Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada had all seven Canadian teams in action, so there was a flurry of action around the NHL.
Here are five things we learned on Saturday:
Subban steps up : Beating the Toronto Maple Leafs isn’t anything to brag about these days, but that doesn’t take away from one of the most impressive individual performances of the season. Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban had an unbelievable game. He logged a total of 34:21 minutes of ice time and assisted on Montreal’s lone regulation goal of the game. That’s as good a night as a defenceman can have. Subban’s 34-plus minutes were the most by any player this season.
Clarkson just doesn’t get it: You can’t blame Maple Leafs head coach Peter Horachek for trying to shake things up, but the message is clearly not getting to David Clarkson. Saturday night was another example of why he’s become a punch line rather than a productive player. Clarkson played just 2:31 minutes in the opening period, racking up 27 penalty minutes and an ejection after two fights and a hit that could land him a suspension. The Leafs tried to get Clarkson on track by making him a healthy scratch in two straight games last week, but the overpriced forward can’t seem to get out of his own way.
Vigneault hits milestone: It was a special night for New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault. In his team’s 5-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes, he registered his 500th career win. He became the 21st coach in league history to reach the milestone. To put that into perspective, Vigneault tied NHL legend Toe Blake on the all-time coaching wins list and is just one victory away from tying Hall of Famer Pat Burns. That’s pretty good company right there.
Recent acquisitions paying off for Jets: The Winnipeg Jets got immediate dividends from their blockbuster trade with the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. The front office had to be thrilled seeing forward Drew Stafford score in regulation before adding the shootout winner to seal Winnipeg’s 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Tyler Myers also contributed with two assists, one of which was a beautiful pass to set up a Blake Wheeler goal. The former Sabres are fitting in just fine in Winnipeg.
Hockey still rules this country: Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada was another reminder of the fabric of hockey in our country. From the grassroots level to the pros, hockey has a huge role in the community and these compelling stories — from the full-day broadcast — were worth re-visiting:
