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NHL Three Stars: Johnson tricks Avalanche; Iggy’s 4-point night

sean leahy
Contributing writer

No. 1 Star: Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning

The rookie recorded his first career hat trick as the Lightning downed the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Tampa Bay took a 3-2 lead into the final period where Johnson would score twice to complete his hat trick and tie Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL rookie points lead. Martin St. Louis assisted on Johnson's second goal to extend his points streak to 10 games. Victor Hedman assisted on all three Johnson goals.

No. 2 Star: Jarome Iginla, Boston Bruins

Iginla is enjoying his first season in Beantown and Saturday he recorded a four-point afternoon during a 6-1 rout of the Philadelphia Flyers. Zdeno Chara also scored twice and became the eighth Bruin this season to reach double-digit goals. Tuukka Rask made 25 saves for his 23rd win of the season, a career high. David Krejci collected his trio of assists on Iginla and Chara goals.

No. 3 Stars: Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals / Kari Lehtonen, Dallas Stars / Jonas Hiller, Anaheim Ducks

In Alex Ovechkin's return to the lineup, the Capitals blanked the Montreal Canadiens 5-0 behind 21 saves from Holtby. The win snapped their seven-game losing streak and the five goals was a nice change from the four they had scored in their previous three games combined. The win improved Holtby's record against Montreal to 5-0-0 lifetime, which includes four shutouts. Ovechkin scored in his return, showing off some crafty hands:

Goals from Sergei Gonchar, Jamie Benn and Rich Peverley were more than enough for Kari Lehtonen, who made 24 saves to shutout the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0. In their last three games, the Stars have outscored their opponents 14-1.

At the Stadium Series game at Dodger Stadium, Hiller was spectacular as he shutout the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 with 36 saves. It was his fourth shutout of the season and 20th of his career. Goals from Corey Perry, Matt Beleskey and Andrew Cogliano were enough for the Ducks to beat their rivals in front of 54,099 fans.

Honorable mention: A pair of goals from Vladimir Tarasenko, along with a game-tying tally by T.J. Oshie with 27 seconds remaining in regulation helped St. Louis comeback against the New York Islanders for a 4-3 win. Kevin Shattenkirk's goal in the third round of the shootout clinched the extra point for the Blues, who are 16-3-1 against the Eastern Conference this season. Jaroslav Halak made 33 saves for his fifth win in six starts ... One highlight for the Islanders was Kevin Poulin robbing Alex Steen of a sure goal:

Dustin Byfuglien's goal 2:55 into overtime gave the Winnipeg Jets a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Jets had a 4-1 lead midway through the second period before the Maple Leafs forced overtime after a Phil Kessel goal with 1:33 left in regulation. Byfuglien's goal was his 12th of the season:

After a wild second period that saw seven goals scored between the two teams, the Hurricanes ended up with the 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators, thanks to a pair of goals and an assist from Manny Malhotra. The win moved Carolina ahead of Ottawa in the Eastern Conference standings and improved their home record in their last 12 games against the Senators to 11-0-1 ... Behind Ryan Miller's 36 saves and a goal and two assists from Christian Ehrhoff, the Sabres snapped the Columbus Blue Jackets' eight-game win streak with a 5-2 victory. The Sabres killed four Columbus power plays and Miller faced double digit shots in all three periods for his first win in four starts ... A day after signing extensions with the San Jose Sharks, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton teamed up to lead the team to a 3-2 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild. After falling behind 2-0, the pair scored 49 seconds apart midway through the second period to even the score. In the extra frame, it was the captain coming through with a slapper that beat Wild netminder Darcy Kuemper:

Joe Pavelski recorded two assists and has 10 points in five games.

Did You Know? "The Bruins are 43-35-12 in Philadelphia. They're the only team with a winning record on the road vs. the Flyers." (AP)

Dishonorable mention: Should this Thomas Vanek goal in overtime have counted for the Islanders? ... Robin Lehner allowed five goals to Carolina and was pulled after the second period ... The Flyers have lost four in a row and seven of their last nine ... Steve Mason allowed four goals on 19 shots and was replaced midway through the second period ... Vincent Lecavalier was 3-for-19 in face-offs.