Three Stars
1. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars. After all of the drama earlier this season the Dallas Stars are looking like a playoff team, and not surprisingly, the two players that took the most heat from their CEO -- Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn -- are a big reason why. Seguin was dominant on Tuesday night in a 3-0 win over the Florida Panthers, figuring in on all three Stars goals, scoring two and assisting on another.
2. James van Riemsdyk, Philadelphia Flyers. The Philadelphia Flyers probably deserved a better result on Monday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but things have a funny way of working out. It looked like they were headed for a second consecutive loss for most of the night until they stormed back for a third period rally against the Minnesota Wild. James van Riemsdyk scored two goals on the night, including the game-winner on the power play with less than five minutes to play in regulation. The playoffs still seem like a long shot, but they are definitely looking like a team that is on the right track.
3. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning. The matchup of the night was in Tampa Bay where the best team in the Eastern Conference -- the Tampa Bay Lightning -- faced off against the best team in the Western Conference -- The Calgary Flames. The Lightning showed that for as good as the Flames may be, they are still the top team in the NHL right now and cruised to a 6-3 win. Leading the way was Nikita Kucherov with a four-point night, which is already his fifth four-point game of the season. He is now up to a league-leading 88 points on the season.
Other Notable Performances From Tuesday
- The Columbus Blue Jackets completely shut down the Washington Capitals in a 3-0 win. The Capitals managed just seven shots on goal through the first two periods and rarely seemed to be a threat to score. It was one of the Blue Jackets’ best showings of the season. Yes, just as they did after their previous win over the Capitals, there were some Evgeny Kuznetsov bird celebrations being done on the ice and also in the stands from fans.
- The Boston Bruins received a four-point night from Brad Marchand in a big win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
- The St. Louis Blues remained hot with their seventh win in a row to continue solidifying their playoff spot.
- Mark Scheifele scored a pair of goals for the Winnipeg Jets in a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers.
- Teuvo Teravainen scored two goals for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators as they kept pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Highlights of the Night
Jeff Skinner shows off his quick release to help lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-1 win over the New York Islanders.
Jimmy Howard boosted that trade value for the Detroit Red Wings by backstopping them to a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators, thanks in large part to these saves right here.
Columbus’ win over the Capitals was not just about defense. It also had this slick passing play completed by Nick Foligno to help put the game away late in the third period.
Factoids
- Vladimir Tarasenko’s point streak is at a career-high nine games. [NHL PR]
- No goalie in the NHL has more shutouts since the start of the 2016-17 season than Sergei Bobrovsky [NHL PR]
- The Toronto Maple Leafs scored three power play goals in 1:49 on Tuesday night, the fifth-fastest sequence in franchise history. [NHL PR]
Scores
Buffalo Sabres 3, New York Islanders 1
Columbus Blue Jackets 3, Washington capitals 0
Boston Bruins 6, Chicago Blackhawks 3
Dallas Stars 3, Florida Panthers 0
Carolina Hurricanes 4, Ottawa Senators 1
Tampa Bay Lightning 6, Calgary Flames 3
Winnipeg Jets 4, New York Rangers 3
St. Louis Blues 8, New Jersey Devils 3
Detroit Red Wings 3, Nashville Predators 2
Philadelphia Flyers 5, Minnesota Wild 4
Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Colorado Avalanche 2
Arizona Coyotes 5, Vegas Golden Knights 2
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.