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

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Preview: Jets (25-28) at Panthers (33-18)
Date: February 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The injury-plagued Florida Panthers haven't produced many goals of late, but Jaromir Jagr's most recent one has him on the verge of a historic accomplishment.

Jagr could become one of the top-three goal scorers of all-time Saturday night when the Panthers face the visiting Winnipeg Jets for the first time this season.

Florida (33-18-7) is amid a 2-3-2 stretch during which it has totaled 14 non-shootout goals - half of which came in a 7-4 win at Buffalo on Feb. 9. Talented young forwards Aleksander Barkov (upper body) and Brandon Pirri (ankle) remain temporarily out of action.

Jagr has three goals in the last eight games to tie Reilly Smith for the team lead with 18, and the Panthers are 12-1-2 when he scores. The 740th of his career came in Thursday's 2-1 shootout loss to San Jose, leaving him one shy of Brett Hull for third on the career list. Jagr, who turned 44 on Monday, joins Gordie Howe - second with 801 - as the only players that old to score.

He's recorded 22 of those goals in 43 games against the Jets' franchise, but the focus for Jagr and the rest of the Atlantic Division-leading Panthers is to start winning again or at least keep earning points.

"A point's a point," forward Vincent Trocheck said. "We need them right now."

The Panthers called up Kyle Rau from Portland of the AHL to perhaps provide a boost for an offense that's scored twice in the last three games while averaging 23.3 shots and is in an 0-for-17 drought on the power play. Rau was tied for the Portland lead with 17 goals and second with 27 points.

Despite the recent lack of production, coach Gerard Gallant lauded his team's perseverance amid a rash of injuries that also includes forward Quinton Howden (upper body) and defensemen Willie Mitchell (lower body) and Erik Gudbranson (upper body). Gallant was especially pleased with a Panthers defense that yielded 18 shots against the Sharks.

"You look at our lineup. We're doing the best we can and working hard," he said.

Al Montoya has stopped 48 of 50 shots while making back-to-back starts in place of the slumping Roberto Luongo, who has a 4.13 goals-against average in five post-All-Star break starts. The last time Luongo or ex-Jet Montoya faced Winnipeg, they each allowed four goals in an 8-2 road loss Jan. 13 of last year.

Though the Jets (25-28-4) have dropped eight of 12 and need a serious surge to move into playoff position, they haven't lost their fight.

Winnipeg came back from a three-goal deficit in the third period to force overtime in Thursday's 6-5 shootout loss at Tampa Bay. After second-leading scorer Bryan Little endured a questionable hit to the head and neck from Anton Stralman, teammate Blake Wheeler went after the defenseman and was given four minutes for roughing. Coach Paul Maurice, who had a heated discussion with officials after the play, was given a game misconduct and voiced his displeasure with the demeanor of the officials throughout the incident.

'I was upset because you work with these guys every day,' Maurice said. 'You care about them, you care about their wives, their families. Bryan Little (got) his neck X-rayed and I seem to be considerably more concerned about the result of that hit than anyone else.'

Little's status going forward remains uncertain.

Captain Andrew Ladd, rumored to be on the block heading toward the trade deadline, got into a fight and scored twice in the third period Thursday.

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Preview: Red Wings (29-20) at Senators (27-26)
Date: February 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Detroit Red Wings nearly shut out the Ottawa Senators earlier this month during a fruitful homestand but have fallen well short of matching that performance in recent games.

The Red Wings' poor defensive efforts have pushed them to the verge of their longest road losing streak in four seasons, and they seek to avoid that by adding to their recent success in Ottawa on Saturday night.

With Petr Mrazek in net, Detroit (29-20-9) came within 2:25 of blanking the Senators in a 3-1 victory Feb. 10. The Red Wings outscored their opponents 19-9 in a 4-0-1 homestand but started to show cracks in their defense in a 6-5 win over Boston in Sunday's finale.

They've given up a combined 10 goals in back-to-back losses to start a four-game trip and have been outscored 19-8 in their four consecutive road defeats. Mrazek was pulled in the third period Thursday against Pittsburgh after giving up his fifth goal in a 6-3 defeat.

"I didn't think we were good enough defensively. I didn't think as a five-man unit we weren't even close," coach Jeff Blashill said. "We cannot play that way and have long-term success. I thought we were way too loose. We gave up way too many chances. ... I thought it was our weakest five-man unit defensively we've had in a while."

Detroit hasn't dropped five straight on the road since an 0-5-2 skid in March 2012, but is heading to a place where it has won three straight and seven of eight. The Red Wings have earned two victories in Ottawa this season but needed overtime for a 4-3 win in the latest trip Nov. 16.

They've taken three consecutive overall meetings but will face a team that's won four of five at home after a 4-2 victory over Carolina on Thursday. Cody Ceci scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period, and Craig Anderson made 30 saves in his fourth straight home win.

"Two (wins) in a row for us, it's big. We haven't been able to string many (wins) together here for the last little while," forward Zack Smith said. "They're two big wins, especially tonight. It was a nice character win, down to the end there with guys blocking shots and (Anderson) coming up big. It's a big confidence boost."

Anderson has a 1.23 goals-against average in his last four home starts but is 0-1-1 with a 4.45 GAA in his two against Detroit this season.

Ottawa (27-26-6) will try for a better defensive effort while seeking its first three-game win streak since taking a season-high four straight Nov. 19-25. Bobby Ryan will try to help by adding to his three goals against Detroit this season, his most versus any opponent, but he has one goal in his last six games.

Mrazek, who has allowed five goals in each of his last two starts, is 2-0-1 with a 1.62 GAA in three career starts against Ottawa.

Gustav Nyquist has five goals and four assists in a seven-game point streak versus the Senators. He has two goals and four assists in the four matchups this season.

Dylan Larkin, who has a team-high 19 goals, has found the net in each of his first two visits to Ottawa. He's trying to become the first Red Wings rookie to score 20 in a season since Henrik Zetterberg had 22 in 2002-03 and 15th in franchise history.

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Preview: Bruins (31-21) at Stars (37-16)
Date: February 20, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Goals have been hard to come by of late for the Boston Bruins on a road trip they began with a flurry.

Facing the high-powered Dallas Stars in Saturday night's final stop, they'll need to regain their scoring touch in a hurry.

After recording 15 goals while winning two of the first three on their season-high six-game trek, the Bruins have managed just two over their last two. They were sluggish throughout much of Thursday's 2-0 loss in Nashville, where the Predators scored twice in the first 15 minutes.

'We weren't ready to play, that was pretty evident,' forward Brad Marchand said. 'They came out a lot harder than we did and got a couple of early ones while we were sleeping. Ultimately, that cost us the game.'

Marchand has gone without a point in two straight after generating 13 of his team-high 28 goals over the previous 13 games. More troubling for Boston (31-21-6), which owns a one-point edge on Detroit for second place in the Atlantic Division, is a power play that's 0 for 19 on the trip and 3 for 51 over a 16-game span.

"I thought we created some good scoring chances, some good shots from up top," center David Krejci told the Bruins' official website. "There's a couple shots that could have gone in the net - that seems like how it's been going for us lately on the power play."

Better efficiency may be necessary to keep up with Dallas (37-16-6), the league leader with 189 goals. Boston wasn't able to do so in a 5-3 home loss Nov. 13 in which former Bruin Tyler Seguin registered a hat trick and the Stars went 3 of 4 on the power play.

Seguin scored his sixth in nine games and Jamie Benn added his 30th of the season Thursday in Arizona, but the Stars otherwise failed to match the Coyotes' speed and intensity in a disappointing 6-3 defeat.

"We've got to be ready to go and be ready to play a good, solid defensive game against any team in this league," Benn said. "We can't take games off like we did (Thursday)."

Dallas had a five-game point streak halted and remained one behind Central Division-leading Chicago with its second consecutive loss.

Antti Niemi allowed five goals on 41 shots and has a 3.64 goals-against average in five starts since the All-Star break, so coach Lindy Ruff may turn back to Kari Lehtonen. Lehtonen, 3-0-1 with a 2.46 GAA while starting four of the previous five contests, made 20 saves in Tuesday's 2-1 overtime loss at St. Louis and 36 against the Bruins in November.

Either will have to be prepared for Marchand and Loui Eriksson, part of the July 2013 trade that sent Seguin to Dallas. Eriksson had a four-game goal streak snapped Thursday and has scored three in the teams' last three matchups.

Boston, among the league's best road teams at 19-7-3, won its second straight in Dallas behind Tuukka Rask's 36 saves in a 3-1 victory Jan. 20, 2015. Rask, though, gave up five goals on 19 shots in this season's only meeting.

Rask, who owns a 2.06 GAA on the road, has yielded three goals over Boston's last two games after a three-start span in which he had a 5.83 GAA.

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Preview: Kings (33-20) at Predators (27-21)
Date: February 20, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Kings began their season-high road trip with their best scoring performance in eight years. They would likely settle for a mere portion of that output in the finale of their trek, and they're hoping to have leading scorer Anze Kopitar available to lend a hand.

With their offense having fizzled, the Kings take on a Nashville Predators team seeking to continue its recent defensive prowess Saturday night.

Los Angeles (33-20-4) kicked off its seven-game trip with a 9-2 rout of Boston, its most goals since a 9-2 victory against Chicago on Jan. 1, 2008. The Kings totaled 16 goals while going 2-1-0 to start that journey but have totaled just two in a season-worst three consecutive road defeats.

They got a point when Tyler Toffoli scored in the third period Thursday against St. Louis but lost 2-1 in overtime. Los Angeles outshot the Blues 26-14 in the final two periods of regulation after losing Kopitar to a lower-body injury in the first.

"We'll take the point now. We battled hard, going down and losing Kopi early, guys stepped up," forward Jeff Carter said. "At the end of the day, we have to start winning some games. We have lost all of our room now (in the Pacific Division). We have to start scoring goals."

Kopitar, who has 51 points, is considered day to day. The Kings have played their last three games without Marian Gaborik (knee), who could remain sidelined until the playoffs.

Nashville will try to take advantage of his absence while producing another stingy effort. The Predators (27-21-10) have given up three goals in their past three games and posted their second shutout in that stretch Thursday, a 2-0 win over Boston.

Pekka Rinne made 29 saves in his first blanking since Nov. 14 and Nashville's second victory in seven home games. Rinne allowed a combined 16 goals in his previous four starts, and the Predators went to Carter Hutton in each of their prior two games.

"I was just trying to stay positive and work hard. I think that's the only way to go through situations like that, where you go through some tough times and rough games," Rinne said. "We've struggled at home a little bit so that's a big win. That's the way we have to play down the stretch."

Filip Forsberg scored his sixth goal in six contests and assisted on Craig Smith's opening tally. Forsberg had a pair of assists in a 4-3 overtime defeat in Los Angeles on Oct. 31.

Toffoli scored two goals, and Carter ended the Kings' 0-3-2 skid against the Predators. Los Angeles has lost three of its last four visits to Nashville and earned the lone win in a shootout.

Carter has seven goals and two assists in his last seven games against the Predators. He has scored one goal in each of his last three matchups.

Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis has three goals and two assists in the past four games against Los Angeles.

Rinne is 2-0-1 with a 3.57 goals-against average in his last three starts versus the Kings and is 2-0-1 with a 1.26 GAA in his past three home matchups.

Los Angeles hasn't lost four in a row overall since an 0-2-2 skid in January 2015.

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Preview: Blues (34-17) at Coyotes (27-24)
Date: February 20, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Jaden Schwartz is making up for some lost time by playing a major role in the St. Louis Blues' winning stretch. He's also performed very well at Arizona during his young career.

The talented winger looks to maintain his strong play and help the visiting Blues win a season-high fifth straight game and continue their dominance of the Coyotes on Saturday night.

Schwartz posted 53 goals the past two seasons and a career-high 63 points in 2014-15, but had only four assists through the first seven games of his third full NHL campaign before breaking his ankle in late October. Schwartz missed 49 games but since returning last Friday, has three goals with an assist coinciding with St. Louis' four-game winning streak.

His goal 1:40 into overtime against Los Angeles on Thursday extended the Blues' point streak to a season-high six games with a third straight 2-1 victory.

"He is a special offensive player," St. Louis associate coach Brad Shaw said. "He's got exceptional vision and quickness."

Schwartz has recorded four goals and five assists in five games at Arizona, earning his first hat trick in a 6-1 road win over the Coyotes on Oct. 18, 2014.

In the midst of a 12-1-1 stretch against the Coyotes, the Blues (34-17-9) have won six straight at Arizona and own a 26-6 goal advantage in the last five. St. Louis also extended its overall series winning streak to six games with a 4-1 home victory Dec. 8.

Brian Elliott was not in the Blues net for that contest, but is 11-3-2 with a 1.62 goals-against average over a career-high 16 straight starts since Jake Allen (knee) was placed on injured reserve Jan. 9.

"If everybody is playing their role it makes it a lot easier to track things ... and pick things up," said Elliott, who has a 1.31 GAA and .959 save percentage in the last six.

Elliott has posted a 1.48 GAA while winning five of his last six starts against the Coyotes. He's won three straight at Arizona - the last two by shutout.

The Coyotes (27-24-6), though, will try for a fourth consecutive home win after totaling a season-high six goals in back-to-back contests. They haven't scored at least that many in three straight since Jan. 10-16, 1990, when the franchise was in Winnipeg.

"If we win 1-0 we'll take that too," rookie Max Domi told the NHL's official website after he had two goals and an assist in Thursday's 6-3 win over Dallas. "But when you catch a wave, you want to ride it as long as you can."

Martin Hanzal has a goal in three consecutive games and two assists in each of the last two. Anthony Duclair has two goals and five assists in the last five for the Coyotes, who are 10th in the West but four points back of the final wild-card spot.

Arizona is 10 for 30 on the power play in seven games since going 1 for 28 in the previous seven.

The Blues have killed 36 of 38 penalties in eight games, and converted 7 of 29 of their power-play chances in the last six. They were 0 for 19 in the previous eight contests.

St. Louis rookie Robby Fabbri has three goals in four games.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Avalanche (30-26) at Oilers (22-31)
Date: February 20, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Jarome Iginla is enjoying his most successful offensive stretch of the season, and lately it's helped the Colorado Avalanche rebound from a rough start to February.

Iginla tries to continue his solid play Saturday night when the Avalanche visit his native Edmonton looking to extend the Oilers' recent misery.

With 17 goals and 17 assists in 60 games, it hasn't been all that productive of a season for the 38-year-old Iginla. He started strong with 11 points in the first 12 games then registered only 14 in the next 41.

Iginla went six straight contests without a point before totaling four goals and five assists in the last seven.

"When Jarome is around the net, it helps our team," coach Patrick Roy told the Avalanche's official website after Iginla scored the tying and go-ahead goals in Wednesday's 3-2 win over Montreal.

Iginla's most recent effort helped Colorado (30-26-4) snap an 0-3-1 home slide in its first four games of the month. Owner of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, the Avs have won three of four overall since that skid.

'We needed to get back on the winning side and being at home we needed to build something again,' Iginla said.

Colorado's two-game trip through Western Canada begins in Iginla's hometown of Edmonton, where it's won six of eight. Iginla has five goals and five assists in his last six trips there with the Avs, Boston and Calgary.

He also scored in Colorado's 5-1 home victory over the Oilers (22-31-6) on Dec. 19.

Semyon Varlamov made 39 saves in that one but is slated to start Sunday in Vancouver while Calvin Pickard will be in net for this contest.

Pickard, who will make his eighth start this season, has a 3.58 goals-against average while losing three of his last four. He's hoping to stick around with the Avs even though backup Reto Berra is nearing his return from an ankle injury that's sidelined him since Dec. 9.

"Right now, the focus should not be on our goaltenders because we know which one is our No. 1," Roy said. "That's A, and B, we want to make the playoffs. Our focus is more on that than who is going be back, who is going to be the backup, who is going to do this. Right now, it is not very important to me."

The Oilers have had a tough time keeping pucks out the net while yielding 28 non-shootout goals during a 1-5-1 stretch. Those seven opponents have gone 8 for 30 in the power play.

Cam Talbot has a 3.72 GAA while going 1-4-0 in six games, and was responsible for seven of the 10 goals Edmonton allowed in the last two.

Minnesota scored the final three Thursday to send the Oilers to a third consecutive defeat, 5-2 at home.

'When losses start to pile up there is always going to be that sense of frustration,' Talbot said. 'We just have to keep working, pushing forward and focus on doing the little things right.'

With a goal against the Wild, teammate Connor McDavid has five and nine assists in nine games since missing almost three months with a broken clavicle.

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Preview: Flyers (25-21) at Maple Leafs (20-27)
Date: February 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Owners of the fewest points in the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs have won just four of their past 18 games. One of them, however, came against the Philadelphia Flyers.

With their top scorer suspended, the Maple Leafs will try to win a third straight meeting with the Flyers for the first time in over seven years Saturday night.

Toronto (20-27-9) dropped to 4-12-2 in its last 18 games with Thursday's 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers. The Maple Leafs held a 37-20 shots advantage but gave up the decisive goal with 1:31 left in regulation.

"No one is happy with losing, it sucks the life out of your group," coach Mike Babcock said. "It's hard to re-energize yourself. When everything is going good in your life, and you know it yourself, things are going good and it's easy to get up in the morning and life is great. Sometimes when it's not, it's a little harder, you've got to be mentally tougher.

"Let's suck it up and play hard."

Matt Hunwick scored with 7.5 seconds left in regulation to give Toronto a 3-2 win at Philadelphia on Jan. 19.

That victory has the Maple Leafs in position to beat the Flyers in a third straight meeting for the first time since doing it over two seasons in 2008.

Matching that stretch will be tougher without Leo Komarov, the team leader with career highs of 18 goals and 35 points. The center will serve the first of a three-game suspension for elbowing Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh in the head. He was assessed a match penalty on the play.

Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau is second on the team with 15 goals, scoring one in each of the last two games. He had an assist at Philadelphia, giving him four points over his last three meetings.

Jonathan Bernier will be back in net after making 16 saves Thursday. He's 0-5-1 with a 3.64 goals-against average in his last six appearances, but stopped 47 shots - one off his career high - in a 3-2 home win over the Flyers on Feb. 26.

"As a goalie, you can't control if you win or lose, you've just got to make sure you do your job," Bernier said. "Hopefully by doing that you get some wins."

The Flyers (25-21-11) have dropped six of their last eight after Friday's 3-2 shootout defeat at Montreal.

Philadelphia has dropped six of eight games that have gone to the tiebreaker.

"Those are important points. We know that," coach Dave Hakstol told the team's official website. "If we could flip a switch and change it and turn it, we would.

"I do believe a lot of it, as you go through a shootout, is feeling confident and going out there with a clear mind. For that to happen we've got to have some success a couple of shootouts in a row."

Confidence shouldn't be a problem for Shayne Gostisbehere, who has 17 points during a 14-game streak to set an NHL record for a rookie defenseman. The stretch started with a goal against the Leafs, and he kept it going with an assist on Michael Raffl's goal Friday.

Flyers leading scorer Glaude Giroux has gone a season-high eight games without a goal, but he has four in his last five against Toronto.

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Preview: Devils (29-23) at Capitals (42-10)
Date: February 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

As strong as Washington has been this season regardless of environment, it can credit plenty of its massive lead in the Metropolitan Division simply to beating the seven teams it's competing with.

There's also something to be said for a league-best record on home ice, so Saturday night's visit from division foe New Jersey figures to be the Capitals' for the taking.

Washington (42-10-4) is 21-4-2 at home and 15-3-2 against the Metropolitan. The crossover of those two amounts to the Capitals having dropped three points all season on home ice against division foes, albeit in a limited sample size, going 6-1-1 with the lone regulation loss coming back on Oct. 28 to Pittsburgh.

They also boast an NHL-best away mark, which was on display in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the New York Islanders. It was their second straight victory heading into a four-game homestand against opponents no higher than fourth in their respective divisions.

Washington has won seven of eight, though game-winning goal scorer Justin Williams said the team isn't thrilled with the on-ice product of late.

"We had seen our game slip lately and it's not all the way back to where it needs to be but we did a lot of good things tonight," said Williams, who also had an assist to give him eight goals and nine assists in his last 16 games after managing 24 points in his first 40 contests with his new club.

"We need to keep having the puck a lot more and lessening the opportunities the other team has and I thought we did a good job of that tonight."

Another multigoal effort from Alex Ovechkin had something to do with it, and the NHL's leading goal scorer has managed 23 in his last 25 games while scoring at least twice six times. Even so, coach Barry Trotz elected to move him to a line with Williams and Evgeny Kuznetsov for the first time.

"You're always thinking about different lines and as coaches we sometimes throw a little bit of spaghetti on the wall," Trotz told the team's official website. "I've got some great people around me, we've got a feel for it and we talk about it all the time, so it was a good change I think for all involved."

The Capitals have won both meetings with the Devils this season as part of a five-game series winning streak in which they've had a 18-8 scoring advantage.

New Jersey (29-23-7) has dropped its last two after Friday's 1-0 home loss to the Islanders, and even when it has won over a 4-4-2 stretch, it's come by slim margins. The Devils have scored three goals twice in that span while averaging 1.60, and the wins have all been by a goal.

"We played a good game," coach John Hynes said. "We're happy with the commitment level we play with and how we play but we have to find a better way to put the puck in the net."

Particularly at even strength. The Devils are 10 for 32 on the power play in the last 10 games with one short-handed goal, so just five have come in 5-on-5 hockey.

That's put pressure on Cory Schneider, and he's responded by posting a 1.78 goals-against average and .937 save percentage over an 8-5-1 span. That includes a shootout loss to Washington as part of an 0-2-2 stretch in the series with 2.72 and .891 marks.

Likely counterpart Braden Holtby has a 1.36 GAA and .949 save percentage on a 7-1-0 run against the Devils, but he hasn't been quite as solid lately over a 3-1-0 span with 3.21 and .890 marks.

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, February 20

Hot teams
-- Pittsburgh won seven of its last ten games.
-- Washington won seven of its last eight games.
-- Senators won four of their last five home games.
-- Bruins won five of their last eight games.
-- St Louis won five of its last six games. Arizona won three of its last four.
-- Colorado won three of its last four games.

Cold teams
-- Lightning lost four of their last six games.
-- Flyers lost six of their last eight games. Toronto lost five of its last six.
-- New Jersey is 3-5 in its last eight games.
-- Winnipeg lost three of its last four games. Florida lost five of its last seven games.
-- Detroit lost three of its last four games.
-- Los Angeles lost four of its last five games. Nashville lost four of last six at home.
-- Dallas lost last two games after winning seven of previous eight.
-- Edmonton lost six of its last seven games.

Series records
-- Lightning won three of last four games with Pittsburgh.
-- Toronto is 6-4 in its last ten games with Philadelphia.
-- Devils lost their last five games with Washington.
-- Winnipeg won four of its last six games with Florida.
-- Red Wings won their last three games with Ottawa.
-- Kings lost five of their last six games with Nashville.
-- Road team won last five Boston-Dallas games.
-- Blues won their last six games with Arizona.
-- Avalanche won four of last six games with Edmonton.

Totals
-- Nine of last ten Tampa Bay-Pittsburgh games went over.
-- Last six Toronto games went over the total.
-- Five of last six New Jersey games stayed under.
-- Six of last nine Winnipeg games went over the total.
-- Seven of last nine Ottawa games went over the total.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Los Angeles-Nashville games.
-- Seven of last nine Dallas games went over the total.
-- Under is 8-1-1 in last ten St Louis games.
-- Seven of last nine Edmonton games went over.

Back-to-backs
-- Flyers are 2-5 if they played the night before.
-- New Jersey won last three times they played night before.

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NHL

Saturday, February 20

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Trend Report
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12:30 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. PITTSBURGH
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. OTTAWA
Detroit is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ottawa's last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit
Ottawa is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Detroit

7:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. WASHINGTON
New Jersey is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey's last 6 games
Washington is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games at home
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey

7:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. TORONTO
Philadelphia is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Philadelphia is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Toronto is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

7:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. FLORIDA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 5 games when playing Florida
Winnipeg is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Florida
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Winnipeg

8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. DALLAS
Boston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas's last 9 games
Dallas is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games

8:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. NASHVILLE
Los Angeles is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Los Angeles's last 9 games
Nashville is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games when playing Los Angeles

9:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. ARIZONA
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arizona's last 9 games

10:00 PM
COLORADO vs. EDMONTON
Colorado is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Colorado is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Edmonton
Edmonton is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Edmonton's last 9 games

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NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, February 20

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TAMPA BAY (31-22-0-4, 66 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (29-19-0-8, 66 pts.) - 2/20/2016, 12:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 5-3 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 5-3-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
7 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+6.1 Units)

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PHILADELPHIA (25-21-0-11, 61 pts.) at TORONTO (20-27-0-9, 49 pts.) - 2/20/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 8-33 ATS (+49.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-51 ATS (+81.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 8-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 7-18 ATS (-16.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 50-88 ATS (-66.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 15-49 ATS (+74.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 13-35 ATS (+54.4 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 20-36 ATS (+63.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 6-19 ATS (-15.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-3 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 4-3-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)

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NEW JERSEY (29-23-0-7, 65 pts.) at WASHINGTON (42-10-0-4, 88 pts.) - 2/20/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-4 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 7-4-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.1 Units)

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WINNIPEG (25-28-0-4, 54 pts.) at FLORIDA (33-18-0-7, 73 pts.) - 2/20/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 33-25 ATS (+63.0 Units) in all games this season.
WINNIPEG is 11-6 ATS (+18.9 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 47-36 ATS (+84.8 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 109-150 ATS (+278.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
FLORIDA is 183-208 ATS (-80.5 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
FLORIDA is 135-210 ATS (+386.3 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
FLORIDA is 163-162 ATS (-36.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
FLORIDA is 152-191 ATS (-74.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 2-2 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 2-2-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.5 Units)

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DETROIT (29-20-0-9, 67 pts.) at OTTAWA (27-26-0-6, 60 pts.) - 2/20/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 7-5 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 7-5-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.7 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (33-20-0-4, 70 pts.) at NASHVILLE (27-21-0-10, 64 pts.) - 2/20/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 73-66 ATS (-23.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 31-33 ATS (-16.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 14-19 ATS (-14.6 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 198-144 ATS (+53.1 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 203-166 ATS (+370.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 27-31 ATS (-21.6 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 34-38 ATS (-17.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 4-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
NASHVILLE is 12-24 ATS (+37.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 5-2 (+4.5 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 5-2-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.9 Units)

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BOSTON (31-21-0-6, 68 pts.) at DALLAS (37-16-0-6, 80 pts.) - 2/20/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 7-13 ATS (-10.0 Units) in non-conference games this season.
BOSTON is 11-20 ATS (-17.5 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 8-15 ATS (-15.8 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 10-1 ATS (+8.6 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
DALLAS is 39-33 ATS (-6.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 17-9 ATS (+6.9 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 45-17 ATS (+17.2 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 55-42 ATS (+102.7 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1996.
BOSTON is 178-197 ATS (+429.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 3-2 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 3-2-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.2 Units)

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ST LOUIS (34-17-0-9, 77 pts.) at ARIZONA (27-24-0-6, 60 pts.) - 2/20/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 5-21 ATS (+34.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 10-26 ATS (+41.2 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 15-46 ATS (+79.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 6-1 (+4.2 Units) against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 6-1-0 straight up against ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.3 Units)

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COLORADO (30-26-0-4, 64 pts.) at EDMONTON (22-31-0-6, 50 pts.) - 2/20/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 9-3 ATS (+12.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
COLORADO is 124-107 ATS (+15.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 12-8 ATS (+23.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
COLORADO is 37-30 ATS (+67.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 16-11 ATS (+28.4 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
COLORADO is 30-20 ATS (+50.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 46-95 ATS (-67.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 9-31 ATS (+56.9 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 3-4 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 4-3-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.2 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Saturday, February 20


New Jersey @ Washington

Game 5-6
February 20, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Jersey
10.702
Washington
13.711
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 3
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-250
5
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-250); Under

Winnipeg @ Florida

Game 7-8
February 20, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg
9.642
Florida
11.283
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 1 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
-145
5
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
(-145); Over

Detroit @ Ottawa

Game 9-10
February 20, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
13.072
Ottawa
10.565
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 2 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ottawa
-115
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-105); Under

Los Angeles @ Nashville

Game 11-12
February 20, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
12.060
Nashville
10.528
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 1 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville
-120
5
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(+100); Over

Boston @ Dallas

Game 13-14
February 20, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
10.334
Dallas
11.718
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
-150
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(-150); Over

St. Louis @ Arizona

Game 15-16
February 20, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
13.404
Arizona
9.894
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 3 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-135
5
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-135); Under

Colorado @ Edmonton

Game 17-18
February 20, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
12.183
Edmonton
10.650
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Edmonton
-115
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(-105); Under

Tampa Bay @ Pittsburgh

Game 1-2
February 20, 2016 @ 12:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
13.253
Pittsburgh
11.817
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(+105); Under

Philadelphia @ Toronto

Game 3-4
February 20, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
10.753
Toronto
12.183
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1 1/2
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
-115
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-105); Over

[StarDust Bum]

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (11) LOS ANGELES@ (12) NASHVILLE | 2016-02-20 20:05:00 - 2016-02-20 20:05:00
Play AGAINST LOS ANGELES using money line in Road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 3 Wins and 15 Losses for the last two seasons (-17.95 units)

NHL > (3) PHILADELPHIA@ (4) TORONTO | 2016-02-20 19:05:00 - 2016-02-20 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 5 Wins and 28 Losses for the last two seasons (-23.35 units)

NHL > (11) LOS ANGELES@ (12) NASHVILLE | 2016-02-20 20:05:00 - 2016-02-20 20:05:00
Play AGAINST NASHVILLE using money line in Home games after a win by 2 goals or more
The record is 1 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (-11.5 units)

NHL > (3) PHILADELPHIA@ (4) TORONTO | 2016-02-20 19:05:00 - 2016-02-20 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA using money line in All games in a road game where where the total is 5.5
The record is 8 Wins and 33 Losses for the last two seasons (-22.6 units)

NHL > (5) NEW JERSEY@ (6) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-20 19:05:00 - 2016-02-20 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 9 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+9.25 units)

NHL > (5) NEW JERSEY@ (6) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-20 19:05:00 - 2016-02-20 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in all games
The record is 42 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (+21.5 units)

NHL > (1) TAMPA BAY@ (2) PITTSBURGH | 2016-02-20 12:35:00 - 2016-02-20 12:35:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 10 Wins and 21 Losses for the last three seasons (-19.7 units)

NHL > (15) ST LOUIS@ (16) ARIZONA | 2016-02-20 21:05:00 - 2016-02-20 21:05:00
Play AGAINST ARIZONA using money line in All games in a home game where where the total is 5 or less
The record is 5 Wins and 21 Losses for the last two seasons (-16.5 units)

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

NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (11) LOS ANGELES@ (12) NASHVILLE | 2016-02-20 20:05:00 - 2016-02-20 20:05:00
Play AGAINST LOS ANGELES in Road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 3 Wins and 15 Losses for the last two seasons (-17.95 units)

NHL > (3) PHILADELPHIA@ (4) TORONTO | 2016-02-20 19:05:00 - 2016-02-20 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 5 Wins and 28 Losses for the last two seasons (-23.35 units)

NHL > (11) LOS ANGELES@ (12) NASHVILLE | 2016-02-20 20:05:00 - 2016-02-20 20:05:00
Play AGAINST NASHVILLE in Home games after a win by 2 goals or more
The record is 1 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (-11.5 units)

NHL > (3) PHILADELPHIA@ (4) TORONTO | 2016-02-20 19:05:00 - 2016-02-20 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA in All games in a road game where where the total is 5.5
The record is 8 Wins and 33 Losses for the last two seasons (-22.6 units)

NHL > (5) NEW JERSEY@ (6) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-20 19:05:00 - 2016-02-20 19:05:00
Play ON NEW JERSEY in Road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 9 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+9.25 units)

NHL > (5) NEW JERSEY@ (6) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-20 19:05:00 - 2016-02-20 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON in all games
The record is 42 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (+21.5 units)

NHL > (1) TAMPA BAY@ (2) PITTSBURGH | 2016-02-20 12:35:00 - 2016-02-20 12:35:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH in Home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 10 Wins and 21 Losses for the last three seasons (-19.7 units)

NHL > (15) ST LOUIS@ (16) ARIZONA | 2016-02-20 21:05:00 - 2016-02-20 21:05:00
Play AGAINST ARIZONA in All games in a home game where where the total is 5 or less
The record is 5 Wins and 21 Losses for the last two seasons (-16.5 units)

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

NHL TOTALS

NHL > (5) NEW JERSEY@ (6) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-20 19:05:00 - 2016-02-20 19:05:00
Play UNDER NEW JERSEY on the totalin Road games in February games
The record is 17 Overs and 49 Unders for the since 1992 (+30.95 units)

NHL > (3) PHILADELPHIA@ (4) TORONTO | 2016-02-20 19:05:00 - 2016-02-20 19:05:00
Play OVER TORONTO on the totalin All games in February games
The record is 7 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+7.4 units)

NHL > (5) NEW JERSEY@ (6) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-20 19:05:00 - 2016-02-20 19:05:00
Play UNDER NEW JERSEY on the totalin Road games second half of the season
The record is 1 Overs and 8 Unders for the this season (+7.85 units)

NHL > (3) PHILADELPHIA@ (4) TORONTO | 2016-02-20 19:05:00 - 2016-02-20 19:05:00
Play OVER TORONTO on the totalin Home games on Saturday games
The record is 25 Overs and 8 Unders for the last three seasons (+16.9 units)

NHL > (1) TAMPA BAY@ (2) PITTSBURGH | 2016-02-20 12:35:00 - 2016-02-20 12:35:00
Play UNDER PITTSBURGH on the totalin Home games on Saturday games
The record is 2 Overs and 11 Unders for the last two seasons (+9.4 units)

NHL > (11) LOS ANGELES@ (12) NASHVILLE | 2016-02-20 20:05:00 - 2016-02-20 20:05:00
Play OVER NASHVILLE on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 21 Overs and 7 Unders for the last two seasons (+13.55 units)

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


NJ at WAS 07:00 PM

WAS -235


PHI at TOR 07:00 PM

PHI +100 BEST BET


DET at OTT 07:00 PM

DET -108


WIN at FLA 07:00 PM

WIN +133 BEST BET


BOS at DAL 08:00 PM

BOS +131 BEST BET


LA at NAS 08:00 PM

LA +116 BEST BET


STL at ARI 09:00 PM

ARI +106 BEST BET


COL at EDM 10:00 PM

COL +111 BEST BET

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Six of the best minor league prospects for the Houston Astros:

1) AJ Reed, 1B-- Main question will be, can he hit big league lefties?

3) Alex Bregman, SS-- Will probably get traded, since he is a shortstop.

4) Kyle Tucker, OF-- His older brother debuted in big leagues for Astros LY.

6) Joe Musgrove, P-- Went 12-1 in three minor league stops last year.

8) Mark Appel, P-- #1 pick in 2013 draft has 5.12 ERA in 53 MILB starts.

10) Derek Fisher, OF-- Hopefully Virginia alum will have better year than his NBA namesake, who recently got canned as coach of the Knicks.

**********

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

13) Texas A&M 79, Kentucky 77, OT-- End of this game was truly bizarre; when a kid on Kentucky grabbed a rebound and got fouled-- in jubilation he threw the ball away after the whistle and the refs gave him a technical, which was also his fifth foul, which meant he couldn't take foul shots from being fouled with Wildcats up one. His replacement split a pair after A&M made both technical foul shots.

Best part of this was that ESPN's Jay Bilas, who constantly bashes the refs, had no clue what the rule was on who chose the foul shooter because the kid had fouled out-- I have never seen that happen before, either. Big win for the Aggies, no matter what.

12) Louisville 71, Duke 64-- There is nothing quite as much fun as watching Dukies whine like 6-year olds when they don't get every call. Coach K got a technical late in game and Grayson Allen got one after he fouled out with 3:55 left. For Louisville, this game was like the Super Bowl, since they're banned from postseason.

11) Funniest thing that'll happen all weekend: Ben Simmons didn't start for LSU at Tennessee "....for academic reasons." Really?

In late June, Simmons will be the first player taken in the NBA Draft, which means that by Labor Day, he is going to be a multi-millionaire, even if he has no freakin' idea where the school library is (for historical reference, see Anthony, Carmelo). Simmons has less chance of being in college next fall than I do-- I graduated (somehow) in 1982.

10) South Carolina 73, Florida 69 OT-- It has to be fairly scary to have to interview Gamecocks coach Frank Martin when his team just gave up a 20-0 run to end the half, which is what happened here. Martin has an intimidating scowl and huge shoulders-- he looks like he could be a pro wrestler, had he so chosen-- he has done a very good job at South Carolina this season. The interview was calm and uneventful.

9) BYU 91, San Diego 33-- Teams played Thursday and BYU barely won 69-67; it is typical of this season, the wild variance in how teams play from day-to-day..

8) Hassan Whiteside had 29 points, 23 rebounds off the bench for Miami last night, the first NBA sub to produce numbers like that since Detlef Schrempf in 1992.

7) They put over 30,000 people in Coors Field Saturday for a hockey game between Colorado College and Denver- these outdoor hockey games have become cash cows.

6) Doug Gottlieb reported that a lot of coaches think Roy Williams will retire after this season and Williams wasn't very happy with that CBS report. Now it is unclear just where Gottlieb's report came from- time will tell who is right, but if Williams ain't retiring, it is BS to say he is, because that could screw up his recruiting.

5) Hawai'i 75, Cal-Irvine 71-- Rainbows are eligible for postseason this year, then go on probation next year- they trailed almost whole way in this game, then pulled it out at the end and opened up aa 2-game lead in the Big West.

They were talking last night that Hawai'i will wind up with lot of Australians on their team, since its new coach was one of the guys responsible for recruiting at St Mary's, which has a great pipeline to basketball players down under.

4) Yale 79, Penn 58-- Yale is tied with Princeton for Ivy lead with two weekends left- they both have to play Columbia, which is a game behind. No conference tourney in the Ivy League, so they'll have a playoff game if it ends in a tie.

3) Air Force 76, New Mexico 72-- Flyboys have now won four home games in a row; Mountain West is as bad as it has ever been this year- they're likely to get only one team in NCAAs. San Diego State is their only chance at an at-large bid.

2) UNLV 102, Nevada 91 OT-- Weird game with a very dramatic end to regulation, when both teams hit a 3-pointer in last 0:03 to send game to OT. Rebels had only six scholarship kids for this game- one kid quit, one kid got tossed, they have a transfer sitting out and four kids hurt-- that adds up to their 13 scholarships.

1) Texas Tech 71, Oklahoma State 61-- Tubby Smith has Texas Tech at 17-9 and on bubble; they've won five of last six games. About ten years ago, Smith was polite enough to let me interview him for this space at an AAU tournament in Florida. He's an excellent coach and a better person. Texas Tech is lucky to have him.