Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Detroit’s Howard named first star of week

Jimmy Howard

Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard stops a Chicago Blackhawks shot during an NHL hockey game in Chicago, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime. (AP Photo/John Smierciak)

AP

Four starts, four wins and a playoff berth.

All in a week’s work for Jimmy Howard.

On Monday, Howard was named the NHL’s first star of the week after posting a 4-0-0 record, 0.75 GAA, .969 save percentage and two shutouts, paving the way for Detroit to capture its 22nd consecutive postseason appearance.

The 29-year-old blanked the Phoenix Coyotes, allowed one goal against the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings, allowed two goals against the Predators then blanked Dallas in the season finale, which guaranteed the Wins a playoff spot.

So, no real surprise he won first star.

There wasn’t much surprise about the second star of the week, either -- it was Howard’s teammate, Henrik Zetterberg.

The Detroit captain was equally vital to the playoff push, scoring 2G-8A-10PTS during the four-game winning streak. He also led the NHL in power-play points (five) and finished second with a plus-6 rating.

Zetterberg finished the season ranked second on the Wings in points (48) while leading the club with 37 assists.

Third star of the week went to Edmonton’s Nail Yakupov who, on Monday, also captured April’s rookie of the month.

Yakupov scored an NHL-best six goals in four games to help the Oilers finish the season with a pair of victories, which included his first-career hat trick in a 7-2 triumph over Vancouver.

The 19-year-old Russian finished the year tied for the rookie scoring lead (31 points) and captured the rookie goalscoring title (17 goals).