Don’t worry, we didn’t know this was a thing either.
The NHL, in its classic way, planned for a league-wide marketing scheme to try and get more attention on themselves but the entire thing was a mystery to the fans that actually pay attention to the sport, until a couple days before it happens. Yes, even those who watch this league every single day had no idea that the NHL was coming back with “Frozen Frenzy”, a night where all 32 teams are in action.
And of course, we can do the quick math and that means 16 games will be taking place on Tuesday night. In 15- or 30-minute increments, a new game will start across the league. It won’t be centrally broadcasted anywhere, it’s just the fact that they are all playing in the same night. No RedZone-esque show that will go between the games — if you just tune in to when your favorite team plays on Tuesday, you wouldn’t really know that a whole other slate of games is happening. So, is it truly special?
Editor’s Note: ESPN is actually doing a whip-around show like they did last year. Oh, well.
Anyways, we are beyond asking whether or not what the NHL has done to try to grow the sport is smart or not. It’s here and we’re going to look at what pile of games the league is throwing at us on Tuesday.
And there is no better way to determine what games you should watch if your team is done playing or if you are truly a neutral (you weirdo) trying to decide what game to watch. Of course, we’re a Philadelphia Flyers website, so…
16) Islanders vs. Red Wings
If you even glance over at this game, you might just fall into a deep coma. You would get the most rest you have ever gotten in your life by watching the New York Islanders and this season’s Detroit Red Wings go at it while every other game is going on. We’re serious, is there anything interesting at all about this matchup? Detroit has a couple young players, of course, but up against the Islanders? We would rather watch them go and demolish a poor, helpless team instead. This is just going to be the grindiest game ever. Bad!
15) Utah vs. Senators
The magic has already worn off. The Utah Hockey Club got all of its shine in the first week of the season. They were the hot new thing; people wanted to see what their arena looked like and what the sweaters looked like on the ice. And it only benefitted them that they started out playing some solid hockey, but they have already faded into the background. And now they’re facing the Ottawa Senators of all teams on this big day for the league? Woof.
14) Flames vs. Penguins
Not only does this game involve the stinky Pittsburgh Penguins, but the Calgary Flames aren’t that hot, either. The most favorable way you could see this game is that the Flames, who are somehow 4-0-1 could have a chance to embarrass the Penguins even further as they truly start their descent into being a bottom-of-the-barrel team. We do love seeing them fall, but in a vacuum, this game has almost nothing going for it.
13) Blackhawks vs. Canucks
Don’t get us wrong, we would love for these two teams to rejuvenate some of that mid-2010s hatred for each other. Those first-round matchups were something special as the Sedin twins would stare down the double barrels of Toews and Kane; but that was now almost 15 years ago (God, we’re old).
In present day, the Canucks are floundering and trying to find their footing — a shutout win at the Flyers’ home opener can do that — as they try to improve off of their division-winning season and really make their presence felt in the postseason. Meanwhile, Chicago has attempted to be at least a little bit more respectable. Connor Bedard is going to be facing his boyhood club and that can get some people in the door, but it is still voluntarily watching the Blackhawks play hockey.
12) Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets
Toronto beat the brakes off the Lightning on Monday, and now they are hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets 24 hours later. A little bit of a different opponent on a scale of exciting, entertaining hockey.
We realistically couldn’t put a Blue Jackets game that high on this list, even if they were facing the most exciting team in the sport to ever exist. C’mon, now. This might be the most whatever matchup we have. Sure, Toronto will probably win. There you go.
11) Blues vs. Jets
Despite some interest in what is really going on in Winnipeg and how they have suddenly put what was projected to be a mediocre roster into a team that actually plays cohesive hockey, this still isn’t the best matchup. The Blues are just a nothingburger of an entertaining hockey club, so much so that even a game against the best players in the world couldn’t bring us to really enjoy it.
The Jets are certainly intriguing, though. Hellebuyck can win a game singlehandedly any night, and their weird combination of two-way players like Nikolaj Ehlers and then all-offense wingers like Kyle Connor, is just this weird and beautiful mess.
10) Rangers vs. Canadiens
The New York Rangers stink. Peeeeeeeeee-yew! (Original six matchups always give us a little flutter in our heart and the Canadiens visiting Madison Square Garden is something fun.)
9) Predators vs. Bruins
The Nashville Predators suddenly want to win as many hockey games as they can. They pushed a whole lot of chips in and signed some key free agents, but has had an incredibly rocky start to this whole thing. Zero points in five games is not how you want to begin what should have been a competing year. And now they’re up against an opponent who is looking somewhat bad, but could just use any game as a jumping off point to suddenly win the division again.
This season, the Bruins are weird but it does just feel like they’re waiting for something to happen to then remember they can play solid, defensive hockey and have top-tier goaltending to save everything else. Oh, and David Pastrnak. It’s a decent matchup on paper, but now it is just a game between a team with literally no wins whatsoever and a team that is starting to feel normal again.
8) Sabres vs. Stars
The Dallas Stars have yet reached their late-season hype as a dark horse Cup contender, and it’s the Buffalo Sabres. Just, you know. The Sabres could have been every neutral observer’s favorite team a couple months into the season. But instead we are reminded that they are, indeed, the Buffalo Sabres. So now, this should be a Stars win and they are really just saving it all for the spring.
7) Golden Knights vs. Kings
This game is too late. We’re sick of late games. Time hasn’t been a factor when it comes to any of these games, but staying up late to see Jack Eichel and Anze Kopitar go at it, isn’t all that enticing. This game happens a million times, we’re good.
6) Panthers vs. Wild
The Panthers are sitting on top of their division and the Wild still haven’t loss in regulation. Actually, Minnesota has not even trailed during regulation yet this season. That’s right, through five games and 300 minutes of action, the Wild have either been equal in goals to their opponent or leading. They have just played solid hockey this season and with Marco Rossi potentially having a breakout and Kirill Kaprizov still existing, they could make a little surprise splash to force everyone to fall in love with them.
Plus, it’s the Panthers. This should be a decent one.
5) Ducks vs. Sharks
You want to see a car crash? While other games are lower in our ranking because they feature bad teams, when it is too of the very worst teams going at it, it might just mean something insane is going to happen. Just no defense, all young dudes just trying to score the most insane goals. That’s all we can hope for (and for a certain someone to leave the game with zero points).
4) Kraken vs. Avalanche
This Avalanche collapse can’t last forever, right? There really isn’t anything better than having some free time and getting to watch Nathan MacKinnon play hockey. No matter what, he is an entertainer and up against a goaltender that might be even worse than the dude that is in between the pipes for Colorado right now, this could be a bloodbath.
The Kraken are a deep team, but the Avalanche have one line that can overpower anyone and they certainly will, overpower in Seattle.
3) Devils vs. Lightning
Look, we don’t like seeing the Devils this high on our list, either. But we just can’t deny the talent that this game will have on the ice. A mix of the young and the old. The Hughes and the Point. The Hedman and the Bratt. The Kucherov and the Hischier. It stinks and we hate ourselves for doing this, but this Devils-Lightning matchup could just be a preview of the Eastern Conference Final if Tampa decides to have one last kick at the can with their core.
It’s just two teams battling it out. The future up against the present. Honestly, it should be fun (especially if the Devils lose).
2) Flyers vs. Capitals
Well, we are going to be watching this game. It help that our beloved Flyers are playing first — it is a 6:00 p.m. EST puck drop, just letting you know — so we can enjoy the rest of the Frozen Frenzy after they do whatever they’re going to do.
The only reason this is so high is because we all know that everyone reading this sentence right now. And this sentence, too. Maybe this one, as well — you are going to be watching this game specifically, so we had to put it up this high. You might not have opinions about the third line of the Seattle Kraken, but we know you can talk about an hour about depth players on our Philadelphia Flyers. It was always going to be at least one of the top games.
1) Oilers vs. Hurricanes
And the only game that certainly beat it is the Hurricanes going up against the Oilers.
When you have the best player in the entire world, and a team that is trying its hardest to make it to the next level and prove that they are not just a tantalizing playoff pick anymore, but they are the Real Thing — it’s hard not to see the drama of it all. Hell, it’s Connor McDavid playing against a team that gives a crap, do we really need to explain any further? It will be the game we’re most interested in, after we watch the Flyers game of course.
