buffalo-sabres

PATRICK KANE COULD GO HOME OR GO HOME AGAIN

/ thewildshamrock / Leave a comment

I feel like Patrick Kane is like the alien E.T. ready to phone home after three seasons of playing in Detroit with the Red Wings. However where is home for the 37 year old right winger? Is it where he was born and raised in Buffalo, New York? Could he be the missing piece wearing the Sabres sweater to get Buffalo even deeper into the post-season? Perhaps even the Stanley Cup finals. Kane could also go home to the team that drafted him in Chicago in 2007, number 1 overall. Kane wore the Blackhawks sweater for 16 seasons and helped Chicago win three Stanley Cups. The last three seasons in Motor City, Kane has been productive, but the Red Wings still did not make the post-season. Now as a free agent he has some interesting choices for his 20th season in the NHL.

Patrick Kane last season with the Red Wings only scored 16 goals after two previous seasons in Detroit notching at least 20 or more goals. Kane did dish out 41 assists to give him 57 points for the season, so he is still a productive player. He also played in 67 games last year for the Red Wings, so he also has been durable. Kane’s hockey resume is impressive overall throughout his 19 year career. He has lit the lamp 508 times. He has racked up 892 assists for 1,400 points in 1,389 regular season games in the NHL. He could hang up the skates for good right now and still be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Could he still be hanging on for another Stanley Cup? He may be seeking the goal record for the most goals ever by a player in the NHL born in the U.S.A. Kane’s 504 goals is 4th all-time in the NHL for a U.S. born player. Another former Blackhawk, Jeremy Roenick, is 3rd all-time with 513 goals.

Then in second is Keith Tkachuk with 538 goals. If Kane has a great season coming up, he could be in the number two slot by the end of the 2026-27 season. Mike Modano is number 1 with 561 goals. This record Kane could get if he plays three more seasons, by my estimate.

The Buffalo Sabres broke a 14 season post-season drought this season. They eliminated the Boston Bruins in round 1 of the Stanley Cup post-season. In round two they fell to the Montreal Canadiens in a series that went all the way to game 7. The Sabres have a ton of talent on their roster. However once again money was the issue in keeping one of their most important cogs that helped this Sabres machine run smoothly on the ice, in right winger Alex Tuch. The Sabres had to trade Tuch to the Washington Capitals to get something for him. Tuch got his pay day with the Capitals and will team up with the NHL’s all-time scorer Alex Ovechin for one more run at the cup for the Russian who getting up there in age. The Sabres almost had a deal with the Jets for their star goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Both sides could not agree on a deal right before the NHL draft. Rumors have it that a deal could still happen between these two franchises. If the Sabres do land the services of Hellebuyck, with the core they have they for sure are a team that could go once again deep into the post-season. With a homecoming for Kane he would be a nice replacement for Tuch and could give this Sabres machine the juice it needs to get to the finals. Kane could come cheaper. Kane’s post-season experience and magic certainly would be the X-factor. Playing in front of the home crowd where you grew up has to be something special.

The other homecoming would be in Chicago where Patrick Kane is treated like a rock star in the Windy City. The last time the Blackhawks made the post-season was the 2019-20 season. During the pandemic, the NHL expanded the post-season and Chicago qualified to the final sixteen after making the 24 team format. They dispatched the Edmonton Oilers in the qualifying round. The Blackhawks are trying to build something around their new superstar Connor Bedard. Adding Kane to the mix in Chicago does not get this franchise an automatic bid to the post-season. Right now the Blackhawks are making some solid improvements building around Bedard but not enough to bring in Kane. Coming back to Chicago would equal out to playing the last three seasons in Detroit. Close, but they still missed the post-season by a handful of games. Kane ranks 2nd in points and assists on the Blackhawks franchise all-time lists. He ranks 3rd in franchise in goals as well. Heading back to Chicago he could certainly move his name up those charts.

The Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin wants out of Detroit. Larkin is even a Michigan native and wants to be traded to a few contenders he has handpicked. Knowing that news, the chances are very good that Kane will no longer be wearing a Red Wings sweater. I’m sure Kane will have other NHL teams besides Chicago or Buffalo interested in his services for next season. He may not want to go home again. He has that legendary status in Chicago already. Being an older player, you don’t want to taint your play and your name at the end of your career where you had all your success. Perhaps not signing with the Sabres prevents the hometown team fans seeing the aging process right in front of their eyes. If you go home again, you want to show them that you can contribute and help your team win games. I honestly think Kane has some gas left in the tank and could help the Sabres and the Blackhawks. He also could help another team as well. If the Hurricanes, or the Stars, or some of the other powerhouses come calling for Kane’s services, a homecoming will not happen.

2026 NHL STANLEY CUP POST-SEASON CONFERENCE FINALS PREDICTIONS

/ thewildshamrock / Leave a comment

In 12 post-season games in round 1 & 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I have a losing record. I went 3-5 in the first round. In the second round I went even Steven with a 2-2 record. The overall losing record is 5-7 in all 12 games played so far. Now I will see what I can do with the conference finals. I need 2 wins to get to the .500 mark before the Stanley Cup finals happen. If I can predict the winner in Lord Stanley’s game, I could pull out a winning record. Don’t count on it. I’ve done some research on my two series winners in the conference finals. I did a little more than just asking the hockey know-it-all who was sitting next to me at the bar. I’m confident I can go 2-0 in these two conference series. I may have to do another set of rosary beads in the process to get the hockey gods to give my picks at least a look. Maybe you will agree with who I picked or go opposite and win big bucks. I’m going to let them ride. I hope I come out on top this round.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

LAS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS COLORADO AVALANCHE

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Avalanche eliminated the Kings in the first round & then the Wild in the second round.

Golden Knights eliminated the Mammoth in the first round & then the Ducks in the second round.

STANLEY CUP FINALS RECORD

Golden Knights will be looking for their 3rd Stanley Cup appearance. The Knights are (1-1) in their franchise history.

The Avalanche will be looking for their 4th Stanley Cup appearance. The Avalanche are a perfect (3-0) in their franchise history.

The Western conference finals consist of two power houses in the NHL world. You could say both rosters are stacked with talent up and down the rosters. The Avalanche have more firepower as the Golden Knights may have the deeper team. The Golden Knights on any given night have been able to light the lamp with the best of any team that has made it to post-season. On even ground of five on five hockey, the Avalanche have outscored opponents this post-season 23-13.

The best of the best for each team is of course Nathan Mackinnon for the Avalanche and for Vegas is Mitch Marner. These guys will be unstoppable and will get their points no matter what. Mackinnon in the last series scored a goal in each game as if he has put himself into the overdrive setting as he scored 5 goals versus the Wild. For Vegas, Marner leads the post-season with 18 points.

Both teams have the other guy and more that you can potentially pick out of a hat who will be the X-factor. Cale Makal is another superstar on the Avs. However 17 different players have scored a goal for the Avalanche in 9 games in post-season so far. The Golden Knights also have Jack Eichel and Thomas Hertl that can light up the lamp. Will Vegas have Mark Stone which his status right now is unknown due to an injury he had versus the Ducks in the last series? Stone can make his presence on both sides of the ice. Offense and defense.

This will be a very entertaining series. To me, the Golden Knights, an expansion team that started in 2017 and became a fixture in post-season is unfair. Especially the franchise I root for. I have whiffed both times picking against the Golden Knights the first two series. I really like the Golden Knights defensive style which will make this an exciting series. Nathan Mackinnon after playing for team Canada looked like a sore loser to many after that loss to USA in the Winter Olympics. He seems like he is on a mission with Colorado to get the job done in winning the Stanley Cup since he could not help his country achieve the gold in those Olympics. The Avalanche I have been perfect picking them to win each series so far. I’m riding them to the Stanley Cup finals.

OUR PREDICTION: AVALANCHE WINS IT IN SIX GAMES

EASTERN CONFERENCE

CAROLINA HURRICANES VS MONTREAL CANADIENS

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Canadiens eliminated the Lightning in the first round & then the Sabres in the second round.

Hurricanes eliminated the Senators in the first round & then the Flyers in the second round.

STANLEY CUP FINALS RECORD:

The Hurricanes will be looking for their 3rd Stanley Cup appearance. The Canes are (1-1) in their franchise history.

The Canadiens being a original six team in the NHL will be looking for their 35th Stanley Cup appearance. The Canadiens are (24-10) in their franchise history.

The Carolina Hurricanes come into the conference finals a perfect 8-0 after two sweeps in the first 2 rounds. The Canadiens have taken a different path than the Hurricanes to get to this point. Montreal has lived on the edge and have won each round in a pair of game sevens to conclude each series. The Hurricanes are on an 11 day rest since they last saw game action. This is the 3rd Eastern conference finals in the last 4 seasons that the Hurricanes have been involved in. Will the Canadiens be the 3rd team to send home the Hurricanes in the last 4 seasons?

Some say the Canadiens were outplayed in both rounds of post-season so far. Here they are advancing to the conference finals. What I noticed is Montreal’s goalie who has a pair of game 7 wins in the net for the Canadiens. Jakub Dobes came up big versus the Sabres in a game 7 that went to overtime. The Canadiens will bring the best offensive the Hurricanes have faced so far in the post-season. With guys like Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, and Nick Suzuki giving Montreal the big three that is needed for an all out attack on the opponent’s goalie. Montreal has had unsung heroes in this tournament so far. Like former Colorado Avalanche Alex Newhook who came up big in game 7. Newhook was the guy that put the fatality on a magical season played by the Buffalo Sabres with the overtime tally.

The Hurricanes have a stout defense. They have a solid goaltender between the pipes. Montreal should be worried about 1 line in particular the Hurricanes have. In 8 games, this line has tallied 14 goals. Logan Stankoven has 7 goals on that line. Jackson Blake has added 4. Along with Taylor Hall adding three goals. The Hurricanes can get enough offense to win games. The Hurricanes defense is the best unit left standing in these conference finals. They also have a penalty kill unit on special teams that just snuffs out the other team’s power play.

I think the Hurricanes could be rusty to start the series. Montreal could start the series off fast living off the momentum of that thrilling game 7 victory days ago. I thought the Hurricanes would be out in round which I must have been high when I went with that crazy idea. I picked them to win last round. The Canadiens I had losing in both rounds. I think this series will go at least six games. I think the Canadiens will be gassed by the end of it which will be better for the Hurricanes who finally get over the hurdle of the conference finals.

OUR PREDICTION: HURRICANES IN 6 GAMES

2026 NHL STANLEY CUP POST-SEASON 2ND ROUND PREDICTIONS

/ thewildshamrock / Leave a comment

EASTERN CONFERENCE

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS VS CAROLINA HURRICANES

First round victims: Flyers eliminated Penguins while Hurricanes eliminated the Senators.

The Flyers pulled off the biggest upset in round 1. The Flyers knocked off their state rival the Pittsburgh Penguins. After going up 3 games to zip, they eventually closed out Chilly Willy and the gang in game six. The Hurricanes swept the Ottawa Senators out of the first round in a sweep. The Hurricanes have now reached the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs six straight seasons.

The Flyers vs the Hurricanes will come down to which goaltender stays hot for their team in the second round of action. By far the Flyers goalie Dan Vladar, a veteran in this league for years getting his first taste of the post-season, was the MVP versus the Penguins. Vladar had 1.61 goals against average in six post season games. He concluded the series with 42 saves shut out. Then we have Frederik Andersen of the Hurricanes who has been a staple the last few seasons in the post-season. He led all goalies in the first round with 1.10 goals against average along with a .955save %. One of these goalies will have to continue to dominate the net for their team if they want to reach the conference finals.

I did not pick either of these teams in round 1. The Hurricanes I was at least leaning towards. They both proved me wrong. The Flyers are a young and upcoming team, making strides that were unexpected to this point. The Hurricanes are a complete team along with having a roster filled with post-season experience. The Young-en’s will be schooled this round. While Dan Vladar’s deal with the devil selling his soul to the guy with the pointy tail will come to an end. I like Flyers stealing two games in this series to make it interesting.

OUR PREDICTION: HURRICANES IN SIX GAMES

MONTREAL CANADIENS VS BUFFALO SABRES

First round victims: Canadiens eliminated Lightning while Sabres eliminated the Bruins.

It took Montreal the full 7 games of the series to knock off the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Canadiens were the last team to qualify for round two action. The Sabres were playing their first post-season action since 2011. They rolled over the Bruins in six games and won their first post-season series since 2007.

This series between the Sabres and Canadiens is an example why the Stanley Cup post-season is one of the best if not the best in sports. The Montreal Canadiens top line is one of the best in the NHL which features Nick Suzuki, & Cole Caufield along with Juraj Slafkovsky. This line was very quiet in the first round of the post-season. Too quiet as the Lightning did a great job holding them in check. The Canadiens ended up winning the series. Meanwhile the Sabres top line features Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, and Tage Thompson who were all skating on all cylinders as they created kaos for the Boston Bruins defense. This series Montreal can’t repeat the performance of their top line going cold, especially against a Sabres team that had some big dudes on defense who can skate well. All the games should be very close in this series. I think Sabres have the edge overall in skating and the faster team. Alex Lyon, who replaced Ukko Pekka in the Sabres net, is the X-factor of this series. I think Lyon will stay hot and the Sabres topline will get it done in this round to dispatch the Canadians out of the tournament.

OUR PREDICTION: SABRES IN SIX GAMES

WESTERN CONFERENCE

MINNESOTA WILD VS COLORADO AVALANCHE

First round victims: Wild eliminated the Stars while Avalanche eliminated the Kings.

The Wild break an ugly streak of 8 first round losses in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Wild advance to the second for the first time since 2015. Meanwhile it was business like for the Avalanche who swept the Kings out of the post-season only allowing 5 goals in the 4 games.

The Wild went with rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in the first round versus the Stars and it paid off for Minnesota. The Stars to some were their pick to win the Stanley Cup this season. Can Wallstedt become the Berlin wall with this Avalanche team that has a roster it seems without any kinks in their armor? The Wild last year relied heavily on defense. This year they built an offensive presence that included six goals from Matt Boldy in the first round. How does the Wild deal with all the talented centers the Avalanche have on each line? Nathan MacKinnon is one of the best players in the league.

Jack Drury, former Hurricane, is now playing center on one of Colorado’s deadly assassin lines. The Avalanche also have Nazem Kadri and Brock Nelson. The Wild penalty kill closed out 60% of the Stars penalties. The Avalanche power play has all kinds of bells and whistles and I don’t see the Wild penalty kill unit closing at that kind of percentage. This is the Wild best team they have getting this far after experiencing the early exit. The wind will come out of the Wild sails. I think the Avalanche prevails in a good hard fought series which they really did not get from the Kings in the first round. Colorado is rested and will be ready to move on.

OUR PREDICTION: AVALANCHE IN SIX GAMES

LAS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS

First round victims: Golden Knights eliminated Mammoth while Ducks eliminated the Oilers

The Anaheim Ducks knocked out the Oilers in the first round who went back to back years to the Stanley Cup finals representing the Western Conference. The Oilers are not the same juggernaut they once were but they still have the best hockey player on the planet right now in Connor McDavid. The Golden Knights were down 2 games to 1 at one point versus Utah in the first round. Vegas stormed back winning three straight games to find themselves once again in the second round for the 3rd time in 4 years. Vegas won back to back overtime games which included one that went into double OT.

The Golden Knights will give the Ducks another pair of hockey assassin goal scorers in Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel. The Ducks have dealt with the best in what the Oilers drilled at them in first round. However the Ducks will have to contend with a slew of defenders the Golden Knights have that can prevent solid shot going at their net. Plus Carter Hart played well between the pipes for Vegas against a talented Mammoth team. The Ducks may want to try to turn this series into a track meet to ruffle some feathers.

The Ducks have their younger stars like the Mammoth who Vegas dealt with. However the Ducks veteran leadership was all over the stat sheets in the first series vs the Oilers. Such as two time Stanley Cup champion Alex Killoran, who you remember had plenty of great years with Tampa Bay. Then Chris Krieder who has skated in 129 post-season games. I like the Ducks having Joel Quenneville as the team’s head coach. I feel his leadership alone can help this Ducks team along with the talent they have to get past the Golden Knights. It will be a series that goes the distance. At the end it will be something Ducky. Vegas will have to head back to the drawing board to play the old Nintendo game of Duck Hunt, a tad better.

OUR PREDICTION: DUCKS IN 7 GAMES