Quick hits on what was widely considered the NHL’s toughest division in pre-season predictions.
Boston Bruins: Man, does it feel weird to not see Zdeno Chara with a B on his chest. Despite his departure, the Bruins defense has been impressive led by Charlie McAvoy who has 8 points in 9 games. The Bruins have only conceded 20 goals and boasting a goal differential of +10, good for first in the division.
Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand are still doing their thing, putting up great consistent points so far, but the Bruins will need more scoring from their depth going forward to maintain success and climb towards the top spot in the division. Jake DeBrusk and Ondrej Kase have been less than inspiring so far, although they’ve only played a handful of games each. However, if Tuukka Rask and the defensemen in front of him keep playing like this in their own end, the Bruins will certainly be one of the four teams headed to the playoffs from the East division.
Buffalo Sabres: New year, new Sabres? Despite starting off the year 1-4-0, the Sabres have rallied and started to gain momentum under coach Ralph Krueger. They rank in the top-third of the league in shots on goal, power play percentage, and penalty kill percentage. Taylor Hall has fit like a glove with 9 points in 10 games played, regaining some of that MVP magic he had just a few seasons ago. Victor Olofsson has continued to prove himself as well with 10 points in 10 games, and Jack Eichel is, well, Jack Eichel.
It seems as if the Sabres have found their new answer in net as well, as Linus Ullmark has been solid, while Carter Hutton has left more to be desired. I think if the Sabres can find a way to get Jeff Skinner going (whose contract is looking worse by the day), they can really unlock the next level of potential in their offense. Same goes for Casey Mittelstadt, as he has had a difficult time in his young NHL career after being so brilliant for the U.S. in the World Juniors just a few years ago. Look for the Sabres to be a team that may not make the playoffs this year, but one that will definitely put up more respectable performances than years past.
New Jersey Devils: The now Lindy Ruff led Devils have been a pleasant surprise thus far. Despite losing star goalie MacKenzie Blackwood (who has posted a .948% save percentage in three appearances), the Devils rallied around not only Scott Wedgewood but early season waiver claim Eric Comrie. Blackwood was likely nearing his return to the team before it was announced the Devils’ season will be on pause through at least their scheduled February 6th matchup against the Rangers.
Ty Smith has been excellent, as the 2018 first-round pick has put up 8 points in 9 games, placing him amongst the early season Calder Trophy candidates. Jack Hughes has looked like a totally different player, and I can’t help myself but to say he reminds me of fellow American first overall pick Patrick Kane with his acceleration, finesse, and creativity. Depth scoring has been key, but the Devils must get their special teams play under control, as they rank 29th and 26th in the league respectively in penalty kill and power play percentages. When Nico Hischier comes back and Sami Vatanen slots in, expect both of those departments to improve.
New York Islanders: No panic buttons here, but is there cause for some concern? Of course. The Islanders are coming off of a five game skid, and can’t consistently score goals. They’re actually ranked 29th in the league so far and outside of the usual suspects like Mat Barzal and Anders Lee, there isn’t much to see. There are currently 12 players on the Islanders roster that have played at least a game that are yet to register a goal, and eight players that have been held pointless. I really thought that the Islanders would have come away with one of Mike Hoffman or Evgenii Dadonov this offseason to help scoring issues, but I would look for them to add via trade at some point.
Outside of their offensive woes, the Islanders have been their usual selves. They’ve been playing tight systematic hockey in their own end as per usual under coach Barry Trotz, and Semyon Varlamov has continued to be a calming presence in net. If the Islanders can find some scoring rhythm and get rookie netminder Ilya Sorokin in form, look for the Islanders to be fighting towards the top at the end of the season.
New York Rangers: The season is certainly young, but David Quinn must be feeling the heat a bit. He has failed to get his young guns Alexis Lafreniere and Kappo Kakko going, Mika Zibanejad is struggling offensively, and the goaltending has been pedestrian. All of this, and then you throw the Tony DeAngelo situation into the mix and boy is it a mess. Despite that, the Rangers have played a little bit better lately and aren’t some large sum of points below everyone else.
Besides some of the negativity on Broadway right now, there is one star that shines bright enough to put on the top of the Rockefeller Christmas tree, and that’s K’Andre Miller. I’ve had the pleasure of watching him when he was playing for the 2019 U.S. IIHF WJC team and have had the chance to check out his play with the Rangers, and the fans have to be ecstatic to have him so far. He’s menacingly big, skates well, and already looks like a veteran. They will certainly need him to continue this kind of play, because this team will not get it done with the Jack Johnson’s and Anthony Bitetto’s of the world playing top-4 minutes.
Philadelphia Flyers: I will say it upfront, this team is scary. I mean like, deep playoff run scary. And the scariest part? Carter Hart has put up a .900% save percentage and Sean Couturier has only played 2 games, and they’re still 7-2-1. There is scoring all over that forward group and they are clicking. Heck, even James van Riemsdyk has 13 points in 10 games(!) after leaving some to be desired the past few seasons. The craziest thing is they rank 30th in the league in shots on goal and are still scoring goals at a great clip. I really don’t even think there’s much to be said about this team: they mean business and will only get better.
Shoutout to Oscar Lindblom for beating cancer and now getting back playing a pivotal role for the Flyers after uncertainty over his career (and for a short while, his chances at beating the cancer) at the time of his diagnosis. *stick taps*
Pittsburgh Penguins: What’s next for the team in the Steel City? Jim Rutherford has resigned from his role as the GM of the Penguins, creating uncertainty as they scramble to hire a new GM in what has been reported to be in the next three weeks. Rumors were flying that Rutherford wanted to trade long-time Penguin Kris Letang (possibly for Vince Dunn from the Blues) and the disconnect between the GM and the ownership group on this ordeal led to his resignation. You have to think that Rutherford may have had a point though, is it time for the Penguins to do a re-tool, and even trade a star or two? Some of the rumors or speculation that is flying around seems a bit outlandish to me, like trading Sidney Crosby to COL or MTL, but I would definitely entertain offers on Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The prospect pool needs to be replenished and there needs to be an answer found in net as the Jarry-DeSmith experiment looks more like a failure as each game is played. Yet the Penguins are in the thick of it and still winning games. A haze holds over Pittsburgh right now, and I think a lot of people are waiting to see what the situation looks like when this all clears up.
Washington Capitals: The Caps are BACK. There’s really not even a lot to say here: goals are being scored, the power play is clicking, and goalies are having nightmares about playing this team. Peter Laviolette looks to be a good hire so far as the Capitals are looking much more like the pre-Todd Reirden team. Even after missing Alex Ovechkin and a handful of other key players due to COVID-19, they didn’t miss a beat and sit 2nd in the division. Vitek Vanecek has been great in net and John Carlson is stacking up points just like last year, providing scoring from the blue line. This will be a fun team to watch this year.
One additional note, best wishes to all of the NHL players affected by COVID-19 right now. Large outbreaks have impacted the seasons of the Devils, Sabres, and Islanders. This disease is very serious and has claimed or impacted the lives of many. Hoping for both a speedy and full recovery for not only those NHL players dealing with COVID-19, but all of those in the world. Be safe.