Five Minute Major

*Photo from AP News*     The most recent homecoming in the NHL didn't exactly go to plan. Rasmus Andersson had a goal and an assist, Jonathan Huberdeau had an identical scoresheet, and the Calgary Flames defeated the Florida Panthers with a 6-2 victory on Tuesday night in Calgary.    Returning home after a 3 game losing streak on the road, the Flames rode contributions from Huberdeau and Andersson, both posting a goal and an assist, to a win at home to snap the skid. Two other players had a goal and an assist as the Flames improved their record to 10-9-3 on the season.    Flames defenseman Dillon Dube said of the bounce back that "I think it was a good way for us to start the week and start the homestand. It was our goal tonight, whether it was a 1-0 hockey game or whatever the score was, we needed to win and get that home ice advantage for the start of this swing, so it's going to be really good for us."    Coming back to Calgary was Matthew...

*Photo from MLive.com*     Detroit was the site of a streak increasing. Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist, Mitch Marner scored, and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings with a 4-2 victory on Monday night in Detroit.    The goal by Marner ups his current point streak to 17 games. That mark is one game shy of Darryl Sittler's 18 game point streak in 1977-78 for the Maple Leafs franchise record. The Maple Leafs have a 7-1-2 record in their last 10 games as a result, their record now at 14-5-5.    Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said of the road win that "This was our best game of the trip. Our goaltender was outstanding, just like he's been all trip. The way he's playing, if he sees it, he's stopping it."    Moritz Seider scored the first goal of the game, giving the Red Wings a 1-0 lead 4:45 into the game on his second goal of the season. At the 8:24 mark of the first, Matthews scored the equalizer for the Leafs on his...

*Photo from the St. Louis Post Dispatch*     The Jets are beginning to take off, and they're fine tuning their form for peak efficiency. Saku Maenalanen scored twice, Kyle Connor had a 3 point game, and the Winnipeg Jets rolled past the Chicago Blackhawks with a 7-2 victory on Sunday night in Chicago.    Winnipeg came out firing on all cylinders to wrap up their road trip, scoring early and often to blow Chicago out of their own building. They've won two straight games and 3 of their last 4, riding a 7-3-0 record in their last 10 games to improve to 13-6-1, second place in the Central Division.    Maenalanen and Pierre-Luc Dubois were the leading scorers with two goals apiece for the Jets. Connor picked up a goal and two assists for a 3 point night, with Josh Morrisey dishing out 3 assists. Blake Wheeler also had a two assist night to round out the scoresheet.    Dubois said of the rhythm of the team that "It just kept rolling. If you wa...

*Photo from AM New York*     Those Island boys are on quite a roll here. Zach Parise scored two goals, Ryan Pulock had a 4 assist game, and the New York Islanders raced past the Philadelphia Flyers with a 5-2 victory on Saturday night on Long Island.    After a lost season in 2021-2022, the Islanders have come out of the gate strong this season, sitting at a 15-8-0 record and second place in the Metropolitan Division, behind the New Jersey Devils. This latest win also improves their current win streak to 4 games, and they're 7-3-0 in their last 10 games overall.    Pacing the Islanders scoring wise was Parise, who finished with two of the 5 goals scored. Anthony Beauvillier had a two point game as well with a goal and an assist, and Pulock finished with 4 assists. The Islanders also dealt the Flyers their 10th straight loss with the win on Saturday.    Islanders head coach Lane Lambert said of the play of Parise that "He's on the power play, he ki...

*Photo from Knights on Ice*     Another milestone in this young team's history has been reached. Andre Burakovsky scored two goals, Adam Larsson added two assists, and the Seattle Kraken defeated the Vegas Golden Knights with a 4-2 victory on Friday night in Vegas.    The Kraken took this matchup in a battle of the two newest franchises in the NHL, the first time they've beaten Vegas in their existence. The Kraken are on a roll as of late, having won 4 straight and 8 of their last 10, and are second in the Pacific Division. Who are they trailing? Vegas.    Burakovsky said of the win that "It's obviously a huge win. They're ahead of us. We want to chase them down," Burakovsky said. "It was an important game. We lost last time against them so we were hungry for the win today. It was good to get it done. Obviously, it's always nice to help the team get on the board."    With the win against Vegas, the Kraken have points in 9 of their last 1...

*Photo from the Globe and Mail*     Legendary Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Borje Salming passed away at the age of 71 following a battle with ALS, according to a Thursday announcement from the Maple Leafs.    Maple Leafs team president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement that "The Toronto Maple Leafs mourn the loss of Borje Salming. Borje was a pioneer of the game and an icon with an unbreakable spirit and unquestioned toughness. He helped open the door for Europeans in the NHL and defined himself through his play on the ice and through his contributions to the community. Borje joined the Maple Leafs 50 years ago and will forever be a part of our hockey family. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Pia, his children Theresa, Anders, Rasmus, Bianca, Lisa, and Sara, and brother Stieg."    Salming was diagnosed with ALS in April of this year, but didn't make the news public until August. On November 12, Salming returned to Toronto despite...

*Photo from NHL.com*     No more losing streak for the desert dogs. Lawson Crouse scored two goals, Shayne Gostisbehere added two assists, and the Arizona Coyotes defeated the Carolina Hurricanes with a 4-0 victory on Wednesday night in Raleigh.    Entering the road showdown in the middle of a 4 game losing streak, the Coyotes picked up a win to end the skid, but also picking up their 5th win in their last 10 games, including points in 6 of the last 10. Dylan Guenther joined Crouse and Gostibehere with a two point game, notching a pair of assists.    Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny said of snapping the losing streak that "We played with a desperation. We took pride in our defense, and that paid off I think. Not saying that was an easy shutout, I don't mean that at all. Vejmelka was unbelievable. He had a team in front of him with an urgency to defend. That was cool to see."    Nick Schmaltz got the Coyotes ahead early on in the game, s...

*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune*     Buffalo said enough was enough and they came out playing like it. Tage Thompson had a goal and 3 assists, Jeff Skinner had a 5 point game, and the Buffalo Sabres routed the Montreal Canadiens with a 7-2 victory on Tuesday night in Montreal.    The Sabres entered this road tilt having lost 8 straight games following a strong start to the season that saw them in second place in the Atlantic Division. So they came out and put a stop to that, with a 4 point game from Thompson and a 5 point night from Skinner leading the charge.    Buffalo head coach Don Granato said of finally winning that "It’s taking a weight off my shoulders, I can tell you that personally. It’s fun to see the guys play that way, obviously. They care and they work and we’re young. If I had an older team, I wouldn’t be in these situations, and you go through the streaks. They know where they’re at. These guys get better because of th...

*Photo from the Globe and Mail*     You'd think this was a pretty easy win when you look at the box score. You would be correct. Logan Couture had a goal and an assist, Matt Nieto scored, and the San Jose Sharks defeated the Ottawa Senators with a 5-1 victory on Monday night in San Jose.    The Sharks improved to 7-11-3 on the season with the win, including points in 7 of their last 10 games, 4 of which have been wins. While playing his old team, Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson became the first defenseman to reach 30 points this season, just 21 games in.    Karlsson gave his thoughts on the team's play after the game, saying that "I think we started a little bit sloppy, but we cleaned it up fairly quick. And the last 40 minutes, I think we played like the better team and it was a nice, nice win for us to get at home. It's been a while."    The Sharks drew first blood with the scoring. 6:22 into the game, Noah Gregor found the back of the net,...

*Photo from The Rink Live*     Good things are happening right now in Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby scored, Evgeni Malkin added a goal, and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Chicago Blackhawks with a 5-3 victory on Sunday night in Chicago.    The Penguins have now taken home 3 wins in a row and have points in 7 of their last 10 games, now with a 9-7-3 record early on. Malkin had a big night by scoring in his 1,000th career NHL game, with Crosby tallying a goal and 3 assists to up his point total to 10 on the Penguins current road trip.    Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said of Crosby's hot streak that "Obviously, the numbers speak for itself. He was tremendous. He just has the ability to elevate his game at key times. A lot of times he's the difference. You saw what he did late in the game. That's what he's capable of."    Brock McGinn gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead when he scored 1:04 into the game. Malkin then registered his 8th goal of the...

*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune*     A Florida homecoming for two players ended up working out well. Adam Ruzicka scored twice and had an assist, Rasmus Andersson scored the winning goal, and the Calgary Flames defeated the Florida Panthers with a 5-4 victory on Saturday afternoon in Sunrise.    The Flames entered the game in the midst of a tailspin but were able to pull together a win on the road in Florida. Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar made their return to South Florida after an offseason trade, and Andersson made sure to get them a win with his game winning goal in a shootout.    Ruzicka started the scoring for the Flames with a power play goal 15:13 into the first period. Just 50 seconds into the second period, Nikita Zadorov scored for the Flames to double their lead to 2-0. Colin White and Sam Reinhart scored for the Panthers to tie the game 2-2 before Ruzicka scored again to put the Flames ahead 3-2 after two periods.    ...

*Photo from the Los Angeles Times*     The Vancouver Canucks were looking for something to happen, and Brock Boeser gave them that something. Boeser scored twice, Elias Pettersson added a pair of goals, and the Canucks defeated the Los Angeles Kings with a 4-1 victory on Friday night in Vancouver.    So far this season, the struggles of the Canucks have been well documented, but there seems to be some light appearing. They've gotten points in 6 of their last 10 games, 5 of which have been wins. Additionally, they've won two straight games, although still 7th in the Pacific Division.    Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau said of the win that "I think for the most part, it was our best game of the year. Our first period was excellent. Obviously they had pushes and they're a good team, so when you're behind you do make pushes, but I thought we held on really well and I thought our goalie was really good."    After a scoreless first period, the Ca...

*Photo from TSN*     The Jets are roaring quite loud in the Canadian Province of Manitoba. Mark Scheifele had two assists, Kyle Connor scored a hat trick, and the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Anaheim Ducks with a 3-2 victory on Thursday night in Winnipeg.    With the win, the Jets continue their strong start to the season after a lost year in 2021-2022. They are second in the Central Division with a 10-4-1 record and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, including two wins in a row. They were paced by Connor, who only had two goals entering play on Thursday.    Winnipeg head coach Rick Bowness said of Connor scoring that "It was just a matter of time. Had some really good looks early that didn't go in. I think that first one gave him a big boost, and you could see all of a sudden the stride picked up, the enthusiasm picked up a lot. A little bit of a weight off his shoulders."    It was the Ducks who got on the board first. 10:17 into the game, Troy Ter...

*Photo from LA Kings Insider*     All the Los Angeles Kings needed in a division showdown was a little Moore magic. Trevor Moore racked up a hat trick, Viktor Arvidsson had a 3 assist game, and the Kings defeated the Edmonton Oilers with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday night in Edmonton.    The win comes during a larger hot streak for the Kings, who have won 7 of their last 10 and have points in 8 of them. They've jumped out to second place in the Pacific Division with a 11-7-1 record. A big reason they won on Wednesday was Moore's first career hat trick and his 3rd career multipoint game.    Moore discussed the feat after the game, saying that "It was kind of funny, I didn't feel like I had my best tonight. It was just kind of one of those games where the puck finds you, or I should say my linemates found me, so it was good to get those bounces out there."    The opening goal of the game came from Moore, who gave the Kings a 1-0 lead 4:23 into th...

*Photo from the New York Daily News*     No one, quite literally no one, has been able to stop the New Jersey Devils right now. Jack Hughes had a two goal game, Dougie Hamilton added a goal and an assist, and the Devils defeated the Montreal Canadiens with a 5-1 victory on Tuesday night in Montreal.    They had gotten off to a slow start with a 3-3-0 record in their first 6 games. Since then, they have been on quite a roll, running their current win streak to 10 games, their record now 13-3-0. The Devils now have the second best record in the Eastern Conference and are tied for second best in the NHL.    Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler said of the game that "We knew they wanted to attack from our mistakes. We just tried to limit our mistakes and have good gaps against them and give them nothing, be close to them, don't even give them a shot, and I think we were pretty good tonight."    After a scoreless first period, Hughes got the Devil...

*Photo from Canes Country*     The storm surge has now made its mark on the Windy City. Jordan Staal scored, Jordan Martinook added a two point game, and the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Chicago Blackhawks with a 3-0 shutout victory on Monday night in Chicago.    Carolina now has victories in 6 of their last 10 games, improving to 10-5-1 on the season. Martinook was at the top of the scoresheet for the Hurricanes with a goal and an assist, including a helper on captain Staal's goal. Staal also ended the game with a goal and a helper.    Staal said of his goal that "Burnsie's obviously a shooter, but I gave him such a bad pass that he couldn't shoot it, so he gave it back to me reluctantly. I got a little opening there, and obviously a seeing-eye with Jesper doing a great job screening, and fortunate enough to get in."    In the first period, Martinook provided the Hurricanes with some early action. He scored his 4th goal of the season 9:4...

*Photo from MassLive*     The beat is cruising along on Causeway Street right now. Patrice Bergeron scored, Brad Marchand added a goal of his own, and the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks with a 5-2 victory on Sunday night in Boston.    Bergeron picked up his 3rd goal in two days and Marchand scored his 5th in 8 games to pace the Bruins, who saw 5 different skaters find the back of the net. The win goes down as the 4th in a row and 11th of 12, improving to 14-2-0 to lead the NHL. Defenseman Hampus Lindholm added 3 assists.    Lindholm said of the hot start that "We've got good pieces here, but it's going to be a long year. Like I said, I'm prouder of the group for that process there from Buffalo. Like this learning, adapting, that's how this season's going to be. It's going to be a lot of hurdles, and we just have to keep going that direction."    The first goal of the game came from Boston's Connor Clifton, who gave the Bruins a ...

*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune*     If nothing else happened, it was at least Claude Giroux's day. Giroux tallied two assists, Alex DeBrincat added a pair of goals, and the Ottawa Senators defeated the Philadelphia Flyers with a 4-1 victory on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia.    After playing for the Flyers from 2007 until the trade deadline this past season, including 10 seasons as captain, Giroux made his first return to Philadelphia as part of the Senators. He received a video tribute from the team and a long ovation from the crowd, honoring Giroux's time in Philadelphia.    Giroux said of his return that "The fans here, I wasn't too sure what to expect, but they treated me well. So many memories in this building. That video, I wish they showed that video at the end of the game because they showed that video and then had to go for a shift right away, so that was tough. But it's part of the game. You've got to be professional and just do your ...

*Photo from Fear the Fin*     It was on Friday night that the visiting team said no comeback for you. Timo Meier had a goal and an assist, Logan Couture added a two point game of his own, and the San Jose Sharks defeated the Dallas Stars with a 5-4 victory on Friday night in Dallas.    The Sharks entered their road showdown having gone 0-3-2 in their previous 5 games. With Meier and Couture leading the way, they were able to snap the skid, sitting at 4-9-3 after their win on the road, which was their first win since October 27.    Sharks head coach David Quinn said of the win that "There were a lot of good things in our game, and we took a step forward in learning how to win a game. It's going to take a little time, we're still fragile from the last two weeks and the losing we've done, and the way we've done it. But we took a step forward tonight."    Jamie Benn scored first, giving the Stars a 1-0 lead on his 5th goal of the season, coming 4:42 i...