Carter Hart continued to showcase why he’s one of the NHL’s top young netminders, Mika Zibanejad made Rangers history by putting home yet another game-winner and David Pastrnak entered goal-scoring territory few Bruins have before.
Here are three things we learned in the NHL on a three-game Thursday.
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Hart is growing before our very eyes
We got a taste of what Carter Hart was made of not too long ago when the goaltender led Team Canada to gold at the 2018 World Junior Championship.
Now in his rookie season, Hart has continued opening eyes as one of the NHL’s top young talents in the crease.
The 20-year-old has been front and centre in the Philadelphia Flyers’ impressive season-long six-game win streak, putting together a five-game win streak of his own during the run. In doing so, Hart became just the 10th goalie to record a win streak spanning five or more games prior to his 21st birthday.
Over his past five outings, Hart has turned aside 161 of 173 shots against, which equates to a .931 save percentage. He sports an impressive 8-5 record along with a 2.48 goals-against average on the season.
Philadelphia is currently nine points out of a wild card spot, and if Hart and the rest of Flyers continue playing at this level, they’ll at least have a fighting chance to sneak into the mix.
Zibanejad’s as clutch as they come
Mika Zibanejad has a knack for scoring goals when the New York Rangers need them most.
The Rangers alternate captain registered another game-winner (as part of his second career hat trick) in his team’s victory over the New Jersey Devils, marking the fourth time he’s provided the deciding goal in the past five games.
Zibanejad became just the second Rangers player in franchise history to do so, and the first since 1966.
The 25-year-old has averaged nearly a point per game through 50 contests, accumulating 48 points (20 goals, 28 assists) so far this season.
Pastrnak among Bruins’ elite goal scorers
He’s only 22-years-old, but David Pastrnak has already emerged as one of the more consistent goal scoring threats in Boston Bruins’ history.
With a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers, Pastrnak became only the 10th player in franchise history to hit the 30-goal mark prior to Feb. 1, and the first to do so in 25 years.
Pastrnak’s tally also secured the talented right winger his third straight season scoring at least 30 goals. His teammate, Brad Marchand, is the only other Bruins player with a streak of at least three consecutive 30-goal seasons on the roster.
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