Top 5 Tuesday: Best plays from the first week of the NHL season
Welcome to Top 5 Tuesday, a new feature where we’ll rank the top five somethings, every Tuesday. This week we remind you hockey is a thing.
Did you know the NHL season has already started? It’s true! The puck dropped last Wednesday while most American sports fans were busy watching playoff baseball, or the NFL, or college football. But the first week of the regular season was exciting, so we’ve rounded up the best goals, saves and hits.
5. Logan Couture’s hip check clinic
Watch this one carefully because Sharks center Logan Couture is going to come out of nowhere to rock Milan Lucic with a hip check, despite being three inches shorter and 30 pounds lighter.
4. Landeskog threads the needle
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog couldn’t have placed this pass any better. Jarome Iginla’s finish tied the game and Colorado added three goals in the third period (including two from Landeskog) to earn its first win of the season.
• Hey NFL, stop playing with Josh Johnson’s heart
3. Phenom Jack Eichel scores from tough angle
Sabres youngster Jack Eichel made a rookie mistake in turning the puck over, but chased it down, won it back and finished with a snipe from a tricky angle.
2. Perfect deke, perfect shot for Ovechkin
Alex Ovechkin started the defense of his scoring title with a slick deke on Devils defenseman John Moore and finished with a shot placed right in the upper corner of the net.
1. Lundqvist’s sprawling stick save
The boards at the Garden aren’t in midseason form yet. A funky bounce almost cost the Rangers a goal during their home opener, but Henrik Lundqvist scrambled for an amazing stick save.
