The first NHL Stadium Series was in 2014 and was held at Dodgers Stadium where the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks went head-to-head in a class outdoor hockey showdown. The Ducks took the win 3-0, and since then the Stadium Series has been popular among NHL fans as another way to see their team play outdoor hockey, besides at the Winter Classic.
This year, for this event’s 10-year anniversary, four teams from the Metropolitan Division will face off against each other.
The New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers are scheduled to face off on Saturday, Feb. 17 with an 8 p.m. scheduled puck drop. New Jersey-natives The Jonas Brothers will also be the headline performers with their concert beginning 2.5 hours before the game and then again during the second intermission.
The New York Rangers and New York Islanders will hit the ice on Sunday, Feb. 18 with a 3 p.m. puck drop. Their headline performers will be pop band AJR, hailing from New York City.
Now that the stage is set, here is my view on how the games will pan out:
New Jersey Devils vs. Philadelphia Flyers
New Jersey Devils fans were not exactly thrilled when it was announced that their team would not play against their biggest rival, the New York Rangers. Let’s not forget though, that the rivalry with the Philadelphia Flyers runs deep too.
The Flyers have slowly flown under the radar this year, exceeding fans’ expectations.
The team is currently on a three-game winning streak, after defeating the Seattle Kraken, the Winnipeg Jets and the Florida Panthers. It’s also important to note that the Jets and Panthers are ranked eighth and third in the league, respectively.
Even with the loss of goaltender Carter Hart due to the ongoing 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal, they have proven to be fine without him. Goaltender Samuel Ersson, in 27 games played, has a 90.3% save percentage, allowing only two goals per game.
Travis Konecny is also having an all-star year for the Flyers. He has notched 24 goals in just 53 games played, looking like he will exceed his career high of 31 goals he notched last season.
The New Jersey Devils, on the other hand, have been having a rough season. Devils fans are likely to blame this on their lack of goaltending or plethora of recent injuries, both of which are valid.
Luckily, though, star-center Jack Hughes, Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Holtz just returned to the lineup two games after being out with injuries. Unfortunately, the Devils lost both of those games against the Flames and the Hurricanes. This is likely due to the players getting used to being on the ice again. During these games they weren’t great at gaining offensive opportunities, not showing the needed aggression.
As things stand, it looks like the Flyers will come out with a win during this game. However, if the Devils are more commanding on the forecheck and are relentless around the Flyers’ net, they could have a good chance as well.
Avery’s Score Prediction: 2-1 Flyers in Overtime
New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders
Having these two new york teams face-off against each other will cause an electric outdoor hockey environment. Just like with the Devils and Flyers, the rivalry runs deep.
The Rangers are having another star-studded season, as they are now ranked fifth in the league and sit at the top of the Metropolitan Division.
The main reason behind their success this season is goaltender Jonathan Quick. Quick has notched a 91.9% save percentage on the season, only allowing an average of two goals per game.
Forward Artemi Panarin, already has 31 goals, proving himself time and time again as a focal point of Rangers’ attack.
The team is currently on a four-game winning streak and it looks like they won’t stop there against the 18th ranked Islanders.
It looks like the Rangers are the favorite to win this matchup, but we can’t discount the Islanders.
They have recent NHL All-Star, Mathew Barzal on their roster. He currently has 15 goals on his season, but is known for gaining opportunities for his teammates, notching 40 assists.
The Islanders have been struggling this season, especially on their penalty kill. If they fix these things up and are more commanding on the forecheck, like the Devils need to be, it will be a close game against the fellow New York foes.
Avery’s Score Prediction: 5-2 Rangers
All in all, this weekend is set to be a good one. If fans wish to watch, they can stream in on ESPN+ or watch on ABC.