THREE STARS FOR TUESDAY
1. Eric Staal, Montreal Canadiens
Well that’s how you make a debut, eh?
The newest member of the Canadiens scored the game winner with some flare, helping Montreal toppled the Oilers in overtime.
He became the 10th player to ever score an overtime winner in his first game with a new team. The win helped Montreal extend its points lead to eight in the standings, with four games in hand ahead of Calgary, too.
The Canadiens needed an offensive boost, and the addition of Staal seems like it’ll do just that. Pretty good start for his Canadiens career.
2. Michael Bunting, Arizona Coyotes
Entering Tuesday night, Michael Bunting had just one goal on season.
He left the contest with the Kings with three in that game alone.
In his fourth game this season, and the ninth of his NHL career, Bunting produced more goals in the single contest than he had in his entire career combined. For a team trying to make a playoff push and get any offense they can, that’s a good sign.
For him, it was his first career hat trick, one of four hat tricks for the team this season. Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored a hat trick of his own the night prior.
Not a bad start for Bunting, and not a bad way to pick up some points and get some offensive momentum for the Yotes.
3. Pierre-Luc Dubois, Winnipeg Jets
If anyone is wondering who won the early season Columbus - Winnipeg trade, it’s Dubois. He netted his eighth and ninth goals with Winnipeg on Tuesday night in the Jets 4-3 win over Ottawa.
The Jets moved a point ahead of the Oilers with the win, behind a solid offensive output from Winnipeg overall, but it was a perfect illustration of how well Dubois really has worked out for the Jets.
On Tuesday, the center scored once on the power play and once even strength. Before that, he had just a goal and a point in his last five games, but upped his totals to 17 points since joining the Jets overall.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NIGHT
- Here’s a look at Eric Staal’s overtime game winner, his first tally with the Canadiens.
🚨 ERIC STAAL 🚨
— NHL (@NHL) April 6, 2021
First game for the @CanadiensMTL... success!
NHL x @trulyseltzer pic.twitter.com/HtakrIBwsq
- In Boston, another player was scoring an overtime winner, in a much needed victory for the Flyers, off the stick of Travis Sanheim.
Travis Sanheim (@sanheim17) 🤝 OT winner
— NHL (@NHL) April 6, 2021
NHL x @trulyseltzer pic.twitter.com/VGH07XeNOW
STATS OF THE NIGHT
- Colorado’s win was their 15th consecutive game earning at least a standing point but it also snapped Minnesota’s franchise-record 11-game winning streak at home.
- Sanheim’s overtime winner was the second of his career, the last time being on January 31, 2019, also against the Bruins.
- Bunting’s hat trick was the fourth Coyotes hat trick over the course of nine games, the second time that’s happened in franchise history (Feb. 22-Mar. 9, 1993).
SCORES
Flyers 3, Bruins 2 (OT)
Avalanche 5, Wild 3
Golden Knights 6, Blues 1
Jets 4, Senators 3
Canadiens 3, Oilers 2 (OT)
Coyotes 5, Kings 2
Maple Leafs 5, Flames 3
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Marisa Ingemi is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop her a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Ingemi.