The Jets head to Montreal and more NHL Games of the Week

Saturday, October 31^st – 7:00 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Toronto Maple Leafs at Vancouver Canucks

This current road trip for the Maple Leafs began with an impressive 7-2 win in Edmonton (where they almost always win), followed by a disappointing 5-2 loss to the suddenly red-hot Calgary Flames.  After a game in Seattle with the Kraken, the travelling road show known as the Maple Leafs lands in Vancouver to take on a rebuilding Canucks’ side that is challenged most nights to pick up a point.

Sunday, November 1^st – 1:00 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Winnipeg Jets at Carolina Hurricanes

A brand-new month, and the Jets have moved on from Hart Trophy-winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.  That’s so October.  Speculation suggested the disgruntled goaltender would be traded to the Canes, but that didn’t happen, and he’s now a Devil. So what about the Jets? They dropped a 2-1 decision to the visiting Montreal Canadiens in the Heritage Classic Game, but it was a chance for the new players (Dawson Mercer) to get their skates wet. Carolina looks like they’ve picked up from this past June, when the Hurricanes hoisted the Stanley Cup.

Monday, November 2^nd – 9:00 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Calgary Flames at San Jose Sharks

Suddenly the Flames are winning games! Okay, even diehard fans in Cowtown don’t expect the Flaming C’s to make the playoffs this season, but the team is delivering some much-appreciated wins in this final season playing in The Saddledome. The Sharks were a lot of folks’ pick to move on up into the postseason this April, but that means the expectations have to be met, and that next step is never a given in the NHL.

Tuesday, November 3^rd – 7:00 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Winnipeg Jets at Montreal Canadiens

These two teams recently met up in the great outdoors during the Heritage Classic in Winnipeg (Sunday, October 25^th), with Les Canadiens emerging with the 2-1 win. Nine days later, they meet up in Montreal.  By now, the new additions to the Jets’ roster have had the opportunity to acclimatize themselves to their new teammates. The questions for Montreal revolved around how many starts young goaltender Jacob Fowler will get, and whether they can at least tread water until star centre Nick Suzuki returns from injury.

Wednesday, November 4^th – 7:30 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Ottawa Senators at Buffalo Sabres

These two Atlantic Division foes are already immersed in a playoff struggle in that tough division, as are the other six teams in the same bracket. So the two (three?) points up for grabs tonight matter, even in early November. It doesn’t help that Sens’ goalie Linus Ullmark was enjoying a wonderful start to the season, and then was sidelined with yet another injury. The Sabres missed out on grabbing goaltender Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets, so Buffalo will have to make do with the incumbents in the crease for now.

Thursday, November 5^th – 9:30 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Nashville Predators at Colorado Avalanche

Are the Predators a playoff team this season? Most people, heck, everybody, agree that the Avalanche are, even after a less-than-stellar start to this season. But the Preds, who missed the cut by a mere 4 points this past April, are playing around .500 hockey this time around, which won’t be good enough to snare a Western Conference wildcard spot.

Friday, November 6^th – 8:00 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Anaheim Ducks at Calgary Flames

Many expected the Ducks to waddle a bit backwards this season, a year after putting up 92 points last year and taking down the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. So far this season, Anaheim are playing around .500 hockey, which won’t be good enough to snare another Pacific Division/Western Conference playoff spot.