Thanksgiving week is over, and we all must return to reality of our daily lives.
NHL scores: Upstart Predators, Flames continue to dominate competition
It was more of the same from the NHL’s biggest surprises on Saturday.
Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Except for the NHL, of course. The reality that is the NHL’s standings after two months is extremely surprising.
That the Penguins lead the league in points isn't too much of a stretch of the imagination. After all, Pittsburgh is one of the most consistently great teams in hockey. It's the next few teams with them atop the standings should make most fans scratch their heads.
Nashville. Tampa Bay. The Islanders. Calgary. Five teams that many didn't predict would sniff the playoffs (outside of Tampa Bay). And yet there they were on Saturday, cleaning up their opponents with relative ease and solidifying their place among the NHL's best. This is a great thing for the sport, mainly because the underachieving teams below them have to start reaching their potential at some point. When that happens, standings chaos will reign and the race to the playoffs will be more exciting than ever.
Can April get here already?
All the NHL Scores
Maple Leafs 6, Capitals 2
Islanders 3, Devils 1
Penguins 3, Hurricanes 2
Predators 2, Blue Jackets 1
Blackhawks 4, Kings 1
Three things we learned
1. Losing 9-2 to Nashville a few weeks ago might have been the best thing that could've happened to Toronto. After a commanding 6-2 win against Washington on Saturday the Leafs are 3-0-1 since that Predators rout. They look dangerous and more composed on the back end, while Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk continue to light up opponents at a scorching pace. Maybe they needed to hit rock bottom to pull things together.
2. The Sharks absolutely have the Ducks’ number this season. San Jose took down its division rivals 4-1 on Oct. 26, and picked up right where it left off on Saturday by jumping out to a 5-1 lead. Maybe the mumps are affecting the Ducks more than we thought, or maybe San Jose just has them figured out this year. Either way, the Ducks are sinking fast, although their late-game comeback had to be encouraging.
3. Ben Bishop continues to prove his breakout 2013-14 season wasn't a fluke. Bishop gave up just one goal on 27 shots in his return to Ottawa on Saturday, the latest edition in a superb season for the Lightning netminder.
Impact Moment
The Wild and Canadiens made big impacts off the ice on Saturday. The Wild signed defenseman Marco Scandella to a five-year, $20 million extension just hours after the Habs signed Brendan Gallagher to a six-year, $22.5 million extension. Both are reasonable contracts for two budding stars in the NHL.
Stat of the Night
@DallasStars 8-29-3 record in back to backs since 2011-2012. Ouch.
— Mike Modano (@9modano) November 30, 2014 Post to Post
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