NHL Daily: Flyers’ Carter Hart Excels; NYR Get Tarasenko

Carter Hart was brilliant overall, and made big stops on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the “skills competition,” keying a rare Philadelphia Flyers shootout win Thursday, 2-1, over the surging Edmonton Oilers.

“Playing against my hometown, too,” pointed out Hart, who lives outside Edmonton in the offseason. “That is something I love.”

Besides the shootout, Hart made 34 saves. After the game, he talked about the dangerous McDavid and Draisaitl.

“Those two guys are two of the best, if not the best, in the league,” Hart said. “They have a lot of skill there up front, but I thought we really stuck to our game tonight and grinded hard.”

Hart, 24, is on a roll. In his last six starts, he is 3-1-2 with a 1.80 GAA and .944 save percentage.

In other news, the New York Rangers became legitimate Stanley Cup contenders as they acquired right winger Vladimir Tarasenko in a blockbuster deal with St. Louis. Boston (39-7-5) is still the Cup favorite — and Carolina (34-9-8) is close behind — but there’s a lot to like about the Rangers (29-14-8).

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Around the NHL and National Hockey Now

Philly Hockey Now: James van Riemsdyk scored the winner in the shootout, and Carter Hart was superb as the Flyers jolted the Oilers, 2-1. Philadelphia Flyers.

Philly Hockey Now: Flyers coach John Tortorella is not happy with Tony DeAngelo’s defensive play. Philadelphia Flyers.

New York Rangers: In a mega-deal with the Blues, the Blueshirts acquired ultra-talented right winger Vladimir Tarasenko. Can you imagine a top line that has Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Tarasenko? The Rangers can. New York Post.

Colorado Hockey Now: Star defenseman Cale Makar will miss at least two games because of an injury suffered from a hit by Pittsburgh’s Jeff Carter. Without Makar, the Avs were spanked by Tampa Bay, 5-0, on Thursday. Colorado Avalanche.

New York Islanders Hockey Now: Anthony Beauvillier got revenge against his former team, scoring the game-winning goal as Vancouver defeated the host Islanders, 6-5. New York Islanders.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Goalie Tristan Jarry, who has missed the last four games with an unspecified injury, practiced Thursday and took a step toward returning. Pittsburgh Penguins.

Washington Hockey Now: After years of searching, Dylan Strome has fit perfectly in Washington. Washington Capitals.

Florida Hockey Now: Despite missing captain Sasha Barkov, the Panthers beat San Jose on Thursday, 4-1, and now have their first three-game winning streak of the season. Florida Panthers.

Montreal Hockey Now: The Habs have several forwards they would like to deal before the March 3 trade deadline. Montreal Canadiens.

Boston Hockey Now: As the trade deadline gets closer, the Bruins would like to improve their defensive corps. Boston Bruins.