Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are scheduled and offers insight and analysis to help predict who will be victorious in head-to-head matchups.

Seth Jarvis had two goals and sparked the Carolina Hurricanes' big second period in a 7-4 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday in Raleigh, N.C. Sebastian Aho and Jarvis both had a goal and two assists in the five-goal second.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each had a hat trick and an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-2 win against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. Thompson and Peterka became the first pair to score a hat trick in the same game for the Sabres since 2008.

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each had a hat trick and an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-2 win against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

Boston Bruins left wing Cole Koepke (45) collides with Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka ... and Carolina beat New York 4-0. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis also scored for the Hurricanes ...

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each recorded a hat trick and an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-2 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each recorded a hat trick and an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-2 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Tuesday. Thompson scored in each period en route to his seventh career hat trick and first of the season,

Luukkonen made 25 saves in a 7-2 win over Boston on Tuesday. He allowed an even-strength goal to Mason Lohrei to open the game, and then added a power-play goal by Brad Marchand. Luukkonen is on a roll -- he is 8-4-1 in his last 13 starts with a .

Luukkonen is 4-3-1 in January, and he has played at a mediocre level with a 3.12 GAA and an .893 save percentage. The Bruins will be down three of their regulars on the blue line, so given Luukkonen's recent performance, this could end up being a high-scoring game.

So far, there have been 18 trades (including a January blockbuster between the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes), four coaching changes, plus extensions signed by Igor Shesterkin ...

Mattias Samuelsson had a goal and an assist for the Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves. Huberdeau scored short-handed to give Calgary a 1-0 lead at 12:00 of the first period. After Rasmus ...

Trade Deadline is quickly approaching, now just over a month away. Several deals have already taken place, including a major three-team trade in which the Colorado Avalanche sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Martin Necas,