NHL

NHL: Bruins top Jets in clash of leaders

By Sports Desk January 23, 2024

Charlie Coyle had a goal and an assist to back 20 saves from Jeremy Swayman as the Boston Bruins remained hot with Monday's 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets in a clash of division leaders.

Jake DeBrusk scored short-handed in the third period to help Boston to a fifth consecutive victory, while Brad Marchand and Jakub Lauko added goals for the Atlantic leaders. 

The Central-leading Jets lost for just the second time in 12 games and had a streak of 34 straight games allowing three goals or fewer halted. The run was one short of an NHL record in a single season during the expansion era, as the Minnesota Wild did so in 35 in a row from Jan.-April 2005.

After Lauko and Winnipeg's Vladislav Namestnikov traded early goals, Coyle put the Bruins back ahead by redirecting Hampus Lindholm's shot past Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck with 1:34 left in the first period. 

DeBrusk fired a loose puck by Hellebuyck with the Jets on a power play to increase the lead to 3-1 with 5:25 left to play, and Marchand sealed the win with an empty-net goal inside the final minute.

Hellebuyck stopped 17 of 20 shots for Winnipeg.

Devils' Toffoli has hat trick, overtime winner against Golden Knights

Tyler Toffoli scored with 2:25 left in overtime to cap his second hat trick of the season and give the New Jersey Devils a thrilling 6-5 comeback win over the Vegas Golden Knights.

New Jersey trailed 5-3 late in the second period before getting two unanswered goals from Toffoli and another from Curtis Lazar to halt the defending Stanley Cup champions' three-game winning streak.

Lazar also scored in the first period and Nico Hischier added a goal to help the Devils avoid a fourth loss in five games.

Jonathan Marchessault had two goals and an assist for Vegas, which also received a goal and two assists from Nicolas Roy and one goal and one assist from Chandler Stephenson.

Toffoli started New Jersey's rally by ripping a shot past Knights goaltender Logan Thompson with 15.8 seconds left in the second period. Lazar's second of the night created a 5-5 tie midway through the third, and Toffoli completed his three-goal outing by converting a feed from Luke Hughes with the Devils on a 3-on-2 rush in overtime.

Hischier and Lazar each struck in the first period after Pavel Dorofeyev gave Vegas a 1-0 lead 6:12 in. Toffoli extended the margin to 3-1 with just 1:37 elapsed in the second, but the Knights scored four times before the end of the period to move ahead.

Marchessault tied the game at 3-3 with a pair of goals 2:21 apart, and Stephenson scored just 48 seconds after Marchessault's second before Roy gave Vegas a 5-3 edge in the final minute of the period.

Thompson finished with 32 saves while Vitek Vanecek stopped 27 shots for the Devils. 

Canucks' Demko blanks Blackhawks for fifth shutout

Thatcher Demko turned aside 31 shots to record his fifth shutout of the season and lead the red-hot Vancouver Canucks to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

The All-Star goaltender tied Arizona's Connor Ingram and Pittsburgh's Tristan Jarry for the NHL's lead in shutouts while sparking Vancouver to its third straight win. The Pacific Division-leading Canucks are now 8-0-1 over a nine-game point streak.

Vancouver got all its scoring in the opening period, as Pius Suter knocked in a feed from Andrei Kuzmenko 1:47 in and Quinn Hughes blasted a shot over the shoulder of Chicago goaltender Petr Mrazek less than five minutes later. Kuzmenko was credited with an assist on that goal as well. 

Demko stopped 10 shots in the second period and 12 more in the third to keep the Canucks' lead intact.

The Blackhawks, who had won two of their last three games, were shut out for the fifth time this season. Mrazek finished with 27 saves. 

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    The St. Louis Blues announced Sunday they have fired Drew Bannister and replaced him with the newly available Jim Montgomery.

    Team president and GM Doug Armstrong announced the sudden change Sunday after the Blues’ disappointing 9-12-1 start to the season.

    Montgomery, the 2022 Jack Adams Award winner, was fired by the Boston Bruins just five days ago.

    Montgomery will join his new team in New York ahead of Monday’s game against the Rangers.

    St. Louis fired Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube last season and named Bannister the interim bench boss.

    In May, the Blues removed the interim tag from Bannister’s title.

    Montgomery spent the last two full seasons leading the Bruins to 100-point seasons and play-off appearances, but both post-season runs ended against the Florida Panthers.

    Boston opened the season 8-9-3 under Montgomery before he was fired, and the Bruins have won both their games under new coach Joe Sacco.

    Among the NHL’s 32 teams, this is the 23rd coaching change since January 2023.

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  • NHL star Gaudreau killed in bicycling accident NHL star Gaudreau killed in bicycling accident

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    Johnny Gaudreau, a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his brother were both in the area to attend their sister's wedding scheduled Friday in Philadelphia.

    According to the State Police, both Gaudreau brothers were struck from behind by a Jeep Grand Cherokee that was attempting to pass another vehicle on the right. Police responded at 8:19 p.m. Eastern Time and pronounced both men dead at the scene.

    The driver of the vehicle, Sean M. Higgins, was suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and charged with two counts of death by auto after being taken to the Salem County Correctional Facility.

    "The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy," the team said in a statement. "Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children, Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family and friends on the sudden loss of Johnny and Matthew."

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    The former Boston College standout also received the Lady Byng Trophy, which honours the NHL player who best exhibits sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct in addition to a high standard of playing ability, for the 2016-17 season.

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    The Flames selected Gaudreau in the fourth round of the 2011 draft, and he signed with the team three years later following a brilliant college career at Boston College. The 5-foot-9 forward helped the Eagles win the 2012 NCAA championship and later won the Hobey Baker Award honouring the nation's top collegiate player in 2014.

    “Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice," the Blue Jackets said. "He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets. He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could.

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