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ATLANTA THRASHERS (2-0-1-0) AT NEW YORK RANGERS (0-2-0-0), 7 p.m. -----------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Atlanta Thrashers try to start the season with a four- game unbeaten streak tonight when they visit the winless New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Marc Savard's third-period goal on Tuesday kept Atlanta without a loss, as the Thrashers rallied twice for a 2-2 tie with the New York Islanders at Philips Arena. Patrik Stefan also scored for Atlanta, which is off and running on the heels of the tragic death of forward Dan Snyder. The Thrashers opened the season with consecutive victories over Columbus and Washington.
Atlanta's fast start is a far cry from last fall, when the club went 0-8-1-1 in the month of October. That, however, was under former coach Curt Fraser, who returned to Atlanta as an Islanders assistant Tuesday. Fraser was fired last December and eventually replaced by current benchman Bob Hartley.
Prior to Tuesday's contest, Thrashers winger Dany Heatley, the driver in the automobile accident that took Snyder's life, issued a statement regarding the situation for the first time, expressing his sorrow. Heatley, who underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee, is sidelined indefinitely, but said he'll soon meet the media to address his rehab and team-related issues.
Atlanta will return home after tonight and face Chicago on Saturday.
New York, meanwhile, is 0-2 for the first time since 1998-99, when the club began with four straight defeats. After a disheartening 5-3 loss to Minnesota on Friday, the Blueshirts were pounded 5-0 by the host Columbus Blue Jackets the following night.
Against Columbus, Jussi Markkanen blocked 31 of 36 shots he faced for the Rangers, who are trying to get back to the postseason for the first time since 1997. Columbus jumped out to an early 2-0 first-period lead on goals by Trevor Letowski and David Vyborny.
On Friday, the Rangers held a 3-1 lead in the second period, but the Wild rallied with four unanswered tallies to close out the match.
On the history watch tonight, New York captain Mark Messier enters tied with Raymond Bourque for third place on the NHL's all-time assist list with 1,169 career helpers.
The Rangers open a season-long six-game homestand tonight and will host Carolina on Saturday.
Atlanta swept four games from New York last season and has won five straight overall. The Thrashers have won in three consecutive -- and five of their last six -- trips to the Garden.
PHOENIX COYOTES (3-0-0-0) AT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (1-0-0-0), 7 p.m. ------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - Off to their first 3-0 start as a franchise in 16 years, the Phoenix Coyotes put their mark on the line tonight when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning at the St. Pete Times Forum.
The Winnipeg Jets opened 3-0 in 1987-88, but no Jets or Coyotes club has ever taken the first four contests of a campaign.
On Wednesday night, Shane Doan and Radoslav Suchy each scored to lead Phoenix to a 2-1 win over the host Florida Panthers in the second portion of a three- game road trip.
Sean Burke stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced and fell just short of recording his second consecutive shutout. The veteran netminder stopped 31 in a 2-0 win at Anaheim on Sunday. Burke, however, will rest this evening and yield the crease to backup Brian Boucher, who will make his first start of the season.
This fast start for Phoenix is the polar opposite of what occurred last fall, as Bob Francis' club began 0-2 in 2002. The Coyotes will head back home after tonight, hosting Philadelphia on Saturday.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has played only once this season, last Friday against Boston. Newcomer Cory Stillman scored two goals and assisted on another, while Nikolai Khabibulin made 29 saves to lead the Lightning to a 5-1 over visiting Boston.
Dimitry Afanasenkov, Brad Richards and Tim Taylor also tallied for the Lightning, who won the Southeast Division last year and made the playoffs for only the second time in franchise history.
Stillman's goal was encouraging because he is being counted on to fill the void left by Vaclav Prospal, who fled for Anaheim via free agency after leading the Bolts in scoring.
Tampa will next head to the road and visit New Jersey on Saturday.
The Lightning went 2-0 against the Coyotes last season and have won three straight games in this series. Phoenix has lost in three of its last four trips to Tampa.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (1-2-0-0) AT COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (2-1-0-0), 7 p.m. -----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Columbus Blue Jackets seek their third straight victory tonight when they welcome the Chicago Blackhawks to Nationwide Arena.
After a season-opening loss to Atlanta, the Jackets have responded with consecutive home wins over the Rangers and Canucks. Rick Nash scored to snap a third-period tie and Todd Marchant had a goal and two assists to lead them to a 3-2 victory over Vancouver on Monday.
David Vyborny also scored for Columbus, while Marc Denis made 27 saves. This is the fastest the Blue Jackets have won two games in their four years. Last season it took them five games, after going 14 the year before and 10 contests in their inaugural campaign.
Nash scored his second goal of the young season as he tries to build upon his rookie showing. The top pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, he was a finalist for the Calder Trophy after netting 17 goals in 74 games a season ago.
On the injury front, Columbus will be without rugged forward Tyler Wright, who suffered a hyperextended elbow on Monday. Wright is expected to be on the shelf for three weeks.
The Blue Jackets will visit Nashville on Saturday.
Chicago, meanwhile, has dropped its last two tilts after a promising season- opening victory over Minnesota. On Sunday, winger Trent Klatt collected two goals to lead Los Angeles over Chicago, 4-2, at the United Center. Mark Bell and Kyle Calder each scored power-play goals for the Blackhawks, while Jocelyn Thibault made 22 saves in defeat.
Through three contests, Chicago has been outscored by a combined 9-3 margin.
The bad news continued in the days after the loss, as it was learned that forward Alexei Zhamnov will undergo back surgery today. The team captain is slated to be re-evaluated in six weeks.
The Hawks will open a brief road trip tonight before visiting Atlanta on Saturday.
Chicago went 3-2 against Columbus last season, but the home team is 8-1-2 in the last 11 meetings. The Blackhawks are 1-4-1 in their last six trips to Ohio.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (0-1-1-0) AT MONTREAL CANADIENS (2-1-0-0), 7:30 p.m. ------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Penguins try again for rookie head coach Ed Olczyk's first National Hockey League victory tonight when they visit the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre.
After getting pounded, 3-0, by Los Angeles on Friday, the Pens bounced back with a hard-earned point in Philadelphia the following night. Aleksey Morozov found the back of the net with 7:12 left in the game as Pittsburgh battled back from a three-goal deficit and tied the Flyers 3-3.
Mario Lemieux added his first goal and his first assist of the campaign for the Penguins after going 10 straight matches without tallying, dating back to last season. Lemieux will return to his native Montreal this evening.
Also heading back to Quebec is goaltender Sebastien Caron, who made 32 saves in Saturday's stalemate. Caron is a native of Amqui, Quebec, which is a seven- hour hike from Montreal. However, being that this will be Caron's first start in his home province, he's slated to have many family members and friends in the crowd.
Pittsburgh will kick off a three-game homestand Saturday against Detroit.
Montreal, meanwhile, has won two straight on the heels of a season-opening loss to Ottawa. Yanic Perreault posted two goals and an assist and Donald Audette added a goal and two assists, as the Habs pounded the Washington Capitals, 5-1, in their home-opener at the Bell Centre on Tuesday. Michael Ryder chipped in a pair of assists for the Canadiens.
Goaltender Jose Theodore turned aside 16 shots in the victory and has stopped 37 of the last 38 shots he has faced. Theodore, of course, is trying to re- gain the form that helped him with both the Hart and Vezina Trophies in 2002.
Montreal began a six-game homestand Tuesday. The set will also include visits from Pittsburgh, Toronto, Detroit, the NY Islanders and Ottawa.
The Canadiens went 2-1-1 against the Penguins last season and are 7-1-1 in the last nine clashes. Pittsburgh is 0-6-2 in its last eight trips to Montreal, dating back to January 31, 1999.
(Sports Network) - The Atlanta Thrashers try to start the season with a four- game unbeaten streak tonight when they visit the winless New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Marc Savard's third-period goal on Tuesday kept Atlanta without a loss, as the Thrashers rallied twice for a 2-2 tie with the New York Islanders at Philips Arena. Patrik Stefan also scored for Atlanta, which is off and running on the heels of the tragic death of forward Dan Snyder. The Thrashers opened the season with consecutive victories over Columbus and Washington.
Atlanta's fast start is a far cry from last fall, when the club went 0-8-1-1 in the month of October. That, however, was under former coach Curt Fraser, who returned to Atlanta as an Islanders assistant Tuesday. Fraser was fired last December and eventually replaced by current benchman Bob Hartley.
Prior to Tuesday's contest, Thrashers winger Dany Heatley, the driver in the automobile accident that took Snyder's life, issued a statement regarding the situation for the first time, expressing his sorrow. Heatley, who underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee, is sidelined indefinitely, but said he'll soon meet the media to address his rehab and team-related issues.
Atlanta will return home after tonight and face Chicago on Saturday.
New York, meanwhile, is 0-2 for the first time since 1998-99, when the club began with four straight defeats. After a disheartening 5-3 loss to Minnesota on Friday, the Blueshirts were pounded 5-0 by the host Columbus Blue Jackets the following night.
Against Columbus, Jussi Markkanen blocked 31 of 36 shots he faced for the Rangers, who are trying to get back to the postseason for the first time since 1997. Columbus jumped out to an early 2-0 first-period lead on goals by Trevor Letowski and David Vyborny.
On Friday, the Rangers held a 3-1 lead in the second period, but the Wild rallied with four unanswered tallies to close out the match.
On the history watch tonight, New York captain Mark Messier enters tied with Raymond Bourque for third place on the NHL's all-time assist list with 1,169 career helpers.
The Rangers open a season-long six-game homestand tonight and will host Carolina on Saturday.
Atlanta swept four games from New York last season and has won five straight overall. The Thrashers have won in three consecutive -- and five of their last six -- trips to the Garden.
PHOENIX COYOTES (3-0-0-0) AT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (1-0-0-0), 7 p.m. ------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - Off to their first 3-0 start as a franchise in 16 years, the Phoenix Coyotes put their mark on the line tonight when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning at the St. Pete Times Forum.
The Winnipeg Jets opened 3-0 in 1987-88, but no Jets or Coyotes club has ever taken the first four contests of a campaign.
On Wednesday night, Shane Doan and Radoslav Suchy each scored to lead Phoenix to a 2-1 win over the host Florida Panthers in the second portion of a three- game road trip.
Sean Burke stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced and fell just short of recording his second consecutive shutout. The veteran netminder stopped 31 in a 2-0 win at Anaheim on Sunday. Burke, however, will rest this evening and yield the crease to backup Brian Boucher, who will make his first start of the season.
This fast start for Phoenix is the polar opposite of what occurred last fall, as Bob Francis' club began 0-2 in 2002. The Coyotes will head back home after tonight, hosting Philadelphia on Saturday.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has played only once this season, last Friday against Boston. Newcomer Cory Stillman scored two goals and assisted on another, while Nikolai Khabibulin made 29 saves to lead the Lightning to a 5-1 over visiting Boston.
Dimitry Afanasenkov, Brad Richards and Tim Taylor also tallied for the Lightning, who won the Southeast Division last year and made the playoffs for only the second time in franchise history.
Stillman's goal was encouraging because he is being counted on to fill the void left by Vaclav Prospal, who fled for Anaheim via free agency after leading the Bolts in scoring.
Tampa will next head to the road and visit New Jersey on Saturday.
The Lightning went 2-0 against the Coyotes last season and have won three straight games in this series. Phoenix has lost in three of its last four trips to Tampa.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (1-2-0-0) AT COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (2-1-0-0), 7 p.m. -----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Columbus Blue Jackets seek their third straight victory tonight when they welcome the Chicago Blackhawks to Nationwide Arena.
After a season-opening loss to Atlanta, the Jackets have responded with consecutive home wins over the Rangers and Canucks. Rick Nash scored to snap a third-period tie and Todd Marchant had a goal and two assists to lead them to a 3-2 victory over Vancouver on Monday.
David Vyborny also scored for Columbus, while Marc Denis made 27 saves. This is the fastest the Blue Jackets have won two games in their four years. Last season it took them five games, after going 14 the year before and 10 contests in their inaugural campaign.
Nash scored his second goal of the young season as he tries to build upon his rookie showing. The top pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, he was a finalist for the Calder Trophy after netting 17 goals in 74 games a season ago.
On the injury front, Columbus will be without rugged forward Tyler Wright, who suffered a hyperextended elbow on Monday. Wright is expected to be on the shelf for three weeks.
The Blue Jackets will visit Nashville on Saturday.
Chicago, meanwhile, has dropped its last two tilts after a promising season- opening victory over Minnesota. On Sunday, winger Trent Klatt collected two goals to lead Los Angeles over Chicago, 4-2, at the United Center. Mark Bell and Kyle Calder each scored power-play goals for the Blackhawks, while Jocelyn Thibault made 22 saves in defeat.
Through three contests, Chicago has been outscored by a combined 9-3 margin.
The bad news continued in the days after the loss, as it was learned that forward Alexei Zhamnov will undergo back surgery today. The team captain is slated to be re-evaluated in six weeks.
The Hawks will open a brief road trip tonight before visiting Atlanta on Saturday.
Chicago went 3-2 against Columbus last season, but the home team is 8-1-2 in the last 11 meetings. The Blackhawks are 1-4-1 in their last six trips to Ohio.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (0-1-1-0) AT MONTREAL CANADIENS (2-1-0-0), 7:30 p.m. ------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Penguins try again for rookie head coach Ed Olczyk's first National Hockey League victory tonight when they visit the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre.
After getting pounded, 3-0, by Los Angeles on Friday, the Pens bounced back with a hard-earned point in Philadelphia the following night. Aleksey Morozov found the back of the net with 7:12 left in the game as Pittsburgh battled back from a three-goal deficit and tied the Flyers 3-3.
Mario Lemieux added his first goal and his first assist of the campaign for the Penguins after going 10 straight matches without tallying, dating back to last season. Lemieux will return to his native Montreal this evening.
Also heading back to Quebec is goaltender Sebastien Caron, who made 32 saves in Saturday's stalemate. Caron is a native of Amqui, Quebec, which is a seven- hour hike from Montreal. However, being that this will be Caron's first start in his home province, he's slated to have many family members and friends in the crowd.
Pittsburgh will kick off a three-game homestand Saturday against Detroit.
Montreal, meanwhile, has won two straight on the heels of a season-opening loss to Ottawa. Yanic Perreault posted two goals and an assist and Donald Audette added a goal and two assists, as the Habs pounded the Washington Capitals, 5-1, in their home-opener at the Bell Centre on Tuesday. Michael Ryder chipped in a pair of assists for the Canadiens.
Goaltender Jose Theodore turned aside 16 shots in the victory and has stopped 37 of the last 38 shots he has faced. Theodore, of course, is trying to re- gain the form that helped him with both the Hart and Vezina Trophies in 2002.
Montreal began a six-game homestand Tuesday. The set will also include visits from Pittsburgh, Toronto, Detroit, the NY Islanders and Ottawa.
The Canadiens went 2-1-1 against the Penguins last season and are 7-1-1 in the last nine clashes. Pittsburgh is 0-6-2 in its last eight trips to Montreal, dating back to January 31, 1999.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (0-1-1-0) AT NEW JERSEY DEVILS (1-0-1-0), 7:30 p.m. -----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The New Jersey Devils will raise their Stanley Cup championship banner tonight before taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Meadowlands.
The last time the Devils played a meaningful game on their home ice, it resulted in a 3-0 victory over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in June. The win clinched the Devs' third title in nine seasons.
New Jersey's quest for a repeat is off to a 1-0-1 start, as Pat Burns' troops followed up an opening tie with Boston with a 2-1 victory in Carolina on Saturday. Martin Brodeur made 30 saves to lift the Devils to the win, and Sergei Brylin and Jamie Langenbrunner provided the necessary goals.
Forty-two-year-old former Red Wing Igor Larionov notched an assist for New Jersey and has three helpers in his first two games with the club. Larionov was signed as a free agent before the season to help replace center Joe Nieuwendyk, who will face his former club tonight as a member of the Maple Leafs.
In addition to providing a chance to celebrate the Stanley Cup win, tonight's event will mark a historic milestone for Devils captain Scott Stevens. The warrior defenseman is expected to play in his 1,600th NHL game. Stevens, a Devil since 1991, ranks third all-time in games played among blueliners, trailing only Raymond Bourque (1,612) and Larry Murphy (1,615) in the NHL record books.
The Devils will begin a three-game home set tonight, continuing Saturday versus Tampa Bay.
Toronto, meanwhile, continues the search for its first win. After falling to Montreal Saturday night, the Leafs skated to a 2-2 tie with visiting Washington on Monday.
Nik Antropov and Alexander Mogilny tallied for the Maple Leafs, but the Caps' Robert Lang knotted the contest 8:49 into the third period. Ed Belfour stopped 16 shots in net for Toronto, and needed to make just one save in overtime.
There is some bad news on the injury front for the Leafs, as Mogilny is expected to miss several games with a nagging groin pull. The Russian sniper is with the team on the five-game road trip that begins tonight, and hopes to return before it ends.
Toronto will visit Montreal on Saturday.
Toronto went 3-1 against New Jersey last season, but the Devils are 5-3-2 in the last 10 meetings. The Leafs are 1-3-1 in their last five trips to the Meadowlands.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS (2-1-0-0) AT DETROIT RED WINGS (2-0-0-0), 7:30 p.m. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings try for their third straight win to start the season tonight when they host the Vancouver Canucks at Joe Louis Arena. A win tonight by Detroit would give it its first 3-0 start since starting their its Stanley Cup championship season of 1997-98 with four victories.
The Red Wings picked up their second dramatic win of the young season on Sunday, as Nicklas Lidstrom scored a power-play goal with 2:08 left in overtime to lift Detroit to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators.
Tomas Holmstrom and Steve Yzerman also notched power-play goals for the Red Wings, who won its season-opener, 3-2, over Los Angeles after Yzerman scored with only 1.7 seconds left in the third period.
Dominik Hasek made 21 saves for the Red Wings and has stopped 42-of-46 shots he has faced in his first two games after ending his brief one-year retirement.
However, Hasek could have his hands full tonight. His 3.16 goals-against- average is his highest against any team in the league, other than Detroit. He is 8-5 in his 13 career games against the Canucks, allowing 40 goals in those contest and has never recorded a shutout against them.
Vancouver, meanwhile, enters tonight's contest on a losing note after suffering their first loss of the season Monday, a 3-2 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Mattias Ohlund had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who had won their first two games to start the season. Brendan Morrison scored the other goal for Vancouver, while Dan Cloutier stopped 23 shots in a losing effort.
Morrison's first goal of the season tied the game at 2-2 just 48 seconds into the third period before Rick Nash scored the game-winner.
Cloutier took an unsportsmanlike penalty midway through the second period for engaging Columbus enforcer Jody Shelley in some heated trash-talk at the home bench during a timeout. Columbus then tallied twice in a span of 2:54 to grab a 2-1 advantage.
Head coach Marc Crawford could opt to start Johan Hedberg between the pipes tonight. Hedberg blanked the Edmonton Oilers in his only appearance this season, becoming only the second goalie in team history to record a shutout in his debut with the Canucks.
On the milestone front Detroit forward Brendan Shanahan's 533 career goals are tied with Frank Mahovlich for 22nd place all-time.
Vancouver won three of its four matchups against the Red Wings last season, including both meetings in Detroit. The Canucks, though, have never won three straight road games against the Red Wings.
Detroit is 17-4-4 in the last 25 overall matches and 2-9-1 in the last 12 in Motown against Vancouver.
COLORADO AVALANCHE (1-1-0-0) AT MINNESOTA WILD (1-2-0-0), 7:30 p.m. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Colorado Avalanche try to gain a measure of revenge tonight when they head to Minnesota to face off with the Wild at the Xcel Energy Center in the first meeting between the two teams since last year's Stanley Cup playoffs.
Minnesota stunned the Avs last spring with a dramatic overtime victory in Game 7 of the first-round series, after it had fallen behind three games to one.
This season, though, the Wild have just one win through their first three games following their 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Sunday. Christoph Brandner and Brent Burns each scored their first NHL goal for the Wild, whose lone victory came Friday night against the visiting NY Rangers (5-3). Minnesota led 1-0 late in the first period Sunday, but the Sharks scored three goals in the last 3:23 of the stanza to take control.
Manny Fernandez stopped all 15 shots he faced after replacing Dwayne Roloson, who allowed three goals on 13 shots. Fernandez will likely get the start tonight.
Marian Gaborik and Pascal Dupuis, who finished first and second, respectively, in scoring last season remain unsigned Group II/restricted free agents. The two have been missed the most on the power-play, where they are without a score in their 12 chances with the extra skater. The Rangers are the only other team without a power-play goal this season.
Colorado also enters tonight's tilt on a sour note after dropping a 2-1 decision to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.
Paul Kariya found the back of the net for the Avalanche, who toppled Chicago in their first game of the year. Kariya, signed away from Anaheim this past offseason, already has two goals and two assists in the early going.
Colorado goaltender David Aebischer finished with 24 saves Sunday after a 31- save performance in the opener. Aebischer is being given first crack at replacing future Hall of Famer, who retired in the offseason.
The Avs were 2-1-2 against the Wild last season and are 6-1-2 in the last nine matchups. Colorado has owned Minnesota in the 15 all-time meetings, posting an 11-2-2 record, while outscoring it 51-27 in those contests.
The Wild, though, are unbeaten in their last two (1-0-1) at home against the Avs, but are just 2-4-1 all-time in Minny against Colorado.
This is the first of six meetings between the Northwest Division teams, one more than in previous seasons. The league expanded the number of divisional matchups to intensify rivalries within each conference.
(Sports Network) - The New Jersey Devils will raise their Stanley Cup championship banner tonight before taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Meadowlands.
The last time the Devils played a meaningful game on their home ice, it resulted in a 3-0 victory over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in June. The win clinched the Devs' third title in nine seasons.
New Jersey's quest for a repeat is off to a 1-0-1 start, as Pat Burns' troops followed up an opening tie with Boston with a 2-1 victory in Carolina on Saturday. Martin Brodeur made 30 saves to lift the Devils to the win, and Sergei Brylin and Jamie Langenbrunner provided the necessary goals.
Forty-two-year-old former Red Wing Igor Larionov notched an assist for New Jersey and has three helpers in his first two games with the club. Larionov was signed as a free agent before the season to help replace center Joe Nieuwendyk, who will face his former club tonight as a member of the Maple Leafs.
In addition to providing a chance to celebrate the Stanley Cup win, tonight's event will mark a historic milestone for Devils captain Scott Stevens. The warrior defenseman is expected to play in his 1,600th NHL game. Stevens, a Devil since 1991, ranks third all-time in games played among blueliners, trailing only Raymond Bourque (1,612) and Larry Murphy (1,615) in the NHL record books.
The Devils will begin a three-game home set tonight, continuing Saturday versus Tampa Bay.
Toronto, meanwhile, continues the search for its first win. After falling to Montreal Saturday night, the Leafs skated to a 2-2 tie with visiting Washington on Monday.
Nik Antropov and Alexander Mogilny tallied for the Maple Leafs, but the Caps' Robert Lang knotted the contest 8:49 into the third period. Ed Belfour stopped 16 shots in net for Toronto, and needed to make just one save in overtime.
There is some bad news on the injury front for the Leafs, as Mogilny is expected to miss several games with a nagging groin pull. The Russian sniper is with the team on the five-game road trip that begins tonight, and hopes to return before it ends.
Toronto will visit Montreal on Saturday.
Toronto went 3-1 against New Jersey last season, but the Devils are 5-3-2 in the last 10 meetings. The Leafs are 1-3-1 in their last five trips to the Meadowlands.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS (2-1-0-0) AT DETROIT RED WINGS (2-0-0-0), 7:30 p.m. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings try for their third straight win to start the season tonight when they host the Vancouver Canucks at Joe Louis Arena. A win tonight by Detroit would give it its first 3-0 start since starting their its Stanley Cup championship season of 1997-98 with four victories.
The Red Wings picked up their second dramatic win of the young season on Sunday, as Nicklas Lidstrom scored a power-play goal with 2:08 left in overtime to lift Detroit to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators.
Tomas Holmstrom and Steve Yzerman also notched power-play goals for the Red Wings, who won its season-opener, 3-2, over Los Angeles after Yzerman scored with only 1.7 seconds left in the third period.
Dominik Hasek made 21 saves for the Red Wings and has stopped 42-of-46 shots he has faced in his first two games after ending his brief one-year retirement.
However, Hasek could have his hands full tonight. His 3.16 goals-against- average is his highest against any team in the league, other than Detroit. He is 8-5 in his 13 career games against the Canucks, allowing 40 goals in those contest and has never recorded a shutout against them.
Vancouver, meanwhile, enters tonight's contest on a losing note after suffering their first loss of the season Monday, a 3-2 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Mattias Ohlund had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who had won their first two games to start the season. Brendan Morrison scored the other goal for Vancouver, while Dan Cloutier stopped 23 shots in a losing effort.
Morrison's first goal of the season tied the game at 2-2 just 48 seconds into the third period before Rick Nash scored the game-winner.
Cloutier took an unsportsmanlike penalty midway through the second period for engaging Columbus enforcer Jody Shelley in some heated trash-talk at the home bench during a timeout. Columbus then tallied twice in a span of 2:54 to grab a 2-1 advantage.
Head coach Marc Crawford could opt to start Johan Hedberg between the pipes tonight. Hedberg blanked the Edmonton Oilers in his only appearance this season, becoming only the second goalie in team history to record a shutout in his debut with the Canucks.
On the milestone front Detroit forward Brendan Shanahan's 533 career goals are tied with Frank Mahovlich for 22nd place all-time.
Vancouver won three of its four matchups against the Red Wings last season, including both meetings in Detroit. The Canucks, though, have never won three straight road games against the Red Wings.
Detroit is 17-4-4 in the last 25 overall matches and 2-9-1 in the last 12 in Motown against Vancouver.
COLORADO AVALANCHE (1-1-0-0) AT MINNESOTA WILD (1-2-0-0), 7:30 p.m. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Colorado Avalanche try to gain a measure of revenge tonight when they head to Minnesota to face off with the Wild at the Xcel Energy Center in the first meeting between the two teams since last year's Stanley Cup playoffs.
Minnesota stunned the Avs last spring with a dramatic overtime victory in Game 7 of the first-round series, after it had fallen behind three games to one.
This season, though, the Wild have just one win through their first three games following their 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Sunday. Christoph Brandner and Brent Burns each scored their first NHL goal for the Wild, whose lone victory came Friday night against the visiting NY Rangers (5-3). Minnesota led 1-0 late in the first period Sunday, but the Sharks scored three goals in the last 3:23 of the stanza to take control.
Manny Fernandez stopped all 15 shots he faced after replacing Dwayne Roloson, who allowed three goals on 13 shots. Fernandez will likely get the start tonight.
Marian Gaborik and Pascal Dupuis, who finished first and second, respectively, in scoring last season remain unsigned Group II/restricted free agents. The two have been missed the most on the power-play, where they are without a score in their 12 chances with the extra skater. The Rangers are the only other team without a power-play goal this season.
Colorado also enters tonight's tilt on a sour note after dropping a 2-1 decision to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.
Paul Kariya found the back of the net for the Avalanche, who toppled Chicago in their first game of the year. Kariya, signed away from Anaheim this past offseason, already has two goals and two assists in the early going.
Colorado goaltender David Aebischer finished with 24 saves Sunday after a 31- save performance in the opener. Aebischer is being given first crack at replacing future Hall of Famer, who retired in the offseason.
The Avs were 2-1-2 against the Wild last season and are 6-1-2 in the last nine matchups. Colorado has owned Minnesota in the 15 all-time meetings, posting an 11-2-2 record, while outscoring it 51-27 in those contests.
The Wild, though, are unbeaten in their last two (1-0-1) at home against the Avs, but are just 2-4-1 all-time in Minny against Colorado.
This is the first of six meetings between the Northwest Division teams, one more than in previous seasons. The league expanded the number of divisional matchups to intensify rivalries within each conference.
ST. LOUIS BLUES (1-0-0-1) AT NASHVILLE PREDATORS (1-1-0-0), 8 p.m. ------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The St. Louis Blues try for their second straight win tonight when they wrap up a three-game road trip against the Nashville Predators at Gaylord Entertainment Center.
After falling in overtime to the Phoenix Coyotes in the season-opener, Keith Tkachuk scored the 400th and 401st goals of his career, and Chris Osgood stopped 39 shots to lead St. Louis over Colorado, 2-1, on Sunday.
Tkachuk, who has scored all three goals for the Blues this season, became the 74th player in NHL history with 400 tallies. The veteran forward's quick start to the season could continue tonight, as he has 11 goals and 12 assists in 15 career matches against the Predators.
St. Louis will have Dallas Drake back in the lineup for the first time this season. Drake, who tallied 20 scores last season, missed the first two games of the year with a facial fracture he sustained from getting hit in the face by a puck in practice. He will also be sporting a visor this evening for the first time in his 12-year career.
Nashville, meanwhile, had its bid to start the season with consecutive wins spoiled on Saturday via a 3-1 loss to visiting Dallas. The Predators, who opened last season 0-4-1-2, had opened their sixth campaign with a 3-1 triumph over Anaheim on Thursday.
Marek Zidlicky scored Saturday for the Predators, who failed to win back-to- back games for the first time since February 23 - March 1, 2003, when they won four straight. Nashville ended last season on a 15-game winless skid.
Tomas Vokoun, in his first full season as a starter, finished with 27 saves in defeat.
On the milestone front Nashville center David Legwand is one point away from 150 for his career. He is also six assists shy of 100. Greg Johnson, meanwhile, is two helpers short of 200.
Nashville, which won just once in five trips against the Blues last season (1-3-1), could have the upper-hand tonight, as the home team in this series is 8-2-2 in the last 12 matchups. St. Louis, though, is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings and 15-4-3 over the previous 22 contests.
St. Louis has also had some success in the Music City, where it is 8-2-3 in its last 13 trips.
This is the first of six meetings between the Central Division foes, one more than in previous seasons. The league expanded the number of divisional matchups to intensify rivalries within each conference.
BUFFALO SABRES (1-2-0-0) AT EDMONTON OILERS (1-2-0-0), 9 p.m. -------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Buffalo Sabres start their longest road trip in franchise history tonight when they head to Edmonton to face off with the Oilers at Skyreach Centre.
The Sabres, who were 9-27-5 away from home last season, will be beginning a stretch of six road games in 13 days tonight and will also make stops in Calgary, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Anaheim and Colorado before returning home on October 28.
After becoming just the fourth team since 1967-68 to be shut out in its first two games, Buffalo picked up its first win of the season in a Monday matinee against Dallas. Miroslav Satan tallied a goal and an assist to lead Buffalo to the 4-3 win.
Ales Kotalik, Taylor Pyatt and Daniel Briere also scored for the Sabres, who had been outscored 8-0 in the first two contests of the year. Martin Biron made 18 saves in the win.
Buffalo, which is already without forwards Tim Connolly (concussion), Jochen Hecht (broken arm) and Eric Boulton (thumb), will likely be without Daniel Briere tonight. Briere injured his hamstring and groin Wednesday during an off-ice workout.
Edmonton, meanwhile, comes into tonight's contest after suffering its second shutout in as many games on Tuesday, a 1-0 setback to the Calgary Flames. Tommy Salo turned aside 14 shots and played a strong game in goal for Edmonton, which continued its dismal play with the man advantage.
The Oilers, who were 0-for-9 on the power play in their 3-0 loss to Vancouver on Sunday, could not score on four opportunities with the extra skater Tuesday.
Edmonton has not scored in a span of 122:02, just 34:29 shy of the worst scoring drought in team history (156:31), set during the 1990-91 season.
The Sabres are winless in their last seven against the Oilers (0-5-2) and last defeated Edmonton back on March 27, 1998. Buffalo is also without a win in its last three (0-2-1) stops in Skyreach and just 1-4-1 in its last six trips to Edmonton.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (1-0-1-0) AT SAN JOSE SHARKS (1-2-0-0), 10:30 p.m. -----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Flyers try to stretch their unbeaten streak to three games to start the season this evening when they head to San Jose to start a four-game road swing against the Sharks at HP Pavilion.
After blanking the Buffalo Sabres in their season-opener, the Flyers blew a three-goal lead and skated to a 3-3 tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Justin Williams, Claude Lapointe and Donald Brashear all scored for the Flyers, who reeled off a five- game unbeaten streak to start last season (3-0-2).
Robert Esche made 20 saves in the deadlock for Philadelphia.
The Flyers went 1-for-4 on the power play Saturday and are 3-for-10 on the young season. The early clip is refreshing after the team finished 21st in the league last season in success with the man advantage.
Philly, though, will be without bruising forward Donald Brashear on the upcoming trek. Brashear suffered a knee injury during practice on Tuesday and will undergo an MRI.
The team is already without wingers John LeClair (foot) and Radovan Somik (knee). LeClair, however, could return at some point during the trip, while Somik is expected to be out four to six weeks.
On the milestone front Mark Recchi is three assists shy of 700 for his career.
San Jose, meanwhile, will be looking to build upon its first win of the season, as it begins the home portion of its schedule with the opener of a five-game set.
After falling to Edmonton and Calgary to start the year, Alyn McCauley, Mike Ricci and Patrick Marleau scored in a span of just over three minutes late in the first period to propel the Sharks to a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday
Vesa Toskala made 23 saves for the Sharks, who will be starting a five-game homestand tonight. Regular starter Evgeni Nabokov will get the nod between the pipes this evening
McCauley has tallied two goals with two assists in three contests. He is in his first full season with the Sharks after being obtained from Toronto in the Owen Nolan trade last winter.
Tonight's game will also mark the return of Marcus Ragnarsson to San Jose for the first time since he was acquired by Philadelphia last season. The defenseman spent parts of eight seasons with the Sharks and is the team's all- time scoring leader among defenseman.
San Jose was 1-0-1 versus the Flyers last season, but is just 3-6-2 in its last 11 against Philadelphia. The Flyers are also 7-2-1 in their last 10 trips to San Jose.
(Sports Network) - The St. Louis Blues try for their second straight win tonight when they wrap up a three-game road trip against the Nashville Predators at Gaylord Entertainment Center.
After falling in overtime to the Phoenix Coyotes in the season-opener, Keith Tkachuk scored the 400th and 401st goals of his career, and Chris Osgood stopped 39 shots to lead St. Louis over Colorado, 2-1, on Sunday.
Tkachuk, who has scored all three goals for the Blues this season, became the 74th player in NHL history with 400 tallies. The veteran forward's quick start to the season could continue tonight, as he has 11 goals and 12 assists in 15 career matches against the Predators.
St. Louis will have Dallas Drake back in the lineup for the first time this season. Drake, who tallied 20 scores last season, missed the first two games of the year with a facial fracture he sustained from getting hit in the face by a puck in practice. He will also be sporting a visor this evening for the first time in his 12-year career.
Nashville, meanwhile, had its bid to start the season with consecutive wins spoiled on Saturday via a 3-1 loss to visiting Dallas. The Predators, who opened last season 0-4-1-2, had opened their sixth campaign with a 3-1 triumph over Anaheim on Thursday.
Marek Zidlicky scored Saturday for the Predators, who failed to win back-to- back games for the first time since February 23 - March 1, 2003, when they won four straight. Nashville ended last season on a 15-game winless skid.
Tomas Vokoun, in his first full season as a starter, finished with 27 saves in defeat.
On the milestone front Nashville center David Legwand is one point away from 150 for his career. He is also six assists shy of 100. Greg Johnson, meanwhile, is two helpers short of 200.
Nashville, which won just once in five trips against the Blues last season (1-3-1), could have the upper-hand tonight, as the home team in this series is 8-2-2 in the last 12 matchups. St. Louis, though, is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings and 15-4-3 over the previous 22 contests.
St. Louis has also had some success in the Music City, where it is 8-2-3 in its last 13 trips.
This is the first of six meetings between the Central Division foes, one more than in previous seasons. The league expanded the number of divisional matchups to intensify rivalries within each conference.
BUFFALO SABRES (1-2-0-0) AT EDMONTON OILERS (1-2-0-0), 9 p.m. -------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Buffalo Sabres start their longest road trip in franchise history tonight when they head to Edmonton to face off with the Oilers at Skyreach Centre.
The Sabres, who were 9-27-5 away from home last season, will be beginning a stretch of six road games in 13 days tonight and will also make stops in Calgary, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Anaheim and Colorado before returning home on October 28.
After becoming just the fourth team since 1967-68 to be shut out in its first two games, Buffalo picked up its first win of the season in a Monday matinee against Dallas. Miroslav Satan tallied a goal and an assist to lead Buffalo to the 4-3 win.
Ales Kotalik, Taylor Pyatt and Daniel Briere also scored for the Sabres, who had been outscored 8-0 in the first two contests of the year. Martin Biron made 18 saves in the win.
Buffalo, which is already without forwards Tim Connolly (concussion), Jochen Hecht (broken arm) and Eric Boulton (thumb), will likely be without Daniel Briere tonight. Briere injured his hamstring and groin Wednesday during an off-ice workout.
Edmonton, meanwhile, comes into tonight's contest after suffering its second shutout in as many games on Tuesday, a 1-0 setback to the Calgary Flames. Tommy Salo turned aside 14 shots and played a strong game in goal for Edmonton, which continued its dismal play with the man advantage.
The Oilers, who were 0-for-9 on the power play in their 3-0 loss to Vancouver on Sunday, could not score on four opportunities with the extra skater Tuesday.
Edmonton has not scored in a span of 122:02, just 34:29 shy of the worst scoring drought in team history (156:31), set during the 1990-91 season.
The Sabres are winless in their last seven against the Oilers (0-5-2) and last defeated Edmonton back on March 27, 1998. Buffalo is also without a win in its last three (0-2-1) stops in Skyreach and just 1-4-1 in its last six trips to Edmonton.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (1-0-1-0) AT SAN JOSE SHARKS (1-2-0-0), 10:30 p.m. -----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Flyers try to stretch their unbeaten streak to three games to start the season this evening when they head to San Jose to start a four-game road swing against the Sharks at HP Pavilion.
After blanking the Buffalo Sabres in their season-opener, the Flyers blew a three-goal lead and skated to a 3-3 tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Justin Williams, Claude Lapointe and Donald Brashear all scored for the Flyers, who reeled off a five- game unbeaten streak to start last season (3-0-2).
Robert Esche made 20 saves in the deadlock for Philadelphia.
The Flyers went 1-for-4 on the power play Saturday and are 3-for-10 on the young season. The early clip is refreshing after the team finished 21st in the league last season in success with the man advantage.
Philly, though, will be without bruising forward Donald Brashear on the upcoming trek. Brashear suffered a knee injury during practice on Tuesday and will undergo an MRI.
The team is already without wingers John LeClair (foot) and Radovan Somik (knee). LeClair, however, could return at some point during the trip, while Somik is expected to be out four to six weeks.
On the milestone front Mark Recchi is three assists shy of 700 for his career.
San Jose, meanwhile, will be looking to build upon its first win of the season, as it begins the home portion of its schedule with the opener of a five-game set.
After falling to Edmonton and Calgary to start the year, Alyn McCauley, Mike Ricci and Patrick Marleau scored in a span of just over three minutes late in the first period to propel the Sharks to a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday
Vesa Toskala made 23 saves for the Sharks, who will be starting a five-game homestand tonight. Regular starter Evgeni Nabokov will get the nod between the pipes this evening
McCauley has tallied two goals with two assists in three contests. He is in his first full season with the Sharks after being obtained from Toronto in the Owen Nolan trade last winter.
Tonight's game will also mark the return of Marcus Ragnarsson to San Jose for the first time since he was acquired by Philadelphia last season. The defenseman spent parts of eight seasons with the Sharks and is the team's all- time scoring leader among defenseman.
San Jose was 1-0-1 versus the Flyers last season, but is just 3-6-2 in its last 11 against Philadelphia. The Flyers are also 7-2-1 in their last 10 trips to San Jose.
trashers + 180 {1x}
trashers + 1/2 + 120 {3x}
tampon bay - 200 {2x}
over 5 phx/tb - 110 {3x}
columbo - 180 {1x}
over 5 colo/minn + 100 {2x}
devils - 1/2 - 140 {2x}
sabres + 1/2 + 110 {3x}
over 5 buff/edm + 100 {2x}
flybitches - 160 {2x}
puck the man :chairshot
trashers + 1/2 + 120 {3x}
tampon bay - 200 {2x}
over 5 phx/tb - 110 {3x}
columbo - 180 {1x}
over 5 colo/minn + 100 {2x}
devils - 1/2 - 140 {2x}
sabres + 1/2 + 110 {3x}
over 5 buff/edm + 100 {2x}
flybitches - 160 {2x}
puck the man :chairshot
