Puck Wire: Top Hockey News Of The Day: February 28th

Last call on February my friends! The month comes to a close today and we will do it in fashion tonight with a couple of terrific games across the NHL. John Tavares returns to Long Island for the first time since leaving as a free agent, while the Bruins and Lightning will clash at TD Garden in a battle for the ages.

All that and more in today’s edition of Puck Wire!

• The Bruins proved to be no match for the Lightning in the playoffs last spring, and although Tampa Bay has somehow gotten better, so haven’t the B’s. Tonight, they’ll meet in snowy Boston as two of the hottest teams in hockey clash. If you’re a fan of the game, you’ll be tuned in on this one.
• Emotions will be high tonight on the Island, that we know for sure. After burning his former teams as a free agent in the summer, John Tavares returns to New York as a Maple Leaf. Tavares is enjoying the best season of his career, but the Isles seem to be doing just fine without him. This is another can’t miss game on a night filled with them.
• We’re still decompressing from the deadline Monday, and although we’ve analyzed the players moved a million times over it still feels like we haven’t touched on the prospects enough. Sportsnet has us covered, taking a look at seven prospects that were moved ahead of Monday’s final buzzer.
• Teams like Vegas, Boston and Columbus did plenty at the deadline to help their chances. A number of teams, however, disappointed with their lack of moves. Fansided looks at the five teams that simply didn’t do enough at the deadline Monday.
• The Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs should be can’t miss TV every time the play. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly Vs. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Oscar Klefbom. Nope, thanks Bob Nicholson! Instead, we saw the Leafs pile-drive a completely lost and overwhelmed Oilers team…..again.
• Evander Kane wasn’t pleased with the NHL’s decision to not suspend Boston’s Zdeno Chara, and he made that fact known on Wednesday.
• Nice look at Vegas’ Pierre-Edouard Bellemare’s long and winding road to get to the NHL, and eventually to get to the expansion Golden Knights.