Lightning Strikes: Western Conference Road Trip

The Tampa Bay Lighting will have their first extended road trip of the season starting tonight, and it won't be an easy one. They'll have four games in seven days visiting the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, and the Arizona Coyotes.

Sunday, Oct. 21: Tampa Bay Lighting @ Chicago Blackhawks: 7 p.m.- 

The Lightning start their road trip in Chicago where they'll be facing Patrick Kane and company. The Bolts will need to stop the top six forwards of the Blackhawks and make the bottom six beat them. Tampa Bay should get a forecheck game established early so they can get extended offensive zone time to get some shots on goal. They will want to get the first goal of the game to take the home crowd out of the game. The Lightning are going to want to limit their mistakes and take advantage of the Blackhawks weak special teams.

What to Watch For: Special Teams Battle

The one area where the Lightning have a substantial advantage is on special teams. Their power play can be deadly and is ranked 13th in the League at 24%. In recent years, the penalty kill has been pretty bad, but the Lightning have yet to allow a power play goal against while being shorthanded 25 times in six games. The Blackhawks power play just hasn't been able to click just yet, but with the units that they have, the power play can get going at anytime. Chicago is also struggling killing penalties (71.4%), which was also an area of weakness last season. If the Lightning can win the special teams battle then they will have a good chance of steal two points.

Wednesday, Oct. 24: Tampa Bay Lightning @ Colorado Avalanche- 9:30 p.m.

The Lightning have a tough task just two days later when they take on the Avalanche, who are off to a good start. The team is going to need to find a way to stop Nathan MacKinnon and his line mates, who are off to a hot start to the season. The Lighting should try to establish the forecheck early so they can have some extended offensive zone time, which could make the MacKinnon line defend instead of going to work in the offensive zone. Tampa Bay needs to play with some kind of energy to start the game, maybe a big hit or play to get the team going because the Avalanche have looked really good. The Bolts need to get the first goal to get the quiet the crowd and get some traffic in front of the goalie.

What to Watch For: The Goaltending for Both Teams

It doesn't seem to matter who Jared Bednar starts between the pipes because that goalie seems to have a good game. Semyon Varlamov and Philipp Grubauer have been really good early and they are helping their team win some games. Andrei Vasilevskiy has gotten off to a good start himself, and has started a majority of the games for the Bolts. Vasilevskiy is known for his athleticism and ability to recover to make the unbelievable save so expect this game to be low scoring, if the goalies are on their game.

Friday, Oct. 26: Tampa Bay Lighting @ Vegas Golden Knights- 6 p.m.

The schedule doesn't get any easier as the Lighting take on the defending Western Conference Champions in the Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights got off to a slow start, but have been on their game lately. The Lighting need to find a way to limit the damage done by Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith since they are basically the offense for Vegas. Marc-Andre Fleury has been much better since starting the season struggling, so the Bolts want to make sure that they have plenty of traffic in front of him. In order to slow down the Golden Knights, Tampa Bay needs to be very aware of their positioning in the neutral zone and play a tight checking game there since the transition game of Vegas is exceptional.

What to Watch For: Lightning Penalty Kill vs. Golden Knights Power Play

The Lightning have gotten off to a really good start on the penalty kill after struggling last season. They haven't allowed a goal in 25 opportunities. The Golden Knight power play has been a struggle in the early part of the season, much like everything else. They'll need to find a way to get their power play going since it will be an integral part of their offense the rest of the season.

Saturday, Oct. 27: Tampa Bay Lighting @ Arizona Coyotes- 9 p.m.

The Bolts end their tough week with a game against the Coyotes, who haven't been able to score this year. They need to get in on the forecheck and pressure the puck carrier to force some turnovers. The Bolts will want to win the battle at even strength since the Coyotes have a decent penalty kill. Tampa Bay should get plenty of pucks on net with traffic in front of the goalie to make it harder for him to see and track the puck. The Bolts will want some extended offensive zone time and make sure that they take advantage of their scoring chances. 

What to Watch For: Lightning Can't Look Down on Opposition

The Lightning can't assume that this game won't take any effort to win. Tampa Bay needs to come into this game ready to play, and with some energy. The Coyotes aren't just going to roll over and give them the two points easily so the Lightning players better be ready to work for the win and two points.

Lighting Strikes Weekly Preview

The Lighting will finish a tough road trip with a 2-1-1 record. They will start off the trip with a win against the Blackhawks. The goaltending will steal them a point in Colorado, but they'll lose in overtime or a shootout. They'll go to Vegas and make it a close game, but Vegas is heating up so they'll lose the game in regulation. The team will bounce back against the Coyotes and pick up the win. 

Leafs Notes: Home Cooking

The Toronto Maple Leafs are off to a hot start, thanks to its balanced lineup and speed. The Maple Leafs will be at home this week facing the Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues.

Monday, 10.15.18 vs. Los Angeles Kings-7:30 p.m.

The first test of the week for the Maple Leafs will be the Los Angeles Kings, who are without starting goaltender, Jonathan Quick. There is no doubt that the Maple Leafs need to be better defensively to help out their goaltender. They should get plenty of pucks to the net to test the Kings goalie early and often. Toronto will want to get off to a fast start and put some pucks in the back of the net to get going and keep the home crowd in the game. The Maple Leafs should take advantage of their power play opportunities since they have one of the best power plays in the League, while the Kings have one of the worst penalty kills.

Matchup of the Game

The goalies will be the players of this game to keep an eye on. Frederik Andersen is injured for the Leafs so Garret Sparks get the start between the pipes. It will likely be Jack Campbell, who has started the majority of the games while Jonathan Quick has been out, but it could also be Petr Budaj for the Kings. The Kings are going to need a spectacular showing from whichever goalie gets the start because the Maple Leafs have one of the best offenses in the League. Sparks is going to need to be sharp as well since the team tends to play wide open and gives up a lot in front of him. 

Thursday, 10.18.18 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins- 7 p.m. 

The Maple Leafs have a few days off between games but then the Penguins come to town. The Maple Leafs are going to need to make sure that they play with discipline since the Penguins have deadly power play. Toronto needs to play a strong game at even strength and keep the top six of the Penguins in-check. They want to get plenty of pucks to the net since Matt Murray has had a rough start to the season, while Casey DeSmith has been better, but can be beat. The Leafs will want to have the lead entering the final period of play since they can finish out games when leading.

Matchup of the Game

There will be two big matchups to watch in this game, and that will be how each team handle the opposition's top two lines. Who does Mike Babcock matchup against Sidney Crosby? Does he go with Nazem Kadri's line or does he go with Matthews' line for power against power? Who gets the job of trying to defend the Malkin line? Is it Tavares' line or does he save Tavares for the Crosby line and matchup Kadri's line against Malkin and company?

Saturday, 10.20.18 vs. St. Louis Blues- 7 p.m.

The St. Louis Blues are off to a slow start after the hype of the offseason and acquiring some offensive help. The Maple Leafs will need to get the first goal of the game to keep the home crowd in the game. Toronto will want to play a discipline game since the Blues power play is operating over 30% on the season. They should try to get in on the forecheck to force turnovers and get some pucks toward the net. The Leafs want to play a smart hockey game and use their speed to draw some penalties.

Matchup of the Game

The power play units for both teams are ranked in the top 10 in the League. The Maple Leafs are ranked 2nd , while the Blues have a 6th ranked power play. The Blues have two balanced units, while the Leafs have depended on the first unit to get the power play scoring.

Weekly Prediction

The Maple Leafs will finish the week at 1-2-0 in their three games. They will win against the Kings, but then lose back-to-back games to the Penguins and Blues. The Penguins will be a good challenge for the Leafs to see if they can beat a perennial playoff team, or if they are not quite there yet. If the Leafs want to steal some points, then they are going to need to play better on the defensive side of the puck and be aware of what is going on around them on the ice. 

Shooting Stars: Eastern Conference & a Division Rival

The Dallas Stars look to continue their hot start to the season, but it won't be an easy week. They will face the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils on the road before coming home to end the week against the Minnesota Wild.

Monday, 10.15.18 @ Ottawa Senators- 7:30 p.m.

The Stars start the week off in Ottawa to face a surprising Senators team. The Stars are going to need to watch out for the speed of the Senators especially in transition. They should keep an eye on where defenseman Thomas Chabot is when he is on the ice since Chabot is the Senators leading scorer with eight points on the young season. Dallas needs to be sure to have the lead after the second period since they are 3-0-0 when leading after two periods, while Ottawa is 0-2-0 when trailing heading into the final period. If the Stars establish a good forecheck early and pressure the Senators, they can force turnovers and try to capitalize on them.

Matchup of the Game

The special teams could have the biggest impact on this game for either team. The Ottawa power play is ranked 5th in the League converting on over 30% of its power play chances, while the Stars are ranked 26th in penalty killing. If the Senators can manage to take advantage of their power play opportunities then they should be able to get at least a point out of this game, and maybe even steal two. Dallas needs to play a discipline game and try to avoid the penalty box whenever possible since it has been one of the weak spots for the team early on.

Tuesday, 10.16.18 @ New Jersey Devils- 7 p.m.

The New Jersey Devils have gotten off to a really good start sparked by the play of goaltender Keith Kinkaid. Dallas will need to find a way to beat Kinkaid, which they can do by getting plenty of pucks on net with traffic in front of him. The Stars will need to find an answer for Kyle Palmieri, who is off to a hot start with six goals in the early season. Palmieri is just one player in a balanced Devils' lineup, and the Stars are going to need a good forecheck to keep them pinned in the defensive zone to keep the scoring chances against to a minimum. The Stars are going to need to play a solid team game in order to steal two points while on the road.

Matchup of the Game

It will be interesting to see how the teams plan to stop two players who have had hot starts to the season. Tyler Seguin has 10 points in just four games so far on the season, with seven of those points being assists. Kyle Palmieri has six points and he has found the back of the net for all of his six points. The Stars will have played the previous night so it will be interesting to see how they matchup against a balanced lineup of the Devils. 

Friday, 10.19.18 vs. Minnesota Wild- 8 p.m.

The Minnesota Wild seem to like playing hockey early in the season with two of the four games going to overtime. The Stars will want to come out with good energy and get the first goal of the game to keep the home crowd in the game. Dallas should keep attacking even if they are up in the game because the Wild have allowed six goals in the third period. The Wild offense is dependent on how the top six forwards play so if the Stars can limit the damage then they have a good shot at winning the game. 

Matchup of the Game

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Flying Forward: Back-to-Back & Vegas

The Philadelphia Flyers have a tough week ahead with their home opener, a back-to-back situation and facing the defending Western Conference Champions for the second time in 10 days.

Tuesday, 10.9.18 vs San Jose Sharks- Home Opener- 7 p.m. -NBCSN

The Flyers will start off the week against a struggling San Jose Sharks team. The Sharks have only scored five goals while allowing 11. If Philly wants to impress in the home opener, they will need to get the nerves out early to establish a good forecheck and put some pressure on the goalie. The Flyers should get pucks to the net since the puck seems to be finding the back of the net for opposing teams against San Jose. Philadelphia wants to watch out for the defense of the Sharks because they can move the puck and produce in the offensive zone.

The Flyers are going to need to play a team defense game and make sure they cover for each other. The team needs to clog the neutral zone and take away the potential speed of the Sharks especially in transition. Philadelphia should avoid turning the pucks over because San Jose has the ability to make you pay, and put the puck in the back of the net. The Flyers need to play smart hockey and be aware of where all the opposing players are on the ice and be ready from the drop of the puck.

Wednesday, 10.10.18 @ Ottawa Senators- 7:30 p.m.

There is no rest between games for the Flyers as they travel to Ottawa for the second game of a back-to-back. The Senators have allowed 13 goals, but have scored 11 so whichever goalie is in net for the Flyers, he will need to make some saves. It is the early part of the season, but the penalty kill numbers are great for the Senators so the Flyers need to take advantage of their opportunities

on the power play. They should try to stay out of the penalty box since the Sens have a pretty good first unit while a man up. 

The Flyers want to get the first goal of the game to try to take the home crowd and team out of the game. They will also have to keep an eye on defenseman Thomas Chabot, who has five points to lead the way for the Senators. The Flyers should attack the defense of Ottawa since it isn't exactly one of the top ranked in the NHL. 

Saturday, 10.13.18 vs. Vegas Golden Knights- 1 p.m.

After the back-to-back situation, the Flyers will have a few days off before facing the Golden Knight for the second time in 10 days, this time at home. Philadelphia wants to duplicate the performance of opening night when they played a good game against the Golden Knights. The Flyers want to clog the neutral zone and have active sticks to make it hard for Vegas to get into their zone to get good scoring chances. 

The Flyers need to take advantage of their power play chances. The team will also need to keep an eye on Jonathan Marchessault, who leads the Golden Knights in points. They need to take the speed of the Golden Knights away with a good forecheck and spend some time in the offensive zone. Philadelphia wants to get the puck towards the net since it hasn't been the best start for the Vegas goalies. 

Predicting the Flyers' Week Ahead

The Flyers will go 2-1-0 this week to get four of a possible six points. They will lose against the Sharks, who will come out hungry since they've been struggling. The Flyers will bounce back on Wednesday night and take the win in Ottawa. They will have a few days off and then play an afternoon game against Vegas, which they will win to get the two points. 

Sabres Slashes: Squaring Off Against the Western Conference

The Buffalo Sabres look to continue their winning ways this week against some tough opponents from the Western Conference. They will face the defending Western Conference champions Vegas Golden Knights, a fast Colorado Avalanche team, and an Arizona Coyotes team looking to take that next step.

Monday, 10.8.18 vs. Vegas Golden Knights- 3 p.m.

The Sabres will play a rare weekday afternoon game as it is Columbus Day in the U.S. and Thanksgiving in Canada. Buffalo will face a tough opponent in the Golden Knights, but the team can be beaten. The Sabres need to come out of the gate fast and establish a good forecheck. They'll need to be aware of the transition speed of the Golden Knights and make sure that they have players back to make it a little easier on the goalie. They can't leave the goalie out to dry or it could be a very long game.

Buffalo's play in the neutral zone will have to be good to slow down the Golden Knights. They want to clog the neutral zone, put bodies on the opposing players, and force the Golden Knights to dump the puck into the offensive zone, instead of skating it in. If the Sabres manage to get a lead, then they don't want to sit back, but attack because the Golden Knights keep coming. 

Thursday, 10.11.18 vs. Colorado Avalanche- 7 p.m.

The Avalanche have a balanced lineup so the Sabres need to figure out a way to slow them down. They may want to try to establish a solid forecheck and offensive zone time early to force the Avs to defend rather than to be on the attack. The Sabres will want to keep an eye on Nathan MacKinnon, who can make a team's defenders look silly. The Avalanche have allowed some goals in the first and second periods, but then shut it down in the third. Buffalo wants to come out with energy and get some shots on goal with some traffic in front of the goalie. 

The Sabres need to watch out for the Avalanche defense since can move the puck and will join the play in the offensive zone. Buffalo is going to need to play a solid, team defensive game while taking some chances offensively to get the puck in the net. They will need to play with discipline and need their top guys like Jack Eichel and Conor Sheary to use their speed to get open and create in the offensive zone. The biggest thing the Sabres need to do to try to get the two points is to have the lead after two periods since the Avalanche are 2-0 when leading after two periods.

Saturday, 10.13.18 @ Arizona Coyotes- 9 p.m.

The Sabres will play their first road game of the season and it just happens to be against a team that is struggling very early to put the puck in the net. The Coyotes have played two games and have been shutout in both, but in their defense, they've played two good teams. Buffalo can't play down to its opponent and just think they can win this game without playing solid hockey. The Sabres should come out with some energy to start the game and force some turnovers. 

Buffalo needs to establish a good forecheck and use it throughout the game, not just in the first period to try to get a lead. They'll need to avoid mistakes and have the goalie bail them out at times throughout the game. If the team should get down in the game then they need to keep attacking because the Coyotes will give up some chances and goals. The Sabres need to take advantage of their opportunities, don't overpass, but rather take the shot if it's there.

Predicting the Sabres' Week Against the Western Conference

The Sabres could get anywhere from zero to six points this week. It is unlikely that they will go undefeated against these three teams. The Golden Knights and Avalanche will be a good challenge to see where the Sabres stand. The game against the Coyotes doesn't automatically mean two points, they are going to have to work for those points.

The Sabres have a tough schedule this week, so I see them going 1-1-1 and getting three points. If they play up to their ability, then I think they could steal two points from either Vegas or Colorado, but I'll play it safe until the Sabres prove that they can consistently beat the playoff caliber teams.