One other weekend of labor got here and went within the NHL. the Boston Bruins Scored an enormous win over their rivals from the Atlantic Division at Toronto Maple Leafswhereas the Seattle Kraken Made historical past with one other victory. As we’ve seen Washington Capitals Famous person Alex Ovechkin is etching his title into the historical past books… once more.
Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at a few of the greatest storylines from across the NHL from this previous weekend.
Aim of the Week: Artturi Lehkonen completes the turnover rating
Artturi Lehkonen was gifted at scoring massive objectives on a regular basis Colorado Avalanche He ran the Stanley Cup final season. Nothing seems to have modified through the 2022-23 marketing campaign.
Within the third interval of Saturday’s 7-0 win over Ottawa SenatorsAvalanches star Nathan McKinnon was in a position to knock the puck off the facet of the boards and tip it in direction of Likonnon, who was slashing the Senators’ web. Lehkonen rapidly obtained the ball on his stick, made a terrific turnover movement, and despatched a backhand shot previous Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg for the facility play aim.
It was one in every of two objectives by the Lykonen final night time in a recreation the place the Avalanche flexed their offensive muscle mass.
Weekend steal: Linus Allmark spreads to disclaim Mark Giordano
It is no secret that Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Allmark was the most effective the NHL needed to do all through the primary half of the season. After a uncommon loss to the Seattle Kraken earlier within the week, Allmark stepped up the motion in an enormous means towards the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs fullback Mark Giordano tried a go to a teammate by way of the aim crease, however it was blocked. Nevertheless, the puck ended up proper on Giordano’s keep on with a reasonably huge web to shoot at. Giordano tried a backhand shot into the online rapidly, however Ollmark was in a position to stretch throughout and hit the ball together with his blocking hand.
Allmark’s saves proved vital because the Bruins gained, 4-3.
Kraken set a franchise report with eight straight wins
The Seattle Kraken might solely be of their second season, nevertheless They’re exhibiting that they will stick with the most effective gamers within the league. After a 2-0 victory over the Boston Bruins, the Kraken had an offensive explosion in an 8-5 win over the Boston Bruins. Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
In doing so, the Kraken achieved its report eighth consecutive franchise.
Seattle dominated the competitors out of the gate with a mind-boggling six objectives within the first 20 minutes towards the Blackhawks. The 2 groups traded objectives by way of the primary 4:40 of the sport earlier than Kraken scored 5 unanswered objectives over 4 minutes to take a convincing 6-1 lead.
Ahead Jared McCann, who scored his first profession hat-trick on Saturday, scored twice through the offense.
And to the credit score of the Black Hawks, they did not quit. Actually, Chicago scored 4 of the sport’s remaining six objectives and made the Kraken sweat slightly. It was the second time through the month of January that Kraken goalkeeper Martin Jones had given up greater than two objectives in a single recreation.
The Kraken’s report successful streak got here to an finish on Monday once they fell 4-1 by the hands of the Kraken Tampa Bay Lightning. Nevertheless, the Kraken have proven in latest weeks that they will combine it up with the NHL heavyweights. Because the season progresses, it actually would not be stunning to see the Kraken within the playoff race this spring.
Matt Grzelecik’s late third-period aim places the Bruins up towards the Maple Leafs
The Boston Bruins didn’t drop back-to-back video games at any level through the 2022-23 season. They made certain that did not occur when dealing with their Atlantic Division rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs.
On Saturday, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk scored the go-ahead aim with simply 1:16 remaining to steer the Bruins previous the Maple Leafs 4-3.
Grzelcyk ended up in the precise place on the proper time to hit a shot from the blue line. Ahead Taylor Corridor tried to drive the puck in entrance of the Maple Leafs’ web, however he pressured his means off the boards and round it onto Grzelcyk, who did not miss his probability to mild the flash.
It was simply Grzelcyk’s second aim of the season and his first since October 28 vs Columbus Blue Jackets.
Saturday’s recreation was intensely contested as a result of return of Maple Leafs star Austin Matthews to the ice. Matthews had missed the earlier two video games with an undisclosed damage. He scored 3:17 into the third interval to tie the sport 3-3.
The Bruins adopted up Saturday’s stellar efficiency with an emphatic 6-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.
Alex Ovechkin ties one other report
Washington Capitals celebrity Alex Ovechkin continues to make historical past. In Saturday’s 3-1 loss towards the Philadelphia Flyers, Ovechkin scored his thirtieth aim of the 2022-23 season, tying Mike Gartner for the 30-most objectives in NHL historical past with 17.
At 17:56 of the opening interval, Ovechkin was in a position to get the rebound off his personal shot and rating a backhand tally to tie the sport at 1-1.
Ovechkin has now scored at the very least 30 objectives in 17 of his 18 seasons within the NHL. The one marketing campaign he failed in was the 2020-21 season, which was minimize quick as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
Gartner and Ovechkin are the one gamers in NHL historical past to attain at the very least 30 objectives in every of their first 15 seasons. Ovechkin has been on fireplace currently with 10 objectives over his previous 10 matches. The Capitals star is at present on monitor to attain 54 objectives this season.
The Capitals erase a three-goal deficit for defeat Islanders
Talking of Ovechkin, his Capitals have been one of many rowdiest groups within the NHL. They proved it once more on Monday by nailing a three-goal comeback towards their Metro Division opponent, the New York Islanders.
The Islanders dominated nearly all of the primary interval and took a 2-0 lead going into the locker room. Early within the second half, the Isles’ Hudson Fashing caught Washington goaltender Darcy Comber snoozing with a straightforward aim, and it appeared prefer it wasn’t the Capitals’ day.
Nevertheless, a resilient group on the Capitals received right down to enterprise and began on a comeback monitor. Garnet Hathaway began the scoring within the second interval, and Tom Wilson pulled Washington into the aim when Nicklas Backstrom discovered him huge open in entrance of the aim with a go from Gretzky’s desk.
Early within the third interval, TJ Oshie leveled the sport with the form of hand-eye coordination often reserved for three-time winners and hardcore gamers. Oshie was steaming by way of the outlet when he put an ideal tip on some extent shot to beat Ilya Sorokin.
That comeback was spectacular sufficient, however Dmitry Orlov completed the job in additional time when he and O’Shea executed probably the most stunning you may ever see. They lull the islanders to sleep lengthy sufficient for Orlov to slide behind them and hit Sorokin with a unclean rag.
Watch date this week
Kraken oilers | Tuesday 17 January: The Kraken lately accomplished an ideal seven-game street journey, and the Oilers come to city on Tuesday. Edmonton is simply making an attempt its finest to maintain up with Seattle, and that makes this an enormous rivalry within the Pacific Division.
avalanche in flame | Wednesday, January 18: The Flames are barely hanging out in a cliffhanger with a scorching avalanche on their path, which is slightly ironic. Neither of these groups have been the place they anticipated them to be at this level, and each would go into the playoffs the remainder of the way in which.
Bruins discover | Thursday, January 19: Would anybody be stunned if this was the Japanese Convention Finals recreation? I might not. Each groups are loaded with leading edge expertise, and each get wonderful aim taking pictures. This ought to be a terrific recreation between two franchises out of six.
demons in Kraken | Thursday, January 19: With the season approaching, who would have thought that Kraken must watch TV twice in the identical week? Insert Paul Rudd into the “Sizzling Ones” meme right here. The Devils are again heading in the right direction, and the Kraken group is arguably the most popular group within the league.
Sharks in Blue Jackets | Saturday, January 21: Like a traditional cinematic Batman and Robin She taught us, some issues will be so dangerous that they’re good. Such is the case with this recreation. Unhealthy hockey will be enjoyable hockey when goalkeeping and protection are gone, and that will occur on this recreation between two groups vying for the primary general decide.