1. Who wins the Coach Swap Showdown of 2013? (That’s an unofficial nickname.)
John Tortorella was fired by the Rangers and hired by the Canucks this offseason. Alain Vigneault was fired by the Canucks and hired by the Rangers. The two coaches will face their former teams for the first time on Saturday in what should be an entertaining homecoming in New York. Both coaches have downplayed the drama in the media, but you just know they’ve been thinking about this day for awhile now.
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2. How does the “Circus Trip” end?
Chicago’s oddly-named seven-game road trip comes to an end in Phoenix on Saturday. The Blackhawks have fared very well on the road, having won five in a row after a blowout in Colorado. But the wins haven’t come easy and the Coyotes will make for a difficult opponent. Phoenix is 9-2-1 at Jobing.com Arena this season.
3. Which Marc-Andre Fleury shows up?
Fleury was yanked out of the net on Wednesday after giving up three goals on just eleven shots. On Friday, he stopped all 21 shots in a 3-0 shutout of Tampa Bay. Whether Pittsburgh succeeds on Saturday depends on which version of Fleury they get.
4. Can the Flames beat Ben Scrivens in regulation?
Kings netminder Ben Scrivens is 5-0-3 since Jonathan Quick went down with a groin injury a few weeks ago. Calgary is one of just six teams to beat Los Angeles in regulation this season. Can they do it again against L.A.‘s red-hot netminder?
5. Will the Predators overcome the loss of Shea Weber?
That’s right: Nashville will be without both Pekka Rinne and Shea Weber on Saturday. Weber took a puck to the face on Thursday and didn’t return. It’s likely Seth Jones moves up to the top pairing with Roman Josi, but the Predators will be hard-pressed to beat Philadelphia without their captain.
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