by Sean Murphy
Wednesday, Nov 29, 2023The dark cloud just won't go away in Chicago as the Blackhawks are mired in another controversy - this time involving the release of veteran Corey Perry following an incident that's shrouded in secrecy. That's the story that's grabbed headlines this week but here's a look at four more useful tidbits from around the league as we approach the start of December.
Kane is able?
The Red Wings made a splash on Tuesday, signing future Hall-of-Famer Patrick Kane who is coming off offseason hip surgery and based on his play after joining the Rangers last season, doesn't have a whole lot of tread left on his tires. If nothing else, Kane provides some additional veteran leadership in the dressing room for a young Red Wings squad that has already made positive strides this season, starting 11-7-2. How productive Kane can be remains to be seen but Detroit is certainly on an upswing as it heads into a stretch that will see it play three of its next four games on the road.
All hail the Kings
Yes, we're talking about the Kings again this week as their red hot run continues. Los Angeles has reeled off five straight victories, allowing a grand total of just five goals over that stretch. On the season, the Kings have outscored the opposition by an average margin of 1.5 goals, noting that they're putting up an impressive 4.0 goals per contest. They'll have another two opportunities to pad their stats at home against the Capitals and Avalanche this week before heading out on the road for four straight, all in the Eastern time zone.
Pittsburgh power outage
The Penguins have had a miserable time offensively, scoring just 14 goals over their last seven games, going 2-5 over that stretch. In an interesting scheduling quirk, their next four games will come against the Lightning and Flyers, including two games in Tampa. With the Metropolitan Division appearing ultra-competitive this season, Pittsburgh will need to turn it around in a hurry, noting that it currently sits in seventh-place in the division, just three points clear of the last-place Blue Jackets. The good news is, a single victory could leap-frog the Pens all the way to third with the Flyers currently holding down that position with only 23 points.
Not so golden?
The Golden Knights were the talk of the league earlier this season, looking very much like the team to beat as they defend their Stanley Cup crown. While Vegas still sits in first-place in the NHL, it has run into a rough patch, securing just one victory in its last six games. Of course it's worth noting that three of the Knights five defeats over that stretch came by way of overtime or a shootout including the latter on Tuesday night in Edmonton. Following Thursday's stop in Vancouver, the Knights will play six of their next eight games at home and they will likely be heavily-favored in all six of those contests on the Strip.
Kane is able?
The Red Wings made a splash on Tuesday, signing future Hall-of-Famer Patrick Kane who is coming off offseason hip surgery and based on his play after joining the Rangers last season, doesn't have a whole lot of tread left on his tires. If nothing else, Kane provides some additional veteran leadership in the dressing room for a young Red Wings squad that has already made positive strides this season, starting 11-7-2. How productive Kane can be remains to be seen but Detroit is certainly on an upswing as it heads into a stretch that will see it play three of its next four games on the road.
All hail the Kings
Yes, we're talking about the Kings again this week as their red hot run continues. Los Angeles has reeled off five straight victories, allowing a grand total of just five goals over that stretch. On the season, the Kings have outscored the opposition by an average margin of 1.5 goals, noting that they're putting up an impressive 4.0 goals per contest. They'll have another two opportunities to pad their stats at home against the Capitals and Avalanche this week before heading out on the road for four straight, all in the Eastern time zone.
Pittsburgh power outage
The Penguins have had a miserable time offensively, scoring just 14 goals over their last seven games, going 2-5 over that stretch. In an interesting scheduling quirk, their next four games will come against the Lightning and Flyers, including two games in Tampa. With the Metropolitan Division appearing ultra-competitive this season, Pittsburgh will need to turn it around in a hurry, noting that it currently sits in seventh-place in the division, just three points clear of the last-place Blue Jackets. The good news is, a single victory could leap-frog the Pens all the way to third with the Flyers currently holding down that position with only 23 points.
Not so golden?
The Golden Knights were the talk of the league earlier this season, looking very much like the team to beat as they defend their Stanley Cup crown. While Vegas still sits in first-place in the NHL, it has run into a rough patch, securing just one victory in its last six games. Of course it's worth noting that three of the Knights five defeats over that stretch came by way of overtime or a shootout including the latter on Tuesday night in Edmonton. Following Thursday's stop in Vancouver, the Knights will play six of their next eight games at home and they will likely be heavily-favored in all six of those contests on the Strip.
