68

Jimmy Lynch | 1-30-18

What kind of water has Jagr been drinking for the last 28 year? Something has to be in it, because Jagr has managed to play for 28 years, amounting to 1733 games. Jagr made his presence known on the ice, managing to cash in on 1921 points in that span. Obviously Jagr is one of the best hockey players of all time, however I want to take it a step further. Jagr is one of the best athletes of all time. No athlete from any of the 4 major sports that was drafted in 1990 still is playing professional sports, Jagr is different. Jagr hasn't just stayed in the game, he has managed to adapt his game to fit the goal of a team. Helping him get 46 goals last season with Florida. Jagr has played on 12 teams all together, the most notable being Pittsburgh where he played for 11 seasons and won back to back Stanley Cups; no not the Crosby's Penguins team, Jagr's team was way back in the '90s. Here is a little fact for you, guess who was playing against the great one the last time he played in an NHL game.

Yeah, Jagr was on Pittsburgh the day Gretzky retired from the NHL and played in the game. At the end of the game, which was ended by an overtime goal by Jagr, Gretzky was skating around the ice, he went up to Jagr and hugged him, an unofficial passing of the torch in the NHL. Gretzky was 38 when he retired, and he had declined alot in his skill by the time he left the game. Jagr wanted to end his career differently.

Jagr always spoke about playing until he was 50, however due to injuries this season, and an overall decline in his skill, Jagr is going back home, and could possibly be in the Olympics. Jagr did take time away from the NHL from 2009 to 2011 however the difference now is that he is alot older, and did not score 71 points the season before departing. Jagr only has 6 points in 22 games this year. The ageless wonder will be a hall of famer no doubt. He already is apart of the top 100 players in the NHL, and has the second most points in the league. Goodbye 68.

Priceless

Jimmy Lynch | 1-29-18

Patrick Kane has been a dominate player since he was drafted first over all by the Blackhawks in 2007. The year now is 2018 and Kane has a lot of accomplishments in the NHL, 3 Stanley Cups, Rookie of the year in '08, playoff MVP in '13 and scoring champion and league MVP in '16. Their are a lot of reasons for Kane to smile when he thinks of his NHL career. However no smile will compare to the smile on Kane's face in 1994-95 season. Kane went to a Buffalo Sabres against the Ottowa Senators game, and was caught in a photo, showing Kane gleaming from ear to ear. Kane was at the game in aw of the sport he someday wished to play, taking in every detail, Kane tried to listen to the chatter on the ice as best he could. About 12 years after this photo was taken, Kane was drafted into the NHL and became a legend amongst league players.

When asked about the card Kane stated,

"Like any kid, you thought it was the coolest thing in the world. You find out it's almost like, for a little moment in time, you're part of the NHL."

I think its safe to Kane is more than just a little part of the NHL, he is one of the top 100 players, and one of best, if not the best, American born players ever to compete in the NHL.

Way to early Finals predictions

Jimmy Lynch | 1-28-18

If the playoffs started today, I believe that the match up in the stanley cup final would be very interesting, featuring an expansion draft team. That is right, if the Stanley Cup playoffs started today, Vegas would be first in the West, and I think they would go all the way to the Stanley Cup final. On the other side, I think Toronto is going all the way. Toronto is a young team, however with Mike Babcock behind the bench, they could potentially run the show. Babcock is a well expieienced coach has won the Stanley Cup (with Detroit) and gold medals(with Canada). If this match up occured in the finals, Vegas would have home ice. Vegas has been unstoppable at home, posting a 19-3-2 record. Vegas could win this series in 5 games.

Obviously these teams are a long shot to win, it is only January and the trade deadline has not passed. However, Vegas and Toronto are two teams that are destined to be good in the future. Vegas has so many draft picks in the upcoming years, and is in 1st in the conference right now. Toronto has finally become a contender, after years of bad hockey, they finally have a chance to win. Matthews is Toronto's guy, and it is only a matter of time before he brings the original six franchise a Stanley Cup.

Make or break time

Jimmy Lynch | 1-25-18

Tonight is the last night of NHL action going into the all star break. After this weekend teams will now be looking to the post season. There have been multiple shockers so far this season, Vegas is on top of the west, Colorado is in a playoff spot, and the Blackhawks are on the outside looking in. The all star game will have some big names like Nikita Kucherov, Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, and Sidney Crosby. The all star game, in Tampa Bay, should be fun to watch for fans all over the league. The weekend is a time of relaxation, and laughter for fans of hockey, and a time for players to give back to the fans that cheer for them all season long. Under The Lights will be with you throughout all of the weekend bringing you action from the games. We also will be providing you with our way to early Stanley Cup playoff bracket challenge, based off of how we believe the teams will do at the end of the season.

Dream Teams

Jimmy Lynch | 1-22-18

This upcoming Olympics will mark the first time since 1994 that the NHL will not send their players to the Olympics. However just because their are no NHLers does not mean there will not be intensity and a thrill to the game. Being from the United States, the most notable Olympic Hockey year was in 1980. When Herb Brooks miracle hockey team defeated the Soviets and went on to win gold. The life of Brooks is highlighted in "Miracle", a hockey movie following Brooks as he sets up the future gold medal team. Back in the '70s and '80s the Olympic hockey was dominated by the Soviet Union, their team had been playing together for years and had put on a long streak of winning. The United States, at the time not interested in hockey, sent college kids to the Olympics for hockey. The idea was to set up camps looking for the best talent in the College level and form a team to go compete in the Olympics, now the World Juniors is for College kids. Brooks did the impossible and assembled a team of college kids that could do something the NHL all star team at the time couldn't. The Miracle team beat the Soviets and won the gold. I understand why everyone wants to see NHL players in the Olympics: Mcdavid against Matthews, TJ Oshie shootout goals, another Crosby golden goal, and Carey Price being Carey Price.

Hot Streaks or season streaks

Jimmy Lynch | 1-22-19

This season has been filled with winning streaks for different teams, notably right now, Colorado has won the last 10 games they have been in. Nashville has won their last 5. As well as Vegas and Tampa going on long streaks throughout the course of the year. However, this year a win streak of 5-10 games in a row will not garrenty of playoff spot. Last year the Flyers won 10 in a row, and went on to not make the playoffs. A lot of things need to fall into place in order to make the playoffs, the trade deadline is just about a month out, and the boarder teams will need to decide if they are selling or buying. Teams like Carolina or Anehiem, both sit 3 points behind the last wild card spot, however a win streak of 4 or 5 games can guarentee getting back in. Teams in the league need to play to win every night. Last year it took 94 points to make the playoffs, this year that number might go up a bit. With 5 teams in each conference sitting within 5 points of the top wild card, it will be a shock down till the end of the season to see who is in the playoffs.

"Marchy" and "Wild Bill" among snubs for 2018 nhl all star game

Patrick McGann | 1-13-18

I still don't think the Golden Knights are getting the respect they deserve. Nobody expected them to be on top of the western conference with 60 points at the midseason mark. If someone claims they predicted that I'd have to call you a liar. This team was not built to be elite this year but they are. Vegas has so many impact players on their roster right now. Players are stepping up and taking roles on this squad and it is showing. Also these players are playing with absolutely no pressure on them at all. They were not expected to be good. So they go out an have fun and look where it has gotten them. But back to the impact players. Here is the deal. Marc-Andre Fleury and James Neal were named to the Pacific Division All Star Team. I am going to put this very simply. Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlson got screwed. Here is how. The Los Angeles Kings sent 3 players. These 3 players were Jonathan Quick (G), Anze Kopitar (F), and Drew Doughty (D). I say you can take out Kopitar and put in Karlson. Karlson has 22 goals at the mideason mark (41 games). Do the math. He is on pace for around 40 goals. A player who is on pace for 40 goals should be in the All Star game in my opinion. But unfortunately the sportswriters like overpaid veterans more, so Kopitar gets in over Karlson. Now let's get to Jonathan Marchessault. Marchessault has 12 goals and 40 points at the midseason mark. Now that is not really elite but that is still pretty darn good. He passes the puck well and he finds the lanes in the offensive zone. His offensive vision is almost unbelievable. He is able to feed any of his teammates to get them easy goals. And every once in a while, he shoots too! Wow what a package deal! The guy can pass, and score a few sometimes! Again, unfortunately sportswriters don't really care. I wish the NHL could show us how many votes each player got from the sportswriters, not just the fan vote. Maybe Karlson or Marchessault just missed out. Who knows.

Teams To The Future

Jimmy Lynch | 1-12-18

Hardly any team has made that many changes so far in the season. However the Carolina Hurricanes made a big change this week when their management introduced a new owner. Thomas Dundon, from Dallas, has taken over the team after buying the franchise. Dundon can hopefully bring something new to the Hurricanes. He said in a interview that he is happy with the work by the team and coaches, but wants to make the organization better. Dundon said that his only concern is that the players are not big enough stars, Dundon said he hopes to change that. Carolina features a young roster that should be good to years to come. The Hurricanes play today against the Washington Capitals and currently hold the final wild card spot in the east. If you are looking for a team to root for in the next coming years… Carolina will be around for a long time.

Bowman duclairs don't panik

Jimmy Lynch | 01-10-18

The Blackhawks have not traded a player all season, until today. Richard Panik was shiped to Arizona in order to bring Anthony Duclair to Chicago. Panik has struggled all season to play top line minutes and put points on the table. A player that was signed to a bonus giving him 5.2 million over the next 3 seasons could not play that bad and be on the Blackhawks. He had 19 points all year with the Hawks. Arizona General manager stated that he is excited to bring in a fresh young veteran player to take the presher off some of their stars. The Blackhawks bring in Anthony Duclair in his place. A 22 year old, Left wing, with speed. Duclair is desperate for a fresh start, and Chicago is desperate for a good energy player. Duclair will be given a full shot on this team, most likely slotting in on the third line for Q's team. Duclair has 18 points so far this season. Duclair, who carries a 1.2 million dollar cap hit, is expected to be a restricted free agent at the end of this year. Bowman preached patience in his time to adjust to Quenneville's system. Bowman also stated that 13 players on the Blackhawks roster are under the age of 25 compared to last year there only being 4 that young. The Blackhawks have definetly gotten younger through their trade today. The teams also swapped minor league players Laurent Dauphin, to Arizona, and Adam Clendening, to Chicago. Dauphin was acquired by the Blackhawks in the trade that brought Connor Murphy to Chicago. Adam Clendening spent time in Chicago before being traded to Vancouver for Gustav Forsling.

The Classic

Jimmy Lynch | 01-4-18

There have been 10 winter classics. 10 years of outdoor games. They have kinda picked up a little bit. The NHL has since added other outdoor games, in stadium series and different ideas. Last season the NHL had the top 100 players unveiled, due to there being a 100 years of the NHL. Well considering there was 10 winter classics we thought we would say which winter classic we believe was the best.

The day was January 1st, obviously. There were 105,491 fans in attendance. Fans from Detroit and Toronto were filling into Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. The weather was just what hockey called for, snow and cold. It looked like a game that could fit in the backyard pond. The jerseys were amazing, the red and blue both with similar jersey designs. All of that was just the build up to the game.

Rarely does a hockey game have just about everything, rarely. This was a very rare game, complete with a shootout. Toronto won the game 3 to 2. Detroit and Toronto are two historic original six teams, they both are very big franchises with loyal fan bases, and they have quite the rivalry. A lot of the winter classics have felt like a normal game in a new area. However, with the constant stopping to clean the ice, and just how much the game into dump and chase this certainly was a game for the ages. Which is why the 2014 NHL Winter Classic is by far the best winter classic of all classics.

big setting same sabres

1-2-18 | Jimmy Lynch

Something quite shocking happened the Sabres battled back from a 2-0 deficit. Oh wait that happens every time the Sabres play. The Rangers dominated most aspects of today's game. They led the shot tally with 42 compared to Buffalo's 33. Buffalo managed to battle back from a 2 0 deficit after the Rangers scored twice in the first period. However in Overtime a penalty by Jacob Josefson costed them the game. J.T. Miller scored on the power play on a tip in from a point shot from Kevin Shattenkirk. Jack Eichel was not a factor in this game, while the MVP goes to Henrik Lundqvist who had many spectacular saves on the day.

No fleury no worries

12-12-17 | Jimmy Lynch

Marc-Andre Fleury was supposed to be called on a lot by the Vegas Golden Knights team. However the Golden Knights hit a bump in the road, or head, and Fleury has been watching from the comfort of his couch for the last 25 games; games that featured 3 different Vegas goalies. Oscar Dansk, Malcolm Subban, and Maxime Lagace all have had a shot in net, or rather blocked a shot. Many thought that with Fleury injured the team would not be able to do much in the standings. Those people were wrong, the dominant Vegas team has a record of 19-9-1 with 39 points, putting them in second place of the Pacific division. With Fleury in net Vegas has a 3-1 record. Fleury is Vegas's guy, however it must be nice to know that the Blue Paint, or should I say Golden Paint, will be protected no matter who is in the net.

Blackhawks Top Coyotes in 3rd

12-10-17 | Jimmy Lynch

The Blackhawks topped the Coyotes in tonight's clash at the U.C. The 'Hawks played in typical fashion tonight, not trying to win till the 3rd period. Tonight was supposed to be a dominant game for the 'Hawks but the 'Yotes managed to make it a game. All of the scoring occured in the 3rd period when things really opened up. Tommy Wingels scored the first goal of the game, his line was the most dominant line for the 'Hawks. The line consisting of Bouma, Hayden, and Wingels had 6 hits combined, and was called on when energy was needed. Kane had 2 assists that helped win the game for the 'Hawks. Anthony Duclair had the only Coyotes goal of the night, bringing him to 7 on the season. The Blackhawks play the Panthers on Tuesday in Chicago. For a more detailed response on the game, check out "Third Period Heros" at Behind the Indian Head.

Hungry Predators

12-7-17 | Jimmy Lynch

Hunger is one word that describes the Nashville Predators. Hunger to return to the Stanley Cup Finals. Hunger to win the Stanley cup. That hunger has been prevalent for a while. It started back in June when the Predators lost at home to the Back to Back Stanley cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. No one really talked about Nashville until last year. They started to really build a fan base nationally during their playoff run last year. However they need to prove themselves on a higher level. Yes they swept the Blackhawks and made a run to the Stanley cup final, but they need to take it to the next level and win a Stanley cup. They are hungry for a cup. An 8-1-1 in their last 10 games isn’t going to quench their hunger for a cup, but it is a start. The Predators play Vegas tomorrow at 7 in Nashville. In a rink that since the Stanley cup was paraded on last June only 3 games have resulted in a Predators loss.

inside the central division

Jimmy Lynch | 12-5-17

The Central Division has been a power house in the NHL. Since the start of the Wild Card playoff set up, only one team managed to take a wild card spot from the pacific. Every other year 5 Central Division teams made the playoffs. This season things are looking no different. The top 6 teams in the division are separated by 10 points. All teams boast a winning home record, and all but one have a positive goals to goals against differential. The top 3 teams in the division are the Predators Jets and Blues. These are 3 of the top 4 teams in the league (Based off of today's standings). There will be a more detailed breakdown of the central division to come in the week upon further analysis. Could one of these Central Division teams bring the Stanley Cup back to the West for the first time since 2015? We will have to wait till June to find out.........

What’s missing for Arizona?

Patrick McGann | 12-5-17

When you think of the state of Arizona you probably think of a hot desolate desert. This is not exactly the best place for a hockey team. So it is fitting that the Coyotes are not one of the top teams in the NHL. The Yotes recently had a long playoff run in 2012 where they made it all the way to the Western Conference Final. Then the next few years after the Yotes have been in the league’s basement. They have been brutal. Their home rink, the Gila River Arena, does not want the team playing there anymore. The rink is in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix. The team would prefer to play in Phoenix but they do not have the resources to do so. The Phoenix Suns (NBA) certainly would not share a facility with a struggling team. Gary Bettman and the NHL want the Arizona State legislature to pass a bill that would take taxpayer money and build a brand new rink in downtown Phoenix for the Yotes. The Yotes and the NHL will never get that brand new rink because of one reason. The Yotes have not held up on their part of the bargain. Why would taxpayers pay for a brand new rink for a brutal team to play in? And that brings me to my point. What are the Coyotes missing? Depth? Skill? I cannot understand why this team is this bad this season. They have young talent. Players like Ryan Strome, Matt Domi, Anthony Duclair, and Clayton Keller can develop into strong, franchise players. They also have older players like Niklas Hjalmarsson and Derek Stepan. They have decent players. Maybe it is a matter of developing the mostly young team. The Tucson Roadrunners, Arizona’s AHL affiliate, are one of the best teams in the AHL. This Arizona team will be good soon if they just can develop their players. And maybe when this team is good, they will get that brand new rink. But until then they are still in the league’s basement and they need to get out.

BLACKHAWKS fALL 3-1 TO kINGS

12-3-17 | Jimmy Lynch

The Blackhawks lost a tough fought battle tonight against the Kings. Losing in typical 'Hawks fashion by not really playing with any sense of urgency until the last minute of the game, despite being down on the scoreboard. The 'Hawks now have a record of 1-2-2 in their last 5 games. There will be people saying that the Blackhawks played 5 games in a 7 day span and that things will turn around. Something needs to change with this team to give them a bigger sense of urgency in their game. They have not played a full 3 period game since they beat the Penguins 10 to 1. Toews picked up the only 'Hawks goal of the night

ALL STAR GAME OR SHAME

12-3-17 | Jimmy Lynch

The All Star game voting will begin in the next few weeks. An All Star game that does not really have a purpose for the NHL. In the MLB the winning All Star team used to get home field advantage in the World Series. In the NHL the winning All Star team gets a million dollars (like those players need that money), and bragging rights. Of course, the game is for the fans. However, there needs to be more meaning to bring the best out of the players. Also the NHL should let the fans vote in all the players, not just the captain, they switched that after the John Scott season. If it is going to be a game for the fans, let the fans pick the players there, not the NHL.

Vegas falls 4-2 on first trip to minnesota

12-1-17 | Patrick McGann

Jordan Staal and the Wild beat a good Vegas team on Thursday night at the Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota. The Wild score 3 times in the third period to propel them past Vegas. Dubnyk picks up the win for Minnesota and their record climbs to 12-10-3. Despite the bad start of the season for Minnesota, things are slowly but surely coming back to place. Zach Parise recently skated for the first time since his back surgery. He should be back in the lineup very soon.

Blackhawks fall to Stars in OT 4-3

12-1-17 | Jimmy Lynch

The Blackhawks lost in OT against the Stars on Thursday night. The Blackhawks were playing a pass first game tonight, and many times it costed them good shooting attempts or turnovers. The Stars outplayed the “Hawks” drastically in this one, the score could have easily been 7 to 3 if it wasn’t for Corey Crawford. Crawford stopped 31 out of the 35 shots he faced. Mattias Janmark led the stars with 2 goals, while Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist in the effort. The Power play was horrible for both teams, with the “hawks” converting 1 for 7 (Blackhawks have the 9th worst power- play in the league) and the Stars went 0 for 3. The Blackhawks and Stars face off in Dallas on Saturday