New York Rangers centre Mika Zibanejad, Detroit Red Wings winger Anthony Mantha and Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Sunday.
Zibanejad, an Ottawa Senators first-round pick in 2011, had eight points (four goals, four assists) in a pair of wins for the Rangers. The Swede capped his big week with a hat trick and an assist in Ottawa on Saturday night. He’s the first NHL player since 1995 to record eight or more points in the first two games.
Mantha, a native of Longueuil, Que., had five goals and two assists in two Red Wings victories. He had a four-goal game in Detroit’s home opener, a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars on Sunday. Mantha became just the second Red Wing to score four or more goals in the team’s home opener, joining John Sorrell in 1933.
Matthews had five goals in three games as the Leafs started 2-0-1. The first overall pick in the 2016 draft is the fourth player in league history to collect at least one goal in each of his first four career season openers.
