Cnotes National Hockey League December Rated Plays - Trends - News - Etc. !!

[CNOTES]

NHL

Thursday, December 17

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. BUFFALO
Anaheim is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Buffalo
Anaheim is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Buffalo is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games
Buffalo is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Anaheim

7:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. NEW JERSEY
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 7 games on the road
Florida is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
New Jersey is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
New Jersey is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida

7:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Vancouver's last 9 games
Vancouver is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
Philadelphia is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games at home
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Vancouver

7:30 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. MONTREAL
Los Angeles is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Los Angeles is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games at home

7:30 PM
SAN JOSE vs. TORONTO
San Jose is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 12 of San Jose's last 18 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Toronto's last 18 games when playing at home against San Jose

8:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. ST. LOUIS
Nashville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Nashville's last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing at home against Nashville

8:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 6 games on the road
NY Rangers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Rangers
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

8:30 PM
CALGARY vs. DALLAS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 7 games on the road
Calgary is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Dallas is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing at home against Calgary

8:30 PM
EDMONTON vs. CHICAGO
Edmonton is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games at home

9:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Columbus's last 15 games
Columbus is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing at home against Columbus

9:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. COLORADO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 7 games
NY Islanders are 4-10-1 SU in their last 15 games ,when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado10-4-1 SU in their last 15 games when playing at home against NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Colorado's last 9 games when playing at home against NY Islanders

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, December 17

Florida at New Jersey, 7:05 PM ET
Florida: 13-31 SU after having won 2 of their last 3
New Jersey: 11-7 SU after 1 or more consecutive unders

Vancouver at Philadelphia, 7:05 PM ET
Vancouver: 80-57 SU on road after a game where 8 or + goals were scored
Philadelphia: 1-7 SU in home games revenging a loss versus opponent

Anaheim at Buffalo, 7:05 PM ET
Anaheim: 23-8 SU in December
Buffalo: 4-18 SU in home games after 3 or more consecutive unders

San Jose at Toronto, 7:05 PM ET
San Jose: 9-2 SU in road games in non-conference games
Toronto: 10-29 SU off a loss against a division rival

Los Angeles at Montreal, 7:35 PM ET
Los Angeles: 15-22 SU as a road favorite
Montreal: 40-19 SU after playing 2 consecutive home games

Nashville at St Louis, 8:05 PM ET
Nashville: 16-5 SU revenging a loss where team scored 1 or less goals
St Louis: 51-86 SU when playing their 8th game in 14 days

NY Rangers at Minnesota, 8:05 PM ET
New York: 9-1 SU in road games after 3 or more consecutive overs
Minnesota: 4-11 SU off a home blowout win by 3 goals or more

Edmonton at Chicago, 8:35 PM ET
Edmonton: 6-24 SU revenging a close loss vs opponent of 1 goal or less
Chicago: 37-11 SU in home games after a division game

Calgary at Dallas, 8:35 PM ET
Calgary: 39-64 SU after having won 6 or 7 of their last 8
Dallas: 12-3 SU after one or more consecutive overs

Columbus at Arizona, 9:05 PM ET
Columbus: 27-20 SU as a road underdog of +100 to +150
Arizona: 1-11 SU in home games after a non-conference game

NY Islanders at Colorado, 9:05 PM ET
New York: 32-17 SU after having won 3 of their last 4
Colorado: 44-63 SU at home revenging a loss vs opponent of 2 goals or more

 

[CNOTES]

NHL TOTALS


NHL > (53) FLORIDA@ (54) CAROLINA | 2015-12-18 19:05:00 - 2015-12-18 19:05:00
Play UNDER CAROLINA on the totalin Home games after a division game
The record is 3 Overs and 16 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.6 units)

NHL > (59) SAN JOSE@ (60) OTTAWA | 2015-12-18 19:35:00 - 2015-12-18 19:35:00
Play OVER OTTAWA on the totalin All games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 29 Overs and 11 Unders for the last three seasons (+19.05 units)


NHL > (51) BOSTON@ (52) PITTSBURGH | 2015-12-18 19:05:00 - 2015-12-18 19:05:00
Play UNDER PITTSBURGH on the totalin All games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 15 Overs and 33 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.8 units)

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Rams 31, Bucs 23-- Best game Rams' offense has played in years.

-- Both Texas A&M QBs are transferring; not sure I've ever heard of a team losing both its top two QBs that way- they must've had a lot of fun together this year.

-- Lebron James crashed into a woman on sidelines last night; woman was carted off on a stretcher-- turns out it was the wife of golfer Jason Day.

-- When they show football stats, I'd like to see total plays run-- more important than time of possession, thats for sure.

-- Tournament of Roses parade cost $9.4M to put on LY, took in $7.4M, Guy who is the executvie director of the parade makes $365,141. The football game makes so much money it more than covers the expenses for the parade.

-- Yadier Molina had a second surgery on his injured thumb, is expected to miss most of spring training.

**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Ranking NFL QBs within tiers.........

I divided 33 NFL (two for Denver) QBs into four tiers, then ranked them within the tiers. I think Philip Rivers is better than Joe Flacco, but Flacco won a Super Bowl and Rivers hasn't played in one, so they're in different tiers. Rankings are for right now, with exception of the injured starters- their ranking is for when they were last healthy.

Tier One: QBs who won a Super Bowl
8) Peyton Manning-- One of the all-time greats is at the end of the trail.

7) Joe Flacco-- This was his first losing season out of eight in NFL.

6) Eli Manning-- Durable, immobile, won two Super Bowls. Funny how he and his brother are statuesque, while their dad was a lot like Steve Young, a scrambler.

5) Drew Brees-- Had advantage of playing in dome and being coached by Sean Payton, an aggressive playcaller. Wonder if Chargers regret letting him go.

4) Russell Wilson-- As Ram fan, root against him twice a year; he has many qualities like Joe Montana. Elusive, smart, much better runner obviously but he doesn't have Jerry Rice. He is really, really good, as his 50-19 W-L record suggests.

3) Aaron Rodgers-- Which was more seamless, Packers going from Favre/Rodgers or Colts going from Manning/Luck? Good management by both teams.

2) Ben Roethlisberger-- Go back to 2004 draft; Giants traded for Eli Manning, when they could've stood pat and taken Big Ben. Its worked out well for both sides, but if that draft happened again, you wonder how it would play out?

1) Tom Brady-- Why do quarterbacks run a 40-yard dash at the Combine?

Tier Two: Veteran QBs who haven't won a Super Bowl
10) Matt Ryan-- Has had a dismal year, Falcons' third losing year in row (16-29).

9) Alex Smith-- 49ers chose Kaepernick over him; was that the right move?

8) Matthew Stafford-- Plays in dome, for a team that has won one playoff game since 1957. Has 39-51 record; you watch him and think Lions should be better.

7) Jay Cutler-- 66-65 career record, going 27-13 from 2010-12, 39-52 the rest of the time. Bears lost 26-0 in one game he missed this year. Cutler might be underrated.

6) Tony Romo-- Dallas is 1-8 in games he missed this year, but a 2-4 playoff record also haunts him. 10 years as a starter, six playoff games. No bueno.

5) Andy Dalton-- 0-4 in playoffs, but 50-26-1 in regular season- Bengals were terrible before he became the QB. This was his best season until he broke his right thumb.

4) Andrew Luck-- Indy better be careful with him; lacerated kidney is nothing to mess around with. The way this season has gone, Colts will have new coach next year. Has 3-3 playoff record in four years (more playoff wins than Romo/Dalton combined).

3) Carson Palmer-- What QB wouldn't love playing for Bruce Arians? This is his best season, now he needs a playoff win-- his playoff record is 0-2 ('05, '09).

2) Cam Newton-- Win college, won in junior college, winning in NFL.

1) Philip Rivers-- 95-71 career record, 4-5 in playoffs; was drafted in same year as Eli and Big Ben. Has eight kids, so I'm guessing he leads NFL QBs in that category.

Tier Three: Less accomplished QBs
8) Nick Foles/Case Keenum-- Give one of them a decent OL and a tight end who can catch the ball, then we'll see. Rest of team is ready to roll- offensive ineptitude has kept this team from contention this year- they're really not very far away.

7) Ryan Tannehill-- Was WR for two years at Texas A&M, not sure what Dolphins see in him- his starting job never seems to get challenged.

6) Sam Bradford-- At least he stayed mostly healthy this season.

5) Blaine Gabbert-- Has played fairly well for 49ers this season.

4) Brian Hoyer-- Head coach is a QB guru, but Texans can't find a QB- Hoyer has been OK but now has concussion issues.

3) Blake Bortles-- Jaguars scored 115 points in last three games; they have hope.

2) Derek Carr-- Oakland has chance to get to .500 this year if they can upset Green Bay this weekend. Raiders management got him couple good WRs, which helps.

1) Ryan Fitzpatrick-- Playing for fourth team in four years, during which time he has started 50 games-- unique career. Hope he writes a book someday.

Tier Four: Young QBs
7) Johnny Manziel-- Second coming of Fran Tarkenton on the field; hopefully he will be little less active off the field. Curious what Browns will do with him this winter.

6) Tyrod Taylor-- Wasn't that good in college, sat bench in Baltimore for four years, has done pretty well as a starter this year. Maybe thats the way to develop a QB.

5) Brock Osweiler-- Same boat as Taylor, is 3-1 filling in for legendary QB Manning. Will be free agent this winter- will Denver sign him up longterm?

4) Teddy Bridgewater-- Seems a little bit like Alex Smith; doesn't screw things up, is mobile enough to move chains. Vikings move to new stadium indoors next year.

3) Kirk Cousins-- No one talks about RGIII anymore.

2) Marcus Mariota-- I'm sure Tennessee is happy with him, but not sure why they fired the coach. Teams with rookie QBs starting seldom win a lot.

1) Jameis Winston-- All the BS he put himself thru in college is gone now; he has done way better than most people expected in his rookie year. Went 27-1 at Florida State, is 6-7 with Bucs- big improvement. Future is bright in Tampa Bay.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, December 18

Hot teams
-- Bruins won three of their last four games.
-- Florida won eight of its last eleven games. Colorado won four of its last six.
-- Washington won eight of its last ten games. Lightning won three of their last four.
-- San Jose won last two games, after losing previous six.

Cold teams
-- Pittsburgh lost seven of its last nine games.
-- Vancouver lost eight of its last ten games. Detroit lost three of last four.
-- Senators lost three of their last four games.
-- Rangers lost eight of their last eleven games. Winnipeg lost three of its last four.

Series records
-- Bruins won last three games with Pittsburgh: 3-2ot/2-0/3-0.
-- Panthers won their last four games with Carolina.
-- Lightning lost their last four games with Washington.
-- Red Wings won four of their last five games with Vancouver.
-- Sharks won seven of last ten games with Ottawa, but lost last two.
-- Visiting team won last five Winnipeg-Ranger games.

Totals
-- Under is 6-1-2 in last nine Bruin-Penguin games.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Carolina-Florida games.
-- Eight of last ten Tampa Bay-Washington games went over.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Detroit-Vancouver games.
-- Five of last seven Ottawa games stayed under.
-- Last three Ranger games went over the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Florida is 2-2 if it played the night before.
-- Canucks are 2-3 if they played the night before.
-- Sharks are 2-3 if they played the night before.
-- Rangers are 5-3 if they played the night before.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL

Friday, December 18

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Boston is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
Boston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Pittsburgh's last 14 games when playing Boston

7:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. CAROLINA
Florida is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Florida is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Carolina
Carolina is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. WASHINGTON
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Washington's last 13 games when playing Tampa Bay

7:30 PM
SAN JOSE vs. OTTAWA
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Jose's last 11 games
Ottawa is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ottawa's last 7 games

7:30 PM
VANCOUVER vs. DETROIT
Vancouver is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Vancouver is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Vancouver
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Vancouver

8:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. WINNIPEG
NY Rangers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 7 games when playing at home against NY Rangers
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, December 18

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BOSTON (17-9-0-4, 38 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (15-12-0-3, 33 pts.) - 12/18/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 10-4 ATS (+14.4 Units) in road games first half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 39-24 ATS (+63.5 Units) in road games after shutting out their opponent in their previous game since 1996.
BOSTON is 124-91 ATS (+30.7 Units) in road games after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 59-58 ATS (-18.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 77-100 ATS (-42.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 5-2 (+3.4 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 5-2-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.2 Units)

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FLORIDA (16-12-0-4, 36 pts.) at CAROLINA (12-14-0-5, 29 pts.) - 12/18/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 4-3 (+1.4 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 4-3-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.9 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (16-13-0-3, 35 pts.) at WASHINGTON (22-6-0-2, 46 pts.) - 12/18/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 10-20 ATS (-11.8 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 22-8 ATS (+13.0 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 22-8 ATS (+10.1 Units) first half of the season this season.
TAMPA BAY is 20-7 ATS (+10.5 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-2 (+4.6 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 6-2-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.2 Units)

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VANCOUVER (11-14-0-8, 30 pts.) at DETROIT (16-9-0-6, 38 pts.) - 12/18/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 11-22 ATS (-12.4 Units) in all games this season.
VANCOUVER is 11-22 ATS (-12.4 Units) first half of the season this season.
VANCOUVER is 19-28 ATS (-13.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 5-11 ATS (-8.5 Units) in non-conference games this season.
VANCOUVER is 4-13 ATS (+18.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VANCOUVER is 4-13 ATS (+18.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.
VANCOUVER is 50-37 ATS (+90.8 Units) in road games on Friday nights since 1996.
DETROIT is 29-35 ATS (-29.8 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 15-17 ATS (-9.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 14-22 ATS (-25.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 4-1 (+3.9 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 4-1-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.2 Units)

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SAN JOSE (16-14-0-1, 33 pts.) at OTTAWA (16-11-0-5, 37 pts.) - 12/18/2015, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 2-2 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 2-2-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.4 Units)

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NY RANGERS (19-10-0-4, 42 pts.) at WINNIPEG (14-15-0-2, 30 pts.) - 12/18/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 3-2 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 3-2-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.0 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Lightning (15-13) at Capitals (20-6)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Stars Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals haven't been their usual high-scoring selves lately, with Stamkos' drop in production particularly acute


Their teams, though, have won most of their recent games, and the Capitals have added to their mastery of the Lightning during their successful stretch.


They'll try to secure another victory over Tampa Bay while continuing their home dominance in the series Friday night.


Stamkos hasn't tallied a goal in 10 games, his longest drought since his rookie season of 2008-09, but the Lightning (16-13-3) got plenty of scoring in a 5-4 overtime victory in Toronto on Tuesday. Vladislav Namestnikov finished off the team's fifth win in seven games and fourth in five road contests, while Nikita Kucherov scored his sixth goal in as many games.


"It's satisfying that we're getting the wins and guys are stepping up," said Stamkos, who has 11 goals and 11 assists - well off his 43-goal pace of last season. "Obviously, I do have high expectations and (my stats) are not where I want them to be."


Stamkos has one assist in two games this season against a Capitals team that's 10-1-1 in its last 12 and has won six straight at home.


A 2-1 victory at Tampa on Saturday started Washington (22-6-2) on its three-game win streak. The Capitals have allowed one goal in each of their past two, the most recent a 2-1 victory over Ottawa on Wednesday.


Washington has turned into one of the league's stingiest teams in its second season under defensive-minded coach Barry Trotz. Playing a big role in that has been Braden Holtby, 12-0-1 with a 1.67 goals-against average in his last 13 starts.


"He's an eraser," Trotz said. "Good goaltending erases a lot of mistakes. He's erased a lot of mistakes in the early part of the season for us.


"He's a workhorse. He's a focused athlete. I think his mental toughness is off the charts. I think everybody would agree in our room that he's the most valuable player for us so far this year."


Holtby's play and other contributions have taken some of the pressure off Ovechkin needing to dominate the stat sheet. He has just two of his team-best 14 goals and two assists in his last eight games, but Washington is 6-1-1 in that stretch.


Defenseman John Carlson has scored once in each of the past two games and has nine assists in his last 10. The Capitals also got an early goal from fourth-line forward Michael Latta on Wednesday.


"We're finding ways to win whether it's good goaltending, good penalty kill or good power play," Trotz said. "Right now, we're getting contributions from everyone."


Ovechkin scored in a 4-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Nov. 27, leaving the Capitals at 17-1-2 in the last 20 home matchups. They've taken both meetings this season and four straight in the series.


Holtby started all of those games and allowed a combined eight goals.


Lightning counterpart Ben Bishop is 1-5-1 with a 3.70 GAA in eight lifetime starts against Washington. Nicklas Backstrom has played a big role in inflating that goals-against with four goals and 12 assists in the last 11 matchups.


Ovechkin has three goals and three assists in his past five games in the series, while Stamkos has recorded one goal and seven assists in his last 10 against the Capitals.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Panthers (13-12) at Hurricanes (12-14)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Jeff Skinner has the Carolina Hurricanes playing at a high level on offense, but they haven't had much success in recent meetings with the Florida Panthers.


As the veteran winger looks to stay hot, the Hurricanes will try for their fifth win in seven games Friday night by snapping a four-game losing streak to the Panthers.


After he scored only five goals over his first 25 games, Skinner has found a groove with nine in his last six. He recorded his second hat trick in three games during Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss at Philadelphia.


It's the first time in franchise history that a player had multiple hat tricks in a span of three or fewer team games. Skinner insists he isn't doing anything differently, noting his good chemistry with linemates Victor Rask and newcomer Phil Di Giuseppe.


Di Giuseppe, who was recalled Dec. 5, has made an immediate impact with two goals and three assists - all on goals by Skinner - in his last four games.


"As a line, me, Phil and Rasker have been playing well and generating lots of opportunities. They've just been going in," Skinner, who has a team-high 14 goals, told the team's official website. "When you get a line together that's playing well ... they're able to feed off each other, and it creates the perfect storm to produce."


The Hurricanes have scored at least three goals in six consecutive games, going 4-1-1. They've gotten eight of their 26 goals over that span with the man advantage, including four by league power-play goals leader Justin Faulk.


"Even as a team, we scored more on that (four-game) road trip than we have all year," Skinner added. "Any time that happens, guys are going to have success individually. Hopefully we can keep going as a line and as a team."


Carolina, however, could have a more difficult time as it goes after its fifth win in six at home. Florida (16-12-4) has limited the Hurricanes to just two goals while winning all four meetings over the past two seasons.


Skinner has scored only once over his last 15 in the series after Elias Lindholm provided the only tally in a 4-1 home loss to the Panthers on Oct. 13.


Al Montoya finished with 22 saves in that contest, but he's likely to give way to Roberto Luongo after he had 15 in Thursday's 5-1 win at New Jersey. Luongo has a 1.86 goals-against average over his last eight starts and has allowed just two goals in his last three against the Hurricanes (12-14-5).


The Panthers, who are 2-1 on a four-game trip, have won seven of nine on the road while limiting opponents to 13 goals in the last eight.


They're also playing well on the attack, totaling 15 scores while winning three of their past four overall. Brandon Pirri has two goals and five assists over a five-game point streak and Reilly Smith has a goal in three straight and four of the last five.


"We're having fun," Pirri said. "We're just enjoying the ride."


Cam Ward is expected to start for Carolina despite allowing four goals on eight shots before getting pulled in Tuesday's 6-5 loss at Dallas. He's gone 6-2-1 with a 1.90 GAA in his last nine home starts against the Panthers.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bruins (16-9) at Penguins (14-12)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

After Boston kept the Pittsburgh Penguins winless under new coach Mike Sullivan earlier this week, the Bruins have a chance to quickly do it again.


Looking to extend their recent dominance over the reeling Penguins, the visiting Bruins can sweep this home-and-home with a fourth straight series victory Friday night.


Tuukka Rask made 34 saves and Jimmy Hayes snapped a 15-game goal drought as Boston (17-9-4) dropped Pittsburgh to 0-2-0 since Sullivan replaced the fired Mike Johnston with Wednesday's 3-0 victory.


"You always want to get off to a good start when you're playing those back-to-backs," Bruins coach Claude Julien, whose club has gone 9-1-3 in its last 13, told the team's official website.


"You hope that you can build some momentum, and now, you've got to go back (to Pittsburgh) understanding that they're going to be hungry, and that they're going to be ready for us."


Having gone 9-1-1 in the past 11 matchups including playoffs, Rask and the Bruins have blanked the Penguins (15-12-3) in two straight meetings.


Edmonton was the last team Boston shut out in three consecutive games, spanning the 2006-07 and 2009-10 seasons. The Penguins haven't had it done to them since the New York Rangers did it Feb. 1-March 18, 1970.


At 1-4-1 this month, Pittsburgh has been outscored 7-1 under Sullivan and managed three goals while averaging 40.3 shots in the last three contests. The Penguins are 0 for 14 on the power play in the last six games.


'Well, I think we are getting some chances, we are generating some chances,' Sullivan said. 'For me, what I see is we have to do a better job playing smarter. I think we are playing hard. I think our energy is there. I think our effort is there.'


Rask rendered that effort moot Wednesday, as he's done often in posting a 1.36 goals-against average during his 7-0-2 stretch. He's stopped 109 of 111 shots and recorded two shutouts in a four-game winning streak.


'He's been feeling it for a little while, maybe the last month,' Julien said. 'He's been the goaltender we all know he can be."


Rask, likely to be in net Friday, has posted a 1.29 GAA while starting all of Boston's last 11 games against Pittsburgh.


Sidney Crosby has one goal in nine games and no points in the last three. He's totaled one goal and one assist over his last seven regular-season and playoff home games against the Bruins.


"Once we get one or two, hopefully the flood gates open up for us," Crosby told the NHL's official website. "But we can't let it bother us; at the same time, we can't accept it."


With Marc-Andre Fleury expected to miss at least a week due to a concussion, Penguins backup Jeff Zatkoff is set to start again after making 26 saves Wednesday. He's 2-2-1 with a 2.35 GAA this season.


Hayes, with five goals on the season, recorded his third in his last three contests against the Penguins.


"Jimmy's going to have success by going to the net like he did (Wednesday)," Julien said. "He's really good at either tipping pucks or finding loose pucks. He's a big man; he has to play that game."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Sharks (0-0) at Senators (0-0)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Ottawa was spitting out road goals like a loose slot machine in the early part of the season, but an abrupt end to that binge made things difficult during a recent stretch in which five of six were played on opposing ice.


The Senators have been more levelheaded at home, where they'll try for a fourth straight victory Friday night against the San Jose Sharks, who have continued their puzzling success on the road while struggling at home.


After starting 7-2-1 outside Ottawa with 3.80 goals per game, the Senators (16-11-5) have lost five of six road contests with 11 combined tallies.


Five of those games were on a 2-4-0 overall span with 13 goals scored, but the lion's share came in Monday's 5-3 home win over Los Angeles. They followed that with a 2-1 defeat in Washington, so a quick stop home before heading south to face Tampa Bay and Florida leading into Christmas figures to be a relief.


But the Canadian capital wasn't always a refuge. The Senators started 0-2-2 at home, but have since gone 8-2-2 with 3.08 goals per game. The three straight wins have come behind 12 goals, and Mike Hoffman has tallied seven on a five-game home goal streak.


At the other end, Andrew Hammond played against the Capitals in his first action since Nov. 12 because of a concussion.


"Felt pretty comfortable in there," Hammond told the team's official website. "It was one of those games where it was pretty easy to get into it early on. I felt like I settled into it pretty quick. It was one of those tight, low-scoring games where you couldn't give them much. Ultimately, it was a night where there weren't going to be a lot of goals scored, but we ended up on the wrong end of that."


It's not yet known whether Hammond will get a chance to build on that or if Ottawa will go with Craig Anderson, who has a 3.18 goals-against average over a 6-5-0 span.


The Senators won both meetings last season with Hammond allowing two goals in each with a .934 save percentage. Hoffman helped him out with three goals and three assists.


The Sharks (16-14-1) have hinted at starting to turn things around with consecutive wins to begin a five-game trip, but it's followed a six-game losing streak. The road, however, might be a relief considering San Jose's league-best 12 away wins - including a 9-2-1 mark since the start of November - while going 4-9-0 at home.


"We don't really beat ourselves on the road," Joe Pavelski told the team's official website. "It has been a tough stretch. We love playing at home, but we definitely expect to be better. We have to find a solution."


Thursday's 5-4 overtime win in Toronto featured Patrick Marleau's third goal in four games and a goal and two assists from Pavelski two nights after he had one of each in a 3-1 win at Montreal. The center has scored in three straight road games and gotten 11 of his 15 total in opponents' buildings. He's also scored in his last two at Ottawa.


Martin Jones has started the last five games, which already includes a back-to-back set, so Alex Stalock could be in goal. Stalock has struggled in limited time as a starter, going 2-3-0 with a 3.63 GAA and .872 save percentage.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Canucks (10-14) at Red Wings (15-9)
Date: December 18, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Blowing third-period leads was actually working out relatively well for Detroit until its most recent game. The Red Wings have done so in nine of their last 14, though the latest was the first that ended in a regulation loss.


Now welcoming Vancouver for the second of a four-game homestand, Detroit's looking to do things by the book, and the Canucks don't appear to be the kind of team that can overcome any kind of deficit - particularly if Henrik Sedin is to miss time.


Prior to Monday's 2-1 loss against Buffalo, the Red Wings (16-9-6) had gone 8-0-5 before finally failing to gain a point three nights after a 3-2 overtime loss at New Jersey in which they gave up a two-goal lead in the final 20 minutes.


"We've been playing a little bit sloppier lately," captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "So maybe this was the little wake-up call here. Just got to get back to playing the right way for 60 minutes."


They might push that along by getting their power play clicking in their own building. Detroit ranked second in 2014-15 at 23.5 percent but is 20th this season at 18.2. At home, the Red Wings are at 14.5 - among the worst marks in the league.


"Some games have been pretty awful where we can't get things set up or get things going, but I think a lot of games we've had actually pretty good chances, it's just a matter of burying those chances," Gustav Nyquist told the team's official website.


"Hopefully it'll get better at home."


The Red Wings have gone 8-2-2 in the series since the start of 2011-12, including a 3-2 overtime win at Vancouver on Oct. 24.


The Canucks (11-13-8) are playing their fourth on a six-game trip and completing a back-to-back after a 2-0 loss in Philadelphia. This marks their third game in four days, so rather than worry about the final 20 minutes, Detroit is hoping for a quick start.


"It's not really try to focus on it but obviously it's a little on your mind you have to jump as soon as the puck drops," said Tomas Tatar, who's scored in his last two games against Vancouver and expects to be OK Friday after an illness. "You know how you feel when you go back to back, it's not easy, especially the first five minutes, to get the body going, but that's what we should use against them and just play whole game."


The Canucks have lost three straight by a 12-2 total and been shut out four times over a 2-6-1 span, so their first four-game regulation skid since a seven-game slide in 2013-14 is looking likely.


Sedin left the loss to the Flyers in the second period with a lower-body injury, and the only update after the game was that a forward would be called up from AHL Utica.


"It'll get tougher," coach Willie Desjardins told the team's official website. "But it'll give other guys a chance in maybe different roles. You never know. ... Your only choice is to go ahead and keep going. That's what we're supposed to do and that's what we have to do."


Ryan Miller, who has a 3.52 goals-against average over a 2-4-0 span, figures to be in net after Jacob Markstrom played against the Flyers. Miller is 1-5-1 with a 3.53 GAA lifetime in Detroit.


Jimmy Howard will start for the Red Wings after Petr Mrazek faced the Sabres. Howard has a 1.91 GAA and .943 save percentage over a 1-0-2 span. He didn't face the Canucks in October but has a 1.57 GAA and .936 save percentage over a 4-1-1 span in the series.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rangers (18-10) at Jets (14-15)
Date: December 18, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Having fallen on tough times after a fantastic start, the New York Rangers have to find a way to contain the opposition away from Madison Square Garden.


That challenge might fall even more on Henrik Lundqvist after backup goalie Antti Raanta went down with an injury for what could be a lengthy amount of time.


The Rangers look to tighten things up Friday night and end their longest road losing streak in seven years with a fifth win in the last six visits to Winnipeg.


Since allowing 1.76 goals per game during a 16-3-2 start, New York (19-10-4) has won just three times - all at the Garden - over its last 12. The club has struggled defensively on the road, allowing at least five goals in the last three away games and 24 while going 0-4-2 in its past six.


It's the Rangers' longest road skid since an 0-7-2 stretch Jan. 18-Feb. 25, 2009.


Making matters worse, they may have lost Raanta for an extended period after he took a shot off the mask 11:49 into Thursday's 5-2 loss at Minnesota. In his first relief appearance since Oct. 12, 2013, Lundqvist allowed four goals on 31 shots.


The former Vezina Trophy winner hasn't been able to stop the recent woes, allowing nine goals on 64 shots in his last two on the road. He's played much better against the Jets, going 5-3-1 with a 1.88 goals-against average in his last nine meetings.


"I didn't face so much in the first, so that was good," Lundqvist said. "But it's awfully tough to come in like that. In the first, after that, I think you're in it. I played good in the second, but in the third I just need to be better."


Winnipeg is focused on improving its special teams after going 0 for 2 on the power play and letting St. Louis convert 2 of 3 in Tuesday's 4-3 home loss. The squad ranks near the bottom of the league in power-play (15.2) and penalty-kill (77.3) percentage.


"There's some things to improve on for sure," Winnipeg defenseman Tyler Myers told the team's official website. "Definitely want to come in urgent (Friday), but we need to have a lot of urgency going forward with all our games."


The Rangers sit in the top 10 in both special teams categories, but only have two power-play goals in the last five road games and have given up nine in the last seven.


Jets center Mark Scheifele, who got his team-high 12th goal against the Blues, is having a big December with four goals and four assists in six games.


Mats Zuccarello leads New York with 14 goals and is second with three on the power play. He had scored in three straight before coming up empty Tuesday. He's scored in the last two meetings with Winnipeg, including the lone tally in a 4-1 home loss Oct. 13.


The Rangers are 4-1 at Winnipeg since the franchise moved from Atlanta in 2011-12.


Bryan Little led the Jets (14-15-2) with two goals in the October victory at MSG, while goalie Michael Hutchinson came up big with 40 saves. Hutchinson, however, has scuffled more recently, posting a 3.98 GAA while going 0-7-1 over his last eight starts.


Rookie Connor Hellebuyck could be in net again. He's given up 10 goals while dropping two of his last three starts after allowing three during a 3-0-0 start.


The Jets are looking to avoid their first back-to-back home losses since Oct. 18-23.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL TOTALS


NHL > (53) FLORIDA@ (54) CAROLINA | 2015-12-18 19:05:00 - 2015-12-18 19:05:00
Play UNDER CAROLINA on the totalin Home games after a division game
The record is 3 Overs and 16 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.6 units)


NHL > (59) SAN JOSE@ (60) OTTAWA | 2015-12-18 19:35:00 - 2015-12-18 19:35:00
Play OVER OTTAWA on the totalin All games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 29 Overs and 11 Unders for the last three seasons (+19.05 units)

NHL > (51) BOSTON@ (52) PITTSBURGH | 2015-12-18 19:05:00 - 2015-12-18 19:05:00
Play UNDER PITTSBURGH on the totalin All games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 15 Overs and 33 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.8 units)

 

[CNOTES]

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


BOS at PIT 07:00 PM


BOS -107 DOUBLE PLAY


U 5.0




TB at WAS 07:00 PM


WAS -157 TRIPLE PLAY


O 5.0




FLA at CAR 07:00 PM


FLA +113


U 5.0




SJ at OTT 07:30 PM


SJ +120 TRIPLE PLAY


O 5.5 TRIPLE PLAY




VAN at DET 07:30 PM


VAN +170 OCTO PLAY


O 5.0




NYR at WIN 08:00 PM


NYR +115 *****


U 5.0

 

[CNOTES]

last nights hockey............ 4 - 2


here is saturday's matchups

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blackhawks (18-11) at Sabres (13-16)
Date: December 19, 2015 1:00 PM EDT

Despite a turbulent summer in Buffalo, Patrick Kane returns to his hometown playing the best hockey of his career.


Back for the first time since he was the subject of a lengthy sexual assault investigation there, Kane tries to help the Chicago Blackhawks to an eighth consecutive victory over the Sabres on Saturday.


It's been a little more than four months since Kane was accused of those allegations at his suburban Buffalo home while celebrating Chicago's third Stanley Cup in six seasons. In the end, Kane wasn't charged and never played like the entire situation was a distraction.


He leads the NHL with 47 points, though his club-record 26-game point streak ended Tuesday.


Considering what Kane endured through the investigation and the pressure of the streak, coach Joel Quenneville doesn't believe his return this weekend will be anything the 27-year-old can't handle.


"He's gone through (several) months of being under a lot of attention, (and) he's gone through a really busy stretch here," Quenneville said. "I don't know if it's going to be much different."


Kane appeared to receive plenty of support from his hometown during those troubling times, and is likely to receive a warm welcome at the First Niagara Center on Saturday. He's scored in his last three games against the Sabres (14-16-3), and has five goals with four assists in nine all-time. A broken clavicle kept Kane from playing in Chicago's 4-3 win at Buffalo on April 3.


The Blackhawks (18-11-4) have averaged 4.0 goals during a six-game winning streak against the Sabres, and scored that many to conclude a 3-1-0 homestand with Thursday's 4-0 victory over Edmonton.


Kane got back on track with an assist, Corey Crawford made 33 saves and the line of Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Teuvo Teravainen combined for three goals and six assists.


"I liked our game," Quenneville told the NHL's official website. "We didn't give up much, and that's the first step when we measure our team performance, and we generated enough (offensively)."


Toews, who had a goal with two assists, recorded one more point than in the previous 10 contests. He has five goals and two assists in the last five against the Sabres.


Crawford has recorded a shutout in three of four starts, and allowed four goals while posting an 0.67 goals-against average to win five of the last six.


"I feel good right now," he said. "I'm really focused and I'm seeing the puck well throughout the whole game and getting a lot of help too from everyone."


Crawford is 5-0-0 with a 1.80 GAA against Buffalo but with Western Conference foe San Jose in town Sunday, he could sit while the Blackhawks try to avoid a fourth consecutive road defeat. Backup Scott Darling has started two of the last three on the road, where he's 0-3-2 with a 3.60 GAA as a starter.


A winner in four of five at home, Buffalo has allowed four goals while winning three of four overall. Chad Johnson made 44 saves and Evander Kane snapped a six-game point drought with his seventh goal in Thursday's 3-0 home win over Anaheim.


'We're playing a lot better defensively in front of the crease and boxing guys out than we did at the beginning of the year, and you see the results,' Johnson said.


Following his first shutout since March 2014, Johnson has won three straight at home and owns a 1.23 GAA in his last four starts there.


Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has six points in the last five games.


Chicago forward Marcus Kruger, a key player on the penalty kill, will be out four months after he had surgery to repair a dislocated left wrist suffered against the Oilers.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Flames (14-14) at Blues (18-10)
Date: December 19, 2015 3:00 PM EDT

It's been four years since the Calgary Flames last won in St. Louis, but a decade since they've had a winning streak this long.


The scorching Flames go for an eighth consecutive win Saturday afternoon against a Blues team seeking a sixth straight victory in this series.


Though Calgary (15-14-2) has achieved most of the success at home during its unbeaten run - its longest since winning eight straight from Nov. 1-16, 2005 - it's opened a challenging four-game trip by yielding two goals in victories over Nashville and Dallas. After making 21 saves in Tuesday's 2-1 decision over the Predators, Karri Ramo had 35 as the Flames shut down the Stars' high-powered offense in Thursday's 3-1 triumph.


Sent to the minors earlier this season, Ramo has cemented himself as Calgary's No. 1 goaltender by winning five straight starts and allowing four goals over his last three.


'We're playing way better as a five-man unit,' said Ramo of the Flames' defensive improvement. 'Our D and forwards have been playing way better together, and we are cutting our turnovers. We are not giving them anything."


The Flames have turned it around in spite of an anemic power play that's 0 for 12 over a four-game stretch and 2 for 47 in the past 14. Calgary has outscored teams 25-12 at even strength during the surge.


That disparity may need to continue if Calgary is to halt a five-game skid to St. Louis (19-10-4) and earn its first win at Scottrade Center since April 1, 2011. The Flames have been outscored 22-7 in six consecutive road losses in the series.


The Blues rank second in the NHL with a 87.4 percent penalty kill and hadn't allowed a power-play goal in nine straight prior to Thursday's game against Nashville, in which David Backes and Vladimir Tarasenko scored in the third period to rally St. Louis to a 2-1 win.


Tarasenko has scored in four straight and has six goals over his last seven to tie for the league lead with 20. The standout wing is the first Blues player since Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour (1983-88) to reach that mark in three consecutive seasons before age 25.


'I'll tell you 16 or 17 of his goals have been really important,' coach Ken Hitchcock said. 'He's been outstanding when the game's on the line.'


Backes has four goals and three assists over a six-game point streak and Kevin Shattenkirk has eight points during a six-game run. Both have been prime contributors to a power play that's 6 for 11 through the past five games.


"We've needed our power play, it's come through for us big time," Hitchcock said.


Calgary is receiving strong production from its skilled youngsters as well, with 22-year-old Johnny Gaudreau having amassed seven goals and five assists during the streak while 21-year-old Sean Monahan has nine points. Monahan scored for the fourth time in five games Thursday.


The duo will face a goaltender in top form if Jake Allen draws another start. He stopped 27 shots against Nashville to move to 4-1-0 with a 1.41 goals-against average over his past five outings.


Brian Elliott started when the Blues posted a 4-3 win in Calgary on Oct. 13 behind rookie Colton Parayko's two goals.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Ducks (10-14) at Devils (14-12)
Date: December 19, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Salary cap flexibility played a role in the Anaheim Ducks trading Kyle Palmieri during June's NHL draft. The New Jersey Devils were more than happy to bring the forward back to the Garden State.


Anaheim might be regretting that move as it sits last in the league by a wide margin in goals heading into its first matchup with New Jersey since that deal Saturday night.


Palmieri had 43 goals and 46 assists in 198 regular-season games for the Ducks after they selected him with the No. 26 overall pick in 2009. He tied a career high with 14 goals in just 57 contests in 2014-15 but is scheduled to become a restricted free agent after this season.


With other key Anaheim players set to hit the free-agent market next summer, general manager Bob Murray was forced to deal Palmieri, who's from Montvale, New Jersey, for a pair of draft picks.


"The problem when your guys are drafted very well and you get a bunch of good young players, all of a sudden they accumulate and you can't sign them all the same," Murray told the NHL's official website in June.


"After (Palmieri) gets 20 goals next year, which I think he will, then I'd really be in trouble. So this is just being proactive to stay ahead of the curve, get something for him before that happens and then he's really tough to move at that point."


Murray was right, as Palmieri is on pace to score way more than 20 goals. He's tied with Adam Henrique for the team lead with 13, scoring six times and adding three assists in the last 10 games for New Jersey (16-12-4).


Palmieri assisted on Sergey Kalinin's power-play goal as the Devils lost for the second time in three games Thursday, 5-1 to Florida. He leads New Jersey with career bests of five goals and 12 points on the power play.


'Kyle's been a real big piece of the puzzle for us this year,' coach John Hynes said after Friday's practice. 'He's come in and he's been a real strong worker. He's been very competitive on the puck and he's gotten some good opportunities that's he earned to play in our top six and get some quality power-play time.'


Anaheim (11-14-5) hasn't had many good games just seven months removed from losing to Stanley Cup champion Chicago in the Western Conference finals after holding a 3-2 lead in the series.


The Ducks are last in the NHL with 55 goals - the next-closest team has 67 - are tied with Toronto and Columbus for the fewest points in the league (27) and are 3-9-1 as the visitor for the fewest road wins in the NHL.


'We don't have enough hunger, we don't have enough drive,' captain Ryan Getzlaf said.


Anaheim opened a four-game trip through New York and New Jersey with a 3-0 loss to Buffalo on Thursday. The Ducks have been outscored 12-2 in dropping three in a row away from home.


'Quite frankly, when your best players aren't your best players you're not going to win the game,' coach Bruce Boudreau said. 'And that's the bottom line. And on a too consistent basis, our best players aren't our best players.'


The Ducks have won three straight in the series after an 0-2-2 stretch.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hurricanes (12-14) at Penguins (14-12)
Date: December 19, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins allowed more goals in their last game than they've scored on an entire four-game losing streak. The Penguins aren't just failing to make strides. They're regressing toward a black hole.


The Carolina Hurricanes haven't been able to avoid debilitating stretches, and their latest effort could have them on alert for another heading into Saturday night's meeting in Pittsburgh. If there's optimism to be had in either dressing room, it might center around facing the other five times between now and the middle of March.


The Penguins (15-13-3) fell 6-2 to Boston Friday, dropping the home-and-home set with the Bruins by a 9-2 total to begin a three-game homestand. They've been outscored 15-5 on the 0-3-1 span despite averaging 38.3 shots per game, with the last three defeats coming in regulation.


"As I said to them after the game, this league is unforgiving," coach Mike Sullivan told the team's official website. "We have to pull up our boot straps. We can't feel sorry for ourselves. We can't get discouraged. We have to be more determined. We have to rely on each other and we have to help each other."


Sidney Crosby had two assists after going without a point in the first three losses. He entered with 19 points, so he's finally topped 20 in 31 games after doing so last season in 13. Evgeni Malkin has two points in the last seven games, though he had scored five goals in four home games prior to Friday. Phil Kessel has been the worst of the three scorers with a mere assist in seven games and two goals in 16 home games this season.


Conor Sheary had a goal and an assist in his second NHL game, but was left conflicted.


"Bittersweet is a good word," said Sheary, who was playing on Pittsburgh's top line. "Obviously, we're not winning right now, so it's kind of tough in the room, but obviously an exciting time for me. I was glad to get a goal."


Unsurprisingly, the Penguins done nothing on the power play on the skid or over an entire 1-5-1 span with a 0-for-19 mark. For the season, Pittsburgh ranks 29th (14.2 percent) after scoring at a 22.2 percent rate over the previous three seasons.


Carolina (12-15-5), however, ranks 26th in penalty kill at 76.9 percent.


The Hurricanes are coming off Friday's 2-0 home loss to Florida, which followed a 4-3 overtime defeat in Philadelphia three nights before. Another would make it four losing streaks of at least three games before the calendar flips to 2016.


"We were good defensively for the most part here tonight, so we've got to find a way to generate some offense and some speed and bounce back," said coach Bill Peters, though his team had been plenty efficient offensively with 26 goals in six games prior to the shutout.


Jeff Skinner has handled much of that with nine goals in that span, but he's never scored in eight career games in Pittsburgh.


Cam Ward faced the Panthers, so Eddie Lack could be in goal in Pittsburgh. Lack has given up four goals in each of his last two starts while posting a 3.41 goals-against average and .878 save percentage on a 2-2-1 span this month. His only game in Pittsburgh was a 22-save shutout just over a year ago while with Vancouver.


Jeff Zatkoff played Friday for the Penguins. With Marc-Andre Fleury out due to a concussion, Matthew Murray could make his NHL debut.