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Which NHL teams have surprised us by starting the season badly? Some teams are expected to have a weak start cough-Ottawa-cough, but others should be better. Let’s take a look at some teams that we had higher expectations of by this stage of the season: New Jersey Devils – Ed The excitement of the 2019 off-season was short-lived, as New Jersey got off to a slow start to the 2019-20 season, going 0-4-2 in their first six games before back-to-back wins over the Rangers (3-2) and Canucks (1-0 shutout). Though the offensive firepower has been there at times, New Jersey’s defense struggled heavily out ofRead More →

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After firing a three-time Stanley Cup winning head coach, a General Manager must definitely prove it’s the correct decision. With some questionable choices, such a bold move now puts Stan Bowman, Chicago Blackhawks GM, on the hot-seat. Late runs as the playoffs approach inspire hope amongst fans but history shows it does not indicate success the following year. Notable Players In: Robin Lehner (G), Olli Maatta (D), Andrew Shaw (F), Alexander Nylander (F), Zack Smith (F) Embed from Getty Images Notable Players Out: Artem Anisimov (F-Ottawa), Henri Jokiharju (D-Buffalo), Marcus Kruger (F-SHL), Chris Kunitz (F-Retired) First Key Game: Winnipeg Jets – October 12, 2019 OddsRead More →

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So, your favorite team has played their first game. You are most likely thrilled that your team exceeded expectations or trying to convince yourself that it’s not a rebuilding season. But does it actually matter? Is one game out of 82 any more valuable than another? Let’s look at what the numbers tell us. Looking back at the last two seasons, let’s start by looking at what winning your first game means. When we look at the 2016-17 and the 2017-18 seasons, 32 teams made the playoffs. Of those teams, 63% of them won their first game, as the table below shows. Won their firstRead More →

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In: Central Division, NHL
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As the arrow of time advances from summer to fall, 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 and some special guests. Let the Central division preview begin! Nashville Predators – Mike Laybourne 2017/18: 117 points For a good preview on the Preds, go read last season’sRead More →

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It is officially the time of year where we go from the euphoria of a Stanley Cup Final and a Cup Champion crowned to that roughly three week period of rumors and rampant speculation before free agency hits and the NHL Draft cranks up the trade insanity. Every team has fat to trim and holes to fill, and there tends to be no shortage of players dangled in an effort for each team to accomplish both goals. The Blackhawks have done a lot of maneuvering over the last eight years, and because of their successes they haven’t always been the ones in power because simplyRead More →

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There is not a person out there that would argue that the Chicago Blackhawks had a terrible season in 2017-18. It started off great with a pair of dominant wins over the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Columbus Blue Jackets, but things spiraled quickly when it started to become clear that Corey Crawford was working overtime to plug a bevy of holes in the beat up dinghy masquerading as their blueline. In the span of a couple of years the Blackhawks blueline has gone from an unsinkable ship to the SS Minnow. Blackhawk Down Things went further off the rails when Crawford went down with anRead More →

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After the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2 win over Winnipeg, debut goalie Scott Foster was named 1st star. Despite only playing 14 minutes, Foster saved all seven shots he faced. While this might be his only NHL appearance, Foster has shown everyone you never give up. Chicago is currently facing a severe goalie crisis. Corey Crawford and Anton Forsberg are out through injury. Foster was signed to as an emergency backup. Before this game, the 36-year-old had played college hockey for WMU from 2002-2006. Before this game, he had been working an accountant. When starter Collin Delia went out, Foster was forced into action. He now holdsRead More →

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In: Atlantic Division, Central Division, General, NHL
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Growing up in the Buffalo area exposes one to every opinion on tanking for the best draft odds. The local media shares contrasting views as the Sabres were in last place, for two consecutive years. As Buffalo is close to last in the NHL again, the debate is ongoing. The 2015 race for 30th achieved the desired result: a franchise center. Before you comment; yes, Jack Eichel is a franchise center despite the suckfest that is the Buffalo Sabres. Lacking significant improvement since then, certain media claims that tanking leads to a losing culture. Just look at Twitter and notice the heated discussions about theRead More →

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As the playoffs rumble on, Joe and Mike are here to take a look at which players teams should protect from the upcoming Las Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft. Today we’re looking at the Western Conference teams eliminated in round one of the playoffs. Click here and here to read about the teams that couldn’t even make it that far. The Western conference gave us some of the biggest surprises seen in recent playoffs, with the Chicago Blackhawks being swept in just four games and being held to just three bracket busting goals. Rules and regulations for the expansion draft can be found on NHL.com Calgary Flames (Joe) ExcitementRead More →

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As the great Carl Landra once said, “Pekka Rinne is not that good and the Chicago Blackhawks have quite the scoring depth!” Well after their first playoff sweep in Nashville history, it appears otherwise. Conceding a mere three goals against one of the leagues highest scoring teams, Rinne was important to this success. Sharp and focused from game 1 onwards, the Finn was like a wall in net. Facing over 125 shots in this series, Rinne read each one like a book. Posting a record of 31-19-9 during the regular season, the 34-year-old’s contribution was overlooked. Nashville barely scraped into the playoffs and many expectedRead More →