Sharks’ dynamic duo wins NHL scoring titles

Cheechoo has 49 goals for the Sharks since Thornton joined the lineup — and Thornton assisted on 38 of them. Cheechoo has scored on an amazing 21.2 percent of his shots and picked up the first five hat tricks of his career since Thornton arrived, the most three-goal games in a single season since Mario Lemieux had six in 1995-96.

Cheechoo’s 56 goals are the most in the NHL since Pavel Bure scored 59 for Florida in 2001. The Richard Trophy has been awarded only since 1999.

Cheechoo, in just his third full NHL season, scored 28 goals in 2003-04 while the Sharks reached the Western Conference finals. After playing 20 games in the Swedish Elite League during the lockout, he entered this season stronger and tougher.

Thornton also set a league record for the most points by a player who was traded during a season. Mike O’Connell, the Boston general manager who became the first executive in NHL history to trade the eventual league scoring leader during a season, was fired by the Bruins last month.

Five players finished with 50 or more goals, the most in 10 years.

Jagr had 54, rookie Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and Atlanta’s Ilya Kovalchuk each scored 52, and Ottawa’s Dany Heatley got his 50th Tuesday night.

Miikka Kiprusoff of the Calgary Flames had the best goals-against average, 2.07, to win the Jennings Trophy.

Ottawa defenseman Wade Redden’s plus-37 was the best plus-minus rating in the league.

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Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby were two of the highest-scoring rookies in NHL history. Ovechkin’s 52 goals put him third on the all-time list for a first-year player. Teemu Selanne scored 76 in 1992-93 for Winnipeg, and Mike Bossy got 53 in 1977-78 for the New York Islanders.

Ovechkin also had 54 assists, and the Russian finished with 106 points — third best in NHL history for a rookie.

Crosby, 18, is the youngest player to score more than 100 points. He finished with 39 goals and 63 assists for 102 points.

Dion Phaneuf of the Flames scored 20 goals, the most by a rookie defenseman in 17 years.

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