Weekly TV Viewer Guide - Week of 1/24/11

Monday - NY Rangers @ Washington Capitals - 7:30PM - Versus

It's always a tight and physical game whenever the Capitals (5th in the East) and Rangers  (7th in the East) meet. The Capitals are coming home after a three game road trip with two wins and an overtime loss and are 5-3-2 in their last 10. Alexander Ovechkin scored a hat trick in Saturday night's 4-1 win at Toronto. The Rangers are 6-4-0 in their last 10 and are coming off a 3-2 shootout win in Atlanta. The teams have split the two meetings at Madison Square Garden and this is the first of two meetings at the Verizon Center. Each have one game after this (NYR - Tues vs. Florida / WAS - Wed @ Atlanta) before the All-Star break.

 

Things are always close when Philadelphia and Montreal get together

Tuesday - Montreal Canadiens @ Philadelphia Flyers - 7 :30PM - Versus

The Philadelphia Flyers have a league-best 69 points going in to Tuesday's game against Montreal. Montreal is in 6th place in the East with 59 points and is 6-1-3 in 2011. Philadelphia is even hotter, going 9-2-0 since we've changed calendars, and exacted revenge on the defending champion Blackhawks in Chicago yesterday. This will be their 4th and final match-up of the season. Philly is 2-1 against the Habs this season, but Montreal played it close 3-2 in their November meeting at Wells Fargo. For both, this is their last game before the All-Star break.

Wednesday - New Jersey Devils @ Detroit Red Wings - 7:30PM - Versus 

While this season has been an abomination for the Devils, the tide is starting to turn in Newark. The Devils have won four in a row and six of their past seven after shutting down the Panthers at the Prudential Center yesterday. Detroit is 5-4-1 in the new year and received some bad news when the Islanders stole G Evgeni Nabokov from them in the waiver process. This will be their 2nd and final meeting of the season before both head in to the All-Star break. Detroit won 4-1 in New Jersey back in December.

Thursday - NO HOCKEY - NHL ALL STAR BREAK

 

Friday - NHL All-Star Game Fantasy Draft - 8PM - Versus

Team Lidstrom: Captain - Red Wings D Nicklas Lidstrom; Alternate Captains - Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane and Lightning RW Martin St. Louis

Team Staal: Captain - Hurricanes C Eric Staal; Alternate Captains - Capitals D Mike Green and Cancuks C Ryan Kesler

Coaches: Peter Laviolette of the Flyers and Joel Quenneville of the Blackhawks (Stanley Cup coaches from last year)

Here is the remaining pool of players they will be picking from;
http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=66980

Saturday - Honda NHL All-Star Game Superskills Competition - 7PM - Versus
The competitions and the rules, participants TBD:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=67157

Sunday - 2011 NHL All Star Game - 4PM - Versus

I can't really preview something when I don't know what the rosters are yet. That being said, this new format should lead to a fun, exciting game to watch. The NHL is finally starting to get things right. First the Winter Classic, now this. For the first time in a long time, the NHL All-Star game has a little bit of juice.