NHL Weekly: McDavid goes without a shot for first time, Utah in the hands of the fans
The most productive player
Two players scored eight points across the week, but Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl needed fewer games - only three. Against Vancouver, he first had two assists, then added a goal and three assists, then finally a goal and an assist. Still, the Oilers lost the series.
Goaltender of the Week
The mainstay in Dallas' goal is American Jake Oettinger, who recorded his 19th playoff win on Saturday and became the youngest goalie in history (outside of being born in Canada) to reach that mark before turning 25.
He recorded two wins and one loss against Colorado, stopped 78 of 86 shots and held a 90.7% save percentage. Bombers Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen have each scored just one goal so far.
Czech of the Week
New York Rangers forward Filip Chytil, who appeared on the ice for the first time since November 2 due to injury, started Game 3 of the series against Carolina. He had 17 shifts, took one shot and helped the team to a 3-2 win in overtime.
Highlight of the week
The Arizona Coyotes moving to Utah is no longer news. Coyotes players have even been to their new home after the regular season ended to say hello to the fans. But what will the club be called?
Here are the options: Frost, Ice, Powder, Mountaineers, Freeze, Mammoth, Black Diamonds, Blast, Caribou, Blizzard, Swarm, Hive, Outlaws, Yeti, Squall, Fury, Glaciers, Canyons, Venom and HC. The name will be voted on by the fans themselves.
It will also be strange to see the next steps, with the team only wearing "Utah" jerseys in the inaugural 2024/25 season. The team name will not be introduced until the 2025/26 season, as well as the logo, mascot and colors. Let's hope league management made the right decision with the move.
Stat of the Week
In only the 55th career playoff game, Connor McDavid failed to get a shot on goal. It happened in the first game of the second-round series against Vancouver, which Edmonton lost 4-5. The Oilers captain hasn't scored much in the Stanley Cup battle so far this year, yet he is second in scoring with a 2+15 record.
From social media
He couldn't be on the ice due to injury, but veteran Blake Wheeler is still part of the team. When the New York Rangers decided the third game of overtime against Carolina, he at least banged on the Plexiglas. The American forward has 1,172 NHL games under his belt and is still waiting for the Stanley Cup.
Photo of the week
With a badly bruised elbow, New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba took on Carolina's Martin Necas. Fortunately, he missed the Czech forward, who would have suffered a nasty injury - and the sharp-playing back probably a suspension.
Ladislav Smid's view
"A lot of people were surprised when David Pastrnak dropped the gloves with Matthew Tkachuk, but I love it when two superstars fight. It gets both teams pumped up.
Pastrnak knew where the game was going, he was probably fed up with the behavior of some of the Florida players flying around the ice, finishing fights and not shutting up the whole time. Just trying to get under the opponent's skin. That's why I liked Pasto's decision, he didn't care and stood up for his side. My hat's off to him, it shows how much he cares about the whole team.
I predicted before the series that Boston would not have an easy time with the Panthers and it shows. Florida is a better put-together team with almost no real weakness. That's not to put down the Bruins, they have a good team too, but I don't think they'll beat them.
I was also intrigued by Jacob Trouba's interference on Martin Necas, if he didn't duck, the Rangers captain would have taken him down in a devastating fashion. Not to mention he could have done something to himself... But that's just how Trouba plays, his tackles are often on the verge of suspensions, and I'm mostly glad Necas was unharmed.
I'm an advocate of old hockey, I like physical clashes, but it has to be played cleanly. No elbows, no hits to the head. This is not hockey, the players need to respect each other more. You have to watch out for Trouba during the game, if a player forgets, he can shut him down."