantic with win against Capitals

• Walman scores late goal, Red Wings beat Hurricanes

• Report: Canadian billionaire Apostolopoulos joins bid process for Sens

• Matthew Knies, Adam Fantilli, Logan Cooley named Hobey Baker award finalists

• NCAA Frozen Four: Breaking Down the Finalists in 2023

• 3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ McDavid scores beauty shorthanded goal for career goal #300

• ⏱️ Jake Walman goes glove side to score game winner with just 3 seconds left

• 🥊 Alex DeBrincat lands some heavy punches in tilt with Joel Farabee

• 🎯 Stamkos snipes top left right off the faceoff

• 🥊 Trent Frederic drops Lane Pederson with one vicious hook

• Third man high small area game

• Three tips to strong effective pivots

• Three off-ice hockey speed drills