What do you need to know about last night's big stories? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best. This is where we say "Morning, Joe."
McDavid fights back: In the night's biggest story, Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid called the Philadelphia Flyers' Brandon Manning "classless" after the Flyers extended their winning streak to seven games in a 6-5 win Thursday night. Manning was involved in the play last season when McDavid broke his collarbone, which limited the rookie phenom to 45 games. McDavid said after the incident he didn't believe it was done on purpose and did not blame Manning. Fast forward to Thursday night. According to McDavid, Manning made some comments during a scrum early in the game that made the Edmonton captain change his mind about last season's incident between the two. McDavid now believes he was intentionally hurt by Manning, who responded by saying he would never hurt anyone on purpose but he "plays the game hard and takes pride in that." Stay tuned.
Carey-Corey throwdown?: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price took exception when New Jersey Devils forward Kyle Palmieri crashed the net and took out the goalie during a 5-2 Habs win Thursday. That's why Price repeatedly punched Palmieri in the head, back and ribs with the blocker. It's understandable why Price pulled a nutty, considering he's dealt with serious knee issues the past couple of seasons and wanted to protect himself. I might be too old-school here, but why didn't Devils goalie Cory Schneider come to his teammate's aide after Price started punching? Yes, Schneider would have been ejected for leaving his crease and going the length of the ice, but it would have given the Devils the shot in the arm that it needs. The Canadiens, meanwhile, regained the top spot in the Eastern Conference with the win.
Pastrnak firing away: The Boston Bruins' David Pastrnak is tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby for the league goal-scoring lead with 18. Yes, you heard that correctly. Pastrnak, a 20-year-old, third-year NHLer, is tied with the best player in the world. Pastrnak continues to dominate offensively while playing on a line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, which is ironic because those two were linemates with Crosby for Team Canada during the World Cup of Hockey. It's not only Pastrnak's offense that's been impressive, because he's playing a solid two-way game. He's become a dangerous player, but it doesn't surprise his teammates. He's able to make something out of nothing and can turn the game around in a single play, which was the case against the Colorado Avalanche when he scored two goals in Boston's 4-2 loss. Keep an eye on Pastrnak.