Scoring five-plus goals was the norm Tuesday night. First periods were bloated compared to the final 40 minutes in almost every game and the old adage held that scoring first often means a win. Goals within the first 10 minutes worked for all six of the teams that netted them, and five of those six scored at least once more in the opening frame.
NHL scores 2015: Quick starts benefit handful of teams on stacked night of hockey
More than half of Tuesday’s games began with a lit lamp in under 10 minutes.
Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
The biggest surprise of the night was probably the Blue Jackets' beatdown of the league-leading Dallas Stars. A goal by Boone Jenner after collecting the trash in front of the net just 35 seconds after the opening faceoff set the tone for Columbus, who answered every Dallas pushback with one of their own. Four goals were scored in the first 20 minutes, three from the Blue Jackets, who ended the night with six goals for their 14th win of the year.
The Islanders also had a big night in a similar fashion to their Metropolitan Division counterparts. A goal by Brock Nelson two minutes into their game against the Leafs was one of three scored by the visiting team from New York in the first period, with the second coming 39 seconds after the opening tally. Three more in the second capped off a six-goal evening, and the Islanders finished their home-and-home with the Leafs on a high note.
Jimmy Hayes had his first of three on the night for the Bruins eight minutes into their bout with the Senators, while Jacob Trouba and Andrew Ladd put the game out of reach for the Red Wings with their goals four minutes apart for the Jets in the first. The Blackhawks also put up a pair of power play goals a minute and 15 seconds apart that blasted the doors off of the Coyotes early.
The only team that almost didn't dominate after scoring early was the Blues, who scored their first 10 minutes into the game but allowed the Predators back into it so many times that Nashville forced overtime. Alexander Steen's tally four minutes into the extra hockey period sealed the win for St. Louis, which has won three of its last four games.
Quick starts and fast offense took precedent over stingy defense and shutdown goaltending on one of the more entertaining nights of NHL hockey action since the holiday break.
Scores
Boston Bruins 7, Ottawa Senators 3
New York Islanders 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 3
Columbus Blue Jackets 6, Dallas Stars 3
St. Louis Blues 4, Nashville Predators 3 (OT)
Winnipeg Jets 4, Detroit Red Wings 1
Chicago Blackhawks 7, Arizona Coyotes 5
3 things we learned
1. Dallas finally has a loss to a Metropolitan Division team this season
It took nine games, but the Stars are no longer undefeated against teams from the Metro. Dallas has had a fair bit of success against the division, going 8-0 into Tuesday night's game before falling in Columbus by three goals. The Blue Jackets will close out the 2015 half of the season on a high note, while the Stars remain at the top of the league despite the loss.
2. Toronto's goaltending is still a mess
Poor Toronto. The Leafs seemingly cannot find solid netminding no matter how many goaltenders they run through. This time, it was Jonathan Bernier who let in six goals and took the loss. Bernier was having success in his conditioning stint down in the minors in the middle of the month -- posting three shutouts -- but Tuesday's nightmare loss was his worst since returning. James Reimer shut down the final 20 minutes for the Leafs with six saves, though the netminder hasn't been able to stay healthy enough to make a big impact on the team.
Jonathan Bernier has allowed six goals on 15 shots. Which is ungood.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) December 30, 2015 3. Florida sells out home barn then recaptures the Atlantic Division lead from Montreal
There's still space on the Panthers bandwagon folks, especially after they handed the Canadiens a 3-1 defeat to reclaim first place in the Atlantic, which they had lost just 24 hours prior.
Thank you to our SELL OUT crowd of 19,822! #MTLvsFLA pic.twitter.com/ZlWzCDaxKW
— Florida Panthers PR (@FlaPanthersPR) December 30, 2015 Impact Moment
Jimmy Hayes netted his first hat trick of his career with .2 seconds remaining in Boston's 7-3 victory over Ottawa. Hayes scored the first and last goals of the game for the Bruins, who now have full momentum heading into their Winter Classic date with the Canadiens on Friday.
Stat of the Night
Jamie Benn continues to be impressive for the Stars. He made history last night with an assist against the Blue Jackets.
Jamie Benn is 1st @DallasStars player w/ 50 points in the team's first 38 GP in a season since club moved to Dallas in 1993-94. @EliasSports
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 30, 2015 Post To Post
- Boston might be without Brad Marchand after a low clip on Mark Borowiecki that will probably get looked at by the Department of Player Safety.
- Tyler Seguin had his 21st goal of the season for the Stars after showing some speed in the neutral zone.
- Ben Scrivens either has access to the Force or some bad Florida ice helped him out on this magical save.
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