NHL Betting Info. 4/15

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


I love the NHL but honestly don't watch much hockey during the regular season. But I would argue that the Stanley Cup playoffs are the best postseason of any major American sport, and the pucks drops on them starting Wednesday.


Certainly the top storyline has to involve the Chicago Blackhawks, the team of the decade. Chicago has won three Stanley Cups in the past six seasons but has yet to repeat. The last team to go back-to-back was the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 & '98. These Hawks don't look as good as last year's club, but if any team knows how to flip a switch, it's this one. Patrick Kane finished with an NHL-high and career-best 106 points to become the first American-born player to win the Art Ross Trophy as top scorer. Kane, who had 27 multipoint games, has to be the NHL MVP, which will be announced later this summer. And the Hawks should have the Calder Trophy winner as Rookie of the Year in Kane's linemate Artemi Panarin, who led all rookies with 77 points. The last Hawk to win that award? Kane in 2007-08.


Chicago is +450 to win the Western Conference and +750 to win the Cup. The Hawks open at St. Louis on Wednesday night. A reminder that Chicago will be without top defenseman Duncan Keith, the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP, for that game as he finishes a suspension. The Hawks and Blues are both -110 on the series line.


St. Louis will get back captain David Backes after he missed the final week or so with an injury. The Blues won three of the five regular-season meetings, with three of the five games decided after regulation. The Blues took a 2-0 lead in the first round of the playoffs two years ago against Chicago and then proceeded to lose the next four games. This franchise hasn't won a playoff series since the 2011-12 season, and I highly doubt Coach Ken Hitchcock is brought back if it happens again.


The other main story is that of the Presidents' Cup-winning Washington Capitals. Alex Ovechkin won yet another Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's top goal-scorer with 50. It's the fourth straight season and sixth time overall he has done that. But Ovechkin's teams have flamed out in the postseason, failing to reach the conference finals with him. The Capitals have not played past the second round since they reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998.


The Caps are +400 favorites to win the Cup and +150 to win the East. It's actually pretty rare for a team to win the Presidents' Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season, doing so just eight times. Chicago was the last in 2012-13. Washington opens against Philadelphia, a team I didn't think would make the playoffs and which has a negative goals differential (minus-4). Washington is -265 on the series line with Philadelphia at +225. The teams split four regular-season meetings.


Probably the marquee playoff matchup is Pittsburgh against the New York Rangers. The Pens won three of the four meetings and are -155 series favorites. Back in 2014, the Penguins won Game 4 of the conference semifinals against the Blueshirts at Madison Square Garden to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. However, the Rangers won the next three and also ousted Pittsburgh last year in five games.


Both teams have injury questions. New York captain Ryan McDonagh is dealing with an upper-body injury, reportedly a broken hand, and won't start Game 1. It's not clear if he will play at all. Fellow defenseman Dan Girardi is questionable, as is center Eric Staal, who was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in a trade on Feb. 28.


Pittsburgh remains without Evgeni Malkin, who has been sidelined since March 11 due to a suspected wrist/hand injury. He's not likely to play in the opener at least. Who will be in net for the Pens? Marc-Andre Fleury hasn't played since March 31 due to a concussion but was at practice on Monday. Youngster Matt Murray was great in Fleury's place but he was injured on Saturday -- a possible concussion -- and being called day-to-day. Why was he playing in a meaningless game?


The other significant injury to watch around the league is to the Stars' Tyler Seguin. He has been out since March 17 with an Achilles injury but was at practice on Monday. Coach Lindy Ruff wouldn't say if Seguin could play in Game 1 against Minnesota on Thursday. Seguin had 33 goals and 40 assists in 72 games for the NHL's highest-scoring team. The Stars probably don't need him to beat Minnesota, which enters the playoffs on a five-game losing streak. Dallas, the West's top seed, is -175 on the series line.


My Western Conference picks to advance are: Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles (over San Jose) and Anaheim (over Nashville), so chalk there. In the East: Washington, NY Rangers, NY Islanders (over Florida) and Detroit (over Steven Stamkos-less Tampa Bay).

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/15

Preview: Blackhawks (47-26) at Blues (49-24)


Date: April 15, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


The St. Louis Blues have plenty of pieces still in place from their previous postseason failures.


Maybe goaltender Brian Elliott is the change that finally drives them into the second round.


After posting the Blues' first playoff shutout in four years, Elliott looks to lift them to a 2-0 lead Friday night over the Chicago Blackhawks - who will get top defenseman Duncan Keith back - in the Western Conference quarterfinals.


The Blues could be facing their final shot at a deep playoff run with coach Ken Hitchcock and the core of their current roster after first-round exits the previous three seasons.


Elliott, however, is the new face in goal as St. Louis tries to change its postseason fortunes. A strong regular season and dominant closing stretch - he went 12-1-1 with a 1.90 goals-against average in his last 16 games - earned Elliott the starting nod ahead of oft-injured Jake Allen, and he came through in Wednesday's opener.


Elliott made 35 saves in a 1-0 overtime win that ended when David Backes' pass deflected off Chicago defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk's skate and past goalie Corey Crawford.


The ugly goal gave the Blues their third straight victory over Chicago.


'You just try to get your emotions in check and try not to get too revved up, calm yourself down a little bit when needed,' Elliott said. 'At this time of the year it's just about that next game. You're not looking at the past or the future.'


Elliott led the league with a .930 save percentage and posted a 1.76 GAA and three shutouts in his final eight starts.


He started all six games in a 2013 playoff loss to Los Angeles but made only his second postseason appearance since then in Game 1. Elliott logged the Blues' first playoff shutout since he shared one with Jaroslav Halak on April 14, 2012.


St. Louis, though, has little reason to be overly confident. The Blues appeared in control against the Blackhawks in 2014 after winning twice in overtime at home to start the series, then dropped four straight - two of which went to OT.


All three Blues wins in this regular season's five-game series required overtime, and they've played four straight OT playoff games against the Blackhawks in St. Louis. Chicago went 4-1 in overtime games in last season's playoffs en route to its third Stanley Cup in six seasons.


The well-tested Blackhawks felt they played well Wednesday, and the return of Keith should provide a big boost. The 2015 Conn Smythe winner served the final game of a six-game suspension for high-sticking Minnesota's Charlie Coyle on March 29.


'We're happy to have him back,' coach Joel Quenneville said. 'He gives us some speed, he gives us a lot of different looks and a lot of other options.'


Crawford was sharp with 17 saves in just his second game back from nearly a month-long absence due to a head injury, but the Blackhawks went 0 for 5 on the power play.


Hitchcock called Backes' goal "fluky."


'That's the type of goal that gets scored in overtime,' defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said. 'But they deserved it too, and we've got to find a way to score.'

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/15

Preview: Predators (41-27) at Ducks (46-25)


Date: April 15, 2016 10:30 PM EDT


ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) After a 3 1/2-month sprint from the bottom of the NHL to the top of the Pacific Division, the Anaheim Ducks realize they don't get any chance to catch their breath.


A first-round matchup with the powerful Nashville Predators could undo all of that hard work in a hurry.


Two tough-nosed Western Conference teams meet in the first round beginning Friday night in Anaheim. Both are hoping to punctuate their midseason surges with playoff success.


'Anaheim, they're kind of like us,' Nashville center Mike Fisher said. 'They played really well down the stretch, the last half (of the season). A really good hockey team.'


The Ducks got home-ice advantage with their fourth straight Pacific Division title, but their rewards are 1,800-mile flights to Tennessee to face a dangerous opponent. Despite a midseason lull, Nashville stayed competitive in the brutal Central Division, finishing fourth with 96 points - 18 more than the Pacific's fourth-place team, Arizona.


Coach Bruce Boudreau sees a collision of strengths in this series, from the centers to the goalies.


'They're really strong down the middle,' Boudreau said. 'We think with (Ryan) Getzlaf, (Ryan) Kesler and (Nate) Thompson, we feel we're very strong down the middle. It'll be a very interesting contest there.'


The Predators have been known for stingy, defense-dominated strategies over the years, but second-year coach Peter Laviolette has injected offensive acumen into his club.


Meanwhile, the usually high-flying Ducks unexpectedly won the Jennings Trophy this season as the NHL's stingiest defensive team, repeatedly shutting down opponents in front of its stellar goalie tandem of John Gibson and Frederik Andersen.


'We're hopefully playing a brand of hockey that we want to play going into the playoffs here,' Getzlaf said. 'Any time you can limit scoring chances and those things, it (boosts) our chances to win.'


Here are some more things to watch when the clubs get it going at Honda Center:


LAST MEETING: The Ducks and Predators met in the first round of the 2011 playoffs, with Nashville earning the first playoff series victory in franchise history despite six goals from Anaheim's Teemu Selanne. Only three Ducks remain from that series: Getzlaf, Corey Perry and defenseman Cam Fowler. 'It was a tight series ... but it was a big series,' Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne said. The Predators reached the second round for the first time in franchise history, but have never gone farther.


RYJO EFFECT: The Predators go into the postseason with a true first-line center in Ryan Johansen for the first time in their nine playoff appearances. Nashville swapped defenseman Seth Jones to Columbus for Johansen on Jan. 6, and Johansen scored eight goals and 26 assists in 42 games with the Predators. Nashville ranked 18th averaging 2.55 goals per game, and was held to two goals or less in 21 games. Since the trade, Nashville ranked 11th, averaging 2.90 goals per game.


UNFAMILIAR FACES: These teams haven't met since Nov. 17, when Nashville finished the three-game season series with its second victory. Both teams have changed significantly since then, with Nashville adding Johansen and the Ducks picking up a wealth of complementary players, including high-scoring forward David Perron, who is expected to return from injury against the Preds. The Ducks also played largely terrible hockey until Christmas, when they dramatically righted their season. 'Obviously, they were struggling,' Nashville defenseman Shea Weber said. 'I think everyone around the league was kind of surprised how they were doing. We knew it was just a matter of time before they turned it around.'


THEY CALL HIM SCORESBERG: Forward Filip Forsberg led the Predators with 64 points and tied the franchise record with 33 goals this season. He also led the NHL with 12 goals in February, a stretch that coincided with the start of Nashville's team-record 14-game point streak.

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/15

Preview: Detroit at Tampa Bay
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, April 15, 2016
Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
The Detroit Red Wings can draw plenty of positives from the series opener and hope to build off them to avoid a 2-0 hole when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. Detroit rallied to take the lead in the second period, drew five power plays and produced 36 shots on goal in a 3-2 loss in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series Wednesday.
“I thought we did a good job in a lot of areas,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill told reporters. “I don’t like the result, but from a process standpoint, we did good things. I was happy with most of our guys, but I also think there’s another level.” Detroit will have to find an answer for the line of Alex Killorn, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov, who combined for three goals and four assists with captain Steven Stamkos (blood clot) and top-pair defenseman Anton Stralman out indefinitely. “You can’t sulk in it,” Johnson, who suffered an upper-body injury in the final regular-season game, told reporters. “Detroit isn’t doing us any favors. We’ve got to play our game, and guys have to step up like they did (Wednesday).” The Lightning won Game 2 in all four series last season, including the first round against the Red Wings.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CNBC, CBC, TVAS, FSN Detroit, FSN Florida (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE RED WINGS:
Detroit still needs to get captain Henrik Zetterberg going after he was held to one shot on goal in Game 1 and has managed one goal in his last 25 games. His linemates Pavel Datsyuk (seven shots) and Justin Abdelkader (goal) each contributed and defenseman Mike Green had the other goal for the Red Wings. Rookie forward Dylan Larkin, who primarily played with Darren Helm and Brad Richards, did not have a shot on goal in his playoff debut.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING:
Jonathan Drouin, who had asked for a trade before leaving the team and getting suspended for almost two months, played 18:09 in the series opener – second-most among forwards. Drouin had three shots, two hits, two takeaways and teamed with linemates Valtteri Filppula and Ondrej Palat to create several opportunities while helping shut out Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Defenseman Victor Hedman led all players in ice time with 28:56.
OVERTIME
1. The Lightning won the battle in the faceoff circle 36-29 on Wednesday, led by Filppula (17-10)
2. Detroit rookie F Andreas Athanasiou had four shots on goal and three hits in 8:45 on Wednesday in his first playoff game.
3. Killorn, who had nine goals and 18 points in 26 playoff games in 2014-15, has a plus-12 rating in his last 16 games overall.
PREDICTION: Lightning 4, Red Wings 2

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/15

Preview: NY Islanders at Florida
When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, April 15, 2016
Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida
The Florida Panthers won’t have long to lick their wounds after relinquishing home-ice advantage in their first-round series with the New York Islanders. The Atlantic Division-champion Panthers will have less than 24 hours to rebound after watching three one-goal leads evaporate in a 5-4 setback when the clubs reconvene at BB&T Center for Game 2 on Friday.
“I thought our defensive game was bad and some of the (Islanders’ goals) were great,” Florida coach George Gallant told the Miami Herald. “I’m not going to blame (goaltender Roberto Luongo). He’s been our key guy all year long.” Captain John Tavares has been the Islanders’ main man since he was selected with the top overall pick of the 2009 draft — and the 25-year-old didn’t disappoint Thursday. Tavares continued his torrid stretch as he followed up a nine-point performance over his final four games of the regular season with a playoff-best three-point effort (goal, two assists) in the series opener. “It’s one game,” Tavares told reporters. “We’ve got to put it behind us and move on to the next one. I think that’s what we’ve learned from the past.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network, SN360, TVAS3, MSG-Plus (New York), SUN (Florida)
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS:
Thomas Greiss made 42 saves in his first playoff start, but perhaps none bigger than thwarting Jaromir Jagr’s point-blank chance with a sliding pad stop in the final minute of regulation. “I felt it hit me, then I had no clue where it went after that,” the 30-year-old netminder told Newsday. Playing in place of the injured Jaroslav Halak, Greiss stopped 69-of-77 shots to post a 1-0-1 mark while playing his second game in as many nights this season.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS:
Reilly Smith scored twice in the opener, but was more interested in preventing Thursday’s result from lingering longer than necessary. “It’s frustrating, but we weren’t expecting this to be a short series anyway,” Smith said. “There were a lot of positives we can take out of the game tonight. Luckily we play (Friday), so we don’t have to think about it too much.” Fellow forward Jussi Jokinen scored a goal and set up two others to increase his point total to 12 in as many playoff games.
OVERTIME
1. Jagr has recorded 16 assists — but no goals — during his last 32 playoff games.
2. New York is vying for its first 2-0 series lead since the 1983 Stanley Cup Final. The Islanders went on to sweep Edmonton for their fourth consecutive championship.
3. Luongo has lost his last seven postseason starts dating to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final when his Vancouver Canucks failed to seal the deal versus Boston.
PREDICTION: Islanders 3, Panthers 2

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/15

Preview: Chicago at St. Louis
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, April 15, 2016
Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis Blues captain David Backes isn’t going to apologize for scoring an aesthetically unappealing goal. After his pinball tally in overtime gave the Blues a series-opening victory, Backes’ Blues look to put the defending Stanley Cup-champion Chicago Blackhawks in an early hole when the Central Division rivals reconvene in the Gateway City for Game 2 on Friday.
“That’s an ugly goal,” Backes told reporters after his attempted centering feed banked off the skate of Chicago defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and between the pads of Corey Crawford at 9:04 of overtime in the Blues’ 1-0 win on Wednesday. “I specialize in those and rightfully so. … (Our team) put this in perspective. It’s one game, start 0-0 again on Friday and do it all over again.” The Blackhawks will welcome back a familiar face on Friday as reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Duncan Keith returns from his six-game suspension for high sticking Minnesota’s Charlie Coyle on March 29. “You want to be out there helping the guys to try and win the hockey game. That in itself is frustrating especially it being as big a game as it was,” Keith told CSN Chicago. “But I’m excited to get back and play again and try to do everything I can to help get a win.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, SN, TVAS2, CSN Chicago, FSN-Midwest (St. Louis)
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS:
Patrick Kane didn’t appear fazed after Chicago found itself on the receiving end of a physical performance by St. Louis, which enjoyed a lopsided 41-24 edge in hits on Wednesday. “Ninety percent of the games we’ll be outhit because we have the puck,” the NHL’s leader in points (106) told CSN Chicago. “We’ll focus on what we do best.” Kane, who became the first American-born player to win the league scoring title this season, saw his best chance go by the boards on Wednesday when he was denied by Brian Elliott on a 2-on-1 rush early in the second period.
ABOUT THE BLUES:
Elliott continued his scintillating play as he followed his 11-1-0 stretch to end the regular season with a 35-save performance in his first playoff start in three years. The 31-year-old denied Jonathan Toews’ bid on a breakaway at 6:58 of the second and thwarted the captain and Kane on solid chances in overtime. “I think he’s comfortable in that element now, which, to me, is a big change for Brian,” St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. “Because he’s comfortable in this setting now: You see his athleticism come out now. You see his confidence come out now.”
OVERTIME
1. Chicago LW Andrew Ladd is expected to play on Friday after his wife, Brandy, gave birth to the couple’s third child, a boy named Walker Gordon.
2. St. Louis D Alex Pietrangelo has scored two goals and set up five others in his last five contests.
3. Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson recorded five of his team’s 21 blocked shots in Game 1.
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 3, Blues 2

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/15

Preview: Nashville at Anaheim
When: 10:30 PM ET, Friday, April 15, 2016
Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
The Anaheim Ducks did not secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference until the final day of the regular season and, in doing so, avoid a first-round matchup against Pacific Division rivals Los Angeles and San Jose. Nonetheless, Anaheim is bracing for a rugged test when it hosts the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.
The Ducks overcame an ugly start – losing nine of their first 10 games (1-7-2) – before regrouping with a huge stretch run to earn their fourth consecutive Pacific title. Anaheim lost two of the three matchups to the Predators, but the teams haven’t played since Nov. 17. “It’s been 60-something games since we played them,” Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. “Can we trust anything we see on the tape?” Nashville, which lost to eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago in the first round a year ago, navigated a series of ups and downs before putting together a franchise-record 14-game point streak to earn its ninth playoff berth in 12 seasons.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), Prime Ticket (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (41-27-14):
Filip Forsberg scored 33 times and James Neal was right behind with 31 tallies, marking the second time in franchise history that Nashville has had a pair of 30-goal scorers, but the Predators also tied for the league lead with 203 points from their defense. “It’s been a big part of who we are all year,” Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. “I think you need contributions from everybody. But our guys have done a good job back there playing our system and being involved when they can.” Pekka Rinne had the most second-most regulation losses (21) one of of the highest goals-against averages (2.48) in his career, but he’s 12-5-4 lifetime versus Anaheim.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (46-25-11):
Reinforcements could be on the way for Anaheim, with forwards Rickard Rakell (appendix) and David Perron (shoulder) and defenseman Kevin Bieksa (upper body) all back at practice and looming as game-time decisions for the series opener. “We’re anxious, excited and ready to get going,” said forward Corey Perry, who led the Ducks for 34 goals. “We’ve had some good practices. Yesterday, there was a lot of skating, but today, we worked on a little bit of what they like to do and what we want to do against it.” Boudreau still has to decide on a starting netminder between the Jennings Trophy-winning tandem of John Gibson and Frederik Anderson, who combined for 43 victories.
OVERTIME
1. The Ducks led the league in power-play efficiency (23.1 percent) and also had the No. 1 penalty kill (87.2 percent).
2. Predators captain Shea Weber scored 14 goals with the man advantage, tops among league defensemen.
3. Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, who led the team in scoring despite just 13 goals, has 37 points in 34 games versus Nashville.
PREDICTION: Ducks 2, Predators 1

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/15

Philadelphia-Washington
Flyers won seven of last ten games with Washington; they won three of last five games here. Under is 5-2-1 in last eight series games. Philly won last two games overall, but lost three of last four on foreign ice. Caps lost four of last five games, with two OT losses, two shutouts- three of their last four games went over total. Flyers missed playoffs two of last three years; they won in first round three of last four times they were there. Washington is 4-3 in last seven first round series.
NY Islanders-Florida
Islanders lost four of last five games with Florida; they lost three of last four visits here. Islanders won last three rtoad games, with two OT wins; they’re 6-3 in last nine games overall- over is 4-0-1 in their last five games. Panthers won five of last six games (over 5-2-1 in last eight)- they won last three home games. Islanders are in playoffs for third time in four years but haven’t won a playoff series since 1993. Florida is in playoffs for second time in 15 years; their last playoff series win was in 1996.
Minnesota-Dallas
Dallas Stars used to be the Minnesota North Stars. Minnesota Wild lost four of last five games against Dallas, but won three of last five visits here, in series where visitor won six of last nine games. Six of last eight series games went over the total. Minnesota lost its last five games, outscored 16-6; under is 3-1-3 in their last seven. Dallas won six of last seven games; four of their last five stayed under. Wild is 3-3 in first round series, winning each of last two years. Dallas is in playoffs for just second time in last eight years- their last series win was in 2008.
San Jose-Los Angeles
Teams split last ten series games; road team went 6-4 in those games. Over is 3-0-2 in last five in series. San Jose won five of last seven games; three of last four stayed under- they won last three road games. Kings are 4-6 in last 10 games, 3-2 in last five at home– three of their last four at home stayed under. Sharks missed playoffs LY for first time in 11 years; they’re 9-4 in last 13 first round series. LA won Stanley Cup twice in last four years, but missed playoffs LY- they won last three first round series