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

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Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

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 37-*43-*4 46.25% -*6300


Wednesday, October 9

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Chicago - 8:00 PM ET St. Louis -120 500

St. Louis - Over 5.5 500 POD # 3


Montreal - 8:00 PM ET Montreal -120 500

Calgary - Over 5.5 500 POD # 1


Ottawa - 10:30 PM ET Los Angeles -160 500

Los Angeles - Under 5 500 POD # 2

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Preview: Hurricanes (1-1) at Capitals (1-2)

Date: October 10, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


The Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes are working out some early season kinks, and the former Southeast Division rivals are hoping a win Wednesday night will give them firmer footing in the new-look Metropolitan Division.

The Capitals (1-2-0) have been idle since a 2-1 defeat at Dallas on Saturday. Alex Ovechkin continued his quick start with his team-high fourth goal, but Washington has been plagued by defensive breakdowns and been outscored 10-3 while playing at even strength.

"We had lots of chances - lots of crossbars and posts," said Ovechkin, who has scored on the power play in all three contests and has 24 goals and 65 points in 52 games against Carolina.

The time off has allowed coach Adam Oates to evaluate some of his younger players, with 19-year-old defenseman Connor Carrick drawing most of his scrutiny - and some praise - in the early going.

"I think the one thing we're conscious of is are we hurting his learning curve, has he stopped learning because he's in survival mode," Oates said of Carrick, one of two teenagers on the team along with forward Tom Wilson. "When I watch them play, they don't look like 19 year olds. They make mistakes, but I haven't seen a 19-year-old mistake yet."

Oates is also hoping Washington's second line of Brooks Laich, Mikael Grabovski and Troy Brouwer found some cohesion with the extra time to practice. Grabovski has proven potent on the power play, totaling two goals and two assists, and Laich knows his trio must back up Ovechkin's line for Washington to be successful.

"If you stop the top line, you have a good chance of winning," Laich said. "They have a little bit more depth but I think our depth is even greater and our special teams should do the job and should help us all get a win."

Despite a 4.48 goals-against average through three games, Braden Holtby likely will start in net. He went 3-1-0 with a 1.75 GAA and a shutout versus Carolina last season.

The Hurricanes (1-1-1) are trying to regroup after losing 5-2 at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. They overcame a two-goal deficit to tie the game at 2 with 16:47 left on Nathan Gerbe's goal, only to give up three unanswered tallies in an eight-minute span as ex-Hurricane Jussi Jokinen recorded a hat trick.

"It's a lesson for us that we have to play for 60 minutes," coach Kirk Muller said. "It's every inch, every play you do is important. These good teams, they force you to perform on every shift and we have to sustain it every time we're on the ice."

Gerbe and Radek Dvorak have accounted for four of Carolina's six goals, while brothers Eric and Jordan Staal have combined for one goal and a minus-4 rating.

Carolina yielded two power-play goals in three chances Tuesday after killing off all five penalties in its first two games.

Washington won the last three games between the teams last season and four of five overall in 2012-13 en route to the Southeast title.

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Preview: Avalanche (3-0) at Bruins (2-0)

Date: October 10, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


Under Patrick Roy, the Colorado Avalanche are off to their best start since moving to Denver.

Whether they can keep it going despite their top goaltender getting a night of rest remains to be seen.

Colorado visits the Boston Bruins on Thursday night seeking its sixth consecutive road win in the series.

The Avalanche are 3-0-0 for the first time in their 18-year history since moving from Quebec with Roy leading the way in his first season as coach. The franchise's best start was a 7-0-0 mark as the Nordiques in 1985-86.

"It's just more momentum on our side," Cory Sarich told the team's official website after scoring his first goal since Jan. 10, 2012, in the team's 2-1 win at Toronto on Tuesday. "We have to keep working on things, we have to stay grounded. We'll enjoy (the win) for a minute.

P.A. Parenteau recorded the go-ahead goal in the third period, his third of the season, with No. 1 overall pick Nathan MacKinnon getting credited for his fourth assist. Parenteau scored two goals the last time he faced the Bruins while with the Islanders on March 31, 2012.

Fifteen players have recorded at least one point for the Avalanche, including eight with two or more.

"This is what our team is about right now. Everybody is chipping in," Roy told the team's website. "Overall, it's a team effort and that's what we're looking for."

A big reason for Colorado's success has been Semyon Varlamov stopping 88 of 91 shots. However, Roy said he will give Jean-Sebastien Giguere his first start of the year. He owns a 3.19 goals-against average in six career starts versus Boston.

The Bruins (2-0-0) have won their first two games for the second straight season following a 4-1 home victory over Detroit on Saturday. Boston was 2 for 4 on power-play chances, with Zdeno Chara scoring a goal and also using his 6-9, 255-pound frame to screen opposing goalie Jimmy Howard and set up another power-play score for Torey Krug.

The club was scoreless on five chances with the man advantage in a 3-1 win over Tampa Bay in the opener. Colorado has held opponents scoreless on seven power-play opportunities.

"It's always been a basic part of my game to work hard," Chara said. "When I'm in there, I might as well enjoy it."

Coach Claude Julien has the advantage of four days off between games, a rarity during last season's lockout-shortened schedule.

"It's good in a way with the new players that we have in our lineup, not necessarily about teaching, but again going through some things here that are reminders. And you hear me say a lot about making things become second nature and by repeating things in practice, it gives you that opportunity to create that," he told the team's website.

Jarome Iginla has tallied nine goals and four assists over his last 12 games versus Colorado, while David Krejci has six points in four career matchups.

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Preview: Blue Jackets (1-1) at Sabres (0-3)

Date: October 10, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


The potential return of No. 1 goaltender Ryan Miller should instill some confidence in the struggling Buffalo Sabres.

Unfortunately, he won't be able to do much to improve the league's worst offense.

With Miller likely to return, the Sabres aim to notch their elusive first win Thursday night when the well-rested Columbus Blue Jackets visit.

After opening the season with three consecutive losses and scoring two goals in those games, Buffalo doubled its output in a 3-2 overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The Sabres (0-3-1) earned their first point and avoided becoming only the 15th NHL team to open a season with three or fewer goals through four games.

Both goals came on the power play after Buffalo began the season 0 for 13 with the man advantage.

"We were able to get some more pucks through," coach Ron Rolston said. "I thought we had some more plays at the net and around the net. I think whenever that happens, you're going to have some success."

Jhonas Enroth made 32 saves in his second consecutive start but could give way to Miller on Thursday.

Miller did not dress Saturday against Pittsburgh and served as Enroth's backup Tuesday while nursing a lower-body injury. Miller, though, was a full participant in practice Wednesday and Rolston said he is healthy and available to play against Columbus.

"I knew it was pretty minor. I was just being cautious," Miller told the team's official website. "Jhonas was going to play in Pittsburgh anyways so I just took that opportunity to rest completely and guarantee some rest."

Miller, who has stopped 77 of 80 shots in his first two games, has a 2.12 goals-against average in five starts against the Blue Jackets (1-1-0).

Buffalo hasn't gone this long without a win to start a season since opening 0-5-0 with two ties in 1999-2000.

One of the many players Rolston hopes to see more from is second-year center Mikhail Grigorenko, the 12th overall pick in the 2012 draft. The 19-year-old has no points this season and one goal in 29 NHL games.

Rolston reiterated an earlier comment that Grigorenko's compete level was getting closer to where the coaching staff would like it to be.

"It's getting there, but it needs to continue to improve, I think," he said. "That's that last hurdle for him and that's something that he's got to work on."

This will be the first game for Columbus since a 3-2 shootout victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday after a season-opening 4-3 loss to Calgary a night earlier.

Mark Letestu and Nick Foligno scored 4:19 apart in the third period as the Blue Jackets erased a two-goal deficit before Cam Atkinson's goal in the fourth round of the shootout sealed the win.

"We pull for each other," Foligno said. "We played hard, the way we expect to play every night. We were rewarded for it. We kept pressing and wound up with a great result."

Sergei Bobrovsky figures to be back in net after stopping 28 shots through overtime and three of four shootout attempts Saturday.

This will be the teams' first meeting since the Blue Jackets' 5-1 home victory Nov. 25, 2011, ended a three-game losing streak in the series.

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Preview: Panthers (1-2) at Lightning (2-1)

Date: October 10, 2013 7:30 PM EDT


The Tampa Bay Lightning have demonstrated an early knack for comeback victories.

Their coach would like to see a more complete performance.

Tampa Bay follows a three-game trip with its home opener Thursday night against the Florida Panthers.

The Lightning are 2-1-0 despite not holding a lead in regulation. After a 3-1 loss at Boston last Thursday, they scrapped for a 3-2 shootout victory in Chicago, overcoming a two-goal, third-period deficit. Then they erased a 2-1 hole on the way to a 3-2 overtime victory in Buffalo on Tuesday.

Perhaps playing the first of a season-long seven-game homestand can help Tampa Bay get off to a quicker start.

"We don't want to play with fire every single game," coach Jon Cooper said. "But they showed some resiliency and came back in two tough buildings and got us four points."

Tampa Bay's last contest was seemingly put out of reach by the Sabres early in the third period, but a high-sticking penalty negated a goal by Thomas Vanek. Teddy Purcell tied the game on the ensuing advantage, and Alex Killorn scored the winner in the extra period.

"That was a big turn of events," Cooper said. "The way it played out, that was a big momentum shift for us."

Meanwhile, the Panthers (1-2-0) are looking to earn a split of their four-game road trip. To do so, they'll likely need to break through on the power play, where they're scoreless despite 16 chances. Tampa Bay has yielded three goals on 12 penalty kills.

Florida squandered five advantages in a 2-1 loss at Philadelphia on Tuesday with Flyers goaltender Steve Mason stopping 33 shots.

Brad Boyes accounted for the team's lone goal.

"He just had an answer for all of our shots," said Shawn Matthias, who was denied on a second-period breakaway. "We have to get giddier and work on it."

Goaltender Tim Thomas left in the first period due to a pulled groin and didn't return, though coach Kevin Dineen said the injury didn't appear serious. He was replaced by Jacob Markstrom, who stopped all 25 shots he faced.

Thomas owns a .923 save percentage in 18 games against the Lightning, including 16 starts.

Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis is one point away from sole possession of 94th place on the league's all-time scoring list. His 915 points are tied with Bobby Orr.

St. Louis has 34 points over his last 26 games versus Florida.

Purcell owns six assists and one goal in his last four against the Panthers.

Tampa Bay had won seven straight in the series before dropping the last two meetings, both at home. The Lightning haven't lost three in a row at home to the Panthers since a five-game home slide from Nov. 27, 1998-March 10, 2000.

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Preview: Coyotes (1-2) at Red Wings (2-1)

Date: October 10, 2013 7:30 PM EDT


The Detroit Red Wings aren't scoring as many goals as they'd like, and though it's early, they're identifying some trends.

They're hoping for their power play and third line to make their first contributions of the season Thursday night against the visiting Phoenix Coyotes.

The Red Wings (2-1-0) are one of the last teams in the league without a power-play goal while their third line of Joakim Andersson, Todd Bertuzzi and Daniel Cleary has yet to contribute to any of the team's offense.

"None of us are really happy with how we played last game and maybe not the game before," Andersson told the team's official website. "We know we can do a lot better. We need to play strong on the puck and play more down low in their end and get there more often. I'm not happy that we've been on the ice when the other team has scored."

Andersson, Bertuzzi and Cleary, a combined minus-8, are also the team's second power-play unit. Detroit is 0 for 8 on the power play, while Phoenix (1-2-0) has allowed five power-play goals on 14 attempted kills.

The Red Wings are averaging 2.0 goals after Saturday night's 4-1 loss against one of their new Atlantic Division foes in Boston. They were outshot for the first time after outshooting Buffalo and Carolina by a combined 27 shots in their first two games.

"They won in every statistic tonight," goalie Jimmy Howard said after playing consecutive nights. "Every battle. I'm not going to make that excuse that we were tired or anything like that because I kind of think it's pathetic."

Howard and Phoenix's Mike Smith were two of five goalies tied for the 2013 league lead with five shutouts.

One of Howard's came at home in the last game these teams played, a 4-0 home win April 22. Including the playoffs, he's 16-4-2 against Phoenix.

The Coyotes are coming off a 6-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday in which Smith was pulled after allowing five goals in two periods. It was their first loss by five goals or more since Nov. 25, 2011, against Vancouver.

"You get embarrassed as a professional athlete. It's unacceptable," captain Shane Doan said. "There has to be accountability in our room. They have a really good team that moves the puck well, and we let them do it all night."

The Coyotes have lost the first two games of a five-game road trip by a combined score of 10-2.

"We're beating ourselves right now," coach Dave Tippett told the team's official website. "... Teams have played well (against us) but I'd like to see what we can do before I anoint somebody else."

The Coyotes are 0-4-2 in their last six games in Detroit, including the 2011 postseason.

Phoenix has scored six goals thus far, with half of those coming from Radim Vrbata in a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers to open the season last Thursday.

Detroit center Henrik Zetterberg has scored in consecutive games and has 17 goals in 37 regular-season meetings against Phoenix. He's only scored more against St. Louis and Chicago.

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Preview: Maple Leafs (3-1) at Predators (1-2)

Date: October 10, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


The short-handed Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to get at least one player back following their first loss of the season, but the status of their leading scorer is unknown.

Joffrey Lupul is dealing with an injured calf but will travel with the Maple Leafs for Thursday night's game against the Nashville Predators.

The Maple Leafs (3-1-0) are missing Mark Fraser, Nikolai Kulemin and Frazer McLaren to injury, and David Clarkson is almost halfway through his 10-game suspension. Jay McClement missed the Leafs' matchup with Colorado on Tuesday after his wife went into labor.

"You're going to have to deal with adversity throughout the course of the season," coach Randy Carlyle said. "And injuries and birth of children, family illness - all those things roll into the things that you have to deal with. We're no different than anybody else."

McClement returned to practice Wednesday after the birth of his son, Reid, a day earlier. Lupul, though, was forced to sit out because of the injury he suffered in a 2-1 loss to the Avalanche.

Lupul has a team-best five points and scored his second goal in as many games in the loss to Colorado.

"It's nothing other than a bruise. He's day-to-day," Carlyle said. "It'll be dependent on how he feels. He'll make the trip with us. We haven't made a determination. Hopefully, the swelling will subside and he'll be back to normal."

The Maple Leafs are hoping Lupul will be available to prevent Nashville from building on its first win of the season. The Predators (1-2-0) used three first-period goals, including Eric Nystrom converting his first career penalty shot, for a 3-2 victory against visiting Minnesota on Tuesday.

"You couldn't have scripted it any better to score a goal like that, kind of dramatic fashion and ended up being the game winner against your former team," Nystrom said. "It was pretty exciting. It was fun to play here and get our first win of the season."

That win kicked off a five-game homestand for Nashville, and the Predators' three goals matched their output from their first two games.

"It's always nice to win the first one and try to build some confidence, some good things and keep moving forward when we're at home because we're going to be on the road quite a while," captain Shea Weber said.

Weber and the Predators are facing Toronto for the first time since a 4-1 home win Nov. 17, 2011. Pekka Rinne made 38 saves while helping Nashville pull away in that game.

Predators center Mike Fisher has a point in each of his team's first three games. He's totaled three goals and three assists in his last four games against Toronto but the most recent matchup was on Nov. 17, 2011.

The Maple Leafs might use Jonathan Bernier against Fisher and the Predators. He's 7-1-0 with a 1.88 goals-against average in eight lifetime matchups, including a 5-1 win for Los Angeles on March 4.

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Preview: Jets (2-1) at Wild (0-1)

Date: October 10, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


Already off to one of their worst starts in franchise history, the Minnesota Wild may not have their starting goaltender available for their next game.

With Niklas Backstrom dealing with a lower-body injury, the Wild are expected to start Josh Harding in their fourth attempt at a first victory Thursday night against the visiting Winnipeg Jets and Devin Setoguchi.

Minnesota's 0-1-2 start is its worst since opening 0-4-1 in its inaugural 2000-01 campaign, and the Wild couldn't recover after giving up three first-period goals in their 3-2 defeat Tuesday in Nashville.

Backstrom was hurt before the Predators scored the final of those goals in a collision with Eric Nystrom. The former Minnesota forward scored his first career penalty shot on Harding, and the Wild couldn't produce the tying goal after Jared Spurgeon found the net with 12:34 remaining in the second period.

"I give Harding credit," coach Mike Yeo said. "That's a really difficult situation to come into and giving up the goal that way, and then he battled hard all game in net.

"So I give him an awful lot of credit and I give our guys credit too because it would have been easy to feel sorry for ourselves."

The Wild will try to get off to a better start in their first matchup with one of their new Central Division rivals. The Jets (2-1-0) head into this game after suffering their first loss, 3-2 to Anaheim on Sunday.

Winnipeg led by a goal after the first period but gave up the tying score in the final seconds of the next frame. The Jets then allowed the go-ahead score with 5:31 remaining in the third after a turnover by Zach Bogosian.

"If you look at the way we played, we didn't deserve to win the game playing that way," coach Claude Noel said. "We got saved by our goalie (Ondrej Pavelec). And realistically, our goalie has saved us in all three games (this season). He's been superb. Not average, superb."

With the Jets playing on back-to-back nights, it's unknown if Pavelec will start a fourth straight game or if Al Montoya will make his season debut.

Setoguchi is expected to be on the ice in Minnesota for his first game against the Wild since being traded to Winnipeg in July for a 2014 second-round pick. The winger had 32 goals and 31 assists in 117 games for Minnesota over two seasons.

He registered all three of this season's points in a 5-3 win against Los Angeles on Oct. 4, producing two goals and an assist.

"At the end of the day, it's not about me going back there. It's about our team going there to try to get the win," Setoguchi said. "It's going to be a little weird going back and playing against some old friends, but it's strictly business. We need to go in there and try to win a hockey game."

The Jets franchise has won the last four matchups with Minnesota, including two since relocating from Atlanta after the 2010-11 season. Winnipeg earned a 4-3 shootout victory in the latest of those meetings Feb. 16, 2012, in Minnesota.

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Preview: Canadiens (1-2) at Oilers (1-2)

Date: October 10, 2013 9:30 PM EDT


After a disappointing start, the Edmonton Oilers collected their first two points in thrilling fashion last time out.

They're hoping to have gotten their early-season nerves out of their system.

Edmonton tries to build on its first win Thursday night when it hosts the Montreal Canadiens.

While the Oilers (1-2-0) fell 5-4 to Winnipeg in their season opener and 6-2 at Vancouver on Saturday, they stormed back to beat New Jersey 5-4 in a shootout Monday. Edmonton entered the third period trailing 3-0 before Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, captain Andrew Ference, David Perron and Taylor Hall all scored during an eight-minute stretch.

The Oilers had a chance to win in regulation, but Patrik Elias tallied a shorthanded goal with 54 seconds left.

"We just want to win so bad. You see it with teams at the start of the year if you can't get in the win column right away," Ference said. "You can't be out there scared to lose. There is an element of fear in every person that plays sports, but that has to be outweighed by the desire to win.

"You can't be paralyzed with the fear of losing."

Edmonton went 1 for 4 on the power play as coach Dallas Eakins earned his first career win.

"I'm glad we bounced back the way we did," Perron said. "To lose the first three would have been a pretty tough way to start the year. I know everyone was pretty eager to get that first win, and now we can look forward to new things and keep moving."

The Oilers will try to do just that against the Canadiens (1-2-0), who opened a four-game road trip with Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Calgary. P.K. Subban scored his first goal and assisted on Lars Eller's team-leading fourth as Montreal finished strong after falling behind 3-0.

"We weren't ready to play right from the start, including myself," Subban said. "We can continue to say it's the beginning of the season and we're just getting things going, but we've got to come out better than that."

The Canadiens had allowed 40 goals during a 1-6-2 stretch at Rexall Place before a 5-3 win in their last visit March 8, 2012. Max Pacioretty and Subban combined for three goals and three assists in that game.

After Edmonton's Jason LaBarbera made 21 saves Monday, Eakins is going back to the struggling Devan Dubnyk, who has allowed five goals in each of his first two starts. He is 0-2-0 with an ugly 6.53 goals-against average.

"He takes it personally, which is a good thing, but it can also be your nemesis," Eakins told the team's official website. "He's had a couple of goals that he'd like back. He's made some huge saves, too.

"I think he just needs to settle down, understand the process. He's excited to go back in the net tomorrow which is a good thing. He's not shying away from it and we'll see how he is."

Dubnyk is 1-0-1 with a 3.29 GAA against the Canadiens, though he hasn't faced them since 2010.

Montreal's Carey Price is 1-4-1 with a 3.65 GAA against the Oilers, including 0-3-0 with a 4.37 GAA in Edmonton. Price, who made 22 saves Wednesday, has posted a 2.70 GAA while starting each of the Canadiens' first three games.

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Preview: Rangers (1-2) at Ducks (2-1)

Date: October 10, 2013 10:00 PM EDT


The New York Rangers are hoping to quickly move on from one of their worst efforts in recent memory.

Doing so could prove more difficult than usual with one of their best offensive threats uncertain to be available.

The Rangers could be without All-Star forward Rick Nash on Thursday night against the Anaheim Ducks, who enter their home opener seeking a third consecutive win.

One night after beating Los Angeles 3-1, New York (1-2-0) was dealt an embarrassing 9-2 loss at San Jose on Tuesday. Brad Richards' third goal gave the Rangers an early lead before the Sharks scored six unanswered.

"It's tough to understand, at this point, how we can play so well (Monday) night and play this way (Tuesday)," said coach Alain Vigneault, whose team is on a franchise-record nine-game road trip to open the season because of renovations at Madison Square Garden.

"You think you're taking a step forward after the way we played last night and obviously we didn't take a step forward with the way we played."

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 22 of 26 shots before Martin Biron replaced him midway through the second period. Biron didn't fare any better, allowing five goals on 21 shots.

"We just have to regroup and try to improve and get better," said Lundqvist, whose goals-against average jumped to 3.62. "It's not going to get any easier here. We play really good teams and everybody has a lot of desperation when they come out and play, and we have to match that.

"I already had some time to think about what happened, and now it's time to forget about it. But you definitely have to learn from it."

Tuesday's loss may have come at a cost for New York, which saw Nash exit after getting hit in the jaw by Brad Stuart, who was suspended three games. Nash had notched three assists in the first two games.

"It just didn't feel right," he said. "I could feel it. Any time you get a head shot you're concerned. It's not a good feeling."

Nash has 17 points in his last 13 games against the Ducks (2-1-0), who have posted back-to-back victories since an ugly 6-1 loss to Colorado in their season opener. After beating Minnesota 4-3 in overtime Saturday, Anaheim won 3-2 at Winnipeg on Sunday.

Andrew Cogliano, Mathieu Perreault and Corey Perry all scored and Viktor Fasth made 15 saves to earn his first win.

"When you go out on the road like that, it's not always the easiest thing," captain Ryan Getzlaf told the team's official website. "We've got to take care of our building now and the excitement going into (Thursday) night."

While the Ducks figure to get a boost from their home crowd, they know they could be in for a challenge against an angry Rangers team.

"We always like the home cookin' a little bit better," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "At the same time, we know what happened when we lost 6-1, and how we approached the next two days. And with San Jose beating the Rangers like they did, we know we're in for a real tough game.

"They're a hardworking, shot-blocking defensive-minded team. They've got arguably one of the top three goaltenders in their net. By chasing (Lundqvist) last game, I'm sure he's going to be mad, which is never a good sign. We've got our work cut out for us. ... I expect them to bounce back and play hard."

Lundqvist is 3-1-1 with a 1.94 GAA in his last five starts against Anaheim. New York is 4-1-1 in the series since 2008-09.

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Preview: Sharks (3-0) at Canucks (3-1)

Date: October 10, 2013 10:00 PM EDT


Tomas Hertl gave the Vancouver Canucks a glimpse of his budding stardom in the San Jose Sharks' season-opening victory one week ago, but few could have expected the outburst that has followed.

The 19-year-old rookie looks to continue the stellar start to his career while helping San Jose remain unbeaten as it visits streaking Vancouver on Thursday night.

Hertl picked up his first NHL point when he assisted on Brent Burns' second-period goal in a 4-1 win over the Canucks last Thursday. The 17th overall pick of the 2012 draft followed that effort by scoring twice in Saturday's 4-1 victory over Phoenix before netting four goals in a 9-2 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

Hertl's final goal headlined plenty of highlight reels as he dropped the puck back through his skates and shot it into the top left corner with his stick between his legs.

"This is a dream," Hertl said. "This is crazy. I've never scored more than two in a game, maybe."

His teammates have been quite impressed.

"He likes to score goals, and you can see that by his celebrations," said captain Joe Thornton, who assisted on Hertl's second goal Tuesday. "He loves to put pucks in the back of the net, and as his teammates it's fun to watch him put pucks in the back of the net. It's been fun to watch in the first three games."

Jason Demers and Joe Pavelski had three assists apiece Tuesday while rookie Matthew Nieto scored his first NHL goal for San Jose (3-0-0), which has outscored opponents 17-4. Hertl has been a major reason for that disparity.

"I'm not even sure he realizes where he is," coach Todd McLellan said. "He's a passionate young man and he's playing freely."

The Sharks have won eight straight meetings with Vancouver, including last season's first-round postseason sweep, but the Canucks (3-1-0) haven't lost since dropping last week's contest.

Vancouver has spotted leads to its last three opponents before rallying, including overcoming a 2-0 deficit in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime victory over New Jersey. Mike Santorelli redirected Jason Garrison's shot into the net in the extra session.

"Early on in the season, it's good to happen that way. We'll be in these situations and hopefully we can fall back on some of the positive things that are going on," coach John Tortorella said. "There was no panic on our bench. We just started playing a little bit quicker and a little bit simpler."

Daniel Sedin added a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who are 1-2-2 in their last five home meetings with the Sharks, including the playoffs.

"We still have stuff to work on, it's obvious, but we'll get there," Sedin said.

Roberto Luongo picked up his 350th career victory with 21 saves Tuesday. He made 31 saves in the first meeting with San Jose and is 3-1-2 with a 2.09 goals-against average in his last six regular-season starts against the Sharks.

"Our mindset doesn't really change no matter what the score is," Luongo said. "You want to stay focused, you want to make saves, you want to keep the team in it."

San Jose's Antti Niemi made 21 saves in the last meeting with the Canucks. He's won his last eight starts, including the playoffs, with a 1.67 GAA against Vancouver.

Sharks defenseman Brad Stuart has been suspended for three games by the NHL for an illegal check to the head of Rangers forward Rick Nash.

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NHL
Dunkel

NY Rangers at Anaheim
The Ducks look to take advantage of a Rangers team that is 1-5 in its last 6 road games. Anaheim is the pick (-140) according to Dunkel, which has the Ducks favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (-140). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10

Game 51-52: Colorado at Boston (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 11.233; Boston 12.787
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-170); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-170); Over

Game 53-54: Columbus at Buffalo (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 11.787; Buffalo 10.871
Dunkel Line & Total: Columbus by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 55-56: Carolina at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 11.168; Washington 10.054
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (+140); Under

Game 57-58: Phoenix at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 10.548; Detroit 12.167
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-165); 5
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-165); Over

Game 59-60: Florida at Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 10.319; Tampa Bay 11.670
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Tampa Bay (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-160); Over

Game 61-62: Toronto at Nashville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 11.423; Nashville 10.271
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Nashville (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+100); Under

Game 63-64: Winnipeg at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Winnipeg 11.230; Minnesota 10.021
Dunkel Line & Total: Winnipeg by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 65-66: Montreal at Edmonton (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.926; Edmonton 10.545
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 67-68: San Jose at Vancouver (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 12.997; Vancouver 11.265
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (+100); Over

Game 69-70: NY Rangers at Anaheim (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 11.098; Anaheim 12.515
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (-140); Under

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NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, October 10

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COLORADO (3-0-0-0, 6 pts.) at BOSTON (2-0-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/10/2013, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 83-56 ATS (+17.4 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
BOSTON is 330-320 ATS (-68.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
BOSTON is 133-116 ATS (+260.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.
COLORADO is 13-5 ATS (+18.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 14-5 ATS (+19.7 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 141-108 ATS (+23.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.
BOSTON is 63-72 ATS (-44.2 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 1-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 1-0-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.1 Units)

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COLUMBUS (1-1-0-0, 2 pts.) at BUFFALO (0-3-0-1, 1 pts.) - 10/10/2013, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 1-1 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 1-1-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.0 Units)

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CAROLINA (1-1-0-1, 3 pts.) at WASHINGTON (1-2-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/10/2013, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 4-20 ATS (+27.0 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-4 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 7-4-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.3 Units)

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PHOENIX (1-2-0-0, 2 pts.) at DETROIT (2-1-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/10/2013, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 111-44 ATS (+9.8 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
DETROIT is 18-2 ATS (+14.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 138-140 ATS (+305.3 Units) in road games first half of the season since 1996.
PHOENIX is 18-12 ATS (+34.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 132-127 ATS (+281.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 4-2 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 4-2-0 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.9 Units)

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FLORIDA (1-2-0-0, 2 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (2-1-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/10/2013, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 252-342 ATS (+668.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 108-168 ATS (-72.2 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 7-3 (+3.1 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 7-3-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.7 Units)

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TORONTO (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) at NASHVILLE (1-2-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/10/2013, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 1-0-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.0 Units)

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WINNIPEG (2-1-0-0, 4 pts.) at MINNESOTA (0-1-0-2, 2 pts.) - 10/10/2013, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 2-0-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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MONTREAL (1-2-0-0, 2 pts.) at EDMONTON (1-2-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/10/2013, 9:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 1-1-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

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SAN JOSE (3-0-0-0, 6 pts.) at VANCOUVER (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/10/2013, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 6-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 157-129 ATS (+22.2 Units) in road games first half of the season since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 146-110 ATS (+27.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 9-3 (+6.2 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 9-3-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.1 Units)

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NY RANGERS (1-2-0-0, 2 pts.) at ANAHEIM (2-1-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/10/2013, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 9-2 ATS (+6.9 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 11-28 ATS (-24.5 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 1-1-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.1 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, October 10

Hot teams
-- Bruins won their first two games, 3-1/4-1. Colorado won its first three: 6-1/3-1/2-1.
-- Detroit won two of first three games, allowing seven goals.
-- Lightning won its last two games both 3-2; one in OT, one in SO.
-- Maple Leafs won three of their first four games.
-- Jets won two of first three games, scoring 12 goals.
-- Vancouver won its last three games, with last two wins in OT. Sharks won their first three games, scoring 17 goals.
-- Ducks won their last two games, both by a goal.

Cold teams
-- Sabres started season 0-4, outscored 10-4. Columbus split first two games, with road team winning both.
-- Carolina lost two of first three games, scoring two goals in all three games. Washington lost two of its first three games.
-- Phoenix was outscored 10-2 in losing its first two road games.
-- Florida lost its last two games, outscored 9-1.
-- Nashville lost two of first three games, scoring six goals.
-- Minnesota lost its first three games, all by one goal.
-- Edmonton lost two of first three games, allowing 15 goals. Canadiens lost two of first three games, with both losses by a goal.
-- Rangers lost two of first three games, allowing 14 goals.

Series records
-- Road team won last four Boston-Colorado games.
-- Sabres won three of last four games with Columbus.
-- Washington won four of last five games against the Hurricanes.
-- Coyotes lost their last six visits to Detroit.
-- Florida won last two games with Tampa Bay, after losing previous seven.
-- Home side won four of last six Toronto-Nashville games.
-- Jets won their last four games with Minnesota.
-- Oilers won three of last four games with Montreal.
-- Sharks won eight in row vs Vancouver, with three of eight in SO/OT.
-- Home team won last five Ranger-Anaheim games.

Totals
-- Three of last four Bruin-Avalanche games went over the total.
-- Last three Buffalo-Columbus games went over the total.
-- Under is 14-4 in last eighteen Carolina-Washington games.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Phoenix-Detroit games.
-- Over is 9-4 in last thirteen Florida-Tampa Bay games.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Nashville games.
-- Eight of last ten Winnipeg games went over the total.
-- Last five Edmonton games went over the total.
-- Under is 5-1-2 in Sharks' last eight visits to Vancouver.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Anaheim games.
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NHL

Thursday, October 10

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
CAROLINA vs. WASHINGTON
Carolina is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Carolina's last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Carolina
Washington is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Carolina

7:00 PM
COLORADO vs. BOSTON
Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado's last 8 games on the road
Boston is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 8 games at home

7:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. BUFFALO
Columbus is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
Columbus is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Buffalo's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games when playing Columbus

7:30 PM
FLORIDA vs. TAMPA BAY
Florida is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida's last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Florida
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games when playing Florida

7:30 PM
PHOENIX vs. DETROIT
Phoenix is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games on the road
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

8:00 PM
TORONTO vs. NASHVILLE
Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Nashville is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home
Nashville is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games

8:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. MINNESOTA
Winnipeg is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Winnipeg is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games ,when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Winnipeg
Minnesota is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games at home

9:30 PM
MONTREAL vs. EDMONTON
Montreal is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Montreal's last 20 games on the road
Edmonton is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 5 games

10:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. ANAHEIM
NY Rangers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Anaheim
NY Rangers are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games when playing on the road against Anaheim
Anaheim is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Rangers
Anaheim is 8-4 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

10:00 PM
SAN JOSE vs. VANCOUVER
San Jose is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Vancouver is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Vancouver's last 8 games at home