Bruins take revenge on Tom Wilson; Reaves vs. Gabriel, Friday in the NHL

Bruins take revenge on Tom Wilson; Reaves vs. Gabriel, Friday in the NHL

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Friday’s NHL Three Stars

1. Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins

There is an old saying that some teams that don’t fight often – maybe the peak of the Red Wings during Fedorov’s time, for example? – tend to get revenge by scoring points in the power game.

After Tom Wilson delivered a questionable blow that ended up hospitalizing Brandon Carlo, the Bruins didn’t exactly turn the other cheek. On the one hand, Jarred Tinordi fought Tom Wilson in the second period. Then Tom Wilson dropped his gloves during the third period, that second time against Trent Frederic.

So it was not a pacifist race for the Bruins.

But the best Bruins players ended up getting the last (and early, and average, actually) laugh. After the first period, the Bruins had a modest 1-0 goal from Brad Marchand. This blow really ignited a fire in the second period under the Bruins, as it did at the end of the first.

While Trent Frederic ranks as an unlikely top scorer during that period, Marchand and Patrice Bergeron really led the way – both for most of this wave, and for the whole. Marchand scored two goals and an assist, while Bergeron got two points (1G, 1A). The trio of Marchand, Bergeron and David Pastrnak (1A) ended up with +3 evaluations in a unilateral case.

(Jaroslav Halak almost launched a shutout, stopping 31 of 32 shots.)

2. Max Pacioretty, Vegas Golden Knights

Let’s start this summary with a little bit of a horror story. And a family member.

Three minutes after Friday’s game against the Sharks, the Golden Knights built a 3-0 lead. Max Pacioretty played a significant role in building that leadership. But it wouldn’t last.

The Sharks ended up reducing the 3-0 handicap, taking the game to overtime when Oscar Dansk allowed a 4-4 goal. (Honestly, it felt like one of Marc-Andre Fleury’s minor moments.)

That goal affected Dansk’s dignity and earned the Sharks a point. Pacioretty prevented it from being a disaster for Dansk, however, by scoring the winning goal in overtime, giving him two goals and an assist that night. Notably, Pacioretty now has three goals in overtime in just 20 games this season.

(Pacioretty also pissed Logan Couture off with a blow, by the way.)

3. Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues

We will end this trio of three-point nights.

Like Pacioretty and the Golden Knights, the Blues really needed Ryan O’Reilly’s three points. ROR collected assists in all three of the Blues’ goals in an overtime victory against the Kings, with two of his assistants leading the way. As usual, O’Reilly was also dynamic from a bidirectional point of view. He ended with these three assists, two shots on goal, a score of +2 and hit 16-7 in direct confrontations.

That three-point night pushed Ryan O’Reilly Juuuust missing one point per game (23 out of 24 GP) this season.

Some may argue that David Perron was the blues player most worthy of a three-star nod. He scored two goals. Perron is ceasing to be noted as a top scorer, to be under the radar as perhaps the most dangerous offensive weapon in the Blues (25 points).

Highlights of the night: Blackhawks and Lightning in OT; Nichushkin power movement

Ultimately, Blackhawks – Lightning would be decided by a shootout. Even so, the flood of chances from OT 3 to 3 ended up being the highlight of that game:

Sheesh, if Valeri Nichushkin continues like this, he may become too popular to be just a darling of analysis.

Since Nichushkin scored two goals, with one in the OT, he had an argument for the status of three stars in his own right.

Finally, Kirill Kaprizov did Kirill Kaprizov things.

Heavyweight fight: Ryan Reaves vs. Kurtis Gabriel

My God, this fight between Ryan Reaves and Kurtis Gabriel was totally scary:

The direct conversation between Reaves and Gabriel, apparently, was something else too. The jaw lasted several minutes, and it even happened before the game.

(Reaves later left the game after Gabriel’s skateboard caught him while Reaves was taking a hit.)

Friday’s NHL results

Bruins 5, Capitals 1
Blackhawks 4, Lightning 3 (SO)
Avalanche 3, Ducks 2 (OT)
Wild 5, Coyotes 1
Blues 3, Kings 2 (OT)
Golden Knights 5, Sharks 4 (OT)

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James O’Brien is a writer for Professional hockey lecture at NBC Sports. Talk to him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

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