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Quick Strikes: Landon and Dan Girardi share a moment before the Lightning vs. Rangers game

and Cole Guttman will miss the remainder of the season due to injury.

The Bolts

The shots were 20-1 at one point during the Tampa Bay Lightning’s win over the New York Rangers. Is that good? [Raw Charge]

Wow. The first 20 minutes of this game was one of the most dominant I’ve seen Tampa Bay play. The Rangers didn’t record a shot until the 11th minute of the opening frame—coincedentally that shot was by Vladislav Namestnikov. Even after recording their first shot Tampa Bay continued to apply pressure on the forecheck and in the neutral zone. The Rangers couldn’t get down the ice without multiple Lightning players harassing them.

Nothing much to see here, just a couple Girardi’s on the ice at AMALIE.

We need to have a talk about Russian, the OAR team and the KHL. [Raw Charge]

Before you call me unpatriotic, let me explain. I’m not saying Team OAR did not deserve to win; in fact, I have absolutely nothing against most of the guys who actually competed on the ice. (I’m very happy for Nikita Gusev, Kirill Kaprizov and Vasily Koshechkin, for example, and wish them all the best in their careers.) It’s all about the effect that these medals will have on the Russian hockey as a whole—or, in our case, lack thereof.

Youngster Anthony Cirelli can’t stop scoring and producing. Here’s him poast-game with the broadcast crew.

The Prospects

IT appears that the 2017 sixth-round pick will have to hang the laces up early this year where he will be skating for University of Denver.

The Moose Jaw Warriors are using hulking defenseman Oleg Sosunov in front of the net on their second power play unit. If it worked with Chara, why not Sosunov. [Bolts Prospects]

Sosunov was scoreless as the Warriors topped the Hurricanes Wednesday, 6-2. Jayden Halbgewachs had a hat trick and five points for Brayden Point’s former team. Former Bolt prospect Brett Howden was 1+1. As for Sosunov, after starting the year at an unexpected, yet pretty good offensive clip, he has just seven assists in 27 games since the calendar flipped to January. He’s plus-10 in that same time period.

The Game

Hilary Knight is heading north to the CWHL to play for the Montreal Canadiennes. This seems like a massive move, but with all the players choosing not to return post-Olympics, Knight won’t have the same quality of teammates we all think she will. [Habs Eyes on the Prize]

She spent her previous two professional seasons in the NWHL playing for the Boston Pride, where she won an Isobel Cup. Across the two seasons, she scored 23 goals and 25 assists in 27 regular-season games. In 2015-16, she led the league in both goals and assists.

In 31 Thoughts this week, Elliotte has some insight he would like to share when it comes to NHL Owners. [Sportsnet]

5. Oscar Klefbom gutted through a shoulder injury that has affected both his ability to defend, and the shot that scored a surprising 12 goals last season. As 2017-18 went off the tracks, it didn’t make a lot of sense that he was playing. I think they are showcasing him for a potential trade. He’s a good player (especially when healthy) with a very manageable contract.

Every teams’ Hart Trophy candidate. Do you agree with the list? [The Hockey News]

New Jersey Devils: Taylor Hall

He’s rolling along with points in 26 consecutive appearances. But it does qualify Hall as far and away the most valuable Devils player this season, not to mention a Hart Trophy candidate. With 74 points, Hall has 33 more than rookie Nico Hischier, the biggest gap in the league between a team’s first- and second-place scorer.

Highlight of the Night: You’ve earned my respect when you can cleanly deke Erik Karlsson still.

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