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**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:20 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Devils (30-24) at Blue Jackets (24-29)

Date: February 25, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New Jersey Devils avoided matching their longest losing streak of the season by beating an arch-rival.

Now they can't afford another slip-up against a Metropolitan Division foe that has been a thorn in their side.

The Devils have dropped four straight to the Columbus Blue Jackets heading into Thursday night's matchup at Nationwide Arena.

New Jersey (30-24-7) ended a three-game slide with Tuesday's 5-2 home win over the New York Rangers. The Devils posted their highest goal total in 13 games by rallying from a goal down after one period as five different players scored.

"It's a huge rivalry game, you always want to beat those teams," said winger Lee Stempniak, who ended a personal nine-game goal drought.

The losing streak has seen the Devils drop outside the playoff picture, and they know they must improve down the stretch.

'It's a big win,' Stempniak said. 'You can see where we are in the standings. Losing three games, it's tough to keep pace with teams. To not get points in three straight, you are going to fall behind.'

New Jersey could use two points Thursday against the division's worst team, although Columbus (24-29-8) likely poses a bigger threat than its place in the standings suggests.

The Blue Jackets are 7-2-3 in their last 12 games and, more pertinent to this matchup, have taken the last four between the teams. That includes a pair of low-scoring road contests this season, 3-1 on Oct. 27 and 2-1 on Nov. 25.

Columbus returns home after winning 6-4 at Boston on Monday and losing 2-1 in a shootout in Detroit the next night. Boone Jenner scored three goals in those games to give him 22 to match Brandon Saad for the team lead.

The Blue Jackets outshot both opponents, and coach John Tortorella was happy with the trip.

"That's where I think our biggest improvement is, is when there are surges and there is momentum coming at you, we just stay with it, we don't break away and open up, we don't try to do too much, we just settle ourselves down and play," Tortorella said. "And for the most part with this trip here, we have done a really good job with that."

It may be difficult to translate that solid play over at home, where Columbus has scored one goal in back-to-back defeats.

Curtis McElhinney made his first start since Jan. 2 on Tuesday after being out with an ankle injury. Joonas Korpisalo, who started the previous 12 games, has never faced the Devils.

The Devils will have to figure out how to use their goalies in the start of a back-to-back set capped by Friday's home game against Tampa Bay. Cory Schneider is 0-3-1 with a 2.80 goals-against average in his last four starts against the Blue Jackets while backup Keith Kinkaid is the other option.

New Jersey's goalies have had to endure playing in front of an offense that is the league's worst in goals (2.2) and shots on goal (24.6) per game.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:20 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Wild (27-23) at Flyers (26-22)

Date: February 25, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

John Torchetti's winning streak to start his tenure with Minnesota is over, and stopping it from flipping immediately into a losing streak will require the Wild to extend their season-best road run.

They head to Philadelphia, where the Flyers begin a six-game stretch hoping to regain the home form they had a month and a half ago.

The Wild are 4-1-0 under Torchetti, and while they're embarking on a back-to-back road set concluding Friday against Washington having won three straight on the road under their new coach, they're also concerned with getting it right on home ice after Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders.

"Right now, we have to focus on the road, heading down there, and getting those games," said center Charlie Coyle, who has scored in six of the last eight away games, including the past three. "We have to get back to playing our game, and our style of hockey here, and take care of business in our building."

The Wild (27-23-10) scored 21 times in Torchetti's first four games with those wins coming by at least two goals each, and he said the departure from that was caused by the team being out of sync.

"It seemed like every time the puck was going, we were coming, and every time the puck was coming, we were going," Torchetti said. "We have to do a better job with our puck possession."

The power play has improved some under Torchetti, going 5 for 21, and the Wild have scored at least one power-play goal in their last eight away games while converting at a rate of 31.0 percent.

The Flyers (26-22-11) opened the season series with a 4-3 overtime win in Minnesota on Jan. 7 for their fifth victory in the last seven meetings.

Philadelphia is returning home from a 2-2-1 trip that ended with Tuesday's 3-1 loss to Carolina, despite putting 37 shots on net. The Flyers have outshot their last three opponents by 9.7 per game.

"We played a good hockey game, a real good hockey game, really in almost every area," coach Dave Hakstol told the team's official website. "Their goaltender was the difference. You walk away from this one and we didn't get the two points, and that's all that really matters at this time of year. But we did play a hell of a hockey game. So we've got to carry that play and that mentality into a home game in two days, and we'll do that."

The Flyers, however, have gone 2-3-3 at home since a six-game winning streak there ended in mid-January.

Shayne Gostisbehere's 15-game point streak was one of the casualties of Tuesday's loss, something the rookie defenseman isn't overly sad to see go.

"It was a special streak," Gostisbehere said. "I really can't thank my teammates and coaches (enough). They helped me along the way, not letting me think about it too much, and the biggest thing, not getting a big head about it. It was a fun thing. I'm personally happy it's over and we don't have to talk about it anymore."

Steve Mason figures to be back in net after Michal Neuvirth faced the Hurricanes and replaced Mason in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win in Toronto. Mason has posted a 1.98 goals-against average and .934 save percentage over a 3-1-0 span against Minnesota, whereas likely counterpart Devan Dubnyk has lost both his career games in Philadelphia with a 3.57 GAA and .883 save percentage.

The Wild placed forward Jason Zucker on injured reserve Wednesday because of a concussion suffered in Sunday's 6-1 win over Chicago. Zucker is tied for fourth on the team with 12 goals.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:20 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Hurricanes (28-23) at Maple Leafs (20-28)

Date: February 25, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Carolina hasn't conceded a season series to Toronto in nearly a decade, and it seems unlikely to change given the Maple Leafs' defensive zone struggles and the extended proficiency of the Hurricanes' goaltender.

Nevertheless, that run is on the line Thursday night in Toronto with the Maple Leafs a loss away from their third skid of at least five games.

Carolina (28-23-10) is looking to string together wins after Tuesday's 3-1 home win over Philadelphia and improve on a 5-2-2 span over which it's totaled 27 goals.

Joakim Nordstrom scored in a third straight game, Jordan Staal scored for the fourth time in five games and has 12 points in his last nine, and Eric Staal ended a 16-game goal drought but was left thinking the Hurricanes could have shown more after being outshot 37-18. It matched a season low-shot total, and the margin of 19 was their worst of the season.

"It wasn't our best game, but (goaltender) Cam (Ward) was our best player by a stretch," Eric Staal told the team's official website. "It was nice to get some timely goals and a regulation win against a team that's trying to catch us."

It led coach Bill Peters to introduce new lines in practice Wednesday, highlighted by center Victor Rask joining the top line and moving Eric Staal to left wing.

"It looked like it got stale a little bit," Peters said. "I'm not saying that's what we'll go with but I at least wanted to practice with them in case we do go with that."

Ward made 36 saves and improved to 9-4-4 with a 1.84 goals-against average and .930 save percentage dating to Dec. 18. He's limited the Maple Leafs to a goal in his last three games against them as part of a 7-1-2 span with a 1.68 GAA and .941 save percentage.

The Hurricanes are 22-7-2 since losing three of four to the Maple Leafs in 2006-07, a run that includes a 1-0 win in Toronto on Jan. 21 and 2-1 shootout loss in Carolina on Nov. 20. Over a 5-0-1 span in the series, Carolina has outscored Toronto 18-5. Jordan Staal has six goals and six assists in 10 games against the Leafs since joining the Hurricanes, including the only goal last month.

"We've played them hard both times, but they've been low-scoring, tight, highly-contested games," Peters said. "I don't expect anything different."

He might want to take a better look at the Maple Leafs recent results. Toronto (20-28-10) has given up 36 goals during a 1-6-1 span, and it didn't have a defenseman over 25 years old in Tuesday's 3-2 home loss to Nashville.

"If you think that I'm not trying to get these guys to play as hard as they can possibly play, you're missing the boat," coach Mike Babcock told the team's official website. "They give me a group and I do everything I can to help that team win. We go through how are we going to win (Thursday)."

Josh Leivo scored for a third straight game, though Toronto has yet to win in the 22-year-old's seven NHL games this season. Defenseman Morgan Rielly, 21, scored the other and has played right around 26 minutes in each of the last two games.

"These young guys, including myself, have a chance to grow, have a chance to get more responsibility and play in more situations and I think it's going to help us out in the long run," Rielly said.

Jonathan Bernier will start hoping to end a seven-game winless stretch that includes a 0-5-0 record, 3.92 GAA and .872 save percentage.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:21 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Coyotes (27-27) at Panthers (34-18)

Date: February 25, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Jaromir Jagr's march up the NHL's all-time scoring list at age 44 is a remarkable feat, something his much younger teammates appreciate even more as it helps keep Florida atop the Atlantic Division despite being short-handed recently.

The Panthers will get Aleksander Barkov and Erik Gudbranson back Thursday night, but the bad news is that Jonathan Huberdeau now is nursing his own injury.

Huberdeau will be out at least against the visiting Arizona Coyotes, whose playoff hopes are fading during a rough start to their road trip.

Barkov scored in four consecutive games and had at least a point in six straight before he was hit in the head illegally by Detroit's Justin Abdelkader in a loss Feb. 8. Gudbranson hasn't played since Feb. 4 because of an upper-body injury, and the Panthers (34-18-7) have gone just 3-3-2 since he went down.

They're both ready to return against the Coyotes (27-27-6) with Florida holding a three-point lead on Tampa Bay for the division lead thanks in part to Jagr. Jagr helped the Panthers pick up a point in a 2-1 shootout loss to San Jose last Thursday by scoring in the third period, then scored twice in Saturday's 3-1 win over Winnipeg.

Jagr moved ahead of Brett Hull for third on the NHL's scoring list with 742 goals, trailing only Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe.

'I don't really think about it. I wanted to make sure I played a little bit better (Saturday),' Jagr said. "There's a million people who wanted to be in my position. If I can play in the NHL, why not keep going?'

Jagr's 20 goals and 43 points lead the Panthers, and Huberdeau and Jussi Jokinen have a team-high 29 assists apiece. Huberdeau, though, suffered an upper-body injury after going into the boards awkwardly against the Jets, and he'll have to sit out at least one game.

Not having the 22-year-old standout could be a blow, but Roberto Luongo hopes Florida won't have to score much anyway. He made 29 saves to beat Winnipeg after allowing at least three goals in each of his previous five starts, and he wasn't given the start in two straight before being back in net Saturday.

Luongo made 32 saves in Florida's 2-1 win over Arizona in the last matchup Oct. 30, 2014, to help the Panthers end a four-game losing streak in the series, and he'll be in goal again for this one.

'I wasn't happy obviously with my last few starts,' Luongo said. 'Put in a good week of work. Usually it gets you over the hump and I felt good in the game. I felt sharp.'

The Coyotes will try to solve Luongo and snap a three-game skid. This will be their third contest in four nights after falling 3-2 to Washington on Monday and 2-1 to Tampa Bay on Tuesday to start their five-game trip.

Arizona sits in 10th place in the Western Conference and is chasing Colorado for the last wild-card spot, but it has three games in hand on the Avalanche.

"We're running out of games here," said rookie Jordan Martinook, who had an assist against the Capitals and scored against the Lightning. "The teams that we're chasing are winning. Sometimes you can work hard but you're not getting the results. We need to come out against Florida and play as desperate as we can."

Louis Domingue was in net for both games to begin the trip. It's unclear if he'll get the start in this one.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:21 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Rangers (34-20) at Blues (35-18)

Date: February 25, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Arguably no team has been more beset by injuries than the St. Louis Blues, and perhaps none has been more resilient.

With Brian Elliott the latest addition to the walking wounded, the Blues will be tested once more Thursday night against a New York Rangers team that could have some key reinforcements back.

In a season in which such notables as Jaden Schwartz, Kevin Shattenkirk, Paul Stastny, Jake Allen and Patrik Berglund have all missed at least 10 games, St. Louis (35-18-9) has utilized all its resources to sit just three points out of first place in the top-heavy Central Division.

That enviable depth has taken another big hit in the past few days. After Alexander Steen, second on the team with 17 goals and 47 points, sustained an upper-body injury in Saturday's 6-4 win at Arizona, Elliott exited Monday's 6-3 loss against San Jose in the first period with a lower-body issue.

Both are expected to miss at least four weeks, joining defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (knee) on the sidelines. Forward Ryan Reaves is also out after being suspended for three games for an illegal hit on the Sharks' Matt Tennyson.

"Seems to be order of the day of the year, eh?," coach Ken Hitchcock said.

Elliott's injury comes during one of the best stretches of his career. The veteran goaltender is 12-3-2 with a 1.91 goals-against average in 18 consecutive starts with Allen sidelined by a knee injury, and had won five straight prior to Monday.

Allen stopped 15 of 17 shots in relief in his first action since Jan. 8.

Steen's production may be easier to replace with the Blues' other top forwards playing well. Vladimir Tarasenko has five points in two games after recording a goal and two assists against San Jose and David Backes has scored in two straight. Schwartz has four goals and two assists in six games since returning from a fractured ankle.

New York (34-20-6) felt the brunt of captain Ryan McDonagh and fellow defenseman Marc Staal's absences in Tuesday's 5-2 loss at New Jersey. The Rangers were outshot 36-19, including 17-5 in the second period when they allowed two of New Jersey's four unanswered goals.

'It could have been our worst period of the year,' coach Alain Vigneault said. 'Not to take anything away from Jersey but after what I believe was a real solid period where we had some real good looks, it was mistake after mistake in the second period."

McDonagh, who's missed six of the last eight with a concussion and jaw contusion, and Staal (lower body) did make the trip, with one or both expected to play.

McDonagh had a power-play goal in a 6-3 home win over the Blues on Nov. 12, in which Allen was pulled after allowing three goals on five shots in just 14:38.

Allen has been very good on home ice, though, having compiled an 11-6-1 record and 1.96 GAA in 18 starts at Scottrade Center.

Henrik Lundqvist has won two straight against St. Louis after losing his first four career meetings, making 31 saves in the most recent matchup and 23 in a 3-2 road victory on Oct. 9, 2014. He's coming off a 31-save effort against New Jersey and owns a 1.74 GAA in winning six of his last eight starts.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:21 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Predators (29-21) at Blackhawks (38-19)

Date: February 25, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Chicago Blackhawks played a stinker during their only game over the last week and return to an indoor venue now in second place in the Central Division.

That's still a cushy playoff position compared to Nashville.

The Predators might be without defenseman Shea Weber as they try to complete a perfect three-game road trip and avoid dropping four of the season's five meetings with Chicago on Thursday night.

The Blackhawks (38-19-5) were off for three days before Sunday's Stadium Series matchup at Minnesota, then allowed the first five goals in a 6-1 defeat. They haven't played since, and Dallas jumped back on top of the Central by a point with a win Tuesday.

Third-place St. Louis has pulled to within two of Chicago by taking four out of six points over the last week. The Blackhawks finished third in the division last season and went on to win the Stanley Cup, so the focus is on themselves at this point.

Chicago has gone 2-3-1 since Feb. 9.

"We can't overlook any team or any game at this point," goaltender Corey Crawford said. "Playoffs can't really be in our mind right now."

Crawford was pulled before the third period against the Wild after giving up four goals and before Patrick Kane scored for his NHL-leading 84th point. He's been in net for all three wins against the Predators (29-21-11) this season while posting a 1.33 goals-against average.

Crawford made 38 saves in a 4-1 victory in the last meeting Jan. 19 that capped the Blackhawks' franchise-record 12-game winning streak, as Kane had a goal and an assist.

Nashville's best chance for a playoff berth is to secure a wild-card spot, and it sits seventh in the West, narrowly ahead of Colorado.

"It's always tough games against them," Crawford said. "They can be dangerous. We have to be ready for that team. They're battling for a playoff spot and we want to keep moving up."

The Predators have earned at least a point in seven straight to help their playoff chances and picked up two in each contest of this road trip, beating Montreal 2-1 in a shootout Monday before a 3-2 win over Toronto the following night.

Filip Forsberg registered the first regular-season hat trick of his career against the Maple Leafs after having one in last year's first-round playoff loss to Chicago. Linemates Craig Smith and Mike Ribeiro each had an assist.

"Me and (Ribeiro and Smith) have really connected lately and are just playing really good hockey," said Forsberg, who has nine goals and three assists over his last nine and has scored twice against Chicago this season. "We're spending a lot of time in the offensive zone and that helps a lot."

Weber missed his first game of the season with a lower-body injury, though, and is considered day to day. Roman Josi instead paired with Ryan Ellis, and they'll likely be together again if Weber can't go.

"In this league, you just have to collect points somehow," Josi said. "You want to win every game, but even if you find a way to get one point in some games, it's a good thing.

"It's going to be a tough one against Chicago, one of the best teams in the league. Hopefully, we can get another win."

Pekka Rinne has a 0.97 GAA while going 2-0-1 in his last three starts and has a 2.54 GAA while starting all four against the Blackhawks this season.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:21 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Jets (25-30) at Stars (38-17)

Date: February 25, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

After ending their recent slide with another win over the Winnipeg Jets, the Dallas Stars quickly get the chance to complete a sweep of the season series.

The Stars conclude this home-and-home set looking to hand the visiting Jets a fifth consecutive defeat Thursday night.

Jamie Benn scored twice as Dallas (38-17-6) broke open a tie game with three third-period goals to win 5-3 at Winnipeg on Tuesday. The victory snapped an 0-2-1 skid in which the Stars yielded 13 goals in the last two.

"We are going to see (the Jets) again so they wanted to make a statement, and that's what we wanted to do, too," Stars defenseman John Klingberg told the team's official website. "It was a fun game to play. We are happy with the win.

"We have a confident habit. If we just stick to our game plan, we will win the game."

Dallas has totaled 17 non-shootout goals and gone 5 of 15 on the power play in winning the first four meetings from Winnipeg (25-30-4) this season. Benn has three of his 32 goals and Klingberg has two with five assists against the Jets.

Antti Niemi, who made 22 saves Tuesday, and Kari Lehtonen each have two victories against the Jets this season. Lehtonen has a 1.92 goals-against average during the season series while Niemi has posted a 3.00 GAA.

Back atop the Western Conference by one point over Chicago, Dallas won't make a deal simply to do it as Monday's trade deadline approaches.

"We're in a good spot," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "We don't have to do something. If there's something there we'll do it if it makes us better. But I'm not going to give up something for a short-term fix for a month and go from there. It's not worth it."

Second-to-last in the West, the Jets are likely sellers heading into the deadline, and veteran forward Andrew Ladd continues to be associated with most of the trade rumors. Aware Ladd might be in his final days as a Jet, Winnipeg fans gave him an extended ovation after he scored for the fourth time in three games Tuesday.

'I guess it's different for me because nothing is set in stone and you don't know what's going on,' said Ladd, an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. 'You're still out there trying to play a hockey game obviously, appreciate the ovation after the goal.'

Ladd, whose 17 goals are tied for the team lead, has two with an assist against the Stars this season.

Teammate Ondrej Pavelec has dropped three in a row and yielded nine goals in his last two starts.

"As a team, our confidence is low right now," said Pavelec, who has allowed four goals apiece in two starts against Dallas this season. "It's about winning and losing. Sometimes we're playing good, but we can't win the game, sometimes we're close, but close is not enough.

"There's going to be another game. We're going to go to Dallas on the road, so we need the points."

The Jets, who lost a season-high six straight from Nov. 5-16, have allowed their last four opponents to go 5 for 19 on the power play.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:22 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Islanders (32-19) at Flames (26-30)

Date: February 25, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Building momentum behind John Tavares and an improving power play, the New York Islanders are trying to remain perfect on their longest road trip of the season.

Tavares looks to continue his surge and help the Islanders extend their success against the struggling Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

New York is 6-1-1 in its last eight games, averaging 3.6 goals while going 8 for 26 on the power play. The Islanders (32-19-7) were 9 for 66 on the man advantage over the previous 20.

Tavares is a catalyst to that progress, getting five of his 12 points over the last eight games on the power play. The captain has 20 points in the past 16, recording at least one 13 times.

Tavares' goal and assist both came on power plays in Tuesday's 4-1 win at Minnesota after the Islanders opened this seven-game trip with a 1-0 victory over New Jersey on Friday.

"We're shooting more pucks and we're hungrier on the rebounds," said center Frans Nielsen, who had two goals against the Wild. "We have a simpler power play right now."

The schedule is also giving New York a chance to build steam. None of the games on this trip are on back-to-back days, and the first six opponents are currently out of playoff position. The Islanders conclude the trek against the New York Rangers on March 6.

They're 8-3-0 in the last 11 meetings with the Flames (26-30-3), winning three straight after Nielsen scored twice in a 4-0 home victory Oct. 26.

Tavares didn't factor in the scoring after getting nine points over his previous five matchups.

Jaroslav Halak has dominated the Flames, shutting them out twice and yielding two goals on 112 shots while winning four straight meetings. He stopped 29 shots earlier this season and has won the first two games of this trip by saving 57 of 58 attempts.

"He was focused and determined," coach Jack Capuano told the team's official website Tuesday. "Overall I liked Jaro's game, but our defense especially."

Calgary has allowed 4.0 goals per game while dropping five of six following Tuesday's 2-1 loss at Los Angeles.

Joni Ortio, though, made a case for more playing time as he stopped 35 shots in his first start since losing 6-2 to Montreal on Oct. 30. Ortio was recalled from Stockton of the AHL earlier this month after Karri Ramo was lost for the season with a knee injury.

Jonas Hiller has failed to distinguish himself as Ramo's replacement, going 1-3-0 with a 4.38 goals-against average over his last five appearances.

"We really liked his game, and we're going to talk about it as a staff like we always do and we'll come up with our decision for Thursday night against the Islanders," coach Bob Hartley said of Ortio on the team's official website.

Ortio had 31 saves against the Islanders in October and has split two meetings behind a 3.50 GAA. Hiller has a 2.02 GAA while winning two of his last three against New York.

Johnny Gaudreau has one goal in three games against the Islanders, but he's got seven points during a five-game streak after assisting on Sean Monahan's goal Tuesday.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:22 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Senators (29-26) at Canucks (23-24)

Date: February 25, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Though confident, the Ottawa Senators aren't too caught up in their current winning stretch.

They seek a season-high fifth consecutive victory Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks, who are looking to win back-to-back home games for the first time in two months.

Third-liner Zack Smith scored in his third straight game and Craig Anderson stopped 31 shots as Ottawa (29-26-6) snapped a four-game road slide by opening its three-city trek through Western Canada with Tuesday's 4-1 victory at Edmonton. The Senators have allowed six goals during their four-game winning streak after yielding 11 in a three-game skid.

'We've done a good job of stringing some wins together here,' said Smith, who has six of his career-high 15 goals in the last nine games. "To get one off the start of this road trip is huge. We need a big road trip to make a big push here at the end.'

Ottawa is 11th in the Eastern Conference but within striking distance of the final wild-card spot. This current surge gives the Senators hope but also serves as a reminder there is little room for error.

"We want to keep this thing going, because we still have a lot of work to do," forward Curtis Lazar told the Senators' official website. "Winning is fun and confidence can be a scary thing, but we can't look to far ahead.

"The game against Vancouver is going to be big, and anytime the puck drops we have to be ready to go."

Ottawa has won back-to-back road games once in its last 18 away from home. It's recorded four points over the last three trips to Vancouver and also beat the Canucks 3-2 on Nov. 12.

After being outscored 22-9 during a season-high six-game (0-5-1) home losing streak, Vancouver broke out for a 5-1 rout of Colorado on Sunday. The Canucks (23-24-12) haven't won two straight at Rogers Arena since a three-game run Dec. 7-26.

'It was good to get some separation, let the guys feel good about themselves,' said Ryan Miller, who made 37 saves after yielding seven goals in his previous two starts. 'In spite of how the games have been going there's been some hard work.'

The Canucks are 11th in the West, but unlike Ottawa, they have more ground to make up in order to move into playoff position. At least they have something positive to build on.

"Our last game was good and now it's a matter of keeping the same intensity for the upcoming game and try to play the same way," Vancouver forward Sven Baertschi said.

Forward Markus Granlund appears set to make his Canucks debut after being acquired from Calgary on Monday for rookie Hunter Shinkaruk. Granlund, who has bounced back and forth between the NHL and AHL in his third season, had four goals and three assists in 31 games for the Flames.

Henrik Sedin equaled a career high with four assists Sunday. He has 16 in his last 13 games against the Senators.

Teammate Jannik Hansen has four goals in six contests but none in 12 against Ottawa.

In net throughout the winning streak, Anderson also has a 1.61 goals-against average and .950 save percentage in his last eight starts.

Ottawa announced Wednesday it signed rookie defenseman Chris Wideman to a two-year, $1.6 million contract extension. He has five goals and four assists while averaging 14 minutes in 44 games.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:22 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Oilers (22-33) at Kings (35-20)

Date: February 25, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The last time Edmonton won in Los Angeles, the Kings were seven months away from winning their first Stanley Cup and Connor McDavid was 14.

There's nothing hinting at that changing Thursday night with the last-place Oilers beginning a back-to-back set in Southern California against the first-place Kings.

That last Oilers' win at the Staple Center was on Nov. 3, 2011, and the Kings have since gone 14-1-3 in the series with seven straight home victories by a 28-8 total. They've won all three meetings this season and seem to be entering this contest well equipped to continue limiting Edmonton's scoring.

After Tuesday's 2-1 home win over Calgary, the Kings (35-20-4) are playing the second of nine straight in the Los Angeles area with eight home contests only disrupted by a Feb. 28 drive to Anaheim. It was their second straight win by that final, and Anze Kopitar scored the winner late in the second period to give the forward five goals in his last five games after sitting out Saturday's overtime win at Nashville because of a lower-body injury.

"We did grind it out," said Kopitar, who has 13 points in his last 10 games against the Oilers. "Maybe we didn't play our best game, but it's that time of year where it doesn't really matter, as long as you get the two points. We certainly realize there's some room for improvement, but we have a pretty nice homestand now. We just need to keep building momentum at home and taking care of business."

At the other end, Jonathan Quick continued to impress and has a 1.59 goals-against average in five straight games of giving up at most two goals. Quick's been about as stingy against Edmonton, posting a 1.57 mark over a 12-0-3 span since that 2011 loss.

Even if he does slip up, there's a decent chance Los Angeles will be able to make up for it. Edmonton (22-33-6) has lost a season-worst five in a row, including four straight in regulation. After Tuesday's 4-1 home loss to Ottawa, the Oilers have given up an average of 3.64 goals per game over a 3-10-1 span.

Edmonton coach Todd McLellan was left questioning his team's character and whether many of his players should be with the team past Monday's trade deadline.

"I have a huge concern because the spirit of the team isn't where it needs to be," McLellan said. "There has to be 10 guys in there that have so much pride that they pull the rest of the guys along. We'll see what happens over the next six or seven days. Maybe there are some guys waiting for that. It's got to get better or we need to make huge, huge changes."

McDavid is one player who's clearly going nowhere, and though he's only played in one of the games against the Kings, they've taken notice. He assisted on Jordan Eberle's goal against the Senators, giving him 16 points in his last 11 games.

"We've only played him once. He's a high-end player," Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter told the Kings' official website. "He's 18 years old playing in a men's league, and his production, if he'd played every game, his production is with the top handful of guys in the league."

Cam Talbot has been in goal for the four straight regulation losses and has gone 1-6-0 with a 3.56 GAA in his last eight games. He's 1-4-0 with a 3.91 mark against the Kings.

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:22 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

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 38.5 47 OVER
2/16 8 43.5 39 UNDER
2/17 3 16.5 21 OVER
2/18 11 60.5 68 OVER
2/19 5 26.5 24 UNDER
2/20 9 47 59 OVER
2/21 6 30.5 34 OVER
2/22 4 21 27 OVER
2/23 9 49.5 43 UNDER
2/24 4 - - -
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -

**TheGame** · 02-25-2016, 07:23 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

NHL

Hot teams
-- Minnesota won four of its last five games.
-- Carolina won four of its last six games.
-- St Louis won five of last six games. Rangers won seven of their last ten games.
-- Predators won three of their last four games.
-- Islanders won six of their last eight games.
-- Senators won their last four games.

Cold teams
-- New Jersey, Columbus both lost three of their last four games.
-- Flyers lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Maple Leafs lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Arizona lost last three games, scoring seven goals. Florida lost four of last six at home.
-- Chicago lost three of its last four home games.
-- Winnipeg lost its last four games, three by one goal. Dallas lost three of last four games.
-- Calgary lost their of its last six games.
-- Vancouver lost four of its last five games.
-- Edmonton lost eight of its last nine games. Kings are 4-5 in their last nine.

Series records
-- Devils lost their last four games with Columbus.
-- Flyers won three of last four games with Minnesota.
-- Carolina won five of last six games with Toronto.
-- Arizona won six of its last eight games with Florida.
-- Rangers lost seven of last ten games with St Louis.
-- Chicago won six of last eight games with Nashville.
-- Dallas Stars won five of last six games with Winnipeg.
-- Islanders won six of last eight games with Calgary.
-- Ottawa won three of last four games with Vancouver.
-- Kings won five of last six games with Edmonton.

Totals
-- Under is 4-0-2 in last six New Jersey-Columbus games.
-- Over is 8-1-1 in last ten Minnesota games.
-- Last five Carolina-Toronto games stayed under.
-- Last six Arizona-Florida games stayed under total.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Ranger-St Louis games.
-- Last five Nashville games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Winnipeg-Dallas games went over total.
-- Last four Islander games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Vancouver games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-0-2 in last eight Edmonton-Los Angeles games.

Back-to-backs
-- None

**Satch** · 02-25-2016, 09:40 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (69) EDMONTON@ (70) LOS ANGELES | 2016-02-25 22:35:00 - 2016-02-25 22:35:00
Play AGAINST EDMONTON using money line in Road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 2 Wins and 22 Losses for the last two seasons (-17.7 units)

NHL > (55) CAROLINA@ (56) TORONTO | 2016-02-25 19:35:00 - 2016-02-25 19:35:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 15 Wins and 51 Losses for the last two seasons (-34.25 units)

NHL > (53) MINNESOTA@ (54) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-25 19:05:00 - 2016-02-25 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 20 Wins and 44 Losses for the last two seasons (-31.55 units)

NHL > (55) CAROLINA@ (56) TORONTO | 2016-02-25 19:35:00 - 2016-02-25 19:35:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in All games revenging a home loss versus opponent
The record is 6 Wins and 28 Losses for the last two seasons (-20.25 units)

NHL > (61) NASHVILLE@ (62) CHICAGO | 2016-02-25 20:05:00 - 2016-02-25 20:05:00
Play AGAINST NASHVILLE using money line in All games
The record is 1 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (-8.95 units)

NHL > (67) OTTAWA@ (68) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-25 22:05:00 - 2016-02-25 22:05:00
Play AGAINST VANCOUVER using money line in All games
The record is 7 Wins and 15 Losses for the this season (-14.5 units)

NHL > (67) OTTAWA@ (68) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-25 22:05:00 - 2016-02-25 22:05:00
Play ON VANCOUVER using money line in Home games after 3 or more consecutive overs
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the last three seasons (+9 units)

NHL > (53) MINNESOTA@ (54) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-25 19:05:00 - 2016-02-25 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 7 Wins and 17 Losses for the this season (-14.25 units)

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

NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (69) EDMONTON@ (70) LOS ANGELES | 2016-02-25 22:35:00 - 2016-02-25 22:35:00
Play AGAINST EDMONTON in Road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 2 Wins and 22 Losses for the last two seasons (-17.7 units)

NHL > (55) CAROLINA@ (56) TORONTO | 2016-02-25 19:35:00 - 2016-02-25 19:35:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in All games second half of the season
The record is 15 Wins and 51 Losses for the last two seasons (-34.25 units)

NHL > (53) MINNESOTA@ (54) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-25 19:05:00 - 2016-02-25 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 20 Wins and 44 Losses for the last two seasons (-31.55 units)

NHL > (55) CAROLINA@ (56) TORONTO | 2016-02-25 19:35:00 - 2016-02-25 19:35:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in All games revenging a home loss versus opponent
The record is 6 Wins and 28 Losses for the last two seasons (-20.25 units)

NHL > (67) OTTAWA@ (68) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-25 22:05:00 - 2016-02-25 22:05:00
Play ON VANCOUVER in Home games after 3 or more consecutive overs
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the last three seasons (+9 units)

NHL > (67) OTTAWA@ (68) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-25 22:05:00 - 2016-02-25 22:05:00
Play AGAINST VANCOUVER in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 5 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (-11 units)

NHL > (53) MINNESOTA@ (54) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-25 19:05:00 - 2016-02-25 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA in All games second half of the season
The record is 7 Wins and 17 Losses for the this season (-14.25 units)

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

NHL TOTALS

NHL > (61) NASHVILLE@ (62) CHICAGO | 2016-02-25 20:05:00 - 2016-02-25 20:05:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 2 Overs and 13 Unders for the this season (+11.25 units)

NHL > (55) CAROLINA@ (56) TORONTO | 2016-02-25 19:35:00 - 2016-02-25 19:35:00
Play OVER TORONTO on the totalin All games in February games
The record is 8 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+8.4 units)

NHL > (53) MINNESOTA@ (54) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-25 19:05:00 - 2016-02-25 19:05:00
Play OVER MINNESOTA on the totalin All games in February games
The record is 9 Overs and 1 Unders for the this season (+8.3 units)

NHL > (51) NEW JERSEY@ (52) COLUMBUS | 2016-02-25 19:05:00 - 2016-02-25 19:05:00
Play UNDER NEW JERSEY on the totalin Road games in February games
The record is 18 Overs and 49 Unders for the since 1992 (+29.95 units)

NHL > (67) OTTAWA@ (68) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-25 22:05:00 - 2016-02-25 22:05:00
Play UNDER VANCOUVER on the totalin All games when playing with 3 or more days rest
The record is 3 Overs and 14 Unders for the last three seasons (+11.35 units)

**Satch** · 02-25-2016, 09:45 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/25

Preview: Minnesota at Philadelphia
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 25, 2016
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Two superstars will be missing when the Philadelphia Flyers open their season-high six-game homestand against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux (team-leading 49 points) will sit out his third straight contest with an upper-body injury while the same ailment kept Minnesota star Zach Parise (club high-tying 18 goals) from traveling with the team on its two-game road trip.
The clubs need all the firepower they can get as both reside on the wrong side of the playoff picture in their respective conferences. The Flyers fell for the seventh time in 10 outings (3-4-3) with a 3-1 setback to Carolina on Tuesday while the Wild saw their four-game winning streak under interim coach John Torchetti come to a halt with a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders. Chris Porter tallied for Minnesota, becoming the 14th different player to do so in five games under Torchetti. Porter spent parts of training camp with the Flyers and played collegiately at North Dakota under Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVA, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE WILD (27-23-10): Parise isn’t the only Minnesota player sidelined as fellow forward Jason Zucker was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday after receiving a concussion following an elbow to the face from Chicago defenseman Michal Rozsival. Jordan Schroeder was recalled from Iowa of the American Hockey League to replace Zucker, who must miss at least the next two games. Schroeder, who has one goal in 13 contests with the Wild this season, has recorded 35 points in 30 games with Iowa.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (26-22-11): Scott Laughton has fared well since shuffling over to left wing, snapping a 22-game goal drought in a 3-1 setback versus Carolina on Tuesday for his fourth point (one goal, three assists) in three contests. “Three games in a row he’s been a good player. He’s made an impact each night,” Hakstol told Philly.com. “He’s generated opportunities with some of his speed, his tenacity. He looks like a confident player out there.” Brayden Schenn hasn’t been too shabby in his own right, scoring four goals and setting up three others in his last seven games and notching two assists in Philadelphia’s 4-3 overtime win over Minnesota on Jan. 7.
OVERTIME
1. Minnesota captain Mikko Koivu is expected to play in his 742nd career game on Thursday, one shy of matching the franchise record of current Philadelphia D Nick Schultz.
2. Flyers rookie D Shayne Gostisbehere, who saw his 15-game point streak come to a halt on Tuesday, was held off the scoresheet in the previous meeting with the Wild.
3. Minnesota D Marco Scandella has notched an assist in each of his last two games and tallied in the teams’ initial encounter this season.
PREDICTION: Wild 4, Flyers 1

Announcement

NHL Betting Info. 2/25

NHL Betting Info. 2/25

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