Welcome back to HNIC Coast to Coast! It’s been a very weird week in the NHL schedule, with everything happening, followed by nothing, followed by everything again, followed by nothing again. We’re back to everything this weekend! All but two NHL teams are playing tonight, followed by fifteen more games across Saturday and Sunday. Six of Canada’s seven National Hockey League teams feature in the action, and we’re here to break down every game.
7:00 p.m. ET HNIC Matchup: Toronto Maple Leafs @ Pittsburgh Penguins
This is a star-studded matchup – Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Mitch Marner against Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. Incredibly, the primary focus isn’t on the ice, but in the board room, as this will be the first matchup between these two teams since Kyle Dubas left the GM post in Toronto to become the President and GM in America’s Steel City.
Toronto will be coming into this game with no rest, playing the Blackhawks today. Pittsburgh will also be restless, even more so as their game against the Sabres happens four hours later than Toronto’s game. We’ll have a more in-depth look at this matchup on Saturday morning, in a dedicated preview post.
Bet on Maple Leafs vs. Penguins
TOR -115
PIT -105
10:00 p.m. ET HNIC Headliner: Calgary Flames @ Colorado Avalanche
Toronto and Pittsburgh aren’t the only teams coming into Saturday restless. Calgary will come into Denver following a road game against Dallas tonight, and Colorado will host following a game in Minnesota tonight. So that’s two teams coming in on no rest and decent travel, meaning we can probably expect some sloppy hockey.
Calgary has fared a lot better over the past couple of weeks than how their season started, posting a 5-2-3 record over their last ten games, inching themselves closer to 0.500 after a six-game regulation losing streak threatened to derail their season before it started. Tonight’s game will define their momentum, as it will either prevent or create a losing streak following a loss to the Predators on Wednesday. For Colorado, they’re back on track after their own skid, sandwiching a 2-5 run with a 6-0 start and a 4-1 last five. Cale Makar is pushing back on Quinn Hughes’ charge for his throne, and Mikko Rantanen looks eager to match his 105-point result from last year. Look to the Avs as favourites here, but this would be a huge win for Calgary if they can find a way.
Bet on Flames vs. Avalanche
CGY +150
COL -170
Other Canadian NHL Games On Saturday
There are two other games in Canadian NHL action on Saturday:
Montreal Canadiens @ Los Angeles Kings, 4:00 p.m. ET – Montreal’s season has been as up and down as expected, but they go into the weekend feeling closer to up, with a win over Anaheim on Wednesday. Alex Newhook potted a pair of goals to give him five points in his last three games and put the 23-year-old well on track for a career-best season with his new team. The Kings will be a tough task to wrap up their California road trip, however, as Los Angeles has lost just three times in regulation this year.
Vancouver Canucks @ San Jose Sharks, 10:00 p.m. ET – Vancouver’s scoring hot streak has seemingly come to a halt, with three regulation losses in their last four games. The good news is that their one win came against the team they face on Saturday, the lowly San Jose Sharks. They’ve outscored San Jose 13-2 over two games this year, so if their game against Seattle tonight doesn’t put them back on a winning track, this will be a good second opportunity to get there.
Catch MTL/LAK on RDS & TSN 2, and catch VAN/SJ on CityTV and Sportsnet Ontario, East, and Pacific.
| Away Team |  | | Home Team | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | +225 | -275 | Los Angeles Kings | 4:00 PM |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | -115 | -105 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 7:00 PM |
| Calgary Flames | +150 | -170 | Colorado Avalanche | 10:00 PM |
| Vancouver Canucks | -245 | +205 | San Jose Sharks | 10:00 PM |
Sunday Canadian NHL Action
There are two games in Canadian NHL action this Sunday:
Winnipeg Jets @ Nashville Predators, 8:00 p.m. ET – The good times are rolling in Winnipeg right now, with the team on an 11-2-2 run after a tough first three games. As the cherry on top, head coach Rick Bowness is returning to the team after a month away. Bowness took a leave of absence to tend to his wife after she had a seizure. On the other side, the Predators, despite their comfort with rebuilding this year, have three wins in a row to their name and could pose a pesky challenge. The last game between these two teams saw Winnipeg win 6-3 on November 9th.
Anaheim Ducks @ Edmonton Oilers, 9:00 p.m. ET – This is the only game of the six this weekend where the Canadian team is the home side. The Oilers host the Ducks amidst continued chaos, initially starting the Kris Knoblauch era with two wins but since losing three straight to Tampa, Florida, and Carolina. A loss to Washington tonight could make it four in a row before they get to this game, though a win might provide a reprieve of pressure. Anaheim, while not great, has been a team you can’t take lightly this year, with players like Mason McTavish and Frank Vatrano leading the way up front and Pavel Mintyukov being a revelation on the point.
Catch WPG/NSH on TSN 3, and catch ANA/EDM on Sportsnet (national broadcast).
