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**TheGame** · 02-15-2016, 07:39 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

Preview: Red Wings (29-18) at Islanders (29-19)

Date: February 15, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

After opening an impressive homestand by beating the New York Islanders just over a week ago, the Detroit Red Wings are looking to carry that same success out on the road.

Coming off a 4-0-1 stay at home, Pavel Datsyuk and the Red Wings will try to open a road heavy stretch with a season sweep of the Islanders on Monday night.

Detroit (29-18-9) got two assists from Datsyuk while scoring the first five goals in a 5-1 win over New York on Feb. 6. The star center finished with five goals and four assists on the homestand after collecting three points in Sunday's 6-5 win over Boston.

The solid stretch made Datsyuk the sixth Red Wings player to reach 900 career points, and his 902 rank fifth in NHL history among players born in Russia.

"Lots of helping and supporting, and lots of teaching me, too," Datsyuk said. "Lots of giving me advice. I appreciate for all of them."

The Red Wings should appreciate Datsyuk's recent tear, which helped them climb within three points of Atlantic Division-leading Florida.

Detroit is opening a four-game trip and plays eight of its next ten away from home. The Red Wings have lost two straight on the road after winning seven of eight.

That stretch included a 4-2 win over the Islanders (29-19-6) in the club's first visit to Brooklyn on Jan. 25. Datsyuk had an assist to give him 13 points in 14 career meetings, including six in five on the road.

Dylan Larkin has gone four games without a goal after getting one against New York earlier this month. His team-high 18 goals tie Chicago's Artemi Panarin for the rookie lead and are the most by a Detroit rookie since Henrik Zetterberg's 22 in 2002-03.

Larkin has three points against the Islanders, while Tomas Tatar has six in his last five meetings.

Petr Mrazek has a 1.50 goals-against average while beating New York twice this season, including a 28-save effort this month. He's 11-2-2 with a 1.59 GAA over his last 15 games, but it's unknown if he'll start after making 17 saves Sunday.

Mrazek hasn't started on consecutive days, leaving open the possibility of Jimmy Howard getting the nod. Howard is 0-4-3 with a 3.93 GAA in his last eight starts and 1-3-1 with a 2.59 GAA in five career starts against the Islanders.

New York is looking for a much better start after surrendering the first four goals in a 6-3 loss at Carolina on Saturday that ended its three-game win streak.

"For whatever reason, we didn't start on time," coach Jack Capuano said. "You play 82 games, it's going to happen. Let's not kid ourselves."

John Tavares has 14 points in nine games after getting two in each of the last two. The All-Star center has scored a goal in four of the past five games after netting his team-leading 21st against the Hurricanes. He has four goals and 10 assists in 11 career games versus Detroit and scored on a power play Feb. 6.

Jaroslav Halak gave up four goals on 13 shots and was lifted midway through the second period. He was chased again Saturday, surrendering six on 28 shots through two.

While that may be reason enough for Capuano to start Thomas Greiss, Halak has a 3.46 GAA and .878 save percentage while going 6-6-1 in 14 games against the Wings.

Greiss has won four straight decisions with a 2.31 GAA in his last five games after making three saves Saturday.

**TheGame** · 02-15-2016, 07:39 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

Preview: Ducks (27-19) at Flames (25-26)

Date: February 15, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau isn't surprised that Anaheim's turnaround coincides with Ryan Getzlaf's improvement.

Getzlaf will look to extend his surge and spark the Ducks to another win over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.

Anaheim (27-19-8) finished with the most points in the Western Conference last season, so entering the Christmas break with the fewest was stunning.

The Ducks, however, have lately looked more like the team that won three straight Pacific Division titles, going 15-4-2 following the layoff to vault into third place in the division - one point back of second-place San Jose.

Getzlaf has been the catalyst, collecting 19 points over the last 15 games while getting at least one in 13. The captain had 23 points through the first 35 games.

"When he was struggling at the beginning of the year, we were struggling," Boudreau said. "When he's going pretty well right now, we're not going too bad right now."

Getzlaf has two points in each of the first four on this season-high seven-game trip after scoring in overtime of a 3-2 win at Chicago on Saturday.

He's not likely to slow down since he's got 54 points in 52 career meetings against the Flames, including the playoffs. Getzlaf matched his career high with five assists in a 5-3 win Nov. 24, but he didn't have any points in a 1-0 win at Calgary on Dec. 29.

John Gibson only needed to make 14 saves in that matchup, but it's unknown if he'll be back in net after an upper-body injury forced him to leave Saturday after two periods. He stopped 16 of 17 shots before Frederik Andersen had five saves in the third.

"The one thing that we have is two great goaltenders," Getzlaf said. "Obviously, Gibby went down. Freddie was able to come in and give us a couple of key saves."

While reports claim Gibson's injury isn't serious, Andersen could get the call. He's 7-0-1 with a 1.83 goals-against average in his last nine games, but he had 16 saves in a 4-3 shootout loss in his only start at Scotiabank Saddledome on Nov. 18, 2014.

Anaheim has won nine of its last 11 matchups with the Flames, including a five-game victory in the second round last year.

The Flames (25-26-3), eight points out of playoff position, are trying to bounce back from Friday's 4-1 loss at Arizona which halted their three-game winning streak.

Like the Ducks, Calgary also has a problem in net. Karri Ramo is on injured reserve with a knee injury, which forced him to exit late in the third period of Thursday's 6-5 shootout win at San Jose. He surrendered five goals on 34 shots, while Jonas Hiller had 31 stops after getting the nod the following day.

He's 4-2-1 with a 2.06 GAA over his last eight games.

"You're not allowed to lose too many games now until the end of the year," Hiller told the team's official website. "If you don't play well as a goalie, you can easily lose a game for your team.

"You aren't allowed to have too many bad games right now."

Hiller has lost all three decisions with a 4.31 GAA over his last four starts against the Flames.

Johnny Gaudreau leads Calgary with 51 points, and his 21 goals are also a team high and three shy of his personal best set last year. He has one goal in the past eight games after collecting 15 with 10 assists over the previous 21.

Gaudreau has no points in two matchups with the Ducks this season.

**TheGame** · 02-15-2016, 07:40 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

Preview: Penguins (28-19) at Panthers (32-18)

Date: February 15, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers' hopes of staying atop the Atlantic Division are appearing tenuous with their recent struggles.

Coming off one of their most lopsided defeats of the season, the Panthers look to avoid a fifth loss in six games Monday night when they face the team that started them on their cold stretch, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Florida (32-18-6) dropped to 1-3-1 in its last five with Saturday's 5-0 drubbing to visiting Nashville. The Predators scored two goals in the opening nine minutes as the Panthers gave up at least four for a third straight contest.

"Our team has been pathetic the last couple of games," coach Gerard Gallant said. "It's a tough spot but men get through it and you battle back. It's two losses in a row that we were no good. We're going to play another real good team in Pittsburgh. We'll see what we're made of."

The Panthers have lost 3-2 in overtime in both matchups with the Penguins this season, with a Feb. 6 defeat ending a five-game win streak. Florida allowed two goals in the final 5:05 of regulation on its own ice.

Aleksander Barkov scored a short-handed goal in the third period but is currently among the Panthers' injured players. Barkov, who has an upper-body ailment, has joined Erik Gudbranson and Willie Mitchell on IR.

Quinton Howden suffered an upper-body injury when he was hit by Nashville's Anthony Bitetto, and Brandon Pirri hurt his ankle Saturday.

"Guys have to step up and find ways. It doesn't matter who is in our lineup. We shouldn't be giving up five goals," defenseman Brian Campbell said.

Evgeni Malkin (lower body) is among the missing for the Penguins (28-19-7), but they registered back-to-back road wins for the first time since November with a 2-1 shootout victory against Carolina on Friday.

"We'd like to play better. I don't think we had great jump, but sometimes you have nights like that on the road," center Matt Cullen said. "We just need to find ways to get two points. It's a huge win and a gutsy win and we'll take it."

Pittsburgh has won seven of nine overall, and is close to getting back into playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 31 saves against Florida in October, improving to 10-1-1 with a 1.71 goals-against average in his last 12 starts in the series.

Backup goaltender Jeff Zatkoff stopped 42 shots in last weekend's matchup.

Panthers netminder Roberto Luongo is 1-2-4 with a 2.92 GAA in his past seven versus Pittsburgh, and backup Al Montoya has fared worse, posting a 5.04 GAA in losing his last three matchups.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has three goals and seven assists while leading his team to a 4-0-1 mark in its last five versus the Panthers. Kris Letang had two goals, including the overtime winner, and an assist against Florida last weekend.

**TheGame** · 02-15-2016, 07:40 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

Preview: Stars (36-15) at Predators (26-21)

Date: February 15, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

With one of their most productive streaks this season, the Dallas Stars have driven back to the top of the Western Conference.

The Stars' lead, however, is razor thin, and they could use another win over the Nashville Predators on Monday night to protect it. It's also unclear if they'll have Tyler Seguin available.

Dallas (36-15-5) matched a season high by reaching the four-goal mark for a third consecutive game Saturday and that was enough to edge Eastern Conference-leading Washington. Tyler Seguin found the net twice in a 4-3 victory as the Stars survived the Capitals' third-period rally.

The Stars' third straight win gave them 77 points to match Central Division-rival Chicago, but they've played three fewer games, giving them the tiebreaker.

Dallas had a nine-point lead in the conference Jan. 1 but dropped five points behind the Blackhawks with its 2-6-2 start to the new year. The Stars have won six of seven since, scoring 21 goals in their past five victories.

Seguin has five goals and four assists in six games this month, but had his arm cut by Nicklas Backstrom's skate in the third period Saturday. Cody Eakin also suffered an undisclosed injury in that same period.

The Stars are already missing Jason Spezza, one of their top goal scorers with 18, due to an upper-body ailment.

John Klingberg, one of the league's highest-scoring defensemen, has four goals and three assists this month. Dallas has also gotten four goals and four assists in the last five games from Patrick Eaves, who had four points in his first 31.

Eaves registered his second career hat trick Thursday in a 4-2 victory in Chicago, the Stars' fourth straight on the road.

"Obviously, those are two pretty good teams that we beat, so we're a confident group in here," captain Jamie Benn said.

Eaves had one of the Stars' trio of third-period goals and Seguin tallied the other two in a 5-1 rout of Nashville on Dec. 31. The Stars have outscored the Predators 13-5 in winning three straight in the series.

They ended a four-game skid in Nashville last April and will next face a team that's lost four of five on its own ice.

The Predators (26-21-9) have given up a combined 18 goals in those home games but topped Florida 5-0 on Saturday to earn three points in their two contests in the Sunshine State. Carter Hutton stopped 22 shots in his first action since Jan. 27.

"Whenever they give me starts, I play," said Hutton, who has stopped 77 of 78 shots in winning his only three starts over the last month. "Anything I can do to help our team win. I understand my role. At the same time, just any way I can contribute is what I try to do."

That would appear to force coach Peter Laviolette to choose between Hutton or his struggling No. 1 goaltender Pekka Rinne, who is 1-2-1 with a 4.00 goals-against average in his last four starts.

Rinne has given up a combined nine goals in his past two meetings with Dallas, including the loss in December. Hutton is 2-2-0 with a 2.26 GAA in four lifetime matchups.

Benn has four goals and two assists in his past two games against Nashville while Seguin has scored three times in his last two. Eaves has four goals and three assists in a seven-game point streak versus the Predators.

**TheGame** · 02-15-2016, 07:40 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

Preview: Maple Leafs (20-25) at Blackhawks (36-18)

Date: February 15, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

As the Toronto Maple Leafs become more comfortable with their new-look roster, the established Chicago Blackhawks are dealing with one of their worst stretches of the season.

The defending Stanley Cup champions attempt to end a frustrating homestand on a high note against the transitioning Maple Leafs on Monday night.

Among the NHL's most dominant home teams, Chicago (36-18-5) has dropped the first three of its current residency to match its longest losing streak this season. After opening the stand with two-goal defeats to San Jose and Dallas, the Blackhawks managed to earn a point despite being outshot 44-23 in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to Anaheim.

Chicago, which began the calendar year with seven straight home wins and hasn't gone winless on a homestand of at least four games since February 2003, has scored only four times during the skid and has struggled when short-handed. It's killed 2 of 6 penalties, with the Ducks recording the game-winner following a too many men on the ice call.

'We just haven't quite had the speed and the momentum, that jump that we've been looking for,' captain Jonathan Toews said. '(Saturday) was a little bit better, but I think top to bottom, all four lines need to be better.'

Those lines will need to be juggled some with Marian Hossa going on injured reserve due to a left leg injury the veteran forward sustained during Saturday's second period.

Injuries have been nothing new for Toronto (20-25-9), currently without four of its top forwards in James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri and Joffrey Lupul. It's also minus a captain after trading defenseman Dion Phaneuf to Ottawa on Tuesday, the first of several possible moves prior to the Feb. 29 deadline.

A lineup comprised partly of castoffs and youngsters came together nicely on Saturday, as the Leafs dominated Vancouver 5-2 to stop a three-game slide and register their first win since the Phaneuf deal. Journeyman Mark Arcobello scored twice in his third game back from a minor league recall and 21-year-old Brendan Leipsic had one in his first NHL game in place of Kadri.

"This is a hard league to play in," said Arcobello, who's been on five teams over the past two seasons. "When you get an open door, you've got to take advantage of it . . . You never know when you're going to get a chance again."

After allowing 15 goals over the first three of their five-game trip, the Maple Leafs gave James Reimer a relatively easy night by outshooting the Canucks 38-19.

Toronto does possesses the NHL's worst power play at 14.6 percent and is 2 for 49 in its last 15 games. The Blackhawks were 1 for 21 over a six-game stretch before Brent Seabrook scored one of his two goals against Anaheim on the advantage.

Chicago also received a bounce-back effort from Corey Crawford, who had 41 saves two days after permitting four in the first period of a 4-2 loss to Central Division-leading Dallas. He owns a 2.95 goals-against average over his last five outings after posting a 1.58 mark in winning 10 of his previous 12.

With Crawford having started all six games since the All-Star break, Joel Quenneville could turn to Scott Darling, who made 28 saves to support Patrick Kane's hat trick in a 4-1 win at Toronto on Jan. 15.

Chicago has won 10 of 12 in the series and five straight matchups at United Center, where Toronto last won on Feb. 12, 2013.

**TheGame** · 02-15-2016, 07:41 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

Preview: Canadiens (27-25) at Coyotes (25-24)

Date: February 15, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Losing their starting goalie was a big reason why the Montreal Canadiens spiraled. The Arizona Coyotes can point to a drop in scoring as the root of their collapse.

The Canadiens are making another switch in net as they try to avoid a fourth straight road loss Monday night against the Coyotes.

Montreal (27-25-4) has been without Carey Price for almost three months, and reports claim the reigning MVP could be lost for the season because of a knee injury that doesn't require surgery. The Canadiens are 10-21-2 without him, falling from the top of the NHL standings to six points out of a postseason spot.

Mike Condon is 6-14-2 with a 2.67 goals-against average in 24 games since Price went down, and the rookie is expected back in net after a poor performance by Ben Scrivens.

Scrivens gave up three goals on eight shots and was pulled 1:28 into the second period before Condon stopped 11 of 13 shots in a 6-4 loss at Buffalo on Friday.

"We have the philosophy where the goalie who wins is the one who plays," coach Michel Therrien told the team's official website. "We want to avoid playing musical chairs."

Condon, though, is 1-7-1 with a 2.90 GAA over his last nine starts, while Scrivens had a 1.30 GAA and had won three straight prior to Friday. Scrivens, though, is 0-3-1 with a 3.87 GAA over his last four against Arizona.

Condon had 17 saves in a 3-2 home loss to the Coyotes on Nov. 19 that was Montreal's third defeat in the previous four meetings. However, the club is 6-1 over its last seven trips to the desert.

Sven Andrighetto is making his first appearance in Arizona looking to build on his two-goal performance Friday. The 22-year-old right wing will again be on the Habs' top line with Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais.

"We want to put him in a position where he can show what he can do offensively. We put him with two good offensive guys and it went well, but he's a guy who needs to produce," Therrien said.

"If he wants to have a career in the National Hockey League, he has to produce in the National Hockey League. He responded well last game and we hope that continues."

The Coyotes (25-24-6) will look to begin pulling out of a recent funk in which they've gone 3-8-2 with an average of 1.85 goals after netting 3.21 on a 9-2-3 stretch.

The offensive woes were on display in Saturday's 4-1 loss at San Jose, which limited Arizona to only one shot on goal in the third period.

"We worked hard. It was some execution that led to some mistakes that ended up in the back of our net," coach Dave Tippett said. "We had lots of 'try.' We couldn't execute enough to get ourselves back in the game."

The drop in scoring has coincided with Max Domi's struggles. The rookie left wing has just four assists over the past 13 games, and he didn't factor in the scoring at Montreal in November.

Shane Doan had a goal in that matchup, but he finished without a point against the Sharks a day after he had three in a 4-1 win over Calgary to give him a franchise-record 931 in his career.

**TheGame** · 02-15-2016, 07:41 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

Preview: Wild (23-22) at Canucks (22-21)

Date: February 15, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

A tremendous second-half surge by the Minnesota Wild saved Mike Yeo's job last season. With an encore looking increasingly unlikely, a change was inevitable.

John Torchetti will be behind the bench Monday night when the Wild open a three-game trip through Western Canada against the Vancouver Canucks, with the interim coach now in charge of preventing the team's season from spiraling further.

Despite a recent vote of confidence from general manager Chuck Fletcher, Yeo was dismissed after the Wild were dealt a franchise record-tying eighth consecutive loss and 13th in 14 games with Saturday's 4-2 home defeat to Boston.

A playoff participant under Yeo in each of the past three seasons, Minnesota (23-22-10) has fallen five points behind Nashville for eighth in the Western Conference.

"Things have just fallen apart for us," Fletcher said. "We've had a tough four weeks. We had some good meetings last week in St. Louis and I really like the way we played the three subsequent games, and then (Saturday) we took a step back. So I made the decision after the game to let Mike go."

Torchetti, who had been coaching the Wild's AHL affiliate in Iowa, has been in this position before. The 51-year-old went 15-19-1 with four ties as an interim coach for Florida (2003-04) and Los Angeles (2005-06).

Fletcher had been hoping Yeo, who was 173-132-44 in five seasons, could orchestrate a similar turnaround to last season, when the Wild went 28-9-3 from Jan. 15 on and later defeated St. Louis in the opening round of the playoffs.

But Minnesota's defense, a strength for most of Yeo's tenure, has remained a liability during the slump. The Wild have allowed four or more goals in six straight games and 30 overall during the streak, which matches an eight-game slide from Dec. 13-28, 2011, as the franchise's worst.

Devan Dubnyk, whose play sparked last season's run, has contributed to the demise with a 4.07 goals-against average over four consecutive regulation losses. A backline that's missing Jonas Brodin (fractured foot) and Jared Spurgeon (bone bruise) has been a factor as well.

Dubnyk, who's lost nine straight starts, could have an easier time against a Canucks team that's 28th in the NHL in scoring and has scored 10 goals in its last six. Vancouver (22-21-12) also possesses one of the league's least effective power plays and is 1 for 20 over an 11-game stretch.

The Canucks also sit five points behind Nashville due to an inability to capitalize on their own opportunities. Their 9-11-5 home record is the league's second-worst mark, and they've dropped four straight at Rogers Arena following a 5-2 loss to lowly Toronto on Saturday in which they were outshot 38-19.

"We take penalties, turn the puck over, a lot of the same little things that don't make us very successful," forward Jannik Hansen told the NHL's official website. "There is a reason we are in the situation we are right now."

Vancouver is also dealing with injuries. Defenseman Alexander Edler (fractured fibula) and center Brandon Sutter (fractured jaw) will each be out multiple weeks after exiting Wednesday's 2-1 win at Arizona. Bo Horvat, whose eight goals and 16 points since Jan. 4 are each team highs, also will miss Monday's game with a foot injury.

The depletions could increase the pressure on Ryan Miller, who's lost four of five starts despite a 1.80 GAA.

Miller has a 5.25 GAA, however, in losing four of his last five against Minnesota, which reached him for six goals in two periods of a 6-2 home win Dec. 15. He made 31 saves in a 3-2 road victory Nov. 25.

**TheGame** · 02-15-2016, 07:41 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

Grand Salami - February

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
2/1 No games scheduled - - -
2/2 12 64.5 75 OVER
2/3 3 16 15 UNDER
2/4 12 64.5 77 OVER
2/5 4 21 27 OVER
2/6 12 62 67 OVER
2/7 3 16.5 17 OVER
2/8 4 20 20 PUSH
2/9 12 64.5 72 OVER
2/10 3 16.5 10 UNDER
2/11 9 49.5 66 OVER
2/12 7 35.5 47 OVER
2/13 10 52 56 OVER
2/14 5 25 24 UNDER
2/15 7 - - -
2/16 8 - - -
2/17 3 - - -
2/18 11 - - -
2/19 5 - - -
2/20 9 - - -
2/21 6 - - -
2/22 4 - - -
2/23 9 - - -
2/24 4 - - -
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -

**TheGame** · 02-15-2016, 07:41 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

NHL

Hot teams
-- Detroit won four of its last five games. Islanders won three of last four.
-- Anaheim won ten of its last thirteen games. Calgary won four of its last six.
-- Penguins won seven of their last nine games.
-- Dallas Stars won six of their last seven games.
-- Montreal won three of its last four games.

Cold teams
-- Florida lost four of its last five games.
-- Predators lost four of their last six games.
-- Chicago lost last three games, scoring four goals. Maple Leafs lost 12 of last 16 games.
-- Arizona lost six of its last seven games.
-- Canucks lost five of their last seven games. Minnesota lost its last eight games, fired its coach Saturday.

Series records
-- Islanders lost three of last four games with Detroit.
-- Ducks won six of last seven games with Calgary.
-- Penguins won last three games with Florida, last two in OT.
-- Dallas Stars won last three games with Nashville.
-- Blackhawks won eight of last ten games with Toronto.
-- Coyotes won three of last four games with Montreal.
-- Minnesota won seven of its last ten games with Vancouver.

Totals
-- Over is 7-0-2 in last nine Islander games.
-- Over is 6-0-3 in last nine Anaheim games.
-- Over is 7-1-2 in last ten Florida games.
-- Last six Dallas Stars games went over total.
-- Over is 5-0-1 in last six Toronto games.
-- Seven of last eight Montreal games went over.
-- Over is 5-0-1 in last six Minnesota games.

Back-to-backs
-- Detroit lost five in a row if they played the night before.

**TheGame** · 02-15-2016, 07:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

NHL Game of the Day: Penguins at Panthers

Pittsburgh Penguins at Florida Panthers (-126, 5.0)

The injury-ravaged Florida Panthers look to turn things around when they host the surging Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night. The Panthers have allowed 10 goals combined during two losses to start a six-game homestand and will likely be without two of their top defensemen along with No. 1 center Aleksander Barkov.

“We’re missing some depth,” Florida coach Gerard Gallant told reporters, “but when nobody plays well that’s what hurts your team.” While the Panthers’ lead in the Atlantic Division is dwindling during a 1-3-1 stretch, Pittsburgh is on a 7-2-0 run to place itself in the middle of a crowded playoff chase in the Eastern Conference. “It gives you accountability, when every single game counts,” Penguins forward Chris Kunitz told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “You have to go out and give your best effort. It’s not good enough just to show up one game a week.” Pittsburgh won’t feel sorry for Florida with second-leading scorer Evgeni Malkin (lower body) likely still a few games away from returning after missing the last five.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Florida

LINE HISTORY: The Panthers opened as -130 home favorites and have been bet down to -126. The total opened at 5.0.

INJURY REPORT:

Penguins - C E. Malkin (out indefinitely, lower body), RW (out indefinitely, upper body), C E. Fehr (Early March, lower body), C N. Bonino (I-R, hand), D D. Warsofsky (I-R, concussion).

Panthers - C Q. Howden (questionable Monday, upper body), D W. Mitchell (questionable Monday, lower body), D E. Gudbranson (questionable Monday, undisclosed), C A. Barkov (out indefinitely, upper body), C D. Bolland (out indefinitely, lower body).

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (28-19-7, 20-24-10 O/U): Captain Sidney Crosby has cooled off after a torrid stretch in which he scored 12 goals in nine games, failing to reach the scoresheet in two straight contests. Pittsburgh still found a way to earn a 2-1 shootout victory over Carolina on Friday after being shutout in the previous contest by the New York Rangers. Crosby has a team-best 53 points overall and defenseman Kris Letang is third with 40 after contributing five in the past four games while playing at least 27 minutes in three of them.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (32-18-6, 21-24-11 O/U): Jaromir Jagr, who turns 44 Monday, shares the team lead in points (40) with Jonathan Huberdeau and remains two goals shy of Brett Hull (741) for third place on the NHL’s all-time list. The absence of Barkov (35 points) shows while Quinton Howden (upper body) and Brandon Pirri (ankle) were both injured in Saturday’s 5-0 loss to Nashville and fellow forward Greg McKegg was recalled. Defensemen Willie Mitchell (lower body) and Erik Gudbranson (undisclosed) are also expected out.

TRENDS:

* Penguins are 7-2 in their last nine games overall.
* Panthers are 7-1 in their last eight versus Metropolitan Division opponents.
* Over is 3-0-1 in Penguins last four versus Atlantic Division opponents.
* Over is 6-2-1 in Panthers last nine games overall.

CONSENSUS: The public is backing the hot Penguins in this matchup, with 60 percent of wagers backing them. When it comes to the total, 68 percent of wagers are on the over.

**Satch** · 02-15-2016, 10:01 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

Preview: Detroit at NY Islanders
When: 1:00 PM ET, Monday, February 15, 2016
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
After completing a very impressive homestand, the Detroit Red Wings look to bring that success to the road when they begin a four-game trek on Monday afternoon against the New York Islanders. Detroit wrapped up a five-game stretch at Joe Louis Arena with a 4-0-1 record after posting a 6-5 victory over Boston on Sunday that moved it ahead of the Bruins for second place in the Atlantic Division by one point.
Pavel Datsyuk extended his point streak to five games and eclipsed the 900-point plateau for his career (902) by scoring twice and setting up captain Henrik Zetterberg’s game-winning goal. New York, which fell into the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference by virtue of New Jersey’s win on Sunday, hopes to avenge a 4-2 home loss to Detroit on Jan. 25. The Islanders have won three straight at Barclays Center since, averaging six goals per victory. The Red Wings are looking to complete a sweep of the three-game season series, as they also recorded a 5-1 home triumph on Feb. 6.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, NHL Network, Sportsnet, FSN Detroit, MSG Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (29-18-9): Datsyuk became the sixth Red Wing to enter the 900-point club, joining Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom – all members of the Hall of Fame. He has collected five goals and four assists during his point streak, including both of his two-goal efforts this season. Zetterberg’s point streak (three tallies, four assists) is at four games after Sunday’s two-goal, one-assist performance.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (29-19-6): Like Datsyuk, captain John Tavares and Kyle Okposo both enter Monday’s contest with five-game point streaks. After recording a goal and an assist in Saturday’s loss to Carolina, Tavares has registered four tallies and five assists during his run while Okposo has scored three goals and set up five others on his streak. Mikhail Grabovski’s hot streak apparently is over, as the center has notched just one assist over his last five contests following a four-game point streak that saw him score goals in three consecutive contests.
OVERTIME
1. Tavares has collected six goals and eight asssists over his last nine contests.
2. Detroit G Petr Mrazek needs one victory to pass John Ross Roach for sole possession of 18th place on the franchise list.
3. New York LW Matt Martin is two goals shy of matching his career high after netting his sixth of the season on Saturday.
PREDICTION: Islanders 4, Red Wings 3

**Satch** · 02-15-2016, 10:01 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

Preview: Anaheim at Calgary
When: 4:00 PM ET, Monday, February 15, 2016
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
The Anaheim Ducks are playing at a high level as they visit the Calgary Flames on Monday in the fifth contest of their seven-game road trip, but their goaltending depth could be tested again after an injury to John Gibson. Anaheim’s 3-2 overtime victory in Chicago on Saturday was diminished as Gibson, whom the Ducks hope potentially emerges as an elite goalie, departed with an upper-body injury following a collision with the Blackhawks’ Richard Panik.
Anaheim is expected to recall Anton Khudobin from San Diego of the American Hockey League and if Gibson misses time, Frederik Andersen gets another shot as the club’s No. 1 goalie. The Ducks are 10-2-1 in their last 13 games as they surge toward the top of the Pacific Division standings and the thought of them missing the Stanley Cup playoffs after a 1-7-2 start is long-forgotten as they begin the Pacific Northwest portion of their season-high long trek. Anaheim will also be without Chris Stewart for 4-to-8 weeks after the power forward had his jaw broken in a fight with Columbus defenseman Dalton Prout on Thursday – a significant blow seeing as Stewart was thriving on a line with captain Ryan Getzlaf and newly-acquired David Perron. Calgary saw its three-game winning streak snapped with a 4-1 loss in Arizona on Friday and is eight points behind Nashville for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
TV: 4 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket, FSN San Diego (Anaheim), Sportsnet West (Calgary)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (27-19-8): Ryan Garbutt (three goals in nine games since being acquired from Chicago) replaced Stewart on the Getzlaf line and saw his new linemates each score Saturday, with Getzlaf’s sixth of the season and third in six games coming on a power play in overtime. Perron has five goals in 11 games with Anaheim since being acquired from Pittsburgh and earned the praise of his centerman. “He’s been great,” Getzlaf told reporters. “Ever since he got here, he’s added a new, little spark to us. He’s enabled us to have a little more depth in our lineup. He’s done a great job.”
ABOUT THE FLAMES (25-26-3): Calgary is the second-worst penalty-killing team in the league (75 percent) after permitting three power-play goals in each of its last two games. “We pride ourselves on being a disciplined team, and these past couple of games we’ve gotten away from that,” Flames forward Josh Jooris told reporters. “We’re better when we’re even strength and keeping the flow of the game.” David Jones, who hasn’t scored in 14 contests, left Thursday’s 6-5 shootout victory in San Jose with a lower-body injury and did not play Friday.
OVERTIME
1. The Ducks boast the top penalty-killing unit in the NHL (88.3 percent), but have yielded a power-play goal in three consecutive games for the first time this season and in five of their last six games.
2. LW Johnny Gaudreau paces Calgary with 21 goals and 51 points while RW Corey Perry (21 goals) and Getzlaf (42 points) lead Anaheim.
3. The Ducks won the first two meetings of the season, including 1-0 on Dec. 29, and have won four straight and six of the last seven encounters.
PREDICTION: Ducks 3, Flames 2

**Satch** · 02-15-2016, 10:02 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

Preview: Dallas at Nashville
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, February 15, 2016
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
The Dallas Stars begin a three-game road trip Monday in Nashville against the Predators loaded with confidence after back-to-back victories over the defending Stanley Cup champion and the NHL’s top team. Dallas validated a 4-2 victory in Chicago on Thursday and moved into a first-place tie with the Blackhawks in the Central Division after a 4-3 win Saturday over Washington, which leads the league with 84 points.
“Obviously, (Chicago and Washington) are two pretty good teams that we beat so we’re a confident group in here, and we’ve still got a long way to go,” Stars captain Jamie Benn told reporters. “We’re right back on the road here against three more good teams. We’ve just got to find a way to keep this going.” Dallas has won three straight and six of its last seven contests while winning all four road games during that span, and has three games in hand with Chicago. Nashville is fifth in the ultra-competitive Central – 16 points behind Dallas, but enjoys a five-point bulge for the final Western Conference wild card spot after a 5-0 victory in Florida on Saturday. The game features three of the top goal-scorers in the NHL in the Predators’ James Neal, who scored his 21st goal Saturday and has reached that number in each of his first eight seasons, and the Stars’ Tyler Seguin (30 goals) and Jamie Benn (29), who are third and fourth in the league.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE STARS (36-15-5): Seguin scored twice Saturday and is fourth in the NHL in points with 62 while Benn snapped a five-game scoring drought by extending his point streak to four games (one goal, four assists) and is tied for second at 63 points with Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson. Seguin was cut on the arm by the skate of Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom and didn’t play the final three minutes, but returned to the ice to be honored as the first star of the game.
Kari Lehtonen (16-5-0, .910 save percentage, 2.80 goals-against average) has stopped 101-of-109 shots in winning Dallas’ last three games.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (26-21-9): Calle Jarnkrok scored twice Saturday and has four goals in his last five games, increasing his career-high total to 11. Defenseman Roman Josi has a team-leading 42 points after recording two assists versus Florida, increasing his club-best assist total to 31. Pekka Rinne (20-18-8, .902, 2.57 – 0-3-1 in his last four starts) is 10-6-2, .896, 2.76 in 20 games versus the Stars.
OVERTIME
1. Nashville rookie D Anthony Bitetto recorded his first NHL point Saturday – an assist on Jarnkrok’s first goal – in his 18th career game.
2. Dallas is 4-for-9 on the power play in its last three games while the Predators were 4-for-4 on the penalty kill Saturday after yielding four power-play goals in 11 chances over their previous three contests.
3. Dallas has won three straight meetings, including a 5-1 decision Dec. 31 behind a pair of goals from Seguin.
PREDICTION: Stars 3, Predators 2

**Satch** · 02-15-2016, 10:02 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/15

Preview: Toronto at Chicago
When: 8:30 PM ET, Monday, February 15, 2016
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
The Chicago Blackhawks hope to avoid finishing a four-game homestand without a victory Monday as they host the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have earned the least amount of points in the NHL (49). The Blackhawks, who are in a virtual tie with Dallas for the Central Division lead, fell to 0-2-1 in their last three contests with a 3-2 overtime loss to Anaheim on Saturday.
“We just haven’t quite had the speed and momentum, that jump we’ve been looking for,” Chicago captain Jonathan Toews told reporters. “(Saturday) was a little bit better, but I think top to bottom, all four lines need to be better.” The Blackhawks likely will be without veteran Marian Hossa, who left the game against Anaheim with a leg injury. Toronto has been ravaged by injuries of late but snapped its three-game slide with a solid 5-2 victory at Vancouver on Saturday. “We finally started to get the bounces and got rewarded for all our shots and traffic and doing the right things,” Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer told reporters. “It was a good feeling.”
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network, TSN4 (Toronto), CSN Chicago
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (20-25-9): Forward Brendan Leipsic, acquired last season in the deal that sent defenseman Cody Franson to Nashville, scored in his NHL debut on Saturday. With several forwards out with injuries, Mark Arcobello was recalled recently and has registered 12 shots in three games, converting two of them against Vancouver. Leo Komarov tops the team with 18 goals and 35 points, but the Maple Leafs could be without their next three leading scorers if Nazem Kadri (28 points) can’t return from a lower-body injury.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (36-18-5): Chicago’s normally lethal offense has been limited to a total of four goals in the last three games and is just 3-for-31 on the power play over the past 11 contests. Patrick Kane leads the NHL with 78 points, including 33 goals, and stands three assists shy of 400 for his career while linemate Artemi Panarin leads all rookies with 52 points – six in his last four games. Defenseman Brent Seabrook scored both goals on Saturday to reach double digits for the first time in his career and is fourth on the team with 35 points.
OVERTIME
1. Kane recorded his first career regular-season hat trick in the 4-1 win at Toronto on Jan. 15.
2. Maple Leafs D Jake Gardiner has registered two goals, two assists and a plus-two rating in his last three games.
3. Toews has notched five points and a plus-5 rating over his last five contests.
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 5, Maple Leafs 1

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NHL Betting Info. 2/15

NHL Betting Info. 2/15

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