Kessel's rip was his 289th career regular-season goal, and No. 42 in 132 starts with Pittsburgh. He ranks 20th on the active goals-per-game list with 0.36 each outing.
The Hurricanes have struggled to make their mark against their most frequent opponents this season, showing an ugly 5-11-2 record against Metropolitan teams through February.
It's so bad that the Hurricanes' wins against their own division this season can be counted on one hand:
Win
Date
Opponent
Score
1
Oct. 28
Rangers
3-2
2
Nov. 12
Capitals
5-1
3
Jan. 10
Blue Jackets
5-3
4
Jan. 14
Islanders
7-4
5
Jan. 31
Flyers
5-1
It's a stark contrast for a club that sits eight games above .500 against the league's other 22 clubs, where the Hurricanes have performed to a 17-9-5 showing on the season.
With 33 games remaining on the season, a little more than one third of those -12 matches - will come against a Metropolitan foe.
Having not qualified for the postseason since 2009, the Hurricanes will no doubt need to see improvement against their Metropolitan competitors if the team is to have realize a long-awaited playoff berth.
After missing eight games with a concussion, the Winnipeg Jets rookie sensation has picked up where he left off, posting six points in four games since making his long-awaited return to the lineup Jan. 24.
The Jets have a 3-1-0 record upon Laine's return, grabbing impressive victories over the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, and Dallas Stars. As for Laine, the Finnish forward sits at 43 points through 46 games, keeping his name atop the heap among the league's freshmen:
Player
Team
GP
G-A-Pts
Pts/GP
Patrik Laine
WPG
46
23-20-43
0.93
Mitch Marner
TOR
49
13-29-42
0.86
Auston Matthews
TOR
49
23-16-39
0.80
William Nylander
TOR
48
10-21-31
0.65
Matthew Tkachuk
CGY
49
9-22-31
0.63
Winners of five of their last seven, it has been a nice turnaround for the Jets, as they sit within a single point of a playoff position.
Winnipeg will have the chance to push its win streak to four games Saturday when they take the ice against the lowly Colorado Avalanche, who have just one win in their past 15 outings.
The Jets picked up the victory in the last meeting between the two sides, a Dec. 18 affair in which Laine finished with a goal and a pair of assists.
Entering the 2016-17 NHL campaign, the Hart Trophy was presumably Sidney Crosby's or Connor McDavid's to lose, and well beyond the halfway point of the season, both are living up to expectations, leading the league in goals and points, respectively.
But there's a dark horse in this race - a particular Chewbacca-resembling rover who's forced himself into the conversation about the league's most most valuable player.
Yes, it's Brent Burns, the San Jose Sharks man-child who sits third in league scoring (55 points in 52 games) as he crafts a season worthy of the Hart Trophy.
After scoring 75 points in 2015-16, Burns lost out on the Norris Trophy to Drew Doughty and Erik Karlsson - no shame in that. But after his best season to date yielded no hardware, Burns is on pace to up his career bests this time around, which should make voters take an extra second when considering their year-end winners.
If Burns plays 82 games at his current pace, he'll collect 86 points, which would be the highest output by a defenseman since Brian Leetch's 85 with the Rangers in 1995-96. Similarly, Burns is on track to score 34 goals - the sixth-highest total by a defenseman in league history.
It's more than just point production, though: Burns is an offense-generating machine. The 31-year-old currently leads the NHL in shots (201), and if he winds up knocking Alex Ovechkin off his puck-firing throne by season's end, he'll be the first blue-liner to lead the league in that category since Ray Bourque in 1994-95.
In terms of primary points, otherwise known as goals or first assists, Burns' 26 trail only McDavid. Elsewhere, his totals per 60 minutes and individual shot attempts reveal his on-ice impact is larger than almost anyone's.
Burns is a lock to be a Norris finalist again, and frankly, should win it. While Karlsson is the Senators' centerpiece in a team-wide shift toward defensive responsibility, and Doughty's focus is obtaining a playoff spot, Burns is blistering toward one of the best seasons we've ever seen from a defenseman.
In personality and production, Burns is truly a one-of-kind player, and he's building an increasingly convincing case to be considered the most valuable.
Just like Thursday, Mackenzie Hughes arrived at the Waste Management Phoenix Open par-3 16th hole and paid homage to Arizona native and Toronto Maple Leafs rookie forward Auston Matthews.
Hughes was quite the showman at the famous hole. After he stuck his tee shot close to the flag, he asked the crowd to get loud. Then, after rolling in the putt, Hughes signed the sweater and tossed it into the stands.
Matthews took notice of the respect shown by Hughes:
Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy is presenting an interesting option amid the New York Islanders' uncertainty surrounding their present and future home.
Malloy offered up Hartford's XL Center as an option for "interim use" in a letter sent to Islanders owners John Ledecky, Scott Malkin, and Charles Wang on Friday.
The governor then took it one step further, implying that the arena could be NHL-worthy for a longer period of time with a few adjustments.
"Of course, as we pursue the transformation of the building into today's NHL standards, we would suggest the building as a long-term solution to your needs as well," Malloy writes.
Bloomberg reported earlier this week that officials associated with the Barclays Center, the Islanders' current home, have concluded it's no longer worth housing the franchise.
If Barclays Center does opt out, the NHL club would need a new home for after the 2018-19 season.
Malloy's letter, obtained by TV station WFSB, touts Hartford as an NHL market and also attempts to sell the owners on the city's corporate community and the proximity of many affluent residents to the arena.
It also points out that the Islanders' AHL affiliate is not far from Hartford in Bridgeport, Conn.
Malloy ends his pitch by offering to meet with the Islanders' brass.
Hartford has been without an NHL team since the Whalers left for Raleigh, N.C. and became the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997.
The AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack play at the XL Center, which seats just under 15,000 people.
The NHL, NHLPA, IIHF, and IOC met in New York City on Friday to discuss the NHL's participation in the 2018 Olympics, and while it seems once again that little progress was made, it appears there's a rough deadline in place.
IOC president Thomas Bach told reporters that it was merely a courtesy meeting, and said there were no negotiations on whether NHLers will be in attendance at the games, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.
Bach added that it's a priority to have NHL players attend the Olympics, and IIHF president Rene Fasel said it was important for Bach to visit with the NHL for the first time.
Fasel suggested that while there's no official deadline in place for a solution, he has a meeting in South Korea in mid-March, and needs to know more about the league's stance by then.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman asserted back in December that the NHL Board of Governors doesn't support sending players to the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, due in large part to the interruption of the season schedule and the potential for injuries to star players.
The forward is the Montreal Canadiens' You Can Play ambassador during February's "Hockey is for Everyone" NHL-run campaign, and he revealed Friday that he volunteered for the position, after being suspended for using a homophobic slur in last year's playoffs.
Andrew Shaw doesn't want this to be about him, but using a slur compelled him to do it: "This is me giving back for a mistake that I made."
"You can look back, I used a word that I never should have," Shaw added, according to TSN 690's Amanda Stein. "It's a word that has been used for years, and people need to know it's not right.
"They brought it to the team and I thought it would be a good opportunity to help out," he added. "What I went through last year, you know I learned from it. Words affect people more than you think. ... With what I learned last year it's a good position to be in. I can take what I learned from my experiences and help others learn the value of words."
With the trade deadline less than a month away, we map out potential trades for some of the most significant names available on the market leading up to March 1.
Duchene to Ottawa
Justin Cuthbert: There are limitations when attempting to chart out the course for a championship program without burning it to the ground first.
Such is life for the Ottawa Senators, who, with their top-heavy salary scale, won't be in position to depend on the lottery as their primary means for gathering top-end talent for the foreseeable future.
For teams like Ottawa, the championship window acts as a moving target. And while captain Erik Karlsson is still hauling in about half his earning potential, now's the time to zero in.
Matt Duchene will have his $6-million contract with the Colorado Avalanche expire simultaneously with Karlsson's in 2019. The versatile forward's potential addition to the club's incomplete top six would help them contend until then, clearly defining the club's intent for the next three seasons, and won't limit their ability to appease Karlsson in future negotiations, unlike past acquisitions.
Don't expect the Senators to give up Thomas Chabot in a deal for Duchene, however, because the top prospect is certain to contribute next season. The Senators can afford to meet the Avalanche's requirements by framing a trade package around 23-year-old top-four defender Cody Ceci.
Despite keeping his hand close to his chest, and hinting at standing pat, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman will make a big splash in trading for Hanzal before the deadline.
A la Vermette in 2015 - Chicago's most recent championship season - Bowman will make it work in adding Hanzal, a dream rental for any team with championship aspirations.
Vermette cost the Blackhawks a first-rounder and defensive prospect Klas Dahlbeck, and while it's hard to imagine Hanzal going for the same premium, a pick-and-prospect package is certainly doable for Chicago. The Blackhawks have three fifth-round picks and two in the sixth in the coming draft, and a few youthful forwards contributing at the NHL level in Vinnie Hinostroza, Ryan Hartman, Nick Schmaltz, and Tanner Kero.
The Blackhawks need a winger more than a center, but the opportunity to add a name like Hanzal isn't an opportunity Bowman has historically passed up.
Shattenkirk for Bishop
Craig Hagerman: Two birds, one stone.
The St. Louis Blues surely learned their lesson. That being: Don't let key players walk for nothing, which happened when David Backes and Troy Brouwer signed elsewhere July 1.
This time around, Kevin Shattenkirk's contract is up, but every indication suggests the team will trade him, and one destination that makes sense is Tampa Bay.
The Lightning are set offensively, with Steven Stamkos (when he returns), the triplets, and a collection of other producers, but their blue line is a little more thin. Aside from Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman, the club's back end is underwhelming. Shattenkirk could provide a bigger offensive punch, while possibly giving the club the jolt it needs to jump back into playoff contention.
Meanwhile, though Doug Armstrong remains confident in Jake Allen, a potential deal for Ben Bishop makes sense. The Blues need help in goal now, whether they trust Allen or not, and St. Louis is too talented not to make the postseason. To fail simply because of poor goaltending would be criminal.
A swap for Bishop also makes sense with respect to each player's salary, while a look at Allen's career stats show he's played his best when he's had to fight for the net.
If the Senators can't get Duchene ...
Josh Gold-Smith: Gabriel Landeskog is an unusual trade candidate in that he's the Avalanche captain, is only 24, and has scored at least 20 goals in four of his first six NHL seasons.
If Colorado wants to cut bait with the forward it selected second overall in 2011, there will be plenty of suitors, but the club is reportedly seeking good, young defensemen or defensive prospects in return, and the packages are "going to have to be big."
The Senators, again, make the most sense here. They need a left-winger, they'll be deadline buyers by virtue of being in the playoff mix, and they'll have the cap space to take on Landeskog's $5.57-million hit this season, as well as for the next four campaigns.
World juniors MVP and prized Senators blue-line prospect Chabot would likely have to go the other way, and it wouldn't be shocking if the Avalanche asked for more, so throw in one of Curtis Lazar or Derick Brassard. An exchange of picks could help balance things out to ensure the deal benefits both clubs equally.
Jim Rutherford is making Marc-Andre Fleury's satisfaction a priority.
The Pittsburgh Penguins general manager will stay in touch with his veteran goaltender over the next few weeks to gauge Fleury's level of happiness ahead of the March 1 trade deadline.
“The one thing I'll have to watch for and keep the lines of communication open with the player is, is he OK with the situation that he's in?” Rutherford told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Jonathan Bombulie.
Fleury lost his starting job to Matt Murray last spring but appeared content serving in the No. 2 role as the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. Murray has essentially remained the starter when healthy this season, and he's justified the new hierarchy with his largely steady play.
“Going back to last year and to this point in time, (Fleury) has handled it like a true pro," Rutherford continued. "No issues at all. It may play out that we may be able to go right through having two top goalies on our team. We just have to keep an eye on what direction Marc(-Andre) wants to go here in the next few weeks.”
Rutherford said in the summer and into the fall that his goal was to keep both goalies, and he's not altering that now.
“Our priority here is to win,” he said. “My preference hasn't changed. Go back to training camp. My preference is to keep both these goalies here this year.”
Fleury has a measure of control over his future, wielding a limited no-trade clause that can prevent a deal to 12 NHL clubs.
He also has a $5.75-million cap hit. The pro-rated remainder is still owed this season, along with the full amount over both of the next two campaigns before he's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019.
Fleury's agent, Allan Walsh, told Bombulie on Thursday that he had no comment on what Fleury's decision will be.
And whether the goaltender opts to remain or desires an opportunity to play elsewhere, Rutherford wants to do the right thing.
“We want to respect what he's done,” the GM said. “He has won two Stanley Cup (championships) here, has been a popular player not only within the organization but with the fans. He deserves to be respected properly, and that's what we're trying to do.”
