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 now we have seen Washington Capitals Celebrity Alex Ovechkin is etching his title into the historical past books… once more.
Let’s take a better have a look at among the largest storylines from across the NHL from this previous weekend.
Objective of the Week: Artturi Lehkonen completes the turnover rating
Artturi Lehkonen was gifted at scoring large objectives on a regular basis Colorado Avalanche He ran the Stanley Cup final season. Nothing seems to have modified in the course of 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’ internet. Lehkonen shortly obtained the ball on his stick, made an awesome turnover movement, and despatched a backhand shot previous Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg for the ability play objective.
It was certainly one of two objectives by the Lykonen final evening in a sport the place the Avalanche flexed their offensive muscle tissue.
Weekend steal: Linus Allmark spreads to disclaim Mark Giordano
It is no secret that Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Allmark was one of the best 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 a giant approach in opposition to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs fullback Mark Giordano tried a cross to a teammate by the objective crease, nevertheless it was blocked. Nonetheless, the puck ended up proper on Giordano’s persist with a reasonably broad internet to shoot at. Giordano tried a backhand shot into the web shortly, however Ollmark was in a position to stretch throughout and hit the ball along with his blocking hand.
Allmark’s saves proved important because the Bruins received, 4-3.
Kraken set a franchise file with eight straight wins
The Seattle Kraken could solely be of their second season, nonetheless They’re exhibiting that they’ll stick with one of the best 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 file eighth consecutive franchise.
Seattle dominated the competitors out of the gate with a mind-boggling six objectives within the first 20 minutes in opposition to the Blackhawks. The 2 groups traded objectives by 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 in the course of the offense.
And to the credit score of the Black Hawks, they did not quit. In reality, Chicago scored 4 of the sport’s ultimate six objectives and made the Kraken sweat a little bit. It was the second time in the course of the month of January that Kraken goalkeeper Martin Jones had given up greater than two objectives in a single sport.
The Kraken’s file successful streak got here to an finish on Monday once they fell 4-1 by the hands of the Kraken Tampa Bay Lightning. Nonetheless, the Kraken have proven in latest weeks that they’ll combine it up with the NHL heavyweights. Because the season progresses, it definitely would not be shocking to see the Kraken within the playoff race this spring.
Matt Grzelecik’s late third-period objective places the Bruins up in opposition to the Maple Leafs
The Boston Bruins didn’t drop back-to-back video games at any level in the course of 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 objective with simply 1:16 remaining to guide 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’ internet, however he pressured his approach off the boards and round it onto Grzelcyk, who did not miss his likelihood to gentle the flash.
It was simply Grzelcyk’s second objective of the season and his first since October 28 vs Columbus Blue Jackets.
Saturday’s sport 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 file
Washington Capitals celebrity Alex Ovechkin continues to make historical past. In Saturday’s 3-1 loss in opposition to the Philadelphia Flyers, Ovechkin scored his thirtieth objective 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 not less than 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 reduce brief as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
Gartner and Ovechkin are the one gamers in NHL historical past to attain not less than 30 objectives in every of their first 15 seasons. Ovechkin has been on fireplace these days with 10 objectives over his previous 10 matches. The Capitals star is at the moment on observe to attain 54 objectives this season.
The Capitals erase a three-goal deficit for defeat Islanders
Talking of Ovechkin, his Capitals had been one of many rowdiest groups within the NHL. They proved it once more on Monday by nailing a three-goal comeback in opposition to 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 simple objective, and it appeared prefer it wasn’t the Capitals’ day.
Nonetheless, a resilient crew on the Capitals acquired right down to enterprise and began on a comeback observe. Garnet Hathaway began the scoring within the second interval, and Tom Wilson pulled Washington into the objective when Nicklas Backstrom discovered him broad open in entrance of the objective with a cross from Gretzky’s desk.
Early within the third interval, TJ Oshie leveled the sport with the type of hand-eye coordination normally reserved for three-time winners and hardcore gamers. Oshie was steaming by 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 extra time when he and O’Shea executed probably the most lovely you will ever see. They lull the islanders to sleep lengthy sufficient for Orlov to slide behind them and hit Sorokin with a grimy rag.
Watch date this week
Kraken oilers | Tuesday 17 January: The Kraken just lately accomplished an ideal seven-game highway journey, and the Oilers come to city on Tuesday. Edmonton is simply making an attempt its greatest to maintain up with Seattle, and that makes this a giant rivalry within the Pacific Division.
avalanche in flame | Wednesday, January 18: The Flames are barely hanging out in a cliffhanger with a sizzling avalanche on their path, which is a little bit ironic. Neither of these groups had 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 sport? I’d not. Each groups are loaded with innovative expertise, and each get wonderful objective capturing. This ought to be an awesome sport 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 “Scorching Ones” meme right here. The Devils are again heading in the right direction, and the Kraken crew is arguably the most well liked crew within the league.
Sharks in Blue Jackets | Saturday, January 21: Like a basic cinematic Batman and Robin She taught us, some issues may be so dangerous that they’re good. Such is the case with this sport. Dangerous hockey may be enjoyable hockey when goalkeeping and protection are gone, and that will occur on this sport between two groups vying for the primary general choose.