The good news for the Tampa Bay Lightning is that they don’t have to face Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils until January. By then, there is a chance that the 22-year-old center has cooled off from his absurdly hot start. Through 7 games he’s piled up 5 goals and 13 assists for an impressive 18 points. Dylan Larkin is next with 15 points, albeit in one more game. For Hughes, it’s the continuation of his breakout season from last year when he put up 99 points (43 goals, 56 assists) in 78 games.
With his performance so far this month, he’s thrust his name into the discussion for the Hart Trophy at the end of the season, especially with perennial Hart winner, Connor McDavid, currently out with an injury. With his scoring help, the Devils have run their record to 4-2-1 and sit one point behind the Rangers and Hurricanes for the lead in the Metropolitan Division.
Through 5 games, Hughes had 14 points, which was the most at that point since Mario Lemieux had 17 through 5 to start the 1992-93 season. Lemieux started that season with a 12-game point streak in which he amassed 38 points (18 goals, 20 assists) over that stretch. He ended up putting up a ridiculous 160 points in 60 games that season. Oh, and he also missed a month of hockey while being treated for Hodkin’s lymphoma.
While Hughes isn’t likely to put up that kind of streak, he has recorded at least one point in every game for the Devils so far this season and has four games with at least three points, not too shabby in today’s NHL. According to NHL.com, the Devils’ team record for longest streak to start the season with a point in every game is held by Tim Higgins, who scored in 10 straight to start the 1984-85 season. After putting up a single point in each of those ten games Higgins ended up with 48 points in 71 games that season and did not win the Hart Trophy.
In case you were wondering who owns the record for longest point streak to start a season, it’s Wayne Gretzky. I know, you’re shocked aren’t you. The Great One started the 1983-84 season off with points in 51 straight games.
Who knows, maybe when the Lightning take on the Devils on January 11th, Hughes will be chasing history.
Lightning / NHL News
How Darren Raddysh carved a path to the NHL [NHLPA]
This article is from a few days ago, but it gives a little background to Darren Raddysh and his playing days with Connor McDavid, using a Steven Stamkos-model stick, and what it was like to make his NHL debut.
How Mikey Eyssimont embraces the role of a pest [Tampa Bay Times]
He does look like he’s having fun out there on the ice.
Six pleasant surprises in the NHL [Bleacher Report]
Hmm. Four of the six surprises are about divisional rivals, not so pleasant for the Lightning, eh?
NHL’s Biggest Surprises early in 2023-24 [The Athletic]
I guess the two-week mark is the point at which the “surprises” articles come out. Guess that gives us some ideas for next week’s posts! For the Lightning it’s Jonas Johansson (no surprise there). As Shayna Goldman writes,
“The big question is whether that can hold up and if he’ll build on his 6.44 goals saved above expected, given that a starting role is not something he’s accustomed to. But the fact that he isn’t sinking this team is a big surprise”
Five teams already regretting their offseason pickups [Bleacher Report]
There are no Lightning players on this list (yay!), but these things in general are always fun to bookmark and then look back at when the season is over. Was it truly a bad pickup or did that player just get off to a slow start?
A statement from the Grand Rapids Griffins [Twitter]
Don’t throw things on the ice folks. Should be a pretty simple concept to grasp, but apparently in Grand Rapids it cost the Griffins a possible win.
Connor Clifton to have hearing with DoPS [NHL]
The Sabres’ defenseman will have a hearing with the league after his hit up high on the Devils’ Nico Hischier. Yeah, this doesn’t look great.
