NHL Three Stars Of Week

NEW YORK (Nov. 3, 2014) – St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko, Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk and Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Nov. 2.

 

FIRST STAR – VLADIMIR TARASENKO, RW, ST. LOUIS BLUES

 

Tarasenko led the NHL with five goals and tied for first with a +6 rating in powering the Blues (6-3-1, 13 points) to a trio of victories. He opened the week by posting 3-1—4, including his first career hat trick, first career overtime goal and first career four-point game, in a 4-3 triumph over the Dallas Stars Oct. 28. After being held off the scoresheet in a 2-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks Oct. 30, Tarasenko (2-0—2) then added his second multi-goal game and third multi-point performance of the season in a 3-2 shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche Nov. 1. The 22-year-old Yaroslavl, Russia, native leads the Blues with six goals and 11 points in 10 games this season. The 16th overall selection by St. Louis in the 2010 NHL Draft, Tarasenko has 35-38—73 in 112 career regular-season appearances.

 

SECOND STAR – PAVEL DATSYUK, C, DETROIT RED WINGS

 

Datsyuk (4-3—7) tied for the League lead with seven points in three games to help the Red Wings (6-2-3, 15 points) earn five out of a possible six standings points. He recorded multiple points in all three outings: 1-1—2 in a 4-2 victory over the Washington Capitals Oct. 29, 2-1—3 in a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings Oct. 31 and 1-1—2 in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres Nov. 2. The 36-year-old Sverdlovsk, Russia, native has 5-5—10 in six total games since making his season debut Oct. 21, including at least one point in each contest – the longest season-opening point streak of his 13-season NHL career. His five goals and 10 points also are personal bests through the first six games of any season. A sixth-round selection (171st overall) by the Red Wings in the 1998 NHL Draft, Datsyuk has 277-537—814 in 830 career regular-season appearances.

 

THIRD STAR – MARC-ANDRE FLEURY, G, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

 

Fleury went 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average, .959 save percentage and two shutouts to backstop the Penguins (7-2-1, 15 points) to three consecutive wins (and four straight overall). After beginning the week with 16 saves in an 8-3 triumph over the New Jersey Devils Oct. 28, Fleury then recorded consecutive shutouts – stopping 36 shots in a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings Oct. 30 and 18 shots in a 5-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres Nov. 1. The 29-year-old Sorel, Que., native has posted three shutouts in his last four starts dating to Oct. 25 (0.75 GAA, .969 SV%), is currently riding a career-long 154:46 shutout streak and is just the second goaltender in Penguins history to earn shutouts in consecutive team games (Tomas Vokoun: March 28-30, 2013). The first overall selection by the Penguins in the 2003 NHL Draft, Fleury is 7-2-0 with a 1.89 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in nine games this season and is five wins shy of 300 in his NHL career.

 

(NHL Media)