Kovalev NHL's 1st Star of Week

Alex Kovalev is the NHL's first star of the week after helping the Montreal Canadiens move closer to clinching an Eastern Conference playoff berth with a 3-0-0 record. Chicago Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin picked up second-star honours while St. Louis Blues centre David Backes was named the third star.

Kovalev led all NHL scorers with two goals and seven assists in three games last week. The winger ranks second on the Canadiens in scoring with 24 goals and 39 assists in 74 games.