NHL Week in Review: 4/1-4/7

Daily Headlines
Monday 4/1
  • Minnesota's Ryan Hartman was suspended three games after he threw a stick on the ice in the direction of the referees following Sunday's overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
  • Sidney Crosby records a pair of goals and an assist in a 5-2 win over the Rangers to ensure his 19th point-per-game season, tying him with Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history.
  • Morgan Frost forces overtime with less than ten seconds left, but the Islanders beat the Flyers in overtime 4-3 in a battle between teams fighting for a playoff spot.
Tuesday 4/2
  • Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin score twice each during a five-goal third period to help the Penguins remain on a roll in a 6-3 win in New Jersey.
  • Charlie Coyle's short-handed goal in the third period breaks a scoreless tie as Linus Ullmark pitches a 31-save shutout in a 3-0 win over the Predators.
Wednesday 4/3
  • Conor Garland scores with 1:51 left to break a 1-1 deadlock in Arizona, helping Quinn Hughes pick up his 70th assist in a 2-1 win over the Coyotes.
  • Trevor Moore's hat trick helps the Kings pick up a 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken.
Thursday 4/4
  • Gabriel Vilardi helps the Jets clinch a playoff spot in style, netting his first career hat trick in a 5-2 win over the Flames.
  • Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos record three points each in a 7-4 win for the Bolts over the Canadiens.
Friday 4/5
  • Down 2-0 for most of the night, Jake Guentzel scores twice, and Sebastian Aho scores a late go-ahead goal on the power play to score four unanswered in Carolina's 4-2 win over Washington.
  • While not in action, Toronto and Tampa Bay both clinch a playoff spot, with Philadelphia, Washington, and Detroit all losing in regulation.
  • Connor McDavid scores twice to eclipse 30 goals, and Leon Draisaitl passes 100 points as the Oilers score five unanswered goals in a 6-2 win over the Avalanche to clinch a playoff spot.
  • Arizona scores six goals in the third period, coming back from a 4-1 deficit to stun the Vegas Golden Knights 7-4.
Saturday 4/6
  • Jesper Boqvist's breakaway goal in overtime helps the Bruins extend their lead in the Atlantic Division to five points in a 3-2 win over the Panthers.
  • Michael Bunting's late go-ahead goal helps the Penguins avoid a near-disaster after blowing a 4-1 lead, earning two big points to remain firmly in the playoff picture.
  • William Eklund does all of the scoring for the Sharks, scoring twice in regulation and once more in overtime to secure a 3-2 win against the Blues, earning Devin Cooley his first NHL win.
  • Columbus' defensemen combine to score all six of their goals, as Zach Werenski and Damon Severson score twice each in a 6-2 victory over the struggling Flyers.
Sunday 4/7
  • Kirill Kaprizov joins the 40-goal club again, and Jesper Wallstedt secures his first shutout in just his second start in a 4-0 win over the Blackhawks.
  • Jake Sanderson scores 41 seconds into overtime to force the Capitals to leave a point on the table in a 3-2 loss to the Senators.
  • Dallas scores three power-play goals in the second period to pull away from the Avalanche in a 7-4 win in Colorado to extend their division lead in the Central.
Team of the Week- New York Islanders
The Metropolitan Division takes center stage in all three categories this week. With the fluid situations for the third spot in the division and the second Wild Card spot, the New York Islanders used this week to propel themselves into the final automatic spot in the division, winning all four of their games. While their schedule wasn't necessarily the hardest, they earned eight points, including wins over the Flyers and the Predators, the latter of which was a 41-save shutout for Semyon Varlamov. The Penguins might've had the tougher week overall, but New York has the added benefit of being in a playoff spot to boost its week.

Disappointing Team of the Week- Washington Capitals
While the Islanders are thriving, the Capitals are coming back down to earth. They've won just three of their last ten games and only picked up one of a possible eight points this week. Even that one point was upsetting, coming in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Senators on Sunday. They were run out of the building by Buffalo, had a bad start to doom them against the Penguins, and blew a 2-0 lead to the Hurricanes, too. Between Charlie Lindgren and Darcy Kuemper, the Capitals allowed the third-most goals in the league (17) and killed just 60 percent of their penalties. What looked like progress just a few weeks ago has them in the middle of a logjam for the final two spots.

Surprising Team of the Week- Pittsburgh Penguins
Like the Islanders, the Pittsburgh Penguins had a perfect week, going 4-0-0 against some tough opponents. They swept a back-to-back against the Rangers and Devils to start the week before picking up a win over the Capitals on Thursday and preventing a complete collapse on Saturday against the Lightning with a late game-winning goal. Their stars are stepping up to get it done. Four Penguins tied with six points this week, and Sidney Crosby led the way with five goals, while Evgeni Malkin had four. Alex Nedeljkovic started all four games and won them all, with Tristan Jarry recovering from an illness earlier in the week. Pittsburgh is also part of that group on the fringe trying to bust into the playoffs. With only two spots available, some good teams are going to miss out.

Three Stars of the Week
3rd Star- Artemi Panarin (NYR)- 2 goals, 6 assists in 4 games
With the Metropolitan crown likely belonging to the Rangers, Artemi Panarin has made sure to keep his foot on the gas. Panarin finished second in points for the week (8) and was tied for second with six assists. The Rangers won three of their four contests, maintaining a five-point lead over Carolina going into the final full week of the regular season. Panarin is currently fourth in the league in scoring with 115 points.

2nd Star- Alex Nedeljkovic (PIT)- 4-0-0, .917 SV&, 2.50 GAA in 4 starts
Sometimes, injuries and illnesses happen. When they happen to be goalies, it adds more pressure on the second member of a duo. Alex Nedeljkovic stepped up and took a start he wasn't originally scheduled for on Monday in New York, shutting down the Rangers before doing the same the next night against the Devils. Nedeljkovic started all four of Pittsburgh's games, allowing just ten goals during his perfect week to help Pittsburgh increase its chances of making the playoffs.

1st Star- Nikita Kucherov (TBL)- 1 goal, 9 assists in 4 games
The race for the Art Ross remains a three-man race, with Nikita Kucherov currently sitting atop the league with 136 points. This is due in part to his league-leading ten-point week, including a league-high nine assists. After just one point in the game on Monday, Kucherov recorded three straight three-point games against Toronto, Montreal, and Pittsburgh. He still faces considerable pressure from Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid as that race and the Hart conversation intensify. 

My Top 16 (* denotes a new entry)
1. New York Rangers (-)
2. Boston Bruins (-)
3. Dallas Stars (-)
4. Carolina Hurricanes (-)
5. Edmonton Oilers (+2)
6. Vancouver Canucks (-1)
7. Florida Panthers (-1)
8. Toronto Maple Leafs (+1)
9. Winnipeg Jets (+3)
10. Los Angeles Kings (+5)
11. Colorado Avalanche (-3)
12. Vegas Golden Knights (-2)
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (-2)
14. New York Islanders (+7)*
15. Pittsburgh Penguins (+4)*
16. Nashville Predators (-3)

Games of the Upcoming Week
Capitals vs. Red Wings (Tuesday)
Red Wings vs. Penguins (Thursday)
There are plenty of big games against top-tier teams, but my focus is on the few playoff races left to be decided. Right now, the hottest battle in for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. This week, the Red Wings will have two big battles against teams they're trying to hold off. Detroit is currently one point ahead of both Pittsburgh and Washington for the final playoff spot. Both the Penguins and Capitals are also in a race for the third spot in the Metropolitan Division, so they can't afford to keep points on the table in either race. 

Canucks vs. Oilers (Saturday)
Under the radar, the Oilers have made the race for the Pacific Division crown very tight. Vancouver is only three points ahead of Edmonton, and the Oilers hold a game in hand, which they will likely make up this week. They seem to be moving in opposite directions at the moment, with Edmonton overtaking Vancouver in my Top 16. Connor McDavid is also trying to make his claim for the Art Ross Trophy, so he's sure to be all over the ice.  

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