Daily Faceoff Show: On ‘Twosday’ 2/22/22, who is NHL’s most under appreciated duo?

To celebrate ‘Twosday’ 2/22/22, the boys on the “Daily Faceoff Show” picked their favorite duo in the NHL to watch, plus the duo that doesn’t get talked about enough.

Mike McKenna: “My favorite duo so far this season is Cale Makar and Devon Toews of the Colorado Avalanche. We seemingly keep talking about them. Well why? They are the best team in the league so no surprise. I can’t believe Devon Toews was traded for two 2nd round picks to the Colorado Avalanche. I’m sure Lou Lamoriello would love to have Devon Toews at this point. Arbitration scared that off, made it happen, he got [to Denver]. I love this combination of players because [at] 5-on-5, they are so dynamic together. They’ve been on the ice for 26 goals for and just 11 against. They are so good together, and so fun to watch.

“The duo that no one is talking about is Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. They started last season, these two have played 40 games together this year. At 5-on-5 they’ve been on the ice together for 36 goals. Compare that to Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews in Toronto, 26 goals in 36 games. That’s how good Kaprizov and Zuccarello have been, and when you factor in power play time together, 67 goals for, for the Wild with them on the ice. That’s a dynamic duo.”

Frank Seravalli: “I’ve got Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen from the Carolina Hurricanes as my favorite duo to watch. They’ve combined for 23 goals where either Aho and Teravainen have gotten my primary assist or the other way around, where Teravainen has scored and Aho has gotten the primary assist. Just creative, in control at all times. They dominate play.

“For me, the duo more people should be talking about is Mackenzie Weegar and Aaron Ekblad. Ekblad has been so good this year, this guy is going to end up on my Norris Trophy ballot somewhere in the one to five slot, don’t know where it’s going to be. Cale Makar, one of the top guys in your duo, he’s probably going to be at No. 1, but Ekblad, 13 goals this year and 10 of them at even strength. So this pair gets the job done at even strength but also they are really good in their own end. If you look at their underlying numbers, they are all in the 58 to 60 percentage range in terms of Corsi, scoring chances for, high danger chances for, goals for, all those categories. Weegar is also doing it on his offhand side. So could you imagine the Florida Panthers will be if they can add a defenseman? You don’t want to break up this pair, that’s how good they’ve been, but if you could slide him back to the right side and get a left shot defensemen, or if you get a right shot defenseman at the deadline, you can push Radko Gudas a little bit further down the lineup. I’m interested to see what the Florida Panthers do at the deadline.”

“So Mike, let me throw a little rapid fire at you. We can all agree that Doug Harvey, seven-time Norris Trophy winner, is probably the best No. 2 to play the game. Let me ask: Best No. 2 from your generation:

#2 Al MacInnis or #2 Brian Leetch?

McKenna: “I’m impartial to Al MacInnis. I grew up in St. Louis. I watched him. I know I’m American so Brian Leetch should be my horse but no, Al MacInnis was unbelievable for the Blues, for the Flames, and he was someone who was important to my life, my coaching life, my youth hockey life.”

Seravalli: “I’m really torn, I think they have two pretty even careers, both multi-time Norris Trophy winners, both won one Stanley Cup, and the years they won the cup, they were the Conn Smythe winners. It’s a tough question.

“One more tough question …

Is No. 2 Duncan Keith … a Hockey Hall of Famer?

McKenna: “No…”

Seravalli: “Three Stanley Cups. Two Norris Trophies. One Conn Smythe…”

McKenna: “How do I forget that? He should be in the Hall of Fame. What am I thinking? He should have retired three years ago and I would have said absolutely.”

Seravalli: “That’s because he plays for the Oilers now.”