NHL MN Pulse Last Week Goal Review

It was a big week last week for players with the MN ties. Normally, I just link you directly to the goal, but NHL.com has changed how they post the goals for each game with each goal not having a unique link, so I know will direct you to the game highlights. They are a nice way to follow the league though, so I do encourage you to check them out. All of the goals and most of the good scoring chances and big hits are typically included. You can also just see individual scores by going to the box score and click on the goal to just see the goal. People will have to let me know if they'd rather be linked to the full game highlights or box score.

• Edmonton got a big Division win over Colorado in Denver Sunday. It was a big night for former Gopher Ryan Potulny who had just been called up from the minors the day before. The Grand Forks, ND native scored the Oilers fourth goal of the game on the power play. It was his third game-winning goal of his career. The other two came in 2005-2006 when Potulny scored seven goals and five assists in 35 games for Philadelphia.
  Bloomington's Tom Gilbert assisted on the goal and scored one of his own earlier in the game in the first period giving Edmonton a 2-1 lead at the time. It was Gilbert's first goal of the year. Gilbert has one goal and three assists and is a -2 in 17 games this season.
  Watch Game Highlights HERE
  
• Former Gopher Phil Kessel made his triumphant first week in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform official Saturday with his first goal as a Maple Leaf. Kessel scored the team's second goal in a 5-1 route of Detroit. In just three games Kessel has 16 shots and a goal and an assist. Jeff Finger, a Houghton, MI native and former member of the St. Cloud State Huskies, had a good start to his career in Colorado and in Saturday's win over Detroit scored his first goal of the year for Toronto. It was only the sixth game of the year for Finger.
  Watch Game Highlights HERE
• Zach Parise was voted first star of the game in a 3-2 win over the Senators. He scored the first goal for the Devils cutting an early Ottawa 2-0 lead in half. It was only his second power play goal of his seven on the year and broke a four game scoreless streak. Parise also assisted on the game-winner scored by Andy Greene in the third period on the power play. Former Moorhead Spud and fellow UND alum Brian Lee scored his first goal of the year for the Senators. It was the second point of the year for Lee in only his fourth game.
  Watch Game Highlights HERE
• T.J. Oshie scored his second goal of the season and the lone goal for the Blues as St. Louis fell in a shootout to Philadelphia 2-1. Oshie is playing well right now and the points will come now that he is healthy.
  Watch Game Highlights HERE
• Nobody benefited more this past week from the arrival of Phil Kessel more than Jason Blake as the Fighting Sioux trend continues. Blake was the first star of the game Friday night as he scored the game-winning goal giving the Maple Leafs a 3-2 win over Carolina. Blake scored on the power play for the second time this year and it was his first game-winner of the season. Blake has 24 game-winners in his 11 NHL seasons. He added an assist in the win and had eight shots.
  Watch Game Highlights HERE
• Do you think it felt good for Peter Mueller to score his first goal of the season Friday night? "It's like someone took a weight vest off of me," Mueller said following his team's 3-1 win over Chicago. Mueller has seen his ice time slightly decrease because of his drought but got the Coyote's second goal of the game giving Phoenix a 2-0 lead meaning his goal was the game-winner. Eight of his career 32 goals are game-winners.
  Watch Game Highlights HERE
• Dustin Byfuglien scored his sixth goal of the season Thursday in a 4-3 loss to Colorado. Byfuglien is on pace to have his best year in the NHL yet. His career best came two years ago when he had 19 goals and 17 assists in 67 games.
  Watch Game Highlights HERE
• Thomas Vanek scored a goal and added an assist inWednesday's 3-0 shutout win for Buffalo over the New York Islanders. Vanek has five goals and two assists on the year.
  Watch Game Highlights HERE
  
• Way back on Tuesday before Pittsburgh dropped a couple of games in a row on the road the Penguins won at Anaheim. Alex Goligoski continued the hot streak scoring his sixth goal of the year on a slap shot from the point. Goligoski has now tied his total of six goals last year which he had in 45 games. This year in 17 games the Grand Rapids, MN native has all but one of the goals while not being on the power play.
  Watch Game Highlights HERE