NCAA Players Making Mark in NHL Play

Former NCAA players have been making their mark in the NHL recently following Friday's trade deadline.

Joel Farabee (Boston University) scored the only goal of the game Saturday night to lift Calgary to a 1-0 win over visiting Montreal. Charlie Coyle (Boston University) assisted on the game-winning goal that same evening in his first appearance with Colorado, as the host Avalanche defeated Toronto, 7-4, while Brady Tkachuk (Boston University) fired home the game-winner in overtime as host Ottawa downed the New York Rangers, 4-3. Cole Koepke (Minnesota-Duluth), a 2019 NCAA champion, tallied twice in Boston's 4-0 win at Tampa Bay, while Zach Hyman (Michigan) did the same for Edmonton in a 5-4 victory over visiting Dallas. 

Adam Fantilli (Michigan), the 2022 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner, notched his second career NHL hat trick tonight as visiting Columbus routed the Rangers, 7-3. Chris Kreider (Boston College) tallied a shorthanded goal for the home team, while Jonathan Quick (Massachusetts) made 20 stops in goal for the Rangers. Drew Helleson (Boston College) notched the game-winner as Anaheim upended the visiting New York Islanders, 4-1.

Lastly, defenseman Colton Parayko (Alaska Fairbanks) of the St. Louis Blues will be sidelined until mid-April with a knee injury. He has a career-high 15 goals to go with 20 assists for 35 points in 62 outings so far this season.

NCAA Players Shine at NHL's Lake Tahoe Weekend

The 2021 NHL Outdoors weekend at Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada has come and gone, with more than a few former NCAA players making their marks both nights.

On Saturday, the Colorado Avalanche edged the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-2. The game was postponed for nearly 10 hours following the daytime first period, due to the sun adversely affecting ice conditions. A shot by Devon Toews (Quinnipiac) from the left point with less then seven minutes remaining in regulation after the restart stood up as the game-winner for the Avalanche, who wore retro reverse jerseys that honored the franchise's previous incarnation as the Quebec Nordiques. Toews also had the lone assist on Colorado's second goal of the game.

Alex Tuch (Boston College) got Vegas back within a goal on his backhand shot in close with 5:35 left, but the Golden Knights couldn't garner the equalizer in the time left. Alec Martinez (Miami) also scored for Vegas.

On Sunday evening, James van Riemsdyk (New Hampshire) tallied one goal and set up two others, but his Philadelphia Flyers fell, 7-3, to the Boston Bruins. It was Boston's fifth win over Philadelphia so far this season in five meetings.

Charlie McAvoy (Boston University) and Charlie Coyle (Boston University) both tallied goals for Boston, with Coyle's second-period score standing up as the game-winner. Trent Frederic (Wisconsin) scored his first career NHL goal for the Bruins, who also got two assists apiece from Connor Clifton (Quinnipiac) and Craig Smith (Wisconsin).

Joel Farabee (Boston University) scored Philadelphia's first goal, while Kevin Hayes (Boston College) notched two assists. Brian Elliott (Wisconsin) stopped 12 of 13 shots on goal in the final period for the Flyers, after entering the game in relief. Boston outshot Philadelphia, 35-19, overall for the night.

There were no spectators present at either Lake Tahoe contest due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The two games were the 32nd and 33rd, respectively, in the NHL's modern outdoor series of matches that dates back to the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton.

Hockey East Skaters Shine on NHL Sunday

Sunday marked a stellar day for former Hockey East skaters in National Hockey League play, particularly those from the two major Boston-area schools.

Kevin Hayes (Boston College) scored the winning goal in overtime for the Philadelphia Flyers, who also got three goals from Joel Farabee (Boston University) in a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders. It was Hayes' fourth career OT goal in NHL play, and Farabee's first career NHL hat trick.

Miles Wood (Boston College) scored two goals and added an assist in the New Jersey Devils' 5-3 victory at Buffalo. His first goal tied the game at three late in the second period, while his second goal was an insurance marker into an empty net late in the third period with New Jersey leading by a goal at the time.

Jordan Greenway (Boston University) set up the game-winning goal 18 seconds into OT as the Minnesota Wild outlasted the visiting Colorado Avalanche, 4-3. Cale Makar (Massachusetts) scored his first goal of the 2020-21 season for Colorado in the loss.

Last night, Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College) notched the game-winner as the Calgary Flames won, 2-0, at Montreal to snap a three-game winless skid. Like Makar, Gaudreau is a former Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner as the best player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey.

Earlier this week, on Jan. 28, goaltender Jake Oettinger (Boston University) picked up his first NHL win for the Dallas Stars, making 20 stops in a 7-3 triumph at Detroit. Oliver Wahlstrom (Boston College) tallied his first career NHL goal for the Islanders that same evening in a 6-3 loss at Washington.