Carolina forward Jeff Skinner, St. Louis goalie Brian Elliott and Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter were named the NHL’s three stars of the week on Monday.
Skinner getting first star honors was a no-brainer, as he led all skaters with six goals and nine points as the ‘Canes ripped off their first four-game winning streak of the season. Skinner, 21, scored 2G-1A in a win over Montreal, recorded a hat trick against Washington, notched one assist against the Islanders, then scored the game-winning goal against Nashville on Sunday.
Elliott, the second star of the week, filled in admirably for Jaroslav Halak (illness) by posting a 3-0-0 record with a 1.00 GAA and .962 save percentage as the Blues maintained their hold on second in the Central Division, and recorded the best 41-game start in franchise history (29-7-5). The highlight of Elliott’s week came with a 5-0 shutout of Los Angeles -- it was his 15th shutout with St. Louis, one shy of tying Glenn Hall for second-most in club history.
Suter, the third star, led all NHL defensemen with four goals and tied for first with six points. Suter did most of his damage in a pair of wins, recording two assists in a 4-1 victory over Buffalo and notching his first career hat trick in a 5-3 win over Washington. The hatty was extra special as Suter only needed three shots to do it.