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

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, February 21

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PITTSBURGH (29-20-0-8, 66 pts.) at BUFFALO (24-28-0-7, 55 pts.) - 2/21/2016, 12:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 73-71 ATS (-33.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 32-38 ATS (-23.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 27-54 ATS (+87.4 Units) in road games on Sunday games since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 10-18 ATS (-13.5 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 10-5 ATS (+17.2 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
BUFFALO is 200-204 ATS (+446.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
BUFFALO is 5-20 ATS (+36.3 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 7-0 (+7.0 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 7-0-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.1 Units)

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CHICAGO (38-18-0-5, 81 pts.) at MINNESOTA (26-22-0-10, 62 pts.) - 2/21/2016, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 20-22 ATS (-22.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 21-3 ATS (+16.5 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
CHICAGO is 22-7 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MINNESOTA is 26-32 ATS (-25.5 Units) in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 6-16 ATS (-11.2 Units) second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 13-9 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 13-9-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
10 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-1.8 Units)

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DETROIT (29-20-0-10, 68 pts.) at NY RANGERS (33-19-0-6, 72 pts.) - 2/21/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 4-2 (+2.7 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 4-2-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.1 Units)

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CALGARY (26-28-0-3, 55 pts.) at ANAHEIM (30-19-0-8, 68 pts.) - 2/21/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 153-97 ATS (+286.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 15-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 30-10 ATS (+15.6 Units) on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 61-27 ATS (+22.3 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 27-12 ATS (+10.3 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 76-74 ATS (+163.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 34-25 ATS (+63.7 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 4-8 ATS (-8.7 Units) in home games after a division game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 13-4 (+7.2 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 13-4-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
11 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.4 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (32-22-0-4, 68 pts.) at CAROLINA (27-22-0-10, 64 pts.) - 2/21/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 6-1 (+4.5 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 6-1-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

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COLORADO (31-26-0-4, 66 pts.) at VANCOUVER (22-24-0-12, 56 pts.) - 2/21/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 125-107 ATS (+16.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 38-30 ATS (+68.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 6-2 ATS (+9.0 Units) when playing on back-to-back days this season.
COLORADO is 61-38 ATS (+13.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 30-16 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 22-36 ATS (-20.5 Units) in all games this season.
VANCOUVER is 137-137 ATS (-30.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 0-5 ATS (-6.2 Units) in home games in February games this season.
VANCOUVER is 220-213 ATS (-116.8 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 4-3 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 4-3-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.1 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, February 21

Hot teams
-- Sabres won three of their last four games.
-- Minnesota won last three games: 5-2/5-3/5-2. Chicago won its last two games, 5-3/7-2.
-- Anaheim won eight of its last ten games.
-- Rangers won six of their last eight games.
-- Tampa Bay won its last two games, 6-5so/4-2. Carolina won three of its last four games.
-- Colorado won four of its last five games.

Cold teams
-- Pittsburgh lost three of its last five games.
-- Calgary lost three of its last four games.
-- Detroit lost four of its last five games.
-- Vancouver lost four in row, eight of last ten games.

Series records
-- Penguins won their last seven games with Buffalo.
-- Minnesota is 2-0 against Chicago this season, 5-4/2-1.
-- Home side won last five Red Wing-Ranger games.
-- Flames lost their last five games with Anaheim.
-- Lightning won six of last seven games with Carolina.
-- Colorado won four of its last six games with Vancouver.

Totals
-- Over is 3-1 in Penguins' last four visits to Buffalo.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Chicago games.
-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Red Wing-Ranger games.
-- Five of last six Calgary games went over total.
-- Seven of last eight Tampa Bay games went over.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Colorado-Vancouver games.

Back-to-backs
-- Pittsburgh is 3-8 if it played the night before.
-- Detroit lost its last six games if it played night before.
-- Tampa Bay is 3-5 if it played the night before.
-- Colorado won its last six games if it played night before.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Sunday, February 21

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Trend Report
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12:30 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. BUFFALO
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Buffalo
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
Buffalo is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games at home
Buffalo is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

3:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games
Chicago is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games
Minnesota is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games
Minnesota is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Chicago

7:00 PM
CALGARY vs. ANAHEIM
Calgary is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Calgary's last 11 games when playing Anaheim
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Anaheim's last 5 games
Anaheim is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Calgary

7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. NY RANGERS
Detroit is 14-6 SU in their last 20 games when playing NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing NY Rangers
NY Rangers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. CAROLINA
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Tampa Bay's last 13 games when playing on the road against Carolina
Tampa Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Carolina
Carolina is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
Carolina is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

10:00 PM
COLORADO vs. VANCOUVER
Colorado is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vancouver's last 5 games
Vancouver is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Colorado

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Sunday, February 21


NHL Power Rankings - Week 20

1. Washington (-210) – The Capitals have scored at least three goals in eight straight games, but have only gone Over the total in three of those contests: a testament to how good this team is defensively.

2. Anaheim (-200) – The Ducks soar into the No. 2 spot thanks to a Ryan Getzlaf waking up offensively, with 15 points in his last 10 games.

3. Chicago (-195) – The Blackhawks jump inside the Top 3 after snapping a three-game skid with back-to-back wins. One came against the Leafs while the other was over last week’s No. 2 team, the Rangers.

4. St. Louis (-183) – The Blues are back among the league’s elite with a four game winning run. What have we been saying the past few weeks? Watch out for this club when it gets healthy.

5. Rangers (-180) – The Blueshirts drop after failing to hold their own against top competition, allowing five goals in both a loss to L.A. and Chicago, but not too far since they beat up on Toronto and Philly.

6. Tampa Bay (-177) – Steve Stamkos isn’t going to be moved at the deadline, which should allow Tampa Bay to focus on the home stretch of the schedule. But the Bolts could easily be on a six-game losing skid if not for win in extra frames.

7. Boston (-170) – The Bruins continues to struggle with consistency, especially on offense. Boston tallied 15 goals in a three-game span, then score a total of two in its next two games.

8. NY Islanders (-165) – The Isles find themselves with a goalie controversy on their hands. According to todaysslapshot.com, they’ve scored 2.4 gpg with Halak between the pipes compared to 3.4 gpg with Greiss in goal.

9. Florida (-160) – The Panthers have just two wins in their last seven outings, but did play some solid sides in that span. The schedule softens considerably in the upcoming weeks.

10. Los Angeles (-157) – The road got to the Kings, who close an extended away swing at Nashville this weekend. Los Angeles is then home for three games against some NHL bottom feeders.

11. San Jose (-155) – The Sharks opened a stretch of six road tilts in seven games with back-to-back victories away from home. San Jose is 20-8-2 as a visitor this season.

12. Dallas (-145) - Jason Spezza made a splash in his return to the ice with two points but couldn’t push the Stars to a win. Dallas is home for four of its next five games, going 20-7 as hosts.

13. Pittsburgh (-140) – The Penguins top the league in shots per game (32.6) but rank in the middle of the road in terms of goals (2.6). Pittsburgh needs Phil Kessel to be the finisher they assumed he would be with all this offensive talent around him.

14. Colorado (-135) – The Avs have won three of their last four at solid moneyline odds and have a chance to keep that rolling with trips to Edmonton and Vancouver ahead.

15. Detroit (-130) – Detroit has lost four straight road games, including back-to-back outings on its current four-game away swing. The Red Wings average 2.41 goals per road game.

16. Nashville (-127) – The Preds had a rough schedule loaded with top teams from our power rankings, but did well to hold their own. But it doesn’t stop their with L.A., Chicago and St. Louis on the calendar ahead.

17. Columbus (-123) – According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Blue Jackets have outscored opponents 11-6 in the third period over their last 10 games after being blasted 60-41 in the final frame before that stretch.

18. New Jersey (-120) – The NHL’s worst offense is 1-6-3 Over/Under in its last 10 games.

19. Arizona (-115) – The Coyotes erupted for six goals in each of their last two games. Arizona had scored two or fewer goals in 10 of the previous 13 outings before that offensive outpouring.

20. Calgary (-110) – The Flames are 4-1 Over/Under in their last five, netting a total of 18 goals for and allowing a combined 23 goals against.

21. Montreal (-105) – A three-game road trip was not kind to the Habs, who were outscored 15-10 for three straight losses.

22. Ottawa (-103) – After losing three in a row after the Phaneuf deal, the Sens have posted back-to-back wins, outscoring the opposition 6-3 in that short frame.

23. Philadelphia (+100) – With just two wins in their last seven games, the Flyers will likely be sellers come the trade deadline. That’s a poison atmosphere for a locker room, so beware betting on Philly from here out.

24. Carolina (+105) – The Canes have points in five of their last six games. Carolina, however, has scored two or fewer goals in five of those contests.

25. Buffalo (+113) – Evander Kane gave the Buffalo media something to get excited about this past week, missing practice for the NBA All-Star Game. That’s clouded the fact that the Sabres have points in three straight games as of Friday.

26. Minnesota (+115) – Just when we discount the Wild to the basement, Minnesota rips off a three-game winning streak in which it scored 15 goals against some fellow basement dwellers.

27. Vancouver (+120) – The Canucks have a Groundhog Day situation on their hands, losing three straight games all by a final score of 5-2.

28. Winnipeg (+125) – A busy road schedule is starting to catch up with the Jets, who still have three of their next four away from home.

29. Edmonton (+130) – The Oilers have allowed 29 total goals in their last seven games, posting just one win in that span. Probably because they’ve only been able to counter with 15 total goals of their own.

30. Toronto (+135) – If Leafs fans could get any sadder, the news that Stamkos would be staying in Tampa Bay for now was the cherry on top of the crap sundae that is the 2015-16 season.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Sunday, February 21


Chicago @ Minnesota

Game 53-54
February 21, 2016 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
12.274
Minnesota
13.708
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
-120
5
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+100); Over

Detroit @ NY Rangers

Game 55-56
February 21, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
11.401
NY Rangers
12.941
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Rangers
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Rangers
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
NY Rangers
N/A

Calgary @ Anaheim

Game 57-58
February 21, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
9.824
Anaheim
11.414
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Anaheim
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-190
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Anaheim
(-190); Under

Tampa Bay @ Carolina

Game 59-60
February 21, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
11.167
Carolina
12.103
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Carolina
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Carolina
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Carolina
N/A

Colorado @ Vancouver

Game 61-62
February 21, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
9.721
Vancouver
8.274
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Vancouver
-120
5
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(+100); Under

Pittsburgh @ Buffalo

Game 51-52
February 21, 2016 @ 12:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
11.168
Buffalo
12.642
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Buffalo
by 1 1/2
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
Buffalo
(+110); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (53) CHICAGO@ (54) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-21 15:35:00 - 2016-02-21 15:35:00
Play ON CHICAGO using money line in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 21 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+17.75 units)

NHL > (61) COLORADO@ (62) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-21 22:05:00 - 2016-02-21 22:05:00
Play AGAINST VANCOUVER using money line in All games
The record is 6 Wins and 15 Losses for the this season (-15.5 units)

NHL > (61) COLORADO@ (62) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-21 22:05:00 - 2016-02-21 22:05:00
Play ON COLORADO using money line in Road games when playing on back-to-back days
The record is 6 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+8.65 units)

NHL > (53) CHICAGO@ (54) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-21 15:35:00 - 2016-02-21 15:35:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 6 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (-13.9 units)

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NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (53) CHICAGO@ (54) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-21 15:35:00 - 2016-02-21 15:35:00
Play ON CHICAGO in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 21 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+17.75 units)

NHL > (61) COLORADO@ (62) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-21 22:05:00 - 2016-02-21 22:05:00
Play ON COLORADO in Road games when playing on back-to-back days
The record is 6 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+8.65 units)

NHL > (53) CHICAGO@ (54) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-21 15:35:00 - 2016-02-21 15:35:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA in All games second half of the season
The record is 6 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (-13.9 units)

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NHL TOTALS

NHL > (53) CHICAGO@ (54) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-21 15:35:00 - 2016-02-21 15:35:00
Play OVER MINNESOTA on the totalin All games in February games
The record is 8 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+8.3 units)

NHL > (51) PITTSBURGH@ (52) BUFFALO | 2016-02-21 12:35:00 - 2016-02-21 12:35:00
Play UNDER PITTSBURGH on the totalin Road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 4 Overs and 16 Unders for the last two seasons (+11.35 units)

NHL > (57) CALGARY@ (58) ANAHEIM | 2016-02-21 19:05:00 - 2016-02-21 19:05:00
Play UNDER CALGARY on the totalin All games in a road game where where the total is 5.5
The record is 12 Overs and 33 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.95 units)

NHL > (53) CHICAGO@ (54) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-21 15:35:00 - 2016-02-21 15:35:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin All games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 17 Overs and 37 Unders for the last two seasons (+19.3 units)

NHL > (59) TAMPA BAY@ (60) CAROLINA | 2016-02-21 19:05:00 - 2016-02-21 19:05:00
Play UNDER CAROLINA on the totalin Home games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 15 Overs and 37 Unders for the last three seasons (+20.85 units)

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


PIT at BUF 12:30 PM

PIT -133


CHI at MIN 03:30 PM

CHI -108


TB at CAR 07:00 PM

CAR -105


CAL at ANA 07:00 PM

ANA -182


DET at NYR 07:00 PM

DET +162 BEST BET


COL at VAN 10:00 PM

COL +107 BEST BET

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Coyotes (27-25) at Capitals (43-10)
Date: February 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

An unlikely hero got Washington off to a winning start on a four-game homestand, and the Capitals got their usual production from Alex Ovechkin.

The red-hot Ovechkin will try to add to his scoring binge Monday night while helping prolong the Arizona Coyotes' road woes.

Brooks Orpik scored his second goal of the season with 3:58 left Saturday to deliver a 4-3 comeback victory over New Jersey. The defenseman, who also assisted on T.J. Oshie's tying score with 6:05 remaining, was playing in his third game for the Capitals (43-10-4) since a three-month absence due to a lower-body injury.

"Obviously the team's been going pretty well all year," said Orpik, who registered his first career game-winning goal in the regular season. "I've been watching a lot of it so, it's a lot more fun being a contributor here the last three games."

Ovechkin scored his ninth goal in seven games in Washington's fourth consecutive home win and eighth in nine overall contests. He also has 24 of his 38 goals in his last 26 games.

Arizona (27-25-6) has found the net frequently of late as well, tallying 16 goals in its last three games. Rookie forward Max Domi has scored four times in the past two contests, but the Coyotes lost 6-4 to St. Louis on Saturday.

Arizona is beginning a five-game trip and will play nine of 11 away from home. With the trade deadline nearing, the Coyotes' performance over this stretch could play a part in determining what course they take.

"Great test for us," coach Dave Tippett said. "We're going to have to play hard, stingy road hockey, and we expect to get points."

Arizona will first try to carry over its high-scoring performances on the road, where it's been beaten by a combined 14-5 in three consecutive losses. The Coyotes have also totaled eight goals in their past five contests away from home.

Arizona's power play is 1 for 16 in its last four road games but 10 for 32 in its past eight overall.

The Coyotes are hoping to have leading scorer Oliver Ekman-Larsson available. The defenseman, who has a career-high 45 points, suffered a lower-body injury just 42 seconds into Saturday's loss.

"He's day to day. He'll come on the trip with us. Hopefully, it's not too serious," Tippett said. "He might play on Monday. We'll see."

The Coyotes haven't faced Washington since November 2014, splitting two meetings last season. Their 6-5 victory Nov. 2, 2014, ended a three-game skid in D.C.

Arizona captain Shane Doan, who had three points in that game, has four goals and one assist in his last four matchups. Antoine Vermette has five goals and seven assists in his past 10 meetings.

Ovechkin has four goals and eight assists in 10 career games against Arizona. He had a goal and three assists in the most recent home matchup.

The Capitals play six of their next seven at home, where they are 16-1-1 since Nov. 21.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jackets (23-29) at Bruins (32-21)
Date: February 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins are hoping a successful road trip carries over to a pair of home games this week.

They almost certainly can't fare worse than they did the last time they were in front of their New England faithful.

Marchand and the Bruins hope to start to break out of some season-long home woes Monday night when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Boston (32-21-6) completed a 4-2-0 trip with Saturday's 7-3 rout of Dallas. Marchand scored twice and added an assist as the Bruins rallied by scoring the game's final six goals over the last two periods.

Marchand had a team-high nine points on the trip and has 10 goals in February to tie Washington's Alex Ovechkin for the league lead. He has reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time.

"We have a couple of big games coming up at home and we need to be prepared to play," Marchand told the Bruins' official website. "It's a big win and I think we're feeling pretty good, so we're going to have to try and bring it home with us."

That may be difficult since the Bruins have the league's third-worst home record at 12-14-3 compared to their second-best road mark of 20-7-3.

The last time Boston was at home was a 9-2 loss to Los Angeles on Feb. 9 in which captain Zdeno Chara said the Bruins were "absolutely embarrassed." That was the club's worst defeat in nearly eight years.

And while Boston will be expected to beat lowly Columbus, it may not be easy to complete a three-game season series sweep. The first two wins each went to overtime, with Loui Eriksson scoring the winning goal in last Tuesday's 2-1 victory.

The Bruins went 0 for 4 on the power play that night as part of a 0-for-19 drought on the first five games of the trip before they were 3 for 6 versus the Stars on tallies by Marchand, David Krejci and Matt Beleskey.

'We were getting a lot of looks on a lot of our power plays but the pucks weren't going in,' coach Claude Julien said. 'Tonight we were able to capitalize. Our guys did a great job in front of that net there battling for those loose pucks or even battling to create a good screen on their goaltender.'

Boston is a league-best 26.5 percent on the power play at home.

Columbus (23-29-7) is looking to break out in similar fashion after coming up empty in its last 11 chances with the man advantage. That included six power plays in Friday's 4-0 home defeat to Buffalo.

"I thought our power play made some good plays in the latter part of the game, but we need to score early on our power play to gain momentum and we're not doing that," coach John Tortorella said.

Rookie goalie Joonas Korpisalo has started the last 12 games for the Blue Jackets but that streak could end this week. This contest starts a back-to-back road set and Curtis McElhinney has returned from an ankle injury and could make his first start since Jan. 2.

The Blue Jackets have scored a league-low 14 goals in eight games this month.

These teams are among the NHL's most penalized, with Columbus averaging 12:15 penalty minutes and Boston 12:00.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Predators (27-21) at Canadiens (28-27)
Date: February 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

While they've often struggled this season with star goaltender Carey Price out, the Montreal Canadiens have managed to put together a nice win streak on home ice.

They'll try to match their longest run at the Bell Centre in 2015-16 on Monday night while denying the Nashville Predators' attempt at a franchise record.

Montreal (28-27-4) remains well out of playoff position in the Eastern Conference with Price, the reigning MVP and Vezina Trophy winner, reportedly out for the season because of a lower-body injury. The Canadiens, though, have won four in a row at home and used a 3-2 shootout victory against visiting Philadelphia on Friday to end a three-game overall skid.

"I think you can build off a win. We've had some success in this building, and we always look forward to playing here," defenseman P.K. Subban said.

Max Pacioretty had the tying power-play goal in the third period and scored in the shootout. Subban registered a pair of assists after coach Michel Therrien blamed him for a 3-2 loss in Colorado on Wednesday.

"Our fans have always been here for us, but as for critics and people who want to pick apart what goes on in this dressing room, I expect to hear that,' Subban said. 'I've been here long enough to know that the best thing to do is go out and perform and produce and that's the best way to shut people up.

"There are a lot of people that are going to shut up after today."

Montreal, which hasn't won five straight at home since its 5-0-0 start, now faces a Nashville team seeking its first single-season eight-game point streak on the road. The Predators (27-21-11) have also earned a point in five straight overall contests to help them hang on to the West's last wild-card spot, going 2-0-3.

All three of those defeats have come in overtime, where Nashville is 1-10 this season.

"The points are important," coach Peter Laviolette said after Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Los Angeles. "It's disappointing coming off a loss so anytime you leave an overtime loss or a shootout loss, it's difficult to be excited about the point. But we've got to keep collecting them. The guys played hard tonight and came out on the wrong side."

Laviolette's team had a much different result against Montreal on Dec. 21, winning 5-1. Shea Weber and Colin Wilson each had three points but haven't been too productive lately.

Weber has one goal in the Predators' last six games and Wilson has gone pointless over that same stretch.

Nashville has earned at least one point in each of its last eight meetings with the Canadiens (5-0-3) and is 2-0-1 in its last three trips to Montreal. Pekka Rinne, who has stopped 57 of 59 shots in his last two starts after posting a 4.00 goals-against average in his previous four, is 5-0-1 with a 0.99 GAA in his last six starts in the series.

Mike Ribeiro has a goal and eight assists in his past six games against his hometown team. The 16-year veteran has eight assists in his last eight contests overall.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sharks (31-21) at Blues (35-17)
Date: February 22, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Just as St. Louis reached what's arguably been its season pinnacle to date, the hockey gods went and took something major away.

It'll be at least four weeks before No. 2 scorer Alexander Steen sees the ice again, and life without a top forward begins Monday night against the visiting San Jose Sharks as the Blues try to extend their season-best winning streak.

That streak reached five with Saturday's 6-4 win in Arizona, and Steen had a huge impact despite barely stepping on the ice. Steen quickly recorded a goal and an assist in just over two minutes of ice time then skated off holding his left arm, officially landing on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

"When our best all-around player goes down, there's a lot to shoulder," captain David Backes told the team's official website. "Different guys stepped up and played bigger minutes with bigger responsibility and did a heck of a job."

There's the consolation of getting goaltender Jake Allen back after sustaining a lower-body injury on Jan. 8 - he was activated Sunday - but that might only be an upgraded insurance policy given the way Brian Elliott has handled increased work. Granted, Elliott gave up four goals on 22 shots to the Coyotes, but he's gone 10-2-2 with a 1.70 goals-against average dating to Jan. 16.

One of those defeats came against the Sharks. St. Louis' last regulation loss came back on Feb. 4 to San Jose, going 6-0-1 since that 3-1 home loss. The Blues (35-17-9) have limited opponents to 12 goals in that time, and their penalty kill has gone 38 of 40 (95.0 percent) in nine games this month.

Offensively, the six-goal output matched a season high after topping out at two goals in nine of their last 12 games.

"You kept shaking your head and wondering if it was real," Backes said. "(Arizona) had 12 goals in their last two (games), and I don't know if we had that many in the last eight or nine.

"It was a wild ride, but we found another way to get another win and five in a row is a good feeling. Different guys are stepping up all the time."

Jaden Schwartz has been one of them with a goal in three straight games, and the forward has four goals and an assist in five games back from a fractured left ankle. The Blues are 10-2-0 with him on the ice this season.

San Jose (31-21-5) is out to bounce back from Friday's 5-2 loss in Carolina and win for the fourth time in five games as it continues a five-game road trip.

It was a rare road defeat for the Sharks, who had won eight of their previous 10 away games and are a win from matching their 2014-15 road win total of 21. It was also their third game in four nights, so two days off is probably much appreciated.

"We've been consistently good for a long time," said coach Peter DeBoer, whose team had allowed four goals on its preceding three-game winning streak. "You're going to have those once in a while. It's how we respond to it. I think we just have to throw it away and get ready for the next one."

The win in St. Louis at the beginning of the month featured a goal from Joe Thornton, who saw his seven-game point streak come to an end against the Hurricanes, but he has 11 on a six-game run against the Blues.

Martin Jones faced Carolina and St. Louis, posting a 1.58 GAA on a 4-1-0 span.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (1) ARIZONA@ (2) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-22 19:05:00 - 2016-02-22 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in all games
The record is 43 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (+22.5 units)

NHL > (3) COLUMBUS@ (4) BOSTON | 2016-02-22 19:05:00 - 2016-02-22 19:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS using money line in Road games second half of the season
The record is 20 Wins and 14 Losses for the last two seasons (+17.05 units)

NHL > (7) SAN JOSE@ (8) ST LOUIS | 2016-02-22 20:05:00 - 2016-02-22 20:05:00
Play ON SAN JOSE using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 9 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+8.1 units)

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

NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (1) ARIZONA@ (2) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-22 19:05:00 - 2016-02-22 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON in all games
The record is 43 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (+22.5 units)

NHL > (3) COLUMBUS@ (4) BOSTON | 2016-02-22 19:05:00 - 2016-02-22 19:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS in Road games second half of the season
The record is 20 Wins and 14 Losses for the last two seasons (+17.05 units)

NHL > (7) SAN JOSE@ (8) ST LOUIS | 2016-02-22 20:05:00 - 2016-02-22 20:05:00
Play ON SAN JOSE in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 9 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+8.1 units)

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

NHL TOTALS

NHL > (5) NASHVILLE@ (6) MONTREAL | 2016-02-22 19:35:00 - 2016-02-22 19:35:00
Play UNDER NASHVILLE on the totalin Road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 1 Overs and 10 Unders for the last two seasons (+9.3 units)

NHL > (5) NASHVILLE@ (6) MONTREAL | 2016-02-22 19:35:00 - 2016-02-22 19:35:00
Play UNDER NASHVILLE on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 15 Overs and 35 Unders for the last two seasons (+19.5 units)

NHL > (7) SAN JOSE@ (8) ST LOUIS | 2016-02-22 20:05:00 - 2016-02-22 20:05:00
Play UNDER ST LOUIS on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 1 Overs and 9 Unders for the this season (+8.05 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Six of the best minor league prospects for the Kansas City Royals:

1) Raul Mondesi, SS-- Hit only .246 in first 366 minor league games.

2) Kyle Zimmer, P-- Injuries held him to 43 starts in his first three seasons.

3) Bubba Starling, OF-- Could have played football at Nebraska; chose baseball.

4) Miguel Almonte, P-- Had 10 strikeouts in nine IP in majors LY.

10) Cheslor Cuthbert, 1B/3B-- Nicaraguan got 46 at-bats with big club LY.

27) Jose Martinez, OF-- 27-year old hit .384 in 98 AAA games LY.

**********

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

13) Seton Hall 62, St John's 61-- There was almost a fracas in the handshake line after this game, which was an awful game that Seton Hall survived because St John's committed two non-shooting fouls in last 0:40, both while they were tied/ahead.

Are handshake lines still a good idea, or do they invite trouble? Fair question-- there was also a problem after the first Iona-Monmouth game last month.

12) Pelicans 111, Pistons 106-- Anthony Davis had 59 points, 20 rebounds and four assists, quite a night- thats a good week for a lot of guys.

11) Wake Forest 74, Boston College 48-- Deacons suspended their best player for two games, then pounded BC here, running out to a 37-4 lead.

10) Virginia Tech is 7-0 vs spread at home in ACC games; Harvard is 0-10 against the spread in Ivy League games, and they won the league the last four years.

9) There are 11 Division I head coaches who are former Rick Pitino assistants.

8) Oklahoma has a nucleus of Hield-Cousins-Spangler-Woodard- those four kids have started Oklahoma's last 94 games together.

7) West Virginia is averaging 52.4 deflections in their wins, 34.5 in losses, so when you watch them play, if they're disrupting other team's offense with deflected passes, it greatly improves their chances of winning. Once they get out of the Big X and move on to the NCAAs, they'll face teams that aren't used to facing that kind of pressure.

6) Yovani Gallardo gets $35M for three years from the Orioles, just before the start of spring training. Baltimore has spent a lot of money this winter.

5) Watching people at games now, fewer people applaud now because they always have a phone in their hand and you can't applaud with one hand-- you need an app for applause-- just push the button on the phone-- it cheers wildly so you don't have to.

4) Brett Favre does this commercial thats on TV all the time late at night for some company that sells razor blades-- bet they were thrilled when Favre showed up at the Super Bowl with a full beard- actions speak louder than words.

3) A study concluded last week that if one of your neighbors hits the lottery, you're more likely to go broke, since you're going to spend more to try and keep up with him or her. What the study doesn't realize that if one of my neighbors hits the lottery, they're going to buy a place in a way nicer neighborhood and I'll never see them again.

2) I'm actually glad Jeb Bush dropped out of the Presidential race- was beginning to feel bad for the guy. Rumors have him and his people spending around $150M to get him elected to an office very few other people wanted him to have.

1) Today would've been my dad's 90th birthday; I wish he was still here, so we could watch the Knicks tonight. How he loved watching the Knicks, Mets and Giants.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Monday, February 22


Arizona @ Washington

Game 1-2
February 22, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
10.579
Washington
12.566
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
N/A

Columbus @ Boston

Game 3-4
February 22, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Columbus
9.842
Boston
11.414
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-185
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-185); Under

Nashville @ Montreal

Game 5-6
February 22, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
11.306
Montreal
12.712
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 1 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville
-120
5
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(+100); Over

San Jose @ St. Louis

Game 7-8
February 22, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
13.273
St. Louis
11.760
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-120
5
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(+100); Under




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, February 22

Hot teams
-- Washington won eight of its last nine games.
-- Bruins won six of their last nine games.
-- Blues won their last five games. San Jose won three of its last four games.

Cold teams
-- Arizona lost its last three road games.
-- Blue Jackets lost last two games, 2-1ot/4-0.
-- Canadiens lost three of last four games. Nashville lost six of its last nine games.

Series records
-- Coyotes lost three of last four visits to Washington.
-- Bruins won eight of last ten games with Columbus.
-- Predators won three of last five visits to Montreal.
-- Sharks won five of last seven games with St Louis.

Totals
-- Last three Arizona games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Columbus games stayed under.
-- Last three Nashville games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 7-1-1 in last nine San Jose-St Louis games.

Back-to-backs
-- None




NHL

Monday, February 22

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
ARIZONA vs. WASHINGTON
Arizona is 5-7-3 SU in its last 15 games ,when playing on the road against Washington
Arizona is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Washington is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games

7:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Columbus's last 7 games
Columbus is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games at home

7:30 PM
NASHVILLE vs. MONTREAL
Nashville is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville's last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing at home against Nashville

8:00 PM
SAN JOSE vs. ST. LOUIS
San Jose is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games on the road
San Jose is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, February 22

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ARIZONA (27-25-0-6, 60 pts.) at WASHINGTON (43-10-0-4, 90 pts.) - 2/22/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 2-2 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 2-2-0 straight up against ARIZONA 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)

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COLUMBUS (23-29-0-7, 53 pts.) at BOSTON (32-21-0-6, 70 pts.) - 2/22/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 6-17 ATS (+26.3 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
COLUMBUS is 15-34 ATS (+54.8 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 35-32 ATS (+70.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 22-17 ATS (+44.9 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 32-44 ATS (-37.8 Units) in home games in February games since 1996.
BOSTON is 236-210 ATS (-83.2 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
BOSTON is 39-52 ATS (-45.1 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1996.
BOSTON is 187-156 ATS (-46.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
BOSTON is 88-79 ATS (-64.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 6-2 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 6-2-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.9 Units)

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

NASHVILLE (27-21-0-11, 65 pts.) at MONTREAL (28-27-0-4, 60 pts.) - 2/22/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 27-32 ATS (-16.3 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 34-39 ATS (-11.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 11-14 ATS (-11.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NASHVILLE is 182-161 ATS (+350.8 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
MONTREAL is 5-14 ATS (-13.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.
MONTREAL is 11-16 ATS (-6.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 3-2 (+1.4 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 3-2-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.0 Units)

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

SAN JOSE (31-21-0-5, 67 pts.) at ST LOUIS (35-17-0-9, 79 pts.) - 2/22/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 13-5 ATS (+7.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
SAN JOSE is 12-4 ATS (+7.3 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 9-2 ATS (+11.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 5-2 (+2.7 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 5-2-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.4 Units)

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

NHL

Monday, February 22


The Blue Jackets and Bruins have played to the under in six of the last seven meetings in Boston, with one push.


The Capitals have scored at least three goals in eight of their last nine games, going a red-hot 8-1 SU and 4-3-2 O/U in that span.

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

NHL

Monday, February 22


Nashville and Montreal have gone to overtime in four of their last six meetings, with the Canadiens winning three times.