NHL Three Stars of the Week: Thompson's Tear, Josi's Surge, and Vejmelka's Vibe
The NHL handed out its weekly honors, and the spotlight is shining on three players who didn’t just show up - they took over. From a dynamic scoring streak in Buffalo, to a captain leading the charge in Nashville, to a goaltender quietly stacking wins in Utah, here’s a closer look at the league’s top performers this past week.
First Star: Tage Thompson, C, Buffalo Sabres
Tage Thompson is heating up at just the right time - and so are the Sabres.
With 3 goals and 6 assists across four games, Thompson led the league in scoring this past week, fueling Buffalo to a 2-1-1 stretch that’s helped solidify their place in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race. He chipped in an assist in a tough 4-3 loss to Florida on Jan. 12, then followed that up with two more helpers in a 5-2 win over Philadelphia on Jan. 14.
But the real headline came on Jan. 15 against Montreal: a five-point explosion featuring a hat trick, two assists, and a handful of milestones. That night, Thompson notched his third career five-point game, ninth career hat trick, 22nd game-winning goal, and 200th NHL goal - all in a single outing. That’s not just a big night; that’s a resume builder.
He wasn’t done. Thompson added another assist in a narrow 5-4 overtime loss to Minnesota on Jan. 17, extending his point streak to seven games. Over that span, he’s tallied 5 goals and 8 assists, bringing his season total to 25 goals and 25 assists for 50 points in 47 games - tops on the Sabres roster.
And here’s the kicker: more than half of those points have come in just the last 18 games. Since Dec.
9, Thompson has put up 12 goals and 15 assists, while Buffalo has surged to a league-best 15-2-1 record in that stretch. The Sabres are playing their best hockey of the season, and Thompson is the engine driving the charge.
Second Star: Roman Josi, D, Nashville Predators
Roman Josi just keeps doing Roman Josi things - and the Predators are reaping the benefits.
The veteran blueliner racked up 2 goals and 5 assists in three games this week, helping Nashville to a 2-1-0 record and pulling them within a point of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. His week started with a bang: two goals against Edmonton on Jan. 13, including the overtime winner - the 10th OT goal of his career.
Josi followed that up with a three-assist performance on Jan. 16 as the Predators handed the Avalanche their first regulation home loss of the season, a 7-3 statement win in Denver. He capped his week with two more assists in a 7-2 loss to Vegas on Jan. 17, marking his fourth straight multi-point game.
The 35-year-old captain is now sitting on 8 goals and 20 assists through 36 games this season. With 998 career games under his belt, he’s just two away from hitting the 1,000-game milestone - and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. Josi’s blend of poise, vision, and offensive instinct continues to make him one of the most impactful defensemen in the game.
Third Star: Karel Vejmelka, G, Utah Mammoth
Don’t look now, but Karel Vejmelka is putting together a quietly dominant stretch between the pipes - and Utah is climbing the standings because of it.
The Mammoth goaltender went 3-0-0 this past week, posting a 1.67 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage, backstopping Utah to a perfect week and into the first Wild Card spot in the West.
He started things off with a 19-save performance in a 6-1 win over Toronto on Jan. 13, then followed that with a 26-save effort in a tight 2-1 victory over Dallas on Jan. 15. Two nights later, he turned aside 18 more shots - including 11 in a busy first period - to help Utah take down Seattle 6-3.
Vejmelka has now won six straight starts dating back to Jan. 5, with a sparkling 1.66 GAA and .935 save percentage during that span. He leads the NHL with 23 wins through 37 appearances this season, three more than any other netminder. His season line - 23-11-2, 2.55 GAA, .902 SV%, 1 shutout - speaks to both consistency and resilience in net.
For a Utah team looking to make noise in its first season under a new identity, Vejmelka’s steady presence has been a difference-maker. When he’s locked in like this, the Mammoth are a tough out.
Bottom Line
Thompson’s scoring tear, Josi’s all-around brilliance, and Vejmelka’s hot streak in net all tell the same story: these are players rising to the moment. With the playoff race tightening on both sides of the league, performances like these don’t just earn weekly honors - they shape the postseason picture.