Three Stars
1. Mackenzie Blackwood, New Jersey Devils. Just an absolutely sensational performance on Sunday to lift the Devils to a 1-0 win over the Boston Bruins. Blackwood made 40 saves to record the shutout including a game-saving stop right along the goal line in the closing seconds. Blackwood is one of the key building blocks for the Devils and he showed how he can be a game-changer on Sunday. They do not win this game without him playing at an absurd level. You can read more about this wild game here.
2. Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers. Sunday’s 4-1 win for the Panthers ended up being a costly game because of the significant injury to star defenseman Aaron Ekblad. But it was still a big two points for the Panthers in the standings, and Huberdeau played a huge role with a two-goal effort. He and Aleksander Barkov form one of the best offensive duos in the league and now that they have some support around them elsewhere on the roster they are getting an opportunity to shine.
3. Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals. Things got a little too close for comfort for the Capitals late in the third period of their 5-4 win against the New York Rangers, but they were able to hold on to maintain their spot at the top of the East Division. Wilson was one of the stars on Sunday by scoring a pair of goals, including a beautiful goal that saw him knock the puck out of mid-air to beat Rangers goalie Keith Kinkaid.
Other Notable Performances From Sunday
• Josh Manson scored the overtime winner for the Anaheim Ducks as they beat the St. Louis Blues, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon. The Blues can not afford to be losing games to the Ducks and giving away points in the standings.
• For the second game in a row the Detroit Red Wings were able to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets and put a dent in their playoff push. You can read more about that game here.
• Roman Josi’s goal in the third period helped the Nashville Predators extend their winning streak to five games (and give them seven wins in their past eight games) to help them climb into a playoff position in the Central Division. You can read more about that game here.
Highlights Of The Day
Blackwood makes the best play of the game and one of the saves of the year.
Tom Wilson’s second goal of the game required some nifty hand-eye coordination.
The Blackhawks did not win but Aled DeBrincat scored two goals including this absolutely incredible individual effort to tie the game in the third period against the Nashville Predators.
Scores
Washington Capitals 5, New York Rangers 4
Detroit Red Wings 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 1
Anaheim Ducks 3, St. Louis Blues 2 (OT)
New Jersey Devils 1, Boston Bruins 0
Florida Panthers 4, Dallas Stars 1
Nashville Predators 3, Chicago Blackhawks 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.