NHL Saturday: Islanders score 3 late goals, beat Penguins

For the Blackhawks, who have routinely put up dominant possession numbers and unreasonably low shooting percentages, this was really the perfect matchup to break out. The Oilers aren’t as bad as their records indicates, but goaltending has been a major issue for the team this season, and Saturday’s performance didn’t build much confidence.

Chicago doesn’t one of the best records in the league yet, but it’s climbing the standings, and few teams have played better of late. Not as if you needed a reminder, but the Blackhawks are indeed for real this season.

We could also probably use this for the “Why hockey is better with helmets” highlight video, as well.

That’s just not a smart play by the Oilers’ captain. Ference appears to be trying to swat the puck out of harm’s way, but given its location and the angle at which he approaches, there’s basically no way the defenseman squeezes that outside the post and into safety near the corner.

Carolina winger Alex Semin appears to have a surefire goal on the rebound once his original shot caroms off the iron, with seemingly nothing left between him and a goal. However, Pickard somehow managed to maneuver and locate the puck, then swat it with his stick into his grasp at the absolute last instant.

Here’s another angle of the unbelievable save:

Here’s a closer look at how the breakaway opportunity for Holland came together:

Be warned, it’s not a pretty sight:

Polak couldn’t get off the ice under his own power and immediately headed to the locker room after the injury. His status is unclear at this point as the Maple Leafs evaluate their defenseman, but the team has announced he won’t return Saturday.

(Coburn was the one who turned the puck over to start the odd-man rush, by the way.)

While it’s clear that Coburn has a burning desire to exterminate Mason, it’s unclear why. Maybe it’s because Coburn isn’t featured as a zombie on Mason’s goalie mask or maybe he owes him some money.

Yikes.

Montreal has owned the season series so far, with both games they’ve won coming in Montreal. Both wins were high-octane offensive performances, and the Bruins haven’t shown signs recently of shoring up their back end. All signs point to a Canadiens win, but if Boston’s win on Friday proved anything it’s that the B’s are not to be underestimated when the going gets tough. We can’t wait to see how this one unfolds on Saturday night at TD Garden.

The Canadiens have won their last four regular season games in Boston, dating back to 2013.