NASHL

Final
WPG	4
ANA	3

Final(OT)
CGY	3
BOS	2

Final
CLB	4
BUF	3

Final
DET	5
CAR	1

Final
COL	4
CHI	1

Final
EDM	5
DAL	1

Final
NJD	6
FLA	5

Final
NYI	1
LA	2

Final
MTL	3
CGY	5

Final(OT)
NYR	6
COL	5

Final
OTT	1
CLB	3

Final
PHI	4
DET	5

Final
PHX	1
EDM	3

Final
PIT	5
NJD	0

Final
SJ	3
NYI	2

Final
VAN	4
STL	3

Final
TOR	3
TB	5

Final
BOS	2
WSH	5

Final
BUF	3
WPG	6

Final
CAR	3
ANA	4

Final
DAL	1
CHI	0

Game 218
FLA
MTL

Game 219
LA
NYR

Game 220
PHI
OTT

Game 221
PIT
PHX

Game 222
STL
SJ

Game 223
TB
TOR

Game 224
WSH
VAN

Game 225
WPG
BOS

Game 226
DAL
BUF

Game 227
COL
CGY

Game 228
CAR
PHI

Game 229
CHI
PIT

Game 230
DET
COL

Game 231
EDM
CLB

Game 232
FLA
DAL

Game 233
NJD
LA

Game 234
NYI
MTL

Game 235
PHX
NYR

Overall Standings

TEAM	GP	W	L	T	PTS	L10
Vancouver	15	10	2	3	34	5-2-3
Edmonton	15	10	4	2	31	6-3-1
Calgary	15	10	5	1	31	7-2-1
NYIsles	15	10	6	0	29	6-4-0
Pittsburgh	16	9	4	2	29	7-2-1
StLouis	16	9	5	1	29	6-3-1
LosAngeles	16	10	5	0	29	7-3-0
Boston	16	9	6	1	28	5-4-1
NYRangers	15	9	5	1	27	5-4-1
Detroit	16	8	7	1	25	6-3-1
Ottawa	15	7	5	3	24	4-3-3
Winnipeg	15	7	5	3	24	5-2-3
Florida	15	8	7	0	23	5-5-0
Columbus	16	7	7	2	23	6-3-1
Phoenix	15	7	7	1	22	6-3-1
Montreal	15	6	7	2	21	4-5-1
Colorado	16	6	8	2	21	3-6-1
Dallas	16	6	7	3	21	4-4-2
Washington	15	6	7	2	20	5-3-2
SanJose	15	5	8	2	18	3-6-1
Anaheim	17	5	9	3	18	4-5-1
Toronto	15	5	8	2	17	2-6-2
TampaBay	15	5	9	1	16	2-8-0
NewJersey	16	5	10	1	16	2-7-1
Buffalo	16	4	9	3	16	2-7-1
Chicago	16	5	11	0	14	3-7-0
Philly	15	4	10	1	13	4-5-1
Carolina	16	3	12	1	10	2-8-0

News

NASHL Season 14 Preview Series - Atlantic

Rick Nash of the New York Rangers celebrates the return of the McRib.

Today, we zoom over to the Eastern Conference and visit the Atlantic Division. A number of contenders here seek to overthrow a former dynastic power (hopefully) on its last legs.

FLORIDA

Team Status: Contending

Preview: For the third time in four seasons, the Florida Panthers finished just outside the playoff picture despite mortgaging the future. Marco Sturm headlines a potent attack that also features fresh additions Markus Naslund and Nathan Horton. Brent Johnson had a phenomenal half season in Florida and will hope there’s more where that came from.

New Face(s): Tyler Myers and Jared Spurgeon take over as the new hope for a rebuilt Panthers blueline. There is a lot of pressure for them to progress and produce as they’ll both likely be tasked with top-four roles at the budding age of 20.

Old Reliable: Only one Panther played through the entire season without being traded last year, and his name was Chad Kilger. The veteran forward will find it difficult to crack the opening night roster this time around, but he’s only one trade (or twenty) away from filling a key role again.

Pending Question: How long does Robin Lehner last before he joins the illustrious list of promising goalies traded away from Florida?

NEW JERSEY

Team Status: Emerging

Preview: The rebuild in New Jersey may soon be over. The Devils made quite a splash early in the offseason by dealing away the second overall pick (among other things) to acquire Ilya Kovalchuk. The electric 50-goal winger will be joined by fellow countryman Maxim Afinogenov to help make this squad, if not more successful, then at least much more watchable this season.

New Face: With no definitive top line centre on the roster to line up with Kovalchuk and Afinogenov, could rookie Adam Henrique worm his way into the top-six picture and, by extension, the Calder Trophy conversation?

Old Reliable: His name is Sergei Bobrovsky, and he’s back on the case.

Pending Question: Maybe I’m dumb, but I’ve never understood the hold that Matt Taormina has on New Jersey’s front office. Is it his well trimmed beard? Or his far-from-illustrious 47-game career with the NHL Devils? Or is he secretly a comrade? The mind is truly baffled.

NY ISLANDERS

Team Status: Contending

Preview: Their second-round exit this past spring ended the New York Islanders’ consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances streak at six seasons. That unbelievable run was spearheaded by Olli Jokinen, Zdeno Chara, and Roberto Luongo, who are all still present though a bit more world weary. The wait continues for Valterri Filppula to become a central figure on the island, and his emergence would allow this team to do more than simply tread water.

New Face: There are very few new faces given the tight cap picture in New York, but rookie Sam Gagner could provide the team helpful two-way play on the third line.

Old Reliable: Aside from the regular star guys who get featured, Antoine Vermette has made a name for himself as an integral cog in these dynastic Islanders. Though he may have to cede his 2C role this year to Derick Brassard, his impact remains vital.

Pending Question: Will they take a proactive approach to addressing the dual elephants in the room (Jokinen and Chara’s expiring contracts next season)?

NY RANGERS

Team Status: Contending

Preview: The New York Rangers won the division last year but quickly wilted in the postseason. Rick Nash, despite a middling regular season, was the rare bright spot for the Rangers in their first round defeat. He will share the offensive burden with one of the top one-two punches down the middle in the league this year — Peter Forsberg, still clicking at 37, and Patrice Bergeron, whose brilliant regular season was partly undone by his disappearance in the playoffs.

New Face(s): Josh Green and Michel Riesen were signed as free agents to potentially fill key depth roles for New York.

Old Reliable: Marty Turco has played the third most playoff games out of all NASHL goaltenders and the former two-time champion will be looking to add at least one more deep playoff run to his resume.

Pending Question: After mostly striking out in free agency, does this bottom-six forward group have enough juice to support the big guns?

PHILADELPHIA

Team Status: Emerging

Preview: A loud and busy offseason last year for the Philadelphia Flyers was followed up by a much more subdued one this time. Andrew Ference is the key free agent acquired to join last season's signees Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov in rebuilding the Philly franchise. This team remains a project, though Tyson Barrie and Ryan McDonaugh make great building blocks for a future competitive squad.

New Face: 20 year-old Derek Stepan made the team out of training camp and will look to cement his status as a future top-six centre in Philadelphia.

Old Reliable: Not a lot of people outside of Philly have noticed, but Mike Johnson has consistently delivered results despite a questionable supporting cast. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, will he be dealt at the deadline to chase the Cup?

Pending Question: Does Martin Hanzal know he’s allowed to pass the puck?

TAMPA BAY

Team Status: Emerging

Preview: The Tampa Bay Lightning welcomed new management this offseason and saw immediate changes to help the team put a more ambitious roster on the ice. Brent Burns remains the centerpiece to this team but he will have a lot more help this season. Jason Arnott, Kristian Huselius, and Simon Gagne may not make the Lightning playoff bound, but they’ll definitely be more competitive.

New Face: Outside of the three free agent forwards mentioned above, Roman Polak stands as an underrated addition to Tampa Bay. The 24 year-old defender has room to grow and clear top-four potential as long as he can curb his more reckless tendencies.

Old Reliable: Ales Hemsky led the Lightning in goals again and was one of only three players on the roster to finish with a positive plus/minus. A similar positive presence will need to be felt on a nightly basis for Tampa Bay to continue their upward trajectory.

Pending Question: How old will Artemi Panarin be before he finally gets enough playing time to break out?

WASHINGTON

Team Status: Emerging

Preview: It was another early date with the golf course for the Washington Capitals last season, but this year could see their tee times delayed. Marc Savard leads the way for an offensive group full of talent and potential — John Tavares and Brad Marchand in particular seem primed to become the faces of the franchise. The development of Jonathan Bernier continues and his maturation as an above-average starter will most likely dictate Washington’s fate this coming season.

New Face: Ruslan Salei was signed late in free agency to complete a top-four defence group that has lots of size and menace.

Old Reliable: Entering his 11th season as a Capital, Nick Boynton has been one of the unsung heroes of this squad. He’s only 31 and will hope to see the only NASHL team he’s ever known contend for the Cup before his playing days are done.

Pending Question: Who is the most annoying player in the league, and why is it Corey Perry?

NASHL Season 14 Preview Series - Northeast

Joe Thornton of the Boston Bruins wonders if growing a beard will help him gain postseason success.

In the final preview of Season 14, we arrive at the home of the Stanley Cup finalist Boston Bruins. They are joined in the Northeast Division by five other teams that also made the postseason and one other who made a splashy addition to try to get there soon.

BOSTON

Team Status: Contending

Preview: Nothing beats a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals unless you’re on the losing end, which is where the Boston Bruins found themselves at the conclusion of a hard fought season. Even though this remains the Joe Thornton show, Justin Williams and Chris Kunitz have been integral in taking some of the heat off of the big man on a nightly basis. On the blueline, all eyes are on 19 year-old Ben Chiarot whose 2-game cameo last year was deemed enough for him to start Season 14 as a contending team's top-four defender.

New Face: Vaclav Prospal agreed to join the Bruins in the offseason and adds another deadly weapon to the league’s most fearsome offensive group.

Old Reliable: There were three other goaltenders selected before him in the 2003 Entry Draft, but Brian Elliott has already won more playoff series (6) than all three of Marc-Andre Fleury, Corey Crawford, and Jaroslav Halak combined (5). The 25 year-old is the present and future in Boston and, given the depth of offensive talent on the team, is arguably just as important as the captain.

Pending Question: Will Thornton find some team silverware to display next to all his individual ones?

BUFFALO

Team Status: Contending

Preview: The Buffalo Sabres finally brushed aside their longstanding postseason demons in the second round last year, but they weren’t able to ride the momentum to the Stanley Cup finals. Jimmy Howard enters his first full season as the undisputed starter on the Sabres and hopes to lead the franchise to its first ever Cup win. It’s potentially the end of an era as Miroslav Satan and Chris Pronger bring their Buffalo (and potentially hockey) careers to a close at the end of the season.

New Face: Deron Quint was not highly sought after this past offseason, but the talented defender signed in free agency gives the Sabres a bountiful six superstars on their blueline when no other team has more than four.

Old Reliable: Henrik Zetterberg had an electric postseason and will be counted upon to lead Buffalo in scoring for a fourth straight season.

Pending Question: Will the Sabres use some (or all) of their three first round draft picks this year to augment the squad at the deadline?

CAROLINA

Team Status: Emerging

Preview: The Carolina Hurricanes finished off the regular season with seven straight wins, leaving behind good vibes after an otherwise depressing year. Martin Havlat had another productive offensive season and has developed great chemistry with the understated Mikko Koivu. This team remains a year or two away from contending, but fans that want a glimpse of the future need to look no further than a blueline that will soon be led by Drew Doughty and Victor Hedman.

New Face: After five years as an understudy, Tuukka Rask will finally be given full reign of a crease after his trade to the Hurricanes this past offseason. The pressure is on for the highly touted Finnish netminder to end Carolina’s postseason drought sooner rather than later.

Old Reliable: Scott Hannan remains the number one defender and will be tasked with showing all the young blueliners the ropes as he ages into more of a mentorship role in his 30’s.

Pending Question: Is the youngest top-six forward line in the league (Mike Hoffman-Ryan Johansen-Bryan Little) ready for its close up?

MONTREAL

Team Status: Contending

Preview: A shakeup in goal to acquire a two-time Cup winner wasn’t enough to get the Montreal Canadiens over the hump last year. J-S Giguere will be looking to bounce back from the least impressive postseason performance of his career to help the Habs win their first playoff series in three seasons. Meanwhile, Alexander Semin hopes to build on a good debut season in Montreal that saw him and Jochen Hecht provide quality secondary scoring.

New Face: Josh Bailey was a low first-round pick in 2008 who has blossomed into a legitimate stud. His rookie campaign will help establish whether the winger has a ceiling as a future top-six piece.

Old Reliable: Last season, David Legwand scored above a point per game for the seventh straight year. It seems like no matter who his linemates are, Legwand finds a way to produce.

Pending Question: Among perceived contenders, Montreal has the most cap space to start the season. What will they do with it?

OTTAWA

Team Status: Contending

Preview: The Ottawa Senators snuck into the playoffs last year with a ghastly goal differential but nonetheless put the scare on their heavily favoured first round opponent. Down seasons from a host of stars like Marian Hossa and Chris Drury made Jarret Stoll the team leader in points. They’ll need a more balanced attack to make the postseason more comfortably and sophomore Matt Duchene looks primed for a breakout.

New Face: Dan Cloutier is the new, old face that the Senators signed this past offseason. The 34 year-old goaltender returns to the team that he was a starter for and resumes backing up franchise netminder Corey Crawford.

Old Reliable: It’s been six seasons since Hossa scored above a point per game for Ottawa. The Senators legend is getting older, but they probably need him to get more reliable too.

Pending Question: Will Quintin Laing get enough shifts to lead the team in penalty minutes again?

PITTSBURGH

Team Status: Contending

Preview: The Pittsburgh Penguins had the league’s best offence last year, but the goals dried up in the first round of the playoffs. Jason Spezza’s regular season output (108 points) was just as impressive as his postseason exploits (2 points in 6 games) were unimpressive. This remains a deep, talented group that will challenge for the most goals scored title again, especially if Jonathan Toews can build on a scintillating season that won him the Calder Trophy.

New Face: After six seasons as their starter, Mike Smith was shipped away to make room for Evgeni Nabokov as Pittsburgh’s new starting netminder. A one-year deal signed in free agency likely makes Nabokov is only a stopgap solution before Jonathan Quick is ready for the full gig.

Old Reliable: Pascal Dupuis enters his eleventh season as a Penguin and he’s only missed 8 games his whole career. Bank on him to have a season with 20+ goals, 60+ points, and 81+ games played.

Pending Question: Can they outscore their way out of all their problems?

TORONTO

Team Status: Contending

Preview: The Toronto Maple Leafs had many reasons to celebrate last season after winning the second playoff series in the franchise’s history. Evgeni Malkin’s arrival as a bonafide 1C has helped the other pieces on the team fall into place and establish this group as a contender. Sustained playoff success remains the holy grail for this squad and the addition of veteran Patrik Elias should help in this regard.

New Face: Elias brings over 100 playoff games of experience to Toronto and will be tasked with helping the team block out all the outside noise in spring.

Old Reliable: Marc-Andre Fleury enters his sixth season as the Maple Leafs starting netminder, and despite being caught in trade rumours early in his tenure, The Flower has settled into life as the team’s anointed saviour in goal.

Pending Question: What is the succession plan for number one defender Tomas Kaberle?

NASHL Season 14 Preview Series - Central

Kari Lehtonen of the Colorado Avalanche searches for a place (the trash can) to store his old jersey.

In the second part of our 4-part preview, we travel to the Central Division where a number of up-and-coming squads look to make their mark on a new season.

CHICAGO

Team Status: Contending

Preview: Despite finishing last season with the sixth-best goal differential in the Western Conference, the Chicago Blackhawks were left out of the postseason dance by one measly point. Mike Comrie’s debut season in Chicago was a revelation and his chemistry with Duncan Keith was undeniable. Those two stars lead a team that’s still leaning on lots of youth, but some better puck luck (and goal distribution) could see them finally sneak back into playing some spring hockey.

New Face: Rookie Cam Atkinson is one of the favourites for the Calder Trophy this year thanks to his sizzling speed, playmaking skill, and the top-six opportunity he’ll likely have in Chicago.

Old Reliable: Ethan Moreau, franchise leader in games played, seeks a storybook ending to his time as an unexpected Blackhawk legend.

Pending Question: Will they add a stout left winger to form the most “dwarfish” forward line (with 5’9 Comrie and 5’8 Atkinson) in league history?

COLORADO

Team Status: Emerging

Preview: You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking you were watching HGTV while following along with all the moves made by the Colorado Avalanche this offseason — it was indeed a complete makeover. After selecting Tyler Seguin first overall in the 2010 Entry Draft, the Avalanche went to work acquiring practically a whole new roster. Eric Lindros, Erik Cole, and Kris Letang are all hoping to bring glory back to Colorado, though the biggest star they added is shining in their crease.

New Face: Kari Lehtonen was tendered the second-largest RFA offer sheet in NASHL history, but it’s the first one to not be matched by their existing team. If the Avalanche can go from last place to the playoffs in one season, most of the credit will likely go to the Finnish netminder.

Old Reliable: Mike Green had a ghastly -48 plus/minus last season, but the team’s many additions should see him digging the puck out of his own net a lot less. Hopefully.

Pending Question: Hi everyone, it’s Tomas Vokoun. Remember me? I’m still here. Don’t forget about me, please. Hello? Hello? Where are you running off to?

COLUMBUS

Team Status: Contending

Preview: Back-to-back playoff appearances riled up the Columbus Blue Jackets fans, but now they’re seeking more. Franchise cornerstone Patrick Kane rediscovered his Calder-winning form and will likely pair up with Nicklas Backstrom for at least the next decade. Veterans Saku Koivu, Martin St. Louis, and Todd Bertuzzi bring high end offensive depth, though the blueline likely needs a few upgrades for Columbus to be taken seriously.

New Face: Among the multitude of middle-six winger additions they made in free agency, J.P. Dumont looks most likely to secure a top-nine role for the Blue Jackets (the fact his salary can’t be buried on the farm helps). If he falters early, there will be reinforcements ready and waiting.

Old Reliable: Columbus’ consecutive playoff appearances have been buoyed by the stellar play of goaltender Ryan Miller. He’ll continue to have the crease, though a young upstart lurks behind him.

Pending Question: Hi everyone, it’s Joey Tetarenko and Josh Langfeld. Remember us? Please don’t forget about us while we score at a 100-point pace in the AHL.

DALLAS

Team Status: Contending

Preview: New management has brought a bold perspective to team building for the Dallas Stars, choosing not to match their starting netminder’s offer sheet in favour of picking up two first round picks (among other goodies). Without their own first rounder this season, the Stars have gone all in for a single season run with the additions of Mike Fisher, Michael Peca, and Kenny Jonsson. Brad Stuart remains as the reliable number one defender who had a spectacular first season in Texas.

New Face: Originally brought in to form a goalie tandem, Miikka Kiprusoff is now the most important player on the Stars. The veteran netminder has lots of mileage on his skates, but he’s also no stranger to success.

Old Reliable: Umm… Patrick Rissmiller I guess? Has anyone else been on this roster longer than a season?

Pending Question: The Lehtonen decision is a turning point in the story of this era of the Stars, but will the ending be happy or tragic?

DETROIT

Team Status: Emerging

Preview: It was another lost season in Detroit as the Red Wings playoff drought spread to three years, but things are looking up. Ben Bishop will finally assume the starter’s role and looks poised to lead Detroit back to the promised land. The blueline remains brutally understaffed, though the addition of Danil Markov will undoubtedly help.

New Face: Sixth-overall pick Taylor Hall will challenge for the Calder Trophy, but may see limited playing time unless he can dislodge some of the more veteran wingers on the roster.

Old Reliable: A number of Red Wings are on their second runs with the team, but only Joe Sakic is on his third. The 41 year-old legend still has gas in the tank and is keeping the negative effects of Father Time at bay.

Pending Question: Is this the year they finally go full rebuild? (Probably not.)

ST. LOUIS

Team Status: Contending

Preview: The St. Louis Blues won their division and then had the misfortune of being matched up against the eventual Stanley Cup champions in the first round of the playoffs. Jaroslav Halak won the Vezina Trophy while Joffrey Lupul was a Hart Trophy finalist, and both will look to continue their dominant play for the Blues as they progress through their primes. Jakub Voracek had a promising rookie season and his playmaking talent will likely grant him a heartier offensive role in his sophomore campaign.

New Face(s): Craig Millar and Ron Hainsey were signed in free agency to form a new second defensive pairing that will be dependable (and expensive).

Old Reliable: Last year was the first time in six seasons that Pavol Demitra did not lead the Blues in scoring, but the passing of the torch does not mean Demitra’s ready to pass on by. He continues to be a point per game player who contributes at 5-on-5 and both special teams.

Pending Question: Will free agent signee Mike Zigomanis be able to wrest the 2C role out of the hands of Erik Rasmussen?

WINNIPEG

Team Status: Emerging

Preview: The Winnipeg Jets continue to confound with a collection of brilliant talent that has still only made one playoff appearance in their franchise history. Carey Price was finally given the reigns to the crease last season and he’ll be charting a course for a much less bumpy path this year. That wasn’t as much of a problem for Eric Staal and Alex Ovechkin, who both lived up to their high pedigree. They will however need more support from the rest of the roster to have the team success they all crave.

New Face: Shane Doan was signed in free agency to replace longtime Jet Erik Cole, who was dealt at the trade deadline. And Doan can do more than just score — he brings speed, physicality, and veteran knowhow to an offensive group that’s still growing into the best version of themselves.

Old Reliable: Staal remains the central driving force in Winnipeg. If he can level up his production and challenge for silverware, the rest of the Jets may follow.

Pending Question: Who will join Tim Gleason on the Jets' second defensive pair?