The Dallas Stars look to make up some ground in the Central Division race as they play three games this week. The red hot St. Louis Blues have managed to jump them in the standings and the Stars don’t want to fall too far back of that third spot.
The Stars will take on a struggling Nashville Predators on Tuesday night. The impressive St. Louis Blues come to town on Thursday night and the Stars are going to need to be ready to play from the drop of the puck. The week ends on Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, who beat the Stars on Feb. 16 at home.
1) Tuesday, Feb. 19 vs. Predators- 8:30 p.m. ET – ESPN+
This is a big game for both teams since they have hit a rough patch. The Nashville Predators have a more balanced lineup than the Stars, but not by much. The Stars have the advantage on the power play since the Predators have the worst one in the League. This should be a good game with the teams looking to keep pace in the playoff race.
The Stars Will Win If…
They can play a good defensive game and get some scoring from the other three lines. The Predators have not had a problem scoring and converting their chances this season so the Stars are going to have to get back to playing good team defense. They’ll want to eliminate the ill-timed turnovers in their own zone and in the neutral zone since the Preds can turn those into quick goals. The depth scoring is going to need to get involved and establish some kind of cycle game or offensive zone attack time. The depth players also need to cash in on their chances when they get them.
Matchup of the Game
If the Stars can manage to win the even strength battle then they should win the game. The Predators score most of their goals at even strength since they have an awful power play, which has only scored 26 goals this season. The Stars need to win the battles and get to loose pucks to keep pace with the Preds at even strength. The Stars just need to get some pucks on net.
Game Prediction
The Stars are going to lose this game by a score of 3-1 and the Predators will pick up an important two points. The Predators goals will be scored by Filip Forsberg, Kevin Fail and Viktor Arvidsson. Tyler Seguin will score the only goal for the Stars.
2) Thursday, Feb. 21 vs. Blues- 8:30 p.m. ET
This is an important game in the standings for both teams. The Stars are battling to keep pace with the other teams in the Western Conference playoff race, while the St. Louis Blues are the hottest team in the NHL. The Blues have turned their season around and have gone from last place in the Western Conference to a playoff spot.
The Stars Will Win If…
They get the first goal of the game and keep the pressure on in the offensive zone. The Blues are a much better team when playing with the lead as opposed to playing from behind. The Blues are 7-16-2 when the opposition scores first and have only come from behind five times to get points when trailing in the third period in 23 games this season. The Stars should establish the forecheck and cycle game early and keep attacking.
Players to Watch
Jamie Benn hasn’t exactly been lighting it up in the points department this season so look for him to start ramping up his play to try to help the Stars stay in playoff contention. Vladimir Tarasenko has been on fire of late, just like his team. In his last five games played he has seven goals, six assists and 13 total points. It will be tough trying to defend him, but the Stars need to be physical with him and make him work for his space and chances.
Game Prediction
This is not a game for the goalies and it will reflect in the 4-3 final score. The Blues will continue to stay hot while the Stars continue to be inconsistent. The four goals for the Blues will be scored by Brayden Schenn, Vladimir Tarasenko, Colton Parayko and Tyler Bozak. The Stars get goals from Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Mattias Janmark.
3) Saturday, Feb. 23 vs. Hurricanes- 5 p.m. ET
The Stars will be looking for some revenge on the Carolina Hurricanes after taking the loss in Raleigh just a week ago. The ‘Canes have a balanced lineup and have been getting decent goaltending on this run that they’ve put together of late. The Stars need to find some of what the Hurricanes have been doing to get back on track and get some points.
The Stars Will Win If…
They can take advantage on special teams both on the power play and the penalty kill. The Hurricanes power play is ranked 23rd in the NHL and its penalty kill is ranked 14th, which is about the middle of the pack. The Stars power play is ranked 16th but is over 20% for the season. The penalty kill is where the Stars have a big advantage in this game because they rank 7th in the NHL, and they’ve scored four shorthanded goals. The Stars need to not overthink things when on the power play and just keep doing what they’ve been doing all season when killing penalties.
Matchup of the Game
The goalies will play an important part in this game, whether it is the starters or the backup. Ben Bishop is sidelined with an injury so Anton Khudobin has been getting a majority of the starts for the Stars lately. Petr Mrazek has seemed to find his game with the Hurricanes even though his record might not reflect that. He is 13-12-3 with a 2.63 GAA and a .902 save percentage and he also has two shutouts. Curtis McElhinney has played solid when he has been in net for the Hurricanes. Whether it be Mrazek or McElhinney in net, the Stars need to get plenty of puck towards the net.
Game Prediction
The Stars get their revenge for last week’s loss, but they’ll need to work for it. The Hurricanes are a decent defensive team and so are the Stars so this game will be close as long as the turnovers are limited. The Stars get the 2-1 win and their goals come from Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg. The Hurricanes lone goal is scored by Nino Niederreiter.
Patrick Roy began his career between the pipes, during the 1984-85 season, when he played one game for the Montreal Canadiens—the team he would represent until being traded to the Colorado Avalanche during the 1995-96 season. The trade was made four days after new Canadiens’ coach Mario Tremblay left Roy in net December 2, 1995, when Roy allowed nine goals on 26 shots before finally being pulled in the middle of the second period. Roy was not happy, to say the least, and let management know. He and Canadiens’ captain Mike Keane were sent to the Avalanche while Jocelyn Thibault, Martin Ručinský and Andrei Kovalenko went to Montreal. It turned out to be a definitely one-sided trade in favor of Colorado.
Approximately two months after being traded, Roy was in net on February 19, 1996, when the Avalanche played host to the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers looked to be the frontrunner in the game when they were up 2-0 with 4:42 remaining in the opener—the results of an unassisted shorthanded goal by Oilers Todd Marchant at 2:24 followed some thirteen minutes later by Miroslav Satan’s eighth goal of the season, also unassisted. Peter Forsberg cut the Oilers lead in half at 17:45 of the first period.
During the second, it was clear that the Avalanche were riding the momentum from Forsberg’s late period goal, as Curtis Leschyshyn tied the game at 5:28 and Chris Simon put the Avs ahead at 8:20. Forsberg notched his second of the game at 13:57, while Joe Sakic got his third assist of the game and the middle frame. With less than four minutes remaining in the second, Scott Thornton put the Oilers back within one, and once again the goal was unassisted.
Just 22 seconds into the third, Valeri Kamensky got his 26th goal of the season—adding a goal to his earlier assist in the second period. The Oilers refused to go away though as Thornton got his second of the game and the first for the Oilers that had an assist just 16 seconds later. The two goals were scored before the first minute of the final period had counted down. Satan would tie things up at 3:24 with his second of the game making it 5-5. However, Kamensky and Forsberg weren’t done for the Avalanche. Kamensky got his second of the game at 12:16, with Forsberg and Sakic assisting, and then 55 seconds later Forsberg got the hat trick, with Kamensky getting credit for the secondary assist.
As the buzzer signaled the end of the game, Colorado beat Edmonton 7-5, and Roy became the second youngest goaltender to achieve 300 wins. Of course, he probably owed some credit to Forsberg’s five-point night (3G, 2A), Kamensky’s four points (2G, 2A) and Sakic’s four assists.
The Avalanche would go on to win the Stanley Cup that season for the first time since they were relocated from Quebec City (when they were the Nordiques).
While Glenn Hall is widely accepted as the father of the butterfly style of goaltending, Roy probably was the goaltender to make it such a popular style “not only because of his spectacular results but because of his outsized personality and swagger, and his own quirky hybrid of combativeness and charisma.”
By the time Roy retired, many considered him to be the best goaltender of the NHL. By 2003, he held NHL records for most regular-season wins (551), games played by a goalie (1,029), playoff victories (151), playoff games played (247) and playoff shutouts (23). It was not surprising that he was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006.
The Tampa Bay Lightning look add to their impressive point total so far on the season. The Bolts play three games in four days but then they have three nights off. They start the week with two back-to-back games on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers. They’ll end the week at home with a divisional game against the Buffalo Sabres at home.
1) Monday, Feb. 18 @ Blue Jackets- 7:30 p.m. ET -NBCSN
The Bolts will be taking on a Columbus Blue Jackets team who has been struggling to find some wins lately. The Bolts have the advantage in almost every category. The two teams are pretty even when it comes to the penalty kill with the Lightning being the second best team in the NHL and the Blue Jackets ranked fourth in the League. The Blue Jackets and Bolts have defensemen who can add something to the offense.
The Lightning Win If…
They can manage to get plenty of pucks to the opposition’s net with traffic. The Blue Jackets allow just over 30 shots against per game to the opposition so the Lightning need to make sure that when the shot is open they get it to the net. The Blue Jackets’ goalies can stop pucks, but they have also struggled with letting in soft goals this season. The Bolts should make sure they take the goalie’s eyes away and get plenty of traffic in front to distract the starting goalie.
Matchup of the Game
This game has a good chance of being stolen by one of the goalies. The teams manage to get their chances and will spend some time on the attack. The Lightning and Blue Jackets have some defensemen that can join in on the offensive side of the puck so both teams should pay attention to where everyone is on the ice at all times. The goalie matchup will be especially interesting if it winds up being Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky since both goalies can steal a game.
Game Prediction
The Lightning manage to pull out the win by a score of 4-2 on national television while the Blue Jackets continue to struggle. The Lightning goals are scored by Onderj Palat, Alex Killorn, Victor Hedman and Tyler Johnson. The Blue Jackets two goals come from Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson.
2) Tuesday, Feb. 19 @ Flyers- 7 p.m. ET
The Philadelphia Flyers are one of the hottest teams in the NHL and are 12-1-1 in their last 14 games as they work to get back in the playoff race. The Lightning are a much better team than the Flyers, but they’ve struggled against them this season. The Lightning have blown three-goal and four-goal leads in the third period.
The Lightning Will Win If…
They just play their game and don’t play down to the opposition. The Flyers are battling for playoff positioning and this is an important week for them before the trade deadline on February 25. The Lightning are such a balanced team and they need to roll out four lines and spend some time in the offensive zone. They will want to get plenty of shots on net and try to get the goalie moving so he can’t be set or in position to stop the puck.
Matchup of the Game
The two main players to watch in this game will be Sean Couturier and Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov is leading the League with 94 points, while Couturier has been one of the Flyers hotter players the past few weeks. Couturier is also the Flyers’ best defensive center and will likely either be matched up against the Steven Stamkos line or Kucherov’s line. Couturier got off to a slow start in the beginning of the season, but has really picked up his play the past few weeks and is looking like he could be up for another Selke Trophy nomination.
Game Prediction
The Flyers lose this game 5-4 in overtime, but pick up one point in the standings. The Lightning goals come from Brayden Point (2), Yanni Gourde, Anthony Cirelli and J.T. Miller. The Flyers goals are scored by Claude Giroux, Shayne Gostisbehere, James van Riemsdyk and Nolan Patrick.
3) Thursday, Feb. 21 vs. Sabres- 7:30 p.m. ET
The Buffalo Sabres have been struggling and are now looking behind them as teams are creeping into the playoff picture that weren’t there about a month ago. The big line of Jeff Skinner, Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart was broken up for a few games but with the recent struggles, they have been put back together. The Lightning has a balanced lineup, but a bulk of the Sabres offense comes from that top line.
The Lightning Will Win If…
They can roll four lines and create chances from all four of them. The Lightning should try to get plenty of pucks on net because the goaltending hasn’t been spectacular for the Sabres lately. The Bolts have depth scoring and they need to show up in this game. The Sabres’ top line can be stopped and that will be the primary focus of the Lightning.
Matchup of the Game
The Sabres lack depth scoring while the Lightning have a ton of it. It will be interesting to see if the Sabres depth scoring can come through in such a big game with them slipping in the standings. The Sabres depth is tested almost nightly with the big three being on the top line and it worked out well the first half of the season, but hasn’t been working out well since. It is just a matter of finding the right combination of players to play with each other so that depth scoring starts getting it done.
Game Prediction
The Lightning manage to lose a close one in overtime since they’ll be finishing up playing three games in four days. The Sabres top line get its done again and scores all three goals with two coming from Jeff Skinner and one from San Reinhart. The Lightning goals come from Steven Stamkos (2).
The National Hockey League was still in its infancy, consisting of just three teams: Toronto Hockey Club (still often called the “Blue Shirts” by the fans and journalists), the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators. The Montreal Wanderers already having resigned in January. February was just the third month of the newly created National Hockey League.
The Montreal Canadiens were playing on the road in Toronto on Monday, February 18, 1918, and were undoubtedly still riding a high from their home win on Saturday over the Ottawa Senators. The fans who packed the arena were certain that Toronto would win the game, helping to secure the championship, but as it turned out that was not to happen in this game.
As was reported in The Ottawa Citizen the next day “The Frenchmen, who tonight had the assistance of ‘Newsy’ Lalonde, completely outplayed the local sextet at all stages of the game. It was the greatest surprise of the season.”
The Canadiens scored their first goal 14 minutes into the opening period, but it was the second period that truly put the dagger in the Blue Shirts, when Montreal added six more goals to go into the second intermission up 7-0.
While it was true that the Canadiens were putting the pucks past Toronto’s goaltender Harry “Hap” Holmes, Toronto was also putting shots on the Habs goalie Georges Vezina, known as the Chicoutimi Cucumber, but Vezina was blocking all of them. He denied chances by Harry Meeking, Reg Noble, Corbett Denneny, to name just a few, all of whom had multiple opportunities on Vezina.
The Canadiens would add two more goals to their total in third period, giving them nine goals in the game.
As the game was coming to an end, Toronto’s Ken Randall had another chance on Vezina, which once again the goaltender stopped. Randall, who lead the Toronto team in penalty minutes that first NHL season, couldn’t control his frustration.
“Randall shot and when Vezina stopped it, Randall charged headlong into the veteran, for which he was banished,” reported The Ottawa Citizen.
And just like that the game was over and Vezina had the first ever NHL shutout, though not a single newspaper commented on this achievement. The newspapers were mostly commenting on the play of Newsy Lalonde and the breakdown of the Torontos’ play.
Vezina had come on the Canadiens’ radar back in 1910 when the then National Hockey Association (NHA) Canadiens went to play a team in Chicoutimi, Quebec. Vezina, a native of the town, was the goaltender of the team in that game and he helped them beat the Montreal Canadiens. Supposedly Montreal then offered Vezina a contract to play with the Canadiens right then and there, an offer he declined at that time. He would eventually take advantage of the opportunity and join the team while it was still part of the NHA. It was not long after joining the team that he became recognized for his skill.
As Mike Commito commented in Hockey 365, Daily Stories from the Ice, “It’s fitting that, when he continued his play in the NHL, he’d be the first netminder to record a shutout in the new league. On February 18, 1918, Montreal scored nine goals on the road against Toronto, but the Chicoutimi Cucumber remained calm and pushed aside all the shots he faced, making NHL history in the process.”
Today, the best goaltender of the NHL is annually awarded the Georges Vezina Trophy for his outstanding play as voted on by the teams’ general managers.
Additional Sources:
Mike Commito, Hockey 365, Daily Stories from the Ice (Toronto: Dundurn, 2018), Kindle Edition, loc. 763.
“Canadiens Sprang Great Surprise and Whitewash Toronto 9 to 0,” The Ottawa Citizen, Tuesday, February 19, 1918, p. 6.
The Philadelphia Flyers look to continue to keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Flyers will play four games in seven days with the Stadium Series game at Lincoln Financial Field ending the busy week. The Orange and Black take on the Red Wings in Detroit on Sunday. They will then come home to play the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night followed by a game in Montreal on Thursday night against the Canadiens. The week ends on Saturday night with the outdoor game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
1) Sunday, Feb. 17 @ Red Wings- 6 p.m.- ET NBCSN
The Detroit Red Wings look to avenge the overtime loss from Saturday, February 16, as the two teams finish off the home-and-home series on Sunday night. The Flyers blew a four goal lead in the third period, but managed to win the game in overtime. The Red Wings have some guys that can score and make plays so this won’t be an easy game especially after the game yesterday afternoon in Philly.
The Flyers Will Win If…
They can limit their mistakes and turnovers. The Orange and Black let the Red Wings back in the game Saturday with some sloppy play by turning the puck over and not making the smart play. Carter Hart didn’t have his sharpest game of his young career, but he battled and the Flyers got the win. The Red Wings have the speed to make a team pay for turnovers in the neutral zone and some snippers that can finish off plays. The Flyers need to play a smart, defensive road game to grab the two points.
Game Prediction
The Flyers grab another important two points in this game with a 3-2 regulation win. The goals for the Orange and Black will be scored by Claude Giroux, Oskar Lindblom and James van Riemsdyk. The Red Wings two goals will come from Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi.
2) Tuesday, Feb. 19 vs. Lightning 7:00 p.m. ET
The Flyers have managed to come from behind to force overtime in both games they’ve played against the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. The overtime period has not been kind to the Flyers as they are 4-6 in the extra period this season. The Lightning have the advantage over the Flyers, but they’ve learned this season that the Flyers won’t just sit back and not fight to try to get two points in the standings.
The Flyers Will Win If…
They get good goaltending and avoid the penalty box. The Lightning are the deepest team in the NHL so the goaltending is going to need to be spectacular in this one. It can be 0-0 one minute and then the Bolts can explode for three goals within a short amount of time. The starting goalie will be busy and needs to make the saves to keep his team in the game. The Lightning also have the best power play in the NHL so it would be best if the Flyers can avoid taking penalties and try to win this game at even strength.
Game Prediction
This game is going to be a fast paced one that is filled with chances and goals. The Flyers manage to get an important two points by winning the game 5-4 in overtime. The Flyers goals will be scored by James van Riemsdyk, Wayne Simmonds, Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim. The Lightning goals come from Brayden Point (2), Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn.
3) Thursday, Feb. 21 @ Canadiens- 7:30 p.m. ET
The Flyers will take on a surprising Montreal Canadiens team, who is also fighting for a playoff spot. The Habs have some center depth and they can rack up the points. The Flyers have the advantage in the special teams department while the Canadiens are just a tad bit better while playing at even strength. The Flyers beat the Canadiens in their only matchup of the season so far.
The Flyers Win If…
They can get production from all four lines. The Flyers want to establish the cycle and forecheck game early to hem the Habs in their own zone. They will need to get traffic in front of the net for screens and deflections especially if Carey Price is in the opposition’s net. The balanced scoring has been much better from the Flyers with new head coach Scott Gordon, who has figured out what lines work and what lines don’t.
Game Prediction
The Flyers will leave an important point on the table and lose this game 3-2 in the shootout. The Canadiens goals come from Tomas Tatar, Andrew Shaw and Brendan Gallagher. The two goals for the Flyers are scored by Jake Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere.
4) Saturday, Feb. 23 vs. Penguins- 8 p.m.-NBC
The Flyers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at Lincoln Financial Field for the Stadium Series game this season. The two teams have each won a game in the season series so far. The Flyers need to get some good goaltending and play a solid defensive game in this one or they won’t have a shot at grabbing an all important two points in the standings. The Penguins have been struggling of late, but they always seem to play well against the Orange and Black.
The Flyers Will Win If…
They can get good goaltending and limit their mistakes. The Penguins will get their chances so the Flyers need a solid game from their starting goalie to keep the game close. The Flyers need to limit their turnovers because the Penguins have the firepower to turn mistakes into goals and quick. The Flyers also want to stay out of the penalty box since the Penguins power play is a dangerous one.
Game Prediction
The Flyers leave two points on the table and lose this game by a score of 4-3. The Flyers goaltending keeps it close for most of the game, but the Penguins score a third period goal to close this one out. The Penguins goals are scored by Jake Guentzel (2), Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel. The Flyers goals come from Wayne Simmonds, Jake Voracek and Claude Giroux.
The Buffalo Sabres are looking to keep pace in the playoff race and it will be a busy week for them. The Sabres play four games in seven days with the first three games being on the road. They will end the week at home on Saturday night.
1) Sunday, Feb. 17 @ Devils- 6 p.m. ET
The Sabres start the week off with a test against the New Jersey Devils. The two teams are similar in that the top two lines produce most of their points but the Sabres take the goaltending advantage with Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark having better numbers than Keith Kinkaid and Corey Schneider. The special teams numbers are similar but the Sabres are a tad better at even strength.
The Sabres Will Win If…
They don’t overlook the opposition since the Devils have struggled this season without Taylor Hall. The Sabres want to look as this game as an important one since there are teams behind them gaining some ground in the playoff race. The Sabres need to come out and play this game like their playoff lives depended on it because they very well could.
Matchup of the Game
The goaltending will be important to this game. Yes, the Devils have struggled to score at times this season, but Kyle Palmieri has still managed to find the back of the net 25 times this year. The Devils have had a hard time finding the back of the net but it hasn’t been for lack of chances or shots since the team averages 32.5 shots per game played. The Sabres, especially Jeff Skinner, have been finding the back of the net with regularity this season so the Devils’ starting goalie is going to need to make some saves.
Game Prediction
The Sabres are going to win this game by a final score of 3-1. The Sabres goals will come from Jeff Skinner, Kyle Okposo and Jason Pominville. The Devils lone goal scorer will be Nico Hischier. The Sabres manage to pick up an important two points in this game.
2) Tuesday, Feb. 19 @ Panthers- 7 p.m. ET
The Florida Panthers and Sabres matchup pretty well. The teams get a majority of their offense from the top six forwards and two defensemen. The Panthers have the advantage on special teams, while the Sabres have the goaltending advantage. The teams have speed, which they will look to use often.
The Sabres Will Win If…
They can manage to play a disciplined game and shut down the top two lines of the Panthers. The Panthers have a power play that is ranked third overall in the NHL (25.8%) so it will be a good idea for the Sabres to just skate with them and avoid taking too many penalties. The Panthers top six have combined for 245 points so the Sabres want to get a forecheck established early to keep the Panthers defending instead of on the attack in the offensive zone. The Sabres should avoid turnovers when the top six are on the ice for the opposition.
Matchup of the Game
It will be interesting to see which line matches up against the leading scorers of each team. Jeff Skinner has 36 goals on the season and will look to keep it going so he can cash in on the free agent market come summer. Mike Hoffman, who was acquired last summer, leads the Panthers with 26 goals. Hoffman has been a good pickup for the Panthers and has added instant offense. The Panthers will need to find a way to stop a red hot Skinner, who has five goals in his last five games played.
Game Prediction
The Panthers will take this game 4-3 in regulation. This is usually about the time the Panthers start to make their run toward playoff positioning and that will happen again this season. Mike Hoffman will score two goals with Vincent Trocheck and Frank Vatrano contributing the other two goals.
3) Thursday, Feb. 21 @ Lightning- 7:30 p.m. ET
The Sabres are going to need to dig deep to come up with the two points in this game. The Tampa Bay Lightning have been almost unstoppable this season and are the best team in the NHL. The Lightning have a balanced lineup and can beat you with speed or they can play a gritty game. The Sabres just don’t matchup well against the Bolts at all but they have beat them in regulation once this season.
The Sabres Will Win If…
They play a consistently clean game for 60 minutes. The Sabres need to limit their mistakes because the Bolts will make you pay should you turn the puck over. The Lightning have the best power play in the League so the Sabres should play a disciplined game and try not to make it a habit of going to the penalty box. The Sabres should find a way to establish a good forecheck and cycle game to spend some time in the offensive zone.
Matchup of the Game
These teams do have some defensemen who can move the puck up the ice and contribute some goals and points. Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh have combined for 66 points from the blueline for the Lightning. The Sabres have two of their own defensemen who can pile up some points in Rasmus Ristolainen and Rasmus Dahlin, who have a combined 68 points. These four defensemen could play an important role in this game both offensively and defensively.
Game Prediction
The Sabres will not find a way to get another two points and they will lose 4-2 in regulation. The Lightning goals will be scored by Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, Yanni Gourde and Alex Killorn. Jeff Skinner manages to find the back of the net twice for the Sabres.
4) Saturday, Feb. 23 vs. Capitals- 1 p.m. ET -NHLN
The Sabres will take on the Washington Capitals in a nationally televised game. The Capitals have a deeper and more balanced lineup than the Sabres. They are also more physical which could result in the Sabres turning the puck over more than they would like. The goaltending advantage goes to the Capitals, but the Sabres could take advantage while on the man advantage.
The Sabres Win If…
They establish a forecheck early and keep it going throughout the game. The cycle and forechecking game for the Sabres will keep the Capitals defending and not on the attack. The Sabres need to get plenty of shots on net with traffic in front of the goalie. The Sabres will need to have an outstanding effort from the starting goalie because the Capitals can and will find a way to get chances.
Matchup of the Game
The Sabres power play needs to find a way to get some goals against a not-so-good penalty kill of the Capitals. The Capitals penalty kill is ranked 22nd in the League (78.7%) but they are slightly better on the road at 79.6%. The Sabres need to get setup with plenty of traffic in front and if the shot is there on the power play then just take it. They’ll need quick puck and player movement without hesitating if something is open, just make the play.
Game Prediction
The Sabres will end the week with a three game losing streak after falling to the Capitals 3-1. Sam Reinhart will score the Sabres goal. Alex Ovechkin has an even strength and power play goal for the Caps with T.J. Oshie sealing the deal with the other goal for the Capitals.
Sabres Slashes Weekly Prediction
The Sabres will finish off a tough week by going 1-3-0 and losing some ground in the playoff race. Their one win comes against a team who could be competing for a chance at the number one overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
Hockey became an Olympic event in 1920, but that was just for me. It wasn’t until 1998 that women were welcomed to play Olympic hockey. Six teams participated – USA, Canada, Finland, China, Sweden, and Japan. The final medal-round games of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan were played on February 17.
The clear forerunners were the teams representing Canada and USA (who had not even had a women’s team until 1989). For all four world championships leading up to the Olympics, Canada had won with USA coming in second. As USA defenseman A.J. Mleczko said, “I was on this team when we lost to Canada at the worlds in ’90, ’92, and ’94, and we were always second best to Canada.” In the 1997 World Women’s Hockey Championships in Kitchener, Ontario, which served as the qualifier for the Olympics, Canada won 4-3 in overtime. The exciting game boosted the popularity of women’s hockey.
As predicted, the Canadian and American teams played each other for the gold medal. First, at 2 pm, 7,412 watched Finland defeat China (4-1) for the bronze medal. Then, at 6 pm, 8,626 fans attended the gold-medal game. Team USA came into the final round undefeated, and the only game Canada had lost was to the Americans (7-4) on February 14.
The rivals held each other off throughout the first period. At 2:38 of the second, American Gretchen Ulion scored the first goal. About midway through the third, Shelley “Looney converted the jam at the left post off an Ulion power-play blast from the high slot.” Thanks to Danielle Goyette, the Canadians finally got on the board with 4:01 left. Coach Shannon Miller noted, “My only regret is that we didn’t score earlier in the third period. If we had, the floodgates would have opened.” Instead, with eight seconds left, American Sandra Whyte “skated into possession of the puck at center ice, off a quick chip along the boards by Canada’s Judy Diduck.” According to the Boston Globe recap, Whyte then “fired in the empty-netter as she crossed the offensive blue line at left wing.” Defenseman Angela Ruggiero said, “Once Whytie scored that goal, I skated down there and I got air.” Meanwhile, goalie Sarah Tueting did a “dance alone at the far end of the ice.” Defenseman Mleczko summed it all up with a simple, “They’ve always won the worlds, and that’s big, but it’s nothing like winning an Olympic gold medal. Somebody had to win, and I’m just glad it was us.” USA won 3-1.
Team USA earned the first gold for women’s ice hockey in the Olympics and the first gold for USA hockey since the men’s team won in 1980 at Lake Placid. The Americans outscored their opponents (36-8) and remained undefeated in that Olympics (6-0-0). Sarah Tueting and Sara DeCosta each minded the net for three games. Four teammates – Karyn Bye, Katie King, Gretchen Ulion, and captain Cammi Granato (a 2008 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee) – each had eight points.
“We went crazy at the bench,” said Mleczko. Her teammate, Karen Bye, “made a direct line to the bench, grabbed a large US flag, and draped it over her shoulders.” American goalie Jim Craig had done much the same back in 1980, and he had sent a fax to the women’s team wishing them well before the game. Captain Granato commented, “My brothers and I used to recreate the Miracle on Ice in our basement. I’d always be Mike Eruzione [the ’80 US captain from Winthrop, Mass.]. Now to be part of something like that, it’s really crazy. I mean, I can remember times when people would look down on me because I was a girl playing hockey.”
The medal ceremony was emotional for these trail-blazing women. Bye commented, “My whole body went numb, literally numb. I didn’t know what to do. It’s so overwhelming. They were about to put it [the medal] over me and I’m thinking, ‘Yeah, it’s going to happen. Just breathe. Relax.’ What a feeling.” For Mleczko, “When we got the medals. I had the chills. My whole body was overcome with excitement.” As coach of the silver-medalists, Miller said, “I had a feeling of joy go through my body when I saw an Olympic medal being hung around the neck of a female hockey player.”
The ecstatic women would have many hours before resting. After receiving their medals, they had a “hearty locker-room toast” by Coach Ben Smith. By 10:30 pm, they had “reassembled in an anteroom of the press center, being interviewed behind a closed sliding door by CBS’s Bryant Gumbel.” Half an hour later, they were allowed to spend 40 minutes with their loved ones. At midnight, half the team stayed up to “tape a segment and some promotional spots with TNT” and to watch the last three minutes of their taped game. First thing the next morning, at 6:50, the other half taped a Top 10 for David Letterman. Finally, at 8:30 am, the team went out to sign autographs and interview with CBS radio, “Good Morning America,” and the “Today” show. All the publicity helped have a positive impact on growing female ice hockey in the United States.
Twenty years later, at the 2018 Winter Olympics at Gangneung, South Korea, Team USA finally defeated team Canada again. On February 22, with a score of 3-2, Team USA again took home the gold.
Competitive hockey in Toronto dates back to February 16, 1888, when two curling clubs paired up to play a different sport. Interest in hockey exploded so that by 1911, the Toronto Hockey Club (Toronto Blueshirts) had a franchise in the National Hockey Association (NHA). In 1917, to bypass difficulties with that club’s owner, the NHA disbanded and reformed as the NHL. The NHL still wanted a Toronto franchise, and the team eventually became known as the Toronto Arenas. The team went through two name (and color) changes before finally, in February 1927, becoming the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In early 1888, the Toronto Globe announced, “During this past week, two teams have been organized to introduce to the Toronto public this fine sport [hockey]. The Caledonia rink team practice in the Caledonia rink on Mutual St. and the Granites in the Granite rink on Church St.” Each of these teams of nine skaters would play two games against each other – one at each rink. For the very first recorded official hockey match in Toronto, they played at Granite rink on February 16, 1888, and the home team won 4-1. The Toronto Globe reported, “The play was very exciting and this sport is sure to become popular.”
The rematch was held at Caledonia rink, and again, the home team won. Arena Gardens was built on the site of the Caledonia rink in 1912. That arena would host the Blueshirts, the Arenas (as of 1917), the St. Patricks (as of 1919), and the Maple Leafs (as of 1927) before becoming a roller-skating rink.
Going into 1927, Toronto’s franchise (the St. Patricks) was struggling financially. Investors like majority owner Charlie Querrie wanted to sell to C.C. Pyle, who wanted to move the team to Philadelphia. Part-owner J.P. Bickell looked to Conn Smythe to be the managing partner. Smythe was supposed to manage a new franchise, the New York Rangers, but he was fired before their first season began. Instead of coaching, Smythe put together a group of investors to buy the franchise. He and Bickell persuaded Querrie to accept the offer for the sake of civic pride. With Smythe investing $10,000, the sale closed on Valentine’s Day. As governor, Smythe made himself the general manager.
Even though it was the middle of the season, Smythe immediately changed the team’s name and later its colors. On February 15, Toronto played its final game as the St. Patricks. They lost 5-1 against Detroit’s franchise. Two days later, on February 17, the Toronto Maple Leafs played their first game. The home team defeated the New York Americans 4-1. Smythe chose the new name for the unofficial national symbol of Canada, and from his World War I service, called it a “badge of courage.” As it happened, since 1896, Toronto had had a baseball team called the Maple Leafs. At first, the sweaters featured a green maple leaf, but starting the next season, they switched back to the blue and white Toronto had originally worn. The blue was supposed to represent the sky, and the white represented snow. The colors also happened to match Smythe’s gravel and sand trucks.
Under Smythe’s leadership, the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup eight times. He retired in 1961, just before another Toronto dynasty won four more over the next six seasons. For his role in building the Toronto franchise, Smythe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958.
With the Boston Bruins, Bep Guidolin began as a rookie player in 1942 and as a rookie coach about 30 years later. Stepping in as coach mid-season, Guidolin led the Bruins to five straight wins. The final win in the streak occurred on February 15, 1973.
Born in 1925, Guidolin was a month shy of his 17th birthday when he became the youngest to play in an NHL game. On that day, November 12, 1942, he and the Bruins lost (3-1). He remained with the Bruins for four seasons before he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in October 1947. The following October, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, and he remained with them for the final four seasons of his NHL playing career.
In February 1973, the Bruins were in a rut. Throughout the last two seasons, they had an excellent win-loss record, had placed first in their division, and had recently brought home the Stanley Cup. However, in their last ten games alone, they had a record of 3-6-1. The Bruins decided to fire Coach Tom Johnson, who had been such a capable leader until that point. Bobby Orr commented at the time, “It’s a shame. The guy was fired because we weren’t playing the way we should.”
Guidolin, then coach of the Braves, was named as the replacement. He took pride in being a “task-master” with “long and tough practice sessions.” When named coach, he promised, “We’ll be on the ice every day at home and on the road for an hour or an hour and a half for the next six weeks. We need those good legs to keep digging in the last period.” The Boston Globe also warned fans that Guidolin was “a fundamentalist who believes deeply in methodical application of first principles.” He replied, “The thing that excites me is taking the two points. . . . We are not going for the big score.” He concluded, “I’m a defensive-minded coach and I don’t think I need to make any apologies for that.”
Immediately, Guidolin’s methods seemed to prove effective. On the road on February 7, the Bruins defeated the Minnesota North Stars 3-2. After three more wins back in Boston, on February 15, the Bruins visited Philadelphia to play the Flyers. According to the Boston Globe, “It was one of those old-fashioned Boston displays with the accent on defensive play, and there was a superior performance by Bobby Orr, who scored one himself and assisted on the others by Ken Hodge and Gregg Sheppard.” Guidolin kept Orr on the ice for 40 minutes and then stated, “Sure, he was our quarterback. He played more than he would ordinarily, but that’s what we plan to do in our big games. That’s how we figured this one. Orr was great, but this was the way the Bruins can play under pressure – the way we should play.” It looked as though goalie Eddie Johnston would have a shutout until 13:49 in the third. Even though the Flyers managed to score, Guidolin felt, “We got really great goaltending from Eddie Johnston” during a “successful defensive game.” The Bruins kept the Flyers from scoring again and ended the game 3-1.
The Globe considered the game “undoubtedly the best of the five under Bep Guidolin.” From their point of view, the “Bruins were developing that old invincible attitude with five straight victories under new coach Bep Guidolin.” With that fifth win, Guidolin became the first rookie NHL coach to start 5-0-0.
The winning streak began and ended with the North Stars. On February 17, the Bruins returned to Minnesota but, this time, lost 5-2. This game, according to the Globe, presented Guidolin with “his first major coaching challenge.” He only stayed down for that game, coming back to lead the team to four straight victories. Throughout March, the Bruins won ten games in a row and only had four losses. Despite their rocky start, the Bruins finished second in the East Division with a record of 51-22-5 (107 points). All-in-all, Guidolin only saw six losses in his 26 games coaching that season.
Guidolin remained with Boston until 1974, when they lost the Stanley Cup finals to the Flyers. He spent two seasons with the Kansas City Scouts and a final season in the WHA with the Edmonton Oilers.
Additional Sources:
Tom Fitzgerald, “Sinden admits talking trade with Flyers,” Boston Globe, 16 Feb. 1973, p. 29.
Tom Fitzgerald, “Orr effort keeps Bep perfect, 3-1,” Boston Globe, 16 Feb. 1973, p. 53.
Tom Fitzgerald, “Grant scores hat trick, Stars jolt Bruins, 5-2,” Boston Globe, 18 Feb. 1973, p. 89.
Tom Fitzgerald, “Bep’s game plan: gain two points,” Boston Globe, 18 Feb. 1973, p. 91.
Tom Fitzgerald, “Bruins fire Johnson…and players take the blame,” Boston Globe, 6 Feb. 1973, p. 1 and 30.
(Photo: North Avenue Ice Palace, Ice and refrigeration 8 (1895), via Wikimedia Commons)
Like with many things in hockey’s earliest history, the claims for the first intercollegiate hockey game vary. Yale claims the first game that counted occurred on February 14, 1896. However, a game was definitely held on February 1, and the newspaper blurb about that game implied that there had already been others. Regardless, the two Yale-Johns Hopkins matches in February 1896 rank among the first documented intercollegiate hockey games.
The teams that played for the Yale University Bulldogs and the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays were not limited to undergraduate students. John Hopkins sent out a mix of eleven graduate and undergraduate players because the graduate level had three times as many students. Their captain, a defenseman named Samuel Alfred Mitchell, studied astronomy as a grad student. Whereas, their goalie/team manager/treasurer, G. B. Scholl, was a sophomore undergraduate. As for Yale, according to one hockey history, their team could have been considered a “group of ringers, a scenario common in intercollegiate contests of the day.” Three players from an 1894-95 hockey tour played for Yale, but of them, only the captain, Malcolm Chace, actually attended Yale. The other two, William Jones and goalie William Larned (a noted tennis star), attended Brown and Columbia, respectively.
The Yale team from Connecticut came down to Baltimore to play at the North Avenue Ice Palace, which opened December 26th, 1894 as the first artificial ice surface (250 feet by 55 feet) in the U.S. The Palace only featured hockey games through 1898 before having the ice-making equipment removed in 1899. It officially closed much later, in 1932, and its location, between Charles and St. Paul Streets, became a vacant parking lot.
At the end of January in 1896, Yale played the Baltimore Athletic Club and defeated them 3-2. After reviewing that game, Yale and Johns Hopkins chose their line-ups and revealed them on January 31, 1896. On February 1, the two collegiate teams met competitively for the first time on record. The teams tied 2-2. The Baltimore Sun only devoted three sentences to the game. “Two to two was the score of the hockey match played at the North Avenue Rink Saturday night between the Johns Hopkins University team and the men from Yale. The attendance was the largest of the season. The game was most exciting from start to finish.”
On February 14, 1896, the two colleges played each other again, and for the first time documented, there was a victor. This time, the Baltimore Sun provided a more thorough recap. Johns Hopkins scored a few minutes after the game began with the “puck being carried through the Yale line by good team work and passing, Hill shooting the goal.” From that and their “fine team work” as “they fired the puck time and again,” it seemed to the reporter that Johns Hopkins would likely win. However, they were thwarted by the ““remarkable defense of Jones, who covered goal, and the fine play also of the goalkeeper, Wrenn. These made a number of sensational plays, which prevented goals being made by the Hopkins men.” Yale’s captain, Chace, scored the only other two goals of the game. According to the Baltimore Sun, “Time and again he carried the puck almost alone from near the Yale goal to within a few feet of the Hopkins goal.” When he scored, “one was made by a straight run unsided, the other he made after a double pass, Chace sending the puck to Ryder near the goal and Ryder passing it back to Chace, who then sent it into the goal.” Yale won 2-1 “after a close, hotly contested and admirably played game.”
Within a couple of years, interest in hockey waned in Baltimore. Like the closing of the rink, the Johns Hopkins team folded in 1898. Along with problems with the rink and other Baltimore teams, the college also had issues with transportation and student support. It took 90 years before Johns Hopkins again had a competitive team.
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