It was the threat of arbitration that spooked the Florida Panthers into moving Brandon Pirri at the trade deadline.
Co-owner Douglas Cifu confirmed what most pundits deduced in their unpacking of the oddly modest sixth-round pick the Panthers accepted in return from the Anaheim Ducks for the former 22-goal scorer. Cifu told the Sun Sentinal's Harvey Fialkov on Thursday that once the club decided Pirri wasn't going to be a top-six contributor moving forward, it chose to avoid having an arbitrator-awarded salary on its books.
Pirri likely won't hit the 20-goal threshold for the second time, but with three goals and five points in eight games since joining Anaheim, he's established a new career high in points.
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Rick Nash looked like his often dominant self again Thursday when he harnessed his lethal combination of speed and power to score a tremendous go-ahead marker versus the Carolina Hurricanes.
That's 15 goals on the season - and three in the past five games - for the New York Rangers' 42-goal man from a season ago.
And that's Brett Pesce he dropped like a backpack.
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Vintage Kessel Snipe. Two tonight, 25 on the season. #NSHvsPIThttps://t.co/RcIhaXXBMv
— NHL (@NHL) April 1, 2016
Phil Kessel is heating up at the right time.
The Pittsburgh Penguins winger scored his 25th of the season Thursday on a patented rush down the wing and snipe into the top corner past Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators.
The goal was Kessel's second of the night and fourth in as many games.
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New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic has been lost for the rest of Thursday's game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets with a lower-body injury suffered in a collision with Scott Hartnell.
It appeared as though Hamonic took the blunt force of Hartnell's knee to the side of his right knee or lower thigh. That the team ruled him out almost immediately after the collision suggests the injury might be more severe than a simple contusion or Charley horse, though he was able to battle through the rest of his shift.
Hamonic has anchored the Islanders' blue line, averaging more than 24 minutes in 71 appearances.
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Take another look at tonight's #ThankYouEric tribute:https://t.co/2mGQSokXUT
— Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) April 1, 2016
The Carolina Hurricanes and their fans will not soon forget Eric Staal.
The former captain made his return to PNC Arena for the first time since being traded to the New York Rangers earlier this season, and was greeted with a tribute video and a lengthy, emotional ovation.
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This young, still impressionable New York Islanders fan was either finally broken by the commute to Brooklyn or is truly horrified at the sight of Cal Clutterbuck.
Cheer up, it's game time. pic.twitter.com/CmH6l16Ysu
— NHL (@NHL) March 31, 2016
That's an "L," Cal, and one on record even before the Isles winger could snap on his chin strap.
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Unbelievable front row video of Byfuglien's hit on Mark Stone. Now in slow motion. #NHLJets (via @pegcityjay) pic.twitter.com/XPIEXUBe0o
— M Remis (@mremis) March 31, 2016
A Winnipeg Jets fan caught an up-close and personal view of Dustin Byfuglien's hit on Mark Stone in Wednesday night's game, and from this perspective, it's not hard to see why the Ottawa Senators forward has been ruled out of at least the next two games.
Not for the faint of heart.
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