Players of the Night
- James Reimer collected a big win for the Florida Panthers, who bested the Boston Bruins 3-0 on Thursday. Shutting out the Bruins is a tough task in 2017-18, as this was their first goose egg since October. It wasn’t an off night either, as Reimer made 46 saves.
- Anze Kopitar collected a goal and three assists in leading the Kings to a 4-1 win against the Red Wings. More on that match here.
- Quite a few players enjoyed three-point outputs. Nathan MacKinnon probably steals the show thanks to context, though, as he extended a 10-game point streak by collecting two goals and one assist, pushing his season scoring total to a ridiculous 85 points in just 62 games.
Nathan MacKinnon of the @Avalanche registered 2-1—3 to extend his point streak to 10 games, a run which includes 10 goals and 10 assists. #NHLStats #COLvsSTL pic.twitter.com/k7Qkz7xm0i
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 16, 2018
- Cam Atkinson collected a hat trick to help Columbus extend its winning streak to six games, at the Flyers’ expense.
- Patric Hornqvist crossed the 400-point barrier (and actually added one more to finish the night with 401 career regular-season points) by scoring the game-winner for Pittsburgh. Click here for a recap of a game that featured two goals and one assist from Hornqvist.
Highlights
Check out Oliver Bjorkstrand scoring from down on one knee:
Let’s not forget about MacKinnon’s linemates in Colorado. If it helps, watch Gabriel Landeskog send a tremendous pass to splendid sophomore Mikko Rantanen, who buried a high-skill backhand goal:
GABRIEL LANDESKOG SENDS A BEAUTIFUL STRETCH PASS TO MIKKO RANTANEN WHO LIFTS THE BACKHANDER HOME! 3-1 AVS! pic.twitter.com/LXZexkIJWc
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) March 16, 2018
Evgeni Malkin scored his 40th goal of the season, gently reminding the hockey world that he can do amazing things during a relatively healthy campaign:
Want a lowlight and maybe some comic relief? Watch as poor ‘ol OEL (Oliver Ekman-Larsson) gets elbowed by an official calling him for a penalty. Sheesh.
Teen Spirit
Patrik Laine might occasionally sport the sort of facial hair that makes him look like he could have starred in a John Lithgow classic, the Winnipeg Jets winger is actually still a teenager. (Laine turns 20 on April 19.) Laine is also still scoring,
By starting the play off through the neutral zone, @PatrikLaine29 stretched out his point streak to 14 games.
— NHL (@NHL) March 16, 2018
It's the longest by a teenager in NHL history. https://t.co/R5N9H66RmM
More fun facts
Patrick Marleau climbs the ranks.
#Leafs Patrick Marleau records his 1,122nd career point, passing Darryl Sittler for 58th on all-time list.
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) March 16, 2018
Nashville Predators: still red-hot.
The @PredsNHL extended their point streak to 13 games (12-0-1), one shy of the longest in franchise history set in 2015-16 (14 GP). #NHLStats #NSHvsARI pic.twitter.com/z11o1U8OjS
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 16, 2018
Scores
Maple Leafs 5, Sabres 2
Capitals 7, Islanders 3
Blue Jackets 5, Flyers 3
Penguins 5, Canadiens 3
Panthers 3, Bruins 0
Avalanche 4, Blues 1
Jets 6, Blackhawks 2
Predators 3, Coyotes 2
Kings 4, Red Wings 1
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.