NHL Central Division Ryan O'Reilly Nathan Mackinnon Tyler Seguin

Chicago Blackhawks

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….

Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard Hits 50 Career Assists; Joins Elite Franchise Group
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Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard earned his 50th career assist Tuesday night (Nov. 19) when he set up linemate Jason Dickinson to start out the scoring against the Anaheim Ducks. With this helper, the 19-year-old becomes the fourth teenager in Blackhawks’ history to register 50 career assists. Bedard joins Chicago greats Eddie Olczyk, Patrick Kane and Bobby Hull with this milestone. Connor Bedard became the fourth teenager in @NHLBlackhawks history to record 50 career assists (25-50—75 in 87 GP). He joined Eddie Olczyk (80), Patrick Kane (65) and Bobby Hull (53).#NHLStats: https://t.co/CRQtHoWZGR https://t.co/pTzsNV9sz6 — NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) November 20, 2024…

Projected Lineups for the Ducks vs Blackhawks – 11/19/24
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The Anaheim Ducks take on the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. DUCKS (7-8-2) at BLACKHAWKS (6-11-1) 8:30 p.m. ET; Victory+, CHSN, KCOP-13 Ducks projected lineup Alex Killorn — Leo Carlsson — Ryan StromeFrank Vatrano — Trevor Zegras — Troy TerrySam Colangelo — Isac Lundestrom — Brett LeasonCutter Gauthier — Jansen Harkins — Ross Johnston Jackson LaCombe — Radko GudasPavel Mintyukov — Brian DumoulinOlen Zellweger — Drew Helleson John GibsonLukas Dostal Scratched: Tyson Hinds Injured: Cam Fowler (upper body), Mason McTavish (upper body), Robby Fabbri (lower body), Urho Vaakanainen (undisclosed),…

Colorado Avalanche

3 Takeaways From the Avalanche’s 3-2 Win Over the Flyers
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The Colorado Avalanche, three days off of a forgettable 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals, traveled east to take on the struggling Philadelphia Flyers. The Avalanche find themselves mired in the middle of the pack in the Central Division, trying to gain ground on the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild. The Avalanche jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the Flyers, but had to hang on to come away with the 3-2 win. Though it isn’t the most noteworthy win, there are a few takeaways worth talking about. Let’s dive right in. Team Giveaways Need to Come Down In what…

Cale Makar Leads Avalanche to 3-2 Win Over Flyers
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The Colorado Avalanche and Philadelphia Flyers were both happy to leave the month of October in the past. The Flyers struggled mightily to gel as a team to start this season, while the Avalanche became so shorthanded they had to play defenseman Oliver Kylington at forward. November has treated both teams better so far, with the Flyers entering Monday 4-0-1 in their last five games and the Avalanche having largely returned to full strength. At that level, Colorado has more talent than just about any team in the league, especially a Flyers team that is still rebuilding. The Avs flexed…

Projected Lineups for the Avalanche vs Flyers – 11/18/24
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The Colorado Avalanche take on the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. AVALANCHE (9-9-0) at FLYERS (8-8-2) 7 p.m. ET; NHLN, NBCSP+, ALT Avalanche projected lineup Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Jonathan DrouinValeri Nichushkin — Casey Mittelstadt — Mikko RantanenJoel Kiviranta — Ivan Ivan — Logan O’ConnorMiles Wood — Parker Kelly– Nikolai Kovalenko Devon Toews — Cale MakarSamuel Girard — Josh MansonOliver Kylington — Sam Malinski Justus AnnunenKevin Mandolese Scratched: John Ludvig, Calvin de Haan, T.J. Tynan Injured: Alexandar Georgiev (upper body), Ross Colton (broken foot), Gabriel Landeskog (knee),…

Dallas Stars

Projected Lineups for the Sharks vs Stars – 11/20/24
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The San Jose Sharks take on the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. SHARKS (6-10-4) at STARS (11-6-0) 8 p.m. ET; Victory+, NBCSCA Sharks projected lineup Barclay Goodrow — Macklin Celebrini — Will SmithWilliam Eklund — Mikael Granlund — Fabian ZetterlundTy Dellandrea — Alexander Wennberg — Tyler ToffoliCarl Grundstrom — Klim Kostin — Luke Kunin Henry Thrun — Cody CeciMario Ferraro — Timothy LiljegrenJake Walman — Jan Rutta Mackenzie BlackwoodYaroslav Askarov Scratched: Givani Smith, Jack Thompson Injured: Logan Couture (groin), Marc-Edouard Vlasic (upper body), Nico Sturm (upper body), Vitek Vanecek…

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,…

Ducks’ Lukas Dostal Brilliant in 4-2 Win Against the Stars
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The Dallas Stars hosted the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night with both teams hoping to rally from emotional victories. The Ducks came into tonight’s contest on a high note after rallying from a two-goal deficit in a 6-4 comeback victory against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday (Nov. 15). The Stars came in winners of three straight, including a gritty 2-1 win against division opponent Minnesota Wild on Saturday. Related: Ducks Should Consider Head Coaching Change Jake Oettinger had the night off for the Stars, giving Casey DeSmith his sixth start of the season. The Ducks jumped on the backup…

Minnesota Wild

3 Takeaways From the Wild’s 4-2 Win Over the Blues
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The Minnesota Wild were looking to get back on the winning track when they took on the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday evening, Nov. 19. After struggling against the Dallas Stars until the final few minutes; the Wild got a boost to their lineup with Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek returning to the lineup following some minor injuries that held them out for two games.  It was a back-and-forth effort. The Wild scored first, but the Blues answered back, and it repeated itself twice before the Wild pulled away in the final minutes of the third period. They took…

After Back & Forth Efforts, Wild Secure 4-2 Win Over Blues
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The Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues faced off in a divisional match-up on Tuesday evening, Nov. 19 in St. Louis. The Wild were looking to get back on the winning track after a loss to another divisional opponent, the Dallas Stars, on Saturday, Nov. 16. The Blues were also looking to redeem themselves after a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, Nov. 17. The goaltender match-up was Filip Gustavsson against Jordan Binnington.  Both teams had injured players return to the lineup, with the Blues’ Robert Thomas returning from a fractured ankle that caused him to miss the past…

Projected Lineups for the Blues vs Wild – 11/19/24
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The St. Louis Blues take on the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. WILD (11-3-3) at BLUES (8-10-1) 8 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+ Wild projected lineup Kirill Kaprizov — Joel Eriksson Ek — Matt BoldyMarcus Johansson — Marco Rossi — Ryan HartmanMarcus Foligno — Frederick Gaudreau — Yakov TreninJakub Lauko — Marat Khusnutdinov — Ben Jones Jake Middleton — Brock FaberJonas Brodin — Jared SpurgeonDeclan Chisholm – Zach Bogosian Filip GustavssonMarc-Andre Fleury Scratched: Jon Merrill, Devin Shore Injured: Mats Zuccarello (lower body) Status report Latest for THW: Blues projected lineup…

Nashville Predators

Projected Lineups for the Predators vs Kraken – 11/20/24
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The Nashville Predators take on the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. PREDATORS (6-10-3) at KRAKEN (9-9-1) 10 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, TVAS Predators projected lineup Filip Forsberg — Ryan O’Reilly — Gustav NyquistSteven Stamkos — Colton Sissons — Luke EvangelistaJuuso Parssinen — Tommy Novak — Jonathan MarchessaultCole Smith — Michael McCarron — Zachary L’Heureux Brady Skjei — Roman JosiJeremy Lauzon — Alexandre CarrierMarc Del Gaizo — Luke Schenn Juuse SarosScott Wedgewood Scratched: Mark Jankowski, Adam Wilsby, Philip Tomasino Injured: None Status report Latest for THW: Kraken projected lineup…

Predators Made Mistake Placing Dante Fabbro on Waivers
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The Columbus Blue Jackets recently claimed defender Dante Fabbro off of waivers from the Nashville Predators and while he started slow this season, letting him go for nothing was a surprise. Both teams have come out of the gates a bit slow, but they are supposed to be in two different categories right now. Related: Flames Have Potential Centre Ice Trade Target on the Predators The Predators had a plan to go all in and push for a Stanley Cup, which was made clear with the signings of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei during free agency. On the…

Projected Lineups for the Predators vs Canucks – 11/17/24
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The Nashville Predators take on the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. PREDATORS (5-10-3) at CANUCKS (9-4-3) 10 p.m. ET; SNP, FDSNSO Predators projected lineup Filip Forsberg — Ryan O’Reilly — Gustav NyquistJonathan Marchessault — Tommy Novak — Steven StamkosLuke Evangelista — Colton Sissons — Jusso ParssinenCole Smith — Michael McCarron — Zachary L’Heureux Brady Skjei — Roman JosiJeremy Lauzon — Alexandre CarrierMarc Del Gaizo — Luke Schenn Juuse SarosScott Wedgewood Scratched: Mark Jankowski, Adam Wilsby, Philip Tomasino Injured: None Status report Latest for THW: Canucks projected lineup Pius Suter —…

St. Louis Blues

After Back & Forth Efforts, Wild Secure 4-2 Win Over Blues
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The Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues faced off in a divisional match-up on Tuesday evening, Nov. 19 in St. Louis. The Wild were looking to get back on the winning track after a loss to another divisional opponent, the Dallas Stars, on Saturday, Nov. 16. The Blues were also looking to redeem themselves after a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, Nov. 17. The goaltender match-up was Filip Gustavsson against Jordan Binnington.  Both teams had injured players return to the lineup, with the Blues’ Robert Thomas returning from a fractured ankle that caused him to miss the past…

Projected Lineups for the Blues vs Wild – 11/19/24
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The St. Louis Blues take on the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. WILD (11-3-3) at BLUES (8-10-1) 8 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+ Wild projected lineup Kirill Kaprizov — Joel Eriksson Ek — Matt BoldyMarcus Johansson — Marco Rossi — Ryan HartmanMarcus Foligno — Frederick Gaudreau — Yakov TreninJakub Lauko — Marat Khusnutdinov — Ben Jones Jake Middleton — Brock FaberJonas Brodin — Jared SpurgeonDeclan Chisholm – Zach Bogosian Filip GustavssonMarc-Andre Fleury Scratched: Jon Merrill, Devin Shore Injured: Mats Zuccarello (lower body) Status report Latest for THW: Blues projected lineup…

Oilers Help Blues More than Themselves in Kapanen Waiver Move
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The Edmonton Oilers claimed Kasperi Kapanen off of waivers from the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, in what feels like an odd move to add depth to the forward corps with a player who doesn’t score and hasn’t played well in the past few seasons. In a decision some are joking might be a “revenge move” against the Blues over offer sheets to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, if that’s what Edmonton is doing here, this move is likely going to do the opposite of what was intended. Oilers Add Depth With an Unproductive Kapanen The Blues wanted cap space….

Utah Hockey Club

Should Utah HC Move on From Juuso Välimäki?

It’s mid-November 2024, and the Utah Hockey Club‘s injury-riddled defensive core is in dire need of defensemen Sean Durzi and John Marino, who are on injured reserved (IR). Down two of its top four defensemen, the team momentarily holds a 7-8-1 record in its inaugural NHL season. In the absence of Durzi and Marino, defenseman Juuso Välimäki was someone who was supposed to pick up the slack for them. However, the 26-year-old has failed to record a point in 16 games this season and holds a minus-5 rating. It’s time to decipher his future in Utah. Välimäki’s Roller Coaster of…

Utah’s Goaltending, Special Team Issues Lead to Capitals Win

Monday’s 6-2 loss to the Washington Capitals saw familiar flaws pop up again for the Utah Hockey Club. The team’s offensive droughts, special teams, and troubles in net helped propel the Capitals to win for the first time in Delta Center. Utah is currently in the middle of a bad stretch of games and the repeated flaws are currently killing their chances to be a better team. Here are some takeaways from Monday night’s game. Alex Ovechkin Strikes Twice It was pretty obvious that Alex Ovechkin was going to have a role in taking down Utah. The Russian forward is…

Projected Lineups for Capitals vs Utah – 11/18/24

The Washington Capitals take on the Utah Hockey Club at the Delta Center in Utah tonight. Here are the projected/expected lineups sourced from NHL.com staff writers, independent correspondents, and others. CAPITALS (12-4-1) at UTAH (7-7-3) 9 p.m. ET; Utah16, MNMT2 Capitals projected lineup Alex Ovechkin — Dylan Strome — Aliaksei ProtasConnor McMichael — Pierre-Luc Dubois — Tom WilsonJakub Vrana — Lars Eller — Andrew MangiapaneBrandon Duhaime — Nic Dowd — Taylor Raddysh Jakob Chychrun — John CarlsonRasmus Sandin — Matt RoyMartin Fehervary — Trevor Van Riemsdyk Charlie LindgrenLogan Thompson Scratched: Alexander Alexeyev, Hendrix Lapierre, Dylan McIlrath Injured: None Status report Latest for THW: Utah projected…

Winnipeg Jets

Jets’ Scott Arniel & New Coaching Staff Taking Team to Historic Heights
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Following Rick Bowness’ retirement at the end of last season, Scott Arniel was hired as head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, along with two new assistant coaches: Dean Chynoweth and Davis Payne. The Jets are off to a historic start, and since most of the roster is the same as last season, it’s evident the new staff has had a major impact. Here’s a look at the three new members of the Jets’ coaching staff. Arniel’s Leadership Brings the Jets to the Top of the NHL Many fans were skeptical about Arniel taking over from Bowness this season, but it’s…

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…