Dion Phaneuf and Marian Gaborik paid instant dividends for their new teams, Alex Ovechkin has the last laugh and Drew Doughty got his referee career started.
Here are five things we learned in the NHL on Thursday night.
Phaneuf and Gaborik convert
The Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings shocked the hockey world on Tuesday when they swapped veterans Phaneuf and Gaborik (and by shocked I mean fans from both sides were left scratching their heads).
But both players showed their new teams just why they are valuable.
Phaneuf, playing in game No. 956 – but first for a U.S.-based team – was the only King to find the back of the net on Thursday and ended the game at minus-1 with three shots over 18:55 of ice time.
The Kings lost to the Penguins 3-1, Phaneuf’s second loss to Pittsburgh in as many games with as many teams – his last game with the Senators was on Tuesday against Crosby’s crew.
Gaborik was also the first to get his team on the board when he drew the Senators even at one in the third period against the Buffalo Sabres before Hoffman eventually netted the overtime winner.
The 36-year-old also picked up an assist in the 3-2 win giving him eight goals and eight assists in 31 games this season.
Keith finally gets one
In years past when Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith scored it usually wasn’t very newsworthy.
During the second period against the Anaheim Ducks Keith ripped a slapshot past John Gibson recording his first goal of the season. It was his first tally in almost a full calendar year.
It took Keith 58 games to finally get a goal, and he is on pace for his lowest goal total in a single season since he only scored four in 2011-12 through 74 games.
Barzal continues to run away with Calder
When rookie sensation Mathew Barzal set up Josh Bailey for a power-play goal he picked up his 60th point of the season.
That makes the 20-year-old the first New York Islanders rookie to reach that mark in 40 years.
He went ahead and threw a cherry on top of his game by picking up apples on the other two goals in the Islanders’ 3-0 win.
There must be something in the water in New York because in his three road games in the city against the Rangers he has an astounding nine points, including a five-point effort back on Jan. 13 (his second five-point game of the season).
Through 59 games in his inaugural year, Barzal has 62 points, 46 of which are assists. He is 12th in the league in scoring, seventh in assists and leads rookie scoring by 13 points.
Doughty preparing for post-NHL referee career
Drew Doughty channelled his inner referee in the final minute of the second period of the Kings’ game when Penguins forward Bryan Rust forechecked into Los Angeles’ zone.
Unfortunately for Rust, he crossed the blue line offside and Doughty was there to make the call.
“You’re offside man!” he said.
Rust immediately went to his bench.
Ovechkin shows Boudreau why he didn’t go to Olympics
During the morning skate prior to the game between Minnesota and the Washington Capitals, Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau poked some fun at his former star.
By game’s end, it was Ovechkin who had the last laugh.
In the second period, the Russian sniper ripped home his 34th goal of the season to make it 2-0 Capitals. The score surpassed the 33 he scored last year – he’s only played 57 games in 2017-18 and is on pace for 48 goals.
But the prolific scorer didn’t stop there. By game’s end he picked up three assists and giving him 1,100 career points (592 goals, 508 assists) in just 978 games. He now sits 61st in all-time points.
The Capitals went on to crush the Wild 5-2, sweeping the home-and-home.
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