Favorite jerseys, game picks, predictions on future site
The 2024 NHL Stadium Series is a two-game affair at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. On Saturday, the Philadelphia Flyers take on the New Jersey Devils (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+) followed by the New York Islanders squaring off against the New York Rangers on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+).
All of that is known. But let’s answer some of the big questions everyone is asking ahead of the pair of Metro Division tilts:
Who has the best uniforms? How many of these teams will make the playoffs? Who wins the games? And of course, where should the NHL stage its next Stadium Series games?
Who has the best uniform set?
Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: It’s the Rangers for a few reasons. Everything about that sweater looks clean. From the colors on the lower half of the sleeve to the numbers on the shoulders down to how even though white is a traditional look, it still feels dope. What sells it is the letters across the front. The way the NYR looks in that diagonal pattern is simple yet attractive at the same time.
Victoria Matiash, NHL analyst: The Flyers. The classic winged P, complete with puck, strikes as a partnership in simplicity, elegance and severity. Pair that striking emblem with a dramatic orange/black combination, offset with white for contrast and this is a set that’s recognizable and respected by hockey fans everywhere, young and old. Aesthetics aside, an assembly that harkens back to a toothless Bobby Clarke, the rest of the Broad Street Bullies, the Legion of Doom and Ron Hextall earning more penalty minutes than any other goalie in league history.
Arda Öcal, NHL broadcaster: Rangers by a mile. They looked great at initial reveal and they look even better on the MetLife Stadium ice. Easy choice here. The NYR block lettering is clean. It’s also different enough that it stands out. Big win overall.
Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: The easy answer here is the Rangers because the design feels classic in a way that, say, 10 years from now you could still see fans wearing those sweaters with pride. And that’s cool! But, there’s something about the Islanders’ uniforms that I love, too. In that they’re just so … Islanders. Blunt. To the point. Just orange, blue, ISLES. And they have this rugby-like quality that is different. Their sweaters went off script a bit and in the opposite way the Rangers went classic, the Islanders have a jersey built for this occasion.
Greg Wyshynski, NHL reporter: The Rangers have the sweetest jersey, no doubt. It has a little streetwear edge that I wish the other teams had chased in their design. But for the uniform set, I’ll take the Devils. That red and black is really going to pop under the stadium lights in contrast to those Flyers jerseys. The black-on-red nameplates and numbers probably aren’t going to be popular with play-by-play announcers, but they help make this sweater pop.
How many of these four teams make the playoffs?
Clark: Let’s say two. People keep waiting for the Flyers to stumble, yet it’s mid-February and they’re still in a playoff spot while the Rangers have a shot at winning the President’s Trophy. The question really lies with the Devils and the Islanders. Both are within striking distance of a wild-card spot. Both of them also have questions they must answer when it comes to whether or not they can return to the playoffs.
Matiash: Two. Assuming there’s no tragic unraveling in sight, the Rangers are a shoo-in, while the Devils — semi-bold prediction here — will make a spirited charge to season’s end, with an addition via trade in net to help in that regard. I also expect the Flyers to eventually miss out on a wild-card spot by a smidge, beaten to that position by a spirited Detroit Red Wings team that somehow still manages to keep the wheels turning through mid-April.
Öcal: Two. The Rangers … and I’m not sure about the other one. It will be a fun race in the Metro, that’s for sure.
Shilton: I want to say optimistically that three of the four will get there. It depends if Philadelphia GM Danny Briere goes into full trading mode at the deadline, though. The Rangers look like a lock and one of the Islanders or Devils can certainly push their way in over the next few weeks. It’s those Flyers we can’t nail down just yet. They’ve had an incredible run to this point and it would be fun to see them back in the playoff mix.
Wyshynski: The Rangers are obviously a playoff team that’s on pace for around 106 points. They’re fine. The Flyers have a 75% chance of making the playoffs, per Stathletes. While I think their goaltending could ultimately undermine their season, the same could be said of the Devils. John Tortorella has a talent for getting middling teams into playoff spots to the detriment of the franchise’s long-term plans, and I think the tradition continues here.
So that’s two. But I think it’ll be three, as the Devils make the cut. You can already hear a louder heartbeat since Jack Hughes came back. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them take the No. 3 seed to set up a rematch with either the Rangers or the Hurricanes in the first round. Alas, the Islanders fall short of the postseason, which will no doubt help fuel Patrick Roy’s existential angst.
Who wins each game?
Clark: The Devils and the Islanders. Staying close in the wild-card race or overtaking the teams in front of them is the priority for both teams. Even more so now that the NHL is at that stage of the season when front offices are evaluating whether or not they can get into the playoffs. It’s what made Jack Hughes’ return to the lineup so crucial for the Devils and the decision to hire Patrick Roy important for the Islanders.
Both teams believe they can get into the playoffs. So do the Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the two teams that are ahead of them in the standings. It’s why every result approaching the trade deadline is so important.
Matiash: The Devils and Rangers. Philadelphia will have a difficult time in managing a fully-primed (never mind irritated, after Thursday’s tight loss to L.A.) Jack Hughes, while Nico Daws is playing well enough in net to give his side a solid chance. Winners of six straight, the red-hot Rangers appear too great for an Islanders team that isn’t exactly blooming as desired under new coach Patrick Roy. Plus, Igor Shesterkin looks comfortable again.
Öcal: I’m going Devils and Rangers to get the W’s. I’m looking for the atmosphere to be electric, despite the weather being colder than this “ice in my veins” move:
Connor McTurkish pic.twitter.com/6yV6Q7Thzf
— ᴀʀᴅᴀ Öᴄᴀʟ (@Arda) February 16, 2024
Shilton: The Flyers and Rangers. I’m fully expecting some great competition out of these matchups and the Devils will be extra motivated to perform in their home state, but Philadelphia has been the more consistent club overall and I like their odds of taking a close one from New Jersey. And the afternoon tilt might end up being a true goalie battle! Ilya Sorokin at one end and likely Igor Shesterkin at the other. Two good teams duking it out in between. That’s good drama! In the end though, the Rangers look poised to pull out a big win to cap off the weekend.
Wyshynski: I think the Devils give the home state fans something to cheer about and take the first game in regulation, in a critical win for their playoff chances. I think the Rangers also give the home state fans something to cheer about — whether they’re the North Jersey Blueshirts faithful or coming over the bridges and tunnels — by dispatching the rival Islanders in a matchup between the league’s fifth-best power play and one of the worst penalty kills in recent memory.
Nominate a future Stadium Series destination
Clark: Can we nominate two locations the NHL hasn’t been before? The first would be somewhere in Florida. We’ve seen Raleigh, Dallas, Los Angeles and Santa Clara get outdoor games in the past. It makes you wonder if Florida could be a possibility the same way the NHL made Dodger Stadium a reality back in 2014.
The second would be either Camp Randall at the University of Wisconsin or Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. Both those venues have hosted college hockey games in the past, with each of them drawing more than 40,000 in attendance.
Matiash: A tilt between the Avalanche and Blues in front of 90,000 fans at Memorial Stadium in Nebraska would be incredibly cool. The century-plus old joint is teeming with history, and the midwestern winter weather could prove ideal.
Öcal: Mexico City. Istanbul. Mars. The Colosseum. The planet Hoth from Star Wars. What I’m saying is: Let’s make future locations as ambitious and creative as possible.
Shilton: The first place that came to mind is Notre Dame. It hosted a Winter Classic in 2019, but it would be cool to see the NHL back there in a place where hockey holds such a rich history. The weather, the venue, the fan interest; it would all line up and make for a terrific experience.
Wyshynski: The dream remains the Flyers and Penguins at Beaver Stadium at Penn State. Hopefully, it can finally happen after some renovations they’re planning for the football home of the Nittany Lions. These teams have met in outdoor games before, but the real Battle of the Keystone State won’t be fought until Beaver is the battleground.
