NHL 2024-25 Recap Week 9 Sabres losing streak, Maple Leafs come back and lose goalie, Running up the score

This week's games on Tuesday and Thursday were all about running up the score. The Winnipeg Jets, who I wrongly said would lose, against the Boston Bruins scored five unanswered in the third period to win 8-1. The Colorado Avalanche scored three unanswered in the third period against the Pittsburgh Penguins to win 6-2. The Penguins returned the favor against the Montreal Canadiens scoring six unanswered in the third period to win 9-2. The Edmonton Oilers scored five unanswered from the second period to beat the Minnesota Wild 7-1. The Tampa Bay Lightning scored four unanswered in the third period to beat the Calgary Flames 8-3. The Seattle Kraken scored three unanswered in the third period to beat the Bruins 5-1.

Why does it mean? Nothing. I'd just never seen so many blowouts in a short span where the team pulled away in the third period.

Things I like 

1. The Toronto Maple Leafs faced the New Jersey Devils in a beauty. The Maple Leafs tied the game halfway through the third on a short handed breakaway. Then Auston Matthews had his own breakaway for the overtime winner. Anthony Stolarz was sensational in net saving 38 of 39 shots. Stolarz is having a great season but is now day-to-day with an injury. The Maple Leafs did their annual changing of the starting goalies for the fourth straight season. Stolarz was emerging as one of their better ones but he probably won't be their next season.

Things I don't 

1. In the Edmonton Oilers versus the Tampa Bay Lightning game, a goal was disallowed due to a high stick. Nick Paul hit the puck with an obvious high stick, and with eight seconds left, I believe Darnell Nurse tried keeping it out of the net. He may have succeeded, but you couldn't tell. The refs reviewed it for a while and then came back with no goal due to a high stick. Yeah, okay then. Clarification would have been nice. What were they reviewing? The announcers seemed to think it would be a goal if there was definitive proof the puck crossed the net, but that would have been false. It seemed they weren't sure if a high stick played it, but the review process took a lot longer than necessary if that was the case. It was a poor job by the announcers and refs to clarify anything.

2. The Buffalo Sabres have lost ten in a row with no end in sight. After last season, you thought they might take the next step the following season. But that's been the case for several seasons. The Sabres appeared to be on the way to snapping the streak against the Maple Leafs on Sunday with a 3-1 lead in the second period. But the Maple Leafs scored four unaswered goals, three in a span of 2:30, and that was it. There are few bright spots on the Sabres besides Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. Lindy Ruff isn't turning it around.

Fights of the Week 

Special thanks to hockeyfights.com for making this section a little easier to do.

Ty Dellandrea vs Nathan Walker

Long, but not many punches.

Ty Emberson vs Jakub Lauko

Fast, furious, and long. All you need in a fight.

Goat of the Week 

Hayden Fleury - Winnipeg Jets

Fluery passes to two Jets, making a change, and it looked obvious that's what they were doing. So it went as expected. The Golden Knights took advantage, and Ivan Barbashev scored the overtime winner. https://www.nhl.com/video/vgk-wpg-barbashev-scores-goal-6365932438112

Stat Line of the Week 

12/12/24 San Jose 4 vs. St. Louis 3

Macklin Celebrini scored two goals off a rebound and a wrister on the power play and added an assist from doing some dirty work. The Sharks are 4-3 when Celebrini scores at least one goal. Celebrini has 20 points in 21 games which is great for a rookie on a bad team.

Numbers, Numbers 

  1 – Natural hat trick for Drake Batherson

400 – Career NHL assists for David Pastrnak

300 – Career NHL goals for Mika Zibanejad

14 – Career hat tricks for John Tavares

1 – Team in the top five in goals against and scored, the Washington Capitals

Rankings 

The rankings are based on how the teams are currently playing.

Top 5

1. Washington
2. Edmonton
3. Los Angeles
4. Minnesota
5. Ottawa

Bottom 5

30. Nashville
31. Buffalo
32. Chicago
33. Columbus
34. NY Rangers