NHL Weekender: Pens closing the gap on the Caps
At the end of every workweek, Yardbarker takes a look at what the NHL has in store for the weekend. We'll see whose stock is soaring, who needs to get their acts together and what tilts promise to keep you on the edge of your seat. In this week's edition, Eastern Conference competition gets tighter, and we see another team at the forefront of trade talks.
Who's on fire
To be honest, all the top teams in the East are hot, rolling on winning streaks — we'll get to the Maple Leafs and their four-game roll in just a bit — but the one team that comes as a bit of a surprise is the Penguins. After a sluggish first half of the season, Pittsburgh has finally picked up some steam. The defending champs have won three straight in their recent 8-2-0 run in their last 10 games and have pushing themselves into a legit playoff spot. They have steep competition on the horizon, however, with bouts against the Capitals, Devils and Golden Knights on the docket.
Coincidentally, the Pens' Stanley Cup Final combatant from last year is doing big things out west. The Predators have gone 7-2-1 recently, including a 5-0 spanking of the L.A. Kings Thursday night. Perhaps the only team more impressive in the Western Conference right now is Las Vegas, who just broke the mold for most wins by a team in its inaugural season.
Who's on a skid
After getting a good winning streak going, the Philadelphia Flyers' jets have cooled. Following a 3-2 overtime win against the Red Wings before the All-Star break, Philly has dropped three straight tilts, including a tight-knit 4-3 bout against the Devils Thursday. The Flyers have a chance to right the ship Saturday with a matinee game against the Senators.
In the West, it's been a rough couple of games for the San Jose Sharks. Team Teal has dropped three straight despite getting starting goaltender Martin Jones back in the lineup. Many want to point to the absence of big man Joe Thornton as the reason for the losses, but really lapses on defense have hurt San Jose most. The Sharks have a chance to start the weekend off on the right foot as they visit the Blue Jackets in Columbus Friday night.
Farewell, Jagr?
The departure of Jaromir Jagr to his native Czech Republic appeared to be a sign that his NHL career is over. Interestingly enough, in a recent interview Jagr said his plan is to get healthy and continue playing for a very long time. Does this mean that the door hasn't shut on the 45-year-old legend just yet? It's difficult to say.
Trade talk
Montreal continues to hold the spotlight as the trade deadline looms, but more teams are entering the sellers' circle. Most recently, the Red Wings entered the fray. There has been trade talk revolving around Detroit's net for what feels like forever now, given that the Wings seemingly have two starting goaltenders.Now more than ever, there's speculation that either Jimmy Howard or Petr Mrazek could be on the move. Mrazek will be a free agent this offseason, while Howard has one year remaining at $5.29 million.
What to watch this weekend
Capitals at Penguins, Friday 7:00 p.m. EST, ATTP, NSWA
Even if you're bored to death of the Ovi-Sid matchup, this game should be good. Pittsburgh just got hot in the last couple of weeks, while Washington has been at the top of its game all season. Plus, outside the two spotlight players, these teams don't like each other so the competition should be at an all-time high.
Leafs at Bruins, Saturday 7:00 p.m. EST, NESN
Toronto is coming off a four-game winning streak, including a 4-0 drudging of the New York Rangers Thursday night. The B's, on the other hand, used their massive winning streak at the start of the new year to jump the Leafs in the standings. Both teams should bring their A-games for the Saturday night fete.
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