NHL scores 2015: Pavelski’s hat trick spurs Sharks, Stars lose Seguin

San Jose’s best player stole the show while Dallas lost theirs.

Feb 14, 2015, 1:05 PM UTC

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Don’t look now, but Joe Pavelski is suddenly one of the top-three goal scorers in the NHL this season. And you had no idea.

That's because, for some reason, the San Jose Sharks center continues to fly under the radar despite playing at an elite level for the past three or four seasons. The guy just scores at an unfettered pace.

Pavelski continued his climb up the leaderboards with a hat trick on Friday against the Arizona Coyotes, giving him 31 goals this season. Remember when Tyler Seguin and Alex Ovechkin were going to run away with the Rocket Richard trophy race? Well, Pavelski passed Seguin on Friday and now sits just three goals shy of Ovi's mark.

Maybe calling the West Coast the “best coast” is corny. But it’s not a stretch to say that the West Coast holds one of the NHL’s best in Pavelski. It’s time to start noticing.

Scores

Blue Jackets 4, Flyers 3

Blackhawks 3, Devils 1

Stars 2, Panthers 0

Sharks 4, Coyotes 2

Canucks 5, Bruins 2

Three things we learned

1. Marian Hossa is on fire.

After slumping for a few weeks, the Blackhawks veteran has refound his game at the expense of every opponent who happens to get in his way. Just a day after scoring the overtime game-winner against the Jets, Hossa led Chicago's third-period comeback with a goal and an assist. Hossa has now scored in four straight games.

2. It was a bad night of scoreboard watching in Winnipeg.

The Jets spent the evening watching two of their most immediate competitors in the Western Conference wild card race seal big wins at home. The Stars have now won three straight and sit six points behind Winnipeg with two games in hand. Meanwhile, only one point separates the Canucks from the Jets after Vancouver defeated Boston.

3. A lot of fans lost their hats on Friday.

We've already talked about Pavelski's big night. But not to be outdone, Shawn Matthias notched three goals of his own for the Canucks in front of a fired up home crowd. You can bet that Canucks fans still aren't over the 2011 Stanley Cup Final loss to Boston, so it was nice of Matthias to satisfy the locals by singlehandedly bringing down the Bruins.

Impact Moment

Did the Stars' playoff hopes evaporate the moment Dmitry Kulikov connected with Seguin's knee? That's the question Stars fans are asking as they wait for an update on Seguin's status. There's little question that Kulikov's hit was a low bridge hit that crossed the line, but whether it leads to a suspension will likely hinge on the length of Seguin's absence.