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

[CNOTES]

NHL knowledge
Hot teams
-- Washington won sevne of its last ten games. Flyers won three of their last four.
-- Hurricanes won three of their last four games.​

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Cold teams
-- Montreal lost eight of its last ten games.
-- Oilers, Islanders both lost four of their last six games.​

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Series records
-- Flyers won seven of last nine games with Washington,
-- Canadiens won eight of last ten games with Carolina.
-- Home side won last ten Edmonton-Islander games. -​

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Totals
-- Over is 4-0-2 in last six Philadelphia games.
-- Last five Montreal games went over the total.
-- Nine of last ten Edmonton-Islander games stayed under.​

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Back-to-backs
-- Flyers are 2-3 if they played the night before; Washington is 3-7.
-- Montreal is 1-7 in last eight games if it played the night before.
-- Edmonton is 2-4 if it played the night before. Islanders are 4-1 in last five.​

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[CNOTES]

B]Pro Hockey Trend Report
[
PHILADELPHIA (23-18-0-9, 55 pts.) at WASHINGTON (37-9-0-4, 78 pts.) - 2/7/2016, 12:05 PM[/B]
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 7-4 (+4.2 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 7-4-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.0 Units)


CAROLINA (24-21-0-8, 56 pts.) at MONTREAL (25-24-0-4, 54 pts.) - 2/7/2016, 2:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 17-43 ATS (+77.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
CAROLINA is 7-16 ATS (+23.9 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
MONTREAL is 33-16 ATS (+14.0 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 27-13 ATS (+10.8 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 2-6 ATS (-8.4 Units) in home games when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 5-2 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 5-2-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.1 Units)


EDMONTON (21-27-0-5, 47 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (26-18-0-6, 58 pts.) - 2/7/2016, 2:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 2-2 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 2-2-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.9 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


PHI at WAS 12:00 PM


PHI +175 BEST BET




EDM at NYI 02:30 PM


NYI -165




CAR at MON 02:30 PM


CAR +109 BEST BET

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Devils (26-20) at Rangers (29-18)
Date: February 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers value defenseman Ryan McDonagh's leadership just as much as his contributions on the ice, and losing him for any period of time would leave a major hole in the lineup.


The 26-year-old captain is in danger of missing his first game of the season Monday night as the Rangers seek their first three-game winning streak since mid-November when they host the New Jersey Devils.


McDonagh has elevated his play over the last month, recording two goals and seven assists in his last 12 and finishing with one of each in Thursday's win over Minnesota. But after being whistled for four minutes of penalties in the first period against Philadelphia on Saturday, McDonagh was sucker-punched by Wayne Simmonds and fell to the ice.


He didn't return as the Rangers (29-18-5) fought back for a 3-2 shootout victory, and his status against the Devils (26-20-7) is unclear after the club declined to provide an update Sunday.


Keith Yandle's goal with 12.9 seconds left in regulation extended the game before Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored in the shootout.


"When you lose your captain, a guy like Mac, it's tough," Yandle said. "The emotions were really high and we wanted to go out there and really have his back. Finding a way to get the two points is huge."


Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves to help bring New York to the verge of winning three straight for the first time since a nine-game run from Oct. 25-Nov. 15. Chris Kreider scored for the second straight game to get the Rangers on the board early in the final period.


'In the third, we played our best hockey,' Lundqvist said. 'We had the determination to get the things done. I think it shows to ourselves what type of mentality that you need to win games.'


The Rangers weren't able to hold on against New Jersey on Tuesday, though, allowing goals to rookie Joseph Blandisi and David Schlemko in the third period of a 3-2 defeat.


Lee Stempniak scored in that contest and also found the net in overtime to give the Devils a 2-1 victory in the first meeting Oct. 18 to end a six-game losing streak in the series.


New Jersey has gone 5-1-2 since Jan. 16 and is tied with Pittsburgh for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot, but it has allowed the tying goal late in the third in each of its last two, falling 3-2 in shootouts against Toronto on Thursday and Washington on Saturday.


Blandisi, who made his NHL debut Dec. 11 and has played 14 games, finished with a goal and an assist to give him three goals and five assists over his last six.


'We know we are in a race and we want to try to remain competitive and find a way to win more games than we lose,' coach John Hynes said. "When you get a lead like that you know the puck is going to be funneled to the slot or crease area. We're there, but there's a difference between being there and paying attention to details when there."


Cory Schneider allowed two goals or fewer for the 12th time in his last 14 starts, a stretch during which he's posted a 1.72 goals-against average. He's been in net for both meetings against the Rangers this season, stopping 57 of 60 shots.


Lundqvist has a 1.64 GAA in his last six against the Devils.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Lightning (29-18) at Senators (24-23)
Date: February 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

An improved offense has helped pace the Tampa Bay Lightning's most successful stretch of the season. They had little trouble finding the back of the net while winning the first two meetings with the Ottawa Senators in 2015-16.


The visiting Lightning look to win for the 11th time in 12 games Monday night against the Senators.


Tampa Bay (29-18-4) is averaging 3.5 goals during its 10-1-0 stretch - one goal more than through the first 40 contests.


'I think we all believe that we have a pretty good offense when we're rolling,' forward Tyler Johnson said after posting a goal and two assists in Friday's 6-3 victory over Pittsburgh.


'I don't know if we've seen that throughout the entire season, but for this last streak I think the offense has been alive."


The Lightning recorded a season high for goals in their 6-3 win at Boston on Oct. 12, and have matched it twice in the last six games. They've also gone 6 for 20 on the power play in the last five after going 2 for 21 in the previous eight.


"It's just been fun," said Johnson, who has three of his seven goals and five assists in nine contests. "We've been having a good time, and we've just got to keep on going and try to get better."


Tampa Bay's lone defeat over the last month came 5-2 at Florida in its most recent road game Jan. 23. The Lightning visit the Senators (24-23-6) for the first time in 2015-16 after outscoring them 9-3 in winning both matchups at home. Tampa Bay has earned at least one point in eight straight in this series.


Nikita Kucherov has recorded four of his team-leading 45 points with two goals and two assists against Ottawa. Teammate and ex-Senator Ben Bishop has posted a 1.62 goals-against average during a 4-0-2 stretch against his former team.


Ottawa had dropped three in a row and five of six before rolling to a 6-1 home victory over Toronto on Saturday. Two nights after the Senators held a players' meeting following an embarrassing 7-2 loss to Edmonton, Curtis Lazar recorded his first career two-goal game and Erik Karlsson had four assists as they won for the sixth time in 17 games.


'It was a different mindset,' said Ottawa's Craig Anderson, who looked solid while making 26 saves after yielding 12 goals in the previous three contests. 'I think we've had enough of the (losses) and we were sick and tired of it and our mindset (Saturday) was a complete 180.'


After allowing their previous three opponents to go 6 for 10 on the power play, the Senators killed all four penalties against the Maple Leafs.


Though Ottawa's struggles were momentarily halted, it still hasn't won back-to-back home contests since a five-game run Dec. 3-27.


'We can't get too high when we win one game just like we can't get too low when we lose one,' said Karlsson, who has recorded 12 of his NHL-leading 48 assists in the last nine games. 'For us, it was about hitting that reset button.'


Karlsson has a goal and no assists in his last three against Tampa Bay.


Anderson's yielded three goals each during a 1-2-1 stretch against the Lightning.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Panthers (31-15) at Red Wings (26-18)
Date: February 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers appear poised not to let their most recent setback completely derail another run of success.


They can bounce back Monday night with a second victory in five days over the Detroit Red Wings, who will try to win back-to-back home games for the first time in almost two months.


Florida (31-15-6) seemed headed for a sixth straight victory Saturday before allowing Pittsburgh to tie the game with two goals in the final 5:04 of regulation in the eventual 3-2 overtime defeat. Though disappointed, the Panthers were hardly sulking.


"There was a lull in our step but we got the one point,"â??defenseman Alex Petrovic said. "I think we just brush this one off. We'll bounce back, get ready for the next game."


For the third time this season, the Atlantic Division-leading Panthers have a point in at least five consecutive games. That's perhaps one reason this confident group doesn't expect that loss to mentally linger.


"I feel a lot better with this team because we know what to do ... and (can) concentrate the same way we have been doing the last (few) games," said forward Aleksander Barkov, who has a goal in a career-high four consecutive games and at least one point in the last six.


"We have to play 60-minute games."


Florida did so while winning the season's first two meetings with Detroit (26-18-8), most recently 6-3 at home Thursday. The Panthers' Vincent Trocheck had two goals with an assist and Jaromir Jagr also scored and topped the 1,100-assist mark with two.


The Panthers, who totaled 25 goals during their recent win streak, scored twice on the power play against the Red Wings. They are 8 for 22 with the man advantage in the last five after failing to convert any of their 25 chances in the previous nine.


Despite yielding a season high for goals at Florida, Detroit coach Jeff Blashill was happy with his team's overall effort.


"I thought our Florida compete level was awesome," he said. "It didn't go our way that night but certainly if your compete level is like that every night it's going to go your way eventually."


The Red Wings rebounded with a more solid defensive effort to snap an 0-4-1 home skid with Saturday's 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Dylan Larkin and Tomas Tatar each had a goal with an assist and Petr Mrazek stopped 28 shots for Detroit, which can win consecutive home contests for the first time since a four-game run Dec. 1-10.


'It is imperative that we get wins at home,' said veteran defenseman Mike Green, who has a goal in two straight games. 'We haven't been getting our points at home, so (Saturday) was a big night for us to get going in the right direction."


Jimmy Howard yielded five goals on 32 shots at Florida last week but the Panthers are likely to see Mrazek, who is 8-2-1 in 2016 and has a 1.30 goals-against average in his last 10 starts. He made 30 saves in a 2-1 overtime home defeat to Florida on Nov. 29.


Second among NHL rookies with a team-leading 37 points, Larkin has three goals against the Panthers and four with three assists in the last six games.


Florida's Roberto Luongo has a 1.93 GAA during a three-game winning streak at Detroit.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Ducks (25-18) at Penguins (26-18)
Date: February 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Anaheim Ducks were making fools of the prognosticators during a horrible start after being a sexy pick to win the Stanley Cup following last season's deep playoff run.


Goaltending and the NHL's best penalty kill have helped them regroup, though, and the hottest team in hockey is looking more like the contender many believed it was.


Anaheim seeks a seventh consecutive victory Monday night when it visits a Pittsburgh Penguins team also riding a hot streak with plenty of help from Sidney Crosby, who has put his own rough start behind him.


The Ducks (25-18-7) scored only 10 goals while going 1-7-2 in October and looked nothing like the 109-point Western Conference finalists from 2014-15. They still have the league's lowest-scoring offense, but they've outscored their last six opponents 25-12 after rolling Arizona 5-2 on Friday.


Corey Perry scored to give him four goals and three assists during the streak, while Patrick Maroon finished with a goal and two assists. Anaheim is three points ahead of the Coyotes for the Pacific Division's third and final automatic playoff berth, a striking turnaround from where it was following the season's first few weeks.


"In the beginning of the season, we had no confidence. But everyone is chipping in now, and everyone has confidence. Trust me," Maroon said. "We have such a close team, so everyone picks each other up and everyone is here for each other."


John Gibson got the night off after beating Los Angeles on Thursday. He leads the league with a 1.92 goals-against average, and Frederik Andersen has a 1.72 GAA in six starts and one relief appearance since Jan. 1.


The Ducks have allowed a power-play goal in each of their last two, but they've still killed off a league-best 89.1 percent of their penalties on the season.


"We've been scoring, but one big thing is we've been keeping teams to two goals or less," said Hampus Lindholm, who also scored against Arizona. "We have to keep playing defensive hockey if we want to go somewhere."


Perry and Chris Stewart scored and Gibson made 23 saves to give the Ducks a 2-1 win over the Penguins on Dec. 6, ending a four-game losing streak in the series. Crosby had an assist in that contest and looks to extend his point streak to 11 in the rematch.


The Pittsburgh captain has 10 goals and eight assists during his hot stretch and has 49 points in 50 games, a pace that seemed unlikely after he had just two goals and nine points through his first 18 games.


Crosby, who is tied with Evgeni Malkin for the team scoring lead, assisted on Kris Letang's third-period goal, tied the game 2-2 on his goal with 1:15 left in regulation and assisted on Letang's overtime tally in Saturday's 3-2 win over Florida.


Letang has eight goals and 16 assists over his last 16 contests for the Penguins (26-18-7), who have won five of six and are tied with New Jersey for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.


Crosby has six goals and five assists during a seven-game point streak against the Ducks.


"Those two guys put the team on their backs," coach Mike Sullivan said of Crosby and Letang. "They raised their level at a critical time in the game. I thought those two guys were terrific."


Marc-Andre Fleury should be back in net after getting Saturday off. He has a 3.17 GAA over his last eight but also has two shutouts in that span.


Malkin has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury and his status is unclear for this one.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL knowledge


Hot teams
-- Ducks won their last six games, outscoring foes 25-12. Penguins won five of last six.
-- Rangers won three of their last four games.
-- Tampa Bay won nine of its last ten games.
-- Florida won five of its last six games.


Cold teams
-- Devils lost three of their last four games.
-- Ottawa lost five of its last seven games.
-- Red Wings lost five of their last eight games.


Series records
-- Penguins won four of last five games with Anaheim.
-- Rangers won six of last eight games with New Jersey, but lost last two.
-- Lightning won four of last five games with Ottawa.
-- Panthers won five of their last six games with Detroit.


Totals
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Anaheim games.
-- Over is 5-3-1 in last nine Devil-Ranger games.
-- Seven of last nine Ottawa games went over the total.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Florida games.


Back-to-backs
-- None

 

[CNOTES]

Pro Hockey Trend Report

ANAHEIM (25-18-0-7, 57 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (26-18-0-7, 59 pts.) - 2/8/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 4-1 (+3.3 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 4-1-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.6 Units)


NEW JERSEY (26-20-0-7, 59 pts.) at NY RANGERS (29-18-0-5, 63 pts.) - 2/8/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 93-60 ATS (+175.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 52-28 ATS (+11.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 39-19 ATS (+13.4 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 72-34 ATS (+30.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 36-11 ATS (+18.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 63-84 ATS (-40.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.


Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 5-6 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 6-5-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.8 Units)


TAMPA BAY (29-18-0-4, 62 pts.) at OTTAWA (24-23-0-6, 54 pts.) - 2/8/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 8-17 ATS (-11.6 Units) in road games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 10-21 ATS (-12.7 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 36-71 ATS (+119.8 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 324-384 ATS (-121.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
OTTAWA is 37-29 ATS (+5.7 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 17-11 ATS (+30.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 11-2 ATS (+8.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
OTTAWA is 27-44 ATS (-20.2 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 7-4 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 7-4-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.6 Units)


FLORIDA (31-15-0-6, 68 pts.) at DETROIT (26-18-0-8, 60 pts.) - 2/8/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 31-21 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games this season.
DETROIT is 23-32 ATS (-11.9 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 8-3 (+7.1 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 8-3-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.0 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

NHL (PROFESSIONAL)


DUNKEL'S HIGHLIGHTED GAME


Florida at Detroit - Monday February 8, 2016


The Panthers head to Detroit tonight where they are 5-0 in their last 5 meetings versus the Red Wings. Florida is the pick (-105) according to Dunkel, which has the Panthers favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Florida (-105)


Anaheim
@
Pittsburgh
Game 1-2
February 8, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating: Anaheim
10.392
Pittsburgh
11.120
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Pittsburgh
by 1
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Pittsburgh
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh
N/A


New Jersey
@
NY Rangers
Game 3-4
February 8, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating: New Jersey
10.199
NY Rangers
13.185
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: NY Rangers
by 3
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: NY Rangers
-175
4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers
(-175); Over


Tampa Bay
@
Ottawa
Game 5-6
February 8, 2016 @ 7:30 pm


Dunkel Rating: Tampa Bay
11.776
Ottawa
12.673
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Ottawa
by 1
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Tampa Bay
-145
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Ottawa
(+125); Over


Florida
@
Detroit
Game 7-8
February 8, 2016 @ 7:30 pm


Dunkel Rating: Florida
13.373
Detroit
11.925
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Florida
by 1 1/2
3 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Detroit
-115
5
Dunkel Pick: Florida
(-105); Under

 

[CNOTES]

NHL TOTALS


NHL > (3) NEW JERSEY@ (4) NY RANGERS | 2016-02-08 19:05:00 - 2016-02-08 19:05:00
Play UNDER NEW JERSEY on the totalin Road games in February games
The record is 17 Overs and 47 Unders for the since 1992 (+28.7 units)

 

[CNOTES]

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




ANA at PIT 07:00 PM


ANA +103 BEST BET




NJ at NYR 07:00 PM


NYR -170




TB at OTT 07:30 PM


OTT +118




FLA at DET 07:30 PM


FLA +120 BEST BET

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Kings (31-17) at Bruins (28-18)
Date: February 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Milan Lucic is set to face off against his former team for the first time, but the forward's homecoming is secondary to some on-ice concerns right now for the Los Angeles.


The Kings' struggles lately have mostly been in the defensive zone, something they'll try to correct as they start a season-high seven-game road trip Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins.


Lucic, who's been limited to two goals in his last 24 games, played his first eight seasons in Boston and won the 2011 Stanley Cup before being traded June 26 after the Bruins missed the playoffs for the first time in his career. He wrote a letter to the city in The Players' Tribune published Monday, then spoke warmly of his former home to the Kings' official website.


"It's pretty cool," Lucic said. "Back in the snow, hockey weather. But it's a good feeling to be able to go back and finally play against a team that I played for (over) the last eight years, and I'm looking forward to what it's going to be like."


A little improvement figures to be necessary to leave with two points. First-place Los Angeles (31-17-3) has given up 18 goals over a 2-4-0 span, including a 4-2 home loss to Anaheim on Thursday.


"The whole game wasn't the way we wanted, and it's not the way we drew it up," said Tyler Toffoli, who scored his 23rd goal to match his career high established last season. "We've got to get better defensively."


Boston (28-18-6) strung together consecutive wins in a home-and-home set against Buffalo with stronger defensive efforts, including Saturday's 2-1 home overtime win. Brad Marchand scored on a penalty shot midway through the extra period, giving the forward nine goals in his last nine games.


"When you're feeling good and confident, you seem to bear down in situations like that," said Marchand, who has also scored seven goals in his last six against Los Angeles.


It could fall on him to spark a power play that's gone 2 for 29 in the last 10 games, though the penalty kill has more than canceled that out by going 71 for 76 in the past 26.


Boston is playing its last of six of eight at home before heading out on a season-high six-game trip. It last won consecutive home games Dec. 16 and 20, going 4-6-1 since, while Los Angeles has gone 7-2-0 with 3.67 goals per game on the road since the Christmas break. Overall, though, the Bruins are happy with how they've performed in three overtime games since the All-Star break.


"We've gotten five out of six points after the break, so it would be nice to finish strong and get seven out of eight and go on the long road trip," center David Krejci told the team's official website. "It's going to be a big game for us. (The Kings) have a really good team. They're big and strong. We have to bring our A game."


Tuukka Rask did that against the Sabres with 37 saves, and he's 2-1-0 with a 1.69 goals-against average and .956 save percentage versus the Kings.


Likely counterpart Jonathan Quick has a 3.45 GAA and .858 save percentage over a 1-4-0 span, and he's also lost his last three in Boston.


The clubs have split four games over the past two seasons, but the Bruins haven't lost in regulation at home to the Kings since 2005-06, going 3-0-3 with three straight victories.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Islanders (27-18) at Blue Jackets (21-28)
Date: February 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Islanders are brimming with confidence after finishing with their highest goal total in five seasons.


They haven't had too much trouble racking up goals against the Columbus Blue Jackets, although they've never faced Joonas Korpisalo.


The visiting Islanders look to complete a four-game sweep of the Blue Jackets and make it eight straight meetings without a regulation defeat in the series Tuesday night.


New York (27-18-6) cruised to an 8-1 victory over Edmonton on Sunday. Kyle Okposo recorded his second career hat trick, Nick Leddy had a career-high three assists and John Tavares added a goal and two assists in the Islanders' highest-scoring effort since a 9-3 win over Pittsburgh on Feb. 11, 2011.


'It was good. Good to put up eight. It was a pretty good team effort,' Okposo said. 'I thought we were going on all cylinders. It's definitely nice to get rewarded.'


Okposo has 10 points in his last eight games and Tavares has nine in six.


New York, which had totaled three goals in losing its previous two games, looks to avoid its first three-game road slide in two seasons.


The Islanders are enjoying a 5-0-2 run over the Blue Jackets in which they've totaled 30 goals, with nine in three victories this season. Brock Nelson has scored three of his team-high 20 goals in the 2015-16 season series.


Korpisalo has posted back-to-back wins as he continues to fill in for the injured Sergei Bobrovsky and Curtis McElhinney. He made 37 saves in a 2-1 shootout win at Vancouver on Thursday followed by 30 the next night in a 2-1 victory at Calgary.


Korpisalo is 6-1-1 with a 1.84 goals-against average in his last eight starts.


'He's been saving (us) for a while, it seems like. It feels great with a guy like that you can really count on,' center William Karlsson said. 'He seems very confident out there, calm. It's kind of contagious. It goes out on all of us players.'


Columbus (21-28-5) seeks its second three-game win streak of the season after Karlsson scored twice against the Flames, ending a nine-game goal drought and giving him six for the season.


'It feels good to win and score two goals. Obviously, I haven't been too spoiled with the goals this year,' he said.


This matchup figures to be a physical affair with the Islanders averaging a league-high 30.6 hits and the Blue Jackets also ranking among the leaders at 27.3. Columbus has outhit New York 98-58 in this season's three matchups.


The Islanders are expected to start Jaroslav Halak, 5-0-2 with a 2.22 GAA in his last seven against the Blue Jackets with two wins this season. Halak, though, has allowed 10 goals in losing his last three outings.


Columbus begins a five-game homestand after taking two of three in Western Canada. New York vows it will be ready.


"We've just gotta stick with the program, it's a long season, it's a process," coach Jack Capuano said. "We're going into a team that's coming off a pretty good road trip here in Columbus on Tuesday."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Capitals (38-9) at Predators (25-20)
Date: February 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Washington Capitals came up short in both attempts to beat coach Barry Trotz's former team last season but would appear to have the upper hand this time against a Nashville Predators team clinging to a playoff spot.


The Capitals look to add to their league-leading point total with a fourth win in row Tuesday night in Nashville.


Washington lost 4-3 in each of its two matchups against Nashville in 2014-15 but was facing one of the NHL's top teams. The Capitals, meanwhile, were sixth in the Eastern Conference before a loss in Nashville on Jan. 16 and seventh before a home defeat March 28.


The roles are reversed this time with Washington (38-9-4) holding a four-point advantage over Chicago for the NHL's best record and Nashville (25-20-8) in control of the West's first wild card. The Capitals have boosted their hopes in the East and for the Presidents' Trophy by winning three straight 3-2 games, taking one in a shootout.


"I think one of the things we have to recognize is everybody has kicked their game to playoff mode. We're going to Nashville. They're going to be in playoff mode," Trotz said. "Fortunately with our record, we have some separation, some money in the bank. At the same time, we can't take that for granted."


Matt Niskanen scored the tiebreaking goal with 14:36 remaining against Philadelphia on Sunday. Alex Ovechkin tallied his 30th, joining Wayne Gretzky and former Capitals forward Mike Gartner as the only players to reach that mark in each of their first 11 seasons.


Ovechkin is making his first appearance in Nashville this season after missing the All-Star weekend to nurse a lower-body injury. Trotz was greeted warmly while coaching the Metropolitan Division team for the 3-on-3 tournament at Bridgestone Arena, and Predators fans gave him a standing ovation in his return to Nashville last season.


He coached that franchise through its first 15 seasons of existence and earned 557 wins while making seven playoff appearances.


Nashville ended a season-worst three-game home losing streak Saturday with a 6-2 rout of San Jose. Viktor Arvidsson had his first two-goal game as the Predators also avoided a third consecutive overall defeat.


"We did a good job like this but we're going to need efforts like this all year to be able to win games like this," said forward Filip Forsberg, who had a goal and two assists.


Forsberg also had a goal and two assists at Washington last March. James Neal has nine goals and five assists in 14 career matchups with the Capitals, and Mattias Ekholm scored in each of last season's two meetings.


Ovechkin has eight goals and four assists in 11 lifetime games against Nashville and four in his last six overall, with two coming on the power play. The Capitals, however, are 0 for 17 with a man advantage in their past five contests but have killed eight of nine penalties in the last three.


Nashville has given up three power-play goals in its last two games after killing all 21 penalties over seven contests.


T.J. Oshie's 11 goals against the Predators while with St. Louis were his most against any opponent, and he also tallied nine assists. Nicklas Backstrom has two goals and nine assists in his past seven games against Nashville, but Washington has dropped three straight in the series.


The Capitals have also lost three in a row at Bridgestone.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Stars (33-15) at Wild (23-20)
Date: February 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Wild spent most of the last three weeks losing on the road, but are now in danger of setting a franchise mark for home futility.


Playing their first post-All-Star break game at the Xcel Energy Center, the reeling Wild try to avoid a club-record sixth consecutive home defeat Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars.


Minnesota (23-20-9) went 0-1-2 against Dallas this season before a 2-1 victory Jan. 9. The Wild have since totaled 17 non-shootout goals while going 1-9-1. They've played seven of the last eight on the road and dropped their fifth in a row overall, 4-1 at St. Louis on Saturday to conclude a three-game trip.


"It's frustrating," forward Jason Pominville, who has two points in 19 games, told the Wild's official website.


Minnesota plays its next three at home, where it has managed seven goals during a 0-3-2 slide that's left them in danger of making history for the wrong reason.


"We're going to turn this around; that's where our focus is right now," Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher said before Saturday's defeat. "This group, the coaches and players have won a lot of games, they know what it takes, and I'm looking to our leadership group right now to step up ... I'm looking for the players to play the right way and I'm confident that we'll get there."


Despite the outcome in St. Louis, the Wild felt they made some positive strides by scoring a power-play goal in their third consecutive contest and recording a club-record 24 shots in the second period.


"We obviously would have liked to get one or two more there," coach Mike Yeo said. "If we recognize that and we see what we put into the game (Saturday), and bring that back home with us, then we'll have a chance to get this turned around."


Minnesota has killed all 13 penalties over the last six home games, but allowed the Blues to convert three of their six chances with the man-advantage.


Dallas (33-15-5) is 3 for 10 on the power play against Minnesota this season but went 0 for 6 and yielded two short-handed goals in Saturday's 5-1 home loss to Chicago. The Stars had won three in a row and totaled nine goals in the previous two contests.


"We just kind of laid an egg," forward Vernon Fiddler told the Stars' official website. "It's unacceptable."


Antti Niemi was pulled after allowing three goals on 11 shots for Dallas, which gets another crack at the Western Conference-leading Blackhawks on Thursday in Chicago.


"This was just a total team loss, really," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "We needed a couple saves, and there'd be a couple you'd like back when they're going through you, some tough-angle ones went in. But this one's on the team."


Niemi has a 3.84 goals-against average while going 2-1-0 in February, but owns a 2.08 GAA and the same record against Minnesota in 2015-16.


Jamie Benn has three goals and eight assists during a seven-game point streak against the Wild.


Minnesota All-Star Devan Dubnyk made 34 saves at Dallas in last month's win, but is 0-7-1 since and has a 4.41 GAA while losing all three February starts in regulation.


Teammate Zach Parise has no points in three games against the Stars this season, and only one of his team-leading 17 goals in the last 10 contests.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Maple Leafs (19-23) at Flames (23-25)
Date: February 09, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Near the bottom of the Western Conference with two months remaining in the season, the Calgary Flames are feeling a sense of urgency.


The Flames can help their cause by winning back-to-back games for the first time more than a month Tuesday night against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs.


Nine points out of the final wild-card spot in the West and needing to pass four teams, Calgary (23-25-3) has little room for error as it looks to reach the playoffs for a second consecutive season.


'We need to play every game like it's a Game 7,' veteran forward Michael Frolik said. 'It's going to be like that for the rest of the season. We need that mindset.'


Winners of two of three since the All-Star break, the Flames believe Saturday's 4-1 victory at Vancouver might be the spark that ignites that desperately sought run of success. They are 4-7-1 since last winning two in a row Jan. 2 and 5.


"We're a proud team," coach Bob Hartley said. "We have so (many) great veterans, the kids are pushing hard. Let's face it, any team in our situation, we have to go on a big winning streak. It's not winning one, losing one. We have to get going."


Frolik, Mikael Backlund and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist and Jonas Hiller made 34 saves Saturday.


'It was one of those games we really needed,' Hiller said. "In the position we're at, every single point's really important. That's definitely something to build on.'


The Flames have clamped down in allowing eight goals in five games while killing off 21 of 23 penalties over the last 10. Karri Ramo, expected to start Tuesday, has posted a 1.79 goals-against average despite losing three of his last four starts.


Calgary has scored four goals in two of three but hasn't produced more than two in consecutive games since Jan. 11 and 13. It's gone 2 for 21 on the power play in the last six contests.


All-Star forward Johnny Gaudreau went scoreless Saturday after his five-game home point streak ended in Friday's 2-1 loss to Columbus. He had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 home victory over Toronto on March 13.


The Maple Leafs (19-23-9) endured a similar defensive performance Saturday in losing for the sixth time in eight road games, 6-1 to Ottawa. By the time Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau scored for the second time in three games early in the third period, Toronto was trailing by six.


"The bottom line is we got beat and we got beat bad," defenseman Dion Phaneuf told the NHL's official website. "We got beat in every aspect of the game by a team that played harder than us. It's disappointing and we have to move past it."


Pulled after yielding three goals on eight shots Saturday, James Reimer has a 4.01 GAA while splitting his last four starts. He was in net March 13 and is expected to start Tuesday.


Toronto's Leo Komarov has a team-leading 33 points but three in his last eight games.


The Maple Leafs have gone 3 for 60 on the power play in the past 18.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Canucks (20-20) at Avalanche (27-24)
Date: February 09, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Out of playoff position and struggling to score, the Vancouver Canucks are frustrated.


The Colorado Avalanche haven't been pleased with their play of late, either.


Looking to avoid a fifth straight defeat, the Canucks try to hand the Avs a fourth consecutive home loss Tuesday night.


Six points behind Colorado (27-24-4) for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with two teams in its way, Vancouver has scored once in each of the last three games and gone 1 for 12 on the power play in seven.


'It's frustrating and we've got to start turning the corner," goaltender Ryan Miller said after Saturday's 4-1 home loss to Calgary. 'We can't hang our heads and say, 'Oh well it happened again.' We've got to start digging ourselves out. No one else can do it but us, so start digging.'


The Canucks (20-20-12) suffered back-to-back 2-1 defeats then trailed 2-0 before Calgary scored a pair of empty-netters. Perhaps most concerning is that Vancouver has recorded 73 shots in the last two contests.


A rough situation for a club that already ranks near the bottom of the league averaging 2.31 goals.


'The points are slipping away,' said captain Henrik Sedin, who has gone a season-high four games without a point. 'I see enough chances for us to score more goals, but there have been a few too many games we have come up with one (goal) and that's not enough.'


Emerson Etem scored his first of the season Saturday for the Canucks, who dropped five in a row Nov. 27-Dec. 5.


"Every point from here on out is crucial," Etem said.


Though Colorado finds itself in a better overall position, it's winless in three home games since the All-Star break and has allowed 19 goals during a 1-3-1 stretch. It yielded six goals while winning five of the previous six contests.


"We're not sharp, and it's too bad because it comes at the wrong moment," coach Patrick Roy told the Avs' official website. "We put ourselves in a playoff spot, and we had a chance to start where we left (off from the break). We should be disappointed right now."


The Avs opened the scoring Saturday, then allowed lowly Winnipeg to post the next three en route to a 4-2 defeat. They've been held to two or fewer goals seven times in 10 games.


Matt Duchene scored his team-leading 24th goal Saturday, but only his eighth at home.


Back from dealing with a civil lawsuit that finished in his favor, Semyon Varlamov made 35 saves Saturday in his first action since Jan. 23. He allowed one goal in each all of his previous four starts - all wins.


"It's tough to pinpoint really what it is. There's a number of things," forward Gabriel Landeskog said. "I feel like we're too slow in the D-zone; we're spending too much time in our own zone. And once we do get the puck, we just don't make strong enough plays.


"We just don't support each other enough, and we're playing on our own a little too much. You're not going to beat any team like that."


Landeskog had two goals with an assist as the Avs took two of three from Vancouver last season.


Sedin has two goals and four assists during a six-game point streak at Colorado.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Panthers (31-15) at Sabres (21-26)
Date: February 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The offensive surge that keyed the Florida Panthers' rise in the Atlantic Division has dissipated during only their second losing streak since early December.


Things could get worse before they get better without one of their go-to scorers, while the Buffalo Sabres are hoping to get back two of their top forwards.


With Aleksander Barkov's status uncertain, the Panthers look to begin a new winning streak Tuesday night by dealing the Sabres their ninth loss in 10 home games.


Florida (31-16-6) was fifth in the Atlantic on Dec. 12 before averaging 3.2 goals during a 17-3-1 push that lifted it into first place. The Panthers totaled 25 goals over a five-game win streak before failing to extend that production in the last two.


Following a 3-2 overtime home loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday, they were shut out for only the third time in Monday's 3-0 loss at Detroit. Making matters worse, Barkov was knocked out in the second period after getting hit by Detroit's Justin Abdelkader.


The center had scored a goal in his previous four games and leads the club with 10 goals and 22 points in the last 21. He has a goal and two assists in his two meetings with Buffalo and the Panthers have won seven in a row in the series when he's played.


"I thought it was a cheap shot," coach Gerard Gallant said of Abdelkader, who was not penalized after hitting Barkov with his shoulder. "Hopefully, he'll be back soon."


Florida has gone 9-1-1 in the past 11 meetings with Buffalo after taking two of the first three matchups this season. Jaromir Jagr has led the way with three goals and five points in the season series, while Jonathan Huberdeau has tallied twice.


Roberto Luongo is 12-2-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average in his last 15 against the Sabres. He's expected to be in net after stopping 31 shots in a 5-1 road win Jan. 5.


Buffalo (21-26-6) has only managed 14 goals while going 1-6-2 over its last nine home games. Now the club will try to avoid its sixth defeat in its last eight games overall following Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss at Boston.


Sam Reinhart got a goal for the second straight contest, but leading scorer Ryan O'Reilly has gone 12 in a row without finding the back of the net. The left wing, however, has three goals and six points in his last four at home versus Florida.


Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has totaled three assists in the season series.


Buffalo could get a boost if forwards Marcus Foligno and Zemgus Girgensons can overcome lower-body injuries to play alongside Jack Eichel. Foligno (4 goals, 11 points) sat out Saturday while Girgensons (5 goals, 11 points) did not practice Monday.


"I feel pretty good," Foligno told the team's official website. "Right now, it's just a pain tolerance, that's all I can really say. There was nothing really major, just a tweak, but it was tough to really play or even skate a couple days ago."


Tyler Ennis, though, remains sidelined indefinitely with an upper-body injury.


Buffalo's Robin Lehner is likely to start between the pipes. He has a .947 save percentage over his last five games and a .942 mark in his last two versus the Panthers.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Lightning (29-18) at Canadiens (26-24)
Date: February 09, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Ben Scrivens toiled in the minors through the first three months of the season wondering when he'd get his next chance in the NHL, and he didn't exactly impress the Montreal Canadiens when they acquired him at the end of December.


His performances over the weekend helped him regain his confidence.


Scrivens will make his third straight start for the suddenly surging Canadiens as they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.


Reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Carey Price hasn't played since Nov. 25 because of a lower-body injury, and Montreal (26-24-4) has since tumbled down the Eastern Conference standings while working mainly with rookie Mike Condon in net.


The Canadiens acquired Scrivens from Edmonton on Dec. 28, and he lost his first four starts with a 3.84 goals-against average. He started against his former team Saturday, though, and made 23 saves in a 5-1 victory that snapped Montreal's four-game skid.


Scrivens was fantastic again Sunday, stopping 33 shots through overtime and all five in the shootout for a 2-1 win over Carolina.


"Obviously it's nice to get two wins whether you're playing or not, but having a bit of ownership definitely makes it sweeter," Scrivens said. "The biggest thing is that we got the four points that we desperately needed. Now we have to focus on the next one."


Scrivens will be in net again as the Canadiens try to win three straight for the first time since a four-game run Nov. 20-27. Defenseman P.K. Subban had a goal and an assist against the Oilers then assisted on Max Pacioretty's goal against the Hurricanes.


Montreal, which won its first nine games of the season, sits in 11th place in the East, four points behind the New York Islanders for the last wild-card spot.


"It's a step in the right direction, and obviously we want to build on it," Subban said. "Everybody should feel good about their game and themselves. It's important that spirits are up, and now we'll continue taking things one game at a time."


Subban had an assist in Montreal's 4-3 shootout victory in the first meeting Dec. 28 and will try to help deal the Lightning (29-19-4) back-to-back losses for the first time since Dec. 28 and 30.


Tampa has been one of the NHL's hottest teams and had won nine of its previous 10 before falling 5-1 at Ottawa on Monday. J.T. Brown scored in the first period and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 24 saves in place of Ben Bishop.


The Lightning averaged 3.5 goals during their hot stretch, but they came up empty on three power-play opportunities against the Senators after scoring with the man advantage in each of their previous five.


Tampa failed to move into sole possession of second place in the Atlantic Division and remained six points behind first-place Florida.


"This has to be a page-turner, because now we've got Montreal who's won a couple and feeling good about themselves and we're not," coach Jon Cooper said. "You're not always encouraged about playing back-to-back, but I'm glad we get to jump right back at it (Tuesday) night."


Bishop will be back in net for this one. He has a 1.76 GAA over his last six starts and made 31 saves in the first meeting with the Canadiens.


Scrivens has a 2.70 GAA in five career starts against the Lightning.