The Bum's NHL Best Bets-Trends-News Etc. !

[StarDust Bum]

NHL PLAYOFFS RECORD: ( AS IN BASEBALL DOGS AND TOTALS ONLY)

ALL PICKS FOR THE DAY:

04/13/2017 2-2-1 50.00% +225
04/12/2017 4-5-1 44.44% -940

BEST BETS SIDES TOTALS

04/13/2017..........1 - 1.............+0.55............1 - 1 - 1..............+ 0.00
04/12/2017..........1 - 1 ............+ 1.00...........2 - 2 - 1 .............+ 0.00


FRIDAY, APRIL 14

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CLB at PIT 07:00 PM

CLB +130

O 5.5

NYR at MON 07:00 PM

U 5.0

STL at MIN 08:00 PM

STL +175

O 5.0

SJ at EDM 10:30 PM

SJ +115

O 5.0

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, APRIL 15

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TOR at WAS

U 5.5

NAS at CHI 08:00 PM

NAS +160

O 5.0

CAL at ANA 10:30 PM

CAL +140

O 5.0

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, April 15

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BOSTON (45-31-0-7, 97 pts.) at OTTAWA (44-29-0-10, 98 pts.) - 4/15/2017, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 44-39 ATS (-7.2 Units) in all games this season.
OTTAWA is 33-26 ATS (+6.5 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 34-25 ATS (+59.8 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 67-55 ATS (+131.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 20-14 ATS (+34.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 21-10 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 190-214 ATS (+460.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 10-4 (+10.4 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 10-4-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.5 Units)

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TORONTO (40-27-0-16, 96 pts.) at WASHINGTON (56-19-0-8, 120 pts.) - 4/15/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 48-90 ATS (+155.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 7-26 ATS (+44.7 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 4-12 ATS (-8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 56-27 ATS (+28.0 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 35-13 ATS (+12.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 17-8 ATS (+25.2 Units) when trailing in a playoff series since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 8-2 (+5.9 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 8-2-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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NASHVILLE (42-29-0-12, 96 pts.) at CHICAGO (50-24-0-9, 109 pts.) - 4/15/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 90-89 ATS (-26.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 7-13 ATS (-9.5 Units) on Saturday games this season.
NASHVILLE is 10-19 ATS (-13.7 Units) after a division game this season.
CHICAGO is 20-9 ATS (+7.0 Units) after a division game this season.
CHICAGO is 433-420 ATS (+951.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 196-170 ATS (+371.6 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 22-15 ATS (+6.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NASHVILLE is 14-8 ATS (+22.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 0-5 ATS (-8.5 Units) in April games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 14-7 (+5.9 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 14-7-0 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)

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CALGARY (45-34-0-4, 94 pts.) at ANAHEIM (47-23-0-13, 107 pts.) - 4/15/2017, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 19-7 ATS (+10.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
ANAHEIM is 29-16 ATS (+8.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 16-4 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games after a division game this season.
ANAHEIM is 22-15 ATS (+1.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ANAHEIM is 25-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 45-38 ATS (+4.4 Units) in all games this season.
CALGARY is 25-15 ATS (+40.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 17-4 (+12.3 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 17-4-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
13 of 20 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+6.6 Units)

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NHL
Short Sheet

Saturday, April 15

Boston at Ottawa, 3:05 PM ET
Boston: 8-14 SU after having won 6 or 7 of their last 8
Ottawa: 28-18 SU after allowing 2 goals or more in the third period last game

Toronto at Washington, 7:05 PM ET
Toronto: 19-47 SU after having lost 4 of their last 5
Washington: 35-10 SU in home games after playing a home game

Nashville at Chicago, 8:05 PM ET
Nashville: 0-6 SU off a road win against a division rival
Chicago: 10-1 SU after scoring 2 goals or less in 2 straight games

Calgary at Anaheim, 10:35 PM ET
Calgary: 5-0 SU off a close road loss by 1 goal
Anaheim: 3-5 SU off 2 consecutive close home wins by 1 goal




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, April 15

Boston snapped six-game skid vs Ottawa in Game 1, getting GW goal with 2:33 left; Bruins have still lost five of last six games in this building- four of last five series games stayed under total. Bruins won seven of last eight games overall, including last three road games. Under is 8-1 in their last nine games. Senators won three of last five games, three of last four at home. Under is 4-1 in their last five games. Teams combined to go 0-6 on power play (Bruins 0-4, Ottawa 0-2). Bruins were outshot 12-0 in 2nd period of Game 2, first time they went a whole period in a playoff game without a SOG since 1939.

Washington scored 5:15 into OT to beat the younger, underdog Leafs 3-2 in Game 1, after Toronto went ahead 2-0 in first 9:44 of game. Caps outshot Toronto 44-37. have now won eight of last nine games with Maple Leafs, who have now lost their last six games in this building (under 3-1-1 in last five). Toronto won three of last four road games; under is 3-1-1 in their last five games overall. Capitals won nine of their last 11 games, five of last six at home. Under is 4-0-1 in last five Maple Leaf games. Washington wad 1-3 on power play in Game 1; Toronto was 0-1.

Nashville posted its first-ever road playoff shutout with 1-0 Game 1 win, just their second win in seven playoff games in Chicago, which has now won three of last four games with Nashville (over 3-1-1); Predators are 2-4 in their last six games in Windy City. Overall, Nashville lost five of last eight games, three of last five on road. Under is 7-1-1 in their last nine games. Blackhawks lost their last five games overall, with two OT losses; they’re 2-3 in last five home games. Under is 4-1-1 in their last five games, overall. Chicago won Stanley Cup three times in last seven years; they lost their first round series three of other four years.

Ducks won Game 1 3-2 over Calgary, outshooting Flames 41-32, scoring twice on power play. Anaheim won 10 of last 11 games vs Calgary, winning last 28 series games in the Pond- last time Flames won in Anaheim was a playoff game in 2006. Over is 5-3-1 in last nine series games. Flames lost four of last five games overall; they’re 2-5 in last seven road games. Ducks won five in row, nine of last 11 games; they won last seven home games. Over is 4-2-3 in their last nine games. Calgary is in playoffs for only second time in last eight years; they’re 1-4 in first round series since losing ’04 Cup Finals.




NHL

Saturday, April 15

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
BOSTON vs. OTTAWA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
Ottawa is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston

7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. WASHINGTON
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto

8:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. CHICAGO
Nashville is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games on the road
Chicago is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Nashville
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Nashville

10:30 PM
CALGARY vs. ANAHEIM
Calgary is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Calgary is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games
Anaheim is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Anaheim is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Saturday, April 15


Calgary @ Anaheim

Game 85-86
April 15, 2017 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
10.501
Anaheim
12.369
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Anaheim
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-155
5
Dunkel Pick:
Anaheim
(-155); Under

Nashville @ Chicago

Game 83-84
April 15, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
9.253
Chicago
13.068
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 4
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
-175
5
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(-175); Over

Toronto @ Washington

Game 81-82
April 15, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
12.588
Washington
10.136
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-250
5
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+210); Over

Boston @ Ottawa

Game 79-80
April 15, 2017 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
12.517
Ottawa
10.203
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 2 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-115
5
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-115); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Saturday, April 15

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Saturday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds
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The Blackhawks are just 3-6 in playoff openers since Joel Quenneville became head coach, but they do have three Stanley Cup wins in that span.

Boston Bruins at Ottawa Senators (-105, 5)

Bruins lead series 1-0

ABOUT THE BRUINS: Already missing injured defensemen Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo, Boston likely will be without blue-liner Colin Miller as well, making the decision to sign Charlie McAvoy look brilliant rather the desperation move it appeared to be. Fresh out of Boston University and with just four games of AHL experience on his resume, the 19-year-old McAvoy turned in an eye-opening NHL debut, playing 24-plus minutes while paired with captain Zdeno Chara. "There’s not much more you can say than he was phenomenal,” center Patrice Bergeron said of McAvoy, a first-round pick in 2016.

ABOUT THE SENATORS: While Boston's blue line is in tatters, Ottawa could be receiving a boost along its defense corps with the potential return of Marc Method, who has been sidelined since March 23 after his finger was slashed by Sidney Crosby. “I felt pretty good," Methot said after Friday's practice. "At this point, we’re going to have to wait until tomorrow morning and see what happens and discuss everything with the coaches and the trainers.” Bobby Ryan, who ended a 13-game goal drought in the regular-season finale, scored against Boston and recorded a game-high six shots on goal.

LINE HISTORY: The Senators opened this game as very slight home underdogs at +100 and while they're still pups the line has moved in their direction a bit to the current number of -105. Oddsmakers pegged the total for Game 2 at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Bruins - C N. Acciari (Questionable Saturday, upper body), D B. Carlo (Doubtful Saturday, upper body), C D. Krejci (Out Satuday, upper body), D C. Miller (Out Saturday, knee), D T. Krug (Out indefinitely, lower body).

Senators - D M. Methot (Questionable Saturday, Finger).

TRENDS:

* Bruins are 5-0 in their last five first round games.
* Senators are 1-6 in their last seven games playing on two days rest.
* Under is 5-0 in the Bruins last five games overall.
* Under is 6-0 in the Senators last six games playing on two days rest.



Toronto Maple Leafs at Washington Capitals (-250, 5.5)

Capitals lead series 1-0

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS: Toronto's youth was on display early as 19-year-old rookie Mitch Marner scored 1:35 into the game and defenseman Jake Gardner doubled the advantage eight minutes later. "I just think we didn't come with any nerves," Marner said of the Maple Leafs, who had nine players making their playoff debuts and their entire lineup having just 292 combined postseason appearances, as opposed to Washington boasting more than 1,000 spread across its lineup. "Just come in here and play a hockey game, and I think that was what we all did." Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev (upper body) will have to wait to make his playoff debut as his spirited argument to compete in Game 2 was denied by Babcock on Friday.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS: Captain Alex Ovechkin traditionally has the answer for most of the problems on the ice, but the three-time Hart Trophy winner was at a loss for his team's slow start out of the gate. "It's hard to say what was up there," Ovechkin told reporters. "Maybe we were a little bit nervous, maybe kind of feel the pressure a little bit. But when they score, all the bench said, 'Just calm down and let's play our way.' " Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie (team co-leaders with 33 goals) found it hard to do that against a tenacious Toronto defense as each mustered just one shot, although the latter set up Williams' first tally for his seventh point (five goals, two assists) in his last seven playoff games.

LINE HISTORY: The Capitals opened Game 2 as big -265 favorites, but thanks to the Leafs strong outting in Game 1, bettors have moved the line down to -250. As for the total, oddsmakers opened it at 5 and it been bet up to 5.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Maple Leafs - D N. Zaitsev (Out Saturday, upper body), LW J. Leivo (Out indefinitely, undisclosed), RW N. Soshnikov (Out indefinitely, undisclosed).

TRENDS:

* Maple Leafs are 1-8 in the last nine meetings.
* Home team is 21-8 in the last 29 meetings.
* Under is 4-1 in the Maple Leafs last five games overall.
* Under is 5-0-1 in the Capitals last six games overall.



Nashville Predators at Chicago Blackhawks (-175, 5)

Predators lead series 1-0

ABOUT THE PREDATORS: The Predators have a chance to take a commanding edge over an opponent that eliminated them in six games in a first-round series two years ago. The 29-save performance of Pekka Rinne was huge for obvious reasons, especially given the fact that Chicago piled up 18 goals in winning the last four matchups his season. "If you are going to make a deep playoff run, everyone is going to have to be great," Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis said. "But your goalie is going to have to be your best player because there are going to be times where he is going to have to be the difference maker and tonight he was phenomenal." Nashville's top line delivered the lone goal, with Viktor Arvidsson converting on a pass from Filip Forsberg.

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS: Chicago is only 3-6 in playoff openers since Joel Quenneville took over behind the bench, a span in which it has three Stanley Cups. With Chicago going nearly 14 minutes without a shot on goal in the first period of Game 1, rookie Nick Schmaltz found himself on the bench for a brief time -- a move that could translate into Game 2. Fellow rookies Ryan Hartman and John Hayden both took turns on the line with captain Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik during Friday's practice while Schmaltz was moved to Marcus Kruger's line, which was missing Marian Hossa (rest). "I don’t know if I was nervous or what I was, but I just felt like I was just getting rid of the puck when I had it," Schmaltz said after practice.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Blackhawks as moderate -180 favorites for Game to, but the number has moved down slightly to the current number of -175. The total is on the board at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

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

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

TRENDS:

* Predators are 8-2 in their last 10 games vs. Western Conference opponents.
* Blackhawks are 0-5 in their last five games overall.
* Under is 7-1-1 in the Predators last nine games overall.
* Under is 4-0 in the Blackhawks last four games overall.



Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks (-155, 5)

Ducks lead series 1-0

ABOUT THE FLAMES: Brian Elliott dragged a dismal 1-7-3 mark against the Ducks with a 3.20 goals-against average and .884 save percentage into the series, but the 32-year-old was done in by his mates - rather than his 38-save performance on Thursday. "It's tough when we give them everything," Elliott said. "Two power-play goals and a bad change, it's not like they really earned it that much. We kind of gave it to them. We clean things up (in Game 2) and we take care of business." Kris Versteeg has been all business this month as he set up goals by centers Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett on Thursday to increase his point total to 10 (two goals, eight assists) in his last eight games.

ABOUT THE DUCKS: The streaking Ducks will vie for their 29th consecutive home win and a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Flames on Saturday. Jakob Silfverberg scored and set up a goal Thursday to increase his playoff point total to six (one goal, five assists) in his last five contests. Fellow forward Rickard Rakell (team-leading 33 goals) also tallied to extend his point streak to three games, during which he has two goals and three assists. Ryan Kesler was held off the scoresheet for the third time in four contests but contributed in the series opener by winning 13 of 21 draws to help Anaheim seize a decided 49-29 edge in the faceoff circle.

LINE HISTORY: The Ducks opened Game 2 as fairly large -186 home favorites, but they have been faded all the way down to -155. Oddsmakers opened the total at a low 4.5, but the number was quickly bet up to 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Flames - G C. Johnson (Questionable Saturday, leg).

Ducks - D K. Holzer (Questionable Saturday, personal), D C. Stoner (Questionable Satruday, abdominal), LW N. Ritchie (Eligible Saturday, suspension), D C. Fowler (Mid May, knee).

TRENDS:

* Flames are 0-28 in their last 28 games in Anaheim.
* Once again because it is so mind-boggling. The Flames are 0-28 in their last 28 games in Anaheim.
* Ducks are 5-0 in their last five games overall.
* Under is 3-0-3 in the Flames last six road games.
* Over is 4-1 in Ducks last 5 games after allowing two goals or less in their previous game.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL playoffs producing plenty of profits for Under bettors
By: Jason Logan

You’d be hard pressed to find another postseason tournament with as much intensity as the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Just look at the shape of some of these faces after only one round… yeesh. And so far, that intensity has translated into Under profits for NHL totals bettors.

Through three days of competition, the Stanley Cup playoffs have produced a 1-9-2 Over/Under mark, with postseason games featuring just 3.75 goals per game. That’s a 90 percent winning clip for fans of low-scoring hockey and a near two-goal drop in scoring compared to the regular season.

While this three-day Under run is a small sample size, Under results in the postseason are common place in the opening round, especially for the Eastern Conference side of the bracket. Eastern Conference first round games went 14-26-7 Over/Under the past two seasons – 65 percent Unders – and have a combined record of 38-40-16 O/U since 2013, compared to 46-31-18 O/U over in the Western Conference.

So far in 2017, Eastern Conference first round games are 1-5 O/U while the West is 0-4-2 O/U, heading into Saturday’s action. That’s a 15-31-7 O/U mark in the first round of the East Conference playoffs the past three years (more than 67 percent winners for Unders).

And, for what it’s worth, the lone Over result from these playoffs looked like a push with the 5-goal total for all but 17 seconds of the Rangers-Canadiens Game 2 Friday, when Montreal tied the game 3-3 in the dying seconds and eventually won in overtime.

Oddsmakers find themselves in a bit of a bind when it comes to hockey totals. The majority of games see totals of either five or 5.5 goals, with the juice shaded on the Over or Under depending on the number and teams involved. Friday’s Canadiens-Rangers game had the Under five goals juiced around -145 while hockey bettors could get the Under five goals in San Jose-Edmonton at the standard -110 line.

Books are hesitant to drop a total into the 4.5-goal range but did so for Saturday’s showdown between the Flames and Ducks. However, that number did stick around long as Over money smashed it back up to the standard 5-goal total.

This low-scoring opening round is a bit contradictory to the regular season results. NHL games finished with a collective 529-549-152 Over/Under record in 2016-17, but scoring was up to a six-year high of 5.54 goals per game (most goals since 5.58 goals per game in 2010-11) and oddsmakers even posted totals of six and 6.5 goals – something that hadn’t happened in almost three seasons of hockey.

[StarDust Bum]

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

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

04/15/2017..........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..............+ 0.00
04/12/2017..........1 - 1 ............+1.00............2 - 2 - 1 .............+ 0.00

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

— Jazz 97, Clippers 95— Rudy Gobert hyperextended his knee, a problem for Utah.

— Cavaliers 109, Pacers 108— CJ Miles missed a 14-footer at the buzzer for Indiana.

— Bucks 97, Raptors 83— Surprisingly easy win for Milwaukee.

— Ottawa 4, Bruins 3 OT— Senators even series 1-1, scoring at 1:59 of overtime.

— Maple Leafs 4, Capitals 3, 2OT— Toronto scored 11:53 into the second overtime.

— Anaheim 3, Calgary 2— Flames have now lost 29 games in a row in Anaheim.

**********

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday

13) Saturday was Jackie Robinson Day across major league baseball; Mr Robinson put up with a lot of BS when he broke into the major leagues and deserves recognition, but what about Larry Doby, who did the same thing, only in the American League with Cleveland? No one ever mentions the guy.

12) Underrated baseball record: Most consecutive times reaching base— 17, held by Earl Averill (1962) and another guy who did it in 1883.

11) 26 players on the Cincinnati Reds’ 40-man roster are pitchers; because of that, the Reds are targeting versatile players who give their manager more flexibility within games and also in making players, giving starters days off.

10) You listen to Reds’ games on TV, no hometown homers there; oh they want the Reds to win, but if they play badly, their own announcers will rip them. Much different than most places.

9) Dodgers 8, Arizona 4— Since start of the 2014 season, Diamondbacks are now 17-42 against Los Angeles.

8) Blue Jays 2, Orioles 1— Kendrys Morales won it with a walk-off tater, a much-needed win for a Toronto team off to a dismal 2-9 start.

7) Astros 10, A’s 6— Houston scored 10 runs, despite not getting a hit in the first six innings. It is hard to describe how badly the A’s played in the last three innings- they led 5-0 after five.

6) On February 12, 2016, the A’s to Khris Davis from Milwaukee for minor leaguers Bowdien Derby and Jacob Nottingham.

Derby is a pitcher who was 6-13, 5.59 in the Class A Florida State league last year. He is a relief pitcher in AA this season.

Nottingham is a catcher who hit .234 in the AA Southern League LY and is back there this year.

In a year-plus with Oakland, Khris Davis has hit 47 homers in 161 games.

5) Former Washington Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar signed on with Arizona as an assistant coach, taking the place of Joe Pasternack, the new coach at UCSB.

4) Nashville 5, Chicago 0— Blackhawks didn’t score a goal in two home playoff games this week.

3) Speaking of Nashville, they had 11,097 fans for a AAA baseball game Saturday. Not bad.

2) Our thoughts and prayers are with Celtics’ star Isaiah Thomas, who lost his 22-year old sister in a car accident in the state of Washington Saturday morning. Terrible tragedy.

1— I am a basketball guy, but the NHL playoffs are so much better than the NBA’s version; there is nothing sign sports quite as dramatic as overtime in a playoff game.

San Jose has a player named Logan Couture who to hit in the face with a puck, but is still playing, even though it hurts him to breathe!!!!! Think about that for a second.

While NBA players ask for days off for a mental break from a long season, Couture is playing with a mouth held together by plastic and wire- he probably needs 7 or 8 teeth replaced/taken out completely after the season.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, April 16

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MINNESOTA (49-26-0-9, 107 pts.) at ST LOUIS (48-29-0-7, 103 pts.) - 4/16/2017, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 46-54 ATS (-26.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 5-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 107-79 ATS (+21.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 29-18 ATS (+7.5 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 55-41 ATS (-0.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 11-7 ATS (+3.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
MINNESOTA is 10-5 ATS (+15.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 0-5 ATS (-6.4 Units) in home games when leading in a playoff series over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 12-10 (+2.8 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 12-10-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-1.0 Units)

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PITTSBURGH (52-21-0-11, 115 pts.) at COLUMBUS (50-26-0-8, 108 pts.) - 4/16/2017, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 27-38 ATS (-23.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 50-34 ATS (+10.5 Units) in all games this season.
COLUMBUS is 23-13 ATS (+39.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
PITTSBURGH is 73-42 ATS (+11.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 49-24 ATS (+14.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 14-25 ATS (-13.7 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 10-23 ATS (-16.5 Units) in home games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 8-23 ATS (+38.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 7-7 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 7-7-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.4 Units)

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MONTREAL (48-27-0-9, 105 pts.) at NY RANGERS (49-28-0-7, 105 pts.) - 4/16/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 24-11 ATS (+24.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
MONTREAL is 16-8 ATS (+7.1 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 8-13 ATS (-15.7 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 98-134 ATS (-101.2 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 190-225 ATS (-145.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 7-14 ATS (-12.0 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.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 8-3 (+5.2 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 8-3-0 straight up against NY RANGERS 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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EDMONTON (48-26-0-10, 106 pts.) at SAN JOSE (47-30-0-7, 101 pts.) - 4/16/2017, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 123-78 ATS (-10.6 Units) in April games since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 28-12 ATS (+11.7 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 44-43 ATS (-16.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 43-42 ATS (-33.9 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 22-23 ATS (-12.8 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 166-143 ATS (-80.8 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 8-8 (+2.8 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 8-8-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.4 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, April 16

St Louis won both games in Minnesota by 2-1 score, despite being outshot 76-48, outhit 73-39; they’ve won seven of last nine games overall with Minnesota. Over is 3-4-1 in last eight series games. Blues won eight of last ten games overall, six of last eight at home. Minnesota had won four in a row before this series; Wild lost five of its last seven road games- their last three 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.

Penguins won first two games of series at home; they were +10 in blocked shots both games, killed all four Columbus power plays, but were outshot 72-61. Pittsburgh has now won six of its last eight games, with five of last seven staying under total. Blue Jackets have now lost eight of last nine games- they scored total of 21 goals in their last 12 games. Last three Columbus games stayed under the total. Home side won eight of last nine Columbus-Pittsburgh games; under is 7-3 in last ten series games.

Canadiens got blanked at home by New York in Game 1, then won game 2 in OT, after twin game (and averting disaster) with 0:18 left in regulation; Montreal won six of last nine games with the Rangers; road team won six of those nine games. Over is 4-2-1 in last seven series games. Rangers are 4-5 in last nine games overall- four of their last five games stayed under. Canadiens won seven of last ten games; under is 8-3-1 in their last 12. Rangers won their last four first round series; Montreal missed playoffs LY- they split last six first round series, over last eight years.

Edmonton won four of its last six road games, nine of last 11 overall- over is 3-2-1 in its last six games. Over is 3-1-2 in their last six games. San Jose won three of its last four home games; under is 4-1-1 in their last six games overall. Desperate Oilers outhit Sharks 41-21 in game 2- they outshot San Jose 36-16, after being outshot 44-19 in Game 1 loss. Oilers are 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. Oilers won four of last five games with San Jose.




NHL

Sunday, April 16

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. ST. LOUIS
Minnesota is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Minnesota
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota

6:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. COLUMBUS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing Columbus
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games
Columbus is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
Columbus is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

7:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. NY RANGERS
Montreal is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Rangers
Montreal is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
NY Rangers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 5 games

10:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. SAN JOSE
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Edmonton's last 10 games when playing on the road against San Jose
Edmonton is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against San Jose
San Jose is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Edmonton
San Jose is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Sunday, April 16

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Sunday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds
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Sindey Crosby and the Penguins can take a stranglehold on their first round series with a win vs. the Blue Jackets Sunday. Pittsburgh is currently +100.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue Sunday with four pivotal Game 3's on the slate, as two teams try to get back in their series, while two others are looking to take a stranglehold 3-0 lead. We break down all the games to help you handicap all of the action on the ice.

Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues (-110, 5)

Blues lead series 2-0

ABOUT THE BLUES: Schwartz, who recorded 11 points in the last 11 games of the regular season, also had an assist in Game 1 and linemate Vladimir Tarasenko has been held to one assist, but shares the team lead with seven shots. Nine players have a least a point in the first two games and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is one of them while posting seven shots and a plus-2 rating. Zach Sanford is expected to play in place of fellow forward Jori Lehtera for the second straight game Sunday and veteran defenseman Robert Bortuzzo returned after missing five games with an upper-body injury Friday as rookie Jordan Schmaltz sat out.

ABOUT THE WILD: Leading scorer Mikael Granlund has been held to one assist in the first two games and captain Mikko Koivu has produced the same while the linemates have combined for 10 shots. Minnesota will need to get some offense from forwards Charlie Coyle and Jason Zucker, who have registered 17 shots between them but no points. Defenseman Jonas Brodin struggled in the first two games - posting a minus-3 rating and no shots on goal - in front of goalie Devan Dubnyk, has stopped 44 of the 48 shots he has faced after winning a career-high 40 games in the regular season.

LINE HISTORY: The Blues hit the board as slight -115 home favorites for Game 2 and have been bet down a bit to the current number of -110. Oddsmakers set the total at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Wild - D V. Bartley (Questionable Sunday, tricep), C E. Haula (Questionable Sunday, lower body).

Blues - C P. Stastny (Questionable Sunday, foot), D R. Bortuzzo (Out indefinitely, upper body).

TRENDS:

* Wild are 0-6 in their last six road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Blues are 4-1 in their last five games playing on one days rest.
* Under is 4-0-2 in the Blues last six vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.



Pittsburgh Penguins at Columbus Blue Jackets (-120, 5.5)

Penguins lead series 2-0

ABOUT THE PENGUINS: The "HBK Line" was all the rage last spring as Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel catapulted Pittsburgh on its way to its fourth Stanley Cup title in franchise history. This time, it's the tentatively titled line of "Sid and the Kids" consisting of Sidney Crosby, rookie Jake Guentzel and second-year forward Conor Sheary that has captured the hearts of the Steel City following a six-point performance (two goals, four assists) and 10 shots on goal Friday. Crosby has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in his last 17 games overall, Guentzel has 18 (eight goals, 10 assists) in his last 13 after scoring and setting up a goal on Friday and Sheary added a brilliant secondary assist in Game 2. "They're three really good players," coach Mike Sullivan said of the line. "I think they play the game with a lot of courage. They go to the battle areas. They have great hockey sense and they're quick. They're hard to defend."

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS: Sergei Bobrovsky wasn't much for talking after misplaying a puck behind his net in Game 2, resulting in an easy tap-in goal for Crosby. "I don't want to talk about it," the 2013 Vezina Trophy winner said of the gaffe, per the Columbus Dispatch. "It's a mistake and I take that (one)." Although the 28-year-old Bobrovsky is 0-5-0 with an .879 save percentage in April, captain Nick Foligno was quick to the tell the newspaper that "we have full confidence in Bob that he's going to shut the door."

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Blue Jackets as -125 favorites for Game 3 and have been faded slightly to -120. The total hit the board at 5.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Penguins - D C. Ruhwedel (Questionable Sunday, upper body), G M. Murray (Doutbful Sunday, lower body), LW C. Kunitz (Out indefinitely, lower body), LW C. Hagelin (Late April, lower body).

Blue Jackets - LW M. Calvert (Out Sunday, suspension), LW L. Sedlak (Out indefintely, upper body), D R. Murray (Late April, hand).

TRENDS:

* Home team is 6-0 in the last six meetings.
* Blue Jackets are 1-8 in their last nine games overall.
* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Under is 8-1-1 in the Blue Jackets last 10 games vs. Eastern Conference opponents.



Montreal Canadiens at New York Rangers (-130, 5)

Series tied 1-1

ABOUT THE RANGERS: Friday's morale-sapping defeat aside, a bright spot for New York in the series has been the offensive re-emergence of Michael Grabner, who scored into an empty net in the opener before converting on a breakaway in Game 2, beating Carey Price with a spectacular move. Grabner finished second on the team with 27 goals -- the second-highest total of his career -- due to a late-season season in which he tallied once in the final 23 games. It's a continution of postseason success for Grabner, who has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his last eight playoff games.

ABOUT THE CANADIENS: Tomas Plekanec is coming off a 10-goal season, the least productive campaign since he scored nine as a rookie with Montreal in 2005-06. Yet with the Canadiens in desperation mode and the clock ticking down, coach Claude Julien had Plekanec on the ice and the 34-year-old veteran responded by redirecting a beautiful feed from Radulov to send the game into overtime. While noting Plekanec's defensive skills, Julien defended the move by saying, "So that doesn't mean that at the end he can't be a good offensive player, and that's why we put him out there."

LINE HISTORY: The Rangers hit the board at -125 and have been bet up slightly to -130 for the pivotal Game 3. Meanwhile oddsmakers set the total at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Canadiens - D A. Emelin (Questionable Sunday, lower body).

Rangers - No injuries to report.

TRENDS:

* Canadiens are 4-0 in the last four meetings in New York.
* Rangers are 2-8 in their last 10 home games.
* Under is 13-3-3 in the Canadiens last 19 road games.
* Under is 5-1-5 in the last 11 meetings in New York.



Edmonton Oilers at San Jose Sharks (-135, 5)

Series tied 1-1

ABOUT THE OILERS: At 20 years, 91 days, Connor McDavid became the youngest member of the franchise to score a playoff goal since Martin Gelinas (19 years, 319 days) in Game 2 of the 1990 Smythe Division Final versus Los Angeles. McDavid is riding a 16-game point streak that began on March 14 and has seen him collect eight goals and 19 assists. Oscar Klefbom, who scored in the series opener, left Game 2 in the third period after being hit in the left leg with a shot but is expected to play Sunday, although Edmonton recalled fellow defenseman Griffin Reinhart from Bakersfield of the American Hockey League as a precaution.

ABOUT THE SHARKS: While it may have learned how to protect a two-goal lead in Game 2, Edmonton continued to spend way too much time in the penalty box - but San Jose failed to cash in. The Sharks have received six power-play opportunities in each of the first two contests but have converted just once. "I think our power play in the second game mimicked our 5-on-5 play - we weren't hungry enough and we got outworked in a lot of areas," coach Peter DeBoer told reporters. "We just have to get back at it. I liked it in Game 1 and I didn't like it in Game 2."

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Sharks as -133 home favorites for Game 3 and they have been bet up ever so slightly to the current number of -135. The total is on the board at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Oilers - D O. Klefbom (Questionable Sunday, lower body).

Rangers - C J. Thornton (Questionable Sunday, knee).

TRENDS:

* Oilers are 13-3 in their last 16 games overall.
* Oilers 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Over is 4-0-1 in the Oilers last five road games.
* Under is 10-2-5 in the Sharks last 17 games playing on one days rest.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Sunday, April 16


Edmonton @ San Jose

Game 7-8
April 16, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
10.298
San Jose
11.878
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(-130); Over

Montreal @ NY Rangers

Game 5-6
April 16, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
10.240
NY Rangers
12.058
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Rangers
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Rangers
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
NY Rangers
(-125); Under

Pittsburgh @ Columbus

Game 3-4
April 16, 2017 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
9.759
Columbus
11.312
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Columbus
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Columbus
-120
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Columbus
(-120); Over

Minnesota @ St. Louis

Game 1-2
April 16, 2017 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
12.824
St. Louis
9.567
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 3 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-115
5
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-105); Over

[StarDust Bum]

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

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

04/15/2017..........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..............+ 0.00
04/12/2017..........1 - 1 ............+1.00............2 - 2 - 1 .............+ 0.00


SUNDAY, APRIL 16

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIN at STL 03:00 PM

STL +105

U 5.0

PIT at CLB 06:00 PM

U 5.5

MON at NYR 07:00 PM

MON +105

U 5.0

EDM at SJ 10:00 PM

EDM +110

U 5.0

[StarDust Bum]

NHL roundup: Guentzel hat trick helps Pens go up 3-0 on Jackets
April 16, 2017

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jake Guentzel scored his third goal of the game at 13:10 of overtime, and the Pittsburgh Penguins took a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series with a 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night.

Bryan Rust had two goals for the Penguins, who rallied from an early 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead in the third period. Evgeni Malkin contributed three assists, and Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby had two assists each for the Penguins.

Cam Atkinson scored two first-period goals for the Blue Jackets. Zach Werenski and Brandon Dubinsky also had goals, and Nick Foligno added two assists.

Canadiens 3, Rangers 1

NEW YORK -- Alexander Radulov had a goal and an assist, and Montreal used a suffocating defense to beat New York in Game 3 of their first-round series at Madison Square Garden. The Canadiens hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series that resumes Tuesday night.

Carey Price made 20 saves. He had his shutout spoiled by the Rangers' Brady Skjei with 2:56 remaining and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (26 saves) on the bench for an extra attacker.

Artturi Lehkonen and Shea Weber also had goals for the Canadiens.

Blues 3, Wild 1

ST. LOUIS -- Jaden Schwartz scored a power-play goal late in the second period to send St. Louis to a win over Minnesota and to a 3-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Jake Allen, who stopped 74 of 76 Wild shots in the first two games on the road, made 40 saves, including 19 in the third period, as the Blues once again stymied the high-scoring Minnesota offense that finished second in the NHL in the regular season with 266 goals.

Colton Parayko and Alex Steen also scored for the Blues, while Charlie Coyle scored for the Wild.

[StarDust Bum]

Thornton returns to Sharks in Game 3
April 16, 2017

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton is back in the lineup after missing the first two games of the playoffs with a left knee injury.

Thornton is in his usual role as the top-line center for San Jose against Edmonton on Sunday night. Thornton had missed the past two weeks after injuring his knee in a regular-season game at Vancouver. The Sharks split the first two games of the series in Edmonton without Thornton.

Thornton started the game on a line with captain Joe Pavelski and Melker Karlsson as his wings. Logan Couture moved down to second-line center. Couture struggled the first two games as he's recovered after losing several teeth when he took a puck to the face last month.

Mikkel Boedker was scratched to make room for Thornton.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Early betting odds on the 2017 Heisman Trophy:

15-2— Sam Darnold (USC), Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), Lamar Jackson (Louisville)

9-1- JT Barrett, Ohio State

12-1— Jake Browning, Washington

14-1— Deondre Francois, Florida State

15-1— Jalen Hurts (Alabama), Saquon Barkley (Penn State)

16-1— Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State

**********

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

13) Bulls 106, Celtics 102— Isaiah Thomas scored 33 points in 38:00, the day after he found out his 22-year old sister died in a car accident. Boston took 38 3’s, 48 2’s; seems like a lot- they only took 19 foul shots.

12) ESPN had the Cubs on in primetime Opening Night in St Louis, which is fine- they’re World Champs and deserve it; ESPN’s next three Sunday night games were in Queens, Bronx and next week again, Queens. What the bleep are they thinking?

Teams like Toronto, Kansas City and Houston are rarely on national TV, then networks wonder why playoff ratings are low when those teams make it. Promote the whole sport, not just teams in New York, plus the Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox.

11) Mets’ first 32 games this season are all against NL East opponents.

10) Miami 4, Mets 2— JT Riddle’s first major league hit was a walk-off homer. The way the Marlins ran the bases in this game, home runs were a good idea.

Justin Boer got thrown out at the plate after maybe the worst slide in baseball history; Giancarlo Stanton got hit with an Ozuna line drive that would’ve put men on 1st and 3rd with one out had the ball not hit him. Ozuna got thrown out at the plate before Riddle’s winning home run.

9) Orioles pit closer Zach Britton on the 10-day DL; their pitching is really thin, but they’re still 8-3 and atop the AL East, but make no mistake about it, Baltimore needs to get healthy soon.

8) Rumors have it that the Chiefs will open Week 1 of the NFL season in Foxboro in a Thursday night game. Falcons were a more logical option, but Atlanta has a new stadium opening and they want to play there in Week 1, so apparently they’re no longer an option for the Thursday game.

7) It rained in Oakland Sunday, and the A’s couldn’t wait to cancel their game with the Astros; the Warriors were playing across the parking lot, the A’s are playing lousy anyway (shortstop Marcus Semien is on the DL, which hurts there defense) and there would’ve been a lousy crowd in the rain.

Giants played their home game across the bay, but the field was a mess- they sell out their games, so it would cost them seven figures to lose a home game to the weather.

6) Toronto-Cleveland-Texas are your last place teams in the American League.

5) Reds and Colorado are in first place in the National League; even after only two weeks, that is odd.

4) Baltimore’s Trey Mancini hit two more homers Sunday, has now hit seven in his first 12 major league games, which is really good.

Blue Jays lost again, are now 2-10, which is really bad.

3) Montreal 3, NY Rangers 1— New York seems to play better on the road. Canadiens lead this series, 2-1.

2) Penguins/Blues both won their games, grabbing 3-0 leads in their first round series.

1— Solid scheduling by the AD at U of Albany- they’re playing at Memphis next year, in a year when the Tigers will be in a total rebuild. Great Danes could actually win that game.