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**TheGame** · 04-01-2016, 07:48 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/1

Preview: Bruins (40-29) at Blues (46-22)

Date: April 01, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Boston's difficulty putting the puck in the net during its road-heavy stretch is threatening to cost it a playoff spot that seemed almost assured not long ago.

Solving that issue against St. Louis could boost the Bruins' confidence moving forward considering how well the Blues' goaltenders have played lately.

Boston hasn't lived up to its impressive road record when it has mattered most but will try to get back on track by snapping St. Louis' five-game winning streak Friday night.

The Bruins' lead for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot has been trimmed to one point over Detroit during a 1-6-0 span, and the Atlantic Division title for which they once contended is falling out of reach with five games remaining.

Boston (40-29-8) finishes a stretch of playing eight of nine on the road Sunday at Chicago. It's been especially disappointing so far since the Bruins entered that span with a 23-7-3 mark away from home, far better that their under-.500 record at TD Garden.

They've been held to 10 goals over the last seven games after losing 2-1 to New Jersey on Tuesday. They outshot the Devils 40-15 but allowed five power plays that New Jersey used to score both goals.

Boston ends the season with a three-game homestand that includes a critical showdown with the Red Wings next Thursday.

"I keep telling the guys that the only thing we control is our attitude," coach Claude Julien said. "Right now we still have a spot in the playoffs, so how are we going to handle this? Are we going to get excited about it, or are we going to stress ourselves out and not do the job?"

Defenseman John-Michael Liles missed the last two with a lower-body injury, but he's returned to practice. He said the injury wasn't as serious as originally thought and is expecting to play in this contest.

That's good news for the defensive unit, but the Bruins still have to find a way to score. They were third in the league with 3.03 goals per game through March 6 but have since been held below that average in 10 straight.

'You don't want to start banging on your heads and kind of get frustrated," center Patrice Bergeron said. "It's about getting results and putting your chin up and going out there and finding a way.'

Boston lost to the Blues 2-0 in the first meeting Dec. 22 and hasn't scored more than twice in any of the last five matchups, losing four.

St. Louis (46-22-9) posted a franchise-record four consecutive shutouts before having a scoreless streak of 258 minutes, 29 seconds end in Tuesday's 3-1 win over Colorado. Brian Elliott made 20 saves, and the crowd gave the Blues a standing ovation after allowing the goal late in the first period.

'It's almost like the pressure is off now,' Elliott said. 'You let in a goal and you move on from the streak and try to start a new one.'

St. Louis is on the verge of winning a season-high sixth straight game and is battling Dallas for home-ice advantage throughout the West playoffs with five remaining. Having a healthy Alexander Steen should help.

He assisted on goals from David Backes and Troy Brouwer after missing the previous 15 with a shoulder injury.

'For a first game back, he did what he does,' coach Ken Hitchcock sad. 'He's a dependable guy. It was a good sign for us.'

Elliott has started four times during the winning streak, stopping 91 of 92 shots. It's unclear if he or Jake Allen, who beat the Bruins with 32 saves in the first meeting, will get the start.

Tuukka Rask could get the nod for Boston, which could be without center Ryan Spooner for a second straight game because of an undisclosed injury.

**TheGame** · 04-01-2016, 07:48 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/1

Preview: Blackhawks (44-26) at Jets (31-39)

Date: April 01, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

One swing of the stick might have altered the Chicago Blackhawks' chances of repeating as Stanley Cup champions.

With five games left before the playoffs start, they'll have to maintain their top-three spot in the Central Division without their top defenseman.

With the status of Duncan Keith cloudy, the Blackhawks close a four-game road trip Friday night seeking their fourth straight win over the last-place Winnipeg Jets.

In third place in the division, Chicago (44-26-7) is headed for a first-round matchup with Dallas or St. Louis - if it can at the least remain in third. Nashville has a chance to catch the Blackhawks and relegate them to a wild-card berth.

The Blackhawks have surrendered 3.1 goals per game during a 3-5-1 stretch, and keeping the puck out of their net will likely be tougher without Keith. The three-time All-Star winner has been offered an in-person hearing by the NHL for high-sticking Minnesota's Charlie Coyle during Tuesday's 4-1 loss.

The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced late Thursday night that Keith waived his right to an in-person hearing, and he will instead have a phone hearing Friday afternoon.

The offer for an in-person hearing meant the league can suspend Keith more than five games, but it doesn't have to.

After being dropped to the ice on his back in the first period, Keith whipped his stick into Coyle's face. Keith - who has been suspended twice in the past - was handed a 10-minute match penalty and ejected, and the Blackhawks went on to lose their first road game in four tries.

'We've done it before,' captain Jonathan Toews said. 'Whatever happens we'll make the best of any situation. That's the only way to look at it.'

Chicago was already facing personnel issues at the back end, as goaltender Corey Crawford will sit out an eighth straight game with an undisclosed injury - reportedly to the head.

Coach Joel Quenneville says he expects Crawford on the ice this weekend. The Blackhawks open a three-game homestand against Boston on Sunday.

Defenseman Brent Seabrook, who sat one game with an illness, is expected back Friday along with center Artem Anisimov, who missed two with a lower-body injury. However, forward Marian Hossa is sick and will not make the trip to Winnipeg after scoring his 499th career goal against the Wild.

Crawford's backup Scott Darling will make his eighth straight start in the matchup with the Jets (31-39-7), against whom he logged his lone shutout March 18. Darling made 28 saves in a 4-0 road win, Chicago's third straight in the season series.

The Hawks have won five of their last six against the Jets and are 8-1-0 in their last nine at Winnipeg.

Darling has posted a 2.36 goals-against average while going 3-3-1 in place of Crawford.

The Jets enter on a three-game skid as they continue to sputter offensively. They've scored 14 goals during a 2-4-2 stretch.

Mark Scheifele scored his team-leading 26th early in the third period to tie it Wednesday, but Ottawa answered less than two minutes later in a 2-1 win that dropped the Jets to 17-19-3 at the MTS Centre.

Scheifele has three goals and four assists in a five-game point streak.

'Getting closer and closer to 30 (goals) is obviously a goal of mine," Scheifele said. "But the biggest thing is winning games and help this team and grow as a full 200-foot player.'

**TheGame** · 04-01-2016, 07:48 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/1

Preview: Capitals (54-16) at Avalanche (39-34)

Date: April 01, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Washington Capitals fell victim to a team fighting for a playoff spot in their last game - perhaps a predictable outcome, as they've clinched the Presidents' Trophy and are just playing out their regular-season schedule.

The Capitals now face an opponent with an even higher level of urgency.

Washington looks to rediscover its scoring touch when it visits the Colorado Avalanche, whose fading postseason hopes could receive another major blow Friday night.

Washington (54-16-6) was outshot for the first time in four games Wednesday and lost 2-1 in a shootout at Philadelphia, which is two points up on Detroit for the second wild-card spot and also battling the New York Islanders for the first.

Alex Ovechkin scored on the power play for his 44th goal to give the Capitals the lead early in the third period, but the Flyers tied it late and then scored twice on Braden Holtby in the tiebreaker.

"The biggest difference in the two teams is probably the desperation level of Philadelphia," said coach Barry Trotz, whose club could end up facing the Flyers in the first round. "Ours probably wasn't as high and it probably shouldn't be, human nature and all that. At the same time we battled hard."

The Capitals' lack of any incentive in the final six games probably also explains their lack of offense over the past four contests. They've totaled one or no goals in three of them, though they've gone 2-1-1 in that span and 5-1-1 in the past seven.

Washington isn't exactly denying that it isn't playing its best in these meaningless games.

"I don't think we answered their intensity," center Nicklas Backstrom said Wednesday. "I think we have one more level."

The Avalanche (39-34-4) certainly hope they can find that for themselves. Colorado is just outside the playoff picture, but its chances of catching surging Minnesota for the second wild card are becoming more remote by the day.

The Avalanche were outshot 24-11 through the first two periods and lost 3-1 at St. Louis on Tuesday, their third defeat in four games.

The slump has left Colorado with almost no margin for error, and the absence of leading scorers Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon from the lineup due to knee injuries certainly didn't help. Both are uncertain to play Friday.

"At this point, this was a two-point game and we didn't get it done," defenseman Chris Bigras said. "That's disappointing."

Colorado has totaled three goals in its last three defeats. The Avalanche allowed two power-play goals against the Blues and have given up three in 10 chances over the last three games, and they've gone 1 for 14 with the man advantage in the past seven.

"We were not perfect," coach Patrick Roy said. "We took two unnecessary penalties. But this is a special group that never gives up and they kept pushing."

The Avalanche have dropped their last two home games. The Capitals are 2-0-1 in their previous three on the road, though they've managed one goal in the past two.

Washington has taken the last three meetings in the series and routed Colorado 7-3 in the first one this season Nov. 21.

Holtby has allowed two or fewer goals in six of his past seven starts, while the Avalanche's Semyon Varlamov has given up three in each of his past five. Varlamov, though, is 2-1-0 with a 1.35 goals-against average against Washington in his career.

**TheGame** · 04-01-2016, 07:49 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/1

Preview: Canucks (28-36) at Ducks (43-23)

Date: April 01, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Anaheim's defensive prowess has proved a driving force for its recent success at home, but the Ducks have also shown they're capable of pouring it on at the other end of the ice.

After its highest scoring performance of the season, Anaheim will try to take advantage of a matchup with the eliminated Vancouver Canucks on Friday night in a bid to regain the Pacific Division lead.

Anaheim (43-23-10) has allowed 19 goals while going 11-1-1 in its last 13 at home but gave up three to Calgary on Wednesday. The Ducks more than made up for it, drubbing the Flames 8-3 for their best output since a 9-1 win over Vancouver in January 2014.

Jakob Silfverberg scored twice and Ryan Kesler tallied four points as Anaheim temporarily took over first place in the division with its third consecutive overall victory. Los Angeles regained a one-point advantage with a 3-0 victory over Calgary on Thursday.

The Ducks will try to move back into first over the idle Kings on Friday by earning their 12th win in 16 games against Vancouver (28-36-13).

"It's always good. With the (1-7-2) start we had, no one expected us to be where we're at right now," Silfverberg said. "We've been doing some good things lately. We've been playing good hockey. There's a big benefit being first."

Anaheim is 2-0-2 against the Canucks in 2015-16 and 5-0-2 in the past seven home meetings, splitting the two this season. The Ducks won 4-0 in the latest visit from Vancouver on Nov. 30, and blew out New Jersey 7-1 on March 14 in one of their other recent home games.

Vancouver is heading into Orange County after a 4-2 victory in San Jose on Thursday that ended an 0-8-1 skid, its longest since 1997-98, as Jannik Hansen provided the tiebreaking goal with 5:03 remaining.

The Canucks totaled eight goals during their losing streak and five in their previous seven games while being shut out four times.

"Nine was enough games to lose," Hansen said. "We were hungry tonight and it showed. We're playing for pride."

Vancouver likely have to try to contain a bevy of productive Anaheim players to earn another win, and that list begins with Silfverberg, who has nine goals and two assists in his last nine contests.

Jamie McGinn has six goals and three assists in his last eight, and Kesler has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in his past eight.

Silfverberg has just one goal in his last seven games against Vancouver, but McGinn has fared better with three goals and two assists in a five-game point streak versus the Canucks.

Anaheim defenseman Sami Vatanen has four goals and seven assists in his last 10 matchups. Corey Perry, owner of a season-high five-game point streak, has just one goal in his last six meetings with the Canucks.

Anaheim goaltender John Gibson is 3-0-0 with 0.67 goals-against average in three lifetime starts against Vancouver. He was forced to leave Wednesday's game following a collision with teammate Hampus Lindholm but returned to replace an ineffective Frederik Andersen at the beginning of the third period.

**TheGame** · 04-01-2016, 07:49 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/1

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 51 UNDER
3/23 2 10.5 11 OVER
3/24 11 59.5 68 OVER
3/25 3 15 16 OVER
3/26 14 72.5 84 OVER
3/27 3 15 15 PUSH
3/28 8 40.5 42 OVER
3/29 9 48.5 50 OVER
3/30 3 16.5 17 OVER
3/31 10 54.5 53 UNDER

**TheGame** · 04-01-2016, 07:49 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/1

NHL

Hot teams
-- Minnesota won six of its last seven games.
-- St Louis won its last five games, allowing a total of one goal.
-- Chicago won three of its last four road games.
-- Washington won five of its last eight games.
-- Ducks won five of their last seven games.

Cold teams
-- Detroit is 4-5 in its last nine games.
-- Bruins lost six of their last seven games.
-- Winnipeg lost last three games, scoring five goals.
-- Avalanche lost three of its last four games.
-- Canucks lost nine of their last ten games.

Series records
-- Minnesota/Detroit split their last ten games.
-- Blues won four of last five games with Boston.
-- Chicago won five of last six games with Winnipeg.
-- Washington won its last three games with Colorado.
-- Ducks won five of last eight games with Vancouver.

Totals
-- Over is 5-0-1 in last six Detroit games.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Boston games.
-- Five of last six Chicago-Winnipeg games stayed under.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in last four Washington games.
-- Four of last five Anaheim games went over the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Minnesota lost five of last seven if they played night before.
-- Canucks lost six of last nine if they played night before.

**TheGame** · 04-01-2016, 07:50 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/1

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

For the most part, we know which teams are in the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the West, it will be Dallas, St. Louis and Chicago from the Central Division. Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Jose will make it from the Pacific Division. And Nashville and Minnesota from the Central should claim the final two wild-card spots. The Wild got a huge win in that regard on Saturday against Colorado; the Avs are now five points behind the Wild for that final wild-card spot and Minnesota holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.

In the East, Washington (will clinch the Presidents' Trophy this week and remains +400 Cup favorite), the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh are locks from the Metropolitan Division, as are Florida, Tampa Bay and Boston from the Atlantic. The NY Islanders, Philly and Detroit are battling for the two wild-card spots. I expect the Flyers to be the odd team out.

But perhaps the most interesting race to monitor the rest of the way is at the bottom of the standings and the best chance to win the NHL Draft lottery and select touted prospect Auston Matthews with the No. 1 overall pick this June. Matthews was the first player to be named by USA Hockey to the U.S. roster for the upcoming world hockey championship in Russia (starts May 6). Matthews finished second in the top Swiss league this season in voting for league MVP after scoring 24 goals and 46 points in 36 games. He's just 18.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have the fewest points entering the week with 65, and they badly need a franchise-changing talent like Mathews could be. Some other teams are making a late push to try and "catch" Toronto or at least get as low as possible. Vancouver appears to be in full tank mode, having lost eight straight games and scoring a total of seven goals in them. The Canucks have 67 points. So does Edmonton, which could be frightening if it lands Matthews to pair with Connor McDavid.

Ottawa is fading and has decided to shut down defenseman Dion Phaneuf and forward Clarke MacArthur the rest of the way. Phaneuf was acquired at the trade deadline from the Maple Leafs, but the Sens are playing only about .500 hockey since and they aren't making the playoffs. MacArthur played four games this season because of a concussion.

My point being: bet big against those teams near the bottom with nothing to play for. Might not be a bad idea to also wager against the Caps for a bit as they might start resting guys with nothing left to prove in the regular season.

This Week's Games To Watch

Dallas at Los Angeles, Saturday: Matchup of division leaders, although it may not be by Saturday. The Stars remain No. 1 in the NHL in scoring and haven't missed the injured Tyler Seguin too badly yet. Dallas got back center Mattias Janmark from a six-game injury absence on Saturday and he had two goals in a 4-2 win over San Jose. Coach Lindy Ruff still hasn't said whether Kari Lehtonen or Antti Niemi will be his playoff goalie. Lehtonen had taken over as the primary guy but Niemi was in there against the Sharks. Led by Jonathan Quick, the Kings are No. 1 in the NHL in goals against. The Kings are 2-0 vs. the Stars this season, winning 3-2 at home and 5-2 on the road. These teams won't play again unless it's the Western Conference Finals. The Kings are +350 to win the West and Stars +550.

**Satch** · 04-01-2016, 10:07 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/1

Preview: Minnesota at Detroit
When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, April 1, 2016
Where: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Although the Minnesota Wild are close to punching their ticket to the playoffs, the Detroit Red Wings’ quest to extend their pronounced postseason stretch to 25 consecutive seasons is in serious jeopardy. Detroit, which hosts Minnesota on Friday, resides one point behind third-place Boston in the Atlantic Division and is two back of Philadelphia – with the Flyers having a game in hand – for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
“In March, we’ve given up too many goals,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill told MLive on Thursday of the team yielding 49 tallies in 14 games (6-8-0) during the month. “For the most part, we just got to clean up mental errors. We just got to make sure we’re sharp in our decisions every single time.” Minnesota had been sharp during its season-high six-game winning streak before suffering a 3-2 setback to Ottawa on Thursday. Zach Parise scored his team-leading 25th goal and sixth in four contests for the Wild, who sit four points behind Nashville for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference and five ahead of Colorado for the second.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN Detroit Plus
ABOUT THE WILD (38-29-11): Erik Haula recorded his career-high 14th goal and 34th point on Thursday to match Andrew Brunette with a franchise-best 10-game point streak (five goals, six assists). The 25-year-old Finn has adjusted nicely to interim coach John Torchetti, collecting 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 23 games after notching just 13 (five, eight) in his previous 49. Captain Mikko Koivu has recorded nine points (two goals, seven assists) in his last eight contests and scored twice in Minnesota’s 3-1 victory over Detroit on Dec. 28.
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (38-28-11): Pavel Datsyuk set up a pair of tallies in a 4-3 setback to Montreal on Tuesday to increase his point total to nine (three goals, six assists) over his last six games. The 37-year-old Russian netted his team’s lone tally versus Minnesota earlier in the season, but Petr Mrazek suffered the hard-luck loss despite stopping 32-of-34 shots. Mrazek has struggled of late as he has been relieved by Jimmy Howard in consecutive outings, prompting Blashill to refuse to publicly name his starter for Friday’s tilt.
OVERTIME
1. Detroit is 9-for-20 on the power play in its last six games while Minnesota has successfully killed 29-of-30 short-handed situations over its last 12 contests.
2. Wild D Marco Scandella has recorded three assists in his last five games and a career-high 16 this season.
3. Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg has scored one goal in his last 19 contests.
PREDICTION: Red Wings 3, Wild 1

**Satch** · 04-01-2016, 10:07 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/1

Preview: Boston at St. Louis
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, April 1, 2016
Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri
The Central Division has pretty much turned into a two-team race between the Dallas Stars and streaking St. Louis Blues, who will go for their sixth consecutive victory when they host the skidding Boston Bruins on Friday night. The red-hot Blues are two points behind the Stars for first place in the division with one game in hand and five left to play.
St. Louis finally had its franchise-record four-game shutout streak snapped but it has allowed only one goal over the past five contests. The Blues have won 11 of 13 overall, a span that started with a six-game winning streak from Feb. 28-March 12. The Bruins are staggering down the stretch, having lost six of their last seven, and are clinging to a one-point edge over Detroit for third place in the Atlantic Division. “We know we have to win hockey games, so just go out and do it,” Boston coach Claude Julien said. “It’s as simple as that.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
ABOUT THE BRUINS (40-29-8): Boston has scored 10 goals during its 1-6-0 slide, punctuated by a 2-1 loss at New Jersey on Tuesday despite pouring 40 shots on goal. “You want to find ways to win and get at it,” Bruins leading scorer Patrice Bergeron said. “You don’t want to start banging on your heads and kind of get frustrated. It’s about getting results and putting your chin up and going out there and finding a way.” Defenseman John-Michael Liles and center Ryan Spooner are set to return to the lineup, but Dennis Seidenberg and Brett Connolly will miss the next two games.
ABOUT THE BLUES (46-22-9): Rookie Robby Fabbri suffered an injury to his left leg when he was cross-checked by Colorado’s Jack Skille on Tuesday, but coach Ken Hitchcock said he expects him to return to practice in the next day or two. Fabbri has 18 goals and 19 assists on the season, but has come on strong in the second half while registering four goals and seven assists during the current 11-2-0 stretch. While Fabbri is listed as day-to-day, Alexander Steen returned to the lineup Tuesday following a 15-game absence and assisted on both power-play tallies.
OVERTIME
1. Blues G Brian Elliott has three shutouts in his last four outings, but he is 3-6-3 with a 2.90 goals-against average versus Boston.
2. Bruins G Tuukka Rask is 2-1-3 with a 1.80 GAA in his career against St. Louis.
3. The Blues have won four of the past five meetings, including a 2-0 victory at Boston on Dec. 22.
PREDICTION: Blues 3, Bruins 2

**Satch** · 04-01-2016, 10:07 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/1

Preview: Chicago at Winnipeg
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, April 1, 2016
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
The Chicago Blackhawks begin their second stint this season without reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Duncan Keith on Friday when they conclude a four-game road trip against the Winnipeg Jets. A two-time Norris Trophy winner, Keith has been suspended indefinitely as he awaits a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety following his use of a high stick that bloodied Minnesota’s Charlie Coyle on Tuesday.
“He’s not the whole team, but he’s a big part of it,” fellow blue-liner Erik Gustafsson told CSN Chicago of Keith, who also missed a month after having knee surgery earlier in the season. “He’s one of our best defensemen and one of the best in the league. We just have to keep moving and just get on a winning track here, start winning some games in a row.” The Blackhawks dropped a 4-1 decision to the Wild for their seventh loss in 10 outings (3-5-2) but still hold a four-point lead over Nashville for third place in the Central Division. Occupying the cellar is Winnipeg, which has dropped six of its last eight overall (2-4-2) and three of the first four meetings with Chicago this season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, TSN3 (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (44-26-7): Although coach Joel Quenneville told the Chicago Sun-Times that he is “hopeful” Corey Crawford (upper body) returns for the postseason, Scott Darling is expected to man the net for the remainder of the campaign. The 27-year-old recorded his lone shutout of the season and second career on March 18 when he turned aside all 28 shots he faced in Chicago’s 4-0 victory over Winnipeg. Andrew Ladd, who has three goals and an assist in his last three games, scored in that contest in his first appearance at MTS Centre since the former Jets captain was traded to the Blackhawks on Feb. 25 in a multi-player deal.
ABOUT THE JETS (31-39-7): Former Blackhawks defenseman Dustin Byfuglien lowered the boom on Winnipeg native Mark Stone with a physical – yet clean – open-ice hit as the Jets opened their final homestand of the season with a 2-1 loss to Ottawa on Wednesday. “That was a big hit. That was probably the biggest hit I’ve ever seen in person,” goaltender Michael Hutchinson told the team’s website. “That definitely gave us some momentum.” Mark Scheifele scored his team-leading 26th goal for his seventh point (three goals, four assists) in five games and also tallied in Winnipeg’s 3-1 victory over Chicago on Oct. 29.
OVERTIME
1. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews has recorded 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 18 career encounters versus his hometown team.
2. The Jets are 1-for-14 on the power play versus the Blackhawks this season.
3. Chicago RW Marian Hossa, who scored a short-handed goal versus the Wild, is dealing with an illness and has been ruled out of Friday’s game.
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 3, Jets 1

**Satch** · 04-01-2016, 10:08 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/1

Preview: Washington at Colorado
When: 9:00 PM ET, Friday, April 1, 2016
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
The Colorado Avalanche are running out of games in their pursuit of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and the remaining schedule won’t make their uphill task any easier. Colorado trails Minnesota by five points for the second wild-card spot with a game in hand as it prepares to host the NHL-best Washington Capitals on Friday night.
The five remaining games for the Avalanche will likely come against teams who have all made the postseason. Colorado, which has dropped three of its past four contests, actually may catch a break in playing the Capitals, who have already clinched the Presidents’ Trophy and have nothing for which to play. Washington coach Barry Trotz acknowledged that motivation is an issue for his team following a 2-1 shootout loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday in what was a potential first-round playoff matchup. “The biggest difference in two teams is probably the desperation level on Philadelphia, and ours probably wasn’t as high,” Trotz said after the Capitals failed in their bid for a franchise-record 55th victory.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN Washington, Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (54-16-6): Goaltender Braden Holtby leads the league by a wide margin with 46 victories and needs two more to match the NHL single-season record of 48 established by New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur in 2006-07. “It’s kind of a thing for all of us, and we want to give him what he deserves,” Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said. “He’s played so good for us this season, that we want his name to go up in history and have that as his honor. But it’s a little feather in our cap as well.” Captain Alex Ovechkin is six shy of his third straight 50-goal season.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (39-34-4): Colorado is hoping for a boost with the return of leading scorer Matt Duchene, who told the Denver Post he will play Friday after missing the past six games with a knee injury. “I feel good,” said Duchene, who tops the team with 29 goals and 56 points. “I think I’m ready to go. I skated hard the last four days – five days actually now. … I’m looking forward to it.” The news is not as positive on second-leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon, who was not at practice Thursday and is expected to miss his sixth consecutive game with a knee injury.
OVERTIME
1. Holtby is 3-1-0 with a 2.50 goals-against average in four starts versus Colorado.
2. Avalanche G Semyon Varlamov is 2-1-0 with a 1.35 GAA versus Washington.
3. Washington trounced visiting Colorado 7-3 on Nov. 21 to extend its winning streak to three straight in the series.
PREDICTION: Avalanche 3, Capitals 2

**Satch** · 04-01-2016, 10:08 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/1

Preview: Vancouver at Anaheim
When: 10:00 PM ET, Friday, April 1, 2016
Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
The Anaheim Ducks have been playing leapfrog with Los Angeles for the top spot in the Pacific Division, and they hope to take advantage of their turn when they continue their final homestand of the regular season Friday against the Vancouver Canucks. After overtaking the Kings for the division lead and extending their winning streak to three games by routing Calgary on Wednesday, the Ducks fell back into second place a night later as Los Angeles blanked the Flames.
Ryan Kesler recorded a career-high four points in the opener of the Ducks’ four-game stretch at Honda Center and has collected 12 (four goals) during his last eight contests. Vancouver halted its nine-game slide (0-8-1) in a big way Thursday, enjoying its biggest offensive output since March 12 in a 4-2 victory at San Jose. The Canucks struggled to score during their skid, producing a total of eight goals while getting shut out on four occasions. Vancouver and Anaheim split the first four contests of their five-game season series, with the Canucks posting both of their victories in the shootout.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), Prime Ticket, FSN San Diego (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (28-36-13): Jannik Hansen ended his six-game goal-scoring drought Thursday, hitting the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his career and joining Daniel Sedin as the only members of the Canucks to reach the mark this season. Chris Tanev returned to the lineup against the Sharks after missing six games with an upper-body injury while fellow defenseman Nikita Tryamkin was back following a one-game absence because of a bad ankle. Sven Baertschi, who is third on the team in goals with 15, suffered an upper-body injury Thursday and is questionable to face Anaheim.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (43-23-10): Kesler has registered 48 points in 74 games this season — one more than the amount he recorded over 81 contests in his debut campaign with Anaheim in 2014-15. The 31-year-old is two tallies shy of reaching the 20-goal plateau for the third consecutive season and eighth time in his career. Corey Perry, who has hit the 30-goal mark in five of his last six campaigns, has tallied in two straight contests and is riding a five-game point streak.
OVERTIME
1. Perry is two games shy of 800 for his NHL career.
2. Vancouver RW Jake Virtanen will finish serving his two-game suspension for delivering a late hit on San Jose’s Roman Polak on Tuesday.
3. Anaheim concludes its homestand against Dallas and Winnipeg before beginning a season-ending three-game road trip with a showdown in Los Angeles on April 7.
PREDICTION: Ducks 5, Canucks 2

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NHL Betting Info. 4/1

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