OUR FANHOUSE TOOLBAR INTEGRATES THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS INTO YOUR WEB BROWSER AND INSTALLS IN SECONDS.
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE TOOLBAR HERE.

NHL

Mike Green Sets New NHL Mark

Posted Feb 14, 2009 9:47PM By Ted Starkey (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Capitals, Lightning

Text SizeAAA
Mike Green's the hottest player in hockey right now, and he strikes again on Saturday night in Tampa Bay to set a new NHL record for consecutive games with a goal by a defenseman with a tally in his eighth straight game.

With the Capitals already leading the Lightning 3-0 early in the second period, Green was getting some extra passes because with the lead, his teammates knew he had a shot at history with a goal.

Then just :48 into the penalty, he moved in from the point with the puck, and took a shot that was blocked by former Cap Matt Pettinger. After the puck flipped in the air, Green collected the puck and fired it past Lighting goaltender Karri Ramo to break the record of seven set by former Bruins defenseman Mike O'Connell in the 1983-84 season.

"I got a shot and [Pettinger] made a good block," Green said during an interview with Comcast SportsNet during the following intermission. "I went right behind him, and I was just waiting for it to drop. I was in the slot, and I just put it five-hole."

The goal was Green's 22nd of the season - already a career high despite appearing in just his 43rd game of this season due to an injury in November. The tally also gives Green 10 goals during his streak, and he just missed out on scoring twice in three consecutive games when he and Alexander Ovechkin couldn't connect on a 2-on-0 break late in the second period of Washington's 5-1 win over Tampa.

The goal-scoring streak is also the longest by any player in the NHL in three seasons - with the last guy lighting the lamp in at least seven straight games being his current teammate Alex Ovechkin.

He also ties the injured Tomas Vanek for the league lead with 15 power-play goals, and also is within one of the Washington record for consecutive games with a goal, held by both Hall-of-Famer Mike Gartner and Alan Haworth.

As luck would have it, Green's father was in a St. Pete Time Forum skybox watching his son break the record, as the Capitals' annual father's trip was scheduled for the pair of games in the Sunshine State over the weekend with 14 of the Capitals' dads in the audience to cheer on the team.

After the goal was scored, the NHL also allowed the entire Capitals bench to clear and congratulate him on his new mark.

Green's still got some distance to go to shatter the overall NHL mark, as that was a mark of 16 games set in 1921-22 by Ottawa Senators - the first version - player Punch Broadbent. The last player to approach that mark was Mario Lemieux, who had a goal in 12 straight games in 1992-93.

Related Articles