The Boston Bruins keep winning and Jarome Iginla keeps scoring.
NHL Scores: Iginla scores again as Bruins extend streak; Vanek hat trick leads Canadiens
Nobody can stop Jarome Iginla and the Boston Bruins right now, while Patrick Roy’s first game as an NHL coach in Montreal ended with a loss and a Thomas Vanek hat trick.
Jim McIsaac
Iginla netted his 26th goal of the season, and his seventh in his past six games, in the Bruins’ 4-2 win over New Jersey on Tuesday as they extended their current winning streak to 10 straight games. For Iginla, the goal was the 556th of his career and moved him into a tie for 25th place on the all-time list Johnny Bucyk.
The Bruins were able to win this one without Tuukka Rask in net, instead going with backup Chad Johnson, and he didn't really have to do much, as his teammates limited New Jersey to just 24 shots on goal and were in complete control of the game from the opening puck drop. Patrice Bergeron scored his 20th goal of the season while Brad Marchand added to his league-leading shorthanded goal total with his sixth of the season.
Nobody else in the NHL has more than four shorthanded goals.
Elsewhere in the NHL on Tuesday, Patrick Roy was back in Montreal, this time as the coach of the Colorado Avalanche, and his return was a sour one for the Avs as they were on the losing end of a 6-3 decision. Thomas Vanek had a breakout game for the Canadiens, as he recorded a hat trick in the win that featured a pair of power play goals in the third period, including the game-winner to snap a 3-3 tie.
And speaking of returns, Matt Moulson was back on Long Island as a member of the Minnesota Wild and he celebrated with a pair of goals in a 6-0 rout, a performance that had Islanders fans asking for more.
The Rangers offense had a breakout game in Ottawa, as they rolled over the Senators to an 8-4 win. Rick Nash scored a shorthanded goal in the win. Martin St. Louis seemed to have his first goal with the Rangers but it was later awarded to defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
All the NHL Scores
Bruins 4, Devils 2
Wild 6, Islanders 0
Hurricanes 3, Blue Jackets 1
Canadiens 6, Avalanche 3
Red Wings 3, Maple Leafs 2
Flyers 3, Blackhawks 2
Three things we learned
1. Lee Stempniak seems to fit with Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz
Ever since Pascal Dupuis was lost for the season the Penguins have been looking for somebody to play on their top line alongside Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz. It seems that they may have found something with Lee Stempniak, one of their trade deadline acquisitions earlier this month. During their 5-1 win over Dallas on Tuesday, that trio combined for three of Pittsburgh's five goals (and Crosby was on for a fourth) and was a dominant force in the possession game. For a guy who spent the majority of the season playing in Calgary, going to a team that's giving him an opportunity to play alongside the best player in the world is quite the improvement.
2. The Devils might be done
New Jersey's already slim playoff hopes took another big hit on Tuesday night in a 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. Especially on the same night that Philadelphia, New York, Detroit and Washington all picked up wins. The Devils now find themselves five points out of a wild card spot and seven points out of the final playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, and time is quickly running out. Their only highlight on Tuesday was Martin Brodeur going for a skate and narrowly avoiding embarrassment along the boards.
3. Toronto could be in trouble
Toronto's situation isn't anywhere near as bad as New Jersey's, seeing as how the Maple Leafs are still in a playoff spot, but things are starting to get a little tight after their loss in Detroit on Tuesday. And this was a game the Leafs couldn't really afford to drop. Not only were they playing a team that is chasing them in the race, it was also a team that has been completely decimated by injuries. And they still lost in regulation. How bad are Detroit's injury problems right now? Two of their top three forwards in even-strength ice-time were Drew Miller and Luke Glendening. Total goals this season for that duo? Seven, all of them belonging to Miller. And Toronto lost to that team. The Maple Leafs have a huge game at home against Tampa Bay on Wednesday. A loss there and things will really start getting interesting down the stretch.
Impact Moment
The one play or moment from Tuesday that is going to be making headlines over the next couple of days.
The Flyers rallying from a two-goal deficit to beat Chicago is pretty huge, and Claude Giroux’s game-winner was the play of the night (even better than Scott Hartnell’s pinball goal, and Luke Schenn’s artful ability to avoid a too many men on the ice penalty), as he ripped a rocket of a shot past Chicago’s Antti Raanta with just four seconds to play in overtime. The Flyers are in the middle of a brutal stretch of games against some of the NHL’s top teams and have now won three in a row and are 7-2-1 in their past 10 games. They have played their way back into a playoff position and Giroux has played his way back into the MVP discussion.
Stat of the Night
Time for a quick lesson on score effects. When a team gets a big lead -- let's say 3-0 after two periods -- they tend to take their foot off the gas while the other team, in an effort to come from behind, takes more chances and fires shots at the net from every angle with the hope that something goes in. It can lead to some pretty crazy shot totals late in games, just as it did on Tuesday night in Columbus, where the Blue Jackets outshot Carolina, 19-0, in the third period. Some teams sit on a lead. What Carolina did takes it to a completely different level. Fortunately for them Anton Khudobin was great in net and was able to protect the lead for a 3-1 Hurricanes win.
Similar story in San Jose where the Sharks, trailing Florida 3-1, outshot the Panthers 29-2 in the third period but could not get enough past Roberto Luongo to tie the game. Luongo stopped 52 out of 54 shots for the Panthers in the win.
Post to Post
- Jamie Benn, the centerpiece of the Dallas Stars' rebuild.
- In defense of Michel Therrien, coach of the oft-criticized coach Montreal Canadiens.
- Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma and his use of matchups.
- How many more games will the Buffalo Sabres win this season?
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