Three Stars
1. Robin Lehner
Both the Islanders and Coyotes had incentive to win on Sunday, but only the Isles could score any goals, as Lehner continues his fantastic season.
Lehner earned his fifth shutout of 2018-19 by stopping all 31 shots by Arizona. He’s pushed his excellent save percentage to .928 on the season, improving to a 22-12-5 record. On a day full of strong goalie performances - even by those who lost, such as Philipp Grubauer - Lehner stood out as the brightest of the bright.
It’s truly remarkable to see the goaltending the Isles have enjoyed from Lehner and Thomas Greiss.
2. Josh Anderson
It’s tempting to run with the goaltending theme, as Sergei Bobrovsky’s up-and-down season persisted with another very “up” moment: a shutout, his seventh of 2018-19. Yet, Bob only needed to make 21 saves against the lowly Canucks to do so.
Of the Blue Jackets who contributed to an absolutely crucial win, Anderson had the best game, scoring two goals and one assist.
The first of Anderson’s two goals ended up being the game-winner, while he enjoyed a +4 rating, fired three SOG, and delivered one hit. He was also reasonably close to a hat trick, but just missed on that attempt.
It turns out the Blue Jackets can be pretty dangerous when they get at least a few bounces.
3. Braden Holtby
The Capitals maintained their lead on the Metro Division title despite Lehner pitching a shutout because Holtby was his steady self.
Holtby stopped 35 out of 36 shots in this win, only allowing a power-play goal on Sunday. After losing despite only allowing two goals in his last appearance against the Wild, Holtby improved to 28-19-5 record on the season. With two more victories, Holtby will generate his fifth consecutive 30+ win season.
How did the Hurricanes celebrate their latest win?
Carolina went fishing. Goofy-fun:
Highlights of the Night
Duncan Keith already impressed in containing Nathan MacKinnon during an overtime one-on-one chance, and that outdid himself with a tremendous game-winner:
Lehner’s been a revelation for the Islanders this season, and he could do worse than showing this clip when it comes time for contract negotiations:
Factoids
- Barry Trotz looks nearly certain to win the Jack Adams this season, and while it won’t be a lifetime achievement award, reaching his 1,600th game coached is a reminder that he’s already enjoyed an incredible career.
- Andrei Svechnikov became the youngest overtime goal-scorer in Hurricanes history, as he found the net two days before his 19th birthday. The second pick of the 2018 NHL Draft also reached the 20-goal mark with that tally.
Scores
WSH 3 - PHI 1
NYI 2 - ARI 0
CAR 2 - MTL 1 (OT)
CHI 2 - COL 1 (OT)
CBJ 5 - VAN 0
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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.