The Bum's 2015 NHL Playoff Thread News, Notes, Trends Etc. !!

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 22

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MONTREAL (53-22-0-10, 116 pts.) at OTTAWA (43-27-0-15, 101 pts.) - 4/22/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 19-13 ATS (+4.5 Units) after a division game this season.
OTTAWA is 17-4 ATS (+21.1 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent this season.
OTTAWA is 27-17 ATS (+47.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
MONTREAL is 53-32 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games this season.
MONTREAL is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
MONTREAL is 31-22 ATS (+54.7 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 47-27 ATS (+11.7 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 22-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) after a division game this season.
MONTREAL is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in the first round of the playoffs over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 23-14 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MONTREAL is 31-23 ATS (+55.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 40-45 ATS (-38.7 Units) in home games in April games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 11-10 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 11-10-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
12 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.9 Units)

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NY RANGERS (55-23-0-7, 117 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (44-29-0-12, 100 pts.) - 4/22/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 55-30 ATS (+13.0 Units) in all games this season.
NY RANGERS are 19-6 ATS (+12.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
NY RANGERS are 35-15 ATS (+13.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 25-8 ATS (+13.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NY RANGERS are 20-10 ATS (+9.9 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 15-9 ATS (+25.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NY RANGERS are 10-3 ATS (+13.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 44-41 ATS (-3.1 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 71-95 ATS (-42.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 2-7 ATS (-11.0 Units) in April games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 21-27 ATS (-18.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 10-23 ATS (-24.6 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 8-12 ATS (-15.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 7-15 ATS (-11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 12-11 (+1.7 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 12-11-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
11 of 22 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-1.5 Units, Under=-0.9 Units)

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ST LOUIS (52-26-0-7, 111 pts.) at MINNESOTA (48-29-0-8, 104 pts.) - 4/22/2015, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 60-43 ATS (+103.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 15-3 ATS (+18.3 Units) after shutting out their opponent in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 16-9 ATS (+6.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 10-5 (+3.9 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 10-5-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.3 Units)

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ANAHEIM (54-24-0-7, 115 pts.) at WINNIPEG (43-28-0-14, 100 pts.) - 4/22/2015, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 44-40 ATS (+92.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 33-25 ATS (+61.2 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 54-31 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all games this season.
ANAHEIM is 28-16 ATS (+9.3 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 19-9 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 21-8 ATS (+9.9 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
ANAHEIM is 28-17 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ANAHEIM is 219-205 ATS (+441.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 8-1 (+6.4 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 8-1-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, April 22

Canadiens scored 8:47 into OT to take 3-0 series edge, winning last two games in OT, after Ottawa had led all three games after the first period; six of nine Montreal goals have come in second period, as Canadiens outshot Ottawa 52-26 in 2nd period in series. Montreal won its last five games overall, allowing 13 goals; over is 5-1-3 in their last nine games. Ottawa is 3-7 on power play in series, but have only three even-strength goals. Over is 7-2-2 in last eleven series games. Canadiens are 3-2 in last five games played here. Montreal is 1-13 on power play this series.

Rangers won eight of last ten games with Pittsburgh, winning four of last five visits here. Penguins lost seven of last nine games overall, eight of their last eleven stayed under. Rangers won eight of last ten games overall, with five of last eight going over total. Last two games, there were total of only 18 shots on goal (10-8 NY) in first period. Penguins were held to 11 shots in first two periods of last game- they had 13 in third period, but too little, too late. Rangers are just 2-14 on power play in series, Pens are 2-7.

St Louis was shut out 3-0 on only 17 shots in Game 3, prompting ESPN's Barry Melrose to rip them for looking like they don't care. Blues didn't have one power play in Game 3; they're not creating any scoring chances. Curious to see how they come out here- they get home ice edge back if they can even series. Wild is 0-4 on power play last two games, after scoring half their goals (2-4) with man edge in Game 1. Minnesota lost three of its last four home games. . Blues have 109-87 faceoff advantage so far in series. Over is 3-1-1 in last five series games.

Anaheim is first team ever to win first three games of series, when they trailed all three games in third period- they won last six games with Winnipeg, scoring with 2:14 left to to force OT in Game 3. Still expect Winnipeg crowd to give home side a boost; this is first playoff series in Winnipeg since 1996. Five of last seven series games went over the total. Winnipeg is 1-10 on power play in series. Ducks won eight of their last ten games overall; they've outscored Jets 6-0 in third period.

Home teams are 18-9 in this round; over is 12-11-4.

2015 NHL playoffs

Montreal vs Ottawa
Mtl 4-3, -$140, O5
Mtl 3-2 OT, -$140, N5
Mtl 2-1 OT, +$110, U5

Tampa Bay vs Detroit
Det 3-2, +$155, U5.5
TB 5-1, -$200, U5.5
Det 3-0, -$105, U5.5

NY Rangers vs Pittsburgh
NYR 2-1, -$180, U5
Pitt 4-3, +$175, O5
NYR 2-1, even U5

Washington vs NY Islanders
NYI 4-1, +125, N5
Wash 4-3, -$135, O5.5
NYI 2-1 OT, -$140, U5.5
Wash 2-1 OT, +$125, U5.5

St Louis vs Minnesota
Minn 4-2, +$125, O5
StL 4-1, -$140, N5
Minn 3-0, -$135, U5

Nashville vs Chicago
Chi 4-3 2OT, +$105, O5
Nash 6-2, -$120, O5
Chi 4-2, -$160, O5
Chi 3-2 3OT, -$160, U5.5

Anaheim vs Winnipeg
Ana 4-2, -$150, O5
Ana 2-1, -$150, U5
Ana 5-4 OT, +$120, O5

Vancouver vs Calgary
Cal 2-1, +$135, U5
Van 4-1, -$155, N5
Cal 4-2, -$115, O5
Cal 3-1, -$120, U5




NHL

Wednesday, April 22

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. OTTAWA
Montreal is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Ottawa
Montreal is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Ottawa's last 9 games at home
Ottawa is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Montreal

7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the NY Rangers last 9 games when playing Pittsburgh
NY Rangers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

9:30 PM
ANAHEIM vs. WINNIPEG
Anaheim is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Anaheim is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Winnipeg is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 6 games at home

9:30 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MINNESOTA
St. Louis is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
St. Louis is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Minnesota is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games when playing at home against St. Louis

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Six batters who have come to plate with most men on base this season:

T5) Kevin Pillar, Tor-- 48-- Knocked in only five of the 48 runners.
T5) JD Martinez, Det-- 48-- Helps to bat behind Miggy and Victor.

4) Ian Kinsler, Det-- 49-- Knocked in 16.3% of runners, best of six on this list.

3) Eric Hosmer, KC-- 51-- Knocked in four of 18 guys from second base.

2) Kendrys Morales, KC-- 52-- Knocked in four of eight guys from third base.

1) Marcus Semien, Oak-- 54-- Weird; he bats at bottom of Oakland lineup.

**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.........

13) Scott Brooks went 338-207 as head coach in Oklahoma City, but he didn't win a championship, so he got fired yesterday-- it is impossible not to blame this on Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook, because all they had to do was say one sentence and it all would've stopped.

"We want Scott Brooks to be our coach." They say that and Brooks stays. It was never said; in fact, Durant "supports the decision 100%". Great guy.

12) Not all change is positive; GM Sam Presti, the genius who traded James Harden to rival Houston for three draft picks, one of whom became Steven Adams, now has to hire a coach who is better than Brooks, one that will keep Durant happy so he doesn't bolt in free agency.

In the NBA, the inmates often run the asylum.

11) Six of the 49ers' eight road games this year are east of the Mississippi.

Four of the Ravens' first seven games are in Denver or further west.

10) Scott Brooks got fired; in the NFL, Marvin Lewis got a contract extension; he is one of two NFL coaches (Jim Mora Sr is the other) who lost his first six playoff games. Lewis is a good coach who deserves an extension; the Bengals were hideous before he coached them, but the contrast is striking.

9) Chicago Cubs are 8-6, but a note of caution; in six of the eight wins, they scored the winning run in the 7th inning or later.

8) Milwaukee Brewers are a 2-13 mess; they've lost eight games in a row, their leadoff hitter has a hamstring pull, their catcher has a broken toe. Oy.

7) The Statue of Liberty's nose is 4.5 feet long.

6) In the first two games of its series with New Orleans, Golden State is +47 with Draymond Green on the court, -30 when he is off the court and that is in only 12:00.

5) So you bet the under in Bronx-Detroit game last night; no bueno. Game went over the total in a wild first inning. David Price threw 51 pitches in the snowy first inning that saw Bronx score six runs off him- it was 6-4 after one inning.

4) College hoop transfers: Jaren Sina from Seton Hall to George Washington, and Marcus Marshall from Missouri State to Nevada.

3) Atlanta Hawks were sold for $850M; weird time to sell the team, as Hawks having their best chance to win a title since they've been in Atlanta.

2) Reds manager Bryan Bleepin' Price kept ace Johnny Cueto in the game for 125 pitches last night, as Cincinnati won its third game in a row, 2-1 over the Brewers. Cueto is a free agent this winter; if the Reds aren't going to re-sign him, makes sense to use him up as much as they can before trading him off.

1) Siena plays Georgetown to start the season in November; they'll play VCU or Duke the next night. Good for their strength of schedule, but its probably also an 0-2 start. At least they'll have a good cover for their game programs.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 23

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TAMPA BAY (51-26-0-8, 110 pts.) at DETROIT (45-26-0-14, 104 pts.) - 4/23/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 10-3 ATS (+14.0 Units) in road games when trailing in a playoff series since 1996.
DETROIT is 12-21 ATS (-15.0 Units) vs. division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 8-4 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 8-4-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.4 Units)

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NY ISLANDERS (49-29-0-8, 106 pts.) at WASHINGTON (47-27-0-12, 106 pts.) - 4/23/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY ISLANDERS are 24-25 ATS (-13.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 23-11 ATS (+8.8 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
WASHINGTON is 2-8 ATS (-11.6 Units) in home games when tied in a playoff series since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 8-7 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 8-7-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.2 Units)

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CHICAGO (51-29-0-6, 108 pts.) at NASHVILLE (48-26-0-12, 108 pts.) - 4/23/2015, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 26-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) second half of the season this season.
NASHVILLE is 187-148 ATS (+370.7 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
CHICAGO is 387-380 ATS (+795.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 1-7 ATS (-10.9 Units) in April games this season.
NASHVILLE is 24-26 ATS (-7.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
NASHVILLE is 8-17 ATS (-10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 12-6 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 12-6-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.1 Units)

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CALGARY (48-31-0-7, 103 pts.) at VANCOUVER (49-32-0-5, 103 pts.) - 4/23/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 21-16 ATS (-2.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CALGARY is 48-38 ATS (+87.4 Units) in all games this season.
CALGARY is 27-20 ATS (+6.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
CALGARY is 25-8 ATS (+16.6 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
CALGARY is 22-10 ATS (+11.1 Units) after a division game this season.
VANCOUVER is 37-44 ATS (-33.2 Units) in home games in April games since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 41-51 ATS (-25.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 12-6 (+4.3 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 12-6-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.7 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, April 23

Detroit has 2-1 series edge despite taking only 59 shots in three games (Tampa has 98); Lightning is 2-17 on power play in series, Red Wings 2-11. Lightning won eight of their last 12 games vs Detroit- eight of those 12 stayed under the total. Tampa Bay won four of its last six games overall, allowing 12 goals; they're 2-3 in last five visits to Motor City. Under is 5-2-1 in Lightning's last eight games. Red Wings lost three of last five home games.

Islanders/Washington split pair of 2-1 OT games on Long Island; Islanders are 5-8 in last thirteen games overall, with under 3-1-1 in last five vs Caps. Isles are 0-10 on power play in series-- only thirteen penalties total were called in last three games (Washington is 1-7). Caps won seven of their last 11 games; they outshot Islanders 31-20 in third period last three games. Home side won six of last eight series games. Islanders lost three of last four visits here.

Chicago scored after 2am in third OT Wednesday morning to take 3-1 series edge; Nashville lost nine of last ten games overall with pair of multiple-OT losses in this series. Predators lost six of last eight games with Chicago, with four of last five going over total- theyr'e 2-15 on power play in series, while Nashville is 3-15-- three of four games in this playoff series went over total. Blackhawks lost three of last four road games; four of last eight Nashville losses came in OT/SO.

Calgary is up 3-1 in this series, has won five of last six games with Vancouver- under is 4-1-2 in last seven series games- they scored five first period goals in Games 3-4, after not scoring in first two periods in Games 1-2. Flames have now won eight of last eleven games; under is 6-2-1 in last nine Calgary games. Vancouver is 2-12 on power play in series, Calgary is 4-11- they've only scored ten goals in whole series.

Home teams are 19-12 in this round; over is 14-13-4.

2015 NHL playoffs
Montreal vs Ottawa
Mtl 4-3, -$140, O5
Mtl 3-2 OT, -$140, N5
Mtl 2-1 OT, +$110, U5
Ott 1-0, -$106, U5

Tampa Bay vs Detroit
Det 3-2, +$155, U5.5
TB 5-1, -$200, U5.5
Det 3-0, -$105, U5.5

NY Rangers vs Pittsburgh
NYR 2-1, -$180, U5
Pitt 4-3, +$175, O5
NYR 2-1, even U5
NYR 2-1 OT, -$119, U5

Washington vs NY Islanders
NYI 4-1, +125, N5
Wash 4-3, -$135, O5.5
NYI 2-1 OT, -$140, U5.5
Wash 2-1 OT, +$125, U5.5

St Louis vs Minnesota
Minn 4-2, +$125, O5
StL 4-1, -$140, N5
Minn 3-0, -$135, U5
StL 6-1, +$128, O5

Nashville vs Chicago
Chi 4-3 2OT, +$105, O5
Nash 6-2, -$120, O5
Chi 4-2, -$160, O5
Chi 3-2 3OT, -$160, U5.5

Anaheim vs Winnipeg
Ana 4-2, -$150, O5
Ana 2-1, -$150, U5
Ana 5-4 OT, +$120, O5
Ana 5-2, +$106, O5.5
Ducks win series, 4-0

Vancouver vs Calgary
Cal 2-1, +$135, U5
Van 4-1, -$155, N5
Cal 4-2, -$115, O5
Cal 3-1, -$120, U5




NHL

Thursday, April 23

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. WASHINGTON
NY Islanders are 6-12 SU in their last 18 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the NY Islanders last 12 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington's last 12 games when playing at home against NY Islanders
Washington is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against NY Islanders

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. DETROIT
Tampa Bay is 3-13-1 SU in its last 17 games ,when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games at home
Detroit13-3-1 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

9:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. NASHVILLE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Nashville's last 5 games at home
Nashville is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago

10:00 PM
CALGARY vs. VANCOUVER
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Calgary is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vancouver's last 6 games when playing at home against Calgary
Vancouver is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Calgary

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Thursday, April 23


Rangers-Penguins series cashing under wagers

The New York Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in overtime in Game 4 Wednesday evening, improving the under record to 3-1 in those four games.

Heading into Thursday's schedule, the Rangers-Pens series was the best target for Under bettors.

To date in the postseason, the under has had the slight edge at 14-13-4.


Road teams the hot play on the ice Wednesday

Visiting teams skated to victories in three of the four playoff games on the board Wednesday evening.

The New York Rangers (-120), St. Louis Blues (+125) and Anaheim Ducks (+105) all posted wins while the Montreal Canadiens were the lone road team to lose.

To date in the postseason, away teams are 13-15-3.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Thursday, April 23

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Thursday's NHL Playoffs betting cheat sheet
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New York Islanders at Washington Capitals (-129, 5)

Series tied 2-2

Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom has picked a fine time to rediscover his scoring touch. After failing to find the back of the net in the final seven weeks of the regular season, Backstrom has scored in three straight contests heading into Thursday's Game 5 of the Capitals' Eastern Conference first-round series against the visiting New York Islanders.

Backstrom, who also has three assists in the set, scored 11:09 into overtime as Washington evened the series at two victories apiece with a 2-1 triumph on Tuesday. "Nicky is our horse, our dude," linemate Joel Ward said. "It's just good to see we won. It was a good team effort." While Backstrom has been on a high, John Tavares hasn't been too shabby in his own right. The Islanders captain recorded a pair of assists in the first two contests before scoring 15 seconds into overtime in New York's 2-1 win in Game 3 on Sunday afternoon.

TRENDS:

*Islanders are 1-11 in their last 12 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
*Home team is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.
*Under is 4-1-2 in Capitals last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.
*Under is 11-5-2 in Islanders last 18 overall.


Tampa Bay Lightning at Detroit Red Wings (-108, 5)

Red Wings lead series 2-1

Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock is heralded in hockey circles for his shrewd decisions, and he is drawing rave reviews for one of his most recent ones. Babcock selected Petr Mrazek to serve as his starting goaltender, and the 23-year-old looks to reward the veteran coach by pushing the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning to the brink of elimination when the Atlantic Division rivals play Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series on Thursday.

After making a career-high 44 saves in a 3-2 victory in Game 1, Mrazek turned aside all 22 shots he faced in a 3-0 triumph over Tampa Bay on Tuesday to give the Red Wings a 2-1 edge in the series. "Huge win for us, first game home, first win. But it's over," Mrazek said after joining Earl Robertson (1937), Terry Sawchuk (1951), Chris Osgood (1994) and Jimmy Howard (2010) as the only rookie netminders in franchise history to record a postseason shutout. Tampa Bay has lost six straight playoff games on the road and has been rendered powerless at Joe Louis Arena, posting a 4-16-0 mark with one tie in the all-time series.

TRENDS:

*Lightning are 4-1 in their last 5 games following a loss of 3 or more goals.
*Red Wings are 1-8 in their last 9 games following a win.
*Under is 11-1 in Lightning last 12 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
*Under is 4-0-2 in Red Wings last 6 home games.


Chicago Blackhawks at Nashville Predators (-113, 5)

Blackhawks lead series 3-1

After prevailing in a marathon triple-overtime contest, the Chicago Blackhawks can wrap up their Western Conference first-round playoff series when they visit the Nashville Predators on Thursday night in Game 5. Defenseman Brent Seabrook's goal one minute into the third overtime lifted the Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory in Tuesday's Game 4 and gave them a commanding 3-1 edge in the best-of-seven series.

Nashville coach Peter Laviolette expects a big performance from his team, similar to its 6-2 victory in Game 2 after blowing a three-goal lead and losing in double overtime in the series opener. "Our guys are a resilient group," Laviolette said. "They will not cave. They will not go away quietly. They'll be ready to play Game 5, I promise you." Predators captain Shea Weber missed the last two games and Laviolette is uncertain if he will be available Thursday. That will make the task even more daunting against a Chicago team that is 12-3 in close-out games under coach Joel Quenneville.

TRENDS:

*Blackhawks are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
*Predators are 1-9 in their last 10 overall.
*Under is 12-3-3 in Blackhawks last 18 games following a win.
*Over is 8-2-2 in Predators last 12 vs. Western Conference.


Calgary Flames at Vancouver Canucks (-147, 5)

Flames lead series 3-1

Despite being one victory away from advancing, Calgary is not looking past the Canucks, who overcame a 3-1 first-round deficit in 1994 to eliminate the Flames en route to an appearance in the Stanley Cup final. "We all know it," said center Joe Colborne, regarding the difficulty of registering the fourth victory in a series. "There are a lot of very good players over there and there's a lot of pride in that room. We're not expecting for one second that they are going to pack it in."

Coach Willie Desjardins admitted he has selected the starting netminder for Game 5 but was not ready to reveal his choice. "I have decided, but no, we'll wait to see after the morning skate (Thursday) and then we'll name it," he said after Wednesday's practice. One decision Desjardins did not have to make revolved around the status of Alex Burrows, who will miss the remainder of the series due to an upper-body injury. The veteran right wing, who notched two assists over the first three contests, was hurt during the morning skate on Tuesday and did not appear in Game 4. "It's nothing to worry about," Desjardins said. "It's just kind of a comfort thing."

TRENDS:

*Flames are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
*Canucks are 3-14 in their last 17 Conference Quarterfinals games.
*Under is 4-1-2 in the last 7 meetings.
*Under is 5-1-1 in Flames last 7 vs. Pacific.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, April 23


Tampa Bay Lightning @ Detroit Red Wings

Game 73-74
April 23, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay Lightni
12.998
Detroit Red Wings
10.257
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay Lightni
by 2 1/2
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit Red Wings
-115
5
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay Lightni
(-105); Over

New York Islanders @ Washington Capitals

Game 75-76
April 23, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York Islander
12.719
Washington Capita
10.169
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York Islander
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington Capita
-135
5
Dunkel Pick:
New York Islander
(+115); Over

Chicago Blackhawks @ Nashville Predators

Game 77-78
April 23, 2015 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago *********
10.665
Nashville Predato
12.075
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville Predato
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville Predato
-115
5
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville Predato
(-115); Under

Calgary Flames @ Vancouver Canucks

Game 79-80
April 23, 2015 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary Flames
11.712
Vancouver Canucks
13.156
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Vancouver Canucks
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Vancouver Canucks
-150
5
Dunkel Pick:
Vancouver Canucks
(-150); Under

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Top six picks in ESPN.com's last NFL mock draft........

6) Jets-- Todd Gurley, RB Georgia-- Has been cleared medically.

5) Redskins-- Shane Ray, LB Missouri-- Skins need an edge pass rusher.

4) Raiders-- Amari Cooper, WR Alabama-- Derek Carr needs some receivers.

3) Jaguars-- Dante Fowler, DE Florida-- Can also play outside linebacker.

2) Titans-- Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon-- Could very easily trade this pick.

1) Buccaneers-- Jameis Winston, QB Florida State-- If you made $1M a year and your job depended on getting this pick right, who would you choose?

**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here.......

13) Warriors 123, Pelicans 119 OT-- Golden State was down 20 after the third quarter; Curry was 7-18 on the arc, Thompson 6-12, everyone else 1-11.

12) Bulls 113, Bucks 106 2OT-- In a double OT game, Chicago was +18 if Pau Gasol was on the court, -11 if he wasn't and he was only off for 14:00.

11) Reason #7,142 that NBA playoff series are too long; teams down 3-0 are a combined 0-110 in playoff series. Thats oh and 110.

10) Rajon Rondo will go down as one of the NBA's all-time strangest people; there was a story on the Interweb this year about when he was with Boston, during a film session, he took a water bottle, fired it at the 50-inch flatscreen TV that was playing the video of the game and shattered it. For no reason other than than the coach was critiquing his play. Oy.

9) Over/under on Lebron James' points Thursday was 26.5; he had 31. One of the great joys of being in Las Vegas is all the odd things you can bet on- there is no shortage of prop bets for any big event.

8) More college basketball transfers: Manu Lecomte from Miami to Baylor; Drexel's leading scorer Damion Lee was poached by Louisville.

7) Speaking of Louisville, they're taking a trip to Puerto Rico in August, where they will play six exhibition games. Trips like this are invaluable.

6) Maryland-Georgetown have finally agreed to play a game in November, which will be very big in that area of the world- they've only met three times since 1980, when Georgetown became a national power.

5) Mississippi State is expected to land Malik Newman today, the first prime recruit of the Ben Howland era; Newman's dad played for State. Problem is if he is any good, he's likely a 1-and-done, but he puts the Bulldogs on the map.

4) NFL schedule oddity: this will be the second year in a row no AFC team will play on Thanksgiving Day.

3) Mets are the 28th team since 2000 to win 11 games in a row; only two of previous 27 wound up that season with a losing record: the '04 Rays went 70-91 despite a 12-game win streak. The '13 Blue Jays won 11 games in a row, but wound up 74-88 anyway.

2) Major league teams whose pitchers walk more than they strike out are 4-25 this season, wth two of the four wins coming Wednesday night.

1) Baseball season is 18 days old; Phillies have played 16 games (5-11) but they still haven't led a game (0-13-3) after the fifth inning.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Friday, April 24

Ottawa Senators @ Montreal Canadiens

Game 83-84
April 24, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ottawa Senators
13.230
Montreal Canadien
14.795
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal Canadien
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal Canadien
-165
5
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal Canadien
(-165); Over

Pittsburgh Penguins @ New York Rangers

Game 81-82
April 24, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh Pengui
10.236
New York Rangers
12.397
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York Rangers
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York Rangers
-185
5
Dunkel Pick:
New York Rangers
(-185); Over

Minnesota Wild @ St. Louis Blues

Game 85-86
April 24, 2015 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota Wild
13.109
St. Louis Blues
9.708
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota Wild
by 3 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis Blues
-150
5
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota Wild
(+130); Under




NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, April 24

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

PITTSBURGH (44-29-0-13, 101 pts.) at NY RANGERS (56-23-0-7, 119 pts.) - 4/24/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 44-42 ATS (-22.6 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 2-8 ATS (-9.4 Units) in April games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 21-28 ATS (-20.8 Units) second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 10-24 ATS (-26.6 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 7-16 ATS (-10.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 56-30 ATS (+23.8 Units) in all games this season.
NY RANGERS are 36-15 ATS (+13.9 Units) second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 26-8 ATS (+12.9 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NY RANGERS are 128-126 ATS (-63.9 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 166-199 ATS (-118.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 13-11 (+2.7 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 13-11-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
12 of 23 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.1 Units)

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

OTTAWA (44-27-0-15, 103 pts.) at MONTREAL (53-23-0-10, 116 pts.) - 4/24/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 53-33 ATS (+89.8 Units) in all games this season.
MONTREAL is 47-28 ATS (+12.9 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 46-28 ATS (+9.5 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 23-15 ATS (+1.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MONTREAL is 31-24 ATS (+55.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 29-21 ATS (+5.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
OTTAWA is 20-13 ATS (+33.2 Units) after a division game this season.
OTTAWA is 13-7 ATS (+21.6 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 12-10 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 12-10-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
12 of 20 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.9 Units)

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

MINNESOTA (48-30-0-8, 104 pts.) at ST LOUIS (53-26-0-7, 113 pts.) - 4/24/2015, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 18-11 ATS (+29.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
MINNESOTA is 17-8 ATS (+25.3 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
MINNESOTA is 11-6 ATS (+18.5 Units) in road games vs. division opponents this season.
MINNESOTA is 165-146 ATS (+317.6 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 11-4 ATS (+15.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 11-5 (+5.2 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 11-5-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.4 Units)

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




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, April 24

Ottawa scored Game 4's only goal at 9:05 of third period after Montreal won previous two games in OT- Game 4 was only game Senators haven't led after first period. Six of nine Montreal goals have come in second period, as Canadiens outshot Ottawa 62-37 in 2nd period in series. Montreal won five of its last six games overall, allowing 14 goals; over is 5-2-3 in their last ten games. Ottawa is lost four of last five visits to Montreal. Over is 7-3-2 in last eleven series games. Canadiens are 1-16 on power play in series, Ottawa is 3-12.

Rangers won nine of last 11 games with Pittsburgh, winning four of last five played here. Penguins lost eight of last ten games overall, nine of their last twelve stayed under. Rangers won nine of last 11 games overall, with three of four in this series ending 2-1. Last three games, there were total of only 28 shots on goal (16-12 Pitt) in first period. Penguins were held without shot in OT of Game 4, as Rangers scored on third shot at 3:14 of OT to win and set up elimination game here. Rangers are just 2-17 on power play in series, Pens are 2-10.

St Louis scored couple goals 1:25 apart to open scoring in decisive 6-1 Game 4 win that evened series and gave Blues home ice edge back. Blues had 10 first period shots, only third time in series they had 10+ shots in a period- they're still just 1-7 on power play in series. Minnesota split its last four in St Louis- they won the two games in this series when St Louis didn't score in first period. Wild is 1-5 on power play last three games, after scoring half their goals (2-4) with man edge in Game 1. Over is 4-1-1 in last six series games.

Home teams are 22-13 in this round; over is 16-14-5

2015 NHL playoffs
Montreal vs Ottawa
Mtl 4-3, -$140, O5
Mtl 3-2 OT, -$140, N5
Mtl 2-1 OT, +$110, U5
Ott 1-0, -$106, U5

Tampa Bay vs Detroit
Det 3-2, +$155, U5.5
TB 5-1, -$200, U5.5
Det 3-0, -$105, U5.5
TB 3-2 OT, -$107, N5

NY Rangers vs Pittsburgh
NYR 2-1, -$180, U5
Pitt 4-3, +$175, O5
NYR 2-1, even U5
NYR 2-1 OT, -$119, U5

Washington vs NY Islanders
NYI 4-1, +125, N5
Wash 4-3, -$135, O5.5
NYI 2-1 OT, -$140, U5.5
Wash 2-1 OT, +$125, U5.5
Wash 5-1, -4130, O5

St Louis vs Minnesota
Minn 4-2, +$125, O5
StL 4-1, -$140, N5
Minn 3-0, -$135, U5
StL 6-1, +$128, O5

Nashville vs Chicago
Chi 4-3 2OT, +$105, O5
Nash 6-2, -$120, O5
Chi 4-2, -$160, O5
Chi 3-2 3OT, -$160, U5.5
Nash 5-2, -$119, O5

Anaheim vs Winnipeg
Ana 4-2, -$150, O5
Ana 2-1, -$150, U5
Ana 5-4 OT, +$120, O5
Ana 5-2, +$106, O5.5
Ducks win series, 4-0

Vancouver vs Calgary
Cal 2-1, +$135, U5
Van 4-1, -$155, N5
Cal 4-2, -$115, O5
Cal 3-1, -$120, U5
Van 2-1, -$147, U5




NHL

Friday, April 24

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. MONTREAL
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ottawa's last 7 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Ottawa is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Montreal is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Montreal is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Ottawa

7:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. NY RANGERS
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 10 games when playing NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of the NY Rangers last 10 games when playing Pittsburgh

9:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. ST. LOUIS
Minnesota is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games when playing Minnesota
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

10:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. ANAHEIM
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Anaheim
Winnipeg is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Anaheim's last 7 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
Anaheim is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Friday, April 24

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday's NHL Playoffs betting cheat sheet
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ottawa Senators at Montreal Canadiens (-166, 5)
Canadiens lead series 3-1

The Ottawa Senators have played their best when there has been little margin for error. After staving off a sweep by scoring the lone goal of the last contest, the Senators look to prevent their season from coming to an end when they visit the Montreal Canadiens on Friday in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

"We have a hard road to travel and there's no reason why we can't be in the next game also," said Craig Anderson, who made 28 saves in a 1-0 win on Wednesday and has stopped 75-of-77 shots since relieving Andrew Hammond. Rookie Mike Hoffman scored the lone goal midway into the third period for Ottawa, which also stepped up its game when the regular season was slipping away by posting a 21-3-3 mark in its final 27 contests. Montreal was unable to secure its second sweep of a first-round foe in as many years, but Carey Price isn't hanging his head. "We've just got to do the same thing," Price said. "There's no secret to it; their backs are against the wall."

TRENDS:

*Senators are 11-2 in their last 13 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
*Home team is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.
*Over is 5-0-2 in the last 7 meetings in Montreal.
*Under is 5-1-1 in Senators last 7 vs. Atlantic.


Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers (-185, 5)
Rangers lead series 3-1

After setting a franchise record in wins during the regular season, the New York Rangers need just one more to advance to the second round in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Rangers look to accomplish that feat and complete another early postseason exit for the Pittsburgh Penguins when the Metropolitan Division rivals meet at Madison Square Garden in Game 5 on Friday.

Although New York is enjoying the upper hand in the series, coach Alain Vigneault is keeping a keen eye on an opponent that knows all too well that a 3-1 lead can evaporate in short order. After all, the Rangers overcame that very deficit to derail the Penguins in the second round last year. "Pittsburgh has elite players and great balance up front, and a goalie who has won a Stanley Cup and proven he's one of the top guys in the league," Vigneault said. While all of that holds water, captain Sidney Crosby's two goals came in the Penguins' 4-3 win in Game 2, Evgeni Malkin has been plagued by an undisclosed injury and Marc-Andre Fleury has been undone by a lack of offensive support.

TRENDS:

*Penguins are 1-4 in the last 5 meetings in New York.
*Rangers are 32-12 in their last 44 games following a win.
*Under is 14-5 in Penguins last 19 games playing on 1 days rest.
*Under is 4-1 in Rangers last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.


Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues (-139, 5)
Series tied 2-2

Having reclaimed home ice with a dominating performance in a lopsided romp, the St. Louis Blues are riding a wave of optimism as they prepare to host the Minnesota Wild in Friday's Game 5 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series. Vladimir Tarasenko scored a pair of goals as the Blues drubbed the Wild 6-1 on Wednesday to level the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

"We're going to play our game now. We're not going to chase it around the rink like we did the first three games," St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said." This is the way it's going to be for the next little while. If they can match it, great on them." The Blues amassed their highest postseason goal total since 2003 to snap a nine-game playoff drought on the road. Minnesota suffered the worst postseason defeat in franchise history only two nights after a convincing 3-0 victory over St. Louis. “We went from feeling awesome about ourselves, feeling like we can’t be beat after last game, and then you get a little dose of reality, a little slap in the face,” Wild forward Zach Parise said.

TRENDS:

*Wild are 5-1 in their last 6 when their opponent scores 5 goals or more in their previous game.
*Blues are 66-30 in their last 96 home games.
*Over is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings.
*Over is 5-1 in Wild last 6 following a loss of 3 or more goals.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Friday, April 24


Over tickets cashing in Montreal

Despite being known for a defensive approach this season, the Montreal Canadiens have been exciting fans in the Bell Centre as of late going 4-0-2 over/under in their past six games at home.

The Habs have averaged 3.5 goals while allowing 3.3 in those six contests. The combined 6.8 goals per game, is a full two goals more than their season average.

Montreal will look to close out their Round 1 series against the Ottawa Senators Friday.



NHL roundup: Lightning storm back in Detroit

DETROIT -- Tyler Johnson's second goal of the game, 2:25 into overtime, completed the Tampa Bay Lightning's comeback from a two-goal deficit, and gave them a 3-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday at Joe Louis Arena to tie the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at 2-2.

Johnson also had an assist and Ondrej Palat had a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay while Ben Bishop stopped 22 shots.

Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson scored for Detroit. Petr Mrazek stopped 26 shots.

Capitals 5, Islanders 1

WASHINGTON -- Rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov scored two goals and assisted on another to lead Washington over the New York Islanders in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Karl Alzner, Brooks Laich and Jason Chimera also scored for the Capitals, who can clinch the best-of-seven series with a victory on Saturday at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y.

Center Josh Bailey scored the only goal for the Islanders, who are looking to stay alive in their final season in the 43-year-old Coliseum.

Predators 5, Blackhawks 2

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Scoring three goals in a 2:27 span early in the third period, Nashville staved off elimination in Game 5 of its Western Conference quarterfinal series with Chicago.

Filip Forsberg scored a hat trick and James Neal and Colin Wilson also added goals in the win for Nashville. Goalie Pekka Rinne finished with 28 saves for the Predators, who will go back to Chicago on Saturday night for Game 6.

Kris Versteeg and Brad Richards scored for Chicago while Scott Darling made 24 saves.

Canucks 2, Flames 1

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Daniel Sedin scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period as Vancouver topped Calgary to stay alive in their first-round series.

The Flames still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 with Game 6 to be played Saturday night in Calgary.

Nick Bonino also scored for Vancouver, who trailed 1-0 after the first period.

David Jones scored for Calgary.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Friday, April 24


Favorites dominant on ice Thursday

Moneyline favorites skated to a perfect 4-0 night in playoff action Thursday.

Faves have posted a dominant record of 23-8-4 heading into Friday's slate of games, and have gone 20-4-3 in the past week.


Predators-Blackhawks continue to go over

Another over cashed for bettors in the Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks series Thursday, bringing the Over/Under record to 4-1 so far.

Through their five games so far the Preds have averaged 3.6 goals while the 'Hawks have tallied 3 goals per game. The one under was in Game 4 when the team's combined for five goals on a 5.5 total.

Nashville and Chicago continue their series in the Windy City Saturday.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

-- Royals-White Sox game was suspended at 2-2 in 8th inning Friday night; it will be resumed Saturday, before the regularly scheduled game.

-- Mariners 2, Twins 0-- Two complete games; no walks, 18 strikeouts.

-- Rockets 130, Mavericks 128-- Houston was 13-24 from arc, Howard grabbed 26 rebounds in a game that didn't have that many missed shots.

-- Spurs 100, Clippers 73-- LA starters were a combined minus-130. Oy.

-- Rangers 2, Penguins 1 OT-- Four of five series games ended up 2-1.

-- Five of the eight NBA playoff series are 3-0. No bueno.

**********

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind......

13) Why would the Rangers trade for Josh Hamilton? They shed themselves of his issues and huge contract, now they're going back down that road, while at same time letting a division rival off the hook from a bad situation.

Am very curious to see how much the Angels are going to eat of the $83M that Hamilton is still owed on that contract.

12) How come I didn't know The Rock and Billy Bob Thornton were in a movie together? Faster, a 2010 movie that was on cable the other night. Not bad.

11) Could we put in a rule that if an NBA playoff series was 3-0, it was then declared over? Teams down 3-0 are now 0-110 in NBA playoff series, all-time.

Hear me out; think how much better a Game 3 would be if the home team was down 2-0; not only would they be trying to stay alive in Game 3, they'd be buying themselves at least two extra games with a win-- if they stayed alive in Game 3, then it is 2-1 in a best-of-7 series. Would make things more interesting.

Its kind of like ping pong, where you play to 21 but if its 11-0, then its over.

10) Royals-White Sox had a near fracas in Thursday's game, during which Sox TV announcer Hawk Harrelson went off on the air, saying Yordano Ventura "....was going to get his fanny beat". Harrelson is in his 70's; he was a hothead in his playing days and hasn't cooled down too much in the broadcast booth.

9) Why did the Red Sox give Rick Porcello $20M a year? He is 77-65, 4.34 in 183 career starts for a very good Detroit team- thats worth $20M a year?

8) Glad to see Providence guard Kris Dunn is coming back to school next season; kids who come back will become better players and improve their draft stock in the long run. Friars will need Dunn to score more next year.

7) The Governor of Colorado is named John Hickenlooper. Unusual name.

6) Gambling can be fun; it can be frustrating; if you bet the under in last night's Houston-Oakland game, the gambling gods owe you one. Game was 0-0 after nine innings, but the bullpens imploded and Houston wound up winning 5-4, going over the total by two runs, after being scoreless thru nine innings.

5) One of the new owners of the Atlanta Hawks is Grant Hill.

4) Friend of mine was in San Antonio couple weeks ago; he is on elevator in his hotel and who gets on but Rockets' coach Kevin McHale. Glad to report McHale is a good guy, just like he seems to be on TV.

3) If you're not old enough to remember the old ABA, they played very fast-paced basketball; just picture last night's Houston-Dallas game, except with a red, white and blue basketball. 130-128 happened all the time back then.

2) There were more than 100 people lined up outside a sneaker store in Las Vegas Friday, waiting to buy the new Flight 23 sneakers. I mean they're not going to run out of sneakers, why wait on line for them? Lot of money in the sneaker industry, which is why athlete endorsers make so much $$$$

1) Tampa Bay Lightning were down 2-0 with 6:00 to play in Detroit in Game 4 of their series; a loss would've left them in dire straits, but Lightning scored twice in 1:14, then won in OT and their radio announcer Dave Mishkin was very happy, as in really, really happy.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, April 25

Detroit had 2-1 series edge and 2-0 lead with 6:00 left in Game 4, but gave up two goals in 1:14 and then lost in OT, so they go back to Florida with series tied. Red Wings lost four of last five visits to Tampa; Lightning is 2-21 on power play in series, Red Wings 2-15. Lightning won nine of their last 13 games vs Detroit- under is 8-4-1 in last 13 series games. Tampa Bay won five of last seven games overall, allowing 14 goals. Under is 5-2-2 in Lightning's last nine games. Red Wings won three of last five road games.

Islanders are 5-9 in last fourteen games overall, with under 3-2-1 in last six vs Caps. Isles are 0-12 on power play in series-- only 22 penalties total were called in last four games (Washington is 1-10 on power play in series). Caps won eight of their last 12 games; they outshot Islanders 41-23 last game, 42-27 in third period of last four games. Caps split last four road games, with last three all ending up in 2-1 finals. Islanders split last four at home; they scored total of seven goals in last four games overall. Home side won seven of last nine series games.

Nashville showed onions, winning Game 5 at home to stave off elimination after losing Game 4 at 1am local time in triple OT; Predators lost nine of last 11 games overall with pair of multiple-OT losses in this series- they lost six of last nine games with Chicago, with five of last six going over total. Predators scored 6-5 goals in two series wins, 3-2-2 in losses- they lost last four road games, scoring total of seven goals. Home side won four of five games in this series, with four of five games in this playoff series going over total.

Calgary is up 3-2 in this series, has won five of last seven games with Vancouver- under is 5-1-2 in last eight series games, but Canucks outshot them 43-21 in Game 5, staying alive in series they're favored to win. Flames have now won eight of last twelve games; under is 7-2-1 in last ten Calgary games. Vancouver is 2-14 on power play in series, Calgary is 4-14- they've only scored eleven goals in whole series. Home teams are 23-15 in this round; over is 17-15-6. Vancouver needs win to force seventh game at home.

2015 NHL playoffs
Montreal vs Ottawa
Mtl 4-3, -$140, O5
Mtl 3-2 OT, -$140, N5
Mtl 2-1 OT, +$110, U5
Ott 1-0, -$106, U5
Ott 5-1, _$139, O5

Tampa Bay vs Detroit
Det 3-2, +$155, U5.5
TB 5-1, -$200, U5.5
Det 3-0, -$105, U5.5
TB 3-2 OT, -$107, N5

NY Rangers vs Pittsburgh
NYR 2-1, -$180, U5
Pitt 4-3, +$175, O5
NYR 2-1, even U5
NYR 2-1 OT, -$119, U5
NYR 2-1 OT, -$178, U5
Rangers win series 4-1

Washington vs NY Islanders
NYI 4-1, +125, N5
Wash 4-3, -$135, O5.5
NYI 2-1 OT, -$140, U5.5
Wash 2-1 OT, +$125, U5.5
Wash 5-1, -4130, O5

St Louis vs Minnesota
Minn 4-2, +$125, O5
StL 4-1, -$140, N5
Minn 3-0, -$135, U5
StL 6-1, +$128, O5
Minn 4-1, +$128, N5

Nashville vs Chicago
Chi 4-3 2OT, +$105, O5
Nash 6-2, -$120, O5
Chi 4-2, -$160, O5
Chi 3-2 3OT, -$160, U5.5
Nash 5-2, -$119, O5

Anaheim vs Winnipeg
Ana 4-2, -$150, O5
Ana 2-1, -$150, U5
Ana 5-4 OT, +$120, O5
Ana 5-2, +$106, O5.5
Ducks win series, 4-0

Vancouver vs Calgary
Cal 2-1, +$135, U5
Van 4-1, -$155, N5
Cal 4-2, -$115, O5
Cal 3-1, -$120, U5
Van 2-1, -$147, U5




NHL

Saturday, April 25

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. NY ISLANDERS
Washington is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Islanders
Washington is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the NY Islanders last 11 games at home
NY Islanders are 3-9 SU in their last 12 games at home

6:00 PM
DETROIT vs. TAMPA BAY
Detroit is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Tampa Bay is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Detroit

8:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. CHICAGO
Nashville is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nashville's last 5 games
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Nashville
Chicago is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games

9:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. CALGARY
Vancouver is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Vancouver is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Calgary
Calgary is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Calgary's last 10 games

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Saturday, April 25


NHL roundup: Rangers top Pens in OT to advance

NEW YORK Carl Hagelin scored with 9:08 remaining in overtime to give the New York Rangers a 2-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 of their first-round series at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

Derek Stepan also had a goal for the Rangers while Henrik Lundqvist stopped 37 shots.

Nick Spaling scored for the Penguins, who were backed by Marc-Andre Fleury 34 stops.

Mats Zuccarello left the game in the first period with an undisclosed injury and did not return for the Rangers.

Senators 5, Canadiens 1

MONTREAL -- Two first-period goals paced Ottawa's win in Montreal at the Bell Centre.

The win cut Montreal's series lead to 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Sunday in Ottawa.

Bobby Ryan, Erik Condra, Mike Hoffman, Patrick Wiercoch and Erik Karlsson scored for Ottawa. Tom Gilbert had the Canadiens' goal.

Craig Anderson stopped 45 shots for the Senators and Carey Price made 20 saves for Montreal.

Wild 4, Blues 1

ST. LOUIS -- Devan Dubnyk made 36 saves, including all 19 he faced in the third period, to help Minnesota take a 3-2 lead in its Western Conference quarterfinal series with a win over St. Louis at sold-out Scottrade Center.

Marco Scandella, Nino Niederreiter, Mikko Koivu and Charlie Coyle scored for the Wild, who can clinch the series Sunday in Game 6 in St. Paul.

Jake Allen, who played brilliantly in the series' first four games, gave up four goals on just 19 shots, while Vladimir Tarasenko scored the Blues' lone goal.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, April 25

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DETROIT (45-26-0-15, 105 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (52-26-0-8, 112 pts.) - 4/25/2015, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 12-22 ATS (-17.5 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
TAMPA BAY is 15-2 ATS (+11.2 Units) in home games vs. division opponents this season.
TAMPA BAY is 177-190 ATS (+451.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 9-4 (+4.2 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 9-4-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.4 Units)

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NASHVILLE (49-26-0-12, 110 pts.) at CHICAGO (51-30-0-6, 108 pts.) - 4/25/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 1-9 ATS (+10.9 Units) in road games after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
NASHVILLE is 6-17 ATS (-14.5 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
NASHVILLE is 9-17 ATS (-10.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 48-16 ATS (+16.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 189-134 ATS (+34.1 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
CHICAGO is 26-24 ATS (-8.6 Units) second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 12-7 (+1.5 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 12-7-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.1 Units)

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WASHINGTON (48-27-0-12, 108 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (49-30-0-8, 106 pts.) - 4/25/2015, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY ISLANDERS are 23-12 ATS (+6.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
WASHINGTON is 39-32 ATS (+78.4 Units) in road games in April games since 1996.
NY ISLANDERS are 24-26 ATS (-12.9 Units) second half of the season this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 15-31 ATS (-19.7 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 4-10 ATS (-9.3 Units) in home games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 9-16 ATS (-7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 9-7 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 9-7-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.2 Units)

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VANCOUVER (50-32-0-5, 105 pts.) at CALGARY (48-32-0-7, 103 pts.) - 4/25/2015, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 42-51 ATS (-19.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 48-39 ATS (+87.5 Units) in all games this season.
CALGARY is 19-10 ATS (+31.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 27-21 ATS (+2.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
CALGARY is 25-9 ATS (+15.7 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
CALGARY is 22-11 ATS (+10.6 Units) after a division game this season.
CALGARY is 13-6 ATS (+20.1 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
CALGARY is 14-8 ATS (+23.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 22-16 ATS (+38.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 13-6 (+5.3 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 13-6-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.8 Units)