It was a pretty wild night around the NHL with hat tricks, quick goals, and high scoring games. Joe Pavelski and Johan Franzen each scored three goals for their teams and Tim Thomas made the whackiest save of the season.
If you were tired of all the low-scoring Olympic games over the past two weeks and were craving some run-and-gun firewagon hockey, then Thursday night was definitely the night for you.
The NHL gave us a little bit of everything.
Hat tricks for Johan Franzen and Joe Pavelski. Michael Grabner scoring a pair of shorthanded goals on the same penalty kill. The Penguins and Canadiens throwing defense and goaltending out the window for a wild back-and-forth game. The Capitals and Panthers combining for nine goals and Tim Thomasstopping a breakaway after falling down. The Flyers making two different goalie switches. Jaromir Jagr scoring career goal No. 699.
It was all there, and it was a pretty glorious night.
All the NHL Scores
Devils 5, Blue Jackets 2
Islanders 5, Maple Leafs 4
Rangers 2, Blackhawks 1
Sharks 7, Flyers 3
Canadiens 6, Penguis 5
Capitals 5, Panthers 4
Red Wings 6, Senators 1
Predators 3, Lightning 2
Stars 4, Hurricanes 1
Wild 3, Oilers 0
Kings 2, Flames 0
Five Questions
On Thursday we asked you five burning questions about the days games. These are your cool, soothing answers.
1. How will Pittsburgh's shorthanded defense play against Montreal?
Not well. It was the perfect storm of sloppy defensive zone coverage, bad goaltending, bad penalty killing and a brutal missed call that resulted in a five-minute penalty and game misconduct to Tanner Glass that helped lead to a 6-5 shootout loss against Montreal. The Penguins were without Kris Letang and Paul Martin, something they will have to get used to for the next month (or more), and outside of Olli Maatta they were a mess on the blue line. Pittsburgh could have really used a puck-moving presence like Simon Despres in the lineup, but he remains glued to the press box as a healthy scratch.
2. Will Alex Ovechkin score for the Capitals?
Of course he did. He also added two assists. His goal, which was his 41st of the season, was also his seventh game-winning goal of the season. Both of those numbers are extraordinary with still more than a month to play in the regular season.
3. What sort of reaction will Ryan Callahan get in New York?
Just business as usual for the captain. He did give the Rangers a bit of a scare when he took a puck to the side of the head, but he remained in the game and palyed 18 minutes and recording a pair of shots on goal in the 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Rangers have two more home games before the Mar. 5 trade deadline.
4. What will Martin St. Louis do for the Tampa Bay Lightning?
The good news: He scored two goals to give the Lightning a 2-0 lead in the first period. The bad news: Those were the only two goals the Lightning scored as they allowed that lead to slip away and turn into a 3-2 loss in Nashville. St. Louis is still a hot topic in trade discussions leading up to the March 5 trade deadline.
5. Did the Kings save any goals for Thursday?
It turned out to be only two goals, but yes, the Kings did follow up their six-goal outburst on Wednesday with a couple more in Calgary on Thursday. Even better, those two goals came along with a shutout from Jonathan Quick to give the Kings back-to-back wins. They had won just two of their previous 11 games entering play on Thursday.
Impact Moment
The one play or moment from Thursday that is going to be making headlines over the next couple of days.
When you're trying to trade your captain because you can't work out a contract extension with him, the last thing you want to see is him getting hit in the side of the helmet with a shot. That's what happened to Ryan Callahan in the second period on Thursday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was OK, but that had to be a nightmare scenario for general manager Glen Sather. That's why some teams, when they're close to a trade, will sit a guy to avoid the potential for injury. The Rangers can't really do that given that they're still trying to re-sign him (and are a playoff-bound team).
Stat of the Night
Steve Mason was pulled in the second period on Thursday after giving up four goals on 13 shots. That is the third time in nine games that Mason has been pulled during a game since signing his new three-year contract extension back on Jan. 18. And then, for some reason, the Flyers put him back into the game in the third period when it was a 7-2 game. It's never dull with this team.
Post to Post
- Which non-core members of the Minnesota Wild should be available at the trade deadline?
- Why it's sometimes OK to "dump and chase" at the trade deadline.
- Should the Detroit Red Wingskick the tires on New York Islanders defenseman Andrew MacDonald?
- Does Ryan Kesler want out of Vancouver or not?
- The Buffalo Sabresare approaching the end of an era with Ryan Miller.