Stockholm Showdown: Penguins and victims heading to Sweden – Hockey Writers –
The NHL regular season is, by its very nature, a grueling 82-game stretch of heavily guarded rinks and venues in North America. But for the 15th time since the league started the tradition, the show goes on the road. This weekend, the focus of the hockey world from Pittsburgh and Nashville to Stockholm, Sweden, as the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators prepare to fight for four points of the NHL Global Series Sweden, presented by Fastenel.
These neutral shows. Both clubs are giving up a home date for this two-game set, scheduled for Friday (Nov. 14) and Sunday (Nov. 16) at Avicii Avia Avide. For the NHL, it’s a strategic move to strengthen its bond with its beloved European Fanbase. Stockholm, in fact, will increase its status as the NHL’s most visited city outside of North America, where it results in 18 regular season competitions after this weekend.
For the two parties involved, however, this trip represents a very different, but serious, business.
A tale of two tapes
Penguins and raptors don’t just cross the Atlantic; They arrived at two completely different places in the league standings.
The penguins, 17 games into the season, are doing what penguins-led veltuins teams do: winning. They arrived in Sweden with a 9-5-3 record (21 points), sitting comfortably in third place in the metropolitan division. The old guard is no longer alive. Evgeni Malkin, 39, plays like a ten-year-old, leading the team with 21 points (3 goals, 18 assists). Captain Sidney Crosby, meanwhile, continues to have a breakout season, leading the offense with 11 goals. For Pittsburgh, this trip is about managing the flow, banking on wins against a struggling opponent, and keeping the plaliloff.
Related – Should penguins be buyers or sellers at the crossing?
On the other hand, deer are hungry.
Nashville arrives in Stockholm amid a brutal slide, winning just one of their last nine contests. The 5-9-4-4 record (14 points) is buried next to the Western Conference, which remains eighth in the wild card race. This international trip is built internally as a much-needed “Reset” – an opportunity to get away from the pressure of the province, bond as a group, and get 4,000 kilometers from home. The challenge is enormous. Long flights and time changes can easily compound team problems as you solve them. In Nashville, these two games are nothing new; they are conversion opportunities, or anchors.
The massacre of the Swedes
While Hartatives Team provides competitive drama, the human interest story is about a murder. Both rosters are filled with Swedish talent, but two names, in particular, will be the focus of local fans and media.
For the penguins, the return of Erik Karlsson. The 35-year-old, three-time Norris Trophy winner is a native of the country and remains a legend in his homeland. While his offensive numbers aren’t his greatest threat, his presence on the ice is a significant draw.
For attackers, the outlook is a little brighter for Filip Forsberg. The 31-year-old from ÖstervÅla is the Franchise’s all-time scoring leader and, also, the team leader in both goals and points through 17 games. Forsberg will play in his home country as his team’s offensive engine, carrying the weight of a franchise that needs his full production.
The Swedish controversy also includes the victims of the protection of victims Adam Wilsby, the festival of Stockholm who was reported to have served as a guide for the group. ” Unfortunately, the other penguins’ other Swedish forwards, Rickard Rakell (Reserve Reserve) and Filip Allander (injured), will be spectators. Hallander will remain in Pittsburgh after being diagnosed last week with a blood clot in the leg of the 25-year-old for at least three months.
More than just two games
This weekend is a full-on assault on the NHL, designed to engage the Swedish market further in a two-game set. The league is launching the NHL Global Fan Tour in the city’s famous Kungstrträrdädtrtädgården Park
On Saturday, fans can head to the family-friendly open air stage at the Avicii Arena, followed by a headlining concert at the nearby hovet by Swedish cart-toppers Bolaget. The need is safe; The first allotment of tickets for the games sold out quickly, prompting the league to release an additional batch.
This is all part of a larger, long-term plan for the NHL. The European push, which recently included the opening of the League’s new office in Zurich, Switzerland, is about expanding business and “deepening connections,” as the league puts it. It’s about making sure the next Forsberg, Karlsson, or Nick Lidstrom is watching.
View from the news box
This is not the first time that these two franchises need their passports to play against each other. Longtime fans may remember that they kicked off the 2000-01 season with a pair of Saitama, Japan. Statistics are very sensitive to this.
Related – Stamkos’ performance The muted performance is caused by the victims with mounting questions
The attackers are biding their time. A sweep in Stockholm could be the catalyst they need to recover their start. Losing a pair of, however, will make for a much longer flight home and a deeper hole to get out of. The penguins, who last played in Stockholm in 2008, just need to avoid conceding.
For North American Students, the broadcast program will be a test of dedication. Friday’s game drops the puck at 1 PM CT (2 PM et), but Sunday’s game is breakfast – special ball, air at 8 am et).
When the puck drops, there will be no jet lag. Something new will go. There will be two NHL teams, on NHL Ice (played in North America), fighting for two points. For hunters, it’s a way of life. For the penguins, it’s business as usual.
AI tools are used to support the creation or distribution of this content, but it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of the audience’s hockey editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our rankings page.
