Week 12 is complete! The Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, and San Jose Sharks were all a perfect 4-0-0 this week. The Panthers currently lead the league with 56 points in 39 games played. The Avalanche led the league this week in scoring with 19 goals, while the Capitals led the league in goals against, with 18. Let’s take a look at this week’s top performers!
Forwards
Mathew Barzal
Barzal dominated this week, tied for the league lead with seven points. He tallied an assist on both Monday and Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, respectively. However, his most productive night came on Thursday against the Washington Capitals. He put on a dazzling display, scoring a hat trick and two assists to lead the New York Islanders to an 8-4 victory. He batted his third goal of the game right out of the air, seemingly a nod to Opening Day of Major League Baseball.
Barzal is up to 13 goals and 21 assists in 38 games this season. He leads the Islanders in points with 34 and plus/minus rating at plus-17. He will look to extend his point streak to five games on Tuesday against the Capitals.
Brad Marchand
Marchand couldn’t be held off of the scoresheet this week. He began the week with a goal and an assist against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. It turns out his goal against the Penguins on Thursday was just a warm-up. Just two days later, he exploded for three goals and an assist, putting an end to Pittsburgh’s five-game win streak.
Marchand has been a force for the Boston Bruins this season. He leads the team in goals (17), assists (24), power-play points (14), shorthanded points (three), and plus/minus rating (plus-12). With 14 points in his last 10 games, he will look to get on the scoresheet again against the Flyers Monday as the Bruins attempt to hang on to the final playoff spot in the MassMutual East Division.
Artemi Panarin
Panarin was no slouch this week, either. On Tuesday, he scored a goal and two assists against the Capitals. He followed that performance by scoring two points in back-to-back games against the Buffalo Sabres, two assists on Thursday, and two goals on Saturday. He also finished the week with a plus-4 rating, 11 shots on goal, and a power-play goal.
Despite only playing 26 games this season, Panarin leads the Rangers in points with 36. Overall, he has tallied 11 goals and 25 assists. He will get the chance to keep his hot streak going as the Rangers host the Penguins Tuesday.
Honorable Mention: Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon both registered three goals and four assists this week, including a game-winning goal apiece.
Defensemen
Ryan Murray
Although the New Jersey Devils lost all three of their games, Murray had his most productive week of the season. He recorded six assists this week after tallying just four points in the prior 25 games. He scored two against the Bruins and four in two games against the Capitals. His most fruitful game was on Sunday, with three helpers against the Capitals. He also finished the week with a plus-6 rating, five blocked shots, and three hits.
Murray is up to 10 points and a plus-6 rating on the season. After being acquired in a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets this offseason, the 27-year-old blueliner has had a disappointing season in New Jersey overall. He will look to keep the momentum going against the lowly Buffalo Sabres Tuesday.
Cale Makar
Makar was second among defensemen in scoring this week with five points. His most productive night came on Monday, a three-assist night against the Anaheim Ducks. He also tallied a point in back-to-back games against the St. Louis Blues to finish the week. His only goal was a clutch one for the Colorado Avalanche. With time running out in the third period, he intercepted an attempted clearance and lit the lamp from the right point to seal the win for the Avs.
Makar has played in only 25 games due to an upper-body injury he suffered in early March. Despite his 10-game absence, he has four goals, 20 assists, and a plus-16 rating on the season. The Avalanche will look to extend their point streak to 15 games as they travel to Minnesota on Monday.
Honorable Mention: Adam Fox recorded a goal, three assists, and a plus-2 rating in three games while averaging 26:35 of ice time per game. Fox has scored a point in 10 straight games.
Goaltender
Martin Jones
Jones was the only goaltender to start four contests this week, adding a tally to the win column in each one. He began the week with two wins over the Minnesota Wild, including a shootout win on Monday. He followed that series up with back-to-back wins against the Los Angeles Kings. He finished the week with 113 saves, a .942 save percentage (SV%), and a 1.71 goals-against average (GAA). He also recorded a shutout, his first of the season, on Friday.
Jones is 14-7-2 with a 3.03 GAA and a .905 SV% on the season. He has been on a hot streak of late, winning eight of his last 10 starts dating back to March 1. The San Jose Sharks will need Jones to keep it going as they are just three points out of the final playoff spot in the Honda West Division with a game in hand over the fourth-place Arizona Coyotes.
Honorable Mention: Philipp Grubauer made 68 saves on 74 shots for a .919 SV% and a 2.00 GAA in three wins this week. He has won nine of his last 10 starts and is sixth among goaltenders with a goals saved above expected (GSAA) of 7.5 this season.
Up Next
Week 13 begins today! What to watch this week: the Capitals take on the Islanders in a battle for first place in the MassMutual East Division, the Avalanche visit the Minnesota Wild in a high octane Honda West Division matchup, and the Panthers look to hold off the Carolina Hurricanes.
