Players of the Night:
Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres: Eichel ended a four-game goal-less drought with some authority on Friday. After scoring in the first period, Eichel watched as his Sabres blew a 2-1 lead to trail 4-2 with 10 minutes to go. Eichel then turned on overdrive, scoring twice in 10 seconds to tie the game and force overtime. Sadly, his efforts were in vain as the Carolina Hurricanes got the winner 2:15 into the extra frame. It’s Eichel’s first career NHL hat trick.
Brian Boyle, New Jersey Devils: What an inspirational story Boyle has been this year. On Friday, Boyle scored twice, including the game winner, to bring his goal total to eight on the season. His second of the night was also his 100th of his career.
Highlights of the Night:
Eichel showed a good bit of patience on his hat trick goal:
Cory Schneider committed robbery on this save:
Seriously... how does that stay out? 😲 https://t.co/7zzl2wbF7X
— NHL (@NHL) December 16, 2017
Sam Gagner scored on a pretty backhand deke to give the Vancouver Canucks the win in overtime, ending a four-game losing streak:
#Canucks forward Sam Gagner shows off his @SubwayCANADA-OT-winner-worthy backhand and it's a beaut. pic.twitter.com/DujhrWVkOT
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 16, 2017
Factoid of the Night:
Tonight marks 4th time #Canucks Daniel Sedin has collected 3 assists in a game. He's never had 4 helpers in a game during his @NHL career. Tonight is his 1,258th game in a @Canucks uniform.
— Joey Kenward (@kenwardskorner) December 16, 2017
MISC:
- Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk did his best to steal the spotlight from his team’s outdoor game on Saturday.
- Marian Gaborik scored a goal in his 1,000th NHL game at MSG
Scores:
Hurricanes 5, Sabres 4 (OT)
Devils 5, Stars 2
Rangers 4, Kings 2
Red Wings 3, Maple Leafs 1
Canucks 4, Sharks 3 (OT)
Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck