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

[CNOTES]

NHL Capsules
February 24, 2016


TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Steven Stamkos scored a goal in his fourth consecutive game, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 29 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning won their fourth straight by beating the Arizona Coyotes 2-1 on Tuesday night.


Tampa Bay also got a goal from Cedric Paquette on a short-handed penalty shot. The Lightning, second in the Atlantic Division, are three points behind first-place Florida.


Jordan Martinook had a goal and Louis Domingue stopped 34 shots for the Coyotes, who were coming off a 3-2 loss Monday night at Washington. Arizona, 10th in the Western Conference, is six points back in the race for the second wild card.


DEVILS 5, RANGERS 2


NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Lee Stempniak scored late in the second period to snap a tie and New Jersey ended a three-game losing streak with a win over short-handed New York.


Kyle Palmieri, Sergey Kalinin, Adam Larsson and Tyler Kennedy also scored, and rookie Joseph Blandisi assisted on the tying and go-ahead goals in the second period. Cory Schneider made 17 saves as New Jersey beat the Rangers for the third time in four games this season.


Kevin Hayes and Dominic Moore scored for the Rangers, who lost for only the third time in 10 games (7-2-1). Henrik Lundqvist was outstanding in making 31 saves.


The Rangers played without defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal and forward Rick Nash. They also played the third period without J.T. Miller, who received a match penalty late in the second for fighting against Kalinin with his hand taped.


KINGS 2, FLAMES 1


LOS ANGELES (AP) - Anze Kopitar got the go-ahead goal on a power play late in the second period and defenseman Luke Schenn also scored for Los Angeles in a victory over Calgary.


Jonathan Quick made 22 saves, helping the Kings increase their Pacific Division lead to four points over idle Anaheim. The only puck that got past him was a power-play goal by Sean Monahan.


Joni Ortio stopped 35 shots for the Flames in his first NHL start since Oct. 30.


Kopitar, who sat out Saturday's 2-1 overtime win at Nashville because of a lower-body injury, got his team-high 18th goal and fifth game-winner at 17:27 of the second from short range while Flames captain Mark Giordano was serving a holding penalty.


RED WINGS 2, BLUE JACKETS 1, SO


DETROIT (AP) - Riley Sheahan scored in a shootout and had the tying goal in the second period, helping Detroit beat Columbus to snap a four-game losing streak.


Andreas Athanasiou sealed the victory by scoring in the shootout after Petr Mrazek stopped two shots in the tiebreaker.


Columbus' Boone Jenner broke a scoreless tie late in the first period. Sheahan tied it with Detroit's first short-handed goal this season.


Mrazek made 28 saves for the Red Wings. Curtis McElhinney stopped 27 shots for the Blue Jackets.


HURRICANES 3, FLYERS 1


RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Jordan Staal put Carolina ahead and Eric Staal added an insurance score late to lift the Hurricanes over Philadelphia.


Cam Ward made 36 saves for Carolina. Jordan Staal got his 16th goal and Eric Staal his 10th to end a 16-game scoreless streak.


Philadelphia had won the three previous meetings with Carolina this season in overtime.


Joakim Nordstrom had the other goal for Carolina and has 10 points in his last 12 games.


Scott Laughton scored for the Flyers, and goalie Michal Neuvirth stopped 15 shots.


PREDATORS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2


TORONTO (AP) - Filip Forsberg became the youngest player in franchise history to get a hat trick as Nashville beat Toronto.


The 21-year-old Forsberg also became the fifth Predators player to post a natural hat trick, Elias Sports told the NHL. His outburst helped Nashville improve to 11-1-3 in its last 15 games against Canadian teams, and the Predators also got points on the road for the ninth straight game - the franchise's longest such streak.


Carter Hutton stopped 25 shots for the Predators. James Reimer made 23 saves for the Maple Leafs.


Josh Leivo and Morgan Rielly scored for Toronto.


The Predators won without captain Shea Weber, who is day to day with a lower-body injury.


ISLANDERS 4, WILD 1


ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Frans Nielsen scored twice, John Tavares had a goal and an assist, and New York topped Minnesota in a matchup of surging teams.


Matt Martin also scored for New York, which has won six of eight. Jaroslav Halak made 30 saves as the Islanders improved to 2-0 on a seven-game road trip - their longest of the season.


Nielsen deflected Tavares' pass on the power play to make it 2-0 in the first period and added a short-handed, empty-net goal late in the third.


Devan Dubnyk made 27 saves as the Wild lost for the first time in five games under interim coach John Torchetti. Chris Porter had his fourth goal of the season for Minnesota, which had scored at least five goals in the four previous games with Torchetti behind the bench.


STARS 5, JETS 3


WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) - Jamie Benn scored twice in the third period and Dallas defeated Winnipeg to end a three-game skid.


Dallas scored three times in the final period, including the 31st and 32nd goals for Benn this season. Colton Sceviour put the Stars up 3-2 at 12:29 of the third on a goal awarded after a video review showed the puck bounced off the in-net camera before ricocheting out.


Dallas also got goals from Jason Spezza and Valeri Nichushkin. John Klingberg had three assists, and Antti Niemi made 22 saves.


Mark Scheifele, Alexander Burmistrov and Andrew Ladd scored for the Jets, who lost their fourth straight.


SENATORS 4, OILERS 1


EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) - Zack Smith had a goal and an assist as Ottawa ran its winning streak to four games by defeating Edmonton.


Nick Paul, Alex Chiasson and Mark Stone also scored for the Senators, hoping for a late surge into the Eastern Conference playoffs similar to the one they managed last season.


Jordan Eberle had the goal for the Oilers, who have lost five in a row and are once again in last place in the NHL.

 

[CNOTES]

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




MON at WAS 07:00 PM


WAS -214




PIT at BOS 07:30 PM


PIT +102 BEST BET




SJ at COL 10:00 PM

COL +130 BEST BET




BUF at ANA 10:30 PM


BUF +230 BEST BET

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Wild (27-23) at Flyers (26-22)
Date: February 25, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

John Torchetti's winning streak to start his tenure with Minnesota is over, and stopping it from flipping immediately into a losing streak will require the Wild to extend their season-best road run.


They head to Philadelphia, where the Flyers begin a six-game stretch hoping to regain the home form they had a month and a half ago.


The Wild are 4-1-0 under Torchetti, and while they're embarking on a back-to-back road set concluding Friday against Washington having won three straight on the road under their new coach, they're also concerned with getting it right on home ice after Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders.


"Right now, we have to focus on the road, heading down there, and getting those games," said center Charlie Coyle, who has scored in six of the last eight away games, including the past three. "We have to get back to playing our game, and our style of hockey here, and take care of business in our building."


The Wild (27-23-10) scored 21 times in Torchetti's first four games with those wins coming by at least two goals each, and he said the departure from that was caused by the team being out of sync.


"It seemed like every time the puck was going, we were coming, and every time the puck was coming, we were going," Torchetti said. "We have to do a better job with our puck possession."


The power play has improved some under Torchetti, going 5 for 21, and the Wild have scored at least one power-play goal in their last eight away games while converting at a rate of 31.0 percent.


The Flyers (26-22-11) opened the season series with a 4-3 overtime win in Minnesota on Jan. 7 for their fifth victory in the last seven meetings.


Philadelphia is returning home from a 2-2-1 trip that ended with Tuesday's 3-1 loss to Carolina, despite putting 37 shots on net. The Flyers have outshot their last three opponents by 9.7 per game.


"We played a good hockey game, a real good hockey game, really in almost every area," coach Dave Hakstol told the team's official website. "Their goaltender was the difference. You walk away from this one and we didn't get the two points, and that's all that really matters at this time of year. But we did play a hell of a hockey game. So we've got to carry that play and that mentality into a home game in two days, and we'll do that."


The Flyers, however, have gone 2-3-3 at home since a six-game winning streak there ended in mid-January.


Shayne Gostisbehere's 15-game point streak was one of the casualties of Tuesday's loss, something the rookie defenseman isn't overly sad to see go.


"It was a special streak," Gostisbehere said. "I really can't thank my teammates and coaches (enough). They helped me along the way, not letting me think about it too much, and the biggest thing, not getting a big head about it. It was a fun thing. I'm personally happy it's over and we don't have to talk about it anymore."


Steve Mason figures to be back in net after Michal Neuvirth faced the Hurricanes and replaced Mason in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win in Toronto. Mason has posted a 1.98 goals-against average and .934 save percentage over a 3-1-0 span against Minnesota, whereas likely counterpart Devan Dubnyk has lost both his career games in Philadelphia with a 3.57 GAA and .883 save percentage.


The Wild placed forward Jason Zucker on injured reserve Wednesday because of a concussion suffered in Sunday's 6-1 win over Chicago. Zucker is tied for fourth on the team with 12 goals.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Devils (30-24) at Blue Jackets (24-29)
Date: February 25, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New Jersey Devils avoided matching their longest losing streak of the season by beating an arch-rival.


Now they can't afford another slip-up against a Metropolitan Division foe that has been a thorn in their side.


The Devils have dropped four straight to the Columbus Blue Jackets heading into Thursday night's matchup at Nationwide Arena.


New Jersey (30-24-7) ended a three-game slide with Tuesday's 5-2 home win over the New York Rangers. The Devils posted their highest goal total in 13 games by rallying from a goal down after one period as five different players scored.


"It's a huge rivalry game, you always want to beat those teams," said winger Lee Stempniak, who ended a personal nine-game goal drought.


The losing streak has seen the Devils drop outside the playoff picture, and they know they must improve down the stretch.


'It's a big win,' Stempniak said. 'You can see where we are in the standings. Losing three games, it's tough to keep pace with teams. To not get points in three straight, you are going to fall behind.'


New Jersey could use two points Thursday against the division's worst team, although Columbus (24-29-8) likely poses a bigger threat than its place in the standings suggests.


The Blue Jackets are 7-2-3 in their last 12 games and, more pertinent to this matchup, have taken the last four between the teams. That includes a pair of low-scoring road contests this season, 3-1 on Oct. 27 and 2-1 on Nov. 25.


Columbus returns home after winning 6-4 at Boston on Monday and losing 2-1 in a shootout in Detroit the next night. Boone Jenner scored three goals in those games to give him 22 to match Brandon Saad for the team lead.


The Blue Jackets outshot both opponents, and coach John Tortorella was happy with the trip.


"That's where I think our biggest improvement is, is when there are surges and there is momentum coming at you, we just stay with it, we don't break away and open up, we don't try to do too much, we just settle ourselves down and play," Tortorella said. "And for the most part with this trip here, we have done a really good job with that."


It may be difficult to translate that solid play over at home, where Columbus has scored one goal in back-to-back defeats.


Curtis McElhinney made his first start since Jan. 2 on Tuesday after being out with an ankle injury. Joonas Korpisalo, who started the previous 12 games, has never faced the Devils.


The Devils will have to figure out how to use their goalies in the start of a back-to-back set capped by Friday's home game against Tampa Bay. Cory Schneider is 0-3-1 with a 2.80 goals-against average in his last four starts against the Blue Jackets while backup Keith Kinkaid is the other option.


New Jersey's goalies have had to endure playing in front of an offense that is the league's worst in goals (2.2) and shots on goal (24.6) per game.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Coyotes (27-27) at Panthers (34-18)
Date: February 25, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Jaromir Jagr's march up the NHL's all-time scoring list at age 44 is a remarkable feat, something his much younger teammates appreciate even more as it helps keep Florida atop the Atlantic Division despite being short-handed recently.


The Panthers will get Aleksander Barkov and Erik Gudbranson back Thursday night, but the bad news is that Jonathan Huberdeau now is nursing his own injury.


Huberdeau will be out at least against the visiting Arizona Coyotes, whose playoff hopes are fading during a rough start to their road trip.


Barkov scored in four consecutive games and had at least a point in six straight before he was hit in the head illegally by Detroit's Justin Abdelkader in a loss Feb. 8. Gudbranson hasn't played since Feb. 4 because of an upper-body injury, and the Panthers (34-18-7) have gone just 3-3-2 since he went down.


They're both ready to return against the Coyotes (27-27-6) with Florida holding a three-point lead on Tampa Bay for the division lead thanks in part to Jagr. Jagr helped the Panthers pick up a point in a 2-1 shootout loss to San Jose last Thursday by scoring in the third period, then scored twice in Saturday's 3-1 win over Winnipeg.


Jagr moved ahead of Brett Hull for third on the NHL's scoring list with 742 goals, trailing only Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe.


'I don't really think about it. I wanted to make sure I played a little bit better (Saturday),' Jagr said. "There's a million people who wanted to be in my position. If I can play in the NHL, why not keep going?'


Jagr's 20 goals and 43 points lead the Panthers, and Huberdeau and Jussi Jokinen have a team-high 29 assists apiece. Huberdeau, though, suffered an upper-body injury after going into the boards awkwardly against the Jets, and he'll have to sit out at least one game.


Not having the 22-year-old standout could be a blow, but Roberto Luongo hopes Florida won't have to score much anyway. He made 29 saves to beat Winnipeg after allowing at least three goals in each of his previous five starts, and he wasn't given the start in two straight before being back in net Saturday.


Luongo made 32 saves in Florida's 2-1 win over Arizona in the last matchup Oct. 30, 2014, to help the Panthers end a four-game losing streak in the series, and he'll be in goal again for this one.


'I wasn't happy obviously with my last few starts,' Luongo said. 'Put in a good week of work. Usually it gets you over the hump and I felt good in the game. I felt sharp.'


The Coyotes will try to solve Luongo and snap a three-game skid. This will be their third contest in four nights after falling 3-2 to Washington on Monday and 2-1 to Tampa Bay on Tuesday to start their five-game trip.


Arizona sits in 10th place in the Western Conference and is chasing Colorado for the last wild-card spot, but it has three games in hand on the Avalanche.


"We're running out of games here," said rookie Jordan Martinook, who had an assist against the Capitals and scored against the Lightning. "The teams that we're chasing are winning. Sometimes you can work hard but you're not getting the results. We need to come out against Florida and play as desperate as we can."


Louis Domingue was in net for both games to begin the trip. It's unclear if he'll get the start in this one.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hurricanes (28-23) at Maple Leafs (20-28)
Date: February 25, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Carolina hasn't conceded a season series to Toronto in nearly a decade, and it seems unlikely to change given the Maple Leafs' defensive zone struggles and the extended proficiency of the Hurricanes' goaltender.


Nevertheless, that run is on the line Thursday night in Toronto with the Maple Leafs a loss away from their third skid of at least five games.


Carolina (28-23-10) is looking to string together wins after Tuesday's 3-1 home win over Philadelphia and improve on a 5-2-2 span over which it's totaled 27 goals.


Joakim Nordstrom scored in a third straight game, Jordan Staal scored for the fourth time in five games and has 12 points in his last nine, and Eric Staal ended a 16-game goal drought but was left thinking the Hurricanes could have shown more after being outshot 37-18. It matched a season low-shot total, and the margin of 19 was their worst of the season.


"It wasn't our best game, but (goaltender) Cam (Ward) was our best player by a stretch," Eric Staal told the team's official website. "It was nice to get some timely goals and a regulation win against a team that's trying to catch us."


It led coach Bill Peters to introduce new lines in practice Wednesday, highlighted by center Victor Rask joining the top line and moving Eric Staal to left wing.


"It looked like it got stale a little bit," Peters said. "I'm not saying that's what we'll go with but I at least wanted to practice with them in case we do go with that."


Ward made 36 saves and improved to 9-4-4 with a 1.84 goals-against average and .930 save percentage dating to Dec. 18. He's limited the Maple Leafs to a goal in his last three games against them as part of a 7-1-2 span with a 1.68 GAA and .941 save percentage.


The Hurricanes are 22-7-2 since losing three of four to the Maple Leafs in 2006-07, a run that includes a 1-0 win in Toronto on Jan. 21 and 2-1 shootout loss in Carolina on Nov. 20. Over a 5-0-1 span in the series, Carolina has outscored Toronto 18-5. Jordan Staal has six goals and six assists in 10 games against the Leafs since joining the Hurricanes, including the only goal last month.


"We've played them hard both times, but they've been low-scoring, tight, highly-contested games," Peters said. "I don't expect anything different."


He might want to take a better look at the Maple Leafs recent results. Toronto (20-28-10) has given up 36 goals during a 1-6-1 span, and it didn't have a defenseman over 25 years old in Tuesday's 3-2 home loss to Nashville.


"If you think that I'm not trying to get these guys to play as hard as they can possibly play, you're missing the boat," coach Mike Babcock told the team's official website. "They give me a group and I do everything I can to help that team win. We go through how are we going to win (Thursday)."


Josh Leivo scored for a third straight game, though Toronto has yet to win in the 22-year-old's seven NHL games this season. Defenseman Morgan Rielly, 21, scored the other and has played right around 26 minutes in each of the last two games.


"These young guys, including myself, have a chance to grow, have a chance to get more responsibility and play in more situations and I think it's going to help us out in the long run," Rielly said.


Jonathan Bernier will start hoping to end a seven-game winless stretch that includes a 0-5-0 record, 3.92 GAA and .872 save percentage.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Predators (29-21) at Blackhawks (38-19)
Date: February 25, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Chicago Blackhawks played a stinker during their only game over the last week and return to an indoor venue now in second place in the Central Division.


That's still a cushy playoff position compared to Nashville.


The Predators might be without defenseman Shea Weber as they try to complete a perfect three-game road trip and avoid dropping four of the season's five meetings with Chicago on Thursday night.


The Blackhawks (38-19-5) were off for three days before Sunday's Stadium Series matchup at Minnesota, then allowed the first five goals in a 6-1 defeat. They haven't played since, and Dallas jumped back on top of the Central by a point with a win Tuesday.


Third-place St. Louis has pulled to within two of Chicago by taking four out of six points over the last week. The Blackhawks finished third in the division last season and went on to win the Stanley Cup, so the focus is on themselves at this point.


Chicago has gone 2-3-1 since Feb. 9.


"We can't overlook any team or any game at this point," goaltender Corey Crawford said. "Playoffs can't really be in our mind right now."


Crawford was pulled before the third period against the Wild after giving up four goals and before Patrick Kane scored for his NHL-leading 84th point. He's been in net for all three wins against the Predators (29-21-11) this season while posting a 1.33 goals-against average.


Crawford made 38 saves in a 4-1 victory in the last meeting Jan. 19 that capped the Blackhawks' franchise-record 12-game winning streak, as Kane had a goal and an assist.


Nashville's best chance for a playoff berth is to secure a wild-card spot, and it sits seventh in the West, narrowly ahead of Colorado.


"It's always tough games against them," Crawford said. "They can be dangerous. We have to be ready for that team. They're battling for a playoff spot and we want to keep moving up."


The Predators have earned at least a point in seven straight to help their playoff chances and picked up two in each contest of this road trip, beating Montreal 2-1 in a shootout Monday before a 3-2 win over Toronto the following night.


Filip Forsberg registered the first regular-season hat trick of his career against the Maple Leafs after having one in last year's first-round playoff loss to Chicago. Linemates Craig Smith and Mike Ribeiro each had an assist.


"Me and (Ribeiro and Smith) have really connected lately and are just playing really good hockey," said Forsberg, who has nine goals and three assists over his last nine and has scored twice against Chicago this season. "We're spending a lot of time in the offensive zone and that helps a lot."


Weber missed his first game of the season with a lower-body injury, though, and is considered day to day. Roman Josi instead paired with Ryan Ellis, and they'll likely be together again if Weber can't go.


"In this league, you just have to collect points somehow," Josi said. "You want to win every game, but even if you find a way to get one point in some games, it's a good thing.


"It's going to be a tough one against Chicago, one of the best teams in the league. Hopefully, we can get another win."


Pekka Rinne has a 0.97 GAA while going 2-0-1 in his last three starts and has a 2.54 GAA while starting all four against the Blackhawks this season.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rangers (34-20) at Blues (35-18)
Date: February 25, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Arguably no team has been more beset by injuries than the St. Louis Blues, and perhaps none has been more resilient.


With Brian Elliott the latest addition to the walking wounded, the Blues will be tested once more Thursday night against a New York Rangers team that could have some key reinforcements back.


In a season in which such notables as Jaden Schwartz, Kevin Shattenkirk, Paul Stastny, Jake Allen and Patrik Berglund have all missed at least 10 games, St. Louis (35-18-9) has utilized all its resources to sit just three points out of first place in the top-heavy Central Division.


That enviable depth has taken another big hit in the past few days. After Alexander Steen, second on the team with 17 goals and 47 points, sustained an upper-body injury in Saturday's 6-4 win at Arizona, Elliott exited Monday's 6-3 loss against San Jose in the first period with a lower-body issue.


Both are expected to miss at least four weeks, joining defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (knee) on the sidelines. Forward Ryan Reaves is also out after being suspended for three games for an illegal hit on the Sharks' Matt Tennyson.


"Seems to be order of the day of the year, eh?," coach Ken Hitchcock said.


Elliott's injury comes during one of the best stretches of his career. The veteran goaltender is 12-3-2 with a 1.91 goals-against average in 18 consecutive starts with Allen sidelined by a knee injury, and had won five straight prior to Monday.


Allen stopped 15 of 17 shots in relief in his first action since Jan. 8.


Steen's production may be easier to replace with the Blues' other top forwards playing well. Vladimir Tarasenko has five points in two games after recording a goal and two assists against San Jose and David Backes has scored in two straight. Schwartz has four goals and two assists in six games since returning from a fractured ankle.


New York (34-20-6) felt the brunt of captain Ryan McDonagh and fellow defenseman Marc Staal's absences in Tuesday's 5-2 loss at New Jersey. The Rangers were outshot 36-19, including 17-5 in the second period when they allowed two of New Jersey's four unanswered goals.


'It could have been our worst period of the year,' coach Alain Vigneault said. 'Not to take anything away from Jersey but after what I believe was a real solid period where we had some real good looks, it was mistake after mistake in the second period."


McDonagh, who's missed six of the last eight with a concussion and jaw contusion, and Staal (lower body) did make the trip, with one or both expected to play.


McDonagh had a power-play goal in a 6-3 home win over the Blues on Nov. 12, in which Allen was pulled after allowing three goals on five shots in just 14:38.


Allen has been very good on home ice, though, having compiled an 11-6-1 record and 1.96 GAA in 18 starts at Scottrade Center.


Henrik Lundqvist has won two straight against St. Louis after losing his first four career meetings, making 31 saves in the most recent matchup and 23 in a 3-2 road victory on Oct. 9, 2014. He's coming off a 31-save effort against New Jersey and owns a 1.74 GAA in winning six of his last eight starts.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Jets (25-30) at Stars (38-17)
Date: February 25, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

After ending their recent slide with another win over the Winnipeg Jets, the Dallas Stars quickly get the chance to complete a sweep of the season series.


The Stars conclude this home-and-home set looking to hand the visiting Jets a fifth consecutive defeat Thursday night.


Jamie Benn scored twice as Dallas (38-17-6) broke open a tie game with three third-period goals to win 5-3 at Winnipeg on Tuesday. The victory snapped an 0-2-1 skid in which the Stars yielded 13 goals in the last two.


"We are going to see (the Jets) again so they wanted to make a statement, and that's what we wanted to do, too," Stars defenseman John Klingberg told the team's official website. "It was a fun game to play. We are happy with the win.


"We have a confident habit. If we just stick to our game plan, we will win the game."


Dallas has totaled 17 non-shootout goals and gone 5 of 15 on the power play in winning the first four meetings from Winnipeg (25-30-4) this season. Benn has three of his 32 goals and Klingberg has two with five assists against the Jets.


Antti Niemi, who made 22 saves Tuesday, and Kari Lehtonen each have two victories against the Jets this season. Lehtonen has a 1.92 goals-against average during the season series while Niemi has posted a 3.00 GAA.


Back atop the Western Conference by one point over Chicago, Dallas won't make a deal simply to do it as Monday's trade deadline approaches.


"We're in a good spot," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "We don't have to do something. If there's something there we'll do it if it makes us better. But I'm not going to give up something for a short-term fix for a month and go from there. It's not worth it."


Second-to-last in the West, the Jets are likely sellers heading into the deadline, and veteran forward Andrew Ladd continues to be associated with most of the trade rumors. Aware Ladd might be in his final days as a Jet, Winnipeg fans gave him an extended ovation after he scored for the fourth time in three games Tuesday.


'I guess it's different for me because nothing is set in stone and you don't know what's going on,' said Ladd, an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. 'You're still out there trying to play a hockey game obviously, appreciate the ovation after the goal.'


Ladd, whose 17 goals are tied for the team lead, has two with an assist against the Stars this season.


Teammate Ondrej Pavelec has dropped three in a row and yielded nine goals in his last two starts.


"As a team, our confidence is low right now," said Pavelec, who has allowed four goals apiece in two starts against Dallas this season. "It's about winning and losing. Sometimes we're playing good, but we can't win the game, sometimes we're close, but close is not enough.


"There's going to be another game. We're going to go to Dallas on the road, so we need the points."


The Jets, who lost a season-high six straight from Nov. 5-16, have allowed their last four opponents to go 5 for 19 on the power play.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Islanders (32-19) at Flames (26-30)
Date: February 25, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Building momentum behind John Tavares and an improving power play, the New York Islanders are trying to remain perfect on their longest road trip of the season.


Tavares looks to continue his surge and help the Islanders extend their success against the struggling Calgary Flames on Thursday night.


New York is 6-1-1 in its last eight games, averaging 3.6 goals while going 8 for 26 on the power play. The Islanders (32-19-7) were 9 for 66 on the man advantage over the previous 20.


Tavares is a catalyst to that progress, getting five of his 12 points over the last eight games on the power play. The captain has 20 points in the past 16, recording at least one 13 times.


Tavares' goal and assist both came on power plays in Tuesday's 4-1 win at Minnesota after the Islanders opened this seven-game trip with a 1-0 victory over New Jersey on Friday.


"We're shooting more pucks and we're hungrier on the rebounds," said center Frans Nielsen, who had two goals against the Wild. "We have a simpler power play right now."


The schedule is also giving New York a chance to build steam. None of the games on this trip are on back-to-back days, and the first six opponents are currently out of playoff position. The Islanders conclude the trek against the New York Rangers on March 6.


They're 8-3-0 in the last 11 meetings with the Flames (26-30-3), winning three straight after Nielsen scored twice in a 4-0 home victory Oct. 26.


Tavares didn't factor in the scoring after getting nine points over his previous five matchups.


Jaroslav Halak has dominated the Flames, shutting them out twice and yielding two goals on 112 shots while winning four straight meetings. He stopped 29 shots earlier this season and has won the first two games of this trip by saving 57 of 58 attempts.


"He was focused and determined," coach Jack Capuano told the team's official website Tuesday. "Overall I liked Jaro's game, but our defense especially."


Calgary has allowed 4.0 goals per game while dropping five of six following Tuesday's 2-1 loss at Los Angeles.


Joni Ortio, though, made a case for more playing time as he stopped 35 shots in his first start since losing 6-2 to Montreal on Oct. 30. Ortio was recalled from Stockton of the AHL earlier this month after Karri Ramo was lost for the season with a knee injury.


Jonas Hiller has failed to distinguish himself as Ramo's replacement, going 1-3-0 with a 4.38 goals-against average over his last five appearances.


"We really liked his game, and we're going to talk about it as a staff like we always do and we'll come up with our decision for Thursday night against the Islanders," coach Bob Hartley said of Ortio on the team's official website.


Ortio had 31 saves against the Islanders in October and has split two meetings behind a 3.50 GAA. Hiller has a 2.02 GAA while winning two of his last three against New York.


Johnny Gaudreau has one goal in three games against the Islanders, but he's got seven points during a five-game streak after assisting on Sean Monahan's goal Tuesday.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Senators (29-26) at Canucks (23-24)
Date: February 25, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Though confident, the Ottawa Senators aren't too caught up in their current winning stretch.


They seek a season-high fifth consecutive victory Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks, who are looking to win back-to-back home games for the first time in two months.


Third-liner Zack Smith scored in his third straight game and Craig Anderson stopped 31 shots as Ottawa (29-26-6) snapped a four-game road slide by opening its three-city trek through Western Canada with Tuesday's 4-1 victory at Edmonton. The Senators have allowed six goals during their four-game winning streak after yielding 11 in a three-game skid.


'We've done a good job of stringing some wins together here,' said Smith, who has six of his career-high 15 goals in the last nine games. "To get one off the start of this road trip is huge. We need a big road trip to make a big push here at the end.'


Ottawa is 11th in the Eastern Conference but within striking distance of the final wild-card spot. This current surge gives the Senators hope but also serves as a reminder there is little room for error.


"We want to keep this thing going, because we still have a lot of work to do," forward Curtis Lazar told the Senators' official website. "Winning is fun and confidence can be a scary thing, but we can't look to far ahead.


"The game against Vancouver is going to be big, and anytime the puck drops we have to be ready to go."


Ottawa has won back-to-back road games once in its last 18 away from home. It's recorded four points over the last three trips to Vancouver and also beat the Canucks 3-2 on Nov. 12.


After being outscored 22-9 during a season-high six-game (0-5-1) home losing streak, Vancouver broke out for a 5-1 rout of Colorado on Sunday. The Canucks (23-24-12) haven't won two straight at Rogers Arena since a three-game run Dec. 7-26.


'It was good to get some separation, let the guys feel good about themselves,' said Ryan Miller, who made 37 saves after yielding seven goals in his previous two starts. 'In spite of how the games have been going there's been some hard work.'


The Canucks are 11th in the West, but unlike Ottawa, they have more ground to make up in order to move into playoff position. At least they have something positive to build on.


"Our last game was good and now it's a matter of keeping the same intensity for the upcoming game and try to play the same way," Vancouver forward Sven Baertschi said.


Forward Markus Granlund appears set to make his Canucks debut after being acquired from Calgary on Monday for rookie Hunter Shinkaruk. Granlund, who has bounced back and forth between the NHL and AHL in his third season, had four goals and three assists in 31 games for the Flames.


Henrik Sedin equaled a career high with four assists Sunday. He has 16 in his last 13 games against the Senators.


Teammate Jannik Hansen has four goals in six contests but none in 12 against Ottawa.


In net throughout the winning streak, Anderson also has a 1.61 goals-against average and .950 save percentage in his last eight starts.


Ottawa announced Wednesday it signed rookie defenseman Chris Wideman to a two-year, $1.6 million contract extension. He has five goals and four assists while averaging 14 minutes in 44 games.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Oilers (22-33) at Kings (35-20)
Date: February 25, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The last time Edmonton won in Los Angeles, the Kings were seven months away from winning their first Stanley Cup and Connor McDavid was 14.


There's nothing hinting at that changing Thursday night with the last-place Oilers beginning a back-to-back set in Southern California against the first-place Kings.


That last Oilers' win at the Staple Center was on Nov. 3, 2011, and the Kings have since gone 14-1-3 in the series with seven straight home victories by a 28-8 total. They've won all three meetings this season and seem to be entering this contest well equipped to continue limiting Edmonton's scoring.


After Tuesday's 2-1 home win over Calgary, the Kings (35-20-4) are playing the second of nine straight in the Los Angeles area with eight home contests only disrupted by a Feb. 28 drive to Anaheim. It was their second straight win by that final, and Anze Kopitar scored the winner late in the second period to give the forward five goals in his last five games after sitting out Saturday's overtime win at Nashville because of a lower-body injury.


"We did grind it out," said Kopitar, who has 13 points in his last 10 games against the Oilers. "Maybe we didn't play our best game, but it's that time of year where it doesn't really matter, as long as you get the two points. We certainly realize there's some room for improvement, but we have a pretty nice homestand now. We just need to keep building momentum at home and taking care of business."


At the other end, Jonathan Quick continued to impress and has a 1.59 goals-against average in five straight games of giving up at most two goals. Quick's been about as stingy against Edmonton, posting a 1.57 mark over a 12-0-3 span since that 2011 loss.


Even if he does slip up, there's a decent chance Los Angeles will be able to make up for it. Edmonton (22-33-6) has lost a season-worst five in a row, including four straight in regulation. After Tuesday's 4-1 home loss to Ottawa, the Oilers have given up an average of 3.64 goals per game over a 3-10-1 span.


Edmonton coach Todd McLellan was left questioning his team's character and whether many of his players should be with the team past Monday's trade deadline.


"I have a huge concern because the spirit of the team isn't where it needs to be," McLellan said. "There has to be 10 guys in there that have so much pride that they pull the rest of the guys along. We'll see what happens over the next six or seven days. Maybe there are some guys waiting for that. It's got to get better or we need to make huge, huge changes."


McDavid is one player who's clearly going nowhere, and though he's only played in one of the games against the Kings, they've taken notice. He assisted on Jordan Eberle's goal against the Senators, giving him 16 points in his last 11 games.


"We've only played him once. He's a high-end player," Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter told the Kings' official website. "He's 18 years old playing in a men's league, and his production, if he'd played every game, his production is with the top handful of guys in the league."


Cam Talbot has been in goal for the four straight regulation losses and has gone 1-6-0 with a 3.56 GAA in his last eight games. He's 1-4-0 with a 3.91 mark against the Kings.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL MONEYLINE


NHL > (69) EDMONTON@ (70) LOS ANGELES | 2016-02-25 22:35:00 - 2016-02-25 22:35:00
Play AGAINST EDMONTON using money line in Road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 2 Wins and 22 Losses for the last two seasons (-17.7 units)


NHL > (55) CAROLINA@ (56) TORONTO | 2016-02-25 19:35:00 - 2016-02-25 19:35:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 15 Wins and 51 Losses for the last two seasons (-34.25 units)


NHL > (53) MINNESOTA@ (54) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-25 19:05:00 - 2016-02-25 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 20 Wins and 44 Losses for the last two seasons (-31.55 units)


NHL > (55) CAROLINA@ (56) TORONTO | 2016-02-25 19:35:00 - 2016-02-25 19:35:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in All games revenging a home loss versus opponent
The record is 6 Wins and 28 Losses for the last two seasons (-20.25 units)

NHL > (61) NASHVILLE@ (62) CHICAGO | 2016-02-25 20:05:00 - 2016-02-25 20:05:00
Play AGAINST NASHVILLE using money line in All games
The record is 1 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (-8.95 units)


NHL > (67) OTTAWA@ (68) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-25 22:05:00 - 2016-02-25 22:05:00
Play AGAINST VANCOUVER using money line in All games
The record is 7 Wins and 15 Losses for the this season (-14.5 units)


NHL > (67) OTTAWA@ (68) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-25 22:05:00 - 2016-02-25 22:05:00
Play ON VANCOUVER using money line in Home games after 3 or more consecutive overs
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the last three seasons (+9 units)


NHL > (53) MINNESOTA@ (54) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-25 19:05:00 - 2016-02-25 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 7 Wins and 17 Losses for the this season (-14.25 units)


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


NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (69) EDMONTON@ (70) LOS ANGELES | 2016-02-25 22:35:00 - 2016-02-25 22:35:00
Play AGAINST EDMONTON in Road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 2 Wins and 22 Losses for the last two seasons (-17.7 units)


NHL > (55) CAROLINA@ (56) TORONTO | 2016-02-25 19:35:00 - 2016-02-25 19:35:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in All games second half of the season
The record is 15 Wins and 51 Losses for the last two seasons (-34.25 units)

NHL > (53) MINNESOTA@ (54) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-25 19:05:00 - 2016-02-25 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 20 Wins and 44 Losses for the last two seasons (-31.55 units)


NHL > (55) CAROLINA@ (56) TORONTO | 2016-02-25 19:35:00 - 2016-02-25 19:35:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in All games revenging a home loss versus opponent
The record is 6 Wins and 28 Losses for the last two seasons (-20.25 units)


NHL > (67) OTTAWA@ (68) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-25 22:05:00 - 2016-02-25 22:05:00
Play ON VANCOUVER in Home games after 3 or more consecutive overs
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the last three seasons (+9 units)


NHL > (67) OTTAWA@ (68) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-25 22:05:00 - 2016-02-25 22:05:00
Play AGAINST VANCOUVER in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 5 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (-11 units)


NHL > (53) MINNESOTA@ (54) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-25 19:05:00 - 2016-02-25 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA in All games second half of the season
The record is 7 Wins and 17 Losses for the this season (-14.25 units)



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


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (61) NASHVILLE@ (62) CHICAGO | 2016-02-25 20:05:00 - 2016-02-25 20:05:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 2 Overs and 13 Unders for the this season (+11.25 units)


NHL > (55) CAROLINA@ (56) TORONTO | 2016-02-25 19:35:00 - 2016-02-25 19:35:00
Play OVER TORONTO on the totalin All games in February games
The record is 8 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+8.4 units)


NHL > (53) MINNESOTA@ (54) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-25 19:05:00 - 2016-02-25 19:05:00
Play OVER MINNESOTA on the totalin All games in February games
The record is 9 Overs and 1 Unders for the this season (+8.3 units)

NHL > (51) NEW JERSEY@ (52) COLUMBUS | 2016-02-25 19:05:00 - 2016-02-25 19:05:00
Play UNDER NEW JERSEY on the totalin Road games in February games
The record is 18 Overs and 49 Unders for the since 1992 (+29.95 units)


NHL > (67) OTTAWA@ (68) VANCOUVER | 2016-02-25 22:05:00 - 2016-02-25 22:05:00
Play UNDER VANCOUVER on the totalin All games when playing with 3 or more days rest
The record is 3 Overs and 14 Unders for the last three seasons (+11.35 units)

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, February 25

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

NEW JERSEY (30-24-0-7, 67 pts.) at COLUMBUS (24-29-0-8, 56 pts.) - 2/25/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 7-3 (+4.0 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 7-3-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.5 Units)

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

MINNESOTA (27-23-0-10, 64 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (26-22-0-11, 63 pts.) - 2/25/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 3-2 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 3-2-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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

CAROLINA (28-23-0-10, 66 pts.) at TORONTO (20-28-0-10, 50 pts.) - 2/25/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 17-45 ATS (+80.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
CAROLINA is 14-6 ATS (+8.0 Units) after a division game this season.
TORONTO is 50-90 ATS (-54.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 15-51 ATS (+77.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 75-89 ATS (-51.2 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1996.
TORONTO is 6-28 ATS (+37.4 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 27-60 ATS (+108.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 20-38 ATS (+66.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 6-21 ATS (-17.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 6-2 (+4.5 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 6-2-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.7 Units)

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

ARIZONA (27-27-0-6, 60 pts.) at FLORIDA (34-18-0-7, 75 pts.) - 2/25/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 15-49 ATS (+96.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 34-25 ATS (+70.8 Units) in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 12-4 ATS (+16.6 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 13-5 ATS (+18.7 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
FLORIDA is 161-181 ATS (+365.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
FLORIDA is 184-208 ATS (-79.7 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
FLORIDA is 136-210 ATS (+387.0 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
FLORIDA is 164-162 ATS (-35.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
FLORIDA is 153-191 ATS (-73.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA is 3-1-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.0 Units)

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

NY RANGERS (34-20-0-6, 74 pts.) at ST LOUIS (35-18-0-9, 79 pts.) - 2/25/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 9-16 ATS (-8.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
NY RANGERS are 98-63 ATS (+13.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 57-31 ATS (+14.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 25-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 19-10 ATS (+8.9 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 15-8 ATS (+23.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 3-2 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 3-2-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.7 Units)

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

NASHVILLE (29-21-0-11, 69 pts.) at CHICAGO (38-19-0-5, 81 pts.) - 2/25/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 29-32 ATS (-14.5 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 6-14 ATS (-10.7 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NASHVILLE is 12-25 ATS (+37.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 204-167 ATS (+29.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
CHICAGO is 4-8 ATS (-10.9 Units) in home games in February games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 309-319 ATS (+639.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 20-23 ATS (-23.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 11-8-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.5 Units)

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

WINNIPEG (25-30-0-4, 54 pts.) at DALLAS (38-17-0-6, 82 pts.) - 2/25/2016, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 7-15 ATS (-8.6 Units) after a division game this season.
WINNIPEG is 47-37 ATS (+85.9 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 8-5 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 8-5-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.5 Units)

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

NY ISLANDERS (32-19-0-7, 71 pts.) at CALGARY (26-30-0-3, 55 pts.) - 2/25/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY ISLANDERS are 7-12 ATS (-9.8 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
CALGARY is 76-76 ATS (-33.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 11-3 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games in non-conference games this season.
CALGARY is 19-11 ATS (+7.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 16-9 ATS (+26.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 16-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 3-2 (+0.4 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 3-2-0 straight up against CALGARY 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)

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

OTTAWA (29-26-0-6, 64 pts.) at VANCOUVER (23-24-0-12, 58 pts.) - 2/25/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 28-20 ATS (+49.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 23-36 ATS (-19.2 Units) in all games this season.
VANCOUVER is 221-213 ATS (-115.0 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 11-18 ATS (+29.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
VANCOUVER is 0-5 ATS (-6.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 3-2 (+1.4 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 3-2-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.3 Units)

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

EDMONTON (22-33-0-6, 50 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (35-20-0-4, 74 pts.) - 2/25/2016, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 10-2 (+5.4 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 10-2-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.0 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, February 25

Hot teams
-- Minnesota won four of its last five games.
-- Carolina won four of its last six games.
-- St Louis won five of last six games. Rangers won seven of their last ten games.
-- Predators won three of their last four games.
-- Islanders won six of their last eight games.
-- Senators won their last four games.

Cold teams
-- New Jersey, Columbus both lost three of their last four games.
-- Flyers lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Maple Leafs lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Arizona lost last three games, scoring seven goals. Florida lost four of last six at home.
-- Chicago lost three of its last four home games.
-- Winnipeg lost its last four games, three by one goal. Dallas lost three of last four games.
-- Calgary lost their of its last six games.
-- Vancouver lost four of its last five games.
-- Edmonton lost eight of its last nine games. Kings are 4-5 in their last nine.

Series records
-- Devils lost their last four games with Columbus.
-- Flyers won three of last four games with Minnesota.
-- Carolina won five of last six games with Toronto.
-- Arizona won six of its last eight games with Florida.
-- Rangers lost seven of last ten games with St Louis.
-- Chicago won six of last eight games with Nashville.
-- Dallas Stars won five of last six games with Winnipeg.
-- Islanders won six of last eight games with Calgary.
-- Ottawa won three of last four games with Vancouver.
-- Kings won five of last six games with Edmonton.

Totals
-- Under is 4-0-2 in last six New Jersey-Columbus games.
-- Over is 8-1-1 in last ten Minnesota games.
-- Last five Carolina-Toronto games stayed under.
-- Last six Arizona-Florida games stayed under total.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Ranger-St Louis games.
-- Last five Nashville games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Winnipeg-Dallas games went over total.
-- Last four Islander games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Vancouver games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-0-2 in last eight Edmonton-Los Angeles games.

Back-to-backs
-- None

 

[CNOTES]

NHL

Thursday, February 25

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

7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games on the road
Minnesota is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
Philadelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota

7:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. COLUMBUS
New Jersey is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
New Jersey is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Columbus
Columbus is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Columbus's last 6 games when playing New Jersey

7:30 PM
ARIZONA vs. FLORIDA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Arizona's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 5 games when playing Arizona
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona

7:30 PM
CAROLINA vs. TORONTO
Carolina is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Carolina's last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Carolina
Toronto is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games

8:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Nashville's last 5 games
Nashville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Nashville
Chicago is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games at home

8:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. ST. LOUIS
NY Rangers are 3-8 SU in their last 11 games when playing St. Louis
NY Rangers are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of St. Louis's last 13 games
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

8:30 PM
WINNIPEG vs. DALLAS
Winnipeg is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Winnipeg is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games on the road
Dallas is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Dallas's last 11 games

9:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. CALGARY
NY Islanders are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Islanders last 6 games when playing Calgary
Calgary is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against NY Islanders
Calgary is 8-4 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against NY Islanders

10:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. VANCOUVER
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ottawa's last 7 games on the road
Ottawa is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vancouver's last 5 games when playing at home against Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vancouver's last 5 games when playing Ottawa

10:30 PM
EDMONTON vs. LOS ANGELES
Edmonton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Edmonton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing Edmonton

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, February 25


Carolina @ Toronto

Game 55-56
February 25, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Carolina
12.739
Toronto
10.388
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Carolina
by 2 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Carolina
-135
5
Dunkel Pick:
Carolina
(-135); Under

Arizona @ Florida

Game 57-58
February 25, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
10.079
Florida
11.578
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
-175
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
(-175); Over

NY Rangers @ St. Louis

Game 59-60
February 25, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Rangers
12.717
St. Louis
11.326
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Rangers
by 1 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
NY Rangers
(+110); Over

Nashville @ Chicago

Game 61-62
February 25, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
12.339
Chicago
11.551
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
-145
5
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(+125); Under

Winnipeg @ Dallas

Game 63-64
February 25, 2016 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg
9.842
Dallas
11.478
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
-200
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(-200); Over

NY Islanders @ Calgary

Game 65-66
February 25, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Islanders
11.939
Calgary
10.406
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Islanders
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Islanders
-135
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Islanders
(-135); Under

Ottawa @ Vancouver

Game 67-68
February 25, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ottawa
12.114
Vancouver
10.687
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ottawa
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Vancouver
-115
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Ottawa
(-105); Under

Edmonton @ Los Angeles

Game 69-70
February 25, 2016 @ 10:31 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
13.027
Los Angeles
11.937
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 1
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
-225
5
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
(+185); Over

New Jersey @ Columbus

Game 51-52
February 25, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Jersey
11.194
Columbus
9.727
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New Jersey
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Columbus
-120
5
Dunkel Pick:
New Jersey
(+100); Under

Minnesota @ Philadelphia

Game 53-54
February 25, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
13.739
Philadelphia
10.273
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 3 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
-115
5
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-105); Over

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, February 25

New Jersey at Columbus, 7:05 PM ET
New Jersey: N/A
Columbus: N/A

Minnesota at Philadelphia, 7:05 PM ET
Minnesota: N/A
Philadelphia: N/A

Carolina at Toronto, 7:35 PM ET
Carolina: 14-6 SU after a division game
Toronto: 6-18 SU when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days

Arizona at Florida, 7:35 PM ET
Arizona: 7-25 SU after a close loss by 1 goal in their previous game
Florida: 13-5 SU after a win by 2 goals or more

NY Rangers at St Louis, 8:05 PM ET
New York: 9-1 SU on road after scoring 2 goals or less in 2 straight games
St Louis: 18-45 SU after allowing 6 goals or more

Nashville at Chicago, 8:05 PM ET
Nashville: 1-10 SU as a road underdog
Chicago: 14-1 SU after allowing 5 goals or more

Winnipeg at Dallas, 8:35 PM ET
Winnipeg: 20-12 SU after having lost 4 of their last 5 games
Dallas: 7-14 SU in home games off a road win

NY Islanders at Calgary, 9:05 PM ET
New York: 7-12 SU after a win by 2 goals or more
Calgary: 11-3 SU in home games in non-conference games

Ottawa at Vancouver, 10:05 PM ET
Ottawa: 15-7 SU when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days
Vancouver: 1-8 SU off a home win

Edmonton at Los Angeles, 10:35 PM ET
Edmonton: N/A
Los Angeles: N/A

 

[CNOTES]

B]THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25[/B]


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




MIN at PHI 07:00 PM


MIN -105




NJ at CLB 07:00 PM


CLB -123




ARI at FLA 07:30 PM


ARI +144 BEST BET




CAR at TOR 07:30 PM


CAR -149




NYR at STL 08:00 PM


NYR +104 BEST BET




NAS at CHI 08:00 PM


NAS +123 BEST BET




WIN at DAL 08:30 PM


DAL -175




NYI at CAL 09:00 PM


NYI -133




OTT at VAN 10:00 PM


VAN -105




EDM at LA 10:30 PM


EDM +210 BEST BET

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Wild (27-23) at Capitals (44-11)
Date: February 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The honeymoon for John Torchetti is over, and Minnesota is back to scoring goals at the rate that got Mike Yeo fired.


It seems unlikely to change Friday night in Washington without Zach Parise as the Wild take on a Capitals team that's allowed the fewest goals in the league and hasn't lost consecutive games in regulation in nearly a full year.


Torchetti won his first four games after taking over with 21 goals scored. Since, the Wild (27-24-10) have totaled three in consecutive losses with Thursday's 3-2 defeat in Philadelphia beginning a back-to-back set.


The NHL-leading Capitals (44-11-4), meanwhile, are coming off Wednesday's 4-3 home loss to Montreal and are out to avoid their first consecutive regulation losses since March 11 and 13. Washington trailed 3-0 early in the second period and 4-1 entering the third, coming just short of sending it to overtime as its four-game winning streak came to an end. The Capitals trailed in each of those victories.


"We can't come back every night," Nicklas Backstrom said. "That's not going to happen. We have to play a better 60-minute game."


The Capitals have been more vulnerable with 2.87 goals allowed per game over an 11-4-1 span after posting a 2.09 mark though 43 games, but they might have a new defenseman in the lineup against the Wild to help combat that. Washington acquired Mike Weber from Buffalo on Tuesday for a third-round pick in the 2017 draft.


Weber, who was in his eighth season with the Sabres, had a plus-3 rating in 35 games for a team with a minus-23 goal differential.


"Mike is a stay-at-home defenseman, who plays a physical game and is respected by his teammates," Washington general manager Brian MacLellan said. "We felt it was important to add depth to our blue line by adding another quality veteran defenseman."


The Capitals were the second to last team Yeo faced before Minnesota made the change with Washington winning 4-3 on Feb. 11 behind a second-period hat trick from Alex Ovechkin. It's part of a nine-game stretch on which he's scored 10 goals, and the NHL's top goal scorer has nine in his last seven contests with the Wild, including five in his last two.


That three-goal team effort for the Wild matched their best output over the 2-11-3 span on which they averaged 1.87 per game that pushed Yeo out the door, so it's really no surprise things have regressed from their winning streak. Torchetti, however, isn't yet hanging it on his team.


"I liked our effort," Torchetti said. "I just think their goalie was really good tonight. He made a couple of really big saves. I think we should've been playing into overtime."


Thomas Vanek still managed to score for the third time in four games after managing one in his previous 13 and tied Parise for the team lead with 18. Parise missed the game with an upper-body injury and is expected to remain out for at least one more.


Braden Holtby probably won't mind that as he tries to bounce back from allowing three goals on 18 shots before being removed in the second period against the Canadiens. He avoided the loss, though he's 5-1-0 with a 3.28 goals-against average over his last seven games.


Devan Dubnyk has also experienced some struggles lately, going 3-6-0 with a 3.12 GAA this month. He's 0-3-1 on zero days rest this season, though that's mostly because the Wild have scored seven goals in those games. He's won both of his career trips to Washington.