Joe Thornton

Embed from Getty Images The Pittsburgh Penguins did not get off to a great start in the fall of 2015. With the addition of Phil Kessel (acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs) the league was on notice that Pittsburgh was going to be a contender, but they flopped out of the gate. The haters in Toronto were out en masse with a slew of "I…

Embed from Getty Images No Chicago Blackhawks. No Los Angeles Kings. The unpredictable nature of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has returned after a brief hiatus. For the first time since 2011, a different team will lift the Stanley Cup and the Western Conference Finals will not have either of the two teams that have ruled the league for…

NHL Playoff Preview: Pacific Division Embed from Getty Images Unlike past seasons in which a playoff spot in the Pacific Division was up for grabs every night until the very last game of the season, the writing was on the wall fairly early (once the Ducks turned the calendar to 2016 anyway). For the most part, it was waiting for the math to…

http://gty.im/492526164 In Tuesday’s game with the Washington Capitals hosting the San Jose Sharks, one of the NHL’s top stars Alex Ovechkin did not play because of personal reasons. He had missed the morning practice. This game marks the first time Joel Ward returned to the Verizon Center after being traded during the offseason. Congratulations…