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**TheGame** · 03-16-2016, 07:22 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

Preview: Flyers (33-23) at Blackhawks (41-23)

Date: March 16, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Just two short months ago, the Chicago Blackhawks were on top of the Western Conference and looked like a legitimate contender to successfully defend their Stanley Cup title.

It's a much different picture with 12 games left in the season.

The Blackhawks lost 5-0 to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night and have dropped four of five, including three in a row against potential playoff opponents, entering Wednesday night's home game against the surging Philadelphia Flyers. After a pair of road losses to St. Louis and Dallas, Chicago yielded a pair of goals in an 18-second span of the first period and never recovered against Los Angeles.

The reigning NHL champions are 9-10-2 since they ripped off a franchise-record 12 straight wins at the end of December and into January.

'We've had a tougher schedule,' coach Joel Quenneville said. 'We've had some tough games and I think during this stretch here our penalty killing hasn't been great. Some nights they could have won us some games with getting the job done and giving up some timely goals that got their team going.

'But that was a stretch there that we really made a lot of hay and put ourselves in a great spot. Now we're not taking advantage of it, which is disappointing.'

The slide has dropped Chicago (41-23-6) into third place in the tough Central Division, three points behind the Stars and Blues.

Chicago has one home game left against each of the division leaders, so there is plenty of time. But the standings are less important to the Blackhawks than their play heading into the postseason.

'It seems like for whatever reason, the season's been up and down throughout the whole year,' forward Patrick Kane said. 'You go on stretches where you win 12 in a row, and we've got this little stretch going right now. Obviously we want to shore that up before playoffs, and make sure we're going in there feeling consistent about our game.'

The second line of Kane, Artem Anisimov and rookie Artemi Panarin has been one of the most dangerous groups in the league for most of the year. But it has fallen on hard times of late.

Kane, who leads the NHL with 89 points, has been held to one goal in his last five games. Panarin has been kept off the scoresheet in six of his last nine games. Anisimov has one goal and three assists in his last 14 appearances.

Chicago also has struggled mightily on the penalty kill, owning a league-low 63.6 success rate since Feb. 9.

That issue could again factor against Philadelphia (32-23-12), which has converted 21.1 percent of its power-play chances over a 7-1-1 stretch to vault back into the East's playoff race. Though the Flyers were 0 of 6 Tuesday against Detroit, they received two even-strength goals from Michael Raffl in a 4-3 victory to move within one point of the eighth-place Red Wings.

'We are fighting for our lives here,' said forward Wayne Simmonds, who added a goal. 'This was a pretty exciting game to get up for. It's pretty easy to get up for.'

Philadelphia, which owns two games in hand on Detroit, amassed 46 shots and has recorded 21 goals in winning four of five. Raffl has four goals and three assists over that span and rookie Shayne Gostisbehere has four goals over his last four after also scoring Tuesday.

The Flyers have lost two straight in Chicago but have won 18 of the last 22 regular-season meetings. They earned a 3-0 home victory on Oct. 14 behind Michael Neuvirth's 30 saves.

**TheGame** · 03-16-2016, 07:23 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

Preview: Blues (41-21) at Oilers (27-38)

Date: March 16, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

St. Louis' winning streak featured victories over the best teams in the Western Conference, then it came to an end against one of the worst.

The Blues get another shot at defeating the seemingly incapable Wednesday night in Edmonton as the Oilers try for their second win in 10 home games, but that'll require ending a lengthy losing streak in the series.

A 7-4 loss in Calgary on Monday halted a six-game streak that shot the Blues (41-21-9) to the top of the West with wins over Chicago, Anaheim and Dallas in a matter of four days. The wear was evident against the Flames while allowing a season-high goal total, which included a pair of short-handed scores for the first time since November 2013.

"This is on our shoulders," captain David Backes said. "We beat four good teams last week and these two points were just as valuable as any two in those games. We just didn't bring it with 20 guys tonight and I'll take blame for that."

The Blues have given up 11 goals in the last two games after matching that mark in the first five of the streak, and coach Ken Hitchcock said that has more to do with his own team's play rather than the competence of any opponent.

"Too casual with the puck. That's six breakaways in two games. Got away with it in Dallas. Didn't get away with it today. Just too many mistakes with the puck," Hitchcock said.

It's turned into consecutive four-goal blemishes for Jake Allen, who has started the last nine games but was replaced midway through the second period by Anders Nilsson. The Blues' No. 1 with Brian Elliott still out has posted a 2.99 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in the 10 games dating to replacing Elliott on Feb. 22 after posting 2.17 and .924 marks in his first 33.

The streak-stopping loss wasn't without promise. St. Louis continued to produce on the other end, scoring at least three goals for a seventh consecutive game. It last went beyond that in nine straight in 2005-06.

Paul Stastny scored twice in Calgary and has three goals and four assists in his last four games, while defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has three goals in the past two.

The Blues have won the last eight meetings against the Oilers while limiting them to 1.62 goals per game. They've also take the last six in Edmonton, so another home loss won't come as anything new to the Oilers (27-38-7) in the series or overall.

Monday's 3-2 defeat to Nashville dropped them to 1-7-1 in their last nine in Edmonton. The goals against the Predators are the only two they've scored in three straight home defeats.

Jordan Eberle snapped a season-worst eight-game goal drought, but that and outshooting a second straight opponent was about the extent of the positives as the Oilers fell to 1 for 32 on the power play over the last 14 games. Points leader Taylor Hall is without one in four straight, and Connor McDavid hasn't scored in his last six in Edmonton.

"We need to find a way to get the puck to the net and bang one home and maybe an empty-net (goal) and win the game that way," Eberle told the team's official website. "You like the effort and stuff, but moral victories aren't that great."

Laurent Brossoit played Monday and is winless in three games this season. Starter Cam Talbot, however, has gone 5-2-0 with a 1.56 GAA and .951 save percentage since a six-game losing streak. He's 0-2-1 against St. Louis.

**TheGame** · 03-16-2016, 07:23 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

Preview: Jets (29-35) at Flames (29-35)

Date: March 16, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Calgary Flames aren't going to the playoffs, but they're the kind of team that's occasionally going to make life difficult for a contender.

That's about all Winnipeg can hope for with 13 games remaining, and the two Western Conference bottom-feeders with identical records meet Wednesday night in Calgary with the Jets chasing a season-best winning streak.

It's the Flames (29-35-5) who are coming off the more eye-catching win - 7-4 at home over St. Louis on Monday that ended the Blues' six-game winning streak. In typically unreliable Calgary fashion, a 5-2 lead became a one-goal game in the third period before Michael Frolik scored his second short-handed goal of the game and added an empty-netter to complete a hat trick.

"It's always nice when you can score three," Frolik told the team's official website a game before facing his former team for the second time. "It's always nice to see the hats on the ice. I'm just happy I could help the team win tonight."

Such results have become more rare for the Flames over the last month-plus, as they've gone 4-10-2 with 3.69 goals allowed per game since last winning consecutive contests as part of a three-game streak Feb. 6-11. Calgary - with two games remaining on a six-game homestand - and Winnipeg are two points up on Edmonton to avoid the West cellar.

"There's no reason for us to quit right now. It's just about playing hard and playing with pride," defenseman Dougie Hamilton said after recording three assists.

The Flames and Jets have split two games with the home team winning each. Calgary has taken the last two home meetings by a 9-3 total, including a 4-1 win Dec. 22 behind a Johnny Gaudreau hat trick.

Winnipeg's Blake Wheeler had a goal and an assist in the Jets' 3-1 victory Oct. 16 and has 12 points in an eight-game point streak in the series.

The Jets (29-35-5) followed a 3-2 home win over Colorado on Saturday with Monday's 5-2 victory in Vancouver, setting them up for their first three-game winning streak since April 4-7. That was part of last season's playoff push that allowed them to sneak in as the second wild card.

That won't be enough this season with a double-digit point gap to overcome and multiple teams to pass. They've embraced that reality by making moves that point toward the future.

The one that brought Marko Dano has been paying dividends recently. Acquired from Chicago in the Andrew Ladd deal Feb. 25, the center had two goals and an assist against the Canucks and has three and two in his last four games.

"When I came here I was trying to impress and I was probably trying too much," said Dano, who managed a goal and an assist in his first 18 games this season. "When you're trying too much, the goals (won't) come for you. When you stop thinking about it and play your simple game, the goals come and you don't even know how."

The Jets have been shuffling Michael Hutchinson and Ondrej Pavelec in goal. Hutchinson faced the Canucks so Pavelec could return against the Flames, hoping to improve after posting a 1-3-1 record and 3.70 goals-against average over his last six road games.

Joni Ortio has handled the load lately for Calgary with five straight starts. He's responded with a 3-1-1 record and 2.60 GAA after going 0-6-2 with a 3.34 mark in his first nine.

**TheGame** · 03-16-2016, 07:23 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

Preview: Avalanche (35-31) at Canucks (27-29)

Date: March 16, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Colorado Avalanche failed to open their four-game swing through Canada on a positive note.

They haven't had much go right against the Vancouver Canucks this season, either.

In danger of losing a season-high fourth straight road contest, the Avalanche try to avoid being swept by the Canucks on Wednesday night.

After recording back-to-back wins to conclude to a 3-1-0 homestand, Colorado (35-31-4) blew a 2-0 lead en route to Saturday's 3-2 loss to lowly Winnipeg. In the mix with Minnesota for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, the Avalanche have little room for error down the stretch.

"We're going to have to find a way to win the next one, that's all," coach Patrick Roy told the Avalanche's official website. "Short-term (vision) for us, and now we have a big one coming up in Vancouver. We're going to have to be ready for that one."

With each opponent on this trip set to miss the playoffs, it appeared the Avs would be in good shape to pile up some points. However, the fashion in which Saturday's defeat unfolded is something they can't afford to let linger.

"You never have it in the bag in this league,' said forward Matt Duchene, who had a goal and an assist to match his 55 points from last season. 'It's an unfortunate loss to a team that, you know, we should be more desperate than. They played well, but we have to find a way to win that game."

Semyon Varlamov stopped 74 of 75 shots to win the previous two games before making 27 saves Saturday. He's 0-3-0 with a 5.13 goals-against average in four road starts.

That includes a rough outing in a 5-1 loss to Vancouver on Feb. 21. Varlamov has yielded all but one goal while the Avalanche have been outscored 8-2 in two meetings with the Canucks (27-29-12) this season.

Colorado was last swept in a season series by Vancouver in 2011-12.

"Play good as a team," Colorado rookie forward Andreas Martinsen said. "When we do that, we can beat everyone."

The Canucks' bid for a third consecutive victory was also halted by Winnipeg in Monday's 5-2 defeat. After totaling seven goals in the previous two on their four-game homestand, the Canucks managed 13 shots over the first two periods and didn't score until the Jets had completed their scoring in the third.

"It's really disappointing," forward Daniel Sedin said. "We get two wins and play real well then we have a bad one (Monday)."

After watching backup Jacob Markstrom get roughed up against Winnipeg, Ryan Miller is expected to be back in net. Miller made 37 saves Feb. 21, then posted a 3.35 GAA in the next four starts before stopping 35 shots in Saturday's 4-2 victory over Nashville.

Vancouver has gone 0 for 16 on the power play in four games. Colorado has killed 35 of 37 penalties in 12.

Duchene has four goals and seven assists in 11 games.

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will serve the second of his three-game suspension for a cross-check on Anaheim's Simon Despres last week.

Daniel and brother Henrik Sedin combined for seven assists Feb. 21.

**TheGame** · 03-16-2016, 07:24 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

Preview: Rangers (39-23) at Ducks (38-21)

Date: March 16, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The Anaheim Ducks put an end to their scoring struggles in emphatic fashion. That could prove to be bad news for the New York Rangers, who haven't been particularly tight defensively in recent games.

The Ducks try for a split of the season series Wednesday night when they face a Rangers team looking to avoid a third straight loss in the opener of their three-game California road trip.

Anaheim (38-21-9) scored three goals in an 0-2-1 stretch before breaking out against New Jersey on Monday, earning a 7-1 rout that marked its highest goal total since a 9-1 win over Vancouver on Jan. 15, 2014.

Jakob Silfverberg had three goals and an assist while Andrew Cogliano and Ryan Kesler added a goal and two assists apiece, giving the Ducks' checking line 10 points.

"It's a good bounce-back for us," Silfverberg told the team's official website. "We've got to keep going though, and not be too satisfied."

The Ducks scored one more goal than they did in their previous four games. They've allowed two or fewer goals 10 times in the past 12.

"It's nice for the confidence," Kesler said of his usually defense-first forward trio. "My line is usually trying to shut down the other team's top line every night. This time we went on the attack."

Helping it do that was Kesler's work on faceoffs. He went 19 of 23 and is among the league leaders at 58.9 percent.

Anaheim is 9-0-1 in its last 10 at home, outscoring opponents 33-14 in non-shootout goals in that span.

The Rangers have to be hoping that the Ducks got the offense out of their system against the Devils. New York (39-23-7) lost 5-3 to Pittsburgh on Sunday and has allowed 22 goals in its last six, going 2-3-1.

Particularly disconcerting about the latest defeat was the Rangers' drop-off in play after the first period. New York had 19 shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes but was outshot 20-8 the rest of the way, including 10-2 in the second.

"Well there's definitely some concern in how we played in the second and third after a real strong first period where, other than our penalty killing, I thought we carried the play," coach Alain Vigneault told the team's website. "We had some real good looks, were playing north-south quickly, were getting the pucks deep (in the first period). We just didn't sustain it."

The Rangers, locked in a tight battle with the Islanders for the second playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, defeated the Ducks 3-2 in overtime Dec. 22 for their third straight victory in the series. New York won 4-1 in its most recent visit to Honda Center on Jan. 7, 2015.

Derick Brassard scored for the third straight game Sunday and has five points in a four-game streak. He scored twice Dec. 22 and has four goals and an assist in his last three against Anaheim.

Derek Stepan has three goals and six assists in his last eight contests, while Keith Yandle has a goal and four assists in a five-game point streak.

Henrik Lundqvist, who's lost three straight starts with a 3.71 goals-against average, has won two in a row against the Ducks and allowed five goals in his past three matchups.

He's expected to be opposed again by John Gibson, who started the Dec. 22 matchup and made 19 saves.

**TheGame** · 03-16-2016, 07:24 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

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 32.5 32 UNDER
3/10 6 32.5 29 UNDER
3/11 5 26.5 28 OVER
3/12 12 63.5 66 OVER
3/13 3 16 13 UNDER
3/14 6 30 41 OVER
3/15 8 43.5 40 UNDER
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** · 03-16-2016, 07:24 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

NHL

Hot teams
-- Flyers won seven of their last nine games.
-- St Louis won six of its last seven games.
-- Winnipeg won its last two games, 3-2/5-2.

Cold teams
-- Canadiens lost six of their last eight games. Buffalo lost five of its last eight.
-- Blackhawks lost four of their last five games.
-- Edmonton lost three of its last four games.
-- Calgary lost seven of its last ten games.
-- Colorado lost last three road tilts, outscored 14-6. Vancouver lost five of last eight games.
-- Rangers, Ducks both lost three of their last four games.

Series records
-- Sabres won five of last seven games with Montreal.
-- Flyers won five of last seven games with Chicago.
-- Oilers lost their last eight games with St Louis.
-- Flames are 6-4 in their last ten games with Winnipeg.
-- Canucks won three of last four games with Colorado.
-- Rangers won their last three games with Anaheim.

Totals
-- Over is 4-0-2 in last six Montreal-Buffalo games.
-- Six of last eight Philly games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight St Louis-Edmonton games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Calgary games stayed under total.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Colorado-Vancouver games.
-- Over is 3-0-1 in last four Ranger games.

Back-to-backs
-- Montreal lost eight of last ten if it played night before.

**TheGame** · 03-16-2016, 07:25 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

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

One could make the argument that home-ice advantage is more important in the NHL than in the NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball (they don't have ice, but you get the drift). That's because home NHL teams actually have a schematic advantage in that they get the last line change off a stoppage of play. Thus the coach can manipulate matchups if need be.

That brings me to the perplexing San Jose Sharks, who entered Monday third in the Pacific Division but just three points behind first-place Los Angeles. Are the Sharks good enough to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time? Maybe. Goaltender Martin Jones has been a brilliant offseason trade acquisition. He was formerly Jonathan Quick's backup in Los Angeles, and the Kings thought so highly of Jones that they purposefully traded him to the Boston Bruins this summer to keep him out of the Western Conference. Except the Bruins then turned around and traded Jones days later to the Sharks. Jones is 34-18-4 with a 2.28 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. He has gone seven games in a row without giving up more than two goals.

San Jose certainly is a good enough road team to win the Cup. It is 25-9-3 away from home, the most road wins in the NHL. But what's up with that 13-15-3 record at home? The Sharks haven't had a losing home record since 1997-98. Over the past 25 years, the Stanley Cup winner with the fewest home victories (not including shortened seasons) was the 1997 Red Wings with 20. The swept the Flyers in the Cup Finals. The Stanley Cup finalist over that period with the fewest regular-season home wins was the 2002 Carolina Hurricanes, who were 15-13-11-2 at home. Ties and OT losses were separate categories then.

The Sharks start a stretch of seven of their next eight at home against Boston on Tuesday, an NBC Sports Network national TV game. San Jose is +700 to win the Western Conference.

Big Loss For Penguins

Pittsburgh's chances at winning the Cup took a big hit Saturday when star winger Evgeni Malkin was ruled out 6-8 weeks with an upper-body injury (they never tell you what the true injury is in the NHL). Malkin left Friday's win in Columbus following a collision with Blue Jackets defenseman Dalton Prout in the second period. Malkin has 27 goals and 31 assists this season. Since making his first postseason appearance in 2007, Malkin has averaged 1.10 points per playoff game. The only player with a higher number since then is teammate Sidney Crosby at 1.18.

Malkin missed 10 consecutive games last month, during which time the Penguins went 5-4-1. Their all-time record when he has been injured is 71-45-9 following Sunday's win at the New York Rangers.

This Week's Games To Watch

NY Rangers at Anaheim, Wednesday: It's New York's only visit of the season to Anaheim. The Blueshirts won the first matchup 3-2 in overtime at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 22. Mats Zuccarello scored a power-play goal at 2:37 of the extra session. That was when both teams were really struggling. This could be a very physical game as there were two fights in that first meeting. New York got back winger Rick Nash and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist this weekend from injury but lost both games, 3-2 in overtime at Detroit and 5-3 at home against the Penguins. This starts a three-game trip through California.

Chicago at Winnipeg, Friday: First meeting between these teams since the Blackhawks acquired forward Andrew Ladd from the Jets around the Feb. 29 trade deadline. Winnipeg got 21-year-old forward Marko Dano, who is considered a pretty good prospect, a first-round draft pick this June and another conditional pick. Solid return for Winnipeg after Ladd turned down a six-year extension earlier in the season and will hit unrestricted free agency. Ladd has two goals and two assists in six games with the Hawks. The Blackhawks lead the season series 2-1 but both wins were in Chicago. This starts a four-game homestand for the Jets.

NY Islanders at Dallas, Saturday: If you like offensive hockey, this matchup is for you as both are among the Top 5 scoring teams in the NHL. That showed in the first meeting, a 6-5 Islanders home win on Jan. 3. Kyle Okposo and Cal Clutterbuck each had two goals for the Isles, who trailed 2-1 in the first period before scoring the next four goals and holding on. Valeri Nichushkin had two goals for Dallas. There aren't many NHL games where I'd recommend the over total, but this would be one of them. The Islanders have lost No. 1 goaltender Jaroslav Halak for 6-8 weeks with a lower-body injury, meaning he likely misses the start of the playoffs. Thomas Greiss has played pretty well in net this year for the Isles but has less than one full game of playoff experience. Halak has 30 games of postseason play under his belt.

Boston at Los Angeles, Saturday: Could see this matchup replayed come June in the Stanley Cup Finals. This will be a chance for some major payback for Boston as it was totally embarrassed on home ice by the Kings on Feb. 9, 9-2. Nine different players scored for the Kings, including Milan Lucic, who was traded from Boston last summer (in the Jones deal). That was not a popular deal among Bruins fans. It remains an NHL high in goals scored by any team and Los Angeles also had a season-best 57 shots on net. That was the most shots against Boston since Detroit had 57 on March 18, 1965. Tuukka Rask gave up five goals on 32 shots before being pulled. It was the most goals the Bruins allowed at home in nine years.

**Satch** · 03-16-2016, 09:54 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

Preview: Montreal at Buffalo
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Where: First Niagara Center, Buffalo, New York
The Montreal Canadiens look to halt a pair of losing streaks and keep some distance between themselves and the Sabres in the standings when the Atlantic Division rivals face off in Buffalo on Wednesday. Montreal has dropped four straight road contests (0-3-1) and two in a row overall after completing its four-game homestand with Tuesday’s 4-1 setback against Florida.
Alex Galchenyuk scored the lone goal for the Canadiens and has netted seven of his team-leading 26 tallies over his last five contests. Montreal hopes to move farther ahead of Buffalo, which trails its long-time rival by five points with 12 games remaining. Passing the Canadiens for 13th place would be a huge moral victory for the Sabres, who finished in the basement of their division each of the last three seasons and of the league both of the last two. Buffalo, which sits six points ahead of last-place Toronto in the Eastern Conference, fell to 2-2-0 in the season series with the Canadiens after dropping a 3-2 decision at Montreal on Thursday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, RDS (Montreal), MSG (Buffalo)
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (32-32-6): Captain Max Pacioretty’s assist on Tuesday was his 52nd point of the season, moving him past defenseman P.K. Subban for the team lead. The 27-year-old left wing needs 16 points over his last 12 games to surpass his career high set last campaign. Subban has yet to participate in practice since suffering a neck injury in Thursday’s victory over Buffalo and will miss his third consecutive game.
ABOUT THE SABRES (28-33-9): Buffalo has earned at least one point in five of its seven games this month – improving to 3-2-2 in that span with an overtime triumph over Carolina on Saturday in the opener of its final homestand of the season, which concludes Friday against Ottawa. Goaltender Jason Kasdorf, who was acquired from Winnipeg along with Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian in February 2015, will remain with the team for the rest of the season after signing an entry-level contract on Monday. “I’m incredibly excited,” the 23-year-old told the team’s website. “I’m just thrilled about the opportunity I have to be here, to be a part of the organization. It’s a dream come true.”
OVERTIME
1. Sabres C Ryan O’Reilly, who leads the team with 49 points despite not playing since Feb. 19 due to a foot injury, may return to the lineup Wednesday.
2. Montreal G Mike Condon has played against every team during his rookie season except for the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings, whom the Canadiens face two times later this month.
3. Buffalo rookie C Jack Eichel tops the club with 22 goals and trails O’Reilly in points by just one.
PREDICTION: Canadiens 4, Sabres 2

**Satch** · 03-16-2016, 09:54 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

Preview: Philadelphia at Chicago
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
The Chicago Blackhawks could not be stopped during their franchise-record 12-game winning streak, but their record over the last two months is a shade under mediocre at best. The Blackhawks have dropped 12 of their last 21 (9-10-2) and three in a row heading into Wednesday’s home tilt with the red-hot Philadelphia Flyers.
“It seems like for whatever reason, the season’s been up and down throughout the whole year,” forward Patrick Kane said after Chicago suffered a 5-0 setback against Los Angeles on Monday. “You go on stretches where you win 12 in a row, and we’ve got this little stretch going right now. Obviously, we want to shore that up before the playoffs and make sure we’re going in there feeling consistent about our game.” While Chicago is locked in a three-team tussle with Dallas and St. Louis atop the Central Division, Philadelphia posted a 4-3 win over Detroit on Tuesday to improve to 7-1-1 in its last five contests and move within one point of the Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Michal Neuvirth, who is expected to get the nod on Wednesday, turned aside all 30 shots he faced in a 3-0 win over Chicago on Oct. 14.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA
ABOUT THE FLYERS (33-23-12): Michael Raffl scored twice on Tuesday for his third multi-point performance in his last five games (four goals, three assists). Fellow forward Wayne Simmonds also tallied versus the Red Wings and has notched eight points (four goals, four assists) in his last eight contests. Captain Claude Giroux, who recorded an assist against Detroit, tallied versus Chicago for his 12th point (three goals, nine assists) in nine career regular-season meetings with the club.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (41-23-6): Coach Joel Quenneville traditionally isn’t shy about tinkering with his lines, and Tuesday’s practice saw Kane paired with captain Jonathan Toews and Tomas Fleischmann while Russians Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov were joined by veteran Marian Hossa. Teuvo Teravainen (illness) missed practice on Tuesday, but Quenneville told the Blackhawks’ website that he “could play” against the Flyers. Scott Darling is slated to make his first start since March 3 and looks to improve upon his 4-0-0 record and slim 1.09 goals-against average at home.
OVERTIME
1. Kane, who netted the Stanley Cup-clinching goal against Philadelphia in 2010, has been limited to just one tally for his lone point in five games.
2. The Flyers have killed off 24 of their last 27 short-handed situations over the last 11 contests.
3. The Blackhawks are 0-for-11 on the power play in their last two games after scoring seven times with the man advantage in the previous five contests.
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Flyers 1

**Satch** · 03-16-2016, 09:55 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

Preview: St. Louis at Edmonton
When: 9:30 PM ET, Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Where: Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta
After seeing their six-game winning streak come to an end against one Alberta representative, the St. Louis Blues will try to continue their dominance versus the other on Wednesday as they visit the Edmonton Oilers. St. Louis has won eight in a row over Edmonton, including a 3-1 victory in the season opener on Oct. 8 and a 4-2 triumph a week later.
Paul Stastny recorded a goal and an assist in the latter meeting with the Oilers and scored twice in a 7-4 setback against Calgary on Monday to increase his point total to seven (three goals, four assists) in his last four games. While St. Louis is engaged in a spirited battle with Dallas and Chicago for the top spot in the Central Division, Edmonton long ago bid adieu to any postseason plans and remains in the cellar of the Western Conference. The Oilers continued their spiral by suffering their eighth home loss in nine outings by dropping a 3-2 decision to Nashville on Monday. “We need to find a way to get the puck to the net and bang one home and maybe an empty-net (goal) and win the game that way,” Jordan Eberle told the Oilers’ website after scoring for the first time since Feb. 26. “You like the effort and stuff, but moral victories aren’t that great.”
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), Sportsnet (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE BLUES (41-21-9): Jake Allen is expected to make his 10th consecutive start overall and first this season versus Edmonton on Wednesday. The 25-year-old New Brunswick native yielded four goals for the second straight outing on Monday, earning an early exit in the second period. “We got what we deserved,” Allen told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “If we’re not prepared (against Edmonton), it’s going to be even worse.”
ABOUT THE OILERS (27-38-7): Coach Todd McLellan isn’t interested in aesthetics, only results – and the team isn’t painting a pretty picture with its 1-for-32 performance on the power play in the last 14 games. “It’s not about the pretty, it’s about the goal,” McLellan told the Edmonton Journal. “There’s no excuse for some of the things we do on the power play with the talent we can put on the ice, so they have to get some things done.” The Oilers, who are 14-11-2 when they score with the man advantage, is 1-for-8 on the power play versus the Blues this season.
OVERTIME
1. St. Louis rookie C Robby Fabbri scored in his NHL debut against Edmonton and set up a tally versus the Flames to extend his point streak to five games (one goal, five assists).
2. Oilers rookie C Connor McDavid was held off the scoresheet in his first two meetings with the Blues.
3. St. Louis D Kevin Shattenkirk has recorded three goals in his last two games and seven points (four assists) in his last six contests.
PREDICTION: Blues 4, Oilers 3

**Satch** · 03-16-2016, 09:55 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

Preview: Winnipeg at Calgary
When: 10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
The Winnipeg Jets attempt to extend a win streak to three games for the first time this season when they visit the Calgary Flames on Wednesday in a matchup of teams with identical records. The Jets knocked off Colorado and Vancouver in their last two contests, but have failed to triumph in the next game after winning back-to-back eight previous times during a disappointing campaign.
Forward Marko Dano, who was acquired from Chicago in the Andrew Ladd trade last month, has given the Jets a boost and begun to show his potential with three goals and two assists in the last four contests. “I’m getting more comfortable with every game, every shift,” Dano told reporters. “Trying to get the chemistry going, that’s the key for a new guy in the room.” Calgary has lifted its game of late as well, going 3-1-1 in the last five contests after a 7-4 victory over St. Louis on Monday. Johnny Gaudreau has posted six points in his last three outings for the Flames and is one shy of 70.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), Sportsnet West (Calgary)
ABOUT THE JETS (29-35-5): Center Mark Scheifele is making a run at player of the month while building an eight-game point streak, which includes eight goals and four assists. Scheifele tops the team with 23 goals after his run and trails only Blake Wheeler (61) in points with 46 – three shy of his career high last season. The Jets could be without defenseman Dustin Byfuglien (44 points) after the All Star missed Monday’s game with illness and rookie forward Nikolaj Ehlers (31) is out indefinitely with an eye injury.
ABOUT THE FLAMES (29-35-5): Michael Frolik notched a hat trick, including a pair of short-handed tallies, against St. Louis and Sean Monahan scored a pair of goals. “It gives you a little more confidence,” Frolik told reporters after the win over one of the Western Conference’s best. “Hockey is all about that – building confidence. Hopefully we can carry that to the next two games at home.” Captain Mark Giordano has seven points in his last six games, but fellow defenseman T.J. Brodie (upper body) could miss his third straight game.
OVERTIME
1. Winnipeg F Mathieu Perreault has collected four assists and registered a plus-3 rating in the last three games.
2. Calgary C Mikael Backlund has posted six points (four goals) in the last six contests and needs one assist to reach 100 in his career.
3. The teams have split a pair of games this season, each winning at home.
PREDICTION: Flames 5, Jets 4

**Satch** · 03-16-2016, 09:55 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

Preview: Colorado at Vancouver
When: 10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
The Colorado Avalanche attempt to remain within striking distance of a postseason berth when they continue their four-game road trip Wednesday against the Vancouver Canucks. The trek did not get off to a good start as Colorado squandered a two-goal lead and dropped a 3-2 decision at Winnipeg on Saturday.
Leading scorer Matt Duchene has collected five of his 55 points over the last three games for the Avalanche, who are one point behind Minnesota for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Vancouver is wrapping up a four-game homestand during which it fell to 2-1-0 with Monday’s 5-2 loss to the Jets. The Canucks are in danger of missing the playoffs for the second time in three seasons as they sit nine points in back of the Wild. Vancouver is looking to complete a sweep of the three-game season series after outscoring Colorado by a combined 8-2 score in two victories last month.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (35-31-4): Defenseman Chris Bigras appears close to returning to action as he participated in Tuesday’s practice while wearing a non-contact jersey. The 21-year-old rookie, who has recorded a goal and an assist in 23 games during his debut season, has been sidelined since suffering a head injury on March 5 versus Nashville. Blue-liner Tyson Barrie is nursing a minor hamstring ailment but is expected to be in the lineup against Vancouver.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (27-29-12): Defenseman Nikita Tryamkin, 21, will make his NHL debut Wednesday after signing a two-year contract last week. The 6-8, 220-pound Russian registered four goals and seven assists in 53 games with Yekaterinburg of the Kontinental Hockey League this season. Alex Burrows is likely to play Wednesday after sitting out the loss to Winnipeg with a foot injury.
OVERTIME
1. Canucks captain Henrik Sedin has gone 10 games without a goal and has tallied just once in his last 31 contests.
2. Colorado G Semyon Varlamov, who has allowed a total of four goals over his last three games, is expected to start both Wednesday and in Calgary on Friday.
3. Vancouver recalled D Andrey Pedan and C Brendan Gaunce from Utica of the American Hockey League.
PREDICTION: Avalanche 3, Canucks 2

**Satch** · 03-16-2016, 09:56 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/16

Preview: NY Rangers at Anaheim
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
The New York Rangers only need to turn back the calendar one year to recall the last time they posted a three-game road sweep of the California contingent. Looking to avoid its fifth three-game skid of the season, New York begins its trek through the Golden State on Wednesday with a date against the Anaheim Ducks.
“Any time you get the opportunity to be together as a group and play against some good teams out West, it’s going to be good for us,” Rangers center Eric Staal told Newsday. “We have to pick ourselves up and have a big week out West.” While the Rangers are even in points with the second-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division while playing one more game, Anaheim snapped a three-game slide (0-2-1) with a 7-1 rout of New Jersey on Monday to inch closer to Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles. Improved play at Honda Center certainly has provided a lift for the Ducks, who are 9-0-1 in their last 10 home games. Corey Perry scored versus the Devils for his 21st goal at Honda Center this season and netted his eighth tally in 13 career meetings with the Rangers in a 3-2 overtime loss at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 22.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, MSG Plus (New York), FSN West (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE RANGERS (39-23-7): Derick Brassard scored in his third straight contest in Sunday’s 5-3 setback against Pittsburgh to extend his point streak to four games (three goals, two assists) and recorded three points (two tallies) in the first meeting with Anaheim. The 28-year-old Quebec native has scored four goals and set up another in his last three games versus the Ducks and has collected 13 tallies and 17 points in 21 career encounters with the team. Mats Zuccarello, who scored the overtime winner on Dec. 22, has registered one goal and four assists in his last three contests.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (38-21-9): Jakob Silfverberg recorded his first career hat trick against New Jersey, and his personal-best four-point performance versus the Devils doubled his output over the previous nine games. “It wasn’t anything really pretty. It was just shooting pucks and winning battles in front of the net and putting rebounds in. That’s how you score in this league,” the 25-year-old Swede told the Orange County Register. Frederik Andersen has done a nice job preventing opponents from doing precisely that as he is 14-1-1 in his last 16 decisions, but he was blitzed for three goals on seven shots before being relieved in his last appearance against the Rangers.
OVERTIME
1. Rangers D Keith Yandle has scored one goal and set up four others during his five-game point streak.
2. Ducks C Rickard Rakell notched a goal and an assist on Dec. 22 for his first points in four career games versus the Rangers.
3. The Rangers have recorded one power-play goal in each of their last five games after going 1-for-12 in their previous six contests.
PREDICTION: Ducks 3, Rangers 2

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NHL Betting Info. 3/16

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