The Bum's National Hockey League December Rated Plays - Trends - News - Etc. !!

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, December 17

Hot teams
-- Minnesota won five of its last seven games.
-- Edmonton won six of its last seven games. Chicago won four of its last six.
-- Flames won their last six games, four in OT/SO. Dallas Stars won six of last nine games.
-- Islanders won seven of their last nine games. Colorado won six of its last eight.

Cold teams
-- Panthers lost three of their last five games. New Jersey is 0-4 in game after ots last four wins.
-- Vancouver lost seven of its last nine games. Flyers lost three of last five.
-- Anaheim is 3-4 in its last seven games. Sabres lost four of last six games.
-- San Jose lost six of its last seven games. Maple Leafs lost six of their last nine.
-- Montreal lost five of its last six. Kings lost last two games, after winning their previous six.
-- Nashville lost five of its last seven games. Blues are 3-5 in their last eight games.
-- Rangers lost five of their last seven games.
-- Columbus lost eight of its last nine games. Arizona lost six of its last seven.

Series records
-- Devils won six of last eight games with Florida.
-- Canucks won four of last five games with Philly.
-- Sabres lost their last four games with Anaheim.
-- Sharks won their last five games with Toronto.
-- Kings won three of last four games with Montreal.
-- Blues won seven of last ten games with Nashville.
-- Rangers won four of last five games with Minnesota.
-- Blackhawks won eight of last nine games with Edmonton.
-- Road team won five of last six Calgary-Dallas games.
-- Blue Jackets won four of last six games with Arizona.
-- Islanders won seven of last ten games with Colorado.

Totals
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six florida-New Jersey games.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in Flyers' last seven games.
-- Four of last five Buffalo games stayed under.
-- Seven of last ten San Jose games went over.
-- Under is 5-0-2 in last seven Montreal games.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine St Louis games.
-- Six of last seven Minnesota games stayed under.
-- Seven of last eight Edmonton-Chicago games went over.
-- Nine of last ten Calgary-Dallas games went over total.
-- Under is 6-2-2 in last ten Columbus games.
-- Five of last seven Islander games stayed under the total.

Back-to-backs
-- None

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Thursday, December 17

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. BUFFALO
Anaheim is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Buffalo
Anaheim is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Buffalo is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games
Buffalo is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Anaheim

7:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. NEW JERSEY
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 7 games on the road
Florida is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
New Jersey is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
New Jersey is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida

7:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Vancouver's last 9 games
Vancouver is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
Philadelphia is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games at home
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Vancouver

7:30 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. MONTREAL
Los Angeles is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Los Angeles is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games at home

7:30 PM
SAN JOSE vs. TORONTO
San Jose is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 12 of San Jose's last 18 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Toronto's last 18 games when playing at home against San Jose

8:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. ST. LOUIS
Nashville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Nashville's last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing at home against Nashville

8:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 6 games on the road
NY Rangers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Rangers
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

8:30 PM
CALGARY vs. DALLAS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 7 games on the road
Calgary is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Dallas is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing at home against Calgary

8:30 PM
EDMONTON vs. CHICAGO
Edmonton is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games at home

9:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Columbus's last 15 games
Columbus is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing at home against Columbus

9:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. COLORADO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 7 games
NY Islanders are 4-10-1 SU in their last 15 games ,when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado10-4-1 SU in their last 15 games when playing at home against NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Colorado's last 9 games when playing at home against NY Islanders

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, December 17

Florida at New Jersey, 7:05 PM ET
Florida: 13-31 SU after having won 2 of their last 3
New Jersey: 11-7 SU after 1 or more consecutive unders

Vancouver at Philadelphia, 7:05 PM ET
Vancouver: 80-57 SU on road after a game where 8 or + goals were scored
Philadelphia: 1-7 SU in home games revenging a loss versus opponent

Anaheim at Buffalo, 7:05 PM ET
Anaheim: 23-8 SU in December
Buffalo: 4-18 SU in home games after 3 or more consecutive unders

San Jose at Toronto, 7:05 PM ET
San Jose: 9-2 SU in road games in non-conference games
Toronto: 10-29 SU off a loss against a division rival

Los Angeles at Montreal, 7:35 PM ET
Los Angeles: 15-22 SU as a road favorite
Montreal: 40-19 SU after playing 2 consecutive home games

Nashville at St Louis, 8:05 PM ET
Nashville: 16-5 SU revenging a loss where team scored 1 or less goals
St Louis: 51-86 SU when playing their 8th game in 14 days

NY Rangers at Minnesota, 8:05 PM ET
New York: 9-1 SU in road games after 3 or more consecutive overs
Minnesota: 4-11 SU off a home blowout win by 3 goals or more

Edmonton at Chicago, 8:35 PM ET
Edmonton: 6-24 SU revenging a close loss vs opponent of 1 goal or less
Chicago: 37-11 SU in home games after a division game

Calgary at Dallas, 8:35 PM ET
Calgary: 39-64 SU after having won 6 or 7 of their last 8
Dallas: 12-3 SU after one or more consecutive overs

Columbus at Arizona, 9:05 PM ET
Columbus: 27-20 SU as a road underdog of +100 to +150
Arizona: 1-11 SU in home games after a non-conference game

NY Islanders at Colorado, 9:05 PM ET
New York: 32-17 SU after having won 3 of their last 4
Colorado: 44-63 SU at home revenging a loss vs opponent of 2 goals or more

[StarDust Bum]

NHL TOTALS

NHL > (53) FLORIDA@ (54) CAROLINA | 2015-12-18 19:05:00 - 2015-12-18 19:05:00
Play UNDER CAROLINA on the totalin Home games after a division game
The record is 3 Overs and 16 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.6 units)

NHL > (59) SAN JOSE@ (60) OTTAWA | 2015-12-18 19:35:00 - 2015-12-18 19:35:00
Play OVER OTTAWA on the totalin All games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 29 Overs and 11 Unders for the last three seasons (+19.05 units)

NHL > (51) BOSTON@ (52) PITTSBURGH | 2015-12-18 19:05:00 - 2015-12-18 19:05:00
Play UNDER PITTSBURGH on the totalin All games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 15 Overs and 33 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.8 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Rams 31, Bucs 23-- Best game Rams' offense has played in years.

-- Both Texas A&M QBs are transferring; not sure I've ever heard of a team losing both its top two QBs that way- they must've had a lot of fun together this year.

-- Lebron James crashed into a woman on sidelines last night; woman was carted off on a stretcher-- turns out it was the wife of golfer Jason Day.

-- When they show football stats, I'd like to see total plays run-- more important than time of possession, thats for sure.

-- Tournament of Roses parade cost $9.4M to put on LY, took in $7.4M, Guy who is the executvie director of the parade makes $365,141. The football game makes so much money it more than covers the expenses for the parade.

-- Yadier Molina had a second surgery on his injured thumb, is expected to miss most of spring training.

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Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Ranking NFL QBs within tiers.........

I divided 33 NFL (two for Denver) QBs into four tiers, then ranked them within the tiers. I think Philip Rivers is better than Joe Flacco, but Flacco won a Super Bowl and Rivers hasn't played in one, so they're in different tiers. Rankings are for right now, with exception of the injured starters- their ranking is for when they were last healthy.

Tier One: QBs who won a Super Bowl
8) Peyton Manning-- One of the all-time greats is at the end of the trail.

7) Joe Flacco-- This was his first losing season out of eight in NFL.

6) Eli Manning-- Durable, immobile, won two Super Bowls. Funny how he and his brother are statuesque, while their dad was a lot like Steve Young, a scrambler.

5) Drew Brees-- Had advantage of playing in dome and being coached by Sean Payton, an aggressive playcaller. Wonder if Chargers regret letting him go.

4) Russell Wilson-- As Ram fan, root against him twice a year; he has many qualities like Joe Montana. Elusive, smart, much better runner obviously but he doesn't have Jerry Rice. He is really, really good, as his 50-19 W-L record suggests.

3) Aaron Rodgers-- Which was more seamless, Packers going from Favre/Rodgers or Colts going from Manning/Luck? Good management by both teams.

2) Ben Roethlisberger-- Go back to 2004 draft; Giants traded for Eli Manning, when they could've stood pat and taken Big Ben. Its worked out well for both sides, but if that draft happened again, you wonder how it would play out?

1) Tom Brady-- Why do quarterbacks run a 40-yard dash at the Combine?

Tier Two: Veteran QBs who haven't won a Super Bowl
10) Matt Ryan-- Has had a dismal year, Falcons' third losing year in row (16-29).

9) Alex Smith-- 49ers chose Kaepernick over him; was that the right move?

8) Matthew Stafford-- Plays in dome, for a team that has won one playoff game since 1957. Has 39-51 record; you watch him and think Lions should be better.

7) Jay Cutler-- 66-65 career record, going 27-13 from 2010-12, 39-52 the rest of the time. Bears lost 26-0 in one game he missed this year. Cutler might be underrated.

6) Tony Romo-- Dallas is 1-8 in games he missed this year, but a 2-4 playoff record also haunts him. 10 years as a starter, six playoff games. No bueno.

5) Andy Dalton-- 0-4 in playoffs, but 50-26-1 in regular season- Bengals were terrible before he became the QB. This was his best season until he broke his right thumb.

4) Andrew Luck-- Indy better be careful with him; lacerated kidney is nothing to mess around with. The way this season has gone, Colts will have new coach next year. Has 3-3 playoff record in four years (more playoff wins than Romo/Dalton combined).

3) Carson Palmer-- What QB wouldn't love playing for Bruce Arians? This is his best season, now he needs a playoff win-- his playoff record is 0-2 ('05, '09).

2) Cam Newton-- Win college, won in junior college, winning in NFL.

1) Philip Rivers-- 95-71 career record, 4-5 in playoffs; was drafted in same year as Eli and Big Ben. Has eight kids, so I'm guessing he leads NFL QBs in that category.

Tier Three: Less accomplished QBs
8) Nick Foles/Case Keenum-- Give one of them a decent OL and a tight end who can catch the ball, then we'll see. Rest of team is ready to roll- offensive ineptitude has kept this team from contention this year- they're really not very far away.

7) Ryan Tannehill-- Was WR for two years at Texas A&M, not sure what Dolphins see in him- his starting job never seems to get challenged.

6) Sam Bradford-- At least he stayed mostly healthy this season.

5) Blaine Gabbert-- Has played fairly well for 49ers this season.

4) Brian Hoyer-- Head coach is a QB guru, but Texans can't find a QB- Hoyer has been OK but now has concussion issues.

3) Blake Bortles-- Jaguars scored 115 points in last three games; they have hope.

2) Derek Carr-- Oakland has chance to get to .500 this year if they can upset Green Bay this weekend. Raiders management got him couple good WRs, which helps.

1) Ryan Fitzpatrick-- Playing for fourth team in four years, during which time he has started 50 games-- unique career. Hope he writes a book someday.

Tier Four: Young QBs
7) Johnny Manziel-- Second coming of Fran Tarkenton on the field; hopefully he will be little less active off the field. Curious what Browns will do with him this winter.

6) Tyrod Taylor-- Wasn't that good in college, sat bench in Baltimore for four years, has done pretty well as a starter this year. Maybe thats the way to develop a QB.

5) Brock Osweiler-- Same boat as Taylor, is 3-1 filling in for legendary QB Manning. Will be free agent this winter- will Denver sign him up longterm?

4) Teddy Bridgewater-- Seems a little bit like Alex Smith; doesn't screw things up, is mobile enough to move chains. Vikings move to new stadium indoors next year.

3) Kirk Cousins-- No one talks about RGIII anymore.

2) Marcus Mariota-- I'm sure Tennessee is happy with him, but not sure why they fired the coach. Teams with rookie QBs starting seldom win a lot.

1) Jameis Winston-- All the BS he put himself thru in college is gone now; he has done way better than most people expected in his rookie year. Went 27-1 at Florida State, is 6-7 with Bucs- big improvement. Future is bright in Tampa Bay.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, December 18

Hot teams
-- Bruins won three of their last four games.
-- Florida won eight of its last eleven games. Colorado won four of its last six.
-- Washington won eight of its last ten games. Lightning won three of their last four.
-- San Jose won last two games, after losing previous six.

Cold teams
-- Pittsburgh lost seven of its last nine games.
-- Vancouver lost eight of its last ten games. Detroit lost three of last four.
-- Senators lost three of their last four games.
-- Rangers lost eight of their last eleven games. Winnipeg lost three of its last four.

Series records
-- Bruins won last three games with Pittsburgh: 3-2ot/2-0/3-0.
-- Panthers won their last four games with Carolina.
-- Lightning lost their last four games with Washington.
-- Red Wings won four of their last five games with Vancouver.
-- Sharks won seven of last ten games with Ottawa, but lost last two.
-- Visiting team won last five Winnipeg-Ranger games.

Totals
-- Under is 6-1-2 in last nine Bruin-Penguin games.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Carolina-Florida games.
-- Eight of last ten Tampa Bay-Washington games went over.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Detroit-Vancouver games.
-- Five of last seven Ottawa games stayed under.
-- Last three Ranger games went over the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Florida is 2-2 if it played the night before.
-- Canucks are 2-3 if they played the night before.
-- Sharks are 2-3 if they played the night before.
-- Rangers are 5-3 if they played the night before.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Friday, December 18

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Boston is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
Boston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Pittsburgh's last 14 games when playing Boston

7:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. CAROLINA
Florida is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Florida is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Carolina
Carolina is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. WASHINGTON
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Washington's last 13 games when playing Tampa Bay

7:30 PM
SAN JOSE vs. OTTAWA
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Jose's last 11 games
Ottawa is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ottawa's last 7 games

7:30 PM
VANCOUVER vs. DETROIT
Vancouver is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Vancouver is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Vancouver
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Vancouver

8:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. WINNIPEG
NY Rangers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 7 games when playing at home against NY Rangers
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, December 18

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BOSTON (17-9-0-4, 38 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (15-12-0-3, 33 pts.) - 12/18/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 10-4 ATS (+14.4 Units) in road games first half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 39-24 ATS (+63.5 Units) in road games after shutting out their opponent in their previous game since 1996.
BOSTON is 124-91 ATS (+30.7 Units) in road games after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 59-58 ATS (-18.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 77-100 ATS (-42.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 5-2 (+3.4 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 5-2-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.2 Units)

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FLORIDA (16-12-0-4, 36 pts.) at CAROLINA (12-14-0-5, 29 pts.) - 12/18/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 4-3 (+1.4 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 4-3-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.9 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (16-13-0-3, 35 pts.) at WASHINGTON (22-6-0-2, 46 pts.) - 12/18/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 10-20 ATS (-11.8 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 22-8 ATS (+13.0 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 22-8 ATS (+10.1 Units) first half of the season this season.
TAMPA BAY is 20-7 ATS (+10.5 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-2 (+4.6 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 6-2-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.2 Units)

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VANCOUVER (11-14-0-8, 30 pts.) at DETROIT (16-9-0-6, 38 pts.) - 12/18/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 11-22 ATS (-12.4 Units) in all games this season.
VANCOUVER is 11-22 ATS (-12.4 Units) first half of the season this season.
VANCOUVER is 19-28 ATS (-13.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 5-11 ATS (-8.5 Units) in non-conference games this season.
VANCOUVER is 4-13 ATS (+18.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VANCOUVER is 4-13 ATS (+18.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.
VANCOUVER is 50-37 ATS (+90.8 Units) in road games on Friday nights since 1996.
DETROIT is 29-35 ATS (-29.8 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 15-17 ATS (-9.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 14-22 ATS (-25.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 4-1 (+3.9 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 4-1-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.2 Units)

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SAN JOSE (16-14-0-1, 33 pts.) at OTTAWA (16-11-0-5, 37 pts.) - 12/18/2015, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 2-2 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 2-2-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.4 Units)

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NY RANGERS (19-10-0-4, 42 pts.) at WINNIPEG (14-15-0-2, 30 pts.) - 12/18/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 3-2 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 3-2-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.0 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Lightning (15-13) at Capitals (20-6)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Stars Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals haven't been their usual high-scoring selves lately, with Stamkos' drop in production particularly acute

Their teams, though, have won most of their recent games, and the Capitals have added to their mastery of the Lightning during their successful stretch.

They'll try to secure another victory over Tampa Bay while continuing their home dominance in the series Friday night.

Stamkos hasn't tallied a goal in 10 games, his longest drought since his rookie season of 2008-09, but the Lightning (16-13-3) got plenty of scoring in a 5-4 overtime victory in Toronto on Tuesday. Vladislav Namestnikov finished off the team's fifth win in seven games and fourth in five road contests, while Nikita Kucherov scored his sixth goal in as many games.

"It's satisfying that we're getting the wins and guys are stepping up," said Stamkos, who has 11 goals and 11 assists - well off his 43-goal pace of last season. "Obviously, I do have high expectations and (my stats) are not where I want them to be."

Stamkos has one assist in two games this season against a Capitals team that's 10-1-1 in its last 12 and has won six straight at home.

A 2-1 victory at Tampa on Saturday started Washington (22-6-2) on its three-game win streak. The Capitals have allowed one goal in each of their past two, the most recent a 2-1 victory over Ottawa on Wednesday.

Washington has turned into one of the league's stingiest teams in its second season under defensive-minded coach Barry Trotz. Playing a big role in that has been Braden Holtby, 12-0-1 with a 1.67 goals-against average in his last 13 starts.

"He's an eraser," Trotz said. "Good goaltending erases a lot of mistakes. He's erased a lot of mistakes in the early part of the season for us.

"He's a workhorse. He's a focused athlete. I think his mental toughness is off the charts. I think everybody would agree in our room that he's the most valuable player for us so far this year."

Holtby's play and other contributions have taken some of the pressure off Ovechkin needing to dominate the stat sheet. He has just two of his team-best 14 goals and two assists in his last eight games, but Washington is 6-1-1 in that stretch.

Defenseman John Carlson has scored once in each of the past two games and has nine assists in his last 10. The Capitals also got an early goal from fourth-line forward Michael Latta on Wednesday.

"We're finding ways to win whether it's good goaltending, good penalty kill or good power play," Trotz said. "Right now, we're getting contributions from everyone."

Ovechkin scored in a 4-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Nov. 27, leaving the Capitals at 17-1-2 in the last 20 home matchups. They've taken both meetings this season and four straight in the series.

Holtby started all of those games and allowed a combined eight goals.

Lightning counterpart Ben Bishop is 1-5-1 with a 3.70 GAA in eight lifetime starts against Washington. Nicklas Backstrom has played a big role in inflating that goals-against with four goals and 12 assists in the last 11 matchups.

Ovechkin has three goals and three assists in his past five games in the series, while Stamkos has recorded one goal and seven assists in his last 10 against the Capitals.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Panthers (13-12) at Hurricanes (12-14)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Jeff Skinner has the Carolina Hurricanes playing at a high level on offense, but they haven't had much success in recent meetings with the Florida Panthers.

As the veteran winger looks to stay hot, the Hurricanes will try for their fifth win in seven games Friday night by snapping a four-game losing streak to the Panthers.

After he scored only five goals over his first 25 games, Skinner has found a groove with nine in his last six. He recorded his second hat trick in three games during Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss at Philadelphia.

It's the first time in franchise history that a player had multiple hat tricks in a span of three or fewer team games. Skinner insists he isn't doing anything differently, noting his good chemistry with linemates Victor Rask and newcomer Phil Di Giuseppe.

Di Giuseppe, who was recalled Dec. 5, has made an immediate impact with two goals and three assists - all on goals by Skinner - in his last four games.

"As a line, me, Phil and Rasker have been playing well and generating lots of opportunities. They've just been going in," Skinner, who has a team-high 14 goals, told the team's official website. "When you get a line together that's playing well ... they're able to feed off each other, and it creates the perfect storm to produce."

The Hurricanes have scored at least three goals in six consecutive games, going 4-1-1. They've gotten eight of their 26 goals over that span with the man advantage, including four by league power-play goals leader Justin Faulk.

"Even as a team, we scored more on that (four-game) road trip than we have all year," Skinner added. "Any time that happens, guys are going to have success individually. Hopefully we can keep going as a line and as a team."

Carolina, however, could have a more difficult time as it goes after its fifth win in six at home. Florida (16-12-4) has limited the Hurricanes to just two goals while winning all four meetings over the past two seasons.

Skinner has scored only once over his last 15 in the series after Elias Lindholm provided the only tally in a 4-1 home loss to the Panthers on Oct. 13.

Al Montoya finished with 22 saves in that contest, but he's likely to give way to Roberto Luongo after he had 15 in Thursday's 5-1 win at New Jersey. Luongo has a 1.86 goals-against average over his last eight starts and has allowed just two goals in his last three against the Hurricanes (12-14-5).

The Panthers, who are 2-1 on a four-game trip, have won seven of nine on the road while limiting opponents to 13 goals in the last eight.

They're also playing well on the attack, totaling 15 scores while winning three of their past four overall. Brandon Pirri has two goals and five assists over a five-game point streak and Reilly Smith has a goal in three straight and four of the last five.

"We're having fun," Pirri said. "We're just enjoying the ride."

Cam Ward is expected to start for Carolina despite allowing four goals on eight shots before getting pulled in Tuesday's 6-5 loss at Dallas. He's gone 6-2-1 with a 1.90 GAA in his last nine home starts against the Panthers.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bruins (16-9) at Penguins (14-12)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

After Boston kept the Pittsburgh Penguins winless under new coach Mike Sullivan earlier this week, the Bruins have a chance to quickly do it again.

Looking to extend their recent dominance over the reeling Penguins, the visiting Bruins can sweep this home-and-home with a fourth straight series victory Friday night.

Tuukka Rask made 34 saves and Jimmy Hayes snapped a 15-game goal drought as Boston (17-9-4) dropped Pittsburgh to 0-2-0 since Sullivan replaced the fired Mike Johnston with Wednesday's 3-0 victory.

"You always want to get off to a good start when you're playing those back-to-backs," Bruins coach Claude Julien, whose club has gone 9-1-3 in its last 13, told the team's official website.

"You hope that you can build some momentum, and now, you've got to go back (to Pittsburgh) understanding that they're going to be hungry, and that they're going to be ready for us."

Having gone 9-1-1 in the past 11 matchups including playoffs, Rask and the Bruins have blanked the Penguins (15-12-3) in two straight meetings.

Edmonton was the last team Boston shut out in three consecutive games, spanning the 2006-07 and 2009-10 seasons. The Penguins haven't had it done to them since the New York Rangers did it Feb. 1-March 18, 1970.

At 1-4-1 this month, Pittsburgh has been outscored 7-1 under Sullivan and managed three goals while averaging 40.3 shots in the last three contests. The Penguins are 0 for 14 on the power play in the last six games.

'Well, I think we are getting some chances, we are generating some chances,' Sullivan said. 'For me, what I see is we have to do a better job playing smarter. I think we are playing hard. I think our energy is there. I think our effort is there.'

Rask rendered that effort moot Wednesday, as he's done often in posting a 1.36 goals-against average during his 7-0-2 stretch. He's stopped 109 of 111 shots and recorded two shutouts in a four-game winning streak.

'He's been feeling it for a little while, maybe the last month,' Julien said. 'He's been the goaltender we all know he can be."

Rask, likely to be in net Friday, has posted a 1.29 GAA while starting all of Boston's last 11 games against Pittsburgh.

Sidney Crosby has one goal in nine games and no points in the last three. He's totaled one goal and one assist over his last seven regular-season and playoff home games against the Bruins.

"Once we get one or two, hopefully the flood gates open up for us," Crosby told the NHL's official website. "But we can't let it bother us; at the same time, we can't accept it."

With Marc-Andre Fleury expected to miss at least a week due to a concussion, Penguins backup Jeff Zatkoff is set to start again after making 26 saves Wednesday. He's 2-2-1 with a 2.35 GAA this season.

Hayes, with five goals on the season, recorded his third in his last three contests against the Penguins.

"Jimmy's going to have success by going to the net like he did (Wednesday)," Julien said. "He's really good at either tipping pucks or finding loose pucks. He's a big man; he has to play that game."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sharks (0-0) at Senators (0-0)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Ottawa was spitting out road goals like a loose slot machine in the early part of the season, but an abrupt end to that binge made things difficult during a recent stretch in which five of six were played on opposing ice.

The Senators have been more levelheaded at home, where they'll try for a fourth straight victory Friday night against the San Jose Sharks, who have continued their puzzling success on the road while struggling at home.

After starting 7-2-1 outside Ottawa with 3.80 goals per game, the Senators (16-11-5) have lost five of six road contests with 11 combined tallies.

Five of those games were on a 2-4-0 overall span with 13 goals scored, but the lion's share came in Monday's 5-3 home win over Los Angeles. They followed that with a 2-1 defeat in Washington, so a quick stop home before heading south to face Tampa Bay and Florida leading into Christmas figures to be a relief.

But the Canadian capital wasn't always a refuge. The Senators started 0-2-2 at home, but have since gone 8-2-2 with 3.08 goals per game. The three straight wins have come behind 12 goals, and Mike Hoffman has tallied seven on a five-game home goal streak.

At the other end, Andrew Hammond played against the Capitals in his first action since Nov. 12 because of a concussion.

"Felt pretty comfortable in there," Hammond told the team's official website. "It was one of those games where it was pretty easy to get into it early on. I felt like I settled into it pretty quick. It was one of those tight, low-scoring games where you couldn't give them much. Ultimately, it was a night where there weren't going to be a lot of goals scored, but we ended up on the wrong end of that."

It's not yet known whether Hammond will get a chance to build on that or if Ottawa will go with Craig Anderson, who has a 3.18 goals-against average over a 6-5-0 span.

The Senators won both meetings last season with Hammond allowing two goals in each with a .934 save percentage. Hoffman helped him out with three goals and three assists.

The Sharks (16-14-1) have hinted at starting to turn things around with consecutive wins to begin a five-game trip, but it's followed a six-game losing streak. The road, however, might be a relief considering San Jose's league-best 12 away wins - including a 9-2-1 mark since the start of November - while going 4-9-0 at home.

"We don't really beat ourselves on the road," Joe Pavelski told the team's official website. "It has been a tough stretch. We love playing at home, but we definitely expect to be better. We have to find a solution."

Thursday's 5-4 overtime win in Toronto featured Patrick Marleau's third goal in four games and a goal and two assists from Pavelski two nights after he had one of each in a 3-1 win at Montreal. The center has scored in three straight road games and gotten 11 of his 15 total in opponents' buildings. He's also scored in his last two at Ottawa.

Martin Jones has started the last five games, which already includes a back-to-back set, so Alex Stalock could be in goal. Stalock has struggled in limited time as a starter, going 2-3-0 with a 3.63 GAA and .872 save percentage.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Canucks (10-14) at Red Wings (15-9)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Blowing third-period leads was actually working out relatively well for Detroit until its most recent game. The Red Wings have done so in nine of their last 14, though the latest was the first that ended in a regulation loss.

Now welcoming Vancouver for the second of a four-game homestand, Detroit's looking to do things by the book, and the Canucks don't appear to be the kind of team that can overcome any kind of deficit - particularly if Henrik Sedin is to miss time.

Prior to Monday's 2-1 loss against Buffalo, the Red Wings (16-9-6) had gone 8-0-5 before finally failing to gain a point three nights after a 3-2 overtime loss at New Jersey in which they gave up a two-goal lead in the final 20 minutes.

"We've been playing a little bit sloppier lately," captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "So maybe this was the little wake-up call here. Just got to get back to playing the right way for 60 minutes."

They might push that along by getting their power play clicking in their own building. Detroit ranked second in 2014-15 at 23.5 percent but is 20th this season at 18.2. At home, the Red Wings are at 14.5 - among the worst marks in the league.

"Some games have been pretty awful where we can't get things set up or get things going, but I think a lot of games we've had actually pretty good chances, it's just a matter of burying those chances," Gustav Nyquist told the team's official website.

"Hopefully it'll get better at home."

The Red Wings have gone 8-2-2 in the series since the start of 2011-12, including a 3-2 overtime win at Vancouver on Oct. 24.

The Canucks (11-13-8) are playing their fourth on a six-game trip and completing a back-to-back after a 2-0 loss in Philadelphia. This marks their third game in four days, so rather than worry about the final 20 minutes, Detroit is hoping for a quick start.

"It's not really try to focus on it but obviously it's a little on your mind you have to jump as soon as the puck drops," said Tomas Tatar, who's scored in his last two games against Vancouver and expects to be OK Friday after an illness. "You know how you feel when you go back to back, it's not easy, especially the first five minutes, to get the body going, but that's what we should use against them and just play whole game."

The Canucks have lost three straight by a 12-2 total and been shut out four times over a 2-6-1 span, so their first four-game regulation skid since a seven-game slide in 2013-14 is looking likely.

Sedin left the loss to the Flyers in the second period with a lower-body injury, and the only update after the game was that a forward would be called up from AHL Utica.

"It'll get tougher," coach Willie Desjardins told the team's official website. "But it'll give other guys a chance in maybe different roles. You never know. ... Your only choice is to go ahead and keep going. That's what we're supposed to do and that's what we have to do."

Ryan Miller, who has a 3.52 goals-against average over a 2-4-0 span, figures to be in net after Jacob Markstrom played against the Flyers. Miller is 1-5-1 with a 3.53 GAA lifetime in Detroit.

Jimmy Howard will start for the Red Wings after Petr Mrazek faced the Sabres. Howard has a 1.91 GAA and .943 save percentage over a 1-0-2 span. He didn't face the Canucks in October but has a 1.57 GAA and .936 save percentage over a 4-1-1 span in the series.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (18-10) at Jets (14-15)
Date: December 18, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Having fallen on tough times after a fantastic start, the New York Rangers have to find a way to contain the opposition away from Madison Square Garden.

That challenge might fall even more on Henrik Lundqvist after backup goalie Antti Raanta went down with an injury for what could be a lengthy amount of time.

The Rangers look to tighten things up Friday night and end their longest road losing streak in seven years with a fifth win in the last six visits to Winnipeg.

Since allowing 1.76 goals per game during a 16-3-2 start, New York (19-10-4) has won just three times - all at the Garden - over its last 12. The club has struggled defensively on the road, allowing at least five goals in the last three away games and 24 while going 0-4-2 in its past six.

It's the Rangers' longest road skid since an 0-7-2 stretch Jan. 18-Feb. 25, 2009.

Making matters worse, they may have lost Raanta for an extended period after he took a shot off the mask 11:49 into Thursday's 5-2 loss at Minnesota. In his first relief appearance since Oct. 12, 2013, Lundqvist allowed four goals on 31 shots.

The former Vezina Trophy winner hasn't been able to stop the recent woes, allowing nine goals on 64 shots in his last two on the road. He's played much better against the Jets, going 5-3-1 with a 1.88 goals-against average in his last nine meetings.

"I didn't face so much in the first, so that was good," Lundqvist said. "But it's awfully tough to come in like that. In the first, after that, I think you're in it. I played good in the second, but in the third I just need to be better."

Winnipeg is focused on improving its special teams after going 0 for 2 on the power play and letting St. Louis convert 2 of 3 in Tuesday's 4-3 home loss. The squad ranks near the bottom of the league in power-play (15.2) and penalty-kill (77.3) percentage.

"There's some things to improve on for sure," Winnipeg defenseman Tyler Myers told the team's official website. "Definitely want to come in urgent (Friday), but we need to have a lot of urgency going forward with all our games."

The Rangers sit in the top 10 in both special teams categories, but only have two power-play goals in the last five road games and have given up nine in the last seven.

Jets center Mark Scheifele, who got his team-high 12th goal against the Blues, is having a big December with four goals and four assists in six games.

Mats Zuccarello leads New York with 14 goals and is second with three on the power play. He had scored in three straight before coming up empty Tuesday. He's scored in the last two meetings with Winnipeg, including the lone tally in a 4-1 home loss Oct. 13.

The Rangers are 4-1 at Winnipeg since the franchise moved from Atlanta in 2011-12.

Bryan Little led the Jets (14-15-2) with two goals in the October victory at MSG, while goalie Michael Hutchinson came up big with 40 saves. Hutchinson, however, has scuffled more recently, posting a 3.98 GAA while going 0-7-1 over his last eight starts.

Rookie Connor Hellebuyck could be in net again. He's given up 10 goals while dropping two of his last three starts after allowing three during a 3-0-0 start.

The Jets are looking to avoid their first back-to-back home losses since Oct. 18-23.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL TOTALS

NHL > (53) FLORIDA@ (54) CAROLINA | 2015-12-18 19:05:00 - 2015-12-18 19:05:00
Play UNDER CAROLINA on the totalin Home games after a division game
The record is 3 Overs and 16 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.6 units)

NHL > (59) SAN JOSE@ (60) OTTAWA | 2015-12-18 19:35:00 - 2015-12-18 19:35:00
Play OVER OTTAWA on the totalin All games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 29 Overs and 11 Unders for the last three seasons (+19.05 units)

NHL > (51) BOSTON@ (52) PITTSBURGH | 2015-12-18 19:05:00 - 2015-12-18 19:05:00
Play UNDER PITTSBURGH on the totalin All games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 15 Overs and 33 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.8 units)