Thanks again Ryan…and remember Randy Moller on the show Sunday Night…8pm ET!
The Morning After:
Last night’s scores:
Canadiens 5, Islanders 1
Devils 4, Rangers 2
Flyers 4, Bruins 3 (SO)
Capitals 5, Thrashers 4
Predators 6, Senators 5 (OT)
Lightning 5, Sharks 2
Oilers 6, Blue Jackets 4
Coyotes 3, Red Wings 2 (OT)
Kings 5, Stars 4 (OT)
Predictions record: 6-2-1
My 3 stars from last night:
1. Dustin Penner, EDM (2 Goals, 3 Assists)
Penner was the star of the Oilers’ big comeback at Rexall with 5 points.
2. Anze Kopitar, LA (3 Goals)
Kopitar’s great start continued with a hat trick in LA’s win over Dallas.
3. Shea Weber, NSH (2 Goals, 1 Assist)
I know Dumont had 5 points (4 A), but Weber’s pair of goals were gigantic for a Preds team that needed 2 points in the worst way.
Dud of the Night:
Nashville’s 3rd period… The Predators go into the 3rd period with a 3-0 lead. That’s going to be a safe lead, right?? Well the Senators stormed back to tie the game at 3 before the 10-minute mark of the period. The Preds couldn’t hold a pair of one-goal leads late in the 3rd, and gave up a shorthanded goal with 1.6 seconds remaining (to Chris Phillips, nonetheless). Nashville luckily went on to win 6-5 in OT. The 3rd period has not been kind to Barry Trotz’s crew, and that’s something that needs to be fixed sooner rather than later.
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Tonight’s Slate:
Panthers @ Penguins, 7:00 ET
Wild @ Blues, 8:00
Hurricanes @ Avalanche, 9:00
Game of the Night:
Carolina Hurricanes (2-4-2) @ Colorado Avalanche (6-1-2)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks
Players to watch:
CAR- Eric Staal
Carolina’s leader is coming off a 2-point outing… can he carry it over??
COL- Ryan O’Reilly
The 2nd-rounder from this year’s draft is on a 5-game point streak.
Projected Goaltenders:
CAR- Cam Ward (09/10 stats: 2-4-2, 2.47 GAA)
COL- Peter Budaj (1st start of season)
Injury Report:
CAR- Erik Cole (leg, out), Tim Gleason (upper body, questionable)
COL- John-Michael Liles (shoulder, doubtful), Cody McLeod (eye, questionable), Ruslan Salei (back, out), Tom Preissing (knee, out)
Game Thoughts:
It’s kind of a quiet night around the league without a marquee game. Colorado comes home on top of the West and looking to rebound from an overtime loss to Minnesota. Even with Budaj starting, I think the Avs will edge the struggling ‘Canes in a low-scoring affair.
Prediction: Avalanche 2, Hurricanes 1
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Penguins over Panthers
Blues over Wild