The NHL offered up only a pair of early games Wednesday, but the highlights were plentiful nonetheless.

Here are three goals you simply should not miss:

1. More magic from Auston Matthews

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews showed off his sharp shooting skills against Jimmy Howard and the Detroit Red Wings, quickly and accurately firing the puck between Trevor Daley's legs and into the back of the net.

How can anyone stop this guy?

2. Jake Allen, playmaker

We're not quite sure what Corey Crawford was doing with Jaden Schwartz bearing down in search of his second goal of the night against the Chicago Blackhawks, but what's remarkable about this play is the perfect pass sent up the ice and off the boards by Jake Allen from the top of his crease to set it up.

The rare primary assist from a goaltender.

Schwartz later capped the hat trick with an empty-net goal.

3. Vladimir Tarasenko's deadly release

The St. Louis Blues are truly blessed to have Vladimir Tarasenko on their side.

The superstar winger stripped the puck from forward Artem Anisimov then spun and fired it past Crawford as fast and on point as possible.

Not a banner night for goalies, but star power was well on display.

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The Philadelphia Flyers are paying homage to one of wrestling's greats after every game this season.

The player of the game will now don a Ric Flair model robe, as seen here in Michal Neuvirth's locker.

The "Nature Boy" gave the gesture a strong endorsement.

Flair is set to make his first public appearance since a recent health scare in November at a convention in Atlanta.

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An ex-NHL player agent has been charged by police in Winnipeg, Manitoba for allegedly defrauding former Ottawa Senators players Chris Phillips and Dany Heatley out of a combined $12 million.

Stacey McAlpine is charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000, two counts of theft over $5,000, as well as laundering proceeds of crime, according to The Canadian Press.

McAlpine served as both agent and business adviser for both former players, and the alleged fraud occurred between January 2004 and June 2011.

"During this time, the victims provided the accused with funds for the purposes of making investments on their behalf," said Const. Tammy Skrabek. "The accused used these funds for personal business, disguising its true source."

Heatley was awarded $6.5 million in a civil suit filed against McAlpine back in August.

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The Boston Bruins will be without center Ryan Spooner for four-to-six weeks, as he nurses a right groin adductor tear suffered in Sunday's loss in Vegas, general manager Don Sweeney announced Wednesday.

It's a tough loss for the Bruins, as the club is already dealing with an injury to top-line pivot Patrice Bergeron, who has yet to play this season.

Spooner had only recorded one assist in five games before his injury, but has recorded 49 and 39 points, respectively, in the past two seasons. He signed a one-year, $2.825-million contract in the offseason to remain in Boston.

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David Schlemko's debut with the Montreal Canadiens will have to wait.

The veteran defenseman underwent surgery to remove a bone fragment in his right hand and is expected to be on the shelf for three-to-four weeks, the team announced Wednesday.

Schlemko suffered the injury early in training camp, and the surgery comes after he appeared in one game for Montreal's AHL affiliate on a conditioning stint.

Selected by Vegas from San Jose in the expansion draft, Schlemko was traded to Montreal on June 22. He recorded two goals and 16 assists in 62 games for the Sharks last season.

The injury means the Canadiens will continue to rely on Victor Mete, Jordie Benn, Brandon Davidson, and Joe Morrow to round out the bottom half of the defensive depth chart.

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J.T. Brown is done raising his fist, but he's far from finished trying to affect change.

On Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Lightning forward provided an update on his efforts in the community since silently protesting during "The Star-Spangled Banner" earlier this month:

Brown became the first NHL player to protest inequality and racial injustice this season when he stood with his fist raised during the singing of the anthem before the Lightning played the Panthers on Oct. 7.

He revealed the next day that he'd already started receiving death threats and racial slurs since making the silent statement that he defended postgame as the right decision, adding at the time that he hoped more conversation on the issues would take place.

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J.T. Brown is done raising his fist, but he's far from finished trying to affect change.

On Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Lightning forward provided an update on his efforts in the community since silently protesting during "The Star-Spangled Banner" earlier this month:

Brown became the first NHL player to protest inequality and racial injustice this season when he stood with his fist raised during the singing of the anthem before the Lightning played the Panthers on Oct. 7.

He revealed the next day that he'd already started receiving death threats and racial slurs since making the silent statement that he defended postgame as the right decision, adding at the time that he hoped more conversation on the issues would take place.

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The St. Louis Blues will welcome back forward Alexander Steen on Wednesday, as the club announced he's been activated from injured reserve and will suit up against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Steen missed seven exhibition games and the first six contests of the regular season after sustaining a hand injury in St. Louis' first preseason game on Sept. 19.

In accordance with Steen's activation from injured reserve, the Blues placed forward Wade Megan on waivers.

Steen is coming off his fourth straight season of at least 15 goals and 50 points.

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The Winnipeg Jets might be 3-3-0 through six games, but it's about time for head coach Paul Maurice to put his foot down and make Connor Hellebuyck the team's No. 1 goalie.

Early on, the Jets have been hampered by one glaring weakness: Steve Mason. The club inked the netminder this offseason, believing he could bring some balance to the position that's plagued the team for a handful of seasons.

However, that experiment, albeit through just three games, is off to a disastrous start, as Mason is 0-3-0 and has given up 16 goals (including at least five in each game) while posting a 5.96 goals-against average and .846 save percentage.

Meanwhile, his counterpart, Hellebuyck, has been the polar opposite, going 3-0-0 with a 2.11 GAA and .937 save percentage.

Comparing the Jets' play through six games, there doesn't appear to be a dramatic discrepancy in their wins versus losses:

With no back-to-back scenario Tuesday, Maurice elected to go with Mason, likely in an attempt to get him back on track, but a 5-2 defeat to the Columbus Blue Jackets was the end result.

"I feel for (Mason) because I think he kept it right for as long as he could," Maurice said postgame, according to NHL.com's Scott Billeck. "We didn't have enough going for us in this game. Just too darn slow to give him a chance to win us a game."

The question is, how many chances can the Jets afford to give Mason before he finally wins a game? The answer should be none.

It's not quite panic time yet, but in a stacked division that includes the Blackhawks and Blues, who are off to hot starts, the surprising Avalanche, the reigning Stanley Cup finalists in Nashville, a rejuvenated Stars club, and the Wild, who are too good to finish last in the division, there's not much room to stumble.

It's time for Hellebuyck to take a run at the No. 1 position for a prolonged stretch, beginning Friday when the Jets host the Wild. From there, Winnipeg will enjoy a five-day break before a back-to-back against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets.

If Hellebuyck can shine in Pittsburgh, it doesn't make sense to go back to Mason against the Blue Jackets. Hellebuyck should realistically be able to play the next nine games before another set of back-to-backs.

With four of those games coming against division rivals (two each against the Wild and Stars) it's imperative the Jets get ahead of the competition, and that's best done with their strongest option between the pipes.

The Jets are still in the thick of it in the early going, and have the offense to contend with anyone, but the club can't let goaltending continue to be their Achilles' heel.

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Patrick Marleau is on the verge of a major milestone.

The veteran forward will appear in his 1,500th regular-season game Wednesday when the Toronto Maple Leafs face the Detroit Red Wings.

He sits 18th all time in games played and third all time among active players behind Jaromir Jagr (1,714) and Jarome Iginla (1,554), who's technically still active but remains a free agent.

Now in his 20th season, and first with the Leafs after leaving the San Jose Sharks over the summer, Marleau has 1,087 points in his 1,499 contests, and he's been remarkably durable throughout his career.

The 38-year-old hasn't missed a regular-season game since 2008-09, and he was absent from only 10 contests in the last 10 campaigns entering this season.

If Marleau plays out his three-year contract with Toronto, he could conceivably move into the top five on the NHL's all-time games played list.

He hasn't slowed down from a production standpoint despite his advanced age, either. Marleau scored twice in the Leafs' season-opening win over the Winnipeg Jets and has five points in six games this fall.

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