NHL Betting Info. 3/22

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/22

BUFFALO vs. CAROLINA
Buffalo is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Buffalo is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina's last 5 games when playing at home against Buffalo
Carolina is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


PHILADELPHIA vs. COLUMBUS
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Philadelphia's last 13 games when playing Columbus
Philadelphia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Columbus's last 21 games at home
Columbus is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia


ANAHEIM vs. MONTREAL
Anaheim is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Anaheim's last 6 games when playing Montreal
Montreal is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Anaheim
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Montreal's last 9 games when playing at home against Anaheim


DETROIT vs. TAMPA BAY
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Detroit is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit


WASHINGTON vs. OTTAWA
Washington is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Washington's last 19 games when playing Ottawa
Ottawa is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 5 games when playing at home against Washington


8:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. WINNIPEG
Vancouver is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing Winnipeg
Vancouver is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Winnipeg is 6-12-1 SU in its last 19 games ,when playing Vancouver
Winnipeg is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Vancouver


DALLAS vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 6 games
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas
Chicago is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games


LOS ANGELES vs. MINNESOTA
Los Angeles is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Los Angeles's last 25 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Minnesota's last 25 games when playing at home against Los Angeles


EDMONTON vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Edmonton's last 16 games
Edmonton is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 5 games
Arizona is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Edmonton


ST. LOUIS vs. SAN JOSE
St. Louis is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games on the road
St. Louis is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Jose's last 10 games when playing St. Louis

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/22

Preview: Buffalo at Carolina
When: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina
The Carolina Hurricanes look to avoid a fifth straight loss overall and a season sweep at the hands of the lowly Buffalo Sabres when the teams meet at PNC Arena on Tuesday. The Hurricanes have mustered just seven goals during their last four games (0-1-3) to reside seven points behind Detroit for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 10 games remaining.
“We’ve got to make one more play,” coach Bill Peters told reporters after Carolina dropped a 3-2 shootout loss to Minnesota on Saturday. “It’s that tight around the league no matter who you play and where you play. Everyone is competing very hard, and everyone is desperate for points.” The Sabres are desperate to stay out of the cellar in the Eastern Conference, but they have emerged victorious in both meetings with the Hurricanes this season. Chad Johnson saw his five-start winning streak end with a thud versus the Maple Leafs, but stopped 55 of 58 shots against Carolina in 2015-16 to improve to 6-1-0 in his career against the club.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG-B (Buffalo), FSN Carolinas, Bell TV, NHL.TV
ABOUT THE SABRES (29-34-10): Coach Dan Bylsma told reporters that he expects Jack Eichel to play versus Carolina despite the rookie missing Saturday’s game and Monday’s practice due to an undisclosed illness. “I don’t think it was the flu,” Bylsma told the Buffalo News. “He had something to eat at the hotel, and by 4 in the morning (on Saturday) he was not doing very good. Got a quick bug. Other people ate the same thing Jack ate at the hotel when we got there, so I’m not quite sure it was food poisoning, but that’s what it looked like.” Eichel, who has a club-best 22 goals and is two points behind Ryan O’Reilly (51) for the team lead, scored in Buffalo’s 4-1 win over the Hurricanes on Nov. 27 and netted his second tally of the contest in overtime of a 3-2 win versus Carolina on March 12.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (31-27-14): All-Star defenseman Justin Faulk returned to practice on Monday after sitting out the last 5 1/2 weeks with an undisclosed lower-body injury. “It’s good. It’s obviously nice to be out there with the guys again,” Faulk told the team’s website. “Not necessarily to be skating on your own and staring at the walls while you do it (however.)” Jordan Staal is starting to heat up with two goals in his last three games after being limited to just one in his previous eight.
OVERTIME
1. Buffalo has killed off its last five short-handed situations over the last two games after yielding one power-play goal in each of its previous seven games.
2. Hurricanes C Victor Rask has scored in each contest versus the Sabres this season and in three of his five career meetings.
3. Buffalo LW Tyler Ennis, who has been sidelined since Dec. 30 with a concussion, skated on his own and was involved in an off-ice workout on Monday.
PREDICTION: Hurricanes 3, Sabres 1

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Preview: Philadelphia at Columbus
When: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
The Philadelphia Flyers overcame a brief stumble to regain their footing and continue a mad dash toward a potential postseason appearance. With a 9-2-1 record over their last 12 games, the Flyers look to continue their sprint against a team that has tripped them up in two of their three meetings this season when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Philadelphia answered Saturday’s 4-1 setback to Keystone State-rival Pittsburgh with a victory over the New York Islanders two nights later by the same score. The win moved the Flyers within one point of idle Detroit for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with one game in hand and three shy of the Islanders for the first extra playoff spot. Sam Gagner scored his sixth goal in 14 contests and also tallied in Philadelphia’s 6-0 rout of Columbus on March 5 for his 26th point (11 goals, 15 assists) in 27 career meetings with the Blue Jackets. Columbus, which long has been removed from the postseason discussion, suffered its fourth loss in five contests as it dropped the back end of a home-and-home series against New Jersey with a 2-1 setback on Sunday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (35-24-12): Michal Neuvirth’s lower-body injury, which reportedly is a torn meniscus, couldn’t have come at a worse time as Philadelphia will conclude the first of its four remaining back-to-back sets on Tuesday. Steve Mason made 23 saves versus the Islanders and could face his former team if coach Dave Hakstol elects against sending Anthony Stolarz to the crease for his NHL debut. Mason turned aside all 19 shots he faced in a 6-0 win versus Columbus to improve to 3-3-2 lifetime against the team with which he spent parts of his first five seasons.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (29-35-8): Coach John Tortorella did not reveal his starting goaltender for Tuesday’s tilt after Joonas Korpisalo turned aside 20 shots in the loss to the Devils on Sunday. Sergei Bobrovsky started the previous four contests and made 27 saves in a 4-1 win over Philadelphia to improve to 4-1-0 with a 1.80 goals-against average versus the team with which he spent his first two NHL seasons. Fellow goaltender Curtis McElhinney, who was rocked by the Flyers two weeks ago, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee Monday to end his season.
OVERTIME
1. Columbus C Alexander Wennberg will be a game-time decision on Tuesday after sitting out versus New Jersey with an undisclosed injury.
2. Philadelphia C Chris VandeVelde is eligible to return after serving a two-game suspension for elbowing Chicago captain Jonathan Toews on Wednesday.
3. The Blue Jackets are a perfect 8-for-8 on the penalty kill against the Flyers this season.
PREDICTION: Blue Jackets 3, Flyers 1

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Preview: Anaheim at Montreal
When: 7:30 PM ET, Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec
The Anaheim Ducks are trying to track down the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Kings while keeping an eye in the rearview mirror as they continue a five-game road trip with a visit to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. While the Ducks trail Los Angeles by four points, they are one ahead of third-place San Jose with a game in hand on both division rivals.
Anaheim plays only one team with the NHL’s version of a winning record during the five-game trek through Canada, but needed overtime to outlast Winnipeg 3-2 to open the trip. “Obviously it’s a quite a long road trip. It’s five games in 10 days,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. “Getting this first win is great for your confidence for the rest of the trip.” The Canadiens have scored five regulation goals in dropping four of their last five and were blasted by Ottawa (5-0) and Calgary (4-1) over the weekend. The Ducks have limited Montreal to four goals in winning the last three meetings, including a 3-2 shootout on March 2.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), RDS, Sportsnet East (Montreal), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (33-34-6): Montreal surrendered nine unanswered goals over the weekend before rookie Michael McCarron salvaged the team’s lone highlight by scoring his first goal in his 14th NHL game. “Everyone was super excited for me,” McCarron said. “It only happens once. We didn’t get the result we wanted but it’s my first NHL goal and I was pretty excited.” Following a blistering stretch in which he pumped in 11 goals over and eight-game stretch, Alex Galchenyuk has cooled off and is a minus-8 over the past five contests.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (40-22-9): Forward David Perron, who has eight goals and 20 assists in 28 games since he was acquired from Pittsburgh, suffered a shoulder injury against Winnipeg and was sent back to Southern California to undergo an MRI exam. “I don’t know how bad it is but I assume it’s week-to-week,” Boudreau told reporters after Monday’s practice. “We’re on the road for eight more days. I’ve got to believe it’s week-to-week at this point.” Jamie McGinn, acquired from Buffalo at the trade deadline, has scored in three consecutive games.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim is 21-5-2 with Perron in the lineup.
2. The Canadiens are 2-for-33 on the power play in the last 12 games.
3. Ducks C Nate Thompson (lower body) skated Monday but will sit out his fifth game in a row.
PREVIEW: Ducks 3, Canadiens 2

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Preview: Washington at Ottawa
When: 7:30 PM ET, Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
After falling flat in their first opportunity to clinch the Metropolitan Division, the Washington Capitals look to accomplish the feat and snap a three-game road skid (0-2-1) on Tuesday when they visit the Ottawa Senators. Veteran forward Jason Chimera used his noggin to score a goal on Sunday, but his team had its head served on a platter after yielding four consecutive tallies en route to a 6-2 setback to Pittsburgh.
“We’ve just got to move on from it, move on to the next game,” Chimera told the Monumental Sports Network. “It’s one of those things, you’ve just got to forget about these games.” Chimera answered a nine-game stretch without a point by collecting two in his last three contests and had three assists in the Capitals’ 7-1 rout of the Senators on Jan. 10. Ottawa likely did its best to forget that trouncing, but it posted its third win in four outings with a 5-0 triumph over Montreal on Saturday to reside seven points behind Detroit for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSMA (Washington), RDS2, WPCW, TSN5 (Ottawa), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (51-15-5): Captain Alex Ovechkin has been held off the scoresheet in back-to-back contests, but the three-time Hart Trophy winner rarely is silent against Ottawa. Ovechkin, who leads the league with 42 goals, tallied twice in his last meeting with the Senators to increase his point total to 39 (22 goals, 17 assists) in 36 career encounters with the club. Nicklas Backstrom set up three tallies in that contest, but has been held off the scoresheet in each of his last three outings overall.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (34-31-8): Alex Chiasson scored for the second straight contest on Saturday when he netted one of Ottawa’s three short-handed goals versus the Canadiens. Mika Zibanejad tipped in Mike Hoffman’s shot to extend both forwards’ point streaks to four games, with the former scoring three goals and setting up two others during that stretch while the latter has one tally and four assists. Hoffman netted his team’s lone goal in the listless loss to Washington in January.
OVERTIME
1. Ottawa is 0-for-23 on the power play in the last nine games and 1-for-7 versus Washington this season.
2. The Capitals are a staggering 13-0-1 in the contest that follows a regulation loss this season.
3. Senators G Craig Anderson will look to secure his third 30-win season on Tuesday versus Washington, against which he owns an 11-6-1 mark with two shutouts in his career.
PREDICTION: Capitals 4, Senators 2

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Preview: Detroit at Tampa Bay
When: 7:30 PM ET, Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
The Detroit Red Wings attempt to complete their Sunshine State trip in perfect fashion when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. The Red Wings, who rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat Atlantic Division-leading Florida 5-3 on Saturday for their second straight victory, look to extend their one-point lead over Philadelphia for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Detroit scored more than three goals for the first time since Feb. 27 and coach Jeff Blashill told reporters, “I’d say it’s the kind of game that we’re going to continue to need. I liked a lot of things.” The Red Wings lost their last game at Tampa Bay 3-1 on Feb. 3 after winning the first two contests of the season series at home. The Lightning, who trail the Panthers by two points, recovered from a rough 1-4-1 stretch with a 2-0 victory at Arizona on Saturday and begin a six-game homestand before going on the road for the final four contests of the regular season. Ben Bishop is expected back in net for Tampa Bay after posting his fifth shutout of the season and franchise-record 15th on Saturday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, TVA, FSN Detroit, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (36-25-11): Rookie Dylan Larkin recorded his first two-point performance since Feb. 6 on Saturday and has notched three points in his last two games after recording just two in the previous 16 contests. Larkin has registered 43 points overall – one behind captain Henrik Zetterberg for the team lead – while Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Tatar each have notched three in the last two wins. Petr Mrazek told reporters he is feeling better after missing two games due to illness but is expected to back up Jimmy Howard on Tuesday.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (41-26-5): Bishop, who leads the league in goals-against average (2.02), passed Nikolai Khabibulin for the franchise lead in shutouts and has posted a pair for his team’s only victories in its last seven games (2-4-1). “He’s absolutely one of the best goalies in the league, no doubt,” defenseman Anton Stralman told reporters. “Think that’s pretty obvious the last couple years.” Captain Steven Stamkos has scored four goals in as many games to lead the team with 33 and Nikita Kucherov had recorded three points in his last two contests.
OVERTIME
1. Lightning D Victor Hedman leads the team with a plus-17 rating and is plus-38 over the last two seasons, including the playoffs.
2. Detroit LW Justin Abdelkader has notched three assists in his last two games to reach 40 points for the second time in his career.
3. Tampa Bay C Valtteri Filppula (upper body) has missed the last three games and is questionable to face his former team on Tuesday.
PREDICTION: Lightning 4, Red Wings 2

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Preview: Vancouver at Winnipeg
When: 8:00 PM ET, Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
A pair of slumping teams playing out the string will collide on Tuesday when the Winnipeg Jets attempt to complete a three-game season sweep of the visiting Vancouver Canucks. The Jets posted their second three-goal victory over the Canucks with a 5-2 win at Vancouver on March 14, but they have been outscored 11-3 in dropping their last three overall.
Winnipeg is playing the third contest of a four-game homestand, but it has won only three of its last 16 (3-12-1) at MTS Centre. “This is not where we want to be,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. “We want to put in a good effort out there, we want to play right and make it an exciting game.” The Canucks have scored only three goals during their current four-game losing streak and are coming off consecutive shutout defeats versus Edmonton and St. Louis. Vancouver is attempting to avoid being blanked three straight games for the first time since January 1984.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), TSN3 (Winnipeg), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (27-32-12): Daniel Sedin ripped Vancouver’s lack of effort following Sunday’s 3-0 home loss to St. Louis, a sentiment that was echoed at Monday’s practice by Alexandre Burrows, who was shifted to a line with the Sedin twins. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get the team going a little bit, get some goals and lead that way,” Burrows said. “We need to work harder. We need to compete harder. Our intensity needs to be better.” The Canucks’ punchless offense isn’t getting much help from a power play that has failed on 23 straight chances.
ABOUT THE JETS (29-37-6): Trades and injuries have had a ripple effect on Winnipeg’s lineup, which absorbed another big blow when forward Mathieu Perreault suffered a concussion after falling backward and hitting his head on the boards in Sunday’s overtime loss to Anaheim. Perreault had nine goals and 41 points – two shy of his career high – in 71 games but has been ruled out indefinitely. Leading scorer Blake Wheeler snapped a 10-game goalless drought by scoring his 19th Sunday and is one shy of reaching 20 for the third straight season and fourth time in his career.
OVERTIME
1. Jets F Mark Scheifele has four goals and seven points in seven games versus Vancouver.
2. Daniel Sedin has nine goals and 17 points in 18 games against Winnipeg.
3. The Jets are 1-for-28 on the power play over the last nine games.
PREDICTION: Jets 4, Canucks 2

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Preview: Dallas at Chicago
When: 8:30 PM ET, Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
The Chicago Blackhawks are having trouble shifting into another gear as the regular season reaches the home stretch. With five losses in their last six games (1-3-2), the Blackhawks look to get back on track and cut into their deficit behind the first-place Dallas Stars on Tuesday when the Central Division rivals meet at the United Center.
“We want to get as high (in the standings) as we can,” Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith told reporters. “At the same time, we’re not looking farther than our next game on Tuesday. It’s been tough to play against Dallas. We haven’t had much success. We need to have a good effort.” The reigning Conn Smythe Trophy recipient is correct as the Stars have won three of the four meetings this season, with Patrick Eaves collecting three goals and an assist versus the Blackhawks. Eaves also tallied in Saturday’s 3-0 victory over the New York Islanders as Dallas improved to 5-1-2 in its last eight to open a two-point lead over St. Louis and a four-point edge over Chicago.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), CSN Chicago, NHL.TV
ABOUT THE STARS (43-21-9): Kari Lehtonen turned aside all 27 shots he faced on Saturday to improve to 5-1-1 in his last seven outings. While the 32-year-old Finn (21-9-2, 2.85 goals-against average) will receive his team’s fourth consecutive start on Tuesday, coach Lindy Ruff stopped short of naming Lehtonen the club’s No. 1 goaltender over Antti Niemi (22-12-7, 2.76 GAA). “I’m not establishing anybody as No. 1,” Ruff told reporters on Monday. “But I like the way (Lehtonen’s) playing, and the reason he has been playing is because his game has been better than Antti’s.”
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (42-24-7): Backup Scott Darling is in line to make his fourth straight start as Chicago attempts to weather the storm without Corey Crawford, who has been sidelined for the last week with an upper-body injury. “Obviously I wish it were different circumstances. We don’t want Corey to be hurt; we miss him for sure,” Darling told CSN Chicago on Sunday after making 32 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss to Minnesota. The 27-year-old Darling has posted a 1-1-1 mark in Crawford’s absence and has stopped 24 of 25 shots combined in a pair of relief appearances versus Dallas.
OVERTIME
1. Chicago is mired in an 0-for-17 stretch on the power play in the last five contests while Dallas has thwarted all but one of its last 19 short-handed situations in the last eight.
2. Stars D Jordie Benn is expected to return from an eight-game absence due to a lower-body injury.
3. The Blackhawks are 0-7-2 in their last nine games versus Western Conference teams currently holding a playoff spot.
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Stars 3

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Preview: Los Angeles at Minnesota
When: 8:30 PM ET, Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Where: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Less than 24 hours after failing to extend their lead in the Pacific Division, the Los Angeles Kings give it another try Tuesday as they continue their three-game road trip against the Minnesota Wild. Los Angeles, which already has clinched a playoff spot, dropped a 5-2 decision at Nashville on Monday to remain four points ahead of second-place Anaheim in the Pacific and have its streaks of four consecutive wins and seven straight games with a point (6-0-1) come to an end.
Despite Monday’s setback, the Kings lead the West with 44 victories and are second in the league to Washington (51). Minnesota seeks its third consecutive triumph and a playoff position as it can move past idle Colorado for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a victory. The Wild, who are coming off back-to-back shootout wins over Carolina and Chicago, certainly could use some offense from Zach Parise as the six-time 30-goal scorer has produced just one tally in his last 15 games. Minnesota earned three points (1-0-1) in the first two contests of the three-game season series, both of which took place in Los Angeles.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN
ABOUT THE KINGS (44-23-5): Anze Kopitar has been on fire of late, posting three two-point performances during his six-game streak and notching at least one point in 10 of his last 11 contests — collecting six goals and nine assists in that span. The 28-year-old Slovenian leads the team with 67 points and looks to reach 70 for the sixth time in his career. Jeff Carter is mired in a six-game goal-scoring drought and needs two tallies to avoid finishing with fewer than 20 for the first time since 2006-07 with Philadelphia.
ABOUT THE WILD (34-28-11): Charlie Coyle tops the club with 21 goals but has gone nine games without one, last tallying March 1 versus the Avalanche. Devan Dubnyk has been superb during his last 10 starts, posting a 7-1-1 record, and has not allowed more than three goals since yielding four at St. Louis on Feb. 6. Captain Mikko Koivu leads the team with 49 points and needs four goals in his last nine games to reach 20 for the first time since netting 22 in 2009-10.
OVERTIME
1. Los Angeles’ Drew Doughty is two goals shy of matching his career high of 16 set in 2009-10 while fellow D Alec Martinez is one tally away from tying his career mark of 11 from 2013-14.
2. Minnesota D Ryan Suter needs three points to reach 400 for his career.
3. Kings C Tyler Toffoli’s next point will be his 49th, matching his career high from last season.
PREDICTION: Kings 3, Wild 1

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Preview: Edmonton at Arizona
When: 10:00 PM ET, Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Where: Gila River Arena, Glendale, Arizona
The Arizona Coyotes will need a miracle finish to have a shot at a postseason berth, but they will face an opponent they have dominated like no other when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. The Coyotes extended their point streak to a franchise-record 22 games (18-0-4) versus the Oilers with a 4-0 win at Edmonton on March 12.
Arizona saw its playoff hopes go on life support following a lost weekend in which it was blanked in back-to-back games by Tampa Bay and San Jose. “We just don’t create enough chances,” coach Dave Tippett said. “That’s just where we are.” The two shutout losses dropped the Coyotes 11 points behind Colorado for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference as they kick off a four-game homestand. The Oilers’ modest two-game winning streak came to a halt with a 3-2 setback against the Avalanche on Sunday.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Edmonton), FSN Arizona
ABOUT THE OILERS (29-39-7): Edmonton failed on four chances Sunday to dip to 4-for-24 on the power play over the past eight games, certainly not a great percentage and one that causes increasing alarm when one realizes that all four tallies came in one game. While No. 1 overall pick Connor McDavid continues on a point-per-game pace in his injury-plagued rookie season with 40 in 38 contests, former top overall selection Taylor Hall’s production has dwindled. Hall had 34 points through the first 30 games but has managed only 24 in the last 45 contests.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (31-34-7): One of the few bright spots of late has been the play of goaltender Mike Smith, who returned from a three-month injury absence with a 44-save shutout of Edmonton and has permitted only three goals on 107 shots in his last three starts. “For the rest of the season I’ll keep pushing forward,” Smith told the team’s official website. “We’re definitely doing some good things but we’ve got to find ways to win these games.” Philip Samuelsson was sent back to the minors Monday, which means fellow defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson could be ready to return.
OVERTIME
1. Smith is 12-1-1 with a 2.36 goals-against average versus Edmonton.
2. McDavid has five assists during a four-game point streak.
3. Coyotes rookie F Max Domi has four goals and two assists in the four meetings this season against Edmonton.
PREDICTION: Coyotes 4, Oilers 3

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Preview: St. Louis at San Jose
When: 10:30 PM ET, Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Where: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, California
Among the league’s worst teams at home for the majority of the season, the San Jose Sharks have appeared to found their stride and will go for their fifth consecutive win at SAP Center against the visiting St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night. The Sharks are one point behind Anaheim for second place in the Pacific Division, although the Ducks have a game in hand.
San Jose knocked off Eastern Conference powers Washington, Boston and the New York Rangers before blanking Arizona during its impressive four-game home winning streak. “Any line can score. Any line is dangerous,” Sharks forward Joe Thornton said. “We’re a very, very deep team right now.” St. Louis, which is 7-2-0 in its last nine and is wrapping up a five-game road trip, is two points behind first-place Dallas in the Central Division and two ahead of reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago. It’s the first meeting between the teams since Blues forward Ryan Reaves received a three-game suspension for boarding San Jose defenseman Matt Tennyson from behind and giving him a concussion.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET; FSN Midwest (St. Louis), CSN California (San Jose), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE BLUES (42-22-9): Goaltender Brian Elliott had won five consecutive starts before he was injured in St. Louis’ 6-3 loss to San Jose on Feb. 22, but he made a dazzling return to the lineup from a 10-game absence by stopping all 19 shots in a 3-0 victory at Vancouver on Saturday. “We didn’t play well the last couple of outings and this is good,” Elliott said after the game. “Hopefully we can take it into San Jose and wrap up the road trip with a high.” Vladimir Tarasenko, who had three points in that last meeting, has four goals in his last five games overall.
ABOUT THE SHARKS (41-25-6): Thornton scored twice and set up a pair of goals against St. Louis last month, part of a 23-game stretch in which he has amassed 29 points. Despite the absence of stud defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic to injury for the past two games, San Jose has allowed only one goal as Dylan DeMelo has filled the void. “When you lose a guy like (Vlasic), it obviously gives other defensemen the chance to step up and get more minutes,” blue-liner Paul Martin said. “DeMelo has played with us most of the season and done a great job when he has.”
OVERTIME
1. Sharks F Matt Nieto will be sidelined for three to four weeks with a fractured knuckle on his right index finger.
2. Elliott is 4-3-1 with a 2.91 goals-against average versus San Jose.
3. Sharks F Tomas Hertl has two goals and five assists during a five-game point streak.
PREDICTION: Sharks 4, Blues 3