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The Buzzer: Price is right for Canadiens, Malkin’s 400th goal, and Hall’s impact

NHL Scores Taylor Hall Coyotes Debut

VANCOUVER, BC - DECEMBER 17: Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens is congratulated by teammates Ben Chiarot #8 and Shea Weber #6 after winning their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena December 17, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Montreal won 3-1. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

Three Stars

1. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens. If the Canadiens are going to make the playoffs they are going to need more performances like this from Price. He stopped 38 shots on Tuesday and helped the Canadiens pick up a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Price had a slow start to the season but has started to get back on track over the past couple of weeks. He has won four of his past five starts with a .952 save percentage during that stretch.

2. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes. Aho is on quite the run for the Hurricanes. His three point effort on Tuesday (including two goals to put him over the 20-goal mark for the fourth consecutive year to start his career) gives him 11 points over the past five games. His assist numbers are down a little this season, but he is currently on pace for 48 goals as he continues to have an incredible chemistry with linemate Teuvo Teravainen.

3. Taylor Hall, Arizona Coyotes. His stat line in his Coyotes debut is not one that will wow you. He finished with just one assist in 18 minutes and attempted three shots in 18 minutes of ice time. But he still did exactly what the Coyotes acquired him to do -- make an impact in a close game. With the Coyotes and Sharks playing in a 2-2 tie late in the third period, Hall used his speed to win a race for a loose puck, maintain possession, and set up Oliver Ekman-Larsson for the game-winning goal. Hard to ask for more than that in a debut. He will make his home debut on Thursday when the Coyotes host the Minnesota Wild.

Other notable performances from Tuesday


  • Thanks to big nights from John Marino, Bryan Rust and Tristan Jarry the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to pick up a huge 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames. That game also featured a milestone goal for Evgeni Malkin as he scored the 400th goal of his career.
  • Craig Smith and Calle Jarnkrok both had three points as the Nashville Predators scored seven consecutive goals to rout the New York Islanders, 8-3, ending the Islanders’ 13-game point streak on home ice (they went 12-0-1 during the streak).
  • A late goal from Matt Roy and an overtime winner from Anze Kopitar helped lift the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-3 win over the slumping Boston Bruins.
  • Carter Hart made 40 saves and the Flyers’ stars (Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, and Jakub Voracek) all had big games in a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The Flyers and their fans also showed support for forward Oskar Lindblom during the game. Read about that here.
  • Gustav Nyquist had two points, including a goal, in his return to Detroit as the Columbus Blue Jackets picked up a 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings.

Highlights of the Night

Auston Matthews scored two goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres, including this beauty. Read all about his game and the Maple Leafs’ big win here.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24 shots for the Vegas Golden Knights in their 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild and none were better than this stop. He earned career win No. 453 and is just one win away from moving into a tie for sixth-place with Curtis Joseph on the NHL’s all-time wins list.

The Tampa Bay Lightning allowed a two-goal lead to slip away against the Ottawa Senators but still managed to get the win thanks to this beauty of a goal from Anthony Cirelli in overtime.

You also need to take one more look at Andrei Svechnikov’s second lacrosse-style goal of the season for the Carolina Hurricanes. You can do that right here.

Blooper of the Night

Nikita Kucherov did not play much in the third period of the Lightning’s win, but he did score the game’s first goal. Senators goalie Marcus Hogberg losing his stick and looking completely out of sorts certainly helped.

Factoids


  • Lou Lamoriello has now been an NHL general manager for 2,500 games. [NHL PR]
  • Thomas Chabot played 37 minutes for the Senators on Tuesday night (on the second night of a back-to-back!). According to Hockey-Reference, only Dennis Wideman’s 38 minutes in 2014 are more for a regular season game. [Elliotte Friedman]
  • Jack Eichel’s point streak is at 17 consecutive games, one away from tying the Buffalo Sabres’ franchise record. [NHL PR]

Scores

Los Angeles Kings 4, Boston Bruins 3 (OT)
Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Buffalo Sabres 3
Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Ottawa Senators 3 (OT)
Nashville Predators 8, New York Islanders 3
Philadelphia Flyers 4, Anaheim Ducks 1
Columbus Blue Jackets 5, Detroit Red Wings 3
Carolina Hurricanes 6, Winnipeg Jets 3
Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Calgary Flames 1
Montreal Canadiens 3, Vancouver Canucks 1
Vegas Golden Knights 3, Minnesota Wild 2
Arizona Coyotes 3, San Jose Sharks 2

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.