NHL Notes: What Happened Last Weekend To Home-Ice Advantage?

Recently, a trend has begun in the NHL.

Over the past three days, it doesn't seem like the team having the advantage of playing the game in their hometown rink is using their reward very efficiently.

It may be coincidence, it may be the common lag in fan support around the Holidays when few people have time for hockey, or it may be bad line switching decisions by the home team's coaching staff...

...but whatever it is, the odd situation has set loose a long string of victories for the away team during the past three days (Sunday to Tuesday).

Over those three days mentioned, in the 16 NHL games played on those dates, the away team won 13 times. On Monday, the road team was 10-1, while on the other two days the games were won by the away teams just three games to two.

Only the Canucks, Coyotes, and Blackhawks won at their home arena during those three days, and home teams were also outscored in that stretch 52-33, with an average goals-per-game of 2.9 to 1.8 in favor of the visiting team.

So, with these odd results coming in, it makes you wonder, "Is this coincidence, or has something really happened?"

Well, with the way the NHL has gone so far through the first half of the 2009-2010 regular season, anything is possible when it comes to odd, unexpected happenings. And so, I ask you, what do you think?

NHL Scores (Dec. 20 to 22)

December 20

Detroit 0 @ Chicago 3 (away team 0-1)

St. Louis 3 @ Vancouver 1 (away team 1-1)

December 21

Buffalo 3 @ Toronto 2 (away team 2-1)

Tampa Bay 4 @ NY Islanders 2 (3-1)

Florida 4 @ Philadelphia 1 (4-1)

NY Rangers 3 @ Carolina 1 (5-1)

Montreal 4 @ Atlanta 3 (6-1)

Boston 2 @ Ottawa 0 (7-1)

New Jersey 4 @ Pittsburgh 0 (8-1)

Colorado 4 @ Minnesota 3 (9-1)

San Jose 4 @ Dallas 2 (10-1)

Columbus 2 @ Phoenix 5 (10-2)

St. Louis 7 @ Edmonton 2 (11-2)

December 22

San Jose 3 @ Chicago 2 (12-2)

Anaheim 4 @ Colorado 2 (13-2)

Nashville 1 @ Vancouver 4 (13-3)