X75 Productions

Category: NHL

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Vegas Golden Knights v. San Jose Sharks

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Vegas Golden Knights v. San Jose Sharks

    Vegas Golden Knights (43-32-7 93pts) v. San Jose Sharks (46-27-9 101pts)

     

    Regular Season Series:

    VGK 2-1-1

    SJ 2-2-0

     

    Preview:

    For the second time in franchise history, the Vegas Golden Knights will be taking on the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last season these two teams met in the Western Conference Second Round which saw the Golden Knights defeat the Sharks in six games.

     

    Offense:

    For the Knights, they took a step back this season compared to last as they lost key veteran forwards James Neal and David Perron to free agency, however, they would pick up forward Paul Stastny via free agency and forward Max Pacioretty via trade with the Montreal Canadiens during the offseason. Also William Karlsson scored 24 goals this season compared to last season’s career high of 43. The Trade Deadline acquisition of forward Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators gives the Knights a solid scoring threat going into these playoffs.

     

    For the Sharks Evander Kane did not disappoint in his first full season with the team. Netting 30 goals and becoming a vital part of the powerplay, Kane is ready for a deeper run with the Sharks this postseason. Also Joe Pavelski had himself a solid 38 goal season, and is looking to step up and continue to help lead the Sharks in the playoffs.

     

    Defense:

    On defense for the Golden Knights having Nate Schmidt in the lineup is vital for the team. Vegas went 8-11-1 during his 20 game suspension, but once Schmidt got reinserted into their lineup the Knights would turn it around and go 11-3-1 in their first 15 games with Schmidt in the lineup. Plus the continued growth of Colin Miller and Shea Theodore have helped greatly during this season.

     

    On defense the Sharks went for broke when they traded for All Star Erik Karlsson during the offseason. Him along with fellow All Star Brent Burns will be looked upon to bring the offence from the blue line. However, one has to wonder about the health of Karlsson as he has missed a lot of time due to a groin injury.

     

    Goaltending:

    For Vegas they have Marc-Andre Fleury who was the driving force for the Golden Knights run to the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Fleury, who is a three time Stanley Cup champion, knows what it takes to win in the playoffs and this will be his third time facing off against the Sharks in the playoffs.

     

    For the Sharks they have Martin Jones who will be hoping that the third time is the charm for him in his head to head battle with Fleury. Jones has proven that he is a reliable goalie taking them to their lone Stanley Cup Finals appearance in which they lost in six games to Fleury and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016.

     

    Special Teams:

    VGK Powerplay – 16.8% 25th Overall

    SJ Powerplay – 23.6% 6th Overall

    Going into the playoffs the Sharks have the advantage over the Knights in regards to the powerplay. With threats like Karlsson, Burns, Joe Thornton amongst others, the edge is in the Sharks favor.

     

    VGK Penalty Kill – 80.9% Tied 12th Overall

    SJ Penalty Kill – 80.8% 15th Overall

    For the penalty kill, both teams are very even with eachother. If the Sharks dominate powerplay can overpower the Knights penalty killers then this will be the difference maker between the two teams.

     

    Prediction: SJ in Six Games

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Columbus Blue Jackets v. Tampa Bay Lightning

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Columbus Blue Jackets v. Tampa Bay Lightning

    Tampa Bay Lightning (62-16-4) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (47-31-4)

    Eastern Conference First Round Series

    Best of Seven

    Winner Faces Boston/Toronto

     

    The Tampa Bay Lightning had one of the most dominant and historic regular seasons in NHL history. They had three 40 goal scorers and Nikita Kucherov set the record for points in a season but a Russian-born player with 128. They dismantled opponents with their speed, power and skill all in front of an all-world defense led by Victor Hedman and an all-world goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy. This team has been a popular pick to win the Stanley Cup and rightfully so; they have everything a cup contender needs in spades. Do the Columbus Blue Jackets, who went balls to the wall at the trade deadline, have a shot at taking out the biggest dog in the yard in the first round? It going to be a challenge needless to say.

     

    Forwards

    Tampa Bay

    First, let’s take a look at their forward groups. The Lightning boast one of the best in the entire league but Blue Jackets isn’t anything to laugh at either. The Lightning have a top-six forward group that consists of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde. That could be considered the best top-six forward core in the league rivaling the power of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets. Stamkos, Kucherov and Point each had over 40 goals this year and whenever either of them is on the ice it means trouble for the opposition. Stamkos and Kucherov each have lethal shots and Point is no slouch either. Kucherov is on track to be the best Russian-player in the NHL today. Mix in Johnson, Palat and Gourde and you have a tremendous top-six that can beat you any given way on any given night.

     

    The Lightning’s bottom-six is nothing to laugh at either with the likes of Alex Killorn, Anthony Cirelli, J.T. Miller and Mathieu Joseph all playing on the third and fourth lines. Killorn has been a productive player for the Lightning since he joined the team in the 2012-13 season. Cirelli has drawn some calder buzz this year. Joseph was another great young find by the Lightning and J.T. Miller is your prototypical middle-six forward who can chip in offense when needed. From top to bottom the Lightning’s forward corps has the potential to light up opposing teams. Does Columbus have the talent to match?

     

    Columbus

    While the Lightning are impressive, the Columbus top-six forward corps is nothing to laugh at. Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, Cam Atkinson, Ryan Dzingel, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Josh Anderson make up a top-six that has a great deal of 7. ill and speed. Panarin is one of the best scorers in the game. Duchene is a proven number one center even with all the controversy that has followed him the past two seasons because of trades. Dubois is a star on the rise and Atkinson is always a threat for 30 goals. Anderson has proved he can be an effective power forward in the league. The Blue Jackets top-six, while not as intimidating as the Lightning’s, is still impressive and can light up the scoreboard on any given night. Panarin had 28 goals this year, Anderson had 27 goals, Atkinson scored a whopping 41, Duchene had 31 goals and Dubois put up 27.

     

    The Columbus bottom-six forward group features their captain Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner, Oliver Bjorkstrand, rookie Alexandre Texier, Brandon Dubinsky and Riley Nash. That third line of Foligno, Jenner and Bjorkstrand would be a capable second line on a lesser team but the fact that Columbus has that as a third line is super impressive. Bjorkstrand, although inconsistent, has a nice shot and Foligno is a prototypical power forward. The Columbus captain will make sure his team doesn’t go down without a fight. Toss in Dubinsky and Nash and the Jackets bottom six isn’t too shabby. So who has the forward edge?

     

    Who’s got the Edge?

    The Tampa Bay Lightning. The trio of Stamkos, Kucherov and Point are just too good and will give the Blue Jackets all kinds of problems. The Lightning top-six is arguably the best in the entire league and their bottom-six is extremely lethal as well with sneakily good players like Cirelli, Killorn and Miller. The Blue Jackets have a great forward corps, especially with guys like Panarin and Duchene, but they don’t have nearly enough firepower to beat out the Lightning in this category.

     

    Defense

    Tampa Bay

    Victor Hedman is the reigning Norris trophy winner and had 54 points this season. Ryan McDonagh is one of the best shutdown defenseman in the game and he has 46 points this season. Mikhail Sergachev is a star on the rise, had 32 points this season and proved he can be an even better defenseman in year two of his career. Round out that six with Dan Girardi, who has been much better than advertised this season, Erik Cernak who has been a pleasant surprise and the capable Jan Rutta and the Lightning have an excellent group of defensemen who can lock down opponents and chip in the offense when needed. Anton Stralman getting back to full health will be something to keep an eye on in this series for sure.

     

    Columbus

    Zach Werenski and Seth Jones are the two powerhouses on defense here. Werenski had 44 points and Jones has 46 points this season. Both have the potential to be Norris trophy winner down the line. Jones is one of the best in the game today at both ends of the ice and Werenski is as lethal as they come on the offensive side of the ice. David Savard and Markus Nutivaara make a very capable second pair which the ability to chip in offense. The Blue Jackets third pairing of Dean Kukan and Scott Harrington rounds out a defense that can rock with the best of them in the league and if Adam McQuaid can stay healthy he can be inserted back into the lineup and give them an extra bit of snarl. The Blue Jackets will need all the help they can get this series. So who has the edge?

     

    Who’s got the Edge?

    The saying goes that defense wins championships.The Lightning and Blue Jackets both have defenses capable of locking down the opposition and making life easier for their goaltenders. Before I give my answer here I need to stress how much closer this matchup is then the forward groups. Seth Jones and Zach Werenski are extremely talented and that pair is probably a better pair than any pair of defenseman the Lightning can put put together but this is a case of the whole being better than the sum of its part. The Lightning possess Victor Hedman who at his peak is one of the best overall defenseman in the world. Ryan McDonagh was the Rangers number one defenseman and captain of the Rangers so he is used to being counted on and he has the leadership qualities to boot. Mikhail Sergachev is extremely talented and is only going to get better. One of those guys on each pair means the Lightning have someone to count on on every pair whereas the Blue Jackets get a little thin on their third pairing and their second pairing leaves something to be desired. If Anton Stralman can return, the Lightning only get stronger. The Tampa Bay Lightning get the edge once again.

     

    Goaltending

    Tampa Bay

    The Lightning possess an all-world goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy took over the crease from Ben Bishop a few seasons ago and he has been nothing but star caliber since he became the Lightning’s de facto number one goaltender. This season he had a .925 save percentage and a 2.40 goals against average. He is tremendously athletic and comes up big in big moments.  He’s played deep in the playoffs before and he’s shown he won’t break under the pressure. Vasilevskiy is going to be rock solid for the Lightning throughout the playoffs. THis year Vasilevskiy sported a record of 39-10-4.

     

    Columbus

    The Blue Jackets also possess an all-world goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky. Aquired from the Philadelphia Flyers a few season ago, Bobrovsky has done absolutely a goaltender can do and won a Vezina trophy along the way. The one thing missing from his resume is a Stanley Cup, same as his counterpart Vasilevskiy. Bobrovsky has been one of the best goaltenders in the regular season over the past few seasons but the knock on him is that he hasn’t been able to get it done in the playoffs. This year he will look to change that. This season he sported a .913 save percentage to go along with 2.58 goals against average. He sported a record of 37-24-1.

     

    Who’s got the Edge?

    Just like the last two categories, I have to give this one to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Vasilevskiy is the better goaltender and could very well win the Vezina trophy this year. He has shown up in the playoffs, even if he hasn’t won the big one just yet. Bobrovsky has consistently been a let down in the playoffs and until he proves otherwise this will be a big knock on him. This category is actually a lot closer than most people think since both goaltenders are quite good but the edge goes to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

     

    Series Prediction

    The Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets in 5 games
    Columbus may steal a game here but this is the Tampa Bay Lightning’s series to lose. They are just deep, and they have arguably one of the best put together teams of all time. With players like Kucherov, Stamkos, Point, Hedman, McDonagh, Sergachev, and an all world goaltender in Vasilevskiy it will just be too much for the Blue Jackets to overcome. The Blue Jackets did all they could to bolster up at the deadline but they run into the buzzsaw that’s the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sorry Columbus, Tampa is about to unleash their full power in the playoffs.

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – St. Louis Blues v. Winnipeg Jets

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – St. Louis Blues v. Winnipeg Jets

    “When I look at [the Stanley Cup], I also see lots of magic moments. I see the dreams of thousands of young people who, at least once, have pictured themselves at hockey’s ultimate moment of triumph, hoisting the Stanley Cup.” — Ken Dryden, 6-time Stanley Cup Winner, lawyer.

     

    We sit here today, a far cry from my last article, impelling St. Louis Blues’ executives to rid the team of Doug Armstrong – architect of a team full of effete players with a poor attitude spreading like a pestilence through the locker room. Blues fans were consigned to ennui and despair with, at best, a chance to draft Jack Hughes.

     

    But I was wrong (though you’ll never get me to admit it). Today, April 10, this new, resurgent version of the Blues begins their quest for the Cup against the Winnipeg Jets. Both teams finished the regular season at 99 points, with the Blues having a record of 1-2-1. That might not seem particularly lopsided, but it was with the Jets winning 5-1, a laughable 8-4, and, what might have been the Blues’ worst loss of the season, a 5-4 OT loss when leading 3-1 going in to the third.

     

    All that said, the firing of Mike Yeo marked an important epoch in the Blues’ season. Since taking over, the Blues have gone 38-19-6 under new coach Craig Berube, good for a .651 points percentage. Contrast this to the Jets, who have posted only 35 wins during that time, and the disparity only grows once a grace period is accounted for to give Berube time to implement his system. Since January 1, the Blues have been one of the, if not the, best teams in the league. Unfortunately, the Blues and Jets have not matched up since December 7 (thank you, NHL?), so it is hard to use results of head-to-head matchups to offer predictive value for the playoffs.

     

    Regardless, one key for the Blues to win this series is to contain Patrick Laine. As one of the game’s elite scorers, he torched the Blues for 6 goals in 4 games, including a 5 goal performance. Even looking outside of this season, Laine has scored 13 goals against the Blues in his short, three-year career.

     

    As far as offensive production, the Blues season stands or falls on the production of the top line of Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Brayden Schenn. According to Murat Ates, who covers the Jets for The Athletic (a great follow on Twitter for those looking for a perspective from the Jets, @WPGMurat), 5 on 5, O’Reilly, Tarasenko & Schenn have a mark of 55.8 xG% and 22-9 lead in goals scored. Their+13 goal differential is 8th best line in the NHL. As a comparison: Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Blake Wheeler finished the year as a -6 as a line.

     

    Simply put: Line 1 bad = loss.

     

    A wildcard to some, though not to me, is rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington. Binnington who has put up an out-of-this world 1.89 GAA, .927 save percentage, and 24-5-1 (!!!) record this season, but has yet to start a playoff game. Fresh in the mind of all fatalistic Blues fans (myself included), is the disastrous performance of playoff neophyte Roman Turek back in 2000. A series of unfortunate events, too numerous and disheartening to rehash, led to an early exit and a shortened career for Turek because he was never able to fully, and consistently, recover. My hope is that even if some minor things go wrong for Binnington, he has an unyielding calmness that gives me great confidence that he will be able to weather any storm and play valiantly regardless of circumstance.

     

    So here we go. One more year. One more chance. I’ll watch. I’ll hope – just as I’ve done every year since 1993 – that the Blues can muster the strength to string together 16 wins. I’ll predict that they’ll be the one team left at the top of the mountain at the end, and tell you all that I am but simply part of the clerisy if they are.

     

    And if not, I don’t want to talk about it.

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Dallas Stars v. Nashville Predators

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Dallas Stars v. Nashville Predators

    Today we are going to take a look at the First Round match-up between the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars

     

    How We Got Here:

    The Nashville Predators come into this series winning the Central Division, with a record of 47-29-6 (100 pts) and the Dallas Stars getting the first wild card spot in the Western Conference with a record of 43-32-7.

    In the five match-ups between the two teams this season, the Nashville Predators had a record of 3-2-0 with the Dallas Stars having a record of 2-1-2.

     

    The Season Overview:

    While the Nashville Predators were not as dominant as the were last year when they won the President’s Trophy with the NHL’s best record, Nashville would win the Central Division again this season.

    Nashville did have the injury bug hit them during the season with defenceman P.K. Subban missing 19 games with an upper body injury and forward Viktor Arvidsson missing 21 games with a thumb injury, the Predators would finish off the season strong, going 8-2-1 in the teams final games.  Forward Filip Forsberg would also miss 17 games with an upper body injury during the season as well.

    For the Dallas Stars, they did everything they could to hold off the Colorado Avalanche from getting the top wild card spot by winning five of their last seven contests (5-1-1).

    On the defensive side of the puck, the Stars allowed the second fewest goals against per game (2.44) and in doing so goaltenders Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin were in the mix for the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals allowed until the latter part of the season.

     

    Game Changers:

    Nashville:  While Filip Forsberg was not the top point scorer this season, Forsberg still brings on a high energy to the team and will look to break out during this matchup.  Forsberg also had a few highlight-reel goals during the 2018 playoffs and will look to add to his post-season point total with 42 points (22 goals and 20 assists) in the 55 Stanley Cup Playoff games that he has played thus far.

    Dallas:  Mats Zuccarello was acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers on February 23rd for a conditional second round 2019 draft pick and a conditional third round 2020 NHL Draft pick, but Zuccarello has not played a full game for the team.  However, when Zuccarello has been in action, he has looked good, scoring three points (one goal, two assists) in two games, and has 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 60 NHL playoff games.

    Advantage:  Nashville

     

    Goaltenders:

    Nashville: Pekka Rinne, once again, had an excellent season by going 30-19-4 with a GAA of 2.42 and a .918 save percentage.  Rinne will look to have solid back-up in the net with Jusse Saros.  Saros had a good season as the back-up, going 17-10-4 with a 2.62 GAA and a .915 save percentage.

    Dallas:  Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin had a great season teaming up in net, coming close to winning the William M. Jennings trophy, given to the goaltenders for allowing the fewest goals during the regular season, until they would fall toward the end of the season.  Bishop had a record of 27-15-2 with a 1.98 GAA and an NHL best save percentage of .934.  Bishop would also miss 16 games during the season due to injuries, but he will look to be 100% healthy during the postseason.  Backup goaltender Anton Khudobin would go on to have a record of 16-17-5 with a 2.57 GAA and a .923 save percentage with two shutouts.

    Advantage: Even

     

    The Teams Will Win If:

    Nashville:  The special teams come out strong after finishing in last place on the power play with a 12.9% and keep the Stars from scoring.  The Predators had a strong Penalty Kill, ranking sixth in the NHL with a 82.1% percentage on the PK.

    Dallas:  The Stars will win if they can get firepower scoring to match up with the goaltending during the season.  Dallas finished 29th in the NHL with 2.55 goals per game and will look to improve and come out scoring early and often against a strong goaltender in Pekka Rinne.

     

    Series Prediction: Nashville in 6

     

    First Round Schedule is as follows (times are in ET):

    Wednesday, April 10, 9:30 p.m.: Dallas Stars @ Nashville Predators | USA, SN1, TVA Sports

    Saturday, April 13, 6 p.m.: Dallas Stars @ Nashville Predators | CNBC, SN, TVA Sports

    Monday, April 15, 9:30 p.m.: Nashville Predators @ Dallas Stars| NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports

    Wednesday, April 17, 8 p.m. Nashville Predators @ Dallas Stars| USA, SN, TVA Sports

    *Saturday, April 20, TBD: Dallas Stars @ Nashville Predators | TBD

    *Monday, April 22, TBD: Nashville Predators @ Dallas Stars| TBD

    *Wednesday, April 24, TBD: Dallas Stars @ Nashville Predators | TBD
    *-if necessary

     

     

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Pittsburgh Penguins v. New York Islanders

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Pittsburgh Penguins v. New York Islanders

    The NHL Playoffs kicks off this Wednesday. In this match up, we have two Metro division rivals squaring off against each other. The Islanders boast a record of 48-27-7 (103 Points) and finished 2nd in the division. While the Penguins have a record of 44-26-12 (100 Points) finishing 3rd in the division.

    The Penguins and the Islanders split the season series against each other 2 games apiece. In the first meeting on October 30th, the Islanders defeated the Penguins 6-3, then followed that up with a 3-2 victory in the shootout, just two days later. It wouldn’t be until December before the two teams would square off again, and it was the Penguins that were victorious, beating the Islanders 6-2 on December 6th. 4 days later, the two teams would square off for the final time in the regular season, and it was the Penguins who came out on top, a 2-1 shootout victory for them.

    The last time the Penguins and the Islanders played against each other in the playoffs, it was 6 years ago, way back in 2013. It was the Penguins who won the series, 4 – 2. It should be of note, that the game winning overtime goal in that series was provided by current Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8I7qIkugQ

    Keys to Victory for the Islanders

    • Use the home ice to their advantage. In round 1, the Islanders will be playing at Nassau Coliseum. Historically, the Islanders do well in this barn, and should take full advantage of the amped up crowd.
    • Shot blocking. One of the main reasons for the Islanders resurgence this season is their commitment to defense. They need to muck up the lanes and get in front of the puck.
    • Goaltending. Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss won the William Jennings trophy for least goals allowed. They are both playing really well and will need to step up big time for the Isles going forward.

    Players to Watch

    Matthew Barzal (F)

    Robin Lehner (G)

    Devon Toews (D)

    Keys to Victory for the Penguins

    • Experience. The Penguins have made it to the playoffs for the last 13 consecutive seasons. Really impressive, because in those 13 years, they have won 3 Stanley Cups during that time.

    • Power plays. The Penguins ranked 7th in the NHL in power play percentage during the regular season. If the power play can continue with this trend, there are going to be some big opportunities for the star players to score some big goals.
    • Penalty Kill. As well as their power play has been, their penalty kill is also good. The Penguins are tied for the 3rd best penalty kill in the league. Special teams always is a difference maker in the playoffs.

    Players to Watch

    Sidney Crosby (F)

    Matt Murray (G)

    Evgeny Malkin (F)

    Here is what the schedule of the series looks like:

  • NHL Draft Lottery Results are in…..

    NHL Draft Lottery Results are in…..

    One of the biggest events of the season the NHL Draft Lottery has taken place tonight and it added a little drama to the night for the Ottawa Senators as they eagerly awaited to see if they traded away the #1 overall draft pick to the Colorado Avalanche as a part of the Matt Duchene deal. Well, they don’t need to wait any longer the results are in and they look like this…

    15th – Montreal Canadiens

    14th – Arizona Coyotes

    13th – Florida Panthers

    12th – Minnesota Wild (Down 1 Spot)

    11th – Philadelphia Flyers (Down 1 Spot)

    10th – Vancouver Canucks (Down 1 Spot)

    9th – Anaheim Ducks (Down 1 Spot)

    8th – Edmonton Oilers (Down 1 Spot)

    7th – Buffalo Sabres (Down 2 Spots)

    6th – New York Rangers (Down 2 Spots)

    5th – LA Kings (Down 3 Spots)

    4th – Colorado Avalanche (Down 3 Spots)

    3rd – Chicago Blackhawks (were 12th)

    2nd – New York Rangers (were 6th)

    1st – New Jersey Devils (were 3rd)

    So there you have it the NHL draft has an amazing outcome and the AVS and the Kings drop out of the top 3 and the Hawks and Rangers Jump in.

     

  • NHL Suspends Slava Voynov for 2019-20 Season and Entire 2020 Playoffs

    In breaking news, it was announced today that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has suspended defenseman Slava Voynov for the entire 2019-20 NHL season, as well as the entire 2020 NHL Playoffs for his Domestic Violence charges back in 2014.

     

    Voynov, who was suspended indefinitely back on October 20th, 2014, was charged with a felony charge of corporal injury to a spouse. While his wife defended him, Voynov would plead no contest to the charges and serve 90 days in jail and 3 years on probabtion. However, the conviction was expunged from his record thus opening the door for his potential return to the NHL.

     

    In Bettman’s statement announcing Voynov’s year long suspension, he had the following to say:

    IMG_20190409_162919

     

    Now many will want to compare this case to that of Auston Watson’s from earlier this season, but the two are completely separate cases. While what Watson did is wrong, the initial 27 game suspension was correct for him and his actions. For Voynov, we are talking about an individual who beat his wife bloodly and had her hospitalized. Voynov has been gone now for five seasons, and with this new suspension, will be banned from the League for a total of six years.

     

    While I agree with the notion that Voynov should never play in the NHL ever again, when you look at this punishment that totals 6 years of his NHL career gone because of his actions, I’m ok with this being a one year suspension.

     

    Now with that said there are some serious questions that need to be asked, and the first one that comes to everyone’s mind is will this be appealed? We’ve seen two suspensions shortened this season for Watson and Tom Wilson, but will we see one for Voynov? This is a very unprecedented event taking place, and the only thing I can think of that is remotely close to this is back in 2000 when Marty McSorley was suspended for his assault on Donald Brashear during a game that brought criminal charges. However, once McSorley’s suspension was doled out it effectively ended his career as he was nearing retirement at the time of his transgressions. If we get an appeal, it will be one of the most interesting cases that we will have upon us, but at this point and given the situation, an appeal should not be entertained.

     

    Another question that is being asked is should any teams entertain the thought of signing Voynov? As mentioned earlier, Voynov will have been out of the NHL for 6 years come July 2020, and he has been playing in the KHL, but it’s not the same as playing in the NHL. Plus you have to look at any backlash that an organization may face just for even considering the notion of signing him.  It’s a very slippery slope for any team to appraoch.

     

    Lastly, a question that needs to be answered is will Voynov be allowed to play anywhere while he is suspended from the NHL for the 2019-20 season and playoffs? This is a very interesting topic, as normally when you are suspended you are not allowed to play, but Voynov is currently a free agent because of the Los Angeles Kings voiding his contract back in 2014. So will Voynov be allowed to play in say the American Hockey League or even back in Russia in the KHL? My assumption would be that he would not be allowed to play as he is in fact suspended, but only time will tell in that regard.

     

    In my humble and honest opinion I agree with the suspension that has been doled out here today by Gary Bettman. Six years is a very long time to be away from the League, and by the time July 1st, 2020 comes around interest in Voynov could die completely and he just goes away.

     

    Got any comments? Share away, but please do keep it civil.

  • TXHT Appearance! – Michael Lindenbaum joins Mike Jones on “Whatcha Playing”

    TXHT Appearance! – Michael Lindenbaum joins Mike Jones on “Whatcha Playing”

    TXHT is proud to announce that Michael Lindenbaum is on the latest episode of “Whatcha Playing” with Mike Jones of DC101.

     

    Michael and Mike talk about SoulCalibur VI, as well as some WWE and NHL gaming.

     

    You can listen to the episode here.

     

    TXHT would like to thank Mike Jones and DC101 for having Michael on “Whatcha Playing”.

     

    You can catch Michael and his gaming adventures on his returning Twitch show “X75 Unsanctioned” in the near future. Stay tuned for more details!

  • Game Recap – 4/6/2019 – New York Islanders v. Washington Capitals – Regular Season Finale

    Game Recap – 4/6/2019 – New York Islanders v. Washington Capitals – Regular Season Finale

    Washington Capitals (48-26-8 104pts) v. New York Islanders (48-27-7 103pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    Tonight, both the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders conclude their regular season against each other as they prepare for the Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning next week.  The first period was a very sleep one between both teams as it ended with a 0-0 tie going into the 2nd.

     

    In the second period, the Islanders got on the board first with a goal by Valteri Filpula at the 2:55 mark.  That would be the only goal for the period.  After two periods, the Islanders would lead 1-0 over the Capitals.

     

    Valteri Filpula of the Islanders would add his second goal of the game to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead at the 10:54 mark.  Matt Martin would seal the victory for the Islanders as he scored an empty net goal to make it 3-0.  Up next for the Capitals and Islanders is the Stanley Cup playoffs which begin next week.  The Capitals this past week clinched the Metropolitan Division and will square off against the Carolina Hurricanes as they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins gaining one point to lock up the third spot in the division.  The Islanders will square off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round as a result of the Penguins gaining an additional point in the standings.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin-Evgeny Kuznetsov-Tom Wilson

    Carl Hagelin-Lars Eller-Brett Connolly

    Jakub Vrana-Travis Boyd-Dmitrij Jaskin

    Andre Burakovsky-Nic Dowd-Chandler Stephenson

    Dmitri Orlov-Matt Niskanen

    Jonas Siegenthaler-Nic Jensen

    Brooks Orpik-Christian Djoos

    Starter: Phoenix Copley

    Scratches: TJ Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson

     

    New York Islanders:

    Anders Lee-Mathew barzal-Jordan Eberle

    Josh Bailey-Brock Nelson-Tomas Kunhackly

    Anthony Beauvillier-Valteri Filpula-Leo Komarov

    Matt Martin-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck

    Nic Leddy-Johnny Boychuk

    Adam Pelech-Ryan Pulock

    Devon Toewes-Scott Mayfield

    Starter- Robin Lenher

    Backup- Thomas Greiss

    Scratches: Michael Dal Cole,Ross Johnston, Thomas Hickey, Dennis Seidenberg,Luca Sbisa, Andrew Ladd 

     

    First Period:

    N/A

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 0       NYI – 0

    Shots              8                     8

    Faceoffs         7/12                5/12

    PP                 0/0                    0/0

     

    Second Period:

    Washington Penalty-4:50- Carl Hagelin, 2 minutes for Hooking

    New York Goal-2:55- Valteri Filpula (16) assisted by Devon Toewes (13) & Anthony Beauvillier (10)

    New York Penalty-13:23- Devon Toewes, 2 minutes for Holding 

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 0        NYI- 1

    Shots             18                     14

    Faceoffs        16/27             11/27

    PP                 0/1                    0/1

     

    Third Period:

    New York Penalty-6:30- Ryan Pullock, 2 minutes for Hooking

    New York Goal-10:54- Valteri Filpula (17) assisted by Adam Pelech (16) & Leo Komarov (20)

    New York Goal (empty net)-17:27- Matt Martin (6) assisted by Casey Cizikas (13) & Cal Clutterbuck (15)

    End of 3rd – WAS – 0         NYI- 3

    Shots              24                   29

    Faceoffs        22/46              24/46                    

    PP                 0/1                    0/2

     

    Next Up-Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1:

    Washington Capitals v.s Carolina Hurricanes

     

    New York Islanders v.s Pittsburgh Penguins

     

  • April 7th, 2019 — News and Notes

    April 7th, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Sunday, April 7th, 2019, and these are your news and notes covering the final day of the 2018-2019 Regular Season in the NHL.

     

    There were 15 contests yesterday across the NHL, with playoff implications on the line.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Yesterday’s Results (Home team is in CAPS):

    Tampa Bay 6, BOSTON 3


    *Images are the property of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The Tampa Bay Lightning would get their 62nd win on the season, tying an NHL record with the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings, when they defeated the Boston Bruins with a 6-3 win yesterday afternoon.  Tampa Bay would get this win after being down 2-0 late in the second period and would score four unanswered goals before Boston would score in the third period to make it a 4-3 Tampa Bay lead. Tampa Bay would score two more goals, one being an empty netter late in the third, to give the Lightning a 6-3 win.

     

     

    Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov would set a record for points by a Russian NHL player with 128 points this season, when he registered his 41st goal on the season 53 seconds into the third period.

     

     

     

    ST. LOUIS 3, Vancouver 2 (SO)

     

    The St. Louis Blues would take down the Vancouver Canucks with a 3-2 win in a shootout and with the win, the St. Louis Blues would seal the third spot in the Central Division standings.

     

     

    Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson would score his 28th goal on the season and ended the season with 66 points, a rookie record for a Canucks player.

     

     

     

    MONTREAL 6, Toronto 5 (SO)

     

     

    The Montreal Canadiens would defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 6-5 shootout win, thanks to a hat trick by Ryan Poehling in his first NHL game.

     

     

    In this back and forth contest, the Toronto Maple Leafs could not keep up with the upbeat Canadiens and would fall in the shootout loss.  However, despite the loss, the Maple Leafs would earn 100 points on the season, and it would be the first time Toronto would earn that mark in consecutive seasons.

     

     

     

    Columbus 6, OTTAWA 2

     

     

    The Columbus Blue Jackets would seal their spot in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 6-2 win over the Ottawa Senators yesterday.  This would also be a penalty free game from both teams.

     

    Buffalo 7, DETROIT 1

     

     

    The Buffalo Sabres would face off against the Detroit Red Wings and would end up crushing Detroit with a 7-1 win last night.

     

     

    Detroit’s lone goal in the contest would come on a power play goal in the first period with Anthony Mantha’s 25th goal on the season, setting a career-high.

     

     

     

    New Jersey 4, FLORIDA 3 (OT)

     

    Travis Zajac would score the game winner in overtime, his 19th goal on the season, to give the New Jersey Devils the 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers last night.

    New Jersey ends the season with 31-41-10 record, whereas the Florida Panthers end their season with a record of 36-32-14 0y 4 /8

     

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1114708929773174784

     

    Carolina 4, PHILADELPHIA 3

     

     

     

    Despite being outshot in the contest, the Carolina Hurricanes would go on to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3.  With the win by the Carolina Hurricanes, they earned the top wild card spot and will face the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.

     

    NY Rangers 4, PITTSBURGH 3 (OT)

     


    *Image is the property of the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The Pittsburgh Penguins would fall to the New York Rangers yesterday, losing by the score of 4-3 in overtime last night.

     

    NY Islanders 3, WASHINGTON 0

     

    The Washington Capitals would fall to the New York Islanders with a 3-0 loss.  Despite the loss the Capitals will face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Islanders will face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

     

     

     

    NASHVILLE 5, Chicago 2

     

     

    The Nashville Predators would defeat the Chicago Blackhawks last night with a 5-2 win last night thanks to goals by five different Nashville skaters.

     

    With the Nashville win, they would go on to become back-to-back Central Division champions.

     

     

    DALLAS 3, Minnesota 0

     

    The Dallas Stars would defeat the Minnesota Wild with a 3-0 win, thanks to two goals from Dallas F Tyler Seguin.  Seguin would bring his regular season goal total to 33 goals, matching a mark he had in the 2015-16 season.

     

    The Minnesota Wild would be outshot throughout the entire contest and never could catch up to physicality and overall play of the Stars.

     

     

    Edmonton 3, CALGARY 1

    The Edmonton Oilers would defeat the Calgary Flames with a 3-1 win thanks to Leon Draisaitl’s 50th goal on the season as well as Alex Chiasson’s 22nd goal on the season.

     

    Calgary’s lone goal would come from Mark Jankowski, his 14th goal on the season, in the first period of the contest.  After that goal by the Flames, they would not any answer for the Oilers.

     


    *Image is the property of the Calgary Flames, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    Winnipeg 4, ARIZONA 2

     

    The Winnipeg Jets faced off against the Arizona Coyotes and would escape with a 4-2 win last night.

    There would be four different goal scorers for the Jets in the contest and it would be enough to clinch home ice for at least the first round of the playoffs.

     

    LOS ANGELES 5, Vegas 2

     

    The Los Angeles Kings would face off against the Vegas Golden Knights and escape with a convincing 5-2 win.

     

    Los Angeles Ilya Kovalchuk would score twice and with goals by Jeff Carter, Matt Roy, and Anze Kopitar, the Kings would end their season a win.

     

    For the Golden Knights, despite the loss to the Kings, their season will continue when they face off against the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

     

     

    SAN JOSE 5, Colorado 2

     


    *Image is the property of the San Jose Sharks, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    The San Jose Sharks would go on to defeat the Colorado Avalanche by the score of 5-2 thanks to scorers from five different Sharks players in the contest.

     

     

    For more news, notes, information, and statistics, you can check out the NHL’s Morning Skate Report at the following link:

     

    5802__stanley_cup_playoffs-wordmark-2019

     

    The First Round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff schedule was also announced earlier today.

     


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     


    *Images are the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

    TXHT will have a full playoff preview episode and articles to come so make sure to stay tuned.