• McDavid nets first goal vs. Penguins
• Tarasenko scores 30 goals. Again.
• Blackhawks’ streak comes to an end
Connor McDavid opened his account against Sidney Crosby‘s Penguins, Vladimir Tarasenko joined elite company and a pair of Columbus Blue Jackets had impressive nights.
Here are five things we learned in the NHL on Friday.
McDavid wins the battle, but not the war
When the Edmonton Oilers needed him the most, Connor McDavid delivered.
The Oilers captain scored his first goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night. He also followed up Sidney Crosby’s goal in the shootout with a snipe of his own. However, it was the Penguins who emerged victorious 3-2.
McDavid does own a small consolation now that he has scored against Crosby, who has yet to record a single point against his Edmonton counterpart.
Friday’s goal also extended McDavid’s lead atop the scoring charts. He has 75 points this season, five more than Crosby and four more than Patrick Kane, who are trailing closely behind in third and second, respectively.
Should McDavid keep up this pace, he could claim both the Art Ross and Hart Trophies in his second NHL season. As if the comparisons between the two never end, Crosby also won both awards in his sophomore campaign. Add that to the list if it comes to fruition.
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The Tarasenk-show hits 30 episodes. Again.
There are very few certainties in life: Death, taxes, and Vladimir Tarasenko scoring at least 30 goals in a season.
For the third straight time, Tarasenko notched goal No. 30. It came after just 12 seconds against the Anaheim Ducks.
Tarasenko is also the 10th player in St. Louis Blues history to accomplish the feat and the first since Keith Tkachuk.
The best news of the night for the Blues was the final result. They won 4-3 against the Ducks and are now three points above the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Blackhawks finally lose on the road
The Chicago Blackhawks had won eight straight road games entering Friday’s tilt against the lowly Detroit Red Wings.
The Red Wings trailed early, but Tomas Tatar led the charge with two goals in a 4-2 victory, handing the Blackhawks their third defeat in their last 15 games.
Ironically, the 2005-06 Red Wings, along with the 2014-15 Minnesota Wild, are one of the record holders for longest road winning streak with 12 victories in a row. What a perfect ending.
Heartbreak and delight for Bobrovsky
The Columbus Blue Jackets are fighting for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division, and it’s thanks in large part to the play of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
The Blue Jackets netminder had a three-game shutout streak entering Friday night. Unfortunately for him, it ended less than three minutes into Columbus’ 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Bobrovsky’s streak ended after more than three hours, but he fell just 17 minutes of Steve Mason’s franchise record of 199 minutes.
So close, yet so far.
On the bright side for Bobrovsky, he recorded his NHL-leading 36th win, though he’s tied with Devan Dubnyk.
Zach Werenski finds a unique place in Blue Jackets folklore
Bobrovsky may have fallen short of history, but a Blue Jackets rookie made some of his own on Friday night.
Zach Werenski, the Jackets’ first-round pick in 2015, recorded his 40th point in the victory over the Sabres to set the franchise record for points in a single season.
The man he displaced? None other than Rick Nash.
The most impressive part of the feat is the fact that Werenski is a defenceman. He is also the only blueliner to hold a current team’s single-season rookie scoring record.
Given the hype around exciting young forwards such as Patrik Laine, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, it’s no surprise that Werenski is not in the conversation for the Calder Trophy. However, as the highest-scoring rookie defenceman with a solid two-way game, he should at least earn an honourable mention.