Staff Writer Luke Giffen Reflects on his NHL Predictions and Takes Us Back Through What’s Been a Truly Bizarre, One-of-a-Kind NHL Season
As we move well past the halfway point of this strange NHL season, I thought it would be a good idea to look back on how my predictions stacked up from when the season first began. Also, I’ll recap the multitude of interesting stories that have popped up along the way.
Based on current winning percentages, my predictions a few months ago actually seem to hold up surprisingly well. That is, aside from the Canucks who have struggled mightily behind some shaky goaltending and a slew of injuries to some of their rising stars. However, injuries are to be expected in a season so I don’t think the Canucks can fully shift the blame. What has happened in net behind the meek Vancouver defence honestly shouldn’t be too surprising. The Canucks brought in goaltender Braden Holtby from Washington in the offseason. Holtby, a once immaculate goalie has been on the downturn for the past few years. Holtby has been sharing the crease with Thatcher Demko, the young goaltender of the future. Demko has had some incredible performances (see: anytime he plays the Leafs) but has had his fair share of duds as well. That is to be expected from a young goalie and overall I still feel the future is very bright for this upcoming squad. These ~40 games should prove to be a small speed bump on the road to becoming a consistent contender.
At the top of the division, the Leafs, Jets, and Oilers have been duking it out for superiority. The Leafs had a commanding lead a few weeks ago but in true Leafs fashion decided to sleep away multiple games in a row. Oh well, I suppose this makes the final games that much more interesting and competitive as we move closer to the playoffs. This has been sorely needed as while I thought this Canadian-only division would be incredible, it hasn’t quite lived up to the hype. As hockey is my number one sport to watch and play, this has been particularly upsetting for me as I’ve tried to think on why this has been the case. I think the first and most obvious cause is that there are no fans in the arenas to cheer on the home team, chirp the away team, and boo the refs when a bad call is made (see: the current Tim Peel “game management” controversy). I underestimated the hype that fans brought to the game which is especially true for long standing rivalries like the Leafs/Habs, Leafs/Sens, and Flames/Oilers. Thankfully, this should be the final season with no fans (fingers crossed).
Another reason this season hasn’t been as exciting is the sheer amount of games you play against each team during the season. Sure, there is a degree of excitement and novelty that the Leafs play rivals 9 or 10 times in a season. Once this novelty wears off there is a sense of nostalgia for playing teams like the Bruins, Penguins, and Lightning. Yes, nostalgia even if it means the Leafs would lose 70% of those games. While this Canadian-only division has been fun, I look forward to getting back to normal and (hopefully) putting the Bruins in their place.
Other Storylines
One of the most notable and far-reaching stories of this season has been at the hands of Rangers forward Artemi Panarin and his issues with the Russian government. After Panarin made a post on Instagram openly supporting Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, purely coincidental issues started arising for Panarin. A former coach in Russia accused him of assaulting an 18 year old woman when he played in the KHL. Panarin had to take time away from the Rangers to fully address the issue and make sure his family was safe. While there was no direct indication that this was orchestrated because of his support for Vladimir Putin’s opposition, it sure was quite a coincidence. Thankfully, Panarin’s family is safe and he has rejoined the Rangers. This story is a clear reminder that some things are bigger than hockey.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to forget to talk about the Buffalo Sabres. Going into the year, I actually had reasonably high hopes for the Sabres. After picking up Taylor Hall to pair with superstar Jack Eichel, I assumed their defensive and goaltending woes would be alleviated by the duo filling the net at will. Needless to say, this has not been the case. The Sabres currently sit last in the league with a 6-23-5 record through 34 games. As of writing this, Eichel and the gang have lost 18 straight games. Mired by a string of injuries to key players and drawing the unlucky hand of being in the strong East division, the Sabres can’t seem to catch a break. As an Eichel fan, here’s to hoping he can get healthy soon and help to right the sinking ship that he’s locked aboard.
As playoff hockey looms, I for one can’t wait to be sitting on a patio on a warm summer day ready to watch some hockey and hopefully see another Toronto team bring home a championship.
