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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Capitals (51-14) at Penguins (38-24)
Date: March 20, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

It's hard to believe Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have only met once in the playoffs, an epic seven-game series won by the Pittsburgh Penguins on their way to lifting the Stanley Cup seven years ago.

At some point next month, there might finally be a rematch.

A first-round showdown between the Penguins and league-best Capitals is looking less likely, but a five-game winning streak heading into Sunday's visit from Washington has Pittsburgh looking like a team that could do some postseason damage - provided it gets there.

The Capitals (51-14-5) are a few points from wrapping up home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference and not long after that should nail down the second Presidents' Trophy in franchise history.

They'd only outscored opponents 40-39 in non-shootout goals in a monthlong stretch prior to posting a four-goal gap in wins over Carolina on Tuesday and Nashville on Friday, so the best team in hockey insists there's still room for improvement.

'Maybe we got a little complacent for a bit with our point situation,' winger Daniel Winnik said after scoring twice in the 4-1 victory over the Predators. "But we know leading down this final 12 games that it's going to be playoff hockey, and we've got to get ourselves prepared for what's going to happen at the end of the regular season.'

The Capitals found themselves out of the playoffs after seven games when they collected 121 points while winning their other Presidents' Trophy in 2010, and they're currently on pace for 125 - which would be the most in the league in 20 years.

Drawing a Pittsburgh team that has the East's best goal differential at plus-23 over the past two months might not sound too appealing, particularly considering Crosby leads the league in goals (22, one more than Ovechkin) and points (47) in 2016.

The Penguins' prospects of playing in a 10th consecutive postseason look considerably better after Saturday. Pittsburgh began the day as the East's wild-card leader, ahead of Detroit and four points better than the ninth-place Flyers, and it opened up a six-point cushion on Philadelphia with a 4-1 victory.

The Penguins (39-24-8) are now firmly in the mix for one of the Metropolitan's Division final two automatic playoff berths along with the New York Rangers and Islanders.

'I thought it was the most complete game that we've played to this point at both ends of the rink,' coach Mike Sullivan said. 'When it came time to play defense, we defended hard. Our attention to detail was really good and everyone trusted each other out there. When we play that way, we're very hard to play against.'

The Capitals have had the better of the Penguins since Barry Trotz took over, winning five of seven meetings while outscoring Pittsburgh 21-11. That includes two wins in three meetings this season despite not getting a point from Ovechkin.

Crosby has an 11-game point streak but hasn't had a lot of luck against Washington lately, scoring once with an assist in his last seven games.

Braden Holtby should be in net for the Capitals as he has for each meeting against Pittsburgh the last two seasons. It won't be easy to improve on his .954 save percentage and 1.44 goals-against average.

The Penguins' goaltending situation isn't quite as clear. Marc-Andre Fleury started Saturday, meaning another Sunday would be just the eighth time in four seasons he's played both ends of a back-to-back. An .891 save percentage in those situations offers some reasonable insight as to why he's been limited.

Backup Matt Murray, who stopped 34 shots in a 3-2 loss to Washington on March 1, hasn't allowed more than two goals in his six other NHL starts.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Flames (30-35) at Canadiens (33-32)
Date: March 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Montreal Canadiens' most recent win against the Calgary Flames came during a much better time for the storied franchise.

The Canadiens are currently limping down the stretch but will try to earn another victory over the Flames, who will give goaltender Niklas Backstrom his first NHL start in 14 months Sunday night.

Montreal blew out Calgary 6-2 on Oct. 30 as part of its 19-4-3 start. The Canadiens haven't been the same since early December, going 14-29-3 not long after losing star goaltender Carey Price, and a 5-0 defeat in Ottawa on Saturday was their seventh in 10 games.

They gave up three short-handed goals to the Senators in their worst loss since being routed 6-1 by Colorado on Nov. 14.

"It was a tough night," Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty said. "It's the NHL. You've got to show up and play hard and it didn't happen. We just gave them three goals."

Montreal (33-33-6) has also dropped back-to-back home games by an 8-2 margin after going 7-0-1 in its previous eight. The Flames (30-35-6) are heading into the Bell Centre after going 2-0-1 to finish a six-game homestand.

Calgary will begin a three-game trip and a stretch of seven of eight on the road with a new goaltender. Backstrom was acquired Feb. 29 from Minnesota, where he was stuck behind Devan Dubnyk and Darcy Kuemper on the depth chart.

Backstrom hasn't played for any other team but the Wild since entering the league in 2006-07, registering a franchise-record 194 wins and 28 shutouts in 409 appearances. He played his most recent NHL game Jan. 13, 2015.

"He came in with a great attitude, lots of energy, lots of work on the ice, in the gym," coach Bob Hartley told the team's official website. "He works relentlessly so we felt that we needed to be honest with him also and that's why he's going to get the start in Montreal."

Backstrom has made all three of his starts against the Canadiens in Montreal, going 1-1-0 with a 2.45 goals-against average. He also appeared in the 2009 All-Star Game there, his only appearance in that showcase.

"You want to go out there and compete against other teams, but compete against yourself too to see where you are. For sure it's fun to have a date now," Backstrom said.

With Ben Scrivens starting Saturday's loss, Montreal is expected to send out Mike Condon for this game. The rookie defeated Calgary in October.

The Canadiens, however, won't have the player who recorded a hat trick against the Flames in that game since Dale Weise was traded to Chicago on Feb. 26.

Calgary, meanwhile, has a red-hot Mark Giordano, who has scored a goal in three straight games, including a 4-3 shootout defeat to Colorado on Friday. The defenseman also has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his last eight contests and six (three goals, three assists) in his past six matchups with Montreal.

Josh Jooris has three goals in his last two games against the Canadiens, but he has just one goal and three assists in his past 27 contests.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wild (32-28) at Blackhawks (42-24)
Date: March 20, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The Chicago Blackhawks beat up on a last-place squad with nothing more than pride to play for and snapped out of their slump.

Solving Minnesota has been much more difficult.

The Wild have won all three meetings this season against the club that knocked them out of the playoffs the past three years, and they'll look to improve their chances of returning to the postseason when they visit the United Center on Sunday night.

Chicago (42-24-6) has slipped to third in the Central Division while going 6-8-2 since Feb. 9, a stretch that includes a 3-5-1 mark at home. It dropped four in a row before winning 4-0 at Western Conference-worst Winnipeg on Friday.

NHL points leader Patrick Kane notched his 39th goal and 53rd assist to help the Blackhawks match their goal total from their previous three games.

'Looking at a four-game slide there, maybe it's better it happens now rather than later in the season and playoffs and then you're done,' Kane said. 'We can learn from this. And, you know, if we lose one or two down the road here we can look back on this situation as a team and as a group and realize how we got ourselves out of it.'

Scott Darling made 28 saves in his second straight start in place of Corey Crawford, who didn't make the trip and is considered day to day with an upper-body injury.

"I think (Darling) needed a game like that, and we needed a win like that," coach Joel Quenneville said. "It was great for him. We've had a tough stretch. We have lost a ton of ground, and teams are right around us."

Minnesota (33-28-11) is 13 points back of Chicago, but that disparity hasn't shown through in head-to-head meetings. The Wild have held the Blackhawks to one goal in each of the last two matchups and trounced them 6-1 outdoors in the Stadium Series on Feb. 21.

They've made three consecutive playoff appearances, only to be knocked out by Chicago each time - including last year's second-round sweep. Minnesota has gone 9-6-1 since replacing Mike Yeo with former Blackhawks assistant John Torchetti and trails Colorado by a point for the West's final playoff spot.

It dropped four of its previous five before Charlie Coyle and Zach Parise scored in the shootout for a 3-2 win over Carolina on Saturday. Thomas Vanek, who hasn't scored in his last 10 games, was a healthy scratch for the third time this season.

'Obviously for us, everything is about winning right now,' said Jason Zucker, who scored in the third. 'Making sure we're doing the right things to get these wins and get these points. Obviously it felt good to get that win.'

Devan Dubnyk made 31 saves to bounce back from Thursday's loss to the New Jersey, when he allowed three goals on eight shots and was pulled toward the end of the first period. He has a .935 save percentage while winning each meeting with Chicago this season, and Torchetti could elect to play him on back-to-back days with backup Darcy Kuemper nursing an upper-body injury.

Quenneville hasn't said if Crawford, who has lost both of his starts this season against the Wild, will be ready to go. He allowed 11 goals while losing his last three starts before the injury.

Kane has 10 goals and nine assists while recording at least a point in 12 of his last 13 against Minnesota, including the playoffs.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Avalanche (37-31) at Oilers (29-38)
Date: March 20, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

As they try to overcome the loss of several players and hold on to a postseason spot, the Colorado Avalanche are feeling fortunate that they picked up Mikkel Boedker last month.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog is set to return, but Boedker will try to continue his strong play as Colorado chases its fifth win in six games Sunday night against the improving Edmonton Oilers.

Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said his team's depth would be tested on this four-game trip with Landeskog suspended, and leading scorer Matt Duchene and Chris Bigras out with injuries. That was even before Nathan MacKinnon and Eric Gelinas went down in Friday's 4-3 win at Calgary.

After a slow start since coming over from Arizona at the trade deadline, Boedker has come alive just at the right time. The veteran left wing had two goals in Wednesday's 3-1 victory at Vancouver before finishing with an assist and the lone shootout goal against the Flames.

Boedker has three goals and six points in his eight games with the Avs (37-31-4). He'll try to add to those numbers in Edmonton, where he's totaled four goals and three assists in his last six.

"We knew he was going to help our team speed. We were a fast team as it was, but he's really fit in well," defenseman Erik Johnson told the team's official website. "We all really like him, and it's good to see how he's fit in. He's played really, really well for us, so it's been a great addition."

Landeskog will be back after serving a three-game suspension for a high cross-check to Anaheim's Simon Despres on March 9. Bigras returned from a head injury Friday, though Duchene remains day to day and MacKinnon and Gelinas could be out for a while.

Since back-to-back wins followed a 3-2 loss at Winnipeg in the opener of the trip, Colorado remains in a tight race with Minnesota for the Western Conference's final wild-card spot. The club is hoping to cap the road swing with its longest winning streak since a four-game run in January.

The Avs pulled out a 5-1 home win over the Oilers on Dec. 19 before a 3-2 road victory Feb. 20. Defenseman Tyson Barrie has played well, totaling three goals and two assists in the series.

Edmonton (29-38-7), however, has won seven of its last 11 games heading into this matchup. Jordan Eberle and Matt Hendricks each scored in Friday's 2-0 home win over Vancouver.

Cam Talbot, who finished with 40 saves, has a 1.66 goals-against average in winning seven of his last nine starts. He's given up a total of six goals while splitting his two meetings with the Avs.

"You look at the best teams in the league and they all have that goaltending," Eberle told the team's official website. "Maybe some nights your team is a little off and you have that goalie there to backstop you and give you a win."

Colorado's Calvin Pickard, who has a .930 save percentage in his last six games, will give top goalie Semyon Varlamov the night off. He stopped 25 of 27 shots in last month's victory at Edmonton.

The Avs will certainly have to keep an eye on Connor McDavid and Taylor Hall. McDavid has four assists in his last three games, while Hall has eight goals in his past nine versus Colorado.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (53) COLUMBUS@ (54) NEW JERSEY | 2016-03-20 17:05:00 - 2016-03-20 17:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS using money line in Road games in March games
The record is 8 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+10.35 units)

NHL > (57) CALGARY@ (58) MONTREAL | 2016-03-20 19:05:00 - 2016-03-20 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MONTREAL using money line in All games in non-conference games
The record is 6 Wins and 20 Losses for the this season (-17 units)

NHL > (63) ARIZONA@ (64) SAN JOSE | 2016-03-20 22:05:00 - 2016-03-20 22:05:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 23 Wins and 28 Losses for the last three seasons (-36.85 units)

NHL > (51) ANAHEIM@ (52) WINNIPEG | 2016-03-20 15:05:00 - 2016-03-20 15:05:00
Play AGAINST WINNIPEG using money line in Home games second half of the season
The record is 4 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (-12.55 units)

NHL > (63) ARIZONA@ (64) SAN JOSE | 2016-03-20 22:05:00 - 2016-03-20 22:05:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 11 Wins and 16 Losses for the last three seasons (-24.2 units)

NHL > (55) WASHINGTON@ (56) PITTSBURGH | 2016-03-20 18:05:00 - 2016-03-20 18:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in all games
The record is 51 Wins and 19 Losses for the this season (+23.3 units)

NHL > (59) MINNESOTA@ (60) CHICAGO | 2016-03-20 20:35:00 - 2016-03-20 20:35:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 12 Wins and 23 Losses for the this season (-17.3 units)

NHL > (55) WASHINGTON@ (56) PITTSBURGH | 2016-03-20 18:05:00 - 2016-03-20 18:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH using money line in All games vs. division opponents
The record is 23 Wins and 34 Losses for the last two seasons (-24.6 units)

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NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (53) COLUMBUS@ (54) NEW JERSEY | 2016-03-20 17:05:00 - 2016-03-20 17:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS in Road games in March games
The record is 8 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+10.35 units)

NHL > (57) CALGARY@ (58) MONTREAL | 2016-03-20 19:05:00 - 2016-03-20 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MONTREAL in All games in non-conference games
The record is 6 Wins and 20 Losses for the this season (-17 units)

NHL > (63) ARIZONA@ (64) SAN JOSE | 2016-03-20 22:05:00 - 2016-03-20 22:05:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 23 Wins and 28 Losses for the last three seasons (-36.85 units)

NHL > (51) ANAHEIM@ (52) WINNIPEG | 2016-03-20 15:05:00 - 2016-03-20 15:05:00
Play AGAINST WINNIPEG in Home games second half of the season
The record is 4 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (-12.55 units)

NHL > (63) ARIZONA@ (64) SAN JOSE | 2016-03-20 22:05:00 - 2016-03-20 22:05:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 11 Wins and 16 Losses for the last three seasons (-24.2 units)

NHL > (55) WASHINGTON@ (56) PITTSBURGH | 2016-03-20 18:05:00 - 2016-03-20 18:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON in all games
The record is 51 Wins and 19 Losses for the this season (+23.3 units)

NHL > (59) MINNESOTA@ (60) CHICAGO | 2016-03-20 20:35:00 - 2016-03-20 20:35:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA in All games second half of the season
The record is 12 Wins and 23 Losses for the this season (-17.3 units)

NHL > (55) WASHINGTON@ (56) PITTSBURGH | 2016-03-20 18:05:00 - 2016-03-20 18:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH in All games vs. division opponents
The record is 23 Wins and 34 Losses for the last two seasons (-24.6 units)

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NHL TOTALS

NHL > (59) MINNESOTA@ (60) CHICAGO | 2016-03-20 20:35:00 - 2016-03-20 20:35:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 2 Overs and 14 Unders for the this season (+12.25 units)

NHL > (63) ARIZONA@ (64) SAN JOSE | 2016-03-20 22:05:00 - 2016-03-20 22:05:00
Play OVER SAN JOSE on the totalin Home games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 11 Overs and 2 Unders for the this season (+9.15 units)

NHL > (61) COLORADO@ (62) EDMONTON | 2016-03-20 21:35:00 - 2016-03-20 21:35:00
Play OVER COLORADO on the totalin All games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 12 Overs and 3 Unders for the this season (+9.85 units)

NHL > (63) ARIZONA@ (64) SAN JOSE | 2016-03-20 22:05:00 - 2016-03-20 22:05:00
Play OVER SAN JOSE on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 24 Overs and 9 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.6 units)

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Coyotes (31-33) at Sharks (40-25)
Date: March 20, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks are finally bringing some of the play that has resulted in the Western Conference's best road record to their home ice.

They'll try to post a season-high fourth straight home win Sunday night when they meet an Arizona Coyotes team they lost to three days ago.

San Jose (40-25-6) began a six-game homestand with Saturday's 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers. The Sharks snapped a tie with three third-period goals in a game they dominated with their highest shot total - a 52-26 advantage.

'We definitely stuck with it,' said Joe Pavelski, who had a goal and an assist. 'It's a game where you look up at the end of two periods and we got (37) shots or whatever it's at, tied game. Sometimes those games can go the other way if you get a hot goalie. It's great to see guys come out and establish that body position.'

Pavelski took his season total to 68 points - one behind teammate Joe Thornton, who has five in a four-game run and 18 in his last 14 games. Tomas Hertl had three assists to give him six points in a four-game run.

The Sharks won twice over Arizona (31-33-7) this season before losing 3-1 on Thursday. They also lost Marc-Edouard Vlasic to an injury that night after the defenseman fought the Coyotes' Max Domi early in the second period. Vlasic sat out Saturday but could return for another shot at Domi.

With Vlasic out, Dylan DeMelo was recalled from the minors Saturday and saw his first action since Feb. 22.

"The guys that stepped in were ready to play," Pavelski said. "They filled in nicely. Mels (DeMelo) has done a great job all year so to see him go back in. It's good to see him play well."

Winger Tommy Wingels returned Saturday from a 14-game absence due to a sprained left shoulder, committing penalties in each of the first two periods.

"You do so much and you try and emulate what a game is like but you really can't," Wingels said. "But until you put yourself in those game-like situations, you don't know. But I felt good."

The Coyotes have played the last five games without top defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who has an upper-body injury. Ekman-Larsson, who leads the club with 49 points, will travel to San Jose and could return.

Arizona scored a power-play goal in its first four games without him before that unit was 0 for 6 in Saturday's 2-0 home defeat to Tampa Bay.

'The execution could always be a little better,' coach Dave Tippett said. 'No. 23 (Ekman-Larsson) would help that.'

Ekman-Larsson leads all NHL defensemen with 27 points on the power play, with San Jose's Brent Burns second with 25.

San Jose will start either Martin Jones, who made 25 saves Saturday, or backup James Reimer. Arizona started Louis Domingue on Saturday and could turn back to Mike Smith, who had 27 saves beating the Sharks on Thursday.

A regulation victory by the Sharks would virtually clinch a playoff spot since it would give them a 19-point edge on the fourth-place Coyotes with 10 games left for both.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, March 20

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ANAHEIM (39-22-0-9, 87 pts.) at WINNIPEG (29-37-0-5, 63 pts.) - 3/20/2016, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 49-40 ATS (+93.7 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 162-101 ATS (+21.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 33-22 ATS (+55.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 24-10 ATS (+9.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 32-10 ATS (+16.3 Units) on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 210-164 ATS (+34.2 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 39-20 ATS (+10.6 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 23-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 78-35 ATS (+19.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 12-1 ATS (+10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
WINNIPEG is 29-42 ATS (-47.7 Units) in all games this season.
WINNIPEG is 3-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
WINNIPEG is 4-14 ATS (-13.3 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.
WINNIPEG is 4-9 ATS (-8.2 Units) in home games after a division game this season.
WINNIPEG is 13-24 ATS (-16.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 10-1 (+8.5 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 10-1-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.6 Units)

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COLUMBUS (29-34-0-8, 66 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (34-31-0-7, 75 pts.) - 3/20/2016, 5:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 9-3 (+6.0 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 9-3-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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WASHINGTON (51-14-0-5, 107 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (39-24-0-8, 86 pts.) - 3/20/2016, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 6-5 (+0.1 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 6-5-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+6.1 Units)

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CALGARY (30-35-0-6, 66 pts.) at MONTREAL (33-33-0-6, 72 pts.) - 3/20/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 3-2-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.8 Units)

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MINNESOTA (33-28-0-11, 77 pts.) at CHICAGO (42-24-0-6, 90 pts.) - 3/20/2016, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 13-10-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
11 of 20 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.7 Units)

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COLORADO (37-31-0-4, 78 pts.) at EDMONTON (29-38-0-7, 65 pts.) - 3/20/2016, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 37-35 ATS (+75.6 Units) in all games this season.
COLORADO is 14-9 ATS (+26.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
COLORADO is 44-35 ATS (+79.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 33-23 ATS (+57.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 15-28 ATS (+44.5 Units) in home games after shutting out their opponent in their previous game since 1996.
EDMONTON is 33-85 ATS (+150.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 5-3 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 5-3-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.2 Units)

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ARIZONA (31-33-0-7, 69 pts.) at SAN JOSE (40-25-0-6, 86 pts.) - 3/20/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 23-56 ATS (+109.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 16-45 ATS (+82.8 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 17-53 ATS (+105.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 142-100 ATS (+29.4 Units) when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 24-13 ATS (+7.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
ARIZONA is 15-10 ATS (+28.1 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
SAN JOSE is 19-22 ATS (-20.0 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 10-13 ATS (-9.7 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 12-16 ATS (-14.5 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 5-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
SAN JOSE is 9-12 ATS (-9.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SAN JOSE is 6-10 ATS (-14.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 8-4 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 8-4-0 straight up against ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.4 Units)

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, March 20

Hot teams
-- Devils won three of their last five games.
-- Penguins won six of their last seven games. Washington won four of its last six games.
-- Colorado won four of its last five games. Oilers won last two games, 2-0/6-4.
-- Arizona won three of its last four games. Sharks won four of their last six.

Cold teams
-- Anaheim lost four of its last six games. Jets lost five of their last seven.
-- Columbus lost four of its last six games.
-- Calgary lost three of its last four road games. Montreal lost three of last four overall.
-- Chicago lost four of its last five games. Minnesota lost four of its last six games.

Series records
-- Ducks won their last nine games with Winnipeg.
-- Devils lost their last six games with Columbus.
-- Washington won five of its last seven games with Pittsburgh.
-- Canadiens won three of last four games with Calgary.
-- Blackhawks lost their last three games with Minnesota.
-- Colorado won five of its last seven games with Edmonton.
-- Coyotes won three of last four games with San Jose.

Totals
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Anaheim-Winnipeg games.
-- Six of last eight New Jersey games went over.
-- Under is 6-1-2 in last nine Washington-Pittsburgh games.
-- Four of last six Calgary games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Minnesota-Chicago games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Colorado games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Arizona-San Jose games stayed under.

Back-to-backs
-- Devils are 4-6 if they played night before. Columbus is 5-8 on road if it played night before.
-- Pittsburgh is 5-8 if it played night before, but won last three.
-- Montreal is 3-8 in last 11 games if it played night before.
-- Minnesota is 4-9 this season if it played the night before.
-- Arizona is 2-6 in last eight games if it played the night before.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Sunday, March 20

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. WINNIPEG
Anaheim is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Anaheim is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games
Winnipeg is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Anaheim
Winnipeg is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games at home

5:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. NEW JERSEY
Columbus is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Columbus's last 7 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
New Jersey is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games
New Jersey is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Columbus

6:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Washington is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Pittsburgh's last 22 games when playing Washington

7:00 PM
CALGARY vs. MONTREAL
Calgary is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Montreal
Calgary is 4-9-2 SU in its last 15 games ,when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
Montreal is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games

8:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CHICAGO
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games at home
Chicago is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home

9:30 PM
COLORADO vs. EDMONTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games
Colorado is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games when playing Colorado
Edmonton is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games at home

10:00 PM
ARIZONA vs. SAN JOSE
Arizona is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Arizona's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games when playing Arizona
San Jose is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Sunday, March 20

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Game of the Day: Capitals at Penguins
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Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are red-hot heading into their matchup with Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals.

Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins (-120, 5.5)

Less than two weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins were staring at the likelihood of facing the NHL-best Washington Capitals in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. One five-game winning streak later and the surging Penguins have aspirations of a top-three seed in the Metropolitan Division as they prepare to host the Capitals on Sunday.

Pittsburgh continues to bolster its playoff positioning at the expense of its division rivals, improving to 13-3-1 in its last 17 versus Metropolitan foes with a 4-1 victory at Philadelphia on Saturday. The Penguins overtook the New York Islanders for third place in the division and are two points behind the second-place New York Rangers. Washington is on cruise control for the Presidents' Trophy and has won two in a row, including a 4-1 triumph over Nashville on Friday that represented its largest margin of victory since Jan. 19. The Capitals have won two of the three meetings this season, including a 4-1 victory at Pittsburgh on Dec. 14.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TVA

LINE HISTORY: The Penguins opened as slight -120 favorites, while the total opened at 5.5 goals.

INJURY REPORT:

Capitals - C M. Latta (Out Sunday, illness), D J. Carson (Out Sunday, lower body).

Penguins - LW S. Wilson (Out Sunday, upper body), C E. Malkin (Out Sunday, upper body), RW B. Bennett (Out Sunday, upper body).

GOALIE REPORT:

Captials - B. Holtby (43-8-4, 2.20 GAA, 0.923 save percentage).

Penguins - M. Fleury (31-16-6, 2.30 GAA, 0.922 save percentage).

WHAT SHARPS SAY:"Don’t look now but the Pens are playing solid hockey with three straight wins and four in their last five. Sidney Crosby has a 11-game point streak on the go, totaling 14 points in that stretch."

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (51-14-5): Coach Barry Trotz admitted there's no need to "reinvent the wheel" for his team, but he shuffled his lines last week and watched the second and third units each come up with a big game. “We’re very interchangeable parts here and our depth is one of our best attributes, and it’s going to carry us a long way in the playoffs,” forward Justin Williams said. “These are good barometer games for us, just to see where we are and ramp our game up for the fun times.” Evgeny Kuznetsov collected three assists Friday to extend his point streak to five games.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (39-24-8): A slow start to the season is a distant memory for captain Sidney Crosby, who set up a pair of goals Saturday to give him six tallies and 12 assists during his 11-game point streak. Nick Bonino, who inherited the unenviable task of stepping in for the injured Evgeni Malkin, collected a pair of assists against the Flyers after scoring a goal in the previous game versus Carolina. Phil Kessel, who is one assist shy of 300 for his career, has recorded a goal and an assist in three meetings versus Washington this season.

TRENDS:

* Under is 3-0-1 in the last four meetings in Pittsburgh.
* Penguins are 5-0 in their last five games overall.
* Under is 15-5-2 in the last 22 meetings.
* Capitals are 5-2 in the last seven meetings

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Sunday, March 20


Columbus @ New Jersey

Game 53-54
March 20, 2016 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Columbus
10.481
New Jersey
9.463
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Columbus
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Columbus
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Columbus
N/A

Washington @ Pittsburgh

Game 55-56
March 20, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
11.800
Pittsburgh
12.985
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
N/A

Calgary @ Montreal

Game 57-58
March 20, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
9.762
Montreal
11.307
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 1 1/2
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
N/A

Minnesota @ Chicago

Game 59-60
March 20, 2016 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
13.481
Chicago
12.299
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
N/A

Colorado @ Edmonton

Game 61-62
March 20, 2016 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
12.182
Edmonton
11.269
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Edmonton
-135
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(+115); Under

Arizona @ San Jose

Game 63-64
March 20, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
9.382
San Jose
12.777
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 3 1/2
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-230
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(-230); Over

Anaheim @ Winnipeg

Game 51-52
March 20, 2016 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Anaheim
10.526
Winnipeg
12.178
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Winnipeg
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-170
5
Dunkel Pick:
Winnipeg
(+150); Over

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Short Sheet

Sunday, March 20

Anaheim at Winnipeg, 3:05 PM ET
Anaheim: 32-10 SU on Sunday games
Winnipeg: 4-9 in home games after a division game

Columbus at New Jersey, 5:05 PM ET
Columbus: 6-2 SU in road games after a blowout win by 3 goals or more
New Jersey: 15-39 SU revenging 2 consecutive losses to opponent as a favorite

Washington at Pittsubrgh, 6:05 PM ET
Washington: 23-11 SU in road games
Pittsburgh: 9-17 SU after scoring 4 goals or more in 2 straight games

Calgary at Montreal, 7:05 PM ET
Calgary: 31-25 SU after allowing 4 goals or more
Montreal: 1-9 SU after allowing 5 goals or more

Minnesota at Chicago, 8:35 PM ET
Minnesota: 5-15 SU as an underdog
Chicago: 8-0 SU after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7

Colorado at Edmonton, 9:35 PM ET
Colorado: 14-9 SU in a road game where where the total is 5.5
Edmonton: 9-19 SU at home off a home win where they shut out their opponent

Arizona at San Jose, 10:05 PM ET
Arizona: 15-10 SU vs. division opponents
San Jose: 1-6 SU in home games off an home win scoring 4 or more goals

[StarDust Bum]

Yesterday's Results: 2 - 3 - 2..........- 0.78
YTD: 32 - 38...........+ 4.02


SUNDAY, MARCH 20

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


ANA at WIN 03:00 PM

ANA -159

U 5.0


CLB at NJ 05:00 PM

CLB -113

O 5.5


WAS at PIT 06:00 PM

WAS -113

O 5.0


CAL at MON 07:00 PM

MON -110

U 5.5


MIN at CHI 08:30 PM

MIN +159

O 5.0


COL at EDM 09:30 PM

COL +118

O 5.5


ARI at SJ 10:00 PM

ARI +210

U 5.5

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Panthers (40-23) at Rangers (40-24)
Date: March 21, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers rank among the most efficient teams in the NHL as far as taking advantage of their shots, although there's no doubt they would like to increase their volume.

They'll complete their season series Monday night at Madison Square Garden after splitting their first two meetings.

These clubs are among the worst in shots per game, with New York (40-24-8) averaging 28.5 and Florida 28.4. That hasn't stopped them from ranking among the best in goals per game, with the Rangers and Panthers (40-23-9) both averaging 2.8.

Both teams have shooting percentages of 9.7 that place them within the NHL's best in that department.

The Rangers are back home after completing a 1-1-1 trip by allowing their most shots as they were outshot 52-26 in Saturday's 4-1 defeat to San Jose. They have one win in their last five games.

'It was ugly as it's ever been,' defenseman Marc Staal said. 'That type of game like this at this time of year is garbage. We have to be better. We're just trying to make plays that aren't there. We aren't making plays when we are there. We're fighting it all the way.'

Florida was outshot 30-26 in Saturday's 5-3 loss to Detroit after leading by two goals in the second period.

'We just didn't play well, didn't play hard, didn't compete enough,' coach Gerard Gallant said. 'Detroit wanted it more and they went out and got it.'

The Panthers will try to take advantage again of a Rangers' penalty kill that is one of the worst in the NHL at 77.3 percent. Florida is 3 for 10 on the power play in the season series, losing 5-4 in overtime on Nov. 21 and winning 3-0 on Jan. 2.

New York's Rick Nash had a hat trick in the first meeting before the second one marked the start of his current 14-game goal drought. Nash missed 20 games in the midst of that run due to a bone bruise, and has no points in five games since returning.

Eric Staal also hasn't been too effective with one goal and two assists in 10 games since being acquired Feb. 28 from Carolina.

New York seeks to avoid its first three-game home slide in the regular season since an 0-4-1 stretch Dec. 2-12, 2013.

Jussi Jokinen has 15 points in his last 13 games and Vincent Trocheck nine in his last seven for the Panthers, who start a three-game trip and play six of their final 10 on the road.

"We got a three-game road trip here and we'll be back home after that so it's gonna be a fun stretch," said center Nick Bjugstad, who has six points in a career-best five-game run.

The Panthers figure to start Roberto Luongo, who was Rangers coach Alain Vigneault's regular goaltender when both were with Vancouver. Luongo's 3.67 goals-against average in 12 regular-season games at MSG is his worst in any arena he has started in at least three times.

The Rangers will likely go with Henrik Lundqvist, who won six straight starts versus the Panthers before losing in January. His 1.91 GAA against Florida matches his second-lowest against any foe.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Flyers (34-24) at Islanders (38-23)
Date: March 21, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

While the New York Islanders hope an offensive turnaround boosts them into the Metropolitan Division's top three, the Philadelphia Flyers hope a return to their recent scoring surge would help steal their division foe's wild-card spot.

Two of the herd of teams fighting for playoff position in the Eastern Conference clash when the Flyers visit the Islanders on Monday night hoping to claw closer to the pack.

New York (38-23-9) has struggled to score during a 1-3-1 stretch, and back-to-back regulation losses at Nashville and Dallas dropped the Islanders to fourth place in their division.

The Islanders are in the league's top third offensively but have scored only seven goals in their last five games. They suffered their first shutout loss since a 4-0 setback at Philadelphia on Jan. 9 with Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Dallas, failing to connect on 27 shots to close a road trip 0-2-1.

New York has only seven power plays in its last six games, scoring on one of them. Frans Nielsen hasn't scored during that span, while John Tavares is without a goal the last four.

'There's no puck luck for our hockey team right now,' coach Jack Capuano said.

The Islanders have only played two home games since Feb. 19, winning both to extend a seven-game point streak at Barclays Center.

New York still holds the East's first wild card with 85 points and has 12 games left, while Philadelphia (34-24-12) is out of the playoffs in the ninth spot with 80.

The Flyers averaged 3.6 goals over a 10-2-2 stretch before producing a season-low 17 shots in Saturday's 4-1 home loss to Pittsburgh - snapping a six-game point streak and wasting an opportunity to gain on another playoff-hopeful team.

'It was a day where we couldn't find any energy and couldn't get ourselves going in the right direction,' coach Dave Hakstol said. 'It comes at a bad time and against the wrong team.'

Steve Mason made 31 saves after finding out he was starting 20 minutes before warmups when backup Michal Neuvirth was scratched after injuring himself stretching. The Flyers announced Sunday that Neuvirth will miss the final three weeks of the regular season with an unspecified lower-body injury.

He was 17-8-4 and ranked fifth in the league with a .925 save percentage, but Mason will shoulder the load down the stretch with rookie Anthony Stolarz as the backup. Stolarz could make his NHL debut Tuesday at Columbus.

Mason has started all three games in the season series and has seen mixed results. He stopped 33 of 35 shots in a 3-1 loss on Nov. 25, was pulled early after surrendering three goals on 10 shots in a 4-3 shootout defeat Dec. 8 and made 20 saves in the January meeting.

That victory marked just the second for Philadelphia in the last eight games in the series, which includes four straight losses in New York.

The Flyers are riding a 4-1-2 stretch on the road, where they play their next four.

The Islanders' Jaroslav Halak has made all three starts in the season series but has been out since earlier this month with a groin injury. Backup Thomas Greiss has started five of six games since, posting a .918 save percentage.