Welcome to the NHL Star Power Index: A weekly gauge of the gamers who’re controlling substantial buzz across the league. When a participant is included on this record it will not be an excellent factor — it implies that they’re capturing a considerable amount of the hockey world’s consideration.
These gamers are in no explicit order in relation to the quantity of buzz that they are creating. We’ll revisit the Star Power Index each week all through the common season.
The acquisition of Vladimir Tarasenko was anticipated to carry a jolt to the New York Rangers’ ahead group. However, it has been second-line winger Artemi Panarin that has seen his offensive manufacturing undergo the roof recently.
In simply his final two video games, Panarin has tallied six targets and two assists, together with a four-goal efficiency in a 6-2 win towards the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. It marked the primary time in his NHL profession that the Rangers star has recorded 4 targets in a sport. As if that wasn’t spectacular sufficient, Panarin registered two targets and an help in a 6-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday to proceed his scorching streak.
With eight factors in two video games, Panarin joined some very elite firm. Panarin’s six targets are actually tied for essentially the most in franchise historical past over a two-game span, as he joins Mika Zibanejad (March 3-5, 2020 & March 5-7, 2020), Mark Pavelich (Feb. 20-23, 1983), Steve Vickers (Nov. 12-15, 1972) and Frank Boucher (March 18-21, 1928) as the one Rangers to realize that feat.
In 5 video games since coming back from the All-Star break, Panarin has been completely on hearth from a playmaking standpoint. During that point, he is racked up six targets and 6 assists.
Panarin simply seems to be seeing the puck so properly proper now. He’s one of many principal causes that the Rangers have gained six consecutive video games and presently personal an eight-game level streak, which they have not executed for the reason that 2015-16 season.
It’s been an up-and-down season for the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. After lacking nearly all of December, Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon is lastly beginning to hit his stride. MacKinnon has racked up 4 targets and three assists in 5 video games following the All-Star break. The star middle has recorded these 4 targets over his previous three video games.
His most efficient efficiency got here this previous Saturday in a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers when MacKinnon registered two targets and an help. It marked simply MacKinnon’s third multi-goal sport of the 2022-23 season.
MacKinnon added an empty-netter off one other help from Rantanen within the remaining minute of the third interval to clinch the victory for the Avalanche.
As loopy because it sounds, the Avalanche are barely clinging to the third and remaining playoff spot within the Western Conference’s Central Division with 61 factors. With star defenseman Cale Makar presently out and captain Gabriel Landeskog nonetheless working his method again from a knee harm, MacKinnon’s goal-scoring manufacturing goes to be essential for Colorado down the stretch of the common season.
It’s no secret that Erik Karlsson is having fun with a profession 12 months. It’s additionally no secret that it’s boosting his commerce worth because the deadline approaches. Karlsson has registered a aim and three assists over his final three video games. On Sunday, the San Jose Sharks defenseman recorded a aim and two assists in a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals.
For the second time in his previous 4 video games, Karlsson acquired into the scoring column.
In San Jose’s earlier sport towards the Florida Panthers, Karlsson made some spectacular historical past. With an help, Karlsson grew to become the quickest defenseman to achieve the 70-point mark since Paul Coffey completed the feat in the course of the 1988-89 season in simply 45 video games as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Sharks blue-liner presently has 73 factors (18 targets & 55 assists), which is his by far his highest level whole since arriving in San Jose.
Karlsson’s earlier greatest season got here within the 2018-19 marketing campaign when he recorded three targets and 42 assists. His 73 factors are the sixth-most in your complete NHL, forward of harmful forwards like Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson, Buffalo Sabres winger Tage Thompson and New Jersey Devils middle Jack Hughes. His 55 assists are tied for second amongst all NHL gamers and he solely trails Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov (57).
With the Sharks aren’t in playoff competition, it is attainable that the franchise elects to capitalize on Karlsson’s worth. Now Karlsson does have a cap hit of $11.5 million, so the cash is not going to be a simple merchandise to facilitate. However, if the Sharks are keen to eat a number of the cash, it’s totally attainable {that a} deal might get executed.
This season has been a studying expertise for the Philadelphia Flyers beneath new head coach John Tortorella. One fixed has been goalie Carter Hart.
Over his final 4 begins, Hart has a 2-1-1 document to associate with a 1.25 goals-against-average, and a .961 save share. During that stretch, the Flyers netminder has stopped 125 of the 130 pictures that he is confronted and hasn’t yielded greater than two targets in any of these 4 outings. Hart additionally stopped all 40 pictures that he confronted in a 4-0 shutout win over the Winnipeg Jets again on Jan. 28.
If you have a look at Hart’s numbers over the course of the season, they won’t look overly spectacular. But in keeping with MoneyPuck, Hart possesses a staggering .956 save share in relation to stopping unblocked pictures. In addition, Hart additionally has recorded 294 puck freezes, which is second within the NHL behind solely Arizona Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka. That implies that Hart is not permitting many rebounds when he is dealing with stress within the crease.
The Flyers have struggled to discover a franchise goaltender for fairly a while. In the early 2010s, the workforce signed veteran Ilya Bryzgalov to an enormous contract solely to see him fizzle out. Then it was guys like Steve Mason, Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth that attempted their hand at being the workforce’s beginning goalie, however did not find yourself figuring out.
Now, the Flyers clearly have their franchise netminder in Hart.
