NHL TV schedule: Outdoor game highlights stacked week

Wednesday

Boston Bruins at Detroit Red Wings (8 P.M. ET/ 5 P.M. PT on NBCSN)

The Good: Rivalry night features two Original Six division rivals. Kudos to NBC on this one. The Bruins are on fire lately, securing 10 of 14 possible points since Thanksgiving. Boston has battled through injury issues to stake a claim in the East’s tight playoff race.

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While his brand of physicality remains questionable at times, left wing Brad Marchand has eight points in his last five games. His line with center Patrice Bergeron and right wing Dave Pastrnak is among the deadliest in the NHL.

The Bad: The Red Wings are just plain bad. After reading about the Lightning, one can only wonder what the Wings might look like if Steve Yzerman had taken over as GM in Detroit.

Detroit has lost eight of their last nine entering the week, and picked up just seven points in their last 10 games.

The Verdict: Hard maybe. If you’re sporting one of Boston’s elite forwards on your fantasy team, sure. Otherwise, this should be a snoozer. But then again, this is an actual rivalry on Rivalry Night. Those come once in a blue moon.

Thursday

Pittsburgh Penguins at Vegas Golden Knights (10 P.M. ET/ 7 P.M. PT on NHL Network)

The Good: This will be an emotional night for Golden Knights goaltender Marc-André Fleury. The Penguins made him the number one pick in the 2003 draft, and Fleury spent his first 13 years in black and gold. He won three Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh.

Fleury was the odd man out – and possibly the highest profile selection – in the expansion draft this Summer. Thursday marks his first turn against his old team.

Fleury started the year strong, but a concussion has knocked him out for the last several weeks as the Knights went through a Spinal Tap-esque line of goalies. He returns this week to a team that has performed well above expectations.

The Penguins have survived a rough early schedule and their own goaltending injuries as they fight for a coveted playoff spot in the Eastern Conference

The Bad: Schedule issues aside, the Penguins have been plain inconsistent this year. A Monday night loss to the Colorado Avalanche dropped them to a .500 points percentage; no team made the playoffs last year with less than a .573.

The Verdict: Hard maybe. This one depends on your time zone. Penguins fans will be emotional, but 10 p.m. is a late puck drop on the East Coast. Everyone in the Western Conference should keep an eye on the Golden Knights though.

Cord Cutter Special

This is something new we’re trying here at Top Shelf TV. NHL.TV, the league’s streaming service, offers a number of games for absolutely free throughout the week. The Cord Cutter Special will highlight the best of the bunch. Let us know how you like it in the comments!

Chicago Blackhawks at Winnipeg Jets (8 P.M. ET/ 5 P.M. PT on NHL.TV)

The Good: These division rivals come into the week separated by six points. After a sterling November, the Jets sit firmly in the second Central Division playoff spot. While free agent acquisition Steve Mason has struggled on the ice and with injuries, Connor Hellebuyck has emerged as a viable starter for a franchise that has never really had one.

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The revamped Blackhawks are buoyed by a Vezina-worthy season from Corey Crawford. His .932 overall save percentage (.937 at even strength) is eye-popping and has helped prop up an aging and ineffective blue line.

Up front, 19-year old rookie right wing Alex Debrincat has been a revelation. Skating on a top line along center Jonathan Toews and left wing Brandon Saad, Debrincat has 21 points in 30 games. He’s been sheltered a bit, skating just 14:40 a night and starting most of his shifts in the offensive zone. That’s how you shepherd along elite talent though.

The Bad: Speaking of Brandon Saad, this isn’t a great time to look at the trade that brought him back to Chicago. Columbus sent him back to the Windy City for LW Artemi Panarin, and the Bread Man has been on a tear lately. Panarin has 10 points in his last five games, including five assists against New Jersey last week. Saad has been held pointless in three of his last five games.

Both teams have some blue line issues. Chicago’s core is aging, and Duncan Keith’s lack of production is especially scary next to Brent Seabrook’s contract.

The Verdict: Ch-check it out. Not indispensable, but worth keeping an eye on.

Friday

Los Angeles Kings at New York Rangers (7 P.M. ET/ 4 P.M. PT on NHL Network)

The Good: Talk about two pleasant surprises.

This column once moaned when the Kings showed up. A slow, aging team with a questionable cap sheet does not sound like fun television. However, C Anze Kopitar has been an absolute virtuoso, posting 38 points so far. His career high 21.1% shooting will certainly regress, but he’s still one of the top playmakers in the NHL, and he’s propelled the Kings to first in the Pacific Division.

Healthy and productive for the first time in forever, goaltender Jonathan Quick finally feels like the elite goaltender he’s billed as. Combined with contributions from a resurgent Tyler Toffoli and rookie Alex Iafallo, and the team suddenly has a few wrinkles to it.

The Rangers have recovered from their own slow start to find their way back into the tight Metropolitan Division playoff race. While G Henrik Lundqvist has performed better over the last few weeks, our friends at Blue Line Station feel like backup goalie Ondrej Pavelec deserves more playing time, and we agree. Even with a more productive Lundqvist, the 35-year old needs a night off or three down the stretch.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcgJoGDAwEQ/

The Bad: There isn’t much. Both teams certainly have long-term cap and talent issues, but right now they’re firing.

The Verdict: Must watch. We’re not sure if we mentioned this before, but Anze Kopitar is pretty fun to watch.

Saturday

Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators (7 P.M. ET/ 4 P.M. PT on NBCSN)

The Good: It’s the first of a (somehow) restrained three outdoor games this year, as the Canadiens and Senators get together for the NHL 100 Classic.

I know what you’re thinking: there are too many of these games, and didn’t we already celebrate the NHL’s 100th-anniversary last year?

The answer is, well, sort of. The NHL has celebrated the 100th anniversary of it’s founding since last December. This is the second outdoor game with 100th-anniversary branding; Toronto hosted Detroit last year in the NHL Centennial Classic.

Yes, they both have different names. No, we have no idea why.

The Bad: These games are craven and awful money grabs.

The Verdict: Must watch. The Grinch in us here at Puck Prose wants to tell you to tune out, but just check out the weather report. Weather in the 20s. Snow flurries. This is what the novelty of outdoor games was always supposed to be about: big and bombastic and dumb, but also picturesque reminders of kids playing on ponds.

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What say you, reader? Are we too thrilled about outdoor games? Am I too hard on the Red Wings? Let us know in the comments.