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Competition for the Eastern Conference’s final wild card place is tight, with five teams separated by just five points. The Metropolitan division is pretty much set and although the New York Rangers haven’t yet clinched, barring any major collapse, their playoff place looks pretty safe. The picture in the Atlantic division is less concrete. No teams have clinched yet, although it’s unlikely that the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators will fall from the top two spots. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ position is slightly more precarious though. They’re holding onto the third spot, but only by one point. They currently have 84 points, so that’s theRead More →

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New York Islanders’ Joshua Ho-Sang has been the subject of some criticism recently. The rookie forward chose #66 as his number in honour of Penguins legend Mario Lemieux. This has attracted some negative comments and has become a distraction for Ho-Sang. Embed from Getty Images Now Lemieux himself has weighed in on the debate, telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that “I’m fine with it… it’s just a number”. Well, that’s that. Lemieux of course played his whole NHL career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and scored 1,723 points. His number was retired by the Penguins in 1997. Lemieux then goes on the make the point that theRead More →

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The dust has settled on the NHL’s transfer window, and it was by no means exceptional but there was still a mix of good/questionable/WTF trades made over the days leading up to the deadline on Wednesday. Many GM’s have complained that the upcoming expansion draft has left teams wary of big trades, but their phones were still pretty busy. Here are some of the trade winners. Washington Capitals The Caps are the strongest team in the league, but that regular season success never seems to translate to the playoffs. On Monday the team firmly  nailed their colours to mast by acquiring blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk and goalie PheonixRead More →

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Ahead of their game against Detroit on Saturday, Washington is having another impressive season. The Capitals are tearing up the Metropolitan Division with a record of 39-11-6. Statistically, this team has been a dream with an 84.5% penalty kill and third highest goals for with 191. Last season’s Vezina winner Braden Holtby has once again been excellent. Washington possesses the lowest goals against in the league with a microscopic 121 (10 less than Minnesota who are 2nd lowest)! Barry Trotz has laid on the spit and polish and his time is shining brightly. Wait a minute, though, haven’t we heard this before? Remember last season’sRead More →

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After a weekend with no hockey, news has emerged that the owners of Brooklyn’s Barclays Center are looking to part way with the New York Islanders. Neither party has commented on the situation, but several sources have reported the story, and that’s good enough for some wild internet speculation. Whatever the truth is, the Islanders’ tenure in Brooklyn has been dogged with controversy. Players hate the ice, and fans can’t see the action thanks to restricted sight lines. The building was primarily designed for the Brooklyn Nets so hockey suffers. Attendance is down and the team is struggling. The Center’s financial projections don’t show theRead More →

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2-1 winners last night over Washington, the New Jersey Devils are having a solid season- near the bottom! Since 2012 there has been little to cheer about in Newark. Currently 14th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 14-15-7, only a point separates the Devils from obscurity. Despite glimmers of hope this year, New Jersey seems unable to lift itself out this continual slump. The trade for Taylor Hall at first looked like a smart piece of business. So far it has paid off with Hall ranking second overall on the team points list with 23. However, Hall is one of the few occasionsRead More →

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Every year someone has to finish last and win the Wooden Spoon Award. Who are the most likely to finish first overall? Let us tell you! Arizona Coyotes A team in dire need of a number one draft pick, Arizona is struggling in all departments. So far, the Coyotes have only scored 52 goals. While Max Domi is an exciting young talent, there are few of these prospects in Glendale. Their future has been up in the air for years out in the desert. With low attendance still a problem, this team seems to be looking to the 2017 draft to secure a future. RadimRead More →

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Michael Grabner was underwhelming last season in Toronto. Although a decent penalty kill player, his low points total failed to endear him. Acquired as a free agent by the New York Rangers, Grabner has found his form again. Currently the Rangers third top scorer with 16 points, the Austrian is turning heads in the Big Apple. While Kevin Hayes and J.T Miller may be ahead in the points race, Grabner knows where the net is. This player might be the smartest signing the Rangers have made this year. So far, Grabner tops the goals scoring charts with 12 goals. While playing for the Islanders, heRead More →

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Remember the Columbus Blue Jackets? Oh right, Rick Nash came from there! After losing their star player in 2013, it hasn’t been an easy ride for CBJ. However, in the last few year’s this team has shown signs of becoming more stable. In the last five years, Columbus has only made one trip to the postseason. With the right results, 2016-17 could merit another visit. The hiring of Head Coach John Tortorella in 2015 was met with a mixed reception. JT’s style of management has never been everyone’s cup of tea. Outspokenness and public shaming of players have caused friction in past jobs. Although heRead More →

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There’s nothing like going into another team’s house and beating them on their own ice, in front of their fans. But road trips are a double-edged sword. Sometimes you can see the sights that a new city has to offer, other times it’s just a blur of airports, hotel rooms, buses and hockey rinks. Thousands of miles away from your fans, friends and loved ones. Some prolonged road trips are self inflicted. The New York Rangers started the 2013-14 season with a nine game road trip, as renovations to Madison Square Gardens were still being completed. The Rangers went 3-6-0 in a trip they’d probablyRead More →