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

[CNOTES]

Preview: Oilers (11-15) at Rangers (17-9)
Date: December 15, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Edmonton Oilers can record their longest winning streak in almost 15 years while adding to the woes of the New York Rangers - again.


They go for their seventh straight victory and second in five days over the reeling Rangers when they visit Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.


Edmonton (14-15-2) is suddenly one of the hottest teams in the league with six consecutive wins, a mark it has reached just two other times since rattling off nine in a row from Feb. 20-March 13, 2001.


The Oilers won all five games on their recent homestand and opened a four-game road trip with Monday's 3-2 overtime victory at Boston. The offense that had struggled without injured phenom Connor McDavid has scored 18 goals in the last four games.


A huge chunk of that production came from Friday's 7-5 win over the Rangers. Lauri Korpikoski notched his first career hat trick against his former team, and Taylor Hall finished with two goals and two assists - upping his totals to five and four during the winning streak.


Jordan Eberle had a goal and two assists, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added a goal and an assist against the Bruins.


"We're playing with some confidence," Eberle told the team's official website. "But we've got a quick turnaround (Tuesday) against a really good hockey team in their own rink. We've got to find a way to play better and help our goalies out."


Edmonton has won four of the last six meetings in this series and is 4-1-1 in the past six games in New York dating back to Nov. 10, 2003.


Anders Nilsson earned Friday's win over the Rangers despite surrendering five goals on 34 shots. He figures to get another shot against them to follow Cam Talbot's career-high 47-save effort on Monday.


New York (18-9-4) opened the season as one of the league's top teams with a 16-3-2 record but has gone 2-6-2 since.


The Rangers have had problems scoring during that 10-game stretch, finishing with one or no goals five times, but a bigger issue might be the 12 goals they surrendered in the final two games of an 0-2-1 road trip.


Henrik Lundqvist allowed five goals on 33 shots against Edmonton and was replaced early in the third period by Antti Raanta, who is 0-3-1 with a 3.12 goals-against average in his last four appearances.


"We're playing better than our record indicates," coach Alain Vigneault said. "Whereas prior, we weren't playing that well but our record was real good. So, I do believe we're on the right track."


New York needs more offense from forwards Rick Nash and Kevin Hayes. Nash has one goal in eight games after scoring in four straight, while Hayes has none in his last 10.


Jarrett Stoll had contributed virtually no offense this season and the team placed the veteran center on waivers Monday. Stoll, who has one goal and two assists in 29 games, would likely move to AHL Hartford if unclaimed.


Another veteran Dan Girardi will sit out Tuesday due to swelling in his knee. The defenseman played the last two games after injuring his knee while blocking a shot in Wednesday's 2-1 loss at Vancouver. Vigneault says he is day-to-day.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Sharks (13-14) at Canadiens (19-8)
Date: December 15, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Losing four in a row stung Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien enough to reunite Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec on the top line in hopes of providing an early spark.


The San Jose Sharks' line shuffling hasn't solved their woes quite yet.


After a much-needed victory, Montreal looks to hand the visiting Sharks a seventh consecutive defeat Tuesday night.


The Canadiens (20-8-3) hadn't scored more than two goals in six straight, the last four being defeats in regulation with three coming by one goal. Therrien split up Pacioretty and Plekanec, who usually play on a line with the injured Brendan Gallagher, for the past five.


That changed Saturday, as Plekanec assisted on Pacioretty's first-period goal in a 3-1 win over Ottawa. The Canadiens tied a franchise record for shots in a period with 27 in the first, six coming from Pacioretty.


"You need your best players to be the difference makers. This is what it takes for any team to be successful," Therrien said. "Some of the guys had good opportunities, even if they were not able to score. But Pacioretty and Plekanec definitely set a great example for their teammates."


The victory comes as a major boost of confidence for a club that has been playing without Gallagher, former Shark Torrey Mitchell and star goaltender Carey Price. Gallagher has been out since breaking multiple fingers Nov. 22 but began skating again Monday.


Although Price will be out at least a couple more weeks with a lower-body injury, Mitchell was a full participant in Monday's practice and could return for this one.


'The young guys were playing with energy, but it seemed that the older guys like myself weren't pulling their weight,' said Pacioretty, who didn't have a point during the losing streak. "We learned a lot from the last four games. (Saturday) wasn't perfect, but we came out on top.'


Plekanec scored March 21 as Montreal beat San Jose 2-0 to snap a four-game skid against the Sharks (14-14-1), who can't seem to solve their problems no matter what coach Peter DeBoer tries.


They've been outscored 20-9 during an 0-5-1 stretch to start the month, with only four of those goals coming at even strength. DeBoer separated Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton for the first time this season Saturday, but it didn't yield anything positive during a 2-0 loss to Minnesota.


Pavelski has one goal over his last eight and Thornton has two in 11.


"Drop six in a row, it gets frustrating," Pavelski said. "We've got to calm down a little bit and realize where we're at. A few teams have caught us when we had a chance to pull ahead a little bit. We have to go back to work, back to the drawing board and work out a few things.


"We've played hard at times, there hasn't been any quit in games so it's about getting over that hump and breaking this little funk we're in."


Martin Jones stopped 28 of 29 shots Saturday, but his last start against the Canadiens was a disaster. He allowed the highest goal total of his career in a 6-2 loss with Los Angeles on Dec. 12, 2014.


Dustin Tokarski made 25 saves against the Senators and is expected to start Tuesday.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Flames (12-14) at Predators (13-10)
Date: December 15, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Johnny Gaudreau's scoring binge has made the Calgary Flames unbeatable at home for more than six weeks.


Duplicating that success on the road has been an issue all season, however.


The red-hot Flames begin a challenging four-game trip by visiting one of the NHL's notoriously tough venues on Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators.


Mired near the bottom of the Western Conference through the season's first two months, Calgary (13-14-2) has risen back into contention by amassing 21 goals over a perfect five-game homestand. The Flames won their ninth straight at Scotiabank Saddledome with Saturday's 5-4 overtime decision over the New York Rangers, during which Gaudreau scored twice and assisted on T.J. Brodie's game-winner.


The Flames, aiming for their first six-game win streak since Jan. 21-Feb. 3, 2011, haven't been nearly as formidable on the road, where they've lost four straight and seven of eight and are 3-9-2 this season.


'We're moving in the right direction," said Brodie, who's recorded seven points over a six-game streak. "I think now we have to find a way to win on the road. We have to start finding ways to win in regulation."


Gaudreau has seven goals and three assists during the surge but like his team, hasn't been the same in enemy arenas. The dynamic young forward has just two goals and seven points in 14 road games, compared to 10 goals and 24 points in 15 at home.


Sean Monahan has posted similar splits. The third-year center, who contributed three goals and three assists on the homestand, has compiled 16 of his 23 points at the Saddledome.


With visits to NHL points leader Dallas, St. Louis and Detroit also on this trip, the Flames will get a good indication as to whether they've indeed turned a corner.


"We will need to be at our best," coach Bob Hartley told the Flames' official website. "If we want to be a playoff team, we have to win those games. We're on a good roll right now. Guys are feeling good. It's important we keep playing the same brand of hockey."


Nashville (15-10-5) hasn't been in top form of late, having lost four of six, but owns a 9-4-2 record at Bridgestone Arena after going a West-leading 28-9-4 on home ice last season. Calgary did win twice in Nashville, however, while sweeping the three-game season series in 2014-15.


The Predators have produced mixed results on their present three-game residency, following a 5-1 rout of Chicago on Thursday with Saturday's 3-2 defeat to Colorado.


Pekka Rinne stopped just 22 shots against the Avalanche after making 35 saves versus the Blackhawks. He's surrendered three or more goals in seven of 10 starts after going 10-2-3 with a 2.10 goals-against average over his first 15.


Rinne does possess a 1.99 GAA at home, while Calgary has scored 11 goals over its last six road tests.


Karri Ramo returns to the Calgary net after missing two games due to a flu bug that also affected several other players. He won a third straight start with a 31-save effort in a 4-2 home decision over San Jose last Tuesday.


The Flames are last in the NHL with a 3.52 team GAA.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blues (16-10) at Jets (14-14)
Date: December 15, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Divisional play took on more importance when the NHL trimmed from six groups to four and restructured its postseason format to again be based heavily on divisional standings.


The Winnipeg Jets made a run to the playoffs last season in part because of a solid record against the Central, but that hasn't been the case this year.


A chance to pick up a rare divisional win presents itself Tuesday night when the Jets host the slumping St. Louis Blues.


Winnipeg (14-14-2) earned the Western Conference's second wild card and was the last of five Central teams to qualify for the 2014-15 postseason while posting a 16-8-5 mark against its division rivals. The Jets haven't had that type of success this year, though, going 3-9-0 against the Central, including three straight defeats.


The last two have come at the hands of defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago, which beat the Jets 2-0 on Friday. It marked the first time Winnipeg had been shut out since losing 7-0 to Nashville on Nov. 14.


"You want to have a good record in your own division, but there's not much we can do about the start (now)," captain Andrew Ladd told the team's official website. "We need to put a stretch of wins together and get back above the line, that's our biggest focus.


"Lately our game is back to where it needs to be, so I'm not too worried about it."


The Jets have lost both meetings this season and nine of the last 11 against St. Louis (17-10-4), which is having trouble finding consistency. It dropped to 2-4-1 this month with Sunday's 3-1 loss to Colorado.


The Blues outshot the Avalanche 43-18 and set a season high for shots, but managed only Vladimir Tarasenko's power-play goal with just over seven minutes remaining.


"I think it's one of those games when you're down 2-0 and you just start pouring it on and they sat back a little bit and we took it to them," center Paul Stastny said. "For us, it's more about the way we started that game. We almost had to try and find a way to get that first one and then play our game the way we wanted to, but we got behind early."


The biggest positive for the Blues lately has been their penalty kill, which has snuffed out all 19 power plays over the last eight. That unit ranks first in the league with an 87.7 percent kill rate.


Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice might give St. Louis' offensive attack a different look in this matchup. He shuffled his defensive pairings during Monday's practice by moving Jacob Trouba alongside Dustin Byfuglien, a duo that saw a small amount of time together against Chicago.


"It's an interesting dynamic to have a one-time shot with a guy that can move the puck as well as Buff does," Maurice said. "We know that Jake's had that ability. It has more to do with who they'll match up (against) and who they'll play behind."


Rookie Connor Hellebuyck could be in net again with Ondrej Pavelec out for at least the rest of the month with a knee sprain. Hellebuyck is 4-1-0 with a 1.79 goals-against average after making 29 saves against the Blackhawks.


Jake Allen has started four of the last five for the Blues. He has a 1.68 GAA while winning two of his three career starts against the Jets, including a 3-2 win Nov. 16.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Canucks (10-12) at Wild (15-7)
Date: December 15, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Wild have never posted three straight home shutouts and they'll be turning to a different goaltender than the one who started their last two games at the Xcel Energy Center.


Darcy Kuemper enters off a road shutout and will get the start Tuesday night against a Vancouver Canucks team experiencing some road woes.


Minnesota (15-7-6) returns home after a three-game trip that consisted of two overtime losses before Kuemper made 25 saves in Saturday's 2-0 win over San Jose for his first shutout and the sixth of his career.


Kuemper will make his fourth straight start since entering Dec. 5 in relief of Devan Dubnyk, who was hurt in that night's 3-0 home win over Colorado.


"(He) looks very comfortable in there, looks very confident in there and obviously has a lot of the right habits from a lot of the things he's been doing in practice," said coach Mike Yeo about Kuemper.


Dubnyk, who is nearing a return, started the last home game against the Avalanche as well as a 1-0 win over Toronto two days earlier. Kuemper stopped all nine shots to get credit for beating Colorado.


The Wild, who have an NHL-best six shutouts, are 4-0-3 in their last seven games heading into a stretch of six of seven at home.


"I think that we should be coming home with a little bit of momentum but now we really have to put our foot on the gas," Yeo said.


Vancouver (11-12-8) started a six-game trip with Sunday's 4-0 defeat to Chicago. The Canucks are 0-2-2 in their last four road games and 1-5-3 in their last nine.


Coach Willie Desjardins insisted that the road play isn't that bad, pointing to earlier wins at Anaheim and Los Angeles.


"Winning on the road is hard," he said. "We've won some big games on the road, there are some tough buildings to win in and we've won in them."


The Canucks' lone road victory in their last nine was a 3-2 win at Minnesota on Nov. 25. Radim Vrbata scored twice and Daniel Sedin had two assists.


That defeat was part of a 1-4-2 stretch to close November for the Wild, who haven't forgotten about it.


"As far as we're concerned, we didn't play a very strong game against these guys last time so we have to be ready to pick it up," Yeo said.


The coach opted to tinker with his lines at Monday's practice, most notably moving Jason Zucker onto a unit with Thomas Vanek - who has a team-high 10 goals - and Mikko Koivu - who leads all Wild forwards with 16 assists. Zucker is mired in a 10-game pointless drought.


"The best part for Mikko and myself is his speed," Vanek said. "I think he's gonna create a lot of space for us and then obviously he's a great finisher so we're going to look to find him."


The Sedin brothers combined for seven points in consecutive wins before Sunday - a result that Vancouver believes is a minor setback.


"We did everything we could to win and we just came out on the wrong end of it,' Desjardins said.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Avalanche (14-16) at Blackhawks (17-10)
Date: December 15, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

Anyone who shares even a little of Patrick Kane's competitive spirit knows he was just being diplomatic on the occasions he downplayed the importance of his franchise-record point streak.


Not only has Kane relented on that stance a bit, but his run is helping the Chicago Blackhawks win more lately.


The NHL's scoring leader looks to extend his streak to 27 and help the Blackhawks win a third consecutive game when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.


Kane said more than once that he didn't care if his point streak ended, so long as Chicago (17-10-4) continues to succeed. However, he seemed more than happy to keep the run going with a secondary assist on Duncan Keith's power-play goal in Sunday's 4-0 win over Vancouver.


The winger has 16 goals and 40 of his league-high 46 points during the 26-game streak that is the NHL's longest since Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux opened the 1995-96 season on a 28-game run.


'I think I passed it and it went in 10 or 15 seconds later,' Kane said. 'I didn't know I had an assist until they announced it. I was hoping they didn't get it wrong and they've got to call it back.'


What remains most important, though, is that the Blackhawks have won four of five following a three-game skid. Kane's production also has helped make up for the fact that Jonathan Toews has yet to find his scoring touch.


The Chicago captain has one goal and one assist over his last nine. Bottom-six players Dennis Rasmussen, Andrew Shaw and Brandon Mashinter scored the other goals Sunday.


"It's not a question of if (Kane's) going to score, it's kind of when he's going to get on the board somehow," Toews said. "He's just got that knack. I think when he's feeling it, and he's feeling confident, there's not much he can't do with the puck, and eventually something's going to happen for him."


Kane has gone without a point in each of his last two against Colorado (14-16-1), which enters this matchup seeking to tie a season high with a third consecutive victory after beating St. Louis 3-1 on Sunday.


Semyon Varlamov stopped a season-best 42 shots and improved to 4-1-0 with a 1.39 goals-against average this month. He had a 3.28 GAA through his previous 14 starts.


"(I was) struggling in October and November," Varlamov said. "I've been working a lot. I never (thought) I couldn't (succeed).


"Winning back-to-back, it's not easy. We did a great job battling, those last two games."


Varlamov has won his last seven starts against Chicago while posting a 1.41 GAA, a run that includes four victories and a 1.23 GAA at the United Center.


Corey Crawford has been even better lately for the Blackhawks, who look to avoid a fourth straight loss to the Avalanche. He was named the NHL's first star of the week after winning all four starts with a 0.50 GAA and stopping 55 shots in back-to-back shutouts against Winnipeg and the Canucks.


Special teams has contributed, with the penalty kill being successful on 12 of 13 power plays over the last five.


'He's been awesome,' Keith said. 'He's made huge saves when we've needed him, and when he's going like that, it allows us to make more mistakes and play with a little more confidence.'


Crawford, though, is 2-6-2 with a 3.57 GAA in his last 10 against Colorado.


The Blackhawks acquired Rob Scuderi from the Penguins for fellow defenseman Trevor Daley on Monday.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blue Jackets (11-17) at Stars (21-6)
Date: December 15, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

The fact that the league-leading Dallas Stars have yet to lose back-to-back games bodes well given they're coming off their first shutout of the season.


The Stars will try to re-invigorate their struggling power play Tuesday night against a Columbus Blue Jackets team mired in the NHL cellar and trying to end its latest slide.


Dallas (22-6-2) has piled up the most points in the league behind its highest-scoring offense at 3.37 goals per game. The Stars, though, came up empty on all 26 shots and were again held in check on the power play in a 3-0 loss at St. Louis on Saturday.


They followed each of their previous seven losses with a win - six in regulation - but have dropped four straight at home against Columbus while being outscored 14-5.


"We talk all the time about that we don't lose two in a row," defenseman Alex Goligoski told the team's official website. "(Coach Lindy Ruff) is always saying that. When we have had tough games, or we have had losses, we've come back hungry, and we have been able to avoid losing two."


A resurgence on the power play could be vital to avoiding another defeat. The unit is among the NHL's best with a 22.9 conversion rate, but it's gone 0 for 10 in the last two games after an 0-for-4 effort against the Blues and is 2 for 24 over the last seven.


"We were doing a really good job early in the year of getting pucks around the paint and getting more opportunities," Ruff said. "When a team is staying inside, you've got to find lanes to get it there.


"There's no secret. Get pucks to the net. You get a lane, get it there and try to take the goalie's eyes away. We haven't done a very good job of that."


That's a familiar feeling for Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, whose club is tied with Toronto for the fewest points in the league. They've also lost four in a row for the first time since opening the season with eight straight losses, the last of which was Tortorella's first game after replacing the fired Todd Richards.


All seven of Columbus' losses over the last eight games (1-4-3) have come by two goals or fewer, including Monday's 2-1 defeat against Tampa Bay.


"There's no sense in being negative about it, there's no sense in beating up the team," Tortorella said. "There were some good things done. We just have to try and get better, try to handle those situations better."


The current skid coincides with a lower-body injury to Sergei Bobrovsky, who's expected to miss two more weeks. Curtis McElhinney has made two starts and gone 0-1-2 with a 4.58 goals-against average since replacing the 2013 Vezina Trophy winner.


McElhinney should be back in net after Joonas Korpisalo made 27 saves in his NHL debut Monday. He has a 1.48 GAA while winning his last two meetings with Dallas, though the most recent came with Anaheim on March 29, 2010.


He'll also try to stifle Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, who return to Dallas looking to extend seven-game point streaks there after they were a combined minus-4 on Saturday.


Benn, the league leader with 20 goals, has nine to go along with six assists during his streak, while Seguin has 12 points.


Benn has 13 points in his last 11 matchups with Columbus and Seguin has four in his past three, including a hat trick in a 4-2 road win Oct. 14, 2014.


They were both held without a point in the Jackets' 4-2 win at Dallas on Jan. 6.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Devils (13-11) at Sabres (12-15)
Date: December 15, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Adam Henrique was a major factor in the New Jersey Devils' victory over the Buffalo Sabres earlier this season.


He's expected to be back in time to make an impact Tuesday night.


Henrique will try to give the Devils a lift as they attempt to bounce back from one of their worst performances of the season against the Sabres.


Henrique is tied with Kyle Palmieri for the team lead with 13 goals, three shy of his total from all of last season.


Perhaps the left wing's best performance of the season came at Buffalo on Oct. 24, scoring two goals and adding an assist in a 4-3 win.


Henrique has 14 points in 14 career matchups and six in the last three with the Sabres.


He may get a chance to build on that after missing two games with a lower-body injury. The Devils (15-11-4) could use the help after falling 4-0 to the New York Islanders in Brooklyn on Sunday.


While New Jersey isn't publicly committing to Henrique's return, he practiced with the team in Buffalo on Monday.


"It'd be nice to have Adam back. He's a really good player for us. He's a real strong competitor," coach John Hynes said. "If he is in the lineup, it's always good to have a player like that, but as a group we need to have a bounce-back effort and it's not just going to be because we have one guy back in the lineup. It's going to have to be a team effort."


Production from Mike Cammalleri would help. The team leader with 30 points has none in three straight games, one shy of his longest drought of the season from Oct. 27-Nov. 3. That came immediately after he had three points at Buffalo (13-15-3).


Cammalleri has three goals and three assists in his last four matchups.


Cory Schneider has a 1.62 goals-against average during a three-start winning streak against the Sabres, making 26 saves Oct. 24.


It's unclear if he'll get a sixth straight start after he allowed three goals on 18 shots and was pulled midway through the second period Sunday. Backup Keith Kinkaid stopped 11 of 12 shots the rest of the way, and he had 28 saves in a 3-1 win at Buffalo in his only career matchup March 20.


"We've seen them earlier this year and they were a dangerous team against us," Schneider said. "They got some guys who can make some plays; some high-end skill and speed guys. We gotta be disciplined and keep them off the power play and make sure we really frustrate them and bottle them up in the neutral zone and not carry that speed into our end."


The Devils are trying to win five straight over the Sabres for the first time since a six-game run spanning two seasons from 1997-98.


Buffalo, however, enters this matchup following 2-1 wins over Los Angeles and Detroit on Saturday and Monday, respectively. The Sabres had a season-high three-game winning streak from Nov. 7-12.


Ryan O'Reilly scored 61 seconds before Johan Larsson's go-ahead tally in the third period against the Red Wings. O'Reilly has four goals and seven assists during a career high-tying eight-game point streak. He had three points against the Devils on Oct. 24, giving him eight in his last six games.


Buffalo rookie Jack Eichel, who scored in his first matchup with the Devils, has been held without a point in four straight games to match his longest drought.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Lightning (14-13) at Maple Leafs (7-13)
Date: December 15, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

While the Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to build some momentum from the opener of a back-to-back, the Toronto Maple Leafs hope theirs remains after getting a week off.


The Lightning will try to win for the fifth time in seven games Tuesday night when they visit the Maple Leafs, who finally get a shot at a season high-tying third straight victory following an extended break.


Tampa Bay (15-13-3) opened a three-game trip with Monday's 2-1 win at Columbus. Brian Boyle netted the short-handed winner at the 6:13 mark of the third period, which seemed oddly appropriate given the Lightning are short on help.


The club dressed just 11 forwards and lost another when Joel Vermin went down with an upper-body injury on his first shift. The Lightning are already without injured forwards Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Jonathan Drouin, Cedric Paquette and Erik Condra, and Vermin had just been recalled from the AHL prior to the game.


"No one's complaining about ice time," Boyle told the team's official website. "Sometimes it's easier. You get involved in the game and you don't think as much."


Ben Bishop made 25 saves against the Blue Jackets, including two crucial stops in the final two minutes on Scott Hartnell's shot from the slot and his rebound jab.


"We're happy with the win, but looking back I think we've got to tighten some things up," said Alex Killorn, who assisted on Boyle's 2-on-1 winner. "I think Bish stood on his head. It's come to the point where you just expect him to make these saves. It can't be that way, especially at the end of the game."


After Bishop's stellar effort down the stretch, Andrei Vasilevskiy will make his seventh start following his promotion from the AHL on Sunday.


Vasilevskiy is 2-4-0 in seven appearances with Tampa Bay this season and has a 2.76 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. He's faced the Maple Leafs once in his career, making 25 saves in a 3-1 loss March 31. He'll try to continue the team's strong play in net during a 12-game stretch in which they've allowed an average of 1.75 goals.


Toronto (10-13-5) will see if it can reclaim the momentum it built before its layoff. The Maple Leafs rebounded from a 1-4-1 span with consecutive wins Dec. 5 and 8, though a season-high stretch without a game followed.


"I've had enough of practicing, so they've had more than enough," coach Mike Babcock said of his players. "We've tried to push hard this week, and the guys have done a nice job. The reality is you've been off for a while."


They return with a goaltender who hasn't played an NHL game since Nov. 28. Jonathan Bernier opened 0-8-1 with a 3.28 GAA and .888 save percentage before being demoted to the AHL on Dec. 2. He was recalled this week and will make his 10th start.


With James Reimer working his way back from a lingering groin injury, Bernier has a shot to reclaim a backup spot held down by rookie Garret Sparks in the last two weeks.


"I just want to play better for the guys, that's the bottom line," Bernier said. "I know I can make a difference in this locker room and on the ice."


Reimer re-aggravated a groin injury Dec. 3 and Sparks earned the last two wins while allowing three goals on 55 shots. Babcock hopes Reimer can return to practice this week.


Tampa Bay has won four of the last six overall meetings in this series, but Toronto has won six of seven at Air Canada Centre.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack


-- Alabama's strength coach makes $420K a year; only one head coach in the MAC makes more $$$ than that. Amazing.


-- Baseball won't re-instate Pete Rose, which is no big surprise; they can be in bed with Draft Kings, but they act high and mighty about gambling. Go figure.


-- CBS' referee analyst Mike Carey played college football at Santa Clara, where he was a teammate of former NFL quarterback Dan Pastorini.


-- On NFL Network Sunday night, Deion Sanders went out of his way twice to rip Kyle Shanahan, the Falcons' OC. "QBs start to play worse when he is around."


-- SF Giants scooped up Johnny Cueto for six years, $132M; Cueto bags $12M more by turning down Arizona's $120M offer.


-- Giants 31, Dolphins 24-- As a result, the Giant-Viking game will be the Sunday night game in Week 16, replacing Pittsburgh-Baltimore game. Bad news for Viking fans, who will now be 7.5 hours colder with a December 27 night game. Oy.


**********


Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Top 8, bottom 5 teams in NFL......


32) Ravens-- They move out of bottom five if Schaub comes back, but Clausen is just awful- he's started two games this year, with no touchdowns in 26-0/35-6 losses. 7 of nine Baltimore losses this season are by six or less points.


31) Falcons-- Lost seven of last eight games since a 5-0 start; they scored 36.8 ppg in first four games- they scored two TDs on last 29 drives and gave up almost 300 yards in first quarter at Carolina Sunday.


30) Titans-- They're 1-8 vs spread when they score less than 33 points; if you want to play a rookie QB, thats fine, he's going to be good, but how do you fire the coach if you know damn well you're going to struggle with a rookie QB playing?


29) Browns-- Their offseason will be fascinating; will they change coaches again- that would make six coaches in nine years in 2016? Will they keep Manziel? If they trade him, what do they get for him and then who plays QB? Interesting decisions loom.


28) Lions-- Good grief, I wish the Rams had Matthew Stafford; how can you be so bad with a QB like that? Detroit is 0-9 vs spread this year when they allow more than 16 points. Lions are on TV next Monday; think is my fourth time in row they've been on in primetime when I'm in Las Vegas, which I will be next week.


8) Vikings-- They move into a new domed stadium next year; Week 16 game with the Giants will be their last game in the Gophers' stadium. Need to win and right the ship this week by beating hard-to-figure Bears, who play lot of close games.


7) Bengals-- Giving them benefit of doubt in this spot, with Dalton hurt. McCarron makes first NFL start this week against 49ers, who play pretty good defense at home. If Bengals win one of remaining two AFC games, they clinch division, but can they get that valuable first round bye?


6) Chiefs-- On a freakin' roll with seven wins in row (6-0-1 vs spread); they're using WRs lot more this year, and had goal line stand at end of rainy win over Chargers last week. First team since '70 Bengals to win seven in row after losing five straight.


5) Packers-- Great fun to watch Rodgers play QB; never ceases to amaze me how he didn't get a college scholarship out of high school- he played a year of junior college ball in Boise. That said, Green Bay ran ball better in McCarthy's first game back as the playcaller for Green Bay.


4) Seahawks-- How great are the cameras they put in pylons? Give you great shots of close plays around the end zone. Whoever invented those deserves a raise. As for the Seahawks, they figure to be a very tough out in January, even if they're on the road.


3) Patriots-- Why does NFL make referees run to the stands and look at the replays himself? Why not have people in New York who look at these things and then decide what the right call is? Wouldn't this be a better, faster system? Was thinking other day whether or not Tom Brady will go on TV when he's done playing? Would be he good at it? You never know which ex-players will emerge as TV stars.


2) Cardinals-- Now-or-never for Arizona; they're going to win NFC West, have to win maybe one road game to get to Super Bowl. Carson Palmer's 36th birthday is in a couple weeks- this is their best shot to win a championship.


1) Panthers-- If Arizona has to win NFC title game on road, it'll be in Charlotte with the Panthers hosting. Carolina beat the Redbirds in the playoffs LY, but #3 QB Ryan Lindley was playing for Arizona and it was a lousy game. Palmer vs Newton for the NFC championship would be a tremendous game.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL


Tuesday, December 15




NHL roundup: Caps ruin Sullivan's Pittsburgh debut


PITTSBURGH -- T.J. Oshie scored twice in the third period and the hot Washington Capitals spoiled Mike Sullivan's debut as Pittsburgh's coach, beating the Penguins 4-1 Monday night.


Nicklas Backstrom, who assisted on both Oshie goals during a three-point night, and defenseman John Carlson scored in the opening 7:04. Goaltender Braden Holtby -- who has not allowed more than two goals in his last seven starts -- made the lead hold up with 44 saves.


The Capitals (21-6-2) won for the ninth time in their last 11 games and are 10-3-1 on the road.


Sullivan, the Boston Bruins' coach from 2003-06, didn't make many noticeable changes after replacing Mike Johnston 28 games into the season. However, the Penguins clearly were pressing more offensively. They had 31 shots in the first two periods and a season-high 45 overall.


Lightning 2, Blue Jackets 1


COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Brian Boyle scored a short-handed goal in the third period, and Tampa Bay held on for a victory over Columbus.


Boyle took a pass from Alex Killorn and sent a bullet of a slap shot past the glove of Blue Jackets rookie goaltender Joonas Korpisalo at 6:13 for his eighth goal of the season.


The Blue Jackets came within inches of scoring the tying goal with less than three minutes remaining when the puck got behind Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop (25 saves) in a scramble in front of the net and stopped underneath him on the red line.


Oilers 3, Bruins 2 (OT)


BOSTON -- Andrej Sekera converted his own rebound 41 seconds into overtime as Edmonton won its sixth game in a row and recorded the franchise's first win in Boston in almost two decades.


The Oilers, coming off their first 5-0 homestand since 1987, squandered a 2-0 lead but got 47 saves from backup goaltender Cam Talbot, who won for the first time since Oct. 29 in his second start since Nov. 14.


Sekera took a pass from Jordan Eberle (goal, two assists) and had his shot blocked by defenseman Torey Krug. The puck came right back to Sekera, who got around Landon Ferraro, picked up the puck and beat goaltender Jonas Gustavsson with his second goal of the season.


Sabres 2, Red Wings 1


DETROIT -- Ryan O'Reilly and Johan Larsson scored 1:01 apart late in the third period to give Buffalo a come-from-behind win against Detroit.


Chad Johnson made 31 saves for Buffalo.


Brad Richards scored for Detroit, which had its 13-game point streak (8-0-5) snapped. Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek made 28 saves.


Senators 5, Kings 3


OTTAWA -- Mike Hoffman scored twice and added an assist, leading Ottawa past Los Angeles.


Mika Zibanejad had a goal and two assists, while Erik Karlsson and Kyle Turris had the other Ottawa goals. Craig Anderson made 33 saves for the win.


Jamie McBain, Jake Muzzin and Tyler Toffoli scored for the Kings.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel

Tuesday, December 15


Carolina @ Philadelphia

Game 3-4
December 15, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Carolina
9.583
Philadelphia
11.563
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 2
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
-135
5
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-135); Over

Florida @ NY Islanders

Game 5-6
December 15, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Florida
12.086
NY Islanders
11.058
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 1
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Islanders
-150
5
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
(+130); Over

Edmonton @ NY Rangers

Game 7-8
December 15, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
12.667
NY Rangers
11.515
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Rangers
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
N/A

San Jose @ Montreal

Game 9-10
December 15, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
11.089
Montreal
12.580
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal
-145
5
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(-145); Over

Tampa Bay @ Toronto

Game 11-12
December 15, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
12.942
Toronto
11.443
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
N/A

Vancouver @ Minnesota

Game 13-14
December 15, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vancouver
9.952
Minnesota
8.863
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Vancouver
by 1
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-160
5
Dunkel Pick:
Vancouver
(+140); Over

Calgary @ Nashville

Game 15-16
December 15, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
12.287
Nashville
11.407
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 1
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville
-185
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(+165); Under

St. Louis @ Winnipeg

Game 17-18
December 15, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
12.507
Winnipeg
11.414
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1
3 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-125); Under

Columbus @ Dallas

Game 19-20
December 15, 2015 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Columbus
9.015
Dallas
11.566
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 2 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
-300
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(-300); Over

Colorado @ Chicago

Game 21-22
December 15, 2015 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
11.724
Chicago
10.606
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
-190
5
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(+165); Under

New Jersey @ Buffalo

Game 1-2
December 15, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Jersey
11.515
Buffalo
10.159
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New Jersey
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Jersey
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
New Jersey
(-130); Under

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, December 15

Hot teams
-- Buffalo is 5-4 in its last nine games. Devils are 4-0 in game following their last four losses.
-- Hurricanes won four of their last five games.
-- Islanders won seven of their last eight games.
-- Edmonton won its last six games, four in OT/SO.
-- Toronto won last two games, allowing three goals.
-- Minnesota won four of its last six games.
-- Calgary won its last five games, three in OT/SO.
-- Winnipeg won four of its last five home games.
-- Dallas won four of its last five home games.
-- Colorado won five of its last seven games. Blackhawks won four of last five.

Cold teams
-- Philly lost three of its last four games.
-- Florida lost three of its last four games.
-- Rangers lost eight of their last ten games.
-- San Jose lost its last six games, scoring nine goals. Montreal lost four of last five games.
-- Lightning lost four of their last seven games.
-- Vancouver lost six of its last eight games.
-- Nashville lost six of its last nine games.
-- St Louis lost five of its last seven games.
-- Columbus lost seven of its last eight games.

Series records
-- Devils won four of last five games with Buffalo.
-- Flyers won last two games with Carolina, both in OT.
-- Islanders lost last three games with Florida, last two in SOs.
-- Rangers lost four of last six games with Edmonton.
-- Sharks won four of last five games with Montreal.
-- Lightning won four of last six games with Toronto.
-- Vancouver won last two games with Minnesota, both 3-2 games.
-- Flames won four of last five games with Nashville.
-- Blues won eight of last ten games with Winnipeg.
-- Dallas Stars lost four of last five games with Columbus.
-- Avalanche won their last three games with Chicago.

Totals
-- Five of last six Buffalo games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-0-1 in last seven Carolina games.
-- Over is 7-0-1 in last seven Islander-Panther games.
-- Three of last four Edmonton games went over total.
-- Seven of last nine San Jose games went over total.
-- Five of last six Tampa Bay games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Canuck games stayed under total.
-- Nine of last ten Calgary-Nashville games went over.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight St Louis games.
-- Under is 7-1-2 in last ten Columbus games.
-- Six of last seven Colorado games stayed under.

Back-to-backs
-- Buffalo is 2-2 if it played the night before.
-- Edmonton is 2-1 if it played the night before.
-- Tampa Bay is 1-3 if it played the night before.
-- Columbus is 1-3 on road if it played night before.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL

Tuesday, December 15

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

7:00 PM
CAROLINA vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Carolina's last 5 games on the road
Carolina is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing Carolina

7:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. NY RANGERS
Edmonton is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Rangers
Edmonton is 4-6-2 SU in their last 12 games ,when playing on the road against NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 6 games when playing Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 6 games

7:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. NY ISLANDERS
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Florida's last 8 games when playing NY Islanders
Florida is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Islanders last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 6 games

7:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. BUFFALO
New Jersey is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Buffalo
New Jersey is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
Buffalo is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games
Buffalo is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey

7:30 PM
SAN JOSE vs. MONTREAL
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Jose's last 8 games when playing Montreal
Montreal is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Montreal's last 8 games when playing San Jose

7:30 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. TORONTO
Tampa Bay is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games on the road
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
CALGARY vs. NASHVILLE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Calgary is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Nashville's last 10 games when playing Calgary
Nashville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Calgary

8:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. WINNIPEG
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 7 games on the road
Winnipeg is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing St. Louis
Winnipeg is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. MINNESOTA
Vancouver is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Vancouver's last 8 games
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games

8:30 PM
COLORADO vs. CHICAGO
Colorado is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Chicago
Colorado is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado

8:30 PM
COLUMBUS vs. DALLAS
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Columbus's last 14 games
Columbus is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing Columbus
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Dallas's last 9 games when playing at home against Columbus

 

[CNOTES]

NHL MONEYLINE


NHL > (7) EDMONTON@ (8) NY RANGERS | 2015-12-15 19:05:00 - 2015-12-15 19:05:00
Play ON EDMONTON using money line in All games in December games
The record is 6 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+7.4 units)


NHL > (3) CAROLINA@ (4) PHILADELPHIA | 2015-12-15 19:05:00 - 2015-12-15 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 14 Wins and 35 Losses for the last two seasons (-27.75 units)


NHL > (7) EDMONTON@ (8) NY RANGERS | 2015-12-15 19:05:00 - 2015-12-15 19:05:00
Play AGAINST NY RANGERS using money line in Home games after allowing 4 goals or more
The record is 85 Wins and 115 Losses for the since 1992 (-79.95 units)


NHL > (9) SAN JOSE@ (10) MONTREAL | 2015-12-15 19:35:00 - 2015-12-15 19:35:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE using money line in All games in December games
The record is 0 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (-7.25 units)


NHL > (1) NEW JERSEY@ (2) BUFFALO | 2015-12-15 19:05:00 - 2015-12-15 19:05:00
Play ON BUFFALO using money line in Home games in December games
The record is 8 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+9.4 units)


NHL > (13) VANCOUVER@ (14) MINNESOTA | 2015-12-15 20:05:00 - 2015-12-15 20:05:00
Play ON MINNESOTA using money line in Home games after 3 or more consecutive unders
The record is 13 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+11.35 units)


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


NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (7) EDMONTON@ (8) NY RANGERS | 2015-12-15 19:05:00 - 2015-12-15 19:05:00
Play ON EDMONTON in All games in December games
The record is 6 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+7.4 units)


NHL > (3) CAROLINA@ (4) PHILADELPHIA | 2015-12-15 19:05:00 - 2015-12-15 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 14 Wins and 35 Losses for the last two seasons (-27.75 units)


NHL > (9) SAN JOSE@ (10) MONTREAL | 2015-12-15 19:35:00 - 2015-12-15 19:35:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE in All games in December games
The record is 0 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (-7.25 units)


NHL > (1) NEW JERSEY@ (2) BUFFALO | 2015-12-15 19:05:00 - 2015-12-15 19:05:00
Play ON BUFFALO in Home games in December games
The record is 8 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+9.4 units)


NHL > (13) VANCOUVER@ (14) MINNESOTA | 2015-12-15 20:05:00 - 2015-12-15 20:05:00
Play ON MINNESOTA in Home games after 3 or more consecutive unders
The record is 13 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+11.35 units)


NHL > (7) EDMONTON@ (8) NY RANGERS | 2015-12-15 19:05:00 - 2015-12-15 19:05:00
Play AGAINST NY RANGERS in Home games after allowing 4 goals or more
The record is 87 Wins and 125 Losses for the since 1992 (-81.75 units)


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


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (9) SAN JOSE@ (10) MONTREAL | 2015-12-15 19:35:00 - 2015-12-15 19:35:00
Play UNDER MONTREAL on the totalin Home games on Tuesday nights
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.9 units)


NHL > (15) CALGARY@ (16) NASHVILLE | 2015-12-15 20:05:00 - 2015-12-15 20:05:00
Play OVER CALGARY on the totalin All games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 7 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+7.6 units)


NHL > (15) CALGARY@ (16) NASHVILLE | 2015-12-15 20:05:00 - 2015-12-15 20:05:00
Play OVER CALGARY on the totalin All games on Tuesday nights
The record is 7 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+7.45 units)


NHL > (1) NEW JERSEY@ (2) BUFFALO | 2015-12-15 19:05:00 - 2015-12-15 19:05:00
Play OVER BUFFALO on the totalin All games in December games
The record is 15 Overs and 3 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.2 units)


NHL > (13) VANCOUVER@ (14) MINNESOTA | 2015-12-15 20:05:00 - 2015-12-15 20:05:00
Play UNDER MINNESOTA on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 11 Overs and 28 Unders for the last two seasons (+15.55 units)


NHL > (13) VANCOUVER@ (14) MINNESOTA | 2015-12-15 20:05:00 - 2015-12-15 20:05:00
Play UNDER MINNESOTA on the totalin All games in December games
The record is 0 Overs and 6 Unders for the this season (+6.55 units)

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Short Sheet


Tuesday, December 15


New Jersey at Buffalo, 7:05 PM ET
New Jersey: 9-5 SU after 1 or more consecutive losses
Buffalo: 2-5 SU revenging a home loss versus opponent


Carolina at Philadelphia, 7:05 PM ET
Carolina: 4-2 SU after 2 or more consecutive overs
Philadelphia: 9-21 SU after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game


Florida at NY Islanders, 7:05 PM ET
Florida: 15-9 SU after having lost 3 of their last 4
New York: 16-26 SU after allowing 1 goal or less in their previous game


Edmonton at NY Rangers, 7:05 PM ET
Edmonton: N/A
New York: N/A


San Jose at Montreal, 7:35 PM ET
San Jose: 2-9 SU after getting shutout in their previous game
Montreal: 12-3 SU after a win by 2 goals or more


Tampa Bay at Toronto, 7:35 PM ET
Tampa Bay: N/A
Toronto: N/A


Vancouver at Minnesota, 8:05 PM ET
Vancouver: 5-17 SU after 2 straight games where 4 or fewer total goals were scored
Minnesota: 11-3 SU after 4 or more consecutive unders


Calgary at Nashville, 8:05 PM ET
Calgary: 47-109 SU in road games after 2 or more consecutive overs
Nashville: 17-3 SU in home games on Tuesday nights


St Louis at Winnipeg, 8:05 PM ET
St Louis: 19-4 SU off a home loss
Winnipeg: 0-2 SU after getting shutout in their previous game


Columbus at Dallas, 8:35 PM ET
Columbus: 52-50 SU in road games
Dallas: 7-0 SU after 1 or more consecutive losses


Colorado at Chicago, 8:35 PM ET
Colorado: 42-31 SU vs. division opponents
Chicago: 35-38 SU after a 2 game unbeaten streak

 

[CNOTES]

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


NJ at BUF 07:00 PM


BUF +100 DOUBLE PLAY




CAR at PHI 07:00 PM


CAR +103 DOUBLE PLAY




FLA at NYI 07:00 PM


NYI -157




EDM at NYR 07:00 PM


EDM +201 TRIPLE PLAY



SJ at MON 07:30 PM


MON -133




TB at TOR 07:30 PM


TB -105




VAN at MIN 08:00 PM


VAN +127 DOUBLE PLAY



CAL at NAS 08:00 PM


CAL +161 DOUBLE PLAY



STL at WIN 08:00 PM


WIN +100 *****




CLB at DAL 08:30 PM


CLB +220 OCTOPLAY




COL at CHI 08:30 PM


CHI -195

 

[indiana]

C/note...........appreciate the daily info and efforts you go through...........good luck tonight...........indy

 

[CNOTES]

Thanks Indy...............rough night last night........but i'll bounce back....

 

[CNOTES]

NHL


Wednesday, December 16




NHL roundup: Varlamov, Avs blank Blackhawks


CHICAGO -- Semyon Varlamov stopped all 29 shots he faced, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.


Matt Duchene, Zach Redmond and Gabriel Landeskog scored for the Avalanche, who won their third consecutive game on the road.


Chicago was shut out for the second time this season, meaning Patrick Kane's point streak ended at 26 games.


Kane compiled 16 goals and 24 assists during his 26-game streak, which set a franchise record and marked the most by any American-born player in NHL history. Kane's streak was the longest in the league since Hall of Famer Mats Sundin scored at least one point in 30 consecutive games with the Quebec Nordiques during the 1992-93 campaign.


Corey Crawford stopped 24 of 26 shots for Chicago.


Stars 5, Blue Jackets 1


DALLAS -- Tyler Seguin scored two goals 30 seconds apart late in the second period and Kari Lehtonen stopped 34 of 35 shots in a Dallas win against Columbus at American Airlines Center.


Johnny Oduya, Alex Goligoski and Mattias Janmark also scored for the Stars, who remains the lone team in the NHL yet to lose consecutive games this season. Jamie Benn assisted on Seguin’s second goal, the 400th point of his career.


The Blue jackets lone goal was from Scott Hartnell.


Flyers 4, Hurricanes 3 (OT)


PHILADELPHIA -- Michal Neuvirth and Philadelphia did enough to cool off Carolina in overtime at Wells Fargo Center.


Shayne Gostisbehere won it in the extra session off a beautiful feed from Jakub Voracek. Voracek, Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier also scored for the Flyers.


Jeff Skinner scored a hat trick to give him nine goals in the last six games. Eddie Lack made 27 saves in the loss.


Sharks 3, Canadiens 1


MONTREAL -- San Jose made the most of its chances, snapping a six-game losing streak with a win against Montreal at the Bell Centre.


Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski and Dainius Zubrus scored for the Sharks while Dale Weise scored for the Canadiens.


Martin Jones made 26 saves for the Sharks. Dustin Tokarski stopped nine-of-12 shots before being replaced by Mike Condon, who made six saves in relief for the Habs.


Panthers 5, Islanders 1


NEW YORK -- Roberto Luongo recorded 33 saves, and five players scored a goal apiece for Florida , to beat the New York Islanders at Barclays Center.


Reilly Smith, Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau all scored for the Panthers.


Brock Nelson scored for the Islanders, who got just 12 saves Jaroslav Halak.


Rangers 4, Oilers 2


NEW YORK -- Rick Nash scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period as the New York Rangers snapped Edmonton's six-game winning streak with a victory at Madison Square Garden.


Jesper Fast, Mats Zuccarello and Dylan McIlrath also scored for the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 18 shots.


Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle had the Oilers' goals and Anders Nilsson turned aside 17 shots.


Devils 2, Sabres 0


BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Cory Schneider made 25 saves to lead New Jersey over Buffalo.


It was Schneider's second shutout of the season and the 19th of his career. Lee Stempniak and Jiri Tlusty scored for the Devils.


Linus Ullmark made 19 saves in the losing effort for the Sabres.


Lightning 5, Maple Leafs 4 (OT)


TORONTO -- Vladislav Namestnikov scored in overtime to give Tampa Bay a comeback win over Toronto.


Nikita Kucherov, Anton Stralman, Mike Blunden and Jonathan Marchessault also scored for the Lightning. Tyler Bozak, James Van Riemsdyk, Morgan Rielly and Daniel Winnik scored for the Maple Leafs.


Jonathan Bernier made 22 saves for Toronto and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 33 for Tampa Bay.


Flames 2, Predators 1 (OT)


NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kris Russell scored on a 2-on-1 in overtime, giving Calgary its sixth straight win with a decision over Nashville at Bridgestone Arena.


Karri Ramo stopped 21 shots to earn the win for the Flames, while Pekka Rinne came up with 19 saves for the Predators.


Cody Hodgson scored on a penalty shot to open the scoring for Nashville and T.J. Brodie scored for the Flames.


Wild 6, Canucks 2


SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Thomas Vanek scored once and added three assists as Minnesota blasted past Vancouver.


Zach Parise, Jason Zucker, Mikko Koivu, Ryan Suter and Marco Scandella all added goals for the Wild, who took an early lead and didn't let up. They got 29 saves from Darcy Kuemper, who was making his fourth consecutive start.


Jannik Hansen and Daniel Sedin had the Vancouver goals. Henrik Sedin assisted on both.


Blues 4, Jets 3


WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Paul Stastny scored the game-winning goal late in the third period to cap St. Louis' come-from-behind victory over Winnipeg at the MTS Centre.


Vladimir Tarasenko, Troy Brouwer and Alexander Steen also scored for the Blues.


Mark Scheifele, Chris Thorburn and Drew Stafford scored for the Jets.