Nashville Predators goaltender Carter Hutton has been named the NHL’s 3rd Star of the Week, after racking up three victories to help lift the Preds out of the Central Division basement. Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals was named 1st Star, with Martin Jones of the Los Angeles Kings coming in second. From the league’s press release:
Hutton compiled a 3-0-0 record with a 1.33 goals-against average and .960 save percentage to lead the Predators (16-14-3, 35 points) to their second three-game winning streak of the season (also Nov. 16-21). He allowed one goal in both a 4-1 triumph over the New York Rangers Dec. 10 (28 saves) and a 3-1 victory over the Dallas Stars Dec. 12 (33 saves). Hutton then posted 36 saves, his second-highest total of the season, in a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks Dec. 14. The 27-year-old Thunder Bay, Ont., native has appeared in 14 games this season, posting a 7-3-1 record with a 2.76 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.
This award follows on the heels of Marek Mazanec’s Rookie of the Month Award for November, further underscoring the surprisingly decent job that Mazanec & Hutton have done in Pekka Rinne’s extended absence. Taken together, the two have posted a .914 save percentage, without which the Preds would be in a world of trouble.
Is the biggest gamble of David Poile’s summer paying off, after all?
