Welcome back to HNIC Coast To Coast! After a weekend off for the NHL All-Star festivities, we’re back with a ton of Canadian National Hockey League action this weekend. All seven teams will be in action on Saturday afternoon and evening, with two returning for a double-dip on Sunday. There are streaks to sort out and rivalries to be played out, so let’s dive right into the action!
7:00 p.m. ET HNIC Headliner: Toronto Maple Leafs @ Ottawa Senators
The Battle of Ontario returns for the final time this season, as the Maple Leafs wrap up their homestand and head to a split crowd in Kanata to take on the Senators. Toronto feels good following a 5-4 win against Dallas, while the Senators have won back-to-back games in overtime. Ottawa has control of the season series at the moment.
We’ll have a separate preview for this game on Saturday, so check back for that!
Bet on Maple Leafs vs. Senators
TOR -140
OTT +120
10:00 p.m. ET HNIC Headliner: Edmonton Oilers @ Los Angeles Kings
In another universe, this game is a coronation of sorts for the Oilers, now the win-streak champions of NHL history. Unfortunately for them, in this universe, their run tripped up just before the finish line this week, as a 3-1 defeat in Las Vegas ended things at 16 consecutive wins, just one shy of the 1992/93 Penguins’ record of 17. On the plus side, hockey can just be hockey again.
The Oilers will be playing in the second half of a back-to-back, as they take on the Ducks Friday in Anaheim. The Kings will be playing their first game since the All-Star break, and they’ll be doing it with a new bench boss, as Todd McLellan was dismissed and Jim Hiller was appointed interim head coach. After an incredible start to the season, the Kings have lost 14 of their last 17, and need to chain together some points in a hurry here.
Bet on Oilers vs. Kings
EDM -110
LAK -110
Other Canadian NHL Games On Saturday
There are four other games in Canadian NHL action on Saturday:
Vancouver Canucks @ Detroit Red Wings, 1:00 p.m. ET – The Canucks got a surprise shock to the system in Thursday night’s Game 29 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, giving up a shorthanded goal 32 seconds into their game against the Boston Bruins and never really finding a way to claw back, taking just 17 shots in a 4-0 shutout loss. It’s their first regulation loss in over a month, so I doubt there’s much concern just yet, but with three games left in their road trip, they’ll need a response against the Wings to avoid a snowball.
Dallas Stars @ Montreal Canadiens, 1:00 p.m. ET – Dallas continues their Atlantic Division road trip with a stop in Montreal. One of the great traditions the Canadiens have is running a matinee or two on Super Bowl weekend, and they’ll be hosting the Stars to kick it off. Dallas comes in licking their wounds after a Wednesday loss to the Maple Leafs, while Montreal feels good about a win against the Caps on Tuesday.
Calgary Flames @ New York Islanders, 1:00 p.m. ET – There’s a lot of early-day energy this weekend, eh? We move on to Long Island as the Flames drop by for a visit, and hope to extend a winning streak started before the break. Calgary has won three in a row, including a 4-1 win against the high-flying Bruins and 5-3 victory over the struggling, but talented, New Jersey Devils. That’s probably not what you’d expect after a big trade, but Andrei Kuzmenko has produced out of the gate and as Nazem Kadri said, “A pack of hyenas can take down a lion.”
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Winnipeg Jets, 7:00 p.m. ET – Lastly, we have the Jets setting up for a grudge match against the Penguins. Since their less-than-four-against streak ended against the Bruins on January 22nd, Winnipeg has gone from the NHL’s perfect team to in a bit of a tough spot, having now lost five in a row and only scoring four goals in that stretch.
| Away Team |  | | Home Team | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver Canucks | -130 | +110 | Detroit Red Wings | 1:00 PM |
| Dallas Stars | -210 | +175 | Montreal Canadiens | 1:00 PM |
| Calgary Flames | +110 | -130 | New York Islanders | 1:00 PM |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | -140 | +120 | Ottawa Senators | 7:00 PM |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +125 | -150 | Winnipeg Jets | 7:00 PM |
| Edmonton Oilers | -110 | -110 | Los Angeles Kings | 10:00 PM |
Sunday Canadian NHL Action
There are two in NHL action this Sunday, and both feature Canadian teams:
St. Louis Blues @ Montreal Canadiens, 1:00 p.m. ET – Montreal returns for a back-to-back at home and if they can pull an upset off against Dallas on Saturday, this gives them an opportunity to go two games above .500 for the first time since before Christmas. They can’t take the Blues lightly, though, as they’ve won five of their last six. St. Louis will also be short of rest, facing Buffalo on Saturday.
Vancouver Canucks @ Washington Capitals, 1:30 p.m. ET – This game also features two teams on back-to-backs, with Vancouver travelling from Detroit and the Caps travelling from Boston to meet up in DC. Vancouver at this point will either be on a rare losing streak or bounced back from the Boston game, and the Caps are hoping to have snapped their current six-game losing run, though the odds of that are unlikely. An interesting thing here is that Alex Ovechkin is starting to heat back up again – amid his worst goal-scoring season of his career, he’s got tallies in three consecutive games now.
Of course, most of you will be focused on the Super Bowl – and we’ve got you covered there too!
