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

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, October 10

Colorado at Boston, 7:05 ET
Colorado: 13-5 SU after a non-conference game
Boston: 61-67 SU in home games in non-conference games

Columbus at Buffalo, 7:05 ET
Columbus: n/a
Buffalo: n/a

Carolina at Washington, 7:05 ET
Carolina: 4-20 SU after a division game
Washington: 21-35 SU after 1 or more consecutive unders

Phoenix at Detroit, 7:35 ET
Phoenix: 208-290 SU as a road underdog
Detroit: 184-145 SU after playing 2 consecutive road games

Florida at Tampa Bay, 7:35 ET
Florida: 241-374 SU after 1 or more consecutive unders
Tampa Bay: 16-8 SU after a close win by 1 goal in their previous game

Toronto at Nashville, 8:05 ET
Toronto: 8-18 SU off a home loss
Nashville: 17-12 SU off a home win

Winnipeg at Minnesota, 8:05 ET
Winnipeg: n/a
Minnesota: n/a

Montreal at Edmonton, 9:35 ET
Montreal: n/a
Edmonton: n/a

San Jose at Vancouver, 10:05 ET
San Jose: 1-7 SU in road games off an home win scoring 4 or more goals
Vancouver: 18-10 SU off a home win

NY Rangers at Anaheim, 10:05 ET
NY Rangers: 9-2 SU in a road game where where the total is 5.5
Anaheim: 11-28 SU first half of the season

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

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 39-*47-*4 45.35% -*7550


Thursday, October 10

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Colorado - 7:00 PM ET Boston -210 500
Boston - Under 5.5 500

Columbus - 7:00 PM ET Buffalo +105 500 POD # 2
Buffalo - Under 5 500

Carolina - 7:00 PM ET Washington -180 500
Washington - Over 5.5 500

Phoenix - 7:30 PM ET Detroit -180 500
Detroit - Over 5 500 POD # 4

Florida - 7:30 PM ET Tampa Bay -195 500
Tampa Bay - Over 5.5 500

Toronto - 8:00 PM ET Toronto -115 500
Nashville - Under 5.5 500

Winnipeg - 8:00 PM ET Minnesota -160 500
Minnesota - Under 5.5 500

Montreal - 9:30 PM ET Montreal +115 500 POD # 1
Edmonton - Over 5.5 500

San Jose - 10:00 PM ET San Jose -120 500
Vancouver - Over 5.5 500 POD # 3

NY Rangers - 10:00 PM ET Anaheim -150 500
Anaheim - Under 5.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Friday, October 11

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Phoenix 1 1st 14:15 Phoenix +130 500 POD # 1

Philadelphia 0 Under 5.5 500

Los Angeles 0 1st 13:29 Los Angeles -135 500

Carolina 0 Under 5.5 500

Pittsburgh 0 0th Pittsburgh -245 500

Florida 0 Over 5.5 500

NY Islanders - 8:00 PM ET NY Islanders +160 500 POD # 2

Chicago - Over 5.5 500

Dallas - 8:00 PM ET Winnipeg -115 500

Winnipeg - Under 5.5 500

New Jersey - 9:00 PM ET Calgary -110 500

Calgary - Under 5.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bruins (2-1) at Blue Jackets (2-1)

Date: October 12, 2013 2:00 PM EDT


The Boston Bruins went 100 games without being shut out before running into the unbeaten Colorado Avalanche their last time out. They'll now try to avoid being blanked in back-to-back contests for the first time in nearly four years when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

A 2-0 home loss Thursday was the first time the Bruins had been on the wrong end of a shutout in the regular season or playoffs since Feb. 28, 2012, in a 1-0 loss to Ottawa. The last time they failed to score in two straight games was Nov. 1 and 3, 2009.

Boston (2-1-0) outshot Colorado 39-30 but couldn't get one past No. 2 goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere after falling behind in the first period.

"Sometimes you run into a hot goaltender, a team that's playing well ... and they did tonight," coach Claude Julien said.

Newcomer Jarome Iginla has been shut out all season, even after having a team-high seven shots against the Avalanche. It's the third time in a 17-year career that he has gone the first three games without a point, and he went four without a goal or an assist only in 2003-04. Iginla has 50 points in 46 games against the Blue Jackets (2-1-0).

Boston's Tuukka Rask hasn't shut anyone out yet this year, but he's come close, stopping 88 of 91 shots and allowing one goal in each of the three games.

Colorado scored on a first-period power play with Rask screened. It is the only power-play goal Boston has given up this season in 11 short-handed situations.

Bruins forward Milan Lucic said his team needed to look for similar scoring opportunities going forward.

"I think we did a good job generating chances, but I think we did a poor job of getting to the net and picking up loose pucks or creating a screen," Lucic said. "That's obviously something that we've got to get better at."

The Blue Jackets won 4-1 against Buffalo on Thursday and will try to win three of their first four for the third time in franchise history. Their best start was 5-1-0 in 2009-10.

"We did a lot of good things tonight as far as generating offense and playing in their zone, which was a lot different than the previous two games," coach Todd Richards said.

Richards has 14 players with at least one point, and Marian Gaborik leads the way with two goals and three assists.

Gaborik scored and had two assists against Buffalo for his first three-point game as a member of the Blue Jackets. Linemates Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky also scored, and all three have at least three points.

"Playing with some pretty good players," Atkinson said. "The chemistry between us three has definitely grown. It's fun to play with those guys."

They also got a chance to play with 2012 No. 2 overall draft pick Ryan Murray. The 20-year-old defenseman recorded his first career point with an assist on Gaborik's first-period goal.

Gaborik has been held to 12 points in 21 games against Boston, tied for his fewest versus any team he's faced at least 10 times.

The Bruins have won three straight against the Blue Jackets and are 4-1-2 all-time at Columbus.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Penguins (3-1) at Lightning (3-1)

Date: October 12, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


Coming off an explosive offensive display, Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning are starting to pick up steam.

Keeping things going, though, could prove difficult against a Pittsburgh Penguins team that has recently had their number.

Seeking a fourth consecutive win, the Lightning try to snap a six-game losing streak to the visiting Penguins, who hope to bounce back from their first defeat Saturday night.

After opening the season with a 3-1 loss at Boston, Tampa Bay (3-1-0) has outscored opponents 12-6 during a three-game run. The Lightning were at their best Thursday, easily beating Florida 7-2 behind Stamkos' hat trick and two goals from Valtteri Filppula.

They were the first scores of the season for Stamkos, who finished second in the NHL with 29 goals last season.

"To be completely honest, I think this might have been the first time that I didn't (worry)," said Stamkos, who also added an assist. "Usually I do. If I don't score one game, sometimes you have trouble sleeping, thinking what you should have done. I just kind of had an eerie feeling that tonight was going to be a good night."

Martin St. Louis added a goal and an assist while Teddy Purcell notched a career high-tying three helpers. Matthew Carle, Alex Killorn and Sami Salo chipped in with two assists apiece.

"You know they're dynamic," Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said of Stamkos and St. Louis. "You know that if one guy has the puck, he's looking for the other guy, that they're really highly skilled players, but more than anything, they work as hard as anybody in the league."

With things going well, the Lightning can't be happy to see Pittsburgh (3-1-0), which has won six straight in the series by a combined 33-15 score. Penguins All-Star center Evgeni Malkin has totaled 10 goals and four assists while playing in five of those games.

While Pittsburgh surrendered three goals in winning its first three games, coach Dan Bylsma's team kicked off its road schedule with Friday's 6-3 loss to Florida. Malkin, Craig Adams and Pascal Dupuis scored but Jeff Zatkoff allowed all six goals on 30 shots in his NHL debut.

"Obviously not the result I was looking for," Zatkoff said. "I need to get better and make sure I'm ready for the next one."

The Penguins could turn back to No. 1 goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who recorded a 1.00 goals-against average and one shutout in the first three games. Fleury has won four consecutive starts against the Lightning and is 13-6-0 with a 2.11 GAA in 19 games in the series since 2007-08.

Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop has also shined, yielding two goals in each of the team's three victories. Bishop, though, was injured against the Panthers and is uncertain to play Saturday.

If he can't go, Anders Lindback would start. Lindback stopped 22 shots against the Bruins in his only action thus far.

"We were going to rotate our goalies at some point anyways," coach Jon Cooper told the team's official website. "Just because there's some wear and tear on Bishop, doesn't mean that Lindy wasn't going in no matter what."

Whoever is in net will need to be wary of superstar Sidney Crosby, who has 15 points in his last 11 games versus Tampa Bay, including four goals and five assists during a five-game scoring streak.

Crosby has two goals and three assists this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Avalanche (4-0) at Capitals (1-3)

Date: October 12, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


While the Colorado Avalanche are off to their best start since relocating from Quebec, the Washington Capitals have been incapable of holding a lead.

The Avalanche look to remain undefeated when they conclude a three-game trip against the Capitals on Saturday night.

Under first-year coach and former star goaltender Patrick Roy, Colorado is 4-0-0 for the first time since the club moved to Denver prior to the 1995-96 season. The Nordiques opened 5-0-0 the previous season, the franchise's last in Quebec.

"We are trying to make the playoffs and go as far as we can," said forward Ryan O'Reilly, who has two goals with an assist this season. "We are approaching every game to learn and get better, and right now we are having success and doing it."

The Avs missed the playoffs in their last three seasons under coach Joe Sacco, but seem to have a renewed purpose with Roy, who anchored Colorado's Stanley Cup title runs in 1996 and 2001.

"The whole mentality is changing, our whole attitude," said Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who made 39 saves in Thursday's 2-0 win at Boston in his first start of the season. "We seem to believe in ourselves a little bit more. It is a different voice, and the guys seem to be responding to it right now."

Giguere and ex-Capital Semyon Varlamov have been the keys to Colorado's early success, combining to stop 127 of 130 shots and helping kill all 10 penalties.

"Every point (in the standings) you have right now, you don't chase them at the end, which is great," Roy told the NHL's official website. "Honestly, we don't really have expectations. We just want to surprise the world of hockey.

"At the same time, we're humble, we take it one day at time, and here we are 4-0 at the start of the year, which is unexpected from a lot of people, but for us, we just take it one day at a time, and hopefully we can win again in Washington (on) Saturday."

Colorado has won two straight and three of its last four against Washington (1-3-0), though the teams haven't met since December 2011.

The Caps have led in each of their losses, including a 6-4 season-opening defeat against Chicago in which they surrendered three unanswered goals after taking a 4-3 lead in the final period.

They held a pair of one-goal leads Thursday against Carolina before the Hurricanes tied the game twice in the second and scored the only goal of the third for a 3-2 win.

Washington's lone victory came 5-4 over Calgary in a shootout on Oct. 3.

"I don't think it's time to push the panic button yet," coach Adam Oates told the Capitals' official website.

"I think we could be 4-0 and we could be 0-4. You want to just keep playing correct. Sooner our later it will start turning and go your way. Guys will get off the goose eggs and start feeling better about themselves. Before you know it you're playing good hockey and getting wins."

It didn't help that the Capitals were 0 for 5 on the power play Thursday after going 6 for 12 in their previous three contests.

Three of Washington star Alex Ovechkin's five goals this season have come with the man-advantage. The high-scoring Russian has only one point - an assist - in three career home games versus Colorado.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Flyers (1-4) at Red Wings (2-2)

Date: October 12, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock has decided to tinker with his lineup as his team tries to avoid a third straight loss.

It should help that the banged-up Philadelphia Flyers are coming to town.

The Red Wings will host a Flyers team that is already having trouble scoring and won't have forwards Scott Hartnell and Vinny Lecavalier in Saturday night's matchup.

Detroit (2-2-0) fell 4-2 at home to Phoenix on Thursday, and Babcock opted to make changes a day later.

He was upset by lackadaisical defending by the Red Wings, who were outshot 38-30.

"We felt we gave up 21 scoring chances in the game," Babcock told the Red Wings' official website. "In a normal game for us it's between eight and 12. Don't get me wrong, we had a ton of chances ourselves, an absolute ton."

The coach moved Todd Bertuzzi to the top line and shifted Justin Abdelkader to the second line with center Stephen Weiss and Johan Franzen. Veteran newcomer Daniel Alfredsson moved to the third line.

Babcock has credited Abdelkader's play with Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, but wants the winger to have an impact elsewhere.

"It can be good," Abdelkader said. "Hopefully we can get playing here, get everyone going. Sometimes it's good to change things up."

The Flyers (1-4-0) fell to 1-1-0 in two games under coach Craig Berube with Friday's 2-1 home defeat to Phoenix. The news got worse when Hartnell and Lecavalier left with undisclosed injuries that could cause both to miss a week.

"Well it's tougher, but it doesn't matter does it?" Berube asked. "I mean, we've got to win hockey games. People will come in and fill in for them."

Max Talbot scored his first goal, giving Philadelphia six on the season. Captain Claude Giroux remains without a goal or an assist.

"We need to score more goals and I think the boys can feel that it is going to come," said Steve Mason, who made 29 saves in his fourth start. "We just have to keep working for it."

Mason has faced Detroit more than any team, going 8-10-2 with a 2.84 goals-against average in 20 regular-season starts. If Ray Emery gets the call, he has posted a 1.67 GAA in winning all three career starts against the Red Wings.

Jimmy Howard has a 2.49 GAA while starting every game this season and is expected to be in goal again for Detroit even though backup Jonas Gustavsson has been activated from injured reserve.

The Red Wings will debut center Luke Glendening, a Michigan native who was recalled Friday from Grand Rapids. He will join a fourth line with Jordin Tootoo and Drew Miller.

"He's a right-hand shot, ideally he'll learn to win faceoffs at our level, he'll learn to be a good penalty killer," Babcock said.

Tootoo will make his season debut after being out with a sprained left shoulder.

Detroit is the only team in the NHL without a power-play goal, going 0 for 10.

The last five meetings between these teams have been decided by one goal, with Philadelphia winning three of them.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Oilers (1-3) at Maple Leafs (4-1)

Date: October 12, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


Strong goaltending has played a key role in the Toronto Maple Leafs' fast start. The same can't be said about the Edmonton Oilers' situation between the pipes.

The surging Maple Leafs try to get off to their best start in 20 years Saturday night when they host an Edmonton team looking to avoid its worst five-game start since 1995-96.

Toronto (4-1-0) continued its solid play behind Jonathan Bernier in a 4-0 victory in Nashville on Thursday, as he made a season-high 36 saves for his seventh career shutout.

Bernier appears to be taking control of the No. 1 role with the Maple Leafs, ranking among NHL leaders with a 0.84 goals-against average and .974 save percentage.

"I don't think we're any different than any other team in the league,' Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. "To have success, your goalie's got to give you a chance, it's as simple as that."

Carlyle has given Bernier two straight starts after Bernier replaced James Reimer in the second period of a 5-4 shootout win over Ottawa last Saturday.

Whoever gets the call in net will try to help Toronto to its fifth win in six games, which would be the team's best start since opening 1993-94 with 10 victories.

The situation in goal hasn't been nearly as stable for Edmonton, which ranks at or near the bottom of the league in save percentage at .847 and goals-against average at 4.75.

Devan Dubnyk couldn't put an end to those woes Thursday when he stopped 23 of 26 shots in a 4-1 loss to Montreal. He's posted a 5.28 GAA while dropping his last three starts.

Dubnyk didn't fare much better in his only start against the Maple Leafs, allowing five goals in a 6-3 loss in Toronto on Feb. 6, 2012.

Jason LaBarbera could get his second start after yielding four scores in a 5-4 shootout win over New Jersey on Monday. He's 1-1-0 with a 2.02 GAA in two career starts against the Maple Leafs.

The Oilers, beginning a six-game road trip, are trying to avoid opening with four losses in five games for the first time in 18 years.

"I wouldn't mind a break to go our way," coach Dallas Eakins said. "Improvement is nice, but it's not good enough if you end up losing the game.'

Phil Kessel had a goal and two assists against the Predators, and he's recorded six goals and four assists in his last six meetings with the Oilers.

Teammate Joffrey Lupul has scored in three straight games despite dealing with a calf injury. He's recorded a goal in each of his last two against Edmonton.

The Maple Leafs have won three straight against the Oilers and 13 of 17 meetings in Toronto.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sabres (0-4) at Blackhawks (2-1)

Date: October 12, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


The Buffalo Sabres are off to their worst start in 14 years.

Facing the reigning Stanley Cup champions on the road isn't likely to change that.

The Sabres attempt to avoid a sixth straight defeat Saturday night when they meet the Chicago Blackhawks.

Buffalo (0-4-1) hasn't endured a worst start to a season since going 0-5-2 to begin 1999-2000. The Sabres have shown few signs of ending their struggles, getting outscored 14-5 while going 2 for 18 on the power play.

"We have guys in here that can make plays," goaltender Ryan Miller said. "We just have to get past this little hump we're having trouble with and you can't just work hard, get a puck and not do anything with it. We have to start doing things with it."

Buffalo didn't do much Thursday, giving up three first-period goals in a 4-1 home loss to Columbus.

Thomas Vanek and Cody Hodgson have been among the few offensive bright spots with four points each over the past three games. Those two have combined for eight of the team's 13 points this season.

Vanek, the captain for home games, had team highs of 20 goals and 41 points in 38 games last season. He's been limited to two assists in four career visits to Chicago.

Hodgson has four points in four meetings with the Blackhawks, who have won three straight games versus Buffalo, including the last two at the United Center.

Chicago is 19-2-3 over its last 24 home games, including an 11-2 mark in the playoffs en route to winning last season's Stanley Cup.

The Blackhawks improved to 2-0-1 on home ice with a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Friday.

"We didn't get that extra goal, which made it close all the way to the end, but I still thought we did some good things," coach Joel Quenneville said. "But I liked what we gave up, and that wasn't much."

Chicago yielded only 19 shots to the Islanders, two days after giving up a season-high 34 in a 3-2 defeat at St. Louis. Corey Crawford, who made 31 saves in that contest, should be back in net after watching backup Nikolai Khabibulin make 17 stops Friday.

Crawford is 1-1-1 with a 2.93 goals-against average, and has won both of his meetings with the Sabres while stopping 57 of 62 shots.

Jonathan Toews has two goals and one assist in the past two games after finding the net Friday. The captain has four points in three career home meetings with Buffalo, scoring twice in the most recent meeting, a 6-2 victory Jan. 18, 2012.

The Sabres are without Patrick Kaleta, who is suspended until attending a hearing with the NHL department of player safety Tuesday. He's facing a suspension of more than five games for his hit on Columbus defenseman Jack Johnson early in the opening period Thursday. Kaleta wasn't penalized, and Johnson remained in the game.

"The league's going to take care of that. It was a hit and they're concerned with it so they'll take a look at it and go from there," Sabres coach Ron Rolston told the team's official website. "So he will have a hearing and see what comes of it."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (1-3) at Blues (3-0)

Date: October 12, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


The St. Louis Blues have a chance to start a season with four straight wins for the first time in franchise history, and it's coming against a team that has been outscored 15-2 in its last two games.

The visiting New York Rangers face St. Louis on Saturday night having allowed 20 goals in four games after ranking fourth in the league in goals against last season.

The Blues have outscored opponents 14-4 to win the first three of a season-opening five-game homestand. They have won nine straight regular-season games on their own ice, including Wednesday's 3-2 victory over Chicago.

Alexander Steen scored with 21.1 seconds left in the third period to help the Blues match their 1969-70 and 1993-94 season starts.

"You just knew the way the game was going to go, somebody was going to get an odd-man rush because both teams gave up a few today," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock told the team's official website. "They had a breakaway and three 2-on-1s and we had two 2-on-1s and three or four 3-on-2s or 4-on-2s. The game was so revved up, you got caught in no-man's land a few times.

"We got a lot out of this game, a lot of information moving forward, stuff that's a learning curve of how to play against really good teams like Chicago. Hopefully, this helps us moving forward."

St. Louis' Jaroslav Halak made 28 saves and allowed two power-play goals. He hasn't given up an even-strength goal since the second period of the opener against Nashville.

"We knew it was going to be a big game for our guys," Halak said. "Playing Chicago is always a big game. I think our guys came up big today and played for 60 minutes. That was the key tonight: stick to the game plan and not to give up."

The Blues have eight players with three points or more, led by defenseman Alex Pietrangelo's five assists. Steen has three goals and an assist.

The Blues are 26-6-5 against the Eastern Conference since 2010-11. They've won five of six against the Rangers, including 4-1 in the last meeting Dec. 15, 2011, at home. Steen scored and had an assist in that game and has seven points in his last five against New York.

The Rangers (1-3-0) will again be without forward Rick Nash, who will miss two more games with a head injury he suffered in Tuesday's 9-2 loss at San Jose. Nash, who has assisted on three of the Rangers' six goals, has 39 points in 49 games against St. Louis.

Brad Richards leads New York with three goals, and he has two goals and 18 assists in 18 games against the Blues.

The Rangers hadn't lost by six goals since Jan. 23, 2010, at Montreal, and it happened again Thursday when they fell 6-0 at Anaheim.

"There's just no pride going on right now in our defensive zone," captain Ryan Callahan said.

Saturday's game is the fifth in a season-opening nine-game road trip for the Rangers and new coach Alain Vigneault.

"We're being tested as a group, being challenged, and it's up to me as head coach to get this team to play well and that's what I'm going to do," Vigneault said.

Henrik Lundqvist, a Vezina Trophy finalist last season after winning the award in 2011-12, has started every game and allowed 15 goals. He gave up 16 goals in his first four games in 2006-07 before going on to be a Vezina finalist.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Islanders (2-1) at Predators (1-3)

Date: October 12, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


The Nashville Predators are trying to solve their scoring issues, and they may have to do it without their top scorer.

With Mike Fisher potentially out, the Predators will try to end their scoring drought and continue their dominance of the New York Islanders on Saturday night.

Nashville (1-3-0) has been shut out in five straight periods after scoring three times in the opening stanza of Tuesday's 3-2 win over Minnesota to open a five-game homestand. The Predators followed that up two days later with a 4-0 defeat to Toronto, despite a season-high 36 shots.

"We just have to get those shots in. Get those quality scoring chances," said forward Colin Wilson, whose only goal of the season came against the Wild.

Nashville may be dealing with an even greater loss if Fisher, the team leader with three points, is suspended for his hit on Cody Franson in the third period.

The center earned a game misconduct and boarding major for shoving the former Preds defenseman into the curved glass at the end of the Maple Leafs bench. Franson's face was bloodied and he didn't return.

The NHL hasn't announced if Fisher will be disciplined, but he didn't even think it was a penalty.

"Just a hockey play," Fisher said. "First of all, hopefully he's OK. Obviously I feel bad he got hurt, but it's just a play where we kind of went into the glass. There was no intent at all.

"If you look at it, it's really not a penalty. Unfortunately, he got hurt."

If Fisher is out, Nashville may need some production from David Legwand, who hasn't scored in three games and was last season's team leader with 12 goals. The center has one goal and five assists in nine career meetings with New York (2-1-1).

The Predators have won six of the past seven home meetings with the Islanders, including five in a row while outscoring them 14-4. They've also shut them out three times during that winning streak, which is part of a 7-0-1 record in the last eight overall matchups.

Nashville, though, hasn't faced the Islanders since a 3-1 road win Jan. 16, 2012, and last hosted them in a 5-0 victory on Dec. 13, 2010.

A pair of goals in the final 54 seconds of the first period erased a two-goal deficit Friday in Chicago, but New York went on to lose 3-2 to fall for the first time in regulation.

"When you mismanage the puck against that team and you don't make them play a 200-foot game, you're never going to have success and that's exactly what happened," coach Jack Capuano said. "Our execution level was down and we had some passengers."

John Tavares and Michael Grabner certainly aren't among them. Tavares has five points in the past three games after getting an assist Friday, while Grabner's assist gave him a team-leading seven points.

Only Tavares, however, has managed to get on the scoresheet against the Predators, netting a goal in the most recent meeting.

The Islanders will likely have Evgeni Nabokov back in net after being rested in favor of Kevin Poulin, who had 25 saves against the Blackhawks.

Nabokov went 2-0-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average over the first three games, and he's won seven of eight starts against Nashville since 2007-08 behind a 2.36 GAA.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Stars (2-1) at Wild (1-1)

Date: October 12, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


After a disappointing start, the Minnesota Wild finally tasted victory in their last game.

Slowing down the Dallas Stars' Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn could prove crucial if they hope to make it two in a row.

The Wild try to build on their first win Saturday night when they host the Stars, who are seeking a third straight victory.

Minnesota opened 0-1-2 before beating Winnipeg 2-1 on Thursday behind a goal and an assist from Matt Cooke. Josh Harding, starting in place of the injured Niklas Backstrom (knee), made 14 saves.

"I think it's good to get both points," coach Mike Yeo told the team's official website. "We continued to do a lot of things we have been, but bottom line is, we got both points. Needless to say, we needed that.

"It's the little things that add up to make a difference, and that's what we saw."

The Wild, who have outshot opponents 126-88 thus far, held a 30-15 edge Thursday.

"We're getting good opportunities," said Zach Parise, who scored three times in the previous two games. "Pucks are going to keep finding our sticks. We've just got to bear down and put them in."

Minnesota now turns its attention to Dallas (2-1-0), which cruised to a 4-1 win at Winnipeg on Friday. Seguin led the way with two goals and a career-high four points while Benn added a goal and two assists.

"Through training camp, preseason, I feel like every day with practices we're getting to know one another and we bring two different games to the table," Seguin, acquired from Boston in a seven-player trade this offseason, said of his relationship with Benn.

"I think we get better every day. We're becoming good friends off the ice and I think that's only going to translate to good things on the ice."

Right winger Alex Chiasson also came up big, notching a goal and an assist. The emerging 23-year-old has now scored in nine of his first 10 NHL games dating to April, including all three this season.

Friday's win, though, may have come at a cost. Kari Lehtonen stopped all 21 shots he faced before exiting late in the second period with a lower-body injury. Backup Dan Ellis went on to make 22 saves in his season debut, and he could be in net Saturday if Lehtonen can't go.

Lehtonen, who has compiled a 1.57 goals-against average in the first three games, is 6-3-0 with a 2.55 GAA in his last 10 starts versus Minnesota. Ellis is 0-2-1 with a 3.47 GAA during a five-game stretch against the Wild, though he hasn't faced them since 2011 while with Anaheim.

Harding has won his last two starts versus Dallas, including a 1-0 victory Jan. 20. Backstrom, 5-7-5 lifetime against the Stars, is 4-2-1 with a 2.10 GAA in seven home starts in the series.

Parise has totaled eight goals and eight assists in 12 career games versus Dallas.

The Stars are 22-7-1 in the series since January 2006, but 3-5-0 in their last eight visits to Minnesota.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Senators (1-0) at Sharks (4-0)

Date: October 12, 2013 10:00 PM EDT


With their depth on full display, the San Jose Sharks are off to another superb start.

While the Ottawa Senators have recorded at least one point in every game thus far, they still have plenty to clean up.

The undefeated Sharks try to keep rolling against the Senators, who continue a season-opening six-game road trip Saturday night.

After opening a franchise-best 7-0-0 in 2012-13, San Jose has outscored opponents 21-5 in winning each of its first four games this season. Six players have at least two goals, including rookie Tomas Hertl with a league-leading six.

"We're just deep - really, really deep - and we want to come at you every night, and we have been doing that early," captain Joe Thornton told the Sharks' official website. "That's how our offense has been this year, all four lines have been going good, and I don't think (coach Todd McLellan) is afraid to put anybody on the ice right now. It's nice seeing everyone can score."

"We're winning by community right now."

Brent Burns had a goal and an assist and Thornton and Logan Couture both set up two scores in Thursday's 4-1 win at Vancouver. Antti Niemi, who has started all four games, made 25 saves to lower his goals-against average to 1.25.

"You've got to give them some credit. They've got a good team over there, play a great system," Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said.

The Sharks now return home, where they are 25-2-5 dating to March 22, 2012. San Jose had limited Ottawa (1-0-2) to five goals during a five-game winning streak in the series before losing the last matchup, 4-1 on Jan. 19, 2012.

Since holding Buffalo scoreless on four power-play chances in a season-opening 1-0 victory, the Senators have killed just eight of 12 penalties in their last two games. Ottawa suffered a 5-4 shootout loss to Toronto last Saturday before falling 4-3 to Los Angeles in overtime Wednesday.

While the Senators stormed back after allowing three first-period goals, they lost on Jeff Carter's power-play tally 28 seconds into OT.

"We can't just sit there and say 'The officials don't like us or anything like that," coach Paul MacLean told the team's official website. "We have to stop taking penalties. We've got to get our feet moving. We've got to play harder and stop putting ourselves and putting our team in a bad spot."

Craig Anderson, who stopped 28 shots, has allowed four goals in back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 7-10, 2011. He is 3-6-0 with a 3.15 GAA in nine career starts against the Sharks.

Niemi, meanwhile, is 1-1-0 with a 2.00 GAA and one shutout against the Senators. He is 14-1-1 with a 1.83 GAA in his last 17 starts on home ice.

Thornton has five goals and 14 assists during an 18-game stretch versus Ottawa, and Patrick Marleau has 14 points over his last 12 in the series.

Senators newcomer Bobby Ryan, who has three points in the last two games, has seven in his last seven meetings with the Sharks.

San Jose will again be without defenseman Brad Stuart as he serves the second of a three-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of New York Rangers forward Rick Nash on Tuesday. Stuart is eligible to return Thursday.

[StarDust Bum]

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

Date: October 12, 2013 10:00 PM EDT


The Montreal Canadiens are going to be without Brian Gionta on Saturday night.

The Vancouver Canucks will be without their leader in ice time in Alex Edler.

The absences of these key players will take some of the luster off this marquee matchup as the Canadiens and Canucks meet in Vancouver.

Gionta joined Montreal (2-2-0) at the start of this four-game trip after a brief absence for personal reasons, but has again taken leave.

"We don't know when he's going to come back," coach Michel Therrien said. "He's an important part of our team. He's a good leader, but right now I don't know when he's going to come back."

The Canadiens, who fell 3-2 in Calgary on Wednesday and won 4-1 at Edmonton the next night, will play for the first time without their captain.

"Obviously he's our captain and our leader," said P.K. Subban, who has six points in a three-game run. "Obviously you can't replace Brian Gionta but we have to have guys that are in here who are willing to step up."

Vancouver (3-2-0), meanwhile, won't have Edler. The defenseman, who has logged over 124 minutes of ice time, was suspended three games for an illegal check to the head of San Jose forward Tomas Hertl in Thursday's 4-1 home defeat.

The Canucks could be happy to be playing someone other than the Sharks. Thursday's defeat matched a 4-1 loss in San Jose in the season opener Oct. 3 before Vancouver won three straight by outscoring foes 14-8.

The Sedin brothers failed to register a point for the first time Saturday after combining for 12 in the first four games.

Mike Santorelli scored Vancouver's lone goal. He's got all four in his last three games and he logged nearly 24 minutes of ice time Thursday for the highest total of his career.

"He's been playing well, he scored another goal tonight," coach John Tortorella said. "He's been forechecking well, he's been strong on the puck and he deserves the ice time."

Santorelli is a Vancouver native who may be inspired playing in his first season with his hometown club.

Montreal second-year winger Brendan Gallagher is eager to play at the Rogers Arena for the first time. Gallagher, who was born in Edmonton but grew up in Vancouver, had a goal and an assist against the Oilers on Thursday. He said he will have between 15-20 guests in attendance Saturday.

"When I first step on the ice, it'll be really cool," Gallagher said. "There are going to be a lot of people watching who helped me get where I am at this point and they sacrificed a lot. You want to play well and you want to show them how proud you are of what they've done for you."

Montreal's Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller have combined for 13 points and will likely take aim at Roberto Luongo, a Montreal native who is 1-4-0 with a 3.00 goals-against average in his last five games against the Canadiens.

British Columbia native Carey Price of Montreal has posted consecutive wins in Vancouver since giving up all seven goals there in a 7-1 loss Oct. 7, 2009.

Vancouver has killed off all 18 penalties this season.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, October 12

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


BOSTON (2-1-0-0, 4 pts.) at COLUMBUS (2-1-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/12/2013, 2:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 22-9 ATS (+11.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 133-117 ATS (+256.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 2-0-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


EDMONTON (1-3-0-0, 2 pts.) at TORONTO (4-1-0-0, 8 pts.) - 10/12/2013, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 129-135 ATS (-20.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
TORONTO is 58-75 ATS (-45.9 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1996.
TORONTO is 74-82 ATS (-63.3 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.
TORONTO is 94-118 ATS (-89.4 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
TORONTO is 145-144 ATS (-74.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 2-0-0 straight up against EDMONTON 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)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


PHILADELPHIA (1-4-0-0, 2 pts.) at DETROIT (2-2-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/12/2013, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


PITTSBURGH (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/12/2013, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 6-1 (+4.8 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 6-1-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.9 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


COLORADO (4-0-0-0, 8 pts.) at WASHINGTON (1-3-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/12/2013, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 7-2 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 14-5 ATS (+19.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 15-5 ATS (+20.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 117-163 ATS (-64.8 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 1-0-0 straight up against WASHINGTON 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)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


BUFFALO (0-4-0-1, 1 pts.) at CHICAGO (2-1-0-1, 5 pts.) - 10/12/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 183-137 ATS (+23.6 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
CHICAGO is 246-278 ATS (-39.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 125-145 ATS (-71.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


NY RANGERS (1-3-0-0, 2 pts.) at ST LOUIS (3-0-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/12/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 15-4 ATS (+8.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive home games over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 14-1 ATS (+12.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 1-0-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
0 of 0 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


NY ISLANDERS (2-1-0-1, 5 pts.) at NASHVILLE (1-3-0-0, 2 pts.) - 10/12/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 167-111 ATS (+292.4 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 153-138 ATS (+303.0 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 13-3 ATS (+9.6 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 1-0-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS 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)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


DALLAS (2-1-0-0, 4 pts.) at MINNESOTA (1-1-0-2, 4 pts.) - 10/12/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 1-13 ATS (+18.2 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 155-123 ATS (+22.7 Units) in road games first half of the season since 1996.
DALLAS is 25-13 ATS (+10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 4-3 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 4-3-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.5 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MONTREAL (2-2-0-0, 4 pts.) at VANCOUVER (3-2-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/12/2013, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 33-57 ATS (+91.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 6-18 ATS (+24.1 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 14-31 ATS (+48.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 1-1 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER 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=+0.3 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


OTTAWA (1-0-0-2, 4 pts.) at SAN JOSE (4-0-0-0, 8 pts.) - 10/12/2013, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 1-0 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 1-0-0 straight up against SAN JOSE 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)