As a prelude to my upcoming weekly look around the NHL, I thought I would get everyone caught up with some of the highlights so far this season.

Typically, the first measuring stick for NHL teams is American Thanksgiving. What’s been going on? Let’s find out.

Vegas Golden Knights:

As of now, the defending Stanley Cup champions are in 1^st place in the Western Conference and overall NHL standing with a 20-5-5 record, good for 45 points. What happened to the so-called Stanley Cup hangover? They have a +31 goal differential , 3rd only to the Vancouver Canuck’s +34 and L.A King’s +32.

Bruce Cassidy and his coaching staff sure have the team flying and playing great hockey. How can they not be favorites to go back to back.

One area of concern is that goaltender Adin Hill has missed the last 6 games with an undisclosed lower body injury. Let’s hope he is back soon.

Vancouver Canucks:

Speaking of the Canucks, wow…. what a surprise. Thatcher Demko looks like he is having a bounce back season in net and is finally healthy again. Show me a good goalie and I will show you a great coach.

All kidding aside, Rick Tocchet is reminding us that he is a great coach. He certainly demands instant respect from his players, which is so important. Especially with the makeup of today’s NHL player.

Let’s not forget that Vancouver has Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser leading the offense. Great, if not elite players in their own right.

They are my good news/surprise story of the season so far. Could they challenge for the Stanley Cup? They are my odds-on favorite from the Canadian teams.

Pittsburgh Penguins :

If I am going to mention my positive surprise of the season, to be fair, I have to mention my not so positive surprise. Sorry, Pittsburgh fans, what’s going on with your team? 

Crosby is still doing his thing. Guentzel and Gino are helping as well. Currently they are ranked 8^th amongst the eastern conference wild card teams with 25 points and a modest +6 goal differential. They need to get going soon and put a string of wins together before it is too late.

They have the fire power up front, however it’s their goaltending and defense that worry me. Can they turn things around? Time will tell, the jury is still out.

Alex Ovechkin:

What’s up with the great 8?? He has only 5 goals and 1 power play goal thru 25 games. As well, his hits / game are down slightly from the past two seasons. 

Is father time finally catching up to this elite hockey playing machine or is he playing hurt? I hope it’s the latter and he gets back to full health soon. I want him to break Gretzky’s all time goal record sometime in the next 3 seasons. 

I doubt I am alone with this wish. 

Connor Bedard:

From old to new! The kid is not disappointing with 11 goals and 12 assists thru his first 27 NHL games including a few that were of the highlight reel variety. He is still a teenager playing amongst men. I predict 25-30 goals and around 55-60 points for his rookie season.

He will be rookie of the year. This is not earth shattering news.  Imagine what he will do in his prime? The Blackhawks have their next superstar to succeed Kane & Toews.  

Nikata Kucherov

How many of you had him leading the NHL points race with 47? I didn’t. Yes, sure, no question about the 47 points. However, if anyone says that they did not have McDavid leading the points race three months into the season I would call B.S.. Will he hold off Connor and win the Art Ross Trophy. Probably a bit too early to say, however my vote is no. 

By the way, what are your thoughts on the NHL changing/ updating the names of their individual trophies? Stay tuned for my thoughts in a future article. 

Overall state of the game:

Boy oh boy, I am not a fan of the way the game is being called today. Too many soft penalties or calls that were not even a penalty. The referee trailing the play, calling a hooking penalty when he can’t see what is going on.

What’s up with that? Especially when his officiating partner who is right beside the play / in front of it not calling the penalty. This is pure incompetence at its finest resulting in too many power plays.  

Since when is a clean, open ice body check a no no? I am getting tired of the on-ice reaction to this by players feeling the need to stick up for their teammates who just got their clock cleaned with a good hard legal (not a head shot) body check.

It’s about time that the player being hit accepts some responsibility. John Tortorella had it right in a recent comment basically saying that the game has become soft with body checking is being taken out of the game. 

Well folks, that is all for now. Stay tuned early next week for my first weekly review of the NHL.

Let me know what you think of this article on twitter @JeffStanzel1 or @WeLikeSportzPC

By: Jeff Stanzel

Photo Credit: NHL

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