What do you need to know about the weekend's big stories? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best. This is where we say, "Morning, Joe."
Offensive New Yorkers: The New York Rangers are pumping in goals at an incredible pace. The Rangers lead the league with 55 goals in the first 13 games and are atop the Metropolitan Division at 10-3-0. They have scored five or more goals in eight of their 13 games, including the last five, and lead the league in goals per game with 4.23. The best part is the scoring is being generated throughout the lineup. Over the past five games, the line of Michael Grabner, Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller has combined for 23 points (12 goals and 11 assists). There was a point last season when coach Alain Vigneault had Hayes sitting in the press box as a healthy scratch because he wasn't productive. It served as a wakeup call, and Hayes used that as motivation during the offseason. Hayes scored a goal and was a plus-2 to help the Rangers capture a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night. Hayes is on a five-game points streak (four goals, nine assists), and his four-game goal-scoring streak is a career high. He's also a plus-11 in the past five games. The team's plus-26 goal differential also leads the league and proves the Rangers are a force to be reckoned with this season.
Blackhawks still got it: After becoming the kings of perennial success over the past six seasons, one would have to wonder when the Chicago Blackhawks would run out of gas, luck and the ability to win consistently. It will happen, right? And if so, when? The answer: Not yet. On Sunday, the Blackhawks defeated the Dallas Stars 4-3 in overtime, giving them their sixth straight win and a 7-1-1 mark at home. While some might question the production of Jonathan Toews or Patrick Kane -- the captain and defending Art Ross winner are both off last season's pace -- the Blackhawks are getting incredible contributions from Artem Anisimov, who had one goal and one assist Sunday to extend his career-high points streak to 11 games. He has eight goals and nine assists in that span. Kane scored his fifth of the season, while Toews added his third. There is too much talent on this team in the prime of their careers to think Chicago is going in the opposite direction. After 13 games, the Blackhawks lead the Central Division with 19 points. A lot of that success so far is based on the goaltending of Corey Crawford and the stellar play of Anisimov. Once Kane and Toews get hot, and it will happen, Chicago is going to be an even more dangerous team.
Blowout rebound: By now you've heard about the Columbus Blue Jackets demolishing the Montreal Canadiens 10-0 on Friday, an embarrassing loss for the Atlantic Division leaders. The Canadiens entered that game 9-0-1. Montreal had won eight in a row and had only allowed 13 goals in the previous 10 games. It's a loss the Canadiens -- especially goalie Al Montoya, who was in net for all 10 goals -- won't soon forget but need to learn from. They showed that ability to quickly bounce back with a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. Those two games should serve as a benchmark for the Canadiens. After losing in that fashion on Friday, it could easily have been the beginning of a losing skid, which we've often seen before. Instead, they showed character to rebound from a devastating loss. That tells me every player is on the same page in the dressing room. That tells me the overall organizational message is understood. It also proves Montreal will be a dangerous team to defeat consistently. There were questions entering the season whether coach Michel Therrien had lost his players and how long he would last if the Canadiens got off to a tough start. This team is legit, and despite losing by double digits, the coach's job is safe, judging by his team's response.