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 factor — it signifies 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.
Connor McDavid continues to make wild performs at an absurd price. Over his final 4 video games, the Edmonton Oilers star has registered six targets and 5 assists, together with a number of factors in three of these contests. Among the spectacular showings throughout this latest stretch was his four-point efficiency (two targets & two assists) in a 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
As if that wasn’t spectacular sufficient, McDavid registered two targets and two assists in Wednesday’s 8-2 win in opposition to the Arizona Coyotes. In doing so, McDavid turned the league’s first participant to document 50 factors this season, whereas additionally leapfrogging Dallas Stars standout Jason Robertson for the NHL targets lead.
McDavid reached the 50-point plateau in simply 27 video games, which is the shortest quantity of video games it is taken him to hit that mark in his profession. Only Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Wayne Gretzky and Kevin Stevens achieved the feat in much less video games. He at present leads the league with 52 factors (24 targets & 28 assists), which is eight factors forward of Draisaitl. The Oilers standout can be leads the NHL in assists (28) in addition to power-play assists (16).
It’s not precisely shocking that McDavid continues to make performs on the offensive finish of the ice. However, the speed at which he is doing so is mind-boggling to consider generally contemplating that he is solely did not document a degree in simply 4 video games this season.
Tage Thompson placed on a present for the ages on Wednesday. The Buffalo Sabres star scored 5 targets and registered an help in a 9-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Thompson scored 4 of his targets within the first 16:40 of the opening interval, turning into simply the fourth participant in NHL historical past to attain 4 targets within the first interval of a daily season recreation. He joined Peter Bondra (Feb. 5, 1994), Grant Mulvey (Feb. 3, 1982), and Joe Malone (Feb. 23, 1921) as the one gamers to attain the feat.
Thompson additionally turned simply the sixth participant over the past 40 years to attain 4 targets in any interval, as he joined the likes of Patrick Marleau (Jan. 23, 2017), Mario Lemieux (Jan. 26, 1997), Bondra, Joe Nieuwendyk (Jan. 11, 1989) and Al Secord (Jan. 7, 1987).
The Sabres middle completed the evening only one level shy of the crew document for many factors in a single recreation. Only Gilbert Perreault (7 factors on Feb. 1, 1976) registered extra factors in a Sabres recreation.
In addition, Thompson reached the 20-goal mark on the historic evening. He scored 20 targets within the fourth-fewest quantity of video games behind solely Alexander Mogilny (23 video games in 1992-93), Pat LaFontaine (24 video games in 1991-92) and Richard Martin (24 video games in 1972-73) in franchise historical past.
It’s clear that Thompson was within the zone on this evening. nevertheless it was a part of an exceptional begin to December for him. Even when you take Wednesday’s monumental efficiency out of the equation, Thompson nonetheless registered two targets and three assists within the opening two video games of the month.
Simply put, Thompson is taking part in out of his thoughts proper now and has established himself as one of many high facilities within the sport.
Arguably essentially the most polarizing transfer of the NHL offseason was the Florida Panthers ponying up with a hefty package deal to land star winger Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers despatched Jonathan Huberdeau, Mackenzie Weegar and draft capital to the Calgary Flames with a view to get the deal carried out, on high of inking Tkachuk to an eight-year, $76 million contract extension.
It was a big value, nevertheless it’s positively paying off to date for the franchise.
In three video games over the previous week, Tkachuk tallied two targets and 4 assists, together with two multi-point performances. The 24-year-old star actually rose to the event with a purpose and two assists in a 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks final Thursday.
Tkachuk’s purpose was the beginning of an avalanche of offense for the Panthers, who scored three targets within the closing two minutes of the primary interval. He additionally assisted on a pair of targets later within the recreation, together with incomes the first help on a purpose from Panthers ahead Sam Bennett.
Tkachuk’s play has been downright electrical since coming over to the Panthers. He’s registered factors in 19 of his 24 video games this season and now has factors in three consecutive contests. His playmaking potential has been on full show as he is tallied 23 assists, which is tied for fourth within the NHL this season.
Bo Horvat would be the one placing the puck at the back of the web for the Vancouver Canucks this season, however Elias Pettersson is making a case to be the crew’s most dynamic asset.
Pettersson at present leads the crew with 34 factors whereas rating second in assists (21), barely behind defenseman Quinn Hughes. Pettersson has actually had his playmaker hat on as of late with 5 assists over his previous three video games, which have resulted in three consecutive extra time victories for Vancouver.
Most lately, Pettersson scored the game-winning purpose and recorded an help in a 6-5 extra time victory in opposition to the San Jose Sharks.
Pettersson has now scored extra time game-winning targets in back-to-back video games after netting an unassisted tally in opposition to the Montreal Canadiens in Monday’s 7-6 extra time win.
In his fifth NHL season, Pettersson continues to grow to be the famous person that the Canucks envisioned after they chosen him with the No. 5 decide within the 2017 NHL Draft. The 24-year outdated is at present on tempo for 103 factors (39 targets & 64 assists) this season, which might obliterate his career-high of 68 factors. Pettersson is coming off a 68-point efficiency through the 2021-22 marketing campaign.
