THW Daily - Mediocre Season Continues for Igor Shesterkin & Auston Matthews Continues To Impress
Also, Oilers have a chance to set franchise consecutive wins record, Jets' dominance in first half & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have the struggles continuing in the Big Apple for Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, the incredible season for Auston Matthews, a potential record to set for the Edmonton Oilers, and much more.
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New Jersey Devils: 5(ish) Questions With Devils Defenseman Colin Miller by Josh Reinitz
St. Louis Blues: Blue Note Weekly Audio Report: Two Big Wins To Start the New Year by Ethan Carter
Pittsburgh Penguins: Penguins Will Be a Playoff Contender by Sylvie McCarthy
Florida Panthers: Is Aleksander Barkov the Greatest Florida Panther of All-Time? by Joey Ganzi
Detroit Red Wings: Red Wings Weekly Recap: Alex Lyon Backstops West Coast Sweep by Jordan Orth
Colorado Avalanche: Avs Player Grades at Halfway Mark of 2023-24 Season by Stefano Rubino
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Yesterday’s Scores…
Oilers Have Real Shot to Set Franchise Consecutive Wins Record
January 12, 2024 by Jim Parsons
Three times in the history of the Edmonton Oilers has the team won nine games in a row. The second-most recent streak happened during last season’s playoff stretch, with the initial nine-game streak dating back to 2001. On Thursday night, the Oilers did so again, defeating the Detroit Red Wings in overtime by a score of 3-2.
Darnell Nurse picked up the overtime winner in a game where Edmonton drastically outshot the Red Wings but had trouble beating Alex Lyon. They found way to pull out the victory and you could see just how much it meant to the group from their celebration on the ice. This same group of Oilers can set the franchise-record Saturday in Montreal.
Igor Shesterkin’s Recent Play Encapsulates A Mediocre Season
January 12, 2024 by Lucas Standel
2024 has not been kind to Igor Shesterkin or the New York Rangers so far. They have lost three in a row for the first time this season and are 1-3-1 to start the year. Many factors have contributed to the team’s poor play as of late, but one of the main reasons as to why they are struggling is the lack of elite goaltending they are getting from Shesterkin.
He has had a pretty mediocre season so far and is nowhere near the level he was at when he won the Vezina Trophy two seasons ago. While he is not entirely to blame for his downturn this season, the Rangers need him to find his confidence again if they want to stay on top of the Metropolitan Division for the rest of the season.
St. Louis Blues 2024 Top-10 Mid-Season Prospects
January 12, 2024 by Mike Meyer
The 2023-24 season is officially in its second half and it is time to review the top 10 prospects in the St. Louis Blues‘ organization.
Before going any further, it is important to note that this list does not officially and individually rank these players, but list them in a top-10 grouping.
Bruins Round Table: Most Surprising, Most Disappointing Players
January 12, 2024 by Brandon Share-Cohen
The 2023-24 season has been a mixed bag for the Boston Bruins. Though the team remains atop the Eastern Conference and within three points of first place in the NHL, there are still many areas that could be improved.
This isn’t surprising, of course, as the team was expected to experience a significant decline in production from the historic 2022-23 season that saw the Bruins finish with the most wins and the most points by a team ever in a single season. Rather than setting lofty expectations, though, these records serve as a reminder for the Bruins’ last-ditch effort to go all in and win the Stanley Cup with their old guard still somewhat in-tact. Rather than tackling the task of identifying some of these players alone, I turned to some colleagues here at The Hockey Writers, Drew Johnson and Ryan Gagne, for their help on the matter.
Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Matthews, Jones, Knies & Hyman
January 12, 2024 by The Old Prof
In a tight game, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost yet another 4-3 overtime game to the New York Islanders. Exactly a month ago (Dec. 11, 2023) the Maple Leafs lost to these same Islanders on this same ice by this same 4-3 score in overtime. That night in December, the Islanders’ assist-machine defenseman Noah Dobson (he now has 36 helpers on the season) had three assists. Last night, to help ensure his team’s win, he had an extra assist to make it four. He was in on every goal the Islanders scored.
To point to the other reason why the Maple Leafs fell short, look no further than Mathew Barzal. He assisted on the Islanders’ first three goals; then, he scored a quick overtime goal to stake his team to the 4-3 overtime win. He was dynamic in the game. Although Auston Matthews, who seems about as hot as anyone can get, scored two more goals, the team fell short. With the overtime loss, Toronto’s four-game winning streak came to an end; and, the Islanders bounced back from their last game’s loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
NHL-Leading Jets Surprisingly Dominant in Season’s First Half
January 12, 2024 by Declan Schroeder
The Jets really put the “win” in “Winnipeg” in the first half of the 2023-24 season. The Jets are officially at their halfway mark, having played their 41st game on Jan. 11. They have put put the league on notice with dominant play on both sides of the puck and in a development absolutely no one saw coming back in October, sit first not only in the Central Division or Western Conference but in the entire NHL with a 28-9-4 record and 60 points. They are riding a franchise-record eight-game winning streak and have lost in regulation just once in their past 19.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Vancouver Canucks - Canucks News & Rumors: Rutherford, Guentzel, Tanev & More
Philadelphia Flyers - Flyers Should Consider Trading Owen Tippett
Edmonton Oilers - Oilers Should Consider Signing Corey Perry
NHL News & Rumors - Avalanche, Ducks, Oilers, Canadiens, Flyers
From TSN - Blue Jackets' Merzlikins confirms trade discussions: 'Now what's going to happen, I have no idea'
From Sportsnet - Pinto skates with Senators, hopes his return can provide a 'bolt of energy'
From ESPN - Blackhawks, Nick Foligno agree to two-year, $9M extension
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