Tuesday 10/18/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
Good luck on all your plays.

When not viewing the service plays.
Make sure to enjoy the rest of what the RX has to offer.

First time here at the RX.
Make sure to visit the Newbies Room
Click here to go there now

 

[superbeets]

European Cup TODAY 19:45

B Leverkusen

v

Tottenham

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		6/5	5/2	5/2	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT B LEVERKUSEN	RECENT FORM
ALHDAWADHWAL​ Most recent​	0 - 1	HWHWAWAWHWAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Tottenham have kept six clean sheets this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure as Tottenham boss has been characterised by strong defensive performances and he will be aiming to repel a Bayer Leverkusen team who have scored freely in this competition. Spurs pressed Man City into submission in the 2-0 win at White Hart Lane and can do likewise against Leverkusen in a game that could be a lower-scoring affair than is anticipated.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Cuneyt Cakir STADIUM:

European Cup TODAY 19:45

Leicester

v

FC Copenhagen

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT3		10/11	5/2	15/4	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEICESTER	RECENT FORM
HWHD*ALHWHDAL​ Most recent​	Unknown	AWADHWHWADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Leicester have had only 38 per cent possession in each of their European victories

EXPERT VERDICT: Leicester have looked a totally different side in Europe than on the domestic front and look well placed to make it three wins from three in the Champions League. The Foxes are at their best when teams attack them and their pacy frontline could excel on the break against the Danes.

RECOMMENDATION: Leicester
2


REFEREE: Nicola Rizzoli STADIUM:

European Cup We 19Oct 19:45

Arsenal

v

Ludogorets

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT3		1/7	8	22	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ARSENAL	RECENT FORM
AWAWHWHWAWHW​ Most recent​	Unknown	ADHWAWHLHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: There have been at least three goals in eight of Ludogoret’s last ten games

EXPERT VERDICT: Arsenal have really begun to motor over the last month but will have to be wary of Ludogorets’ threat. The Bulgarian champions have scored in all but three of their 41 games this term and may at least get on the scoresheet before the Gunners’ class eventually tells.

RECOMMENDATION: Arsenal to win 3-1
1


REFEREE: Artur Soares Dias STADIUM:

European Cup We 19Oct 19:45

Barcelona

v

Man City

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		8/15	15/4	5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BARCELONA	RECENT FORM
AWHDAWAWALHW​ Most recent​	1 - 0 2 - 1	HWAWAWADALHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Barcelona have scored at least twice in their last eight home Champions League games

EXPERT VERDICT: Pep Guardiola has dominated the spotlight since he took charge at Manchester City and he will be the centre of attention as he returns to Barcelona to face his former club. Barca's brilliant attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez should make it an unhappy return but City also pack a punch in the final third.

RECOMMENDATION: Barcelona to win 3-1
1


REFEREE: Milorad Mazic STADIUM:

European Cup We 19Oct 19:45

Celtic

v

Mgladbach

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		11/5	11/4	5/4	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CELTIC	RECENT FORM
ADHWHWHDAWHW​ Most recent​	Unknown	HWADHWHLALHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Celtic have scored in 15 of their 18 games this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Celtic laid to rest their matchday one mauling at Barcelona with a great showing against Manchester City in a memorable 3-3 draw. The Bhoys were positive against the Citizens and Brendan Rodgers’ attacking philosophy may bring them joy against a Gladbach who have kept only one clean sheet this term.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Tasos Sidiropoulos STADIUM:

Europa League Th 20Oct 18:00

Inter

v

Southampton

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT3		6/5	23/10	9/4	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT INTER	RECENT FORM
HWAWHDALALHL​ Most recent​	Unknown	HWHWAWADADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Southampton have won just one away game this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Inter have struggled for consistency under Frank de Boer and their Europa League form is rotten but they could find joy against Southampton. Hapoel Be’er Sheva and Sparta Prague proved hard to breakdown but Claude Puel’s men are unlikely to sit back, which could help the ailing Nerazzurri.

RECOMMENDATION: Inter
2

 

[ACP]

I just ran all the records for executive sports for october. As you know every year they run an october challenge where they have to be +2000% which is basically +20 units. They're average play is 3.5u, so around 6-7 net wins ahead.

Currently he is -3500% or around -35 net units or around -10 net games for october.

He has his cfb goy coming this weekend or next weekend and buyer beware....

How in the world can we have confidence in that game when or bankrolls are crushed.

Brian from pitt, who is in charge there, is sucking wind this month.

Run for the hills. Call and complain as if you are a client.

Thanks and gl

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CL Best Bets - Tuesday
By Toby Maxtone-Smith

UEFA Champions League - Matchday 3

The third round of the Champions League group stages is the time when the final form of the eight groups start to take their shape.

At the moment no big team looks in great danger of missing out on a qualification spot for the knockout rounds. Napoli, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Leicester City have all won both their matches so far.

Bayern Munich’s 1-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid meant they were edged out to 7/2 to win the competition, while Diego Simeone’s side are 12/1.

Barcelona remain the 3/1 favourites with Real Madrid 11/2. Man City are 9/1, Juventus 12/1, Borussia Dortmund 18/1, PSG 22/1, Arsenal 25/1 and the remaining teams 33/1 or longer.

The Banker: Both teams to score in Bayer Leverkusen vs. Tottenham Hotspur at 4/6

One of Tuesday night’s most intriguing games comes from the industrial heart of Germany as Bayer Leverkusen play Tottenham Hotspur. After iffy starts both teams desperately need to get the better of the back-to-back games between the sides. Spurs lost to Monaco and beat CSKA Moscow while Bayer Leverkusen drew to both sides.

This means that the onus will be more on Bayer Leverkusen to attack. They have been inconsistent in the league this year, but they have scored 11 goals in 7 games and, in Javier Hernandez, have one of European football’s most potent finishers.

It is not in the make-up of Mauricio Pochettino’s team to go completely defensive - and in any case the rewards of a win in Germany are huge for Spurs. Bayer are dodgy at the back and this game looks bound to see goals. 4/6 on both teams scoring is a good bet.

The Solid Bet: FC Porto to win at Club Brugge at 4/5

In one of the weakest sections the Champions League has seen in years the weakest team is Club Brugge. They were beaten 3-0 by Leicester at home in their first game before an embarrassing 4-0 defeat away to FC Copenhagen. Their poor form has carried over into the league - they lie sixth and prepared for this game badly with a 1-0 defeat away to Charleroi.

FC Porto started this group with a dodgy draw against Copenhagen before losing narrowly to Leicester, but this match at the Jan Breydel Stadium is much easier, and if the group’s other two teams can see them off easily there is no reason why Porto cannot as well. They thrashed Nacional 4-0 in their last league outing and are second in the Portuguese league.

They are a cut above their opponents and should be a safe bet at 4/5.

The Outsider: Legia Warsaw +2.5 away to Real Madrid at 47/20

By far the most eye-catching prices from Tuesday’s eight matches is at the match between Real Madrid and Polish champions Legia Warsaw. Legia, who have lost both their games without scoring (including a 6-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund that was mired by crowd trouble), while Real have won one and drawn one. Legia are 80/1 to win. Yes - eighty to one.

It is a very sad indictment on how polarised European football has become that a team can be available at such a big price to win a game. By way of comparison, Real are rated as more likely to win the match 10-0 - you can bet on that at 66/1.

There is, of course, a vast gulf in class between the two sides. But Legia are no weaker than the worst four or five teams in La Liga, and the occasion of playing away to the biggest club in the world is a bigger motivating factor than it is for another Spanish team. Eibar were 22/1 to win at Real Madrid two weekends ago. They are not four times more likely to win in Madrid than Legia Warsaw. They are a good bet on the handicap, and for them to lose the game by under three goals is a 47/20 shot. It is worth it.

The First Goalscorer: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Borussia Dortmund at Sporting Lisbon at 7/2

Borussia Dortmund may be the best outsider bet for the Champions League this season. After demolishing Legia Warsaw they played excellently in a 2-2 home draw with Borussia Dortmund, and at 6/5 they have more than enough to be able to see off Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese capital.

Heading their front line is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - a man who, in the last year, has become one of the best strikers in Europe. He has scored eight goals in his last ten games, including one in each Champions League game. Sporting’s defence do not come across players like him very often, and he is a good bet to break the deadlock at 7/2.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Avs rally late, top Penguins in OT
By The Sports Xchange

PITTSBURGH -- Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog tied the score with a power-play goal in the third period, then batted in a deflected Nathan MacKinnon shot 22 seconds into overtime as the Avalanche dealt the Pittsburgh Penguins their first loss of the season, 4-3 Monday night.
MacKinnon's shot from the middle of the ice glanced off Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, allowing Landeskog to knock it deftly past goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who made 27 saves.
Avalanche backup goalie Calvin Pickard gave up two quick scores midway through the first period but limited the Penguins to just one more goal, by Trevor Daley midway through the third, while making 28 saves.
Pittsburgh (2-0-1) won its previous two games while starting its defense of the Stanley Cup. Colorado improved to 2-0-0 under new coach Jared Bednar, who wasn't hired until two months ago.

Rangers 7, Sharks 4
NEW YORK -- Chris Kreider scored his third goal of the season, and Jimmy Vesey scored his first NHL goal as New York held off San Jose.
Kreider has a goal and an assist in each of his first three games this season. Vesey was held without a point in his first two games before scoring the Rangers' fifth goal late in the third period, which turned out to be the winner. New York added two late empty-net goals.
Marc Staal, Kevin Hayes and Rick Nash also scored from the Rangers, who received 27 saves from Antti Raanta in his first appearance of the season. Brent Burns scored a pair of third-period goals and assisted on another by Joe Pavelski, who also had three assists, to help the Sharks crawl back after falling behind 5-2 with less than eight minutes remaining.

Red Wings 5, Senators 1
DETROIT -- Defenseman Mike Green scored three goals for his first career hat trick to lead Detroit past Ottawa.
Darren Helm scored twice for Detroit, which earned its first win of the season after losing its first two. Thomas Vanek had three assists, and goalie Petr Mrazek made 31 saves. Ryan Dzingel scored for Ottawa, which lost for the first time after two wins. Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond stopped 20 shots.
It was the home opener for the Red Wings, who are playing their last season at Joe Louis Arena. They will move into Little Caesars Arena, which is under construction, to begin the 2017-18 season.

Bruins 4, Jets 1
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Winnipeg failed to convert on five power plays, enabling Boston to escape with a victory.
Jets right winger Blake Wheeler opened the scoring at the midpoint of the first period, but Bruins center Dominic Moore tied the game just 19 seconds later.
David Pastrnak scored what proved to be the game-winner late in the second period, and Brandon Carlo and Zdeno Chara padded the lead in the third. Tuukka Rask made 34 saves for the Bruins.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

In the Crease - Week 2
By Joe Williams

Streaky Teams
Wins and Losses Streak Over/Under Streak
Florida 2-0 past 2 Carolina Over 2-0 past 2
St. Louis 3-0 past 3 Edmonton Over 3-0 past 3
Vancouver 2-0 past 2 Ottawa Over 3-0 past 3

Hurricane Warning
Bettors have the North Carolina State Fair to thank for the road odyssey for the Carolina Hurricanes to start each and every National Hockey League regular season. The parking lot for PNC Arena fills up for the nearby state fair, causing the Hurricanes to vacate their Raleigh home and hit the road for a week or two. While the young Hurricanes have been productive early in games, their failures in the third period and overtime so far in stops in Winnipeg and Vancouver have been as painful as trying to choke down a Krispy Kreme bacon double cheeseburger or deep-fried Twinkie from the fair. The Hurricanes blew a 4-1 lead with 14 minutes to go in Winnipeg on opening night, eventually falling 5-4 in OT. Their game in Vancouver was nearly a carbon copy, blowing a 3-0 lead late, as the Canucks forced OT and eventually won it 4-3.

Where's the Deef?
The Edmonton Oilers have been involved in three games to start the season with scores resembling All-Star Game results. The Oil snuffed out the Flames 7-4 to christen their new arena, Rogers Place, in successful fashion. In the second end of the home-and-home, the offense was dialed back slightly, as Edmonton topped Calgary by a 5-3 count. The Buffalo Sabres dealt the young Oilers their first setback in their new home, dropping them 6-2 Sunday night. So far the total for each Edmonton game has been set at 5.5 goals, but their games have seen an average of 9.0 goals per contest. The Oilers have averaged 4.7 GPG through the first three outings while the defense/goaltending has coughed up 4.3 GPG. Until the Oilers show signs of slowing down the opposition, or Vegas adjusts their total to 6, keep banging the 'over' in Edmonton games.

Looking Ahead

Tuesday, Oct. 18
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens tangle at Bell Centre. The Penguins have won four of their past five trips to Montreal, with the Pens skating away with wins in 11 of the past 16 meetings overall. The road team has cashed in six of the past seven in this series. ... The Florida Panthers have dominated the Sunshine State rivalry against the Tampa Bay Lightning lately, winning four of the past five meetings, but they're just 2-5 in their past seven trips to the Ice Palace. There are usually plenty of goals in this rivalry, with the 'over' 11-3 in the past 14 in Tampa, and 10-4 in the past 14 overall. ... The 'under' is 19-4-4 in the past 27 in Minnesota between the Kings and Wild, and the 'under' is 31-12-8 in the past 51 overall.

Wednesday, Oct. 19
The Detroit Red Wings invade Madison Square Garden to battle the New York Rangers, one of just two games on the NHL slate. Dating back to last season the Wings have dropped 18 of their past 23 games away from home. Conversely, the Blueshirts have won 50 of their past 68 against a team with an overall winning percentage under .400. While the Rangers look good for a wager, you can certainly expect to eat a lot of chalk. Detroit has dropped six straight at MSG, and the home team is 14-3 in the past 17 in this series. Total bettors might also be interested in the fact the 'under' is 8-1-3 in the past 12 meetings between these Original Six teams, and 5-1-1 in the past seven at MSG.

Thursday, Oct. 20
The Kings and Stars tangle in Big D Thursday night. Los Angeles won its only trip to Dallas last season, winning 5-2 back on March 15, and they're a respectable 6-4-1 in their past 11 skates in the Heart of Texas. ... The Hurricanes skate in the Saddledome to try and extinguish the Flames. It's a tall order for Carolina, as they're 0-6-1 in their past seven trips to Calgary, last winning Dec. 12, 2002. The Hurricanes have been outscored 26-9 during the span, too, and in one of those games they lit the lamp six times. So it's been a real house of horrors for them over the years.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ducks (0-2) at Devils (0-1)

Date: October 18, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New Jersey Devils went winless in a two-game road trip through Florida. The Anaheim Ducks have started the season with three road straight losses.

One of these teams will finally earn their first win of the 2016-17 campaign when the Devils host the Ducks at Prudential Center on Tuesday night.

New Jersey opened with a pair of tough road tests against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, although there were signs of improvement from the two games. They earned a point in a 2-1 overtime loss while being outplayed by the Panthers, then played much better before squandering a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 loss to the Lightning on Saturday.

"It was more of what we needed," Devils coach John Hynes said to The Bergen Record of the Lightning contest. "One of our objectives was trying to be a better team from the Florida game to (Saturday). I thought our process was better. The big thing we know is teams are going to push when you're up 2-0. We handled it well in the second half of the second period, once it got to 2-2. We've got to find a way to stem the tide quicker."

New Jersey will again be without the services of Sergey Kalin, the team's third line center that has been out due to an illness. He has just resumed skating but, according to the Bergen Record, is still a few days away from making his season debut.

The Ducks will be the Devils' third straight opponent that qualified for the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, although they have looked like anything but a playoff team this season. Anaheim earned just one of six points through three games of their season-opening five-game road trip, and that came in a 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Islanders on Sunday.

Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm, one of the best at his position in the league, remains without a contract. The restricted free agent has yet to come to terms on a new deal and, through three games, the team is allowing an average of 32 shots per game.

Last season, Anaheim allowed 27.5 shots per game, the fourth-best mark in the NHL.

"We can measure our game by the number of mistakes that we feel we made that are correctable," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said to the Orange County Register after his team lost to the Penguins on Saturday. "And our team's not playing to the level that's required right now from our group. Simple as that."

This is familiar territory for Anaheim, which opened the 2015-16 season 1-7-2 before winning the Pacific Division with 103 points. But coach Bruce Boudreau is gone, as is No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen, which means another turnaround is far from guaranteed.

"This is a new beginning, a new season," Ducks right winger Corey Perry said to the Orange County Register. "You got to go out and you got to prove yourself all over again. Last year wasn't a great start. Everybody knows that. We don't have to talk about it.

"It's a tough road trip to begin the season. We need that first win to get us going and get the confidence up again."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Avalanche (2-0) at Capitals (1-0)

Date: October 18, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- Rookie coach Jared Bednar brings a high-scoring Colorado Avalanche team in search of its third straight win to Washington on Tuesday night to face the Capitals.

Bednar, named the head coach on Aug. 25 after Patrick Roy's unexpected resignation, watched the Avalanche (2-0) began their four-game road trip with a 4-3 overtime win at Pittsburgh on Monday night.

Gabriel Landeskog's power-play goal tied it with 6:32 left in regulation and he won it when he batted home a deflected Nathan MacKinnon shot 22 seconds into overtime.

Jerome Iginla and Patrick Wiercioch added their first goals of the season for Colorado. Free agent signee Joe Colborne was scoreless after netting his first career hat trick in the season opener, a 6-5 win over Dallas.

MacKinnon and Erik Johnson had two assists each against the Penguins, and backup goalie Calvin Pickard made 28 saves.

"I think we had some guys who were horses for us tonight and carried the rest of the guys on our team," Bednar told NHL.com regarding Landeskog and MacKinnon

Through two games, Colorado has converted 4 of 9 power-play chances.

"The game's so fast and so good now, getting that time to skate on four-on-threes, five-on-threes is awesome," MacKinnon said.

Semyon Varlamov, who surrendered five goals on opening night, will start Tuesday night against his former team. He's 2-2 with a 1.78 goals-against average against Washington.

The Capitals swept two games from the Avalanche last season, winning 7-3 at home on a night when seven different players scored, and then 4-2 in Colorado.

"They've got a lot of really good pieces and they look like they're having fun and playing really hard right now," Trotz said of Colorado. "They're a dangerous team. ... They scare you because they have some of those dynamic people that can, if you're not paying attention to detail, they can light you up."

The normally high-powered Capitals (1-0-1) have struggled to find the net early on, yet still managed to pick up three points in their first two games.

Second-line winger Andre Burakovsky scored twice in an opening night shootout loss at Pittsburgh and fourth-line winger Daniel Winnik provided both goals in Saturday's 2-1 win over the New York Islanders.

In the meantime, Washington's top line -- Alex Ovechkin, center Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie -- have yet to produce a point while combining for 14 shots on goal.

"I think it's just a matter of all three of us playing well and things will start falling for us," Oshie said Monday. "We're not in an early panic mode or anything like that."

Trotz, speaking after Monday's practice, was confident the trio will soon produce.

"They're all leaders. They're all tremendously talented. They'll figure it out," he said.

"They're on the dance floor, they've just got to dance to the same song, that's all."

Capitalizing with the man advantage would be a start. One of the league's top power play units a year ago, the Capitals are scoreless in eight attempts thus far. The Avalanche come in having allowed four goals on nine power plays against them.

"I'm not worried about our power play. It's in good hands with our coaches. They have those guys prepared," Trotz said. "It's just a matter of them bearing down and executing at higher level and finding the back of the net at the end of the day. And they will."

Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby started the first two games, but Trotz indicated Monday that he might give backup Philipp Grubauer the nod against Colorado. Grubauer has never faced the Avalanche.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Panthers (2-0) at Lightning (2-0)

Date: October 18, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

TAMPA -- The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are both off to 2-0-0 starts to their respective seasons, and the two teams that finished 1-2 in the Atlantic Division in 2015-16 square off for the first time in the new campaign Tuesday night at Amalie Arena.

"It should be a pretty good clash," said Lightning coach Jon Cooper, whose team lost four of five games to their in-state rivals last season. "They're a really good team. They won our division last year. They're strong on defense. They're strong down the middle. ... They've had a year to win together, so they're that much more confident in what they're doing."

Florida had the better regular season last year, resetting franchise records for wins (47) and points (103), but it was the Lightning who stuck around longer in the playoffs. The Panthers lost in the opening round 4-2 to the Islanders, with three overtime losses, while Tampa Bay needed only five games to eliminate the Islanders in the next round before ultimately losing to Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference finals.

"We have a big test tomorrow night in Tampa. It should be fun," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said. "It's going to be a battle. ... Our game plan hasn't changed. If you execute well, you're going to have good opportunities. I like the way we have played in these first two games for sure."

Among Florida's impact newcomers is center Jonathan Marchessault, who had just seven goals in 45 games last year with the Lightning but has stepped up with goals in his first two games with the Panthers.

Tampa Bay has had to rally back from two-goal deficits in each of its first two wins, with the power play a major part of their opening win against Detroit. The Lightning own three power-play goals in nine opportunities so far, while Florida has yet to score in five tries with the man advantage.

Tampa Bay won Saturday against New Jersey with backup Andrei Vasilevskiy in net, showing a commitment to a more even split between him and Ben Bishop. The Lightning will likely benefit from facing a backup Tuesday, as Florida is expected to give Roberto Luongo (2-0, 0.98 GAA) the night off, allowing James Reimer, 28, to make his Panthers debut.

Reimer is 91-78 for his career with a 2.79 GAA, having played most of his career in Toronto before finishing last season with San Jose.

Florida dominated the regular-season series last year, so Tampa Bay is hoping to fare better this time around. The in-state rivals only play four times in 2016-17, with games at the Panthers on Nov. 7 and Jan. 26 before the season series wraps up in Tampa on March 11.

Both teams get the benefit of early home games, as the Lightning wrap up a four-game homestand to open the season with Colorado on Thursday, while this game is the Panthers' lone road contest in their first five, returning home to face Washington on Thursday and Colorado on Saturday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (2-1) at Islanders (1-2)

Date: October 18, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The New York Islanders got a day to enjoy their first win of the season. The San Jose Sharks won't have much time to stew over their first loss.

The Islanders continue a Western Conference-heavy homestand Tuesday night when they host the Sharks -- the defending Western Conference champions -- at Barclays Center.

The Islanders (1-2-0) opened their home schedule Sunday with a 3-2 overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks. Josh Bailey scored 54 seconds into the extra session for New York, which blew a 2-0 lead in the final 10 minutes of the third period.

"It's always good to get the first one," Bailey said afterward. "At home tonight, we were feeling like this is a perfect opportunity. Glad we got it done."

It was the second consecutive game in which the Islanders allowed just two goals. New York fell to the Washington Capitals 2-1 Saturday.

"We're playing the right way, we're doing the right things," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said Sunday night. "When you do the right things, you want to get rewarded."

The Sharks (2-1-0) will be looking to bounce back from a road loss Monday, but they won't have to travel far. They fell to the New York Rangers 7-4 at Madison Square Garden.

San Jose allowed just three goals in its first two victories but allowed four third-period goals Monday, including two empty-netters.

The seven goals were the most allowed by the Sharks since a 7-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 8, 2015.

"We got what we deserved tonight," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. "You have to win all kinds of different ways. It would have been nice to pick up some points and stick around, but I think the team that competed the hardest won, and that's the way it should be."

Sharks right winger Joe Pavelski acknowledged that San Jose, which will be playing the third game of a five-game Eastern Conference road swing on Tuesday, might be feeling the effects of the travel.

"When you travel -- not just when you travel (in) the NHL, there's momentum swings," Pavelski said. "We thought we could get the momentum, get our legs going, find our game. We were just a step slow tonight."

Martin Jones drew the first three starts in net for the Sharks, but DeBoer said Monday afternoon that rookie Aaron Dell likely would start Tuesday. It would be the NHL debut for Dell, who played 157 minor league games over the previous four seasons.

Dell, 27, went 17-16-6 with a 2.42 goals-against average last season for the Sharks' top minor league team, the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL.

No. 1 goalie Jaroslav Halak likely will be the starter for the Islanders, whose first four home games are against Western Conference foes. Halak, who recorded 24 saves in the win over the Ducks on Sunday, is 6-5-0 in 13 games against the Sharks. He earned the win the last time he faced San Jose on Oct. 17, 2015, when he made 22 saves in New York's 6-3 victory at Barclays Center.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (2-0) at Canadiens (1-0)

Date: October 18, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

MONTREAL -- Carey Price's season debut will have to wait a little bit longer.

The Montreal Canadiens' starting goaltender has missed his team's first two games with illness and, while he skated Monday morning with goaltending coach Stephane Waite after an off-ice workout, he didn't practice with his teammates and won't dress for the Canadiens' home opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.

Backup Al Montoya will make his third straight start.

"He's been great," Shea Weber told NHL.com of Montoya. "I think you guys have seen how good he's been. He's been real solid for us. Obviously it's a nice guy to have back there when Price is not feeling so well, a guy that can step up and do the job that he's done."

The Canadiens (1-0-1) return home after earning three of four points to open the season, including scoring three unanswered goals against the Senators after trailing 2-0 to take the lead before Ottawa tied it late and clinched the extra point in the shootout.

"We're all looking forward to this game tomorrow," Montoya told NHL.com. "It's a new group and we're looking forward to stepping in front of the home fans. For me personally, it's a chance to play at home in front of great fans in a great building."

Those fans will include rookie defenseman Mikhail Sergachev's parents and younger sister, who are making the trip from Russia.

"It's the best moment of my life and of their lives, too," Sergachev, the Canadiens' first-round pick (ninth overall) at the 2016 NHL Draft, told the team's website. "They put me in hockey. I'm their son and they're so proud of me. This is special."

The Penguins (2-0-1) land in Montreal looking to bounce back after a 4-3 setback in overtime on Monday night at PPG Paints Arena. Center Matt Cullen, who has been filling in on the top line while Sidney Crosby recovers from a concussion, scored his first of the season in the loss. That upped the 39-year-old's early-season totals to three points, tying him with Evgeni Malkin and youngster Conor Sheary (one goal, two assists each) to lead the defending Stanley Cup champions.

"Cully just plays the right way," coach Mike Sullivan told the Penguins' website after the game. He plays hard. He's a smart player. His energy doesn't seem to dwindle."

Pittsburgh held a 2-0 lead in the first period before falling into penalty trouble, leading to a 5-on-3 goal against, the second one the Penguins have allowed so far this season. They also went down two men in the third period but Marc-Andre Fleury kept the puck out.

"We've got to be more responsible with our sticks," Sullivan said to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "We can't put ourselves in position where we give the referees the opportunity to make those type of calls. The timing of a few of them were tough for us."

Tuesday's tilt is the first on the road for the Penguins. One question heading into the back-to-back set centered on who will get the nod between the pipes. While Fleury got the nod on Monday, Sullivan hadn't committed to a starter for the second half following the loss. Fleury has historically been the starter in his home province and could get the call again after facing 31 shots against the Avalanche.

If not, the Penguins will go with Mike Condon, whom they picked up on waivers from the Canadiens last week. If Condon gets the start, it will be his first in a Penguins uniform.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (1-1) at Predators (1-1)

Date: October 18, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

If one wanted to file it under the category of short sample size, it would certainly be understandable. After all, the Nashville Predators are just two games into an 82-game NHL season that they hope includes a long playoff run.

But if those games are any indication, it looks like they can count on a lethal power play to provide a consistent scoring punch.

In splitting a weekend home-and-home series with the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville (1-1-0) scored four of its six goals while a man up, including all three in Friday night's 3-2 win. Its power play marker in Saturday night's 5-3 defeat at the United Center was scored six seconds after Artem Amisimov went into the box for tripping.

So the Dallas Stars, who visit Bridgestone Arena Tuesday night, might want to try to stay out of the box and not give the Predators man-advantage opportunities.

Coach Peter Laviolette had a simple explanation for Nashville's early power play success.

"Shooting the puck ... I mean, that's a big thing," he said. "Getting that front presence -- we seem to be supporting the puck well. So good things are happening there."

Between the Predators' potent power play and Dallas' ability to light the lamp, this might be a free-flowing game. The Stars (1-1-0) have scored nine goals in their first two games, although they've also allowed eight.

Dallas' inability to stop the other guy was the reason for its 6-5 loss Saturday night in Colorado, which tallied five straight markers after the Stars grabbed a 2-0 lead.

"We had our chances, but we gave up a lot," left wing Jamie Benn said. "We didn't do enough to win the hockey game and we didn't deserve to win. When you play like that, it doesn't matter if you scored five. It's unacceptable."

Dallas goalie Antti Niemi was victimized by poor defense in front of him at Colorado, allowing five goals on just 20 shots before being replaced by Kari Lehtonen at 7:05 of the second period. Lehtonen stopped 12 of 13 shots, but the damage was done.

Stars coach Lindy Ruff said Niemi struggled with rebound control.

"The puck wasn't sticking to him," Ruff said of Niemi. "Some of the pucks were getting away from him, that created the extra chances."

Ruff wants to see Dallas get off to quicker starts. It was outshot 17-1 in the first period of its season-opening 4-2 win over Anaheim on Thursday night and then buried itself Saturday night after potting two goals in the game's first seven minutes.

Nashville would probably like to get out of the blocks a bit faster, too. It gave up the first goal in its win against Chicago and then dug a 3-0 hole before the first period's end Saturday night, which essentially decided the game even though it outshot the Blackhawks 36-28.

Regardless, the Predators have seen enough positives from the first two games, especially with the power play, to reinforce their notion that this will be a banner season.

"It's a special group," said defenseman P.K. Subban. "If we just focus on what we're doing on the ice, we're going to have a lot of success. We have to play hard and keep moving forward."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flyers (1-0) at Blackhawks (1-2)

Date: October 18, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- Given the way his Chicago Blackhawks have stumbled out of the gate in losing two of three games to start the season, coach Joel Quenneville is far from satisfied.

The Blackhawks have seen a lack of productivity from their top-line performers. Chicago has yet to receive a goal from stars Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Artemi Panarin heading into Tuesday night's game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the United Center.

"There are guys we need more (from)," Quenneville told reporters after the Blackhawks practiced on Monday. "Across the board, we need more. We can't be happy with how we've played in three games. The last game (Saturday against Nashville), we gave up a higher number of chances we usually don't see -- more probably in the first two games together.

"We have to tighten up in all aspects of our game, can't be satisfied, we need more."

The Blackhawks (1-2) have gotten four goals from Richard Panik, who skated with Toews and rookie Tyler Motte on Chicago's top line during Monday's practice. Panik had a hat trick in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Predators as the Blackhawks picked up their first victory.

Chicago will again be without forward Ryan Hartman, who suffered a lower body injury on Friday night. Quenneville listed Hartman as day-to-day on Saturday, but said Monday that the rookie -- who scored in Chicago's season-opener last week -- very likely would not play against the Flyers.

The lack of star production, along with the struggles the Blackhawks have experienced thus far on the penalty kill, has left Quenneville wanting more from his team, which faces a Philadelphia team that hasn't had issues scoring goals this season.

Chicago's penalty killing unit has surrendered seven goals in 13 opportunities, which is a major concern for a team trying to find some rhythm.

"It hasn't been good enough," Blackhawks' center Marcus Kruger told reporters after Monday's practice. "It's not even close to being good. We've got to battle through it. It's going to be a process to getting it better."

The Flyers (1-0-1) have tallied seven goals in two games.

"You come out with three points out four in the first two games, it's not too shabby," Philadelphia right wing Wayne Simmonds told reporters after Saturday night's 4-3 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes.

According to Philly.com, Michal Neuvirth will likely get the start in goal for the Flyers over Steve Mason. Neuvirth made 23 saves in Philadelphia's 4-2 win over the Kings on Friday.

Flyers coach Dave Hakstol likes what he has seen from his team over its first two games, especially considering the offense -- paced by center Sean Couturier, who has two goals in two games while rookie Travis Konecny and Brandon Manning each have three assists in the two games -- has it has put up so far.

He hopes that can continue against the Blackhawks, who have surrendered 11 goals in three games, including the seven while skating a man down.

"We're doing a lot of good things," Hakstol told reporters Saturday night. "Our effort (Saturday) was outstanding. For back-to-back nights, it's the effort that you want. But there's a lot of things that mentally we can do a little bit better and be a little sharper."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (1-0) at Senators (2-1)

Date: October 18, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

OTTAWA -- For what it's worth, the Arizona Coyotes will have the advantage of being the more rested team when they take on the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre Tuesday night.

The Coyotes, who will be playing just their second game of the season after opening with an overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on home ice Saturday, were kicked back in their Ottawa hotels while the Senators were getting crunched 5-1 in Detroit on Monday.

The game in Ottawa marks the first of six in a row on the road, within a 10-day span, for the Coyotes. All in the Eastern time zone.

"I think it's great for our team to get on the road," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett told the Arizona Republican. "We'll see what we're made of early."

That would be plenty of youth, for starters. The Coyotes dressed four rookies against the Flyers, including winger Lawson Crouse, defenseman Jakob Chychrun and centers Laurent Dauphin and Christian Dvorak. A fifth freshman, 2015 third overall pick Dylan Strome, was a healthy scratch Saturday and could be making his debut against the Senators.

"We're going into some buildings where we're not going to have time to be young and inexperienced," said Tippett, whose team will also make stops in Montreal, New York for both the Islanders and the Rangers, New Jersey and Philadelphia. "We're going to have to dig right in."

The Senators, meanwhile, will attempt to bounce right back from suffering their first defeat. After opening the season with an overtime win and a shootout win at home, they outshot the Red Wings 32-25 but had only a shorthanded goal by winger Ryan Dzingel to show for their efforts.

It was the second in two games for Dzingel, who played 30 games for Ottawa as a rookie last season and was then was the surprise of camp for new coach Guy Boucher.

"We weren't competing," Boucher said of the team's effort at The Joe. "And that's what you deserve when you don't compete."

While the Coyotes are expected to start No. 1 goalie Mike Smith, the Senators will go back to their starter, Craig Anderson. Backup Andrew Hammond played in Detroit and gave up a bad goal, the first of a hat trick by defensemen Mike Green, that opened the flood gates for the Red Wings. Their outburst saw them score three times in a 5:34 spread to take a comfortable lead into the intermission.

"You're asking for trouble when you react like that after a goal," said Boucher, whose power play was 0-for-3 and is now 0-for-9 on the season. "We're getting good shots but we're not screening the goalie. He's making good saves because he can see the puck."

The Senators will try to change that against the Coyotes.

"We know the mistakes we made," said Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf. "We've got an important game (Tuesday) and it's about responding."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hurricanes (0-0) at Oilers (2-1)

Date: October 18, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes will each be looking to get bad tastes out of their mouths when they meet Tuesday at Rogers Place.

The Hurricanes have played two games so far this season. In each of them, they've held leads of at least three goals. They ended up losing to both the Jets and Canucks in overtime.

Meanwhile, the Oilers practiced Monday, despite it originally being scheduled as an off-day as mandated by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. But, after a 6-2 stinker of a loss to Buffalo on Sunday, the players voted to practice rather than rest, and the CBA-required rest day was moved to Wednesday.

Judging by the noise coming from the Oilers, you'd never know the team won two of its first three games of the season. The Oilers have scored 14 times in three games, but have given up 13 goals.

And while goalie Cam Talbot has given up all 13 of those goals, the man bearing the brunt of the criticism is right winger Benoit Pouliot. Even though he scored in first period of Sunday's game, he was benched after a couple of needless minor penalties. Pouliot has already been assessed six minors in the first three games.

Will Pouliot play Tuesday? His coach, Todd McLellan, has clearly had enough.

"He took three penalties in a 15-minute span in Calgary and he took two (against Buffalo) in about a 12-minute span," said McLellan. "If I'm a penalty killer, I don't want to be out there blocking shots all the time for him for stupid penalties. So he can sit and watch, plain and simple. We have some foundational or fabric things we need to continue to fix as an organization, and stupidity is one of them."

But Pouliot hopes he can use the game to turn the page.

"It's unfortunate," he said of his penalty issues. "I put myself in a bad situation and in a bad position, and I paid for it the last two games. We play tomorrow again, it's good."

On Sunday, the Sabres got six power plays. The Oilers had the man advantage just once -- and that came late in the third when the result was a foregone conclusion.

While unwise penalties plague the Oilers, the Canes have struggled to hold leads. This is a team that had a three-goal lead over Vancouver in the second period -- and lost. It had a three-goal lead over Winnipeg in the third period -- and lost.

"We've scored some goals," coach Bill Peters told the team's website. "Certain guys are doing the right things in order to score, and other guys are a little late to the party in that regard. Now we'll be able to make a couple changes to the lineup to make our team better."

"With a young group it can be tough to stay calm through games like that," Jordan Staal told the team's website. "Including myself, it seemed like everyone was kind of off the page in the third period there."

Expect left winger Phillip Di Giuseppe, right winger Martin Frk and defenseman Jakub Nakladal to all make their season debuts against the Oilers. Nakladal played 27 games with the Flames last season and had been waiting for his immigration paperwork to clear. Frk was claimed on waivers last week from the Detroit Red Wings organization.

Oilers center Connor McDavid was named the NHL's first star of the week Monday. McDavid had three goals and three assists in the Oilers first three games of the season.

The Oilers confirmed Monday that back-up goalie Jonas Gustavsson, who came in for Talbot on Sunday but then had to leave the game with a head injury, won't be available for the Carolina game. The team called up net minder Laurent Brossoit from its AHL affiliate in Stockton, Cal. Brossoit has an 0-5-1 career record and a 3.34. GAA in NHL play.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sabres (1-1) at Flames (0-2)

Date: October 18, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

CALGARY, Alberta -- All signs point to goalie Chad Johnson getting the start for the Calgary Flames against his old team on Tuesday.

Johnson, who made 22 saves to help the Flames (0-2-1) earn their first point of the season on Saturday in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Canucks in Voncouver, told reporters on Monday that he would be in net against the Buffalo Sabres (1-1-0) at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

"I'll say I'm playing," said Johnson, who signed a one-year, $1.7 million contract with the Flames as a free agent on July 1.

Fellow netminder Brian Elliott, who the Flames acquired from the St. Louis Blues on July 24, missed Monday's practice in Calgary.

"He had a good maintenance day today and then we'll make that decision tomorrow," Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan said, while noting that it's looking like Johnson will start against Buffalo.

Having played for Buffalo last year, Johnson knows the Sabres well.

"From top to bottom they're good," said Johnson, who compiled a 22-16-1 record last year with the Sabres to go with a 2.36 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. "They're going to be coming in here I'm sure trying to get two points and we're going to come back right at 'em, so it's going to be a good game."

Gulutzan liked what he saw from Johnson in his debut for the Flames against the Canucks.

"I thought he was tremendous in Vancouver," said Gulutzan, while adding that Johnson kept calm under pressure. "That's when you know a goalie's in his element when he looks very calm and the saves look easy and that's what he did."

Although center Jack Eichel (high ankle sprain) and left winger Evander Kane (cracked ribs) are out of Buffalo's lineup for the foreseeable future, the Sabres still skated to a 5-2 road win on Sunday over the Edmonton Oilers, who handed the Flames two losses to start the season.

"Two games into the year, let's not go crazy, but I think we have a really good group and we have some good pieces," said Sabres right winger Kyle Okposo, who had a goal and an assist against the Oilers in his season debut after missing Buffalo's first game with a knee injury. "I think our depth is undervalued, and we have a lot of guys who can play the game, and play it smartly.

"Obviously, Jack being out puts us at a loss because he's such a game breaker. But other guys are going to have to step up and play well, and we have to play better as a team."

After facing the Flames on Tuesday, the Sabres will continue their road swing through western Canada with a game in Vancouver against the Canucks on Thursday.

"It is a tough one," said Sabres center Ryan O'Reilly, who had two goals and two assists against the Oilers. "Last year, when we did this exact same trip, I don't think we got a point out of it. Having it early, getting a win now, we can do some work. It's a good little team kickoff, too. We're with each other every day, eat together all the time. It's a nice way for us to get a little closer as well."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (0-2) at Wild (1-1)

Date: October 18, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- As 50th anniversary celebrations go, the one underway among the Los Angeles Kings has been a notable bust thus far.

The Kings, who were one-sixth of the NHL's notable expansion in 1967, are celebrating a half-century on the ice this season. That celebration has included two losses in the first two games, and the loss of their star goaltender indefinitely.

The Kings (0-2-0) head off on their first multi-game road trip of the season looking not only for wins, but for answers about who may step up to fill the defensive void left when goalie Jonathan Quick went down in the opening period of their first game of the season. He's expected to miss weeks, if not months, due to an ailment in the groin area, and has given way to the tandem of Jeff Zatkoff and Peter Budaj in the Los Angeles crease.

One of those two will look to stymie the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday when the Kings visit the Twin Cities. Los Angeles also be looking for goal support from an offense that has scored three times in the first two games.

Kings coach Darryl Sutter faces that challenge along with trying to get his team into a rhythm of practices and games early in a new season as they venture outside California for the first time.

"After a day off, which is obviously required now, you're trying to get the flow," Sutter told LA Kings Insider. "You get to know your players in terms of how they are after a day off. Some guys, even though they need the rest, they're not as sharp the next day. Some days just go right through it."

On the opposing bench, Sutter will see a familiar face from Southern California on Tuesday. Bruce Boudreau will be coaching his third game for the Wild, after coming to Minnesota in the off-season when the Anaheim Ducks dismissed him. He had spent four full seasons in Orange County and won the Pacific Division in each of them.

Minnesota (1-1-0) looked lifeless in its season opener, falling 3-2 in St. Louis. When the Wild fell behind Winnipeg 2-0 after 20 minutes in their home opener, Boudreau offered some harsh words in the locker room.

His team responded with four unanswered goals and its first win. It was a milestone for the new coach, who is instilling his style of play on a team that's nearly identical to the one which lost to Dallas in the opening round of the playoffs last spring.

"They're getting it," Boudreau said. "Hockey's not brain surgery. ... Play the game."

Tuesday's game will mark the return of Devin Setoguchi to Minnesota. The Kings right winger played 117 games for the Wild between 2011 and 2013 after coming over from San Jose in a controversial trade that sent All-Star defenseman Brent Burns to the Sharks.

After spending last season in Europe, Setoguchi is back in the NHL with Los Angeles but has yet to record a point in the first two games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Odds and Expert Analysis: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews

That was about the newsiest first week of an NHL season that I can remember! Unfortunately, it was in the form of bad news for three teams.

But since I try to be a glass half-full type of guy, let's start with something that had the entire hockey world buzzing: the electric debut of 2016 No. 1 overall pick Auston Matthews with the Toronto Maple Leafs. They basically tanked last season to improve their chances of winning the draft lottery and the right to take Matthews. And don't say the NHL's move to warm-weather locales in Florida, Arizona and California was a mistake because more kids in those areas are growing up playing hockey. Matthews, whose mother is from Mexico, was born in California and grew up in Scottsdale, Ariz., as he got interested in the sport watching the Coyotes play.

Back in June, Matthews became the Leafs' first overall pick since they took Wendel Clark in 1985. He was a good player, but a lot more is expected of Matthews -- basically, to finally return the Leafs to relevance and end the franchise's Stanley Cup drought (last Cup was in 1967).

The Leafs aren't going to win the Cup this year or probably even make the playoffs, but Matthews scored four goals in his debut on Wednesday against Ottawa. The fact Toronto lost 5-4 in overtime really was secondary. No player had ever scored four goals in his NHL debut. Just for comparison, neither Sidney Crosby nor Gordie Howe have four-goal NHL games to their credit. It took Alex Ovechkin 202 games to record his first four-goal game. Wayne Gretzky did it in 136. There was just one four-goal game in the NHL last season, by Calgary's Sam Bennett.

This is the NHL's best possible scenario: an American star in the hub of hockey, Toronto. Matthews was a heavy -150 favorite to win the Calder Trophy entering the season. I'm not saying that race is over, but ...

Now we get to the bad news of the first week: injury concerns for the Penguins' Crosby, the Sabres' Jack Eichel and Evander Kane, and Kings' Jonathan Quick.

Crosby appeared past all his injury woes, but is now dealing with another concussion. He might be back fairly soon and has been skating but this is the NHL's worst nightmare as Crosby missed significant time during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons while recovering from post-concussion symptoms. Crosby led Team Canada to an undefeated run at the World Cup of Hockey last month and was named tournament MVP. Pittsburgh is still the +450 favorite at Bovada to repeat as Eastern Conference champion.

Eichel, who had a terrific rookie season last year, is going to miss 6-8 weeks after suffering a high-ankle sprain. At least it wasn't some sort of tear or break but it's still devastating to a Sabres team I thought could sneak into the playoffs. Eichel had 24 goals and 32 assists last year. Kane suffered three cracked ribs on Thursday night when he crashed into the end boards against Montreal. He will be out "weeks." Kane is a knucklehead at times but mega-talented. He had 20 goals and 15 assists in 65 games with Buffalo last year.

The Kings put their star goaltender, Quick, on injured reserve with a groin injury suffered in Thursday's opener against the Sharks. Quick has backstopped the Kings to a pair of Stanley Cups and had played in 140 of their 162 regular-season games over the past two seasons. The two-time Vezina finalist is being called week-to-week for now. But if he decides on surgery, it could be a 3-4 month absence. The veteran duo of Jeff Zatkoff and Peter Budaj will be handling the assignment in Quick's spot. Budaj was called up from the AHL following Quick's injury. The Kings are +900 to win the Western Conference.

This Week's Games To Watch

Pittsburgh at Montreal, Tuesday: This is the Habs' home opener and it's always an event when Crosby comes to town so we will have to wait and see if Canada's golden child will be able to. It doesn't seem likely as he hasn't been cleared for contact as of this writing. It's the second of a back-to-back for the Pens after hosting Colorado on Monday. What about Canadiens goalie Carey Price? He missed the team's first two games with a severe case of the flu. He was limited to only 12 regular-season games a year ago and the Canadiens went into the tank without him. That was due to a knee injury, but Price is clearly over that as he backstopped Canada to gold at the World Cup of Hockey. Al Montoya started the first two games for Price. Pittsburgh won two of three against Montreal last year.

St. Louis at Edmonton, Thursday: I thought the Oilers gave up on 2012 No. 1 overall pick Nail Yakupov too soon when they traded the forward to St. Louis earlier this month for a prospect and a conditional 2017 draft pick. Granted, Yakupov hadn't lived up to expectations with 23 points in 60 games last year and 111 points in 252 career NHL games. But the guy is just 23 and was a junior hockey dynamo. He also looked good his rookie year with 17 goals and 14 assists in the lockout-shortened 48-game campaign. Edmonton also hadn't exactly been the most stable organization while was there, either, in terms of coaches. Yakupov had requested a trade and can become a restricted free agent after the season. Yakupov had a goal and an assist his second game with the Blues and no doubt will be eager to score against his former team in this one.

NY Rangers at Washington, Saturday: An NHL Network game. These two rivals have quite a playoff history against one another this decade. They last met in the 2015 conference semifinals and Washington blew a 3-1 series lead and lost because that's something the Capitals tend to do. The Caps won the Metropolitan Division with an NHL-high 120 points last season and the Rangers were third with 101 and I think they will finish 1-2 this season, especially if Crosby's injury lingers. The Caps won three of five meetings in 2015-16 and four of the five were high-scoring. Bit of a surprise considering the quality of goalies in Braden Holtby, last year's Vezina winner, and Henrik Lundqvist. The Caps' star Ovechkin, the reigning NHL goal-scoring king, wasn't able to light the lamp in Washington' s first two games last week.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (3-0) at Canucks (2-0)

Date: October 18, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Vancouver Canucks will attempt to defy their critics again Tuesday night.

Experts, ranging from USA Today to ESPN to EA Sports, have predicted that the Canucks will finish last in the 30-team NHL this season. But Vancouver is unbeaten (2-0-0) in the young campaign heading into Tuesday's home date with the St. Louis Blues, who are also undefeated (3-0-0).

"I'd like to say (the fast start to the season) probably doesn't make a difference, but I do think it makes a difference," said Canucks coach Willie Desjardins. "It's hard if you go out and lose."

Vancouver, which is attempting to get back to the playoffs after missing the post-season in 2015-16, pulled off back-to-back wins Saturday and Sunday over the Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes. In both cases, center Brandon Sutter, who missed most of last season with jaw and leg injuries, scored the winning goals.

The Canucks received points from a range of players in the first two games -- not just stars Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who were relied upon for most of the team's offense in the past.

Contrary to last season, Vancouver also displayed an ability to overcome deficits. It beat Carolina by scoring four unanswered goals after the Hurricanes built a 3-0 lead. The Canucks negated a 1-0 deficit in a 2-1 win over Calgary.

By comparison, Vancouver won only three of 34 games in which they trailed after two periods in 2015-16.

"To come from behind twice like that in our own rink is big, something that we didn't do very well last year," said Sutter, who also had an assist against Carolina. "It seemed like those close games at the start of the year last year, we ended up losing in overtime and shootouts."

But the chances of coming back against the Blues, a stingy defensive team, will be difficult at best, even though the visitors are battling early injuries. St. Louis allowed only six goals in its first three games -- two in each contest, to be precise -- while beating the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers.

Meanwhile, the Blues scored 11 goals in the same span. Center Paul Stastny leads the way offensively with two goals and four assists, while winger Vladimir Tarasenko furnished three goals and two assists, and fellow winger Thomas Steen chipped in a goal and three helpers.

"Stastny and Steen are doing everything for us right now," said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock. "They're killing all the penalties, they're on the power play, they're out against the top line, they're playing huge minutes. Both guys are carrying the day for us."

St. Louis will attempt to start a season 4-0 for only the second time in franchise history. It initially achieved the feat just three seasons ago, in 2013-14.

But even after starting the current campaign with three wins in four nights, the demanding Hitchcock wants to see better efforts from other players -- particularly forwards.

"We need more participants," said Hitchcock. "We need more people giving us better minutes up front. We just can't keep relying on the same two or three guys all the time."

Lineup changes are inevitable as Hitchcock deals with the team's injury situation. The Blues lost three players to upper-body injuries during the first two periods of Saturday night's win over the New York Rangers -- centers Kyle Brodziak and Jori Lehtera and defenseman Carl Gunarrasson.

Lehtera did not travel to Vancouver, while Brodziak and Gunnarsson are both listed as day-to-day. St. Louis elected not to call up any players from its AHL farm club in Chicago.

Meanwhile, winger Jaden Schwartz could make his regular-season debut for the Blues after suffering an elbow injury in the preseason. Schwartz, who signed a five-year, $26.75-million contract on July 15, is starting the season late for the second straight year. He missed the first 49 games in 2015-16 with a fractured left ankle.

The Canucks remained healthy through their first two games, although winger Anton Rodin has been sidelined with a sore knee since the preseason. The problem stems from a severed tendon which Rodin suffered last season while playing in Sweden. He underwent surgery to fix the problem but has been experiencing swelling and soreness.

Vancouver winger Jack Skille, who cracked the roster after a successful tryout in preseason, could make his debut for the Canucks. Skille is expected to replace forward Brendan Gaunce, who has not done anything overly exciting in the first two games.

Tuesday's game is the third of a four-game opening homestand for the Canucks, who are looking to make amends for a slow start last season -- and give their critics less material.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Tuesday’s games

Anaheim won its last five games with New Jersey, holding Devils to six goals (over 2-2-1). Ducks won last three visits to Garden State, all by one goal. Anaheim is off to an 0-3 start (4-2/3-2/3-2- over 1-1-1). Devils lost their first two games (both on road), scoring total of three goals.

Islanders won three of last four games with San Jose; four of last five series games went over. Sharks are 3-2 in last five visits here, but lost last two. San Jose won two of its first three games. Islanders lost two of first three games, but won only home game, in OT.

Washington won its last four games with Colorado; under is 5-3 in last eight series games. Avalanche is 3-2 in last five visits here, but lost last two. Colorado played at Pittsburgh Monday. Washington split its first two games, scoring two goals in each game (under 1-0-1).

Penguins won three of last four games with Montreal; under is 3-1-2 in last six series games. Pens won last three visits to Molson Centre (under 3-0). Pittsburgh won two of its*first three games. Canadiens split their first two games, both on the road.

Road team won four of last six Arizona-Ottawa games (over 5-1). Coyotes won two of last three visits to Ottawa (over 4-1 in last five). Arizona won its season opener at home in OT over Philly. Senators won two of their first three*games, with one win in OT, the other one in SO (over 3-0).

Florida won four of last five games with Tampa Bay; over is 5-3 in last eight series games. Panthers lost four of last six visits to this building (over 3-1 in last four). Florida won its first two games (under 1-0-1) allowing two goals. Lightning won its first two games, both at home, scoring nine goals (over 1-0-1).

Dallas Stars won six of last seven games with Nashville; under is 6-4 in last ten series games. Stars lost three of last four games in this building. Dallas split first two games (over 2-0), scoring nine goals. Nashville also split its first two games (over 1-0-1).

Minnesota won three of last four games with Los Angeles; under is 5-0-1 in last six series games. Kings are 2-3 in last five visits here (under 3-0-2). LA lost its first two games, scoring total of three goals. Wild split its first two games, winning its only home game.

Flyers won six of last eight games with Chicago; under is 3-0-2 in last five series games. Flyers are 2-3 in last five visits here- they split first two games this year (over 2-0, both on road). Blackhawks lost two of their first three games (over 2-0-1).

Home side won nine of last ten Buffalo-Calgary games; three of last four series games went over total. Sabres lost last five visits to Calgary, with only one loss by one goal. Sabres split first two games, winning only road game. Flames allowed 14 goals in losing first three games (over 2-1).

Home side won seven of last nine Carolina-Edmonton games (over 6-2-1); Hurricanes lost last three visits here, with two of three losses in OT (over 4-1 in last five). Carolina lost its first two games, both on road, both in OT (over 2-0). Edmonton won two of first three games (over 3-0).

Blues won their last three games with Vancouver, winning last two visits here. Under is 6-2-2 in last ten series games. St Louis won its first three games, 5-2/3-2/3-2. Canucks won their first two games, one in OT, one in SO (over 1-1)- both games were at home.