Players of the Night:
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning needed Vasilevskiy to play like the NHL All-Star that he is and that’s exactly what he gave them, stopping 40 shots to help the Lightning to a 2-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The win was important for Tampa, who regained the top spot in the NHL standings and ended a three-game slide in the process. Vasilevskiy’s league-leading seventh shutout of the season ties a franchise record.
Petr Mrazek, Detroit Red Wings: Mrazek fielded 37 shots from the New Jersey Devils on Monday night and handled each and every one of them for his second shutout in as many starts.
Nick Cousins, Arizona Coyotes: Cousins got the ball rolling for the Desert Dogs in the first period, giving them a 1-0 lead. After the Islanders tied the game in the third, Cousins put the final stamp on the game with a goal 2:21 into overtime to give Arizona their second straight win.
Comeback of the Night:
Jason Zucker, Minnesota Wild: Zucker got drilled in the head with a slap shot in the first period and had to be helped off the ice. Miraculously, Zucker returned a short time later and went on to score the game-winning goal at the 4:59 mark of the third period, breaking a 1-1 tie in the Wild’s 3-1 win against the Ottawa Senators. \
Highlights of the Night:
Granlund and Dumba:
Split 'em up, bury it in and do it all in magnificent fashion. https://t.co/f5PqSIOwEi
— NHL (@NHL) January 23, 2018
Mrazek made plenty of saves on Monday and perhaps none better than this one (Brian Boyle’s reaction is priceless):
That's now consecutive shutouts for @pmrazek34. Last time a @DetroitRedWings goalie did this?
— NHL (@NHL) January 23, 2018
Jan. 5-8 , 2008. https://t.co/dvwiSQ30Z6
Ottawa Senators fans will like this, even if the end result wasn’t great:
Perfect chip pass leads to a b-way geno for @Matt9Duchene. #OTTvsMIN https://t.co/wzzhljtacO
— NHL (@NHL) January 23, 2018
Auston Matthews had the celebration of the night:
If @AM34 says it's good, it's good. pic.twitter.com/cyyTLY7WCD
— NHL (@NHL) January 23, 2018
Factoids of the Night:
Petr Mrazek is the fifth goaltender in @DetroitRedWings franchise history to record consecutive shutouts with each game taking place on the road. #NHLStats #DETvsNJD pic.twitter.com/7xCN4I78A7
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 23, 2018
Jonathan Bernier is the third goaltender in @Avalanche / Nordiques franchise history to record at least nine consecutive wins. #NHLStats #COLvsTOR pic.twitter.com/po6gZqB1Ph
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 23, 2018
Scores:
Avalanche 4, Maple Leafs 2
Red Wings 3, Devils 0
Wild 3, Senators 1
Lightning 2, Blackhawks 0
Sabres 2, Flames 1 (OT)
Coyotes 3, Islanders 2 (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