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NHL Betting Info. 2/26

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  • NHL Betting Info. 2/26

    NHL notebook: Jets' Little out for rest of season
    By The Sports Xchange


    Winnipeg Jets forward Bryan Little will not return to the ice this season after suffering a compression fracture of a vertebrae last week.
    Jets coach Paul Maurice announced the bad news for the Jets on Thursday morning before a game against the Dallas Stars. Little is the team's second-leading scorer this season with 17 goals and 42 points through 57 games.
    The Jets recalled forward Matt Halischuk from Manitoba of the American Hockey League and also placed Mark Stuart on injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 13.


    --The Anaheim Ducks claimed forward Chris Wagner off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche and assigned him to San Diego of the American Hockey League (AHL).
    Wagner has four goals and 26 penalty minutes in 37 games with the Ducks and Avalanche this season.


    --The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis from Syracuse and assigned goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to the American Hockey League team.
    The 23-year-old Gudlevskis has made one appearance for the Lightning this season in a 1-0 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 24.
    The 21-year-old Vasilevskiy is 10-5-0 with a 2.75 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 17 games for the Lightning this season. He had won three of his past four starts, including a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena.


    --Columbus Blue Jackets right wing David Clarkson was activated from injured reserve but he is still likely a few days from playing. Clarkson has been out with an upper-body injury since Jan. 2.
    Columbus defenseman Justin Falk cleared waivers and was sent to minor-league Lake Erie.


    --The Carolina Hurricanes put center Brad Malone on waivers. The 26-year-old had two goals and three assists in 37 games. He had been a healthy scratch for 11 straight games.


    --The Toronto Maple Leafs confirmed that left wing James van Riemsdyk (non-displaced fracture in left foot) and left wing Joffrey Lupul (sports hernia surgery) are out for the season.

  • #2
    Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/26

    Preview: Wild (27-24) at Capitals (44-11)


    Date: February 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


    The honeymoon for John Torchetti is over, and Minnesota is back to scoring goals at the rate that got Mike Yeo fired.


    It seems unlikely to change Friday night in Washington without Zach Parise as the Wild take on a Capitals team that's allowed the fewest goals in the league and hasn't lost consecutive games in regulation in nearly a full year.


    Torchetti won his first four games after taking over with 21 goals scored. Since, the Wild (27-24-10) have totaled three in consecutive losses with Thursday's 3-2 defeat in Philadelphia beginning a back-to-back set.


    The NHL-leading Capitals (44-11-4), meanwhile, are coming off Wednesday's 4-3 home loss to Montreal and are out to avoid their first consecutive regulation losses since March 11 and 13. Washington trailed 3-0 early in the second period and 4-1 entering the third, coming just short of sending it to overtime as its four-game winning streak came to an end. The Capitals trailed in each of those victories.


    "We can't come back every night," Nicklas Backstrom said. "That's not going to happen. We have to play a better 60-minute game."


    The Capitals have been more vulnerable with 2.87 goals allowed per game over an 11-4-1 span after posting a 2.09 mark though 43 games, but they might have a new defenseman in the lineup against the Wild to help combat that. Washington acquired Mike Weber from Buffalo on Tuesday for a third-round pick in the 2017 draft.


    Weber, who was in his eighth season with the Sabres, had a plus-3 rating in 35 games for a team with a minus-23 goal differential.


    "Mike is a stay-at-home defenseman, who plays a physical game and is respected by his teammates," Washington general manager Brian MacLellan said. "We felt it was important to add depth to our blue line by adding another quality veteran defenseman."


    The Capitals were the second to last team Yeo faced before Minnesota made the change with Washington winning 4-3 on Feb. 11 behind a second-period hat trick from Alex Ovechkin. It's part of a nine-game stretch on which he's scored 10 goals, and the NHL's top goal scorer has nine in his last seven contests with the Wild, including five in his last two.


    That three-goal team effort for the Wild matched their best output over the 2-11-3 span on which they averaged 1.87 per game that pushed Yeo out the door, so it's really no surprise things have regressed from their winning streak. Torchetti, however, isn't yet hanging it on his team.


    "I liked our effort," Torchetti said. "I just think their goalie was really good tonight. He made a couple of really big saves. I think we should've been playing into overtime."


    Thomas Vanek still managed to score for the third time in four games after managing one in his previous 13 and tied Parise for the team lead with 18. Parise missed the game with an upper-body injury and is expected to remain out for at least one more.


    Braden Holtby probably won't mind that as he tries to bounce back from allowing three goals on 18 shots before being removed in the second period against the Canadiens. He avoided the loss, though he's 5-1-0 with a 3.28 goals-against average over his last seven games.


    Devan Dubnyk has also experienced some struggles lately, going 3-6-0 with a 3.12 GAA this month. He's 0-3-1 on zero days rest this season, though that's mostly because the Wild have scored seven goals in those games. He's won both of his career trips to Washington.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/26

      Preview: Lightning (34-22) at Devils (30-25)


      Date: February 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


      Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman publicly stated a week and a half ago that he won't trade pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos before the deadline.


      Almost immediately, Stamkos and the Lightning began turning things around.


      Stamkos has scored in each contest during a four-game winning streak, which Tampa Bay will try to extend when it begins a four-game road trip Friday night against the slumping New Jersey Devils.


      Tampa Bay (34-22-4) reportedly offered its franchise player an eight-year, $68 million contract extension late last month that Stamkos rejected. Trade rumors had been swirling for quite some time with the possibility that Yzerman would want to get a return for Stamkos rather than have him leave for nothing in the offseason.


      There's still a chance that happens, but Stamkos isn't going anywhere this season. Yzerman released a statement Feb. 15 to confirm that the Lightning won't be trading Stamkos ahead of Monday's deadline, with the goal being to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.


      Tampa lost to San Jose the next day and Stamkos had one goal in his first seven games this month, but he's been on a tear during the winning streak that immediately followed that defeat.


      Stamkos scored his 26th goal in the first period and Cedric Paquette converted a penalty shot in the second to give the Lightning a 2-1 win over Arizona on Tuesday. The defending Eastern Conference champs are tied for second place in the Atlantic Division with Boston, which they visit Sunday.


      'We're getting there," Stamkos said. "We know what this group is capable of when we're playing at our best, and I don't think we're at our best right now. It's encouraging that we're finding ways to win not being at our best.'


      Tampa has gone 2 for 30 on the power play over its last nine. Forward Nikita Kucherov, who has 24 goals and a team-high 49 points, will be a game-time decision after missing the last two with a lower-body injury.


      The Lightning have won twice on the road during their streak, but they've dropped three straight and 12 of their last 15 visits to New Jersey. Stamkos has scored in the last two meetings overall, including the Lightning's 4-3 overtime victory in the last matchup April 9.


      "The (previous) road trip was good, even though it was only two games," coach Jon Cooper said. "Now we've got to turn it into this four-gamer and go on this trip and come away with more points than games played. If we can do that, we'll be OK."


      The Devils (30-25-7) are one point back of Pittsburgh for the last wild-card spot despite having dropped four of five. They've allowed 19 goals during that stretch after being crushed 6-1 at Columbus on Thursday.


      Reid Boucher scored to give him two goals and two assists over his last three.


      'If we have an honest assessment of it, we weren't ready to play in the first period and that was the biggest difference in the game," coach John Hynes said.


      It's unclear who will be in net after Cory Schneider gave up three goals on 11 shots before being relieved by Keith Kinkaid, who gave up three more on 13 shots.


      Ben Bishop, 4-2-0 with a 1.46 goals-against average against the Devils, will get the nod for Tampa.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/26

        Preview: Bruins (33-22) at Hurricanes (28-24)


        Date: February 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


        Boston's pursuit of home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs would get a nice boost if it can navigate successfully through a very difficult portion of its upcoming schedule.


        If they slip, the Bruins could find themselves in trouble within a tight Eastern Conference race.


        The Carolina Hurricanes are one of those teams battling for a wild-card spot, and they'll try to knock off visiting Boston on Friday night in the first of three meetings over their final 20 games.


        The Bruins (33-22-6) are tied with Tampa Bay for second place in the Atlantic Division, five points behind Florida with both clubs having a game in hand on them. After facing the playoff-hopeful Hurricanes (28-24-10), Boston begins a four-game homestand Sunday against the Lightning with Calgary, defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago and NHL-best Washington also visiting TD Garden.


        It has split its last six after David Pastrnak scored twice in Wednesday's 5-1 home win over Pittsburgh.


        "Everything's so tight right now," defenseman Torey Krug told the team's official website. "It's just about continuing to improve your game and make sure we're in the picture when the times comes."


        The Capitals are running away with the Presidents' Trophy, but the rest of the East is jumbled. Detroit holds the first wild-card spot, but is only one point back of the Bruins and Lightning for the Atlantic's last automatic berth.


        Five teams are within five points of the Penguins for the final wild card including the Hurricanes, who are two back.


        "You want your team to be consistent and be ready to battle every night," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "That's what our challenge is right now. We've got a tough schedule, but again, I think pretty well every team in this league is going through the same thing."


        Carolina hasn't been to the playoffs since 2008-09 and had an opportunity to help its postseason chances when it visited East-worst Toronto on Thursday, but it mustered only John-Michael Liles' first-period goal in a 3-1 defeat. It is in the midst of a 2-3-0 stretch, something not ideal when tied for the most games played in the East.


        Pittsburgh has three games in hand on the Hurricanes, who now hope to get back on track with their next two being at home. They're 6-1-1 in Raleigh since Jan. 24, but are also dealing with trade rumors surrounding captain Eric Staal ahead of Monday's deadline.


        Staal, who has a no-trade clause, had an assist against the Maple Leafs.


        'It's an awkward situation,' his brother Jordan Staal said. 'But at the same time, he's come ready to play and ready to work every day, and that's all you can ask for.'


        Carolina has lost five of the last six meetings with Boston and could turn to Eddie Lack in the second of a back-to-back after Cam Ward made his fourth straight start Thursday. Lack made 40 saves for Vancouver to beat the Bruins on Feb. 24, 2015, in his only career start against them.


        Tuukka Rask has won three of his last four starts with a 1.77 goals-against average and should get the start for Boston. He's stopped 121 of 125 shots while going 3-0-1 in his last four against Carolina.


        "They play with a lot of energy," Krug said of the Hurricanes. "I think their transition game is really strong, so it's a good test going into their building."


        Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk sat out again Thursday after aggravating a leg injury during practice the previous day. It's unclear if he'll be available for this one.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/26

          Preview: Oilers (22-34) at Ducks (32-19)


          Date: February 26, 2016 10:00 PM EDT


          Two months after Bob Murray's talented hockey team languished in 29th place in a 30-team league, the Anaheim Ducks' general manager has been rewarded for demonstrating an incredibly rare quality in NHL executives.


          A little bit of patience.


          The three-time Pacific Division champion Ducks have rebounded from a pathetic start to their season with a dynamic surge that shows few signs of slowing Friday night against the Edmonton Oilers.


          With the four-day Christmas break neatly serving as the dividing line between ineptitude and brilliance, Anaheim has followed up its 12-15-6 start with a 20-4-2 streak since the holidays.


          The Ducks (32-19-8) have won six straight and 13 of 15, climbing into second place in the Pacific and steaming toward another playoff berth.


          'This team has faced the adversity of a bad start and fought its way back into the picture of making the playoffs,' Murray said in a phone interview Thursday. 'Right now, you look at them and say they're doing fine. ... It looks like there's chemistry now. Everybody has fit into a role and is accepting their roles, which is huge.'


          The Ducks are doing it with largely the same roster that was the NHL's lowest-scoring group by a wide margin just two months ago. Murray made only a couple of timely additions, including revitalized forward David Perron, and got a couple of players back from injury, including dependable defenseman Simon Despres.


          Murray tweaked the Ducks' roster in the offseason, and he realized the changes largely didn't help. So his next moves were all about what he didn't do.


          He resisted the urge to fire Bruce Boudreau, one of the winningest coaches in recent NHL history. He also decided against blowing up his talented roster core, trading veterans for cheap youth, or even breaking up his coveted goaltending tandem of Frederik Andersen and John Gibson for distressed prices.


          Instead, Murray decided to believe in his team - and he stayed behind Boudreau while hockey pundits widely predicted Murray would make the usual move in a notoriously impatient league.


          Murray also said the Ducks eliminated a few unspecified distractions. The GM alluded to 'a couple of personal issues that weren't good' and 'agent issues,' but refused to go into detail about those off-ice woes, which haven't been widely discussed outside the Ducks' dressing room.


          'The start of the year was a circus, and I couldn't get control of it quick enough,' Murray said. 'I've got to be harder on certain situations in the years going forward.'


          For all of those reasons, Anaheim got off to one of the worst starts by a title-contending team in recent NHL history after falling one game short of the Stanley Cup Final last summer. The Ducks went 1-7-2 in October and barely improved before Christmas.


          The Ducks largely credit the four-day holiday break for their improved mental state, citing the inactivity as a chance to remember what works.


          'Every night, we're going into the game knowing we're going to win,' said center Ryan Kesler, who has 21 points in Anaheim's last 23 games after managing just 12 points in the first 36.


          Although they largely credit their turnaround to their embrace of a defense-first mindset promoted by Boudreau in response to their offensive woes, the Ducks' scoring touch also has returned.


          Anaheim's confounding slump was exemplified by captain Ryan Getzlaf, who went into the holiday break with just one goal - into an empty net, no less. Getzlaf leads the NHL in scoring after the All-Star break with 17 points in 13 games, including a current nine-game point streak.


          The Ducks are 13-1-2 in their last 16 meetings with the Oilers (22-34-6), beating them twice since the Christmas break - 5-3 at Edmonton in the most recent Feb. 16.


          The league-worst Oilers are on a season-high six-game skid after blowing a third-period lead in a 2-1 loss at Los Angeles on Thursday.


          Connor McDavid was held without a point for just the third time in 12 games since returning from a broken clavicle. He's still got 16 points over that stretch, including an assist on a goal by Taylor Hall against the Ducks last week.


          Hall has 11 points in his last 13 meetings with Anaheim, but he has only three in the past 10 overall.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/26

            Preview: Sabres (24-30) at Sharks (32-21)


            Date: February 26, 2016 10:30 PM EDT


            One of the mysteries of the NHL is why the San Jose Sharks have had so much trouble with the lowly Buffalo Sabres.


            The Sharks ended an eight-game slide to the Sabres earlier this season and now hope to halt a four-game home losing streak in the series Friday night.


            San Jose (32-21-6) missed the playoffs last season after 10 consecutive appearances while Buffalo (24-30-7) is on the verge of a fifth straight campaign without reaching the postseason. That doesn't explain how these teams have fared against each other.


            The Sharks were on an 0-7-1 skid in this series before Patrick Marleau scored in overtime of a 2-1 win Nov. 14. That caused a sigh of relief for first-year coach Peter DeBoer to break that hex in his first try.


            "I accidentally dug into it because everyone was talking about it," he said after that game. "I knew we hadn't had much success against Buffalo recently, but I didn't realize it was as long as it has been."


            San Jose's previous win over the Sabres was a 5-2 home victory in January 2010, and it's gone 0-3-1 in Buffalo's last four visits.


            The Sharks play their first home game after completing a 3-1-1 trip with Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss to Colorado. Joel Ward scored with 91 seconds left in the third period to salvage a point.


            'Some of the cities we're in and how desperate some of the teams are that we're playing, it's a good road trip,' DeBoer said. 'The guys found a way to get some points. That's important.'


            Nick Spaling scored 2:10 into the game in his Sharks debut after being acquired Monday from Toronto. He had one goal in 35 games with the Maple Leafs.


            Joe Thornton assisted on Ward's goal to give him 15 points in the last 10 games. Thirty five of his team high-tying 56 points and 13 of his 14 goals have come on the road. He has no goals and 13 assists in 11 home games in 2016.


            Joe Pavelski leads the Sharks with 26 goals but hasn't scored in his last eight games against the Sabres. Thornton has three assists in his past nine matchups.


            Buffalo opened a three-game California trip with Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Anaheim, marking the fifth time it was shut out.


            'We want to show that we can play with the best teams, but it's the small margins,' goaltender Robin Lehner said. 'I think we need to get tougher in front of both nets. We need to make it harder for the other goalies. In this league if you want to beat the goalies you need to get traffic in front.'


            The Sabres went 0 for 4 on the power play after going 3 for 8 in their two previous games in which they totaled seven goals. Buffalo is among the league's best teams with 30.4 shots per game on the road.


            "I'm not going to be satisfied with being stride-for-stride with a good hockey team," coach Dan Bylsma told the Sabres' official website. "We had every opportunity I think to get a few goals in that game and win the hockey game and we come up short."

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/26

              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 22.5 21 UNDER
              2/25 10 - - -
              2/26 5 - - -
              2/27 9 - - -
              2/28 7 - - -
              2/29 6 - - -

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/26

                NHL


                Hot teams
                -- Washington won four of its last five games.
                -- Lightning won their last four games, scoring 16 goals.
                -- Carolina won four of its last five home games.
                -- Anaheim won its last six games, scoring 25 goals.
                -- San Jose won four of its last six games.


                Cold teams
                -- Minnesota lost its last two games, 4-1/3-2.
                -- New Jersey lost four of its last five games.
                -- Boston is 1-4 in game following its last five wins.
                -- Edmonton lost six in row, nine of last ten games.
                -- Buffalo lost three of its last four games.


                Series records
                -- Washington won four of last six games with Minnesota.
                -- Devils won four of last six games with Tampa Bay.
                -- Bruins won five of last six games with Carolina.
                -- Ducks won six of last seven games with Edmonton.
                -- Sabres won eight of last nine games with San Jose.


                Totals
                -- Over is 7-1-1 in last nine Minnesota games.
                -- Five of last six New Jersey-Tampa Bay games stayed under.
                -- Seven of last nine Boston games went over the total.
                -- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Anaheim games.
                -- Four of last five San Jose games went over the total.


                Back-to-backs
                -- Minnesota is 4-7 if it played the night before.
                -- Devils won three of last four games if they won night before.
                -- Carolina won seven of last nine games if it played night before.
                -- Edmonton is 2-5 if it played the night before.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/26

                  Preview: Tampa Bay at New Jersey
                  When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, February 26, 2016
                  Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
                  The Tampa Bay Lightning are in striking distance of first place in the Atlantic Division and a slump away from being out of playoff position as they begin a four-game road trip against the New Jersey Devils on Friday. The Lightning picked themselves off the mat after a rough stretch to win four straight contests and pull within five points of Florida in the division.
                  “We know what this group is capable of when we are playing at our best, and I don’t think we are at our best right now,” Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos told reporters, after extending his goal-scoring streak to four games in a 2-1 victory over Arizona on Tuesday. “But, it’s encouraging that we are finding ways to win not being at our best.” The Lightning could get leading point producer Nikita Kucherov (49 points) back from a two-game absence due to a lower-body injury against the Devils, who have lost four of their last five after a 6-1 loss at Columbus on Wednesday. New Jersey is one point behind Pittsburgh for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but has played three more games. Cory Schneider was pulled early Thursday, so he could be back in net against Tampa Bay.
                  TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), MSG Plus (New Jersey)
                  ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (34-22-4): Stamkos has been a more productive player since moving back to center with Ryan Callahan and Alex Killorn on his wings. The trio has combined to record eight goals and eight assists in the past five games as Callahan snapped out of a deep slump with three goals and three assists in that span and Stamkos increased his team-high total to 26 tallies. Ben Bishop is expected to be back in net after being rested Tuesday and has impressive numbers against the Devils (4-2-0, 1.46 goals-against average, .946 save percentage).
                  ABOUT THE DEVILS (30-25-7): New Jersey allowed 19 goals combined over the last five games after surrendering 10 during a solid 4-1-2 stretch that had the Devils thinking playoffs. Reid Boucher, who has collected 10 points (five goals) in 20 games since being recalled, had the only goal for New Jersey on Thursday. Lee Stempniak has cooled off of late, but leads the team with 41 points, while Kyle Palmieri (40) has a team-high 23 goals after netting three in five games and Adam Henrique (38) is slumping with one assist in his last six contests.
                  OVERTIME
                  1. Stamkos is slated to play his 553rd game, passing Brad Richards for fourth on the Lightning’s all-time list.
                  2. The Devils allowed three goals in the first period for the first time this season Thursday.
                  3. Tampa Bay F Jonathan Marchessault has registered a goal and three assists in the last four games since rejoining the lineup.
                  PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Devils 2

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/26

                    Preview: Minnesota at Washington
                    When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, February 26, 2016
                    Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District Of Columbia
                    The Washington Capitals hope to erase a trend that has seen them trail in six straight games as they host the Minnesota Wild on Friday. Washington, which is coasting to its second Presidents’ Trophy in seven years as the NHL’s best regular-season team, won four of the first five such contests before dropping a 4-3 decision to Montreal on Wednesday – its second regulation loss in its last 20 home games (17-2-1).
                    The Capitals must also avoid becoming complacent as it leads Dallas by 10 points for the league’s top record, the New York Rangers by 16 in the Metropolitan Division and Florida by 15 in the Eastern Conference. “I don’t think we’re going to allow that to happen,” Washington defenseman Brooks Orpik told reporters. “Maybe I’m naive, maybe it’s creeping in a little bit. It’s one of those things where you have to stay focused. … Take your foot off the gas, it’s tough to all of a sudden turn the switch back on for the playoff.” Minnesota lost at Philadelphia 3-2 on Thursday – their second straight setback – to remain four points behind Colorado for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with two games in hand on the Avalanche. The Wild fell to 4-2 under interim coach John Torchetti, who took over from Mike Yeo on Feb. 13 after a eight-game losing streak, and have lost seven straight versus Metropolitan teams (0-6-1).
                    TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN North, FSN Wisconsin (Minnesota), CSN DC (Washington)
                    ABOUT THE WILD (27-24-10): It appeared Minnesota would earn an important point Thursday but Charlie Coyle was robbed by Michal Neuvirth with 1.6 seconds remaining, prompting the center to tell reporters: “That’s crazy. It’s a game of inches. Just a great save.” Zach Parise (team-best 18 goals along with Coyle and Thomas Vanek) is expected to miss second straight game with an upper-body injury while Jason Zucker (12 goals) has been placed on injured reserve due to a concussion. Vanek scored Thursday for his third goal in four games and has five points during that span.
                    ABOUT THE CAPITALS (44-11-4): Alex Ovechkin, who leads the NHL with 39 goals, did not score Wednesday after recording four goals in his previous three games. Forward Mike Richards learned Wednesday he will not be prosecuted on a drug charge stemming from an incident at the North Dakota-Canada border in August. Mike Weber, a physical stay-at-home defenseman, is expected to meet his new teammates at Friday’s morning skate after the Pittsburgh native was acquired from Buffalo on Tuesday for a third-round pick in the 2017 draft.
                    OVERTIME
                    1. Washington has the league’s top power play at 22.9 percent, but is 2-for-20 in its last five games.
                    2. The Wild have scored a power-play goal in a franchise-record nine straight road games.
                    3. The Capitals prevailed 4-3 on Feb. 11 in Minnesota on the strength of Ovechkin’s 14th career hat trick.
                    PREDICTION: Capitals 3, Wild 2

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/26

                      Preview: Boston at Carolina
                      When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, February 26, 2016
                      Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina
                      One day after wasting a golden opportunity to move closer to a postseason berth, the Carolina Hurricanes get another chance when they host the Boston Bruins on Friday. Carolina dropped a 3-1 road decision to last-place Toronto on Thursday to remain two points behind idle Pittsburgh for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
                      The Hurricanes have played very well at home of late, earning at least one point in seven of their last eight games at PNC Arena (6-1-1). Boston is in a fight of its own for a playoff spot as it sits in third place in the Atlantic, one point ahead of wild card-leading — and division-rival — Detroit and four in front of the Penguins. The Bruins are unlikely to be intimidated by the Hurricanes’ recent home success, as they have won eight of their last 10 on the road. All three contests between Boston and Carolina last season were 2-1 decisions, with the Bruins going 2-0-1.
                      TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVA, NESN (Boston), FSN Carolinas
                      ABOUT THE BRUINS (33-22-6): Boston believes its current stretch of 18 games in 33 days, with no more than one day off between contests, is the perfect preparation for the postseason should it qualify. “When you’re in the playoffs, you’re playing a seven-game series, you’re playing every second night, so we have to be ready to face those kind of issues, and so that’s what our challenge is right now,” coach Claude Julien told the team’s website. “It’s up to (the coaching staff) to give them the days off that they need right now in between.” Loui Eriksson is second on the team with 23 goals, scoring seven in his last eight games.
                      ABOUT THE HURRICANES (28-24-10): Brad Malone has not played since Jan. 24 and could be a former member of the team by game time as he was placed on waivers Thursday. The 26-year-old center has recorded two goals and three assists in 37 games this season. Carolina also could be without Andrej Nestrasil (lower body) and Jay McClement (upper body), both of whom were injured in Thursday’s contest.
                      OVERTIME
                      1. Bruins C Patrice Bergeron needs one power-play goal to reach double digits for the third time in his career and first since scoring a personal-best 14 in 2006-07.
                      2. Carolina C Jordan Staal, who leads the team in scoring (39 points), had his six-game point streak halted Thursday but has collected six goals and 11 assists in his last 15 contests.
                      3. Boston is 3-for-3 on penalty shots this season, with C Brad Marchand recording two of the goals.
                      PREDICTION: Bruins 4, Hurricanes 2

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                      • #12
                        Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/26

                        Preview: Edmonton at Anaheim
                        When: 10:00 PM ET, Friday, February 26, 2016
                        Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
                        The Anaheim Ducks’ quest for a fourth consecutive Pacific Division title continues Friday as they take on the visiting Edmonton Oilers in search of a season-high seventh straight victory. Anaheim, which has failed to earn a point just once in its last 15 games (13-1-1), looks to improve to 3-0-0 on its five-game homestand and climb within two points of Los Angeles for first place in the Pacific.
                        Captain Ryan Getzlaf, who leads the team in scoring (48 points), is riding a nine-game point streak (four goals, 10 assists) and passed Teemu Selanne to become the franchise leader in 40-assist seasons (eight) by setting up the team’s lone tally in Wednesday’s 1-0 triumph over Buffalo. Edmonton, which sits in the league basement with 50 points, has lost six consecutive games and nine of its last 10. The team’s scoring troubles are affecting everyone — even Taylor Hall, who leads the Oilers with 20 goals but has scored only two in his last 15 contests. Anaheim is 2-0-1 in the five-game season series, dropping a 4-3 overtime decision at home Nov. 11.
                        TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Edmonton), FSN West (Anaheim)
                        ABOUT THE OILERS (22-34-6): Hall also tops the club in assists (33) and points (53) after setting up the lone goal in Thursday’s 2-1 loss at Los Angeles for his first assist in 10 games. The 24-year-old has matched his second-highest point total (2011-12) but will need to go on a tear to equal his career high of 80 set in 2013-14. Teddy Purcell, who has recorded 11 goals and 21 assists in 61 games, was scratched Thursday and likely will be dealt before Monday’s trade deadline.
                        ABOUT THE DUCKS (32-19-8): Anaheim brought Chris Wagner back to the organization Thursday, claiming the center off waivers from Colorado and assigning him to San Diego of the American Hockey League. The 24-year-old Wagner, who was a fifth-round pick of the club in the 2010 draft, began the season with the Ducks and failed to notch a point in 11 games before being claimed off waivers Nov. 15 by the Avalanche, who made him available Wednesday after 6-foot, 195-pounder recorded four goals in 26 contests.
                        OVERTIME
                        1. The Ducks have been stellar at home of late, winning five in a row and seven of their last eight.
                        2. Edmonton has scored fewer than three goals five times during its skid and has been limited to one in six of its last 10 contests.
                        3. Anaheim G Frederik Andersen has gone 10-0-2 since his most recent regulation loss Dec. 21 at the New York Islanders.
                        PREDICTION: Ducks 5, Oilers 2

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                        • #13
                          Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/26

                          Preview: Buffalo at San Jose
                          When: 10:30 PM ET, Friday, February 26, 2016
                          Where: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, California
                          The San Jose Sharks still sport a sub-.500 record at home, but they eagerly are looking forward to returning to the SAP Center for a matchup against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. The Sharks have played nine of their 11 games since the All-Star break away from home and are coming off a 3-1-1 road trip that concluded with a 4-3 shootout loss at Colorado.
                          “It’s just good to be going home,” San Jose forward Joel Ward said. “This whole month has been a complete write-off. I don’t even know what my house looks like anymore, to be honest.” While the Sharks are 11-12-3 overall at SAP Center, they enter the matchup against the Sabres riding a nine-game point streak at home (6-0-3). Buffalo opened a rugged road trip against the top three teams in the Pacific Division with a 1-0 loss at Anaheim and now must head up and down the coast for a back-to-back versus San Jose and Los Angeles. Losers of seven of their last 10 (3-4-3), the Sabres dropped a 2-1 overtime decision at home to the Sharks in mid-November.
                          TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, MSG (Buffalo), CSN California (San Jose)
                          ABOUT THE SABRES (24-30-7): Already among the league’s worst offensive clubs, Buffalo got a taste of what life will be like without injured All-Star center Ryan O’Reilly in the 1-0 setback against the red-hot Ducks. “I’m not going to be satisfied with being stride for stride with a good hockey team,” coach Dan Bylsma said. “We had every opportunity to get a few goals and win the hockey game, and we come up short.” Rookie Jack Eichel, the team’s second-leading scorer, has been limited to one goal over his last 11 games.
                          ABOUT THE SHARKS (32-21-6): Acquired in a trade with Toronto, Nick Spaling and defenseman Roman Polak made their debuts for San Jose at Colorado, with the former netting a goal to give him tallies in back-to-back games after failing to score in his first 34 contests this season. Spaling started out on the fourth line but was elevated to the second unit alongside Ward and Patrick Marleau. “We were looking for some spark,” coach Peter DeBoer said. “So we decided to shuffle the deck a little bit, and I thought (Spaling) gave us some good energy, some good legs. He’s an easy guy to play with.”
                          OVERTIME
                          1. Sharks C Joe Thornton has points in nine of his last 10 games, notching five goals and 10 assists in that span.
                          2. Buffalo’s power play certainly felt the absence of O’Reilly, failing on all four chances against Anaheim.
                          3. San Jose has lost four straight home meetings with the Sabres and had dropped eight in a row in the series prior to the win at Buffalo on Nov. 14.
                          PREDICTION: Sharks 4, Sabres 1

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