Each Friday, NHL Network and ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes will provide readers with three games he is looking forward to that weekend:
Toronto Maple Leafs at Vancouver Canucks (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET; SN)
The Maple Leafs (22-13-8) have had no problem scoring but had given up leads in each of their past four games (all losses) prior to a 4-3 win at the Calgary Flames on Thursday. Center Auston Matthews leads the NHL with 37 goals, 21 goals of them in the past 19 games, including a hat trick against Calgary. Along with Matthews, center John Tavares, forwards William Nylander and Mitchell Marner and defenseman Morgan Rielly, Toronto has five players with at least 34 points. Martin Jones has bailed out the Maple Leafs as they sort through their goalie situation. Toronto just needs to lock games down better for the rest of the season and into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Canucks (30-11-4) have had an outstanding season right from the outset. Quinn Hughes is the leader in contention for the Norris Trophy, voted as best defenseman in the NHL, but his defense partner, Filip Hronek, has been great as well. Vancouver, 14-2-3 in its past 19 games, is allowing the second-fewest goals per game in the League (2.51) and have scored the most (3.78). It's great to see the season Brock Boeser is having; with 46 points (27 goals, 19 assists) in 45 games, the forward is on pace to shatter his NHL career highs in goals (29 in 2017-18) and points (56 in 2018-19). And the Canucks' third line, which doesn't get enough credit, has been very good with Dakota Joshua, Teddy Blueger and Conor Garland.
Edmonton Oilers at Calgary Flames (Saturday, 10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY, TVAS2)
The Battle of Alberta -- we can never get enough of this one. There should be at least six of these a year (there are currently four). The Oilers (25-15-1) are flying, having won a team record 12 straight games and have turned their season around 180 degrees following a 2-9-1 start that had them at the bottom of the League standings. Forward Zach Hyman leads Edmonton with 27 goals in 40 games and could score 50 goals this season. And defenseman Evan Bouchard has 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists) in 41 games. The fact is, even if centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl struggle, which isn't often, the Oilers have proven they have other players who can step up.
Prior to the loss against the Maple Leafs, the Flames (21-19-5) had a season-long four-game winning streak. Who would have thought forwards Yegor Sharangovich and Blake Coleman would be two of their best offensive players this season? Coleman leads the Calgary with 38 points (20 goals, 18 assists) in 45 games and Sharangovich is third with 32 points (19 goals, 13 assists) in 45 games. Center Nazem Kadri (37 points; 16 goals, 21 assists in 45 games) has picked it up recently with an eight-game point streak (11 points; six goals, five assists). The question I have is: What are the Flames going to do prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 8?
Tampa Bay Lightning at Detroit Red Wings (Sunday, 7 p.m. ET; BSSUN, BSDET, TVAS)
The Red Wings (23-16-5) got off to a hot start (14-7-3), then dipped (3-9-1) before righting the ship by going 6-0-1 in their past seven and sit in a playoff spot. It's unclear if Patrick Kane will play after missing the past two with a lower-body injury. Their 3-2 overtime win at the Florida Panthers on Wednesday was big for them, and proved they can play with the best in the Eastern Conference. Forward Robby Fabbri (20 points; 13 goals, seven assists in 32 games) is a warrior when healthy and has been a huge part of their success. Whenever Detroit has excelled this season, it has been better defensively. But I love the job coach Derek Lalonde has done, and let's see if they can break their seven-year playoff drought this season.
As coach Jon Cooper said, the Lightning (23-17-5) are still working to find their consistency in their A-game. But they've been better of late with four straight wins, including 7-3 against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. We know the pedigree, we know the skillset. Forward Nikita Kucherov is having an unreal season, leading the NHL in scoring with 75 points (28 goals, 47 assists) in 44 games. And Tampa Bay has plenty of other offensive threats with center Brayden Point (47 points; 21 goals, 26 assists in 45 games), defenseman Victor Hedman (44 points; eight goals, 36 assists in 43 games) and forwards Steven Stamkos (42 points; 19 goals, 23 assists in 42 games) and Brandon Hagel (36 points; 13 goals, 23 assists in 45 games). With two Cup titles in the past four seasons, the Lightning know as well as anyone that it's going to come down to team defense the rest of the way.
