DUBNYK, PERRY AND DESHARNAIS NAMED NHL ‘THREE STARS’ OF THE WEEK
Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk, Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry and Montreal Canadiens center David Desharnais have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Feb. 8.
FIRST STAR – DEVAN DUBNYK, G, MINNESOTA WILD
Dubnyk went 2-0-0, stopping all 42 shots he faced to lead the Wild (25-20-6, 56 points) to a pair of shutout victories and their season-high fifth consecutive win overall. He recorded 24 saves in a 3-0 triumph over the Chicago Blackhawks Feb. 3. Dubnyk also denied all 18 shots against in a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche Feb. 7, picking up his 13th career shutout and fifth of 2014-15. The 28-year-old Regina, Sask., native is 16-6-2 in 28 total appearances this season, including a 7-1-0 mark with a 1.31 goals-against average, .948 save percentage and four shutouts in nine games since joining the Wild Jan. 14. Per Elias, Dubnyk is the fastest player to earn four shutouts with one club among goaltenders who have debuted in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68).
SECOND STAR – COREY PERRY, RW, ANAHEIM DUCKS
Perry shared the League lead with four goals and six points in four outings to help the Ducks (34-13-7, 75 points) gain five of a possible eight standings points. He notched 2-1—3, including the primary assist on Ryan Getzlaf’s overtime goal, in a 5-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Feb. 3. With his performance, Perry reached the 20-goal milestone for the seventh time in his 10-season NHL career, tying Paul Kariya for the second-most such campaigns in franchise history. Perry also found the back of the net in a 5-2 triumph over the Nashville Predators Feb. 5 and in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals Feb. 6. He closed the week with one assist in a 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning Feb. 8. Despite missing 15 games, the 29-year-old Peterborough, Ont., native leads the Ducks with 23 goals and ranks second on the team with 38 points in 39 contests this season.
THIRD STAR – DAVID DESHARNAIS, C, MONTREAL CANADIENS
Desharnais paced the NHL with five assists and a +6 rating and also shared the League lead with six points to power the Canadiens (34-15-3, 71 points) to two wins in three starts. He opened the week with 1-1—2 in a 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres Feb. 3. Desharnais then matched career highs with three assists/points in a 6-2 win over the New Jersey Devils Feb. 7, reaching those marks for the first time since Dec. 31, 2013 (0-3—3 at CAR). He added one assist in a 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins Feb. 8 to help the Canadiens sweep their season series for the first time since 2007-08. The 28-year-old Laurier-Station, Que., native ranks fifth on the Canadiens with 8-23—31 in 52 contests this season; his 23 assists also share second on the club.
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* Information provided via NHL Press Release
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