NEW YORK (March 21, 2011) — San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski, Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ray Emery and Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban have been named the NHL’s ‘Three Stars’ for the week ending Mar. 20.
FIRST STAR — JOE PAVELSKI, C, SAN JOSE SHARKS
Pavelski led the League in scoring with 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in four games as the Sharks (42-23-8) won three of four starts to retain first place in the Pacific Division. Pavelski recorded four multiple-point games, beginning with a one-goal, one-assist effort in a 6-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks Mar. 14. He notched four assists in a 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars Mar. 15, recorded a pair of assists and a game-high seven shots in a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild Mar. 17 and closed the week with two goals, one assist and a game-high eight shots in a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues Mar. 19. Pavelski increased his season points total to 57 (16 goals, 41 assists), two shy of his career high of 59 set in 2008-09. He already has set a career mark in assists, eclipsing the previous high of 34 in 2008-09.
SECOND STAR — RAY EMERY, G, ANAHEIM DUCKS
Emery continued his successful comeback from hip surgery by posting a 2-0-0 record, 0.99 goals-against average and .968 save percentage last week, helping the Ducks (40-27-5) jump to eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race. Emery stopped 61 of 63 shots, beginning with a 30-save performance in a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues Mar. 16 — his first NHL start in over a year. He also recorded 31 saves in backstopping Anaheim to a 2-1 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings Mar. 19. Emery’s start vs. St. Louis was his first in the NHL since Feb. 1, 2010 as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers. He underwent season-ending hip surgery a month later and became a free agent at the end of the season. Emery signed with Anaheim on Feb. 7, was recalled from AHL Syracuse Mar. 7 and made his 2010-11 NHL debut in a relief appearance on Mar. 13 vs. Phoenix.
THIRD STAR — P.K. SUBBAN, D, MONTREAL CANADIENS
Subban topped NHL defensemen in scoring with six points (four goals, two assists), highlighted by a milestone performance at Minnesota, as the Canadiens (40-26-7) won twice in four starts and moved within one point of the first-place Boston Bruins in the Northeast Division. Subban recorded one assist in a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals Mar. 15, recorded one goal in a 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers Mar. 18 and finished the week with his first NHL hat trick plus an assist and a +3 rating in an 8-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild Mar. 20. Subban, 21, became the first rookie defenseman in Canadiens history to tally three goals in a game. He also is the first Montreal defenseman overall to tally a hat trick since Sheldon Souray in December 2003 and the first Montreal rookie overall since Oleg Petrov in December 1993.