One other week of NHL motion is within the books, and now’s the time to actually soak it in with the common season nearing its finish. There was quite a bit happening, however we’ve got you coated with the weekly NHL Rewind.
On Saturday evening, the Colorado Avalanche visited the Edmonton Oilers for a gathering of two Western Convention juggernauts. They did not disappoint with the sport being determined within the ultimate second of additional time.
Elsewhere, the race for the ultimate playoff spot within the Jap Convention stays superbly ugly. Plus, Mike Modano was immortalized in Dallas.
Let’s check out the largest tales and finest highlights from the week that was within the NHL.
Aim of the week: Morgan Frost goes between the wickets
The Philadelphia Flyers are enjoying with a whole lot of confidence this season, and Morgan Frost took that to a different stage in Saturday’s recreation in opposition to the Bruins. In a considerably shocking shootout between the 2 previous rivals, Frost actually earned some type factors.
Late within the third interval, with the Flyers down 5-3, Frost entered the Boston zone with linemate Owen Tippet. The 2 executed a beautiful give-and-go with Tippett taking a drop move from Frost and giving it proper again to him in entrance of the web.
In tight on Vezina Trophy candidate Jeremy Swayman, Frost fooled him by going between his legs and flipping the puck prime shelf.
Frost, a 24-year-old former first-round decide, has proven some actual flashes of high-end talent. That purpose, his eleventh of the season, was simply one other instance. Philly can solely hope to get that kind of brilliance out of him extra usually shifting ahead.
Theft of the week: Skinner halts Ovi’s pursuit of Gretzky
Final Wednesday’s recreation between the Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals was a bizarre one. The Oilers got here out on fireplace, however goaltender Stuart Skinner allowed targets on the primary two pictures in opposition to him.
Apparently, all Skinner wanted to get into the zone was a wonderful likelihood from maybe one of the best pure goal-scorer in hockey historical past. Late within the opening body, Caps defenseman John Carlson discovered Alex Ovechkin on their lonesome on the backdoor with no Oiler inside 5 miles of him.
With the puck on his stick and a large open web staring him within the face, it regarded like Ovi was going to get one purpose nearer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time file. Sadly for him — and fortuitously for Gretzky — Skinner got here diving throughout to make a jaw-dropping stick save.
After that, Skinner did not enable one other purpose, and Edmonton cruised to a 7-2 victory. If the Oilers are going to make a critical run on the Stanley Cup, Skinner goes to wish to make just a few extra saves like that between now and June.
Avalanche prime Oilers in attainable WCF preview
Saturday evening, there was a superb showcase for the sport of hockey in Edmonton. Two Western Convention contenders confronted off, they usually delivered on the hype with possibly one of the best recreation of the season. The Avs and Oilers performed a thriller that got here all the way down to the literal ultimate second of additional time.
Sean Walker, acquired by Colorado forward of the commerce deadline, scored his first purpose as a member of the Avalanche within the second interval. That lead held into the third interval, and that’s when the fireworks actually started.
Simply shy of six minutes into the third, Warren Foegle deflected an Evan Bouchard shot to stage the rating at 1-1.
That purpose ignited the Rogers Place crowd, they usually solely needed to wait just a few extra minutes for an additional cause to go away their seats. Sam Carrick, whom the Oilers added from the Geese only a couple weeks earlier, planted himself in entrance of Alexandar Georgiev and was rewarded with a rebound purpose.
With simply 2:30 remaining within the third, the Avalanche managed to reply, and it was Walker once more. This time, Walker cruised proper down foremost avenue, took a move from the also-newly-acquired Casey Mittelstadt and buried a one-timer to tie the sport.
Fittingly, the sport between these two Cup contenders went to additional time, and it practically obtained to a shootout. Deciding this recreation in a shootout would have been a excessive crime, however fortunately Nathan MacKinnon was in a position to work some magic within the ultimate second of additional time.
MacKinnon beat Bouchard to a free puck within the nook, spun, and threw a move to Artturi Lehkonen in entrance of the web. Lehkonen obtained sufficient on his shot to push it previous Stuart Skinner and win the sport with simply 0.5 seconds left within the additional time interval.
After a showdown like that, it is a cliche to say, “Give me seven video games of that.” Cliche or not, that is precisely what I would like. When Edmonton and Colorado are exchanging haymakers, hockey does not get rather more entertaining.
Battle for the East’s ultimate wild card spot intensifies
We go from two groups hellbent on profitable the Stanley Cup to a couple groups who appear to be they’d moderately do something however qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sadly for them, at the least one in every of them has to do it.
The New York Islanders, Detroit Pink Wings and Washington Capitals are locked in one of many ugliest playoff races of the previous couple of years, and I can’t look away. This previous weekend, that race kicked up a notch in depth, establishing a dogfight for the final 15 or so video games.
Let’s begin from the Islanders, a crew that was pink scorching only a week or two in the past. That warmth has all however escaped Barclays Heart, and the Isles are actually fumbling alternatives left and proper. After getting embarrassed by the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, the Islanders mounted a last-second comeback in opposition to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday to tie the sport at 3-3 with underneath a minute remaining.
Sadly, Bo Horvat went from hero to goat in virtually no time. He took a penalty in additional time, and that allowed Brady Tkachuk to win the sport for Ottawa (and rating a hat trick within the course of).
The subsequent day, the Islanders tried to get again on the horse for an enormous recreation in opposition to the rival New York Rangers. That did not go so nicely both. Late within the second interval, the Isles surrendered a purpose to Jonny Brodzinski to fall behind, 3-2.
The Islanders mustered subsequent to no offense within the third, and the Rangers earned a decisive 5-2 win. Patrick Roy’s group went from trying prefer it may roll to the playoffs to being on the surface trying in.
From the Islanders, we flip to the coldest crew within the NHL, the Pink Wings. The excellent news for Detroit is that it snapped a seven-game shedding streak with a win over the Sabres on Saturday. Patrick Kane obtained the game-winner, and the Wings had been feeling some good vibes for the primary time in weeks.
These good vibes lasted possibly 24 hours. At some point after beating the Sabres, the Pink Wings went to Pittsburgh for a recreation in opposition to a Penguins crew that is limping to the end line. In a must-win recreation in opposition to a beleaguered opponent, Detroit laid an egg once more.
Sidney Crosby notched a purpose and an help, main the Penguins to a decisive 6-3 win over the Pink Wings.
The Pink Wings had been form of a home of playing cards all season lengthy, however I did not anticipate this crew collapsing in such dramatic trend. Nonetheless, the Pink Wings are within the thick of the playoff race, so all it should take is one other burst of strong outcomes to get again into the postseason.
Now, we flip our consideration to the third crew on this race, the Capitals. They’re the weirdest of the trio, and they’re those presently sitting in that second wild card spot.
Following a 7-2 throttling by the hands of the Oilers on Wednesday, the Capitals went into Seattle and notched an unsightly 2-1 win over the Kraken. Connor McMichael broke free within the third interval for the game-winner in that one.
Two nights later, Washington received one other slog of a hockey recreation in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks. As soon as once more, the rating was 2-1. I’ll say, the game-winner in that one was awfully fairly with Alex Ovechkin ending off a tic-tac-toe passing play.
On Monday evening, the Capitals’ western street journey continued with a visit to Calgary. They managed to earn their third win in a row, however they’d extra respiratory room this time round. Ovechkin notched a pair extra targets as Washington shocked the Flames, 5-2.
The loopy factor in regards to the Capitals probably taking this wild card spot is the truth that they may have one of many worst purpose differentials for a playoff crew in NHL historical past. The present file for the bottom is minus-24. Washington is presently sitting at minus-27.
This race is fascinating. It consists of some groups alternating between choosing up large wins and stepping on rakes. The battle for that ultimate spot within the East is about to be can’t-miss stuff down the stretch.
Stars unveil Mike Modano statue
As a younger American hockey fan with a Fathead of Mike Modano on his wall rising up, seeing him get a statue outdoors American Airways Heart on Saturday was superior. One of many biggest Individuals to lace up a pair of skates, Modano was immortalized in Dallas on Saturday.
Previous to the Stars’ recreation in opposition to the Los Angeles Kings, the crew held a ceremony outdoors the world the place an emotional Modano spoke about what the crew and metropolis has meant to him.
Modano additionally posed together with his new statue, which featured some pops of Stars inexperienced on the jersey and socks.
A Michigan native, Modano went on to whole 561 targets, 813 assists and 1,359 factors in 1,499 profession video games with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars and Detroit Pink Wings. In 1999, Modano helped lead the Stars to their first Stanley Cup regardless of breaking his wrist in Sport 2 of the Ultimate in opposition to the Buffalo Sabres.
As soon as the ceremony was over, the Stars took the ice, they usually will need to have been motivated with a franchise legend within the constructing. Dallas rolled to a 4-1 win over Los Angeles, and it held a 4-0 lead simply 22:30 into the competition.
Appointment viewing this week
Lightning at Golden Knights | Tuesday, March 19: Not solely are these the final two Stanley Cup winners, however they’re additionally preventing for playoff spots of their respective conferences. This must be an intense tilt between two proud and determined groups.
Wild at Kings | Wednesday, March 20: If the Wild are going to make the playoffs, they should do extra profitable whereas different groups fall again towards them. Minnesota may kill two birds with one stone Wednesday. Issues may get very fascinating if the Wild beat the Kings right here.
Islanders at Pink Wings | Thursday, March 21: We have already talked in regards to the race for the second wild card spot within the East. On Thursday, we’ll discover out who desires it least when the Islanders and Pink Wings face off. Count on playoff power in March from these two golf equipment.
Oilers at Maple Leafs | Saturday, March 22: Auston Matthews. Connor McDavid. These two being on the ice collectively is sufficient of a promoting level by itself. You then keep in mind that the final recreation between the Oilers and Leafs was a barn burner and it actually turns into appointment viewing.
Panthers at Rangers | Saturday, March 23: If you need a attainable Jap Convention Finals preview this weekend, that is the sport for you. The Rangers and Panthers are simply the 2 finest East groups since Jan. 1, and they’re going to meet for a marquee matchup on Saturday evening.
