Slapshots - The NHL Roundup for March 2017

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

(Jason Halstead/Getty Images)

The NHL’s Centennial season has been a marvelous addition to the league’s history. A number of milestones have been reached in 2016-17, including “Jumbo” Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks becoming only the 13th player in history to record 1,000 assists. Hockey fans were also treated to a handful of teams going on major win streaks. The fun is far from over! As the season winds down, wild card spots are still up for the taking and division leads are likely to change hands. Here’s what to watch for in the last month of the regular season. 
 
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The Calgary Flames: Heating Up, On Fire, and Other Hot Puns
The Calgary Flames are the hottest team in the league right now – and that’s a good thing to be in the month of March. The Flames bumped their winning streak up to ten games after beating the Penguins on March 13th and have gone 13-1-1 in their last 15 games. With just 13 games left on their regular season schedule, Calgary is playing at a high and consistent level, generating lots of offense and riding outstanding goaltending. Goalie Brian Elliott, acquired by Calgary during the 2016 NHL Draft, has proven to be a great pickup and has contributed heavily to the streak. A surging team and a goalie with a hot-hand are prime ingredients in the recipe for a playoff run. The Flames currently sit third in the Pacific Division and fifth in the Western Conference overall. 
 
Ice, Ice Baby: Top Teams Cooling Down
When some teams surge, other teams struggle. The two best teams in the league have been a little shaky as of late and are in jeopardy of losing their stronghold on the top seeds heading into the playoffs. The Minnesota Wild (first in the West) and the Washington Capitals (first in the East) have both gone 5-5-0 in their last 10 games. Minnesota has been inconsistent during that stretch, teetering back and forth between wins and losses. Washington, on the other hand, has taken a small nosedive as they have dropped the last four games straight. Minnesota is now only one point ahead of the division rival Chicago Blackhawks for the lead in the Central and in the conference. The San Jose Sharks are also circling in the water, since they're only three points behind the Wild and are playing well. The Caps are vulnerable to onslaughts from the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets, two teams that have played outstanding hockey all year long. The Pens and Jackets are tied at 94 points, one point behind the Caps’ 95 in the Metropolitan Division.
 
Put Some Ice on It: Injuries Taking Their Toll
At this point in the season, it would be unusual if you didn’t see day-to-day injuries piling up. Unfortunately, a couple of longer-term injuries have hit key players on playoff contending teams in recent days. The always reliable Henrik Lundqvist is sidelined with a hip injury that will leave the New York Rangers without their starting goalie until the end of March at least. The Blue Jackets have lost defenseman Ryan Murray until mid to late April. Both teams hope to have these guys back by playoff time.
 
A Look Ahead: Games to Watch

• Wild v. Capitals, 3/14: The West’s and East’s best collide. Both have been struggling of late, but this should still be a clash of powerhouse teams.
• Avalanche v. Red Wings, 3/18: Truly the end of an era. This will be the last game the two teams play at the old Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Avs and Wings had the most bitter and bloody rivalry of the late 90's, one that could be considered of the best rivalries in the history of hockey.
• Senators v. Canadiens, 3/19: Clash of Canada’s best. Ottawa and Montreal have the top records among all Canadian teams this year. Neck and neck in the Atlantic Division, this game will factor into the race for first.
• Ducks v. Flames, 4/2 and 4/4: Sitting at second and third place in the Pacific Division, these two teams will likely faceoff in the first round of the playoffs. They will get plenty familiar right before that when they play each other twice in the last four games of the regular season.

 
A Look Back
Updates on the stories from February’s Slapshots.

• The Las Vegas Golden Knights signed their first player in franchise history! Vegas signed free-agent winger Reid Duke to a three-year entry level contract. The 21-year-old was originally drafted by the Minnesota Wild in 2014, but never played with the team.
• Red Wings Playoff Streak Tracker: The Wings are 26-30-11 overall. While not quite mathematically eliminated yet, the Red Wings will miss the playoffs barring a miracle stretch. By April’s edition of Slapshots, Detroit’s 25-year-long playoff streak should be officially ended.

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