News Category: NHL

Losers of eight straight, Ducks look to halt skid vs. Avalanche

When the teams met in Denver on Nov. 15, Anaheim and Colorado were headed in different directions. They’re still heading in different directions but the circumstances have reversed. The Ducks had won eight of 10 going into that game and the Avalanche had recently dropped five of seven games, and in three of those they were shut out. When the teams meet Saturday night in Anaheim, it is the Ducks who are struggling and Colorado

Canucks try to reverse fortunes in visit to Flames

Last time the Vancouver Canucks traveled to Calgary to face the Flames, they were riding high, atop the Western Conference. As the Canucks return to Calgary on Saturday night for another road clash, they have lost five of eight games – a skid that began with a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Flames on Nov. 16. The latest setback was Thursday’s 4-1 home loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.

Bruins feeling more like themselves as they visit Maple Leafs

The Boston Bruins will find out if they really are back on track when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night. The Bruins ended a three-game losing streak Thursday with a 3-0 home victory over the lowly San Jose Sharks. The Bruins rediscovered their checking game against the Sharks. “It was really important,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “You give up 17 goals in three games and we didn’t look anything like ourselves. It

Red Wings ride momentum into matchup with Canadiens

As they await Patrick Kane’s anticipated debut, the Detroit Red Wings will set out to continue their recent run of success. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens must find a way to win games at home again. Looking for a fifth victory in six games, the Red Wings can also hand the Canadiens a fifth consecutive home defeat on Saturday night. Detroit closed November on an impressive 4-1-0 stretch, scoring 20 times in the process. The Red

Penguins, Flyers rely on resilience ahead of home-and-home set

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers renew their longstanding and sometimes heated cross-state rivalry when they play Saturday for the first time this season — and the first of two meetings in three days. The Flyers visit Pittsburgh Saturday in the first half of a home-and-home series that concludes Tuesday with a rematch in Philadelphia. Both teams come into the two-game set after showing some resilience in their respective games Thursday. The Penguins played one

Hurricanes seek shot efficiency, host Sabres

The Carolina Hurricanes hope to turn a solid effort in a losing cause into a better result when they host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. The Hurricanes are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday. They outshot the Islanders 43-16 in the contest, including a 30-7 advantage in the second and third periods. It was the second time in a week that they came out on the losing end

Panthers glad to be back home, face struggling Isles

The New York Islanders, who have had a frustrating season thus far, are set to face the Florida Panthers on Saturday night in Sunrise, Fla. New York is coming off a 5-4 road win over Carolina on Thursday. But even that victory was a rollercoaster as the Islanders were outshot 43-16 and gave up the tying goal with 2.5 seconds left. Mathew Barzal, who had three assists, scored the game-winner in overtime. “That was a

Predators intend to ‘regroup’ in meeting vs. Rangers

The Nashville Predators will attempt to bounce back from a bad loss when they host the New York Rangers on Saturday in the finale of a four-game homestand. Nashville was on a six-game winning streak to climb above the .500 mark before dropping a 6-1 decision to the visiting Minnesota Wild on Thursday. “That’s not us,” Nashville forward Ryan O’Reilly said. “It’s disappointing because that’s a divisional team. That’s a big game for us. It’s

Jets try to snap losing skid against floundering Blackhawks

The Winnipeg Jets will try to avoid a fourth straight loss when they play host to their Central Division-rival Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. The Jets have lost back-to-back games to open a four-game homestand and three straight overall dating back to Sunday. Winnipeg’s most recent loss was a 3-1 decision to the visiting Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. “Our biggest problem tonight was faceoffs; they killed us in the faceoff circle, so you’re chasing them all

Lightning aim to break out during two-game set vs. Stars

The Tampa Bay Lightning will match up for two games over a three-day span with the Dallas Stars starting Saturday afternoon in the Lone Star State. For the Lightning, their season that continues to slip away from them can be defined by one word: turnovers. Against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, Tampa Bay scored twice in the first period and appeared to be on the way to breaking a two-game skid after coming off