Welcome back to Screen Shots, a regular THN.com feature in which your humble correspondent breaks down a few hockey topics and analyzes them in a handful of brief paragraphs.
On to it, we go:
Relatively quietly, Vegas Golden Knights star center Jack Eichel has been having a career season and demolishing his previous bests on offense.
The 28-year-old center has 66 assists – 12 more helpers than his previous career high – and 93 points, 11 points more than his previous career high, set in 2018-19.
In his last 15 games, Eichel has 16 assists and 24 points, putting up at least a point in 14 of those outings.
Eichel is far and away Vegas’ top point-producer, with 27 more points than Golden Knights captain Mark Stone in second place. But this isn’t the first time Eichel has had to do all the heavy lifting for his team. For example, when Eichel posted 82 points for the Buffalo Sabres in 2018-19, he had 17 more points than second-place Sam Reinhart.
The difference for Eichel between ‘18-19 and now is that, in Vegas, Eichel has a far better supporting cast – and he’s playing for an organization that has shown it knows how to win. Now, Eichel is thriving and has a chance to win the second Stanley Cup of his career.
Who’s Surging In The NHL Since The 4 Nations Face-Off?There’s always a risk of peaking too early. But if all goes well, NHL players and teams hope that the positive momentum that’s built down the home stretch of the regular season will carry into playoffs and boost them when it matters most.
The Anaheim Ducks aren’t going to make the playoffs this season, but since Jan. 21, they’ve gone 14-11-2 – something to build on when they begin next season.
In the relatively weak Pacific Division, the Ducks have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18 – and given that Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek will have about $39.56 million in salary cap space this summer, you have to think the Ducks will be a major player in free agency and trades.
Anaheim’s biggest area of need is on offense, as they’re currently 26th overall in goals-for per game, with 2.71. Their defense isn’t great, either, as they’re 21st overall with 3.12 goals against per game. But bringing in veterans who can produce points is an easier fix than landing defensive specialists, so that’s the direction we expect the Ducks to take next year.
Regardless, it’s clear Anaheim is taking steps forward. They won’t be a legitimate Cup front-runner for a while longer, but for Ducks fans who’ve watched their team stumble time and again for the past seven seasons, seeing Anaheim produce positive results is a very welcome harbinger of what’s ahead for them.
Finally, on Canada's East Coast, two separate incidents of fighting at hockey games have triggered league investigations.
The incidents – one of which came in a senior league in Miramichi, N.B., while the other ...
