NHL roundup: Bishop helps Lightning end skid
By The Sports Xchange
TAMPA, Fla. -- The return of goalie Ben Bishop sparked the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres, snapping their four-game losing streak on Thursday night at Amalie Arena.
Tampa Bay got two goals from Ondrej Palat, rallying from an early deficit to cool off the Sabres , who were 3-0-1 in their last four. Bishop stopped 24 shots in his first action in three weeks after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.
Anton Stralman and Nikita Kucherov also scored for the Lightning while Evander Kane and Matt Moulson scored for the Sabres.
Flyers 5, Canucks 4 (SO)
PHILADELPHIA -- Claude Giroux scored the only goal of the shootout and Michael Neuvirth stopped Markus Granlund, Bo Horvat and Loui Eriksson in the tiebreaker, giving Philadelphia a come-from-behind win over Vancouver.
Travis Konecny, Pierre-Edouard Bellmare, Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn scored regulation goals for the Flyers, who won for just the second time in eight games.
The Canucks got two goals from Markus Granlund, a goal and an assist from Brandon Sutter and Daniel Sedin, and two assists from Jayson Megna and Troy Stecher.
Senators 4, Penguins 1
OTTAWA -- Stellar goaltending by Mike Condon and strong special teams play sparked Ottawa to victory over Pittsburgh at Canadian Tire Centre.
Condon made 29 stops for his 10th win of the season. Bobby Ryan, Mike Hoffman, Tom Pyatt and Mark Stone scored for the Senators, while Conor Sheary replied for the Penguins.
Matt Murray, who returned from a lower-body injury to play his first game since Dec. 28, made 29 saves for Pittsburgh.
Wild 7, Canadiens 1
SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Devan Dubnyk made 20 saves and Nino Niederreiter scored twice as Minnesota routed Montreal.
The Wilds got a goal and two assists from Eric Staal while Christian Folin, Jordan Schroeder, Jason Zucker and Ryan Suter also scored. Matt Dumba registered three assists, and Jared Spurgeon added two assists.
Tomas Plekanec scored with 8.5 seconds left in the game for the Canadiens lone goal.
Predators 2, Bruins 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Juuse Saros stopped 35 shots as Nashville overcame Boston at Bridgestone Arena.
Austin Watson and Forsberg scored for the Predators, and Torey Krug had the Bruins' goal.
Making just his eighth start as the durable Pekka Rinne got a game off, Saros kept Ryan Spooner from tying it with just under six minutes left, making a spectacular kick save on a Grade A chance from the right post.
Stars 5, Red Wings 2
DALLAS -- Goals from John Klingberg and Stephen Johns 49 seconds apart late in the second period and Antti Niemi stopping 31 of 33 shots led Dallas over Detroit at American Airlines Center.
Lauri Korpikoski, Brett Ritchie and Patrick Eaves also scored for the Stars, who won only their second game against an Eastern Conference foe this season.
The Red Wings got goals from Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist, and each added an assist.
Oilers 3, Devils 2 (OT)
EDMONTON, Alberta -- Leon Draisaitl had three points, including the overtime winner, as Edmonton beat New Jersey.
Draisaitl rifled home a feed from Connor McDavid for the game winner. McDavid had two assists on the night.
Patrick Maroon and Andrej Sekera also scored for the Oilers while Travis Zajac and Steven Santini scored for the Devils.
Ducks 4, Avalanche 1
DENVER -- Rickard Rakell had a goal and an assist, John Gibson had 33 saves, and Anaheim beat struggling Colorado.
Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry and Jakob Silfverberg also scored and Ryan Getzlaf had an assist in his return to the lineup for the Ducks.
Semyon Varlamov stopped 28 shots in his return to action after missing seven games with a groin injury, and Nathan MacKinnon scored the only goal for the Avalanche.
Kings 5, Blues 1
LOS ANGELES -- Jake Muzzin and Tanner Pearson scored two goals each as Los Angeles defeated St. Louis.
Trevor Lewis also scored a goal and Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown and Marian Gaborik each recorded two assists for the Kings. Peter Budaj made 21 saves to win his 19th game of the season, his highest total since the 2008-'09 season.
Peter Stastny scored the lone goal for the Blues and Jake Allen stopped 12 of 15 shots before being pulled in the second period for Carter Hutton.
By The Sports Xchange
TAMPA, Fla. -- The return of goalie Ben Bishop sparked the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres, snapping their four-game losing streak on Thursday night at Amalie Arena.
Tampa Bay got two goals from Ondrej Palat, rallying from an early deficit to cool off the Sabres , who were 3-0-1 in their last four. Bishop stopped 24 shots in his first action in three weeks after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.
Anton Stralman and Nikita Kucherov also scored for the Lightning while Evander Kane and Matt Moulson scored for the Sabres.
Flyers 5, Canucks 4 (SO)
PHILADELPHIA -- Claude Giroux scored the only goal of the shootout and Michael Neuvirth stopped Markus Granlund, Bo Horvat and Loui Eriksson in the tiebreaker, giving Philadelphia a come-from-behind win over Vancouver.
Travis Konecny, Pierre-Edouard Bellmare, Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn scored regulation goals for the Flyers, who won for just the second time in eight games.
The Canucks got two goals from Markus Granlund, a goal and an assist from Brandon Sutter and Daniel Sedin, and two assists from Jayson Megna and Troy Stecher.
Senators 4, Penguins 1
OTTAWA -- Stellar goaltending by Mike Condon and strong special teams play sparked Ottawa to victory over Pittsburgh at Canadian Tire Centre.
Condon made 29 stops for his 10th win of the season. Bobby Ryan, Mike Hoffman, Tom Pyatt and Mark Stone scored for the Senators, while Conor Sheary replied for the Penguins.
Matt Murray, who returned from a lower-body injury to play his first game since Dec. 28, made 29 saves for Pittsburgh.
Wild 7, Canadiens 1
SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Devan Dubnyk made 20 saves and Nino Niederreiter scored twice as Minnesota routed Montreal.
The Wilds got a goal and two assists from Eric Staal while Christian Folin, Jordan Schroeder, Jason Zucker and Ryan Suter also scored. Matt Dumba registered three assists, and Jared Spurgeon added two assists.
Tomas Plekanec scored with 8.5 seconds left in the game for the Canadiens lone goal.
Predators 2, Bruins 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Juuse Saros stopped 35 shots as Nashville overcame Boston at Bridgestone Arena.
Austin Watson and Forsberg scored for the Predators, and Torey Krug had the Bruins' goal.
Making just his eighth start as the durable Pekka Rinne got a game off, Saros kept Ryan Spooner from tying it with just under six minutes left, making a spectacular kick save on a Grade A chance from the right post.
Stars 5, Red Wings 2
DALLAS -- Goals from John Klingberg and Stephen Johns 49 seconds apart late in the second period and Antti Niemi stopping 31 of 33 shots led Dallas over Detroit at American Airlines Center.
Lauri Korpikoski, Brett Ritchie and Patrick Eaves also scored for the Stars, who won only their second game against an Eastern Conference foe this season.
The Red Wings got goals from Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist, and each added an assist.
Oilers 3, Devils 2 (OT)
EDMONTON, Alberta -- Leon Draisaitl had three points, including the overtime winner, as Edmonton beat New Jersey.
Draisaitl rifled home a feed from Connor McDavid for the game winner. McDavid had two assists on the night.
Patrick Maroon and Andrej Sekera also scored for the Oilers while Travis Zajac and Steven Santini scored for the Devils.
Ducks 4, Avalanche 1
DENVER -- Rickard Rakell had a goal and an assist, John Gibson had 33 saves, and Anaheim beat struggling Colorado.
Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry and Jakob Silfverberg also scored and Ryan Getzlaf had an assist in his return to the lineup for the Ducks.
Semyon Varlamov stopped 28 shots in his return to action after missing seven games with a groin injury, and Nathan MacKinnon scored the only goal for the Avalanche.
Kings 5, Blues 1
LOS ANGELES -- Jake Muzzin and Tanner Pearson scored two goals each as Los Angeles defeated St. Louis.
Trevor Lewis also scored a goal and Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown and Marian Gaborik each recorded two assists for the Kings. Peter Budaj made 21 saves to win his 19th game of the season, his highest total since the 2008-'09 season.
Peter Stastny scored the lone goal for the Blues and Jake Allen stopped 12 of 15 shots before being pulled in the second period for Carter Hutton.
Preview: Blackhawks (27-12) at Capitals (27-9)
Date: January 13, 2017 7:00 PM EDT
WASHINGTON -- The Washington Capitals' home ice has lately been a graveyard for visiting teams' winning streaks and now it's the Chicago Blackhawks' turn to try their luck.
The Central Division-leading Blackhawks (27-12-5) bring a four-game winning streak into Friday's game with the Capitals, who are on a streak of their own. Washington (27-9-5) has won seven straight and along the way ended runs by Columbus (16 games) and Pittsburgh (five games) at Verizon Center.
Alex Ovechkin's goal at 35 seconds of the first period got the Capitals started against the Penguins on Wednesday night. It was Ovechkin's 1,000th career point and he added a power play goal in the second period.
Washington also got goals from Justin Williams, Nicklas Backstrom and Lars Eller.
"We're getting contributions from everyone," said Williams, whose goal was his 12th of the season. "If you look at the time on ice, we're spreading it around pretty good so everyone feels a part of it and everyone's contributing, which is vital to success."
Backstrom, who had a goal and three assists, added, "We've been talking a lot about details -- being in the right position, playing smart and puck management. I feel like when do that we usually have a good game."
It also helps to have a goaltender as hot as Braden Holtby, who has allowed three goals in his last four games. He'll bring a 5-2 career record and 2.55 goals-against average against Chicago into Friday's game. That includes a 3-2 overtime win at Chicago in November.
The Blackhawks' four straight wins have all come at home, including Tuesday night's 4-3 overtime affair against the Red Wings. Chicago improved to 17-6-5 in one-goal games.
"We'd like to win by a little bit more of a cushion," defenseman Brian Campbell told the Chicago Sun-Times. "At least we're in every game, I guess."
Against Detroit, the Blackhawks led 2-0, trailed 3-2 and won in overtime on Duncan Keith's goal
"We've been finding ways to win," Keith told the Chicago Tribune. "We do a lot of good things. But there have been times where we still have to be better, whether it's lapses in the game or whatnot. I thought we did what we had to."
Keith is one of four Blackhawks with more than 30 points, led by top-10n NHL scorers Patrick Kane (12 goals, 33 assists) and Artemi Panarin (17 goals and 25 assists). The Blackhawks have also been getting scoring from the third line of Ryan Hartman, Tanner Kero and Richard Panik, which scored two goals on Tuesday night after Hartman's hat trick on Sunday.
"They have some physicality in the puck area, they have some separation," coach Joel Quenneville told the Tribune.
Crawford is 3-3-2 with a 3.26 GAA against Washington. Marian Hossa has 25 goals and 33 assists in 53 games against the Capitals.
Ovechkin, who has eight goals and four assists in 13 games against Chicago, has four goals and three assists in his last five games overall.
Washington has outscored opponents 29-11 during its season-high winning streak.
"Yeah, we're winning," Ovechkin said, "but I'm hoping our best hockey's going to be a little bit later."
Date: January 13, 2017 7:00 PM EDT
WASHINGTON -- The Washington Capitals' home ice has lately been a graveyard for visiting teams' winning streaks and now it's the Chicago Blackhawks' turn to try their luck.
The Central Division-leading Blackhawks (27-12-5) bring a four-game winning streak into Friday's game with the Capitals, who are on a streak of their own. Washington (27-9-5) has won seven straight and along the way ended runs by Columbus (16 games) and Pittsburgh (five games) at Verizon Center.
Alex Ovechkin's goal at 35 seconds of the first period got the Capitals started against the Penguins on Wednesday night. It was Ovechkin's 1,000th career point and he added a power play goal in the second period.
Washington also got goals from Justin Williams, Nicklas Backstrom and Lars Eller.
"We're getting contributions from everyone," said Williams, whose goal was his 12th of the season. "If you look at the time on ice, we're spreading it around pretty good so everyone feels a part of it and everyone's contributing, which is vital to success."
Backstrom, who had a goal and three assists, added, "We've been talking a lot about details -- being in the right position, playing smart and puck management. I feel like when do that we usually have a good game."
It also helps to have a goaltender as hot as Braden Holtby, who has allowed three goals in his last four games. He'll bring a 5-2 career record and 2.55 goals-against average against Chicago into Friday's game. That includes a 3-2 overtime win at Chicago in November.
The Blackhawks' four straight wins have all come at home, including Tuesday night's 4-3 overtime affair against the Red Wings. Chicago improved to 17-6-5 in one-goal games.
"We'd like to win by a little bit more of a cushion," defenseman Brian Campbell told the Chicago Sun-Times. "At least we're in every game, I guess."
Against Detroit, the Blackhawks led 2-0, trailed 3-2 and won in overtime on Duncan Keith's goal
"We've been finding ways to win," Keith told the Chicago Tribune. "We do a lot of good things. But there have been times where we still have to be better, whether it's lapses in the game or whatnot. I thought we did what we had to."
Keith is one of four Blackhawks with more than 30 points, led by top-10n NHL scorers Patrick Kane (12 goals, 33 assists) and Artemi Panarin (17 goals and 25 assists). The Blackhawks have also been getting scoring from the third line of Ryan Hartman, Tanner Kero and Richard Panik, which scored two goals on Tuesday night after Hartman's hat trick on Sunday.
"They have some physicality in the puck area, they have some separation," coach Joel Quenneville told the Tribune.
Crawford is 3-3-2 with a 3.26 GAA against Washington. Marian Hossa has 25 goals and 33 assists in 53 games against the Capitals.
Ovechkin, who has eight goals and four assists in 13 games against Chicago, has four goals and three assists in his last five games overall.
Washington has outscored opponents 29-11 during its season-high winning streak.
"Yeah, we're winning," Ovechkin said, "but I'm hoping our best hockey's going to be a little bit later."
Preview: Maple Leafs (18-13) at Rangers (28-13)
Date: January 13, 2017 7:00 PM EDT
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot to like about their 2016-17 season.
They appear to be ahead of schedule with their rebuild, as they are within striking distance of a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division as they come to New York to face the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Friday. One year after finishing with the worst record in the league, rookie Auston Matthews has helped propel to the Leafs to postseason contender.
If there's one area that's been a consistent sore spot, it's the role of backup goaltender. Starter Frederik Andersen has been steady after arriving in a trade from Anaheim and signing a five-year deal with the Leafs in the offseason. But the backup spot has been a black hole, but the Leafs are hoping they solved it.
The Leafs claimed Curtis McElhinney off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. The 33-year-old went 2-1-2 with a .924 save percentage this season with the Blue Jackets and Leafs coach Mike Babcock said there's a chance he could be in net against the Rangers.
"He's a veteran," said GM Lou Lamoriello. "He has taken some pretty good minutes as a backup. He's had a pretty good year. We felt this would be a positive thing."
Andersen is on pace to start 70 games this season, which would be nearly 20 more than his career-best, so the Leafs could look to use McElhinney as often as possible over the second half to keep their starter fresh.
"We have no question he can do that, we just have to make sure how we monitor it," Lamoriello said to the Toronto Sun, adding that he hasn't seen signs of weariness in Andersen. "With Freddie's demeanor, one of his biggest assets is his coolness. I just like his composure."
Whether it's Andersen or McElhinney, the Rangers will be facing a Leafs squad that's been playing well over the past month. Their 5-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday before their bye week was the Leafs' first regulation loss since Dec. 19, a span of seven games.
The Rangers are also coming out of a bye after playing well leading into it. They have won five of six and have scored 27 goals during the stretch. After hovering about four goals per game for most of the first month of the season, the Rangers are scoring 3.48 goals per game for the season the second-best mark in the league.
The scary thing for the Leafs -- the Rangers could be even more dangerous than they have been recently when they take the ice Friday.
Rick Nash will return from an eight-game absence due to a groin injury, while rookie winger Pavel Buchnevich is done with rehabbing his back and will play for the first time since Nov. 12. Nash (20 points in 30 games) and Buchnevich (eight points in 10 games) will make the Rangers even deeper.
"It feels ready to go," Nash said to Newsday. "It was a tough practice (Thursday). There hasn't been much practice time, but that's just the way it goes. You're always nervous before a game, coming back from an injury, but I'm looking forward to get it going."
It's not all good news, as the team revealed Thursday that defenseman Marc Staal has missed the past two games because of concussion symptoms. He missed 36 games at the start of the 2011-12 season due to concussion symptoms lingering from the previous season and was out 10 more games in December 2013 because of a concussion.
Still, it's more good news than bad when it comes to the Rangers, who are getting healthier as they embark on the second half of their season.
"I think you can see we can do some special things here with this group," Ryan McDonagh said to the Daily News before the bye week. "It's only gonna get hopefully better here when we get healthy.
Date: January 13, 2017 7:00 PM EDT
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot to like about their 2016-17 season.
They appear to be ahead of schedule with their rebuild, as they are within striking distance of a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division as they come to New York to face the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Friday. One year after finishing with the worst record in the league, rookie Auston Matthews has helped propel to the Leafs to postseason contender.
If there's one area that's been a consistent sore spot, it's the role of backup goaltender. Starter Frederik Andersen has been steady after arriving in a trade from Anaheim and signing a five-year deal with the Leafs in the offseason. But the backup spot has been a black hole, but the Leafs are hoping they solved it.
The Leafs claimed Curtis McElhinney off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. The 33-year-old went 2-1-2 with a .924 save percentage this season with the Blue Jackets and Leafs coach Mike Babcock said there's a chance he could be in net against the Rangers.
"He's a veteran," said GM Lou Lamoriello. "He has taken some pretty good minutes as a backup. He's had a pretty good year. We felt this would be a positive thing."
Andersen is on pace to start 70 games this season, which would be nearly 20 more than his career-best, so the Leafs could look to use McElhinney as often as possible over the second half to keep their starter fresh.
"We have no question he can do that, we just have to make sure how we monitor it," Lamoriello said to the Toronto Sun, adding that he hasn't seen signs of weariness in Andersen. "With Freddie's demeanor, one of his biggest assets is his coolness. I just like his composure."
Whether it's Andersen or McElhinney, the Rangers will be facing a Leafs squad that's been playing well over the past month. Their 5-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday before their bye week was the Leafs' first regulation loss since Dec. 19, a span of seven games.
The Rangers are also coming out of a bye after playing well leading into it. They have won five of six and have scored 27 goals during the stretch. After hovering about four goals per game for most of the first month of the season, the Rangers are scoring 3.48 goals per game for the season the second-best mark in the league.
The scary thing for the Leafs -- the Rangers could be even more dangerous than they have been recently when they take the ice Friday.
Rick Nash will return from an eight-game absence due to a groin injury, while rookie winger Pavel Buchnevich is done with rehabbing his back and will play for the first time since Nov. 12. Nash (20 points in 30 games) and Buchnevich (eight points in 10 games) will make the Rangers even deeper.
"It feels ready to go," Nash said to Newsday. "It was a tough practice (Thursday). There hasn't been much practice time, but that's just the way it goes. You're always nervous before a game, coming back from an injury, but I'm looking forward to get it going."
It's not all good news, as the team revealed Thursday that defenseman Marc Staal has missed the past two games because of concussion symptoms. He missed 36 games at the start of the 2011-12 season due to concussion symptoms lingering from the previous season and was out 10 more games in December 2013 because of a concussion.
Still, it's more good news than bad when it comes to the Rangers, who are getting healthier as they embark on the second half of their season.
"I think you can see we can do some special things here with this group," Ryan McDonagh said to the Daily News before the bye week. "It's only gonna get hopefully better here when we get healthy.
Preview: Islanders (15-16) at Panthers (19-16)
Date: January 13, 2017 7:30 PM EDT
SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers have won four straight road games, but there's just one problem -- the NHL is forcing them to come home.
That's right, the Panthers, who surprisingly won the 2016 Atlantic Division only to suffer through a brutal first half of this season complete with a fired coach, significant injuries and dwindling crowds, will be home on Friday to face the New York Islanders at the BB&T Center.
"On the road," interim Panthers coach Tom Rowe said on Wednesday, "we play a lot more simple."
That's how they beat the host Islanders 2-1 on Wednesday. That's how they beat the host New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Monday. And that's how that four-game road win streak has been built, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 11-3.
On this week's two-game trip to New York/New Jersey, the Panthers players brought their fathers as part of team bonding.
"(The dads) are starting to think they are good luck," Panthers defensemen Michael Morrison told the media.
Perhaps the dads need to be at the BB&T Center more often because the last time Florida was home, it wasn't pretty. The Panthers managed just one win in three games and got routed 4-1 by the Winnipeg Jets and 4-0 by the Boston Bruins.
After the Islanders, the Panthers play one of the best teams in the league, the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. The Panthers will then hit the road and won't return for 12 days.
Here's another interesting scheduling quirk for the Panthers: After playing on back-to-back nights Friday and Saturday and again Tuesday and Wednesday, the Panthers won't play two in a row for two months.
That means the team will get a chance to rest. They will get a chance to practice. They will get a chance to work on things in the hopes of improving weaknesses -- all good things.
But it really means nothing if the team cannot drastically improve at home.
The Panthers (19-16-8) are 10-8-3 at home this season and 9-8-5 on the road. They have failed to get two points 11 of out 21 times at home, and that inconsistency explains why the team doesn't have even a three-game win streak this season.
Florida has 46 points, which, as of Thursday morning, would have tied it with the Ottawa Senators for the third -- and likely final -- playoff position in the Atlantic except for one significant problem. The Panthers have played 43 games -- four more than Ottawa.
The Senators will have ample opportunity to put the Panthers in their collective rear-view mirror.
But as bad as the Panthers have had it with their poor first half and their home-ice issues, the Islanders have had it worse.
The Islanders (15-16-8) have just 38 points, which puts them dead last in the 16-team Eastern Conference. That's surprising given that the Islanders actually made the playoffs last year, defeating the Panthers in the first round.
That is also surprising because the Islanders have a superstar center in John Tavares. This was supposed to be a team on the rise.
But the Islanders, who are in the midst of a tough stretch in which they will play seven of eight games on the road, have lost four of their past five (1-2-2).
Islanders coach Jack Capuano threatened changes after Wednesday's loss.
"There will be guys who will be out of the lineup next game," Capuano said. "There is no doubt about that. That's the accountability as a coach."
Capuano was particularly upset with a second period in which the Islanders were outscored 1-0.
"That was probably the worst second period we've played all year," he said. "Certain guys should have just stayed in the locker-room. It was bad."
In other story lines:
= The Panthers are 2-0-0 against the Islanders this season, although they needed overtime to win 3-2 at the BB&T Center on Nov. 12.
= Panthers center Vincent Trocheck was named a first-time NHL All-Star earlier this week. Tavares, a third-time All-Star, will represent the Islanders.
= Florida defensemen have been getting involved in the attack. On Wednesday for example, both Panthers goals were scored by defensemen -- Keith Yandle and Jason Demers.
Yandle is fifth on the team with 20 points. Demers is tied for sixth with 17 points, including eight goals, tops on the team for a defenseman.
Matheson, a rookie, has 12 points. Aaron Ekblad, an All-Star last year, has 11 points, including seven goals.
Date: January 13, 2017 7:30 PM EDT
SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers have won four straight road games, but there's just one problem -- the NHL is forcing them to come home.
That's right, the Panthers, who surprisingly won the 2016 Atlantic Division only to suffer through a brutal first half of this season complete with a fired coach, significant injuries and dwindling crowds, will be home on Friday to face the New York Islanders at the BB&T Center.
"On the road," interim Panthers coach Tom Rowe said on Wednesday, "we play a lot more simple."
That's how they beat the host Islanders 2-1 on Wednesday. That's how they beat the host New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Monday. And that's how that four-game road win streak has been built, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 11-3.
On this week's two-game trip to New York/New Jersey, the Panthers players brought their fathers as part of team bonding.
"(The dads) are starting to think they are good luck," Panthers defensemen Michael Morrison told the media.
Perhaps the dads need to be at the BB&T Center more often because the last time Florida was home, it wasn't pretty. The Panthers managed just one win in three games and got routed 4-1 by the Winnipeg Jets and 4-0 by the Boston Bruins.
After the Islanders, the Panthers play one of the best teams in the league, the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. The Panthers will then hit the road and won't return for 12 days.
Here's another interesting scheduling quirk for the Panthers: After playing on back-to-back nights Friday and Saturday and again Tuesday and Wednesday, the Panthers won't play two in a row for two months.
That means the team will get a chance to rest. They will get a chance to practice. They will get a chance to work on things in the hopes of improving weaknesses -- all good things.
But it really means nothing if the team cannot drastically improve at home.
The Panthers (19-16-8) are 10-8-3 at home this season and 9-8-5 on the road. They have failed to get two points 11 of out 21 times at home, and that inconsistency explains why the team doesn't have even a three-game win streak this season.
Florida has 46 points, which, as of Thursday morning, would have tied it with the Ottawa Senators for the third -- and likely final -- playoff position in the Atlantic except for one significant problem. The Panthers have played 43 games -- four more than Ottawa.
The Senators will have ample opportunity to put the Panthers in their collective rear-view mirror.
But as bad as the Panthers have had it with their poor first half and their home-ice issues, the Islanders have had it worse.
The Islanders (15-16-8) have just 38 points, which puts them dead last in the 16-team Eastern Conference. That's surprising given that the Islanders actually made the playoffs last year, defeating the Panthers in the first round.
That is also surprising because the Islanders have a superstar center in John Tavares. This was supposed to be a team on the rise.
But the Islanders, who are in the midst of a tough stretch in which they will play seven of eight games on the road, have lost four of their past five (1-2-2).
Islanders coach Jack Capuano threatened changes after Wednesday's loss.
"There will be guys who will be out of the lineup next game," Capuano said. "There is no doubt about that. That's the accountability as a coach."
Capuano was particularly upset with a second period in which the Islanders were outscored 1-0.
"That was probably the worst second period we've played all year," he said. "Certain guys should have just stayed in the locker-room. It was bad."
In other story lines:
= The Panthers are 2-0-0 against the Islanders this season, although they needed overtime to win 3-2 at the BB&T Center on Nov. 12.
= Panthers center Vincent Trocheck was named a first-time NHL All-Star earlier this week. Tavares, a third-time All-Star, will represent the Islanders.
= Florida defensemen have been getting involved in the attack. On Wednesday for example, both Panthers goals were scored by defensemen -- Keith Yandle and Jason Demers.
Yandle is fifth on the team with 20 points. Demers is tied for sixth with 17 points, including eight goals, tops on the team for a defenseman.
Matheson, a rookie, has 12 points. Aaron Ekblad, an All-Star last year, has 11 points, including seven goals.
Preview: Sabres (16-16) at Hurricanes (19-15)
Date: January 13, 2017 7:30 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes have had a solid stretch to reach the midway mark of their season.
They need it to be even better across the second half.
"We know we're going to have to go at a better pace than we did in the first half (of the season)," Carolina coach Bill Peters said. "There's 41 games left. There's a lot of points left on the table. At some point we are going to have to go on a big-time, continuous streak."
They begin that quest Friday night against the visiting Buffalo Sabres at PNC Arena.
Both teams are out of the playoff mix at the moment, but the Hurricanes are on the cusp of climbing into position for a postseason spot with a 19-15-7 record.
Part of the reason for the renewed optimism comes because of victories in 12 of the last 14 home games. The matchup with Buffalo represents the third game of a four-game homestand.
Both teams have encountered the Boston Bruins in recent weeks, with the Hurricanes winning twice and the Sabres falling twice. But those results might have inspired the Sabres, who won three of five games since a pair of losses to Boston.
"Anger of not winning them. That has been a response of that disappointment and that anger," coach Dan Bylsma said. "I think you're seeing a response from our team of desperation and a desperate point in the season for us. ... Playing the right way, that's a big challenge for our group."
However, the Sabres suffered a 4-2 loss Thursday night at Tampa Bay.
The turnaround for Carolina comes after only three victories in the first 13 games.
"We shouldn't have been (with that kind of record)," Peters said. "I don't know what we should have been, but better than that."
The Hurricanes have won twice this week. While the Sabres will play in the back end of games on consecutive nights, the Hurricanes will be in a front end because they face the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
So, it's an important stretch to begin the second half of the season.
"The job is only half done. We have a lot of hockey left," Carolina left winger Jeff Skinner said. "We have a lot of games coming up against divisional opponents."
Part of the reason for Buffalo's better play at times might be a more complete lineup.
"We don't want to say we were waiting for it to settle down, but guys are getting healthy for the most part," forward Sam Reinhart said.
The Sabres have clicked at times recently on power plays and they'll be going against Carolina's strong penalty-killing units.
"If it doesn't happen this power play, we think about how it's going to help us the next power play," Reinhart said of the attitude.
Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward is scheduled to make his 18th consecutive start. It will mark his 600th career NHL game, all with Carolina.
This is the third and final meeting of the season between the teams. The Hurricanes won twice last month.
Date: January 13, 2017 7:30 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes have had a solid stretch to reach the midway mark of their season.
They need it to be even better across the second half.
"We know we're going to have to go at a better pace than we did in the first half (of the season)," Carolina coach Bill Peters said. "There's 41 games left. There's a lot of points left on the table. At some point we are going to have to go on a big-time, continuous streak."
They begin that quest Friday night against the visiting Buffalo Sabres at PNC Arena.
Both teams are out of the playoff mix at the moment, but the Hurricanes are on the cusp of climbing into position for a postseason spot with a 19-15-7 record.
Part of the reason for the renewed optimism comes because of victories in 12 of the last 14 home games. The matchup with Buffalo represents the third game of a four-game homestand.
Both teams have encountered the Boston Bruins in recent weeks, with the Hurricanes winning twice and the Sabres falling twice. But those results might have inspired the Sabres, who won three of five games since a pair of losses to Boston.
"Anger of not winning them. That has been a response of that disappointment and that anger," coach Dan Bylsma said. "I think you're seeing a response from our team of desperation and a desperate point in the season for us. ... Playing the right way, that's a big challenge for our group."
However, the Sabres suffered a 4-2 loss Thursday night at Tampa Bay.
The turnaround for Carolina comes after only three victories in the first 13 games.
"We shouldn't have been (with that kind of record)," Peters said. "I don't know what we should have been, but better than that."
The Hurricanes have won twice this week. While the Sabres will play in the back end of games on consecutive nights, the Hurricanes will be in a front end because they face the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
So, it's an important stretch to begin the second half of the season.
"The job is only half done. We have a lot of hockey left," Carolina left winger Jeff Skinner said. "We have a lot of games coming up against divisional opponents."
Part of the reason for Buffalo's better play at times might be a more complete lineup.
"We don't want to say we were waiting for it to settle down, but guys are getting healthy for the most part," forward Sam Reinhart said.
The Sabres have clicked at times recently on power plays and they'll be going against Carolina's strong penalty-killing units.
"If it doesn't happen this power play, we think about how it's going to help us the next power play," Reinhart said of the attitude.
Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward is scheduled to make his 18th consecutive start. It will mark his 600th career NHL game, all with Carolina.
This is the third and final meeting of the season between the teams. The Hurricanes won twice last month.
Preview: Blue Jackets (28-8) at Lightning (20-19)
Date: January 13, 2017 8:00 PM EDT
TAMPA, Fla. -- Just as the Tampa Bay Lightning found their way back in to the win column, the Columbus Blue Jackets looking to return to the form that allowed them to win 16 consecutive games.
Tampa Bay snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday but have little time to savor the win column, getting right back on the ice to face a Columbus squad that has outscored them 10-4 in the first two meetings this season.
But it was nice for the Lightning to pick up a much-needed victory over the Sabres.
"We've got to win. We've got to win games," Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman said. "We want to win every game, but it's a tough league. There's a team on the other end too, but for us it's about playing through our structure and playing to the way that makes us successful. (Thursday) was a step in the right direction."
The Lightning, which had given up 22 goals during the four-game winning streak, are looking to win consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 20-22.
Having Ben Bishop, who missed nine games with a lower body injury, back in the lineup is a boost to a Tampa Bay lineup looking for any sort of element to point them in a consistent wining direction.
"Right now, we're looking for a lot of things to help push us to a better place than where we were the last couple of games," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, switched some things around on Thursday as head coach John Tortorella tries to keep the team from falling into a lull after reeling off 16 straight wins from Nov. 29 to Jan. 3, a streak that started with a victory over the Lightning.
But since the streak ended, Columbus has won just one of the past four, allowing five goals in three of those games.
"I think we need a 'reset' as far as some of the grind of the game," Tortorella said after a practice at Amalie Arena on Thursday. "You score some goals, you have a little scrutiny as far as the winning, and you forget about the nuts and bolts.
"Today's tape was about that. Today's meeting was about that. It's just resetting it, as far as who we really are, and trying to get us back to that."
Tortorella shuffled the lines around a little bit -- though he didn't commit to the lines at practice being the lines to start the game -- and moved personnel around on the second power play unit.
"It just seemed stale to us," Tortorella said. "We weren't developing a lot against Carolina. I don't think we gave up much, but we didn't develop enough until we changed (the lines)."
While Bishop returned to net for Tampa Bay on Thursday, the Blue Jackets are expected to have Sergei Bobrovsky back after he missed Tuesday's game at Carolina with the flu. Columbus sent goaltender Anton Forsberg back to Cleveland after practice.
Date: January 13, 2017 8:00 PM EDT
TAMPA, Fla. -- Just as the Tampa Bay Lightning found their way back in to the win column, the Columbus Blue Jackets looking to return to the form that allowed them to win 16 consecutive games.
Tampa Bay snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday but have little time to savor the win column, getting right back on the ice to face a Columbus squad that has outscored them 10-4 in the first two meetings this season.
But it was nice for the Lightning to pick up a much-needed victory over the Sabres.
"We've got to win. We've got to win games," Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman said. "We want to win every game, but it's a tough league. There's a team on the other end too, but for us it's about playing through our structure and playing to the way that makes us successful. (Thursday) was a step in the right direction."
The Lightning, which had given up 22 goals during the four-game winning streak, are looking to win consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 20-22.
Having Ben Bishop, who missed nine games with a lower body injury, back in the lineup is a boost to a Tampa Bay lineup looking for any sort of element to point them in a consistent wining direction.
"Right now, we're looking for a lot of things to help push us to a better place than where we were the last couple of games," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, switched some things around on Thursday as head coach John Tortorella tries to keep the team from falling into a lull after reeling off 16 straight wins from Nov. 29 to Jan. 3, a streak that started with a victory over the Lightning.
But since the streak ended, Columbus has won just one of the past four, allowing five goals in three of those games.
"I think we need a 'reset' as far as some of the grind of the game," Tortorella said after a practice at Amalie Arena on Thursday. "You score some goals, you have a little scrutiny as far as the winning, and you forget about the nuts and bolts.
"Today's tape was about that. Today's meeting was about that. It's just resetting it, as far as who we really are, and trying to get us back to that."
Tortorella shuffled the lines around a little bit -- though he didn't commit to the lines at practice being the lines to start the game -- and moved personnel around on the second power play unit.
"It just seemed stale to us," Tortorella said. "We weren't developing a lot against Carolina. I don't think we gave up much, but we didn't develop enough until we changed (the lines)."
While Bishop returned to net for Tampa Bay on Thursday, the Blue Jackets are expected to have Sergei Bobrovsky back after he missed Tuesday's game at Carolina with the flu. Columbus sent goaltender Anton Forsberg back to Cleveland after practice.
Preview: Jets (20-21) at Coyotes (12-22)
Date: January 13, 2017 9:00 PM EDT
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Coyotes coach Dave Tippett is still waiting to get acquainted with a former Winnipeg Jets center, but he has a good read on a current Jets center.
Former Jet Alex Burmistrov will not make his long-awaited Arizona debut against his old team on Friday after the Coyotes claimed him off waivers from Winnipeg on Jan. 2. Burmistrov was expected to arrive in the Valley on Thursday night after a 10-day wait for his work visa, and as Dave Vest of arizonacoyotes.com reported, the return of his passport.
Tippett was hopeful that Burmistrov would skate with the team on Friday morning but said he likely won't play against his old team that night at Gila River Arena.
"He hasn't skated in over a week now," said Tippett, who wasn't sure if Burmistrov would play Saturday vs. Anaheim. "We'll get him back and get him up and going."
Tippett will get another look at Jets center Mark Scheifele, who played for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey this summer while Tippett was on that coaching staff.
"You could tell then that he was a young player that was going to be a really good player and this year is the first year that he's really stepped out," Tippett said. "His point totals and the leadership qualities he's bringing -- he's been a really good player for that team."
Scheifele, 23, leads the Jets with 39 points (19 goals) and he was 11th in points before Thursday's games. Coming off a 61-point season, he signed an eight-year, $49 million deal this summer that some analysts termed a risk, but he is on pace for career highs in every offensive category.
"He's a smart player and a really dedicated player," Tippett said. "He's just a real pleasant, classy guy."
The Jets enter the game smarting after a 7-4 home loss to Montreal on Wednesday that earned the ire of their coach, Paul Maurice.
"We were horse(crap) right from the drop of the puck until the very end of it," said Maurice, who has not named a starter in goal against the Coyotes after Michael Hutchinson allowed four goals on 23 shots and Connor Hellebuyck allowed three goals on seven shots against Montreal.
Jets rookie right winger Patrik Laine is still dealing with a concussion and did not make the trip. Defenseman Tyler Myers took a leave from the team to attend to a family matter, but he is still on injured reserve with a back injury. Left winger Mark Dano (lower body) is on injured reserve and out six more weeks. Defenseman Ben Chiarot (illness) is day-to-day and did not practice, but Maurice has not ruled him out of Friday's game.
Coyotes center Brad Richardson (broken right tibia and fibula) and left winger Max Domi (hand) are out indefinitely. Right winger Jordan Martinook (upper body) and right winger Ryan White (lower body) are day-to-day. Mike Smith, who was selected to the 2017 NHL All-Star team on Wednesday, will start in goal for Arizona.
Date: January 13, 2017 9:00 PM EDT
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Coyotes coach Dave Tippett is still waiting to get acquainted with a former Winnipeg Jets center, but he has a good read on a current Jets center.
Former Jet Alex Burmistrov will not make his long-awaited Arizona debut against his old team on Friday after the Coyotes claimed him off waivers from Winnipeg on Jan. 2. Burmistrov was expected to arrive in the Valley on Thursday night after a 10-day wait for his work visa, and as Dave Vest of arizonacoyotes.com reported, the return of his passport.
Tippett was hopeful that Burmistrov would skate with the team on Friday morning but said he likely won't play against his old team that night at Gila River Arena.
"He hasn't skated in over a week now," said Tippett, who wasn't sure if Burmistrov would play Saturday vs. Anaheim. "We'll get him back and get him up and going."
Tippett will get another look at Jets center Mark Scheifele, who played for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey this summer while Tippett was on that coaching staff.
"You could tell then that he was a young player that was going to be a really good player and this year is the first year that he's really stepped out," Tippett said. "His point totals and the leadership qualities he's bringing -- he's been a really good player for that team."
Scheifele, 23, leads the Jets with 39 points (19 goals) and he was 11th in points before Thursday's games. Coming off a 61-point season, he signed an eight-year, $49 million deal this summer that some analysts termed a risk, but he is on pace for career highs in every offensive category.
"He's a smart player and a really dedicated player," Tippett said. "He's just a real pleasant, classy guy."
The Jets enter the game smarting after a 7-4 home loss to Montreal on Wednesday that earned the ire of their coach, Paul Maurice.
"We were horse(crap) right from the drop of the puck until the very end of it," said Maurice, who has not named a starter in goal against the Coyotes after Michael Hutchinson allowed four goals on 23 shots and Connor Hellebuyck allowed three goals on seven shots against Montreal.
Jets rookie right winger Patrik Laine is still dealing with a concussion and did not make the trip. Defenseman Tyler Myers took a leave from the team to attend to a family matter, but he is still on injured reserve with a back injury. Left winger Mark Dano (lower body) is on injured reserve and out six more weeks. Defenseman Ben Chiarot (illness) is day-to-day and did not practice, but Maurice has not ruled him out of Friday's game.
Coyotes center Brad Richardson (broken right tibia and fibula) and left winger Max Domi (hand) are out indefinitely. Right winger Jordan Martinook (upper body) and right winger Ryan White (lower body) are day-to-day. Mike Smith, who was selected to the 2017 NHL All-Star team on Wednesday, will start in goal for Arizona.
Preview: Devils (16-18) at Flames (23-19)
Date: January 13, 2017 9:00 PM EDT
CALGARY -- Heading into his rookie NHL season with the Calgary Flames, Matthew Tkachuk didn't know what to expect.
After scoring once and setting up another in Calgary's 3-2 win at home over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, Tkachuk has now put up eight goals and 19 assists in his first 40 professional games.
"I wouldn't have known what to say just because I'd never played in this league," said Tkachuk, who moved into a tie with Johnny Gaudreau at 27 points for second place on the Flames in scoring, just two points back of linemate Mikael Backlund. "I know what to expect from myself every night, but I don't know what to expect from the other teams yet. I probably would have said, 'Let's just wait and see.'"
While Tkachuk's impressive nine-game, point-scoring streak ended abruptly on Monday when Calgary lost 2-0 on the road to the Winnipeg Jets, the 19-year-old left winger is hoping to build off Wednesday's two-point performance and perhaps start a new streak when the Flames host the New Jersey Devils at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday.
"Things have been going good for our line," said Tkachuk, who has found success playing alongside Backlund at center and Michael Frolik on right wing. "We seem to be producing more offense, so it's good to get a couple goals every once in a while."
Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan has been impressed with the composure Tkachuk has shown in his rookie campaign.
"He's surprised me," said Gulutzan. "For a young guy, I haven't seen that. I've seen talent in young players, a lot of it -- loads of it -- and competitiveness, but just the way he's managed the game and been able to play against the top players, I've not seen that."
The Flames may also benefit from the return of right winger Troy Brouwer from an eight-game absence due to a broken finger he sustained during a 4-1 win at home over the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 23.
Brouwer practiced with the Flames on Thursday on a line with center Sean Monahan and left winger Kris Versteeg and is hoping to be cleared by team doctors to play against the Devils on Friday.
"Now it's getting up to game speed, making sure that I'm not making mistakes, trying to find that flow on the ice and just fit in," Brouwer told Flames TV. "Hopefully whoever I'm playing with will help me out, be patient for a period or two."
Meanwhile, the Devils will be looking to bounce back from a 3-2 overtime loss they suffered in Edmonton to the Oilers on Thursday night.
The Devils led 2-1 after two periods thanks to goals from Travis Zajac and Steven Santini before the Oilers rallied with goals by Patrick Maroon in the third and Leon Draisaitl in overtime.
"In the third period, we've got to lock that up," said Devils left winger Taylor Hall after the disappointing setback. "I feel like we sit back on leads sometimes and that's not the way to go especially against a team like that. There's a way to sit on leads, there's a smart way, and we didn't do that, so it's definitely tough to take."
After starting 2017 with two straight wins, the Devils have lost four in a row (0-2-2). New Jersey coach John Hynes doesn't mind that his squad will have to get right back at it against the Flames less than 24 hours after losing in OT to the Oilers.
"It will be good," said Hynes. "Any time you don't have the result you want, it's better to get right back at it, and we have that opportunity."
Date: January 13, 2017 9:00 PM EDT
CALGARY -- Heading into his rookie NHL season with the Calgary Flames, Matthew Tkachuk didn't know what to expect.
After scoring once and setting up another in Calgary's 3-2 win at home over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, Tkachuk has now put up eight goals and 19 assists in his first 40 professional games.
"I wouldn't have known what to say just because I'd never played in this league," said Tkachuk, who moved into a tie with Johnny Gaudreau at 27 points for second place on the Flames in scoring, just two points back of linemate Mikael Backlund. "I know what to expect from myself every night, but I don't know what to expect from the other teams yet. I probably would have said, 'Let's just wait and see.'"
While Tkachuk's impressive nine-game, point-scoring streak ended abruptly on Monday when Calgary lost 2-0 on the road to the Winnipeg Jets, the 19-year-old left winger is hoping to build off Wednesday's two-point performance and perhaps start a new streak when the Flames host the New Jersey Devils at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday.
"Things have been going good for our line," said Tkachuk, who has found success playing alongside Backlund at center and Michael Frolik on right wing. "We seem to be producing more offense, so it's good to get a couple goals every once in a while."
Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan has been impressed with the composure Tkachuk has shown in his rookie campaign.
"He's surprised me," said Gulutzan. "For a young guy, I haven't seen that. I've seen talent in young players, a lot of it -- loads of it -- and competitiveness, but just the way he's managed the game and been able to play against the top players, I've not seen that."
The Flames may also benefit from the return of right winger Troy Brouwer from an eight-game absence due to a broken finger he sustained during a 4-1 win at home over the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 23.
Brouwer practiced with the Flames on Thursday on a line with center Sean Monahan and left winger Kris Versteeg and is hoping to be cleared by team doctors to play against the Devils on Friday.
"Now it's getting up to game speed, making sure that I'm not making mistakes, trying to find that flow on the ice and just fit in," Brouwer told Flames TV. "Hopefully whoever I'm playing with will help me out, be patient for a period or two."
Meanwhile, the Devils will be looking to bounce back from a 3-2 overtime loss they suffered in Edmonton to the Oilers on Thursday night.
The Devils led 2-1 after two periods thanks to goals from Travis Zajac and Steven Santini before the Oilers rallied with goals by Patrick Maroon in the third and Leon Draisaitl in overtime.
"In the third period, we've got to lock that up," said Devils left winger Taylor Hall after the disappointing setback. "I feel like we sit back on leads sometimes and that's not the way to go especially against a team like that. There's a way to sit on leads, there's a smart way, and we didn't do that, so it's definitely tough to take."
After starting 2017 with two straight wins, the Devils have lost four in a row (0-2-2). New Jersey coach John Hynes doesn't mind that his squad will have to get right back at it against the Flames less than 24 hours after losing in OT to the Oilers.
"It will be good," said Hynes. "Any time you don't have the result you want, it's better to get right back at it, and we have that opportunity."
Grand Salami - January
The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.
Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.
*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.
NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
1/1 3 16 19 OVER
1/2 3 15.5 13 UNDER
1/3 7 37.5 40 OVER
1/4 6 33.5 29 UNDER
1/5 7 37.5 45 OVER
1/6 6 32.5 26 UNDER
1/7 12 64.5 68 OVER
1/8 6 31.5 36 OVER
1/9 4 21 20 UNDER
1/10 7 37.5 41 OVER
1/11 4 21.5 26 OVER
1/12 9 48.5 54 OVER
1/13 7 - - -
1/14 12 - - -
1/15 4 - - -
1/16 7 - - -
1/17 9 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 6 - - -
1/21 11 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 6 - - -
1/24 10 - - -
1/25 4 - - -
1/26 13 - - -
1/27 No games scheduled - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 14 - - -
The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.
Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.
*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.
NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
1/1 3 16 19 OVER
1/2 3 15.5 13 UNDER
1/3 7 37.5 40 OVER
1/4 6 33.5 29 UNDER
1/5 7 37.5 45 OVER
1/6 6 32.5 26 UNDER
1/7 12 64.5 68 OVER
1/8 6 31.5 36 OVER
1/9 4 21 20 UNDER
1/10 7 37.5 41 OVER
1/11 4 21.5 26 OVER
1/12 9 48.5 54 OVER
1/13 7 - - -
1/14 12 - - -
1/15 4 - - -
1/16 7 - - -
1/17 9 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 6 - - -
1/21 11 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 6 - - -
1/24 10 - - -
1/25 4 - - -
1/26 13 - - -
1/27 No games scheduled - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 14 - - -
NHL
Friday’s games
Washington won five of last six games with Chicago; under is 4-0-2 in those games. Teams split last six games played here. Blackhawks won last four games, allowing nine goals, with two wins in OT- they lost last two road games. Three of their last four games went over. Capitals won their last seven games, allowing total of three goals in their last four- they won five of last six home games.
Rangers won their last four games with Toronto; five of last six series games went over the total. Maple Leafs lost four of last six games in Manhattan. Toronto won five of last six road games; they’re 6-2 in last eight games overall- their last four games went over the total. Rangers won five of last six games but split last four home games; seven of their last eight games went over total.
Florida won 3-2/2-1 in last two games with Islanders; four of last six series games went to OT. Teams split last four series games played here- under is 4-0-1 in last five series games. New York lost its last three games, all by 2-1 scores; they lost four of last six road games. Last three series games stayed under total. Panthers won three of last four games, allowing total of six goals; their last eight games stayed under.
Carolina won its last two games with Buffalo after losing previous four series games; Sabres lost three of last five visits to Raleigh. Last two series games stayed under. Buffalo lost five of last seven road games; they’re 3-2 in last five overall. Six of last nine series games went over total. Carolina won three of last four games, four of last five at home; three of their last four games went over total.
Columbus won last two games with Tampa Bay, after losing six of previous seven series games; Blue Jackets lost three of last five visits to Bay Area. Three of last four series games went over total. Columbus lost three of last four games since their 16-game win streak ended; they lost 5-0/5-3 in last two away games. Over is 5-2-1 in their last eight games. Lightning snapped a 4-game skid last night; their last five games went over total.
Winnipeg won eight of last ten games with Arizona; Jets won three of last five visits to desert- under is 3-2 in those five games. Winnipeg won four of its last five road games; they’re 3-2 in last five games overall. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Coyotes lost nine of their last ten games overall, five of last six at home; six of their last eight games stayed under total.
Devils lost six of their last seven games with Calgary; they lost last five games in Saddledome, giving up 22 goals (over 3-1-1). New Jersey lost their last four games, losing in Edmonton in OT last night; they split their last four road games. Under is 4-1-1 in last six games. Calgary won six of last nine games overall, four in row at home; under is 3-1-1 in their last five games.
Friday’s games
Washington won five of last six games with Chicago; under is 4-0-2 in those games. Teams split last six games played here. Blackhawks won last four games, allowing nine goals, with two wins in OT- they lost last two road games. Three of their last four games went over. Capitals won their last seven games, allowing total of three goals in their last four- they won five of last six home games.
Rangers won their last four games with Toronto; five of last six series games went over the total. Maple Leafs lost four of last six games in Manhattan. Toronto won five of last six road games; they’re 6-2 in last eight games overall- their last four games went over the total. Rangers won five of last six games but split last four home games; seven of their last eight games went over total.
Florida won 3-2/2-1 in last two games with Islanders; four of last six series games went to OT. Teams split last four series games played here- under is 4-0-1 in last five series games. New York lost its last three games, all by 2-1 scores; they lost four of last six road games. Last three series games stayed under total. Panthers won three of last four games, allowing total of six goals; their last eight games stayed under.
Carolina won its last two games with Buffalo after losing previous four series games; Sabres lost three of last five visits to Raleigh. Last two series games stayed under. Buffalo lost five of last seven road games; they’re 3-2 in last five overall. Six of last nine series games went over total. Carolina won three of last four games, four of last five at home; three of their last four games went over total.
Columbus won last two games with Tampa Bay, after losing six of previous seven series games; Blue Jackets lost three of last five visits to Bay Area. Three of last four series games went over total. Columbus lost three of last four games since their 16-game win streak ended; they lost 5-0/5-3 in last two away games. Over is 5-2-1 in their last eight games. Lightning snapped a 4-game skid last night; their last five games went over total.
Winnipeg won eight of last ten games with Arizona; Jets won three of last five visits to desert- under is 3-2 in those five games. Winnipeg won four of its last five road games; they’re 3-2 in last five games overall. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Coyotes lost nine of their last ten games overall, five of last six at home; six of their last eight games stayed under total.
Devils lost six of their last seven games with Calgary; they lost last five games in Saddledome, giving up 22 goals (over 3-1-1). New Jersey lost their last four games, losing in Edmonton in OT last night; they split their last four road games. Under is 4-1-1 in last six games. Calgary won six of last nine games overall, four in row at home; under is 3-1-1 in their last five games.
