33 Thoughts at the quarter pole. The NHL season has surprises on both ends of the scale

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LOS ANGELES – The NHL season has reached the point of the campaign where trends and predictions become clearer.

Also, the earlier season surprises, both highs and lows, are now coming into focus, and straightened out.

Here are my 32 thoughts on the NHL’s 32 teams as we round the first turn.

  1. I was one of the last media types who thought the Pittsburgh Penguins window was open. After blowing a two-goal lead in the third to the Tage Thompson less Buffalo Sabres I am now catching the last chopper out of Vietam.
  2. Erik Karlsson has been much better than expected defensively but he has not improved the Penguins 3 on 3 and has made the power play worse.
  3. Alex Ovechkin’s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record is now going at a snail’s pace. Ovi is losing his two centers Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Backstrom to retirement. Kuzy to the press box and trade block. Ovi will still get the record even if he’s out there with a walker.
  4. I was right about this year being the Red Wings year to make the playoffs. GM Steve Yzerman also thinks so. Patrick Kane does as well. Kane can’t be a bust two years in a row?
  5. I was wrong about the Florida Panthers. No Aaron Eckblad and No Brandon Montour to start the season. No Radko Gudas he signed in Anaheim. Yet the Big Cats are better than they were this time last year.
  6. Credit the underrated Head Coach Paul Maurice., the no longer underrated center Sasha Barkov and nuclear hot Sam Reinhart for the Panthers start.
  7. Who knew Blake Wheeler was such a cancer in the Winnipeg dressing room? Adam Lowry is now the captain no one wants out of Manitoba. Winning makes the wind chill not as cold.
  8. Pierre Luc Dubois is the James Harden of the NBA. All the talent in the world but can’t stay motivated or unselfish.
  9. If Anze Kopitar played in Boston they’d already be a statue in front of TD Garden of him.
  10. Kopitar’s linemate Quinton Byfield is playing exceptional hockey. There was a lot of expections of him after going second overall. He may never be Eric Lindros. Byfield does have speed, size and is now playing with good hockey sense. Kopitar, Byfield and Adrian Kempe makeup one of the best lines in the NHL.
  11. Leave it to the quintessential power forward Rick Tocchet to get the most out of mercurial star JT Miller and curtain jerker Sam Lafferty. JT is now a superstar and Sam is becoming top line winger.
  12. Dean Evason was not the only problem in Minnesota but maybe he spent too much time in the tanning bed and not enough time in the film room.
  13. Dean Evason sure missed Matt Dumba on his blueline. The Wild tried to trade Matt Dumba for years. They finally did and no one is even close to replacing him.
  14. Arizona Coyotes Head Coach Andre Tourigny has enjoyed Matt Dumba. The Desert Dogs have beaten the last five Stanley Cup winners in a row. They are in the playoffs as of December 5. Goaltender Karel Vegmelka hasn’t carried them netminder Connor Ingram has.
  15. The Rangers have got the Lavy bump to start the season. New Head Coach Peter Laviolette finally got the Rangers talented defense to play as good as the sum of their parts.
  16. Playing former number one overall Alexis Lafreniere with early Hart trophy favorite Artemi Panarin has paid off. Lafreniere is skating with guys of his skill level. The Breadman is extra motivated after last season’s failures.
  17. Jonathan Quick has risen. The Hall of Fame goaltender’s career was dead. He is now playing like 2012 Quick. A rested Igor Shesterkin maybe all the Ranger need to win the East.
  18. Colorado’s Cale Maker stepped up his game when it looked like Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes may take Cale’s Norris Trophy away from him.
  19. Everybody wants out of Columbus, except the fans. God bless those folks for sticking with that dreadful franchise and horrific cannon.
  20. Matt Duchene has fit in nicely with the Dallas Stars. Another reason why the Stars are on everyone’s short list of Cup contenders.
  21. The Buffalo Sabres have been a huge disappointment. I had Devon Levi as a possible Calder finalist. Levi was sent to the minors. Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen is now in net in Buffalo. UPL play is one of the Swords only bright spots this season.
  22. The next face of the league Connor Bedard plays a lot like the last face of the league Sidney Crosby. Bedard is smart and gritty along with being ultra-talented.
  23. The Chicago Blackhawks are sensitive to employee conduct but barring Corey Perry doing something indefensible and or criminal they did a terrible job of asset management.
  24. Connor McDavid’s secret injury and not playing McJesus like cost former Oilers Head Coach Jay Woodcroft his job more than sieve goaltending.
  25. According to the numbers Ilya Sorokin is having best season ever. Hard to imagine a team managed by Lou Lamoriello being that porous defensively.
  26. The NHL salary cap is going up at least four million dollars next season. The Leafs will give all of that extra money to William Nylander.
  27. Where is the proof Brad Treliving is a good GM?
  28. David Poile getting his name raised to the rafters in Nashville is the greatest participation trophy I have ever seen.
  29. Jack Hughes is a superstar but Nico Hischier is essential to the New Jersey Devils success. He does all the things necessary to win hockey games, including scoring goals.
  30. John Tortorella is the perfect coach for the Flyer haters. He will never let them be bad enough to get a franchise altering number one draft pick.
  31. Jacques Martin overseeing Ottawa Head Coach DJ Smith is ridiculous. If Jacques doesn’t want to coach to be the full-time head coach hire Claude Julien to be the head coach. Ottawa’s treatment of DJ Smith is worse than Vancouver’s treatment of Bruce Boudreau.
  32. Anaheim Ducks Leo Carlsson’s pitch count may ultimately be the right thing to do for an ultra-talented kid who is literally still growing but it sets a precedent. Rest management is one of the worst things in professional sports.
  33. 33 thoughts because I love and respect Elliot Freidman. Freidge is the best columnist in hockey. I love watching Bob Barker era Price is Right on Pluto. This is my homage and 901 bid.

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