The Buffalo Sabres will be out for blood against the Chicago Blackhawks, specifically Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Sabres will get that opportunity on Saturday, when Hjalmarsson is slated to return from a two game suspension after his hit on Jason Pominville last meeting. The Edmonton Oilers are off to a fast start, and while it won't last, the Oilers have something that they haven't had since the 2006 playoff run: hope. Yes, all eyes are on Taylor Hall, but don't be surprised if Jordan Eberle steals some of the spotlight. It's going to be a long year for the New York Islanders. Having already lost Kyle Okposo for six weeks and Mark Streit for the year, another superstar went down: John Tavares. If there was ever a time for a team to earn some amnesty from the bad breaks, it is the Islanders. The St. Louis Blues are 2-0 again this year, and with Jaroslav Halak in goal, it looks like the Blues will maintain the good times. That doesn't mean they will make the playoffs with room to spare, though, as they don't have enough offense to do so. The Tampa Bay Lightning look like a new team this year. Management that is committed to the team makes all the difference, doesn't it? Despite a 3-1 record, the Washington Capitals didn't convince me that they are worth the record. Losing to Atlanta 4-2, and one goal victories over Ottawa and a starless Islanders team have me concerned, as the Capitals still don't have the secondary scoring necessary (read: second line center). Maybe that gets resolved during the season, but until then, the questions will remain. However, Michal Neuvirth has shown flashes of being the number one goalie. When Semyon Varlamov comes back from injury, it will be interesting to see what happens there.
No comments:
Post a Comment