NHL Schedule: Blackhawks, streaking Rangers both appear twice on national TV
Welcome to Top Shelf TV, a preview of the week’s national NHL schedule and television listings. We comb through what’s airing on NBC, NBCSN, and NHL Network to tell you which games are worth your time and which ones to skip.
All NHL fans need a breather after last week’s intercontinental bonanza. The Scheduling Gods have obliged with just four nationally televised games on the NHL schedule, but they’re all quality. Original Six teams, Cup contenders, and divisional rivalries are all words we love to type and matchups we love to see at Puck Prose, and you’ll see them all over this article.
It’s all topped off with a classic revenge game on Saturday, but the action starts tonight in Washington. Let’s get to it.
Tuesday (Nov. 14)
Washington Capitals at Nashville Predators (8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on NBCSN)
Why you should watch: The Predators have won four in a row, including their last two on a California swing and Saturday’s shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Capitals come in winners of five in their last six, including a Friday win over the Penguins.
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The Pens are struggling, is what we’re saying.
But we’re also saying that both of these teams are darn good. They each came into this season with the burden of Stanley Cup expectations. They could just kill time until June (or early May, in the Capitals case), but instead, they’re dynamic and exciting.
Nashville just bolstered their line up, adding Kyle Turris to shore up a forward corps that was looking a little thin. He scored in his first game with the Predators.
ITS #highlight Monday!
— Roster Point Hockey (@rosterpoint) November 13, 2017
Watch a beautiful give-and-go between Washington Capitals Tom Wilson and Dmitry Orlov to tie the game!https://t.co/gTiZtBqz1c #beauty #goal pic.twitter.com/roQh6qtTOp
Skip it if: Don’t. This is a marquee matchup and a potential Cup Final preview.
Verdict: Must watch.
Wednesday (Nov. 15)
New York Rangers at Chicago Blackhawks (8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on NBCSN)
Why you should watch: The New York Rangers are going streaking, up the quad, to the gymnasium, and right back into the playoff picture.
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Winners of six in a row, the Rangers have found the back of the net after series early season shooting troubles. They’re averaging four goals per game on that win streak, playing a style of firewagon hockey that feels like it’s fresh out of 1993.
Speaking of firewagon hockey, the Blackhawks just lost a 7-5 game against the Metropolitan Division-leading New Jersey Devils.
Nothing about 2017 makes any sense.
Skip it if: You love defense. Both of these teams are in the top 10 for expected goals for (xGF), per Corsica. They’re also both in the bottom five for expected goals against.
Corey Crawford’s absurd start aside, there’s not much to be found on these blue lines or in these defensive systems. Henrik Lundqvist is playing like a beautiful, beautiful corpse this year, despite some strong starts during the streak.
Verdict: Worth watching on the East Coast. We’re all about offense here at Puck Prose. Not worth jetting home from work early if you live out west though.
Friday (Nov. 17)
New York Rangers at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT on NHL Network)
Why you should watch: The Rangers could well be stretching their streak to eight games on Friday. They could also look to bounce back from a painful defeat.
Either way, the end a short road trip against a Metropolitan Division rival Friday night.
The Blue Jackets sit second in the Metro with a (10-7-1 record, 21 points) entering the week. It’s a tight division, with the seventh place Philadelphia Flyers just three points behind and the Rangers sitting on 20.
A big part of that is Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. At this point the netminder isn’t just a regular at the top of the goalie leaderboard in many statistics, but the heart and soul of the team. A .925 save percentage is one thing. That kick save above is another.
This save Sergei Bobrovsky made on a 2-on-0 in 3-on-3 overtime is insane pic.twitter.com/10kbcCIDlL
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) November 12, 2017
Skip it if: All of our concerns about the Rangers are still there. To put it charitably, Alain Vigneault is a divisive coach. Henrik isn’t Henrik anymore.
As for the Jackets, there’s not a lot of there. The offense has been uninspired lately, they snapped a four-game losing streak Saturday on Bobrovsky’s back. Star offseason acquisition Artemi Panarin has cooled considerably from his hot start, with just three points in his last eight games.
Verdict: Skippable. While we like the division rivalry at play, the Rangers will probably have a more exciting game on Wednesday.
Saturday (Nov. 18)
Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT on NHL Network)
Why you should watch: Way back on the second night of the season, the Chicago Blackhawks absolutely wrecked the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 10-1 loss set franchise records, humiliated newly minted back-up goaltender Antti Niemi, and had our friends at Black Hawk Up atwitter about what it all meant.
Niemi has been waived twice since then, but don’t think the Penguins have forgotten. These two franchises have each won three Stanley Cups in the salary cap era. They boast some of the best players in the league, like Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, and Evgeni Malkin.
Skip it if: You like secondary scoring. The Hawks have famously struggled with the salary cap over the years, gutting their bottom six over time in favor of extensions for core players. While this strategy is sound on paper, it’s caught up to the Hawks in the form of Brent Seabrook’s contract.
The Penguins aren’t far behind. This offseason saw the departure of several key cogs, including Matt Cullen. While General Manager Jim Rutherford has tried to plug the holes with acquisitions like Riley Sheahan, the numbers aren’t pretty. With Sidney Crosby goalless in his last ten games, someone has to step up.
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Verdict: Must watch. These are star studded teams with big expectations. The added revenge element should be enough to spark an exciting game from these two uninspired teams.
What say you, Puck Prose reader? Are we too optimistic about these games? What are we missing with this Blue Jackets team? Let us know in the comments.