Another weekend of motion has come and gone within the NHL. The Boston Bruins recorded an enormous win over their Atlantic Division rivals within the Toronto Maple Leafs, whereas the Seattle Kraken made historical past with one more victory. We additionally noticed Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin etch his identify within the historical past books… once more.
Let’s take a better take a look at a few of the largest storylines from across the NHL from this previous weekend.
Goal of the weekend: Artturi Lehkonen completes spinning rating
Artturi Lehkonen had a knack for scoring massive objectives all through the Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup run final season. It seems that nothing has modified in the course of the 2022-23 marketing campaign.
In the third interval of Saturday’s 7-0 win in opposition to the Ottawa Senators, Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon was capable of dig the puck out from alongside the boards and flipped it in the direction of Lehkonen, who was reducing in the direction of the Senators’ web. Lehkonen shortly acquired the puck on his stick, carried out a phenomenal spin transfer, and deposited a backhanded shot previous Senators goalie Anton Forsberg for the power-play purpose.
It was one in every of two objectives for Lehkonen on the evening in a sport the place the Avalanche flexed their offensive muscle tissue.
Robbery of the weekend: Linus Ullmark sprawls throughout to disclaim Mark Giordano
It’s no secret that Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark has been the most effective that the NHL has to supply all through the primary half of the season. Following a uncommon loss to the Seattle Kraken earlier within the week, Ullmark rose to the event in a giant approach in opposition to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano tried to ship a cross to a teammate throughout the purpose crease, nevertheless it was blocked. However, the puck ended up proper on the stick of Giordano with a reasonably wide-open web to shoot at. Giordano tried to shortly flip a backhanded shot into the online, however Ullmark was capable of sprawl throughout and knock the puck away along with his blocker hand.
Ullmark’s save proved to be an enormous one because the Bruins earned a 4-3 win.
Kraken set franchise report with eight consecutive wins
The Seattle Kraken could also be in simply their second season, however they’re displaying that they will dangle with the league’s greatest. Fresh off their 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins, the Kraken had an offensive explosion in a 8-5 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
In doing so, the Kraken tallied their franchise report eighth consecutive win.
Seattle dominated the competition out of the gate with a mind-boggling six objectives within the opening 20 minutes in opposition to the Blackhawks. The two groups traded objectives over the primary 4:40 of the sport earlier than the Kraken scored 5 unanswered objectives over a four-minute stretch to take a convincing 6-1 lead.
Forward Jared McCann, who recorded his first profession hat trick on Saturday, scored twice in the course of the offensive barrage.
To the Blackhawks’ credit score, they did not lay down. In reality, Chicago scored 4 of the ultimate six objectives of the sport and made the Kraken sweat slightly bit. It marked simply the second time in the course of the month of January by which Kraken goalie Martin Jones surrendered greater than two objectives in a sport.
The Kraken’s report successful streak did come to an finish on Monday once they fell 4-1 by the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Still, the Kraken have proven in current weeks that they are greater than able to mixing it up with the NHL heavyweights. As the season progresses, it actually will not be a shock to see the Kraken within the playoff race this spring.
Matt Grzelcyk’s late third-period purpose lifts Bruins previous Maple Leafs
The Boston Bruins have not dropped back-to-back video games at any level in the course of the 2022-23 season. They made positive that did not occur when dealing with their Atlantic Division rivals within the Toronto Maple Leafs.
On Saturday, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk scored the go-ahead purpose with simply 1:16 remaining to elevate the Bruins previous the Maple Leafs 4-3.
Grzelcyk ended up being on the proper place on the proper time to hammer a shot dwelling from the blue line. Forward Taylor Hall had tried to drive the puck in entrance of the Maple Leafs’ web, nevertheless it made its approach off the boards and round to Grzelcyk, who did not miss his alternative to mild the lamp.
It was simply Grzelcyk’s second purpose of the season and his first since Oct. 28 in opposition to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Saturday’s sport was a closely-contested one on account of the truth that Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews returned to the ice. Matthews had missed the earlier two video games on account of an undisclosed damage. He scored 3:17 into the third interval to tie the sport up at 3-3.
The Bruins adopted up Saturday’s heart-pounding efficiency with an emphatic 6-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.
Alex Ovechkin ties one more report
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin continues to make historical past. In Saturday’s 3-1 loss in opposition to the Philadelphia Flyers, Ovechkin scored his thirtieth purpose of the 2022-23 season and, in doing so, tied Mike Gartner for essentially the most 30-goal seasons in NHL historical past with 17.
At the 17:56 mark of the opening interval, Ovechkin was capable of get the rebound on his personal shot and report the backhanded tally to tie the sport at 1-1.
Ovechkin has now scored a minimum of 30 objectives in 17 of his 18 NHL seasons. The solely marketing campaign by which he fell quick was the 2020-21 season, which was shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gartner and Ovechkin are the one gamers in NHL historical past to attain a minimum of 30 objectives in every of their first 15 seasons. Ovechkin has been on hearth as of late with 10 objectives over his previous 10 video games. The Capitals star is presently on tempo to attain 54 objectives this season.
Capitals erase three-goal deficit to defeat Islanders
Speaking of Ovechkin, his Capitals have been one of many feistier groups within the NHL. They proved that once more on Monday by pulling off a three-goal comeback in opposition to their Metro Division opponent, the New York Islanders.
The Islanders managed a majority of the primary interval and took a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Early within the second interval, the Isles’ Hudson Fasching caught Washington netminder Darcy Kuemper napping on a mushy purpose, and it appeared prefer it simply wasn’t the Capitals’ day.
However, a resilient Capitals workforce set to work and began down the comeback path. Garnet Hathaway bought the scoring began within the second interval, and Tom Wilson pulled Washington inside a purpose when Nicklas Backstrom discovered him large open in entrance of the online with a cross from Gretzky’s workplace.
Early within the third interval, T.J. Oshie leveled the sport with the sort of hand-eye coordination often reserved for triple crown winners and hardcore players. Oshie was blowing by means of the slot when he put an ideal tip on a shot from the purpose to beat Ilya Sorokin.
That comeback was spectacular sufficient, however Dmitry Orlov completed the job in extra time when he and Oshie executed the prettiest give-and-give-and-give-and-go you may ever see. They lulled the Islanders to sleep lengthy sufficient for Orlov to slide behind them and beat Sorokin with a dirty deke.
Appointment viewing this week
Kraken at Oilers | Tuesday, Jan. 17: The Kraken lately accomplished an ideal seven-game highway journey, and the Oilers are coming to city on Tuesday. Edmonton is simply attempting its greatest to maintain tempo with Seattle, and that makes this a giant Pacific Division matchup.
Avalanche at Flames | Wednesday, Jan. 18: The Flames are barely hanging onto a playoff spot with the Avalanche scorching on their path, which is slightly bit ironic. Neither of those groups is the place they anticipated to be at this level, and each can be scrapping for a playoff spot the remainder of the way in which.
Bruins at Rangers | Thursday, Jan. 19: Would anybody be stunned if this was an Eastern Conference Finals matchup? I might not. Both of those groups are loaded with high-end expertise, and they’re each getting wonderful goaltending. This ought to be an important sport between two Original Six franchises.
Devils at Kraken | Thursday, Jan. 19: Coming into the season, who would have thought the Kraken can be must-watch TV twice in the identical week? Insert your Paul Rudd on “Hot Ones” meme right here. The Devils have gotten again on observe, and the Kraken are arguably the most well liked workforce within the league.
Sharks at Blue Jackets | Saturday, Jan. 21: As the cinematic traditional Batman & Robin taught us, some issues may be so dangerous they’re good. That is the case with this sport. Bad hockey may be enjoyable hockey when the goaltending and protection disappears, and that might occur on this sport between two groups gunning for the No. 1 general choose.
