While the Maple Leafs handled life pretty well without sniper Auston Matthews (out of the lineup due to injury), having him back is nice. He finally scored his first goal since returning in a recent 4-1 win over the Blackhawks, then added two more in a 3-2 win over Nashville. Tonight, Toronto is in Pittsburgh to face a Penguins franchise that is still trying to determine which direction they’re headed in. Going by early season results, that direction does not involve the playoffs this spring, yet Pittsburgh has recently put together an impressive win streak.
Wild Rose Country meets Big D as the surprising Calgary Flames play a visit to the Dallas Stars. Most people expected the Stars to be in the thick of the battle for first place in the highly competitive Central Division, and with just over 25 games played, they are. They have lost veteran forward Tyler Seguin due to injury for the foreseeable future. Most people did not expect the Flames to be battling for a Western Conference playoff position, and that they are.
Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks will give you an effort each and every night, but this team is still a few key parts shy of being a playoff contender. They visit a Rangers squad that appeared to have all those necessary pieces before hitting a losing skid in late November, to the point that the GM has publicly mused about shaking up the roster and making some blockbuster trades. It may be what New York needs before their season slips away.
It’s been another slow start for the Oilers, but once again, they’ve seemed to have steadied the ship and are once again in the race for top spot in the Pacific Division. They host a Lightning team that will probably have to snag one of the Eastern Conference wildcard spots that are up for grabs in order to play past Game 82.
So, the Rangers are facing some challenges. So is the team from the northern part of the Empire State. How long has it been since the Buffalo Sabres qualified for the post-season? You need three hands to be able to count that high. This time around, things were going to be different, and why not? Their young talent bucket is brimming with…talent. On defence, in the net, upfront. So why haven’t Buffalo put it all together yet?
The defending Stanley Cup champions take their travelling road show to the West Coast tonight for a matchup with the Canucks, who have been good so far this season, but have been pretty much unstoppable when playing on the road. No truth to the rumours Vancouver is looking to move the location of tonight’s game to Comox.
Will Friday the 13th be lucky for either the Canes or Sens? Even with a myriad of goaltending issues, Carolina has been at or near the top of the Eastern Conference standings pretty much since the puck dropped back in early October. Like Buffalo, people are waiting for the Ottawa Senators to finally win games. Like the Rangers, are they also in need of a major roster shakeup? Because you can only fire the head coach so many times (Max Webster – A Million Vacations).
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