Top-4 : the CH can thank Jesperi Kotkaniemi for the Red Wings’ defeat

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Crédit:

There were only six games in the National Hockey League last night, as several teams were resting ahead of their Saturday games.

Despite this, several key points emerged from these Friday night games.

Here’s a summary of what caught our attention.

1. The Canadiens can thank the Hurricanes for the Red Wings’ defeat

As everyone knows, the Montreal Canadiens are involved in a huge playoff race in the Eastern Conference, with several teams competing for one or two playoff spots.

Every point won is extremely important, and the same goes for every point lost by the Canadiens’ direct competitors in this playoff race.

Well, last night, to the delight of Canadiens fans, the Detroit Red Wings dropped two huge points to the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes won 4-2 to sign their sixth consecutive victory.

Incidentally, in this victory, former Canadiens player Jesperi Kotkaniemi had a strong game, earning two assists and being named the second star of the game.

He made a beautiful pass to Jack Roslovic for the Hurricanes’ second goal.

KK now has 30 points, including 11 goals, in 66 games.

In short, the Canadiens can thank KK for this important Red Wings defeat.

2. Leon Draisaitl takes care of the Islanders

This is another defeat that helps the Canadiens in their playoff race.

Even though the Islanders earned a point last night, they still lost, keeping them three points behind the Canadiens.

The Oilers won 2-1 in overtime, thanks to two goals from Leon Draisaitl, who now has 49 goals and 100 points in 66 games.

With this goal, Draisaitl tied the NHL record for most overtime-winning goals in a season with five.

It’s also worth noting that Draisaitl has reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth consecutive season.

He is now just two points behind the NHL’s top scorer, Nathan MacKinnon.

3. Tough defeat for the Calgary Flames

While the playoff race in the East involves a lot of teams, in the West, it’s been several weeks that two teams have been exchanging the last playoff spot.

In fact, the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames are playing a game of musical chairs for that eighth playoff spot.

This is a very intense battle, and therefore, every point is crucial.

Last night, the Flames were in control of their game against the Canucks, but they lost 4-2 to the Colorado Avalanche.

This is a tough defeat, especially considering that Nathan MacKinnon was shut out.

Instead, it was the Avalanche’s fourth-line center, Parker Kelly, who stood out with two goals.

The Flames and Canucks now have the same number of points and have played the same number of games.

4. Trevor Zegras’ magnificent pass

There have been many rumors surrounding Zegras for a few years, given that he hasn’t performed up to expectations with the Anaheim Ducks.

However, we all know that Zegras has a lot of talent, and that at any moment, things could click for him.

Last night, he proved once again that he is extremely talented with a superb pass to Alex Killorn in the Ducks’ 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators.

In Brief

– Here are all the results from the previous night.

– Here are the top scorers from the previous night.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– Today’s NHL schedule: 11 games.

(Credit: Google/NHL)