Flying Forward: Weekly Preview 2/25/18-3/3/18

The Philadelphia Flyers look to continue extend their five game win streak this week as they take on some Eastern Conference opponents.

The Flyers start the week off with a rare Monday night game on the schedule. They will take on a disappointing Canadiens team in Montreal. On Thursday night, the Flyers return to the Wells Fargo Center to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. Philly will finish out the week on Saturday afternoon against the Lightning in Tampa Bay.

The Flyers will want to make sure that they establish the forecheck and cycle game early and often against the Canadiens. The Orange and Black will want to make sure that they take advantage of their power play opportunities since the Habs aren't exactly the best penalty killing team in the NHL. The Flyers will want to have a strong even strength game against Montreal since the team actually has a decent power play and can put some pucks in the net while on the man advantage. Philly should get some shots on goal since the rookie goalie will be starting tonight for the Habs.

The Canadiens have struggled mightily this year and have been one of the more disappointing teams in the League. They will want to get the first goal of the game and keep attacking because the Flyers have been finding ways to win games lately. The Habs should set the tone early whether it be physically or spending time in the offensive zone. Montreal wants to play discipline since they have a weak penalty kill, and the Flyers have good power play. The Canadiens need to play a consistent game and take advantage of being up a man on the ice since the Flyers have one of the worst penalty kills in the League.

On Thursday night, the Flyers take on Metropolitan Division foe, Carolina Hurricanes. The Orange and Black will need to play well at even strength, while still being discipline. Philly needs to take advantage of their power play opportunities since the Hurricanes seem to allow a lot of power play goals. The Flyers should use their speed to create chances and draw some penalties. The Orange and Black need to be aware of where Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho are on the ice since they are the leading point getters for the Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes will want to be discipline and not give the Flyers too many chances on the power play. Carolina needs its goaltender to have a big game and not allow any soft goals. The Canes should try to get the first goal of the game and keep putting the pressure on the Flyers since they will turn the puck over. The Hurricanes need to win the special teams battle if they want to have a chance at winning the game. Carolina should be aware of the speed and creativity of forward Travis Konecny and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who has killed them in his brief career.

Philly ends their week with an afternoon game in Tampa Bay against the Lightning. The Flyers will need to find a way to stop the balanced attack of the Lightning by spending some time in their offensive zone. The Orange and Black are going to want to play a solid road game and keep the defensive gap pretty small. Philly wants to make sure that they get a ton of traffic in front of the net for deflections and to take the goalie's eyes away from the puck. The Orange and Black want to limit their mistakes and get some solid goaltending.

The Bolts need to play with discipline since their one weakness has been the penalty kill this year. Tampa Bay should get the first goal of the game to keep the home crowd in the game and have the momentum. The Lightning want to win the special teams battle since both teams play a solid even strength game. The Bolts goaltender will need to make some big saves throughout the game and make the easy saves too. Tampa Bay is going to need to find a way to stop the balanced attack of the Flyers by making them defend in their own zone.

3 Things: Carolina Hurricanes @ Philadelphia Flyers : 3/1/18

The Philadelphia Flyers will look to gain two valuable points tonight at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.

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

1.) GOALTENDING- HURRICANES

The goaltending is going to need to come up big for the Hurricanes to even have a shot at winning the game. The goalie is going to have to make the big save and make the easy save. The defense will need to help the goalies out and clear the front of the net so he can see the shots that are coming towards him. Whether it be Cam Ward or Scott Darling in the crease for the Hurricanes, the goalie needs to make sure that they are in position to stop the puck and not give up too many rebound chances. The goalies need to bounce back really quick if a soft goal is given up or scored.

2.) SHAYNE GOSTISBEHERE- FLYERS

Gostisbehere has been a Hurricane killer in his brief career especially in overtime. In 10 games in his career against the Hurricanes, Ghost has 10 points including four goals and six assists. Of his four career goals against the Hurricanes, three of them have been game-winning goals. Gostisbehere loves playing against the Hurricanes and the Canes need to be aware of when he is on the ice and where he is on the ice.

3.) TEUVO TERAVAINEN VS. TRAVIS KONECNY

Teravainen is tied for the team lead in points with Sebastian Aho for the Hurricanes. In 62 games played this year, he has 47 points including 15 goals and 32 assists. The Canes have sturggled to score this year at time, but Teravainen has been one of their more consistent players. Travis Konecny started the season off very slow, but has been on fire since he was put on the top line with Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier. In 61 games played, he has 34 points to go with 15 goals and 19 assists. He plays at even strength and on the second power play unit. In his last five games played, he has two goals, three assists and five total points.

3 Things: Boston Bruins @ Buffalo Sabres: 2/25/18

While the Buffalo Sabres wait and see what is going on with Evander Kane and whether he will get traded or not, the team still has some games to play.

It will not be an easy week for them this week as they face three Atlantic Division foes, starting tonight, with facing the Boston Bruins.

Here are three things to watch for in the game:

1.) RICK NASH- BOSTON

The Bruins acquired forward Rick Nash from the New York Rangers earlier today for a haul that included Ryan Lindgren, Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleksey and some draft picks. If he does play in tonight's game, how effective will he be, and which line will he be on? The already balanced lineup of the Bruins gets a lift since Nash has 18 goals on the year to go with 28 points. Will the addition of Rick Nash affect the chemistry of the lines or will he just do what he does best and score goals? There are a lot of questions surrounding Rick Nash tonight, but the timing of the trade is perfect since Patrice Bergeron is a game-time decision due to an injury.

2.) READY TO PLAY FROM DROP OF THE PUCK- BUFFALO

 The Sabres have really struggled since Jack Eichel hasn't been in the lineup due to injury. The team will need to be ready to play from the drop of the puck since the Bruins aren't going to hold anything back especially after a tough loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. Buffalo gave up the first goal of the game after sloppy play in their own zone last night in under a minute into the game. Phil Housley can't be happy with the team's play of late, giving up goals early and not playing the way that they should be playing.

3.) FORECHECK- BOSTON & BUFFALO

These two teams will both want to establish the forecheck early in the game for different reasons. The Bruins will want to get in on the forecheck to force some turnovers and get set up in the offensive zone so they can get a ton of pucks on net. The Sabres want to establish the forecheck to keep the Bruins hemmed in their own zone, defending, and not in the offensive zone firing the puck towards their goalie since the Bruins have a very balanced lineup. The two teams should also try to get the cycle game going. Buffalo needs to find a way to get that sustained offensive zone pressure to create chances and put some puck in the opposition's net.

3 Things: St. Louis Blues @ Nashville Predators: 2/25/18

The Nashville Predators look to gain an important two points in the playoff race and Central Division when they take on the St. Louis Blues on Sunday afternoon.

The puck will drop at noon, eastern time and will be shown on NBC.

Here are three things to watch in this Central Division matchup:

1.) READY TO PLAY FROM PUCK DROP- ST. LOUIS

The Blues need to be ready to play from the start of this game. They have been struggling lately, and not playing their best hockey. St. Louis needs to make sure that they are engaged, whether it be physically or mentally from the beginning of this game. The Blues need to win the battles, get to the loose pucks and not turn the puck over. It could help if the Blues can manage to establish a forecheck early and often to get some sustain offensive zone time.

2.) START- NASHVILLE

The Predators should look to get off to a good start and set the tone early in this one. There are two huge points on the line and the home crowd will be behind their team. The Preds should look to get the first goal of the game to put some doubt in the mines of the Blues players. Nashville should establish the forecheck and cycle game early and get some shots on goal.

3.) SPECIAL TEAMS- ST. LOUIS & NASHVILLE

The Blues have mediocre special teams while the Predators have very good special teams. The Blues need to find a way to get their power play going since they have too much talent on it for it to be ranked 28th in the League. St. Louis has a middle of the pack penalty kill, but will need to be better since the Preds power play is very good. The Predators power play is ranked fourth in the League, while their penalty kill (82.4%) is ranked eighth in the League. It should be interesting to see how each team's power play does against some decent penalty killing.

Preds Prey: Weekly Preview 2/25/18-3/3/18

The Nashville Predators look to stay atop the Central Division even with having to play three of their four games on the road.

The week will begin on Sunday with a big Central  Division game against the St. Louis Blues, who haven't been playing well of late. The Predators will then visit Winnipeg to take on another Central Division foe in the Jets. They will then travel to Edmonton to face Connor McDavid and the disappointing Oilers. Nashville will end the week with another game on the road, where they will take on the Vancouver Canucks.

On Sunday afternoon, the Predators look to gain a valuable two points from the St. Louis Blues, who have not looked good in their last five games. The Preds will need to make sure that they get off to a good start in this game and set the tone early. Nashville should be good with the puck because the Blues can force some turnovers. The Predators want to establish the forecheck and cycle game to keep the puck in the offensive zone and make the Blues defend. The Preds need to win the special teams battle since the Blues have a power play that is not very good considering the players on both of their power play units. Nashville should keep an eye on Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko when they are on the ice since they are the two leading scorers for the Blues this year.

The Blues need to be engaged in the game from the drop of the puck, whether that is physically or just getting some early offensive zone pressure. St. Louis is going to have to be willing to work for the puck and win puck battles since Nashville won't make it easy for them to do so with two big points on the line. The Blues need to be discipline because the Preds power play is among the best in the NHL. St. Louis will want to get the first goal of the game to have some of the momentum on their side and take the home crowd out of the game. The Blues need to be aware of when and where Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg are on the ice since those two can produce points.

On Tuesday night, Nashville will be in Winnipeg with another two huge points on the line. The Predators will want to play with discipline since the Jets power play is ranked third in the League. The Preds need to be very good while at even strength since the Jets special teams are ranked in the top 10. Nashville should get the first goal to take the home crowd out of the game. The Predators will need the goaltending to be very good and make saves. The Preds need to be aware of when and where Patrik Laine and Blake Wheeler are on the ice because they are two of the top scorers on the Jets.

The Jets need to be aware of the Nashville defensive corp since they like to join the play in the offensive zone and will use the stretch pass to get ahead of the defender. Winnipeg should keep an eye on P.K. Subban and Roman Josi since those two defensemen are the leading the defensive group in points. The Jets want to have a lead entering the third period since they only have points in four of the 17 games they've trailed going into the final period of the game. Winnipeg should try to win the special teams battle since both teams are pretty good playing at even strength. The Jets will absolutely need to get a good game from the goaltender since the Preds will get their chances.

On Thursday night, the Preds will take on Connor McDavid and the struggling Oilers. Nashville will want to take advantage of a weak penalty kill of the Oilers (56.8%) at home. The Predators need to avoid mistakes and turnovers that can lead to odd man rushes and scoring chances. The Preds will want to be good in the neutral zone to slow down the speed of the Oilers. Nashville should try to have the lead entering the final period of the game. The Predators need to be aware of when McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are on the ice because they can use their speed to produce points.

Edmonton needs to figure out a way to get some secondary scoring because Draisaitl and McDavid have been doing most of the damage offensively this year. The Oilers will want to get their special teams on track, or at least stay out of the penalty box so they don't have to kill any penalties. Edmonton needs to get the first goal of the game and build off that momentum. The Oilers should try to use their speed to create some havoc through the neutral zone and in offensive zone. Edmonton will need a big game from the goaltender, who will need to have a big game.

Nashville finishes out their week on Friday night against the Vancouver Canucks. The Preds will want to play a discipline game because the Canucks power play is surprisingly good, like top 10 in the League good. The Predators should attack, get some offensive zone pressure and some scoring chances. Nashville should take advantage of a weak penalty kill of the Canucks and not play down to their opponent.

Vancouver needs to have a good start to the game, and establish the forecheck. The Canucks should try to win the even strength play since the penalty kill is not great. Vancouver wants to be discipline since the Predators have a really good power play. The Canucks need to play a good defensive game and make sure that the gap is not too big. Vancouver should keep an eye on Kevin Fiala and Ryan Johansen since they can put up some points.

3 Things: Devils @ Flyers 2/13/18

The New Jersey Devils will take on the Philadelphia Flyers in a Metropolitan Divisional matchup that takes places tonight at the Wells Fargo Center. This game has huge playoff implications as the two teams are only separated by three points in the standings, but the Devils have a game in hand on the Flyers.

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

1.) DISCIPLINE- FLYERS

The Flyers need to find a way to carry over the discipline that they played with in Las Vegas into this game. The Orange and Black only took one penalty while playing a road game in Vegas. Philadelphia  has one of the worst penalty kill units in the League, only killing off 74.4% of the penalties taken. Their penalty kill at home is somehow worse than the overall penalty kill at just 72%. The Flyers need to avoid taking penalties especially the ones that are not necessary to take like high sticking and hooking.

2.) GET FIRST GOAL- DEVILS

New Jersey will want to get off to a good start in this game and get the first goal of the game to take the crowd out of the game. The Flyers have been good on home ice of late so if the Devils want to take the crowd out of the game then they will need to be ready to play from the start of the game. The Devils are a much better team when scoring the first goal of the game, but have also had some wins when the opposition has scored first. If the Devils can manage to get the early lead, they will have to keep attacking and not sit back because the Flyers have won 13 games when the opposition scores the first goal of the game.

3.) GOALTENDING- DEVILS & FLYERS

The goaltending is going to be a big factor in this game and something to keep a close eye on. Keith Kinkaid will get the start for the Devils, while Michael Neurvirth looks to get the start for the Flyers. Kinkaid and the Devils have really struggled since losing Cory Schneider to an injury. Kinkaid will need to have one of his best games of the season to grab two points. Neuvirth is coming off of a big game against the Vegas Golden Knights where he only allowed one goal against. The goaltenders are going to have to step up their game tonight because these two teams will get scoring chances. The goalies could be the difference makers for these teams tonight.

3 Things: Lightning @ Sabres 2/13/18

The Buffalo Sabres will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight in an Atlantic Division game. The Sabres are coming off of a loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night, while the Lightning are coming off of a regulation loss to the Maple Leafs last night.

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

1.) FAST START- SABRES

Buffalo will want to get off to a fast start in this game since the Bolts played last night against the Maple Leafs. The Sabres should set the tone and the tempo early in the game no try to draw some penalties. Buffalo needs to establish the forecheck early in the game to spend some time in the offensive zone. They will also want to get the cycle game going early so they can try to get some sustained attack time going in the offensive end of the ice. Buffalo wants to get the first goal of the game to keep the home crowd into the game, and keep attacking the Bolts since they should be tired from playing last night.

2.) GOALTENDING- LIGHTNING

It looks as though backup goaltender, Louis Domingue will get the start between the pipes for the Lightning tonight. Andrei Vasilevskiy started the game last night, and allowed four goals. Domingue needs to make the easy saves and not allow any soft goals. He will also need to make some toy saves and possibly make some saves while facing the odd man rush. Domingue wants to have a good showing tonight and help the Lightning gain an all important two points.

3.) DISCIPLINE- SABRES & LIGHTNING

These two teams don't exactly have the best penalty killing units in the League so they will want to avoid the penalty box at all costs. The Sabres are in the bottom portion of the League in overall penalty killing stats, but are killing penalties at home a ton above an 80% clip. The one area of weakness for the Lightning has been their penalty kill all season long. The Sabres don't exactly light it up on the power play, but it would still be a good idea to try to play a disciplined game tonight if you are the Bolts.