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

[CNOTES]

NHL
Long Sheet

Tuesday, December 8

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LOS ANGELES (17-8-0-1, 35 pts.) at COLUMBUS (11-16-0-1, 23 pts.) - 12/8/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 57-51 ATS (-17.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 19-28 ATS (-12.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 10-18 ATS (-11.0 Units) in road games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 11-4 ATS (+6.3 Units) in December games over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 22-19 ATS (+43.7 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 15-9 ATS (+25.3 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 20-10 ATS (+30.7 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 29-31 ATS (+65.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 3-2-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.0 Units)




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NY ISLANDERS (15-8-0-5, 35 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (11-11-0-5, 27 pts.) - 12/8/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 29-25 ATS (+55.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 68-75 ATS (-61.5 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-25 ATS (+38.7 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 1-6 ATS (-5.8 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 9-20 ATS (-11.5 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 5-4 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 5-4-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.0 Units)




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OTTAWA (14-8-0-5, 33 pts.) at FLORIDA (13-10-0-4, 30 pts.) - 12/8/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 84-63 ATS (+18.9 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
OTTAWA is 14-6 ATS (+20.4 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 15-7 ATS (+23.4 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 158-179 ATS (+361.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
FLORIDA is 13-31 ATS (-21.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
FLORIDA is 2-10 ATS (+13.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 4-4 (+0.4 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 4-4-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.3 Units)




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NEW JERSEY (14-10-0-3, 31 pts.) at TORONTO (9-13-0-5, 23 pts.) - 12/8/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 8-4 ATS (+13.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
NEW JERSEY is 8-4 ATS (+13.5 Units) in road games first half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 39-70 ATS (-40.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 73-87 ATS (-51.9 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1996.
TORONTO is 113-127 ATS (-79.2 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.


Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 4-2 (+2.7 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 4-2-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.7 Units)




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DETROIT (15-8-0-4, 34 pts.) at WASHINGTON (18-5-0-2, 38 pts.) - 12/8/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 104-111 ATS (-69.1 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.
DETROIT is 93-101 ATS (-44.2 Units) in road games after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 9-1 ATS (+7.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
DETROIT is 108-66 ATS (+24.2 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 53-63 ATS (-41.2 Units) in home games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 3-8 ATS (-8.3 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-3 (+1.8 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 5-3-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.0 Units, Under=-0.9 Units)




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ARIZONA (13-13-0-1, 27 pts.) at ST LOUIS (15-8-0-4, 34 pts.) - 12/8/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 11-38 ATS (+76.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 5-1 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 5-1-0 straight up against ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.2 Units)




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NASHVILLE (14-8-0-5, 33 pts.) at CHICAGO (14-9-0-4, 32 pts.) - 12/8/2015, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 7-8 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-7-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.5 Units)




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CAROLINA (10-13-0-4, 24 pts.) at DALLAS (20-5-0-2, 42 pts.) - 12/8/2015, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 40-69 ATS (+121.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 20-44 ATS (+74.6 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 54-107 ATS (+185.3 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1996.
CAROLINA is 21-46 ATS (+78.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 20-7 ATS (+29.5 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 20-7 ATS (+9.9 Units) first half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 185-127 ATS (-2.7 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
CAROLINA is 25-22 ATS (+56.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 3-2 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 3-2-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.7 Units)




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SAN JOSE (14-12-0-0, 28 pts.) at CALGARY (10-14-0-2, 22 pts.) - 12/8/2015, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 23-25 ATS (-20.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 19-22 ATS (-17.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 29-18 ATS (+48.6 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
SAN JOSE is 10-4 ATS (+5.9 Units) in road games first half of the season this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 6-5 (+3.3 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 6-5-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.4 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Kings (16-8) at Blue Jackets (11-16)
Date: December 08, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Kings have built plenty of momentum in time for a stretch which keeps them away from home for just about the rest of 2015.


They'll try for a fifth consecutive victory to open a six-game trip Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.


Los Angeles (17-8-1) concluded a perfect four-game homestand with Sunday's 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay.


"We're finding ways to win," said Jonathan Quick, who has a 1.46 goals-against average during the club's current 5-0-1 run.


The Kings have won 11 of 13 at home but need to carry over that success to the road, where they'll play 10 of their 11 remaining December games. They've lost three of four away from home ice.


"I know coming back and looking at this homestand, it was four really good hockey teams (Chicago, Vancouver, Pittsburgh and the Lightning)," Quick said. "We're moving on. We've got a big trip ahead of us. We've got to leave this in the past and get ready for the next one."


A respectable 6-3-1 on the road, Los Angeles is poised to remain focused on its own play and not the extended travel.


"We're working on our game, we're trying to get better every game," Quick said. "We need to stay on par with (this) type of winning percentage if we expect to be a playoff team."


Teammate Anze Kopitar is doing his part, recording three goals and six assists in the last eight games with a plus-6 rating. He earned his 400th assist on Brayden McNabb's tiebreaking score early in the second period Sunday.


"He's probably going to get 400 more," coach Darryl Sutter said. "Remember I said that too, because it'll happen."


Teammate Jeff Carter is riding a six-game point streak, and the ex-Blue Jacket has a five-gamer against his former team with four goals and five assists.


Kopitar assisted on Carter's late goal in the clubs' only matchup this season, but Columbus (11-16-1) ended a three-game losing streak in the series with a 3-2 win Nov. 5. Quick had a personal six-game win streak against the Blue Jackets snapped, but he's won his last five starts in Columbus behind a 1.97 GAA.


Sergei Bobrovsky beat him in the first meeting by stopping 31 shots. He has a 1.44 GAA in his last 10 starts after making 27 saves Saturday and helping Columbus snap an 0-2-1 slide with a 4-1 victory at Philadelphia.


The win came one day after coach John Tortorella benched veteran Scott Hartnell for Friday's 2-1 shootout loss to Florida and questioned his team's overall effort following the contest. Hartnell responded by recording a goal and two assists as the Blue Jackets improved to 11-9-1 since Tortorella replaced the fired Todd Richards in October.


'That has to be the standard and it will be the standard," said forward Nick Foligno, who had two goals with an assist.


"(Tortorella) is very serious about the standard he is setting here, and Hartnell handled it like a pro. When you sit him out, it sends a shock wave through the room. Message received.'


Hartnell is tied for the team lead with 19 points but had gone without one in his previous four games. His power-play goal Saturday ended Columbus' 0-for-23, nine-game drought.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Islanders (13-8) at Flyers (10-11)
Date: December 08, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Both the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers will hit the Wells Fargo Center ice Tuesday night looking to bounce back after having four-game winning streaks snapped.


One team saw significantly more silver linings in its defeat.


The Islanders managed to earn a point in a seventh straight game despite blowing a third-period lead, while the Flyers didn't take any sort of consolation after a loss in which they were never competitive.


New York (15-8-5) seemed to be cruising to a fifth straight win up 2-0 midway through the third period Saturday at Ottawa, but it allowed the tying goal with 37 seconds left and fell 3-2 in overtime. It was the third time the Islanders have lost when leading after two, a number only Vancouver (six) has topped.


"The frustrating part is that we gave up that two-goal lead, and that's something we have to address," defenseman Travis Hamonic said. "As of late we've been good in these games so it's not like it's a huge issue for us, but you don't want that to creep into your game. We have to do a better job of bearing down."


Coach Jack Capuano didn't seem too disappointed as New York earned a fifth point during its three-games-in-four-nights stretch - particularly considering all three went past regulation.


"We've just got to be more consistent in certain areas, but I like the way we've been playing lately," he said.


Capuano certainly enjoyed the way the Islanders played a 3-1 victory against the Flyers (11-11-5) on Nov. 25 in which they outshot Philadelphia 36-18. That was the first game of the point streak (5-0-2), which can now get to eight for the first time since an 8-0-3 stretch in April 2013.


The last meeting got physical, with Nick Leddy and Claude Giroux squaring off before Matt Martin and Wayne Simmonds went at it later in the second period.


"Those games are fun," Islanders center Casey Cizikas said. "When they get testy like that, when they get physical like that, that's what makes the game of hockey so much fun. I think we thrived off of that."


That was the Flyers' last loss before Saturday, when the positive feelings from a post-Thanksgiving home win and a three-game road sweep were sullied with a 4-1 loss to visiting Columbus. The Blue Jackets scored twice while outshooting Philadelphia 13-4 in the first period.


"We didn't compete 100 percent of the time," said Wayne Simmonds, who three-game goal streak ended. "I'm not saying all the time because there were shifts where we did, but it wasn't 100 percent of the time and that's why we've been playing good hockey."


Much like it was Saturday, the Flyers' biggest issue may be the opening 20 minutes. Philadelphia has been outscored 25-12 in the first period this season.


"I believe we will come back to work," coach Dave Hakstol said. "We've got to go and prove that as we move forward. ... Everybody's got to do better from every guy on the roster through."


The Flyers have lost five straight to the Islanders in which Simmonds has played, and their second-leading scorer has gone without a point in the past four. New York's John Tavares has eight goals and six assists in his last 12 against Philadelphia.


Tavares may find more room to skate with Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn out for two weeks with a lower-body injury, and the man replacing him will be familiar to Capuano's club. It's former Islander Andrew MacDonald, who has spent all of 2015-16 in the AHL just one season after signing a six-year, $30 million contract.


Fellow defenseman Radko Gudas is also out as he completes his three-game suspension for a headshot last week against Ottawa.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Senators (11-8) at Panthers (10-10)
Date: December 08, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

While a slow start doomed Florida during a streak-snapping loss, Ottawa's mini-run ended when its offense didn't show up at all.


Each team will look to get back on track when the Senators visit the Panthers on Tuesday night for a meeting between Atlantic Division foes.


Florida (13-10-4) had won five straight - the last four to begin a five-game trip - before the streak ended in disappointing fashion due mainly to a poor opening period Sunday at New Jersey.


The Panthers surrendered a goal just 26 seconds in and another midway through the first en route to a 4-2 loss. They were outshot 11-7 in the first 20 minutes before holding a 29-7 edge over the final 40.


"It's a frustrating loss because we thought we had a good thing going," defenseman Erik Gudbranson told the team's official website. "We felt like we could come out with that game, but unfortunately we didn't start the game on time and it came back to bite us."


Florida's defense and goaltending carried it through the season-best win streak, surrendering just six goals combined, but the Devils ended the club's streak of four consecutive games allowing just one.


Roberto Luongo earned the first four wins during the streak, but New Jersey's four goals on 18 shots gave the veteran a .778 save percentage that was his worst in 46 games.


A missed penalty shot by Jonathan Huberdeau while the Panthers trailed 3-2 late in the second period along with a flurry of other missed opportunities in the final two periods left the Panthers with an empty feeling.


"We had some good chances the second part of the game, but we kept playing from behind," coach Gerard Gallant said. "It was a battle, but we lost the game in the first period. We talked this morning about playing 60 minutes and we didn't do it."


Luongo has lost his last two starts against Ottawa after winning his previous 10. He has a 1.98 goals-against average and .939 save percentage in those 12 starts.


Ottawa (14-8-5) had its two-game winning streak end and dropped its third in five games with a 4-1 loss at the New York Rangers on Sunday that opened a four-game trip.


Marc Methot scored his first goal in 20 games, but the Rangers scored twice in the first period and two more times in the third.


"It was a gallant effort," coach Dave Cameron said. "We just weren't good enough. ... We have to just do better."


The Senators were held to just one goal for the first time in 10 games and are 0 for 5 on the power play in their last two.


"We're just trying to get pucks deep and be smart about our energy; maximize and take advantage of our opportunities," Kyle Turris said. "We weren't able to do that."


Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson stopped 27 of 30 shots in his 11th consecutive start before a late empty-netter sealed it. Anderson has lost three of his last four against Florida with a 2.54 GAA and .932 save percentage, though he earned a shutout last October.


Florida has won four of the last six in the series with one victory in overtime. The two sides have traded wins and losses over the last eight meetings in Sunrise.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Red Wings (14-8) at Capitals (17-5)
Date: December 08, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Although the Detroit Red Wings are scoring goals in bunches during a lengthy point streak, few teams have been as stingy defensively as the Washington Capitals.


It'll be strength vs. strength when the Capitals return home Tuesday night for a matchup between two of the Eastern Conference's hottest teams.


The Red Wings (15-8-4) enter Verizon Center having earned a point in 10 consecutive games, while Washington had won six straight prior to Saturday's 2-1 loss to Winnipeg in the conclusion of a three-game trip.


Detroit is 7-0-3 during its longest point streak since a 10-0-2 stretch March 11-April 3, 2010. The club has racked up 14 goals in closing out a six-game homestand with three straight wins, the latest a 5-4 comeback win over Nashville in overtime Saturday.


The Red Wings rallied from a 4-2 third-period deficit with three unanswered goals capped by Gustav Nyquist's winner 45 seconds into OT.


"I thought it was great character by our guys," coach Jeff Blashill said. "We did a good job of staying patient and staying with it. We just kept coming and coming the second half of the game."


Rookie Dylan Larkin and Justin Abdelkader also scored during the comeback. Abdelkader has four goals over a three-game streak, while seven of Larkin's team-high 11 have come in the last 10. Nyquist has compiled three goals and four assists over his last five.


"I think it's good to see that we're finally scoring some goals," Nyquist told the team's official website. "We struggled with that most part of the season so far but the last few games we've been able to put the puck in the net and that's a big thing, obviously, for us."


The Red Wings found offense harder to come by in two meetings with Washington (18-5-2) last month in Detroit. They earned a 1-0 victory Nov. 10 behind Petr Mrazek's 38 saves, but the Capitals came through with a 2-1 overtime win eight days later.


Detroit has mustered one goal in four straight matchups with the Capitals - three ending in Washington wins and all four started by Braden Holtby, the league's current leader in goals-against average (1.95).


Holtby had 34 saves against Winnipeg but his career-best eight-game win streak ended on a disputed goal by Mark Scheifele late in overtime. Coach Barry Trotz challenged the call, arguing that the Jets' Blake Wheeler was offsides, but it stood after a long review.


"We thought it was (offside) when it was originally live and then you look at the three different angles, it's no question," Trotz said. "But, they'll give you an inconclusive statement, I'm sure, protect their guys, but it is what it is."


Holtby has a 1.70 GAA while winning seven straight home starts and is 10-2-0 with a 1.84 GAA at Verizon Center, where the Capitals are 10-3-1 and have won four in a row.


Nicklas Backstrom scored against the Jets on the power play, where the Capitals are 7 for 16 in the last five and second in the NHL with a 25.6 percent success rate.


Playing without key penalty killer Drew Miller, who is out six weeks after breaking his jaw Thursday against Arizona, the Red Wings allowed three power-play goals to the Predators' Shea Weber on Saturday.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Devils (12-10) at Maple Leafs (7-13)
Date: December 08, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

After almost three decades as general manager of the New Jersey Devils, Lou Lamoriello is set to watch his old team while in the early stages of trying to revive his new one.


Hoping to turn things around in Toronto, Lamoriello faces the visiting Devils for the first time since becoming the Maple Leafs' GM on Tuesday night.


With Lamoriello in charge the past 27 seasons, New Jersey made 21 playoff appearances and won three Stanley Cups. But after moving to team president following Ray Shero's appointment to Devils GM in May, the 73-year-old Lamoriello resigned on July 23 to take his current job in Toronto.


"When you're used to having absolute control of an organization. â?¦ Lou was obviously president and Ray was GM, and I think it was just a different situation for him," Devils co-owner Josh Harris told the NHL's official website at the time. "I think it's relatively easy to see why he might consider a great team like Toronto as an opportunity."


Lamoriello took out advertisements in local newspapers thanking Devils fans, and was reported as saying last week that he has no hard feelings toward the current New Jersey front office.


While the Devils (14-10-3) under Shero are trying to reach the postseason for the first time since 2012, Lamoriello's job in Toronto appears more difficult. The Maple Leafs (9-13-5) have made the playoffs once in the last 10 seasons, managed 68 points in 2014-15 and are currently tied for the fewest points in the Eastern Conference.


"I understand it is not something that is going to happen overnight," Lamoriello said.


Looking to end an 0-3-1 slide against New Jersey, Toronto will try to win two straight for the first time since Nov. 17 and 20. The Maple Leafs had lost five of six and trailed within the first two minutes Saturday at St. Louis, but Nazem Kadri scored twice and Leo Komarov and Roman Polak each had two assists in the 4-1 victory.


"We're starting to become better with adversity than we used to be," Kadri said.


Though Toronto broke out after totaling one goal in the previous two games, it went 0 for 9 on the power play during the three-game trip. However, it's among the league leaders converting 26.7 percent at home.


"The bar to compete has to get higher and higher," coach Mike Babcock said. "The more guys we get to buy into being competitive, the more games we'll win."


With James Reimer (lower body) out at least one more game and the extent of Jonathan Bernier's AHL conditioning assignment uncertain, rookie Garret Sparks could be in net. Sparks shut out Edmonton on 24 saves in his NHL debut last Monday, allowed six goals at Winnipeg on Wednesday, then stopped 27 shots against the Blues.


Looking for a fourth consecutive road win, New Jersey has earned a point in three straight overall following Sunday's 4-2 home win over Florida. Adam Henrique had a goal with two assists and linemate Mike Cammalleri added one of each as the Devils prevailed despite recording 18 shots for the second consecutive contest.


Cammalleri has four goals and three assists in the last three games while Henrique has five with four assists in the last eight.


"Our line just wants to keep things going," Henrique told the Devils' official website. "We've set team goals for ourselves and need to find a way to keep producing offensively."


Teammate Cory Schneider, who made 34 saves Sunday, is 4-0-2 with a 1.60 goals-against average against the Maple Leafs.


Toronto winger and New Jersey native James van Riemsdyk is tied for the team lead with 16 points, but has been blanked in the last three.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Coyotes (13-13) at Blues (14-8)
Date: December 08, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The St. Louis Blues are confused as to why they are failing to stick with the game plan while turning in some mediocre hockey over the last few weeks.


They'll try to end a season-high three-game slide Tuesday night by handing the visiting Arizona Coyotes a fifth straight defeat.


St. Louis (15-8-4) finished with one goal for the third straight game in Saturday's 4-1 defeat to Toronto. Vladimir Tarasenko scored his team-high 15th goal 1:51 into the contest as the Blues got off to a good start before faltering the rest of the way to drop to 4-5-3 in their last 12 games.


'It's not the right way to play, the players know it, especially the veteran players,' coach Ken Hitchcock said. 'I'm not sure what it's going to take for us to get back to what we are capable of. That's why we're a .500 hockey club the last little while.'


The Blues average 6.2 giveaways for one of the league's lowest marks but that figure is up to 9.7 over the last three games. St. Louis last dropped four straight in a 0-3-1 stretch Dec. 18-27.


"I don't know why we want to get cute," center David Backes said. "We've built this thing for a long time on playing the right way, on playing hard-nosed, blue-collar hockey, getting it in, grinding it out, occupying the o-zone and just wearing teams down almost to submission."


The Blues' woes pale in comparison to those of the Coyotes, who have been outscored 20-9 in losing the first four on a five-game trip. Arizona's five-game road slide is its longest since losing seven in a row Feb. 10-March 16.


Sunday's 5-4 loss to Carolina was especially frustrating. Arizona (13-13-1) rallied from a goal down in the final period to take a 4-3 lead only to concede the tying goal with 4:22 to go and the winner with 17 seconds left while being short-handed after Martin Hanzal took a high-sticking penalty with 2:15 remaining.


"It comes right back to where our whole trip has been," coach Dave Tippett told the Coyotes' official website. "We're making some bad mistakes and we have below-average goaltending. It's as simple as that. Poor mistakes and turnovers, bad penalties and our goaltenders haven't cleaned a lot of messes for us. That's where we are."


Anders Lindback faced the Hurricanes after Mike Smith started the first three games of the trip, allowing 11 goals and getting pulled early once.


The Coyotes will count on offense from Max Domi, second among rookies with a team-high 23 points.


They also may give Viktor Tikhonov his first Arizona appearance this season after the winger was claimed off waivers Saturday after playing 11 games for Chicago and failing to register a point.


This is Tikhonov's second stint with the club after he played for it in 2008-09.


St. Louis will be without Steve Ott, who will be sidelined for three months with a hamstring injury suffered in the first period Saturday.


The Blues have outscored the Coyotes 20-5 in winning the last five meetings. Backes had five goals in three games last season.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Predators (12-8) at Blackhawks (14-9)
Date: December 08, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

Chicago's franchise-record point streak is Patrick Kane's, as is the top run for an American-born player. Wayne Gretzky's NHL record will also be his - in another 30 games.


So rather than worry about likely unreachable records, Kane and the Blackhawks get back to work Tuesday night on tracking down four Central Division teams, among them the visiting Nashville Predators for the teams' first meeting since last postseason to start a home-and-home set.


The team-record 22-game point streak came in Sunday's 3-1 home victory over Winnipeg with Kane assisting on Artemi Panarin's empty-net goal via a legal hand pass with under two minutes remaining.


"It's not your usual point, I guess," Kane said.


But there's been plenty lately he has been able to take pride in, scoring 13 goals with 23 assists on his way to a league-leading 42 points, and his 36 on the streak are more than anyone else has for the season. Kane's 1.56 points per game mark is 0.39 higher than his previous career best from 2012-13.


He's tied with Dany Heatley for the third longest dating to 2005-06, during which Sidney Crosby's 2010-11 25-game streak is the league's longest.


Kane's line with Panarin and Artem Anisimov was for once overshadowed by Chicago's top line of Marian Hossa, Teuvo Teravainen and Jonathan Toews. Hossa had a goal and an assist after recording two points in his previous seven contests.


"(Hossa) had a great game," coach Joel Quenneville told the team's official website. "That was his best game of the year. He scored, made a great play at the net, made a couple great back checks tonight and that line had a great start to the third period. Teuvo scores a big goal for us as well. Nice to get some contributions away from (the second) line."


The win ended a 0-1-2 span, and another in regulation would push Chicago (14-9-4) past Nashville (14-8-5) by a point. Last season, the Blackhawks eliminated the Predators in six games in the first round to complete a 7-3-0 season series.


Hossa had three goals in the last two regular-season meetings, and Toews had eight points in the playoff series.


Nashville is concluding a three-game road trip seeking its first consecutive wins since Nov. 14-17. It won 3-2 in Boston on Monday but has allowed 3.10 goals per game over a 3-5-2 span. Roman Josi, who has three goals and three assists in his last four games, tied it in both the first and second periods before Viktor Arvidsson scored for the second straight game with just under five minutes remaining. Shea Weber had two assists, giving him three goals and five assists in his last four.


"We thought we played some really good games lately and kind of found a way to lose and tonight we found a way to win that game," Josi told the team's official website. "We stayed disciplined tonight and it was a good win."


Both of Josi's goals came on the power play, giving the Predators a 5-for-11 mark in the last two games. The problem is they also allowed a power-play goal, and their penalty kill is just 9 for 17 in the last six contests.


Carter Hutton faced the Bruins, so Pekka Rinne will try to right things against the Blackhawks. The Nashville No. 1 has a 3.16 goals-against average and .867 save percentage on a 1-4-2 span and went 0-3-1 with a 3.19 GAA in Chicago last season.


He'll face Corey Crawford, who has leveled out with 2.21 and .926 marks over a 3-1-1 span after struggling through most of November. He only played three games in the playoff series against the Predators and is 4-4-0 with a 3.51 GAA and .870 save percentage in his last nine games against them.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hurricanes (10-13) at Stars (19-5)
Date: December 08, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

Dallas Stars coach Lindy Ruff acknowledged that his team ran into a hot goalie in losing the finale to a four-game trip.


That's not an issue against the next opponent.


Opening a stretch of five of six at home Tuesday night, the Western Conference-leading Stars look to bounce back against a Carolina Hurricanes team that has allowed at least four goals in four of its last five games.


Dallas (20-5-2) fired 43 shots on Edmonton's Anders Nilsson on Friday, but only Mattias Janmark scored in a 2-1 overtime loss. Tyler Seguin, held without a point for just the second time in 11 games, had seven shots while Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza had five apiece for the Stars, who were limited to fewer than two goals for the second time this season.


"He made some great saves," Ruff said of Nilsson. "Right off the start, we probably could have had three or four (goals)."


The Stars, one of the league's highest-scoring teams at 3.4 per contest, still managed to earn a point for a 10th time in 11 games and go 2-1-1 on their trip.


"We can't be disappointed with six out of eight points on a road trip," Ruff said. " ... We got the points you need in a four-game block. These last two games we've really played well. We're missing too many really good opportunities to put teams away."


One area where the Stars have squandered chances is with the man advantage.


They are converting 24.1 percent of their power-play opportunities for the West's best mark but are 0 for 11 in the last four games.


Dallas has a prime opportunity to get its power play on track against the Hurricanes, who are killing 69.0 percent of penalties on the road for one of league's lowest success rates.


The Stars have also totaled 13 goals in their last three games against Carolina, winning 4-1 on Nov. 6 behind third-period scores from Patrick Sharp, Radek Faksa and Jason Demers.


The Hurricanes (10-13-4) have given up an East-worst 3.13 goals per game since the beginning of November, with the save percentages of Cam Ward (.889) and backup Eddie Lack (.872) ranking among the NHL's worst in that span.


Carolina has surrendered 14 goals during a four-game road losing streak but is coming off a pair of encouraging home wins following a 2-5-4 stretch.


A night after beating East-leading Montreal 3-2, the Hurricanes rallied for a 5-4 win over Arizona on Sunday. Ron Hainsey tied the game with 4:22 to go and Justin Faulk scored the winner with 17 seconds left.


"Big win last night, and to roll it over is huge," Faulk said. "It started with a high compete level, and that's what you need to do every night to win in this league. ... If we continue to bring that every night it's going to be huge for us going forward."


Faulk's goal was his ninth of the season - all on the power play. In 27 games, he has already tied the team record for power-play goals by a defenseman, set by Anton Babchuk in 72 games in 2008-09.


Faulk is essentially the only scoring threat with the man advantage as Victor Rask, Jeff Skinner and Eric Staal have tallied the only other three power-play goals for Carolina, which has the league's second-worst conversion rate at 13.3 percent.


The Stars have killed all nine penalties in the last four games and have been getting strong play in goal from Kari Lehtonen, who seems likely to start after Antti Niemi got the call Friday.


Lehtonen has a 1.98 goals-against average in winning his last seven starts, which includes beating the Hurricanes last month, and is 6-1-0 with a 2.55 GAA in his last eight versus Carolina.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Sharks (13-12) at Flames (9-14)
Date: December 08, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

The Calgary Flames might be last in the Western Conference, but they continue to play well at home.


They can extend their winning streak at the Saddledome to seven games by handing the San Jose Sharks a season-high fourth consecutive defeat Tuesday night.


After opening with four straight losses at home and scoring 15 times over the first seven there, Calgary (10-14-2) has recorded 18 non-shootout goals in the last five on its own ice. In the second of a five-game home stretch Friday, the Flames beat Boston 5-4 in overtime to win six straight there for the first time since an eight-game run during the lockout shortened 2012-13 season.


Calgary, which has won three of the last four against the Sharks at home, has a chance Tuesday to win three straight overall for the first time this season.


"Keep going," coach Bob Hartley said. "We want to take advantage of this homestand. We basically have to win every game. There has to be a sense of urgency ... and there is."


Johnny Gaudreau continues to pace Calgary's success at the Saddledome by recording seven goals and 10 assists during a nine-game home point streak. He posted his second career hat trick and first four-point game Friday.


"He's like a car in the NASCAR race in the pit. He's spinning on the bench," Hartley told the Flames' official website. "He wants to go.


'When (Gaudreau) shows up at the rink, his biggest asset is he wants to be the game changer, he wants to make the difference. He has such high expectations of himself that it makes him very special.'


In his second season, Gaudreau leads the Flames with nine goals but only one has come on the power play. Owner of a league-low 12.2-percent conversion rate, Calgary is 1 for 28 with the man advantage in the last nine games.


"We're going to keep working," Hartley said.


Gaudreau was held without a point while the Flames went 0 for 3 with the man advantage to lose 5-2 at San Jose (14-12-0) on Nov. 28. The Sharks, however, have been outscored 10-4 while losing three straight since then.


San Jose averaged 3.3 goals during a seven-game road winning streak that ended with Friday's 1-0 loss at Anaheim. A day later, the Sharks matched a season high for power-play opportunities while going 3 for 8 in a 4-3 home defeat to Tampa Bay. The Sharks are converting 29.6 percent of their power-play opportunities in the last six contests.


"We've had games when we only got one or two chances," San Jose captain Joe Pavelski told the NHL's official website. "It's good to see it coming around. It can create momentum."


Only two of Pavelski's team-leading 12 goals have come on the power play. He has not scored in any fashion over the last five games, but has five assists. Pavelski had two assists against the Flames last month, and has five in his last four in the series.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL MONEYLINE


NHL > (51) LOS ANGELES@ (52) COLUMBUS | 2015-12-08 19:05:00 - 2015-12-08 19:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS using money line in All games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 20 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (+19.05 units)


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


NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (51) LOS ANGELES@ (52) COLUMBUS | 2015-12-08 19:05:00 - 2015-12-08 19:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS in All games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 20 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (+19.05 units)


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


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (61) ARIZONA@ (62) ST LOUIS | 2015-12-08 20:05:00 - 2015-12-08 20:05:00
Play OVER ARIZONA on the totalin Road games in December games
The record is 10 Overs and 0 Unders for the last three seasons (+10.8 units)


NHL > (59) DETROIT@ (60) WASHINGTON | 2015-12-08 19:35:00 - 2015-12-08 19:35:00
Play OVER DETROIT on the totalin All games after a 3 game unbeaten streak
The record is 15 Overs and 2 Unders for the last three seasons (+13.45 units)


NHL > (55) OTTAWA@ (56) FLORIDA | 2015-12-08 19:35:00 - 2015-12-08 19:35:00
Play OVER OTTAWA on the totalin All games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 27 Overs and 10 Unders for the last three seasons (+17.8 units)

 

[CNOTES]

Recapping last nights action:




NBA............... 5 - 3
CBB................5 - 4 - 1
NHL................2 - 4
NFL.................1 - 1




TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


LA at CLB 07:00 PM


CLB +116 *****




NYI at PHI 07:00 PM


NYI -129 DOUBLE PLAY




OTT at FLA 07:30 PM


OTT +114




DET at WAS 07:30 PM


WAS -174 TRIPLE PLAY




NJ at TOR 07:30 PM


NJ -101 DOUBLE PLAY




ARI at STL 08:00 PM


STL -207 TRIPLE PLAY




NAS at CHI 08:30 PM

NAS +135 TRIPLE PLAY




CAR at DAL 08:30 PM


DAL -200 OCTOPLAY




SJ at CAL 09:00 PM


SJ -110 ******

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack


-- Ben Zobrist signs with the Cubs for four years, $56M, reuniting him with his old Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon.


-- Cubs then shipped Starlin Castro to the Bronx for Adam Warren, Brendan Ryan.


-- Diamondbacks are serious; they acquired Shelby Miller from Atlanta, giving the Braves Ender Inciarte, Dansby Swanson, #1 pick in LY's draft, in 5-player deal.


-- South Dakota State 84, Minnesota 70-- Jackrabbits get a solid road win.


-- Broncos worked out 17 players Tuesday, including nine DBs; teams that win are sharp on maintaining their depth to replace injured players.


-- Jay Cutler's brother-in-law has been missing for 12 days; police in Utah are still looking for him.


**********


Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Tell your statistics to shut up.......


I like numbers, think they can explain a lot, but not everything; some people don't like them as much, but there's enough room in this world for all kinds of ideas.


NFL moved kickoffs up to create more touchbacks, since most injuries were occurring on kick returns; as a result, more drives start 80+ yards from the end zone. Defenses and special teams that create short fields help teams win, but which offenses are best at driving the ball 80+ yards?


13) There are six NFL teams averaging 2.00+ ppp on drives starting 80+ yards from goal line (you lose points for defensive TDs/safeties allowed):


Cardinals/Steelers 2.28, Bengals 2.15, Raiders 2.13, Chiefs 2.08, Patriots 2.07.


12) Rams have started 80 drives 80+ yards from end zone, scored only 71 points on those drives; they're only NFL team averaging under 1.00 ppp in that scenario.


11) Other teams that struggle scoring on long (80-yard+) TD drives:


Rams 0.89, Browns 1.03, 49ers 1.19, Panthers 1.26-- Carolina has 10 drives of less than 60 yards and five defensive TDs, lightening the load on its offense. .


10) Chargers have started 92 drives 80+ yards from goal line, seven more than any other team (Saints), 12 more than any of the other teams. Hard to win when you're playing on a longer field than your opponent.


9) Patriots lead NFL with 15 TDs on drives of less than 60 yards, but they haven't scored a TD on defense or special teams this year- they gave up three on Sunday.


Bowl matchups were announced this week; some numbers on how conferences have done in recent bowl games.......
8) Big 14 teams have been an underdog in 27 of last 33 bowl games, going 13-20 SU in those games (14-17-2 vs spread).


7) SEC teams were favored in 32 of last 38 bowl games, going 25-13 SU, 23-14-1 vs spread, 5-1 in few games when they were an underdog.


6) Surprisingly good bowl league: Conference USA, which is 15-7 SU in bowls last four years, 12-8 vs spread (9-3 when favored).


5) ACC teams are 13-19 SU in their last 32 bowls, 3-8 vs spread when favored.


4) Big X games are famous for being high-scoring, but over last four years, bowl games involving Big X teams have seen 18 go under total, only ten go over.


Elsewhere in the world of numbers.........
3) Chicago White Sox used a lefty starting pitcher in 119 games LY, third-most by any team over the last 100 years.


2) Summit League is a mid-major basketball league that has teams like South Dakota State, North Dakota State, Oral Roberts, Denver; heading into Tuesday's games, teams from Summit League were 39-19 against the spread this year, pretty damn good.


1) Golden State Warriors are now 23-0 this season; they're 16-7 against the spread, 9-3 as a road favorite- their last seven games went over the total.

 

[CNOTES]

Sharp bettors are drooling over these can't-miss spot bet opportunities


Going back to last season, the Niners are 1-5 ATS in their last six games coming off an outright win.


Lookahead spot


The Chicago Bulls have busy week. They lost at home to Phoenix Monday night and have Tuesday to stew on that disappointment before visiting Boston Wednesday. That is shaping up as a possible lookahead spot, with Chicago returning to the United Center the next night to host the Los Angeles Clippers Thursday.


The Celtics are in fine form, going 3-2 on their recent five-game road trip with wins in three of the last four games while covering the spread in each of those contests. This will be Boston’s first game back home since Nov. 27. Chicago, looking past the Celtics to the Clippers, is just 6-8 ATS in non-divisional matchups this season.


Letdown spot


Wins are few and far between for the San Francisco 49ers, who caught Chicago in a letdown spot in Week 13 with a 17-16 road win as 6-point underdogs at Soldier Field. Now the tables have turned on the Niners, who are in danger of falling to the same fate visiting the Cleveland Browns in Week 14 as 1.5-point road dogs.


San Francisco has followed its three previous victories with crushing losses. The 49ers beat Minnesota in Week 1, then lost 43-18 to Pittsburgh in Week 2. They knocked off Baltimore in Week 6, then got dumped 20-3 by Seattle in Week 7. And most recently, San Francisco defeated Atlanta 17-16 in Week 9 and – despite a bye week to prepare – lost 29-13 to the Seahawks in Week 11. Going back to last season, the Niners are 1-5 ATS in their last six games coming off an outright win.


Schedule spot


The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles won’t be home much for the holidays, kicking off a five-game road stretch at state rival No. 8 Oklahoma this Saturday. The Golden Eagles, who play at home versus John Brown Wednesday, won’t have another contest in Tulsa until the New Year, playing South Dakota on Jan. 3.


Following the road game against the Sooners, Oral Roberts plays at Missouri State on Dec. 16, at LSU on Dec. 19, at New Mexico State on Dec. 21, and returns to action after the Christmas break with a trip to IUPU-Fort Wayne on Dec. 30. This year, the Golden Eagles are 2-2 ATS on the road and went just 5-10-1 ATS as visitors last season. With the holiday around the corner, basketball may not be the focus for these college kids as the break gets closer.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, December 9

Hot teams
-- Oilers won four of their last five games.
-- Avalanche won three of their last four games.

Cold teams
-- Boston/Montreal both lost three of their last four games.
-- Sharks lost last four games, scoring six goals.
-- Pittsburgh lost four of its last five games.
-- Rangers lost five of their last seven games. Vancouver lost five of last six.

Series records
-- Canadiens won their last nine games with Boston.
-- Sharks won three of last four games with Edmonton.
-- Penguins won seven of last nine games with Colorado.
-- Rangers won five of last six games with Vancouver.

Totals
-- Three of last four Boston games stayed under total.
-- Six of last seven San Jose games went over total.
-- Last four Colorado games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Ranger games stayed under total.

Back-to-backs
-- San Jose is 2-2 if it played the night before.




NHL

Wednesday, December 9

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

7:30 PM
BOSTON vs. MONTREAL
Boston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Montreal
Montreal is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games at home
Montreal is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston

9:30 PM
SAN JOSE vs. EDMONTON
San Jose is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
San Jose is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 7 games when playing San Jose
Edmonton is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing San Jose

10:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. VANCOUVER
NY Rangers are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 6 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Vancouver is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Vancouver is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games at home

10:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. COLORADO
Pittsburgh is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games
Colorado is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, December 9


Boston @ Montreal

Game 1-2
December 9, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
12.205
Montreal
10.762
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(+105); Under

San Jose @ Edmonton

Game 3-4
December 9, 2015 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
11.297
Edmonton
12.683
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-135
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
(+115); Over

Pittsburgh @ Colorado

Game 5-6
December 9, 2015 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
10.573
Colorado
9.155
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-125); Under

NY Rangers @ Vancouver

Game 7-8
December 9, 2015 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Rangers
13.042
Vancouver
11.583
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Rangers
by 1 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Rangers
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
NY Rangers
(-130); Over




NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, December 9

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

BOSTON (14-9-0-3, 31 pts.) at MONTREAL (19-6-0-3, 41 pts.) - 12/9/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 75-47 ATS (+18.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 43-22 ATS (+14.9 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 9-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MONTREAL is 9-2 ATS (+6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 9-4 ATS (+13.4 Units) in road games first half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 177-195 ATS (+425.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
BOSTON is 157-139 ATS (+298.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 13-4 (+12.5 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 13-4-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.6 Units)

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

SAN JOSE (14-13-0-0, 28 pts.) at EDMONTON (11-15-0-2, 24 pts.) - 12/9/2015, 9:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 7-3 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 7-3-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.3 Units)

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

PITTSBURGH (14-10-0-2, 30 pts.) at COLORADO (12-15-0-1, 25 pts.) - 12/9/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 58-55 ATS (-26.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 11-16 ATS (-13.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 106-93 ATS (-60.5 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 87-75 ATS (+170.4 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
COLORADO is 129-122 ATS (-41.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
COLORADO is 0-5 ATS (-6.2 Units) in home games in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 3-2 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 3-2-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.0 Units)

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

NY RANGERS (18-7-0-3, 39 pts.) at VANCOUVER (10-11-0-8, 28 pts.) - 12/9/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 82-47 ATS (+18.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 27-14 ATS (+12.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 26-12 ATS (+11.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 30-12 ATS (+12.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 124-109 ATS (+237.4 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 63-28 ATS (+16.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 10-19 ATS (-22.5 Units) in all games this season.
VANCOUVER is 10-19 ATS (-10.4 Units) first half of the season this season.
VANCOUVER is 18-27 ATS (-15.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 4-10 ATS (-7.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.
VANCOUVER is 0-6 ATS (-7.6 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
VANCOUVER is 3-11 ATS (-10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VANCOUVER is 3-11 ATS (+14.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 3-1 (+1.9 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 3-1-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.9 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Short Sheet

Wednesday, December 9

Boston at Montreal, 7:35 PM ET
Boston: 9-4 SU in road games
Montreal: 0-4 SU in home games off a close road loss by 1 goal

San Jose at Edmonton, 9:35 PM ET
San Jose: n/a
Edmonton: n/a

Pittsburgh at Colorado, 10:05 PM ET
Pittsburgh: 12-19 SU as a road favorite of -200 or less
Colorado: 36-23 SU revenging a same season loss vs opponent

NY Rangers at Vancouver, 10:05 PM ET
New York: 11-4 SU in road games after having lost 2 of their last 3 games
Vancouver: 4-9 SU in home games

 

[CNOTES]

NHL


Wednesday, December 9




NHL roundup: Stars top 'Canes in offensive slugfest


DALLAS -- Jamie Benn scored a goal and added three assists and Tyler Seguin had a goal and four assists to lead the Dallas Stars past the Carolina Hurricanes 6-5 on Tuesday at American Airlines Center.


Patrick Sharp scored the game-winner with 19 seconds remaining in regulation on a slap shot from the right point that went in through the Hurricanes' Eddie Lack, who replaced starter Cam Ward to begin the second period.


Patrick Eaves, Johnny Oduya and Valeri Nichushkin also scored for Dallas.


Justin Faulk scored twice and Jaccob Slavin, Phillip Di Giuseppe and Jeff Skinner one each for the Hurricanes.


Flames 4, Sharks 2


CALGARY, Alberta -- Calgary remained hot on home ice thanks to a win over San Jose at the Scotiabank Saddledome.


Mikael Backlund had a goal and an assist for the Flames, who extended their home winning streak to seven games. Markus Granlund, Sean Monahan and Michael Frolik also scored for the Flames, while Mark Giordano and Dennis Wideman chipped in with two assists each.


Chris Tierney and Joe Thornton scored for the Sharks, who suffered their fourth straight setback and fifth in their past six games. Logan Couture had an assist for the Sharks his return to the lineup after missing 23 games with a fractured right fibula.


Blackhawks 4, Predators 1


CHICAGO -- Patrick Kane extended his point streak to 23 games and recorded his 600th career NHL point in a Chicago victory over Nashville at the United Center.


Kane finished off the Blackhawks' scoring with an empty-net goal with 1:36 remaining in the third. He has 14 goals and 23 assists during the streak, which began Oct. 27.


Dennis Rasmussen, Andrew Shaw and Teuvo Teravainen also scored for the Blackhawks.


Eric Nystrom had the Predators' lone goal.


Blues 4, Coyotes 1


ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis continued its domination over Arizona with a come-from-behind win at Scottrade Center.


The Blues, winless in four of their previous five games, won their sixth successive contest against Arizona. They outscored the Coyotes 24-6 during the run.


Kevin Shattenkirk led the way with a goal and assist, while David Backes also had a goal and an assist and Jake Allen made 22 stops. Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexander Steen scored the Blues other goals.


Steve Downie scored Arizona's lone goal.


Capitals 3, Red Wings 2 (SO)


WASHINGTON -- T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored shootout goals on Washington's first two attempts in a win vs. Detroit.


Alex Ovechkin and Justin Williams scored in regulation for the Capitals and Marcus Johansson had two assists. Braden Holtby finished with 21 saves.


Henrik Zetterberg and Thomas Jurco scored for Detroit, which picked up at least a point in 11 straight games. Jimmy Howard stopped 38 shots.


Maple Leafs 3, Devils 2 (SO)


TORONTO -- Nazem Kadri scored the decisive goal in the shootout and Toronto defeated New Jersey.


It was the second win in a row for the Maple Leafs (10-13-5).


Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau and James van Riemsdyk scored in regulation for the Maple Leafs and Garret Sparks stopped 25 shots.


Lee Stempniak and Kyle Palmieri scored for the Devils while Cory Schneider made 36 saves.


Islanders 4, Flyers 3 (SO)


PHILADELPHIA -- The New York Islanders extended their point streak to eight games by taking down Philadelphia in a shootout at the Wells Fargo Center.


Kyle Okposo was the lone scorer in the skills competition to win it for the Islanders. Frans Nielsen scored a pair of goals and Brock Nelson scored one in regulation for New York.


Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Ryan White and Claude Giroux scored for the Flyers.


Senators 4, Panthers 2


SUNRISE, Fla. -- Mike Hoffman scored the game-winning goal with 5:37 left in the third period as Ottawa rallied to beat Florida at the BB&T Center.


Craig Anderson made 25 saves while Zack Smith, Kyle Turris and Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored for the Senators.


Logan Shaw and Reilly Smith scored for the Panthers.


Kings 3, Blue Jackets 2 (OT)


COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Alec Martinez scored with 26.5 seconds remaining in overtime, giving Los Angeles a come-from-behind win over Columbus.


The Kings, who have won five straight, got regulation goals from Christian Ehrhoff and Jeff Carter, while goaltender Jonathan Quick finished with 20 saves.


Scott Hartnell and Matt Calvert scored goals for the Blue Jackets, who have won both meetings with Los Angeles this season. Sergei Bobrovsky made 33 saves before departing with an apparent upper-body injury late in the third period. That sent back-up Curtis McElhinney into his first action since Nov. 19. He allowed two goals on seven shots.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bruins (13-9) at Canadiens (18-6)
Date: December 09, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Montreal Canadiens are in danger of their first three-game losing streak, and the struggles have been more about a lack of scoring than anything felt from the absence of Carey Price.


They've had no problem beating Boston in recent seasons, and the Bruins visit Wednesday night with the Canadiens hoping to right things with an eighth straight regular-season win in the series.


Coach Michel Therrien is also taking it as an opportunity to rework his team's lines as it continues to try to find the right mix in the absence of injured wingers Brendan Gallagher, Devante Smith-Pelly and Torrey Mitchell.


Sven Andrighetto, who scored in Saturday's 3-2 loss in Carolina, was moved to the top line Tuesday with Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk. The 22-year-old Andrighetto has three goals in seven games this season, and a line shuffling comes as no surprise with Montreal scoring two regulation goals in each game over a 2-2-1 span.


"I was really excited, and I'm still excited. To play alongside Pacioretty, one of the best players in the league is huge for me," Andrighetto told the team's official website. "... Personally it doesn't change a lot for my game. I have to be consistent in what I do, bring my speed to the line and still focus on the little details. Just keep it simple and it will all work out well."


Montreal (19-6-3) beat Boston 4-2 in the first two meetings this season and has won the last six by at least two goals. The Canadiens have won 12 of 13 in the series with 3.31 goals per game.


"The first time that we played against them, we didn't have a good game at all," Boston's Ryan Spooner told the team's official website. "Last game, I actually thought it was one of our best games of the year. They're skilled and they're fast, so as a team I think we have to try and slow them down and be good in the neutral zone. So I think that's our focus."


Montreal's Lars Eller has three goals in the first two meetings, Thomas Plekanec and David Desharnais have scored in both, and Pacioretty has five goals and four assists over the six straight multigoal wins. Galchenyuk has five assists in this season's meetings as he grows accustomed to playing center. That'll again evolve alongside new linemates.


"I'm definitely very excited to play with Patch, he's a great player to play with," Galchenyuk said. "I think both of those guys are really quick, so it will be my job to create that space for them and make sure that I find a way to give them the puck when they are at top speed."


Boston (14-9-3) remains 10 points back of the Atlantic Division-leading Canadiens after Monday's 3-2 home loss to Nashville. The Bruins blew two leads, particularly unacceptable considering chances have been limited with 39 shots in the last two games.


"It was tough," Spooner said. "... I mean, 17 shots or something like that is definitely not enough when they had like 34 or something like that."


Jonas Gustavsson faced the Predators, so Tuukka Rask figures to return after shutting out Vancouver on Saturday to improve to 4-0-2 with a 1.71 goals-against average since last losing in regulation. Rask has a 2.89 GAA and .901 save percentage over a 1-8-2 span in the Montreal series.


The Canadiens will again start Mike Condon, who is 2-2-1 with a 2.22 GAA since Price went down Nov. 25 with his latest lower-body injury. The rookie made 29 saves in the latest win over Boston on Nov. 7.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Sharks (13-13) at Oilers (9-15)
Date: December 09, 2015 9:30 PM EDT

An impressive stretch at home has the Edmonton Oilers overcoming a slew of injuries in an effort to turn their season around.


The Oilers aim for their longest winning streak at Rexall Place in almost eight years Wednesday night when they try to send the San Jose Sharks to a fifth straight defeat.


Edmonton (11-15-2) lost superstar rookie forward Connor McDavid to a broken clavicle five weeks ago and has since lost forwards Nail Yakupov (ankle) and Benoit Pouliot (lower body) and defenseman Andrew Ference (undisclosed). Left wing Rob Klinkhammer (leg) was already out, and there's no timetable for a return for any of them.


The Oilers are 6-7-2 without McDavid but have won four straight at home, including the first three of this five-game homestand after beating Buffalo 4-2 on Sunday.


They last won five straight as host during a seven-game run from Feb. 4-March 2, 2008.


"It's nice to win (these games) in a row at home," left wing Taylor Hall said. "That's a big boost for our group. You look at the standings and we are getting closer and closer to where we want to be. As we start getting bodies back it's important for us to stay in it."


Hall leads Edmonton with 11 goals and 17 assists, but he's done a lot of that damage at home with seven and 11. He has three of each over the last four games there after getting two points Sunday.


Hall, though, has one assist over his last five meetings with San Jose (14-13-0), and he was pointless in a 3-1 home loss April 9.


Jordan Eberle was also held off the score sheet in that matchup after collecting nine goals and 11 assists over the previous 19. Of his five goals this season, the right wing has scored four at home with all of them coming over the last five games.


The Sharks have been outscored 14-6 while losing four in a row after falling 4-2 at Calgary on Tuesday, opening an eight-game stretch with seven on the road.


"It's disappointing when you beat yourself," coach Peter DeBoer told the team's official website. "We took eight minor penalties and handed them another couple goals on odd-man rushes - uncharacteristic stuff for us that we've got to clean up."


San Jose hasn't lost five games in a row since Oct. 30-Nov. 10, 2013.


Joe Pavelski leads the Sharks with 12 goals and 13 assists, but his season-high goal-scoring drought reached six games Tuesday. He went seven games without a goal in March 2014.


Pavelski has 15 goals and 33 points in 36 career meetings with the Oilers but no points in his last two visits to Edmonton.


Patrick Marleau has 32 points in 35 games at Rexall. He scored the first of San Jose's three goals in the third period April 9, giving him five goals with four assists over the last seven games there.


It's unclear if Martin Jones or Alex Stalock will start in goal. Jones has lost three straight games with a 3.39 goals-against average and was pulled early in the second period Tuesday after allowing three goals on 14 shots.


Stalock stopped 18 of 19 attempts the rest of the way, but he's 2-3-0 with a 3.63 GAA in five starts.


They've both had success against the Oilers with Jones compiling a 1.01 GAA while winning two of three games. Stalock has the same record with a 1.68 GAA in three matchups.