Leafs Notes: Weekly Preview 10/8/17-10/14/17

The Toronto Maple Leafs will starts its week at home and end it on the road. 

The Leafs will face the Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils and the Montreal Canadiens.  The Leafs and Blackhawks will be an interesting matchup since they have each scored 15 goals in two games to start the season. 

The Maple Leafs need to play a solid defensive game or it could be along game for this team. They have the ability to put the puck in the net, but so do the Blackhawks. Toronto will want to get shots on goals and test Anton Forsberg early because this will be his first game action of the year. Toronto needs to get the first goal and be smart with the puck, avoiding those pesky turnovers. The Maple Leafs are going to have to keep an eye on Brandon Saad, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith since they all have decent career numbers against Toronto. 

The Blackhawks are of to a good start especially offensively, but they haven't given up much defensively either. The Hawks are going to want to pressure the defense of the Leafs especially the third pairing if the two rookies, Andreas Borgman and Calle Rosen, start the game. Connor Carrick is a game-time decision for the Leafs after suffering  an injury last game. Chicago is going to have to watch out for the speed of the Maple Leafs, who create a lot off the use of its speed. The Blackhawks are going to have to capitalize on the mistakes that the Leafs are going to make. 

On Wednesday night, the Devils make the trip to Air Canada Centre. The Leafs are going to need to stop the speed of the Devils and keep an eye on the defense since they aren't afraid to join the offensive play. Toronto needs to get the first goal to keep the crowd in the game and keep the top six of the Devils off the board. They'll need to play a smart game and keep the turnovers to a minimum because the Devils can and will make a team pay for turnovers. 

New Jersey needs to attack the Leafs and make it hard for them to get through the neutral zone with speed. The Devils need to play a sound, defensive road game because Toronto has no problem a fast-paced back-and-forth pond hockey type game. New Jersey needs to elevate the puck and get rebounds chances since both Frederik Andersen and Curtis McElhinney have good career numbers against them. If the Devils can get the first goal then they'll need to keep attacking and not sit back for the rest of the game. 

The Maple Leafs end their week with a divisional match against the Habs in Montreal. The Maple Leafs need to get off to a fast start that includes a decent forecheck and cycle game. Toronto needs to make sure that they have the lead after the first period, and if they do, don't take their feet off the gas. The Leafs need to get pucks on net whenever they have the chance and get traffic in front of the opposing goalie. Toronto is going to need to keep an eye on Tomas Plekanec since he has had a ton of success in his career against the them (69 gp,16 g, 27a, 43 its).

The Habs need to find a way to score some goals, which is not something new they are facing. They also had a lack of offense last year, but Carey Price bailed them out most games. Montreal needs to get the power play going, and start throwing pucks on net. The Habs are dangerous on the penalty kill as they already have two shorthanded goals for this year compared to their one goal at even strength. They need to get the first goal and build off of its momentum and the home crowd. 

Lightning Strikes: Weekly Preview 10/8/17-10/14/17

The Tampa Bay Lightning picked a bad time to be struggling defensively with the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Vladimir Tarasenko coming to town. 

The Bolts will look to use the home crowd to is advantage this week. They'll take on the Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. 

The Lightning will try to slow down the red hot Alex Ovechkin, who has seven goals in two games to start the season. Evgeny Kuznetsov has assisted on all seven of Ovechkin's goals, so Tampa Bay is going to need to keep a close eye on the duo. They'll need to get traffic in front of the net because if a goalie can't see a puck then he can't stop it. They need to be better defensively, avoid sloppy play in their own end and  not cough up the lead, if they get it. The Bolts need to get the lead, establish a forecheck and spend as much time as they can in the offensive zone since that's the best way to slow down the Caps offense. The goalie, whether it be Andrei Vasilevskiy or Peter Budaj, needs to steal this game. Tampa Bay is also going to want to keep an eye on Nicklas Backstroke and T.J.Oshie since they both have decent career numbers against the Lightning.

The Caps need to bring its balanced attack and have all four lines and the defense involved in the game. They'll need to stay out of the penalty box since the Bolts have a pretty decent power play. The top line of Vladislav Namestnikov-Steven Stamkos-Nikita Kucherov has been off to a good start for the Bolts so the Capitals need to keep them in-check. Washington will also need to have a solid road effort and keep the mistakes to a minimum.

On Thursday night, the defending Stanley Cup Champions, Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Bolts. Tampa Bay needs to stay out of the penalty box and play a discipline game since the Pens have a really good power play. The Lightning need to get plenty of shots on goal and just attack the Penguins since they have struggled to start the season. The Bolts should try to establish an early forechecking game and cycling game to spend as much time as they can in the offensive zone. Tampa Bay needs to get the defensive involved in the offense and keep the top six of the Penguins off the scoreboard. The Lightning will also need to keep an eye on Kris Letang since he has good career numbers again them and likes to join the play in the offensive zone. 

The Penguins haven't had the best start to its season and have given up 15 goals against in three games. Pittsburgh needs to get shots on goal, and make Vasilevskiy or Budaj work since either have particularly good career numbers in limited time against the. They'll want to attack the defense and keep attacking since the Bolts are having some defensive problems early in the year. The Penguins need to get its big guns going like Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. If the Pens can have a solid road effort and limits its mistakes then they'll have a chance on stealing a win on the road.

The week ends with a visit from the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. The Bolts are going to have to watch the Blues' defensemen since they have contributed to the offense early on. Tampa Bay will need to keep the top six forwards to a minimum amount of damage. The team will also need to get a ton of traffic in front of Jake Allen or Carter Hutton. The Bolts need to keep the turnovers to a minimum and not make this game as wide open as a game of pond hockey.

The Blues will need to keep an eye on Brayden Point, who has five points in two games. St. Louis should try to establish a good forechecking and cycling game from the start of the game. The Blues will also want to pressure the Lightning puck carrier to force some turnovers. The Blues will need to stay out of the penalty box since they've had a rough go of it on the penalty kill. St. Louis has given up some goals and chances in the third period through two games and they need to be better defensively in the final period. 

Sabres Slashes: Weekly Preview 10/8/17-10/14/17

The Buffalo Sabres are looking for its first win of the season, and it is a tough week ahead for the team, who has been struggling both offensively and defensively. 

It has only been two games, but the Sabres have looked like the same old Sabres. The team is going to need an adjustment period, but they need to get better in every aspect of the game. The New Jersey Devils come to town to take on the Sabres on Monday afternoon. Buffalo will then make its way to the West Coast, where they will take on the San Jose Sharks on Thursday and the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. The best chance to get its first win of the season for the Sabres is against the Sharks, who have been struggling in every phase of the game. 

The Devils will visit the KeyBank Center on Monday afternoon. The Sabres are going to need to avoid turnovers and be smart with the puck. The Devils had 15 takeaways in its first game against the Colorado Avalanche. Buffalo will need to keep an eye on the defense joining the play in the offensive zone especially Will Butcher since he had three assists in his first NHL game. The Sabres need to get a forecheck going early, get off to a good start and be sure that they get plenty of traffic in front of the goalie. Buffalo should keep an eye on Marcus Johansson since he has nine goals, six assists and 15 points in 22 games played against the Sabres in his career.

New Jersey is playing in its first road game of the year, and they'll need to put in a good effort defensively. The Devils need to be sure to get shots on goal as they'll either be facing Robin Lehner (off to a not-so-great start) or Chad Johnson (first action of the season). New Jersey needs to win the special teams battle since they have zero even strength goals. The battle of the penalty kill should be an interesting one as the Devils have one shorthanded goal and the Sabres have two shorthanded goals, both scored by Evander Kane. New Jersey needs to get its top line going, and they'll have to keep an eye on Kyle Okposo (41 gp, 8 goals, 14 assists & 22 points) and Matt Moulson (37 gp, 10 goals, 5 assists, 15 points). 

Buffalo will then have the next two days off to travel to the West Coast, where they will take on the Sharks on Thursday night. The Sabres should use its speed to create so they can get plenty of shots on goal. It would be nice if the Sabres could take the lead going into the third period since the Sharks have yet to mount a third period comeback in the young season. The forecheck should be established early in the game along with better play while at even strength. The Sabres will need to keep an eye on Paul Martin (37 gp, 3 goals, 13 assists, 16 points), Brent Burns (12 gp, 3 goals, 7 assists, 10 points), Joe Thornton (51 gp, 8 goals, 30 assists, 38 points) since they all have decent career numbers against the Sabres.

This could be the game where Martin Jones puts it all together for the Sharks since in four games played in his career against Buffalo he is 2-1-1 with a .919 save percentage and 2.22 goals against average. Jones and Burns really need to get it together and fast if this Sharks team wants to compete in the Pacific Division. San Jose is going to have to play a discipline game because the Sharks are struggling on the penalty kill. The Sharks need to get the first goal of the game, and keep the energy throughout the game. San Jose needs to establish a good forecheck and pressure the Sabres into some turnovers.

The Sabres end its week in Los Angeles, where they'll take on the Kings. Buffalo is going to need to be aware of the Kings speed, because this isn't last year's team. The Sabres should shoot the puck on net when they have the chance especially if there is traffic in front of the goalie. They'll also want to have someone in the crease area looking for rebound chances since the goalies will give them up. The Sabres need to pay attention to the following Kings players: Jeff Carter (30 gp, 15 goals, 10 assists, 25 points), Anze Kopitar (13 gp, 5 goals, 8 assists, 13 points) and Mike Cammalleri (21 gp, 8 goals, 9 assists, 17 points). Jonathan Quick has amazing numbers against the Sabres in his career including a 5-1-0 record, .944 save percentage and 1.22 GAA in 8 games played. 

Los Angeles is going to need to use its speed and get pucks on net. The Kings haven't has many power play opportunities this year so if they use their speed to draw penalties, they'd have some time to try to get its power play going. Los Angeles is going to have to keep its eye on Evander Kane, who has looked good early in the season especially on the penalty kill. Jason Pominville has four goals, 11 assists and 15 points in 18 career games against the Kings. 

3 Things: Stars vs. Blues

The Dallas Stars look to bounce back from its first loss of the season last night against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Blues have had the last two days off after opening the season against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a win. 

Here are three things to look for in tonight's game:

1.) Bouce Back- Stars

The Stars are looking to bounce back from a loss in its home opener last night where goaltender Ben Bishop was pulled in favor of Kari Lehtonen. Dallas will need to get better goaltending from Lehtonen, who is 13-6-3 with a 2.18 goals against average and .921 save percentage against St. Louis in his career. The Stars are going to need to stay out of the penalty box because they took seven penalties last night. The team defense needs to be better and get some sustained offensive pressure. Dallas did get 46 shots on goal last night, but Marc-Andre Fleury managed to only let one of those shots get by him.

2.) Fast Start- Blues

The Blues need to get off to a fast start especially since the Stars played last night and then had to travel to St. Louis afterwards. Dallas will be looking to get off to a good start since they lost last night and don't want to lose back-to-back games. St. Louis needs to get in on the forecheck and win puck battles along the boards. The Blues need to use the crowd to get off to the fast start, and get the first goal. St. Louis needs to get traffic to the front of the net to possibly get some deflections or just to make Lehtonen work to try and track the puck.

3.) Avoid the Penalty Box- Stars & Blues

Dallas found themselves taking way too many penalties last night, but Vegas just couldn't capitalize on the man advantage. If they repeat the parade to the penalty box then it could be trouble since St. Louis has a decent power play. The Blues will also want to avoid taking too many penalties because of all the talent that the Stars have on its power play unit. Both teams better hope that if there is a parade to the penalty box tonight that their goalies can come up large while down a man. 

3 Things: Lightning vs. Panthers

The Florida Panthers don't have to wait long to try to avenge last night's 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts and the Panthers will play again tonight, but this time it will be be Panthers home opener.

Here are three things to watch for:

1.) Get Off to a Fast Start- Lightning

The Lightning need to get off to a fast start tonight since they won't have the crowd behind them. If the Bolts can get the first goal then they need to build on the lead. They did this in last night's game, but then let a two-goal lead slip away before pulling away. Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point each had multiple point games. It would be nice to see Tyler Johnson get a confidence boost with a  goal or some points on the board tonight. Tampa Bay can get off to a fast start by spending some time in the offensive zone with a good forechecking and cycling game.

2.) Balanced Attack- Panthers

The Panthers are going to need each line to step up and get some offense pressure tonight. The defense did pitch in on all three goals for the Panthers last night and that is something that will have to continue tonight. The top line needs to get more offensive zone time and pressure. If the Panthers want to bring a balanced attack against the Lightning then they may want to get the power play clicking tonight. Florida had zero goals in four power play opportunities last night.

3.) Goaltending- Bolts & Panthers

The goaltending for both teams is going to have to come up big tonight. Vasilevskiy had a solid game for the Bolts last night and could start again tonight with two more huge divisional points on the line and the Bolts taking on the Capitals at home on Monday. James Reimer will likely get the start in goal for the Panthers since Roberto Luongo got the start last night. The two teams can score so whichever goalie can keep the puck out of the net has a shot to win the game. 

Shooting Stars: Weekly Preview 10/4/17-10/7/17

The Dallas Stars will kick off its season with a back-to-back set. They'll face the Vegas Golden Knights at home on Friday night and then take on the St. Louis Blues on the road on Saturday night.


If the Stars want to open the season with a win then they will need to feed off the crowd and get off to a fast start. They will need to get in on the forecheck and force the Golden Knights to turn the puck over. The Stars will need to establish an offensive zone attack and then keep taking it to Vegas. Dallas will have to use all four lines and get production from all of its lines. The biggest thing is that the Stars don't look past the Golden Knights and just expect the win. They will need to keep focus and not look ahead to the divisional matchup against the Blues on Saturday night.

The Golden Knights are going to have to have a sound road effort. The team will want to control the pace by getting in on the forecheck and pressuring the Dallas defense. The Golden Knights are also going to want to get a ton of traffic in front of Ben Bishop and get the goalie moving laterally. Vegas is going to want to stay out of the penalty box since the Stars have a pretty good power play. The Golden Knights are not a young team despite it being their first season in the NHL.

On Saturday night, the Stars travel to St. Louis for a big divisional game. It will only be the second game of the year for the Stars, but these points are big because the Central Division is going to be tight this year. Dallas is going to want to try to hold Vladimir Tarasenko off the board.  The Blues have a balanced attack so the Stars need to get off to a fast start and get some puck towards the net. They will also need to get some chances and spend some time in the offensive zone to keep the Blues offense off the board. Dallas is going to have to keep an eye on the defense of the Blues since they will get involved in the offense.

The Blues are going to have to find a way to deal with the balanced attack of the Stars, who have four lines that can produce. They will need to pressure the Stars defense to force some turnovers, which can lead to chances. St. Louis will need to stay out of the penalty box and play a disciplined game. The Blues need to get the first goal of the game to keep the crowd in the game.

Lightning Strikes: 2017-18 Season Preview

The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to get back to the postseason after missing out last year by one point.

In the offseason, they made some upgrades with the signings of Dan Girardi and Chris Kunitz. The Bolts also managed to re-sign its own restricted free agents to contacts. Tampa Bay made a splash when they traded forward Jonathan Drouin to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. Sergachev was given every opportunity to make the team in the preseason, and that is exactly what he did.

The key to the Bolts rebounding this season is the goaltending. Andrei Vasilevskiy is the undisputed number one goaltender for the team this year. The biggest question is going to be will he be able to handle the pressure that is going to be on him to help lead this team back to the postseason. Vasilevskiy is going to need to be good this season because the defense will give up its chances against. The goalie will need to make the easy save and he has shown the ability to make the spectacular save. Peter Budaj will be in the back up role and he will need to be ready when he gets the call off the bench or to give Vasilevskiy a game off.

The x-factor to the Bolts season is going to be the health of Steven Stamkos. Yes, the Lightning are deep enough that they could battle and make the playoffs if Stamkos should get hurt, but there is no Drouin to help Kucherov pick up the slack this year. Stamkos has been hurt the past few seasons, and just needs to get through this one as healthy as he can. The center is an integral part of the offense especially the power play since he has a great shot that can beat any goalie.

The surprise player is going to be defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. Sergachev made the team out of camp and preseason, and I think he is going to stick around for the entire season. He can move the puck and skate, which is something that the defense could use in the lineup. Sergachev is slated to be in the top four to start the season so Jon Cooper is giving him every chance to succeed, and he even is giving him power play time. I wouldn't be surprised if he is playing in all situations by the end of the season since he is a solid all around defenseman, who has a good hockey IQ.

Tyler Johnson needs a bounce back season after last season where he struggled to produce. He should bounce back since he is playing with Alex Killorn on a line. Johnson will also spend some time on the second power play unit. Yanni Gourde should have a break out season this year for the Bolts. He had six goals in the 20 games that he played with Tampa Bay last season. If he can play a full season on the third line with Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat plus get some time on the power play then there is a good chance that he scores at least 15 goals, maybe more. Jon Cooper is under pressure to lead this team back to the playoffs and go deep into the postseason.

The offense is a balanced one and has guys that can produce on every line. They have the talent and the ability to put the puck in the back of the net. Some of the kids may be a little on the younger side, but they have game experience from last year. Vladislav Namestnikov-Steven Stamkos- Nikita Kucherov could be a very dangerous top line since every one has the ability to score and dish the puck to his line mates. If the lines aren't producing then Cooper has the luxury of being able to switch some guys up since they have all played throughout the lineup.

The defense is loaded with veterans and guys that have been around the block. I'm not so sure about the idea of putting Dan Girardi on the top pairing, but that could be because Jake Dotchin sat out most of the preseason for violating a team rule. Victor Hedman is going to have another great season because he can move the puck, quarterback the power play and get the puck through to the front of the net for some deflection chances. The Bolts are going to have its struggles on defense this season, but hopefully the goalies can bail them out when that happens.

The Lightning will get back to the playoffs this year even having to contend with an Eastern Conference. The veteran team knows how to win and will find a way to get back to the postseason, and possibly have a deep run.