Da Bum's 2014 NHL Playoff Best Bets- News,Stats-Trends !

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NHL

Wednesday, April 23


Crawford the key to keeping Blues offense at bay

The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues are in a battle in the Western Conference. After three games, the Blackhawks' Corey Crawford has been all over the crease for the club.

Crawford is first in the playoffs in saves (109), fourth in save percentage for starting goaltenders (.932) and has been one of only four goalies to post a shutout in the playoffs. Crawford has also been money in Chicago, winning his past five straight and eight of his last 10.

The Blackhawks (-145) are favored to even up the series Wednesday against the Blues (+134) with a total of 5.

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2014 Playoff Results

April 22, 2014


Betting Results

First Round
Wager Results
Favorites-Underdogs 19-6
Home-Away 16-9
Puck-Line Favorites 9-10
Over-Under 14-6-5


Eastern Conference

Key: A (Atlantic) M (Metropolitan) W (Wild Card)

(A1) Boston vs. (W2) Detroit
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Detroit (+180) at Boston 1-0 Underdog Under (5)
2 Detroit at Boston (-200) 4-1 Favorite Push (5)
3 Boston (-140) at Detroit 3-0 Favorite Under (5)
4 Boston at Detroit - - -
5 Detroit at Boston - - -
6 Boston at Detroit - - -
7 Detroit at Boston - - -


(A2) Tampa Bay vs. (A3) Montreal (Canadiens wins 4-0)
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Montreal (+100) at Tampa Bay 5-4 (OT) Underdog Over (5)
2 Montreal (+105) at Tampa Bay 4-1 Underdog Push (5)
3 Tampa Bay at Montreal (-155) 3-2 Favorite Push (5)
4 Tampa Bay at Montreal (-170) 4-3 Favorite Over (5)


(M1) Pittsburgh vs. (W1) Columbus
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Columbus at Pittsburgh (-200) 4-3 Favorite Over (5 ½)
2 Columbus (+180) at Pittsburgh 4-3 (2OT) Underdog Over (5 ½)
3 Pittsburgh (-130) at Columbus 4-3 Favorite Over (5 ½)
4 Pittsburgh at Columbus - - -
5 Columbus at Pittsburgh - - -
6 Pittsburgh at Columbus - - -
7 Columbus at Pittsburgh - - -


(M2) N.Y. Rangers vs. vs. (M3) Philadelphia
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Philadelphia at N.Y Rangers (-155) 4-1 Favorite Push (5)
2 Philadelphia (+140) at N.Y. Rangers 4-2 Underdog Over (5)
3 N.Y. Rangers (-110) at Philadelphia 4-1 Favorite Push (5)
4 N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia - - -
5 Philadelphia at N.Y. Rangers - - -
6 N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia - - -
7 Philadelphia at N.Y. Rangers - - -



Western Conference

Key: C (Central) P (Pacific) W (Wild Card)

(C1) Colorado vs. (W1) Minnesota
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Minnesota at Colorado (-140) 5-4 (OT) Favorite Over (5)
2 Minnesota at Colorado (-135) 4-2 Favorite Over (5)
3 Colorado at Minnesota (-130) 1-0 (OT) Favorite Under (5)
4 Colorado at Minnesota - - -
5 Minnesota at Colorado - - -
6 Colorado at Minnesota - - -
7 Minnesota at Colorado - - -


(C2) St. Louis vs. (C3) Chicago
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Chicago at St. Louis (-115) 4-3 (3OT) Favorite Over (5)
2 Chicago at St. Louis (-110) 4-3 (OT) Favorite Over (5)
3 St. Louis at Chicago (-160) 2-0 Favorite Under (5)
4 St. Louis at Chicago - - -
5 Chicago at St. Louis - - -
6 St. Louis at Chicago - - -
7 Chicago at St. Louis - - -


(P1) Anaheim vs. (W2) Dallas
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Dallas at Anaheim (-170) 4-3 Favorite Over (5 ½)
2 Dallas at Anaheim (-170) 3-2 Favorite Under (5 ½)
3 Anaheim at Dallas (-120) 3-0 Favorite Under (5 ½)
4 Anaheim at Dallas - - -
5 Dallas at Anaheim - - -
6 Anaheim at Dallas - - -
7 Dallas at Anaheim - - -


(P2) San Jose vs. (P3) Los Angeles
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Los Angeles at San Jose (-135) 6-3 Favorite Over (4 ½)
2 Los Angeles at San Jose (-140) 7-2 Favorite Over (5)
3 San Jose (+105) at Los Angeles 4-3 (OT) Underdog Over (5)
4 San Jose at Los Angeles - - -
5 Los Angeles at San Jose - - -
6 San Jose at Los Angeles - - -
7 Los Angeles at San Jose - - -

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Wednesday, April 23

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Pittsburgh - 7:00 PM ET Columbus +120 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Columbus - Over 5.5 500 *****

Anaheim - 8:00 PM ET Anaheim +104 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Dallas - Under 5.5 500 *****

St. Louis - 9:30 PM ET St. Louis +136 500 *****
Chicago - Over 5 500 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Nhl playoff record:

7 - 6 .................+ .75

8- 2 .................+ 13.48

1 - 3 ................ - 4.00

[StarDust Bum]

NHL playoff record as of Wednesday Night :

9 - 8 .................+ .75

8- 3 .................+ 11.48

2 - 3 ................ - .40

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NHL
Dunkel

Boston at Detroit
The Red Wings try to even up the series tonight against a Boston team that is 1-5 in its last 6 road games. Detroit is the pick (+125) according to Dunkel, which has the Red Wings favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+125). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

THURSDAY, APRIL 24

Game 25-26: Boston at Detroit (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 11.491; Detroit 12.548
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-145); 5
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+125); Over

Game 27-28: Colorado at Minnesota (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 10.812; Minnesota 11.750
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota (-140); 5
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-140); Under

Game 29-30: San Jose at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 11.804; Los Angeles 10.670
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-110); 5
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-110); Over




NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 24

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BOSTON (56-20-0-9, 121 pts.) at DETROIT (40-30-0-15, 95 pts.) - 4/24/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 56-29 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 24-8 ATS (+10.4 Units) after a division game this season.
BOSTON is 48-38 ATS (+90.1 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.
BOSTON is 115-84 ATS (+30.1 Units) in road games after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 5-3 (+3.8 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 5-3-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.9 Units)

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COLORADO (54-22-0-9, 117 pts.) at MINNESOTA (44-28-0-13, 101 pts.) - 4/24/2014, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 150-137 ATS (+293.1 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 15-7 ATS (+6.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
COLORADO is 54-31 ATS (+17.1 Units) in all games this season.
COLORADO is 30-16 ATS (+11.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
COLORADO is 63-49 ATS (+114.0 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
COLORADO is 21-10 ATS (+9.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
COLORADO is 22-7 ATS (+13.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
COLORADO is 25-14 ATS (+39.3 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 10-8 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 10-8-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
10 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.1 Units)

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SAN JOSE (54-22-0-9, 117 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (46-30-0-9, 101 pts.) - 4/24/2014, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 14-27 ATS (-16.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 108-67 ATS (+24.0 Units) in April games since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 85-48 ATS (+21.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in the first round of the playoffs over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 33-14 ATS (+12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN JOSE is 17-4 ATS (+11.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
LOS ANGELES is 21-23 ATS (-6.3 Units) second half of the season this season.
LOS ANGELES is 13-18 ATS (-11.5 Units) after a division game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 13-10 (+1.9 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 13-10-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
10 of 20 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-2.2 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

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NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, April 24

Boston at Detroit, 8:05 ET
Boston: 9-1 SU in road games after 2 consecutive division games
Detroit: 1-7 SU in home games off a loss by 2 goals or more to a division rival

Colorado at Minnesota, 9:35 ET
Colorado: 11-3 SU revenging a loss where team scored 1 or less goals
Minnesota: 19-31 SU after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game

San Jose at Los Angeles, 10:35 ET
San Jose: 7-0 SU in the first round of the playoffs
Los Angeles: 3-9 SU revenging 2 consecutive losses to opponent as a favorite




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, April 24

Bruins allowed two goals in first three series games; they're 27-15 on road this year, 9-9 on penalty kills in series, while going 3-7 on power play in last two games. Detroit is 23-19 at home this season; they're 3-5 in last eight games overall- under is 4-0-1 in their last five tilts. Average of only 54 faceoffs in series so far, total of 50 penalty minutes (26-24), a lot less stoppages than other series. Boston outshot Red Wings 29-14 in first period of last couple games, grabbed 2-0 lead in both games, then played defense.

Minnesota had 22 shots on goal in first period of Game 3; Colorado had 22 shots the whole game, still took Wild to OT. Home team won all three series games; home side is 12-1 in Western Conference- two of the three games in this series went OT. Colorado has won six of eight vs Minnesota this year, winning 3-1/4-2, losing 1-0ot in three visits to this building; Avalanche is 28-14 on road this season- they're 1-11 on power play in series. Five of last five Minnesota games went over total; nine of last 13 Colorado games stayed under.

Kings lost seven of last eight games, scoring total of 19 goals- they're simply trying to avid sweep here. San Jose outshot LA 23-8 in third period of Game 3, then scored on only shot in OT; they're 24-18 on road this season, but they are 1-2 here and have lost seven of last eight visits to Staples Center. LA is 25-17 on home ice this season, with under 23-14-5 in those games. Sharks outshot LA 80-57 in last two games; Kings lost Game 3 despite scoring pair of power play goals. League-wide, over is 17-6-5 in playoffs so far this month.




NHL

Thursday, April 24

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. DETROIT
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Boston's last 19 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Detroit's last 19 games when playing Boston

9:30 PM
COLORADO vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing at home against Colorado

10:30 PM
SAN JOSE vs. LOS ANGELES
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Jose's last 12 games on the road
Los Angeles is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against San Jose
Los Angeles is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Jose

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Thursday, April 24


Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf, questionable Friday

Getzlaf did not play in Wednesday's Game 4 against the Stars due to an upper-body injury. He has returned home to get treatment and is questionable for Game 5 on Friday.


Blues' C David Backes, questionable Friday

Backes is dealing with a head injury and has missed the last two games. He is questionable to return for Game 5 against the Blackhawks on Friday.


Over bets cash in on ice yet again

The Over went 3-0 in the NHL's three playoff games Wednesday evening. The 3-0 Over/Under night now puts the playoff tally for totals to 17-6-5 O/U - good enough for a 73.9 percent success rate on Over bets.

There are three games on the board Thursday and all currently have totals of 5.


Two-goal lead not safe in Pens-Jackets series

With the series tied 2-2, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets have proved one thing is for certain in the NHL: The two-goal lead is the hardest lead in hockey to defend.

The Penguins were up 3-1 in Game 4 Wednesday and promptly blew the lead as they watched Nick Foligno pot the winner in overtime to give the Jackets the 4-3 win.

In all four games, the losing team has had a 3-1 lead and watched it disappear as they team down two goals has battled back to win 4-3.

Game 5 of the series is scheduled for Saturday night in Pittsburgh.


Wild's Cooke draws seven-game suspension

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Cooke was suspended for seven games by the NHL on Wednesday for kneeing Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie during Game 3 of a first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.

The suspension was announced by the Department of Player Safety after a meeting with Cook and new league disciplinarian Stephane Quintal in New York. It would extend into the 2014-15 regular season if the Wild are eliminated from the postseason before Cooke serves the three games.

The 35-year-old Cooke received a minor penalty for the knee-on-knee hit on a play at 2:02 of the second period of Tuesday night's game. Barrie is expected to be out for four to six weeks as a result of the collision.

The suspension was Cooke's fifth during his career but the first in three years. The last time was during the 2011 playoffs when he was suspended for 10 games after elbowing New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh in the head.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday, April 24

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Boston - 8:00 PM ET Detroit +120 500 *****
Detroit - Over 5 500 *****

Colorado - 9:30 PM ET Minnesota -128 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Minnesota - Over 5 500 *****

San Jose - 10:30 PM ET San Jose +100 500 *****
Los Angeles - Over 5 500

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Chicago at St. Louis
The Blackhawks head back to St. Louis for Game 5 tonight and face a Blues team that is 0-5 in its last 5 Friday games. Chicago is the pick (-105) according to Dunkel, which has the Blackhawks favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-105). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

FRIDAY, APRIL 25

Game 31-32: NY Rangers at Philadelphia (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 10.919; Philadelphia 11.811
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-115); 5
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-115); Under

Game 33-34: Chicago at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 12.410; St. Louis 11.450
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-115); 5
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-105); Over

Game 35-36: Dallas at Anaheim (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 11.861; Anaheim 11.442
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+140); Over




NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, April 25

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NY RANGERS (47-32-0-6, 100 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (43-32-0-10, 96 pts.) - 4/25/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 0-8 ATS (-10.4 Units) when leading in a playoff series over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 13-16 ATS (-11.4 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
NY RANGERS are 14-22 ATS (-10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 15-8 ATS (+6.5 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 12-2 ATS (+8.9 Units) in home games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 19-11 ATS (+7.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 62-68 ATS (-57.1 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 81-91 ATS (-41.3 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 13-4 (+8.2 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 13-4-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.4 Units)

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CHICAGO (48-21-0-17, 113 pts.) at ST LOUIS (54-24-0-8, 116 pts.) - 4/25/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 48-38 ATS (-13.7 Units) in all games this season.
CHICAGO is 20-24 ATS (-17.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 15-18 ATS (-13.2 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
CHICAGO is 6-15 ATS (-11.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHICAGO is 4-10 ATS (-7.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 1-7 ATS (-10.5 Units) on Friday nights this season.
ST LOUIS is 10-13 ATS (+10.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 11-8 (+1.9 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 11-8-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
10 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.3 Units)

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DALLAS (42-33-0-11, 95 pts.) at ANAHEIM (56-22-0-8, 120 pts.) - 4/25/2014, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 56-30 ATS (+90.2 Units) in all games this season.
ANAHEIM is 27-9 ATS (+14.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
ANAHEIM is 177-134 ATS (+316.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 30-12 ATS (+14.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 11-7 (+5.6 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 11-7-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
10 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.4 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, April 25

Flyers lost six of seven games vs Rangers this year; they've lost six of last eight home games to Rangers, who have 36-26 edge in first period shots in series. Philly is 24-18 at home this season. Rangers are 3-16 on power play in series, Philly 2-9, but at least they had five tries last game. Under is 5-1-3 in last nine Ranger games, 0-8-2 in Philly's last ten games..League-wide, over is 18-7-6 in playoffs so far this month. Home teams are 7-9 so far in Eastern Conference, compared to 14-1 in Western Conference.

Home side is 4-0 in this series, 14-1 overall is Western Conference. Three of four Chicago-St Louis games have gone OT; Blues won first two games of series in OT, tying both games in last 2:00 of regulation- they scored four first period goals in games at home, none in two at Chicago. Blackhawks lost last four road games overall; they're 24-19 overall on foreign soil this season. St Louis is 2-21 on power play in series, Chicago 2-16; Blues are 2-8 in last ten games overall. In three OT games, home sde outshot the visitors 15-4.

Home side won all four series games; bears repeating that home side is 14-1 in west so far in playoffs. Ducks had 2-0 lead after first period in Game 4, but Dallas outshot them 16-3 in seciond period, tied game, then won game in third. Stars were +26 in faceoffs at home, after being -8 in first two games here. Ducks are 5-3 in last eight games with Dallas. Stars are 8-6 in last fourteen games overall, with eight of last 11 games staying under total; Stars are 2-17 on power play in series, Anaheim is 2-16. Home side has had edge in shots in only two of twelve periods this series.




NHL

Friday, April 25

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. PHILADELPHIA
NY Rangers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
NY Rangers are 15-5 SU in their last 20 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 9 games

8:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. ST. LOUIS
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games on the road
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago

10:30 PM
DALLAS vs. ANAHEIM
Dallas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games on the road
Anaheim is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Anaheim is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home


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NHL

Friday, April 25

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Game of the Day: Blackhawks at Blues
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Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues (-110, 5)

Patrick Kane is no stranger to scoring dramatic overtime goals in the postseason - see Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup final if you need to refresh your memory. While the stakes weren't as high, the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner netted his second goal of the contest 11:17 into the extra session as Chicago skated to a 4-3 victory on Wednesday to even its Western Conference first-round series with the St. Louis Blues at two games apiece. The Central Division rivals will reconvene in St. Louis for Game 5 on Friday.

The reigning Stanley Cup champions held serve by winning both contests in Chicago after the Blues opened the series with a pair of home victories. "We're not in a bad spot. It's tied and we still have home ice," St. Louis defenseman Jay Bouwmeester said. "We still have a good opportunity here." Whether the Blues have David Backes (upper body) for Friday's tilt is a mystery, although the captain did not participate in Thursday's optional skate - prompting coach Ken Hitchcock to tell reporters to "read into it what you will."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, RDS2, FSMW (St. Louis)

LINE HISTORY: The Blues opened as small -110 home faves Thursday morning. The total opened at five.

INJURY REPORT: Blackhawks - D Brent seabrook (Out, suspension), G Nikolai Khabibulin (Out, shoulder). Blues - C David Backes (Questionable, head), LW Brenden Morrow (Out, foot).

WHY BET THE BLACKHAWKS: For the third time in four years, Jonathan Toews was named a finalist for the Selke Trophy - which is awarded to the top defensive forward. The captain, who is vying for a repeat after winning the award for the first time in 2013, was joined by Boston's Patrice Bergeron and Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar as finalists. Toews collected a goal and an assist in Game 4, has a team-high five points and won 64.2 percent of his faceoffs (68-for-106) in the series.

WHY BET THE BLUES: Vladimir Tarasenko has put his injuries woes behind him with a stellar effort versus Chicago. After missing the last 15 games of the regular season with a hand injury, the 22-year-old Russian tallied twice on Wednesday to double his team-leading goal total for the series. "Exceptional. He's been a great player every game," Hitchcock said. "Young, emerging player. Hopefully he stays with it and helps us a lot."

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Blackhawks are 0-5 in the last five meetings in St. Louis.
* Blues are 2-8 in their last 10 overall.
* Blackhawks are 7-19 in their last 26 road games.

CONSENSUS: Sixty-three percent of wagers are on the home-fave Blues.

[StarDust Bum]

2014 Playoff Results

April 25, 2014


Betting Results

First Round
Wager Results
Favorites-Underdogs 24-7
Home-Away 21-10
Puck-Line Favorites 11-13
Over-Under 18-7-6


Eastern Conference

Key: A (Atlantic) M (Metropolitan) W (Wild Card)

(A1) Boston vs. (W2) Detroit
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Detroit (+180) at Boston 1-0 Underdog Under (5)
2 Detroit at Boston (-200) 4-1 Favorite Push (5)
3 Boston (-140) at Detroit 3-0 Favorite Under (5)
4 Boston (-150) at Detroit 3-2 (OT) Favorite Push (5)
5 Detroit at Boston - - -
6 Boston at Detroit - - -
7 Detroit at Boston - - -


(A2) Tampa Bay vs. (A3) Montreal (Canadiens wins 4-0)
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Montreal (+100) at Tampa Bay 5-4 (OT) Underdog Over (5)
2 Montreal (+105) at Tampa Bay 4-1 Underdog Push (5)
3 Tampa Bay at Montreal (-155) 3-2 Favorite Push (5)
4 Tampa Bay at Montreal (-170) 4-3 Favorite Over (5)


(M1) Pittsburgh vs. (W1) Columbus
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Columbus at Pittsburgh (-200) 4-3 Favorite Over (5 ½)
2 Columbus (+180) at Pittsburgh 4-3 (2OT) Underdog Over (5 ½)
3 Pittsburgh (-130) at Columbus 4-3 Favorite Over (5 ½)
4 Pittsburgh at Columbus (+115) 4-3 (OT) Underdog Over (5 ½)
5 Columbus at Pittsburgh - - -
6 Pittsburgh at Columbus - - -
7 Columbus at Pittsburgh - - -


(M2) N.Y. Rangers vs. vs. (M3) Philadelphia
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Philadelphia at N.Y Rangers (-155) 4-1 Favorite Push (5)
2 Philadelphia (+140) at N.Y. Rangers 4-2 Underdog Over (5)
3 N.Y. Rangers (-110) at Philadelphia 4-1 Favorite Push (5)
4 N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia - - -
5 Philadelphia at N.Y. Rangers - - -
6 N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia - - -
7 Philadelphia at N.Y. Rangers - - -



Western Conference

Key: C (Central) P (Pacific) W (Wild Card)

(C1) Colorado vs. (W1) Minnesota
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Minnesota at Colorado (-140) 5-4 (OT) Favorite Over (5)
2 Minnesota at Colorado (-135) 4-2 Favorite Over (5)
3 Colorado at Minnesota (-130) 1-0 (OT) Favorite Under (5)
4 Colorado at Minnesota (-130) 2-1 Favorite Under (5)
5 Minnesota at Colorado - - -
6 Colorado at Minnesota - - -
7 Minnesota at Colorado - - -


(C2) St. Louis vs. (C3) Chicago
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Chicago at St. Louis (-115) 4-3 (3OT) Favorite Over (5)
2 Chicago at St. Louis (-110) 4-3 (OT) Favorite Over (5)
3 St. Louis at Chicago (-160) 2-0 Favorite Under (5)
4 St. Louis at Chicago (-145) 4-3 (OT) Favorite Over (5)
5 Chicago at St. Louis - - -
6 St. Louis at Chicago - - -
7 Chicago at St. Louis - - -


(P1) Anaheim vs. (W2) Dallas
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Dallas at Anaheim (-170) 4-3 Favorite Over (5 ½)
2 Dallas at Anaheim (-170) 3-2 Favorite Under (5 ½)
3 Anaheim at Dallas (-120) 3-0 Favorite Under (5 ½)
4 Anaheim at Dallas (-115) 4-2 Favorite Over (5 ½)
5 Dallas at Anaheim - - -
6 Anaheim at Dallas - - -
7 Dallas at Anaheim - - -


(P2) San Jose vs. (P3) Los Angeles
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Los Angeles at San Jose (-135) 6-3 Favorite Over (4 ½)
2 Los Angeles at San Jose (-140) 7-2 Favorite Over (5)
3 San Jose (+105) at Los Angeles 4-3 (OT) Underdog Over (5)
4 San Jose at Los Angeles (-115) 6-3 Favorite Over (5)
5 Los Angeles at San Jose - - -
6 San Jose at Los Angeles - - -
7 Los Angeles at San Jose - - -

[StarDust Bum]

NHL playoff record as of Thursday Night :

9 - 11 - 1 .................- 2.25

9- 3 ........................+ 13.40

2 - 3 ...................... - .40


Friday, April 25

Game Score Status Pick Amount

NY Rangers - 7:00 PM ET Philadelphia -103 500 *****
Philadelphia - Over 5 500 *****

Chicago - 8:00 PM ET St. Louis -115 500 DOUBLE PLAY
St. Louis - Over 5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Dallas - 10:30 PM ET Anaheim -145 500 *****
Anaheim - Over 5.5 500 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Wings (39-28) at Bruins (54-19)

Date: April 26, 2014 3:00 PM EDT


BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Bruins overcame a two-goal deficit to win Game 4 of their playoff series in Detroit. Now the Red Wings must overcome a two-game deficit to keep their season alive.

The Bruins won 3-2 in overtime Thursday night to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven, first-round matchup.

The Red Wings get their chance to turn it around Saturday on the road.

But it's not a great chance against the team that won the Presidents' Trophy for the NHL's best record this season, has won three straight games, and had just seven regulation losses at home in the regular season.

'Obviously we're frustrated, but the series isn't over,' Detroit's Luke Glendening said. 'We still have an opportunity, but we've got a big hill to climb here.'

The Red Wings lost both games at home after splitting the first two in Boston. Now the Bruins will try to wrap up the series in a building filled with their friendly fans.

'We accomplished something on the road we really wanted to do,' said Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, who was named one of the three Vezina Trophy finalists on Friday. 'We have a chance to close the series at home. It's an opportunity we really have to use, and it won't be easy, but seeing how our game has improved during this series, it's a good sign.'

If the Bruins lose, they will return to Detroit for Game 6 on Monday night. If they win, they will start preparing for the second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens, who swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in four games.

'We can end it (Saturday), but the urgency still has to be there, and the focus still has to be there,' Boston coach Claude Julien said.

The Bruins are getting contributions throughout their lineup despite injuries that have sidelined forwards Chris Kelly and Daniel Paille for the first four games. They have outscored the Red Wings 10-4 with nine players scoring goals and 14 recording at least one point.

'They're a really, really good team,' Detroit's Niklas Kronwall said, 'but, at the same time, we didn't really take care of business. We've got to keep it a little bit more simple in some areas.'

The Red Wings expect Jimmy Howard back in goal after he was a late scratch due to the flu in Game 4. Jonas Gustavsson made his playoff debut and played well.

Pavel Datsyuk and Kronwall gave Detroit a 2-0 lead in the second period before Boston tied it on goals by Torey Krug midway through the second and Milan Lucic early in the third.

Jarome Iginla was credited with the winning goal on a shot by Dougie Hamilton that he redirected in off of Detroit's Danny DeKeyser.

The Red Wings 'were very hungry. They were very good in the first period,' Iginla said. 'The guys in here have been through it before. There's great leadership in here.'

Howard shut out the Bruins 1-0 in Game 1 but wasn't as sharp in the next two games.

Henrik Zetterberg, returning from back surgery, and Todd Bertuzzi also played for the first time in the series in Game 4.

'I think it was a step forward on the last two games,' Zetterberg said. 'We got the lead early and got the second (goal).'

Last year the Bruins also came home with a 3-1, first-round lead. But Toronto won the next two games and led 4-1 midway through the third period of Game 7 before Boston won in overtime.

'Sometimes it's more of a mental challenge than a physical challenge,' Rask said. 'You kind of start thinking about the end score of the game before the game even starts, and you kind of feel and hope that you get to do that. But I think we've learned over the years that it doesn't help us. We just have to focus on our job and the game itself.'

The Red Wings can't look ahead, either.

'We have nothing to lose,' Kronwall said. 'We're going into Boston to win one game. That's got to be our mindset.'

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jackets (43-32) at Penguins (51-24)

Date: April 26, 2014 7:00 PM EDT


PITTSBURGH (AP) - Marc-Andre Fleury woke up on Friday morning and went to work with a smile on his face.

Sure, the Pittsburgh Penguins goalie would like to have the final five minutes of Wednesday night's Game 4 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets back. He also knows, however, that he isn't going to get them.

So he did what he does after a loss. He looked at the tape, went over it with his coach, and then moved on. Dwelling on it at this point wouldn't do any good.

Besides, the series is even heading into Saturday night's Game 5.

'It's 2-2,' Fleury said. 'We're not down. We're in good shape. It's square, yeah.'

Even if it doesn't exactly feel that way. The Penguins were seconds away from taking a 3-1 lead when Fleury misplayed a puck behind the Pittsburgh net, freeing up Brandon Dubinsky to tie the game in the final moments of regulation. Then, Nick Foligno's innocent looking wrist shot from the blue line slipped under Fleury's glove 2:49 into overtime to win it for Columbus.

Fleury understands he perhaps should have played things differently. Oh well.

'You get up the next morning, have a smile on my face, come to the room,' Fleury said.

Fleury wasn't the only one smiling. Columbus began the series still searching for its first playoff win. Now the Blue Jackets have two in a week against a team considered a Stanley Cup contender. And they've done it in a most peculiar way, coming from two goals down in Games 2 and 4 to get Pittsburgh's full attention.

It's not exactly the plotline most expected. Then again, little seems to be going according to plan in a series that has Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin still searching for their first goals of the postseason, and youngsters like 20-year-old Ryan Johansen growing up on the job.

'There's been surprises,' Columbus coach Todd Richards said. 'The way the series has gone, each team has had leads and found ways to lose a game, or the other team has found a way to win.'

For Richards, a 'textbook' win for the Blue Jackets would be of the 2-1, 3-2 variety. Instead both sides have endured wild momentum swings. Twice the Penguins have had a chance to take a two-game lead in the series. Both times they have faltered. Twice the Blue Jackets have put Pittsburgh in an early hole only to come up short.

The one thing the Blue Jackets haven't done, however, is fold. The belief that had existed only in pockets of the Columbus locker room has started to grow.

It's a process Richards believes began when the team acquired defenseman Jack Johnson from Los Angeles in 2012. During a team meeting after the season, Richards asked each player what they wanted from the following year.

When Johnson stood up, he didn't talk about simply making the Blue Jackets respectable.

'His response was `I want to win the Stanley Cup. That's my goal,' Richards said. 'It was him that said `I want to win the Stanley Cup.' Not make the playoffs or come in second. That was one real positive thing as far as the attitude and the expectation.'

One that has rubbed off on his teammates. While the Blue Jackets still have plenty of work to do just to get out of the opening round, they understand they are already in uncharted territory. The longer they stick around, the higher the pressure mounts on the Penguins.

'We're an in your face type team,' Foligno said. 'We're a team that is not going to quit. We've played that role all year long, the underdogs.'

The Penguins have played the role of the favorites. They cruised to the Metropolitan Division title despite losing stars like Malkin, Kris Letang and Paul Martin for chunks of the season due to injury.

Only Crosby has remained healthy all year. Yet the magic he provided while leading the NHL with 104 points on 36 goals and 68 assists hasn't appeared yet in the postseason. He has four assists but hasn't scored in his last nine playoff games. The Penguins are just 3-6 in those contests.

Crosby isn't quite ready to panic, but he knows he needs to be more of a difference maker.

'I think to a certain point you want to create more,' he said. 'I wouldn't say more frustrating. We'll find a way to be better and score.'

Time is running out.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wild (43-27) at Avalanche (52-22)

Date: April 26, 2014 9:30 PM EDT


ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - Patrick Roy has shown all sorts of patience with his youthful squad this season.

That certainly won't waver now just because the Colorado Avalanche are in an offensive slump.

'This is a learning process,' the coach said Friday. 'I'm not going to throw them under the bus because I'm their partner. Been with them all year long and I trust our team.'

The Minnesota Wild have outshot the Avalanche 78-34 in the last two games to tie the first-round series at two-apiece heading into Game 5 at Pepsi Center on Saturday night.

Roy does take some comfort in the fact that home teams in the Western Conference playoffs are a combined 15-1 so far.

'But there are things we could do better,' he said.

Chief among them, more production, especially on a power play that's scored just once in 15 chances. The Wild have actually found a way to slow down the high-flying Avalanche by clogging up the neutral zone and making it hard to get quality shots in the offensive end.

For that, Roy finds himself guilty. All season long, he's preached shooting the puck with a purpose.

In playoff hockey, though, sometimes shooting with a rebound or a lucky bounce in mind works just as well.

'So we just need to change a little bit, fine-tune a few things here and there,' Roy said.

The only thing keeping the Avalanche in these last two road games has been the play of Semyon Varlamov, who seems to be getting better with every shot he faces.

'That's your job - stop the puck,' said Varlamov, one of the three finalists for the Vezina Trophy. 'Doesn't matter how many shots - 15 or 45. We knew it was not going to be an easy series for us.'

Wild coach Mike Yeo's biggest piece of advice for his team is rather simple: No assumptions.

Sure, they started out well in Game 3 and again on Thursday. But this will be an entirely different scenario, especially returning to a raucous crowd.

'Don't go in there with the expectation that we're just going to be able to pick up where we left off,' Yeo said. 'Make it happen with the little things, with the way that we play, with the way that we execute. Let's go in there and obviously we have to expect a hard push from them.

'I look every day and the NHL's announcing award winners and every day there's a Colorado Avalanche player that's part of those nominees. It helps to remind us that we're playing a very skilled group and with that, I think that should help sharpen our focus.'

Forward Matt Duchene glided around the ice Friday morning, lining shot after well-placed shot into the net. The Avs certainly could use the offensive flair of their leading scorer.

Only, Duchene's not quite ready to return from a knee injury. Not for Game 5 anyway.

'Is he going to play in this series? We're not sure yet,' Roy said. 'We'll see.'

Mikael Granlund is having quite a series for the Wild, sacrificing his body, too. The Game 3 star with his nifty OT goal made quite an impact in the waning seconds Thursday as well, blocking several shots even after losing his stick.

'Unbelievable,' said goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who's surrendered just one goal since taking over for Ilya Bryzgalov. 'When you see a skilled guy like that lay it all out and put his body on the line, everybody feeds off that.'

Kuemper's play in net has definitely given the Wild a burst of energy. He's stopped pretty much everything that's been thrown his way.

Although, it hasn't been a lot.

'We're certainly not executing the way we should be and certainly makes them look a lot better,' Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog said. 'We're still not testing this goalie enough.'

As for momentum, it's clearly swung to the side of the Wild, who are without suspended left wing Matt Cooke for a second game after his knee-on-knee hit knocked Avs defenseman Tyson Barrie out for at least a month.

'We've just got to stay on the pedal here and continue this push,' Kuemper said.

The Avs are banking that being back in their building will be an advantage.

'As a group we've been resilient all year,' Avs defenseman Erik Johnson said. 'We've had no fear all season long and there's no reason for us to have it now.'

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Kings (46-28) at Sharks (51-22)

Date: April 26, 2014 10:00 PM EDT


SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - The San Jose Sharks have far too much respect for the Los Angeles Kings and all they have accomplished the past few years to think that knocking them out of the playoffs would be easy.

After missing out on their first chance to eliminate the Kings, the task for the Sharks now is to finish the job at home in Game 5 on Saturday night and avoid getting into a long, grueling series that could take a toll later in the playoffs.

'We shouldn't be comfortable,' coach Todd McLellan said Friday. 'We should feel good about what we've accomplished to this point, but we shouldn't feel comfortable. Last night should push us a little bit more.'

After controlling the play for much of the first three games of the series, the Sharks found themselves on the short end in Game 4 and lost 6-3. They let Los Angeles control the area around both goals and committed a few needless penalties, including one by Raffi Torres that led to a power-play goal.

But there is no sense of panic around the Sharks, especially with the series returning to San Jose where they have won 12 of the past 13 meetings against Los Angeles, including five in the past two postseasons.

'I don't know why we would be nervous or be like, 'Oh boy, we need to win,'' defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic said. 'We're up 3-1, and we can close it out at home tomorrow. So we're in a great situation and guys will be ready to play tomorrow.'

The home team has won 19 of the past 21 games between these two heated rivals although the Sharks did mange to break through in Game 3 when Patrick Marleau's overtime goal gave them a 4-3 victory.

But the Kings responded Thursday night with help from a better performance from goalie Jonathan Quick, who allowed 16 goals in the first three games, and some juggled lines.

'They played a good game,' McLellan said. 'You have to give them credit and tip your hat to them. They were better than we were in areas, and we have get back to being the better team if we want to be successful.'

Captain Dustin Brown moved up to the top line with Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik. Gaborik responded with two goals and Brown got his first two points of the series with an assist on the first goal and an empty-net goal to cap the game.

Justin Williams dropped down to play alongside Jarret Stoll and Dwight King and scored twice, giving the Kings the lead for good in the third period.

'I just think our whole level of play has gotten better since the first two games, but we've dug ourselves a big hole here to try and get out of,' Williams said. 'We'll see if we can.'

Now Sharks coach Todd McLellan must decide whether to make any changes to his lines, such as moving Joe Pavelski back from first-line wing to third-line center like he did for long stretches in Games 2 and 3, or just rely on having the last change on home ice to counter Los Angeles' moves.

The series has been physical from the start but things started to turn nasty late in Game 4 with a number of post-whistle scrums, including a fight after the final horn between San Jose's Brent Burns and Los Angeles' Robyn Regehr.

'Things were ugly there,' Los Angeles forward Kyle Clifford said. 'We're both big teams, physical teams, so it's definitely going to get a little wound up at times.'

That intensity will also likely carry over into the crowd, where the Shark Tank should be at its loudest with the opportunity to see the home team possibly knock out it's most hated rival.

'We've got to be ready, especially for the start of that game, the first 10 minutes,' Stoll said. 'Everybody says it. It's true. You've got to weather the storm, you've got to take the game to them right away, and get them on their heels.'