Top player from Friday in the NHL
Carter Hart, Philadelphia Flyers
Finally, the Philadelphia Flyers are back in the win column. They snapped their 10-game losing streak on Friday night with a 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights and they have their power play and Carter Hart to thank for it. The Flyers scored two third period power play goals to snap a 2-2 tie, while Hart stopped 41 of the 44 shots he faced to help carry the Flyers to a win. Hart has been one of the few bright spots in Philadelphia for most of this season, and he played one of his best games of the season on Friday night when the Flyers needed him most. If he was anything less than spectacular in this game the losing streak might have very easily reached 11 consecutive games.
Highlights from Friday in the NHL
The Florida Panthers got all the offense they would need on Friday night during this 10-second stretch against the Arizona Coyotes where they scored two goals. They would hold on to win, 3-1, to maintain their NHL best points percentage.
Neither Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin scored a goal in their matchup, but Danton Heinen got the scoring started for the Pittsburgh Penguins in their 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals, completing this nice passing play from defenseman John Marino.
The Vancouver Canucks have their flaws, but they also have a lot of young talent. Nils Hoglander is one of those young talents and he was outstanding in their win on Friday night.
Three Takeaways from Friday in the NHL
Colorado’s offense is unreal
Another night, another seven-goal game for the Colorado Avalanche. Literally. Their 7-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday was the third consecutive game they scored seven goals, and already the sixth time they have hit that mark this season. It is just incredible how dominant this offense is. The Avalanche are now averaging 4.26 goals per game, by far the highest mark in the league. Florida and Minnesota are the only two other teams averaging more than 3.50 goals per game, while nobody is averaging more than 3.80 goals per game. The gap between Colorado and Florida at the one and two spots is the same as the gap between Florida and Carolina at the second and ninth spots.
Canucks stay unbeaten under Bruce Boudreau
The Vancouver Canucks are having some fun again. Their 4-3 shootout win against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night improved their record to 3-0-0 since the coaching change that brought in Bruce Boudreau to replace Travis Green. Nils Hoglander scored a pair of goals in the win on Friday, while Thatcher Demko made a series of highlight reel saves in the win.
Rangers win again
The New York Rangers are positioned to be contenders this season, and they can be even better if they start getting some goal scoring from the likes of Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere. Both of them scored on Friday in a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. That win, combined with Washington’s regulation loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, helps the Rangers maintain the top spot in the Metropolitan Division. They also got some help on a controversial offside review at the end of the game, negating what could have been a game-tying goal for the Sabres.
Saturday’s big story
The Minnesota Wild are in Los Angeles with a chance to extend their lead in the Central Division and their current winning streak. The Wild enter the game riding an eight-game winning streak and have been one of the league’s best teams this season, scoring goals at an historic rate in franchise history. Kirill Kaprizov has completely transformed this entire organization and has them looking like legitimate Stanley Cup contenders this season.
Friday’s NHL Scores
New York Rangers 2, Buffalo Sabres 1
Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Washington Capitals 2
Nashville Predators 3, New Jersey Devils 2
Colorado Avalanche 7, Detroit Red Wings 3
Florida Panthers 3, Arizona Coyotes 1
Philadelphia Flyers 4, Vegas Golden Knights 3
Vancouver Canucks 4, Winnipeg Jets 3 (SO)
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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.