Quick Note: Congrats to @APsychicTaco @Gilleh @Odieeeeee and @Sitful on winning the 3s tourney. Also, the weekly preview is usually out on Saturday, but the games on Thursday threw off my timeline a bit. It should be back to normal next week. Thanks for reading. Games of the Week Sunday July 8th - 9:00 PM EST Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Rangers The Rangers finally had a big week that feels like it took far too long to arrive. So, as a reward, they get to start of week 5 by playing arguably the top team in the Atlantic. The Leafs have been content all season to grind games out, so a low-scoring game shouldn't surprise us; however, the ability to play team defense on either side should still be fun to watch. Monday July 9th - 10:00 PM EST Carolina Hurricanes at Pittsburgh Penguins This was an easy one game to pick. The two teams that have been jockeying for position the last few weeks get a chance to gain two points on the other team. In addition, they've got several teams attempting to chase them down; three teams are within 3 points. Tuesday July 10th - 10:00 PM EST Buffalo Sabres at Ottawa Senators The Sabres stumbled after their best week, and the Senators are really aiming to make up ground after letting Toronto pull away a little in week 4. The last time these two teams played there were some fireworks in the chat because of the Sabres utilizing their home-ice advantage. Maybe this is a chance for the Senators to get some revenge. Wednesday July 11th - 9:00 PM EST Saint Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks Once again, the Blues battle the Blackhawks with valuable points up for grabs. Just two points separate the two teams. The last time I chose this match up as a "game of the week" the Hawks jumped out to an early 2 goal lead and never relinquished it. Will the Blues suffer a similar fate this week, or will they reverse the roles and come storming out themselves? Players to Watch: GOALIES Apparently, I have been neglecting all the goaltenders in the league, so time to focus on a few. @Tolvanen l11l (G) The Blues starting netminder has been arguably the most consistent goalie in the league so far. With a d-corps that has seen a lot of additions and subtractions, his play has been the common theme among the games it seems. 3rd in sv%, 10th in GAA, 10th in shots faced, but just a 10-5-4 record to show for it. He had a strong season in S29, but he really seems to have taken his play to a new level despite not having the wins to match it. Maybe this is the week where the wins start coming more consistently. @lx JoneZ xl (G) A big trade this week sent @CjC Cobras to the Flames with @lx JoneZ xl going the other way to Ottawa. The S29 Vezina finalists has had a rocky start as have his former team, the Calgary Flames. Maybe a change of scenery will help Jonez elevate his game. Not sure which goalie, Jonez or @GregxWhite , will be playing the majority of games; at any rate, I think a big week out of the new Sens netminder is due; after all, you can't keep "a true winner" down for long. @BizyBounce (G) Last season's most valuable player in the playoffs, like his team, had a slow start to S30. The good news, the Rangers may have turned a corner which should help take some of the pressure off their goalie, and Bounce had his first week with exceptional stats earning him a player of the week award. 5-0 with a 92.4 sv% and 0.93 GAA (and 2 shutouts) and those 5 games included the 3 top teams in the Pacific in ANA, SJS, and EDM. Whether or not the Rangers reach 7 games this week, watch for Bounce to rise above his play the first 3 weeks and attempt to repeat the performances he had in week 4. Milestone Watch Points: @SouPerSaiyan is 2 points away from 600 career points @JJ-420-qc is 4 points away from 500 career points @Manship x 91 is 2 points away from 400 career points @Tb Toxic is 5 points away from 400 career points Goals: @jackD00P is 2 goals away from 400 career goals Assists: @hatemakerr is 2 assists away from 400 career assists Hits: @Foote is 24 hits away from 1000 career hits Games Played: @Girgss is 2 games away from 300 career games played @ScaryJoeyy is 3 games away from 300 career games played @T lR lM is 3 games away from 300 career games played Saves: @BizyBounce is 1 save away from 1500 career saves The Hot Seat Calgary Flames - @Jer Dubz So far, I think Calgary's season can be aptly described as disappointing. I have to imagine that @Jer Dubz and @Yung Gren were pretty optimistic about their roster when the season started. I had predicted them being a top 3 team in the Pacific post-bidding. Their last week they went just 2-6-0. Safe to say the Flames seem to be mostly extinguished. A couple of big trades, maybe hoping to rekindle some of the Flames' intensity, were made acquiring @CjC Cobras @Nuge @JTavares l91l @Riven2513 @l1l Sharp l0l and @Daigle x 97 . Were these moves made too late, has too much offense been traded away, or is the season still salvageable? 10 points out of the 2nd wildcard with the Golden Knights, Blues, and Stars ahead of them doesn't look promising; then again, a little more than half the season is left. Let's see if the Flames can turn up the heat this week on their way to a playoff berth.
