The Atlantic is the NHL’s most volatile division and any of five teams could win it. After watching their games last week The National’s Rob McKenzie sorts through the contenders and picks a winner.
1. Not so obvious
Before the season it seemed obvious who would command the Atlantic: Tampa, who were loaded and had made the Stanley Cup final for two seasons running. Two months into the season it was still obvious: but this time it was Montreal, galvanised by the acquisition of the rock-solid defenceman Shea Weber.
Then Montreal have lost their scoring touch, and remarkably had been shut out in four of eight games through February 23. Meanwhile Tampa remain undone by injuries to Steven Stamkos and Ryan Callahan, and waved the white flag on Sunday by trading away the goalie Ben Bishop.
Which means that now, with the season at the three-quarters pole, it is far from obvious who will win the Atlantic. As the week began only six points separated the division leader, the slumping Canadiens, from the fifth-place team, the surging Florida Panthers. The tallies were: Montreal, 70 points; Ottawa, 68; Boston, 66; Toronto, 65; Florida, 64. Further back and unlikely to threaten were Buffalo, Tampa and Detroit.
2. The runner stumbles
For the second season in a row Montreal started strong and then started sinking.
This time it cost Michel Therrien his job as coach. Through Saturday’s 3-2 overtime win over Toronto, the Habs are 2-2 so far with Claude Julien as his replacement.
What the Canadiens really need to do is score more goals. When Andrew Shaw scored the opener Tuesday versus the Rangers — a game Montreal would have lost if not for an amazing save in overtime by Carey Price — it was his first goal in 11 games. And again on Saturday it was a big Price save in overtime that saved the Habs from defeat.
Price needs to carry the team because the forwards sure aren’t going to. Max Pacioretty has 29 goals but nobody else has even half that. Brendan Gallagher hasn’t scored since late December. Alexander Radulov started strong but has three points in 11 February games.
A test will come on Thursday when Nashville visit Montreal. It will be PK Subban’s first game back in the city that adores him and from which he was traded this summer for Weber. A win in that one could galvanise Montreal.
3. Hard workers
Few picked the Ottawa Senators to make the play-offs. But they play a structured game under their coach Guy Boucher and they have one of the league’s best offensive defencemen in Erik Karlsson. They also have an inspirational story in the return of goalie Craig Anderson, whose wife has cancer.
The Sens have a lot of grinders like Mark Stone, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Chris Neil. But after Karlsson they don’t have a ton of talent. Teams that play beyond their individual ability have a cohesion that prevents them from faltering but the lack of star power limits their upside.
4. Toronto can score
The Leafs are the one team in the division with serious offensive firepower.
Their 187 goals are better than anyone else in the Atlantic by nearly 20. The team runs through their star rookie Auston Matthews, who scored his 30th goal on a tip-in from in tight against Montreal on Saturday.
In the first half of the season, the Leafs coach Mike Babcock said that Matthews would become a dominant centre by Christmas. Babcock was right.
And he’s not the only good forward, the Leafs are finally smart at the draft and have picked up players like Mitch Marner and William Nylander. The defence is still a work in progress.
These young guys could falter as the season hits the stretch run; it will be more hockey, and more sustained intense hockey, than some of them have ever played.
Toronto is set for a bright future, finally.
5. Getting old
The Boston Bruins are a weird team. When they’re good they seem like world-beaters. When they’re bad they seem like a mess.
Through Sunday’s 6-3 defeat of Dallas, the Bruins are 6-1 since Bruce Cassidy took over as coach after Julien was fired (and was jobless for all of a week til Montreal snatched him up).
The problem for Boston is on the blueline. Zdeno Chara will probably end up in the Hall of Fame but he is no longer dominant and turns 40 on March 18. After him it thins out. A solution could come next year when Charlie McAvoy joins the team. The Bruins drafted him 14th overall this spring and in January he was voted to the all-star team at the world juniors tournament.
6. Road warriors
Last Monday in St Louis the Panthers were sensational as they dominated the Blues late in the third period. The game was tied 1-1 but in the final minute the Panthers with their tight checking would not let St Louis out of their own zone. The pressure culminated in a game-winning goal by Vincent Trocheck with 4.6 seconds left that gave Florida five wins in a row for a perfect road trip.
But then they came home. To their arena that is an embarrassment of empty seats. And they still played hard in losses to Edmonton and Calgary, but it’s not the same when there isn’t the buzz from the crowd that the Panthers would have felt in the arenas they visited on the road.
Florida’s home record this season is 14-13-3, capped by Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Ottawa. Not good.
7. Prediction
At week’s end the top five in the Atlantic were still bunched tight: Montreal, 74 points; Ottawa, 72 points; Boston, 70; Toronto, 69; Florida, 66.
The Panthers would need to go on a serious run to win this race. But I think they can do it. They have the most talent in the Atlantic and enjoy a soft schedule this week — Carolina, at Philadelphia, Dallas — that can move them up in the standings and maybe fill some of those sad empty seats.
Remember, the Panthers have only had Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau back in the line-up together since February 3, and are 6-4 in that span as they begin to gel. Those guys have fresh legs. And the oldest set of legs in the league, those belonging to 45-year-old Jaromir Jagr, still seem to have a lot of jump in them.
But there’s a catch …
8. The catch
Because of the way the NHL play-off format works, whoever wins the Atlantic will almost certainly face one of Pittsburgh, Columbus or the New York Rangers in the first round — it will be whichever one of those three finishes with the fewest points, and right now they are an awfully tight trio.
In none of these prospective matchups does the Atlantic team deserve to be the favourite. Pittsburgh are the defending Cup champions, Columbus are young, fast and hungry, and the Rangers have a ton of play-off experience and are enjoying a revival.
Then again anybody can get hot in the play-offs; timing is pivotal in the second season. But all in all the Atlantic is the league’s weakest division.
The NHL trade deadline falls on Wednesday. If one of the division’s contenders wants to be taken more seriously, they should try to get Kevin Shatterkirk off St Louis, Matt Duchene or Gabriel Landeskog from Colorado, or one of Carolina’s plethora of blue liners.
9. In summation
If the play-offs started today: Washington, with a league-best 89 points, would confront Toronto; then it would be Pittsburgh-Columbus; Montreal-NY Rangers; and Ottawa-Boston. The west would have Minnesota-St Louis, Chicago-Nashville, San Jose-Calgary and Anaheim-Edmonton. That would be five Canadian teams after none last year.
Standouts: The league leaders are the same names as last week: Connor McDavid in points at 71, Sidney Crosby in goals at 34, Ryan Suter at plus-33, Dustin Byfuglien in average ice time at 27:25, Antoine Roussel in penalty minutes at 115 (FYI, Slap Shot had its 40th anniversary on Saturday); and in net, Jimmy Howard in goals-against average at 1.96 and Peter Budaj (who went to Tampa in the Bishop trade) and Braden Holtby in shutouts at 7.
Standard-bearer: After a slow first half Chicago’s Jonathan Toews has surged with 24 points in 14 games. On Tuesday he thrashed Minnesota with three goals and two assists in a 5-3 road win. The five-point night tied his career high: on November 25, 2011, he piled up two goals and three assists in a 6-5 win over Anaheim (again, a road game).
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
'The Predator'
Dir: Shane Black
Starring: Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook, Keegan-Michael Key
Two and a half stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
RESULT
Manchester City 5 Swansea City 0
Man City: D Silva (12'), Sterling (16'), De Bruyne (54' ), B Silva (64' minutes), Jesus (88')
Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.
Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')
Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)
Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)
Squad for first two ODIs
Kohli (c), Rohit, Dhawan, Rayudu, Pandey, Dhoni (wk), Pant, Jadeja, Chahal, Kuldeep, Khaleel, Shami, Thakur, Rahul.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Silva 8' &15, Foden 33')
Birmginahm City 0
Man of the match Bernado Silva (Manchester City)
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
((Disclaimer))
The Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG (“Bank”) assumes no liability or guarantee for the accuracy, balance, or completeness of the information in this publication. The content may change at any time due to given circumstances, and the Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG is under no obligation to update information once it has been published. This publication is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer, a recommendation or an invitation by, or on behalf of, Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch), Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, or any of its group affiliates to make any investments or obtain services. This publication has not been reviewed, disapproved or approved by the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) Central Bank, Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”) or any other relevant licensing authorities in the UAE. It may not be relied upon by or distributed to retail clients. Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch) is regulated by the DFSA and this advertorial is intended for Professional Clients (as defined by the DFSA) who have sufficient financial experience and understanding of financial markets, products or transactions and any associated risks.
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')
Six pitfalls to avoid when trading company stocks
Following fashion
Investing is cyclical, buying last year's winners often means holding this year's losers.
Losing your balance
You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.
Being over active
If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.
Running your losers
Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.
Selling in a panic
If you sell up when the market drops, you have locked yourself out of the recovery.
Timing the market
Even the best investor in the world cannot consistently call market movements.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
More coverage from the Future Forum
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
Sweet%20Tooth
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJim%20Mickle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristian%20Convery%2C%20Nonso%20Anozie%2C%20Adeel%20Akhtar%2C%20Stefania%20LaVie%20Owen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RACE CARD
4pm Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m
5.10pm Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):
PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)
Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
Indoor Cricket World Cup
Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty
