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Marner Working to Avoid Sophomore Slump After an impressive rookie season, Toronto Maple Leafs center Mitchell Marner has been flying under the radar, which has many worried about what the 2017-2018 season will hold. Marner was selected fourth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft after playing two impressive seasons with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. His junior accolades form a lengthy list that includes finishing second among OHL rookies in scoring, being named the 2016 Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year and helping London win the Memorial Cup. After being drafted, Marner went on to play for Canada in the 2016 World Junior Championship where he tied for the team lead in scoring. With such an impressive résumé, many expected the center to make a big impact on the Leafs. He didn’t disappoint. As one-third of the rookie trio, Marner racked up 61 points (19 G, 42 A) in 77 games played. This number was good enough to tie for third place in scoring on the team and his 42 assists set a new rookie record. What the young leaf lacks in size, he compensates for with his speed, passing ability and playmaking skills. As the 2017-2018 season rolled around, Leafs fans and coaches had high hopes for the trio of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner. All three were quick to make an impact by scoring a goal in the team’s first regular season game against the Winnipeg Jets. As the season rolled on, Matthews and Nylander continued to make their presence known while Marner slid into the background. In an effort to increase productivity and create a better defensive presence, head coach Mike Babcock sent Marner down to the fourth line. Babcock insisted that it wasn’t personal or monumental, but media outlets took it otherwise. News outlets have been constantly talking about the center’s rough start and rumors started flying about a trade between Toronto and Edmonton. While many were not happy about this decision, something seems to be working. Before the move, Marner had just one goal and three assists and now has two goals and eleven assists. The young star didn’t see much action for a series of games until the Leaf’s Nov. 4 meeting against the St. Louis Blues, where he recorded two assists. Just two days later, he chipped in an assist and the lone goal in a shootout in the team’s first meeting with the Vegas Golden Knights. To cap off a strong week, he added three assists and a goal – his first in seventeen games – in two games. There were a number of factors that could’ve contributed to this burst of scoring. Matthews missed three games this past week, which shook up the lines quite a bit – moving Marner up to the second and third lines. Perhaps the new lines worked in his favor or maybe he felt the need to step up in Matthews’ absence. It could also simply be a result of more shots on net. “(Passing first) has always been a mindset of mine that I’m trying to get rid of now,” said Marner (to the Toronto media). “It’s pretty hard when you’ve been passing your whole life. It’s getting better, having the opportunity to shoot a little more.”

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Regardless of the reason, the Leafs are surely glad to see Marner putting up the numbers. There’s still a long way to go, as the season is only about a fourth of the way over, but thirteen points in nineteen games isn’t looking too bad. If he continues to utilize his speed and playmaking skills, Marner will surely find himself back on track for a solid sophomore season.

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NHL Season Off to a Hot Start: First Quarter Analysis The NHL season is only a quarter over, but there has been no shortage of action in the first 318 games of the season. In fact, there’s been so much action that we’re just going to discuss some of the top takeaways from the first quarter: Goals on Goals on Goals There have been 1, 924 goals scored in the first 49 games of the season, which is a 12.4% increase from the 2016-2017 season. Individually, even strength goals are up 10.9%, power-play goals are up 17.4%, and shorthanded are up 24.1%. While the scoring is generally spread throughout the 31 teams, fourteen different teams have scored at least seven goals in a game this season. The Chicago Blackhawks lead this group after scoring ten goals in their season opener. Youth Takeover Typically, each team has one or two younger players/rookies that you follow just to see how they’re doing, but they may not be the focus of the team. Well, this season the younger players are everywhere and raking up the points. Twenty-three of the top-40 scorers right now are 25 or younger and almost 50% of players to appear in a game this season are in the same age range. Rookies making a major impact so far include: Clayton Keller, Brock Boesner, Nico Hischier, Mathew Barzal and Will Bucher. Need a Hat? The increase in overall scoring this season may have to do with the fact that hat tricks have become a weekly occurrence. The season kicked off with a bang as both Wayne Simmonds and Connor McDavid scored a hat trick on opening night. This was only the third time in NHL history that multiple hat tricks occurred on the first day of the season. Just one day later, Washington Capitals left wing, Alexander Ovechkin, scored his first hat trick of the season - only to add another two days later. In total, 21 players have combined for 23 hat tricks, which is the third-most through 318 games in the past 20 years. Viva Las Vegas As the first expansion team since 2000, the Vegas Golden Knights faced a lot of scrutiny coming into their first season. People either thought that they would go all the way or wouldn’t win a single game. Well, their season so far is pointing more towards the first option. They been racking up the records including matching the record for the longest win streak by a team in its inaugural season with five. They also currently share the league lead for home wins this season with eight. It hasn’t been a picture perfect season for the NHL newest team however. The team has seen a rash of injuries which forced them to utilize five different goalies. This hasn’t stopped them, however, as the team currently sits in first place in the Pacific division.

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Is it too early to talk about playoffs? The correct answer is: it’s never too early. Sure it’s only a quarter into the season and thinks can change in an instant, the standings now may give us some indication of what to expect later on down the road. Right now, the western conference is lead by the St. Louis Blues in the Central Division and the Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific. Don’t expect these positions to last for long however, as the Los Angeles Kings and the Winnipeg Jets are right on their heels. The Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks are also knocking at the playoff door from their wild card spots. Over in the eastern conference, the Columbus Blue Jackets lead the Metropolition Dvision and the Tampa Bay Lightning lead the Atlantic. This is certainly not shocking as both teams have had a pretty good start. The Lightning will probably hold their spot for a while, but things look uncertain for the Blue Jackets as the top three spots are decided by a measly three points. The one shocker in this conference, is the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals looking from the outside in. The two teams that usually occupy two out of three of the top spots, have found themselves in wildcard positions. Looking Ahead: After a nice Thanksgiving break, there’s plenty more hockey to be played and records to be broken in the next few quarters. So, in the words of Lazlo Holmes…let’s do that hockey!

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Golden Knights Find Luck in Vegas This time last year, the Vegas Golden Knights didn’t exist, but now they’re nine games into their inaugural season and making a big impact. As the first expansion team since the year 2000, the hockey world had mixed feelings about the team. Some thought the Golden Knights would go 0-82 while others were betting on 82-0. However, neither side was correct. On Friday, Oct. 6, the Golden Knights played their first official regular season game and picked up a win against the Dallas Stars. The team picked up two more wins against the Arizona Coyotes before suffering their first loss at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings. They didn’t let the loss phase them however, as they went on to win five-straight games, putting them at a record of 8-1-0. This record not only gives them the best record out of the teams with nine games played, but it is also the most impressive start for an expansion team in NHL history. The road to their impressive record hasn’t always been easy though. In just their fourth game of the season, star goalie Marc-Andre Fleury suffered a concussion. This injury, while not extremely serious, had NHL fans believing things were about to go downhill. The Golden Knights didn’t stay down however as they substituted Malcom Subban in goal where he earned his first NHL career win. Unfortunately, just two games later, he was injured at the hands of the St. Louis Blues and the team was forced to substitute yet another goalie. Vegas called up Oscar Dansk from the Chicago Wolves who has guided them to their last three wins including a 7-0 shutout against the Colorado Avalanche; the first in team history. While their roster seems to be ever-changing, the combination of players is big part of why the team has been so successful so far. Unlike a number of other teams, the roster doesn’t feature elite players and lines, it features a large number of good players. Rather than focusing on skill, the team relies on hard work from every player on the ice which can be seen in the large number of players with points on the board. “Good team, very hard working,” said Chicago Blackhawks forward, Jonathan Toews. “You know obviously they are excited so and they are playing almost playoff like hockey. They have guys coming down, blocking shots, playing with energy and playing off of their crowd quite a bit.” (Source: SinBin.vegas) While the Golden Knights have been looking solid, they still have a long road ahead of themselves. The team will play 14 of its next 20 games on the road, after playing seven out of nine at home. There’s also the continually changing roster, which, hasn’t put a damper on the team yet, but may have some effect in the future. Not to mention, it’s highly possible that pure luck has played a factor in a number of games. “We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves,” said General Manager Gerard Gallant. “A great start, obviously, but it’s a long year. The guys have got to work hard. They’ve got to compete every night and play every night.” (Source: SinBin.vegas)

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Vegas looks to continue their hot start in the next week when they take on the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators.

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Saturday Features Multiple Matchups

While there’s bound to be at least one game on every day, Saturdays typically feature a plethora of NHL matchups.

As a fan of multiple teams or a die hard hockey fan, it might be hard to pick and choose games to watch.

Today, Sat. Nov. 4, is no exception. Almost every team will see action as the schedule features 13 different matchups.

If you’re struggling to decide which game to turn on, take a look at our picks for the top three games of the day:

1. Vegas Golden Knights at Ottawa Senators | 2 p.m. ET

The first matchup of the day is an early one, but it just might be worth it. The NHL’s newest team, the Golden Knights (8-4-0), look to break their three-game losing streak, against the Senators (6-2-5). The Knights surprised many by having the best start in NHL expansion team history before suffering a string of injured goalies, which most likely led to their string of losses. On the other side, the Senators have been a little back and forth, but their hard work can be seen in the number of wins and OT losses. Put two hardworking teams together and you’re sure to have an entertaining game.

2. Columbus Blue Jackets at Tampa Bay Lightning | 7 p.m. ET

The Blue Jackets and the Lightning will meet for their second matchup of the season at 7 p.m. The Blue Jackets (9-4-0) look to continue their three-game win streak and avenge their 2-0 loss to Tampa Bay in October. The Lightning (10-2-2) are coming off a shocking OT loss to the New York Rangers. However, the Lightning has been strong this season thanks to Stamkos and Kucherov who combine for 45 points and were named the NHL First and Second Star of the month respectively. Tampa Bay currently sits in the No. 1 spot in the league while Columbus sits just four spots down at No. 5.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs at St. Louis Blues | 7 p.m. ET

The Blues (10-3-1) are looking to bounce back after suffering their first home loss to the Flyers on Thursday night, while the Leafs (8-6-0) are looking to find a win after their comeback fell just short in a 5-3 loss to the LA Kings. St. Louis currently sits at No. 1 in the Central Division and is tied for No. 1 in the Western Conference. After a hot start to the season, the Leafs have been struggling to re-find their rhythm and sit slightly farther down at No. 3 in the Atlantic Division. While the Blues have a better record and are slightly more consistent, the young, quick Leafs may be desperate for the win and currently are second in the NHL for most goals per game.

Click here for a complete list of games and start times for today.

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Teams work to create a fanbase through Social Media When picking a hockey team, most people typically look at factors related to the game such as the team’s record and their roster, but other factors such as social media might play into the decision as well. Social Media isn’t new in the sports world by any means, but the way that it is being utilized is. Most sports teams post content that is strictly related to the game such as game previews, score updates, and highlights. This information can be useful and interesting to fans, but is it really drawing potential fans in? A number of teams, specifically in the NHL, have drawn away from the norm and create content that showcases the team’s personality, instead of posting straight forward, bland content over and over. While the teams typically utilize Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, most of the interesting content lives on their Twitter account. Through their interactions with fans and other teams and their unique presentations of information, teams develop an entertaining and inviting personality. This personality can turn followers into fans and increase engagement for the NHL as a whole. “The ability for (fans) to connect with us and with each other through social media has, I believe, helped grow the game,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman (Source: USA Today). One team that has really blossomed on social media is the newly formed Vegas Golden Knights. Coming into the season, the Golden Knights didn’t really have a large fan base due to the fact that they’ve only officially existed for a few months. The team quickly caught the attention of Twitter users, however, as they tweeted humorous stats about their first season and engaged in witty banter with other Twitter users. The light-hearted feel carried on even through the team’s losses and established a humorous, personable personality. The tweets paid off for Vegas as hundreds of users tweeted the team to express their fondness of the team and their tweets. Thanks to this strong effort, the team had a multitude of fans before their first season even started. While it received a lot of attention, the team was not the first to take this approach. The Columbus Blue Jackets are known for their sassy replies to Twitter users and their clever shade towards other teams. They’ve been in quite a few interactions with other teams, such as the Los Angeles Kings who are also known for their strong Twitter game. Some teams are even taking their social media a little farther than most. The Colorado Avalanche recently branched out from the typical channels and created a Tumblr account. While it may seem like an odd decision to some (or most), Tumblr is actually home to a large hockey community. Unlike on other social media platforms, the Avalanche can really interact with their fans and post behind the scenes photos or content that is specifically for their account. Their content ranges

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from short videos clips of players at events to specific content they create at the request of users to reposts of other user content. Not to mention the team has created plenty of unique tags such as “Gabe the babe” for their captain, Gabe Landeskog. Regardless of the method they choose, it is clear that social media is a big part of the hockey world. These accounts not only allow fans to keep up with the team in a business sense, it can also give them a behind-the-scenes look or make them feel as if they actually know the team. What do you think? These are just a few of our personal favorite accounts in the NHL. If you have any favorites that aren’t listed, feel free to let us know so we can check them out!

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Rooting for the Rookies

For most individuals, October 2017 simply signaled the start of another hockey season, but for some, it signaled the start of a career in the National Hockey League. For many hockey players, making it to the NHL is the dream. Players put in years of training and hard work just for a shot at being drafted. However, being drafted is only the first step. Rookies have to prove themselves and earn their spot on the main roster. After the 2017 draft, all eyes were on Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick, who were drafted number one and two respectively. Both centers made the main rosters and have managed to rack up a number of points in their first few NHL games. Hischier made his presence known on the New Jersey Devils’ roster by recording seven points in the first eight games from two goals and five assists. Patrick has been somewhat quiet so far, only recording three points (one goal, two assists) for the Philadelphia Flyers, but shows great potential. While they have been getting most of the attention, the top draft picks aren’t the only ones making their presence known. It seems that the New Jersey Devils had the luck of the draw as they have seen two additional rookies post impressive points to start the season. Left wing Jesper Bratt has made a shocking start, racking up three goals and three assists for a total of six points, after only scoring a total of six goals last season with AIK Stockholm. Will Butcher, a 22-year-old Devils defenseman, made franchise history by becoming the first player to record three points in his NHL debut. He didn’t stop there however, as he went on to become the first NHL defenseman to record eight points in his first five games. He currently has nine points in eight games. "My game is just moving pucks, and when I’m doing that and moving my feet, and trying to think of the play before it happens, it’s going well for me," Butcher told Sporting News. "I’m just getting lucky." Similar to Butcher, Mikhail Sergachev has put up quite a few points in just a few games. The 19-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman has collected eight points in nine games, six of which came from his last three games. Only time will tell however, if the points earn him a permanent spot on the roster as the Lightning have to decide if he will stay or return to juniors, before the team’s tenth game. “It’s a new day every day for me,” said Sergachev. “I’ve got to start from the bottom and go up again and gain that confidence, earn my ice time and play my game. Even if I made the team for, say, the 10th game, there’s a chance I can (still) go back to juniors.” With such a powerful start, it will be interesting to see if these rookies can carry their success through the remainder of the season.

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Other rookies to watch include: Brock Boeser (Vancouver Canucks), Sonny Milano (Columbus Blue Jackets), Joshua Ho-Sang (New York Islanders), and Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins)

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Playoff Committee Releases First College Football Playoff Rankings As the college football season rages on and the competition heats up, the Playoff Committee has released the first set of playoff rankings. The list features the top 25 teams in the nation who could make a playoff appearance this season based on their performances. While the list isn’t a complete surprise, there are some significant differences from the AP Top 25 polls that are released weekly and some overall shockers. Here are 3 of the biggest surprises from the poll:

1. Perhaps the biggest surprise for a lot of people who follow the polls is Georgia sitting at the top spot, followed by Alabama at #2. Alabama has been consistently strong and hasn’t moved from the top spot in the AP Poll all season. The Bulldogs however, have better wins including a road victory over #3 Notre Dame and a blowout of No. 16 Mississippi State. This top combination is interesting because two teams from the same conference have never made the playoffs in the same year. Regardless of who is #1 and who is #2, the two teams will likely meet in the SEC championship which will surely make for a highly competitive, nail-biting contest.

2. Two undefeated teams find themselves at the bottom of the top ten. In theory, one would

think that undefeated teams would be higher in the top ten and above teams with a 7-1 record. However, the rankings are essentially based on the team’s schedule and how they do in matchups against well-ranked teams. Wisconsin (No. 9) has been solid but their wins haven’t been quite as impressive as some of the other teams, with their biggest win coming against Northwestern (5-3). Luckily for the Badgers, if they continue their drive they could find themselves playing against Ohio State or Penn State in the Big Ten title game. Miami (No. 10) finds themselves in essentially the same boat with seven wins, none of which are overly impressive.

3. Yet another surprise, potentially one of the biggest, was Notre Dame landing in the #3

spot. The Fighting Irish are #5 in the AP poll, so a two spot jump isn’t huge, but many people weren’t expecting it. Their ranking most likely partially comes from the fact that Georgia is sitting in the #1 spot and they lost to UGA by just one point. The team also has wins against three committee-ranked teams. With that being said, they don’t have quite the schedule that some of the top-ten teams do, so it’s interesting that they made it so high based on their schedule. The team could easily still rise or fall with four games ahead of them including a game at #10 Miami.

It’s still early and these positions are sure to fluctuate in the next few weeks as the action continues. Even though it’s early, there are essentially nine lanes left for the contenders. The pool of title contenders includes: Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, Penn State, Washington, Oklahoma State, TCU, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and UCF.

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Auburn Looks to Pull Off Upset Against No. 1 Georgia The 2017-2018 college football season has been no stranger to upsets and big matchups, and the Auburn Tigers will look to keep that trend rolling this weekend, against the Georgia Bulldogs. The Georgia Bulldogs fell under the shadow of the Alabama Crimson Tide for most of the season, before taking the No. 1 spot in the college playoff rankings. The 8-0 Bulldogs have been fairly impressive with their big wins including a road victory over No. 3 Notre Dame and a blowout of No. 16 Mississippi State. Their record has allowed the team to clinch the SEC East and now they’re on the hunt for one of four playoff berths. If the team can win at Auburn, they will be all but be in the playoffs. The Tigers on the other hand, have two losses this season, but they are currently the highest ranked two-loss team in the nation. With that being said, only one of those wins has been over a ranked opponent, so it is difficult to tell what the Tigers will bring against the top team in the nation. They have notably kicked up their offense since their four-point loss to LSU on Oct. 14, but will it be enough to upset the Bulldogs? When looking at the numbers, Georgia is the clear winner. Auburn is 0-7 in its last seven games against top-ten opponents and they have dropped their last three contests against the Bulldogs. It was a fairly low-scoring affair the last time the two teams met, with a final score of 13-7. As poor as these numbers are, the Dawgs still can’t afford to sleep on this game. Statistically, Auburn has a better offense, but only by a small margin. The Tigers are averaging 36.9 points per game versus Georgia’s 36.6, and 466.1 yards versus 445.7. The defensive numbers are not as close, however. Georgia currently ranks fourth in the nation in total defense allowing an average of 254 yards and 11.7 points per game. If Auburn wants a shot at winning, they will need to find a way to crack the strong defensive line. “That's what it comes down to, the offensive and defensive lines,” said Auburn Tiger’s Head Coach, Gus Malzahn on Auburn’s “Tiger Talk”. “Up front, who wins the battle up front offensively and defensively is probably going to win the game." Even after considering all of this, Georgia is only favored to win by a measly 2.5 points. With such a close score, it is fair to expect a fairly entertaining game that will be decided in the fourth quarter. Both teams have something to prove, with Auburn looking for an upset win and Georgia looking to continue their streak and prove that they are for real.

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Packers Struggling to Hang On Without Rodgers The Green Bay Packers were off to a solid start this season with four wins and only one loss, until everything came crashing down in their sixth game when Aaron Rodgers suffered a devastating injury. On Oct. 15, Aaron Rodgers attempted a pass to Marcellus Bennett during the first quarter of the Packers and Vikings matchup, only to be hit hard by Vikings’ outside linebacker Anthony Barr. Rodgers braced himself for the fall on the turf with his right arm and was immediately carted off the field after the impact. It was later announced that he had broken his collarbone which would keep him out for an extended period of time. The two-time MVP is no stranger to collarbone injuries as the last time he missed significant amount of time in a season was also for a broken collarbone. However, his previous injury didn’t require surgery like this one. After a successful surgery, it’s now a waiting game to see when he’ll be back in action. Rodgers is required to sit out at least six weeks of practice and eight weeks of games due to the rules of injured reserve. This figure places him returning to practice in early December and eligible to play in the team’s week 15 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Whether or not the quarterback goes by these dates depends on how the bone is healing. “I want to be healthy, that’s the most important thing,” Rodgers told Packers.com. “But if we’re healthy in eight weeks and it would make sense to come back, then I’m going to come back.” Thanks to their hot start, the Packers are only one to two games behind the Vikings who lead the NFC-North. The post season could still be a reality depending on how backup quarterback, Brett Hundley, leads the team. “We have to go out there and win games,” Hundley said, according to Packers.com. “Our season isn’t over. That’s exactly what I mean. We still have everything in front of us. We have a long stretch coming up, but we have to make the most of it. Our expectations are still the same.” However, things don’t look great for Green Bay. After Rodgers left the field in Minneapolis, Hundley stepped in and it wasn’t pretty. The quarterback threw three interceptions in the stinging loss. After dropping the game against Minnesota, the Packers went on to lose to the New Orleans Saints, 26-17. While he looked slightly better than the previous week, Hundley threw for only 87 yards, compared to Drew Brees’ 331 yards. Only time will tell however, whether or not the Packers can hang on enough to make it to the post season and if Rodgers will make a final appearance this season. Looking Forward: The Packers will host the Detroit Lions at 8:30 ET tonight. While it may not be a huge matchup, it has implications for both sides. Hundley will be making his second NFL start tonight after an extra week of practice thanks to the bye week. If he shows no promise tonight, it may hard to

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gather any hope for a playoff appearance. The Lions are also looking to pickup a win to avoid sinking too far down with five losses.