Toronto Maple Leafs at Pittsburgh Penguins
Even without forwards Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins are doing alright. So are the Maple Leafs, who are still waiting for forward Mitch Marner to get going. Sniper Auston Matthew recently returned to the Toronto lineup. The defending Rocket Richard winner makes the Leafs a much more potent team to face.
Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks
While it’s early, the Red Wings have looked good out of the gate. The same cannot be said for the Blackhawks, who many believed would be greatly improved this season. These two old rivals now reside in different Conferences, but the dislike runs deep between these two.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Carolina Hurricanes
The tough Metropolitan Division has a number of contenders for the division crown, including the Hurricanes. Will their goaltending be good enough for a deep playoff run? The same question can be asked of the Maple Leafs, who the Canes host tonight.
Minnesota Wild at Vancouver Canucks
No longer an afterthought, the Wild have designs on top spot in the ultra-competitive Central Division. Tonight they are in British Columbia, facing a Vancouver team that is battling with the Flames (and Kings, and Ducks?) for the third playoff spot in the Pacific Division.
Philadelphia Flyers at Edmonton Oilers
Great start to the season for the Oilers, who we know can score tons of goals. But can they prevent them? They play host to the Flyers, a team that missed the playoffs last season in the Metropolitan Division. Edmonton continues to be dogged by goaltending questions, while most expect Carter Hart to put up a big season in the Philly crease.
Minnesota Wild at Seattle Kraken
The Wild visit the expansion Kraken this evening. Seattle will continue to be compared to the Vegas Golden Knights, but most likely the Kraken will end up following a more traditional route for newly minted teams. Meaning they probably won’t make the playoffs in their inaugural season, but they do reside in the weaker Pacific Division, so it’s not a stretch to suggest they’ll be in the race.
Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Rangers
Are either of these teams playoff bound this spring? Columbus…probably no, but they’re building for the future, with the intention of expediting the process of returning to the post-season. As for the Rangers, they’re in tough in the Metropolitan Division, but they have had a good start to the season.
RELATED CHANNELS
Grateful Dead Channel (Ch. 23) celebrates the life and legacy of Jerry Garcia during “The Days Between,” August 1–9, marking the time between Jerry’s birth and his passing.
The Dog Days of August get going this Saturday, with the Cards and the Jays meeting up in Toronto.
Michelle Branch celebrated the 25th anniversary of her breakthrough album, “The Spirit Room,” with an exclusive performance in front of a live audience on PopRocks (Ch. 6).
Shania Twain returned to where it all began for an intimate, one-night-only SiriusXM concert at Racket NYC.
Elizabeth Hurley is opening up about why her relationship with Billy Ray Cyrus works and sharing what it was like meeting Miley Cyrus.
During the July 21 episode of Radio Andy’s “The Julia Cunningham Show,” Amy Adams revealed that Kirstie Alley gave her the confidence to move to Los Angeles…
