5 things we learned in the NHL last week
It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a hip-checked Matt Duchene!
The second week of the NHL season has come and gone, but not without teaching us a few lessons along the way.
Here's a look back at some of the most exciting and/or strange events that caught the attention of hockey fans over the last seven days.
1. Mike Green can still score
The offensively inclined veteran defenceman had never scored a hat trick until Monday night, when Green put three past Senators goalie Andrew Hammond on the final opening night at Joe Louis Arena.
I've never seen a Hamburglar take such a severe and merciless beating. Wait, actually, there was this one other time:
2. The Matthews-Laine rivalry will be fun
Players from the same draft class will always be measured against one another, but no two players are ever more closely scrutinized than the first two overall selections in a given year.
In 2015 it was Connor McDavid vs. Jack Eichel. This season it's Auston Matthews vs. Patrik Laine.
If the first game featuring the Maple Leafs and Jets rookies is any indication, hockey fans are in for a treat for a long time to come.
Take a look back at other No. 1 vs. No. 2 comparisons here.
3. Daniel Winnik takes 'sacrificing the body' to a new level
The Capitals beat the Panthers 4-2 on Thursday, but it cost Winnik part of his right ear.
Daniel Winnik took a scary puck to the head. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CapitalsTalk?src=hash">#CapitalsTalk</a> <a href="https://t.co/xSooWVOz9K">https://t.co/xSooWVOz9K</a>
—@CSNCapitalsAs you can see above, the Washington forward was struck in the head by the puck on a shot-block attempt. What you don't see is Winnik missing the rest of the game. That's because instead of heading to the locker room, Winnik was back on the ice after being checked over by trainers.
4. Dmitry Orlov can grant the power of flight
Matt Duchene went airborne after the Capitals' defenceman landed a rare hip check during a game between Colorado and Washington on Tuesday.
Separating the man from the puck can be a true thing of beauty. The second-best part of this hit? No fisticuffs resulted because of it.
5. Age is only a number
Teemu Selanne stole the show at the Heritage Classic Alumni game on Saturday. He opened the scoring on a nifty deke against Bill Ranford:
And with four seconds left in the contest, the 45-year-old Finnish Flash sniped the winning goal against Curtis Joseph.