Lightning Strikes: California Road Trippin'

The Tampa Bay Lightning are heading to the West Coast to finish 2018 and ring in 2019.

The Lightning will face an Anaheim team that has somehow managed to keep its head above water even with all the injuries that they've had all season. The Kings have been awful from the start of the season, and the injuries are starting to pile up. The Bolts finish the week with a trip to San Jose to visit the Sharks, who are heating up at just the right time.

Monday, Dec. 31 @ Ducks- 8 p.m.

The Bolts look to continue their winning ways when they take on the Ducks on New Years Eve. The Ducks have been injury riddled this year, but are still keeping pace for the playoffs. The Bolts have been one of the most consistent teams all season.

The Lightning should get some pucks on net with traffic in front for deflections and to take the goalie's eyes off the puck. The Bolts need to take advantage of the power play opportunities when they have them since the Ducks penalty kill is only at 79.6% for the season. The Ducks need to be aware of the Bolts speed, which needs to be used whenever possible and don't get roped into playing a slower game by the Ducks. The Lightning have a good chance to get off to a fast start in this game, since the Ducks have only scored 26 first period goals. The key to this game for the Lightning will be to take advantage of all the injured players out of the lineup for the Ducks and to get off to a fast start.

Thursday, Jan. 3 @ Kings- 10:30 p.m.- ESPN+

The Kings are one of the biggest disappointments so far this season, and look like they'll finish with a good chance at winning the NHL Lottery, while the Lightning look as though they are the one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

The Bolts need to be aware of when Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown are on the ice since they are the leading point-getter and goal scorer for the Kings. The Kings don't have a regulation win when trailing after two periods so the Bolts want to make sure that have the lead entering the final period of play. The Lightning should be able to take advantage of a weak penalty kill by Kings this season. The key to this game will be the Lightning getting the first goal of the game and to keep the attack going, not to sit back and get comfortable.

Saturday, Jan. 5 @ Sharks-11 p.m.

The Sharks look to continue their winning ways of late. The Bolts are just looking to build on their lead in the standings.

The Lightning will need their goaltender to come up big since the Sharks average over three goals per game. They should establish the forecheck and cycle game early to keep the Sharks balanced lineup defending their own zone and not having their way in the offensive zone. The Sharks have a top-10 ranked power play so it would be a good idea for the Lightning to play with some discipline, even though their penalty kill is much improved over last year. The Bolts should try to establish the pace early in the game and get plenty of pucks on net because the Sharks score goals, but they also give up just under three goals per game too.

Lightning Strikes Weekly Prediction

The Lightning will come out of this road trip no worse for the ware with a 2-1-0 record. The team will take the first two games of the trip against the Ducks and Kings. The Sharks are playing decent hockey right now and they'll get the saved needed by the goalie to pull off a regulation win. 

Sabres Slashes: Divisional Rivalries and a Metro Division Foe

The Buffalo Sabres have a tough week ahead with facing three teams with above .500 records. It will also be a week where two of their three games played will be against teams in the Atlantic Division.

The Sabres will take on the New York Islanders at home in a New Years Eve tilt beginning at 6 p.m. They won't play again until Thursday night when they face take on divisional rivals, Florida Panthers at home. The Sabres will end the week with a trip to Boston to face the Bruins in what could be a revenge game.

Monday, Dec. 31 vs. Islanders- 6 p.m.

The Sabres have lost two straight games and are looking to bounce-back from a tough overtime loss to the Bruins on Dec. 29. The Islanders are looking to extend their winning streak to four straight games. The Isles have been a surprise team after losing John Tavares in free agency, but Barry Trotz has done a decent job as the boss bench.

The Sabres need to be aware of the speed that the Islanders can play with especially in transition so the turnovers should be limited. If the Sabres can get a lead then they need to keep attacking and not sit back because the Isles have nine wins when the opposition scores first. The Islanders play a strong even strength game and have outscored the opposition by 18 goals while playing at five-on-five so the Sabres need to play smart and make good plays while at even strength. The key to this game is going to be if the Sabres can take advantage of their power play opportunities since the Isles are ranked 23rd in the League on the kill.

Thursday, Jan. 3 vs. Panthers- 7 p.m.

The Florida Panthers have not gotten off to a good start to the season and the goaltending is at the center of that poor start. Lunogo has missed some time and Reimer's numbers have not been good. Despite the Panthers poor start, the Sabres are 0-1-1 against them this season.

The Panthers scoring has mostly come from the top line so far this season, so if the Sabres can manage to shut them down then they should be able to grab two points. The Sabres need to establish a forecheck and cycle game early and often to keep the speed of the Panthers at bay. They will need to play a full 60 minute game and not take any shifts off because Florida will make them pay if they do. The goaltending is going to be key for both teams, but the Sabres need to get pucks on net with screens and deflections in front.

Saturday, Jan. 5 @ Bruins- 7 p.m.- ESPN+

The Sabres will be looking to avenge the overtime loss suffered on Dec. 29 at the hands of the Bruins when the two meet again. It should be a good game since this will be the second time in seven days that the teams will play each other. 

The Sabres will want to make sure that they have the lead entering the final period of play since the Bruins only have one regulation win when trailing after two periods. The Sabres should be able to get off to a fast start since the Bruins have only scored 28 goals in the first period of games this season. Buffalo needs to keep an eye on David Pastrnak since he has found the back of the net 23 times so far this year. The key to the game is going to be the goaltending since both teams can use their speed to create chances. 

Sabres Slashes Weekly Prediction

The Sabres will finish the week with a 1-0-2 record and grab four of a possible six points. They'll win tonight in regulation over the Islanders since they are playing on home ice. The Panthers will take the extra point in a shootout. The Bruins and Sabres will have another entertaining game, but the Sabres will lose again in overtime. 

Preds Prey: Road Bumps & a Home Game

The Nashville Predators look to break their six game losing streak and get some points while playing three of four games on the road.

The Predators get off to an early start this week with a matinee game against the Washington Capitals on New Years Eve. They will then round out the week with a home game against the Philadelphia Flyers, followed by two road games, one against the Detroit Red Wings and another in Montreal to take on the Canadiens.

Monday, Dec. 31 @ Capitals- 12:30 p.m.- NHLN

The Capitals and Preds seem to be heading in two different directions at this point in the season. The Caps have one four straight while the Predators have managed to lose six straight. Nashville is finally starting to get some players back from injury so that should help the team turn things around going into the new calendar year.

If the Predators want to steal two points on the road they'll need to get good goaltending since the Capitals have no problem creating chances and burying them. Discipline is also going to be a key factor in this game since the Capitals have a dangerous power play. The road has not been a kind place to play for the Preds lately so the team is going to want to get off to a good start by establishing the pace early with a good cycling game to spend some time in the offensive zone. The biggest keys to this game is going to be keeping Alex Ovechkin and company off the board and avoiding costly turnovers.

Tuesday, Jan. 1 vs. Flyers- 8:30 p.m.- NHLN

The Predators will look to avenge their loss to the Flyers on Dec. 20 in Philadelphia where they lost 2-1 in regulation. This will be a game of two teams who just can't seem to get it going right now, but a revenge game at home is something that could get the Preds going in the right direction. The Flyers aren't getting blown out as much lately, but they are having a problem closing out games.

If you can stop Claude Giroux and his line, then you'll likely shut down the Flyers offense since it goes as he goes. This would be the perfect game for the Predators to get their awful power play going because the Flyers are one of the worst teams at killing penalties in the League. The Flyers will need to keep an eye on the Predators blue line since they like to create offense and play solid defense. The pace needs to be set early in this game with either some extended offensive zone time or a goal. The key to this game is going to be getting pucks on net and plenty of them since the Flyers goaltending has been anything but stellar so far.

Friday, Jan. 4 @ Red Wings- 7:30 p.m.

The Predators will have off for two days before playing a game against the Red Wings. The Predators should easily be able to get the regulation win and pick up two points, but this team just can't seem to win on the road right now. The Red Wings just can't seem to win games right now as they have struggled to put the puck in the back of the opposition net and keep it out of their own.

The two bright spots for the Red Wings have been Dylan Larkin and Gustav Nyquist, and they rank first and second on the team in points. The Red Wings are only killing 69.3% of their penalties on home ice so the Preds need to find a way to simplify their power play and cash in on some opportunities. They shouldn't have a problem getting some pucks on net, as the Red Wings give up over 34 shots per game, but finishing will be the key to this game.

Saturday, Jan. 5 @ Canadiens- 7 p.m.

The Canadiens have been one of the surprise teams of the first half of the season, and are currently fifth in the Atlantic Division. For the Predators, this will be the second game of a back-to-back situation having played Friday night and travelled.

The Predators need to jump on the Canadiens early and often because they may not have a late game comeback in them. They'll need to be smart with and without the puck to limit turnovers especially when Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin are on the ice together. The Preds want to avoid the penalty box and establish the cycle game early. The key to this game will be testing Antti Niemi early and often since he can let in some goals.

Preds Prey Prediction for the Week

The Predators will finish the week out with a 2-1-1 record. The road stuggles with continue with a loss to the Capitals on New Years Eve. The team will bounce back with regulation wins against the Flyers and Red Wings, who are two teams towards the bottom of the League standings. They will finish off the week with an overtime loss to the Canadiens, since they'll be coming off of a game the night before in Detroit.

Flying Forward: Building Momentum, Gaining Points

The Philadelphia Flyers look to continue to build momentum and gain some points in the standings this week. The Flyers are 3-1-1 since Scott Gordon was named the team's interim head coach on Dec. 17.

This week is no easy task as they will face the Carolina Hurricanes twice, the Nashville Predators in Nashville and the red-hot Calgary Flames.

Monday, Dec. 31 at Carolina Hurricanes- 6 p.m.

The first game of the week sees the Flyers in Carolina on New Year's Eve. The Hurricanes have struggled to put the puck in the back of the opposition's net this season. The Orange and Black have struggled to keep opponents off the board. It will be interesting to see which team can do what needs to be done to get the two points in the standings. 

The Flyers should be aware of when Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen are on the ice. Aho leads the Hurricanes in goals, assists, and points with Teravainen second on the team in assists and points. The Orange and Black need to get the first goal of the game since they are better when playing with the lead rather than trying to come from behind. Neither team is especially good when trailing after two periods and have combined for only one win while forcing overtime five times in 32 attempts. The Flyers should try to have the lead entering the final period if they want to get two points.

Tuesday, Jan. 1 at Nashville Predators- 8:30 p.m.

The Flyers managed to get a win over the Predators on Dec. 20, but the Predators are a different team at home versus on the road. The Preds have gotten a few important players back from injury recently in Viktor Arvidsson and P.K. Subban. The Flyers have been known rise to the occasion when playing against the top teams in the NHL. 

The Predators' defensemen have no problem moving the puck and joining the play in the offensive zone so the Flyers will need to be aware of the trailing player in the rushes. The Flyers need to establish the forecheck early in the game to keep the Preds defending their own zone instead of attacking in the offensive zone. There needs to be plenty of traffic in front of the Predators net for deflections or tips because if Pekka Rinne is in net then he is stopping what pucks he can see. The Flyers need to limit their mistakes and play smart hockey especially since the Predators can gain speed in the neutral zone off the rush.

Thursday, Jan. 3 vs. Carolina Hurricanes-7 p.m.

The Flyers face-off against the Hurricanes for the second time in four days, but this time it'll be on home ice. The Canes will get their chances in the game since they average just over 37 shots for per game, but the problem has been finishing those chances this season. The Flyers have to be smart with the puck since the Hurricanes will take the puck away and force turnovers.

The Orange and Black should get plenty of pucks on the net since the goalies for the Hurricanes can be shaky at times. If there is an open look then don't overthink it or overpass, put the puck on the net especially on the power play, where the Flyers have been struggling. Amazingly, the Flyers have been an okay team at even strength, and that has been what is keeping them alive so far this season. The goaltending has been a lot better since the rookie Carter Hart has taken over the net. Hart has been solid making saves that the other five goalies couldn't make this season. The Flyers have gotten some secondary scoring of late and that will need to continue in this game.

Saturday, Jan. 5 vs. Calgary Flames- 1 p.m.

The Flames are one of the best teams in the NHL, and one of the hottest too. The Flyers lost an overtime game to them on Dec. 12, where the Flyers managed to blow a two-goal lead with 1:08 left in regulation. The Orange and Black are a different team with a new leader since that last game. The Flames have gotten some decent goaltending from David Rittich, while Mike Smith has given up some really soft goals.

A good way to keep the top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm off the board is to neutralize their speed and establish a good forecheck and cycle game early to keep the Flames in their own end. The Flyers may want to stay out of the penalty box since the Flames have a decent power play, and should they take a penalty don't give defenseman Mark Giordano any time or space to make a play. The Orange and Black hopefully have learned from their game on Dec. 12 that they need to keep attacking and play smart hockey with the lead or the Flames will burn them taking advantage of their chances and putting pucks in the net.

Flying Forward Weekly Prediction

The Flyers play two games at home this week and two games on the road. They will win both games over the Hurricanes and take all four points against them. The Predators will avenge their loss to the Flyers on Dec. 20 with a regulation win on home ice. The Flyers will keep it competitive against the Flames and then manage to lose in overtime. The Orange and Black will gain five of a possible eight points in a busy week. 

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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