NHL January 28, 2024 – BLUES MOVE INTO A WILD CARD SPOT

After Jordan Kyrou (1-2—3) scored to give his team the lead, Phillip Danault found the back of the net to pull the Kings even, sending the game to the extra frame where Brayden Schenn potted the decisive tally to help the Blues win their third straight game in overtime. St. Louis (26-20-2, 54 points) moved past idle Nashville (26-22-1, 53 points) into the final Wild Card spot and became the sixth different team this month to occupy Wild Card positioning in the Western Conference.

• Schenn scored his seventh overtime goal with the Blues and tied Pavol Demitra for the second most in franchise history, behind only Vladimir Tarasenko (10). St. Louis has now won three consecutive games in overtime for the third time in franchise history following separate three-game stretches from Nov. 1-5, 2019 and March 17-21, 2018.

KRAKEN CLIMB CLOSER TO ONE OF THEIR OWN

Jordan Eberle (2-1—3) opened the scoring Sunday and then collected two more points before the first intermission to tie the franchise record for points in a period as the Kraken (21-18-10, 52 points) moved within two points of the Blues (26-20-2, 54 points) for the second Western Conference Wild Card spot.

• Eberle used the man advantage to score both his goals in the first frame and became the first Kraken player to net multiple power-play tallies in a single game. In the process, he joined Jared McCann as the only Seattle players to reach the 50-goal plateau with the club.

SIX GAMES REMAIN UNTIL 2024 NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND
The Predators (26-22-1, 53 points) will clash with the Senators (18-25-2, 38 points) on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and NHL Network on Monday in the first of six games this week before the world’s best players descend to Toronto for 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend. Nashville (4-0-3) has earned a point in each of its past seven visits to Canada’s capital – tied for its second-longest active road point streak versus one franchise (also 7 GP vs. NJD) behind only a 12-game stretch against the Blackhawks.

With just three sleeps remaining until the first day of 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend, here’s a look ahead for the three-day event:

Thursday, Feb. 1: (6 p.m. ET)
NHL All-Star Thursday will feature the return of Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Player Draft, which will see All-Star captains select their team alongside celebrity counterparts: Auston Matthews and Justin Bieber, Connor McDavid and Will Arnett, Nathan MacKinnon and Tate McRae as well as Quinn and Jack Hughes and Michael Bublé. It will also include the NHL Alumni Man of the Year, honoring the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs as well as the Canadian Tire PWHL 3-on-3 Showcase (for notes on the PWHL players competing, click here). NHL All-Star Thursday will be televised on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada. In the U.S., the Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Player Draft will be on ESPN2, and the Canadian Tire PWHL 3-on-3 Showcase will be on ESPN+.

Friday, Feb. 2: (7 p.m. ET)
The 2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook will take place on Friday at Scotiabank Arena and will feature an exciting revamped format that will see 12 skaters compete for points in eight events, with the NHL All-Star who accumulates the most points taking home a prize of $1 million (USD). The Glorious Sons and TALK will headline performances, while Canadian singer Chxrry22 and singer, songwriter and entertainer Dinah Jane of the award-winning multi-platinum pop group Fifth Harmony will perform the Canadian and U.S. national anthems, respectively. The event will be televised on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada and on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S.

Saturday, Feb. 3 (3 p.m. ET)
The 2024 Honda (U.S.) / Rogers (Canada) NHL® All-Star Game will see 44 of the League’s brightest stars – including 12 selected in the 2024 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by MassMutual – face off at Scotiabank Arena in a 3-on-3 tournament. Canadian multi-platinum singer-songwriter, Tate McRae, whose single, greedy, hit No. 1 ten times over multiple weeks on SiriusXM’s Hits 1, will headline the second intermission performance. The 2024 NHL All-Star Game will be televised on Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports in Canada as well as ABC and ESPN+ in the U.S.

Kucherov, McDavid and Tkachuk Named NHL ‘Three Stars’ of the Week

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Jan. 28.

FIRST STAR – NIKITA KUCHEROV, RW, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Kucherov, who will be making his fifth career NHL All-Star Game appearance this weekend in Toronto, paced the League with 4-5—9 and a +7 rating (tied) in three contests to lift the Lightning (27‑18‑5, 59 points) to a perfect week and into third place in the Atlantic Division. He registered 3-1—4, his fifth career hat trick and 25th career four-point performance, in a 6-3 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers Jan. 23. Kucherov then posted 1-2—3, his 13th outing with at least three points in 2023-24, in a 6‑3 win against the Arizona Coyotes Jan. 25. He finished the week with a pair of assists in a 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils Jan. 27, his 26th multi-point effort through 49 total games this season (53.1%). The 30-year-old Kucherov, who won the Art Ross Trophy in 2018-19, currently tops the NHL with 32-53—85 in 2023-24 (one point more than Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon: 31‑53—84 in 49 GP). Kucherov also ranks among this season’s leaders in power-play assists (1st; 26), power-play points (1st; 37), assists (t-1st; 53), shots on goal (3rd; 210), goals (4th; 32) and power-play goals (t-4th; 11).

SECOND STAR – CONNOR McDAVID, C, EDMONTON OILERS

McDavid, who will captain one of this weekend’s four All-Star teams, collected 4-4—8 in three appearances to power the Oilers (29-15-1, 59 points) to their 16th straight victory dating to Dec. 21 – one shy of the longest winning streak in NHL history. He scored once in a 4-1 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets Jan. 23. McDavid then factored on each of Edmonton’s next seven goals to close the week, recording 2-1—3 (including his 66th career game-winning goal) in a 3-0 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks Jan. 25 and 1-3—4 (his 36th career four-point performance) in a 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators Jan. 27. The 27-year-old McDavid, who has found the scoresheet in 15 of the Oilers’ 16 contests during their current winning streak (9-17—26), sits fifth in the League with 20-47—67 overall this season (43 GP). The reigning Hart Memorial Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, Art Ross Trophy and Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner also places among the 2023-24 leaders in assists (4th; 47), power-play assists (t-6th; 20) and power-play points (t-9th; 25).

THIRD STAR – MATTHEW TKACHUK, LW, FLORIDA PANTHERS

Tkachuk compiled 4-4—8 in four contests to also propel the Panthers (31-14-4, 66 points) to a perfect week. He produced multiple points in each of his first two games, tallying 1-1—2 in 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators Jan. 22 and 2-1—3 (his fourth three-point performance of the season) in a 6‑2 triumph against the Arizona Coyotes Jan. 24. Tkachuk then picked up one assist in a 3-2 shootout win versus the Pittsburgh Penguins Jan. 26 before closing the week with 1-1—2 in a 3-2 overtime victory against the New York Islanders Jan. 27. The 26-year-old Tkachuk, who has points in each of his last five outings dating to Jan. 19 (4-5—9), ranks second on Florida and 21st in the entire League with 16-35—51 through 49 total appearances in 2023-24.