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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Lightning (34-22) at Devils (30-24)
Date: February 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman publicly stated a week and a half ago that he won't trade pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos before the deadline.

Almost immediately, Stamkos and the Lightning began turning things around.

Stamkos has scored in each contest during a four-game winning streak, which Tampa Bay will try to extend when it begins a four-game road trip Friday night against the slumping New Jersey Devils.

Tampa Bay (34-22-4) reportedly offered its franchise player an eight-year, $68 million contract extension late last month that Stamkos rejected. Trade rumors had been swirling for quite some time with the possibility that Yzerman would want to get a return for Stamkos rather than have him leave for nothing in the offseason.

There's still a chance that happens, but Stamkos isn't going anywhere this season. Yzerman released a statement Feb. 15 to confirm that the Lightning won't be trading Stamkos ahead of Monday's deadline, with the goal being to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.

Tampa lost to San Jose the next day and Stamkos had one goal in his first seven games this month, but he's been on a tear during the winning streak that immediately followed that defeat.

Stamkos scored his 26th goal in the first period and Cedric Paquette converted a penalty shot in the second to give the Lightning a 2-1 win over Arizona on Tuesday. The defending Eastern Conference champs are tied for second place in the Atlantic Division with Boston, which they visit Sunday.

'We're getting there," Stamkos said. "We know what this group is capable of when we're playing at our best, and I don't think we're at our best right now. It's encouraging that we're finding ways to win not being at our best.'

Tampa has gone 2 for 30 on the power play over its last nine. Forward Nikita Kucherov, who has 24 goals and a team-high 49 points, will be a game-time decision after missing the last two with a lower-body injury.

The Lightning have won twice on the road during their streak, but they've dropped three straight and 12 of their last 15 visits to New Jersey. Stamkos has scored in the last two meetings overall, including the Lightning's 4-3 overtime victory in the last matchup April 9.

"The (previous) road trip was good, even though it was only two games," coach Jon Cooper said. "Now we've got to turn it into this four-gamer and go on this trip and come away with more points than games played. If we can do that, we'll be OK."

The Devils (30-25-7) are one point back of Pittsburgh for the last wild-card spot despite having dropped four of five. They've allowed 19 goals during that stretch after being crushed 6-1 at Columbus on Thursday.

Reid Boucher scored to give him two goals and two assists over his last three.

'If we have an honest assessment of it, we weren't ready to play in the first period and that was the biggest difference in the game," coach John Hynes said.

It's unclear who will be in net after Cory Schneider gave up three goals on 11 shots before being relieved by Keith Kinkaid, who gave up three more on 13 shots.

Ben Bishop, 4-2-0 with a 1.46 goals-against average against the Devils, will get the nod for Tampa.

[StarDust Bum]

B]Preview: Bruins (33-22) at Hurricanes (28-23)[/B]
Date: February 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Boston's pursuit of home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs would get a nice boost if it can navigate successfully through a very difficult portion of its upcoming schedule.

If they slip, the Bruins could find themselves in trouble within a tight Eastern Conference race.

The Carolina Hurricanes are one of those teams battling for a wild-card spot, and they'll try to knock off visiting Boston on Friday night in the first of three meetings over their final 20 games.

The Bruins (33-22-6) are tied with Tampa Bay for second place in the Atlantic Division, five points behind Florida with both clubs having a game in hand on them. After facing the playoff-hopeful Hurricanes (28-24-10), Boston begins a four-game homestand Sunday against the Lightning with Calgary, defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago and NHL-best Washington also visiting TD Garden.

It has split its last six after David Pastrnak scored twice in Wednesday's 5-1 home win over Pittsburgh.

"Everything's so tight right now," defenseman Torey Krug told the team's official website. "It's just about continuing to improve your game and make sure we're in the picture when the times comes."

The Capitals are running away with the Presidents' Trophy, but the rest of the East is jumbled. Detroit holds the first wild-card spot, but is only one point back of the Bruins and Lightning for the Atlantic's last automatic berth.

Five teams are within five points of the Penguins for the final wild card including the Hurricanes, who are two back.

"You want your team to be consistent and be ready to battle every night," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "That's what our challenge is right now. We've got a tough schedule, but again, I think pretty well every team in this league is going through the same thing."

Carolina hasn't been to the playoffs since 2008-09 and had an opportunity to help its postseason chances when it visited East-worst Toronto on Thursday, but it mustered only John-Michael Liles' first-period goal in a 3-1 defeat. It is in the midst of a 2-3-0 stretch, something not ideal when tied for the most games played in the East.

Pittsburgh has three games in hand on the Hurricanes, who now hope to get back on track with their next two being at home. They're 6-1-1 in Raleigh since Jan. 24, but are also dealing with trade rumors surrounding captain Eric Staal ahead of Monday's deadline.

Staal, who has a no-trade clause, had an assist against the Maple Leafs.

'It's an awkward situation,' his brother Jordan Staal said. 'But at the same time, he's come ready to play and ready to work every day, and that's all you can ask for.'

Carolina has lost five of the last six meetings with Boston and could turn to Eddie Lack in the second of a back-to-back after Cam Ward made his fourth straight start Thursday. Lack made 40 saves for Vancouver to beat the Bruins on Feb. 24, 2015, in his only career start against them.

Tuukka Rask has won three of his last four starts with a 1.77 goals-against average and should get the start for Boston. He's stopped 121 of 125 shots while going 3-0-1 in his last four against Carolina.

"They play with a lot of energy," Krug said of the Hurricanes. "I think their transition game is really strong, so it's a good test going into their building."

Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk sat out again Thursday after aggravating a leg injury during practice the previous day. It's unclear if he'll be available for this one.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sabres (24-30) at Sharks (32-21)
Date: February 26, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

One of the mysteries of the NHL is why the San Jose Sharks have had so much trouble with the lowly Buffalo Sabres.

The Sharks ended an eight-game slide to the Sabres earlier this season and now hope to halt a four-game home losing streak in the series Friday night.

San Jose (32-21-6) missed the playoffs last season after 10 consecutive appearances while Buffalo (24-30-7) is on the verge of a fifth straight campaign without reaching the postseason. That doesn't explain how these teams have fared against each other.

The Sharks were on an 0-7-1 skid in this series before Patrick Marleau scored in overtime of a 2-1 win Nov. 14. That caused a sigh of relief for first-year coach Peter DeBoer to break that hex in his first try.

"I accidentally dug into it because everyone was talking about it," he said after that game. "I knew we hadn't had much success against Buffalo recently, but I didn't realize it was as long as it has been."

San Jose's previous win over the Sabres was a 5-2 home victory in January 2010, and it's gone 0-3-1 in Buffalo's last four visits.

The Sharks play their first home game after completing a 3-1-1 trip with Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss to Colorado. Joel Ward scored with 91 seconds left in the third period to salvage a point.

'Some of the cities we're in and how desperate some of the teams are that we're playing, it's a good road trip,' DeBoer said. 'The guys found a way to get some points. That's important.'

Nick Spaling scored 2:10 into the game in his Sharks debut after being acquired Monday from Toronto. He had one goal in 35 games with the Maple Leafs.

Joe Thornton assisted on Ward's goal to give him 15 points in the last 10 games. Thirty five of his team high-tying 56 points and 13 of his 14 goals have come on the road. He has no goals and 13 assists in 11 home games in 2016.

Joe Pavelski leads the Sharks with 26 goals but hasn't scored in his last eight games against the Sabres. Thornton has three assists in his past nine matchups.

Buffalo opened a three-game California trip with Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Anaheim, marking the fifth time it was shut out.

'We want to show that we can play with the best teams, but it's the small margins,' goaltender Robin Lehner said. 'I think we need to get tougher in front of both nets. We need to make it harder for the other goalies. In this league if you want to beat the goalies you need to get traffic in front.'

The Sabres went 0 for 4 on the power play after going 3 for 8 in their two previous games in which they totaled seven goals. Buffalo is among the league's best teams with 30.4 shots per game on the road.

"I'm not going to be satisfied with being stride-for-stride with a good hockey team," coach Dan Bylsma told the Sabres' official website. "We had every opportunity I think to get a few goals in that game and win the hockey game and we come up short."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Oilers (22-34) at Ducks (32-19)
Date: February 26, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Two months after Bob Murray's talented hockey team languished in 29th place in a 30-team league, the Anaheim Ducks' general manager has been rewarded for demonstrating an incredibly rare quality in NHL executives.

A little bit of patience.

The three-time Pacific Division champion Ducks have rebounded from a pathetic start to their season with a dynamic surge that shows few signs of slowing Friday night against the Edmonton Oilers.

With the four-day Christmas break neatly serving as the dividing line between ineptitude and brilliance, Anaheim has followed up its 12-15-6 start with a 20-4-2 streak since the holidays.

The Ducks (32-19-8) have won six straight and 13 of 15, climbing into second place in the Pacific and steaming toward another playoff berth.

'This team has faced the adversity of a bad start and fought its way back into the picture of making the playoffs,' Murray said in a phone interview Thursday. 'Right now, you look at them and say they're doing fine. ... It looks like there's chemistry now. Everybody has fit into a role and is accepting their roles, which is huge.'

The Ducks are doing it with largely the same roster that was the NHL's lowest-scoring group by a wide margin just two months ago. Murray made only a couple of timely additions, including revitalized forward David Perron, and got a couple of players back from injury, including dependable defenseman Simon Despres.

Murray tweaked the Ducks' roster in the offseason, and he realized the changes largely didn't help. So his next moves were all about what he didn't do.

He resisted the urge to fire Bruce Boudreau, one of the winningest coaches in recent NHL history. He also decided against blowing up his talented roster core, trading veterans for cheap youth, or even breaking up his coveted goaltending tandem of Frederik Andersen and John Gibson for distressed prices.

Instead, Murray decided to believe in his team - and he stayed behind Boudreau while hockey pundits widely predicted Murray would make the usual move in a notoriously impatient league.

Murray also said the Ducks eliminated a few unspecified distractions. The GM alluded to 'a couple of personal issues that weren't good' and 'agent issues,' but refused to go into detail about those off-ice woes, which haven't been widely discussed outside the Ducks' dressing room.

'The start of the year was a circus, and I couldn't get control of it quick enough,' Murray said. 'I've got to be harder on certain situations in the years going forward.'

For all of those reasons, Anaheim got off to one of the worst starts by a title-contending team in recent NHL history after falling one game short of the Stanley Cup Final last summer. The Ducks went 1-7-2 in October and barely improved before Christmas.

The Ducks largely credit the four-day holiday break for their improved mental state, citing the inactivity as a chance to remember what works.

'Every night, we're going into the game knowing we're going to win,' said center Ryan Kesler, who has 21 points in Anaheim's last 23 games after managing just 12 points in the first 36.

Although they largely credit their turnaround to their embrace of a defense-first mindset promoted by Boudreau in response to their offensive woes, the Ducks' scoring touch also has returned.

Anaheim's confounding slump was exemplified by captain Ryan Getzlaf, who went into the holiday break with just one goal - into an empty net, no less. Getzlaf leads the NHL in scoring after the All-Star break with 17 points in 13 games, including a current nine-game point streak.

The Ducks are 13-1-2 in their last 16 meetings with the Oilers (22-34-6), beating them twice since the Christmas break - 5-3 at Edmonton in the most recent Feb. 16.

The league-worst Oilers are on a season-high six-game skid after blowing a third-period lead in a 2-1 loss at Los Angeles on Thursday.

Connor McDavid was held without a point for just the third time in 12 games since returning from a broken clavicle. He's still got 16 points over that stretch, including an assist on a goal by Taylor Hall against the Ducks last week.

Hall has 11 points in his last 13 meetings with Anaheim, but he has only three in the past 10 overall.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Hofstra 70, UNCW 69-- Pride won after trailing by 18; they lost first matchup vs Seahawks, after leading by 20.

-- UAB 95, Marshall 91-- Blazers have two-game lead in Conference USA.

-- Utah 81, Arizona State 46-- This game was 44-10 at the half. 44. to. 10.

-- California 75, UCLA 63-- Golden Bears won their last six games.

-- East Tennessee State 80, Furman 75-- Bucs are 9-1 in SoCon games decided by 6 or less points or in OT.

-- Cal-Riverside 77, Hawai'i 71-- Big upset out west in latenight action.

**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here......

13) Saw something I never saw before last night; kid was taking a foul shot, the ball rattles in and out and wedged between the rim and the backboard. The ref looked at it for a second, like he had no idea what to do. Never saw that happen before, not even on a playground. They went to the possession arrow, by the way.

12) One of the things they do at the NFL Combine is give players physicals- the QBs get their hands measured-- big hands are an advantage, especially for teams that might play lot of games in bad weather. Jared Goff measured in with a 9-inch hand; a little less than optimal, but big enough so it won't hurt his standing in the draft.

One of the reasons Johnny Manziel appealed to Cleveland was that he has big hands, and should be OK playing in cold weather. Scouting is an inexact scienece; Manziel's issues obviously have very little to do with his play on the field.

11) NFL has tremendous skill at always staying in the news; the Combine this week is just a series of workouts/job interviews-- would be great TV if they aired the teams' interview part, which they obviously cannot.

Super Bowl was 19 days ago; you'd think this was a dead time of year, but they have this and then free agency starts March 9 and then they'll have the schedule unveling and the draft in April and that is why the NFL has a daily show os ESPN, year-round.

10) Colin Kaepernick is slated to make $11.9M next year, the 49ers say they he will be on the roster April 1, but apparently Kaepernick has sought permission to seek out a trade. How much can you get for a guy you benched for Blaiine Gabbert?

9) Pac-12 needs to do something about court storming before someone gets hurt; every time Arizona loses a road game, opponents' fans rush the floor after the game- it looks dangerous and it can be. Sean Miller spoke out about it Wednesday night- you'd hope the schools will get together and get security in place to prevent it.

8) Not only did Steph Curry have 51 points last night, he had eight assists, seven rebounds. The best player in the NBA is only 6-foot-3- he's made a 3-pointer in 128 straight games, a new NBA record. .

7) Baseball is putting up a 0:30 clock for coaches/managers' visits to the mound this year, as they try to speed up the game. I'll do them one better; why not just ban the visits to the mound altogether- what would that hurt? If you change pitchers, just sub them in/out like players do in basketball. if they're serious about shortening games, lot of ways to do it pretty easily, without screwing around with the actual game.

Random opinion: I love watching baseball, I don't think games are too long and I can amuse myself during stoppages in play, so I'm not a stickler that games need to be a lot shorter, but if you're trying to shorten them, this is an easy way to do it.

6) Put it this way: I'm fairly excited that exhibition games start Tuesday.

5) There was a report on the Interweb yesterday that Yoenis Cespedes was wearing his hat backwards during batting practice, a la Ken Griffey Jr and that Terry Collins wasn't that happy about it and was going to say something to him about it. Oy.

I'd be more concerned about those fancy cars Cespedes drives to the ballpark every day; they don't look like they were designed to stay under the speed limit. But if they do get sick of Cespedes and his backwards hat, feel free to send him back to Oakland.

4) Ever see those Dos Equus beer commercials, the ones with The Most Interesting Man in the World? I was informed yesterday that Mr Interesting lives about 100 miles south of here, in same town as one of my friends and he is in his late 70's now, being a 1956 high school graduate. He was at Saratoga racetrack couple of summers ago and drew quite a crowd- the power of television.

3) Interweb was reporting Wednesday night that Dexter Fowler signed with Baltimore for three years, $35M, after he turned down a 1-year, $15.8 deal from the Cubs early in this offseason. Turns out the Interweb was wrong; Fowler signed with the Cubs yesterday, for one year, $9M. Then his agent went public, bashing the Orioles for leaking info on the negotiations- I'm guessing the agent got an earful from Fowler and is now trying to avoid being fired by his client.

2) A's traded a struggling pitcher (Aaron Brooks) for a journeyman utility man (Chris Coghlan) yesterday, who became expendable once the Cubs re-signed Fowler. Brooks had a 6.71 ERA in nine starts LY. Coghlan was Rookie of the Year in 2009 and hit 16 HRs LY; his .340 career on-base %age ain't bad- to get him for basically nothing is a solid move by Oakland.

1) I'm amazed that each college basketball conference doesn't have an official basketball to be used during all conference games; each school can use whatever ball it sees fit. Apparently there is a big difference between Nike, adidas, Under Armour basketballs; some of the Wisconsin players were complaining about it last month.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, February 26

Hot teams
-- Washington won four of its last five games.
-- Lightning won their last four games, scoring 16 goals.
-- Carolina won four of its last five home games.
-- Anaheim won its last six games, scoring 25 goals.
-- San Jose won four of its last six games.

Cold teams
-- Minnesota lost its last two games, 4-1/3-2.
-- New Jersey lost four of its last five games.
-- Boston is 1-4 in game following its last five wins.
-- Edmonton lost six in row, nine of last ten games.
-- Buffalo lost three of its last four games.

Series records
-- Washington won four of last six games with Minnesota.
-- Devils won four of last six games with Tampa Bay.
-- Bruins won five of last six games with Carolina.
-- Ducks won six of last seven games with Edmonton.
-- Sabres won eight of last nine games with San Jose.

Totals
-- Over is 7-1-1 in last nine Minnesota games.
-- Five of last six New Jersey-Tampa Bay games stayed under.
-- Seven of last nine Boston games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Anaheim games.
-- Four of last five San Jose games went over the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Minnesota is 4-7 if it played the night before.
-- Devils won three of last four games if they won night before.
-- Carolina won seven of last nine games if it played night before.
-- Edmonton is 2-5 if it played the night before.




NHL

Friday, February 26

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. CAROLINA
Boston is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Boston's last 9 games
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Carolina is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston

7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Minnesota's last 9 games
Washington is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games at home
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. NEW JERSEY
Tampa Bay is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing New Jersey
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
New Jersey is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
New Jersey is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

10:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. ANAHEIM
Edmonton is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Anaheim
Edmonton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Anaheim is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Anaheim is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Edmonton

10:30 PM
BUFFALO vs. SAN JOSE
Buffalo is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 5 games on the road
San Jose is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
San Jose is 1-5-1 SU in its last 7 games ,when playing at home against Buffalo

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Friday, February 26


Minnesota @ Washington

Game 1-2
February 26, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
12.739
Washington
11.947
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
N/A

Tampa Bay @ New Jersey

Game 3-4
February 26, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
11.587
New Jersey
12.986
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New Jersey
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-140
5
Dunkel Pick:
New Jersey
(+120); Over

Boston @ Carolina

Game 5-6
February 26, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
11.231
Carolina
12.796
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Carolina
by 1 1/2
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Carolina
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Carolina
N/A

Edmonton @ Anaheim

Game 7-8
February 26, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
10.287
Anaheim
12.991
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Anaheim
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-260
5
Dunkel Pick:
Anaheim
(-260); Over

Buffalo @ San Jose

Game 9-10
February 26, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Buffalo
11.904
San Jose
10.897
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Buffalo
by 1
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-260
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Buffalo
(+220); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, February 26

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MINNESOTA (27-24-0-10, 64 pts.) at WASHINGTON (44-11-0-4, 92 pts.) - 2/26/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-2 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 3-2-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (34-22-0-4, 72 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (30-25-0-7, 67 pts.) - 2/26/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 328-386 ATS (-120.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
NEW JERSEY is 13-9 ATS (+24.6 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
NEW JERSEY is 13-30 ATS (+44.7 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 4-2 (+2.3 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 4-2-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.2 Units)

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BOSTON (33-22-0-6, 72 pts.) at CAROLINA (28-24-0-10, 66 pts.) - 2/26/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 5-1 (+3.7 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 5-1-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.8 Units)

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EDMONTON (22-34-0-6, 50 pts.) at ANAHEIM (32-19-0-8, 72 pts.) - 2/26/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 46-98 ATS (+186.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 10-37 ATS (+66.1 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 0-12 ATS (+18.4 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
EDMONTON is 31-83 ATS (+169.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 155-97 ATS (+339.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 30-11 ATS (+14.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 10-2 ATS (+6.9 Units) in February games this season.
ANAHEIM is 17-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 60-31 ATS (+14.4 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 207-162 ATS (+31.4 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 74-35 ATS (+20.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 22-6 ATS (+12.1 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
ANAHEIM is 9-3 (+3.6 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 9-3-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.3 Units)

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BUFFALO (24-30-0-7, 55 pts.) at SAN JOSE (32-21-0-6, 70 pts.) - 2/26/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 200-206 ATS (+439.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 1-8 ATS (-13.1 Units) in home games in February games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 15-19 ATS (-17.6 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 10-16 ATS (-22.0 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 2-7 ATS (-10.5 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 32-34 ATS (-17.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 22-25 ATS (-20.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 4-1 (+8.8 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 4-1-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.5 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (9) BUFFALO@ (10) SAN JOSE | 2016-02-26 22:35:00 - 2016-02-26 22:35:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE using money line in Home games in February games
The record is 1 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (-12.25 units)

NHL > (7) EDMONTON@ (8) ANAHEIM | 2016-02-26 22:05:00 - 2016-02-26 22:05:00
Play AGAINST EDMONTON using money line in Road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 2 Wins and 23 Losses for the last two seasons (-18.7 units)

NHL > (1) MINNESOTA@ (2) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-26 19:05:00 - 2016-02-26 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in all games
The record is 44 Wins and 15 Losses for the this season (+21.1 units)

NHL > (1) MINNESOTA@ (2) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-26 19:05:00 - 2016-02-26 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 7 Wins and 18 Losses for the this season (-15.4 units)

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NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (9) BUFFALO@ (10) SAN JOSE | 2016-02-26 22:35:00 - 2016-02-26 22:35:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE in Home games in February games
The record is 1 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (-12.25 units)

NHL > (7) EDMONTON@ (8) ANAHEIM | 2016-02-26 22:05:00 - 2016-02-26 22:05:00
Play AGAINST EDMONTON in Road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 2 Wins and 23 Losses for the last two seasons (-18.7 units)

NHL > (1) MINNESOTA@ (2) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-26 19:05:00 - 2016-02-26 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON in all games
The record is 44 Wins and 15 Losses for the this season (+21.1 units)

NHL > (1) MINNESOTA@ (2) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-26 19:05:00 - 2016-02-26 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA in All games second half of the season
The record is 7 Wins and 18 Losses for the this season (-15.4 units)

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NHL TOTALS

NHL > (9) BUFFALO@ (10) SAN JOSE | 2016-02-26 22:35:00 - 2016-02-26 22:35:00
Play OVER SAN JOSE on the totalin Home games in non-conference games
The record is 9 Overs and 1 Unders for the this season (+8.55 units)

NHL > (9) BUFFALO@ (10) SAN JOSE | 2016-02-26 22:35:00 - 2016-02-26 22:35:00
Play OVER SAN JOSE on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 22 Overs and 7 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.95 units)

NHL > (1) MINNESOTA@ (2) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-26 19:05:00 - 2016-02-26 19:05:00
Play OVER MINNESOTA on the totalin All games in February games
The record is 9 Overs and 1 Unders for the this season (+8.3 units)

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


BOS at CAR 07:00 PM

BOS -128


TB at NJ 07:00 PM

NJ +131 BEST BET


MIN at WAS 07:00 PM

MIN +182 BEST BET


EDM at ANA 10:00 PM

ANA -258


BUF at SJ 10:30 PM

BUF +188 BEST BET

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Coyotes (27-28) at Flyers (27-22)
Date: February 27, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

Philadelphia has been getting by without one of its top players, though that disadvantage could be coming to an end. Arizona is simply becoming disadvantaged.

The Coyotes visit Philadelphia on Saturday hoping to avoid extending two significant losing streaks, while the Flyers could have points leader Claude Giroux back in the lineup.

Philadelphia (27-22-11) has been without Giroux for the past three games with an upper-body injury, and though he returned to practice Friday, his coach wouldn't yet commit to him playing.

"We want to have him back as soon as possible, but we want to have him back when he's ready to go," coach Dave Hakstol told the team's official website.

What is certain is the Flyers will be without Jakub Voracek, who has played 286 straight games, after the forward suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday's 3-2 win over Minnesota.

It kicked off an extremely manageable six-game homestand on which the Wild and Coyotes are followed by Calgary, Edmonton, Columbus and Tampa Bay - the last being the only team in the top half of their respective division.

The Flyers have also come around offensively, scoring 17 goals over a 3-1-1 span after being held to a goal in three of their previous four.

They've also had something of a goaltending shift to Michal Neuvirth, who made two stellar saves late against the Wild, including a highlight-reel stop with 1.6 seconds remaining.

Hakstol hasn't announced a starter, but Neuvirth replaced typical starter Steve Mason in a 5-4 win in Toronto last Saturday and has played ever since. Mason is 1-3-0 with a 2.82 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in his last five with a season GAA 0.50 higher than his backup.

"It's part of the body of work," Hakstol said of the clutch save. "There's no question. Neuvy's body of work (Thursday) was good; it was solid. His first save of the game is just as important as the last save."

The clubs split two games a season ago, and those came with Sam Gagner on the other bench. Gagner, who has scored in two of his last three games for the Flyers, has been limited to four goals and five assists in 31 games since being traded.

"I feel like in the opportunity I got the last little while, I've stepped up to the plate and played well," Gagner said. "But at the same time, you realize that changes are going to be made with guys coming back in the lineup. I think wherever I am, I've just got to do my best to help the team win hockey games."

That'd be more difficult back on the other side. Arizona (27-28-6) has lost its last four overall and six straight on the road, all in regulation. Thursday's 3-2 loss in Florida set the Coyotes up to match a season-long overall skid and set a new season mark on the road as they hit the fourth stop on a five-game trip.

"We can't find a way to get on top of it," said coach Dave Tippett, whose team has gone eight straight without scoring more than two road goals. "We had a couple chances late to get it tied and get a point and we couldn't get it done. The frustration continues to build."

It's also mounting for Louis Domingue, who will start his 10th straight game as part of a 3-8-1 span with a 3.49 GAA and .891 save percentage.

In front of him is defenseman Nicklas Grossmann, who was traded for Gagner in June.

"They're a good team (and) they're heating up lately and playing well," Grossmann told the Coyotes' official website. "(They have) a lot of skill up front and a lot speed, so it will definitely be a good test for us."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Jets (26-30) at Penguins (30-21)
Date: February 27, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins were riding one of their longest win streaks of the season before losing superstar Evgeni Malkin earlier this month.

The Penguins have proved inconsistent during his absence but will try to start another run in his expected return to the lineup Saturday while adding to their home dominance over the depleted Winnipeg Jets.

Pittsburgh (30-21-8) had won four in a row - its second-longest streak this season - until Malkin's lower-body ailment proved too much to bear. The Penguins lost their first game without him, 6-3 in Tampa Bay on Feb. 5, and have gone 5-4-1 without their second-leading scorer following Wednesday's 5-1 loss in Boston.

They have endured a season-worst eight-game drought on the power play and are 1 for 24 in the 10 games Malkin has missed. Pittsburgh converted 31.4 percent of its chances in the 18 games before losing him.

Ten of Malkin's 23 goals and half of his 26 assists have come with the man advantage.

"(Malkin is) a difference maker. He's one of the elite players in the world," coach Mike Sullivan told the team's official website. "He was playing really well when we lost him. To get him back will make us that much stronger.

"I think it makes us more difficult to play against from a matchup standpoint. There's no doubt he makes us a better team when he's in our lineup."

The Penguins might also welcome back another center, Nick Bonino, from a hand injury that's kept him out since Jan. 12.

The Jets (26-30-4), meanwhile, are missing two players who are tied for the team lead with 17 goals. Bryan Little was lost for the season last week due to a fractured veterbrae, then former captain Andrew Ladd was traded to Chicago on Thursday along with Matt Fraser and Jay Harrison for Marko Dano and two draft picks.

Just hours after the Ladd news, Winnipeg still managed to end a four-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory in Dallas. After blowing a 3-0 lead, the Jets scored three times in the final 13:02. Mark Scheifele tallied the go-ahead goal en route to a career-high four points, and Joel Armia scored a pair to match his total from his previous 29 NHL games.

"I don't know what the drivers are sometimes in terms of emotion and where you get the energy," coach Paul Maurice said. "Having something happen like (the Ladd trade) raises, intensity's not the right word, but it's more just emotion in the room. So they played quick and they played fast."

Winnipeg ended a six-game skid to Pittsburgh with a 1-0 win Dec. 27 as Little scored on a penalty shot, but the Penguins have won 14 straight home meetings - the NHL's second-longest such win streak against any opponent. Pittsburgh has scored 37 goals in the past six.

Malkin has nine goals and 16 assists in his past 10 home games in the series, and Sidney Crosby has 17 points in his last six. The Jets haven't won in Pittsburgh since December 2006 when they were known as the Atlanta Thrashers.

Marc-Andre Fleury is 16-2-0 with a 2.20 goals-against average in his last 18 games against the Jets and has won six straight.

Winnipeg has given up seven goals in its last 23 times short-handed.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blues (35-19) at Predators (30-21)
Date: February 27, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

Three straight first-round playoff exits and a season full of injuries could force St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong to make an upgrade before Monday's trade deadline, but he insists he won't make any rash decisions.

That's because despite numerous setbacks, the Blues are still very much in contention for the Central Division title and believe they're equipped - when healthy - to make a deep playoff run.

St. Louis might begin its four-game road trip without Jori Lehtera as it tries to avoid a third straight defeat by sweeping the five-game season series with the surging Nashville Predators on Saturday.

Alexander Steen, Alex Pietrangelo, Steve Ott and Brian Elliott currently are nursing injuries, and other key players have missed time for the Blues (35-19-9) throughout the season. Lehtera could be added to that list after being hit in the face with the puck in the first period of Thursday's 2-1 home loss to the New York Rangers.

Pietrangelo practiced Friday and could return for this contest or Sunday at Carolina, which is some good news for a team that has fought through the injury problems to sit in third place in the Central, two points back of Chicago and three behind first-place Dallas.

Armstrong said he's exploring the possibility of making a tweak to the injury-plagued roster, but he said that would be the case only if it didn't disrupt the current locker room chemistry.

"My belief is that group in there, I really, truly believe this is the year for us to have success," Armstrong said. "Our best players, they're not looking for assistance from outside. They know the responsibilities lie on their shoulders."

The Blues have dropped back-to-back games in regulation following a five-game winning streak and missed a chance to tie the Blackhawks in the standings after Nashville (30-21-11) won at Chicago 3-1 on Thursday.

St. Louis, though, is seeking a fifth straight road win and has earned at least a point in nine of its last 10 away from home.

"We've faced injuries all year, but we've got the character and the team in here to battle through it and get things done," forward Scottie Upshall said. "It's just another bump in the road, but we'll be all right."

The Blues have won five in a row against the Predators and have outscored them 11-4 in the four meetings in 2015-16. They've also won eight of their last 10 visits to Nashville, including posting shutouts in both matchups there this season.

The Predators have earned at least a point in eight straight. They haven't lost in regulation since falling to Washington on Feb. 9, which is part of a 2-4-2 stretch at home that includes a 1-0 loss to St. Louis on Feb. 2.

They finished off a perfect three-game trip by beating Chicago, though, and are looking to match their season high of four straight wins set last month.

"It was a great road trip," defenseman Roman Josi said. "Three wins and we've been playing well on the road for a while now. Coming back home now, and we want to play the same way at home."

Pekka Rinne made 38 saves and improved to 3-0-1 with a 0.98 goals-against average over his last four. He has a 2.37 GAA while losing all three of his starts against the Blues this season.

The Blues are counting on Jake Allen to step up with Elliott out for at least four weeks. Allen has a 1.72 GAA while winning his last four starts against the Predators, but he's 0-4-1 with a 2.69 GAA in five starts and a relief appearance since Dec. 31.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Panthers (35-18) at Blue Jackets (25-29)
Date: February 27, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

Since Gerard Gallant took over the Florida Panthers, his club has played nothing but one-goal games against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The visiting Panthers have captured both matchups this season and could face a challenge Saturday if they face the Blue Jackets' Joonas Korpisalo for the first time.

Florida (35-18-7) starts a five-game trip with the Eastern Conference's second-best record, although a chasing pack that includes Atlantic Division rivals Tampa Bay and Boston is not far behind. The Panthers won three of four to close a six-game homestand with Thursday's 3-2 victory over Arizona.

'You don't worry about playoffs, you worry about two points. It was another big two points tonight,' Gallant said.

Gallant's only previous head coaching job was with Columbus (25-29-8) between 2003-07. He lost his first two games against his former club last season before winning three straight. The Blue Jackets took 10 consecutive meetings before this current slide.

The coach got a key player back Thursday in Aleksander Barkov, who scored twice after missing six games with a head injury. Barkov had scored in four consecutive games and had at least a point in six straight before he was hit in the head by Detroit's Justin Abdelkader in a Feb. 8 loss.

'It's always nice to be back,' Barkov said. 'I hate missing games because it's so boring. Finally, I'm playing and trying to have fun.'

Barkov's return is timely since Jonathan Huberdeau has landed on injured reserve after sitting out against the Coyotes with an upper-body injury. Huberdeau is third on the team with 40 points.

Barkov, who has 37 points, scored twice the last time these teams met in a 3-2 win Dec. 27. He also converted in the shootout of a 2-1 victory at Columbus on Dec. 4.

The Panthers did not face Korpisalo in those games and he is establishing himself due to an injuries to Sergei Bobrovsky and Curtis McElhinney, who recently returned. Korpisalo is 10-2-3 with a 2.17 goals-against average in his last 15 starts.

Columbus improved to 8-2-3 in its last 13 with Thursday's 6-1 rout of New Jersey. Nick Foligno had his second career hat trick and added an assist for his first career four-point effort.

'It's nice to contribute and help the guys in that department,' he said. 'It's something I pride myself on but I was more proud of the way we played.'

Korpisalo made 25 saves and was critical to the outcome even though the Blue Jackets bolted to a 3-0 lead after one period, according to his coach.

'I thought the key part of the game, quite honestly, even though it ends up being a 6-1 game, was the beginning of the second period when Korpisalo makes some great saves,' coach John Tortorella said. 'We were just sound asleep."

William Karlsson and Matt Calvert each had three assists. Karlsson had four points - all on goals - in his previous 12 games and Calvert ended a seven-game pointless drought.

The Panthers are starting a back-to-back set of afternoon games and will likely split the starts between Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya. Each has beaten Columbus this season.

Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson will be out for two weeks after being placed on injured reserve Friday with an upper-body injury.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (35-20) at Stars (38-18)
Date: February 27, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers haven't been scoring much of late, but Henrik Lundqvist's consistent play has helped solidify their playoff chances.

Conversely, a defensive decline has denied the Dallas Stars an opportunity to expand their Central Division lead.

The slumping Stars look to progress in that area when they host the Rangers in Saturday's matchup of Stanley Cup hopefuls.

Though still in possession of the Western Conference's best record, Dallas (38-18-6) hasn't played like a contender during a 1-3-1 stretch filled with defensive breakdowns. The Stars have allowed six or more goals in each of those regulation losses.

The lowest point may have come Thursday, when Winnipeg recorded three unanswered third-period goals to deal the Stars a concerning 6-3 home loss. The Jets, last in the Central, were without two of their top three scorers in injured center Bryan Little and captain Andrew Ladd, traded to rival Chicago just prior to game time.

"It's embarrassing," Stars center Jason Spezza said. "We've got to cut down our goals against, we've got to help our goalies out, we've got to play better hockey."

Antti Niemi was pulled after permitting three first-period goals on eight shots and Kari Lehtonen stopped 17 of 20 in relief. Neither has been playing well in combining for a 3.75 goals-against average and .878 save percentage since the All-Star break.

The Stars were struggling to stop opponents prior to then, however, as was the case in a 6-2 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 5, with Niemi stopping 23 shots.

New York (35-20-6) hasn't been nearly as prolific lately, totaling five goals in its last three. It's top line of Derick Brassard, J.T. Miller and Mats Zuccarello hasn't had a point over that span nor has Derek Stepan, who scored twice last month against Dallas.

The Rangers still have won three of four in large part due to Lundqvist, who improved to 7-2-0 with a 1.65 GAA over his last nine stats with 35 saves in Thursday's 2-1 win at St. Louis. The steady veteran joined Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy as the only goaltenders in NHL history with 30 victories in 10 separate seasons.

'Every game you know that you're going to get his best effort and you're going to get great preparation and he's going to give you a chance to win and that's what you want from your goaltender,' Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said.

New York did just enough offensively to allow Lundqvist to reach the mark, with Chris Kreider scoring the tie-breaking goal early in the third period moments after Lundqvist thwarted Scottie Upshall on a breakaway.

Dallas, one point ahead of Chicago and three in front of St. Louis, has continued to get production from an offense that leads the league with 200 goals. The Stars have scored three or more in four straight and eight of nine.

Spezza registered two goals against Winnipeg and has five points in four games since returning from a lower-body injury. Jamie Benn has six over a four-game point streak and Patrick Sharp and John Klingberg have contributed four assists each over the last two.

The Rangers have yielded two goals or fewer in each win during an 8-2-1 stretch and are 30-3-3 this season when allowing two or less, which includes a 3-2 shootout loss.