This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
We live in the age of the personality, but what's so great about hockey that it never forgets about the guys who quietly go about their business every day.
On Friday night, the Canucks will pay tribute to Mattias Ohlund, inducting the fan favorite into the team's Ring of Honour, a celebration of key figures in the franchise's history who won't have their number retired but instead have a plaque placed on the upper bowl of the arena, joining other Canucks luminaries such as Kirk McLean and the late Pat Quinn.
Forced to retire due to injuries, Ohlund spent nearly his entire career with Vancouver, appearing in 770 games. Never the smoothest (that would be Jyrki Lumme) nor the most exciting (Ed Jovanovski), Ohlund won the hearts of many with his ability to do it all, and was such a model of consistency and strength that he was the unheralded heart and soul of the Canucks blue line for years.
His dedication to taking care of his own end first often came at the detriment of his offensive production, never scoring more than 36 points in any season even though he had the smarts and talent to be a top-notch power play quarterback. Instead, he spent his time clearing the front of the net and mentoring the team's young Swedes, including Alex Edler and the Sedin twins, all three of whom credit him for their success today.
A decade ago when Jarome Iginla was still on the Flames and considered the league's most unstoppable power forward, Ohlund was one of the few players in the league who could go toe-to-toe and pound-for-pound with him in front of the crease. If Iginla was the unstoppable force, Ohlund was the immovable object.
Featured Matchups
Islanders (PP: 30, PK: 24) at Sabres (PP: 4, PK: 29), 7:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Jaroslav Halak (5-8-5, 3.13, .907), Robin Lehner (6-9-4, 2.47, .919)
Key Injuries:Zach Bogosian (knee), Tyler Ennis (groin), Taylor Fedun (shoulder), Adam Pelech (upper body)
How low can you go? The two worst teams in the Eastern Conference go head-to-head in a match of desperation, but only one team is trending in the right direction. Jack Eichel's return from a high-ankle sprain has kicked the Sabres offense into another gear, and the team should finally be healthy by the end of the year, putting them in position to spark a mid-season run if things go well. On the other hand, there doesn't seem to be much help coming to save the Islanders' season, who enter the game losers of three straight and having allowed 15 goals during that span.
Kings (PP: 22, PK: 15) at Penguins (PP: 10, PK: 26), 7:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Peter Budaj (13-7-2, 2.27, .907), Matt Murray (12-2-0, 1.93, .935)
Key Injuries:Brayden McNabb (collarbone), Jonathan Quick (groin), Kris Letang (lower body)
The Kings bounced back nicely with a 4-1 win after losing 6-3 to the Sabres, but have a tough matchup ahead against the Penguins. The key will be stopping Sidney Crosby and his ridiculous scoring touch, and you can bet the ultra-competitive Drew Doughty is looking forward to shutting down his Team Canada teammate. The goaltending has to be good for the Kings because they're not very good at scoring, and Murray has been a stalwart all season. The Pens' speed has to be reckoned with and the Kings don't have the legs to match, so look for Darryl Sutter to ask his team to step up and clog up the neutral zone so guys like Phil Kessel can't build up speed.
Blue Jackets (PP: 1, PK: 13) at Flames (PP: 17, PK: 25), 9:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Sergei Bobrovsky (17-5-2, 1.94, .934), Chad Johnson (13-5-1, 2.12, .928)
Key Injuries:Dalton Prout (back)
On a scale of one to 10, the Blue Jackets' entertainment value is about a 12. They forecheck hard, their young players are unbelievable and they generate offense consistently with their speed and size. It will be a tough test for Johnson, who has taken the No. 1 job from Brian Elliott, but don't expect much if the Flames defense can't keep the Blue Jackets at bay. Discipline will be key for the Flames, whose 25th-ranked penalty kill will surely be shredded by Columbus' top-ranked power play. Anyone taking any bets on when John Tortorella will charge the Flames' dressing room again?
Other Matchups
Capitals (PP: 15, PK: 8) at Hurricanes (PP: 5, PK: 1), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Braden Holtby (14-6-2, 2.08, .925), Cam Ward (9-8-5, 2.34, .915)
Key Injuries:Bryan Bickell (illness), Eddie Lack (concussion)
The Caps have won five straight, but four of those wins have come against teams that were below .500, and they've scored an average of just 2.71 goals per game this season despite finishing second in the league with 3.02 goals per game last year. The 'Canes are talented but frighteningly inconsistent, especially on the defensive end, which means that this is a good time for the Caps offense to bust out.
Sharks (PP: 19, PK: 18) at Canadiens (PP: 11, PK: 16), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Martin Jones (15-10-1, 2.10, .920), Carey Price (16-3-2, 1.80, .940)
Key Injuries:David Desharnais (knee), Alex Galchenyuk (knee), Greg Pateryn (ankle), Logan Couture (undisclosed), Tomas Hertl (knee)
The Sharks were a bit of a mess against Ottawa, with Marc-Edouard Vlasic uncharacteristically spearing Erik Karlsson and then seeing Couture be victimized by Mike Hoffman with a nasty cross-check to the head. The Habs still haven't made any big roster moves to fill their big holes at center, which means that this is a prime opportunity for Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski to take advantage. Although Price sports good career numbers against the Sharks, he's only won two games against them in eight appearances, and there's little hope for the Habs offense when they're missing their top center.
Panthers (PP: 23, PK: 5) at Avalanche (PP: 16, PK: 22), 9:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:James Reimer (3-4-2, 2.96, .896), Calvin Pickard (5-4-1, 2.86, .907)
Key Injuries:Francois Beauchemin (upper body), Joe Colborne (lower body), Erik Johnson (leg), Semyon Varlamov (groin), Jonathan Huberdeau (achilles), Jonathan Marchessault (lower body), Alex Petrovic (ankle)
The Panthers and Avs are both teams in search of an identity; the fallout from Gerard Gallant's firing continues to dominate headlines, while the Avs continue to move in every direction but up. Not having Beauchemin or Johnson in the lineup will really hurt, especially if the Panthers can get pucks deep and use Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad to punish defensemen below the hash marks. While the Panthers try to get it going, this may be a good opportunity for Pickard to see if he can get the inside track on the No. 1 job.
Lightning (PP: 6, PK: 23) at Canucks (PP: 28, PK: 12), 10:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Ben Bishop (9-10-1, 2.87, .905), Ryan Miller (6-9-0, 2.88, .909)
Key Injuries:Ryan Callahan (lower body), Nikita Kucherov (undisclosed), Ondrej Palat (undisclosed), Steven Stamkos (knee), Derek Dorsett (neck), Alexander Edler (finger), Philip Larsen (upper body), Anton Rodin (knee), Chris Tanev (ankle)
Both teams are supremely banged up, but there's little doubt that the Lightning should win this game. The Canucks' 8-6 collapse after allowing six goals in the third period against Carolina is particularly concerning, and even more so if they come out with a similar effort. The good news is that after sitting out as a healthy scratch, Sven Baertschi has clearly gotten the message and starting to score. The Canucks are still building a team that prides itself on its size and speed, and it'll be interesting to see how much of their will they can impose on the Lightning, who have drawn criticism this year for being too soft.
Recommended Pickup
Sam Gagner, RW, CBJ – We are all on the bandwagon now, yes? Gagner has five goals and four assists during the Jackets' seven-game winning streak, and has made good use of what little ice time has been given to him. John Tortorella knows what he has: a talented playmaker who struggles with the speed and physicality of the NHL at even strength, but give him enough time and space and he create plays other players can't. Is it any coincidence that Gagner is having the best season of his career playing on the league's best power play when nearly 30 percent of his career points have been scored with the man advantage? His shooting percentage is sky-high and the Jackets shouldn't be this good, but given his current production and dual-position eligibility, he can be a very valuable fantasy asset right now.
