The Finnish super talent Patrik Laine has made a fabulous appearance in the NHL. The 20-year-old Winnipeg Jets attacker scored five goals in an 8-4 victory at the St. Louis Blues. Johan Franzen last succeeded in this feat in 2011. Laine now leads the list of goal scorers with 19 seasonal goals.
Meanwhile, goalie Thomas Greiss also made a strong appearance: The German international held 26 of 27 shots at his goal in the New York Islanders’ 4-1 win over Carolina Hurricanes. Two-time NHL champion Tom Kühnhackl also contributed to the New Yorkers’ twelfth win of the season in 13 minutes.
The Chicago Blackhawks with attacker Dominik Kahun are also on the upswing. The silver medallist of the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang contributed a goal to the 5-4 victory after extra time at the Florida Panthers.
Former national coach Marco Sturm, on the other hand, is still stuck deep in the cellar of the Western Conference table with the Los Angeles Kings.
The 2-4 defeat against the Vancouver Canucks was already the 14th defeat after 22 games – and the Kings lost once after extra time. Sturm, co-trainer in L.A. since mid-November, is still last with his team.