Nicklas Backstrom got his 500th assist, the New York Rangers got a huge comeback win against the Blue Jackets, and more in today’s NHL Roundup.
Saturday Jan. 7 saw a ton of action in the NHL. To get you all up to speed, here’s a recap of all of the action. With 12 games on the schedule, it was a wild day. The highlight of the night came early in the evening, as Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom picked up his 500th career assist.
He’s one of the most underrated players in the league. It’s very easy to overlook him because, well, his teammate Alex Ovechkin is arguably the best goal scorer the NHL has seen in at least 20 years. While Ovi is known for his intensity, highlight reel goals, and flashy celebrations, Backstrom is perfectly content playing second fiddle.
He quietly goes about his business, racking up assists at a very steady rate. Among players selected in the 2006 NHL Draft, Backstrom is the leader in assists and points. For once, he’s in the spotlight and he fully deserves it.
NHL Scores
Another multi-point night for Jakub Voracek. The Flyers end their losing streak while the Lightning’s slump continues. Philly got goals from Radko Gudas, Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Michael Raffl. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay got goals from Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn.
This game featured several brawls. One of them involved goaltender Robin Lehner. Patrik Laine got injured by a clean hit, which the Jets didn’t appreciate. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and an assist while Zemgus Girgensons got the game winning goal.
Tanner Pearson got the overtime winner to help the Kings stay in the first wildcard spot in the Western Conference. Peter Budaj shook off two early goals by the Wild to have a pretty solid game.
The Rangers were down 4-1 in the second period. So you can guess how Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella feels about the game. Michael Grabner had himself a day, starting the comeback in the second period and ending it in regulation with 17 seconds left. Adam Clendening got two goals as well for the Rangers.
Man did the Bruins need this win. They got two goals, one on the penalty kill and one on the power play, from Brad Marchand. David Backes got his 10th goal on the season after returning from a concussion. Tuukka Rask had 25 saves and kept the Panthers at bay in the first period with 11 saves.
The Maple Leafs’ non-loss streak has come to an end. Mitch Marner had three assists in a losing effort. For the Canadiens, Alex Radulov got a goal and an assist as five different Montreal players scored. Shea Weber and Jeff Petry each picked up two assists.
Backstrom got his 500th assist and Braden Holtby got his second consecutive shutout. Now for some bad news. T.J. Oshie has an upper body injury after getting hit awkwardly by Dion Phaneuf. Oshie is a key cog to the Caps and is more than just a shootout wizard. Losing him would definitely hurt them.
This one got won in overtime. For the Devils, Cory Schneider stopped 41 of the 43 shots he saw and deserved a far better fate. Edmonton got goals from two unlikely sources, with Matthew Benning getting his first career goal to tie the game and Mark Letestu getting his eighth of the season in overtime. Adam Larsson and Taylor Hall both got held off the scoresheet in the first game they faced their respective former teams.
Paul Stastny got two goals while Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Steen had two assists a piece for the Blues, who got a much needed win. Meanwhile, John Klingberg and Lauri Korpikowski each had a goal and an assist for the Stars.
Thomas Greiss and Louis Domingue had one heck of a goaltender battle. They combined to stop 51 of the 53 shots they saw before the shootout. Anthony Duclair and Radim Vrbata scored for Arizona in the shootout. The Islanders have lost in overtime to the two worst teams in the NHL on back to back nights.
Chad Johnson stopped 28 of the 29 shots on goal he faced to hand the Canucks their first loss in six games. Alex Chiasson, Matt Stajan, and Michael Frolik each got goals for the Flames.
What a great night for Mirco Mueller. Not only did he pick up his first assist of the season, he also scored his first goal. After allowing an early goal to Thomas Vanek, the Sharks finished the first period scoring three goals in under five minutes. Joel Ward got two assists to help lead San Jose to a victory.
Three Stars
- Braden Holtby picked up his second consecutive shutout, making 30 saves against the Senators. He showed why he’s the reigning Vezina Torphy winner. Typical of Holtby to shake off a bad night against the Toronto Maple Leafs and respond with consecutive shutouts. He now has five shutouts, which ties him with Devan Dubnyk and Tuukka Rask for the league lead. Holtby seems determined to defend his Vezina.
- Michael Grabner got a huge comeback started, scoring the first goal of four consecutive goals by the Rangers. He finished it with the game winning goal with just 17 seconds left in regulation. Grabner’s 18 goals are his most since the 2011-12 season.
- Brad Marchand got two goals against the Panthers. He’s a special teams star and it showed against Florida. Marchand notched a goal while shorthanded and while on the power play.
Sunday’s Schedule
Sunday will feature six games on the NHL schedule. 5:00 p.m. ET marks the start of two games, as the Bruins visit the Hurricanes and the Lightning visit the Penguins. Both the Flyers and the Blue Jackets will play on consecutive days. Not only that, they’ll play each other. Starting at 7:00 p.m. ET, the Blackhawks will host the Predators while the Oilers will visit the Senators. Finally, at 8:00 p.m. ET, the Ducks host the Wild in Bruce Boudreau’s first game back in Anaheim since being fired.