THW’s Best of the Week: Hischier Returns, Kings Streaking, Oilers' Big Win, Top 2024 Draft Prospect Celebrini & More
A Sunday Edition of The Hockey Writers Substack
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Sunday Edition…
Our in-season Sunday Edition features the BEST OF THE WEEK throughout the NHL.
In today’s edition, we have the return of Devils captain Nico Hischier, a winning streak for the Kings, a big performance from the Oilers stars, and much more.
Let’s dive into the Best of the Week…
Devils Captain Nico Hischier Makes Return From Injury
The New Jersey Devils have slowed down after a hot start to the regular season. They’ve had top forwards Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier out with injuries in parts of the season so far. However, Hischier made his return on Saturday, Nov. 25 in their 7-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. He tallied two points and was a plus-2 in the big win. This is a huge boost for the Devils.
Kings Have Five Straight Wins After Shutting Down the Canadiens
The Los Angeles Kings have won five straight games and are up to 13-3-3 on the season. After making the playoffs the last two seasons, they’ve picked up where they left off in the regular season and are right behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first in the Pacific Division. Forwards Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe currently lead the way with 20 points in 19 games. This is a really solid team in the mix of a Western Conference that lacks depth.
McDavid & Draisaitl Take Over in Oilers’ Dominant 5-0 Win Over Capitals
The Edmonton Oilers took down the Washington Capitals 5-0 for a dominant win on Black Friday. Despite a rough start to the season that led them to firing head coach Jay Woodcroft, their stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have not heard a bell just yet. Draisaitl had two goals and three points, while McDavid racked up four assists in the big win. While the Oilers are 6-12-1, they aren’t dead yet and there are still 63 games left to play. It’ll be interesting to see if this performance leads to a prolonged hot streak for the team and their two superstars.
Source: Hockey Daily 365 | Sportsnet
Blues Honor Former Captain Ryan O’Reilly in His Return to St. Louis
Road To the NHL Winter Classic Is Coming Back on Dec. 13
On the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 13, hockey fans will be able to watch the first episode of Road to the Winter Classic in the United States on either TNT or the streaming service Max (formerly HBO Max). According to NHL.com, the series makes its return for the upcoming 2024 Winter Classic between the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken.
Here are a few details, “The first episode will premiere on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT and simulcast on Max in the U.S. It will premiere for fans in Canada on Sportsnet One on Thursday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. ET.” This should be an interesting series to watch as it’ll take fans behind the scenes in the lead-up to the Winter Classic. Read more about the Winter Classic Jersey Unveilings HERE.
Macklin Celebrini Solidifying Himself as Top Choice in 2024 NHL Draft
After a loaded class in 2023, the 2024 draft class seems to come back down to earth a bit, but Boston University freshman forward Macklin Celebrini is a really good option in the top spot. Celebrini has nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points in 12 games at Boston this season. He’s a special talent and seems like a surefire option to go first overall in June.
Source: BU Men’s Hockey | ESPN
We hope you enjoyed today’s THW Substack, and we hope you enjoy our “Best of the Week” Sunday Edition. Stay tuned for THW Daily as it continues tomorrow and beyond. Cheers!