One a night when a major National Hockey League milestone was being celebrated 2,000 kilometres to the west, former Moose Jaw Warriors standout Brayden Point had a smaller one of his own.
The Tampa Bay Lightning all-star celebrated his 300th NHL point on Tuesday night, with the mark coming during a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.
The goal wasn’t the usual Point fare -- some kind of ridiculous move off the rush or pass no one expected -- but a product of being in the right place at the right time. Point somehow found himself alone in front of the net and that was more than enough for Ondrej Palat to find him with a pass from the blueline, with Point getting off a perfect tip and sending the puck top corner over Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek.
The power-play marker came with 2:08 gone in the second period, with Victor Hedman drawing the second assist.
Brayden Point (@TBLightning) scored to reach the 300-point mark in his career (135-165—300 in 340 GP). #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/vVogHNPJbh
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 20, 2021
Point’s goal was his only point on the night and saw him reach the 300-point plateau in only 340 games, third-fastest in franchise history. Steven Stamkos hit the mark in only 302 games, Nikita Kucherov in 337.
Point, 25, now has 19 goals and 38 points in 45 games this season, his fifth in the NHL. For his career, he’s scored 135 goals and 165 assists to go along with 22 goals and another 50 points in 44 playoff games.
Point, of course, is most remembered in Moose Jaw as one of the most dynamic players in team history.
After putting up nearly a point a game during the Warriors’ run in the 2011-12 playoffs, Point would go on to rack up 134 goals an 324 points in only 252 games through four seasons from 2012-13 through 2015-16. He served as the team’s captain his final two seasons.
Point was also named the Lightning player of the week on Monday, after putting up a pair of goals and three points while getting off seven shots in three games.
