The Box Seats: Edition Nine
For the Week of December 4th-10th, 2023
THE BOX SEATS
Edition Nine, For the Week of December 4th-10th, 2023.
The National Hockey League now enters the month of December, and with many teams still uncertain of how things will shape out, these are some pivotal Hockey Games Preview to watch for this week and in this entire month as teams start to jockey for positioning in the NHL Standings.
We’ve seen some strong teams like the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche go on extended losing runs, and teams like the Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild both surging with win streaks after making coaching changes, the latter of which is currently riding a three-game win streak with new boss John Hynes behind the bench. As we look into these Hockey Games Preview, let’s open this edition of The Box Seats with a couple of players to keep an eye on around the National Hockey League.
PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WEEK
Nikita Kucherov – Forward, Tampa Bay Lightning
The 30-year old winger known to many Lightning fans as the “Russian Rifle”, Nikita Kucherov is off to the hottest start in his ten-year career as one of the NHL Top Scorers this season, scoring 15 goals and 25 assists for a total of 40 points in the first 24 games.
He breaks the Tampa Bay record for fastest player to reach 40 points, breaking the mark held by current teammate and captain Steven Stamkos. The Bolts are busy this week with four games, starting with back-to-back road tilts at Colorado and Arizona on Monday and Tuesday, followed by a home contest against Pittsburgh on Thursday and then the Dallas Stars come to Tampa Bay for a Saturday afternoon showdown.
Connor Ingram – Goalie, Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes have been playing some strong hockey and have been rising in the NHL Central Division Standings, and a large part of that success is owed to goaltender Connor Ingram. The 26-year old Saskatoon, Sasketchewan native has bounced around several teams and leagues in his short career, but looks to have found a stable home in Tempe and now in the crease as the starting goalie for the Yotes.
With a 10-3 mark and a 2.40 goals-against average, Ingram took over starting duties from the struggling Karel Vejmelka a couple of weeks ago and it doesn’t seem like head coach Andre Tourigny is backing down from that any time soon. Arizona plays Tampa Bay on Tuesday before two big home division games against Colorado on Thursday and St. Louis on Saturday.
Team Trends To Watch For
- The Nashville Predators continue to be a moneymaker in regards to the First Period Over. In the Preds’ last 22 games, the First Period Over has cashed in 19 games. Nashville travels to Chicago on Tuesday, before hosting Tampa Bay on Thursday night, then taking on Toronto and Montreal on the road in back-to-back nights to wrap up the weekend.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs took the lead for most National Hockey League games this season to go past regulation, thanks to their comeback in Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins. Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews scored with six seconds left in the third period to push the game into Overtime for the third consecutive game and eleventh overall for Toronto this year. The Leafs take on the Florida Panthers, Seattle Kraken and Boston Bruins this week.
NATIONAL TELEVISION SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK:
December 5th
Detroit at Buffalo 
– 7:00p ET on ESPN+/Hulu
Two Atlantic Division rivals looking to climb in the standings take to the ice in Western New York on Tuesday night in this ESPN+ & Hulu exclusive broadcast. We could possibly see forward Patrick Kane make his debut for his new club as they travel to his hometown of Buffalo. The 35-year old Kane signed a one-year, $2.75 Million dollar deal to join Detroit after recovering from hip resurfacing.
New Jersey at Vancouver 
– 10:00pm ET on NHL Network
The tough Canucks look to continue their solid start to the season as they host the New Jersey Devils. It’s a family affair for the Hughes household as three brothers take the ice in this game, Jack and Luke for New Jersey while Quinn captains Vancouver.
December 6th
Dallas at Florida 
– 7:00p ET on TNT/MAX
The Dallas Stars head east to Sunrise to take on the Panthers to kick-off a doubleheader of NHL Hockey Games Preview on TNT and MAX. Three of the last six meetings between these two clubs have gone past Regulation.
Carolina at Edmonton 
– 9:30p ET on TNT/MAX
The Edmont Oilers, now coached by Kris Knoblauch, have started to turn things around after a horrid start to the NHL season, as they take on Andrei Svechnikov and the Carolina Hurricanes.
December 7th
Dallas at Washington 
– 8:00p ET on ESPN
The Stars return to the national stage again on Thursday, this time on the Worldwide Leader’s main network as Dallas heads to the Nation’s Capital to take on Alex Ovechkin and a Washington club that currently sits in third place in the Metropolitan Division NHL Standings.
New Jersey at Seattle 
– 10:30p ET on ESPN
It will be a late night for fans of the Devils and those on the East Coast as they continue their West Coast trip with a visit to the Emerald City to take on a struggling Kraken club led by forward Jared McCann.
December 8th
Pittsburgh at Florida – 7:00p ET on NHL Network
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins head down to sunny Florida to tussle with the Panthers as the top NHL Matchups on a short Friday slate.
December 9th
Arizona at Boston 
– 2:00p ET on NHL Network
The Coyotes, led by young rookie Logan Cooley head out to Beantown for a Saturday Matinee affair with the scorching hot Bruins.
Nashville at Toronto 
– 7:00p ET on NHL Network
It’s another Maple Leafs contest on Hockey Night in Canada as the Predators head up north on Saturday. The Predators have struggled in Toronto, losing five of their last six meetings when visiting the Maple Leafs.
December 10th
Florida at Columbus 
– 1:00p ET on NHL Network
The Blue Jackets make a rare National Television appearance on a Sunday afternoon contest as they host Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers.
Frozen Fashion: The Hockey Jersey of The Week
Each Week, we will select one NHL team jersey to highlight the design and the history of that specific sweater. This week, we take a peak at a interesting design in the desert.
Arizona Coyotes “Desert Nights” Alternate Jersey
In 2021, the Arizona Coyotes announced they would be returning to their original color scheme from their arrival to the desert in 1996, including the famous “Kachina” crest logo. A year later, the franchise unveiled a new third jersey that would slot into the position that the new Kachina Home jersey occupied in previous seasons. The Yotes were the first team to work with an established fashion designer to create the uniform, enlisting the talent of Rhuigi Villaseñor, founder of Los Angeles-based street apparel company Rhude, and hiring him on as the team’s fashion creative strategist.
The Jersey colors are burgundy and sand, drawing inspiration from the desert terrain. The crest features “Arizona” front and center in sand-colored cursive letters. The star on the “I” represents nighttime in the desert and the state flag. The geckos that adorn the shoulder patches of the team’s original green third jersey from 1998-2003 are inside the collar.
National Hockey League Trivia Question
Last Week: Who was the First Player in National Hockey League history to wear uniform #99
Answer: While Wayne Gretzky made #99 famous with his exceptional career, and he was the last player to wear the number after the league retired it for any franchise after 2000, the first NHL player to wear it was Joe Lamb with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1934-35 season. He was one of three players to wear not only that number for the Habs that season, but they would wear the same jersey from that departing player.
National Hockey League Trivia Question
Last Week: Which NHL Player scored the most Power-Play Goals in a single season?
Answer: Tim Kerr of the Philadelphia Flyers scored 34 of his 58 goals in the 1985-86 season on the Power Play, the most of any NHL player in a single season.
Q: Who’s the Oldest Player to win the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year?
Hint: He’s from Russia.
Come Back Next Week to find out The Answer!
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