Jake Oettinger and Connor McDavid Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports Welcome once again to The Hockey News’ NHL three stars of the week, an ongoing web feature in which we identify a trio of NHLers who made the biggest impact over the last seven days. The NHL revealed its three choices on Monday, but here are our picks:
3. AUSTON MATTHEWS, C, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS. After a short dry spell – by his standards, at least – Matthews roared back to life this week, posting three goals and 10 points in four games. The 26-year-old center has become an all-around menace, logging 21:18 of ice time last week. It’s clear Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe trusts and relies on Matthews in all situations. He’s been a fixture in our three stars series, and he had another excellent week. Matthews now has 58 goals and 92 points in 69 games this season. He’s just two goals behind his career-best 60-goal season in 2021-22. Unless something calamitous happens to him, he will set a new personal best in goals and win the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL’s top goal-scorer. In the injury-related absence of fellow Leafs star forward Mitch Marner, Matthews is being looked to for leadership and goal support. Yet again, he’s delivered above and beyond what’s expected of mere mortal NHLers.
2. JAKE OETTINGER, G, DALLAS STARS Oettinger went 3-0-0 this week for Dallas, and his individual numbers – including a 2.01 goals-against average and .920 save percentage – were as good as they got for NHL goalies in the past seven days. He missed out on the NHL’s three stars list in favor of Alex Ovechkin, but his improved numbers come at an important time. It hasn’t been the greatest season for Oettinger personally, as even with his stellar week, he’s got a GAA of 2.97 and a .898 SP. But Dallas has managed to be successful in spite of those numbers – and so long as the Stars round into form by the time the Stanley Cup playoffs begin, Dallas will be a major threat to go deep in the post-season and potentially win it all. Oettinger’s stats are the worst of his four NHL seasons, but at age 25, he was bound to fluctuate in his performance. The Stars need him at his sharpest to have a shot at emerging from the Central Division and getting at least to the Western Conference final, but if he can perform as he did this week, Stars management will be more than happy with him.
1. CONNOR MCDAVID, EDMONTON OILERS. McDavid led all NHLers in assists (10) and points (11) in four games this week. Although the Oilers lost two of three games in that span, there’s no question that McDavid is as excellent of a playmaker as he is a play-finisher.
With 91 assists and 117 points in 67 games, McDavid’s on pace to put up a career-high 108 assists, as well as 139 points in 80 games. What more can you say about the 27-year-old center? Sure, his goal numbers have dropped off, but the high-octane Oilers have more than enough goal-scorers to get the job done. Even if his goal totals don’t rise the rest of the way this year, McDavid remains a tremendous needle-mover and a phenomenal water carrier. He’s appeared in our three stars feature many times in his career, and that won’t end anytime soon.
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