All-Star week is long gone, and the trade deadline is still a few days away, but there are still plenty of stories happening around the league. Here are a few of the recent stories happening around the NHL.
Score One for the Boys in Blue
In perhaps the NHL’s most historic rivalry, it was a player new to the rivalry who won the game for his team. Maple Leafs forward John Tavares scored an overtime goal to lift Toronto to a 4-3 win over the Canadiens. Tavares received a pass from Mitch Marner in front of the net and backhanded it over Carey Price to give the Leafs their fourth straight win. Tavares now has 33 goals to go along with 27 assists in his first seasons with Toronto.
Super Cam Wins it for Columbus
Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson scored two goals just two and a half minutes apart in the third period as the Blue Jackets rallied to beat the Golden Knights 4-3. Atkinson tied the game at 3 at 14:48, then scored the go-ahead goal on the power play at the 17:21 mark. The 29-year old pushed his team-leading goal total to 31 on the season, helping Columbus win their third straight game.
King of Harts
Rookie goaltender Carter Hart tied an NHL record with his 8th straight win as the Flyers cruised past the Ducks 6-2. Hart, 20, tied Jocelyn Thibault for the longest winning streak by a goalie before the age of 21. Hart’s stellar play has rallied Philadelphia to a 9-0-1 record in their past ten games, while the Ducks have lost seven straight and 19 of their last 21 games.
A Montreal Homecoming
In a classic hockey trade involving nothing but players, the Canadiens acquired forward Dale Weise and defenseman Christian Frolin from the Flyers in exchange for David Schlemko and Byron Froese. Weise has played for Montreal before, scoring 59 points in 152 games from 2013-2016. The Habs also announced they had waived defenseman Karl Alzner.
Free Agency Talks Rise for Breadman
Blue Jackets star Artemi Panarin fired his agent Dan Milstein earlier this week and hired Paul Theofanous. Theofanous represents teammate Sergei Bobrovsky, who is also a free agent at the end of the season. In a media session with reporters, Panarin explained the decision to switch agents, and why he is opting to test free agency as well. The 27-year old winger leads Columbus in scoring with 63 points.
High-Sticked Where it Hurts
Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk was fined $5,000 on Friday by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. The fine was a result of van Riemsdyk high-sticking Kings defenseman Alec Martinez during Thursday’s game. The $5,000 is the maximum amount allowed under the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
Move Over Super Mario
The Penguins lost 5-4 to the Lightning on Saturday, but things were not all bad. Captain Sidney Crosby played in his 916th NHL game, all with Pittsburgh, passing Mario Lemieux for the most games played in Penguins history. Crosby recorded an assist in the record-setting game, his 39th of the season, but it wasn’t enough for the Penguins to grab the road win.
Howe’s Got Company
Crosby wasn’t the only player making some sort of history on Saturday. Sharks center Joe Thornton had two assists in San Jose’s 5-2 win over the Oilers, tying Gordie Howe for the ninth most in NHL history (1,049). Thornton will likely pass Howe very soon and continue to climb up the leaderboard as his illustrious career winds down.
Bergeron’s Night to Remember
Before the Bruins played the Kings on Saturday, Patrice Bergeron was honored for playing in his 1,000th career game. The lifelong Bruin became the fifth player in Boston history to play 1,000 games with the team, joining Hall of Farmers Ray Bourque and John Bucyk, current GM Don Sweeney, and Wayne Cashman. Bucyk presented Bergeron with a crystal bowl on behalf of the NHL during the pregame ceremony.