One night after there were four shutouts in the NHL, 38 goals were scored across six games.
There was one shutout, however (more on that later.)
It was also the night of the unanswered goal as three games saw teams pile on their opponents.
Here are three things we learned.
1. Captain Crosby welcomes the new guys
Friday started out promising for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The new guys were scoring and Sidney Crosby was setting them up.
Conor Sheary scored his first NHL goal on a feed from his captain in the first period. He added an assist for two points in his first two NHL games.
Then, new acquisition Trevor Daley scored on a blast from the point to record his first as a Penguin since being traded from Chicago. This one was also assisted on by the Croz.
They could do no wrong. Wait, no.
Frank Vatrano — a former teammate of Sheary’s at UMass — scored his first career hat trick, Ryan Spooner assisted on four goals and Patrice Bergeron scored two in a 6-2 romp of the Penguins.
2. Stamkos dumps slump
Just think how little we’d be talking about Steven Stamkos-to-Toronto if he’d been scoring lately.
Well, a little less perhaps.
Stamkos scored to end a 10-game (!) drought by beating Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby, sending him to an early shower.
https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/678025316233818112
Holtby was chased after allowing three goals on 12 shots, but that’s all the Capitals would give up to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Washington scored five unanswered goals to win 5-3.
In the process, Nicklas Backstrom and the Caps made some history.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Tampa which lost to Washington on Saturday as well.
3. Luongo records 70th career shutout. That seems … high?
In beating the Carolina Hurricanes Friday, Roberto Luongo recorded his 70th career shutout.
Wow. Really? Not that he isn’t a potential Hall of Fame goaltender but … 70?
Luongo has shutouts with the New York Islanders (1), Florida Panthers (26), Vancouver Canucks (38) and Panthers again (5).
That’s right, Luongo is a future Hall of Famer, as is Lorne Chabot (mentioned in above tweet) who died in 1946.
Who? Just ask @JeffMarek.
