Ryan strikes once again with the Morning Skate…let’s see what is shaking in the NHL and yes Ryan keep predicting against the Devils.
The Morning After:
Last night’s scores:
Devils 2, Bruins 1
Lightning 5, Senators 2
Capitals 4, Thrashers 3
Coyotes 2, Blues 0
Predators 2, Blackhawks 0
Oilers 6, Red Wings 5 (SO)
Canucks 2, Kings 1 (SO)
Predictions record: 5-1-1
My 3 stars from last night:
1. Ilya Bryzgalov, PHX (32 Saves, Shutout)
He rebounded extremely well after a pair of bad performances with a 32-save effort against a relentless Blues team. He made a lot of great saves.
2. Steven Stamkos, TB (2 Goals, 1 Assist)
Stamkos scored an absolute beauty vs. Ottawa last night, and had 2 more points to go with it. He’s really taken off this season!
3. Ales Hemsky, EDM (2 Goals, 1 Assist)
Hemsky was big in the Oilers’ win over the Wings, scoring a pair of nice goals.
Dud of the Night:
Edmonton’s kid line… Sam Gagner was taken off the top line (in favor of Horcoff) and had a horrible night alongside Andrew Cogliano & Robert Nilsson. The three each had a -3 rating, and combined for just 4 shots on goal. The Oilers won, but they’ll need better play from this line moving forward.
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Tonight’s Slate:
Islanders @ Capitals, 7:00 ET
Penguins @ Blue Jackets, 7:00
Maple Leafs @ Sabres, 7:30
Rangers @ Wild, 8:00
Canadiens @ Blackhawks, 8:30
Panthers @ Stars, 8:30
Canucks @ Ducks, 10:00
Avalanche @ Sharks, 10:30
Games of the Night:
Pittsburgh Penguins (10-2-0) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (6-5-0)
7:00 ET… TV: Local Networks
Players to watch:
PIT- Jordan Staal
Staal will have to step up in Malkin’s absence.
CBJ- Antoine Vermette
He recently had a 5-game point streak, and needs to play better for the Jackets to start winning again.
Projected Goaltenders:
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (09/10 stats: 9-1, 2.07 GAA)
CBJ- Steve Mason (09/10 stats: 5-4, 3.57 GAA)
Injury Report:
PIT- Evgeni Malkin (shoulder, out), Sergei Gonchar (wrist, out), Tyler Kennedy (undisclosed, doubtful), Max Talbot (shoulder, out), Ben Lovejoy (shoulder, out)
CBJ- Jan Hejda (knee, out), Fredrik Modin (knee, out), Andrew Murray (shoulder, out)
Game Thoughts:
Pittsburgh heads to Columbus without Malkin, and will need others to step up tonight. The Jackets should be jacked up tonight, playing the champs and looking for a win. Mason will have to shake off his recent struggles for them to have a chance. I’ll say they pull the minor upset as they edge the Penguins in OT/shootout.
Prediction: Blue Jackets 3, Penguins 2 (OT)
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Colorado Avalanche (10-1-2) @ San Jose Sharks (8-4-1)
10:30 ET… TV: Local Networks
Players to watch:
COL- Wojtek Wolski
Wolski is starting to heat up again, tallying 6 points in the last 5 games.
SJ- Patrick Marleau
Marleau is one of the hottest players in the league right now with 11 points in the last 6 games.
Projected Goaltenders:
COL- Craig Anderson (09/10 stats: 10-1-2, 1.97 GAA)
SJ- Evgeni Nabokov (09/10 stats: 7-3-1, 2.66 GAA)
Injury Report:
COL- John-Michael Liles (shoulder, out), Darcy Tucker (concussion, out), Peter Budaj (swine flu, doubtful), Cody McLeod (eye, out), T.J. Galiardi (ankle, questionable), Ruslan Salei (back, out), Matt Hendricks (groin, questionable), Tom Preissing (knee, out)
SJ- Devin Setoguchi (leg, questionable), Joe Pavelski (foot, out), Torrey Mitchell (knee, out), Ryan Vesce (leg, questionable)
Game Thoughts:
This is a big test for the Avalanche after picking up wins in Calgary and Edmonton. They have the Sharks’ attention, who’ll be looking for payback after getting embarrassed in Denver on opening night. It’s hard to keep picking against Colorado, but I like San Jose’s chances to pull it out.
Prediction: Sharks 3, Avalanche 2
The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Capitals over Islanders
Sabres over Maple Leafs
Wild over Rangers
Blackhawks over Canadiens
Stars over Panthers
Ducks over Canucks
