A stunning comeback, a rookie showdown, and a goaltender fighting for the top spot. Here are three things we learned in the NHL on Wednesday night.
Hat Trick Laine
Whether or not there’s a true rivalry to be had between No. 1 pick Auston Matthews and No. 2 Patrik Laine, Wednesday night’s showdown between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets solidified the fact that we’ll be comparing these two rookie stars for years to come.
Round 1 went to Laine. And boy, was it fun.
The Finnish winger scored twice in the third period — in the first minute of the frame, and then in the final minute to tie it all up at 4-4 — and then scored the game-winner in overtime to register his first career hat trick and claim victory for the home team.
All three goals were worthy of the highlight reels, but that OT winner was really something to see. It wasn’t just how he scored, but when.
Right after Matthews was stumped, Laine sped down the wing and sent a perfect snipe past goalie Frederik Andersen.
You can’t draw it up much better than that.
(You can watch all three of Laine’s goals at the top of this post.)
Needless to say, Winnipeg hockey fans are all in on their new star.
Now, let’s widen the scope a bit and look at the Jets’ effort as a whole… or rather, the Leafs’ collapse.
Kings of the comeback
It was 4-0.
For most of Wednesday’s game between the Maple Leafs and Jets, all the momentum was with Toronto.
Their offence was going full-speed ahead, thanks to two markers from Nazem Kadri, some magic from William Nylander and Matthews’ first NHL assist.
And then it stopped.
The Jets’ rally began late in the second period, and saw Winnipeg score four straight goals — three of which came in the third period — to tie it all up at four goals apiece.
This is the Jets’ biggest comeback in franchise history, but it isn’t the first time the club has posted an impressive rally in this young season.
Winnipeg stormed back from 4-1 against the Carolina Hurricanes in their season opener on Oct. 13, winning that game 5-4 in overtime. (Laine scored his first career NHL goal in that effort… we’re sensing a trend here.)
By the way, this goal-filled 5-4 game has been part of a trend of high-scoring matchups so far this season. If the league was worried about scoring… they might not need to be.
—
Try BP’s new Half-Time Lunch featuring $10 combos, Pizzas of the Day and more! It’s lunch served fast, so you can get back to the office in no time! Click here to learn more. Dine in only.
—
Howard’s the hero
In addition to the third period game-winner scored by Drew Miller, the Detroit Red Wings owe Wednesday’s 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers to goaltender Jimmy Howard.
The netminder stopped 32 of 33 shots in his first start of 2015-16, and even stood on his head at times.
Howard’s performance earned him some pretty high praise.
Could we have another year of crease controversy in Detroit? The consensus seemed to point to Petr Mrazek taking over the top spot last season, with the young netminder starting the first three games of this season. Mrazek went 1-2, with a 3.03 GAA and .913 save percentage. Not bad.
Sure, this is just one game. But just like last year, the goalie situation in Detroit could be something to keep an eye on as the season moves forward.
