John Carlson is having himself quite a month.
The Capitals’ top-pairing defenseman is now on an eight-game point streak after scoring twice — once on a gift from Cam Talbot and another on an empty net — in the Capitals’ 5-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. He leads the NHL in points again (5g, 15a, and 20 points).
With the pair of goals Tuesday, Carlson became only the fourth defenseman literally ever to score 20 points in October.
John Carlson scores an empty net goal, his second goal of the night, to make the score 5-2. He becomes the fourth different defenseman in NHL history to register 20 or more in a single month of October.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 23, 2019
John Carlson is elite 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2CcRdguO73
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) October 23, 2019
Only one defenseman has ever done it quicker, Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Coffey, who notched 20 in 10 games during the start of the 1988-89 season.
Fewest games by a defenseman to record 20th point of a season, NHL history:
10 GP – Paul Coffey (1988-89 w/ PIT)
11 GP – @JohnCarlson74 (2019-20 w/ @Capitals)
11 GP – Bobby Orr (1974-75 w/ BOS)#NHLStats pic.twitter.com/SWHJAQoOVd— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 23, 2019
Carlson has also hit the 20-point plateau faster than any Capitals player ever and that includes all forwards like Alx Ovechkin.
Not only has John Carlson, who scored twice in a 5-3 @Capitals win vs CGY Tuesday, hit 20 points in a season faster than all but 1 defenceman ever (Paul Coffey 10 games into the Penguins' 1988-89), he's also done it faster than anyone here pic.twitter.com/gPgxNL3fDi
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) October 23, 2019
These are crazy numbers.
“I’m just getting lucky,” Carlson said recently. “Guys are making some good plays to me. The guys I’m passing to are scoring right now. Especially as a D, it’s pretty streaky. You take it when you can. A lot of guys making a lot of plays out there.”
After the Flames game, the Capitals had Carlson take a photo with the milestone 20-point puck.
Carlson has eight more points than the next closest defenseman, Ryan Ellis, who has 12.
8-game point streak, 20 points on the season. John Carlson (@JohnCarlson74) is unstoppable. 😲@NHLdotcom has more ➡️ https://t.co/XHTZlkPCGP pic.twitter.com/aqaMM1jGt6
— NHL (@NHL) October 23, 2019
He is on 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Headline photo: @Capitals
