1 – STAMMER RETURNS: It’s been quite a week for Florida hockey. It began Monday with the much-anticipated return of franchise icon Steven Stamkos to Tampa Bay with his new team, the Nashville Predators. After a well-attended pregame news conference, Stamkos was honored with a video tribute in the game’s first TV timeout. There were few dry eyes in the house, and Stamkos left the bench to make a circle and salute the crowd. The Toronto product had a pair of assists and six shots on goal in an eventual 3-2 OT loss to his former team.
2 – PLACE IN HISTORY: Some NHL media outlets attempted to build up the game by asking if Stamkos is “The greatest Lightning player of all-time?” Nice try. As the franchise leader in games played (1,082), goals (555) and points (1,137), plus captaining the club to a pair of Stanley Cup titles, there is no debate. However his former teammate – and new Lightning captain – Victor Hedman will surpass Stamkos in the games played category at some point this season. As for his new home, the Predators sit second-last in the NHL’s Central Division at 3-5-1 and Stamkos has just three points (1-2-3) and is -7 in his first nine games. But it’s still early. New team, new city, new linemates … you get the idea.
3 – TIME TO HUNT: While all that was going on Monday night, the Florida Panthers were wrapping up a three-game Empire State road trip with a convincing 5-2 victory at the Buffalo Sabres. That game was much wilder than the Stamkos Return game with the Cats building up a 2-0 lead at KeyBank Center, the Sabres tying it 2-2 in the second period, then the Panthers erupting for three unanswered goals to collect their third consecutive victory. Sergei Bobrovsky netted the win, making 26 saves, two nights after Spencer Knight made 25 saves in a 6-3 Panthers rout of the New York Islanders. The Cats opened the trip with a 3-1 victory at the New York Rangers on Thursday. Look out – the steamrolling Panthers appear to be back.
4 – BARKING: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov made his much-anticipated return to the lineup on Monday in Buffalo, scoring his first goal of the season at 15:43 of the third period. Barkov missed eight games with a lower body injury suffered on October 10 at Ottawa and the Cats went 5-2-1 in his absence.
5 – FINNISH LINE: When I say the Cats are back, that’s figurative. After the Buffalo game the Stanley Cup champs actually headed straight to Tampere, Finland for a pair of games this Friday and Saturday against the Dallas Stars, as part of the NHL’s Global Series. “I’m not looking forward to the (9-hour) flight, but yeah, I mean, we’re going to the great place,” Barkov said of heading to his hometown this week. “It’s going to be a one-of-a-kind experience for sure.” Scripps Sports has both TV broadcasts, 1:00 pm on Friday and 11:00 am on Saturday. The Panthers aren’t home again till November 7 versus Nashville.
6 – DARLINGS: The Panthers are finding out what life is like as one of the NHL’s marquee teams. Last year they were featured in a Kraft Hockeyville neutral site game (versus Ottawa in Sydney, Nova Scotia) and this season they were featured in a neutral site preseason game (versus L.A. in Quebec City) plus this week’s Global Series games in Finland. Assistant captain Matthew Tkachuk is also featured in the Amazon Prime’s series FACEOFF – Inside The NHL which debuted Oct. 4. You don’t hear anyone around here complaining about the franchise being in the spotlight!
7 – IRON MIKE: Former Florida Panthers head coach Mike Keenan (2001-2004) has a new book out just in time for Christmas. “Iron Mike – My Life Behind The Bench” is now available from Simon & Schuster. “I’m glad and I’m happy for Florida that they won the Stanley Cup,” Keenan told me on the Rod Pedersen Show on Game+TV & WQEE Radio. “Paul Maurice is a friend and he kind of took the team back in time a little bit to a style of physical, rugged game. Young Tkachuk probably set the table as one of the players who was willing to buy into Paul’s ideas about how they should play to succeed.” Keenan’s book is available wherever you buy your books.
8 – BIG MAC: Not to be outdone, former Panthers head coach Doug MacLean also has a book available entitled Draft Day – How Hockey Teams Pick Winners Or Get Left Behind. It’s already reached best-seller status in Canada and I was lucky enough to snag the last copy at Barnes & Noble in Boca Raton. Just like Doug – who spends his winters in Delray Beach – the book pulls no punches on behind-the-scenes stories from the NHL draft floor plus his time on the bench with the Panthers (1995-98). It’s a great read which I’m enjoying very much!
9 – AROUND THE NHL: Edmonton Oilers fans and NHL fans in general are waiting with baited breath on the status of star forward Connor McDavid. The 3-time MVP, 5-time scoring champion and former #1 overall pick left Monday’s game in Columbus with a lower body injury just 37 seconds after the opening faceoff after tumbling awkwardly into the boards. There are reports he has left the team and returned to Edmonton for further evaluation. McDavid currently has 10 points in 10 games for the 4-5-1 Oilers.
10 – NOTES: Things we can get used to: Florida (7-3-1) and Tampa Bay (6-3-0) are 1-2 in the Atlantic Division standings … Vegas right-winger Mark Stone, Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros and Dallas centre Matt Duchene have been named the NHL’s three stars of the week. … The Winnipeg Jets have been knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten. After an 8-0 start – matching a franchise record and setting an NHL record for first-year head coach Scott Arniel – the Jets lost 6-4 at home Monday night to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
See you at the rink!
(Rod Pedersen covers the NHL for the South Florida Tribune. He also hosts the award-winning weekly Cats N Bolts Podcast as well as the daily Rod Pedersen Show on Game+TV, WQEE Radio & YouTube)
