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**TheGame** · 03-09-2016, 07:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Preview: Islanders (37-20) at Maple Leafs (21-33)

Date: March 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Jaroslav Halak was key to the New York Islanders' success on their recent road trip, but his potential absence isn't troubling coach Jack Capuano.

With Halak nursing an unknown injury, the Islanders go for their longest winning streak of the season Wednesday night when they visit the NHL-worst Toronto Maple Leafs.

Halak went 4-1-0 with a 1.79 goals-against average and one shutout during New York's 6-1-0 trip and was impressive again Tuesday, making 31 saves in a 2-1 home win over Pittsburgh that moved the Islanders to 11-2-1 in their last 14.

Halak, though, left with 4:22 to play and was replaced by Thomas Greiss, who stopped all three shots he faced.

"We don't have an update. Hopefully we'll know a little bit more where he stands," Capuano said.

With 18 games left and the Islanders (37-20-7) third in the Metropolitan Division, having a healthy Halak ready for the playoffs will be important since Greiss has never started a postseason game. Jean-Francois Berube, third on the depth chart, has played three games in the NHL.

"I got confidence if he does miss some time," Capuano said. "We got some quality goalies here so if we run into a situation, hopefully it's not too long a period that he's out, but we got confidence in the guys that we have here."

Greiss is 7-0-1 with a 2.24 GAA and .925 save percentage in his last 10 games. He's 8-3-0 on the road behind a 2.30 GAA and .930 save percentage, winning his last two starts.

Greiss split a home-and-home set with the Maple Leafs (21-33-11) from Dec. 27-29. He had 30 saves in a 6-3 win at Toronto in the second of those contests.

John Tavares, a native of nearby Mississauga, had a goal and assist in that matchup. The All-Star center has 19 points in 12 visits to Toronto, including seven in the past three.

He enters this one with 23 points in 22 games after scoring his ninth goal over that stretch Tuesday.

Tavares will now try to help the Islanders win five straight for the first time since Nov. 18-26, 2014.

The Maple Leafs are 2-11-2 in their last 15 and have lost six straight following a 4-3 shootout defeat to Buffalo on Monday, their fifth in a row by one goal.

A far greater blow to Toronto is the loss of defenseman Matt Hunwick for the rest of the season due to sports hernia surgery. The injury, however, gives the Leafs a chance to evaluate Frank Corrado and Connor Carrick in preparation for next season.

"Someone else gets a real good opportunity here," coach Mike Babcock said. "If you're Frankie or Connor, it's a chance to show what you got. These kids are getting real good looks."

Babcock also said Martin Marincin will be moved to the top defensive pairing with Morgan Reilly.

"I think the biggest thing for us is just figuring out what we have," Babcock said. "As much as you want to make good decisions on who you acquire and who you add to your lineup, you better make good decisions on the people that are here."

Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau will be back from an upper-body injury that kept him out five games, but his long-term availability is in question since he's scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The right wing has five points in five games against the Islanders since playing with them from 2010-12.

**TheGame** · 03-09-2016, 07:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Preview: Blackhawks (41-21) at Blues (38-20)

Date: March 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Chicago Blackhawks' league-best power play has been especially dangerous of late.

The St. Louis Blues are one of the NHL's top penalty killing teams, though they have yet to shut down Chicago this season.

How those units match up will be a focal point of Wednesday night's meeting in St. Louis between clubs vying for the Central Division title.

Chicago (41-21-5), St. Louis and Dallas are in contention for the Central crown. The Blues (38-20-9) won it last season, although it meant little after a first-round loss to Minnesota.

Still, the division title and top seed in the Western Conference are targets for these teams separated by two points. The Blackhawks can take a major step toward reaching those goals in this two-game trip that includes Friday's game against the Stars.

'We've got a lot of division games coming up,' captain Jonathan Toews said. 'Those aren't going to be easy ones. It'll be good preparation for the end of the year. We don't want to look too far ahead.'

Chicago's power play is clicking at 24.1 percent on the season, and the club has gone 6 for 12 in the last four games and 14 for 28 in nine.

"It comes with confidence," Toews said. "If you have a stretch where pucks are going in, it just adds to the rest of your power play, what you do with the puck, your break-outs, your entries, retrieving pucks off of initial shots that maybe don't go in in their zone."

Patrick Kane has seven power-play points and Brent Seabrook, Artemi Panarin and Duncan Keith each have six within the last nine contests. Keith and Artem Anisimov scored with the man advantage in Sunday's 4-1 home win over Detroit.

Kane added his eighth goal in 13 games to increase his NHL-best point total to a career-high 89. He has 13 points in a nine-game overall run against St. Louis, including three postseason games.

The Blues are killing off 86.6 percent of penalties, though the Blackhawks have gone 3 for 11 on the power play against them in 2015-16 with Kane scoring twice and Andrew Shaw once. Chicago went 2-0-1 in those games.

St. Louis returns home on a three-game win streak, capping a 3-1-0 trip with Sunday's 4-2 victory over the Wild. Jori Lehtera and Ryan Reaves scored first-period goals as the Blues never looked back after a strong start.

'This is the playoff stretch right now,' Reaves said. 'We're playing a lot of teams that we're in the mix with and tied with and chasing, so these are points we've really got to steal and start getting some separation.'

While the Blackhawks have the West's top goal scorer in Kane with 38, the Blues' Vladimir Tarasenko is not far behind with 30. He has three goals and an assist against Chicago this season.

Each team will likely start a goalie who has won three straight outings, with the Blues expected to go with Jake Allen and the Blackhawks Corey Crawford.

Chicago winger Marian Hossa practiced Tuesday and might return after missing the last eight games with a lower-body injury.

**TheGame** · 03-09-2016, 07:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Preview: Predators (34-21) at Flames (27-34)

Date: March 09, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

The Nashville Predators have built a sizable lead in the Western Conference wild-card race during a franchise-record point streak that they haven't had any trouble extending to start their trip.

Plenty of teams have departed Calgary with a victory lately, and Nashville can match the club record with a seventh straight road victory by beating the struggling Flames on Wednesday night.

The Predators (34-21-12) have gone 9-0-4 since a regulation loss to Washington on Feb. 9, building an eight-point lead over Minnesota and Colorado for the West's first wild card in the process.

They beat the Avalanche 5-2 on Saturday to begin a five-game trip and defeated Winnipeg 4-2 on Tuesday despite going 0 for 9 on the power play in those contests.

Craig Smith had two goals against the Jets to give him five with five assists during a five-game point streak, and Ryan Johansen snapped a 14-game goal drought.

Colton Sissons, recalled from the AHL on Monday to replace the injured Paul Gaustad for at least the rest of the trip, had a goal and an assist in his first NHL game since Dec. 26. His goal broke a first-period tie as the Predators moved to the verge of matching the team-record road winning streak set Oct. 16-Nov. 4, 2006.

"I think the past month and a half, two months, everybody has settled into where they're going to be," Smith said. "That only helps in games where you need goals, can rely on each other and be predictable."

The Predators snapped a four-game losing streak in the series by winning 2-1 at Calgary on Jan. 27 with help from a power-play goal by Shea Weber, who has two goals and four assists during a four-game point streak that has come after he missed three straight with a lower-body injury.

The Flames (27-34-5) have dropped into a tie for last in the West with Edmonton and Winnipeg while going 2-9-2 since Feb. 12, a stretch that includes dropping five of six at home. Joe Colborne's goal with 1:22 remaining in the third period tied visiting San Jose on Monday, but the Sharks scored 19 seconds into overtime for a 2-1 win.

"We're a young team and sometimes it doesn't always go our way, but the one thing that we have to respect from our team is the effort," coach Bob Hartley said. "The commitment to leave everything on the ice, to play with energy, to play with passion - we're getting this and that's step one in the right direction."

Veteran center Mikael Backlund had scored in two straight before being held without a point against the Sharks. He has eight goals and 12 assists over his last 16.

"He's been maybe our best player in the last month or two," Colborne told the team's official website. "Playing with him ... it's a treat. He's so smart with the puck and so responsible. If you have the puck, he's somewhere close by to give you an outlet."

Joni Ortio has gone 1-6-3 with a 3.04 goals-against average in eight starts and three relief efforts, but has a .924 save percentage over the last three. He'll get the start against the Predators, who could go with Carter Hutton after Pekka Rinne made 21 saves Tuesday.

Hutton has a 2.16 GAA in 11 starts, the last of which came when he made 25 saves in a win over Toronto on Feb. 23. He stopped 26 shots to beat Calgary in January.

**TheGame** · 03-09-2016, 07:44 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Preview: Ducks (37-19) at Avalanche (34-30)

Date: March 09, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Though the Anaheim Ducks' franchise-record winning streak is over, they remain in pursuit of history on the road.

The Ducks can equal the club mark with a seventh consecutive road victory Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche.

Ryan Getzlaf scored his 10th goal and John Gibson made 31 saves, but Anaheim (37-19-9) had its 11-game winning streak snapped with Monday's 2-1 shootout loss to league-leading Washington.

'A streak is a streak, but it's not do-or-die right now,' defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. 'We're trying to get points and move up in the standings, but more importantly, play the right way.'

The Ducks did see their lead atop the Pacific Division dip to one point over Los Angeles, which hosts the Capitals on Wednesday.

Amid a remarkable 20-2-2 run, Anaheim has earned a point in 14 straight games - two shy of a team record-run to open the 2006-07 season. That's the same season in which the Ducks won a franchise-record seven in a row on the road.

'It's stressful winning every game, because you try so hard to keep that going,' coach Bruce Boudreau said. 'It wears you out.'

Though the Ducks' run of 11 straight games with a power-play goal (19 for 43) also ended with an 0-for-4 effort Monday, they've gone 11 of 22 while scoring at least one in the last six away from home.

Colorado (34-30-4) has killed 29 of 30 penalties in the last 10 games, and Anaheim is 0 for 27 on the power play in the past eight matchups but has won four of them.

Corey Perry looks to avoid going three straight games without a point after recording five goals - four on the power play - and three assists in the previous three contests. Perry's four-game point streak against Colorado ended in a 3-0 home loss Oct. 16 in the teams' only meeting this season.

Reto Berra made 35 saves for the Avs that night but was waived last week, and Semyon Varlamov is expected to be in net Wednesday. Varlamov sat out two consecutive games after posting a 4.80 goals-against average in his previous three starts but returned Monday to stop 37 shots in a 3-1 victory over Arizona.

"He was really good. He looked like a No. 1," coach Patrick Roy told the Avalanche's official website. "He was solid, and that's the Varly we wanted to see. It was a good thing for him to rest and be ready for this one.

"Now he needs to be ready for the next one against the Ducks."

Varlamov has a 4.38 GAA during an 0-2-1 stretch against Anaheim.

Matt Duchene set a career high Monday with his 28th goal for the Avs, who are tied with Minnesota for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference but have played one more game than the Wild.

"I'm not trying to think about it too much," Duchene said of his accomplishment. "It would be nice to get two more hopefully this year and get to that 30-goal mark but with that, it's all about the team.

"It's all about me playing my role and doing what I'm capable of doing to help this team get in the playoffs."

Anaheim's Frederik Andersen made 22 saves against the Avs in October, and he's 12-0-2 with a 1.76 GAA as a starter in 2016.

Gibson has a league-low 2.04 GAA, including 1.74 during his 4-0-1 stretch.

**TheGame** · 03-09-2016, 07:44 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Preview: Coyotes (28-32) at Canucks (25-28)

Date: March 09, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Both 10 points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, the Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks are trying to generate something positive in the final month of their disappointing seasons.

The Coyotes look to avoid a franchise-record 10th straight road defeat Wednesday night against the Canucks, who have lost nine of 11 at home.

"(Arizona has) been right with us the whole year," Vancouver star Daniel Sedin said.

That's not a good thing for two clubs each with 62 points and in position to miss the playoffs.

Times have been particularly rough of late for Arizona (28-32-6), which has dropped eight of nine and has a West-low 14 points since Jan. 13 to drop from sixth in the conference to 11th. The Coyotes have scored 16 goals in their last 11 road games, losing the past nine to equal the record set in 1979-80 when the franchise was in Winnipeg.

'When you're not getting rewarded for your effort that's where the little bit of frustration comes in,' coach Dave Tippett said.

Arizona felt that was the case Monday despite getting down three goals in a 3-1 loss at Colorado. Players and coaches believe the team skated hard and spirits were high, but the numbers continue to tell a different story.

The Coyotes have yielded an average of 3.7 goals in the last nine games. They've gone 2 for 37 on the power play in the past 10 away from home and totaled three goals in the last three despite averaging 33 shots.

"We're going to have to regroup ... move on," said Antoine Vermette, whose 28 points include just seven on the road - one in his last seven games away from home.

The Coyotes move on possibly without points leader and star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who is day to day with an upper body injury.

Arizona has dropped both home meetings with the Canucks (25-28-12) but won 3-2 in Vancouver on Jan. 4.

Henrik Sedin has a five-game point streak against the Coyotes but could miss a second consecutive game with an upper body injury.

The Canucks are mired in a 5-11-1 stretch and are the lowest-scoring team in the West at 2.35 goals per game. They haven't scored more than two in any of the losses during a 2-8-1 span at home, where they'll try to avoid a fourth straight loss after splitting a two-game trip with Monday's 5-1 defeat at Los Angeles.

"You want to put out a good effort on the ice," said defenseman Dan Hamhuis, who reached the 300-point mark by scoring his only two goals of the season in the last two contests.

"That's how you sleep at night. That's just the professionalism we expect in this dressing room. We need to keep learning and keep building our game."

Ryan Miller has lost three straight starts with a 3.47 goals-against average. However, he's 9-1-0 with a 1.58 GAA against the Coyotes after winning his only game against them this season, making 33 saves in a 2-1 road victory Feb. 10.

Daniel Sedin has three goals and two assists in his last three home games against Arizona.

Shane Doan has four goals in his last four games at Vancouver.

**TheGame** · 03-09-2016, 07:44 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Preview: Capitals (49-13) at Kings (39-22)

Date: March 09, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

One possible reason the Washington Capitals may like their chances of finally winning a Stanley Cup is that they added a pair of players who have lifted it.

Those players, Justin Williams and Mike Richards, are finally returning to the place where they won those championships together.

They will go on the road and face the Los Angeles Kings for the first time Wednesday night since leaving that franchise and joining the Capitals.

The receptions for Williams and Richards could be very different, even though both helped Los Angeles (39-22-4) capture Stanley Cups in 2012 and 1014.

Williams, who also won the Cup with Carolina in 2006, developed into one of the Kings' most beloved players in his six seasons with them between 2009-15. The winger shined in the 2014 postseason, amassing 25 points and earning Conn Smythe Trophy honors as the playoffs' most valuable player.

He joined Washington (49-13-4) as an unrestricted free agent before this season.

The circumstances surrounding Richards' return after spending his previous four seasons with the Kings are far less rosier because his contract with Los Angeles was terminated in the offseason. He had been sent to the minor leagues after his play and production dropped off and was arrested at the Canadian border in June for possession of a controlled substance.

Richards eventually settled a grievance with the Kings and was out of the NHL until the Capitals signed him in January.

Both Williams and Richards played in the Capitals' 3-1 home win over the Kings on Feb. 16, with Williams assisting on Evgeny Kuznetsov's go-ahead goal with 2:02 to play.

"It's weird playing against them," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said after that contest. "We understand they're not a part of our team anymore. We'll always have those memories with them and we'll never forget. Now they're on the opposite side. Next time we play them, we've got to beat them."

Los Angeles has taken its last five home meetings with Washington.

The Kings won for the sixth time in eight games Monday in a 5-1 victory over Vancouver. Jeff Carter scored twice and Anze Kopitar added a goal and two assists.

All six wins in the eight-game run have seen Los Angeles yield two or fewer goals.

'We always play good defensive hockey. I mean, it's not our team motto, but it's something we're known for,' Doughty said. 'We take a lot of pride in playing good defense, and we always have good goaltending. That's how you win hockey games.'

The Capitals won 2-1 on Monday in a shootout that ended Anaheim's eight-game home win streak. Andre Burakovsky scored the tying goal early in the third period in a tight game that came after Washington began this four-game trip with Saturday's 2-1 overtime victory over Boston.

'It was two good teams battling it out,' coach Barry Trotz said. 'It was a good test for us, because I didn't know what we would have (in the tank), fifth game in seven nights and getting across the country."

Washington has played 11 straight one-goal games since the victory over Los Angeles, although that margin ended at two thanks to an empty-net tally by Jason Chimera. The Capitals have played 18 games in a row decided by either one goal or two with an empty-net score.

**TheGame** · 03-09-2016, 07:45 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Grand Salami - March

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
3/1 8 48.5 49 OVER
3/2 3 16.5 17 OVER
3/3 12 65.5 69 OVER
3/4 3 15.5 20 OVER
3/5 11 58 62 OVER
3/6 6 30.5 34 OVER
3/7 7 36 38 OVER
3/8 8 44.5 41 UNDER
3/9 6 - - -
3/10 6 - - -
3/11 5 - - -
3/12 12 - - -
3/13 3 - - -
3/14 6 - - -
3/15 8 - - -
3/16 6 - - -
3/17 8 - - -
3/18 6 - - -
3/19 11 - - -
3/20 7 - - -
3/21 4 - - -
3/22 10 - - -
3/23 2 - - -
3/24 11 - - -
3/25 3 - - -
3/26 14 - - -
3/27 3 - - -
3/28 8 - - -
3/29 9 - - -
3/30 3 - - -
3/31 10 - - -

**TheGame** · 03-09-2016, 07:45 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

NHL

Hot teams
-- Islanders won seven of their last eight games.
-- St Louis won its last three games, scoring 13 goals. Blackhawks won three of their last four games.
-- Predators won seven of their last eight games.
-- Anaheim won 11 of its last 12 games.
-- Washington won four of its last five games. Los Angeles won six of its last eight games.

Cold teams
-- Toronto lost its last six games, scoring ten goals.
-- Calgary lost eight of its last nine games.
-- Colorado lost three of its last five games.
-- Arizona lost eight of its last nine games. Vancouver lost four of its last five.

Series records
-- Toronto lost five of last seven games with the Islanders.
-- Chicago is 6-4 in its last ten games with St Louis.
-- Flames won four of their last five games with Nashville.
-- Ducks won three of their last four games in Colorado.
-- Canucks won four of last five games with Arizona.
-- Kings won five of last seven games with Washington.

Totals
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Islander games.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven St Louis games.
-- Last four Nashville games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Anaheim-Colorado games stayed under.
-- Seven of last nine Arizona-Vancouver games stayed under.
-- Under is 7-2-2 in last eleven Los Angeles games.

Back-to-backs
-- Islanders won six of last seven games if they played night before.
-- Nashville won its last three games if it played night before.

**TheGame** · 03-09-2016, 07:45 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Previews, Streaks, Tips, Notes

Fallen Maple Leafs Host Islanders March 9, 7:00 EST

The Toronto Maple Leafs (21-33-11) might not be the best team in the NHL, but at least they play hard. Monday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres (–115 away) made it five straight games that Toronto has lost by a single goal, all since the February 29 trade deadline. Next up for the Leafs is Wednesday's game (7 PM ET, TSN) against the visiting New York Islanders, who are back in playoff position in the East at 36-20-7.

Toronto has been alternating goalies since the deadline; if the pattern holds, Jonathan Bernier (.897 save percentage) will get the start at the ACC. Bernier hasn't played as well between the pipes as his new co-pilot, Garret Sparks (.913 SV%). However, the Maple Leafs are starting fresh in front of Bernier with a new crop of blue-chip prospects, including right wing William Nylander (drafted No. 8 overall in 2014) and right wing Kasperi Kapanen (No. 22 in 2014).

The Islanders are 10-2-1 in their last 13 games, but they'll be playing on zero days of rest Wednesday night after hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. At press time, it's believed that Jaroslav Halak (.917 SV%) will start both those games for New York.

**Satch** · 03-09-2016, 10:00 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Preview: NY Islanders at Toronto
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
The New York Islanders are in the midst of a red-hot push for the postseason and a date with the ice-cold Toronto Maple Leafs likely will add even more wind in their sails. The Islanders will vie for their fifth straight victory on Wednesday when they visit the Air Canada Centre to face the spiraling Maple Leafs.
Captain John Tavares scored a power-play goal in New York’s 2-1 win versus Pittsburgh on Tuesday and looks to continue his dominance against the team from his home province. Tavares has recorded 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 22 career meetings with the Maple Leafs – including a goal and an assist in the Islanders’ 6-3 victory on Dec. 29. While the team remained three points behind the second-place Rangers, Toronto tumbled to its sixth straight loss with a 4-3 shootout setback to Buffalo on Monday. P.A. Parenteau didn’t compete in that contest – or any in March for that matter – due to an upper-body injury, but the former Islander had an assist in Toronto’s 3-1 win over New York on Dec. 27 before scoring two nights later.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG-Plus (New York), RSN, TVA (Toronto)
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (37-20-7): Defenseman Nick Leddy set up both of his team’s goals to increase his assists to five in his last three games and 30 for the season. The 24-year-old Leddy set up one tally in each meeting with Toronto in December and has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in nine encounters with the Maple Leafs. Frans Nielsen also picked up a pair of assists to extend his point streak to three games (one goal, five assists) and had a goal and an assist against the Maple Leafs on Dec. 29.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (21-33-11): Toronto’s tumultuous season took another turn for the worse as defenseman Matt Hunwick told the team’s website that he’s slated to undergo season-ending surgery for a sports hernia. “It’s tough. I didn’t sleep real well last night and, no matter how the season is going, you always want to be a part of it,” Hunwick said. “You always want to play and never take for granted the opportunity to play in the NHL.” The Maple Leafs on Tuesday recalled defenseman Viktor Loov on an emergency basis from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.
OVERTIME
1. Toronto C Leo Komarov scored his team-leading 19th goal on Monday, but has yet to tally in eight career meetings with New York.
2. Islanders G Thomas Greiss, who stopped all three shots he faced in relief of Jaroslav Halak on Tuesday, made 30 saves in the most recent meeting with the Maple Leafs to improve to 2-1-0 versus the club.
3. Toronto C Nazem Kadri has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 12 career encounters with New York.
PREDICTION: Islanders 3, Maple Leafs 2

**Satch** · 03-09-2016, 10:00 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Preview: Chicago at St. Louis
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri
The Chicago Blackhawks hope to see a familiar face back in the lineup when they test their mettle against fellow Central Division heavyweights St. Louis and Dallas this week. Sidelined with a lower-body injury, veteran forward Marian Hossa is poised to return from an eight-game absence on Wednesday when the Blackhawks visit the Blues.
“Obviously it’s going to be a great test for our team, a two big games on the road (and) Mom’s trip. So, couldn’t have timed it better,” Hossa told CSN Chicago. The 37-year-old will join captain Jonathan Toews and Andrew Ladd on the top line for the Blackhawks, who have won three of four to reside one point behind first-place Dallas prior to Friday’s contest at the American Airlines Center. Chicago also holds a two-point lead over St. Louis, which wrapped up its four-game road trip with three straight victories to improve to 9-3-1 in its last 13 contests. The Blues have won just one of three meetings with the Blackhawks, although Vladimir Tarasenko has scored three goals in the series – including the overtime winner in a 6-5 victory on Nov. 4.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TVA Sports
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (41-21-5): Corey Crawford has yielded just five goals en route to winning his last three contests overall and is a blistering 14-4-4 with three shutouts in his career versus St. Louis. One such dominating performance occurred on Jan. 24, as the 31-year-old Montreal native turned aside all 25 shots he faced for his career-high seventh blanking of the season. Rookie Artemi Panarin scored in that contest and had two assists in a 4-1 victory over Detroit on Sunday for his second multi-point performance in his last three games.
ABOUT THE BLUES (38-20-9): After missing three games with an upper-body injury, Jori Lehtera scored in his return to send St. Louis to a 4-2 victory over Minnesota on Sunday. The 28-year-old Finn has been held off the scoresheet in six of seven career meetings with Chicago – save for a two-assist performance in a 4-2 setback on Nov. 14. Jake Allen made 23 saves in that outing to take the loss, but has permitted just seven goals during his current three-game winning streak.
OVERTIME
1. St. Louis, which entered play on Tuesday with the top penalty kill in the NHL (86.6 percent), has thwarted nine of its last 10 short-handed situations.
2. Blackhawks F Marcus Kruger agreed to a three-year, $9.25 million contract extension on Tuesday.
3. Injured Blues LW Alex Steen (upper body) and G Brian Elliott (lower body) were on the ice on Tuesday, although both admitted that their respective return dates are at least two weeks away.
PREDICTION: Blues 4, Blackhawks 2

**Satch** · 03-09-2016, 10:00 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Preview: Nashville at Calgary
When: 9:30 PM ET, Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
The Nashville Predators attempt to remain perfect on their five-game road trip and in contention for third place in the Central Division when they visit the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. Nashville is riding a franchise-record 13-game point streak (9-0-4) after improving to 2-0-0 on its trek with Tuesday’s 4-2 triumph at Winnipeg.
The victory strengthened the Predators’ hold on the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference and pulled them within five points of St. Louis for third in the Central — and eight of division-leading Dallas — with 15 games remaining. Calgary continues its six-game homestand on a two-game point streak (1-0-1) — no small feat for a team that had lost seven straight and 10 of its previous 11 contests. The Flames began their lengthy stretch at Scotiabank Saddledome with an overtime setback against San Jose for their fifth defeat in their last six home games (1-3-2). Nashville and Calgary split their first two meetings this season, with each club posting a 2-1 victory on the road.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), Sportsnet (Calgary)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (34-21-12): Craig Smith has been on an offensive tear, recording five goals and five assists during his five-game point streak. The 26-year-old registered his first two-goal performance of the season Tuesday to climb within two of his third consecutive 20-goal season. Colton Sissons notched a goal and an assist versus the Jets after being recalled from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Monday, matching his production from a 19-game stint earlier this campaign.
ABOUT THE FLAMES (27-34-5): Captain Mark Giordano is closing in on his career-high point total as he is seven shy of the 48 he recorded last season. The 32-year-old defenseman has raised his offensive game of late, notching a goal and three assists in his last five games after registering two during his previous seven contests. Johnny Gaudreau remains one point away from matching his total of 64 as a rookie last campaign as he is mired in a four-game drought and has gone five contests without a goal — needing one to set a new career high of 25.
OVERTIME
1. The Predators have not gone without a point since suffering a 5-3 home loss to league-leading Washington on Feb. 9.
2. Giordano leads Calgary with six power-play goals while fellow D Dougie Hamilton is tied for second with five.
3. Nashville C Paul Gaustad (upper body) is not expected to return to the lineup until March 17 at the earliest, as he did not travel with the team for the four-game Canadian portion of its road trip.
PREDICTION: Flames 3, Predators 2

**Satch** · 03-09-2016, 10:01 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Preview: Anaheim at Colorado
When: 10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
It took a shootout against the league’s best team to finally halt Anaheim’s 11-game winning streak, but the Pacific Division-leading Ducks look to rebound when they visit the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night. Despite Monday’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals, Anaheim is riding a 14-game point streak (12-0-2) – two shy of the longest in franchise history.
“It’s stressful winning every game because you try so hard to keep that thing going. It fatigues you out,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau acknowledged after Monday’s setback. The Ducks, who haven’t lost in regulation since Feb. 8 at Pittsburgh, hold a one-point edge over Los Angeles atop the Pacific. Colorado has alternated wins and losses over its last seven games and is tied with Minnesota for the final wild card in the Western Conference, although the Wild have a game in hand. The Avalanche have won the last two meetings, including a 3-0 victory at Anaheim on Oct. 16.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, KCOP-13 (Anaheim), Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (37-19-9): Anaheim has a bit of a goaltending dilemma that most teams would love to have entering the stretch run because, simply, both netminders – Frederik Andersen and John Gibson – are playing too well. Gibson took the loss despite making 31 saves against Washington, but he is 4-0-1 and has allowed nine goals over his last five starts while Andersen has won his last seven decisions and is 12-0-2 since the start of 2016. Captain Ryan Getzlaf scored for the fourth time in eight games to reach 10 goals, putting him in double digits for each of his 11 seasons.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (34-30-4): Goaltender Semyon Varlamov took a seat for a pair of games after allowing 11 goals over three appearances, but Patrick Roy brought his starter back against Arizona on Monday night and was rewarded with a 37-save effort in a 3-1 victory. “He was really good. He looked like a No. 1 tonight,” Roy said. “It was a good thing for him to rest and be ready for this one. Now he needs to be ready for the next one against the Ducks.” Center Matt Duchene scored once and set up another tally against the Coyotes to establish a career best with 28 goals.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim can match a franchise record with its seventh straight road win, a mark set in 2006-07.
2. Colorado has killed off 19 straight short-handed situations over the past six games.
3. The Ducks went 0-for-3 on the power play Monday, ending an 11-game streak with at least one man-advantage goal.
PREDICTION: Ducks 4, Avalanche 2

**Satch** · 03-09-2016, 10:01 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/9

Preview: Arizona at Vancouver

When: 10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
A pair of teams clinging to flickering postseason hopes will square off Wednesday night when the skidding Arizona Coyotes continue their four-game road trip with a visit to the slumping Vancouver Canucks. The Pacific Division rivals are tied for 10th place in the Western Conference and sit 10 points out of the eighth and final playoff slot.
The Canucks have lost four of their last five following a 5-1 defeat at Los Angeles and hope to change their fortunes in the opener of a four-game homestand. However, Vancouver also must reverse a troubling trend that has seen the team win only twice in its last 11 games at Rogers Arena. The Coyotes are on the verge of tying a dubious record, having dropped a franchise record-tying nine consecutive games on the road. “When you’re not getting rewarded for your effort that’s where the little bit of frustration comes in,” Arizona coach Dave Tippett said.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN-Plus Arizona, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (28-32-6): Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona’s leading scorer with a career-high 49 points, was forced to exit Monday’s 3-1 loss at Colorado due to an upper-body injury that also kept him from practicing on Tuesday. Although Ekman-Larsson was feeling better Tuesday, according to Tippett, he’s listed as day-to-day, while center Kyle Chipchura flew to Vancouver to join his teammates after being with his wife for the birth of their first child. The Coyotes’ lone tally Monday came courtesy of center Boyd Gordon, who snapped a 73-game goal-scoring drought.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (25-28-12): Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin, who suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday’s matchup at San Jose, will sit out his second consecutive game along with defenseman Chris Tanev, who also sustained an upper-body injury against the Sharks. Goaltender Ryan Miller owns the Coyotes with a 9-1-0 career mark and sparkling 1.58 goals-against average, but he has been singed for 10 goals during a three-start losing streak. “It’s frustrating,” Miller said after surrendering four goals in the loss at Los Angeles. “I needed to be better.”
OVERTIME
1. Canucks leading scorer Daniel Sedin has three goals in his last five games.
2. Coyotes captain Shane Doan will appear in his 1,452nd game to move past Teemu Selanne for sole possession of 23rd place on the all-time list.
3. The teams have played three one-goal decisions this season, with Vancouver prevailing twice – both on the road.
PREDICTION: Coyotes 4, Canucks 3

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NHL Betting Info. 3/9

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