Column: Lyons' look around the NHL
· Yahoo Sports
The NHL does not get any less crazy now that the trade deadline has past. There is just under 20 games left and every playoff push is in do or die mode. The PWHL is also heading toward the end of its season, with around 10 games remaining for each team. There will be no shortage of hockey action so let us dive into it.
PWHL coming to a TV near you
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A huge first is happening in the PWHL. For the first time in the league’s young history, the PWHL will be broadcast on national TV.
The league announced that it has partnered with Scripps Sports, which is known for its broadcasting of women’s sports. The game will be broadcasted on the ION station.
For now, this partnership is only a one game deal, but hopefully it will lead to a full time one.
The nationally broadcasted game will be the March 28th game between the New York Sirens and the Montreal Victoire. The game continues the “Takeover Tour” that the league has been on, going to several different NHL cities to showcase the new league.
It will be a good game because, as of now (Tuesday, March 17), the Sirens are on the outside of the playoffs looking in. But the team is only one point back of a spot, looking to get to the playoffs for the first time.
On the opposite side, the Victoire are three points back of first place and are looking to make it two consecutive seasons in the playoffs.
Both teams will have seven games left after the nationally televised affair and it could play a key role in playoff seeding.
In other PWHL news: The Victoire make headlines again but, not for the right reasons. On Sunday, the Victoire built a 3-0 lead on the Boston Fleet and were outshooting them 25-12, through two periods.
The Fleet seemed out of it but, the third period flipped the game on its head. Boston tied their whole game output of shots, with 12 in the third. Three of those went in courtesy of, Loren Gabel, Megan Keller and Susanna Tapani and tied the game at three.
Just like that, the Fleet had stormed back and to add insult to injury, Montreal was held to only three shots in the period.
Boston completed the comeback in overtime when, Ella Huber received a pass from Keller right in the slot and fired one past Victoire goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens.
Also on Sunday, former RMU goalie (go Colonials!), Raygan Kirk, got her first PWHL shutout for the Toronto Sceptres on Sunday. Kirk made 32 saves in her shutout bid, including several spectacular diving saves.
Kirk helped the Sceptres gain an important three point and get into a tie with the Ottawa Charge for the final playoff spot.
Draisaitl done
The Edmonton Oilers have already struggled at times this season and things just got even tougher.
Superstar Leon Draisaitl is out for the rest of the regular season. Draisaitl took a weird hit during Sunday’s game against Nashville. The report is that he is suffering a lower-body injury.
In terms of what this means for the Oilers’ playoff push, the team is in a decent spot, but not a good one.
Edmonton sits four points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings and five points ahead of the San Jose Sharks.
All three of the Kings, Oilers and Sharks, are the definition of hot and cold. Each team has a superstar, or two that cares the rest of the team that, is either too young right now, or just not good enough on their own.
Sticking with the Oilers, Edmonton has a massive hole to fill with Draisatil out. He participated in 41% of the team’s goals so far this year. Outside of Connor McDavid, the scoring options on forward is pretty slim.
Without Draisatil, the Oilers may fall out of the playoff picture, if the Sharks and Kings can seize the moment.
Edmonton also made several moves at the deadline to try and increase defensive success. With the players the Oilers brought in being more defensive minded, the players who already are not scoring at a high rate, are going to be asked to do even more without Draisatil.
The Penguins dominate... the Nordiques?
The Quebec Nordiques have not been in the NHL since 1995 and yet, the Pittsburgh Penguins played them on Monday. Well not exactly.
Pittsburgh had a crazy game agains the now Colorado Avalanche, who wore their Nordiques throw back jerseys.
Colorado is, at least points wise, the best team in the league and they have been smoking competition left and right.
The Penguins have been a streaky team, but a good one. However, Pittsburgh is in dire need of points, as the New York Islanders and the Columbus Blue Jackets gain ground on them. So for the Penguins to come out and blow the doors off the Avalanche 7-2, it was a huge statement.
In Evgeni Malkin’s first game back from suspension, he got the ball rolling with the first goal and scored the first goal on Mackenzie Blackwood, after Colorado pulled starter Scott Wedgewood.
During the goal barrage, Elmer Soderblom scored his first goal as a Penguin and Malkin added an assist to make it a three point night.
The win starts a much needed winning streak during Sidney Crosby’s absence due to injury. In the 11 games since his injury, Pittsburgh has gone a wild 5-3-3, so the current two-game winning streak is going a lone way to make sure this time without Crosby does not result in a collapse.