There was no shortage of action in the NHL on Friday night with six games on the schedule. The New York Islanders reclaimed sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference, the Winnipeg Jets flexed some dominance over the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center, and a beloved coach returned “home” to a standing ovation.
Here are four things we learned in the NHL on Friday night.
Kyle Okposo can score in bunches: Okposo scored three of his four goals in the third period to record the first hat trick of his career in the New York Islanders’ 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night.
Okposo’s second goal of the night tied the game at 3-3, and his hat trick marker gave the Islanders their first lead of the game. The win put the Islanders back on top of the Eastern Conference.
Nashville loves Barry Trotz: Trotz coached the Nashville Predators since the franchise’s inception in 1998 until the end of the 2013-14 season. Trotz returned “home” to Nashville to face his former team for the first time on Friday night. The Predators’ faithful treated Trotz to a standing ovation. It was a nice moment for the Washington Capitals’ head coach.
The Capitals fell short in their effort to give Trotz a win in his homecoming as James Neal scored late to carry the Predators to a 4-3 win.
Trotz has helped transform the Capitals into a defensively responsible hockey team in the hunt for the Metropolitan Division title. He’s a mid-season Jack Adams Award favourite for the league’s best coach.
Ryan Miller etches chapter in Canucks’ history: The Vancouver Canucks scored three goals on eight shots in the second period versus the Carolina Hurricanes to chase Cam Ward from the net en route to a 3-0 win. Miller made 28 saves for his second shutout in as many nights.
Miller became the first Canucks goaltender to post a shutout on back-to-back nights since Ken Lockett on April 1 & 2, 1975. Lockett blanked the California Golden Seals in a home-and-home. Miller stopped 30 pucks in a 4-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.
Winnipeg owns Chicago at home: The Winnipeg Jets continue to impress in their quest for the post-season. The Jets downed the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Friday night, earning themselves a distinction of sorts in the process.
The Jets became the first team to win three regular-season games in a season at the United Center in Chicago since the 2006-07 season.
