The long-awaited return of hockey has not disappointed. From Sidney Crosby and Pierre-Luc Dubois dropping the gloves to Mike Babcock scratching Jason Spezza, the first days of the NHL regular season have delivered drama, highlight-reel goals, and extraordinary saves. There are several topics worth noting, but a here are a few takeaways from this week in the NHL.
Where better to start than the bright lights of New York City? The Rangers’ offseason moves are already paying dividends, with Artemi Panarin lighting the lamp twice and posting 4 points in his first two games. Jacob Trouba has also notched 4 points in his two games as a Ranger. But the name that has caught everyone’s attention is Mika Zibanejad.
Entering his fourth year in New York, Zibanejad dominated in the opening games of the season, posting 8 points in four games. His hat trick against the Ottawa Senators propelled the Rangers to a 4-1 victory, and his three assists on opening night led New York past the Winnipeg Jets. Zibanejad could not have asked for a better start to the season.
After being traded to the New York Rangers by the Ottawa Senators, it took Zibanejad a few years to find his footing. True, he did not play a full season in his first two years and only posted 37 and 47 points respectively. But last year Zibanejad looked like the 6th overall pick from the 2011 NHL Draft that he is. Mika posted 74 points in 82 games. He is big at 6’2” 208 lb. and can skate, shoot, and make plays. He, of course, will not maintain this pace the entire season, but there is no reason to expect Zibanejad to stop posting big numbers. This could be his first year as a point-per-game NHL player. If you are a Rangers fan, you have to be excited about Zibanejad, Panarin, Kakko, and all the other pieces that New York has in place.
Speaking of goal scorers, can Auston Matthews do anything wrong on opening night? Matthews opened the season for the Maple Leafs with two goals against the Ottawa Senators. He has 9 goals in four opening-nights, including four goals in his first NHL game.
The impressive part, or the more impressive part, is that Matthews can maintain this. He has 5 goals in four games to start this season and has scored 116 in 216 games. He has not suited up for a full season in the past two years, so if he can stay healthy this year, it would be no surprise to see him hit 50. Matthews’s release rivals any player in the NHL. His precision and quickness make him a threat from any area in the offensive zone and during all situations. Playing alongside Marner, Tavares, or Nylander on the powerplay does not hurt either.
The Maple Leafs are off to a less-than-ideal start, going 2-1-1 in their first four. But it certainly is not because of Auston Matthews that they have lost the last two. It is no stretch to say Matthews is cementing himself as the best pure goal scorer in the NHL.
Two teams that have struggled immensely out of the gate are the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks. Of course, it is early, and there is plenty of hockey left to play. But each of these teams was expected to start better than 0-3, especially the Dallas Stars.
With the signing of Joe Pavelski, Corey Perry, and Andrej Sekera, the Stars reinforced their already solid team. The emergence of Miro Heiskanen alongside John Klingberg gives Dallas one of the deadliest one-two punches on the back end. When Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov click, they are one of the best lines in the NHL. Not to mention the success of Roope Hintz, who has 3 goals in 3 games to start the year.
But so far, it has not gone smoothly for Dallas. They have lost to Boston and St. Louis, which would be excusable since both those teams were in the Stanley Cup Final last season. But Dallas made it to Game 7 in the second round, so they have experience. Then a devastating loss to the Red Wings on Sunday relegated the Stars to 0-3.
All signs point to Dallas bouncing back, especially since Joe Pavelski is still settling in, and Corey Perry appears close to returning from a small fracture in his foot. His return can only help make the Stars better.
Unfortunately, for the San Jose Sharks, there might be more reason for concern. The Sharks have fallen to Vegas twice and Anaheim once. They were outscored 12-3 in those loses, showing a struggle to score goals and stop pucks. Goaltending has always been a concern for San Jose. Martin Jones can show flashes of brilliance. But his inconsistency has hindered the Sharks and frequently forces them to play from behind. The damage compounds when a team only scores 3 goals in 3 games.
Erik Karlsson signed a massive offseason ticket to remain with Sharks for 8 years at $92 million. They need him to be Norris Trophy winner he can be, but injuries have plagued the smooth-skating defenseman. He missed the opening game due to the birth of his daughter, but in his two games this season he has registered one assist. If he can stay healthy, he could have a monster year and hopefully lead the Sharks to more victories.
Brent Burns already has one assist and 12 shots on goal, so he will likely have another productive year. The Sharks named Logan Couture captain over the summer, and they will need his leadership on and off the ice if they want to make it over the hump this season. He does have a goal and an assist, so he has been involved in 2 of the Sharks’ 3 goals. Point production most likely will not be an issue for Couture, but he will need support from other forwards, including Timo Meier who has been held pointless in the Sharks’ losses.
In the first games of the season, Mika Zibanejad and Auston Matthews have stolen the spotlight, while the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks have shied away from it. Expect Zibanejad and Matthews to produce well for the Rangers and Leafs respectively. If you are a Dallas fan, once everything settles, they will be a deadly team. Sharks fans may be a tad more concerned, as this is the year they need everything to fall into place.
One last note: credit must be given to Anthony Mantha, who scored 4 goals against Dallas earlier this week. This guy has the potential for a massive breakout season, so keep an eye on him in Detroit.
Featured Image: Danny Wild, USA Today
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