Top players from Monday in the NHLTimo Meier and some other Sharks
This edition of the Monday NHL Rink Wrap presents a challenge. After all, you canât really avoid marinating in a record-breaking night for Timo Meier and the San Jose Sharks. Yet, with there already being a post on those five (5) goals for Timo Meier, and eight games total on the Monday NHL schedule, it makes sense to spread the wealth, too.
But, goodness, what a night by Timo Meier. Previously, multiple Sharks held the team record with four goals in a single game. Remarkably, Meier collected all five of those goals in the first two periods, including a hat trick in the opening frame. They wonât get the headlines, but Erik Karlsson (three assists, reached 500 helpers for his career) and Tomas Hertl (four assists) werenât far behind him.
And the Sharks can thank James Reimer (39 out of 41 saves) for not needing all five of those Meier goals. Overall, the Sharks reached six goals on just 17 shots on goal, with Meier firing six of those SOG.
Speaking of not far behind Timo Meier, top Blues scorers from Monday were almost as worthy of NHL player of the night. In the case of Brayden Schenn and Ivan Barbashev, the two Blues forwards scored four points (2G, 2A) apiece. Ryan O'Reilly generated three points (1G, 2A) of his own.
With Schenn and especially ROR, great results arenât that surprising. But Barbashevâs been quite the revelation so far this season. (Congrats if you took a chance on him in your fantasy league, by the way.)
After that four-point outburst, Barbashevâs at 34 points (15G, 19A) in 38 games. Heâs already easily eclipsed his previous career-highs of 26 points, set in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Hot take: even if Barbashev is boosted by his linemates, the Blues have to be ecstatic that he only carries a $2.25M AAV through next season.
NHL highlights from Monday
Footage and analysis of that Timo Meier five-goal game from NBC Sports Bay Area:
Next time your friend complains that youâre spamming wraparound goals in âNHL â94,â* send them this Jake Guentzel goal. (Then run away/hang up before they can say âYeah, but it barely ever happens.â)
How long can you really go without a great Marc-Andre Fleury save? Canât be more than a month (of active play), right?
Ryan Donato, the person who scored the first Seattle Kraken goal, helped the team end a nine-game losing streak with this shootout tally:
* â Please just allow me to imagine a world where people still play âNHL â94â against each other, ideally on a saggy couch. OK?
Monday NHL Takeaways
Watch the Blues retire Chris Prongerâs number 44
As memorable as Chris Prongerâs other stops ended up being, St. Louis is where he accomplished the extremely rare feat of winning a Hart Trophy as a defenseman.
(Side note: itâs a crime Pronger, and while I mention it, Jarome Iginla, never ended up with a Conn Smythe. Then again, Pronger was a bit of a puck bandit himself.)
Kraken end huge losing streak, Flyersâ skid extends to eight
Heading into the 2021-22 NHL season, both the Flyers and Kraken boasted somewhat reasonable playoff hopes. (The Flyers, in particular, are spending with such expectations.)
Welp.
Each team is fairly deep into the point where fans are conflicted. Losing stinks, and watching a losing team is no fun. But every loss could help the Kraken and Flyers inch closer to the sort of draft lottery odds that might bring better hope in the future.
Even so, thereâs a cutoff point where you just want a little relief. The Kraken received that on Monday, ending their losing streak at nine games; with that, the Flyers now lead the NHL with a league-worst eight-game losing streak.
In case youâre wondering, the Flyers havenât won a single game since the calendar reached 2022. Maybe fittingly, the Flyers won their last game on Dec. 29 ⌠by beating the Kraken in overtime.
(Things arenât a whole lot better for the Canadiens, either, as they dropped their sixth straight loss. And that loss came against the crummy Coyotes.)
Maybe a 3-0 lead isnât safe against the Penguins
Entering the first intermission, the Golden Knights seemed like they might make a bit of a statement with a 3-0 lead against the Penguins. Apparently that statement was âmaybe a 3-0 lead isnât so safe against the Penguins?â
Itâs gotta sting a little bit extra that Jason Zucker (two goals) factored into the Penguinsâ comeback against the Golden Knights. After all, Zucker grew up in Las Vegas, and there were early expansion rumors about the Golden Knights trying to bring in the local product.
As cool as that story would have been, things seemed to work out for both Zucker and the Vegas Golden Knights. It just so happens that they worked out better for Zucker and the Penguins during the NHL action on Monday.
Tuesdayâs big story
Bruins retire Willie OâReeâs number 22
When Willie OâRee was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018, many of us reacted with some variation of âWhat took so long?â To some extent, the Bruins retiring Willie OâReeâs number 22 on Tuesday captures a touch of that feeling, as well.
That said, this is a very good thing, so better late than never.
Also better late than never: check out this great âHockey Cultureâ video series. A year ago, Willie OâRee discussed the importance of MLK Jr. Day in the NHL.
NHL scores from Monday
Red Wings 3, Sabres 2 (OT)
Avalanche 4, Wild 3 (SO)
Coyotes 5, Canadiens 2
Sharks 6, Kings 2
Kraken 3, Blackhawks 2 (SO)
Islanders 4, Flyers 1
Blues 5, Predators 3
Penguins 5, Golden Knights 3
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James OâBrien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.
