Morning Skate - Monday, December 5

Morning Skate - Mirroring Marner & From Pigskin to Pucks

December 05, 2022

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19 FOR 16: Mitch Marner set a Toronto Maple Leafs franchise record on Saturday night, scoring twice to extend his points streak to an all-time team-best 19 games in a 4-3 OT loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Marner, who now has 10 goals and 31 points in 26 games, surpassed the mark previously co-held by Darryl Sittler and Eddie Olczyk.

CELEBRATING STAMKOS: Two days after recording his 1,000th NHL point, the Lightning celebrated Steven Stamkos' accomplishment with gifts before their game against the Maple Leafs. Alex Killorn and Victor Hedman presented Stamkos with an engraved putter and a bottle of wine, and his young sons received mini replica golden sticks.

ALSO STREAKING: Kirill Kaprizov had a goal to extend his point streak to 12 games, and Jason Robertson notched two points (goal and an assist) to reach the scoresheet for the 18th consecutive game as the Minnesota Wild held off the Dallas Stars 6-5. Roope Hintz recorded a hat trick to help the Stars come back from a 5-1 deficit before falling in a shootout.

MORE TROUBLE IN VANCOUVER: Thatcher Demko will be out for six weeks for the Vancouver Canucks after suffering a lower-body injury. Demko, 26, left the game late in the first period on Dec. 1 while playing the Florida Panthers. He appeared to pull something while trying to make a save on Florida's third goal of the game.

POSSIBLE RETIREMENT: Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen expressed concern that forward Jakub Voráček may need to retire due to his concussion history, stating, "I’m more worried about him having a normal life. He has a young family. The most important thing is that he lives a normal life." Voráček will have a press conference today to discuss the matter further, having last played on Nov. 4 against the Colorado Avalanche.

PENS PRAISE PIRATES: For its 2023 Winter Classic showdown against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 2, Pittsburgh is paying homage to its original NHL franchise—the 1925 Pirates. Previewing the full-body setup on Friday, the Penguins Tweeted out a video featuring the jersey with the helmet, gloves, pants, and socks.

Active Streakers

Mitch Marner recently made Toronto Maple Leafs history with the

. He is one of the hottest players in the NHL. Yet, three others are currently on heaters, and we thought we would highlight who is knocking on Marner's doorstep.

Jason Robertson

The season that

is having is nothing short of incredible. He is currently the NHL's leading goal scorer with 23 goals, is third-best in points with 41 points, and is also on an 18-game point streak with the Dallas Stars. He has 21 goals, 13 assists, and 34 points during that span, including two hat tricks, and could threaten to de-throne Marner's streak as the longest active in the NHL.

Steven Stamkos

As usual, Tampa Bay Lightning captain

is having a fantastic year. He is second-best on the Lightning in points with 29 and has six goals and ten assists for 16 points during his 10-game point streak, which contributed to his 1,000th career point on Dec. 1. Stamkos is chasing his

, which he achieved in 2009.

Kirill Kaprizov

"

" is back at it, as Kaprizov is having a phenomenal third year with the Minnesota Wild. His 12-game point streak matched a franchise record for the Wild, racking up eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points throughout the run. Kaprizov has the Wild in the hunt as a top team in the Central Division.

Jets Fly Together

The NFL's New York Jets arrived in style at U.S. Bank Stadium for their Sunday showdown with the Minnesota Vikings, donning jerseys from "The Mighty Ducks," a 1990s Disney classic about a rag-tag hockey team. Yes, the gear was referencing the movie and not the Anaheim-based squad named after the film, but quarterback Mike White knows his way around a rink. Last week, the Florida Panthers fan appeared on the "NHL Fantasy on Ice" podcast.

For two physical, demanding sports, it's surprising there isn't more linking hockey and football. And yet, there are hordes of NHLers who double as pigskin fanatics. Less pronounced (at least publicly) are the NFL players who are known to love hockey, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. In honor of White and the Jets' nod to "The Mighty Ducks," here's how the NFL has connected itself to the NHL—for better or worse.

J.J. Watt

For someone who likes dishing out big hits, it can't be surprising that J.J. Watt dabbled in hockey. You might call it the 33-year-old's first love. Watt grew up playing hockey after learning to skate at three and rooted for the Wisconsin Badgers. The veteran defensive end finally gave up the sport at age 13, with a fast-developing body that was pushing him toward football and kept outgrowing his hockey equipment.

Jalen Ramsey

Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, a player with no shortage of self-confidence, raised the ire of NHL players in 2018 when he suggested that he could make the league in six months. Stars like Jack Eichel, Seth Jones, and Vladimir Tarasenko quickly offered Ramsey a reality check. The also-confident Evander Kane didn't shy away from turning things around, saying, "I think I'd be about 1,000% times better at his position in six months than he'll be at mine."

Justin Fields

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is used to having all eyes on him at Soldier Field, but last April, he was also the center of attention at the United Center. Fields and his Bears teammates took in a Blackhawks game, and the starting QB even participated in the Hawks' "Shoot the Puck" competition.

Stamkos Joins 1,000 Point Club

This past Thursday, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos became the 95th player in NHL history to earn 1,000 career points. According to NHL.com, he is the 48th to do so with one team and the ninth active player—joining Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, Evgeni Malkin, Anže Kopitar, Eric Staal, Nicklas Bäckström, and Patrice Bergeron. Today we go back to the very beginning and look at the state of the world when Stamkos earned his first NHL point against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 28, 2008.

Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Pop Culture

  • "Saw V" was the top movie at the box office.

  • "Womanizer" by Britney Spears was the top song in the US.

  • O.J. Simpson was recently found guilty by a jury on 12 charges, which included felony kidnapping and armed robbery, in Las Vegas.

  • Madonna and Guy Ritchie had just released a joint statement announcing they were divorcing after almost eight years of marriage.

World News

  • Iran's attempt to create the world's longest sandwich (1,500 meters) fails when crowds eat it before being measured.

  • Singapore became the first Asian country to slip into a recession since the credit crisis began: growth faltered as a result of less demand for exports, a reduction in tourism, and the end of the real-estate boom.

  • Earlier in the year, Delta Air Lines acquires Northwest Airlines, creating the world's largest airline and reducing the number of US legacy carriers to 5.

  • India launches its first pilotless lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1.

Around the League

  • Joe Sakic scored his final career goal against the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 23.

  • Barry Melrose was the head coach of the Lightning.

  • Kevin Weekes appeared in his last NHL season for the New Jersey Devils before hanging up his skates.

  • Stamkos' long-time teammate Victor Hedman was still draft-eligible.

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