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NHL
Sunday, April 5
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Ice picks: Sunday's best NHL bets
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Atlanta Thrashers at Washington Capitals (-260, 6.5)
The Atlanta Thrashers have been doing an excellent job of playing the role of spoiler down the stretch. It's too late for them to hurt the Washington Capitals' Southeast Division title hopes.
After clinching their second straight division championship, the Capitals look to avoid a letdown against the surging Thrashers in the opener of a home-and-home series Sunday.
There was a wild celebration last year after Washington finished at the top of the Southeast with a win in its final regular-season game.
This season, the Capitals (47-23-8) were much more subdued after securing the division title despite losing to Buffalo 5-4 in overtime Friday night. Washington built a big early lead in the Southeast, earning the fifth division title in its history with four games to spare.
"Before the season started, we said we were going to win, and we have one goal in mind," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said, "and we aren't there yet."
Washington, trying to hold off New Jersey for second place in the Eastern Conference, plays its next two against an Atlanta team that continues to play hard even though it has been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Thrashers (34-38-6) have won four straight and five of six, including wins over the top three contenders for the last playoff spot in the East. They beat Florida 3-1 on Friday night, Buffalo 3-2 in overtime two days earlier and the New York Rangers on March 26.
"We don't have the playoffs, so April 11 is our last game of the season," Atlanta center Rich Peverley said. "I don't want to stop playing hockey, but we have to. We're just trying to make the most of it. It's too bad because we have a pretty good team going forward."
The Thrashers have been competitive against the Capitals this season, winning two of four contests. Atlanta, though, is 0-2 at Washington, allowing the Capitals to convert 41.7 percent (5-for-12) of their power-play chances.
Atlanta's penalty-kill unit ranks near the bottom of the league, stopping just 75.4 percent of its opponents' chances. Washington, meanwhile, has a chance to lead the league in power-play percentage for the first time in its history, taking advantage of 25.6 percent of its opportunities.
The Capitals are 9-for-21 (42.9 percent) with the man advantage in their last four games.
Pick: Over
San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks (-120, 5.5)
Facing the NHL-leading San Jose Sharks on their home ice and one of the league's best goaltenders proved no problem for the Anaheim Ducks and their high-powered top line.
Looking to move closer to their fourth straight playoff berth, the surging Ducks will search for another victory over their short-handed Pacific Division rivals in Sunday night's finale of a home-and-home series.
Anaheim (41-32-6) has charged up the Western Conference standings by scoring 42 goals while winning nine of its last 10. In seventh place with a two-point lead over Nashville and St. Louis, the Ducks will look to match their season high with a fifth straight win.
Bobby Ryan has six goals during the Ducks' run, and he scored twice against Evgeni Nabokov in Saturday's 5-2 win in San Jose, becoming the team's first rookie to reach 30 in a season.
A likely Calder Trophy candidate, Ryan has six goals and four assists during a five-game streak, and his 56 points also set a franchise rookie record.With Ryan, linemates Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have helped the Ducks score at least three goals in 10 straight games and at least four in each of its past four wins.
"They were flat-out dominant," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said of the Ducks' top line "They were the top players in the game. We had last change, we could have matched anybody we wanted, but it wouldn't have mattered. They were playing that well."
The Ducks also have converted 42.1 percent of their power-play chances during that time, going 16-for-38 and scoring on the man advantage in six straight games.
That has helped Jonas Hiller win each of his last seven starts, posting a 2.19 goals-against average. He recorded his first win in five lifetime appearances against the Sharks by stopping 28 shots Saturday.
Despite a slew of injuries, San Jose has remained in the hunt for their first Presidents' Trophy, but have a one-point lead over Boston heading into Sunday's play. The Sharks (51-16-11) are close to clinching the West's top spot, holding a six-point advantage over Detroit with five games left for the Red Wings.
With leading goal scorer and captain Patrick Marleau missing the last three games due to a lower-body injury, San Jose has managed just two goals in each, and 11 in the last five. The Sharks have also been without forwards Ryane Clowe (lower body), Mike Grier (knee) and Torrey Mitchell (fractured leg), but are 3-2-0 in their last five thanks to Nabokov.
Despite missing 14 games, the San Jose netminder is second in the league with 40 wins and had given up 30 goals in his last 16 appearances before Saturday while going 12-2-1. The Ducks scored twice in the first 5:46 and had the game's final three goals.
Pick: Under
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Sunday, April 5
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Ice picks: Sunday's best NHL bets
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Atlanta Thrashers at Washington Capitals (-260, 6.5)
The Atlanta Thrashers have been doing an excellent job of playing the role of spoiler down the stretch. It's too late for them to hurt the Washington Capitals' Southeast Division title hopes.
After clinching their second straight division championship, the Capitals look to avoid a letdown against the surging Thrashers in the opener of a home-and-home series Sunday.
There was a wild celebration last year after Washington finished at the top of the Southeast with a win in its final regular-season game.
This season, the Capitals (47-23-8) were much more subdued after securing the division title despite losing to Buffalo 5-4 in overtime Friday night. Washington built a big early lead in the Southeast, earning the fifth division title in its history with four games to spare.
"Before the season started, we said we were going to win, and we have one goal in mind," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said, "and we aren't there yet."
Washington, trying to hold off New Jersey for second place in the Eastern Conference, plays its next two against an Atlanta team that continues to play hard even though it has been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Thrashers (34-38-6) have won four straight and five of six, including wins over the top three contenders for the last playoff spot in the East. They beat Florida 3-1 on Friday night, Buffalo 3-2 in overtime two days earlier and the New York Rangers on March 26.
"We don't have the playoffs, so April 11 is our last game of the season," Atlanta center Rich Peverley said. "I don't want to stop playing hockey, but we have to. We're just trying to make the most of it. It's too bad because we have a pretty good team going forward."
The Thrashers have been competitive against the Capitals this season, winning two of four contests. Atlanta, though, is 0-2 at Washington, allowing the Capitals to convert 41.7 percent (5-for-12) of their power-play chances.
Atlanta's penalty-kill unit ranks near the bottom of the league, stopping just 75.4 percent of its opponents' chances. Washington, meanwhile, has a chance to lead the league in power-play percentage for the first time in its history, taking advantage of 25.6 percent of its opportunities.
The Capitals are 9-for-21 (42.9 percent) with the man advantage in their last four games.
Pick: Over
San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks (-120, 5.5)
Facing the NHL-leading San Jose Sharks on their home ice and one of the league's best goaltenders proved no problem for the Anaheim Ducks and their high-powered top line.
Looking to move closer to their fourth straight playoff berth, the surging Ducks will search for another victory over their short-handed Pacific Division rivals in Sunday night's finale of a home-and-home series.
Anaheim (41-32-6) has charged up the Western Conference standings by scoring 42 goals while winning nine of its last 10. In seventh place with a two-point lead over Nashville and St. Louis, the Ducks will look to match their season high with a fifth straight win.
Bobby Ryan has six goals during the Ducks' run, and he scored twice against Evgeni Nabokov in Saturday's 5-2 win in San Jose, becoming the team's first rookie to reach 30 in a season.
A likely Calder Trophy candidate, Ryan has six goals and four assists during a five-game streak, and his 56 points also set a franchise rookie record.With Ryan, linemates Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have helped the Ducks score at least three goals in 10 straight games and at least four in each of its past four wins.
"They were flat-out dominant," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said of the Ducks' top line "They were the top players in the game. We had last change, we could have matched anybody we wanted, but it wouldn't have mattered. They were playing that well."
The Ducks also have converted 42.1 percent of their power-play chances during that time, going 16-for-38 and scoring on the man advantage in six straight games.
That has helped Jonas Hiller win each of his last seven starts, posting a 2.19 goals-against average. He recorded his first win in five lifetime appearances against the Sharks by stopping 28 shots Saturday.
Despite a slew of injuries, San Jose has remained in the hunt for their first Presidents' Trophy, but have a one-point lead over Boston heading into Sunday's play. The Sharks (51-16-11) are close to clinching the West's top spot, holding a six-point advantage over Detroit with five games left for the Red Wings.
With leading goal scorer and captain Patrick Marleau missing the last three games due to a lower-body injury, San Jose has managed just two goals in each, and 11 in the last five. The Sharks have also been without forwards Ryane Clowe (lower body), Mike Grier (knee) and Torrey Mitchell (fractured leg), but are 3-2-0 in their last five thanks to Nabokov.
Despite missing 14 games, the San Jose netminder is second in the league with 40 wins and had given up 30 goals in his last 16 appearances before Saturday while going 12-2-1. The Ducks scored twice in the first 5:46 and had the game's final three goals.
Pick: Under
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