Maxim Lapierre and David Perron share an intense and adorable moment.
No. 1 Star: Evander Kane, Winnipeg Jets
The Jets issued a massive statement Thursday, crushing the Southeast-leading Florida Panthers with a 7-0, home-ice rout to move into 8th place in the East and only two points back of the division lead. Kane led the way with 2 goals and 2 assists, and Mark Stuart, Kyle Wellwood and Blake Wheeler all chipped in with 2-point nights. Ondrej Pavelec made 33 saves for the shutout. It was a total team effort, as evidenced by this asinine 5-on-1:
No. 2 Star: David Krejci, Boston Bruins
Krejci scored every goal that mattered for Boston: their first, to open the scoring only 1:13 in; their third, to tie the game at 3 apiece 5:30 into the final frame after the Bruins had surrendered three straight in the second; and the overtime winner to give the Bruins the 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. It was Krejci's second-career hat trick and gave the Bruins the series sweep over the Devils.
No. 3 Star: Steve Mason, Columbus Blue Jackets
At this point, if Steve Mason gets a shutout, he's gonna get a star, and that's exactly what the much-maligned former Calder winner did Thursday. Mason made 33 saves to lead the Blue Jackets to a 2-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, who now suffer the ignominy of being the team that got shut out by Steve Mason. Fedor Tyutin had a goal and an assist in the win.
Honourable mention: The only thing more unexpected than a Steve Mason shutout was the strangest game of the year candidate we got out of the Montreal Canadiens and the Minnesota Wild. The Canadiens took it, 5-4, in a shootout on a winner by David Desharnais, who also had a goal and 2 assists... Jarome Iginla had a goal and an assist as the Calgary Flames ended the Phoenix Coyotes 12-game run without a regulation loss in a 4-2 win... Marian Gaborik had a goal and an assist in the New York Rangers' 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes...Matt Read had 2 goals and an assist and Jaromir Jagr had 1 and 1 as the Philadelphia Flyers doubled up on the New York Islanders, 6-3. Josh Bailey scored twice in the loss... Ryan Miller made 39 saves for the shutout as the Buffalo Sabres knocked off the San Jose Sharks, 1-0. Drew Stafford had the winner... Roberto Luongo made 29 saves as the Vancouver Canucks knocked off the St. Louis Blues 2-0. Alex Burrows had the winner there.
Did you know? Jaromir Jagr's two-point night put him ahead Joe Sakic for 8th place on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 1,642 points. He's right where he should be, alongside Mario Lemieux, who in 7th place with 1,723 points.
Dishonourable mention: The Panthers only trailed the Jets 2-0 going into the third. Then they surrendered 5 goals... James Van Riemsdyk's tough season got tougher, as he broke his foot blocking a Milan Jurcina shot in the Flyers' win over the Isles... the Wild lost Niklas Backstrom to what looks to be a long-term leg injury early in their loss to the Canadiens.