A pair of hat tricks over four games highlighted Wednesday’s NHL action. Along with what was happening on the ice, a key forward for the Hurricanes and a top defenseman for the Oilers will both miss an extended period of time due to injuries. Here are the latest NHL news and notes.
Rust, Kase record hat tricks
In Chicago, Penguins forward Bryan Rust netted a hat trick within the first two periods. However, Rust’s three goals was all Pittsburgh was able to muster, as the Blackhawks got the last laugh with a 6-3 win.
Andreas Martinsen and Brent Seabrook scored in the first, Alex DeBrincat tallied a power play goal in the second, and Chicago sealed the deal in the third with goals from Marcus Kruger, Jonathan Toews, and Brandon Saad. Corey Crawford also stopped 40 shots, as the Blackhawks snapped their eight-game losing streak.
Over in Anaheim, Ondrej Kase’s first career hat tick didn’t end in disappointment, as the Ducks beat the Stars 6-3. Brandon Montour scored a goal and also tallied three assists, and Jakob Silfverberg and Hampus Lindholm each scored, as the Ducks used a four-goal third period to cruise to victory. Miro Heiskanen, Alex Radulov, and Blake Comeau scored the three goals for Dallas, all in the second period.
As for the other two games, Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek scored the game-winning goal in the third period to lift Vegas to a 3-2 win over the Islanders. And Johnny Gaudreau’s overtime goal completed the Flames’ comeback, giving them a 6-5 victory over the Flyers.
Staal on IR with concussion
As the Hurricanes fight to get back into playoff contention, they will be without one of their veteran leaders for the foreseeable future. Forward Jordan Staal has been placed on injured reserve with a concussion.
Staal, 30, has missed the past two games due to the injury. He is believed to have suffered the concussion during Carolina’s recent 5-1 loss against the Sharks. There is currently no timetable for his return.
In 27 games, Staal has recorded five goals and six assists. He has recorded 45 or more points for three straight seasons. This will presumably be his first time missing a long stretch of games since the 2014-15 season, where he only appeared in 46 contests.
To fill the extra spot on the roster, Carolina recalled forward Janne Kuokkanen from their Charlotte AHL affiliate. Kuokkanen leads Charlotte with 27 points this season.
Klefbom to miss multiple weeks
The Oilers, just one point out of a playoff spot, are losing a top member of their blue line. Defenseman Oscar Klefbom is expected to be out several weeks with a hand injury.
The injury occurred during Tuesday night’s game against the Avalanche. Klefbom’s hand blocked a shot, and though no official diagnosis has been reported, Edmonton coach Ken Hitchcock told the press the injury would keep him out “weeks for sure.”
Klefbom, 25, has appeared in all 31 games for Edmonton. In addition to his three goals and 12 assists, he leads the Oilers in ice time with an average of 25:25 per game.
Edmonton placed Klefbom on injured reserve Wednesday and called up d-man Caleb Jones from their Bakersfield AHL affiliate to fill the roster spot. They also activated forward Drake Caggiula and sent Cooper Marody back down to the AHL.
On the ice tonight, it’s a battle of the East’s two best teams, as the Maple Leafs square off against the Lightning in Tampa Bay. Elsewhere, a couple of Thursday night’s notable games include the Canucks at Predators, Oilers at Jets, and Stars at Sharks.
Be the first to comment