NHL second half starts
With the All-Star Game played
on January 30, the NHL's unofficial
second half of the season has
started and some teams couldn't be
happier.
In the first half of the season, we saw teams get off to hot starts and cool off, while other teams struggled to start but have been turning it on in the past weeks.
The Calgary Flames have battled their way back into the playoff race with a mighty strong winning streak. The Flames, who sit two points out of seventh place in the Western Conference, are looking to continue their hot streak into a playoff berth.
The New Jersey Devils have started to find a way to win and are trying to make their way out of NHL's basement. The Devils may not have the firepower to get into the playoffs, but they should be able to move up to a respectable spot in the Eastern Conference.
Last week, the three stars in the NHL were: third, from the New York Islanders, Michael Grabner, who registered a goal and an assist in the Islanders only game last week; second, Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, who grabbed a pair of wins for the Kings before going into the break; and the first star of the week is Carolina Hurricanes forward Eric Staal, who picked up two goals and two assists in the two games the Canes played last week.
My top three games this week are:
Chicago in Vancouver - This new upscale rivalry will be in full force on Friday night. These teams are battling in the tight Western conference, where all points are crucial.
Vancouver 3-1
Toronto at Buffalo - In a Northeast Divisional matchup look for a low-scoring affair.
Toronto 4-3 (OT)
Pittsburgh in Washington - Classic Ovie vs Crosby, hopefully Crosby will be back in time for this game. These two teams are full of firepower and like to score goals.
Washington 5-3
In the first half of the season, we saw teams get off to hot starts and cool off, while other teams struggled to start but have been turning it on in the past weeks.
The Calgary Flames have battled their way back into the playoff race with a mighty strong winning streak. The Flames, who sit two points out of seventh place in the Western Conference, are looking to continue their hot streak into a playoff berth.
The New Jersey Devils have started to find a way to win and are trying to make their way out of NHL's basement. The Devils may not have the firepower to get into the playoffs, but they should be able to move up to a respectable spot in the Eastern Conference.
Last week, the three stars in the NHL were: third, from the New York Islanders, Michael Grabner, who registered a goal and an assist in the Islanders only game last week; second, Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, who grabbed a pair of wins for the Kings before going into the break; and the first star of the week is Carolina Hurricanes forward Eric Staal, who picked up two goals and two assists in the two games the Canes played last week.
My top three games this week are:
Chicago in Vancouver - This new upscale rivalry will be in full force on Friday night. These teams are battling in the tight Western conference, where all points are crucial.
Vancouver 3-1
Toronto at Buffalo - In a Northeast Divisional matchup look for a low-scoring affair.
Toronto 4-3 (OT)
Pittsburgh in Washington - Classic Ovie vs Crosby, hopefully Crosby will be back in time for this game. These two teams are full of firepower and like to score goals.
Washington 5-3
