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

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LAST NIGHTS NHL 1 - 5.........- 3.84

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


BUF at MON 07:00 PM

BUF +135 BEST BET


DET at TB 08:00 PM

TB -153


CAR at CAL 09:30 PM

CAR +108 BEST BET

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Preview: Wild (23-18) at Rangers (27-18)
Date: February 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers picked up right where they left off at the All-Star break - with inconsistent results.

They might be catching struggling Minnesota at the right time as they look to get back on track, though their first meeting of the season with the Wild didn't go well at all.

New York faces a Minnesota team that's lost eight of nine and continues a road-heavy stretch at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.

The Rangers (27-18-5) won two in a row for the first time since late November on Jan. 19 and 22 but have lost two of the ensuing three contests, falling 3-2 at New Jersey on Tuesday in their first game after the break. Surging J.T. Miller scored twice but the Devils followed his second goal in the third period with two of their own.

New York's special teams were the difference. The Rangers went 0 for 4 on the power play, giving them a 2-for-39 mark over the past 14 games, and allowed two power-play goals in as many chances - the second being David Schlemko's winner midway through the final period.

New York is 25th in the NHL in penalty killing at 78.4 percent. It hadn't given up a power-play goal in the previous four games.

'It's really frustrating,' said defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who hit a post on New York's final man advantage shortly after Schlemko scored. 'We need everybody to execute a lot better. It's costing us too many games. We need to be a lot better in the special teams.'

At 11-15-3 since back-to-back victories Nov. 21 and 23, the Rangers' hold on one of the three automatic playoff berths in the Metropolitan Division is in jeopardy.

Injuries to key personnel aren't helping. Forward Rick Nash didn't practice Wednesday and is expected to miss a fourth straight game due to a bone bruise on his left leg, and the team announced that defenseman Kevin Klein suffered a fractured thumb against New Jersey and will be sidelined indefinitely.

"Just regroup here; we go back home next game and try to really get a good win there and get going here," a dejected Henrik Lundqvist said.

Miller has been a bright spot, with the 22-year-old forward scoring seven goals in as many games to give him 15 on the season.

Minnesota's dropoff has been more precipitous than the Rangers', as the Wild (23-18-9) fell 5-3 on the road to the Islanders on Tuesday to give them a 6-11-3 record since Dec. 19. Usually known for their stingy defensive play, they've given up 11 goals in the past three games.

Devan Dubnyk was replaced in the third period by Darcy Kuemper after giving up all of the goals on 30 shots.

'We're losing the games right now,' coach Mike Yeo said 'It's not like we are playing real well and just getting unlucky. Maybe a couple of games we had but for the most part we've had games and we've lost them and that's what we have to fix.'

Yeo's club, loser of four of its last five road contests, will be playing the seventh game of a stretch in which seven of eight are away from home.

The Wild, though, defeated the Rangers 5-2 on Dec. 17 to avoid a third straight loss in the series, outshooting New York 30-18 over the final two periods and scoring three times in the third. Mikko Koivu led the way with two goals and an assist.

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Preview: Islanders (26-16) at Capitals (35-9)
Date: February 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Missing their two most important players, the Washington Capitals hardly resembled the team that dominated the season's first half in their return from the All-Star break.

With Alex Ovechkin and Braden Holtby back in the fold, the Eastern Conference leaders attempt to avert a season-high third straight loss Thursday night against the visiting New York Islanders.

Ovechkin was ineligible to play Tuesday against Florida after dropping out of the All-Star game to rest a lower-body injury, while Holtby was given the night off after participating in this past weekend's festivities in Nashville. Both were missed as the Capitals fell behind early in a 5-2 defeat to the Atlantic Division-leading Panthers that gave them only their second losing streak this season.

Philipp Grubauer allowed four consecutive goals over the first 35:10 in Holtby's place, while Washington's league-leading power play went 0 for 8 to negate a 38-19 shot advantage.

"Everything just kind of went in the wrong direction for us," forward Justin Williams said. "We didn't score on the (two) five-on-threes and they scored on their first power play. That's the ups and downs of the hockey game."

Holtby is seeking a bounce-back of his own after being dealt his first home loss since Oct. 28 in a 4-3 overtime defeat to Philadelphia on Jan. 27. Holtby, who had won 13 consecutive decisions at the Verizon Center, posted a 3.88 goals-against average in four outings prior to the break.

Holtby did make 34 saves in a 4-1 win at New York (26-16-6) on Jan. 7 and is 8-1-2 with a 2.11 GAA in 11 regular-season starts against the Islanders. He's recorded a 1.68 GAA in winning four straight at home in the series.

The Islanders have been producing offensively of late, however, with 21 goals in a 4-1-1 stretch. Brock Nelson has six of his team-leading 20 over that span after scoring the tie-breaking goal late in the second period of Tuesday's 5-3 victory over Minnesota.

Frans Nielsen and John Tavares scored early in the third to give New York a 5-2 lead and support Jean-Francois Berube's 40 saves in the rookie's first NHL win.

'I thought we played a pretty good game,' coach Jack Capuano said 'My philosophy is never to sit back. We're in attack mode. (Tuesday) was a prime example of how we need to play. We didn't play safe.'

Washington, first in NHL at 3.29 goals per game, totaled 36 in its final nine before the break. Ovechkin, tied for second in the league with 28 goals, has seven over his past eight games while Nicklas Backstrom and Andre Burakovsky have four apiece in the past three contests.

Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ovechkin's All-Star Game replacement, has recorded 10 assists in a four-game point streak after registering two against Florida.

Jaroslav Halak will return to the net for New York after receiving some additional time to prepare for Washington's potent attack. He's posted a 3.25 GAA in his last four starts in the series, stopping 34 of 37 shots Jan. 7.

The Caps have gone 4-0-2 in the last six matchups.

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Preview: Oilers (20-26) at Senators (23-22)
Date: February 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Connor McDavid might have provided the Edmonton Oilers with the spark needed to ignite a serious run in the right direction.

The Oilers hope to build on their star rookie's triumphant return as they open a four-game trip Thursday night against the struggling Ottawa Senators.

In action for the first time since breaking his clavicle against Philadelphia on Nov. 3, McDavid had a goal and two assists to help Edmonton (20-26-5) beat Columbus 5-1 on Tuesday.

"He was the catalyst," coach Todd McLellan told the Oilers' official website, "and you have to have a catalyst if you're going to have success."

The latest in the Oilers' long line of recent - and in some cases underachieving - overall No. 1 picks, McDavid has made an impact with six goals and nine assists in 14 games. Edmonton, which went 14-18-5 during McDavid's absence, looked like a more determined team while snapping a three-game slide in his much-anticipated return.

'(Connor) set the tone for our team and our team followed,' McLellan said. 'He had a hell of a night and we certainly missed him.

"I was concerned with him being the catalyst and our group sitting back and not participating. But they did, so we're maturing. It's a good thing."

Last in the Western Conference and 11 points out of the final wild-card spot, Edmonton would need to make a major push just to become a serious playoff contender. McDavid's presence provides a ray of hope, but he doesn't want to get too get caught up in the moment.

"I definitely didn't expect to be able to do that or play that kind of game," McDavid said. "I was very happy with how I felt. The timing and all that felt pretty good.

"It's one game though. I've got a bunch left."

Beginning Thursday on the road, where Edmonton is mired in a 1-6-3 stretch.

However, Ottawa (23-22-6) has yielded an average of 4.1 goals and allowed the opposition to go 10 of 27 on the power play while losing six of nine.

The Oilers went 2 for 3 with the man advantage against the Blue Jackets after going 1 for 13 in the previous six contests.

Though the Senators overcame an early 3-1 deficit to take a one-goal lead in the second period Tuesday, Craig Anderson faced a season-high 44 shots and allowed three goals to Sidney Crosby in a wild 6-5 loss at Pittsburgh.

"It's tough to win a game when you give up six goals," said Ottawa defenseman Cody Ceci, who has two goals and five assists in seven games. "We gave up way too many. We found the back of the net a few times, but it wasn't enough. We gave up a few early and kind of killed the game early, right off the start."

Anderson has allowed nine goals in losses over the two games that followed a 35-save effort in a 3-0 home win over the New York Rangers on Jan. 24.

Ottawa's Bobby Ryan's string of six straight games with a point ended Tuesday. He had three assists as the Senators won both meetings with Edmonton last season.

Teammate Mark Stone snapped a season-high eight-game point drought with a goal and an assist Tuesday.

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Preview: Devils (26-20) at Maple Leafs (18-22)
Date: February 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

A coaching change and minimal offseason moves didn't appear to signal the New Jersey Devils were ready to become a playoff team.

However, they've passed the halfway point of the season and are challenging for second place in the Metropolitan Division.

Playing behind All-Star goaltender Corey Schneider, the Devils seek a sixth win in seven games Thursday night when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.

A third consecutive season without a playoff spot forced New Jersey into some organizational changes this past spring. Ray Shero was moved into the general manager's job and the coaching reins were turned over to John Hynes, who at 40 is the youngest bench boss in the league.

Those decisions look very smart now with the team two points behind the rival New York Rangers for second in the division.

New Jersey (26-20-5) closed that gap with a 3-2 victory over the visiting Rangers on Tuesday. David Schlemko scored on a power play with 8:46 left and Schneider had another strong performance with 31 saves.

'These are fun ones to play in,' Schlemko said. 'It doesn't take much to get up for these. There is a lot at stake. The division is tight right now. I think there are five or six teams within a point or two so every win in a game like this is huge.'

Schneider has been the team's best player all season, ranking among the league leaders in goals-against average (2.03) and save percentage (.929). He's played every game during the 5-1-0 surge with a 1.68 GAA.

'I think it's easier to not standings watch when you are winning,' Schneider said. 'When you are losing you are checking to see how much damage is being done. I think we know the situation.'

He figures to be back in net for this one. Schneider has never lost in regulation to the Maple Leafs, going 4-0-3 with a 1.64 GAA.

One of the biggest surprises for the Devils has been the play of forward Lee Stempniak. Signed just days before the season opener, the 11-year veteran is tied for the team lead with 38 points and is third with 15 goals, five coming in the last five games.

The Maple Leafs (18-22-9) also weren't expected to do much in their first season under coach Mike Babcock, but unlike New Jersey, are meeting those expectations. They are among the league's worst teams and will likely miss the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 seasons.

Toronto did return from the All-Star break with a victory Tuesday, rallying from a two-goal deficit for a 4-3 overtime win at Boston. Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau scored on a power play in the extra session after Leo Komarov and Nazem Kadri tallied midway through the third period.

'It was good to see our guys respond,' Babcock said. 'We had some guys missing tonight and yet we found a way to get it done.'

The win was only the second in 11 games (2-7-2) for the Leafs, who have been outscored 33-15 during that span.

Thursday will mark the only home game in a nine-game span for Toronto, which has a league-low seven wins on its own ice and has scored four goals during four straight defeats at Air Canada Centre.

The Devils are 4-0-1 in their last five meetings with the Leafs, suffering that defeat 3-2 in a shootout at Toronto on Dec. 8.

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Preview: Sharks (26-19) at Blues (29-16)
Date: February 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The St. Louis Blues totaled four goals in as many games on their recent road trip, but Brian Elliott made sure they returned home with five of a possible eight points.

Not bad for an offensive slump.

Elliott looks to continue his surge while the Blues search for their scoring Thursday night against the visiting San Jose Sharks, who are coming off their first pointless game in almost a month.

St. Louis (29-16-8) scored 15 goals on a four-game homestand from Jan. 12-18 but had trouble finding the back of the net during a trip that stretched over the All-Star break.

While the Blues scored just four times on the trek, Elliott's stellar play helped them salvage a 2-1-1 mark.

He stopped 108 of 112 shots for a .964 save percentage, earning his first shutout of the season in Tuesday's 1-0 win at Nashville.

Elliott holds a 1.48 goals-against average and .955 save percentage in six starts since Jan. 16, when he led St. Louis to a 4-3 win over Montreal with 46 saves - the most since Curtis Joseph's 46 on April 11, 1993.

Elliott leads the league with 190 saves since.

"It's trying not to think too much and let your body play," Elliott said after extending his franchise record to 22 shutouts. "It's just about reacting, reading the plays and letting yourself do what you've trained all your life for."

With Jake Allen still working his way back from a lower-body injury, the foreseeable future in net seems to belong to Elliott. He would love to see the type of offense the Blues produced on their 3-1-0 homestand in mid-January.

St. Louis scored 15 goals on 108 shots for a shooting percentage of 13.89 and improved to 16-8-3 at Scottrade Center, but that number dipped to 3.92 as it scored just four times on 102 shots on the trip.

There was no shortage of offense for the Blues in the last two meetings in this series as they posted a pair of 7-2 routs of the Sharks in January 2015.

Elliott earned both wins with 42 total saves, while Alexander Steen tallied a pair of goals and four assists. Jaden Schwartz added a goal and four assists, but he has been ruled out for Thursday as he continues to work back from a fractured ankle that has kept him out since Oct. 20.

San Jose (26-19-4) was the league's second-highest scoring team from Jan. 9-26, averaging 3.9 goals during a 10-game point streak - short of only Washington's 4.5 in six contests.

The streak was the Sharks' longest in five years, but it was snapped when they came out of the All-Star break with Tuesday's 3-2 loss at Anaheim. The surging Ducks were the first team to beat San Jose in regulation since Jan. 7.

"We had the chances to score tonight but we didn't find a way to get that extra one that we needed," Joe Pavelski told the team's official website. "We were a little too cute through the neutral zone."

Martin Jones went 7-0-1 with a 1.96 GAA during San Jose's point streak, but he surrendered three goals on 25 shots against Anaheim.

Six of the Sharks' final seven games of their streak came at home, but the loss at Anaheim opened a stretch of nine of 11 on the road - where they are 16-7-2.

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Preview: Flyers (22-18) at Predators (24-19)
Date: February 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Flyers have gotten back to winning behind some balanced scoring, but continuing that production won't be easy against the Nashville Predators.

The Flyers would love to score at least four goals en route to a third straight win Thursday night when the Predators look to extend a historic defensive stretch and avoid a third consecutive home loss.

After putting up four or more goals just six times over its first 37 games, Philadelphia has done it five times in its past 11. The squad outscored opponents 15-8 during a season high-tying four game winning streak from Jan. 5-13 before finishing with 10 goals in an ensuing 1-3-1 stretch.

Now the Flyers (22-18-8) have rediscovered their scoring touch with a 4-3 win at Washington on Jan. 27 and a 4-2 home win over Montreal on Tuesday. Though they only have three players with double-digit goals, they've received contributions from several sources recently.

Wayne Simmonds had two goals and Jakub Voracek added three assists Tuesday. Voracek (3 goals, 5 assists), Simmonds (four goals, two assists), and Brayden Schenn (three goals, three assists) extended four-game point streaks, while Shayne Gostisbehere's five-game run is the longest by a Flyers rookie since 2012.

Now Philadelphia hopes to continue that scoring effort against a Nashville team that has given up one goal in each of its last five games following Tuesday's 1-0 loss to St. Louis that ended a four-game winning streak. The stretch without allowing two goals is the longest in franchise history.

"(The Preds) are good at getting up with the play," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol told the team's official website. "They're not high-risk guys, but they're there all the time providing that added layer of offensive attack. When you add that to a skilled group of forwards, it presents challenges."

Nashville's Pekka Rinne has been between the pipes in four of the past five games, going 3-1-0 with a 1.01 goals-against average. He's expected to try to help the Preds avoid a third straight home loss after posting a 1.95 GAA in winning each of his three there versus Philadelphia.

Rinne turned away 33 shots Nov. 27 but also allowed Gostisbehere's goal four minutes into overtime of a 3-2 road loss to the Flyers. Nashville, though, is 4-0-1 in the last five home meetings.

The Preds had totaled 12 goals during their season-high winning streak before getting blanked for the sixth time Tuesday. Although they rank in the league's top third with 30.5 shots per game, they struggled to get pucks on net with a season-low 16 against the Blues.

Center Ryan Johansen hopes Nashville (24-19-8) can regroup and even its record through two games of a stretch with seven of nine at Bridgestone Arena.

"It's a great opportunity for us to really establish our game here at home, and make it a really tough place for teams to come in and play," he told the team's official website.

Mike Fisher has five points over his last 17 games, but he has four goals and nine points in his past eight versus Philadelphia. Filip Forsberg has two goals and two assists in his three career meetings.

The Preds will try to break through against Flyers netminder Steve Mason, who is expected to start despite going 1-4-1 with a 2.95 GAA in his last six starts versus Nashville.

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Preview: Blackhawks (34-16) at Coyotes (24-21)
Date: February 04, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

After earning a needed post-All-Star break victory without Jonathan Toews, the Chicago Blackhawks move forward with their captain back in the mix.

Returning from his one-game suspension, Toews tries to help the visiting Blackhawks continue their success against the struggling Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night.

Chicago (34-16-4) suffered three road defeats in the final four games before the break before returning with a 2-1 victory at Colorado on Tuesday. Richard Panik and Artemi Panarin had first-period goals as the Western Conference leaders outshot the Avalanche 42-23 to prevail while Toews was suspended by the NHL for pulling out of the All-Star festivities because of an illness.

"I think you can tell everybody was excited (to be back)," defenseman Duncan Keith said.

Chicago should be excited for the return of Toews, who doesn't have a point in a season-high five straight games but is obviously an important presence. But regardless who is on the ice, the Blackhawks appear eager to build on their latest victory with two more road games before playing four in a row at home.

'Just because you did well in the last game, or the last little bit, doesn't mean it's going to be easy,' said Corey Crawford, who has a 1.58 goals-against average while winning 10 of 12.

'I think I've taken that approach. I think our guys have taken that, too. We always want more.'

Crawford had his issues Dec. 29 at Arizona (24-21-5), but his teammates provided enough support in a 7-5 victory. Keith and NHL scoring leader Patrick Kane each had a goal with two assists, Andrew Desjardins scored twice and Toews added an empty-netter to cap the Blackhawks' highest-scoring game since November 2014.

Chicago's scored nine times and gone 1 for 15 on the power play in splitting its last six games. However, it went 3 for 4 at Arizona in December and has averaged 4.0 goals during a 7-1-2 stretch against the Coyotes. Kane has five goals with 12 assists in his last eight against them while Toews' recorded three and six assists in the last nine.

Arizona matched its highest-scoring game of 2015-16 against Chicago, but has 12 non-shootout goals during a 2-5-1 stretch. It's 1 for 28 on the power play in the last seven after enduring a second consecutive 0-for-5 performance in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to Los Angeles.

Perhaps more alarming is that the Coyotes have allowed the last two opponents to go 4 for 11 with the man advantage and promising rookie Louis Domingue was pulled for yielding five goals in each. He posted a 1.74 GAA in his previous four starts.

Domingue took the blame for allowing four second-period goals to the Kings.

'Four out of six goals were stoppable goals, so it's good to see him take responsibility for them,' said Arizona's Dave Tippett, who coached his 1,000th game. 'This one was a good lesson for us. That was a lesson in special teams, a lesson in puck battles, a lesson in commitment to getting things done.'

Fellow rookie Anthony Duclair has a goal in two straight contests after going six in a row without a point. Veteran teammate Shane Doan recorded a hat trick against the Blackhawks but does not have a point in three consecutive games.

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Preview: Stars (32-14) at Avalanche (27-23)
Date: February 04, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

With his legal issue resolved, Semyon Varlamov can again man the net for the Colorado Avalanche.

Whether he'll get the chance to continue the Avs' - and his own - dominance of the visiting Dallas Stars on Thursday night remains to be seen.

Varlamov posted an 0.99 goals-against average and a .972 save percentage during a winning streak that reached four games after matching a season high with 42 saves in a 3-1 victory at Dallas on Jan. 23. However, the trial for a civil lawsuit filed against him by a former girlfriend from a 2013 domestic incident has kept Varlamov out of action since.

On Tuesday, a jury ruled in Varlamov's favor and awarded him approximately $126,000 in damages.

'It's over,' Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic said. 'He's relieved and excited to play hockey again.'

Varlamov was scratched Tuesday as Calvin Pickard was given a third straight start, making a season-high 40 saves in a 2-1 home loss to Chicago. Coach Patrick Roy has not officially named Varlamov the starter for this contest.

"(Wednesday) he'll come and practice and we'll go from there," Roy said.

If ready, Varlamov would seem the logical choice to start considering he has a 2.26 GAA and a .935 save percentage during his 10-game winning streak against the Stars.

The Avalanche (27-23-3) have won eight straight and 11 of 12 over Dallas, and they've averaged 4.6 goals during a seven-game series winning streak at the Pepsi Center. Varlamov made 30 saves in a 6-3 home win over Dallas on Oct. 10.

Gabriel Landeskog, who recorded his fourth goal in as many contests Tuesday, has six goals and eight assists during an eight-game point streak against the Stars. He has five points in the two matchups this season.

Though Dallas (32-14-5) has obviously struggled with the Avs, it enters this meeting feeling good about its current state.

The Stars entered the All-Star break off a 2-1 win over Calgary on Jan. 25, but that performance capped a 3-6-2 month in which they averaged 2.2 goals and fell from the top spot in the Western Conference. They opened February on a positive note by ending an 0-5-3 road slide with Tuesday's 5-3 victory at Winnipeg.

"This is huge. We get the first one, and now we move onto the next one," coach Lindy Ruff told the Stars' official website. "Coming out of the break you don't know what to expect, and we got a pretty good effort out of our guys ... It's real important."

February might also provide a rebirth for Tyler Seguin, who scored twice after recording two goals and one assist in January.

"For me, mentally, I put January behind me during my time in Nashville (at the All-Star Game)," said Seguin, third in the league with 55 points.

'Personally, I thought it was probably one of my worst months as a pro player. Our team wasn't playing well, either, so I think we all came out of this break a little bit refreshed and getting back to the basics.'

Teammate Antti Niemi snapped a personal five-game road skid with 21 saves Tuesday, but he has a 3.96 GAA in his last four away from home. He's allowed all nine goals to Colorado this season.

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Preview: Ducks (23-18) at Kings (31-16)
Date: February 04, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Anaheim Ducks have started the push that Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter predicted. Now they're bracing for the kind of physical matchup that has defined their rivalry with the Kings.

In the second meeting between the hard-hitting teams, the visiting Ducks hope to gain ground on the Pacific Division leaders while extending their longest winning streak in a year Thursday night.

"We just want to beat them, and they just want to beat us," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau told the team's official website.

After struggling to find consistency during a 12-15-5 start, the Ducks (23-18-7) have allowed a Western Conference-low 1.9 goals per game while going a West-best 11-3-2 since Dec. 22.

The offense also has picked up during a 6-1-0 stretch in which Anaheim has outscored foes 26-14. Ryan Garbutt, Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell scored in Tuesday's 3-2 win over San Jose that extended its winning streak to four, matching a season high.

"Their penalty killing is outstanding and they have really good goaltending and they're pretty good down the middle of the ice," Sutter said. "It's just a matter of time before they started pushing."

Garbutt, acquired on Jan. 21, has been part of 15 consecutive victories dating to his time with Chicago. Rakell has three goals and two assists over his last five, including a goal in a 3-2 home loss to the Kings (31-16-3) on Jan. 17.

David Perron also scored in that contest, which was only Anaheim's second loss in the past 10 regular-season meetings. He had a four-game point streak (two goals, three assists) end Tuesday.

The Ducks look to put a dent in the Kings' 12-point advantage over them in the division. Four of the last matchups have resulted in a final score of 3-2.

"These are teams that play very similar," Anaheim center Ryan Kesler said. "Big bodies and a lot of hits. It's always a lot of fun to play in. ...We know how we need to play to win."

Los Angeles would like to go on its own surge after dropping three of its last five games, including its past two at Staples Center. Following Tuesday's 6-2 win at Arizona, the club will try to win two in a row for only the second time since a five-game winning streak from Dec. 26-Jan. 2.

Dustin Brown finished with two goals as the Kings went 3 for 7 on the power play en route to their highest scoring effort of the season. Vincent Lecavalier scored his second goal in three games and he's found the net in each of his last three versus Anaheim dating to his time with Philadelphia.

Anze Kopitar has totaled six goals and 10 points over a seven-game point streak in this series.

The Kings hope to build on their scoring outburst against projected starter John Gibson, who had 23 saves in the January loss. Gibson, however, has a 1.85 goals-against average in winning seven of his last 10 starts and Anaheim has killed all but two of its opponents' last 50 power plays.

Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick, who had 29 saves in the first meeting, stopped 23 shots Tuesday after he had gone 2-4-0 with a 3.02 GAA over his previous six games. He's 6-1-2 with a 1.82 GAA in his last nine regular-season home games against the Ducks.

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Preview: Blue Jackets (19-28) at Canucks (20-19)
Date: February 04, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Vancouver's extended All-Star break is coming to an end, and it's easing back into things by completing a three-game homestand against two beatable opponents.

The first of those, however, is complicated with the Columbus Blue Jackets and former coach John Tortorella visiting Thursday night.

Tortorella first had to return to the Blue Jackets' bench to make his first trip back to Vancouver a possibility. The in-season hire missed three games before the break with two broken ribs suffered in a practice collision but returned for Tuesday's 5-1 loss in Edmonton. He's now up against the team he coached two seasons ago with the Canucks missing the playoffs for the first time since 2007-08 resulting in his dismissal.

"He'll want this game coming back in," Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins said. "His guys will be geared up for it."

While other teams returned to action as early as Tuesday, the Canucks (20-19-11) will go eight days between games and conclude the homestand Saturday versus Calgary. Vancouver entered the break with consecutive losses after Nashville scored the decisive goal in a 2-1 result on Jan. 26 in the final five minutes.

Desjardins thinks the flip to the post-All-Star schedule means his team needs to begin approaching everything like the postseason.

"I can't see how we couldn't be," Desjardins said. "To me, I look at our last two games that we let get away, and that was a big difference. That's something you recognize now - how big those games are. Every game going forward is going to be big. I would think the whole room would have to see that every game's going to be a playoff game. ... We're in a spot where we have to catch up."

That might begin with not only a stronger power play, but also cultivating more opportunities. The Canucks have gone six games without a power-play goal, but that's come on only eight chances.

"I think that's one area that we look at, and I think it made a difference for us last year," said Desjardins, who had Vancouver back in the postseason in his first year on the job. "And I think if we can get them going in the right direction, it can make a difference this year."

Vancouver has enjoyed a 15-2-2 stretch against the Blue Jackets with an average of 3.31 goals per game, including a 5-3 win in Columbus on Nov. 10 for Tortorella's first game against his former team.

While the Canucks begin the second half five points out of the playoffs, the Blue Jackets (19-28-5) are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The loss to the Oilers followed a two-game winning streak with Edmonton outshooting the Canucks 18-8 in the first period before scoring four second-period goals.

"We need to be ready to start the game on time because we were a little behind for the first 20," said Brandon Dubinsky, who had five points in the two wins prior to the break.

"We were a little rusty but both teams were coming off the same All-Star break and they had even more time off than we did. We can't use that as an excuse. We need to be ready to play from the drop of the puck."

Especially so since Columbus is depleted at goaltender. Sergei Bobrovsky (lower body) and Curtis McElhinney (ankle) have both been out. McElhinney is with the team on the four-game trip, but Joonas Korpisalo faced the Oilers. Despite allowing five goals, he's posted a 2.14 goals-against average over a 4-1-1 span as a starter.

Likely counterpart Ryan Miller is 2-5-1 with a 3.27 GAA in his last nine games, but he's gone 3-1-1 with a 1.79 mark in his last six contests against Columbus.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Bruins (26-18) at Sabres (21-26)
Date: February 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Road success helped the Boston Bruins work back into the thick of the Eastern Conference race prior to the All-Star break, and that's where they will have to steady themselves following a disappointing homestand.

The Bruins start a road-heavy stretch on Thursday night by opening a home-and-home set against the Buffalo Sabres.

Boston (26-18-6) ended a miserable 2-7-1 stretch with a 4-1 win at Buffalo on Jan. 15, snapping a two-game skid against its Atlantic Division foe. That opened a 5-1 spurt for the Bruins with three victories coming in as many road games.

But just as they started to trend upward again, the Bruins dropped home games on each side of the All-Star break. Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to Toronto was especially bitter after Brad Marchand and David Krejci scored 26 seconds apart early in the third period before Boston gave up a pair later in the third.

"It's called focus," coach Claude Julien told the team's official website following Wednesday's practice. "We kind of lose track of that at times, and get away from things that we used to do well to make us successful."

The Bruins rank third in the NHL with 2.94 goals per game, a number they feel should give them plenty of chances to win. However, they have surrendered 10 in their back-to-back losses, exposing a defense that has allowed an average of 2.94 in 17 games since Dec. 26.

The Maple Leafs scored three of their four goals with tips in front of the net.

After hosting Buffalo on Saturday and Los Angeles on Tuesday, the Bruins embark on a season-high six-game road trip that will last 10 days. The Bruins are 15-5-3 away from home while outscoring their opponents 72-49.

"Fortunately for us, we've had more success on the road (than at home)," Julien said.

It's a similar story for Buffalo (21-26-4), which is 9-15-2 at First Niagara Center. Since winning 6-3 at Boston on Dec. 26, the Sabres are 6-10 overall with losses in six of seven home games.

However, they earned wins on the final two stops of their three-game road trip after rallying for Wednesday's 4-2 victory at Montreal. Buffalo trailed 2-1 entering the third period but Jamie McGinn and Johan Larsson scored before an empty-netter from Brian Gionta sealed it.

'We just stuck with it,' McGinn said. 'We stayed positive. We got shots to the net and fortunately we found the back of the net.'

It's been difficult for opponents to do just that against Robin Lehner, who has a .939 save percentage in five starts since returning from an ankle injury. But Chad Johnson might get the call against his former team in the second of back-to-back games.

Johnson, who made 27 appearances with Boston in 2013-14, surrendered five goals in a 6-3 loss at the New York Rangers on Jan. 25. He earned the win after making 30 saves in the Dec. 26 matchup in Boston, improving to 2-1 against the Bruins with a .931 save percentage.

Jonas Gustavsson started for Boston in each of this season's first two games against the Sabres, but he was pulled from his last start due to an elevated heart rate. Tuukka Rask has just a 3.26 goals-against average and .899 save percentage in his last four starts, though he has won his last three against Buffalo with a 1.65 GAA.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Wings (25-17) at Panthers (30-15)
Date: February 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers have been trying to prove they belong in the NHL's upper tier all season, and who they've beaten in the last two weeks helps confirm their arrival.

Next, they can continue to justify their spot atop the Atlantic.

The Panthers can pad their division lead over the visiting Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night in the first of two meetings within five days.

Florida (30-15-5) followed a franchise record 12-game winning streak with a 0-3-1 stretch from Jan. 11-18, but an offensive explosion against stiff competition has righted the ship. The Panthers had scored just five goals during their skid, but have totaled 19 in four consecutive wins.

Tuesday's 5-2 victory at league-leading Washington, which played without Alex Ovechkin, gave them five goals in three straight games. Florida upped its point total to 65 - second in the Eastern Conference to the Capitals' 74.

That victory capped an impressive four-game stretch that started with wins over last season's Stanley Cup finalists, Chicago and Tampa Bay.

'That's great teams - the best teams in the league,' said Aleksander Barkov, who had a goal and an assist against Washington. 'We can beat any team in this league and can dominate any team.'

The Panthers have won 10 of their last 11 games at BB&T Center and host Pittsburgh on Saturday before playing at Detroit on Monday.

Florida has beaten the Red Wings in four of the last five meetings, including a 2-1 overtime win at Detroit on Nov. 29. Roberto Luongo made 28 saves and Brian Campbell scored the game-winner in the extra period.

That victory came during the tail end of Florida's poor offensive start to the season, which saw it struggle to a 2.43 goals per game mark through Dec. 12 - eighth lowest in the league. Since, the Panthers are third with a 3.10 average.

Leading point scorer Jonathan Huberdeau has three goals and three assists during this four-game run, while Reilly Smith has four goals and two assists during a five-game point streak. Barkov has a pair of goals and three assists for a four-game point streak, and Vincent Trocheck has three goals and two assists in the last three.

Meanwhile, Detroit (25-17-8) has been one of the NHL's lowest-scoring teams in the last month-plus. The Red Wings have averaged 2.07 goals in 15 games since Dec. 28, the fourth-lowest mark in the league.

A 4-2 win at the New York Islanders on Jan. 25 gave Detroit its first four-goal effort in 10 games, but it came out of the All-Star break with Wednesday's 3-1 loss at Tampa Bay - the team sandwiched between Florida and the Red Wings in the Atlantic.

'It's a big game, it's a (big two) points,' Henrik Zetterberg said. 'Losing points to this team, you can't be happy about it.'

Detroit, which is 2-3-1 since Jan. 17, had won seven of its previous eight road games. The Red Wings are 14-7-3 away from home.

Luongo's win over Detroit in November gave him four in his last five starts against the Red Wings, though his career 2.84 goals-against average versus Detroit is his fifth worst against the league.

Jimmy Howard will likely earn the start in the second game of a back-to-back for the Red Wings, and he'll be looking to win for the first time since Dec. 3. He is 0-3-3 since, and has a 5.19 GAA and .835 save percentage in his last four starts.

[StarDust Bum]

B]Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack[/B]

Six of the best minor league prospects for the Baltimore Orioles........

1) Dylan Bundy, P-- 23-year old has been haunted by injuries.

2) Hunter Harvey, P-- Missed LY with an injury, but didn't have surgery.

4) Jomar Reyes, 3B-- Won't be 19 for a couple more weeks.

5) Michael Givens, P-- Had 30 strikeouts in 30 IP in majors LY.

8) Trey Mancini, 1B-- .315 hitter in 1,332 ABs in minor leagues.

25) Mike Yastrzemski, OF-- Grandson of Hall of Famer played at Vandy.

**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Looking at obscure Super Bowl prop bets

Apparently Bovada.lv has lines on all these props; if you're a compulsive gambler, Super Bowl week can be tough. One sportsbook in Las Vegas puts out a 40-page pdf file with all the wagering possibilities for Sunday.

13) Will the Panthers player who scores their first TD give the ball to a boy or a girl?
Boy: -200...........Girl: +150

12) How many times will "John Fox" be said during the broadcast?
Over 1 (-$140)..........Under 1 (even)

11) How many times will Archie Manning be shown during the broadcast?
Over 1.5 (even).............Under 1.5 (-$140)

10) How many times will John Elway be shown during the broadcast?
Over 2.5 (even).......Under 2.5 (-$140)

9) What color will Beyonce's footwear be at halftime?
Black 3/2....Gold/brown 5/2......White 11/4.....Silver/grey 19/4......other 7/1

8) How many viewers will watch Super Bowl 50?
Over/under is 117,000,000 viewers

7) What will the Nielsen rating be for Super Bowl 50?
Over/under is 48.5 (Last year's rating was 49.7)

6) Will there be a penalty for excessive celebration?
Yes +$250..........No -$400

5) Will either backup QB take a snap during the game?
Yes +$200.......No -$300

4) Which will be higher:
Donald Trump's % in New Hampshire primary: -$200
Points scored by winning team in Super Bowl: +$150

3) Which will be higher:
DeMarcus Cousins points + rebounds on February 7 (-$105)
Cam Newton's rushng yards (-$105)

2) Which will be higher:
Goals scored in Montreal-Carolina game February 7 (-$105)
Total receptions by Carolina TE Greg Olsen (-$105)

1) Will the person who calls the coin toss be right?

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, February 4

Hot teams
-- Buffalo is 6-4 in its last ten games.
-- Rangers won their last three home games.
-- New Jersey won five of its last six games.
-- Islanders won four of their last six games.
-- Florida won its last four games, allowing five goals.
-- Nashville won four of its last five games. Philly won three of its last four road games.
-- Sharks won seven of their last ten games. St Louis won six of its last nine.
-- Dallas Stars won three of last four games. Colorado won five of its last seven.
-- Anaheim won its last four games, scoring 16 goals.

Cold teams
-- Bruins lost three of their last five games.
-- Minnesota lost eight of its last nine games.
-- Edmonton lost seven of its last ten games. Senators lost four of last five.
-- Maple Leafs lost nine of their last eleven games.
-- Washington lost three of its last five games.
-- Red Wings lost four of their last six games.
-- Arizona lost six of its last eight games. Chicago lost three of its last five.
-- Los Angeles lost four of its last six home games.
-- Blue Jackets lost four of their last six games. Vancouver lost three of its last four.

Series records
-- Bruins won five of last seven games with Buffalo.
-- Rangers won four of last six games with Minnesota.
-- Oilers are 5-3 in last eight games with Ottawa.
-- Devils won four of last five games with Toronto.
-- Islanders lost four of last five games with Washington.
-- Panthers won four of last five games with Detroit.
-- Flyers won four of last six games with Nashville.
-- Blues won last two games with San Jose, both by 7-2 scores.
-- Avalanche won their last eight games with Dallas.
-- Chicago won five of its last seven games with Arizona.
-- Ducks won three of last four games with Los Angeles.
-- Canucks won five of last seven games with Columbus.

Totals
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Boston games.
-- Five of last seven Minnesota games stayed under.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Edmonton games.
-- Under is 5-2-2 in last nine Toronto games.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Islander-Washington games.
-- Four of last five Florida games went over the total.
-- Last three Nashville games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 7-0-1 in last eight San Jose-St Louis games.
-- Four of last five Dallas Stars games stayed under total.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five Chicago games.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in Ducks' last four visits to Staples Center.
-- Five of last six Columbus games went over total.

Back-to-backs
-- Buffalo is 4-4 if it played night before.
-- Detroit lost its last four games if it played night before