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

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, APRIL 20

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NYR at MON 07:00 PM

U 5.0

CLB at PIT 07:00 PM

CLB +170

U 5.5

CHI at NAS 08:00 PM

CHI +100

O 5.0

SJ at EDM 10:30 PM

SJ +110

O 5.0

[StarDust Bum]

Bylsma, GM Murray fired by Sabres
April 20, 2017

The Buffalo Sabres fired general manager Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma on the heels of the team missing the playoffs for the sixth straight season, the club announced Thursday.

The Sabres found themselves in the basement of the Atlantic Division in 2016-17 after posting a 33-37-12 mark.

"After reviewing the past season and looking at the future of our organization, (wife) Kim and I have decided to relieve general manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma of their duties," team owner Terry Pegula said in a statement Thursday morning. "We want to thank Tim and Dan for their hard work and efforts that they have put in during their tenures with the club. We wish them luck. We have begun the process to fill these positions immediately."

Murray, who met with Pegula on Wednesday, has been Buffalo's general manager since January 2014. The 53-year-old said last week that the team's players failed to embrace Bylsma's style and connect with the coach on a personal level, according to the Buffalo News.

The decision to dismiss Bylsma came amid reports of discontent between the coach and star player Jack Eichel. The second-year forward, however, denied trying to force out Bylsma, 46, on Wednesday.

"I want to be here for a long time," Eichel told the Buffalo News. "That's the way I look at it. I don't want to go anywhere else. I don't want anybody to think that I want to be somewhere else. ... I want to be a Sabre and I want to be a Sabre for a long time and I want to be a part of Buffalo when we win. I know it's an organization that is capable of doing that, and I want to be a part of it and I want to be a centerpiece of it."

Bylsma spent the first two seasons of a five-year deal behind the bench in Buffalo. He won the Stanley Cup in his first year with the Pittsburgh Penguins (2008-09) and qualified for the postseason in each of his five campaigns that followed.

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

[StarDust Bum]

NHL roundup: Predators complete sweep of Blackhawks
April 20, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The sweep was completed Thursday night. Just not the way many would have predicted when the series started a week ago.

Roman Josi scored twice, Viktor Arvidsson and Colton Sissons each added a goal and an assist, and Pekka Rinne bagged 30 saves as the Nashville Predators eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks from the Western Conference first round with a 4-1 decision in raucous Bridgestone Arena.

Jonathan Toews put the Blackhawks on the board with a power-play marker at 14:42.

Penguins 5, Blue Jackets 2

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh beat Columbus at PPG Paints Arena to win a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series, four games to one.

The Penguins built a 3-0 lead through the early part of the second period on a goal by Phil Kessel and two from Bryan Rust. The Blue Jackets responded with goals from William Karlsson and Boone Jenner to pull to within 3-2 before the end of the second period.

Sidney Crosby scored on a one-timer from Evgeni Malkin for a power-play goal and some breathing room at 5:31 of the third before Scott Wilson scored 51 seconds later on a backward tip to give the Penguins an insurmountable lead.

Rangers 3, Canadiens 2 (OT)

MONTREAL -- Mika Zibanejad scored the winner at 14:22 of the first overtime period to send New York over Montreal at the Bell Centre.

The Rangers now lead the series 3-2 with a chance to clinch on Saturday night in New York.

Artturi Lehkonen and Brendan Gallagher scored in regulation for the Canadiens. Jesper Fast and Brady Skjei replied for the Rangers.

Oilers 4, Sharks 3 (OT)

EDMONTON, Alberta -- David Desharnais set up Oscar Klefbom's game-tying goal late in the third period, then scored the winner at 18:15 of overtime as Edmonton beat the San Jose in Game 5 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

The Oilers lead the best-of-seven series 3-2. Edmonton outshot San Jose 48-30, including 14-2 in overtime. Oilers goalie Cam Talbot made 27 saves for the win, while San Jose's Martin Jones topped 44 shots.

With 2:46 left in the third, a blast from Klefbom caromed off the post and went in. Patrick Maroon and Mark Letestu also scored for Edmonton, while San Jose got goals from Mikkel Boedker, Patrick Marleau and David Schlemko.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Week 1 NFL spreads (odds from SouthPoint casino):
Chiefs @ Patriots (-8)
Jets @ Bills (-6)
Falcons (-6) @ Bears
Jaguars @ Texans (-5.5)
Eagles @ Redskins (-2.5)
Cardinals @ Lions (-2.5)
Raiders @ Titans (even)
Buccaneers @ Dolphins (-1)
Ravens @ Bengals (-1.5)
Steelers (-10) @ Browns
Colts (-3.5) @ Rams
Seahawks @ Packers (-2.5)
Panthers (-5) @ 49ers
Giants @ Cowboys (-5.5)
Saints @ Vikings (-3)
Chargers @ Broncos (-4.5)

**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13:Quick thoughts on the ’17 NFL schedule

13) 2017 NFL season opens on September 7, when the Chiefs visit New England. Giants are in Dallas for the Week 1 Sunday night game.

Monday night doubleheader in Week 1 is Saints @ Vikings, followed by the Chargers playing in Denver.

12) Falcons christen their new stadium with a Week 2 Sunday night game vs Green Bay; they visit Foxboro on October 22, the first of three consecutive road tilts (NE-NYJ-Carolina).

How did the Braves/Falcons get new stadiums in the same year? Economy in Georgia must be doing really well.

11) Three of Giants’ first six games are primetime games; three of their four primetime games are on the road. Big Blue has three west coast trips in the last eight games; SF in Week 10, Oakland in Week 13, Arizona in Week 16.

Three of their last four games are at home. Giants also play against four of the six rookie head coaches this season.

10) Eagles have three straight road games in December; Seattle-LA Rams-Giants; then they play the Raiders at home on Christmas nite and finish with the Cowboys on New Years’ Eve.

9) Same deal for New England, which has five road games in six weeks in Weeks 10-15, with three straight road dates, at Buffalo-Miami-Pittsburgh- they close with two home games.

8) Russell Wilson played his last year of college ball at Wisconsin; Seahawks play their opener in Green Bay, the FOX 4:25 game in Week 1. Solid QB matchup.

7) There are six divisional games in Week 1 this season, including Eagles-Redskins and Ravens-Bengals.

6) Vikings are in Green Bay for a Week 16 (Dec 23) Saturday night game that is also Minnesota’s 4th road game in a five-week stretch. Why does the NFL schedule nite games for late December in Green Bay? Do they care if fans freeze to death?

5) Rams’ coach Sean McVay faces his old team in Week 2, when the Redskins visit the LA Coliseum.

Rams go to Dallas in Week 4, with the Cowboys coming off a Week 3 Monday nighter in Arizona.

4) Rams/Chargers have three home games at the same time; where will the LA media go? Chargers are playing in a soccer stadium in Carson for the next two years- place seats 30,000.

3) Thanksgiving Day slate: Vikings @ Lions, Chargers @ Dallas, Giants @ Redskins.

2) NFL must think the Steelers are going to be really good (they almost always are); Pittsburgh is on in primetime four weeks in a row, in Weeks 11-14: Tennessee-Green Bay-@ Cincinnati-Baltimore. NFL’s TV mavens will be rooting for Big Ben to stay healthy all season.

1— Buffalo doesn’t play the Patriots until December, when they meet twice; Pats-Colts-Miami visit Buffalo in December. Bills finish with road games in Foxboro/Miami.

Indy opens in LA; I’m guessing they would’ve been happier opening in Buffalo and playing in LA in December.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, April 21

Bruins are 0-22 in their history in series when down 3-1, the most series without a comeback win of any NHL franchise. Boston was outshot 59-42 in losing pair of home games in Games 3-4- they still haven’t scored first period goal in series. Ottawa is 7-1 vs Boston this season, winning four of last five series games played here- they won three of last four home games, six of last eight games overall. Six of last eight Bruin games stayed under the total. Senators are 3-18 on power play in series, Boston is 2-11.

Toronto-Washington are tied 2-2, after Caps scored four first period goals and won Game 4 on road, 5-4; three of four series games went OT, with last three going over total. Teams played combined total of 43:14 of overtime so far. Washington won nine of last 12 overall vs Toronto, with home side 7-4 in last 11. Over is 5-2 in last seven series tilts. Capitals won ten of last 14 games overall. Toronto lost five of last eight games overall. Caps are 4-12 on power play in series, Leafs are 3-13.

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
Pitt 5-2
Penguins win series, 4-1
Montreal-NY Rangers
NYR 2-0
Mtl 4-3 OT
Mtl 3-1
NYR 2-1
NYR 3-2 OT
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
Nash 4-1
Predators win series, 4-0
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
Edmonton 4-3 OT

Home teams: 18-17
Over: 12-17-6




NHL

Friday, April 21

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

7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. WASHINGTON
Toronto is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing Washington
Washington is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Toronto
Washington is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games at home

7:30 PM
BOSTON vs. OTTAWA
Boston is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games when playing Boston
Ottawa is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Boston

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Friday, April 21

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

The Senators have won three in a row since a Game 1 loss -- all by one goal -- and can close out Boston in Thursday's Game 5 on home ice.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Washington Capitals (-210, 5.5)

Series tied 2-2

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (42-28-8-8, 40-44 O/U): Despite tumbling back to Square One, coach Mike Babcock feels his upstart Maple Leafs should be optimistic heading into Friday's Game 5 against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Capitals at the Verizon Center. William Nylander has collected a goal and an assist in consecutive games and fellow rookie Auston Matthews joined Tyler Bozak in scoring in back-to-back contests. Zach Hyman also tallied to give Toronto five rookie goal-scorers to join the 2007-08 New York Rangers as the only teams over the last 25 years of the playoffs to accomplish that feat. Mitch Marner, also a rookie, set up a pair of goals to share top honors in points (four) with Bozak and defenseman Morgan Rielly.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (57-19-5-5, 39-32 O/U): Washington's T.J. Oshie has been providing back-breaking moments for Babcock throughout the series, highlighted by recording his third career postseason multi-goal performance on Wednesday Tom Wilson continued to torment his hometown team by tallying twice on Wednesday to increase his goal total to three in the series after mustering just seven in 82 regular-season games. "When you're a kid, you always have big dreams. I was lucky enough to fulfill them," the 23-year-old Wilson said. "It's a huge privilege." Nate Schmidt has provided a bit of offense with an assist in back-to-back contests in the absence of fellow defenseman Karl Alzner (upper body), who was listed as day-to-day by coach Barry Trotz on Thursday.

LINE HISTORY: The Capitals opened as -210 moneyline home favorites in this pivitol Game 5 matchup. The total opened at 5.5.

INJURY REPORT:

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).

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

TRENDS:

* Maple Leafs are 4-0 in their last 4 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game.
* Capitals are 17-5 in their last 22 Friday games.
* Over is 4-0 in Maple Leafs last 4 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Under is 5-1 in Capitals last 6 home games.
* Maple Leafs are 5-16 in the last 21 meetings in Washington.




Boston Bruins at Ottawa Senators (-105, 5)

Sens lead series 3-1

ABOUT THE BRUINS (45-32-6-3, 39-39 O/U): Although Colin Miller returned for Game 4, Boston's blue-line corps remain decimated with Torey Krug, Adam McQuaid and Brandon Carlo expected to sit out Game 5. “There are guys progressing certainly, but to say in 24 hours that you could have some people available? I would say no,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. "Guys realize (Game 4) was another game that could have gone either way, and they just made one more play than us." Rookie Charlie McAvoy, who made his NHL debut in Game 1, has played at least 24 minutes in each contest, including a team-high 25:03 Wednesday.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (47-29-6-4, 34-49 O/U): The Senators have won three in a row since a Game 1 loss -- all by one goal -- and can close out Boston in Thursday's Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round series at Canadian Tire Centre. While Boston mustered a total of 10 shots over the final two periods, Ottawa netminder set the tone in the opening 20 minutes by denying Bruins leading scorer Brad Marchand on a pair of breakaways en route to his fourth playoff shutout. “We made the plays when we needed to, and we stuck with it, and obviously Andy played huge for us in net, he really kept us in it going into the third,” captain Erik Karlsson said. “Andy was a rock for us, and probably stole this one for us.” Resurgent Bobby Ryan delivered the game-winner with his third goal of the series.

LINE HISTORY: The Bruins opened as -115 road favorites with their backs against the wall and that moneyline has yet to move. The total opened at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Bruins - D B. Carlo (Doubtful, upper body), D A. McQuaid (Out Indefinitely, upper body), D T. Krug (Out Indefinitely, lower body).

Senators - LW T. Pyatt (Questionable, upper body), D M. Borowiecki (Questionable, lower body).

TRENDS:

* Bruins are 1-5 in their last 6 overall.
* Senators are 5-1 in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 8-2 in Bruins last 10 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-2 in Senators last 8 games following a win.
* Bruins are 3-13 in the last 16 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Friday, April 21


Toronto @ Washington

Game 11-12
April 21, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
11.683
Washington
10.288
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-210
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+180); Over

Boston @ Ottawa

Game 9-10
April 21, 2017 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
12.759
Ottawa
9.731
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 3
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-120
5
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-120); Under




NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, April 21

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

BOSTON (45-32-0-9, 99 pts.) at OTTAWA (47-29-0-10, 104 pts.) - 4/21/2017, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 13-4 (+14.4 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 13-4-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-1.4 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

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

TORONTO (42-28-0-16, 100 pts.) at WASHINGTON (57-20-0-9, 123 pts.) - 4/21/2017, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 9-4 (+2.8 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 9-4-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.4 Units)

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

NHL

Friday, April 21


NHL playoff games went 2-0-2 O/U Thursday. Stanley Cup Playoffs2017 have produced 12-16-7 Over/Under record. However, 8-4-3 O/U last four days

[StarDust Bum]

NHL Playoff Capsules
April 22, 2017

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Sean Kuraly's second goal of the game at 10:19 of the second overtime gave the Boston Bruins a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 on Friday night, avoiding elimination in the first-round series.

David Pastrnak also scored and Tuukka Rask finished with 41 saves to help the Bruins rally from two goals down early in the second period and cut the Senators' lead to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.

On the winning goal, Charlie McAvoy's shot from the right point was tipped by David Backes and then hit Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson's skate in front of goalie Craig Anderson, and Kuraly backhanded it in.

Game 6 is Sunday in Boston.

Mark Stone and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Senators, and Craig Anderson stopped 36 shots.

The Bruins nearly won it in the first OT, but Noel Acciari's apparent goal was waved off at 14:25 due to goalie interference when Kuraly tripped over Anderson. The Bruins challenged the call to no avail.

CAPITALS 2, MAPLE LEAFS 1, OT

WASHINGTON (AP) - Justin Williams scored the overtime winner as Washington beat Toronto to take a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.

The Capitals survived a scare when captain Alex Ovechkin left the game late in the first period with an apparent left leg injury, but he returned in the second. Thanks to Williams' goal 1:04 into overtime, the Presidents' Trophy winners go to Toronto for Game 6 on Sunday with a chance to advance to face the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round.

Braden Holtby made 24 saves for the Capitals, who got a goal from T.J. Oshie on the power play that came from Nazem Kadri's hit that injured Ovechkin.

Rookie of the year finalist Auston Matthews scored the only goal for the Maple Leafs, and Frederik Andersen made 26 saves before being beaten in overtime.

[StarDust Bum]

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

04/21/2017 0-2-1 0.00% -1050
04/20/2017 1-4-2 20.00 -1550
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

04/21/2017 .........0 - 1.............-1.00.............0 - 1 - 1................-1.10
04/20/2017..........0 - 3.............-3.00.............1 - 1 - 2................-0.10
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]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

— Thunder 115, Rockets 113— Four of five Thunder starters scored in double figures.

— Clippers 111, Jazz 106— Chris Paul had 34 points, 10 assists. LA leads series, 2-1.

— Bruins 3, Ottawa 2, 2OT— Boston staves off elimination with a goal 30:19 into overtime.

— Capitals 2, Maple Leafs 1, OT— Four of five series games have gone to OT.

— Arizona 13, Dodgers 5— Diamondbacks scored nine runs in bottom of the 8th.

— Blue Jays 8, Angels 7 (13)— Game ended at 3:46am here in New York.

**********

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Random thoughts with weekend here……..

13) Madison Bumgarner is on the DL with rib/shoulder injuries he got in a dirt-bike accident on an off-day in Denver. Rough news for the Giants.

12) Giants were already 0-4 in Bumgarner’s starts (0-3, 3.00) this season- they scored a total of five runs in the four games.

11) Eric Thames hit 21 homers in 684 plate appearances for Toronto/Seattle in 2011-12, then his career tailed off- he wound up playing three years in Korea. Now he is back in the majors with the Brewers, and he is batting .415 with 8 homers in 62 PA’s, making him an early candidate for Comeback Player of the Century.

10) Cincinnati Reds have to be thrilled with rookie pitcher Amir Garrett, who at one time was a basketball player at St John’s. In his first three big league starts, Garrett is 2-1, 1.83, with 21 strikeouts and only 14 hits allowed in 19.2 IP.

9) Thursday nite, the Pacers led Cleveland 74-49 at halftime; a daring gambler at Ellis Island Casino in Las Vegas wagered $55 at 25-1 odds on the Cavaliers to win this game. He cashed in for $1,375. Not a bad hour’s work.

8) Russell Westbrook was 4-18 in the 4th quarter of Game 2 in Houston; he was 13-25 in first three quarters. Thunder are hard to watch- they have no real second scoring option.

7) Bulls PG Rajon Rondo has a broken thumb, is out indefinitely for the Bulls, who lead Boston 2-0 in their first round series.

6) When you see a baseball game where there are no walks and 26 strikeouts, you assume that:

Randy Johnson and Dwight Golden were pitching
There was a pitchers’ umpire behind the plate.Since the starting pitchers were Patrick Corbin/Clayton Richard, we can safely assume that umpire Gerry Davis is a pitchers’ umpire.

5) NBA referee Danny Crawford has worked 293 playoff games in his career, 33 Finals games.

4) NFL centralized instant replay this season, under assumption that Dean Blandino would lead the effort in New York City to make the replay process more streamlined.

Then Blandino bolted the NFL for a TV job with a yet-to be-named network, leaving the NFL without a logical replacement for him. Mike Pereira would be ideal, but he already has a good job.

3) I wanted to watch a TV show on the IFC channel this week, then I realized I had never seen a show on this channel and had no idea what channel it was on DirecTV (it is 333). You learn something new every day.

2a) Mike D’Antoni was 279-161 as coach of the Phoenix Suns; since he left, the Suns are 332-390 in regular season games.

2b) Oakland A’s were 256-176 while they had Yoenis Cespedes on their roster; since they traded him on July 31, 2014, they are 165-229.

Sometimes you’re better off keeping things the way they are. Not all change is positive.

1— Hope it doesn’t rain in LA in early September; Rams play Colts/Redskins at home on Sept 10th/17th, day after USC plays Stanford/Texas on the 9th/16th. Field will take a beating.

If it were to rain during that time, you’ll get a quagmire like the 1977 playoff game in the Coliseum when the Rams lost 14-7 to a very inferior Minnesota team. It was so muddy it was hard to tell which players were on which team.

Why did I remind myself of that?

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, April 22

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

MONTREAL (49-28-0-10, 108 pts.) at NY RANGERS (51-29-0-7, 109 pts.) - 4/22/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 51-36 ATS (+7.1 Units) in all games this season.
NY RANGERS are 11-4 ATS (+6.3 Units) on Saturday games this season.
MONTREAL is 17-9 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
MONTREAL is 16-6 ATS (+8.3 Units) on Saturday games this season.
NY RANGERS are 9-14 ATS (-11.1 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.
NY RANGERS are 191-226 ATS (-136.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 8-15 ATS (-12.2 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 9-5 (+3.5 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 9-5-0 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)

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

ST LOUIS (49-30-0-7, 105 pts.) at MINNESOTA (50-27-0-9, 109 pts.) - 4/22/2017, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 50-21 ATS (+21.1 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.
ST LOUIS is 108-80 ATS (+0.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 42-30 ATS (+11.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 8-2 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games in April games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 30-19 ATS (+7.5 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 21-9 ATS (+11.0 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 12-4 ATS (+7.4 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 56-42 ATS (+9.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 12-8 ATS (+21.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
MINNESOTA is 90-84 ATS (-0.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 47-55 ATS (-18.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 6-12 ATS (-8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 13-11 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 13-11-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.1 Units)

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

EDMONTON (50-27-0-10, 110 pts.) at SAN JOSE (48-31-0-8, 104 pts.) - 4/22/2017, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 13-2 ATS (+9.7 Units) on Saturday games this season.
EDMONTON is 11-3 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
SAN JOSE is 45-44 ATS (-16.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 25-25 ATS (-8.5 Units) second half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 23-24 ATS (-18.1 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 167-144 ATS (-81.2 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 10-9 (+3.8 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 10-9-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.5 Units)

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




NHL
Short Sheet

Saturday, April 22

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 6 – NYR Leads 3-2

Montreal at NY Rangers, 8:05 PM ET
Montreal: 16-6 SU on Saturday games
New York: 9-14 SU in home games

Western Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 5 – STL Leads 3-1

St Louis at Minnesota, 3:05 PM ET
St Louis: 14-10 SU as a road underdog
Minnesota: 10-16 SU in home games after having lost 3 of their last 4

Western Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 6 – EDM Leads 3-2

Edmonton at San Jose, 10:35 PM ET
Edmonton: 11-3 SU in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game
San Jose: 3-10 SU off a close road loss by 1 goal




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, April 22

Road team in 3-2 in this Ranger-Montreal series, 7-3 in last ten meetings overall; New York can wrap up series with home win here, but Canadiens won four of last five visits to Manhattan (under 3-0-1 in last four). Montreal scored 3-4 goals in its two series wins, 2-1-0 in three losses- they’re 3-14 on power play in series, Rangers are 0-13. Under is 9-3-1 in last 13 Montreal games, 3-1-1 in this series. New York won three of last four home games; under is 6-1-1 in heir last eight games overall.

Blues own 3-1 series lead, are 8-3 in last 11 games overall vs Minnesota, can wrap series up here on road; all four series games stayed under (12 goals scored total in whole series). St Louis is 4-2 in last six visits here, winning last three by identical 2-1 scores. Wild is 1-12 on power play in series, Blues are 1-11. Minnesota hasn’t scored a third period goal since Game 1. Under is 6-3-1 in last ten series games. Blues won nine of last 12 games overall, winning last four on road. Minnesota has scored only five goals in series so far- their last five games stayed under the total.

Edmonton won 15 of its last 19 games, can wrap up series with road win here; over is 5-2-2 in their last nine games. Oilers outshot San Jose 48-30 in Game 5 but needed OT for win, scoring at 18:15 of extra time. Edmonton is 2-15 on power play in series, Sharks 5-21 (5-14 in two wins, 0-7 in three losses). San Jose split its last eight home games, losing three of last four at home to the Oilers. Under is 3-1-1 in Sharks’ last five wins, 2-3 in their last five losses.

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

West
Chicago-Nashville
Nash 1-0
Nash 5-0
Nash 3-2 OT
Nash 4-1
Predators win series, 4-0
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
Edmonton 4-3 OT

Home teams: 19-18
Over: 12-18-7




NHL

Saturday, April 22

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

3:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MINNESOTA
St. Louis is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of St. Louis's last 14 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis

8:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. NY RANGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Montreal's last 10 games
NY Rangers are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 6 games when playing at home against Montreal

10:30 PM
EDMONTON vs. SAN JOSE
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Edmonton's last 12 games when playing on the road against San Jose
Edmonton is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Jose's last 12 games when playing at home against Edmonton
San Jose is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Edmonton

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Saturday, April 22

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday’s NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

St. Louis Blues at Minnesota Wild (-185, 5)

Blues lead series 3-1

ABOUT THE BLUES (49-30-5-2 SU, 37-49 ATS, 34-39 O/U): St. Louis needs leading scorer Vladimir Tarasenko to get things going after he managed two assists and no goals despite topping the team with 16 shots on net in the first four games. “There’s no question, we need our best players to play their best,” St. Louis coach Mike Yeo told reporters. “That’s not just in the playoffs, that’s anytime, it’s certainly magnified right now.” Tarasenko’s linemate Jaden Schwartz does have a pair of goals and an assist to share the team lead with Patrik Berglund and Alex Steen at three points each.

ABOUT THE WILD (50-27-7-2 SU, 46-40 ATS, 42-35 O/U): Power forward Charlie Coyle stepped up with goals in each of the last two games and center Martin Hanzal netted his first of the postseason in Wednesday’s victory. Zach Parise leads the team with three points while fellow wing Jason Zucker, who scored a career-best 22 times in the regular season, has yet to post a point despite pacing the Wild with 18 shots. Forward Erik Haula (upper-body) is expected to rejoin the lineup, perhaps in place of rookie Joel Eriksson Ek (five shots, zero points, three games), after missing Game 4.

LINE HISTORY: The Wild opened Game 5 as -167 home favorites and bettors think they'll extend the series another game, moving the number to as high as -185. It has since come back down to the current number of Wild -180. The total hit the board at the low 4.5, but it was quickly moved up to 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Blues - C Paul Stastny (Questionable Saturday, foot), C Robby Fabbri (Out for season, knee).

Wild - C Erik Haula (Questionable Saturday, undisclosed), G Darcy Kuemper (Questionable Saturday, illness), D Victor Bartley (Questionable, Saturday, tricep).

TRENDS:

* Blues are 4-1 in their last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Wild are 1-4 in their last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Under is 16-3-3 in Blues last 22 vs. Western Conference.
* Under is 5-0 in Wild last 5 vs. Western Conference.
* Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings.




Montreal Canadiens at New York Rangers (-105, 5)

Rangers lead 3-2

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (49–28-8-2 SU, 44-43 ATS, 30-41 O/U): Captain Max Pacioretty scored a team-high 35 goals during the season but has been blanked in the series, including a stop of a third-period breakaway in Game 5. "In order to get through this, we'll need more from a lot of guys," coach Claude Julien said. "It's time for certain players to elevate their game and have that confidence and desire to be better. There's no doubt when you lose games and you're behind 3-2 you can't be satisfied as a team." Montreal's power play also is stuck in neutral, failing on all 14 chances.

ABOUT THE RANGERS (51-29-3-4 SU, 41-46 ATS, 41-39 O/U): After a lackluster effort in Game 3 in which New York managed a series-low 21, coach Alain Vigneault traded sandpaper for skill by inserting rookie Pavel Buchnevich on a line with Chris Kreider and Zibanejad, which combined for the game-winner Thursday. The coach also shifted Michael Graebner to a line alongside Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast, who also tallied in Game 5. "There's speed, but you also have Jesper and Oscar who really compete hard for loose pucks and really battle hard," Vigneault noted. "It makes for a good mix."

LINE HISTORY: The Rangers opened Game 6 as slight -115 home favorites, but bettors think this first round series is going the distance and now it's the Habs who are the -115 chalk. The total opened at a low 4.5, but has moved to up to 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Canadiens - No injuries to report

Rangers - No injuries to report

TRENDS:


* Canadiens are 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Under is 15-3-3 in Canadiens last 21 road games.
* Under is 6-1-1 in Rangers last 8 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Canadiens are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in New York.




Edmonton Oilers at San Jose Sharks (-140, 5)

Oilers lead series 3-2

ABOUT THE OILERS (50-27-5-5 SU, 46-41 ATS, 34-44 O/U): David Desharnais, who was acquired from Montreal on Feb. 28, saw only 13 minutes, 19 seconds of ice time in Game 5 - the third-lowest amount among Edmonton forwards in Game 5 but his highest in the series thus far. Kris Russell entered Game 5 with a league-leading 22 blocked shots this postseason but failed to record one in the victory. The 29-year-old defenseman, who topped the NHL during the regular season with 213 blocks, was overtaken for first place in the playoffs as San Jose's Justin Braun recorded a game-high 10 to increase his postseason total to 26.

ABOUT THE SHARKS (48-31-7-1 SU, 37-50 ATS, 24-39 O/U): Mikkel Boedker let coach Peter DeBoer know he previously had made a bad decision with his performance in Game 5. The 27-year-old Boedker, who was a healthy scratch for Games 3 and 4, scored midway through the first period to forge a 1-1 tie and set up defenseman David Schlemko's goal 8:38 into the second as San Jose took a 3-1 lead. After a franchise record-setting performance in the previous contest (4-for-8), the Sharks received only one power-play opportunity in Game 5 and failed to cash in, dropping to eighth among the 16 playoff teams (5-for-23, 21.7 percent).

LINE HISTORY: The Sharks opened as -137 favorites with their season on the line and have been bet up to the current number of -140. Oddsmakers set the total for Game 6 at 5.

INJURY REPORT:

Oilers - D Andrew Ference (Out for season, hip), RW Tyler Pitlick (Out for season, knee)

Sharks - No injuries to report

TRENDS:

* Oilers are 10-4 in their last 14 games following a win.
* Sharks are 5-12 in their last 17 vs. Western Conference.
* Over is 5-1-1 in Oilers last 7 road games.
* Oilers are 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.
* Over is 8-3-1 in the last 12 meetings in San Jose.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Saturday, April 22


Edmonton @ San Jose

Game 57-58
April 22, 2017 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
12.921
San Jose
9.506
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 3 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-150
5
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
(+130); Under

St. Louis @ Minnesota

Game 55-56
April 22, 2017 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
11.616
Minnesota
10.771
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-180
5
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(+160); Over

Montreal @ NY Rangers

Game 51-52
April 22, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
12.638
NY Rangers
9.615
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 3
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal
-115
5
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(-115); Under

[StarDust Bum]

Capitals captain Ovechkin injured in Game 5
April 21, 2017

WASHINGTON -- Capitals star forward Alexander Ovechkin was injured late in the first period of Friday's Game 5 between Washington and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As Ovechkin was skating up the ice with 2:28 remaining in the opening frame, he was hit hard in the left knee area on a hip-check by Toronto's Nazem Kadri, who went low to deliver the blow. Ovechkin flipped in the air and lay on the ice for several minutes while his Capitals teammates went after the Maple Leafs' center.

Ovechkin slowly got up and was assisted off the ice by a pair of teammates, but returned for the second period.

Kadri was whistled for tripping, and T.J. Oshie scored a power-play goal to give Washington a 1-0 lead.

Ovechkin has three goals through the first four-plus games of the series.

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

Changes coming for Blackhawks after another 1st-round loss
April 22, 2017

CHICAGO (AP) Coach Joel Quenneville will be back next season. Everything else is on the table for the Chicago Blackhawks.

General manager Stan Bowman is promising changes after Chicago was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year. The Blackhawks, who won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015, were swept by Nashville this time around, managing just three goals in 13 periods.

A frustrated Bowman called the result ''unacceptable'' on Saturday. He says Quenneville will be back but stopped short of guaranteeing pretty much anything else for next season.

Bowman says: ''We're going to conduct a thorough review and see where it takes us.'' Asked if he felt the Blackhawks' intensity level against the Predators was acceptable, he said, ''No.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

STL at MIN 03:00 PM

STL +160

U 5.0

MON at NYR 08:00 PM

U 5.0

EDM at SJ 10:30 PM

EDM +125

O 5.0