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Draisaitl leads 3 Stars of the Month for February – NHL.com

Published

5 years ago

March 1, 2020

NEW YORK – Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad and Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of February.

FIRST STAR – LEON DRAISAITL, C, EDMONTON OILERS

Draisaitl led the League lead in scoring for February with 23 points (10-13-23) in 14 games as the Oilers posted a 7-5-2 record to maintain second place in the Pacific Division (34-23-8, 76 points). Draisaitl had at least one point in 10 of 14 games, including seven multi-point efforts highlighted by four-point outings Feb. 1 (0-4-4 at CGY) and Feb. 11 (1-3-4 vs. CHI). He notched goals in eight games – including two game-winners – and concluded the month with 2-1-3 on Feb. 29 against the Winnipeg Jets to reach the 100-point mark for the second time in his career (also 2018-19). One of seven players to post multiple 100-point campaigns for the Oilers, Draisaitl (65 GP) became the fastest player to reach the mark for Edmonton since 1989-90 when Mark Messier notched his 100th point in his 62nd game. The 24-year-old native of Cologne, Germany is in his sixth season all with the Oilers after being the third overall selection in the 2014 Draft. He currently leads the NHL in scoring with 102 points (39-63-102) in 65 games played.

Video: WPG@EDM: Draisaitl buries McDavid’s feed for PPG

SECOND STAR – MIKA ZIBANEJAD, C, NEW YORK RANGERS

Zibanejad tied for first in goals (11) and ranked second in points for the month (11-9-20) as the Rangers shared the League lead with 11 wins in February (11-4-0) to move from nine points outside a playoff position to within two points of a Wild Card spot (35-25-4, 74 points). Zibanejad recorded a point in 12 of 15 games, scoring a goal in 11 contests – including an overtime winner Feb. 25 (at NYI) that gave the Rangers a new franchise record for longest road win streak – and a career-high nine-game point streak (Feb. 11-27: 8-7-15). He hit the 30-goal mark Feb. 27 in Montreal, becoming the first Rangers player with consecutive 30-goal campaigns since Jaromir Jagr (2005-06-2006-07) and extending his career-best goal streak to six games in the process, the longest by a Rangers player in 14 years (Jagr in 2005-06) and tied for the longest in the NHL this season. Zibanejad, 27, a native of Huddinge, Sweden, is in his ninth NHL season, fourth with the Rangers. He has 30-32-62 in 51 games this season, one goal and 13 assists/points from setting career highs in each category.

Video: NYR@MTL: Zibanejad nets far-side wrister from circle

THIRD STAR – DAVID PASTRNAK, RW, BOSTON BRUINS

Pastrnak finished February with 19 points (10-9-19) in 14 games, including an NHL-best four game-winning goals (tied) as the Bruins shared the League lead with 11 wins (11-3-0) to move into first place in the overall standings (41-13-12, 94 points). Pastrnak had a point in 10 contests, including seven multiple-point efforts highlighted by three goals Feb. 12 versus the Montreal Canadiens.It was the ninth hat trick of his career (including playoffs) and fourth of the 2019-20 season, tied for the most by a player in one campaign since 2010-11. He scored the winning goal in each of Boston’s last two games (Feb. 27 vs. DAL & Feb. 29 at NYI) to finish with four game-winning goals in February; only five players in franchise history have had more such goals in any calendar month. The 23-year-old native of Havirov, Czech Republic, is in his sixth season with the Bruins after being chosen 25th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. He paces all players with 47 goals and ranks second in the League with 91 points (47-44-91 in 66 GP). Aiming to become the first Boston player to top the NHL in goals since Phil Esposito (1974-75), Pastrnak already has the most goals by a Bruins player in 26 years (Cam Neely: 50 in 1993-94).

Video: BOS@NYI: Pastrnak beats Varlamov with slap shot

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Sports

Red Wings sign Moritz Seider to 7-year deal worth nearly $60M

Published

2 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.

The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.

Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.

He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.

Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.

Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.

The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.

Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.

Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.

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Vancouver Canucks star goalie Thatcher Demko working through rare muscle injury

Published

3 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

PENTICTON, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he’s been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season’s playoffs.

The 28-year-old all star says the rehabilitation process has been frustrating, but he has made good progress in recent weeks and is confident he’ll be able to return to playing.

He says he and his medical team have spent the last few months talking to specialists around the world, and have not found a single other hockey player who has dealt with the same injury.

Demko missed several weeks of the last season with a knee ailment and played just one game in Vancouver’s playoff run last spring before going down with the current injury.

He was not on the ice with his teammates as the Canucks started training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, but skated on his own before the sessions began.

Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts for Vancouver last season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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Arch Manning to get first start for No. 1 Texas as Ewers continues recovery from abdomen strain

Published

3 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — No. 1 Texas will start Arch Manning at quarterback Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe while regular starter Quinn Ewers continues to recover from a strained muscle in his abdomen, coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.

It will be the first career start for Manning, a second year freshman. He relieved Ewers in the second quarter last week against UTSA, and passed for four touchdowns and ran for another in a 56-7 Texas victory.

Manning is the son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning.

Ewers missed several games over the previous two seasons with shoulder and sternum injuries.

The Longhorns are No. 1 for the first time since 2008 and Saturday’s matchup with the Warhawks is Texas’ last game before the program starts its first SEC schedule against Mississippi State on Sept. 28.

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