Livescore
In 107 years of NHL hockey, only one Swedish-born player has ever scored 50 goals in a season: Håkan Loob, who scored 50 in 1987-88 as a member of the Calgary Flames.
Many other players, such as Kent Nilsson (49), Markus Naslund (48), Filip Forsberg (48), and Mats Sundin (47), have come close but failed to make duplicate history.
This year, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell has already scored 25 goals in 56 games and is on pace for 36, according to Elite Prospects.
However, the 31-year-old from Sundbyberg, Sweden, has three multi-goal games, meaning he’s got a shot at 40 goals. The last two Swedish players to reach 40 goals were Forberg and William Nylander, who achieved the feat during the 2023-24 season.
Rakell needs 15 goals in the final 25 games to become the 16th Swedish-born player to score 40 goals in a single season. Even though it’s a tall order for most players, it may not be that difficult for a star who consistently snipes home Ricket Rockets.
In the first 27 games of the season, Rakell had ten goals and 16 points, not earning a spot on Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-off. After that, he erupted for 15 goals in the past 29 games, picking up 17 assists for 32 points.
As a late addition to the Sweden lineup at the tournament, Rakell scored no points in the two games he played. A slight disappointment from his point-per-game pace in the last ten games with the Penguins, where he registered three goals and seven helpers.
When Rakell returns to Pittsburgh, he’ll rejoin a veteran team looking to claw their way back into the playoffs and give captain Sidney Crosby a shot at another Stanley Cup title.
Ultimately, his performance in the final 25 games will determine whether the Penguins qualify for a wildcard spot.
As the team’s leading goal-scoring, every time Rakell lights the lamp, he’ll get his team closer to a win and one tally closer to etching his name into the Sweden record book.
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