Sara Civian

Boston

SUBSCRIBE: https://t.co/PkNcxrqjIi. Freelance hockey and hoops reporter @br_openice. @2_much_man podcast. email: [email protected].

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Articles

The Bandwagoner’s Guide To The East

1 week ago | thecivreport.substack.com | Sara Civian

Well, friends, the Chicago Blackhawks came back to force a shootout Monday night, spoiling the Canadiens’ opportunity to clinch a playoff spot had they secured the regulation dub. Good for the Blackhawks – if they’d lost, they would’ve become the first team since 1992-93 to lose to every opponent in the league in one season. By not totally sucking (only kind of sucking) they also managed to keep Columbus’ playoff hopes alive down to the wire.
6 NHL Teams That Are Screwed for the Forseeable Future

2 weeks ago | bleacherreport.com | Sara Civian

How many times can the Islanders see a similar story play out and do little to fix it? At least GM Lou Lamoriello made a big move in the in-season sellers' market, trading Brock Nelson for defenseman Oliver Kylington, forward prospect Calum Ritchie, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 draft and a conditional third-round pick in 2028.
Which NHL Records are Officially On Notice?

2 weeks ago | thecivreport.substack.com | Sara Civian

Happy Monday, hockey fans. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Alex Ovechkin did something Sunday afternoon that experts once thought impossible: He got us all to watch a New York Islanders game in the middle of an otherwise beautiful spring Sunday. (Just kidding, the Islanders are putting together a late playoff push that is genuinely worth our attention for once.)During the game, he scored his 895th career goal — a classic Ovechkin power play moment right from his office.
1 Thing Holding Back Top 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Contenders

3 weeks ago | bleacherreport.com | Sara Civian

We are just about three weeks out from the 2024-25 Stanley Cup Playoffs. These three weeks will be as entertaining as the regular season gets, with Alex Ovechkin within reach of the all-time goals record and the five-team pileup that is the battle for the East's No. 2 wild-card spot. At this point, though, we pretty much know who the top dogs are. As the Capitals and Jets duke it out for the Presidents' Trophy, good vibes persist in Washington and elite goaltending persists in Winnipeg.
5 Landing Spots for John Tortorella After Philadelphia Flyers Firing

3 weeks ago | bleacherreport.com | Sara Civian

The writing was on the wall when John Tortorella took the blame for the latest Flyers blowout loss Tuesday, a 7-2 thrashing at the hands of the Maple Leafs. "This falls on me," he said postgame in a clip that's now circulating all over social media. "I'm not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we're at right now. But I have to do a better job.
The West is Just as Fun as the East: NHL Bubble Chronicles Pt 2

4 weeks ago | thecivreport.substack.com | Sara Civian

A thought I had recently that made me laugh the second it floated out of my head: “Does East Coast bias really exist in hockey, or is there just More Going On in the Eastern Conference?”Yeah, genius, it’s almost like thinking that is the textbook definition of East Coast bias. Are there more teams in the infamous Eastern Conference Wild Card sweepstakes of 2025? Yes, we’ve got the Senators, Canadiens, Islanders, Rangers, Blue Jackets, and Red Wings all hovering in the 70-point range.
5 NHL Disappointments with the Most to Prove Down the Stretch

4 weeks ago | bleacherreport.com | Sara Civian

We're less than one month away from the NHL playoffs, and even though we don't know exactly how each regular-season storyline will end, we're pretty sure about most of it at this point. We know the Sabres are missing the playoffs for the 14th straight season-the longest active drought in professional sports. We know the Panthers are just as good-if not better-than last season as they look to defend their title.
Why You Should Root For Each Bubble Team: Part 1

1 month ago | thecivreport.substack.com | Sara Civian

Happy Monday, hockey fans. I’m here to report that the playoff bubble has only grown more confusing since we caught up last week. We’ve got a little Montreal Canadiens engine that could brewing, and a New York Islanders team that is like the one dude at the party who is still sitting there in the living room when you’re scrubbing the dishes as hard as you can to get him to leave.
6 NHL Storylines That Will Define the Rest of the 2024-25 Season

1 month ago | bleacherreport.com | Sara Civian

The Calder Trophy Race for NHL Rookie of the Year 6 of 6 We have been treated to three Calder Trophy-worthy performances this season, and it might have been four if a certain Flyers head coach didn't have a penchant for benching his stars. At this point, it's down to Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf and Sharks center Macklin Celebrini. Hutson's flavor of defense feels like the final form of the new-era positionless vibe.
Which Eastern Conference Teams will Actually Make the Playoffs?

1 month ago | thecivreport.substack.com | Sara Civian

We’re officially one month out from the end of the 2025 NHL regular season, and more than half of the Eastern Conference is still at least somewhat in the playoff race. Just take a gander at how tight the bubble is right now:First off, let’s cherish this specific last month of the season we’re about to embark on. We aren’t usually treated to so many teams being forced to play their hearts out this late. It’ll be heart attack hockey up until the very last shift. Let’s enjoy it.