The NHL is too vast of a league to keep up with everything all at once. Hockey's landscape changes from week to week, and while it's impossible to watch every game unfold in its entirety over the course of a week, you can certainly read the most important narratives all in one place.
Trending the net: Trades galore, All-Star jerseys bore, and Finland wins big
And yes, the Panthers are STILL streaking.
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
These are not your typical power rankings, but more of a trend of who's rising and who's falling, from players and teams to storylines and statistics. To get you ready for the week ahead, we'll catch you up on the week prior.
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Trade Deadline Day came early on a Wednesday in early January
If you decided to take in a mid-day showing of Star Wars around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday on the East Coast, you probably exited the theater feeling a disturbance in the force, as if suddenly your favorite NHL teams had gone and made moves without your knowledge. Within the span of three hours, three separate moves were made from a combined five teams that ranged from head-scratching to blockbuster.
For those who missed it: Lecavalier, L. Schenn (PHI) ↔️ Weal (LAK), 2016 3rd rounder Mike Richards ➡️ Capitals Johansen (CBJ) ↔️ Jones (NSH)
— SB Nation NHL (@SBNationNHL) January 7, 2016 The one most talked about is the Ryan Johansen-for-Seth Jones swap made by the Blue Jackets and the Predators. Both teams receive players under 23 -- with Jones the 4th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft -- and fills needs that respectively make the Blue Jackets defensive lineup stronger for the future while the Predators nail down the No. 1 center role they've desperately missed. One team planning for the future, the other taking a gamble giving up a highly touted prospect for the chance to win now.
And that was just the last trade of the day, made right before the 7 p.m. games scheduled for that night. The Capitals also picked up Mike Richards, who will see his first action on NHL ice since he laced up with the Kings in October 2015. Richards has faced some well-known legal trouble, but his presence in Washington could help their hopeful long Stanley Cup run, as the former Philadelphia captain took the Flyers to the 2010 Final against the Blackhawks.
Speaking of the Flyers, Philadelphia dumped salary in a big way on the day's first transaction, moving aging forward Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Luke Schenn to the Kings for prospect Jordan Weal and a 2016 third round pick. The magic of Flyers GM Ron Hextall continues and most of Los Angeles, and the hockey world, are still trying to figure out how Lecavalier and Schenn fit within the Kings system.
Finland’s World Junior gold capped off exceptional tournament
The World Junior tournament is often some of the most exciting hockey we get to see each year outside of the NHL playoffs. Young kids! Lots of goals! Open ice! Country pride! It has all the makings of a stellar tournament and almost every year, it doesn’t disappoint -- except for those few hours after your home country gets knocked out.
Sure, the U.S. and Canada both lost in the elimination rounds, and the United States seemingly took it better than Canada’s collapse a day after, but there was one narrative many could get behind. Host country Finland had made it into the gold medal match alongside Russia, and boy was it a game. Finland mounted multiple comebacks before seemingly putting the game away with 2:09 left. Russia came back with a deflection goal with 6.9 seconds remaining to take the game to overtime tied 3-3, but the pesky Finns survived the storm and Kasperi Kapanen’s wrap around goal to win it might just be one of the prettiest game-winners this tournament has seen.
The goal call from two Finnish broadcasters is quite something, too.
Finnish commentator on Kasperi Kapanen's Golden Goal #WorldJuniors #WJC2016 pic.twitter.com/ruJ4eq5l8z
— Robert Söderlind (@HockeyWebCast) January 5, 2016 Panthers close in on historic NHL record
We get it, the Florida Panthers run isn't sustainable. Sure, they're not as good as their 12-game winning streak suggests, but who cares? The Panthers are six games away from an NHL record for consecutive games won that has been held by the Penguins since the 1992-93 season. These same Panthers -- who are often ridiculed for their low attendance numbers and are subject to relocation rumors every few months -- lead the Atlantic Division over Eastern Conference stalwarts in Detroit and Montreal by five points.
There's not much more to be said about the Panthers that hasn't already been said during their run. Even we're having a hard time trying to talk about this team without repeating ourselves. But, you know what? It doesn't matter. While the analytics community screams about unsustainability and PDO, I'll sit back and enjoy this Panthers run for what it is. Florida will probably just eke into the playoffs and get run down by a team with more depth like the Capitals, but that doesn't matter. Let's all just enjoy this moment where a non-traditional hockey market has their day in the sun before the old guard shuts them out like the Flames and Avalanche before them.
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All-Star jerseys dress to depress more than impress
A year after coming up with the clearly Tron-inspired neon green accented sweaters, the NHL really, really toned it back this year for Nashville with what looks more like the template you use to make said jerseys.
I mean, they’re okay? They’re not horrifically offensive to eyeballs everywhere like last year, but they’re quite bland as a whole. The NHL tried to explain them away by calling them tributes to Nashville’s music heritage, but really they just played it too safe. Plus, there are only two of them for a four-team tournament. How cool would it have been to see division-specific jerseys instead of these black and white candy cane stripes?
In a hilarious coincidence, the NWHL announced their All-Star jerseys for their tournament this week. Now this is more like it!
Two teams. Two jerseys. A lot of talent. All-Star Weekend begins January 22nd: https://t.co/j3ORdJSWGn pic.twitter.com/Exnr9FmVKe
— NWHL (@NWHL_) January 9, 2016 Overtime apparently makes players lose their minds
First, we had Blues netminder Jake Allen embarrass himself while trying to do too much in an overtime game against the Avalanche. PSA everyone, stay in your nets!
Then on Saturday, Daniel Sedin found himself too exhausted to go on in overtime as he let Nikita Kucherov of the Lightning blow right past him for Tampa Bay to win the game.
Bad week for overtime, for sure.
Denna Laing injury rocks the hockey world
Denna Laing of the Boston Pride came into the Women’s Winter Classic probably as excited as the 20-plus other women to be playing outdoors for the first interleague game between the NWHL and CWHL. No one could have predicted the injury that followed, and one that now will change Laing’s life as she has suffered a spinal cord injury, according to a statement from her family.
It’s not our place to speculate on the feelings of Laing and her family, but it’s safe to say the injury sent shock waves around the hockey community. When concerned fans and media were met with silence and requests for privacy, everyone jumped to the worst conclusions. The injury will quite possibly rob Laing of a sport she so clearly loved playing, and in an event that seemingly meant so much to not only the teams playing, but to hockey as a whole.
Our own Stanley Cup of Chowder blog has a beautiful piece up on how one’s life changes living with paraplegia and is one of the many outpourings of support from the world of hockey. Comments for support and donations can be made at dennalaing.org.
Starting today, all NWHL players will wear number 24 in support of Denna and her family #14Strong #HockeyFamily pic.twitter.com/jLN4q7iwxL
— Dani Rylan (@DaniRylan) January 9, 2016 See More:
