Josi of Predators leads 3 Stars of Week

NEW YORK -- Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi, Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending March 3.

FIRST STAR – ROMAN JOSI, D, NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Josi posted the top points-per-game figure among the NHL's leading scorers last week (3-4—7 in 3 GP) and recorded the League's best plus-minus rating (+7), helping the Predators (35-25-2, 72 points) win all three starts and extend their winning streak to eight games. Josi began the week tallying three points (2-1—3) in a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators Feb. 27. It marked his 18th career multi-goal game, tying Viktor Arvidsson for the fourth most in franchise history behind Filip Forsberg (39), David Legwand (24) and Craig Smith (20). He registered a second consecutive three-point outing (1-2—3) in a 6-1 win over the Minnesota Wild Feb. 29. The multi-point performance was the Nashville captain's 158th of his career, trailing only Kris Letang (164, PIT) and Victor Hedman (163, TBL) for the most among active defensemen with one franchise. Josi concluded the week with an assist in a 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche March 2. Skating in his 13th NHL season, all with Nashville, Josi ranks sixth among active defensemen in career points (173-489—662 in 889 GP). The Predators' eight-game winning streak matches the second-longest in franchise history (also 8 GP in 2005-06) behind only a 10-game run in 2017-18.

SECOND STAR – BRANDON MONTOUR, D, FLORIDA PANTHERS

Montour led his team in scoring (2-4—6 in 3 GP), highlighted by a pair of game-winning goals, as the Panthers (41-16-4, 86 points) went 3-0-0 and climbed to first place in the NHL overall standings. Montour figured in each of Florida's goals (1-2—3), including the game-winner, in a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres Feb. 27. It was Montour's eighth three-point game with the Panthers, tying Keith Yandle for third place on the franchise’s all-time list among defensemen. He skated a team-high 26:35 in Florida's 4-3 shootout win over the Montreal Canadiens Feb. 29 and notched his second three-point effort and game-winning goal of the week (1-2—3) in a 4-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings March 2. Playing in his eighth NHL season and fourth with the Panthers, Montour (499 GP) is set to join teammate Aaron Ekblad as the second defenseman from the 2014 NHL Draft to reach the 500-game milestone. His 64 goals are the second-most among blueliners in his draft class, trailing only Ekblad (115). The Panthers have won 22 of their past 28 games, going an NHL-best 22-4-2 (.821) since the Dec. 24-26 holiday break.

THIRD STAR – JOSH MORRISSEY, D, WINNPEG JETS

Morrissey topped the Jets in scoring (1-6—7 in 4 GP), helping Winnipeg (39-16-5, 83 points) win three of four games and take first place in the Central Division. Morrissey tallied multiple points in three of four appearances, beginning with a pair of assists in a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues Feb. 27. He played a team-leading 25:31 in a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars Feb. 29 and returned to the scoresheet with multiple points in back-to-back games over the weekend, starting with three assists in a 5-3 comeback win over the Carolina Hurricanes March 2. All of Morrissey's - and Winnipeg's - scoring came in a dramatic third-period surge in which the Jets overcame a 3-0 deficit. He later tallied 1-1—2 in a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres March 3. Morrissey has collected 2-19—21 in 25 games since Jan. 1, with his 19 assists trailing only Noah Dobson (26), Josi (25) and Quinn Hughes (24) among NHL defensemen. The Jets' current points percentage of .692, second-best in the NHL, has them on a 113-point pace for the season, one shy of their franchise-record 114 set in 2017-18.