It’s a face off in the State of Hockey + more NHL Games of the Week
Saturday, December 14th – 7 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Montreal Canadiens at Winnipeg Jets
While the Jets roared out to an impressive start to the season, since then they’ve come back down to Earth to a degree, and some recent play has been undercut by less-than-stellar team defensive work….though they looked impressive in a recent 8-1 thumping of the visiting Boston Bruins. Nothing like playing one of the bottom feeders in the Eastern Conference as a cure to what’s ailing you, but beware. On any given night, the still-rebuilding Canadiens will put together a complete game. They’ve had their pop-gun attack boosted by the addition of oft-injured sniper Patrik Laine, who has scored three goals in his first four games with Montreal.
Sunday, December 15th – 6 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Vegas Golden Knights at Minnesota Wild
Two of the top teams in the Western Conference…make that the National Hockey League…face off in the State of Hockey on this early Sunday evening. The Golden Knights don’t appear to have a weakness, particularly with the return from injury of forward Mark Stone. The surprising Wild cannot be called the surprising Wild anymore. Even with the hot start the Winnipeg Jets enjoyed, the Wild have kept pace and now the Central Division lead goes back and forth between the two teams. Minnesota is a complete team, with their usual persnickety attention to defence, but they’re also lighting the lamp, in particular Hart Trophy candidate forward Kirill Kaprizov.
Monday, December 16th – 8:30 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 167
Florida Panthers at Edmonton Oilers
The rematch of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final (won by the Panthers in 7 games) is a matchup of two of the top teams in the NHL…again. While Florida has been good out of the gate, it once again took some time for the Oilers to get their machinery going. The Panthers are one of the better-balanced teams in the entire league, while the Oilers are glad to have forward Zach Hyman back from injury. And he’s finding the back of the net once again.
Tuesday, December 17th – 9 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 167
Boston Bruins at Calgary Flames
The head coaching change in Boston appears to have done its job, as the B’s have tightened up their team defence enough to start to pick up points they were leaving on the table earlier this season. But a closer look at the games they’ve won reveals that the Bruins do well against non-playoffs, and not so well against better clubs…including an 8-1 loss in Winnipeg to the Jets. Tonight, the Bruins visit a Calgary team that has been lights out at home at the Saddledome, but not as impressive on the road. Boston were expected to finish in the top three in the Atlantic Division, while the Flames were not expected to make the playoff cut this time around. Their impressive start to the season came as a surprise to most people.
Wednesday, December 18th – 10 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Vancouver Canucks at Utah Hockey Club
Two teams that will most likely be in the middle of the playoff hunt in the Western Conference, right down to the wire. The Canucks were expected to build on last season’s surprising success, and now have All-Star goaltender Thatcher Demko back between the pipes.
Thursday, December 19th – 7 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
St. Louis Blues at Tampa Bay Lightning
The Blues have looked better since installing head coach Jim Montgomery behind the bench. Tonight, they take on a Lightning team that most believe will once again make the post-season this April. This is a big game even for December, as both teams may have to rely on a wildcard invite to play past mid-April.
Friday, December 20th – 10 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Colorado Avalanche at Anaheim Ducks
Two teams that recently made major changes to their lineup due to trades. The developing Ducks added rock steady D man (and former New York Rangers’ captain) Jacob Trouba to their roster, while the Avalanche finished a complete remake of their crease situation, trading goaltenders with the San Jose Sharks. Colorado was expected to be one of the powers in the contentious Central Division, but a third of the way through the regular season, the Avs find themselves in a battle for a Western Conference wildcard spot. Steady goaltending is what they crave, and these changes appear to be an upgrade in that position. MacKenzie Blackwood is expected to be the main guy in the Colorado crease.
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