NHL Storylines to Watch: Sabres Run, McDavid’s Criticism, and Stars Streak

One month remains in the NHL’s regular season. The race is on for the 16 berths to chase the Stanley Cup.

With the playoffs on the horizon, however, there are more than just posts to be decided. 

There are plenty of intriguing issues to digest. Here are a few worth noting as we ready for the final push in the regular season.

CLEAN THE GARAGE

This harkens back to Mario Lemieux’s comment in 1992 about all of the hooking and holding that was stifling talent. Sadly, it took more than a decade — and a lost season due to a lockout — for the NHL to react and begin enforcing the rules.

Fast forward to today and the league’s most talented player made his point about the department of player safety’s lack of consistency regarding punishment for nefarious plays.

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid took a rare step to voicing his opinion last week when he said the process needs to find a way to ensure the frustrations are reduced from both the perpetrators and the victims.

This came to a head when Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas was handed a five-game suspension for a predatory knee-on-knee hit on Auston Matthews, which ended the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs captain.

While the Ducks, who are in the fight for top spot in the Pacific Division, felt the banishment was too much, the Maple Leafs felt it was too soft considering they were without a standout player while they are hoping to make a push for a playoff spot.

McDavid, who should be voicing his opinion more, is correct. The league must find a more consistent standard for suspensions. Hopefully the NHL does not wait a decade to heed his words.

SABRES ARE RATTLING

There are a few surprises to be found by looking at the standings — the Ducks atop the weakest-link division, the Pittsburgh Penguins in a playoff spot while the Florida Panthers are destined to miss the playoffs — but the biggest must be the Buffalo Sabres leading the Atlantic Division and within a couple of points of the Carolina Hurricanes for top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Go back to Dec. 8, and the Sabres sat last in the East, 30th overall in the league and about to fire GM Kevyn Adams while readying to miss the playoffs for a NHL record 15th consecutive season.

Thanks to an incredible 30-6-2 run sparked by a 10-game winning streak, they have a chance to be the East’s top seed. It is not smoke and mirrors, either.

Starting with a 4-3 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 9, a game in which the Sabres surrendered a three-goal lead in the third period before recovering, Buffalo has been the league’s best team in goals for, save percentage and goal-differential.

Will it mean a the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history? Make that bet at your peril, but it is a great story for a long-suffering fanbase that deserves a winner.

ICE CHIPS

A streak being overlooked right now is the Dallas Stars on a 14-0-1 run headed into Monday’s clash with the Utah Mammoth. 

Dallas is vying for the longest points streak in franchise history … As the Panthers head toward missing the playoffs, they will join a small list of clubs that failed to reach the Stanley Cup tournament one season after winning the title. That last club to suffer that indignity was the Los Angeles Kings of 2014-15 … What is a bigger surprise: Cole Caufield of the Montreal Canadiens second in the league with 39 goals or tied for third with 38 tallies are a pair of skaters from the Minnesota Wild, Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy?