Da Bum's 2018 NHL Picks/News/Trends/Best Bets - Thru The Stanley Cup !

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Game 7 Notes
May 6, 2019
By VI News

The 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs will have another Game 7 on Tuesday as the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues meet from the Enterprise Center.

Betting Preview - Dallas at St. Louis

The road team has gone 4-2 through the first six games of this best-of-seven series.

St. Louis opened as a minus-140 favorite for Game 7 while Dallas is a plus-120 underdog.

The 'over/under' was installed at 5 for Tuesday and the 'over' has gone 3-2-1 through the first six games, with two outcomes ending with five combined goals.

Bettors might be leaning to the visitor in this spot knowing St. Louis has gone 2-4 at home in this year's playoffs and that includes a pair of losses to the Stars.

Dallas is 4-2 on the road in the playoffs, going 2-1 in the first round versus Nashville and 2-1 in this series.

Recent Game 7 History

These teams met in a Game 7 of the 2016 NHL Playoffs and St. Louis blasted Dallas 6-1 at the American Airlines Center.

Dallas (5-7 All-Time Record)
2016 Second Round - Dallas 1 vs. St. Louis 6

Prior to this game, the last Game 7 for the Stars took place in 2007.

St. Louis (8-8 All-Time Record)
2016 Second Round - St. Louis 6 at Dallas 1
2016 First Round - St. Louis 3 vs. Chicago 2

NHL Game 7 Playoff History (2012-2019)

Including the three games from the 2019 first round, there have been 173 all-time Game 7’s in the NHL Playoffs and the home squad owns a 100-73 (57.8%) record.

Last year, road teams went 2-1 in Game 7's and the visitors scored 14 goals in those games which led to a 2-1 'over' mark.

The 'over' is 3-0 in three Game 7's this season.

2019
Toronto 1 at Boston 5
Vegas 4 at San Jose 5 (OT)
Carolina 4 at Washington 3 (OT)

2018
Washington Capitals 4 at Tampa Bay Lightning 0
Winnipeg Jets 5 at Nashville Predators 1
Toronto Maple Leafs 4 at Boston Bruins 7

2017
Pittsburgh Penguins 2 at Washington Capitals 0
Edmonton Oilers 1 at Anaheim Ducks 2

2016
Tampa Bay Lightning 1 at Pittsburgh Penguins 2
Nashville Predators 0 at San Jose Sharks 5
St. Louis Blues 6 at Dallas Stars 1
Nashville Predators 2 at Anaheim Ducks 1
Chicago Blackhawks 2 at St. Louis Blues 3

2015
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 at New York Rangers 0
Chicago Blackhawks 5 at Anaheim Ducks 3
New York Rangers 2 at Washington Capitals 1
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 at Detroit Red Wings 0
Washington Capitals 2 at New York Islanders 1

2014
Los Angeles Kings 5 at Chicago Blackhawks 4 (OT)
Los Angeles Kings 6 at Anaheim Ducks 2
Montreal Canadiens 3 at Boston Bruins 1
New York Rangers 2 at Pittsburgh Penguins 1
Philadelphia Flyers 3 at New York Rangers 4
Minnesota Wild 5 at Colorado Avalanche 4
Los Angeles Kings 5 at San Jose Sharks 1

2013
New York Rangers 5 at Washington Capitals 0
Toronto Maple Leafs 4 at Boston Bruins 5 (OT)
Detroit Red Wings 3 at Anaheim Ducks 2
Detroit Red Wings 1 at Chicago Blackhawks 2 (OT)
San Jose Sharks 1 at Los Angeles Kings 2

2012
Ottawa Senators 1 at New York Rangers 2
Washington Capitals 2 at Boston Bruins 1 (OT)
New Jersey Devils 3 at Florida Panthers 2 (2OT)
Washington Capitals 1 at New York Rangers 2

[StarDust Bum]

[StarDust Bum]

23Dallas -24 St Louis
DALLAS are 9-0 ATS (9 Units) in road games after scoring 2 goals or less in 2 straight games in the current season.


NHL
Long Sheet

Tuesday, May 7

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DALLAS (50-36-0-8, 108 pts.) at ST LOUIS (52-32-0-10, 114 pts.) - 5/7/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 37-20 ATS (+7.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 31-21 ATS (+3.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 19-9 ATS (+9.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 9-3 ATS (+12.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 12-7 ATS (+21.1 Units) in road games vs. division opponents this season.
DALLAS is 30-18 ATS (+10.8 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 261-169 ATS (+59.8 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
DALLAS is 232-156 ATS (+40.3 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
DALLAS is 222-242 ATS (+515.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
ST LOUIS is 16-22 ATS (-15.9 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 10-9 (+0.8 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 10-9-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.9 Units)

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NHL

Tuesday, May 7

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

Dallas Stars
Dallas is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games
Dallas is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Dallas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Dallas is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Dallas is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing St. Louis
Dallas is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing St. Louis
Dallas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
St. Louis is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
St. Louis is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games at home
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of St. Louis's last 23 games at home
St. Louis is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Dallas
St. Louis is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Dallas
St. Louis is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas

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NHL
Dunkel

Tuesday, May 7


Dallas @ St. Louis

Game 23-24
May 7, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
10.925
St. Louis
12.431
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-135
5
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-135); Over

[Udog]

Stars vs Blues NHL betting picks and predictions: Bet on Blues to slam the door on Stars in the third
Monty Andrews

It has come to this for the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues: win and advance to the Western Conference final. Lose and go home for the summer.

We break down all the angles for the NHL betting odds and give you our best bets and prop predictions for tonight's Game 7 showdown - from kick-hitting plays to the moneyline and total:

DALLAS STARS AT ST. LOUIS BLUES (-135, 5)

QUICK-HITTER

The opening period has been a great Over option so far in the series, with these teams combining for two or more goals in four of their first six games. That trend extends to the regular season, with the teams scoring two or more total first-period goals in six of their previous nine meetings overall. There are few other first-period trends that stand out to this extent: the home team and road team have both led twice after the first period through the first six games, with two contests tied after 20 minutes. Look for both teams to generate scoring chances early, making the first-period Over 1.5 a solid option.

PREDICTION: Over 1.5 first-period goals (+140)

PERIOD BET

While the opening frame has seen plenty of excitement, the second period in this series has been a big, dull dud. The teams have combined to score just seven total goals in the middle 20 minutes so far this series, with only two games producing more than one successful score. The Blues, in particular, have struggled to produce much offense in the middle frame, scoring just six goals through their first 12 postseason contests. Bettors can go in a couple of different ways here, but we like rolling with the one second-period goal scored at decent odds given how the series has played out.

PREDICTION: One second-period goal (+180)

TEAM/PLAYER BET

Our last NHL betting preview took some major risks, and while we've rolled with some ambitious plays up above, this prop is more on the safe side. The Blues have been an incredibly prolific third-period team so far in the Stanley Cup playoffs, with 18 of their 32 goals coming in the final 20 minutes of regulation. They've outscored the Stars by an 8-4 margin in the third period of this series, and have kept Dallas off the scoresheet over the final 20 minutes in each of the past three games. St. Louis has been the superior late-game team, and is in good position to keep that run going Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Team to score last: St. Louis (-140)

FULL-GAME SIDE

Anything can happen in a Game 7, which makes handicapping the game result difficult. But if we're looking at recent form, it's hard to go against the Blues. They were beaten by sensational goaltending in a Game 5 result that probably should have gone in their favor, then made their shots count in a 4-1 Game 6 victory in which Dallas starting netminder Ben Bishop was knocked out of the game. Look for the Stars to bounce back Tuesday night, but with the Blues having limited Dallas to just 50 total shots in the past two games, they've been the superior team at both ends of the ice. We like the home side to prevail.

PREDICTION: St. Louis -135

FULL-GAME TOTAL

We hit the total right on the head in Game 6, and this contest should be in that five-goal neighborhood yet again. The teams are averaging just over five total goals per game both in this series and in their Stanley Cup playoff runs, and have played three one-goal games to date. And it gets better: Dallas is averaging 2.83 goals scored on the road and 2.17 goals against so far in the postseason (total: 5), while the Blues have averaged 2.17 goals scored and 3.00 goals against at home (total: 5.17). For a potentially great payoff, it's worth it for bettors considering the push for a second straight game.

PREDICTION: Exactly 5 goals (+500)

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, MAY 7
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

DAL at STL 08:00 PM

STL -158

O 5.0

[StarDust Bum]

Maroon's OT goal lifts Blues past Stars in Game 7
May 7, 2019
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ST. LOUIS (AP) Pat Maroon scored 5:50 into the second overtime, Jordan Binnington made 29 saves and the St. Louis Blues outlasted the Dallas Stars 2-1 in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series Tuesday night.

Maroon slammed the puck in after Robert Thomas skated in on Ben Bishop from the right wing. It was the second game-winning goal of the series for the 31-year-old St. Louis native.

Vince Dunn also scored for St. Louis, which will face the winner of the San Jose-Colorado series in the conference final.

Ben Bishop made 52 saves and Mats Zuccarello scored for Dallas, which dropped to 5-8 in Game 7s in franchise history.

It marked the first time in NHL history that three playoff series were decided in overtime in Game 7 in the same year. San Jose eliminated Vegas and Carolina beat Washington in the first round.

St. Louis, which improved to 9-8 in Game 7s, outshot Dallas 54-30, including 41-16 in regulation. But Bishop was terrific against his first NHL team, keeping the Stars in the game with a handful of big-time stops in regulation and the overtimes.

The Blues jumped in front when Dunn converted a shot from the point 13:30 into the first period. It was his first career playoff goal.

Zuccarello then jumped on a fortunate deflection for Dallas, tying it at 1 at 15:55. A clearing attempt by St. Louis forward David Perron hit referee Marc Joannette and bounced right into the slot. Binnington was looking in the other direction and never saw Zuccarello's shot.

Bishop, who took a drive off the collarbone in the third period of Game 6, posted shutouts in his two previous Game 7 appearances, both with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He stopped 18 shots in the second period while the Stars managed just one shot on goal.

Dallas killed off two penalties in a four-minute span midway through the second.

Stars rookie Roope Hintz just missed on a wraparound in the closing minute of regulation.

Binnington turned in several impressive saves in the first period. He stopped Radek Faksa on a breakaway and also recorded a glove save on a shot by John Klingberg.

St. Louis outshot Dallas 27-2 from the start of the second period until 5:16 left in the third.

NOTES: It was the 176th Game 7 in NHL history. ... Dallas killed off 35 of 37 penalties in the postseason, including all 15 in the first round against Nashville. ... Thomas became the first teenager (19 years, 309 days) to record a point in a Game 7 for the Blues when he assisted on Dunn's goal. ... Actor Jon Hamm, a St. Louis native, was in attendance. It was the fourth double overtime game already this postseason.

UP NEXT

St. Louis plays either San Jose or Colorado in the Western Conference final, which will be decided with Game 7 on Wednesday,

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 8, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Columbus Blue Jackets Boston Bruins TD Garden
9:00 PM Colorado Avalanche San Jose Sharks SAP Center at San Jose


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



DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


05/07/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/06/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.55
05/05/2019 1-0-1 100.00% +5.45
05/04/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/03/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -13.00
05/02/2019 2-2-0 50.00% +0.35
05/01/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00

Totals..............10-13-1 ......43.47% -21.25


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


BEST BETS:


DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

05/07/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.00..................0 - 1..................-5.50..............-0.50
05/06/2019..............0 - 1......................-5.00..................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-5.50
05/05/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.45..................0 - 0................. -0.00.............+5.45
05/04/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.00
05/03/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................1 - 1..................-0.50...............-0.50
05/02/2019..............1 - 1.....................+0.85..................1 - 1..................-0.50 ..............+0.35
05/01/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.00


Totals..................... 3 - 2.....................+6.30...................3 - 8.................-29.00.............-22.70


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


APRIL'S NHL BEST BETS


Totals....................10 - 12.................+3.00..................30 - 19.............+45.50...............+48.50

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

Odds for the Byron Nelson golf tournament this week:

13-2— Brooks Koepka

16-1— Hideki Matsuyama

18-1— Jordan Spieth

20-1— Aaron Wise, Henrik Stenson

25-1— Marc Leishman

30-1— Patrick Reed, Keith Mitchell, Branden Grace

Quote of the Day
“I learned the value of hard work by working hard.”
Margaret Mead

Wednesday’s quiz
What was the nickname of the old ABA team that played home games in Virginia, and had Julius Erving/George Gervin on it?

Tuesday’s quiz
2016 was the last time the NBA Finals went to a 7th game, when Cleveland beat Golden State.

Monday’s quiz
Chicago Bulls (24-11, .686) have the best W-L %age in NBA Finals games. San Antonio (23-11, .676) have the next-best record.

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

Wednesday’s List of 13: Mid-week musings……

13) PJ Tucker plays for the Rockets; he is 34 now. He is an important player for them, but only scored 7.3 ppg this season, shooting 37.7% on arc. He started every game, playing 34.2 mpg.

Winning teams have role players who flourish in that role; Tucker makes $8M a year, so he is obviously well compensated for that role.

For five years, from 2007-13, Tucker played pro ball in Israel, Ukraine, Germany and Italy. This is a guy who has paid his dues and probably could write a hell of a book.

12) When Jacob deGrom was playing shortstop in college for Stetson, he hit one home run; off of Chris Sale, who pitched for Florida Gulf Coast.

11) Quote of the Day, part II, from Kyrie Irving after shooting 7-22 in Monday’s loss:

“For me, I had 22 shots, I should’ve shot 30 … just the consistency of going at it, staying aggressive is always going to put us in a great position……”

10) Best over teams in baseball:
— Mariners 25-10-2, +13.57 units
— With Sox 19-12-2, +6.59
— Royals 21-14-1, +6.23
— Rangers 19-12-1, +5.04
— Cubs 19-13, +5.04

Best under teams:
— Reds 23-11-1, +10.69 units
— Blue Jays 21-14, +5.92
— Brewers 21-15-1, +5.22
— Tigers 18-13, +4.34
— Rays 19-14-1, +4.17

9) There are 65 Power Five college football teams; CBSSports.com ranked them #1-65 this week, with Rutgers coach Chris Ash #65, Colorado coach Mel Tucker #64. Tucker was interim coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011, but hasn’t coached a game in Boulder yet.

I’m assuming Nick Saban is #1 and Dabo Swinney #2, but they haven’t released their top 25 yet. Thats sportswriting in May; stretch things out as much as possible.

Herm Edwards is ranked #54, which is interesting; the guy went 54-74 in the NFL. Lasting eight years as an NFL head coach should get him higher than #54 on the college list.

8) This will be the first time since 1996 that the Kentucky Derby winner won’t be running in the Preakness; Grindstone won the ’96 Derby, then never raced again because of injury.

7) Over last two years, San Diego’s Hunter Renfroe has pinch-hit with bases loaded three times; he has nine RBI in those AB’s, with two of the three hits walk-offs.

6) When Maximum Security was DQ’d at the Kentucky Derby Saturday, a woman from Ohio lost out on a $186,000 prize she would’ve won via a promotion through Rocket Mortgage.

5) Georgia Bulldogs have five top 100 recruits coming to Athens in the fall, so they figure to be a vastly improved team next season.

4) Start of Monday’s Giants-Reds game was delayed 18 minutes because of a swarm of bees that gathered near the seats behind home plate.

Giants-Reds split the four-game series, despite Cincinnati outscoring the Giants 24-2 in the first three innings of the four games.

3) College basketball transfer portal:
— James Bolden jumps from West Virginia to Alabama.
— Nevada poached Desmond Cambridge (15.7 ppg) from Brown.
— Marquette poached grad transfer Jayce Johnson (7.1 ppg) from Utah.

2) Get well soon to Mets’ broadcaster/former pitcher Ron Darling, who was diagnosed with treatable thyroid cancer recently. He is expected to return to TV sometime next month.

1) 51 years ago tonight, May 8, 1968, Catfish Hunter threw a perfect game for the A’s against Minnesota; he also knocked in three of the A’s runs in their 4-0 win.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Game 7 Notes
May 7, 2019
By VI News

The 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs will have another Game 7 on Wednesday as the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks meet from the SAP Center.

Betting Preview - Colorado at San Jose

The home team has gone 4-2 through the first six games of this best-of-seven series.

San Jose opened as a minus-140 favorite for Game 7 while Colorado is a plus-120 underdog.

The 'over/under' was installed at 5.5 for Wednesday and the 'over' has gone 3-2-1 through the first six games, with four outcomes ending with more than six combined goals.

Neither team has won consecutive games in this series, which is good news for San Jose, who has posted a 5-2 record at the SAP Center this postseason.

Recent Game 7 History

The last time the Sharks and Avalanche met for a Game 7 came back in the 2002 semfinals as Colorado edged San Jose, 1-0 at home.

Colorado (4-6 All-Time Record)
2014 First Round - Colorado 4 vs. Minnesota 5 (OT)

San Jose (7-3 All-Time Record)
2019 First Round - San Jose 5 vs. Vegas 4 (OT)
2016 Second Round - San Jose 5 vs. Nashville 0

NHL Game 7 Playoff History (2012-2019)

Including the three games from the 2019 first round, there have been 173 all-time Game 7’s in the NHL Playoffs and the home squad owns a 100-73 (57.8%) record.

Last year, road teams went 2-1 in Game 7's and the visitors scored 14 goals in those games which led to a 2-1 'over' mark.

The 'over' is 3-0 in three Game 7's this season.

2019
Toronto 1 at Boston 5
Vegas 4 at San Jose 5 (OT)
Carolina 4 at Washington 3 (OT)

2018
Washington Capitals 4 at Tampa Bay Lightning 0
Winnipeg Jets 5 at Nashville Predators 1
Toronto Maple Leafs 4 at Boston Bruins 7

2017
Pittsburgh Penguins 2 at Washington Capitals 0
Edmonton Oilers 1 at Anaheim Ducks 2

2016
Tampa Bay Lightning 1 at Pittsburgh Penguins 2
Nashville Predators 0 at San Jose Sharks 5
St. Louis Blues 6 at Dallas Stars 1
Nashville Predators 2 at Anaheim Ducks 1
Chicago Blackhawks 2 at St. Louis Blues 3

2015
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 at New York Rangers 0
Chicago Blackhawks 5 at Anaheim Ducks 3
New York Rangers 2 at Washington Capitals 1
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 at Detroit Red Wings 0
Washington Capitals 2 at New York Islanders 1

2014
Los Angeles Kings 5 at Chicago Blackhawks 4 (OT)
Los Angeles Kings 6 at Anaheim Ducks 2
Montreal Canadiens 3 at Boston Bruins 1
New York Rangers 2 at Pittsburgh Penguins 1
Philadelphia Flyers 3 at New York Rangers 4
Minnesota Wild 5 at Colorado Avalanche 4
Los Angeles Kings 5 at San Jose Sharks 1

2013
New York Rangers 5 at Washington Capitals 0
Toronto Maple Leafs 4 at Boston Bruins 5 (OT)
Detroit Red Wings 3 at Anaheim Ducks 2
Detroit Red Wings 1 at Chicago Blackhawks 2 (OT)
San Jose Sharks 1 at Los Angeles Kings 2

2012
Ottawa Senators 1 at New York Rangers 2
Washington Capitals 2 at Boston Bruins 1 (OT)
New Jersey Devils 3 at Florida Panthers 2 (2OT)
Washington Capitals 1 at New York Rangers 2

[StarDust Bum]

Sharks hope for Pavelski's return
May 7, 2019
By The Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Captain Joe Pavelski was getting staples put into his bloody head when the San Jose Sharks staged an epic comeback in Game 7 of the opening round against Vegas.

Now that the Sharks have been forced into another ultimate game after missing a chance to eliminate Colorado in an overtime loss on the road, they are hopeful of getting their leader back on the ice for the first time since then.

Perhaps the biggest question heading into Game 7 at the Shark Tank on Wednesday night (9 p.m. EDT, NBCSN) is whether Pavelski will be healthy enough to make a dramatic return against the Avalanche. Coach Peter DeBoer said that will happen as soon as doctors give him the OK.

''I'm not hiding anything,'' DeBoer said Tuesday. ''He's day to day. He's getting better every day. We're going to make a decision on game days whether he'll be available or not.''

The winner advances to play the St. Louis Blues, who beat the Dallas Stars 2-1 in double-overtime Tuesday night in Game 7 of their second-round series.

Pavelski's injury happened midway through the third period in Game 7 against Vegas on April 23 with San Jose trailing 3-0. He was cross-checked by Cody Eakin after a faceoff and then bumped by Paul Stastny before falling awkwardly to the ice head first. The impact of Pavelski's helmet slamming the ice knocked him out briefly and caused him to bleed from his head.

A dazed Pavelski was helped off the ice by his teammates and then had eight staples put in his head to stop the bleeding. While that was going on, his teammates scored four power-play goals during the major penalty to Eakin that even Pavelski acknowledged was not warranted.

San Jose ultimately won the game on Barclay Goodrow's overtime goal to advance to the second round. Pavelski was unable even to travel to Colorado for Games 3 and 4 but got back on the ice while his teammates were away last week. He made an emotional appearance at the Shark Tank during the third period of Game 5 to fire up the crowd and traveled to Denver for Game 6 where he took part in the morning skate.

''It still really is day-to-day,'' Pavelski said before Game 6. ''Wish I had a set-in-stone answer - go here, do this and be ready. We're taking everything into play.''

No matter what happens with Pavelski, the Sharks will need better performances from several of their other forwards who have been mostly invisible this series. San Jose was supposed to have the better depth up front but that hasn't been the case so far.

Joe Thornton and Kevin Labanc have gone five straight games without a point, Evander Kane and Marcus Sorensen haven't recorded a point for four straight games and the fourth line has generated almost no offense.

Colorado has six forwards with at least two goals this series, including secondary options like J.T. Compher, Tyson Jost, Colin Wilson and Matt Nieto. The Sharks have just three with Couture's three goals all coming in a Game 3 win, Tomas Hertl's two coming in a Game 5 victory and Timo Meier scoring one of his two into an empty net.

Compher scored twice in regulation in Game 6 and assisted on Jost's goal as well as the Avalanche managed to get the game into overtime despite its top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen being on the ice for all three San Jose goals in regulation.

''They've been unbelievable all playoffs, all season,'' Compher said of Colorado's Big Three. ''The depth guys, we've got to step up when we can. Guys were stepping up all over the place and that's why we're in the spot we are.''

That spot is one win away from Colorado's first appearance in the conference finals since 2002. Getting there hasn't been easy. The Avalanche had to knock off the top seed in the West, Calgary, in the first round and has never led in this series with the Sharks taking all the odd-numbered games and Colorado answering after that.

Even the Game 6 win at home proved treacherous with the Avalanche blowing a one-goal lead three times before finally winning on Landeskog's overtime goal.

''We knew it wasn't supposed to be easy, nobody said it was going to be,'' Landeskog said. ''For us we try to reload. As frustrating as it was to keep losing those leads we tried to reset and go back at it.''

Facing elimination isn't a new feeling for the Sharks, who won three win-or-go-home games in the first round against Vegas when they overcame a 3-1 series deficit for the first time in franchise history.

This veteran team is playing its third Game 7 at home in the past four years, having beaten Nashville in the second round in 2016 and the Golden Knights two weeks ago.

''Instead of a fear or a nervousness there's an excitement about them,'' DeBoer said. ''We do have guys that have participated in them in the past. Does that count for anything? I don't know. I'd like to think it does. I do know this. Our guys have a comfort level in big games.''

[StarDust Bum]

[StarDust Bum]

27Colorado -28 San Jose
COLORADO is 26-33 ATS (-16.5 Units) against poor defensive teams - allowing 2.85+ goals/game in the current season.


NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, May 8


Colorado @ San Jose

Game 27-28
May 8, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
10.599
San Jose
12.071
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-135
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(-135); Under


NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 8

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

COLORADO (45-34-0-14, 104 pts.) at SAN JOSE (53-32-0-10, 116 pts.) - 5/8/2019, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 19-55 ATS (+107.6 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 12-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
SAN JOSE is 231-165 ATS (-42.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 9-5 (+3.1 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 9-5-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.7 Units)

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


NHL

Wednesday, May 8

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

Colorado Avalanche
Colorado is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
Colorado is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Colorado is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Colorado's last 13 games on the road
Colorado is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Colorado's last 19 games when playing San Jose
Colorado is 2-18 SU in its last 20 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing on the road against San Jose
San Jose Sharks
San Jose is 7-18 ATS in its last 25 games
San Jose is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
San Jose is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 14 of San Jose's last 19 games when playing Colorado
San Jose is 18-2 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose's last 6 games when playing at home against Colorado

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Avalanche vs Sharks NHL betting picks and predictions: Bet Sharks to take final bite in Game 7
Monty Andrews

Home-ice advantage has been incredibly value in recent Game 7s, with the home team winning eight of the previous 12, including three of four so far in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs.

There's only one spot up for grabs in the NHL's final four – and it'll go to either the Colorado Avalanche or the San Jose Sharks, who will tangle in Game 7 Wednesday night at SAP Center. Colorado blew a lead late in regulation but still forced a seventh and deciding game as Gabriel Landeskog scored 2:32 into overtime to secure a 4-3 Avalanche victory in Game 6. The team that wins Wednesday night will face the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference final, with the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes squaring off in the Eastern Conference final.

COLORADO AVALANCHE AT SAN JOSE SHARKS (-140, 5.5)

QUICK-HITTER

Has familiarity or caution played a role in these teams tightening up the first-period defense? It's hard to say which is the greater factor, but whatever the case, the Avalanche and Sharks haven't done much of anything in the opening period of their past three games, with zero goals scored in the opening 20 minutes over that stretch. And the scoring chances have diminished over that span, as well, with the teams combining for 22 first-period shots on goal in Game 4, 18 in Game 5 and just 16 in Game 6. We like these teams to keep the trend alive and slide under the first-period goal total.

PREDICTION: Under 1.5 first-period goals (+100)

PERIOD BET

While these teams have combined to score just five first-period goals in the series, they've been much more prolific over the final two periods, scoring 14 second-period goals and adding 13 tallies over the final 20 minutes of regulation. Four of the six games in the series have featured three or more goals in a period, and that streak extends to 10 of the past 12 meetings overall when you include the regular season. With things expected to tighten up in the third period – as most Game 7s do – we favor taking the second period as the highest-scoring frame in this one.

PREDICTION: Highest-scoring period: Period 2 (+250)

TEAM/PLAYER BET

In games that are expected to be close, there's a compelling argument to be made for expecting the team to prevail to also be the team that scores the final goal. In five of the six games of the series, the team scoring last has won the game, with only San Jose's goal with 11 seconds remaining in a 4-3 defeat in Game 2 keeping the teams from a spotless record. The Sharks have scored the final goal in four of the six games so far – and while we're spoiling the next prop somewhat, we like the home side to make it five of seven Wednesday night against the Avalanche.

PREDICTION: Team to score last: Sharks (-135)

FULL-GAME TOTAL

While it's tempting to suggest that Game 7s equal defensive slogs, that simply hasn't been the case in recent years, with five of the previous seven having produced six or more goals. As stated above, these teams can put the puck in the net – and have had all sorts of trouble preventing teams from doing the same, despite the low-scoring results from Games 4 and 5. The Sharks have scored five goals in each of their previous Game 7s, and are averaging four goals per game at home in the postseason. It might take an empty-netter to get there, but we're leaning toward the O5.5.

PREDICTION: Over 5.5 (-120)

FULL-GAME SIDE

You can't put much stock in past results, particularly ones that stretch beyond a few years – but it is notable that the home side has won 28 of the previous 35 regular-season encounters between the clubs. And the host team has been the superior side of late, winning each of the past three games. Both teams boast high-powered offenses and inconsistent goaltending – but home-ice advantage has been incredibly value in recent Game 7s, with the home team winning eight of the previous 12 (including three of four so far in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs). The smart money is on the Sharks.

PREDICTION: Sharks -140

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 8
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

COL at SJ 09:00 PM

SJ -137

U 5.5

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Pavelski leads Sharks past Avalanche 3-2 in Game 7
May 8, 2019
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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Captain Joe Pavelski made a triumphant return from a gruesome head injury by posting a goal and an assist in the first period that helped send the San Jose Sharks into the Western Conference final with a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 on Wednesday night.

Just over two weeks after being helped off the ice while bleeding from his head in a Game 7 win in the first round against Vegas, Pavelski inspired the crowd and carried his team to another Game 7 victory. He scored the first goal and assisted on Tomas Hertl's goal as the Sharks advanced to their fourth conference final this decade.

Joonas Donskoi ended a 39-game goal drought, Martin Jones made 14 of his 27 saves in the third period and the Sharks capitalized on a favorable replay review that negated a potential game-tying goal by Colorado in the second period.

San Jose will now play St. Louis in a conference final matchup between two successful teams seeking their first championship. Game 1 is Saturday.

Mikko Rantanen and Tyson Jost scored for the Avalanche, who were trying to make their first conference final since 2002. Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves.

The excitement started early at the Shark Tank with the fans cheering loudly when Pavelski stepped out for warmups for his first game back since his bloody concussion in Game 7 of the first round against Vegas.

There was a deafening roar when Pavelski was announced as a starter and the entire first period became a lovefest for San Jose's captain in what could be his final home game with the Sharks before he can be a free agent this summer.

Pavelski took less than six minutes to provide more than just inspiration. He deflected Brent Burns' point shot past Grubauer for the opening goal of the game and celebrated with an exaggerated fist pump. Pavelski tipped the puck from almost the exact same spot in the faceoff circle where he was knocked out and bleeding from his head after the awkward fall on April 23 against the Golden Knights.

That play led to a major penalty that the Sharks converted into four power-play goals to erase a 3-0 deficit and help carry San Jose into the second round where his teammates vowed to extend the season long enough for Pavelski to return.

Pavelski then set up Hertl with a pass from behind the net to make it 2-0 midway through the period and drew a penalty that nearly led to a power-play goal later in the period as the Avalanche struggled early.

Colorado lost star Nathan MacKinnon early in the first when his shoulder crashed into the boards, but his return late in the period helped spark the Avalanche. He created a couple of scoring chances and Colorado then converted with MacKinnon on the ice in the closing seconds of the period when Rantanen deflected a point shot from Samuel Girard with 6.8 seconds remaining in the first.

The Avalanche appeared to tie the game midway through the second when MacKinnon set up Colin Wilson, but Sharks coach Peter DeBoer challenged the play for offside. The play was overturned because captain Gabriel Landeskog was still in the zone as he went off the ice on a line change.

The Sharks then restored the two-goal lead later in the period when Donskoi skated around the net and beat Grubauer high to the short side for his first goal since Jan. 10.

Colorado pushed hard in the third, getting a goal in the first minute from Jost, but the Sharks managed to hold on from there for the win.

NOTES: The Sharks won multiple Game 7s in the same postseason for the first time in franchise history. The last team to advance to the conference finals with two Game 7 wins was St. Louis in 2016. The Blues were eliminated by the Sharks. ... Colorado F Matt Calvert remained sidelined with an upper-body injury. The Avalanche once again dressed seven defensemen and 11 forwards.