Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
RJ’s best and worst
Review-Journal hockey writer Ben Gotz gives his best and worst NHL teams each week (Record and goal differential are through Friday):
Best
1. Boston Bruins (11-3-2, +18)
They’re third in goals for and tied for third in goals against. That’ll work.
2. Washington Capitals (12-2-3, +16)
They partied it up with the World Series champion Washington Nationals but kept winning.
3. New York Islanders (11-3-1, +13)
They gave up 17 goals during their 10-game win streak. Coach Barry Trotz’s defensive systems are outstanding.
4. St. Louis Blues (11-3-3, +5)
The reigning champs are getting it done without stud right wing Vladimir
then turning around to see if there’s a rebound. All so a shot farther away from the net can turn into a goal.
”It’s the ability to keep the puck alive and bury some rebounds,” Tuch said. “You try to be as fearless as possible when you’ve got a one-timer coming at you.”
Going streaking
Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust’s game-winning goal in overtime Friday put an end to a remarkable streak for the New York Islanders.
Before that overtime loss, the Islanders had won 10 straight games since starting 1-3. That helped them rocket up to second in the Metropolitan Division standings. The overtime loss still gives them an 11-game point streak.
Tarasenko.
5. Vancouver Canucks (9-5-3, +12)
Like the Bruins, they’re top 10 in offense (sixth) and defense (tied for third).
Worst
27. San Jose Sharks (6-10-1, -17)
Things just haven’t gotten better for this typical contender.
28. Ottawa Senators (5-9-1, -9)
They’re 4-4 at home but a dismal 1-5-1 on the road.
29. Minnesota Wild (5-10-1, -15)
A road-heavy early-season schedule has made a bad team look worse.
30. Los Angeles Kings (5-10-1, -22)
They’ve taken the third-most shots. They have the seventh-fewest goals.
31. Detroit Red Wings (5-12-1, -31)
They’ve played 17 games and have been outscored by 33 goals. Yikes!
Coach Barry Trotz already has a case to repeat as the Jack Adams Award (best coach) winner.
Bunched-up Pacific
The Pacific Division may not be the best in the NHL, but it might be the most competitive.
The Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks have all looked improved so far this season. They’ve turned a division that had no wild card teams last year into one that looks like it might get two.
Only five points separate the firstplace Oilers (24) from sixth-place Anaheim (19).
■ ISLANDERS 2, Panthers 1: Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist to back Thomas Greiss, who had 37 saves in New York’s 11th win in 12 games.
Scott Mayfield scored the decisive goal 38 seconds after Florida had tied it on Aleksander Barkov’s goal at 6:12 of the third period. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 34 shots for the Panthers, who lost in regulation for the second time in 13 games (6-2-5).
■ Blues 3, FLAMES 2, OT: David Perron scored his eighth goal of the season 2:46 into overtime and had an assist in St. Louis’ seventh straight win — including five in overtime.
Jordan Binnington stopped 27 shots for the defending Stanley Cup champions. David Rittich had 25 saves for Calgary.
■ Lightning 5, Sabres 3: At Stockholm, Pat Maroon scored twice to back Curtis McElhinney, who had 40 saves, as Tampa Bay swept a two-game Sweden series.
Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart each had a goal and assist for Buffalo, which lost its fifth in a row. Carter Hutton had 35 saves for the Sabres.
■ AVALANCHE 4, Blue Jackets 2: Cale Makar scored twice to back Pavel Francouz, who stopped 39 shots in Colorado’s second straight victory.
The Avs lost Pierre-Edouard Bellemare after the former Golden Knight was elbowed in the head by Nick Foligno, who was assessed a charging major and a game misconduct.
■ SHARKS 2, Predators 1, SO: Timo Meier scored the tying goal 5:22 into the third period and the lone shootout goal in the seventh round, and San Jose won its third straight.
Martin Jones had 24 saves through overtime and seven in the shootout for the Sharks. Juuse Saros stopped 31 shots through overtime and four in the shootout.
■ CANADIENS 3, Kings 2: Defenseman Shea Weber scored two power-play goals to back Carey Price, who had 31 saves in Montreal’s fifth win in six games.
Blake Lizotte scored his first NHL goal for Los Angeles, which has lost seven of its past eight. Jonathan Quick stopped 34 shots for the Kings.
■ Flyers 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2, SO: Sean Couturier scored the decisive shootout goal to back Brian Elliott, who stopped 38 shots through overtime.
William Nylander had a goal and an assist through overtime and scored Toronto’s lone shootout goal in support of Frederik Andersen, who had 30 saves.
■ SENATORS 4, Hurricanes 1: Filip Chlapik, Vladislav Namestnikov and JeanGabriel Pageau scored in the first period to back Anders Nilsson, who had 38 saves.
■ Wild 4, COYOTES 3: Jared Spurgeon’s two assists included one on Ryan Hartman’s go-ahead goal in the third period, helping Minnesota erase a two-goal deficit.