Welcome to the NHL Star Energy Index: A weekly gauge of the gamers who’re controlling substantial buzz across the league. When a participant is included on this listing it will not be a superb factor — it signifies that they’re capturing a considerable amount of the hockey world’s consideration.
These gamers are in no specific order on the subject of the quantity of buzz that they are creating. We’ll revisit the Star Energy Index each week all through the common season.
The New Jersey Devils are tied for essentially the most factors within the Japanese Convention, and Jack Hughes is main the cost in that success.
Hughes has racked up three objectives and 5 assists throughout his final three video games, and has tallied some extent in every of these three contests. As well as, the Devils star has registered multi-point performances in back-to-back video games.
In Monday’s dominant 5-1 win in opposition to the New York Rangers, Hughes recorded two objectives and an help in his seventh three-point efficiency of the season.
Hughes actually displayed his stellar playmaking means to assist the Devils prolong their lead within the second interval.
On the 9:04 mark of the body, Devils ahead Jesper Bratt dished the puck off to Hughes within the face-off circle of the offensive zone. Shortly after receiving the puck, Hughes dished it again throughout the slot the place it in the end discovered defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who buried a shot previous Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.
Together with his second-period helper, Hughes now could be tied for sixth within the NHL in assists (22). Actually, he is registered 4 assists in his final two video games alone.
Later within the interval, Hughes was capable of get into the scoring column. On the 12:38 mark, the puck squirted out to Devils defenseman Luke Hughes on the blue line. Luke ended up placing a shot on web that obtained deflected, and that is when Jack pounced on the rebound. Jack obtained the rebound and transformed a spinning shot into the again of the online to provide the Devils a commanding 4-0 lead.
Hughes has continued to showcase his expertise as one of many league’s most gifted younger stars. The final three video games have additionally proven that he can have an effect on the sport in a spread methods, and put the puck into the online at a second’s discover.
Macklin Celebrini burst onto the scene with a purpose in his very first NHL sport again in October. Sadly for the highest decide within the 2024 NHL Draft, he suffered a hip damage and missed practically a month of motion.
Since returning to the ice final month, Celebrini has actually discovered his stride on the skilled stage. Actually, Celebrini has scored seven objectives and dished out six assists since returning to the lineup.
Most not too long ago, Celebrini registered a secondary help on teammate William Eklund’s extra time purpose to assist in giving the Sharks a 1-0 win on Tuesday. In doing so, Celebrini prolonged his level streak to 5 consecutive video games, and tied Pat Falloon for the second-longest level streak by a youngster in Sharks historical past.
On that play, Celebrini started skating with the puck in the direction of the online earlier than dishing a spinning backhanded go again to teammate Mikael Granlund, who was close to the blue line. Granlund ended up getting the puck to Eklund within the face-off circle and he buried a one-timer for the game-winning purpose.
Celebrini has now tallied 4 objectives and 4 assists throughout his final six video games. The Sharks rookie ahead additionally recorded a purpose and an help in a 8-5 win in opposition to Seattle Kraken on Friday.
The No. 1 decide confirmed off his scoring contact within the second interval when he jumped into the push. Fabian Zetterlund was capable of safe the free puck within the impartial zone earlier than getting it over to Celebrini for a ravishing snap shot purpose on Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer to provide the Sharks a 6-4 lead.
Celebrini has actually lived as much as the billing over his final two months. The 18-year previous has displayed his means to take over a sport and appears just like the star that the Sharks envisioned him to be after they chosen him with the No. 1 decide final June.
The Washington Capitals have quietly been enjoying a number of the finest hockey across the NHL as of late. Offseason acquisition Jakob Chychrun has proved to be an asset on the offensive finish of the ice in current weeks.
Chychrun has registered a purpose in two of his final three video games, together with one which was of the dramatic selection.
In a 5-4 extra time win in opposition to the New York Islanders on Friday, Chychrun tallied the game-winning purpose simply 1:20 into the additional body. Chychrun raced up the ice with the puck and confronted little opposition as he entered the Islanders zone. The veteran defenseman was capable of rip a snap shot into the again of the online to provide the Capitals a giant win.
Chyrchrun additionally registered a power-play purpose in a 6-5 win in opposition to the Devils on Saturday as he tallied objectives on back-to-back nights. To make the feat much more spectacular, it marked his second power-play purpose within the final 5 video games.
It is no secret that Chychrun has all the time been a really offensive-minded defenseman, which is obvious in his two 40-point seasons since getting into the league. In his first marketing campaign with the Capitals, he is already registered 15 factors (eight objectives & seven assists), and is at the moment on tempo for 62 factors on the yr.
Clearly, that type of manufacturing will not be sustainable enjoying on the blue line, however Chychrun has actually offered a stabilizing presence on each ends of the ice for Washington.
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner had a tough begin to the season however seems to be turning the nook.
Skinner tallied a 3.51 goals-against-average and a .872 save share over the primary month of the season. Nonetheless, the Oilers netminder has recorded a 1.33 goals-against-average and a .949 save share in his final three video games, together with permitting only one purpose in a 1-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.
In that exact contest, Skinner turned apart 15 of the 16 pictures that he confronted.
Skinner additionally put collectively an identical efficiency in opposition to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. The 26-year previous stopped 27-of-28 pictures in a 4-1 win in opposition to their Western Convention counterparts and was capable of fend off a barrage of pictures from the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar within the third interval.
Skinner has now allowed two or fewer objectives in 4 of his final 5 contests.
It seems that Skinner has regained his focus within the crease and is enjoying a number of the finest hockey of the younger season. If he proceed to maintain the opposition at this fee, the Oilers can actually make one other Stanley Cup run later this season.
