Photo Credit: USATSI
The NHL has put out the list of it’s three “Stars of the Month” for the month of November. As you may know, this is the process that the League uses to praise it’s most outstanding players.
The first star is awarded to defenseman on the Calgary Flames, Mark Giordano.
Mark Giordano is considered the best of November, he led all defensemen and tied for sixth in the NHL with 16 points in 13 games, leading his team to place third so far in the Pacific Division. Not only did he achieve this, but he also paced the League with a +12 rating, led all blueliners, ranked third in the NHL with 12 assists, and has also posted one game-winning goal. The defenseman began November on an incredible note, scoring points in seven straight games. He has become the fastest Flames defenseman to reach his 20th point in his 18th game of the season, and nobody on the Flames has done that since Al MacInnis in the 1993-94 season. At 31 years old, the Toronto native leads all defensemen with 19 assists and 25 points in 25 games this season.
The second star is awarded to the talented right wing on the St. Louis Blues, Vladimir Tarasenko.
If you read my article a few weeks back on Vladimir Tarasenko, you will definitely understand why he was chosen as the second star of the month. Tarasenko ranked second in the NHL, with 10 goals and 17 points, lifting his team to have a share of the top spot in the League standings last month. He’s made his mark with scoring goals, and four of them even led the Blues to win the game, two in regulation time, and two more in shootouts. The young right wing ranks second in the lead, and is tied for fourth in the NHL with 14 goals in 24 games this season.
The third star is awarded to Pekka Rinne, goaltender of the Nashville Predators.
Goaltenders are a vital part of a hockey team, which is exactly why Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators deserves to be on the “Stars of the Month” list. Leading the NHL with 10 points and securing a spot in the top five in goals-against average and save percentage, Rinne helped bring his team to a top spot in the Central Division. In nine of 11Â games, the 32 year old goalie allowed two or fewer goals, and if that isn’t impressive enough, he reached a season-high of 37 saves for his 34th career shutout on Nov. 27 when his team played the Edmonton Oilers. Rinne has helped his team achieve 16 wins in his 20 appearances this season, and ranks second with a 1.82 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. He has won six games in a row, his longest run since a career-high 11-game winning streak in the 2011-2012 NHL season.
