NHL scores 2017: Josh Ho-Sang, Islanders get last laugh in Pittsburgh

Oh, Doug Weight. Why didn’t you put Josh Ho-Sang into the shootout?

That narrative thread was right there, waiting to be pulled. Not that it kept the New York Islanders from savoring a win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road. The shootout win left the Islanders tied for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card berth.

And it gave Ho-Sang a personal win.

Average Joe Pens Fan doesn’t have an opinion about the Islanders rookie wearing number 66, which happens to be the same number Mario Lemieux wore. At least not until media members (you know who you are) started raising a stink about it in the name of respect, or something.

If the media feeds a narrative, fans will eat it up. It’s not their fault. But it led to Ho-Sang getting booed whenever he touched the puck on Friday, a sad but inevitable result. Luckily, those boos died out as fans (and even media members) realized how talented the kid is:

Hopefully this little saga is over.

Islanders 4, Penguins 3 (SO)

Lightning 2, Red Wings 1

Stars 6, Sharks 1

Ducks 3, Jets 1

1. The Stars have some life left

Or at least Adam Cracknell does. The unheralded fourth liner for the Stars registered his first career hat trick in a surprising 6-1 win over the Sharks. Cracknell had never scored more than three times in one season before signing with Dallas last offseason.

Now he has 10 goals on the year, a shiny new contract, and claim to one of the few bright spots for the Stars.

2. Nikita Kucherov deserves Hart Trophy votes

A lot of them.

Kucherov scored his 38th goal of the year and 23rd since the All-Star Break. Stamkos is gone. Tyler Johnson has been hurt. The Lightning, so depleted, had every excuse to fold and prepare for the offseason. But Kucherov has almost single-handedly carried them to where they are now: one point out of a playoff spot. Remarkable.

3. The Ducks are coming for you, Sharks

San Jose picked a bad time to start dropping games to teams like the Stars.

The Ducks are on a tear, claiming nine points in five games to tie the Sharks atop the Pacific Division standings. The Western Conference landscape seems as even as ever.

Here’s Penguins fans booing Josh Ho-Sang. Sigh.

Glad they got that out of their system. Now let’s get over it.