We’ve made it past Thanksgiving, and the NHL has a full week of action on the horizon. There are some phenomenal matchups across the league this week, and as teams begin to reach the 20-game mark, wins and points are becoming increasingly important.
Today, I’m going to choose what I believe are the five best games on the NHL schedule from Sunday, November 26th through Saturday, December 2nd. Let’s take a look.
Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs Nov. 28
This is a huge divisional battle between two teams currently separated by just two points. It’s also a rematch of last year’s second-round playoff matchup that built some hostility between these teams. They met back in mid-October, and Florida skated away with a 3-1 victory. Now Toronto will be looking for revenge.
Some players to keep an eye on are Carter Vergaeghe for the Panthers and William Nylander for the Maple Leafs. Verhaeghe has three points in his last five games for a Panthers team that has been playing low-scoring hockey. Nylander has been absolutely on fire for Toronto, posting five goals, four assists, and nine points in his last five games as of writing.
A very important two points are on the line in this one, and it should have a playoff/rivalry feel to it. I expect this to be a very fun game to watch.
Dallas Stars vs. Winnipeg Jets Nov. 28
Another huge divisional battle here as the Stars and Jets are both currently tied with 26 points. They sit in second and third place in the Central and could very realistically meet in the playoffs this spring. Dallas edged out a 3-2 victory in their meeting a couple of weeks ago, but the Jets are the much hotter team right now.
A couple of players to keep an eye on are Joe Pavelski for the Stars and Josh Morrissey for the Jets. The 39-year-old Pavelski is showing no signs of slowing down as he continues to be one of Dallas’ most productive players. He has three goals, three assists, and six points in his last five games. Morrissey is giving the Jets a ton of offense from the back end with two goals and six assists for eight points in his last five games.
This could potentially be a playoff preview and should be a very tight game between two very good teams.
Detroit Red Wings vs New York Rangers Nov. 29
The young and hungry Detroit Red Wings take on one of the league’s best, the New York Rangers, in this one. The Red Wings are fighting for every point as they try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Rangers have been dominant so far in 2023-24 and are looking to stay atop the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers beat the Red Wings 5-3 back in early November.
A couple of players to watch are young studs Lucas Raymond for the Red Wings and Alexis Lafreniere for the Rangers. Raymond has four goals in his last five games and Lafreniere has three in his last five. Both are currently on pace for their best NHL seasons.
This should be a very fun game between two good teams with a lot of talent.
Vegas Golden Knights vs Vancouver Canucks Nov. 30
This is a huge battle between the top two teams in the Pacific Division. It’s their first meeting of the season, and as of writing, Vegas leads the division with 30 points and the Canucks are right behind them with 29. This will change by Thursday, but the matchup will still be fantastic.
Players to keep an eye on are defensemen Shea Theodore for Vegas and Quinn Hughes for the Canucks. Both have been providing a ton of offense for their teams. Theodore has one goal, five assists, and six points in his last five games. Hughes has two goals, four assists, and six points in his last five as well.
This is a marquee Western Conference matchup at this point of the season and should be a ton of fun to watch.
Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs Dec. 2
This matchup always speaks for itself. It’s Bruins vs Leafs, enough said. It’s a rivalry game and a divisional game with a massive two points on the line. The Bruins lead the division and the entire NHL right now, while the Maple Leafs are trying to climb out of fourth in the Atlantic. Boston was victorious in their first meeting this season 3-2 in a shootout. I expect this one to be very close as well.
David Pastrnak and William Nylander are the ones to watch in this one. Both star wingers are very hot right now with nine points in their last five games as of writing. This will probably change by game day, but Pastrnak has posted two goals and seven assists while Nylander has potted five goals and four assists.
Boston vs Toronto is always a must-watch affair because of the rivalry. These are the kinds of games that get circled on the calendar. We’re lucky to have it this week.
There are my top five games of the week in the NHL Sunday through Saturday. These certainly are not the only great matchups, but the ones that stood out the most to me. I hope you get the chance to watch at least one or two of them. There’s lots of hockey to enjoy this week.
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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