Three stars
1. Bryan Rust, Pittsburgh Penguins
On the morning of Dec. 12, Rust had just one goal to his name this season, one he scored back on Oct. 25.
As of Dec. 20, he now has nine goals. Yes, in the span of nine days, Rust has scored eight goals, including a hat trick back on the 12th, and goals in four straight games now dating back to Dec. 15.
Rust’s two goals were all the Pens needed in a 2-1 win against the Minnesota Wild. Rust is on quite the heater right now, with five goals and an assist in his current run and eight goals in his past six games.
2. Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets
Ehlers had scored earlier in the game, but it was his two third-period goals -- a go-ahead goal to make it 4-3 and then the automatic empty-net goal to put the Jets up 5-3 -- that cemented his second hat trick of the season.
Ehlers has been solid this season with 16 goals, including two hat tricks and six markers in his past five games.
He’s also been clutch. His goal last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning tied the game 4-4 and forced overtime. His goals on Thursday were self-explanatory in their importance. He’s got three game-winners now this season.
3. Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs
Sure, John Tavares and Auston Matthews each had a pair of goals -- Matthews also had two assists for a four-point night -- but someone has to be setting those up, right?
Well, in the case of those two, maybe not. Still, four assists in a game are nothing to scoff at and the above two get enough time in the spotlight.
The four apples matched a career-high for Rielly, who is well on his way to setting new career highs in assists and points. He has 11 goals (already a new career high) and 29 assists for 40 points this season.
He’s also on a three-game point streak.
Other notable performances:
- Carter Hart won his second game in as many starts and is now 2-0-0 record with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage. Pretty, pretty good.
- Claude Giroux put up a career-high 10 shots on goal and one of them, a second-period strike, stood up as the game winner.
- Jonathan Bernier stopped 39 shots in a 4-1 Red Wings win against the Hurricanes
- Cam Atkinson scored a ridiculous penalty shot (watch it below) to help the Blue Jackets past the Devils. It was his 20th goal of the season.
- David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists in Boston’s 3-1 win against the Ducks.
- Patrick Kane (two goals, one assist) and Alex DeBrincat (one goal, two assists) help the Blackhawks to their third win in their past five games.
- Nate Schmidt had a goal and two assists to help Golden Knights down the Islanders 4-2
- Jets captain Blake Wheeler had three assists and now has 42, tying Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen for the NHL lead.
Highlights of the night
This doesn’t need an introduction:
Did @GrittyNHL and @Hartsy43 just become best friends? https://t.co/GnxucCp72G
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) December 20, 2018
Oh my goodness is right.
.@CamAtkinson13 spares no one.#CBJ https://t.co/gHKHvseWoc
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) December 21, 2018
The old strip and score:
Strips the puck, goes for a skate and then roofs it.
— NHL (@NHL) December 21, 2018
What can't Buff do? pic.twitter.com/reVT66gEWq
Defying geometry:
There's a certain disrespect for angles right here... https://t.co/VVTXb5Vdp4
— NHL (@NHL) December 21, 2018
Factoids
Rielly (11-29—40), who sits 12 points shy of matching his career high (2017-18: 6-46—52 in 76 GP), became just the eighth different defenseman in the last 30 years to post multiple outings with at least four assists in a single season. #NHLStats #FLAvsTOR pic.twitter.com/u15J6dqZWL
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 21, 2018
Carey Price became just the second goaltender in @CanadiensMTL franchise history to win at least 300 games, joining Jacques Plante (314). #NHLStats #MTLvsARI pic.twitter.com/QXkmuDq3rr
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 21, 2018
Carter Hart of the @NHLFlyers is tied for the seventh-youngest goaltender in NHL history to win each of his first two career starts. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/ihuA2F4BKL
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 21, 2018
Scores
Bruins 3, Ducks 1
Maple Leafs 6, Panthers 1
Flyers 2, Predators 1
Penguins 2, Wild 1
Blue Jackets 2, Devils 1
Red Wings 4, Hurricanes 1
Blackhawks 5, Stars 2
Lightning 5, Flames 4 (SO)
Canadiens 2, Coyotes 1
Canucks 5, Blues 1
Golden Knights 4, Islanders 2
Jets 5, Sharks 3
Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck