Matchups is dedicated to providing quick news, notes, and stats ahead on game days and within the divisions. We take a look at everything from head-to-head matchups before the puck drops to how teams stack up against each other around the league. We’ll show you the ins and outs from both sides of the ice to ensure that you’ve got the knowledge to power you to chirping victory.
The Vegas Golden Knights are the biggest surprise in NHL history. They are first in the Pacific Division with 109 points, fifth most in the NHL, have a 40-goal scorer in William Karlsson and four players with 60 points. All of them are having career years, and it will be interesting to see how they…
The Minnesota Wild haven’t officially clinched a playoff spot, but they should later this week, however, their playoff aspirations took a major hit with Ryan Suter’s injury on Saturday. Injuries are brutal at any time of the year, but having your top defender injured in the final week of the regular season is the ultimate…
Connor McDavid became the 11th member of the Edmonton Oilers to score 40 goals in a season, and he is the first since Petr Klima scored 40 goals in 70 games in 1991. Can you name the other nine? It has been 21 NHL seasons since the Oilers had a 40-goal man and McDavid’s tally…
Connor McDavid’s quest for his second consecutive Art Ross Trophy (NHL leading scorer) continues tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, another team battling for a playoffs spot. McDavid has 24 goals and 45 points in his past 27 games and has erased the 12-point lead Nikita Kucherov had over him in mid-January. McDavid now has…
The Ottawa Senators have had one top five draft pick — Jason Spezza 2nd overall in 2001 — in the past 21 years, but that could change this year. They are currently 28th in the NHL, and have the fourth best odds to win one of the three draft lotteries. They are 5-7-1 in their…
Twelve years ago, the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricane went to game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals and the Hurricanes hoisted their first NHL championship. Since then, both organizations have only made the playoffs once in 12 seasons. The Hurricanes in 2009, going all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Oilers…
The Edmonton Oilers had a powerplay for the final 1:53 of regulation last night, which turned into a six-on-four with 1:27 remaining when Cam Talbot was pulled for an extra skater. The Oilers managed a measly two shots attempts. Milan Lucic fired wide with :54 seconds remaining and Mike Smith stopped Connor McDavid’s shot with…
The Oilers and Flames will meet for the 237th time tonight in the regular season. The Flames have won 117 games and the Oilers have won 100. The Oilers have won the past seven meetings, their longest winning streak of the rivalry, and they will look for their eighth consecutive victory tonight. The Flames have…
I’m a massive fan of offence. I’m much more entertained by a game that involves multiple lead changes and goals in bunches, and New York Islanders games are never short on entertainment. Their games have produced the most goals in the NHL with 452. They are sixth in goals scored, 213, and they’ve allowed the…
The Edmonton Oilers are 5-10-1 since February 1st. They are showing no signs of improvement. I’ve never bought into the “it is easier to play once you’re out of the playoff race” theory, and the Oilers are proving it. The lack of advancement in any aspect of their team play is the most concerning factor…
The Nashville Predators are first in the Western Conference, and second overall in the NHL with 87 points. A stunning third-period comeback in Winnipeg on Tuesday was the Predators’ 39th win of the season, but it was also the 1,319th victory for general manager David Poile. With the win Poile tied Glen Sather for the…
The Oilers are in Anaheim for their third game against the Ducks this season.
