5 NHL storylines to watch this week

The NHL chugs on into mid-October as fall settles through North America. Here’s what to look out for this week in the NHL.

It is hard to believe that the Edmonton Oilers are the last team to stay fully undefeated without a loss of any kind to start the 2019-20 NHL season. The team has been saddled with bad management and poor coaching decisions for years, but the team’s 5-0 start to the season has given many hope in Edmonton.

Connor McDavid has 12 points in five games, James Neal has seven goals and the team has the second best goal differential (+9) in the NHL. Though it’s still early, times certainly seem to be changing in Edmonton, and coming into the NHL’s third week of play, they are leading the pack.

There is a lot of hockey action on deck for the next week, so here’s what you should look out for in a packed seven days of NHL action.

1. The Los Angeles Kings’ Taylor Swift “curse”

Hockey players are a very superstitious bunch, a fact that is on full display with the news that broke over the weekend involving the Kings and … Taylor Swift. The Staples Center, where the Kings play 41 home games a season, displays a banner touting Swift’s record of “most sold out performances” for the arena, a banner that has apparently caused the Kings’ woes over the last few seasons.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the banner was covered on the discretion of the Kings themselves, not by any member of the Staples Center staff. The Clippers also cover the banner during their games in the arena.

The banner was raised in August of 2015, after the Kings’ Stanley Cup runs in 2012 and 2014. Los Angeles has since slid down the NHL leaderboards, culminating in last season’s second-to-last place finish in the league with a 31-42-9 record.

This week, the Kings will host the Hurricanes, Sabres and Flames this week, putting the banner “curse” to the test. After covering up the banner on Saturday, the Kings hosed the Predators 7-4, giving the team their second win of the season.

2. Devils, Blackhawks hunting for their first win

Two teams remain winless to start the 2019-20 NHL season, with the Blackhawks and Devils having yet to bank a win in either regulation or extra time so far this year. Both will have chances to net their first wins of the season early this week.

New Jersey squandered away yet another 4-1 lead in their 6-4 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday. No doubt head coach John Hynes is on the hot seat after starting the season 0-4-2 with no real end in sight to the team’s woes. The team has flashes of moments offensively, but has yet to find a cohesive effort defensively or get a stop in goal.

The Blackhawks weren’t expected to be playoff contenders this season, but their 0-2-1 start wasn’t how they envisioned kicking off their year. Goaltending too has been a problem for Chicago, as the combined save percentage of Corey Crawford and Robin Lehner (.886 in three games) isn’t cutting it.

The Devils and Blackhawks may find their first wins of the season sooner rather than later, but it will be tough to dig themselves out of the holes they’re in without some changes.

3. Jack Hughes vs. Kaapo Kakko

The NHL will get their first taste of the renewed New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils rivalry on Thursday, highlighted by the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in the 2019 draft. Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko will never be able to escape being compared to one another as the top two picks in the most recent NHL draft, and their proximity to each other along the Northeast Corridor will only help that fact.

A matchup between the Devils and Rangers is usually entertaining television, and the addition of these two top picks will add fuel to the rivalry for years to come. Kakko already has netted his first goal of his career on a really nifty backhanded try over the weekend, while Hughes has yet to score his first through six games.

4. Will James Neal cool off?

The Oilers’ 5-0 start to the season has been surprising to many, thanks in part to the resurgence of James Neal and his league-leading seven goals so far this season. It’s fair to expect Neal to cool down from his 115 goal pace that he’s set early in the season, but is that coming any time soon?

Neal followed up his four-goal bonanza last week with one goal against New Jersey, then was held off the scoresheet against the Rangers despite having four shots. It’s unlikely Neal will net another four-goal game as the season rolls along and as teams tighten up their play, but the Oilers have the Blackhawks, Flyers, Red Wings and Jets on their plate this week. A mixed schedule in terms of talent, but one Neal could feed on nonetheless as he looks to continue his hot streak this season.

Even though Neal will likely drop off in points soon, he does have Wayne Gretzky beat in one regard!

5. Montreal shows Jonathan Drouin some love

The Montreal Canadiens are 2-1-2 to start the season, an average start to be sure but a fine one thanks to netting six points in their first five games. Despite this, the team — and the fans — have rallied around forward Jonathan Drouin, who has six points on the season and has earned a point in his last five games.

Drouin, the 2013 third overall pick, matched his career-high 53 points last season, but netted just one goal in his last 26 games last season as the Canadiens failed to make the playoffs. A poor showing in the preseason had fans displeased with his efforts, but Drouin has since been Montreal’s best player as he leads the team in points.

After a 6-3 victory over the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the St. Louis Blues, Drouin was rewarded for his two-point performance with a long ovation from the Montreal crowd.

Drouin is confident and out to a great start so far in the 2019-20 NHL season, and he’ll be needed to keep pace as the Canadiens face the Lightning, Wild and Blues this week.