Morning Skate: February 2

The Morning After:
Yesterday’s results:
Rangers 1, Sabres 0 (SO)
Maple Leafs 1, Penguins 0
Panthers 4, Capitals 2
Ducks 6, Stars 2
Kings 3, Blue Jackets 2

RLD 3 stars of the night:
1. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (34 saves, shutout)
2. James Reimer, TOR (25 saves, shutout)
3. Jamie Benn, DAL (1 goal, 2 assists)
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Tonight’s slate:
Hurricanes @ Bruins, 7:00 ET
Canadiens @ Devils, 7:00
Predators @ Flyers, 7:00
Jets @ Lightning, 7:30
Wild @ Avalanche, 9:00
Blackhawks @ Oilers, 9:30
Red Wings @ Canucks, 10:00
Stars @ Sharks, 10:30

Game of the night:
Detroit Red Wings @ Vancouver Canucks
10:00 ET… TV: Local Networks

Records:
Overall: Red Wings (34-16-1) … Canucks (31-15-4)
Away/Home: Red Wings (14-14-0) … Canucks (15-6-3)
Last 10: Red Wings (8-2-0) … Canucks (7-2-1)
Season Series: Tied 1-1

Starting goaltenders:
DET- Jimmy Howard (2011-12 stats: 31-11-1, 2.01 GAA)
VAN- Roberto Luongo (2011-12 stats: 20-10-4, 2.39 GAA)

Injury report:
DET- Tomas Holmstrom (knee, probable), Patrick Eaves (jaw, out)
VAN- Sami Salo (concussion, out), Andrew Ebbett and Aaron Volpatti (shoulder, out)

Three things to watch:
1. Detroit starting to turn it around on the road?
The one shade of grey on Detroit’s resume this season has been their performance away from Joe Louis Arena. Through 28 road games, the Red Wings are 14-14-0. However, they have modestly won four of their last six on the road, and are coming off a win in Calgary on Tuesday. Tonight will be a good opportunity to keep it up, as the Wings usually aren’t fazed by Rogers Arena.
2. Cody Hodgson adding another dimension
We’ve mentioned it here recently, but Vancouver’s Cody Hodgson has been clutch lately. The former first-round pick scored a big game-tying goal on Tuesday against Chicago, and tallied a game-winner against San Jose right before the break. Hodgson is adding secondary scoring to a team that could use a little push from its second and third lines.
3. Playoff preview?
These two teams have played some really great games in recent seasons. If they continue on the path they are tracking on, this has the potential to be a heavyweight matchup in May. Detroit and Vancouver currently sit 1-2 in the Western Conference and won’t be going away anytime soon.

Final thought: This contest shapes up to be a beauty. As mentioned, the Wings and Canucks have had close, high-paced games over the last few years. Don’t expect anything different tonight. Look for the Wings to play a solid all-around game and grab the two points tonight. Prediction: Red Wings 3, Canucks 2 (SO)

The rest of today’s predictions:
Bruins over Hurricanes
Devils over Canadiens
Flyers over Predators
Lightning over Jets
Avalanche over Wild
Blackhawks over Oilers
Sharks over Stars
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Five must-read links:
- Sportsnet: Time to trade Schneider
- SI Red Light Blog: The Brooklyn Islanders? Not likely
- Fox Sports Arizona: What do Coyotes need to do to make playoffs?
- NHL.com: Brewers’ Morgan practices with San Jose Sharks
- The Royal Half: Trade Deficit
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Video of the day:


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