This previous weekend within the NHL was an entertaining one. There was a goal-scoring bonanza, and that was simply at Madison Square Garden alone.
Elsewhere, Jack Eichel broke out of a scoring hunch in opposition to the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Carolina Hurricanes scored a buzzer-beater within the spirit of March Madness.
Let’s have a look again at a few of the greatest storylines and greatest highlights from an action-packed weekend within the NHL.
Goal of the weekend: Sebastian Aho faculties Tony DeAngelo
Sebastian Aho placed on a superhuman efficiency in opposition to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, and he capped it off with one of many filthiest game-winning objectives of the season.
Less than a minute into time beyond regulation, Aho bought the puck within the impartial zone and began to choose up velocity. Aho observed that the Flyers had been giving him lots of room, and he took it. The Hurricanes’ star hit the offensive blue line and went proper at Flyers defenseman Tony DeAngelo. Aho put the puck between DeAngelo’s legs, slipped round him, and completed the play with an ideal shot that hit the iron and the twine.
Not solely did that win the sport for Carolina, nevertheless it additionally sealed a hat trick for Aho.
Robbery of the weekend: Igor Shesterkin brings MSG to its toes
The Rangers did lots of scoring over the weekend, and there can be extra on that later, however goaltender Igor Shesterkin deserves lots of credit score too. In Saturday’s 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Shesterkin placed on a present. He stopped 33 photographs in a shutout effort, and a type of saves was of the jaw-dropping selection.
Due to some sensible passing by the Penguins, they created a mini 2-on-1 within the offensive zone, and it left Mikael Granlund with a wonderful scoring likelihood. That’s when Shesterkin dove for the pokecheck, missed, after which kicked up his pad for a desperation save.
Outside of when Marc-Andre Fleury is feeling himself, you do not actually see these kind of saves within the NHL anymore. That’s most likely as a result of goaltending coaches educate issues like fundamentals and sound method, however fortunately Shesterkin threw out the textbook on this cease.
Rangers go on record-tying scoring binge
There are some video games wherein each shot appears to go in for one workforce. That occurred to the New York Rangers in opposition to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Then it occurred once more on Sunday in opposition to the Nashville Predators.
The Rangers hammered the Penguins, 6-0, on Saturday earlier than mauling the Predators, 7-0, simply at some point later. Between these two video games — and Thursday night time’s 4-2 win over Pittsburgh — New York has tied a franchise file with 15 consecutive objectives.
If the Rangers can get on the board first in opposition to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night time, they may hit 16 consecutive objectives, which would be the second-longest consecutive objectives streak in franchise historical past. The Rangers personal the NHL file with 25 straight objectives from Feb. 3-11 in 1973.
The Rangers’ historic weekend did not cease there. In Sunday’s win over Nashville, New York tied a franchise file with six objectives within the first interval. The participant who scored the record-tying aim, K’Andre Miller, set a brand new franchise file for many factors in a single interval by a defenseman, with 4.
The Rangers had been caught within the mud for a bit following their massive commerce deadline strikes to accumulate Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane, however they’re clearly firing on all cylinders now.
Sebastian Aho, Hurricanes pull out thrilling comeback win in Philly
March is for buzzer-beater — and so they aren’t restricted to the basketball court docket. The Carolina Hurricanes beat the horn in opposition to the Philadelphia Flyers in a dramatic comeback on Saturday.
In the third interval, Canes goaltender Frederik Andersen misplayed the puck behind the online, and it wound up on the stick of Flyers’ ahead Brendan Lemieux. He flicked it into a large open web to present Philadelphia a 4-3 lead, and Carolina wanted a hero.
It bought one in Martin Necas, who picked up a free puck in entrance of the online and scored with simply 0.2 seconds left within the third interval. Necas, who’s in the midst of a breakout season, got here up massive together with his twenty seventh aim of the season.
As we noticed above, Aho did not waste any time ending the sport as soon as it bought to time beyond regulation. He torched DeAngelo and despatched the Hurricanes dwelling with an entertaining win.
Jack Eichel nets hat trick in opposition to Blue Jackets
The Vegas Golden Knights are going to wish Jack Eichel at his greatest in the event that they need to attain the Stanley Cup Final. On Sunday, Eichel broke out of a scoring hunch in an enormous means (thanks, Columbus Blue Jackets).
Eichel bought on the board halfway by means of the second interval when he fired a bullet previous Daniil Tarasov to present Vegas a 2-1 lead.
About seven minutes later, Eichel lastly bought a positive bounce after weeks of missed probabilities. Eichel spun and threw the puck on aim from a poor angle, and it kicked off Tarasov earlier than discovering the again of the online.
Eichel accomplished the hat trick with an excellent piece of forechecking wherein he pressured Columbus defenseman Adam Boqvist to cough up the puck on the blue line. Eichel merely swiped it and cruised in to beat his second goalie of the day, Michael Hutchinson.
Eichel is having an excellent season for the Golden Knights, however he has been a bit streaky. Vegas wants him to hit his stride earlier than the playoffs, and this recreation may function a spark for him.
Winnipeg Jets create respiratory room in Western Conference playoff race
Going into Saturday, the Jets did not have a lot room to breathe within the race for the ultimate wild card spot. The Nashville Predators had been simply 4 factors behind them with three video games in hand, so Winnipeg’s weekend tilt within the Music City had huge implications.
It did not get off to an awesome begin for the Jets both. Despite Winnipeg controlling play for a lot of the primary interval, Cody Glass struck first to present the Predators a 1-0 lead.
That rating held till early within the third interval, when Nikolaj Ehlers blasted a laser previous Juuse Saros to tie the sport.
The rating was 1-1 for only a matter of seconds. Nashville rookie Luke Evangelista buried a slot shot to revive his workforce’s one-goal lead, however Winnipeg would not go away quietly. With underneath 10 minutes left within the third interval, Adam Lowry began and completed the game-tying aim. Lowry received an offensive-zone faceoff from his knees and drove straight to the online, the place he was rewarded with a rebound and a aim.
The recreation went to time beyond regulation, and the Jets bought a helpful level, however they wanted one other to actually distance themselves from Nashville. That’s when Pierre-Luc Dubois and Neal Pionk mixed to beat Saros and provides an enormous increase to Winnipeg’s playoff probabilities.
Now, the Jets are have put an excellent quantity of area between themselves and the Predators with fewer than 15 video games remaining within the common season.
Appointment viewing this week
Hurricanes at Rangers | Tuesday, Mar. 21: The Rangers could have lastly discovered their groove. New York has received 4 straight video games and are wanting like one of many high groups within the East. They’ll look to stick with it.
Lightning at Senators | Thursday, Mar. 23: The Senators bought again within the win column on Monday, however have a tricky highway forward of them in the event that they need to qualify for the postseason. A win over the Lightning would go a great distance in direction of cementing that they belong within the playoff dialog.
Devils at Sabres | Friday, Mar. 24: The Devils are in an absolute battle with the Hurricanes atop the Metropolitan Division as we come down the house stretch. Meanwhile, the Sabres are trying to keep away from falling utterly out of the playoff race as they’ve dropped seven of their final eight contests.
Lightning at Bruins | Saturday, Mar. 25: This is a matchup between two groups that possess an abundance of playoff expertise. It will not be an enormous shock in the event that they sq. off within the Stanley Cup Playoffs, however there’s improper with somewhat preview.
Golden Knights at Oilers | Saturday, Mar. 25: The Golden Knights at present lead the Pacific Division, however the Oilers have entered the chat. The Oilers are winners of 4 straight, together with six of their final seven, and can be trying to acquire some floor on the Golden Knights on this matchup.
