Announcement

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:41 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Senators (34-32) at Islanders (38-24)

Date: March 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Just two weeks ago, the New York Islanders were rolling right along.

They won six of seven on their longest road trip of the season and got a win in their first home game in nearly three weeks.

Now, a rough stretch at possibly the worst time with the regular season winding down has put the Islanders' postseason chances in jeopardy.

After briefly moving up to second place in the Metropolitan Division, New York is just 1-4-2 in its past seven games and has dropped to fourth heading into Wednesday night's home matchup with the Ottawa Senators.

The Islanders (38-24-9) still hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, with Detroit and Philadelphia tied for the final playoff position just two points back. New York fell 4-1 to the Flyers on Monday.

'It's frustrating a little bit,' captain John Tavares said. 'Obviously it's an important time of year and we're not playing our best. The main thing is that we stay positive and stay together.'

The Islanders just came off a period in which they played 12 of 14 games on the road, finishing 8-4-2 after the sizzling start.

Now, after another loss, the Islanders have 11 games left in the season - including seven at home, where they are 21-9-4.

'We have to find a way to pull ourselves out of it,' right wing Kyle Okposo said. 'We got to come together as a team and just bring it, play better. Right now we're pretty inconsistent, kind of good shift, bad shift. We don't really turn the tide and that's what we need this time of year. '

Coach Jack Capuano doesn't think the team's lack of success is because of a lack of effort, but rather because some players are just struggling.

'You can't look at the team and say, 'Is there urgency?' There's a lot of guys playing with a lot of urgency,' he said. 'You got other guys that are struggling, so it might look like they're not playing with urgency."

The team's struggles have coincided with the absence of starting goalie Jaroslav Halak, who was injured late during a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh on March 8. He is out for at least the rest of the regular season and into the start of a possible playoff appearance. Thomas Greiss, who was 18-6-3 with a 2.20 goals-against average at the time, is 1-4-1 with a 2.67 GAA since then.

Ottawa (34-32-8) makes its first-ever trip to Brooklyn after beating New York 3-2 in overtime on Dec. 5 and losing 5-2 on Jan. 22. Captain Erik Karlsson has five points in those games.

The Senators fell 4-2 at home to league-leading Washington on Tuesday. They were 0 for 4 on the power play, dropping to 0 for 27 in their last 10 games.

'We're getting some looks and we're doing some good things, but it's not enough,' said center Mika Zibanejad, who has six points in a five-game run. 'It's not enough when you don't win games. We just need to get better.'

The Senators lost defenseman Dion Phaneuf to a lower-body injury versus the Capitals and he will miss this contest. Winger Chris Neil was a late scratch because of illness.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:42 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Bruins (39-26) at Rangers (41-24)

Date: March 23, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Boston's swing through California yielded zero points, knocked the Bruins further back in the Atlantic Division race and possibly cost them their goaltender for another crucial road contest.

The New York Rangers will take any potential advantage they can get as they battle for home-ice advantage in the playoffs.

It's uncertain if Tuukka Rask will be available when the Bruins try to avoid a season-worst four-game slide Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Bruins (39-26-8) are three points behind in the division title race after scoring three times in losses to San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles. Tyler Randell scored unassisted in the second period of Saturday's loss to the Kings, but that came after Boston surrendered goals in the last minute of the first and within the first three minutes of the second.

With Boston now behind both Florida and Tampa Bay, it would start the playoffs on the road against one of those two if nothing changes. The Bruins host the Panthers on Thursday in their only home game over the course of a nine-game stretch that began with the California trip.

'They are good teams for a reason. Down the road, that's what we're going to face, and we have to make sure we're ready for that kind of hockey,' said Patrice Bergeron, who has gone without a point in four straight. "It's not going to be easy and we have to keep pushing forward and get better. We know the standings are tight and it's up to us."

Rask faced only 20 shots against the Kings, but the puck hit him in a spot with little padding during one save and "knocked the wind" out of him. He missed practice Tuesday with an undisclosed issue, although its uncertain if the problem stems from Saturday's incident.

Jonas Gustavsson, who lost 4-0 to Anaheim on Friday, likely would get the start if Rask can't go against the Rangers (41-24-8). The Bruins recalled Jeremy Smith from the minors to be the backup if necessary and also added AHL leading goal scorer Frank Vatrano in Tuesday's transactions.

Henrik Lundqvist had a rough Saturday as well while giving up four goals on 47 shots in a loss to San Jose, but he bounced back with 25 saves in New York's 4-2 win over Florida on Monday.

The Rangers have a two-point lead for second place in the Metropolitan despite going 1-2-2 in their previous five.

'We were confident,' Tanner Glass said after scoring in the empty net Monday. 'We knew we had to come back with a big win. I think we played hard all night. It wasn't perfect. No game is. I thought we battled hard.'

Rick Nash scored his first goal in six games since returning from a leg injury that kept him out for the previous seven weeks. He's not back to full strength yet, but he should be by the time the playoffs begin.

'It's no secret (that) it's been a grind the first five games after a long time away,' Nash said. 'Each game I'm just trying to do something to help the team and try to fit in.'

Lundqvist made 32 saves in the Rangers' 2-1 home win over the Bruins in the most recent meeting Jan. 11 after losing nine of his previous 10 starts against them, including the playoffs.

Boston has won 10 of the previous 12 matchups, including a 4-3 victory Nov. 27 behind a goal and an assist from Bergeron.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:42 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/23

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 32.5 32 UNDER
3/17 8 43.5 51 OVER
3/18 6 32 26 UNDER
3/19 11 56.5 53 UNDER
3/20 7 37 34 UNDER
3/21 4 20.5 25 OVER
3/22 10 54.5 - -
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** · 03-23-2016, 07:42 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/23

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

We are witnessing something pretty unusual from an individual perspective in the NHL this season that you may not be aware of.

Take a look at the NHL points leaders. You have Ottawa's Erik Karlsson tied for fourth in the league with 73 points while leading with 60 assists. And you have San Jose's Brent Burns 10th in points with 65. He has 26 goals. What's so unusual about that? Both are defensemen.

The last time two defensemen finished in the Top 10 in points was in 1973-74 when Bruins legend Bobby Orr finished second in scoring and New York Rangers blueliner Brad Park finished tied for ninth. No defenseman has led the NHL in assists since Orr in 1974-75 when he tied Bobby Clarke with 89. Only Orr and Paul Coffey have finished a season in the top three in points. No defenseman has scored 30 goals since Washington's Mike Green had 31 in 2008-09. In the last 10 years, only eight defensemen had even topped 70 points.

Presumably either Karlsson or Burns is going to win the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman, although it's not just about scoring. Karlsson has won the award twice, including last season when he had 21 goals and 45 assists. He also leads the league in average time on ice this season and 29:05 per game. The Norris Trophy has never gone to a defenseman whose team missed the playoffs, however. Ottawa doesn't look likely to make it. San Jose should and is still in the Pacific Division race. The Sharks are +650 to win the Western Conference for the first time in franchise history.

Big Loss For Stars

Crushing loss for the Dallas Stars as they battle Chicago and St. Louis for the Central Division lead and potential No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Stars center Tyler Seguin will miss three to four weeks because of a cut to his Achilles' tendon suffered on the skate of Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman late in Thursday's game. General manager Jim Nill said that Seguin suffered a 15 percent cut, but that he should be back for the playoffs. For a point of comparison, Karlsson suffered a 70 percent tear in 2013 and it sidelined him 10 weeks.

"I can't really picture myself missing Game 1," Seguin said of the playoffs. "If I can come back for the last game of the regular season that would be quite the goal for me."

The Stars lead the NHL in scoring at 3.2 goals per game. Seguin is tied for fourth in the league with 73 points and seventh in goals with 33. Dallas currently leads the Blues by two points atop the Central and the Blackhawks by four. The Stars are +550 to win the West.

This Week's Games To Watch

Boston at NY Rangers, Wednesday: This also is nationally televised on the NBC Sports Network. The Bruins are battling Florida, Tampa Bay and Detroit for the Atlantic Division title. The B's have dropped three straight -- all in California -- and are 16-16-5 at home compared to 23-10-3 on the road. The Rangers are trying to hold on to second place in the Metropolitan Division but they are just 4-4-2 over their past 10. Henrik Lundqvist has given up three goals or more in five straight outings entering Monday. Boston and New York meet for the final time in the regular season. They have split two one-goal games, each winning at home.

Philadelphia at Colorado, Thursday: The Flyers' chances for a wild-card spot took a hit when it was announced on Sunday that goalie Michal Neuvirth probably misses the rest of the regular season. He's dealing with a lower-body injury. Neuvirth is 28-17-8 with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage that ranks him fifth in the league. The Flyers still have Steve Mason, and he's not too shabby, but Mason can't play every single game. For example, the team concludes the regular season with four games in five nights, and every point matters. Rookie Anthony Stolarz is now his backup. He has never played an NHL game. The Avs may not have winger Nathan MacKinnon again here. He injured his knee in Friday's win over Calgary and missed Sunday's game. His 52 points rank second on the team.

St. Louis at Washington, Saturday: It's the Blues' only trip to the nation's capital this season. That Seguin injury for Dallas could help St. Louis more than any team as it appears to be the top threat in the Central Division with the Blackhawks in a funk right now. Goalie Brian Elliott returned to the lineup and made his first start Saturday since suffering an injury on Feb. 22, He shut out the Canucks. The Capitals have very little to play for at this point as they are going to finish with the most points in the NHL. They can clinch the top seed in the East this week and remain Cup favorites at +400. Thus, you might see the team put up a stinker or two the rest of the way. That was the case Sunday night in a 6-2 loss to Pittsburgh. St. Louis and Washington haven't played yet. They close the regular season against one another on April 9.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/23

NHL

Hot teams
-- None

Cold teams
-- Ottawa lost its last three road games. Islanders lost six of their last seven games.
-- Bruins lost last three games, outscored 9-3. Rangers lost four of their last six games.

Series records
-- Islanders won five of last eight games with Ottawa.
-- Rangers lost seven of last nine games with Boston.

Totals
-- Six of last seven Ottawa-Islander games stayed under.
-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Boston games.

Back-to-backs
-- Ottawa is 2-8 if it played the night before.

**TheGame** · 03-23-2016, 07:43 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/23

Previews, Streaks, Tips, Notes

Bruins-Rangers in Key Eastern Showdown

With fewer than 10 games left to go in the regular season, the Boston Bruins (39-26-8) and the New York Rangers (41-24-8) are trying to cement their playoff positions in the Eastern Conference. They'll meet Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden; the puck drops at 8 PM ET on NBCSN.

The Bruins have run hot and cold all season, and they're chilly right now after losing three straight road games. No. 1 netminder Tuukka Rask (.918 save percentage) is projected to start for Boston, but this is the front end of back-to-back games for the Bruins, so they might go with Jonas Gustavsson (.913 SV%) instead. Neither man has played all that well for Boston this year. They're also not getting enough help from their defense, which allows 30.8 shots on goal per game (No. 21 overall).

New York is expected to stick with top goalie Henrik Lundqvist (.922 SV%) on Wednesday. Lundqvist hasn't gotten much support from his defense, either, at 30.4 shots allowed per game (No. 20). However, after losing four consecutive starts, Lundqvist will skate into the Garden on a winning note following Monday's 4-2 victory over the Florida Panthers (+135 away).

**Satch** · 03-23-2016, 10:15 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Ottawa at NY Islanders
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
The New York Islanders were on the verge of overtaking the rival New York Rangers for second place in the Metropolitan Division two weeks ago, but they have gone into a tailspin and suddenly find their own playoff hopes in jeopardy. The Islanders look to snap a four-game skid (0-3-1) when they host the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.
New York has won only once in the past seven games (1-4-2) and sits in fourth place in the Metropolitan, three points behind Pittsburgh and two ahead of surging Philadelphia for the top wild card. The Islanders do have the luxury of playing seven of their final 11 games at home, where they are 21-9-4 this season. “If you’re a player on this hockey club right now and you look at the standings, you know you have a chance,” coach Jack Capuano told reporters. “And that’s what you want in the last 10, dozen games that you have left.” Ottawa’s fleeting postseason chances took another hit with a 4-2 loss to Washington on Tuesday, dropping the Senators seven points out of the final playoff spot.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVAS and Sportsnet (Ottawa), MSG-Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE SENATORS (34-32-8): Ottawa’s latest setback came hours after frustrated owner Eugene Melnyk told reporters that everyone is “under the microscope” because of the disappointing season. “There’s nobody safe when you have a year like we just did. No way. The status quo will just get us [back here] next year,” Melnyk told reporters. “We’re going to have to make changes for next year. I’m looking at all of it. It’s right across the board.” Defenseman Dion Phaneuf was forced to leave Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury and has been ruled out for Wednesday.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (38-24-9): New York has slipped into an offensive funk with four goals during the four-game losing streak and captain John Tavares is feeling the pressure after failing to score in his last five contests. “Obviously, it hasn’t gone well the last couple of games,” said Tavares, who played in his 500th NHL contest on Monday night. “It’s obviously been a tough stretch. It starts with myself. I have to elevate my game where we need it.” The Islanders have had only 10 power-play opportunities over the past seven games, converting on one.
OVERTIME
1. Islanders G Thomas Greiss has won both career starts versus Ottawa despite allowing six goals.
2. The Senators are 0-for-27 on the power play over the past 10 games.
3. Tavares has scored only four goals in 21 career games versus Ottawa.
PREDICTION: Islanders 4, Senators 2

**Satch** · 03-23-2016, 10:16 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/23

Preview: Boston at NY Rangers
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
The New York Rangers continue to show an amazing resiliency as they attempt to hold off the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division. Holding a two-point edge over the Penguins and having played one more game, New York looks to hand the visiting Boston Bruins their fourth straight defeat on Wednesday night.
The Rangers are coming off a 4-2 victory over Florida on Monday, setting a franchise record with their 13th consecutive win following a regulation loss. In fact, New York hasn’t suffered consecutive regulation defeats since a three-game skid from Dec. 17-20, but it has lost six of its last eight against Boston. The Bruins were outscored 9-3 during the California portion of their four-game road trip to fall into third place in the Atlantic, three points behind division pace-setters Tampa Bay and Florida and three ahead of fourth-place Detroit. “We know the standings are tight and it’s up to us,” Boston center Patrice Bergeron said.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN
ABOUT THE BRUINS (39-26-8): Goaltender Tuukka Rask missed practice Tuesday due to feeling ill, but will accompany the team to New York, although Jeremy Smith was summoned from the minors on an emergency basis. Boston also promoted high-scoring Frank Vatrano, who netted 33 goals in 33 games with Providence of the American Hockey League. “Our top two lines have been producing on a fairly regular basis, so we need some secondary scoring,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “If he gets in there with the way that he can score, hopefully he can give us some of that.”
ABOUT THE RANGERS (41-24-8): Forward Rick Nash missed 20 games and nearly two months while dealing with a painful bone bruise in his leg and failed to hit the scoresheet in his first five contests, but he finally broke the drought with a goal in Monday’s win. “That injury kept him from doing anything as far as weight-bearing for close to six weeks,” New York coach Alain Vigneault said. “He’s probably still not fully recovered. … There’s no doubt in my mind that his play is on the right track.” Nash skipped practice Tuesday but is expected to play versus Boston.
OVERTIME
1. Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist is 22-12-2 with a 1.95 goals-against average and six shutouts versus Boston.
2. Bergeron is scoreless in four straight games, his longest drought of the season.
3. New York has yielded one power-play goal in seven of 10 games this month.
PREDICTION: Rangers 4, Bruins 2

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NHL Betting Info. 3/23

NHL Betting Info. 3/23

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