Laine named NHL's first star for November
Jets forward earns top honor ahead of Avalanche center MacKinnon, Golden Knights goalie Fleury
by NHL Public Relations @PR_NHL
NEW YORK -- Winnipeg Jets right wing Patrik Laine, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury have been named the NHL's "Three Stars" for the month of November.
FIRST STAR - PATRIK LAINE, RW, WINNIPEG JETS
Laine registered a League-leading 18 goals in 12 games (18-1-19) - the most by any NHL player in one calendar month since March 1994 (Pavel Bure: 19-11-30 in 16 GP w/ VAN) - to power the Jets (14-8-2, 30 points) to a 7-4-1 November. Laine scored in his eight of his 12 appearances, highlighted by a trio of hat tricks: Nov. 1 at FLA (3-0-3 in his native Finland as part of the 2018 NHL Global Series), Nov. 19 at VAN (3-0-3) and Nov. 24 at STL (5-0-5). The latter marked the 57th five-goal performance in League history as well as the first since Feb. 2, 2011 (Johan Franzen: 5-0-5 w/ DET). Laine, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft, reached the 100-goal milestone in his final contest of the month, Nov. 29 vs. CHI (2-0-2). At 20 years, 224 days, he became the fourth-youngest player in NHL history to score 100 career goals, behind only Wayne Gretzky (20 years, 40 days), Jimmy Carson (20 years, 116 days) and Brian Bellows (20 years, 179 days). The Tampere, Finland, native - who shares first place with 101 total goals since his League debut in 2016-17 (101-57-158 in 179 GP) - also ranks first in the NHL with 21 goals in 24 outings this season (21-3-24).
SECOND STAR - NATHAN MacKINNON, C, COLORADO AVALANCHE
MacKinnon topped the NHL with 9-14-23 in 14 games to the propel the Avalanche (15 6 5, 35 points) to an 8-3-3 November. MacKinnon collected points in 10 of his 14 outings, highlighted by nine multi-point performances. That included a run of six straight multi-point games from Nov. 18-28 (6-9-15), capped by his fourth career four-point effort Nov. 28 vs. PIT (1-3-4). MacKinnon and linemate Mikko Rantanen, who registered 3-10-13 during that same stretch, became the first set of teammates to post simultaneous multi-point streaks of at least six contests since Dec. 31 - Jan. 10, 1993 (Pat LaFontaine and Alexander Mogilny w/ BUF). MacKinnon, the No. 1 overall selection from the 2013 NHL Draft, places second in the League - behind only Rantanen - with 18-23-41 in 26 appearances this season. The 23-year-old Halifax, N.S., native finished November by playing in his 400th NHL game, raising his career totals to 132-212-344. That includes 57-81-138, for a League-best 1.38 points per game, in 100 contests since the start of 2017-18.
THIRD STAR - MARC-ANDRE FLEURY, G, VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Fleury led the NHL with nine wins and four shutouts in November (13 GP), compiling a 2.32 goals-against average and .920 save percentage to backstop the Golden Knights (14-12-1, 29 points) to a 9-6-0 month. Fleury yielded three or fewer goals in 10 of his 13 appearances, highlighted by shutouts Nov. 3 vs. CAR (34 SV), Nov. 14 vs. ANA (29 SV), Nov. 23 vs. CGY (29 SV) and Nov. 24 vs. SJS (33 SV). The final such performance moved Fleury into a tie - with Nashville's Pekka Rinne - for 23rd place on the NHL's all-time shutouts list. Fleury, who won his final six starts of the month, now also sits five victories shy of tying Tony Esposito for ninth place on the League's all-time wins list among goaltenders. The 34-year-old Sorel, Que., native paces the NHL with five shutouts and shares the League lead with 14 victories in 23 contests this season (2.39 GAA, .911 SV%). He is 43-21-5 (2.29 GAA, .922 SV%, 9 SO) in 69 total regular-season appearances since joining the Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.