NHL Atlantic Division Auston Matthews Steven Stamkos Patrice Bergeron

Boston Bruins

Brad Marchand’s Antics Should Motivate the Maple Leafs
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The NHL Playoffs may be played on the ice, but teams aren’t just trying to score more goals than their opponents, they’re also trying to get into their heads. Sometimes it happens naturally when a goalie is on a roll and becomes unbeatable in the mind of the other team’s players, think Jaroslav Halak during the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins series in the spring of 2010. Other times, psychological warfare happens in the media where players try to steal the show with the quote of the day, think Patrick Roy after being provoked by Jeremy Roenick. Reporters told the…

The Rise & Fall of Andrew Raycroft
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Eighteen years ago, Boston Bruins goaltender Andrew Raycroft took the National Hockey League by storm. Boston’s fifth-round pick in 1998 had spent the previous three seasons bouncing back and forth on Interstate 95 between Boston and Providence. In fact, a majority of Raycroft’s early professional career in the AHL, playing in 121 games on the Bruins’ farm club with a 56-48-13 record. However, the 2003-04 season was anything but average for Raycroft and the Bruins. It proved vital to the future of the franchise. Raycroft’s Calder Trophy-Winning Season With Steve Shields, Jeff Hackett, and John Grahame all departing, Raycroft was given…

Today in Hockey History: April 25
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April 25 has provided us with some great playoff moments throughout the history of the National Hockey League. Two of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of skates had offensive explosions on a date that saw plenty of great postseason moments. Let’s take our daily trip back in time to relive all the best this date has had to offer. The Great One & Super Mario Go Off Two of the most dynamic offensive talents to ever play in the NHL had huge games on this date. On April 25, 1985, Wayne Gretzky put up seven points…

Buffalo Sabres 

3 Sabres Players Who Might Struggle Under Lindy Ruff
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The Buffalo Sabres recently announced that they re-hired Lindy Ruff as their newest head coach, and as he was introduced to the media and city once again, there were some discussions about his coaching style. Topics like accountability, hard work, and ice time limitations for poor play came up, and as the newest coach was talking, it got me thinking about the roster as it currently sits. With Don Granato being ousted, and it being clear that he was not able to get the most out of his players, there was plenty left on the table for players to be…

Today in Hockey History: April 24
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If you had to choose two words to describe April 24 throughout the history of the National Hockey League, “overtime goal” would be the perfect pair to use. This date has provided some of the most memorable playoff goals ever scored, as well as some legends breaking records. The THW time machine is ready to take back through the years to relive all the best moments. More OT Goals Than You Can Shake a Stick At Jean Beliveau only scored one overtime playoff goal in his Hall of Fame career. It came early in the second overtime on April 24,…

NHL Rumors: Oilers, Flyers, Canucks, Maple Leafs, Sabres
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In today’s NHL rumors rundown, one media member has called out Evander Kane of the Edmonton Oilers for bringing needless drama to the team. In Toronto, there is drama too as people want to know why William Nylander is practicing and goofing around but not able to play. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers are also in the news as a former Flyer has retired and a new Flyer has been signed to an extension. Finally, the Buffalo Sabres have rehired Lindy Ruff to be their head coach. Evander Kane Called Out by Journalist for Unneeded Drama Mark Spector of Sportsnet has…

Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings’ Salary Cap Mirage
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With the NHL moving to an $87.7 million salary cap for the 2024-25 season, the Detroit Red Wings are projected to have $29 million in cap space this summer. That’s plenty to address their needs, right?  Not so fast. Most of the $29 million is already spoken for. And because of this, Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman will need to get creative when improving his roster this offseason. Red Wings’ Cap Space Will Disappear Quickly Chief among Yzerman’s priorities are new contracts for Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. Detroit’s GM alluded to this a bit during his end-of-year press…

Detroit Red Wings’ 2023-24 Final Grades: Forwards
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With the 2023-24 season in the rearview mirror for the Detroit Red Wings, there is plenty for fans and the organization to look back on as bright spots (strong seasons from multiple players) and low lights as well (missing the playoffs for yet another season). Among the strong seasons from multiple players included Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin, but how did the rest of the forward group that filled out the lineup grade for the season? High Honors JT Compher 2023-24 stats: 77 GP- 19 goals, 29 assists, 48 points, minus-five As stated in my previous grades at the 60-game…

Today in Hockey History: April 23
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Some of the National Hockey League’s “Original Six” teams made postseason memories on this date. However, there are plenty of the league’s newer franchises that made their mark on Stanley Cup Playoff history on April 23, as well. Let’s begin our daily trip back in time to relive all the best moments. A Big Date in Detroit Red Wings History The Red Wings can fondly look back on this date as they not only won a Stanley Cup on it, but one of their greatest players in franchise history left rewrote the record books. The Red Wings hosted the New…

Florida Panthers

Panthers Feeling Confident After Game 2 Win vs. Lightning
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The series is far from over, but the Florida Panthers should feel pretty good about where they are heading into Game 3 at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay tomorrow night. Despite each being a one-goal game, the Panthers have controlled play and look like the better team. Here’s where they stand after their 3-2 overtime win in Game 2 against the Lightning.  Panthers Dominated at 5-on-5 in Game 2 Game 1 of this series between the Panthers and Lightning was pretty even, at least at five-on-five. The expected goals battle was nearly a 50/50 split, with a slight edge toward the Panthers. Still, they…

Verhaeghe Wins It for Panthers in Overtime Over Lightning
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The Florida Panthers pull out an overtime win to take the first two games at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Another tight game that featured a dual between two former Vezina Trophy winners between the pipes for their respective teams. The Battle of Florida Delivers On Its Intensity Everyone wanted a thriller between these two teams. They got one, but it didn’t look that way at first. The Panthers came out playing shutdown hockey for the first 20 minutes of play. Sam Bennett opened the scoring 6:16 into the game and Vladimir Tarasenko tacked on another goal on the…

Projected Lineups for the Lighting vs Panthers – Game 2
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The Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of their first-round matchup of the 2024 NHL Playoffs. Here are the projected/expected lineups, sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. Related: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Hub (1WC) LIGHTNING at (1A) PANTHERS Eastern Conference First Round, Game 2 7:30 p.m. ET; BSSUN, BSFL, ESPN2, TVAS2, SN360 Florida leads best-of-7 series 1-0 Lightning projected lineup Anthony Duclair — Brayden Point — Nikita Kucherov Brandon Hagel — Anthony Cirelli — Steven Stamkos Michael Eyssimont — Nicholas Paul — Mitchell Chaffee Tyler Motte — Luke Glendening — Tanner Jeannot Victor Hedman…

Montreal Canadiens

Prime Video to Carry National Monday Night Games in Canada
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The game of hockey makes a move into the streaming age. The National Hockey League announced alongside Amazon and Rogers Communications a two-year agreement that nationally televised Monday night NHL games will move to Prime Video in Canada beginning with the upcoming 2024-25 season. The package had been named “Prime Monday Night Hockey.” These games’ broadcasts will be produced by Prime Video and will be exclusive to Canadian Amazon Prime Members, according to NHL Public Relations. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Amazon and Rogers on this project. Amazon has a strong track record of presenting sports on Prime Video…

Montreal Canadiens 2023-24 Season Grades: Defense and Goaltending
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Following the conclusion of the 2023-24 NHL regular season, rebuilding and other non-playoff teams have begun to look towards the future — the draft, free agency, or simply following the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The end of a long season serves as an appropriate time to reflect and reassess — evaluating how players and coaches performed, how prospects developed, and reflecting on general takeaways from a gruelling 82-game schedule. Many like to review how players performed statistically relative to their expectations entering the season. Those who outperformed expectations can be incredibly encouraging for the fanbase, especially as young players continue to…

Ottawa Senators

Prime Video to Carry National Monday Night Games in Canada
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The game of hockey makes a move into the streaming age. The National Hockey League announced alongside Amazon and Rogers Communications a two-year agreement that nationally televised Monday night NHL games will move to Prime Video in Canada beginning with the upcoming 2024-25 season. The package had been named “Prime Monday Night Hockey.” These games’ broadcasts will be produced by Prime Video and will be exclusive to Canadian Amazon Prime Members, according to NHL Public Relations. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Amazon and Rogers on this project. Amazon has a strong track record of presenting sports on Prime Video…

3 Things the Senators Can Learn From the Florida Panthers
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When Matthew Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers ahead of the 2022-23 season, it started one of the most interesting rivalries in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators. For the first time in his career, Matthew was in the same division as his little brother, Brady Tkachuk, and with both players assuming the role of franchise faces, it promised an exciting match every time the two met. But the Senators and Panthers are linked in more ways than just familial. Both teams built most of their core rosters through the draft following a long, difficult time at the bottom…

Revisiting Top 2023 NHL Free Agent Signings 1 Season Later
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With the regular season coming to an end, it is the perfect time to look back on how the top free agents from the 2023 offseason performed in their first season with their new clubs. In analyzing the 2023 NHL free agency signings, some players have reignited their careers by joining teams poised to redefine their legacies. Unfortunately, some have faced challenges after joining teams that were not a good fit, finding themselves locked into long-term contracts without a way out. Matt Duchene, Dallas Stars: A Matt Duchene signed a one-year deal at $3 million average annual value (AAV) with…

Tampa Bay Lightning

Verhaeghe Wins It for Panthers in Overtime Over Lightning
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The Florida Panthers pull out an overtime win to take the first two games at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Another tight game that featured a dual between two former Vezina Trophy winners between the pipes for their respective teams. The Battle of Florida Delivers On Its Intensity Everyone wanted a thriller between these two teams. They got one, but it didn’t look that way at first. The Panthers came out playing shutdown hockey for the first 20 minutes of play. Sam Bennett opened the scoring 6:16 into the game and Vladimir Tarasenko tacked on another goal on the…

Projected Lineups for the Lighting vs Panthers – Game 2
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The Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of their first-round matchup of the 2024 NHL Playoffs. Here are the projected/expected lineups, sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. Related: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Hub (1WC) LIGHTNING at (1A) PANTHERS Eastern Conference First Round, Game 2 7:30 p.m. ET; BSSUN, BSFL, ESPN2, TVAS2, SN360 Florida leads best-of-7 series 1-0 Lightning projected lineup Anthony Duclair — Brayden Point — Nikita Kucherov Brandon Hagel — Anthony Cirelli — Steven Stamkos Michael Eyssimont — Nicholas Paul — Mitchell Chaffee Tyler Motte — Luke Glendening — Tanner Jeannot Victor Hedman…

Today in Hockey History: April 23
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Some of the National Hockey League’s “Original Six” teams made postseason memories on this date. However, there are plenty of the league’s newer franchises that made their mark on Stanley Cup Playoff history on April 23, as well. Let’s begin our daily trip back in time to relive all the best moments. A Big Date in Detroit Red Wings History The Red Wings can fondly look back on this date as they not only won a Stanley Cup on it, but one of their greatest players in franchise history left rewrote the record books. The Red Wings hosted the New…

Toronto Maple Leafs

Prime Video to Carry National Monday Night Games in Canada
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The game of hockey makes a move into the streaming age. The National Hockey League announced alongside Amazon and Rogers Communications a two-year agreement that nationally televised Monday night NHL games will move to Prime Video in Canada beginning with the upcoming 2024-25 season. The package had been named “Prime Monday Night Hockey.” These games’ broadcasts will be produced by Prime Video and will be exclusive to Canadian Amazon Prime Members, according to NHL Public Relations. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Amazon and Rogers on this project. Amazon has a strong track record of presenting sports on Prime Video…

Brad Marchand’s Antics Should Motivate the Maple Leafs
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The NHL Playoffs may be played on the ice, but teams aren’t just trying to score more goals than their opponents, they’re also trying to get into their heads. Sometimes it happens naturally when a goalie is on a roll and becomes unbeatable in the mind of the other team’s players, think Jaroslav Halak during the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins series in the spring of 2010. Other times, psychological warfare happens in the media where players try to steal the show with the quote of the day, think Patrick Roy after being provoked by Jeremy Roenick. Reporters told the…

The Rise & Fall of Andrew Raycroft
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Eighteen years ago, Boston Bruins goaltender Andrew Raycroft took the National Hockey League by storm. Boston’s fifth-round pick in 1998 had spent the previous three seasons bouncing back and forth on Interstate 95 between Boston and Providence. In fact, a majority of Raycroft’s early professional career in the AHL, playing in 121 games on the Bruins’ farm club with a 56-48-13 record. However, the 2003-04 season was anything but average for Raycroft and the Bruins. It proved vital to the future of the franchise. Raycroft’s Calder Trophy-Winning Season With Steve Shields, Jeff Hackett, and John Grahame all departing, Raycroft was given…