The San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, and Winnipeg Jets are all facing high stakes and virtual must win games on Saturday night. All of the aforementioned teams are in action on a loaded Saturday night of pressure packed play-in hockey.
The Hamburglar Prepares for Another Heist
The Ottawa Senators and goaltender Andrew Hammond will host the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 PM. The Hamburglar has become the sensation of the NHL as he has literally awakened the Senators from the dead. While Ottawa does not have a pure finishing sniper it is scoring effectively by committee. The Sens have climbed to tenth in the NHL for goal scoring and are led by left winger Mike Hoffman’s 24 goals. Defenseman Erik Karlsson remains one of the top offensive defensemen in the game and is the Sens leading scorer with 18 goals and 38 assists with a plus-five. There is a compelling human interest story with the Sens in that team president Brian Murray is battling stage four cancer and yet shows up to work every day without fail. A Sens playoff run would certainly be a fitting and well-deserved tribute to Murray, who has been a successful NHL coach and general for over 25 years. The one area of concern for the Sens is defensive depth as they rank 26th for shots allowed.
Toronto packed it in months ago and has disgraced the game with their lazy and uninspired play. Since December 18 the Leafs are an abysmal 8-32 which is clearly indicative of a team that has quit. But this is hockey and the Leafs are capable of the upset. Right wing Phil Kessel has been the biggest bust of all with just one goal in his last 10 games and lacking the fire and effort that most players with his natural ability would use as fuel for greatness. The Leafs and Kessel are giving lip service to making an effort tonight but where is the evidence of that happening?
Toothless Sharks face Habs
The San Jose Sharks are now five points out of a playoff spot and will face the host Montreal Canadiens tonight at 7 PM ET with coverage on CBS and NHLN-US. The Sharks have simply not recovered from their epic playoff choke against the Los Angeles Kings last year where they blew a 3-0 series lead. Infighting between star center Joe Thornton and general manager Doug Wilson has gone public. The Sharks have won five out of their last eight games but rank 22nd for goals against in the NHL which is not being offset by an inconsistent offense that ranks 15th for goals scored. There is also the sense that the team may well be blown up if the playoffs are missed. Wilson and head coach Todd McClellan are both in the firing line as Thornton has a no trade clause. The Sharks are a classic case of a team with a core that is past its prime as well as a team that has lacked dominant goaltending and a shutdown defenseman.
Montreal has struggled to score goals and is a virtual one man team with goaltender Carey Price, who is a Hart Trophy candidate as NHL Most Valuable Player, a rare honor for a goaltender. The Habs rank first in the NHL for goals against but 21st for goal scoring. The Canadiens have scored three or more goals in just four out of their last ten games. Montreal has a one point lead over the St. Louis Blues for the best record in the game and the President’s Trophy but is struggling with six losses in their last ten games as their inability to generate offense is catching up with them.
Big Buff set to Return for Jets? The Winnipeg Jets are two points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference but need captain and top defenseman Dustin Byfuglien back in the lineup. Big Buff is due to return any day, perhaps tonight, and not a moment too soon. The Jets host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals tonight at 7 PM ET. Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec is back in form with a three game winning streak and a .955 save percentage in his last five games.
Panthers Last Chance
The Florida Panthers will host the Boston Bruins tonight at 7 PM ET in the Cats final stand for a playoff charge. Florida is five points behind the Bruins for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Both teams are struggling to score goals. Boston is one of the streakiest teams in the league and has lost three in a row after winning five in a row before that. Florida has won six out of their last ten but needs to play at a minimum .800 clip the rest of the way to have a playoff shot. A rare big crowd should make its way to the BB&T Center for this one.
