Three Matchups to Take Note of Ahead of Tonight’s “Frozen Frenzy”
Every NHL team will be in action this evening, with games starting every 15 minutes beginning at 6 pm ET. While there are 16 games slated to be broadcast this Tuesday night, there are a few matchups that stick out more than others. Below are three games to keep an eye on this evening.
PHI @ VGK — 11 pm ET
AP Photo / John Locher
The Philadelphia Flyers are off to quite the unexpected start, as they currently have a 3-1-1 record and sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division. With Sean Couturier settling back in to the NHL after two years, Carter Hart playing well and consistently through the four matchups he has been in net, and Travis Konecny leading the team in scoring, the Flyers are hard to discount. However, the Vegas Golden Knights are undefeated with a 6-0-0 record and at the top of the Pacific Division. The reigning champions retained a roster of stars over the offseason, which are already exceeding expectations. Jack Eichel, Jonathan Marchessault, and Adin Hill are, not shockingly, leading the way. Vegas’ power play percentage is at 27.3, ninth in the league, but Philadelphia’s penalty kill percentage is at 82.4, tenth in the league. Just a few months ago, this game would have been one-sided and mundane, but the abrupt success of Philadelphia has made this one to watch.
VAN @ NSH — 9:15 pm ET
George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
The Vancouver Canucks, a team in the race for Connor Bedard just a season ago, are currently holding a 3-2-0 record and maintaining second place in the Pacific Division. Coming off of a 5-3 win over the reigning Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers, the Canucks will have some momentum heading into Music City. Newly-appointed captain Quinn Hughes has been incredible through five games and looks to be an extremely solid top pairing with Filip Hronek. Elias Pettersson leads the team in scoring with 10 points, tied with New Jersey’s Jack Hughes for third in the league. The Predators, though, are having a bit of a sluggish start to the season with a 3-3-0 record for fourth in the Central Division. The squad is entering this matchup with 4-1 and 5-1 wins over the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks, respectively. Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly, and Juuso Parssinen have a very effective top line, totaling 12 points collectively. With both teams expected to be in the middle of the pack and potentially fighting for one of the Western Conference wild card spots later this season, this matchup will absolutely be one to keep an eye on.
NJD @ MTL — 7:15 pm ET
Eric Bolte / USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
This Eastern Conference matchup should draw a lot of attention because both teams are not in a spot that they were expected to be before the regular season began. Montreal is currently 3-1-1 and third place in the Atlantic Division, whereas New Jersey is 2-1-1 which equates to sixth in the Metropolitan Division. The Canadiens have recently been bitten by the injury bug with Kirby Dach out for the entire season and David Savard out indefinitely. The Devils, while not living up to their fullest potential, are still a threat. The New Jersey power play has the highest percentage in the league with 42.9 and is being led by superstar Jack Hughes. The Devils had the weekend off after a 5-4 overtime victory over the New York Islanders and the Canadiens are on the second night of a back-to-back coming off of a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Although both of these teams will likely be in very different positions come April, the talent in this game—Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Luke Hughes, and Nico Hischier, among others — makes it one of the most anticipated of the evening.
