#Predators penguins score upgrade#
#Predators penguins score full#

However, the team should compete for a playoff spot, even if they spend the season with it just out of reach.

#Predators penguins score full#

That is too much to expect from a team in its second full season of a rebuild. What can we reasonably expect from the 2023-24 edition of the Canadiens? Are they a playoff team? No. There is still more addition by subtraction required from Hughes – like moving Mike Hoffman – to create space for younger players to make their way up to the NHL, players such as Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Jesse Ylonen. While the team benefited from his leadership and experience, his departure provides opportunities for the young, up-and-coming blueliners and should improve the team’s overall defence as his possession stats – his Corsi for (CF%) of 35.7% – points to a defender who was often trapped in his own zone and has lost a step. But thanks to his injury history, his ability to play at that level is likely long gone. The 29-year-old defenseman was a significant part of the blue line and helped the Canadiens reach the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. Jonathan Drouin, Montreal Canadiens ( Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)Īnother win for Montreal was trading Joel Edmundson. The Habs paid full value to the Colorado Avalanche for Newhook, and at that price, we can expect him to take the next step in his development, just as Kirby Dach did last season. While unfortunate that it never worked out for Jonathan Drouin in Montreal, his departure will be mutually beneficial and create an opening for a younger forward, like Alex Newhook, to compete for a top-six role. Last season, the team carried excess veterans who are now on the downside of their careers. Using the roster that is expected to play in the NHL next season and their rates of production when healthy, here’s a look at what could be a reasonable prediction for the team’s offence in 2023-24.

#Predators penguins score upgrade#

Fewer injuries this season alone would be a significant upgrade over last season. Because of that, 38 different players dressed for at least one game – 14 of which were rookies, including five defensemen. This included half a dozen season-ending injuries. In 2022-23, the Canadiens led the NHL in man-games lost to injury with 657 games. Related: Laval Rocket New Players Bring Youth & Excitement Last season, the team had minimal improvement in the standings but saw significant improvement on the ice, establishing an entertaining style while remaining competitive in most games. The score had been predicted by Malkin and it came just seconds after Crosby threw a water bottle onto the ice as the play went by Pittsburgh’s bench, a move he told referees was unintentional.The 2023-24 season will be important for the Montreal Canadiens as general manager (GM) Kent Hughes continues his rebuild plan. Kessel ended a six-game goal drought 8:02 into the second. Sheary took a pretty feed from Crosby and sent it by Saros 1:19 into the second to push Pittsburgh’s lead to four. He’s stopped just 34 of 45 in Pittsburgh during the series. Rinne stopped 50 of 52 shots he faced back home in Games 3 and 4. Rinne gave way to Juuse Saros at the start of the second period after stopping just six of nine shots, continuing his wildly uneven play.

Malkin ripped a wrist shot over Rinne’s glove on the ensuing 4-on-4 to make it 3-0 with just 10 seconds left in the first. Crosby then started hitting Subban in the head repeatedly, eventually drawing a roughing penalty while Subban - who quipped that Crosby was complaining about Subban’s bad breath during a Game 3 exchange - went off for holding.

Crosby and Subban became tangled up behind the Nashville net late in the first period, with Crosby ending up on top of Subban. Then things got chippy (and a little weird) for the game’s best player. Rust made it 2-0 just 6:43 into the game with a nasty backhand flip over Rinne’s glove.

Just 91 seconds after a Nashville fan flipped a catfish onto the PPG Paints Arena ice - a move that came shortly before a three-goal outburst by Nashville in Game 1 - Schultz powered home a slapshot to end an 0-for-12 power-play skid. It took all of 91 seconds for Pittsburgh to get its swagger back.