NHL Box Seats: Edition Fifteen
NHL Preview for the Week of January 16th-23rd, 2024.
THE BOX SEATS
Edition Fifteen, January 16th-23rd, 2024.
Hello, and welcome to “The Box Seats,” a column designed to keep Pro Hockey fans informed, educated, and entertained with the news and notes from around the National Hockey League. So kick back and read along every week during the National Hockey League season.
The National Hockey League is officially at the midway point of the Regular Season, with most clubs sitting between 38 and 42 games played. Now we are seeing some very tight, exciting finishes, with plenty of contests being decided by single goals, in overtime or a shootout.
We’ve seen hot streaks from clubs like the Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, and Seattle Kraken and cold spells from clubs like the Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, and Washington Capitals. This week, we will highlight some of the players chosen for the NHL All-Star Game, which will take place on February 3rd in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at Scotiabank Arena. Which is precisely how we will open up this week’s 2024 NHL Games review edition with some All-Stars to watch.
PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WEEK
Sam Reinhart – Forward, Florida Panthers
Coming off a season where they snuck into the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a late surge and rode that wave to an Eastern Conference title and a spot in the Cup Final, many pundits did not expect the Florida Panthers to be right back in the conversation of top-tier teams in the conference, and one of the reasons why Florida is mentioned is due to winger Sam Reinhart, who was named to his first NHL All-Star game last week.
The 28-year-old Vancouver native has 31 goals and 54 points in just 42 games, with 16 of those goals coming on the power play, leading the league in that category. The Panthers face off against Anaheim in a Monday matinee for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then host the Detroit Red Wings in a big Atlantic Division showdown on Tuesday before hosting the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.
Elias Pettersson – Forward, Vancouver Canucks
The biggest surprise in the National Hockey League season this far has been the emergence of the Vancouver Canucks under Head Coach Rick Tocchet, who will lead the Pacific Division team in Toronto at the All-Star Game. He will be leading five of his players into that weekend, with forward Elias Pettersson being one of the three players voted in by the fans online.
The 25-year-old Swedish native has made a big step in his game, and with 22 goals and 57 points in 43 games played, Pettersson is rounding out into the superstar that many Canucks fans have been hoping for since he was drafted back in 2017. Vancouver takes on Columbus on Monday to end a season-long eight-game road trip, then return to Rogers Arena to battle Arizona on Thursday and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday.
Cam Talbot – Goalie, Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are looking to make that next jump in being a Western Conference contender after back-to-back Playoff appearances and first-round exits at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.
Now, before a recent eight-game losing skid by the Kings aligned with a current ten-game winning streak by the aforementioned Oilers, we’re seeing the gap closing quickly, and part of that reason can be attributed to Cam Talbot having to be played heavily in goal for Los Angeles, due to the season-ending injury suffered by Pheonix Copley, and the inconsistent play from third-stringer David Rittich.
Nonetheless, the 36-year-old Talbot was named to his second All-Star Game in his career, posting a 14-10-5 record with a 2.34 goals-against average, a .918% save percentage, and two shutouts in 28 starts this season after coming over from the Ottawa Senators, where he had injury issues last year.
Team Trends To Watch For
(Stats as of 1/14/24)
- Edmonton Oilers: Ten-game winning streak (Longest in Franchise History). Current run of 17-3 in their last 20 games overall.
- Florida Panthers: Wins in nine of their last ten games, 14-6 run in their previous 20 games overall.
- Colorado Avalanche: Wins in eight of their last ten games, earning at least a point in nine of their last ten contests overall.
- Seattle Kraken: Nine-game winning streak (Longest in Franchise History) with a 13-game point streak (11-0-2)
NATIONAL TELEVISION SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK:
January 16th
Los Angeles at Dallas 
 – 8:00p ET on ESPN+/Hulu
An important contest for both clubs who have struggled of late, with the Kings on an eight-game losing skid at press time.
January 17th
Chicago at Buffalo 
– 8:30p ET on TNT/MAX
This was supposed to be another Connor Bedard showcase for the nation on TNT, but with the rookie sensation still out 6-8 weeks recovering from surgery on his broken jaw, this game may not have much viewing spark.
January 18th
Minnesota at Tampa Bay 
– 7:30p ET on ESPN+/Hulu
The Minnesota Wild head down to sunny Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have played much better hockey at home than on the road this season.
Nashville at Los Angeles – 10:00p ET on ESPN+/Hulu
Los Angeles returns home after what has been a dismal road trip to play against a Nashville club that has won 11 of the last 14 meetings against the Kings, who have lost 12 of their last 19 games at Crypto.com Arena.
January 20th
Colorado at Philadelphia 
– 1:00p ET on NHL Network
The Avalanche heads into Philly for a Saturday matinee affair. Colorado has been a hot team, winning eight of their last nine games as of press time.
Montreal at Boston 
 – 7:00p ET on NHL Network
It’s another Original Six showdown as the Bruins host their hated rivals to the north, The Montreal Canadiens, for the third time this season on a Saturday. Boston has won eleven of the last twelve meetings against the Habs.
January 21st
Ottawa at Philadelphia – 1:00p ET on NHL Network
The Flyers look to wrap up the weekend with another home afternoon contest, this time against Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators in a pivotal NHL Eastern Conference matchup.
January 22nd
Vegas at New Jersey 
– 7:00p ET on NHL Network
Wrapping up the NHL Game Recaps: The Golden Knights head out to Newark to take on the Devils in a cross-conference showdown to open up the new week on Monday night.
Frozen Fashion: The Hockey Jersey of The Week
Each Week, we will select one NHL team jersey to highlight that specific sweater’s design and history. This week, we look at a throwback classic that was resurrected as a current alternate.
Buffalo Sabres 2023-24 Black “Goathead” Alternate Jersey
The Buffalo Sabres have one of the most iconic logos in National Hockey League history, with the duel-crossed sabres and the bison above with the Royal Blue and Yellow accents. This look was unveiled when the club joined the league in 1970 and remained the main logo until 1996, when the club moved from Buffalo Memorial Auditorium and entered what was then called Marine Midland Arena, now known as the KeyBank Center, the franchise decided to overhaul their logo and uniforms, going with a Red, Black and Silver look that was popular amongst many NHL teams in the world of Sports during the decade.
They also used a head of an angry Buffalo for their main crest, which would be dubbed the “Goathead” because it’s design features and white color looks more like a goat than traditional American Bison. This look lasted as their primary logo until a change was made in 2007, returning to their main Blue and Yellow look, with a darker Navy shade of blue. In 2022, with the club back to their traditional Royal and Yellow look for home and road uniforms, Buffalo brought back the black Goathead jersey to be worn as an alternate for 15 times during the 2023-2024 Regular Season.
National Hockey League Trivia Question
Last Week: Which two NHL teams joined the league in the Year 2000?
Answer: The Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets were announced as two of four eventual expansion teams in the NHL between 1998 and 2000. The Nashville Predators joined first in 1998, followed back the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999, before the Wild and Blue Jackets debuted in 2000.
Q: When was Overtime introduced into the National Hockey League
Come Back Next Week to find out The Answer!
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