RLD Morning Skate (11/7)

The Morning After:
Last night’s scores:
Maple Leafs 3, Hurricanes 2
Devils 2, Islanders 1
Flyers 5, Sabres 2
Capitals 4, Panthers 1
Stars 2, Canucks, 1
Avalanche 4, Blackhawks 3 (SO)
Predictions record: 4-2

My 3 stars from last night:
1. Jonas Gustavsson, TOR (34 Saves, 2 GA)
2. Ryan O’Reilly, COL (2 Goals)
3. Chris Pronger, PHI (1 Goal, 1 Assist)
Dud of the Night:
Carolina Hurricanes… You know you’ve hit rock bottom when you lose to your cellar dweller nemesis in a must-win situation!
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Tonight’s Slate:
Predators @ Kings, 4:00 ET
Devils @ Senators, 7:00
Sabres @ Bruins, 7:00
Thrashers @ Islanders, 7:00
Hurricanes @ Blue Jackets, 7:00
Panthers @ Capitals, 7:00
Lightning @ Canadiens, 7:00
Red Wings @ Maple Leafs, 7:00
Blues @ Flyers, 7:00
Stars @ Wild, 8:00
Coyotes @ Ducks, 10:00
Rangers @ Flames, 10:00
Penguins @ Sharks, 10:30

Games of the Night:
New Jersey Devils (10-4-0) @ Ottawa Senators (7-4-2)
7:00 ET… TV: CBC, Local Networks

Players to watch:
NJ- Brian Rolston
He has scored in two straight games… can he keep it going??
OTT- Daniel Alfredsson
‘Alfie’ has been on a tear all year, collecting at least a point in 12 of 13 games.

Projected Goaltenders:
NJ- Martin Brodeur (09/10 stats: 8-4, 2.38 GAA)
OTT- Pascal Leclaire (09/10 stats: 5-3-1, 2.66 GAA)

Injury Report:
NJ- Johnny Oduya (lower body, out), Rob Niedermayer (upper body, out), Paul Martin (arm, out), Jay Pandolfo (shoulder, out)
OTT- Anton Volchenkov (elbow, out), Jesse Winchester (knee, questionable)

Game Thoughts:
New Jersey won at home last night, and has won 3 straight in Ottawa. They are still perfect on the road, and Brodeur will be fresh. They should win, right?? The Sens have been inconsistent this season. I’m going to be interested to see which team shows up. If the playoff contender shows its face, go with Ottawa…
Prediction: Senators 3, Devils 2
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New York Rangers (10-6-1) @ Calgary Flames (9-4-1)
10:00 ET… TV: CBC, Local Networks

Players to watch:
NYR- Ales Kotalik
He has certainly helped boost the Rangers’ power play (12 PP pts).
CGY- Jarome Iginla
Calgary’s captain is starting to turn it on with 4 points in the last 2 games.

Projected Goaltenders:
NYR- Henrik Lundqvist (09/10 stats: 8-5-1, 2.52 GAA)
CGY- Miikka Kiprusoff (09/10 stats: 8-3-1, 2.82 GAA)

Injury Report:
NYR- None
CGY- None

Game Thoughts:
The Flames are hot (pun intended) after winning back-to-back games in OT on the road, while the Rangers are closing out their road trip. They played really well in Edmonton the other night, but will need to be better here tonight. If Iginla & company can get 3 or 4 on Lundqvist, it’s game over.
Prediction: Flames 4, Rangers 2
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Pittsburgh Penguins (12-4-0) @ San Jose Sharks (11-4-2)
10:30 ET… TV: Local Networks

Players to watch:
PIT- Sidney Crosby
The Pens’ offense runs through Sid, but he has just 1 point against the Sharks in 3 games.
SJ- Dan Boyle
Look for Boyle to excel tonight after collecting just 1 point in the last 4 games.

Projected Goaltenders:
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (09/10 stats: 10-3, 2.36 GAA)
SJ- Evgeni Nabokov (09/10 stats: 10-3-2, 2.28 GAA)

Injury Report:
PIT- Evgeni Malkin (shoulder, out), Sergei Gonchar (wrist, out), Tyler Kennedy (undisclosed, questionable), Max Talbot (shoulder, out), Ben Lovejoy (shoulder, out)
SJ- Devin Setoguchi (leg, questionable), Rob Blake (arm, out), Joe Pavelski (foot, out), Torrey Mitchell (knee, out), Ryan Vesce (leg, out)

Game Thoughts:
I am absolutely dying for this game to start. Could it be the Stanley Cup preview?? I wouldn’t go that far, but it has a chance at happening. Pittsburgh had a sluggish end to their game in LA, and will look to rebound. San Jose lost in Detroit in a shootout, but has stepped up as the team to beat in the West early on. I like the Sharks tonight if the power play has success.
Prediction: Sharks 4, Penguins 3

The rest of tonight’s predictions:
Kings over Predators
Sabres over Bruins
Thrashers over Islanders
Blue Jackets over Hurricanes
Capitals over Panthers
Canadiens over Lightning
Red Wings over Maple Leafs
Flyers over Blues
Wild over Stars
Ducks over Coyotes

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