Teams across the National Hockey League are back in full swing, with the league’s 32 teams beginning to settle into their expected positions across the standings. For some, though, we’ve seen signs of over or underachievement – and that seems to be the case for the Canadian contingent, in particular. All seven teams of the north are in action this weekend, with an opportunity to either build on their momentum or turn slumps around.
7:00 p.m. ET HNIC Matchup: Toronto Maple Leafs @ Boston Bruins
It’s incredible how quickly the vibes can change in a city like Toronto, but within the span of a week, the conversation has shifted from incredible highs to crashing lows. A commanding 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday genuinely looked like one of the team’s best games in a very long time, as all-encompassing on the scoresheet as it was in their effort, their physicality, and their tone. It was the new standard that everyone was looking for!
But then, Toronto got swiftly smacked back into place by the underdog Columbus Blue Jackets the next day, and last night, they lost again to Craig Berube’s former St. Louis Blues in a similarly resounding fashion. The 6-2 and 5-1 defeats marked Toronto’s first back-to-back losses of four or more goals in the Matthews-Marner-Nylander era, dating back to 2015. Needless to say, not ideal.
Saturday gives them an opportunity to flip the script once more, but to do so, they’ll have to take on a Bruins team that eliminated them from the playoffs last year and has been a thorn in their sides for over a decade, and do so on the road. The Bruins have had a slow start for the first time in forever, so that could work out to Toronto’s advantage, or it could make defeat even more frustrating. As it stands, the books are backing Boston.
Bet on Maple Leafs vs. Bruins
TOR +108
BOS -130
10:00 p.m. ET HNIC Headliner: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Vancouver Canucks
Over in the late-night game, we have the opposite situation to the Leafs happening with the Vancouver Canucks. After a nervous start where the team lost its first three games, the tides are starting to shift the other way. Vancouver has now won three in a row, all on the road. One could point to the Flyers and Blackhawks as weaker opponents, but wins are wins – not to mention the first of the three victories came against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Four Canucks skaters are leading the way in the points department, with Brock Boeser (4G 2A), J.T. Miller (3G 3A), Conor Garland (3G 3A) and Quinn Hughes (1G 5A) all putting up six points through six games. Noticeably not in the mix is Elias Pettersson, who remains goalless with three assists to kick off the year. This is starting to become a real point of concern for the 25-year-old superstar, who has just two goals and 14 assists in his last 32 games dating back to March. Things got a bit testy with him and Miller in a recent practice – we’ll see if that lights a spark.
Across the ice from them will be a Pittsburgh Penguins team on short rest, as they play the Edmonton Oilers tonight in the midst of a Western Canadian road trip. Sidney Crosby and friends haven’t had much more luck in their pursuit of a playoff return this year, losing five of their first eight. Evgeni Malkin has been a bright spot with 11 points in his first eight games, as has Jesse Puljujarvi, who sits tied for fifth on the team in points with five in seven games, already eclipsing his total from last year as he hopes to re-establish himself as a quality player in this league.
Bet on Penguins vs. Canucks
PIT +135
VAN -165
Other Canadian NHL Games On Saturday
There are two other games in Canadian NHL action on Saturday:
St. Louis Blues @ Montreal Canadiens, 7:00 p.m. ET – The Blues are embarking on an Eastern Canada swing right now, and have kicked it off with a previously-mentioned 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs on Thursday. Offer sheet acquisitions Philip Broberg (2G 5A) and Dylan Holloway (3G 1A) have paid early dividends through eight games. On the Canadiens end, they’ll be looking to snap a four-game losing streak, hoping that the four-day gap following a 7-2 loss to the Rangers will make for a strong reset. Can Cole Caufield (6 goals in 7 GP) keep his stick hot?
Winnipeg Jets @ Calgary Flames, 7:00 p.m. ET – How much longer will the Jets remain the league’s lone undefeated team? Against all expectations, Winnipeg remains at 7-0-0 through two weeks and change. Just like last year, even with a coaching change, their hot run is backed by keeping pucks out of the net – Connor Hellebuyck is right back to his Vezina-winning ways with an absurd .940 save percentage through six appearances. Calgary have also exceeded expectations, starting the year 5-1-1 with Rasmus Andersson and Jonathan Huberdeau leading the way on the scoresheet.
| Away Team |  | | Home Team | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +108 | -130 | Boston Bruins | 7:00 PM |
| St. Louis Blues | -110 | -110 | Montreal Canadiens | 7:00 PM |
| Winnipeg Jets | -148 | +123 | Calgary Flames | 7:00 PM |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +135 | -165 | Vancouver Canucks | 10:00 PM |
Sunday Canadian NHL Action
It’s a more active than usual Sunday for Canadian NHL teams, with three games on the schedule:
Edmonton Oilers @ Detroit Red Wings, 6:00 p.m. ET – Needless to say, these Edmonton Oilers haven’t been the ones that we expected to see out of the gate. Through seven games, they have just two wins to their name, one of which came in overtime against a 1-5-1 Flyers team. Edmonton’s offensive weapons haven’t produced up to expectation so far and need a breakout night. On the other side, the Detroit Red Wings have defied common sense over the past week, winning three games in a row while taking just 52 combined shots.
Montreal Canadiens @ Philadelphia Flyers, 7:00 p.m. ET – Montreal plays their second game in as many nights against a Flyers team whose record looks closer to what we expected last year than what they actually delivered. One Philadelphia player to keep an eye on is a forward that the Habs passed on drafting – Matvei Michkov has been stellar out of the gate, producing three goals and four assists in his first seven NHL games.
Ottawa Senators @ Colorado Avalanche, 9:00 p.m. ET – Are things finally headed in the right direction for the Senators? Certainly, they’re excited by a 4-2 start, including a 4-0 shutout of Utah HC on Tuesday. Interestingly enough, it was Anton Forsberg who shut the door for the first time this year, rather than summer acquisition Linus Ullmark – who has still been solid with a .914 save percentage through two games. Cale Makar is the man to watch on the other side – the megastar blue liner has a whopping 15 points through eight games.
