Wisconsin's NHL alumni had one of their best collective weeks in recent memory, with the St. Louis Blues serving as the epicenter of Badger excellence and Jake McCabe providing the week's most compelling subplot in Toronto.
Blues Become Badger Country
The highlight reel starts in St. Louis, where two former Wisconsin skaters dismantled the Vegas Golden Knights in a 6-2 blowout on Thursday. Justin Barron was otherworldly — one goal and three assists for a four-point night that powered the Blues offense from start to finish. Dylan Holloway was right there with him, potting two goals and adding an assist for a three-point performance of his own. Two Badgers combining for seven points in a single NHL game is the kind of night that has Wisconsin's athletic department dusting off the highlight package.
Holloway's big night wasn't a flash in the pan. The Blues winger has been quietly building a scoring streak throughout the week, adding an assist in a 2-1 win over the Jets on Wednesday and another assist in the Blues' season-opening loss to the Predators on Sunday. Over the full week, Holloway logged five points across three games — the kind of sustained production that elevates a player from contributor to genuine offensive weapon.
McCabe Scares Toronto, Then Answers the Bell
The week's most dramatic arc belonged to Jake McCabe. The Maple Leafs defenseman was cut from the ice in the first period of Tuesday's win over Columbus after Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson caught him with a high stick to the face, opening a wound serious enough to rule him out for the remainder of that game. The injury initially raised alarms in Toronto about a potential extended absence.
McCabe, however, cleared the protocol and was back in the lineup Thursday against the Rangers — contributing an assist in a 5-4 Leafs win. He wasn't done. On Saturday, in a dominant 7-2 beatdown of the Oilers, McCabe posted another assist and finished a blistering plus-3, serving as one of the steadier presences on a Toronto blue line that was firing on all cylinders. After the Columbus incident, McCabe used the platform to publicly advise young NHL players to be more mindful with their sticks — a measured response that reflected his veteran standing in the league.
Caufield Delivers Overtime Magic in Montreal
Cole Caufield added his own signature moment to the week. On Saturday against the Blackhawks, Caufield was a minus-1 in a 4-1 Montreal win, but his defining performance came earlier in the week: two goals — including a top-shelf overtime winner 54 seconds into extra time — to lift the Canadiens past the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 on Saturday. He also registered a goal and an assist in a Tuesday loss to San Jose, giving him a two-game stretch of four points that underscores why Montreal views him as a cornerstone.
Around the League
K'Andre Miller contributed a quiet but steady week for the Hurricanes, posting an assist Wednesday against Vancouver and a plus-2 Saturday against the Blues. Ty Emberson logged minutes for Edmonton across multiple Oilers games, though his plus/minus reflected a rough stretch for a team that dropped a 7-2 decision to Toronto to close the week. Trent Frederic showed up in highlight reels for reasons beyond stats — he dropped the gloves with Utah Mammoth's Jack McBain on Sunday in a spirited tilt.
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