Flying Forward: Weekly Preview 12/31/17-1/6/18

The Philadelphia Flyers will finally start to see some teams in their own conference and division. Philadelphia will have two chances to gain some ground on Metropolitan Division opponents this week.

The Orange and Black will take on divisional rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins, on Tuesday night on national television as the game will be aired on NBCSN at 7:00 p.m. The Islanders will then visit Philly on Thursday night in another big divisional game. The Flyers will end their week with a  visit form Brayden Schenn and the St. Louis Blues, who have been struggling lately.

The Flyers are going to need to find a way to stop Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel since they are the two top point producers on the Pens. Philadelphia needs to play with discipline because the Penguins have the third best power play in the NHL. The Orange and Black want to win the even strength battle since the penalty kill is a weak one. The Flyers need to have a better start to this game since the first period has been a problem for Philly all season. They have been outscored in the first period 33-25 so far. Philly will need to play with energy from the drop of the puck and established the tone of the game early.

The Penguins will want to take advantage of a weak Flyers penalty kill that is ranked 29th in the League. Pittsburgh also needs to get off to a better start since they have been outscored 41-29 in first periods of game. The Pens need to have the better of the even strength play. Pittsburgh needs to have the lead entering the final period of the game since they only have four wins when trailing after two periods, but don't have a loss when leading after two periods. The Pens want to get good goaltending since the Flyers can put the puck in the net, if they are at the top of their game. The Penguins are going to need to get shots on goal and traffic in front of the opposing goaltender.

The Isles will visit the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night for another big divisional game. The Flyers need to find a way to stop Josh Bailey, John Tavares, Anders Lee and company. One way to do that is to get a good forecheck established early, spend some time in the offensive zone, and get plenty of shots on net since the goaltending hasn't been great for New York this year. Philly needs to stay out of the penalty box since the Isles have a dangerous power play that can put the puck in the net. The Orange and Black want to get the first goal of the game, and build from there. The Flyers need to establish a forecheck and cycle game early and often.

New York needs to stay out of the penalty box since the Flyers have a good power play in their own right. The Islanders need to get good goaltending in this game, which is something that has been lacking at times this year. The Isles should try to get an early goal, and make the Flyers play from behind. New York needs to have a better start to this game since they have struggled in first periods of games this year. The Islanders will want to be aware of when Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux on the ice since they have had some good chemistry this year, and can put up some points when on the ice together.

Brayden Schenn makes his return to Philly with this new team, the St. Louis Blues. The Flyers need to make sure that they keep the duo of Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko in-check when they are on the ice. The Orange and Black need to get off to a fast start and have some jump right from the drop of the puck. Philadelphia wants to avoid mistakes and turnovers in this game since the Blues have a decent transition game. The Flyers need to have a solid defensive effort and cash in on their chances when they have them.

The Blues need to get good goaltending in this game whether it should be Jake Allen or Carter Hutton. St. Louis wants to play a full 60 minute game, and not have lapses throughout the game. The Blues should try to get their power play going against the Flyers, who have one of the worst penalty kills in the NHL. St. Louis will need to keep an eye on Wayne Simmonds and Shayne Gostisbehere, who can lead the Flyers offense in different ways. Brayden Schenn should be playing in another gear since he plays against his former team. 

Shooting Stars: Weekly Preview 12/24/17-12/30/17

The Dallas Stars look to pick up some pivotal points against the competition this week since they play two games against Central Division opponents.

The Stars will visit the Minnesota Wild tonight. Dallas will then come home for a Friday night game against the St. Louis Blues, who are currently leading the division by one point.

Dallas will need to get off to a fast start against the Wild, including getting the first goal of the game to take the home crowd out of the game. The Stars need to win the special teams battle and try to get their power play back on track, which has been struggling lately. Dallas needs to have a solid defense effort including the forwards helping out and limiting their mistakes with and without the puck. They need to avoid the mental lapses that can happen throughout the game. One of the biggest problem with the Stars this year has been their consistency, whether it has been from period-to-period or game-to-game, and they need to play a consistent 60  minutes on the road tonight to get two points. The Stars will need to keep an eye on Eric Staal, who leads the Wild in goals and points. 

The Wild need to be better at even strength since they've allowed more goals than scored when playing 5-on-5 hockey. Minnesota needs to find a way to contain Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, and they can do that by having sustained offensive zone pressure. The Wild must stop the balanced attack of the Stars since they can roll four lines that can get scoring chances. Minnesota should have a better finish to the game if they want a chance at getting two big points at home. Alex Stalock is going must have a big game and make crucial saves for the Wild tonight. 

Dallas will return home on Friday night to take on a St. Louis team that has been average in their last 10 games played. The Stars should come out with some energy, get in on the forecheck and get the first goal of the game to keep the home crowd into the game. Dallas need to limits their mistakes because the Blues will take advantage of them. The Stars must be aware of when Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko are on the ice since they are the leading scorers on the team. Dallas needs to get good goaltending in this game, and not allow any soft goals. The Stars should try to have the lead entering the third period since they have zero third period comebacks this year.

St. Louis needs to have the lead entering the third period since they only have two wins in regulation when trailing after two periods. The Blues should keep an eye on when Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg are on the ice because they can score and setup teammates. St. Louis needs to get their power play going because that is one of the weak spots on the team. The Blues just need to get some shots on net, and make sure that there is traffic in front. St. Louis is giving up way too many third period goals this year (45), but they have also scored a lot (46). 

Preds Prey: Weekly Preview 12/24/17-12/30/17

The Nashville Predators will look to put some distance between themselves and the competition this week since all three of their games are against Central Division opponents.

The Predators will take on the St. Louis Blues tonight with just one point separating the two teams for the top spot in the Central. On Friday and Saturday, the Preds will play a home-and-home series with the Minnesota Wild. The teams will be in Minnesota on Friday night and Nashville on Saturday night. There should be some good hockey played between the divisional rivals.

The Preds will need to keep an eye on Brayden Schenn, who leads the Blues in goals, assists and points this season. Nashville will need to get good goaltending from whichever goalie starts tonight's game. The Predators need to be very good while at even strength since the Blues have scored 73 even strength goals on the season to Nashville's 64. The Preds should try to have the lead entering the third period since they have only forced overtime twice in the nine times they have been trailing after the second period this year. Nashville needs to get off to a good start and play a solid 60 minute defensive road game.

The Blues will need to get their power play going since it is ranked 24th and a clear weakness on this team. St. Louis needs to be aware of where the Preds defensemen are on the ice since they like to join the play in the offensive zone or make the long stretch pass to start a breakout of their own zone. The Blues should also keep an eye on Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson because both players have speed and can finish a play. St. Louis will need to get some stellar goaltending tonight since the Preds know how to put the puck in the opposition's net. The Blues will need to get the first goal of the game and come out playing with some energy.

On Friday night, the Predators will play the first of a home-and-home series with the Minnesota Wild. The Preds will need to use their speed in transition to get behind the Wild defensemen. Nashville will need to have their skating legs so they can draw penalties. The Predators need to get shots on goal and have someone in front of the net for second chance opportunities. Nashville need to have a better finish to games since that has been the one area where they have really struggled this year. They have been outscored 41-31in the final period of games, and that needs to change. The Preds will also need to find a way to contain Jason Zucker and Eric Staal, who lead the team in points and goals.

The Wild will need to play really well at even strength since they have given up more goals at even strength than they've scored this year. Minnesota need to keep an eye on Kevin Fiala and Kyle Turris, who have played well together since the trade to acquire Turris. The Wild should try to get pucks on net and bury the chances that they get throughout the game. Minnesota will need to get plenty of traffic in front of the net, and get good goaltending of their own for this game.

On Saturday night, the venue changes but the opponents are the same as the Wild visit the Preds. Nashville needs to take advantage of a weak road penalty kill of the Wild and put some pucks in the net when on the man advantage. The Preds need to be good on the forecheck and force some turnovers. The Predators will need to have good energy from the start of the game to the end of the game since this will be the back end of a back-to-back series with the Wild. Nasvhille needs to have good goaltending again, and play with discipline, which may be hard to do since they are the most penalized team in the League.

The Wild need to stay out of the penalty box since the Preds have a solid power play. Minnesota needs to get the first goal of the game to take the home crowd out of the game a little. The Wild should try to have the lead entering the final frame since they only have one regulation win and an overtime loss when trailing after two periods. Minnesota needs another good game from its goaltender, whether it is Devan Dubnyk or Alex Stalock. The Wild need to have a good start to the first half of the first period.

Sabres Slashes: Weekly Preview 12/10/17-12/16/17

The Buffalo Sabres look to get back on track after losing three of their first four games to start the month of December.

The Sabres will take on one Western Conference team and three Eastern Conference teams this week. On Sunday night, they'll face the St. Louis Blues, who will be without Jaden Schwartz due to an ankle injury. They will then come home to face the struggling Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night. It's back on the road to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night, and Buffalo finishes out their week with a game at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Sabres need to have some kind of energy to start this game against the Blues or they will be down a few goals before they know it. Buffalo will need to get the first goal of the game, and keep attacking. They will need to establish a forecheck early and often because the best way to stop the Blues offense is to make them defend. The Sabres will need to play with discipline and avoid a parade to the penalty box since the Blues have a good power play. Buffalo will need to get a good game from the goaltender, who will need to make some saves since the Blues should get their chances.

St. Louis will need to get the first goal of the game to keep the home crowd in the game. The Blues lines will be a bit different looking tonight with the loss of forward Jaden Schwartz, and it should be interesting to see how the loss of Schwartz affects the play of Brayden Schenn since the two have developed some chemistry early on this year. St. Louis will need to find a way to keep Evander Kane and Jack Eichel off the board since they have a hand in a lot of the offense for the Sabres. The Blues will need to force some turnovers, since the Sabres will turn the puck over especially in their own zone. St. Louis needs to not play down to the opponent tonight, and just play their game.

Buffalo will then face a struggling Ottawa Senators, who have been shutout in three of their last four games. The Sabres will need to find a way to stop Derick Brassard and Erik Karlsson, who are among the leading point producers on the Senators roster. Buffalo will need to watch the speed of Ottawa in transition since they can get the pucks behind the defensemen. The Sabres will need to attack and not sit back in this game since the Sens have been struggling to score lately. Buffalo needs to get the power play going and the Senators are not one of the better penalty killing teams in the League. The Sabres will need to make sure that they have the lead going into the third period.

The Senators will need to figure out a way to get their offense going in this game. They are playing one of the worse teams in the NHL, and they should be able to put some pucks into the net. Ottawa will need to get the first goal of the game to get some confidence going and then build on the lead from there. The Sens need to have a good game from the starting goalie, who needs to make saves and not allow any soft goals. Ottawa will need to have a better effort all around then they have had the past few games. It would be a good idea for them to just get pucks on net, and then crash the net for any rebounds or loose pucks in the crease area.

The Sabres then take on the Flyers on Thursday night in Philly. Buffalo will need to get the first goal of the game since the Flyers are a better team when playing with the lead. The Sabres will need to keep attacking and get some sustained pressure in the offensive zone to keep the new balanced lines off the board for Philly. Buffalo will need to stay out of the penalty box since the Flyers have a decent power play even though they have allowed four shorthanded goals against this year. The Sabres will need to keep Jake Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere in check since they play a big part in the offense. Buffalo will need to be aware of the Philadelphia defense since they have no problem joining the play in the offensive zone.

The Flyers will need to keep the new look lines and balanced attack going against the Sabres. Philly needs to not play down to their opponent since they have been known to do this the past few years. The Flyers will need to get in on the attack, establish a forecheck early in the game and force a ton of turnovers throughout the game. The Orange and Black need to be better with the puck, and limit their mistakes since they have had plenty of costly turnovers lately. Philly needs to avoid the penalty box since the penalty kill has been in the bottom of the League all season long. The Flyers need to be aware of where Jack Eichel and Jason Pominville are on the ice.

Buffalo face the Hurricanes at home on Friday night. The Sabres will need to get off to a really good start in this game, and score some first period goals. Buffalo will need to keep Teuvo Teravainen and Jeff Skinner in check while they are on the ice. The Sabres need to avoid turnovers and mistakes with the puck since Carolina can make you pay for your mistakes. Buffalo will need to get their home power play going since they have only converted on 8.9% of their home power play opportunities. The Sabres need to get some offense from the defense even if they are just pitching in with assists.

The Hurricanes will need to get the first goal of the game to take the crowd out of the game. Carolina will need to be better on special teams since they haven't had the most success on them all season. The 'Canes will need to find a way to stop Jack Eichel and Evander Kane, since they are the two top point getters on the team. Carolina will need to get some stops from their goaltender and to play a solid, 60 minute game.

Shooting Stars: Weekly Preview 12/3/17-12/9/17

The Dallas Stars will look to keep the momentum going coming off of a 3-2 shootout win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.

The Stars have an opportunity to pick up some important points within the Division since they play three divisional games this week. On Sunday night, they will travel to Colorado to take on the Avalanche. They will take on the red hot Nashville Predators on Tuesday night, and then travel to St. Louis for a match up against the first place Blues. They will finish up their week at home against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Stars will need to make sure that they know where Nathan MacKinnon is at all times when he is on the ice since he leads the Avalanche in assists and points. Dallas needs to have a big game from Kari Lehtonen, who needs to make saves and not allow any soft goals. The Stars also need to take advantage of the weak penalty kill of Colorado even though the Avalanche are very good at killing penalties at home (~90%). Dallas will need to make sure that they have the lead after the second period since they have yet to have any third period comebacks. The Stars will need to finish the game better than they have all season, and play really good defense since they have been outscored 29-17 in third periods this year.

Colorado need to play a full 60 minute game since they tend to have trouble containing teams in the second period, where they have been outscored 34-26. The Avalanche need to make sure that they have a lead after two periods since they have only gotten points in two games when trailing entering the third period this year. The Avs need to stay out of the penalty box since their overall penalty kill hasn't been great despite its success at home, and the Stars power play can be lethal at times. Colorado will need to contain the top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov if they want to have any chance at winning or keeping the game close. The Avalanche will also need to keep an eye on John Klingberg when he is on the ice because the defenseman like to join the play in the offensive zone, and leads the Stars in assists this year.

Dallas returns home on Tuesday night to take on the defending Western Conference Champions, Nashville Predators, who are coming off of a red hot month of November. The Stars will need to play a solid defensive game and keep the balanced attack of the Preds off balance. Dallas will need to be aware of the Predators defensemen, who like to join the play in the offensive zone, and even rush the puck up the ice. The Stars need to play a discipline game since the Preds have one of the best power plays in the League. Dallas will need a big game from either Ben Bishop or Kari Lehtonen since the Preds offense has been clicking lately. The Stars will also want to get the first goal of the game to keep the home crowd in the game.

Nashville will want to keep the balanced attack coming against the Stars, since Dallas can also put the puck in the net. The Predators will need to have a lead entering the final frame since they don't have a third period come-from-behind win in five tries. The Preds will need to have a better start to the game and bring the energy from the drop of the puck. Nashville will also need to get its power play going on the road since they have only six power play goals in 48 opportunities so far. The Predators will need to have a big game from the goaltending since the Stars can put the puck in the net, and keep coming even when down.

The Stars will play their third straight divisional game on Thursday night when they visit the St. Louis Blues. Dallas will need to get the forecheck game going early to keep the offensive attack going and the Blues in their own end, defending. The Stars will need to keep an eye on Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz, who are the two leading point producers on the team, and just happen to play on the same line. Dallas will need to take advantage of their power play opportunities since the Blues penalty kill at home is under 80%. The Stars will need to make sure that they play a solid team defensive game including the defensemen, forwards and goalie. They will want to avoid the turnovers and take care of the puck since the Blues will force the opposition to turn the puck over.

St. Louis will be bringing their physical game, but they need to be discipline while bringing that physical game. The Blues will need to force some turnovers especially in the offensive and neutral zones. St. Louis will need to keep an eye on Seguin and Radulov, who are putting decent offensive numbers while playing together. The Blues will need to get a good game from the goaltending and not allow any soft goals. St. Louis wants to get the first goal of the game to keep the crowd fully involved in the game.

The Stars end their week with a non-divisional game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Dallas will need to keep an eye on William Karlsson, who is red hot and the leading goal scorer and point producer on Vegas. The Stars will need to get another good game from their goaltending since the Golden Knights have a balanced lineup that can get pucks on net. Dallas will need to take full advantage of playing at home since they haven't been great on the road this year. They need to get the first goal and keep attacking, don't sit back and try to hold onto the lead or they will get burned by the Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights will need to the goaltending to come up big for them since the Stars can put the puck in the net. Vegas will need to be better closing out the game since they have been outscored 36-27 in the third periods of games this year. The Golden Knights should know where Jamie Benn is on the ice at all times. Vegas need to stay out of the penalty box because they don't do a good job killing penalties, and the Stars have a dangerous power play. The Golden Knights need to play a solid, 60 minute road game and limit the chances of the Stars.

Flyers Trade Brayden Schenn to the Blues

The trades started coming early and often on NHL Draft Day, but once the Draft started all was quiet on the trade front until the Dallas Stars decided to get things moving.

The Stars and Chicago Blackhawks traded late first round picks, and then the door starting opening for some other things to happen. The biggest trade of the night involved the Philadelphia Flyers and the St. Louis Blues. Philly had already taken center Nolan Patrick second in the Draft, but the team decided it wasn’t going quietly into the night. 

The Flyers traded center Brayden Schenn to the Blues in exchange for the 27th pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, center Jori Lehtera and a conditional first round pick in 2018. The conditions on the additional draft pick are that it is top 10 protected for 2018. If the pick is in the top 10 for the Blues next season then the pick would be deferred to a 2019 first rounder, and the Flyers would also receive a 2020 3rd rounder should this be the case. 

After the trade was announced, Philadelphia was on the clock with the 27th pick in the Draft, and they chose center Morgan Frost. According to a write up on Frost by The Hockey Writers, the kid is smart and has hockey sense. He doesn't give up on the play, is a good skater and a great passer. The downside of Frost is that he needs to learn to shoot more instead of looking pass first and he needs to build up his strength. The center won’t be ready to play in the NHL for a few years, but the Flyers have enough depth at center that he can take his developing.

A change of scenery could probably wind up being a good thing for Jori Lehtera. He would have been the odd man out in St. Louis since Vladimir Sobodka came back last season from playing overseas, and signed a contract extension last season. Lehtera’s offensive production has been slipping the past few seasons in St. Louis. The center only has seven goals, 15 assists and 22 points in 64 regular season games played last season. He also was a healthy scratch a few times, and was watching games from the press box.

Lehtera has good vision, which makes him a decent playmaker. He has size, but doesn’t use it nearly enough. He shies away from being physical and he doesn’t like to hit. The veteran center is probably an upgrade over Schenn in his own zone. Lehtera needs to find a way to be consistent for 60 minutes of hockey game and throughout a full season. The center won 49.16% of his face-offs that he took last year.

Lehtera has two years left on his current contract, which has a cap hit of $4.7 million per season. He will become an unrestricted free agent after the  2018-19 season.

Schenn is a natural center, but whether he will remain there with the Blues is to be determined. In 79 games last year, he had 25 goals, 30 assists, 55 points and seven game-winning goals. He played at even strength and on the power play, where he registered 17 goals and 28 points. The biggest reason the Flyers were willing to part with the young center is mostly likely due to his lack of production while playing at even strength. He only scored eight goals at even strength and almost half of his total points came while on the man advantage.

There were times last season when he was completely shut down by the opposition at even strength. He isn’t exactly known for being the best defensive forward in the League, and he is known for being a little slow to get back in position to make a good defensive play. If the Blues want to keep him at center then he’s going to have to improve in the face-off circle. Schenn needs to become more consistent in all phases of his game and the forward needs to be better with his game-to-game consistency. 

Schenn has  been know to stand up for his teammates and get in on the forecheck. He has three years remaining on his current contract, which has a cap hit of $5.125 million per season. Schenn will be a free agent at the end of the 2019-20 season.

This is the second trade in about six months where the Flyers have taken on a player whose team needs to get rid of him for salary cap purposes. Let’s just hope this doesn’t become the norm for Ron Hextall and the Flyers.