The Bum's Best Bets For Thursday April 2nd - NBA -NHL-NCAABB- !

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B]NHL[/B]

Thursday, April 2

Game Score Status Pick Amount

NY Islanders - 7:00 PM ET Columbus +120 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Columbus - Over 5.5 500

Washington - 7:30 PM ET Washington +118 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Montreal - Under 5 500

Tampa Bay - 7:30 PM ET Ottawa -110 500 *****
Ottawa - Over 5.5 500

Boston - 7:30 PM ET Detroit -102 500
Detroit - Over 5 500

Carolina - 7:30 PM ET Florida -169 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Florida - Under 5 500

Calgary - 8:00 PM ET St. Louis -144 500 HAT TRICK
St. Louis - Under 5.5 500

NY Rangers - 8:00 PM ET Minnesota -133 500 *****
Minnesota - Over 5 500

Vancouver - 8:30 PM ET Vancouver +150 500 HAT TRICK
Chicago - Under 5.5 500

Edmonton - 10:30 PM ET Los Angeles -350 500
Los Angeles - Under 5.5 500

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NBA

Thursday, April 2

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Miami - 8:00 PM ET Cleveland -10.5 500 *****
Cleveland - Over 195.5 500 *****

Houston - 8:30 PM ET Dallas -2.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Dallas - Under 210 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Phoenix - 10:30 PM ET Golden State -12.5 500 SLAM DUNK
Golden State - Over 209 500 TRIPLE PLAY

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NCAABB

Thursday, April 2

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Northern Arizona - 7:00 PM ET Evansville -8 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Evansville - Over 142 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Stanford - 9:00 PM ET Stanford -2.5 500 SLAM DUNK
Miami-Florida - Under 135.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

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Northern Arizona (23-14) at Evansville (23-12)

Thursday, April 2, 7 p.m. (ET)
The Sports Network

GAME NOTES: The championship game in the 2015 CollegeInsider.com Tournament is set for Thursday evening, as the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks pay a visit to the Evansville Purple Aces at the Ford Center.

Both teams come in having won 23 games in 2014-15, with Northern Arizona actually establishing a new school record for most wins in a season.

The Lumberjacks won their ninth straight home game by taking down NJIT on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the event, 68-61. It was the seventh victory in the last eights games overall for NAU, which is playing in the CIT Championship Game for the first time in history. The team's other wins in the tourney came against Grand Canyon (75-70), Sacramento State (78-73) and Kent State (74-73 OT).

Evansville claimed its fourth straight win by beating UT Martin in Tuesday's semifinal round, 79-66. The team's other triumphs in the tournament came against IPFW (82-77), Eastern Illinois (83-68) and Louisiana (89-82), and those came on the heels of a four-game losing streak and setbacks in seven of its previous 10 games overall. The Purple Aces improved to 7-2 in the CIT with Tuesday's win, and they are playing in their first championship game as well.

This bout marks the first meeting between these two schools in men's basketball.

Northern Arizona trailed visiting NJIT at the break, 33-26, but went on a tear over the final 20 minutes to prevail and keep its dream of a postseason championship alive. Despite going just 4-of-14 from 3-point range, Quinton Upshur scored a game-high 23 points, and he was joined in double figures by Aaseem Dixon with 19 points and Kris Yanku with 10. Jordyn Martin had been a much more productive offensive player in the previous outings for NAU, but it was his effort on the glass (17 rebounds) that helped the Lumberjacks grab a massive 56 boards in the game. The team shot just 30.3 percent from the floor, but held the Highlanders to 34.3 percent, which included a dismal 4-of-22 showing beyond the arc. A 21-11 edge in points at the foul line played a major role in the positive outcome for the home team.

As has been the case all season long, D.J. Balentine was on top of his game in Evansville's recent win over UT Martin, hitting four 3-pointers en route to a game-high 28 points. He was joined in double digits by Adam Wing (16 points) and Blake Simmons (13 points, career-high seven assists), and the team as a whole made good on 57.1 percent of its field goal attempts, which included an 8-of-19 effort out on the perimeter. Wing hit his first seven shots of the game for an EU squad that finished with significant margins in points in the paint (38-18), points off turnovers (17-9), fast break points (14-0) and bench points (16-9). The Aces logged 23 assists in the win, which was key considering the Skyhawks drained 13-of-27 3-point tries.

While the Lumberjacks have been tough to beat at home (13-2), they have struggled on the road (8-11). The Purple Aces have won 12 of their 17 home games this season, including four of their last five, so let's give Balentine and his teammates the nod in their season finale.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Evansville 73, Northern Arizona 66

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Stanford (23-13) vs. Miami-Florida (25-12)

Thursday, April 2, 9 p.m. (ET)
The Sports Network

GAME NOTES: The Stanford Cardinal aim for their second NIT championship in the last four years, their third overall, as they battle the Miami-Florida Hurricanes in the final game of the 78th annual tournament at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.

Stanford, which is appearing in this event for the eighth time in program history and is a second seed in the 2015 edition, won it all as recently as 2012 with a 75-51 thrashing of Minnesota. The team also took the trophy back to the Golden State in 1991 after dispensing with Oklahoma, 78-72.

The run this time around for the Cardinal has included victories over UC Davis, Rhode Island and Vanderbilt in the earlier rounds before landing in New York earlier this week. On Tuesday night, the team dispensed with a feisty Old Dominion squad, 67-60, after building a massive 25-4 lead in the first half and then having to battle from a deficit late in the second.

Also a two seed in the tourney, the Hurricanes are shooting for their first NIT title. Behind the leadership of head coach Jim Larranaga, a native of the Bronx, Miami's trip north was paved with wins against North Carolina Central, Alabama, and Richmond both at home and on the road. Two nights ago the team came from behind to take down the Temple Owls in a 60-57 decision.

With this year's run in the tournament, Miami has a mark of 11-11 in the event and is playing in the title game for the first time in 12 appearances.

As far as the all-time series between the programs is concerned, they've split the two previous encounters. Miami posted a 71-58 victory in 1986 during the Palm Beach Hurricane Classic, but then bowed to the Cardinal on the road, 93-59, three years later.

The Cardinal appeared to be well on the way to an overwhelming victory against Old Dominion two nights ago, streaking out to a 21-point lead as the Monarchs opened the meeting a mere 1-of-16 shooting from the floor, but Stanford eased up and let ODU back in contention before the break. In fact, the Monarchs actually took a lead in the second half before free-throw shooting down the stretch pushed Stanford on to victory.

Chasson Randle finished with 24 points as he became the all-time leading scorer for the Cardinal, moving past Todd Lichti late in the first half. Also scoring in double figures for the Cardinal were Stefan Nastic and Anthony Brown with 17 and 14 points, respectively.

Randle, who now has 2,350 points in his career, has already played a total of five games at Madison Square Garden over the years, averaging 16.0 ppg while shooting an impressive 12-of-26 behind the 3-point line. During this year's tournament, Randle is putting up 23.3 ppg thanks to 79.5 percent shooting at the free-throw line. As a unit, Stanford has made more than 21 free throws per contest, leading the group to a scoring average of 74.0 ppg.

Brown (16.8 ppg), Marcus Allen (12.0 ppg) and Nastic (10.5 ppg) are also playing critical roles on offense during the four games in the tournament, while the defense has held opponents to just 38.5 percent shooting from the field.

Sheldon McClellan registered a double-double consisting of 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Miami Hurricanes slipped by Temple in the semifinals on Tuesday night. McClellan, the only player to finish in double figures for the Hurricanes, shot 5-of-12 from the floor and knocked down a pair of attempts behind the 3-point line for a squad that was 6-of-21 out on the perimeter on the evening.

Miami, which shot only 39.0 percent from the field overall in the contest, held the Owls to 30.2 percent shooting from the floor and 2-of-19 behind the 3-point line.

McClellan is still the key figure on offense for the Hurricanes with his 14.4 ppg, but he could again be the only double-digit scoring source for the program if Angel Rodriguez (11.9 ppg) remains on the sidelines with a sprained right wrist. Rodriguez, who is listed as doubtful, has also been the leading passer for Miami with 126 assists in his 32 appearances this season.

Unfortunately, Rodriguez is not the only casualty for the program as Tonye Jekiri is expected to miss the game due to a concussion suffered against Temple. Jekiri (8.6 ppg) paced the team on the glass in 2014-15 with 9.9 rpg and was also first with 51 blocked shots, which means his absence will leave a huge hole in the paint at both ends of the floor.

Considering the Hurricanes have had some wind taken out of their sails due to crucial injuries recently, it only makes sense that Randle and the rest of the Cardinal take advantage of that misfortune and ride it to a third NIT championship.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Stanford 66, Miami-Florida 58

[StarDust Bum]

***** NBA Previews from The Sports Network *****
Thursday, April 2
(All times Eastern)


MIAMI HEAT (34-40) AT CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (48-27), 8 P.M.

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Cleveland Cavaliers continue their pursuit of their
first Central Division title in five years on Thursday when the Miami Heat
visit Quicken Loans Arena.

The Cavs own a three-game lead over the Chicago Bulls in the Central, a
division the Cavaliers haven't won since the 2009-10 season. Cleveland is also
ahead of the Toronto Raptors and Bulls by three for the second seed in the
Eastern Conference.

That last division crown came in LeBron James' final season before departing
for the Heat, a team he guided to four Finals appearances, including two
championships. He bolting from there to go back to Cleveland this past
offseason.

Adding intrigue to a matchup that needs very little, the Heat currently share
seventh place in the Eastern Conference with the Brooklyn Nets, so the
possibility exists for a first-round showdown between Cleveland and Miami, or,
LeBron versus Dwyane Wade and Miami.

"You look at the standings, you see who's 2 and 7," James said after practice
on Wednesday. "It would be good for the fans for sure and it would be good for
me and D. Wade."

The Cavs have won five of their last six and 16 straight at home. Cleveland
hasn't lost in the Q since Jan. 7 versus the Houston Rockets and play five of
its last seven there.

On Sunday, the Cavaliers had a little more trouble than expected in an 87-86
home victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

James tallied 20 points with 11 rebounds and six assists to lead the Cavs.
Kyrie Irving scored 17 points and Timofey Mozgov checked in with 14 points and
10 rebounds for Cleveland.

The final margin stayed true for the last 3:57 of the game as both offenses
struggled mightily down the stretch.

"Some games it's just offensively we don't have any type of rhythm, which we
didn't have tonight," James said. "But you gotta find a way to win and we did
that tonight."

Kevin Love missed the contest with a sore lower back. He will be a game-time
decision on Thursday, but Iman Shumpert will play. He sprained his ankle in
the first half against Philly and didn't return.

The Heat were caught by the Nets for the seventh seed after Brooklyn rattled
off five consecutive victories. The teams are just a half-game clear of the
Boston Celtics in what is becoming a three-horse race this late in the
campaign.

The four-time reigning Eastern Conference champions have lost two of three and
four of their last six, including Tuesday's 95-81 home setback against the San
Antonio Spurs in a rematch of the Finals.

Goran Dragic paced Miami with 19 points and Wade, fresh off dropping 40
against the Detroit Pistons, shot just 6-of-20 for 15 points. Hassan Whiteside
and Mario Chalmers both netted 10 off the bench.

"They stepped it up to a different level," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Five straight points from James Ennis had Miami within 51-50 early in the
third quarter, but Matt Bonner countered with a 3-pointer on the other end.
His trey jumpstarted an 18-4 run that spanned more than six minutes and put
the Spurs in the driver's seat.

They ended any hopes of a Heat comeback with a 12-2 spurt to open the fourth.

The Heat begin a three-game road trip which will send them to Detroit and
Indiana. They play four in a row at home after that, then close the season in
Philadelphia.

In three meetings this season, the Heat are 2-1 with both victories in South
Beach. On Christmas Day, Miami prevailed by 10 and it won by 14 on March 16.
Cleveland won by 20 at the Q on Feb. 11.


HOUSTON ROCKETS (51-24) AT DALLAS MAVERICKS (46-29), 8:30 P.M.

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Houston Rockets remain in a dog fight for the
Southwest Division crown and they'll face a stiff divisional test on Thursday
when they visit American Airlines Center to meet the Dallas Mavericks.

The Rockets are tied for the division lead with the Memphis Grizzlies with
just seven games remaining on the docket. Also at stake is the No. 2 seed in
the Western Conference.

That could set up a first-round playoff matchup with the Mavericks. Dallas
hasn't clinched a postseason berth yet, but is four ahead of the Oklahoma City
Thunder, who are in eighth.

James Harden continued his MVP run on Wednesday in a 115-111 home win over the
Sacramento Kings. Harden netted a career-high 51 as Houston held on for the
victory.

Harden became the first Rockets player in history to have two 50-point games
in one season. He went for 50 against the Denver Nuggets less than two weeks
ago.

The MVP candidate made eight of his nine 3-pointers, tying a career high, went
11-of-13 from the foul line and 16-of-25 from the field overall to lift
Houston to its 51st victory of the season.

"Shooting 8-of-9 from 3 is hard to do," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "It's
hard to do when you're by yourself, much less in a game when everything is
contested."

Trevor Ariza scored 22 points and Terrence Jones added 16 points and seven
boards in the triumph.

The Rockets begin a challenging road trip Thursday with stops against the
Thunder and San Antonio Spurs on the horizon.

The Mavericks ended a two-game losing streak on Wednesday with a 135-131 road
win over the Thunder.

Monta Ellis registered 26 points to lead Dallas in an exciting, entertaining
affair. Chandler Parsons netted 22 points with six assists and Dirk Nowitzki
chipped in with 18 points for the Mavs.

"We all knew how important this game was," Parsons said. "We needed this win
in a bad way."

Tyson Chandler had 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Rajon Rondo added 10
points and 10 assists in the win.

Parsons converted a three-point play before making a layup that helped the
Mavs to a 130-129 lead with 90 seconds left. It remained a one-point game when
Parsons hit a tough turnaround jumper with 13 seconds left, then Russell
Westbrook got two looks at a 3-pointer after he hustled down his own rebound
from the first miss, but his second attempt was off the mark.

Ellis sealed the victory with a free throws in the final seconds.

Dallas finished 56-of-91 (61.5 percent) from the floor and dominated the
paint, outscoring the Thunder, 72-46.

The Mavericks welcome the conference-leading Golden State Warriors and Phoenix
Suns on this stay.

The Rockets won the first two meetings this season, both in Houston before
Dallas prevailed by 11 at home on Feb. 20. The Mavs have won eight of the last
nine encounters as the host.


PHOENIX SUNS (38-37) AT GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (61-13), 10:30 P.M.

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Golden State Warriors have wrapped up almost
everything possible, but will prepare for the postseason, starting Thursday
against the Phoenix Suns at Oracle Arena.

The Warriors secured the Pacific Division and the No. 1 seed in the Western
Conference. The only thing left is homecourt throughout the entire playoffs,
but the Warriors lead the Atlanta Hawks by 5 1/2 games.

Golden State has won 10 in a row and 13 straight at home. The Warriors are a
staggering 34-2 at Oracle Arena this season, and they've won 18 consecutive
contests against Western Conference foes.

The winning streak reached 10 on Tuesday with a spirited 110-106 road victory
over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The game within the game began before the tip when Clippers coach Doc Rivers
accused the Warriors of sitting Draymond Green because "they didn't want to
take the risk of going 2-2 (versus the Clippers this season) with their
regular guys."

Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who was named Western Conference Coach of the
Month for March, responded with, "Oh, is that right? Either that or we have a
nine-game lead and a couple guys banged up. Somewhere in there."

Steph Curry scored 27 points, Klay Thompson added 25 and the Warriors ended
the Clippers' seven-game winning streak.

David Lee scored 17 points in a rare start and Marreese Speights chipped in 13
off the bench for Golden State.

Andre Iguodala, who didn't make a field goal, got fouled shooting a 3 in front
of the Clippers bench with 1:10 to play and sank all three free throws,
extending the Warriors lead to 106-102.

Los Angeles' Chris Paul cut it to two with a layup at the other end, but Curry
and Thompson both stepped up and hit a pair of free throws in the closing
seconds.

"Our guys really got their competitive spirit going in the second half," said
Kerr. "This is what competitors do. It was a great effort."

Green is listed as questionable on Thursday.

The Suns are dangerously close to being out of the Western Conference playoff
race. Phoenix is four games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the eighth
and final postseason berth.

The Suns have dropped four straight at a terrible time. On Monday, Phoenix
fell to the Portland Trail Blazers, 109-86, to allow Portland to secure a
playoff spot.

Gerald Green and T.J. Warren poured in 13 points apiece off the bench to lead
the Suns. Eric Bledsoe chipped in 12, followed by 11 each for Markieff and
Marcus Morris. P.J. Tucker added 10.

Portland had already led by six points at the break, but seized complete
control after outscoring Phoenix 37-16 in the third.

The Blazers were up nine before a 15-2 run put the game out of reach. Portland
took a 92-65 margin into the fourth, where it coasted to the easy win.

"We played hard but they're a good team," Bledsoe said. "At the end of the
day, that's why they're in the position they're in, trying to fight for a high
seed."

The Warriors won two of three this season against the Suns and are 10-3 in
recent history. Golden State has won six in a row as the host in this series.

[StarDust Bum]

***** National Hockey League Previews from The Sports Network *****
Thursday, April 2
(All times Eastern)

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (45-27-5) AT COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (37-35-4), 7 P.M.

(SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Islanders hope to record consecutive wins
for the first time in over a month on Thursday when they visit the streaking
Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

The Islanders ended a rough March with a victory, beating the visiting Detroit
Red Wings, 5-4, on Sunday. It was just the fourth win of the month for New
York, which logged a 4-6-3 record in March.

The last time the Isles were able to string together two wins was on Feb. 24
and 27 when they beat Arizona and Calgary at home.

The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, have won seven straight and can match a club
record for consecutive victories tonight. They went 11-4 in March, setting a
new franchise mark for most wins in a single month. However, the surge won't
help get Columbus into the postseason as it was officially eliminated from
playoff contention after Boston beat Florida on Tuesday.

With 95 points, New York is likely headed to the playoffs although it may not
be as one of the top three seeds from the Metropolitan Division. The Isles are
tied with Pittsburgh for second place in the division and Washington is
just one point back in fourth. The Capitals hold the first of two wild card
spots in the East.

Like the Isles and Pens, Washington has five games remaining in the regular
season and the Caps visit Montreal on Thursday. Pittsburgh is idle after
losing in regulation to Philadelphia on Wednesday.

New York used Cal Clutterbuck's short-handed goal early in the second period
on Sunday to defeat the Red Wings on Sunday.

The contest got off to a wild start and the clubs were tied 3-3 after 20
minutes. Frans Nielsen gave the Isles the lead for good with a power-play
tally just 16 seconds into the middle period and Clutterbuck delivered the
eventual game-winner at the 3:57 mark.

Pavel Datsyuk cut the deficit to 5-4 midway through the second, but that would
be the final score for either club.

New York went 3-of-4 with the man advantage and also received power-play goals
from Brock Nelson and Kyle Okposo.

"It was good to see we got rewarded," Isles captain John Tavares said of the
team's power-play success "We had chances in the past few games and tonight we
buried them."

Ryan Strome also scored for the Islanders, Tavares broke out of a slump by
notching three assists and Jaroslav Halak overcame a brutal start in the win.
The All-Star goaltender let up a pair of goals in the first two minutes, but
just two more the rest of the way while registering 21 saves.

Tavares came in having posted just two points over his previous eight games.

The Isles will have to cool off Columbus to earn their first winning streak in
several weeks. New York has won three of the last four meetings in this series
and halted a three-game slide at Nationwide Arena with a 5-2 win on Jan. 10.

Columbus began a three-game homestand on Tuesday with an overtime victory over
the New Jersey Devils. Jack Johnson's strike 56 seconds into the extra session
lifted the Blue Jackets to a 3-2 win and help the club match its longest win
streak of the season.

The Jackets also won seven straight from Dec. 1-16. The only time the
club won eight in a row was from Jan. 6-Feb. 3 of last season.

New Jersey tied Tuesday's game at 2-2 with 2:29 to play in the third, but
Johnson ended it before the OT session was a minute old.

Ryan Johansen circled around the net and sent the puck down to David Savard at
the blue line. Savard faked a shot and dished the puck to Johnson, who drifted
across the slot and ended the game with a backhander past Cory Schneider's
glove.

"We just got mad. We didn't get down at all, giving up a short-handed goal
that late in the game," said Johnson. "We just wanted to finish the game off."

Brandon Dubinsky scored on a penalty shot, Nick Foligno also lit the lamp and
Sergei Bobrovsky made 24 saves for the Blue Jackets. Johansen supplied two
assists in the victory.

The Blue Jackets improved to 15-20-2 as the host this season. New York is
21-13-4 as the guest.

Halak is expected to start for the Isles and is 9-4-1 with a 2.68 goals
against average in 14 career outings against Columbus. Bobrovsky has superb
lifetime numbers against the Islanders, going 10-3-0 with a 2.08 GAA in this
matchup.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS (42-25-10) AT MONTREAL CANADIENS (47-22-8), 7:30 P.M.

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Washington Capitals hope to break into the
Metropolitan Division's top three seeds on Thursday when they visit the
playoff-bound Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre.

The Capitals have won two straight, three of four and six of their last eight.
The surge has them at 94 points on the season and one behind the New York
Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins for the last two of three playoff spots from
the Metro. The Isles are in action tonight at Columbus, but the Penguins are
idle after losing in regulation to Philadelphia on Wednesday. All three teams
have five games left in the regular season.

Washington is currently occupying the first of two wild card spots in the
Eastern Conference. It is three points ahead of Boston and six in front of the
Ottawa Senators. The Bruins visit Detroit tonight, while the Senators are
home against Tampa Bay.

The Capitals beat the Metro-leading New York Rangers on the road Sunday by a
5-2 count and followed that with Tuesday's 4-2 home decision over Carolina.

Alex Ovechkin scored his league-leading 50th goal of the season to lead
Washington past the Hurricanes. Ovechkin scored in the first period to reach
the 50-goal mark for the sixth time in his career. It was his 472nd career
goal, tying Petr Bondra for the franchise lead.

"Every year, it's harder and harder," said Ovechkin. "But it's a huge
accomplishment with those names up there. It's always nice. But every year,
you don't know what to expect from yourself, how you are going to play."

Ovechkin has led the NHL in goals four times and is headed for his fifth
Rocket Richard Trophy in 2014-15. Rick Nash of the Rangers and Tampa Bay's
Steven Stamkos are the closest competitors this season with 40 goals apiece.

Mike Green, Joel Ward and Brooks Laich also scored on Tuesday for the
Capitals, while Braden Holtby stopped 23 shots.

The Caps are beginning a three-game road trip tonight. They have won four of
their last five away games and own a 20-13-5 as the guest this season.
Washington will end the swing this weekend, as it visits Ottawa on Saturday
before making a stop the following day in Detroit.

Montreal has already clinched a playoff spot, but is still in a tight battle
with Tampa for the Atlantic Division crown. The Canadiens have 102 points, one
more than the Lightning. With five games left in the regular season, the Habs
hold a game in hand over the Bolts.

However, the Canadiens have lost three of their last four games and are coming
off Monday's 5-3 loss to the Lightning. Tampa swept the season series with the
road victory, but the Bolts missed a chance to take over first place on
Tuesday when it lost in regulation at Toronto.

Vladislav Namestnikov registered a pair of goals and one assist to help the
Lightning beat the Habs on Monday. Max Pacioretty, Jeff Petry and P.K. Subban
lit the lamp for the Canadiens, who dropped all five games in the season
series to their Atlantic Division foes.

"I hope we play them in the playoffs, if people really think that passionately
about it, because we have a lot to prove against that team," Pacioretty said.

Carey Price took the loss despite making 39 saves.

Montreal fell to 25-9-5 as the home club with the loss. It is ending a three-
game homestand tonight and will have one more game at the Bell Centre before
beginning the playoffs. That final home tilt of the regular season is slated
for next Thursday against Detroit.

The Caps will try to avoid a season sweep at the hands of Montreal, having
lost two previous meetings in 2014-15 after regulation. Washington fell 2-1 in
a shootout at home on Oct. 9 before losing a 1-0 overtime decision at the Bell
Centre on Jan. 31.

Montreal has claimed three of the past five overall encounters, but the Caps
had won seven straight in Quebec before losing the close OT decision in late
January.

Price is 5-9-3 with a 3.04 goals against average in 17 career games versus the
Capitals, while Holtby is 6-4-0 with a 2.09 GAA in 10 lifetime appearances
against the Canadiens.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (47-24-7) AT OTTAWA SENATORS (38-26-12), 7:30 P.M.

(SportsNetwork.com) - A week ago, the Ottawa Senators seemed poised to ride a
late-season surge into the playoffs, but the club is a little more desperate
entering Thursday's home test against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Senators went into last Thursday's game against the New York Rangers
riding a seven-game win streak that put them one point up on the Boston Bruins
for the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. However, Ottawa was
routed 5-1 by the visiting Rangers to begin an ill-timed 0-2-1 stretch that
ended with Tuesday's 2-1 shootout victory in Detroit.

Ottawa heads into tonight's action three points behind the Bruins for the
East's final postseason berth with Boston set to play this evening in Detroit.
The good news for the Sens is they do hold a game in hand over the Bruins with
six tilts remaining in the regular season compared to five for Boston.

The Sens earned a much-needed victory in the Motor City on Tuesday when Mark
Stone scored the deciding goal during the fourth round of the shootout. Clarke
MacArthur also scored late in regulation to force overtime and give Ottawa a
chance to earn the two points.

The victory helped Ottawa keep pace with the Bruins, who also earned a win
Tuesday against Florida.

"It's the biggest win of the year," Stone said. "Every game is the most
important from here on out."

Andrew Hammond made 16 saves for the Senators, who outshot the Red Wings 34-17
in the contest but went 0-for-5 on the power play.

Hammond, who didn't make his first NHL start until Feb. 18, improved to 15-1-1
on the season. On Wednesday, the 27-year-old netminder was nominated for the
Bill Masterton Trophy, which is awarded annually for the player who best
exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to
hockey.

Ottawa is expected to go with Hammond in net again tonight. He has yet to face
Tampa in his brief NHL career.

The Lightning, meanwhile, have already clinched a playoff berth and still have
a chance to win the Atlantic Division title. Montreal currently is in first
with 102 points, one more than Tampa, and the Canadiens own a game in hand
over the Bolts, who have four games left in the regular season.

Tampa helped its division title chances with Monday's 5-3 win in Montreal,
completing a five-game sweep of the regular-season series. However, the
Lightning wasted an opportunity to take over the first spot on Tuesday when it
lost in regulation at Toronto.

The Lightning fell 3-1 to the lowly Maple Leafs despite outshooting Toronto by
a 41-28 margin. Montreal was idle on Tuesday, but is back in action this
evening against visiting Washington.

Andrei Vasilevskiy had a shaky start in net, as Toronto jumped out to a 2-0
lead in the first period. Vasilevskiy ended with 25 saves.

"It doesn't matter if you're coming into a team that has struggled the second
half of the season," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "We tried to win the
hockey game and just didn't have it tonight."

Nazem Kadri gave Toronto a 1-0 lead with a power-play tally less than nine
minutes into the first and David Booth extended the cushion to two goals at
the 12:03 mark when he beat Vasilevskiy between the pads from the right
boards.

Ryan Callahan scored Tampa's only goal late in the first period when he cashed
in on a power play for his 23rd marker of the season. The setback was the
Lightning's third loss in four games.

Tampa played Tuesday without defenseman Victor Hedman, who sat out with a
lower-body injury suffered in Monday's win. He is considered day-to-day.
Defensemen Jason Garrison and Andrej Sustr also suffered injuries recently and
both players could be sidelined for weeks.

Forward Tyler Johnson also is expected to miss a third straight game this
evening with an upper-body injury.

Ben Bishop is expected to be back in net tonight. Tampa's No. 1 netminder is a
former Senator and owns a 6-0-2 career mark and 2.30 goals against average
against his old club.

Tampa has won two straight against Ottawa since losing the opener of the
2014-15 season series at home on Oct. 11. The Bolts have won two straight on
the road in this matchup.

The Lightning are 17-16-6 as the guest this season and will complete a five-
game road trip when they visit Florida on Saturday.

Ottawa is beginning a two-game homestand tonight and welcomes Washington on
Saturday. The Sens have dropped two straight at Canadian Tire Centre, where
they own a 20-13-5 mark on the season.

BOSTON BRUINS (39-25-13) AT DETROIT RED WINGS (40-23-13), 7:30 P.M.

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Boston Bruins hope to maintain their lead for the
last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference when they visit the struggling
Detroit Red Wings for Thursday's clash at Joe Louis Arena.

Boston has won its last three games to take a three-point lead over Ottawa for
the second of the East's two wild card spots. The Senators, however, own a
game in hand over the Bruins, who have five tests remaining in the regular
season.

Ottawa is playing on Thursday when it hosts the Tampa Bay Lightning. The
Bruins and Sens will not face each other again in the regular season.

The Bruins briefly lost their hold on the final wild card spot last week, but
three consecutive wins have the club back in front. The latest victory came
Tuesday night against visiting Florida. The 3-2 regulation loss dropped the
Panthers six points behind the Bruins in the conference standings.

Boston also has a chance to forgo the wild card if it can pass Detroit in the
Atlantic Division standings before the season ends. The Red Wings, who only
have won four times over their last 14 games, are at 93 points and two ahead
of the B's for third and final automatic berth in the division.

Tonight marks the regular-season finale between the Bruins and Wings. Boston
has claimed three in a row against Detroit since losing on Oct. 9 in the Motor
City. The Bruins halted a five-game skid at Joe Louis Arena with a shootout
win on Oct. 15.

Boston was down 2-1 to the Panthers after 40 minutes but used a two-goal third
period to take the important battle. Ryan Spooner tied the game at 9:47 of the
third and Milan Lucic delivered the game-winner with just 69 seconds remaining
in regulation.

Lucic grabbed a loose puck in the neutral zone, skated up the middle of the
ice and beat Roberto Luongo with a wrister to give Boston the 3-2 edge.

"It's that time of the year that you really have to step up in every aspect of
your game," said Bruins captain Zdeno Chara.

Loui Eriksson scored in the first period for Boston, while Lucic and Spooner
each added an assist. David Pastrnak chipped in two helpers and Tuukka Rask
made 22 saves for the win.

Rask is expected to start tonight and is 3-5-1 with a 2.97 goals against
average in nine career games versus the Red Wings.

Boston also could have forward Brett Connolly in the lineup tonight for the
first time since he was acquired in a trade with Tampa on March 2. Connolly,
who was acquired for a pair of second-round draft picks, broke his right index
finger in practice on March 4 before he made his Bruins debut.

After Connolly practiced with Boston on Wednesday, head coach Claude Julien
said he could play in this evening's contest. The 22-year-old has 12 goals and
three assists in 50 games this season.

The Red Wings have lost two straight and Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss against
Ottawa dropped Detroit to 4-8-2 over its last 14 trips to the ice.

Gustav Nyquist's 25th goal of the season put the Red Wings ahead 1-0 at 5:43
of the second period and the score stayed that way until Clarke MacArthur
tallied for Ottawa with 4:02 remaining in regulation.

The Senators won it in the shootout when Mark Stone beat Petr Mrazek in the
fourth round.

Mrazek stopped 33-of-34 shots in the loss and will get a fourth straight start
over Jimmy Howard tonight.

"We turned the puck over too much," Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said. "I
didn't think it was smooth or pretty to watch."

Red Wings forwards Pavel Datsyuk sat out Tuesday with a lower-body injury,
marking the seventh time in eight games the Russian star missed a contest.
Datsyuk could sit out again tonight, while fellow forwards Riley Sheahan and
Erik Cole are questionable with upper-body issues.

However, Drew Miller could play tonight despite leaving Tuesday's game with a
facial laceration after taking Stone's skate to his face. He suffered two cuts
-- one on his cheek and another above his right eye -- but practice on
Wednesday and has not been ruled out for tonight. The 31-year-old winger holds
the Wings? longest current streak for consecutive games played at 158 games.

Detroit is completing a two-game homestand tonight before visiting Minnesota
on Saturday. The Red Wings are 21-8-9 as the host this season.

Boston is 16-15-6 as the visiting team and will play four of its last five
games on the road. The B's will play their regular-season finale at TD Garden
in Saturday's clash with Toronto.

CAROLINA HURRICANES (28-37-11) AT FLORIDA PANTHERS (35-27-15), 7:30 P.M.

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Florida Panthers didn't do themselves any favors on
a recent road trip, but at least the playoff-hopeful club is done packing its
bags for the rest of the regular season.

The Panthers finish out the slate with a five-game homestand, a critical
residency that begins on Thursday night versus the Carolina Hurricanes.

Florida returns home following a 2-2-1 road trip that included a back-breaking
3-2 setback to the Boston Bruins in Tuesday's finale. That setback dropped the
Panthers six points behind the Bruins for the second wild card spot in the
Eastern Conference.

The Bruins also have five games remaining, including a road test versus the
Panthers on April 9, and visit the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

Florida had a 2-1 lead over Boston going into the final period on Tuesday
thanks to second-period tallies from Brandon Pirri and Brad Boyes, but the
Bruins scored twice in the third, getting the winner with 1:09 to play.

Roberto Luongo failed in his second attempt at his 400th career victory,
giving up three goals on 29 shots faced.

"We needed a win. That was it," said Panthers defenseman Willie Mitchell. "On
to the next one, you know? We'll be playing our tails off doing everything we
can to put points on the board. That's all we can control."

The Panthers got a bit of a scare when veteran forward Jaromir Jagr took a
slash to his hand that caused him to miss some time during the game, but he is
expected to play tonight. Jagr has four goals and 12 points in 15 games since
being acquired from New Jersey.

The Hurricanes have lost six of their past eight games, including a 4-2
setback to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. Eric Staal and Nathan Gerbe
tallied to erase a 2-0 deficit, but the Caps scored twice in a 1:22 span late
in the middle frame.

Cam Ward allowed all four goals on 20 shots in the loss.

"Tonight wasn't the effort we wanted out of the group," said Gerbe. "You can't
win games if you don't put the effort in."

Staal has three goals and four assists over his past five games.

Carolina expects to be without forward Riley Nash for a third game in a row
due to a concussion suffered during pregame warmups on Sunday before a meeting
with Boston. Nash has eight goals and 17 assists in 68 games this season.

The Panthers have won the first two of three meetings this season, 1-0 at home
on Nov. 26 and 2-0 at Carolina on March 14. Luongo and Al Montoya put together
a combined effort in the first shutout, with Luongo exiting early due to
injury, and Dan Ellis posting 27 saves in the more recent win.

Luongo is 11-14-1 with a 2.54 goals against average and .924 save percentage
in 29 meetings (27 starts).

Ward was in net for both setbacks despite stopping 47-of-49 shots faced in
total, falling to 15-12-2 in this matchup with a 2.78 GAA and .906 save
percentage.

The Panthers have won five of their last seven at home against the Hurricanes.

CALGARY FLAMES (42-28-7) AT ST. LOUIS BLUES (46-23-7), 8 P.M.

(SportsNetwork.com) - The St. Louis Blues will try to get their season back on
track on Thursday night, but won't have the services of leading scorer
Vladimir Tarasenko when they take on the Calgary Flames.

Tarasenko leads the Blues with 36 goals and 71 points, but has been ruled out
of tonight's contest due to a lower-body injury suffered in Monday's 4-1 loss
to the Vancouver Canucks. St. Louis was already playing that game without
forward Alexander Steen, who is second on the club with 62 points.

Both Tarasenko and Steen are listed as day-to-day and Steen hasn't been ruled
out for tonight, though it seems unlikely he will be able to play because of
his own lower-body ailment.

"You've got (Tarasenko) with 70-plus points, it's never easy to replace that.
Obviously Steener is right on the verge of 70, too," defenseman Alex
Pietrangelo told the Blues' website. "It's never easy to replace those guys,
but given the depth that we have, everybody is going to have to contribute.
We're not worried about that. Everybody is going to step up here and fill that
role."

That may include forward Ty Rattie, who was recalled from the Chicago Wolves
of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. Rattie leads the club with 41
points, including 21 goals, in 51 games.

St. Louis managed only a goal from Zbynek Michalek in Monday's loss, while
Brian Elliott posted 18 saves as his club lost its second in a row in
regulation and for the fifth time in six games (1-3-2). The loss also
prevented the Blues from locking up a playoff spot.

"Obviously we're having trouble breaking out of our little slump here,"
Elliott said.

St. Louis' 99 points has it four back of Nashville for first place in the
Central Division. The Blues do have six games left and two in hand over the
idle Predators, though the third-place Chicago Blackhawks are now just one
point behind the Blues. The Blackhawks also have six games remaining and host
the Canucks tonight.

The Blues, meanwhile, will visit the Dallas Stars on Friday so backup Jake
Allen will start this contest. He has faced the Flames once before, picking up
a win while giving up two goals on 32 shots faced.

St. Louis has dropped five of its past seven at home overall, but has beaten
Calgary in five straight as the hosting club. The Blues also have outscored
the Flames 13-1 over a three-game series win streak while taking eight of the
previous 10 encounters overall.

The Flames should come out desperate as they have just a three-point edge on
the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division. They have five
games left to play to the Kings' six and Los Angeles hosts the Edmonton Oilers
tonight.

Calgary picked up a second straight victory on Monday, topping the Dallas
Stars 5-3. Dennis Wideman, Johnny Gaudreau and Jiri Hudler all had a goal and
an assist each, while Raphael Diaz and Mikael Backlund added goals to support
Jonas Hiller's 33 saves.

The Flames moved to 4-1-2 over their past seven games as they try to reach the
playoffs for the first time since 2009.

"Commitment is a big part of this group. That's why I always say it's a fun
group to coach," said Flames coach Bob Hartley.

"Our players are working hard. We always find a way to get back in games and
that speaks volumes about the leadership of this hockey club and the fact that
our young players are really focusing on being good teammates and listening to
our leaders."

Gaudreau and Hudler have been two of the big leaders.

The 21-year-old Gaudreau was named the league's Rookie of the Month for March
after posting 16 points in 15 games. He tops all rookie skaters with 38
assists and 60 points.

The veteran Hudler is coming off a month of March in which he posted 10 goals
and 23 points in 15 games.

Calgary concludes a five-game road trip on Saturday in Edmonton and Hiller
will start tonight. He is 9-6-1 in 16 meetings with the Blues, posting a 2.86
goals against average and .902 save percentage.

NEW YORK RANGERS (48-21-7) AT MINNESOTA WILD (44-25-7), 8 P.M.

(SportsNetwork.com) - With a shot at clinching the Metropolitan Division
title, the New York Rangers will welcome Martin St. Louis back into the lineup
on Thursday night when they visit the streaking Minnesota Wild.

St. Louis has been out since March 15 with a lower-body injury, but took part
in morning skate prior to Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets and then
got in a full practice on Wednesday. The 39-year-old skated on a line with
Kevin Hayes and Carl Hagelin.

St. Louis has 20 goals and 27 assists in 68 games this season and should
provide a boost to the Rangers' playoff chances.

"I'm not used to not being part [of the lineup]," St. Louis told the Rangers'
website. "I don't know what the amount of games I've missed in my career is,
but I know it's not a lot."

The timing of St. Louis' return matches up the Rangers' chance at claiming
their first division title since winning the Atlantic Division in 2011-12. New
York leads both the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins by eight
points. The Isles and Pens both have five games to play, so the Blueshirts can
lock up first place because of their 44 non-shootout wins to the Islanders and
Penguins' 38.

New York got goals from Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard in
Tuesday's win over Winnipeg, while Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves in his
second game back after missing time with a neck injury. He recorded his first
victory since Feb. 2, the last game in which he played before being sidelined.

"It feels good for a couple reasons," said Lundqvist. "It was an important
game for us."

The Rangers had lost three of four coming in, but picked up a club record-
tying 25th road win of the campaign. New York has won seven of its past eight
as the guest.

The Wild come in looking to match their longest winning streak of the season,
a six-game run from Jan. 27-Feb. 9. Minnesota extended its streak with
Saturday's 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, a triumph that at the time
moved the Wild past the Chicago Blackhawks for third place in the Central
Division.

However, Minnesota has slipped three points behind Chicago and back into the
first wild card spot in the Western Conference. The Wild and Blackhawks both
have six games left to play and Chicago hosts the Vancouver Canucks tonight.

Nino Niederreiter and Mikko Koivu had two goals each in the win over the
Kings, Chris Stewart had a pair of assists and Koivu also helped set up a
goal. Devan Dubnyk came up with 31 saves in his 34th start in a row.

"We knew the challenge ahead of us going into the game. It was a tough 60
minutes all the way," said Koivu. "I thought we played a smart game that
brought us the win."

Minnesota plays the third contest of a five-game homestand tonight and expects
to have forward Kyle Brodziak back in the lineup. He has missed three games in
a row due to an upper-body injury and has tallied 20 points in 67 games this
season.

Though the Wild have won four of their past six at home versus the Rangers,
New York scored five third-period goals to beat a visiting Minnesota club 5-4
at home back on Oct. 27. Zuccarello had the deciding tally to go along with a
pair of assists, while Lundqvist made 26 saves.

Lundqvist is 4-3-0 in his career versus the Wild with a 2.94 goals against
average and .880 save percentage.

Dubnyk has never faced the Rangers.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS (45-27-5) AT CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (46-24-6), 8:30 P.M.

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Blackhawks take aim at a third straight
victory on Thursday night when they host the Vancouver Canucks in a matchup of
playoff contenders.

The Blackhawks capped their March with victories on back-to-back days, topping
the hosting Winnipeg Jets 4-3 prior to a 4-1 win over the visiting Los Angeles
Kings on Monday.

Scott Darling made 31 saves in the victory over the Kings, while Bryan
Bickell, Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marian Hossa scored as Chicago
wrapped the month of March with a 9-3-1 record.

"Excellent game from the outset, thought we had good jump," Chicago coach Joel
Quenneville said.

Chicago sits third in the Central Division, one point behind the St. Louis
Blues and three up on the fourth-place Minnesota Wild. All three clubs are in
action tonight and have six games remaining on their schedule.

The Blackhawks will visit the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and expect to start
Corey Crawford in net tonight. He is 5-3-3 in 11 lifetime meetings with the
Canucks, posting a 2.43 goals against average and .920 save percentage.

Vancouver is inching closer to a playoff spot and sits second in the Pacific
Division, which has already been clinched by the Anaheim Ducks. The Canucks
have a four-point lead over the third-place Calgary Flames, while the fourth-
place Kings are seven points behind Vancouver.

The Canucks have won two straight and five of their past seven, picking up a
5-4 shootout win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.

Nick Bonino, who had two assists in regulation, made a bunch of moves before
sneaking in a forehand in the shootout and Eddie Lack stopped Filip Forsberg
on Nashville's second chance. Radim Vrbata then sealed the win by lifting in a
backhand.

Alexandre Burrows had a goal and an assist while Linden Vey, Chris Higgins and
Jannik Hansen all scored for the Canucks. Lack finished with 34 saves.

"The guys battled the whole night, there were lots of really good things out
of this game," said Canucks coach Willie Desjardins.

Lack continues to fill in well for the injured Ryan Miller (sprained knee) and
has won two previous career starts versus the Blackhawks while giving up six
goal on 67 shots faced.

The Canucks shoot for a three-game season series sweep of the 'Hawks tonight
and have taken nine of the past 14 encounters overall. That includes a 4-0-2
mark in their last six trips to Chicago.

Vancouver posted a 5-4 overtime win in the Windy City on Feb. 1, wasting a
two-goal lead but getting the win on Daniel Sedin's second goal of the game
that came 1:20 into overtime.

Lack made 37 saves, while Crawford stopped 31 shots as Chicago scored a pair
of goals in the final 2:11 of regulation to force extra time.

EDMONTON OILERS (23-41-13) AT LOS ANGELES KINGS (37-25-14), 10:30 P.M.

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Kings look to give their playoff chances
a boost on Thursday night as they return home to take on the Edmonton Oilers
at Staples Center.

The Kings dropped the final two contests of what ended up as a 3-2-0 road
trip, losing Monday's finale 4-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks. Los Angeles fell
three points behind the Calgary Flames for third place in the Pacific Division
and are two back of the Winnipeg Jets for a wild card position.

Los Angeles does have a game in hand over Calgary and Winnipeg. The Jets are
idle on Thursday, while the Flames are visiting the St. Louis Blues.

Defenseman Jake Muzzin had his team's only goal in Monday's loss, while
Jonathan Quick made 36 saves in the defending champs' first appearance in
Chicago since winning Game 7 of the Western Conference finals last June 1.

"Got to win games, got to win out," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "You don't
'lose and you win' in this league, especially the way the divisions are set
up."

Complicating matters for the Kings is the loss of defenseman Andrej Sekera,
who suffered a lower-body injury near the end of the second period of Monday's
setback. Sutter has already said Sekera, acquired in a trade with Carolina on
Feb. 25, is out for this game.

Quick figures to draw the start tonight and is an excellent 13-1-5 lifetime
versus the Oilers with a 1.54 goals against average and .939 save percentage.

The Kings have won eight of their last nine versus the Oilers overall and
seven of the past eight played in Los Angeles.

Edmonton had a three-game win streak snapped with last night's 5-1 loss to the
Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the fifth time in seven games,
while Ben Scrivens yielded all five goals on 27 shots in defeat.

"We know that these guys jump up hard with their defenseman and for whatever
reason we weren't prepared for that," noted Nugent-Hopkins. "Mentally I don't
think we were picking guys up. They're a good team. Obviously you can see
where they are in the standings and how many points they have. If you're not
sharp against a team like this, they're going to take advantage of that."

Goaltender Richard Bachman was unavailable for Wednesday's game due to a death
in the family and Scrivens could be called upon again tonight. He is 1-2-0
with a 3.69 GAA and .895 save percentage in four games (3 starts) versus the
Kings.

Edmonton remains 28th out of 30 teams in the NHL with 59 points.