The weekend was a chaotic one throughout the NHL. We noticed all the pieces from the Kings persevering with their stellar play to the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils clinching playoff berths.
In addition, David Pastrnak topped the 50-goal mark for the primary time in his NHL profession.
Let’s take a better have a look at a number of the greatest storylines and high highlights from a jam-packed weekend of NHL motion.
Goal of the weekend: Nicolas Roy will get his personal rebound, beats Oilers
Vegas Golden Knights ahead Nicolas Roy was in a position to do all of it himself so as to carry his crew to victory.
Midway by means of the additional time interval of Saturday’s sport, Jack Eichel was in a position to dig the puck out from alongside the boards and located a wide-open Roy in entrance of the web. He initially tried to carry a backhanded shot previous Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner, however Skinner turned it apart along with his blocker. However, Roy was in a position to jam the rebound residence to present the Oilers a 4-3 victory.
It was a much-needed win for the Oilers as they held onto third place within the Pacific Division with the Stanley Cup Playoffs proper across the nook.
Robbery of the weekend: Kevin Lankinen recovers to take a aim away from Calle Jarnkrok
It appeared as if Calle Jarnkrok was destined to place the puck behind the web. Nashville Predators goalie Kevin Lankinen had different concepts in Sunday’s sport towards the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Late within the first interval, the Maple Leafs had a two-on-one alternative by which Auston Matthews put the puck proper on Jarnkrok’s keep on with Lankinen out of place. Still, Lankinen was in a position to get better and snag Jarnkrok’s point-blank shot try along with his glove.
While the Maple Leafs got here away with a slim 2-1 win, Lankinen post-to-post motion on this save was nothing wanting phenomenal.
Kings lengthen level streak to 12 consecutive video games
As the Stanley Cup Playoffs draw close to, there could also be no hotter crew than the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings recorded wins on consecutive nights over the weekend as they defeated the Winnipeg Jets, 4-1, on Saturday and edged the St. Louis Blues, 7-6, on Sunday.
With Sunday’s win, Los Angeles has now recorded a franchise report 12-game level streak. The streak dates again to Feb. 28, when the Kings registered a 6-5 shootout win towards the Winnipeg Jets.
Kings ahead Adrian Kempe scored a pair of objectives whereas defenseman Drew Doughty deposited the game-winning aim on the 8:50 mark of the third interval on Sunday. Doughty’s game-winning aim was noteworthy as a result of he handed former Kings nice Rob Blake for probably the most game-winning objectives in Kings historical past by a defenseman.
With the 7-6 win, the Kings surpassed their earlier streak of 11 consecutive video games with some extent, which started on Feb. 28, 1974 and lasted till March 24, 1974.
As a results of the purpose streak, the Kings (43-20-10, 96 factors) are simply two factors behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first place within the Pacific Division. Los Angeles will get an opportunity to tackle Vegas on April 6 in what could possibly be a really pivotal contest within the race for the division crown and even the Western Conference’s high seed.
David Pastrnak tops 50-goal mark, leads Bruins to additional time win over Hurricanes
Just in the future faraway from the Bruins clinching the Atlantic Division title, David Pastrnak topped the 50-goal mark for the primary time in his nine-year NHL profession, and helped the Bruins defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in a shootout on Sunday.
Forwards Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk scored within the shootout to assist the Bruins squeeze out the victory.
Pastrnak scored the primary two objectives of the sport for Boston to place him at a grand whole of 51 objectives on the season. The 26-year-old star turned the primary Bruin to attain 50 objectives in a single season since Cam Neely completed the feat in the course of the 1993-94 marketing campaign and simply the sixth general.
In addition to scoring 50 objectives, Pastrnak additionally recorded his 600th profession level within the Bruins’ 57th win of the 2022-23 season. It took Pastrnak the third-fewest video games to succeed in 600 factors in crew historical past as solely Bobby Orr (461 video games) and Ray Bourque (569) did it quicker.
The Bruins’ 57 wins match the 1970-71 season for probably the most in crew historical past, whereas their 27 street wins already broke the earlier franchise report of 26 that was set in the course of the 1971-72 Bruins.
Wild leapfrog Stars, Avalanche to seize first place in Central Division
Prior the weekend, the Dallas Stars have been in first place within the Western Conference’s Central Division. As of Tuesday, the Minnesota Wild have utilized a latest sizzling streak to leapfrog each the Stars and Colorado Avalanche to take excessive spot within the division within the closing weeks of the common season.
The Wild got here away with back-to-back wins in latest days to stand up within the division race. It started with a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Saturday and was adopted up by a dominant 5-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Monday.
The Wild now have a 43-22-9 report (95 factors) to cleared the path within the Central Division. The Avalanche have been additionally in motion on Monday and got here away with a 5-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks to maintain tempo. With their victory, the Avalanche path the Wild by only a single level for first place.
Meanwhile, the Stars have dropped to a few factors behind the Wild for first place within the Central Division after dropping 4 of their final six video games.
Clayton Keller’s level streak reaches 13 video games
The Arizona Coyotes could not have had probably the most spectacular season, however budding famous person Clayton Keller has continued to rise to the event. Keller prolonged his level streak to 13 consecutive video games following an help in Monday’s 5-4 loss towards the Edmonton Oilers.
His level streak started on March 5 towards the New Jersey Devils when he registered an help.
During his 13-game level streak, Keller has accrued 11 objectives and 11 assists whereas recording six multi-point performances.
In Sunday’s 4-3 shootout loss by the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, Keller scored a aim and reached the 80-point mark for the primary time in his NHL profession. In doing so, Keller turned simply the fourth Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets participant up to now 30 years to realize that feat as he joined Keith Tkachuk (1993-94, 1995-96, & 1996-97, Teemu Selanne (1992-93), and Phil Housley (1992-93).
With 81 factors, Keller is simply six factors away from tallying probably the most in a single season in Coyotes historical past. Tkachuk at present holds the report with 86 factors, which he set in the course of the 1996-97 marketing campaign. As the Coyotes look in direction of the longer term, Keller has develop into fairly the constructing the block.
Appointment viewing this week
Lightning at Hurricanes | Tuesday, Mar. 28: Two of the Eastern Conference’s high groups will do battle on this one. The Lightning have to get again on observe after dropping 4 consecutive video games.
Oilers at Golden Knights | Tuesday, Mar. 28: The Golden Knights are taking goal on the high seed within the West and have been on fireplace as of late. Meanwhile, the Oilers are trying to keep away from falling right into a Wild Card spot, so it is a big-time matchup.
Wild at Avalanche | Wednesday, Mar. 29: There’s no tighter division race within the NHL than the Central. The Wild, Avalanche and Stars are all separated by simply three factors, so this matchup looms giant. The winner will achieve a pleasant leg up on the remainder of the division.
Rangers at Devils | Thursday, Mar. 30: If the present Metropolitan Division standings maintain, the Devils would face the Rangers within the opening spherical of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The battle of New York and New Jersey gives a battle of two contrasting rosters: a veteran Rangers squad towards a youthful Devils crew. This is a cannot miss matchup.
Bruins at Penguins | Saturday, Apr. 1: The Penguins have rallied to climb into the second Wild Card spot within the East. With that in thoughts, they’d face the Bruins within the first-round of the postseason if that is the place they end. We’ll get a preview of that potential matchup.
