Let’s take a look at what to watch this weekend in the red hot Eastern Conference.
New York Islanders – Goaltending Concerns
The Isles will host the Ottawa Senators on Friday and then a showdown with the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday the biggest weekend of their season. New York is one point behind the New York Rangers for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division as well as one point behind the Canadiens for the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Isles have tailed off with six losses in their last 10 games with inconsistent goaltending as the main culprit.
Jaroslav Halak has a subpar .911 save percentage and is at .909 for the month of March. That hardly inspires confidence for a deep Islanders playoff run despite their ranking as third in the NHL for goal scoring and second for goals against. The Islanders are one of the most enjoyable teams to watch in the NHL, especially at home, and their Saturday night game against the Habs will be appointment television at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The atmosphere at venerable Nassau Coliseum should be electric and with a playoff feel.
Montreal Canadiens – A One Man Team
How can a team that ranks 23rd in the NHL for goal scoring, 26th for shots on goal, 24th for the power play, and 22nd for shots against have the top record in the NHL? Goaltender Carey Price is how. As incredible as it may seem, Price has been at his best as of late with a .957 save percentage and two shutouts in his last five games to improve his season save percentage to .937.
While it is true that goaltender is the most important positon in the game, it is also true that it is too much to ask of Price to carry the team through the grueling grind of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Left winger Max Pacioretty has carried the offense with 31 goals and a whopping plus-37. Secondary scoring and defensive depth remain a big concern for Montreal’s long term viability.
Inconsistent Wings Face Tough Pennsylvania Weekend
The Detroit Red Wings have split their last eight games to fall six points behind Montreal in the Atlantic Division. The Wings are at the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday and at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday with coverage on NBC starting at 12:30 p.m. ET. Detroit is a solid team but seems to lack that special something to make a deep playoff run whether it’s a finishing scorer/sniper or a dominant goaltender. Head coach Mike Babcock does get Detroit to stay structured and within his system, but the lack of a dominant star is likely going to doom the Red Wings long term prospects.
Red Hot Broadway Blueshirts
The New York Rangers have not skipped a beat despite missing top goaltender King Henrik Lundqvist. The Broadway Blueshirts have an 8-1-1 record in their last ten games to tie Montreal for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. In left winger Rick Nash, the Rangers have a dominant finishing scorer that has 39 goals. New York boasts one of the best and deepest defensive corps in the game with Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Klein, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Dan Boyle and the newly acquired Keith Yandle. Cam Talbot has been stellar in filling in for Lundqvist with a .924 save percentage. This Rangers team is clearly better than last year’s Eastern Conference championship team and is built for a deep run.
Bruins and Caps have Key Sunday Night Matchup
The resurgent Boston Bruins have closed to within four points of the Washington Capitals for the top wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. I am still bullish on the Caps and their long term playoff potential despite their recent slump of five losses in their last eight games. Goaltender Braden Holtby is a big reason why the Caps may make a serious Cup run. Even during the Caps recent woes Holtby has a save percentage of .936 in his last five games. Boston’s lack of secondary scoring, age, and defensive depth remains a concern.
Powerful Penguins
Pittsburgh has won six out of their last eight games as they continue to show vast improvement with first year head coach Mike Johnston. Goaltender Marc Andre Fleury has a strong .925 save percentage on the season with nine shutouts. The key, of course, will be how he fares in the playoffs. Fleury has had some epic playoff failures that few Penguins fans have been able to forget. Another concern is Sidney Crosby, who is now a good player but nowhere near his past dominant level.
