Mathew Barzal continues to make a strong case to be named the best rookie in the NHL this season.

The New York Islanders forward registered five assists in a 7-6 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, giving him 58 points in 56 games. That puts him 11 points ahead of Vancouver's Brock Boeser, who's currently sidelined with a hand injury.

With the performance, Barzal became the first rookie in 100 years to record three five-point games in a single season.

Three of his assists came on a five-minute man advantage in the third period, while the fifth and final helper set up Brock Nelson's overtime winner.

Related: Islanders explode for 4 goals on same 5-minute power play

Barzal now has 16 goals and 42 assists on the season, putting him within 10 points of the NHL lead and among the likes of Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and teammate John Tavares.

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A five-minute penalty against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night turned into a goal barrage for the trigger-happy New York Islanders.

Detroit forward Tyler Bertuzzi got mixed up with New York tough guy Cal Clutterbuck at the 6:33 mark of the third period and received a five-minute major penalty for slashing and a game misconduct.

That's when the fun kicked off.

The Islanders proceeded to score four unanswered goals in the span of 4:37. All four came on the same power play, as Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, Nick Leddy, and Josh Bailey all found the back of the net.

Here is video of the se

Detroit tied the game at six with less than a minute to play, but the Islanders completed the comeback in overtime, as Nelson notched his hat-trick on the game-winning OT goal.

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New York Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault has pinpointed one specific area that has hindered his team's success this season.

"I believe that we’re a goaltender getting on a roll here (away from) being back in the hunt and back into the playoffs," Vigneault said Friday, per Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post. “We started our season 4-7-2 and we were a little inconsistent in the goaltending department. I felt we were playing better than our record indicated.

"Goaltending got better, we went on a run (of 18-7-3). Came back from the bye week and since that time, we’ve been on a (3-10) run. A little inconsistent in the goaltending department."

Ondrej Pavelec was given the start against Calgary despite Henrik Lundqvist's overall solid play this season.

The Rangers recently announced they're entering a period of roster rebuilding, and some players are likely to be traded prior to the deadline. Vigneault isn't ready to pack it in on this season, however, again citing the need for consistent goaltending to get back into the playoff picture.

Related: What could a Rangers rebuild on the fly look like?

"I believe we’re playing better than our record indicates and I really believe that Hank and Pav can get on a roll and we can get back in the hunt and get back in the playoffs," Vigneault added.

The Rangers entered Friday's game against the Flames with a record of 25-24-5, three points out of a wild-card playoff spot.

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The Ottawa Senators' roster appears set for a shakeup.

In announcing a three-year contract extension for general manager Pierre Dorion and the departure of team president Tom Anselmi, club owner Eugene Melnyk affirmed his desire to bring a winner to Ottawa.

Given the team's position in the standings, tough decisions are ahead in regards to refining a roster one year removed from double overtime in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Those decisions, Melnyk says, may be painful to accept.

The Senators will see forward Mark Stone hit restricted free agency this summer, with some high-profile players set to become unrestricted free agents in 2019 - namely Erik Karlsson, Matt Duchene, and Derick Brassard.

Ottawa also doesn't possess a second-round draft pick in 2018, and their first-round pick will be forfeited to Colorado if it falls outside the top 10. That doesn't seem likely at this point, meaning the Avalanche will receive Ottawa's 2019 first-round selection instead.

The NHL trade deadline is set for Feb. 26.

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The Ottawa Senators have signed general manager Pierre Dorion to a three-year contract extension through the 2021-22 season.

The announcement comes while the Senators sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, but less than a year after a long playoff run under Dorion's watch.

That's what the team wants to strive for year in and year out, according to owner Eugene Melnyk.

"The goal is to win the Stanley Cup," Melnyk said. "Having come within one goal of last season's Stanley Cup Final, we were hopeful entering this season. Obviously, our results have challenged those expectations. What remains unchanged is the dedication that goes into evaluating every aspect of this organization."

The team further reiterated Dorion will concentrate on building a foundation for sustainable success.

"Today's announcement reflects a renewed commitment to scouting, drafting and development," Melnyk continued. "It may require changes to our lineup. Rest assured, we will only tolerate pain with an endgame in mind: building an organization that wins - at all levels - year in and year out."

The announcement coincided with news that team president Tom Anselmi had officially vacated the position.

Dorion has been on the job since April 2016 after taking over from the late Bryan Murray.

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The Vancouver Canucks were dealt some bad news on Friday, as head coach Travis Green announced super rookie Brock Boeser will miss Friday's contest against the Carolina Hurricanes with a hand injury.

Boeser was hurt Thursday night during Vancouver's loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Tampa Bay Lightning, but played the entire game, registering a goal in over 21 minutes of ice time.

The extent of Boeser's injury is still not known, but according to Green, he fell on his hand during Thursday's game and woke up feeling stiffness in the same hand.

Through 51 games this season, Boeser has been a revelation for a lackluster Canucks squad, as he currently sits second in the NHL rookie scoring race with 47 points (26 goals and 21 assists).

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Tom Anselmi has reportedly left his position as president of the Ottawa Senators, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

Anselmi was on the job for just over a year, having been officially hired by the club on Jan. 25, 2017.

He was chosen in part due to his experience overseeing the Air Canada Centre, the downtown Toronto home of the Maple Leafs and Raptors.

The Senators, of course, recently reached a deal in principle to be part of the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats, a downtown Ottawa neighborhood where the club wants to build a new arena.

Prior to working for the Senators, Anselmi served first as chief operating officer and then president of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), and even further back, he was vice president and general manager of arena operations for Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment (now Canucks Sports & Entertainment).

There's no indication at this point as to why Anselmi left his post, or who his replacement might be.

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Former NHL enforcer Dave "Tiger" Williams was arrested Friday after being charged with sexual assault earlier in the week.

The charges against Williams stem from a morale-boosting trip to visit the Canadian Armed Forces in Latvia in December.

"The accused was a passenger on the flight as part of the sanctioned morale visit to deployed Canadian Armed Forces personnel," said Lieutenant (Navy) Blake Patterson, a spokesperson for the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal's Office, according to The Canadian Press via TSN.

Williams is facing one count of sexual assault and one count of common assault.

The 64-year-old was arrested by military police but released from custody on the promise to appear in court. Despite the charges being laid by the military, Williams' case will go to civilian court in Ottawa, the city the flight originated from.

As a former NHLer with over 960 career games for such teams as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks, Williams had been a regular on military morale trips, taking part in celebrity ball hockey games and other morale-boosting events in recent years.

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Frederik Andersen has been a rock for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and his body of work has teammates talking.

The 28-year-old put up his fifth 40-plus-save game of the 2017-18 campaign Wednesday in a 3-2 shootout win over the Nashville Predators. The outing - along with Andersen's overall strong play - has people talking about a potential Vezina Trophy nomination, including teammate Tyler Bozak.

"You watch the game versus Nashville and you can just show them that tape and that should put him in the conversation right there," Tyler Bozak said, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

Related: Andersen, not Matthews, is the Maple Leafs' real MVP

Meanwhile, the soft-spoken Dane was asked last week about possibly winning a Vezina someday, and he was blunt in his response.

"Of course," Andersen said, according to The Athletic's Jonas Siegel. "We've seen stretches of what I can do and I think it's something that I obviously strive to be better and be in that top-goalie conversation."

Andersen sits ninth in the NHL in save percentage (.922), is tied for fourth in shutouts (four), while leading all goalies in shots against and saves.

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The Winnipeg Jets will welcome forward Mark Scheifele back to the lineup after a 16-game absence on Friday when the club takes on the St. Louis Blues, the team announced.

Scheifele has been out since Dec. 27 after a collision with Edmonton Oilers defenseman Brandon Davidson. The Jets will certainly be thrilled to have arguably their top center back in the fold, but the fact is, they fared just fine while he was on the shelf.

The Jets have gone 11-2-3 in Scheifele's absence and sit just three points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for top spot in the Western Conference.

Related: Maurice jokes Jets should trade Scheifele due to success without him

In 38 games this season, Scheifele still ranks fourth on the club with 15 goals and 38 points.

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