John Carlson can do no wrong right now.
The Washington Capitals blue-liner scored twice Tuesday against the Calgary Flames, giving him a league-leading 20 points on the season. By reaching the mark, he became the fourth defenseman ever to tally 20 points in October, according to Capitals Public Relations.
With three more games to go this month, Carlson has a chance to capture the all-time record for points by a defenseman in October, according to NBCS Capitals:
| Defenseman | Season | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Al MacInnis | 1990 | 25 |
| Brian Leetch | 1990 | 21 |
| Paul Coffey | 1988 | 21 |
| Paul Coffey | 1981 | 20 |
| John Carlson | 2019 | 20 |
MacInnis, Leetch, and Coffey are all enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Carlson is also the second-quickest defenseman to record 20 points, per NHL PR, needing just 11 games. Bobby Orr also required 11 games to reach the mark in 1974-75, while Coffey needed just 10 in 1988-89.
The 29-year-old has been incredibly productive over the last two campaigns, recording 68 points in 2017-18 and 70 in 2018-19. However, 47% of his points those seasons came on the power play. This year, he's dominated at even strength, as only six of his 20 points have come with the man advantage.
Carlson has a three-point lead on David Pastrnak and Connor McDavid in the Art Ross race, is the front-runner for the Norris Trophy, and should be firmly entrenched in Hart Trophy conversations as well. What a start.
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