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NHL Weekly: A bare-handed hit, unstoppable Winnipeg and a dangerous shot to the neck

Martin Tomaides
JT Compher, centre, of Detroit fails to get the puck in the Toronto net
JT Compher, centre, of Detroit fails to get the puck in the Toronto netBRUCE BENNETT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP / Profimedia
Another full week of NHL hockey. Who scored the most points, which goalie shined, what was trending on social media and what event caught the attention of Flashscore News expert and longtime overseas player Ladislav Smid (38)? All this in our regular NHL column.

The most productive player

Nathan MacKinnon, the most valuable player of the last season, is not slowing down in the 2024/25 season. MacKinnon had five points against Seattle and four against Carolina.

Fifteen shot attempts marked the fifth-best performance in the competition, and no forward in the league has had as many. The Canadian averaged 25 minutes and three seconds on the ice too.

Goaltender of the Week

Unstoppable Winnipeg is also going from win to win thanks to American goaltending star Connor Hellebuyck. The mage between the sticks got just one goal in three games, stopping 88 shots and shutting out Colorado and Utah. He also held off a strong Dallas side that only overcame him in the 59th minute.

He kept a clean sheet for a total of 191 minutes and 47 seconds and set a new club record, beating Ondrej Pavelec, six years his senior, by nearly five minutes.

Highlight of the week

The St Louis crowd found out how dangerous hockey can be on Tuesday. Home forward Dylan Holloway was hit by a puck from Nick Paul just in the neck in a game against Tampa Bay. He picked up the puck, went on the attack, and finished the whole shift thanks to an adrenaline rush, but then collapsed on the bench.

"It was scary. The doctors told me the puck hit a nerve. I felt weird right after it hit me, but I saw that we were going two-on-one and I didn't want to throw that chance away," the forward, who left the arena on a stretcher, told the NY Post.

Holloway was feeling better the day after and even started Thursday's game against Utah. He went on to play a full game, recording more than 17 minutes.

Stat of the Week

Sidney Crosby is not only one of the best hockey players in history, but he's also a master of the successful faceoff. With a figure of 14,838 he leapfrogged the next on the leaderboard, Patrice Bergeron, and is the most successful ever in the NHL.

And speaking of faceoffs, Dallas captain Jamie Benn won all 16 he faced on Thursday against Chicago. Since 1997, only six players have managed a 16-0 record before him.

From social media.

Even the best who skate for a living sometimes have a weak moment. Carolina defenseman Jalen Chatfield must have been in a lot of pain during his skate, physically and mentally, but he took it all in stride.

Photo of the week

Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz showed that he is the man for the job. In the game against Detroit, he lost his glove during a scrum, but he was not afraid to use his bare hand to get the puck out of the tangle of bodies and sharpened knives to stop the opponent's chance. He certainly contributed to the 3-1 win.

Goaltender Stolarz's bare hand behind Detroit forward Compher pulled the puck out of the crease
Goaltender Stolarz's bare hand behind Detroit forward Compher pulled the puck out of the creaseBRUCE BENNETT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP / Profimedia

Ladislav Smid's view

"Winnipeg started the season with 14 wins in the first 15 games, and that's a new NHL record. I'll admit I didn't count on something like that.

"The Jets are well put together, and they have a very wide roster that - except for Hellebuyck - doesn't have a traditional superstar in their midst.

"Although Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers or Josh Morrissey are obviously the top guys. A balanced third and fourth attack also helps, the latter is strong and plays pretty physical.

"And Hellebuyck? He didn't quite make the last playoffs, but he's off to an incredible start this year. He supports the whole team with his performance and can pull out a key save at the exact moment it's needed.

"That gives everyone confidence. It's a long season though, we'll see how it works out for them going forward."

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