Key storylines to watch out for across the NHL’s two Outdoor Games at Lake Tahoe
We’re set for a special weekend in the NHL with two Outdoor Games at Lake Tahoe.
Buckle in because we have got two mouthwatering NHL Outdoor Games to look forward to this weekend, with the Vegas Golden Knights taking on the Colorado Avalanche today (3:00 p.m. ET) before the Boston Bruins will go up against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday (2:00 p.m. ET), with both games being played in-front of a stunning backdrop at Lake Tahoe.
With the Golden Knights and the Avalanche hitting the ice for practice on Friday, we got a tantalizing glimpse of just how breathtaking and beautiful these games will look from a visual standpoint, and we can’t wait.
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With no Winter Classic this year, there was a danger that there would be no outdoor games in the NHL in 2020-21, but the league has done an absolutely outstanding job of constructing an outdoor rink at Lake Tahoe and it could be the most stunning-looking Outdoor game we have seen in quite some time.
And, not only will the games be a must-watch because of the scenery and all of the outdoor elements, the matchups will also be unmissable TV too. For starters, we have two West Division heavyweights in the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche slugging it out today, with both teams heavy favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year and both neck-and-neck in the West.
Then, on Sunday, we have two of the top teams in the ultra-competitive East Division going head-to-head in the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers, with the B’s have already beaten the Flyers on four different occasions this year, so expect there to be plenty of snarl and fireworks between these two teams when they do battle yet again tomorrow.
Overall, we are set for a fantastic weekend of hockey outdoors and, ahead of the Bridgestone NHL Outdoors Saturday later (3:00 p.m. ET), we’re going to break down the main storylines that are worth keeping an eye on across the two hugely-compelling showdowns. Let’s delve right in…
Main Storylines to keep an eye on in NHL’s two Outdoors Games at Lake Tahoe
Sublime Jerseys
All four teams will wear their Reverse Retro Jerseys this weekend and, while the Philadelphia Flyers and the Vegas Golden Knights have already worn theirs on a couple of occasions, we will see the debut of two others and they are beauties.
For starters, the Colorado Avalanche will debut their spectacular Reverse Retro uniforms that pay tribute to the old Quebec Nordiques franchise, and they certainly looked absolutely stunning during practice on Friday.
The Boston Bruins will also wear their Reverse Retro jerseys for the first time, with their bright yellow uniforms set to look pretty good against the backdrop of Lake Tahoe. I always thought these were underrated uniforms when they were revealed, and I’m looking forward to seeing these in action on Sunday.
The Philadelphia Flyers did a nice job with their Reverse Retro uniforms and, while we have seen them already this season, they will just look different outdoors as did the Golden Knights when they hit the ice for practice on Friday. Now, I wasn’t a huge fan of Vegas’ Reverse Retro jerseys, which were a tribute to hockey history in Las Vegas, but they have really grown on me and, for jersey enthusiasts, this weekend should be a real treat given the eye-catching uniforms we will have on display.
Can Marc-Andre Fleury stay hot?
Marc-Andre Fleury has been playing at an elite level so far in 2020-21, going 7-2-0 with a stellar 1.56 Goals Against Average and a .937 Save Percentage with two shutouts. He has been the MVP for the Vegas Golden Knights without a doubt, and it has been like watching the goalie during his prime years.
Arguably the face of this franchise, it seems fitting that he will start the Golden Knights’ first outdoor game and arguably their most high-profile regular-season contest in their short history, and this should be a pretty special afternoon for the future Hall of Famer who won three Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It could also be a busy day for Fleury given the amount of firepower the Colorado Avalanche have at their disposal, although the veteran did allow just three goals on the 55 shots he faced across two games against the Avs this week, posting one shutout and an incredible .945 Save Percentage.
Fleury has started five straight games due to Robin Lehner being out with an upper-body injury but, given just how impressive he has been, the Vegas Golden Knights will no doubt have no problem relying on their franchise cornerstone so much and they will know that Marc-Andre Fleury is key to them securing a second victory over their main competitor for the Stanley Cup this season.
Abundance of riches
The main reason why the Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights are seen by many as two juggernauts destined to battle for the Stanley Cup for years to come is the fact that they are both absolutely loaded.
And that will be on full display today.
Just look at the Avalanche who will be getting their Captain back in Gabriel Landeskog, who has been on the COVID-19 Protocol list since Feb. 4, but was taken off on Wednesday and that will be a huge, huge boost for the Avs.
After all, Landeskog has eight points (3 G, 5 A) in 11 games this season, and he really helps to drive play for Colorado along with superstar center Nathan MacKinnon, while stud defenseman Cale Makar is a game-time decision after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury.
Makar is just a pretty special talent and, with one goal and 11 assists for 12 points in 12 games this season, the offensive blueliner would be a lethal threat on the ice if he is able to prove his fitness for today’s mouthwatering showdown at Lake Tahoe.
It isn’t just the Avalanche who are stacked with talent, however, given that the Vegas Golden Knights are a loaded roster with depth and quality in every single area. We’ve already looked at goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury in the previous slide, who has been playing at an elite level so far this season, while the Knights also got back defenseman Shea Theodore earlier in the week.
With a deadly one-two punch of Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo on the backend, the likes of Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault leading an explosive top-six forward unit and a bottom-six group that can provide secondary scoring and a boatload of grit and tenacity, today’s matchup is going to be a showdown between two insanely deep and talented rosters and it should make for one hell of a game in what will be a stunning backdrop.
Can Vigneault stay perfect?
Philadelphia Flyers Head Coach Alain Vigneault knows a thing or two about being behind the bench for Outdoor Games in the National Hockey League, and he boasts a perfect 3-0-0 record going into Sunday’s Lake Tahoe showdown against the Boston Bruins.
So, can Vigneault stay perfect come the conclusion of this weekend?
Well, it isn’t going to be easy. As we mapped out here, the Flyers are going to be without six huge pieces of their lineup with defenseman Justin Braun and forwards Claude Giroux, Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, Oskar Lindblom and Jakub Voracek all on the NHL’s COVID-19 Protocol list.
That is a hell of a lot of firepower and star power to be missing and, as a result, the Flyers are going to have to adapt and even get creative in order to try and beat the Bruins for the first time this season having lost their previous four encounters.
For instance, defenseman Mark Friedman was skating on a fourth-line with forwards Andy Andreoff and Samuel Morin on Friday, after forward Maksim Sushko made his NHL debut in a Shootout loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday.
The Flyers are going to be severely undermanned against the East Division-leading Boston Bruins, so they are going to have to be smart with the puck and they will also have to be incredibly smart with their line changes in order to ensure that the players they do have available stay fresh.
If they can achieve both of those things then it may just help Alain Vigneault stay perfect in Outdoor games, although it isn’t going to be easy given how depleted the Philadelphia Flyers are, coupled with the fact that they have consistently struggled against the Bruins so far in 2020-21.
Time for Studnicka to shine?
The Boston Bruins were dealt a huge blow during their 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday when veteran center David Krejci left the game with a lower-body injury, and he’s not expected to play against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, nor is grizzled defenseman Kevan Miller.
As a result, the B’s have called up defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and forward Jack Studnicka, with both making the trip to Lake Tahoe. And, it could be a real opportunity for the latter to show what he can do in a top-six role.
After all, there is no doubt that Studnicka is the prize of Boston’s farm system and he has played in eight NHL games so far, recording two points (1 G, 1 A), including one goal in six games for the Bruins this season.
Studnicka has averaged 13:31 of total ice time in the six outings he’s had this year but, should he get the chance to center the second-line, then his ice time will jump up and he could also get an opportunity on the power play.
It could be a big weekend for Studnicka to show what he’s really all about on the biggest possible stage at Lake Tahoe, and if he’s able to play a real 200-foot game and provide some secondary scoring, then that will help the Boston Bruins to make it five straight wins against the Flyers this season.
Of course, the B’s will be relying on their elite “Perfection Line,” consisting of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak to provide both offense and fireworks against Philadelphia on Sunday. The trio have combined for 47 points already this season, and that’s despite the fact that Pastrnak missed the first couple of weeks of the year due to injury.
Next. Hurricanes hit it out of the park on Friday. dark
Everything good the Boston Bruins do runs through Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak and the trio have the potential to wreak havoc on both the power play and at 5-on-5 at any given moment so, if they can get rolling tomorrow and players in the ilk of Jack Studnicka can contribute, then it could be a memorable day for the B’s.