Patrick Kane was the first star of the week as he had four goals and an assist in three games. Brian Elliott was the second star going 3-0 with a 1.31 GAA and a ,943 save percentage. Josh Bailey was named the third star of the week (and my choice for first star) with four goals and eight points in four games.
The Oilers sent Anton Slepyshev to the minors.
The Canucks said that the foot injury Brock Boeser suffered on Sunday was not fractured.
Ryan Kesler has yet to play this season after undergoing off-season hip surgery. He skated before practice Monday and could be ready to go before the end of the month.
Evgenii Dadonov looks like he is back on the top line in Florida, alongside Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau.
Shea Weber is out indefinitely with a foot injury.
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BOSTON 7 COLUMBUS 2
Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen each had a goal and two assists to lead the Boston Bruins who celebrated the seventh night of Chanukah with a goal for each night.
It was a big offensive showing for Boston who scored once in the first (Brad Marchand), a couple of power play goals in the second as David Backes and Charlie McAvoy scored and then four in the third to put the game away as they pummeled Sergei Bobrovsky with 45 shots.
Marchand, McAvoy, Backes and Patrice Bergeron each had a goal and an assist while Torey Krug also scored for Boston.
It was a big fantasy night for the rookie McAvoy as he also had a fight to give him the rare Gordie Howe hat trick.
Tuukka Rask needed to make only 16 saves for the win as the Blue Jackets struggled to stay in the game. He is 6-0-1 in his last seven and has turned his season around.
Josh Anderson had a goal and an assist in the losing cause and Seth Jones scored on the power play for Columbus.
Ryan Spooner had a pair of assists.
Marchand is on a nine game points streak since returning to the lineup. He has six goals and 15 points in the streak.
David Pastrnak is on a 12 game scoring streak in which he has 14 points.
Bobrovsky has struggled of late as he is 1-3 in his last four and has given up 18 goals on 120 shots.
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NEW JERSEY 5 ANAHEIM 3
Stefan Noesen scored the game winner as well as the clincher into the empty net as the Devils came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Anaheim 5-3.
The Ducks opened the scoring with Ryan Getzlaf scoring his second of the season and made it 2-0 when Jakob Silfverberg scored at the 10:30 mark.
Miles Wood scored his first of two to cut the lead in half and it was on the power play but Adam Henrique, in his first game back in New Jersey since being traded 18 games ago, restored the two goal lead on a beautiful play. He flipped the puck over Sami Vatanen whom he was dealt for, beat him to the puck and came in on Schneider, beating him on a backhand.
But Woods brought the Devils to within one, once again and it was 3-2 Ducks after two.
Jesper Bratt scored his 10th of the season to open the third to set up Noesen’s heroics.
Cory Schneider had to make only 21 saves for the win while Ryan Miller stopped 29-of-33 in taking the loss.
Brian Boyle had three assists. He is having quite a good season as he has eight goals and 14 points in 23 games this season.
Josh Manson had two helpers.
LOS ANGELES 4 PHILADELPHIA 1
The Flyers six game winning streak is over as the Kings came into Philadelphia and knocked them off 4-1.
Jonathan Quick was great stopping 36 shots for the win.
Alec Martinez opened the scoring with his third of the season and Trevor Lewis made it 2-0 before Jakub Voracek scored his eighth of the season and first in 11 games, to make it 2-1 at the end of one.
There was no scoring in the second but Adrian Kempe and Tyler Toffoli scored in the third to finish the scoring.
Christian Folin was injured in the second period and did not return.
Toffoli’s goal was his 100th of his career.
Brian Elliott made only 21 saves as he saw his six game winning streak come to an end.
COLORADO 4 PITTSBURGH 2
Tyson Barrie scored twice to lead the Avalanche to a 4-2 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
It was a big night for the defenseman who doubled his goal count to four in the win.
Semyon Varlamov was terrific in net as he turned aside 30 shots for the win.
J.T. Compher with the eventual game winner and Mikko Rantanen also found the back of the net for the Avs while Chad Ruhwedel with his first of the season and Evgeni Malkin replied for the Penguins. Ruhwedel also assisted on Malkin’s goal to give him a two point night and three points on the season.
Matt Murray made 33 saves on 36 shots in taking the loss.
Nathan MacKinnon picked up his 24th assist of the season on Rantanen’s empty netter.
Malkin led both teams with seven shots on goal. Sidney Crosby was held pointless and was a minus-two.
Sven Andrighetto had a pair of assists for the winners.
EDMONTON 5 SAN JOSE 3
Ryan Strome scored twice as he found paydirt for the first time in 10 games as the Oilers won only for the sixth time in 16 games at home in defeating San Jose 5-3.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Patrick Maroon had big games as well as they both had a goal and an assist.
Joe Pavelski started the scoring in the first period as he potted his seventh of the season. The veteran center has been hurt most of the season but has been playing through it. Unfortunately it can be seen in his stats as he has only 19 points in 32 games, a big disappointment for him. He has been strong of late with two goals and five points in his last five games so maybe he is starting to heal.
Mark Letestu tied the game at one and Strome and Nugent-Hopkins made it 3-1 before Tomas Hertl scored his eighth of the season. Hertl has taken over the center spot from the injured Logan Couture who likely has a concussion.
Marcus Sorensen also scored for the Sharks. It was his second of the season. Kevin Labanc had two assists for San Jose.
Cam Talbot stopped 18-of-21 shots for the win. It was his second in a row since his return on the weekend from a lower body injury.
Martin Jones stopped 24-of-28 for the loss.
Leon Draisaitl had two assists for Edmonton. Connor McDavid was held off the scoresheet in 23:09 but was a plus-two.
Adam Larsson was activated from the injured reserve list and played 21:55 without any time on specialty teams.
