Daily Primer Oct. 8: Schneider vs. Luongo

Tuesday, 10.08.2013 / 10:18 AM NHL.com

Sixteen teams will be in action Tuesday night, highlighted by the goaltending matchup in Vancouver.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider returns to Rogers Arena for the first time since the Vancouver Canucks traded him to the Devils in exchange for a first-round pick at the 2013 NHL Draft. Schneider is expected to go head-to-head against Roberto Luongo, whom the Canucks decided to keep after being unable to ship his massive contract elsewhere.

Here's a quick look at Tuesday’s action:

Colorado Avalanche at Toronto Maple Leafs -- The Avalanche are 2-0-0 under new coach Patrick Roy, who has brought a fiery attitude and a demand for excellence to the Mile High City. Tuesday marks the beginning of a three-game Eastern trip for the Avalanche, who will have captain Gabriel Landeskog back in the lineup after he suffered a leg injury in last Wednesday's 6-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks. The Maple Leafs are also off to a fast start, having stormed out of the gate with three straight victories. Toronto improved to 3-0-0 Saturday, when it rallied to a 5-4 shootout win against the Ottawa Senators behind a strong relief appearance by goalie Jonathan Bernier.

Phoenix Coyotes at New York Islanders -- The Coyotes head east for four games after splitting their first two games of the season. Phoenix opened on home ice with an impressive 4-1 win against the New York Rangers, but suffered a 4-1 loss at San Jose two nights later. The Islanders have picked up three of a possible four points, but blew a two-goal lead in the third period of their home opener Saturday in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Florida Panthers at Philadelphia Flyers -- Craig Berube makes his debut as Flyers coach after the team fired Peter Laviolette on Monday morning. Philadelphia is off to an 0-3 start and has been outscored by a 9-3 margin along the way. Florida won its season opener against the Dallas Stars last Thursday but is coming off a 7-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. Panthers goalie Tim Thomas allowed five goals on 28 shots.

Carolina Hurricanes at Pittsburgh Penguins -- Carolina has earned three of a possible four points thus far. The Hurricanes picked up their first win of the season Sunday in a 2-1 victory against Philadelphia at PNC Arena. Anton Khudobin, who signed with Carolina as a free agent during the offseason, made 17 saves for his first win with his new team. Pittsburgh is off to a 2-0-0 start behind the goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury, who was named the NHL's Third Star of the Week on Monday. Fleury has an 0.50 goals-against average and .979 save percentage in two games.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres -- The Sabres are still searching for their first win of the season as they've come out of the gate with three straight losses. The most recent setback was a 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday night. Buffalo's offense has mustered two goals. Tampa Bay rebounded from a season-opening 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins last Thursday by earning a 3-2 shootout victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Martin St. Louis has a goal and an assist through two games.

Minnesota Wild at Nashville Predators -- Each team will be seeking its first win Tuesday. Minnesota has gone past the third period in each of its first two games, but lost in a shootout to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday before falling in overtime against Anaheim on Saturday. Nashville was unable to get any points from its first two games. The Predators dropped a 4-2 decision against the Blues on Thursday before a 3-1 loss to the Avalanche on Friday. They will play their home opener at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday.

New Jersey Devils at Vancouver Canucks -- New Jersey seemed to be cruising to its first win of the season Monday night. The Devils held a 3-0 lead against the Edmonton Oilers after two periods, only to allow four goals in the third period en route to a 5-4 shootout loss at Rexall Place. The road trip continues Tuesday at Vancouver, where Schneider is expected to face Luongo in what is primed to be a must-see event. The Canucks have won two of their first three games.

New York Rangers at San Jose Sharks -- Alain Vigneault earned his first victory as Rangers coach Monday, thanks to New York's 3-1 win at Los Angeles. Brad Richards scored twice and Rick Nash had two assists, helping the Rangers rebound from their season-opening 4-1 loss at Phoenix last Thursday. San Jose has opened the season with back-to-back 4-1 victories against Phoenix and Vancouver on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Antti Niemi has a .956 save percentage in the two wins.

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