I have to say I'm really shocked to hear the big news from the NHL Board of Governors meetings that the league is looking at a second outdoor game to be played in Canada. Well, actually, I would've been shocked if I hadn't reported that last June. But, I did. Oh well.
OK, let's get to tonight's picks. I was a very respectable 4-2 last week. That was stunning news after being way off the mark for several straight weeks. Can I make it back-to-back weeks over the .500 mark? I'm feeling good! Here we go.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers
How many fights tonight? In the first half of this home-and-home battle between these hated rivals, there were three bouts in 16 seconds. I think they can do better tonight. I have no idea what's happened to the Flyers, but they are a mess. NHL Network analyst/two-time Cup winner Dave Reid did a great job of breaking down their defensive shortcomings during a recent edition of "On The Fly." Maybe Philly wins on home ice, but I can't pick them. I'll take the Penguins.
To read the rest of E.J. Hradek's picks for Thursday, which includes a Penguins-Flyers game that could get dirty, and how a pesky sexy rookie could help the Ducks win, you must be an ESPN Insider.
E.J. Hradek
Senior Writer, ESPN The MagazineABOUT THIS BLOG
E.J. Hradek
E.J. Hradek is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, joining the staff prior to its launch in 1998. He began covering hockey as a writer/editor for Hockey Illustrated in 1989. The following year, he beat the Stars to Dallas (by three years), taking over as the editor of Beckett Hockey Monthly. When the Stars finally did arrive in Big D, he hosted a weekly hockey radio show and tried (unsuccessfully) to convert ESPN's Skip Bayless to the greatest game on ice.
In 1996, Hradek left Dallas, but not the Stars. Relocating back to the New York area, he became a part-time pro scout for the club, seeing more than 100 NHL/AHL games for each of the next two seasons. The scouting gig was a great learning experience, offering a different view of the game.
Hradek grew up in Tuckahoe, N.Y., about a 40-minute train ride from New York City. Despite the proximity to the Rangers, Hradek embraced the Islanders when the expansion franchise debuted in 1972. Eight years later, he was part of the sellout crowd at the Nassau Coliseum that witnessed the Islanders' first Stanley Cup championship.
