Nathan MacKinnon scores. David Chan

Memorial Cup 2013 Preview

All eyes will be on the 2013 NHL Entry Draft when the Memorial Cup kicks off in Saskatoon this weekend. The Saskatoon Blades, Portland Winterhawks, London Knights and Halifax Mooseheads will battle it out to be crowned Canadian Hockey League champions. But what makes this version of the tournament even more intriguing is the amount of top-ranked talent for the forthcoming draft that will be on display.

For the first time in Memorial Cup history the top-three ranked players will all be on the ice and there are eight players ranked in the top-40 North American skaters by Central Scouting.

In addition to that Halifax Mooseheads goaltender Zachary Fucale is the top-ranked North American goalie and expected to go in the first round.

Portland defenceman Seth Jones is the top-ranked player and all eyes will be on Saturday evening's game between the Winterhawks and Mooseheads will go up against Halifax's dynamic duo Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin, ranked #2 and #3 on the final rankings.

Let's take a closer look at the team's competing at the Credit Union Centre.

Continue reading: Memorial Cup 2013 Preview

Raffi Torres battles with Jonathan Quick. AP Photo/Reed Saxon

Conference Semifinals Preview 2013

After three game 7s the Conference Semifinal matchups are set. Two Original Six series, the Battle of California and Sidney vs the last remaining Canadian team in the playoffs.

Losing with promise

The Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders both snapped playoff droughts and were both eliminated in close, hard-fought series. The Islanders put up a fight against a Pittsburgh Penguins team many expected to sweep the #8 seed. The Maple Leafs came as close as a team can to moving on, losing in game 7 overtime after the Boston Bruins made a late dramatic comeback. Both teams are young & look hungry for wins. It’d be surprising to see one of them not make the playoffs and advance next season.

Ben has once again put up our previews with records, head-to-head match-ups, season fight history, line-up advantages and his own predictions. Check them out and leave your vote.

Continue reading: Conference Semifinals Preview 2013

The Penguins and Islanders fight at the end of game 4. AP Photo/Kathy Willens

New York Against a Wall

Both the New York Islanders and New York Rangers are down 3-2 in their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, respectively. Game 6 is a home game for both New York teams and the NY metro area could cease to have a home team within a day without a win.

Both of the Isles-Pens games on Long Island were close games, with the score teetering back and forth. Will we see more of that, or can the Penguins re-create game 1 & 5 on the road?

The home team has won every game in the Rangers-Caps series so far, giving a hint of a game 7 on Monday.

Prust pops his rib back into place

Brandon Prust left game four of the now complete Montreal Canadiens-Ottawa Senators series hunched over and in agony…

Continue reading: New York Against a Wall

Quick, grab a glove. Screengrab from CBC via NBC Sports

Habs & Sens: The New Rivalry

After a couple of rough games between the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens things got nasty fast in Sunday night's game three. The first period featured ten penalties with six of those being roughing minors.

In the third period the Sens took a 4-1 lead after Kyle Turris scored his first of the postseason. On the ensuing faceoff Ryan White and Zack Smith exchanged a shove, then White gave Smith a two-hander and everyone on the ice, outside of the goaltenders, paired off.

Jared Cowen grabbed White quickly. Smith wound up facing off against the much smaller, but always game Francis Bouillon. Rounding out the line brawl: Chris Neil took on Travis Moen, Chris Phillips went with Jarred Tinordi and Matt Kassian quickly had Colby Armstrong pinned to the ice. Kassian and Armstrong didn't necessarily deserve the majors everyone else received, but it's hard to blame the officiating crew for keeping it easy (on the scoresheet only) in this situation.

The Senators reflected the scoreboard in the fights, taking out Montreal decisively. Ottawa scored again just four seconds later, making the score 5-1.

Continue reading: Habs & Sens: The New Rivalry

Mark Fraser fights Adam McQuaid in March. AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Conference Quarterfinals 2013

Our Conference Quarterfinal previews are up. As I do my non-playoff player impression by squeezing in a quick trip to Vegas, Ben has put our classic previews with records, head-to-head match-ups, season fight history, line-up advantages and his own predictions. Check them out and cast your vote for which team you think will win.

East

#1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #8 New York Islanders
#2 Montreal Canadiens vs #7 Ottawa Senators
#3 Washington Capitals vs #6 New York Rangers
#4 Boston Bruins vs #5 Toronto Maple Leafs

West

#1 Chicago Blackhawks vs #8 Minnesota Wild
#2 Anaheim Ducks vs #7 Detroit Red Wings
#3 Vancouver Canucks vs #6 San Jose Sharks 
#4 St. Louis Blues vs #5 Los Angeles Kings

Continue reading: Conference Quarterfinals 2013

Well, here's to us. AP Photo/Elise Amendola

One to Go: Playoff Seeding

The shortened NHL regular season is extended a day due to the Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins game being rescheduled from a couple of weeks ago due to the Marathon bombings.

While the playoff teams are set, seeding is not and the game has a big part to play for four of the eight Eastern Conference teams entering the postseason.

The four locked seeds:
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Washington Capitals
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
6. New York Rangers

Seeding scenarios after the jump

Continue reading: One to Go: Playoff Seeding

Arron Asham takes on George Parros. AP Photo/J Pat Carter

Winding Down

Hit up our last regular season Draftstreet game! With a large set of games this Saturday we're having a one-day fantasy game. Free to play, win cash. You can join now and set your lineup immediately.

As the NHL regular season comes to a close and teams start to prepare for the playoffs settling scores, risking momentum swings and fighting have predictably slowed down. However, that hasn't stopped some gloves from falling to the ice entirely in the past couple of days.

In last night's Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins game Jay Rosehill and Shawn Thornton found some time half-way through the second to throw down. The scrap started out sloppy, but once Rosehill got righted, thanks to Thornton giving him the chance to, the two threw with disregard for defense until they tired out and locked up. 

Continue reading: Winding Down

Eric Boulton and Colton Orr square off. Screengrab from MSG's broadcast

Leafs-Isles Heavyweight Double Dip

Last night's Toronto Maple Leafs - New York Islanders game featured two of the toughest lineups possible from any two teams in the NHL. The heavyweight battles that occurred certainly didn't disappoint the fight fans eager to see the fisticuffs, with one of the battles vaulting straight to fight of the year candidacy. 

About midway through the first, with the Leafs up 2-0, Matt Carkner and Frazer McLaren met up behind the play and had a solid bout. Carkner was throwing with the left, and McLaren was lobbing massive right hands. After some exchanged bombs, Carkner's jersey comes up, and the two hit the ice.

On the ensuing faceoff, Eric Boulton and Colton Orr decide to one-up their teammates and have an all-out war. The action started fast and furious with both players exchanging huge right hands. After a brief lull to adjust, they got right back to landing right-handed haymakers flush on the other. At one point Orr lands well enough to send Boulton's helmet flying and Boulton just keeps going, landing his own right hand snapping Orr's head back.

Both players made gestures to the standing crowd, and each other, for the slugfest.

The Islanders would roar back in the first with three goals after the fights, adding two more before the Leafs added a late 5 on 3 goal to finish up the scoring 5-3, in favor of the Isles.

Continue reading: Leafs-Isles Heavyweight Double Dip

Tim Gleason fights Chris Neil AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Justin Tang

Sens & Canes Get Nasty

Last night the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes engaged in a fight-filled game, racking up five sets of fighting majors.

The Sens 6'5" defenseman Jared Cowen made his season debut for the Sens after being injured throughout the beginning of the shortened campaign and found the Canes a feisty team to comeback to action against.

Midway through the first Cowen laid a big open-ice hit on Jeff Skinner, knocking him out of the game. Chad LaRose stepped in for his teammate, notching his first FM in over two years.

Shortly after Cowen and Larose exchanged pleasantries Nicolas Blanchard and Zack Smith met up after a whistle and had a tactical, grappling fight.

Next up was Cowen again, this time with noted heavyweight Kevin Westgarth forcing the issue. Cowen did a good job of limiting Westgarth with his reach, and after a few punches was taken down to the ice.

Late in the second Chris Neil and Tim Gleason found some time to drop the mitts and go rock'em sock'em in a very solid, entertaining fight. Commenters on-site and on our social networks have called Neil out for some late punching.

Continue reading: Sens & Canes Get Nasty

Jared Boll hits Clayton Stoner. AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt

Saturday Co-Features

Saturday night had a heavy dose of gloves off action in the NHL with seven fights on the board, five coming from two games.

The Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes had a rough first period with three fights coming in the first 20 minutes. Getting things started were heavyweights Shawn Thornton and Kevin Westgarth who engaged in a locked-out tactical match with few punches exchanged.

Towards the end of the first period Zdeno Chara and Jay Harrison emerged out of a scrum with the mitts off throwing wild right hands at each other before taking a tumble to the ice.

Less than a minute later Gregory Campbell and Nicolas Blanchard dropped the gloves off of a faceoff and had a heck of a dance. They entered the spin-cycle with each player winging rights, Blanchard doing a great job slipping underneath the bombs from Campbell and Campbell deflecting and slipping a lot of Blanchard's shots.

Continue reading: Saturday Co-Features