NHL Betting Info. 4/24

[TheGame]

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


Date: April 24, 2016 12:00 PM EDT


Prior to Game 4, Michal Neuvirth hadn't started in the postseason in five years. That came with the Washington Capitals, who eventually felt Neuvirth was expendable because of Braden Holtby's emergence.


Neuvirth is getting a measure of revenge against his former team now, though, helping the Philadelphia Flyers battle back in the series. Another victory Sunday at home would force an unlikely Game 7 and put Washington on the brink of yet another playoff failure.


Steve Mason started the first three games and had a dismal .852 save percentage that led to the Flyers falling into an 0-3 hole. His most embarrassing moment came in Game 2, when he allowed Jason Chimera's 101-foot dump-in to slip through his legs.


Coach Dave Hakstol had little choice but to insert Neuvirth after Mason lost 6-1 in Game 3. Neuvirth has been up to the challenge, stopping 31 shots in a 2-1 victory Wednesday before making 44 saves for his second career postseason shutout in Friday's 2-0 win.


'I like to face a lot of shots. It keeps me in the game,' said Neuvirth, who set franchise records for saves in a playoff shutout and saves in a regulation playoff game. 'I enjoy it. Guys did a really good job in front of me. I was seeing the puck well. We didn't take any bad penalties, and we stuck to our system and big win for us.'


That system didn't generate much offense for him, though. Philadelphia managed only 11 shots - the fewest in franchise history in the regular season and playoffs - despite having six power-play opportunities, becoming the first team to win a playoff game with that total since Washington beat Ottawa in 1998.


Ryan White scored in the second period and Chris VandeVelde added an empty netter.


"Neuvy made some big saves," White said. "It's the time of year where it doesn't how you get it done, you've just got to get it done."


Capitals coach Barry Trotz seemed bewildered after his club dominated throughout most of the game. Washington has suffered back-to-back regulation losses for the first time all season, and its fans likely are experiencing a case of postseason deja vu.


The Capitals blew a 3-1 lead to the New York Rangers in the second round last year, preventing them from reaching their first Eastern Conference finals since losing to Detroit in the 1998 Stanley Cup Final.


Trotz didn't have much to complain about after this defeat, though. Washington had a total of 82 shot attempts and pressed hard offensively, just as it did in the previous four games.


"They had five even-strength shots all game," Trotz said. "I thought our penalty kill was outstanding. And they got a little bit of a lucky goal. You put the puck to the net, and sometimes it goes in. If we play like that next game, we should be fine."


Alex Ovechkin had series highs of eight shots on goal and eight hits. He's yet to break through on Neuvirth.


'We have lots of perimeter shots, but we don't have traffic in front of the net,' Ovechkin said. 'You see all these (saves) that he makes, he sees everything.'


Neuvirth's back-to-back solid efforts have overshadowed the fact that Holtby has been stellar throughout the series. He's stopped 123 of 128 shots, and Game 4 is the only one in which he's allowed more than one goal.


Holtby has a 1.97 goals-against average in 20 career playoff games on the road, but the Capitals have lost 13 of them.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/24

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


Date: April 24, 2016 3:00 PM EDT


Minnesota would've entered the playoffs as a huge underdog against top-seeded Dallas even if Zach Parise and Thomas Vanek were healthy. The absence of two of its best forwards only enhanced that notion.


The fact that the Wild have a chance to push this series the distance with a home victory over the Stars in Game 6 on Sunday might be shocking to outsiders, but they've gotten enough contributions from elsewhere to make it possible.


The most notable has been from Mikko Koivu. The 33-year-old Wild captain had one point through the series' first four games before tying Game 5 with 3:09 remaining in regulation and winning it 5-4 in overtime with a redirection of Ryan Suter's shot.


"When you lose top players, other guys have to step up," Suter said. "And Mikko has stepped up."


Parise's upper-body injury and Vanek's lower-body ailment likely will keep them out no matter if Minnesota is able to force Game 7 on Tuesday in Dallas, but Koivu believes there's enough to keep rolling.


The Wild jumped out to a 2-0 lead in Game 5, withstood the pressure after Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza and Alex Goligoski scored in the third to put the Stars ahead and keep their composure to win it in the extra session. They were routed 4-0 in Game 1, but their other two defeats in the series have come by one goal and they've scored five in each win.


And they did so Friday without having a single power play, the first time that's happened in Wild playoff history.


"It's more important in the bigger picture how you play individually and as a team," Koivu said. "We're doing a lot of good things. We've been playing better as the series goes on here, and that's a good sign. We still have steps to go, and we want to improve our team."


Dallas isn't exactly panicking after missing an opportunity to advance to the Western Conference semifinals for the time since 2008. It outshot Minnesota 41-24 and battled back against the desperate Wild.


'It's just a tough one to lose," Benn said. "You score four, you should probably win the hockey game. But it's just one of those games where it was back and forth. And I think we can clean it up a bit in the defensive zone.'


It's not as if the Stars felt Minnesota would go away quietly. The Wild have advanced past the first round each of the last two years and have come back to at least tie three of their last four series despite losing either one or both of the first two games.


But after dropping Game 5, Dallas coach Lindy Ruff might be inclined to make another change in net. Kari Lehtonen stopped 47 of 48 shots in Games 1 and 2, then gave way to Antti Niemi after losing 5-3 in Game 3.


Niemi made 28 saves in Game 4 before having a tough time Friday.


"It's a seven-game series, and there are a lot of momentum swings," Spezza said. "We have to be happy where we are and disappointed that we lost the game. We have a chance to close it out again next game. We're in a good position. Get some rest and we'll be ready to go."


The Wild are hoping Devan Dubnyk has a better performance in goal. He has just a .892 save percentage in the series despite facing fewer than 30 shots three times.


'We felt confident, we thought we were going to come out and play a good game (Friday). Games 2, 3, 4 and 5, I've liked,' interim coach John Torchetti said. 'Now we got to go home and try and find a way to get back to Dallas.'

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/24

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


Date: April 24, 2016 7:00 PM EDT




Notice there's nothing in the adage of a hot goaltender leading a deep playoff run needing to be the starter. And after 21 seasons of occasionally peeking their heads into the playoffs, the New York Islanders aren't about to be picky with qualifications.


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It's not the goalie they thought it'd be maybe even six weeks ago, but few Islanders fans will be checking the progress of Jaroslav Halak prior to Sunday night's Game 6 against the second-seeded Florida Panthers. Rather, it's Thomas Greiss who has the Islanders in position to reach the second round for the first time since 1993.


The wild-card Islanders can clinch before a home crowd that tuned in with sweaty palms for Friday's 2-1 double-overtime win in Florida. They lost in seven games to Washington last season and in six to Pittsburgh in 2013 for their only playoff appearances since '07.


"This is the first time we're going back with three wins and a chance to close it out at home," Frans Nielsen told the team's official website after scoring his third goal of the series in the first period. "Hopefully we're going to come out and respond the right way."


Alan Quine, who wasn't three months old when New York beat the Penguins in seven games in '93, scored on the power play 16 minutes into the second extra period for his first playoff goal and second overall in his seventh NHL game.


It came after Aleksander Barkov's penalty shot in the first OT was saved by Greiss, marking the third penalty shot ever awarded in a playoff overtime - all were missed. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering Greiss' progress in the series as he takes the spotlight for the injured Halak, who has been out since March 8 because of a groin injury.


The 30-year-old Greiss, who had logged all of 40 playoff minutes before the series, stopped 47 shots in Game 5 and 92 of the last 95 he's faced. He has a 2.09 goals-against average and .938 save percentage over all five contests.


"He was huge for us tonight, big saves all night," Nielsen said. "It definitely gives you a little momentum when he saves a penalty shot."


While Florida feels it is playing well, the team is a loss away from exiting the playoffs in the first round for the fourth time since last winning a postseason series to advance to the 1996 Stanley Cup Final.


"I think we're playing great hockey," coach Gerard Gallant said. "We're getting great scoring chances. The kid's (Greiss) playing really well. ... Hopefully, sooner or later, we're going to get some breaks."


Four of the five games have been decided by a goal and two have reached overtime, and the Panthers' three one-goal defeats have all included at least one Islanders' power-play goal. New York is 5 for 18 while Florida is 2 for 12, and Gallant's frustration with the overtime call on Derek Mackenzie for slashing was evident.


"Definitely disappointing," Gallant said. "But what do you do? They call penalties and penalties are part of the game. Make a great shot, they score the winning goal. It was a great hockey game."


It was the Panthers' first with Vincent Trocheck after missing 10 games with a foot injury. The center had scored in four straight games and racked up 13 points in 10 contests leading up to the March 29 game in which he was hurt.


Roberto Luongo made 40 saves against his inceptive NHL team and has a 1.66 GAA and .947 save percentage in the four games since allowing five goals in Game 1, but the veteran fell to 2-9 in his last 12 playoff games.

[TheGame]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/24

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. 4/24

“Stanley Cup Playoffs”
Sunday’s NHL betting preview
It’s win or go home for three teams in Sunday’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, but if they can stay alive get ready for the best two words in sports “Game 7.” We break down all the action in our betting preview.
Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers (A: -171, H: +156, O/U: 5)
Capitals lead series 3-2
With little margin for error, Michal Neuvirth has been nearly perfect in helping his current team claw back in its first-round series against his former one. Neuvirth looks to help the upstart Philadelphia Flyers even their set with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals on Sunday afternoon when the Metropolitan Division rivals play Game 6 in the City of Brotherly Love.
Neuvirth replaced an ineffective Steve Mason and made 31 saves in a 2-1 victory on Wednesday before turning aside all 44 shots he faced two nights later for his second career postseason shutout in a 2-0 win. “I like to face a lot of shots. It keeps me in the game,” the 28-year-old Neuvirth said after his team was outshot by a 4-to-1 margin (44-11). Braden Holtby made 10 saves, but saw fourth-liner Ryan White receive credit for the Flyers’ first goal after the puck caromed off the skate of Washington defenseman Taylor Chorney before Chris VandeVelde sealed the win with an empty-net tally. “We put a lot of pucks on net and didn’t get any to trickle through,” Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said. “We have to hope the goalie over there cools off and some of those (shots) find a way in.”
TV: Noon ET, NBC, CBC, TVAS
PROBABLE GOALIES:
Capitals – B. Holtby (0.924%), Flyers – M. Neuvirth (0.929%).
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (59-20-8, 34-36 O/U):
Washington’s disappointing postseason performances are well documented, so much so that Barry Trotz feels he’s on the defensive even though he’s only been the club’s coach for one month shy of two years. “Everybody talks about all the past, the past, the past,” Trotz said. “The only pressure that we’ll have is on ourselves. We’ve got to go into Philadelphia and we’ve got to play really well and get a win there. If we don’t accomplish that, then it will go to Game 7 (on Wednesday).” The Capitals have won just one of their past nine opportunities to close out a playoff series – with a 1-6 mark under Trotz.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (43-30-14, 33-33 O/U):
Citing his team’s “bend but don’t break” mindset, rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was quick to look for positives after seeing the ice tilted for much of Friday’s contest. “Game 6 is back in our place, and we have a lot of confidence going forward with our group,” Gostisbehere told Philly.com. “It doesn’t go by shots. It goes by goals.” Philadelphia has mustered just six of those and Gostisbehere’s goal in Game 4 is the team’s lone score on the power play in 21 chances.
TRENDS:
* Home team is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
* Capitals are 3-9 in the last 12 meetings in Philadelphia.
* Under is 4-1-2 in the last seven meetings.
* Over is 22-8 in the last 30 meetings in Philadelphia.

[Satch]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/24

Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild (A: -125, H: +113, O/U: 5)
Stars lead series 3-2
The Minnesota Wild seemingly have been on their heels throughout the first round of the playoffs, but they have a chance to knot up their postseason series when they host the Dallas Stars for Sunday afternoon’s Game 6. Minnesota has clawed back from a 2-0 series deficit and staved off elimination with a 5-4 overtime win at Dallas on Friday night.
The Stars were just over three minutes from winning their first postseason series since 2008 when the Wild tied it on a goal by captain Mikko Koivu, who also delivered the game-winning tally in overtime to send the series back to Minnesota. “We will work to use the crowd and work hard to give them a good game in Game 6,” Wild netminder Devan Dubnyk said. “We love playing in our barn and have a great feeling about it. That was the next step for us.” Dallas coach Lindy Ruff did not have much to complain about, saying: “I think our team played our best game.” The Stars have won four of five meetings in Minnesota this season – all by one goal and three in overtime.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBC, Sportsnet, TVAS
PROBABLE GOALIES:
Stars – A. Niemi (0.904%), Wild D. Dubnyk (0.916%)
ABOUT THE STARS (53-24-10, 47-38 O/U):
Ruff has juggled his goaltenders – who each registered 25 victories – throughout the season and the same has held true in the playoffs after Kari Lehtonen started the first three games of the series before Antti Niemi got the nod in Games 4 and 5. Ruff said he did not think the one day off between Games 4 and 5 was a factor in Niemi’s performance in Game 5 and expressed confidence in both of his netminders. “We’ll just evaluate and move on,” Ruff said. “We’ll just keep doing what we’ve done all year. We’re up 3-2, and they’ve both won us games in the playoffs.”
ABOUT THE WILD (40-36-11, 31-37 O/U):
Koivu entered the series mired in a deep postseason rut, scoring twice in his previous 28 games, but he has already surpassed that total against the Stars with what proved to be the game-winner in Game 3 before his dramatic pair of tallies on Friday night. “Of course, it’s always nice to score,” Koivu said. “It’s more important in the bigger picture how you play individually and as a team. We’re doing a lot of good things. We’ve been playing better as the series goes on here, and that’s a good sign.” Forward Jordan Schroeder made his series debut in Game 5 and scored.
TRENDS:
* Wild are 2-8 in their last 10 games overall.
* Stars are 4-1 in the last five meetings in Minnesota.
* Over is 5-0-1 in the last six meetings in Minnesota.
* Under is 3-0-1 in Wild last four after scoring five goals or more in their previous game.

[Satch]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/24

Florida Panthers at New York Islanders (A: -105, H: -105, O/U 5)
Islanders lead series 3-2
The New York Islanders can advance in the playoffs for the first time in 23 years on Sunday when they host Game 6 of their first-round series with the Florida Panthers. The Islanders survived several anxious moments on Friday as Thomas Greiss (47 saves) denied Aleksander Barkov on a penalty shot in the first overtime before rookie Alan Quine’s one-timer beat Roberto Luongo exactly 16 minutes into the second extra session to secure the 2-1 win.
The back-and-forth series shifts to the Barclays Center, where New York posted an impressive 25-11-5 mark during the regular season before splitting Games 3 and 4 with Atlantic Division-champion Florida. The Islanders have won all six of their opportunities in franchise history when hosting a Game 6 with a chance to clinch a series. Although his team trails in the set, Panthers coach Gerard Gallant hasn’t had much issue with his team’s compete level in the series. “I can’t tell them to play much better,” Gallant told reporters. “They’re playing their game, they’re working hard and they’re competing. It’s not like we’re not playing well.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, SUN (Florida), MSG-Plus (New York)
PROBABLE GOALIES:
Panthers – R. Luongo (0.922%), Islanders – T. Greiss (0.927%)
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (49-27-11, 35-34 O/U):
Nick Bjugstad is listed as day-to-day after losing an edge and falling face-first into the boards early in the second overtime on Friday. “He got looked at (on Friday night), he got looked at (Saturday) morning like all the other players that are banged up, and then I’ll know from there,” Gallant told reporters of Bjugstad, whose four points (two goals, two assists) are second only to Reilly Smith (four goals, four assists). “But I haven’t been told he’s not (playing) and I haven’t been told he is.” Veteran Shawn Thornton and fellow forwards Quinton Howden and Gregg McKegg are candidates to play on Sunday should Bjugstad sit out.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (48-29-10, 36-43 O/U):
Signed in the summer to be Jaroslav Halak’s backup, Greiss has loomed large as New York is in position to clinch its first postseason victory since it defeated Washington and Pittsburgh to advance to the 1993 Wales Conference final. The 30-year-old German has stopped 74-of-77 shots in the last two contests and yielded just 12 goals in the series. “I’m seeing pucks just fine,” said Greiss, who made a sparkling left pad save on Barkov’s penalty shot. “Couple other games, the puck bounces in.”
TRENDS:
* Panthers are 5-2 in their last seven road games.
* Islanders are 4-1 in their last five games playing on one days rest.
* Over is 6-1-1 in the last eight meetings in New York.
* Over is 11-2-5 in Panthers last 18 games playing on one days rest.

[Satch]

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/24

PLAYOFFS
NY Islanders-Florida (NYI 3-2)
Islanders scored 16:00 into double OT Friday to grab 3-2 series lead; they were 1-5 on power play, Florida just 0-1. Isles are now 4-6 in last ten games with Florida, 2-3 in last five played here. Over is 6-3-1 in their last ten games overall, 2-3 in this series. Panthers won seven of last 11 games (over 6-5-1 in last 12)- they won four of last six road games, Islanders lost three of last four home games. So far in series, NY is 5-18 on power play, Florida 2-12; Panthers scored at 9:25 of third period in Game 4 and hung on to tie series. Islanders went 82:29 between goals in Game 5 win
Philadelphia-Washington (W 3-2)
Flyers have been outscored 13-6 in losing three of five series games; they were outshot 44-11 in Game 5, despite having six (0-6) power plays. Philly allowed one goal in winning last two games after Caps had taken 3-0 series lead. Philly is 1-21 on power play in series, Hosts won five of last seven series games- Under is 8-3-2 in the last thirteen series games, 4-2 in last six played here. Washington had 57 shots in last four periods in series; they lost three of last five visits here. Caps were 7-11 on power play in Games 2-3, are 0-5 since.
Minnesota-Dallas (D 3-2)
Koivu scored tying, winning goals in Game 5, as Wild survived being outshot 41-24 (15-5 in wild third period) to stay alive. Minnesota lost seven of last ten games against Dallas (four of last five here), eight of last ten games overall . Dallas won nine of last 12 games; under is 6-3-1 in their last ten. Stars split last four road games; they allowed total of three goals in three series wins, 5-5 in losses. Dallas is 3-16 on power play in series, Minnesota is 2-12. Wild won Game 5 despite not having a power play the whole game.
Playoffs tally: Home: 20-21, Over: 15-13-13