NHL Games To Watch This Week

Well, Super Bowl 50 may be over and the Denver Broncos have their third Lombardi Trophy in their franchise, but now it's back to the hockey world. And we've got a great couple of matchups coming up this week. So how about we take a look at a few that catches our eye, shall we?

Monday, Feb. 8: Ducks at Penguins
As a Ducks fans, this is the game worth watching. As a hockey fan, if you paid for the season pass package, you're definitely getting your money's worth. Two of the league's hottest teams playing each other are starting off this week. The Ducks have eight wins in their past 10 games. They have the best penalty kill in the NHL right now and the defense is getting it together. They're still 30th in total offense, but that hasn't looked like a bad offense recently. Meanwhile, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby comes into this contest with 10 goals and eight assists and is currently on a 10-game scoring streak. Also, he has a seven-game scoring streak against Anaheim. Maybe the Ducks would like to see their fortunes go their way, but Crosby will make it tough for them.

Tuesday, Feb. 9: Capitals at Predators
As you may recall, Ovechkin missed the All-Star Game because of a lower body injury. He also might've wanted to sit out because he wanted to rest. It's a long season, I know. But now he returns to Nashville on Tuesday to put on a show for the locals. He has four goals in his past six games, and will look to put that streak on the line against Pekka Rinne, the Predators goaltender who seems to have turned around his fortunes and is making a difference now in net for the Predators. He was also the difference-maker in the 6-2 win over the Sharks on Saturday.

Wednesday, Feb. 10: Canucks at Coyotes
If you're looking for a game with two teams who are desperate to get in, you might be looking for this game. Both of these teams enter the week trailing the playoff packs and are starting to run out of time to gain ground. The Coyotes have two wins in the past 10 games. Shane Doan is the lone bright spot on this team. He enters the week one point behind Dale Hawerchuk for the franchise's all-time scoring lead (929 points.) Vancouver hasn't been a great team either. The good news for them is that Henrik Sedin and Dam Hamhuis are back, which means the Canucks might be getting healthy enough to make a push. Right now, the Coyotes are starting to look like their neighbor, the Suns. Good news: They don't play basketball, so plenty of chances to win.

Thursday, Feb. 11: Stars at Blackhawks
I've always wanted to go to a Stars-Blackhawks matchup in either Dallas or Chicago. Unfortunately, it won't be this time. The Stars were embarrassed in their Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Blackhawks. Jamie Benn credited the Stars with coming to play and ready to tackle anything the Stars threw at him. The Stars also blew the chance to close the Central Division gap. They'll be looking for closing the gap and getting revenge when they play the Blackhawks again on Thursday night. Good news for the Stars: They hold three games in hand and can whittle away at Chicago's lead. Bad news for the Stars: Chicago doesn't lose at home often. So it's a very tough battle for the Stars if they want to grab the Central Division lead.

Friday, Feb. 12: Avalanche at Red Wings
You could call this the preview game because they battle again at Coors Field on Feb. 27. This rivalry has been quiet since the Red Wings switched conferences and headed East, but there is plenty on the line on this one. The Avalanche are on a skid with an 0-2-1 record, however they have been one of the most efficient teams in the league. They won both meetings against the Wings last season, but both of those required overtime to win. The Wings, however, are in a middle of an important five-game homestand. They haven't done well at the Joe this season, going 12-10-5, so they need to find some way to get the offense going in order to get to their 25th consecutive playoff berth.

Saturday, Feb. 13: Capitals at Stars
This will be the 2nd big game for the Stars this week. Whether or not the Stars win or lose in Chicago, they'll have to face another big test in the Washington Capitals. These teams are both high-powered on offense and have a dangerous power play. The question will be: Will the Stars be continuing to build or will they be recovering from the Chicago game?

Sunday, Feb. 14: Blues at Lightning
You're looking at two very dangerous teams in the league. The Bolts are the league's hottest team right now, with 10 wins in the past 11. They also have eight straight victories at Amalie Arena. The Blues are starting to get their game on, going 6-3-1 in the past 10. Their defense is getting most of the credit on that one. What they need is some offense, which they haven't had a lot of this season. They whipped up on the Wild on Saturday and the Blues are inquiring about Lightning holdout Jonathan Drouin. Question is: Will the deal happen when these two teams are playing?

It's an interesting week ahead for the NHL. Plenty of matchups, plenty of points on the line. We'll see who walks away from these games as the hottest team in the league.