It’s never too late for some Jonathan Toews heroics, Scott Gomez will hurt you, Jiri Sekac has an extra gear, and more.
Here are five things we learned in the NHL Friday.
Jonathan Toews cares not for losing
Just when the Chicago Blackhawks look to be set for an embarrassing loss to the lowly Buffalo Sabres, Jonathan Toews says enough is enough.
With the Blackhawks down 3-2 with less than two minutes remaining in the third period, Toews evened it up and added the game-winner. Hey, at least the Sabres’ kept that precious tank effort intact.
Say what you will about the existence of “clutch” but Toews makes a case with his second last minute game-winner in the past week, having sunk the Winnipeg Jets with 31 second to go this past Sunday.
Cold-blooded.
Scott Gomez has a mean streak
New Jersey Devils forward Scott Gomez has never carried a reputation for being a dirty player, but the former Calder Trophy winner showed he can throw a mean elbow on Friday night.
Gomez took exception to getting dumped by Montreal Canadiens defenceman Alexei Emelin late in the second period of the Devils’ 3-2 shootout win.
Gomez exacted his revenge in the form of a sharp elbow to Emelin’s face, which resulted in a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct to boot.
Jiri Sekac makes it look easy
Jiri Sekac may be getting comfortable in that Anaheim Ducks uniform. Watch him pick up a loose puck, clear the Avalanche defence, and slip one past a helpless Reto Berra with a backhand.
With that kind of speed Sekac might be able to go back in time and prevent the Montreal Canadiens from sending him to Anaheim.
Good news for the Ducks heading into the playoffs.
The Sabres have a player in Rasmus Ristolainen
Sure, Friday night was another forgettable evening in what’s been a rather embarassing season for the Buffalo Sabres. Still, there are bright spots.
Defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen is looking like a player who has a bright future in the NHL. The 2013 first-round pick (8th overall) notched a career-high three points (all assists) in the Sabres’ last minute loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Ristolainen is handling upwards of 25 minutes of ice-time per night as of late. The Sabres are a long way from becoming a contending hockey team but, with some luck in the draft lottery and the further development of prospects coming down the pipeline, there’s room for cautious optimism in Western New York.
All Travis Moen needed was an opportunity
Travis Moen entered the Dallas Stars’ meeting with the St. Louis Blues with just five goals in his last 150 NHL games.
Moen is probably best known for his penalty killing efforts. It turns out he can convert on a penalty shot opportunity. The 32-year-old slipped the puck past Blues goaltender Brian Elliott in his first career penalty shot attempt.
Moen’s goal at 19:49 of the first period kicked off a four-goal record-setting barrage that resumed at the beginning of the second period.
The Blues came out on top in this wild one by a final score of 7-5.
