NHL Betting Info. 3/26

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/26

Preview: Philadelphia at Arizona
When: 10:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 26, 2016
Where: Gila River Arena, Glendale, Arizona
Captain Claude Giroux and the Philadelphia Flyers look to continue their respective torrid stretches on Saturday as the club finishes its four-game road trip against the Arizona Coyotes. Giroux, who has 33 points in his last 32 contests, scored a goal in each game of the trek as the Flyers improved to 10-2-2 in their last 14 with a 4-2 victory over Colorado on Thursday.
While Giroux’s offensive production is expected, defenseman Radko Gudas recorded his fifth goal and eighth point in 10 contests on Thursday after mustering just six in his previous 57. “It’s awesome being a part of it and contributing for the team, especially for these important games at this crucial time of the season,” Gudas said. Philadelphia is clinging to the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference as it is even in points with Detroit – albeit with a game in hand. Arizona has won two in a row and five of its last seven to keep its postseason hopes on life support. The upstart Coyotes reside 10 points behind Minnesota with eight games remaining on their schedule.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, TCN (Philadelphia), FSN Arizona-Plus
ABOUT THE FLYERS (36-24-13): Steve Mason is expected to make his 10th start in 11 games on Saturday – and with good reason if one considers his .955 save percentage during the first three contests of the road trip. The 27-year-old netminder, however, was spotted with an ice bag on his left knee, presumably stemming from his collision with Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, although coach Dave Hakstol was quick to tell the Philadelphia Inquirer that Mason is 100 percent healthy. With that said, Hakstol told reporters he wants backup Anthony Stolarz to “be ready” to make his NHL debut should the 22-year-old get the nod.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (33-34-7): Martin Hanzal scored twice for his second straight multi-point performance in Thursday’s 3-1 victory over Dallas. The 29-year-old, however, routinely has been flustered when facing the Flyers as Hanzal was held off the scoresheet in Arizona’s 4-2 setback on Feb. 27 and has just one goal in 11 career encounters. Tobias Rieder has scored a goal in back-to-back games after mustering just one in his previous 20.
OVERTIME
1. Arizona D Oliver Ekman-Larsson has notched an assist in each of his last two contests following a six-game absence due to an upper-body injury.
2. Giroux recorded his 500th career point by scoring a goal in the first meeting between the teams.
3. Coyotes G Mike Smith has yielded just five goals in his last four games (3-1-0) since returning from a three-month absence due to injury.
PREDICTION: Flyers 3, Coyotes 2

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 3/26

Preview: Edmonton at Los Angeles
When: 10:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 26, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
The playoff-bound Los Angeles Kings look to snap a puzzling three-game losing streak and gain a stronger hold on first place in the Pacific Division when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. The Kings were outscored 11-4 on their 0-3-0 road trip after clinching a postseason berth and were fortunate second-place Anaheim did not take advantage.
“There were games where we could have separated ourselves a little bit and we got to get going,” Kings forward Jeff Carter told the Los Angeles Times. “We’re running out of games. You can’t get to the playoffs and flip a switch. We’ve got a lot of work to do here in the next couple weeks.” The Kings have won four straight and six of seven against the Oilers, who are coming off a 6-3 victory at San Jose on Thursday. Taylor Hall reached 60 points for the second time in his career with a pair of goals and Cam Talbot reached the 20-win plateau for the second straight season. Despite winning three of their last five, the Oilers are only two points ahead of NHL-worst Toronto and have a league-low five games remaining.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, CBC, FSN West (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE OILERS (30-40-7): Rookie phenom Connor McDavid has collected eight assists during his six-game streak and Jordan Eberle has tallied in three of his last four contests. Patrick Maroon recorded three points in the win at San Jose and has accumulated nine in 11 games since being acquired from Anaheim at the trade deadline. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sat out the last contest with what coach Todd McClellan termed a “minor concussion” and his status is uncertain for the meeting with the Kings.
ABOUT THE KINGS (44-25-5): Los Angeles finishes the regular season with five of its last eight games at home, where it is 23-11-2 and has not lost three in a row since opening the season 0-3-0. Anze Kopitar, who entered Friday’s action tied for the league lead with a plus-30 rating, has posted seven goals and nine assists in his last 13 games and leads the team with 68 points. However, Carter has gone eight games without a goal while Milan Lucic has not registered a point in his last four contests.
OVERTIME
1. Kings G Jonathan Quick has allowed eight goals on 68 shots over his last three games but is 18-1-5 lifetime against the Oilers.
2. Hall and C Mark Letestu, who has notched six points in his last five contests, are the only two Oilers to have played in all 77 games this season.
3. Los Angeles C Vincent Lecavalier was held out of the 4-1 loss at Winnipeg on Thursday, but coach Darryl Sutter told reporters it was not a serious issue.
PREDICTION: Kings 4, Oilers 1