The Official National Hockey League Appreciation Thread

[aurik]

On 3/15/2026 at 1:57 PM, KarateKen said:

Auston Matthews is out for the rest of the season with an MCL tear that he suffered against the Ducks on March 12.  Matthews is the Maple Leafs team captain and arguably the best American born hockey play in the world right now. The injury happened as a result of a cheap shot by Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas, who collided with Matthews with intent to injure, according to the officials.  Gudas was ejected and has been given a five-game suspension.  Way too short of a suspension.  Gudas has a long history of suspensions, maybe not Tom Wilson long, but long.  This was not a hockey play; it was an intent to injure.  Gudas should have been suspended for much longer, maybe the rest of the season, but no surprise the NHL department of player safety got it wrong, as they often do.  The league should take a long and serious look this offseason for how they hand out punishments like this.  Too often the offender gets off easy.  It's time for an overhaul. 

Goudas should have definitely gotten more than 5 games because of that, but I suspect the CBA requires that he be a repeat offender to a certain degree.

[KarateKen]

Without looking, who is in first place right now in Atlantic Division?  It is the BUFFALO SABERS!  The Sabers have had a lot of tough years but at the moment they have one of the best records in the NHL, second seed right now in the east with 90 standings points.  It has been I think 14 years in a row without the playoffs for the Sabers, the longest playoff drought of any team in the history of the NHL.  That will finally end this year thanks to some great defense and goalie play.  Sabers will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2011.  Let's see if they can make a run for the cup. 

Other teams in good shape for the playoffs are the Hurricanes, Lightning, and Canadians in the east, but it gets really tight after that with teams like the Penguins and Islanders ahead of the pack. 

Out west the Avs have 97 points, most in the league, and are 20 points ahead of the Ducks who lead the Pacific division.   Wow, can't remember seeing such a large gap in points between the first and second seed.  In the east the gap between the top seed and the 8th seed is only nine points. The Stars (94 points) and Wild (90) are going to get in, and both have a chance at winning the Presidents trophy.  Utah is hanging in there with 76 points, as some teams in the Pacific are fighting it out with the Knights (77) and Oilers (76) very much in the hunt.  Kraken, Kings, and Jets are still alive but are on the outside looking in. 

Teams who have had tough seasons this year and won't make the playoffs include the Panthers, Rangers, Flames, Blackhawks, and the Canucks are dead last, a mere 48 points, putting them 11 points behind the second worst team, the Flames. The Pacific has been the worst division in the NHL this year. 

Each team has about 15 games left, give or take, so we are in the home stretch, and the playoffs are only a month away!