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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Maple Leafs (10-14) at Penguins (16-15)
Date: December 30, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Home ice hasn't been kind to the Pittsburgh Penguins lately, but the Toronto Maple Leafs certainly have.

The Penguins seek just their second home win in over a month Wednesday night when they face the Maple Leafs.

Pittsburgh (17-15-3) finds itself in an unfamiliar position, currently fifth in the Metropolitan Division and out of the playoffs if the season ended today. The Penguins have finished either first or second in eight of the last nine years and haven't sat out the postseason since 2005-06.

The offense has been a big disappointment despite the offseason addition of former Maple Leaf Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh ranks near the bottom of the league in goals per game (2.23) and power-play percentage (16.2).

Evgeni Malkin is one of the team's few players producing at an expected rate with 17 goals and 30 points. Sidney Crosby has only seven goals in 34 games while Patric Hornqvist has six after totaling 47 the past two seasons.

Another problem is the Penguins' less-than-stellar 9-7-2 home record that includes five losses in the last six games. They ended a five-game skid there with a 5-2 win over Columbus on Dec. 21.

Pittsburgh followed that with a 3-1 victory at Minnesota on Saturday, but failed to make it three straight the next night, falling 1-0 at Winnipeg.

Crosby, who had a three-game point streak snapped, said the back-to-back action was no excuse.

'We had a good (Christmas) break,' he said. 'We should be well-rested. They jumped on us early and we got on our heels a bit. A better start definitely would have helped us.'

Crosby and his teammates should be happy to see the Maple Leafs (13-15-7) after winning the first two meetings this season and seven straight in the series, including four in a row at home.

This season's two victories, however, came with Marc-Andre Fleury in net and he hasn't played since Dec. 14 due to a concussion. Although Fleury returned to practice Tuesday for the first time, coach Mike Sullivan declined to offer a timetable for his return.

"I felt pretty good out there today," Fleury said in comments tweeted by the Penguins. "I'm not sure when I'm going to be back. It's going to be gradual."

Jeff Zatkoff made 27 saves in Sunday's loss and dropped to 0-4-1 with a 2.97 goals-against average in his last five starts.

Rookie Matt Murray is 2-1-0 with a 1.68 GAA in his first three NHL games.

Either Zatkoff or Murray will be facing a Toronto team that was cooled off with Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the visiting New York Islanders. The Leafs won the opener of that home-and-home set 3-1 on Sunday, and had recorded at least one point in seven of eight games (5-1-2).

Jonathan Bernier struggled mightily, allowing six goals on just 15 shots before he was replaced by James Reimer to start the third period.

'I don't think I was ready. I wasn't good enough tonight,' Bernier said. 'Wasn't my game, I wasn't good and I just have to be better next game.'

Reimer's appearance was his first after missing seven games with a groin injury. He's likely to start this contest given his 4-0-2 record and 2.27 GAA against the Penguins.

Another victory, however, will be a challenge with Toronto 0-6-2 this season in the second game of back to backs.

Penguins defenseman Kris Letang also practiced Tuesday after he was held out Sunday as a precaution. He took a shot to the head against the Wild.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (19-13) at Lightning (17-15)
Date: December 30, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Alain Vigneault is trying to shake the New York Rangers out of their funk, so he's shuffling the lines. And right now, there's no room for the struggling Kevin Hayes.

With Hayes a healthy scratch for the first time this season, the Rangers attempt to snap their longest road losing streak in almost seven years Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

New York (20-13-4) is mired in a 4-10-2 stretch after falling 5-3 at Nashville on Monday. That extended the Rangers' skid outside Madison Square Garden to eight games (0-6-2) for the first time since going 0-7-2 from Jan. 18-Feb. 25, 2009.

Though Vigneault is looking for a spark with his switches, the most notable move is scratching Hayes, who hasn't scored in 16 games. He has just six goals after netting 17 as a rookie last season.

"I think Kevin has had an extra-long leash, especially considering (Derek Stepan) was out for quite some time, but there's just nothing going on," Vigneault told the team's official website. "At the end of the day we're at the point now where we have to make some decisions in the best interest of the team.

"In Kevin's case we made it all clear about our expectations for him and what we thought he could do, and they were very high. Obviously he has not lived up to that. I know what we are seeing now is not good enough."

That could be said of the rest of the Rangers, too. The new-look lines are expected to have Rick Nash drop down from the first to the second with Stepan and Jesper Fast. J.T. Miller replaces him on the top line, joining Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello, while Chris Kreider moves to the third line with rookie Oscar Lindberg and Emerson Etem.

Vigneault may opt to go with Henrik Lundqvist, but he's 2-4-0 with a 4.48 goals-against average over his last seven games and has been pulled in three of his last six starts. He was lifted midway through the third period Monday after giving up five goals on 35 shots.

"Tonight was nothing about Henrik," Vigneault said. "They were teeing it up from the ladies' tee. At 5-1, I thought it was time to give him a break. He gave us a chance. As a team, we need to respond better."

Lundqvist has a 3.65 GAA while losing five straight regular-season meetings with the Lightning. He made 26 stops in a 2-1 loss at Tampa Bay on Nov. 19 after compiling a 3.03 GAA in the Rangers' seven-game series loss to the Lightning in last season's Eastern Conference final.

Tampa Bay (18-15-4) is having its own problems, alternating wins and losses over its last eight home games. The Lightning seemed on their way to breaking that trend Monday, scoring twice in a span of 21 seconds in the third period before giving up a goal 32 seconds later and losing 4-3 in a shootout to Montreal.

"We found a way to get the lead in the third, and we have to close it out," said captain Steven Stamkos, who was pointless after scoring five goals with one assist over the previous four games.

Stamkos has 31 points in 30 career meetings with the Rangers, including the playoffs. However, he doesn't have a point in three straight after scoring a goal in each of the previous four, adding an assist in three of them.

Nikita Kucherov had eight points against New York in the playoffs but failed to get any last month.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Flyers (14-13) at Sharks (16-16)
Date: December 30, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks looked sluggish throughout one of their worst efforts of the season following the holiday break as their inexplicable home struggles continued.

Time off didn't prove any better for the Philadelphia Flyers, who could be undergoing a bit of a roster shake-up.

San Jose looks to snap a four-game home losing streak by beating Philadelphia for a fifth straight time Wednesday night.

No longer are opponents intimidated by the SAP Center, where the Sharks (17-16-2) for years dominated on home ice. They own the league's worst home record at 4-10-0 and are still involved in a tight Pacific Division race largely because they're tied for the second-most road victories.

San Jose went 3-1-1 on a road trip before the break, then returned Monday with a 6-3 home loss to Colorado. It hadn't allowed a power-play goal in any of its previous seven before allowing four while taking six penalties - four in the first period - against the Avalanche.

The Sharks, who tied their season high for goals allowed, hadn't given up more than two power-play goals in a game all season.

'When you take tripping, hooking or holding penalties, to me, you're not moving your feet,' coach Peter DeBoer said. 'I liked the way we started. Our penalty kill has been arguably the best in the league over the last two months. They were making plays through us. That's a bad formula."

Martin Jones faced a tough task with the Sharks short-handed so often and has a 3.96 goals-against average over his last four starts.

Melker Karlsson scored in overtime and Jones made 34 saves in a 1-0 win over Philadelphia on Nov. 19 for San Jose's fourth straight victory in the series. The Flyers (15-13-7) rank near the bottom of the league in scoring and failed to reach three goals for the third time in four games in Sunday's 4-2 loss at Anaheim.

Jakub Voracek and Michael Raffl scored for Philadelphia, which was coming off a 3-0-1 stretch prior to the holiday break.

"We're still a confident team right now and we're confident we can beat anybody," Voracek said. "We just have to make sure we put a lot of work in and get back at it."

Coach Dave Hakstol hinted at adjusting his lines at Tuesday's practice but didn't discuss specifics. What's more clear is that changes should be coming to the defense.

Mark Streit has been on long-term injured reserve with a groin injury since mid-November and is ready to return. The Flyers need to clear cap space in order to have Streit and rookie standout Shayne Gostisbehere on the roster, forcing them to place forward Sam Gagner on waivers.

Gagner had five points in 18 games before suffering a concussion Nov. 23. He hasn't played since, and if he clears waivers he'll likely play for the club's AHL affiliate.

"We've kept our forward group pretty similar over the last little while here," Hakstol said. "I'm not saying we're definitely going to make a lineup change up front, but it's on the table and it's a possibility. Probably won't make that decision until we get to game day."

The Flyers have dropped three straight on the road and could give Steve Mason a fifth consecutive start in goal. Mason made 20 saves in the first meeting and has a 1.59 GAA in his last three against the Sharks.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (9) PHILADELPHIA@ (10) SAN JOSE | 2015-12-30 22:35:00 - 2015-12-30 22:35:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 4 Wins and 25 Losses for the last two seasons (-21.65 units)

NHL > (9) PHILADELPHIA@ (10) SAN JOSE | 2015-12-30 22:35:00 - 2015-12-30 22:35:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season
The record is 2 Wins and 17 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.15 units)

NHL > (5) NEW JERSEY@ (6) OTTAWA | 2015-12-30 19:35:00 - 2015-12-30 19:35:00
Play ON OTTAWA using money line in All games revenging a home loss versus opponent
The record is 23 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (+18.6 units)

NHL > (1) BUFFALO@ (2) WASHINGTON | 2015-12-30 19:05:00 - 2015-12-30 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in All games
The record is 26 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (+17.3 units)

NHL > (7) NY RANGERS@ (8) TAMPA BAY | 2015-12-30 20:05:00 - 2015-12-30 20:05:00
Play AGAINST NY RANGERS using money line in Road games in December games
The record is 0 Wins and 7 Losses for the this season (-7.75 units)

NHL > (3) TORONTO@ (4) PITTSBURGH | 2015-12-30 19:05:00 - 2015-12-30 19:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 11 Wins and 34 Losses for the last three seasons (-24.55 units)

NHL > (1) BUFFALO@ (2) WASHINGTON | 2015-12-30 19:05:00 - 2015-12-30 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in all games
The record is 27 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (+16.3 units)

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NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (9) PHILADELPHIA@ (10) SAN JOSE | 2015-12-30 22:35:00 - 2015-12-30 22:35:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 4 Wins and 25 Losses for the last two seasons (-21.65 units)

NHL > (9) PHILADELPHIA@ (10) SAN JOSE | 2015-12-30 22:35:00 - 2015-12-30 22:35:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season
The record is 2 Wins and 17 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.15 units)

NHL > (5) NEW JERSEY@ (6) OTTAWA | 2015-12-30 19:35:00 - 2015-12-30 19:35:00
Play ON OTTAWA in All games revenging a home loss versus opponent
The record is 23 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (+18.6 units)

NHL > (7) NY RANGERS@ (8) TAMPA BAY | 2015-12-30 20:05:00 - 2015-12-30 20:05:00
Play AGAINST NY RANGERS in Road games in December games
The record is 0 Wins and 7 Losses for the this season (-7.75 units)

NHL > (3) TORONTO@ (4) PITTSBURGH | 2015-12-30 19:05:00 - 2015-12-30 19:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 11 Wins and 34 Losses for the last three seasons (-24.55 units)

NHL > (1) BUFFALO@ (2) WASHINGTON | 2015-12-30 19:05:00 - 2015-12-30 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON in All games first half of the season
The record is 27 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (+16.3 units)

NHL > (1) BUFFALO@ (2) WASHINGTON | 2015-12-30 19:05:00 - 2015-12-30 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON in all games
The record is 27 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (+16.3 units)

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NHL TOTALS

NHL > (9) PHILADELPHIA@ (10) SAN JOSE | 2015-12-30 22:35:00 - 2015-12-30 22:35:00
Play OVER SAN JOSE on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 17 Overs and 4 Unders for the last two seasons (+13.05 units)

NHL > (5) NEW JERSEY@ (6) OTTAWA | 2015-12-30 19:35:00 - 2015-12-30 19:35:00
Play OVER OTTAWA on the totalin All games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 11 Overs and 3 Unders for the this season (+8.9 units)

NHL > (9) PHILADELPHIA@ (10) SAN JOSE | 2015-12-30 22:35:00 - 2015-12-30 22:35:00
Play OVER SAN JOSE on the totalin Home games in non-conference games
The record is 6 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+6.4 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Devils (16-14) at Senators (15-13)
Date: December 30, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Coach Dave Cameron should be happy to return home, where the Ottawa Senators are on the cusp of their longest winning streak in almost six years.

The New Jersey Devils are just trying to win back-to-back games for the first time in seven weeks.

After their struggles on the road continued, the Senators seek a bounce-back effort Wednesday night against the Devils.

Ottawa (18-13-6) is 10-4-4 at home this season, winning seven of its last eight and five in a row. The Senators haven't put together a longer winning streak as host since a seven-game run from Jan. 19-Feb. 11, 2010.

Their recent home success has been undermined by losing eight of their past nine road games, including six in a row after falling 7-3 at Boston to split a home-and-home set Tuesday.

"I hate losing and I lost, so it was a bad taste," Cameron told the team's official website. "Upset, whatever, I hate losing."

Ottawa has done that in the last two matchups with New Jersey (18-14-5), squandering a two-goal, third-period lead to fall 5-4 in a shootout Oct. 22.

Lee Stempniak set up Adam Henrique's goal before scoring himself with 32 seconds left in regulation and netting the decisive shootout attempt. That gave New Jersey its third victory during a season-high four-game winning streak.

The Devils have only managed to string together back-to-back wins on three separate occasions since, most recently Nov. 12 and 14.

New Jersey has a chance to do it again after scoring twice in the third period to beat Carolina 3-2 on Tuesday.

"We talked about wanting to get back to our identity, play hard and play for each other," said defenseman David Schlemko, who scored the go-ahead goal with 3:05 remaining. "We thought our game was alright tonight and we stuck with it."

Kyle Palmieri scored the equalizer Tuesday and has a goal in three straight games. The right wing is one game shy of the longest scoring streak of his career, set from Dec. 4-11.

He also has a personal-best and team-leading 16 goals.

Palmieri, though, has only one assist in four career meetings with Ottawa.

Cory Schneider is 4-1-1 with a 1.61 goals-against average against the Senators, making 35 saves and turning aside three of four shootout attempts Oct. 22.

He should be back in net after being rested Tuesday in favor of Keith Kinkaid, who had 24 saves.

The Senators may counter with Andrew Hammond after Craig Anderson made 30 saves against the Bruins. Hammond lost his only meeting with the Devils in October, stopping 28 shots before giving up goals on two of four shootout tries.

Mike Hoffman scored his team-leading 18th goal Tuesday, snapping a five-game drought. The left wing has seven goals and five assists during a seven-game point streak at home. He's tallied twice in three home meetings with New Jersey, getting one in October.

Erik Karlsson ranks fourth in the league and tops all defensemen with 41 points, collecting nine during a seven-game streak. He's totaled 11 while recording at least one point in five straight home games.

Karlsson, though, has failed to get a point in the last two matchups with the Devils after he had seven over the previous five.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Why does DirecTV carry Al Jazeera but not the Pac-12 Network?

-- Suns G Eric Bledsoe (knee) is done for the year. Bad news for Phoenix.

-- Baylor 49, North Carolina 38-- Bears didn't have a QB, so they ran ball for 645 yards in an impressive display of brute force.

-- LSU 56, Texas Tech 27-- Leonard Fournette scored five touchdowns.

-- Golden State Warriors have won 33 home games in a row.

-- Eagles fired Chip Kelly, who will get another chance quickly, either with Titans in NFL or at a school desperate to win. Morale of his story in Philly: You can't act like Belichick if you don't have Brady at quarterback.

**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Our bottom 5, top 8 in the NFL.......

32) Titans-- Their fortunes took a turn last night when Eagles fired Chip Kelly. Hard to believe Tennessee won't bring him in next year to coach Marcus Mariota .

31) Browns-- Can knock Steelers out of playoff contention by beating them Sunday; problem is, they're 5-27 in last 32 games against Pittsburgh.

30) Jaguars-- Offense has progressed, defense has regressed; they're keeping coach Bradley next year, which is good, since they've improved overall this season.

29) Cowboys-- 1-10 when Romo didn't start; they cut Weeden, now he is leading the Texans to the playoffs. Will they trade for Johnny Manziel this winter?

28) 49ers-- I'm sure the taxpayers are thrilled that they blew up the team two years after they got their brand-new stadium. Is Gabbert the answer at QB?

8) Packers-- Their offensive line was awful last week; they host Vikings for the NFC North title and a home playoff game in Sunday night's regular season finale.

7) Steelers-- Need a win this week and need Bills to upset Jets to make playoffs. it is a very small difference between success/failure in the NFL, like having a good backup QB when your Hall of Fame starter gets hurt. Steelers are likely to miss playoffs due to getting swept by the 5-10 Ravens, who used a 4th-string QB last week.

6) Jets-- They're +18 in turnovers in their wins, -13 in losses; they had two fewer road games than usual, playing Giants in stadium they share, also playing a Miami "home" game in London. Fitzpatrick has had an excellent season, but only reason he starts is because a teammate (since cut) punched Geno Smith and broke his jaw this summer.

5) Seahawks-- Last week was first time in almost four years they played a game and never had the lead. They're going to play either Washington, Minnesota or Green Bay in playoffs next week; they'd be a hefty favorite over the Redskins.

4) Chiefs-- They were 1-5 and now they've won nine games in a row and could win their division if Denver slips up against the Chargers.

3) Patriots-- They've lost three of last five games after 10-0 start; they need win this week to sew up home field thru AFC playoffs. They're 9-2 in last 11 games vs Miami, so that looks like a pretty good bet.

2) Panthers-- I'm guessing they feel relieved after losing last week; now they can get down to business and prepare for the playoffs. I'm guessing they'd rather play either Packers/Vikings than Seahawks in first round of playoffs.

1) Cardinals-- Carson Palmer has never won a playoff game; this is the best chance Arizona will have of winning a Super Bowl for a few years. Can they do it?

[StarDust Bum]

Which spot bets are the wiseguys looking to wager this week?

After giving safety Charles Woodson a storybook ending on Xmas Eve, the Raiders could be open for a letdown at Kansas City in the season finale.

Letdown spot

The Oakland Raiders have already exceeded expectations this NFL season. The Silver & Black, at 7-8 SU, entered the year with a season win total of 5.5 and has showed glimpses of a young promising team about to make a move in the aging AFC West. Last week, Oakland bid farewell to veteran safety Charles Woodson in the Raiders’ final home game of the schedule, edging San Diego in overtime.

That storybook ending on Christmas Eve leaves Oakland open for a letdown in the season finale at Kansas City. While Oakland could enjoy playing the role of spoiler to another divisional foe, it will be tough to top the emotion of last Thursday. Don’t be surprised if the Raiders come out flat as touchdown dogs at Arrowhead.

Lookahead spot

The Toronto Raptors are battling to stay atop of the Atlantic Division while also holding on to their spot among the NBA’s upper echelon. Toronto has wins over heavyweights like Cleveland and San Antonio this season, but have struggled against mid-to-lower tier teams.

The Raptors can add another big win to their resume when they face LeBron James and the Cavs Monday, however, run the risk of looking ahead to that matchup when they play the Chicago Bulls Sunday. Toronto dropped a 104-97 loss to the Bulls Monday and have a busy schedule before playing Cleveland, hosting Washington, Charlotte and Chicago from Dec. 30 to Jan. 3.

Schedule spot

The Winnipeg Jets embark on the five-game road trip this week, opening in Arizona on New Year’s Eve. The Jets will play three games in four nights when they visit San Jose and Anaheim on Jan. 2 and 3, and finish this stretch with games at Nashville and Dallas.

Winnipeg is among the worst road teams in hockey, owning a 6-12-1 record as a visitor. The Jets average only 2.37 goals per away game while giving up 3.32 goals against to home teams – tied for second worst in the NHL. Winnipeg has dropped five straight road games and has only one win away from home in its last dozen tilts on the road.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, December 30

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BUFFALO (15-17-0-4, 34 pts.) at WASHINGTON (27-6-0-2, 56 pts.) - 12/30/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 27-8 ATS (+39.5 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 18-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) in December games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 27-8 ATS (+15.2 Units) first half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 10-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak this season.
WASHINGTON is 14-3 ATS (+9.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
WASHINGTON is 14-3 ATS (+9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 15-25 ATS (-24.9 Units) in home games after shutting out their opponent in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 3-4 (+1.4 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 4-3-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.2 Units)

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TORONTO (13-14-0-7, 33 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (17-15-0-3, 37 pts.) - 12/30/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 5-22 ATS (+34.4 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 24-50 ATS (+83.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 16-29 ATS (-17.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 61-61 ATS (-14.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 77-101 ATS (-43.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 29-26 ATS (-11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 7-1 (+5.6 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 7-1-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.9 Units)

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NEW JERSEY (17-14-0-5, 39 pts.) at OTTAWA (18-12-0-6, 42 pts.) - 12/30/2015, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 4-3 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 4-3-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.9 Units)

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NY RANGERS (20-13-0-4, 44 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (18-15-0-4, 40 pts.) - 12/30/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 4-11 ATS (-8.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
NY RANGERS are 3-9 ATS (-8.7 Units) in December games this season.
NY RANGERS are 61-83 ATS (-36.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 30-14 ATS (+11.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 10-4 (+6.9 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 10-4-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.3 Units)

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PHILADELPHIA (15-13-0-7, 37 pts.) at SAN JOSE (17-16-0-2, 36 pts.) - 12/30/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 2-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 7-16 ATS (+24.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 10-21 ATS (-11.6 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 16-37 ATS (-29.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 12-24 ATS (-15.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 75-55 ATS (+17.8 Units) in road games in December games since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 57-60 ATS (-12.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 2-7 ATS (-6.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
SAN JOSE is 4-10 ATS (-9.8 Units) in home games first half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 8-14 ATS (-17.1 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 7-11 ATS (-9.5 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 24-28 ATS (-14.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 15-19 ATS (-18.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 4-1 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 4-1-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.5 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, December 30

Hot teams
-- Washington won last eight games, allowing 11 goals.
-- Maple Leafs won three of last four road games.
-- Lightning is 5-0 in game following its last five losses.
-- Philly is 7-5 in its last twelve games.

Cold teams
-- Sabres are 4-6 in their last ten games.
-- Pittsburgh won eight of its last eleven games.
-- Devils lost four of their last six games. Ottawa lost six of its last nine.
-- Rangers lost 12 of their last 16 games.
-- San Jose lost three of its last four games.

Series records
-- Washington won four of last five games with Buffalo.
-- Penguins won their last seven games with Toronto.
-- Devils won four of last six games with Ottawa.
-- Rangers lost five of last seven games with Tampa Bay.
-- Flyers lost nine of last ten games with San Jose.

Totals
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Buffalo road games.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Toronto road games.
-- Four of last five New Jersey road games stayed under.
-- Seven of last nine Ranger road games went over.
-- Last five San Jose games went over the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Toronto is 0-8 if it played night before;
-- New Jersey is 1-3 if it played night before. Ottawa is 1-3; teams are 4-7 night after playing the Bruins.




NHL

Wednesday, December 30

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
BUFFALO vs. WASHINGTON
Buffalo is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Buffalo is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Buffalo
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. PITTSBURGH
Toronto is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Toronto's last 20 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto

7:30 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. OTTAWA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Jersey's last 5 games on the road
New Jersey is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Ottawa is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against New Jersey
Ottawa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
NY Rangers are 3-9 SU in their last 12 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 9-3 SU in their last 12 games when playing NY Rangers

10:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. SAN JOSE
Philadelphia is 1-7-1 SU in its last 9 games ,when playing on the road against San Jose
Philadelphia is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose's last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
San Jose is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing Philadelphia

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, December 30


Buffalo @ Washington

Game 1-2
December 30, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Buffalo
10.202
Washington
12.714
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-240
5
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-240); Over

Toronto @ Pittsburgh

Game 3-4
December 30, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
11.986
Pittsburgh
10.817
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-170
5
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+150); Under

New Jersey @ Ottawa

Game 5-6
December 30, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Jersey
11.517
Ottawa
10.199
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New Jersey
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ottawa
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
New Jersey
N/A

NY Rangers @ Tampa Bay

Game 7-8
December 30, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Rangers
10.215
Tampa Bay
11.776
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-135
5
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-135); Over

Philadelphia @ San Jose

Game 9-10
December 30, 2015 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
11.817
San Jose
10.726
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-170
5
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+150); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Wednesday, December 30


Faves went 8-2 and the Over went 6-3-1 in the 10 NHL games Tuesday.


The Leafs have lost each of their last seven meetings with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


TOR at PIT 07:00 PM

TOR +158 DOUBLE PLAY

O 5.0


BUF at WAS 07:00 PM

WAS -222

U 5.0 DOUBLE PLAY


NJ at OTT 07:30 PM

OTT -130

U 5.0


NYR at TB 08:00 PM

TB -136 TRIPLE PLAY

O 5.0


PHI at SJ 10:30 PM

SJ -165 DOUBLE PLAY

O 5.0 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Islanders (17-12) at Sabres (14-17)
Date: December 31, 2015 6:00 PM EDT

Goaltending and penalty killing have been outstanding lately for the New York Islanders. They could be a very dangerous team if their last performance is indicative of where their offense is headed.

Buoyed by a remarkable run of penalty killing, the Islanders try to continue their New Year's Eve success Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres.

New York headed into Tuesday's game in Toronto with four losses in five games and just three goals scored in those defeats. After losing the opener of their home-and-home series 3-1 on Sunday, the Islanders (20-12-5) got exactly what they were looking for on the road, as six different players scored and 13 recorded at least a point in a 6-3 victory.

Captain John Tavares tallied his second goal in 11 contests, Anders Lee ended a 15-game drought and New York matched its season high in goals.

'I just need to produce,' Tavares said. 'Have to find a way to get the puck in the net, whether it's me, my opportunities or creating more for my line mates.'

Brock Nelson, Frans Nielsen, Nikolay Kulemin and Matt Martin also scored for the Islanders, who denied the Maple Leafs on four power-play opportunities to extend their streak to 35 straight kills over a franchise-record 15 games.

"It's our second year here together with (assistant coach Greg Cronin) and we're kind of figuring out what he wants us to do and our routes," Nielsen said. "We're working hard, sacrificing and hopefully we can keep it going."

With Jaroslav Halak nursing an upper-body injury, Thomas Greiss is likely to make his third consecutive start Thursday.

Signed in the offseason to back up Halak, Greiss has been as good or possibly better than the team's No. 1 netminder with a .932 save percentage that puts him among the NHL leaders. He has allowed two goals or fewer in 10 of his 16 starts.

One area that remains a concern for New York is a power play that is 1 for 24 over the last seven games. That unit ranks in the lower third of the league at 17.5 percent.

Playing on New Year's Eve has proven very beneficial for the Islanders, who are 8-0-1 in their last nine games on Dec. 31, including 18 goals scored during four straight wins.

The last-place Sabres (15-18-4) will be happy to see any team besides Washington after they were swept in a home-and-home set. Buffalo followed Monday's 2-0 home defeat by allowing four unanswered third-period goals in a 5-2 loss Wednesday.

Brian Gionta and Zemgus Girgensons scored for the Sabres, who were enjoying a 2-0-1 stretch before running into the league-leading Capitals.

A struggling power play continues to also be an issue for Buffalo, which went 0 for 4 Wednesday and is scoreless on 21 chances spanning seven games.

"It's always about the next opportunity," coach Dan Bylsma told the team's official website. "We've had opportunities. We just didn't capitalize."

Chad Johnson made 38 saves Wednesday and could be rested in favor of rookie Linus Ullmark, who stopped 29 shots in a 2-1 road victory over the Islanders on Nov. 1. Ullmark, though, is 1-6-2 with a 2.69 goals-against average in his last nine starts.

Matt Moulson and Sam Reinhart scored third-period goals in that win at New York.

Moulson hasn't scored in 24 games and was a healthy scratch Wednesday. He tallied 118 goals for the Islanders from 2009-13.

The Islanders are 6-1-2 in their last nine at Buffalo.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Capitals (25-6) at Hurricanes (15-17)
Date: December 31, 2015 6:00 PM EDT

Injuries aren't slowing down the NHL-leading Washington Capitals and recent history indicates the Carolina Hurricanes are also unlikely to do it.

With at least center Jay Beagle and top defenseman John Carlson out Thursday night against the Hurricanes, the Capitals go for their longest winning streak since setting a franchise record nearly six years ago.

Washington (28-6-2) is off to the best start in club annals, and it's won nine games in a row after scoring four unanswered third-period goals to rally for a 5-2 win over Buffalo on Wednesday.

The comeback effort was made even more impressive considering the Capitals lost Beagle (upper-body injury) and center Nicklas Backstrom (undisclosed) in the second period. They were already without Carlson, who has been out two games with a lower-body injury.

Carlson has already been ruled out for Thursday, while Beagle will undergo surgery and miss significant time. Backstrom's status is unknown.

"We are pretty relentless as a team," goaltender Braden Holtby said. "(Obviously, the injuries) makes it tougher. Those guys play a huge role on our team but we are just going to have to find different ways to win if they are out."

The Capitals are aiming for their longest winning streak since a team-record 14-game run from Jan. 13-Feb. 7, 2010. They're also opening a five-game trip seeking six consecutive road victories for the first time since Feb. 20-March 15, 2011.

Alex Ovechkin has six goals and two assists in the last six games after scoring twice in the third period Wednesday. The star left wing is among the league leaders with 20 goals, but he's only netted six on the road.

Ovechkin has 37 points in 30 career visits to Carolina but is pointless in four straight, including a 2-1 win Dec. 21.

Philipp Grubauer made 31 saves for that victory, and he's likely to get the nod again after Holtby made 25 stops Wednesday to improve to 16-0-1 with a 1.76 goals-against average in his last 18 games.

Grubauer is 4-2-1 with a 2.30 GAA, and he's allowed three goals in winning both his starts in Raleigh.

The Capitals are 7-1-1 in their last nine matchups with the Hurricanes, winning four of five on the road.

The Hurricanes (15-17-5) are 3-3-1 in their last seven games and trying to bounce back from Tuesday's 3-2 loss at New Jersey. They only allowed four shots in the third period but two got past Cam Ward, with the decisive tally deflecting off Justin Faulk with 3:05 left.

"This one definitely hurt us," captain Eric Staal said.

Staal is looking to build on his two goals from Tuesday, ending his nine-game drought. The center hasn't scored in seven straight home meetings with Washington, but he contributed an assist last week.

Faulk leads Carolina with 14 goals and 30 points, but he was held off the score sheet against the Devils after totaling two goals and an assist over the previous two games. The defenseman's 12 power-play goals are the most in the NHL.

He hasn't scored in his last 15 games against the Capitals and doesn't have a point in three straight.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Penguins (16-15) at Red Wings (17-12)
Date: December 31, 2015 6:00 PM EDT

Sidney Crosby acknowledged that the Pittsburgh Penguins' unsteady performances of late will likely make it stressful on the team in the closing months of the season.

The Detroit Red Wings are also searching for consistency as they close out the 2015 portion of their schedule Thursday night.

A 3-7-2 mark in its last 12 games has pushed Pittsburgh out of playoff position, and the Penguins (17-15-4) fell to 2-5-1 under new coach Mike Sullivan with a 3-2 shootout defeat to Toronto on Wednesday.

"We know down the stretch it's going to be tight," Crosby said. "I don't know how it's going to work out in the end, but every point is important. Our desperation level has to be there every night now."

The Penguins are also 3-6-1 in their last 10 road games heading into the first of three matchups this season with Detroit. The Red Wings (18-12-7) are 2-4-2 in their last eight and 1-2-1 at home since winning a season-high four in a row there.

They scored one goal in each of their back-to-back losses to close out a three-game road trip and only avoided a shutout against Winnipeg on Tuesday when Pavel Datsyuk tallied a power-play goal in the third period. Detroit had six opportunities with a man advantage and outshot the Jets 34-25.

"We had a lot of good chances," captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "You've just got to keep believing in yourself. Once you get that chance, you have got to really bear down and take advantage of it."

Jimmy Howard struggled again in net in that 4-1 defeat, allowing four goals on 14 shots before he was pulled in the second period. He's 0-1-3 with a 3.77 goals-against average in his last five games. That likely means that Petr Mrazek, 3-3-0 with a 1.79 GAA in his past seven appearances, will start Thursday.

Mrazek has split his two starts against the Penguins and made 42 saves in a 5-1 victory March 15.

Pittsburgh has played without starting netminder Marc-Andre Fleury since Dec. 14 and Fleury returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since suffering his concussion.

Matt Murray made his fourth career start Wednesday and Jeff Zatkoff could be in net for the finale to this back-to-back set. Zatkoff is 0-4-1 with a 2.97 GAA in his last five starts but is coming off a strong 27-save performance Sunday in Winnipeg.

He matched a career high by giving up six goals in a loss to Boston in his prior start Dec. 18.

Zatkoff won his only start against Detroit on Dec. 14, 2013.

The Red Wings have alternated wins and losses in their last eight games against Pittsburgh and won two of three last season. They have needed overtime to claim each of the past two matchups at Joe Louis Arena.

Zetterberg has nine goals and nine assists in 14 career regular-season games against Pittsburgh with at least one point in each of the past 10. Niklas Kronwall has three goals and seven assists in an eight-game point streak against the Penguins.

Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin has eight goals and 14 assists in his past 18 matchups with Detroit including the postseason.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wild (19-10) at Blues (21-12)
Date: December 31, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Generally strong defensive play and timely offense has the St. Louis Blues rolling toward the new year.

The Minnesota Wild appear to be returning to their elite form in their own end - which seems to point to a low-scoring affair in Thursday night's matchup at Scottrade Center.

St. Louis (23-12-4) defeated Nashville 4-3 in overtime Tuesday, winning for the sixth time in eight games on Alexander Steen's goal with under a minute remaining. The Blues, though, blew a two-goal lead when the Predators scored twice in a 2:20 span late in the third - the second goal coming with 1:32 remaining.

'It's hard to have to check all the time,' coach Ken Hitchcock said. 'Sometimes with our team when we get comfortable, that's when we get ourselves in trouble. We got comfortable.'

Nashville outshot the Blues 33-18 in regulation, but St. Louis outshot the Predators 6-0 in OT.

'This team, when they get a lead, it's so hard to come back because they collapse and they block a lot of shots,' Predators defenseman Shea Weber said.

St. Louis bounced back from Sunday's 3-0 loss to Central Division-leading Dallas, by far the highest-scoring team in the league.

Jake Allen didn't start that game and has gone 7-2-0 with a 1.76 goals-against average in his last nine starts after making 30 saves Tuesday. Allen, expected to be in net Thursday, has split a pair of starts against Minnesota this season. He won 3-2 in overtime in the most recent one Oct. 31, making 29 saves.

The Wild (19-10-6) gave up nine goals in back-to-back losses Dec. 19 and 21 - a season-high six against the Stars in the second of those - but have since won two of three, giving up one goal in each victory. Minnesota's 1.77 GAA since Dec. 1 is among the top marks in the league.

Its 2.40 GAA overall is among the top 10 in the NHL, close behind St. Louis' 2.36.

Top goalie Devan Dubnyk provided a spark Monday, starting in place of the injured Darcy Kuemper despite a cut on his arm and making 28 saves in a 3-1 home win over Detroit.

"It says a lot," captain Mikko Koivu told the team's official website. "The way you show that you have character is to step in, and even if you're not probably 100 percent, you want to be there. For the teammates that's a sign you want to see."

Dubnyk had allowed 10 goals in his previous three starts - all defeats. He's 3-8-1 with a 3.79 GAA in 12 career starts against St. Louis, taking the loss Oct. 31 but beating the Blues 3-2 at St. Paul on Oct. 10. He made 30 saves and gave up one goal in the third, when Minnesota was outshot 13-1.

The Wild are tied for the fewest road games this season with 15, but the schedule is about to start evening that out. Minnesota's four-game road trip opens a stretch in which it plays 12 of 17 away from home.

The Wild have gone 3-5-5 in their last 13 on the road, scoring two or fewer goals in the past six.

Steen, with two goals in his last three games, has recorded four goals and nine assists in his past 10 in this series.

Blues rookie center Robby Fabbri has scored four goals in his last five games.