Three stars
1. Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
The kid has been in this category a pile of times since Jan. 7 when he made his first start of the season. That night, he recorded his first NHL shutout and grabbed his first NHL win.
Fast forward a month and a bit and Binnington’s flashy start hasn’t turned out to be a fluke. He shutout the Minnesota Wild with a 30-save performance on Sunday, three days after he shutout the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night.
‘Winnington’ has four shutouts on the season now. That’s four since Jan. 7. He owns a 12-1-1 record. That’s also since Jan. 7. And he’s a big, big part of why the Blues have 10 straight wins, matching a franchise record.
There’s no hotter goalie in the NHL and subsequently, no hotter team.
2. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Barkov belongs on the list for this goal, alone:
But Barkov also had a hat trick on the night, including the go-ahead goal (the one above) and the insurance marker in the third period.
He added an assist for the four-point night.
3. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins needed someone to step up to keep ahold of their playoff spot and Evgeni Malkin’s two goals 2:31 apart in the third period gave the Penguins just what they needed in a 6-5 win.
Malkin missed five games because of injury and another because of suspension, but since he returned from his ailment, all he’s’ done is produce. He’s got four goals and two assists in three games since his return.
Pittsburgh is in a real fight for a playoff spot, so a hot Malkin, as opposed to a hot-headed Malkin, will be key down the stretch. They need his production in a big way.
Highlights of the night
The legend:
2️⃣7️⃣. Immortalized forever in the rafters of @HondaCenter.#27Forever | @AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/XsBYvmKyle
— Bally Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) February 18, 2019
Ovechkin hits 40, again:
Odd but effective:
Just how coach drew it up. 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/9ZJhlW8caV
— NHL (@NHL) February 18, 2019
Factoids
Jordan Binnington is the 7th goalie in NHL history with 4+ shutouts in his first 14 NHL starts. The others:
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 17, 2019
Frank Brimsek: 6 in 1938-39
Lorne Chabot: 4 in 1926-27
Alec Connell: 4 in 1924-25
Mike Karakas: 4 in 1935-36
Flat Walsh: 4 in 1928-29
Antti Niemi: 4 in 2009-10#NHLStats pic.twitter.com/XEovLLNKNf
Vladimir Tarasenko extended his point streak to 12 games, one shy of the longest by a @StLouisBlues player this season behind David Perron (6-10—16 from Dec. 22 – Jan. 17). #NHLStats #STLvsMIN pic.twitter.com/eYLINg4rIG
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 17, 2019
With another three-point performance, Sidney Crosby (436-752—1,188) is now tied with Alex Ovechkin (646-542—1,188) in career points. The last time Crosby had more career points than Ovechkin was following games on Jan. 5, 2011.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 17, 2019
The Capitals play tonight in ANA. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/igwHjobR20
There is a new all-time leader in wins among American goaltenders, fittingly on Hockey Day in America. #HDIA 🇺🇸
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 18, 2019
375 - @RyanMiller3039
374 - John Vanbiesbrouck
369 - Tom Barrasso
304 - Jonathan Quick
301 - Mike Richter #NHLStats: https://t.co/1EwKjZ6k1Q … pic.twitter.com/MJIkpSpS6u
Scores
Penguins 6, Rangers 5
Blues 4, Wild 0
Devils 4, Sabres 1
Flyers 3, Red Wings 1
Panthers 6, Canadiens 3
Ducks 5, Capitals 2
If you missed any of the Hockey Day in America stories, check out NBC Sports here.
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