| | Two of the biggest storylines entering this week are the struggling Flyers and the Pacific Division. Heads will roll in Philly if this sloppy streak continues too much longer, and it may all begin with coach Roger Neilson. As for the Pacific, dare it be said that it's the best division in hockey? Oh, and don't forget that if Pavel Bure is healthy enough to play, the Russian Rocket will be flying against his former club when the Canucks travel to South Florida for a midweek tilt.
N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday
Before the season, this game looked a lot more compelling.
The Rangers, beginning to play better after a sluggish start, may hold up their end of the hype bargain. But despite a win Sunday night, the Flyers are off to a terrible start.
This is a huge home game for Philly because, if they can play inspired hockey and get the fans back into it, a win could turn things around.
San Jose at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, ESPN2
|  | | Fedorov's game has been solid thus far, which is good news for the Wings. |
So, San Jose wants to play with the big boys? Well, after a victory in Dallas, the Sharks might be poised to make another statement, namely a win in the other Big D -- Detroit.
The Sharks have scored more goals than any team in the league, while the Wings allow the fewest, letting up less than two goals per game.
The key in this game will be goaltending. Whether the Sharks go with Steve Shields or former Wing Mike Vernon, the pressure will be on to stop the dynamic Detroit attack.
Igor Larionov and Sergei Fedorov continue to play well for Detroit, and must be checked and harassed -- that is, if the Sharks can keep up with them. But if there's any one player to watch, it's San Jose's Owen Nolan. He's a streaky player, and right now, he's leaving a wake of white heat, averaging nearly two points per game.
Phoenix at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. ET Friday
The powerhouse Pacific Division. Come again?
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Vancouver at Florida, 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday --
A matchup made even more random if Pavel Bure doesn't play because of his groin injury. If he's good to go, he could be pretty jazzed up to face his old team. The Canucks, however, bear little resemblance to the squad Bure left last season. Marc Crawford, in his first full season behind the Vancouver bench, managed to turn things around, and the Canucks currently are tied with the Avs for the lead in the Northwest. Bure, Mark Messier and Alexander Mogilny would have looked pretty good wearing the same jerseys. |
Currently, only Anaheim (3-4-1-0) possesses a record below .500, and coach Craig Hartsburg's squad would be .500 had the Ducks not lost an overtime game.
Phoenix and Los Angeles, along with Dallas, find themselves chasing the Sharks.
The Coyotes have won despite some bad locker room karma. The 'Yotes will be without suspended Jeremy Roenick -- and of course Robert Reichel and Nikolai Khabibulin. Who knows what will happen with Khabibulin, but the odds of Reichel returning are next to nothing after he recently signed a two-year deal with a team in the Czech Republic. Reichel, however, might break the contract to return to the NHL.
Put simply, the Kings are fun to watch. They have a lot of talent up front, and it seems like each night, a different guy plays big (i.e. Glen Murray's hat trick Saturday night). Luc Robitaille has seven goals in seven games.
Philadelphia at N.Y. Rangers, 8 p.m. ET Friday, ESPN
If Wednesday's game stinks, these Atlantic Division rivals go at it again Friday. Actually, even if Wednesday's game is great, they're going to play anyway. | |
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