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Boston Bruins

NHL Rumors: Bruins, Oilers, Maple Leafs, Canucks
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In today’s NHL rumors rundown, following the Boston Bruins decision to fire Jim Montgomery as head coach, one scribe says it’s inevitable that the team will make trades as the season rolls along. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers may have lost Zach Hyman after he didn’t return to Tuesday’s game in the third period. The Toronto Maple Leafs are down Max Domi, and there is more information coming to light regarding J.T. Miller’s leave from the Vancouver Canucks. Bruins to Start Selling Depth Pieces in Trades Fluto Shinzawa appeared on the What Chaos! podcast and said he believes the Bruins will…

Meet the Boston Bruins’ Interim Head Coach Joe Sacco
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On Tuesday afternoon, the Boston Bruins announced that they had fired head coach Jim Montgomery following an 8-9-3 start to the 2024-25 season. They also announced that assistant coach Joe Sacco would serve as interim head coach for the team effective immediately. As of the announcement, Boston holds an 8-9-3 record, and they haven’t been able to stay on a consistent trend. Following the Bruins’ 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night, their third in a row, a change behind the bench appeared imminent, at least to WEEI’s Scott McLaughlin. Related: Bruins Part Ways With Head Coach…

Today in Hockey History: Nov. 20
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This is a pretty important date for Boston in National Hockey League history. Nov. 20 has also been rather kind to players and fans in Toronto and Philadelphia, as well. Two legendary goaltenders got their numbers retired in the same ceremony, and one of the legends in Detroit accomplished something only one other player had in league history. So, let’s start our daily trip back in time to revisit all the best this date has given us. Old School Bruins Memories The Boston Garden was one of the most historic arenas in the history of the NHL, and on Nov….

Buffalo Sabres 

Projected Lineup for the Sabres vs Kings – 11/20/24
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The Buffalo Sabres take on the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. SABRES (8-9-1) at KINGS (10-6-3) 10:30 p.m. ET; FDSNW, MSG-B, SN Sabres projected lineup JJ Peterka — Ryan McLeod — Alex TouchZach Benson — Dylan Cozens — Jack QuinnJason Zucker — Jiri Kulich — Sam LaffertyBeck Malenstyn — Peyton Krebs — Nicolas Aube-Kubel Rasmus Dahlin — Bowen ByramOwen Power — Jacob BrysonDennis Gilbert — Henri Jokiharju Ukko-Pekka LuukkonenJames Reimer Scratched: Isak Rosen, Connor Clifton Injured: Tage Thompson (lower body), Mattias Samuelsson (lower body), Jordan Greenway (undisclosed) Status report…

4 Keys to the Buffalo Sabres Ending Their Playoff Drought
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The Buffalo Sabres’ playoff drought has reached a frustrating and staggering 13 seasons as of 2024-25, the longest active postseason absence in the NHL. Fans who once believed that the team’s quick rebuild would lead to a rapid return to playoff contention are still waiting for the Sabres to take that final step. Though there are several bright spots on the team, from young stars to an improved coaching staff, their inability to find consistency and put together a full season of strong play has kept them from returning to the postseason since their last appearance in 2011. So, what…

Sabres’ New Additions Have Reinvigorated Team
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The Buffalo Sabres’ inconsistent, start-stop beginning to the 2024-25 season continued with a pitiable 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, a game even more lopsided than the score suggested. But though the team continues to fail to capitalize on any momentum it builds for itself, there have been a number of positives thus far and one hasn’t gotten as much attention as it should. Buffalo’s revamped bottom-six has been a major upside in the early going and has provided the boost that was needed. It’s a major reason that the Sabres are more closely resembling their old selves…

Detroit Red Wings

Today in Hockey History: Nov. 20
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This is a pretty important date for Boston in National Hockey League history. Nov. 20 has also been rather kind to players and fans in Toronto and Philadelphia, as well. Two legendary goaltenders got their numbers retired in the same ceremony, and one of the legends in Detroit accomplished something only one other player had in league history. So, let’s start our daily trip back in time to revisit all the best this date has given us. Old School Bruins Memories The Boston Garden was one of the most historic arenas in the history of the NHL, and on Nov….

Sharks Edge Red Wings in Overtime For 5-4 Win
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The Detroit Red Wings traveled to San Jose to take on the Sharks in a game where both teams were looking to end multi-game losing streaks (the Red Wings were looking to end a two-game skid, and the Sharks were looking to snap their three-game skid). A back-and-forth game ended up seeing the Sharks pull off a 5-4 overtime win. With the loss, the Red Wings drop to 7-9-2, while the Sharks move to 6-10-4 with the win. Game Recap The first 20 minutes saw the Sharks control the offensive play for the first half, coming out with more energy…

Projected Lineups for the Red Wings vs Sharks – 11/18/24
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The Detroit Red Wings take on the San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. RED WINGS (7-9-1) at SHARKS (5-10-4) 10:30 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, NBCSCA Red Wings projected lineup Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Larkin — Lucas RaymondAndrew Copp — J.T. Compher — Patrick KaneJonatan Berggren — Marco Kasper — Vladimir TarasenkoMichael Rasmussen — Joe Veleno — Christian Fischer Simon Edvinsson — Moritz SeiderBen Chiarot — Jeff PetryErik Gustafsson — Albert Johansson Cam TalbotAlex Lyon Scratched: Justin Holl, Tyler Motte, William Lagesson Injured: None Status report Latest for THW: Sharks projected…

Florida Panthers

Mark Scheifele’s Hat Trick Carries Jets to Win Over Panthers
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The Winnipeg Jets (16-3-0) snapped their two-game skid on Tuesday evening (Nov. 19), defeating the Florida Panthers 6-3 in the second half of their home-and-home series. The Jets rode a Mark Scheifele hat trick to victory and capitalized on some Panthers (12-6-1) timely penalty trouble to get back in the win column for the first time since their victory over the New York Rangers on Nov. 12, and rebounded after a 5-0 loss in Florida just three days ago. Related: Panthers Pummel Jets 5-0 in First Half of Home-and-Home Scheifele’s third of the game, eventually the game-winner, came just past…

Projected Lineups for Panthers vs Jets – 11/19/24
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The Florida Panthers take on the Winnipeg Jets at the Canada Life Centre tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. PANTHERS (12-5-1) at JETS (15-3-0) 8 p.m. ET; TSN3, SCRIPPS Panthers projected lineup Evan Rodrigues — Aleksander Barkov — Sam ReinhartCarter Verhaeghe — Sam Bennett — Matthew TkachukEetu Luostarinen — Anton Lundell — Jesper BoqvistA.J. Greer — Tomas Nosek — Jonah Gadjovich Gustav Forsling — Aaron EkbladNiko Mikkola — Dmitry KulikovNate Schmidt — Uvis Balinskis Sergei BobrovskySpencer Knight Scratched: Adam Boqvist, Mackie Samoskevich Injured: None Status report Latest for THW: Jets projected lineup Kyle Connor — Mark…

NHL Teams Benefiting From Being Patient With Pending Free Agents
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The trend this offseason was for teams to reach agreements with players early and sign them to extensions before they hit free agency. It’s a move that benefits the front offices and a response to the Jake Guentzel and Steven Stamkos sagas, where both star players weren’t signed and left in free agency in the 2024 offseason. Related: Jets’ First Line Going From Liability to Strength It’s why Leon Draisaitl, Sidney Crosby, and Jaccob Slavin all signed extensions this offseason and won’t be heading to free agency. Teams, especially the general managers (GMs), want to keep their players under contract,…

Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens Need to Take Advantage of David Savard’s Trade Value and Deal Him Now
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The Montreal Canadiens, as of Nov. 19, are only three points from a playoff spot. That’s good news considering the terrible start to the season. The bad news is there are seven teams between them and that final wild-card spot. This is what “being in the mix” was likely what general manager (GM) Kent Hughes meant when he said it’s where he wanted to be. Decisions in this area are not black and white, only grey.  Related: Lane Hutson Forcing Canadiens Front Office to Make a Decision on Mike Matheson   Firmly planted in that grey area is what to…

Canadiens Are Learning that Defence Wins Games
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There are many ways a hockey club can remain consistently good. Setting aside specifics like “flurry adjusted expected goals percentages,” a team is either well-rounded offensively and defensively, proficient offensively, or defensively sound. Judging by their past four matches, especially the 3-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night, the Montreal Canadiens have looked much better defensively. Is this their new identity? Canadiens’ Bad Defensive Optics Some numbers don’t look good. As of Nov. 19, Montreal is the seventh-worst team in the NHL in shots on goal against (574). The ranking is worse in all shot attempts against –…

Ottawa Senators

Oilers Ride Strong First Period to 5-2 Win Over Senators
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The Edmonton Oilers used a strong first period to defeat the Ottawa Senators 5-2. With the loss, the Senators dropped to 8-9-1, while the Oilers improved to 10-8-2. Let’s take a look at how we got here. Game Recap Evan Bouchard opened the scoring for the Oilers just 3:46 into the first period. He carried the puck through the neutral zone and toe-dragged around defenceman Thomas Chabot before flicking the puck over the glove of goaltender Linus Ullmark for a highlight-reel goal.  A few minutes later, there was a spirited fight between Oilers’ Josh Brown and Senators’ Zack MacEwen in…

Projected Lineups for the Oilers vs Senators – 11/19/24
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The Edmonton Oilers take on the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. OILERS (9-8-2) at SENATORS (8-8-1) 7 p.m. ET; RDS, SNW, TSN5 Oilers projected lineup Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — Connor McDavid — Zach HymanVasily Podkolzin — Leon Draisaitl — Corey PerryAdam Henrique — Mattias Janmark — Connor BrownJeff Skinner — Derek Ryan Mattias Ekholm — Evan BouchardTravis Dermott — Josh BrownBrett Kulak — Ty EmbersonTroy Stecher Stuart SkinnerCalvin Pickard Scratched: None Injured: Darnell Nurse (upper body), Viktor Arvidsson (undisclosed) Status report Latest for THW: Senators projected lineup Brady Tkachuk —…

Ottawa Senators Prospect of the Week – Lucas Ellinas
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The Ottawa Senators’ Prospect of the Week of Nov. 11-17 is Lucas Ellinas, who joins Carter Yakemchuk as the second player to receive the honour. After I mentioned his scoring drought last week, Ellinas finally found the back of the net, scoring three times in just two games, two of which were game-winners. While he had some tough competition from his fellow prospects, the Senators’ 2024 fourth-round pick stood above them with two fantastic efforts to help the Kitchener Rangers remain the top team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Ellinas Returns to Early Season Form Although Michael Misa quickly…

Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning Should Try Two Right-Handed Players on Third Defense Pairing
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While the Tampa Bay Lightning looked disjointed in the early stages of their comeback win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night, the team dominated puck possession and drove the play at five-on-five. One of Tampa Bay’s top performers, Darren Raddysh, registered two assists in the third period and ranked second in five-on-five on-ice expected goals share at 85.78% (xGF%) via NaturalStatTrick. Related: Lightning Battle Back to Beat Penguins 3-2 in Overtime With another solid performance from Raddysh, who’s been in and out of the lineup to start the campaign, Head Coach Jon Cooper must make the 28-year-old a full-time…

Lightning Battle Back to Beat Penguins 3-2 in Overtime
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The Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning met up for an early-week matchup, with the Lightning battling back from a multi-goal deficit in the third period before winning 3-2 in overtime. Tristan Jarry and Andrei Vasilevskiy played strong in between the pipes for their respective teams. With the win, the Lightning moved to 10-6-1, while the Penguins fell to 7-10-4 with the loss. Game Recap The Penguins mostly controlled the first 40 minutes of play. Even though the shot totals did not show it (22-15 Tampa Bay), the Penguins played possibly the most complete two periods they have played almost…

Projected Lineups for the Lightning vs Penguins – 11/19/24
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The Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. LIGHTNING (9-6-1) at PENGUINS (7-10-3) 7 p.m. ET; FDSNSUN, SN-PIT, SNP, SNO, SNE, TVAS Lightning projected lineup Jake Guentzel — Brayden Point — Nikita KucherovBrandon Hagel — Anthony Cirelli — Nick PaulGage Goncalves — Conor Geekie — Mitchell ChaffeeZemgus Girgensons — Luke Glendening — Michael Eyssimont Victor Hedman — J.J. MoserRyan McDonagh — Erik CernakEmil Lilleberg — Darren Raddysh Andrei VasilevskiyJonas Johansson Scratched: Cam Atkinson, Nick Perbix Injured: None Status report Latest for THW: Penguins projected lineup…

Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs, Woll Shutout Golden Knights 3-0 at Home
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Considering these two teams only meet twice per season, it was a physical affair on Wednesday night between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vegas Golden Knights at Scotiabank Arena. The depleted Maple Leafs, who had tapped into their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies for some much-needed depth, managed to get the job done beating the Golden Knights 3-0 on the back of a 31-save shutout by Joseph Woll. With so many regulars out of the lineup on one side, those headlines took a backseat to the efforts that both teams put in on Wednesday night with some newcomers taking charge…

Maple Leafs’ Matthews Knies Exits Game After Huge Hit
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Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud delivered a huge hit on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies during Wednesday’s matchup, igniting widespread debate over whether the hit was clean or a dirty hit to the head. The check sent Knies to the locker room, and the Maple Leafs later confirmed he would not return to the game. Maple Leafs F Matthew Knies (upper body) will not return to tonight’s game. — Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) November 21, 2024 The referees initially assessed a potential major penalty to review the play but wound up downgrading it to a point where no penalty…

Maple Leafs’ Fraser Minten Scores 1st Career Goal
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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Fraser Minten scored his first NHL goal in his first game of the 2024-25 season on Wednesday night (Nov. 20). The 20-year-old buried a pass from William Nylander at 8:53 of the first period to open the scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights. First NHL goal for Fraser Minten!! 💪 Congrats, Fraser! 📺: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/3KMAeYUzZP — NHL (@NHL) November 21, 2024 Minten was recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Nov. 19 after the Maple Leafs announced that David Kampf was being placed on injured…