Mitchell Marner, Canadian Charmer, Vegas First Line Wins Should Garner - NHL 2025-26

[MartyFunkhouser]

Frondell definitely looks a bit lost out there. Several passes from Bedard he wasn't ready for. He clearly isn't used to playing with this level of talent. However, he has a point on a really nice assist where he made a smart play using Bedard as a decoy. He had a really nice shot on the power play. He is a huge improvement over Burakovsky on Bedard's line.

Moving Lardis up to the 2nd line with Nazar is absolutely the right call.

For the rest of the year, they need to roll with top top lines of

Greene (age 22)-Bedard (age 20)-Frondell (age 18)
Lardis (age 20)-Nazar (age 22)-Bertuzzi (age 31)

Even with Bertuzzi bringing the average up that is an average age across the top 2 lines of 22.2 years old

Roll with this defense the rest of the year:

Levshunov (20 - 6'2) - Alex Vlasic (24 - 6'6)
Sam Rinzel (21 - 6'4) - Wyatt Kaiser (23 - 6'0)
Louis Crevier (24 - 6'8) - Ethan Del Mastro (23 - 6'4)

Everyone 24 or younger. Tons of size.

I'm really happy with the way that this team is built and its long term future. Clearing the deck of the veterans on expiring contracts at the deadline was the right call. The team has played really good tonight, with the buik of the ice time to players 24 and younger.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Red Wings eliminated from playoff contention. Really fun seeing another March/April collapse by Detroit.

[falafel]

1 point separates the top 3 teams in the Pacific division. VGK vs. Jets tonight will be big.

[MartyFunkhouser]

The official rooting guide for the important remaining NHL games. This gives the Blackhawks the best chance of getting the Florida Panthers first round draft pick

Tonight's games:

Penguins-Blues: Pens

Tomorrow's games:

Panthers-Red Wings: Panthers. It is critical that the Panthers get 2 points in this game. That will have them finishing with 84 points
Sharks-Blackhawks: Blackhawks need to get 2 points in this one and make sure the Sharks don't get the loser point by going to overtime

Thursdays games:

Blues-Mammoth: Mammoth need to win. Regulation or shootout is fine.
Sharks-Jets: the ideal result would be Jets in a shootout.

If that ends up happening, these teams will be behind the Panthers: Canucks, Blackhawks, Kraken, Flames, Jets, Maple Leafs, Rangers, and Blues. That is 8 teams before any tiebreakers.

San Jose would be tied with the Panthers. The Panthers win a tie with more regulation wins. In fact, it looks like the only team in the range that the Panthers lose a tie breaker to (potentially) is the Blues.

Really the key is that the Panthers really really need to beat the Red Wings. In regulation is best, but anything that gets them 2 points is acceptable.

Also, a team that is worse than 11th must win the lottery. It will take a lot, but it is absolutely still in play that the Blackhawks get that pick. Unlikely, but possible. Effing Panthers for throwing the season.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Huge day today in the NHL with the Panthers vs. Red Wings game and the Sharks vs. Blackhawks game. Need a Panthers win and a Blackhawks regulation win.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Panthers did their job. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks are not.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Alright, the Blackhawks play great in the 3rd and get the regulation win. Need another San Jose loss and St Louis loss.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Eff the Mammoth, they are now behind only the Red Wings in evil in the NHL.

[Shaka]

Eff the Mammoth, they are now behind only the Red Wings in evil in the NHL.

[Copelius]

Eff the Mammoth, they are now behind only the Red Wings in evil in the NHL.

Yes, especially since they insist on playing home games on Thursdays disrupting my travel home from choir.

[falafel]

Eff the Mammoth, they are now behind only the Red Wings in evil in the NHL.

LET'S GO KNIGHTS! LET'S GO KNIGHTS!

See you in round one, you large slow-moving extinct mammals.

[Donuthole]

LET'S GO KNIGHTS! LET'S GO KNIGHTS!

See you in round one, you large slow-moving extinct mammals.

(Psst. It's "Go Knights Go!")

[MartyFunkhouser]

Seeing that Florida pick pushed back to next year is a real bummer man. Next year, it will be a pick in the 20s. It would have been nice to get Chase Reid and a winger in this draft.

[MartyFunkhouser]

(Psst. It's "Go Knights Go!")

Go Knights Go!

[MartyFunkhouser]

They had one simple task. Beat the damn Blues in regulation. They failed. Eff them.

Oh and eff the Jets as well. They can now be 3rd behind the Red Wings and Mammoth.