Tonight NBCSN will broadcast the New Jersey Devils, (13th place in the Eastern Conference), and their attempt to trap and bore the nation into a coma against the worst team in the NHL, the Buffalo Sabres. Meanwhile, the nation gets to miss out on one of hockey’s best rivalries as Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will face Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Ovechkin vs. Crosby rivalry has been among the best in sports for the past decade, but how could that rival the compelling Sabres-Devils matchup of the two lowest scoring teams in the game? Do you think Roger Goodell or Adam Silver would allow such a slight in scheduling? Still, there are the Center Ice and Gamecenter Live packages, which are the paths to puck salvation on Tuesday. Let’s take a look at the top games for Tuesday and avoid the Sabres – Devils debacle.
Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins: Faceoff from the Consol Energy Center is set for 7 p.m. ET. What much of the nation will miss is Ovechkin, who is playing his best hockey in years, going up against his personal rival in Crosby, who is still very good but no longer dominant. Ovechkin has 36 goals and is a plus-11 due to renewed commitment for a full 200 ft. game.
Washington goaltender Braden Holtby is inspiring confidence with a .923 save percentage. Defensemen John Carlson and Mike Green are playing at top levels for the Caps. Washington is showing good balance with rankings of eight for goals scored and ninth for goals against. The Caps have won five out of their last seven games to close within five points of the first place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh is two points behind the Isles with improved play in which they have won four out of their last six matchups. Crosby has 19 goals and 39 assists while Evgeni Malkin leads the Pens with 21 goals.
The drop of dominance by Crosby is best illustrated by the Penguins slip down the NHL charts to 12th for goal scoring. Goaltender Marc Andre Fleury has been the most valuable Penguin with a save percentage of .924. Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang has been strong with 10 goals, 34 assists and a plus-7. This matchup will offer plenty of skill and star power between top contending teams. But how could that possibly compare to the Devils and Sabres?
San Jose Sharks at Nashville Predators: Faceoff from the Bridgestone Arena is set for 8 p.m. ET. The Sharks are in playoff peril with just a three point cushion between them and the ninth place Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference. It is becoming more apparent that the Sharks have not recovered from their disastrous playoff debacle from last spring when they blew a 3-0 series lead to the Los Angeles Kings. Goaltending remains the Achilles Heel of the Sharks and why they have never been able to get fully over the hump in the West. Antti Niemi has a save percentage of just .911 and the Sharks rank a mediocre 16th for shots allowed while ranking 17th for penalty killing.
The once prolific San Jose offense has also slumped with a ranking of 13th in the NHL for goals scored. Sharks center Joe Pavelski, a seventh round pick in the 2003 draft, continues to be a bright spot for San Jose with 31 goals. The Predators have gone all-in for the Stanley Cup as evidenced by their trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs in which they acquired Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli. The Preds have the best record in the NHL and the blue print for playoff success with the best goaltender, (Pekka Rinne), in the game to go with the best and deepest blue line corps in the NHL. There is a serious buzz in Hockeytonk as this is a team that nobody will want to face in the spring. Head coach Peter Laviolette has taken advantage of that goaltending and defense by insistent on more of an offensive attack which has paid off in making Nashville the sixth highest scoring team in the NHL while ranking third for goals against.
