On Monday the NHL released their Three Stars of the Week for the week ending on January 22nd, 2023. To the surprise of no one, Steven Stamkos was one of those stars. Somewhat surprisingly, he was the second star. The fact that he scored his 500th career goal and potted five goals in four games wasn’t enough to overcome Zach Hyman’s 4-goal, 5-assist performance in three games. Okay, to be fair, that is a legit performance.
Stamkos finished the week with those five goals and one assist after netting a hat trick against Vancouver and following it up with goals against the Oilers and Flames. The three-goal performance against the Canucks was his 11th career hat trick and he was just the 8th player in league history to do so in the same game as recording their 500th career goal.
The performance ran his point streak to 8 games and he has 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) during that stretch. Since the calendar switched to 2023, there is only one game in which he hasn’t scored (the Lightning’s 5-1 loss to Minnesota) and he has 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) in the month. Pretty, pretty good.
It’s the first time this season since Stamkos has received a Star of the Week honor from the NHL, however, he was named the First Star in the final week of last season. For the Lightning it’s back-to-back week with honors (Nikita Kucherov was the Third Star last week) after going the first 13 without nary a mention.
Lightning/ NHL News
Before All-Star Break, Lightning face big test at home [Tampa Bay Times]
The Bolts get to test their mettle with games against Minnesota, Boston, and Los Angeles before taking a week off for their bye and the All-Star Game. In four games against these squads the Lightning have a total of 0 wins. That’s not great.
NHL Player Cards [The Athletic]
My favorite part of these cards are the perceived market values in regards to their actual salary. For instance, Brandon Hagel’s salary is $1.5 million, his market value according to their numbers is $8.8 million, leading to a surplus of $6.6 million, the highest on the team.
Currently, Andrei Vasilevskiy has the largest negative surplus value at -$2.5 million. Chances are that will change by the time the year is done.
The most recent guest on the Block Party Podcast is former (and maybe future) Lightning defenseman Luke Schenn:
#BoltsNation⚡️
It’s #BoltsBlockParty Release Day!
Coby & I caught up with former @TBLightning D-Man, Luke Schenn! We talk sibling rivalry, best advice from Dad who was a coach, his time w/the Bolts & how he’s never ordered room service while on the road!https://t.co/WNzm5r8Cb8 pic.twitter.com/o1Fu6mPfR2— Greg “3LG” Wolf (@GregWolfTBL) January 23, 2023
Voting is open for the Lightning Hall of Fame. Gotta download their new app, though:
Lightning Hall of Fame 🔜👀
We want YOU to make your mark on our inaugural HOF class!
Cast your vote now in our Lightning app: https://t.co/v38Yb5v30Q pic.twitter.com/zDVUt8hsj0
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) January 23, 2023
Which team will overpay to beef up with Vladislav Garikov [Daily Face Off]
With six weeks to go before the deadline, expect the first big deal to happen any time now. One of the big names on the board is Columbus blueliner Vladislav Garikov. It will likely take a three-team deal (a la the Bolts, Red Wings, Blue Jackets trifecta for David Savard) to land the blueliner.
Tyler Johnson on injured reserve [Chicago Blackhawks Twitter]
When he’s been healthy, old friend Tyler Johnson has been effective with 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists) in 22 games. The problem has been that he can’t stay on the ice. His latest malady is an ankle issue that limited him to just a few shifts in his last outing.
Bruce Boudreau speaks to NHL Network Radio days after dismissal [Sportsnet]
While he wouldn’t comment on his relationship with Patrik Allvin (general manager) or Jim Rutherford (president), stating that it’s a “sensitive area” the 68-year-old did confirm he’s not done with hockey yet.
A personal letter to Bruce Boudreau [The Hockey News]
Rachel Doerrie was briefly part of the coaching staff in Vancouver (her departure was also of the unwanted kind) and has a personal insight into the type of of person and coach that Bruce Boudreau is.
Bob McKenzie’s mid-season draft board [TSN]
With no first or second round picks in next summer’s draft the Lightning won’t be drafting until around the 89th pick or so. Right now the 89th ranked prospect on The BobFather’s list is an honorable mention – Nico Myatovic. He is a 6’2” right-winger with the Seattle Thunderbirds with 17 goals and 17 assists in 41 games.
