Pluses, minuses for Bruins-Panthers, Golden Knights-Stars

NHL Network and ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes will offer his thoughts for big games each week throughout the season. It's a big slate Wednesday with 14 games and 28 of the 32 NHL teams in action, including a doubleheader on TNT and MAX. First, the Boston Bruins 13 1 3 visit the Florida Panthers 12 5 1 at Amerant Bank Arena 7 p. m. ET in a rematch of the Eastern Conference First Round last season. Then the Vegas Golden Knights 13 4 2 visit the Dallas Stars 12 4 1 at American Airlines Center 9:30 p. m. ET in a battle of the two first place teams in the Western Conference divisions. Here's my breakdown of the games. BruinsPluses: Even after losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement, they've played well, led by David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. The addition of forward James van Riemsdyk has paid off; he has 13 points five goals, eight assists in 17 games. Linus Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy last season as the top goalie in the NHL and he and Jeremy Swayman are two of the top goalies in the League this season. Pavel Zacha has stepped into the top center role and has 14 points seven goals, seven assists in 17 games. They're ahead of last season's historic pace, when they set NHL single season records for wins 65 and points 135 which tells you something about the way this team has been built. Minuses: The Bruins have points in 16 of their 17 games this season, losing in regulation once Norm Ullman Jersey. And each time they have lost, they've won their next game. We will see if that continues Wednesday following a 5 4 overtime loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday when they allowed the tying goal with five seconds left in the third period. But I really don't have anything negative that I see in their game www.edmontonoilersstoreonline.com/zach-hyman-jersey. PanthersPluses: They have really started to hit their stride after a slow start, winning seven of eight. They got defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour back from injuries this past weekend, which will only strengthen them offensively and defensively. The offseason acquisitions of veteran defensemen Oliver Ekman Larsson and Dmitry Kulikov have paid off. Sam Reinhart is leading them in goals 13 and points 25. The 13 goals are tied for third in the NHL. I don't know how many people expected them to be competitive after losing some pieces this offseason, but they have been. Minuses: Center Aleksander Barkov didn't play in a 5 3 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday because of an apparent knee injury and it's unclear if he'll be in the lineup for this one. Obviously as the captain and him playing in all situations, he was missed and will be missed if he can't play. FLA LAK: Reinhart trims Panthers' deficit in 3rd Golden KnightsPluses: Adin Hill and Logan Thompson have both been excellent, with each having a goals against average under 2. 50 and a save percentage of. 920 or better. Though William Karlsson 20 points , Jack Eichel 19 points , Mark Stone 18 points and Shea Theodore 18 points have led the way offensively, everyone has chipped in with 20 of 23 skaters who have played a game for them scoring at least one goal this season. The fact that they have not had a dropoff after winning the Cup and are still playing like they did during the playoffs shows they're on a mission to repeat. Minuses: They're 2 4 1 in their past seven games following an 11 0 1 start. It's definitely not time to hit the panic button but this game against the Stars, who they eliminated in the Western Conference Final last year, will be a big test. StarsPluses: They finally seem to have more balance beyond the top line of Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson having added Matt Duchene this offseason and having Tyler Seguin playing on the third line. Duchene has 15 points six goals, nine assists in 16 games including 10 points four goals, six assists in his past six games, and Seguin has 14 points six goals, eight assists in 17 games. Jake Oettinger 2. 50 goals against average,. 920 save percentage continues to show why he's one of the best goalies in the League. The Stars' power play is clicking at 21. 4 percent, which is 13th in the NHL, and they rank third in the NHL on the penalty kill 88. 1 percent. Minuses: In a big test against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, they let a 3 0 lead slip away, allowing six straight goals, including four in the third, of a 6 4 loss. Those were big points that could be the difference between having home ice in the playoffs when it counts www.edmontonoilersstoreonline.com/mark-messier-jersey. They did follow that up with a 6 3 win against the New York Rangers, who were 10 0 1 in their previous 11 games, but they can't let up at all against Vegas, especially if they take a lead like they did against Colorado.