One other week of NHL motion is within the books, and now could be the time to essentially soak it in with the common season nearing its finish. There was rather a lot happening, however we’ve you coated with the weekly NHL Rewind.

On Saturday evening, the Colorado Avalanche visited the Edmonton Oilers for a gathering of two Western Convention juggernauts. They did not disappoint with the sport being determined within the closing second of extra time.

Elsewhere, the race for the ultimate playoff spot within the Jap Convention stays superbly ugly. Plus, Mike Modano was immortalized in Dallas.

Let’s check out the most important tales and greatest highlights from the week that was within the NHL.

Purpose of the week: Morgan Frost goes between the wickets

The Philadelphia Flyers are taking part in with lots of confidence this season, and Morgan Frost took that to a different degree in Saturday’s recreation towards the Bruins. In a considerably shocking shootout between the 2 previous rivals, Frost actually earned some type factors.

Late within the third interval, with the Flyers down 5-3, Frost entered the Boston zone with linemate Owen Tippet. The 2 executed a beautiful give-and-go with Tippett taking a drop cross from Frost and giving it proper again to him in entrance of the online.

In tight on Vezina Trophy candidate Jeremy Swayman, Frost fooled him by going between his legs and flipping the puck high shelf.

Frost, a 24-year-old former first-round decide, has proven some actual flashes of high-end talent. That purpose, his eleventh of the season, was simply one other instance. Philly can solely hope to get that sort of brilliance out of him extra usually shifting ahead.

Theft of the week: Skinner halts Ovi’s pursuit of Gretzky

Final Wednesday’s recreation between the Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals was a bizarre one. The Oilers got here out on fireplace, however goaltender Stuart Skinner allowed objectives on the primary two pictures towards him.

Apparently, all Skinner wanted to get into the zone was an excellent likelihood from maybe the perfect pure goal-scorer in hockey historical past. Late within the opening body, Caps defenseman John Carlson discovered Alex Ovechkin on their lonesome on the backdoor with no Oiler inside 5 miles of him.

With the puck on his stick and a large open internet staring him within the face, it appeared like Ovi was going to get one purpose nearer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time file. Sadly for him — and thankfully for Gretzky — Skinner got here diving throughout to make a jaw-dropping stick save.

After that, Skinner did not enable one other purpose, and Edmonton cruised to a 7-2 victory. If the Oilers are going to make a severe run on the Stanley Cup, Skinner goes to wish to make just a few extra saves like that between now and June.

Avalanche high Oilers in doable WCF preview

Saturday evening, there was a superb showcase for the sport of hockey in Edmonton. Two Western Convention contenders confronted off, they usually delivered on the hype with perhaps the perfect recreation of the season. The Avs and Oilers performed a thriller that got here all the way down to the literal closing second of extra time.

Sean Walker, acquired by Colorado forward of the commerce deadline, scored his first purpose as a member of the Avalanche within the second interval. That lead held into the third interval, and that’s when the fireworks actually started.

Simply shy of six minutes into the third, Warren Foegle deflected an Evan Bouchard shot to degree the rating at 1-1.

That purpose ignited the Rogers Place crowd, they usually solely needed to wait just a few extra minutes for an additional purpose to depart their seats. Sam Carrick, whom the Oilers added from the Geese only a couple weeks earlier, planted himself in entrance of Alexandar Georgiev and was rewarded with a rebound purpose.

With simply 2:30 remaining within the third, the Avalanche managed to reply, and it was Walker once more. This time, Walker cruised proper down predominant road, took a cross from the also-newly-acquired Casey Mittelstadt and buried a one-timer to tie the sport.

Fittingly, the sport between these two Cup contenders went to extra time, and it practically received to a shootout. Deciding this recreation in a shootout would have been a excessive crime, however fortunately Nathan MacKinnon was in a position to work some magic within the closing second of extra time.

MacKinnon beat Bouchard to a unfastened puck within the nook, spun, and threw a cross to Artturi Lehkonen in entrance of the online. Lehkonen received sufficient on his shot to push it previous Stuart Skinner and win the sport with simply 0.5 seconds left within the extra time interval.

After a showdown like that, it is a cliche to say, “Give me seven video games of that.” Cliche or not, that is precisely what I need. When Edmonton and Colorado are exchanging haymakers, hockey would not get rather more entertaining.

Battle for the East’s closing wild card spot intensifies

We go from two groups hellbent on profitable the Stanley Cup to some groups who seem to be they’d slightly do something however qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sadly for them, a minimum of one in all them has to do it.

The New York Islanders, Detroit Crimson Wings and Washington Capitals are locked in one of many ugliest playoff races of the previous few years, and I can not look away. This previous weekend, that race kicked up a notch in depth, establishing a dogfight for the final 15 or so video games.

Let’s begin from the Islanders, a workforce that was pink scorching only a week or two in the past. That warmth has all however escaped Barclays Middle, and the Isles at the moment are fumbling alternatives left and proper. After getting embarrassed by the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, the Islanders mounted a last-second comeback towards the Ottawa Senators on Saturday to tie the sport at 3-3 with underneath a minute remaining.

Sadly, Bo Horvat went from hero to goat in virtually no time. He took a penalty in extra time, and that allowed Brady Tkachuk to win the sport for Ottawa (and rating a hat trick within the course of).

The following day, the Islanders tried to get again on the horse for an enormous recreation towards the rival New York Rangers. That did not go so nicely both. Late within the second interval, the Isles surrendered a purpose to Jonny Brodzinski to fall behind, 3-2.

The Islanders mustered subsequent to no offense within the third, and the Rangers earned a decisive 5-2 win. Patrick Roy’s group went from trying prefer it may roll to the playoffs to being on the surface trying in.

From the Islanders, we flip to the coldest workforce within the NHL, the Crimson Wings. The excellent news for Detroit is that it snapped a seven-game dropping streak with a win over the Sabres on Saturday. Patrick Kane received the game-winner, and the Wings have been feeling some good vibes for the primary time in weeks.

These good vibes lasted perhaps 24 hours. Someday after beating the Sabres, the Crimson Wings went to Pittsburgh for a recreation towards a Penguins workforce that is limping to the end line. In a must-win recreation towards a beleaguered opponent, Detroit laid an egg once more.

Sidney Crosby notched a purpose and an help, main the Penguins to a decisive 6-3 win over the Crimson Wings.

The Crimson Wings have been type of a home of playing cards all season lengthy, however I did not anticipate this workforce collapsing in such dramatic trend. Nonetheless, the Crimson Wings are within the thick of the playoff race, so all it’s going to take is one other burst of stable outcomes to get again into the postseason.

Now, we flip our consideration to the third workforce on this race, the Capitals. They’re the weirdest of the trio, and they’re those at present sitting in that second wild card spot.

Following a 7-2 throttling by the hands of the Oilers on Wednesday, the Capitals went into Seattle and notched an unpleasant 2-1 win over the Kraken. Connor McMichael broke free within the third interval for the game-winner in that one.

Two nights later, Washington received one other slog of a hockey recreation towards the Vancouver Canucks. As soon as once more, the rating was 2-1. I’ll say, the game-winner in that one was awfully fairly with Alex Ovechkin ending off a tic-tac-toe passing play.

On Monday evening, the Capitals’ western street journey continued with a visit to Calgary. They managed to earn their third win in a row, however that they had extra respiratory room this time round. Ovechkin notched a pair extra objectives as Washington shocked the Flames, 5-2.

The loopy factor in regards to the Capitals presumably taking this wild card spot is the truth that they may have one of many worst purpose differentials for a playoff workforce in NHL historical past. The present file for the bottom is minus-24. Washington is at present sitting at minus-27.

This race is fascinating. It consists of some groups alternating between selecting up large wins and stepping on rakes. The battle for that closing spot within the East is about to be can’t-miss stuff down the stretch.

Stars unveil Mike Modano statue

As a younger American hockey fan with a Fathead of Mike Modano on his wall rising up, seeing him get a statue exterior American Airways Middle on Saturday was superior. One of many biggest Individuals to lace up a pair of skates, Modano was immortalized in Dallas on Saturday.

Previous to the Stars’ recreation towards the Los Angeles Kings, the workforce held a ceremony exterior the world the place an emotional Modano spoke about what the workforce and metropolis has meant to him.

Modano additionally posed together with his new statue, which featured some pops of Stars inexperienced on the jersey and socks.

A Michigan native, Modano went on to complete 561 objectives, 813 assists and 1,359 factors in 1,499 profession video games with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars and Detroit Crimson Wings. In 1999, Modano helped lead the Stars to their first Stanley Cup regardless of breaking his wrist in Recreation 2 of the Last towards the Buffalo Sabres.

As soon as the ceremony was over, the Stars took the ice, they usually should have been motivated with a franchise legend within the constructing. Dallas rolled to a 4-1 win over Los Angeles, and it held a 4-0 lead simply 22:30 into the competition.

Appointment viewing this week

Lightning at Golden Knights | Tuesday, March 19: Not solely are these the final two Stanley Cup winners, however they’re additionally preventing for playoff spots of their respective conferences. This needs to be an intense tilt between two proud and determined groups.

Wild at Kings | Wednesday, March 20: If the Wild are going to make the playoffs, they should do extra profitable whereas different groups fall again towards them. Minnesota might kill two birds with one stone Wednesday. Issues might get very attention-grabbing if the Wild beat the Kings right here.

Islanders at Crimson Wings | Thursday, March 21: We have already talked in regards to the race for the second wild card spot within the East. On Thursday, we’ll discover out who needs it least when the Islanders and Crimson Wings face off. Anticipate playoff power in March from these two golf equipment.

Oilers at Maple Leafs | Saturday, March 22: Auston Matthews. Connor McDavid. These two being on the ice collectively is sufficient of a promoting level by itself. Then you definitely keep in mind that the final recreation between the Oilers and Leafs was a barn burner and it actually turns into appointment viewing.

Panthers at Rangers | Saturday, March 23: If you need a doable Jap Convention Finals preview this weekend, that is the sport for you. The Rangers and Panthers are simply the 2 greatest East groups since Jan. 1, and they’ll meet for a marquee matchup on Saturday evening.