A Natural Hat Trick

Mighty winds are blowin in Carolina, must be another hurricane a comin'

Carolina Hurricanes

2017-18 Finish: 36-35-11, 10^th in Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, Calvin de Haan, Petr Mrazek

Noteworthy Losses: Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Cam Ward

Biggest Strength: The Hurricanes have a gifted bunch of blueliners on their roster. The group includes: Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin and Justin Faulk. They also have solid depth defenders with de Haan, Brett Pesce and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Not many teams can say that they have that kind of depth at one position. What makes their depth even more impressive is that each of those players is 27 years old or younger.

Biggest Weakness: Mrazek was brought in during the summer to push Scott Darling, who had a horrible first year in Carolina. Even with that addition, the ‘Canes still don’t have a clear-cut number one netminder that that they can rely on night in and night out. Darling might be more comfortable heading into this year, but he still has a lot to prove. For the Hurricanes to make the playoffs, they’ll need one of their netminders to step up in a big way.

Player to Watch: Rookie Andrei Svechnikov will have every opportunity to make the team out of training camp. The second overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has great offensive instincts, which should benefit the Hurricanes starting this season. Carolina has been lacking an elite scoring threat, so they have to be thrilled that they were able to add Svechnikov through the draft.

New York Islanders

2017-18 Finish: 35-37-10, 11^th in Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Leo Komarov, Valtteri Filppula, Robin Lehner

Noteworthy Losses: John Tavares, Jaroslav Halak, Calvin de Haan

Biggest Strength: Despite losing Tavares to the Maple Leafs in free agency, the Islanders still have a decent group of forwards. Mathew Barzal, Jordan Eberle, Anders Lee and Josh Bailey will lead the charge for the Isles this season. They also have some complimentary pieces like Andrew Ladd, Brock Nelson, Cal Clutterbuck, Komarov and Anthony Beauvillier. It’s tough to envision the them making the playoffs, but it won’t be because of this group of forwards.

Biggest Weakness: Goaltending has been the Islanders’ biggest weakness for the last few years. In the off-season, they allowed Halak to walk in free agency (he signed with Boston), but they brought in Lehner from the Sabres. Even with Lehner in the fold, the Islanders still don’t have a true number one goaltender. A duo of Thomas Greiss and Lehner is far from great. In order to become a good team, they’ll have to address their hole between the pipes.

Player to Watch: Bailey was one of the biggest surprises of the 2017-18 season, as he accumulated 71 points in 76 games last season. With Tavares no longer in the fold, will Bailey be able to reach those numbers again this season? Many will be inclined to say no, which is fair, but Bailey will have to deliver now that the organization lost one of their top offensive weapons in free agency.

New York Rangers

2017-18 Finish: 34-39-9, 12^th in Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Fredrik Claesson, Cody McLeod

Noteworthy Losses: David Desharnais, Ondrej Pavelec

Biggest Strength: The Rangers are going through a bit of a transition, so they don’t really have an abundance of anything, but they have a respectable group of wingers on the team. Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Spooner, Vladislav Namestnikov, Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich are all capable of chipping in offensively. Add top prospects like Lias Anderson and Filip Chytil and you have a pretty intriguing group. And some of those players can be moved to center.

Biggest Weakness: The blue line is still a question mark for the Rangers. Injuries limited Kevin Shattenkirk to just 46 games last season. He’s capable of providing offense from the back end, but he has his issues in the defensive zone. Brady Skjei is a reliable defender, but Marc Staal and Brendan Smith have seen better days. Rob O’Gara, Anthony DeAngelo and Claesson are all still relatively unproven.

Player to Watch: Kevin Hayes and the Rangers avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $5.175 million contract this summer. Agreeing to a short-term contract just means that they’ll have to revisit negotiations in the new year. The 26-year-old now has a full season to prove that he’s capable of being a top-line player at the NHL level. He had 25 goals and 44 points in 76 games last season. If he’s capable of improving those numbers, he’ll likely get himself a massive contract before or during free agency.

Vegas Golden Knights

2017-18 Finish: 51-24-7, Lost in Stanley Cup Final

Noteworthy Gains: Paul Stastny, Nick Holden

Noteworthy Losses: James Neal, David Perron

Biggest Strength: For a team entering their second year in the NHL, the Golden Knights have a pretty impressive group of centers. William Karlsson, Stastny and Cody Eakin make up one of the better groups in the Western Conference. They were good enough to help the Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup Final, but they ultimately fell a little short of their goal of winning it all. If Karlsson and Stastny can provide solid production, again, in 2018-19, Vegas should go on another long playoff run.

Biggest Weakness: It’s hard to pinpoint a weakness on an expansion team that made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. If there’s the one thing the Golden Knights are missing, it’s a true number one defenseman. They managed to make a long run without one, but they were strong contenders for Erik Karlsson’s services right before the trade deadline, so they clearly feel like they could use a top end blueliner.

Player to Watch: Instead of acquiring Karlsson, the Golden Knights traded for forward Tomas Tatar, who ended up being a disappointment and a healthy scratch in the playoffs. The 27-year-old finished with 20 goals in 82 games last year, but he had just four goals and two assists in 20 games with his new team. Vegas paid a steep price to get him from Detroit, so they’ll need him to step up. With Neal and Perron now gone, Tatar will have to find a way to get the job done.

Anaheim Ducks

2017-18 Finish: 44-25-13, first round loss to San Jose (4-0)

Noteworthy Gains: Luke Schenn, Andrej Sustr, Brian Gibbons

Noteworthy Losses: Francois Beauchemin, Antoine Vermette

Biggest Strength: The Ducks have a number of quality defensemen like Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson and Brandon Montour, and they also have a solid number-one goaltender in John Gibson and a good backup in veteran Ryan Miller. The fact that they have that kind of depth at their disposal means that they’ll probably be able to make at least one more playoff run this season.

Biggest Weakness: The Ducks are a little light when it comes to high-end forwards. Ryan Getzlaf is still an elite center, but Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler are getting up there in age. Rickard Rakell, Adam Henrique, Jakob Silfverberg and Ondrej Kase are solid options, but their scoring depth could be better. They’re still one of the better teams in the Western Conference heading into the season.

Player to Watch: Nick Ritchie is currently a restricted free agent, which means he and the Ducks still need to agree on a new contract. The 22-year-old had just 10 goals and 27 points in 76 games last season. That’s disappointing considering Anaheim used the 10^th overall pick to select in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. If he’s going to develop into an effective offensive forward, he’s going to have to do it soon.

San Jose Sharks

2017-18 Finish: 45-27-10, second round loss to Vegas (4-2)

Noteworthy Gains: None

Noteworthy Losses: Joel Ward, Eric Fehr, Jannik Hansen, Mikkel Boedker

Biggest Strength: The Sharks have a solid group of forwards led by Logan Couture, Evander Kane, Joe Pavelski, Thomas Hertl and Joe Thornton. They may not have made a huge splash in free agency, but their big acquisition came in the form of a deadline-day deal involving Kane. This group is getting older, but they should get enough offence from their key players to be competitive in the Western Conference again in 2018-19.

Biggest Weakness: Their depth on defense isn’t the greatest. Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun make up the top end of the group, but they’re followed by Brenden Dillon, Dylan DeMelo, Joakim Ryan and Tim Heed. Dillon has seen better days, while the rest of those options on the blueline are unproven. They shouldn’t rule out acquiring another defender before next year’s trade deadline.

Player to Watch: Timo Meier scored 21 goals in his first full NHL season, but the former ninth overall pick could be even better this year. He’s a big body that can skate, shoot and score, and with the rest of the key forwards getting older, he’s part of the next wave of players that will have to carry the torch once Pavelski, Thornton and company are all gone.

Los Angeles Kings

2017-18 Finish: 45-29-8, first round loss to Vegas (4-0)

Noteworthy Gains: Ilya Kovalchuk

Noteworthy Losses: Torrey Mitchell, Tobias Rieder

Biggest Strength: The Kings are rock-solid when it comes to keeping the puck out of their net. They have a solid goaltender in Jonathan Quick, forwards that are responsible defensively (Anze Kopitar is one of the best two-way players in the game), and a blueline that is more than capable of shutting down the opposition (re-signing Drew Doughty was huge for the future of the team).

Biggest Weakness: GM Rob Blake was able to land Kovalchuk via free agency, but his team is still light when it comes to scoring. Kovalchuk is 35 and he’s been out of the league for five years. How many goals can they count on him to score? Kopitar had a great bounce-back season, but he can’t do it alone. Dustin Brown and Jeff Carter will have to prove that they can still be valuable contributors.

Player to Watch: Adrian Kempe had some very good moments with the Kings last year. He finished the season with 16 goals and 37 points in 81 games. The 21-year-old showed that he has serious upside. Now, it’s up to him to prove that he can get his offensive numbers to climb even higher.

Calgary Flames

2017-18 Finish: 37-35-10, 11^th in the Western Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, James Neal, Austin Czarnik

Noteworthy Losses: Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, Troy Brouwer

Biggest Strength: For the last few years, the Flames have been known for the depth they possessed on defense. They still have a solid group of defenders, but the talent they’ve accumulated up front can’t be ignored. Adding Lindholm and James Neal to a group that already includes Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Mikael Backlund, Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk is pretty impressive. Calgary should have no problem scoring goals in 2018-19.

Biggest Weakness: Mike Smith is a huge question mark between the pipes. The 36-year-old is getting up there in age, so it’s normal that people have started doubting his abilities. He played 55 games last season, which is a fair number. But can he do that again? And can he play that many games at a high level. If Smith falters, there’s no veteran backup to pick up the pieces.

Player to Watch: It’ll be interesting to see how being traded affects Lindholm’s confidence. Will a chance of scenery give him the boost he’s been looking for, or will it take him time to adapt to his new surroundings (this is the first time he’s been traded). Regardless, he’s going to be a big part of this team, and he should get every opportunity to improve on his career-high of 45 points.

Edmonton Oilers

2017-18 Finish: 36-40-6, 12^th in the Western Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Tobias Rieder, Kyle Brodziak, Jakub Jerabek

Noteworthy Losses: Iiro Pakarinen, Laurent Brossoit

Biggest Strength: The Oilers have incredible depth down the middle of the ice. On paper, their top three centers are Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. But their lack of talent on the wings may lead to either Draisaitl or Nugent-Hopkins playing on McDavid’s wing. That’s okay, this is still a very talented group. If they’re going to get back to the playoffs, it’ll be on the shoulders of these three players (especially McDavid).

Biggest Weakness: For years, the Oilers have failed to address their need on defense. To make matters even worse, the club has lost Andrej Sekera to an Achilles injury, so they’re even thinner than they imagined. This edition of the Oilers will find ways to score, but can they keep the puck out of the net? Cam Talbot is also a huge question mark, after he had a horrible season last year.

Player to Watch: Tobias Rieder is still relatively young at 25 years old. The speedy winger managed to score 16 goals with Arizona just two seasons ago, and it’s entirely possible that he could earn a regular role on Edmonton’s top two lines. Rieder doesn’t have high-end offensive talent, but he could definitely hit the 20-goal mark if all goes well.

Vancouver Canucks

2017-18 Finish: 31-40-11, 14^th in the Western Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Antoine Roussel, Jay Beagle, Tim Schaller

Noteworthy Losses: Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin

Biggest Strength: The Canucks have some solid young talent on their roster. Players like Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser should be leading the Canucks for the next decade. That may not translate into wins right away, but the two forwards are great building blocks for a team that is a few pieces away from being competitive, again.

Biggest Weakness: Their defense isn’t great, they don’t have many goals in their lineup and their goaltending is inconsistent. That should tell you everything you need to know about this edition of the Canucks. This team has finished near the bottom of the league in each of the last three seasons. Don’t be surprised if that happens again in 2018-19.

Player to Watch: Elias Pettersson was the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Since being taken by the Canucks, all the 19-year-old did was put up 24 goals and 56 points in 44 games in the Swedish Hockey League. Pettersson should get every opportunity to make the Canucks roster this year. Assuming he sticks for the entire season, he’ll likely be in the race for the Calder Trophy.

Arizona Coyotes

2017-18 Finish: 29-41-12, 15^th in the Western Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Alex Galchenyuk, Vinnie Hinostroza

Noteworthy Losses: Max Domi

Biggest Strength: The Coyotes have a lot of young talent up front like Clayton Keller, Galchenyuk, Christian Dvorak, Brendan Perlini, Christian Fischer and Dylan Strome, but their real strength is on defense. Arizona will go into the season with a top-four of: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Unlike the forwards, all four of these guys are proven at the NHL level. Ekman-Larsson, who signed an extension with the ‘Yotes this summer, is one of the top defenders in the league.

Biggest Weakness: They still have a lot of question marks all over the roster, but that’s especially true in goal. Antti Raanta ended the season on a positive note last year and they added Darcy Kuemper in a trade with the Kings. Both netminders are unproven starters. One of them will have to emerge as a true number one goalie if the Coyotes are going to go from worst in the West to competing for a playoff spot.

Player to Watch: The Galchenyuk-for-Domi swap was one of the bigger trades of the off-season. Galchenyuk is a proven commodity in the NHL (he has a 30-goal season under his belt), but he hasn’t never been a consistent threat since coming into the NHL. His former team, the Montreal Canadiens, never wanted to stick him at center, but the Coyotes have already committed to him playing down the middle. How much will that open things up for him offensively? We’ll find out soon.

Backhand into the gaping cage.

Minnesota Wild

2017-18 Finish: 45-26-11 record, first round loss to Winnipeg (4-1)

Noteworthy Gains: Eric Fehr, J.T. Brown

Noteworthy Losses: Matt Cullen

Biggest Strength: Minnesota was hit hard by injuries in 2017-18, but the offense was still successful. The team averaged 3.05 goals for per game. Eric Staal exploded for 42 markers, while Jason Zucker hit 33 and Mikael Granlund surpassed the 20-goal plateau. All three players topped 60 points, while blueliners Ryan Suter and Matt Dumba recorded 50-point years. If the Wild get bounce-back performances from Nino Niederreiter, Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu and Charlie Coyle then cracking the top-10 in the NHL for goals scored shouldn’t be a problem.

Biggest Weakness: The Wild have qualified for the postseason for six straight years, but the club’s lack of success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs has to be a concern. Minnesota has been knocked out in the first round for three consecutive years and the team has won just four postseason matches during that span. Devan Dubnyk, who struggled for two of those playoff exits, has had the finger pointed at him, but he isn’t the only player who deserves to be blamed. Minnesota’s core group has plenty of talent, but changes could come under new General Manager Paul Fenton if the club doesn’t make progress when it matters most.

Player to Watch: Including the playoffs, Parise had 15 goals and five assists in his last 24 appearances. He was forced out of the playoffs due to a fractured sternum after he was limited to 42 matches during the regular season because of a back injury. Parise could fly under the radar this year and if he stays healthy then 50-60 points could be achievable.

Colorado Avalanche

2017-18 Finish: 43-30-9 record, first round loss to Nashville (4-2)

Noteworthy Gains: Philipp Grubauer, Matt Calvert

Noteworthy Losses: Jonathan Bernier, Blake Comeau

Biggest Strength: Nathan MacKinnon was a juggernaut offensively for the Avalanche last season. He placed fifth in the NHL with 97 points in 74 games and helped Colorado return to the playoffs after the team had the worst record in the league in 2016-17. MacKinnon’s breakout year along the emergence of Mikko Rantanen and a bounce-back effort from Gabriel Landeskog gave the Avalanche an outstanding top line. Tyson Barrie also had a career year with 57 points from the back end, as Colorado jumped from 2.01 goals for per game (last in the league in 2016-17) to 3.11 (10th overall).

Biggest Weakness: Colorado received 19 goals from Alexander Kerfoot and 16 markers from Carl Soderberg, but there wasn’t much scoring beyond the top line. Kerfoot was the next highest producer at 43 points, which included 17 on the power play. The Avalanche will need more secondary offense, especially at even strength, in 2018-19 if the club is going to return to the playoffs.

Player to Watch: Grubauer was acquired from Washington to add some depth to the crease following the departure of Jonathan Bernier, who signed with Detroit in free agency. Grubauer, who inked a three-year contract with Colorado shortly after he acquisition, has been a solid backup goalie for the Capitals over the past three seasons. The Avalanche feel that Grubauer and Semyon Varlamov are both number one goalies, so they may end up sharing starts in 2018-19.

St. Louis Blues

2017-18 Finish: 44-32-6 record, ninth in the Western Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Ryan O'Reilly, Tyler Bozak, Patrick Maroon, David Perron, Chad Johnson

Noteworthy Losses: Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, Tage Thompson, Carter Hutton

Biggest Strength: St. Louis plays a strong defensive game. The Blues ranked sixth with a goals against per game of 2.71 and allowed the third-fewest shots against per match (29.7). Jake Allen had some issues with consistency again in 2017-18, but the Blues still managed to play great around him.

Biggest Weakness: Allen will have to better, but another area St. Louis will have to improve is on offense. The goals dried up after a strong start to the season. Losing Jaden Schwartz to injury hurt and the fact that nobody managed to step up during his absence set the team back. The Blues became a team that passed up shots too often and couldn’t find the range that was needed to get back on track. St. Louis finished 24th in the league with 2.72 goals for per game. The Blues made big changes in the off-season with O'Reilly, Bozak, Maroon and Perron set to join the top-nine forward group.

Player to Watch: O'Reilly was the Blues’ big off-season acquisition. He can win faceoffs in abundance and is expected to give St. Louis’ 30th-placed power play a much-needed boost. O’Reilly hit 60 points in two of three seasons with the low-scoring Buffalo Sabres and he’ll get some superb players to work with on his new team. Robby Fabbri, who will be back from injury, is worth keeping an eye on as well.

Dallas Stars

2017-18 Finish: 42-32-8 record, 10th in the Western Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Valeri Nichushkin, Blake Comeau, Miro Heiskanen, Anton Khudobin

Noteworthy Losses: Dan Hamhuis, Kari Lehtonen

Biggest Strength: The Stars turned a weakness into a strength last year with a vastly improved defensive game and some stable goaltending. Ben Bishop went through some injury issues, but he was exactly what Dallas was looking for. He posted strong numbers in his first season with the team. The Stars permitted just 29.8 shots against per game (fourth-best in the league) and allowed 2.71 goals against per contest (tied for sixth in the league). Anton Khudobin was added in the summer to replace Lehtonen, who has struggled for the majority of the last four years even though he was better in a more limited role in 2017-18. Dallas permitted the least high-danger scoring chances against and allowed the least high-danger goals. The team’s defense corps has made positive strides. The potential arrival of top prospect Heiskanen and possibly a larger role for Julius Honka should strengthen that group.

Biggest Weakness: Dallas has a top-heavy offense and the club got very little production beyond the top line of Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov. The Stars didn’t have a 20-goal scorer outside of that combination and Mattias Janmark was the team’s next highest producing forward with only 34 points. Nichushkin’s return from the KHL could help, but the Stars need someone else to step up if Jason Spezza doesn’t rebound.

Player to Watch: Nichushkin was a popular pick as a breakout candidate the season before he left for Russia. He generated a mere nine goals and 29 points in 79 games that year. However, Nichushkin could be a 45-50 point performer in 2018-19. He is slated to see time in Dallas’ top-six forward group with possible exposure to Seguin and Benn.

Chicago Blackhawks

2017-18 Finish: 33-39-10 record, 13th in the Western Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Cam Ward, Marcus Kruger, Chris Kunitz, Brandon Manning

Noteworthy Losses: Vinnie Hinostroza, Anthony Duclair

Biggest Strength: Chicago was unable to capitalize on the chances the club created last year, but that didn’t stop the team from generating plenty of opportunities. The Blackhawks ranked second in the NHL in scoring chances for per 60 minutes at even strength (30.82), which was very close to Toronto’s league-leading rate of 30.94. Chicago got 76 points from Patrick Kane, but he was the only consistent producer.

Biggest Weakness: Chicago’s lack of finish was a major problem in 2017-18. The team had a goals for per game of 2.78 (21st in the league) and a shooting percentage of 8.2 (27th in the league). Brandon Saad (18 goals on 237 shots) and Duncan Keith (two goals on 187 shots) had notoriously difficult times finishing their chances last campaign. The Blackhawks also struggled defensively, while allowing 3.10 goals against per match. The loss of Corey Crawford because of injury for most of the season was a major reason behind that, but the team’s lack of depth on the back end was another culprit.

Player to Watch: Chicago needs bounce back years from Crawford, Saad, Keith, Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook to get back into the playoff picture. They are worth keeping an eye on and so are young players like Dylan Sikura and Victor Ejdsell, who may get looks in the top-six forward group. However, Alex DeBrincat is most deserving of your attention after he had a successful rookie campaign in 2017-18. He led the Blackhawks with 28 goals and tied for the league lead with three hat tricks. He collected 52 points last year, while averaging 14:48 of ice time per game. DeBrincat didn’t get much time on Chicago’s top-two lines despite his success, but that should change in 2018-19. If he plays regularly alongside Toews or Kane then a breakout performance is likely.

Another shot at the Net

Washington Capitals

2017-18 Finish: 49-26-7 record, won the Stanley Cup

Noteworthy Gains: None

Noteworthy Losses: Jay Beagle, Philipp Grubauer

Biggest Strength: The defending Stanley Cup champions are still loaded up front. Not only do they have some of the best skill players in Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov, they also have incredible depth scoring with players like T.J. Oshie, Lars Eller, Tom Wilson and Andre Burakovsky. The Caps might go through a Stanley Cup hangover, but they’re talented enough to make another run at the cup.

Biggest Weakness: Braden Holtby is one of the elite goalies in the NHL, but he had his share of ups and downs last season. In the end, he found his game and won a Stanley Cup, so he should be fine this season. But if he struggles for long stretches again, the Caps no longer have Grubauer to bail him out. Pheonix Copley is expected to suit up as Holtby’s backup, which means they won’t have an experienced second netminder to rely on. At the same time, if the backup goalie position is your biggest weakness, it means you’re in pretty good shape.

Player to Watch: This is a big year for Burakovsky. He’s clearly talented enough to be a top-six forward at the NHL level, but he still hasn’t been able to find any sort of consistency in his game. He’s entering the final year of his contract, so he’ll be motivated to play well in 2018-19. Burakovsky has to find a way to stay healthy, too.

Pittsburgh Penguins

2017-18 Finish: 47-29-6 record, second round loss to Washington (4-2)

Noteworthy Gains: Jack Johnson, Matt Cullen, Jimmy Hayes, Derek Grant

Noteworthy Losses: Tom Kuhnhackl

Biggest Strength: The Penguins continue to have the best one-two punch down the middle in the NHL. Having Sidney Crosby and Evgeny Malkin at their disposal at the most important position in hockey makes Pittsburgh competitive every year. Neither player has shown any signs of slowing down, which means you can likely expect them to continue dominating on the ice for years to come. With winger Phil Kessel also on the roster, the Penguins had three players hit the 89-point mark last season.

Biggest Weakness: Finding holes on a team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups heading into last season isn’t exactly easy. Their group of defensemen often gets called into question, especially since Kris Letang has had some rough luck with injuries as of late. Adding Jack Johnson to the fold gives them more depth, but if Letang doesn’t stay healthy, it won’t be easy for them to replace him.

Player to Watch: Matt Murray is a young goaltender that’s already won two Stanley Cups, but there’s no denying that he had a tough year in 2017-18. In his first season without Marc-Andre Fleury, Murray struggled badly at times. If the Penguins are going to make it back to the Stanley Cup Final, they need their netminder to be on top of his game. He has the talent to do so, he just has to put it all together.

Philadelphia Flyers

2017-18 Finish: 42-26-14 record, first round loss to Pittsburgh (4-2)

Noteworthy Gains: James van Riemsdyk, Christian Folin

Noteworthy Losses: Brandon Manning, Valtteri Filppula, Matt Read, Petr Mrazek

Biggest Strength: The Flyers are loaded with two of the best young defensemen in the NHL, and there could be more help on the way. Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov have already emerged at two of the best blueliners in the league, and they’re both just 25 and 21 respectively. Add Robert Hagg, Travis Sanheim and Philippe Myers to the mix, and it’s easy to see why so many are high on the Flyers defense. Their forward depth isn’t too bad either, as they have weapons like Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, JVR, Sean Couturier, Wayne Simmonds, Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny, too.

Biggest Weakness: For years, the Flyers have always had the same problem. They haven’t been able to find themselves a clear-cut number one goaltender that could carry them through a long playoff run. They’ll head into the season with Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth. Both players are in the final year of their contracts, so they’ll have even more to play for. Top prospect Carter Hart isn’t that far away from solving the organization’s biggest problem.

Player to Watch: Nolan Patrick went from being the second overall pick in 2017 to playing in the NHL right away. He was able to hold his own at the highest level, but he only managed to put up 13 goals and 30 points. He got more comfortable as the season went on, but the Flyers will be looking for him to take a big step forward this season.

Columbus Blue Jackets

2017-18 Finish: 45-30-7 record, first round loss to Washington (4-2)

Noteworthy Gains: Anthony Duclair, Riley Nash
Noteworthy Losses: Ian Cole, Jack Johnson, Thomas Vanek, Matt Calvert

Biggest Strength: The Blue Jackets are fortunate for have Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes. The Russian netminder is one of the best in the game at his position, and he gives his team an opportunity to win every night. When the forwards were struggling to produce at the start of last season, the Russian netminder was there to carry to his team to victory. Also, having a top defensive pairing of Seth Jones and Zach Werenski is impossible to overlook.

Biggest Weakness: Columbus finished sixth in goals per game in 2017-18, but there’s still some questions surrounding their depth scoring. After Artemi Panarin, who will find the back of the net consistently for them? Cam Atkinson got off to a sluggish start, Nick Foligno struggled at times and Brandon Dubinsky doesn’t look like the same player he was just a few seasons ago. They need those players and others like Boone Jenner, Alexander Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand to elevate their game.

Player to Watch: Like most teenagers that make it to the NHL, Pierre-Luc Dubois needed some time to get comfortable. He ended up finishing his rookie season with a respectable 20 goals and 48 points in 82 games. He was also one of Columbus’ better players in the playoffs, as he recorded two goals and two assists in six contests. Dubois is talented enough to become a franchise center in the NHL.

New Jersey Devils

2017-18 Finish: 44-29-9 record, first round loss to Tampa Bay (4-1)

Noteworthy Gains: Eric Gryba

Noteworthy Losses: Patrick Maroon, Michael Grabner, Jimmy Hayes, Drew Stafford

Biggest Strength: The Devils are still an up-and-coming team, so they aren’t really blessed with incredible depth at any particular position, but what they do have is the NHL’s most valuable player. Taylor Hall was an incredible in 2017-18. Not only did he win the Hart Trophy by accumulating 39 goals and 93 points in 76 games, he also led the Devils to the playoffs, which no one expected before the start of the season. For them to make it back to the postseason, they’ll need the 26-year-old to have a repeat performance.

Biggest Weakness: Despite having players like Sami Vatanen and Andy Greene, New Jersey is still relatively inexperienced on defense. Will Butcher had a phenomenal rookie season, but Damon Severson, Steven Santini and Mirco Mueller each had their share of growing pains at various times. With a little more seasoning, the Devils should have a solid group on the blue line, but as of right now it’s not a strength.

Player to Watch: Cory Schneider is supposed to be one of the better players at his position. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out that way for the Devils of late. Schneider missed an extended period of time with a groin injury and he underwent off-season hip surgery, so it’s unclear if he’ll be ready for the start of the season. Whenever he gets back, he needs to find a way to provide his team with better goaltending than he gave them last season.

Let's do some more hockey

The NHL off-season is in full swing following the Entry Draft and free agency. There will probably be other roster moves before the start of the 2018-19 season, but it has been relatively quiet and it’s a good time to examine how teams currently stand with training camps drawing closer.

Part One will start with the top five teams in the Atlantic Division based on the standings from the 2017-18 campaign.

Tampa Bay Lightning

2017-18 Finish: 54-23-5 record, Eastern Conference Final loss to Washington (4-3)

Noteworthy Gains: N/A

Noteworthy Losses: Chris Kunitz

Biggest Strength: Tampa Bay has a deep and talented roster, especially up front. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov formed a dynamic and dangerous duo in 2017-18, while Brayden Point stepped up on the second line and Yanni Gourde exceeded expectations during his rookie season. The Lightning were in the hunt for John Tavares and the team has been linked to superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson, but there hasn’t been much roster movement during the off-season. Tampa Bay locked up Kucherov to an eight-year, $76 million contract, while agreeing to extensions with former Rangers J.T. Miller and Ryan McDonagh on five- and seven-year deals, respectively.

Biggest Weakness: Tampa Bay is not a team that had many issues in 2017-18, but the penalty kill was a problem for the club all year. The Lightning placed 28th in the league with a 76.1 penalty kill percentage. Tampa Bay surrendered 64 power-play goals against, which was the second-highest total in the NHL. It didn’t get any better in the postseason and will likely be something that is addressed early in training camp. Andrei Vasilevskiy had an .865 power play save percentage. He struggled in the second half of the season, which relates to a less-pressing area of concern. Vasilevskiy was third in Vezina Trophy voting despite posting a .902 save percentage and 3.37 goals-against average in 25 appearances following the All-Star break. The 24-year-old netminder bounced back in the playoffs and should pick up where he left off in 2018-19 as one of the top fantasy options between the pipes. However, if there are consistency issues then it could become something to monitor.

Player to Watch: Miller is worth keeping an eye on, as he could have great sleeper value in 2018-19. He spent time alongside Stamkos and Kucherov shortly after his arrival from the Rangers. Miller had 10 goals and 18 points in 19 regular-season outings with the Lightning. His production slowed in the playoffs and he was dropped down the depth chart, but a return to Tampa Bay’s top-six forward group could lead to a breakout performance.

Boston Bruins

2017-18 Finish: 50-20-12 record, second round loss to Tampa Bay (4-1)

Noteworthy Gains: John Moore, Jaroslav Halak

Noteworthy Losses: Rick Nash, Riley Nash, Anton Khudobin

Biggest Strength: Boston boasts one of the best top lines in the league with Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron leading the charge. They have the ability to take total control of the game in all situations. All three members of the combination scored at least 30 goals last season, while Marchand and Pastrnak both managed to reach the 80-point plateau.

Biggest Weakness: The Bruins rely a great deal on the trio of Bergeron, Marchand and Pastrnak for offense. The next closest player to their offensive totals last season was defenseman Torey Krug, who had 59 points in 76 games. Boston didn’t have another skater reach the 50-point mark in 2017-18. Rookie forwards Danton Heinen (47 points) and Jake DeBrusk (43 points) need to continue to progress this year to provide some much-need secondary scoring. A healthy David Krejci should be able to reach the 50-plus points, but the team has to get more out of a young group that showed flashes of promise last campaign.

Player to Watch: DeBrusk and Heinen are intriguing talents, but Ryan Donato should garner plenty of attention in what could be his first full season at the NHL level. He was used sparingly in the playoffs, while appearing in only three contests, but he looked great when placed in increased roles during the regular season. Donato produced four of his nine points in 12 appearances on the power play. He could be dangerous if given more opportunities in that spot this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs

2017-18 Finish: 49-26-7 record, first round loss to Boston (4-3)

Noteworthy Gains: John Tavares

Noteworthy Losses: James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak

Biggest Strength: Toronto has a high-octane offense that attacks with speed and skill. The Leafs’ depth down the middle following the signing of big-ticket free agent John Tavares will create line mismatches that not many teams can. The ability to roll out a combination of Tavares and Mitch Marner as well as a pairing of Auston Matthews and William Nylander will create problems for opposing teams. Toronto will have also have Nazem Kadri, who has topped 30 goals in each of his last two seasons, waiting on the third line. Toronto’s offensive capabilities will have potential fantasy owners salivating going into the season despite the losses of van Riemsdyk and Bozak.

Biggest Weakness: Toronto’s defense remains an area of concern. The Leafs often struggle to move the puck efficiently out of their own end and rely too much on Frederik Andersen to bail them out of unfavorable situations. Toronto permitted the fourth-most shots against per game (33.9) last season and Andersen was frequently under siege. The Leafs need a much better effort from Nikita Zaitsev and for some members of the AHL Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies to impress to turn things around if outside help doesn’t come.

Player to Watch: Watching what Tavares does in his first season with his hometown team will be interesting, but Andreas Johnsson could have some great under-the-radar value. He is poised to get a larger role with the Maple Leafs this year after he skated in nine games with the big club at the end of the 2017-18 campaign. He was named the MVP of the AHL postseason and could open the season on the third line with Kadri. Johnsson is also a candidate to see time on one of Toronto’s potent power-play units. There are vacancies that he and Tavares could fill alongside Marner and Kadri, which would be huge for his fantasy value.

Florida Panthers

2017-18 Finish: 44-30-8 record, 9th in the Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Mike Hoffman

Noteworthy Losses: N/A

Biggest Strength: It can be argued that Florida’s offense is a bit top heavy, but the ability to roll out centers the likes of Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck is a tremendous benefit. Adding Mike Hoffman to a winger group that possesses Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgenii Dadonov will give the Panthers plenty of firepower on the top-two lines.

Biggest Weakness: Florida’s defense had their fair share of struggles in their own end, though, while permitting the third-most shots against in the league (34.6). The health of Roberto Luongo has become a concern. He played in 35 games last season and at the age of the 39 there is plenty of risk there for more ailments with long recovery times. James Reimer struggled to maintain the crease at times in Luongo’s absence. If injuries for Luongo and Reimer’s battle with consistency becomes a pattern that continues for a third straight year then Florida could be in trouble again when it comes to competing for a playoff spot.

Player to Watch: Henrik Borgstrom and Owen Tippett will have plenty of eyes on them at training camp, as they look to claim bottom-six roles on the club. They have the scoring talent to be impact players, but the most fascinating player to watch will be Hoffman. The off-ice issues concerning his fiancee and the Karlsson family resulted in his departure from Ottawa, but the Panthers insist he will be welcomed with open arms. Hoffman is loaded with offensive ability and pairing him with Trocheck could be big for Florida.

Detroit Red Wings

2017-18 Finish: 30-39-13 record, 13th in the Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Thomas Vanek, Filip Zadina, Jonathan Bernier

Noteworthy Losses: N/A

Biggest Strength: Detroit had a great draft in 2018 highlighted by selections of Zadina at No. 6 and Joe Veleno at No. 30. The Red Wings were led in scoring by 21-year-old Dylan Larkin’s 63 points and Anthony Mantha, who will turn 24 in September, topped the team with 24 goals.  There is still plenty of work to do to restock the organization's cupboard with talent, but that’s an encouraging group of young forwards that Detroit can build around.

Biggest Weakness: Despite some good building blocks, Detroit is a team that still lacks star power. The offense struggled in 2017-18 with 2.59 goals for per game, which ranked 28th overall in the league, and the Wings placed 25th with 30.4 shots per match.  Detroit brought back Vanek and he could help offensively.  However, Henrik Zetterberg's health could complicate matters if he ends up missing action due to a back problem. The club also surrendered 3.10 goals against per contest, which was better than just seven other teams.  Mike Green re-signed with Detroit, which was important for a team that doesn't get much production from the blueline, and Bernier was added to bring a veteran presence to the crease.  Still, another season near the bottom of the standings and a successful draft would go a long way to helping the rebuild.

Player to Watch: Filip Zadina wasn’t expected to fall to the sixth overall pick and the Red Wings were thrilled that he did. He has game-breaking ability and a player with his skill set could immediately help a team starved for offensive contributors. Zadina is also eligible to be assigned to the minors, which gives Detroit some added flexibility when dealing with his development. Still, the best place for him is probably a top-six role with the big club where he can learn on the job and help the team in key situations.

Let's do some hockey

Montreal Canadiens

2017-18 Finish: 29-40-13 record, 14th in the Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Max Domi, Joel Armia, Tomas Plekanec

Noteworthy Losses: Alex Galchenyuk

Biggest Strength: Carey Price struggled last season, while posting career lows in goals-against average (3.11) and save percentage (.900), but he remains the most important player on the roster and should be able to prove that was an aberration. Antti Niemi played well for the Canadiens after he was bounced between teams earlier in 2017-18. They have the potential to be a decent goaltending duo for a Montreal team that has glaring problems on defense and offense. Price will have to recapture the form he had in previous years when his ability to steal wins was among the best in the league.

Biggest Weakness: As previously mentioned, Montreal ranked near the bottom of the league in goals for per game (29th overall) and goals against per game (25th overall). Shea Weber’s absence for most of the year left a significant hole on the back end and he may not be available to play in 2018-19 until at least mid-December. It’s been well-documented that the Canadiens lack depth down the middle and that wasn’t addressed during the off-season. That will hold true even if 2018 first-round pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who was selected third overall, makes the roster.

Player to Watch: Kotkaniemi will make for an intriguing story to monitor, but Jonathan Drouin is a key player who has to step up in 2018-19. Drouin had trouble adjusting to center during his first season with Montreal. He also failed to make an impact on the scoresheet with 13 goals and 46 points in 77 games. Much more will be expected from him this year, especially after he made some progress late last season.

Ottawa Senators

2017-18 Finish: 28-43-11 record, 15th in the Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Mikkel Boedker

Noteworthy Losses: Mike Hoffman, Alex Burrows

Biggest Strength: There hasn’t been much to be excited about in the land of the Ottawa Senators this off-season. Problems on and off the ice plagued the team throughout the year and they have carried over into the summer. A bright spot is that they haven’t rushed into a trade involving Erik Karlsson. There was plenty of trade speculation surrounding the superstar defender last month, but he remains with the organization for now. If Ottawa insists on trading him then the return will need to provide immediate help as well as add something for the future. They can’t afford to mishandle this situation.

Biggest Weakness: Uncertainty surrounds Ottawa beyond the fate of their team captain. Mark Stone has a possible salary arbitration hearing around the corner. He can become an unrestricted free agent next summer if an arbitrator rules on the deal, which can only be a one-year agreement. Cody Ceci recently had his hearing with the Senators to try to settle his next contract. Matt Duchene is also eligible for unrestricted free agency following the 2018-19 campaign. They are all integral pieces who need to be taken care of by Ottawa promptly. Brady Tkachuk expects to make his decision to turn pro or play college hockey by August 12. The Senators hope to see him at training camp. Aside from contractual problems, the Senators will have to find a way to keep the puck out their net this year after the team finished with the second-worst goals against per game (3.46) last season.

Player to Watch: Tkachuk will get chances to produce as a top-six forward if he decides to join the NHL. Another player who could get opportunities is Colin White. He is a skilled player who can succeed at both ends of the ice. White was granted some time on Ottawa’s top line during the 2017-18 campaign. If he receives more opportunities like that then he could be in store for a productive rookie season.

Buffalo Sabres

2017-18 Finish: 25-45-12 record, 16th in the Eastern Conference

Noteworthy Gains: Jeff Skinner, Rasmus Dahlin, Patrik Berglund, Conor Sheary, Vladimir Sobotka, Tage Thompson, Carter Hutton

Noteworthy Losses: Ryan O'Reilly, Robin Lehner, Chad Johnson

Biggest Strength: It’s a case of out with the old, in with the new for the Sabres. The roster will have a different look this coming season with Skinner, Berglund, Sobotka and Sheary joining the top-nine forward group. The Sabres will have some new players to try out alongside Jack Eichel. Casey Mittelstadt and Dahlin could both be in the conversation for the Calder Trophy, as the league’s top rookie, when they will likely take on large roles with the team in 2018-19. Buffalo still has some fine-tuning to do, but the forward group looks deeper on paper and there are some talented young players in place poised to make a difference.

Biggest Weakness: Even though the forward group appears to be improved, the team may continue to struggle to score goals. Buffalo ranked dead last in the league with a mere 2.41 goals for per game last season and the forwards they added, with the exception of Skinner, won’t exactly be lighting up the stat sheet. The Sabres also still have question marks in the crease with Hutton and Linus Ullmark poised to replace the former duo of Lehner and Johnson. Hutton has been a career backup to this point, while playing on strong defensive teams, while Ullmark has limited experience at the NHL level.

Player to Watch: Mittelstadt and Dahlin have the potential to be immediate contributors this year. They also possess plenty of flashiness and deserve to be watched closely. However, Sam Reinhart gets the nod here. Reinhart has been a highly-touted prospect of the Sabres since he was chosen second overall in 2014, but he hasn’t broken out offensively yet. He had a slow start to 2017-18 before exploding for 30 points, including 15 goals, in his last 32 appearances. If he can take up permanent residence alongside Eichel this campaign then a true breakout performance could finally be on the horizon.

Nashville Predators

2017-18 Finish: 53-18-11 record, second round loss to Winnipeg (4-3)

Noteworthy Gains: Dan Hamhuis

Noteworthy Losses: Scott Hartnell, Mike Fisher

Biggest Strength: The defense corps of the Nashville Predators is as deep as they come. Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm form an outstanding top-four group. The Predators also brought back Hamhuis, who played the first 483 matches of his career with the organization, on a two-year contract. He is capable of logging 20 minutes per game, while contributing points, blocks and hits. Adding him to the bottom-pairing with Matt Irwin or Yannick Weber provides further depth to what was already a stacked defense. Nashville’s rearguards also are among the team’s top producers offensively and as a group they led the league in 2017-18 with 206 points.

Biggest Weakness: Nashville has a great first line, but point production beyond Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Johansen needs to be more consistent. The Predators got deeper down the middle with the acquisition of Kyle Turris last year. He helped elevate Craig Smith and Kevin Fiala, but the team needs more from them especially after they struggled to produce during the playoffs. Rookie forward Eeli Tolvanen and Ryan Hartman have the potential to contribute offensively from the third line. Nashville also needs to be more disciplined after the club was shorthanded a league-leading 299 times in 2017-18.

Player to Watch: Tolvanen didn’t burst onto the NHL scene the way most hoped he would when he joined the Predators at the end of the 2017-18 campaign. He only had three shots and didn’t post a point in three outings during the regular season, while averaging just 12:07 of ice time per contest. He didn’t get any playing time during the playoffs, but stands a great chance to crack the team’s roster out of training camp. Tolvanen could see action on the power play, where he can be a dangerous finisher.

Winnipeg Jets

2017-18 Finish: 52-20-10 record, Western Conference Final loss to Vegas (4-1)

Noteworthy Gains: Laurent Brossoit

Noteworthy Losses: Paul Stastny, Toby Enstrom

Biggest Strength: Winnipeg has a wealth of talent up front led by the skillful trio of Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine. When Nikolaj Ehlers’ back-to-back 60-point efforts and Kyle Connor’s impressive rookie campaign of 31 goals and 57 points are also factored into the equation it is easy to see why the Jets ranked second overall in goals for per game (3.33) last season. Winnipeg did lose Stastny during the summer, but the offense was rolling along before he joined the team from St. Louis and there are plenty of options available to take his place.

Biggest Weakness: Winnipeg locked up Connor Hellebuyck to a six-year contract a few weeks ago after he had a stellar season. He was second in Vezina Trophy voting following a season to forget in 2016-17. The play of Hellebuyck was a strength for the Jets and he should be able to carry that play into this campaign. However, the Jets don’t have a quality goaltender behind him on the depth chart. His backups struggled mightily last year and Brossoit was the only netminder added to the mix as a possible understudy. However, he didn’t look good in 14 appearances for Edmonton last year. He will probably compete with Eric Comrie for the number two job at training camp. Winnipeg may be forced to place a heavy workload on Hellebuyck again, which could take its toll as the season progresses.

Player to Watch: Jack Roslovic showed some promise last year with 14 points in 31 NHL matches. He could be a player that sees time up and down the lineup, but there will be a tantalizing spot up for grabs at training camp. If Roslovic plays between Ehlers and Laine at five-on-five then his value will skyrocket.

Hockey Night in Las Vegas

This is it! The first night of the NHL playoffs. All 16 teams still think they are going to be the Stanley Cup Champs. Here are a few notes from around the league before we get started on the three game slate.

Joe Thornton, who suffered a knee injury and subsequent surgery on January 23, is hoping to return at some point in the first round. The Sharks could really use him in the post-season…Jay Beagle and Travis Boyd are doubtful for Washington Thursday…The Devils’ coach John Hynes will announce his starting goalie on Thursday and Keith Kinkaid should get the nod over Cory Schneider as he outplayed him down the stretch…Steven Stamkos will play on Thursday after missing the last three games of the regular season with a lower body injury. He will center Nikita Kucherov and J.T. Miller…Rick Nash is likely to return to the Bruins lineup for Game 1 with Ryan Donato likely to be the odd-man out of the lineup.

PITTSBURGH 7 PHILADELPHIA 0

Sidney Crosby had the natural hat trick and Matt Murray put aside a weak regular season as the Pittsburgh Penguins shutout the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0 to win Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.

The battle of Pennsylvania was over pretty early as the Penguins scored three times in the first and two in each of the last two periods while completely shutting down the Flyers.

Jake Guentzel was the offensive leader for the Penguins as he had a goal and three assists. You have to be happy if you picked him in your playoff pool.

Bryan Rust became the first player to score in the post-season and it would be the game-winner as he found the back of the net only 2:38 into the first period.  Carl Hagelin made it 2-0 and then set up Evgeni Malkin as the Penguins took a 3-0 lead into the dressing room.

Murray made 24 saves for the shutout. He must be a playoff goalie as he currently has a 206:26 shutout streak going in the playoffs dating back to last season. He had a good record in the regular season at 27-16-3 but his peripherals were mediocre with a 2.92 GAA and a .907 save percentage. He probably cost more than a few poolies a chance to win their leagues.

Despite getting only one point, Rust was a plus-five on the night as was Crosby. Guentzel, Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang were all plus-four.

Dumoulin had a pair of assists for the winners. Phil Kessel, likely a high draft choice in so many pools, was held pointless.

It was a horrible night all-round for the Flyers and it started in goal as Brian Elliott got the start for only the third time since February 11 when he suffered a lower body injury. While he won the Flyers last two games of the regular season, he did not have it Wednesday as he gave up five goals on 19 shots before getting the hook at the 9:01 mark of the second period. Petr Mrazek played the rest of the way, giving up two goals to Crosby as the Penguins fired 14 shots his way. Look for the Flyers to go back to Elliott for the Game 2 start.

Derick Brassard returned to action after missing the last games with a lower body injury and picked up an assist.

Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere were all minus-four for Philly.

Despite the loss, don’t count out the Flyers. It is only one game and it’s a lot better to lose like that rather than a double-overtime loss. Game 2 is Friday in Pittsburgh.

WINNIPEG 3 MINNESOTA 2

The Winnipeg Jets made a big trade and a small trade at the deadline as they picked up Paul Stastny from the Blues in the big deal and defenseman Joe Morrow from Montreal to give them some depth on the blueline.

Well, it was Morrow who became the star of Game 1 as he scored the game-winner as the Winnipeg Jets won their first ever playoff game including their time as the Atlanta Thrashers by getting past the Minnesota Wild 3-2. Morrow

It was a hard-fought affair as the Wild took a 2-1 lead 3:58 into the third period as Matt Cullen and Zach Parise scored early in the third to counter the second period goal by the Jets Mark Scheifele.

But Rocket Richard runner up Patrik Laine tied the game at 2 early in the third on a setup by former St. Louis Blues center Paul Stastny, setting the stage for Morrow’s heroics.

Connor Hellebuyck gave up two goals on only 20 shots while Devan Dubnyk had to be sharp to keep the Jets off the scoreboard as he faced 40 shots.

Mathieu Perreault suffered an upper body injury in the second period and did not return.

Jared Spurgeon 20:19 in his return to action as he last played on March 13 after suffering a hamstring injury.

There were only three minors called in the game as the Wild could not score on their only attempt while the Jets were 1-2 as Scheifele’s first period goal was with the man-advantage.

Game 2 is Friday in Winnipeg.

VEGAS 1 LOS ANGELES 0

The first ever playoff game in Las Vegas was a hard-hitting one in front of a wild Vegas crowd as the Golden Knights joined the Jets in winning their first ever playoff game as they shut out the Los Angeles Kings 1-0.

Marc-Andre Fleury was stellar in the Golden Knights cage as he stopped all 30 shots the Kings threw at him to record his 11^th career playoff shutout. It seems strange that both Murray and Fleury picked up shutouts on the same night.

Shea Theodore scored the only goal of the game 3:23 into the first period and that goal held up the entire contest as Jonathan Quick was outstanding in the Los Angeles net stopping 27-of-28 shots.

There were 127 hits in the game with William Carrier leading the way with 10 in only 8:49 of action. He was injured when he took a hit from Drew Doughty in the third. Don’t be surprised if Doughty is suspended by the NHL for a game as it looked to be a hit to the head.

As a comparison there was only 66 hits in the Pittsburgh game and 70 hits in the Jets contest.

The Leafs in action

Who do you suppose is the Toronto Maple Leafs’ offensive leader this season?  You probably know it’s not Auston Matthews given that he missed a decent chunk of the campaign, but if you’ve only been paying a little attention to the Maple Leafs then you might be surprised to learn that Mitchell Marner leads Toronto’s scoring race – and it’s not even close.  He has 22 goals and 69 points in 78 games, putting him a full 13 points over William Nylander and Matthews, who are tied for second place.

That marks quite the turnaround for Marner, given his somewhat quiet start to the season.  From the start of the campaign through Dec. 6, Marner had two goals and 16 points in 28 games, which put him in seventh place among the Maple Leafs’ scoring race at the time.  He’s turned around substantially since then, but he’s found another level lately with five goals and 16 points through his current 11-game point streak.

It’s made this summer’s contract situation all the more interesting for the Maple Leafs.  Nylander will become a restricted free agent so he absolutely needs to be re-signed, but this summer Toronto will also have its first opportunity to lock up Matthews and Marner.  Among the trio, there was a time when it would have been fair to assume that Marner would be the cheapest or perhaps the one that was most expendable if it came to that.  Now that’s far less clear.  Just how much will Nylander, Marner, and Matthews be costing the Maple Leafs in a couple years?



TORONTO 5 NY ISLANDERS 4

Auston Matthews scored the game-winning goal and registered an assist.  He’s up to 31 goals and 56 points in 58 games this season.

Mitchell Marner also had a goal and an assist for Toronto.  That gives him 22 goals and 69 points in 78 contests.

Brock Nelson found the back of the net and registered an assist for the Islanders.  He has 19 goals and 33 points in 78 games.

Christopher Gibson stopped 27 of 32 Maple Leafs shots.  He has a 2-3-2 record, 3.65 GAA, and .908 save percentage in eight starts this season.

At the other end of the ice, Frederik Andersen turned aside 29 of 33 shots.  He’s 37-20-5 with a 2.83 GAA and .917 save percentage in 64 starts.

TAMPA BAY 7 NY RANGERS 3

Dan Girardi found the back of the net for Tampa Bay.  It was the blueliners first game back in Madison Square Garden since he was bought out by the Rangers and signed by Tampa Bay over the summer.

Cedric Paquette scored two goals, including the game-winner, and registered an assist.  He has five goals and nine points in 52 games.

Brayden Point netted a pair of goals for Tampa Bay.  That gives him 30 goals and 64 points in 78 contests.

Steven Stamkos accumulated 19 penalty minutes, which is a career-high for him.  The Lightning forward took exception to a hit Pavel Buchnevich dished out on Nikita Kucherov.  Stamkos got five minutes for fighting Buchnevich, two minutes as the instigator, and a 10-minute misconduct.  He had also picked up a two-minute boarding penalty earlier in the first period.  At the end of the day, Stamkos now has 72 penalty minutes this season to go along with his 27 goals and 86 points.

Louis Domingue turned aside 28 of 31 Rangers shots.  He has a 7-9-0 record, 3.44 GAA, and .892 save percentage in 18 contests.

Filip Chytil scored a goal for the Rangers.  It was his first career goal and second point in five games.

Ondrej Pavelec surrendered six goals on a staggering 49 shots.  He faced at least 13 shots in each period.

CAROLINA 4 WASHINGTON 1

Michal Kempny netted the Hurricanes’ lone goal.  It was his second marker and eighth point in 49 games.

Derek Ryan found the back of the net and recorded an assist.  That gives him 14 goals and 35 points in 76 contests.

Justin Faulk scored the game-winning goal.  He’s up to eight goals and 31 points in 75 games.

Scott Darling kicked out 20 of 21 Capitals shots.  That ended his run of four straight starts where he surrendered at least three goals.

Meanwhile, Braden Holtby was charged with three goals over 29 shots.  He has a 32-16-4 record, 3.01 GAA, and .907 save percentage in 52 starts.

COLORADO 5 CHICAGO 0

There was a dark cloud over this decisive win for the Avalanche.  Semyon Varlamov made 30 saves, but he had to leave the contest at 13:31 of the third period after Chicago’s Tomas Jurco crashed into him.  Varlamov appeared to hurt his leg and he needed to be helped off the ice.  Jonathan Bernier took over and stopped three shots to complete the shutout.

Artem Anisimov tied for Chicago’s team-high with four shots.  He has 20 goals on 126 shots this season, which is good for a 15.9% success rate.

Sven Andrighetto scored two goals, including the game-winner.  That gives him eight markers and 21 points in 46 games.

Tyson Barrie scored a goal and registered two assists.  He has 13 goals and 55 points in 64 games in 2017-18.

Collin Delia stopped 31 of 36 Avalanche shots.  The 23-year-old rookie has a 1-1-0 record, 3.96 GAA, and .889 save percentage in two starts.

ANAHEIM 2 LOS ANGELES 1 (OT)

Drew Doughty netted the Kings’ lone goal.  It was his 10th marker and 58th point in 79 games.

Rickard Rakell accounted for the overtime winner.  He has 32 goals and 66 points in 73 games.

Ondrej Kase assisted on both of Anaheim’s goals.  He has 18 goals and 36 points in 62 contests in 2017-18.

John Gibson kicked out 28 of 29 Kings shots.  He’s 31-18-7 record with a 2.43 GAA and .926 save percentage in 59 starts.

Jonathan Quick kicked out 31 of 33 shots Friday night.  He has a 31-27-3 record, 2.37 GAA, and .923 save percentage in 61 contests.

VEGAS 4 ST. LOUIS 3 (OT)

The Blues wouldn’t have gotten a point if not for Chris Thorburn, who scored the game-tying goal at 6:14 of the third frame.  It was his first goal and seventh point in 45 games this season.

Jonathan Marchessault ended up scoring the overtime winner just 22 seconds into bonus time though.  It was his second goal of the game, giving him 27 markers and 75 points in 75 games.

William Karlsson found the back of the net and registered two assists for Vegas.  He has 41 goals and 73 points in 78 games.

Malcolm Subban turned aside 21 of 24 Blues shots.  This was his first victory since Jan. 5, though he only had three starts between his wins.

At the other end of the ice, Jake Allen allowed four goals on 26 shots.  He has a 27-21-3 record, 2.69 GAA, and .907 save percentage in 55 games.