• Theodor Bluger in the victory over the Phoenix “Coyote” (4:1) played 13 minutes and 25 seconds. Outnumbered, Blüger has two minutes and four seconds. In the allotted time, the Latvian made two power plays and won 71% of the shots.
• Blügers has scored one goal and provided six assists in 23 games this season. The last time the Latvian reached the point to score was four games ago: on December 28, 2022, in the match against the “Red Wings” from Detroit, Blügers scored an assist.
• In the first half, the result of the game was opened by the “Coyotes”, when Beret Hayton scored with an accurate shot. The continuation was not very successful for the Phoenix hockey players, as four unanswered goals from the “Penguins” followed.
• Jake Guentzel scored twice in the second period for his 16th and 17th goals of the season. Team captain Sidney Crosby had assists on both goals.
• Crosby now needs a point to surpass Tim Selanet as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer. Currently, with 1456 points, Crosby is in 18th place.
• In the third period, “Penguins” scored two more goals, completing the victory (4:1). Interestingly, Pittsburgh hockey players have not lost to the “Coyotes” team in 10 straight games since 2007. Only two teams have an active streak longer.
• The Penguins snapped a six-game losing streak. With 46 points in 39 games, Pittsburgh ranks fifth in the Metropolitan Division. Blügers and the team will play their next game on January 11 at home against the Vancouver Canucks.
Backhand shot from an angle, high plate? No problem for Jason Zucker! pic.twitter.com/UeNOlboLVf
— Penguins of Pittsburgh (@penguins) January 9, 2023
• Elvis Merzlikin in the defeat against Washington “Capitals” (0:1) he blocked 18 of 19 shots (94.7%). This was Merzlikin’s second best game this season: a better save percentage was only in the winning game against the Calgary Flames, when the Latvian saved 19 of 20 shots (95.0%).
• “Blue Jackets” knocked down “Capitals” objective. During the match, the team represented by Merzlikin had 38 shots on Washington’s goal, but failed to score. The “Capitals”, on the other hand, made 19 shots and achieved victory with a goal scored.
• Defender Eriks Gustavsson scored the only goal. The capital defenders have scored 25 times this season. It ranks second among all NHL teams. So are the New York Islanders.
• Darcy Kemper in the “Capitals” goal managed all the opponents’ shots. In the last 10 games, Kemper has helped the Capitals to seven wins.
• In the last five games, the “Blue Jackets” have lost three times. With 26 points, Columbus is by far the worst team in the Metropolitan Division. On January 11, the Blue Jackets will play the Tampa Bay Lightning represented by Rudolph Balzer.
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Latvians NHL
| Striker | Club | Games | W+P | Points | Throw | +/- | SM | In the majority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zemgus Girgenson | Sabers | 34 | 4+6 | 10 | 36 | +1 | 8 | 0+0 |
| Theodor Bluger | Penguins | 23 | 1+6 | 7 | 26 | -2 | 14 | 0+0 |
| Rodolfo Balzer | Lightning | 17 | 3+2 | 5 | 24 | -1 | 4 | 0+0 |
| Doorman | Club | St | Uz | % | Throw | Puck | min. | Dry |
| Elvis Merzlikin | Blue jackets | 16 (13) | 4-8-0 | 86.5% | 397/459 | 4.52 | 823 | 0 |
Resources used:
https://www.nhl.com/
