DETROIT vs ARIZONA
When: 10:00 PM  ET, Thursday, October 12, 2017
Where: Gila River Arena, Glendale, Arizona

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NHL.TV, FSN Detroit, FSN Arizona
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Coyotes 3, Red Wings 2

Oddsmakers currently have the DETROIT listed as -105-moneyline favorites versus the ARIZONA, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Coyotes have a new coach, a new system, a roster filled with new players, a newly developing rivalry — and, if their first three games are any indication, the same old problems.

Issues the Red Wings want to take advantage of Thursday night at Gila River Arena, where Detroit looks to regain its early season momentum and slow-starting Arizona seeks its first victory of the still-young season.

Inconsistent goaltending, a lack of go-to scorers and uneven play along the blue line all were issues last season as the Coyotes went 30-42-10. So far, a coaching change from Dave Tippett to Rick Tocchet and a roster overhaul that brought in proven players such as center Derek Stepan and defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to add to a mostly young cast hasn’t fixed that.

OVERTIME

1. Blashill said versatile F Luke Witkowski could also play the role of a defenseman should Detroit need help on the back end.

2. Arizona’s Brendan Perlini sustained an upper-body injury during the first period of Tuesday’s tilt, prompting the club to place him on injured reserve and recall fellow forward Emerson Etem from Tucson of the American Hockey League.

3. The Red Wings and Coyotes have struggled in the faceoff circle this season, with the former winning an NHL third-worst 43.8 percent of their draws while the latter is second-worst at 38.0 percent.

A meltdown 5-4 loss to Anaheim in which the Coyotes led 4-1 and back-to-back defeats to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights are forcing Tocchet, never known for tolerating poor execution as a player, to develop patience in his first NHL head-coaching job.

The Coyotes (0-2-1) fell behind Vegas 4-0 in the first period of the Golden Knights’ first home game Tuesday and never caught up, losing 5-2 in a performance that disappointed Tocchet because of the team’s lack of competitiveness.

“We need some guys to come up here, go into the corner and win battles,” Tocchet said Wednesday. “That’s something we have to get better at, for sure.”

That and scoring goals — and stopping goals. No. 1 goaltender Antti Raanta was pulled after giving up three goals on the first five shots he faced. And, through three games in which the Coyotes have gained only one point in the standings, no player other than center Tobias Rieder (two goals) has more than one goal. No skater has a positive plus-minus rating.

“I don’t know if we’re in shape, and I have to take full responsibility for that,” Tocchet said. “We’re going to have to get back to the grindstone here. That’s the one thing that disappoints me … from five or six guys (Tuesday), the effort wasn’t there. And it’s hard to play in the NHL.”

The Red Wings (2-1-0), coming off the first season in 27 years in which they didn’t make the playoffs, got off to a 2-0 start under coach Jeff Blashill, only to lose 4-2 in Dallas on Tuesday in the second contest of a four-game road trip.

“We need to be sharper from the start,” right winger Anthony Mantha said. “That’s the lesson for today. I hope we’re going to play three great periods in Arizona.”

The Red Wings play a back-to-back in the desert, traveling to Las Vegas on Friday night.

“I didn’t think we had enough guys (in Dallas) playing at that ultra, ultra competitive level,” said Blashill, sounding much like Tocchet. “Our competitive level can’t be fine, it’s got to be outstanding. We didn’t have enough guys skate well enough, and we didn’t have enough pressure on them.”

Mantha and right winger Martin Frk each have two goals through three games, while longtime defenseman Mike Green already has six assists. Goaltender Jimmy Howard won his first two starts, allowing only three goals, and is expected to start at Arizona.

Raanta (0-1-1, 4.29 goals-against average) likely will be back in net for Arizona after playing only 6 minutes, 15 seconds against Vegas on Tuesday.

Arizona will have a new face on the ice Thursday in right wing Emerson Etem, who has played in 173 NHL games but only three since 2015-16. A knee injury forced him to miss nearly all of last season with Anaheim. Etem, who has 22 career goals, replaces left wing Brendan Perlini, who sustained an upper-body injury in Vegas.

“It’s good to be back and fully healthy,” said Etem, who began the season with Arizona’s Tucson farm club. “You miss a lot when something like that happens and you’re out for so long.”

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ST LOUIS vs FLORIDA
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Thursday, October 12, 2017
Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NHL.TV, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN Florida
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Blues 4, Panthers 2

Oddsmakers currently have the ST LOUIS listed as 100-moneyline favorites versus the FLORIDA, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

SUNRISE, Fla. — The St. Louis Blues, with four wins in their first four tries for just the second time in franchise history, will take their traveling hockey show to the BB&T Center on Thursday night.

The Blues, who will challenge the host Florida Panthers (1-1-0), have been winning despite a massive amount of early-season injuries.

Forwards Alexander Steen (left hand), Patrik Berglund (shoulder surgery), Robby Fabbri (knee surgery) and Zach Sanford (shoulder surgery) are all out. Fabbri is gone for the season, Sanford needs months of rehab, Berglund could be back by December, and Steen could return by the end of this month.

OVERTIME

1. Florida C Nick Bjugstad, who scored and set up a goal on Saturday, had two goals and an assist in six career meetings versus St. Louis.

2. The Blues have scored one power-play goal in each game this season, but have also yielded one in three of their four contests.

3. Panthers G Roberto Luongo owns a 16-12-2 career mark versus St. Louis.

On defense, the picture is not as bleak. First-pair defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (left ankle) is the only one injured on the blue line, and he could possibly return within one week.

Despite all the injuries, Blues coach Mike Yeo said he will not make excuses — and neither will his players.

“The guys who are filling in know they have to perform,” Yeo told reporters in New York following the Blues’ 3-1 win over the Rangers on Tuesday. “And our veterans have really raised their games and delivered in a big way.”

St. Louis, which opened this season as 26-1 shots to win the Stanley Cup, is certainly playing better than that prognostication.

Starting goalie Jake Allen owns a 2.50 goals-against average in three games and backup Carter Hutton beat the Rangers on Tuesday while stopping 32 shots, including 16 in a wild third period.

New to the Blues this year is Brayden Schenn, a forward acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers, and he has already made a difference with two goals and three assists.

“It’s no secret — we’re missing top guys,” Schenn told the media. “But guys are stepping up, and that’s what it takes to be a good team. We’re 4-0 — we’ll take it.”

The Panthers aren’t off to quite that type of start, splitting their first two games with the high-flying Tampa Bay Lightning.

New Panthers coach Bob Boughner has quickly established himself with his players, who voiced their approval of his system and his communication skills.

Boughner, a first-time NHL head coach, read a book called “Legacy” shortly after being hired by Florida. The book is about the New Zealand national rugby team, known as the All Blacks, and how they became world champions.

A 46-year-old former NHL defenseman from Windsor, Ontario, Boughner is hoping some of the lessons he learned from Legacy will inspire his players.

“I think every coach tries to put his own touch on a team,” said Boughner, who served as an assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks the past two years.

“For me, examining this (Panthers) organization and seeing the ups and downs, I think it’s important to create a great environment for them to come to the rink every day. I know as a former player that when you come to the rink and it’s a great environment, it makes you want to work harder.”

When Boughner speaks of the Panthers’ ups and downs, there have been many more downs than ups for the team, which missed the playoffs in 14 of the past 16 years.

Even when the team won its division in 2012 and 2016, the Panthers were unable to sustain that momentum to the next season.

Boughner’s presence, however, brings hope that the Panthers’ revolving door — four head coaches in the past four years — will stop spinning for a long while.

And it’s not just Boughner — it’s his entire coaching staff that has the Panthers excited.

“They are clear, concise and confident in everything they do,” Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “They are always on the dot, making sure we keep our pace. In between periods, they have great insight on how to counter the other team.”

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DALLAS vs NASHVILLE
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Thursday, October 12, 2017
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Stars 4, Predators 3

Oddsmakers currently have the DALLAS listed as 105-moneyline favorites versus the NASHVILLE, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

Scott Hartnell has played for 17 seasons in the NHL. Tuesday night was his 1,190th game, and it was one of the wildest he’s ever been involved in as the Nashville Predators blew a 3-0 lead, then scored twice in the last 77 seconds to dump the Philadelphia Flyers 6-5.

“It was exciting to see the fans get what they paid for,” Hartnell said. “It was a great start to the game. Up 3-0, the game should be shut down at that point. Some sloppy play led to them taking over the game. You’re not going to come back like that against a lot of teams in this league.”

Which means that consistency is what the 35-year old Hartnell and the Predators are looking for Thursday night when they host the Dallas Stars in Bridgestone Arena.

OVERTIME

1. Nashville won three of five meetings last season while Dallas was victorious in four of five in 2015-16.

2. Bishop is 1-3-1 with a 3.56 goals-against average against the Predators.

3. Forsberg had two goals and two assists in the five games last season versus Dallas.

Like Nashville, Dallas is 1-2-0. Also like the Predators, the Stars picked up their first win at home on Tuesday night, knocking off Detroit 4-2. Unlike Nashville, Dallas has played at a level pleasing to new coach Ken Hitchcock.

The veteran bench boss, who tied the late Al Arbour for third place in NHL history Tuesday night with his 782nd career win, liked that his team married result to process.

“I thought this was the best balance we’ve had,” Hitchcock said. “This looked like something you could really build on. We look like we could deal people some body blows, and that’s the way we’re built. I think the players are starting to understand that.”

A trendy pick to win the Central after a terrific offseason in which it landed goalie Ben Bishop and center Alex Radulov, Dallas started with 2-1 and 4-2 losses to Vegas and St. Louis in which it did things well enough to win, but just couldn’t find the back of the net often enough.

The hiring of Hitchcock, fired in early February by St. Louis in what was supposed to be his final season with the Blues, appears to have brought a more defensive approach to the Stars. They have for several years been explosive offensively but deficient on the back end.

That description could also fit the Predators’ performance in their home opener. They scored the first three goals and the last three goals, storming the Philadelphia zone during late power plays for the tying and winning markers, but also permitted five goals in a span of less than 17 minutes bridging the second and third periods.

“I think from after the 12-minute mark until after the 40-minute mark, we weren’t very good,” Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. “There’s certainly positives to take from the game tonight, and then there’s things we will continue to work on.”

The Predators have allowed 13 goals in their first three games, something they will have to cut down on in order to position themselves for a division title and a long playoff run. But Hartnell, in his second stint with the team, and Filip Forsberg each scored two goals against the Flyers.

Nashville is hoping captain Roman Josi and center Colton Sissons (lower-body injuries) can return to the lineup. Both sat out Tuesday night.

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MINNESOTA vs CHICAGO
When: 8:30 PM  ET, Thursday, October 12, 2017
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NHL.TV, FSN North (Minnesota), NBCSN Chicago
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Wild 2

Oddsmakers currently have the MINNESOTA listed as 130-moneyline favorites versus the CHICAGO, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks will look to stay unbeaten in regulation time when they host the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night at the United Center.

Chicago (3-0-1) has won both of its games on home ice and has outscored opponents 21-7 so far this season. The Blackhawks have six players who are averaging at least a point per game.

Meanwhile, Minnesota (0-1-1) is looking for its first win of the season and figures to be well rested after a four-day break between games. The Wild allowed nine goals and scored six in their first two games.

Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau expects to rely on an unorthodox lineup because of injuries to top forwards Zach Parise (undisclosed) and Mikael Granlund (groin). He likely will play 11 forwards and seven defensemen, mixing and matching his four offensive lines as the game goes along.

OVERTIME

1. Minnesota D Ryan Suter has recorded five goals and 28 assists in 66 career games versus Chicago, with the point total accounting for his highest against any team.

2. The Blackhawks boast six players who are averaging at least a point per game.

3. Minnesota F Marcus Foligno has elevated from the third to the top line in lieu of injuries to Parise and Granlund.

“In a perfect world, would you like 12 (forwards) and six (defensemen)? Yeah,” Boudreau said. “I think this is a great challenge. I don’t think it will happen all year long. Time will tell, but usually things work their way out.”

For the Blackhawks, nearly everything worked out in the first four games. Chicago enjoyed a lead at the end of the first and second period in every game, and its only setback came in overtime against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Chicago left winger Brandon Saad leads the team with five goals and two assists. Right winger Patrick Kane (two goals, four assists) is one of three Blackhawks who have notched six points in the first four games.

On Tuesday night, Blackhawks rookie Alex DeBrincat joined the fun with his first NHL goal against Montreal. The 19-year-old hopes to keep the momentum going when he and his teammates return home to face the Wild.

DeBrincat credited veteran linemate Patrick Sharp with easing his transition to the NHL.

“He’s always talking to me, always trying to give me advice on where to be and how to play at this level,” DeBrincat said in Montreal. “He has been a big help to me.”

Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk likely will be given the responsibility of cooling the Blackhawks. The next win will mark Dubnyk’s 100th victory with the franchise, which acquired him during the 2014-15 campaign.

Dubnyk is 99-55-13 with a 2.18 goals-against average and .924 save percentage with Minnesota. In his 20 career games against the Blackhawks, the 31-year-old is 10-7-0 with a 3.06 GAA and a .909 save percentage.

Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford will try to stay hot against the Wild. The 32-year-old carries a remarkable .971 save percentage (three goals allowed on 104 shots) into the game.

In 21 career games against Minnesota, Crawford is 10-8-2 with a 2.48 GAA and a .920 save percentage.

Boudreau said a fast start would be necessary to keep pace with the Blackhawks in a hostile environment.

“We can’t fall behind 2-0 like we did every game last year, that’s for sure,” Boudreau said. “They’re feeling it right now.

“A lot of different players in the lineup, but they still happen to have ’88’ (Kane) and ’19’ (Jonathan Toews) and ‘2’ (Duncan Keith) and ’50’ (Crawford) and ’20’ (Saad) is not bad, ‘7’ (Brent Seabrook) is pretty good. Yeah, they’re a good team.”

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WINNIPEG vs VANCOUVER
When: 10:00 PM  ET, Thursday, October 12, 2017
Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia

TV: 10 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), Sportsnet Vancouver
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Jets 4, Canucks 2

Oddsmakers currently have the WINNIPEG listed as -130-moneyline favorites versus the VANCOUVER, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Connor Hellebuyck is supposed to be a backup goaltender, but he is not playing like one.

Hellebuyck will make his second straight start Thursday as the Winnipeg Jets (1-2-0) visit the Vancouver Canucks (1-0-1) at Rogers Arena.

“It means a lot, but I’ve gotta be ready,” Hellebuyck said of his second start after Wednesday’s practice. “I’ve gotta bring my A game.”

Jets management did not feel that Hellebuyck brought his A game often enough last season as the starter, so the club signed 10-year veteran Steve Mason as a free agent July 1.

OVERTIME

1. The Canucks are 1-for-11 on the power play.

2. Scheifele, who finished seventh in the league in scoring last season, has five points in three games.

3. Canucks F Thomas Vanek, who scored against Ottawa, has 21 goals and 32 points in 41 contests versus Winnipeg.

But Mason, who played for the Philadelphia Flyers last season, allowed three goals on the first 10 shots he faced as a Jet in their season opener at home against Toronto — and was yanked early in the third period after giving up five in all.

Hellebuyck earned the start against Vancouver start after backstopping the Jets to a 5-2 win over the offensively explosive Oilers in Edmonton on Monday. But he is not putting too much stock in his 37-save effort against Connor McDavid and company.

“It’s just one game,” Hellebuyck said. “I see this as another chance for me to just go out there and continue showing what I can do, bringing my best and helping the team succeed.”

Big things have been expected of the Jets in recent seasons, but they have missed the playoffs in three of the past four years. The goaltender position will come under heavy scrutiny this season tries to live up to expectations.

After the Jets signed Mason, Hellebuyck, a 24-year-old Commerce, Mich., native, embarked on an intense offseason conditioning program. Although Hellebuyck declined to get into specifics about his program, he indicated that improvements in his biomechanics have helped him move quicker and feel better about his game.

“Just every day in practice, I feel like myself again,” said Hellebuyck, who went 26-19-4 last season. “I feel good and I feel confident. I can actually go out and play. I have the right foundation and I just need to continue working hard at it.”

Jets coach Paul Maurice said Hellebuyck has earned another start.

“I really liked his game (in Edmonton),” Maurice said. “It was good to get a win.”

Maurice downplayed his decision to sit Mason out again.

“It’s early in the season,” Maurice said. “We got off to a rocky start as a team (against Toronto), and we had a really good performance the other night. So I’m going with the same lineup — that’s all.”

Top defenseman Dustin Byfuglien will miss his second straight game with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Maurice said Byfuglien, who is with the team, is listed as day-to-day.

While the Jets goaltending might have questions, there is no doubt about their offensive firepower. The Canucks will attempt to hold the likes of Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler and Patrick Laine, among others, in check.

Ehlers had eight shots against the Oilers while producing four points. Scheifele and Wheeler had three points apiece.

“We know they have some highly skilled players, guys who can shoot the puck, guys who can play,” Canucks defenseman Chris Tanev said. “We will have to stay out of the (penalty) box against them. They have a good power play.”

As they pay close attention to defense, the Canucks will try to produce more offense. They have only managed one power-play goal on 11 extra-man chances thus far.

“It’s just (a matter of) execution, I feel,” Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said. “Somehow it feels good. We can create off the rush. It’s just that last play needs to be made.”

It remains to be seen how many games Henrik and his twin brother Daniel, two former NHL scoring champions, get to make during man-advantage opportunities and five-on-five.

Without making much of an announcement on the subject, new coach Travis Green has started limiting their ice time in an apparent attempt to keep the 36-year-olds fresh over the long haul.

“I think that’s what you’re going to see this season,” Henrik said. “There’s going to be different guys on the power play, different guys playing more minutes, guys in and out of the lineup. If you buy in, there isn’t going to be a problem.

“There are going to be lots of stories. Maybe that’s good for you guys, but that’s the way it is. We knew this was the way it was going to be.”

In past seasons, the Sedins have received the majority of playing time on most nights. But several other players received more minutes against the Senators.

“It’s a different feeling for us, but we know what’s going to happen,” Henrik said. “We’re going to get some power play time and we need to step up five-on-five.”

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BUFFALO vs SAN JOSE
When: 10:30 PM  ET, Thursday, October 12, 2017
Where: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, California

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, MSG-Buffalo, NBCSports California (San Jose)
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Sharks 4, Sabres 1

Oddsmakers currently have the BUFFALO listed as 150-moneyline favorites versus the SAN JOSE, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

Through two games, the San Jose Sharks are struggling to put the puck in the net and their captain said he believes the poor play may be indicative of a deeper problem.

Coming off a long break, the Sharks reach the midpoint of a season-opening five-game homestand Thursday night when they take on the Buffalo Sabres, who are dealing with their own puck issues.

After losing their season opener Oct. 4, the Sharks fell 4-1 to Los Angeles on Saturday night. Mikkel Boedeker scored for San Jose (0-2-0), which hasn’t started a season with three straight losses since 1993-94, when it went dropped four straight en route to a nine-game winless stretch that included one tie.

Logan Couture, who has one of the club’s four goals this season, doesn’t think it’s time to panic yet.

OVERTIME

1. Sabres C Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists in two matchups against San Jose last season.

2. Sharks G Martin Jones, sporting a 5.17 goals-against average, is 2-1-1 with a 2.22 GAA against the Sabres.

3. Buffalo has surrendered four short-handed goals, matching its total from last season.

“There should be some urgency,” he told the Sharks’ official website Tuesday. “When we come to the rink and practice, whether it’s myself or a player who has been here a little while, we need to be better.”

San Jose is still looking for Brent Burns to flash some of the offense he produced last season while winning his first Norris Trophy. Burns has one assist and a minus-5 rating after leading all NHL blueliners with 29 goals and 76 points while posting a plus-19 rating in 2016-17.

“I respect that everyone is coming to the rink ready to play, but we’re missing something. Just mentally we know we’ve got another level,” Sharks captain Joe Pavelski told the league’s official website.

Pavelski, who tied Burns for the team lead in goals last season, has one assist.

San Jose was 1-0-1 versus Buffalo last season. Pavelski scored twice as the Sharks snapped a five-game home losing streak to the Sabres with a 4-1 victory March 14.

Buffalo (0-2-1) begins a four-game road trip through California and its first visit to Las Vegas after falling 6-2 to New Jersey on Monday.

“Our resilience has to be better because we’re faced with adversity and we’re not facing it the right way,” Sabres first-year coach Phil Housley said Monday. “We’re seeing a little bit of a lull in our game and we’re not reacting the right way.”

Evander Kane registered his second straight two-goal game. He’s taken 26 of the team’s 99 shots and scored four of its seven markers.

Last season, Kane led Buffalo with 28 goals in 70 games, while Jack Eichel — who’s notched one goal in 2017-18 — had 24 in 61 contests.

However, the Sabres are not generating offense from other veterans. Ryan O’Reilly, Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson have combined for one assist and are a minus-12.

“There’s many things that we have to do differently. There’s not one thing, there’s piles of things,” said O’Reilly, who was second on last season’s club with 55 points. “… Last three games, I’ve been useless. It’s not good enough.”

The Sabres also have been abysmal with the man-advantage. The club surrendered four short-handed goals to match its total from 2016-17.

“We’re shocked. We think we’re going to score in the back of our net and then have it happen again and again and again, it’s just, it’s very disappointing,” O’Reilly said.

The Sharks and Sabres are in bottom third of the league in goals per game.

“This is a hard league,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “You have to pay a price to win games, and we haven’t done that enough.”

Housley echoed DeBoer.

“It’s so hard in this league to win. Every team is very good and everybody is fighting for something and we have to understand how hard it is to win and to compete,” he said.

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