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In: Metropolitan Division, NHL
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The tilt of the Earth’s axis slowly moving away from the sun can only mean one thing; fall will soon be here and we can all rejoice at the impending return of the NHL. Here at 4th Line Towers we can’t wait to watch some proper hockey again. This year we’re approaching our previews in a different way; the word count for each team’s preview has been dictated by the number of points that team scored last season. To further mix things up, we’ve divvied up the teams between our writers. Let the Metropolitan division preview begin! Our other previews are: Central Division 2018/19 Preview PacificRead More →

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In: Metropolitan Division, NHL
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Okay, so Hurricane fans everywhere rejoiced whenever Bill Peters, aka the Kinetico Waterman, packed up his belongings and left Raleigh, which was step 1 in getting the Hurricanes back to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Here are the next steps in taking this team back to the promise land, under new head coach and longtime franchise leader Rod Brind’Amour. 1- Trade Justin Faulk The combination of Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen had a stellar season putting the puck in the back of the net. While we all love Jordan Staal and the leadership he brings to the Hurricanes team, he’s getting older,Read More →

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On Monday May 28th, at 8pm, the puck will drop in Las Vegas to start the first game of an historic Stanley Cup Finals. Instead previewing the series in our usual, we invited each of a writers to contribute giving you a plethora of insights into what will undoubtedly be a superb swansong to the 2017/18 NHL season. Stanley Cup Predictions   Carl Landra My Pick: Capitals in 6 Full disclosure: I have a complicated relationship with the Washington Capitals. After being my bandwagon team of choice for seasons, I finally gave up on them this offseason. I just couldn’t handle being disappointed after suchRead More →

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In: Atlantic Division, Metropolitan Division, Playoffs
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With the Tampa Bay Lightning’s game five win over the Boston Bruins, the Bolts stamped their ticket to the Eastern Conference final, where they will meet the Washington Capitals, avoiding a repeat of the 2015/16 Conference finals. The Bolts were knocked out of that tilt by Pittsburgh, so the team will definitely aiming to do better against Ovi & Friends. How did we get here? The Tampa Bay/Boston match-up in the second round was a bizarre affair, with the news being unfairly dominated by Brad Marchand‘s unsporting actions. Despite a 6-2 thumping in the opening game of the series, the Lightning were able pick apartRead More →

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Round two of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs will soon be here, we’ve already previewed both match-ups in the Western Conference, now it’s time we turned our attention to the east! The first series to be decided in the east will be played between the perennially disappointing Washington Capitals, and the current Cup holders, Pittsburgh. How did we get here? Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, the Washington Capitals won the Metropolitan division, but only managed the same points as the Toronto Maple Leafs (105). History tells us that the Caps aren’t good in the playoffs, and the Columbus Blue Jackets took advantage of thatRead More →

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In: Atlantic Division, Central Division, Metropolitan Division
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Taylor Hall. Nikita Kucherov. Nathan MacKinnon. These three are currently the front runners to win the Hart Trophy this season as the league MVP. But who will win it? Chace, Joe and Carl make their case for each. Taylor Hall (by Chace McCallum) The NHL’s Hart Trophy goes to the”player judged most valuable to his team“. This is an important caveat in Taylor Hall’s MVP case. He has fewer points per game than Nathan Mackinnon and Nikita Kucherov, his biggest opponents. This likely knocks Hall out of the most outstanding player debate, however in terms of value to their team, it’s Hall and it’s not close.Read More →

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In: Metropolitan Division
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This weekend has a been one to forget for the New York Rangers. Two heavy losses to both the Senators and Flyers have alarm bells ringing at MSG. Henrik Lundqvist, in particular, has been put under the microscope. The 35-year-old Swede has looked out of sorts and almost lost. Due to the Rangers rebuild, key names will be traded. Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh have apparently given trade lists. Should Broadway Blue management look to Lundqvist to secure future talent? Embed from Getty Images First of all, I highly respect Lundqvist and over his 13 seasons in the Big Apple, he has carried this team.Read More →

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In: Metropolitan Division
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Coming out of the NHL All-Star break we can see the teams with a realistic shot at winning the Stanley Cup. Any list of Cup contenders starts with the consensus Cup favorite Tampa Bay Lightning. Then there are trendy picks like the scorching-hot Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights. After that, the field appears to be more wide open than ever before. Sadly for the rest of the league, I dug a little deeper and realized something inevitable. The Pittsburgh Penguins are going to win their 3rd straight Stanley Cup. They currently sit 5th in the east, with a 51.7% Corsi and +1 goal differential.Read More →

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In: Metropolitan Division
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Welcome to a series where I will be looking at what each team should be doing this trade deadline. We will be looking at their future, players to buy or sell, and overall possibility of a Cup. Stay tuned for all four divisions, but today we will be breaking down the Metro! If you missed it, you can see the Atlantic Division here. #1 Carolina Hurricanes: This division is so much tougher than the Atlantic, that had 5 sellers in it. Usually I would err on the side of caution here, like I did with Toronto. However, the Canes desperately need a playoff appearance. TheirRead More →

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In: Metropolitan Division
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Just past halfway through the 2017-18 season, it’s that time of year again where we begin to see midseason awards voting. The award that generally generates the most conversation is the Hart Trophy, given to the NHL’s most valuable player. It’s easy to make a case for plenty of players. Nathan MacKinnon is probably the frontrunner, with John Tavares, Nikita Kucherov, and some of the league’s other top scorers trailing just behind. However, I think there is one sleeper pick for the Hart Trophy: Artemi Panarin. There are 3 main reasons for this, so let’s dive into Panarin’s results and you will see what I mean.Read More →