Los Angeles Kings' Tyler Toffoli named one of NHL's "Three Stars" of the week

The Los Angeles Kings have won five straight and are climbing back into the playoff hunt after struggling much of this season, and a big reason for that recent success has been the play of forward Tyler Toffoli.  This week the NHL recognized Toffoli's recent play, along with that of the Chicago Blackhawks' Marian Hossa and the Nashville Predators' goaltender Pekka Rinne, as the league honored the trio by naming them the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week.

FIRST STAR – MARIAN HOSSA, F, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Hossa, 36, led the NHL with five goals and tied for second in the League with six points to help the Blackhawks (35-18-4, 74 points) pick up points in all four of their games. He opened the week with a pair of two-goal performances: in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Arizona Coyotes Feb. 9 and in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks Feb. 11, including the tying marker with 54.5 seconds remaining in regulation. Hossa also posted two goals in his final game of the prior week (Feb. 8 at STL), becoming the sixth player in Blackhawks history to notch three consecutive multi-goal performances (in three straight team games of one season).

Hossa added his fourth consecutive multi-point game with 1-1—2 in a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils Feb. 13 before being held off the scoresheet in a 2-1 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins Feb. 15. Competing in his 17th NHL season, Hossa ranks third on the Blackhawks with 17-25—42 in 57 outings.

SECOND STAR – TYLER TOFFOLI, F, LOS ANGELES KINGS

Toffoli, 22, shared second in the NHL with four goals and six points to power the Kings (25-18-12, 62 points) to a trio of victories, moving the club within three points of a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

He notched one goal in a 4-3 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets Feb. 9. Toffoli then recorded 3-1—4 – including his first career hat trick and second career four-point game (also Oct. 26 vs. CBJ: 1-3—4) – in a 5-3 victory over the Calgary Flames Feb. 12, becoming the first Kings player under the age of 23 to post a hat trick since Oct. 22, 2009 (Anze Kopitar). He closed the week with one assist in a 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals Feb. 14.  He paces the Kings with 18 goals this season and ranks third on the club with 36 points in 49 games.

THIRD STAR – PEKKA RINNE, G, NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Rinne went 3-0-0 with a 1.30 goals-against average and .954 save percentage to backstop the first-place Predators (38-12-6, 82 points) to three straight wins. He made 30 saves in a 3-2 overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning Feb. 10. Rinne then denied 32 shots, including 13 in the third period, in a 3-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets Feb. 12 and capped the week with a 21-save performance in a 3-1 triumph over the New Jersey Devils Feb. 14. The 32-year-old Finland native leads the NHL with 33 victories this season, including a 14-1-1 record in his past 16 outings. He also paces the League with a 1.97 goals-against average and ranks second with a .931 save percentage in 42 appearances.

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services