The Bum's National Hockey League October Rated Plays - Trends - News - Etc. !!

[StarDust Bum]

NHL FRIDAY'S RESULTS:

1 - 1................ *****

3 - 0................DOUBLE PLAY

1 - 0................,TRIPLE PLAY

0 - 1.................OCTOPLAY


OVERALL RATED PLAYS

*****.....................................10 - 9...........................+ 1.95

double play..............................19 - 9.........................+ 24.00

triple play................................6 - 5............................- 5.40

octoplay..................................2 - 2.............................- 4.00

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Stars (3-1) at Panthers (3-1)
Date: October 17, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Jaromir Jagr was 40 years old when the Dallas Stars signed him to a one-year deal in July 2012 hoping to get contributions from a future Hall of Famer during what many figured to be the tail end of his career.

Three years later, Jagr still is playing in the NHL - and at a high level to boot.

He'll look to continue his hot start as the Florida Panthers try to win four of their first five for the first time in 20 years when they host Dallas on Saturday night.

Jagr had 26 points in 34 games for the Stars during the lockout-shortened 2013 season before being traded to Boston and helping it reach the Stanley Cup Final. He signed with New Jersey before last season, then was dealt to the Panthers shortly after his 43rd birthday in February and recorded six goals and 12 assists in 20 games.

The Panthers (3-1-0) inked him to a one-year contract April 12 - the day after their 2014-15 season ended - and Jagr has delivered. He had two goals in a season-opening win over Philadelphia on Oct. 10 and scored twice while adding an assist in Thursday's 3-2 win over Buffalo.

Jagr has six points in his first four games for the first time since posting 11 during a six-game streak to begin the 2006-07 season while with the New York Rangers. His solid run this year has helped bring the Panthers to the verge of their first 4-1-0 start since 1995-96, when they made the franchise's lone appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.

'Sometimes the puck goes in, sometimes it doesn't,' Jagr said. 'It doesn't matter what you do. I learned that over 25 years. Right now the puck is going in, so I'm trying to shoot it.'

His former team also is off to a 3-1-0 start after Jason Spezza, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Cody Eakin finished with a goal and an assist apiece in Thursday's 5-3 win at Tampa Bay.

The Stars last won four of their first five during a 6-1-0 opening run in 2011-12.

Spezza has four goals and two assists after following up Tuesday's hat trick against Edmonton with another solid effort to begin Dallas' trip.

'It's been a good week for me,' Spezza said. 'I'm just trying to keep it going.

"It's a tough league, and you have to win games when you can. When you have a four-game trip against Eastern teams you don't know well, it is good to start it off with a win."

The Stars are facing injury concerns, though. They recalled Curtis McKenzie from the AHL on Wednesday after Patrick Eaves was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, but McKenzie suffered an apparent leg injury when he was hit hard by Tampa's Nikita Nesterov, who was given a game misconduct.

Coach Lindy Ruff said after the game that McKenzie was in "excruciating pain" and taken to a local hospital for evaluation. There's been no official word on the extent of the injury or how much time he'll miss.

Kari Lehtonen made 30 saves Thursday in his second straight start. He had a 37-save shutout in the first meeting with the Panthers last season but was removed after allowing three goals on 14 shots before Dallas rallied for a 4-3 shootout victory March 5.

Roberto Luongo hasn't faced Dallas since making 35 saves in a 3-2 victory April 6, 2014. He has a 1.34 goals-against average while starting three games this season.

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Preview: Sabres (1-3) at Lightning (3-2)
Date: October 17, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Tampa Bay Lightning didn't lose more than two in a row in 2014-15 until the Stanley Cup Final, but they're in danger of doing so already this season.

Tampa Bay could be missing a couple of key players Saturday night when it tries to bounce back at home by beating the Buffalo Sabres for the second time in a week.

Though they lost back-to-back games on 11 occasions last season, the Lightning didn't drop three straight until the end of a 4-2 series loss to Chicago in the Stanley Cup Final.

Now they're hoping to display that same type of resiliency as they look to avoid their first three-game regular-season slide since an 0-3-2 stretch in March 2014.

After outscoring their opponents 13-6 during a 3-0-0 start, the Lightning lost 3-1 at Detroit on Tuesday and 5-3 to visiting Dallas on Thursday. Alex Killorn was unable to play Thursday due to an upper-body injury and Victor Hedman left the game after taking a hard hit.

Killorn has two assists in four games and Hedman has four in five. Hedman, one of the club's top defensemen, also ranks among the NHL leaders with six takeaways.

"We're concerned for his well-being,' center Brian Boyle said. 'We want him to be OK.'

The Lightning are struggling on special teams. They've allowed seven goals on 15 penalty-kill situations to rank near the bottom of the NHL after tying for seventh (83.7 percent) last season. They've also gone 3 for 15 on the power play.

"It's very frustrating," Boyle added. "It's something we take a lot of pride in, I take a lot of pride in. The preparation is there. We're touching on all the right things. We're being coached the way we're supposed to be. We need to go out and execute."

Buffalo (1-3-0) has scored four power-play goals in its last two games, but it also gave up four on eight penalty-kill situations. Florida's Aleksander Barkov converted a third-period power-play goal Thursday that proved to be the difference in a 3-2 road defeat.

Defenseman Jake McCabe scored his first NHL goal for the Sabres before Tyler Ennis added his first of the season on a late power-play chance. Jack Eichel, the 2015 No. 2 overall draft pick, leads the team with two goals.

Buffalo, which has gone 5-23-2 in October over the past three seasons, hopes to get off to a better start after falling behind in three of its first four games.

"We had that slow start again, first period we didn't have much going," captain Brian Gionta, who missed the first three games due to a lower-body injury, told the team's official website. "We have to find a way on the penalty kill to shut down their power play."

Tampa Bay went 0 for 3 on the power play last Saturday, but Erik Condra, Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and J.T. Brown scored in a 4-1 win at Buffalo. Stamkos, who has a team-high four goals, has scored in each of his last three meetings.

The Lightning have outscored the Sabres 19-3 during a five-game winning streak that is their longest ever in the series. They'll be without defenseman Nikita Nesterov for this meeting after he was suspended for two games for boarding Stars forward Curtis McKenzie.

Ben Bishop has posted a 1.55 goals-against average while winning his last seven starts versus Buffalo dating to his time with Ottawa.

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Preview: Hurricanes (0-3) at Capitals (2-1)
Date: October 17, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Washington Capitals fans may have one final chance Saturday night to see Alex Ovechkin reach a major milestone at home.

Ovechkin can become the fourth Russian-born player to reach the 900-point plateau when the Capitals meet the Carolina Hurricanes.

Washington (2-1-0) is closing a four-game homestand before embarking on a three-game trip through Western Canada. Ovechkin is two points shy of the mark enjoyed by countrymen Sergei Fedorov (1,179), Alexander Mogilny (1,032) and Alex Kovalev (1,029).

Mogilny has an interesting connection with a Carolina skater in Brock McGinn, who scored 55 seconds into his first game in Friday's 5-3 victory at Detroit. That's the fastest goal by a player in his NHL debut since Mogilny scored 20 seconds into Buffalo's 4-3 win over Quebec on Oct. 5, 1989.

'I took the shot and it kind of bounced right back onto my stick and I shoved it in,' he said. 'You don't ever expect to come into the league like that, but it was a lot of fun.'

McGinn gave Carolina (1-3-0) the lead for good and added an assist on a goal by Eric Staal. The Hurricanes earned their first victory, as linemates Staal and Kris Versteeg contributed three points apiece.

Staal bounced back after two straight pointless efforts. He has a seven-game point streak at Washington.

"I thought he was excellent. I thought he found a way to lead and led in multiple areas," coach Bill Peters said. "He did a lot of good things. He was good on the power play. His line was very good and a positive factor for us."

Cam Ward was called upon to make only 17 saves so he could be fresh to end a personal three-game slide against the Capitals. It's more likely that Eddie Lack will make his second start with his new club.

Ovechkin returned and notched his second goal to cap the scoring in Thursday's 4-1 victory over Chicago. He was back from his one-game benching for oversleeping and missing the morning skate in Tuesday's 5-0 loss to San Jose.

T.J. Oshie recorded his first points with Washington with a goal and an assist and linemate Evgeny Kuznetsov recorded his first points of the season with two assists. Their line, which includes Ovechkin, combined for five points.

"They were all going pretty well tonight," coach Barry Trotz said. "There was some urgency and desperation."

There's a chance Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom could make his season debut in this game. Backstrom, who led the league with 60 assists last season, hasn't played while working his way back from hip surgery in May.

Braden Holtby allowed six goals in his first two games before he made 26 saves against the Blackhawks.

'We were ready to play, we were ready to skate, we were on the same page,' Holtby said. 'I think the other night was a pretty good wakeup call for us.'

Holtby is Saturday's likely starter. He's 7-4-0 with a 2.08 goals-against average in 11 starts against the Hurricanes.

Washington went 3-1-0 last season against Carolina, capturing both home matchups.

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Preview: Predators (3-1) at Senators (2-2)
Date: October 17, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Nashville Predators have a chance to emulate their previous effort but want to produce a different result.

The Predators will look to keep unloading shots against an Ottawa team used to facing plenty of them while trying to put a few more past the Senators in Ontario on Saturday night.

Ottawa has allowed opponents 179 shots on goal through five games for a league-worst average of 35.8, a volume Nashville finally reached its last time out in what coach Peter Laviolette called his team's "best game of the year by a mile."

He also said it was the "worst result," though, as the Predators (3-1-0) suffered their first loss with Thursday's 4-3 defeat to the New York Islanders. After not surpassing 26 shots in their first three games, the Preds finished with 47 - the second-highest road total in franchise history.

Puck possession and a surplus of chances was a welcome sight for Laviolette, whose team ranked third in the NHL with 31.9 shots per game last season. Austin Watson and James Neal tallied their first goals of the season and Filip Forsberg put in his second.

"I went over a lot of things and the guys knew we hadn't met our potential yet offensively," Laviolette told the team's official website. "We just reviewed some things and we were pretty quick in the neutral zone and in the offensive zone we hemmed them in and kept a lot of pucks alive."

Defense, though, was an issue for once. The Predators surrendered two goals through their first three wins but coughed up a pair to the Islanders in both the second and third periods.

Pekka Rinne looked ordinary for the first time as his goals-against average nearly tripled. Nashville's franchise leader in games played at goalie has been far from stellar against the Senators, going 3-3-0 with a 2.99 GAA which is his worst against any opponent besides Pittsburgh.

Ottawa (3-2-0) also lost Thursday, but it came from a far less impressive effort. A day after a seven-goal outburst in Columbus, the Senators fell flat in a 2-0 clunker in Pittsburgh.

The Senators only sent 22 shots toward the Penguins' Marc-Andre Fleury, who had allowed eight goals in three previous losses.

"We didn't make the adjustment and realize, OK we're not on our game tonight," coach Dave Cameron said. "We continued to try to put the square peg in the round hole."

Ottawa is 1 for 10 on the power play in the last three games. Nashville has killed 11 of its 12 shorthanded situations.

Craig Anderson has started four of the Senators' five games, faring well despite a high number of pucks sent his way. The Ottawa netminder has stopped 135 shots, including 36 on Wednesday, while allowing 10 goals for a .931 save percentage.

Anderson is 1-3-0 with a 3.54 GAA in his last five starts against Nashville.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Maple Leafs (0-2) at Penguins (1-3)
Date: October 17, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Phil Kessel totally gets the narrative. The Pittsburgh Penguins forward just wants no part of it.

So forgive him if he's not getting worked up over facing Toronto on Saturday night for the first time since the Maple Leafs shipped the three-time All-Star to Pittsburgh in July.

Despite six sometimes turbulent seasons, Kessel insists he enjoyed his time in Toronto. He's just too focused on trying to fit in alongside Sidney Crosby to get too worked up over seeing the guys in blue on the other bench or the media horde sure to parse his every move just as it did during his time playing for a club that made just one playoff appearance with Kessel's familiar No. 81 in the lineup.

'I don't care. Whatever,' Kessel said. 'I'm going to do whatever I can to help this team win (Saturday) night and try to play my best and whatever happens, happens.'

Kessel is finding his way in Pittsburgh (1-3-0), which picked up its first victory of the season with a 2-0 win over Ottawa on Thursday night. He has a goal and an assist through four games, the only points produced by the top line of Kessel, Crosby and Chris Kunitz.

It's not quite the start the Penguins envisioned when they acquired a dynamic player who has scored 32 times or more in each of the last five seasons. Yet there are signs things are starting to gel. Pittsburgh's first line played with energy against the Senators and produced several scoring chances even though none of them reached the back of the net.

Kessel's main concern is helping kickstart an 0-for-12 power play and figuring out how to play with the creative and relentless Crosby. There were some early successes in the preseason, but it just hasn't quite translated once the games started to count.

'I'm going to go out there and play and try my best and hopefully things work out,' he said.

The rebuilding Maple Leafs are displaying signs of progress as well during their own adjustment phase, evidenced by Friday's 6-3 win over slumping Columbus. Joffrey Lupul scored the tie-breaking goal early in the third period and Leo Komarov added two later on to seal Toronto's first victory under Mike Babcock.

Toronto (1-2-1) has 10 goals in two games after recording one over its first two. Lupul has scored in two straight and Daniel Winnik, who spent 21 games with Pittsburgh last season, notched three assists on Friday.

'I thought we scored some good goals," Babcock said. "Full marks to the guys for the win. I think it's a positive for them and they got points two nights in a row, which is a long way from where we started. We just need to keep getting better.'

That improved offense now meets a resurgent goaltender in Marc Andre-Fleury, who allowed eight goals in Pittsburgh's three losses before stopping 22 shots against Ottawa.

After James Reimer worked Friday's win, Jonathan Bernier makes his first start since being pulled 20 seconds into the second period when permitting three goals on 12 chances in Babcock's Oct. 9 return to Detroit.

Bernier is 0-3-2 with a 3.55 goals-against average in five starts against Pittsburgh, which has won five straight in the series and six of seven at home from Toronto. Crosby (1 goal, 5 assists) and Evgeni Malkin (2 goals, 4 assists) each had six points during last season's three meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bruins (1-3) at Coyotes (3-1)
Date: October 17, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

With their first win in the books, the Boston Bruins can confidently move forward.

They'll try to build on a convincing victory by continuing their success over the host Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night.

In danger of opening with four straight losses for the first time in 51 years, Boston (1-3-0) scored the first five goals in a 6-2 rout at Colorado on Wednesday. Jimmy Hayes had a goal with three assists and Tyler Randell scored in his first career game.

'That's huge for our team,' Hayes said. 'Carry the momentum.'

Starting in place of the struggling Tuukka Rask, Jonas Gustavsson made 20 saves and received some solid defensive play in front to help take the collective pressure off a Bruins club that's been pressing through the first week.

"As a team, we've just got to know what we did," Gustavsson told the Bruins' official website. "We kept it simple and played solid defensively and that gave us a lot of scoring chances so I think it goes hand in hand - if you have a good defense, you're going to get a lot of offense, so we've just got to stick with what we're doing and we'll be fine."

Rask, who posted a 4.72 goals-against average and .846 save percentage in the three first three games, could be back in net after getting Wednesday off.

"You have to make good saves at the right times," he said. "And then you can't afford mistakes."

Rask has made plenty of saves while recording a 1.40 GAA during his five-game winning streak against Arizona (3-1-0). Boston owns a 20-7 goal advantage while taking the last six from the Coyotes.

Brad Marchand had three goals with an assist in the two meetings with Arizona last season, and could return Saturday after missing the last two contests with a concussion.

"It's protocol and following that, he's feeling better so he's able to skate," coach Claude Julien said. "We'll work on that progression and hopefully have him soon."

Mike Smith stopped all but two of the 106 shots he faced in Arizona's first three games but was pulled after yielding three on 17 in Thursday's 4-3 loss to Minnesota in the second of back-to-back contests.

"You can tell our team was chugging, there was fatigue but we hung in there," said Coyotes coach Dave Tippett, whose team trailed 3-0 early in the second period.

Dating to his time with Tampa Bay, Smith has a 3.50 GAA while losing his last six regular-season and playoff starts against Boston.

Arizona rookies Anthony Duclair and Max Domi haven't wasted time announcing their presence while combining for seven of the team's 13 goals and five assists. Domi assisted on Thursday's second-period goal by Duclair, who was part of the March deal that sent popular defenseman Keith Yandle to the New York Rangers.

"It's been unbelievable so far, but at the same time it would have been better if we'd gotten the win (Thursday)," Duclair said. "Things are rolling (offensively) and we've got to keep them going."

It's uncertain if veteran forward Antoine Vermette will be in the Coyotes' lineup after suffering a lower-body injury Thursday.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Wings (3-1) at Canadiens (5-0)
Date: October 17, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

After locking up the franchise's top active scorer for two more seasons, the Montreal Canadiens will try to add to the best start in their storied franchise's history.

The Canadiens would appear to have a strong chance to improve to 6-0-0 on Saturday night given their recent dominance over the short-handed Detroit Red Wings.

Montreal (5-0-0) announced Friday they signed Tomas Plekanec to a two-year extension. The top-line center, who has 206 goals and 503 points in his 12 seasons with the Canadiens, has scored four goals in the first five games to tie Max Pacioretty for the team lead.

Plekanec tallied an empty-netter and Carey Price made 25 saves in a 3-0 win Thursday over the New York Rangers.

"(The record start) is rewarding, but I'm more happy about the way the team's playing," Pacioretty said after his first home game as the franchise's 29th captain. "It's so fun to roll four lines and see everyone going. ... There are no egos on this team right now."

San Jose and Colorado were the last NHL teams to start 6-0-0 in 2013-14. Montreal will try to match that while earning a seventh consecutive win over one of its Original Six rivals.

Detroit lost four of those matchups last season and won't have a number of key players for the first one this season. Pavel Datsyuk is continuing to recover from offseason ankle surgery and Johan Franzen is back on injured reserve because of a recurrence of concussion symptoms.

Darren Helm hasn't played so far this season because he's recovering from a concussion, and Danny DeKeyser has an ailing foot.

The Red Wings, though, started 3-0-0 under new coach Jeff Blashill before losing 5-3 to previously winless Carolina on Friday, a team they beat 4-3 last Saturday.

The Hurricanes took a 3-0 lead early in the second period with Jimmy Howard in net for the Red Wings. Detroit (3-1-0) could only cut that deficit to one goal before the second intermission.

"Our guys know that wasn't good enough," Blashill said. "Carolina might not have played well in their other (three) games, but against us, they are winning puck races and puck battles."

The Red Wings are expected to start Petr Mrazek, who has never faced Montreal, in net for the at least the first two of their four consecutive road games.

"It's early in the season but we're playing a lot of good teams. Pittsburgh, the Rangers and it doesn't stop because we've got Detroit," coach Michel Therrien said. "It's going to be another huge challenge. This is the way it is in the NHL."

Plekanec has a team-best five goals and four assists in the win streak against the Red Wings. Pacioretty has provided three goals and three assists while playing in five of those games.

Price has a 2.18 goals-against average in his five consecutive wins against Detroit.

Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg, who has a team-leading eight points, has just two assists in his last three games versus the Canadiens.

"They had a little bit of a shakeup this year, and they're responding well to it," Pacioretty said. "They're motivated and they have confidence. I think some of their veterans, like Zetterberg, are playing their best hockey. Those are guys we're going to have to take a hard look at and make sure we shut them down."

Montreal has won three straight at home in the series.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sharks (3-0) at Islanders (2-1)
Date: October 17, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Strong starts have become a staple for the San Jose Sharks, and superb defense has led to another.

The Sharks look to continue their stingy play and improve to 5-0 as they face the New York Islanders for the first time in Brooklyn on Saturday night.

San Jose (4-0-0) went 4-0-1 in its first five games last season after winning its first six of 2013-14 and seven in the season prior.

This season's start has been spurred by defense, with the Sharks the first team to give up two goals or fewer through the first four games since Detroit in 1948-49.

Martin Jones has started every game, compiling a 0.49 goals-against average and two shutouts.

"The 'D' have done a good job in front of the net, and I am seeing pucks, but you don't go four games like that with one guy," Jones said. "We've played really, really solid both ends of the ice, and we haven't spent a lot of time in our zone in the four games. It has been a good start."

Jones helped to keep it going Friday, making 31 saves before turning aside two shootout attempts in a 2-1 win at New Jersey. He had gone a franchise-record 234 minutes, 33 seconds without allowing a goal before that run was snapped late in the third period.

Alex Stalock held the previous record at 178:55 set in January 2014, and he's slated to get the start Saturday. He went 8-9-2 with a 2.62 GAA in 22 games - 19 starts - last season.

Stalock made 42 saves through overtime before losing 4-3 in a shootout at New York on Oct. 16, 2014.

Patrick Marleau scored his team-leading third goal Friday but also missed a penalty shot in the second period. The left wing has 10 points over his last nine meetings with the Islanders.

San Jose is 6-0-2 in its last eight meetings with New York, going 3-0-1 at Nassau Coliseum.

The Islanders are getting accustomed to their new digs, overcoming a two-goal deficit to win 4-3 over Nashville on Thursday after beating Winnipeg 4-2 three days earlier.

"You've got to find ways to win," captain John Tavares said. "You won't always have your best. We were able to beat one of the best teams in the West. You look at their team. It was a good way to battle back and find a way to win.

"Our crowd has been great. Fans have been great. They have brought energy and passion."

That seems to be rubbing off on Tavares, whose team-leading three goals and three assists have all come in three games at the Islanders' new home.

The All-Star center has seven points in six career meetings with San Jose.

Like Tavares, Brock Nelson's three points have all come at home. He's also found a new home on the right wing after spending the last two seasons as a center.

"It's a little different in the defensive zone, not being able to see the whole ice as well, but going into the offensive zone you're able to make a couple more plays and create a couple more chances," Nelson told the team's official website.

The Islanders have an opportunity to deal a third straight opponent its first loss of the season after doing it to the Jets and Predators.

Thomas Greiss seems likely to face his former team for the first time after making a career-high 44 saves against Nashville. Greiss played 44 games for San Jose from 2008-13.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jackets (0-5) at Blackhawks (2-3)
Date: October 17, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

Brandon Saad hoisted the Stanley Cup the last time he was on the United Center ice. He's yet to experience a victory since.

Saad returns to Chicago for the first time since his trade to Columbus as the Blue Jackets seek an elusive first win in Friday's clash with the Blackhawks.

Salary cap issues forced Chicago (2-3-0) to part with several key contributors to its third championship in six seasons, with the seven-player deal that sent Saad to Columbus among the most notable and difficult decisions after the 22-year-old set career highs of 23 goals and 52 points in 2014-15.

Saad has so far justified the six-year, $36 million contract he received from his new team by scoring three goals in five games, all regulation losses during the worst start in Blue Jackets' history.

Poor defense is most to blame for Columbus' struggles. Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed four or more goals in all five games and the Blue Jackets have surrendered a league-high 26, half coming in their two most recent defeats.

After yielding five unanswered goals to Ottawa in a 7-3 home loss on Wednesday, Columbus permitted three over the final 16 minutes of Friday's 6-3 setback to visiting Toronto.

"You've got to stick to the plan, you've got to stay with it and what you do as an individual to be successful, what we need as a team to be successful," coach Todd Richards said. "When we lose it, we've given up great opportunities and right now the opponents are cashing in."

The 1995-96 San Jose Sharks were the last team to allow more goals (27) in their first five games.

Bobrovsky owns a 5.07 goals-against average and .835 save percentage, but he stopped 74 of 78 shots in winning both of his 2014-15 starts against Chicago (2-3-0), which is still adjusting to the departures of Saad and four-time 30-goal scorer Patrick Sharp.

The Blackhawks have just 10 goals in five games and return home after being outscored 7-1 in consecutive road losses to Philadelphia and Washington. They went scoreless for 107 minutes, 46 seconds before Viktor Svedberg scored his first NHL goal with an assist from ex-Blue Jacket Artem Anisimov early in the third period of Thursday's 4-1 defeat to the Capitals.

'I mean, we're not happy with how we played the last few games,' center Marcus Kruger said. 'All of us have got to get better and take responsibility.'

A 2 for 17 performance on the power play has coincided with the Blackhawks' slump, though Columbus has allowed five goals while short-handed over its last four.

Chicago looks to bounce back against an opponent it's dominated in recent years. Though Bobrovsky backstopped Columbus to victories in last season's two meetings, the Blackhawks had won 13 straight in the series prior to that.

The Blue Jackets were outscored 25-9 during an 0-5-1 stretch at the United Center they ended with a 5-2 win on March 27, in which Bobrovsky made 31 saves and Cam Atkinson registered a hat trick.

Corey Crawford, who allowed four goals in less than 16 minutes in that game, figures to return for Chicago after Scott Darling started Thursday. Crawford had 26 saves in Wednesday's 3-0 loss in Philadelphia, five days after making 34 in a 3-2 overtime win at the New York Islanders.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Oilers (0-4) at Flames (1-3)
Date: October 17, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

Todd McLellan expected a challenge when he took the helm of the Edmonton Oilers. He certainly got one.

McLellan is likely to shake things up on the power play as the winless Oilers try to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.

Edmonton (0-4-0) has missed the playoffs nine straight seasons and turned to McLellan to end that streak. So far, the Oilers aren't providing much hope it'll end in 2015-16 - they've been outscored 13-5 while failing to register a point.

They dropped their first five a year ago.

"I'm not surprised - I'm a little disappointed - but I'm not surprised," McLellan told the team's official website. "The players who haven't been here for very long, they're wondering and they're not sure. Players who have been here for awhile they're going to be the big ones who are going to dictate where we go, how they react to the four losses.

"We knew that we had a lot of work to do here and that hasn't changed."

Edmonton, though, is starting to feel some pressure after dropping its home opener 4-2 to St. Louis on Thursday.

"I think the whole fan base is impatient right now and we are feeling that right now," said left wing Taylor Hall, who got his first goal of the season Thursday. "We don't want to be down 0-4 to start the year. That's probably the worst-case scenario. When you looked at it mid-summer, this is probably the worst you could have imagined. We have to find a way."

In search of answers, McLellan is expected to shuffle the power play, which has gone 1 for 14.

Connor McDavid will remain on one of the units as he tries to bounce back from his worst performance through four games. The 18-year-old phenom, the top pick in last summer's draft, was a minus-3 against the Blues after scoring his first career goal in a 4-2 loss at Dallas two days prior.

"As much pressure as this team has from the outside, I think internally we're putting even more pressure on ourselves to succeed," McDavid said. "We had high expectations for this year. We'll get this thing turned around."

The Oilers can start by beating the Flames for the first time since a 2-0 victory at Calgary on Dec. 27, 2013. They've been outscored 31-10 while the Flames have dominated the Battle of Alberta of late.

The Flames (1-3-0) are trying to avoid a three-game slide after being outshot 22-9 over the last two periods of Friday's 3-1 defeat at Winnipeg. They gave up the decisive tally with 1:28 left in regulation.

"We did lots of good things," coach Bob Hartley said. "We have lots of young players who are learning the game, especially the NHL game, and how to play in late minutes. But they got the last shot and they deserve to win."

Johnny Gaudreau failed to get on the scoresheet Friday after totaling five points through the first three games. The left wing finished last season tied for the rookie scoring lead with 64 points, but he had just two goals in five matchups with Edmonton.

Dennis Wideman has eight points in his last eight meetings with the Oilers, while Sean Monahan has accumulated that many in nine.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Saturday, October 17


San Jose @ NY Islanders

Game 13-14
October 17, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
12.837
NY Islanders
11.608
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Islanders
-160
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(+140); Over

Edmonton @ Calgary

Game 19-20
October 17, 2015 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
10.633
Calgary
9.753
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
-150
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
(+130); Under

Boston @ Arizona

Game 17-18
October 17, 2015 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
10.896
Arizona
9.306
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arizona
-110
5
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-110); Over

Detroit @ Montreal

Game 1-2
October 17, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
12.124
Montreal
13.931
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal
-170
5
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(-170); Under

Carolina @ Washington

Game 3-4
October 17, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Carolina
10.008
Washington
13.453
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 3 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-220
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-220); Over

Nashville @ Ottawa

Game 5-6
October 17, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
11.608
Ottawa
9.549
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ottawa
-115
5
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(-105); Under

Toronto @ Pittsburgh

Game 7-8
October 17, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
11.115
Pittsburgh
10.036
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-250
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+210); Over

Buffalo @ Tampa Bay

Game 9-10
October 17, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Buffalo
9.786
Tampa Bay
13.633
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 4
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-290
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-290); Over

Dallas @ Florida

Game 11-12
October 17, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
10.396
Florida
11.790
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
-110
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
(-110); Under

Columbus @ Chicago

Game 15-16
October 17, 2015 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Columbus
11.825
Chicago
9.837
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Columbus
by 2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
-210
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Columbus
(+175); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, October 17

Hot teams
-- Montreal won first five games, allowing six goals. Red Wings won three of first four games.
-- Nashville won three of its first four games.
-- Dallas Stars, Florida both won three of their first four games.
-- Washington won two of its first three games.
-- Sharks won first four games, outscoring foes 14-2. Islanders won last two games 4-3/4-2.
-- Arizona won three of its first four games.

Cold teams
-- Ottawa lost two of its last three games.
-- Tampa Bay lost last two games, 5-3/3-1. Sabres lost three of their first four games.
-- Toronto, Pittsburgh both lost three of their first four games.
-- Carolina lost three of its first four games.
-- Columbus lost first five games, allowing 26 goals. Chicago lost last two games 4-1/3-0.
-- Oilers lost first four games, outscored 13-5. Calgary lost three of first four games.
-- Boston lost three of its first four games.

Series records
-- Red Wings lost last six games with Montreal.
-- Senators won four of last six games with Nashville.
-- Lightning won their last five games with Buffalo.
-- Florida is 5-3 in its last eight games with Dallas (0-2 last two; visitor 7-2 last nine).
-- Penguins won seven of last eight games with Toronto
-- Washington won four of last five games with Carolina.
-- Islanders lost six of last eight games with San Jose.
-- Columbus won last two vs Chicago, after losing previous eight,
-- Flames won their last seven games with Edmonton.
-- Bruins won their last six games with Arizona.

Totals
-- Under is 3-1 in last four Detroit-Montreal games.
-- Under is 3-1 in last four Nashville-Ottawa games.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Buffalo-Tampa Bay games.
-- Last three Dallas Stars games went over the total.
-- Over is 3-1 in Maple Leafs' last four visits to Pittsburgh.
-- Over is 5-2 in last seven Washington-Carolina games.
-- Under is 5-2 in last seven San Jose-Islander games.
-- Three of last four Columbus-Chicago games went over.
-- Over is 4-2 in last six Edmonton-Calgary games.
-- Over is 2-0-1 in last three Boston-Arizona games.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Saturday, October 17

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
BUFFALO vs. TAMPA BAY
Buffalo is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Buffalo's last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Tampa Bay's last 13 games when playing Buffalo
Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Buffalo

7:00 PM
CAROLINA vs. WASHINGTON
Carolina is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Carolina is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Carolina
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

7:00 PM
DALLAS vs. FLORIDA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Dallas's last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Florida's last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. MONTREAL
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
Montreal is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Montreal is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit

7:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. OTTAWA
Nashville is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Nashville's last 6 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
Ottawa is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games at home
Ottawa is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Nashville

7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. PITTSBURGH
Toronto is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Toronto is 2-23 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
Pittsburgh is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games

7:30 PM
SAN JOSE vs. NY ISLANDERS
San Jose is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 6 games
NY Islanders are 2-7-2 SU in their last 11 games ,when playing at home against San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 7 games when playing San Jose

8:30 PM
COLUMBUS vs. CHICAGO
Columbus is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games at home
Chicago is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Columbus

10:00 PM
BOSTON vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Boston's last 11 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Boston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Arizona is 3-19 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 7 games at home

10:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. CALGARY
Edmonton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Calgary's last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, October 17

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DETROIT (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) at MONTREAL (5-0-0-0, 10 pts.) - 10/17/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 15-24 ATS (-14.0 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 61-38 ATS (+19.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 29-13 ATS (+9.3 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 21-3 ATS (+17.2 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 24-11 ATS (+10.3 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 57-42 ATS (+2.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 6-2 (+4.2 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 6-2-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

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CAROLINA (1-3-0-0, 2 pts.) at WASHINGTON (2-1-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/17/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 8-31 ATS (+54.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
CAROLINA is 11-30 ATS (+49.4 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 26-36 ATS (-32.2 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 4-5 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 5-4-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.9 Units)

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NASHVILLE (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) at OTTAWA (3-2-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/17/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 8-15 ATS (-8.5 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 190-135 ATS (+33.9 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
OTTAWA is 82-87 ATS (-74.0 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 2-2-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.7 Units)

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TORONTO (1-2-0-1, 3 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (1-3-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/17/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 6-29 ATS (+46.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 0-10 ATS (+14.9 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 12-24 ATS (-16.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 45-46 ATS (-16.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 5-1 (+3.6 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 5-1-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

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BUFFALO (1-3-0-0, 2 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (3-2-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/17/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 17-5 ATS (+10.8 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 253-214 ATS (+30.1 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 309-376 ATS (+827.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 140-182 ATS (-69.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 8-2 (+3.6 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 8-2-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.7 Units)

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DALLAS (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) at FLORIDA (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/17/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 23-14 ATS (+39.9 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 175-141 ATS (+28.9 Units) in road games first half of the season since 1996.
DALLAS is 13-5 ATS (+19.7 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 16-11 ATS (+32.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 85-80 ATS (+179.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.
FLORIDA is 155-177 ATS (+356.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
FLORIDA is 183-248 ATS (+457.4 Units) after a division game since 1996.
FLORIDA is 126-197 ATS (+324.0 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 2-2 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 2-2-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.0 Units)

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SAN JOSE (4-0-0-0, 8 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (2-1-0-1, 5 pts.) - 10/17/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY ISLANDERS are 27-14 ATS (+7.8 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 15-7 ATS (+23.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 136-94 ATS (+29.2 Units) when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
NY ISLANDERS are 31-37 ATS (-8.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 16-32 ATS (+48.8 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 2-2 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 2-2-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

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COLUMBUS (0-5-0-0, 0 pts.) at CHICAGO (2-3-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/17/2015, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 0-5 ATS (-6.0 Units) in all games this season.
COLUMBUS is 0-5 ATS (-6.0 Units) first half of the season this season.
COLUMBUS is 9-5 ATS (+16.3 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 23-13 ATS (+38.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 34-39 ATS (-22.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 42-35 ATS (-14.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 149-158 ATS (-76.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 2-2 (+1.4 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 2-2-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.2 Units)

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BOSTON (1-3-0-0, 2 pts.) at ARIZONA (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/17/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 42-44 ATS (-25.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 11-21 ATS (-14.9 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 120-91 ATS (+26.6 Units) in road games after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.
BOSTON is 173-193 ATS (+419.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
ARIZONA is 2-12 ATS (+20.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 4-0 (+4.0 Units) against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 4-0-0 straight up against ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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EDMONTON (0-4-0-0, 0 pts.) at CALGARY (1-3-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/17/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 24-62 ATS (+117.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 8-34 ATS (+54.3 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 5-24 ATS (+38.2 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 4-25 ATS (+43.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 8-36 ATS (+74.7 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 51-46 ATS (+103.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 7-3 ATS (+10.6 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 28-14 ATS (+50.9 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 14-7 ATS (+22.7 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 16-7 ATS (+24.5 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 25-12 ATS (+38.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 8-2 (+6.4 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 8-2-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.9 Units, Under=-0.0 Units)