NHL Monday: Rangers spoil Kings’ home opener

Entering the third period on Monday night, the Edmonton Oilers were facing a three-goal deficit against the New Jersey Devils and had managed to get just 11 shots on Martin Brodeur. It seemed pretty hopeless at that point and it was just a matter of New Jersey continuing to lock everything down and sending the Oilers to an 0-3 start.

And then the floodgates opened.

So that happened.

Sometimes even the great ones have an off night.

In 45 games last season, Callahan scored 16 goals to go with 15 assists, but his value goes well beyond just the point totals as he’s also the Rangers’ best defensive forward and penalty killer.

Update: Callahan returned for the third period of Monday’s game.

Nugent-Hopkins returned to the Oilers lineup after missing the first two games of the season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and immediately made an impact, sparking a third period rally that saw the team score four goals in seven minutes to erase a 3-0 deficit.

He is not only coming off an injury-shortened season, but it was also a terribly unlucky season when it came to his production as he was held to just four goals on 78 shots in 40 games. Â Provided he can stay healthy he should be a nice bounce back candidate in 2013-14.

Stepan forced the turnover, Nash put the initial shot on net, and Richards was there to bang in the rebound.

The 33-year-old Richards still has seven years (including this one) remaining on the nine-year, $60 million contract he signed with the club prior to the 2011-12 season. There were some rough patches during the 2012-13 season, especially in the playoffs when he was at times relegated to the team’s fourth line and was even a healthy scratch. He still finished the regular season with 34 points in 48 games.

It’s Jagr’s first with the Devils and the 682nd goal of his NHL career, good enough for 10th on the all-time list. Many of them have looked just like that one as he cuts to the center of the ice and lets one go from between the circles.

He is now just eight goals behind his former teammate, Hockey Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux for the No. 9 spot.

Nugent-Hopkins was projected to miss the first month of the season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. Turns out he’ll only miss the first week. Whether Nugent-Hopkins is ready to return remains to be seen, but hopefully we’ll have a better understanding after Monday night.

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