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It's safe to say that we've reached the point that nobody doubts Boston anymore.  Their two top centers retired, and yet the team is chugging along at 16-4-3.  Their new captain was the reason they won both games over the weekend.  Brad Marchand scored the overtime winner against the Leafs on Saturday, his eighth shot on goal in the contest.  He followed it up with a natural hat trick, scoring all three goals for the Bruins in their 3-1 win over the Blue Jackets.  That gives Marchand 11+12 in 24 games, almost exactly a point per game.  The big thing is his shot rate is at an all-time high.  In my preseason rankings, I was uncertain on Marchand's ceiling, but speculated his shot rate could improve without Bergeron.  He's at exactly 3.5 per game, and with his elite PIM as always, Marchand is still in the conversation for a top 20 player.  At 35 years old, Marchand is showing no signs of slowing down.  Let's take a look at what else happened over the weekend:
Even for Nikita Kucherov, the start to this season is on another level.  Kucherov scored two goals and two assists with five shots and two PIM against the Maple Leafs, and then followed it up with a goal and an assist with six shots against the Canadiens.  That brings Kucherov to 10+12 in 13 games, including 11 in the last three games.  He also has 5+ shots in the last five games, and seven of the last nine.  This game pushes him past Pettersson for the league lead in points.  The top guys on Tampa look so much better, and I can't help but think that being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs helped them for this season.  So many long playoff runs for the Lightning that a real offseason had to do them wonders.  We can't expect this level, but Kucherov looks poised to give his 128 points from his Hart Trophy season a run for his money.  Let's take a look at what else happened over the last two nights:
The rich keep getting richer.  The Boston Bruins acquired Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from the Capitals on Thursday, sending draft picks and Craig Smith to Washington, and a pick to the Wild for retaining salary.  I think this trade is far more interesting from the Washington perspective.  They couldn't agree to a contract with Orlov, with the dispute being over the term of his next deal.  Until a few days ago, it seemed farfetched that they would weaken their team for this season, but I actually think it's a smart move.  Even if they snuck into the playoffs, they weren't going anywhere.  They gained some additional ammo that they can flip in the offseason to make a push again next season.  They have a lot of additional pending UFA's that could be on the way out, so it's hard to figure out who will be there in a week to benefit from this move.  My guess is Trevor van Riemsdyk takes Orlov's spot on PP2, but he's also a UFA making 950k so he's a logical target for a lot of teams at that price, so he could be on the move too.  Smith should crack the lineup, but I'm not expecting much at all.  He's off the radar until we see him play.  As for Boston, Orlov won't be getting PP time there with Lindholm holding down PP2, so he takes a slight hit to his value.  The Bruins are so good that Orlov should stumble into enough points to be valuable in deeper leagues, but we're talking 14+ teams.  Hathaway should do what he usually does, and that is pile up a bunch of hits and PIM with an okay goal rate for a fourth liner.  All in all, this trade impacts real life more than fantasy.  Let's take a look at what else happened over the last two nights:
I've been aggressive ranking Matthew Tkachuk for years, but I never expected this type of offense from him.  Tkachuk had a hat trick on Tuesday, bringing his season totals up to 37+55 in 73 games.  He has a chance for 100 points, he's +49, the PIM are strong, and his shot rate is over three per game.  Tkachuk is pretty much having a Marchand-esque season.  That's the Marchand who has been a top five player for the past 4-5 years.  Now, I'm not quite going there with Tkachuk for next season.  Gaudreau could leave and this is an outlier in terms of past performance.  That said, he's firmly in the first round pick discussion because he smashes every category.  I can't wait to see what he does in the playoffs.  Let's take a look at what else happened the last two nights:
Well, we have a clear winner for craziest game of the season.   Toronto went up 6-1 and 7-2 going into the third, only to allow four goals in the first 5:21 of the second, only to end up pulling away from the Red Wings.  10-7!  10-7!!!  Absolutely bonkers.  Toronto scored ten goals and didn't even have a power play.  The top line destroyed Detroit, led by Mitch Marner, who had four goals and two assists with six shots and two PIM.  Michael Bunting had a goal and four assists with four shots, while Auston Matthews had a goal and three assists with four shots.  Look, we know what we're getting from Marner and Matthews.  Bunting I'm still torn on.  Even in this game, Bunting played under 14 minutes.  It's hard to sustain success with that workload.  On the other hand, that line is as good as any in hockey right now, and Bunting has been going off.  I'm still leaning towards elite streamer, but I can't argue with anyone holding him.  Seventeen goals in a game!  Let's take a look at what else happened over the weekend: