Hockey world mourns Melnyk’s passing

Monday’s top NHL players

Strangely, several two-goal, one-assist performances

Was there some sort of secret planned theme to the top NHL scorers from Monday?

• As part of the Hurricanes’ lopsided win over the Capitals, Martin Necas scored two goals and one assist. Maybe the 23-year-old’s gotten lost in the shuffle a bit (35 points this season after 41 points in just 53 contests in 2020-21). He’s still highly promising, and part of makes them so deep.

• Vladimir Tarasenko scored two goals and one assist, too. By collecting those three points, Tarasenko reached 500 career points in 589 regular-season games played. Tarasenko also reached exactly a point per game this season (58 in 58).

• Just 1:21 into the second period, the Blackhawks increased their lead over the Sabres to 4-0. Victor Olofsson generated two goals and one assist to help the Sabres rattle off a big comeback to beat Chicago 6-5.

• Riley McLeod produced (wait for it) two goals and one assist as the Oilers roasted the Coyotes. Come on, that’s kind of spooky.

• All but one game featured a two-goal, one-assist performer. The Kraken didn’t feature one, but they did dominate the Kings 6-1. So, four out of five games were decided by at least three goals, while four of five games involved a 2G, 1A performance. This Monday in the NHL: unusual.

Monday NHL highlights

Here is how Riley McLeod scored one of those three points:

Connor McDavid shakes so fast, yet he can slow things down and process them so well:

Sure, it would have been even better if Jonathan Toews pulled this off in game 1,000, but maybe he has something in store after this beauty in game 999?

The Hurricanes were seething after their win over the Capitals, despite the score. That’s because of a Lars Eller hit late in the game that may have injured Jesperi Kotkaniemi

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Monday NHL Takeaways

Hockey fans mourn Eugene Melnyk’s passing at age 62

Late on Monday, the Senators announced that owner Eugene Melnyk died at age 62. You can read the team’s statement,…