NHL Headlines: Week of Feb. 3
Superhumans: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combine for 11 points
The Edmonton Oilers’ two superstars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, had a combined total of 11 points in an 8-5 win over the Ottawa Senators. McDavid tallied one goal and four assists against Ottawa, while Draisaitl had a whopping six assists. Edmonton’s dynamic duo leads the NHL in points; McDavid currently has 24, which leads the NHL, and Draisaitl is sitting at second with 22.
Stars shine in overtime: Ovechkin, Crosby and McDavid all score OT winners
In a season unlike any other, there are often rare moments. On Saturday, Jan. 30, Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid all scored overtime winners in a span of about 12 minutes. Crosby was the first player to score out of the three at around 9:35 p.m. vs. the New York Rangers to give the Penguins a 5-4 win. Ovechkin, who missed the last four games due to being put on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, scored at 9:36 p.m. against the Boston Bruins 28 seconds into the overtime frame. Finally, McDavid capped the night off scoring at 9:47 p.m. to give the Oilers at 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Tony DeAngelo placed on waivers by New York
On Monday, Tony DeAngelo was placed on waivers by the New York Rangers. Though DeAngelo has produced offensively ever since the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he has struggled mightily on defense. There were also problems off the ice as well. According to The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello, DeAngelo got in a small fight with goaltender Alexander Georgiev after the Rangers fell to the Penguins in overtime. Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said that releasing DeAngelo was not related to his presence on social media but rather because he “could not let go” being a healthy scratch for the first two games of the season. DeAngelo tallied 53 points (15 goals, 38 assists) in 68 games last season.
Nathan MacKinnon out with lower-body injury
Nathan MacKinnon sustained a lower-body injury against the Minnesota Wild. It is unclear how or when the injury occured. He will be out for at least one to two weeks. This is a huge loss for the Avalanche, as they have had a tough time staying healthy. MacKinnon joins Devon Toews, Erik Johnson, Matt Calvert, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and goaltender Pavel Francouz on the injury list. MacKinnon currently has 14 points, which is tied for third in the NHL, and it will be interesting to see how the Avalanche play without him.
Jacob Cheris is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jacobcheris19@gmail.com.
Alex Rocco is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email afr5646@psu.edu.
Maclain Young is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email macyoung21@gmail.com.
David Fortunato is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email dforch2344@gmail.com.
