The NHL regular season has come to rival college football’s as far as meaning, value, and high stakes intensity. The regular season is now a play-in for the Stanley Cup Playoffs with each game having significant meaning. It’s time to get ready for an outstanding President’s Day Weekend of pucks. Let’s take a look at the top matchups.
–Saturday–
Winnipeg Jets vs. Detroit Red Wings: Faceoff from Joe Louis Arena is set for 7 PM ET. With the trade of Evander Kane to the Buffalo Sabres, the Jets are now free of distractions as they hold the fifth playoff spot in the Western Conference. Winnipeg has been an effective road team with a mark of 14-8-6. Detroit has won eight out of ten and trails the first place Tampa Bay Lightning by three points in the Atlantic Division. The Wings were embarrassed on Wednesday Rivalry Night in a 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh. Winnipeg is led by defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, who has emerged as a number one defenseman and, just as important, respected team leader. Michael Hutchinson continues to impress in goal with Winnipeg with a .925 save percentage and 15-7-3 record. Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice continues to do phenomenal job in leading the Jets and developing a culture based on hard work and team first.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New York Islanders: Faceoff from Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is set for 7 PM ET. It is a shame that the Blue Jackets have had their season wiped out by injuries after making such great strides as a team and franchise last year. Columbus has lost 332 man games due to injuries and that is something that no team can overcome.
The biggest blow to Columbus is having top netminder Sergei Bobrovsky on injured reserve. The resurgence of the Islanders franchise has been one of the best stories in the NHL. The Islanders play a free flowing offensive style that makes for sweet hockey eye-candy. Star center John Tavares leads the Isles with 24 goals.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames: Faceoff from the Scotiabank Saddledome is set for 10 PM ET with coverage on CBC. This is a high stakes virtual play-in game with Calgary in eighth place in the West and Vancouver in seventh. Vancouver scored an exciting and gutty 5-4 overtime win at Chicago that could prove to be the saving point of their season. Eddie Lack may get more time in goal for the Canucks as Ryan Miller has proven to be a big disappointment, just as he was last year in the ill-cast role of savior of the St. Louis Blues. Calgary has emerged as one of the most appealing teams in the league with a blend of youth, defensive depth, and a work ethic that is second to none.
Washington Capitals vs. Los Angeles Kings: Faceoff from the Staples Center is set for 10 PM ET. The Capitals continue to climb up the standings and are now just three points out of first place in the Metropolitan Division behind the Islanders. Alex Ovechkin (33 goals and plus-10) has worked hard to become a complete player for the Caps and head coach Barry Trotz ,while Braden Holtby has solidified the goaltending position with a save percentage of .924.
The Kings are a mere shell of their past championship teams because of a defense corps that has been depleted. Slava Voynov is suspended and may not be back pending a domestic abuse charge, and respected veteran Willie Mitchell is now captain of the Florida Panthers. Stanley Cup hero Alec Martinez has been out with a head issue and Robyn Regehr has struggled to stay in the lineup. The thin blue line has caused a slump for goaltender Jonathan Quick. LA has no margin for error as it continues to struggle to find the on-switch like they have in the past. This Kings team has a different look, however, and the reality is that it may not happen for them this year.
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–Sunday–
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Chicago Blackhawks: Faceoff from the United Center is set for 11:30 AM CT with coverage on NBC. Pittsburgh scored a huge win over Detroit on Wednesday to perhaps halt what has been their worst stretch of hockey in several years. A win in this one would go a long way towards re-establishing their credibility as a true contender. Chicago is one of the more complete and exciting teams in the league. Defenseman Duncan Keith won the Norris Trophy last year and continues to lead a solid Hawks blue line. Patrick Kane leads the Hawks with 27 goals and has never looked better. Jonathan Toews has 15 goals, 30 assists, with a team best plus-16. The Hawks were sloppy in a 5-4 overtime home loss to Vancouver on Wednesday and head coach Joel Quenneville is not likely to allow another subpar performance
St. Louis Blues vs. Florida Panthers: Faceoff from the BB&T Center is set for 5 PM ET. Don’t look now but the Panthers are just four points out of a playoff spot in the East behind Boston and with two games in hand. Games in hand are only valuable if they turn into wins, however, and this one will not be easy as the Blues have won eight out of ten and have the look of a team that can go all the way. Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad is a Calder Trophy candidate for Rookie of the Year. Ekblad will be charged with shutting down Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko (28 goals). The Blues are deep down the middle with centers David Backes and Paul Stastny and have quality defensemen in Kevin Shattenkirk, Alex Pietrangelo, and Barret Jackman. However Shattenkirk, who is having a career year, is out with a head injury which helps open the door for a Florida upset here. Blues Goaltender Brian Elliott continues to inspire confidence with a .923 save percentage.
Washington Capitals vs. Anaheim Ducks: Faceoff from the Honda Center is set for 8 PM ET. The Ducks will catch the Caps coming off a game at Los Angeles the previous night. Anaheim is well regarded for its team speed but the fact remains that their scoring depth, defensive corps and goaltending are questionable. The Ducks are rumored to be in the mix for a potential trade for Toronto blue liner and captain Dion Phaneuf. This appealing matchup should be pleasing to the eyes with great offense and skill on display and a matchup of two top contending teams. Anaheim center Ryan Getzlaf has 17 goals, 37 assists with a plus-seven while right winger Corey Perry has a team high 23 goals and a plus-15.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. San Jose Sharks: Faceoff from the SAP Center is set for 8 PM ET. Tampa Bay is in the mix for the top record in the NHL and leads the Eastern Conference/Atlantic Division with a highly entertaining offense led by centers Tyler Johnson and Steven Stamkos. Johnson has 19 goals and 34 assists while Stamkos has 28 goals and 22 assists for the Bolts. Like Anaheim, Tampa Bay faces questions about their defense and goaltending. San Jose has been plagued by inconsistency and is just five points ahead of Minnesota for the final Western Conference playoff spot. San Jose has slipped to 21st in the NHL for goals against.
What NOT to Watch
The New Jersey Devils are at the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The Devils have gone 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. Unfortunately they are going back to their old formula of success in the 1990’s of trapping and clogging the neutral zone. This paint dry style of play is an eye sore bore that needs to be outlawed. ESPN dropped the NHL like a hot potato in 2005 after the pigheaded insular NHL failed to recognize the direct correlation between a catastrophic drop in TV ratings and the Dead Puck Era style of play that the Devils were the poster team of. Memo to NHL: Fans do not tune into hockey games to study the technical aspects of how to make paint dry. With technology, the league could easily develop enforceable rules such as basketball’s three second lane violation rule to forever banish this unwatchable play.
