Tuesday was an unusual night for NHL hockey. The play on the ice was spectacular at times and downright hilarious at others. It was a potent mix that resulted in one of the busiest and most entertaining nights of the season.
NHL scores 2015: Blues outlast Lightning in overtime, Kings’ slide continues in D.C.
News on and off the ice was fantastic on Tuesday.
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
But news off the ice provided plenty of discussion as well. The Las Vegas NHL group announced the start of their season ticket drive, an important stepping stone towards the inevitable NHL expansion. The news offered a glimmer of hope that expansion out west can be both profitable and affordable for owners and fans alike.
Then, to top it off, reports surfaced that ESPN had won rights to broadcast the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. NHL hockey on ESPN is something many fans have pined for over the last six years. To have it back with international teams? Tuesday night couldn't get any better.
And yet, it did.
Scores
Coyotes 4, Blue Jackets 1
Predators 4, Maple Leafs 3
Wild 3, Blackhawks 0
Ducks 5, Hurricanes 4 (OT)
Three things we learned
1. The Blues are on a roll, and it’s not getting to their heads. St. Louis emerged from a spirited battle against Tampa Bay with a 2-1 overtime victory on Tuesday. The Blues are in the middle of a 12-game point streak right now, a stretch pretty much unheard of in today’s NHL And yet, they don’t sound content.
Tarasenko: "We've got a 12-game point streak? I don't think somebody worry about it. Last year we were in first place for a long time...
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) February 4, 2015 ... and lose in the first playoff round. So after this experience, I don't think somebody worry about it right now." (2/2)
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) February 4, 2015 Wise words. And if the Blues learned a lesson from last season, who knows what they’ll be capable of when the playoffs come around this season?
2. Never poke Semyon Varlamov with your stick. Because then you'll have to chase it.
3. The Kings have bottomed out. Can you remember the last time Los Angeles was 12th in the Western Conference standings this late in the season? Neither can we. We’ve waited and waited for the defending champs to begin their annual second-half surge, but it doesn’t appear to be anywhere close to happening. This could very well be the season Los Angeles fails to rebound and misses the playoffs.
Impact Moment
I mean, it’s Carter Hutton’s save. No question it’s this save. You can watch this save over and over for a year straight and still not pick your jaw up off the floor.
Stat of the Night
Braden Holtby has given up just one goal in his last three games. The Capitals netminder is on a serious run right now.
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