Tuesday night was the NHL’s annual Frozen Frenzy. It’s an annual thing because the NHL decides to have only one of these and have it at the beginning of the season. It’s a reminder that one weakness for the league is its scheduling and inability to market itself.
Aside from that, the night delivered plenty of great games in the six-hour marathon slate. So, let’s look at one thought or takeaway from each game.
Flyers (3) – Penguins (2)
Many people wonder why the Penguins are off to a hot start and assume it’s fool’s gold. Arturs Silovs putting together a strong season in the net might explain it (some of it at least). He stopped 32 shots in a 3-2 shootout loss.
Maple Leafs (4) – Flames (3)
If the Maple Leafs will turn a corner, it’s going to happen with their offense. They are averaging 3.44 goals per game and scored four goals to fan the Flames. Max Domi and Matthew Knies both found the back of the net twice, and they must get going to make up for the Mitch Marner loss.
Golden Knights (6) – Hurricanes (3)
On a team with playmakers everywhere, Pavel Dorofeyev is making the most of it. His two goals against the Hurricanes give him nine on the season. With Jack Eichel also scoring twice to bring his goal total to eight and point total to 19 on the season, it’s safe to say the Golden Knights have a good enough offense to make up for the issues elsewhere (at least during the regular season).
Blue Jacket (4) – Sabres (3)
Go figure, the fourth line carried the Blue Jackets. Miles Wood scored the game-tying goal to force overtime and then scored the overtime winner, while Yegor Chinakov added a goal and an assist in the win. The question is whether this line is good enough to make up for the absence of the stars this season (Adam Fantilli only has two goals if you can believe that).
Ducks (3) – Panthers (2)
It was hard to see anything from this game, considering the atrocity of a uniform matchup but the few glimpses from this game showed the Ducks being a sneaky good team. Specifically, the core was overlooked, and with Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier finding the back of the net, it’s time to pay attention to this group of young stars.
Bruins (5) – Islanders (2)
Matthew Schaefer is exciting, and the future is bright. However, the Islanders are still an incomplete team, and blowing a 2-0 lead to a questionable Bruins team is a case in point of that. It’s games like these that must have Mathieu Darche thinking about the big picture and the best path to take at the trade deadline (it might involve trading Jean-Gabriel Pageau).
Lightning (5) – Predators (2)
This matchup always makes hockey fans think of Steven Stamkos. The former Lightning star has looked anything but one in his time with the Predators, and that four-year contract looks bad to put it lightly. The only good news is that it’s a contract the Predators can get out of instead of being tied down to a long-term deal (maybe the Lightning will take him back to revive his career).
Jets (4) – Wild (3)
The Jets are quietly looking like one of the best teams in the Western Conference. They wowed everyone last season and were expected to regress but with a great forward unit and Connor Hellebuyck playing at a high level, they look fine.
Red Wings (5) – Blues (2)
The Blues are starting to look concerning. This loss is their fourth in a row, and Jordan Binnington once again struggled in the net, allowing four goals on 19 shots. The question is whether they can turn things around and, if not, do they have a plan to pivot (and retool on the fly).
Stars (1) – Capitals (0)
Jake Oettinger struggled to start this season with a .894 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.20 goals-against average (GAA) in six starts. He’s starting to find his rhythm as he stopped 26 of 28 shots before putting together a 24-save shutout against the Capitals. If he looks like a Vezina Trophy caliber goaltender again, then watch out for the Stars!
Blackhawks (7) – Senators (3)
Connor Bedard scored his first hat trick of his NHL career. What stands out about the performance is that he scored all three with his shot, firing the puck past Linus Ullmark, who is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. The critics will say he’s not a complete player; instead, he’s a good shooter who doesn’t beat a team in multiple ways. The optimist looks at this game as another step forward for a rising star in the NHL.
Avalanche (8) – Devils (4)
The Devils were due for a goose egg, and it came in their first game of a four-game road trip. They allowed eight goals on 42 shots, which shows the struggles on defense but this loss can be pinned on Jacob Markstrom. The truth is that it will take time to ease him back into the lineup, and the Devils might need to rely on Jake Allen in the meantime because of it.
Oilers (6) – Utah (3)
This felt like a contenders vs pretenders game. Utah is a fun team and is playing great hockey. The Oilers reminded them that they still have work to do if they want to contend with the best. Don’t put it past this team and general manager (GM) Bill Armstrong to make those moves and close the gap.
Rangers (2) – Canucks (0)
The Canucks honored JT Miller’s return to Vancouver by showing dysfunction and no chemistry in their forward unit. The Rangers didn’t look much better on offense, scoring two goals but only one in a five-on-five situation.
Canadiens (4) – Kraken (3)
The Canadiens are not only a fun team but that trio they’ve built the forwards around is incredible. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky were the thorn in the Kraken’s side all night and Caufield scored the overtime winner, his third of the season and 11th in his career. At some point, he has to get serious consideration for the USA Olympic team as one of the game’s best goal scorers.
Kings (4) – Sharks (3)
At some point, the story around the Sharks will change. They are a fun rebuilding team with a lot of skill and plenty of highlight moments. It’s fine when a team like this loses 5-4 or 4-3. However, they expectations will change and they don’t have the pieces in the pipeline to change the type of team they are, especially defensively.
Side Notes From The Frozen Frenzy
Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Hughes were incredible in this game, with three goals and five points combined. Yet, the way MacKinnon took over in the second period showed how he’s a tier above the star players in this league. Hughes is a great talent but there’s a gap between him and the Hart Trophy players.
Brock Faber is one of the most overlooked defensemen in the game. He’s not known for his offense but had a goal and an assist in the game against the Jets. Maybe he’s the one who should operate the offense at the point?
Trevor Zegras continues to look like a star in the Flyers lineup, adding another assist in the game. He has nine points on the season, which leads the Flyers. He didn’t go in the shootout because he was ejected from the game but that led to another takeaway, which is that Matvei Michkov might be a rare shootout gem in the NHL (there are a few of them that a head coach can always rely on).
