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

[CNOTES]

Preview: Ducks (26-19) at Blue Jackets (21-28)
Date: February 11, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Corey Perry is playing so well that teams are resorting to all kinds of tactics to try to slow down the prolific winger.


Perry was bloodied but not beaten his last time out and looks to continue his strong production for the visiting Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.


The Ducks top goal scorer with 21, Perry had two assists in Tuesday's 4-1 victory at Philadelphia to give him 10 points in a 7-1-0 surge.


That performance did not come without a price. Perry and the Flyers' Brandon Manning were bloodied during a skirmish in the second period that resulted in Perry being sent to the locker room with a cut over his left ear.


He said that he felt the Ducks (26-19-7) handled the physical game the right way.


"It's all about keeping them in check, but at the same time sticking up for one another," Perry said. "I thought we did a good job of that."


Anaheim recovered after getting crushed 6-2 on Monday by Pittsburgh to open a seven-game trip. It didn't take long to get back on track as Rickard Rakell scored twice for a 2-0 lead in an opening period in which the Ducks held a 15-5 edge in shots.


'I couldn't have written it up as good as that,' coach Bruce Boudreau said. 'I thought our first period was pretty dominating. It just shows the guys were a little ticked off with their effort (Monday) night and they wanted to atone for it."


Captain Ryan Getzlaf also had two assists to give him 33 overall and 10 points in his last seven games. Getzlaf and Perry each had three assists in the Ducks' 4-2 home win over the Blue Jackets on Nov. 6.


Anaheim figures to get its first look at rookie Joonas Korpisalo, who has started the last seven games for Columbus (21-28-6) while filling in for injured Sergei Bobrovsky (groin) and Curtis McElhinney (ankle).


Korpisalo has a season-high 44 saves in Tuesday's 3-2 shootout home defeat to the New York Islanders. He had gone 6-1-1 with a 1.84 goals-against average in his previous eight starts.


"Korpi played a great game," forward Boone Jenner said. "Obviously he's been doing that a lot lately and he was there again tonight."


Korpisalo has had to be sharp since the Blue Jackets have totaled six non-shootout goals in four games since the All-Star break. Jenner, who has 17 goals, and Brandon Saad, who has a team-high 19, are both pointless in this stretch.


Columbus failed to score after the first period Tuesday, getting outshot for the game 46-31. The club opened a five-game homestand after winning two of three in Western Canada.


'It looked like we kind of ran out of gas,' coach John Tortorella said. 'I'm not sure if the trip hurt us. I'm always concerned about that, coming off that West Coast trip. I don't want to make excuses. Judging from the first period, I thought we were there.'


Tortorella opted to cancel Wednesday's practice.


Anaheim has the league's best penalty kill at 89.0 percent while Columbus owns the NHL's third-worst power play at home at 16.0 percent.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Kings (32-17) at Islanders (28-18)
Date: February 11, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Kings kicked off a seven-game trip by scoring more goals in a road game than they had in nearly 23 years.


They might like their chances of winning again if they get to face the New York Islanders' Jaroslav Halak.


Halak has dropped eight straight starts against Los Angeles and is likely to get the nod Thursday night when his Islanders try to slow down the red-hot Kings' power play.


Los Angeles (31-17-3) had nine players score in Tuesday's 9-2 rout of Boston, posting its highest goal total on the road since a 9-3 win over Detroit on March 29, 1993.


'I don't think I've ever been with the Kings when they've got nine goals,' said eighth-year defenseman Drew Doughty, who leads the NHL with 33.7 shifts per game. 'It was fun, a lot of fun.'


Jeff Carter ended an eight-game goal drought and Anze Kopitar added an assist to give him seven in a five-game streak.


Carter, Doughty and Luke Schenn scored on the power play as Los Angeles went 3 for 3 to give it a 7-for-12 mark in the last three games. The Kings are at 23.4 percent, third in the NHL.


New York (28-18-6) is a formidable penalty killing team at 86.8 percent, second overall. Halak made 29 saves in Tuesday's 3-2 shootout victory at Columbus to end a three-start slide in which he allowed 10 goals.


The worst effort in that span was Saturday's 5-1 road defeat to the Red Wings in which he was replaced in the second period after giving up four goals on 13 shots.


"It's always frustrating to lose the game and being pulled even more frustrating," Halak said. "But it's only one game and we've got a lot of games left and whatever happens that night, you just have to forget about it and try to focus on the next game."


Halak began his career with five straight wins over the Kings, but has gone 0-6-2 with a 3.07 goals-against average in his last eight starts against them. That includes a 2-1 defeat Nov. 12 in which Milan Lucic put Los Angeles ahead for good with a second-period tally.


Lucic was happy to put Tuesday behind him after an emotional return to Boston, where he played eight seasons and was honored with a video tribute.


'As much as I was looking at this game, I'm glad it's finally over so I can stop thinking about it and thinking about the rest of the road trip and all those type of things,' Lucic said.


Jonathan Quick made 35 saves in his 28th victory after getting pulled in the second period of his previous outing last Thursday, when he stopped six of nine shots in a 4-2 loss to Anaheim.


The Islanders' Kyle Okposo and John Tavares are on three-game point streaks, with six points for Okposo and five for Tavares.


These teams lead the NHL in hits per game, with New York averaging 30.3 and Los Angeles 29.3. Islanders winger Matt Martin is averaging a league-high 4.9 while Lucic tops the Kings at 3.5.


The Kings placed veteran defenseman Christian Ehrhoff on waivers Wednesday. Ehrhoff, who signed a one-year contract with Los Angeles last summer, recorded an assist Tuesday and has nine with two goals in 40 games this season.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Sabres (21-27) at Flyers (23-20)
Date: February 11, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Sean Couturier's injury put Philadelphia general manager Ron Hextall in an interesting position with the trade deadline approaching and a tight Eastern Conference wild-card race unfolding.


Adding another asset might become futile, though, if the Flyers don't start winning without their young center.


Philadelphia looks to avoid a fourth straight defeat Thursday night when it hosts a Buffalo Sabres team also suffering through a three-game skid and injury concerns of its own.


Couturier had an assist in last Thursday's win over Nashville to give him 10 along with six goals in his last 16 games, but he suffered an ankle injury in that contest that is expected to keep him out at least three more weeks.


The Flyers (23-20-9) are 0-2-1 since the 23-year-old went down following Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Anaheim and are 2-8-2 without Couturier on the season. They'll have to jump five teams to get into playoff position in the East, but it's still a close race with plenty of time remaining.


Hextall could choose to replace Couturier before the Feb. 29 trade deadline, which is shortly before Couturier is expected to return. For now, he's hoping the current players can show they can overcome Couturier's absence.


"He's a big part of our team, we all knew that," Hextall said. "Would we like him back tomorrow? Yeah. It would be terrific. But it's not going to happen, so we're going to go with what we've got. And we need to find ways to win games."


It hasn't helped that the Flyers have been on the ice plenty since returning from the All-Star break. This will be their sixth game in 10 days, and they won't have more than two days off until March 8-10.


"This time of year, it's a busy schedule, so I don't know how many people have the luxury of being 100 percent healthy or feeling physically 100 percent energized," said rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who has two goals and 10 assists during a nine-game point streak. "Everybody's got to get themselves ready and prepared and go out and do the job."


The Sabres (21-27-6) also are having health issues. Forward Zemgus Girgensons suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday's overtime defeat at Boston and sat out Tuesday's 7-4 loss to Florida, then was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.


Winger Johan Larsson also sat out against the Panthers after suffering an undisclosed injury in the morning skate. He didn't practice Wednesday and his status for this contest is unclear as Buffalo looks to win a third straight meeting with the Flyers this season.


Girgensons scored in overtime to give the Sabres a 4-3 win Oct. 27 before Ryan O'Reilly had a goal and two assists in a 3-1 win Oct. 30. O'Reilly, though, has gone 13 straight without a goal despite having 10 assists in that span.


He assisted on both of Sam Reinhart's power-play goals against Florida.


"I thought Ryan actually was a guy who stood out (Tuesday) in how he played," coach Dan Bylsma said. "He's squeezing a little bit when it comes to shooting the puck and scoring goals for us right now, but I think that's a frustration we all share."


It's unclear if Robin Lehner or Chad Johnson will get the start in net after Johnson relieved Lehner on Tuesday.


Steve Mason is 2-2-1 with a 2.59 goals-against average starting each game for the Flyers since former Sabres goalie Michal Neuvirth suffered a lower-body injury. Coach Dave Hakstol said he hasn't ruled out giving Anthony Stolarz his first NHL start in this contest.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Avalanche (27-25) at Senators (25-23)
Date: February 11, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

There might be no great time to play five of six games on the road, and immediately after a winless four-game homestand would seem to be one of the worst.


That's what Colorado faces starting Thursday night in Ottawa, but coach Patrick Roy seems to think something positive is coming.


The Avalanche (27-25-4) have won seven of 10 on the road dating to Dec. 12 and scored 2.90 goals per game in that time. For the season, they're averaging 1.11 points per road game and 0.96 at home after blowing another lead in Tuesday's 3-1 home loss to Vancouver.


"I think it is good timing. Now we're going to refocus," Roy told the team's official website. "We've been playing well on the road. Seems like on the road we're scoring more, and we take leads and play with more confidence. Like tonight, we had the lead, no excuse."


The Avalanche are in this position after an 0-3-1 homestand that ended with them scoring one goal for the third time in six games and going 0 for 4 on the power play to dip to 1 for 12 on the losing streak. Colorado had a first-period lead in the last three and emerged with one point.


"Obviously, the last four games haven't ended the way we wanted," captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "We haven't found ways to win. We have to put an end to this. You can't afford to go on slides like this at this point of the year. We just have to find a way to get out of it."


The Avalanche are at least getting the Senators on the tail end of a back-to-back set. Ottawa is 2-7-0 with no rest, but one of those came against Colorado.


Ottawa won 5-3 in Denver on Nov. 25 behind two goals and an assist from Shane Prince, but the Avalanche have won eight of the last 10 with an average of 4.00 goals per game. Landeskog had a goal and an assist in the latest meeting and has nine points in six career games against Ottawa.


The Senators (25-24-6) are returning home after Wednesday's 3-1 loss in Detroit after a two-game home winning streak in which they totaled 11 goals. Though the offense went a bit quiet against the Red Wings, Zack Smith - who has scored in his last two against Colorado - kept his hot streak going with a goal in a third straight game.


It came on the power play, but Ottawa was 1 for 7 and is 6 of 48 (12.5 percent) in 15 games since last converting twice in one contest.


"We let them off the hook in the first period," coach Dave Cameron said. "I'd like to see us get it to the net. We were looking for the Grade A chance."


It was the first game for Dion Phaneuf after Ottawa acquired him from Toronto on Tuesday in a nine-player deal. He played a role in Detroit's winning goal, but his coach focused on more than that.


"I thought he fit right in," Cameron said. "He played in all situations for us. ... He's very vocal, I like that."


Craig Anderson faced the Red Wings, so Andrew Hammond could be in goal needing improvement from his last four games. The second-year goaltender has gone 0-2-0 in two starts and two relief efforts with a 4.80 goals-against average and .830 save percentage.


Potential counterpart Semyon Varlamov has a 3.69 GAA and .896 save percentage in consecutive losses, but he's enjoyed a 6-2-0 road stretch with 1.60 and .957 marks. He was replaced in November against the Senators and has a 3.31 GAA in seven career games against them.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bruins (28-19) at Jets (24-26)
Date: February 11, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Boston Bruins are trying to forget their latest effort. The Winnipeg Jets hope a couple of road victories has them poised for improvement at home.


Coach Claude Julien is expected to shuffle the lines as the Bruins open this season-high six-game road trip against the Jets on Thursday night.


Boston (28-19-6) was hammered 9-2 at home by Los Angeles on Tuesday, surrendering 57 shots for the first time since a meeting with Detroit on March 18, 1965.


"What's ahead of us is more important than what is behind us," Julien told the team's official website. "I'm not going to get into (Tuesday) night, but I'm just going to say we haven't played like that all year, so it's not something we should dwell on more than think about what we have ahead of us.


"We're looking at Winnipeg and we understand and realize the importance of this road trip."


The Bruins' 16-5-3 road record ranks only behind Washington's 19-5-2 and includes four straight victories.


Boston, though, has won only once in their last eight away matchups with the Jets, dating back to 2010 when they were the Atlanta Thrashers. The Bruins' three-game skid in Winnipeg includes one goal in each contest, and they fell 6-2 at home in the season opener for both clubs Oct. 8.


The Jets (24-26-3) are last in the Central Division and among the worst home teams in the West at 13-12-1. They've surrendered an average of 3.67 goals while losing seven of nine.


Winnipeg, however, showed some promise against a couple teams in playoff position, beating St. Louis 2-1 in a shootout on Tuesday after topping Colorado 4-2 on Saturday.


"The on-ice product the last two games is a function of preparation," coach Paul Maurice told the team's official website. "Every team has to find its soul, and how it gets itself ready. We've been right there the last two games, as good as we've been all year, where you're wired into the game and ready to go. That's a big deal.


"We're back skating, we're competing on pucks. We're battling and when it all goes bad, we're getting a block or a save."


The Jets are getting Drew Stafford back from a one-game suspension for hitting the Avalanche's Nick Holden in the face with his stick. He had two goals and one assist in that game to match his point total from the eight prior.


Stafford has four points in his last three meetings with the Bruins, including two in the season opener.


His 16 goals are tied for the team lead with Bryan Little, who ended an eight-game drought Tuesday. The center has just one assist in the past eight games with Boston.


Brad Marchand leads the Bruins with 25 goals, three shy of his career high set in 2011-12. He's scored 10 over the past 10 games, netting half of them during a four-game streak.


Marchand didn't score in a 2-1 loss at Winnipeg on Dec. 19, 2014, after getting one in each of the previous three visits.


Tuukka Rask should be back in net after getting pulled midway through the second period Tuesday. He's lost five of his last six road matchups with the Jets franchise but owns a 2.03 goals-against average while dropping two of the past three.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Capitals (39-9) at Wild (23-20)
Date: February 11, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo is remaining positive amid the longest home losing streak in club history, even though snapping it against the NHL's best team won't be easy.


The sinking Wild figure to be hard-pressed to end their six-game home slide when they meet Alex Ovechkin, Braden Holtby and the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.


Minnesota (23-20-10) established its worst home losing streak at 0-3-3 with Tuesday's 4-3 overtime defeat to Dallas. It's part of a 1-9-2 overall stretch for Yeo's club.


The coach said his message to the team remains upbeat.


"We're not all about moral victories, and we're not all about trying to just point out the positives, and deflect against what's real, but the truth of the matter is that's the only way out of this," Yeo told the Wild's official website.


Not too many teams have obtained positive results against Washington (39-9-4), winner of four straight after opening this three-game trip with Tuesday's 5-3 victory over Nashville. Holtby made 23 saves, giving him a 26-1-3 mark and 2.11 GAA in his last 31 starts.


Ovechkin scored into an empty net for his 31st goal - one off the NHL-leading total held by Chicago's Patrick Kane. Four other Capitals scored, with Marcus Johansson registering a goal and two assists.


"I've said it a million times, we get different performances from different guys, big performances on every night," Holtby said.


Johansson returned to the Washington lineup after missing four games with an upper-body injury. He has 13 points in his last 11.


"It's good to be back and there's nothing better than coming back and being a part of winning a game," he said.


Another unheralded Washington skater contributing is Andre Burakovsky, who has six goals and four assists in an eight-game point streak.


The Capitals are averaging league bests of 3.3 goals overall and 3.7 since the start of January. The Wild are averaging 1.9 goals since the start of 2016 for the league's second-worst mark.


Zach Parise leads Minnesota with 17 goals, but has none in this overall 0-4-2 slide. None of Thomas Vanek's 14 goals have come in his last nine games.


The Wild look to avoid losing seven straight for the first time since an 0-5-2 stretch in 2011-12. Yeo feels his team is trending in the right direction after enjoying double-digit shot advantages in its last two games.


"If we can stay strong, and if we can continue to get stronger in our game, and if we continue to out-chance and outshoot teams, then we will win," he said.


Defenseman Jared Spurgeon could return after sitting out Tuesday with a deep bruise.


Devan Dubnyk has gone 0-7-1 with a 2.73 GAA in his last eight starts and 2-2-0 with a 3.27 GAA in four career matchups with Washington.


Minnesota has scored on the power play in four straight games to match a season best. Washington is 1 for 20 with the man advantage in its last six contests.


The Caps won 3-2 at Minnesota on March 19 after going 0-6-1 in their first seven road games in the series.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Stars (34-15) at Blackhawks (36-17)
Date: February 11, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Patrick Sharp was a key part of the Chicago Blackhawks' transformation from league also-ran to Stanley Cup champion.


He raised the Cup on the United Center ice in June and will make his first trip back to Chicago as a player Thursday night, with his Dallas Stars looking to cut into the Blackhawks' Central Division lead.


For the past 9 1/2 seasons, Sharp was a staple in Chicago's lineup, leading the team in scoring four times. The fan favorite tallied 239 goals and scored another 42 in the playoffs to help the club to three Stanley Cups.


Three weeks after their latest Cup celebration, the Blackhawks (36-17-4) traded Sharp to Dallas (34-15-5) in need of saving salary-cap space.


Sharp got off to a fast start with the Stars - as did most of his teammates - but has been stuck on 16 goals since Jan. 3. He had a goal and an assist in his first game against his former team in a 4-0 win Dec. 22 as Dallas moved 10 points ahead of Chicago.


The Stars' push to the division crown hit a snag in January, however, as they slogged through much of the month while the Blackhawks pulled ahead on the strength of a franchise-best 12-game winning streak.


Chicago returned to Dallas on Saturday and this time it dominated play, winning 5-1 behind a goal and three assists from Artem Anisimov.


Patrick Kane scored his NHL-leading 32nd goal - four ahead of Dallas' Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin - and Artemi Panarin had two assists as Chicago's top line accounted for two goals and five assists.


'They knew what happened here last time, and didn't want that to happen again,' said Dallas defenseman Alex Goligoski, who was on the ice for the Blackhawks' last four goals. 'It will be nice to get them again pretty quick, so it's a chance to get them back.'


The Stars bounced back with Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win in Minnesota, their fourth victory in five games. John Klingberg scored the winner for Dallas, which has scored at least four goals in three of four games since the All-Star break, with the Chicago loss being the exception. The Stars reached the four-goal mark twice in 15 games before the break.


Corey Crawford made 36 saves against the Stars and stopped 25 of 26 shots Tuesday against San Jose, but Chicago's three-game winning streak was snapped with a 2-0 loss. The Blackhawks, three points ahead of Dallas, have four losses in their last 20 games, totaling one goal in the defeats.


'We didn't have the same jump that we usually do," said Crawford, who is 13-3-0 with a 1.88 goals-against average in his last 16 starts. "It was just one of those games where the puck wasn't going in.'


The Blackhawks did have one puck go in but Brandon Mashinter's goal late in the first period was disallowed after the Sharks won a successful video challenge for goalie interference.


When the first question of his postgame press conference asked about the play, a fuming Joel Quenneville gave a quick answer before abruptly throwing up his arms and walking out.


The Blackhawks are hopeful Panarin, who leads NHL rookies with 52 points, can return after he missed his first game with an illness.


Former Blackhawk Antti Niemi was given the night off Tuesday after being pulled for giving up three goals on eight shots in Saturday's first period. He has a 4.02 GAA in losing seven consecutive starts in Chicago since winning Dec. 30, 2010 in his first game back at the United Center.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Maple Leafs (19-24) at Oilers (21-29)
Date: February 11, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are tied for the fewest points in the NHL. While Connor McDavid is giving the Oilers hope for a brighter future, the rebuilding Maple Leafs think their recent trade has them on the road to success.


The Maple Leafs could have two new faces in the lineup Thursday night when they go for an eighth win in nine meetings with the Oilers.


Toronto (19-24-9) has lost 11 of its last 14 games, a stretch that includes going 2-7-0 on the road after losing the first two of this season-high five-game trip.


The Maple Leafs fell 4-3 at Calgary on Tuesday hours after trading captain Dion Phaneuf to Ottawa in a nine-player deal that included defenseman Jared Cowen, left wing Colin Greening and 20-year-old prospect Tobias Lindberg joining Toronto.


The deal also gives the Leafs flexibility under the salary cap, fueling speculation that they'll be active in free agency over the next two summers.


"If you manage it right, and you draft right, and you develop right, you can be good for a long time. That's what we're in the process right now," coach Mike Babcock said.


Babcock is expected to at least have Greening available. He only played once for the Senators this season and has 87 points in 256 career games over six seasons.


Cowen isn't nearly as certain to make his team debut.


"He's had some problems with his hips and knees. Then we're going to decide what's best to get him going," Babcock said. "We obviously have to get his confidence back to get him playing the way he once did. The first thing is to get him healthy. We'll see whether he's going (Thursday) or in a few days.


"They're both guys with a new opportunity in a new organization, and we need help."


The Maple Leafs beat Edmonton 3-0 at home Nov. 30 and have totaled 33 goals in their last eight games in the series.


The Oilers (21-29-5), losers of six of eight, need help defensively as they've been outscored 15-3 during a three-game skid. They showed some improvement in Tuesday's 2-1 loss at New Jersey, but coach Todd McLellan was more concerned with them tying their season low of 20 shots.


"We have to push the needle forward," McLellan said.


McDavid has done his part with seven points in five games after missing 37 with a broken clavicle. He has 19 points in 18 games, getting nine over his last seven at home.


McDavid was a fan of the Maple Leafs growing up in a Toronto suburb, and he'll now face them for the first time.


Benoit Pouliot has six points in five games after combining with McDavid to assist on Jordan Eberle's goal against the Devils. He has 12 points over his last nine meetings with the Leafs, netting two goals in a 4-1 win March 16.


Cam Talbot has split his last two meetings with Toronto with a 4.56 goals-against average after winning the previous two starts by yielding two goals on 52 shots.


Talbot, though, has a 4.52 GAA while losing his only two decisions over the last three games.


"I have to play better," Talbot acknowledged after making 24 saves Tuesday.


Leo Komarov leads the Maple Leafs with 17 goals and 33 points, and he scored twice in the last matchup with the Oilers.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Flames (24-25) at Sharks (28-20)
Date: February 11, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The stigma of Calgary's fall from last year's playoff darlings to this season's surprising disappointment added another black mark when coach Bob Hartley benched three forwards, including the Flames' top two scorers.


They persevered without them for one night, but they'll need them in the right frame of mind moving forward if they plan on returning to the postseason.


Calgary begins a back-to-back set of road matchups with foes sitting above them in the Pacific Division standings as Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Lance Bouma return to the lineup Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks.


The trio served as healthy scratches for Tuesday's 4-3 win over Toronto after Hartley levied discipline for an unspecified violation of team rules. Hartley conducted a brief practice Monday before leaving the ice and initially stating that at least Bouma was "feeling ill."


He declined to go into specific reasons for the benching, but the move doesn't look good for a team fighting to regain the highs of 2014-15. The Flames (24-25-3) surprisingly made the playoffs for the first time in six seasons and beat Vancouver in the first round before falling to top-seeded Anaheim.


They're sixth in the Pacific this season, though, seven points behind Nashville for the Western Conference's final wild-card spot and eight back of the Ducks for the division's last automatic playoff berth.


"The best apology for us three is to come out against San Jose and have our best game of the season and help this team win and help this team move up in the standings," said Gaudreau whose 49 points lead the Flames, with Monahan's 35 ranking second. "We had a pretty sincere apology, but the best apology would be helping this team win as much as possible and playing our best hockey the rest of the season."


Calgary won for the third time in four games with help from Markus Granlund, who had a goal and an assist after being a healthy scratch for the previous three. It first will try to gain ground on the second-place Sharks (28-20-4) before facing Arizona on Friday.


San Jose has won two of the three meetings this season, most recently overcoming Monahan's goal and Gaudreau's two assists in a 5-4 victory Jan. 11.


"Those are probably two of the most important games of our season," Hartley said. "This is a great situation for us. Two huge games against two teams that are playing very well. We're playing very well, too. Lets improve our road record and lets collect some big wins."


The Sharks split a four-game road trip after blanking Chicago 2-0 on Tuesday. Patrick Marleau scored on the power play and Joe Thornton added an empty netter to support Martin Jones, who stopped 33 shots for his fifth shutout of the season.


Jones has allowed one goal or none in three of his last five starts and is 9-2-1 with a 2.06 goals-against average since Jan. 9.


"The guys played hard and gave them, really, nothing," said captain Joe Pavelski, who assisted on Marleau's goal. "The (penalty kill) was great (and) the power play (was, too). (Jones) was solid. (We're) playing a good team game right now."


Jones could be in net again as the Sharks look to improve on their 10-12-2 home record. Thornton has two goals and two assists this season against the Flames, who haven't named a starter in net.


Jonas Hiller has started the last two but should split duties with Karri Ramo on the trip.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL MONEYLINE


NHL > (59) WASHINGTON@ (60) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-11 20:05:00 - 2016-02-11 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in Home games second half of the season
The record is 0 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (-10.2 units)


NHL > (65) TORONTO@ (66) EDMONTON | 2016-02-11 21:05:00 - 2016-02-11 21:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in Road games second half of the season
The record is 4 Wins and 31 Losses for the last two seasons (-25.5 units)


NHL > (65) TORONTO@ (66) EDMONTON | 2016-02-11 21:05:00 - 2016-02-11 21:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 3 Wins and 22 Losses for the last three seasons (-18.6 units)

NHL > (59) WASHINGTON@ (60) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-11 20:05:00 - 2016-02-11 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 3 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (-14.6 units)

NHL > (57) COLORADO@ (58) OTTAWA | 2016-02-11 19:35:00 - 2016-02-11 19:35:00
Play ON COLORADO using money line in Road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 6 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+8.85 units)


NHL > (55) BUFFALO@ (56) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-11 19:05:00 - 2016-02-11 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 18 Wins and 41 Losses for the last two seasons (-30.2 units)


NHL > (61) BOSTON@ (62) WINNIPEG | 2016-02-11 20:05:00 - 2016-02-11 20:05:00
Play AGAINST BOSTON using money line in All games in non-conference games
The record is 16 Wins and 29 Losses for the last two seasons (-22.75 units)


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


NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (59) WASHINGTON@ (60) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-11 20:05:00 - 2016-02-11 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA in Home games second half of the season
The record is 0 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (-10.2 units)

NHL > (65) TORONTO@ (66) EDMONTON | 2016-02-11 21:05:00 - 2016-02-11 21:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in Road games second half of the season
The record is 4 Wins and 31 Losses for the last two seasons (-25.5 units)

NHL > (65) TORONTO@ (66) EDMONTON | 2016-02-11 21:05:00 - 2016-02-11 21:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 3 Wins and 22 Losses for the last three seasons (-18.6 units)


NHL > (59) WASHINGTON@ (60) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-11 20:05:00 - 2016-02-11 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA in All games second half of the season
The record is 3 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (-14.6 units)


NHL > (57) COLORADO@ (58) OTTAWA | 2016-02-11 19:35:00 - 2016-02-11 19:35:00
Play ON COLORADO in Road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 6 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+8.85 units)


NHL > (55) BUFFALO@ (56) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-02-11 19:05:00 - 2016-02-11 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 18 Wins and 41 Losses for the last two seasons (-30.2 units)

NHL > (61) BOSTON@ (62) WINNIPEG | 2016-02-11 20:05:00 - 2016-02-11 20:05:00
Play AGAINST BOSTON in All games in non-conference games
The record is 16 Wins and 29 Losses for the last two seasons (-22.75 units)


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


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (67) CALGARY@ (68) SAN JOSE | 2016-02-11 22:35:00 - 2016-02-11 22:35:00
Play OVER SAN JOSE on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 21 Overs and 6 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.9 units)


NHL > (63) DALLAS@ (64) CHICAGO | 2016-02-11 20:35:00 - 2016-02-11 20:35:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin All games in a home game where where the total is 5.5
The record is 8 Overs and 26 Unders for the last two seasons (+16.7 units)

NHL > (67) CALGARY@ (68) SAN JOSE | 2016-02-11 22:35:00 - 2016-02-11 22:35:00
Play UNDER CALGARY on the totalin Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 1 Overs and 9 Unders for the this season (+8.1 units)


NHL > (59) WASHINGTON@ (60) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-11 20:05:00 - 2016-02-11 20:05:00
Play OVER WASHINGTON on the totalin All games second half of the season
The record is 8 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+8.2 units)

NHL > (57) COLORADO@ (58) OTTAWA | 2016-02-11 19:35:00 - 2016-02-11 19:35:00
Play OVER OTTAWA on the totalin Home games in non-conference games
The record is 26 Overs and 10 Unders for the last three seasons (+16.45 units)

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, February 11

Los Angeles @ NY Islanders

Game 53-54
February 11, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
12.558
NY Islanders
11.102
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
N/A

Buffalo @ Philadelphia

Game 55-56
February 11, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Buffalo
10.905
Philadelphia
13.550
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Buffalo
-165
5
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-165); Over

Colorado @ Ottawa

Game 57-58
February 11, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
10.309
Ottawa
12.608
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ottawa
by 2 1/2
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ottawa
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Ottawa
N/A

Washington @ Minnesota

Game 59-60
February 11, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
12.969
Minnesota
11.306
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-130); Under

Boston @ Winnipeg

Game 61-62
February 11, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
9.851
Winnipeg
10.776
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Winnipeg
by 1
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Winnipeg
-110
5
Dunkel Pick:
Winnipeg
(-110); Over

Dallas @ Chicago

Game 63-64
February 11, 2016 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
13.279
Chicago
11.654
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 1 1/2
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
-140
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+120); Under

Toronto @ Edmonton

Game 65-66
February 11, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
10.644
Edmonton
9.706
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Edmonton
-140
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+120); Over

Calgary @ San Jose

Game 67-68
February 11, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
10.209
San Jose
12.818
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
N/A

Anaheim @ Columbus

Game 51-52
February 11, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Anaheim
11.063
Columbus
11.881
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Columbus
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-150
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Columbus
(+130); Over

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, February 11

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

ANAHEIM (26-19-0-7, 59 pts.) at COLUMBUS (21-28-0-6, 48 pts.) - 2/11/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 33-30 ATS (+69.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 27-25 ATS (+55.7 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 149-96 ATS (+16.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 54-42 ATS (+99.6 Units) in road games in February games since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 49-26 ATS (+11.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 14-6 ATS (+6.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
ANAHEIM is 59-26 ATS (+22.7 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 33-16 ATS (+12.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 3-14 ATS (+19.8 Units) after a division game this season.

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

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

LOS ANGELES (32-17-0-3, 67 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (28-18-0-6, 62 pts.) - 2/11/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 4-1 (+2.3 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 4-1-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.4 Units)

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

BUFFALO (21-27-0-6, 48 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (23-20-0-9, 55 pts.) - 2/11/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 11-7 ATS (+20.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 10-21 ATS (+39.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 10-23 ATS (+33.1 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 7-16 ATS (+27.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 6-16 ATS (-13.5 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
PHILADELPHIA is 5-3-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.8 Units)

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

COLORADO (27-25-0-4, 58 pts.) at OTTAWA (25-24-0-6, 56 pts.) - 2/11/2016, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 3-2 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 3-2-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.0 Units)

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

WASHINGTON (39-9-0-4, 82 pts.) at MINNESOTA (23-20-0-10, 56 pts.) - 2/11/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 151-195 ATS (-70.5 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 39-13 ATS (+18.4 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 14-4 ATS (+8.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
WASHINGTON is 54-40 ATS (+96.9 Units) in road games in February games since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 23-30 ATS (-34.8 Units) in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 3-14 ATS (+17.2 Units) second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 2-2 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 2-2-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.0 Units)

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

BOSTON (28-19-0-6, 62 pts.) at WINNIPEG (24-26-0-3, 51 pts.) - 2/11/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 69-66 ATS (-29.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 5-12 ATS (-11.5 Units) in non-conference games this season.
BOSTON is 10-20 ATS (-18.8 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 2-7 ATS (-6.2 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 3-2 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 3-2-0 straight up against BOSTON 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)

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

DALLAS (34-15-0-5, 73 pts.) at CHICAGO (36-17-0-4, 76 pts.) - 2/11/2016, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 14-4 ATS (+8.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 51-29 ATS (+4.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 37-25 ATS (+64.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 59-53 ATS (+125.5 Units) in road games revenging a home loss versus opponent since 1996.
DALLAS is 88-86 ATS (+195.7 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
DALLAS is 19-11 ATS (+31.8 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 23-17 ATS (+46.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 11-5 ATS (+18.1 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.
CHICAGO is 29-39 ATS (-27.5 Units) in home games in February games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 8-4 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-4-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.8 Units)

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

TORONTO (19-24-0-9, 47 pts.) at EDMONTON (21-29-0-5, 47 pts.) - 2/11/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 49-85 ATS (+147.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 11-38 ATS (+65.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 14-46 ATS (+71.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 8-31 ATS (+53.3 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 19-35 ATS (-20.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 5-18 ATS (-13.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 18-11 ATS (+30.2 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 6-19 ATS (+28.6 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
EDMONTON is 163-160 ATS (+329.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-1 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 4-1-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.9 Units)

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

CALGARY (24-25-0-3, 51 pts.) at SAN JOSE (28-20-0-4, 60 pts.) - 2/11/2016, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 7-6 (+3.3 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 7-6-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.7 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

NHL

Thursday, February 11

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

7:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. COLUMBUS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Anaheim's last 9 games when playing on the road against Columbus
Anaheim is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing Anaheim
Columbus is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

7:00 PM
BUFFALO vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games on the road
Buffalo is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Philadelphia is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Philadelphia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Buffalo

7:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. NY ISLANDERS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Los Angeles's last 7 games when playing NY Islanders
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games
NY Islanders are 11-5 SU in their last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Islanders last 6 games at home

7:30 PM
COLORADO vs. OTTAWA
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Colorado's last 13 games on the road
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Ottawa's last 9 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Ottawa's last 8 games when playing Colorado

8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. WINNIPEG
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Winnipeg's last 8 games when playing Boston
Winnipeg is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. MINNESOTA
Washington is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Washington's last 16 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Washington
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

8:30 PM
DALLAS vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas's last 8 games on the road
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Chicago's last 18 games at home
Chicago is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games

9:00 PM
TORONTO vs. EDMONTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games at home
Edmonton is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games

10:30 PM
CALGARY vs. SAN JOSE
Calgary is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing San Jose
San Jose is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
San Jose is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Calgary

 

[CNOTES]

Wiseguys share the hottest spot bet opportunities of the week


Siena could get caught looking ahead to another MAAC showdown with Iona and past Canisius Thursday.


Letdown spot


On Saturday, Oklahoma will host Kansas. That's a huge game for the Sooners, as those teams are battling for top spot in the Big 12. Additionally, the Sooners will be looking to avenge an earlier loss at Kansas. That wasn't just any loss either - it was a triple-OT heartbreaker.


Off that big "revenge" game, the Sooners may have a letdown in their next game, which will be at Texas Tech. After all, they beat the Red Raiders by 24 when the teams played on January 26.

Lookahead spot


Regularly two of the top teams in the Metro Atlantic Conference, Siena and Iona have long been rivals. Last season, Iona won all three meetings. The Gaels took both regular season meetings and then knocked the Saints out of the MAAC tournament.


Saturday will be this season's first meeting between Iona and Siena and it’s a game which the Saints have had circled. On Thursday, Siena will host Canisius. Considering that the Saints already beat the Golden Griffins by 21 points, at Canisius, it should be easy to look ahead to Saturday's showdown. Canisisus snapped a losing streak last time out and will be looking for some redemption after getting embarrassed earlier. Take a look at the Golden Griffins as a road underdog Thursday.


Schedule spot


The Nashville Predators are an ugly 10-23 (-12.6) when playing the second of back-to-back games the past few years, including 1-6 this season. They were dominated in those games too, getting outscored by a combined 25-10 margin. Five of the six losses came by multiple goals.


Part of the reason, perhaps, for the Preds' problems in back-to-back spots is a tendency to give No. 1 goalie Pekka Rinne the night off. He's only played back-to-back games once this season.


The Preds play Friday night and then again Saturday at Florida. While the Panthers will also be playing their second game in two nights, they've been much better than Nasvhille in that situation. The last time that the Panthers played a home game, after playing the previous night, they knocked off Tampa by a 5-2 score. Consider Florida Saturday night.

 

[CNOTES]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




LA at NYI 07:00 PM


LA +100 BEST BET




BUF at PHI 07:00 PM


PHI -152




ANA at CLB 07:00 PM


ANA -138




COL at OTT 07:30 PM


COL +108 BEST BET




BOS at WIN 08:00 PM


WIN -123




WAS at MIN 08:00 PM


WAS -129




DAL at CHI 08:30 PM


CHI -127




TOR at EDM 09:00 PM


TOR +147 BEST BET




CAL at SJ 10:30 PM


SJ -160

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Kings (32-17) at Rangers (31-18)
Date: February 12, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers are overcoming a pair of major absences thanks in large part to Henrik Lundqvist. An injury to Jonathan Quick has already posed a problem for the Los Angeles Kings.


Lundqvist should get a chance to spur the Rangers to a fifth straight win Friday night when they try to capitalize on Quick's potential absence.


New York (31-18-5) is 5-2-0 since Rick Nash went down with a bone bruise in his left leg. The team has also won both games without captain Ryan McDonagh, who is sidelined with a concussion.


While there's no timetable for either to return, another dazzling performance from Lundqvist could keep the Rangers rolling. He's won eight of his last 10 starts with a 1.77 goals-against average, winning four straight behind a 1.23 GAA after making 34 saves in a 3-0 win at Pittsburgh on Wednesday.


"There's no doubt that our goaltending was outstanding," coach Alain Vigneault said. "(Lundqvist) made some big saves at key times and we were able to get some timely goals."


Lundqvist will be facing the Kings for the first time since posting a .923 save percentage while New York lost to the Kings in five games of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.


Quick had a .932 save percentage in that series and a .903 mark while splitting two matchups that Lundqvist missed last season. However, he's expected to miss a second straight game with an undisclosed injury, leaving Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles (32-18-3) to decide between backup Jhonas Enroth and Peter Budaj, whose last appearance in the NHL came with Montreal in April 2014.


Enroth surrendered three goals in the opening period Thursday, finishing with 25 saves in a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders.


"We've been a really good team at bouncing back this year and that's what we have to do again heading into (Friday) night," left wing Milan Lucic told the team's official website.


That will require a better effort in net, and Enroth is 1-2-0 with a 3.20 GAA in his last four games against the Rangers, while Budaj has won three of four with a 2.17 GAA.


Lucic has four points in two games, scoring a goal in each. He's netted three goals over the past two meetings with New York, but those came with Boston.


The Rangers could use a strong stretch from Kevin Hayes, who ended a 12-game goal drought Thursday. The right wing has eight goals after netting 17 as a rookie last season. His failure to build on that made him a healthy scratch in back-to-back games last month.


He has two points in two meetings with the Kings, finding the net in a 4-2 win at MSG on March 24.


Jesper Fast snapped his streak of 11 games without a goal on Wednesday. The right wing, though, has seven points in his last eight contests but none in two against Los Angeles.


"When you miss some of your top people, it's an opportunity for some other guys to step up," Vigneault said.


Lundqvist's next appearance will be his 667th, moving him past Mike Richter for the Rangers record by a goaltender.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Canadiens (27-24) at Sabres (21-27)
Date: February 12, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Two-month chunks of the season have brought wildly different results for the Montreal Canadiens. With about that much time left, they hope for the earlier returns to make a push.


The Canadiens look to build off their first winning streak in more than two months when they open a three-game trip against the sinking Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.


Montreal (27-24-4) opened as the NHL's best team with a 19-4-3 record through Dec. 1 but posted the league's worst mark of 5-20-1 from Dec. 3-Feb. 3. That miserable stretch included no point streaks with two four-game skids and a six-game drought.


With the clock ticking on what would be a massive collapse, the Canadiens have finally found a bit of relief with three straight wins to snap a four-game skid and close a homestand 3-1.


Montreal scored 10 goals in the final three games, looking more like the team that led the league with a scoring average of 3.54 through the season's first 24 games compared to the one that fell to the bottom at 1.86 from Nov. 28-Feb. 3.


Tomas Plekanec has led the latest swing in offense, tallying three goals and five assists in the last four games after going scoreless in the previous six.


"He's going out there and playing solid defensively and creating offense as well," Alex Galchenyuk said of his linemate.


Now the key is spreading the success around. The Canadiens' top line of Plekanec, Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher have logged 13 of Montreal's 26 points over the last three games. Meanwhile, captain Max Pacioretty has one goal and one assist in his last nine games and David Desharnais has gone without a point in his last seven.


"We need to follow up on what other guys are doing if we want to have success and keep it going," Desharnais told the team's official website. "At the start of the year, everyone was chipping in and there was a different hero each game."


While Montreal is 3-11-1 away from home since Dec. 5, Buffalo is 1-7-2 at First Niagara Center since Dec. 19.


The first two games between these Atlantic Division foes were as opposite as the Canadiens' season has been. A 7-2 rout of Buffalo on Oct. 23 was part of Montreal's nine-game opening run, but a 4-2 loss Feb. 3 was the final loss in its extended slump.


Though the Sabres have won four of the last five in this series, Montreal has taken five of the last six in Buffalo and has points in 12 of the last 14 there.


The Sabres (21-28-6) came out of the All-Star break with their win over the Canadiens, but they have followed with four straight losses - the first two in extra time and the final two in regulation.


After falling 7-4 to Florida on Tuesday, Buffalo surrendered another handful of goals in Thursday's 5-1 loss at Philadelphia. The Sabres trailed 4-0 in each game.


"Mental breakdowns, turnovers, lack of coverage, it's a little bit of everything," captain Brian Gionta said.


Robin Lehner was pulled Tuesday after allowing four goals on 12 shots, and he surrendered five more on 28 two days later. It is unclear if he or Chad Johnson will start in net Friday.


Ben Scrivens will make his fourth straight start in net for Montreal. He has won three in a row with a .959 save percentage, though he holds just a .908 mark in six career starts against Buffalo.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Penguins (27-19) at Hurricanes (24-21)
Date: February 12, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

While the Pittsburgh Penguins hope their recent goose egg was a mere hiccup during a hot stretch, the Carolina Hurricanes expect a rejuvenated attack after four days off.


The rested Hurricanes open a favorable stretch in the schedule Friday night as the visiting Penguins look to get back on track in a matchup of Metropolitan Division foes.


Pittsburgh (27-19-7) was the league's best team offensively from Jan. 21-Feb. 8, averaging 4.14 goals while winning six of seven games - including a big outburst in Monday's 6-2 win over Anaheim.


Sidney Crosby scored at least once in each of those seven contests for a career-best goal streak, helping the Penguins finally resemble the up-tempo team most expected entering the season.


Then New York Rangers pumped the breaks and beat Pittsburgh 3-0 on Wednesday. Crosby didn't record a shot on goal to end his 11-game point streak and the Penguins were shut out for the first time in 18 games.


Pittsburgh failed to find the back of the net on 34 shots and moved to 1 for 11 on the power play over its last four games, looking more like the team that averaged 2.19 goals through Dec. 19 - more than only Anaheim (1.84) and Philadelphia (2.09).


"We had some good chances," said Crosby, who totaled 12 goals and 22 points during his point streak. "They capitalized on theirs and we didn't. That was the difference."


Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury suffered his second loss in three starts after winning five in a row. That run started with one of his four shutouts when he made 22 saves in a 5-0 victory over the Hurricanes on Jan. 17.


Crosby scored twice as the Penguins snapped Carolina's three-game win streak in this series, including a 2-1 final Dec. 19 and 3-2 overtime victory at Carolina on Jan. 12.


Fleury's shutout ended a dismal stretch against the Hurricanes in which he went 2-3-1 with an .888 save percentage and 3.14 goals-against average dating to December 2013.


Carolina goalie Cam Ward, who has a .947 save percentage while winning three of his last four starts against Pittsburgh, may earn a third straight start since Eddie Lack allowed five goals against the Penguins last month.


Ward missed the most recent matchup in this series due to a concussion, but the 11-year veteran returned with two strong performances over the weekend. He made 33 saves in a 5-3 win at Winnipeg on Feb. 5 and finished with the same amount in a 2-1 shootout loss at Montreal two days later, helping Carolina wrap up a 1-1-1 trip.


The Hurricanes (24-21-9) open a key stretch with eight of 10 games at PNC Arena, where they are 6-1-2 since Dec. 26. They had scored five goals in each of their wins on a 3-1-0 run that stretched over the All-Star break before finishing with just one and missing all five shootout attempts against the Canadiens.


Jeff Skinner is riding a five-game point streak, but captain Eric Staal has only two assists in his last 10 games.


"We got rested up. We're good," coach Bill Peters said. "We'll get ourselves in a good rhythm here coming into this stretch and take advantage of our schedule being at home."


It opens with back-to-back games against the Penguins and Islanders as the Hurricanes celebrate the 10th anniversary of their 2006 Stanley Cup title this weekend.


Pittsburgh, which is 1-2-2 on the road since Jan. 12, is a bit banged up with Evgeni Malkin staying home to nurse a lower-body injury and Trevor Daley a game-time decision with an undisclosed injury.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blues (30-17) at Panthers (32-16)
Date: February 12, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Brian Elliott's stellar month-long stretch has kept the St. Louis Blues competitive during a time when their offense often hasn't been.


The Blues hope Jaden Schwartz's long-awaited return provides a boost against one of the NHL's more efficient scoring teams in Friday night's with the Florida Panthers.


While injuries and inconsistency have plagued the offense all season, St. Louis (30-17-9) has remained in contention in the top-heavy Central Division largely behind its steady defense. Elliott and fellow goaltender Jake Allen have each played key roles by combining for a 2.13 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.


Though Allen has been sidelined by a knee injury since Jan. 8, Elliott hasn't faltered under the increased workload. The 2015 All-Star has a 1.67 GAA in his 12 consecutive starts and has yielded one goal or less in five of the last seven.


"You can't complain about our goaltending, that's for dang sure," captain David Backes said following Elliott's 32-save effort in Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss to Winnipeg.


The Blues have still lost four of six in spite of Elliott's exploits, scoring no more than one goal in each game except for Sunday's 4-1 victory over reeling Minnesota. They were outshot 33-22 by the Jets, the Central's last-place team, to draw sharp criticism from coach Ken Hitchcock afterward.


"You have to work, you have to compete when you have the puck and not be discouraged because you're getting checked," he said. "There's a reason why we're scoring just one goal."


Having Schwartz in the lineup for the first time since Oct. 20 may help. The talented wing, third on the team with 28 goals and 63 points last season, has missed 49 games after fracturing his left ankle in practice.


"When he's up to speed, he brings instant, quick offense that's hard to find," Hitchcock said. "He's a hungry scorer."


Florida (32-16-6) figures to give Elliott a stern challenge having generated 34 goals over a 6-1-1 stretch. Temporarily shut down in Monday's 3-0 loss to Detroit that halted a four-game home win streak, the Panthers' offense got back on track with three first-period goals en route to Tuesday's 7-4 victory at Buffalo.


"We needed to have a bounce-back game," said center Jussi Jokinen, who recorded a goal and two assists and has 12 points over his last eight. "We didn't create enough (against Detroit), and we wanted to change that."


The Panthers still weren't overly sharp on defense, surrendering two power-play goals in four chances. They've killed just 14 of 20 short-handed situations over their last four games, while the St. Louis power play is 4 of 9 in the last two after an 0-for-19 stretch over the previous eight.


Roberto Luongo had 30 saves against Buffalo and has faced 34 or more shots in four of his last five starts while allowing three goals or more in three straight.


Luongo delivered a sharp 29-save effort and Derek MacKenzie scored twice in a 3-1 victory at St. Louis on Dec. 1 which stopped a six-game series skid.


Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (knee) and Florida forward Aleksander Barkov (upper body) will each miss a second straight game.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Predators (25-21) at Lightning (29-20)
Date: February 12, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Consecutive road losses by a total of six goals might have humbled Tampa Bay, but that seems easily correctable with it returning to a home winning streak that's nearing the level of its franchise record from last season.


The Lightning begin a four-game homestand Friday night against the Nashville Predators, who conversely should be eager to try to continue an impressive road winning streak after a sluggish homestand.


Tampa Bay (29-20-4) fell 4-2 in Montreal on Tuesday following Monday's 5-1 defeat in Ottawa to match its two-game high for goals allowed.


"We were leaky tonight," coach Jon Cooper said. "When you're a little bit leaky, you're not getting the bounces you were getting in the past and we definitely have to tighten that up. It's been a little bit alarming."


It came on the heels of a three-game homestand that pushed its winning streak in Tampa to eight - two shy of matching their record-setting streak from Dec. 11, 2014-Jan. 31, 2015. The Lightning may have been leaky on the quick road trip, but they've scored 3.50 goals per game on the home streak. They've also won 10 of their last 13 games overall.


"We're not going to panic over 48 hours," Cooper said. "This is a humbling league. You can't get comfortable at any time. There's no panic mode for us."


It might be easier to reassure themselves of that if Steven Stamkos could get going. The 26-year-old has scored once in his last 10 games, though he did have a goal in the first meeting with Nashville.


The Predators opened the season series with a 5-4 shootout win in Nashville on Oct. 20 behind two goals and an assist from James Neal. The forward has seven goals and eight assists on a personal nine-game winning streak against the Lightning, but the first seven came with Pittsburgh. His current team has been about as good with wins in seven of eight against Tampa Bay, including four straight.


The Predators (25-21-8) are following up a 1-3-0 homestand with the trip to Tampa followed by a stop in Florida, and they're doing so with a shot at their first five-game road winning streak since 2009-10. Their coach, however, isn't concerned with whom Nashville is facing or where.


"We need to win games, whether it's the top team or somebody in the division or somebody that's not in the playoffs right now," Peter Laviolette told the team's official website. "We have to collect points."


That'll be easier with a better defensive-zone presence after the Predators gave up 13 goals in their last three games on the homestand, including Tuesday's 5-2 loss to Washington.


"We made a couple of bad mistakes," Laviolette said. "You can't leave opportunities that are coming across the crease, uncovered men. We need to do a better job in that area. There weren't a lot of them, but the ones that did happen, we need to do a better job."


At the other end, Filip Forsberg scored twice and has three goals and two assists in his last two games.


Both teams' No. 1 goaltenders could use a bounce-back effort. Nashville's Pekka Rinne has a 4.03 goals-against average and .831 save percentage over a 1-2-0 span, while Ben Bishop has 3.32 and .893 marks over a 2-2-0 period.


Bishop has won his last four home games with a .940 save percentage, but he's 0-2-1 with 3.98 and .862 marks lifetime against the Predators.


Rinne has won his last three road starts with a goal allowed in each and a .963 save percentage, and he's won all three of his games against the Lightning.