Today’s action has a couple games that should be damned good.
The Nashville Predators host the Vancouver Canucks.
With two of the western conferences top five offenses, and the NHL’s top two powerplays this should hands down be the top game in the west. As a rematch of last years playoff showdown, the games don’t get much bigger. With a win, and a Detroit loss in regulation the Canucks would pull even in points with the Red Wings. If the Predators win and the Red Wings lose in regulation they inch closer to the #4 spot and home ice advantage in the west.
The Winnipeg Jets will square off with the Philadelphia Flyers.
This series has been rather high scoring this year. One of the earlier games finished 9-8. The Flyers have just reinforced with a defenseman imported from Dallas. Claude Noel‘s plea for a similar upgrade to his lineup has so far gone unheeded. Entering action today the Jets are on the outside looking in, while the Flyers claim to the number five spot is precarious.
Boston Bruins visit the St Louis Blues
This has the potential to be the game of the night. The last time the Blues were in the playoffs their rally could be dated to an improbable comeback win over the Bruins at mid season that saw them rally in the last few minutes from a multigoal deficit and end up mauling competitors right and left all the way until mid April. The Bruins are in a slump that started with ugly, sloppy wins in late December and turned to uglier losses in January and since. Being shutout three times in the last handful of games is going to leave any team a bit vexed, add in the fireworks that have happened between these two teams in the past and its all likely to break loose. The Blues have recently had Andy McDonald and David Perron (@DP_57) restored to their lineup. In the five games since his return McDonald has four points including goals in each of the last three games, Perron who played just 10 games last season and started this season on the injured reserve has 27 points in his 34 games.
With 22 teams in action today, and only 6 tomorrow, tomorrow is the more likely date for trading madness (assuming it happens) to break loose. With any luck the teams that should be selling and who will do themselves more harm than good by staying in the high teens vs sliding down further and picking up some prospects and draft picks will finally admit it. The Capitals and Avalanche at least should be in full fledged rebuild mode dumping every blight in the locker room, stat sheet or payroll for the best price they can manage. A guy worth targeting as a solid complimentary piece for the home stretch and playoffs: Jason Chimera of the Capitals.
Beware of fake twitter accounts, I’ll cheerfully mock you if it’s a bad fake you’re retweeting.
