Another week of NHL motion has handed, there was no scarcity of highlights over the vacation weekend. The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins squared off within the 2023 NHL Winter Classic with the house crew pulling it out late.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes saved their scorching streak alive, and goaltenders throughout the league determined to be chaotic for no purpose in any respect. Let’s evaluation a number of the largest moments from this previous week across the NHL.
Goal of the weekend: Claude Giroux dazzles in Detroit
Even within the twilight of his profession, Claude Giroux nonetheless has some magic up his sleeve. Giroux carries the puck into the offensive zone on a one-on-one and places the puck between his legs to keep away from the poke examine from Jake Walman earlier than catching Magnus Hellberg off guard with a backhand shot. Giroux obtained some assist with the puck ricocheting off Hellberg’s blocker and into the online.
As the Senators attempt to claw their approach again into the Eastern Conference playoff race, Giroux is enjoying a giant position for the crew as a veteran chief. After signing with Ottawa as a free agent final offseason, Giroux already has 15 targets on the yr after scoring 21 final season.
Robbery of the weekend: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen rejects Pastrnak
There are only a few goaltenders who can slam the door on David Pastrnak lately, however Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen did simply that in dramatic vogue. Late within the third interval, with the Bruins up 3-2, Pastrnak picked the pocket of a Buffalo defender and walked in on their own on Luukkonen. He was trying to put the sport away, however Luukkonen caught out his pad and stole what appeared like a certain aim.
Almost everybody in TD Garden thought Pastrnak had doubled the Bruins’ lead, however one way or the other Luukkonen was in a position to maintain the puck out of the online. If the Sabres get extra goaltending like that, they are going to be within the playoff hunt this spring.
DeBrusk leads Bruins previous Penguins in Winter Classic
The Boston Bruins have been a juggernaut at residence all through the 2022-23 season. While Fenway Park is probably not the crew’s conventional residence, the Bruins nonetheless managed to maintain up their profitable methods as they beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 within the 2023 Winter Classic on Monday.
The Bruins have been in a position to erase a 1-0 third interval deficit thanks a two-goal efficiency from winger Jake DeBrusk. It marked the twenty seventh game-winning aim of DeBrusk’s profession, as he grew to become simply the second Bruins participant (David Pastrnak had a hat trick at Lake Tahoe in 2021), to document a number of targets in an out of doors sport.
DeBrusk’s game-winner got here with simply 2:24 remaining within the third interval. Bruins ahead Taylor Hall drove the puck to the online and Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith, who changed starter Tristan Jarry following a lower-body damage within the first interval, made the preliminary save. However, DeBrusk pounced on the rebound in entrance and scored to provide the Bruins a 2-1 lead late within the ultimate interval.
The Penguins had carried a 1-0 lead into the third interval after Kasperi Kapanen scored on the 8:40 mark of the second body.
Boston’s victory brings its residence document to 19-0-3 on the season. The Bruins proceed to be one of the vital harmful groups throughout the NHL and showcased it on the large stage on Monday.
Hurricanes prolong profitable streak to 11 video games
On Sunday, the Carolina Hurricanes gained a back-and-forth affair towards the New Jersey Devils, 5-4 in a shootout. That introduced the Canes’ profitable streak to 11 video games, and they’re getting the job finished in quite a lot of methods.
Against the Devils, Carolina did not get impeccable goaltending, however New Jersey nonetheless manufactured sufficient offense to push the sport to further time. With the Hurricanes down 4-3 late within the third interval, the red-hot Martin Necas buried a 4-on-3 energy play aim to tie the sport.
Neither crew would rating in additional time, and Andrei Svechnikov beat Mackenzie Blackwood within the shootout to increase Carolina’s prolonged profitable streak.
This could also be Carolina’s eleventh straight win, but it surely has been rolling for even longer than that. The final time the Hurricanes misplaced in regulation was approach again on Nov. 23 in a 4-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes.
Ovechkin scores hat trick in rout of Canadiens
After passing Gordie Howe and for second on the NHL’s all-time targets leaderboard, Alex Ovechkin didn’t take any time to exhale. In reality, Ovechkin appears to be chasing Wayne Gretzky with renewed vigor.
On Saturday evening, the Washington Capitals vaporized the Montreal Canadiens, 9-2, and Ovechkin scored his second hat trick of the season. On his third aim of the sport, Ovechkin powered his approach round Johnathan Kovacevic and slipped the puck previous Jake Allen.
Ovechkin now has 26 targets in 39 video games, and he’s on tempo for 55 by the tip of the season. It looks like Ovechkin has solely gotten stronger with age. At this fee, he is on tempo to put up back-to-back 50-goal seasons on the ages of 36 and 37.
Goalie gaffes galore
I’m unsure what went on within the goaltenders’ league-wide group chat final week, however all of them had very chaotic power over the weekend, and never in a great way. Let’s begin on New Year’s Eve, when St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington performed the puck on to Ryan Hartman, who performs for the Minnesota Wild. Binnington will get credit score for risking his well being to get again in aim, but it surely was all for naught.
Next, let’s check out Kaapo Kahkonen, who one way or the other broke his stick attempting to rim the puck across the boards. The ensuing chaos resulted in Patrick Kane firing it by Kahkonen’s blocker, which is exactly the place his stick ought to have been.
Finally, we’ve got the Devils’ Mackenzie Blackwood racing out to swat a contested puck away from the Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho. Blackwood gained the race, however he obtained roughly 5 p.c of the puck on his clearing try. That was sufficient to function a go to Aho, who scored the best aim of his profession proper after.
Normally, I push again when followers bemoan goaltenders attempting to play the puck, however I’ve a tough time arguing towards this assortment of proof.
Appointment viewing this week
Hurricanes at Rangers | Tuesday, Jan. 3: These groups have been a few the most effective within the Metro Division for the final month, they usually’ll go head-to-head on Tuesday evening. Either the Rangers will rating an enormous divisional win or the Hurricanes will prolong their profitable streak to 12 video games.
Kraken at Oilers | Tuesday, Jan. 3: Behind the Vegas Golden Knights, there is no such thing as a clear contender within the Pacific Division, and the Kraken and Oilers are combating for playoff spots. Looking again on the finish of the season, these two factors might show to be monumental.
Lightning at Wild | Wednesday, Jan. 4: The Wild have quietly been chasing down the Stars and Jets within the Central Division for some time now, and they’re going to get a serious check with the Lightning coming to city this week. Even after three straight lengthy postseason runs, Tampa Bay has not misplaced a step.
Rangers at Devils | Saturday, Jan. 7: The Devils have faltered of late, and that has given the Rangers the chance to shut the hole on them within the Metro Division. This rivalry sport is at all times massive, however this one ought to have a little bit extra juice.
Kings at Golden Knights | Saturday, Jan. 7: These are the highest two groups within the Pacific Division, and it would not be loopy to assume that it could possibly be a future second-round playoff matchup. This sport ought to present an intense environment within the desert on Saturday evening.
