Ice Breaker: Kaprizov and Hughes run the Sharks out of St. Paul
Four points from Kaprizov, 31 minutes from Hughes, a Ducks comeback in Calgary and a Sabres rout on a three-game Friday.
Kirill Kaprizov had four points and Quinn Hughes played 31 minutes, and Minnesota made Friday's light three-game card look like a one-act show. By our count, Kaprizov now has 30 points in 18 games and a seven-game point streak, and Hughes, Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek have points in seven straight too.
Anaheim's third-period comeback in Calgary and a Buffalo blowout of Columbus filled out the evening, while the Panthers rested ahead of an early afternoon start in Washington.
Kaprizov opened it on the power play at 7:55 of the first, and Macklin Celebrini tied it midway through the second with one of his six shots. Maxim Shabanov answered on another power play two minutes later, then Hughes and Zach Bogosian put it away in the third. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 23 of 24.
Lind's read: Minnesota is 4-0-1 in its last five with a plus-10 goal difference, per NHL data, and two power-play goals made the difference in a game that was tied at the midpoint. San Jose is 1-4 in its last five at minus-12, and no amount of Celebrini minutes fixes that.
Calgary scored three times in the first period, the last a Joel Farabee power-play goal at 19:02. Lukas Dostal didn't return for the second after allowing three goals on 11 shots, and Ville Husso stopped all 10 he faced in relief.
Tristan Luneau got one back, Leo Carlsson tied it on the power play 55 seconds into the third, and Cutter Gauthier won it at 18:26 before Nikita Nesterenko hit the empty net.
Sully's chirp: Dostal got the hook after one period. Husso came off the bench cold, saw 10 shots, stopped 10 and got the win, which is the hockey version of showing up to the wedding after the speeches and still getting a plate.
Sabres 5, Blue Jackets 2
Jack Quinn scored early, Kent Johnson tied it, and Josh Norris put Buffalo back ahead before the first ended. Rasmus Dahlin, Norris again and Josh Doan scored in a 6:23 span of the second. Owen Power had three assists, and Jet Greaves faced 37 shots.
Lind's read: Norris scored twice in 13:03 of ice time, and Power's three assists came from the back end in 20:20. Buffalo is 4-1 in its last five at plus-6, per NHL data. Zach Werenski's late power-play goal ran his point streak to six, by our count, but Columbus needed considerably more than a consolation.
Three stars of the night
- Kirill Kaprizov, MIN: a goal and three assists, involved in all four Minnesota goals.
- Quinn Hughes, MIN: a goal, two assists and 31:00 of ice time.
- Josh Norris, BUF: two goals, including the one that put Buffalo ahead for good.
Lind's number of the night
The number: 31:00. That's what Hughes played against San Jose, three minutes over the 28.0 he averages this season, per NHL data. He has 25 points in 18 games, and Minnesota is leaning on him like a team that plans to be playing in May.
Sully's take of the morning
Columbus has to find Adam Fantilli again. He played 18:52 against Buffalo with zero shots and a minus-2, and by our count he's gone five straight games without a point. Buddy, I'm begging you, the puck isn't a family heirloom. Put it on the net. Grade: D.
Kessler's corner
No. 13 Boston University went into East Lansing and beat No. 3 Michigan State 6-2, the kind of Friday result that rearranges the entire national conversation. Notre Dame also took a 5-4 overtime decision at Penn State.
Pabs' Florida line
The Everblades won the in-state game 2-1 in overtime in Jacksonville, Ryan Mast scoring 4:06 into the extra frame and Cam Johnson stopping 27 of 28. Box score. Road wins in that building in November are worth more than the standings say.
Meg's line
No. 5 Princeton stayed perfect by beating No. 8 Colgate 5-1, which says plenty about how legitimate that undefeated start has been.
Tonight
Twelve games, and the Panthers start the day: Florida (9-5-2) is in Washington at 12:30 p.m. on Scripps, coming off a 4-1 run over its last five, by our count.
Tampa Bay visits a Minnesota team that just played the Sharks off the ice, at 8 p.m. Montreal at Toronto is the Saturday-night headliner at 7, Rangers-Kraken runs on Prime Video at 5, and Connor McDavid takes a 17-game point streak, by our count, into Vancouver's visit to Edmonton at 10.
