NHL roundup: Avs earn 1st home win since November
By The Sports Xchange
DENVER -- Nathan MacKinnon scored with 16.1 seconds left in overtime and the Colorado Avalanche ended seven weeks of home futility with a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders on Friday night.
MacKinnon also had an assist and Gabriel Landeskog got the other goal for Colorado. Calvin Pickard finished with 35 saves for the Avalanche, who stopped a 10-game home winless streak.
Johnny Boychuk scored for New York and Thomas Greiss had 37 saves for the Islanders.
The Avalanche had not won at home since Nov. 14 and lost 10 of 11 overall before prevailing. Their only win in the last four weeks came Dec. 23 in Chicago. Friday was the first time they have picked up a point at Pepsi Center since a shootout loss to Vancouver on Nov. 26.
Maple Leafs 4, Devils 2
NEWARK, N.J. -- Toronto used a first-period scoring flurry to cruise past New Jersey at Prudential Center.
Nazem Kadri, Auston Matthews, Connor Brown and Tyler Bozak scored four goals over a 5:49 stretch in the first period to give the Leafs an insurmountable edge.
PA Parenteau and Jon Merrill scored for the Devils.
Blackhawks 2, Hurricanes 1
CHICAGO -- Jonathan Toews and Artemi Panarin each scored, and Chicago held on for a win over Carolina.
Scott Darling made 39 saves to earn his first win since Dec. 18 for the Blackhawks. Chicago earned its second win in a row and improved to 15-4-4 on home ice.
Victor Rask scored the Hurricanes' lone goal.
Panthers 2, Predators 1
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Jonathan Marchessault scored the go-ahead goal with 9:53 left in the third period, leading Florida over Nashville at the BB&T Center.
Panthers backup goalie James Reimer earned the win in his first January start. Greg McKegg scored the Panthers' first goal. It was his second of the season and his second in two games.
Craig Smith scored the Predators goal.
Ducks 3, Coyotes 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Ondrej Kase scored in overtime when Mike Smith was unable to clear the puck from his own crease, giving Anaheim the victory over Arizona at Honda Center.
Joseph Cramarossa and Chris Wagner also scored for the Ducks.
Martin Hanzal and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Cotoes.
Canucks 4, Flames 2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Markus Granlund scored two goals and collected an assist as Vancouver defeated Calgary to extend its winning streak to six games.
Michael Chaput and Loui Eriksson also scored for the Canucks.
Michael Frolik scored twice for the Flames, who outshot Vancouver 46-13. Mikael Backlund had two assists, giving him 11 points in six games.
By The Sports Xchange
DENVER -- Nathan MacKinnon scored with 16.1 seconds left in overtime and the Colorado Avalanche ended seven weeks of home futility with a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders on Friday night.
MacKinnon also had an assist and Gabriel Landeskog got the other goal for Colorado. Calvin Pickard finished with 35 saves for the Avalanche, who stopped a 10-game home winless streak.
Johnny Boychuk scored for New York and Thomas Greiss had 37 saves for the Islanders.
The Avalanche had not won at home since Nov. 14 and lost 10 of 11 overall before prevailing. Their only win in the last four weeks came Dec. 23 in Chicago. Friday was the first time they have picked up a point at Pepsi Center since a shootout loss to Vancouver on Nov. 26.
Maple Leafs 4, Devils 2
NEWARK, N.J. -- Toronto used a first-period scoring flurry to cruise past New Jersey at Prudential Center.
Nazem Kadri, Auston Matthews, Connor Brown and Tyler Bozak scored four goals over a 5:49 stretch in the first period to give the Leafs an insurmountable edge.
PA Parenteau and Jon Merrill scored for the Devils.
Blackhawks 2, Hurricanes 1
CHICAGO -- Jonathan Toews and Artemi Panarin each scored, and Chicago held on for a win over Carolina.
Scott Darling made 39 saves to earn his first win since Dec. 18 for the Blackhawks. Chicago earned its second win in a row and improved to 15-4-4 on home ice.
Victor Rask scored the Hurricanes' lone goal.
Panthers 2, Predators 1
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Jonathan Marchessault scored the go-ahead goal with 9:53 left in the third period, leading Florida over Nashville at the BB&T Center.
Panthers backup goalie James Reimer earned the win in his first January start. Greg McKegg scored the Panthers' first goal. It was his second of the season and his second in two games.
Craig Smith scored the Predators goal.
Ducks 3, Coyotes 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Ondrej Kase scored in overtime when Mike Smith was unable to clear the puck from his own crease, giving Anaheim the victory over Arizona at Honda Center.
Joseph Cramarossa and Chris Wagner also scored for the Ducks.
Martin Hanzal and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Cotoes.
Canucks 4, Flames 2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Markus Granlund scored two goals and collected an assist as Vancouver defeated Calgary to extend its winning streak to six games.
Michael Chaput and Loui Eriksson also scored for the Canucks.
Michael Frolik scored twice for the Flames, who outshot Vancouver 46-13. Mikael Backlund had two assists, giving him 11 points in six games.
Preview: Jets (19-19) at Sabres (14-15)
Date: January 07, 2017 1:00 PM EDT
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Winnipeg Jets have gotten off to an explosive start to the new year, and they're looking to end a three-game road trip on a high note Saturday when they take on the Buffalo Sabres.
The two teams will meet in a matinee game at 1 p.m.
After ending 2016 with back-to-back losses, Winnipeg's offense has been electric in 2017. The Jets (19-19-3) picked up a 6-4 win over Tampa Bay on Tuesday and a 4-1 victory over Florida one day later.
"It feels really good. It's what we wanted to do on this road trip and we're off to a great start," center Bryan Little told the team's website. "We're getting rewarded offensively for playing the right way. We're not cheating for our chances, we're playing a simple game and we're taking advantage when we do get those chances."
The Jets have benefited from balanced scoring across their top lines. Little had two assists in the 4-1 victory over the Panthers. Nikolaj Ehlers has eight goals in his last eight games, while rookie sensation Patrik Laine has continued his outstanding campaign with five points (two goals, three assists) in the two-game win streak.
"It's been six games since we've been pretty close to the lineup that we thought we'd start the season with," Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. "In our last two, a lot of the little smaller pieces of chemistry, of cohesion have started coming together, little things like line changes, shift length, all of those details. And I haven't moved the lines around at all for a while so now they've spent time with each other and we'd like to continue that if possible."
Laine and Mark Scheifele are currently tied for the team lead in points with 36, while Ehlers is not far behind with 35 on the season. Connor Hellebuyck (.911 save percentage, 2.70 goals against average) will start for the fourth straight game.
The Sabres (14-15-9) are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. Despite having a one-goal lead on three separate occasions, the Sabres ultimately fell in overtime to Buffalo native Patrick Kane.
"It's just tough," said Sabres center Jack Eichel, who had one goal. "We get to these situations and we're not able to put a stamp on the game. That's why we find ourselves out of the playoffs and kind of far back. It's disappointing."
Buffalo has lost three of its last five games and seven of its last nine.
The Sabres did receive a boost from center Ryan O'Reilly against the Blackhawks. O'Reilly returned after missing four games following an appendectomy during the NHL's holiday break. O'Reilly had two assists, including a pretty helper on the power play to set up Eichel.
"You see the play he makes last night, he adds a whole new dynamic," Eichel said, according to the team's website. "(He's a) left shot on the other side, creative, makes a lot of good plays, he's strong with a puck so he's a huge piece for our power play."
Date: January 07, 2017 1:00 PM EDT
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Winnipeg Jets have gotten off to an explosive start to the new year, and they're looking to end a three-game road trip on a high note Saturday when they take on the Buffalo Sabres.
The two teams will meet in a matinee game at 1 p.m.
After ending 2016 with back-to-back losses, Winnipeg's offense has been electric in 2017. The Jets (19-19-3) picked up a 6-4 win over Tampa Bay on Tuesday and a 4-1 victory over Florida one day later.
"It feels really good. It's what we wanted to do on this road trip and we're off to a great start," center Bryan Little told the team's website. "We're getting rewarded offensively for playing the right way. We're not cheating for our chances, we're playing a simple game and we're taking advantage when we do get those chances."
The Jets have benefited from balanced scoring across their top lines. Little had two assists in the 4-1 victory over the Panthers. Nikolaj Ehlers has eight goals in his last eight games, while rookie sensation Patrik Laine has continued his outstanding campaign with five points (two goals, three assists) in the two-game win streak.
"It's been six games since we've been pretty close to the lineup that we thought we'd start the season with," Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. "In our last two, a lot of the little smaller pieces of chemistry, of cohesion have started coming together, little things like line changes, shift length, all of those details. And I haven't moved the lines around at all for a while so now they've spent time with each other and we'd like to continue that if possible."
Laine and Mark Scheifele are currently tied for the team lead in points with 36, while Ehlers is not far behind with 35 on the season. Connor Hellebuyck (.911 save percentage, 2.70 goals against average) will start for the fourth straight game.
The Sabres (14-15-9) are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. Despite having a one-goal lead on three separate occasions, the Sabres ultimately fell in overtime to Buffalo native Patrick Kane.
"It's just tough," said Sabres center Jack Eichel, who had one goal. "We get to these situations and we're not able to put a stamp on the game. That's why we find ourselves out of the playoffs and kind of far back. It's disappointing."
Buffalo has lost three of its last five games and seven of its last nine.
The Sabres did receive a boost from center Ryan O'Reilly against the Blackhawks. O'Reilly returned after missing four games following an appendectomy during the NHL's holiday break. O'Reilly had two assists, including a pretty helper on the power play to set up Eichel.
"You see the play he makes last night, he adds a whole new dynamic," Eichel said, according to the team's website. "(He's a) left shot on the other side, creative, makes a lot of good plays, he's strong with a puck so he's a huge piece for our power play."
Preview: Lightning (19-17) at Flyers (20-15)
Date: January 07, 2017 1:00 PM EDT
PHILADLEPHIA -- Since a 10-game win streak solidified them as a team capable of not only getting into the playoffs but perhaps winning a round, the Philadelphia Flyers found ways to erode the confidence of the fans by losing seven of the last eight games.
The Flyers (20-15-5, 45 points) will try to reverse that trend with a new-look lineup Saturday afternoon in a showdown against the Tampa Bay Lightning (19-17-4, 42 points), a team trying to catch them in the Eastern Conference wild-card playoff hunt.
Goaltender Michal Neuvirth is expected to make his first start for the Flyers since injuring his knee on Nov. 12. With back-to-back games against the Lightning and Blue Jackets this weekend, Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol is expected to give Steve Mason a breather. Mason has played nine straight games and started 22 of Flyers' last 24 games.
The Flyers' top three lines will look differently than they did on Wednesday night, when the Rangers handed them their fifth straight loss. Right wing Matt Read is expected to replace Jakub Voracek on a top line with Claude Giroux and Michael Raffl. Sean Couturier is centering a second line with Voracek and rookie Travis Konecny while Brayden Schenn is centering a third with Wayne Simmonds and Nick Cousins.
"The panic button hasn't been hit yet, but it's coming up closely," Read told Philly.com. "We have a lot better performances to give."
The Lightning are having a tough time treading water waiting for Steven Stamkos to recover from a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee that is expected to keep him out until March. After a modest 2-0-1 streak, the Bolts lost two straight games by a combined 12-5, including a 6-1 drubbing at home to the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was thrust into the starting role with Ben Bishop injured, surrendered all six goals against the Predators, including four on the first eight shots he faced. Lightning coach Jon Cooper opted to keep Vasilevskiy in the entire game instead of using rookie Adam Wilcox, who was called up Wednesday from AHL Syracuse for his first NHL appearance.
Vasilevskiy, 22, is expected to get the start against the Flyers, and could also get the call Sunday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"He's a young goalie, and eventually he's going to be a starting goalie in this league," Cooper told the Tampa Bay Times. "You're not going to have your 'A' game every single night. Nobody does. Hall of Famer goaltenders have all gone through this."
Goaltending is not the only problem with the Lightning. Their team defense has been shaky all season and ranks 25th in the NHL with 115 goals allowed. The Flyers' team defense, ranked 27th with 121 goals against, has been equally suspect this season.
"You're not going to see this team fold," Tampa defenseman Victor Hedman said after Thursday night's lopsided loss. "You're going to see this team rise to the occasion. We've seen it so many times before."
Date: January 07, 2017 1:00 PM EDT
PHILADLEPHIA -- Since a 10-game win streak solidified them as a team capable of not only getting into the playoffs but perhaps winning a round, the Philadelphia Flyers found ways to erode the confidence of the fans by losing seven of the last eight games.
The Flyers (20-15-5, 45 points) will try to reverse that trend with a new-look lineup Saturday afternoon in a showdown against the Tampa Bay Lightning (19-17-4, 42 points), a team trying to catch them in the Eastern Conference wild-card playoff hunt.
Goaltender Michal Neuvirth is expected to make his first start for the Flyers since injuring his knee on Nov. 12. With back-to-back games against the Lightning and Blue Jackets this weekend, Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol is expected to give Steve Mason a breather. Mason has played nine straight games and started 22 of Flyers' last 24 games.
The Flyers' top three lines will look differently than they did on Wednesday night, when the Rangers handed them their fifth straight loss. Right wing Matt Read is expected to replace Jakub Voracek on a top line with Claude Giroux and Michael Raffl. Sean Couturier is centering a second line with Voracek and rookie Travis Konecny while Brayden Schenn is centering a third with Wayne Simmonds and Nick Cousins.
"The panic button hasn't been hit yet, but it's coming up closely," Read told Philly.com. "We have a lot better performances to give."
The Lightning are having a tough time treading water waiting for Steven Stamkos to recover from a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee that is expected to keep him out until March. After a modest 2-0-1 streak, the Bolts lost two straight games by a combined 12-5, including a 6-1 drubbing at home to the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was thrust into the starting role with Ben Bishop injured, surrendered all six goals against the Predators, including four on the first eight shots he faced. Lightning coach Jon Cooper opted to keep Vasilevskiy in the entire game instead of using rookie Adam Wilcox, who was called up Wednesday from AHL Syracuse for his first NHL appearance.
Vasilevskiy, 22, is expected to get the start against the Flyers, and could also get the call Sunday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"He's a young goalie, and eventually he's going to be a starting goalie in this league," Cooper told the Tampa Bay Times. "You're not going to have your 'A' game every single night. Nobody does. Hall of Famer goaltenders have all gone through this."
Goaltending is not the only problem with the Lightning. Their team defense has been shaky all season and ranks 25th in the NHL with 115 goals allowed. The Flyers' team defense, ranked 27th with 121 goals against, has been equally suspect this season.
"You're not going to see this team fold," Tampa defenseman Victor Hedman said after Thursday night's lopsided loss. "You're going to see this team rise to the occasion. We've seen it so many times before."
Preview: Wild (24-9) at Kings (19-16)
Date: January 07, 2017 4:00 PM EDT
LOS ANGELES -- The Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings meet on Saturday afternoon coming off very different results in their last game. While the Wild attempt to build on a comeback victory against the first place team, the Kings will try to erase the memory of a poor effort against a last place one.
The Wild (24-9-4) continue to be a revelation under coach Bruce Boudreau, and their 5-4 victory against the San Jose Sharks Thursday is further evidence that this team is a serious Stanley Cup contender. After losing a much-publicized match against the Columbus Blue Jackets last Saturday that snapped a 12-game winning streak, Minnesota appeared to start its three-game California road trip on the wrong foot.
The Wild trailed 4-2 with 15 minutes left in regulation but Mikko Koivu potted two goals, including the game winner, in a space of 1:55 to give Minnesota its 11th road victory of the season and drew it within one point of the Central Division-leading Chicago Blackhawks with the Wild holding four games in hand.
"It's very important to get a win on the first game of the road trip," Koivu said. "Every building we go into on this trip will be tough one. Our goal was to get two points and move on to Los Angeles."
Minnesota started slowly due in part to a four-day layoff after the Columbus loss but their four-goal third period outburst continues to be a change in style for a franchise whose mentality was defense-first prior to Boudreau's arrival.
The Wild lead the Western Conference with 118 goals scored and their plus-38 goal differential is more than triple the second ranked team in that department (San Jose and Chicago with plus-12). Their offense receives contributions across the board as the Wild do not have player in the top 20 in scoring yet still are most productive in the West.
Eric Staal is the top scorer after signing a three-year contract as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, and Thursday's win is an example of the character his new team has shown.
"We were tenacious, it took us a little while to get going," Staal said. "Once we shifted our lines around, we were really aggressive and were on top of San Jose throughout despite being down most of the game. It was a solid effort, that's a big win."
The Kings' (19-16-4) up and down season continues after a disappointing 4-0 home loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. The defeat came on the heels of a home-and-home sweep of the Sharks, and the inability to build on those wins is a primary reason for Los Angeles' eighth place standing in the Western Conference.
The shutout at the hands of an average defensive team like Detroit spotlights the main issue for the Kings -- a lack of offense. Despite getting an MVP-type season from Jeff Carter, whose 21 goals ties him for second in the NHL, Los Angeles' offense has produced only 94 goals -- an output that places them only ahead of Arizona and Colorado in the conference.
The paltry offense wastes a solid defensive effort that ranks Los Angeles third in the West in goals against, fashioned primarily by a strong performance from an unforeseen contributor at the start of the season, goaltender Peter Budaj. His play following a serious groin injury to long-time starter Jonathan Quick on opening night has been the backbone to keeping Los Angeles in games without the benefit of a strong offense.
After the Detroit loss, Jordan Nolan summarized where his team is and where they need to be.
"Jeff Carter has been carrying this team for us and it seems if he doesn't get a goal, no one steps up and fills that void, " Nolan said. "We have to start picking it up as a team. Budaj and Carter have been great for us all year, and we just need more from some other guys. We were flat tonight, we didn't come out great and that was the story all game. Win two, win three, lose two, lose three, whatever it may be, it's starting to get a little old. We're starting to get in to crunch time here, so we have to get some wins."
Date: January 07, 2017 4:00 PM EDT
LOS ANGELES -- The Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings meet on Saturday afternoon coming off very different results in their last game. While the Wild attempt to build on a comeback victory against the first place team, the Kings will try to erase the memory of a poor effort against a last place one.
The Wild (24-9-4) continue to be a revelation under coach Bruce Boudreau, and their 5-4 victory against the San Jose Sharks Thursday is further evidence that this team is a serious Stanley Cup contender. After losing a much-publicized match against the Columbus Blue Jackets last Saturday that snapped a 12-game winning streak, Minnesota appeared to start its three-game California road trip on the wrong foot.
The Wild trailed 4-2 with 15 minutes left in regulation but Mikko Koivu potted two goals, including the game winner, in a space of 1:55 to give Minnesota its 11th road victory of the season and drew it within one point of the Central Division-leading Chicago Blackhawks with the Wild holding four games in hand.
"It's very important to get a win on the first game of the road trip," Koivu said. "Every building we go into on this trip will be tough one. Our goal was to get two points and move on to Los Angeles."
Minnesota started slowly due in part to a four-day layoff after the Columbus loss but their four-goal third period outburst continues to be a change in style for a franchise whose mentality was defense-first prior to Boudreau's arrival.
The Wild lead the Western Conference with 118 goals scored and their plus-38 goal differential is more than triple the second ranked team in that department (San Jose and Chicago with plus-12). Their offense receives contributions across the board as the Wild do not have player in the top 20 in scoring yet still are most productive in the West.
Eric Staal is the top scorer after signing a three-year contract as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, and Thursday's win is an example of the character his new team has shown.
"We were tenacious, it took us a little while to get going," Staal said. "Once we shifted our lines around, we were really aggressive and were on top of San Jose throughout despite being down most of the game. It was a solid effort, that's a big win."
The Kings' (19-16-4) up and down season continues after a disappointing 4-0 home loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. The defeat came on the heels of a home-and-home sweep of the Sharks, and the inability to build on those wins is a primary reason for Los Angeles' eighth place standing in the Western Conference.
The shutout at the hands of an average defensive team like Detroit spotlights the main issue for the Kings -- a lack of offense. Despite getting an MVP-type season from Jeff Carter, whose 21 goals ties him for second in the NHL, Los Angeles' offense has produced only 94 goals -- an output that places them only ahead of Arizona and Colorado in the conference.
The paltry offense wastes a solid defensive effort that ranks Los Angeles third in the West in goals against, fashioned primarily by a strong performance from an unforeseen contributor at the start of the season, goaltender Peter Budaj. His play following a serious groin injury to long-time starter Jonathan Quick on opening night has been the backbone to keeping Los Angeles in games without the benefit of a strong offense.
After the Detroit loss, Jordan Nolan summarized where his team is and where they need to be.
"Jeff Carter has been carrying this team for us and it seems if he doesn't get a goal, no one steps up and fills that void, " Nolan said. "We have to start picking it up as a team. Budaj and Carter have been great for us all year, and we just need more from some other guys. We were flat tonight, we didn't come out great and that was the story all game. Win two, win three, lose two, lose three, whatever it may be, it's starting to get a little old. We're starting to get in to crunch time here, so we have to get some wins."
Preview: Oilers (20-13) at Devils (16-17)
Date: January 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT
On June 29 last summer, the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils rocked the hockey world with a bold trade of former first-round draft picks, Taylor Hall and Adam Larsson.
Now, more than six months later, Hall and the Devils (16-17-7) will face Larsson and the Oilers (20-13-7) for the first time since that mega deal, when the teams clash Saturday night at the Prudential Center.
"It's going to be fun to go back," Larsson said after practice on Friday. "It's a different chapter now, though; and it's all positive from the (Oilers) organization, from the (new) rink to the teammates to the city of Edmonton. We have something good going on here. It's going to be a fun game."
Last summer's trade was a blockbuster, and one where each team filled a definite void on its roster. New Jersey acquired the 25-year-old Hall, a four-time 20-goal scorer and former first overall selection in the NHL Draft; while Edmonton added the 24-year-old Larsson, a solid defenseman who was the fourth overall pick in 2011.
"It's going to be a super strange atmosphere for me," Hall said to NorthJersey.com about facing his former club. "The quicker I put that aside and just focus on playing hockey and just focus on my contribution to (the Devils), I think that's the best way to go."
Both teams are happy with the deal, though it is the Oilers who have achieved more success to date than the Devils.
Edmonton currently sits in third place in the Pacific Division, and is hopeful of reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 11 years. Larsson has played in all 40 games for the Oilers, is averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per contest, and has been credited with a team-high 119 hits.
The Devils, on the other hand, are tied for the third-fewest points in the Eastern Conference, and are in danger of missing the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. Hall, despite missing 10 games due to injury this year, has been a bright spot for New Jersey with a team-best 25 points (9-16-25).
Saturday's contest will be the second in as many nights for the Devils, who were defeated by the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-2, Friday night at the Prudential Center. That loss snapped a two-game winning streak, their first consecutive wins since early December. New Jersey is 4-10-1 in its last 15 games.
"Clearly, we'll be facing another high-powered offensive team similar to Toronto (on Saturday)," said Devils goalie Cory Schneider, who was pulled against the Maple Leafs after playing fewer than 15 minutes, having allowed three goals on five shots. "If I'm in, obviously, I'll have to have a good bounce back game."
Defenseman Jon Merrill scored his first goal of the season in Friday's loss, while P.A. Parenteau netted his sixth in the past 12 games and now has 12 on the year.
"We know these guys come out hard right from the get go, especially at home," Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said of the Devils. "So, we have to be prepared for that and have a good start ourselves."
The Oilers will be playing the third game of a four-game road trip that concludes Sunday in Ottawa. Edmonton opened the trip with a 3-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday before skating to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins two nights later.
Patrick Maroon recorded a hat trick in Thursday's win and goaltender Cam Talbot made 33 saves. Maroon now has 14 goals and is tied with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the team lead. For his part, McDavid had two assists Thursday and leads the National Hockey League with 45 points.
Edmonton is 5-1-2 in its last eight games overall, and a solid 11-6-5 so far this season on the road.
Date: January 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT
On June 29 last summer, the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils rocked the hockey world with a bold trade of former first-round draft picks, Taylor Hall and Adam Larsson.
Now, more than six months later, Hall and the Devils (16-17-7) will face Larsson and the Oilers (20-13-7) for the first time since that mega deal, when the teams clash Saturday night at the Prudential Center.
"It's going to be fun to go back," Larsson said after practice on Friday. "It's a different chapter now, though; and it's all positive from the (Oilers) organization, from the (new) rink to the teammates to the city of Edmonton. We have something good going on here. It's going to be a fun game."
Last summer's trade was a blockbuster, and one where each team filled a definite void on its roster. New Jersey acquired the 25-year-old Hall, a four-time 20-goal scorer and former first overall selection in the NHL Draft; while Edmonton added the 24-year-old Larsson, a solid defenseman who was the fourth overall pick in 2011.
"It's going to be a super strange atmosphere for me," Hall said to NorthJersey.com about facing his former club. "The quicker I put that aside and just focus on playing hockey and just focus on my contribution to (the Devils), I think that's the best way to go."
Both teams are happy with the deal, though it is the Oilers who have achieved more success to date than the Devils.
Edmonton currently sits in third place in the Pacific Division, and is hopeful of reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 11 years. Larsson has played in all 40 games for the Oilers, is averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per contest, and has been credited with a team-high 119 hits.
The Devils, on the other hand, are tied for the third-fewest points in the Eastern Conference, and are in danger of missing the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. Hall, despite missing 10 games due to injury this year, has been a bright spot for New Jersey with a team-best 25 points (9-16-25).
Saturday's contest will be the second in as many nights for the Devils, who were defeated by the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-2, Friday night at the Prudential Center. That loss snapped a two-game winning streak, their first consecutive wins since early December. New Jersey is 4-10-1 in its last 15 games.
"Clearly, we'll be facing another high-powered offensive team similar to Toronto (on Saturday)," said Devils goalie Cory Schneider, who was pulled against the Maple Leafs after playing fewer than 15 minutes, having allowed three goals on five shots. "If I'm in, obviously, I'll have to have a good bounce back game."
Defenseman Jon Merrill scored his first goal of the season in Friday's loss, while P.A. Parenteau netted his sixth in the past 12 games and now has 12 on the year.
"We know these guys come out hard right from the get go, especially at home," Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said of the Devils. "So, we have to be prepared for that and have a good start ourselves."
The Oilers will be playing the third game of a four-game road trip that concludes Sunday in Ottawa. Edmonton opened the trip with a 3-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday before skating to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins two nights later.
Patrick Maroon recorded a hat trick in Thursday's win and goaltender Cam Talbot made 33 saves. Maroon now has 14 goals and is tied with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the team lead. For his part, McDavid had two assists Thursday and leads the National Hockey League with 45 points.
Edmonton is 5-1-2 in its last eight games overall, and a solid 11-6-5 so far this season on the road.
Preview: Capitals (24-9) at Senators (20-13)
Date: January 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT
OTTAWA -- One team will be coming off a big win and the other a long rest when the Washington Capitals visit the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.
The Capitals accomplished what no team could in the month of December when they stopped the Columbus Blue Jackets winning streak at 16 games Thursday. The victory was also the fourth in a row for Washington.
"I wanted to stop the streak," said Capitals winger Justin Williams, who scored the fifth goal. "Who wouldn't want to stop a streak? I'm lying if I said I wasn't thinking about it."
The Senators (20-13-4) will be playing just their fourth game in 16 days on Saturday. They are coming off their bye week, prior to which they suffered post-Christmas losses to the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Capitals.
Only Kyle Turris was able to solve Capitals goalie Braden Holtby at Verizon Center on New Year's Day. Ottawa had a 1-0 lead until late in the second period, when Karl Alzner tied the score, and Taylor Chorney pulled the Capitals ahead with his first season early in the third.
The Senators were outshot 28-24 and their power play failed to click for the third game, extending its drought to 0-for-11.
Goalie Mike Condon is expected to play in his 15th consecutive game on Saturday, as he continues to carry the load with Craig Anderson on personal leave to be with his wife, Nicholle, as she battles cancer.
The Capitals (24-9-5) didn't require their top forwards to produce in the victory over the Blue Jackets, as along with Williams, they received their scoring from Nate Schmidt, Daniel Winnik, Andre Burakovsky and defenseman John Carlson.
"If we're going to be a successful team, we need all four lines to produce," said center Nicklas Backstrom. "We had a strong game from all four lines, so we've just got to keep it going."
The Capitals are 4-0-0 against the Senators over the last two seasons. Their last loss at Canadian Tire Centre was a 4-3 overtime decision on Aril 4, 2015.
It looks like Ottawa will have forward Zack Smith back in the lineup after he missed two games with an abdominal injury. Smith, who has eight goals and seven assists, skated on a line with Derick Brassard and Mark Stone Friday night, when the Senators returned from their week off with a 7 p.m. practice.
The meeting with the Capitals will be the first of a four-game home stand for Ottawa, which hosts the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. Washington travels to Montreal for a Monday night game against the Canadiens before returning home to face the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday for the first of a three game homestand.
Washington recalled forward Liam O'Brien from the Hershey Bears on Friday. O'Brien has one goal and one assists in 13 career games with the Capitals.
Date: January 07, 2017 7:00 PM EDT
OTTAWA -- One team will be coming off a big win and the other a long rest when the Washington Capitals visit the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.
The Capitals accomplished what no team could in the month of December when they stopped the Columbus Blue Jackets winning streak at 16 games Thursday. The victory was also the fourth in a row for Washington.
"I wanted to stop the streak," said Capitals winger Justin Williams, who scored the fifth goal. "Who wouldn't want to stop a streak? I'm lying if I said I wasn't thinking about it."
The Senators (20-13-4) will be playing just their fourth game in 16 days on Saturday. They are coming off their bye week, prior to which they suffered post-Christmas losses to the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Capitals.
Only Kyle Turris was able to solve Capitals goalie Braden Holtby at Verizon Center on New Year's Day. Ottawa had a 1-0 lead until late in the second period, when Karl Alzner tied the score, and Taylor Chorney pulled the Capitals ahead with his first season early in the third.
The Senators were outshot 28-24 and their power play failed to click for the third game, extending its drought to 0-for-11.
Goalie Mike Condon is expected to play in his 15th consecutive game on Saturday, as he continues to carry the load with Craig Anderson on personal leave to be with his wife, Nicholle, as she battles cancer.
The Capitals (24-9-5) didn't require their top forwards to produce in the victory over the Blue Jackets, as along with Williams, they received their scoring from Nate Schmidt, Daniel Winnik, Andre Burakovsky and defenseman John Carlson.
"If we're going to be a successful team, we need all four lines to produce," said center Nicklas Backstrom. "We had a strong game from all four lines, so we've just got to keep it going."
The Capitals are 4-0-0 against the Senators over the last two seasons. Their last loss at Canadian Tire Centre was a 4-3 overtime decision on Aril 4, 2015.
It looks like Ottawa will have forward Zack Smith back in the lineup after he missed two games with an abdominal injury. Smith, who has eight goals and seven assists, skated on a line with Derick Brassard and Mark Stone Friday night, when the Senators returned from their week off with a 7 p.m. practice.
The meeting with the Capitals will be the first of a four-game home stand for Ottawa, which hosts the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. Washington travels to Montreal for a Monday night game against the Canadiens before returning home to face the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday for the first of a three game homestand.
Washington recalled forward Liam O'Brien from the Hershey Bears on Friday. O'Brien has one goal and one assists in 13 career games with the Capitals.
