NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PREVIEWS
BSW
TONIGHT IN THE NHL
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Montreal (35-30-10) at Washington (36-28-11) 7:00 pm EST
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The Washington Capitals will try to extend a pair of winning
streaks when they face off against the Montreal Canadiens
tonight. Peter Bondra scored his 48th goal and Steve Konowalchuk
added a goal and an assist as Washington topped Los Angeles, 3-2
on Saturday. Bondra has three goals and an assist in three
games against Montreal this season. Bondra, who trails Anaheim's
Teemu Selanne by three goals for the league lead, has five goals
and three assists in his last three games overall. The Capitals
have won four in a row overall and eight straight at the MCI
Center. The Canadiens' three-game unbeaten string was snapped
with a 1-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
Montreal begins play tonight in seventh place in the Eastern
Conference, one point behind Boston and Buffalo and three points
in back of Washington. Montreal's power play is 6-for-32 over
the last five games. The Canadiens are 1-2 against the Capitals
this season.
Carolina (31-35-8) at Boston (34-27-13) 7:30 pm EST
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The Carolina Hurricanes can take one step closer to an Eastern
Conference playoff berth if they can defeat the Boston Bruins
tonight. The Hurricanes begin play tonight in ninth place in the
Eastern Conference, four points behind the Senators for the
eighth and final postseason spot. Trevor Kidd recorded his
second straight shutout and Jeff O'Neill scored early in the
second period as Carolina posted its second straight shutout,
1-0 over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. The Hurricanes
franchise has never posted shutouts in three straight games.
Carolina has scored one power-play goal in each of its last
eight games and is 8-for-47 with the man advantage during that
stretch. Grant Ledyard scored twice in Boston's 5-4 loss to
Buffalo on Friday. The Bruins have gone 3-3 in their last six
games and start play tonight tied with Buffalo for fifth in the
East, two points behind fourth-place Washington. Rookie Sergei
Samsonov has two goals and two assists in his last two games.
His 18 goals tie him with New Jersey's Patrik Elias for the
league lead among rookies. The Hurricanes have taken two of the
three meetings this season, winning by identical 3-1 scores.
NY Islanders (26-38-10) at Tampa Bay (17-49-9) 7:30 pm EST
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Two teams with an eye toward next season square off when the New
York Islanders take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Ice Palace
tonight. New York, which is coming off a 3-0 brawl-filled
shutout over the New York Rangers on Saturday, has won two
straight via shutout, including a 4-0 blanking of the Lightning
last Wednesday. The Islanders will try for their first
three-game winning streak since October 29-November 1st. Right
wing Zigmund Palffy has a goal and seven assists during a
five-game points streak. Brent Peterson scored the lone goal for
Tampa Bay in its 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. The
Lightning have managed just two goals during their current
three-game losing streak and have dropped six of their last
seven overall. After scoring four power-play goals in a win over
Florida on March 21st, Tampa Bay has gone 0-for-31 with the man
advantage over the next six games. Tampa Bay has dropped all
three decisions to New York this season and has been outscored,
15-2.
Toronto (26-40-9) at Dallas (43-21-11) 8:30 pm EST
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The suddenly struggling Dallas Stars try to end their longest
losing streak of the season tonight when they host the Toronto
Maple Leafs. Dallas has dropped three straight games and is
1-5-1 in its last seven. The Stars are trying to avoid losing
four in a row for the first time since March 11th-17th, 1996.
Because of their recent struggles, Dallas is now in jeopardy of
falling out of the top spot in the Western Conference. The
Stars are now tied with Central Division rival Detroit with 97
points and have slipped four points behind the New Jersey Devils
for the best record in the league. The Stars have had Roman
Turek in goal during each game of the losing streak and have
dropped four in a row with him between the pipes. Toronto is
coming off Saturday's 5-3 loss to San Jose and has also dropped
three straight. The Maple Leafs have surrendered 11 goals in
the last two games. The Maple Leafs are holding onto slim
playoff hopes. They are tied for 11th in the Western Conference,
nine points out of the eighth and final playoff berth. Toronto
won at Dallas on March 26th but still trails the season series,
3-2.
Los Angeles (34-30-11) at Colorado (37-24-16) 9:00 pm EST
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The Colorado Avalanche return home from a winless road trip and
try to get back on track tonight when they host the Los Angeles
Kings in a Pacific Division battle. Colorado has lost four games
in a row -- all on the road -- and five of its last six. The
four-game trip was an offensive disaster for the normally
high-powered Avalanche, who managed just three goals and no more
than one in any game. But help may have arrived in Saturday's
4-1 loss to St. Louis. Center Joe Sakic returned from an 18-game
absence due to a knee injury and scored Colorado's lone goal.
But that could not prevent the Avalanche, still without Peter
Forsberg, from reaching their longest losing streak since moving
to Colorado. Colorado owns a safe 11-point lead over Los Angeles
in the Pacific, but is suddenly in bad shape in the Western
Conference race. Though they will get the second seed as the
winners of the Pacific, the Avalanche are now tied for third
with St. Louis. The Kings are fifth in the West and have wrapped
up a playoff berth, but they are also slumping. Los Angeles has
lost three in a row and five of its last six. The Kings are 1-4
on a six-game road trip that ends tonight. Los Angeles suffered
a 3-2 loss at Washington on Saturday. Prior to that, the Kings
had been blanked in their previous two games. The Kings lead the
season series, 2-1. The teams meet again in Los Angeles on
Saturday.
Vancouver (24-39-13) at Edmonton (30-36-10) 9:00 pm EST
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The Edmonton Oilers can all but end the playoff hopes of the
Vancouver Canucks tonight when the Pacific Division rivals meet.
A win tonight by the Oilers makes it nearly impossible for the
Canucks to reach the postseason. Edmonton is tied for the
eighth and final playoff spot with San Jose, while Vancouver is
tied for 11th, nine points behind. If the Oilers win this game,
Vancouver would not mathematically be able to catch them and the
Canucks would have only the slimmest of chances of catching the
idle Sharks. Edmonton has won two of its last three games. Todd
Marchant had a goal and two assists and Curtis Joseph made 30
saves, helping the Oilers to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars
on Friday. Marchant has three goals and two assists in his last
three games. Pavel Bure scored a pair of dazzling goals as the
Canucks tallied four times over the final 11:07 and rallied to
hand the Stars a 5-3 defeat on Saturday. Vancouver has won
consecutive games, including a 4-2 victory over Edmonton last
Wednesday. Bure has five goals and three assists during a
five-game points streak. The Canucks have won all four games
between the teams this season.
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BSW
TONIGHT IN THE NHL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Montreal (35-30-10) at Washington (36-28-11) 7:00 pm EDT
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Washington Capitals will try to extend a pair of winning
streaks when they face off against the Montreal Canadiens
tonight. Peter Bondra scored his 48th goal and Steve Konowalchuk
added a goal and an assist as Washington topped Los Angeles, 3-2
on Saturday. Bondra has three goals and an assist in three
games against Montreal this season. Bondra, who trails Anaheim's
Teemu Selanne by three goals for the league lead, has five goals
and three assists in his last three games overall. The Capitals
have won four in a row overall and eight straight at the MCI
Center. The Canadiens' three-game unbeaten string was snapped
with a 1-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Montreal
begins play tonight in seventh place in the Eastern Conference,
one point behind Boston and Buffalo and three points in back of
Washington. Montreal's power play is 6-for-32 over the last five
games. The Canadiens are 1-2 against the Capitals this season.
Carolina (31-35-8) at Boston (34-27-13) 7:30 pm EDT
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The Carolina Hurricanes, fighting for the eighth and final
playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, play the Boston Bruins
tonight. The Hurricanes begin play tonight in ninth place, four
points behind the Ottawa Senators for the eighth and final
postseason spot. Trevor Kidd recorded his second straight
shutout and Jeff O'Neill scored early in the second period as
Carolina edged the Montreal Canadiens, 1-0, on Saturday. The
Hurricanes franchise has never posted shutouts in three straight
games. Carolina has scored one power-play goal in each of its
last eight games and is 8-for-47 with the man advantage during
that stretch. Grant Ledyard scored twice in Boston's 5-4 loss to
Buffalo on Friday. The Bruins have gone 3-3 in their last six
games and start play tonight tied with Buffalo for fifth in the
East, two points behind fourth-place Washington. Rookie Sergei
Samsonov has two goals and two assists in his last two games.
His 18 goals tie him with New Jersey's Patrik Elias for the
league lead among rookies. The Hurricanes have taken two of the
three meetings this season, winning by identical 3-1 scores.
NY Islanders (26-38-10) at Tampa Bay (17-49-9) 7:30 pm EDT
----------------------------------------------------------------
Two teams with an eye toward next season square off when the New
York Islanders take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Ice Palace
tonight. New York, which is coming off a 3-0 brawl-filled
shutout over the New York Rangers on Saturday, has won two
straight via shutout, including a 4-0 blanking of the Lightning
last Wednesday. The Islanders will try for their first
three-game winning streak since October 29-November 1st. Right
wing Zigmund Palffy has a goal and seven assists during a
five-game points streak. Brent Peterson scored the lone goal for
Tampa Bay in its 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. The
Lightning have managed just two goals during their current
three-game losing streak and have dropped six of their last
seven overall. After scoring four power-play goals in a win over
Florida on March 21st, Tampa Bay has gone 0-for-31 with the man
advantage over the next six games. Tampa Bay has dropped all
three decisions to New York this season and has been outscored,
15-2.
Toronto (26-40-9) at Dallas (43-21-11) 8:30 pm EDT
----------------------------------------------------------------
The suddenly struggling Dallas Stars try to end their longest
losing streak of the season tonight when they host the Toronto
Maple Leafs. Dallas has dropped three straight games and is
1-5-1 in its last seven. The Stars are trying to avoid losing
four in a row for the first time since March 11th-17th, 1996.
Because of their recent struggles, Dallas is now in jeopardy of
falling out of the top spot in the Western Conference. The
Stars are now tied with Central Division rival Detroit with 97
points and have slipped four points behind the New Jersey Devils
for the best record in the league. The Stars have had Roman
Turek in goal during each game of the losing streak and have
dropped four in a row with him between the pipes. Toronto is
coming off Saturday's 5-3 loss to San Jose and has also dropped
three straight. The Maple Leafs have surrendered 11 goals in
the last two games. The Maple Leafs are holding onto slim
playoff hopes. They are tied for 11th in the Western Conference,
nine points out of the eighth and final playoff berth. Toronto
won at Dallas on March 26th but still trails the season series,
3-2.
Los Angeles (34-30-11) at Colorado (37-24-16) 9:00 pm EDT
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Colorado Avalanche return home from a winless road trip and
try to get back on track tonight when they host the Los Angeles
Kings in a Pacific Division battle. Colorado has lost four games
in a row -- all on the road -- and five of its last six. The
four-game trip was an offensive disaster for the normally
high-powered Avalanche, who managed just three goals and no more
than one in any game. But help may have arrived in Saturday's
4-1 loss to St. Louis. Center Joe Sakic returned from an 18-game
absence due to a knee injury and scored Colorado's lone goal.
But that could not prevent the Avalanche, still without Peter
Forsberg, from reaching their longest losing streak since moving
to Colorado. Colorado owns a safe 11-point lead over Los Angeles
in the Pacific, but is suddenly in bad shape in the Western
Conference race. Though they will get the second seed as the
winners of the Pacific, the Avalanche are now tied for third
with St. Louis. The Kings are fifth in the West and have wrapped
up a playoff berth, but they are also slumping. Los Angeles has
lost three in a row and five of its last six. The Kings are 1-4
on a six-game road trip that ends tonight. Los Angeles suffered
a 3-2 loss at Washington on Saturday. Prior to that, the Kings
had been blanked in their previous two games. The Kings lead the
season series, 2-1. The teams meet again in Los Angeles on
Saturday.
Vancouver (24-39-13) at Edmonton (30-36-10) 9:00 pm EDT