Announcement

**TheGame** · 03-04-2016, 08:19 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/4

NHL notebook: Edmonton interested in hosting 2020 World Cup of Hockey
By The Sports Xchange

The World Cup of Hockey will return in 2020 and Edmonton is interested in being the host.
The Canadian city immediately put its name up for consideration as host of the eight-team tournament after NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed on Wednesday that the 2020 event was a go.
The Edmonton Journal reports that Oilers Entertainment Group CEO Bob Nicholson already informed NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Daly of Edmonton's interest.
The Oilers are in the process of creating "The Ice District," which includes a new arena named Rogers Place. The project is slated to be finished in 2019.
This year's World Cup of Hockey is being held in Toronto from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1. It will be the first time the tournament is played at one venue as opposed to multiple sites.

---Two current members of the New Jersey Devils were fined for violating the diving/embellishment rule, the NHL announced.
Devils forwards Joseph Blandisi and Devante Smith-Pelly were each fined $2,000. Smith-Pelly's offenses came with the Montreal Canadiens.
New Jersey acquired Smith-Pelly from Montreal before Monday's trading deadline.
Blandisi was issued a warning from a Feb. 16 incident against the Philadelphia Flyers and was cited against on Feb. 23 against the New York Rangers, which triggered the fine. Smith-Pelly was issued a warning for an incident against the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 22. A second incident on Feb. 24 against the Washington Capitals led to the fine.

---Forward Brendan Leipsic was recalled by the Toronto Maple Leafs on an emergency basis. He replaces Brad Boyes, who is out with an upper-body injury.
Leipsic, 21, has one goal and one assist in four games with the Maple Leafs this season, and 37 points (16 goals, 21 assists) in 50 games with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.

---The Anaheim Ducks recalled right wing Stefan Noesen from the San Diego Gulls, the team announced.
Noesen, 22, appeared in one NHL game for Anaheim last season and went scoreless. He has 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 50 games with San Diego this season.

---The Chicago Blackhawks agreed to a two-year contract extension with forward Kyle Baun, the team announced.
Baun, 23, has played in five career NHL games with Chicago. He has three assists in 22 games with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League this season.

**TheGame** · 03-04-2016, 08:19 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/4

Preview: Rangers (37-21) at Capitals (47-12)

Date: March 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Washington has 19 more tuneups before trying to live up to its regular-season success and exorcise its playoff demons.

The Capitals realize, though, that if they carry their recent lackadaisical play into the postseason, they might find themselves facing the same issues as in years past.

The New York Rangers roared back from the brink of elimination to defeat Washington in last season's playoffs, and they'll try to snap the Capitals' three-game winning streak in the series Friday night in D.C.

Washington (47-12-4) matched the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for the most victories through 63 games with Thursday's 3-2 home win over Toronto, but it needed Matt Niskanen's power-play goal with 10:29 left to survive against the league's worst club.

The surprisingly tough contest came one night after the Caps fell behind 2-0 to Pittsburgh before T.J. Oshie scored on the power play late in the third to give them a third unanswered goal and a hard-fought victory.

"We've been fortunate we've got enough firepower where we can kind of find a way to win, but we know down the stretch and in the playoffs it's not going to be that easy," said defenseman Taylor Chorney, who scored his first goal in more than five years against the Maple Leafs.

Success on the power play certainly has helped. Washington has scored at least once with the man advantage in each of its last four and has the best conversion rate in the NHL at 23.9 percent.

The Capitals have played eight consecutive one-goal games, winning six.

"The power play has found different ways to score goals," Oshie said. "Obviously, you got Alex (Ovechkin) over there on the side, that's always your No. 1 option. But there's so many different ways we've been scoring them, and that's going to be huge at the end of the season here and into the postseason."

Washington hasn't reached the Eastern Conference finals since losing to Detroit in the '98 Stanley Cup Final - eight years before Ovechkin arrived - and has been ousted by the Rangers (37-20-6) in seven games in each of its last three appearances.

Ovechkin, who scored an even-strength goal against Toronto to increase his league-leading total to 41, has scored in nine straight regular-season meetings with New York. That streak becomes 10 with Game 7 of last year's second-round matchup, when the Rangers completed a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.

They won the first meeting this season Nov. 3, but the Capitals have taken the last three while scoring 16 goals. Justin Williams had a hat trick in Washington's 5-2 victory in the last matchup Jan. 17.

New York is completing a stretch of playing five of six on the road after having a three-game winning streak snapped with Thursday's 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh. It sits in second place in the Metropolitan Division, 18 points behind the NHL-leading Capitals.

Henrik Lundqvist allowed three goals on 22 shots before leaving in the second period because of neck spasms following a collision with defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Coach Alain Vigneault said he didn't think it was anything serious.

"He's obviously an elite player so we hope everything's all right with him," center Eric Staal said. "We'll get some rest and try to rebound for (Friday)."

Braden Holtby should be in net for the Capitals but has struggled with a .877 save percentage while starting each matchup this season.

Antti Raanta, who stopped all three shots he faced against Pittsburgh after replacing Lundqvist, started the last meeting and likely will get the nod in this one.

**TheGame** · 03-04-2016, 08:20 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/4

Preview: Oilers (25-34) at Blue Jackets (26-30)

Date: March 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The individual success has been there all along for Connor McDavid. It now might be translating into victories.

Edmonton heads to Columbus on Friday night seeking its first four-game winning streak with the rookie sensation on the ice, and he already had a big impact in a win over the Blue Jackets just over a month ago.

The Oilers (25-34-7) won six straight to start December while McDavid was on injured reserve with a broken clavicle that cost him 37 games, but they haven't won more than three in a row with him.

Thursday's 4-0 victory at Philadelphia has them in position to change that. McDavid had an assist, and while Edmonton has averaged 3.00 goals on the streak after totaling three in its previous three games, the defensive effort has been more impressive.

The Oilers have given up two goals and held the New York Islanders, Buffalo and the Flyers scoreless on 12 power-play chances.

Granted, their own power play hasn't scored a goal in weeks, going 0 for 17 in its last eight games, but it's been an enjoyable time for the team as it makes its third stop on a four-game trip. The Oilers had dropped their previous five road games with a goal scored in each, and they'd managed 10 goals on a 0-5-1 overall span.

"We've learned by trial and error that the cute, fancy homestand we tried to play wasn't going to do it," coach Todd McLellan said. "We're a proud group so we took it upon ourselves to be a scrappy, relentless, tenacious team."

McDavid has two goals and two assists on the winning streak, and his 1.10 points per game ranks second behind Chicago's Patrick Kane. When he's held without a point, Edmonton is 1-6-2. Since returning from the injury with a goal and two assists in a 5-1 home win over Columbus on Feb. 2, he has 20 points in 16 contests.

"He gets faster when he gets the puck," Taylor Hall said of McDavid. "That's a quality that not many guys in the world have. It's fun to watch."

That win snapped the Oilers' three-game skid versus the Blue Jackets, though Edmonton has averaged 4.15 goals over an 8-2-3 span in the series. Jordan Eberle has played in 12 of those and managed six goals and nine assists.

The Blue Jackets (26-30-8) have had fairly straightforward results lately, winning each time they've scored more than once over a 5-2-2 span. That stretch includes a 2-1 loss at the New York Rangers on Monday before a three-day break. Cam Atkinson reached 20 goals for a third straight season but chances were otherwise limited.

"There wasn't much room for either team as far as scoring chances. We talked about not opening up and just staying with it," coach John Tortorella told the team's official website. "I thought we did a lot of good things. We defended well, but we have to find a way to win."

In goal, Joonas Korpisalo is 2-1-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average and .925 save percentage since allowing four goals in consecutive games. He allowed all five in Edmonton last month.

Cam Talbot beat him and has started the last nine games for the Oilers. After shutting out the Flyers, he's posted a 1.19 GAA and .966 save percentage over a 3-1-1 span.

"I felt pretty comfortable again tonight, the PK did a heck of a job in front of me, and it was a big two points for this group," Talbot told the team's official website.

**TheGame** · 03-04-2016, 08:20 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/4

Preview: Devils (31-27) at Stars (38-20)

Date: March 04, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

As much as the Dallas Stars would love to claim their first division title in 10 years, the main goal now is heading into the playoffs fully healthy.

Patrick Sharp and Jordie Benn finally have decided not to play through nagging injuries in order to heal up before the postseason, but the Stars certainly will have a more difficult time snapping their slump and pulling into a tie atop the Central.

Dallas looks to avoid a season-high fifth consecutive loss when it faces the playoff-hopeful New Jersey Devils on Friday night.

The Stars (38-20-7) are two points back of first-place Chicago with a game in hand despite going just 1-5-2 since Feb. 16. They also have a game in hand on St. Louis, which they tie for second as they seek their first division crown since 2005-06.

The slump continued Tuesday with a 5-3 loss at Nashville after Dallas allowed three unanswered goals in the second period that put the game away. Sharp, whose 47 points are fourth on the club, left that contest early with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss 5-7 days, according to coach Lindy Ruff.

The veteran is in his first season with Dallas and had played in every game.

"Sharp has been battling his situation most of the year," Ruff said. "Just got to a point where we're going to shut him down for a few days. Hopefully, he'll be ready once we get back from the road trip."

After facing New Jersey (31-27-7), the Stars travel to Montreal and Ottawa on Sunday and Tuesday. Benn, whose brother Jamie leads Dallas in scoring, will miss at least each of those games and could be out up to two weeks with a lower-body issue.

Ruff will have to switch up his defensive pairings with Benn out. He had Alex Goligoski on the right with Patrik Nemeth and put recently acquired Kris Russell with John Klingberg at practice Thursday.

Johnny Oduya and Jason Demers will remain together as the Stars also try to avoid a fifth consecutive home defeat.

"I think we have options now," Ruff said. "With Jordie out, one of our top five will have to play some right defense, and Alex has been the best at it so far."

Sharp scored in the first meeting with New Jersey on Jan. 2 before John Moore's overtime goal gave the Devils a 3-2 victory and their fourth win in six meetings.

Moore assisted on Adam Henrique's overtime goal as New Jersey roared back for a 5-4 win at Nashville on Thursday. The Devils trailed by two entering the third and were down a goal late in regulation when Henrique force OT with 39.7 seconds left.

New Jersey scored three times during a three-game skid prior to the victory and had dropped six of its previous seven. The club is tied with Philadelphia for ninth in the Eastern Conference, but it sits five points back of Pittsburgh and has played two more games than both the Flyers and Penguins.

"It was nice we were able to tie it up and find a way to win," coach John Hynes said. "You can feel it on the bench and with your team that guys felt good, felt good about how we played."

Cory Schneider will be back in net after Keith Kinkaid made 30 saves Thursday. Schneider had a 3.35 goals-against average over his previous seven but is 3-1-1 with a 2.09 GAA in his last five against the Stars.

Antti Niemi, who has a 4.68 GAA over his last five, could be in goal for Dallas.

**TheGame** · 03-04-2016, 08:20 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/4

Grand Salami - March

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
3/1 8 48.5 49 OVER
3/2 3 16.5 17 OVER
3/3 12 65.5 69 OVER
3/4 3 - - -
3/5 11 - - -
3/6 6 - - -
3/7 7 - - -
3/8 8 - - -
3/9 6 - - -
3/10 6 - - -
3/11 5 - - -
3/12 12 - - -
3/13 3 - - -
3/14 6 - - -
3/15 8 - - -
3/16 6 - - -
3/17 8 - - -
3/18 6 - - -
3/19 11 - - -
3/20 7 - - -
3/21 4 - - -
3/22 10 - - -
3/23 2 - - -
3/24 11 - - -
3/25 3 - - -
3/26 14 - - -
3/27 3 - - -
3/28 8 - - -
3/29 9 - - -
3/30 3 - - -
3/31 10 - - -

**TheGame** · 03-04-2016, 08:27 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/4

EDMONTON vs. COLUMBUS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing Columbus
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Edmonton's last 7 games when playing on the road against Columbus
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing Edmonton
Columbus is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

NY RANGERS vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 6 games when playing Washington
NY Rangers are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington's last 12 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

NEW JERSEY vs. DALLAS
New Jersey is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
New Jersey is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Jersey
Dallas is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games

**Satch** · 03-04-2016, 09:39 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/4

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (51) NY RANGERS@ (52) WASHINGTON | 2016-03-04 19:05:00 - 2016-03-04 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in all games
The record is 47 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (+23.1 units)

NHL > (53) EDMONTON@ (54) COLUMBUS | 2016-03-04 19:05:00 - 2016-03-04 19:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS using money line in All games in March games
The record is 11 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.3 units)

------------------------

NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (51) NY RANGERS@ (52) WASHINGTON | 2016-03-04 19:05:00 - 2016-03-04 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON in all games
The record is 47 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (+23.1 units)

NHL > (53) EDMONTON@ (54) COLUMBUS | 2016-03-04 19:05:00 - 2016-03-04 19:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS in All games in March games
The record is 11 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.3 units)

**Satch** · 03-04-2016, 09:42 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/4

Preview: NY Rangers at Washington
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, March 4, 2016
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District Of Columbia
The Washington Capitals can reach the 100-point mark with more than a month left in the regular season when they entertain the Metropolitan Division-rival New York Rangers on Friday. The Capitals posted two straight victories this week and have won four in a row against the Rangers this season, totaling 21 goals in the process.
Washington goaltender Braden Holtby, who was rested in Wednesday’s 3-2 triumph over Toronto, can match the team record he shares with Olaf Kolzig (1999-2000) of 41 victories in a season. Holtby will have to cool off New York, which has won five of its last seven despite a 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh on Thursday. Henrik Lundqvist did not come out for the third period against the Penguins after suffering “neck spasms,” but coach Alain Vigneault told reporters he did not think it was serious. That might lead to a start for backup Antti Raanta, who stopped all three shots he faced Thursday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, Sportsnet, MSG 2 (New York), CSN-DC Plus (Washington)
ABOUT THE RANGERS (37-21-6): Chris Kreider scored the only goal for New York on Thursday – his third in four games – and Mats Zuccarello notched an assist to take over the team lead with 47 points. Defenseman Marc Staal missed Thursday’s contest with a lower-body injury while Jesper Fast returned to the lineup after missing a game with an illness. Derick Brassard has recorded one point in his last six games and sits one behind Zuccarello for the team lead while the newly acquired Eric Staal has registered three shots but no points in two games.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (47-12-4): Evgeny Kuznetsov continues to produce, notching two goals and two assists in his last four games to lead the league’s best offense with 66 points. Nicklas Backstrom (60 points) has registered six assists in his last four contests and captain Alex Ovechkin recorded his league-leading 41st goal on Wednesday. Recently acquired defenseman Mike Weber has been in the lineup for two straight games and likely will stay there with fellow blue-liner Nate Schmidt (lower body) questionable.
OVERTIME
1. Washington RW Daniel Winnik made his debut with his new team Wednesday, recording one shot in 13:09 of ice time.
2. New York D Dan Boyle needs one point to reach 600 in his career.
3. The Capitals lead the league in power-play percentage (23.9) and have gone 5-for-13 over the last four contests.
PREDICTION: Capitals 3, Rangers 1

**Satch** · 03-04-2016, 09:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/4

Preview: Edmonton at Columbus
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, March 4, 2016
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
The Edmonton Oilers attempt to extend their longest winning streak since early December when they continue their four-game road trip Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Edmonton, which won a season-high six straight contests from Dec. 2-14, aims for its fourth in a row as it topped the New York Islanders at home before beginning its trek with triumphs in Buffalo and Philadelphia.
Taylor Hall scored his team-leading 21st goal against the Flyers to end his five-game drought and pull within six of his career high. Columbus is coming off a road loss to the New York Rangers on Monday which ended its four-game point streak (3-0-1). Despite owning an overall record that is under .500, the Blue Jackets are 13-12-6 at home, where they have earned points in seven of their last eight contests (5-1-2). Edmonton is hoping to complete a sweep of the two-game season series after recording a 5-1 home victory on Feb. 2 behind a one-goal, two-assist performance by rookie Connor McDavid, who was playing for the first time after missing three months with a broken clavicle.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Edmonton), FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE OILERS (25-34-7): McDavid has been somewhat of a fixture on the scoresheet since returning from his injury, registering at least one point (seven goals, 13 assists) in 12 of his 16 games – including a career-best five-point performance against Toronto on Feb. 11. Patrick Maroon had a successful debut for Edmonton on Thursday, scoring a goal three days after being acquired from Anaheim at the trade deadline. The Oilers are just 9-20-5 on the road this season but have won two straight away from home for the first time since Oct. 17 and 18.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (26-30-8): Sergei Bobrovsky, who has not played since Jan. 21 due to a groin injury, participated in a full practice session Thursday – a day after having limited time on the ice. “We don’t want to isolate him too much, but we had a couple of days here and we were trying to get Bob a little time there to have his own net during practice,” coach John Tortorella told the team’s website. Boone Jenner, who earlier this week was rewarded for his best offensive season with a two-year contract extension, has failed to notch a point in three straight games and five of his last seven.
OVERTIME
1. Blue Jackets LW Matt Calvert has gone 12 games without a goal since netting his team’s lone tally in the previous meeting with the Oilers.
2. Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit could make his third career start – second this season – Friday after Cam Talbot posted his second shutout of the season Thursday in his ninth consecutive start.
3. Bobrovsky was named to Team Russia’s roster for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey while Columbus LW Brandon Saad and Ds Ryan Murray and Seth Jones were selected to play for Team North America.
PREDICTION: Blue Jackets 3, Oilers 2

**Satch** · 03-04-2016, 09:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/4

Preview: New Jersey at Dallas

When: 8:30 PM ET, Friday, March 4, 2016
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
The Dallas Stars are struggling – especially on defense – and hope to turn it around when they host the New Jersey Devils on Friday. Dallas has lost four straight (0-3-1) and seven of its last eight (1-5-2) while allowing 33 goals in its last seven contests following Tuesday’s 5-3 loss in Nashville, and finds itself tied with St. Louis for second place in the Central – two points behind Chicago with a game in hand after leading the division for most of the season.
“Our best players have to be our best players, and our best players have to play the right way every night,” Stars captain Jamie Benn told reporters. “It’s getting old now, but it all starts in the defensive end. When you’re not playing the right way, or you’re having a tough time out there, you have to work harder and find a way to dig yourself out of that hole.” Dallas will be less than full strength against New Jersey as Patrick Sharp – fourth on the team in goals and points – is expected to miss one week and defenseman Jordie Benn perhaps two with lower-body injuries. The Devils rallied for a 5-4 overtime victory in Nashville on Thursday as Adam Henrique scored with 39.7 seconds left in the third period to force overtime and completed his second two-goal effort of the season 1:54 into the extra period. New Jersey, which had lost six of its previous seven games (1-6-0), remains five points behind Pittsburgh for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference but has played two more games than the Penguins.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New Jersey), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE DEVILS (31-27-7): Henrique has recorded three goals in his last two games to increase his season total to 22 while Kyle Palmieri scored his team-best 24th on Thursday. Devante Smith-Pelly, who was fined $2,000 by the NHL on Thursday for embellishment on Feb. 24, notched a goal and an assist in his New Jersey debut on Thursday after being acquired from Montreal three days earlier. The Devils decided to use backup goaltender Keith Kinkaid against Nashville, allowing Cory Schneider (.924 save percentage) to face the Stars.
ABOUT THE STARS (38-20-7): Sharp (17 goals, 47 points) suffered a lower-body injury in Monday’s 3-2 overtime loss to Detroit and tried to play through it but could not finish Tuesday’s contest. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin share the team lead and are tied for fourth in the NHL with 32 goals apiece while Benn (71) has three more points than Seguin – good for second in the league. Defenseman Kris Russell played 18:21 and recorded two shots, a hit, a blocked shot and a minus-1 rating in his Dallas debut on Tuesday while paired with Jordie Benn, prompting coach Lindy Ruff to tell reporters: “I thought he played well. I thought he moved the puck well. I thought that pair was really good for us, so I think that was a great first showing.”
OVERTIME
1. Russell was paired with D John Klingberg (10 goals, team-best 43 assists) in Thursday’s practice.
2. The Stars, who are 10-12-4 since the calendar flipped to 2016, have allowed eight power-play goals in their last eight games.
3. New Jersey prevailed 3-2 in overtime on Jan. 2 in the first meeting of the two-game season series behind 29 saves from Schneider.
PREDICTION: Stars 3, Devils 2

**Satch** · 03-04-2016, 09:44 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/4

Hot teams
— Washington won seven of its last nine games. Rangers won five of their last seven.
— Edmonton won its last three games, allowing two goals. Columbus won four of its last six home games.
Cold teams
— New Jersey lost six of its last eight games. Dallas Stars lost seven of last eight.
Series records
— Rangers lost their last three games with Washington.
— Blue Jackets won three of last four games with Edmonton.
— Dallas Stars lost four of last six games with New Jersey.
Totals
— Five of last six Ranger-Washington games went over total.
— Last seven Edmonton games stayed under the total.
— Five of last seven Dallas Stars games went over the total.
Back-to-backs
— Rangers are 7-5 if they played the night before.
— Edmonton is 2-6 if it played the night before.
— New Jersey is 4-5 if it played the night before.

Announcement

NHL Betting Info. 3/4

NHL Betting Info. 3/4

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