The second annual NHL Frozen Frenzy will be held today, but not without fanning the flames of intense rivalries. The NHL and Hockey Fights Cancer have teamed up for this year’s NHL Frozen Frenzy. This is a day that is sure to be exciting for every hockey fan. Today all 32 teams in the league will be showing up to hit the ice across 16 games starting at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Along with those matches will come quite a few rivalry games. It makes for a lot in the mix to keep an eye on throughout the night. Also, check out the links in each matchup below for our writers’ daily predictions on the games.
Washington Capitals – Philadelphia Flyers
Kicking off the event, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will be paying a visit to Sean Couturier and the Philadelphia Flyers for the first time this season. The Caps are coming off an overtime win against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Flyers are hungry for a win after three straight losses. Tom Wilson has been off to an incredible start. Wilson has put up at least one goal in each game this season for the Caps. Meanwhile, Matvei Michkov and Scott Laughton have helped tremendously to give an especially dangerous edge to the Flyers’ first and second lines, respectively.
New York Rangers – Montreal Canadiens
The New York Rangers are taking a trip north to Quebec to face the Montreal Canadiens in an original-six matchup. The Rangers look to continue their winning story. Meanwhile, the Habs aim to flip the script on them and turn their season around. The Habs have been racked with injuries since before the regular season even began. Injuries that have been leading to the absence of key players who could help lead the team to those key early wins, having only secured two victories and an overtime loss for five points. Whereas the Rangers have been skating to a different tune. So far, they are having only lost one game this season (still earning a point for forcing overtime), totaling nine points in five games played.
Vancouver Canucks – Chicago Blackhawks
The Vancouver Canucks will be heading to the windy city for a match against the Chicago Blackhawks this season. It will be the first meeting between the teams since the Canucks traded Ilya Mikheyev to the Hawks. That trade occurred during the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Another notable player acquired by the Hawks during the offseason has been Teuvo Teravainen. This is a player who began his career in Chicago in time for their 2015 Stanley Cup win. Since rejoining the team, he has been showing up and showing out. He is currently leading the Hawks in goals and tying for the lead in points with linemate Connor Bedard.
As for the Canucks, their first line has been sharp with J.T. Miller sandwiched between Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser. Alongside captain Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek teamed up on the blueline, having achieved 14 points combined between the five in just five games.
San Jose Sharks – Anaheim Ducks
The San Jose Sharks are looking at a matchup with their eternal rivals, the Anaheim Ducks. In their first meeting this season, James Reimer and the Ducks shutout the Sharks with two goals. Both teams are trudging through rebuild seasons. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel as they continue to develop their top young talents. The Sharks are currently chomping at the bit to turn around their one-point season, while the Ducks are fighting to soar upward from their low ranking in the standings. Notable injuries remain on each team, with a recent update stating that Macklin Celebrini is expected to be out for at least another two weeks due to a lower-body injury, and Ducks’ starting goaltender remaining on the injured reserve list due to an emergency appendectomy during the preseason.
Los Angeles Kings – Vegas Golden Knights
It sounds like something straight out of the pages of J.R.R. Tolkien, but the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights have waged war ever since the team from Sin City first played the team from the City of Angels. While the Kings will fight to continue their winning streak for three-in-a-row, the Golden Knights will be battling for the win to end their losing streak of three-in-a-row. Being the final game of the Frozen Frenzy, it will certainly be one of the more interesting games. It will be interesting not just due to the obvious friction between the two, but also because they are both evenly matched and sit close together in the current standings.
With the massive number of rivalry games being played within just one night, there will certainly be no lack of entertainment during the NHL Frozen Frenzy.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
