Most productive player
Surprisingly, defencemen took the top two spots last week, with Swedish veteran Rasmus Andersson of Calgary leading the way with nine points (2+7).
His Flames won three out of four games, and the 29-year-old blueliner picked up points in every outing. He notched three points in both the 6-2 win over Buffalo and the 5-2 victory against Vancouver.
He also posted a solid +5 rating, and seven of his nine points came at even strength.
Goaltender of the week
After a disastrous start, the San Jose Sharks have turned things around, thanks in part to talented Russian netminder Yaroslav Askarov.
The rising star of the California team appeared in three of four games last week, and the Sharks won all three with him in goal.
He faced Utah, Los Angeles, and Boston, allowing just six goals from 95 shots. That’s an average of 1.92 goals against per game and a save percentage of 93.7%. Thanks to his efforts, San Jose are now just below the playoff line.
Story of the week
It’s not unusual to see him among the week’s top scorers - this time, Finnish star forward Mikko Rantanen found himself leading a different category.
The highest-paid player at Dallas surpassed tough guys like Curtis Douglas of Tampa Bay and A.J. Greer of Florida, becoming the most penalised player of the week with 39 minutes. It’s not a distinction he’s likely proud of.
He was first ejected in a game against the New York Islanders for boarding Russian defenseman Alexander Romanov, which infuriated former notorious hothead Patrick Roy, now coaching the New York team.
The former Canadian goalie shouted at the Finnish forward from the bench as he headed to the locker room, and later vented his anger to the media, upset by what he saw as a lack of respect for the opponent.
"When you see the opponent’s number up close in that situation, everyone knows you have to ease up," Roy explained to reporters after the game, which the Islanders won 3-2, with Rantanen picking up an assist. At that point, Roy didn’t yet know Romanov would need surgery and face a six-month layoff.
But that wasn’t all. In the next game, Dallas beat Vancouver 4-2 with help from the Finn’s goal, but Rantanen was fined $2,000 for embellishment. Then, on Saturday against Calgary, Rantanen again failed to finish the game.
This time, his similarly reckless hit along the boards took out forward Matt Coronato, who was immediately avenged by fellow star Jonathan Huberdeau. For Rantanen, it was his first NHL fight in his 10th season.
"That didn’t look good, and he’ll probably be getting a call from the league’s disciplinary committee," former star defenceman Chris Pronger told Sportsnet.
"Coronato was tied up with (Lian) Bichsel and had no idea Rantanen was coming from the other side," said Pronger, who was never afraid of physical play.
Calgary capitalised on the long power play to make it 2-0 and eventually won the game 3-2 in a shootout. Rantanen was then handed a one-game suspension by the league.
Stat of the week
League leaders Colorado made NHL history, becoming just the fourth team ever to record only one regulation loss in their first twenty games of the season.
Previously, only Chicago in 2012/13, Philadelphia in 1979/80, and Montreal in 1927/28 have managed the same feat.
Social media highlight
There’s no doubt Connor Bedard can play hockey - he’s already convinced just about everyone. But he still has some work to do when it comes to respect.
When his Chicago faced Seattle (2-3), the 2023 first overall pick broke in alone on the Kraken net, only to be hooked by defenseman Ryan Lindgren and failed to finish his chance. The referee had a clear view but didn’t call a penalty, which infuriated Bedard.
"Are you f***ing kidding me?" you could easily read from the Canadian forward’s lips. The referee didn’t appreciate the outburst, sent Bedard to the penalty box, and Seattle scored on the ensuing power play - ultimately winning the game thanks to that goal.
Pic of the week
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy of Tampa Bay continues to prove why he’s been among the NHL’s elite goalies for years.
Last year’s finalists from Edmonton managed just one goal against him and lost 2-1 in overtime, thanks in part to this spectacular save.