Former NCAA Players Shine in NHL

 

Former NCAA players continued to shine in the early part of the 2021-22 NHL season.

Brock Nelson (North Dakota) scored the first two goals ever by a New York Islanders player in their new home of UBS Arena, but the home team fell to the Calgary Flames by a 5-2 count on Saturday night. Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College) had a goal and an assist for the visitors. 

Earlier that day, Jimmy Vesey (Harvard) registered the game-tying goal in the third period as the New Jersey Devils overcame the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 5-3 triumph in Florida. The loss snapped a nine-game points streak by the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning.

Zach Whitecloud (Bemidji State) returned to the Vegas lineup with two goals in the Golden Knights' 5-2 victory over Detroit on Nov. 18. That same evening, Spencer Knight (Boston College) made a career-high 45 saves to lift the Florida Panthers to a 4-1 win over New Jersey, while Troy Terry (Denver) extended his personal point streak to 16 games (12g, 10a) with a goal as his Anaheim Ducks fell to the Carolina Hurricanes, 2-1. 

Kevin Hayes (Boston College) notched the game-tying goal and Cam Atkinson (Boston College) won it in overtime as the Philadelphia Flyers edged the Calgary Flames, 2-1, on Nov. 16. Lastly, Rem Pitlick (Minnesota) notched his first career NHL hat trick as the Minnesota Wild upended the Seattle Kraken, 4-2, on Nov. 13.