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New York Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The ultimate NHL team name rankings: Where do the Utah Mammoth rank? Who's No. 1?
What makes a great sports team name? Which ones are iconic and beloved by fans? And, conversely, which ones come up short and why? Now that the Utah franchise has a name — the Mammoth — we put out the call for NHL subscribers to rate all 32 NHL team names last week. Nearly 10,000 of you voted in only a few days' time, a really impressive turnout given we were in the middle of the second round of the playoffs. Advertisement To round out the results, we've also added our own votes and averaged them with the fan responses. Curiously, we were harder markers, with our average score of NHL team names 2.73 compared to 3.41 for readers' scores. Our votes were also often very different from fans' choices, showing how subjective this whole exercise can be. Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And maybe we can come up with some better names for the teams on the low end here. The Athletic rating: 4.5 (1st) Fan rating: 3.7 (8th) McIndoe: This is a near-perfect modern sports name. It's unique without trying too hard, simple without feeling simplistic, aggressive without feeling silly, and the alliteration is an added bonus. I named it the best team name in league history a few years ago, and while some of my opinions have evolved since then, I stand by this one. Mirtle: Yeah, this was one of the few names almost everyone agreed on, with 60 percent of fans giving it four or five stars. I remember when this team came out, and everyone wanted their gear, even though no one in western Canada knew much about San Jose. A lot of '90s teams went too goofy, but this one has stood the test of time. The Athletic rating: 4.0 (2nd) Fan rating: 4.2 (2nd) McIndoe: Very nice. Does it completely make sense when you think about it? Not necessarily, but it's almost a century old, so you don't have to. Mirtle: I'm not sure you can even explain why this one works exactly, but it just does. Better than Sox anyway? The Athletic rating: 4.0 (2nd) Fan rating: 4.1 (3rd) McIndoe: This is the first (but not last) of the Original Six examples in which I think the readers are just giving out high marks to the most familiar names. The 'Montreal Canadiens' has obviously come to represent something beyond a mere name. Purely as a name, though, it's cool that it's French but otherwise isn't all that creative. Advertisement Mirtle: Having a name that sounds good and is tied to the region scores high marks with me. This name is about local identity; it's more than just a team. The Athletic rating: 4.0 (2nd) Fan rating: 4.0 (4th) McIndoe: How old were you when you found out a bruin was a bear? I was older than I'd probably want to admit, but that's OK, because I'm not smart. I do know that bears are scary and cool, though, and this name has that creative twist that improves it without feeling kitschy. Mirtle: Boston Bears sounds a bit silly. Bruins? Old school and alliteration and we all learn something new? That's a lot of wins. The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.7 (7th) McIndoe: Penguins are adorable, nonthreatening and almost completely harmless. I'm not sure that makes a great sports team name, but at least the whole ice connection works. Mirtle: Penguins are also sleek, fast and opportunistic! I wish they kept the Igloo name and design with the new rink, even though it wasn't practical, because Pittsburgh was really nailing the motif. The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 4.2 (1st) McIndoe: It's cooler if you know the history, assuming the version of the history you believe is 'heroic military unit' and not 'blatantly stolen from a more popular local baseball team.' If you don't know the history, you're confused by both the grammar and why you'd name your team after something incredibly fragile that's known for falling helplessly when the going gets tough. Mirtle: The fan vote went bonkers for the Leafs, which is probably a combination of Toronto fans showing up due to how engaged they are right now, people voting up Original Six names in general, and the fact the name has just come to represent hockey and Canadiana in some fundamental way. But it's definitely a little weird. Advertisement The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.6 (12th) McIndoe: Kind of silly, but it works in that 1970s kind of way. Mirtle: My grandfather played briefly for the '40s version of the Canucks and my Dad remains a die-hard so I'm not going after this one! Like the Bruins, it introduces a term to a wider audience — and the concept of Johnny Canuck if you do your research. The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.5 (13th) McIndoe: Swords are cool. And they even chose to spell it the Canadian way. You're all wrong on this one, Mirtle especially. Mirtle: I thought this one was fine. But Sean voted it one of the greatest team names in professional sports history, elevating Buffalo's score. The fans are with me here. At least it's nice for the Sabres to not be at the bottom of something for once. The Athletic rating: 4.0 (2nd) Fan rating: 2.9 (27th) McIndoe: I liked it then, and I like it now. Color modifiers can be hit and miss, but it works here. I get why it would be a bit too clever for some tastes, but I think the low fan vote is more about people being sick of these guys than actually thinking this is somehow a worse name than 'Senators.' Mirtle: There's a large contingent of the more traditional fans who just don't like anything Vegas, it seems. But when you go to a game there, you see how well it suits the market as something completely different. Would it be goofy anywhere else? Probably. Way better than if they went with some gambling theme or something kitschy. The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.3 (21st) McIndoe: You can't touch a Flames when it's red hot! I mean, you can — that's actually the only time you can touch one — but a nice, simple monosyllabic plural can still be a great name. Advertisement Mirtle: I thought maybe this would get voted down more, given it was one of those weird 'relocated team keeps its name in a new market' ones. But fire is cool, so that helps. And when it blasts out after a goal at the Saddledome, you know they chose right. The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.7 (9th) McIndoe: Potentially problematic for many of the same reasons the logo comes under fire, but also a name with tons of history that's hard to ignore. I'm not sure quite how to grade them, aside from pointing out that Chicago once went 60 years spelling their own name wrong. Mirtle: I thought the fan vote would be lower given the controversy, but the pull of hockey tradition is strong. The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.2 (24th) McIndoe: Not many marks for creativity, with Florida sharing the same team name as roughly 90 percent of American high schools. But sometimes a name is a classic for a reason, and 'Panthers' has earned its status as an all-timer in the sports world. Mirtle: It seemed a bit cheesy in the '90s, but it's grown on hockey fans and just fits now, especially since it highlights the endangered Florida panther. The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.5 (14th) McIndoe: Everyone who gave this a good mark is going to hell. Which is most of the appeal here, if we're being honest. Mirtle: The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.5 (15th) McIndoe: It was reasonably cool, if a little plain, back in the 1970s. By the 2010s, it felt drab. But they kept it anyway, and it was absolutely the right call, because this is still a way better name than the Winnipeg Winter Moose or whatever some marketing consultant would have pushed for back in 2011. Mirtle: I do believe they were named after the New York Jets originally, which is unfortunate. But yes, it was better, given the history, than the alternatives. Advertisement The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.4 (18th) McIndoe: I still like it, but I get why some people don't. (They hate whimsy and fun.) Mirtle: Not nearly as good as what Vegas came up with. It gives me Toronto Raptors vibes. It's too bad they couldn't have been the Supersonics or some variation. I always liked the Seattle Thunderbirds get-up, too, so something along those lines could have been fun. The Athletic rating: 2.5 (19th) Fan rating: 3.8 (5th) McIndoe: A little bit of pandering to local industry isn't the worst marketing strategy, especially when you're coming in as part of a rebel league that might not survive more than a few seasons, but you wish they'd reached a little higher way back when. Mirtle: We're definitely getting hate mail for this one, DGB. This was where we were the most out of step with fans, who somehow voted it a top five name in the league. The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.3 (22nd) McIndoe: This is the team responsible for bringing singular names into the NHL. The name itself isn't awful, but actions have consequences. Mirtle: Bah, I like it. Did you want them to be the Lightnings? The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.2 (23rd) McIndoe: This is a nice, simple name that looks you in the eye when it shakes your hand. Mirtle: And then you fall asleep. The Athletic rating: 3.0 (11th) Fan rating: 3.1 (26th) McIndoe: It's OK, and a huge step forward from Hockey Club. I might have considered a 4 if they'd gone plural. Mirtle: Nineteenth is higher than I was expecting for a brand-new name, but a lot of that is our votes propping it up. Maybe it'll grow on fans once their mascot starts impaling people with its tusks? The Athletic rating: 2.5 (19th) Fan rating: 3.4 (16th) McIndoe: So what do you guys do? 'We, uh, fly.' So, like, you're a bird? An airplane? A projectile of some sort? 'Look, you've already put more thought into this than we clearly did.' Advertisement Mirtle: Points for alliteration, but what is a Flyer? Shouldn't it be spelled Phlyers? I looked up where it came from, and it was part of a naming contest. They were almost called the Sabers so Sean could have had two best favorites. The Athletic rating: 2.5 (19th) Fan rating: 3.4 (20th) McIndoe: I realize this is hardly just a Carolina thing, but I've never fully understood the appeal of naming your team after a local recurring tragedy that kills people. Mirtle: Too bad there wasn't a way to keep the Whalers name and logo. The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 3.8 (6th) McIndoe: The same as I just wrote for the Hurricanes, only this one's also singular. Mirtle: I remember hating when we went from Nordiques to this, but it's grown on me a little. Points for the ice theme. Points deducted for sounding like a roller hockey team, though. The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 3.6 (10th) McIndoe: Another name that some of you are overrating based on familiarity, but as old-school names go, it's perfectly fine. Mirtle: They're sort of named after the Texas Rangers, which is just weird. But then again, most of the old names are strange. The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 3.6 (10th) McIndoe: You'd never pick this name today, but I don't mind that. The plural color is one of the oldest naming conventions in sports, and the musical connotation adds another layer. It's perfectly fine. Mirtle: I'd give it a higher rating if they'd bring back the musical jersey Mike Keenan wanted to burn. This was another one the fans liked a lot more than us, voting it 10th. The Athletic rating: 1.5 (27th) Fan rating: 3.4 (16th) McIndoe: So what do you guys do? 'We, uh, island.' That doesn't even make sense. 'Shut up, this will make total sense as long as we never temporarily move to Brooklyn.' Advertisement Mirtle: Yeah, negative points for creativity here. I think we're getting more hate mail now, though. Readers were bigger fans of it than we cynics, for what it's worth. The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 2.8 (29th) McIndoe: I like where they were going, but this is just a little bit too generic for my tastes. Mirtle: The double meaning of being a predator isn't doing them any favors either. Of the other options they were looking at, including Attack and Fury, Ice Tigers might have worked better? The Athletic rating: 1.5 (27th) Fan rating: 3.1 (25th) McIndoe: I liked that the Jets kept their old name when the market was resurrected, but that was a 15-year gap and this was over 50. I love history as much as the next guy, but not enough to name my pro sports team after an old rich guy with connections who never actually does anything. Mirtle: Yeah, there are classic names and just plain dated ones, and this is the latter. Although who doesn't enjoy cheering for their local senator to review and refine legislation? The Athletic rating: 2.0 (22nd) Fan rating: 2.5 (32nd) McIndoe: I want to like it. If you catch me on the right day, I kind of do. But most fans don't get it, and unfortunately, Columbus rarely gives them much reason to want to figure it out. Mirtle: This one received the lowest scores out of all 32 teams in the fan vote — by quite a bit. I don't think that's entirely fair, as they deserve some points for originality, but something about it hasn't worked. I wonder if they'd have been more successful it would have caught on more? The Athletic rating: 1.0 (31st) Fan rating: 3.4 (19th) McIndoe: Yes, you're the capital city, very clever. I kind of like the three-three syllabic flow here, but I would have said the same thing for Washington Dunderheads. Advertisement Mirtle: I'm a bit baffled why this one received such high marks from fans. Maybe someone can explain it in the comments for us, as we both gave this the lowest grade. Perhaps we're the dunderheads? The Athletic rating: 1.5 (27th) Fan rating: 2.8 (29th) McIndoe: It's an improvement on Mighty Ducks, in the same way that a fracture is an improvement over a compound fracture. Mirtle: But now they're just ducks. And they don't even do the quack attack late in games. The Athletic rating: 1.5 (27th) Fan rating: 2.7 (31st) McIndoe: OK, without any other context at all, 'Stars' is fine. Bland and uncreative, but also simple. We could live with it. But we know the context — the Stars were previously the North Stars, which was a way better name. They moved to Dallas and watered it down, partly so they could piggyback on the Cowboys brand. And yes, Lone Stars would have been better. Mirtle: And now we're robbed of getting the North Stars back, which led to … The Athletic rating: 1.0 (31st) Fan rating: 2.8 (28th) McIndoe: Awful. Mirtle: It's telling that we had tons of votes from our many Minnesotan/Russo readers and even they aren't defending it. Can we let them just have their old name back?
New York Times
18-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Welcome to Red Light, our new hockey newsletter!
Red Light newsletter 🏒 | This is the first edition of The Athletic's hockey newsletter. Sign up here to receive Red Light directly in your inbox. We are your hockey hosts, Sean McIndoe and James Mirtle, and this is our letter 'o news. Let's go: Who has the best chance to win the Cup? 🤔 OK, maybe a bit heavy on the emojis so far, but hey, we're pumped to be here. This inaugural hockey newsletter at The Athletic has been a looooong time coming — nearly a decade for folks like us who have been around a while — and it's great timing, given the playoffs open with a doubleheader Saturday night in Winnipeg and Dallas. Let's start by looking at how the Stanley Cup odds are lining up, courtesy of our stats expert Dom Luszczyszyn. These factor in every team's injury situation, up to the minute. The full NHL playoff schedule is here. Try streaming games for free on Fubo. McIndoe: Let's start with the obvious. The Leafs are way too high, right? The model is based on the numbers, not the narratives, and usually that's an advantage. But after eight years of playoff misery, and facing a rival who loves to make them miserable, do we really think the Leafs are in good shape here? (Check out our Leafs-Sens series preview here.) Advertisement Mirtle: Yeah, there is zero chance I'd have them as a 71 percent favorite in Round 1, for starters. I think Ottawa is being underrated in general right now. The Sens were in 28th place on Dec. 1, got healthy, made some nice additions and have been the ninth-best team in the league since then! I can't see this being a cakewalk. (Plus, you know, the whole Leafs curse thing.) McIndoe: Since we're talking about Canadian wild-card upset potential, can the Habs pull one off against the top-seeded Capitals? Mirtle: Again, surely momentum has to count for something, no? Montreal has been on a 15-5-6 heater, and Washington has looked really ordinary down the stretch, winning just four of its last 12 games. And Logan Thompson has an .876 save percentage in his last 10 starts! I'm calling that as a surprisingly long series. McIndoe: You know what had better be a long series? Dallas and Colorado. Please tell me those Stars injuries aren't going to ruin what should be a classic. (Stars-Avs series preview.) Mirtle: Is now a good time to mention I'm a Blackwood believer and picked the Avs to win it all? And, yes, I do think Dallas is in trouble without Miro Heiskanen. Who do you got this year, DGB? McIndoe: I rarely get confused with a model, but maybe I will here: I've got the Jets to unite the country and end the drought. Elbows up, baby. Just don't mention which country their MVP goalie is from. For series previews and content from all eight matchups, check out The Athletic's NHL page. We're going right to the source for a couple more burning questions about our playoff probabilities this year. 1. Why does your model love the Jets so much this year? Fourteen percent to win it all is a lot for a team that has had a hard time getting out of Round 1. Luszczyszyn: The Connor Hellebuyck factor is big. Only Connor McDavid carries a similar per-game impact, and the gap between Hellebuyck and the NHL's next best goalie is substantial. On top of that, Winnipeg's star forwards look more dialed in this year, and the top four on defense looks better than usual thanks to Dylan Samberg. The Jets possess the puck better than ever and defend well in front of the league's best goalie. That's a recipe for good things in the postseason. And they'll have home ice in every series, too. Advertisement 2. What's the other biggest surprise for you after running the probabilities? Luszczyszyn: The Oilers were the team to beat for most of the year, but their inconsistencies and depth issues became too big of a problem to ignore. Mix in the loss of workhorse defenseman Mattias Ekholm, and they're now just a 50-50 bet against the Kings in Round 1 — a big drop-off from the past three years where the Oilers were 70 percent favorites each time. That series definitely caught me by surprise. See more of Dom's odds here. We'll have an updated version every morning in the postseason. 🏒 Dan Robson and Katie Strang examine the story of former junior star Mike McLeod, one of five Hockey Canada players about to go on trial for an alleged sexual assault in London, Ont. 🥅 Our army of puck pundits grades out the regular season for all 32 NHL teams, from A+ to F. And three teams will be forced to go to summer school by their parents. Can you guess the non-Buffalo flops? ❓ Who should you root for in these playoffs? If you're undecided and need a bandwagon option, McIndoe has your answer. 👁️🗨️ Think you know how the postseason will play out? Enter our prediction contest, which features one simple question (that you will get wrong). 📢 Exciting news for the PWHL: It's expanding, and Vancouver is set to become the seventh team. Hailey Salvian has the scoop. We believe that in hockey, as in life, there are no dumb questions. So if you have something you've always wondered about the sport, ask away by emailing us at redlight@ Today… Why do so many fans seem so mad about the playoff format? The short answer is that we just like to complain. Here's a slightly longer answer: The current format is based on the four divisions, with the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in each division playing each other, and the No. 1 seed playing a wild card. (Those wild cards can come from a different division, so we can't necessarily call it a 1-vs.-4 matchup, because nothing can ever be simple in this league.) Advertisement In theory, that works fine. But occasionally, it can lead to matchups like this year's Stars facing the Avalanche in a series between two teams viewed as elite Cup contenders. Dallas had the league's fifth-best record, while Colorado ranked eighth. But because they finished second and third in the Central Division, they're stuck playing each other in Round 1. That's too early, many fans would argue. The alternative would be a conference-based 1-vs.-8 format, which the league used from 1994 until 2013. That makes 'unfair' matchups less likely, although it doesn't eliminate them entirely. (You'd need to go to a leaguewide 1-vs.-16 format for that, and travel and time zones makes that impractical.) The downside is you'd get fewer rivalry matchups, which the league likes. This is the fourth year in a row that the Oilers have played the Kings, which is either fun or boring, depending on your perspective. All told, it's not like the format makes that big of a deal. There are no easy outs in the NHL playoffs, so everyone has to beat four good teams to win the Cup. And it's not like the Stars and Avalanche wouldn't have to cross paths eventually if they're truly among the best teams. You could argue the current format just pushes a few of those marquee matchups up a bit early, ensuring they actually happen. Maybe that's a good thing, but it doesn't feel that way when it's your team getting the tougher matchup. And like we said, we really do love to complain. 📫 Loved the first edition of Red Light? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters. Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Top photo of Matthew Tkachuk: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
New York Times
28-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NHL Power Rankings: Who are the hottest (and coldest) teams since the trade deadline?
This year's busy NHL trade deadline transformed the outlook for many Stanley Cup contenders. It was an all-out arms race, with big names on the move and many buyers pushing all of their chips in. Which contenders have caught fire with their upgraded rosters? Who's lagging behind the competition and limping into the playoffs? Let's dive into each team's performance since the March 7 deadline in this week's edition of the power rankings. Last week: 1 Mirtle rank: 1 Dayal rank: 1 The Jets became the first team in the West to clinch a playoff spot when they beat the league-leading Capitals on Tuesday. Winnipeg has been a clear notch above the rest of the Central Division this season, but the gap has tightened since the deadline when many of its rivals loaded up. Advertisement Colorado and Dallas' rosters look significantly deeper post-deadline, which has paid off with scorching results, while the Blues, a potential round one matchup for Winnipeg, are the hottest team in the NHL right now. Winnipeg has kept pace, having won seven of its last 10, though Gabriel Vilardi's recent week-to-week injury is a big blow to the first line and top power-play unit. Mark Scheifele also needs to snap out of his nine-game goal drought, but it's otherwise hard to find blemishes in a team that has lost just five games in regulation since late January. Last week: 2 Mirtle rank: 3 Dayal rank: 2 Well, they won again, their fourth in a row, and their seventh straight game getting at least a point (5-0-2). So credit for the results. But they allowed 48 shots against the Flames on Thursday, continuing a trend of fairly underwhelming play post-deadline. They certainly miss Miro Heiskanen lately, and news he might not be back for Round 1 is a blow to their chances against an Avalanche team that's looking rather powerful. Last week: 3 Mirtle rank: 2 Dayal rank: 3 A hard-fought OT loss this week to the Jets stings and they dropped Thursday's contest against the Wild despite mostly controlling play too, but the Caps still have the best points percentage in the East since the trade deadline. Washington has been a wagon offensively all year, with contributions coming from every part of the lineup. The only asterisk is that their recent wins have mostly come against inferior opponents – Washington's record is only 3-4-1 against teams in a playoff spot since the 4 Nations Face-Off. Last week: 6 Mirtle rank: 4 Dayal rank: 4 The Golden Knights didn't do anything overly exciting at the deadline – unusual for them – but it hasn't mattered, as a 6-2-2 record since then stands as one of the NHL's best. Convincing wins over the Lightning and Wild this week helped bump them up our rankings, and they should have no problem with a nice little Blackhawks-Predators bottom-feeder double header this weekend. They've established a nice lead in the division, too, which would be their fourth title in eight seasons of existence. Must be nice to be a VGK fan. Advertisement Last week: 7 Mirtle rank: 6 Dayal rank: 5 This once top-heavy Avs forward group looks far deeper and more dangerous since the deadline. Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle have bolstered Colorado down the middle, but the club is also significantly healthier on the wings compared to the start of the season. Valeri Nichushkin (7 goals in his last 10 games) and Jonathan Drouin are on absolute tears, Martin Necas has been a terrific fit and the depth wingers are pitching in too. The Avs are 8-1-1 since the deadline and picked up an impressive 4-0 victory over an equally hot Kings team on Thursday. Last week: 5 Mirtle rank: 5 Dayal rank: 7 They rattled off five straight wins after the Mikko Rantanen firestorm of the deadline had the entire league's attention focused on the Corsicanes, but it's been a bit bumpier ride since. A lopsided loss to the Kings and a puzzling one against the Predators drop them a spot in our rankings, even though they're still scoring and dominating possession, as always. Of note: Old man Taylor Hall has been heating up of late, with six goals and nine points in his last seven games. Last week: 4 Mirtle rank: 7 Dayal rank: 6 The Panthers' secondary offense has gone a bit cold and they're only 4-4-0 since the deadline, but there is some good news on the horizon. Brad Marchand is poised to make his Panthers debut soon, potentially on Friday against Utah. And after a rocky start on the top pair in Aaron Ekblad's spot, Seth Jones is beginning to stabilize his game. Jones has helped the Panthers control about 60 percent of shots during his five-on-five shifts in three consecutive games. Last week: 11 Mirtle rank: 8 Dayal rank: 8 Even with the loss to the Avs, we wanted to give the Kings some more love than the rankings have most of the year. LA is 9-2-0 since the deadline and has been a dominant even strength team all year, ranking among the leaders in 5-on-5 goal differential and expected goals share. A lot is riding on Darcy Kuemper's .919 save percentage being the real thing in the playoffs, but let's give the Kings their due: They've had a surprisingly good season and gone under the radar while doing it. Maybe this is the year they finally beat the Oilers? Advertisement Last week: 9 Mirtle rank: 9 Dayal rank: 10 The Lightning have been a bit uneven since the deadline (5-4-1), but they obliterated the Hockey Clubbers 8-0 on Thursday, with almost everyone getting on the scoresheet. Leading the way were deadline pickups Oliver Bjorkstrand (two goals) and Yanni Gourde (two assists) as they continue to round out Tampa's offense nicely. It's been interesting to watch Gourde, in particular, pick up heavy minutes after his role had diminished in Seattle. Last week: 8 Mirtle rank: 10 Dayal rank: 9 They lost to the Sharks. Again. San Jose has just two wins against playoff-bound teams in its last 29 games; both of those are against Toronto. And with the Atlantic Division title sitting right there for them, the Leafs have dropped three games in March against the Sharks and Predators. We would call it hard to believe, except it's been that kind of a weird up-and-down year for Toronto. Next up, the Kings and Ducks as they try to rescue the California road trip. Last week: 10 Mirtle rank: 11 Dayal rank: 11 Things aren't so rosy in Edmonton right now. And it's about more than the club's struggles this past week without Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm in the lineup. The Oilers' 5-4-1 record since the deadline is fine, but zoom out, and they have the 25th-best points percentage in the NHL since Feb 1. There are question marks and flaws with this roster, even though Jake Walman's immediate impact and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' recent surge provide some optimism. Last week: 15 Mirtle rank: 12 Dayal rank: 12 A come-from-behind win in Nashville pushed the Blues' win streak to eight in a row, making them the hottest team in the NHL since the deadline. What's most impressive about their run lately is they've done it without both Colton Parayko and Pavel Buchnevich. Dylan Holloway, Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas have been three of the NHL's top scorers in that span, helping propel St. Louis to a heady 4.1 goals per game. Good thing they didn't sell at the deadline as they're potentially going to be a handful for someone in Round 1. Advertisement Last week: 12 Mirtle rank: 13 Dayal rank: 13 Ottawa had a brief scare in February when it lost five consecutive games, but Travis Green's side has been able to convincingly right the ship over the last month with a 9-3-1 heater. The biggest difference? Their once-struggling offense is suddenly red-hot thanks to strong secondary contributions from Dylan Cozens, David Perron, Drake Batherson and Michael Amadio, among others. It feels cruel to drop the Sens a spot in the rankings compared to last week, but the Blues deserved the promotion. Last week: 14 Mirtle rank: 14 Dayal rank: 14 The importance of Thursday's 4-2 win over the Capitals can't be overstated. Minnesota's grip on the first wild card spot has been loosening because of St. Louis' wicked run, the club is banged up without Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson-Ek, and the team's performance has been up-and-down for a while. The two points they secured against Washington and a favorable schedule down the stretch (24th easiest according to Tankathon) should have the Wild feeling more comfortable about their handle on a playoff spot. Last week: 13 Mirtle rank: 15 Dayal rank: 15 They brought a stretch of four losses in five games into Wednesday's not-entirely-decisive win over the Blackhawks, so things aren't all rosy. Not having Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton and defensive stalwart Jonas Siegenthaler appears to be wearing on coach Sheldon Keefe as well, given his odd blowup about Johnathan Kovacevic. 'Kovacevic just needs to play better. That would help,' Keefe said when told his defenseman suggested that they needed to have a playoff mentality. We know many aren't expecting much of the battered Devils if they hold on to get into the postseason, but we don't recommend suggesting that around them right now. Advertisement Last week: 16 Mirtle rank: 17 Dayal rank: 16 At the start of this week, Canucks fans were getting ready to fire up the old draft lottery simulator again. Their playoff hopes looked dead after two devastating losses to the Blues and Rangers, not to mention the injuries to Elias Pettersson, Nils Höglander and Filip Chytil. The undermanned Canucks are still alive, however, thanks in large part to Thatcher Demko's return from IR. Vancouver's star netminder has been limited to just 19 games this season due to multiple injuries, but he returned on Monday against the Devils and has backstopped the club to two massive victories. The odds are still stacked against the Canucks, but a Demko heater could be exactly what the doctor ordered. Last week: 19 Mirtle rank: 16 Dayal rank: 17 The Flames had won four in a row going into Thursday's loss against the Stars, and they gave Dallas a good push in piling up 48 shots. Is that enough to bump them up two spots? Apparently! Dustin Wolf has shown his first signs of a little wear lately, and Calgary smartly went to backup Dan Vladar for two wins in New York as part of a first-ever franchise sweep of the three teams there. The Flames have two games left against the Sharks and two more against the Ducks, so there's a path here for them to still sneak in. But St. Louis' red-hot run has certainly made that much more daunting. Last week: 17 Mirtle rank: 18 Dayal rank: 18 A tough loss to sad-sack Philadelphia on Thursday hurts. But the Flyers had the new coach bounce (and were absolutely pounded in Toronto earlier in the week) so perhaps we can call that one an anomaly. Once the hottest team in the league, the plucky Canadiens have now lost four straight, which is going to make their path to the postseason far more tricky. Their next three against the Hurricanes and then the Panthers twice could make or break them. Advertisement Last week: 18 Mirtle rank: 19 Dayal rank: 19 The Isles lack high-end offensive firepower with Mathew Barzal injured and Nelson now in Colorado, but they've mustered a respectable 6-4-3 record since the deadline to stay alive in the playoff race. This past week, however, hasn't been kind to them. They've dropped three straight games, which included Kyle Palmieri's apparent game-winner with 9.6 seconds left in regulation against the Blue Jackets getting bizarrely overturned for an extremely questionable goaltender interference call. Ilya Sorokin has been forced to start 14 of the club's 16 games since the 4 Nations Face-Off, and the fatigue is beginning to show, particularly in the last game against Vancouver. Things don't look great for New York right now but all the wild card contenders around them are struggling too, so they're still in it. Last week: 22 Mirtle rank: 20 Dayal rank: 20 It's been hard to watch the best story of the season fade out as of late, with six consecutive losses (and eight in nine) before finally getting a shootout W against the Islanders on Monday. Goals have been incredibly hard to come by on the C-Bus, with just seven in their last six games. Two positives? Sean Monahan is back as 1C, which will help. And a big goal from Kirill Marchenko in that win was significant given how quiet he's been in March. They're going to need a lot more from him, however, if they're going to claw into a wild-card spot. Last week: 20 Mirtle rank: 21 Dayal rank: 22 Utah didn't sell any of its pending free agents at the deadline, which signalled that the organization wanted its young, exciting core to have a chance to stay competitive in the playoff race and play meaningful games. Their post-deadline run started decently, but it's all come crumbling down recently. Utah has suffered three blowout losses over the last week and a half: a 7-1 shellacking against the Oilers, a 5-1 home ice defeat to the slumping Red Wings and an embarrassing 8-0 defeat against the Lightning on Thursday. The playoff push has disappointingly fizzled out. Advertisement Last week: 21 Mirtle rank: 22 Dayal rank: 21 Things are not good at MSG lately. The Rangers dropped to 3-6-1 since the deadline with a loss to the Kings on Tuesday, which isn't great. But it's the way they've been losing that has been particularly dispiriting. Heck, the way they've been winning has, too. Their only W in the last two weeks included getting outshot 39-12 by the typically punchless Canucks. Perhaps the ugliest stat for New York is the fact they're sitting in 22nd in the standings despite Igor Shesterkin putting up the second-highest goals saved above expected in the NHL. Now that's hard to do. Last week: 23 Mirtle rank: 23 Dayal rank: 23 The Red Wings entered the 4 Nations Face-Off break clinging to the final playoff spot in the East. It's been an absolute free-fall for them since, with an ugly 5-11-1 stretch sabotaging any hopes of breaking a nearly decade-long playoff drought. Detroit has had a brutally difficult schedule down the stretch, so it's not entirely surprising to see them slip below the playoff bar, but it's the dramatic way they've crashed and burned out of the race entirely that's so disappointing. Last week: 25 Mirtle rank: 25 Dayal rank: 24 Anaheim is on pace to hit 81 points, which would mark a 22-point improvement from last year's miserable campaign. The Ducks' sturdy goaltending is probably the biggest driver behind that progress, but it's encouraging that blue-chip forwards Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson and Trevor Zegras have upped their point production pace significantly since the deadline. They need to build on that momentum because outside of Jackson LaCombe, their young forwards and defensemen haven't progressed enough this season. Last week: 26 Mirtle rank: 24 Dayal rank: 25 Advertisement We're really into the dregs here, where it's hard to separate the various tanking clubs from one another. The Penguins are somehow 5-4-1 since the deadline, with a makeshift lineup that includes Connor Dewar on the second line and Conor Timmins in the top four minutes. But after a beatdown in Buffalo on Thursday, they've now lost three in a row. They have a tough schedule coming up, too, with games against the Senators, Blues and Stars, so the chase for a top five pick could, uh, pick up soon. Last week: 30 Mirtle rank: 27 Dayal rank: 26 We're not quite sure what got into the Sabres against the Penguins on Thursday. But scoring seven – even against depleted Pittsburgh – was enough to vault them up the rankings… all the way to seventh last. Buffalo has actually won three in a row, scoring 15 goals in those games, and five of seven, prompting a disgruntled fan base to begin promoting this classic on social media. Even when they win, the Sabres lose these days. — BleedBlackAndRed🦬⚔️ (@RockTheRed89243) March 28, 2025 Last week: 28 Mirtle rank: 26 Dayal rank: 27 The Kraken netted lucrative hauls for Oliver Bjorkstrand, Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev at the deadline, but their underpowered roster has amassed the 12th-best points percentage in the NHL since the deadline. On one hand, it's not ideal that they're potentially playing themselves out of a top-five draft pick, but on the flip side, it's been positive to see Matty Beniers up his production lately, plus the emergence of talented 20-year-old sniper Yani Nyman, who's scored six points in eight games since his AHL recall. Last week: 24 Mirtle rank: 29 Dayal rank: 28 For some reason, we stayed up late Wednesday night to watch Boston get absolutely throttled by the fledgling Ducks. And it really felt like watching the end of an era. The Bruins have been a good team for most of the past 20 years, but they're perfecting the tank this season, having lost seven in a row now and 15 of their last 18. Maybe there's some way to build around David Pastrnak and turn this around on the fly in the next couple years, but it sure looks unlikely at the moment. — James Mirtle (@mirtle) March 27, 2025 Last week: 29 Mirtle rank: 28 Dayal rank: 29 There's no sugarcoating the fact that it's been a nightmare season on Broadway. The Preds have been slightly more competitive post-trade-deadline, which included a couple of quality wins recently over the Hurricanes and Leafs. Luke Evangelista and Fedor Svechkov are finding their groove, which bodes well for the future. But they blew a third period lead on Thursday against the Blues and it's still been really challenging to manufacture goals. Advertisement Last week: 27 Mirtle rank: 30 Dayal rank: 30 The Flyers have been in absolute freefall lately. In fact, their win over Montreal on Thursday was their first regulation or overtime victory since Feb. 25, a span of 14 games without a single ROW. In tribute to John Tortorella, we're going to confess we're not really interested in learning how to write about this type of season. Last week: 32 Mirtle rank: 31 Dayal rank: 32 Beating the Leafs on Thursday was enough to bump them up, and the race for dead last is certainly heating up with the Blackhawks. The Sharks now have six points in seven games since the deadline selloff; Chicago has only five in 10 (2-7-1). San Jose sits two points back on the season, and they have a game in hand. If you're the kind of hockey fan who likes watching the worst teams in the league in April, get your popcorn. Last week: 31 Mirtle rank: 32 Dayal rank: 31 The vibes have been rough in Chicago, with the club losing eight of its last nine games. Connor Bedard hasn't had the monster breakout campaign that many were hoping for, but more importantly, the roster around him is just so bleak and deprived of proven, high-end contributors. 19-year-old Artyom Levshunov's exciting play down the stretch has been a silver lining. (Top photo of St. Louis Blues center Dylan Holloway: Steve Roberts / Imagn Images)
New York Times
11-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
4 Nations Face-Off predictions: Picks for champion, USA vs. Canada matchup, MVP and more
By Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman, Jesse Granger, James Mirtle and The Athletic NHL Staff The wait is (basically) over. On Wednesday, best-on-best international hockey returns after more than eight years in mothballs. And while the 4 Nations Face-Off isn't perfect — it lacks the cachet of the Olympics, and plenty of countries and elite players aren't in the mix — it's still a big deal. Before the games began, The Athletic surveyed its NHL staff for predictions. Providing commentary on the results are senior writers Sean Gentille and James Mirtle, analytics know-it-all Shayna Goldman and goaltending expert Jesse Granger. GO DEEPER Do NHL players care about the 4 Nations Face-Off? Here's what they said Mirtle: Well, that's certainly overwhelming. A few of Sweden's top forwards have had tough seasons, so there's no doubt Canada is the favorite here, but it's pretty close on the blue line and I'd give the Swedes the edge in net. Probably more of a toss-up than this. Gentille: Yeah. It'd be a whole lot easier to pick Sweden here if Elias Pettersson and Mika Zibanejad were in top form — and who knows, maybe some time with the national team is what they need. Still, this one is cut and dry. Advertisement Granger: Sweden is going to need Linus Ullmark or Filip Gustavsson to significantly outplay Canada's goalie in order to win this one. Goldman: The key to a Sweden upset is its best goal scorers taking advantage of Canada's goaltending. A few key Sweden forwards are slumping this year, but maybe there will be some fuel from the blue line to help lead an upset. Goldman: Poor Finland — its blue line has been decimated with injury. So it's no surprise that everyone is leaning toward the powerhouse that is Team USA. Mirtle: I know this event is taking some heat for not having the Czechs and more nations involved, but Finland's defense illustrates why an NHL-only tournament can't really handle that. Only five Czech defensemen have even played a game this season in the league! You wonder what Finland does if it has another injury back there … Gentille: Hey, at least Finland replaced Rasmus Ristolainen with an actual NHL defenseman; Nikolas Matinpalo has played 18 games for Ottawa this season. It's all a bit of a shame because the Finns have really good down-the-middle depth and goalies who can steal games. Granger: Finland was already fighting an uphill battle before the injuries to the blue line. Its only hope is that the roster syncs together as a team more quickly than the other countries with such a short runway into this tournament, which I think is actually possible. Goldman: Finland-Sweden is one of the best rivalries around, so hopefully this can still be a good game despite how short-handed Finland is on the back end. Mirtle: I'll be interested in what Finland does in goal. I assume Juuse Saros gets a lot of the runway, but statistically, Kevin Lankinen has been its best goalie this year. Can the Finns get a steal-a-game performance from one of them? Granger: Finland always plays a tough, tight-checking game in these international tournaments, and in this rivalry game that should be even more magnified. I expect it to be a low-scoring contest with a late winner. This game should be a lot of fun. Gentille: Finland's top three lines are centered by Aleksander Barkov, Sebastian Aho and Roope Hintz. That alone might make this interesting. Mirtle: Oh really? I wonder if this tournament is going to be remembered as the event where the U.S. showed they've taken a big step. Winning this game would be a start. Granger: It's going to be a pretty big letdown if the U.S. doesn't take the step you're referring to, James. It's hard to find a true weakness on this team. It has skill and strength up front, a great defensive group and the best goaltending in the tournament. Advertisement Gentille: Let the 'Canada is the underdog, actually' narratives commence! Goldman: The real question is whether this is going to be the only USA-Canada matchup of the tournament — the next one could be the one that really matters. Mirtle: Pray for Esa Lindell, who might have to play 35 minutes in this one. Granger: Throw a prayer in there for Saros while you're at it. Gentille: Brayden Point is probably going to take regular shifts against AHL defensemen. Neat. Goldman: Get ready for the "Barkov, Aho and Hintz are the most underrated centers" stories if Finland pulls this off. Mirtle: I'm sensing a lot of belief in Team USA from our American staff. Granger: Sweden is behind Canada and the U.S. in terms of overall talent on the roster, but the Swedes are strong in the right positions: up the middle and in goal. Their centers could make this a closer contest than we might expect. Gentille: I thought about picking Sweden here, just so the number would look a little less lopsided. We're tempting fate. Goldman: I really think Sweden is going to pull off one upset in this tournament, against USA or Canada. Canada feels a bit more likely, but considering the hype around the U.S. this one would be huge. Goldman: I know, that's right. Team USA is the favorite for good reason. This team is absolutely stacked at every position, even without Quinn Hughes in the mix. USA and Canada's skaters may match up pretty closely, but there is a massive disparity in net. Betting that Canada is regretting not picking Logan Thompson right about now! Mirtle: Or Mackenzie Blackwood. Or Cam Talbot. Darcy Kuemper is having a nice season … Granger: Seeing Finland with more votes than Sweden here is very interesting, and not at all what I expected. GO DEEPER Team USA opted for speed and skill over grit and it's made them 4 Nations favorites Mirtle: A changing of the guard? I guess we'll see. The big question for the U.S. is going to be whether it can come together in a short event and pull this off. And, yes, does the goaltending disparity win the day? Sweden should be higher on this list, though. It has a real shot to win. Granger: With how high the expectations have become for the U.S. team, I worry what failure in this tournament would do to Connor Hellebuyck's already shaky playoff reputation. Let's hope we don't get to that point. Advertisement Gentille: It's easy to pick the U.S. to win. Going with Sweden or Finland as the runner-up, though, is reserved for only the most powerful of haters. Goldman: Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid are going to see this and carry Canada to a win. GO DEEPER At the 4 Nations Face-Off, one position rules. Why, and what can we expect? Mirtle: That's a pretty good-looking one-two punch … Granger: Considering how stacked Canada's forward lineup is, it's wild that a defenseman could finish third on this list and not feel out of place. But that's how ridiculously good Cale Makar is. Gentille: I almost went with Sam Reinhart here, just to be different, and then he opened practice on a line with McDavid and Mitch Marner. Worth tracking. GO DEEPER What I'm seeing from Team Canada: Latest on Sidney Crosby and lines from a 'super intense' first practice Mirtle: Auston Matthews has been playing a lot better of late for Toronto, but he's not up to his 69-goal standard of last season. What version of him the U.S. gets is going to be important for them in the tournament — although this list shows how many other weapons the team has now. Granger: I was one of the few to vote for Kyle Connor. He has one of the best releases in hockey, and he's playing on a team with a lot of pass-first playmaking forwards. He should get plenty of looks, and he knows how to finish them. Gentille: Jesse has quite nearly pulled me into Camp Connor, but I still feel like Jack Eichel was built for tournaments like this. GO DEEPER What I'm seeing from Team USA: Replacing Quinn Hughes, splitting up the Tkachuks, practice lines, more Goldman: William Nylander makes a lot of sense here, but let's see Filip Forsberg cook on a super-skilled Team Sweden. The dark horse pick has to be Lucas Raymond, who is emerging into a total superstar. Mirtle: Nylander has been on a huge heater, especially with how many breakaways he's been getting, so that'll be something for other teams to watch out for. Granger: Pettersson has been in a bit of a funk, but I wonder if getting away from the team and into this international environment might be what he needs to snap out of it. I could see him scoring one early and finding his game quickly. Gentille: Nylander is the best player on the roster. Thus, he's my guy. GO DEEPER What I'm seeing from Team Sweden: 'Phenomenal' goaltending, do-it-all D and lines from first practice Goldman: Mikko Rantanen is the favorite for good reason — he's an elite player who rises to the occasion in big moments. His injury is the one potential wrinkle in this because a player such as Barkov can definitely steal the spotlight if he isn't 100 percent. Mirtle: Not enough love for Matinpalo in my opinion. Playing in this without having an NHL point — in either this season or your career — is a real feat. Advertisement Granger: Patrik Laine is the type of player whose stick turns to red-hot magma and everything he shoots goes in for a week. Is that likely to happen this week? Probably not, but it's certainly possible. Gentille: Mirtle and I, watching the tournament in matching Matinpalo jerseys. GO DEEPER What I'm seeing from Team Finland: Mikko Rantanen good to go, following their own path Mirtle: I think if the U.S. is going to win this thing, it is going to have to limit the damage from Canada's two-headed monster, possibly twice if the teams meet on two occasions. Granger: Once again, I'm banging the drum for Connor as a dark horse here. That's only if the U.S. gets the better of Canada, though. Gentille: Sometimes, the boring choice is the correct choice. GO DEEPER Team Canada's 4 Nations nuclear option: Could they channel 1987, put MacKinnon, McDavid together? Mirtle: The right choice. I know save percentages are down leaguewide, but in such a short tournament, there's a chance for a goalie to steal this thing with a few big games. Granger: He should be the favorite for the Hart Trophy, and he's rightfully the favorite to win this MVP as well. He's the best player at the most impactful position. Hellebuyck didn't play for any international teams growing up and didn't go through the USA Hockey National Team Development Program like most elite American players. This is a cool opportunity for him to represent his country when he's at the top of his game. (Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Ellen Schmidt, Kevin Sousa / NHLI, Jeff Vinnick / NHLI, G Fiume / Getty Images)
