Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 04-19-2017, 01:48 AM

NHL Playoff Capsules
April 19, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) Rick Nash and Jesper Fast scored, Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves and the New York Rangers beat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Tuesday night to even their first-round playoff series at two games apiece.

New York's win also ended a six-game losing streak at home in the playoffs going back to the 2015 Eastern Conference Final.

Torrey Mitchell scored for Montreal and Carey Price made 30 saves.

Game 5 is Thursday night in Montreal before the series returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

The Rangers, who gave up the tying goal with 18 seconds left in the third period of Game 2 before losing in overtime, stopped Montreal in the final minutes in this one.

BLUE JACKETS 5, PENGUINS 4

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Markus Nutivaara, William Karlsson and Boone Jenner each had a goal and an assist and Columbus avoided a sweep in the best-of-seven playoff series.

Jack Johnson and Josh Anderson also scored for the Blue Jackets, who were able to outlast the Penguins when they pushed back hard in the second and third periods and then got a short-handed goal from Jake Guenztel with 27 seconds left in the game.

Sergei Bobrovsky had 27 saves to help the Blue Jackets get their first playoff win in three years and their first-ever in regulation.

The Penguins now lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, which returns to Pittsburgh for Game 5 on Thursday night.

Patric Hornqvist, Ron Hainsey and Tom Kuhnhackl also scored for Pittsburgh, and Marc-Andre Fleury had 29 saves.

SHARKS 7, OILERS 0

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture each scored two goals and the San Jose Sharks rebounded from back-to-back shutouts in emphatic fashion and tied their first-round playoff series at two games apiece.

Pavelski scored on a pair of deflections, including one just 15 seconds into the game for the fastest playoff goal in team history, the previously dormant power play scored four times and San Jose held Connor McDavid off the score sheet for the second straight game. Now they will try to carry that over into Game 5 in Edmonton on Thursday night.

Patrick Marleau, Marcus Sorensen and David Schlemko also scored for San Jose, Brent Burns had three assists and Martin Jones made 23 saves for his fourth playoff shutout. It all added up to the most lopsided playoff win in Sharks history and biggest shutout win in the NHL in 10 years.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-19-2017, 01:49 AM

Blackhawks recall three reinforcements
April 18, 2017

The Chicago Blackhawks, who trail their best-of-seven first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators 3-0, recalled three players from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League on Tuesday.

The players called up were forwards Kyle Baun and Tyler Motte and defenseman Erik Gustafsson.

Baun, 24, paced the IceHogs in scoring with a career-high 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 74 games this season. Baun appeared in five games with the Blackhawks over parts of two seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16).

Motte, 22, split time between Rockford and Chicago during his rookie season. In 33 games with the Blackhawks, he recorded four goals and three assists.

Gustafsson, 25, was recently named Rockford's top defenseman after pacing the club's blueliners in assists (25) and sharing the lead in points (30). He spent most of the 2015-16 season with the Blackhawks, and collected 14 assists in 41 games that season.

Game 4 of the series is Thursday in Nashville.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-19-2017, 01:52 AM

NHL Note - Columbus Blue Jackets Werenski, Zach
April 18, 2017

D Zach Werenski has been ruled out of the rest of the postseason for the Blue Jackets due to a broken cheekbone. Werenski was injured in Sunday's 5-4 overtime loss to Pittsburgh, which gave the Penguins a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series. Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella told the media Monday morning that the 19-year-old Werenski was done for the playoffs. A first-round draft pick (No. 8 overall) by Columbus in 2015, Werenski was hurt when a shot from Pittsburgh's Phil Kessel deflected off his own stick and caught him under the right eye in the second period.

***********************

Caps Iron-man D Alzner misses Game 3
April 17, 2017

Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner found himself in unfamiliar territory on Monday as he sat out Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round series versus the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre.

Alzner, who is nursing an upper-body injury, sat out for the first time since Game 6 of the 2010 first-round series versus the Montreal Canadiens. The 28-year-old has appeared in 540 consecutive regular-season games.

Nate Schmidt was initially paired with top defenseman John Carlson to replace Alzner, who collected three goals and 10 assists this season while averaging just under 20 minutes of ice time per game.

Schmidt, 25, scored three goals and set up 14 others in 60 games this season for Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington, which entered Monday's tilt tied at one victory apiece with Toronto.

*********************

Stastny skates for first time since March
April 18, 2017

ST. LOUIS (AP) Blues forward Paul Stastny skated for the first time in a month on Tuesday after missing the last 13 games with a lower-body injury.

Coach Mike Yeo said Stastny is day to day. St. Louis is up 3-0 in its first-round series against the Minnesota Wild, with Game 4 at home Wednesday night.

Stastny left a game at Colorado on March 21 after being hit in the foot by a Vladimir Tarasenko shot. He has 18 goals and 22 assists in 66 games this season.

On Tuesday, Stastny worked on a line with Vladimir Sobotka and Zach Sanford in Alexander Steen's normal spot. Steen hasn't been practicing, but Yeo said he will play on Wednesday.

Stastny also worked with the No. 1 power play unit.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-19-2017, 01:56 AM

Nhl playoffs record: ( as in baseball dogs and totals only)
All picks for the day:

04/18/2017 1-4-0 20.00% -1650
04/17/2017 1-3-1 25.00% -1100
4/16/2017 6-1-0 85.71% +2550
4/16/2017 6-1-0 85.71% +2550
04/15/2017 1-2-2 33.33% -250
04/14/2017 1-6-0 14.29% -2325
04/13/2017 2-2-1 50.00% +225
04/12/2017 4-5-1 44.44% -940

Best Bets............ Sides...............................Totals

04/18/2017..........0 - 1.............-1.00.............0 - 3 ....................-3.30
04/17/2017..........1 - 0.............+1.10............0 - 3 - 1................-3.30
04/16/2017..........3 - 0.............+3.20............3 - 1....................+1.90
04/15/2017..........1 - 1.............+0.60............1 - 2....................-1.20
04/14/2017..........1 - 2..............-0.25............0 - 4...................- 4.40
04/13/2017..........1 - 1.............+0.55............1 - 1 - 1..............- 0.10
04/12/2017..........1 - 1 ............+1.00............2 - 2 - 1 .............- 0.20

**StarDust Bum** · 04-19-2017, 01:00 PM

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

Six batters who have knocked in highest %age of baserunners so far this month (minimum 20 AB):

6) Marcell Ozuna, 31.7% (13-41)

5) Travis d’Arnaud 31.8% (7-22)

T3) Scooter Gennett 35% (7-20)
T3) Asdrubel Cabrera 35% (7-20)

2) Eric Thames 35.7% (5-14)

1) Nomar Mazara 36.4% (12-33)

**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Mid-week musings……..

13) College basketball has an under-reported problem; high level teams are openly recruiting players from other teams to transfer. This is total BS, scummy behavior.

They were talking on Twitter Monday that Utah State’s Koby McEwen was being recruited by a team, and Utah State coach Tim Duryea had to be “stern” with the school. McEwen will be back in Logan next winter- he was Mountain West Freshman of the Year this year.

12) There were four OT games in the NHL playoffs Monday nite, first time that happened since 1985. Of all the pro sports, NHL has the most exciting playoffs.

11) Free throw breakdown from Game 2 in the Memphis-San Antonio series:
Memphis (whole team) 13-15
Kawhi Leonard 19-19
Rest of the Spurs 12-13 (31-32 total)

This is why Memphis Coach Fizdale was snippy in his post-game press conference; his team got hosed and it is his job to protect his team from that happening again.

10) New Mexico State hired former Bowling Green coach Chris Jans as its new basketball coach. Jans comes from the Wichita State coaching tree- he went 21-12 in his one season coaching the Falcons two years ago (their only 20+-win season since 2002), but was fired after an incident in a bar where he was hitting on a woman while drunk and the incident was captured on someone’s phone.

9) Do the Angels need to trade Mike Trout? They’re not a good team; Trout would bring back a lot of talent, but would it be enough talent to make them good again? And if they were still bad despite trading their best player, would that put a dent in home attendance?

Baseball America ranked the Angels’ farm system as worst in the major leagues, so not lot of help coming up from the minors anytime soon.

8) Good news for those of us in beautiful upstate New York; the first weekend of the NCAA tournament is coming to Albany in 2020- think it will be the third time Albany has hosted March Madness.

7) Ad behind the plate at Safeco Field; “Leafless in Seattle” for a leaf blower to put your leaves on other people’s lawns. Solid play on words/movie titles.

6) It gets annoying when national baseball writers start speculation on trades in April; could we let teams fall out of contention before we make them sellers? Milwaukee is 8-7, not a bad start, but you read lot of Ryan Braun-to-Dodgers stuff.

5) Pirates lost CF Starling Marte for 80 games for a PED offense; Andrew McCutchen was back in centerfield Tuesday night. Adam Frazier takes over in right.

4) Pirates lost 2-1 in St Louis the last two nights; their pitchers threw only 177 pitches in 16 innings, an average of 11.1 per inning, not a lot. Whats wrong with the Cardinals?

3) Toronto 106, Milwaukee 100— Raptors scored the last six points of the game, evened series 1-1.

2) Imagine being a major leaguer who is off to a bad start; when you come to bat, they put your batting average on those huge scoreboards— if you’re hitting under .200, it puts lot of pressure on you to do better. Even great athletes have crises of confidence.

1— Get well soon, Bruce Bochy; the Giants’ skipper had a minor heart procedure this week, isn’t managing the ball club in Kansas City.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-19-2017, 01:01 PM

NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, April 19

Anaheim @ Calgary

Game 63-64
April 19, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Anaheim
9.693
Calgary
13.627
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 4
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
-110
5
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(-110); Over

Minnesota @ St. Louis

Game 61-62
April 19, 2017 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
12.917
St. Louis
9.523
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 3 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-115
5
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-115); Under

Ottawa @ Boston

Game 59-60
April 19, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ottawa
9.844
Boston
12.723
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 3
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-160
5
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-160); Under

Washington @ Toronto

Game 57-58
April 19, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
10.327
Toronto
11.914
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-155
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+135); Over

NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 19

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WASHINGTON (56-20-0-9, 121 pts.) at TORONTO (42-27-0-16, 100 pts.) - 4/19/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 4-11 ATS (-12.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
TORONTO is 18-5 ATS (+11.0 Units) in home games in the first round of the playoffs since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 118-61 ATS (+24.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 47-36 ATS (+89.1 Units) in road games in April games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 70-37 ATS (+17.5 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 21-32 ATS (+58.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 50-90 ATS (+164.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 126-140 ATS (-68.0 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 8-4 (+1.8 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 8-4-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.2 Units)

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OTTAWA (46-29-0-10, 102 pts.) at BOSTON (45-31-0-9, 99 pts.) - 4/19/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 46-39 ATS (+87.5 Units) in all games this season.
OTTAWA is 19-13 ATS (+32.9 Units) after a division game this season.
OTTAWA is 13-8 ATS (+21.7 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
OTTAWA is 22-14 ATS (+39.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 128-121 ATS (+275.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 22-24 ATS (-11.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 22-23 ATS (-25.9 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 13-19 ATS (-21.6 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 4-11 ATS (+4.0 Units) in home games revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 20-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
BOSTON is 9-14 ATS (-14.2 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 15-22 ATS (-16.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 12-4 (+12.9 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 12-4-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-1.2 Units)

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MINNESOTA (49-27-0-9, 107 pts.) at ST LOUIS (49-29-0-7, 105 pts.) - 4/19/2017, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 89-84 ATS (-22.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 46-55 ATS (-28.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 5-12 ATS (-11.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 108-79 ATS (+21.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 7-1 ATS (+5.5 Units) in April games this season.
ST LOUIS is 30-18 ATS (+9.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 56-41 ATS (+0.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 12-7 ATS (+4.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 10-18 ATS (-12.5 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 13-10 (+4.0 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 13-10-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.0 Units)

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ANAHEIM (49-23-0-13, 111 pts.) at CALGARY (45-35-0-5, 95 pts.) - 4/19/2017, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 12-7 ATS (+4.8 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent this season.
CALGARY is 25-17 ATS (+46.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
ANAHEIM is 31-16 ATS (+9.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 40-21 ATS (+9.1 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 14-3 ATS (+10.2 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
ANAHEIM is 24-15 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ANAHEIM is 14-7 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
CALGARY is 23-38 ATS (+61.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 3-9 ATS (-10.0 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 19-4 (+14.5 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 19-4-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
14 of 21 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+7.6 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, April 19

Toronto leads series 2-1; all three games went OT; teams played combined total of 43:14 of overtime so far. Caps outshot Toronto 120-116 in first three games; Maple Leafs haven’t scored a third period goal yet in series— they’re 3-8 in last ten games with the Caps, 2-9 on power play in series— Washington is 3-11. Home side won seven of last ten games between these teams. Over is 4-2 in last six series games. Capitals won nine of last 13 games overall. Toronto lost four of last seven games overall;. Leafs lost three of their last five home games. Washington won three of its last four road games.

Ottawa scored 5:43 into OT to win game 3 and take 2-1 series lead, with both wins in OT; they’re 6-1 this season against Boston- last two games ended 4-3, all three series games were decided by a goal. Boston won seven of its last ten games overall; they’re 4-5 in last nine home games- under is 8-3 in their last eleven games. Senators won five of last seven games (under 4-3). Boston is 2-10, Ottawa 3-15 on power play in series. Bruins haven’t scored a first period goal yet this series. Senators won five of their last seven games (under 4-3).

St Louis won first three games vs Minnesota 2-1/2-1/3-1, despite being outshot 117-79; they won eight of last ten games overall with Minnesota, which hasn’t scored a first period goal in series. Over is 3-5-1 in last nine series games. Blues won nine of last 11 games overall, seven of last nine at home. Minnesota had won four in a row before this series; Wild lost six of its last eight road games- their last four games stayed under. Blues are in playoffs for 6th straight year; they lost first round series three of last four years. Minnesota is in playoffs for 5th year in row; they’re 4-3 overall in first round series.

Calgary lost Game Three 5-4 in OT, despite win 3-5 on power play, while Anaheim never had a man advantage- that doesn’t happen much. Anaheim won 12 of its last 13 games vs Calgary, with the one loss 8-3 in Saddledome back in December. Anaheim is 3-11 on power play in series, Flames 5-13- five of their eight series goals came on PP. Calgary hasn’t scored a third period goal yet in series; they’ve lost six of last seven games overall, but are 10-4 in last 14 home games. Ducks won their last seven games and 11 of last 13; over is 5-2-4 in their last 11 games.

First round series:
East
Washington-Toronto
Wash 3-2 OT
Tor 4-3 2OT
Tor 4-3 OT
Pittsburgh-Columbus
Pitt 3-1
Pitt 4-1
Pitt 5-4 OT
CBJ 5-4
Montreal-NY Rangers
NYR 2-0
Mtl 4-3 OT
Mtl 3-1
NYR 2-1
Ottawa-Boston
Bos 2-1
Ott 4-3 OT
Ott 4-3 OT

West
Chicago-Nashville
Nash 1-0
Nash 5-0
Nash 3-2 OT
Minnesota-St Louis
StL 2-1 ot
StL 2-1
StL 3-1
Anaheim-Calgary
Ana, 3-2
Ana 3-2
Ana 5-4 OT
Edmonton-San Jose
SJ 3-2 ot
Edmonton 2-0
Edmonton 1-0
SJ 7-0

Home teams: 15-12
Over: 9-14-4

NHL

Wednesday, April 19

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. TORONTO
Washington is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Washington

7:30 PM
OTTAWA vs. BOSTON
Ottawa is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ottawa's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Boston's last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games at home

9:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. ST. LOUIS
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing Minnesota
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota

10:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. CALGARY
Anaheim is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Anaheim's last 11 games when playing on the road against Calgary
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Calgary's last 11 games when playing at home against Anaheim
Calgary is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Anaheim

**StarDust Bum** · 04-19-2017, 01:02 PM

NHL

Wednesday, April 19

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue with four games on Wednesday's slate. The top seeded Washington Capitals are nearing "must win" territory in their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Game 4 will be crucial.

Washington Capitals at Toronto Maple Leafs (+125, 5.5)

Maple Leafs lead series 2-1

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (56-19-5-5, 38-32 O/U): The Washington Capitals find themselves losing ground as they fight an uphill battle against both the upstart Toronto Maple Leafs as well as their own postseason demons. Alex Ovechkin's resume certainly is impressive with three Hart Trophies and six Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies among his many honors, but the captain refuses to fret despite having yet to find his way out of the second round since joining Washington in 2005-06. "It's a situation when you have to fight through it," said Ovechkin, who scored in his second consecutive game to increase his franchise-best playoff totals in goals (43) and points (84). "Obviously we don't have to panic or do some crazy stuff out there. We just have to play our game. I think we're experienced enough and old enough to manage it and just forget about it and move forward."

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (42-27-8-8, 39-44 O/U): The Maple Leafs are playing with an air of freedom that is being spurred on by a hockey-mad metropolis that relishes each passing moment. Toronto is receiving dividends from its rookies as Mitch Marner scored in the series opener, Kasperi Kapanen capped a two-goal performance in double overtime of Game 2 and top overall pick Auston Matthews and William Nylander chimed in with a tally apiece in Game 3. The rookie quartet is the Maple Leafs' first since Vic Lynn, Howie Meeker, Joe Klukay and Gus Mortson each scored their respective first goals during the 1947 playoffs. Matthews had entered the playoffs with a flourish, recording 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in the last 13 games of the regular season before being held off the scoresheet in Games 1 and 2 in Washington.

LINE HISTORY: The Maple Leafs opened as +125 underdogs on home ice, despite leading the series 2-1. The total opened at 5.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Capitals - D K. Alzner (Out, upper body).

Maple Leafs - D R. Polak (Out For Season, leg), LW J. Leivo (Out Indefinitely, undisclosed), RW N. Soshnikov (Out Indefinitely, undisclosed), C E. Fehr (Out Indefinitely, hand), LW J. Lupul (I-R, conditioning), D S. Robidas (Out For Season, knee), RW N. Horton (Out For Season, spine).

TRENDS:

* Capitals are 5-1 in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Maple Leafs are 1-7 in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Over is 8-2-1 in Capitals last 11 road games.
* Over is 5-1 in Maple Leafs last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Toronto.

Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins (-165, 5)

Sens lead series 2-1

ABOUT THE SENATORS (46-29-6-4, 34-48 O/U): The Ottawa Senators surrendered home-ice advantage by dropping the opener of their Eastern Conference first-round series, but they seized it back by winning consecutive overtime games for the first time in franchise history. Forward Bobby Ryan slumbered through a mediocre regular season in which he lost nearly a month to injury and scored only 13 times -- a precipitous drop for a player who once put together four consecutive 30-goal campaigns. Ryan, however, ended a drought with a goal in the season finale and has netted a pair of tallies against Boston, including the game-winner in overtime Monday. "You always say that you make your money during the season, but you make your reputation in the playoffs and right now he's showing everybody that he's a gamer," Senators coach Guy Boucher said of Ryan.

ABOUT THE BRUINS (45-31-6-3, 39-38 O/U): Boston has yet to score in the first period and fell into a three-goal hole in the opening period Monday, prompting coach Bruce Cassidy to change his routine and run a full practice Tuesday. Boston again was without four injured defensemen in Game 3 and at least three of them will be sidelined in Game 4, although Colin Miller skated at Tuesday's practice and will be evaluated at Wednesday's morning skate. Bruins leading scorer Brad Marchand delivered the game-winning goal in the series opener but has been quieted in the past two games, managing a combined four shots. "That’s what happens when you’re an elite player," Cassidy said. "You’re going to get marked, and you’ve got to find your way through the checking part of the game, because they’ve got a number of guys."

LINE HISTORY: The Bruins opened as -160 moneyline faves for Game 4 on home ice and the total opened at 4.5 but was quickly bumped to 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Senators - D M. Borowiecki (Questionable, lower body).

Bruins - D C. Miller (Questionable, knee), RW J. Hayes (Questionable, lower body), D B. Carlo (Doubtful, upper body), D A. McQuaid (Doubtful, upper body), D T. Krug (Out Indefinitely, lower body).

TRENDS:

* Senators are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Bruins are 0-5 in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Over is 5-1 in Senators last 6 road games.
* Under is 8-2-1 in Bruins last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Senators are 8-1 in the last 9 meetings.

Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues (-105, 5)

Blues lead series 3-0

ABOUT THE WILD (49-27-7-2, 42-34 O/U): The Wild, who were second in the league in scoring during the regular season (3.21 goals per game), have managed to get just three of their 117 shots past Jake Allen in three straight losses. Minnesota outshot the Blues 117-79 in the first three games but has gone 1-for-10 on the power play, and its top four goal scorers in the regular season have yet to tally in the series. “We’re not playing bad,” defenseman Ryan Suter told reporters. “We just can’t score. If we can find a way to score a goal, it’s a different game.” Coach Bruce Boudreau reportedly made changes to his forward lines at practice Tuesday, moving Eric Staal between Coyle and leading scorer Mikael Granlund while captain Mikko Koivu centered Nino Niederreiter and Zach Parise.

ABOUT THE BLUES (49-29-5-2, 34-38 O/U): Jaden Schwartz has recorded a goal in each of the last two games and a point in all three contests while Patrik Berglund has registered three assists along with a plus-3 rating. Alex Steen also has produced three points after netting an empty-net tally to clinch Game 3 and leading scorer Vladimir Tarasenko (two assists) has unleashed 12 shots in the series - one behind Schwartz for the team lead. Veteran center Paul Stastny (foot), who last played on March 21 against Colorado, skated with the team at practice Tuesday and is day-to-day, according to coach Mike Yeo.

LINE HISTORY: The Blues opened as -115 favorites but the moneyline flipped to Minnesota -115 as bettors unloaded on the desperate Wild. The total hit the betting board at 5

INJURY REPORT:

Wild - C E. Haula (Questionable, undisclosed), D V. Bartley (Questionable, tricep).

Blues - C P. Stastny (Questionable, foot), C R. Fabbri (Out For Season, knee).

TRENDS:

* Wild are 0-7 in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Blues are 4-0 in their last 4 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Under is 4-0 in Wild last 4 overall.
* Under is 5-0-2 in Blues last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Wild are 0-4 in the last 4 meetings in St. Louis.

Anaheim Ducks at Calgary Flames (-110, 5)

Ducks lead series 3-0

ABOUT THE DUCKS (49-23-10-3, 29-36 O/U): Anaheim overcame a three-goal deficit in Monday's 5-4 overtime victory to claim a 3-0 series advantage for the sixth time in club history, with the brooms being brought out the last time it did so in 2015 against Winnipeg. Coach Randy Carlyle did little to quell the uncertainty surrounding the identity of his team's starting goaltender for Game 4, telling the Orange County Register that he's "going to pick one goalie." John Gibson's tenuous hold on the starter's position was loosened all the more after permitting four goals on 16 shots Monday while Jonathan Bernier came on in relief and turned aside all 16 attempts that came his way. While there's a question in net, rookie defenseman Shea Theodore has made his presence felt on the back end by tallying twice in Game 3 to push his point total to a team-best five (two goals, three assists).

ABOUT THE FLAMES (45-35-3-2, 35-37 O/U): Anaheim isn't the only team with questions in net -- Calgary's once-continuous goaltender carousel could be making another turn as coach Glen Gulutzan reportedly is mulling his options for Game 4. Brian Elliott, who was acquired in a draft-day deal with St. Louis, yielded five goals on 27 shots on Monday and owns a 3.67 goals-against average and .887 save percentage in the series. Capable backup Chad Johnson, whose last start was against Nashville on March 23, posted a respectable 18-15-1 mark with a 2.59 GAA and .910 save percentage this season.

LINE HISTORY: The Flames, for some reason, opened as -120 favorites but that was quickly bet down to a Pick 'Em. The total opened at 5 and will likely not move off that number.

INJURY REPORT:

Ducks - D S. Vatanen (Questionable, upper body), D C. Fowler (Out Indefinitely, knee), D C. Stoner (Questionable, abdominal), D S. Despres (I-R, concussion).

Flames - D L. Smid (Out For Season, neck).

TRENDS:

* Ducks are 10-1 in their last 11 games following a win.
* Flames are 0-6 in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 3-0-2 in Ducks last 5 road games.
* Over is 8-1-3 in Flames last 12 home games.
* Ducks are 6-1 in the last 7 meetings in Calgary.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-19-2017, 06:31 PM

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAS at TOR 07:00 PM

TOR +125

U 5.5

OTT at BOS 07:30 PM

OTT +150

O 5.0

MIN at STL 09:30 PM

O 5.0

ANA at CAL 10:00 PM

O 5.5

**StarDust Bum** · 04-20-2017, 01:39 AM

NHL roundup: Capitals get even with Leafs
April 20, 2017

CALGARY, Alberta -- The Anaheim Ducks scored a pair of early goals and hung on for a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday at the Scotiabank Saddledome to sweep their way into the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Anaheim plays the winner of the series between the Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks, who are tied 2-2, in the second round of the playoffs.

Patrick Eaves, Nate Thompson and Ryan Getzlaf (empty net) scored for Anaheim, which won its Western Conference first-round playoff series over the Flames, 4-0.

Goaltender John Gibson made 36 saves to redeem himself after being pulled during the second period of the Ducks' come-from-behind 5-4 victory over Calgary in overtime two nights earlier.

Sean Monahan scored for the Flames, who have lost seven straight games to the Ducks and 15 of 16 dating back to the second round of the 2015 playoffs, when Anaheim ousted Calgary in five games.

Capitals 5, Maple Leafs 4

TORONTO -- Tom Wilson and T.J. Oshie scored two goals apiece as Washington evened its Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with Toronto 2-2.

Alex Ovechkin also scored for the Capitals while Nicklas Backstrom added two assists. Braden Holtby made 30 saves for Washington.

Zach Hyman, James van Riemsdyk, Auston Matthews and Tyler Bozak scored for the Maple Leafs. Mitch Marner and William Nylander each had two assists, and Fredrik Andersen stopped 22 shots for Toronto.

Senators 1, Bruins 0

BOSTON -- Craig Anderson turned aside 22 shots and Bobby Ryan scored 5:49 into the third period as Ottawa took a 3-1 best-of-seven series lead on Boston.

Erik Karlsson's shot from the blue line was intentionally wide and Ryan, getting behind rookie Charlie McAvoy, poked the puck past Tuukka Rask (26 saves) and just over the goal line past a diving Zdeno Chara. It was Ryan's third goal of the series.

Anderson stopped two Brad Marchand breakaways in the first period en route to his fourth career playoff shutout. He also stopped Marchand, who had six shots on goal, twice after Rask was pulled for an extra attacker.

Wild 2, Blues 0

ST. LOUIS -- Charlie Coyle and Martin Hanzal scored in the first two periods and Devan Dubnyk made 28 saves to record his second career playoff shutout as Minnesota stayed alive in a first-round series with St. Louis.

Blues goaltender Jake Allen's first mistake in the series set up the first Wild goal, with 3:10 left in the first period. Allen was caught behind the net as he played the puck, and it went directly to Coyle, who scored his second goal of the series.

The Wild, who trail 3-1 in the series, never had a lead at any point in the first three games but were determined as they took the ice and it showed in the first period. At the time of Coyle's goal, they were outshooting the Blues 11-1.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-20-2017, 01:42 AM

Thursday’s six-pack

Odds to win the Valero Texas Open this week:

16-1— Matt Kuchar

18-1— Charley Hoffman

22-1— Adam Hadwin, Branden Grace, Brooks Koepka, Brendan Steele

25-1— Jimmy Walker
26-1— Ryan Moore

28-1- Billy Horschel

*******************************

Thursday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….

13) Random odd fact: in the next FIVE NBA drafts, the 76ers have the Knicks’ 2nd-round pick. The Knicks are bad, so their 2nd round pick is fairly close to the first round.

12) Shareef O’Neal, Shaq’s son, will be playing ball at Arizona starting in the fall of 2018; he is a 6-9 forward is ranked 31st in the Class of 2018 by one analyst.

11) Bryce Harper homered twice in first two innings last nite, is 15-for-33 with seven HR’s and 17 RBIs off Julio Teheran, who is no chump.

10) Umpire CB Bucknor had a rough night behind the plate Tuesday working the Nats-Braves game; plus the Fox Trax thing that shows whether a pitch is a ball or a strike wasn’t working well on TV, so it made Bucknor look even worse. Washington players were upset afterwards and they won the game.

9) Cardinals 2, Pirates 1— Third day in a row St Louis beat the Bucs by a 2-1 score.

8) Maple Leafs are in the playoffs, Blue Jays are off to a 2-11 start; there were tickets for the Red Sox-Jays game in Toronto last night selling online for as little as $2.

7) Memphis Grizzlies coach David Fizdale was fined $30,000 by the NBA for his comments about the refs in Game 2— the Memphis players are paying the tab for him.

6) Ichiro Suzuki, in what was probably his last at-bat in Seattle, homered in the 9th inning of the Marlins’ 10-5 loss. Suzuki was a great player for the Mariners and is a sure-fire Hall of Famer.

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks this summer.

4) LIU hired former UMass coach Derek Kellogg to lead its basketball program; took them over a month to hire a new coach.

3) Mets’ 1B Lucas Duda hyperextended his elbow taking a throw last nite and left the game- was reminiscent of the play long time ago where Cliff Floyd’s elbow got totally messed up reaching into the baseline to field a throw.

2) Quote of the Day, part 2, from Florida Atlantic’s new football coach Lane Kiffin, on how he will deal with his assistant coaches:

“No, that’s not really how I do it. Greg (McElroy) knows about those. Those things come up, and everybody has different ways of dealing with them. It’s just not really how I do it. I’m not really big on humiliating assistant coaches in front of everybody. I write down notes. In the staff meeting, I explain what we want to get done.”

1— NFL releases the 2017 schedule tonight, so we’ll be talking about that Friday. Remember, it isn’t as much about who you play as much as when you play them.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-20-2017, 01:48 AM

Nhl playoffs record: ( as in baseball dogs and totals only)
All picks for the day:

04/19/2017 1-5-0 16.67% -1950
04/18/2017 1-4-0 20.00% -1650
04/17/2017 1-3-1 25.00% -1100
4/16/2017 6-1-0 85.71% +2550
4/16/2017 6-1-0 85.71% +2550
04/15/2017 1-2-2 33.33% -250
04/14/2017 1-6-0 14.29% -2325
04/13/2017 2-2-1 50.00% +225
04/12/2017 4-5-1 44.44% -940

Best Bets............ Sides...............................Totals

04/19/2017..........1 - 1............+0.50.............0 - 4....................- 4.40
04/18/2017..........0 - 1.............-1.00.............0 - 3 ....................-3.30
04/17/2017..........1 - 0.............+1.10............0 - 3 - 1................-3.30
04/16/2017..........3 - 0.............+3.20............3 - 1....................+1.90
04/15/2017..........1 - 1.............+0.60............1 - 2....................-1.20
04/14/2017..........1 - 2..............-0.25............0 - 4...................- 4.40
04/13/2017..........1 - 1.............+0.55............1 - 1 - 1..............- 0.10
04/12/2017..........1 - 1 ............+1.00............2 - 2 - 1 .............- 0.20

**StarDust Bum** · 04-20-2017, 12:32 PM

NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, April 20

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 5 – Series Tied 2-2

NY Rangers at Montreal, 7:05 PM ET
New York: 12-2 SU after scoring 2 goals or less in 2 straight games
Montreal: 9-18 SU after 2 straight games where 4 or fewer total goals were scored

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 5 – PITT Leads 3-1

Columbus at Pittsburgh, 7:05 PM ET
Columbus: 14-6 SU after playing 2 consecutive home games
Pittsburgh: 9-13 SU in home games revenging a loss where opponent scored 4 or more goals

Western Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 4 – NAS Leads 3-0

Chicago at Nashville, 8:05 PM ET
Chicago: 10-1 SU revenging 2 straight losses where opponent scored 3 or more goals
Nashville: 5-12 SU after a 3 game unbeaten streak

Western Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 5 – Series Tied At 2-2

San Jose at Edmonton, 10:35 PM ET
San Jose: 11-2 SU in road games after 2 consecutive division games
Edmonton: 6-11 SU after a blowout loss by 4 goals or more in their previous game

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, April 20

Road team won six of last nine New York-Montreal games (2-2 in this series); teams split last four games in this building. Rangers are 0-12 on power play in series (Montreal is 2-13); they’re 4-7 overall in last 11 games against the Canadiens. Under is 6-1 in New York’s last seven games. Habs won nine of last 12 games overall; under is 10-3-1 in their last 14 games. Rangers outhit Montreal 43-25 in Game 4; they’ve lost four of last five road games. Canadiens split their last four home games.

Blue Jackets averted sweep with Game 4 win; home team won seven of last eight Columbus-Pittsburgh games; Jackets lost last five visits to Steel City, by combined score of 20-8. Game 4 win was just second in last 11 games overall for Columbus- they were outscored 20-9 in losing five of last six road tilts (under 5-1). Penguins won seven of last ten games overall, winning last four at home- they allowed total of five goals in last four home games (under 4-0). Last two games in series ended 5-4; under is 7-5 in last 12 series games.

San Jose didn’t score in Games 2-3, then whacked Edmonton 7-0 in Game 4, evening series at 2-2. Sharks lost seven of last nine road games; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight games overall. Teams split last four games played here- visitors are 5-3 in last eight series games, with Oilers winning five of last seven. Under is 5-2-1 in Sharks’ last eight games. Edmonton is in playoffs for first time since 2006, when they lost Cup final; they’ve lost four of last five first round series. San Jose lost Stanley Cup final LY; they’re 9-3 in last 12 first round series.

Nashville won Game 3 in OT to take 3-0 series lead; over is 3-1-3 in last seven series games. Nashville won six of its last eight home games, but lost three of last five home games with Chicago. Under is 7-1-3 in last 11 Nashville games. Blackhawks lost last seven games overall, have been shut out in three of their last five games- under is 4-1-4 in their last nine. Chicago lost six of its last seven road games. Chicago scored total of two goals in losing first three series games; need win here to take series back to Windy City.

First round series:
East
Washington-Toronto
Wash 3-2 OT
Tor 4-3 2OT
Tor 4-3 OT
Wash 5-4
Pittsburgh-Columbus
Pitt 3-1
Pitt 4-1
Pitt 5-4 OT
CBJ 5-4
Montreal-NY Rangers
NYR 2-0
Mtl 4-3 OT
Mtl 3-1
NYR 2-1
Ottawa-Boston
Bos 2-1
Ott 4-3 OT
Ott 4-3 OT
Ott 1-0

West
Chicago-Nashville
Nash 1-0
Nash 5-0
Nash 3-2 OT
Minnesota-St Louis
StL 2-1 ot
StL 2-1
StL 3-1
Minn 2-0
Anaheim-Calgary
Ana, 3-2
Ana 3-2
Ana 5-4 OT
Ana 3-1
Ducks win series, 4-0
Edmonton-San Jose
SJ 3-2 ot
Edmonton 2-0
Edmonton 1-0
SJ 7-0

Home teams: 15-16
Over: 10-17-4

NHL

Thursday, April 20

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

7:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. PITTSBURGH
Columbus is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Columbus is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing at home against Columbus
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing Columbus

7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. MONTREAL
NY Rangers are 5-14 SU in their last 19 games when playing on the road against Montreal
NY Rangers are 3-8 SU in their last 11 games when playing Montreal
Montreal is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Montreal is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. NASHVILLE
Chicago is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Chicago is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Nashville's last 7 games at home
Nashville is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

10:30 PM
SAN JOSE vs. EDMONTON
San Jose is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games on the road
San Jose is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Edmonton
Edmonton is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against San Jose
Edmonton is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home

**StarDust Bum** · 04-20-2017, 12:33 PM

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 20

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

NY RANGERS (50-29-0-7, 107 pts.) at MONTREAL (49-28-0-9, 107 pts.) - 4/20/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 15-29 ATS (+44.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 15-9 ATS (+25.0 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 9-4 (+5.1 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 9-4-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.7 Units)

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

COLUMBUS (51-26-0-9, 111 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (53-22-0-11, 117 pts.) - 4/20/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 9-24 ATS (+42.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 74-43 ATS (+19.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 50-25 ATS (+13.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 28-9 ATS (+12.6 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 35-14 ATS (+14.6 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 21-7 ATS (+10.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 51-35 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all games this season.
COLUMBUS is 18-9 ATS (+7.3 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 8-8 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 8-8-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.3 Units)

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

CHICAGO (50-25-0-10, 110 pts.) at NASHVILLE (44-29-0-12, 100 pts.) - 4/20/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 0-7 ATS (-9.8 Units) in April games this season.
NASHVILLE is 22-6 ATS (+12.3 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 24-15 ATS (+5.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NASHVILLE is 16-8 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 433-422 ATS (+876.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 12-19 ATS (-12.0 Units) after a division game this season.
NASHVILLE is 5-12 ATS (+18.6 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 14-9 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 14-9-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
10 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.5 Units)

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

SAN JOSE (48-31-0-7, 103 pts.) at EDMONTON (49-27-0-10, 108 pts.) - 4/20/2017, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 39-23 ATS (+14.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in road games in April games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 16-7 ATS (+8.2 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 27-21 ATS (+54.4 Units) in road games in the first round of the playoffs since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 22-14 ATS (+37.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 9-9 (+2.8 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 9-9-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.5 Units)

**StarDust Bum** · 04-20-2017, 12:34 PM

NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, April 20

San Jose @ Edmonton

Game 7-8
April 20, 2017 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
12.659
Edmonton
9.768
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 3
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Edmonton
-135
5
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(+115); Under

Chicago @ Nashville

Game 5-6
April 20, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
12.500
Nashville
9.928
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+110); Over

Columbus @ Pittsburgh

Game 3-4
April 20, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Columbus
9.316
Pittsburgh
11.821
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-200
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-200); Over

NY Rangers @ Montreal

Game 1-2
April 20, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Rangers
10.779
Montreal
14.374
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 3 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal
-145
5
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(-145); Under

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

NHL

Thursday, April 20

UNDER went 3-1 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last night.
Current O/U status: 10-16-5

**StarDust Bum** · 04-20-2017, 12:35 PM

NHL

Thursday, April 20

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens (-150, 5)

Series tied 2-2

ABOUT THE RANGERS (50-29-3-4, 41-39 O/U): Forward Rick Nash closed the regular season by scoring five times in his last eight games to finish with 23 goals and is carrying it over to the playoffs. Nash scored in Game 2 -- which New York lost in overtime -- and delivered the game-winning tally in Game 4, boosting his totals to seven goals and six assists in his last 13 playoff games. "I was trying to go to the net all night and trying to cause some chaos," Nash said after Tuesday's victory. "We let it all go and put it behind us. We had to. We couldn’t be going back to Montreal down 3-1.”

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (49-28-7-2, 30-41 O/U): Captain Max Pacioretty has scored at least 30 goals in four straight seasons and is still searching for his first of the series, managing only one assist through the four games. but Julien is not concerned. “This is a sport that has ups and downs,” Julien said. "At the end of the day, we look at the big picture and that’s what’s important. And Max Pacioretty, I think we’re pretty happy to have him here in Montreal.” On Tuesday, Julien shifted Alex Galchenyuk to a line with Artturi Lehkonen and Alexander Radulov, who has six points in the last three games.

LINE HISTORY: The Canadiens opened as -150 home favorites. The total opened at 4.5 and bumped up to 5 at most books overnight Wednesday/Thursday.

INJURY REPORT:

Rangers - No injuries to report.

Canadiens - D A. Emelin (Out Indefinitely, lower body).

TRENDS:

* Rangers are 1-6 in their last 7 games following a win.
* Canadiens are 12-3 in their last 15 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
* Under is 6-1 in Rangers last 7 overall.
* Under is 10-2-3 in Canadiens last 15 vs. Metropolitan.
* Rangers are 5-14 in the last 19 meetings in Montreal.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Pittsburgh Penguins (-200, 5.5)

Pens lead series 3-1

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (51-26-7-2, 34-46 O/U): The Columbus Blue Jackets have endured plenty of twists and turns during their franchise-best season, and Cam Atkinson isn't interested in seeing the wild ride come to an end. "We have nothing to lose," the 27-year-old Atkinson told the Columbus Dispatch on the heels of Tuesday's 5-4 victory at Nationwide Arena that closed the Blue Jackets' deficit to 3-1 in the series. Rookie Markus Nutivaara stepped up in place of injured defenseman Zach Werenski on Tuesday, scoring a goal in the second period and setting up Boone Jenner for another in the third during his NHL postseason debut. "Of course I had butterflies, but I just wanted to enjoy ... enjoy every moment I could get out there," the 22-year-old Finn told the Columbus Dispatch. Coach John Tortorella was quick to praise Nutivaara by saying he "played to his strengths," a nice compliment considering the coach had passed up the youngster in the series in favor of Scott Harrington and the inexperienced Gabriel Carlsson.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (53-22-6-5, 49-32 O/U): Pittsburgh rookie Jake Guentzel continued his successful run by scoring on Wednesday to increase his point total to six (five goals, one assist) in the last three games while his goal total is the most in the first four career postseason contests since Montreal's Maurice "Rocket" Richard in 1944. While gladly accepting how his team finishes, Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan repeatedly has taken issue with its sluggish starts in the series. The Penguins were outshot 16-3 in the first period of the opener, 12-7 in Game 2 and fell behind 3-1 and 2-0 on the scoreboard in the next two contests, much to the dismay of Sullivan. "It's about being ready from the drop of the puck. It's a mindset. It's not a wait-and-see approach," Sullivan said following Wednesday's practice. "We've got to be ready to dictate the terms from the very first puck drop."

LINE HISTORY: The Penguins opened as -200 favorites on home ice and the total opened at 5.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Blue Jackets - D Z. Werenski (Out For Season, face), D R. Murray (Late April, hand), RW D. Clarkson (Out Indefinitely, back).

Penguins - D C. Ruhwedel (Questionable, upper body), G M. Murray (Questionable, lower body), LW C. Kunitz (Out Indefinitely, lower body), D K. Letang (Out For Season, neck), LW C. Hagelin (Late April, lower body).

TRENDS:

* Blue Jackets are 1-8 in their last 9 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Penguins are 6-1 in their last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Under is 8-1-1 in Blue Jackets last 10 road games.
* Under is 3-0-1 in Penguins last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Home team is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.

Chicago Blackhawks at Nashville Predators (-125, 5)

Preds lead series 3-0

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (50-25-9-1, 37-33 O/U): The Chicago Blackhawks have faced some unenviable positions en route to winning three Stanley Cup titles in a six-year span (2010-15). None of them matches the current predicament for the top-seeded Blackhawks, who will try to stave off elimination Thursday when they visit the Nashville Predators in Game 4. Chicago has managed two goals in the series, both coming in Game 3, extending a lengthy drought for captain Jonathan Toews, who has not scored in 12 consecutive postseason games dating to the 2015 Cup Final. “That’s something I’m obviously well aware of, and no better moment than a game like tomorrow,” Toews said after Wednesday's practice. "I’m just trying to stay patient and smart and do the right things. Obviously, no more waiting." Patrick Kane, who scored on the power play in Game 3, raised eyebrows when he told reporters that "All the pressure's on (Nashville) to win the next game."

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (44-29-8-4, 41-36 O/U): Predators coach Peter Laviolette certainly will not allow his team to become complacement with the commanding lead -- he was coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 when they overcame a 3-0 deficit versus Boston before advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals and losing to, coincidentally, Chicago. Nashville's Filip Forsberg knows what it's like to struggle in the postseason, scoring once in his last 13 playoff games a year ago, but he made his first two this season count with a pair of third-period goals to force overtime in Game 3. "He's a guy who wants to be on the ice when the game is on the line and he wants the puck when the game is on the line," goaltender Pekka Rinne said. "You want that kind of guy on the ice when the game is on the line. He is really elevating his game." Top-line center Ryan Johansen is having a huge series with one goal and four assists.

LINE HISTORY: The Predators opened as -135 moneyline favorites at home and that number came down slightly to -125. The total hit the board at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Blackhawks - LW A. Desjardins (Questionable, lower body), D M. Rozsival (Out Indefinitely, face).

Predators - LW C. Wilson (Questionable, lower body), LW V. Fiddler (Questionable, upper body).

TRENDS:

* Blackhawks are 0-7 in their last 7 overall.
* Predators are 14-3 in their last 17 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 4-0-1 in Blackhawks last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 7-1-3 in Predators last 11 overall.
* Over is 5-0-4 in the last 9 meetings in Nashville.

San Jose Sharks at Edmonton Oilers (-130, 5)

Series tied 2-2

ABOUT THE SHARKS (48-31-6-1, 23-39 O/U): After being blanked in back-to-back games to fall behind in their Western Conference first-round playoff series, the San Jose Sharks turned the tables on the Edmonton Oilers to draw even. San Jose hopes to carry over the momentum when it visits Edmonton on Thursday for a pivotal Game 5. San Jose also received a big effort from its captain in Game 4 as Joe Pavelski scored his first two goals of the series, including one just 15 seconds into the contest, and added an assist. "We were just ready," Pavelski told reporters. "Everyone was ready. ... There weren't really any lapses in our game." Defenseman Brent Burns, who led the team in scoring during the regular season with a career-high 76 points, was another member of the team to break out, registering three assists for his first points of the series.

ABOUT THE OILERS (49-27-5-5, 33-44 O/U): Edmonton continued its steady march to the penalty box as it technically was short-handed eight times, including a five-minute major during which San Jose cashed in once, to increase its series total to 22. The Oilers dodged a huge bullet, however, as Leon Draisaitl escaped with only a fine from the league for spearing San Jose's Chris Tierney in Game 4 - an infraction that resulted in the major penalty and a game misconduct. Captain Connor McDavid has gone two games without a point, his longest drought since being kept off the scoresheet in back-to-back contests on Jan. 31 and Feb. 2. The reigning Art Ross Trophy winner ended the regular season with a 14-game point streak and extended it over the first two games of the series. Defenseman Kris Russell, who topped the NHL during the regular season with 213 blocked shots, increased his playoff-leading total to 22 with a game-high six in Game 4.

LINE HISTORY: The Oilers opened as -120 home favorites for Game 5 and that number was up to -130 by Wednesday night. The total hit the board at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Sharks - No injuries to report.

Oilers - D A. Ference (Out For Season, hip), RW T. Pitlick (Out For Season, knee).

TRENDS:

* Sharks are 4-1 in their last 5 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.
* Oilers are 10-1 in their last 11 home games.
* Under is 1-0-7 in Sharks last 8 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Over is 4-0-1 in Oilers last 5 Thursday games.
* Sharks are 15-7 in the last 22 meetings in Edmonton.

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