Welcome to the NHL Star Energy Index: A weekly gauge of the gamers who’re controlling substantial buzz across the league. When a participant is included on this checklist it will not be a very good factor — it implies that they’re capturing a considerable amount of the hockey world’s consideration.
These gamers are in no specific order relating to the quantity of buzz that they are creating. We’ll revisit the Star Energy Index each week all through the common season.
Generally, it is onerous to consider that Sidney Crosby is 36 years previous contemplating the quantity of expertise that he nonetheless shows on the ice.
In Monday’s 5-2 win towards the New York Rangers, the Pittsburgh Penguins star registered two targets and an help, becoming a member of some elite firm within the course of. Along with his three-point efficiency, Crosby clinched his nineteenth point-per-game season of his NHL profession, and tied Wayne Gretzky for probably the most such seasons in NHL historical past.
It was simply the most recent stellar efficiency for Crosby, who continues to maintain the Penguins alive within the playoff race regardless of the crew buying and selling away star winger Jake Guentzel on the deadline. Crosby has tallied 4 targets and 4 assists over his final 4 video games.
Crosby additionally scored a pair of targets in Tuesday’s 6-3 win towards the New Jersey Devils.
On the 6:48 mark of the third interval, the Penguins showcased some sensational puck motion to arrange a objective from Crosby. After preserving the puck within the offensive zone, ahead Michael Bunting skated in and dished it off to teammate Bryan Rust. Upon receiving the puck, Rust snapped a move from the face-off circle over to Evgeni Malkin. The puck went off of Malkin in entrance, and Crosby was capable of deposit it previous Devils goaltender Jake Allen.
With the objective, Crosby prolonged his level streak to 6 video games and has tallied 5 targets and 9 assists over that stretch. His 14 factors rank first within the NHL since March 24 when the streak started.
The objective ended up being enormous contemplating that it reduce the deficit to 3-2 early within the third interval. Pittsburgh racked up 5 targets within the third interval when it was all stated and completed to return away with a 6-3 win.
Crosby added an empty-net objective late within the third interval to assist put the sport out of attain.
It is spectacular that Crosby remains to be capable of play at such an elite stage even at this stage of his profession. The Penguins star clearly nonetheless has an abundance of nice hockey left within the tank, and will proceed to thrive as he approaches 40 years previous.
Connor McDavid tallied a career-high 153 factors (64 targets & 89 assists) through the 2022-23 season, however is having fun with fairly a formidable marketing campaign in 2023-24.
McDavid will not be as deadly from a goal-scoring standpoint as he solely has 29 targets up up to now. Nevertheless, his 126 factors (29 targets & 97 assists) is the second-highest level whole of his legendary profession.
The Edmonton Oilers star has registered a degree in eight of his final 9 video games, and has racked up three targets and 4 assists in his final three video games alone. McDavid tallied two targets and an help in a 6-1 win towards the Anaheim Geese on Saturday.
Within the opening interval of Saturday’s contest, McDavid produced one more spotlight reel objective that hockey followers have been accustomed to seeing lately.
On the 14:15 mark of the primary interval, Geese defenseman William Lagesson was trying to maintain the puck within the offensive zone when McDavid was capable of knock it free, and it was off to the races. McDavid skated into the zone, went round Bo Groulx, and flipped a shot previous goaltender John Gibson.
McDavid additionally was capable of finding the again of the online within the second interval whereas the Oilers have been on the ability play.
Only a few gamers function the two-man recreation higher than McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and that was showcased firsthand on this specific play. McDavid handed the puck off to Draisaitl, and Draisaitl gave the puck again to McDavid within the slot for an incredible objective to offer Edmonton a commanding 4-0 lead.
Regardless of the likes of Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon placing up superhuman seasons, McDavid is true on their tails as he trails by only one level from the NHL lead in that class. McDavid being within the dialog for the Hart Trophy is a foregone conclusion on a yearly foundation, and continues to take the league by storm.
The Vancouver Canucks could also be struggling as a crew as of late, however star defenseman Quinn Hughes has been an enormous producer on the offensive finish of the ice.
Hughes at the moment leads all NHL defensemen in factors (86) and assists (70), whereas being tied for third amongst NHL defensemen in targets (16). The Canucks blue-liner additionally has registered at the least a degree in 5 of his final six video games.
Hughes just lately tallied two targets in Tuesday’s 6-3 loss towards the Vegas Golden Knights. It marked his second multi-goal recreation of the 2023-24 season for the Canucks star.
The 24-year-old acquired into the scoring column on the 6:13 mark of the second interval when he tried to begin a rally for the Canucks.
Hughes possessed the puck line on the blue line, and dished it off to teammate Conor Garland. Shortly after receiving the puck, Garland gave the puck proper again to Hughes, who snapped a shot previous Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson. Hughes’ objective reduce the deficit to 4-2 on the time.
Within the third interval, Hughes was capable of get into the scoring act but once more. Within the opening two minutes of the body, Hughes obtained the puck off of a hand-off move from teammate Vasily Podkolzin, and proceeded to do the remaining himself. Hughes glided his method again out in direction of the purpose, and finally was capable of fireplace it previous Thompson.
Hughes’s two-goal efficiency wasn’t sufficient to convey the Canucks again on this recreation as they fell 6-3 by the hands of the Golden Knights. Nonetheless, it was simply the most recent displaying of simply how gifted Hughes could be from an offensive standpoint.
Logan Thompson suffered a lower-body harm late within the common season in 2023-24, and finally wasn’t capable of take part within the Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup run. With Adin Hill coping with an analogous ailment this season, Thompson has thrived because the crew’s prime goaltender.
Thompson has tallied a 23-12-5 file to associate with a 2.64 goals-against-average and a .911 save proportion in 42 video games this season.
The Golden Knights netminder has been thriving within the crease as of late. Thompson has put collectively a 6-0-0 file, a 1.29 goals-against-average, and a .952 save proportion over his final seven video games, six of which he drew the beginning.
In Thompson’s most up-to-date outing, the Vegas goalie turned apart 27 of the 30 photographs that he confronted towards the Vancouver Canucks. Previous to surrendering three targets in that contest, Thompson had allowed only one objective apiece in his earlier sit video games.
Thompson is enjoying with supreme confidence for a Golden Knights crew that has received six of their final seven video games, and appears primed to qualify for the postseason. If Thompson can proceed to supply this type of stability in between the pipes, it’s extremely attainable that Vegas might make a run on the franchise’s second consecutive Stanley Cup.
