This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
There was a time when Edmonton beating Detroit was a rare occasion, but it's become quite the reversal of fortunes this season. On the back of Connor McDavid's two-point effort, including a highlight-reel goal that saw him blow past Xavier Ouellet and Petr Mrazek for an easy one-deke goal, the Oilers moved into sole possession of second place in the Pacific Division, preparing for their first playoff appearance since losing in the Stanley Cup Finals a decade ago.
The Red Wings know they're in a tough spot and are trying to re-tool on the fly, which is why Ken Holland was so willing to pull the trigger at the trade deadline, but it's odd to see them struggle so much; the last time Detroit missed the playoffs, it was 1990, and that summer they drafted both Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov, forever changing the fortunes of the franchise.
Here's the seven-game Sunday slate to keep you busy:
Featured Matchups
Sabres (PP: 1, PK: 29) at Penguins (PP: 4, PK: 18), 5:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Anders Nilsson (9-8-4, 2.69, .921), Matt Murray (24-8-3, 2.28, .926)
Key Injuries:William Carrier (knee), Dmitry Kulikov (upper body), Johan Larsson (wrist), Kyle Okposo (ribs), Trevor Daley (knee), Kris Letang (upper body), Olli Maatta (hand), Bryan Rust (arm)
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are worth the price of admission alone, but so is Buffalo's Jack Eichel, who has 19 points in his past 15 games. The Pens should take this game in a cakewalk and leap ahead of Columbus for second place in the Metro Division, while the Sabres are just hoping their defense can hold together to at least keep the game close. It'll be interesting to keep an eye on Rasmus Ristolainen, Buffalo's prized young defenseman who played 30 minutes in his previous game against the Penguins and may be looking at a similar workload again.
Sharks (PP: 22, PK: 14) at Wild (PP: 6, PK: 7), 6:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Martin Jones (30-15-6, 2.28, .915), Devan Dubnyk (34-12-3, 2.03, .933)
Key Injuries:Victor Bartley (triceps), Zach Parise (illness), Jason Pominville (illness), Jannik Hansen (not injury related)
This potential preview of the Western Conference Finals could see Minnesota take the Central Division lead if they win, avoiding a dreaded match-up against either likely opponents Chicago or Nashville in the first round. Brent Burns has been stuck at 27 goals for a week, and there's no doubt he'll hit 30, but the wait is starting to become excruciating. Hansen will miss yet another game as his visa issues get sorted out, and if Alex Burrows' Ottawa debut was any indication, the former Canucks should make contributions right away. But, for now, that will just have to wait. In the meantime, the Sharks have won three in a row.
Blues (PP: 7, PK: 8) at Avalanche (PP: 29, PK: 24), 8:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Jake Allen (22-18-3, 2.66, .905), Jeremy Smith (1-3-0, 3.15, .901)
Key Injuries:Semyon Varlamov (groin), Patrick Wiercioch (undisclosed), Nikita Zadorov (ankle), Robby Fabbri (knee), Dmitrij Jaskin (ankle)
If you revel in watching teams throw up their arms in disgust look no further than this potential dumpster fire in the making. Both teams are coming off losses to the Jets, the Avalanche having been dumped 6-1 last night and the Blues getting shut out 3-0 on Friday. They have easily been the two most disappointing teams this season, with the Blues looking like they might miss the playoffs after being a Central Division heavyweight for years, while the Avalanche's season has forced management to consider blowing up their core, which still could happen. Goaltending should be an absolute adventure, though the edge still goes to the more experienced Blues.
Other Matchups
Islanders (PP: 26, PK: 21) at Flames (PP: 13, PK: 19), 4:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Thomas Greiss (21-12-4, 2.49, .918), Brian Elliott (17-13-3, 2.67, .903)
Key Injuries:Curtis Lazar (upper body), Casey Cizikas (upper body), Alan Quine (upper body)
The two aren't traditional rivals but both have a lot to play for in what should be a pretty physical affair with Matthew Tkachuk and Cal Clutterbuck on the ice at the same time. If the Islanders win, they gain a firmer grip on the final wild card spot, moving three points ahead of Toronto and four ahead of Florida. A win for Calgary will extend their winning streak to seven games and pull them into third place in the Pacific, avoiding a potential date with San Jose in the first round.
Blue Jackets (PP: 8, PK: 10) at Devils (PP: 19, PK: 17), 5:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Sergei Bobrovsky (33-13-4, 2.13, 0.928), Keith Kinkaid (6-7-2, 2.81, .913)
Key Injuries:Matt Calvert (oblique), Markus Nutivaara (lower body), Lukas Sedlak (oblique), Michael Cammalleri (upper body), Andy Greene (personal), Jacob Josefson (upper body), Pavel Zacha (concussion)
The Blue Jackets should be able to take this game handily, though is it in their best interests to do so? With the Caps likely to finish first in the division, a second or third-place finish means they will face either the Pens or Rangers in the opening round, but if they can fall to the first wild card spot, that sets up a potentially easier matchup against the Habs instead. Of course, John Tortorella's not thinking about that, and Columbus' forecheck should be able to overpower the Devils defense, giving them a chance to spend a lot of time in the offensive zone. Cam Atkinson has gone two games without a point but has never gone three games without a point this season, a testament to his consistency so don't expect him to keep getting shut out.
Canucks (PP: 28, PK: 27) at Ducks (PP: 16], PK: 6), 8:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Richard Bachman (no record), Jonathan Bernier (10-6-2, 2.89, .904)
Key Injuries:Simon Despres (head), John Gibson (lower body), Clayton Stoner (abdomen), Antoine Vermette (suspension), Derek Dorsett (neck), Erik Gudbranson (wrist), Jacob Markstrom (lower body), Anton Rodin (knee), Jack Skille (groin), Nikita Tryamkin (illness)
Ryan Miller had a busy night against the Kings last night which means Bachman is the best guess to start the game, especially since the Canucks are out of the playoff race. The Ducks have the Flames hot on their heels, and while they're likely to make the playoffs, should also watch out for the Kings and Jets. Nikolay Goldobin scored a goal in his Canucks debut but received fourth-line minutes, and his speed may come in handy against the Ducks. Bo Horvat notched three assists last night and has been dynamite this season after a tough sophomore season that saw him get buried against tough competition.
Hurricanes (PP: 23, PK: 3) at Coyotes (PP: 27, PK: 25), 8:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Cam Ward (21-20-8, 2.65, .904), Mike Smith (16-19-6, 3.00, .913)
Key Injuries:Alex Burmistrov (upper body), Kevin Connauton (upper body), Brad Richardson (leg), Bryan Bickell (illness), Brock McGinn (upper body)
Fewer people will show up to this game than a Casey Affleck appreciation party, but, alas, the league has its rules and every team must play each other at least once. The Hurricanes are an exciting team, but the same can't be said for the Coyotes, who have struggled in Year One of the John Chayka era. The Hurricanes have found an identity as a puck possession team with a very mobile and talented blue line, but the Coyotes are still a bit of a mystery, a product of numbers and algorithms that don't make any sense except to those who are inclined to believe everything has a numerical value.
Recommended Pickup
Bo Horvat, C, VAN – Okay, so Nikolay Goldobin scored a nice breakaway goal in his Canucks debut, but played just 5:51 (!) and sat out the entire third period and finished with the fewest playing time on the team. Horvat, on the other hand, was dynamite against the Kings, collecting three assists in his first game as a newly-minted assistant captain. Those in Vancouver already know he's being groomed to take over Henrik Sedin's mantle, but he's also got a very respectable 44 points this season, and is developing an offensive game that some believed would never happen in the NHL. He's one of the team's most reliable when it comes to face-offs, so he certainly provides a lot of value in all sorts of areas.
