Top-5: Seven goals in less than seven minutes between the Sharks and Red Wings

It was another busy Thursday night in the NHL, with no fewer than 13 games on the schedule yesterday.

Without further ado, here’s what caught the eye across the Bettman circuit:

1. Seven goals in less than seven minutes between the Sharks and Red Wings

Yesterday’s game between the Sharks and Red Wings was bound to attract a lot of attention for Patrick Kane’s debut with the latter.

In the end, Kane didn’t collect a single point… but it was a completely absurd spectacle nonetheless.

In fact, in the second period, the Red Wings scored four goals in the space of a few minutes, then the Sharks scored three. All in just under seven minutes.

Then, a few minutes later, the Sharks scored a fourth to complete a completely insane second twenty minutes.

What a period of hockey!

– The @DetroitRedWings score three goals 49 seconds apart to take a 4-0 lead
– The @SanJoseSharks respond with three goals in 1:44 (including two shorties)
– Nico Sturm scores his second of the game to tie it with 23 seconds left in the period

Wild. pic.twitter.com/DMZPntffsd

– NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2023

Both clubs scored a goal each in the third period, so overtime was needed.

And in the end, Mikael Granlund gave the Sharks victory in a most spectacular game.

SHARKS WIN

The @SanJoseSharks win a WILD one with Mikael Granlund burying the @Energizer OT winner. pic.twitter.com/Z25LCAU4K7

– NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2023

The Sharks win 6-5.

Tomas Hertl and Nico Sturm each scored two goals in the victory.

2. Alex Ovechkin joins a select club

Since the start of the season, Alex Ovechkin seems to have slowed down. Prior to yesterday’s game, he had just five goals and 14 points in 22 games, a far cry from his usual standards.

Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record is slowly slipping out of his grasp.

Yesterday, however, Ovechkin reached a select club, as the Russian scored his 1500th career point with an assist on a Dylan Strome goal.

He became the 16th player in history to do so.

Dylan Strome(@stromer19) buries his second of the night and with the secondary assist, Alex Ovechkin has joined the 1,500-point club! pic.twitter.com/BPeP0C7tP9

– NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2023

However, Ovechkin’s point wasn’t enough to give the Capitals victory, in a game where shootouts were necessary.

5-4 Stars shootout victory, in a game where Strome (Caps) and Roope Hintz (Stars) each scored two goals.

3. First shutout for Casey DeSmith this season

Casey DeSmith is having a big season in Vancouver. He may only be Thatcher Demko’s backup, but the Canadiens’ “legend” is doing a great job in front of the net.

And yesterday, against the Minnesota Wild, DeSmith was solid once again. He turned aside all 26 shots to earn his first shutout of the season in a 2-0 Canucks win.

He’s already got more in Vancouver than he did in Montreal, hehe.

Casey DeSmith stopped all 26 shots he faced tonight en route to his first @pepsi shutout as a member of the @Canucks! pic.twitter.com/mPgdZVNcP6

– NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2023

That said, DeSmith wasn’t the only goaltender in the league to earn a shutout yesterday. In addition to Cam Talbot against the CH, Petr Mrazek also turned aside every opposing shot.

And with the Blackhawks winning 1-0, it’s easy to see why he had to be there.

Petr Mrazek(@pmrazek34) collects his first @pepsi shutout as a member of the @NHLBlackhawks! pic.twitter.com/ZX5e8xbqJN

– NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2023

4. Adam Fantilli puts on a show

While the first two picks of last year’s draft (Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson) battled it out last night, Adam Fantilli was also in action, and clearly out to prove that he deserved to go out in the top-2.

In his game against the Islanders, he put on a show, mocking Mike Reilly (twice) before unleashing an excellent shot on the rebound.

Wow. Really.

This whole sequence from Adam Fantilli is bananas. pic.twitter.com/y8XgopG9vk

– NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2023

In total, Fantilli scored two goals and one assist in what was a big game for him.

Despite this, the Blue Jackets were unable to stop the duo of Mathew Barzal (two goals and two assists) and Bo Horvat (two goals and one assist).

Horvat scored both his goals in the space of twenty seconds. Nothing less.

Two goals, 20 seconds apart.

Bo Horvat is pretty good at hockey. pic.twitter.com/evCnjleBCi

– NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2023

A 7-3 victory for the Islanders.

Spencer Martin allowed seven goals on 36 shots in the loss.

5. First NHL goal for Simon Nemec

At the 2022 draft, there was a lot of talk about Juraj Slafkovský and Shane Wright for the CH’s first pick, but let’s not forget the second pick of this auction: defenseman Simon Nemec, who was selected by the Devils.

Nemec recently made his NHL debut, and last night scored his first career league goal.

In the process, he gave the Devils the lead.

First NHL goal alert!