Another NHL weekend is within the books, and it was a enjoyable one — particularly for the Boston Bruins.
With a win over the Red Wings, the Bruins turned the quickest workforce to 50 wins in NHL historical past. It took them simply 64 video games to perform the feat, they usually could make extra historical past earlier than the common season is over.
Elsewhere across the league, the Winnipeg Jets picked up some huge wins within the playoff race and the Buffalo Sabres saved their playoff hopes alive with a comeback towards the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Here are the most important headlines and greatest highlights from this previous weekend within the NHL.
Goal of the weekend: Mitch Marner drops jaws in Toronto
Trailing the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 within the second interval, the Toronto Maple Leafs wanted a spark. They bought one from Mitch Marner.
Oilers ahead Ryan McLeod made an ill-advised cross in entrance of his personal internet, and Marner knocked it out of mid-air. Suddenly, he was staring face-to-face with goaltender Stuart Skinner, and Marner made essentially the most of his alternative. With a lot time and house, Marner placed on a stickhandling clinic that left Skinner at his mercy.
Marner flipped the puck into the web and despatched a jolt of power by means of the Air Canada Centre.
That purpose by Marner sparked a surge for the Maple Leafs, they usually scored six of the subsequent seven targets to win the sport, 7-4.
Robbery of the weekend: Casey DeSmith makes use of the paddle
Casey DeSmith bought the beginning in a vital recreation for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ playoff hopes on Saturday, and he delivered in a significant approach. Not solely did DeSmith maintain the Philadelphia Flyers to only one purpose on 32 photographs, however he additionally made one of many saves of the yr.
In the third interval, the Penguins had been defending a 2-1 lead when the Flyers bought an influence play alternative. Philadelphia was aiming to tie the sport, and it practically did, besides DeSmith made a superhuman cease to disclaim a purpose. Flyers defenseman Cam York blasted a shot from the purpose, and DeSmith kicked it away along with his pad. The rebound popped proper to Owen Tippett within the nook, and all he needed to do was hearth it right into a vacant cage.
That’s when DeSmith reached again along with his paddle and bought simply sufficient of the puck to deflect it up and out of play.
Pittsburgh went on to win the sport, 5-1, and the workforce earned a vital two factors within the standings. If the Penguins hold getting goaltending like that, they’re playoff possibilities will probably be rather more safe.
Boston Bruins hold making NHL historical past
The Boston Bruins have performed plenty of successful this season — a record-setting quantity of successful, in truth. With their 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, the Bruins turned the quickest workforce to 50 wins in NHL historical past.
After the primary interval, it regarded just like the Bruins must wait one other recreation to hit 50 wins. Detroit had a 2-0 lead, however Boston got here out with a goal within the second body. The Bruins lastly broke by means of when Hampus Lindholm left a laser fly by means of site visitors and into the web.
Just moments later, Jake DeBrusk discovered Patrice Begeron within the bumper place on the facility play. He tipped the cross between the legs of Magnus Hellberg and into the again of the web. Then, late within the third interval, Garnet Hathaway selected a superb time to attain his first purpose as a Bruin. Hathaway crashed the subsequent off the push and potted a nasty rebound coughed up by Hellberg.
It took the Bruins simply 64 video games to succeed in 50 wins, and, with 105 factors, they’re coming for at the least two different huge information:
Jets hold on for giant win over Panthers
The Winnipeg Jets have been heading within the mistaken course of late, however they had been in a position to choose up a giant highway win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday evening.
At first, it regarded just like the Jets had been going to let one other alternative slip by means of their fingers. They entered the third interval with a 4-2 lead, and it did not take lengthy for that to evaporate. Marc Staal, with some assist from his brother Eric, beat Connor Hellebuyck on an odd-man rush to tug the Panthers inside one.
About 5 minutes later, the Panthers bought an influence play, they usually made the Jets pay. Matthew Tkachuk fought his technique to the entrance of the web and punched dwelling a rebound to tie the sport at 4-4.
After letting a multi-goal lead slip by means of their fingers, the Jets had been in a position to regain their composure and managed to get the sport to additional time. That’s when Kyle Connor discovered Mark Scheifele in entrance of the web for the game-winning purpose.
That was a vital victory for the Jets, they usually bought one other one towards the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday. With these 4 factors, Winnipeg was in a position to hold the Nashville Predators at arm’s size within the Western Conference playoff race.
Pavel Dorofeyev makes use of his noodle for first NHL purpose
Pavel Dorofeyev, a 2019 third-round choose, tallied his first NHL purpose on Sunday. As nice as that was for Dorofeyev, it would not usually be headline information, however the way in which wherein he scored was sufficient for him to be featured on each spotlight bundle on Monday morning.
In the third interval, the Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues had been tied 3-3 when there was a scramble in entrance of the St. Louis internet. Vegas ahead William Karlsson discovered the free puck within the slot and put a shot on purpose, however Jordan Binnington made a giant save.
The downside for Binnington was that the rebound popped into the air, hit Dorofeyev within the head, and went into the web.
It wasn’t precisely the prettiest purpose, however few gamers can say they channeled Doug Glatt on their first NHL tally, and Dorofeyev has an unimaginable story to inform for the remainder of his life.
Sabres erase two-goal deficit to high Maple Leafs
For a workforce that had dropped six of its final seven video games, the Buffalo Sabres had been in dire want of a victory on Monday. Despite being down early, the Sabres rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3.
Winger Alex Tuch, who was activated off of injured reserve previous to the sport, scored a pair of targets to steer the cost within the Sabres’ comeback.
Tuch’s game-winning purpose was additionally a milestone for the 26-year outdated as he registered his thirtieth purpose of the 2022-23 season. It marked the primary time in Tuch’s profession that he reached that plateau and he now has 64 factors (30 targets & 34 assists) on the season.
With the win, the Sabres now have a 33-28-5 file (71 factors) and moved to 5 factors behind the New York Islanders for the second Wild Card spot within the Eastern Conference. The Sabres are additionally contending with the Florida Panthers, who’ve 73 factors with a recreation in hand on Buffalo.
Appointment viewing this week
Islanders at Kings | Tuesday, Mar. 14: This must be an intense inter-conference matchup between two groups with loads to play for within the playoff race. The Islanders are simply making an attempt to safe their playoff spot within the Eastern Conference, and the Kings are nonetheless inside hanging distance of first place within the Pacific Division.
Avalanche at Maple Leafs | Wednesday, Mar. 15: Both of those groups are on very stable footing within the NHL playoff race, however this will probably be a superb measuring stick for each side. The Avalanche try to hit their stride because the playoffs strategy, and the Leafs can rating a giant win towards the defending champs.
Penguins at Rangers | Thursday, Mar. 16: The Rangers have been just a little inconsistent of late, and that has opened the door for the Penguins to climb into the third-place spot within the Metro Division. Playing the Devils or Hurricanes might not appear all that interesting, nevertheless it beats falling right into a wild card spot and probably taking part in the Bruins.
Hurricanes at Maple Leafs | Friday, Mar. 17: This is only a marquee matchup of Eastern Conference juggernauts. The Hurricanes are nonetheless preventing for the highest spot within the Metro Division, and this will probably be one other likelihood for Toronto to show that it might probably flip the tides and make a deep postseason run this yr.
Blackhawks at Coyotes | Saturday, Mar. 18: You would possibly must evaluation the rosters of the 2 groups on this recreation, however it’s simply as vital as a matchup of two groups within the playoff race. In truth, it is perhaps much more vital with draft lottery possibilities hanging within the stability.
