NHL Betting Info. 4/20

[TheGame]

Preview: Capitals (56-18) at Flyers (41-27)


Date: April 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT


As the situation got ugly on the ice and on the scoreboard, it got uglier in the stands at Wells Fargo Center in Game 3 between the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers.


That's where the series could end Wednesday night when the top-seeded Capitals look to complete a dominating sweep of the first-round matchup.


Washington overwhelmed Philadelphia with its power play Monday, scoring five times - four in the third period - en route to a 6-1 victory. The Flyers, fired up after a pregame ceremony honoring late owner Ed Snider, actually led when Michael Raffl scored on the first shot of the game 57 seconds in.


Washington leads a series 3-0 for the first time in team history.


'It's a huge opportunity for us to come back home with the win and see what's going to happen and who's going to be next,' Alex Ovechkin said after recording two goals and an assist.


Philadelphia made it easy, as a startling lack of discipline and seeming determination to revisit the "Broad Street Bullies" era led to nine Washington power plays. Fans followed suit in the third period, throwing wristbands used as part of a pregame lights show and other garbage on the ice despite the PA announcer's plea to "show some class" and Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds urging them to stop.


"Our power play has lots of confidence," coach Barry Trotz told the Capitals' official website. "And (the Flyers) keep giving us lots of practice."


Ovechkin has had plenty of help. Defenseman John Carlson continued his outstanding series with a goal and two assists in Game 3 to tie him for the team lead with six points (three goals, three assists). Nicklas Backstrom has a goal and five assists, while Marcus Johansson has recorded one and four.


Even if the Flyers tighten up their play, they'll have to find a way to solve Braden Holtby if they want to extend the series. They've scored two goals in the three games, with Holtby stopping 72 of 74 shots in the past two.


Holtby left practice Tuesday with an apparent left leg injury after colliding with a teammate, though Trotz expects him to play Wednesday.


'Basically just got nicked up a little bit, went off and we'll see where he is,' Trotz said. 'But I don't anticipate Braden not playing.'


Somewhat tempering the excitement over the Game 3 win was an upper-body injury to defenseman Brooks Orpik that will keep him out Wednesday.


'Anytime you lose a guy like Brooks Orpik, with his experience, he's been through the grind before, it's tough,' said Taylor Chorney, who could see his first action of the series. 'But at the same time, we've kind of been through it this year. He spent some time where he was hurt earlier in the year, and we had guys step up.'


While Washington has eight power-play goals in the series, the Flyers are 0 for 13. Claude Giroux, who led Philadelphia with 67 points, has none in the three games.


The Flyers are tasked with trying to stay alive against the team that's looked like the one to beat all season long and appears to have raised its level in the playoffs.


"They are a dangerous team offensively and if you give them too many chances, eventually they are going to punish you for it and you have to play especially smart defensively and stay out of the box," defenseman Mark Streit said.


First-year coach Dave Hakstol faces a tall order in getting his team refocused.


"We're not going away. We're going to pick up and go back to work tomorrow like we always do, like we have all year long, and get ready to go out and win a game (Wednesday)," he said.


It's uncertain whether the beleaguered Steve Mason will start in net in Game 4 or Hakstol will go with ex-Capital Michal Neuvirth in an attempt to spark his club.


'If I get the call I'm going to be ready and I'll try to enjoy it and help my teammates,' Neuvirth said.


Philadelphia forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is suspended for this game for checking defenseman Dmitry Orlov from behind Monday.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/20

Preview: Panthers (47-26) at Islanders (45-27)


Date: April 20, 2016 8:00 PM EDT


On paper, the Florida Panthers' deep, skilled roster seemed like too much for the New York Islanders to overcome in order to capture their first playoff series in 23 years.


It's starting to look like the guts and persistence of the Islanders on the ice might be more than the Panthers can handle in order to snap their own postseason slump that dates to the same era.


After their second come-from-behind win helped the Islanders claim an edge in this Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, they can jump far ahead with a Game 4 victory in Brooklyn on Wednesday night.


New York hasn't won a playoff series since 1993 and entered this one as an underdog to the surprising Panthers, who have a slump stretching back to 1996 but had been considered a Stanley Cup contender after winning the Atlantic Division.


However, the Islanders' two comeback wins during an exhausting stretch of three games in four days has them in the driver's seat.


After splitting a pair in Florida, New York kept home-ice advantage with Sunday's 4-3 overtime win in its postseason debut in Brooklyn. The Islanders rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 to force overtime, and Thomas Hickey one-timed a pass from Brock Nelson to end it.


'We had a good shift and grinded them out a little bit,' Hickey said. 'Somebody went to change, I saw a gap, and an unbelievable pass and (it) just got off my stick.'


Hickey's description of the overtime shift could be used for the entire series. The Islanders rallied from a 3-2 deficit to grind out a 5-4 victory in Game 1, and Hickey's winner may not have happened if not for a coach's challenge that wiped out Florida's third goal.


The Panthers seemed to take a 3-0 lead in the second period on an Aaron Ekblad tally, but it was overturned after video showed Florida was offside.


The final play of the game continued a promising trend for the Islanders, who entered this series leaning on the top line of John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen for scoring. That trio was great again Sunday, collecting a goal and four assists, but Shane Prince, Ryan Pulock and Hickey each logged their first career playoff goals while Nelson had his first assist.


That coincides with a negative trend for Florida, the play of Roberto Luongo. The six-time All-Star made 41 saves in Friday's 3-1 win but surrendered nine goals on 65 shots otherwise for a save percentage of just .862.


"I need the rest," Luongo told the team's official website. "Three games in four nights with an overtime, so I'm pretty exhausted right now. I need a couple days to re-energize here to get ready for Wednesday."


New York's Thomas Greiss has four postseason appearances to Luongo's 67, but he has outplayed the veteran in this series to the tune of a .922 save percentage. He has bent at times but hasn't quite broken, allowing seven goals but making 78 saves in the two wins.


While Florida forward Reilly Smith has found plenty of success with four goals and four assists, Jaromir Jagr has yet to record a point. Smith tied Dave Lowry for the franchise record with goals in three straight playoff games Sunday, but Jagr went without one for his 34th consecutive postseason contest.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/20

Preview: Stars (50-23) at Wild (38-33)


Date: April 20, 2016 9:30 PM EDT


Less than five minutes into Game 3, it looked like the series was as good as over. The Dallas Stars had a 2-0 lead in the series and the game, and the Minnesota Wild were on their way to 400 minutes of postseason hockey without a lead.


But by the end of the second period, that span was over, and 20 minutes later, so was a six-game playoff losing streak. Rather than being up against a potential sweep, the Wild host the Stars in Game 4 on Wednesday night with a shot at evening the Western Conference playoff series many would have picked to be over first.


After Monday's 5-3 loss in Minnesota, Stars coach Lindy Ruff conceded the series could stretch on.


"It could be a heck of a series," Ruff said. "The parity in this league is incredible, and if you don't play well you're not going to win."


Dallas took control with two early goals from Patrick Sharp, but Minnesota's Chris Porter scored in the final minute of the period. After a pep talk from coach John Torchetti during the intermission, Erik Haula and Jason Pominville put the Wild in the lead.


"Leaders calm the group down and then we go," Haula told the team's official website. "It was 2-1, 40 minutes of hockey left. There's really not much (to say), everybody knows what to do, everybody knows when we're playing well, and everyone knows what it looks like."


Mikko Koivu extended the lead, and after Colton Sceviour cut Dallas' deficit in half with 6:15 to go, Pominville restored the two-goal advantage with an empty-netter.


Pominville also had an assist after being limited to two points in his previous nine playoff games. Koivu, the team's points leader, had gone five postseason contests without a point.


"We could have easily (folded)," Pominville said. "We could have done that a while ago, too. We're not that type of group. We're not that group that's going to fold. We're going to keep fighting and keep pushing."


The first two games followed the Wild's five-game losing streak to end the regular season, so the win let them avoid matching their worst skid of the season. It was just their second win in eight games against Dallas this season.


The Stars, meanwhile, had gone 11-2-0 over the previous month while never allowing more than three goals prior to Monday.


"We didn't play near as well as we needed to play," Ruff told the team's official website. "Probably as bad as I've seen us play in maybe five weeks."


Jamie Benn had an assist to give him a series-high five points, and the Dallas points leader has 18 on an 11-game streak against the Wild. For Sharp, it was his third two-goal playoff game against the Wild and eighth overall.


Pominville's was just the 11th in franchise history for Minnesota. Two of those belong to Zach Parise, the Wild's injured top scorer.


But both teams have been without key players. For Minnesota, Parise and Thomas Vanek are yet to play due to upper-body injuries, and there hasn't been any encouraging news for either. Dallas' Tyler Seguin, who played in Game 2 after missing a month with an Achilles injury, didn't travel with the team for Game 3 and is considered day to day.


In goal, Dallas had been thrilled with the play of Kari Lehtonen prior to allowing four goals on 24 shots in Game 3. Even so, he's 7-2-0 with a 1.79 goals-against average and .932 save percentage over the last month.


Minnesota's Devan Dubnyk faced 17 shots for his lightest workload in a full game since October to end a six-game losing streak. The 1-6-0 span over his last eight games comes with a 2.83 GAA and .883 save percentage.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/20

Preview: Kings (48-28) at Sharks (46-30)


Date: April 20, 2016 10:30 PM EDT


Already down 2-0 in the series, the Los Angeles Kings fell behind 30 seconds into Game 3. It wasn't the start they wanted, but they've climbed out of deeper holes.


The Kings recovered to win the game and will now look to even the series Wednesday night with a fourth straight playoff win in San Jose, while the Sharks try to avoid the memory of their 2014 collapse in the same first-round matchup.


After Los Angeles' 2-1 overtime win Monday, the road team has won each game by a goal, and the Kings are trying to wrestle back home advantage - though it just doesn't seem to mean all that much.


The Sharks are 4-0-0 in Los Angeles this season and the Kings 3-1-0 in San Jose. They've won the last three playoff games there as part of a 6-2-0 span, which dates to that 2014 series in which Los Angeles rallied from a 3-0 series deficit to beat the Sharks on its way to a second Stanley Cup title.


Tanner Pearson scored the winner and is on a season-best five-game point streak - one shy of his career-best run from May 2014, which came entirely in the postseason.


"It's not the start that we wanted, obviously, but we trust each other in here that we were going to bounce back," Pearson told the league's official website. "It's a confident group when our backs are against the wall. We're still there and we've got to fight back to even up the series."


Anze Kopitar tied it midway through the first period to give the Kings a power-play goal in five straight games against the Sharks after ending the regular season by going 3 for 38 in their last 16 overall.


Regardless of how the goals came, Drew Doughty said the result likely instilled a level of uneasiness for San Jose.


"You know they're thinking a little bit about it now, so we're right where we want to be," said Doughty, who played 35:01 of the game's 63:47.


San Jose isn't so sure there's been any real momentum shift.


"It's the first team to four," coach Peter DeBoer said. "I couldn't care less where we win the game. We played well enough to win the game tonight. We outshot them, outchanced them. We didn't win."


Shots, however, have meant little. In the last seven meetings, the team with fewer shots has won six times and the other ended with both teams recording 32.


Overall, San Jose has now dropped six of its last eight at home as part of a season long since defined by road success and home struggles. The Sharks have won 18 of 42 home games, while every other playoff team has won at least 22.


"The effort was there, the crowd was great," said Joe Pavelski, who leads the series with four points. "We felt like we did a lot of good things again. They were definitely a better team than the first couple of games. It's nothing we can't play with and we don't feel like we can't get our game going.


"It's still a big challenge out there, and we're excited."


After Joe Thornton's early goal, Jonathan Quick settled in for a 29-save night and has gotten better in each playoff game after Los Angeles missed the postseason last year. He's been in goal for the three straight playoff wins in San Jose while posting a 0.65 goals-against average and .980 save percentage.


Counterpart Martin Jones has faced his former team eight times this season, going 5-2-1 with a 2.34 GAA. He's 2-1-0 with a 1.50 GAA in five career playoff games.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/20

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


In my opinion, the big winner of the first week of the Stanley Cup playoffs was the Western Conference top-seeded Dallas Stars. The big loser? The greater Los Angeles area. I didn't give the Stars a great chance of winning the West because while it's a fabulous offensive team, Dallas wasn't great on defense during the regular season. But with has happened to the two L.A. teams thus far, now I'm rethinking that.


The Stars took a 2-0 series lead against Minnesota into Monday's game in Minneapolis. Kari Lehtonen has been great in goal, although it's against a Wild team missing two of its best forwards due to injury and that's easily the worst club in the postseason. My only worry about Dallas now is the status of star forward Tyler Seguin. He missed the final 10 games of the regular season and first of these playoffs with an Achilles injury. He did play 15:40 in Game 2 but apparently tweaked that injury. NHL teams are notoriously vague about these types of things. Seguin was to miss Game 3 and all Coach Lindy Ruff would say is that what Seguin is dealing with is "not his injury, but it is kind of related."


I don't think the Stars can win the Cup without Seguin at 100 percent, so I'd just sit him the rest of the Wild series to heal up for the conference semifinals. I do think they can win the West without him because now it looks as if Dallas won't have to deal with either the Los Angeles Kings, the Western Conference betting favorites entering the playoffs, or Pacific Division champion Anaheim Ducks in the conference finals.


I'm absolutely shocked that Los Angeles entered Monday's Game 3 of their series at San Jose down 2-0. True, the Sharks led the NHL in road wins during the season and set a franchise record, but I never saw them winning both games in L.A. It was a bad week in L.A. hockey as the Ducks also dropped their first two at home against Nashville, each by the same 3-2 score. John Gibson was in net for both of those, but I think you will see Coach Bruce Boudreau go with Frederik Andersen, who has much more playoff experience, in Game 3 on Tuesday. The Ducks' big guns, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler, have been held to three total points. Perry is minus-three for the series. The Ducks are also taking too many penalties. They have now lost four straight playoff games, three at home, since leading the Blackhawks 3-2 through five games of last season's Western Conference Finals.


Anaheim is a +100 underdog for Tuesday's game in Nashville, which has a 2-0 playoff series lead for the first time in franchise history. The new odds to win the West are: Stars at +250, Blues (+450), Blackhawks (+500), Sharks (+500), Predators (+600), Ducks (+950), Kings (+1000) and the no-chance Wild at +4000.


Chicago faces a near must-win home game on Tuesday against St. Louis, with the Hawks as -155 favorites. They totally let one get away in Sunday's Game 2, leading 2-1 entering the third but falling 3-2. The Blackhawks had been 70-0-4 since the start of last season when they had the lead at the beginning of the third. The Blackhawks had trouble scoring in 5-on-5 play during the regular season, ranking in the bottom third of the NHL, and that has carried over with just one goal at even strength. The Blues finished second in 5-on-5 goals allowed this season and they have outpaced the Hawks in high-danger scoring chances during 5-on-5 play 35-19. I wouldn't bail on Chicago yet as the Hawks typically play inconsistently early in series and then flip the switch.


My original Western Conference picks to advance were Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles and Anaheim. Not looking great there at the moment.


In the Eastern Conference, Washington is now a huge -105 favorite to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. The Capitals looked to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the Flyers in Philly on Monday night. The Penguins are next at +500 to win the East, followed by the Lightning (+750), Rangers (+750), Islanders (+900), Panthers (+1100), Flyers (+3500) and Red Wings (+3500). I'm sticking with my first-round selections: Washington, the two New York teams and Detroit.


Easily the most interesting series in the East has been Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers, especially in net. Blueshirts star Henrik Lundqvist left Game 1 with an eye injury and New York lost. He was a game-time call for Game 2 on Saturday but was in net and led a 4-2 victory to even the series at one. The Penguins have played both games with third-stringer Jeff Zatkoff in net and he's expected to be in there against Tuesday with Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray still recovering from injuries. It was because of Zatkoff that I liked New York in this series. The Penguins did welcome back star forward Evgeni Malkin in Game 2; he had been out since March 11 and was supposed to be out at least six weeks. Malkin played nearly 20 minutes Saturday and had an assist. The Rangers are actually +101 underdogs for Tuesday. On the series line, the Pens are -165 and Rangers +145. Blueshirts captain Ryan McDonagh hasn't played yet in the series and is doubtful for Tuesday. He did practice Monday for the first time since being hurt two weeks ago.

[Satch]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/20

“Stanley Cup Playoffs”
Wednesday’s NHL betting preview
Preview: Washington at Philadelphia
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Washington Capitals are looking every bit like the team that set a franchise record for wins en route to capturing its second Presidents’ Trophy while the Philadelphia Flyers may be running on empty after motoring to the final wild-card spot following a 15-5-3 run. The Capitals aim to complete a sweep of a best-of seven series for the first time in franchise history on Wednesday when they play Game 4 of their first-round series in Philadelphia.
Special teams continue to be the story of the series as Washington scored a staggering five times on the power play in Monday’s 6-1 victory in Game 3. The Capitals are 8-for-17 with the man advantage after the first three contests while the Flyers have failed on all 13 of their opportunities. Philadelphia, in fact, has solved Braden Holtby on only two occasions despite unleashing 93 shots on the front-runner for this season’s Vezina Trophy. The biggest scare for Holtby may have come during Tuesday’s practice as a collision with a teammate initially left him favoring his left leg, but coach Barry Trotz told reporters that the goaltender is expected to be in net for Game 4.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, CSN-DC (Washington), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE CAPITALS:
Brooks Orpik has been ruled out of Wednesday’s contest by Trotz after the defenseman suffered an upper-body injury on a hit from Philadelphia fourth-liner Ryan White. “We just have to play strong, tough, physical and responsible. I mean, that’s what (Orpik) does every time he’s out there, so that’s how we’ll have to do it,” blue-liner Karl Alzner said of the group’s mindset of playing without Orpik, who missed 41 games this season with a lower-body injury. While Matt Niskanen and John Carlson have logged heavy minutes in the series, fellow defenseman Nate Schmidt is expected to see an uptick in ice time and either Mike Weber or Taylor Chorney will draw in the lineup on Wednesday.
ABOUT THE FLYERS:
Philadelphia may be shuffling goaltenders after Steve Mason (0-3-0, .852 save percentage) allowed all six goals on Monday, this on the heels of permitting an unfathomable 101-foot tally in Game 2. “If I get the call I’m going to be ready and I’ll try to enjoy it and help my teammates,” backup Michal Neuvirth told reporters on Tuesday. The 28-year-old has only played in two games since March 5, but his 18 wins this season were his most since recording 27 with Washington in 2010-11.
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia F Pierre-Edouard Bellemare will sit out Wednesday’s tilt after being suspended one game for his dangerous check from behind on Washington D Dmitry Orlov during Game 3.
2. Holtby, who recorded an assist in Game 3, has one more point in the series than Flyers captain Claude Giroux (team-leading 67 points in regular season) and RW Wayne Simmonds (career-high 32 goals this season).
3. The Flyers are one of four NHL teams to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first three games. Philadelphia, which upended Boston in a 2010 second-round series, is joined by Toronto (1942), the New York Islanders (1975) and Los Angeles (2014) in that group.
PREDICTION: Capitals 5, Flyers 1

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/20

Preview: Florida at NY Islanders
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
The New York Islanders only need to look back to their first-round loss to Washington in 2015 in an effort to avoid getting ahead of themselves in this year’s set with the Florida Panthers. Both playoff series have followed the same path in the early going, with the Islanders splitting a pair on the road and claiming an overtime victory in the third contest heading into Wednesday’s Game 4 against the visiting Panthers.
“All of us have been through it another year, and that experience goes a long way,” said captain John Tavares, who set up a pair of tallies in New York’s 4-3 overtime win on Sunday to extend his point streak to seven games (six goals, nine assists). “It’s amazing how much more you understand the ebbs and flows of a playoff series, game to game, day to day, even period to period. I think we’re just well prepared.” The Islanders need to up the ante on their preparation for Florida’s Reilly Smith, who has recorded eight points (four goals, four assists) in the series – including three (one goal, two assists) in Game 3. “Reilly was awesome,” Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said. “Every game, that line’s been real good for us. He’s contributed big time and put pucks in the net.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, USA, SN, TVAS2, FSN Florida, MSG-Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE PANTHERS:
While Gallant praised the second line of Smith, Nick Bjugstad and Jussi Jokinen, the coach was quick to compliment the top line of Jaromir Jagr, Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau as well. “They’re playing well, they’re working hard, they’re getting all kinds of chances, so what can you do?” Gallant said of the three players, who have combined for just four points (one goal, three assists). Although Jagr recorded 27 goals and a team-high 66 points in the regular season, the future Hall of Famer has not scored in his last 34 playoff games and has been held without a point in each contest of the series.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS:
Thomas Hickey didn’t just give New York the upper hand in the series on Sunday, the defenseman also made history by becoming the lone player in franchise history to score both his first career regular-season goal and first playoff tally in overtime. Rookie blue-liner Ryan Pulock also netted his first postseason goal in Game 3 and followed that up with an assist on Shane Prince’s tally six minutes later. “I think at this point right now, this is the best I’ve felt,” Pulock told the team’s website. “Every game you get more comfortable, more confident … to be able to play here quite a bit lately, it’s really helped with that.”
OVERTIME
1. New York RW Kyle Okposo set up a pair of tallies in Game 3 and has two goals and nine assists in his last seven contests.
2. Florida C Vincent Trocheck (foot) practiced on Tuesday but will not play in Game 4, Gallant told reporters.
3. The Islanders are 7-2 in series in which they held a 2-1 advantage, losing only to Toronto in 1978 and Washington last year.
PREDICTION: Islanders 4, Panthers 2

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/20

Preview: Dallas at Minnesota
When: 9:30 PM ET, Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Where: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Having withstood a potential knockout blow in their first game on their home ice, the Minnesota Wild used a stirring comeback to climb back into their Western Conference first-round series against the Dallas Stars. Buoyed by an offensive eruption, the Wild look to knot the series when they host Dallas in Wednesday’s Game 4.
Minnesota appeared on the verge of a quick ouster after falling behind by a pair of goals in the first 4:10 of Game 3, particularly since it scored a combined one goal in a pair of losses at Dallas. “We threw the kitchen sink at them,” forward Erik Haula said after the Wild responded with four unanswered goals en route to a 5-3 victory on Monday night. The top-seeded Stars wilted after their fast start and managed only 17 shots on goal. “That might have been our worst game of the year,” Dallas coach Lindy Ruff said after his team lost for only the third time in 14 contests.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, Sportsnet 360, TVAS 3, FSN Southwest (Dallas), FSN North/Wisconsin (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE STARS:
Patrick Sharp, who won three Stanley Cups in the previous six seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, scored twice Monday to stake Dallas to the early lead but called it “an opportunity lost” following Tuesday’s practice session. Stars captain Jamie Benn sat out practice for what Ruff termed a maintenance day while defenseman Kris Russell returned to practice after missing Game 3 due to illness, but it remains uncertain if he will be back in the lineup. Although Kari Lehtonen has started the first three games in net, there remains the possibility of Ruff turning to Antti Niemi, who matched Lehtonen with 25 wins.
ABOUT THE WILD:
Minnesota coach John Torchetti challenged some of his veteran players to step up their games and he got the desired response as captain Mikko Koivu scored for only the third time in 31 postseason games and Jason Pominville supplied a pair of tallies and an assist. “We could’ve easily stepped back and folded and not responded,” said Pominville, who netted the go-ahead tally before sealing the victory with an empty-net goal. “But we kept pushing and wanted more.” Forward Thomas Vanek participated in Tuesday’s optional skate but will remain sidelined along with leading goal scorer Zach Parise.
OVERTIME
1. Benn has at least one point in 11 straight games versus Minnesota.
2. Pominville’s two tallies on Monday snapped a 13-game goalless drought.
3. Dallas is 1-for-13 on the power play in the series.
PREDICTION: Wild 3, Stars 2 (OT)

[Satch]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/20

Preview: Los Angeles at San Jose
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Where: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, California
With another historic comeback no longer necessary, the Los Angeles Kings attempt to even their first-round series when they visit the San Jose Sharks for a pivotal Game 4 on Wednesday. Los Angeles opened the matchup by dropping a pair of one-goal decisions at home and were in danger of needing its second rally from an 0-3 deficit versus San Jose in three years before Tanner Pearson scored 3:47 into overtime Monday to keep the club from being pushed to the brink of elimination.
“It was just about cutting the series in half tonight,” Kings captain Dustin Brown, who assisted on Pearson’s winning goal, told reporters afterward. “That’s what our mindset was coming up here; we accomplished that tonight. Recover and reload for Game 4.” Despite keeping the Sharks off the board after Joe Thornton scored 30 seconds into Game 3, Jonathan Quick and company will need to be better from the drop of the first puck as San Jose has scored on its first shot in each of the first three contests. That has made taking a lead very difficult as Los Angeles has been ahead for a total of only 4 minutes, 2 seconds through the first three games. The Sharks outshot the Kings 23-11 after the first period but continued to struggle at home, where they went 18-20-3 during the regular season.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, USA, CBC, TVA, FSN West (Los Angeles), CSN California (San Jose)
ABOUT THE KINGS:
Los Angeles was superb on the penalty kill in Game 3, keeping San Jose — which ranked third on the power play during the regular season (22.5 percent) — scoreless on five opportunities after allowing two goals on nine chances during the first two contests. “We found a way,” Brown told reporters. “(Quick) made some big saves, blocked shots, couple bobbled pucks on their side — breaks that we needed to get, and that was probably the difference in the game, our PK.” Drew Doughty has yet to record a point in the series but continues to log an extraordinary amount of ice time, playing over 29 minutes in each of the first two games before seeing 35:01 of action Monday.
ABOUT THE SHARKS:
Joe Pavelski was kept off the scoresheet in Game 3 for the first time in the series and held to just one shot on goal. The captain recorded three goals and an assist in the first two games after registering four tallies and 10 points in the five regular-season meetings between the Pacific Division rivals. Thornton’s goal on Monday was his 102nd career postseason point, breaking a tie with Scott Gomez and Hall-of-Famer Bernie Federko for 86th place on the all-time list.
OVERTIME
1. Sharks D Paul Martin entered Tuesday leading all players this postseason with 13 blocked shots — one more than Doughty and Chicago’s Niklas Hjalmarsson.
2. The Kings are 6-10 when trailing 2-1 in a best-of-seven series.
3. San Jose has lost three straight home playoff meetings with Los Angeles dating to their 2014 first-round showdown.
PREDICTION: Kings 3, Sharks 2

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Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/20

Playoffs
NY Islanders-Florida (NYI 2-1)
Islanders scored 12:31 into OT to grab 2-1 series lead, after they came into series on 1-4 skid against Florida. Panthers split last six visits here. Islanders lost three of last five home games; over is 6-1-1 in their last eight games overall. Panthers won six of last nine games (over 6-3-1 in last ten)- they won three of last five road games. So far in series, NY is 3-9 on power play, Florida 1-7; Panthers were shut out in third period/OT in Game 3, their first scoreless period of series.
Philadelphia-Washington (W 3-0)
Flyers have been outscored 12-2 in losing first three series games; they outshot Caps 41-20 in the first period in series, but lost poise in Gasme 3 at home and gave up four goals on 13 shots. Caps scored five power play goals in total of 18:14 with man advantage. Philly is 0-13 on power play in series, Caps lost three of last five visits here- home side won four of last five series games. Under is 6-3-2 in the last eleven series games, 3-2 in last five played here.
Minnesota-Dallas (D 2-1)
Minnesota lost six of last eight games against Dallas- Stars won three of last four visits to Twin Cities. Minnesota lost seven of last eight games overall, outscored 25-12- they scored five goals in Game 3, after scoring total of seven in previous seen games; under is 5-2-3 in their last 10 games. Dallas won eight of last ten games; six of their last eight stayed under. Stars had only 17 shots on goal in Game 3, after having 32-28 in first two games. Dallas is 1-12 on power play (Minnesota is 2-9).
San Jose-Los Angeles (SJ 2-1)
Road team won first three series games. San Jose is 7-6 in last 13 series games; road team went 9-4 in those games- Kings won four of last five visits here. Over is 4-2-2 in last eight tilts in series. San Jose won seven of last ten games; five of last seven stayed under. Kings are 5-8 in last 13 games. Sharks are 2-14 on power play in series, Kings 3-11. LA had only five shots on goal in 23:47 of third period and OT, but fifth one found back of net. total of six goals were scored in last two games.
Playoffs tally: Home: 13-13, Over: 9-8-9