The Bum's October's NHL POD's-News-Trends-Stats !

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Preview: Canucks (3-3) at Flyers (1-5)

Date: October 15, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


The Philadelphia Flyers' problems have persisted under new coach Craig Berube, and a good portion of them have been self-inflicted.

They'll look to play a more disciplined contest Tuesday night when they host the Vancouver Canucks, who are dealing with their own issues of late.

Philadelphia fired Peter Laviolette on Oct. 7 after an 0-3-0 start, and Berube won his head coaching debut the following night, 2-1 over Florida.

The Flyers, though, can't seem to stay out of the penalty box no matter who is behind the bench. They've committed 45 penalties, been shorthanded 33 times and have allowed seven power-play goals, all ranking among the worst in the league.

Detroit went 3 for 7 with the man advantage Saturday, handing Philadelphia (1-5-0) its second straight loss with a 5-2 victory.

"We've got to stop taking penalties, we really do," Berube said. "It's been an issue in this organization for too long. The dumb penalties have to be eliminated altogether because they are unacceptable."

Erik Gustafsson and Tye McGinn had goals Saturday, but the Flyers haven't scored more than twice in a game this season. Despite the club's many struggles, Berube saw some improvement in the last contest.

"You don't ever want to get comfortable with losing," Berube said. "We played a solid game, a lot of urgency. We were competitive, but it wasn't enough."

If the Flyers continue their undisciplined play Tuesday, it will come against a team that has failed to capitalize on most of its power-play chances. Vancouver is 0 for 7 over its last four games and 2 of 19 on the season for a 10.5-percent conversion rate that is among the NHL's worst.

The Canucks (3-3-0) have dropped back-to-back 4-1 decisions following a three-game winning streak, losing to San Jose on Thursday and Montreal on Saturday.

They reached a low point in the second period against the Canadiens. Fetching a cleared puck behind his own net with Vancouver on the power play, Dan Hamhuis let the puck slide away from him. It went off Jason Garrison's skate and slipped in front of Roberto Luongo, who was unaware of the mishap and watched as the puck slowly went into the net off his skate.

Coach John Tortorella believed that the weak goal was merely an extension of his team's recent problems.

"We didn't play a good third period," Tortorella said. "Whether it was a result of (the goal), I don't know. We talked about (how) that wasn't going to beat us, but we certainly didn't play a good third period."

Luongo made 34 saves, but has a 2.99 goals-against average and .898 save percentage in five starts.

"Stuff happens out there," Luongo said. "You just have to stay focused."

Captain Henrik Sedin, who recoreded his 799th career point with a goal in the second, said the Canucks have to regroup quickly.

"We can't get too down," Sedin said. "We played good enough to win, but we weren't able to finish off."

Luongo is 2-3-2 with a 3.46 GAA in his last seven starts against the Flyers, who could start Steve Mason in net after Ray Emery allowed four goals Saturday.

Mason has a 2.02 GAA in four starts but is 1-4-2 with a 3.46 GAA in his last seven against the Canucks.

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Preview: Blackhawks (3-1) at Hurricanes (2-2)

Date: October 15, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


Though scoring has not come easy of late for the Chicago Blackhawks, they appear to be back on track following two consecutive defeats.

Whether the momentum they've gained from that will help them end their road struggles against the Carolina Hurricanes remains to be seen.

Looking for a rare win in Raleigh, the Blackhawks try to hand the Hurricanes a third consecutive home loss Tuesday night.

Since opening with a 6-4 victory over Washington, Chicago (3-1-1) has scored nine goals while playing four straight one-goal games. Though the Blackhawks are 5 for 20 on the power play this season, they've been held to two goals in three of the last four, including back-to-back 3-2 losses to Tampa Bay and St. Louis.

"The finish, what it takes to score in this league, maybe we need to be a little greasier around the net," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Hang around, put it in the back of the net.

"We've missed the net, which is our biggest problem scoring goals right now. The second chances are the ones that go in in our league."

However, a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders on Friday and Saturday's 2-1 victory over Buffalo have reinforced the Blackhawks' belief that they can succeed when the games are tight or low-scoring. Chicago led the league with 19 victories in games decided by one goal last season.

"I think we have a lot of confidence from what we did last year in these close games to come out and win them, so hopefully we'll get better at preserving the lead a little bit," forward Patrick Kane, who has a team-leading four goals, told the Blackhawks' official website.

Chicago's 2.36 goals-against average has helped it remain competitive, but the Blackhawks have not been that at Raleigh for a while.

The Hurricanes have gone 6-0-0 with a tie at home in the series since Chicago won 4-1 on Jan. 14, 1998 in the first meeting at Carolina's arena.

Though the Hurricanes (2-2-2) have outscored the Blackhawks 12-5 during a three-game home winning streak, their two straight losses at PNC Arena have dropped them to 1-1-2 there this season.

Carolina couldn't hold a 2-1 lead against Phoenix on Sunday, but tied the game at 3 on Jeff Skinner's power-play goal near the end of the second period. However, the Coyotes scored twice in the third for a 5-3 victory.

"We just didn't do a lot of things right (Sunday)," coach Kirk Muller told the Hurricanes' official website. "We got off of our game plan and wanted to become individuals. When you do that you're not going to have success."

Skinner has two goals and two assists in three games, with both goals and one assist coming on the power play. The Hurricanes went 1 for 9 with the man advantage against the Coyotes and are 4 for 28 on the season.

Cam Ward stepped in Sunday after Anton Khudobin suffered a lower-body injury, and allowed three goals. With Khudobin's status uncertain, Ward should have a chance to improve on his 0-2-2 record and 3.32 GAA.

Ward is 3-0-1 with a 0.98 GAA, two shutouts and a .971 save percentage against the Blackhawks.

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Preview: Oilers (1-4) at Penguins (4-1)

Date: October 15, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


With their superstar playing at a high level, the Pittsburgh Penguins have one of the most productive offenses in the NHL once again.

That doesn't bode well for an Edmonton Oilers team that has struggled to keep opponents off the scoreboard.

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins look to win for the 19th time in 21 regular-season home games Tuesday night when they take on the struggling Oilers.

Crosby put together another impressive performance with three goals and an assist as Pittsburgh (4-1-0) continued its strong start with a 5-4 victory at Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Following his eighth career hat trick, the center has produced at least one point in each of his first five games - his longest point streak to start a season since a six-game stretch as a rookie in October 2005.

Crosby's five goals and nine points both rank among the NHL leaders. While he's yet to score a goal in four career meetings with the Oilers (1-4-1), Crosby has four assists.

After averaging an NHL-best 3.38 goals last season, the Penguins are putting up 4.0 per game so far. They've also lost only twice - both against Buffalo last April - over their last 20 regular-season home games.

Pittsburgh has been particularly dangerous on the power play lately, converting on 5 of 11 opportunities in its last three games. Crosby and Jussi Jokinen lead the Penguins with two power-play goals, and Crosby assisted on Matt Niskanen's game-winner on the man advantage with 18.6 seconds left against the Lightning.

"We kind of have a little bit of a plan on what we want to do on the power play, and for the most part we just kind of read and take what's there,' Niskanen said.

Now the Penguins hope to continue that production while improving to 4-0 at Consol Energy Center this season. They're also looking to win five of their first six overall for the first time since starting 9-1-0 in 2009-10.

They should have a good chance to make that happen against an Edmonton team that has surrendered a power-play goal in each of its first five games and has allowed a league-high 29 goals overall.

The Oilers also have given up at least four goals in each of their six games after goaltender Jason LaBarbera allowed four on 20 shots in Monday's 4-2 loss at Washington.

"I thought everything was going fine until we brought a puck back into our zone, and that basically started a few dominoes to fall,' said coach Dallas Eakins, whose squad has four games left on its season-high six-game road trip.

Devan Dubnyk could get the start between the pipes, though he's 0-3-1 with a 5.43 goals-against average.

After allowing three goals in his first three starts, Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury may get a chance to bounce back after giving up four Saturday. He's yielded nine goals while winning four consecutive starts against the Oilers.

Defenseman Kris Letang (lower body) has returned to practice for the Penguins, but his status is uncertain. Forward Beau Bennett is day-to-day due to a lower-body injury.

The Penguins are 8-1-0 with two ties in their last 11 home meetings with the Oilers.

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Preview: Wild (3-1) at Maple Leafs (5-1)

Date: October 15, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


The Toronto Maple Leafs aren't showing signs of slowing down, but they could find things a bit more difficult against the defensive-minded Minnesota Wild.

Red-hot Joffrey Lupul hopes to extend his outstanding stretch and help Toronto continue its best start in 20 years Tuesday night against the visiting Minnesota Wild.

Although they faced four different one-goal deficits, the Maple Leafs (5-1-0) extended their strong start with Saturday's 6-5 victory over Edmonton. Lupul notched his second goal of the game to tie the score with 31 seconds left in regulation before Dave Bolland provided the game-winner in overtime.

"We got a lot of experience in here, a lot of character players,' said James van Riemsdyk, who also scored twice. "We don't ever quit and that's a huge attribute to have. ... We never seem to stop playing and that's key.'

With Lupul and van Riemsdyk leading the way with five goals apiece, Toronto ranks second in the NHL with 22 goals. The Maple Leafs have won their last two games by a 10-5 margin despite getting outshot 67-52.

Lupul, one of the league's top playmakers with eight points, has scored in four straight games - second only to his career-best six-game run last March. The left wing also has four goals and seven points in his last six meetings with the Wild (3-1-2).

Toronto, however, might have a tough time generating clean looks as it tries to continue its best start opening the 1993-94 season with 10 victories.

Following a 2-1 victory over winless Buffalo on Monday, Minnesota is limiting opponents to a league-low 21.7 shots per game and has allowed three goals on 57 shots while winning its last three.

"There were many moments in the game where I don't feel that our execution was at its best, but the bottom line is we did enough good things to win this hockey game,' said coach Mike Yeo, whose club seeks its first four-game winning streak since a seven-game run March 14-27. "I thought special teams was critical.'

The Wild held an opponent scoreless on the power play for the first time in six games, while converting one of their three chances with the man advantage. Paced by Zach Parise's three power-play tallies, they rank among the NHL leaders with a 30.8 power-play percentage.

The Maple Leafs, though, have been stingy in those situations by killing 20 of 22 penalties.

Jonathan Bernier has started the past three games between the pipes for Toronto, though he might give way to James Reimer after allowing five goals in 31 shots against the Oilers.

Reimer, who has yielded seven goals in his two starts, hasn't played since getting pulled in the second period of a 5-4 shootout win over Ottawa on Oct. 5.

Minnesota's Josh Harding is 3-1-0 with a 1.06 goals-against average after stopping 22 of 23 shots against the Sabres, but it's unclear who will get the start in the second of back-to-back games Tuesday. If Niklas Backstrom isn't ready to return from a knee injury, Darcy Kuemper could get the nod.

Teammate Jason Pominville, who had the go-ahead goal against his former team Monday, has six goals and 13 points in his last 11 meetings with the Maple Leafs.

Toronto, however, has won five of six home meetings and seven of 10 overall.

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Preview: Kings (4-2) at Lightning (3-2)

Date: October 15, 2013 7:30 PM EDT


The Los Angeles Kings' inability to win on the road ultimately doomed them in the playoffs last spring, but they're having no such issues away from home early this season.

The Kings look for a fourth straight victory overall and an NHL-best fourth road victory Tuesday night as they continue their four-game trip against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Los Angeles (4-2-0) dropped eight of nine outside of Staples Center in the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, failing to come up with a victory in six tries during the conference semifinals and conference finals.

While the competition certainly hasn't been as stiff thus far in October, the Kings are looking quite comfortable outside of Southern California. After starting their trip to the Southeast with a 2-1 shootout win at Carolina on Friday, Los Angeles played suffocating defense in front of backup goaltender Ben Scrivens in Sunday's 3-0 victory at Florida.

"We just need to keep it going," winger Jordan Nolan told the league's official website. "(Coach) Darryl (Sutter) wants us to be ready at the start of the game. We've been strong the full 60 (minutes) these past two games. Our goalies have been great, our lines have been going and we'll be ready the next game, too."

As good as Scrivens was in his first start for the Kings, Jonathan Quick figures to be back between the pipes Tuesday.

Quick stopped 28 of 29 shots against the Hurricanes on Friday after posting a rocky .890 save percentage in his first four starts, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him stay sharp in Tampa. Quick is 3-0-0 with a 0.55 goals-against average in four games - three starts - against the Lightning (3-2-0), stopping 91 of 93 shots.

Tampa Bay has won all three of Ben Bishop's starts in net while allowing six total goals, but it's dropped both of Anders Lindback's outings while giving up eight. Lindback let in three in the final period Friday in a 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh, including Matt Niskanen's power-play winner with 18.6 seconds left.

That was the Penguins' third goal of the night with the man advantage. The Lightning have given up six during their 14 times short-handed over the past three games.

"From penalties to defensive zone and offensive zone coverage, to the penalty kill and the power play, it's a combination of everything," defenseman Eric Brewer told the team's official website. "We're just trying to make consistent plays and put the odds in all aspects of our game in our favor."

While Tampa Bay's penalty kill seems to need an overhaul, its power play certainly doesn't. The Lightning are 6 for 14 with the man advantage in their last four games.

All three of former King Teddy Purcell's goals have come on the power play - matching his total on special teams from last season.

Stars Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis lead the Lightning with seven points apiece, while all the Kings' goal-scoring from their forwards has come from the wings. Centers Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Jarret Stoll, Colin Fraser and Trevor Lewis all have failed to find the back of the net.

Sutter separated the productive tandem of Richards and Jeff Carter at practice on Monday, pairing Carter with Kopitar and left wing Dwight King.

Los Angeles is looking for its first three-game regular-season road winning streak since Oct. 15-27, 2011.

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Preview: Blue Jackets (2-2) at Red Wings (4-2)

Date: October 15, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


With Jimmy Howard on the mend, Jonas Gustavsson appears in line to get his second straight start in net for the Detroit Red Wings.

If it goes as well as his first, Detroit should have a solid chance to avoid dropping a fifth straight meeting with the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Gustavsson was told shortly before game time that he would start Monday's contest against Boston as Howard nursed an unspecified injury to his glove hand. In his first action of the season, Gustavsson made 28 saves and staved off a late Bruins surge to earn a 3-2 victory.

"(I found out) maybe 15, 20 minutes before the game started,' Gustavsson said. "It felt good. I was excited to play. It's always fun to go out and have your first game, especially when we have a chance to win.'

Howard didn't offer a specific timetable for his return, but said it's "doubtful" that he would play Tuesday.

"We're really just going to have to wait and see," Howard said. "Hopefully, it'll heal fast.'

Barring a change, Gustavsson should again be in net against Columbus. He said he settled down Monday after getting into the flow of the game quickly.

"When you get your first shots on you, you grow into the game," Gustavsson said. "I felt pretty good. The guys helped me a lot to feel good.'

Detroit (4-2-0) won its second straight behind goals from Dan Cleary, Stephen Weiss and Henrik Zetterberg, who has scored in four of the last five and has a team-best five goals.

Zetterberg didn't score in five meetings with Columbus last season as the clubs battled as Central Division rivals in the Western Conference before both moved to the East prior to this season.

The Blue Jackets won the final four after an opening-night shootout defeat, with Sergei Bobrovsky going 3-0-1 with a 1.68 goals-against average in four starts against Detroit on his way to winning the Vezina Trophy.

Bobrovsky is 2-2-0 with a 2.22 GAA in four starts this season and made 33 saves in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Boston, but he allowed two goals that could be considered soft.

"I've watched Bob and I've watched him at his best. I'd assume, knowing Bob, that he'd like those two shots back," coach Todd Richards said. "I've thought the same thing every time about Bob - he battles and he competes on everything."

Columbus (2-2-0) is beginning a stretch of three road games in six nights - it also faces Montreal and Washington - but it has won both of its contests away from home.

The Blue Jackets dropped 27 of their first 34 trips to Detroit before winning both meetings at Joe Louis Arena last season.

Columbus will be without winger Matt Calvert, who underwent surgery to repair an abdominal injury suffered Thursday at Buffalo and is expected to be out approximately six weeks.

Blake Comeau's status is also in doubt. The winger suffered a cut above his ankle from a Bruins skate Saturday.

"As a coach, these are the things that you expect to happen in games, and that's injuries in general," Richards told the team's official website. "You expect some bangs here and some nicks there."

Columbus leading scorer Marian Gaborik has five goals and seven assists in 13 career games at Detroit.

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Preview: Sharks (5-0) at Blues (4-0)

Date: October 15, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


Thanks to their high-powered offenses, the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks are two of the three undefeated teams in the NHL. Judging by recent history, St. Louis appears to have a good chance to hand San Jose its first defeat.

The host Blues seek their seventh win in eight meetings with the Sharks on Tuesday night.

San Jose (5-0-0) and St. Louis (4-0-0) are first and second in the league with 4.80 and 4.75 goals per game, respectively.

David Backes' resurgent start has helped fuel the Blues, who are looking to cap a perfect season-opening homestand after a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers on Saturday. That gave them the best start in team history, and they have not trailed this season.

"It's clicking right now, but it's only four games," Backes said. "Four good games, but it's only getting tougher from here now."

Backes scored twice against New York, pushing his season total to four goals. He finished with six in 48 games last year after totaling 55 in the previous two seasons.

The club's top line of Backes, Alexander Steen and T.J. Oshie has caused havoc for opponents. Steen's eight points trail only Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, while Oshie has a goal and three assists.

"It's three guys that are willing to do whatever is needed every single night," Backes said.

Backes and Steen have also combined for three of St. Louis' six power play goals on 16 chances, a league-leading 37.5 percent success rate.

The Blues have gone 6 for 23 on the power play in the last five victories over the Sharks. San Jose has allowed three power-play goals in 14 opportunities this year.

The Sharks (5-0-0), two wins away from matching the best start in team history established last season, have a club-record 24 goals through five contests.

Tomas Hertl scored his league-leading seventh goal in a 3-2 home victory over Ottawa on Saturday before leaving with an injury, though he's expected to play Tuesday.

"He's a little bit sore but I think he'll be fine tomorrow," coach Todd McLellan said.

The victory over the Senators was San Jose's first closely contested game, as the Sharks outscored their first four opponents by 16.

"We knew it was going to be the same way every night," forward Patrick Marleau said after scoring for the fourth time this season. "It was going to be ups and downs, and tonight was a good challenge. We looked at it as a challenge."

Brent Burns also scored against the Senators and has joined Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski as Sharks with six points apiece.

Goaltenders for both teams have been solid, with Antti Niemi recording a 1.40 goals-against average for San Jose and Jaroslav Halak posting a 1.75 mark. Neither has faced more than 30 shots in a game.

The Sharks lead the league with 42.4 shots per contest while the Blues are seventh with 32.5.

Halak has gone 4-2-0 with a 2.29 goals-against average and two shutouts in seven starts against San Jose. Niemi has surrendered six goals on 48 shots in his last two matchups with St. Louis - both losses.

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Preview: Panthers (2-4) at Predators (2-3)

Date: October 15, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


Opening the season with four straight road games was pretty rough on the Florida Panthers. It's been equally frustrating nearly every time they've played in Nashville.

The Panthers visit the Predators on Tuesday night seeking their first win in Music City in nearly 14 years.

Florida (2-4-0) opened with a 4-2 win at Dallas before dropping three straight road games by a combined 16-3 margin. The Panthers, who return home for a six-game homestand starting Thursday, are 0-4-2-1 in Nashville since winning their first two games there - the last on Dec. 11, 1999.

The Panthers followed a 6-3 win over Pittsburgh on Friday with a 3-0 setback against Los Angeles two days later, joining New Jersey as the only teams to be shut out twice already.

While the six-goal performance came against Penguins rookie backup Jeff Zatkoff, Florida couldn't duplicate that success against the Kings' No. 2 Ben Scrivens, who stopped all 20 shots he faced.

Florida's average of 27.2 shots per game ranks near the bottom of the league.

"They're a very big, strong-bodied team," coach Kevin Dineen said of the Kings. "As the game wore on, we got wore down. The problem that we have is I think our hockey IQ dropped as well."

The Predators (2-3-0) come in having won two of their last three, including a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday.

Ryan Ellis broke a 2-all tie at the 3:23 mark of the third period on a long slap shot for Nashville, which is scoring on just 6.0 percent of its shots.

"Just put the puck on net. I think that is what we have been doing lately, but we weren't getting bounces," Ellis said.

Seth Jones, the No. 4 pick in this year's draft, scored his first career goal on a power play in the second. Shea Weber, slotted alongside Jones as the team's top defensive pairing with Roman Josi sidelined by a concussion, was credited with the secondary assist for his first point of the season. David Legwand had the primary assist on the play.

"The seam was there for a couple of seconds, and I was hoping that (Legwand) saw me," said Jones, whose average ice time of 23:30 leads all NHL rookies. "He's got good vision, so he did."

Jones' goal improved Nashville to 3 for 9 with the man advantage over the last three games.

Florida's Aleksander Barkov - selected in the draft two spots before Jones - didn't have a point against Los Angeles after recording three versus Pittsburgh.

Nashville's Pekka Rinne is 2-2-0 in four career starts against the Panthers, stopping 94.4 percent of their shots. Florida's Jacob Markstrom has never faced the Predators.

David Legwand has scored a goal in each of his last four games against the Panthers, while Mike Fisher has four goals in his last three.

The Predators have won six of the last eight meetings overall.

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Preview: Canadiens (3-2) at Jets (3-3)

Date: October 15, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


There's no denying the talent of 22-year-old winger Evander Kane, who's trying to take the next step and become a leader for the Winnipeg Jets.

He responded with a solid performance after a promotion to the top line, and he'll look to stay hot Tuesday night when the Jets host the Montreal Canadiens.

Kane showed plenty of fire in Winnipeg's 5-3 win over Los Angeles on Oct. 4, engaging in a fight in the first period before scoring a goal and adding two assists. He didn't record a point, though, during a subsequent three-game losing streak and appeared to be struggling.

Coach Claude Noel decided to move the former 30-goal scorer to the first line with Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler for Sunday's matchup against New Jersey, and Kane delivered a pair of goals in the 3-0 win.

Kane opened the scoring in the second before adding an empty-netter in the third. Captain Andrew Ladd had the final goal.

"I take it upon myself to be one of the leaders in this room and on the ice," said Kane, whose three goals are tied with Little and Ladd for the team lead. "Whatever area I feel I need to lead in, whatever the situation is in the game, I want to do that, and I try to do that as much as I can."

Noel was pleased with how the Jets bounced back from their skid but didn't guarantee that Sunday's lines would remain the same against Montreal, which has won the last five meetings against Winnipeg (3-3-0).

"I just thought the guys played better," Noel said. "We'll see where the lines go, but for us right now we've got a lot of positives to build on."

Kane has only one goal in 14 career games against the Canadiens, who have also won eight of the previous nine in the series. Carey Price is 7-1-0 with a 1.88 goals-against average in that span, and he could be in net again after a solid performance in Saturday's 4-1 win over Vancouver.

Price, who is 2-2-0 with a 2.27 GAA, made 39 saves to help the Canadiens (3-2-0) win for the third time in four games.

"I've really liked what I've seen from Carey Price since the start of the season," coach Michel Therrien said. "He's in control, his positioning is good and he's making key saves. (Saturday) was definitely his best game of the year."

Lars Eller has scored in four of the team's five games and has five goals. He was credited with a bizarre goal Saturday, clearing the puck to the opposite end of the ice with Montreal shorthanded only to have Vancouver misplay the puck into its own net.

Though the Canadiens caught a break on that goal, Eller said Price was the main reason for the victory.

"It's probably the best hockey I've seen him play, and that says a lot," Eller said. "He kept us in the game. I don't know how. Unbelievable performance."

Al Montoya made 24 saves in his first action of the season Sunday for the Jets, who could turn back to Ondrej Pavelec for this contest.

Pavelec, 2-3-0 with a 3.25 GAA, has started each game during Winnipeg's current skid against Montreal while posting a 4.43 GAA.

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Preview: Stars (2-2) at Avalanche (5-0)

Date: October 15, 2013 9:00 PM EDT


Paced by solid goaltending, the Colorado Avalanche remain focused during their best start since relocating from Quebec 18 years ago.

The Avalanche look to continue their unbeaten streak when they host the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night.

After missing the playoffs the last three seasons, Colorado (5-0-0) joins San Jose and St. Louis as the only NHL teams without a loss. However, first-year coach and Hall-of-Fame goaltender Patrick Roy does not want to make too much of the team's surprising start.

"We take it one day at a time and just say, `Why not? Why not us?'" said Roy, who helped lead the Avs to Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001. "We're working hard every day. We're humble. We know we're playing against good teams."

Prior to this year, the club had never won its first five games since moving to Denver in 1995. The Avs are within striking distance of the franchise-best 7-0-0 start by the 1985-86 Nordiques because of the stellar play of Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who have combined to allow only four goals on 171 shots.

Varlamov made 40 saves in Saturday's 5-1 victory at Washington, improving to 4-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average. Giguere stopped 39 shots during a 2-0 win at Boston on Thursday in his only start.

"(Varlamov) is playing outstanding," Roy said. "Both goalies have been, `Wow', for us."

Center Nathan MacKinnon, the 18-year-old No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, scored his first goal and added one of his team-leading five assists Saturday.

Matt Duchene got his third goal of the season as Colorado jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead against the Capitals and never looked back.

"I like our intensity. There's no doubt about it," Roy said. "I thought we were very focused before the game. We jumped on them right at the start."

Duchene has two goals and two assists in his last three games, but has gone without a point in his previous four against Dallas.

Colorado dropped two of three last season against the Stars (2-2-0), who are looking to bounce back from a 5-1 loss at Minnesota on Saturday. Dallas gave up a goal 12 seconds in and trailed 4-0 before Jordie Benn scored on the power play in the second period.

"We kind of gave them a two-goal lead there, just sloppy plays," defenseman Alex Goligoski said. "We never really got going after that. We kind of got outplayed all over the rink. ... We got off on the wrong foot (Saturday) and it just kind of spiraled from there."

Dan Ellis made 31 saves against the Wild and could again be called on to start in place of Kari Lehtonen, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury suffered during Friday's 4-1 victory at Winnipeg.

Ellis has a 2.76 GAA during a personal four-game winning streak against Colorado.

Stars center Tyler Seguin has recorded both of his goals and all four assists during the last three games.

Benn's first career goal - his only one in 26 games last season - came during a 5-2 home victory over Colorado on March 23.

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Preview: Senators (1-2) at Coyotes (4-2)

Date: October 15, 2013 10:00 PM EDT


After a discouraging start to their road trip, the Phoenix Coyotes return home in high spirits. Their offense appears to have found its rhythm and facing the defensively challenged Ottawa Senators should only help.

The Coyotes go for a fourth straight win Tuesday night while the Senators wrap up a season-opening six-game road trip trying to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat.

Phoenix's trip got off to an inauspicious start with losses to San Jose and the New York Islanders by a combined score of 10-2.

"It was a morgue around here - nobody was happy, everybody was miserable,' winger Rob Klinkhammer said.

The mood has certainly changed after the Coyotes (4-2-0) outscored Detroit, Philadelphia and Carolina 11-6 for three straight wins.

"We've stabilized our game, for sure," coach Dave Tippett told the team's official website. "When you go on the road for five games, your backs are against the wall. Winning three out of five road games is going in the right direction. Hopefully we can go home and keep playing the right way."

Phoenix's penalty kill has been a big part of the turnaround, stopping 14 of 15 after killing six of 10 in the losses.

Finally getting some production from first-line forwards Shane Doan and Klinkhammer also has helped.

Doan, who was tied for the team lead with 13 goals last season, had gone pointless in his first five contests before notching a goal and an assist in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Hurricanes. Klinkhammer registered his first two goals after entering with one assist.

"At some point, you have to start helping,' Doan said.

Doan and company could be poised for more scoring opportunities considering how things have been going for the Senators (1-2-2).

After surrendering 50 shots in Saturday's 3-2 loss to San Jose, Ottawa allowed a franchise-record 56 in a 4-1 defeat to Anaheim the following night.

"It's a little bit worse,' coach Paul MacLean said. "It is two nights in a row. You give up over 50 shots, you hang your goalie out right from the start of the game. We're not very good. We need to go back to square one and find something to hang our hat on. Right now the only thing we have is goaltenders, and we make them work too hard.'

Craig Anderson allowed two goals on the Ducks' first nine shots before Robin Lehner replaced him 4:06 into the first period. Lehner made his season debut against the Sharks, and already has faced 97 shots.

Anderson has a 4.63 goals-against average in losing his last three starts, and has lost his last six games to the Coyotes with a 2.81 GAA.

Phoenix's Mike Smith has a 2.27 GAA in winning his last three starts versus Ottawa.

Smith stopped 32 shots and Doan had a goal in the Coyotes' last game against the Senators, a 3-2 home win Jan. 24, 2012.

One of the few bright spots for Ottawa on Sunday was Bobby Ryan scoring his 150th career goal in his first game back in Anaheim since the Ducks traded the high-scoring forward over the summer. Ryan has scored in three straight games, but only has one goal in his last seven contests in Phoenix.

Center Jeff Halpern is expected to make his debut after signing a one-year contract with the Coyotes on Saturday.

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

10/14/13 3-*0-*1 100.00% +*1500 Detail
10/13/13 7-*1-*0 87.50% +*2850 Detail
10/12/13 14-*5-*1 73.68% +*4175 Detail
10/11/13 8-*4-*0 66.67% +*1300 Detail
10/10/13 11-*8-*1 57.89% +*25 Detail
10/09/13 2-*4-*0 33.33% -*1250 Detail
10/08/13 11-*4-*1 73.33% +*3175 Detail
10/07/13 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*900 Detail
10/06/13 0-*4-*0 0.00% -*2300 Detail
10/05/13 9-*13-*0 40.91% -*3225 Detail
10/04/13 3-*7-*0 30.00% -*2700 Detail
10/03/13 6-*7-*3 46.15% -*1000 Detail
10/02/13 3-*3-*0 50.00% -*85 Detail
10/01/13 4-*2-*0 66.67% +*735 Detail

Totals 82-*65-*7 55.78% +2300



Tuesday, October 15

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Minnesota - 7:00 PM ET Toronto -150 500

Toronto - Under 5.5 500

Buffalo - 7:00 PM ET NY Islanders -225 500

NY Islanders - Over 5 500

Vancouver - 7:00 PM ET Vancouver -130 500

Philadelphia - Over 5 500

Edmonton - 7:00 PM ET Pittsburgh -300 500

Pittsburgh - Over 6 500

Chicago - 7:00 PM ET Chicago -170 500

Carolina - Under 5.5 500

Los Angeles - 7:30 PM ET Los Angeles -115 500

Tampa Bay - Under 5.5 500

Columbus - 8:00 PM ET Detroit -130 500

Detroit - Under 5.5 500

San Jose - 8:00 PM ET San Jose +105 500 POD # 2

St. Louis - Under 5.5 500

Florida - 8:00 PM ET Nashville -185 500

Nashville - Over 5 500

Montreal - 8:00 PM ET Montreal -130 500

Winnipeg - Under 5.5 500

Dallas - 9:00 PM ET Colorado -195 500

Colorado - Under 5.5 500

Ottawa - 10:00 PM ET Ottawa +120 500 POD # 1

Phoenix - Over 5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (1-4) at Capitals (2-4)

Date: October 16, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


Given the way his Washington Capitals responded, coach Adam Oates might want to give positive speeches more often.

Then again, Washington may not need it against the road-weary New York Rangers.

The Capitals hope to build on their promising performance Wednesday night when they look to deal the Rangers a fourth straight loss.

The clubs meet for the first time since a first-round series in last season's Eastern Conference playoffs, when New York rallied from a 2-0 deficit and ousted Washington with a 5-0 victory in Game 7.

Although both teams entered this season with high expectations, they've struggled to get on track during slow starts.

After totaling four goals during a three-game skid, Oates gave his squad a positive power talk during Sunday's practice, instead of dwelling on the negative. A day later, the Capitals (2-4-0) responded by scoring three goals in less than four minutes of the second period en route to a 4-2 win over Edmonton.

"We're not as confident as we should be, but a lot of guys got goals," Oates said. "We feel better about ourselves and hopefully, that cures some of it."

Washington was 1 of 10 on the power play during its skid before going 2 for 3 with a man advantage against the Oilers.

Star Alex Ovechkin, who leads the Capitals with three power-play goals, has picked up where he left off after posting 22 goals and 34 points in his final 21 games last season. The winger ranks among NHL leaders with six goals and nine points as he tries to lead Washington to back-to-back wins on this five-game homestand.

Ovechkin had 10 goals and 19 points over a 21-game stretch versus the Rangers (1-4-0) before he was held without a point over the final five games of last spring's playoff series. However, he should feel confident facing a New York team that has allowed 20 goals during a three-game losing streak and a league-worst 5.0 per game overall.

After yielding 10 goals in his previous two starts, Henrik Lundqvist bounced back by stopping 16 of 17 shots in relief of Martin Biron in a 5-3 loss at St. Louis on Saturday.

Biron was assigned to Hartford of the AHL on Monday after recording a 7.61 goals-against average in two games. He's been replaced by Cam Talbot, who was 2-0-1 with a 2.54 GAA for Hartford.

Expected to get the start, Lundqvist seeks his third straight shutout against the Capitals after blanking them in Game 6 and 7 last May.

"There are going to be stretches when the puck is really big and stretches when the puck is a lot smaller," Lundqvist said. "At the same time, it can turn around for you pretty quick."

That appears to be the case for Washington's Braden Holtby, who has given up seven goals in his last three starts after allowing eight in his first two.

The Capitals likely will have to contain Brad Richards, who has four of the Rangers' NHL-worst nine goals. He has three scores in his last four regular-season trips to the nation's capital.

New York, however, has placed Rick Nash on the injured reserve list because of a head injury, while Washington defenseman John Erskine could return after missing two games due to an upper body injury.

The Rangers have four stops left on a season-opening, nine-game trip. They've dropped 9 of 13 in Washington - including postseason meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Flames (3-0) at Ducks (4-1)

Date: October 16, 2013 10:00 PM EDT


The Anaheim Ducks can add to one of the best starts in franchise history by continuing their home dominance of the Calgary Flames.

The Flames, though, are riding one of their strongest starts and will try to extend a season-opening point streak to six games when the teams meet Wednesday night.

Anaheim (4-1-0) has recovered nicely since a 6-1 drubbing in its season opener Oct. 2 in Colorado and won its first two home games by a combined 10-1.

Corey Perry scored twice and the Ducks registered a franchise-best 56 shots on goal in a 4-1 victory over Ottawa on Sunday.

"The more we can win at home the better it is," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We've done OK in the first two games of this homestand. Let's see if the last three games can be the same way."

The Ducks will try to win five of their opening six games for the first time against a Calgary team they've beaten in 18 of the last 19 home meetings, including three in the 2006 postseason. The Flames are 0-10-5 at the Honda Center since a 5-2 victory in Game 3 of that opening-round series.

Calgary hasn't won a regular-season game in Anaheim since Jan. 19, 2004.

"(The road trip) is a huge challenge for us, five big games against great hockey clubs," coach Bob Hartley said. "I think it's going to say a lot about our team, and it's going to be a different challenge."

The Flames will have had four days off once the puck drops for this game. They head into their trip after a 3-0-2 start that's the franchise's best since the Atlanta Flames opened 10-0-2 in 1978-79.

The Ducks got off to an even better start in 2006-07, going 12-0-4 and setting what was an NHL record until last season's Chicago Blackhawks went 21-0-3.

Calgary rookie center Sean Monahan kept his club's points streak alive, scoring the tiebreaking goal with 2:43 remaining in a 3-2 victory over New Jersey on Friday. All five of Calgary's games have been decided by one goal or in a shootout.

"If that's an indication of how this season is going to go, we need to be at our best every game," Hartley said.

Monahan, the sixth pick in this year's draft, has scored a goal in each of his last four games. He also has at least one point in his first five NHL contests, the team's longest streak since 31-year-old Sergei Makarov did it in his first seven in 1989-90.

"We want to win as many games as we can right now, we want to have a good start and that's really big for our team right now," said Monahan, whose 19th birthday was Saturday.

Anaheim has won eight of the past 11 overall meetings and took two of three from the Flames during last season's lockout-shortened campaign.

The Ducks' top players have led the way in those recent matchups. Perry has six goals and eight assists in his last 10 games against the Flames, and Ryan Getzlaf has five goals and nine assists in the previous 11.

Calgary's Curtis Glencross has eight goals and six assists in his past 16 games against Anaheim but did not record a point in his final two last season.

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

10/15/13 18-*5-*1 78.26% +*5775 Detail
10/14/13 3-*0-*1 100.00% +*1500 Detail
10/13/13 7-*1-*0 87.50% +*2850 Detail
10/12/13 14-*5-*1 73.68% +*4175 Detail
10/11/13 8-*4-*0 66.67% +*1300 Detail
10/10/13 11-*8-*1 57.89% +*25 Detail
10/09/13 2-*4-*0 33.33% -*1250 Detail
10/08/13 11-*4-*1 73.33% +*3175 Detail
10/07/13 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*900 Detail
10/06/13 0-*4-*0 0.00% -*2300 Detail
10/05/13 9-*13-*0 40.91% -*3225 Detail
10/04/13 3-*7-*0 30.00% -*2700 Detail
10/03/13 6-*7-*3 46.15% -*1000 Detail
10/02/13 3-*3-*0 50.00% -*85 Detail
10/01/13 4-*2-*0 66.67% +*735 Detail

Totals 100-*70-*8 58.82% +8075


Wednesday, October 16

Game Score Status Pick Amount

NY Rangers - 8:00 PM ET Washington -150 500

Washington - Over 5.5 500

Calgary - 10:00 PM ET Calgary +190 500 POD # 1

Anaheim - Under 5.5 500