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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Capitals (32-8) at Blue Jackets (15-25)
Date: January 19, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Braden Holtby's presence in net more often than not has assured the high-scoring Washington Capitals they can keep pace with anyone even if the offense has a tough night.

Holtby hasn't been himself lately, but now his teammates are doing their best to pick him up.

It's unclear if Holtby will be ready to go Tuesday night when Washington visits a Columbus Blue Jackets team also hoping to have its No. 1 goaltender in net.

Holtby leads the league with 29 wins and ranks among the leaders with a 1.99 goals-against average for the NHL-leading Capitals (34-8-3), whose 96 goals allowed are the fewest in the league. He went 23 consecutive starts without being charged with a regulation defeat, a streak that ended when he was pulled in the second period of Saturday's 4-1 loss at Buffalo.

The 26-year-old gave up two goals the following night against the New York Rangers before having to leave toward the end of the second with a bout of dehydration. Philipp Grubauer relieved him again and stopped all 11 shots he faced in a 5-2 victory.

'(Holtby) said that he was having a little trouble getting focused, and he didn't get hit or anything,' coach Barry Trotz said. 'I think we've got it under control. He'll be good."

Trotz could choose to sit Holtby and go with Grubauer, but no decision has been announced. Grubauer's effort and Justin Williams' second career hat trick helped the Capitals improve to 10-0-1 following a loss.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 27th goal of the season on the power play and Evgeny Kuznetsov had three assists, giving him five along with two goals over his last four games.

'We're not used to losing, and we don't like it,' Williams said. 'You throw a stinker in there and you want to redeem yourself, and luckily for us we were able to do it the next night.'

Williams scored and Holtby made 29 saves in a 2-1 win over Columbus on Oct. 30, but Jack Johnson and Brandon Saad scored two goals apiece on Holtby in the Blue Jackets' 5-4 shootout win Jan. 2.

Sergei Bobrovsky was in goal for that first meeting, but he hasn't played since Dec. 8 because of a groin injury. He dressed and backed up Joonas Korpisalo in Saturday's 2-1 victory over Colorado.

Coach John Tortorella said he's not sure if Bobrovsky will be ready for this matchup, but that if he is he will play. Bobrovsky is 4-3-3 with a 3.07 GAA in his career against the Capitals.

"He's our No. 1 guy," Tortorella said.

The Blue Jackets (17-25-4) beat Toronto 3-1 on Wednesday before the win over the Avalanche and are on the verge of matching their longest winning streak of the season. Johnson's goal with 1:07 remaining against Colorado bounced off an opponent's skate and broke the tie.

Brandon Dubinsky also scored for Columbus, which improved to 4-1-1 at home since Dec. 19.

'Feels good to have one of those go our way,' Dubinsky said. 'Feels like it's been one of those years where we haven't had many bounces or calls. It's nice to get a bouncer like that, a seeing eye shot that finds the back of the net and get us a win.'

Captain Nick Foligno has missed four straight with an upper-body injury. Columbus hasn't announced a timetable for his return.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Oilers (15-23) at Lightning (22-17)
Date: January 19, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Tampa Bay Lightning have displayed impressive focus during a season-high five-game winning streak, though they'll be challenged to avoid looking ahead.

With a showdown with the team they lost to in last season's Stanley Cup looming, the Lightning continue their homestand against an Edmonton Oilers club that enters Tuesday night's matchup with some momentum as well.

Tampa Bay (24-17-4) was outside of a playoff spot prior to its run, which began with a 3-2 comeback win at Edmonton on Jan. 8. It has since risen to third place in the Atlantic Division by finally combining timely scoring with a hot stretch from Ben Bishop.

'When you start stringing a few together, all of a sudden confidence starts going,' coach Jon Cooper said following Sunday's 3-1 win over slumping Florida. 'You win a few in a row, you think you can win every single game. The more we've won, that's what that feeling has been on the bench.'

Bishop made 26 saves against the Panthers and has yielded three goals while winning three straight starts. He's been supported by an offense that's produced three or more in each of the last five.

Nikita Kucherov has at least one point in the last five and recorded two goals Sunday. Vladislav Namestnikov has eight points during that span and posted his first NHL hat trick in Thursday's 5-4 overtime win over Pittsburgh, which opened a four-game homestand that ends with Thursday's 2015 Stanley Cup Finals rematch with the red-hot Chicago Blackhawks.

Kucherov also scored the first of three third-period goals that erased a 2-0 deficit against the Oilers earlier this month. Victor Hedman added a goal and two assists while setting up Steven Stamkos' game-winner with 4:09 remaining.

That loss started an 0-2-2 stretch for Edmonton (19-23-5), which has since rebounded with consecutive wins. The Oilers earned a point in a fourth straight game and halted a seven-game road skid with Monday's 4-2 victory over Florida, in which Taylor Hall broke out of a slump with two goals and an assist.

"It's a nice feeling,"â??said Hall, who leads the Oilers with 18 goals but had just one over his previous 14 games. "It wasn't an absolutely perfect night for our team or our line, but we managed to get some goals and get a lead early, which we hadn't been doing lately."

The win did come with a cost, as center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins injured his hand blocking a shot in the second period and is facing a long-term absence according to coach Todd McClellan. The 2011 No. 1 overall pick's 30 points are third-most on the Oilers.

It's uncertain whether Cam Talbot will play as well after starting Monday. The surging goaltender, signed to a three-year extension on Sunday, made 31 saves against Florida and owns a 1.46 goals-against average over his past six starts.

Backup Anders Nilsson has been struggling, having lost four consecutive starts and recording a 4.44 GAA in his last five.

Talbot also has been a key part of a penalty kill that's 13 of 13 over a three-game stretch and hasn't allowed a power play goal in seven of eight.

Tampa Bay's power play hasn't been clicking in January, having gone 2 of 19 in seven games.

Edmonton, a league-worst 6-14-4 on the road, has lost three straight at Tampa Bay since a 3-2 win on Dec. 9, 2009.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bruins (21-16) at Canadiens (21-19)
Date: January 19, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

A team that began the season with a franchise-best start has now been the worst team in hockey for more than a month and a half.

Montreal's latest winless streak can reach five games Tuesday night at home against the Boston Bruins, but it's been the Canadiens dominating the series for nearly three years.

Since the start of December, the Canadiens (23-19-4) are 5-15-1 and their 11 points are six fewer than the next-worst team, making their 9-0-0 start seem eons ago. They haven't won or even recorded a point in consecutive games in that time. A season that was once going to be about maintaining a massive lead in the Eastern Conference has now turned into fighting for a playoff spot.

Montreal's third skid of at least four games in that time is at 0-3-1 after Sunday's 5-2 loss in Chicago.

"We're all pros. We understand that when things aren't going right, people are going to ask questions," Brendan Gallagher told the team's official website. "But it's important for us to stick together as a team. That's what we're talking about. We're going to get out of this. It's taking longer than we would have liked, but we're going to get out of this. The only way we're going to do that is by sticking together as a group.

"Tonight, we weren't good enough. Next game, we have to be better."

Max Pacioretty scored for a second straight game and has five goals in his last eight games following a 12-game span with one. The team, however, has scored seven goals on the most recent skid, which is no improvement over the 1.86 it's averaged since the start of December.

The Canadiens have won 13 of the last 15 regular-season meetings, including three of four this season. Pacioretty has six goals and five assists in his last eight games against the Bruins, while Gallagher has three goals and eight assists in seven games since the start of last season.

Boston (23-16-5) is the only team to allow Montreal more than three goals in its last 23 games, which was a 5-1 final at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 1 for the Winter Classic.

More recently, the Bruins have started to overcome some struggles of their own with consecutive wins. Saturday's 3-2 home win over Toronto came with Brad Marchand scoring in the final minute of the third period. The forward hadn't scored in his previous 11 games, and Boston improved to 10-1-2 in games he scores. He had one called back earlier in the period, and he now needs to break an 11-game drought against the Canadiens.

"It felt pretty good - I'm not going to lie," Marchand told the team's official website. "It's been a little while, and it was frustrating to have that one called back, especially when we thought we were going to have the lead with 10 minutes left. I thought we played really well after that, and it was great that we were able to get the win."

That came in part because of a 5-for-5 penalty kill, and Boston has allowed just two power-play goals in 50 chances over the last 18 games.

Tuukka Rask ended a personal 0-4-1 skid, but he's won just four of 22 career regular-season starts against Montreal.

Counterpart Mike Condon hasn't won in his last three starts but is 2-1-0 with a 2.03 goals-against average against the Bruins.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blackhawks (30-13) at Predators (18-17)
Date: January 19, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

No team has won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 18 years, and it's been much longer since a Chicago player won the Art Ross Trophy.

Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks are making their cases to end both droughts.

Chicago can set a new franchise record with a 12th consecutive victory by winning in Nashville for the first time in four visits when it begins a three-game trip against the Predators on Tuesday night.

Detroit is the most recent team to win consecutive Cup titles in 1997 and '98, but the Blackhawks (31-13-4) are making a strong statement as the team to beat again after winning their third championship in six years last season.

They've outscored opponents by 22 goals during an 11-game run that has matched the club record set from Feb. 15-March 6, 2013, before they hoisted the Cup later that year.

"In 2013, we had an unbelievable stretch," said Marian Hossa, whose empty-netter capped Sunday's 5-2 win over Montreal. "It's another new chapter and it's just nice to see everybody contributing in a different way. Overall, it's a winning attitude, so it's nice to see."

Everything seems to be clicking since Joel Quenneville tinkered with his lines and put Andrew Shaw on the first unit with Hossa and Jonathan Toews following a loss to Carolina on Dec. 27. Toews scored twice, and Shaw and Hossa each had a pair of assists against the Canadiens.

"We're on a bit of a roll right now," said Toews, who has 10 goals and eight assists over his last 16. "It's great to be playing the way that we're playing right now, given the fact that these are all very important games and it's a very busy time of year. We'd love to continue that pace and keep the momentum that we have right now."

Kane is a major reason for Chicago's surge to the top of the Western Conference. His franchise-record 26-game point streak Oct. 17-Dec. 13 made him the early favorite to capture the league's scoring title, and he hasn't slowed down since.

He had his first career regular-season hat trick and an assist in Friday's win at Toronto and a goal and an assist against Montreal, giving him 69 points that are 13 more than defending scoring champion Jamie Benn, who sits second in the race.

Kane is primed to become the first Blackhawks player to win the Art Ross Trophy since Stan Mikita in 1967-68, and his next goal would match his career high of 30 set in 2009-10. He had an assist in last Tuesday's 3-2 home win over Nashville, which has had some success against Chicago at home lately.

The Predators (20-17-8) have lost two of three meetings this season, but they beat the Blackhawks 5-1 at home Dec. 10. They also won the previous two matchups at Bridgestone Arena last year in a first-round playoff series Chicago won in six games.

Nashville enters this meeting after ending a five-game skid with Saturday's 3-0 win over Minnesota. Former Blackhawks goalie Carter Hutton made 29 saves with Pekka Rinne getting the night off, and Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi and Eric Nystrom scored.

"It's been tough. It's been frustrating," coach Peter Laviolette said. "The guys have been playing hard, putting in a hard effort and aren't seeing the results from it. So it's good to get a win. It was a big division game, division win and home win. There were a lot of good things about it."

Rinne went 0-3-1 with a 3.90 goals-against average during the losing streak, including the loss to Chicago, but could be back in goal for this one.

Corey Crawford made 41 saves Tuesday against the Predators and has a 1.56 GAA over his last seven overall.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Stars (27-12) at Kings (26-13)
Date: January 19, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The unfortunate timing of the Dallas Stars' slide has allowed a streaking Central Division opponent to fly by them for the top spot in the Western Conference. The Los Angeles Kings could be next.

The Stars visit the Pacific-leading Kings on Tuesday night hoping to avoid a season-worst four-game winless span as they conclude a trying three-game West Coast swing.

After Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss in San Jose, Dallas (29-12-5) has fallen three points back of a Chicago team that's won 11 in a row. The Stars' 11-game stretch has yielded three wins, including a 1-4-2 mark with 3.71 goals allowed per game since the calendar flipped. Despite losing ground, they were happier with their play against the Sharks than they were in consecutive regulation losses.

"We did better tonight," center Jason Spezza told the team's official website. "Even some of the mistakes we made were harder-working mistakes. Sometimes when you go through a stretch like we went through, you've got to crawl before you can walk. It's hard to get that first win and get back on track."

They've also started to see some production from their top scorers. Jamie Benn had two assists against the Sharks and has four points in three games after going without one in four straight. Tyler Seguin had a goal and an assist after being limited to a goal in his previous six.

The Stars have won four of the last five against the Kings, including the last two in last season's three-game series. They've also won consecutive matchups in Los Angeles as part of a 6-1-1 overall span. Benn has 11 points in his last seven in the series, while Seguin has nine in his past six.

The Kings (28-13-3) are coming off Sunday's 3-2 win in Anaheim with recent acquisition Vincent Lecavalier scoring in his second straight game. After being a healthy scratch for much of the season with Philadelphia, he has three points in five games with his new team. Los Angeles is 3-1-1 with him in the lineup.

"After something good happens, your confidence builds and you hold the puck a little longer, you make better decisions and I think I want to - it's only been five games - but I'm going to try and build on that," Lecavalier said. "I still have to get better. But every game is high-tempo and it's a great hockey game. So it's a lot of fun, for sure."

Top goal scorer Tyler Toffoli has scored in his last three games, while Anze Kopitar has three goals and five assists on a four-game point streak.

"I think just getting pucks down low," Toffoli said of Kopitar's recent run after scoring twice in his previous 16 games. "He's so good at holding onto pucks and kind of draws more attention to him, sometimes two guys, which makes it easier for me when I can kind of find a little bit of open ice and he'll find that little soft spot and give me the puck."

Lecavalier's goal came on the power play, improving Los Angeles to 4 for 8 in the last three games. The Stars have killed just two of five penalties in the last two.

In goal, Jonathan Quick has posted a 1.69 goals-against average and .938 save percentage over an 8-1-1 span. He's posted 3.13 and .882 marks while going 3-4-0 against the Stars over the past three seasons.

Dallas' Antti Niemi has a 3.75 GAA and .878 save percentage over an 0-2-2 period. The former San Jose goaltender knows the Kings well and was 2-2-0 with 1.78 and .942 marks against them last season.

The Stars will be without Jordie Benn after the defenseman suffered a lower-body injury against the Sharks.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (1) TORONTO@ (2) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 2 Wins and 20 Losses for the last three seasons (-17.9 units)

NHL > (13) CHICAGO@ (14) NASHVILLE | 2016-01-19 20:05:00 - 2016-01-19 20:05:00
Play ON CHICAGO using money line in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 17 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+14.75 units)

NHL > (13) CHICAGO@ (14) NASHVILLE | 2016-01-19 20:05:00 - 2016-01-19 20:05:00
Play AGAINST NASHVILLE using money line in All games
The record is 0 Wins and 9 Losses for the this season (-9 units)

NHL > (1) TORONTO@ (2) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 16 Wins and 38 Losses for the last two seasons (-28.9 units)

NHL > (13) CHICAGO@ (14) NASHVILLE | 2016-01-19 20:05:00 - 2016-01-19 20:05:00
Play ON CHICAGO using money line in All games in January games
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+9.1 units)

NHL > (3) WASHINGTON@ (4) COLUMBUS | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in Road games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 23 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (+16.1 units)

NHL > (3) WASHINGTON@ (4) COLUMBUS | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in all games
The record is 34 Wins and 11 Losses for the this season (+18.45 units)

NHL > (5) VANCOUVER@ (6) NY RANGERS | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play AGAINST NY RANGERS using money line in Home games after allowing 4 goals or more
The record is 88 Wins and 116 Losses for the since 1992 (-78 units)

NHL > (15) DALLAS@ (16) LOS ANGELES | 2016-01-19 22:35:00 - 2016-01-19 22:35:00
Play ON DALLAS using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 10 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+10.65 units)

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NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (1) TORONTO@ (2) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 2 Wins and 20 Losses for the last three seasons (-17.9 units)

NHL > (13) CHICAGO@ (14) NASHVILLE | 2016-01-19 20:05:00 - 2016-01-19 20:05:00
Play ON CHICAGO in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 17 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+14.75 units)

NHL > (1) TORONTO@ (2) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 16 Wins and 38 Losses for the last two seasons (-28.9 units)

NHL > (13) CHICAGO@ (14) NASHVILLE | 2016-01-19 20:05:00 - 2016-01-19 20:05:00
Play ON CHICAGO in All games second half of the season
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+9.1 units)

NHL > (3) WASHINGTON@ (4) COLUMBUS | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON in Road games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 23 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (+16.1 units)

NHL > (3) WASHINGTON@ (4) COLUMBUS | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON in all games
The record is 34 Wins and 11 Losses for the this season (+18.45 units)

NHL > (15) DALLAS@ (16) LOS ANGELES | 2016-01-19 22:35:00 - 2016-01-19 22:35:00
Play ON DALLAS in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 10 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+10.65 units)

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NHL TOTALS

NHL > (11) BOSTON@ (12) MONTREAL | 2016-01-19 19:35:00 - 2016-01-19 19:35:00
Play UNDER MONTREAL on the totalin Home games on Tuesday nights
The record is 1 Overs and 13 Unders for the last two seasons (+11.95 units)

NHL > (13) CHICAGO@ (14) NASHVILLE | 2016-01-19 20:05:00 - 2016-01-19 20:05:00
Play OVER NASHVILLE on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 11 Overs and 1 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.45 units)

NHL > (13) CHICAGO@ (14) NASHVILLE | 2016-01-19 20:05:00 - 2016-01-19 20:05:00
Play OVER NASHVILLE on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 19 Overs and 4 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.65 units)

NHL > (7) CALGARY@ (8) NEW JERSEY | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play UNDER NEW JERSEY on the totalin Home games in non-conference games
The record is 4 Overs and 16 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.1 units)

NHL > (3) WASHINGTON@ (4) COLUMBUS | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play OVER COLUMBUS on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 7 Overs and 0 Unders for the last two seasons (+7.3 units)

NHL > (11) BOSTON@ (12) MONTREAL | 2016-01-19 19:35:00 - 2016-01-19 19:35:00
Play UNDER MONTREAL on the totalin All games on Tuesday nights
The record is 5 Overs and 18 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.65 units)

NHL > (7) CALGARY@ (8) NEW JERSEY | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play UNDER NEW JERSEY on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 10 Overs and 29 Unders for the last three seasons (+17.75 units)

NHL > (5) VANCOUVER@ (6) NY RANGERS | 2016-01-19 19:05:00 - 2016-01-19 19:05:00
Play UNDER VANCOUVER on the totalin All games in January games
The record is 2 Overs and 11 Unders for the last two seasons (+9.3 units)

NHL > (15) DALLAS@ (16) LOS ANGELES | 2016-01-19 22:35:00 - 2016-01-19 22:35:00
Play OVER DALLAS on the totalin Road games after allowing 4 goals or more
The record is 15 Overs and 4 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.45 units)

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Short Sheet

Tuesday, January 19

Toronto at Philadelphia, 7:05 PM ET
Toronto: 5-19 SU off a road loss against a division rival
Philadelphia: 19-11 SU after 2 or more consecutive unders

Washington at Columbus, 7:05 PM ET
Washington: N/A
Columbus: N/A

Vancouver at NY Rangers, 7:05 PM ET
Vancouver: 7-21 SU after a 2 game unbeaten streak
New York: 16-5 SU on Tuesday nights

Calgary at New Jersey, 7:05 PM ET
Calgary: 22-14 SU off a road loss
New Jersey: 8-26 SU revenging a close loss vs opponent of 1 goal or less

Edmonton at Tampa Bay, 7:35 PM ET
Edmonton: 1-7 SU in a road game where where the total is 5 or less
Tampa Bay: 20-8 SU off 2 or more consecutive home wins

Boston at Montreal, 7:35 PM ET
Boston: 7-15 SU revenging a loss versus opponent
Montreal: 34-24 SU after 4 or more consecutive losses

Chicago at Nashville, 8:05 PM ET
Chicago: 17-2 SU after a non-conference game
Nashville: 1-9 SU revenging a close loss vs opponent of 1 goal or less

Dallas at Los Angeles, 10:35 PM ET
Dallas: 14-3 in road games after playing 2 consecutive road games
Los Angeles: 17-20 SU after having won 2 of their last 3

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


VAN at NYR 07:00 PM

VAN +170 BEST BET


TOR at PHI 07:00 PM

PHI -152


CAL at NJ 07:00 PM

NJ -119


WAS at CLB 07:00 PM

WAS -155


BOS at MON 07:30 PM

MON -101


EDM at TB 07:30 PM

EDM +201


CHI at NAS 08:00 PM

CHI -107


DAL at LA 10:30 PM

LA -146

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blues (24-15) at Red Wings (22-14)
Date: January 20, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Detroit Red Wings are trying to track down their first division title since joining the Eastern Conference, but they need better home results to make it a reality.

They bring a season-worst four-game home skid into Wednesday night's matchup with the St. Louis Blues, who are trying to carry the success of a recent homestand into a former Central Division rival's building.

Detroit (23-14-8) hasn't finished higher than third in two seasons in the Atlantic, and that even came with a 22-10-9 home mark last season. This season, the Red Wings are 11-8-5 and their 1.13 points per game at Joe Louis Arena is down from 1.29 in 2014-15.

They've had some road success with a 5-1-1 mark in 2016, but Sunday's 2-1 shootout loss to Philadelphia accounted for the only point in their last three home games during a 1-3-2 span in Detroit.

First-year coach Jeff Blashill has the club within three points of first-place Florida, but he's not yet looking at it as a chase.

"The thing about the standings is there's lots of things you can't control," Blashill told the team's official website.

"What I look at is we judge ourselves on (five-game) segments. We have a segment board behind us in the hallway there and that point tonight allowed us to be a playoff team for this season. We keep it for the five-game segments and the cumulative and that's what we judge ourselves on, what we can control."

A little more from Henrik Zetterberg might help that along. The center has been limited to an assist in his last six games and has five points in his last 11 at home. Zetterberg's 0.67 points per game is his lowest mark since his rookie season.

Pavel Datsyuk (0.73) is also at his lowest mark since his rookie year, but he has a goal and five assists in his last three games.

"He's playing good," Zetterberg said. "He's feeling it. He's been playing well for us here for the last two months, probably our best player. He's got a lot of strength in him, he skates well and when he skates that well he's dangerous."

Datsyuk has scored in his last two games against the Blues, who have dropped the last four meetings with the previous three all going to overtime.

St. Louis (27-15-7) is beginning a four-game trip without a regulation win over a 1-2-2 away stretch, but it's coming off a successful homestand and has won four of its last five after Monday's 5-2 win over Pittsburgh.

Paul Stastny had a goal and three assists, and linemates Alexander Steen and Troy Brouwer each added a goal and an assist. Steen had been limited to two assists in his previous six, and Brouwer had his first multipoint effort since Oct. 27.

"I think we just work for each other," said Stastny, who's scored in consecutive games. "We're getting more and more comfortable. I think we've had chances and today they started falling."

Vladimir Tarasenko also scored, and his last seven goals have either tied the game or given the Blues a one-goal lead.

"Tarasenko's goal was, again, as timely as it could be, because we were being outplayed, our goalie was standing on his head and to score that goal, that's a great sign for us," coach Ken Hitchcock told the team's official website.

It might take a little more to beat Petr Mrazek, who will try to improve on a 5-0-1 span with a 1.31 goals-against average and .957 save percentage in 2016. He's also 3-0-0 with 0.97 and .961 marks as a starter against St. Louis.

Brian Elliott has started five straight games for the Blues since Jake Allen went down with a lower-body injury Jan. 8.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sabres (18-23) at Avalanche (23-21)
Date: January 20, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Colorado Avalanche intended to sign talented forward Ryan O'Reilly to a contract extension in the offseason. Instead, they decided the best move was to deal him.

Off to a strong start in Buffalo, O'Reilly returns to Denver looking to help the Sabres win four straight on the road for the first time in four seasons Wednesday night.

One season after O'Reilly set career highs with 28 goals and 64 points, he posted a personal-best 38 assists in 2014-15. Although he blossomed while spending his first six seasons in Colorado, the club felt it would be too expensive to keep him long-term.

The Avalanche wound up sending O'Reilly and fellow forward Jamie McGinn to Buffalo on June 26 in exchange for young defenseman Nikita Zadorov, forward Mikhail Grigorenko, the rights to J.T. Compher and the No. 31 pick in the draft.

"In the salary-cap era you have to make tough decisions sometimes," general manager Joe Sakic told the NHL's official website in June.

Signed to a seven-year, $52.5 million extension in July, O'Reilly has made an immediate impact by leading Buffalo (19-23-4) with 17 goals and 39 points. He's a big reason the Sabres are 12 points shy of matching their league-low 54 from '14-15 and have already surpassed last season's nine road wins with a 10-9-2 mark.

"He's got tremendous hockey sense," Sabres general manager Tim Murray said of O'Reilly, who turns 25 next month. "I think his hockey sense is off the charts. I think he makes everyone around him better."

Playing for his third club, McGinn is fourth on the team with 21 points. He gave Buffalo a 2-0 lead Monday at Arizona after O'Reilly assisted on Jack Eichel's goal in the 2-1 victory. O'Reilly has six goals and nine assists in the last 12 road contests.

The Sabres have yielded 10 goals to go 4-1-0 following a six-game losing streak in which they were outscored 21-8. A winner in five of seven away from home, Buffalo last won four straight on the road to open the '11-12 season.

"We can win," said Eichel, the second overall pick in 2015 who has three goals and six assists in six road games. "We know that."

Buffalo hopes its improved road play can end an 0-2-2 slide at Colorado (23-21-3), where the Avs have scored 16 times while winning four of their last five.

Colorado has not gotten much of a return on its end of the O'Reilly trade with Grigorenko recording 12 points in 40 games and Zadorov seeing action in 14 while spending most of his time in the AHL. Fighting for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference, the Avs split a two-game trip after Monday's 2-1 victory at Winnipeg.

Carl Soderberg had a goal with an assist and Semyon Varlamov made 36 saves after yielding four goals in each of his prior two starts. The Avs have given up three goals in three games but will need to improve on their 8-14-1 mark against the East.

"(Monday) was an important game for us. We need to continue," coach Patrick Roy said. "It is important because we're not doing so well against teams from the East for some reason."

Jarome Iginla's 13th goal Monday is Colorado's only power-play score in 11 chances over its previous five. The Avs, however, have killed all 12 penalties in the last four.

The Sabres have converted 25 percent (8 for 32) of their opportunities with the man-advantage in the last nine contests.

Buffalo's Chad Johnson has a 1.34 goals-against average in his last three starts.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wild (22-15) at Ducks (17-18)
Date: January 20, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The Minnesota Wild's offense has dried up in stunning fashion over the past four games.

That's been a season-long problem for the Anaheim Ducks, the NHL's lowest-scoring team that had been producing more of late before struggling to generate goals again their last time out.

Scoring might be at a premium when these teams meet Wednesday night at Honda Center to close out their three-game season series.

The Wild's losing streak hit four with a 3-0 defeat at Nashville on Saturday as they were shut out for the second straight time. Minnesota (22-15-8), which has totaled three goals during its skid, has never been blanked in three in a row.

"We know that the one way to feel confident is to work for it, and to earn it, and we've done that in the past," coach Mike Yeo told the team's official website. "There were certainly some good things that we could have taken out of last game. Most nights we score two, three goals the way we played the game and the chances that we created."

The Wild outshot the Predators 13-5 in the second period and 29-25 overall. Minnesota was averaging 2.68 goals prior to the skid - 11th in the league.

"When things don't go your way, or the other goalie makes a couple of saves you start kind of thinking about it, and thinking, 'Is this going to be one of those nights, again?'" forward Jason Pominville said. "But we just have to find a way to bury some of our opportunities, and get our confidence, and get our swagger back."

Devan Dubnyk has posted a 1.79 goals-against average in his last four games and is expected to be in net again. He beat Anaheim 3-0 at Minnesota with 15 saves in the teams' last meeting Oct. 24, snapping the Ducks' four-game win streak in the series.

Anaheim (19-18-7) took the first matchup of the season 4-1 on Oct. 18 at home and has won 10 of 12 meetings. The Wild have scored one goal in seven of those.

A 7-2-1 stretch had the Ducks finally looking like the team that came within one game of the Stanley Cup Final last season, but the lack of offense that has plagued them throughout this disappointing season returned in a 3-2 home loss to Los Angeles on Sunday.

Though it wasn't for lack of chances - Anaheim held a 16-7 shot advantage in the third period and 32-26 overall - the club essentially hit its season average of 1.95 goals - easily the worst in the league.

The Ducks, who had scored four goals in three of the previous four contests, gave up three in the second period. They are last in the league with 1.09 goals allowed in the second.

'It's frustrating, that's for sure,' coach Bruce Boudreau said. 'I think we lead the league in fewest goals allowed in the first and third period and might be dead last in the second period. It's consistency, and we preach about it a lot. Hopefully sometime in the very near future we get that down.'

The Ducks are 4-3-0 on a homestand that concludes Wednesday.

"We're playing good teams. We're battling. We showed we could play with them," center Andrew Cogliano said of the Kings, who hold a solid lead in the Pacific Division. "They're probably the toughest team to play in the league. ... We had them on their heels a lot in the third period."

Minnesota opened a four-game road trip Saturday and is in the midst of playing seven of eight away from home. It's dropped two straight and five of six at Honda Center.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (55) MINNESOTA@ (56) ANAHEIM | 2016-01-20 22:35:00 - 2016-01-20 22:35:00
Play AGAINST ANAHEIM using money line in All games after a division game
The record is 3 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (-12.4 units)

NHL > (55) MINNESOTA@ (56) ANAHEIM | 2016-01-20 22:35:00 - 2016-01-20 22:35:00
Play AGAINST ANAHEIM using money line in Home games after a division game
The record is 2 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (-11.05 units)

NHL > (51) ST LOUIS@ (52) DETROIT | 2016-01-20 20:05:00 - 2016-01-20 20:05:00
Play AGAINST DETROIT using money line in Home games when playing with 2 days rest
The record is 7 Wins and 17 Losses for the last three seasons (-20.2 units)

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

NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (55) MINNESOTA@ (56) ANAHEIM | 2016-01-20 22:35:00 - 2016-01-20 22:35:00
Play AGAINST ANAHEIM in All games after a division game
The record is 3 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (-12.4 units)

NHL > (55) MINNESOTA@ (56) ANAHEIM | 2016-01-20 22:35:00 - 2016-01-20 22:35:00
Play AGAINST ANAHEIM in Home games after a division game
The record is 2 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (-11.05 units)

NHL > (51) ST LOUIS@ (52) DETROIT | 2016-01-20 20:05:00 - 2016-01-20 20:05:00
Play AGAINST DETROIT in Home games when playing with 2 days rest
The record is 7 Wins and 17 Losses for the last three seasons (-20.2 units)

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

NHL TOTALS

NHL > (51) ST LOUIS@ (52) DETROIT | 2016-01-20 20:05:00 - 2016-01-20 20:05:00
Play UNDER DETROIT on the totalin All games when playing with 2 days rest
The record is 4 Overs and 17 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.7 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Peyton Manning banks an extra $2M Sunday if the Broncos win and he plays 70% of the offensive snaps; same thing goes for the Super Bowl.

-- If you care about such things, Australia is 16 hours ahead of us here in the east.

-- Cal Bears' primary ballhandler Tyrone Wallace is out 4-6 weeks with a broken hand. That gets him back in time for the Pac-12 tournament.

-- Over the last 12 years, Gonzaga is 22-3 in the WCC tournament, winning it nine times. It is tough to be that dominant for that long a period.

-- Providence 71, Butler 68-- Friars sweep Butler, kind of surprising.

-- Chicago Blackhawks beat Nashville Tuesday, have won 12 games in a row.

**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a winter day.....

13) Tuesday was the worst kind of winter day here in upstate NY; temps in 20s, but with a vicious, cutting wind that would cut thru any number of layers of clothes, and make you question your intelligence for choosing to live here. The good part is the wind will be gone today and a normal 25 degree day will feel like springtime.

12) Maryland 62, Northwestern 56 OT-- Wildcats are 15-5, 2-4 in last six games; on Selection Sunday, if Northwestern doesn't make the tournament (again), they can look at this game as a big reason why. Winning at Maryland would've been huge- they have a #264 strength of schedule (#346 non-conference) and badly need quality wins. Right now, their best wins are at home over Wisconsin/Nebraska- no bueno.

11) How on God's green earth does getting an endorsement from Sarah Palin help someone become President of the United States? I'd rather get an endorsement from Julianne Moore, who played Ms Palin in a movie called Game Change. Ms Palin is a walking, talking Saturday Night Live skit; Tina Fey had to be delighted yesterday.

10) Oklahoma State 86, Kansas 67-- Cowboys had lost four in row coming into this game, third straight loss for Jayhawks in Stillwater. It is January 20 and I have zero freakin' idea who the best team in the country is. An interesting season.

9) South Carolina 77, Ole Miss 74 OT-- Gamecocks scored the last 11 points of regulation, handing Ole Miss a bitter loss. Gamecocks are an underappreciated 17-1, with only loss at Alabama- they don't play A&M or Kentucky until next month.

8) When Duke lost to Syracuse Monday, they were 13-25 inside arc, 10-37 outside the arc, only 6-9 on foul line, very un-Duke-like numbers. If you do not attack the basket, you're not going to get calls from refs. Duke doesn't play great great defense because they have no depth; now they're not getting the ball inside on offense.

7) RIP coach Johnny Bach, one of Phil Jackson's assistants with the Jordan-era Bulls. Coach Bach grew up in NYC at the same time as my dad, who would tell stories about his high school playing Bach's high school. Coach Bach and Tex Winter teamed to give Phil Jackson a pair of experienced voices to lean on, when he needed it. RIP, sir.

6) Eagles introduced Doug Pederson as their new coach, where he was grilled over the Chiefs' play-calling late in their loss at New England Saturday. Didn't take long for the honeymoon to end there.

5) UNLV 80, Utah State 68-- Ten days, UNLV changed basketball coaches; they are 3-0 since then, winning all three games fairly easily, begging the question:

a) UNLV changed basketball coaches ten days ago..........they were 0-3 in league.
b) Since then, UNLV is 3-0, winning by 12-36-12 points.
c) Did a) cause b)? If the Rebels keep winning, the powers-that-be in the desert are going to have a very interesting decision to make- promote the (much cheaper to hire) interim coach to permanent coach, or go national and hire a big name? .

4) There have been 22 OT games in the NFL this season; five of the 22 ended with a TD being scored by the team having the ball first.

3) San Diego State 73, Fresno State 67 OT-- For team with such great experience, Fresno plays too willy-nilly for me. Bulldogs are #12 in experience in country, but in last 0:10 down 3, Marvelle Harris (4-20 from floor) jacks up a hideous 3-pointer with 0:06 left and its an airball, which is rebounded by the shortest player on the court under the hoop, who races out to the corner and knocks down a ridiculous fadeaway 3 to tie the game at the buzzer. Fresno was right for the wrong reason.

If you bet Fresno +7.5, you needed a 3-pointer in last 0:20 of OT to cover. Aztecs are on a winning streak now, but they're still offensively-challenged.

2) Pacers 97, Suns 94-- Phoenix is 13-30; they should bring Mike D'Antoni back.

A story to close out today.........
1) Long time ago, I coached Little League in a wealthy suburb; one year, a doctor was one of my assistant coaches. Smart guy, but he hated the way I coached and we did not interact that much (hard to believe, huh?). Anyway, the doctor loved to play golf-- that year, Arnold Palmer came to the area in a charity event, and the doctor did volunteer work that day and met Mr Palmer.

So the next day at our Little League practice, I asked the doctor how the golf outing was. He was not prone to praise or overstatement, but he looked at me and said, "It was the greatest day of my life." That is the effect Arnold Palmer has on people.

[StarDust Bum]

Three spot bets the wiseguys are looking to wager this week

The Clippers have a big showdown against the Cavaliers Thursday, but could fall victim to a letdown spot the next night in New York.

Letdown spot

The Los Angeles Clippers watched the Golden State Warriors take apart the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday night and smell blood in the water with the schedule taking them to Cleveland Thursday night. After an intense overtime win at Houston Monday, the Clippers have two full days to recover and game plan for LeBron & Co.

That big matchup leaves Los Angeles open to a letdown spot the very next night. Following Thursday’s showdown with the Cavaliers, L.A. heads to the Big Apple to play the New York Knicks Friday. The Knicks also needed overtime to win Monday, edging Philadelphia and host Utah Wednesday before a day off Thursday. With L.A. coming off a huge matchup on short rest, there could be added value on the home side at MSG Friday.

Lookahead spot

The Villanova Wildcats have a Big East Saturday showdown against Providence this week, a battle between two ranked teams that will go a long way in deciding how the conference trickles down. But before the Wildcats host the Friars, they have to make the trip next door to New Jersey Wednesday.

Villanova visits Seton Hall in a possible lookahead spot for Jay Wright’s kids. The Pirates, while not ranked, are no pushovers. Seton Hall is 8-1 at home with a 5-3 ATS record in those lined games. The Pirates have had the Wildcats’ number in recent home dates with Villanova, going 4-1 ATS in their last five against their Big East rivals inside the Prudential Center.

Schedule spot

Sometimes a road trip can be a good thing, especially when it pertains to a team struggling at home. Getting out of town can take some of the pressure off the club, which is something the Minnesota Wild are hoping for with their current four-game road swing, which opened with a 3-0 shutout loss in Nashville Saturday - extending their losing skid to four games.

Since then, the Wild have had some time to refocus and travel to the left side of the country for three games against West Coast teams. Minnesota picks up in Anaheim Wednesday, then faces Los Angeles Thursday, before closing this trek in San Jose Saturday. The Wild opened the season with a similar stretch, playing at Arizona, L.A. and Anaheim in a period of four days, going 1-1-1 in that span.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, January 20


St. Louis @ Detroit

Game 51-52
January 20, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
11.774
Detroit
13.113
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1 1/2
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-125); Under

Buffalo @ Colorado

Game 53-54
January 20, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Buffalo
9.189
Colorado
10.727
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-170
5
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(-170); Over

Minnesota @ Anaheim

Game 55-56
January 20, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
12.754
Anaheim
11.288
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+110); Under




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, January 20

Hot teams
-- St Louis won four of its last five games. Detroit won five of its last seven.
-- Buffalo won four of its last five games. Colorado won four of last five at home.
-- Anaheim won three of its last five games.

Cold teams
-- Minnesota lost its last four games, outscored 9-3.

Series records
-- Blues lost their last four games with Detroit.
-- Sabres lost their last nine games with Colorado.
-- Ducks won four of last five games with Minnesota.

Totals
-- Five of last six Detroit-St Louis games stayed under.
-- Last seven Buffalo-Colorado games went over total.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five Minnesota games.

Back-to-backs
-- None




NHL

Wednesday, January 20

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. DETROIT
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
St. Louis is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Detroit is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

10:00 PM
BUFFALO vs. COLORADO
Buffalo is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Buffalo is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing at home against Buffalo
Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Buffalo

10:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. ANAHEIM
Minnesota is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing Anaheim
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Anaheim is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Anaheim is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing Minnesota