This Week in the NHL: Connor, meet Connor
So many games. So little time. What should you focus your NHL hockey fandom on if your favorite team’s games don’t scratch the itch enough?
Welcome to This Week in the NHL. From now until April, we’ll lay out a collection of key games, events and deadlines to watch on the league calendar each week.
So what’s on tap for Dec. 11-17?
Dec. 12: Connor Bedard visits Connor McDavid
Chicago Blackhawks @ Edmonton Oilers, 10:00 p.m. ET
There will be no virtual torch passing when generational prospect Bedard plays his first regular season game against Connor McDavid. The latter is still smack in the middle of his peak dominant years, of course, and currently leading the Oilers’ huge surge up the standings under new coach Kris Knoblauch. But the highlight reels should get a great workout when the best rookie scorer in the game tries to outshine the best pure scorer in the game.
Dec. 16: Kyle Dubas’ Penguins visit Toronto for first time
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:00 p.m. ET
The Leafs and Pens met for the first time after Dubas’ departure/ousting as GM earlier this season, but that was in Pittsburgh. The stakes will feel higher when Dubas returns to Scotiabank Arena and occupies a different suite in its press box for the first time. Even if both teams downplay it, their competitive juices should be flowing on Saturday night.
Dec. 16: Rangers, Jacob Trouba face Bruins following stick-swinging incident
New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins, 7:00 p.m. ET
On Nov. 25, in one of the more controversial plays of the season, bruising Rangers blueliner Trouba caught Bruins agitator Trent Frederic with what appeared to be a baseball bat stick-swing to the head. Some felt the play was as bad as Marty McSorley on Donald Brashear. Others, including the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, saw it as negligent, not deliberate, stick use by a player who was off balance. Trouba’s punishment: a $5,000 fine. While he did own up to his mistake, claiming he needs to be more careful, we can probably expect some boo birds when he touches the puck at TD Garden – and a very physical contest between arguably the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.
John Tavares’ 1,000th point
It will be 15 years this June since Tavares went first overall in the 2009 NHL Draft. Even if Victor Hedman is the true Hall of Famer of that group, Tavares has come close to justifying his No. 1 overall pick status. He’s just two points away from 1,000 for his career and has a chance to do so Monday in, of all places, Long Island with the Leafs visiting the New York Islanders, his former team. He would be the 98th player to reach the milestone.
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