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**TheGame** · 04-28-2016, 07:40 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/28

Preview: Penguins (48-26) at Capitals (56-18)

Date: April 28, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin will be the headline of most stories about the Pittsburgh Penguins-Washington Capitals playoff series.

The transcendent superstars of the NHL meeting in the playoffs for the first time in seven years and the second time in their careers will do that.

'Of course everyone look at it (as) Crosby-Ovi,' Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov said. 'It's Pittsburgh against Washington, right?'

Shine the spotlight and train the cameras on Crosby and Ovechkin, but Kuznetsov is right: The two top teams in the Eastern Conference have so much talent that the series won't be decided by just those two players.

Pittsburgh has fellow Russian star Evgeni Malkin, American sniper Phil Kessel and Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman Kris Letang, while Washington has Swedish sensation Nicklas Backstrom, Kuznetsov and goaltender Braden Holtby, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy.

Capitals coach Barry Trotz called it 'disrespectful' to boil the series down to Crosby and Ovechkin.

'You can match up any names because so much offensive weapons on both teams,' he said. 'But I think the team wins, not like individuals win.'

These teams win a lot.

The Capitals captured the Presidents' Trophy with the most points in the NHL this season. The Penguins were the league's best team after Mike Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston as coach.

Malkin, the No. 2 pick behind Ovechkin in 2004, and the blossoming Kuznetsov are the X-factors in the series that begins with Game 1 Thursday night in Washington. Defenses will be so worried about stopping Crosby and Ovechkin that it will likely be up to those playmakers to take advantage.

'I think everyone takes a lot of pride and wants to win this time of year no matter who they're playing against,' Crosby said. 'Geno understands it's an important time of year, and he wants to be playing his best.'

Malkin said the Capitals need to be careful against Kuznetsov, who struggled in the first round but promised to be better. Washington needs that because Pittsburgh's depth jumps off the page.

Beyond the Penguins' top trio of Crosby, Patric Hornqvist and Conor Sheary, Malkin's line can seemingly score at will. Kessel was a key in finishing off the New York Rangers in five games and fourth-liner Matt Cullen scored 17 goals during the regular season.

None of this is to say Crosby and Ovechkin can't make major impacts, even if they don't have dueling hat tricks like they did in Game 2 in 2009. Crosby led the Penguins with eight points in the first round, while Ovechkin had three goals and two assists against the Philadelphia Flyers.

'I'm not going to lie: I think both players get up for the game,' said Penguins forward Eric Fehr, who previously played for the Capitals. 'It's hard to argue it when (you) see how hard they play against each other and how into it the fans get for those games.'

Throw in all the other stars, and get your popcorn ready.

'It's going to be cutthroat, intense hockey and fast,' Capitals forward Tom Wilson said. 'Fans are in for a treat. It's going to be a heck of a series.'

Some other things to watch beyond Crosby vs. Ovechkin:

INJURIES ON DEFENSE: Capitals defensemen Brooks Orpik and Karl Alzner are question marks for Game 1. Orpik missed the final three games of the first round but could be cleared to return from a suspected concussion, while Alzner didn't skate the past two days because of an upper-body injury. Trotz and players expect Alzner to be ready.

OVER THE HUMP: Pittsburgh won the Cup in 2009, but the Capitals have yet to make it past the second round with Ovechkin. The opportunities are dwindling. It's 'a very important challenge for us because I think we're ready to take a big step,' Ovechkin said.

NEED FOR SPEED: The Penguins under Sullivan are maybe the fastest team in hockey, so expect a track meet. After enduring a rough series against Philadelphia, the Capitals say they can adapt to any style, so buckle up.

FLEURY OR MURRAY: With Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury still experiencing post-concussion symptoms, the net belongs to 21-year-old Matt Murray, who has stopped 85 of 89 shots so far this postseason. When Fleury is healthy, it's a huge decision and not an easy one.

MAX POWER: The Penguins scored on an NHL-best 38.1 percent of their power plays in the first round and the Capitals on 29.6 percent of theirs. Washington allowed just one power-play goal against in 24 chances to Pittsburgh's two in 19 chances. Special teams will be a huge part of the series.

**TheGame** · 04-28-2016, 07:45 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/28

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 28

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PITTSBURGH (52-27-0-8, 112 pts.) at WASHINGTON (60-20-0-8, 128 pts.) - 4/28/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 72-94 ATS (-47.6 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 33-37 ATS (-22.0 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 45-52 ATS (-32.6 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 60-28 ATS (+26.8 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 47-25 ATS (+19.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 52-35 ATS (+4.8 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 18-11 ATS (+29.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
PITTSBURGH is 34-16 ATS (+11.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 38-44 ATS (-32.7 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 17-26 ATS (-20.9 Units) in home games after shutting out their opponent in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 8-5 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 8-5-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.7 Units)

**TheGame** · 04-28-2016, 07:46 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/28

NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, April 28

Pittsburgh at Washington, 8:05 PM ET
Pittsburgh: 8-1 ATS in road games after 2 consecutive division games
Washington: 3-13 ATS after 3 games where both teams scored 2 goals or less

**TheGame** · 04-28-2016, 07:46 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/28

NHL

Thursday, April 28

Trend Report

8:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Pittsburgh's last 12 games when playing on the road against Washington
Pittsburgh is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Washington is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing Pittsburgh

**Satch** · 04-28-2016, 08:27 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/28

Preview: Pittsburgh at Washington
When: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 28, 2016
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District Of Columbia
Alex Ovechkin doesn’t look back fondly on the last time his Washington Capitals met fellow captain Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the postseason, although the encounter proved to be an epic Eastern Conference semifinal series showdown. The talented twosome put on a show in 2009 before Crosby’s Penguins won the series in seven games – and later the Stanley Cup – a result Ovechkin would like to remedy when the Metropolitan Division rivals meet in Washington for Game 1 on Thursday.
“It’s history,” the three-time Hart Trophy-winning Ovechkin told reporters. “I don’t like to look back. I’m looking forward. What was the past, it’s over. Right now, it’s a new challenge and a new moment in our life.” Ovechkin, who collected eight goals and six assists in the 2009 series, got the Presidents Trophy-winning Capitals off on the right foot by scoring a team high-tying three goals and setting up two others in their six-game series victory over Philadelphia. Crosby, who had eight goals and five assists versus the Capitals seven years ago, recorded a team-high eight points (three goals, five assists) as the Penguins dusted off the rival New York Rangers in five contests of their opening-round series. Special teams were the name of the game for both teams as Pittsburgh’s 8-for-21 38.1 percent) power-play performance led the NHL clubs in the first round, while Washington scored on eight of its 27 opportunities (29.6 percent) with the man advantage.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC TVAS
ABOUT THE PENGUINS:
Crosby scored in overtime on April 7, allowing Pittsburgh to defeat Washington for the third time in five outings this season with a 4-3 victory. Rookie Matt Murray made 27 saves in that win with franchise goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury dealing with post-concussion symptoms, and the 21-year-old returned from his own upper-body ailment to turn aside 85-of-89 shots as the Penguins won the final three games of their series with the Rangers. Evgeni Malkin picked up where left off after missing over a month with a lower-body injury, scoring two goals and setting up five others in four games of the first-round series.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS:
Braden Holtby tied an NHL single-season record with 48 wins in the regular season and didn’t miss a beat in the first round, yielding just five tallies on 154 shots for an impressive 0.84 goals-against average and .968 save percentage. Some familiar faces aid in the last line of defense in the form of ex-Penguins defensemen Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen, but with the former expected to return from a three-game absence due to an upper-body injury. Fellow blue-liner Karl Alzner is also nursing an upper body injury, but he’s likely to return and log considerable minutes in the series.
OVERTIME
1. Ovechkin led the league with 50 goals this season, although none came in the five meetings against Pittsburgh.
2. The red-hot Penguins have won 17 of their last 20 games – including playoffs.
3. Washington yielded just one power-play goal in 24 short-handed opportunities Pittsburgh went 2-for-19 in that regard.
PREDICTION: Penguins 3, Capitals 2

**Satch** · 04-28-2016, 08:28 AM

Re: NHL Betting Info. 4/28

PLAYOFFS
Pittsburgh-Washington (0-0)
Pens-Caps split last ten series games, with road team going 5-2 in last seven series games. Pittsburgh is 3-1 in last four visits here; over is 3-1-2 in last six series games. Penguins won eight of last tn games; winning last three while allowing total of four goals- they dispatched Rangers Sunday- over is 6-2-1 in their last nine games. Washington beat Philly in six games despite scoring total of only two goals in last three games- they’ve been off since Monday. Under is 5-1-1 in Washington’s last seven games.
Playoffs tally:
1st round– Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round– Home: 0-1, Over: 1-0

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NHL Betting Info. 4/28

NHL Betting Info. 4/28

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