NHL Betting Info. 2/6

[TheGame]

Preview: Capitals (36-9) at Devils (26-20)


Date: February 06, 2016 1:00 PM EDT


With Alex Ovechkin back in tow, the Washington Capitals appear poised to resume their winning ways.


The visiting Capitals can build on their latest victory with a fifth consecutive win over the New Jersey Devils, who should have their No. 1 goaltender available Saturday.


Back from his one-game suspension for missing last weekend's All-Star festivities, Ovechkin scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:40 left in regulation to give Washington (36-9-4) a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday.


'He's a goal scorer,' said Braden Holtby, who made 24 saves in his first post-All-Star Game appearance. 'That's what we need him to do. He came through in the right time.


"That's the way our team is. Every guy has their role and everyone seems to be doing it. That's Ovi's role."


Ovechkin has three of his team-leading 29 goals in his last four contests for the NHL-leading Capitals, who avoided their first three-game slide by bouncing back from Tuesday's 5-2 defeat to Florida. Bothered by a lower-body injury, Ovechkin sat out the All-Star Game and by league rules was forced to miss one game.


He admitted being rusty in his first action since Jan. 27, but found his form when it counted.


'Practicing is one thing, but when you're playing, it's a totally different thing, a different level," he said. It was a little bit hard, but at the end, I just kept rolling and we did our job.'


The Capitals have done a fine job despite the NHL's top power-play unit going 4 for 24 over the last seven games. They scored twice on five chances in a 5-3 home win over New Jersey (26-20-6) on Oct. 10.


Keith Kinkaid made 22 saves in that contest for the Devils, and had a season-high 37 in Thursday's 3-2 shootout loss at Toronto. Kinkaid made his ninth start in place of Cory Schneider, who sat with an undisclosed injury he apparently suffered while stopping 31 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Rangers.


Neither Schneider nor Devils coach John Hynes appear concerned with the injury, and the veteran netminder believes he should be ready to return for this matchup. Schneider has posted a 1.71 goals-against average while winning eight of his last 13 starts, but a 3.03 GAA during an 0-2-1 stretch against the Caps.


In pursuit of their first playoff appearance since 2011-12, the Devils blew a late 2-1 lead Thursday but managed to earn at least one point for the sixth time in seven contests.


"I think it was a valuable point to gain," Hynes said. "It was a tough, hard-fought game.


"However, we didn't necessarily play our best. We'll take it and we've got to make sure we're better going into Washington."


With a goal and an assist, veteran defenseman David Schlemko has two and four assists in five games.


Adam Henrique scored the first of his 16 goals this season against Washington but has one in the last nine.


Ovechkin has eight goals and three assists in his last 10 against New Jersey.


Though Holtby yielded three goals on 24 shots to the Devils in October, he's won four straight in the series and has a 1.29 GAA in a 6-1-0 stretch against them.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

Preview: Rangers (28-18) at Flyers (23-18)


Date: February 06, 2016 1:00 PM EDT


Wayne Simmonds' scoring binge has pushed the Philadelphia Flyers to the verge of matching their longest win streak of the season.


The New York Rangers haven't been able to harness J.T. Miller's bevy of goals into an extended run.


Both players have shined in recent matchups between the teams, and Simmonds looks to lead the Flyers to a fourth consecutive victory Saturday.


Simmonds has six goals and three assists in a five-game point streak, and he's scored four times in the past two of his team's three consecutive wins. He had two goals and an assist in the Flyers' highest-scoring performance of the season, a 6-3 victory at Nashville on Thursday.


Simmonds' linemate Claude Giroux also had two goals and an assist while Brayden Schenn scored in a third straight game.


The Flyers (23-18-8) were next-to-last in the league with 2.24 goals per game in their first 46 but have outscored opponents 14-8 during their win streak.


"I said earlier in the year that we weren't getting any bounces. I think things have kind of turned and we're starting to get some bounces," Simmonds said. "We're just staying calm. We're just sticking with our game plan."


Miller has eight goals and one assist in the last eight games, beginning with a 3-2 shootout victory at Philadelphia on Jan. 16. The Rangers, though, have gone just 5-3-0 in that stretch and alternated losses and wins in the past four contests.


They fell 3-2 to New Jersey in their return from the All-Star break Tuesday, their 13th loss in 16 road contests, then bounced back for a 4-2 home win over Minnesota on Thursday.


Miller had the tying goal in the second period as New York (28-18-5) rallied from an early 2-0 deficit and assisted on Derick Brassard's go-ahead tally with 14:14 remaining.


"This was a huge test for us to see where we were as a team," Miller said. "We've been up and down with the wins lately, and to be down 2-0 in the first and hold them to nothing is a good response. It's a good test of character for the group."


Miller has four goals and one assist in his last five against Philadelphia. Simmonds has recorded four goals and two assists in his past four matchups with the Rangers, but his tying goal in the third period couldn't lift the Flyers to a fourth consecutive win in the series in January.


Philadelphia has taken two of three meetings with New York this season, splitting a pair of shootouts at home. The Flyers won 3-2 in the Rangers' first visit Oct. 24.


They won't have Sean Couturier for this matchup, as the center is expected to miss the next four weeks after re-aggravating a lower-body injury. Couturier, placed on injured reserve Friday, has nine goals and 15 assists and recorded 16 points in his last 16 games.


The Flyers have called up their leading scorer from their AHL affiliate, Nick Cousins.


"I think we all know it's a big loss for us, but we've got other guys who are going to fill in and need to pick up the slack," general manager Ron Hextall said. "No one is going to replace (Couturier). It's got to be a group effort. I like the resiliency of our team, and we've got to continue with that."


Rick Nash is expected to remain out for the Rangers because of a bone bruise on his left leg, but defenseman Kevin Klein could play despite fracturing his thumb Tuesday.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

Preview: Islanders (26-17) at Red Wings (25-18)


Date: February 06, 2016 2:00 PM EDT


The Detroit Red Wings' most recent win came against the New York Islanders in their final game before the All-Star break. Back-to-back road losses followed, but the start of a five-game homestand might not provide much relief.


Detroit has dropped five in a row at Joe Louis Arena and looks to avoid its longest skid there in two seasons in Saturday's rematch with the Islanders.


Justin Abdelkader and Danny DeKeyser scored in a 1:11 span of the second period to lead the Red Wings to a 4-2 victory over New York on Jan. 25. Detroit (25-18-8) was then outscored 9-4 in back-to-back games in Florida.


They allowed their most goals this season in a 6-3 defeat to the Panthers on Thursday. Jimmy Howard gave up five - three in the first 11:06 - to give him an 0-4-3 record and 3.93 goals-against average in his last eight starts.


Detroit has allowed four goals on seven power plays in its two defeats after killing off 25 of 28 penalties in its previous 10 games.


"We've just got to keep grinding," coach Jeff Blashill said. "We've got a big game against the Islanders on Saturday. ... We've been in these playoff-type games the whole year. It's going to continue to be like this for the last 30 games. We have to buckle in and be ready to grind it out every day."


Petr Mrazek was in goal for a 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Wednesday and is expected to return to the net Saturday. He stopped 27 shots Jan. 25.


New York (26-17-6) has split its two games since the All-Star break, topping Minnesota 5-3 on Tuesday and losing 3-2 at Washington on Thursday.


The Islanders allowed Alex Ovechkin's go-ahead goal with 2:40 remaining in their third loss in four road games, but defenseman Thomas Hickey was pleased with his team's showing.


"I thought we had a really good effort and most nights that's going to win you a lot of games against any team and sometimes it's going to beat them, but just not quite enough," he told the team's official website. "We can be proud of our effort."


The Islanders will try to bounce back by sending the Red Wings to their first six-game losing streak at Joe Louis since an 0-2-6 skid Oct. 21-Nov. 19, 2013.


Detroit had dropped five consecutive home games against New York before a 4-1 victory Jan. 31, 2015. The Red Wings were outshot 23-19 but Mrazek shined in net.


Tomas Tatar scored the opening goal in that game and has two goals and two assists in his last four against the Islanders. Tatar has three assists in his past four contests but is in the midst of a seven-game goal drought.


Islanders forward Brock Nelson has recorded three goals and two assists in his last four games against Detroit. He has seven goals and three assists in his past 10 contests.


New York has killed off 27 of 29 penalties in its last nine games but the Red Wings have scored on four of their last eight power plays in the series. The Islanders have gone 9 for 29 with a man advantage in their past 10 meetings with Detroit.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

Preview: Oilers (21-26) at Canadiens (24-24)


Date: February 06, 2016 2:00 PM EDT


The return of Connor McDavid has momentarily revitalized the Edmonton Oilers' offense.


Issues on both ends of the ice continue to plague the reeling Montreal Canadiens.


Looking for a third straight victory since the All-Star break, the Oilers can also continue their success in this series by extending the Canadiens' longest regulation home skid in 14 seasons Saturday.


Two days after returning from a 37-game absence to record a goal with two assists in a 5-1 win over Columbus, McDavid had two more assists as Edmonton (21-26-5) equaled its highest-scoring game of the season with Thursday's 7-2 rout of Ottawa. The 2015 top overall pick has six goals and 11 assists in 15 games.


"Connor is a big part of it, but it takes a group to win," Oilers coach Todd McLellan told the NHL's official website. "It doesn't matter how good you are."


The Oilers averaged 2.2 goals and converted 14 percent of their power-play chances while McDavid missed almost three months with a broken clavicle. They're 5 for 6 with the man advantage in the last two games, and forward Jordan Eberle has three goals with two assists while playing on McDavid's line this week.


'The thing that impresses me most about (McDavid's) game is he always makes the simple play,' Eberle said.


Though Edmonton remains at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, McDavid's presence has provided some hope. He had two assists in a 4-3 win over Montreal (24-24-4) on Oct. 29.


"If you look at the standings it's pretty simple, we need to win some hockey games if you want to make a push at something," said Eberle. "This is a start."


The only other time Edmonton claimed back-to-back road victories was Oct. 17 and 18. The Oilers have won four straight overall and on the road against Montreal, where they've earned at least one point in the last eight visits.


The same club that opened 9-0-0, the Canadiens have dropped four straight while mired in a 5-20-1 rut. They continue to hear it from a frustrated fan base that's watched them lose five consecutive at home in regulation for the first time since a seven-game slide in 2000-01.


"We feel bad for them,' said forward Dale Weise, who snapped a nine-game goal drought in Wednesday's 4-2 home loss to Buffalo. 'The fans pay a lot of money to come and watch games and we respect them if they want to boo or not.'


The Canadiens averaged 3.4 goals during a 19-4-3 start, but 1.9 in the last 26.


Carey Price, meanwhile, continues to deal with a leg injury that's kept him out since Nov 25. Montreal has yielded an average of 3.1 goals in 29 games since Price went down, and at least four in all but one of the last eight. Its last three opponents went 5 for 10 on the power play.


"The message relayed from up top to us players is that we have to stick together in times like this," captain Max Pacioretty told the Canadiens' official website.


Pacioretty leads all Montreal forwards with 37 points, but his assist Wednesday snapped a five-game point drought.


Grinding forward Zack Kassian, who has a goal with an assist in two games, faces the Canadiens for the first time since they traded him to Edmonton on Dec. 28. Kassian was suspended and placed in Stage 2 of the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program (SABH) of the NHL and the NHLPA after he was injured in a car accident in Montreal prior to the start of this season.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

Preview: Sabres (21-26) at Bruins (27-18)


Date: February 06, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


Jack Eichel's most productive game as a pro came in his triumphant return to Boston just after Christmas, but the Buffalo Sabres' star rookie couldn't lead his team past the Bruins earlier this week.


The Sabres and Eichel seek a better result in their next visit to the TD Garden on Saturday night, when they'll again have to contend with a red-hot Brad Marchand.


Eichel had two goals and two assists in a 6-3 victory against the Bruins on Dec. 26. The former Boston University star and No. 2 overall draft pick hasn't registered more than two points in any of his other 51 games.


Eichel, the Sabres' second-leading scorer with 35 points, was kept off the scoresheet for the second time in seven contests in Thursday's 3-2 shootout defeat to Boston. Marchand tallied his eighth goal in eight games to complete the Bruins' rally from a 2-0 deficit.


"(Marchand has) been really good," said coach Claude Julien, whose team is 5-2-1 during his binge. "Tonight he wasn't just good scoring, he was good everywhere; he was all over the ice. When he plays like that he becomes one of the good players around the league, no doubt."


While it's won four straight on the road, Boston (27-18-6) is 3-6-1 in its last 10 home games, including the loss to the Sabres. The Bruins blew a two-goal lead in their return from the All-Star break Tuesday, a 4-3 overtime defeat to Toronto, and are hoping to get a boost from Thursday's comeback.


"Those are the type of games we need to know how to win, and I thought we showed some good character," Marchand told the team's official website.


Buffalo, though, has won five of seven on the road and out to match a season high with a third consecutive win there.


"The best thing about this league is you get another opportunity. Even better, it's against those guys in Boston in a couple days so we're going to prepare and focus on playing these guys again," forward Sam Reinhart told his team's official website.


The Sabres (21-26-5) have won in each of their past two visits to Boston. Ryan O'Reilly provided two goals and an assist in the latest trip to the Garden.


The Sabres' leading scorer has seven assists in his last 11 games but hasn't added to his team-best 17 goals. Eichel, who has 16 goals, scored twice in a 3-2 win in Ottawa on Jan. 26.


Boston has won two of the three meetings with Buffalo this season, with Ryan Spooner totaling two goals and two assists in those victories. He also provided the shootout winner Thursday.


Marchand's 14 goals against the Sabres are his most versus any opponent, but Thursday's tally was his first in the past five matchups.


Buffalo's Evander Kane has six goals and one assist in his past nine games against Boston. He has scored four of his 12 goals in the past eight contests.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

Preview: Penguins (25-18) at Panthers (31-15)


Date: February 06, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


It's hard to believe some may still be questioning the legitimacy of the Florida Panthers. One look at the recent opponents they've not only beaten, but done so handily, should shut down any remaining critics.


Another challenge awaits the high-flying Panthers, who bring a five-game win streak into Saturday night's matchup with red-hot Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.


After a 25-point improvement from 2013-14, Florida (31-15-5) was expected to at least compete for a playoff spot this season as its young talent continued to mature. However, nobody could've predicted they would be leading the Atlantic Division at this point and ranking among the league's elite teams.


The Panthers seem likely to reach the postseason for the second time in 16 years and could also surpass the franchise record of 98 points set in 1999-00.


Critics may have been ready to pounce after the team was outscored 13-3 during a three-game skid last month, but Florida has rebounded with a vengeance.


It kicked off a five-game win streak with a 4-0 rout of reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago on Jan. 22 and followed with wins over Tampa Bay, Toronto and league-leading Washington before Thursday's 6-3 victory against Detroit.


The Panthers have outscored those opponents 25-8 and tallied five or more goals in four consecutive games for the first time in franchise history.


"I don't know. Seriously," coach Gerard Gallant said when asked to explain the secret to Florida's offensive success of late. "Teams go on streaks. We're putting pucks to the net and guys are confident."


Vincent Trochek leads the way with five goals and eight points in that span, while Reilly Smith, Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau have three goals apiece.


"We're clicking," said Trocheck, who has goals in four straight. "We're playing great hockey. There's something special in this group."


Roberto Luongo has recorded four of those wins with a 1.50 goals-against average and a shutout. However, he's 1-2-3 with a 2.91 GAA in his past six starts against Pittsburgh.


Defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who turns 20 Sunday, has been a part of 17 straight wins, tied with Anaheim's Ryan Garbutt for the longest streak by any player since Mathieu Dandenault won 19 in a row with Detroit from Nov. 2, 1995-Feb. 13, 1996.


Pittsburgh (25-18-7) had a four-game win streak snapped with a 6-3 loss at Tampa Bay on Friday despite registering 10 of the game's first 11 shots and Crosby scoring in his fifth consecutive game.


"It's discouraging," coach Mike Sullivan said. "We played the right way for the most part and we don't get rewarded for it. That happens sometimes. We have to find a way to stay the course."


The Penguins captain has nine goals and six assists during a nine-game point streak and a league-high 15 goals since Dec. 26. It's Crosby's longest streak since a career-best 25-gamer Nov. 5-Dec. 28, 2010. He is one point shy of 900, needing one in the next two games to become the 10th-fastest to the milestone.


Crosby will shoulder a big offensive burden again with Evgeni Malkin (lower body) set to miss his second straight game. Malkin, who leads the team with 23 goals and 49 points, scored in overtime to give the Penguins a 3-2 victory over Florida on Oct. 20.


Games on back-to-back nights could give Marc-Andre Fleury a chance to rebound from Friday's abbreviated outing. He was pulled midway through the second period after allowing four goals on 14 shots, ending his personal five-game win streak.


Fleury has allowed nine goals on 37 shots in his last two starts.


Pittsburgh is 3-0-1 in its last four against Florida.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

Preview: Maple Leafs (19-22) at Senators (23-23)


Date: February 06, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


The Ottawa Senators are trying to remain composed during a rough stretch.


Hoping a players' meeting will provide a solution, the Senators try to avoid matching a season high with their fourth consecutive defeat Saturday night against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs.


A loser of 11 of 16, Ottawa (23-23-6) held a closed-door meeting following Thursday's 7-2 home defeat to Edmonton.


"We're still confident in this group," forward Zack Smith told the NHL's official website. "I think the main focus right now is not to feel sorry for ourselves.


"It's a good test to see what kind of team you have when you go through something like this, and if guys start falling apart. It's just a matter of sticking together and I think we've done that so far."


Though the Senators are averaging 2.3 goals in the last 16, the bigger concern is the 27 they've allowed and their opponents' 47.4 percent (9 for 19) conversion rate on the power play during a 1-5-0 rut.


Two nights after falling 6-5 at Pittsburgh, Ottawa allowed the Oilers to score three times in as many chances with the man advantage Thursday.


"The way we have been playing and the results we've been getting are unacceptable," defenseman Marc Methot said. "But we can't start turning on each other as a group in the dressing room, because that's a recipe for disaster and that won't get us anywhere."


Coach Dave Cameron also sees no point in flying off the handle to motivate his club.


'I'm going to give them some solutions," he said. "I'll suggest on what we work on and we'll work on it. I'm not going to yell and scream. Those days are gone.


'Am I close to losing my patience? No, not at all. They need me now.'


Craig Anderson faced a season-high 44 shots against the Penguins then was pulled after yielding three goals on 10 versus Edmonton. He has posted a 5.63 goals-against average while losing three straight.


Anderson made 37 saves in a 5-4 shootout victory at Toronto on Oct. 10 but has a 3.51 GAA in his last three against the Maple Leafs.


Ottawa, which dropped four in a row Oct. 15-24, has earned at least a point in five in a row against Toronto (19-22-9).


The Maple Leafs entered the All-Star break on a 1-7-2 slide but overcame a two-goal, third-period deficit to beat Boston 4-3 in overtime Tuesday. They then received a tying goal from Tyler Bozak late in regulation in Thursday's 3-2 shootout victory over New Jersey.


"Obviously, it's nice to win," Mike Babcock said after coaching his 1,000th game.


Bozak, who added an assist, had recorded two points in his previous 11 contests.


'I thought he had the puck all night (Thursday) and was good," Babcock said of Bozak, who snapped a 15-game goal drought. "I still think he can be way better. We need him to be consistently competitive like he was (against the Devils)."


Bozak recorded his first hat trick in a 4-3 overtime win over the Senators on March 28, and also scored against them in October.


Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson had three assists in the season's first meeting, giving him seven and four goals in a seven-game point streak against Toronto.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

Preview: Blackhawks (35-16) at Stars (33-14)


Date: February 06, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


Jonathan Toews' brief absence didn't make a difference in the Chicago Blackhawks' first game after the All-Star break, but his return certainly did in the latest.


The Dallas Stars head home hoping they can withstand the loss of a key player and close the gap on the first-place Blackhawks as the Central Division foes face off Saturday night.


Dallas (33-14-5) has kept pace with the Blackhawks by winning its first two out of the break, though Thursday's comeback victory at Colorado was marred by Jason Spezza's upper-body injury that will sideline the veteran center for at least a few games.


'I'm going to say it's more than a few days,' coach Lindy Ruff said following the Stars' 4-3 overtime win.


Spezza's 18 goals rank third among Dallas players and he's amassed a team-leading 15 points over the last 15 games.


The Stars, winners of three straight and first in the NHL with 169 goals, still possess two of the league's top four scorers in Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin and one of its best offensive defenseman in John Klingberg, whose goal 35 seconds into overtime capped Dallas' comeback from a 3-2 deficit after two periods.


"I thought we fought through some adversity," Ruff said. "I thought we could have got some calls (Thursday). It was a gutsy win."


Chicago (35-16-4) also displayed some resolve in Thursday's 5-4 win at Arizona that maintained its three-point edge over the Stars. It had a first-period goal waved off that drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty from coach Joel Quenneville, which led to the Coyotes scoring on the resulting power play, then blew a late one-goal lead before Toews scored with 28.5 seconds left in overtime.


Toews recorded his league-leading fifth overtime goal and scored short-handed earlier in his return from a one-game suspension. The Chicago captain was forced to sit out Tuesday's 2-1 win at Colorado after skipping Sunday's All-Star Game with an illness.


"It's about getting opportunities," he said. "After you get a few early in the season you feel confident in the situation. I'm glad I've been able to cash in on situations like that.'


The Blackhawks' five goals equaled their total during a 2-3-0 stretch that followed a franchise-record 12-game winning streak from Dec. 29-Jan. 19, a run that erased the Stars' 13-point lead in the Central.


Dallas has had little trouble producing points in recent matchups with Chicago, outscoring the Blackhawks 14-3 while winning the last three - two by shutout. Spezza scored a power-play goal and ex-Blackhawk Patrick Sharp had a goal and an assist in a 4-0 home win Dec. 22, supporting 20 saves from former Chicago goaltender Antti Niemi.


Niemi, part of the Blackhawks' 2010 Stanley Cup champion team, has posted shutouts in two of his last three meetings with Chicago and is 7-2-0 with a 1.56 goals-against average in his past nine home starts.


Corey Crawford improved to 11-2-0 with a 1.77 GAA since Jan. 3 with 24 saves against Arizona but has conversely struggled in this series, having allowed 13 goals in Chicago's three straight defeats.


Dallas has won 11 of 14 at home and is 19-6-0 at American Airlines Center.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

Preview: Sharks (27-19) at Predators (24-20)


Date: February 06, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


The San Jose Sharks continue to enjoy success on the road, although that's been elusive for them in Tennessee over the years.


The Nashville Predators have captured their last five home games against the Sharks, who look poised to end that run Saturday night.


San Jose (27-19-4) is tied with Washington for the league's most road wins after notching its 17th with Thursday's 3-1 victory at St. Louis. Martin Jones recorded his NHL-best 15th road victory with 26 saves, as the Sharks improved to 9-1-2 in their last 12 games.


'It's tough to win, let alone on the road, so it's a good sign,' Jones said. 'I think the last month we've been playing very well, even at home, so it's good to see things coming together here.'


Finnish rookie Joonas Donskoi has eight points in his last eight games, scoring the game's first goal against the Blues.


"He's getting better and better, he's getting more confidence, (he's) skating with the puck more," coach Peter DeBoer said. "We've added some transition where he gets a chance to get back and skate with the puck and get it with his hands, which he is probably used to more with the European hockey he has played."


Joe Pavelski had two assists Thursday to give him eight points in his last six games. Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic has an assist in three straight games.


The Sharks are 0-4-1 in their last five visits to Nashville (24-20-8), which may not present that formidable an opponent this time.


The Predators, who had the league's second-most home wins last season, have dropped a season-high three straight at home following Thursday's 6-3 result against Philadelphia at the midpoint of this four-game homestand.


"Tonight obviously we're at home, there's no excuse, we've gotta win our games at home, we're always good on home ice," defenseman Ryan Ellis said. "Today we didn't have it and we're going to need it the next two before we head out again."


James Neal leads the team with 18 goals although he has failed to score in his last five home games. Filip Forsberg is second on the team with 14 goals, with none in his last four.


Ryan Johansen had a goal and an assist Thursday to give him 12 points in 12 games since being acquired Jan. 6 from Columbus.


Nashville conceded a power-play goal for the first time in eight games.


The Predators face a tough assignment in solving Jones, who is 8-1-1 with a 1.97 goals-against average in his last 10 games. The goalie is 0-1-2 with a 3.13 GAA in three games - two starts - versus Nashville.


"I love his game right now, I love the feeling he gives our team, the composure he's playing with is contagious to our group," DeBoer said.


Jones made 22 saves in a 2-1 home defeat to Nashville on Oct. 28. Pekka Rinne stopped 20 shots for the Predators to mark the seventh time in his last eight starts versus San Jose that he has allowed one or zero goals.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

Preview: Wild (23-19) at Blues (29-17)


Date: February 06, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


If Zach Parise is frustrated by scoring once in the last 3 1/2 weeks, he can only imagine how Vladimir Tarasenko feels with the same goal total in the last four.


These wingers are emblematic of their teams' struggling offenses as they meet Saturday night when Tarasenko's Blues host Parise's Wild.


Parise has 17 goals, with one in this nine-game stretch in which Minnesota (23-19-9) has won once. The Wild fell to 1-8-1 in their last 10 with Thursday's 4-2 defeat to the New York Rangers that extended Parise's pointless drought to four games.


"He's incredibly frustrated, you can see that," coach Mike Yeo said.


Tarasenko can relate since his team-high goal total is stuck on 25 during a five-game pointless drought with the one tally in the last 11. The Blues have totaled three goals in a 1-2-1 stretch after Thursday's 3-1 loss to San Jose.


"I don't think we need to be worried, I think we need to remedy it," center David Backes said.


At least St. Louis (29-17-8) has won a game among its last four. The Wild are now on the outside looking in at the crowded Western Conference playoff picture thanks to an 0-3-1 stretch.


Thursday's defeat not too far from New York's famed Broadway prompted an appropriate response from Yeo.


"We've been searching for answers for that for quite some time," he said. "We've tried some different, whether it's talks, or meetings, or whatever, we're trying a lot right now and what it boils down to is the actors gotta act."


Minnesota has conceded at least three goals in five of its last seven games, with Devan Dubnyk allowing a total of eight in two defeats to start this three-game trip. He failed to hold a 2-0 lead after one period Thursday.


"We're a very fragile team," Ryan Suter said. "They get one, and we kind of go into a shell, and that's a team that has no confidence. So we have to figure it out, and figure it out fast or it's not going to work."


Parise is not the only culprit for the offense, with Thomas Vanek registering no goals in his last eight games. Charlie Coyle scored in four straight games to match Vanek with 14 overall before coming up empty versus the Rangers.


It won't be easy to break through against Blues expected starter Brian Elliott, who has posted a 1.71 goals-against average in his last seven starts.


St. Louis is 0 for 19 on the power play in its last eight games while that area has been a recent strength for Minnesota, which is 4 for 14 in its last five.


These teams have essentially played three one-goal games, with Vanek scoring a late empty-net tally in a 3-1 victory on New Year's Eve. The Wild also won 3-2 on Oct. 10 and lost by that score when Backes scored in overtime Oct. 31.


Tarasenko has missed the last two meetings after amassing six points in the previous three. Parise also sat out the last matchup.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

Preview: Jets (22-26) at Avalanche (27-23)


Date: February 06, 2016 10:00 PM EDT


Semyon Varlamov is back on the ice instead of the courtroom. The Colorado Avalanche are hoping he can pick up where he left off, and a meeting with the Winnipeg Jets should help.


Varlamov is expected to make his return after a two-week absence Saturday night when the Avalanche host the struggling Jets.


Varlamov has won four straight starts with a 0.99 goals-against average, but he hasn't played since making 42 saves in a 3-1 win at Dallas on Jan. 23.


He was instead tending to legal matters, which ended Tuesday when a jury sided with him in a lawsuit filed against him by a former girlfriend who claimed he beat her during an argument in 2013. Jurors awarded Varlamov $126,608 in damages on an abuse of process claim after his attorneys argued the woman was trying to get a payout from the goalie and the evidence did not support her claims of a brutal attack.


"There's relief, because it's been a long time dealing with this," Varlamov said. "I'm looking forward to hockey and focusing on hockey and enjoying the game."


He acted as a backup to Calvin Pickard in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to Dallas at home. Pickard finished with 40 saves, but was taken by surprise by a slapshot on a 3-on-1 35 seconds into OT.


That came two days after a 2-1 loss to Chicago opened this four-game homestand.


"They are all big games for us," coach Patrick Roy told the team's official website. "We need to be sharp in this homestand, but we just want to be better defensively. I feel that the last few games we're giving too many shots, and we have to be better in our zone. We're giving them too much time and space, and we'd like to reduce that."


Colorado (27-23-4) has a league-best 26 points (12-4-2) against the Central Division, including wins in all three meetings with the Jets (22-26-3).


Varlamov has compiled a 1.67 GAA while starting each of those games. He made 36 saves in a 2-1 win at Winnipeg on Jan. 18.


That was also the last time Jarome Iginla scored. He's only registered four shots in seven games since.


The Jets may be looking forward to opening a stretch with six of seven games on the road. They concluded a 1-5-0 homestand by giving up four first-period goals and their rally fall short in a 5-3 loss to Carolina on Friday.


"We got going," captain Andrew Ladd told the team's official website. "We got our legs going, we got moving. It's pretty simple. There's no special formula. We should understand by now, what needs to happen right from the drop of the puck for us to be successful, and that's moving and being on the puck."


Leading scorer Blake Wheeler has five points over the past four games, but his goal Friday ended a five-game drought. He has eight points in nine career visits to Colorado.


It's unknown whether the Jets will start Connor Hellebuyck or Michael Hutchinson in net. Hellebuyck was pulled Friday after allowing three goals on six shots in the first 4:33, and Hutchinson stopped 21 of 23 shots the rest of the way.


Hellebuyck had 32 saves against the Avalanche last month, but is 1-4-0 with a 3.42 GAA over the last six games.


Hutchinson has a 3.16 GAA while losing seven straight decisions in eight games. That includes 20 saves in a 5-3 loss at Colorado on Nov. 28.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

Preview: Flames (22-25) at Canucks (20-19)


Date: February 06, 2016 10:00 PM EDT


Vancouver and Calgary both made surprising runs to the playoffs last season and were expected to contend for a spot again in a Pacific Division that seemed wide open.


Goals have been tough to come by lately for both teams, though, resulting in them sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.


The Canucks will have a new look on defense with Dan Hamhuis back in the lineup as they try to avoid a fourth straight defeat when they host the Flames on Saturday night.


Calgary (22-25-3) finished third in the Pacific in 2014-15 and won a physical six-game first-round series with Vancouver (20-19-12) in the postseason. Neither team will be returning, though, unless they find a way to consistently put the puck in the net.


The Canucks sit fifth in the division and have lost back-to-back games by 2-1 scores, falling to Nashville on Jan. 26 before the All-Star break and losing in a shootout to Columbus on Thursday.


Linden Vey's power-play goal 9:05 into the first period was all they could muster against the Blue Jackets despite Henrik Sedin's return after missing the previous four with a shoulder injury.


"If we're going to get to the playoffs, we need more," coach Willie Desjardins said. "And it's from the whole team.


"For awhile we weren't creating chances, so we're moving in the right direction. At the same time, there has to be urgency around the net. We have to get the hard areas around the net a little bit more. I think we can do a better job."


The Flames are five points behind Vancouver and tied for the fewest in the West with Edmonton and Winnipeg. They've dropped four of their last five while scoring two goals or fewer in each defeat, including Friday's 2-1 loss to Columbus.


Jiri Hudler scored in the first period for Calgary, which outshot the Jackets 31-18 but allowed the winning goal 1:42 into the third period.


"Bottom line is one goal, you're not going to win many games in this league," defenseman Mark Giordano said. "We have to create more, we have to score more goals. Two goals against is pretty good on most nights."


Vancouver will try to shut down the Flames with help from Hamhuis, who is making his return after missing the last 21 games since being hit in the face with a puck against the New York Rangers on Dec. 9.


With Hamhuis returning, general manager Jim Benning confirmed fellow defenseman Yannick Weber has been placed on waivers.


"I've been working hard over the last month to get my fitness back," Hamhuis said. "I'm looking forward to getting back in the lineup with the guys."


Ryan Miller has lost his last four starts despite giving up three goals over his previous two combined, and he could be in net for this matchup. He beat the Flames 5-1 in the season opener Oct. 7 behind a goal and two assists from Daniel Sedin, then fell 3-2 on Oct. 10 on Johnny Gaudreau's overtime goal.


Karri Ramo made 16 saves Friday, leaving it unclear if he'll start for a second consecutive night. Jonas Hiller beat the Canucks with 28 saves in the last matchup and has a 2.17 goals-against average in his last five against them, including playoffs.


Gaudreau has two goals and five assists in his last three against Vancouver.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

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 - - -
2/7 3 - - -
2/8 4 - - -
2/9 12 - - -
2/10 3 - - -
2/11 9 - - -
2/12 7 - - -
2/13 10 - - -
2/14 5 - - -
2/15 7 - - -
2/16 8 - - -
2/17 3 - - -
2/18 11 - - -
2/19 5 - - -
2/20 9 - - -
2/21 6 - - -
2/22 4 - - -
2/23 9 - - -
2/24 4 - - -
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

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


After a very entertaining new format in the All-Star Game, the NHL is back in action on Tuesday night. The Washington Capitals enter the second half of the season with an NHL-best 74 points. They have a 15-point lead over the second-place New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division and an 11-point lead over Atlantic-leading Florida for the East's top seed in the playoffs. The Caps are +400 favorites to win the Stanley Cup and +175 for the East title. Tampa Bay is next in the East at +550.


Defending Cup champion Chicago leads the Western Conference with 70 points. The Blackhawks, led by Hart Trophy favorite Patrick Kane, are three ahead of the No. 2 team in the West and Central Division, Dallas. Chicago is +500 to win a fourth Cup this decade and +275 for the West, with Pacific-leading Los Angeles second at +350.


Of course, this is also Super Bowl week, Dportsbooks have a couple of NHL props to go with the game. You can bet total shots on goal by Washington's Alex Ovechkin on Super Bowl Sunday at home against Philadelphia in an NBC national TV game against the total touchdowns scored in the Super Bowl. Both options are -120. Ovechkin usually leads the NHL in shots and does this season with 234, 29 more than No. 2 Brent Burns, a Sharks defenseman. Ovechkin averages about 5.1 shots per game. He has eight shots in two games this season against the Flyers. I rather doubt there will be more than five touchdowns in the Super Bowl with two very good defenses. I'd take Ovechkin there.


You can also wager the total number of goals in the Carolina vs. Montreal game on Sunday vs. total catches by Panthers tight end Greg Olsen. Both are -120. The Habs beat the Hurricanes 3-2 in the only meeting this season on Dec. 5 in Raleigh. Montreal is 10th in the NHL in scoring at 2.7 goals per game and Carolina 23rd at 2.4 per game. Olsen is easily Cam Newton's favorite target and has had six catches in each playoff win thus far. I'd say he's good for at least that many again. I'd definitely take him on that prop.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 2/6

NHL


Hot teams
-- Washington won eight of its last 11 games. New Jersey won five of its last seven.
-- Philly won last three games, scoring 14 goals. Rangers won their last four home games.
-- Edmonton is 2-0 since All-Star break, winning 5-4/7-2.
-- Bruins won six of their last nine games.
-- Penguins won five of their last seven games. Florida won its last five games.
-- Toronto is 2-0 since All-Star break, winning 4-3ot/3-2- they had lost nine of previous ten. Ottawa lost five of its last six games.
-- Blackhawks won 15 of their last 18 games. Dallas Stars won their last three games.
-- San Jose won nine of its last twelve games.


Cold teams
-- Montreal lost nine of its last ten games.
-- Detroit lost five of its last seven games. Islanders lost three of last four road games.
-- Buffalo lost four of its last six games.
-- Nashville is 0-2 since All-Star break, losing 1-0/6-3.
-- Minnesota lost nine of its last ten games. St Louis lost three of its last four.
-- Winnipeg lost five of its last six games. Colorado lost three of its last four.
-- Flames lost five of their last six games. Vancouver lost its last three games.


Series records
-- Washington won its last four games with New Jersey.
-- Rangers lost three of last four games with Philly.
-- Islanders won seven of last ten games with Detroit.
-- Oilers won their last four games with Montreal.
-- Bruins won six of last eight games with Buffalo.
-- Penguins won three of last four games with Florida.
-- Maple Leafs lost three of last four visits to Ottawa.
-- Dallas won three games in row vs Chicago, shutting them out in last two.
-- Predators won five of last seven games with San Jose.
-- Blues lost four of last five games with Minnesota.
-- Avalanche won five of last six games with Winnipeg.
-- Flames won six of last nine games with Vancouver.


Totals
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Washington games.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Philadelphia games.
-- Over is 4-0-2 in last six Edmonton games.
-- Over is 3-0-1 in last four Islander games.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Boston home games.
-- Five of last six Florida games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Ottawa games.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Chicago games.
-- Three of last four Nashville games stayed under.
-- Last five St Louis games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Colorado games went over.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in last four Calgary games.


Back-to-backs
-- Pittsburgh lost eight of last nine games if they played night before.
-- Winnipeg lost seven of last eight games if it played night before.
-- Calgary is 2-5 if it played the night before.