NHL Betting Info. 2/20

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Preview: Winnipeg at Florida
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 20, 2016
Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida
The focus for the Florida Panthers is to hold serve atop the Atlantic Division until several key injured players return to the ice, and that mindset is working as they enter Saturday’s home contest against the Winnipeg Jets hoping to earn points for the third consecutive game. Despite a rash of injuries that has sidelined several important performers, the Panthers won in a shootout Monday against Pittsburgh before earning a point in a shootout loss Thursday against San Jose.
“I would have loved to have won the game in overtime or the shootout, but we got a big point tonight,” Florida coach Gerard Gallant told reporters after the game, in which 44-year-old Jaromir Jagr joined Gordie Howe as the only forwards that old to score in an NHL game. The Jets had a forgettable experience on the other side of the Sunshine State Thursday, scoring four unanswered goals in a dizzying third period at Tampa Bay before falling in a shootout 6-5. “I love the way we competed,” Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice – who only saw the first two periods before being ejected – told the media afterward. “I challenged them, and they responded.” The Jets are 3-2-1 in their past six games but sit 10 points out of the final Western Conference playoff spot.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Winnipeg), FSN Florida (Florida)
ABOUT THE JETS (25-28-4): Winnipeg was leveled by three goals in the final 4:22 of the first period Thursday and trailed 4-1 early in the third before forward Andrew Ladd led the rally with two goals – including a short-handed tally – and center Mark Scheifele picked up a goal and an assist as the Jets scored four times in 8:39. Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec made 21 saves in his third consecutive start since missing three months with a knee injury after surrendering only three goals total in his first two games. Center Bryan Little left the game late in the second period after a hit to the head and Maurice drew a bench minor for arguing before being tossed just before the start of the third.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (33-18-7): Jagr continues to lead Florida’s charge to the top of the division and second place in the Eastern Conference, moving within one goal of Brett Hull for third place on the NHL’s all-time list with his 740th career tally (18th this season). Injuries are the biggest concern at the moment as Florida placed center Brandon Pirri on injured reserve Thursday with an ankle injury while center Aleksander Barkov (upper-body injury) and defenseman Erik Gudbranson (concussion) missed their seventh and fifth consecutive games, respectively. Goaltender Al Montoya has made back-to-back starts for the first time all season, recording 17 saves Thursday – including three in overtime.
OVERTIME
1. Ladd’s second goal Thursday marked the 200th of his NHL career and the Jets’ captain is fourth on the franchise’s all-time goals list with 137.
2. The Panthers recalled D Michael Matheson and F Kyle Rau from Portland of the AHL Friday, sending down F John McFarland and D Brent Regner.
3. Winnipeg plays three of its next four away from home before opening a five-game homestand March 1 against the Panthers.
PREDICTION: Panthers 3, Jets 1

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Preview: New Jersey at Washington
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 20, 2016
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District Of Columbia
The Washington Capitals look to add to the best home record in the league when they host their Metropolitan Division-rival New Jersey Devils on Saturday. The Capitals have the most points in the NHL (88) and boast a 21-4-2 mark on home ice after knocking off Los Angeles on Tuesday as part of a 7-1-0 overall surge.
Captain Alex Ovechkin has scored nine goals in his last eight games and has notched 41 points in 39 career contests against New Jersey. While the Capitals are cruising toward the postseason, the Devils have lost two in a row to drop just out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. New Jersey fell to the New York Islanders 1-0 despite a strong effort on Friday and sit one point behind Tampa Bay for the second wild card, but the teams just above the Devils have games in hand. New Jersey has earned points in four of its last six road games (3-2-1).
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New Jersey), CSN-DC (Washington)
ABOUT THE DEVILS (29-23-7): Lee Stempniak tops the team in scoring (40 points) despite coming up empty in four consecutive games while Mike Cammalleri (38) could return soon from an hand injury. Kyle Palmieri scored his team-high 21st goal in the 6-3 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday and Adam Henrique has 19, including three in his last seven games. Cory Schneider (25 wins) made 23 saves Friday, and coach John Hynes told reporters he was uncertain whether his No. 1 netminder would play on Saturday.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (42-10-4): While Ovechkin is closing in on his eighth 40-goal season, Evgeny Kuznetzov and Nicklas Backstrom also are having tremendous offensive seasons. Kuznetsov has recorded a team-high 58 points and Backstrom 54 – three more than Ovechkin – while the duo is a combined plus-46. Veteran Justin Williams has experienced a rebirth since signing as a free agent, sitting one away from his fifth 20-goal season and first since 2011-12 with Los Angeles.
OVERTIME
1. The Devils are 10-for-28 on the power play in nine games this month.
2. Washington D Taylor Chorney, who is a plus-11 in 45 games, signed a two-year contract extension on Friday.
3. The Capitals have won five straight in the series, including a 3-2 shootout triumph on Feb. 6.
PREDICTION: Capitals 4, Devils 1

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Preview: Los Angeles at Nashville
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 20, 2016
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
After beginning their season-high seven-game road trip with a bang, the Los Angeles Kings are looking to avoid ending it with a whimper on Saturday as they visit the Nashville Predators. Los Angeles erupted for nine goals in the trip’s opener and added seven more in its next two contests before tallying just twice during its three-game losing skid (0-2-1).
Tyler Toffoli scored in the Kings’ 2-1 overtime loss to St. Louis on Thursday to push his season total to a career-high 24 goals – with two coming in a 4-3 OT victory over Nashville on Oct. 31. While the Kings reside atop the Pacific Division, the Predators are jockeying for one of the two wild-card spots in the Western Conference. Pekka Rinne turned aside all 29 shots he faced to present Nashville with its second shutout in three games in a 2-0 victory over Boston on Tuesday. “We’ve struggled at home a little bit, so that’s a big win. That’s the way we have to play down the stretch,” said the 33-year-old Rinne, who is 14-9-3 at Bridgestone Arena this season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE KINGS (33-20-4): To add injury to insult, leading scorer Anze Kopitar (lower body) left Thursday’s game in the first period and is considered day-to-day. “I mean, he’s our best player, so it’s a big loss for us. And saying that, it’s a big opportunity for other guys to elevate, and for other guys to step into the lineup and have an impact,” captain Dustin Brown told LAKingsInsider.com. “That’s the good thing about a team sport, you have other guys that you can rely on.”
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (27-21-10): Filip Forsberg scored and set up a goal on Thursday to extend his point total to nine (six goals, three assists) in his last six games. The 21-year-old Swede set up two goals in his last meeting with Los Angeles, but was limited to just one assist in his previous five encounters with the Kings. Mike Ribeiro has recorded his fair share of points versus Los Angeles (44 in 53 career meetings) and has eight assists in his last seven contests overall.
OVERTIME
1. Nashville RW Craig Smith has scored two goals and set up another in the last two contests after mustering just one assist in the previous six.
2. Los Angeles has permitted six power-play goals in the last seven games.
3. The Predators are 10-for-10 on the penalty kill after yielding five power-play tallies in their previous four contests.
PREDICTION: Kings 2, Predators 1

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Preview: Boston at Dallas
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 20, 2016
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
The Boston Bruins have struggled to find the net in their last two outings after erupting for 15 goals in the first three contests of their season-high six-game road trip. The Bruins vie for their fourth win of the trek on Saturday when they visit a Dallas Stars team that has dropped two in a row after winning seven of its previous eight.
Tyler Seguin scorched the club that selected him with the second overall pick in the 2010 draft by recording a hat trick in Dallas’ 5-3 victory over Boston on Nov. 13. The 24-year-old’s scoring surge hasn’t waned as he tallied for the sixth time in nine outings in the Stars’ 6-3 setback to Pacific Division-rival Arizona on Thursday. Forward Loui Eriksson, who was acquired in the blockbuster deal for Seguin in July 2013, also has been enjoying a strong offensive run with five goals in six outings before the Bruins were shut out in a 2-0 loss to Nashville on Thursday. The 30-year-old Swede tallied twice in the previous meeting with Dallas, which selected him in the second round of the 2003 draft.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), FSN Southwest (Dallas), NHL Network, NHL.TV
ABOUT THE BRUINS (31-21-6): Boston’s pronounced power-play problems accompanied the team on the trip, as it has failed on all 19 opportunites with the man advantage in the last five games and is 3-for-51 in the last 16 contests. “We’re going to need the power play to score if we’re going to win games on this road trip,” defenseman Torey Krug told The Boston Globe. “Nobody’s been disappointed with the way we’ve been moving the puck. Now it’s about the finish. Maybe we have to get a little bit dirtier around the net.”
ABOUT THE STARS (37-16-6): With nine points (five goals, four assists) in his last 14 games, Ales Hemsky was elevated to the top line with Seguin and captain Jamie Benn during Friday’s practice. “I like where he is at because it adds depth in the lineup, but I think it’s an opportunity in a game to put him there to create something that is real dynamic or if we need a goal,” coach Lindy Ruff said of Hemsky, who has scored twice during Dallas’ three-game road trip. Benn, who tallied on Thursday to reach the 30-goal plateau for the third straight season, joined fellow forward Jason Spezza and defenseman John Klingberg by notching a pair of assists in his last meeting with Boston.
OVERTIME
1. Boston G Tuukka Rask has been hot and cold of late, yielding two goals or fewer in five of his last seven contests while getting blitzed for five tallies in the other two.
2. Spezza has recorded 51 points (18 goals, 33 assists) in 55 career meetings with the Bruins.
3. Krug, who had two assists in the first meeting against Dallas, has been limited to just 15 points in his last 46 contests.
PREDICTION: Stars 4, Bruins 2

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Preview: St. Louis at Arizona
When: 9:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 20, 2016
Where: Gila River Arena, Glendale, Arizona
The surging St. Louis Blues have dominated opponents from the Pacific Division this season and look to continue that trend when they pay a visit to the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. The Blues extended their winning streak to four games with a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles on Thursday to improve to 9-2-1 against Pacific foes.
Brian Elliott has been magnificent for St. Louis since starter Jake Allen was injured early last month, posting three straight 2-1 victories while making 16 consecutive starts. Elliott is 11-3-2 in that span and riding a six-game point streak (5-0-1) for the Blues, who are only four points behind Central Division-leading Chicago. The Coyotes attempt to wrap up a perfect three-game homestand behind a revitalized offense that has produced six goals in back-to-back victories over Dallas and Montreal. Arizona has been unable to solve the Blues, losing six straight meetings while scoring a total of six goals.
TV: 9 p.m. ET; FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN Arizona
ABOUT THE BLUES (34-17-9): St. Louis is undefeated since the return of Jaden Schwartz, who provided a nice boost to the offense by scoring in three of four contests since returning from a 49-game absence due to a broken ankle. Schwartz, who set career highs with 28 goals and 63 points last season, netted the game-winning tally on a breakaway in overtime Thursday and looks to build on his success at a venue where he has registered four goals and nine points in five contests. Rookie Robby Fabbri has matched Schwartz with three goals in four games and has points in five of his last six.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (27-24-6): Arizona also is getting a lift from its young legs as rookies Max Domi and Anthony Duclair combined with Martin Hanzal to amass nine points in Thursday’s 6-3 victory over Dallas. Domi ended a 14-game goal-scoring drought by tallying twice and setting up another goal to move into second place on the team with 39 points, while Duclair collected three assists to give him four goals and nine points over his last nine games. Hanzal has been hotter than both of his rookie linemates, scoring in three straight games and putting together back-to-back three-point performances.
OVERTIME
1. The Coyotes are 10-for-30 on the power play over their last seven games.
2. Elliott is 5-2-0 with a 1.71 goals-against average and two shutouts versus Arizona.
3. Coyotes G Mike Smith, sidelined since undergoing abdominal surgery in December, is expected to join the team on its upcoming five-game road trip.
PREDICTION: Blues 3, Coyotes 1

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Preview: Colorado at Edmonton
When: 10:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 20, 2016
Where: Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta
The Colorado Avalanche attempt to maintain their hold on a playoff berth in the Western Conference when they visit the last-place Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Colorado, which has won three of its last four contests, is clinging to the second wild-card spot as it sits two points ahead of Minnesota and four in front of Arizona.
Matt Duchene leads the Avalanche with 25 goals but has recorded only one in his last five games and two in the last eight. Edmonton is bringing up the rear in the West with 50 points – three behind Calgary and just one ahead of Toronto for last overall in the league. The Oilers’ play this month has not helped their cause, as they enter Saturday’s contest having lost three in a row and six of their last seven. Colorado won the opener of the three-game season series at home on Dec. 19, with defenseman Tyson Barrie registering a power-play goal and an assist.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), CBC, Sportsnet (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (30-26-4): Jarome Iginla leads the team with 10 power-play goals, which also tie him for eighth overall in the NHL. The 38-year-old’s next man-advantage tally will be the 188th of his career, tying him with Hall-of-Famer Ron Francis for 21st place on the all-time list. Reto Berra, who has not played since Dec. 9 due to an ankle injury, was sent to San Antonio of the American Hockey League for a two-week conditioning assignment.
ABOUT THE OILERS (22-31-6): Connor McDavid has come back with a vengeance, registering five goals and nine assists in nine games since returning from a three-month absence due to a fractured clavicle. The 19-year-old rookie, who is tied for third on the team with two game-winning tallies, netted his 10th tally in Thursday’s loss to Minnesota to become the sixth member of the team to reach double digits. Taylor Hall leads the club in goals, needing one to reach 20 for the fourth time in his six NHL seasons.
OVERTIME
1. Calvin Pickard is expected to start against Edmonton, with fellow G Semyon Varlamov slated to be in net versus Vancouver on Sunday.
2. Edmonton G Cam Talbot has started nine of the team’s last 11 contests.
3. Colorado assigned D Nate Guenin, who failed to notch a point in 29 games, to San Antonio.
PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Oilers 2

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/20

NHL


Saturday, February 20


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Trend Report
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12:30 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. PITTSBURGH
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay


7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. OTTAWA
Detroit is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ottawa's last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit
Ottawa is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Detroit


7:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. WASHINGTON
New Jersey is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey's last 6 games
Washington is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games at home
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey


7:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. TORONTO
Philadelphia is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Philadelphia is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Toronto is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Philadelphia


7:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. FLORIDA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 5 games when playing Florida
Winnipeg is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Florida
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Winnipeg


8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. DALLAS
Boston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas's last 9 games
Dallas is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games


8:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. NASHVILLE
Los Angeles is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Los Angeles's last 9 games
Nashville is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games when playing Los Angeles


9:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. ARIZONA
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arizona's last 9 games


10:00 PM
COLORADO vs. EDMONTON
Colorado is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Colorado is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Edmonton
Edmonton is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Edmonton's last 9 games