It was a hectic night around the NHL, with 22 of the league’s clubs in action and a spread that saw its fair share of nail-biters and blowouts alike.
With no shortage of intriguing performances and continued trends popping up as the league approaches the end of its opening month, here are four things we learned in the NHL Tuesday night:
1. The abandoned Islanders offence is just fine without Tavares
It was supposed to be the awkward, morose shadow cast by the Maple Leafs’ off-season welcoming party.
Toronto would happily drape its blue and white threads over John Tavares‘s shoulders, and everyone would avoid eye contact with the surely doomed cast he was leaving behind on Long Island. As it turns out, that script had some key plot holes.
With nearly a month in the books, the Islanders’ offence has been more than holding its own without No. 91 leading the charge. Though the narrative following Tavares’s decision to join the Leafs was focused on precisely how far his former linemates, Anders Lee (40 goals last year) and Josh Bailey (71 points last year), would fall in his absence, the pair have in fact climbed higher. Their stat line through 11 games? A combined 23 points, with each rolling at or above a point per game.
And that dominant pace hasn’t come as a result of simply swapping Tavares out for newly promoted centreman Mathew Barzal. The wingers have mostly played with pivot Brock Nelson, while Barzal is separately scoring above a point-per-game pace in his own right.
Tavares, meanwhile, has produced just slightly more (13 points) while suiting up for the supposed juggernaut Maple Leafs, while having played one more game.
The Isles’ offence has been picking up steam as a whole, as well — New York put up a six-spot against the Penguins Tuesday night (with Barzal and Jordan Eberle connecting for a pair of tallies), marking the second time in their past three games they’ve posted six goals (the other coming against Philadelphia).
They have three games with that type of production already this year, having also posted a seven-goal effort against Los Angeles earlier in the campaign.
It’s early, and the club is far from proving capable of hanging with any of the Eastern contenders, but so far Barry Trotz’s new side has shown they still have plenty to work with. Right now, that’s good enough for second place in the Metro.
2. If the playoffs had 3-on-3, the Flames might be the Cup favourite
Is there a format quirk that’s caused as many what-could-have-been fantasies for the Flames faithful as the fact that the NHL’s post-season doesn’t include 3-on-3 overtime?
Since the league opted to shift its extra frame to the trio vs. trio format prior to the 2015-16 season, no club has dominated in that five-minute span like the Flames have. Calgary has the third-most OT goals in the league in that stretch, its 27 sitting behind only L.A.’s 33 and Chicago’s 28. But the Flames have come out on the losing end far fewer than both of those teams, their 11 OT goals-against ranking as the fewest in the league between 2015-16 and now.
The Flames’ effort Tuesday night made it clear why they’re usually a good bet to leave with two points if a tilt stretches past the 60-minute mark. It’s an on-ice situation tailored specifically to Johnny Gaudreau’s smooth-skating, slick-handed skill set.
No. 13 did it again against the Sabres, potting his second overtime winner of the season on a perfectly handled give-and-go with captain Mark Giordano.
Gaudreau and Monahan are tied for seventh in the league in OT goals potted since 3-on-3 came into play, each with six to their name.
3. The Sharks could be even better than we thought they’d be
There might not be a club in the league that’s seen expectations rise as sharply, and as rapidly, as the Sharks, who threw a hefty wrench into the Leafs-for-the-Cup plans by adding a Norris Trophy-calibre defender to its crop of other Norris Trophy-calibre defenders.
However, so far it’s been every Shark but Erik Karlsson lighting it up for San Jose — and that should be a very, very frightening plot twist for the other 30 clubs in the league.
How’s this for a new post-Sens supporting cast for EK65?
Tuesday’s shootout loss saw Brent Burns, Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier all score for the boys in teal. In doing so, Burns set a franchise record by extending his point streak to nine games, the longest such stretch of scoring ever put together by a Sharks blueliner. Hertl and Meier, meanwhile, added two more points to the Sharks top line’s pile, one that’s been growing at an absurd rate as of late.
Hertl, Meier and Logan Couture have 41 points between them now, furthering their case for the Top Line in the NHL crown.
All eyes have been on Karlsson’s ‘slow’ start (he’s still managed seven points through 12 games so far), but with Burns dominating and the forward corps looking lethal, there’s a good chance San Jose winds up being even better than expected once the Swedish beast hits his stride.
4. Pontus Aberg’s rollercoaster career proving potential is a tricky thing
Some look at the Golden Knights’ 2017-18 run as some sort of miraculous bit of beginner’s luck. Others see it as a statement to the sport about the power of appreciating potential. So, what of Pontus Aberg’s wild run this week, then?
The Stockholm native has had an interesting go-round through the big leagues so far. He earned his shot with the Predators in 2016-17 due to a dominant AHL campaign (31 goals, 52 points in 56 games for Milwaukee), prompting a call-up for the big club’s post-season run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Aberg had his standout moments during that stretch, most notably a dream-like game-winner in the conference final that put Nashville within one W of the final series.
A year later, the forward was flipped to Edmonton to help the Oilers improve their speed on the wing. He got a spin with Connor McDavid on the top line before eventually being waived, and subsequently claimed by the Ducks earlier this month.
Through 68 games prior to this season, split between Nashville and Edmonton, Aberg had five goals to his name, never having scored more than four in a season.
Now seemingly hitting his stride in California, he has four goals in his past two games alone, having potted a pair on Sunday vs. San Jose and again on Tuesday night vs. Philly.
It takes more than just silky mitts to make it in the big leagues — the right system, the right linemates, a coach willing to grant a long enough leash to unproven names, and a number of other factors that determine how much one plays to their full potential.
Vegas’ run was proof that the sky’s the limit for skilful players who find the right fit. One look at how dominant Aberg has been over these past two appearances, including his goal of the year candidate below, and it’s clear the Ducks have something interesting going in the 25-year-old.
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