Preview Roundups
October 11, 2014
Washington at Boston 7:00 PM ET
Coming off a season in which they won the Presidents' Trophy, the Boston Bruins are trying to get their offense untracked as they prepare to host the Washington Capitals on Saturday. The Bruins amassed an Eastern Conference-best 261 goals last season, but they needed a late tally by Chris Kelly to eke out a 2-1 win over Philadelphia in their season opener before falling at Detroit by an identical score 24 hours later. Boston will be without center David Krejci for a third straight game.
Pittsburgh at Toronto 7:00 PM ET
The Pittsburgh Penguins bring their high-powered offense to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs on Saturday. Toronto is looking to improve its record against the Metropolitan Division after going 9-12-3 last season, but it faces a Pittsburgh team that finished tied for the most road wins in the Eastern Conference in 2013-14 with 23. The Penguins have won four of their last five meetings with the Maple Leafs, but dropped a 4-1 decision in their last visit to Toronto a year ago.
Anaheim at Detroit 7:00 PM ET
The Detroit Red Wings couldn't have asked for a stronger defensive showing in their season-opening 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Expecting a similarly stingy performance may be a tall task as they host the powerhouse Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night. The Ducks were boosted by Corey Perry's hat trick in their opener, but couldn't keep the puck out of the net as they dropped a 6-4 decision to reigning Hart Trophy winner Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Ottawa at Tampa Bay 7:00 PM ET
The Ottawa Senators recorded only four victories in 14 games during the first month of last season and never could quite recover as they missed the playoffs. The Senators look to avoid an 0-2-0 start on their three-game road trip to open the 2014-15 campaign when they battle the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. Ottawa gave up three goals in the third period to lose at Nashville on Thursday and the Lightning yielded only 21 shots on goal in their 3-2 overtime victory over Florida.
New Jersey at Florida 7:00 PM ET
The New Jersey Devils continue their season-opening three-game road trip Saturday, when they visit the Florida Panthers. New Jersey began its 2014-15 campaign Thursday at Philadelphia, skating away with a 6-4 triumph after watching a 3-0 lead disappear in the second period. Mike Cammalleri made a successful debut for the Devils, scoring a pair of goals, while Michael Ryder recorded a tally and two assists.
Carolina at NY Islanders 7:00 PM ET
The New York Islanders received immediate dividends from numerous offseason acquisitions in their season-opening 5-3 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Islanders would love even more return on their investment when the Metropolitan Division rivals continue their home-and-home series in Long Island on Saturday. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk collected a goal and two assists while logging a game-high 23:11 of ice time in his first contest since being acquired from Boston last week.
Montreal at Philadelphia 7:00 PM ET
The Montreal Canadiens have emerged victorious in their initial two games for the first time since 2009 but it's the manner in which they are winning that has the team upbeat entering Saturday's matchup at the Philadelphia Flyers. The Canadiens received a last-minute goal from Tomas Plekanec in a season-opening victory at Toronto before surviving an early onslaught to outlast Washington in a shootout 24 hours later.
NY Rangers at Columbus 7:00 PM ET
After hearing the boos from the Madison Square Garden faithful during his less-than-stellar postseason run, Rick Nash will receive similar treatment as he returns to Nationwide Arena for the second time since being traded. Nash, who collected two goals and an assist in New York's 3-2 victory over St. Louis in the season opener, guides the Rangers against his former team in the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
Calgary at St. Louis 7:00 PM ET
Mason Raymond grabbed the headlines for the Calgary Flames with his third career hat trick Thursday, but goaltender Karri Ramo gave Bob Hartley’s club an equally outstanding performance with 38 saves in a 5-2 victory at Edmonton. The Flames look to carry the momentum from their first victory of the season into Saturday’s contest at the St. Louis Blues, the second stop on a six-game road trip. The Blues dropped a 3-2 decision to the New York Rangers in their season opener Thursday.
Dallas at Nashville 8:00 PM ET
The Dallas Stars benefited from a pair of late-season victories against the Nashville Predators to stave off their Central Division rival and secure the team's first playoff berth since the 2007-08 campaign. The Stars look to continue their good fortune versus the Predators when the clubs meet in Music City on Saturday.
Buffalo at Chicago 8:30 PM ET
Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville summed up the season-opening shootout win at Dallas on a lighthearted note by telling reporters to "call the cops" because his team stole two points from the Stars. Should the Blackhawks need to resort to such thievery again in their home opener against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night, Quenneville may not be in a joking mood. Chicago has won the past five matchups versus Buffalo and has not lost at home to the Sabres since January 2007.
Minnesota at Colorado 9:00 PM ET
The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild combined Thursday for the most stunning result of the night. The host Avalanche will look to bounce back from a shocking loss when the Central Division rivals complete their home-and-home series Saturday night at the Pepsi Center. High-flying Colorado was humbled in emphatic fashion, as Minnesota rode four second-period goals and a three-point night from Zach Parise to roll to a 5-0 win in the opener for both teams.
Los Angeles at Arizona 9:00 PM ET
The Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes both hope to bounce back from lopsided season-opening losses when they face off at Gila River Arena on Saturday. The reigning Stanley Cup-champion Kings delighted their home crowd with a banner-raising ceremony on Wednesday, but the fun ended once the puck dropped as they suffered a 4-0 loss to San Jose.
Edmonton at Vancouver 10:00 PM ET
Different season, same result. The Edmonton Oilers fell flat on their face in their home opener against the rival Calgary Flames, and will try to rebound Saturday night as they travel to Vancouver for a date with the Canucks. Vancouver looked solid at both ends of the ice in a season-opening 4-2 triumph over the Flames, and now gets to host an Edmonton team that was routed 5-2 despite Calgary making its top defenseman, Dennis Wideman, a healthy scratch.
Winnipeg at San Jose 10:00 PM ET
The Winnipeg Jets look to pick up where they left off in their season opener when they visit the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. Winnipeg put forth a tremendous offensive effort at Arizona on Thursday, scoring five consecutive goals after the Coyotes forged a tie to post a 6-2 victory. Blake Wheeler tallied twice in a 15-second span and added an assist while Bryan Little netted a pair of goals as the Jets extended their winning streak against Arizona to five games.