Archives: Previews

The Denver Broncos are mired in their worst six-game start since 1994, showing few signs that a turnaround is possible. Coach Sean Payton’s first Denver squad is the fifth team in franchise history to start 1-5, and the Broncos will look to avoid another setback in Sunday’s game against the visiting Green Bay Packers (2-3). Along with the lack of victories, Russell Wilson continues to sputter as the quarterback Payton inherited. Wilson passed for a

The Minnesota Wild will go for back-to-back wins when they welcome the Los Angeles Kings to town on Thursday night for the opener of a three-game homestand in Saint Paul, Minn. Minnesota is coming off a 5-2 road win against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. That gave the Wild a pair of victories in their first three games, boosting the mood in the locker room in the process. The team is averaging 3.7 goals per

There will be good vibes all around, with pleasant memories of a not-so-distant past, when the Florida Panthers face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday in their home opener at Sunrise, Fla. “I’ve been waiting for this game in particular all summer,” Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said. “I can’t wait to see the reception that the fans show us. “Hopefully, we can put on a good show for them.” Florida, which went 1-2-0 during its

It took a third try and a rally back from a blown lead before the Buffalo Sabres finally were able to celebrate their first victory of the season. The Sabres now will try to gather momentum when they play host to the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. The Sabres, who have yet to find their offensive stride, came through with a solid defensive game, and an overtime winner, to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2

The Arizona Coyotes aim to ignite their offense on Thursday when they conclude their season-opening, four-game road trip against the St. Louis Blues. The Coyotes started the trek on a high note with a 4-3 shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday. They followed that up by dropping one-goal decisions to the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. Arizona mustered just six shots on goal through the first two periods Tuesday and

The New York Rangers and Nashville Predators share the distinction of playing under new coaches, a time when growing pains often are expected. The Rangers, so far, seem to have escaped them. The Rangers are off to a 2-1-0 start, largely thanks to the early performance of Chris Kreider, who has scored in all three games. Kreider can tie a team record for the longest streak to begin a season on Thursday night against the

The Jacksonville Jaguars are heading in the right direction. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints are struggling. The Jaguars will try to win their fourth straight game when they visit the Saints, who have lost three of their last four games, on Thursday night. “Their confidence is extremely high right now,” Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson said of his players. The Jaguars (4-2) started the season 1-2, then won back-to-back games in London against the Atlanta Falcons

Charlotte FC still control their playoff destiny heading into back-to-back games against already-eliminated Inter Miami to finish the regular season, beginning Wednesday night in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Charlotte (9-11-12, 39 points) begins the night one point beneath the playoff line with a game in hand on all the remaining contenders for the eighth and ninth Eastern Conference playoff spots, and could move into eighth with a victory. After playing to a 1-5-9 record over a

The Ottawa Senators will aim for their third straight win when they host the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night. Ottawa opened a five-game homestand with a pair of 5-2 wins against the Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning over the weekend. Washington begins a brief two-game Canada swing after splitting a pair of home games. After being blanked by the Pittsburgh Penguins on opening night, the Capitals rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the

Pittsburgh and Detroit both have won their last two games after a season-opening loss. They’ll match up on the Red Wings’ home ice on Wednesday night. The Penguins were defeated by Chicago 4-2, then won both ends of a back-to-back over the weekend. They shut out Washington 4-0 on the road, then returned home for a 5-2 victory over Calgary. Evgeni Malkin has gotten off to a strong start. The 37-year-old forward has six points,