Author: Patrick Hoffman

Patrick covers the NHL for Inside The Rink. He has previously covered the league for The Ultimate Hockey Fan Cave, WTP Sports, Sportsnet.ca, Kukla’s Korner, Spector’s Hockey, NHL Network Radio blog, TheHockeyNews.com, The Fourth Period, Stan Fischler’s “The Fischler Report”, as well as a slew of others.

Andrei Vasilevskiy in net for the Tampa Bay Lightning

Opinion: Lightning’s Vasilevskiy Quietly One Of League’s Top Goaltenders This Season

When it comes to the top goaltenders in the NHL this season, only one name is consistently mentioned: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. This should not come as a surprise, considering what he has done so far this season. As of this writing (Monday night, February 24), Hellebuyck, 31, is 34-7-0-2 with a 2.06 goals-against […]

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Jordan Binnington skating for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off

Canada’s Binnington Shines When It Matters Most

There were a lot of naysayers when Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper picked Jordan Binnington as his starting goaltender for the 4 Nations Face-Off. A lot of people pointed out how his numbers are not very good, how he allows a lot of soft goals, and that his temperament might not be right for […]

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There is a New Connor in Town: Toddler Connor “Macdangles” MacMillan

When it comes to hockey, everyone knows who Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard are. Well, it is time to introduce the hockey world to another Connor in hockey. He may only be two years old, but this Connor looks like he could end up being a heck of a hockey player! His name is Connor […]

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Brian Slagel Founder of Metal Blade Records

Talking Hockey and Metal with Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel

There is no doubt that hockey and metal go together. They are both loud, exciting, fun to watch and listen to, and have been around for a long time. No one knows this better than Brian Slagel. Slagel is the founder and CEO of independent record label Metal Blade Records and helped put a little-known […]

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Photo By Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Opinion: MacKinnon Is The Engine That Drives that Avalanche

There is no doubt that when it comes to the Colorado Avalanche, Nathan MacKinnon is the engine that drives them year in and year out. MacKinnon’s strong play this season has the Avalanche fourth in the Central Division, in the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, sixth overall in the Western Conference, and […]

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Mika Zibanejad skating for the New York Rangers

Opinion: Rangers Making Things Interesting

When the New York Rangers were in the thick of things in December, it seemed like the team would never come out of it. They had trouble keeping the puck out of their net, putting the puck in the net, making simple plays, making smart plays, and doing all the little things that are necessary […]

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Jacob Markstrom makes a save in his 500th career NHL game.

Opinion: Devils’ Markstrom More Than Getting The Job Done Between the Pipes

After a terrific 2022-23 season, the New Jersey Devils struggled mightily last year due to their goaltending. Jacob Markstrom is changing that narrative. Just look at what the Devils goaltending did last season: In looking at the above, it is clear that the Devils got a lot of inconsistent goaltending and went through way too […]

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Logan Thompson in net for the Washington Capitals

Opinion: Has Goaltender Logan Thompson Found a Home with the Capitals?

Not long ago, current Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson thought he had found a home with the Vegas Golden Knights. After getting off to a great start in the 2022-23 season, Thompson, 27, suffered several injuries and, in the process, lost the starting goaltending job to Adin Hill. Hill would go on to help the […]

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Alex Ovechkin 'C' #8 skating during warmups for the Washington Capitals

Opinion: Washington Capitals Writing Great Story This Season

Going into this season, there was not much to look forward to when it came to the Washington Capitals. The team came into this season on the heels of being swept by the New York Rangers in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, and the only thing that they could look […]

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Opinion: Kings Darcy Kuemper Keeping Things Simple Between the Pipes

If you had goaltender Darcy Kuemper one day winning the Stanley Cup on your bingo card way back when, you were probably one of the very few. Kuemper, 34, accomplished this feat with the Colorado Avalanche back during the 2021-22 season. Despite being average in those Stanley Cup playoffs, he got the job done by […]

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