Amid a six-game losing streak, Brad Treliving wants to silence any speculation about potential changes within the Calgary Flames organization.
"The coaches aren't going anywhere. Our top players aren't going anywhere," the Flames general manager told reporters, including Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson, on Friday.
Treliving pointed the finger of blame squarely at himself.
"It starts with the manager. The manager has been horseshit," the GM said.
The Flames held a players-only meeting after Thursday's 5-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues, and captain Mark Giordano said it brought out "a lot of honesty." Head coach Bill Peters also preached accountability after the loss, commending his players for talking it out.
Calgary has sputtered to a 10-12-3 record after finishing atop the Western Conference in 2018-19.
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A plethora of attractive interconference games highlights this weekend's schedule, with 28 of the league's 31 teams in action on Saturday.
The busy slate features a pair of Canada's Western Conference teams heading east, an Original Six clash in Quebec, and two of the league's hottest teams meeting in California.
Let's get at it.
Game betting
Vancouver Canucks at Washington Capitals (Saturday)
This is a tough spot for the Canucks, who fly east for a 9:30 a.m. PST puck drop against the East-leading Capitals. Vancouver is a different team away from home than it is at Rogers Arena, and the Nucks are 2-8 in games that start before noon PST since the start of the 2014-15 season. The price will be a bit steep, but back the Capitals to take care of business on home ice, and back them to win in regulation if you don't feel like laying the juice.
Calgary Flames at Philadelphia Flyers (Saturday)
Right now you can get Bill Peters at 10-1 to be the next NHL coach fired. Peters may have earned a bit of a longer leash after his work in Calgary last season, but how patient is general manager Brad Treliving willing to be? The Flames have been shutout in their last three road games and are in the midst of a six-game skid that's seen them drop to seventh in the Pacific. Something needs to change in Calgary. The Flyers are 6-1-3 on home ice and should make it 7-1-3 on Saturday as they'll likely handle the Flames in a 10 a.m. PST puck drop.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Colorado Avalanche (Saturday)
As expected, Sheldon Keefe's arrival had a galvanizing effect on the Leafs. Toronto beat the Coyotes on Thursday in the coach's first game in charge - it was a relatively obvious bet at even money and hopefully, you took advantage. Still, Toronto's issues run deeper than the identity of its bench boss. It's still a team that lacks mental and physical toughness, as well as depth. Nazem Kadri gets a shot at his old team here, and a spirited effort from the well-rounded Avalanche should result. Expect Colorado to deal Keefe his first NHL coaching defeat.
New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens (Saturday)
Montreal took just one of four possible points against a pair of Eastern Conference bottom-feeders this week, but the results were deceiving. The Canadiens controlled both games against the Blue Jackets and Senators and were unlucky not to win them both. They will right the ship against a Rangers team that will be playing the second leg of a back-to-back and has lost seven of its last eight in Montreal, including four in a row. Also, take a look at the under, which has hit in seven of the Canadiens' last eight home games on two days' rest.
Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights (Saturday)
The Oilers have been one of the more inconsistent teams in the NHL this season, alternating between victories and defeats throughout November. When they win, they win big, and when they lose, they lose big. By that logic, they should capture this game since they were run out of the building by the Kings on Thursday. In reality, though, you should have a lot more confidence in a good, albeit underachieving, Golden Knights team bouncing back from its loss to the Sharks. Vegas will round out its homestand with a win.
New York Islanders at San Jose Sharks (Saturday)
Remember when the Sharks were 4-10-1 and the hockey world declared their season over? They're now 11-11-1 and one of the hottest teams in the NHL, just three points out of a playoff spot. Of course, there's no team hotter than the Islanders, who picked up a pair of overtime victories this week to extend their win streak to five and point streak to 16 games. Backing both teams to extend their runs by claiming at least a point here is an attractive option. You can bet the game will go to overtime at close to 7-2.
Game props
New York Rangers at Ottawa Senators (Friday)
The Senators have been a tough out all season, while the Rangers seem to be turning a corner. Stay away from side betting in this one and instead look at the first-period over, which has hit in six consecutive meetings between these two teams and five of the Rangers' seven road games this season.
Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes (Saturday)
Scoring hasn't been much of an issue for the streaking Panthers as of late, but they always seem to make it one in Carolina. They have failed to score more than two goals in their last five trips to face the Hurricanes, including eight of their last nine in Raleigh. Hitting Florida's team total under 3.5 goals will come at a short price in this one given the Panthers' recent form and is worth a wager.
Nashville Predators at St. Louis Blues (Saturday)
You have to go all the way back to Dec. 30, 2016, to find the last time the Predators scored more than two goals in St. Louis in a regular-season game. They've been mired in a funk in November and a trip to face the Blues is hardly a good remedy. Take Nashville's team total under 3.5 and 2.5 in this spot.
Player props
New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens (Saturday)
Tomas Tatar registered three goals in three games against the Rangers last season, as well as a pair of assists. He made a critical error Wednesday against the Senators that resulted in Ottawa's overtime winner, so this is a good bounce-back spot for him against a team he's had success against. You can bet him to get over 2.5 shots at plus money and can likely get 3-1 odds for him to find the back of the net.
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
Believe it or not, roughly one-quarter of the 2019-20 NHL season is in the rearview.
It's featured a boatload of goals - 6.16 per game, to be exact, which is the highest average since 2005-06. Nine players are on pace for 100 points. Every night seems to feature at least one crazy comeback. Plus, the volatility (the Stars' roller coaster, for one) and the unpredictability (surprising start from the Oilers, disappointing start from the Flames) sure seem off the charts.
With all of that in mind, let's examine some statistical developments at the team level that are helping shape the season:
Shorthanded Avs
Resilience is the word that best sums up the Avalanche's first quarter of the season. Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog, two-thirds of the club's incredible No. 1 forward line, have missed a combined 24 games. Yet, Nathan MacKinnon and friends march on. ManGamesLost.com estimates Colorado has lost the equivalent of five standings points due to injuries. Only the Penguins (6.3) have lost more.
Norm Hall / Getty Images
It's impressive what the Avs have been able to wrangle out of 22 games, especially on an individual level. MacKinnon, who's sixth in league scoring, is crafting a compelling Hart Trophy case alongside guys like Matt Calvert, Joonas Donskoi, and Andre Burakovsky. He's taken it upon himself to drive the offensive train, firing 104 shots on goal, trailing just Alex Ovechkin in that department. On the back end, the dynamic Cale Makar is on pace for a ridiculous 93 points, and he doesn't look out of place defensively. The idea of MacKinnon, Makar, Rantanen, Landeskog, and another stud blue-liner, Samuel Girard, joining forces for a regular shift later on this season should strike fear into any opponent.
Predictable Bruins
The Bruins' trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak once again is proving to be the NHL's deadliest line. Now 1,872 even-strength minutes into their partnership, their mastery has become routine. We probably take for granted how consistent they've been since becoming regular linemates in 2016 and how unique it is for one unit to perform at such a high level in an era of endless game-planning and analysis.
As the table below of shot attempts, scoring chances, and goals illustrates, the rink is almost always tilted Boston's way when Nos. 37, 63, and 88 are on the ice together.
Season
Minutes
Attempts
Chances
Goals
2016-17
535
64%
66%
54%
2017-18
554
60%
58%
63%
2018-19
484
57%
58%
55%
2019-20
222
57%
58%
58%
When all three are on the bench, however, the Bruins certainly aren't world-beaters: In 717 even-strength minutes this season, the club's share of shot attempts, scoring chances, and goals dip to 48%, 46%, and 48%, respectively, according to NaturalStatTrick.
The line features an all-time two-way forward between an ultra-skilled pest and a world-class sniper. Together, they set the tone for the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins, who pace the NHL in goal differential (plus-22) and regulation wins (14). What more could you want seven weeks into the season?
Focused Islanders
There are many trademarks of a well-coached hockey club. The Islanders, who lead the NHL in points percentage at .825, check off several of those boxes.
Barry Trotz's squad doesn't crumble under pressure, having won nine of 11 contests in which it's surrendered the first goal. New York wins no matter who has been tapped to man the pipes, as both Thomas Greiss (.934 save percentage) and Semyon Varlamov (.912 SV%) are providing a reliable last line of defense behind a team that limits high-danger opportunities. In fact, nine of the Islanders' 13 wins have come in one-goal games.
Mike Stobe / Getty Images
Mat Barzal, the team's lone household name, has developed into a quality three-zone center. The crafty 22-year-old is on pace for 82 points, and according to The Point Hockey, averages 1:06 of offensive zone puck possession per game, which ties him with Connor McDavid for third best in the league. Also, Barzal is tracking toward career highs in virtually all shot metrics, suggesting he's found the right balance between creativity and conformity within Trotz's system. As a whole, the Isles have pieced together an excellent first 20 games and look equipped to defeat any and all opponents.
Hopeful Coyotes
Coyotes general manager John Chayka is mainly known for three things: his age, background in analytics, and willingness to wheel and deal. Perhaps we should add "his selection of Conor Garland" to the list. Garland leads Arizona with 10 goals this season and is looking like a fifth-round steal for Chayka and his staff. The 23-year-old hasn't played nearly as many NHL games as some of his 2015 draft classmates, but he's tallied 23 goals in 70 career contests.
Thanks to a paltry salary, Garland's technically the league's best veteran bargain, according to CapFriendly's cost-per-point metric (entry-level deals excluded):
Player
Salary
Points
Cost per point
C.Garland‚ ARI
$775K
14
$55‚357
A.DeAngelo‚ NYR
$925K
15
$61‚667
D.Toews‚ NYI
$700K
11
$63‚636
T.Bertuzzi‚ DET
$1.4M
22
$63‚636
B.Hunt‚ MIN
$700K
10
$70‚000
While Garland's been a nice story, Darcy Kuemper's been the club's early-season MVP. He's banked a Vezina Trophy-worthy first 15 games (league-leading .935 save percentage), and the best part is that he's been complemented well by partner Antti Raanta (.922 SV% in eight games). Given that these three standouts play in the desert, their performances have largely flown under the radar. Nevertheless, they've been essential to Arizona's 13-8-2 record and its quest to end a seven-season playoff drought.
Underachieving Leafs
Based off head coach Sheldon Keefe's first game behind an NHL bench - a convincing 3-1 win over the Coyotes on Thursday - the Maple Leafs might actually be OK. Stylistically, they looked like a vastly different team. The players, free of Mike Babcock's shackles, have enough skill and talent to stabilize this sinking season. It's essential now that they tackle some concerning trends head-on.
Norm Hall / Getty Images
Case in point: Not only have both special teams been ineffective on the surface (17.6% power play and 74.1% penalty kill), the underlying data paints an even uglier picture. Last year, the power play generated a league-high 62.4 shots on goal per 60 minutes. This year, it's generating 50.9 shots to rank 22nd. The penalty kill, meanwhile, has gone from 10th overall in terms of shot suppression (48.3 shots against per 60) to 26th (61.3). The Leafs also struggle to, in Babcock's words, "start on time." Their period-by-period goal differential bears this out, with a minus-12 in the first period, plus-9 in the second, and minus-4 in the third. In order to salvage a key season, execution in all situations must improve drastically.
Curious Blackhawks
An interesting trend has emerged 22 games into the Blackhawks' season: 23.1% of the club's goals have been credited to first-year players, which is the largest share in the NHL. Columbus ranks second at 18.2%, the Rangers are third at 15.6%, and the other 28 teams fall between 12.3% and 0%. Kirby Dach and Dominik Kubalik have bagged five goals, Alex Nylander has four, and Adam Boqvist has one. Considering none of these rookies are playing major roles (Boqvist, who was demoted to AHL Rockford last week, leads the group in ice time at 14:27 per game), you have to wonder how much of their early production is smoke and mirrors. Regardless, it's an encouraging sign.
For a team trying its darndest to retool around 31-year-old franchise cornerstones Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, every contribution helps. Forwards Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome - 22 and 21, respectively - have blossomed into core members, providing hope for a return to glory. The Hawks are hanging out near the playoff cutoff line in the Western Conference at the moment. For a club that imploded last November and remains under construction, it's a decent spot to occupy.
The Calgary Flames talked it over amongst themselves after suffering their sixth consecutive defeat in a 5-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.
Flames captain Mark Giordano didn't go into specifics but said the closed-door conversation was productive.
"Just a lot of honesty between guys," he told reporters postgame. "We all love each other in here, but at the end of the day, sometimes you've got to be honest with the guys you're closest to and that's a good thing. So I think we'll get together here again tonight (Thursday night) at the team meal and hash it out, and hopefully, we can get some real positives from hearing guys speak and go from there."
Calgary head coach Bill Peters understood why the team resorted to the private discussion.
"We're frustrated, obviously," he said postgame."You can see that. You can tell by the fact that they had a little meeting after the game that you're well aware of. So, frustration would be the right word and we've got to stay together and work our way through it and become the team that we know we're capable of becoming, but it starts with the work ethic and the attention to detail and that's (required) each and every day."
Peters gave the players credit for speaking their minds.
"That's good that they did that here tonight (Thursday night)." the bench boss said. "It's all about accountability ... and the only way we can get out of it is by holding each other accountable, working together, and finding solutions. So we've got to be solution-based and we've got to stay with it."
The Flames are 10-12-3 this season after posting the best record in the Western Conference in 2018-19.
Head coach Mike Sullivan said Schultz is sidelined "longer term" with a lower-body injury, while Bjugstad will miss at least eight weeks after surgery on a core muscle.
Schultz has appeared in 21 games in 2019-20, recording two goals and six assists across 20:57 of ice time per contest. Bjugstad has been limited to 10 games in his second season with the Penguins, notching just a single goal.
Despite the onslaught of injuries, Pittsburgh sits in the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with an 11-7-3 record entering Thursday's clash with the New York Islanders.
