Veteran Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle was named Third Star of the Week by the NHL this morning.
Yandle recorded multiple points in each of his three appearances last week to lead all defensemen and rank third in the NHL with 8 points (1G/7A) while helping the Panthers (10-5-5, 25 points) to a pair of wins in three contests. Yandle opened the week with three points (1G/2A) – all in the third period – to help the Panthers rally from a 4-0 third-period deficit to defeat the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Bruins 5-4 in a shootout on November 12. It marked just the ninth time in NHL history a visiting team rallied from a four-goal third-period deficit to win. He then recorded a pair of assists in a 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on November 14 and three more helpers in a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday night. The 33-year-old native of Boston, MA ranks sixth among blueliners with 18 points (2G/16A) in 20 games this season and has appeared in 817 consecutive regular-season games – the longest active “ironman” streak and the fifth longest in NHL history.
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid was the league’s First Star and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon was the Second Star.