This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Hit the comments if you feel the need, but Mario Lemieux is the greatest scorer in NHL history. No. 66 never had a healthy prime and never played an 80-game season. From 1989-90 through 1992-93 (his age-24 through -27 campaigns) Lemieux played just 209 games and posted an otherworldly 177 goals, 459 points, 850 shots and 240 PIM.
Then, after not playing for three seasons, a 35-year-old Lemieux returned to the league and scored 35 goals and 76 points through 43 games.
You can have Gretzky, give me Mario.
Now, a new No. 66 has hit the news over the past week, as Joshua Ho-Sang made his NHL debut last Thursday and scored his first career goal Tuesday against Edmonton. The 21-year-old rookie has worn No. 66 -- as a tribute to Lemieux -- since he was 15.
There are some similarities between Ho-Sang and Lemieux, too. Both were polarizing junior stars that didn't mesh with Hockey Canada's junior program, and both were immensely talented. While Ho-Sang isn't Mario, the youngster can pad the points column.
Should Ho-Sang be wearing No. 66? Maybe, maybe not, but stirring up a controversy is silly. Scott Stevens and Vincent Lecavalier both wore No. 4.
Featured Matchups
Ducks (PP: 16, PK: 6) at Blackhawks (PP: 15, PK: 27), 8:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Jonathan Bernier (11-7-2, 2.85, .904), Corey Crawford (26-13-3, 2.55, .918)
Key Injuries:Simon Despres (head), John Gibson (lower body), Clayton Stoner (abdomen), Antoine Vermette (suspension), Scott Darling (hand), Nick Schmaltz (illness)
For most of the past decade, the Ducks and Blackhawks have been powerhouse contenders in the Western Conference and not much has changed this season. While neither team boasts the depth of their championship editions, Chicago sits second in the conference, and Anaheim has all but locked up a playoff berth.
Goaltending could be the difference Thursday, as Bernier has lost both road starts since taking over No. 1 duties with Gibson on the shelf. Additionally, Anaheim has scored just 17 goals through its past eight away games. Chicago, on the other hand, boasts a 22-8-4 record and has won seven consecutive games and 12 of 13 contests dating back to Feb. 1. During that dominant stretch, the Blackhawks have averaged 4.08 goals while allowing just 2.23 per game. In the tape-measuring matchup, it would seem unlikely Anaheim leaves victorious.
Canadiens (PP: 11, PK: 21) at Flames (PP: 14, PK: 19), 9:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Carey Price (30-16-5, 2.28, .923), Brian Elliott (18-13-3, 2.65, .905)
Key Injuries:Curtis Lazar (upper body), Ladislav Smid (neck), Brian Flynn (upper body), Tomas Plekanec (upper body), Alexander Radulov (lower body)
Calgary is clicking along a seven-game winning streak, and Elliott has caught fire with a 7-0-1 record, .934 save percentage and 1.98 GAA over his past eight outings. After failing to register a single win in regulation in February, the Habs now sport a six-game winning streak and have allowed just eight goals during the stretch. Similar to Elliott, Price has rattled off six wins with an incredible .951 save percentage and 1.35 GAA through his past eight outings. All said, this has the makings of a low-scoring affair.
Another star scorer that doesn't receive enough praise is Max Pacioretty. He's already locked up his fourth consecutive 30-goal campaign and is also just two points away from totalling his fourth straight 60-point season. During the four-year span his 137 goals rank third in the league. Those looking for a low-priced flier for daily contests should consider Micheal Ferland. He's scored five goals through his past seven games and is currently skating with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau in a top-line role.
Capitals (PP: 7, PK: 5) at Sharks (PP: 23, PK: 15), 10:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Braden Holtby (34-9-5, 1.93, .929), Martin Jones (30-16-6, 2.28, .915)
Key Injuries:Jannik Hansen (not injury related), David Schlemko (lower body), Andre Burakovsky (hand)
Sitting on a home loss to Dallas since Monday, Washington heads to the Shark Tank with some added motivation. After all, the Caps have lost consecutive games just once since late December with a 24-5-2 record. It's an incredible stretch. San Jose has been much more inconsistent, but still boasts a rock-solid 18-7-6 record during the same span. The Sharks also sport an active 6-1-3 run and are 20-7-4 on home ice. As dominant as Washington has been, a trip to San Jose will prove to be a tough test.
It's unfortunate that Nicklas Backstrom doesn't receive more attention. The silky-smooth pivot has 21 goals and 67 points through 65 games this season and boasts a fifth-ranked 2.97 points per 60 minutes among all skaters with 5,000 minutes over the past four years. He's an elite scorer that's underpriced in daily contests and underappreciated overall.
Turning to the Sharks, it's interesting to note that their power play has struggled this year. Their 16.7 percent efficiency ranks 23rd, and San Jose also ranks 25th in goals per 60 minutes with the man advantage (5.56) while sporting a 28th-ranked 10.1 shooting percentage up a man. There is positive aggression ahead in this area for the Sharks, which will provide a nice fantasy boost for their stars down the stretch.
Other Matchups
Rangers (PP: 21, PK: 11) at Hurricanes (PP: 23, PK: 3), 7:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Henrik Lundqvist (30-17-2, 2.65, .913), Cam Ward (21-20-8, 2.65, .904)
Key Injuries:Phil Di Giuseppe (upper body), Brock McGinn (upper body), Jesper Fast (shoulder), Dan Girardi (ankle), Michael Grabner (hip), Kevin Klein (back)
The Hurricanes have allowed the third-fewest shots per 60 minutes (27.1) in the league but also own the third-worst team save percentage (.898). Carolina also enters this game sporting a 5-12-3 record with an average of only 2.05 goals per game. Since Feb. 1, the Rangers have gone 12-4-1 and are two points behind Pittsburgh for third in the Metropolitan Division, albeit with two extra games on the books. Interestingly, Derek Stepan has just eight assists and no multi-point outings through his past 22 games. Look for him to find his offensive groove down the stretch, as his current 7.4 shooting percentage is well below the 11.2 mark he entered this season with.
Flyers (PP: 12, PK: 17) at Maple Leafs (PP: 3, PK: 9), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Steve Mason (19-17-7, 2.76, .906), Frederik Andersen (25-14-13, 2.72, .916)
Key Injuries:Michael Raffl (lower body), Connor Carrick (upper body), Ben Smith (finger)
With Philadelphia ranked 10th and Toronto ninth in the Eastern Conference, this game has significant playoff implications, and the Maple Leafs could hold the final playoff spot with a win and an Islanders loss. Since their 10-game winning streak ended in mid-December, the Flyers have gone 12-16-4 with an average of just 1.94 goals per game. Those aren't playoff-calibre numbers. Look for a spirited battle between Claude Giroux and Nazem Kadri, and interestingly Kadri has been the better scorer this year with 27 goals and 50 points (2.77 points per 60 minutes) compared to Giroux's 13 goals and 46 points (2.2 points per 60 minutes).
Wild (PP: 6, PK: 7) at Lightning (PP: 4, PK: 22), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Devan Dubnyk (35-13-3, 2.01, .933), Andrei Vasilevskiy (14-13-6, 2.64, .915)
Key Injuries:Victor Bartley (triceps), Mathew Dumba (illness), Ryan Callahan (hip), Steven Stamkos (knee)
Is it possible that the Wild peaked too early? Sure, they've only lost two of their past three outings in an otherwise dominant campaign and beefed up with the Martin Hanzal acquisition, but it isn't out of the question. No team has won the Stanley Cup without a superstar since a 21-year-old Eric Staal scored 100 points and helped Carolina win it all in 2006. Tampa Bay unloaded pieces at the trade deadline, but with Steven Stamkos (knee) skating and two consecutive deep playoff runs, don't count the Lightning out of a postseason berth just yet. The Bolts have picked up 19 of a possible 26 points through their past 13 games, after all.
Devils (PP: 20, PK: 16) at Avalanche (PP: 29, PK: 24), 9:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Cory Schneider (19-21-10, 2.65, .914), Calvin Pickard (11-21-2, 2.91, .909)
Key Injuries:Semyon Varlamov (groin), Nikita Zadorov (ankle), Michael Cammalleri (shoulder), Andy Greene (personal), Jacob Josefson (upper body)
What a dud. Colorado has already been eliminated from the playoffs, and the Devils average just 2.18 goals per road game. After a 25-save win with just a single goal against Tuesday, Pickard could have another strong outing against New Jersey. It will be interesting to see if this season derails the talented backstops career trajectory. Pickard can play. An equally intriguing question is how bad would the Devils be without Taylor Hall? He's posted an incredible fifth-ranked 8.4 relative Corsi For percentage at five-on-five among all players with at least 50 games this season.
Senators (PP: 18, PK: 12) at Coyotes (PP: 27, PK: 26), 9:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Mike Condon (17-11-5, 2.57, .910), Mike Smith (16-20-6, 2.98, .914)
Key Injuries:Alex Burmistrov (upper body), Kevin Connauton (upper body), Brad Richardson (leg), Chris Neil (finger), Bobby Ryan (finger), Kyle Turris (finger)
Ottawa is the lone team on the second leg of a back-to-back set, but draw a second consecutive soft matchup. Arizona allows the most high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes in the league, and the Coyotes have lost five of their past seven contests. This could prove to be a sneaky spot for Mike Condon. Additionally, don't sleep on spending up for Erik Karlsson in daily contests. He has marked the scoresheet in 10 of his past 13 games for three goals, 14 points, 44 shots and 38 blocked shots, and high-priced defensemen are sometimes overlooked in deep player pools.
Islanders (PP: 26, PK: 20) at Canucks (PP: 28, PK: 25), 10:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Thomas Greiss (22-13-4, 2.53, .918), Ryan Miller (17-19-5, 2.66, .916)
Key Injuries:Johnny Boychuk (lower body), Casey Cizikas (upper body), Shane Prince (lower body), Alan Quine (upper body), Derek Dorsett (neck), Loui Eriksson (lower body), Erik Gudbranson (wrist), Jacob Markstrom (lower body), Anton Rodin (knee), Jack Skille (groin), Nikita Tryamkin (illness)
They're all huge games for the Islanders from here on out, as New York is a point ahead of Toronto in the wild-card race. The Islanders own an underwhelming 11-15-5 road record and allow 3.1 goals per game and 12.29 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes away from Brooklyn, so this won't be a cakewalk. Turning to the Canucks, Bo Horvat's breakout campaign continues, as the 21-year-old pivot has five goals and 11 points through his past 11 games. He's a buy-low candidate in keeper/dynasty settings.
Predators (PP: 10, PK: 14) at Kings (PP: 19, PK: 4), 10:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Pekka Rinne (25-16-7, 2.54, .915), Jonathan Quick (2-0-1, 2.63, .921)
Key Injuries:Matt Greene (undisclosed), Jordan Nolan (leg), Nick Shore (upper body), P.A. Parenteau (finger)
The Kings are now three points out of the dance and sport an active 4-7-2 run, so this is a must-win game. Nashville has also lost three consecutive contests, and Rinne owns an .873 save percentage and 3.76 GAA through his past nine appearances. Tanner Pearson continues to move the offensive needle with seven goals, 14 points and 32 shots through his past 11 outings. This projects to be a low-scoring affair with Nashville allowing the fewest high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (8.82) and Los Angeles the third least (9.09).
Recommended Pickup
Joonas Korpisalo, G, CLM: The Blue Jackets have five back-to-back sets remaining this season, and Korpisalo projects to receive a start in each. He's posted a .952 save percentage and 1.35 GAA through his past three outings and should provide a handful of solid outings through the end of the season. He's a solid option in deep leagues or a worthwhile streamer when receiving the starting nod in shallower settings.
