The Florida Panthers remain idle in what was once the NHL’s Olympic break. The Cats got a little help in the Eastern Conference standings as the Ottawa Senators held on to beat the Carolina Hurricanes by a 4-3 count. The Hurricanes are one of two teams (along with the Colorado Avalanche) who have a higher points percentage than the Panthers.
In other games, the Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Washington Capitals 5-4; the Vegas Golden Knights blanked the Edmonton Oilers 4-0; the Vancouver Canucks tamed the Arizona Coyotes 5-1; the Pittsburgh Penguins knocked off the Boston Bruins 4-2; the New Jersey Devils torched the Montreal Canadiens 7-1; and Connor Hellebucyk and the Winnipeg Jets ended Kevin Fiala’s 12-game point streak and Minnesota six-game winning streak with a 2-0 shutout win over the Wild.
At the Olympics in Beijing, the Quarter-finals for the Women’s tournament is now set. The United States (A2) will face Czechia (B2); Canada (A1) will take on Sweden (B3); Finland (B3) drew Japan (B1); and Russia (A4) will play Swizterland (A5). Host China and Denmark have been eliminated.