NHL Handicapping. News, notes and trends. 2/25

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NHL

Hot teams
-- Carolina won six of its last nine games.

Cold teams
-- Sabres lost six of their last seven games.

Totals
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Carolina games.

Series records
-- Hurricanes won their last five games with Buffalo.

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Re: NHL Handicapping. News, notes and trends. 2/25

Post-Olympic NHL Historically Trends To The Over
By Covers.com

With players set to return to action following the Olympic break, the question on bettors' minds is will there be goals a-plenty, or a major offensive shortage?

If past history is any indication, fans should expect a scoring bump - the league has traditionally seen inflated scoring totals in the first week following the break, suggesting that it takes longer for defense and goaltending to adjust to the time away from the ice. And while it hasn't always been the case - 2006 being the outlier - it has proven to be one of the more reliable trends over the long haul.

Here's a look at the goals-per-game rates for the week following the Olympic break compared to the rate leading up to the tournament:

1997-98
Goals per game, pre-Olympic break: 5.28
Goals per game, post-Olympic break: 5.39

The first Olympic break in modern history saw a slight bump in goal production. Sixteen of the 44 games played that week featured seven or more goals, highlighted by a a 7-4 slugfest between the victorious Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks.

2001-02
Goals per game, pre-Olympic break: 5.23
Goals per game, post-Olympic break: 5.77

Players returned from a thrilling Canadian victory over the U.S. at Salt Lake City ready to fill the net - and they did so at a staggering rate, surpassing the pre-break scoring average by better than half a goal. There were just five shutouts among the 52 games played the first week back.

2005-06
Goals per game, pre-Olympic break: 6.23
Goals per game, post-Olympic break: 5.92

Fans were treated to the most prolific scoring season in more than decade - but the breakneck pace of the pre-Olympic schedule proved unsustainable in the opening week back from Turin, Italy. That said, there were still plenty of high-scoring affairs; five teams scored seven or more goals in a game.

2009-10
Goals per game, pre-Olympic break: 5.65
Goals per game, post-Olympic break, 6.08

Another Canadian win over the U.S. for gold, another scoring boom when players returned to NHL ice. Teams posted just four shutouts in the 52 games that week, while 22 of those contests saw teams combine for seven or more goals.

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Re: NHL Handicapping. News, notes and trends. 2/25

Teams Affected By The Winter Break
By Covers.com

The NHL regular season goes into hibernation after this weekend as the best players in the world head to Sochi, Russia to take part in the 2014 Olympic tournament.

A handful of teams have to be thrilled at the prospect of putting the season on pause for a while. The combination of injuries and poor play has left some clubs in shambles as they sputter toward the final pre-break weekend. Conversely, several teams will be sad to see their momentum halted by the hiatus.

Here are three teams happy to have the time off, along with three that would rather play on:

Cold Teams

Los Angeles Kings

The 2012 Stanley Cup champions may want to use the two weeks off to search for their missing offense. Los Angeles heads into Thursday's action in utter disarray, having scored just six goals in its previous seven games. The lengthy dry spell has dropped the Kings to second-last in the NHL in average offense (2.2 goals per game), as several of their big guns have misfired mightily since the beginning of the new year. Los Angeles entertains Columbus on Thursday.

New York Islanders

The Islanders may have finally run out of gas after showing glimpses of brilliance for most of the season. The offense bottomed out in 2-1 and 4-1 losses to the rival Rangers while the defense and goaltending have been disappointingly porous of late, surrendering 21 goals over the course of their five-game losing streak. Things won't get any easier for New York in its final stretch prior to the break, with a game in Washington followed by home dates against the red-hot Calgary Flames and dangerous Colorado Avalanche.

Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens fans find themselves in a quandary as they prepare for the regular season to shut down. Their team has stumbled to a 6-8-3 mark since late-December, but one of the culprits behind the team's struggles - netminder Carey Price - probably isn't going to get any time to rest. Price has been tabbed as one of Team Canada's three netminders and should draw at least one starting assignment in Russia. The Canadiens have a busy final week ahead, hosting the Flames and Vancouver Canucks before facing the surging Carolina Hurricanes.

Hot Teams

Calgary Flames

It's just the Flames' luck that they enjoy their hottest stretch of the season just as the calendar shifts to Olympic time. The Flames are riding a five-game winning streak coming into the week and, while it may not be enough to move them back into the playoff picture, it should help the confidence level of a roster featuring a number of young impact players. The perfect homestand included impressive victories over west powers Chicago and San Jose, providing plenty of momentum heading into this week's trip through Montreal, Long Island and Philadelphia.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto has been one of the NHL's hottest teams since mid-January, earning wins in nine of its last 11 contests - including a perfect three-game homestand in which the Maple Leafs eked past Tampa Bay before defeating Florida and Ottawa by identical 6-3 scores. The offense has been rolling along at its best pace of the season, scoring at least three goals in nine of the past 10 games to take plenty of pressure off the defense and goaltending. The Maple Leafs wrap up their pre-Olympic schedule with games in Florida and Tampa and a home game against Vancouver.

Winnipeg Jets

Continuing the theme of Canadian teams playing well as the Olympic hiatus approaches, the Jets have been one of the league's most pleasant surprises since switching head coaches. Paul Maurice has lit a fire under the Winnipeg players, taking over for the departed Claude Noel and leading the Jets to an 8-2-0 record in his tenure. Winnipeg is excelling at both ends of the ice and has wins over Anaheim and Chicago to its credit over that stretch. The Jets' pre-break schedule features road games in Carolina, Washington and St. Louis.