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

[CNOTES]

Preview: Avalanche (27-25) at Red Wings (28-18)
Date: February 12, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Petr Mrazek isn't lacking confidence in his first full NHL season. The Detroit Red Wings have plenty of it building in their emerging goaltender.


Mrazek should get a chance to continue his recent dominance as the Red Wings go for a fourth straight win Friday night against the Colorado Avalanche.


Mrazek, who turns 24 on Sunday, is 10-2-1 with a 1.31 goals-against average, .951 save percentage and three shutouts over his past 13 games after posting an 11-8-3 record and 2.32 GAA in his first 24.


"Every goaltender, I think, has swagger and the confidence, you know, so it's important for the goaltender," Mrazek told the team's official website. "I just try and work hard, stay positive, stop as many pucks as you can."


He stopped 22 Wednesday, coming 2:24 shy of back-to-back shutouts in a 3-1 win over Ottawa. Mrazek has allowed two goals on 75 shots during Detroit's three-game winning streak.


"He's a wall back there for us," center Andreas Athanasiou said.


That was certainly true while splitting a pair of meetings with Colorado last season. Mrazek allowed one goal on 51 shots, stopping 28 in a 3-0 road victory Feb. 5, 2015.


Henrik Zetterberg had a point in each of those two matchups, giving him 38 in 41 career meetings including the playoffs. The center has three points in the last two games, including his 10th goal of the season Thursday.


Dylan Larkin is facing the Avalanche for the first time. His 18 goals are tied with Chicago's Artemi Panarin for the league lead among rookies, while his 38 points trail only Panarin.


Detroit (28-18-8) is 5-0-2 in its last seven meetings with Colorado.


The Avalanche (28-25-4) have won 10 of their last 14 road games, including Thursday's 4-3 win at Ottawa after an 0-3-1 homestand.


"It was a big win for us when it hasn't been going our way," right wing Jarome Iginla told the team's official website. "For them to come back and to make a very close game of it and to hold them off in the third period and play a good, smart game with the lead, it definitely feels good. Now we want to keep going.


"It is a weight off our shoulders breaking the bad slide. Now we've got to build upon this."


Iginla ended his nine-game goal drought by finding the net twice on power plays. His 604 career goals are four behind Dino Ciccarelli for 17th in NHL history.


Iginla has eight goals in his last eight regular-season games at Detroit.


Matt Duchene leads Colorado with 24 goals, three shy of his career high set in 2010-11. However, the center's production has slowed down considerably with two goals in 12 games.


He's only scored twice over his last 11 matchups with the Red Wings.


It's unknown if Semyon Varlamov will start after making 26 saves Thursday. He's started on consecutive days three times already this season, going 2-1-0 with a 1.69 GAA in the second game of those stretches.


Varlamov, though, is 1-5-0 with a 3.09 GAA in six career meetings with the Red Wings, while backup Calvin Pickard made 34 saves and turned aside seven of nine shootout attempts in a 2-1 shootout win at Joe Louis Arena on Dec. 21, 2014.


He's split four decisions with a 3.76 GAA in seven road games this season.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL MONEYLINE


NHL > (11) NASHVILLE@ (12) TAMPA BAY | 2016-02-12 19:35:00 - 2016-02-12 19:35:00
Play AGAINST NASHVILLE using money line in All games
The record is 0 Wins and 9 Losses for the this season (-9 units)


NHL > (1) PITTSBURGH@ (2) CAROLINA | 2016-02-12 19:05:00 - 2016-02-12 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH using money line in All games vs. division opponents
The record is 16 Wins and 32 Losses for the last two seasons (-29.5 units)


NHL > (13) CALGARY@ (14) ARIZONA | 2016-02-12 21:05:00 - 2016-02-12 21:05:00
Play AGAINST ARIZONA using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 0 Wins and 7 Losses for the last three seasons (-9.35 units)


NHL > (7) COLORADO@ (8) DETROIT | 2016-02-12 19:35:00 - 2016-02-12 19:35:00
Play AGAINST DETROIT using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 25 Wins and 34 Losses for the last three seasons (-30.55 units)


NHL > (5) LOS ANGELES@ (6) NY RANGERS | 2016-02-12 19:05:00 - 2016-02-12 19:05:00
Play AGAINST NY RANGERS using money line in Home games after a 3 game unbeaten streak
The record is 43 Wins and 57 Losses for the since 1992 (-50.3 units)


NHL > (1) PITTSBURGH@ (2) CAROLINA | 2016-02-12 19:05:00 - 2016-02-12 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH using money line in Road games vs. division opponents
The record is 5 Wins and 17 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.45 units)


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


NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (1) PITTSBURGH@ (2) CAROLINA | 2016-02-12 19:05:00 - 2016-02-12 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH in All games vs. division opponents
The record is 16 Wins and 32 Losses for the last two seasons (-29.5 units)


NHL > (13) CALGARY@ (14) ARIZONA | 2016-02-12 21:05:00 - 2016-02-12 21:05:00
Play AGAINST ARIZONA in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 0 Wins and 7 Losses for the last three seasons (-9.35 units)


NHL > (7) COLORADO@ (8) DETROIT | 2016-02-12 19:35:00 - 2016-02-12 19:35:00
Play AGAINST DETROIT in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 25 Wins and 34 Losses for the last three seasons (-30.55 units)


NHL > (1) PITTSBURGH@ (2) CAROLINA | 2016-02-12 19:05:00 - 2016-02-12 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH in Road games vs. division opponents
The record is 5 Wins and 17 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.45 units)


NHL > (5) LOS ANGELES@ (6) NY RANGERS | 2016-02-12 19:05:00 - 2016-02-12 19:05:00
Play AGAINST NY RANGERS in Home games after a 3 game unbeaten streak
The record is 43 Wins and 58 Losses for the since 1992 (-44.05 units)


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


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (11) NASHVILLE@ (12) TAMPA BAY | 2016-02-12 19:35:00 - 2016-02-12 19:35:00
Play UNDER NASHVILLE on the totalin Road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 1 Overs and 14 Unders for the last two seasons (+13.25 units)

NHL > (1) PITTSBURGH@ (2) CAROLINA | 2016-02-12 19:05:00 - 2016-02-12 19:05:00
Play UNDER CAROLINA on the totalin All games when playing with 3 or more days rest
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the last two seasons (+11.3 units)


NHL > (7) COLORADO@ (8) DETROIT | 2016-02-12 19:35:00 - 2016-02-12 19:35:00
Play OVER DETROIT on the totalin All games after a 3 game unbeaten streak
The record is 16 Overs and 3 Unders for the last three seasons (+13.35 units)


NHL > (11) NASHVILLE@ (12) TAMPA BAY | 2016-02-12 19:35:00 - 2016-02-12 19:35:00
Play OVER NASHVILLE on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 20 Overs and 6 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.65 units)


NHL > (13) CALGARY@ (14) ARIZONA | 2016-02-12 21:05:00 - 2016-02-12 21:05:00
Play UNDER CALGARY on the totalin All games in a road game where where the total is 5.5
The record is 11 Overs and 32 Unders for the last two seasons (+18.2 units)


NHL > (9) ST LOUIS@ (10) FLORIDA | 2016-02-12 19:35:00 - 2016-02-12 19:35:00
Play UNDER ST LOUIS on the totalin All games after a division game
The record is 4 Overs and 14 Unders for the this season (+10 units)


NHL > (3) MONTREAL@ (4) BUFFALO | 2016-02-12 19:05:00 - 2016-02-12 19:05:00
Play OVER MONTREAL on the totalin Road games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 9 Overs and 1 Unders for the this season (+8.4 units)


NHL > (7) COLORADO@ (8) DETROIT | 2016-02-12 19:35:00 - 2016-02-12 19:35:00
Play OVER DETROIT on the totalin Home games in non-conference games
The record is 16 Overs and 5 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.1 units)

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack


-- Indiana 85, Iowa 78-- Teams meet again before the Big 14 tournament.


-- California 83, Oregon 63-- Golden Bears got PG Wallace back.


-- UMass 69, VCU 63-- 11-point home dog Minutemen pulled an upset.


-- Temple 63, UConn 58-- Owls swept pair of games with UConn this season.


-- Hawai'i 74, UC-Irvine 52-- Rainbows made seven 3's in row at one point.


-- All nine NHL games went over the total Thursday; that doesn't happen a lot.


**********


Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind........


13) This season, Jimmy Butler, James Harden are only two NBA players who are playing 37+ minutes per game; as recently as ten years ago, there were 33 players averaging 37+ minutes a game. Have NBA players gotten softer?


12) People are writing articles now about how grueling the NBA travel schedule is- this'll make me sound old, but 20-30 years ago, teams didn't have their own airplanes-- travel was a hell of a lot less conventient than it is now Players are softer now; the money is so big, it has taken some of the toughness out of players.


Example: Karl Malone played 80+ games in 17 of his 18 season where there were 82 games. Derrick Rose has played in 385 of a possible 626 games in his career. This was started by Gregg Popovich, players routinely taking second nights of back/backs off. It cheats the fans-- kids in AAU play three games a day, but kids are hungry.


11) There was a scuffle on the Phoenix Suns' bench Wednesday; only surprising thing there is that it doesn't happen more often. Emotions run high and when a team's season goes down the drain, its not a lot of fun. Suns will be very glad for the All-Star break, just to get away from each other for a few days.


10) Underrated thing about these Presidential debates: the candidates stand up the whole time. Bernie Sanders is 74 years old-- I am 56, and if someone asked me to stand up for two hours straight, after I stopped laughing, I'd ask them for a 6-pack of Cherry Coke to keep me upright the whole time. I would want to debate sitting down.


9) California 83, Oregon 63-- This was an awful game, except that Bill Walton was the analyst and he was fired up-- he played a glockenspeil for part of the second half, while the game was going on, delighting the Cal band member he got on national TV.


8) Walton also educated us that crocodiles are revered in the Egypitan culture. Did not catch why crocodiles are revered by Egyptians, but apparently they are.


7) I was talking to a guy yesterday- he told me if you go to spring training in Florida, best camp to go to is the Phillies' camp in Clearwater-- very informal setting, can talk to lot of people. He talked to Charlie Manuel for a while there last year. My plan is to hit Arizona next March for my first-ever visit to A's spring training.


6) Tampa Bay Rays changed their hitting philosophy last year; they jumped frm 27th in swing % to 6th, a huge jump in one season. They acquired Corey Dickerson from the Rockies because they like his aggressive style at the plate.


5) Royals signed 3B Mike Moustakas for two years, $14.3M.


4) My man Les Miles signed 19 of ESPN's top 300 football recruits this winter, the #1 recruiting class in America; not sure if any of them are QBs and LSU needs a QB, but Les can recruit, which is why they always win a lot of games and why LSU has a ton of alumni playing in the NFL.


3) I did not know this because I never watched the TV show Entourage, but Jerry Jones once played himself on that show-- he was involved with bringing an NFL team back to Los Angeles, kind of what played out for real last month.


2) The average fan at the Super Bowl spent $87.57 on food/drink; I know stuff is real expensive, but $87.57 in 3-4 hours? Thats a lot of hot dogs. Apparently they sold over 8,000 glasses of wine, a sure sign we're getting soft-- who the hell drinks wine at a football game?


1) Rece Davis worked the Iowa-Indiana game with Dick Vitale last night; other than Mike Tirico, who is great at every sport he works, Davis is ESPN's best guy- no ego, just solid work at everything he does. Very easy to listen to.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, February 12

Hot teams
-- Montreal won its last three games, allowing four goals.
-- Penguins won six of their last eight games.
-- Rangers won their last four games, allowing five goals.
-- Detroit won its last three games, allowing two goals.
-- Florida won six of its last eight games.
-- Lightning won their last eight home games.
-- Calgary won four of five games since All-Star break.

Cold teams
-- Sabres lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Carolina is 4-5 in its last nine games.
-- Los Angeles is 3-5 in its last eight games, 3-1 in last four on road.
-- Colorado lost four of its last five games.
-- St Louis lost four of its last six games.
-- Nashville lost three of its last four games.
-- Arizona lost its last five games, allowing 23 goals.

Series records
-- Penguins lost three of last four games with Carolina.
-- Sabres won four of last five games with Montreal.
-- Rangers lost six of last eight games with Los Angeles.
-- Red Wings won five of last seven games with Colorado
-- Blues won six of last seven games with Florida.
-- Predators won seven of last eight games with Tampa Bay.
-- Arizona won last two games with Calgary, after losing previous five.

Totals
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Pittsburgh games.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Buffalo games.
-- Last five Los Angeles games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Colorado games went over.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Florida games.
-- Over is 3-0 in last three games for both Nashville, Tampa Bay.
-- Four of last five Arizona games went over the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Buffalo is 4-5 if it played the night before.
-- Los Angeles is 6-1 if it played the night before.
-- Colorado won its last five games if it played the night before.
-- Calgary is 3-5 if it played the night before.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL

Friday, February 12

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

7:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. NY RANGERS
Los Angeles is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Los Angeles is 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing NY Rangers
NY Rangers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home
NY Rangers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games

7:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. BUFFALO
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Montreal's last 7 games
Montreal is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Buffalo is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 5 games when playing at home against Montreal

7:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. CAROLINA
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Carolina
Pittsburgh is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Carolina is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

7:30 PM
COLORADO vs. DETROIT
Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado's last 7 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing Colorado
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Colorado

7:30 PM
NASHVILLE vs. TAMPA BAY
Nashville is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Nashville is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games at home
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:30 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. FLORIDA
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Florida
St. Louis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Florida
Florida is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida's last 6 games at home

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

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel

Friday, February 12


Pittsburgh @ Carolina

Game 1-2
February 12, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
13.575
Carolina
9.005
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 4 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-125); Over

Montreal @ Buffalo

Game 3-4
February 12, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
11.517
Buffalo
10.011
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Montreal
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Montreal
-145
5
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(-145); Under

Los Angeles @ NY Rangers

Game 5-6
February 12, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
12.182
NY Rangers
10.675
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

Colorado @ Detroit

Game 7-8
February 12, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Colorado
12.806
Detroit
11.711
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
N/A

St. Louis @ Florida

Game 9-10
February 12, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
10.650
Florida
12.037
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 1 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
(-125); Over

Nashville @ Tampa Bay

Game 11-12
February 12, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
12.005
Tampa Bay
13.553
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1 1/2
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-160
5
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-160); Under

Calgary @ Arizona

Game 13-14
February 12, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
12.410
Arizona
10.279
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arizona
-135
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(+115); Under

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, February 12

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

PITTSBURGH (27-19-0-7, 61 pts.) at CAROLINA (24-21-0-9, 57 pts.) - 2/12/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 71-69 ATS (-32.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 30-36 ATS (-23.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 16-32 ATS (-32.7 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 13-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 58-85 ATS (-37.2 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
CAROLINA is 28-54 ATS (+91.5 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 38-51 ATS (-29.5 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 5-6 (+1.5 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 6-5-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.4 Units)

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

MONTREAL (27-24-0-4, 58 pts.) at BUFFALO (21-28-0-6, 48 pts.) - 2/12/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 20-10 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 34-16 ATS (+14.0 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 28-13 ATS (+12.4 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 10-36 ATS (+71.6 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
BUFFALO is 41-59 ATS (-50.4 Units) in home games when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
BUFFALO is 1-10 ATS (+13.8 Units) in home games vs. division opponents this season.
BUFFALO is 22-66 ATS (+146.7 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 4-6 (+2.7 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 6-4-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.7 Units)

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

LOS ANGELES (32-18-0-3, 67 pts.) at NY RANGERS (31-18-0-5, 67 pts.) - 2/12/2016, 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 6-3 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 6-3-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.3 Units)

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

COLORADO (28-25-0-4, 60 pts.) at DETROIT (28-18-0-8, 64 pts.) - 2/12/2016, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 2-2 (+0.4 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 2-2-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.7 Units)

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

ST LOUIS (30-17-0-9, 69 pts.) at FLORIDA (32-16-0-6, 70 pts.) - 2/12/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 6-14 ATS (-13.0 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 10-14 ATS (-9.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.
FLORIDA is 32-22 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all games this season.
FLORIDA is 9-3 ATS (+12.4 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 12-5 ATS (+6.2 Units) after a division game this season.
FLORIDA is 20-13 ATS (+36.3 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 13-4 ATS (+17.1 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
FLORIDA is 13-8 ATS (+3.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
FLORIDA is 108-148 ATS (+275.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
FLORIDA is 182-205 ATS (-79.8 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
FLORIDA is 49-78 ATS (-46.5 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
FLORIDA is 67-103 ATS (-57.5 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 4-1 (+2.4 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 4-1-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.8 Units)

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

NASHVILLE (25-21-0-8, 58 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (29-20-0-4, 62 pts.) - 2/12/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 25-29 ATS (-14.9 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 32-36 ATS (-10.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 38-76 ATS (+127.5 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 7-16 ATS (+24.2 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 10-22 ATS (+33.2 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 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.
TAMPA BAY is 25-10 ATS (+12.5 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 324-386 ATS (+846.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 4-1 (+3.3 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 4-1-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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

CALGARY (25-25-0-3, 53 pts.) at ARIZONA (24-23-0-6, 54 pts.) - 2/12/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARIZONA is 11-7 ATS (+20.8 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
ARIZONA is 12-5 ATS (+18.4 Units) after a division game this season.
CALGARY is 75-71 ATS (+159.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 58-54 ATS (+120.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 33-23 ATS (+60.6 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 44-38 ATS (+87.6 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 27-19 ATS (+50.4 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 0-8 ATS (+9.1 Units) in home games in February games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 16-45 ATS (+92.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 4-17 ATS (+24.0 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
CALGARY is 7-5 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 7-5-0 straight up against ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.1 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

fORGOT TO POST THIS...SORRY GUYS


02-12-2016, 02:57 PM
CNOTES53 CNOTES53 is online now
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 21,032
Rewards: 35,357 [Check]
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




PIT at CAR 07:00 PM


CAR +102 BEST BET




LA at NYR 07:00 PM


NYR -114




MON at BUF 07:00 PM


O 5.0 BEST BET




NAS at TB 07:30 PM


NAS +112 BEST BET




STL at FLA 07:30 PM


FLA -117




COL at DET 07:30 PM


COL +175 BEST BET




CAL at ARI 09:00 PM


O 5.5 BEST BET

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Devils (27-21) at Flyers (24-20)
Date: February 13, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

With their rookie defenseman trying to keep his streak going to set a franchise record, the Philadelphia Flyers want to get some momentum going before a long road trip.


Shayne Gostisbehere will seek to extend his point streak to 11 games while helping the Flyers get past the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.


Philadelphia (24-20-9) ended a three-game slide by routing Buffalo 5-1 on Thursday. The Flyers scored four times in the second period, and R.J. Umberger kicked off that binge by ending a 50-game drought that dated back to January 2015.


"It's huge for us, just everyone pulling on the same side of the rope, just having an explosion like that. Four goals in one period," Gostisbehere said. "That's huge for a team like us, especially after laying an egg (in a 4-1 loss to Anaheim on Tuesday)."


The 22-year-old assisted on Wayne Simmonds' second-period goal to match the team's longest point streak by a rookie, set by Mikael Renberg in 1993-94. Gostisbehere has two goals and 11 assists during his 10-game run, currently the longest in the NHL.


He has 17 points in 17 home games, but this is the last time the Flyers will be playing in Philadelphia until Feb. 25. They begin a five-game trek Sunday against the New York Rangers, followed by their season series finale with the Devils on Tuesday.


New Jersey (27-21-7) also ended a three-game skid in its latest game but had a little more tension in a 2-1 victory over Edmonton on Tuesday. The Devils didn't get the tiebreaking goal until Reid Boucher converted on a power play with 12:47 remaining.


Adam Henrique also scored on a man advantage, and New Jersey improved to 9 for 23 in its last eight games. The Devils have killed off all 19 penalties in their five contests this month.


"Our special teams were great," said Cory Schneider, who is 7-3-1 with a 1.64 goals-against average in his last 11 starts. "We needed this one after (a 2-1 loss to the Rangers on Monday). We felt good about our two prior games but didn't win. To get a win is important. We couldn't settle for single points here."


Like the Flyers, New Jersey is just outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture. The Devils have won six of their last seven visits to Philadelphia, including 4-1 on Oct. 29, but have lost a season-worst three in a row on the road while scoring three goals.


They're averaging a league-worst 1.44 goals on the road since 2016 began, partly offsetting the fact Schneider's 1.86 GAA away from home this season is tops among goalies with at least 10 road starts.


Simmonds has eight goals and two assists in his last eight contests. He has the Flyers' only power-play goal in 15 chances over the last three contests, though they've killed off 13 of 14 penalties in the last four.


Kyle Palmieri has seven points in five career games against Philadelphia, including two goals and two assists this season.


Travis Zajac had two power-play goals in Philadelphia but sat out the last matchup in New Jersey because of an upper-body injury as Philadelphia won 4-3 in overtime Dec. 4. The Devils are 14-0-2 in their last 16 games against the Flyers - including the playoffs - when Zajac is on the ice.


Top Philadelphia netminder Steve Mason has lost all seven starts he's made against New Jersey with a 3.77 GAA.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bruins (29-19) at Wild (23-21)
Date: February 13, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

The character of the Minnesota Wild continues to be tested amid one of the roughest stretches in club history.


Mired in their worst-ever home slide, the Wild look to avoid matching the team record with an eighth consecutive loss overall Saturday against the Boston Bruins, who are looking for a season-high sixth straight road victory.


Loser of 12 of 13 and stuck in an 0-4-3 hole at home, Minnesota (23-21-10) is struggling to comprehend what is going on.


'If this wasn't really maddening and really frustrating, it would almost be comical the way things are going right now,' coach Mike Yeo said.


The Wild, who have lost two in a row by 4-3 scores and dropped four by one goal during the 0-5-2 slide, last lost eight straight Dec. 13-28, 2011.


"It's definitely frustrating," defenseman Ryan Suter told the NHL's official website. "We usually have to hit rock bottom before we go up, and I feel like we've hit rock bottom. Now we just need it to start turning for us."


Perhaps Minnesota can start by faring better in the second period, during which it's been outscored 13-3 in the last five games. The Wild allowed Washington's Alex Ovechkin to record a hat trick during the second in Thursday's defeat.


Minnesota has yielded four goals in each of the last four contests and at least that many in six of seven. Its last three opponents have gone 5 for 14 on the power play after the previous 15 were 4 for 31.


All-Star Devan Dubnyk has lost nine straight starts and owns a 4.07 goals-against average in four February outings.


'Getting tired of it, really,' said forward Charlie Coyle, who has recorded five of his career-high 15 goals in eight games. 'We've got to find ways. You keep seeing we're taking strides and that's the positive thing to do, and I think we are. But we've got to get that end result.'


Dubnyk made 34 saves in a 4-2 loss to the Bruins on Nov. 19 and is 0-5-0 with 5.20 GAA against them.


Loui Eriksson registered his third career hat trick in that meeting with Minnesota, and he had a goal and an assist as Boston (29-19-6) opened its season-high six-game trip with a 6-2 victory over Winnipeg on Thursday. The Bruins have outscored their last five road opponents 20-8.


"It was a huge start, that's what we wanted," said forward Patrice Bergeron, who scored twice to snap a five-game goal drought. "But we know there's a lot more to this road trip than just one game and now we need to focus on Minnesota."


Brad Marchand had a goal and two assists and Brett Connolly recorded three assists as the Bruins rebounded from Tuesday's 9-2 defeat to Los Angeles.


"Different guys stepped up," said Connolly, who had one point his previous nine games. "And that's what we're going to need going forward on this road trip if we want to make it successful."


Tuukka Rask made 34 saves Thursday and has a 1.72 GAA during a four-game road winning streak.


Eriksson has six goals in the last five matchups with Minnesota while Bergeron has two and two assists during the same span.


Boston has gone 3 for 35 on the power play in the last 12 contests.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Maple Leafs (19-25) at Canucks (22-20)
Date: February 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Following back-to-back road victories, the Vancouver Canucks must find a way to start winning at home.


That hasn't been a problem when the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town.


The Canucks can avoid a fourth straight defeat at Rogers Arena by beating the Maple Leafs for an eighth consecutive time there Saturday night.


Just outside of playoff position in the Western Conference, Vancouver (22-20-12) has little room for error in its quest to make the playoffs.


"Every game is do or die for us," defenseman Alex Biega said. "Every point really matters. For the most part, that's playoff-type of hockey."


The Canucks have looked like a serious postseason contender this week, scoring three unanswered goals in Tuesday's 3-1 win at Colorado and getting 33 saves from Ryan Miller in a 2-1 victory at Arizona one night later.


"We have to build off that," Biega said.


Vancouver can do so by getting back on track at home, where it's 9-10-5 and has been held to one goal in three straight games.


"The guys are still battling," said coach Willie Desjardins, whose team averages a West-low 2.25 goals at home. "We know we've got to put together a string of (winning) games."


The Canucks also need the Sedin brothers to produce.


Henrik Sedin snapped a five-game point drought with an assist against the Coyotes, but Daniel has one point in six and none in the last four. Daniel had three goals and five assists in a five-game home point streak against Toronto that ended in a 4-1 win March 14.


Henrik totaled six points in the previous three home matchups with the Maple Leafs before also going scoreless in that contest.


Vancouver fell 4-2 to Toronto (19-25-9) on Nov. 14, but hasn't lost at home to the Maple Leafs since November 2003 and has outscored them 25-7 in the last six there.


Miller has yielded four goals each time in losing two starts against the Maple Leafs with the Canucks. He's expected to face them for the first time at Rogers on Saturday.


Toronto fell to 0-3-0 on a five-game trip with Thursday's 5-2 loss to Edmonton. The Maple Leafs have yielded 15 goals on the swing, including nine in two games since sending veteran defenseman Dion Phaneuf to Ottawa in a nine-player deal Tuesday.


Despite another rough season for the Leafs, coach Mike Babcock is happy with his team's effort and spirit, especially with this week's roster shake-up.


'I didn't mind our game, to tell you the truth,' said Babcock, whose club trailed 3-2 after two periods against the Oilers. 'We got ourselves in a good spot (Thursday). ... We didn't finish and they did.'


After James Reimer yielded seven total goals in the first two of the trip, Jonathan Bernier gave up four on 34 shots against Edmonton. Bernier has posted a 3.82 goals-against average while losing four straight road starts.


Reimer made 43 saves Nov. 14 but has given up four goals apiece in losing both starts at Vancouver, and Bernier is likely to start this game.


Leo Komarov has recorded two of his team-leading 17 goals in the last 21 games for Toronto, which is 2 for 45 on the power play over the past 14.


Vancouver's Jannik Hansen matched a career high with his 16th goal Wednesday. He's scored in two straight against the Maple Leafs and has two goals and three assists in four home matchups.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Senators (25-25) at Blue Jackets (22-28)
Date: February 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson is on pace to break his career-high mark of 78 points set four seasons ago, and a matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets should serve to further his cause.


Karlsson has seven points in two easy wins over Columbus this season and looks to help the Senators end a three-game road losing streak Saturday night.


He's a leading candidate for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defensemen with 62 points, including an NHL-best 51 assists. No other defenseman has more than 46 points.


Karlsson has 17 points in his last 12 games and 11 in his last seven. He had the second four-assist performance of his career in last Saturday's 6-1 rout of Toronto.


The previous one came in a 7-3 win over Columbus (22-28-6) on Oct. 14. He then had two goals and an assist in a 3-0 home win over the Blue Jackets on Nov. 19 in which Craig Anderson made 25 saves.


Karlsson has 15 points in 10 career games against Columbus, including nine in Ottawa's four-game road win streak in this series. The seven goals allowed by the Blue Jackets in October are the most they have yielded at home.


Ottawa (25-25-6) likely can't afford anything less than a victory after falling to 3-7-0 in its last 10 overall after Thursday's 4-3 home defeat to Colorado. The Senators have the fourth-worst record in the Eastern Conference, although they remain within striking distance of a playoff spot.


"These are points that we need," winger Chris Neil said. "We still believe in here, we still believe that we can get to where we need to be to make the playoffs but you gotta win games to do that."


The Senators failed to battle back from a three-goal deficit in the second period after the Avalanche scored the game's first three goals on the power play. Special teams have been a problem all season for Ottawa, which is at minus-16 in power-play goal differential for the league's second-worst mark.


"I thought we were real good 5-on-5," coach David Cameron said. "I thought we were the better team today, we were a little quicker, dug ourselves a hole and stayed with it and fell short."


Karlsson and Dion Phaneuf each had two assists, with Phaneuf making his home debut after being acquired from Toronto on Tuesday.


The Senators are last in the NHL in average shot differential at minus-4.6.


The lowly Blue Jackets have played four straight one-goal games, winning for the third time Thursday, 4-3 in a shootout over Anaheim. Former Senators winger Nick Foligno had two assists.


'This is a group of guys I want to be a difference maker for and lead them and playing the right way,' Foligno said. 'Sometimes it just doesn't go your way, but it's the little things that you can do consistently to get you back to playing the right way.'


Brandon Saad ended a four-game goal drought with his team-high 20th and William Karlsson scored his third goal in as many games.


Rookie Joonas Korpisalo has made eight straight starts, going 5-1-2 with a 2.16 goals-against average. He has never faced the Senators.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Capitals (40-9) at Stars (35-15)
Date: February 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Few teams have been able to keep pace with the Washington Capitals, particularly when Alex Ovechkin is as locked in as right now.


That hasn't been an issue for the Dallas Stars.


As the Capitals aim for a sixth consecutive win, the Stars look to maintain their recent dominance in the series when the NHL's highest-scoring teams face off Saturday night.


This marquee matchup has the makings of a possible Stanley Cup Final preview with Washington (40-9-4) a runaway leader atop the Eastern Conference and Dallas (35-15-5) one point off Chicago's lead in the West. There's clearly the potential for plenty of scoring as well, as the Stars top the NHL with 178 goals and the Capitals average a league-high 3.3 per game.


Washington has generated 33 goals over a 7-1-1 stretch and nine over the first two tests of a three-game trip. Ovechkin has scored in three straight and passed Chicago's Patrick Kane for the league lead with a hat trick in Thursday's 4-3 win over Minnesota.


Ovechkin recorded all three goals in the second period and has 34 this season, 13 of which have come in his last 13 games.


"It's incredible. The puck just comes to him, but he has that ability when it comes to put it in the net," said teammate Nicklas Backstrom, who assisted on all three scores. "It's hard to do."


Ovechkin has a goal in three of Washington's past five meetings with Dallas, though that production hasn't translated into team success as the Stars have won eight consecutive matchups and seven straight in regulation. They won 3-2 on Nov. 19 in Washington, where Kari Lehtonen made 31 saves and Jason Spezza scored the game-winner shortly after Ovechkin tied it in the third period.


Lehtonen was just as sharp as Dallas won both ends of its recent two-game trip. After compiling 37 saves in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime victory at Minnesota, he notched a season-high 44 as the Stars closed the gap on the Blackhawks with Thursday's 4-2 win.


"He made some great saves for us," coach Lindy Ruff said. "Minnesota was the same way; we needed some big saves at important times. He made some game changers."


Lehtonen was supported by Patrick Eaves' second career hat trick that helped Dallas, which lost 5-1 at home to Chicago last Saturday for its only defeat in six games, build a 4-0 lead through one period.


'We were ourselves (Thursday),' said Tyler Seguin, who assisted on two of Eaves' goals. 'Obviously I think they handed it to us last game.'


Eaves has four goals and three assists over a four-game point streak, aiding an offense that's been without Spezza for three straight due to an upper-body injury. Seguin has seven points over his last five and has scored in four straight against Washington.


Lehtonen owns a 1.71 goals-against average in winning seven straight starts against Washington, while the Capitals' Braden Holtby earned a fifth consecutive win with 33 saves against Minnesota.


Holtby, who did not play in the November meeting, is 17-3-2 with a 2.21 GAA in 22 road starts.


The Capitals are expected to have Evgeny Kuznetsov, the club's leader with 54 points, available after passing a concussion test on Friday. The All-Star forward exited Thursday's game after being high-sticked in the face on a third-period faceoff.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Ducks (26-19) at Blackhawks (36-18)
Date: February 13, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Anaheim Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said a lack of respect for a last-place opponent is why his team lost its last game.


They won't have the same problem when their road trip continues against the Western Conference leader.


The Ducks look to bounce back Saturday night when they face a Chicago Blackhawks team that knocked them out of last season's playoffs and has won this season's first two meetings in overtime.


Anaheim was on its way to victory Thursday against Columbus, leading 2-0 late in the second period, but allowed a goal with five seconds to go in that period and blew another two-goal lead in the third of its 4-3 shootout loss. The Ducks (26-19-8) were outshot 34-27 and went 0 for 2 on the power play.


'Personally, I just didn't think we respected that team enough to start that game,' Boudreau said. 'And this is the NHL. You can't come into a game and not respect your opponent. We were lucky to get a point, but we'll bounce back.'


The Blackhawks (36-18-4) have a similar mindset after a pair of disappointing showings reduced their lead over second-place Dallas to a point.


Two nights after opening a four-game homestand with a 2-0 loss to San Jose, Chicago fell behind by four goals - three by Patrick Eaves - in the first period of Thursday's 4-2 setback to the Stars.


The Blackhawks dominated play in the third, outshooting the Stars 21-2, but the early deficit was too big to overcome.


'The last two, we've been in a little bit of a funk,' said Patrick Kane, who scored his 33rd goal but fell out of the league lead. 'We'll work ourself out of it, just like we always do, and come back ready to play Saturday.'


Having a healthy Artemi Panarin would certainly help, but his status is uncertain after missing the last two games with an illness. The 24-year-old, who plays alongside Kane and Artem Anisimov, is second on the team with 52 points and leads all rookies.


"I think anytime you miss one of your top players it's going to have an effect on everyone," said Kane, who has 77 points.


Anisimov had the winner in Anaheim on Nov. 27 after Jonathan Toews scored in a 1-0 victory over the Ducks on Oct. 26, their first meeting since last season's conference finals.


Corey Crawford has stopped 62 of 64 shots against Anaheim this season but was shaky Thursday, making 14 saves on 18 shots. Crawford, who was replaced after one period by Scott Darling, was 13-3-0 with a 1.88 goals-against average in his previous 16 starts.


The Blackhawks had won 13 of 15 at Chicago before this homestand and haven't lost three in a row overall since Nov. 28-Dec. 3.


The Ducks have lost two of three to start a seven-game trip for their only defeats in the last nine contests. They haven't lost back-to-back games since Dec. 21 and 22. Since then, they've gone a West-best 14-4-2 with the Blackhawks owning the conference's second-best record at 16-6-0.


Frederik Andersen has been instrumental to Anaheim's success and Boudreau praised his 31-save performance Thursday in his first loss since New Year's Day. He is 6-0-2 with a 1.72 GAA in 2016 while John Gibson is 5-4-0 with a 2.83 GAA over that same stretch.


Corey Perry, who has a team-high 21 goals, was held without a point for the second time in nine games Tuesday. He had three goals in last season's playoff series with the Blackhawks but has only two assists while the Ducks have lost six of the last seven regular-season meetings with Chicago.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Jets (24-27) at Oilers (22-29)
Date: February 13, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Connor McDavid continues to show that he might be the player to finally lead the Edmonton Oilers out of the wilderness.


Coming off a career-high five-point effort, the star rookie looks to keep rolling in a Hockey Night in Canada appearance when the Oilers host the Winnipeg Jets in a matchup of last-place teams Saturday night.


McDavid became the third rookie in team history to record a five-point game with two goals and three assists in a 5-2 win over Toronto on Thursday. The effort helped the Oilers (22-29-5) break a three-game losing streak after they had scored one goal in each of those contests.


'We needed this,' McDavid said. 'There was a lot of pressure on us coming in, playing against a team that was desperate and missing a lot of guys. They played a great game in terms of structure and not giving up too much. But it was a big night for us to start off the (six-game) homestand.'


McDavid's line had a huge game, with Jordan Eberle recording his first career hat trick and adding an assist while Benoit Pouliot had four assists, but it was the center's effort against his hometown team that was the most spectacular. Years of high draft picks haven't resulted in the Oilers becoming a winning organization again, but McDavid, the top overall pick in the 2015 draft, seems to offer promise that it might finally happen.


'His performance did all the speaking,' coach Todd McLellan said. 'You turn into a fan as a coach and as players and just admire what he and his linemates did.'


McDavid has four goals and eight assists in his last six games. Eberle has eight goals and three assists in the past 10 contests, while Pouliot has recorded two and eight in six.


'I think the more we play together, the better we will be,' Eberle said. 'Tonight was obviously our best, we put up goals and whatnot. But it was the little plays that I really liked. Coming out of our end, cycling, I thought we did a better job of that. Chemistry is not something you get right away, you've got to grow it a bit.'


The Oilers will look to make it three straight wins and four in five at home, having scored five times in each of their last two there. They beat Winnipeg 3-1 at Rexall Place on Dec. 21 behind two goals and an assist from Teddy Purcell and 44 saves from Cam Talbot, who's expected to start this game after stopping 34 shots against the Maple Leafs.


The December result snapped the Jets' four-game winning streak in the series, and Winnipeg comes in looking to bounce back from a 6-2 home loss to Boston on Thursday.


The Jets (24-27-3) have given up at least five goals three times in the past five games and are 3-6-0 in nine. The Bruins dominated the third period, scoring three unanswered goals and holding a 14-6 shot advantage.


"We came out in the third and we looked tentative," defenseman Tyler Myers told the team's official website. "Being down a goal we can't play like that if we want to come back. They get the first one in the third and we're caught chasing and it's tough to come back like that."


Bryan Little had a goal and an assist - giving him goals in two straight games after an eight-game drought - and Blake Wheeler added two assists.


Despite its recent struggles, Winnipeg opens a four-game trip having won three straight and four of five on the road.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Islanders (29-18) at Hurricanes (24-21)
Date: February 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

John Tavares has ended his slump in emphatic fashion. A matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes isn't likely to slow him down.


Tavares looks to extend his scoring surge and help the New York Islanders match their longest winning streak of the season Saturday night.


Tavares has five goals and seven assists over the past eight games, exactly matching his production over the previous 24.


"I never worried or doubted that the points were going to come," coach Jack Capuano told the team's official website. "He's had a lot of chances and works hard. But it's good to see Johnny get the points. As he goes, we go."


That's certainly been true during a three-game winning streak as Tavares has six points after tallying a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over Los Angeles on Thursday.


"I just want to keep doing the right things," Tavares said. "I think I've been playing well for a few weeks and I want to be consistent, keep it going and create opportunities."


That shouldn't be a problem since the All-Star center has 28 points over his last 16 meetings with the Hurricanes, including 13 in six visits to Raleigh.


Tavares, though, was kept off the score sheet in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Hurricanes at home Oct. 29.


After averaging 2.5 goals in a 4-5-1 stretch, the Islanders (29-18-6) have scored 16 during three straight wins. They are 4 for 10 on the power play in those games.


"We're getting more of a rhythm coming out of our own end, getting up into the neutral zone," Tavares said. "Guys are making plays and we're starting to put some more pucks in the net."


New York has 14 goals in a three-game win streak at Carolina (24-21-10), and is 5-1-2 in its last eight visits.


Brock Nelson is tied with Tavares for the team lead with 20 goals, but hasn't scored in five consecutive games. However, he has three in his last two road games with the Hurricanes.


Carolina opened this three-game homestand with a 2-1 shootout loss to Pittsburgh on Friday after falling by the same score in a shootout at Montreal on Sunday.


"When it gets late, gets to those dying moments, it always gets nerve-racking," coach Bill Peters said Friday. "I thought the guys did a good job staying with it."


Andrej Nestrasil forced overtime against the Penguins by scoring with 5:28 left in regulation. The center has three goals in three games to match his total from the previous 30.


The Hurricanes are unsure if they'll have Justin Faulk available after a lower-body injury sidelined him Friday. The All-Star defenseman leads Carolina with 34 points and his 15 goals match his career high from last season.


"Day to day means day to day," Peters told the team's official website.


Jeff Skinner, who had his five-game point streak snapped Friday, has six points in as many home matchups with the Islanders.


Cam Ward made 25 saves against the Penguins, giving Carolina at least a point in each of his past eight starts. He is 4-0-4 with a 1.79 goals-against average in those games.


Ward, who could be rested in the second of this back to back, is 18-3-3 with a 2.62 GAA in his last 27 games against New York.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Predators (25-21) at Panthers (32-17)
Date: February 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya have helped the Florida Panthers reach the top of the Atlantic Division with stingy goaltending, but pucks are slipping past them at an alarming rate lately.


The Nashville Predators are having that problem, too, and the scoreboard operator could be busy Saturday night when the slumping clubs meet in Sunrise.


Florida (32-17-6) ranks near the top of the league defensively allowing an average of 2.3 goals per game, backed by Luongo's 2.23 goals-against average in 43 appearances and Montoya's 2.06 mark in 15 games.


Both were needed Friday, though, after Luongo allowed three goals on 13 shots in the first period and Montoya made 13 saves in the final 40 minutes of a 5-3 loss to St. Louis that began a six-game homestand.


The Panthers, who were coming off Tuesday's 7-4 win at Buffalo, dropped to 1-2-1 following a five-game winning streak and have allowed at least three goals in each of their last five.


"(Luongo's) been a horse all year long. It was just to shake up the team," coach Gerard Gallant said. "We weren't happy with how we were playing."


Derek MacKenzie, Aaron Ekblad and Jonathan Huberdeau scored while Jaromir Jagr had two assists for Florida, which had its division lead trimmed to five points over Detroit after the Red Wings lost to Colorado in a shootout Friday.


Aleksander Barkov missed his second straight with an upper-body injury suffered from a big hit in Monday's loss at Detroit and isn't expected to return until at least Monday against Pittsburgh.


"We were not as sharp as we were the past few games,"â??Huberdeau said. "I think (Saturday) we've got to come back and be better defensively. That's usually where we're good at. (Friday), we allowed too many odd-man rushes."


Luongo has an .893 save percentage over his last four, but a short night could mean he'll be in net for this one. The Predators, on the other hand, might want to consider giving Pekka Rinne a break.


Nashville (25-21-9) has scored 15 times over its last four, but it also has allowed 17 goals during that time as Rinne has struggled with a .838 save percentage in that stretch. He gave up the tying goal with 26.6 seconds remaining in regulation Friday before Tampa Bay scored 1:04 into overtime for a 4-3 victory over the Predators, who are 1-3-1 following a four-game winning streak.


James Neal scored his 20th goal to give him at least that many in each of his eight NHL seasons. Filip Forsberg has four goals and two assists over his last three after putting Nashville ahead 7:46 into the third.


The tying goal came with Nashville shorthanded and the Lightning having an empty net. The Predators weren't happy with the slashing call on Viktor Arvidsson that led to Tampa's power play.


"It seems like we're taking penalties at the wrong times," said Mike Fisher, who scored in the first. "We're trying to do the right things. We've just got to be a little smarter. It's hurting us."


Nashville had allowed one goal in each of its previous five. Backup Carter Hutton started one of those contests, making 26 saves in a 2-1 win over Calgary on Jan. 27 in his last outing.


Rinne faced only 16 shots when Huberdeau scored and Luongo made 32 saves in the Panthers' 2-1 victory in Nashville on Dec. 3. The Predators had gone 4-0-1 in the previous five meetings.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Coyotes (25-23) at Sharks (28-20)
Date: February 13, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks' win over the Arizona Coyotes last month came amidst a season-high point streak that has since drifted into inconsistent play.


The good news is the Coyotes haven't been able to make up much ground, anyway.


While the Coyotes seek just their fourth win in the last month on Saturday night, the Sharks hope a home game against their Pacific Division foe brings similar success that it has over the last decade.


San Jose (28-20-5) earned its fourth win in the last five games of this series with a 3-1 victory at Arizona on Jan. 21. That was the Sharks' seventh step on a 10-game point streak that lasted from Jan. 9-26, though they have been up and down since.


They have traded wins and losses for a 2-2-1 record and have surrendered at least five goals in two of the last three games. A shutout came from the other, but the Sharks have dropped eight points behind division-leading Los Angeles.


While San Jose combined for just nine goals in its four previous games, it busted out for five on Thursday against Calgary. The Flames, however, scored the same amount on backup Alex Stalock before eventually winning 6-5 in a shootout.


The Sharks did, though, escape with a point after trailing 4-1 through one period - a nice consolation to tag onto Tuesday's 2-0 win at Chicago.


'We stuck with it and found a way to get a point," coach Peter DeBoer said.


San Jose has taken most of the points in this series since the 2012-13 season, earning 23 of a possible 30 with a 10-2-3 record.


The advantage is more lopsided while dating back further at San Jose. The Sharks are 18-2-5 there against the Coyotes since Jan. 18, 2007, going 5-0-3 in the past eight.


San Jose is also currently riding an eight-game home point streak, but it follows Saturday's game with a five-game road trip that starts Tuesday in Tampa Bay.


Starting goaltender Martin Jones has only been part of this series this season, but he made 23 saves to earn the win last month. Jones recorded one of his 12 career shutouts in his only other start against Arizona while with Los Angeles in December 2014.


Arizona (25-23-6) followed last month's loss to San Jose with back-to-back wins, but the Coyotes picked up only one point while matching a season-worst five-game losing streak.


Shane Doan put the brakes on the skid Friday, however, with two goals and an assist in a 4-1 win over Calgary. Doan's big day helped him become the Coyotes leader with 931 career points.


'What he's done for this organization is phenomenal,' coach Dave Tippett said. 'The commitment he has to the organization, to the city, to his teammates, it's just amazing to watch every day.'


Louis Domingue made 26 saves for the win, but it may be Anders Lindback who gets a shot to end his struggles Saturday. Lindback hasn't won since Dec. 27 and surrendered five goals in his last start, a 5-2 loss at Anaheim on Feb. 5.


Sharks left winger Patrick Marleau has scored in his last two games and added an assist against the Flames, and he beat Domingue for a goal last month.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack


Six of the top minor league prospets of the Cleveland Indians........


1) Bradley Zimmer, OF-- Expected to be Indians' CF in 2017.


2) Clint Frazier, OF-- No many teams' top two prospects are both OFs.


3) Brady Aiken, P-- Top pick in 2014 draft turned down $5M from Astros, then got hurt and had to have Tommy John surgery. Tribe gave him $2.5M


4) Jordan Sheffield, P-- Turned down chance to pitch at Vanderbilt.


7) Mike Clevinger, P-- Allowed 127 hits in 158 IP in Eastern League LY.


15) Yandy Diaz, 3B-- Cuban infielder hit .315 in Eastern League LY.


**********


Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here.........

13) I'd like to see a HORSE competition for NBA All-Star weekend, in addition to a 3-point contest. I'd rather watch that than a dunking contest-- skill-based competition is more fun to watch. I'm probably in the minority on that one.


12) Was reminded last night that Jeff Van Gundy has suggested that any 3-point shot that gets banked in should only count for two points, since no one tries to bank a 3-pointer. He was probably kidding, but it would be interesting if that was a rule.


11) Rhode Island PG Jarvis Garrett broke a bone in his jaw, but has to come back to play with a facemask that looks like it might be hard to breathe thru. He played 36:00 in a tough 68-66 loss to Dayton last night, scoring 11 points with four assists.


10) University of Buffalo suspended its best player- they got waxed at home last nite by Ohio U. The logo at mid-court on Buffalo's court is a map of New York, which isn't unusual, but the huge "New York" written over it looks stupid. I'm pretty sure most everyone knows where Buffalo is.


9) I watched East Carolina's last two home games on TV; haven't seen a lot of ECU basketball over the years, but now that they're in the AAC, they got on TV now and then. They lost the two games, in double OT and triple OT. Tough week.


8) There was a Twitter controversy Friday about how the NCAA is going to judge Syracuse's season, since they went 4-5 while coach Boeheim was suspended. It isn't like a player was injured- the coach was suspended because they broke the rules, they should not get any kind of break from the committee because of that.


7) Presidential candidate Ted Cruz portrays himself as Mr Religion, which is fine, except he ran a TV commercial this week ripping one of his Republican rivals and one of the actresses in the commercial turns out to be a porn actress. Whoops.


6) Five assistant football coaches for the Texas Longhorns have bolted Austin since the season ended; what makes that unusual is that they did so well recruiting. Four of the five coaches were on the offensive side of the ball.


5) 96 underclassmen declared for the NFL Draft; 14 of those 96 kids weren't even invited to the NFL Combine, which means they made bad decisions to leave school.


4) Hadn't really thought about this, but in college basketball, each team can use the basketball of its choice for home games and the kids are starting to complain about it, since there apparently big differences in the balls used.


Hard to believe leagues like the ACC or Big 14 don't have a contract for a uniform ball to be used in its conference games, but Nike/adidas/Under Armour are providing new basketballs. That is something that should change for the quality of the game.


3) President of the Bank of America made $15M last year; he got a $3M raise, so we can safely assume he had a good banking year.


2) Oakland A's got OF Khris Davis from Milwaukee; he hit 27 HRs LY and all they gave up were two minor leaguers who haven't played above A ball. Good deal on the surface, but you have to wait to see how those kids pan out before we completely judge the deal. A's needed a right-handed power bat, though.


1) Bill Walton was talking about crocodiles and Egyptians Thursday; here is some more information that was sent to me about this:


The Nile crocodile was the biggest and most feared predator in ancient Egypt. People feared and revered them, those who successfully fought them were greatly admired. Crocodiles also inhabited the after-life, a big thing for Egyptians.


So now you know more than you ever wanted to on that subject. You're welcome.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, February 13

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

NEW JERSEY (27-21-0-7, 61 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (24-20-0-9, 57 pts.) - 2/13/2016, 1:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 6-4 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 6-4-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.1 Units)

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

BOSTON (29-19-0-6, 64 pts.) at MINNESOTA (23-21-0-10, 56 pts.) - 2/13/2016, 2:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 70-66 ATS (-28.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 6-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in non-conference games this season.
BOSTON is 44-17 ATS (+16.0 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 125-92 ATS (+30.5 Units) in road games after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 23-31 ATS (-26.0 Units) in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 3-15 ATS (+18.8 Units) second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-2 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 3-2-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.3 Units)

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

TORONTO (19-25-0-9, 47 pts.) at VANCOUVER (22-20-0-12, 56 pts.) - 2/13/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 49-86 ATS (+149.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 14-47 ATS (+72.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 1-17 ATS (+27.5 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 8-32 ATS (+54.8 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 12-34 ATS (+53.4 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 19-36 ATS (-21.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 5-19 ATS (-14.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 160-104 ATS (+28.4 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 220-210 ATS (-115.6 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 2-8 ATS (+11.6 Units) on Saturday games this season.
VANCOUVER is 14-19 ATS (-11.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 5-9 ATS (-10.8 Units) in home games 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
TORONTO is 3-2 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 3-2-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.0 Units)

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

NY ISLANDERS (29-18-0-6, 64 pts.) at CAROLINA (24-21-0-10, 58 pts.) - 2/13/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY ISLANDERS are 6-16 ATS (+22.5 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 39-66 ATS (+105.8 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.
CAROLINA is 12-6 ATS (+18.7 Units) after a division game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 5-4 (+1.8 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 5-4-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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

OTTAWA (25-25-0-6, 56 pts.) at COLUMBUS (22-28-0-6, 50 pts.) - 2/13/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 34-30 ATS (+70.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 28-24 ATS (+58.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 23-14 ATS (+39.9 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 33-16 ATS (+15.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 9-18 ATS (-12.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 6-2 (+2.7 Units) against the spread versus COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 6-2-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.6 Units)

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

NASHVILLE (25-21-0-9, 59 pts.) at FLORIDA (32-17-0-6, 70 pts.) - 2/13/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 3-2 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 3-2-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.8 Units)

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

WASHINGTON (40-9-0-4, 84 pts.) at DALLAS (35-15-0-5, 75 pts.) - 2/13/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 152-195 ATS (-69.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
DALLAS is 38-32 ATS (+1.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 40-13 ATS (+19.4 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 55-40 ATS (+97.7 Units) in road games in February games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 29-12 ATS (+13.2 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 19-7 ATS (+11.2 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 9-1 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
WASHINGTON is 10-2 ATS (+7.3 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
WASHINGTON is 15-4 ATS (+8.9 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak this season.
WASHINGTON is 42-30 ATS (+72.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 5-0 (+5.7 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 5-0-0 straight up against WASHINGTON 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)

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

ANAHEIM (26-19-0-8, 60 pts.) at CHICAGO (36-18-0-4, 76 pts.) - 2/13/2016, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 40-13 ATS (+13.5 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 21-6 ATS (+11.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ANAHEIM is 149-97 ATS (+15.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 49-27 ATS (+9.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 206-162 ATS (+33.8 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 214-161 ATS (+25.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 107-106 ATS (+233.5 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 232-212 ATS (+459.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
CHICAGO is 3-7 ATS (-10.1 Units) in home games in February games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 19-21 ATS (-20.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 10-5 (+3.5 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 10-5-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.3 Units)

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

WINNIPEG (24-27-0-3, 51 pts.) at EDMONTON (22-29-0-5, 49 pts.) - 2/13/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 10-4 ATS (+15.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
WINNIPEG is 14-9 ATS (+26.0 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 46-36 ATS (+83.9 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 9-30 ATS (+55.9 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 5-2 (+2.8 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 5-2-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.8 Units)

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

ARIZONA (25-23-0-6, 56 pts.) at SAN JOSE (28-20-0-5, 61 pts.) - 2/13/2016, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 7-3 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 7-3-0 straight up against ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.4 Units)