Evgeni Malkin is picking up right where he left off last season and once again has the Penguins near the top of the Eastern Conference.

Malkin has recorded seven goals and 23 assists for a total of 30 points in just 17 games played. The third year player out of Russia has picked up a point in all but one game this season and currently has a 13 game point streak. There certainly has not been any drop off in production from a year ago.

Malkin and the Pens, who have won six straight games, will be in action on Tuesday night when they host the Minnesota Wild.

Posted By: Luke Ventura

After a slow start to the season, Nicklas Backstrom is beginning to play again at the level most knew he could. In his last three games, Backstrom has picked up an incredible 10 points, which includes a five point night against New Jersey in which he recorded a goal and four assists. He now has a total of 16 points on the season.

"I got some lucky bounces, and I play with good players - that is the key, I think," Backstrom said. "I had a tough start, but I try to do my best out there."

Since Backstrom has picked up his level of play, so have the Capitals. The Caps have won five of their last six games and have moved into first place in the Southeast Division with 23 points.

Backstrom and the Capitals will hit the ice again on Wednesday night when they kick off a four game roadtrip against the Anaheim Ducks. They'll also face the Kings, Sharks and Wild before heading home to host the Thrashers.

Posted By: Luke Ventura

On a night when the hockey world was interested in seeing a rematch of last year's Cup Finals, Jordan Staal stole the show and led the Penguins to victory by recording his second career hat trick.

What was even more impressive was the fashion in which Staal recorded the goals. Down 5-3 in the third period, Jordan then scored the Penguins next three goals to tie the game at 6. His game tying goal came with just 23 seconds left in the game. After tying the game and forcing overtime, Staal still wasn't done. With just over a minute to go in OT, Staal made a great defensive play by stealing the puck, and setting up the game winning goal with a great pass.

"It seemed like everything I touched went in", said Staal, who scored the three goals on five shots. "We have a lot of talent on this team and we have good heart."

Staal now has five goals and four assists on the season, as the Penguins are now 9-4-2 and are in second place in the Atlantic Division. Pittsburgh will open a three game homestand on Thursday night when the high scoring Flyers come into town.

Posted By: Luke Ventura

It's hard to imagine, but the 57th NHL All-Star Game ballot has already been released. Below is a list of a few NBH players on the ballot, and players that deserve to be voted in by the fans. Visit the NHL Fan Ballot page to start voting for all these players. Here we go.

1. Mike Richards- Philadelphia Flyers. Richards, who had a break out season last year, was named the Flyers captain at the beginning of the season and has done a terrific job of filling the leadership role. So far he has four goals and 10 assists in 11 games. He is always on the ice for Philly as he contributes to both the power play and the penalty kill.

2. Evgeni Malkin- Pittsburgh Penguins. Malkin hasn't showed any signs of letting up from where he finished last season. After picking up a career high 106 points last year, Malkin is once again leading the league in scoring with 18 points. He has four goals and 14 assists, including at least one point in his last eight games.

3. Eric Staal- Carolina Hurricanes. Eric continues to be one of the main leaders of the 'Canes, and has started the season like he always does. He has a team high five goals and four assists this season, as he has helped Carolina get off to a surprisingly good start at 7-2-3. The great start puts the 'Canes in first place in the Southeast Division.

4. Simon Gagne- Philadelphia Flyers. Simon Gagne's return to the league this season has been one of the more uplifting and encouraging stories. Having missed the majority of least season due to injury, Gagne has come back and shown the skills that helped him record back-to-back 40 goal seasons. Gagne has already recorded eight goals and six assists and is tied for the team lead in points with 14. His +6 rating also shows just how much better the Flyers are when he is in the lineup.

5. Patrick Kane- Chicago Blackhawks. After winning Rookie of the Year honors last season, Kane and the Blackhawks are determined to get back into the playoffs. Kane has certainly done his part as he already has six goals and a team high nine assists for a total of 15 points. The 19-year old has the 'Hawks in second place in the Central Division and they are owners of a three game winning streak.

6. Phil Kessel- Boston Bruins. Kessel is one of the main reasons the Bruins have had such a successful start to the season. His team high eight goals have helped lead the team to a 6-3-3 record and just three points out of first place.

7. Jeff Carter- Philadelphia Flyers. The 23-year old center from Ontario is off to the best start of his young career. He has a team high nine goals, including two overtime game winners, to go along with three assists. He has also seen his average ice time jump up to over 21 minutes per game.

8. Tim Thomas- Boston Bruins. Thomas has once again had to win the number one spot for the B's, and he has done just that. With back-to-back 1-0 shutout wins against the Oilers and Canucks and a 5-1 win against Dallas, it seems that Thomas has solidified himself as the man who will be between the pipes. He currently leads the league with a .944 save percentage and is second in the league with a 1.83 goals against average (GAA). His 3-1-0 record and .970 save percentage last week earned him the NHL's Second Star of the Week honor.

9. Marcus Naslund- New York Rangers. Naslund has been the most consistent offensive force for the Rangers so far on the young season. He has a team high five goals and seven assists, which ties him for the team lead with 12 points. The Rangers currently have the second best record in the entire league with a 10-4-1 record, which is good for 21 points.

10. Patrick Sharp- Chicago Blackhawks. Sharp, who is coming off a career best season in which he recorded 36 goals and 26 assists, has continued to improve and is putting up numbers that put him among the league leaders. Sharp has a team high nine goals and seven assists on the season for a total of 16 points, which is good for third in the league. He recorded two goals and an assist in the Hawks latest win, a 6-2 decision against the Colorado Avalanche.

Posted By: Luke Ventura

The Chicago Blackhawks have won three straight games and a a big reason for that has been the play of Patrick Sharp. Sharp, who is coming off a career best season in which he recorded 36 goals and 26 assists, has continued to improve and is putting up numbers that put him among the league leaders.

Sharp has nine goals and seven assists on the season for a total of 16 points, which is good for third in the league. He recorded two goals and an assist in the Hawks latest win, a 6-2 decision against the Colorado Avalanche.

"I think we've played well in just about every game this year, and had a chance to win, so it's nice to string together a few wins, we've got alot of games at home...we want to gather them up and keep going every game", Sharp said.

Sharp and the Blackhawks will have a nice long break, as they don't play again until Sunday when they host the Calgary Flames. The game is the second of a five game homestand before going on the road for six straight games.

Posted By: Luke Ventura

Another week, and once again, more honors for NBH athletes. NBH would like to congratulate both Tim Thomas of the Bruins and Simon Gagne of the Flyers for being named the second and thirds stars of the week in the NHL.

Thomas, voted as the second star, went 3-1-0 during the week with a league best 0.99 GAA and .970 save percentage. He also picked up two shutouts against the Oilers and the Canucks. Both of those shutouts were 1-0 wins which makes Thomas just the second goaltender in NHL history to record consecutive 1-0 decisions.

Meanwhile, Gagne continued his hot start by picking up eight points in the Flyers three contests this week. He scored three goals and had five assists, as the Flyers went 2-1-0. For the season Gagne now has eight goals and six assists in just 10 games.

Both the Flyers and Bruins get back to action this week on Thursday night as Boston will be hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Philly will be up in Ottawa taking on the Senators.

Posted By: Luke Ventura

You don't put up performances much better than Tim Thomas has the last two games. Thomas put together back-to-back shutouts by stopping 27 and 31 shots respectively during the Bruins last two games against the Oilers and the Canucks. The latest game was a 1-0 win against Vancouver on Tuesday night.

"They got some chances right off the bat, so maybe it was a good thing I played last night because I didn't have the shakiness that you have sometimes when you don't play in a while," said Thomas.

So far this season, Thomas is 3-1-2 with a goals against average of 1.77, which is second in the league and a save percentage that puts him in front of all other goaltenders at .943.

You can be sure that Thomas will be back between the pipes on Thursday when the Bruins take on the Flames in Calgary.

Posted By: Luke Ventura

NBH would like to congratulate Avalanche goalie Peter Budaj for being named one of the top three stars in the NHL this week.

Budaj was 3-0-0 with a 1.62 goals-against average and .941 save percentage. The three wins came against the Kings, Oilers and Sabres. The Sabres win came in an a shootout, where Budaj had to come up with some big saves to seal the win.

The Avs have won five games in a row and currently sit in second place in the Northwest division with 10 points. They will be in Calgary on Tuesday night taking on the Flames. Once again, congrats to Peter and the great honor.

Posted By: Luke Ventura

Both Patrick Kane and Phil Kessel have gotten off to great starts for their respected teams.

Kane has four goals and four assists in his first six games this season. He has recorded three points in each of his last two games, picking up three goals and three assists. Kane and the 'Hawks are coming off a 4-2 win against Vancouver and will host the Oilers on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Phil Kessel has started this season exactly where he ended last season by putting the puck in the net. Kessel has five goals and an assist in his first five games. He also scored a shootout goal against Pittsburgh last night.

"Over the summer, you could see he's maturing physically, he's getting more comfortable in his game and his body, and with the system," Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli said. "I'm just really impressed with the way he's carrying himself on and off the ice," said Chiarelli. "I think that's really important for Phil to have confidence and to know that he's an important part of the team.

The Bruins are 2-1-2 so far on the young season and will travel to take on the Sabres, who are undefeated in regulation.

Posted By: Luke Ventura

After missing the majority of last season due to injury, Simon Gagne has returned to the Flyers lineup and has picked up right where he left off.

Prior to last season, Gagne had scored 40 or more goals in two straight seasons and so far this season he is showing that he hasn't lost a step. He scored his third goal in three games last night, deflecting a shot home from the point. Despite the goals, Gagne and the Flyers are still looking for their first win, but he knows that they are still a very good team and that they're close to putting it all together.

"I'm feeling very good," Gagne said after Tuesday's game. "We saw some great stuff again tonight, it's not like we've played bad three games in a row, we just need to dig a little bit harder".

Gagne and the Flyers will be in Colorado on Thursday night to take on the Avalanche in their only meeting against each other this season.

Posted By: Luke Ventura