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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Islanders (34-20) at Jets (26-32)
Date: March 03, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The New York Islanders weren't particularly pleased with their latest win, but the Winnipeg Jets probably wouldn't mind stumbling upon one under such circumstances right about now.

The Islanders play the sixth of a seven-game road trip Thursday night in Winnipeg, and the Jets need a win to avoid matching their worst home losing streak since moving from Atlanta.

New York's 3-2 win in Vancouver on Tuesday got it to 4-1-0 to start the trip, though it was outshot 33-24, had only nine shots through 40 minutes, and all three of its goals went in off Canucks defensemen.

"The positive thing is you end up winning it," said Thomas Hickey, who had the game-winning goal for his second in three games and added an assist. "But to a man in here I think we all understand that's not going to win too many hockey games. Our goalie sort of bailed us out there and we got lucky."

More often than not, however, the Islanders (34-20-7) have been earning their wins. They've allowed 11 goals over a 5-1-1 span, and though they gave up a power-play goal to the Canucks, their league-leading penalty kill has taken care of 24 of 27 chances (88.9 percent) in the last 11 games.

Strong goaltending has also had something to do with it as Thomas Greiss played for the first time in nearly two weeks and made 32 saves. Starter Jaroslav Halak figures to face the Jets and has a 1.24 goals-against average over a 3-1-0 span since giving up six goals in a loss to Carolina on Feb. 13. Halak has won his only two career games in Winnipeg with a 1.92 GAA.

He wasn't in goal when the Islanders opened the season series with a 4-2 home win on Oct. 12, and they've won the last three meetings in Winnipeg as part of a 6-0-2 road span against the Winnipeg-Atlanta franchise.

That fits with how the Jets (26-32-4) have played at home recently. Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Florida was their fifth straight there, and the only time since moving from Atlanta for the 2011-12 season they've gone beyond this was a 0-3-3 span from Nov. 18-Dec. 14, 2013. The latest streak has come all in regulation as part of a 2-10-0 home stretch since the calendar turned to 2016.

"Just one of those things," Dustin Byfuglien said. "We try. It's not because of lack of effort. It's just, things ain't gone our way."

The defenseman scored to extend his point streak to a season-best six games, and he has five goals and 10 assists in his last 15 contests.

Winnipeg led 2-1 entering the third period but gave up two goals in the final 20 minutes. Over the last five games, it's been outscored 10-4 in the third period, which accounts for more than half of the 18 goals the Jets have given up in that span.

"We didn't play the third period the way we played the first two," coach Paul Maurice told the team's official website. "We were much better through two periods defensively, and that was the foundation of what we had going."

It was the sixth straight game they've surrendered at least three goals. Ondrej Pavelec has a 3.52 GAA over a 0-3-1 span, while Michael Hutchinson's last four games have produced a 1-2-0 record and a 3.32 GAA. Pavelec has yielded at least three goals in each game of a 1-3-2 stretch against the Islanders.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Panthers (36-19) at Avalanche (32-29)[/B]
Date: March 03, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Separated by almost 20 years in age, Jaromir Jagr and Reilly Smith are big reasons the Florida Panthers lead the Atlantic Division.

While Smith looks to increase his career-high goal total, Jagr could achieve another milestone as the Panthers try to win back-to-back road games for the first time in almost two months Thursday night against the Colorado Avalanche.

Smith scored twice and Jagr provided the go-ahead goal as Florida (36-19-8) avoided a third consecutive defeat and regained sole possession of the Atlantic lead with Tuesday's 3-2 win at Winnipeg.

Jagr, who turned 44 last month, and Smith, who will be 25 on April 1, share the team lead with 21 goals. Smith's second Tuesday set a career best in his fourth full NHL season and first with Florida.

'It's awesome when you join a new team and you're able to contribute like this,' said Smith, two points shy of matching his 40 with Boston last season. 'Obviously, I've been given a great opportunity here and I've tried to do my best not to squander it.

"I'm playing with great players. It seems like they're trying to set me up all the time."

Jagr's sixth point in six games left him two behind Gordie Howe (1,850) for third all-time. Though Smith doesn't usually share the same shift as Jagr, he's no less in awe of the Panthers' points leader and future Hall of Famer.

'It's ridiculous, honestly,' Smith said. 'You've kind of got to think twice, just because you don't want to squander the moments you have with pretty much a living legend, right? He's done a great job for our team this year.'

Though the Panthers are amid a 4-1-2 stretch overall, they have lost six of nine road games since winning a team-record six straight Dec. 15-Jan. 10. Florida had lost in Columbus and Minnesota to begin a five-game trip before winning Tuesday.

The Avalanche (32-29-4) are among the league's worst home teams at 14-14-4 and have fallen out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference by losing three of four overall.

Eleven of the 19 goals they've allowed during that stretch have come in the third period. Minnesota scored three times, two into an empty net, in the third of Colorado's 6-3 loss Tuesday.

Semyon Varlamov has a 4.80 goals-against average in his last three starts and was pulled after giving up three on 12 first-period shots Tuesday. That's given Avs coach Patrick Roy reason to start Calvin Pickard in this contest.

Pickard, who stopped 15 of 16 shots in relief against the Wild, has won two straight starts and owns a 1.94 GAA in his last four appearances.

"(Pickard) is probably going to play the next game," Roy told the team's official website. "I'm not going to throw Varly under the bus here. There are highs and lows in a career, and those things happen. Right now, it's bit of a tougher time for him and Picks has been playing really well."

Colorado's Jarome Iginla scored his 19th goal of the season Tuesday to tie Dino Ciccarelli for 17th place all-time with 608. Iginla, who turns 39 in July, had a five-game point streak against Florida snapped in a 4-1 road loss Oct. 27.

Roberto Luongo made 31 saves that night to improve to 8-1-0 with a 1.53 GAA in his last nine starts against the Avalanche. He's 14-1-2 against them since the beginning of 2009-10, including 6-0-1 in Denver. Luongo has a 1.82 GAA in his last five games overall.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sharks (34-22) at Canucks (24-26)
Date: March 03, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks seem poised to reach the playoffs while the Vancouver Canucks are not, although this week may feel sort of like a postseason series for both.

They play the second of three meetings in a seven-day span Thursday night in Vancouver, as the Canucks will try to slow down the red-hot Joe Pavelski better than they did a few days ago.

San Jose is brimming with confidence thanks to a 7-2-2 surge that has boosted its playoff chances. Joe Thornton has 16 points in that span and Pavelski 10.

'You can just feel the energy that the team brings every night,' center Chris Tierney said. 'We're in a good spot right now and hopefully we build up to the playoffs and try to make a run at it.'

The Sharks (34-22-6) have won consecutive games in which Pavelski has five points, including one goal and one assist in Sunday's 4-1 victory at Vancouver. The Canucks (24-26-12) took the lead into the third period before the Sharks responded with four players scoring.

San Jose had five players score in Monday's 6-2 victory over Montreal, with two goals by Pavelski.

'Any night it can be another line doing the damage," Thornton said. "It's fun to be a part of, and when you're winning it's obviously fun. We've got a real deep team and it's an exciting team to watch right now.'

It's a team that the Canucks will also watch Saturday night in San Jose to complete this odd bit of scheduling.

Vancouver is enduring a 2-6-0 stretch that has likely doomed any hopes of returning to the postseason. The Canucks fell to 2-2-0 on a five-game homestand with Tuesday's 3-2 defeat to the New York Islanders despite a 33-24 edge in shots.

Captain Henrik Sedin says that Vancouver fans need to remain patient. The Canucks have indicated they may give increased ice time to rookies Jake Virtanen and Brendan Gaunce down the stretch.

'You've got to look at the big picture,' Sedin said. 'That's to realize where we are as a team with the (young) guys we have. You've got to look forward and try to come in every day and teach and be positive and try to get better. We can't lay down flat and just play out the rest of the season."

Sedin has 11 points in his last nine games while brother Daniel has 10 in the past eight.

Jannik Hansen, third on the team with 32 points, is uncertain after sitting out Tuesday with an undisclosed injury. Fellow winger Radim Vrbata, who is fifth with 24 points, has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury.

Sunday's game continued an unusual trend in this series in which the visiting team has taken the last nine matchups. The Canucks are 0-4-2 in their last six at home against the Sharks.

San Jose's Martin Jones had never faced Vancouver before he made 23 saves earlier this week. The Canucks' Ryan Miller has allowed eight goals in losing his last two starts to the Sharks after beating them seven straight times.

[StarDust Bum]

March Record: Yesterday 1 - 0 + 1.00
YTD: 2 - 3 - 0.88

THURSDAY, MARCH 3

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


CHI at BOS 07:00 PM

CHI +102 BEST BET


NYR at PIT 07:00 PM

PIT -138


CAL at BUF 07:00 PM

BUF -119


EDM at PHI 07:00 PM

EDM +152 BEST BET


TB at OTT 07:30 PM

TB -152


MIN at TOR 07:30 PM

TOR +190 BEST BET


NYI at WIN 08:00 PM

NYI -133


NJ at NAS 08:00 PM

NJ +213 BEST BET


ANA at ARI 09:00 PM

ARI +142 BEST BET


FLA at COL 09:00 PM

FLA -114


SJ at VAN 10:00 PM

SJ -160


MON at LA 10:30 PM

MON +205 BEST BET

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (37-20) at Capitals (47-12)
Date: March 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Washington has 19 more tuneups before trying to live up to its regular-season success and exorcise its playoff demons.

The Capitals realize, though, that if they carry their recent lackadaisical play into the postseason, they might find themselves facing the same issues as in years past.

The New York Rangers roared back from the brink of elimination to defeat Washington in last season's playoffs, and they'll try to snap the Capitals' three-game winning streak in the series Friday night in D.C.

Washington (47-12-4) matched the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for the most victories through 63 games with Thursday's 3-2 home win over Toronto, but it needed Matt Niskanen's power-play goal with 10:29 left to survive against the league's worst club.

The surprisingly tough contest came one night after the Caps fell behind 2-0 to Pittsburgh before T.J. Oshie scored on the power play late in the third to give them a third unanswered goal and a hard-fought victory.

"We've been fortunate we've got enough firepower where we can kind of find a way to win, but we know down the stretch and in the playoffs it's not going to be that easy," said defenseman Taylor Chorney, who scored his first goal in more than five years against the Maple Leafs.

Success on the power play certainly has helped. Washington has scored at least once with the man advantage in each of its last four and has the best conversion rate in the NHL at 23.9 percent.

The Capitals have played eight consecutive one-goal games, winning six.

"The power play has found different ways to score goals," Oshie said. "Obviously, you got Alex (Ovechkin) over there on the side, that's always your No. 1 option. But there's so many different ways we've been scoring them, and that's going to be huge at the end of the season here and into the postseason."

Washington hasn't reached the Eastern Conference finals since losing to Detroit in the '98 Stanley Cup Final - eight years before Ovechkin arrived - and has been ousted by the Rangers (37-20-6) in seven games in each of its last three appearances.

Ovechkin, who scored an even-strength goal against Toronto to increase his league-leading total to 41, has scored in nine straight regular-season meetings with New York. That streak becomes 10 with Game 7 of last year's second-round matchup, when the Rangers completed a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.

They won the first meeting this season Nov. 3, but the Capitals have taken the last three while scoring 16 goals. Justin Williams had a hat trick in Washington's 5-2 victory in the last matchup Jan. 17.

New York is completing a stretch of playing five of six on the road after having a three-game winning streak snapped with Thursday's 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh. It sits in second place in the Metropolitan Division, 18 points behind the NHL-leading Capitals.

Henrik Lundqvist allowed three goals on 22 shots before leaving in the second period because of neck spasms following a collision with defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Coach Alain Vigneault said he didn't think it was anything serious.

"He's obviously an elite player so we hope everything's all right with him," center Eric Staal said. "We'll get some rest and try to rebound for (Friday)."

Braden Holtby should be in net for the Capitals but has struggled with a .877 save percentage while starting each matchup this season.

Antti Raanta, who stopped all three shots he faced against Pittsburgh after replacing Lundqvist, started the last meeting and likely will get the nod in this one.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Oilers (24-34) at Blue Jackets (26-30)
Date: March 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The individual success has been there all along for Connor McDavid. It now might be translating into victories.

Edmonton heads to Columbus on Friday night seeking its first four-game winning streak with the rookie sensation on the ice, and he already had a big impact in a win over the Blue Jackets just over a month ago.

The Oilers (25-34-7) won six straight to start December while McDavid was on injured reserve with a broken clavicle that cost him 37 games, but they haven't won more than three in a row with him.

Thursday's 4-0 victory at Philadelphia has them in position to change that. McDavid had an assist, and while Edmonton has averaged 3.00 goals on the streak after totaling three in its previous three games, the defensive effort has been more impressive.

The Oilers have given up two goals and held the New York Islanders, Buffalo and the Flyers scoreless on 12 power-play chances.

Granted, their own power play hasn't scored a goal in weeks, going 0 for 17 in its last eight games, but it's been an enjoyable time for the team as it makes its third stop on a four-game trip. The Oilers had dropped their previous five road games with a goal scored in each, and they'd managed 10 goals on a 0-5-1 overall span.

"We've learned by trial and error that the cute, fancy homestand we tried to play wasn't going to do it," coach Todd McLellan said. "We're a proud group so we took it upon ourselves to be a scrappy, relentless, tenacious team."

McDavid has two goals and two assists on the winning streak, and his 1.10 points per game ranks second behind Chicago's Patrick Kane. When he's held without a point, Edmonton is 1-6-2. Since returning from the injury with a goal and two assists in a 5-1 home win over Columbus on Feb. 2, he has 20 points in 16 contests.

"He gets faster when he gets the puck," Taylor Hall said of McDavid. "That's a quality that not many guys in the world have. It's fun to watch."

That win snapped the Oilers' three-game skid versus the Blue Jackets, though Edmonton has averaged 4.15 goals over an 8-2-3 span in the series. Jordan Eberle has played in 12 of those and managed six goals and nine assists.

The Blue Jackets (26-30-8) have had fairly straightforward results lately, winning each time they've scored more than once over a 5-2-2 span. That stretch includes a 2-1 loss at the New York Rangers on Monday before a three-day break. Cam Atkinson reached 20 goals for a third straight season but chances were otherwise limited.

"There wasn't much room for either team as far as scoring chances. We talked about not opening up and just staying with it," coach John Tortorella told the team's official website. "I thought we did a lot of good things. We defended well, but we have to find a way to win."

In goal, Joonas Korpisalo is 2-1-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average and .925 save percentage since allowing four goals in consecutive games. He allowed all five in Edmonton last month.

Cam Talbot beat him and has started the last nine games for the Oilers. After shutting out the Flyers, he's posted a 1.19 GAA and .966 save percentage over a 3-1-1 span.

"I felt pretty comfortable again tonight, the PK did a heck of a job in front of me, and it was a big two points for this group," Talbot told the team's official website.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Devils (30-27) at Stars (38-20)
Date: March 04, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

As much as the Dallas Stars would love to claim their first division title in 10 years, the main goal now is heading into the playoffs fully healthy.

Patrick Sharp and Jordie Benn finally have decided not to play through nagging injuries in order to heal up before the postseason, but the Stars certainly will have a more difficult time snapping their slump and pulling into a tie atop the Central.

Dallas looks to avoid a season-high fifth consecutive loss when it faces the playoff-hopeful New Jersey Devils on Friday night.

The Stars (38-20-7) are two points back of first-place Chicago with a game in hand despite going just 1-5-2 since Feb. 16. They also have a game in hand on St. Louis, which they tie for second as they seek their first division crown since 2005-06.

The slump continued Tuesday with a 5-3 loss at Nashville after Dallas allowed three unanswered goals in the second period that put the game away. Sharp, whose 47 points are fourth on the club, left that contest early with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss 5-7 days, according to coach Lindy Ruff.

The veteran is in his first season with Dallas and had played in every game.

"Sharp has been battling his situation most of the year," Ruff said. "Just got to a point where we're going to shut him down for a few days. Hopefully, he'll be ready once we get back from the road trip."

After facing New Jersey (31-27-7), the Stars travel to Montreal and Ottawa on Sunday and Tuesday. Benn, whose brother Jamie leads Dallas in scoring, will miss at least each of those games and could be out up to two weeks with a lower-body issue.

Ruff will have to switch up his defensive pairings with Benn out. He had Alex Goligoski on the right with Patrik Nemeth and put recently acquired Kris Russell with John Klingberg at practice Thursday.

Johnny Oduya and Jason Demers will remain together as the Stars also try to avoid a fifth consecutive home defeat.

"I think we have options now," Ruff said. "With Jordie out, one of our top five will have to play some right defense, and Alex has been the best at it so far."

Sharp scored in the first meeting with New Jersey on Jan. 2 before John Moore's overtime goal gave the Devils a 3-2 victory and their fourth win in six meetings.

Moore assisted on Adam Henrique's overtime goal as New Jersey roared back for a 5-4 win at Nashville on Thursday. The Devils trailed by two entering the third and were down a goal late in regulation when Henrique force OT with 39.7 seconds left.

New Jersey scored three times during a three-game skid prior to the victory and had dropped six of its previous seven. The club is tied with Philadelphia for ninth in the Eastern Conference, but it sits five points back of Pittsburgh and has played two more games than both the Flyers and Penguins.

"It was nice we were able to tie it up and find a way to win," coach John Hynes said. "You can feel it on the bench and with your team that guys felt good, felt good about how we played."

Cory Schneider will be back in net after Keith Kinkaid made 30 saves Thursday. Schneider had a 3.35 goals-against average over his previous seven but is 3-1-1 with a 2.09 GAA in his last five against the Stars.

Antti Niemi, who has a 4.68 GAA over his last five, could be in goal for Dallas.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (51) NY RANGERS@ (52) WASHINGTON | 2016-03-04 19:05:00 - 2016-03-04 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in all games
The record is 47 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (+23.1 units)

NHL > (53) EDMONTON@ (54) COLUMBUS | 2016-03-04 19:05:00 - 2016-03-04 19:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS using money line in All games in March games
The record is 11 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.3 units)

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

NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (51) NY RANGERS@ (52) WASHINGTON | 2016-03-04 19:05:00 - 2016-03-04 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON in all games
The record is 47 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (+23.1 units)

NHL > (53) EDMONTON@ (54) COLUMBUS | 2016-03-04 19:05:00 - 2016-03-04 19:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS in All games in March games
The record is 11 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.3 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Six of the better minor league prospects for the Minnesota Twins

1) Byron Buxton, OF-- Promoted to majors after only 55 ABs in AAA.

3) Max Kepler, 1B/OF-- Hit .322 in AA Southern League LY.

4) Nick Gordon, SS-- Half-brother of Marlins' 2B Dee Gordon.

7) Byung Ho Park, 1B-- Will be 30 in July; hit over .300 last three years in Korea.

8) Kohl Stewart, P-- Turned down shot to succeed QB Manziel at Texas A&M

25) Huascar Ynoa, P-- Won't be 18 until May; had 2.70 ERA in rookie ball.

**********

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

13) Warriors 121, Thunder 106-- Oklahoma City has 10 losses when they led in 4th quarter, tied with 76ers for most in NBA this season.

Golden State has 31 games this year with 30+ assists; Thunder has four.

12) Sacramento 104, Dallas 101-- Kings ended an 0-22 skid in Dallas.

11) Longtime Clippers' TV announcer Ralph Lawler got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Thursday; he's worked for Braves/Clippers since 1978, and is probably the best local TV play-by-play guy in the NBA, other than maybe Mike Breen.

10) Golf coach at Arizona State is Tim Mickelson; yes, Lefty's brother. Recruiting probably isn't a real big problem.

9) Arizona 64, California 61-- Wildcats scored last 11 points of game; had the idea after this was over that the better team lost.

8) Manhattan basketball coach Steve Masiello signed a contract extension, which is not going to be worth the paper it is printed on if a big money school comes calling. Chances are when the UNLV job is filled, it is going to create a domino effect with lot of coaching changes all over the country.

7) Louisiana Tech 97, Marshall 94-- This was one of the most fun games I watched all season; two coaches who just let the players have at it. Kid on Tech drained one at the buzzer from halfcourt to win it. Hopefully these teams will meet up again at the Conference USA tournament next week.

6) Georgia 74, South Carolina 72-- Emotional Senior Night may have drained South Carolina some here; Gamecocks' three seniors are all from other countries, and it was a very emotional pre-game ceremony. Frank Martin has built a winning program where there hasn't been one in quite a while- their last NCAA appearance was in 2004.

5) Canisius 102, Niagara 97 3OT-- Rivals played a triple OT thriller in beautiful downtown Albany; I saw Canisius win a 3OT game against UL-Monroe in Las Vegas in December. Griffins have to play Iona tonight; Gaels beat them by 18-8 this year.

4) Oregon State freshman Tres Tinkle got hurt in a walkthrough Wednesdsy; his status for the UCLA game and the Pac-12 tournament is still unknown. he is a skilled scorer and is also the coach's son

3) Pittsburgh Pirates will wear old-fashioned, pillbox hats at Sunday home games this season; lot of teams wore those hats in 1976, for the nation's bicentennial- they were actually called bicentennial caps back then. Pirates were the only team, I think, that wore them after 1976.

2) Marco Rubio had the onions to say on TV last night that people move to Florida, not because of the better weather, but because government in Florida is run better than in the north. Alrighty then. Does this nitwit even listen to himself? Aren't there people who tell him not to say stupid things?

1) Texas Longhorns have an artificial turf baseball field, which is odd, because it doesn't rain that much in Texas, and only two big league teams (Tampa Bay/Toronto) have artificial turf fields and they both play in domed stadiums.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, March 4

Hot teams
-- Washington won seven of its last nine games. Rangers won five of their last seven.
-- Edmonton won its last three games, allowing two goals. Columbus won four of its last six home games.

Cold teams
-- New Jersey lost six of its last eight games. Dallas Stars lost seven of last eight.

Series records
-- Rangers lost their last three games with Washington.
-- Blue Jackets won three of last four games with Edmonton.
-- Dallas Stars lost four of last six games with New Jersey.

Totals
-- Five of last six Ranger-Washington games went over total.
-- Last seven Edmonton games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Dallas Stars games went over the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Rangers are 7-5 if they played the night before.
-- Edmonton is 2-6 if it played the night before.
-- New Jersey is 4-5 if it played the night before.




NHL

Friday, March 4

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. COLUMBUS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing Columbus
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Edmonton's last 7 games when playing on the road against Columbus
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing Edmonton
Columbus is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 6 games when playing Washington
NY Rangers are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington's last 12 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

8:30 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. DALLAS
New Jersey is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
New Jersey is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Jersey
Dallas is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, March 4

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NY RANGERS (37-21-0-6, 80 pts.) at WASHINGTON (47-12-0-4, 98 pts.) - 3/4/2016, 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 10-9-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
9 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.6 Units)

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EDMONTON (25-34-0-7, 57 pts.) at COLUMBUS (26-30-0-8, 60 pts.) - 3/4/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 3-2 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 3-2-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.1 Units)

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NEW JERSEY (31-27-0-7, 69 pts.) at DALLAS (38-20-0-7, 83 pts.) - 3/4/2016, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 13-31 ATS (+44.6 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 208-137 ATS (+26.3 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
DALLAS is 10-16 ATS (-16.9 Units) second half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 21-29 ATS (-16.2 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 14-21 ATS (-17.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 3-2 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 3-2-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.7 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

NHL (PROFESSIONAL)

DUNKEL'S HIGHLIGHTED GAME

Edmonton at Columbus - Friday March 4, 2016

The Oilers head to Columbus tonight to face the Blue Jackets and come into the contest with a 4-1 record in their last 5 games versus Eastern Conference opponents. Edmonton is the pick (+145) according to Dunkel, which has the Oilers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+125).


NY Rangers
@
Washington
Game 51-52
March 4, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: NY Rangers
11.935
Washington
10.992
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: NY Rangers
by 1
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Washington
-185
5
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers
(+160); Over

New Jersey
@
Dallas
Game 55-56
March 4, 2016 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating: New Jersey
10.335
Dallas
12.627
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Dallas
by 2 1/2
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Dallas
-210
5
Dunkel Pick: Dallas
(-210); Over

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Short Sheet

Friday, March 4

NY Rangers vs Washington, 7:05 PM ET
New York: N/A
Washington: N/A

Edmonton at Columbus, 7:05 PM ET
Edmonton: N/A
Columbus: N/A

New Jersey at Dallas, 8:35 PM ET
New Jersey: 6-1 SU after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7
Dallas: 4-9 SU after having lost 4 or 5 of their last 6

[StarDust Bum]

NHL BEST BET YESTERDAY 2 - 4 -0.35
YTD: 4 - 7 - 1.23

FRIDAY, MARCH 4

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


NYR at WAS 07:00 PM

WAS -193

U 5.0


EDM at CLB 07:00 PM

EDM +155 BEST BET

O 5.5 BEST BET


NJ at DAL 08:30 PM

NJ +201 BEST BET

O 5.0 BEST BET

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wild (30-25) at Sabres (26-31)
Date: March 05, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

While the Buffalo Sabres have shown gradual progress during their latest rebuilding effort, the Minnesota Wild have gotten the short-term boost they were seeking.

Back in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, the Wild hope to stay hot under interim coach John Torchetti on Saturday in Buffalo.

After a miserable 1-11-2 stretch dropped the Wild out of the West's top eight and forced Mike Yeo's dismissal on Feb. 13, they've righted themselves with seven wins in 10 games with Torchetti in charge. The surge has pulled Minnesota (30-25-10) even with Colorado for the final wild-card spot while owning a game in hand on the Avalanche.

The coaching change provided an immediate offensive spark, with the Wild scoring 21 goals in winning their first four under Torchetti. They've been more timely than plentiful during a three-game winning streak, extendedThursday with power-play goals by Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund in a 2-1 victory at Toronto.

Minnesota has converted 25.6 percent (10 of 39) of its man-advantage chances during Torchetti's tenure and has recorded a power-play goal in a franchise-record 11 consecutive road games, going 13 of 39 over that stretch.

'It's been a huge key for us the games we have won, especially on the road,' Granlund said. 'We've been able to score on the power play, and hopefully we can keep doing that. Right now, our confidence in the PP is up. I don't know if we are doing anything special.'

Devan Dubnyk added 22 saves and has allowed just five goals over the streak. He may be rested in favor of Darcy Kuemper, though, with the Wild beginning a back-to-back ending Sunday against rival St. Louis.

Kuemper is 1-3-1 with a 3.21 goals-against average over his past five outings and last started Feb. 26, registering 24 saves in a 3-2 loss at Washington.

Either will be facing one of the NHL's lowest scoring teams, though Buffalo (26-31-8) produced plenty of offense to support Robin Lehner's latest solid effort in Thursday's 6-3 win over Calgary.

Though 27th in the NHL with 153 goals, the Sabres have already matched their league-low total from last season. Their 60 points in coach Dan Bylsma's first season is their most since 2011-12.

'I think we can be better,' said rookie center Jack Eichel, who recorded his 18th goal in the win. 'It's really good to see that we've taken a step forward. ... But I don't think we should be satisfied with that.'

Evander Kane had a goal and an assist and has scored 10 times in his last 20 games after recording eight in his first 34.

Lehner owns a 1.73 GAA and .947 save percentage through his past eight starts and had a 27-save shutout in his lone previous meeting with Minnesota, while with Ottawa on Jan. 14, 2014.

Linus Ullmark made 28 saves as the Sabres halted a four-game series skid with a 3-2 win at Minnesota on Jan. 12. The Wild had outscored Buffalo 19-5 over the previous four matchups and rolled 7-0 in last season's visit to First Niagara Center.

Former Sabres captain Jason Pominville had three assists in that game and enters this one with 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) over his last 10 outings.