Penguins led charge in high-scoring week around the NHL
There must have been something in the water around the NHL last week.
In the period spanning Jan. 16 - 22, a total of 316 goals were scored in 52 games, an average 6.07 per game.
Pittsburgh finished the week with a perfect 4-0-0 record, scoring 24 goals over the past seven days, six more than second-place Washington. It should come as no surprise, then, that the top-five scorers over the past seven days were all Penguins.
(Courtesy: NHL.com)
Altogether, there were eight games in which 10 goals or more were scored (one every night except Friday, including three on Tuesday), and 13 games of eight or more goals.
Here's a look at those that reached double digits:
- Monday - Penguins 8, Capitals 7
- Tuesday - Stars 7 Rangers 6; Senators 6 Blues 4; Blackhawks 6 Avalanche 4
- Wednesday - Red Wings 6 Bruins 5 (SO)
- Thursday - Capitals 7 Blues 3
- Saturday - Oilers 7 Flames 3
- Sunday - Blue Jackets 7 Senators 6 (OT)
According to Elias, 34 of the 706 games contested this season have featured 10 or more goals (4.8%), compared to 39 of 1,230 games last season (3.2%).
The Penguins did their part to make it a clean sweep on Friday, but the Hurricanes didn't hold up their end of the bargain in a 7-1 decision. Still, Sunday featured the fourth consecutive day in which a team scored at least seven goals, marking the first time a team has scored at least seven goals in four straight days since Nov. 17-20, 2010.
Goalies, beware.