NHL Three Stars: Pacioretty’s one weird trick; Michalek ends Sabres comeback
Obama has still yet to visit a Washington Capitals game, but he sent the next best thing: John Kerry! And the crowd! Went! Wild!
No. 1 Star: Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens
He could have had five if he'd netted those second-period penalty shots, or even four, joining the rooster club if he'd scored on just one of them, but Pacioretty will have to settle for a very strange hat trick. Who scored three goals in a game where he sets a record for missed penalty shots? The Canadiens' winger scored once in the first and then twice in the third as Montreal knocked off the Vancouver Canucks, 5-2.
No. 2 Star: Milan Michalek, Ottawa Senators
Michalek's 9th and 10th were the difference in a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres, and they couldn't have come at better times. The Ottawa winger scored 10 seconds into the third, then after Buffalo stormed back to knot things up, he broke the 2-2 tie with 20 seconds to go in the game.
No. 3 Star: Troy Brouwer, Washington Capitals
No doubt inspired by the appearance of whats-his-name up top, Brouwer scored twice in the Capitals' 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
Honorable mention: Alex Ovechkin's 40th of the season was the game-winner in Washington:
I guess if you have to have a one-dimensional player, I'll take the kind whose dimension chips in 40 goals... David Jones scored the game-winner as the Calgary Flames beat the New York Islanders 4-2... Ben Scrivens made 35 saves to help the Edmonton Oilers hold off the New York Rangers, 2-1... Not to be outdone, Steve Mason stopped 38 to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche... Jonathan Bernier stopped 33 in a 4-1 triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning... T.J Oshie scored the OT winner as the St. Louis Blues beat the Boston Bruins 3-2... The Minnesota Wild pushed their home win streak to five with a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, thanks to Nino Neiderreiter's nasty OT winner:
... Gustav Nyquist scored the winner for the Detroit Red Wings, 3-1, over the Florida Panthers... Robyn Regehr was the unlikely overtime hero in the Los Angeles Kings' 2-1 defeat of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Did You Know? This is sad:
Quite incredibly no #Canucks forward has scored a 3rd period goal since Santorelli vs STL on January 10th
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) February 7, 2014
Dishonorable mention: The Canucks, for the stat above, as well as their sixth straight loss, and for surrendering two penalty shots in two minutes... Patrick Bordeleau was tossed from Colorado's game after a hit on Brayden Schenn that was deemed charging.
