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

[CNOTES]

NHL
Long Sheet

Tuesday, February 2

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MINNESOTA (23-17-0-9, 55 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (25-16-0-6, 56 pts.) - 2/2/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 3-10 ATS (-9.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
MINNESOTA is 15-4 ATS (+9.4 Units) in February games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 173-154 ATS (+332.0 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 13-7 ATS (+22.4 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.
NY ISLANDERS are 29-32 ATS (-25.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 59-88 ATS (-33.4 Units) in home games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
NY ISLANDERS are 25-27 ATS (-12.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-1 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 3-1-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.2 Units)

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NY RANGERS (27-17-0-5, 59 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (25-20-0-5, 55 pts.) - 2/2/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 7-14 ATS (-8.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
NY RANGERS are 2-8 ATS (-7.3 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
NEW JERSEY is 11-7 ATS (+20.2 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
NY RANGERS are 91-59 ATS (+11.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 50-27 ATS (+13.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 17-5 ATS (+10.1 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 38-19 ATS (+12.4 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 6-4-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.8 Units)

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TORONTO (17-22-0-9, 43 pts.) at BOSTON (26-18-0-5, 57 pts.) - 2/2/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 47-83 ATS (+143.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 12-44 ATS (+66.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 0-13 ATS (+17.8 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
TORONTO is 26-56 ATS (+93.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 2-14 ATS (+22.0 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
TORONTO is 3-20 ATS (+34.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 67-64 ATS (+168.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 31-42 ATS (-35.6 Units) in home games in February games since 1996.
BOSTON is 1-5 ATS (-6.1 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.
BOSTON is 10-19 ATS (-16.4 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 186-155 ATS (-44.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
BOSTON is 87-78 ATS (-63.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-4 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 7-4-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.1 Units)

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MONTREAL (24-22-0-4, 52 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (21-18-0-8, 50 pts.) - 2/2/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 50-39 ATS (+89.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 5-15 ATS (+21.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 4-15 ATS (-14.4 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
MONTREAL is 4-3 (+0.4 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 4-3-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.1 Units)

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OTTAWA (23-21-0-6, 52 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (24-17-0-7, 55 pts.) - 2/2/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 85-65 ATS (+18.1 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
OTTAWA is 37-28 ATS (+65.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 68-67 ATS (+139.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 27-34 ATS (-25.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 70-93 ATS (-42.1 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 4-3 (+0.1 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 4-3-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.5 Units)

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FLORIDA (29-15-0-5, 63 pts.) at WASHINGTON (35-8-0-4, 74 pts.) - 2/2/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 35-12 ATS (+47.8 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 40-19 ATS (+14.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 11-3 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
FLORIDA is 29-20 ATS (+8.4 Units) in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 9-2 ATS (+6.7 Units) on Tuesday nights this season.
FLORIDA is 11-4 ATS (+15.0 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 5-0 ATS (+5.0 Units) in road games after a division game this season.
FLORIDA is 11-3 ATS (+7.5 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
FLORIDA is 11-2 ATS (+8.6 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak this season.
WASHINGTON is 54-63 ATS (-46.1 Units) in home games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 37-43 ATS (-25.1 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 31-46 ATS (-40.9 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-3 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 5-3-0 straight up against FLORIDA 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)

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DALLAS (31-14-0-5, 67 pts.) at WINNIPEG (22-24-0-3, 47 pts.) - 2/2/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 3-8 ATS (-8.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 34-25 ATS (+62.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 6-5-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.5 Units)

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ST LOUIS (28-16-0-8, 64 pts.) at NASHVILLE (24-18-0-8, 56 pts.) - 2/2/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 2-8 ATS (-9.7 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 202-163 ATS (+35.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 24-26 ATS (-18.5 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 6-12 ATS (-9.0 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NASHVILLE is 9-20 ATS (+30.3 Units) 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 10-3 (+6.4 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 10-3-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.2 Units)

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COLUMBUS (19-27-0-5, 43 pts.) at EDMONTON (19-26-0-5, 43 pts.) - 2/2/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 31-28 ATS (+61.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 20-18 ATS (+47.2 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 19-10 ATS (+29.8 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 23-13 ATS (+38.4 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 28-20 ATS (+52.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 7-1 ATS (+8.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 31-50 ATS (-27.0 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
EDMONTON is 162-160 ATS (+328.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 3-1-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.1 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (30-16-0-3, 63 pts.) at ARIZONA (24-20-0-5, 53 pts.) - 2/2/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 70-61 ATS (-20.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 28-28 ATS (-12.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 11-4 ATS (+15.6 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
LOS ANGELES is 8-1 ATS (+6.7 Units) in road games vs. division opponents this season.
ARIZONA is 5-19 ATS (+31.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 7-23 ATS (+38.5 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 14-43 ATS (+80.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 7-6 (+4.5 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA is 7-6-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.8 Units)

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CHICAGO (33-16-0-4, 70 pts.) at COLORADO (27-22-0-3, 57 pts.) - 2/2/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 27-25 ATS (-7.0 Units) in all games this season.
COLORADO is 34-25 ATS (+60.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 12-4 ATS (+5.9 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
COLORADO is 14-9 ATS (+24.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
COLORADO is 15-11 ATS (+28.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 19-3 ATS (+14.4 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
CHICAGO is 49-28 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 8-5 (+6.9 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 8-5-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.3 Units)

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SAN JOSE (26-18-0-4, 56 pts.) at ANAHEIM (22-18-0-7, 51 pts.) - 2/2/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 3-10 ATS (-11.4 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 2-8 ATS (-9.9 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 48-47 ATS (-32.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 28-11 ATS (+12.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 466-387 ATS (+34.9 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 204-161 ATS (+30.4 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 57-25 ATS (+21.1 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 230-211 ATS (+481.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 11-3 ATS (+7.9 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
SAN JOSE is 11-5 ATS (+16.0 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 8-5 (+3.1 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 8-5-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.5 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




OTT at PIT 07:00 PM


OTT +162 BEST BET




MIN at NYI 07:00 PM


NYI -105




TOR at BOS 07:00 PM


BOS -178




MON at PHI 07:00 PM


MON +106 BEST BET




NYR at NJ 07:00 PM


NJ +125




FLA at WAS 07:30 PM


WAS -142




STL at NAS 08:00 PM


STL +116 BEST BET




DAL at WIN 08:00 PM


WIN +108 BEST BET




LA at ARI 09:00 PM


LA -157




CHI at COL 09:00 PM


CHI -128




CLB at EDM 09:00 PM


CLB +112 BEST BET




SJ at ANA 10:00 PM


SJ +108 BEST BET

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Red Wings (24-16) at Lightning (25-18)
Date: February 03, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been taking advantage of a month-long stretch they'll spend mostly at home.


All of the Detroit Red Wings' recent success has come on the road.


Looking for a seventh straight victory at Amalie Arena, the Lightning can halt the Red Wings' road surge and avoid a third loss in as many meetings this season Wednesday night.


Tampa Bay (27-18-4) returns from the All-Star break at the halfway point of a 14-game stretch in which 11 will be played at home. Five of the first six came at Amalie, where the Lightning are 15-8-2 and in the midst of their longest winning streak since last season's 10-game run.


Steven Stamkos scored a first-period power-play goal and backup Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves to help Tampa Bay to its eighth victory in nine games, 1-0 over Toronto at home last Wednesday.


'We're getting back on track,' Stamkos said after snapping a five-game goal drought with his 21st.


Tied with Detroit (25-16-8), the Lightning come out of the break feeling good about themselves.


"We're back in playoff (position)," defenseman Anton Stralman said. "That's what you want ... Get the points."


Tampa Bay failed to record a point in the first two meetings with the Red Wings, but gets its first crack at home. Though the teams split the four played there in last year's first-round playoff series, the Lightning have allowed five goals during a four-game regular-season home winning streak over Detroit.


All-Star Ben Bishop has yielded two goals in each game against the Red Wings this season, made 31 saves in a 2-0 Game 7 home victory over them in April and posted a 1.22 goals-against average in those last four regular-season meetings at Amalie.


Stamkos has two goals and an assist in his last three regular-season home contests against Detroit.


The Red Wings have dropped five in a row at home, but went 7-1-0 on the road in January. They'll look to win a fourth straight away from Joe Louis Arena in the opener of a back-to-back against the Florida teams.


"It will be a good test for us," coach Jeff Blashill told the Red Wings' official website. "We know Tampa's played great here lately.


"We think we've gotten better in our game ... We got to make sure to do everything we can to put ourselves in the best position to win."


The Red Wings have been sparked by Petr Mrazek, who has posted a 1.11 GAA in a 6-1-1 stretch and a 1.28 mark while winning seven straight road starts. Among the NHL leaders in GAA, Bishop (2.02) and Mrazek (2.03) are expected to match up for the first time this season.


Jimmy Howard stopped 49 of 51 shots in the first two games against Tampa Bay. However, he's given way to Mrazek, who posted a 2.29 GAA and recorded three shutouts while going 4-5-0 versus the Lightning during the regular season and playoffs in 2014-15.


Mrazek has also been a big reason why the Red Wings have killed 25 of 28 penalties over the last 10 games.


Fresh off a successful All-Star weekend, Detroit rookie Dylan Larkin has recorded two goals and six assists in eight road games. He has one of each against the Lightning this season.


"He wants to be a long-term great player," Blashill said of Larkin, tied for the team lead with 33 points.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hurricanes (23-20) at Flames (20-24)
Date: February 03, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

Some teams were surely looking forward to the All-Star break and a few days off. The Carolina Hurricanes probably weren't among that group.


Carolina tries to continue its resurgence with a third straight win when it opens a three-game trip Wednesday night against the sinking Calgary Flames.


Two months ago, this seemed to be another lost season for the Hurricanes, who after a listless 5-1 home loss to New Jersey on Dec. 3 were tied with three other teams for last in the NHL's overall standings with 20 points.


That defeat appears to have signified a turning point for Carolina, which has since gone 15-7-4 for one of the league's best marks during that span. Only Chicago, Washington and Florida have been better entering the second half.


'That game, we didn't play hard, we gave up too much, and we weren't strong on the puck,' forward Riley Nash said. 'So that was kind of a kick in the butt to say, `We better get in gear, or we're going to be on the outside looking in again.''


Carolina (23-20-8) closed a three-game homestand in impressive fashion Jan. 26, rolling to a 5-0 rout of the reigning champion Blackhawks behind Nash's two goals and Eddie Lack's 26 saves.


'When we get contributions throughout the lineup, we're a good team,' said coach Bill Peters, whose club outshot Chicago 40-26. 'We've been a good team here for a while now.'


Jeff Skinner has led the Hurricanes offensively during the turnaround, tallying team highs of 13 goals and 21 points in those 26 games. Jordan Staal has 18 points and Kris Versteeg has contributed eight goals and 17 points.


Peters now has two strong options in net to choose from. Lack has won three of his last four starts with a 1.48 goals-against average and two shutouts, while Cam Ward is 5-3-2 with a 1.78 GAA in his past 10.


Ward, who hasn't played since Jan. 15, was activated from injured reserve Jan. 26 after missing time with a concussion.


The Flames (21-24-3) could definitely be counted among those teams that were happy to see the break arrive. They entered the layoff with three straight losses and a 2-6-1 record following a 2-1 defeat to Nashville last Wednesday.


That loss marked yet another slow start for Calgary, which allowed the first goal 6:21 into the contest and was outshot 11-4 in the opening 20 minutes. The Flames dropped to 5-11-0 when trailing after one period compared to a 12-3-1 mark when leading at that point.


"Our starts have been terrible this year," leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau told the team's official website. "It's tough to come back in games when you're down a goal or two. That's something that we need to be better at in the next part of the season here."


Even playing at home hasn't been enough lately for the Flames, who have lost five of seven at Scotiabank Saddledome since a franchise-record 11-game win streak there.


Also hanging over the team is the suspension of defenseman Dennis Wideman, who was banned indefinitely pending a hearing for checking and knocking down linesman Don Henderson last Wednesday.


This will be the second meeting between these teams in a little over a week after Versteeg scored twice in Carolina's 5-2 victory Jan. 24. The Hurricanes are 0-5-1 in their last six visits to Calgary since a 4-3 win Dec. 12, 2002.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Sabres (19-26) at Canadiens (21-23)
Date: February 03, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The last time the Montreal Canadiens faced the Buffalo Sabres, they were riding the high of a win streak that fell one game shy of an NHL record.


This time around, the Canadiens are about as low as they can get.


Montreal seeks just its sixth win during a two-month free-fall when it opens a four-game homestand Wednesday night against the Sabres.


Montreal (24-23-4) started the season with nine consecutive wins, the eighth of which was a 7-2 rout in Buffalo on Oct. 23 that snapped a three-game skid in this series. The Canadiens added a win over Toronto the next day for a streak that fell one shy of the record set by the 1993-94 Maple Leafs and matched by the Sabres in 2006-07.


Fast forward about five weeks to Dec. 1 and the Canadiens owned the NHL's best record at 19-4-3. Skip ahead another two months and they've plummeted out of the Eastern Conference's playoff picture with by far the league's worst record in that span.


The Canadiens have earned just 11 points (5-19-1) since Dec. 3, making them the only team with fewer than 20 in that time. They've gone 2-8-0 at home and have failed to log points in consecutive games while averaging a league-low 1.84 goals and allowing 3.24.


Monday's return from the All-Star break brought much of the same for the NHL's most two-faced team. What was supposed to be the start of a resurgence turned into a 4-2 loss at Philadelphia, the club's third straight and eighth in nine games dating to Jan. 9.


The Habs erased a two-goal deficit only to surrender a pair in the final period.


"We're just all looking for answers in here," defenseman Nathan Beaulieu said. "It's frustrating. I mean, we're not going to give up on each other... We've got to really look at ourselves in the mirror right now."


Montreal has scored 16 goals in its last nine games while allowing 34.


Although the Sabres (20-26-4) have lost three of four, Robin Lehner has performed well with a 2.02 goals-against average and .948 save percentage in three starts during that stretch - giving him four since returning from an ankle injury Jan. 15.


Lehner, who was hurt in the second period of the season opener Oct. 8, picked up his first win with Buffalo by making 34 saves in a 3-2 victory at Ottawa on Jan. 26 which snapped the Sabres' three-game skid in the final contest before the All-Star break.


With Lehner playing well and Sam Reinhart (upper-body), Josh Gorges (upper-body) and Nicolas Deslauriers (broken foot) soon returning, things are looking up. Gorges and Deslauriers will play Wednesday, while Reinhart - who has 12 goals and eight assists in 47 games - is probable.


"I think that's good for us and then you look at our locker room, we've been pretty prone to injuries this year," Jack Eichel told the team's official website. "You see Deslauriers on the ice, he brings a lot of energy to our team, he's a key component. You see Sam's getting healthy, obviously we all know how good he can be.


"We're starting to come around."


Buffalo has averaged only 1.93 goals in its last 15 games, the last three coming without Reinhart. It's unclear if the Sabres will face Montreal's Mike Condon or Ben Scrivens in net.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack


-- Tennessee 84, Kentucky 77-- Wildcats are 2-4 in last six road games.


-- Indiana 80, Michigan 67-- Hoosiers had 25-0 run in first half. 25-nil.


-- New Mexico 87, UNLV 83-- Rebels were 12-26 on arc, still got beat.


-- DePaul 77, Providence 70-- Bentil got hurt; Friars aren't very deep.


-- Duke 80, Georgia Tech 71-- Krzyzewski was ill, didn't make the trip.


-- Clemson 76, Wake Forest 62-- Tigers are building a case to be in Field of 68.


**********


Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Looking at some college basketball.....


13) Mid-American Conference-- Everyone has 2+ losses already; #78 Akron is only MAC team ranked above #138 in country- their coach Keith Dambrot was high school coach, where he coached Lebron James. MAC has been a one-bid league 14 years in a row- their last NCAA tourney wins were by Ohio U in 2012. .


12) Missouri Valley-- Wichita State had injury problems in November; they've got no such problems now, are 10-0 in Valley. . Southern Illinois has had a resurgence, while Northern Iowa has regressed. Last three years, MVC teams are 4-1 in first round of the NCAA tournament.


11) West Coast-- Since 2003, WCC is 20-23 in NCAAs; Gonzaga is 14-12, rest of league is 6-11. Gonzaga/St Mary's, followed by BYU. I'm writing this on Groundhog Day, so it seems fitting- this league is same every year. Pepperdine has made strides; rest of this league stinks.


10) Mountain West-- San Diego State, then everyone else; UNLV is 4-6 despite being favored in nine of ten games. Last four years, league is 6-12 in NCAAs, with Aztecs in 2014 only team to make Sweet 16. No guarantee this league gets more than one team in NCAAs this year; if San Diego State wins conference tourney, no way they do.


9) Colonial-- Four teams within game of first place; four teams tied for first place LY. VCU/George Mason made Final Four from CAA in last decade, but both defected to A-14. This year, CAA is #9 conference; if that holds, it'll be their best rating in last 13 years-- last three years, CAA is 0-3 in NCAAs, losing by 21-15-4 points.


8) Atlantic 14-- VCU/Dayton/St Joe's look good for NCAAs; Rhode Island has been decimated by injuries. Still think 14 teams is too many for one league, but then again, no one asked me. From 2011-13, A-14 was 9-3 in first round games; last two years, they were 2-6, plus Dayton's play-in win (at home).


7) American-- SMU is 19-2 but is ineligible for postseason; four teams are tied for second with three conference losses. UConn/Cincinnati should get to NCAAs even if they lose conference tourney. League is 10-4 in NCAAs in its first two years, with UConn winning national title two years ago.


6) SEC-- Kentucky is 2-4 on SEC road; its hard to totally rebuild your squad every year with freshmen who think they should be in the NBA. Texas A&M is est team in SEC now; Vandy/LSU seem to be best teams who are on bubble. South Carolina has hardest part of its schedule ahead. SEC teams are 19-5 in first three rounds of NCAA's the last three years; five of ten teams made Elite 8, three made Final Four.


5) Big 14-- From 2011-14, this league was #1 in Ken Pom ratings every year; LY they were #4, now #5. Ohio State-Wisconsin-Illinois have regressed, Minnesota has fallen off the face of the earth, Iowa has its best team in years, with four seniors starting. Last six years, league is 28-10 in first round games, 17-11 in second round, 9-9 in third round, 6-3 in regional finals, but no national titles.


4) Big East- I'm not going to rant on goegraphy here, but I should. Midwest teams are dragging league down this year, them and St John's, which is basically an expansion team. How are teams in Chicago/NYC the worst teams in this league? Refigured Big East is 6-4 in first round games last two years; they were 8-8 the last two years prior to realignment.


3) Pac-12-- Weirdest of seasons in college basketball; no great teams, none. Oregon is 7-2, four other teams are 6-3. UCLA is tied for 7th. Andy Enfield has USC tied for 2nd, Arizona has been wracked by injuries. Ben Howland got UCLA to three straight NCAAs in 2006-08; no Pac-12 team has been in Final Four since then. Since 2003, Arizona is 5-8 on second weekend of NCAAs, with no Final Fours.


2) ACC-- Is it my imagination, or are lot less of these games on TV than there used to be? We see more SEC/Big 14/Big X now. Duke is 5-4 in ACC, a down year for them; North Carolina seems like best team. Last three years, ACC won 14 of 16 first round games, 8-6 in second round, 4-4 in third round, 1-3 in regional finals. Last year's Duke team was ACC's first Final Four team since 2010.


1) Big X-- This league is really good this year, really tough, no easy outs. I feel bad for the West Virginia kids, who got sold out by the athletic department because of money involved with football. Shortest road trip in conference for West Virginia is 700 miles to Ames, Iowa. Last three years, Big X is just 8-10 in first round NCAA games.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, February 3

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

BUFFALO (20-26-0-4, 44 pts.) at MONTREAL (24-22-0-4, 52 pts.) - 2/3/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 3-6 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 6-3-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.1 Units)

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

DETROIT (25-16-0-8, 58 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (27-18-0-4, 58 pts.) - 2/3/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 23-30 ATS (-13.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 191-201 ATS (+473.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
DETROIT is 11-6 ATS (+18.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
DETROIT is 7-1 ATS (+8.1 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 11-7 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 11-7-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
12 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+6.8 Units)

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

CAROLINA (23-20-0-8, 54 pts.) at CALGARY (21-24-0-3, 45 pts.) - 2/3/2016, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 16-42 ATS (+76.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
CAROLINA is 6-15 ATS (+21.9 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
CAROLINA is 58-110 ATS (+193.4 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1996.
CAROLINA is 29-52 ATS (-27.0 Units) after shutting out their opponent in their previous game since 1996.
CALGARY is 71-70 ATS (-10.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 24-11 ATS (+37.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 9-2 ATS (+6.6 Units) in home games in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 3-2 (+1.5 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 3-2-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.0 Units)

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




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, February 3

Hot teams
-- Lightning won eight of its last nine games. Detroit won seven of its last eight road games.
-- Hurricanes won three of their last four games.

Cold teams
-- Canadiens lost eight of their last nine games. Buffalo lost three of its last four.
-- Calgary lost its last five games, scoring seven goals.

Series records
-- Sabres won three of last four games with Montreal.
-- Red Wings are 6-4 in last ten games with Tampa Bay.
-- Home side won eight of last nine Carolina-Calgary games.

Totals
-- Over is 5-0-2 in last seven Montreal games.
-- Under is 6-3-1 in last ten Detroit games.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Calgary home games.

Back-to-backs
-- Montreal lost six of last seven games if it played night before.




NHL

Wednesday, February 3

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

7:00 PM
BUFFALO vs. MONTREAL
Buffalo is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Buffalo is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Montreal
Montreal is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Montreal's last 7 games

8:00 PM
DETROIT vs. TAMPA BAY
Detroit is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit

9:30 PM
CAROLINA vs. CALGARY
Carolina is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Calgary
Carolina is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary's last 5 games when playing Carolina
Calgary is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, February 3


Buffalo @ Montreal

Game 51-52
February 3, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Buffalo
10.519
Montreal
9.562
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Buffalo
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Buffalo
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Buffalo
N/A

Detroit @ Tampa Bay

Game 53-54
February 3, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
12.763
Tampa Bay
11.703
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-160
5
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+140); Under

Carolina @ Calgary

Game 55-56
February 3, 2016 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Carolina
10.272
Calgary
12.931
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 2 1/2
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
-115
5
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(-115); Over

 

[CNOTES]

NHL TOTALS


NHL > (55) CAROLINA@ (56) CALGARY | 2016-02-03 21:35:00 - 2016-02-03 21:35:00
Play UNDER CAROLINA on the totalin All games when playing with 3 or more days rest
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the last two seasons (+11.3 units)

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Short Sheet

Wednesday, February 3

Buffalo at Montreal, 7:05 PM ET
Buffalo: N/A
Montreal: N/A

Detroit at Tampa Bay, 8:05 PM ET
Detroit: 11-6 SU in a road game where where the total is 5 or less
Tampa Bay: 2-10 SU off a close win by 1 goal over a division rival

Carolina at Calgary, 9:35 PM ET
Carolina: 3-12 SU off 2 consecutive home wins by 2 goals or more
Calgary: 9-2 SU in home games in non-conference games

 

[CNOTES]

LAST NIGHTS NHL 1 - 5.........- 3.84


WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




BUF at MON 07:00 PM


BUF +135 BEST BET




DET at TB 08:00 PM


TB -153




CAR at CAL 09:30 PM


CAR +108 BEST BET

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Wild (23-18) at Rangers (27-18)
Date: February 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers picked up right where they left off at the All-Star break - with inconsistent results.


They might be catching struggling Minnesota at the right time as they look to get back on track, though their first meeting of the season with the Wild didn't go well at all.


New York faces a Minnesota team that's lost eight of nine and continues a road-heavy stretch at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.


The Rangers (27-18-5) won two in a row for the first time since late November on Jan. 19 and 22 but have lost two of the ensuing three contests, falling 3-2 at New Jersey on Tuesday in their first game after the break. Surging J.T. Miller scored twice but the Devils followed his second goal in the third period with two of their own.


New York's special teams were the difference. The Rangers went 0 for 4 on the power play, giving them a 2-for-39 mark over the past 14 games, and allowed two power-play goals in as many chances - the second being David Schlemko's winner midway through the final period.


New York is 25th in the NHL in penalty killing at 78.4 percent. It hadn't given up a power-play goal in the previous four games.


'It's really frustrating,' said defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who hit a post on New York's final man advantage shortly after Schlemko scored. 'We need everybody to execute a lot better. It's costing us too many games. We need to be a lot better in the special teams.'


At 11-15-3 since back-to-back victories Nov. 21 and 23, the Rangers' hold on one of the three automatic playoff berths in the Metropolitan Division is in jeopardy.


Injuries to key personnel aren't helping. Forward Rick Nash didn't practice Wednesday and is expected to miss a fourth straight game due to a bone bruise on his left leg, and the team announced that defenseman Kevin Klein suffered a fractured thumb against New Jersey and will be sidelined indefinitely.


"Just regroup here; we go back home next game and try to really get a good win there and get going here," a dejected Henrik Lundqvist said.


Miller has been a bright spot, with the 22-year-old forward scoring seven goals in as many games to give him 15 on the season.


Minnesota's dropoff has been more precipitous than the Rangers', as the Wild (23-18-9) fell 5-3 on the road to the Islanders on Tuesday to give them a 6-11-3 record since Dec. 19. Usually known for their stingy defensive play, they've given up 11 goals in the past three games.


Devan Dubnyk was replaced in the third period by Darcy Kuemper after giving up all of the goals on 30 shots.


'We're losing the games right now,' coach Mike Yeo said 'It's not like we are playing real well and just getting unlucky. Maybe a couple of games we had but for the most part we've had games and we've lost them and that's what we have to fix.'


Yeo's club, loser of four of its last five road contests, will be playing the seventh game of a stretch in which seven of eight are away from home.


The Wild, though, defeated the Rangers 5-2 on Dec. 17 to avoid a third straight loss in the series, outshooting New York 30-18 over the final two periods and scoring three times in the third. Mikko Koivu led the way with two goals and an assist.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Islanders (26-16) at Capitals (35-9)
Date: February 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Missing their two most important players, the Washington Capitals hardly resembled the team that dominated the season's first half in their return from the All-Star break.


With Alex Ovechkin and Braden Holtby back in the fold, the Eastern Conference leaders attempt to avert a season-high third straight loss Thursday night against the visiting New York Islanders.


Ovechkin was ineligible to play Tuesday against Florida after dropping out of the All-Star game to rest a lower-body injury, while Holtby was given the night off after participating in this past weekend's festivities in Nashville. Both were missed as the Capitals fell behind early in a 5-2 defeat to the Atlantic Division-leading Panthers that gave them only their second losing streak this season.


Philipp Grubauer allowed four consecutive goals over the first 35:10 in Holtby's place, while Washington's league-leading power play went 0 for 8 to negate a 38-19 shot advantage.


"Everything just kind of went in the wrong direction for us," forward Justin Williams said. "We didn't score on the (two) five-on-threes and they scored on their first power play. That's the ups and downs of the hockey game."


Holtby is seeking a bounce-back of his own after being dealt his first home loss since Oct. 28 in a 4-3 overtime defeat to Philadelphia on Jan. 27. Holtby, who had won 13 consecutive decisions at the Verizon Center, posted a 3.88 goals-against average in four outings prior to the break.


Holtby did make 34 saves in a 4-1 win at New York (26-16-6) on Jan. 7 and is 8-1-2 with a 2.11 GAA in 11 regular-season starts against the Islanders. He's recorded a 1.68 GAA in winning four straight at home in the series.


The Islanders have been producing offensively of late, however, with 21 goals in a 4-1-1 stretch. Brock Nelson has six of his team-leading 20 over that span after scoring the tie-breaking goal late in the second period of Tuesday's 5-3 victory over Minnesota.


Frans Nielsen and John Tavares scored early in the third to give New York a 5-2 lead and support Jean-Francois Berube's 40 saves in the rookie's first NHL win.


'I thought we played a pretty good game,' coach Jack Capuano said 'My philosophy is never to sit back. We're in attack mode. (Tuesday) was a prime example of how we need to play. We didn't play safe.'


Washington, first in NHL at 3.29 goals per game, totaled 36 in its final nine before the break. Ovechkin, tied for second in the league with 28 goals, has seven over his past eight games while Nicklas Backstrom and Andre Burakovsky have four apiece in the past three contests.


Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ovechkin's All-Star Game replacement, has recorded 10 assists in a four-game point streak after registering two against Florida.


Jaroslav Halak will return to the net for New York after receiving some additional time to prepare for Washington's potent attack. He's posted a 3.25 GAA in his last four starts in the series, stopping 34 of 37 shots Jan. 7.


The Caps have gone 4-0-2 in the last six matchups.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Oilers (20-26) at Senators (23-22)
Date: February 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Connor McDavid might have provided the Edmonton Oilers with the spark needed to ignite a serious run in the right direction.


The Oilers hope to build on their star rookie's triumphant return as they open a four-game trip Thursday night against the struggling Ottawa Senators.


In action for the first time since breaking his clavicle against Philadelphia on Nov. 3, McDavid had a goal and two assists to help Edmonton (20-26-5) beat Columbus 5-1 on Tuesday.


"He was the catalyst," coach Todd McLellan told the Oilers' official website, "and you have to have a catalyst if you're going to have success."


The latest in the Oilers' long line of recent - and in some cases underachieving - overall No. 1 picks, McDavid has made an impact with six goals and nine assists in 14 games. Edmonton, which went 14-18-5 during McDavid's absence, looked like a more determined team while snapping a three-game slide in his much-anticipated return.


'(Connor) set the tone for our team and our team followed,' McLellan said. 'He had a hell of a night and we certainly missed him.


"I was concerned with him being the catalyst and our group sitting back and not participating. But they did, so we're maturing. It's a good thing."


Last in the Western Conference and 11 points out of the final wild-card spot, Edmonton would need to make a major push just to become a serious playoff contender. McDavid's presence provides a ray of hope, but he doesn't want to get too get caught up in the moment.


"I definitely didn't expect to be able to do that or play that kind of game," McDavid said. "I was very happy with how I felt. The timing and all that felt pretty good.


"It's one game though. I've got a bunch left."


Beginning Thursday on the road, where Edmonton is mired in a 1-6-3 stretch.


However, Ottawa (23-22-6) has yielded an average of 4.1 goals and allowed the opposition to go 10 of 27 on the power play while losing six of nine.


The Oilers went 2 for 3 with the man advantage against the Blue Jackets after going 1 for 13 in the previous six contests.


Though the Senators overcame an early 3-1 deficit to take a one-goal lead in the second period Tuesday, Craig Anderson faced a season-high 44 shots and allowed three goals to Sidney Crosby in a wild 6-5 loss at Pittsburgh.


"It's tough to win a game when you give up six goals," said Ottawa defenseman Cody Ceci, who has two goals and five assists in seven games. "We gave up way too many. We found the back of the net a few times, but it wasn't enough. We gave up a few early and kind of killed the game early, right off the start."


Anderson has allowed nine goals in losses over the two games that followed a 35-save effort in a 3-0 home win over the New York Rangers on Jan. 24.


Ottawa's Bobby Ryan's string of six straight games with a point ended Tuesday. He had three assists as the Senators won both meetings with Edmonton last season.


Teammate Mark Stone snapped a season-high eight-game point drought with a goal and an assist Tuesday.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Devils (26-20) at Maple Leafs (18-22)
Date: February 04, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

A coaching change and minimal offseason moves didn't appear to signal the New Jersey Devils were ready to become a playoff team.


However, they've passed the halfway point of the season and are challenging for second place in the Metropolitan Division.


Playing behind All-Star goaltender Corey Schneider, the Devils seek a sixth win in seven games Thursday night when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.


A third consecutive season without a playoff spot forced New Jersey into some organizational changes this past spring. Ray Shero was moved into the general manager's job and the coaching reins were turned over to John Hynes, who at 40 is the youngest bench boss in the league.


Those decisions look very smart now with the team two points behind the rival New York Rangers for second in the division.


New Jersey (26-20-5) closed that gap with a 3-2 victory over the visiting Rangers on Tuesday. David Schlemko scored on a power play with 8:46 left and Schneider had another strong performance with 31 saves.


'These are fun ones to play in,' Schlemko said. 'It doesn't take much to get up for these. There is a lot at stake. The division is tight right now. I think there are five or six teams within a point or two so every win in a game like this is huge.'


Schneider has been the team's best player all season, ranking among the league leaders in goals-against average (2.03) and save percentage (.929). He's played every game during the 5-1-0 surge with a 1.68 GAA.


'I think it's easier to not standings watch when you are winning,' Schneider said. 'When you are losing you are checking to see how much damage is being done. I think we know the situation.'


He figures to be back in net for this one. Schneider has never lost in regulation to the Maple Leafs, going 4-0-3 with a 1.64 GAA.


One of the biggest surprises for the Devils has been the play of forward Lee Stempniak. Signed just days before the season opener, the 11-year veteran is tied for the team lead with 38 points and is third with 15 goals, five coming in the last five games.


The Maple Leafs (18-22-9) also weren't expected to do much in their first season under coach Mike Babcock, but unlike New Jersey, are meeting those expectations. They are among the league's worst teams and will likely miss the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 seasons.


Toronto did return from the All-Star break with a victory Tuesday, rallying from a two-goal deficit for a 4-3 overtime win at Boston. Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau scored on a power play in the extra session after Leo Komarov and Nazem Kadri tallied midway through the third period.


'It was good to see our guys respond,' Babcock said. 'We had some guys missing tonight and yet we found a way to get it done.'


The win was only the second in 11 games (2-7-2) for the Leafs, who have been outscored 33-15 during that span.


Thursday will mark the only home game in a nine-game span for Toronto, which has a league-low seven wins on its own ice and has scored four goals during four straight defeats at Air Canada Centre.


The Devils are 4-0-1 in their last five meetings with the Leafs, suffering that defeat 3-2 in a shootout at Toronto on Dec. 8.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Sharks (26-19) at Blues (29-16)
Date: February 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The St. Louis Blues totaled four goals in as many games on their recent road trip, but Brian Elliott made sure they returned home with five of a possible eight points.


Not bad for an offensive slump.


Elliott looks to continue his surge while the Blues search for their scoring Thursday night against the visiting San Jose Sharks, who are coming off their first pointless game in almost a month.


St. Louis (29-16-8) scored 15 goals on a four-game homestand from Jan. 12-18 but had trouble finding the back of the net during a trip that stretched over the All-Star break.


While the Blues scored just four times on the trek, Elliott's stellar play helped them salvage a 2-1-1 mark.


He stopped 108 of 112 shots for a .964 save percentage, earning his first shutout of the season in Tuesday's 1-0 win at Nashville.


Elliott holds a 1.48 goals-against average and .955 save percentage in six starts since Jan. 16, when he led St. Louis to a 4-3 win over Montreal with 46 saves - the most since Curtis Joseph's 46 on April 11, 1993.


Elliott leads the league with 190 saves since.


"It's trying not to think too much and let your body play," Elliott said after extending his franchise record to 22 shutouts. "It's just about reacting, reading the plays and letting yourself do what you've trained all your life for."


With Jake Allen still working his way back from a lower-body injury, the foreseeable future in net seems to belong to Elliott. He would love to see the type of offense the Blues produced on their 3-1-0 homestand in mid-January.


St. Louis scored 15 goals on 108 shots for a shooting percentage of 13.89 and improved to 16-8-3 at Scottrade Center, but that number dipped to 3.92 as it scored just four times on 102 shots on the trip.


There was no shortage of offense for the Blues in the last two meetings in this series as they posted a pair of 7-2 routs of the Sharks in January 2015.


Elliott earned both wins with 42 total saves, while Alexander Steen tallied a pair of goals and four assists. Jaden Schwartz added a goal and four assists, but he has been ruled out for Thursday as he continues to work back from a fractured ankle that has kept him out since Oct. 20.


San Jose (26-19-4) was the league's second-highest scoring team from Jan. 9-26, averaging 3.9 goals during a 10-game point streak - short of only Washington's 4.5 in six contests.


The streak was the Sharks' longest in five years, but it was snapped when they came out of the All-Star break with Tuesday's 3-2 loss at Anaheim. The surging Ducks were the first team to beat San Jose in regulation since Jan. 7.


"We had the chances to score tonight but we didn't find a way to get that extra one that we needed," Joe Pavelski told the team's official website. "We were a little too cute through the neutral zone."


Martin Jones went 7-0-1 with a 1.96 GAA during San Jose's point streak, but he surrendered three goals on 25 shots against Anaheim.


Six of the Sharks' final seven games of their streak came at home, but the loss at Anaheim opened a stretch of nine of 11 on the road - where they are 16-7-2.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Flyers (22-18) at Predators (24-19)
Date: February 04, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Flyers have gotten back to winning behind some balanced scoring, but continuing that production won't be easy against the Nashville Predators.


The Flyers would love to score at least four goals en route to a third straight win Thursday night when the Predators look to extend a historic defensive stretch and avoid a third consecutive home loss.


After putting up four or more goals just six times over its first 37 games, Philadelphia has done it five times in its past 11. The squad outscored opponents 15-8 during a season high-tying four game winning streak from Jan. 5-13 before finishing with 10 goals in an ensuing 1-3-1 stretch.


Now the Flyers (22-18-8) have rediscovered their scoring touch with a 4-3 win at Washington on Jan. 27 and a 4-2 home win over Montreal on Tuesday. Though they only have three players with double-digit goals, they've received contributions from several sources recently.


Wayne Simmonds had two goals and Jakub Voracek added three assists Tuesday. Voracek (3 goals, 5 assists), Simmonds (four goals, two assists), and Brayden Schenn (three goals, three assists) extended four-game point streaks, while Shayne Gostisbehere's five-game run is the longest by a Flyers rookie since 2012.


Now Philadelphia hopes to continue that scoring effort against a Nashville team that has given up one goal in each of its last five games following Tuesday's 1-0 loss to St. Louis that ended a four-game winning streak. The stretch without allowing two goals is the longest in franchise history.


"(The Preds) are good at getting up with the play," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol told the team's official website. "They're not high-risk guys, but they're there all the time providing that added layer of offensive attack. When you add that to a skilled group of forwards, it presents challenges."


Nashville's Pekka Rinne has been between the pipes in four of the past five games, going 3-1-0 with a 1.01 goals-against average. He's expected to try to help the Preds avoid a third straight home loss after posting a 1.95 GAA in winning each of his three there versus Philadelphia.


Rinne turned away 33 shots Nov. 27 but also allowed Gostisbehere's goal four minutes into overtime of a 3-2 road loss to the Flyers. Nashville, though, is 4-0-1 in the last five home meetings.


The Preds had totaled 12 goals during their season-high winning streak before getting blanked for the sixth time Tuesday. Although they rank in the league's top third with 30.5 shots per game, they struggled to get pucks on net with a season-low 16 against the Blues.


Center Ryan Johansen hopes Nashville (24-19-8) can regroup and even its record through two games of a stretch with seven of nine at Bridgestone Arena.


"It's a great opportunity for us to really establish our game here at home, and make it a really tough place for teams to come in and play," he told the team's official website.


Mike Fisher has five points over his last 17 games, but he has four goals and nine points in his past eight versus Philadelphia. Filip Forsberg has two goals and two assists in his three career meetings.


The Preds will try to break through against Flyers netminder Steve Mason, who is expected to start despite going 1-4-1 with a 2.95 GAA in his last six starts versus Nashville.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blackhawks (34-16) at Coyotes (24-21)
Date: February 04, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

After earning a needed post-All-Star break victory without Jonathan Toews, the Chicago Blackhawks move forward with their captain back in the mix.


Returning from his one-game suspension, Toews tries to help the visiting Blackhawks continue their success against the struggling Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night.


Chicago (34-16-4) suffered three road defeats in the final four games before the break before returning with a 2-1 victory at Colorado on Tuesday. Richard Panik and Artemi Panarin had first-period goals as the Western Conference leaders outshot the Avalanche 42-23 to prevail while Toews was suspended by the NHL for pulling out of the All-Star festivities because of an illness.


"I think you can tell everybody was excited (to be back)," defenseman Duncan Keith said.


Chicago should be excited for the return of Toews, who doesn't have a point in a season-high five straight games but is obviously an important presence. But regardless who is on the ice, the Blackhawks appear eager to build on their latest victory with two more road games before playing four in a row at home.


'Just because you did well in the last game, or the last little bit, doesn't mean it's going to be easy,' said Corey Crawford, who has a 1.58 goals-against average while winning 10 of 12.


'I think I've taken that approach. I think our guys have taken that, too. We always want more.'


Crawford had his issues Dec. 29 at Arizona (24-21-5), but his teammates provided enough support in a 7-5 victory. Keith and NHL scoring leader Patrick Kane each had a goal with two assists, Andrew Desjardins scored twice and Toews added an empty-netter to cap the Blackhawks' highest-scoring game since November 2014.


Chicago's scored nine times and gone 1 for 15 on the power play in splitting its last six games. However, it went 3 for 4 at Arizona in December and has averaged 4.0 goals during a 7-1-2 stretch against the Coyotes. Kane has five goals with 12 assists in his last eight against them while Toews' recorded three and six assists in the last nine.


Arizona matched its highest-scoring game of 2015-16 against Chicago, but has 12 non-shootout goals during a 2-5-1 stretch. It's 1 for 28 on the power play in the last seven after enduring a second consecutive 0-for-5 performance in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to Los Angeles.


Perhaps more alarming is that the Coyotes have allowed the last two opponents to go 4 for 11 with the man advantage and promising rookie Louis Domingue was pulled for yielding five goals in each. He posted a 1.74 GAA in his previous four starts.


Domingue took the blame for allowing four second-period goals to the Kings.


'Four out of six goals were stoppable goals, so it's good to see him take responsibility for them,' said Arizona's Dave Tippett, who coached his 1,000th game. 'This one was a good lesson for us. That was a lesson in special teams, a lesson in puck battles, a lesson in commitment to getting things done.'


Fellow rookie Anthony Duclair has a goal in two straight contests after going six in a row without a point. Veteran teammate Shane Doan recorded a hat trick against the Blackhawks but does not have a point in three consecutive games.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Stars (32-14) at Avalanche (27-23)
Date: February 04, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

With his legal issue resolved, Semyon Varlamov can again man the net for the Colorado Avalanche.


Whether he'll get the chance to continue the Avs' - and his own - dominance of the visiting Dallas Stars on Thursday night remains to be seen.


Varlamov posted an 0.99 goals-against average and a .972 save percentage during a winning streak that reached four games after matching a season high with 42 saves in a 3-1 victory at Dallas on Jan. 23. However, the trial for a civil lawsuit filed against him by a former girlfriend from a 2013 domestic incident has kept Varlamov out of action since.


On Tuesday, a jury ruled in Varlamov's favor and awarded him approximately $126,000 in damages.


'It's over,' Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic said. 'He's relieved and excited to play hockey again.'


Varlamov was scratched Tuesday as Calvin Pickard was given a third straight start, making a season-high 40 saves in a 2-1 home loss to Chicago. Coach Patrick Roy has not officially named Varlamov the starter for this contest.


"(Wednesday) he'll come and practice and we'll go from there," Roy said.


If ready, Varlamov would seem the logical choice to start considering he has a 2.26 GAA and a .935 save percentage during his 10-game winning streak against the Stars.


The Avalanche (27-23-3) have won eight straight and 11 of 12 over Dallas, and they've averaged 4.6 goals during a seven-game series winning streak at the Pepsi Center. Varlamov made 30 saves in a 6-3 home win over Dallas on Oct. 10.


Gabriel Landeskog, who recorded his fourth goal in as many contests Tuesday, has six goals and eight assists during an eight-game point streak against the Stars. He has five points in the two matchups this season.


Though Dallas (32-14-5) has obviously struggled with the Avs, it enters this meeting feeling good about its current state.


The Stars entered the All-Star break off a 2-1 win over Calgary on Jan. 25, but that performance capped a 3-6-2 month in which they averaged 2.2 goals and fell from the top spot in the Western Conference. They opened February on a positive note by ending an 0-5-3 road slide with Tuesday's 5-3 victory at Winnipeg.


"This is huge. We get the first one, and now we move onto the next one," coach Lindy Ruff told the Stars' official website. "Coming out of the break you don't know what to expect, and we got a pretty good effort out of our guys ... It's real important."


February might also provide a rebirth for Tyler Seguin, who scored twice after recording two goals and one assist in January.


"For me, mentally, I put January behind me during my time in Nashville (at the All-Star Game)," said Seguin, third in the league with 55 points.


'Personally, I thought it was probably one of my worst months as a pro player. Our team wasn't playing well, either, so I think we all came out of this break a little bit refreshed and getting back to the basics.'


Teammate Antti Niemi snapped a personal five-game road skid with 21 saves Tuesday, but he has a 3.96 GAA in his last four away from home. He's allowed all nine goals to Colorado this season.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Ducks (23-18) at Kings (31-16)
Date: February 04, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Anaheim Ducks have started the push that Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter predicted. Now they're bracing for the kind of physical matchup that has defined their rivalry with the Kings.


In the second meeting between the hard-hitting teams, the visiting Ducks hope to gain ground on the Pacific Division leaders while extending their longest winning streak in a year Thursday night.


"We just want to beat them, and they just want to beat us," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau told the team's official website.


After struggling to find consistency during a 12-15-5 start, the Ducks (23-18-7) have allowed a Western Conference-low 1.9 goals per game while going a West-best 11-3-2 since Dec. 22.


The offense also has picked up during a 6-1-0 stretch in which Anaheim has outscored foes 26-14. Ryan Garbutt, Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell scored in Tuesday's 3-2 win over San Jose that extended its winning streak to four, matching a season high.


"Their penalty killing is outstanding and they have really good goaltending and they're pretty good down the middle of the ice," Sutter said. "It's just a matter of time before they started pushing."


Garbutt, acquired on Jan. 21, has been part of 15 consecutive victories dating to his time with Chicago. Rakell has three goals and two assists over his last five, including a goal in a 3-2 home loss to the Kings (31-16-3) on Jan. 17.


David Perron also scored in that contest, which was only Anaheim's second loss in the past 10 regular-season meetings. He had a four-game point streak (two goals, three assists) end Tuesday.


The Ducks look to put a dent in the Kings' 12-point advantage over them in the division. Four of the last matchups have resulted in a final score of 3-2.


"These are teams that play very similar," Anaheim center Ryan Kesler said. "Big bodies and a lot of hits. It's always a lot of fun to play in. ...We know how we need to play to win."


Los Angeles would like to go on its own surge after dropping three of its last five games, including its past two at Staples Center. Following Tuesday's 6-2 win at Arizona, the club will try to win two in a row for only the second time since a five-game winning streak from Dec. 26-Jan. 2.


Dustin Brown finished with two goals as the Kings went 3 for 7 on the power play en route to their highest scoring effort of the season. Vincent Lecavalier scored his second goal in three games and he's found the net in each of his last three versus Anaheim dating to his time with Philadelphia.


Anze Kopitar has totaled six goals and 10 points over a seven-game point streak in this series.


The Kings hope to build on their scoring outburst against projected starter John Gibson, who had 23 saves in the January loss. Gibson, however, has a 1.85 goals-against average in winning seven of his last 10 starts and Anaheim has killed all but two of its opponents' last 50 power plays.


Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick, who had 29 saves in the first meeting, stopped 23 shots Tuesday after he had gone 2-4-0 with a 3.02 GAA over his previous six games. He's 6-1-2 with a 1.82 GAA in his last nine regular-season home games against the Ducks.