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Showcasing Quintessential LA Corporate Style at CAA

TUNDRA_News | 5 Dec 2024

In recent years, we’ve seen a seismic shift in what is considered professional attire and while strict workplace dress codes are quite a thing of the past, working from home during COVID evolved the fashion sensibilities associated with working in an office environment, creating an opportunity to experiment with one’s individuality in their work attire. Lunchtime at the courtyard where Creative Artist Agency (CAA) has its international headquarters stands as a prime example of this evolution, with it’s central college campus-like plaza serving as a runway for employees on the go, highlighting the generational changes in corporate style. Does your work attire reflect your personality? CAA Headquarters is located on Avenue of the Stars in Century City/LA where the agency manages the careers of the entertainment industry’s creative talents. Though the courtyard offers an abundance of seating and picnic options to enjoy the sunny Los Angeles weather, most associates don’t linger. Instead, they grab a quick lunch from the café and head back inside making these to-go bags and boxes a common accessory to those who are just passing through. Denim is no longer a workplace taboo. Jeans of all shapes and sizes, along with denim jackets have become popular choices among CAA employees. The office no longer has to be a sea of dark blues and blacks. Introduce pops of your favorite colors into your professional wardrobe.

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Fink: Don’t Blame Montgomery, Blame The System

TUNDRA_News | 3 Dec 2024

The Boston Bruins post after parting ways with head coach Jim Montgomery. Source: Boston Bruins (twitter/X) The Boston Bruins are the first team to fire their head coach this season. They did so just a month in as they axed 2023 Jack Adams Award winner Jim Montgomery with hopes of turning the season around. The reactions are immediate and understandable in defense of Montgomery. He’s one of the best coaches in the NHL and the team's struggles can’t be pinned on him as much as the freon office and the poor roster decisions. That’s all true. The problem is that Montgomery is just another example of a head coach getting the surprise firing. It comes with the territory. The Bruins Fired Him Because They Couldn’t Fire Everyone In the NHL, teams will often fire their head coach and send a message to the locker room. They can replace the coach but not the roster and it’s a reflection of their poor play. Someone has to take the fall and in the Bruins case, it was Montgomery. This will give the Bruins a spark. The message is sent to the players that they could be next and they better improve. The Bruins have the players on their roster who can lead this team back on track. David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand are veterans who have been around for years. They know how to turn a season around and how to get this team playing at a high level. The Bruins will win a few games and leap back into contention in the next few weeks. That won’t mean that Montgomery was a bad coach but that this team needed a spark and this was a needed move. Coaches Have a Short Shelf Life There are few great head coaches in the NHL. The four longest-tenured coaches have stood the test of time and continue to get the best out of their rosters and make them Stanley Cup contenders year in and year out. The others eventually wear thin with their teams. A lot of good coaches, especially the passionate and fiery ones get the most out of their rosters for a season or two and make them competitive. Then, that same voice wears off. The team needs a change and the coach will go elsewhere to provide the same effect. The Bruins were a great team under Montgomery but eventually, his control of the team started the dwindle. It was noticeable at the beginning of the season and the Bruins needed to act now before it was too late. Montgomery Does Deserve Some of the Blame The Bruins were playing poorly and needed to let Montgomery go. They lost three games in a row and were struggling both on the offensive and defensive ends of the ice. On top of that, they looked like an undisciplined and careless team. Montgomery lost the locker room and it showed on the ice. The Bruins might not have the best roster in the NHL but he wasn’t getting the least out of it. Ironically, the Bruins have the pieces to turn the season around. They were an active team in the offseason and added elite play to both the forward unit and the defense. With star power on this roster, a new coach can have this team competing for the Cup.

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Fink: Why We Were Wrong About The Jets?

TUNDRA_News | 3 Dec 2024

Eric Comrie and Connor Hellebuyck celebrating their recent win. Source: Winnipeg Jets (twitter/X) Many people picked the Winnipeg Jets to miss the playoffs and be one of the rebuilding teams. Some predicted them as a wild card team or a good but not great team in the Central Division that would make the playoffs but not much more than that. Nobody predicted at the start that the Jets would be the best team in the NHL. At 15-1, that’s what they are. They have been dominant with a top-of-the-league offense and defense, making them far and beyond the best team early on. The question is why we were wrong about the Jets. What did we miss? There are three themes for how the Jets took over the league this season and explain why they are a remarkable team. The Jets Depth is Unmatched The Jets lack the star power that other great teams have. They don’t have Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, or any of the top players in the NHL. To be fair, Kyle Connor and Connor Hellebuyck are stars but they aren’t superstars. This team is built on great depth. They have plenty of great scorers on their later lines, a credit to players like Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iaffalo, and Mason Appleton stepping up. Likewise, the defense is three strong pairings anchored by Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, and Dylan DeMelo. The Jets have enough depth to slowly overwhelm any team over the course of a game. They might not win the shift but they will win the period and ultimately, the game. They built this team with the idea that second and third-line players can and will take over games and they have this season. They Are Built From The Net Out The rest of the league is shifting towards skill and offense. It’s why most of the money is being invested in skilled players like McDavid and Matthews. Goaltending is being devalued. Not with the Jets. The Jets have the best goaltender in the NHL with Hellebuyck winning the Vezina Trophy last season and looking like the frontrunner early on this season. He can singlehandedly lead the Jets to victories and he’s done so throughout the season. There are games where the Jets score two goals and the game already feels out of reach because they have Hellebuyck. Goaltending has stood out for the Jets but it’s not just the play in the net. They also have a great defense. They can win games by eliminating the opposing offense and then shifting the focus to the offensive end of the ice. They allow 2.13 goals per game and it’s why they are leaps and bounds better than the rest of the league. The Bet From The Front Office A theme this offseason has been signing players to extensions before they hit free agency. It’s a move that benefits the front office as they can maintain control of the players and avoid losing them in the offseason for nothing. Once in a while, a team will bet on players who head to free agency. They will hope that the player bets on themself and with a great season, they help the team while cashing out in the offseason. That’s what the Florida Panthers did last season and what the Jets are doing. Nikolaj Ehlers, one of their top scorers, is a free agent after this season. So is Iaffalo, Mason Appleton, and Neal Pionk. All four skaters are having remarkable seasons and it’s helped the Jets become a dominant team in the process. The Jets' Path to the Cup Barring a collapse, the Jets will end up with the best record in the NHL by the end of the season. They only have one loss so far, making it easy to think they will go 80-2 but a realistic finish for them is in the 60 or 65 range where they will still win the Presidents’ Trophy. The question is if they can make a Cup run. The Jets haven’t won a title in their franchise history and the road won’t be easy. The Central Division is loaded with star-studded teams, notably the resurgent Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars who have reached the Western Conference Final in each of the last two seasons. Likewise, the Western Conference will be tough. That said, this Jets team is built for a playoff run. They can win with offense or defense and more importantly, they have a goaltender who can carry them. For a fanbases that is eager to see this team win the Stanley Cup, this season is already a blessing but will only get better with each series victory.

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Mike’s Drive For 5

TUNDRA_News | 3 Dec 2024

The San Jose Sharks celebrate their third win on the season. It might be too little too late. Source: San Jose Sharks (twitter/X) For this week’s column, we’ll look at the teams that might already be done. The saying goes that you can’t win a title in the first month but you can certainly lose one. These five might have done that. 5. New York Islanders The past week can be summarized with anything that could go wrong for them did. The New York Islanders saw the injury bug bite them big with Alexander Romanov, Mathew Barzal, and Adam Pelech all sidelined. This would have been bad enough but then the losses started to pile in. They suffered a 6-3 defeat to the Florida Panthers, a game that they led 3-0 early on. Then they lost back-to-back games to the Anaheim Ducks and the Columbus Blue Jackets where they scored only one goal in the two games. The Islanders are near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and the outlook isn’t great. They have to climb out of a hole that is starting to become insurmountable. 4. Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins needed a great start and they’ve had anything but one. They were 3-2 five games in but then lost six games in a row and even worse, they looked awful doing so. This team looks like an aging group that is carried by a few stars. Even worse, they can’t defend from the net out. They can’t hold on to a lead and opponents are running up the score on them with ease. If they don’t turn things around, they could be looking at some big changes in the offseason. They sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and the only way up is by moving on from some key skaters. 3. Philadelphia Flyers The last Metropolitan Division team to make this list. The Flyers have a promising rebuild but it’s anything but to begin this season. They have only won four of their first 12 games and the outlook isn’t that promising. The offense is awful outside of Matvei Michkov and Travis Konecny who have combined for nine goals and 10 assists early on. Then there’s the defense which isn’t that bad but the awful goaltending makes it a weakness. The Flyers were looking to take a step forward this season after missing the playoffs by a few points. Instead, they took a big step back and unless things turn around, they are sure to be sellers at the trade deadline. 2. Chicago Blackhawks The Blackhawks were another team that was hoping to take a big step forward. The four-game skid didn’t help the cause. They can turn it around but the roster build makes it hard for them to do so. Yes, they have Connor Bedard who is the next generational talent in the NHL. However, a lot of the roster is veteran-heavy with key skaters on the decline. Then there are the young skaters who are still developing and not ready to win at the NHL level. Pair the two parts of the roster together and there’s a team at the bottom of the Central Division. They will steal a few games down the stretch but don’t expect them to make noise in the standings. 1. San Jose Sharks The Sharks have three wins this season. They were the worst team in the NHL last season and once again look that way. It’s going to be a long rebuild for this team. To be fair, a lot of their young skaters aren’t available early on this season. Macklin Celebrini is week-to-week with an injury and the 2024 number one overall pick isn’t providing that spark to the offense as a result. Likewise, Will Smith has only started to make an impact. The Sharks have the pieces to contend in the future. Just not this season and it makes the outlook moving forward a bleak one.

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Tundra’s Hockey Weekend Watchlist

TUNDRA_News | 24 Oct 2024

The Penguins and Oilers play on Friday night. That will be a fun game. Source: Edmonton Oilers (twitter/X) The season is humming along and all 32 teams have a few games under their belt. With this in mind, there are a lot of fun storylines to follow and games to watch this weekend. There are four games on Friday, 14 on Saturday, and four more on Sunday to wrap up the weekend. So, let’s dive in! Penguins-Oilers (Friday 10:00PM Eastern Time) The classic storyline in this game is that Sidney Crosby is facing off against Connor McDavid. To be fair, it’s always fun to see them go at it. Crosby was the greatest of his generation and McDavid is the greatest of this generation. This matchup between the Penguins and the Oilers has a lot of on-ice significance as both teams are looking to get back on track after slow starts. The Penguins are 3-4-1 while the Oilers are 2-4-1 and both teams are near the bottom of their divisions. Expect a lot of goals in this game and plenty of highlight moments. Make sure to stay up late on Friday night because this game will be worth the wait. Bruins-Maple Leafs (Saturday 7:00 PM ET) The Atlantic Division matchup seems like a playoff preview and oftentimes it is. These two teams met in the First Round last season and have met in the playoffs in three of the last seven years. The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs are once again off to great starts and look poised to be near the top of the division by the end of the season. This game will see plenty of skill but expect both defenses, which have improved since last season, to take over. Jets-Flames (Saturday 7:00 PM ET) This is a fun matchup between two of the pleasant surprises in the NHL. Both teams are off to great starts and look like contenders early on. The Winnipeg Jets are playing great across the board with a high-octane offense and a lights-out defense. The Flames don’t have a dominant defense but their offense is taking over games averaging 3.85 goals per game. Developing Stories The Philadelphia Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens play on Sunday in a game that can put one of these teams on the brink. The Flyers are 1-5-1 and the Canadiens have a 2-4-1 record to begin the season so a loss for either side will be troublesome. The Senators are in the middle of their mountain time road trip that oddly, can put them on the map. They defeated the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday and with face the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday followed by the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. Sweeping that road trip will have the league on notice. The Nashville Predators won their first game of the season with a 4-0 victory against the Bruins on Tuesday night. They’ll play the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators on back-to-back nights to give them a prime opportunity to get their season back on track.

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Our Favorite Victoria's Secret Angel Wings from 1999 to 2024

TUNDRA_News | 22 Oct 2024

With last week’s highly anticipated return of the iconic Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show after a six-year hiatus, let's revisit some of the dreamiest, most memorable angel wings since the show’s 1995 debut. Although the (now) infamous wings didn’t appear on the fashion giant’s runway until 1998, the feathery accessory is the trademark piece de resistance Victoria’s Secret is exclusively known for, a sort of backpack that only Angels can adorn, that, in turn, us mere mortals can only aspire to. Here’s a backward glance at Victoria’s Secret’s legacy wings, a not-so-subtle take on what heaven-on-earth looks like… Karen Mulder, 1998 Where it all began…Karen Mulder in one of the first pair of wings to grace a Victoria’s Secret Runway at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Photo: Richard Corkery/NY News archive via Getty Images Carmen Kass, 1999 Elegant in its simplicity, the origin of Victoria’s wings started out strong with an angelic and ethereal look worn by Carmen Kass in the 1999 Victoria’s Secret Show, held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Source: AFP / Getty Images Adriana Lima, 2002 The vibrant wings worn by Adriana Lima were hard-to-miss neon orange, making a strong statement trailing dramatically behind Lima as she walked the runway at New York City’s Lexington Avenue Armory. Source: FilmMagic Heidi Klum, 2007 Renowned for donning the most extravagantly designed wings during her 13-year career as an Angel, one of Heidi Klum’s most memorable runway moments was wearing this pair of snowflake wings that opened up into a star with the pull of a string. Here she is at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. Photo: Cliff Lipson / Photographer Karolina Kurkova, 2010 For her career finale, Kurkova sported this fantastical pair of enormous charcoal black wings featuring hundreds of bona fide peacock feathers with gold highlights, resembling both an open and closed tail of a male peacock. (Lexington Avenue Armory/New York City) Source: WireImage Behati Prinsloo, 2013 Nothing screams angel quite like these giant fluffy wings worn by Behati Prinsloo. These stunning wings blended beautifully with the winter wonderland themed runway at the Lexington Avenue Armory Show in New York City. Source: WireImage Eniko Mihalik, 2014 Just because they’re called Victoria’s Secret Angels doesn’t mean they always have to wear angel wings. Hosted at Earls Court in London, 2014 was the year of a few first for Victoria’s Secret, including exotic designs resembling fairy and insect-like wings such as these holographic fairy wings. Photo: Paul Bayfield / Timesniper Josephine Skriver, 2017 In 2017, Victoria’s Secret took a surprisingly edgy turn with a punk rock inspired show hosted at Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai, where Skriver’s wings brought a uniquely gothic, grungy vibe to the runway that we hadn’t seen before. VSFS 2017, 'Punk Angels' Devon Windsor, 2018 Sometimes big isn’t always better — these white and pink wispy wings worn by Devon Windsor in the 2018 show (at New York City’s Pier 94) beautifully complement her entire look with an angelic look/feel without being too over- the-top. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images Gigi Hadid, 2024 These stunning pink wings that gradually stretched up and open as Hadid made her way down the runway were the perfect way to open Victoria Secret’s 2024 comeback show hosted at the Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn, NYC.. Photo: Matt Baron / Bei / Shuttershock Honorable Mention: Lisa, 2024 Lisa, from the Kpop girl group Blackpink, brought out the Angel in all of us when she rocked these floral ice-like wings during her performance at the 2024 show. Fingers-crossed there will be more extraordinary wings like these for years-to-come; afterall, us mere mortals gotta dream! Photo: Kevin Mazur / Getty Images

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Our Favorite Street Style Trends From This Year’s Fashion Month

TUNDRA_News | 18 Oct 2024

With 2024’s fall fashion month coming to a close, let’s take a look at how to spice up your fall fashion by breaking down the trends seen on the streets outside London and Paris fashion weeks. From form-fitting lace to oversized fur coats with adorable oversized teddy bear charms, this season is all about mixing textures, being bold, and expressing your individuality. Bag Charm Maximalism Images: Yu Fujiwara. London street style SS25. 9 Oct. 2024. Dazed Digital There’s no limit to what you can and can’t hang off your bag. On the streets of London, stuffed bears were the favorite accessory this fall. Combining Textures, Not Colors Images: Paris Street Style. 9 Oct. 2024. The Impression Monochrome doesn’t always mean boring. Keep it entertaining without overwhelming the eyes by combining different textures and shapes. Unleash Your Inner Animal -- Fur Makes a Comeback Images: Yu Fujiwara. London street style SS25. 9 Oct. 2024. Dazed Digital Fur and animal print seems to be all the rage this fall on the streets of London in the form of hats, coats, shoes, and more. Mix and Match Patterns Image One: Paris Street Style. 9 Oct. 2024. The Impression; Image Two: Rahmani, Emma. Outside Loewe. 7 Oct. 2024. Wonderland Magazine, Paris, France Combining patterns is all about balancing the big and small, the busy and subtle to create an eye-catching and unique blend of color. Form-fitting or Oversized? Why Not Both? Image One: Rahmani, Emma. Outside Vetements. 7 Oct. 2024. Wonderland Magazine, Paris, France; Image Two: Rahmani, Emma. Outside Balenciaga. 7 Oct. 2024. Wonderland Magazine, Paris, France This fall is all about layers. Combine your form-fitting summer clothes with your oversized coats and baggy pants for a balanced stylish look as seen on the streets of Paris.

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Mike's Drive For 5

TUNDRA_News | 16 Oct 2024

The Utah Hockey Club celebrates their third win on the season. Source: Utah Hockey Club (twitter/X) The first week of the 2024-25 NHL season is in the books. With all the games coming in hot, it’s easy to get lost in the action and the big storylines. With one week in the rearview, we’ll look at the following in this column. Notable second-year coaches who are struggling. The slow starts to worry about. The Utah Hockey Club is off to a hot start. Rebuilding teams to buy stock on. Quick Hits: Injuries, Scheduling, and Stars It’s the first week of the season so it’s not a time to make any bold or crazy predictions. Instead, it’s where we are provided breadcrumbs of information that can go a long way in the next few weeks. Knoblauch, Roy & Second-Year Coaches Aren’t Providing That Jolt Rick Tocchet left us spoiled after the success he had last season. He was hired by the Vancouver Canucks halfway through the 2022-23 season and last season he led them to the best record in the Pacific Division. The assumption was that one of the second-year coaches would do the same thing with their team. They haven’t. There were a lot of hires from last season with Patrick Roy, Kris Knoblauch, John Hines, Drew Bannister, and Jim Hiller being the six midseason hires from 2023-24 heading into the new season. They’ve won five games combined out of their 15 games played. Knoblauch turned the Oilers around last season and had them in the Cup Final yet they are 0-3. Roy was expected to take big strides but it took three games to earn his first win of the season. The question is why these coaches haven’t provided the impact that many expected out of them. Have the other teams figured out their style? Is their voice already wearing thin in the locker rooms? It’s only a week so a lot can change but this is certainly something to monitor moving forward. Avalanche & Oilers Fans Shouldn’t Panic, Sabres Fans Will Among the winless teams are two model franchises, the Colorado Avalanche and the Edmonton Oilers. They both have star-studded rosters but have yet to win, proving that hockey requires depth, along with star power to compete. The Oilers will be fine, despite the panic the fanbase is showing at the moment. They have the stars to get them out of this hole and as last season proved, they also have the depth to be great all season long. They are simply stumbling out of the gate. The Avalanche don’t have the same depth and it leaves some concern. However, this isn’t the first rodeo for Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. They’ve seen the team get off to slow starts but have carried the roster to the playoffs. Expect the same from this group. The Sabres on the other hand might be seeing their season spiral downward. They lost both overseas games and then split their two home games. What makes matters worse is that the offense, which looked to take a big step forward, is averaging only 2.00 goals per game while the defense remains a mess. It could be another long season for Buffalo with no light at the end of the tunnel. Is Utah Ready To Compete? Even an optimist for this team couldn’t have predicted their start. The Utah Hockey Club stomped the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 and then won back-to-back games in overtime against the two New York teams. They have played great across the board with their offense particularly leading the way. They scored 16 goals in their first three games with the young skaters taking over games. It’s still early but Utah looks like a team ready to compete. Yes, a lot of the rebuilding teams are playing great hockey early on in the season but Utah looks different. It’s good news for a team that is playing the first season in the state. Buy Flames & Habs Stock, Sell Blues on Strong Rebuilds A few rebuilding teams are doing well early on. The Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, and St. Louis Blues are 11-4-1 to start the season. The Blackhawks are a tough team to evaluate but the others have already proven that they are worth buying or selling on. The Flames look like a team ready to compete. They didn’t do the typical rebuild but they have a great young core leading them this season. The Canadiens are ready to win now with their young superstars leading the way. They shocked the Toronto Maple Leafs in their opening game and have proven they can win in multiple ways since. The one team to sell or believe is fool’s gold early on is the St. Louis Blues. They won their first two games and have some good pieces but the structure of the roster is flawed. They might not be the worst team in the NHL but expect the shoe to drop. Quick Hits The injuries were starting to pile up in training camp and they are plaguing multiple rosters early on this season. It’s going to be a story throughout the season and the teams that can power through the injuries will be the ones competing in the end. The Dallas Stars entered the season as a super team and they’ve lived up to the hype. They are 3-0 and have only allowed three goals this season. Without question they will be a dominant force this season. The schedule remains a glaring issue for the NHL. There are some teams that have already played four or five games while others are still waiting to play their second game. The inconsistency is a recurring issue for the league and one they should fix.

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Tundra’s Hockey Weekend Watchlist

TUNDRA_News | 10 Oct 2024

The Carolina Hurricanes are ready for their opening night matchup. Source: Carolina Hurricanes (twitter/X) With the season underway, the action can come at you fast. It’s why we want to provide a rundown of what to watch, follow, and pay attention to when all the games are taking place. There are four games on Friday, 14 on Saturday, and four more on Sunday. So, let’s dive right in. Lightning-Hurricanes This will be an emotional series to put it lightly for both fanbases. The Carolina Hurricanes are still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene from a few weeks back and the Tampa Bay Lightning saw their city ravaged by Hurricane Milton this week. This will be a home-and-home series and both fanbases will hope for a few hours, that hockey can give them some joy. On the ice, these two games look to be great matchups between two fo the best teams in the NHL. The Hurricanes are one of the superteams eyeing the Cup while the Lightning have plenty of star power to carry them, notably, Nikita Kucherov who was a Hart Trophy finalist last season. Expect plenty of fun moments in this one. Senators-Canadiens There’s a lot of bad blood between these two teams. The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators are already rivals and in the preseason, they met and had plenty of battles with Arber Xhekaj particularly getting into it with some of the Senators skaters. This game is Saturday night at 7:00 PM Eastern and aside from the tension, it looks to deliver. Both teams have young rosters looking to take a big step forward and this can is a litmus test for the two. Flames-Oilers The first Battle of Alberta of the season takes place Sunday night at 8:00 PM Eastern. There’s more excitement for this game considering how both teams fared on opening night. The Flames entered the season expected to be one of the worst teams in the NHL and down 4-1 to the Vancouver Canucks, they came back to win 6-5 in overtime. The Oilers look to get over the hump after losing in the Stanley Cup Final and their first game couldn’t have been a worse start, losing 6-0 to the Winnipeg Jets. The Oilers look to bounce back but as the Flames showed, it won’t be easy to put this team away. Developing Stories Utah won their inaugural game but now they begin a road trip on the other side of the country. They play the New York Islanders on Thursday, the New York Rangers on Saturday, and the New Jersey Devils on Monday. Talk about getting thrown into the fire. The night before the Battle of Alberta, the Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks. This will either be a get-right game for a star-studded team or a trap game as they look ahead to their Sunday night rivalry game. Either way, it’s the matchup all hockey fans desire as Connor Bedard faces Connor McDavid, the next great player against the greatest player of this generation. The other big rivalry game this weekend is Sunday night with the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets going at it. Only a few miles and a border separate these two teams but they both look to sneak up on a lot of people in the Central Division with two well-built rosters.

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Tundra’s 2024-25 NHL Season Preview

TUNDRA_News | 10 Oct 2024

The Florida Panthers look to defend their title, starting Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins. Source: Florida Panthers (twitter/X) The 2024-25 NHL season is only days away. 32 teams will play 82 games each over the next six months and that’s all before the playoffs begin. All this to say, there’s a lot to follow. So, let’s try to look at some of the key storylines heading into the new season. Atlantic Division The Rundown There are two tiers when it comes to this division. There are the rebuilding teams (Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators) and the Stanley Cup contenders (Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Toronto Maple Leafs) that define this division (the Tampa Bay Lightning are somehow in between). The Panthers are the reigning Stanley Cup winners so needless to say, this division has some super teams at the top. What To Expect The Canadiens were in last place a season again and with injuries to Patrik Laine and David Reinbacher, expect the same from them. The Sabres and Red Wings have good cases to make the playoffs but als glaring concerns so expect the only team to leap into the conversation to be the Senators. At the top, the Maple Leafs, Panthers, and Bruins will all fight for the top spot and look like Cup contenders throughout the season. Metropolitan Division The Rundown There are three groups for this division. The Columbus Blue Jackets, a team that is arguably the furthest from contention in the NHL, the middle class (New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals), and the Cup contenders (Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers). The Hurricanes and the Rangers were the superteams in the division last season and they look poised to be even better this time around. What To Expect The Hurricanes and the Rangers will highlight this division, finishing with two of the best records in the NHL. The Devils will make a good case while the Islanders could sneak up on those team but don’t expect it. Otherwise, this division provides a lot of mediocrity. Central Division The Rundown The Dallas Stars are the super team in this division. They head into this season poised to rattle off the wins but it won’t be easy considering how the rest of the Central Division is shaping up. The Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, and Minnesota Wild all look like great teams. On top of that, the Chicago Blackhawks and NHL Utah both have promising rebuilds going. It’s why this division might be the best in the NHL. What To Expect The St. Louis Blues are stuck in no mans land and it’s why they might bottom out and be an awful team. The Blackhawks and Utah will make a push for playoff spots with young and improving rosters but they will come up just short. The Avalanche, Jets, Predators, and Wild will all be good but not great and make the playoffs but not much more because of it. The Stars meanwhile might win a ton of games and finish the season with the best record in the NHL. Pacific Division The Rundown The bad teams in the Pacific Division (Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, and San Jose Sharks) might be real bad. There are also a few teams that will either be contenders or pretenders (Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken, and Vegas Golden Knights) where if you squint, they will be contenders. Then there are the two teams at the top, the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks. They will define this division. What To Expect The Canucks and the Oilers will be in a fight all season for the best record in the division. From the trio of the Golden Knights, Kings, and Kraken, one team will surprise but otherwise, these teams will put you to sleep (unless you live in Los Angeles). Stanley Cup Hopefuls To wrap this up, let’s look at the teams that can win the Cup and make a prediction of what the Final will look like. The Contenders Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks. Stanley Cup Final Prediction: Dallas Stars over Carolina Hurricanes

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Toronto Maple Leafs: Same Song, Different Dance

TUNDRA_News | 10 Oct 2024

The Maple Leafs are in training camp action. Source: Toronto Maple Leafs (twitter/X) The Toronto Maple Leafs losing in the First Round feels inevitable. It’s happened in the playoffs every season since 2018 except for the 2023 run where they lost in the Second Round. This season, however, the Leafs look like a different team and won’t be the same old team. Everything You Need To Know The Maple Leafs fired Sheldon Keefe and hired Craig Berube as their head coach. This doesn’t change much on the ice but it makes them a better team for the playoffs with Berube having the experience to get this team over the hump. One of their big addition this offseason was Chris Tanev. They signed the 34-year-old defenseman to a six-year deal (that’s a lot of years for an aging skater) with the hopes that he’ll round out the unit. He’s still playing at a high level so it will help them this season. The team despite all the changes is still led by the same core. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nyland, and John Tavares are the four forwards who take up most of the cap space and lead this team. Projection This team will once again be one of the best in the NHL. The question is if they are built for the playoffs. They still have questions in the net and their stars tend to struggle in the playoffs but Berube will get the best out of this squad in the playoffs, one would hope. It’s why with the Leafs, we’ve gotten used to the idea that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

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Tampa Bay Lightning: The Core Can Only Do So Much

TUNDRA_News | 10 Oct 2024

Andrei Vasilevskiy heading out of the tunnel before puck drop. Source: Stampa Bay Lightning (twitter/X) The theme of last season was the Tampa Bay Lightning had a genuinely flawed roster that wasn’t good. It didn’t matter since they had three of the best skaters in the game to carry them to a wild card spot. This season, they look the same but with a catch. Everything You Need To Know The Lightning lost Steven Stamkos in free agency, a cornerstone of the franchise and the team captain. That said, they added Jake Guentzel, one of the best scorers in the game who is in his prime. The same player swap happened on defense. To open up cap space, they traded away Mikhail Sergachev but they added veteran Ryan McDonagh. It’s not an upgrade but prevents the unit from falling apart. Nikita Kucherov was remarkable with 44 goals and 100 assists last season while Brayden Point and Victor Hedman rounded out the core. The problem is that the rest of the roster didn’t do much. Projection The Lightning will be competitive because of the star power they possess. That said, this could be the season they take a significant step back. Sure goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy could turn back the clock as their starting goaltenders but this team might miss the playoffs with their depth (or lack of it) letting them down.

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NHL Utah: New Location, Raised Expectations

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Florida Panthers: The Quest To Repeat

TUNDRA_News | 10 Oct 2024

Florida Panthers in preseason action. Source: Florida Panthers (twitter/X) The Florida Panthers are the reigning Stanley Cup champions and head into this season eyeing a repeat. They have all the pieces in place to do so and it makes this season an interesting one for them. Everything You Need To Know The star players who lead the Panthers not only create offense but also defend. Aleksander Barkov won the Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the game while Matthew Tkachuk adds a forechecking presence on the wing. It’s why they have a great group in place to repeat. Goaltending is a wild card for this team. They have Sergei Bobrovsky but the question is if they have a reliable backup. Chris Dreiger was brought in and Spencer Knight could make the leap to the NHL but both are question marks. The defensive unit is one of the best in the game but they’ll have to replace Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Montour was one of their best two-way defensemen while Ekman-Larsson was a shutdown skater on his own end. Those are tough players to replace. Projection The Panthers will be one of the best teams in the Atlantic Division and possibly the Eastern Conference. Yes, they are missing some pieces for a Cup run but they don’t have any glaring weakness and it makes them the favorites to win their division.

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Chicago Blackhawks: Can Bedard Make Them Contenders?

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