This previous weekend within the NHL was an eventful one which noticed the primary teaching change of the season. Amidst a irritating season, the Vancouver Canucks fired Bruce Boudreau and instantly changed him with Rick Tocchet.
Around the remainder of the league, Johnny Gaudreau made his return to Calgary, and Connor McDavid hit a key milestone lower than 50 video games into the season.
Let’s have a look again at among the most noteworthy headlines and highlights from the weekend that was within the NHL.
Goal of the weekend: Charlie McAvoy swims by the Sharks
Like the remainder of the Boston Bruins, Charlie McAvoy is having a monster season. In the group’s 4-0 win over the San Jose Sharks on Sunday, McAvoy added some aptitude to a different dominant win for his group.
In the second interval, David Pastrnak dropped the puck to McAvoy within the impartial zone, and the swift-skating defenseman picked up a head of steam as he hit the offensive blue line. He caught three or 4 Sharks flat-footed and stickhandled by them like they had been apply cones. A easy deke to beat James Reimer was the cherry on high.
That objective helped the Bruins notch their fifth straight win, they usually have received 9 of their final 10. Boston was already powerful to beat, however when McAvoy is making performs like that, it is subsequent to not possible.
Robbery of the weekend: Rittich lays out to stonewall Hayes
A Jets goaltender being the main focus of this part has develop into a reasonably frequent incidence, but it surely’s solely been Connor Hellebuyck so far. David Rittich noticed how a lot shine Hellebuyck was getting from the NHL Rewind and needed in on the enjoyable too.
In the Jets’ 5-3 win over the Flyers on Sunday, Winnipeg made the error of leaving a number of Flyers open in entrance of the web. The puck wound up on the stick of Kevin Hayes, however he wanted a fraction of a second to settle the go. That allowed Rittch to return diving throughout the crease and shut down what seemed like a positive objective.
Rittich hasn’t had the strongest season because the Jets’ backup goaltender, however that save will likely be on the spotlight package deal on the finish of the season for positive.
Canucks hearth Bourdreau, rent Tocchet
Bruce Boudreau’s lack of job safety was one of many worst saved secrets and techniques within the NHL, and the Canucks formally fired him on Sunday. The group additionally introduced that it had employed former Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet to switch him.
After the Canucks’ sluggish begin to the season, the writing had been on the wall. When Canucks president Jim Rutherford stated that the group wanted “main surgical procedure,” your complete league knew that huge modifications had been coming.
Frankly, Boudreau obtained a uncooked deal from a Canucks group that has lacked route for a number of years now. The group introduced him in halfway by the 2021-22 season, and Boudreau obtained simply 103 video games to show himself. If it is any comfort, the followers clearly appreciated Boudreau’s contributions to the group.
Tocchet now turns into the Canucks’ fifth head coach since they fired Alain Vigneault in 2013, and the group nonetheless has a variety of work to do earlier than it may compete for a Stanley Cup. Vancouver will doubtless miss the playoffs for the third straight season, and the roster must be overhauled over the following couple of offseasons.
Connor McDavid hits 40 targets as Oilers go streaking
In Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks, Connor McDavid scored his fortieth objective of the season… in simply 48 video games. McDavid took an ideal stretch go from Zach Hyman, turned on the jets, and slid the puck between the wickets of Spencer Martin.
McDavid is now on tempo for 68 targets this season, which is a quantity that hasn’t been hit in many years. The final participant to seek out the again of the web 68 occasions in a single season was Oilers legend Jari Kurri, who did so within the 1985-86 marketing campaign.
In even higher information for the Oilers: that win over Vancouver was the group’s sixth straight victory. Just a few weeks in the past, Edmonton was simply on the surface of the playoff bubble. Now, the Oilers are creeping up towards the highest of the Pacific Division standings on the energy of McDavid’s superhuman season.
No Caufield, no downside for Canadiens
On Saturday, the Montreal Canadiens introduced that main goal-scorer Cole Caufield will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder damage. The Canadiens had been already one of many worst groups within the NHL, and Caufield’s absence will solely harm the group’s watchability in the long term, but it surely did not trouble them towards the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Just hours after the Canadiens introduced that Caufield would miss the rest of the season, they confronted off towards their bitter rivals. To make issues worse, Toronto obtained on the board lower than a minute into the sport on a objective from Mark Giordano.
Calle Jarnkrok gave the Maple Leafs a 2-0 lead later within the first interval, however the shorthanded Canadiens weren’t going to go down and not using a battle. Josh Anderson prolonged his objective streak to 3 video games and gave the Habs some life early within the second interval.
With below seven minutes left within the second interval, an incredible effort from Michael Pezzetta allowed Rafael Harvey-Pinard to attain from in tight and even the sport at 2-2.
Thanks to some huge saves from goaltender Sam Montembeault, Montreal was in a position to get the sport to additional time, and that’s when Rem Pitlick stepped up. Pitlick motored down the left-wing facet and ripped a shot over the shoulder of Ilya Samsonov to win the sport.
Johnny Gaudreau returns to Calgary, will get booed
After leaving for the Columbus Blue Jackets within the offseason, Johnny Gaudreau made his long-awaited return to Calgary on Monday night time. As anticipated, the followers on the Scotiabank Saddledome weren’t precisely excited to see him.
The first time Gaudreau touched the puck, your complete crowd let loose a loud boo that might be heard from Red Deer, Alberta.
Gaudreau did get his probability to silence the gang early when he was slashed on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot. Once once more, Flames followers booed loud sufficient to shake the roof, and Gaudreau missed effectively broad on his try.
There was a second of appreciation from the followers towards Gaudreau, although. When Calgary performed a tribute video for Gaudreau, the followers stopped booing simply lengthy sufficient to provide him a standing ovation.
In the precise sport, the Flames jumped out to a 2-0 lead, however the Blue Jackets made positive to place up a battle for his or her teammate. It went to additional time, the place Dillon Dube ended the sport for Calgary with a one-timer that snuck by Joonas Korpisalo.
Appointment viewing this week
Golden Knights at Devils | Tuesday, Jan. 24: These two groups are moving into very reverse instructions. The Devils lately turned the primary group within the Metropolitan Division to achieve the 30-win mark and have received six of their final seven video games. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights have dropped 4 of their final 5. That is a giant probability for Vegas to make an announcement on the highway.
Hurricanes at Stars | Wednesday, Jan. 25: Star ahead Max Pacioretty suffered one other Achilles damage simply two weeks after getting back from a earlier one in a completely brutal flip of occasions. Still, the Hurricanes had been an elite group with out him, so they need to be simply tremendous. It additionally helps that goalie Frederik Andersen has allowed simply seven targets in 4 begins since returning to the crease.
Bruins at Lightning | Thursday, Jan. 26: Whenever the Bruins and Lightning get collectively, the matchup all the time has a playoff really feel to it. That needs to be the case as soon as once more, as Tampa Bay goals to improves its standing within the playoff race towards the NHL’s most dominant group.
Golden Knights at Rangers | Friday, Jan. 27: The Golden Knights’ East Coast highway journey actually is not a straightforward one for a group that is trying to proper the ship. They’ll doubtless get to face reigning Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin and a Rangers squad that might be beginning to discover themselves.
Capitals at Maple Leafs | Sunday, Jan. 29: The Maple Leafs are as soon as once more proving to be a dominant pressure within the East with the second-most factors within the league behind the Bruins. However, the Capitals have quietly put collectively an honest season that has been highlighted by the historic accolades of Alex Ovechkin. There needs to be loads of offensive firepower on this one.
