A stat is a stat.
Following Tuesday's overtime 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild, the Nashville Predators are now 0-4 in games decided in the overtime period and 1-4 in games that have gone beyond regulation.
The loss to the Wild was vastly different from the rest. The Predators did a decent job with the possession battle, which has stung them in the past.
With 1:22 left in overtime, Justus Annunen knocked the net off its left mooring and it began to slide. Marcus Johansson's first shot attempt, while the net had started to move, hit the side of the net. If it had gone in, it would've counted as the puck would've gone into the net if it was still on its mooring.
The issue with the goal came on Johansson's rebound shot, which went in. He got the puck off the side of the net, which wouldn't have happened if the net had been still on its mooring. After review, the officials stood by their original call of it being a good goal.
"It's a weird play. I can see the confusion, but the confusing part for us was why it was so emphatically called a goal," Steven Stamkos said. "I get it. If the net comes off and the puck goes in right away, it's no problem. But he missed the net and the puck actually bounced back to him because the net was sideways.
"My interpretation of the rule is that if the net wasn't off, the puck wouldn't have come back to him."
Losses to the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 16 and the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 3 saw the Predators looking ahead to the shootout. Predators head coach Andrew Brunette even said following the game against the Canucks that he liked his team's chances more in the shootout.
Against the Canadiens, Cole Caufield scored the game-winner with three seconds left in overtime, and Brock Boeser won the game for the Canucks with two seconds left in overtime.
Both situations saw the Predators lose a board battle, with two players in the scrum and the puck getting knocked out to the opposing player in open space. Caufield caught a drop pass into the slot and Boeser was all alone from the left side of Juuse Saros.
The loss to the Utah Mammoth on Oct. 11 saw the Predators' opponent fully dominate the possession battle. Nashville couldn't generate a single shot, let alone a rush down the ice, before Dylan Guenther made a move past Fedor Svechkov and scored.
It was nearly a similar situation against the Canucks as defenseman Quinn Hughes slowed play down to give Vancouver a possession advantage.
The Predators have pushed a game past overtime once this season, which was a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings in a shootout on Oct. 25. Nashville has also shown a third-period fight in these eventual overtime losses, forcing the game into extra time against the Canucks and Wild.
Brunette and multiple players have said it's "a coin flip" in overtime, but with the Predators constantly struggling in 3-on-3, the issue may be deeper than chance.
After a three-game road trip that saw them go 2–1–0, the Vancouver Canucks will be spending the next four games at home, taking on the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, and Winnipeg Jets. This means the Canucks have the opportunity to snag a possible eight points within the span of the week, which would do great damage in the standings to their Pacific Division opponents. Let’s make some guesses as to how this homestand will go for the Canucks.
Some may be quick to dismiss the Blackhawks, as this stretch of home games features opponents who currently sit at the top of the NHL’s standings. However, this shouldn’t be the way Vancouver approaches tonight’s game, as they did only take their game against Chicago via shootout back in October. Since Thatcher Demko has started the past two games, it would make sense for Kevin Lankinen to get the start tonight, just as he did back in October. On the other side of the ice, expect Spencer Knight to start for Chicago, as Arvid Söderblom was given the start in the Blackhawks’ most recent game on Monday.
Chicago’s special teams put them around the middle of the pack, with their penalty kill (80.8%, 15th in the NHL) being a bit better than their power play (17.5%), which sits at 21st in the NHL. While the Canucks did score two goals on Monday with the man-advantage, neither of these came from their top-unit. With Quinn Hughes taking part in his second game since returning from injury, Vancouver’s first-unit is due for a goal or two.
Prediction: Canucks 5, Blackhawks 3
Three Stars for Vancouver: Quinn Hughes, Kevin Lankinen, Elias Pettersson
The Canucks’ second game of their homestand is against the Blue Jackets, who will take on the Calgary Flames tonight before heading to Vancouver for Saturday’s game. Columbus has looked strong so far this season, with the Blue Jackets occupying the fourth spot in the Metropolitan Division. As of November 5, the Blue Jackets are currently tied for the fourth-most 5-on-5 goals-for in the NHL with 30 while sporting the third-lowest goals-against at 5-on-5 with only 20. Their special teams work, on the other hand, may be one of their biggest weaknesses. Columbus has scored only five goals on the power play so far this season, while surrendering 12 power play goals against.
As for goaltending, Elvis Merzļikins and Jet Greaves has split their starts pretty evenly so far for Columbus, with Merzļikins taking the team’s November 2 game against the New York Islanders. If Greaves gets the start tonight, Merzļikins will likely be the starter on Saturday. In the event that Vancouver starts Lankinen on Wednesday, Demko would be the most likely candidate to start on Saturday, with Lankinen then coming in on Sunday against the Avalanche.
Prediction: Blue Jackets 3, Canucks 2 (OT)
Three Stars for Vancouver: Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko
As of November 5, the Avalanche are the top team in the entire NHL, having only lost once in regulation but five times in overtime. It will be very hard for the Canucks to shut down the lethal offence of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Martin Nečas, especially given that Vancouver is missing a good chunk of their top penalty killers in Teddy Blueger and Conor Garland. However, the Canucks have found success against Colorado in the past, as the team won all three of their matches against the Avalanche last season including shutting them out back in February.
Vancouver’s biggest shot at winning against Colorado comes in overtime, as the Avalanche have lost all five of their games that have gone past regulation. The Canucks, on the other hand, have yet to give up a game in overtime or a shootout (though the prediction for their Columbus game negates that stat). While this game marks the second-half of a back-to-back for both teams, Colorado will be travelling to Vancouver from Edmonton, putting the circumstances of the game in the Canucks favour — albeit slightly.
Prediction: Canucks 4, Avalanche 3 (OT)
Three Stars for Vancouver: Quinn Hughes, Kiefer Sherwood, Kevin Lankinen
Vancouver’s fourth and final game of this homestand is against the Jets next Tuesday. Winnipeg, near the top of the NHL’s standings with a 9–4–0 record, welcomed back their captain Adam Lowry on Tuesday night after the forward started the season rehabilitating hip surgery done in May. The Jets have been a strong team all over the ice this season, placing in the top-half of the NHL in power play (22.7%), penalty kill (88.7%), and faceoff wins (51.9%). The only lapse in the Jets’ power that seems to be a target is their ability to generate shots and scoring chances. They’re within the bottom-10 in the NHL in shots per game with 26.8, and have generated a ninth-lowest scoring chances for with 356.
From now until the 11th, the Jets only play in two games. Winnipeg backup Eric Comrie has played in three games so far this season against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, and New York Islanders, winning all of them. Whether he gets the start over Connor Hellebuyck or not will depend on who starts the Jets’ next couple of games. For Vancouver, if Lankinen takes the game against the Avalanche, then all signs will point to Demko starting against Winnipeg.
Prediction: Jets 3, Canucks 1
Three Stars for Vancouver: Jake DeBrusk, Evander Kane, Thatcher Demko
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Things are going to get real from here on out in the NHL power rankings.
With the first month completed, we’re going to see which NHL teams are for real and which ones are the pretenders.
Remember, American Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, and historically, it’s been a very good predictor of which teams will make the post-season. In a league with so much parity, banking points early can provide a cushion when the playoff races heat up in the final weeks of the season.
As with all previous seasons, there has been no shortage of surprises. The Penguins, for example, are surprisingly good, while the Blues have been surprisingly bad. In this week’s NHL power rankings, we take a look at which players and storylines have been the most surprising for each team.
1. Colorado Avalanche (8-1-5, +13. PR: 1)
For a team with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, it’s a little shocking they’ve lost three in overtime and twice in the shootout. Their only regulation loss came, surprisingly, against the Bruins, which nearly blew a 3-1 lead and were outshot 33-19. Locking up Martin Necas for eight years quickly was a smart move, and the Avs look poised to make another deep run.
2. Winnipeg Jets (9-4-0, +12. PR: 3)
It’s deja vu all over again. Excellent goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck and then relying on one line that can score. Perhaps the biggest surprise is how consistent the Jets have been and proving last season was no fluke despite lacking the depth that a lot of other elite teams possess.
3. Vegas Golden Knights (7-2-3, +8. PR: 4)
Over the past few seasons, the Knights have had one of the most productive bluelines in the league. So far this season, they’ve produced one goal, and you’ll never guess from who… (Kaedan Korczak)
4. Carolina Hurricanes (8-4-0, +12. PR: 6)
Pyotr Kochetkov returned and immediately shut out the Rangers – it’s not hard to do these days – but I think the biggest development has been Logan Stankoven locking down the second-line center spot behind Sebastian Aho. They’ve been looking forever and seem to have finally found someone they like.
5. Montreal Canadiens (9-3-1, +7. PR: 8)
Jakub Dobes has come out of nowhere to go 6-0-0 to start the season, and with Sam Montembeault getting tagged with four goals and another loss Tuesday against the Flyers, it could be Dobes’ net going forward. Another name: Nick Suzuki. At this point, it’d be a travesty if he were left off Team Canada.
6. Utah Mammoth (9-4-0, +9. PR: 9)
The Mammoth were a popular dark horse pick so I don’t think their success is all that surprising, but I didn’t expect their goaltending to be so solid. Karel Vejmelka has an .894 SP, but his quality start percentage is the highest of his career, per hockey-reference.com, and he has become reliable on a nightly basis.
7. New Jersey Devils (9-4-0, +6. PR: 2)
Aside from a brilliant performance from Jacob Markstrom against the Kings, the Devils looked pretty horrible on their four-game roadie, losing three games and allowing 17 goals (!) in those losses. No question, I think the biggest surprise has been Dawson Mercer, who hasn’t looked this good since his first two seasons after scoring just 69 points over the last two seasons.
8. Dallas Stars (7-3-3, -2. PR: 5)
The lack of scoring is a little perplexing. The Stars rank tied for 26th in goals-for per game and hired Glen Gulutzan away from the Oilers to improve their power play, which it has, but they’re also tied for last in goals-for at 5-on-5.
9. Anaheim Ducks (8-3-1, +11. PR: 15)
The Ducks rattled off three straight wins against some pretty tough teams over the past week and outscoring them 16-6, including a season sweep of the Panthers. They’re the biggest surprise in the West this season.
10. Detroit Red Wings (9-5-0, +2. PR: 7)
They toughed out a road trip with two shootout wins, including a bizarre game against the Kings where they were outshot, blew a lead, seemingly lost in overtime, only to get the call reversed. The biggest surprise is the pieces of the Yzerplan falling into place as the Wings hunt for a playoff spot.
11. Columbus Blue Jackets (7-5-0, +4. PR: 12)
The goaltending has been very good with Jet Greaves (.916 SP) and Elvis Merzlikins (.917 SP). We knew the Jackets could score (except on the power play), but for the longest time, they couldn’t get any stops consistently. Their record doesn’t look like much now, but don’t be surprised if they go on a run here. A few seasons ago, they couldn’t string two wins together.
12. Toronto Maple Leafs (7-5-1, even. PR: 14)
After ranking eighth in goals allowed per game last season, I thought the Leafs’ problem would be scoring, not defending. Anthony Stolarz’s .896 SP is misleading – he’s been their best player some nights – but I do think they miss Joseph Woll in a big way.
13. Pittsburgh Penguins (8-4-2, +9. PR: 10)
Pick one. The Pens have been the best feel-good story of the season so far, making one last push in the twilight of the Crosby-Malkin-Letang Era. I do think the biggest surprise, however, is rookie Ben Kindel, who was a bit of a surprise pick at No. 11 this past summer after being ranked 21st among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Penguins' Ben Kindel Is Playing His Way Off The Canadian World Junior TeamPittsburgh Penguins rookie Ben Kindel continues to strengthen his case to stick around in the NHL, which could be bad news for Canada's world junior squad.14. Philadelphia Flyers (7-5-1, +3. PR: 17)
I think the Flyers have been better than anyone expected, but not because Matvei Michkov has emerged as their franchise player, with one goal in 13 games. We shouldn’t write them off too early, or even praise them too soon, because it does look like Dan Vladar is coming down to earth after a surprisingly strong start.
15. Los Angeles Kings (6-4-4, -4. PR: 19)
The Kings are 5-1-2 since their horrific start, joining a handful of teams that have managed to turn their season around in the first month. Kevin Fiala has 10 points in 14 games, dispelling previous notions about his slow starts.
16. Washington Capitals (6-5-1, +2. PR: 11)
That’s four straight losses and three games where they scored one goal or fewer. And they’re without Pierre-Luc Dubois for an extended period. Oof. It’s been interesting to see Tom Wilson playing arguably the best hockey of his career right now at 31 years old, especially for a player who plays such a taxing physical style and already has a lengthy injury history.
17. Edmonton Oilers (6-5-4, -2. PR: 13)
I think the most surprising thing, even before the season, was the Oilers’ decision to run it back with their current goaltending tandem. It can be good, but it’s not good enough very often, and we’re stuck asking the same questions over and over again.
18. Tampa Bay Lightning (6-5-2, +1. PR: 21)
This is definitely the Lightning we know. They’ve gone 5-1-0 after a rough first few weeks, with their only loss coming against the Avalanche. I’m surprised we even talk about the Lightning at all in the first month; they usually like to give the league a head start before showing in late November and December why they should still be feared.
19. Florida Panthers (6-6-1, -7. PR: 16)
Yes, the two-time defending Cup champions are ranked last in the East, though they’re not ranked as such in the NHL power rankings because we know how good they really are. However, Sam Bennett, who was supposed to fill a significant portion of the void left by Aleksander Barkov, has mostly been invisible, and their top scorer is 37-year-old Brad Marchand.
20. New York Rangers (6-6-2, -3. PR: 22)
This one’s easy: they can’t score. They’re shockingly 0-5-1 on home ice and were shut out again Tuesday against the Canes. At some point, they should turn it around; Artemi Panarin’s on an unsustainable cold streak, and their expected goals actually aren’t this bad.
21. Seattle Kraken (6-2-4, even. PR: 18)
A couple bounces, and the Kraken might be on a five-game winning streak, and the conversation would be different, but alas, they’re 3-2-2 in their last seven and 1-0-1 in a quiet week. Their scoring has been a nice surprise; this might be just the second time they’ve had at least two players score 60 points in the same season.
22. Chicago Blackhawks (5-5-3, +1. PR: 20)
I think the biggest compliment you can give the Hawks is that they’re competitive. In a season where almost every team has a points percentage above .500, the Hawks beating the likes of the Mammoth and Lightning, and hanging with the Oilers, Habs and Panthers, is a testament to how much they’ve improved. It’s especially surprising following a very quiet summer.
NHL's Eastern Conference Has Incredible Historic ParityEvery team in the NHL's Eastern Conference is playing at .500 hockey or better entering November. That is anything but normal.23. Minnesota Wild (5-6-3, -11. PR: 25)
The Wild have been a high-event but not-so-good defensive team for two seasons now, but the biggest difference this season has been the play of Filip Gustavsson. He’s got the bag, and now he has to prove it, and things have been slightly improved lately.
24. Vancouver Canucks (7-7-0, -5. PR: 23)
Kiefer Sherwood has become somewhat of a cult hero. It’s easy to forget that the record setter for hits in a single season was once known as a scorer; he scored 75 points in 57 games in the AHL one season and averaged 0.92 points per game in the AHL throughout his career. He’s clearly never going back.
25. Boston Bruins (8-7-0, -2. PR: 27)
They’ve been incredibly streaky, and Jeremy Swayman is either excellent or in danger of losing his job. He was given a partial pass last season after a contract holdout, but I think he’s very, very far from being a lock to be USA’s No. 3 goalie in February.
26. New York Islanders (6-5-2, -3. PR: 28)
The most surprising thing about the Isles this season is that they’re actually watchable. There’s an understanding that anyone who hurts a hair on Matthew Schaefer’s head is going to get mobbed, and they look far more energized and faster than ever.
27. St. Louis Blues (4-7-2, -16. PR: 24)
Considering how good they were under Jim Montgomery last season, this season has been a total disaster so far. They’re inconsistent, and their goaltending has been horrible; Jordan Binnington is not playing like he wants to be Canada’s No. 1 after a strong showing at the 4 Nations Faceoff.
28. Ottawa Senators (6-5-2, -3. PR: 26)
Tough to gauge the Sens without their captain, but Linus Ullmark has been really poor this season after a promising first season with his new club. He’s faced 30 or more shots only once (!) this season and allowed two goals or fewer just three times, and in one of those games, he faced only 13 shots.
29. Buffalo Sabres (5-4-4, -2. PR: 29)
Bad luck or just Sabres luck? They’ve played five straight games that went to extra time and lost four of them in overtime. Obviously, goaltending – what’s going to happen with Devon Levi? – and injuries have been hot topics, but I think the most surprising storyline that’s been developing over multiple seasons is how a club blessed with so much talent seem to attrition itself back into rebuild mode every decade or so.
30. San Jose Sharks (4-6-3, -11. PR: 31)
Take away the horrendous 0-4-2 start, and the Sharks are actually 4-2-1 since then, though three of those wins came in overtime. I think the surprise, albeit a mild one, is how quickly Macklin Celebrini has established himself as a dominant offensive player in the NHL.
31. Nashville Predators (5-6-4, -12. PR: 30)
The loser point skews things, but the Preds were lucky to earn half the points they did over the past week. They were down 3-1 against the Canucks, and Steven Stamkos scored with 0.3 seconds (!) left against the Wild to force overtime in both games. I think what’s most surprising is the Preds haven’t been mentioned much in the rumor mill, or very active in trying to fix this poorly constructed roster.
32. Calgary Flames (3-9-2, -17. PR: 32)
It’s a surprise that a borderline playoff team last season is this bad. Like, lottery-bound bad. A lot of it has been the Flames' subpar goaltending, but their offense hasn’t been good, and top defenseman MacKenzie Weegar is minus-12.
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Wednesday’s NHL schedule features five games filled with marquee matchups, promising fast-paced action, dramatic finishes, and highlight-worthy moments. One of the night’s most intriguing games has the Toronto Maple Leafs coming off a thrilling four-goal comeback win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. They now face one of the league’s hottest teams, the 9-4-0 Utah Mammoth.
If you’re new to our betting challenge, here’s how it works. We start with a modest bankroll and aim to grow it using smart, data-driven wagers. In past runs, we’ve turned just $10 into triple-digit profits. Tonight, our same-game parlay focuses on the Toronto-Utah matchup, providing a great opportunity to rebuild momentum after our recent hot streak came to an end. Our bankroll had climbed to $264.60 before taking a loss in Tuesday’s Golden Knights win over the Red Wings. Now we’re ready to heat back up and continue the climb after going a perfect 3-0 with our picks in last night’s Oilers-Stars game.
All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
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Are The Pittsburgh Penguins For Real?Crosby and Malkin are revitalized, leading league-leading Penguins. Can this aging core sustain a Stanley Cup push with solid goaltending and surprisingly deep support?The Utah Mammoth have begun their first season under their new identity in impressive fashion, suffering only four losses so far. However, they will look to rebound on Wednesday after dropping two of their last three games. Their recent struggles have come from defensive lapses rather than offensive shortcomings, as they still managed to score five goals despite giving up ten in those two defeats. The defense showed improvement in Tuesday’s 2-1 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres.
Utah now heads to Toronto for the second leg of their road back-to-back. The Maple Leafs feature one of the league’s top offenses this season, ranking third in goals scored, but they have also struggled defensively, ranking fifth-worst in that category. Toronto’s stars William Nylander and Auston Matthews led the way in a 4-3 win over the Penguins on Monday, combining for three of the team’s four goals, while Matthews assisted Bobby McMann on the fourth. The Leafs’ top players appear to be heating up as they try to climb out of an early 7-5-1 start.
Utah should be able to challenge Toronto’s attack with their own strong offense, which sits just inside the league’s top ten. The Mammoth have developed a reputation for competing hard in tough matchups, holding a 6-4 record against the spread over their last ten games. Toronto has faced Utah only twice in franchise history, winning both games by a single goal, with each contest featuring six or more total goals.
A $10 wager on the Mammoth and the over at +115 odds would cashed for a $11.50 profit, pushing the total payout to $21.50 in return. With a loaded NHL slate ahead on Thursday, it’s the perfect time to ride the momentum and keep stacking that bankroll.
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