NHL.com identifies key games and players to watch throughout the 2023-24 season.
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Note: Betting lines provided by Betway (WE, Ontario)
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1. Anaheim Ducks vs. Edmonton Oilers (9 p.m. ET; SN, BSSC, BSSD)
ANA currency line: +215
EDM Money Line: -275
The Oilers haven’t lived up to expectations this season (13 points in 19 games; third fewest in the NHL), but ended a three-game losing streak with a road win over the Washington Capitals 5-0 Friday thanks to a 25-save shutout. goalkeeper Stuart Skinner. The Oilers have a chance to snap their second winning streak of the season (three straight wins from November 11-15) against the Ducks, who are ahead of the Oilers in the standings (18 points in 20 games; tied for seventh in the NHL), but they have lost five games in a row and have been outscored 22-9 during that span.
The Oilers have four players with at least a point per game this season among forwards Leon Draisaitl (26 in 19 matches), Connor McDavid (20 out of 17), Zach Hyman (19 of 19) and defender Evan Bouchard (19 out of 19). The Ducks, even with their recent losing streak, have been a big surprise this season by ranking 12th in power play percentage (21.9) and having two players in points per game among forwards. Mason McTavish (21 points in 20 games) and Frank Vatrano (20 of 20; leads Ducks with 13 goals).
2. Winnipeg Jets vs. Nashville Predators (8 p.m. ET; BSSO, TSN3)
Puckline WPG (-1.5 goals): +205
Puckline NSH (+1.5 goals): -250
These teams compete on long winning streaks; the Jets have won five straight (three by multiple goals) and eight of their last nine games, while Nashville has won four in a row (three by multiple goals). Winnipeg and Nashville each rank in the top half of the NHL in goals per game (Jets: seventh with 3.63; Nashville: 13th with 3.37). The Jets won 6-3 at home against the Predators on November 9.
The Predators are led by forward Filip Forsberg, who is having a bounce-back season with 24 points (tied for 15th in the NHL) in 19 games, and frequent teammate Gustave Nyquist has a streak of seven consecutive games with at least nine points (one goal, eight assists) during that streak. Jets forward Kyle Connor, who had a four-point (three goals, one assist), seven-shot game against the Predators earlier in the season, is tied for third in the NHL in goals (14). Winnipeg forward Nikolai Ehlers is experiencing its best streak of the season with points in five of its last six games (six points in space).
3. Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Carolina Hurricanes (5 p.m. ET; BSSO, BSOH, NHLN, SN, TVAS)
Over 6.5 goals in total: -102
Under 6.5 total goals: -118
After a recent nine-game winless streak (0-7-2), the Blue Jackets bounced back by winning back-to-back games by a total of nine goals in wins over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday and the New Jersey Devils on Friday . The Hurricanes are coming off an 8-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, when they faced elite goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in his season debut after recovering from back surgery. Carolina has now allowed six or more goals four times this season (0-4-0 from space).
Blue Jackets points leader is defenseman Zach Werenski (15 in 19 games), who was one of the returning players to the NHL after missing most of last season due to injury. Hurricane Center Sébastien Aho has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his last nine games and leads them in points (16 in 16 games) this season.
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