Week 17 NHL Recap

Game Recaps

Tuesday 1/31

• Nashville 2 - Pittsburgh 4
• Nashville - Calle Jarnkrok 1 (8), Colin Wilson 1 (7)
• Pittsburgh - Chris Kunitz 1 (6), Trevor Daley 1 (5), Patric Hornqvist 2 (13,14)
• Columbus 6 - New York Rangers 4
• Columbus - Seth Jones 2 (8,9), Brandon Saad 1 (17), Alexander Wennberg 1 (9),           Nick Foligno 1 (18), Matt Calvert 1 (7)
• New York - Jimmy Vesey 1 (12), Michael Grabner 1 (22), Chris Kreider 1 (19),           Kevin Klein 1 (1)
• Ottawa 5 - Florida 6
• Ottawa - Ryan Dzingel 2 (10,11), Chris Wideman 1 (3), Erik Karlsson 1 (8),             Derrick Bassard 1 (9)
• Florida - Michael Matheson 2 (4,5), Mark Pysyk 1 (2), Colton Sceviour 1 (6),         Jonathan Marchessault 1 (15), Jason Demers 1 (9)
• Minnesota 5 - Edmonton 2
• Minnesota - Tyler Graovac 2 (5,6), Jason Zucker 1 (15), Zach Parise 1 (9),                    Chris Stewart 1 (11)
• Edmonton - Adam Larsson 1 (3), Leon Draisaitl 1 (20)
• Chicago 1 - San Jose 3
• Chicago - Dennis Rasmussen 1 (4)
• San Jose - Patrick Marleau 1 (18), Tomas Hertl 1 (5), Joe Pavelski 1 (17)

Wednesday 2/1

• Minnesota 1 - Calgary 5
• Minnesota - Jason Zucker 1 (16)
• Calgary - Alex Chiasson 1 (8), Sean Monahan 2 (17,18), Deryk Engelland 1 (2),     Micheal Ferland 1 (7)

Thursday 2/2

• Montreal 1 - Philadelphia 3
• Montreal - Nikita Nesterov 1 (4)
• Philadelphia - Claude Giroux 1 (12), Matt Read 1 (7), Sean Couturier 1 (9)
• Toronto 1 - St. Louis 5
• Toronto - Mitch Marner 1 (13)
• St. Louis - Alexander STeen 1 (10), Paul Stastny 2 (13,14), Vladimir Tarasenko 1 (23), Colton Parayko 1 (4)
• Edmonton 0 - Nashville 2
• Edmonton - None
• Nashville - Victor ARvidsson 1 (13), Ryan Johansen 1 (9)

Friday 2/3

• Columbus 3 - Pittsburgh 4 OT
• Columbus - Brandon Dubinsky 1 (6), Alexander Wennberg 1 (10), Cam Atkinson 1 (25)
• Pittsburgh - Phil Kessel 2 (16,17), Patric Hornqvist 1 (15), Nick Bonino 1 (8)
• Anaheim 1 - Florida 2
• Anaheim - Hampus Lindholm 1 (4)
• Florida - Reilly Smith 1 (10), Jonathan Huberdeau 1 (1)

Saturday 2/4

• Pittsburgh 4 - St. Louis 1
• Pittsburgh - Sidney Crosby 2 (29,30), Kris Letang 1 (5), Justin Schultz 1 (9)
• St. Louis - Patrik Berglun 1 (12)
• Washington 3 - Montreal 2
• Washington - Jay Beagle 1 (11), Andre Burakovsky 1 (11), Nicklas Backstrom 1 (15)
• Montreal - Alexander Radulov 1 (13), Max Pacioretty 1 (25)
• Los Angeles 1 - Philadelphia 0 OT
• Los Angeles - Jeff Carter 1 (27)
• Philadelphia - None
• Toronto 6 - Boston 5
• Toronto - William Nylander 3 (11,12,13), James van Riemsdyk 2 (18,19),                  Connor Brown 1 (12)
• Boston - David Pastrnak 2 (21,22), Torey Krug 1 (5), Ryan Spooner 1 (8),                   Patrice Bergeron 1 (13)
• Ottawa 0 - Buffalo 4
• Ottawa - None
• Buffalo - Kyle Okposo 1 (16), Ryan O'Reilly 1 (10), Sam Reinhart 1 (11),                 Marcus Foligno 1 (9)

Hat Tricks From the Week

• Tuesday 1/31
• Sebastian Aho, CAR vs PHI - 13,14,15
• Max Pacioretty, MTL vs BUF - 22,23,24
• Saturday 2/4
• William Nylander, TOR vs BOS - 11,12,13
• Mikael Granlund, MIN vs VAN - 13,14,15

Current Standings

Metropolitan Division

Team	Record This Week	Overall Record	Points
Washington Capitals	2-1-0	35-11-6	76
Columbus Blue Jackets	1-1-1	33-13-5	71
Pittsburgh Penguins	3-0-0	33-13-5	71
New York Rangers	1-1-0	32-18-1	65
Philadelphia Flyers	1-1-1	26-20-7	59
Carolina Hurricanes	3-0-0	24-20-7	55
New York Islanders	1-1-1	22-18-10	54
New Jersey Devils	2-0-1	22-21-10	54

Atlantic Division

Team	Record This Week	Overall Record	Points
Montreal Canadiens	1-2-0	30-16-7	67
Ottawa Senators	1-2-0	27-17-6	60
Boston Bruins	1-2-0	26-23-6	58
Toronto Maple Leafs	1-2-0	24-17-9	57
Florida Panthers	2-0-0	23-19-10	56
Detroit Red Wings	2-1-0	22-21-9	53
Buffalo Sabres	1-1-1	21-20-10	52
Tampa Bay Lightning	1-2-0	23-24-6	52

Central Division

Team	Record This Week	Overall Record	Points
Minnesota Wild	2-1-0	34-12-5	73
Chicago Blackhawks	2-1-0	32-17-5	69
Nashville Predators	1-2-0	25-19-8	58
St. Louis Blues	1-2-0	25-22-5	55
Winnipeg Jets	2-1-0	25-26-4	54
Dallas Stars	1-2-0	21-22-10	52
Colorado Avalanche	1-2-0	14-33-2	30

Pacific Division

Team	Record This Week	Overall Record	Points
San Jose Sharks	3-0-1	33-17-3	69
Anaheim Ducks	1-1-1	28-16-10	66
Edmonton Oilers	0-3-0	28-18-8	64
Los Angeles Kings	3-0-0	27-21-4	58
Calgary Flames	2-0-1	27-24-3	57
Vancouver Canucks	0-2-0	23-23-6	52
Arizona Coyotes	1-2-0	17-28-6	40

Stat Leaders

Goals

• Sidney Crosby, PIT - 30
• Jef Carter, LAK - 27
• 4 players tied with 25

Assists

• Connor McDavid, EDM - 42
• Nicklas Backstrom, WSH - 37
• Erik Karlsson, OTT - 36

Points

• Connor McDavid, EDM - 60
• Sidney Crosby, PIT - 59
• Brent Burns, SJ - 55
• Brad Marchand, BOS - 55

Goals Against Average (GAA)

• Peter Budaj, LAK - 1.96
• Jimmy Howard, DET - 1.96
• Devan Dubnyk, MIN - 1.99
• Braden Holtby, WSH - 1.99

Save Percentage

• Jimmy Howard, DET - .934
• Devan Dubnyk, MIN - .932
• Braden Holtby, WSH - .929

Wins

• Devan Dubnyk, MIN - 28
• Sergei Bobrovsky, CBJ - 28
• Martin Jones, SJ - 27

A Look at the Week Ahead

Sunday 2/5

• Los Angeles @ Washington
• Edmonton @ Montreal
• Calgary @ New York Rangers

Monday 2/6

• St. Louis @ Philadelphia

Tuesday 2/7

• Anaheim @ New York Rangers
• Calgary @ Pittsburgh
• Carolina @ Washington
• St. Louis @ Ottawa

Wednesday 2/8

• Chicago @ Minnesota

Thursday 2/9

• San Jose @ Boston
• Nashville @ New York Rangers
• New York Islanders @ Philadelphia
• St. Louis @ Toronto
• Los Angeles @ Florida

Saturday 2/11

• New York Islanders @ Ottawa
• San Jose @ Philadelphia
• Florida @ Nashville
• St. Louis @ Montreal
• Anaheim @ Washington
• Chicago @ Edmonton

Bye Weeks

• Calgary: 2/8-2/12
• Edmonton: 2/6-2/10
• Florida: 2/4-2/8
• New Jersey: 2/7-2/11

*All stats and information came from NHL.com, TSN.ca, and ESPN.com

Arizona Cardinals Season Recap

NFC West	Finished 2nd in Division
Overall Record: 7-8-1 (4-1-1 in division)	Draft Position: 13th
Head Coach: Bruce Arians	GM: Steve Keim

Pro Bowlers

• WR Larry Fitzgerald
• RB David Johnson
• CB Patrick Peterson

2016 Rankings

	Yards/Game	Points/Game	Passing Yards/Game	Rushing Yards/Game
Offense	9th	6th	9th	18th	TDs – T-3rd
Defense	2nd	14th	4th	9th	Sacks – 1st	INTs – T-12th

Top Passers

Name	Games Started	CMP. PCT.	Yards	TDs	INTs	Passer Rating	QBR
Carson Palmer	15	61.0	4,233	26	14	87.2	58.8
Drew Stanton	1	39.6	192	2	3	39.6	26.9

Top Rushers

Name	Rushing Yards	Y/A	TDs
David Johnson	1,239	4.2	16
Kerwynn Williams	157	8.7	2

Top Pass Catchers

Name	Receptions	Yards	Y/C	TDs
Larry Fitzgerald	107	1,023	9.6	6
David Johnson	80	879	11.0	4

Top Defensive Players

• S Tony Jefferson - 96 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
• LB Deone Bucannon - 91 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss
• LB Markus Golden - 51 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles
• CB Marcus Cooper - 69 total tackles, 4 INTs

Impending Free Agents

• DE Calais Campbell
• TE Jermaine Gresham
• DT Frostee Rucker
• OLB Chandler Jones
• SS Tony Jefferson
• SS D.J. Swearinger
• RB Chris Johnson
• ILB Kevin Minter
• CB Mike Jenkins
• C A.Q Shipley
• ILB Sio Moore
• WR Jeremy Ross
• OLB Alex Okafor
• T Earl Watford
• RB Stepfan Taylor
• RB Andre Ellington
• CB Marcus Cooper

What I Said About Them Before the Season

• I actually thought that the Cardinals would win their division and the conference, representing the NFC in the Super Bowl.  I believed that their offense was going to be just as strong as last season and that their defense was going to continue its development as an elite group.  I wrote that the team already had an excellent defense last season and was upgraded last offseason through the draft and trades, furthering strengthening them.

Success/Failure

• Failure - Arizona had aspirations of making it back to the playoffs this season and should have been a Super Bowl contender, but instead had a losing record.  They actually ranked high in most metrics on both sides of the ball, indicating that they were a better team than their record shows.  One reason for this was quarterback Carson Palmer, who had one of the worst seasons of his career.  His down season was not able to be overcome by the rest of the roster, despite an MVP-caliber season from running back David Johnson.  The Cardinals were also on the losing side of several close games and lost to some bad teams, including the Rams and Bills.

Offseason Needs

• The good news for the Cardinals is that they should be a good team once again in 2017.  They will return most of their roster, especially at key positions.  Their returning players, plus additions through the draft and any free agents, should help the Cardinals be a favorite again to get to the Super Bowl.  At the upcoming draft, the Cardinals need to address their quarterback situation behind Palmer.  He is now 37 and could be seeing his career coming to an end, so addressing the future of the position could be an important move.  They also need help in the middle of their defense, so drafting a true playmaker linebacker would be smart.  In addition, Arizona needs another piece in their secondary where they have struggled with consistency in recent seasons. With the players that should be available when they pick at 14, the Cardinals should have the opportunity to pick among numerous secondary options.  Fox Sports' mock draft has them taking cornerback Quincy Wilson out of Florida, a pick that would greatly strengthen this group.

*All stats and information come from espn.com, nfl.com, pro-football-reference.com, rosterresource.com, spotrac.com, overthecap.com, and cbssports.com

Philadelphia Eagles Season Recap

NFC East	Finished 4th in Division
Overall Record: 7-9 (2-4 in division)	Draft Position: 14th (Traded their 11th pick to Cleveland last year)
Head Coach: Doug Pederson	GM: Jeffrey Lurie

Pro Bowlers

• DT Fletcher Cox
• T Jason Peters
• RB Darren Sproles
• C Jason Kelce

2016 Rankings

	Yards/Game	Points/Game	Passing Yards/Game	Rushing Yards/Game
Offense	22nd	16th	24th	11th	TDs – T-18th
Defense	13th	12th	13th	15th	Sacks – T-16th	INTs – T-9th

Top Passsers

Name	Games Started	CMP. PCT.	Yards	TDs	INTs	Passer Rating	QBR
Carson Wentz	16	62.4	3,782	16	14	79.3	53.4

Top Rushers

Name	Rushing Yards	Y/A	TDs
Ryan Mathews	661	4.3	8
Darren Sproles	438	4.7	2

Top Pass Catchers

Name	Receptions	Yards	Y/C	TDs
Zach Ertz	78	816	10.5	4
Jordan Matthews	73	804	11.0	3

Top Defensive Players

• LB Nigel Bradham - 102 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 1 INT, 2 forced fumbles
• LB Jordan Hicks - 85 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 5 INTs
• DT Fletcher Cox - 43 total tackles, 4 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Impending Free Agents

• ILB Stephen Tulloch
• CB Nolan Carroll
• OLB Bryan Braman
• DT Bennie Logan
• ILB Najee Goode
• CB Dwayne Gratz
• WR Michael Johnson

What I Said About Them Before the Season

• I predicted that the Eagles would go 4-12 this season, bringing up the rear in the division.  That didn't end up happening and for the first half of the season, they were one of the best teams in the league.  I am not a fan of Sam Bradford, who was expected to be their starting quarterback this season, and thought that he would drag the team's offense down.  I also had questions about the Eagles' rushing attack because the front office traded DeMarco Murray to the Titans last offseason, leaving them with Ryan Mathews as their bellcow back.  Overall, Philadelphia was a pleasant surprise, remaining competitive for the entirety of the season.

Success/Failure

• Success - I'm not certain how many people had the Eagles competing for a playoff berth for much of the season, especially when their quarterback situation initially consisted of Sam Bradford and Carson Wentz.  Wentz proved to be a good NFL quarterback, a great sign considering the Eagles traded up in last year's draft to acquire the second overall pick from the Browns, giving up their first round pick this year.  They were able to flip Bradford to the Vikings for their first round pick (14), a great move and one that only saw them drop two spots from their original draft position.  The Eagles look to be on the right path towards success finally, with head coach Doug Pederson implementing a successful system.

Offseason Needs

• Now that the Eagles have their franchise quarterback, they need to go further in building the team around him.  A rushing attack led by Ryan Mathews didn't work and they should consider addressing this need at the draft.  There are plenty of running backs available in this draft behind Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette, including Christian McCaffrey and Wayne Gallman that could be taken in the later rounds.  The Eagles also need a number one receiver for Wentz to throw to and mock drafts have them either taking Corey Davis from Western Michigan or Clemson's Mike Williams.  Personally, I am a bigger fan of Williams considering his size and performances in big games during his college career.  

*All stats and information come from espn.com, nfl.com, pro-football-reference.com, rosterresource.com, spotrac.com, overthecap.com, and cbssports.com