Daily Nuggets: Golden Knights Trade Rumors; Breaking Records

The Vegas Golden Knights are back in action tonight against the Los Angeles Kings, and it could prove to be a big game. It’ll have a four-point swing in a tightly contested Pacific Division. The Golden Knights have been linked to some big-name players ahead of the trade deadline, but does Kelly McCrimmon have the necessary assets to make a significant trade?

Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, Alex Ovechkin sets a record. No, not that one– but it’s still quite impressive. A controversial penalty potentially costs the Islanders a win, which doesn’t help their chances of making the playoffs. Curtains begin to close on the Boston Bruins, and Cale Makar makes some history.

Golden Knights News

The Edmonton Oilers dropped their third straight game on Sunday, putting them at 57 games played on the season. The Golden Knights, too, have played 57 games and are ahead by two points in the standings. The battle for the Pacific Division will rage on for another 25 games, but for now, the Golden Knights are in command.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year; the trade deadline is 12 days away. Rumors swirl and uncertainty abounds, and all we can do is wait. Predictably, the Golden Knights are expected to stand pat– just kidding. They’ve been linked to five players, including the most prominent name at this year’s trade deadline.

The Athletic ($): It’s not yet Award Season, but it’s never too early to start making predictions. Dom Luszczyszyn uses advanced analytics to find the top ten candidates for each award, and Mark Stone and Jack Eichel make the cut for the Selke.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: Lucky number 13– that’s how many more goals Alex Ovechkin needs to break Wayne Gretzky’s record. He scored a hat trick on Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers and made some NHL history while he did it.

Colorado Hockey Now: Alex Ovechkin wasn’t the only NHL player who made history on Sunday. Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar became the third-fastest defenseman to reach 400 career points. He also became the only defenseman in Avalanche/Nordiques history to hit 400 points.

Boston Hockey Now: Another day, another tidbit of bad news regarding the Bruins. It sounds like Hampus Lindholm won’t play again this season. It feels like this will be the year that the Bruins miss the playoffs, which means they’ve got us right where they want us.

New York Islanders Hockey Now: Golden Knights fans know just as well as anyone that a controversial 5-minute major can completely change the course of a game. That’s exactly what happened to the Islanders last night– Casey Cizikas was ejected for a hit, and they lost because of it.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Head coach Sheldon Keefe had some choice words for a Devils young defensive pairing.

Philly Hockey Now: Hockey isn’t the easiest sport to predict. All it takes to change the fate of a team’s season is an injury or a hot streak. But William James takes a crack at projecting the rest of the Flyers season. 

NHL History: On February 24th, 1980, two days after their win over the Soviet Union, the United States defeated Finland in the gold medal game.