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**TheGame** · 02-13-2016, 07:37 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

Preview: Devils (27-21) at Flyers (24-20)

Date: February 13, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

With their rookie defenseman trying to keep his streak going to set a franchise record, the Philadelphia Flyers want to get some momentum going before a long road trip.

Shayne Gostisbehere will seek to extend his point streak to 11 games while helping the Flyers get past the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Philadelphia (24-20-9) ended a three-game slide by routing Buffalo 5-1 on Thursday. The Flyers scored four times in the second period, and R.J. Umberger kicked off that binge by ending a 50-game drought that dated back to January 2015.

"It's huge for us, just everyone pulling on the same side of the rope, just having an explosion like that. Four goals in one period," Gostisbehere said. "That's huge for a team like us, especially after laying an egg (in a 4-1 loss to Anaheim on Tuesday)."

The 22-year-old assisted on Wayne Simmonds' second-period goal to match the team's longest point streak by a rookie, set by Mikael Renberg in 1993-94. Gostisbehere has two goals and 11 assists during his 10-game run, currently the longest in the NHL.

He has 17 points in 17 home games, but this is the last time the Flyers will be playing in Philadelphia until Feb. 25. They begin a five-game trek Sunday against the New York Rangers, followed by their season series finale with the Devils on Tuesday.

New Jersey (27-21-7) also ended a three-game skid in its latest game but had a little more tension in a 2-1 victory over Edmonton on Tuesday. The Devils didn't get the tiebreaking goal until Reid Boucher converted on a power play with 12:47 remaining.

Adam Henrique also scored on a man advantage, and New Jersey improved to 9 for 23 in its last eight games. The Devils have killed off all 19 penalties in their five contests this month.

"Our special teams were great," said Cory Schneider, who is 7-3-1 with a 1.64 goals-against average in his last 11 starts. "We needed this one after (a 2-1 loss to the Rangers on Monday). We felt good about our two prior games but didn't win. To get a win is important. We couldn't settle for single points here."

Like the Flyers, New Jersey is just outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture. The Devils have won six of their last seven visits to Philadelphia, including 4-1 on Oct. 29, but have lost a season-worst three in a row on the road while scoring three goals.

They're averaging a league-worst 1.44 goals on the road since 2016 began, partly offsetting the fact Schneider's 1.86 GAA away from home this season is tops among goalies with at least 10 road starts.

Simmonds has eight goals and two assists in his last eight contests. He has the Flyers' only power-play goal in 15 chances over the last three contests, though they've killed off 13 of 14 penalties in the last four.

Kyle Palmieri has seven points in five career games against Philadelphia, including two goals and two assists this season.

Travis Zajac had two power-play goals in Philadelphia but sat out the last matchup in New Jersey because of an upper-body injury as Philadelphia won 4-3 in overtime Dec. 4. The Devils are 14-0-2 in their last 16 games against the Flyers - including the playoffs - when Zajac is on the ice.

Top Philadelphia netminder Steve Mason has lost all seven starts he's made against New Jersey with a 3.77 GAA.

**TheGame** · 02-13-2016, 07:38 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

Preview: Bruins (29-19) at Wild (23-21)

Date: February 13, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

The character of the Minnesota Wild continues to be tested amid one of the roughest stretches in club history.

ired in their worst-ever home slide, the Wild look to avoid matching the team record with an eighth consecutive loss overall Saturday against the Boston Bruins, who are looking for a season-high sixth straight road victory.

Loser of 12 of 13 and stuck in an 0-4-3 hole at home, Minnesota (23-21-10) is struggling to comprehend what is going on.

'If this wasn't really maddening and really frustrating, it would almost be comical the way things are going right now,' coach Mike Yeo said.

The Wild, who have lost two in a row by 4-3 scores and dropped four by one goal during the 0-5-2 slide, last lost eight straight Dec. 13-28, 2011.

"It's definitely frustrating," defenseman Ryan Suter told the NHL's official website. "We usually have to hit rock bottom before we go up, and I feel like we've hit rock bottom. Now we just need it to start turning for us."

Perhaps Minnesota can start by faring better in the second period, during which it's been outscored 13-3 in the last five games. The Wild allowed Washington's Alex Ovechkin to record a hat trick during the second in Thursday's defeat.

Minnesota has yielded four goals in each of the last four contests and at least that many in six of seven. Its last three opponents have gone 5 for 14 on the power play after the previous 15 were 4 for 31.

All-Star Devan Dubnyk has lost nine straight starts and owns a 4.07 goals-against average in four February outings.

'Getting tired of it, really,' said forward Charlie Coyle, who has recorded five of his career-high 15 goals in eight games. 'We've got to find ways. You keep seeing we're taking strides and that's the positive thing to do, and I think we are. But we've got to get that end result.'

Dubnyk made 34 saves in a 4-2 loss to the Bruins on Nov. 19 and is 0-5-0 with 5.20 GAA against them.

Loui Eriksson registered his third career hat trick in that meeting with Minnesota, and he had a goal and an assist as Boston (29-19-6) opened its season-high six-game trip with a 6-2 victory over Winnipeg on Thursday. The Bruins have outscored their last five road opponents 20-8.

"It was a huge start, that's what we wanted," said forward Patrice Bergeron, who scored twice to snap a five-game goal drought. "But we know there's a lot more to this road trip than just one game and now we need to focus on Minnesota."

Brad Marchand had a goal and two assists and Brett Connolly recorded three assists as the Bruins rebounded from Tuesday's 9-2 defeat to Los Angeles.

"Different guys stepped up," said Connolly, who had one point his previous nine games. "And that's what we're going to need going forward on this road trip if we want to make it successful."

Tuukka Rask made 34 saves Thursday and has a 1.72 GAA during a four-game road winning streak.

Eriksson has six goals in the last five matchups with Minnesota while Bergeron has two and two assists during the same span.

Boston has gone 3 for 35 on the power play in the last 12 contests.

**TheGame** · 02-13-2016, 07:38 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

Preview: Maple Leafs (19-25) at Canucks (22-20)

Date: February 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Following back-to-back road victories, the Vancouver Canucks must find a way to start winning at home.

That hasn't been a problem when the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town.

The Canucks can avoid a fourth straight defeat at Rogers Arena by beating the Maple Leafs for an eighth consecutive time there Saturday night.

Just outside of playoff position in the Western Conference, Vancouver (22-20-12) has little room for error in its quest to make the playoffs.

"Every game is do or die for us," defenseman Alex Biega said. "Every point really matters. For the most part, that's playoff-type of hockey."

The Canucks have looked like a serious postseason contender this week, scoring three unanswered goals in Tuesday's 3-1 win at Colorado and getting 33 saves from Ryan Miller in a 2-1 victory at Arizona one night later.

"We have to build off that," Biega said.

Vancouver can do so by getting back on track at home, where it's 9-10-5 and has been held to one goal in three straight games.

"The guys are still battling," said coach Willie Desjardins, whose team averages a West-low 2.25 goals at home. "We know we've got to put together a string of (winning) games."

The Canucks also need the Sedin brothers to produce.

Henrik Sedin snapped a five-game point drought with an assist against the Coyotes, but Daniel has one point in six and none in the last four. Daniel had three goals and five assists in a five-game home point streak against Toronto that ended in a 4-1 win March 14.

Henrik totaled six points in the previous three home matchups with the Maple Leafs before also going scoreless in that contest.

Vancouver fell 4-2 to Toronto (19-25-9) on Nov. 14, but hasn't lost at home to the Maple Leafs since November 2003 and has outscored them 25-7 in the last six there.

Miller has yielded four goals each time in losing two starts against the Maple Leafs with the Canucks. He's expected to face them for the first time at Rogers on Saturday.

Toronto fell to 0-3-0 on a five-game trip with Thursday's 5-2 loss to Edmonton. The Maple Leafs have yielded 15 goals on the swing, including nine in two games since sending veteran defenseman Dion Phaneuf to Ottawa in a nine-player deal Tuesday.

Despite another rough season for the Leafs, coach Mike Babcock is happy with his team's effort and spirit, especially with this week's roster shake-up.

'I didn't mind our game, to tell you the truth,' said Babcock, whose club trailed 3-2 after two periods against the Oilers. 'We got ourselves in a good spot (Thursday). ... We didn't finish and they did.'

After James Reimer yielded seven total goals in the first two of the trip, Jonathan Bernier gave up four on 34 shots against Edmonton. Bernier has posted a 3.82 goals-against average while losing four straight road starts.

Reimer made 43 saves Nov. 14 but has given up four goals apiece in losing both starts at Vancouver, and Bernier is likely to start this game.

Leo Komarov has recorded two of his team-leading 17 goals in the last 21 games for Toronto, which is 2 for 45 on the power play over the past 14.

Vancouver's Jannik Hansen matched a career high with his 16th goal Wednesday. He's scored in two straight against the Maple Leafs and has two goals and three assists in four home matchups.

**TheGame** · 02-13-2016, 07:38 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

Preview: Islanders (29-18) at Hurricanes (24-21)

Date: February 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

John Tavares has ended his slump in emphatic fashion. A matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes isn't likely to slow him down.

Tavares looks to extend his scoring surge and help the New York Islanders match their longest winning streak of the season Saturday night.

Tavares has five goals and seven assists over the past eight games, exactly matching his production over the previous 24.

"I never worried or doubted that the points were going to come," coach Jack Capuano told the team's official website. "He's had a lot of chances and works hard. But it's good to see Johnny get the points. As he goes, we go."

That's certainly been true during a three-game winning streak as Tavares has six points after tallying a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over Los Angeles on Thursday.

"I just want to keep doing the right things," Tavares said. "I think I've been playing well for a few weeks and I want to be consistent, keep it going and create opportunities."

That shouldn't be a problem since the All-Star center has 28 points over his last 16 meetings with the Hurricanes, including 13 in six visits to Raleigh.

Tavares, though, was kept off the score sheet in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Hurricanes at home Oct. 29.

After averaging 2.5 goals in a 4-5-1 stretch, the Islanders (29-18-6) have scored 16 during three straight wins. They are 4 for 10 on the power play in those games.

"We're getting more of a rhythm coming out of our own end, getting up into the neutral zone," Tavares said. "Guys are making plays and we're starting to put some more pucks in the net."

New York has 14 goals in a three-game win streak at Carolina (24-21-10), and is 5-1-2 in its last eight visits.

Brock Nelson is tied with Tavares for the team lead with 20 goals, but hasn't scored in five consecutive games. However, he has three in his last two road games with the Hurricanes.

Carolina opened this three-game homestand with a 2-1 shootout loss to Pittsburgh on Friday after falling by the same score in a shootout at Montreal on Sunday.

"When it gets late, gets to those dying moments, it always gets nerve-racking," coach Bill Peters said Friday. "I thought the guys did a good job staying with it."

Andrej Nestrasil forced overtime against the Penguins by scoring with 5:28 left in regulation. The center has three goals in three games to match his total from the previous 30.

The Hurricanes are unsure if they'll have Justin Faulk available after a lower-body injury sidelined him Friday. The All-Star defenseman leads Carolina with 34 points and his 15 goals match his career high from last season.

"Day to day means day to day," Peters told the team's official website.

Jeff Skinner, who had his five-game point streak snapped Friday, has six points in as many home matchups with the Islanders.

Cam Ward made 25 saves against the Penguins, giving Carolina at least a point in each of his past eight starts. He is 4-0-4 with a 1.79 goals-against average in those games.

Ward, who could be rested in the second of this back to back, is 18-3-3 with a 2.62 GAA in his last 27 games against New York.

**TheGame** · 02-13-2016, 07:38 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

Preview: Senators (25-25) at Blue Jackets (22-28)

Date: February 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson is on pace to break his career-high mark of 78 points set four seasons ago, and a matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets should serve to further his cause.

Karlsson has seven points in two easy wins over Columbus this season and looks to help the Senators end a three-game road losing streak Saturday night.

He's a leading candidate for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defensemen with 62 points, including an NHL-best 51 assists. No other defenseman has more than 46 points.

Karlsson has 17 points in his last 12 games and 11 in his last seven. He had the second four-assist performance of his career in last Saturday's 6-1 rout of Toronto.

The previous one came in a 7-3 win over Columbus (22-28-6) on Oct. 14. He then had two goals and an assist in a 3-0 home win over the Blue Jackets on Nov. 19 in which Craig Anderson made 25 saves.

Karlsson has 15 points in 10 career games against Columbus, including nine in Ottawa's four-game road win streak in this series. The seven goals allowed by the Blue Jackets in October are the most they have yielded at home.

Ottawa (25-25-6) likely can't afford anything less than a victory after falling to 3-7-0 in its last 10 overall after Thursday's 4-3 home defeat to Colorado. The Senators have the fourth-worst record in the Eastern Conference, although they remain within striking distance of a playoff spot.

"These are points that we need," winger Chris Neil said. "We still believe in here, we still believe that we can get to where we need to be to make the playoffs but you gotta win games to do that."

The Senators failed to battle back from a three-goal deficit in the second period after the Avalanche scored the game's first three goals on the power play. Special teams have been a problem all season for Ottawa, which is at minus-16 in power-play goal differential for the league's second-worst mark.

"I thought we were real good 5-on-5," coach David Cameron said. "I thought we were the better team today, we were a little quicker, dug ourselves a hole and stayed with it and fell short."

Karlsson and Dion Phaneuf each had two assists, with Phaneuf making his home debut after being acquired from Toronto on Tuesday.

The Senators are last in the NHL in average shot differential at minus-4.6.

The lowly Blue Jackets have played four straight one-goal games, winning for the third time Thursday, 4-3 in a shootout over Anaheim. Former Senators winger Nick Foligno had two assists.

'This is a group of guys I want to be a difference maker for and lead them and playing the right way,' Foligno said. 'Sometimes it just doesn't go your way, but it's the little things that you can do consistently to get you back to playing the right way.'

Brandon Saad ended a four-game goal drought with his team-high 20th and William Karlsson scored his third goal in as many games.

Rookie Joonas Korpisalo has made eight straight starts, going 5-1-2 with a 2.16 goals-against average. He has never faced the Senators.

**TheGame** · 02-13-2016, 07:38 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

Preview: Predators (25-21) at Panthers (32-17)

Date: February 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya have helped the Florida Panthers reach the top of the Atlantic Division with stingy goaltending, but pucks are slipping past them at an alarming rate lately.

The Nashville Predators are having that problem, too, and the scoreboard operator could be busy Saturday night when the slumping clubs meet in Sunrise.

Florida (32-17-6) ranks near the top of the league defensively allowing an average of 2.3 goals per game, backed by Luongo's 2.23 goals-against average in 43 appearances and Montoya's 2.06 mark in 15 games.

Both were needed Friday, though, after Luongo allowed three goals on 13 shots in the first period and Montoya made 13 saves in the final 40 minutes of a 5-3 loss to St. Louis that began a six-game homestand.

The Panthers, who were coming off Tuesday's 7-4 win at Buffalo, dropped to 1-2-1 following a five-game winning streak and have allowed at least three goals in each of their last five.

"(Luongo's) been a horse all year long. It was just to shake up the team," coach Gerard Gallant said. "We weren't happy with how we were playing."

Derek MacKenzie, Aaron Ekblad and Jonathan Huberdeau scored while Jaromir Jagr had two assists for Florida, which had its division lead trimmed to five points over Detroit after the Red Wings lost to Colorado in a shootout Friday.

Aleksander Barkov missed his second straight with an upper-body injury suffered from a big hit in Monday's loss at Detroit and isn't expected to return until at least Monday against Pittsburgh.

"We were not as sharp as we were the past few games,"â??Huberdeau said. "I think (Saturday) we've got to come back and be better defensively. That's usually where we're good at. (Friday), we allowed too many odd-man rushes."

Luongo has an .893 save percentage over his last four, but a short night could mean he'll be in net for this one. The Predators, on the other hand, might want to consider giving Pekka Rinne a break.

Nashville (25-21-9) has scored 15 times over its last four, but it also has allowed 17 goals during that time as Rinne has struggled with a .838 save percentage in that stretch. He gave up the tying goal with 26.6 seconds remaining in regulation Friday before Tampa Bay scored 1:04 into overtime for a 4-3 victory over the Predators, who are 1-3-1 following a four-game winning streak.

James Neal scored his 20th goal to give him at least that many in each of his eight NHL seasons. Filip Forsberg has four goals and two assists over his last three after putting Nashville ahead 7:46 into the third.

The tying goal came with Nashville shorthanded and the Lightning having an empty net. The Predators weren't happy with the slashing call on Viktor Arvidsson that led to Tampa's power play.

"It seems like we're taking penalties at the wrong times," said Mike Fisher, who scored in the first. "We're trying to do the right things. We've just got to be a little smarter. It's hurting us."

Nashville had allowed one goal in each of its previous five. Backup Carter Hutton started one of those contests, making 26 saves in a 2-1 win over Calgary on Jan. 27 in his last outing.

Rinne faced only 16 shots when Huberdeau scored and Luongo made 32 saves in the Panthers' 2-1 victory in Nashville on Dec. 3. The Predators had gone 4-0-1 in the previous five meetings.

**TheGame** · 02-13-2016, 07:39 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

Preview: Capitals (40-9) at Stars (35-15)

Date: February 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Few teams have been able to keep pace with the Washington Capitals, particularly when Alex Ovechkin is as locked in as right now.

That hasn't been an issue for the Dallas Stars.

As the Capitals aim for a sixth consecutive win, the Stars look to maintain their recent dominance in the series when the NHL's highest-scoring teams face off Saturday night.

This marquee matchup has the makings of a possible Stanley Cup Final preview with Washington (40-9-4) a runaway leader atop the Eastern Conference and Dallas (35-15-5) one point off Chicago's lead in the West. There's clearly the potential for plenty of scoring as well, as the Stars top the NHL with 178 goals and the Capitals average a league-high 3.3 per game.

Washington has generated 33 goals over a 7-1-1 stretch and nine over the first two tests of a three-game trip. Ovechkin has scored in three straight and passed Chicago's Patrick Kane for the league lead with a hat trick in Thursday's 4-3 win over Minnesota.

Ovechkin recorded all three goals in the second period and has 34 this season, 13 of which have come in his last 13 games.

"It's incredible. The puck just comes to him, but he has that ability when it comes to put it in the net," said teammate Nicklas Backstrom, who assisted on all three scores. "It's hard to do."

Ovechkin has a goal in three of Washington's past five meetings with Dallas, though that production hasn't translated into team success as the Stars have won eight consecutive matchups and seven straight in regulation. They won 3-2 on Nov. 19 in Washington, where Kari Lehtonen made 31 saves and Jason Spezza scored the game-winner shortly after Ovechkin tied it in the third period.

Lehtonen was just as sharp as Dallas won both ends of its recent two-game trip. After compiling 37 saves in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime victory at Minnesota, he notched a season-high 44 as the Stars closed the gap on the Blackhawks with Thursday's 4-2 win.

"He made some great saves for us," coach Lindy Ruff said. "Minnesota was the same way; we needed some big saves at important times. He made some game changers."

Lehtonen was supported by Patrick Eaves' second career hat trick that helped Dallas, which lost 5-1 at home to Chicago last Saturday for its only defeat in six games, build a 4-0 lead through one period.

'We were ourselves (Thursday),' said Tyler Seguin, who assisted on two of Eaves' goals. 'Obviously I think they handed it to us last game.'

Eaves has four goals and three assists over a four-game point streak, aiding an offense that's been without Spezza for three straight due to an upper-body injury. Seguin has seven points over his last five and has scored in four straight against Washington.

Lehtonen owns a 1.71 goals-against average in winning seven straight starts against Washington, while the Capitals' Braden Holtby earned a fifth consecutive win with 33 saves against Minnesota.

Holtby, who did not play in the November meeting, is 17-3-2 with a 2.21 GAA in 22 road starts.

The Capitals are expected to have Evgeny Kuznetsov, the club's leader with 54 points, available after passing a concussion test on Friday. The All-Star forward exited Thursday's game after being high-sticked in the face on a third-period faceoff.

**TheGame** · 02-13-2016, 07:39 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

Preview: Ducks (26-19) at Blackhawks (36-18)

Date: February 13, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Anaheim Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said a lack of respect for a last-place opponent is why his team lost its last game.

They won't have the same problem when their road trip continues against the Western Conference leader.

The Ducks look to bounce back Saturday night when they face a Chicago Blackhawks team that knocked them out of last season's playoffs and has won this season's first two meetings in overtime.

Anaheim was on its way to victory Thursday against Columbus, leading 2-0 late in the second period, but allowed a goal with five seconds to go in that period and blew another two-goal lead in the third of its 4-3 shootout loss. The Ducks (26-19-8) were outshot 34-27 and went 0 for 2 on the power play.

'Personally, I just didn't think we respected that team enough to start that game,' Boudreau said. 'And this is the NHL. You can't come into a game and not respect your opponent. We were lucky to get a point, but we'll bounce back.'

The Blackhawks (36-18-4) have a similar mindset after a pair of disappointing showings reduced their lead over second-place Dallas to a point.

Two nights after opening a four-game homestand with a 2-0 loss to San Jose, Chicago fell behind by four goals - three by Patrick Eaves - in the first period of Thursday's 4-2 setback to the Stars.

The Blackhawks dominated play in the third, outshooting the Stars 21-2, but the early deficit was too big to overcome.

'The last two, we've been in a little bit of a funk,' said Patrick Kane, who scored his 33rd goal but fell out of the league lead. 'We'll work ourself out of it, just like we always do, and come back ready to play Saturday.'

Having a healthy Artemi Panarin would certainly help, but his status is uncertain after missing the last two games with an illness. The 24-year-old, who plays alongside Kane and Artem Anisimov, is second on the team with 52 points and leads all rookies.

"I think anytime you miss one of your top players it's going to have an effect on everyone," said Kane, who has 77 points.

Anisimov had the winner in Anaheim on Nov. 27 after Jonathan Toews scored in a 1-0 victory over the Ducks on Oct. 26, their first meeting since last season's conference finals.

Corey Crawford has stopped 62 of 64 shots against Anaheim this season but was shaky Thursday, making 14 saves on 18 shots. Crawford, who was replaced after one period by Scott Darling, was 13-3-0 with a 1.88 goals-against average in his previous 16 starts.

The Blackhawks had won 13 of 15 at Chicago before this homestand and haven't lost three in a row overall since Nov. 28-Dec. 3.

The Ducks have lost two of three to start a seven-game trip for their only defeats in the last nine contests. They haven't lost back-to-back games since Dec. 21 and 22. Since then, they've gone a West-best 14-4-2 with the Blackhawks owning the conference's second-best record at 16-6-0.

Frederik Andersen has been instrumental to Anaheim's success and Boudreau praised his 31-save performance Thursday in his first loss since New Year's Day. He is 6-0-2 with a 1.72 GAA in 2016 while John Gibson is 5-4-0 with a 2.83 GAA over that same stretch.

Corey Perry, who has a team-high 21 goals, was held without a point for the second time in nine games Tuesday. He had three goals in last season's playoff series with the Blackhawks but has only two assists while the Ducks have lost six of the last seven regular-season meetings with Chicago.

**TheGame** · 02-13-2016, 07:39 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

Preview: Jets (24-27) at Oilers (22-29)

Date: February 13, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Connor McDavid continues to show that he might be the player to finally lead the Edmonton Oilers out of the wilderness.

Coming off a career-high five-point effort, the star rookie looks to keep rolling in a Hockey Night in Canada appearance when the Oilers host the Winnipeg Jets in a matchup of last-place teams Saturday night.

McDavid became the third rookie in team history to record a five-point game with two goals and three assists in a 5-2 win over Toronto on Thursday. The effort helped the Oilers (22-29-5) break a three-game losing streak after they had scored one goal in each of those contests.

'We needed this,' McDavid said. 'There was a lot of pressure on us coming in, playing against a team that was desperate and missing a lot of guys. They played a great game in terms of structure and not giving up too much. But it was a big night for us to start off the (six-game) homestand.'

McDavid's line had a huge game, with Jordan Eberle recording his first career hat trick and adding an assist while Benoit Pouliot had four assists, but it was the center's effort against his hometown team that was the most spectacular. Years of high draft picks haven't resulted in the Oilers becoming a winning organization again, but McDavid, the top overall pick in the 2015 draft, seems to offer promise that it might finally happen.

'His performance did all the speaking,' coach Todd McLellan said. 'You turn into a fan as a coach and as players and just admire what he and his linemates did.'

McDavid has four goals and eight assists in his last six games. Eberle has eight goals and three assists in the past 10 contests, while Pouliot has recorded two and eight in six.

'I think the more we play together, the better we will be,' Eberle said. 'Tonight was obviously our best, we put up goals and whatnot. But it was the little plays that I really liked. Coming out of our end, cycling, I thought we did a better job of that. Chemistry is not something you get right away, you've got to grow it a bit.'

The Oilers will look to make it three straight wins and four in five at home, having scored five times in each of their last two there. They beat Winnipeg 3-1 at Rexall Place on Dec. 21 behind two goals and an assist from Teddy Purcell and 44 saves from Cam Talbot, who's expected to start this game after stopping 34 shots against the Maple Leafs.

The December result snapped the Jets' four-game winning streak in the series, and Winnipeg comes in looking to bounce back from a 6-2 home loss to Boston on Thursday.

The Jets (24-27-3) have given up at least five goals three times in the past five games and are 3-6-0 in nine. The Bruins dominated the third period, scoring three unanswered goals and holding a 14-6 shot advantage.

"We came out in the third and we looked tentative," defenseman Tyler Myers told the team's official website. "Being down a goal we can't play like that if we want to come back. They get the first one in the third and we're caught chasing and it's tough to come back like that."

Bryan Little had a goal and an assist - giving him goals in two straight games after an eight-game drought - and Blake Wheeler added two assists.

Despite its recent struggles, Winnipeg opens a four-game trip having won three straight and four of five on the road.

**TheGame** · 02-13-2016, 07:39 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

Preview: Coyotes (25-23) at Sharks (28-20)

Date: February 13, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks' win over the Arizona Coyotes last month came amidst a season-high point streak that has since drifted into inconsistent play.

The good news is the Coyotes haven't been able to make up much ground, anyway.

While the Coyotes seek just their fourth win in the last month on Saturday night, the Sharks hope a home game against their Pacific Division foe brings similar success that it has over the last decade.

San Jose (28-20-5) earned its fourth win in the last five games of this series with a 3-1 victory at Arizona on Jan. 21. That was the Sharks' seventh step on a 10-game point streak that lasted from Jan. 9-26, though they have been up and down since.

They have traded wins and losses for a 2-2-1 record and have surrendered at least five goals in two of the last three games. A shutout came from the other, but the Sharks have dropped eight points behind division-leading Los Angeles.

While San Jose combined for just nine goals in its four previous games, it busted out for five on Thursday against Calgary. The Flames, however, scored the same amount on backup Alex Stalock before eventually winning 6-5 in a shootout.

The Sharks did, though, escape with a point after trailing 4-1 through one period - a nice consolation to tag onto Tuesday's 2-0 win at Chicago.

'We stuck with it and found a way to get a point," coach Peter DeBoer said.

San Jose has taken most of the points in this series since the 2012-13 season, earning 23 of a possible 30 with a 10-2-3 record.

The advantage is more lopsided while dating back further at San Jose. The Sharks are 18-2-5 there against the Coyotes since Jan. 18, 2007, going 5-0-3 in the past eight.

San Jose is also currently riding an eight-game home point streak, but it follows Saturday's game with a five-game road trip that starts Tuesday in Tampa Bay.

Starting goaltender Martin Jones has only been part of this series this season, but he made 23 saves to earn the win last month. Jones recorded one of his 12 career shutouts in his only other start against Arizona while with Los Angeles in December 2014.

Arizona (25-23-6) followed last month's loss to San Jose with back-to-back wins, but the Coyotes picked up only one point while matching a season-worst five-game losing streak.

Shane Doan put the brakes on the skid Friday, however, with two goals and an assist in a 4-1 win over Calgary. Doan's big day helped him become the Coyotes leader with 931 career points.

'What he's done for this organization is phenomenal,' coach Dave Tippett said. 'The commitment he has to the organization, to the city, to his teammates, it's just amazing to watch every day.'

Louis Domingue made 26 saves for the win, but it may be Anders Lindback who gets a shot to end his struggles Saturday. Lindback hasn't won since Dec. 27 and surrendered five goals in his last start, a 5-2 loss at Anaheim on Feb. 5.

Sharks left winger Patrick Marleau has scored in his last two games and added an assist against the Flames, and he beat Domingue for a goal last month.

**TheGame** · 02-13-2016, 07:40 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

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 - - -
2/14 5 - - -
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** · 02-13-2016, 07:40 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

NHL

Hot teams
-- Bruins won three of their last four games.
-- Islanders won last three games, scoring 16 goals
-- Blue Jackets won five of their last seven games.
--
Washington won its last five games. Dallas Stars won five of their last six. -- Anaheim won seven of its last nine games.
-- San Jose is 5-0 in game following its last fiv losses.

Cold teams
-- Devils/Flyers both lost three of their last four games.
-- Minnesota lost 11 of its last 12 games.
-- Toronto lost 12 of its last 15 games. Canucks lost last three home games.
-- Carolina lost three of its last four games.
-- Ottawa lost seven of its last ten games.
-- Nashville is 1-4 since All-Star break. Florida lost three of last four games.
-- Chicago lost last two games, 4-2/2-0.
-- Winnipeg lost six of its last nine games. Edmonton lost three of last four.
-- Arizona lost five of its last six games.

Series records
-- Flyers lost three of last four games with New Jersey.
-- Bruins won last two games with Minnesota 3-2ot/4-2.
-- Home side won last six Toronto-Vancouver games.
-- Road team won six of last seven Islander-Carolina games.
-- Senators won five of last six games with Columbus.
-- Predators won seven of last ten games with Florida.
-- Dallas Stars won their last eight games wth Washington.
-- Chicago won its last four games with Anaheim, last two in OT.
-- Winnipeg won four of its last five games with Edmonton.
-- San Jose won six of its last eight games with Arizona.

Totals
-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six New Jersey road games.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Boston games.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Toronto games.
-- Over is 6-0-2 in last eight Islander games.
-- Five of last six Ottawa games went over total.
-- Last four Nashville games went over total.
-- Last five Dallas Stars games went over total.
-- Over is 6-0-2 in last eight Anaheim games.
-- Five of last six Winnipeg games went over.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Arizona games.

Back-to-backs
-- Carolina is 6-4 if it played the night before.
-- Nashville is 1-6 if it played night before. Florida is 6-3 if it played night before.
-- Arizona is 2-4 on road if it played night before.

**TheGame** · 02-13-2016, 07:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

Wiseguys share the hottest spot bet opportunities of the week
By BEN BURNS

Spot bets are classic handicapping practices that have proven profitable no matter what sport you're betting. Whether it's a team looking past this week's opponent, one coming off a hard-fought victory, or a rough patch of schedule, bettors can find value picking their spots. Ben Burns points out a few of his favorites:

Schedule spot

The Nashville Predators are an ugly 10-23 (-12.6) when playing the second of back-to-back games the past few years, including 1-6 this season. They were dominated in those games too, getting outscored by a combined 25-10 margin. Five of the six losses came by multiple goals.

Part of the reason, perhaps, for the Preds' problems in back-to-back spots is a tendency to give No. 1 goalie Pekka Rinne the night off. He's only played back-to-back games once this season.

The Preds play Friday night and then again Saturday at Florida. While the Panthers will also be playing their second game in two nights, they've been much better than Nasvhille in that situation. The last time that the Panthers played a home game, after playing the previous night, they knocked off Tampa by a 5-2 score. Consider Florida Saturday night.

**Satch** · 02-13-2016, 09:27 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/13

Preview: New Jersey at Philadelphia
When: 1:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 13, 2016
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere will vie for a franchise record on Saturday afternoon when the Philadelphia Flyers play the finale of their three-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils. Gostisbehere had an assist in Thursday’s 5-1 rout of Buffalo to extend his point streak, which matched Mikael Renberg (1993-94) for the longest by a rookie in Flyers history and equaled Barry Beck (1977-78) of the then-Colorado Rockies for the longest such stretch by a rookie defenseman in NHL history.
Gostisbehere’s assist helped ignite a four-goal second period for the Flyers, who improved to 4-2-1 in their last seven games to remain on the outer fringes of the postseason discussion. “It’s huge for us, just everyone pulling on the same side of the rope, just having an explosion like that,” the 22-year-old Gostisbehere told reporters. Like Philadelphia, New Jersey also snapped a three-game losing skid with a 2-1 victory over Edmonton on Tuesday. Reid Boucher continued to step up in Mike Cammalleri’s absence, scoring a power-play goal and setting up another versus the Oilers.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, MSG-Plus (New Jersey), CSN Philadelphia, NHL.TV
ABOUT THE DEVILS (27-21-7): Scintillating special teams play has been paving the way for New Jersey, which is 6-for-15 on the power play and a perfect 19-for-19 on the penalty kill in the last five games. “I think special teams has been key for us all year long whether it’s been PP or PK and right now both seem to be playing pretty well,” coach John Hynes told NorthJersey.com. Kyle Palmieri, who leads the Devils with seven power-play goals, has recorded two tallies and four assists in four meetings with the Flyers this season.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (24-20-9): Michal Neuvirth (lower body) could see his first action since Jan. 27 on Saturday, as he has posted a 5-2-4 career mark with a 2.03 goals-against average in his career versus New Jersey while Steve Mason has dropped all seven decisions against the Devils with a 3.70 GAA. Conversely, Mason owns a 7-3-3 record with a 2.13 goals-against average versus Sunday’s opponent – the New York Rangers – while Neuvirth is just 1-5-0 with a 4.60 GAA. Coach Dave Hakstol complimented Mason’s play during his six-game stretch, but told reporters that the netminder would receive a day off during one of the weekend contests.
OVERTIME
1. New Jersey G Cory Schneider has yielded more than two goals in just two of his last 16 outings.
2. Philadelphia RW Wayne Simmonds scored his eighth goal in as many contests on Thursday.
3. The road team has won eight of the last 11 encounters.
PREDICTION: Devils 2, Flyers 1

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NHL Betting Info. 2/13

NHL Betting Info. 2/13

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