The Kings are hot, Blake Comeau’s big night, and the Maple Leafs need to take a tanking class. 

***

The New York Islanders stole a single point from the Washingon Capitals thanks to a late goal by Ryan Strome, but ultimately fell in the shootout. It was a fast paced, physical game and hopefully a playoff series preview. That would be more delicious than a Travis Hamonic sandwich. 

*

The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Nashville Predators 3-2 in the skills competition on Saturday night, with Wayne Simmonds managing a goal and the game-winning shootout tally. Simmonds had a monaster game overall with a goal, three shots on goal, and seven hits. He now has 23 on the season and an outside shot of registering 30 on the year.

*

For the Predators, both Craig Smith and Colin Wilson scored goals, their 18th and 19th of the season respectively. Wilson added five shots on goal and a couple of hits for the well-rounded outing.

Last week I wrote that Wilson and Smith’s improvement this season was an under-rated cause of Nashville’s surprising dominance. Since then, the two American-born 25-year-old forwards have combined for four more goals in three games.

*

The Toronto Maple Leafs have never been particularly good at tanking.

The Leafs dropped an opportunity to lose once again with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Winnipeg Jets. The win moved the Leafs four points clear of the NHL’s fourth worst team, the Carolina Hurricanes, and six points clear of the bottom-three. 

*

No team tanks intentionally, and whether or not constructing an intentionally bad team at the management level is even a good idea is debatable. Joffrey Lupul made some salient points about why it might be a misguided endeavour yesterday. Hard to disagree with him. 

*

Drew Stafford had two assists for the Jets, and now has three points in five games since coming over in the Evander Kane deal, while Dustin Byfuglien was a -2, only managed two shots and threw five hits playing as a forward at even-strength. Winnipeg has roughly a week to add some forward depth so they can keep their best defenseman on the blue-line. 

*

Nazem Kadri had a nice game for the Maple Leafs, managing a goal and an assist, while James van Riemsdyk scored a pretty overtime winner to steal the extra point from Winnipeg (and earn the ire of Maple Leafs fans who aren’t looking to see their team win anymore). 

*

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 and are at the absolute top of the Eastern Conference table, which has to be something of a surprise.

The Habs have a tonne of personality and talent, and Carey Price is having a career year, but the club remains pretty limited at 5-on-5; both in terms of depth and in terms of puck possession. I love their top-end pieces and their youth, but I’d be somewhat surprised if the Habs entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the East, frankly. 

*

Max Pacioretty is probably the NHL’s second most dominant power forward after Alex Ovechkin at this point. He had a ho hum two goal, six shot, three hit game on Saturday night.

*

27-year-old Ottawa Senators rookie Andrew Hammond managed his second win in three games, with a 21-save performance against the Florida Panthers. Hammond has now managed a .930 save percentage in three appearances this season, which doesn’t mean anything analytically, but is fun as ephemera (and it’s cool for him personally).

*

Hammond played well and everything, but the Senators completely flattened the Panthers on Saturday night. Florida was outshot almost two-to-one, and frittered away an opportunity leapfrog the Boston Bruins and take hold of the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Instead they got beat early and often, and the Senators kept pouring it on. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: keep an eye on Ottawa as your Eastern Conference darkhorse. Dave Cameron has them playing some very impressive hockey.

*

Bobby Ryan, Kyle Turris, and Erik Karlsson all scored for the Senators. It was Karlsson’s 14th goal of the year, Turris’ 14th and Ryan’s 15th. Karlsson plays defense though!

*

The New Jersey Devils won their second consecutive game on Saturday night, flummoxing the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1. Nothing like winning both games of a back-to-back set long after you’ve fallen out of contention to help limit your ability to draft a much-needed impact player at the draft, eh Devils fans? 

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