Weekly Recap (May 6)

         Happy Friday! It’s once again time for the weekly recap. Here’s what’s been happening:

John Chayka Hired as Arizona GM

         Yesterday, the Arizona Coyotes hired 26-year-old John Chayka as their new general manager. He is the youngest GM in NHL history. Co-founder of an analytics firm, Chayka was hired as assistant GM before last season. Now, he will take the place of former GM Don Maloney who was fired in April. Confident in the “Moneypuck” mentality, the organization hired him based on his analytic abilities. The Coyotes also re-signed head coach Dave Tippet to a 5-year contract.

More Second Round Action

         Things have gotten pretty interesting in the second round of these playoffs. I’ve been most surprised by the Nashville Predators, who tied their series against the San Jose Sharks at 2 last night with a triple overtime goal from Mike Fisher. After losing the first 2 games in San Jose, the Predators came roaring back in Music City to even the series.

         Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars also tied their series at 2 when they beat the St. Louis Blues in overtime on a goal by Cody Eakin. This win will likely serve as a big confidence boost for Dallas, who was coming off a brutal 6-1 loss in game 3. The Stars now have a chance to take a 3-2 series lead in their building on Saturday afternoon.

         Tonight, the Tampa Bay Lightning look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead against the Islanders in Brooklyn. Game 3 was a barnburner of a game, with the Lightning tying the score late and winning 5-4 in OT on a goal by Brian Boyle. However, knowing what the Islanders are capable of, I feel this series is far from over. The Lightning are faced with the tough task of beating the Islanders for a 2^nd straight time at the very loud Barclays Center, where they have the unwavering support of their dedicated fanbase.

         All 4 second round matchups are coming off of overtime games. The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday to put them on the brink of elimination. This playoffs, the Capitals haven’t yet performed at the level they did in the regular season, but they may be due for a breakout game. It’s not too late for them. Unless their stars step up tomorrow in game 5, I don’t see the Capitals coming back to win this series.

Coach Carousel Moving Again

         With the firing of Flames head coach Bob Hartley on Tuesday, more questions sprang up of which coach will be hired where. Calgary, Anaheim, Minnesota, and Ottawa all have coaching vacancies. I’ve heard names floating around like Randy Carlyle and Marc Crawford. Both are experienced NHL coaches, which is why I think they’re the most likely candidates. The big question is where each of these guys will end up. If I had to take a guess, I would say Ottawa gets Boudreau, Minnesota get Hartley, Anaheim gets Carlyle (again), and Calgary gets Crawford.