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 is probably not an excellent factor — it implies that they’re capturing a considerable amount of the hockey world’s consideration.

These gamers are in no explicit order in the case of the quantity of buzz that they are creating. We’ll revisit the Star Energy Index each week all through the common season.

Typically, it is exhausting to consider that Sidney Crosby is 36 years previous contemplating the quantity of expertise that he nonetheless shows on the ice.

In Monday’s 5-2 win in opposition to the New York Rangers, the Pittsburgh Penguins star registered two targets and an help, becoming a member of some elite firm within the course of. Along with his three-point efficiency, Crosby clinched his nineteenth point-per-game season of his NHL profession, and tied Wayne Gretzky for essentially the most such seasons in NHL historical past. 

It was simply the most recent stellar efficiency for Crosby, who continues to maintain the Penguins alive within the playoff race regardless of the workforce buying and selling away star winger Jake Guentzel on the deadline. Crosby has tallied 4 targets and 4 assists over his final 4 video games.

Crosby additionally scored a pair of targets in Tuesday’s 6-3 win in opposition to the New Jersey Devils.

On the 6:48 mark of the third interval, the Penguins showcased some sensational puck motion to arrange a aim from Crosby. After preserving the puck within the offensive zone, ahead Michael Bunting skated in and dished it off to teammate Bryan Rust. Upon receiving the puck, Rust snapped a cross from the face-off circle over to Evgeni Malkin. The puck went off of Malkin in entrance, and Crosby was in a position to deposit it previous Devils goaltender Jake Allen.

With the aim, Crosby prolonged his level streak to 6 video games and has tallied 5 targets and 9 assists over that stretch. His 14 factors rank first within the NHL since March 24 when the streak started.

The aim ended up being enormous contemplating that it reduce the deficit to 3-2 early within the third interval. Pittsburgh racked up 5 targets within the third interval when it was all mentioned and carried out to come back away with a 6-3 win.

Crosby added an empty-net aim late within the third interval to assist put the sport out of attain.

It is spectacular that Crosby continues to be in a position to play at such an elite stage even at this stage of his profession. The Penguins star clearly nonetheless has an abundance of nice hockey left within the tank, and will proceed to thrive as he approaches 40 years previous.

Connor McDavid tallied a career-high 153 factors (64 targets & 89 assists) through the 2022-23 season, however is having fun with fairly a powerful marketing campaign in 2023-24.

McDavid is probably not as deadly from a goal-scoring standpoint as he solely has 29 targets up thus far. Nonetheless, his 126 factors (29 targets & 97 assists) is the second-highest level whole of his legendary profession.

The Edmonton Oilers star has registered a degree in eight of his final 9 video games, and has racked up three targets and 4 assists in his final three video games alone. McDavid tallied two targets and an help in a 6-1 win in opposition to the Anaheim Geese on Saturday.

Within the opening interval of Saturday’s contest, McDavid produced yet one more spotlight reel aim that hockey followers have been accustomed to seeing in recent times. 

On the 14:15 mark of the primary interval, Geese defenseman William Lagesson was trying to maintain the puck within the offensive zone when McDavid was in a position to knock it free, and it was off to the races. McDavid skated into the zone, went round Bo Groulx, and flipped a shot previous goaltender John Gibson.

McDavid additionally was capable of finding the again of the online within the second interval whereas the Oilers had been on the ability play.

Only a few gamers function the two-man sport higher than McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and that was showcased firsthand on this explicit play. McDavid handed the puck off to Draisaitl, and Draisaitl gave the puck again to McDavid within the slot for an amazing aim to provide Edmonton a commanding 4-0 lead.

Regardless of the likes of Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon placing up superhuman seasons, McDavid is correct on their tails as he trails by only one level from the NHL lead in that class. McDavid being within the dialog for the Hart Trophy is a foregone conclusion on a yearly foundation, and continues to take the league by storm.

The Vancouver Canucks could also be struggling as a workforce as of late, however star defenseman Quinn Hughes has been an enormous producer on the offensive finish of the ice.

Hughes at present leads all NHL defensemen in factors (86) and assists (70), whereas being tied for third amongst NHL defensemen in targets (16). The Canucks blue-liner additionally has registered no less than a degree in 5 of his final six video games.

Hughes just lately tallied two targets in Tuesday’s 6-3 loss in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights. It marked his second multi-goal sport of the 2023-24 season for the Canucks star.

The 24-year-old bought into the scoring column on the 6:13 mark of the second interval when he tried to begin a rally for the Canucks. 

Hughes possessed the puck line on the blue line, and dished it off to teammate Conor Garland. Shortly after receiving the puck, Garland gave the puck proper again to Hughes, who snapped a shot previous Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson. Hughes’ aim reduce the deficit to 4-2 on the time.

Within the third interval, Hughes was in a position to get into the scoring act but once more. Within the opening two minutes of the body, Hughes obtained the puck off of a hand-off cross from teammate Vasily Podkolzin, and proceeded to do the remainder himself. Hughes glided his method again out in the direction of the purpose, and in the end was in a position to hearth it previous Thompson.

Hughes’s two-goal efficiency wasn’t sufficient to carry the Canucks again on this sport as they fell 6-3 by the hands of the Golden Knights. Nonetheless, it was simply the most recent displaying of simply how gifted Hughes will be from an offensive standpoint.

Logan Thompson suffered a lower-body harm late within the common season in 2023-24, and in the end wasn’t in a position to take part within the Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup run. With Adin Hill coping with the same ailment this season, Thompson has thrived because the workforce’s high goaltender.

Thompson has tallied a 23-12-5 file to associate with a 2.64 goals-against-average and a .911 save proportion in 42 video games this season.

The Golden Knights netminder has been thriving within the crease as of late. Thompson has put collectively a 6-0-0 file, a 1.29 goals-against-average, and a .952 save proportion over his final seven video games, six of which he drew the beginning. 

In Thompson’s most up-to-date outing, the Vegas goalie turned apart 27 of the 30 pictures that he confronted in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks. Previous to surrendering three targets in that contest, Thompson had allowed only one aim apiece in his earlier sit video games. 

Thompson is enjoying with supreme confidence for a Golden Knights workforce that has received six of their final seven video games, and appears primed to qualify for the postseason. If Thompson can proceed to offer this sort of stability in between the pipes, it’s extremely potential that Vegas may make a run on the franchise’s second consecutive Stanley Cup.