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**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:41 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

NHL notebook: Stars sign GM Nill to extension
By The Sports Xchange

The Dallas Stars signed general manager Jim Nill to a five-year contract extension on Friday.
Nill, 57, is in his third season with the Stars. The extension keeps him with the team through the 2022-23 season.
Under Nill, Dallas is 110-72-5 and reached the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Stars (29-10-4) currently lead the Western Conference with 62 points and are off to their best start in franchise history through 43 games.
Nill, who joined the Stars in April 2013, immediately hired Lindy Ruff as coach and executed a blockbuster trade with the Boston Bruins to bring in forward Tyler Seguin, who this season is tied for the NHL lead with 24 goals and third with 51 points.
Prior to joining the Stars, Nill spent 19 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, including 15 as assistant general manager, and was part of four Stanley Cup championship teams.

---The New York Rangers acquired forward Nicklas Jensen and a sixth-round pick in the 2017 NHL draft from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for right winger Emerson Etem.
Jensen has played in 27 games with the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League this season, registering four goals and eight assists.
Etem played in 19 games with the Rangers this season, with three assists and two penalty minutes.

---Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere will not play Saturday against the New York Islanders because of a lower-body injury.
Gostisbehere was injured late in the first period of the Flyers' 4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night. He returned to play two shifts in the second period but left the game at 5:08 of the second and did not return.
Gostisbehere leads rookie defensemen with seven goals and is tied for first with 16 points In 23 games this season.

---The Minnesota Wild recalled defenseman Mike Reilly from the Iowa Wild of the AHL.
Reilly has collected 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 32 games with Iowa this season.
The Wild also reassigned defenseman Tyson Strachan to Iowa. Strachan appeared in two games with Minnesota after being recalled from Iowa on Jan. 1, with no points.

---The San Jose Sharks recalled center Chris Tierney from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL.
Tierney has recorded eight points (three goals, five assists) and 14 penalty minutes in 36 games with the Sharks this season. In three games with the Barracuda, he has one goal and two assists.

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:42 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

Preview: Capitals (28-7) at Rangers (21-14)

Date: January 09, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

It's been an impressive first half of the season for the Washington Capitals, who appear en route to running away with the Metropolitan Division.

Red-hot Washington can put even more distance between it and one of its pursuers when it tries for a second straight victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday.

The Capitals (30-7-3) stayed one point ahead of slumping Dallas for the NHL lead with a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday, giving them an 11-1-1 record in their last 13 and 18-2-2 mark in 22. Washington, completing a five-game road trip Saturday, is a league-best 15-4-2 away from home.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 497th goal and Braden Holtby stopped 34 shots for the Capitals, who have given up two or fewer goals nine times in the past 13 and are second in the league with 2.13 non-shootout goals allowed per game.

'Our goal is to finish as high as we can in the standings to give us the best opportunity in the playoffs,' said Holtby, 18-0-2 with a 1.83 goals-against average in his last 21 starts. 'We were definitely tested, our blocking and our protection in front of the net.'

With Saturday's contest marking the halfway point of Washington's season, it leads the Islanders by 14 points and the Rangers by 15.

"We've played a lot of good games. We've been consistent and that's something that's huge for us," defenseman Karl Alzner said of the first half. "We've struggled with it in the past, and we've always found ways to lose three, four, five games in a row at some point in the years before and we've done a really good job of bringing the same effort night after night (this season).

"We're happy with that, but it's only halfway."

Inconsistency has instead plagued the Rangers (22-14-4) throughout 2015-16, and that's certainly been the case recently. They've alternated wins and losses in the last five, bouncing back from a 3-0 road loss to Florida last Saturday with a 6-2 home victory over the Stars on Tuesday.

'Our process has been getting better,' coach Alain Vigneault said after Derek Stepan scored two goals and Rick Nash had three assists.

'We are playing better hockey right now. Our execution and our battle level are better.'

The team defense has also been somewhat better, with New York allowing seven goals in the past three after giving up five or more six times in the previous eight.

'Hopefully we are moving in the right direction,' said Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped 21 shots.

One of those eight games came against Washington, a 7-3 loss at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 20 in which Justin Williams had two goals and an assist and five other Capitals scored. Lundqvist was chased after two periods and five goals.

The Capitals dropped the first meeting of the season 5-2 on Nov. 3, also at MSG.

Holtby, expected to start Saturday, has gone 2-4-0 with a 3.38 GAA in his last six games in the series.

Ovechkin has a seven-game goal streak against the Rangers, scoring eight times in that span.

Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and an assist against the Islanders and has recorded two and three in a four-game point streak. He had three assists Dec. 20.

Marcus Johansson has five goals and six assists in his last 10 games and three goals and two assists in his past three against the Rangers, but won't play after being suspended two games Friday. The center was penalized for a hit to the head of Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey.

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:42 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

Preview: Islanders (19-14) at Flyers (16-15)

Date: January 09, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

One game after outslugging the highest-scoring team in the NHL, the New York Islanders had no answer for one of the league's best goaltenders.

With their own goalie situation settling down upon Jaroslav Halak's return, a matchup against the light-scoring Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday could be just what the Islanders need to start turning things around.

New York (22-14-5) has been shaky in net over its last three games with a combined 14 goals allowed, though the talented opposition certainly played a significant role.

Sandwiched between a 5-2 loss at Pittsburgh last Saturday and Thursday's 4-1 home defeat against Washington was Sunday's 6-5 victory against a Western Conference-leading Dallas team averaging a league-high 3.4 goals this season.

It was the third time during a 4-2-0 stretch that the Islanders won with at least five goals, but they couldn't manage much against Capitals netminder Braden Holtby despite peppering him with 35 shots. That robust total even marked a dip for New York, which threw 44 shots at the Penguins and 40 at the Stars.

The Isles fell behind 2-0 after one period of a loss that extended first-place Washington's lead over them in the Metropolitan Division to 14 points.

"We have to be better out of the gate," said captain John Tavares, who was held off the scoresheet for the second straight game after earning his third consecutive All-Star selection a day earlier. "We were a little slow to start today. There's a reason they've only lost a handful of times. ... We have to raise our level and be better."

Halak was activated off injured reserve Tuesday after missing five games due to an upper-body injury and stopped 35 of 38 shots in his first action since Dec. 21.

He'll likely be in goal against the Flyers considering his strong play in the first two meetings. Halak won both those starts with a 1.92 GAA, and although he allowed three goals in a 4-3 shootout win at Philadelphia on Dec. 8, he faced a season-high 46 shots.

Frans Nielsen scored three goals in those two games, and Kyle Okposo had a goal and an assist, but Tavares was quiet with a single assist.

Philadelphia (17-15-7) is second to last in the league with 2.21 goals per game but has followed a three-game skid that featured five total goals with a pair of 4-3 wins.

Defenseman Michael Del Zotto scored his second of the game - and just his third of the season - with 37 seconds left in overtime to beat Minnesota on Thursday.

"I haven't had a ton of bounces go in for me or anything like that, so it was nice to be able to contribute offensively and help the team win," Del Zotto said.

After holding Montreal scoreless on four power plays in Tuesday's home victory, the Flyers stopped Minnesota on two chances with the advantage to end their road skid at five. They had allowed eight power-play goals in the previous five games.

The club returns home looking to extend a four-game win streak there since losing to the Islanders. Philadelphia, 6-1-1 in its last eight on home ice, has earned at least a point in its last nine at home in the series, going 5-0-4 in that span.

New York hasn't won in regulation at Wells Fargo Center since a 4-1 victory on Jan. 19, 2012, that snapped a 13-game skid in Philadelphia.

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:42 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

Preview: Bruins (19-14) at Senators (16-16)

Date: January 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Boston Bruins' best offensive showing of the season came last week against the Ottawa Senators, but they suffered a key loss thanks to Brad Marchand's low hit on Mark Borowiecki.

It's fittingly the Senators that Marchand will face Saturday night in his return from a three-game suspension for that hit.

Boston (21-14-4) scored four third-period goals to beat Ottawa 7-3 at home on Dec. 29 after falling 3-1 on the road two days earlier despite a 39-22 shots advantage.

While the Bruins were setting a season high in scoring and salvaging a split in the home-and-home set, Marchand up-ended Borowiecki in the first period. Although he wasn't assessed a penalty, Marchand received a three-game suspension as a repeat offender.

Marchand is tied with Patrice Bergeron with a team-leading 15 goals, and his absence was felt as Boston went 1-2 without him.

The Bruins, though, kicked off this trip Friday with a 4-1 victory at New Jersey, as Ryan Spooner had a goal and assist to back Jonas Gustavsson's 19 saves.

Boston is 12-3-2 on the road for a league-high .765 winning percentage. That's offset their 9-11-2 home record that ranks toward the bottom of the NHL.

"Maybe we keep it a little more simple on the road," Gustavsson said after the Bruins won for the fourth time in their last five away from home.

Jimmy Hayes scored Friday to give him four goals in four games. That stretch started Dec. 29 when he tallied his first career hat trick against the Senators (19-16-6).

He has no points in the last three visits to the Canadian capital.

Spooner has six points (one goal, five assists) in his past four games overall, and four goals and two assists in his last four against the Senators.

Tuukka Rask, who should be back in net, has been instrumental in Boston's road success. He's 7-2-2 with a 1.85 goals-against average away from TD Garden, but is 1-3-0 with a 3.50 GAA over his last five starts at Ottawa.

The Senators are 4-8-1 in their last 13 games, dropping four of five while being outscored 18-8. They gave up two goals in an 8-second span of the first period in Thursday's 3-2 loss to Florida despite yielding a season-low 16 shots.

Ottawa gives up a league-high 33.3 shots per game but has shown some improvement with 26.3 over the last four contests.

"We're playing better," center Kyle Turris told the team's official website. "It's funny how that works, when you start playing better and things start turning around in terms of how the team's playing, and things just aren't going your way.

"We've just got to realize it's going to come. We're going to start getting bounces and scoring goals. We've just got to stick with what we're doing."

Turris may heed his own advice as he's failed to score in 10 straight games. His current streak includes a pointless effort at Boston last month. However, he had two assists at home two days earlier, giving him two goals and three assists in the last two matchups there.

Mike Hoffman leads the Senators with 19 goals, but he's scored twice in the past 10 games. One of those tallies, though, came at Boston on Dec. 29.

The Bruins have lost four of five at Ottawa following an 11-game win streak there.

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:42 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

Preview: Penguins (18-16) at Canadiens (21-16)

Date: January 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Montreal Canadiens are starting to play better after a three-week span which featured one victory. The Pittsburgh Penguins were on a bit of a roll until running into the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Montreal looks to post back-to-back wins for the first time since late November on Saturday night when it faces a Pittsburgh team that's had recent success at Bell Centre.

The Canadiens (23-16-3) have alternated wins and losses in their last five games, and while that stretch doesn't necessarily mean they've turned things around, it's a dramatic improvement following a 1-10-0 record Dec. 3-26.

Montreal split the last four on a season-high eight-game trip before opening a three-game homestand with a 2-1 victory over New Jersey on Wednesday. It hasn't won two in a row since taking four straight Nov. 20-27.

"It's time for us to play the right way for a couple of games in a row now. It hasn't been the case as of late," captain Max Pacioretty told the team's official website. "We played a good, strong game last game and we've got to build off that and play the right way against Pittsburgh."

Pacioretty scored on the power play for his 17th goal Wednesday and Torrey Mitchell added a short-handed score, Montreal's eighth to tie Ottawa for the NHL lead. The Canadiens, though, are 4 for 48 on the power play in their last 16 games.

"When you win the special-teams battle, you definitely give yourself a much greater opportunity of winning the game," Pacioretty said. "This game is so tightly checked that 5-on-5 goals are very tough to score."

Special teams have recently been a strong point for Pittsburgh (19-16-5), which has held opponents without a goal in 20 power-play opportunities over its last eight and is 10 for 28 (35.7 percent) on its own chances in the previous nine. The Penguins, though, were swept by Chicago in a home-and-home series this week following a 4-1-1 stretch.

Pittsburgh scored twice in the third period to send Tuesday's home matchup to overtime, where it lost 3-2, before allowing two goals in the third the next night in a 3-1 defeat at Chicago.

"I think just dictating the play has been more of our identity here lately and tonight when we don't do that you see the difference," captain Sidney Crosby said. "We are really a team that can skate and play on our toes and when we're doing that we're playing fast and we're tough to contain."

Crosby was held without a point Wednesday after registering six goals and six assists in his previous eight games. He had six goals in his first 32 contests.

"You always pay attention to Sidney. He's the best player in the world," Pacioretty said. "He's playing well. It was only a matter of time. You have to be aware of him on the ice. ... Our job is to make sure he doesn't get any chances."

These teams have split two meetings in Pittsburgh this season, a 3-2 win for Montreal on Oct. 13 and a 4-3 shootout victory for the Penguins on Nov. 11. Pittsburgh has won two straight in Montreal and is 5-1-1 in its last seven visits.

"They're a team that's desperate," Pacioretty said. "They'll do whatever it takes to win the game, especially in Montreal. We've got to put together a good game after a strong performance last game."

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

Preview: Maple Leafs (12-16) at Sharks (17-18)

Date: January 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

A tight division is keeping the panic button out of reach for the San Jose Sharks.

However, more than a month of mostly negative results is becoming difficult to pass off with a second straight season out of the playoffs after 10 in them emerging as a distinct possibility.

Still searching for their first win of 2016, they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night hoping to improve a dismal home record.

The Sharks (18-18-2) are 4-9-2 since the start of December after Thursday's 2-1 loss to Detroit. The defeat was their third in four games on a five-game homestand and dropped them to an NHL-worst 5-12-0 at home, with a league-low 38 goals.

They've been limited to 13 goals in going 1-6-0 in their last seven in San Jose.

Joel Ward scored Thursday's first-period equalizer and nearly had another goal just before the Red Wings got the third-period winner.

"It's definitely frustrating. You get a good chance on one end and the next thing you know they come down and score," said Ward, who scored for the first time in 10 games.

Brett Burns assisted and has 12 points in his last eight games after extending his point streak to a season-best five, but San Jose has been limited to a goal in each of the last two. That's made things more difficult on Martin Jones, who's been in goal for the entire homestand.

Jones has gone 3-3-1 with a 3.43 goals-against average in his last seven starts. The third-year player, who went 11-5-0 with a 2.02 mark and three shutouts in his first 17 games for the Sharks through Nov. 21, is 3-0-0 with a 1.65 GAA against Toronto.

"I thought we played a pretty good game, just needed a bit more," Jones said.

They've had that against the Maple Leafs. The Sharks have won the last six meetings - outscoring Toronto 24-11 - and 10 of 11. San Jose is 13-8-0 against the Eastern Conference, but Toronto is 11-6-1 against the West.

The Leafs' latest such game, though, was Thursday's 2-1 defeat at Los Angeles that snapped a three-game winning streak. Despite the loss, the Maple Leafs (16-16-7) have been going in the opposite direction of San Jose with an 8-3-2 surge, during which they've averaged 3.46 goals.

Peter Holland scored for the second time in three games, and coach Mike Babcock wasn't displeased after opening the three-game trip with a 4-0 win over Anaheim the night before.

"I like our preparation. I like the way we get ready," said Babcock, whose team has won five of seven on the road with 13 goals allowed. "Today we knew the first 10 minutes was going to be hard for us, and in the end we were still right there and gave ourselves a chance."

That's started in the defensive zone with the Maple Leafs giving up five goals in the 3-1-0 span. Jonathan Bernier's covered most of that in goal and will start after James Reimer returned from a groin injury against the Kings.

Bernier has won his last three starts with a 0.97 GAA, including a 39-save shutout of the Ducks. After starting the season 0-8-3 with a 3.46 GAA, he's gone 6-2-0 with a 2.21 mark.

Bernier is 1-3-1 with a 3.66 GAA in six games against the Sharks.

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

Preview: Hurricanes (17-18) at Blue Jackets (13-24)

Date: January 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella doesn't sound like he wants retribution for a blindside hit to his captain, though the Carolina Hurricanes are saying they'll be ready for anything.

The Blue Jackets will likely be without Nick Foligno on Saturday night when they meet the visiting Hurricanes to complete a home-and-home set.

Carolina (17-18-7) beat Columbus 4-1 at home Friday, and one of the major talking points was a blind-side hit by the Hurricanes' Brad Malone on Foligno early in the third period. Foligno was hit in the chin and left the game after laying down face-first on the ice for some time.

The Blue Jackets' Ryan Malone got in the face of Brad Malone after that incident. Later in the period, Brad Malone and Columbus center Brandon Dubinsky got 5-minute fighting majors.

Tortorella said he gave Dubinsky "high marks" for fighting on behalf of his fallen teammate, but the coach claims there won't be any carry-over into this contest.

"They'll figure it out, the league has to look at it," Tortorella said. "I am certainly not going to complain or try and position anything. In the situation we're in, we need to shut our mouths and play. So there's no complaining here, I'm not going to belly-ache about it. Let the league figure it out and we need to get ready to play another game."

The Hurricanes are insisting it wasn't a dirty play.

"I know on the play I don't think either of them saw each other, it's an unfortunate play," forward Jordan Staal said. "Bugsy (Brad Malone) stood up for himself and he did a great job. Whether or not it's going to happen tomorrow, we'll see but we'll be ready as a team."

The Metropolitan Division's two worst teams played a physical game even before the third period as they matched up for the first time. Elias Lindholm scored twice, Kris Versteeg had two assists and Cam Ward made 35 saves as the Hurricanes ended a three-game slide.

"I thought it was a highly contested game and so it should be in the division," Carolina coach Bill Peters said.

Peters said he would give consideration to handing Ward Saturday's start. Ward has started both ends of a back-to-back three times, winning the second game on the last two occasions.

Dubinsky scored and Anton Forsberg made 25 saves as Columbus (15-24-3) dropped a fourth straight road game. If Forsberg doesn't start Saturday, Joonas Korpisalo is the other option with Sergei Bobrovsky and Curtis McElhinney on injured reserve

Blue Jackets fans will get their first look at defenseman Seth Jones, who made his club debut Friday after being acquired in the blockbuster deal two days earlier that sent underachieving Ryan Johansen to Nashville.

Columbus has dropped its last three home games with Carolina.

"We've gotta (have) more of an attack mind-set," Ryan Malone said. "I think we were a little robotic out there and just thinking more about what to do instead of just feeling what to do."

Hurricanes center Victor Rask, second on the team with 26 points, could play after sitting out Friday with an upper-body injury.

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

Preview: Wild (21-11) at Stars (27-10)

Date: January 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Jim Nill's determination to turn the Dallas Stars into a Stanley Cup contender prompted him to make several major moves after taking the general manager job in 2013.

The players he's acquired on his watch are helping realize his vision in his third season at the helm, leading to a five-year contract extension as a reward for the Stars sitting atop the Western Conference just past the season's midway point.

Dallas looks to win six straight at home for the first time in more than nine years by beating the Minnesota Wild for the fourth time this season Saturday night.

Nill plucked Tyler Seguin from Boston less than three months into on the job to pair him with Jamie Benn, who won the Art Ross Trophy last season. They have 24 goals apiece and are again among the league's leading scorers, but they also have a solid supporting cast that has the Stars (29-10-4) eying a deep postseason run.

Seguin scored in regulation before he and offseason acquisition Patrick Sharp scored in the shootout of a 2-1 win over Winnipeg on Thursday that snapped a three-game skid.

Sharp also had an assist, and his 36 points rank third on the club behind Benn, Seguin and defenseman John Klingberg. Jason Spezza, whom Nill acquired from Ottawa before last season, is fourth with 33.

"In just over two years, Jim has helped instill a culture of excellence within our organization and extending that partnership to 2022-23 is vital for the direction of the hockey club," owner Tom Gaglardi said. "From the day he stepped into this role, he has displayed tremendous decision-making in the re-tooling of our group and we're excited to build upon the foundation that has been laid."

The latest victory snapped the Stars' worst funk of the season and brought them to the verge of their first six-game home streak since Nov. 20-Dec. 6, 2006. Sharp's assist Thursday gave him eight along with six goals during an 11-game point streak.

"It wasn't our best game, but the guys found a way to win," said Seguin, who snapped a season-worst three-game point drought. "We're going to be happy with that. That's something we can build off of."

Seguin has four goals and five assists during a five-game point streak against the Wild, including an overtime goal Nov. 28 before scoring and then assisting on Vernon Fiddler's second goal in a 6-3 victory in the most recent matchup Dec. 21.

Minnesota (21-11-8) will be playing on the road for the fifth time in six games after Thursday's 4-3 home loss in overtime to Philadelphia. Zach Parise had a hat trick in Tuesday's win over Columbus and scored against the Flyers to tie it in the third.

The Wild couldn't complete the comeback after falling behind by two goals midway through the second.

"I think it showed the second half of the game that it's all mental," coach Mike Yeo said. "Once we addressed it, the guys, I thought, started to feed off each other's energy. It takes a lot of character to come back with the schedule that we've had."

Devan Dubnyk made 32 saves, but it's unclear if he'll be in net for this contest with Minnesota playing Sunday against New Jersey. He has a 3.73 goals-against average while losing three of his last four starts against Dallas.

Antti Niemi could be back in net for the Stars. He has a 1.97 GAA in his last five appearances against the Wild but didn't start Thursday after giving up six goals in Tuesday's loss to the New York Rangers.

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

Preview: Predators (17-15) at Coyotes (20-16)

Date: January 09, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Ryan Johansen made an immediate contribution in his initial game with the Nashville Predators but couldn't end his new team's recent woes singlehandedly.

The Predators will try again when they face an opponent they've dominated recently on Saturday night, but the Arizona Coyotes have been playing some of their best hockey of late.

Nashville (19-15-7) acquired Johansen from Columbus on Wednesday for defenseman Seth Jones in a swap of former top-five draft picks. The forward scored the opening goal and had an assist in his first contest for the Predators on Friday, but Colorado took command in the third period for a 5-3 win.

"It's definitely nice to get something early like that. Hopefully, I can use that as some confidence and move forward in shooting the puck," said Johansen, who scored his first goal in 16 games. "It's too bad we couldn't find a way to win this one. It would have been a lot cooler."

Nashville dropped to 1-3-1 in its last five after its second straight loss. The Predators have lost three in a row twice this season, most recently Dec. 12-17, but will next face a team it has beaten six consecutive times.

Nashville won 5-2 at home against the Coyotes (20-16-4) in the latest meeting Dec. 1. Filip Forsberg scored two of the Predators' four goals in a third-period rally.

Arizona, however, would appear in prime form to end its lengthy skid to Nashville. The Coyotes are 6-1-2 in their last nine and 3-0-1 in their past four with a 2-1 victory in Calgary on Thursday.

Martin Hanzal tallied the tiebreaking goal early in the third period in his first game since Dec. 19, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored his fifth in nine contests. Hanzal had missed the previous seven games because of a lower-body injury.

"He's a big body out there. You don't realize how much you miss him until he comes back," coach Dave Tippett said. "He solidifies our center ice. It's certainly good to have him back."

In the opener to a seven-game homestand, Tippett's team will seek to win three in a row for the first time since Nov. 25-28. Nashville is 1-4-1 in its last six road games.

The Predators might start backup goaltender Carter Hutton after Pekka Rinne was in net for Friday's loss. Hutton, 3-1-1 with a 2.95 goals-against average in five starts this season, lost in a shootout in his only matchup with Arizona on Oct. 31, 2013.

Rinne is 5-0-0 with a 1.37 GAA and a shutout in his last five games against the Coyotes and that could tempt coach Peter Laviolette to leave him in. Rinne has only started once this season on consecutive days, allowing four goals on 27 shots in a 4-0 loss at Minnesota on Nov. 21.

Tippett, meanwhile, is expected to give Louis Domingue his fifth consecutive start. Domingue lost 2-1 in overtime to Nashville in his lone matchup March 9, making 38 saves.

James Neal scored the winning goal in that game, among his four in his last four matchups, but he doesn't have a point in a season-worst five consecutive contests. Johansen has three goals and two assists in his last four games against Arizona.

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:44 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

Preview: Lightning (18-17) at Canucks (13-16)

Date: January 09, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Vancouver Canucks have been among the biggest disappointments over the season's first half.

Only one will get the second half off to a positive start.

Seeking back-to-back wins for the first time in almost a month, the Lightning go for a fourth straight victory in Vancouver on Saturday night.

Tampa Bay (20-17-4) made a run to the Stanley Cup Final last season, losing in six games to Chicago. That increased expectations for 2015-16, making the Lightning one of the favorites to win the Cup.

They're not even in playoff position at the midway point, however, sitting one point back of New Jersey for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Canucks aren't much better. They're third in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of Calgary, the team that knocked them out of the opening round of last year's playoffs.

Vancouver, though, is starting to show some improvement at home, winning five of seven there after a 3-6-3 start.

Bo Horvat scored his second goal with 1:06 left in regulation, putting the Canucks ahead for good in a 3-2 home win over Carolina on Wednesday.

Horvat has three goals in two games after netting two over the first 39.

Sven Baertschi is also giving Vancouver some unexpected scoring. He has four goals and two assists over the past six games after getting one of each against the Hurricanes.

The scoring depth has been timely with Daniel Sedin scoring once over the past five games while Henrik Sedin has come up empty in 10.

"We need that," second-year coach Willie Desjardins said. "It's been a tough go for Hank and Danny. They've carried us for quite a bit this year. That's not a fair thing to do.

"We've been waiting for somebody else to step us. Baertschi seems to have found his game at this level a little bit. He's playing well. He's making great plays with the puck. Bo is a strong guy. He's a good skater. They have found some chemistry with (Radim) Vrbata and we need that scoring."

Daniel Sedin and Baertschi found the net in a 2-1 win at Tampa Bay on Dec. 22. However, it was the Canucks' penalty-killing unit that was vital, stopping the Lightning on nine of 10 power plays.

"We have to make sure we're ready to skate. They're a good skating club," Desjardins said. "They've got lots of talent. We just have to make sure we're ready to skate with them."

That hasn't been the case at Vancouver, where the Lightning have won three straight meetings after going 0-8-1 with two ties in their first 11 visits.

Tampa Bay is 4-4-1 since winning back-to-back games on Dec. 14-15. The Lightning are aiming to do that again after scoring three unanswered goals in the third period of Friday's 3-2 win at Edmonton.

Tied for the team lead with 31 points, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos are doing their part.

Kucherov has 13 points in 10 games while Stamkos has seven goals and two assists over the last nine. That stretch, though, includes a pointless performance against the Canucks last month for Stamkos, who collected eight goals and six assists in his first seven career meetings.

Vancouver acquired Emerson Etem from the New York Rangers on Friday in exchange for Nicklas Jensen and a sixth-round pick in 2017. He had three assists in 19 games for New York.

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:44 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

Preview: Blues (21-14) at Kings (24-12)

Date: January 09, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Kings' comfortable lead in the Pacific Division is partly due to their dominance at home. The St. Louis Blues have experienced it for over four years.

The Kings try to beat the struggling Blues for a 12th straight meeting at Staples Center on Saturday night.

Los Angeles (26-12-2) heads into the midway point of its season with a 10-point cushion on second-place Arizona in the division.

The Kings, who haven't won a division title since 1990-91, have won 13 of their last 16 home games after an 0-3 start there.

They got this four-game homestand off to a strong start Thursday, beating Toronto 2-1 for their sixth win in seven overall.

History would indicate Los Angeles has a good chance to keep that success going. The Kings have won 11 straight home matchups with the Blues (23-14-7), including three in the playoffs.

They also won 3-0 at St. Louis on Nov. 3 in the first of three season meetings.

The Blues enter this one on an 0-2-3 skid, their longest losing streak since dropping the final six games of 2013-14.

St. Louis has squandered two-goal leads in each of its last three games, including Friday's 4-3 shootout loss at Anaheim. The Blues' collapse was highlighted by being outshot 22-3 after the second period.

"It's kind of been that way the last couple weeks for us. We get a lead, I think we start feeling a little bit too comfortable," said right wing Ryan Reaves, who scored his second goal. "I think we put in a pretty gutsy effort, but we've got to learn to bury teams in the third period.

"We're in a rut right now, and we're finding ways to kind of shoot ourselves in the foot."

That includes Vladimir Tarasenko, whose 24 goals are tied with Dallas' Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin for the league lead. The All-Star right wing has only scored twice over the past seven games and was held without a point Friday.

Tarasenko notched seven goals and three assists over his previous nine overall matchups with the Kings before the shutout in November.

Alexander Steen has been held in check by Los Angeles, tallying just two points in 14 career road meetings, including playoffs.

St. Louis has scored three goals or fewer in 11 of the last 12 games and facing Jonathan Quick doesn't figure to help any. Quick has posted a .955 save percentage during a six-start win streak and made 25 saves against the Maple Leafs.

Quick has been in net for 10 of the 11 wins during the Kings' home streak against the Blues, compiling a 1.22 goals-against average and four shutouts.

Jeff Carter has two points at St. Louis in November, giving him seven in the last three matchups. The center scored his 12th goal Thursday after missing five games with an upper-body injury.

"He hasn't played - everyone says it was 26th, but he really hasn't played since the 22nd of December - so you had to really manage it and watch it, so he was able to manage it," coach Darryl Sutter said. "I think he did a good job of it."

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:44 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

Grand Salami - January

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
1/1 2 10.5 9 UNDER
1/2 12 61.5 63 OVER
1/3 4 21 22 OVER
1/4 5 27 17 UNDER
1/5 8 43.5 46 OVER
1/6 5 26.5 23 UNDER
1/7 7 38.5 29 UNDER
1/8 6 31.5 34 OVER
1/9 10 - - -
1/10 6 - - -
1/11 4 - - -
1/12 8 - - -
1/13 4 - - -
1/14 8 - - -
1/15 6 - - -
1/16 10 - - -
1/17 7 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 3 - - -
1/21 10 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 11 - - -
1/24 5 - - -
1/25 6 - - -
1/26 9 - - -
1/27 4 - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 No games scheduled - - -

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:44 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

NHL

Hot teams
-- Washington won eight of its last ten games.
-- Islanders won three of their last five games. Philly won its last four home games.
-- Toronto won three of its last four games.
-- Arizona won three of its last four games.
-- Canucks won four of their last six games.
-- Los Angeles won six of its last seven games.

Cold teams
-- Rangers lost five of their last eight games.
-- Boston lost five of its last seven games. Senators lost six of last eight.
-- Penguins lost four of their last six games. Montreal lost seven of its last ten.
-- San Jose lost five of its last seven games.
-- Carolina lost three of its last four games. Blue Jackets lost five of last seven.
-- Minnesota, Dallas both lost three of their last four games.
-- Predators lost four of their last five games.
-- Lightning is 4-5 in its last nine games.
-- St Louis lost its last five games, last three in OT/SO.

Series records
-- Rangers won four of last five games with Washington.
-- Islanders won six of their last seven games with Philly.
-- Ottawa won four of last six games with Boston.
-- Road team won five of last six Pittsburgh-Montreal games.
-- Sharks won their last six games with Toronto.
-- Hurricanes won four of last five games with Columbus.
-- Dallas Stars won four of last five games with Minnesota.
-- Coyotes lost their last six games with Nashville.
-- Lightning won four of last five games with Vancouver.
-- Kings won eight of last ten games with St Louis.

Totals
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Washington games.
-- Five of last six Philly games went over total.
-- Six of last seven Ottawa games stayed under.
-- Three of last four Pittsburgh road games stayed under.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight San Jose games.
-- Under is 7-2 in last nine Carolina-Columbus games.
-- Five of last six Dallas-Minnesota games went over.
-- Six of last eight Nashville-Arizona games went over.
-- Under is 4-0-2 in last six Tampa Bay-Vancouver games.
-- Last four Los Angeles games stayed under the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Boston is 3-1 if it played night before; teams are 3-7 night after playing the Devils.
-- Carolina is 5-2 if it played night before; Columbus is 3-7, 2-1 at home.
-- Nashville is 0-5 if it played night before.
-- Tampa Bay is 2-4 if it played night before; teams are 2-5 night before playing the Oilers. .
-- St Louis is 3-2 on road if it played night before; teams are 3-8 the night after playing against the Ducks.

**TheGame** · 01-09-2016, 06:45 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 1/9

NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews

Unless you have lived in south Florida for a couple of decades, you probably only considered the Florida Panthers franchise relevant once in its history: the 1995-96 season when the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Finals. That team, led by goalie John Vanbiesbrouck and forwards Scott Mellanby and Rob Niedermayer, was swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Finals, but hockey was a big deal in Miami then (not any longer).

You may remember fans there throwing rubber rats on the ice every time Florida scored. How did a rat become synonymous with that 1995-96 team? On the night of the home opener, a rat scurried across the team's locker room. Mellanby reacted by one-timing the rat against the wall, killing it. That night, he scored two goals, which Vanbiesbrouck called "a rat trick." It caught on immediately and then really took off in the postseason.

The Panthers have made the playoffs just three times since then and not won a series, last losing the conference quarterfinals in 2012. But entering Tuesday, the Panthers are atop the Atlantic Division with 50 points and are the story of the early NHL season. They were 11-3-0 in December and took a franchise-record nine-game winning streak into Tuesday's game at Buffalo, which starts a six-game road trip ( Panthers are -130 favorites). Center Dave Bolland, Florida's highest-paid forward at $5.5 million per season, will not travel with the team. He likely won't return until after the All-Star break.

Florida is the fourth team to win nine straight this season; the Capitals, Canadiens and Rangers all failed to reach 10. Florida is on pace for 105 points after ending with 91 last season.

Ageless Jaromir Jagr, 43, leads the team in goals (13) and points (28). He is just six goals away from tying Brett Hull's 741, which ranks third on the NHL's all-time list. Jagr was voted a captain by the fans for the Atlantic Division All-Star team, although Jagr has admitted he would rather spend the time off in the Bahamas. Hey, who wouldn't rather be there than Nashville in January? Before voting was finalized, Jagr joked that he'd die if he had to play the new 3-on-3 format with some of the game's biggest stars. Goalie Roberto Luongo also is having a fine season with a 17-11-3 record and 2.09 GAA. Backup Al Montoya has been even better with a 6-6-1 mark and 1.69 GAA. The team's 5-on-5 save percentage is .941, tied for the highest in the league.

Over the weekend, the Panthers gave coach Gerard Gallant a contract extension. The team's GM is Dale Tallon, who deserves a lot of credit for building the Chicago Blackhawks into the powerhouse they are now, also just got an extension.

Oddsmakers haven't totally jumped on the Panthers bandwagon yet. They are +1400 to win the Stanley Cup, tied for the sixth-shortest odds. Florida is a +600 co-second favorite with Montreal to win the East.

Here are some other games to watch this week.

St. Louis at Los Angeles, Saturday: The Kings are pulling away in the Pacific Division but had a five-game winning streak end Saturday at Colorado, 4-1. No. 1 goalie Jonathan Quick got the night off, however. Quick was named the NHL's First Star of the Week on Monday after going 4-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average last week. Kings center Jeff Carter missed a fifth straight game with an upper-body injury Saturday. He has 11 goals and 17 assists this season. Carter did travel, so he's probably back by this game if not earlier. The Blues entered the week on a three-game losing streak, totaling just four goals. They did get back forward Patrik Berglund on Saturday in Toronto after he had missed the first 40 games due to offseason shoulder surgery. Berglund, who had 12 goals and 15 assists last year, skated on a line with David Backes and Magnus Paajarvi. This will be the Blues' third game in four nights and second of a back-to-back as St. Louis is at Anaheim on Saturday. The Kings won 3-0 in St. Louis on Nov. 3. Quick sat that one out as well. Jhonas Enroth had the shutout.

Announcement

NHL Betting Info. 1/9

NHL Betting Info. 1/9

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