Announcement

**Udog** · 12-14-2015, 09:36 AM

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Westgate Super Contest (1,727 entrants-- prize pool is $2.5M)
six most popular picks in Week 14 season record: 42-40-2

6) Steelers +2.5 (377)-- Bengals clinch division with a win here- W. .

5) Bills -1 (386)-- LeSean McCoy returns to Philly; interesting game- L.

4) Giants -1 (447)-- Big Blue has lost four games in last minute when they led.

3) Lions even (517)-- Detroit had extra prep time after LW's Thursday game- L.

2) Patriots -3 (532)-- People don't think NE will lose three in a row- W.

1) Seahawks -6.5 (962)-- Spread doubled after Clausen named starter- W.

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Sunday......

14) Steelers 33, Bengals 20-- This is how fragile success is in the NFL; Andy Dalton broke his right (passing) thumb, is out for the year- he might get back for the playoffs, but how long are the Bengals going to last in playoffs without him? This probably will cost them a first round bye, at least.

Wonder what the jackasses who booed Dalton at the celebrity softball game in Cincy last summer are saying now?

13) Eagles 23, Bills 20-- When LeSean McCoy was in Philly, he lived in a condo that didn't allow Christmas decorations on the doors that led to the hallway; McCoy's mom put them up anyway, no one said anything, so other people put them up. McCoy had 74 yards on 20 rushes in his return to Philly, but Bills had 15 penalties for 101 yards, Eagles five for 55. Third loss in four games for Rex Ryan's fading team.

12) Panthers 38, Falcons 0-- While network TV nitwits insist on putting Dallas on national TV most every week, Carolina is 13-0 and steamrolling towards going 16-0. This was a major tank job by freefalling Falcons, who gave up almost 300 yards in the first quarter. Atlanta has a big decision regarding Matt Ryan this winter- do they plan to go ahead with him as their franchise QB and if so, why?

11) Browns 24, 49ers 10-- Manziel was 21-31, 270 passing as Cleveland ended skid at seven games. Johnny Football has certainly improved this year, but are Browns using him to get ready for 2016, or to showcase him for a trade? Total yardage in this game was 481-221, Browns ran for 230, winning easily despite a -2 turnover ratio.

10) Redskins 24, Bears 21-- Condolences to Jay Cutler, whose brother-in-law was found dead in Utah this week, at age 30. Nine of last ten Chicago games were won by six or less points- Chicago lost three of its last four. Jay Gruden was head coach in Arena League for nine years, UFL for one; he is actually one of more experienced head coaches in NFL. Washington/Philly are tied atop NFC East at 6-7.

9) Rams 21, Lions 14-- At one point in this game, Rams had 3rd-and-3, Keenum took a quick drop, threw a 5-yard pass to Britt and the play gained seven yards and a first down- I jumped out of my chair and shook my fist-- they NEVER get first downs that easily, and I'm not being sarcastic. Actual progress. Aaron Donald is a beast at tackle and Hekker/Gurley also had big games, as St Louis ended a 5-game skid.

8) Chiefs 10, Chargers 3-- Gil Brandt pointed out that Chiefs are the second team in NFL history ('70 Bengals) to win seven consecutive games following a losing streak of five games- this was first of the seven they didn't cover. San Diego isn't a good team, but they've covered their last four road games. .

7) Saints 24, Buccaneers 17-- Damaging loss to Bucs' playoff hopes, as Saints win fourth visit in row to Bay Area, endng their 4-game skid. This turned out to be a good week for teams on long losing streaks (Saints-Browns-Rams). Saints converted on 12 of 17 third down plays, helping New Orleans to 9-yard edge in field position.

6) Jaguars 51, Colts 16-- Indy led this game 13-3 at 2:00 warning of first half, gave up a defensive TD before halftime, then two more TDs in first 3:11 of third quarter. Jags outscored Indy 42-3 in second half; at 5-8, they're not out of AFC South race just yet, with Texans losing badly Sunday night. As for Colts, who lost 45-10 last week, it is time to start speculating on who their next coach will be.

5) Jets 30, Titans 8-- My cousin texted me around 2:15: "....Titans stopped playing".

Jets are now +15 in turnovers in their eight wins, -13 in five losses. Jets ran for 183 yards, had 12-yard edge in field position. Only Tennessee TD was pass to Mariota. Jets-Steelers-Chiefs are tied for two AFC Wild Cards; Gang Green ends up with road games at Dallas/Buffalo and a home game with New England.

4) Raiders 15, Broncos 12-- NFL teams are now 1-25 when they don't score a TD on offense, the one win being the first Raider-Bronco game, so Denver didn't score a TD on offense in two games vs Oakland this year. Red zone failures in first half (three FGs on three red zone drives), dropped passes on big plays in second half doomed Denver here. The big question in Denver is going to be whether or not Osweiler keeps his job at QB, if and when Peyton Manning deems himself ready to play.

Jack Del Rio almost broke Twitter when he went for two with a 15-12 lead; turns out the Oakland long snapper hurt his shoulder, so they went for two instead of risking a fouled-up snap on a PAT with a backup snapper.

3) Seahawks 35, Ravens 6-- Former Viking coaxh Bud Grant liked to say "Its not who you play, its when you play them". Seattle played Chicago in only game Jimmy Clausen started for Bears; here they played Ravens in only game Clausen has started for them. The results? 26-0/35-6 wins. Clausen might be the worst QB in the NFL. Seattle looks like the #5 seed in the NFC, which will make them a hefty road favorite at the NFC East champ on Wild Card weekend.

2) Packers 28, Cowboys 7-- Dallas is now 1-8 with backup QBs starting; when NFL only has two 4:00 games and Cassel-led Cowboys are in one of them, its just terrible scheduling. Put the undefeated Panthers in the national spotlight more often, they've earned it. Biggest news here is that Mike McCarthy took play-calling duties back for Green Bay, who end season with Raiders-Cardinals-Vikings.

1) Patriots 27, Texans 6-- This game had all the suspense of a Harlem Globetrotters-Washington Generals tilt. NE is back as #1 seed in AFC, with Broncos/Bengals losing. Houston plays at Indy next week; in what could be a QB matchuip between Charlie Whitehurst-TJ Yates, with a division title on the line. Can the Rams get moved to this division? They're as good as any of those four teams.

**Udog** · 12-14-2015, 09:39 AM

NHL

Monday, December 14

NHL roundup: Crawford, 'Hawks blank Canucks

CHICAGO -- Corey Crawford recorded his second consecutive shutout as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 at the United Center on Sunday.

Duncan Keith, Dennis Rasmussen, Andrew Shaw and Brandon Mashinter all scored for the Balckhawks.

Patrick Kane extended his career-high point streak to 26 games with a secondary assist on Keith's goal. The streak is the longest in the NHL since Mats Sundin had a 30-game point streak for the Quebec Nordiques during the 1992-93 season. Kane has 17 goals and 24 assists during the streak.

Ryan Miller stopped 26 of 29 shots in the loss. He hadn't allowed more than two goals in his previous two starts.

Islanders 4, Devils 0

NEW YORK -- Marek Zidlicky scored twice, Thomas Greiss made 27 saves, and the New York Islanders remained hot with a 4-0 victory against New Jersey at Barclays Center.

The Islanders won their third straight and their seventh in eight. They recorded at least a point in 10 consecutive games (8-0-2). The Devils failed in their attempt to win consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 12 and Nov. 14.

John Tavares and Matt Martin also scored for the Islanders.

Cory Schneider was removed midway through the second period after stopping 15 of 18 shots. Backup Keith Kinkaid entered and turned aside 11 of 12 shots.

Avalanche 3, Blues 1

ST. LOUIS -- Semyon Varlamov stopped 42 of 43 shots to carry the Colorado past St. Louis.

First-period goals from Jack Skille and John Mitchell supplied the offense as the Avalanche kept the Blues without back-to-back wins since a three-game winning streak from Nov. 4-10.

One night after he earned a 3-0 shutout over the league-leading Dallas Stars, Blues goalie Jake Allen allowed two goals on Colorado's first five shots of the game.

**Udog** · 12-14-2015, 09:45 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Monday, December 14

Edmonton @ Boston

Game 51-52
December 14, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
11.131
Boston
12.098
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 1
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
N/A

Tampa Bay @ Columbus

Game 53-54
December 14, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
12.520
Columbus
10.159
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 2 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-140
5
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-140); Under

Washington @ Pittsburgh

Game 55-56
December 14, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
10.515
Pittsburgh
11.998
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-120
5
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(+100); Over

Buffalo @ Detroit

Game 57-58
December 14, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Buffalo
11.662
Detroit
10.515
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Buffalo
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
-180
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Buffalo
(+160); Under

Los Angeles @ Ottawa

Game 59-60
December 14, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
10.750
Ottawa
12.217
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ottawa
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
-120
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Ottawa
(+100); Over

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, December 14

Hot teams
-- Edmonton won last five games, three in OT/SO. Bruins won seven of last ten games.
-- Washington won eight of its last ten games.
-- Red Wings won their last four home games.
-- Los Angeles won six of its last seven games.

Cold teams
-- Lightning lost four of their last seven games. Columbus lost six of its last seven.
-- Penguins lost five of last seven games, fired their coach this weekend.
-- Buffalo lost three of its last four games.
-- Senators lost three of their last four games.

Series records
-- Edmonton won last two games with Boston, after losing previous eight in series.
-- Blue Jackets lost three of last four games with Tampa Bay.
-- Penguins won seven of last ten games with Washington.
-- Sabres lost nine of last ten games with Detroit.
-- Kings won seven of their last nine games with Ottawa.

Totals
-- Five of last six Boston games stayed under; last three Edmonton games went over.
-- Four of last five Tampa Bay games stayed under total.
-- Six of last seven Pittsburgh-Washington games stayed under.
-- Five of last six Buffalo games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Ottawa games stayed under the total.

Back-to-backs
-- None

NHL

Monday, December 14

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

7:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. BOSTON
Edmonton is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games when playing Boston
Boston is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Boston is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games when playing Edmonton

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. COLUMBUS
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Columbus is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Washington is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing Washington
Pittsburgh is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington

7:30 PM
BUFFALO vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games when playing Detroit
Buffalo is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Buffalo

7:30 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. OTTAWA
Los Angeles is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Ottawa
Ottawa is 3-12-1 SU in its last 16 games ,when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Ottawa's last 9 games at home

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

**Udog** · 12-14-2015, 09:53 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, December 14

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

EDMONTON (13-15-0-2, 28 pts.) at BOSTON (16-9-0-3, 35 pts.) - 12/14/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 2-3 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 3-2-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.1 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (14-13-0-3, 31 pts.) at COLUMBUS (11-17-0-3, 25 pts.) - 12/14/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 315-382 ATS (-125.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 146-188 ATS (-67.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.
COLUMBUS is 2-12 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 7-15 ATS (-9.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 2-9 ATS (-11.1 Units) in home games 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
COLUMBUS is 3-3 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 3-3-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.0 Units)

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

WASHINGTON (20-6-0-2, 42 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (15-10-0-3, 33 pts.) - 12/14/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 185-136 ATS (+20.6 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 18-11 ATS (+30.6 Units) in road games revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 36-19 ATS (+13.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 59-56 ATS (+116.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 77-99 ATS (-41.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 11-28 ATS (-33.6 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 6-3 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 6-3-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.1 Units)

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

BUFFALO (12-15-0-3, 27 pts.) at DETROIT (16-8-0-6, 38 pts.) - 12/14/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 0-15 ATS (+28.2 Units) in road games in December games over the last 3 seasons.
BUFFALO is 256-218 ATS (+30.7 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
DETROIT is 22-27 ATS (-10.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 29-34 ATS (-27.9 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 7-13 ATS (-9.8 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 21-29 ATS (-19.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 23-28 ATS (-18.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 14-21 ATS (-23.7 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 8-1 (+5.5 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 8-1-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.6 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (19-8-0-2, 40 pts.) at OTTAWA (15-10-0-5, 35 pts.) - 12/14/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 59-52 ATS (-17.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 3-11 ATS (-10.9 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 26-18 ATS (+7.8 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 15-7 ATS (+22.4 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 47-50 ATS (-34.8 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 3-1 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 3-1-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.6 Units)

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

**Udog** · 12-14-2015, 02:14 PM

Oddsmakers high on this big fave with their NFL Week 15 betting odds

“Steel prices are way down, but Steeler stock is at a season high." - John Avello, executive director of race and sports for Wynn Las Vegas.

Week 15 of the NFL season includes an intriguing game that pits an unbeaten playoff lock against a team that doesn’t even have a winning record – yet is totally in the playoff hunt.

That game would be the Carolina Panthers (13-0 SU, 10-3 ATS) traveling to East Rutherford, N.J., for a date with the New York Giants (5-7 SU, 6-5 ATS) of the NFC East, which doesn’t have a single team at .500 or better, but will send somebody to the postseason.

Carolina kept rolling in Week 14, shelling Atlanta 38-0 Sunday as an 8.5-point home favorite. Cam Newton and the Panthers have scored 33 points or more in five of their last six games and have gone 5-1 ATS in that stretch, with four blowout wins.

New York still has some work to do in Week 14, playing at Miami in the Monday nighter. The Giants have dropped three in a row, including a 23-20 overtime decision to the New York Jets in Week 13 as a 2.5-point pup, despite leading 20-10 in the fourth quarter.

John Lester, senior lines manager for Bookmaker.eu, said the line will have to wait until the Giants wrap up play tonight. But the Panthers will likely be a field-goal or so chalk.

“If the Giants don’t sustain any major injuries Monday night, we’ll look to open Carolina between three and 4-point favorites,” Lester said. “The Panthers are absolutely rolling, but this is a game some circled as a potential first loss for them. I think we know what to expect from Carolina, but you just never know which Giants team is going to show up.”

Johnny Avello, executive director of race and sports for Wynn Las Vegas, also expects a game Giants team to show up.

“The Panthers will be the favorite in their remaining three games as they try to complete an undefeated regular season,” Avello said. “This one may be the toughest, because the Giants will still be in the hunt to win the NFC East, and at times, the G-Men play up to their potential. The Panthers should be laying right around four in a packed house at New Jersey.”

Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5)

Pittsburgh is pushing for a wild card berth, having won four of its last five, including a statement road win Sunday at Cincinnati. The Steelers (8-5 SU, 8-4-1 ATS), catching one point, rolled to a 33-20 victory and have now scored 30 or more in each of their last five games.

Denver, meanwhile, isn’t scoring much at all, save for its 30-point outburst in an overtime win against New England - the only time in the last five weeks that the Broncos (10-3 SU, 7-6 ATS) scored more than 17 points. It bit them hard Sunday, when they entered a home game against Oakland as the AFC’s No. 1 seed and left as the No. 3 seed, getting just four field goals in a 15-12 loss as 6-point chalk.

“Steel prices are way down, but Steeler stock is at a season high,” Avello said. “I believe we'll see Peyton Manning this week for the Broncos, but he better be the old Manning, because Big Ben's Steelers are averaging 35 points per game over the past five games.”

The Pittsburgh offense against the Denver defense appeals to Lester.

“I’m really looking forward to this matchup between one of the best offenses in the league and one of the best defenses,” Lester said. “Of course, with the Broncos missing Peyton Manning, the Steelers are the sexier team, and bettors take notice of high-scoring offenses. We went fairly high with this number, and we moved down a full point shortly after opening, but I can see us trending back toward Pittsburgh as the week progresses.”

New York Jets (-2.5) at Dallas Cowboys

The Jets are 8-5 SU and right in the thick of the playoff race. The Cowboys are 4-9 SU… and right in the thick of the playoff race. That’s how bad the NFC East is. Dallas (4-9 ATS) got thumped Sunday 28-7 catching six points at Green Bay, dropping to 2-9 SU in its last 11 (3-8 ATS), mostly without the services of QB Tony Romo.

New York (7-5-1 ATS) has bounced back from a 1-4 SU skid (0-4-1 ATS) with three straight wins and covers, and would be a wild card team if the season ended this week. The Jets pounded Tennessee 30-8 Sunday as 8-point home faves.

“It’s our first Saturday night game of the year, and with a pair of high-profile teams, we’ll see some good action,” Lester said. “The early money came in on New York, so we moved to the key number of three. I wouldn’t be surprised to see that spread climb with steam, but there will certainly be Cowboys backers who come out at the end of the week.”

Added Avello, “It's rare that you'll find the Jets favored at Dallas, but that's the case here. The offensively inept Cowboys are disappointing to the faithful, and the one hope they have, Dez Bryant, isn't performing well.”

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (N/A)

The AFC South is working hard to rival the NFC East as the worst division in the league. No teams have a winning record, with Indianapolis suffering a surprising nosedive after reaching the AFC title game last year.

The Colts (6-7 SU and ATS), still without Andrew Luck, got boatraced by lightweight Jacksonville 51-16 Sunday as a 1-point road underdog. Indianapolis gave up 42 second-half points after leading 13-9 at the break.

That gave Houston (6-7 SU and ATS) an opportunity to make a statement at home against the New England Patriots in the Sunday night game. And the statement the Texans made was that they can’t score touchdowns, as they lost 27-6 getting 4.5 points.

Colts QB Matt Hasselbeck was hurt during the loss, and Luck’s status is still not certain either, so Lester is holding off on the number.

“We’ll wait to see what Indy’s quarterback situation looks like before hanging a line for this matchup,” he said. “There’s a chance Andrew Luck could return, and if not, Matt Hasselbeck is a wounded duck, so his health is a concern. The division is wide open, so it’s a pivotal game for both.”

Avello is expecting Luck to be in the lineup.

“It’s a huge game in the AFC South, and Andrew Luck is supposed to return,” he said. “It couldn't come soon enough, as the Colts have lost two straight, fill-in Hasselbeck was dinged up Sunday, and the one-time huge favorite in the division is on the verge of not making the playoffs.”

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Monday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 12/14

Monday's NHL Trends and Indexes - 12/14

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