NHL Three Stars: Kuznetsov assists Caps; Blackhawks win 12th straight
No. 1 Star: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals
The young Russian assisted on four of Washington’s six goals in their 6-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Nicklas Backstrom added two goals, while Alex Ovechkin scored the 503rd of his career. Justin Williams, Matt Niskanen and Marcus Johansson each added two points. Braden Holby made 32 saves and now leads all goaltenders with 30 wins.
No. 2 Star: Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks
Crawford won his ninth start in a row while making 38 stops as the Blackhawks downed the Nashville Predators 4-1. Patrick Kane scored his 30th goal of the year and Artemi Panarin assisted on a pair as Chicago won their franchise-best 12th in a row.
No. 3 Star: Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
Behind Rask’s 38 saves and David Pastrnak’s two points, the Bruins beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in a Winter Classic rematch. Boston has now won three straight.
Honorable Mention: Lee Stempniak, Reid Boucher and Adam Larsson each recorded two-point nights as the New Jersey Devils doubled up the Calgary Flames 4-2. Cory Schneider made 26 saves, including 11 in the third period. Tyler Kennedy suited up for his 500th NHL game … Mats Zuccarello tied the game midway through the third period and J.T. Miller netted the overtime winner as the New York Rangers beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Ryan Miller made 46 saves in a losing effort.
Matt Hunwick’s goal with 7.5 seconds left in the third period snapped a 2-2 tie and gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. The win broke Toronto’s five-game losing skid.
Kerby Rychel scored his first NHL goal for the Blue Jackets … Karl Alzner played in his 422nd consecutive game for the Capitals to tie Bob Carpenter for the franchise record … Milan Lucic’s third period goal helped give the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars. Vincent Lecavalier scored for the third game in a row and Jonathan Quick made 27 saves as LA extended their Pacific Division lead over San Jose and Arizona to 12 points. Lucic now has points in his last five games … Brian Boyle’s shorthanded goal in the third period gave the Tampa Bay Lightning the lead for good as they beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-4 for their sixth straight win. Alex Killorn collected three points, while Nikita Kucherov scored a goal and assisted on another. Eleven Tampa players recorded at least a point versus the Oilers:
Did You Know? There was a video tribute for Denna Laing of the Boston Pride before the Habs-Bruins game.
Dishonorable Mention: Pekka Rinne has allowed three goals or more in 20 of his 38 starts this season … Calgary has lost four of their last five games … The Canadiens are 4-16-1 in their last 21 games and now sit out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
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