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

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, JANUARY 3

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


DAL at NYI 05:00 PM

NYI -105 BEST BET

U 5.5


MIN at FLA 06:00 PM

FLA -130 BEST BET

U 5.0


OTT at CHI 07:00 PM

CHI -197

O 5.5


WIN at ANA 09:00 PM

ANA -170 BEST BET

O 5.0

[StarDust Bum]

NHL Capsules
January 4, 2016

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Jaromir Jagr scored two goals, including the game-winner in the third period, and Al Montoya made 38 saves as the streaking Florida Panthers beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Sunday.

The victory was the ninth in a row for Florida and seventh straight at home, both franchise records. The nine-game winning streak ties Montreal, Washington and the New York Rangers for the longest in the NHL this season.

Dmitry Kulikov had two assists for the Panthers (23-12-4).

The 43-year-old Jagr has 735 goals, six behind Brett Hull for third on the league's career list.

Jason Zucker scored for the Wild.

BLACKHAWKS 3, SENATORS 0

CHICAGO (AP) - Corey Crawford made 26 saves in his NHL-leading sixth shutout this season to lead Chicago past Ottawa for its third straight win.

Duncan Keith and Artem Anisimov scored for the Blackhawks, who got an empty-net goal from Andrew Desjardins with 48 seconds left.

Crawford wasn't tested consistently, but he was sharp when needed in earning his 18th career shutout in his 300th game.

Ottawa's Craig Anderson stopped 27 shots, but the Senators lost their third straight and fifth in their last six.

ISLANDERS 6, STARS 5

NEW YORK (AP) - Kyle Okposo had two goals and an assist, Cal Clutterbuck scored twice and New York beat the NHL-best Dallas Stars.

Anders Lee had a goal and an assist, and Mikhail Grabovski also scored to help the Islanders win for the fourth time in six games and improve to 4-0-1 in their last five against the Stars. Thomas Greiss finished with 36 saves.

New York trailed 2-1 in the first period before scoring the next four goals and then held off Dallas in the third to improve to 12-4-1 against Western Conference teams.

Valeri Nichushkin had two goals for Dallas. Vernon Fiddler, Patrick Sharp and Jason Spezza also scored, and Kari Lehtonen stopped 38 shots.

The Stars, coming off an overtime defeat at New Jersey the previous night, lost consecutive games for the first time this season. Dallas was the last remaining NHL team without back-to-back losses.

DUCKS 4, JETS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Kevin Bieksa and Ryan Kesler each scored a power-play goal, and Anaheim earned at least one point for the sixth consecutive game by defeating Winnipeg.

Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry also scored, and John Gibson made 19 saves for the Ducks as they opened an eight-game homestand vital to their playoff hopes in the jumbled Pacific Division.

Tyler Myers scored for the Jets, and Michael Hutchinson stopped 31 shots.

After sweeping the Jets in the first round of last year's Stanley Cup playoffs, the Ducks won the first meeting this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Hurricanes (16-17) at Oilers (13-21)
Date: January 04, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

While the Edmonton Oilers are at the bottom of the Western Conference, they're feeling good about starting the new year in a positive fashion.

In the midst of one of their longest homestands of the season, the Oilers look to continue their success in Edmonton on Monday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Edmonton (16-21-3) has missed the playoffs for nine straight seasons since losing the Stanley Cup Final to Carolina in 2006.

The Oilers, though, have shown promise with an 11-7-1 home record - four wins shy of their total from all of last season.

Their success at Rexall Place includes a season-high seven-game winning streak before returning from the Christmas break to begin a six-game homestand with losses to Pacific Division rivals Los Angeles and Anaheim.

Edmonton, though, bounced back against another division foe Saturday, winning 4-3 in a shootout over Arizona.

"After Christmas, we didn't take advantage of the games against teams in our division," said center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who scored the decisive shootout attempt. "It was great to see us stick with it after getting down by a goal in the third. We really wanted to come back and get that one and played with some desperation."

Taylor Hall has done much of his damage at home. The left wing leads the team with 16 goals and 41 points, getting 11 and 28 as host after finding the net against the Coyotes.

He has one goal and two assists in two home meetings with the Hurricanes (16-17-6).

Jordan Eberle's success against Carolina isn't limited to any venue as he's collected four goals and five assists in his last six matchups. However, Eberle and Hall were pointless in a 4-1 loss at Carolina on Nov. 25.

Eberle, however, scored twice and assisted on Nugent-Hopkins' tally in a 6-3 home win over the Hurricanes in October 2014.

Carolina, 3-1-1 in its last five games, is coming off Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to Nashville. The Hurricanes owned a 13-4 shot advantage after the second period but never found the net.

"I feel like we played good enough to win, but we got an unlucky bounce on their goal," goaltender Eddie Lack told the team's official website after being beaten on the first shot he faced in OT following 19 saves.

Lack is likely to return to the bench in favor of Cam Ward, the 2006 Conn Smythe winner and one of two remaining Hurricanes (Eric Staal) from that Cup-winning team.

Ward is 1-4-0 with a 3.64 goals-against average in his last six road games, getting pulled twice. He has a 2.78 GAA while winning four of his last five meetings with the Oilers, making 30 saves Nov. 25.

Justin Faulk had two assists in that matchup, giving him six in as many career games against Edmonton.

The defenseman leads the Hurricanes with 30 points, but has none and is a minus-4 over the last three games.

Victor Rask, who is second to Faulk with 26 points, has two goals and one assist over the past four games. His goal Saturday was his 11th, matching his total from all of last season as a rookie.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Wings (18-13) at Devils (18-14)
Date: January 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New Jersey Devils are fresh off a victory over the NHL's top team and looking for their longest win streak against the Detroit Red Wings since the 1995 Stanley Cup Final.

The Devils try to continue their climb in the standings and sweep the three-game season series from the visiting Red Wings on Monday night.

New Jersey (20-14-5) posted its first three-game winning streak in more than two months with a 3-2 overtime victory over Dallas on Saturday.

After the Devils blew a 2-0 lead by allowing two goals in the last 10 minutes of the third period, John Moore scored the winner on a power play 1:47 into overtime.

The Devils took over the wild card lead in the Eastern Conference and improved to 4-1-0 in their past five games, reaching the 20-win plateau 12 games quicker than last year.

"It was a huge test for us," Moore said. "They're a very talented team. We have to build off this. We have to find ways to keep climbing in the standings and gain momentum."

Kyle Palmieri has led New Jersey with four goals and one assist over the past five. The Devils have scored at least three goals in each of their past four wins.

"I think when we play a strong game and play well together as a team and we have a complete team effort, we have a chance to win every game," Devils coach John Hynes said.

The Red Wings (19-13-7) started a six-game road trip with a 4-3 win over Buffalo on Saturday. Henrik Zetterberg scored for the first time in the last seven contests and Petr Mrazek made 32 saves as Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak.

Mrazek had at least 10 saves in each period, including a stop of Zach Bogosian on a breakaway late in the third.

"He saved us tonight," Zetterberg said. "There were some key moments and some big saves, and it makes it easier for us to play defense."

Detroit coach Jeff Blashill shuffled his lines before the Dallas game and said he expects to use the same combinations against New Jersey.

"Those lines will work well as long as the individuals on the lines play well," he said. "The one thing we have to do is play your best every night to have a chance to win."

The Devils beat the Red Wings twice last month. Their 4-3 victory on Dec. 22 marked just their second win in their last 14 trips to Joe Louis Arena. They won 3-2 in overtime in New Jersey 11 days earlier.

Those victories followed a dominant stretch by the Red Wings in which they won 11 of the previous 14 meetings.

The Devils haven't won three in a row over Detroit since their four-game sweep to capture the Stanley Cup in 1995.

New Jersey was without points leader Mike Cammalleri against the Stars. The forward, who has 14 goals and 21 assists in 38 games, is day to day with an upper-body injury.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Kings (23-11) at Avalanche (18-18)
Date: January 04, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Los Angeles' winning streak has featured a stingy defensive-zone presence, and Colorado's latest struggles have about canceled out its similar form from just over two weeks ago.

Recent history in the series points toward those trends continuing Monday night as the Kings visit the Avalanche seeking their third winning streak of at least six games this season.

The Kings (25-11-2) scored 18 goals in the first four games of the latest streak before Saturday's 2-1 home win over Philadelphia. They've limited opponents to seven goals on the five-game run.

"When you come to the rink on a winning streak, everything's just so much more fun," Drew Doughty said. 'We want to continue feeling that way. We don't like coming to the rink unhappy.

"We're playing with a lot of confidence right now, and it's just gone through the whole team. Every single guy is playing that way, and that makes our team a lot better."

Doughty gave Los Angeles a 2-0 lead late in the first period on the power play, which has been a key part of the streak, going 6 of 15 with at least one goal in each win.

Dwight King opened the scoring and has two goals in three games back from a broken foot that sidelined him for the team's first 35 games.

"I don't think anybody planned this kind of outcome, but I'll take them and hopefully just keep going," King said.

The Avalanche (18-18-3) haven't slowed many players down lately, allowing 20 goals over a 1-2-2 span following a five-game winning streak during which they gave up five goals. They also came up short offensively in Saturday's 4-0 home loss to Calgary.

They're on a 0-2-2 skid at home to fall to 6-9-3 for the season. With the Kings followed in by St. Louis and Nashville to conclude a five-game homestand, that skid could grow. Los Angeles is seeking its first five-game road winning streak since winning eight straight from Feb. 26-March 27, 2014. Colorado's last five-game home skid was part of an eight gamer from Jan. 26-March 11, 2011.

"We had a great crowd supporting us (that) paid good money to see us play, and we didn't have a good game at all," Erik Johnson told the team's official website. "It's something we have to put behind us, learn from and next game be ready to go."

It was Jarome Iginla's third try at becoming the 19th player in NHL history to score 600 goals. He said he hopes the looming milestone isn't a distraction to his teammates as they work through a difficult time.

"We talk about it," said Iginla, who has one goal in his last 20 games against the Kings. "It's not to look for me. I want us to play normal, if anything use me as a decoy. There's a lot of time to get that."

Jonathan Quick could make it even more difficult. He's seeking his third six-game winning streak of the season and has a 1.40 goals-against average and .954 save percentage in the last five. Quick has won his last six games versus Colorado with a .947 save percentage.

Likely counterpart Semyon Varlamov is headed the other direction, posting a 4.37 GAA and .856 save percentage over an 0-2-2 span.

The Kings won 2-1 at home over the Avalanche on Oct. 18 to get to 8-0-1 with 15 goals allowed in the series since last losing to Colorado on Jan. 22, 2013. Marian Gaborik has scored in his last three games against the Avalanche.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Coyotes (18-16) at Canucks (12-15)
Date: January 04, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Despite their issues on the road, the Arizona Coyotes are second in the Pacific thanks to their success within the division.

Their only regulation loss to a Pacific opponent, however, came to the Vancouver Canucks.

Seeking a third road win in almost eight weeks, the Coyotes look to avoid a fourth straight loss to the Canucks on Monday night.

After finishing at the bottom of the Western Conference last season, there were few expectations foisted on Arizona heading into 2015-16. So far, the Coyotes (18-16-4) are among the league's biggest surprises as they sit one point ahead of Vancouver (15-15-9) in the division race.

Arizona's position in the Pacific comes despite a 2-8-1 record on the road since a win at Los Angeles on Nov. 10. That's also part of the Coyotes' 7-1-2 record within the division.

They gained another point in such a matchup Saturday, opening a three-game trip through Western Canada with a 4-3 shootout loss to Edmonton.

Anthony Duclair is looking to improve upon his first goal in 10 road games after scoring six in his first 10. The 20-year-old left wing's 11 goals rank third on the team, but coach Dave Tippett is looking for more consistency.

"He's a good young player. He's got a great attitude," Tippett said. "He's worked very hard but there's a lot to learn.

"One of the biggest thing that young players have to learn is the fact that the expectations of consistency every night."

Max Domi assisted on Duclair's goal against the Oilers and his 28 points rank second among rookies.

Like Duclair, Domi is struggling for consistency as he's failed to score in 12 straight games.

He found the net at home against Vancouver on Oct. 30, but the Coyotes' comeback from a three-goal, first-period deficit fell short in a 4-3 defeat.

Arizona has lost three straight to the Canucks and is 1-2-2 in the last five visits to Vancouver.

The Canucks have won four of their last five at home after beating Anaheim 2-1 in a shootout on New Year's Day.

"We were playing a little bit more defensive," coach Willie Desjardins said. "I like playing offensive. I don't like sitting back as much as that. I'd rather get more aggressive, but we've gotten points out of games that we haven't in the past, so it's good."

Jacob Markstrom is coming through in a big way. He's 3-1-0 with a 1.93 goals-against average in four games since starter Ryan Miller went down with a groin injury.

Markstrom should be back in net after making 27 saves and turning aside all three shootout attempts Friday. He stopped 26 shots in a 3-1 win at Arizona on March 22 - his only meeting with the Coyotes.

Daniel Sedin has three goals and four assists in his last five games with Arizona, scoring a power-play tally Oct. 30. He has 15 points in 17 home games but none in the past two.

The Canucks will see a familiar face on the opposing bench as Brad Richardson plays his first game in Vancouver since signing with the Coyotes as a free agent over the summer.

Richardson, who spent the last two seasons with the Canucks, has 15 points after getting two Saturday.

"It's just another game," Richardson told the team's official website. "It's nice to play against former teams and hopefully play well, but I'm just looking at it as another game and playing my best."

[StarDust Bum]

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (57) LOS ANGELES@ (58) COLORADO | 2016-01-04 21:05:00 - 2016-01-04 21:05:00
Play ON COLORADO using money line in All games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 20 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (+14.8 units)

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NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (57) LOS ANGELES@ (58) COLORADO | 2016-01-04 21:05:00 - 2016-01-04 21:05:00
Play ON COLORADO in All games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 20 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (+14.8 units)

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NHL TOTALS

NHL > (51) DETROIT@ (52) NEW JERSEY | 2016-01-04 19:05:00 - 2016-01-04 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 28 Unders for the last three seasons (+16.55 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Westgate Super Contest (1,727 entrants-- prize pool is $2.5M)

Most popular picks in Week 17 season record: 52-50-2

6) Buccaneers, +10.5 (254)-- Will Carolina rest its starters? L

5) Steelers -10.5 (317)-- Steelers need win and Jets to lose in Buffalo. W

T3) Jets, -3 ((327)-- Lot of opinions both ways in this critical game. L

T3) Giants, -3 (327)-- One coach is already fired; other one will be Monday L

2) Packers -3 (392)-- Winner gets home field in playoff game next week. L

1) Bills +3 (403)-- Rex Ryan can knock his old team out of the playoffs. W
**********

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

13) Vikings 20, Packers 13-- Second abominable week in row for Green Bay, which now goes to Washington next week, while Seahawks visit Minnesota. If my team had Aaron Rodgers, I'd sure as hell find him some receivers who can get open.

12) Bills 22, Jets 17-- Jets had ball in red zone down 19-17 with just over 4:00 left; you figure they at worst get go-ahead FG, but Fitzpatrick threw INT in end zone and their season comes to an unfortunate end. Jets were +18 in turnovers in their ten wins, -15 in their six losses. Sometimes its that simple.

11) Steelers 28, Browns 12-- Cleveland fired its GM before the game, the coach after the game. Next year they'll have their sixth HC in nine years. Pittsburgh has had three head coaches since 1969. Hire a coach, then give some freakin' time. Oy.

10) Eagles 35, Giants 30-- Tom Coughlin will be in the Hall of Fame; he obviously doesn't want to retire, but Giants have had three straight losing seasons and only one playoff spot in last seven- that gets you fired.

But when you've won two Super Bowls you get to "resign" or "mutually agree to part ways". Has to be very awkward for the Giants' front office-- "....nothing ends well or else it wouldn't end". That line from the bartender in the Tom Cruise movie, Cocktail, whose name, coincidentally, was Doug Coughlin.

9) Colts 30, Titans 24-- Tennessee clinches first pick in draft; you know they're not taking a QB-- maybe they'll deal the pick for multiple selections. Cleveland will pick #2 and Dallas #3- those two teams will have very interesting offseasons.

8) Seahawks 36, Cardinals 6-- Seattle goes on road in playoffs next week but they are a team no one wants to play. Arizona gets the #2 seed and has next week off- they will want the #3 seed to win next week so they don't have to play Seahawks again.

7) Broncos 27, Chargers 20-- Peyton Manning came out of the bullpen with Broncos down 13-7 in third quarter, promptly led go-ahead TD drive, and has his starting job back. This winter, what will Denver do with Osweiler? Manning will be retired and the Broncos are going to need a franchise QB.

6) Texans 30, Jaguars 6-- Houston recovers from its 2-5 start to win the AFC South; when I watched Hard Knocks last summer, wasn't impressed with Bill O'Brien at all- thought he butchered the QB situation, and Texans did wind up starting five different QBs this season, but now they're in the playoffs, thanks to Andrew Luck being hurt and the division being a bad division.

5) Dolphins 20, Patriots 10-- New England is 2-4 in its last six games after their 10-0 start; Patriots had only 12 first downs, 196 TY. Hard to tell if they're playing possum or if they have real issues, but they'll have next week off to work on them.

4) Redskins 34, Cowboys 23-- Dallas went 1-7 at home this year; they'll have the #3 pick in April's draft. Tony Romo will turn 36 right around the time the draft happens; might be a good time to pick a franchise quarterback.

3) Lions 24, Bears 20-- Detroit won six of its last eight games and one of the losses was the Green Bay Hail Mary in that Thursday night game- the question is now, will they fire Jim Caldwell after almost everyone else got fired during the season?

2) Chiefs 23, Raiders 17-- KC started season 1-5, so just making playoffs is big deal; they head to Houston to face a team they're better than. Chiefs won 27-20 in season opener at Houston, then didn't win again for six weeks.

1) Panthers 38, Buccaneers 10-- Carolina is highly underrated; they're heading into playoffs at 15-1 and the #1 seed in the NFC. Last two Super Bowls were #1-seed vs #1-seed; in 20 years before that, it only happened once.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Monday, January 4


Detroit @ New Jersey

Game 51-52
January 4, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
12,893
New Jersey
10.694
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Jersey
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+105); Under

Ottawa @ St. Louis

Game 53-54
January 4, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ottawa
11.291
St. Louis
12.749
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-200
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-200); Over

Carolina @ Edmonton

Game 55-56
January 4, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Carolina
9.666
Edmonton
12,371
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 2 1/2
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Edmonton
-130
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
(-130); Over

Los Angeles @ Colorado

Game 57-58
January 4, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
12.673
Colorado
11.209
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
-140
5
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-140); Under

Arizona @ Vancouver

Game 59-60
January 4, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
10.210
Vancouver
9.076
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Vancouver
-160
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+140); Under




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, January 4

Hot teams
-- Devils won four of their last five games.
-- Carolina is 4-3 in its last seven games.
-- Los Angeles won its last five games, allowing seven goals.
-- Vancouver won three of its last four games.

Cold teams
-- Detroit lost seven of its last ten games.
-- Ottawa lost five of its last six games. Blues lost three of their last four.
-- Edmonton lost seven of its last nine games.
-- Avalanche lost four of their last five games.
-- Arizona is 4-5 in its last nine games.

Series records
-- Red Wings won four of last six games with New Jersey.
-- Senators won three of last four games with St Louis
-- Hurricanes lost three of last four visits to Edmonton.
-- Kings won their last six games with Colorado.
-- Canucks won four of last five games with Arizona.

Totals
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Detroit-New Jersey games.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six St Louis games.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Carolina-Edmonton games.
-- Four of last six Colorado games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Arizona-Vancouver games stayed under.

Back-to-backs
-- Ottawa is 1-4 if it played the night before; teams are 1-4 night after playing Chicago.




NHL

Monday, January 4

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. NEW JERSEY
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
New Jersey11-4-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Detroit

8:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. ST. LOUIS
Ottawa is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ottawa's last 7 games on the road
St. Louis is 3-8-1 SU in its last 12 games ,when playing Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games

9:00 PM
CAROLINA vs. EDMONTON
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Carolina's last 8 games when playing Edmonton
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing at home against Carolina
Edmonton is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home

9:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. COLORADO
Los Angeles is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Los Angeles is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Colorado's last 18 games at home

10:00 PM
ARIZONA vs. VANCOUVER
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games
Arizona is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games
Vancouver is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vancouver's last 6 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, January 4

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DETROIT (19-13-0-7, 45 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (20-14-0-5, 45 pts.) - 1/4/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 54-67 ATS (-32.3 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 5-3 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 5-3-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.4 Units)

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OTTAWA (18-15-0-6, 42 pts.) at ST LOUIS (23-14-0-4, 50 pts.) - 1/4/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 24-17 ATS (+42.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 18-11 ATS (+31.3 Units) in road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 16-9 ATS (+27.0 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 6-12 ATS (-11.3 Units) in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 3-1 (+4.1 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 3-1-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

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CAROLINA (16-17-0-6, 38 pts.) at EDMONTON (16-21-0-3, 35 pts.) - 1/4/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 57-108 ATS (+190.2 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1996.
EDMONTON is 24-24 ATS (+61.7 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 25-23 ATS (+57.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 160-158 ATS (-42.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
EDMONTON is 73-82 ATS (-59.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 3-2 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 3-2-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.1 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (25-11-0-2, 52 pts.) at COLORADO (18-18-0-3, 39 pts.) - 1/4/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 9-18 ATS (-15.3 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 112-98 ATS (-60.5 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 56-40 ATS (+13.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 20-10 ATS (+30.1 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 15-9 ATS (+24.1 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 166-139 ATS (+16.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.
COLORADO is 129-123 ATS (-42.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
COLORADO is 105-110 ATS (-30.3 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 6-1 (+4.4 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 6-1-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.0 Units)

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ARIZONA (18-16-0-4, 40 pts.) at VANCOUVER (15-15-0-9, 39 pts.) - 1/4/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 10-36 ATS (+71.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 159-100 ATS (+34.1 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
ARIZONA is 7-3 ATS (+11.1 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
ARIZONA is 7-2 ATS (+9.6 Units) after a division game this season.
VANCOUVER is 218-205 ATS (-121.0 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 119-113 ATS (-68.3 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 4-10 ATS (-8.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 5-6 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 6-5-0 straight up against ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.3 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Senators (15-15) at Blues (21-14)
Date: January 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The St. Louis Blues' only scoring in their past two games is a pair of power-play goals. Their next opponent hasn't even been that fortunate.

The Ottawa Senators try to avoid being shut out in three consecutive games for the first time in franchise history Monday night in St. Louis.

The Blues (23-14-4) have scored six times in their last four games with all of their even-strength goals coming in a 4-3 overtime win against Nashville on Tuesday. They had a season-best four-game home win streak snapped with a 3-1 loss to Minnesota on Thursday while leading scorer Vladimir Tarasenko sat out with an illness.

Tarasenko returned Saturday and scored his 23rd goal in a 4-1 loss in Toronto.

"It's adversity everyone faces throughout the year," center Paul Stastny told the team's official website. "It's frustrating at times, but you try not to let it bother you. The minute we start playing too hesitant, too tentative and start worrying too much about that, that's when you get in trouble."

Ottawa (18-15-6) suffered its third consecutive loss and seventh straight on the road with a 3-0 defeat to Chicago on Sunday, its second in a row by that score. The Senators have been blanked three times this season after scoring in every game in 2014-15.

"You go through your ebbs and flows of the season, when you somehow you don't think you play well but you find a way to manufacture four (goals). Tonight, you get the opportunities and come up with a goose egg," forward Bobby Ryan said. "You get 12-14 chances like we did, there's not going to be many nights when guys aren't finding a way to put one in. We've got to find a way out of the funk."

The Senators are in the midst of their longest road skid since an 0-10-2 slide Nov. 1-Dec. 28, 2008. They've won four of their last five visits to St. Louis, taking the past two in shootouts, but haven't faced the Blues since Nov. 25, 2014, at the Scottrade Center.

They split their two overall matchups last season, losing 3-2 Nov. 22.

"We always have a real battle with St. Louis. It's going to be a fun one," forward Kyle Turris said.

Andrew Hammond could make his first start against St. Louis with Craig Anderson having played against the Blackhawks. Anderson hasn't faced the Blues since Feb. 7, 2012, and is 2-1-0 with a 3.39 goals-against average in his last three matchups.

St. Louis is expected to start ex-Senators netminder Brian Elliott, who is 2-0-1 with a 1.65 GAA in four lifetime starts against his former team. Playing behind Jake Allen, Elliott is 1-3-1 with a 2.64 GAA in six starts since the beginning of November.

Ottawa captain Erik Karlsson has two goals and two assists in his last four games against St. Louis. He totaled three goals and six assists in the Senators' seven contests before the back-to-back shutouts.

Alexander Steen scored in each game against Ottawa last season while Tarasenko has one goal in four lifetime matchups.

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, JANUARY 4

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


DET at NJ 07:00 PM

DET -109

U 5.0


OTT at STL 08:00 PM

OTT +166 BEST BET

O 5.5 BEST BET


CAR at EDM 09:00 PM

EDM -105

U 5.5


LA at COL 09:00 PM

LA -123 BEST BET

U 5.5


ARI at VAN 10:00 PM

VAN -140 BEST BET

O 5.5

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Stars (27-9) at Rangers (20-14)
Date: January 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy last season, and the Dallas Stars are leading the current race.

Both teams haven't looked worthy of such an accomplishment lately.

The Stars attempt to snap a four-game road skid by capitalizing on the struggling Rangers in the finale of their trek through the New York metropolitan area.

Dallas (28-9-4) unexpectedly owns the most points in the NHL after missing the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons.

Part of the Stars' improvement stems from starting the season with an 11-2-1 road record. However, they've lost six of their last seven (1-3-3) away from home, including a 3-2 overtime defeat to New Jersey a day before falling 6-5 to the New York Islanders on Sunday.

"We haven't played our best, obviously," defenseman Alex Goligoski said. "We're mentally not there. We have to reset and reset quick. We have a bunch of games coming up."

The Stars are 2-2-2 during a hectic nine-game, 15-day stretch coming out of the Christmas break.

"When you are playing a lot of games in a few days your discipline and attention to detail isn't good," coach Lindy Ruff told the team's official website. "We have gotten away from some of the mental parts of the game that we have been so good at."

The Rangers (21-14-4) are having their own problems, going 5-11-2 after a 13-1-1 tear in their previous 15 games. They've dropped five of their last seven after losing 3-0 at Florida on Saturday, but coach Alain Vigneault feels there are reasons for optimism.

"I have seen some signs of us steering in the right direction," he said. "Our chance against totals are down. We're playing a more physical brand game right now. I think we're generating more pucks and attention to the other team's net. Our power play has been a good weapon for us.

"I'm seeing us trending in the right direction. We need to put it together. There's no doubt that we have a few players playing sub-par of their capabilities without naming anybody."

Henrik Lundqvist is a major culprit, compiling a 3.99 goals-against average while going 3-5-0 and getting pulled in three of his last nine games. He matched his season-low with 17 saves Saturday, giving him 11 losses - two shy of his total from all of last season.

Lundqvist's 2.51 GAA is the highest of his career.

"We need Hank to re-become the Hank that he's used to," Vigneault said. "I think everything from there should fall into place."

Lundqvist has won four of his last six starts against Dallas behind a 1.99 GAA.

The Stars, however, won both matchups with the Rangers last season, including a 3-2 overtime victory at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 8.

Jason Spezza scored a goal and set up the other two in that win. The center has at least one goal in each of his last four visits to MSG, totaling five with three assists.

He has 11 points over the past nine games after getting three in the first two games of this trip.

Jamie Benn, the NHL scoring leader with 24 goals, has no points in seven career meetings with New York, while Tyler Seguin has four in his 15 matchups.

Seguin's 23 goals are tied with two others for second.

Cris Kreider missed practice Monday and is listed as doubtful after suffering a cut on his hand in a fight with Florida's Brandon Pirri, according to the team's official website.

"It's a cut we can't stitch together because of where it is," Vigneault said.

Emerson Etem is Kreider's likely replacement on the second line with Derek Stepan and Rick Nash.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Capitals (26-7) at Bruins (18-13)
Date: January 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Washington Capitals made a brief stop home after losses at the first two stops of this five-game road swing for their first consecutive defeats of the season.

The Boston Bruins have had plenty of time to stew after turning in a clunker on national television against their arch-rivals.

The Capitals have been dominant in winning the last four meetings between these teams heading into Tuesday night's matchup in Boston.

Washington (28-7-3) had a nine-game win streak snapped with Thursday's 4-2 defeat to Carolina before falling 5-4 in a shootout to Columbus two nights later. The Capitals, who allowed the Blue Jackets' tying goal with 68 seconds left in regulation, believe there is not a cause for concern.

"We didn't have that kind of slump like when you go down and you go up," said Alex Ovechkin, who is four goals shy of 500 for his career. "We probably have all this year (been) at the same level. So it's a good thing. We just have to stick with it and play the same way."

Boston (20-13-4) lost for the fourth time in five games with a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Montreal on Friday in the Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium. The four-goal win was the largest for the event since it began in 2008.

"They're gonna be kinda (ticked) off about that and we're gonna have to make sure that we're ready," Capitals winger Tom Wilson said.

The Bruins started out slow, getting outshot 14-3 in the first period before finishing with one or zero goals for the third time in the last five games.

"It's going to happen again, having a bad game," captain Zdeno Chara told the Bruins' official website. "Obviously we picked the wrong game, probably the worst game of the season."

Washington has outscored Boston 13-1 in winning the last four meetings. Braden Holtby posted three straight shutouts of the Bruins before making 28 saves in a 4-1 home win Nov. 5.

Nicklas Backstrom has seven points - all on assists - in that win streak while Ovechkin has scored three goals.

"They're obviously one of the top teams in our conference, and they're playing with a lot of confidence, a lot of speed," Chara said. "We've just got to be playing our best."

One positive for Boston is that Caps defenseman John Carlson remains out with a lower-body injury. He has three goals and three assists in the last four meetings with the Bruins.

Holtby went 8-0-0 with a 1.64 goals-against average in nine starts to close December before conceding four goals Saturday for the first time in 22 games.

'If you measured his game of what it was all year, he would probably put this as one of the lower points for the year,' coach Barry Trotz said. 'But he's been outstanding for us. Never going to blame a game on Holts because he's won us so many.'

The Bruins are without forwards David Krejci and the suspended Brad Marchand.

These teams have the league's best power plays, with Boston at 28.6 percent and Washington at 25.6.

The Bruins' penalty kill has been outstanding, yielding one goal in opponents' last 31 chances. The Capitals have one of the league's best at 84.7 percent.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Panthers (18-12) at Sabres (14-20)
Date: January 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers' franchise-record winning streak started during their last road trip. They should like their chances of keeping it going behind Roberto Luongo in the opener of a season-high six-game trek.

Luongo attempts to shut out the last-place Buffalo Sabres for the fourth straight time on the road as the Panthers look to continue their success at First Niagara Center on Tuesday night.

Florida (23-12-4) is the surprise leader in the Atlantic Division, thanks to a 15-3-0 stretch that includes team records for the longest overall (nine) and home (seven) winning streaks after beating Minnesota 2-1 on Sunday.

The Panthers are aiming for the longest overall run in the NHL since Boston won 12 straight March 2-22, 2014.

Florida's streak started with a 5-1 win over the New York Islanders on Dec. 15, going on to win the last three of a four-game trip.

"That last road trip really turned it around," coach Gerard Gallant told the team's official website. "I think we have 10 or 11 games left before the All-Star break. You shoot for that. You keep trying to get points; they're important points.

"It doesn't matter how many (games) you've won in a row. You don't worry about what's behind you, you look forward and try and get some more points."

Florida can look ahead at a daunting trip that includes Buffalo, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary and Tampa Bay in a span of 13 days. Four of those teams reached the playoffs last season and the Lightning advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.

"Just win," Gallant said. "We're going to take it one game at a time like we do everything. It's going to be a tough road trip."

Turning to Luongo should get this trip off to a strong start. He's blanked the Sabres (15-20-4) in three straight meetings at Buffalo, two coming with Florida.

He won seven straight overall starts against the Sabres behind a 1.00 goals-against average before making just 16 saves in a 3-2 home defeat Nov. 12.

Luongo owns a 1.26 GAA while winning seven starts in a row, setting a Panthers record while sitting one shy of his personal best from February 2009 with Vancouver.

Florida is 6-0-2 in the last eight meetings at Buffalo and 8-0-1 in its past nine overall.

Jaromir Jagr leads the Panthers with 13 goals and 28 points, and he's scored twice while getting two assists in two season meetings with the Sabres. He has three goals over the last three games after netting two Sunday.

Buffalo has lost four in a row after giving up the first two goals only for its rally to fall short in a 4-3 defeat to Detroit on Saturday.

Jack Eichel, however, is showing the promise that made him the second overall selection in last year's draft. The center scored twice Saturday and has 11 points over the last seven games, matching his total from the previous 24.

He doesn't have a point against the Panthers.

The Sabres will be without forward Nicolas Deslauriers for three to five weeks after he suffered a lower-body injury against the Red Wings.

"I think he's been our most physical guy the last 10 games," coach Dan Bylsma told the team's official website. "We saw it be a factor in a number of our games. ... It's something we're going to miss in our lineup."