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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blues (21-14) at Avalanche (19-18)
Date: January 06, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Now that Jarome Iginla has his 600th goal, the Colorado Avalanche can solely focus on stringing together some victories.

After Iginla's historic goal helped the Avs snap their latest home slide, they'll try to hand the visiting St. Louis Blues a season-high fourth consecutive defeat Wednesday night.

Iginla became the 19th NHL player to reach 600 on Monday, when his third-period power-play goal - Colorado's third of the game - was the final tally of a 4-1 victory that snapped Los Angeles' five-game winning streak.

"It is a little bit (of a relief)," the 38-year-old Iginla, who went without a goal in the previous three games, told the NHL's official website. "Now it's done and time to move forward."

The Avalanche (19-18-13) ended an 0-2-2 home skid by winning for the second time in six games since taking a season-high five in a row.

"When it comes down to it, it's about winning games and everything like that," said Iginla, who is third on the team with 11 goals but hasn't scored in consecutive contests since Nov. 1-3.

"We need to start climbing back and catching some teams."

Colorado bounced back from Saturday's 4-0 home loss to Calgary thanks to a power play that's 11 for 24 in the last seven games. It was 1 for 26 in the previous 10 contests.

Defenseman Tyson Barrie, who assisted on Iginla's goal, had another assist and two goals to record the first four-point game of his career. Barrie ranks among the NHL's top defensemen with 27 points.

'That's the Tyson we like to see,' coach Patrick Roy said.

Neither Iginla nor Barrie had a point in a 3-1 victory at St. Louis (23-14-5) on Dec. 13, but teammate Semyon Varlamov made a season-high 42 saves. Varlamov stopped 30 shots Monday after posting a 4.37 goals-against average while in net for the previous four home contests.

The Blues have been held to two or fewer goals in their four defeats over the last five games. They've yielded at least three in all five contests after blowing a third-period lead in Monday's 3-2 overtime home loss to Ottawa.

"It's about points, it's about wins, it's about doing anything and everything you have to do to get it done," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "But it's also about not having to expound a ton more energy like we had to (Monday)."

Also looking to avoid a third straight road loss, the Blues play the next three away from home.

"It takes a lot to win in the league right now," said Hitchcock, whose club has been outscored 10-1 in the third period of the last five games. "If the sense of urgency inside the locker room grows than we can grow from this."

St. Louis recorded a power-play goal in three straight games but has allowed its last two opponents to go 3 for 8 with the man advantage.

Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk scored one Monday for his third goal in four games. He assisted on Vladimir Tarasenko's power-play goal against the Avs last month.

Tarasenko has a team-high 23 goals but none in six games at Colorado.

It's uncertain if Avs defenseman and ex-Blue Erik Johnson will play after suffering a lower-body injury Monday. The club claimed defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk on waivers from Columbus on Tuesday.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Devils (18-15) at Canadiens (20-16)
Date: January 06, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Entering the midway point of their season, the New Jersey Devils are among the biggest surprises in the NHL under rookie coach John Hynes.

The Montreal Canadiens continue to be underwhelming.

The Devils seek a bounce-back effort as they try to send the foundering Canadiens to a 13th loss in 16 games Wednesday night.

New Jersey (20-15-4) was expected to miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season as it rebuilt under Hynes, the youngest coach in the league at 40.

Instead, the Devils hold the first of two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference and are three points back of the New York Rangers for third in the Metropolitan Division.

"When we came in, one of the things we wanted to try to build was a culture that (general manager) Ray Shero, myself and the other coaches wanted to have in there," Hynes told the team's official website. "It was about what will our environment around the rink be like and what type of players and people do we want working here every day. That's gone really well."

Bobby Farnham is comfortable playing for Hynes after spending three seasons with him at Wilkes-Barre of the AHL. The pair were reunited after Farnham was waived by Pittsburgh in October.

"The way he approaches every day is why he's successful, because he's very detailed in how we play with our structure," Farnham said. "He's very good expressing to us the identity we have to play with, and then tweaking certain things to each team that we play.

"He's always prepared. And he knows how to get the most out of the guys on his team."

That's certainly true for Farnham, who has a career-high five goals but is known more for dropping his gloves.

Kyle Palmieri is also responding to Hynes' approach, leading the Devils with a career-high 17 goals, and his 30 points are one shy of his personal record set with Anaheim two seasons ago.

He has four goals and one assist in the past six games but came up empty on five shots in Monday's 1-0 loss to Detroit.

Palmieri scored with 22 seconds left in regulation before defenseman John Moore found the net in overtime of a 3-2 win at Montreal on Nov. 28. The Devils fell 3-2 in a shootout to the Canadiens a day earlier in the opener of the home-and-home set.

The Habs (22-15-3) have lost 12 of their last 15 games, tumbling from first to third in the Atlantic Division.

They concluded a 2-6-0 road trip with a 4-3 defeat to Philadelphia on Tuesday, ruining any momentum created by their 5-1 win over Boston in the Winter Classic four days prior.

"Emotionally we were not there," coach Michel Therrien said. "We just have to be better."

Showing improvement defensively is vital as Montreal is giving up an average of 3.07 goals over the last 15 games, surrendering three or more in all but two. That's not helped by Carey Price's continued absence due to a leg injury.

Mike Condon is 4-7-1 with a 2.73 goals-against average in 12 starts since replacing Price as the starter. That began with Condon making 25 saves and turning aside four shootout attempts at New Jersey on Nov. 27 before stopping 28 shots the next day.

The Canadiens are hoping playing their first home game since Dec. 17 while opening a three-game homestand will help.

"It's going to feel good to be back home, in front of our fans, following a couple of tough games on the road," defenseman Mark Barberio said.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Penguins (18-15) at Blackhawks (23-13)
Date: January 06, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

After delivering one of the most exciting finishes under the NHL's new overtime format, the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins have a hard act to follow.

The surging Blackhawks hope for an encore Wednesday night when the home-and-home series between two of the league's marquee teams shifts to Chicago.

It will be tough to top the action and excitement of Tuesday's matchup, where the host Penguins scored twice in the third period to force overtime. The clubs then combined for 10 shots in the 3-on-3 extra session before Artemi Panarin's goal 3:47 in lifted the Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory.

Panarin's second goal of the night supported 34 saves from a locked-in Corey Crawford as Chicago (24-13-4) matched a season high with its fourth straight win.

Pittsburgh (19-15-5) still has something to build on after Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang both scored late to earn the team a point in a fourth consecutive game (2-0-2). After losing their first four after Mike Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston as head coach Dec. 13, the Penguins have gone 4-1-2 to move back into the Eastern Conference playoff mix.

'What I loved about our group was the resilience,' Sullivan said. 'We just keep playing. We raised our intensity level when we had to. That's a great sign for this team.'

The Penguins' improvement has coincided with Crosby's re-emergence following a slow start. The superstar center has a goal in four straight and six with six assists over an eight-game stretch.

Letang has been on a tear as well, having amassed eight points in his last three.

Sustaining that momentum will be a challenge considering Chicago's prowess at United Center, where it's 15-5-1 this season and won seven of nine. The Penguins have lost three straight there, though they picked up a point in two.

The task likely becomes more difficult if Crawford starts again. The accomplished goaltender owns a 1.00 goals-against average and four shutouts over his past seven home assignments and is 10-3-0 with a 1.68 GAA in his last 13 overall starts.

Crawford, who had 26 saves in blanking Ottawa 3-0 on Sunday, has long been a Penguins' nemesis. In six career starts, he's 5-1-0 with a 1.75 GAA.

Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 27 saves for Pittsburgh in his second start back from a concussion that sidelined him nearly three weeks. He was sharp in Saturday's return as well, notching 38 saves in a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers.

It's unclear whether Sullivan will turn back to his No. 1 goaltender or go with Jeff Zatkoff, who's stopped 60 of 63 shots in his two starts that preceded Fleury's return.

Either will be backed by a defense that's killed off 19 straight penalties, including two Chicago chances Tuesday.

They'll also have to deal with the formidable line of Panarin, Patrick Kane and Artem Anisimov that has combined for eight goals during the Hawks' win streak.

Panarin's 13 goals overall rank among the NHL's rookie leaders.

"He's been great for our team, with what he brings with his energy, as well as skill," coach Joel Quenneville told the NHL's official website. "That line has been so effective for us, and him and Kane are together and share the puck at the appropriate moments."

Kane has nine points over the four games after contributing two assists Tuesday. The league's points leader remains without a goal in eight career games against Pittsburgh.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (55) TORONTO@ (56) ANAHEIM | 2016-01-06 22:05:00 - 2016-01-06 22:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in Road games second half of the season
The record is 9 Wins and 39 Losses for the last three seasons (-26.1 units)

NHL > (51) NEW JERSEY@ (52) MONTREAL | 2016-01-06 19:05:00 - 2016-01-06 19:05:00
Play ON NEW JERSEY using money line in Road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 7 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+7.65 units)

NHL > (57) CAROLINA@ (58) VANCOUVER | 2016-01-06 22:05:00 - 2016-01-06 22:05:00
Play AGAINST VANCOUVER using money line in All games
The record is 5 Wins and 12 Losses for the this season (-12.05 units)

NHL > (55) TORONTO@ (56) ANAHEIM | 2016-01-06 22:05:00 - 2016-01-06 22:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 10 Wins and 35 Losses for the last two seasons (-24 units)

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NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (55) TORONTO@ (56) ANAHEIM | 2016-01-06 22:05:00 - 2016-01-06 22:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in Road games second half of the season
The record is 9 Wins and 39 Losses for the last three seasons (-26.1 units)

NHL > (51) NEW JERSEY@ (52) MONTREAL | 2016-01-06 19:05:00 - 2016-01-06 19:05:00
Play ON NEW JERSEY in Road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 7 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+7.65 units)

NHL > (55) TORONTO@ (56) ANAHEIM | 2016-01-06 22:05:00 - 2016-01-06 22:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in All games second half of the season
The record is 10 Wins and 35 Losses for the last two seasons (-24 units)

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NHL TOTALS

NHL > (53) PITTSBURGH@ (54) CHICAGO | 2016-01-06 20:05:00 - 2016-01-06 20:05:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season
The record is 1 Overs and 11 Unders for the this season (+10.2 units)

NHL > (53) PITTSBURGH@ (54) CHICAGO | 2016-01-06 20:05:00 - 2016-01-06 20:05:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 1 Overs and 11 Unders for the this season (+10.2 units)

NHL > (53) PITTSBURGH@ (54) CHICAGO | 2016-01-06 20:05:00 - 2016-01-06 20:05:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin All games in non-conference games
The record is 10 Overs and 32 Unders for the last two seasons (+22.2 units)

NHL > (59) ST LOUIS@ (60) COLORADO | 2016-01-06 22:05:00 - 2016-01-06 22:05:00
Play OVER COLORADO on the totalin Home games after a win by 2 goals or more
The record is 11 Overs and 2 Unders for the last two seasons (+9.85 units)

NHL > (53) PITTSBURGH@ (54) CHICAGO | 2016-01-06 20:05:00 - 2016-01-06 20:05:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin Home games in non-conference games
The record is 5 Overs and 17 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.65 units)

NHL > (57) CAROLINA@ (58) VANCOUVER | 2016-01-06 22:05:00 - 2016-01-06 22:05:00
Play UNDER VANCOUVER on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season
The record is 3 Overs and 12 Unders for the this season (+9.15 units)

NHL > (57) CAROLINA@ (58) VANCOUVER | 2016-01-06 22:05:00 - 2016-01-06 22:05:00
Play UNDER VANCOUVER on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 3 Overs and 12 Unders for the this season (+9.15 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Indiana 59, Wisconsin 58-- Hoosiers honored their undefeated 1976 team at halftime of this game.

-- VCU 85, St Joe's 82-- Hawks blew 13-point lead in second half.

-- Marquette 65, Providence 64-- Friars need to develop a third scorer.

-- South Carolina 81, Auburn 69-- Gamecocks are a very quiet 14-0.

-- LSU 85, Kentucky 67-- Two Wildcats scored more than six points.

-- Ohio State has already had nine underclassmen declare for NFL Draft.

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

13) It's hard to root for the Cleveland Browns.

They're rebuilding their front office; since the season eneded, they promoted a lawyer to head of football operations- he has full control of the roster and transactions, but he is a lawyer and not a GM. Maybe he's a genius; we don't know, but he has no football background that we know of. Its like making me GM of the Vancouver Canucks.

Then on Tuesday, they poached an efficiency expert from another team to help the Browns get more from the analytics movement-- they hired Paul DePodesta from the New York Mets. DePodesta apparently once had a small job with CFL's Baltimore Stallions before his baseball career began-- he played football and baseball at Harvard, but what on God's green earth are they doing? Hire a football person!!!!

12) DePodesta was the inspiration for Jonah Hill's character in Moneyball, a smart guy who played college football/baseball but rose quickly in the world of pro sports thanks to an analytical approach that helped the Oakland A's make the playoffs despite a small payroll 10-15 years ago. He later was GM of the Dodgers for a while but has never held a job in the NFL. Browns fans have to be a little queasy about this. .

11) Golden Corral had a deluge of commercials on TV last weekend about how they serve breakfast for dinner and lunch, so I go there Monday morning to have some pancakes, some bacon-- I'm not a morning person, but I happened to be awake so off I went. One small problem; Golden Corral doesn't open until 11am.

So the place that buys tons of TV commercials promoting the fact that they'll serve you breakfast all day long, isn't open when breakfast actually takes place. Oy.

10) Want to win a bar bet? Will Clark hit the most home runs (six) off of Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, hitting six taters in only 39 plate appearances.

9) There are nine states in this country where when you vote, you can just pull one lever and automatically vote for all the candidates from one party or the other.

8) Serious question: How do you vote for Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens for the Hall of Fame and not vote for Pete Rose? Bonds and Clemens cheated, plain and simple. Rose bet on games; which is worse?

7) Kansas 109, Oklahoma 106 (3OT)-- From Monday night, this was one of the best college basketball games I've ever seen. Oklahoma was 16-33 from arc, Kansas 11-22, in a 55:00 game where eight kids played 43:00+. Buddy Hield played 54:00, scored 46 points, had 7 assists. Sooners went 21:02 in this game without subbing once.

It is possible these teams could play three more times: Feb 13 in Norman, again in Big X tournament, then in Final Four???? It would be a very good national title game.

6) 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick has torn ligaments in his right thumb, a torn labrum in his left shoulder and a rod in his left leg. Other than that, he is fine. Whoever the next coach of the 49ers is has to deal with that mess of a QB situation and if the 49ers cut Kaepernick loose, which team will roll the dice and sign him up?

5) NCAA had been investigating San Diego State for various improprieties but this week they exonerated the Aztecs, which almost always gets a lot less press than when the investigation is announced. Go figure.

4) Apparently New Orleans Saints want a 2nd-round draft pick in exchange for coach Sean Payton. If they deal Payton, it would be hard to imagine them keeping QB Drew Brees around- they would probably go to a total rebuild.

3) 1972 USC Trojans had 33 players who wound up being being drafted by NFL teams, including five first-round picks- thats a lot of great players on one team. NFL Draft was longer back then than it is now, but still, thats almost half the team.

2) Tom Coughlin is a 69-year old white guy who coached the Giants to two Super Bowl titles but was fired as coach this week after three losing seasons in a row.

Jerry Reese is a 52-year old black guy who was GM of the Giants for those same two Super Bowl titles, but he keeps his job despite those three straight losing seasons.

Tuesday, the Giants held a press conference where the undercurrents of ageism and racism collided head-on. It was interesting to watch. It'll be fascinating to see who the Giants hire to replace Coughlin and if Coughlin coaches elsewhere.

1) With the Giants changing coaches, Seattle's Pete Carroll is now the oldest head coach in the NFL, at age 64.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, January 6

Hot teams
-- Devils won three of their last four games.
-- Chicago won seven of its last nine games.
-- Maple Leafs won five of their last seven games. Anaheim won four of its last five.

Cold teams
-- Montreal lost eight of its last ten games.
-- Penguins lost three of their last five games.
-- Hurricanes lost three of their last four games. Vancouver lost four of last six at home.
-- St Louis lost four of its last five games. Colorado lost four of its last six.

Series records
-- Canadiens are 5-3 in last eight games with New Jersey.
-- Blackhawks won four of last five games with Pittsburgh.
-- Ducks lost six of last seven games with Toronto.
-- Canucks won last four games with Carolina.
-- Blues won seven of last ten games with Colorado

Totals
-- Under is 5-1-2 in last eight New Jersey games.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Pittsburgh-Chicago games.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in last four Anaheim games.
-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Carolina games.
-- Under is 8-0-1 in last nine St Louis-Colorado games.

Back-to-backs
-- Montreal is 4-4 if it played the night before.
-- Chicago is 4-0 at home if it played night before; Penguins are 2-6 if they played night before.




NHL

Wednesday, January 6

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. MONTREAL
New Jersey is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
New Jersey is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Montreal is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against New Jersey

8:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 9 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games at home
Chicago is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home

10:00 PM
CAROLINA vs. VANCOUVER
Carolina is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Carolina is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Vancouver
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vancouver's last 5 games
Vancouver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Carolina

10:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. COLORADO
St. Louis is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Colorado
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Colorado's last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing St. Louis

10:00 PM
TORONTO vs. ANAHEIM
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Toronto's last 21 games on the road
Toronto is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Anaheim's last 7 games when playing Toronto
Anaheim is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at hom

[StarDust Bum]

This Week's Best Spot Bets

Lookahead spot

There’s a Big 12 battle on the horizon with No. 14 Iowa State hosting No. 20 Baylor this weekend. Before those conference powers collide, the Cyclones are home to Texas Tech Wednesday night. Iowa State just dropped a 4-point loss to Oklahoma in Norman and faces another tough task in the Red Raiders, who are 11-1 SU and 7-2 ATS heading into this week.

Texas Tech has won 10 straight since losing the second game of the season to Utah at the Puerto Rico Tip-off back in November. The Red Raiders haven’t played that rough a schedule, fattening up on some mid-major foes, but they do have victories over Miss State, Minnesota, Richmond and Texas. Tubby Smith could add another notable name to that resume if ISU looks ahead to Baylor and past TTU Wednesday.

Letdown spot

The UCLA Bruins, while not ranked, have likely punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament thanks to some big-name opponents already this season. The Bruins took down power programs like Kentucky and Gonzaga, and lost tough games against Kansas and North Carolina. Up next are the No. 6 Arizona Wildcats, who come to Pauley Pavilion on Thursday.

UCLA is set up for a cookie-cutter letdown spot two days later when it welcomes another Arizona school, Arizona State, on Saturday. The Sun Devils had won four in a row before losing a 12-point decision to the Wildcats last weekend. Arizona State won its lone meeting with UCLA last season, stealing a 68-66 win in Pauley in February.

Schedule spot

The New York Knicks are away from the Big Apple this week and playing a short but hectic road schedule. New York visits Atlanta Tuesday night and heads down the coast to play at Miami Wednesday. The Knicks enjoy a day off Thursday before taking on the Spurs in San Antonio Friday night, wrapping a stretch of three games in four nights.

New York has dropped four straight road games SU and went 1-3 ATS in those outings, sitting at 7-11 SU and 11-7 ATS as a visitor on the year. Looking ahead to the San Antonio game, the Knicks are 6-5 SU and ATS against Western Conference opponents and lost 94-84 at home to the Spurs as 7.5-point underdogs back in November.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, January 6

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NEW JERSEY (20-15-0-5, 45 pts.) at MONTREAL (22-16-0-3, 47 pts.) - 1/6/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 9-5 ATS (+15.8 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
NEW JERSEY is 10-6 ATS (+17.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW JERSEY is 10-6 ATS (+17.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 5-3 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 5-3-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.4 Units)

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PITTSBURGH (19-15-0-5, 43 pts.) at CHICAGO (24-13-0-4, 52 pts.) - 1/6/2016, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 4-1 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 4-1-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.0 Units)

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TORONTO (15-15-0-7, 37 pts.) at ANAHEIM (16-15-0-7, 39 pts.) - 1/6/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 2-12 ATS (+15.5 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 10-35 ATS (+53.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 17-29 ATS (-16.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 25-8 ATS (+13.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 460-384 ATS (+72.8 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 29-14 ATS (+8.7 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 10-6 ATS (+17.9 Units) in non-conference games this season.
ANAHEIM is 16-22 ATS (+42.6 Units) in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-1 (+2.7 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 3-1-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

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CAROLINA (16-17-0-7, 39 pts.) at VANCOUVER (15-16-0-9, 39 pts.) - 1/6/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 13-40 ATS (+71.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
CAROLINA is 57-109 ATS (+191.2 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 15-25 ATS (-11.5 Units) in all games this season.
VANCOUVER is 218-206 ATS (-122.3 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 4-11 ATS (-10.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 13-15 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 4-0 (+4.0 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 4-0-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.0 Units)

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ST LOUIS (23-14-0-5, 51 pts.) at COLORADO (19-18-0-3, 41 pts.) - 1/6/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 113-98 ATS (-69.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 57-40 ATS (+14.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 43-32 ATS (+10.3 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 98-78 ATS (+177.8 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
COLORADO is 2-8 ATS (+10.5 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 7-3 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 7-3-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+7.2 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


NJ at MON 07:00 PM

NJ +130 BEST BET

U 5.0


PIT at CHI 08:00 PM

CHI -140

O 5.0


CAR at VAN 10:00 PM

VAN -113

O 5.0


STL at COL 10:00 PM

STL -114 BEST BET

U 5.0


TOR at ANA 10:00 PM

ANA -160

U 5.0

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Capitals (27-7) at Islanders (19-13)
Date: January 07, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Islanders closed the Nassau Coliseum with a playoff victory over the Washington Capitals. It was the Capitals, though, who eventually won the series and sent the Islanders packing to Brooklyn.

Washington now gets a look at the Islanders' new digs as the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division meet for the first time this season Thursday night.

New York beat the Capitals 3-1 in Game 6 of their opening-round playoff series April 25. That marked an emotional end to the Islanders' era in Nassau County after the Capitals won the series two days later.

Coach Barry Trotz expects a similar intensity in Washington's first visit to Barclays Center.

"I think it will be two very good hockey teams," Trotz told the Capitals' official website. "We met in the playoffs, and it will have a playoff feel, I think."

The Capitals (29-7-3) own the most points in the NHL and are comfortably leading the division by 12 over the Islanders (22-13-5).

"It's a good spot to be because they challenge you every night," goaltender Braden Holtby said. "I mean we have been in the position where we have played those top teams during the regular season and you always get up a little bit more for it because you want to test yourself and I think that's good for us."

Washington won nine straight before going 1-1-1 on this five-game road trip that ends Saturday against the Rangers.

The Capitals beat Boston 3-2 on Tuesday, three days after a stunning 5-4 shootout defeat to a Columbus team that has the fewest points in the league.

Alex Ovechkin is among the NHL leaders with 21 goals, but he's been held without a point for two straight games after scoring four times over the previous three.

He owns 46 points in 44 career meetings with the Islanders, including five in last year's playoffs.

Ovechkin will captain the division's team at the All-Star game in Nashville on Jan. 31, and he'll be joined by Holtby and center Nicklas Backstrom.

Backstrom has 10 points over the past seven road games, while Holtby leads the NHL in wins (25), goals-against average (1.93) and save percentage (.932). He posted a 1.63 GAA while starting six games against the Islanders in last year's playoffs.

New York has won three of four after beating Western Conference-leading Dallas 6-5 on Sunday.

"The key is to keep this going and peak at the right time," said forward Cal Clutterbuck, who had two goals.

The Islanders are expected to have Jaroslav Halak in net for the first time in six games after an upper-body injury landed him on injured reserve. He's 7-3-0 with a 2.22 GAA in 11 games in Brooklyn.

Halak played 12 games for Washington in 2013-14, and he's 5-4-0 with a 2.31 GAA in nine starts - including the playoffs - against his former team since signing with the Islanders.

John Tavares, New York's lone All-Star, has 20 points in 21 career regular-season matchups with the Capitals. He had six points in the playoff series.

The Capitals will be without forward Zach Sill, who will serve the first of a two-game suspension for hitting Boston's Adam McQuaid from behind.

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Preview: Panthers (19-12) at Senators (16-15)
Date: January 07, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers aren't focused too much on their club-record winning streak, but they're certainly not ready to think about losing anytime soon.

Looking to keep rolling with an 11th consecutive victory, the Panthers can equal a club-record five-game winning road run for the second time this season Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators.

Jaromir Jagr scored his team-leading 14th goal and Roberto Luongo made 31 saves to win his eighth straight start in Tuesday's 5-1 victory at Buffalo. Including two shootouts, Florida (24-12-4) owns a 35-12 goal advantage during a 10-game winning streak that's the longest in the NHL this season.

'We're just having fun right now,' said winger Jonathan Huberdeau, who had a goal with an assist. "We're trying not to think too much about the streak. Ten ... might as well just keep going and win every game.'

The streak began with a 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders in Brooklyn on Dec. 15. A win would match the team's longest road winning streak, set in 2008-09 and equaled from Nov. 14-Dec. 4. Florida has outscored its last four road opponents 17-3.

"We've been real good on the road lately," coach Gerard Gallant told the NHL's official website. "We played well on the road and we played really well at home, so we've just got to keep going, keep the game simple on the road and play hard."

Luongo, named to his fifth All-Star team Wednesday along with Jagr and Aaron Ekblad, has a 1.23 goals-against average in his last eight starts and stopped 88 of 90 shots in three road games during that run. After giving up three goals in a 4-2 home loss to Ottawa (19-15-6) on Dec. 8, he faced 16 shots in a 2-1 shootout victory over the Senators two weeks later in Florida.

With three goals in two games, Jagr is five behind Brett Hull for third on the NHL's all-time list.

'You could say it's hard to believe at 43 he's playing that great but knowing him it's not hard to believe,' Huberdeau said. 'His work ethic is incredible. We're just lucky to have him around us.'

Jagr didn't record a goal in either game against Ottawa, which returns home after snapping a three-game skid with Monday's 3-2 overtime win at St. Louis.

Following consecutive 3-0 defeats, the Senators overcame a 2-0 deficit Monday. Bobby Ryan recorded his 200th goal to tie things in the third period, then won it 2:33 into the extra session.

'Obviously we've been fighting it a little bit to get some goals,' said Andrew Hammond, who made 36 saves to snap his own three-game skid. 'You kind of knew once we got that first one it would open the door for us."

After going 3 for 35 on the power play in the previous 11 games, Ottawa went 2 for 3 on Monday. The Panthers have killed 13 of 14 penalties in the last three games.

"Big game at home," defenseman Chris Wideman said. "It's going to be a big test."

Tied for second on the team with 13 goals, Ryan has one in six games at Florida.

The Senators hope forward Mika Zibanejad will be available after he took a stick to the face Monday.

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Preview: Flyers (15-15) at Wild (21-11)
Date: January 07, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Wild have remained consistent defensively while looking for something to put them over the top in their opponents' zone.

Heading into Thursday night's home game against Philadelphia, Zach Parise is hinting at providing that with the Wild coming off their highest-scoring effort in nine games, while the Flyers have parted ways with a former impact forward.

Parise scored three goals in Wednesday's 4-2 win in Columbus as the Wild (21-11-7) wrapped up a 2-1-1 road trip. They're still averaging 2.33 goals in the last nine, going 1 for 19 on the power play, after scoring 2.80 per game in their first 30.

Parise had managed just two assists in his previous six games but now has a team-high 14 goals despite missing nine games in November. He's been limited to an assist in his last four against Philadelphia.

"I feel like the last few games, his game has really been coming," coach Mike Yeo said. "He didn't score last game, but I think he needed a game like that."

Part of it might be growing accustomed to playing with a knee brace, and that adjustment period seems to have passed.

"I forgot about it," Parise told the team's official website after the hat trick.

However, the status of another top forward is now in question. Mikko Koivu left the game in the first two minutes after a crash into the boards and was taken to the hospital with an apparent upper-body injury. The center leads the team with 32 points.

Any absence could be manageable if Minnesota is able to keep it up defensively. The Wild have given up 12 goals over a 4-2-1 span and are giving up a Western Conference-low 1.76 per game since the start of December.

All-Star goaltender Devan Dubnyk has started 12 of those 17 games, posting a 1.83 goals-against average. He's been particularly good in Minnesota's last five, going 3-1-1 with a 1.59 GAA and .948 save percentage after stopping 29 shots Wednesday.

The Wild and Flyers have split four games over the past two seasons - Vincent Lecavalier's first two in Philadelphia - but the Flyers have finally parted ways with the center. Lecavalier, known best for a storied career with Tampa Bay, was dealt to Los Angeles on Wednesday along with defenseman Luke Schenn for center Jordan Weal and a third-round pick. Lecavalier has been a healthy scratch for most of the season for a Flyers team which is scoring an East-low 2.16 goals per game.

Weal, a third-round pick in 2010, is without a point in 10 games of his first NHL season. The 23-year-old had 69 points in 73 games last season for AHL Manchester, which won the Calder Cup with Weal as postseason MVP.

Philadelphia (16-15-7) is coming off Wednesday's 4-3 home win over Montreal with Brayden Schenn scoring for a second straight game and adding two assists.

The victory followed a winless three-game West Coast road swing.

"I think we had a little bit of fire in our belly tonight," winger Ryan White said. "It was a tough trip, we didn't get any points and we need to start cleaning them up here at home."

Some road points would also be useful. The Flyers are on a season-worst 0-4-1 skid on the road with eight goals scored.

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Preview: Jets (19-19) at Stars (27-10)
Date: January 07, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Dallas captain Jamie Benn felt the Stars played "stupid hockey" while going winless on their recent three-game trip.

Perhaps a return home, where the Stars can win a season-high fifth straight contest, will spark more intelligent play Thursday night against the Winnipeg Jets.

Dallas (28-10-4) had not dropped consecutive games until an 0-2-1 trip through the New York City area to open 2016. The Stars yielded 15 goals on the trek, including six each in the last two contests.

"We really totally embarrassed ourselves," said coach Lindy Ruff, who agreed with Benn's description following Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Rangers.

The Stars had 39 minutes in penalties on the trip, including 25 in Sunday's 6-5 defeat to the Islanders.

Benn (52 points) and linemate Tyler Seguin (50) trail only Chicago's Patrick Kane in scoring, but they failed to register a point and were each a minus-5 on the trip. Ruff benched both for the final 12 minutes as the Stars dropped a fifth straight road contest Tuesday.

"It's just me not leading the way," Benn said. "I did a good job of leading the way in the not so good part of the game (Tuesday). It's embarrassing."

Though Dallas leads the Western Conference, it's 2-3-2 since the NHL's Christmas break.

"We've lost a few in a row and have a chance to make a difference and stop it right away," forward Jason Spezza said. "This is a test for us. It's an 82-game season, and it's not all going to be roses. And you almost don't want it to be.

"You want a little adversity. Now we get a chance to not let last year creep into this year and stop a losing streak."

The Stars should have a good opportunity to halt to their slide in the first of two straight at the American Airlines Center, where they are 16-4-0 and have outscored the last four opponents 18-3. Dallas last won five straight there in 2010-11.

Benn has four goals with four assists during that four-game home winning streak. Antti Niemi yielded nine goals in two starts on the trip but has a 1.16 goals-against average while winning six consecutive at home.

Dallas is 2 for 34 on the power play in its last 13 road games but 6 for 16 during those last four home contests.

Benn had one of the Stars' two power-play goals and Seguin recorded a pair of assists in the 6-3 home win over Winnipeg (19-19-2) on Nov. 12.

The Jets have alternated wins and losses through four of a five-game trip. Drew Stafford had a pair of power-play goals and rookie Connor Hellebuyck made a season-high 43 saves in Tuesday's 4-1 victory at Nashville. The 44 shots matched the second most allowed by Winnipeg this season while its own 18 equaled a low for 2015-16.

"We felt that we've had games swing the other way for us where we'd put up 40-plus shots and run into a hot netminder," said Stafford, who has three goals on the trip. "This one, especially against a team we're chasing in the standings, it's a big one."

Hellebuyck is 9-4-0 in his first season, and has a 1.21 GAA while winning four of five.

"It was a fun one," he said of his most recent performance. "Anytime you get that (kind of work), it helps with the confidence."

Winnipeg's Blake Wheeler has 16 points in 13 games against Dallas.

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Preview: Coyotes (19-16) at Flames (18-18)
Date: January 07, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Shane Doan is on a stunning scoring tear. What's much more surprising, and certainly more important, is the Arizona Coyotes' dominance of Pacific Division rivals.

While that includes a win over the Calgary Flames, things may be different in a road matchup.

Doan looks to continue his impressive production as the Coyotes try to beat the Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome for the first time in almost four years Thursday night.

Doan's 383 career goals are a Coyotes franchise record, and his 919 points are 10 back of the team mark held by Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk.

The 39-year-old captain appeared to be slowing down last season with 14 goals, but he's already surpassed that total with a team-high 15. Nine of those have come in the last seven games, including seven in the past four after he tallied twice in Monday's 3-2 win at Vancouver.

"The greatest thing about 'Doaner' when he scores is his smile," coach Dave Tippett told the team's official website. "He loves to score ... He's having fun playing and I think some of this youth around our team has made him feel youthful also."

The Coyotes (19-16-4) have had a lot to smile about. They're second in the division after finishing with the fewest points in the Western Conference last season, and they've gone 8-1-2 against the Pacific.

Arizona, which went 12-17-0 within the division last season, beat the Flames 2-1 in overtime at home on Nov. 27 to end a five-game skid in the series.

The Coyotes, though, haven't won at Calgary since Feb. 23, 2012, going 0-7-1 in their last eight visits.

The Flames (19-18-2) are two points behind Arizona, thanks in large part to their dominance at home. They've won 12 of their last 14 there after Tuesday's 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay.

"As a team, we're playing a lot better than the start of the year," goaltender Karri Ramo said. "That's why we're having success. Everybody's chipping in, doing their things."

That's certainly true for Ramo, who should get the nod for an 11th straight game Thursday after stopping 56 of 57 shots to win his last two. He's 9-4-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average in 13 games since making 19 saves at Arizona.

That's a tremendous improvement after he posted a 4.43 GAA while losing four of his first five starts - a stretch that included a demotion to the minors.

"He went down, he was not happy, he came back and right from there he started to work," coach Bob Hartley said. "He's probably been one of the best goalies in the league."

Ramo is 4-0-1 with a 1.38 GAA in five career starts against the Coyotes.

Johnny Gaudreau leads the Flames with 17 goals and 39 points, but he has no points in four straight games to match his longest drought of the season. He had an assist at Arizona in November, giving him seven points over his last five matchups.

The Coyotes are expected to have Martin Hanzal back after he missed seven games with a lower-body injury. Of the center's 20 points, 15 have come on the road. He also had a goal against the Flames in November.

He's slated to join Anthony Duclair and Tobias Rieder on a line.

"I think me and 'Dukey' and Marty have great chemistry," Rieder said.

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Preview: Red Wings (19-13) at Sharks (17-17)
Date: January 07, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Dylan Larkin won't turn 20 for another six months, but the Detroit Red Wings' rookie center already is making quite an impact.

His coach believes he's barely tapped into his potential, though.

The club's lone All-Star looks to help Detroit remain perfect on its road trip when it faces the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

Larkin began his first NHL season with a five-game point streak and hasn't slowed down much, leading the Red Wings (20-13-7) with 14 goals and ranking second behind Henrik Zetterberg with 27 points.

He scored a highlight-reel goal in Monday's 1-0 win over New Jersey that gave Detroit back-to-back victories to begin a six-game trip.

"We've struggled a bit with one-goal leads, and I think we'll have to learn from this win and how we shut it down in the third period," Larkin said. "It's a huge two points. For all teams it's going to come down to a lot of games like that, where you got to shut it down."

Two days after that win, the 19-year-old became the third Red Wings rookie and second-youngest since 1969 to be selected an All-Star.

First-year coach Jeff Blashill appreciates Larkin's confidence, but he held back on showering him with praise when asked about Larkin's strengths. The 15th overall pick in 2014 is only 39 games into his career, and Blashill doesn't want the attention going to his head.

"Larks is a really talented player. Larks has a lot of energy and drive. Larks (also) has to get better at a lot of things," Blashill said. "My job is to help our guys get better, whether it's a guy like Zetterberg or (Pavel) Datsyuk that's been around as elite players in the league, or a young guy like Larkin. I look at it like we try to accentuate their positives and work on their negatives. Every player's got positives and negatives, and he's not different."

Larkin assisted on Tomas Tatar's goal in the first meeting with the Sharks on Nov. 13, but San Jose pulled out a 3-2 road victory despite being outshot 28-14 to win for the sixth time in the last seven matchups.

The Sharks (18-17-2), though, have the league's worst home record at 5-11-0 and have dropped two of three to begin a five-game homestand. All-Star Brent Burns scored his 16th goal - most among NHL defensemen - before they fell 4-1 to Winnipeg on Saturday.

Joe Thornton had an assist to give him eight along with three goals during an eight-game point streak, his longest since a 10-game run in 2009.

San Jose is just 2-3-1 over the last six, though, and coach Peter DeBoer wasn't happy with the latest effort.

'That was an egg. Top to bottom, poor effort, poor execution. Sloppy, soft,' DeBoer said. 'They won all the races, all the battles and they won the goaltending battle. We're in no position to show up and play like that. It's unacceptable.'

Alex Stalock replaced Martin Jones in net in the third period, but the Sharks reassigned Stalock to the AHL in favor of Troy Grosenick on Wednesday. It's unclear who will start this contest, as Jones has a 3.68 goals-against average over his last six.

Petr Mrazek could get another shot in goal for the Red Wings. He has a 1.96 GAA in five starts and two relief efforts since Dec. 22.