Each Friday, NHL Network and ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes will provide readers with three games he is looking forward to that weekend:
Florida Panthers at Pittsburgh Penguins (Friday, 7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, BSFL, SN, TVAS)
The Panthers (29-14-4) have found their A-game under Paul Maurice, who has coached the second-most games in the NHL (1,814) after passing Barry Trotz (1,812) on Wednesday, now only trailing Scotty Bowman (2,141). Florida was the surprise team last season, when it reached the Stanley Cup Final as the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, and that might not have been a fluke. Forward Sam Reinhart is second in the NHL with 35 goals. Forward Matthew Tkachuk has really turned it on offensively after struggling earlier this season, and has 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in his past 13 games. In Reinhart, Tkachuk, forward Carter Verhaeghe and center Aleksander Barkov, the Panthers have four players averaging more than a point per game.
It's been a really inconsistent season for the Penguins (21-17-6). There are times when we look at them and think this is the team that made the Stanley Cup Playoffs 16 straight seasons prior to last, and then there are other times when we look at them and ... don't. One thing we know is Sidney Crosby is ageless; the Pittsburgh captain has 48 points (27 goals, 21 assists) in 44 games and is on pace to again average at least a point a game, something he has done in each of his first 18 seasons in the NHL. The Penguins have the stars (Crosby, center Evgeni Malkin, forward Jake Guentzel and defensemen Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson); I'm surprised they have not fared better this season.
Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, NBCSP, NESN, SN, TVAS)
Each goalie is playing well for the Bruins (30-9-9), but it's nice to see Jeremy Swayman get the nod to play in the 2024 Honda (U.S.)/Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game after Linus Ullmark did so last year and won the Vezina Trophy, voted as best goalie in the League. Forward David Pastrnak (69 points; 31 goals, 38 assists in 48 games) is in the conversation for the Hart Trophy, voted as NHL most valuable player. For me, Boston just has great team defense, allowing 2.60 goals against per game, tied for fourth-best in the League. Also, center Charlie Coyle has stepped up with 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists) in 47 games this season and is on pace to shatter his career high of 56 points (18 goals, 38 assists) set in 2016-17 with the Minnesota Wild.
The Flyers (25-18-6) had been great until this recent stretch, losing four straight and being outscored 21-10, including being shut out 3-0 at the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. They are going to miss Owen Tippett; the forward is out with a lower-body injury and is their best natural goal scorer. Goalie Samuel Ersson has played very well this season and will be counted on more with Carter Hart having taken a leave of absence. I do like Philadelphia's penalty kill, which is second in the NHL (85.6 percent) and has 10 short-handed goals, tied for third-most in the League.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Winnipeg Jets (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET; SN)
The Maple Leafs (24-14-8) travel to Canada Life Centre for the second half of the home-and-home following a huge 1-0 win against the Jets (30-11-5) at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday. This will be Toronto's last game before the All-Star break and its bye week. Center Auston Matthews leads the League with 39 goals in 45 games, and will be joined by forwards William Nylander and Mitch Marner and defenseman Morgan Rielly) in Toronto for the All-Star Game. The Maple Leafs do need to tighten up defensively after allowing at least three goals in six straight games prior to winning two straight.
Winnipeg had its unreal streak of allowing three goals or fewer in 34 straight games end in a 4-1 loss at the Bruins on Monday. The Jets then lost at the Maple Leafs, but remain among the top teams in the NHL and will try to avoid losing three straight for just the third time this season. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck should be a Vezina Trophy finalist. Getting Kyle Connor back is a huge boost; the forward missed 16 games with a knee injury but still leads Winnipeg with 18 goals. But it does hurt that they are without center Mark Scheifele (lower body) and could also be without defenseman Josh Morrissey, who sustained a lower-body injury blocking a shot against Toronto on Wednesday.
