Five Minute Major

*Photo from TSN*     The Predators are on the hunt, so they dialed up the offense. Filip Forsberg had a 3 point game, Colton Sissons added a goal and an assist, and the Nashville Predators cruised past the Anaheim Ducks with a 6-1 victory on Friday afternoon in Anaheim.    Nashville hopes this can serve as a positive for them, with this win going as just their 3rd in 11 games. 6 different skaters found the back of the net as they snapped a two game losing streak in the first of a two game west coast road trip. Sissons, Jusso Parssinen and Forsberg recorded multipoint games.    Predators head coach John Hynes said that "I thought tonight we were hungry to get rebounds, to look to score, to screen the goalie, and that makes a big difference; being there versus being there with a purpose. I thought tonight we were there with a purpose."    Sissons provided the only goal of the first period, giving the Predators a 1-0 lead on his 4th goal of the ...

*Photo from the Press Democrat*     It took a while, but Philly is finally on the board in overtime. Travis Konecny tied the game, Tony DeAngelo won the game, and the Philadelphia Flyers rallied to defeat the San Jose Sharks with a 4-3 victory in overtime on Thursday night in San Jose.    This was the 8th game of the season for the Flyers that has gone into either overtime or the shootout. winning for the first time past regulation. It's also just their 12th win of the season, now 12-17-7 and 7th place in the Metropolitan Division. DeAngelo had a goal and two assists, with Konecny scoring twice.    San Jose got on the board first, with Tomas Hertl finding the back of the net 9:38 into the game, assisted by Kevin Labanc and Erik Karlsson. DeAngelo then assisted on the first goal of the game from Konecny, tying the game 1-1. Hertl scored again in the second period for the Sharks, making it 2-1 on a power play goal, his second of the night.    Just 5...

*Photo from ESPN*     Nice lead you got there. Well guess what, it's gone. David Perron scored the tying goal, Jake Walman scored the winning goal, and the Detroit Red Wings rallied to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-4 overtime victory on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.    Finding themselves in a 4-0 hole after the opening 20 minutes, the Red Wings made a goalie change and took control of the game, rattling off 5 unanswered goals to topple the Penguins in overtime. Lucas Raymond was the only skater with two points, with Perron and Walman scoring the key goals.    Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said of the game that "We weren't awful. We weren't 4-0 bad. We outshot them. You come out of that period, chances were probably even. But it's just, we left some key plays out there. We were excellent in the second. We were excellent in the third. We got what we deserved."    Drew O'Connor got the Penguins on the board, scoring his firs...

*Photo from Newser*     The magic of the college rink is rubbing off on the team that plays on it. Lawson Crouse had 3 points, Michael Carcone scored, and the Arizona Coyotes defeated the Colorado Avalanche with a 6-3 victory on Tuesday night in Tempe.    Arizona has now won two games in a row, snapping a 4 game winning streak for the Avalanche at the same time. They are 5-1-1 at their temporary home this season. Crouse had a goal and two assists to pace the Coyotes, with Carcone scoring in his NHL debut. Jakob Chychrun had a 3 assist game as well.    Crouse said of the win that "Right from the drop of puck it seemed like we were ready to go. It was obviously nice to get an early lead and then continue to get leads. It makes hockey a lot more fun and a lot easier, for sure."    Starting the scoring for the Coyotes was Shayne Gostisbehere, who gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead with his 9th goal of the season, assisted by Chychrun and Clayton Keller....

*Photo from The Rink Live*     The climb for Alex Ovechkin is continuing quickly. Conor Sheary had a two assist game, Ovechkin hit another milestone, and the Washington Capitals defeated the Winnipeg Jets with a 4-1 victory on Friday night in Washington.    Entering the game with 800 career goals, Ovechkin scored goals 801 and 802 of his career, tying and then passing Gordie Howe for second all time in NHL history for goals scored. He helped the Capitals run their win streak to 4 games, and his next target is Wayne Gretzky's 894 career goals, leading the league.    Washington head coach Peter Laviolette said of Ovechkin that "I don't want to say once in a lifetime, but moments like that in hockey rarely come up, and you pause the game to honor somebody for such a special achievement. What he has been able to accomplish here in Washington is truly unbelievable."    The first goal of the game came from Ovechkin, knocking in goal number 801 to g...

*Photo from the San Francisco Chronicle*     In the Christmas season, the San Jose Sharks decided to deliver coal to their opponent. Timo Meier had a goal and an assist, Erik Karlsson had a 4 point game, and the Sharks defeated the Minnesota Wild with a 5-2 victory on Thursday night in San Jose.    Karlsson paced the Sharks on the scoreboard with a goal and 3 assists, also extending his current point streak to 9 games. The Wild had a 6 game winning streak entering play Thursday, which the Sharks decided to end for just their 3rd win in 10 games, with a 3-5-2 record in that period.    Sharks head coach David Quinn said that "There was just a lot to like about our game. We've talked throughout the first 34 games that we've had games like this, we've had stretches like this. It's the consistency that we've got to try to bottle. And the thing I really liked tonight was, you know, we managed the puck extremely well. We managed the lead really well."   ...

*Photo from MLive.com*     In a tough divisional matchup, the young kids stepped up and beat the veterans. Michael Rasmussen had a 4 point game, Dylan Larkin had a 3 point showing, and the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 7-4 victory on Wednesday night in Detroit.    Detroit entered the game with a 6 game, 0-4-2 losing streak, and they were playing the always tough Lightning. The young Red Wings got it done, putting up 7 goals. Rasmussen's two goals and two assists to go with Larkin's two goals and an assist led the Red Wings, while David Perron had two assists.    Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said after the game that "I'm happy with this result, because anyone who saw us in this stretch knows we've been better than 0-4-2. We've been tied going into the third three or four times lately without being able to finish it off, but today we did."    Brayden Point started the scoring for the Lightning, giving them a 1-...

*Photo from The Rink Live*     After a bit of a delay, the Kraken are being released to the NHL world. Morgan Geekie had two assists, Ryan Donato scored, and the Seattle Kraken defeated the St. Louis Blues with a 5-2 victory on Tuesday night in Seattle.    The win goes down as the second in a row for the Kraken, who improve to 18-10-3 on the season, 3rd place in the Pacific Division. Geekie and Brandon Tanev each had two point games, with Tanev adding a goal and an assist. Donato also stayed hot for the Kraken, scoring in his 4th straight game.    Donato said after the game that "I think we see when we play the right way, were going to get our chances, and if we capitalize on them it’s hard to beat us. For me, it definitely is sweet. I think it’s exciting. But honestly at the end of the day, I think everybody in here can agree that it’s more about winning. So for me to be a part of that win, it’s definitely a good feeling."    It was Don...

*Photo from the St. Joseph News-Press*     They needed this win badly. For their sake, they got it. Matt Duchene scored, Alexandre Carrier scored the game winning goal, and the Nashville Predators defeated the Edmonton Oilers with a 4-3 OT victory on Monday night in Nashville.    Entering the Monday home game in the midst of a 6 game losing streak, the Predators got back to .500 with the streak snapping win, sitting at a 13-13-4 record and 6th place in the Central Division. Cody Glass had a two point game, the only Nashville skater to do so.    Nashville head coach John Hynes said that "We deserved to win the game. We did it. I think that's the most important thing when you come out of tough stretches, is that sometimes you're building your game and not getting results. When you do wind up getting results, it's important because, it's not like you hung on and found a way to win. We came out and played a real solid game."    The scoring starte...

*Photo from PensBurgh*     Dial up the flair in this game, it's a Metropolitan Division rivalry. Derek Stepan had a goal and an assist, Jordan Staal scored the winning goal, and the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 3-2 victory on Sunday night in Raleigh.    Staal, Stepan, and Brady Skjei each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes, with only two other players registering a point. They helped the Hurricanes run their current winning streak to 5 games, are now 9-0-1 in their last 10 games, and they have a current 11 game point streak.    Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour said that "We kind of survived the first 10 minutes and then it kind of settled down. We actually put together a decent period. The second period was weird, but I thought the third period was really solid. I was proud of the group, they were tired for sure. Obviously it's a lot of games and we're missing a lot of pieces, but we're getting a lot of contribut...

*Photo from CBS News*     Needing wins by any means possible, the Florida Panthers got a cure for their woes. Aaron Ekblad had two assists, Sam Reinhart had two goals, and the Panthers defeated the New Jersey Devils with a 4-2 victory on Saturday in Newark.    Florida entered the game with losses in 3 of 4 games, but they've found success against the Devils routinely. The win improves the Panthers to 5-1-0 in their last 6 tilts against the Devils. When they play in Newark, the Panthers have gone 4-1-0 in the last 5 games at the Devils home base.    Getting the start for the Panthers was Sergei Bobrovsky, who improved to 18-5-1 against the Devils in his career. Bobrovsky turned aside 30 of the 32 shots he faced from the Devils, recording a .938 save percentage. His record now rises to 7-9-1 on the season.    Bobrovsky said of the win that "Obviously, they had a push, but I thought our guys kept our composure. They worked hard and they shut them dow...

*Photo from The Rink Live*     The Arizona Coyotes are capturing some magic at that college rink. Nick Schmaltz had 3 assists, Clayton Keller had a pair of goals, and the Coyotes defeated the New York Islanders with a 5-4 victory on Friday night in Tempe.    Due to sharing a rink with Arizona State University, the Coyotes haven't gotten many home games this year, but they've made the most of them. They are 4-2-1 at home, including 3 straight wins, beating the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and now the Islanders. Leading the way on the scoresheet for the Coyotes were Schmaltz and Keller, with Jakob Chychrun also netting two assists.    Arizona head coach Andre Tourigny said of Keller's skill that "I talk about him every day. Every week he gets better. He's a little more competitive. He's a student of the game, he's passionate and he's a learner."    Sebastian Aho scored the first goal, giving the Islanders a 1-0 lead just 1:41 i...

*Photo from the Kansas City Star*     If there's one thing we've learned this season, it's that Tage Thompson is a machine. Thompson had a goal and an assist, Rasmus Dahlin had a two point game, and the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Colorado Avalanche with a 4-2 victory on Thursday night in Denver.    After a long skid, the Sabres have now won two straight games and wins in 5 of their last 10 games, with points in 8 of 10. Leading the way on the scoresheet for the Sabres were Thompson and Dahlin, who each tallied a goal and an assist.    It didn't take long for the Sabres to get on the board, with Thompson finding the back of the net just 54 seconds into the game, assisted by Kale Clague and Casey Middlestadt, Thompson's 24th goal of the season. Alex Tuch then converted a power play goal 7:08 into the game, doubling the Sabres lead to 2-0 with Dahlin and Thompson assisting.    Sabres head coach Don Granato said of Thompson's goal that it was "A lot ...

*Photo from WVNews*     It's never too early for important division battles in the league. Nils Hoglander had a two assist game, Andrei Kuzmenko scored the winning goal, and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Calgary Flames with a 4-3 shootout win on Wednesday night in Calgary.    Getting the start in goal for the Canucks was Spencer Martin, who had another solid performance after being thrust into the starting role. Martin stopped 35 of 38 shots the Flames fired at him, recording a .921 save percentage in the road win to improve his record to 9-3-1.    Martin said after the game that "It's never too early to start battling for important division points. We want to be in the playoffs, obviously. They were, I think, four points ahead of us, and that's a really big time to come up with two points."    Starting the scoring for the Canucks was Bo Horvat, giving the Canucks a 1-0 lead just 1:14 into the game on his 21st goal of the season. Conor G...

*Photo from Raw Charge*     Gordie Howe, you might want to check your rear view mirror. Anthony Mantha had a goal and an assist, Alex Ovechkin racked up a hat trick, and the Washington Capitals cruised past the Chicago Blackhawks with a 7-3 victory on Tuesday night in Chicago.    The hat trick places Ovechkin in 6th place all time for hat tricks in the NHL, recording the 29th of his career. However, the more important feat is his climb up the goal scoring leaderboard. His 3 goal game gave him 800 on his career, the 3rd person in the NHL to do so. He needs just two goals to pass Gordie Howe for second on the all time goal scorer list, and is 95 away from passing Wayne Gretzky in first.    Washington head coach Peter Laviolette said of Ovechkin's 800 goals that "You know what? It was awesome. It was just awesome to be on the bench and be a part of it, be a part of history. You work with somebody every day and they reach such an incredible milestone, it's an u...

*Photo from Bally Sports*     The Minnesota Wild got a little Bold in this one. Bad joke aside, Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist, Frederick Gaudreau added the game winning goal, and the Wild slipped past the Edmonton Oilers with a 2-1 victory on Monday night in St. Paul.    After dropping Friday's game against Edmonton, the Wild have won two straight. They've also gotten wins in 7 of their last 10 games and 8 of their last 11, increasing their record to 15-11-2 on the season. They were led by the youngster Boldy, who got his 6th multi point game of the season and the 15th of his NHL career.    Boldy kept it short, saying after the game that "It's a big win. They've got some super players over there. I think just how good our core played kind of just speaks to how good they are. It's impressive."    Kicking off the scoring in the first period was Boldy, who gave the Wild a 1-0 lead with a power play goal 12:36 into the game. The goal w...

*Photo from TSN*     You may beat them once, but you probably won't beat them twice. Patrice Bergeron scored, Jake Debrusk scored the game winning goal, and the Boston Bruins defeated the Vegas Golden Knights with a 3-1 victory on Sunday night in Vegas.    After losing to the Golden Knights at home on Monday and the Arizona Coyotes on Friday, the Bruins picked up where they left off after Wednesday's win, winning their 7th in 10 games. 8 different skaters recorded a point for the Bruins, with no one tallying two points.    Bruins winger Taylor Hall said of the bounce back win that "We needed to reset. It was a tough ending to the game, a game that we thought we played pretty well, and have a short memory. A building that's not easy to play in and a team that has motivation to beat us."    The first goal of the game came from Mark Stone, giving Vegas a 1-0 lead with a power play goal 4:03 into the game, with assists coming from Chandler Stephe...

*Photo from the Manistee News Advocate*     There's a throne full of Kings coming for your hopes of winning a hockey game. Anze Kopitar scored, Alex Edler added a goal, and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Montreal Canadiens with a 4-2 victory on Saturday night in Montreal.    Now with points in 7 of their last 10 games, the Kings sit at 15-11-4 on the season, putting them in second place in the Pacific Division, trailing only the Vegas Golden Knights. They came out strong following a 5-0 shutout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.    Los Angeles head coach Todd McClellan said that it was a "Good response by the group as a whole. Whether you were an eight, nine-minute man tonight or a 20-minute man, you were responsible for your game. I think we came to the rink and we trusted each other tonight. We didn't do that in Toronto, and it showed on the ice."    Getting the start in goal for the Kings was Pheonix Copley, recalled fr...

*Photo from NHL.com*     They were looking for a little progress marker, and they found one. Marcus Johansson scored, Anthony Mantha tallied a goal and an assist, and the Washington Capitals defeated the Seattle Kraken with a 4-1 victory on Friday night in Washington.    Falling behind one goal early, the Capitals turned it up to the tune of 4 unanswered goals to put things away for the win at home. They picked up their 3rd straight win, the first time they've done that this season. They have a 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games, now 6th in the Metropolitan Division.    Washington head coach Peter Laviolette said of the win that "It's been a grind. But I think for the most part, we've been playing pretty good lately. We've been doing better things with the puck and defending a little bit better. I was a little bit concerned coming off that road trip and coming home, and it was that one game that snuck in there, but I thought the guys were on...