Thanks again Ryan and we may just be going with your predictions tonight since mine last night were so awful. Here comes The Morning Skate straight from the Red Light District.
The Morning After:
Last night’s scores:
Capitals 4, Flyers 2
Avalanche 3, Oilers 0
Red Wings 5, Canucks 4
Predictions record: 1-2
My 3 stars from last night:
1. Craig Anderson, COL (25 Saves, Shutout)
Anderson continues to dominate his opponents with his 2nd shutout of the season in Edmonton.
2. Pavel Datsyuk, DET (2 Goals, 1 Assists)
Datsyuk finally snapped out of his funk with a clutch 3-point performance against the Canucks.
3. Alexander Semin, WSH (1 Goal, 2 Assists)
Semin’s wicked wrister was the game-winner, but his nice set-up to Backstrom was just as important in the Caps’ comeback.
Dud of the Night:
Edmonton Oilers… They’ve now gone two straight games without a goal, albeit against Luongo and Anderson. Since their wild comeback vs. Columbus last week, the Oilers are 0-3.
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Tonight’s Slate:
Rangers @ Islanders, 7:00 ET
Sabres @ Devils, 7:00
Blues @ Hurricanes, 7:00
Coyotes @ Blue Jackets, 7:00
Canadiens @ Penguins, 7:30
Senators @ Panthers, 7:30
Maple Leafs @ Stars, 8:00
Predators @ Wild, 8:00
Avalanche @ Flames, 9:30
Kings @ Sharks, 10:30
Games of the Night:
Buffalo Sabres (6-1-1) @ New Jersey Devils (6-3-0)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks
Players to watch:
BUF- Tyler Myers
Myers has played his way into the Calder discussion with 5 points and a +8 rating.
NJ- David Clarkson
Clarkson has taken the next step in his game, scoring 8 points in 9 games thus far.
Projected Goaltenders:
BUF- Ryan Miller (09/10 stats: 6-0-1, 1.69 GAA)
NJ- Martin Brodeur (09/10 stats: 6-3, 2.42 GAA)
Injury Report:
BUF- Toni Lydman (groin, doubtful), Andrej Sekera (rib, out)
NJ- Patrik Elias (groin, out), Paul Martin (arm, out), Jay Pandolfo (shoulder, out), Mike Mottau (hip, out)
Game Thoughts:
New Jersey has been great on the road, but subpar on home-ice. They’ll look to turn that around against Buffalo tonight. Ryan Miller & company have won 6 of 7, taking the lead in the Northeast. But Miller has struggled against the Devils, and I think Brodeur will come oh-so-close to tying Terry Sawchuk’s shutout record.
Prediction: Devils 3, Sabres 1
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Colorado Avalanche (9-1-2) @ Calgary Flames (7-2-1)
10:30 ET… TV: Local Networks
Players to watch:
COL- Matt Duchene
I’m real curious to see how Duchene will fare against the toughest opponent he will face to this point.
CGY- Dion Phaneuf
The ‘Phaneuf Train’ is back! He has 5 goals thus far and is playing like he did a couple years ago.
Projected Goaltenders:
COL- Craig Anderson (Last night @ EDM: 25 Saves, Shutout)
CGY- Miikka Kiprusoff (09/10 stats: 7-1-1, 3.10 GAA)
Injury Report:
COL- Darcy Tucker (concussion, out), Peter Budaj (swine flu, out), Cody McLeod (eye, out), John-Michael Liles (shoulder, out), Ruslan Salei (back, out), Matt Hendricks (groin, doubtful), Tom Preissing (knee, out)
CGY- Dustin Boyd (flu, questionable), Brandon Prust (upper body, questionable)
Game Thoughts:
How much longer can the Avalanche keep this up!? They are playing like the best team in the NHL, and completely shutdown the Oilers last night. They’ll take on a different animal tonight, as the Flames have been tremendous at home. Calgary is the team to beat in the division, despite the Avs’ success. Can Colorado send a statement??
Prediction: Flames 3, Avalanche 2
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Los Angeles Kings (8-4-0) @ San Jose Sharks (7-4-1)
10:30 ET… TV: Local Networks
Players to watch:
LA- Alexander Frolov
He has responded very well to his benching with 6 points in 3 games.
SJ- Joe Thornton
‘Jumbo Joe’ has been a machine this year, and has 37 assists in 39 career games against the Kings.
Projected Goaltenders:
LA- Jonathan Quick (09/10 stats: 8-3, 2.91 GAA)
SJ- Evgeni Nabokov (09/10 stats: 6-3-1, 2.84 GAA)
Injury Report:
LA- Justin Williams (lower body, out)
SJ- Devin Setoguchi (leg, questionable), Joe Pavelski (foot, out), Torrey Mitchell (knee, out), Ryan Vesce (leg, questionable)
Game Thoughts:
This is the game I’ve been waiting for since San Jose closed out their road trip with a pair of wins. Can they string together some wins… or will they stay inconsistent? Los Angeles will be looking to hang on to their division lead, and beat the Sharks earlier this year in a wild affair. I expect the Sharks to win, but not by much!
Prediction: Sharks 4, Kings 3 (SO)
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Rangers over Islanders
Blues over Hurricanes
Blue Jackets over Coyotes
Penguins over Canadiens
Senators over Panthers
Stars over Maple Leafs
Wild over Predators
