Top player in the NHL on Wednesday
Viktor Arvidsson, Los Angeles Kings
Huge two points for the Kings on Wednesday night as they were 3-2 winners against the Arizona Coyotes. Arvidssoon scored two goals in the win, including the game-winning goal with less than three minutes to playa in regulation. Arvidsson was one of the Kings’ big offseason moves and he now has 15 goals on the season. This has been Arvidsson’s most productive season in four years.
Highlights from around the NHL on Wednesday
Corey Perry scores the 400th goal of his career to help lead the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Edmonton Oilers. Read all about it here.
Massive win for the Dallas Stars to get two points as they beat the Winnipeg Jets, 3-2, in overtime. Tyler Seguin scored the game-winning goal to give the Stars the win in overtime on this close play. Seguin has been on a roll for the Stars lately, an important development as they make a push for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot.
Nick Suzuki scores two goals for the Montreal Canadiens, including this penalty shot goal in a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Three takeaways from the NHL on Wednesday
Oilers goalie problems not going away
The Edmonton Oilers played well enough to beat the the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night, and with better goaltending they probably would have. But Mike Smith continues to struggle and still has a save percentage under .900 for the season. He allowed four goals on 22 shots and has now allowed eight goals on 29 shots over his past two games. That level of goaltending is not going to cut it, and it is going to have to be something the Oilers address before the trade deadline.
Canadiens win again as Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki continue to shine
The Montreal Canadiens won their fourth consecutive game under head coach Martin St. Louis, and it was the top line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Josh Anderson continuing to shine. Suzuki was downright dominant on Wednesday, scoring two goals while Caufield continued to turn his season around under the new coach. Caufield now has six goals and 10 total points under St. Louis in only seven games after recording just one goal and eight total points in 30 games under former coach Dominque Ducharme. The line of Caufield, Suzuki, and Anderson has been great since St. Louis put it together, outscoring teams by a 5-1 margin when they are on the ice during 5-on-5 play while controlling the shot attempts and scoring chances.
Stars bounce back
Massive win for the Dallas Stars on Wednesday as they bounced back from an ugly loss against the Arizona Coyotes in their most recent outing. They have been a wildly inconsistent team this season but are looking like they are getting back on track now that Tyler Seguin is starting to get rolling again to complement their top line. The win on Wednesday puts them into a playoff spot in the Western Conference if we look at points percentage (their .580 points percentage would put them in the second Wild Card spot, even though they technically trail Edmonton by one point in the standings).
Thursday’s big story
Brad Marchand is expected to return from his six-game suspension for the Boston Bruins when they visit the Seattle Kraken. He has not played since he was suspended for punching Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry in the head and then high-sticking him. There are also some fantastic matchups around the league on Thursday including the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers with MVP candidates Alex Ovechkin and Igor Shesterkin facing off, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Minnesota Wild, and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine trying to continue his recent great play when they visit the Florida Panthers.
Wednesday’s NHL Scores
Dallas Stars 3, Winnipeg Jets 2 (OT)
Colorado Avalanche 5, Detroit Red Wings 2
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Edmonton Oilers 3
Montreal Canadiens 4, Buffalo Sabres 0
Los Angeles Kings 3, Arizona Coyotes 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.