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**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:36 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Red Wings (41-29) at Rangers (45-27)

Date: April 09, 2016 12:30 PM EDT

When the NHL's regular season ended on April 1, 1990, the Detroit Red Wings did not qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The longest postseason streak in major professional sports is what's followed, and it's now down to the final game of this season for the club to extend that record run.

Detroit chases its 26th straight trip to the postseason Saturday at Madison Square Garden against the playoff-bound New York Rangers, who are trying to finish third in the Metropolitan Division - although missing out on that may present a better scenario.

The Red Wings (41-29-11) had an opportunity to lock up a playoff berth with a victory at Boston on Thursday, but they lost 5-2 to fall into a third-place tie with the Bruins in the Atlantic at 93 points.

Boston faces Ottawa at the same time the Red Wings play at MSG, and in the event of the tie holding, scenarios exist to give either team the third-place playoff spot.

Detroit currently owns the first tiebreaker with a 39-38 edge in regulation and overtime wins, and adding to that column will automatically earn a berth. But if the Red Wings win in a shootout while Boston adds to its ROW total, the next tiebreaker goes to the Bruins since they've won three of the four meetings this season.

The team that fails to finish third will keep an eye on Philadelphia, which has 92 points with two games left in its bid for the Eastern Conference's second wild card. That team would open the playoffs against Washington while the Atlantic's third-place club would face Tampa Bay.

"For sure, we could be in a much worse situation," center Luke Glendenning told the team's official website. "If you said at the beginning of the year you'd have to win one game to get in, you would take that every time. Here we are and we gotta win a game."

And they have to win that game in an arena they haven't left with a victory in over six years. Since a 3-1 win at the Garden on Dec. 6, 2009, Detroit has dropped five in a row there, including a 1-0 overtime loss Feb. 21 that marked New York's third shutout in that span. The Rangers have outscored the Red Wings 11-4 on the home streak.

Henrik Zetterberg has been limited to a goal while playing four of those games and Pavel Datsyuk has skated in three of them and gone without a point.

Henrik Lundqvist was in net for all three shutouts and has won his last five home starts against Detroit with a 0.78 goals-against average, but he was yanked Thursday after giving up three goals in two periods of a crucial division matchup.

The Rangers (45-27-9) relinquished their hold on third in the Metro and fell into a tie with the Islanders after the 4-1 loss to their crosstown rivals. Both clubs have 99 points, but the Isles have two games remaining.

"It's been like that every year, the last couple (of games) sorts out the seeding and who you're going to play," Marc Staal told the club's official website. "We wanted to win this game, we wanted it bad.

"... But we haven't lost any confidence in this room."

No matter where they finish, the Rangers will open the playoffs on the road. However, third place sends them to Pittsburgh - which has won eight in a row and 14 of 15 - while the first wild card pits them against Atlantic champion Florida. New York lost three of four to the Penguins this season but won two of three against the Panthers.

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:36 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Senators (37-35) at Bruins (42-30)

Date: April 09, 2016 12:30 PM EDT

While their fate could twist in a couple of directions over the final two days, coach Claude Julien likes the Boston Bruins' chances of playing in the postseason.

With a chance to finish third in the Atlantic Division, the Bruins will try to put themselves in the best position possible Saturday against the visiting Ottawa Senators.

Boston might feel fortunate to remain in contention for an eighth playoff berth in nine seasons after a 2-7-0 stretch knocked it out of an Eastern Conference spot Sunday.

The Bruins, however, have clawed back into position after earning a point in Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss to Carolina and two big ones in Thursday's 5-2 home win over Detroit.

Boston (42-30-9) is tied with the Red Wings for the third playoff spot in the division and sits one point ahead of Philadelphia for the second wild-card berth. Detroit visits the New York Rangers in its finale Saturday, while the Flyers host Pittsburgh on Saturday and face the New York Islanders on the road Sunday.

Boston will earn the final division spot with a win and a Detroit loss of any kind. A victory and any type of loss by Philadelphia in its final two games would give the Bruins the wild-card spot.

If the Bruins fall in regulation, they would need the Flyers to only earn one point in their last two. Boston could qualify after an overtime or shootout loss with some help.

"It's exciting that we still have a chance," Julien confessed. "Obviously we have to win a hockey game and we have to bring the type of game we had against Detroit. So if we do that, I like our chances, and you've got to hope for maybe ... a little break here or there."

It would certainly help if Loui Eriksson stays on a roll after totaling three goals and three assists over his last four games. The right wing has proven to be a handful for Ottawa with three goals and nine assists in his 10 meetings since joining the Bruins in 2013-14.

Lee Stempniak scored in each of his three games against the Senators (37-35-9) before coming over from New Jersey in February. Defenseman Torey Krug has two goals and four assists in his last five matchups and a goal and six assists over his past four games overall.

The Bruins hope to continue that production against Andrew Hammond as they chase their 11th victory in the past 15 home meetings. Hammond allowed four goals on 35 shots in a 6-4 home win in his only start versus Boston on March 19, 2015.

The Senators, who will miss the postseason for the second time in three years, ended a two-game slide with Thursday's 3-1 home win over Atlantic champion Florida.

Mika Zibanejad has two goals and an assist over the past three games, and he's scored three times to help Ottawa take two of three meetings with Boston.

Erik Karlsson has three goals and five assists in his last eight games. The captain also has five assists against the Bruins this season.

"If I was in their shoes, I'd say, 'let's finish on a winning note here,' Julien said. "So a lot of reasons for them to be motivated for this and hopefully a lot more reasons for us."

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:36 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Penguins (48-25) at Flyers (39-27)

Date: April 09, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

On the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture looking in, the Philadelphia Flyers still control their chances to sneak into the postseason.

All they have to do is beat two teams that surely wouldn't mind if Philadelphia spent next week arranging tee times.

It's possible the Flyers could take the ice Saturday needing just a win over the rival Pittsburgh Penguins to wrap up a top-8 spot, but two victories in approximately 30 hours will definitely do the trick.

Philadelphia (39-27-14) isn't making anything easy for itself as it tries to avoid back-to-back years out of the playoffs for the first time since 1992-93 and '93-94 - Eric Lindros' first two seasons in the league.

The Flyers lost just three times in regulation during a stretch of 13 wins in 18 games Feb. 25-April 2, yet were on the cusp of a third straight 60-minute defeat Thursday that would have severely damaged their postseason hopes. But Wayne Simmonds' goal with 58 seconds left forced overtime against lowly Toronto, and even after losing 4-3 in overtime, Philadelphia found itself in much better shape than it could have been.

"It's really frustrating not to get two points," captain Claude Giroux said. "But at the end of the day, we have to put this one behind us and get ready for Pittsburgh (on Saturday)."

The Flyers are ninth in the East with 92 points, one behind both Boston and Detroit. One of those two will make the playoffs as the Atlantic Division's third automatic qualifier, but the other could miss out on the second wild-card spot in favor of Philadelphia.

Wins against the Metropolitan rival Penguins (48-25-8) and New York Islanders will do it, but so would a win Saturday and regulation losses by both the Bruins and Red Wings. Considering both of those teams will be finishing their seasons just about the time Philadelphia and Pittsburgh hit the ice, the Flyers might be able to have their spot locked up before dinner.

"If you would've told us two months ago (that) we'd be in this position, we'd take it," Giroux said.

The Penguins certainly feel the same after a meteoric rise in the second half that's seen them go 27-8-1 since Jan. 21 while outscoring the opposition by 45 goals - both NHL bests. It culminated as Pittsburgh locked up the Metropolitan's second spot and home-ice advantage for the first round after Thursday's 4-3 overtime win in Washington.

"That's a long ways from the position we were in a bit ago," Sidney Crosby said after scoring the goal that gave the Penguins their eighth straight win and 14th in 15. "We've worked hard to get to that point, and I think that we've just got to keep in mind what's got us here and make sure we continue to play the same way."

Pittsburgh wrapping up its seed should only be good news for the Flyers. Though the Penguins would surely love to finish a four-game series sweep - all since Mike Sullivan took over, perhaps a little payback for eight straight losses to Philadelphia prior to this season - there's a good chance the coach rests Crosby and some of his other stars.

Crosby, Eric Fehr, Carl Hagelin, Phil Kessel and Trevor Daley have all scored twice against the Flyers this season, with the two-time Hart Trophy winner adding three assists.

Giroux has a goal and two assists against the Penguins and 14 total points in his last 10 in the series.

Rather than facing Matt Murray, who stopped 28 shots in Pittsburgh's 6-2 victory Sunday and has won seven straight starts, the Flyers may see Jeff Zatkoff. He hasn't played in an NHL game since Feb. 20.

The Flyers could turn to Michal Neuvirth, who hasn't played since March 16 due to a knee injury but returned to back up Steve Mason on Thursday.

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:36 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Ducks (44-25) at Avalanche (39-38)

Date: April 09, 2016 5:30 PM EDT

Anaheim needs victories in its last two games plus some help in order to claim a fourth straight Pacific Division title. Asking the Ducks how much they really care about hanging another banner likely would elicit some pretty aloof responses.

Their focus remains winning their first Stanley Cup since 2007 after falling a victory short of the Final last year.

Anaheim will have home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs no matter what happens during Saturday's visit to Colorado or Sunday's trip to Washington, but finally scoring on the Avalanche certainly would help its recently stagnant offense.

The Ducks' rise up the standings is an accomplishment in itself after sitting 16 points back of Los Angeles on Jan. 20. They eventually took sole possession of first place in the Pacific, but the Kings broke a tie atop the division with Thursday's 2-1 win over the Ducks.

Anaheim (44-25-11) fell to 1-2-1 in April and would need to win out and Los Angeles to lose its finale against Winnipeg later Saturday to win the division, but that's not the first thing on Ryan Getzlaf's mind.

"We've got two games left to get ready for the real thing," Anaheim's captain said. "We're just trying to get into the playoffs. That's what we've been trying to do the whole time. We accomplished that. Hopefully we can push through the end and be ready for whoever we're facing."

The Ducks would play Nashville in the first round if they win the Pacific, but they'd have much less travel by finishing second and facing San Jose. No matter the opponent, they'll likely have to take it up a notch offensively.

Anaheim has scored once in back-to-back games, something that's reminiscent of early season scoring woes that put it in catch-up mode. Colorado (39-38-4) won each of the first two meetings by 3-0 scores Oct. 16 and March 9, and Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington has allowed the second-fewest goals behind the Ducks.

"We know we have two tough games," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "If L.A. beats Winnipeg, we know where we're going and who we're playing. At least that's something that's known right now."

The Avalanche have known since Tuesday's loss to Nashville that they'll be watching the playoffs from home for the second straight year after winning the Central in coach Patrick Roy's first season. They've lost five in a row after falling 4-2 at Dallas on Thursday and have allowed at least four goals in the last four.

"None of us want to be in this situation, but at the end of the day we have no one to blame but ourselves," defenseman Erik Johnson said. "Guys are fighting for jobs for next year and someone's always watching.

"As crappy as it feels to be in this predicament, we're in it because we put ourselves here and we're going to work hard until the end."

Francois Beauchemin and Shawn Matthias scored against the Stars, but Colorado went 0 for 4 on the power play and is 2 for 28 over its last 11. Nathan MacKinnon, who scored in each meeting with the Ducks, has been out the last nine with a knee injury.

"I expect more from our guys, but I guess when you're out of the playoffs the emotion (is) not the same," Roy said.

Semyon Varlamov got the night off and could be in goal for the finale. He made 37 saves against the Ducks in the last meeting.

Either John Gibson or Anton Khudobin will open Anaheim's back-to-back set while Frederik Andersen remains out until the playoffs with a concussion.

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:37 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Flames (34-40) at Wild (38-32)

Date: April 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Though the Minnesota Wild are in the playoffs and know their seeding, they are feeling some urgency to win their final game before the postseason gets underway.

Looking to end a four-game losing streak that's somewhat dampened the enthusiasm surrounding their run to a playoff berth, the Wild host the high-scoring Calgary Flames on Saturday night.

Minnesota's offensive struggles continued in a 3-0 home loss to San Jose on Tuesday, but it secured a berth when Colorado lost to Nashville later in the evening. The Wild (38-32-11) failed in their second chance to clinch with a win before getting help.

"We've got a lot of work that we need to do," forward Zach Parise said. "There's just some areas of our play that aren't good. That's inexcusable in Game 81. When we're trying to prepare for the playoffs, you can't play the last four games the way we have. That's just, right now that's not good."

The Wild had scored 14 goals in three games prior to the skid, but have managed five in the past four games.

Trying to maintain perspective was a priority for interim coach John Torchetti this week.

"How do you back into the playoffs going (15-10-1)?" Torchetti said, referencing the team's record since the dismissal of Mike Yeo in February. "You don't do that. The guys have done a great job. I'm proud of them. They could have folded when I got here, too, so I'm really proud of them."

Minnesota will be the eighth seed, though it will have to wait until the final day to find out whether it will travel to Dallas or St. Louis to open the first round.

The club might want to use its finale to work on special teams. The Wild have failed to score on their last 13 power plays and given up four power-play goals on eight chances over the past three games.

That could prove problematic against Calgary (34-40-7), which has scored 16 goals in a 2-0-1 stretch and gone 7 for 22 with the man advantage in the last six games. The Flames beat Vancouver 7-3 on Thursday behind Mikael Backlund's first NHL hat trick.

Backlund scored on a power play, at even strength and short-handed. He has a career-high 21 goals after scoring five times through his first 50 games, and has six goals in the last three.

The lopsided win in their home finale was bittersweet for Calgary, which is closing out a disappointing season after making the playoffs in 2014-15.

"It feels great to finish off the way we did," Backlund told the team's official website. "Everybody played well tonight and chipped in. We wanted to show appreciation for our fans. They've been with us the whole year even though it's been a tough year for us, not the year we expected for ourselves. It's a nice way to finish.

"Hopefully, next year we can bounce back and make a playoff push."

Ending the Wild's domination of the series would also be nice for the Flames. Minnesota has won six straight meetings and 11 of 14, including four in a row and six of seven at home.

The Wild got defenseman Jared Spurgeon back Tuesday after he missed two games with a lower-body injury, they'll be without forward Thomas Vanek through the start of the first round due to an upper-body injury he recently aggravated. Torchetti said after practice Friday that Vanek will be out 'more than a week,' meaning he'll likely miss at least two postseason games.

Parise could also sit out Saturday to rest various bumps and bruises.

Calgary's Joe Colburne had a goal and two assists Thursday, giving him three and eight in his last six.

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:37 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Maple Leafs (29-41) at Devils (37-36)

Date: April 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Though their matchup Saturday night is the last time the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils will play until the fall, maybe only one of them truly wants to win it.

While it's clear the Devils' players want to close with a victory - especially with this possibly being Patrik Elias' finale - the Maple Leafs could have a much better chance for the draft's top overall pick if they lose in New Jersey.

'Drafting for our organization is very important,' said Mike Babcock, capping a dreadful first season behind Toronto's bench. 'We've taken it on the chin all year so we can be set up for it. At the same time, we have to respect one another in the game and play it the right way.'

The Maple Leafs (29-41-11) will have a 20 percent chance of winning the draft lottery by finishing with the fewest points in the NHL. They're tied with Edmonton, which closes against Vancouver on Saturday. Toronto's odds for the No. 1 pick - likely to be Swiss center Auston Matthews - dip to 13.5 percent if the Oilers finish with a worse record. If the teams end up tied, Toronto gets the better lottery odds because Edmonton has more regulation wins.

As the Leafs miss the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 seasons and third straight, the Devils (37-36-8) failed to qualify for a fourth consecutive year. They had the sixth-most points in the Eastern Conference through Feb. 14 but have since gone 8-15-1.

New Jersey was still mathematically alive last week but has lost four in a row. Yet, it sounds like the team is intent on closing on a positive note.

'We haven't played our best hockey, you've seen that the past few games,' center Travis Zajac said. "... But I think when you look back, we've made some strides. We just gotta make sure we end it the right way."

Rookie Sergey Kalinin felt similarly following his first two-goal game in Thursday's 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay.

'It's nice for the emotion to score, but you don't want to lose. We have to win (Saturday),' said Kalinin, who ended a 19-game goal drought.

While Kalinin is part of the Devils' future, this could be the swan song for Elias. The franchise's career leader with 1,022 points and 407 goals turns 40 next week and his contract is set to expire.

Elias has played just 15 games this season and two since coming back from knee surgery, so it's unclear if he wants to return or retire. He's spent all 20 of his seasons with New Jersey.

He's likely to receive some sort of tribute from the Prudential Center crowd, as will former general manager Lou Lamoriello. This is his first game back in New Jersey since becoming Toronto's GM after being the architect of three Stanley Cup-winning teams for the Devils.

New Jersey could have a 30-goal scorer for the first time since 2011-12, with Kyle Palmieri at 29 and Adam Henrique 28, despite ranking last with 2.19 per game. Toronto isn't far ahead at 2.36 and doesn't have anyone who has even reached 20 goals.

The Devils lost 3-2 in shootouts in both meetings this season but are 4-0-4 in the last eight. The only one Cory Schneider didn't start was the most recent Feb. 4, posting a 1.64 goals-against average in the other seven.

Schneider is seeking a career-high 27th win but has lost his last six starts and nine of 10 with a 3.13 GAA.

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:37 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Blackhawks (47-26) at Blue Jackets (32-40)

Date: April 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Chicago Blackhawks' title defense will begin on the road, and they're banking on having two-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Corey Crawford in their net.

Crawford is not expected to go into the postseason cold and will likely get his chance to prepare Saturday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, his first start in nearly a month.

Chicago (47-26-8) ended its pursuit of home-ice advantage for the opening round when it blew a late lead in a 2-1 overtime loss to St. Louis on Thursday. In his 11th consecutive start, Scott Darling yielded the tying goal with 1:16 remaining in regulation.

The Blackhawks will head to Dallas or St. Louis to begin their quest for a second straight Cup and their fourth in seven years. The Stars and Blues, who both play their regular-season finales Saturday night, each have 107 points with Dallas owning the non-shootout wins tiebreaker.

It's unclear how short-handed Chicago will be for that playoff opener, aside from Duncan Keith wrapping up his six-game suspension. Artem Anisimov (upper body), Marian Hossa (lower body) and Andrew Shaw (upper body) won't play in Columbus, but Hossa appears the closest to returning as he participate in a morning skate Thursday.

Crawford also took part and could make his first start since March 14. He has missed the past 11 games because of an upper-body injury.

"We got him targeted for Saturday," coach Joel Quenneville said.

Crawford was in net for the Blackhawks' 4-1 victory over Columbus on Oct. 17, making 22 saves in the team's 14th win in 16 matchups. Chicago is 9-0-1 in its last 10 at Nationwide Arena.

Patrick Kane will likely get the chance to finish off his first NHL scoring crown and make his final case for league MVP. Kane, who has 103 points, is also still in faint contention for the goal-scoring title, but Washington's Alex Ovechkin has 47 to Kane's 44 and two games left to play.

Kane scored an empty-net goal in the victory in October and has a five-game point streak against the Blue Jackets (33-40-8).

Linemate Artemi Panarin can claim a $1.725 million bonus if he finishes in the top-10 forwards in goals, assists, points or points per game. He is currently ninth with 74 points, tied for 11th with 0.94 ppg (0.01 behind the top 10) and tied for 11th with 46 assists (one behind the top 10).

Panarin had two assists against the Blue Jackets.

Columbus is set to finish last in the Metropolitan Division, but it can end its campaign with its first three-game win streak since Nov. 13-17 and second this season. The Blue Jackets have beaten a pair of eliminated teams by a combined 9-2 in back-to-back road victories.

Ex-Blackhawks forward Brandon Saad capped the scoring in Friday's 4-1 win against Buffalo with his career-best 30th goal and sixth in five games. The Blue Jackets have a pair of 30-goal scorers for the first time with Boone Jenner reaching that mark April 2.

"(Saad is) a huge part of our team and I'm glad," coach John Tortorella said. "Although we're done after (Saturday), it's nice for those guys to have those types of milestones. And we expect more of it when we get going next year."

Saad didn't register a point in his only matchup with his former club.

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:38 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Lightning (46-30) at Canadiens (37-38)

Date: April 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The fact the Tampa Bay Lightning didn't win the Atlantic Division isn't necessarily surprising. Someone other than Montreal beating them out is in some ways.

The regular-season finale for both teams comes Saturday night at the Bell Centre, and for the Canadiens, it's the epilogue to a strange season that started with nearly three weeks of unbeaten hockey.

In the end, it was Florida winning the division rather than 2015 Stanley Cup finalist Tampa Bay (46-30-5) or once 9-0-0 Montreal (37-38-6).

The Lightning can live with it as they prepare for the first round on home ice next week against Detroit or Boston. The Canadiens may be numb to it since they've been out of the race for so long, recording an NHL-worst 62 points since the unbeaten start.

Three of those 28 wins since things went south have oddly come against the Lightning, including a 3-0 victory in Tampa Bay last week, and the Canadiens can complete their first non-lockout season sweep of their division foe since 1997-98.

Tampa Bay won all five regular-season meetings in 2014-15 before defeating Montreal 4-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Rather than eying a rematch with 2015 Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Carey Price in goal, the Canadiens spent Thursday's 4-2 win in Carolina celebrating the debut of Charlie Lindgren - a 22-year-old who played two weeks ago for St. Cloud State before signing as a free agent.

While it's not where the team expected to be, coach Michel Therrien acknowledged the storyline was special.

"This is what sport is all about," Therrien said. "You've got a kid that two weeks ago was in college and his first game in the NHL. Family was there tonight and he got the win, so this is a good moment."

Price could be considered this season's backhanded MVP the way Peyton Manning was during the Indianapolis Colts' 2-14 season without him in 2011. Price didn't play after going 10-2-0 through Nov. 25 due to an MCL sprain, and Montreal went 20-34-4 from there.

The team took another hit when P.K. Subban was carted off the ice March 11 with a neck injury, though that came with the postseason already an afterthought.

Ending the season with a far more modest winning streak might be fitting, but a loss could be more beneficial with Buffalo and Arizona still in position to pass the Canadiens and better their lottery chances.

Mike Condon will be in goal for the finale after allowing four goals in each of his last two starts. That was preceded by the shutout against the Lightning as part of a 2-0-0 season in the series for the rookie with a 1.44 goals-against average and .954 save percentage.

He could face Ben Bishop, who may finish the season with his best save percentage. He enters at .926 and his previous best was .924 in 2013-14. His 2.06 GAA is already locked in as his best, and both are top-three league marks.

The team can't match last season's franchise-best 50 wins, but another victory would break a tie with '13-14, '10-11 and '03-04 for second best. The only season among those the Lightning didn't progress to at least the conference finals was two seasons ago.

They've got Jonathan Drouin back for the playoffs, and the forward scored the winner in his first game in more than three months in Thursday's 4-2 victory over New Jersey.

Drouin started an injury-filled season by asking for a trade when he was sent to AHL Syracuse. When he didn't get it, the No. 3 pick in the 2013 draft went home. He didn't return until early March, then served a suspension for leaving his minor league assignment.

"It's been a weird season," Drouin said. "It feels great to be back up here playing hockey, the thing I wanted to do. You realize sitting at home is not what you want to do."

His next opponent will soon relate.

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:38 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Hurricanes (35-30) at Panthers (46-26)

Date: April 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The most successful regular season in team history won't mean much to the Florida Panthers if they don't make a deep playoff run, something they haven't accomplished in 20 years.

Other contenders could opt for resting their stars prior to the postseason, but the Panthers might consider otherwise in order to help build momentum.

The Atlantic Division champs look to head into the playoffs on a high note by winning a sixth straight meeting with the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.

Florida's division title marks its first since winning the Southeast in 2011-12, when New Jersey bounced it in the first round in seven games. The Panthers (46-26-9) expect a much better showing this postseason after recording 100 points for the first time while setting a team record for victories.

They haven't won a playoff series since losing to Colorado in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final, and they'll have a tough time doing so this year, too, if they give efforts like Thursday's.

Jaromir Jagr scored, but Ottawa controlled much of the play in a 3-1 victory that snapped Florida's four-game winning streak. The 44-year-old Jagr probably could use a break, but resting him and others could contribute to another letdown against Carolina (35-30-16) with the playoffs on deck.

"We should be motivated no matter what. There is a huge difference if you give 100 percent or 95. You could see it," said Jagr, who has a team-high 65 points. "The body just remembers the last game, so we have to make sure we play the best hockey before going into the playoffs. Two bad games before the playoffs, I don't think would be very smart.'

Coach Gerard Gallant said he was surprised that the Panthers weren't more fired up after clinching home-ice advantage through the first two rounds with Tuesday's win over Montreal.

"I expect Saturday we'll play really well, our last fan appreciation game and a big game for us," Gallant said. "We talked about taking care of business and we accomplished what we wanted to do."

Roberto Luongo rested Thursday but could be back for a playoff tuneup. He made 24 saves in a 2-0 victory over the Hurricanes on Dec. 18 and has stopped 66 of 67 shots while winning his last three starts against them.

Carolina has been outscored 15-2 while dropping the last five meetings and has scored fewer than three goals in four of its last five. It is wrapping up a seventh straight season without a playoff berth by trying to draw positives from each contest.

The Hurricanes' 86 points are their most since 2010-11, and they were competing for a wild-card spot in the season's final weeks.

"We've made a lot of strides. We're one of the youngest, if not the youngest team in the league," center Jordan Staal said after assisting on rookie Noah Hanifin's goal in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Canadiens. "We've done a lot of learning and done a lot of good things. We're going to keep trying to get better, and these young guys are only going to get better."

Carolina has been shut out three times during its skid against the Panthers, and 21-year-old center Elias Lindholm scored its only goal against them this season in a 4-1 loss Oct. 13.

Cam Ward has lost his last three starts against Florida despite allowing one goal in each.

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:39 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Sabres (34-35) at Islanders (45-26)

Date: April 09, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The top priority for playoff-bound teams is finishing with the best seed and getting healthy for the postseason. For the New York Islanders, the latter just doesn't seem possible.

As the injuries continue to mount, the Islanders continue their push for third place in the Metropolitan Division on Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres.

Since a 1-4-1 stretch put a playoff spot in jeopardy, the Islanders have responded with six wins in seven games to tie the Rangers for third in the division.

They completed their first regular-season sweep of their intracity rivals with a 4-1 victory at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. John Tavares continued his torrid stretch with a goal and an assist, while Thomas Greiss stopped 36 shots for the Islanders, who have scored 13 times during a three-game win streak.

'Obviously there was significance in the positioning today, but I think we know we didn't play our best," said Tavares, who has five goals and 11 points in his last six games. "Our goaltender really won us that game today.'

While the Islanders (45-26-9) have two games remaining to one for the Rangers, they trail in the tiebreaker and could need to finish ahead of them to clinch third. That spot, however, doesn't seem so desirable with a matchup against the red-hot Penguins - winners of 14 of 15 - looming. Finishing with the first wild card would send them into the first round against Florida.

There was one huge piece of bad news to come out of Thursday's win, as forward Anders Lee became the latest addition to the Islanders' lengthy injury list. Lee, tied for fifth on the team with 15 goals, suffered a broken left fibula and is out indefinitely.

Lee joins No. 1 goaltender Jaroslav Halak (groin), defensemen Travis Hamonic (knee) and Brian Strait (upper body), center Mikhail Grabovski (concussion) and forwards Matt Martin (upper body) and Cal Clutterbuck (lower body) as injured Islanders.

There is hope Hamonic, who hasn't played this month, could return for the playoffs, while Martin, Clutterbuck and Strait may also be back.

Greiss has seen the bulk of the time in net with Halak sidelined, and has been very sharp lately. He's won four consecutive starts with a 1.71 goals-against average, but could get a rest in this one with New York facing Philadelphia on Sunday.

Chris Gibson would then make his second career start after he made 29 saves Tuesday in a 4-3 overtime victory at Washington in his first.

The Islanders' next home win would be No. 26 this season, their most since a 26-11-3 mark in 1984-85.

Although the Sabres (34-36-11) will finish out of the playoffs for a fifth straight year, they have made considerable progress from last season's league-low 54 points. Buffalo has already improved by 25 points and is headed for its best finish since 2011-12.

The Sabres had a season high-tying three-game win streak snapped in their home finale Friday, falling 4-1 to Columbus.

'Not the way wanted to finish,' captain Brian Gionta said. 'I think at times our starts, we're asleep at times.'

Chad Johnson is likely to be in net against his former team. He's 10-2-1 with a 2.27 GAA in his past 13 starts.

The Islanders are 6-1-3 in the last 10 meetings with the Sabres, absorbing that lone regulation loss, 2-1, at Barclays Center on Nov. 1.

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:39 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Capitals (55-17) at Blues (49-23)

Date: April 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The St. Louis Blues were 76 seconds away from falling out of contention for the top seed in the Western Conference before Vladimir Tarasenko decided not to let it happen.

The Washington Capitals secured the top spot in the East a long time ago, and that may have contributed to them entering their final two games looking to snap a season-high skid.

With plenty to gain in the regular season's final weekend, the Blues try for their fourth consecutive win over the visiting Capitals on Saturday night.

St. Louis (49-23-9) is riding an 8-1-0 stretch to keep the pressure on West-leading Dallas, which hosts Nashville in its final contest Saturday night. The teams have identical records, though the Stars have clinched the first tiebreaker.

The Blues' outside chance to finish atop the West, however, only exists because of Tarasenko's flurry Thursday at Chicago. He set a career high with his 38th goal to tie the game at 1 with 1:16 left, then delivered St. Louis' third straight victory 3:37 into overtime.

Tarasenko extended his point streak to seven and Brian Elliott made 24 saves to avoid his first loss in 13 starts.

'We want home ice the whole way,' Elliott said. 'Obviously, Washington is going to win that. But in our conference, in our division there, if we can get that home-ice advantage, that's a big thing. Especially if we get past the first couple of series.'

The Blues have won five of six at home.

If it ends up with the top seed, St. Louis would meet Minnesota in the first round. Otherwise, it will be a rematch of last year's first-round series against the Blackhawks, won in six games by Chicago.

The Blues defeated Washington 4-0 on March 26 for their third consecutive win in the series. Tarasenko was among four St. Louis players who scored, while Jake Allen made 32 saves.

Elliott, expected to start Saturday, has gone 11-0-0 with a 1.84 goals-against average in his last 13, matching a team record for consecutive wins.

Washington (55-17-8) is mired in its longest losing streak of the season at 0-2-1. It's dropped five of seven, a stretch that began with the defeat to the Blues.

Marcus Johansson snapped an 18-game goal drought with two and Andre Burakovsky added one as part of a three-goal Washington rally Thursday, but Pittsburgh won 4-3 in overtime for its eighth straight victory.

After leading the league with 3.30 goals per game through 57 contests, Washington is in the bottom third with 2.39 over its last 23.

'The work ethic wasn't there, the execution - nothing was,' goaltender Braden Holtby said. 'I don't know how we got to overtime, so it was a big challenge tonight going against the hottest team in the league, and hopefully, we realize that we're a lot better team than that and we need to work.'

Holtby made 31 saves but was denied in his second attempt to tie Martin Brodeur's single-season record of 48 wins. He sat out last month's game against the Blues, though he's won his two career starts against them with a 1.00 GAA.

Along with a motivated St. Louis team, the Capitals host an Anaheim club Sunday that could have a chance to win the Pacific Division.

"I think that's just what we need," Johansson said. "It's good for us to step it up a little bit and get into a little bit more of a playoff mode, I think, and try to come out with two big wins."

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:39 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Predators (41-26) at Stars (49-23)

Date: April 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

While there may be other scenarios in which they can reach their goal, the Dallas Stars are only focused on taking care of their own business during a critical season finale.

The surging Stars look to lock up their first division title in 10 years and home-ice advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs on Saturday night against the visiting Nashville Predators, who are locked into the West's first wild-card spot.

Dallas (49-23-9) has played its way into a tie atop the conference while outscoring opponents 35-20 over an 8-2-0 stretch. The club had a chance to clinch its first division title since 2005-06 on Thursday with a home win over Colorado and a St. Louis regulation loss to Chicago.

The Stars did their part with a 4-2 victory, but the Blues beat the Blackhawks 2-1 in overtime.

Dallas and St. Louis have 107 points apiece, though the Blues would have to finish in front because the Stars own the tiebreaker based on regulation plus overtime wins (47-44). The only scenario the Stars are concerned with is the one where they take first place with a victory.

"We've got one more tough game and the game is going to mean a lot to us," coach Lindy Ruff told the team's official website. "It's an opportunity to win the (Central) division, win the conference. I think it's something that we've worked hard for all year long."

Jamie Benn has played a key role in the Stars' surge with five goals during a five-game home winning streak. The captain has nine goals and eight assists over his last 15 overall.

He also has six goals and four assists in his past five matchups with the Predators (41-26-14).

Dallas hopes to get Jason Spezza back from an illness. The team's third-leading scorer with 60 points, Spezza has two goals and two assists in his last three games against Nashville.

The Stars, who also have been without second-leading scorer Tyler Sequin for the last nine games, seek their fourth straight win and 26th in 35 all-time home meetings with the Predators. Benn led the way with two goals March 29 when host Dallas took a 3-1 season series lead with a 5-2 victory.

Though they're locked into a first-round matchup with Los Angeles or Anaheim, the Predators hope to keep playing well heading into the postseason. They bounced back from a four-game slide by beating Colorado 4-3 on Tuesday and Arizona 3-2 in OT on Thursday.

"We're making progress and we're playing ... one of the top teams in our division, so it will be a tough test for us," defenseman Shea Weber told the Predators' official website.

Weber is one power-play goal away from setting the franchise's single-season record with 15, but the Stars have killed 46 of 48 penalties over their last 16 games. He scored once with the man advantage and added two assists in a 5-3 home win over Dallas on March 1.

Filip Forsberg has a goal and an assist in each of the last two games, leaving him one goal shy of setting the team's single-season record. He has 33 to match Jason Arnott's total from 2008-09.

"Shea's been a force for the power play all year long with his shot. Filip's been a really strong player for us especially in the second half of the season," coach Peter Laviolette said.

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:39 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Jets (34-39) at Kings (48-28)

Date: April 09, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Wayne Gretzky's 41 goals and 122 assists guided Los Angeles to a 102-point campaign and the Smythe Division title in his third season with the club. He never reached those numbers again, and the Kings haven't won their division since.

Two Stanley Cup championships help make the drought a little less significant, but the accomplishment of ending it isn't lost on this season's team.

Los Angeles has overcome a potentially damaging swoon and can clinch the Pacific with a win over the visiting Winnipeg Jets in Saturday night's regular-season finale.

Not since Gretzky won the ninth of his 10 Art Ross trophies in 1990-91 have the Kings (48-28-5) claimed a division crown, which marks the only one in franchise history. They won the Cup in 2012 and '14, but they got hot at playoff time after finishing third in the Pacific both seasons.

Los Angeles has won back-to-back games following a 2-6-0 stretch, including Thursday's 2-1 victory over Anaheim that broke a tie atop the division and put it in control of ending the Ducks' three-year Pacific reign. A victory would give it 103 points, its most since setting a franchise record with 105 in 1974-75.

"You don't want to be relying on other teams to beat other teams, and other teams to lose," defenseman Drew Doughty said. "We've relied on other teams before, and it didn't go so well for us. This year, we were really focused on determining our own destiny."

Anaheim has a game in hand, though, and still can win the division with two victories and a Kings loss of any kind. The Pacific champ will face Nashville in the first round, and the other will get to stay in California for the duration of a series with San Jose.

Finishing second could ease travel, but the Kings and Ducks could meet in the second round with the division winner getting home-ice advantage.

"We have a lot of work left to do, one massive game ahead of us, but home ice is very important," Doughty said. "The pride thing is important."

Los Angeles has held serve at home against Winnipeg, going 7-0-3 at Staples Center since the Jets entered the league as the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999-2000. It won the first meeting Oct. 27, but the Jets scored three times in the third period for a 4-1 home victory in the last matchup March 24.

Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele had two assists apiece in that win, and they've helped last-place Winnipeg win a season-high three straight heading into this meeting.

Dustin Byfuglien scored with 9.9 seconds remaining to give the Jets (34-39-8) a 5-4 win at San Jose on Thursday after they trailed 3-1 in the second. Wheeler tied it with less than a minute left in the second, and Scheifele's second goal knotted it at 4-4 with 7:58 remaining in the third.

"It's too late in the year to do anything about (the standings) now, but it feels good," said Byfuglien, who also had three assists. "We can go into this last game on a high note and finish the year off right."

Wheeler has seven goals and seven assists during a 10-game point streak, and Scheifele has six goals and eight assists during a nine-game run.

"We have guys who love to compete and we get to do it one more time before next year," Wheeler said.

Ondrej Pavelec made 33 saves to beat the Kings in the last meeting and could be in goal for this one. He has a 2.20 goals-against average in six starts and one relief appearance in his career against them.

Jonathan Quick has allowed at least three goals in three of his last four starts against the Jets.

**TheGame** · 04-09-2016, 07:40 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/9

Preview: Oilers (31-43) at Canucks (30-38)

Date: April 09, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Edmonton Oilers are in a familiar situation heading into their season finale Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks.

Edmonton is once again in position to earn the best chance for the top overall pick in the draft, a selection it has made four times in the last six years.

The Oilers (31-43-7) will have a 20 percent chance of winning the draft lottery if they finish with the fewest points in the NHL. They're tied with Toronto, which closes at New Jersey on Saturday.

Edmonton's odds for the No. 1 pick - likely to be Swiss center Auston Matthews - dip to 13.5 percent if the Maple Leafs finish with fewer points. If the teams end up tied, Toronto gets the better lottery odds because the Oilers have more regulation wins.

Edmonton took Taylor Hall with the top overall pick in 2010, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 2011, Nail Yakupov in 2012 and Connor McDavid last year. However, that hasn't helped on the ice as the Oilers have gone 160-238-59 since drafting Hall - the worst record in the NHL over that span.

Perhaps that's why first-year coach Todd McLellan wants the Oilers to finish strong after they rolled to a 6-2 win over the Canucks (30-38-13) and snapped a three-game losing streak Wednesday in the final game at Rexall Place.

"I think this is a test in regards to character and professionalism coming up," McLellan said after Friday's practice. "Because we passed it the other night doesn't mean we get a night off now in Vancouver. Our goal is to go there, perform and give each other our best and get a win. Then come home and review everything."

The former No. 1 picks shined against Vancouver, with McDavid and Hall each registering a goal and two assists and Yakupov adding a goal. Hall leads the team with 64 points while McDavid is third with 48 despite playing in 44 games.

'It was a really good effort from all fronts,' Hall said. 'We had some really good goaltending and the special teams that have been letting us down of late were there tonight, huge.

'It was a good way to finish it off here. It was a fun night with really good electricity in the building. We finished it off right.'

Vancouver will miss the playoffs after finishing second in the Pacific Division last season with 101 points. The Canucks followed Wednesday's drubbing in Edmonton with a 7-3 loss at Calgary the next night.

'Obviously change is going to happen,' said right wing Jannik Hansen, who's played his first nine seasons with Vancouver. 'This is the worst I've ever been a part of since I've been here. It hasn't been very fun.'

The Canucks limp into their finale with a 3-10-1 record in their last 14 games.

"I think it's been a problem this year; we have a few good games, and then we have a few bad games," forward Daniel Sedin told the team's official website. "I think our last 10-12 games we talked about being consistent each and every night, and I think we have been up until these last two games. This hasn't been good enough."

Edmonton has outscored Vancouver 11-5 in going 3-0-1 in the season series behind five points from McDavid.

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NHL Betting Info. 4/9

NHL Betting Info. 4/9

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