THW Daily - Week 5 Power Rankings & Early Season Dominance of Hughes Brothers
Also, why the Bruins should monitor the situation in Toronto with Bertuzzi, Jets who are exceeding expectations this season & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have power rankings for week five of the season, dominance from the Hughes brothers this season, why the Bruins should monitor the situation in Toronto with Bertuzzi, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
Yesterday’s NHL Scores…
Oilers’ Concerns Shouldn’t Be With Draisaitl & McDavid
November 6, 2023 by Brian Swane
The Edmonton Oilers are in a complete tailspin. They’re 2-7-1, tied for the second-worst record through 10 games in franchise history. They have five points, which is less than every other NHL team this season with the exception of the historically bad San Jose Sharks. They were supposed to be Stanley Cup contenders, but now don’t even look capable of a playoff berth.
Defensively, the Oilers have been a dumpster fire: giveaways, breakdowns, mental lapses, and an utter lack of resistance. They’ve hung their goalies out to dry just about every way possible, and the result is an average of 4.10 goals against per game, third highest in the NHL. Meanwhile, the Oilers are only averaging 2.70 goals per game, down significantly from an average of 3.96 goals per game last season, when Edmonton led the league in scoring.
NHL 2023-24 Power Rankings: Week 5
November 6, 2023 by Eugene Helfrick
The word at the front of my mind this week is parity. While all sports strive to keep a competitive balance, the idea of any team being able to win on any given night is something the NHL has pushed for under Gary Bettman’s leadership. In most seasons, this creates a league where the difference between first place to 32nd isn’t massive in terms of on-ice talent, compared to what you may expect.
Once you get past those extremes, though, parity rules the day. You can make a strong argument for and against almost everyone in the Rankings this week, as we saw a mixture of embarrassing losses by good teams and strong wins by those we expected to be at the bottom.
Bruins Need to Closely Watch Tyler Bertuzzi Situation in Toronto
November 6, 2023 by Michael DeRosa
The Boston Bruins had many subtractions during the 2023 NHL Offseason, and Tyler Bertuzzi was among the most notable. With the Bruins being in salary cap hell and needing to fill out several spots on their roster, they rightfully ended negotiations with Bertuzzi once free agency began. From there, the 28-year-old signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While there is still plenty of time for Bertuzzi to turn things around, his future in Toronto could be in jeopardy if he does not pick up his play. Keagan Stiefel of NESN brought up the prospect of Bertuzzi returning to Boston in a recent article, and I’d be all for it. Thus, let’s discuss how it’s possible and why the Bruins should consider exploring it if Bertuzzi becomes available.
Maple Leafs Like Multiple Flames D-Men in Big Blue Line Trade
November 6, 2023 by Jim Parsons
Losers for four in a row, as the Toronto Maple Leafs look for answers to their current woes. Roster shuffling is taking place and rumors are starting to swirl about the players — both new and old. The most recent additions to the team are having a hard time getting acclimated and making a difference, while some of the older players are struggling to help the Leafs keep the puck out of their own net.
There’s been a myriad of criticism as the Maple Leafs are being raked over the coals for a lack of pushback and team toughness and now, as Nick Robertson is promoted, what happens with some of the key pieces on the team if they keep losing is anyone’s guess.
3 Jets Exceeding Expectations Early in 2023-24 Season
November 6, 2023 by Connor Hrabchak
The Winnipeg Jets are fresh off of their fifth win of the season over the Arizona Coyotes, in a game that saw the third-line dominate yet again on their way to a 5-3 victory. The Jets’ early season record of 5-4-2 is somewhat misleading, as Connor Hellebuyck got off to a slow start, and their special teams have been costing them some very winnable games.
Stepping away from a team-wide view, here are three individual players who are exceeding their expectations for the Jets early on in the 2023-24 season.
Hughes Brothers Dominating the NHL to Start 2023-24
November 6, 2023 by Matthew Zator
It’s Quinn, Jack, and Luke Hughes‘ world and we’re just living in it. Taking a glance at the NHL leaderboard right now, it is littered with the Hughes name. Jack is pacing the NHL with 20 points (tied with Elias Pettersson), Quinn is leading all defencemen with 16, and the youngest brother Luke is in a six-way tie for second in rookie scoring with seven – one back of Logan Cooley, Pavel Mintyukov and Bobby Brink.
It’s pretty crazy to see that much talent coming from one family. But here we are as the next great family bears the Hughes name following the likes of the Hulls, Sutters, and Staals. And the best is yet to come as all of them haven’t even hit their prime yet. Are we seeing the makings of another top family in NHL history? Maybe that’s too soon to say, but they are sure off to a good start.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
New York Rangers - Rangers Continue to Be Linked to Patrick Kane
Montreal Canadiens - Canadiens’ St. Louis Explains Slafkovsky’s Promotion to Top Line
Carolina Hurricanes - The Finntastic Finns: Hurricanes’ Kotkaniemi Cannot be Stopped
NHL News & Rumors - Maple Leafs, Flames, Hurricanes, Jets, Senators
From TSN - Canucks D Hughes tops NHL's three stars of the week
From Sportsnet - Around the NHL: Caps GM says Backstrom likely out for season
From ESPN - Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy tracking toward early return
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