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Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Preview and Predictions 10-03-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 2nd October 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 10/02/2018

Expectations are sky-high for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season after the club satiated its rabid fan base by signing superstar John Tavares to a seven-year, $77 million blockbuster free-agent contract. The 28-year-old Ontario native is expected to provide a potent punch on the power play with Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews for the Maple Leafs, who open the season Wednesday at home against the Original Six-rival Montreal Canadiens.

"There is no question, to win the Stanley Cup," Tavares told the Toronto Sun of his goal heading into his 10th NHL season. "... We believe we have a really good group here. We start with (Wednesday). All 82 games mean the same, and we focus on where we want to get to one step at a time." Tavares recorded 37 goals and 84 points with the New York Islanders in 2017-18 and offsets the loss of a team-best 36 goals by James van Riemsdyk (Philadelphia) for Toronto, which set club records for overall wins (49) and home victories (29) before falling to Boston in the first round. Montreal finished 29th out of 31 teams in goals last season and shuffled five-time 30-goal scorer Max Pacioretty (Vegas) and leading power-play contributor Alex Galchenyuk (Arizona) out of town. Brendan Gallagher (career-high 31 goals and 54 points) and Tomas Tatar -- who was acquired in the Pacioretty deal -- will be tasked with igniting a spark on offense.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, RDS

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (2017-18: 29-40-13, 6TH IN ATLANTIC): With Pacioretty playing in Sin City, Shea Weber will wear the "C" for his second NHL team after being named the 30th captain of the franchise this week. The 33-year-old Weber, who served as the captain of Nashville from 2010-16, will be sidelined until at least December as he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery. Jordie Benn, Jeff Petry and others will attempt to stand up in his absence for a Canadiens team that didn't provide much comfort for former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Carey Price (16-26-7, 3.11 goals-against average), who is coming off his worst statistical season as an NHL starter.

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (2017-18: 49-26-7, 3RD IN ATLANTIC): While all eyes likely will be fixated on Toronto's high-octane offense, a generous defense kept Frederik Andersen busy as the 29-year-old Dane faced 2,211 shots in 66 games. Andersen thrived with the busy workload, posting a franchise record in wins (38) to go along with a 2.81 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and five shutouts last season. Defenseman Morgan Rielly provides an offensive punch with 52 points, however a suspect corps of blue-liners has been a nagging question in Toronto. "I am probably more bullish on our defense than others. ... The key for us is that we are continuing to make plays from the back end and can move the pucks to our forwards," general manager Kyle Dubas said.

OVERTIME

1. Matthews scored five goals and set up one other in three games versus the Canadiens last season.

2. Tatar recorded two goals and an assist in three meetings with the Maple Leafs in 2017-18.

3. Toronto boasted the league's second-best power play at 25.0 percent last season while Montreal finished 30th on the penalty kill (74.1).

PREDICTION: Maple Leafs 5, Canadiens 2
 
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Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals Preview and Predictions 10-03-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 2nd October 2018 by Gracenote
Bruins vs. Capitals Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 10/02/2018

Perennial underachievers throughout their history, particularly in the postseason, the Washington Capitals finally shed the label with a stirring run to their first Stanley Cup title. With nearly their entire roster intact and captain Alex Ovechkin showing no signs of slowing down, Washington opens its bid to repeat when they host the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.

Expectations will remain just as high for the Capitals, who will have one major change when they raise the championship banner Wednesday, with new coach Todd Reirden taking over for Barry Trotz behind the bench. "We've got to realize that everything is going to be tougher to start and all the games are going to be tougher against us," Washington center Nicklas Backstrom said. "We better play our best hockey to start, that's reality." The Bruins were the best team in hockey for a long stretch last season and wound up second in the East with 112 points -- seven more than Washington -- but were ousted by Tampa Bay in five games in the second round of the playoffs. Boston was overly reliant on its No. 1 line last season and made no significant additions to the starting lineup, but learned Monday that Torey Krug, its highest-scoring defenseman in 2017-18, will miss the first few weeks due to an ankle injury.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, TVAS

ABOUT THE BRUINS (2017-18: 50-20-12, 2ND IN ATLANTIC): The top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak combined for 99 goals and were the team's top three scorers, but Boston spent the offseason hoping Danton Heinen or Ryan Donato would nail down the right wing spot alongside David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk on the second unit. Heinen was fifth on the team with 47 points while Donato had nine points in the final 12 regular-season games after finishing his career at Harvard. Tuukka Rask, owner of a 21-game point streak last season but inconsistent in the playoffs, will have a new No. 2 netminder in Jaroslav Halak, who spent the last four seasons with the New York Islanders

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (2017-18: 49-26-7, 1ST IN METROPOLITAN): Ovechkin led the league in scoring for the seventh time by netting 49 goals before sparking the run to the Cup with 15 tallies and 27 points in 24 postseason games to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Top-line center Evgeny Kuznetsov notched a career-high 83 points before adding a team-best 32 in the playoffs while rugged winger Tom Wilson rounded out the top line with 14 goals. Backstrom had his eighth 50-assist season while Lars Eller centers the third line and Nic Dowd replaces Jay Beagle on the fourth unit. Braden Holtby had a career-worst 2.99 goals-against average and has a new backup in Pheonix Copley.

OVERTIME

1. Krug is expected to be in a boot for at least three weeks and will likely be replaced by rookie Urho Vaakanainen, a 2017 first-round draft pick.

2. Wilson will have an in-person hearing for an illegal check to the head of St. Louis' Oskar Sundqvist.

3. Bergeron, who didn't play in the preseason, practiced fully Monday and is expected to play in the opener.

PREDICTION: Capitals 3, Bruins 2
 
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Calgary Flames vs. Vancouver Canucks Preview and Predictions 10-03-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 2nd October 2018 by Gracenote
Flames vs. Canucks Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 10/02/2018

A new era is underway with the Vancouver Canucks, who enter the season without the Sedin twins in the lineup for the first time since 1999-2000. Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who each amassed 1,000 career points, retired but another elite Swedish talent provides Vancouver with hope for the future entering Wednesday's season opener versus the visiting Calgary Flames.

Elias Pettersson, the No. 5 overall pick of the Canucks in this year's draft, already is being touted as a Calder Trophy favorite and joins emerging young offensive talent in second-year forward Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat. "We've got some young players I hope are ready to contribute offensively yet we don't want to put that kind of pressure that they have to carry a team," Vancouver coach Travis Green said. The Flames reached the postseason with 94 points in 2016-17 but had 10 fewer points last season, leading to myriad moves to bolster a sagging offense and raise the hopes of returning to the playoffs. "You want high expectations," new coach Bill Peters said. "When you have high expectations, that means your team is good and you have a chance to win. When there's no expectation, you're going through the motions and you're playing out the string."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, SportsNet

ABOUT THE FLAMES (2017-18: 37-35-10, 5TH IN PACIFIC): Calgary ranked 27th in scoring last season, lacking consistency behind the 1-2 punch of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan on its top line. To that end, the Flames signed James Neal, a 20-goal scorer in 10 of his 11 seasons, and imported a pair of former Carolina forwards in center Derek Ryan and winger Elias Lindholm to supplement Matthew Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund, who combined for 94 points last season. Defenseman Noah Hanifin, like Lindholm a former No. 5 overall draft pick, also arrived in the trade that sent Dougie Hamilton to Carolina. Goaltender Mike Smith, 36, had an uneven first season with the Flames, laboring down the stretch.

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (2017-18: 31-40-11, 7TH IN PACIFIC): Boeser had a superb rookie campaign with 29 goals and 55 points and Horvat added 22 goals playing alongside Sven Baertschi despite none of the trip playing in more than 64 games. Pettersson, who will center the No. 2 line, led the Swedish League in scoring with 24 goals and 56 points in 44 games and was named the MVP in both the regular season and the postseason in his first year. Vancouver signed defensive forwards in Jay Beagle, Tim Schaller and Antoine Roussel, but the blue line remains unchanged after the Canucks surrendered the sixth-most goals in the league last season. Jacob Markstrom returns as the starting netminder.

OVERTIME

1. Flames F Dillon Dube, who captained Canada's gold medal-winning team at the world juniors in 2018, made the roster.

2. Boeser had 10 goals and 23 points on the power play as a rookie.

3. Calgary tied with Chicago for 28th on the power play last season, converting on 16 percent of its chances.

PREDICTION: Flames 4, Canucks 3
 
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Anaheim Ducks vs. San Jose Sharks Preview and Predictions 10-03-2018 in NHL

NHL Previews 2nd October 2018 by Gracenote
Ducks vs. Sharks Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 10/02/2018

The San Jose Sharks made quite the splash in the offseason, acquiring offensive-minded defenseman Erik Karlsson to pair with fellow former Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns on the back end. The new-look Sharks face a familiar foe in the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday when the bitter Pacific Division rivals begin their respective seasons at the SAP Center in San Jose.

"That trade makes this team look a little bit more dangerous. And, a little more real," captain Joe Pavelski told the San Jose Mercury News of Karlsson, who was acquired from Ottawa on Sept. 13 in exchange for defenseman Dylan DeMelo, center Chris Tierney and a package of draft picks and prospects. The Sharks went 3-0-1 against the Ducks last season and unceremoniously swept them in the first round before being vanquished by eventual Stanley Cup finalist Vegas in the second. Anaheim sustained quite the loss with the news that former Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry is expected to be sidelined at least five months following knee surgery. Captain Ryan Getzlaf endured his fair share of injuries last season, but the 33-year-old has worked well with Rickard Rakell (34 goals) when healthy.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN

ABOUT THE DUCKS (2017-18: 44-25-13, 2ND IN PACIFIC): Like San Jose, Anaheim boasts a strong defense in its own right with Cam Fowler, Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Montour. Lindholm also provides an offensive punch with a career-best 13 goals in 69 games last season. Goaltender John Gibson is fresh off a career-best 31 wins and boasted a sterling .926 save percentage to help the Ducks allow the third-fewest goals (209) last season. The 25-year-old Pittsburgh native has dealt with some tough-luck injuries -- a worrisome thought considering veteran Ryan Miller likely will be limited to a reduced workload at this point in his career.

ABOUT THE SHARKS (2017-18: 45-27-10, 3RD IN PACIFIC): Prior to getting Karlsson into the fold, San Jose was reaping the benefits of acquiring Evander Kane at last season's trade deadline. "He brings an edge to our team. When he came over, he scored some huge goals for us as well. He's been a great teammate to all of us," veteran Joe Thornton said of Kane, who recorded 14 points in 17 regular-season games and five more in nine playoff contests. Logan Couture scored 34 goals for the Sharks, who feature a top-heavy first two lines ahead of a bottom six that leaves a bit to be desired. Marc-Edouard Vlasic adds to a spectacular defense in front of Martin Jones, who has recorded at least 30 wins in each of the last three seasons.

OVERTIME

1. Anaheim C Adam Henrique scored 20 goals and set up 16 others in 57 games since being acquired from New Jersey last season.

2. The Sharks boasted the second-best penalty kill (84.8 percent) in 2017-18 while the Ducks were sixth (83.2).

3. Anaheim has been sluggish out of the gate, posting a 6-18-0 mark in season openers.

PREDICTION: Sharks 3, Ducks 2
 
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Dunkel

Wednesday, October 3

Montreal @ Toronto

Game 1-2
October 3, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
11.308
Toronto
10.199
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-220
6
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(+180); Over

Boston @ Washington

Game 3-4
October 3, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
12.478
Washington
11.512
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-135
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(+115); Over

Calgary @ Vancouver

Game 5-6
October 3, 2018 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
11.847
Vancouver
10.833
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
-130
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(-130); Under

Anaheim @ San Jose

Game 7-8
October 3, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Anaheim
10.629
San Jose
12.162
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-170
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(-170); Under
 
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Wednesday, October 3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MONTREAL (29-40-0-13, 71 pts.) at TORONTO (52-30-0-7, 111 pts.) - 10/3/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 29-54 ATS (-31.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-4-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.7 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BOSTON (55-26-0-13, 123 pts.) at WASHINGTON (65-32-0-9, 139 pts.) - 10/3/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 66-41 ATS (+14.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 16-5 ATS (+7.3 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 202-159 ATS (+362.9 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-0 (+6.2 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 6-0-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.8 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CALGARY (37-35-0-10, 84 pts.) at VANCOUVER (31-40-0-11, 73 pts.) - 10/3/2018, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 28-23 ATS (+56.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 5-4-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.5 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ANAHEIM (44-29-0-13, 101 pts.) at SAN JOSE (51-30-0-11, 113 pts.) - 10/3/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 27-12 ATS (+10.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 9-4 (+4.0 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 9-4-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.2 Units)
 
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Trend Report

Montreal Canadiens
Montreal is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Montreal is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Montreal's last 7 games
Montreal is 7-18 ATS in its last 25 games on the road
Montreal is 3-16 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Montreal is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
Montreal is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games when playing Toronto
Montreal is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
Montreal is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Maple Leafs
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Toronto is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games at home
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Montreal
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Montreal
Toronto is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games when playing Montreal
Toronto is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Montreal


Boston Bruins
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Boston is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Boston's last 15 games on the road
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Washington
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington Capitals
Washington is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Washington is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Boston
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston


Calgary Flames
Calgary is 2-12 ATS in its last 14 games
Calgary is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary's last 6 games
Calgary is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Calgary is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary's last 6 games on the road
Calgary is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Vancouver
Calgary is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Calgary's last 5 games when playing Vancouver
Calgary is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Calgary is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Vancouver is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Vancouver is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games
Vancouver is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Vancouver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Vancouver's last 17 games at home
Vancouver is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Calgary
Vancouver is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vancouver's last 5 games when playing Calgary
Vancouver is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Calgary
Vancouver is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Calgary


Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Anaheim is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Anaheim's last 14 games on the road
Anaheim is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing San Jose
Anaheim is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Anaheim's last 9 games when playing San Jose
Anaheim is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Jose
Anaheim is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Anaheim's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Jose
San Jose Sharks
San Jose is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
San Jose is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose's last 6 games
San Jose is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
San Jose is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Jose's last 9 games at home
San Jose is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Anaheim
San Jose is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Anaheim
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Jose's last 9 games when playing Anaheim
San Jose is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Anaheim
San Jose is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Anaheim
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games when playing at home against Anaheim
 
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Larry Ness

Oct 03 '18, 7:35 PM in 1h
NHL | Bruins vs Capitals
Play on: Capitals -120 at 5Dimes
 

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