Canadians Logan Couture, Stuart Skinner, and Danton Heinen stole the show on Saturday with three unique stories from each of their games to cap off another successful Scotiabank Hockey Night in Canada event.
Thousands of fans gathered on Victoria’s inner harbour, Ship Point, and nine million others viewed the festivities on Sportsnet.
WINNING WELCOME BACK
San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture made his long-awaited season debut last night against the Anaheim Ducks where the 34-year-old recorded an assist on the opening goal of the game at 15:04 of the second period. Couture centered a line with William Eklund and Alexander Barabanov.
It was revealed before Saturday’s game that the 2007 first-round pick was dealing with osteitis pubis, a hip/groin injury. Just two months ago there were days that Couture couldn’t get out of bed and the forward was concerned his NHL career might be over.
“That was the toughest part, the unknown,” Couture told NHL.com. “Waking up one day and feeling good, then waking up the next day and feeling really [lousy], just not knowing.
“There was no light at the end of the tunnel.”
On his first shift, he delivered a hit into the boards on Ilya Lyubushkin. In the second period, he drew a boarding penalty in the offensive zone.
“It felt great to win,” Couture said.
The London, ON native played all 82 games last season registering 67 points (27 G, 40 A – 67 Pts), his highest total since the 2018-19 season where he recorded 27 goals and 43 assists for 70 points.
CANADIAN RECORD SETTING SATURDAY
It was a night to remember for goalie Stuart Skinner and the Edmonton Oilers who beat the Calgary Flames 3-1 on the road on Saturday.
Not only was it Skinner’s 10th straight win, but it tied a club-record with the infamous Grant Fuhr. Allowing just one goal on 27 shots against the Flames, the 25-year-old has allowed two or fewer goals in the last nine of those 10 wins.
Despite battling through some struggles early in the season, the Edmonton native has more than found his form of late and now holds onto a 2.53 goals against average on the season and is just eight wins away (21) from tying last season’s total of 29.
The Oilers continued to build on their record-setting win streak recording the longest winning streak by a Canadian team in NHL history with their 13th consecutive win.
HEINEN-HATTY
Scoring Boston’s third goal of the first period to take a 3-2 lead against the Montréal Canadiens on Saturday night wasn’t the only tie-breaking goal Bruins’ Danton Heinen scored in the contest.
Midway through the second period, the Langley, BC native scored his seventh goal of the season to give Boston a 4-3 lead in the game, one that they would not only hold onto but add onto in the high-scoring affair.
Finally, at 10:40 of the third period, the 28-year-old tipped a power-play goal past Canadiens goaltender Cayden Primeau to complete his first career NHL hat trick. Heinen is in his seventh NHL season where the utility forward has played in 450 career games, accumulating 78 goals and 115 assists for 193 points.