There is one game tonight so Ryan brings us the look back and look ahead with an additional twist by us to make it well Evening Skate.
The Morning After:
Yesterday’s scores:
Maple Leafs 4, Stars 1
Devils 5, Capitals 0
Rangers 2, Flames 1
Flyers 3, Canadiens 2
Blue Jackets 2, Predators 0
Senators 3, Kings 2
Lightning 3, Bruins 1
Penguins 3, Panthers 2
Predictions record: 6-2
My 3 stars of the night:
1. Alex Kovalev, OTT (1 Goal, 1 Assist)… Kovalev’s first period goal was the 1,000th point of his career.
2. Steve Mason, CBJ (27 Saves, Shutout)
3. Nikolai Kulemin, TOR (2 Goals)
Close but no cigar: J. Arnott and J. Hedberg, NJ; M. Biron and D. Girardi, NYR; S. Crosby, PIT; M. Smith, TB; C. Price, MTL
Quick-hit observations:
– Ilya Kovalchuk had zero points and one shot in the Devils’ 5-0 win over the Caps… their weird season continues. It appears they did not forget about their 7-2 loss in D.C. back in October.
– Los Angeles may have gotten screwed on a goal review with three seconds left. Ryan Smyth’s deflection seemed to have tied the game, but the war room in Toronto didn’t overturn the no-goal call. Either way, the Kings haven’t played well lately.
– The Blue Jackets’ win over Nashville was pretty impressive. It was their fourth shutout of the year (Mason’s first) as it was a great team effort. If they play like that every night, they’ll be in the playoff mix.
– Philadelphia won 3-2 over budding rival Montreal, steadily coming back from a 2-0 deficit. However, Claude Giroux was shaken up at the end of the game; something to monitor.
– Jonas Gustavsson has stoned 93 of the 97 shots that have come his way since taking over for J.S. Giguere (.959 save percentage).
– Florida’s power play is 0-for-25 since Nov. 10 and now ranks 30th in the NHL.
—
Tonight’s Slate:
Oilers @ Coyotes, 9:00 ET
Game of the Night:
Edmonton Oilers @ Phoenix Coyotes
9:00 ET… TV: TSN, Local Networks
Records:
Overall: Oilers (5-10-4) … Coyotes (10-5-5)
Last Ten: Oilers (2-6-2) … Coyotes (7-1-2)
Away/Home: Oilers (3-5-3) … Coyotes (4-2-3)
Season Series: 1-0 Coyotes
Players to watch:
EDM- Ales Hemsky
Hemsky stepped up over the weekend, picking up four points in two games.
PHX- Shane Doan
Captain Doan returned Sunday and has had success vs. Edmonton.
Projected Goaltenders:
EDM- Devan Dubnyk (2010/11 stats: 1-0-3, 2.76 GAA)
PHX- Ilya Bryzgalov (2010/11 stats: 9-2-5, 2.76 GAA)
Injury Report:
EDM- Nikolai Khabibulin (groin, out), Ladislav Smid (concussion, out)
PHX- Kyle Turris (upper body, doubtful), Kurt Sauer (concussion, out)
Game Thoughts:
When these two met up in Phoenix last Friday, the Coyotes stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3 in a shootout. Will the Oilers be seeking revenge? They lost both games in the desert last year, but have played well there in years past. Still, I think Phoenix extends their win streak to seven in this one.
Prediction: Coyotes 4, Oilers 2
