Yegor Sharangovich has enjoyed a lot of success on home soil of late, recording six points and 29 shots on goal over his last 10 in Calgary.
My Islanders vs. Flames predictions expect Sharangovich to be heavily involved in the offense once again in an out-of-conference matinee.
Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for Saturday, January 17.
Islanders vs Flames prediction
Islanders vs Flames best bet:Yegor Sharangovich Over 1.5 shots (-145 at Bet99)
Yegor Sharangovich has some of the most drastic home/road splits you will find. He has averaged 2.6 shots on 4.6 attempts for the Calgary Flames this season, going Over his 1.5 line at a 76% clip.
Those outputs are night and day from what he’s accomplished on the road. Sharangovich has generated just 1.3 shots on 3.2 attempts in away games, going Over 35% of the time.
There’s a lot of reason to believe Sharangovich will continue finding success at home against the Islanders.
With Blake Coleman banged up, Sharangovich is sliding into his spot alongside Mikael Backlund and Matt Coronato. That line is going to get plenty of ice time.
The New York Islanders also rank 22nd in 5-on-5 shot suppression and 25th while undermanned over the last 10 games. They are giving up plenty of volume, which should lead to ample opportunity for Sharangovich to throw pucks on net.
New York is particularly vulnerable, where Sharangovich likes to pepper goaltenders with pucks. A ton of his volume comes from the slot, and the Isles sit 28th in shots allowed from that area over their last 10.
Rasmus Andersson has shot the puck a lot more frequently this season, especially on home ice. He is averaging 2.6 shots on 6.0 attempts and has cleared this line in 67% of his games in Calgary.
Lastly, we’re going with the Under. The Islanders rank dead last in expected goals generated over the past 10 games. They should struggle to generate offense against a Flames team that has conceded just 2.25 goals per night on home ice.
Yegor Sharangovich has recorded multiple shots on goal in eight of his last 10 home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Islanders vs. Flames.
How to watch Islanders vs Flames
Location
Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
Date
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Puck drop
4:00 p.m. ET
TV
CBC
Islanders vs Flames latest injuries
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CALGARY, AB -- New York Islanders goaltender David Rittich will get the start against the Calgary Flames on Saturday afternoon, the team that gave him his first opportunity to play in the NHL.
Rittich in the starter’s net at #Isles practice here in Calgary.
Back in 2016, a 24-year-old undrafted Rittich, who had been playing professionally in his native Czechia, signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Flames.
After playing the majority of the 2016-17 season in the AHL -- he made his NHL debut on Apr. 8, 2017, in relief of Brian Elliott -- he served as the club's backup from 2017-2021 before he was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline for a 2022 third-round pick.
Rittich played in 130 regular-season games for the Flames over that five-year span, owning a 63-39-15 record with a 2.83 GAA and a .908 SV%. He did make one postseason appearance, allowing three goals on nine shots against the Dallas Stars, who won 7-3 to advance to the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Since leaving Calgary, he's played for Toronto (2021), Nashville (2021-22), Winnipeg (2022-23), Los Angeles (2023-2025) before signing with the Islanders this summer.
At 33, he's in the midst of a major bounce-back season, sporting an electric 2.39 GAA with a .910 SV% in 19 appearances.
Saturday will be Rittich's second start on this seven-game road trip, with this game being No. 5 of the trek. He stopped 26 of 27 in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators on Jan. 8.
Rittich is 0-3-2 in five career starts against Calgary, with a 3.89 GAA and an. 861 SV%.
Pittsburgh Penguins -22-14-10 - 54 Points - 7-2-1 in the last 10 - Won 1 - 3rd in the Metro
Columbus Blue Jackets - 21-19-7 - 49 Points - 5-4-1 in the last 10 - Won 3 Straight - 7th in the Metro
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 20.3% - 15th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 74.2% - 29th in the NHL
Goals For - 140 - 19th in the NHL
Goals Against - 156 - 29th in the NHL
PenguinsStats
Power Play - 29.4% - 2nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 83.2% - 7th in the NHL
Goals For - 146 - 17th in the NHL
Goals Against - 134 - 10th in the NHL
Series History vs. ThePenguins
Columbus is 19-30-0-11 all-time, and 6-19-0-5 at home vs. Pittsburgh.
The Blue Jackets are 4-1-2 in the last 7, and 5-4-3 in the last 12 against the Pens.
The CBJ are 1-0-2 against Pittsburgh this season, and 1-0-0 at PPG Paints Arena.
Who To Watch For ThePenguins
Sidney Crosby leads the team with 25 goals and 51 points.
Erik Karlsson leads the Pens with 29 assists, but he's on IR.
Goalie Arturs Silovs is 8-6-7 with a SV% .892%.
Stuart Skinner is a combined 15-12-4 with a SV% of 2.62 with Pittsburgh and Edmonton.
CBJ Player Notes vs.Penguins
Zach Werenski has 17 points in 24 games vs. the Penguins.
Charlie Coyle has 22 points in 37 games.
Sean Monahan has 15 points in 26 career games against Pittsburgh.
Injuries
Isac Lundeström - Lower Body - Missed 11 Games - IR
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 9 Games IR - Out 3-4 months after having knee surgery.
Miles Wood - Lower Body - Missed 8 Games - IR - Week to week.
Mason Marchment - Upper Body - Missed 6 Games - Week to week.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 127
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
* Simulcasted on CW Columbus, WUAB in Cleveland, WXIX in Cincinnati, WZCDin Dayton, WQCW in Charleston/Huntington, WV, WKYT in Lexington, KY and WAVE in Louisville, KY
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are not sure how long they will be without William Nylander as they navigate the second occurrence of a lower-body injury for their star forward.
“He’s being evaluated still (to see) where he's at. He's doubtful for tomorrow,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said following the club’s practice in Las Vegas on Friday.
Nylander left early in the first period of the club’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday with what the coach confirmed was an aggravation of the previous lower-body injury that kept the Swede out of the lineup for six games. Despite being limited to just 2:17 of ice time in the game, he scored a goal and added an assist.
Berube was cautious to put any sort of timeline on how long he expected Nylander might be out, given that he thought the Swede’s previous injury was minor.
“Right now I can't answer that because with the last one, I thought it would be quicker, and it obviously wasn't,” Berube admitted. “We'll just see how he feels here going forward. I mean, can't really answer that question”.
The Leafs enter Saturday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets sitting two points out of a playoff position. The Leafs were resilient without Nylander during his previous injury, going 4-0-2 in that stretch.
However, Nylander isn’t the only player battling something right now. Matthew Knies, John Tavares, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Joseph Woll stayed off the ice for what Berube described as maintenance. Knies dealt with a nagging lower-body injury earlier this season and stayed off the ice for the full morning skate ahead of the club’s game against the Golden Knights on Thursday.
Joseph Woll isn’t taking part in a rare Leafs practice today, which means Anthony Stolarz gets his own net as he continues to recover from injury.
There is still no public timeline on Stolarz’ return.
(Also absent today: Nylander, Tavares, Knies, and Ekman-Larsson.)
Ekman-Larsson briefly departed the game in the first period shortly after what looked like a possible knee-on-knee collision with Golden Knights forward Cole Reinhardt, but managed to come back in the second period and finish out the game.
With Nylander out, expect Calle Jarnkrok to draw back into the Leafs lineup. He has six goals in 28 games this season. Nylander leads all Leafs in scoring with 48 points (17 goals, 31 assists) in 37 games.
In the midst of what has easily been their worst stretch of games all season, the Philadelphia Flyers have gotten at least some positive news in the form of the latest injury update regarding goalie Dan Vladar.
Panic seeped through the Flyers fanbase when the 28-year-old suffered an unknown injury early in the game against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday, and understandably so: the Flyers don't have anything close to a replacement for Vladar.
Backup goalie Sam Ersson has a porous .853 save percentage on the season, which includes his relief appearance for Vladar in the aforementioned game against Buffalo.
Top prospect Aleksei Kolosov, while revitalizing his career in the AHL with a renewed sense of belonging, is still unproven.
The good news for the Flyers, and perhaps for the two understudy goalkeepers, is that Vladar is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, according to multiple reports.
NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jordan Hall was able to confirm that Vladar won't play for the Flyers at home on Saturday afternoon when the free-falling New York Rangers come to town.
So, while Ersson and/or Kolosov will need to handle business against a division rival and attempt to snap a five-game losing streak, it goes without saying that things could have gone significantly worse.
As in, season-crippling worse.
Kolosov, 24, allowed three goals on 16 shots in relief of Ersson against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 6-3 loss on Thursday night, seeing his first NHL action since making a spot start for the Flyers against the Calgary Flames back on Nov. 2.
The Flyers would probably benefit from giving Ersson a rest and seeing what Kolosov can do with another opportunity against the Rangers, but that has yet to be decided at the time of this writing.
Connor Bedard: 19G-27A-46PTS; Tyler Bertuzzi: 24G-13A-37PTS; Andre Burakovsky: 10G-19A-29PTS
Spencer Knight: 13-13-6, 2.61 GAA, .910 save percentage
Game notes
The Bruins begin a brief two-game road trip with a stop in Chicago to face the Blackhawks, who remain on the fringe of the wild card picture in the Western Conference.
This is the second meeting of the season between these two teams, with the first ending in a 4-3 OT win for the Bruins back on Oct. 9. Fraser Minten scored the winner in that game.
The Blackhawks have lost two games in a row and three of four. Prior to that, however, they had won four in a row (and had points in five straight). The Bruins, as you likely remember, are hitting the road with five consecutive wins in their pocket.
With a bunch of young players, you wouldn’t expect Chicago to be near the top of the league in penalty killing — but that’s where they find themselves, with the second-best PK mark in the league at 85%.
Brief Bruin Tyler Bertuzzi has been great for the Blackhawks this season. With 24 goals, he has already eclipsed his goal output from the past two seasons (23 last year, 21 the year before) and we’re barely halfway through the season.
Matt Grzelcyk is another former Bruin plying his trade in Chicago. The defenseman has appeared in all 47 of Chicago’s games this season, averaging 17 minutes TOI. He also has 11 assists.
David Pastrnak continues his ceaseless production for the B’s, with 1G-8A-9PTS in his last five games. That’s pretty good.
Per the Chicago Sun-Times, many members of the Blackhawks’ 2013 Stanley Cup-winning team may be in attendance tonight as part of their ongoing centennial celebrations. Hey, at least it’s a NESN broadcast for us, so you shouldn’t be subjected to too many horrifying flashbacks.
Who:Columbus Blue Jackets (21-19-7, 49 points, 7th place Metropolitan Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (22-14-10, 54 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Locally televised on SportsNet Pittsburgh and FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: This is the last game the Penguins will be playing in Pittsburgh for almost two weeks. The Pens are about to take off on a West Coast road swing through Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver over the next eight days, starting with a 5 p.m. ET Monday game against the Kraken.
Opponent Track: The Jackets are heading into the weekend on a three-game win streak. Elvis Merzlikins had a succinct answer when asked Thursday what’s changed for the Jackets:
3 wins in a row what’s different for the Blue Jackets?
Season Series: This marks the last time the Jackets and Pens will meet this season. All three prior games in this season series have gone to overtime, with the Penguins losing in a shootout in October but winning in overtime in November and earlier this month.
Hidden Stat: The Penguins are in a playoff spot in no small part thanks to their success against division opponents this season. Including their 2-0-1 record against the Blue Jackets, the Pens have gone 9-1-3 against teams in the Metropolitan Division so far this season. (Last season, Pittsburgh missed the playoffs after going 9-13-4 against division opponents).
Injured Reserve: Brendan Smith, Isac Lundestrom, Miles Wood, Mason Marchment
Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk is day-to-day after taking a hard hit from Brandon Tanev during the Jackets’ Sunday win over the Utah Mammoth. Columbus general manager Don Waddell said the team doesn’t expect the injury to be long-term.
Coaching change in Columbus: The Blue Jackets fired former coach Dean Evason last week after one and a half seasons and a 19-19-7 start to the 2025-26 campaign. Evason told The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline he was “blindsided” by his dismissal.
The switch allowed the Jackets to bring in Rick Bowness, 70, who had most recently coached the Winnipeg Jets for two seasons from 2022 to 2024. He hasn’t been with the team for very long— he got the job offer Monday afternoon and joined the team Tuesday morning, per ESPN— but he’s since led the Jackets to wins over the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.
Kent Johnson played a season-high 20:55 during his first game with Bowness. The Jackets could be hoping to see some more production from the second-line winger if he keeps getting more playing time going forward.
Like the Penguins, the Blue Jackets have at times had a problems with holding on to late leads through the first half of the season. They blew third-period leads 15 times in their first 47 games, per Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. When asked about that habit after the Jackets held on to a comfortable lead in Thursday’s win over the Vancouver Canucks, Bowness said, per Portzline: “I don’t even worry about it. It was before I got here. I’m just not worried about it… That’s in the past. I know how I want us to play, so that’s the bottom line. And we’re building on that.”
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Brett Kulak / Kris Letang
Parker Wotherspoon / Jack St. Ivany
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs
Potential Scratches: Ryan Graves, Kevin Hayes
IR: Erik Karlsson, Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones, Rutger McGroarty
The Penguins had an off day Friday after Thursday’s 6-3 win over the Flyers.
Sidney Crosby has 69 points (24 goals, 45 assists) in 48 career games against the Blue Jackets, which ranked behind only Patrick Kane for the most among any active NHL player. Kris Letang meanwhile leads all NHL defensemen with 14 goals against the Blue Jackets, his highest total against any single team, per Penguins PR.
The Penguins are 14-1-4 in their last 19 games against the Blue Jackets, and they’re 16-0-2 in their last 18 games against the Jackets at home, per Penguins PR.
The Pens’ special teams have been thriving lately. They’re heading into Saturday’s matchup having gone 16-for-16 on the PK over their last four games, and they’re currently ranked second in the NHL with a 29.4 percent power-play success rate.
The Vancouver Canucks (16–26–5) have the chance to tie a franchise record tonight against the Edmonton Oilers (23–17–8). With a loss tonight, Vancouver will tie the record for the longest losing streak in club history. This comes after the Canucks have lost their past nine straight, with the most recent being a 4–1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Edmonton, who is still currently in a playoff spot, dropped their most recent match against the New York Islanders by a score of 1–0.
Things have not been fun for the Canucks and their fans as of late, as despite some spirited efforts throughout their previous six-game road trip, they have yet to record their first win of 2026. Things may get even more negative in the coming days, as the Canucks will spend their next eight games on home-ice, where their record on the season is a poor 4–12–3. For fans who are pro-rebuild, this string of losses is pretty much their ideal scenario, as the Canucks have put themselves in a solid position to remain 32nd overall in the entire league.
On the ice, the penalty kill will be something to watch for the Canucks. Vancouver allowed two goals during Columbus’ two power plays on Thursday. Since the start of the calendar year, the Canucks have surrendered nine power play goals-against while also allowing multiple power play goals in three different games during this span. They’ll face a daunting task tonight as Edmonton currently holds the top power play unit in the NHL with a success rate of 33.3%.
Players To Watch:
Brock Boeser
Brock Boeser has been one of the players who has struggled most during Vancouver’s nine-game losing streak, though he managed to score the lone goal in the Canucks’ most recent loss, with this being his first since November 28. Tonight’s game marks a milestone for Boeser, as the forward is expected to skate in his 600th career NHL game. Boeser has consistently had the Oilers’ number, as he’s currently riding a four-game point streak against Edmonton that has seen him score three goals and four assists. With his goal-scoring skid seemingly over, tonight would be a great occasion for Boeser to experience more of an offensive output.
Vasily Podkolzin
The former Canucks forward is in his second season with the Oilers and has seemed to fit in well as an Evander Kane-esque replacement. His 10 goals and 10 assists are tied for the sixth-most points on his team, which is a pretty good production rate considering what Vancouver received in return for him. If he’s able to stay consistent in his scoring, Podkolzin will smash his previous career-high of 26, which he recorded in his first NHL season with the Canucks. Also of note is the fact that Podkolzin has registered a point in each of the two games Vancouver and Edmonton have played against one-another so far this season.
Oct 26, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks right wing Conor Garland (8) shoots the puck against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard (30) during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks (16–26–5):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 13–16–29
Filip Hronek: 3–24–27
Kiefer Sherwood: 17–6–23
Jake DeBrusk: 12–10–22
Brock Boeser: 10–12–22
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1
Kevin Lankinen: 6–13–4
Nikita Tolopilo: 2–2–0
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
Edmonton Oilers (23–17–8):
Points:
Connor McDavid: 30–52–82
Leon Draisaitl: 25–42–67
Evan Bouchard: 11–35–46
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: 11–26–37
Zach Hyman: 16–11–27
Goaltenders:
Tristan Jarry: 12–3–2
Calvin Pickard: 5–6–2
Connor Ingram: 4–3–1
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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I am still reeling from that Ilya Sorokin performance on Thursday in Edmonton. Ye gods, that was a masterpiece.
But anyway, on to the next one. The Islanders are in Calgary for an afternoon meeting, and David Rittich will start against his former team (though as he noted, there aren’t a lot of former teammates in the other room).
The Flames are a couple steps above the Western basement and seven points below the final wild card spot. They’ve been better-ish of late (5-5 in their last 10) but are still expected to basically tread water for the lottery.
With no Bo Horvat, the Isles are getting by on great goaltending. [Newsday]
Some timely improvement from Anthony Duclair has also helped. [Post]
Takeaways, Barzal on Sorokin: “There’s not enough words to describe how good that guy is.” [Isles]
More discussion of Sorokin on the Tri-State podcast with Arthur Staple. [YouTube]
Confirmed now, Horvat will not be joining them on this trip. [Post]
Here’s a selection of practice media availabilities from yesterday, including Tony DeAngelo noting that Adam Pelech “may look like a stay-at-home defenseman, but he breaks out like an offensive defenseman,” and Andrew Gross asking Czech David Rittich if he’s “a sentimental guy” as he returns to Calgary:
Today’s opponent: Presented without comment, other than to be rude earworm for your afternoon:
Elsewhere
Last night’s scores included Carolina thumping Florida NINE to one and Tampa Bay finally losing, but still getting a regulation point.
Another letter! Chris Drury signed a letter to fans about the Smurfs disaster, and I believe he actually wrote it because it was worded weirdly and included em dashes and en dashes within the same sentence. It’s weird how J.T. Miller did not save them. [NHL]
Dean Evason was blindsided by his firing in Columbus. [Sportsnet]
Supposedly trade talks are heating up for Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson. [TSN]
This is an old story resurrected, but: How Moncton got Ted Nolan back into coaching, and eventually a call from the Isles. [Sportsnet]
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Nashville Predators after Pavel Dorofeyev's two-goal game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Golden Knights' 6-5 overtime win.
Vegas has an 11-6-6 record at home and a 23-11-12 record overall. The Golden Knights have allowed 138 goals while scoring 152 for a +14 scoring differential.
Nashville has a 10-10-2 record in road games and a 23-20-4 record overall. The Predators are 11-3-4 in games decided by one goal.
The matchup Saturday is the second time these teams meet this season. The Predators won 4-2 in the last meeting.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has 17 goals and 38 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has nine goals and eight assists over the last 10 games.
Steven Stamkos has 21 goals and 12 assists for the Predators. Ryan O'Reilly has five goals and six assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 6-3-1, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.5 assists, 2.5 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.
Predators: 7-3-0, averaging three goals, five assists, 3.8 penalties and 9.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.
Predators: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: The Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers hit the ice in Eastern Conference play.
Washington has gone 14-9-3 in home games and 24-18-6 overall. The Capitals have a 10-11-6 record in games their opponents serve fewer penalty minutes.
Florida has gone 10-10-0 in road games and 24-19-3 overall. The Panthers have a -15 scoring differential, with 138 total goals scored and 153 given up.
The teams play Saturday for the third time this season. The Panthers won the last meeting 5-3. Sam Reinhart scored two goals in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Dylan Strome has 11 goals and 25 assists for the Capitals. Justin Sourdif has six goals and four assists over the last 10 games.
Reinhart has 24 goals and 21 assists for the Panthers. Sam Bennett has three goals and six assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Capitals: 4-5-1, averaging 3.4 goals, 6.1 assists, 4.5 penalties and 11.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
Panthers: 4-5-1, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.5 assists, 6.3 penalties and 16.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.6 goals per game.
INJURIES: Capitals: None listed.
Panthers: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
ST.
LOUIS – The
St. Louis Blues looked forward to the opportunity to slay the dragon
on Friday night, the hottest team in the NHL going in the Tampa Bay
Lightning.
The
Lightning had bolted their way through 11 straight opponents with a
hot knife, and the Blues were next on the agenda and with another
win, the Lightning would establish a franchise record.
The
Blues would have none of that, and it took every ounce of energy and
they did it in a fashion they had trouble with all season: doing it
in overtime and/or a shootout.
But
when Jordan Kyrou scored in the second round of the shootout and Joel
Hofer was 3-for-3 in saves, including the final one on Nikita
Kucherov in the third round, the Blues put an end to the Lightning’s
winning streak at 11 with a 3-2 win at Enterprise Center on Friday.
“It
feels great,” Kyrou
said.
“Obviously we haven’t done that all year. It feels good to get
that one.”
Jake
Neighbours and Nick Bjugstad scored, and Hofer made 34 saves as the
Blues (19-21-8) completed a mini two-game homestand winning both
against two of the Eastern Conference’s best.
“We
knew it would be a good test, a quick little homestand before a road
trip,” Neighbours
said.
“It was a big point of emphasis for us. Carolina was coming off a
back to back, so that game was important and Tampa was on an 11-game
win streak coming into tonight. Two big games and guys rose up for
the challenge, played a stingy, hard defensive game. Don’t think we
had our best tonight by any means, but guys dug in and got it done.”
Let’s
look at Friday’s game observations:
*
Quick strike first period after not much happening – The ice was
tilted for much of the first period toward’s Hofer’s end of the
ice.
The
Lightning had much of the territorial edge in the first period, and
for the Blues, there was a lot of one-and-done. The few times they’d
get pucks in and try to attack offensively on the forecheck, it was
coming right back out.
But
when Neighbours and Bjugstad struck 30 seconds apart to turn a 0-0
game into a 2-0 lead, it allowed them to dictate things for a stretch
of the game.
When
Neighbours made it 1-0 at 17:03, it was a fortuitous bounce when
Kyrou’s shot from the high slot deflected to Neighbours at the
bottom of the right circle, but the Blues were finally able to get
to the middle of the ice when Cam Fowler dropped it to Kyrou for the
shot and Neighbours finish:
And
when the Bjugstad line with Pavel Buchnevich and Jonatan Berggren put
a puck in deep and had an effective forecheck, effectively turning it
over from Charlie-Edouard D’Astous behind the net and Buchnevich
feeding Bjugstad for a high-slot wrister that made it 2-0 at 17:33:
We didn't even get the highlight from the last goal done before this happened. pic.twitter.com/T1CtKZcfg8
“Part
of the way our defense and our systems are built is if teams are
keeping the puck that we can keep them to the outside and not allow a
lot of high-danger chances,” Neighbours said. “I thought we did a
pretty good job of that, especially early in the first period, kind
of allowed us to get our legs under us a little bit. Obviously
getting a couple goals at the end of the first was big for confidence
and mojo going into the second.”
*
Blues
were managing game well ... until penalties struck, including one bad
one – The Blues had gotten close to the midway point of the game
holding a two-goal lead against a potent and balanced offense, but
when Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker each took a tripping minor,
that’s asking for trouble.
Especially
Walker, whose careless trip could have been prevented, especially
when the Blues were doing an excellent job at killing off the initial
minor. Walker had the puck along the wall near the Blues bench, and
with the final seconds ticking down on Toropchenko’s penalty, all
Walker had to do was dump the puck down below the goal line and the
Lightning almost surely would not have had time to score. But
instead, he tried to pull the puck around Oliver Bjorkstrand and
ended up tripping him, giving the Lightning, which was sixth in the
league at 28.6 percent during its 11-game win streak, the chance to
get right back in the game.
It
wasn’t much time, but the Lightning had 12 seconds of a two-man
advantage and needed only eight ticks when Kucherov one-timed a
Brandon Hagel no-look pass by Hofer at 9:59 to make it 2-1.
Not
only did it put the Lightning back in the game, but it gave Tampa Bay
1:52 of another full man advantage and the Lightning took advantage
when Bjorkstrand tied the game 2-2 at 11:01, so feeling like they had
firm control of the game, the Blues lost their grip.
All
due to one mishap that could have been avoided.
“Nathan
Walker’s an incredible team-first guy who would do anything to win
a game,” Montgomery
said.
“I know he knows that. We don’t have to talk to him about that.
He was trying to do a positive thing and it wasn’t the right game
management at the time in the second period.”
The
Blues didn’t feel like it was time to panic.
“After
they tied it, it’s just … that’s Kucherov,” Neighbours said.
“That’s that power play. It’s hard to stop even when you know
what’s coming. That’s what elite players do, that’s what good
power plays do. We knew 5-on-5, we didn’t mind our game. We thought
we had a chance and if we could get it back to that and stay with
that, we had a good chance.”
Walker
led all skaters with six hits in the game, and he does play with a
big heart, but that miscue could have cost the Blues two points.
Consider it a lesson learned.
*
Hofer being Hofer – Right now, the Blues goalie is playing with a
lot of confidence in his game.
The
Lightning, like the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, were throwing a
lot of rubber at Hofer, and getting bodies to the net.
He
made two really good saves on Jake Guentzel in the first period and
was able to snap a shot from the point by Max Crozier looking one way
and catching it in another with Anthony Cirelli right in his grill.
“I
saw the release,” Hofer said. “It definitely makes it easier.
“I
feel good. Just trying to keep building. Even during the good games,
trying to take a thing or two and keep working on them and keep
building my game. It’s been going good.”
Since
Nov. 29, Hofer is 9-4-0 with a league-best 2.06 goals-against average
and .929 save percentage.
“He’s
playing big in the nets,” Montgomery said. “He’s making tough
saves look easy. That gives you a lot of confidence on the bench,
especially the players in front of him.”
*
More directness in OT – There was a reason why the Blues were 0-6
(0-8 if you count shootouts) in overtime this season. There was no
direct play towards the oppositions goal.
Whether
it be passing up shots, not playing north-south, not attacking the
net with a purpose, you name it, the Blues were all over it.
They
did outshoot Tampa Bay 4-2 in the extra session and had a couple
different chances to win it but came up just a little short before
Kyrou would strike in the shootout to preserve the win.
“I
thought we were more direct offensively, yes,” Montgomery said. ‘I
still think we were passing up too many shots, too many turnovers
going east-west. When you’re playing these elite teams, they cover
the middle of the ice really well, and that led to not as much O-zone
time as we would have liked.”
The
Blues practiced both 3-on-3 and shootout attempts Thursday in
practice and it seemed to pay off, despite the futility amongst
themselves on the pracrice ice.
“Yesterday
we worked on it and I thought today, we were attacking,” Kyrou
said, who had two terrific chances, one blocked by JJ Moser and
missing the net in the final second off a face-off win.
“We were not staying back. We were being aggressive shooting the
puck more. I thought we looked a lot better in overtime.”
*
Making the shootout count for a change – This was only the Blues’
third shootout of the season, and they were 0-for-6 combined in shootout attempts in losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks.
But
Kyrou changed all that in the second round when he scored just his
fifth career shootout goal (on 22 attempts) in his career, when he
stickhandled to Vasilevskiy and flipped a backhand home for his
fourth game-winner:
“He’s
a big goalie, hard to score on,” Kyrou
said of Vasilevskiy.
“I just tried to move him as much as I can and raise the puck.”
Kyrou,
who hasn’t scored in 12 games (including 10 since returning from a
lower-body injury but does have four assists), finished tied with
Jimmy Snuggerud and Justin Faulk with four shots on goal.
“I
think this has been four consecutive games where Jordan Kyrou has
played his four best consecutive games in a row,” Montgomery said.
“His shot-first mentality and the assist on the (No.) 63 goal. He’s
trying to shoot pucks, he’s being very aggressive offensively, and
I like the way he’s tracking and stripping people from behind right
now.”
*
Bjugstad’s draws – When Montgomery sent Bjugstad over the boards
to start the overtime and take the opening draw, there was a purpose.
The
big center won 13 of 19 from the dot (68 percent for the night), at
one point being 10 of 12. But Montgomery didn’t care that he lost a
few down the stretch.
The
Blues were wanting the puck to begin OT, and they got it off
Bjugstad’s face-off win and possession to do what they’d like.
“Based
off be was 10-3 after two periods on face-offs,” Montgomery said.
“Some nights, you just win all the draws. It’s just the timing’s
on. He had one of those nights and he came up with three big wins in
overtime.”
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The Los Angeles Kings (19-16-12) earned a point tonight against the Anaheim Ducks (23-21-3) at home, but missed another chance of closing out the game when it got tight, falling 3-2 to Anaheim after leading 2-0 late in the second period.
Despite Los Angeles controlling large stretches of the game and the numbers on the stat sheet looking similar, the Kings once again proved they can't be trusted when the game gets close, as Mason McTavish sealed the win in the shootout.
Byfield and Armia Power the Kings to an Early 2-0 Lead
Los Angeles opened the scoring just over a minute into the first period when Quinton Byfield buried a wrist shot for his eighth goal of the season. Joel Armia, who returned from injury tonight after missing the last five games, quickly made his presence felt on the ice for the Kings, burying his 10th goal of the season in the second period, keeping the Kings in firm control of the game.
At this point, it looked like the Kings had a firm grip on the game, generating great looks and consistent pressure off the rush and in the offensive zone. But, it wouldn't be a Kings game if it didn't go down to the wire.
Late-Second Period Collapse Continues Troubling Trend
The game turned quickly late in the second period, a period that continues to haunt the Kings all season.
Ryan Strome and Tim Washe (who scored his first NHL goal) found the net against Darcy Kuemper, tying the game 2-2 just like that, putting the pressure on Los Angeles after having a commanding 2-0 lead.
Los Angeles has now surrendered 50 goals in the second period this season and owns a minus -10 goal differential in the frame, an awful stat to resurface at such a critical moment.
Not the best couple of minutes in late 2nd for Darcy Kuemper, Strome and Washe (1st NHL goal) on low danger chances. 2 in 2:44 for Anaheim in a frame that Kings have been subpar all season (50 GA -10 goal differential). LA have lost 11 of 16 when tied after 2. 2 2 after 40
The collapse after building a two-goal lead carried into another frustrating reality. The Kings have now lost 12 of 17 games that are tied after two periods, a big issue that keeps recurring when games are close and momentum swings to the opposition.
After 40 minutes, the game was tied 2-2. Despite Los Angeles controlling large stretches of possession and generating more quality looks, the game was tied.
Scoreless Third Leads to OT
Neither team scored in the third period or overtime, despite Kevin Fiala having a breakaway fast-break opportunity, but he lost control of the puck under the Ducks' defensive pressure.
LA and Anaheim had good luck in overtime, but give credit to both goaltenders for saving the game and sending it to a shootout.
Anaheim ultimately would prevail when McTavish beat Kuemper to secure a 3-2 Ducks win.
Both the Kings and Ducks finished with identical numbers at the end of the game: 28 shots and 50% on faceoffs, but neither team scored a power-play goal tonight.
Despite strong efforts from Fiala and Armia, the Kings once again walked away with just one point after failing to close out a winnable game. This loss becomes very concerning for the Kings because it's the same away Los Angeles keeps losing, strong starts are no longer enough if they can't execute late-game situations.
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The Carolina Hurricanes played one of their most entertaining games of the season as they thoroughly dominated the Stanley Cup Champion, Florida Panthers, 9-1 on Friday night at the Lenovo Center.
Nikolaj Ehlers had a hattrick, goaltender Brandon Bussi picked up another win, (17-3-1) and every Carolina forward had at least one point in the shellacking.
The Panthers were missing some key players due to injuries but this win has to help the Hurricanes get over the mental block which they seemed to have when they played this team.
The home team dominated the first period but skated into the dressing room with a slim 1-0 lead.
Ehlers scored the first goal off an absolutely beautiful no-look pass by Jordan Staal.
The Panthers tied the score early in the second period off an odd play but that would be it for the visitors.
Later in the period, Mark Jankowski knocked in a rebound off of a blast by Alexander Nikishin to make it 2-1.
A couple minutes later, Nikishin rocketed another shot during a powerplay that got by Bobrovsky to make it 3-1 and the Canes never looked back. The shot was clocked at 92 MPH.
Speaking of the powerplay, the team officially went 4 of 5 for the night and the penalty kill was perfect, 0-5.
In the previous two meetings against the Panthers, the Canes gave up multi-goal leads in the third period and ended up losing, but that was not happening on this night.
Andrei Svechnikov sniped another PP goal to start things off in the third. A bit later, Ehlers scored another powerplay tally, his second of the night.
Just 21 seconds later, Taylor Hall scored yet another powerplay goal to make it 6-1, but the Canes were not done yet.
Next up, Ehlers scored his third and the hats rained down upon the Lenovo Center ice.
Hall then scored again and 10 seconds later, Eric Robinson made it 9-1 and the celebrations started.
There were several heroes in this game and the team was physical throughout.
The Canes outshot the Panthers, 33-16. They outhit them 30-19 and were dominant in the faceoff circle winning 66% for the game.
Jordan Staal was finishing his checks from start to finish and was awarded six hits. Sean Walker was very physical in this one as well and also had a team high six hits.
Panther, Donovan Sebrango took exception to one heavy hit and went after Walker. The defenseman answered the bell as the two dropped the gloves until Walker took him down. According Cory Lavalette, it was Walker’s first career NHL fight.
Bit surprised by this, but that's the first career NHL fight for Sean Walker
It was the first game that Ehlers played on the same line with Staal and Martinook. After the game when asked about it, he said he was looking forward to it.
“The way they play, the way they battle and get pucks out, I knew I would get more space out there. And that is something I was looking for.”
Nikishin had one of his best games in the NHL with a goal and an assist.
Alexander Nikishin passed Chris Pronger (5 in 1993-94) for the third-most goals in a season by a rookie defenseman in @Canes/Whalers history, trailing Justin Faulk (8 in 2011-12) and Jamie McBain (7 in 2010-11). #NHLStats
I could on and on about this game but there is another one coming up soon enough as the Hurricanes traveled after this game to New Jersey, where they will play yet another back-to-back scenario.
DENVER — After winning 17 consecutive games at Ball Arena, the Colorado Avalanche have now dropped back-to-back contests on home ice.
Colorado suffered a 7–3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Friday night, marking the second time this season the Predators have defeated the Avalanche—more than any other NHL opponent.
Ryan O’Reilly led Nashville with a hat trick and four-point performance. Filip Forsberg added a goal and two assists, Roman Josi recorded three helpers, and Michael Bunting also found the back of the net. Juuse Saros was sharp throughout, stopping 39 shots.
For Colorado, Brock Nelson scored twice, while Martin Nečas tallied his 22nd goal of the season. Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves in his return from injured reserve.
Ryan O'Reilly made a statement off the bat.
Bednar Displeased with Effort
Head coach Jared Bednar typically finds something to build on following a loss. Friday night was not one of those occasions.
“There were no positives about this game,” Bednar said with a subtle chuckle. “I hated that game from start to finish, pretty much.
“We got slightly better in the second period and okay at the start of the third, but it wasn’t enough to win the hockey game, so there’s nothing I liked.”
Given the trade rumors surrounding O'Reilly, The Hockey News put Bednar on the spot and asked him if he or anyone else has put any thought into acquiring him. Bednar was succinct in his response.
"I have no idea," he said flatly. "That's not my department. If they keep playing like that, they won't be trading anybody."
First Period
O’Reilly opened the scoring just 30 seconds into the game, winning a faceoff against Nathan MacKinnon before taking a feed from Forsberg and beating Blackwood with a quick backhand.
Nearly a minute later, Nelson answered for Colorado, tying the game at 1–1 after hammering home a rebound off a Brent Burns point shot. The goal was his team-leading seventh of the month and 23rd of the season.
At the 7:32 mark, O’Reilly struck again. His sharp-angle attempt from the side of the net deflected off Sam Girard’s stick and past Blackwood, restoring Nashville’s one-goal advantage.
Colorado responded just over four minutes later when Nelson buried his second of the night, redirecting Josh Manson’s wrist shot from the point past Saros to even the score at 2–2.
Despite the deadlock after 20 minutes, the Avalanche dictated much of the play, outshooting Nashville 17–10 in the opening frame.
Second Period
Jack Drury nearly gave Colorado the lead midway through the period, setting up Victor Olofsson for a blistering one-timer from the right circle, but Saros came up with a timely save.
Just over a minute later, the Avalanche came within inches again as Burns fired a point shot that kicked off Saros and trickled toward the goal line. Neither Nelson nor Ross Colton could reach the loose puck before Saros sprawled to cover, aided by a collapsing defense.
With under seven minutes remaining, O’Reilly completed the hat trick against his former club, deftly deflecting a Luke Evangelista shot past Blackwood to give Nashville a 3–2 lead.
Moments later, a costly offensive-zone turnover by Valeri Nichushkin sprung a Nashville 2-on-1 rush. Bunting capitalized, snapping a top-shelf wrist shot to extend the Predators’ advantage to 4–2.
Colorado entered the third period trailing by two despite holding a commanding 32–21 edge in shots on goal.
Third Period
The Avalanche wasted little time pushing back. Just 65 seconds into the period, MacKinnon found Nečas in the slot, and the Czech winger ripped a wrist shot that Saros couldn’t track, pulling Colorado within one.
Colorado unraveled late in the period. Zakhar Bardakov was whistled for interference on a questionable call, and Nashville capitalized on the ensuing power play when Forsberg snapped a top-shelf shot from the right circle off a feed from O’Reilly to make it 5–3.
Steven Stamkos added an empty-net goal moments later to extend the lead. After Cole Smith was called for slashing Bardakov, Colorado went back to the power play and elected to pull the goaltender again.
That decision backfired. Cale Makar turned the puck over at the blue line, allowing Michael McCarron to break free and score a rare shorthanded empty-net goal, sealing a 7–3 Nashville victory.
Next Game
The Avalanche (33-5-8) have now lost four of their last six games and will look to rebound Monday against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (24-18-6). Coverage begins at 2 p.m. local time.
