Hockey Night in Canada
Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs (-115, 6)
The basics
The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs face off for the third time in two weeks.
The Bruins are 16-10-6 and have lost two in a row only once this season.
The Maple Leafs are 12-15-7 overall, but are 9-4-1 in their last 14 games. Two of those losses have been to the Bruins.
?It's a completely different team now. You see smiles out there on the ice and it's a lighter mood in the locker room," Toronto forward Viktor Stahlberg told the Toronto Star.
Re-re match
When Boston beat Toronto on December 5, Leafs coach Ron Wilson told reporters after the game, ?we stunk and we?ll move on?.
After losing 5-2 to the Bruins five days later, Wilson said "some guys have to wake up." Wilson was referring to his penalty killing, ranked last in the league.
The Bruins have owned the Leafs recently, winning seven games in a row and taking nine of 10 from their division rivals.
Is it over yet?
Not only is the over 11-1 in the last 12 games between Boston and Toronto, but an average of 8.08 goals have been scored in those contests.
Other than the two recent games against the Leafs, Boston has been struggling to score, putting up four goals in its last three games.
?The whole thing now is not so much do we lack scoring,? Boston coach Claude Julien told the Boston Herald. ?We?re just not getting the scoring we should.?
Toronto has gone over the total in six of its last eight games.
First (PP) goal wins?
Boston has the league?s best power play at 86.2 percent and Toronto has the league?s worst power play at 70.1 percent.
Boston is 0-for-13 with the extra man in its last three games against teams other than the Maple Leafs, and 4-for-8 on the power play in its last two games against Toronto.
Toronto has given up at least one power-play goal in its last eight games and is 7-for-53 (13.2 percent) with the man-advantage.
Washington Capitals at Edmonton Oilers (+120, 6)
For just the fourth time since the lockout, the Washington Capitals take on the Edmonton Oilers.
Washington is 21-7-6 and has won eight of its last 10 games.
Edmonton is 15-15-2 and has lost two in a row at home after winning five consecutive road games.
Tender tenders
According to Capitals beat writer Tarik El-Bashir, Semyon Varlamov could return from injury Saturday.
"He's getting better," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau told the Washington Post. "He'll practice full out tomorrow and we'll see if Saturday or Wednesday if he'll get a start."
Varlamov is 12-1-2 with a 2.29 GAA for the Caps, while Jose Theodore is 9-4-4 with a 2.93 GAA.
For Edmonton, Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers will likely make his 14th straight start. He is 8-6-2 with a 2.85 GAA.
Road Weary
Saturday?s game will be the final game of Washington?s cross-continent road trip. The trip started in Toronto last Saturday, continued to Colorado and includes a stop in Vancouver Friday night.
When playing back-to-back nights, Washington has been outscored 18-8 after the first period.
Edmonton will be rested and ready, playing its eighth consecutive game on at least one day of rest.
Consistently inconsistent
Washington has been relatively consistent, not losing more than two games in a row in regulation this season.
After opening 6-2-1, injuries and illnesses took their toll and the Oilers dropped to 10-13-4. The Oil then won five games in a row on the road and have now lost their last two at home.
"The good teams have that level all the time, not five games at a time. To take two steps forward and two steps back, you get nowhere. It's like you're in quicksand," Oilers defenseman Sheldon Souray told the National Post.
Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs (-115, 6)
The basics
The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs face off for the third time in two weeks.
The Bruins are 16-10-6 and have lost two in a row only once this season.
The Maple Leafs are 12-15-7 overall, but are 9-4-1 in their last 14 games. Two of those losses have been to the Bruins.
?It's a completely different team now. You see smiles out there on the ice and it's a lighter mood in the locker room," Toronto forward Viktor Stahlberg told the Toronto Star.
Re-re match
When Boston beat Toronto on December 5, Leafs coach Ron Wilson told reporters after the game, ?we stunk and we?ll move on?.
After losing 5-2 to the Bruins five days later, Wilson said "some guys have to wake up." Wilson was referring to his penalty killing, ranked last in the league.
The Bruins have owned the Leafs recently, winning seven games in a row and taking nine of 10 from their division rivals.
Is it over yet?
Not only is the over 11-1 in the last 12 games between Boston and Toronto, but an average of 8.08 goals have been scored in those contests.
Other than the two recent games against the Leafs, Boston has been struggling to score, putting up four goals in its last three games.
?The whole thing now is not so much do we lack scoring,? Boston coach Claude Julien told the Boston Herald. ?We?re just not getting the scoring we should.?
Toronto has gone over the total in six of its last eight games.
First (PP) goal wins?
Boston has the league?s best power play at 86.2 percent and Toronto has the league?s worst power play at 70.1 percent.
Boston is 0-for-13 with the extra man in its last three games against teams other than the Maple Leafs, and 4-for-8 on the power play in its last two games against Toronto.
Toronto has given up at least one power-play goal in its last eight games and is 7-for-53 (13.2 percent) with the man-advantage.
Washington Capitals at Edmonton Oilers (+120, 6)
For just the fourth time since the lockout, the Washington Capitals take on the Edmonton Oilers.
Washington is 21-7-6 and has won eight of its last 10 games.
Edmonton is 15-15-2 and has lost two in a row at home after winning five consecutive road games.
Tender tenders
According to Capitals beat writer Tarik El-Bashir, Semyon Varlamov could return from injury Saturday.
"He's getting better," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau told the Washington Post. "He'll practice full out tomorrow and we'll see if Saturday or Wednesday if he'll get a start."
Varlamov is 12-1-2 with a 2.29 GAA for the Caps, while Jose Theodore is 9-4-4 with a 2.93 GAA.
For Edmonton, Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers will likely make his 14th straight start. He is 8-6-2 with a 2.85 GAA.
Road Weary
Saturday?s game will be the final game of Washington?s cross-continent road trip. The trip started in Toronto last Saturday, continued to Colorado and includes a stop in Vancouver Friday night.
When playing back-to-back nights, Washington has been outscored 18-8 after the first period.
Edmonton will be rested and ready, playing its eighth consecutive game on at least one day of rest.
Consistently inconsistent
Washington has been relatively consistent, not losing more than two games in a row in regulation this season.
After opening 6-2-1, injuries and illnesses took their toll and the Oilers dropped to 10-13-4. The Oil then won five games in a row on the road and have now lost their last two at home.
"The good teams have that level all the time, not five games at a time. To take two steps forward and two steps back, you get nowhere. It's like you're in quicksand," Oilers defenseman Sheldon Souray told the National Post.
