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

[CNOTES]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, January 2

Hot teams
-- Kings won last four games, allowing six goals.
-- Coyotes won four of last six games.
-- Islanders won three of last four games.
-- Florida won its last seven games.
-- Washington won nine of its last ten games.
-- Blues won six of their last nine games. Toronto won four of its last six.
-- Hurricanes won three of their last four games.
-- Dallas Stars won five of their last seven games. Devils won three of last four.
-- Minnesota won three of its last four games.

Cold teams
-- Detroit lost six of its last eight games. Sabres lost four of last five.
-- Flyers lost three of last four games.
-- Edmonton lost seven of its last eight games.
-- Penguins lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Rangers lost nine of last thirteen games.
-- Blue Jackets lost three of last four games.
-- Nashville lost six of its last nine games.
-- Lightning lost four of its last six games.
-- Flames lost four of their last six games.
-- Avalanche lost three of its last four games.
-- Winnipeg lost five of its last eight games. Sharks are 4-9 in their last 13 games.

Series records
-- Red Wings won four of last five games with Buffalo.
-- Road team won eight of last nine LA-Philly games.
-- Coyotes won their last six games with Edmonton.
-- Islanders won their last four games with Pittsburgh.
-- Rangers won their last seven games with Florida.
-- Washington won three of last four games with Columbus.
-- Blues won four of last five games with Toronto.
-- Home side won seven of last eight Nashville-Carolina games.
-- Dallas Stars won 3-2so/4-3 in last two games with New Jersey.
-- Lightning lost their last four games with Minnesota.
-- Home side won last four Calgary-Colorado games.
-- Sharks are 6-4 in last ten games with Winnipeg.

Totals
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Buffalo games.
-- Over is 3-0-2 in last five Los Angeles games.
-- Three of last four Arizona games went over.
-- Six of last nine Islander games stayed under.
-- Over is 8-0-1 in last nine Ranger games; four of last five Florida games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven Columbus games went over.
-- Four of last five St Louis games stayed under.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Carolina games.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six New Jersey games.
-- Last four Minnesota games stayed under; over is 6-1 in last seven Lightning games.
-- Four of last five Colorado games went over total
-- Five of last six Winnipeg games stayed under total.

Back-to-backs
-- None

 

[CNOTES]

NHL

Saturday, January 2

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

1:00 PM
DETROIT vs. BUFFALO
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
Detroit is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing Buffalo
Buffalo is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit

4:00 PM
ARIZONA vs. EDMONTON
Arizona is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing at home against Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games at home

4:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. LOS ANGELES
Philadelphia is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 12 games when playing Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Los Angeles is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing Philadelphia

7:00 PM
DALLAS vs. NEW JERSEY
Dallas is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
Dallas is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games on the road
New Jersey is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Jersey's last 6 games

7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TAMPA BAY
Minnesota is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. CAROLINA
Nashville is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Nashville is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Carolina
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Nashville

7:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of the NY Islanders last 13 games
NY Islanders are 10-5 SU in their last 15 games
Pittsburgh is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
Pittsburgh is 19-6 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against NY Islanders

7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. FLORIDA
NY Rangers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Florida
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 7 games when playing Florida
Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Florida is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

7:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. TORONTO
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 1-9-1 SU in its last 11 games ,when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis

7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. COLUMBUS
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games when playing Columbus
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing on the road against Columbus
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
Columbus is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games

10:00 PM
CALGARY vs. COLORADO
Calgary is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Calgary is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Colorado's last 17 games at home
Colorado is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

10:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. SAN JOSE
Winnipeg is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games
San Jose is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose's last 5 games

 

[CNOTES]

NHL


Saturday, January 2




The Coyotes are 11-1 in the last 12 meetings with the Oilers in Edmonton.




The Red Wings have dropped 3 in a row and seven of their last nine games (2-5-2) and visit the Sabres Saturday.


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


NHL
Dunkel


Saturday, January 2




Nashville @ Carolina


Game 65-66
January 2, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
12.123
Carolina
10.608
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 1 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Carolina
-110
5
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(-110); Over


Dallas @ New Jersey


Game 67-68
January 2, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
12.823
New Jersey
9.404
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 3 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
-145
5
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(-145); Under


Minnesota @ Tampa Bay


Game 69-70
January 2, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
11.884
Tampa Bay
10.361
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1 1/2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-140
5
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+120); Over


Calgary @ Colorado


Game 71-72
January 2, 2016 @ 10:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
11.039
Colorado
9.641
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-135
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(+115); Under


Detroit @ Buffalo


Game 51-52
January 2, 2016 @ 1:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
12.370
Buffalo
9.723
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 2 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
-135
5
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-135); Under


Winnipeg @ San Jose


Game 73-74
January 2, 2016 @ 10:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg
12.381
San Jose
11.212
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Winnipeg
by 1
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-135
5
Dunkel Pick:
Winnipeg
(+115); Over


Philadelphia @ Los Angeles


Game 53-54
January 2, 2016 @ 4:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
9.358
Los Angeles
12.673
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 3 1/2
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
-215
5
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-215); Over


Arizona @ Edmonton


Game 55-56
January 2, 2016 @ 4:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
9.543
Edmonton
11.080
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Edmonton
-135
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
(-135); Under


NY Islanders @ Pittsburgh


Game 57-58
January 2, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
NY Islanders
11.317
Pittsburgh
12.893
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-135
5
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-135); Over


NY Rangers @ Florida


Game 59-60
January 2, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
NY Rangers
11.484
Florida
10.000
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Rangers
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
NY Rangers
(+105); Under


Washington @ Columbus


Game 61-62
January 2, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Washington
10.808
Columbus
11.717
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Columbus
by 1
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-160
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Columbus
(+140); Over


St. Louis @ Toronto


Game 63-64
January 2, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
12.345
Toronto
9.370
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 3
4 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
N/A

 

[CNOTES]

NHL MONEYLINE


NHL > (57) NY ISLANDERS@ (58) PITTSBURGH | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH using money line in All games vs. division opponents
The record is 12 Wins and 30 Losses for the last two seasons (-30.9 units)


NHL > (57) NY ISLANDERS@ (58) PITTSBURGH | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH using money line in Home games vs. division opponents
The record is 7 Wins and 14 Losses for the last two seasons (-16.7 units)


NHL > (61) WASHINGTON@ (62) COLUMBUS | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in All games
The record is 27 Wins and 7 Losses for the this season (+17.1 units)


NHL > (55) ARIZONA@ (56) EDMONTON | 2016-01-02 16:05:00 - 2016-01-02 16:05:00
Play ON ARIZONA using money line in Road games vs. division opponents
The record is 4 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+7.8 units)

NHL > (63) ST LOUIS@ (64) TORONTO | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 9 Wins and 35 Losses for the last two seasons (-25 units)


NHL > (63) ST LOUIS@ (64) TORONTO | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in All games in January games
The record is 1 Wins and 12 Losses for the last two seasons (-12 units)


NHL > (59) NY RANGERS@ (60) FLORIDA | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play ON NY RANGERS using money line in Road games second half of the season
The record is 25 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (+17.65 units)


NHL > (61) WASHINGTON@ (62) COLUMBUS | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS using money line in All games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 21 Wins and 12 Losses for the last two seasons (+18.05 units)

NHL > (53) PHILADELPHIA@ (54) LOS ANGELES | 2016-01-02 16:05:00 - 2016-01-02 16:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA using money line in Road games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 7 Wins and 28 Losses for the last two seasons (-18.55 units)


NHL > (73) WINNIPEG@ (74) SAN JOSE | 2016-01-02 22:05:00 - 2016-01-02 22:05:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE using money line in All games in a home game where where the total is 5 or less
The record is 11 Wins and 20 Losses for the last two seasons (-20.1 units)


NHL > (73) WINNIPEG@ (74) SAN JOSE | 2016-01-02 22:05:00 - 2016-01-02 22:05:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 18 Wins and 22 Losses for the last three seasons (-29.3 units)


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


NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (57) NY ISLANDERS@ (58) PITTSBURGH | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH in All games vs. division opponents
The record is 12 Wins and 30 Losses for the last two seasons (-30.9 units)


NHL > (57) NY ISLANDERS@ (58) PITTSBURGH | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH in Home games vs. division opponents
The record is 7 Wins and 14 Losses for the last two seasons (-16.7 units)


NHL > (55) ARIZONA@ (56) EDMONTON | 2016-01-02 16:05:00 - 2016-01-02 16:05:00
Play ON ARIZONA in Road games vs. division opponents
The record is 4 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+7.8 units)


NHL > (63) ST LOUIS@ (64) TORONTO | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in All games second half of the season
The record is 9 Wins and 35 Losses for the last two seasons (-25 units)


NHL > (63) ST LOUIS@ (64) TORONTO | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in All games in January games
The record is 1 Wins and 12 Losses for the last two seasons (-12 units)


NHL > (59) NY RANGERS@ (60) FLORIDA | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play ON NY RANGERS in Road games second half of the season
The record is 25 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (+17.65 units)


NHL > (61) WASHINGTON@ (62) COLUMBUS | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS in All games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 21 Wins and 12 Losses for the last two seasons (+18.05 units)


NHL > (53) PHILADELPHIA@ (54) LOS ANGELES | 2016-01-02 16:05:00 - 2016-01-02 16:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA in Road games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 7 Wins and 28 Losses for the last two seasons (-18.55 units)


NHL > (73) WINNIPEG@ (74) SAN JOSE | 2016-01-02 22:05:00 - 2016-01-02 22:05:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE in All games in a home game where where the total is 5 or less
The record is 11 Wins and 20 Losses for the last two seasons (-20.1 units)


NHL > (73) WINNIPEG@ (74) SAN JOSE | 2016-01-02 22:05:00 - 2016-01-02 22:05:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 18 Wins and 22 Losses for the last three seasons (-29.3 units)


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


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (65) NASHVILLE@ (66) CAROLINA | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play UNDER CAROLINA on the totalin Home games after a division game
The record is 4 Overs and 19 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.6 units)


NHL > (73) WINNIPEG@ (74) SAN JOSE | 2016-01-02 22:05:00 - 2016-01-02 22:05:00
Play OVER SAN JOSE on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 18 Overs and 4 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.05 units)


NHL > (71) CALGARY@ (72) COLORADO | 2016-01-02 22:05:00 - 2016-01-02 22:05:00
Play UNDER CALGARY on the totalin All games in a road game where where the total is 5.5
The record is 10 Overs and 30 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.5 units)


NHL > (67) DALLAS@ (68) NEW JERSEY | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play UNDER NEW JERSEY on the totalin Home games in non-conference games
The record is 4 Overs and 16 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.1 units)


NHL > (63) ST LOUIS@ (64) TORONTO | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play OVER TORONTO on the totalin Home games on Saturday games
The record is 25 Overs and 8 Unders for the last three seasons (+16.9 units)


NHL > (57) NY ISLANDERS@ (58) PITTSBURGH | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play UNDER PITTSBURGH on the totalin All games on Saturday games
The record is 8 Overs and 23 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.4 units)


NHL > (69) MINNESOTA@ (70) TAMPA BAY | 2016-01-02 19:05:00 - 2016-01-02 19:05:00
Play UNDER MINNESOTA on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 12 Overs and 29 Unders for the last two seasons (+15.6 units)

 

[CNOTES]

SATURDAY, JANUARY 2


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




DET at BUF 01:00 PM


DET -126


O 5.0




PHI at LA 04:00 PM


PHI +182 BEST BET


U 5.0 BEST BET




ARI at EDM 04:00 PM


ARI +117 BEST BET


O 5.5 BEST BET

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Stars (27-8) at Islanders (18-13)
Date: January 03, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

The Dallas Stars own the most points in the NHL, thanks in large part to their success on the road. They're having a much tougher time there lately.


The Stars attempt to avoid their longest road losing streak in over a year Sunday night against the New York Islanders.


Dallas (28-8-4) is tied with Los Angeles and San Jose for the most road points in the league at 28. The Stars, though, have dropped three straight road games (0-1-2) and are 1-2-3 in their last six.


They salvaged a point Saturday, erasing a two-goal deficit in the third period before falling 3-2 in overtime at New Jersey in the opener of this three-game trip through the New York metropolitan area.


"You've got to find ways to win when you are down, find ways to get points," coach Lindy Ruff told the team's official website. "We found a point."


Dallas last dropped four games in a row away from home from Nov. 16-Dec. 4, 2014. The team has surrendered 14 goals while losing its last two road meetings with the Islanders, including a 7-5 defeat Oct. 25, 2014.


Jamie Benn failed score in that matchup, and he enters his first visit to Brooklyn looking to snap an eight-game goal drought on the road.


He's scored only six of his NHL-leading 24 goals in away venues. However, he's tallied 13 of his 28 assists outside Dallas.


Patrick Sharp is on the verge of matching his career-high nine-game point streak from Nov. 29-Dec. 18, 2011, when he was with Chicago. He's totaled five goals and six assists in his last eight games.


Sharp has nine points in his last seven meetings with the Islanders (21-13-5).


New York is in search of a bounce-back effort after surrendering the first five goals in Saturday's 5-2 loss at Pittsburgh. Re-establishing their superb play on the penalty kill could be just what the team needs.


The Islanders' penalty kill ranks third in the league with an 86.0-percent success rate. However, the unit has allowed three goals on eight occasions over the last two games after killing a franchise-record 42 straight penalties.


New York gave up two power-play goals and a short-handed tally against the Penguins.


"You're not going to win too many games when you give up two power-play goals and a short-handed goal," coach Jim Capuano told the team's official website. "At even strength shots were 39-33 for us. Special teams were the difference in the game and something we have to be better at."


The Islanders, 1 for 14 on the power play over the last six games, could also use some consistency from John Tavares. The captain's goal Saturday was his second in three games, matching his output over the previous 12.


Tavares has 10 points in eight career meetings with the Stars but none in the last two.


Frans Nielsen, though, got his only career hat trick in the last home matchup with Dallas.


The Islanders are expected to start Thomas Greiss in net for a fifth straight game while Jaroslav Halak nurses an upper-body injury.


Greiss has split the last four games with a 2.86 goals-against average, but he was pulled midway through the second period Saturday after allowing four goals on 26 shots. Christopher Gibson stopped 16 of 17 shots the rest of the way in his NHL debut.


Greiss has a 1.50 GAA while winning two career starts against Dallas.


"He's the hardest working guy that we have," coach Jack Capuano said. "He's going to be right back in for us."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Wild (20-10) at Panthers (17-12)
Date: January 03, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

After notching a couple more franchise firsts with their latest victory, the Florida Panthers look to record their most successful homestand ever.


The surprise Atlantic Division leaders close out a six-game residency seeking an unprecedented ninth straight win in Sunday's clash with the Minnesota Wild.


A perennial also-ran for most of their 22 seasons of existence, the Panthers (22-12-4) have risen into the NHL's upper tier behind a torrid 14-3-0 stretch. That includes a club-record eight consecutive victories following Saturday's 3-0 win over the New York Rangers that also established a new franchise best of six straight home wins.


The Panthers set the mark hours after announcing a contract extension for coach Gerard Gallant through 2018-19. The move came one day after the team extended general manager Dale Tallon's deal for three years.


'He has done an excellent job of creating a winning culture and developing our young players in his time with the Panthers,' Tallon said of Gallant. 'He is an ideal fit for our group and we look forward to having him lead our team as we work toward our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.'


Florida has reached the postseason only once in the previous 14 seasons and last won a playoff series in 1996. The franchise's previous best homestands of six games or more came in November 1995 - five wins and a tie - and a 6-0-1 span in March 2008.


"The last few games felt like playoff games, and that's the kind you want to play," goaltender Roberto Luongo said. "We want to keep on doing what we're doing."


Luongo has done his part during the unbeaten run, in which the Panthers have yielded a mere 10 goals. The veteran was at his best Saturday, recording a season-high 40 saves to break his own team record with his seventh consecutive win.


The 36-year-old has posted a 1.26 goals-against average and two shutouts during the streak.


Luongo hasn't started games on back-to-back days this season, though Al Montoya has been just as solid when his number's been called. The career backup owns a 5-1-1 record with a 1.79 GAA and .930 save percentage in eight starts and has allowed one goal in each of his last three - all wins.


Montoya also has yielded one goal in each of his four games against Minnesota and won them all. Luongo has lost his last four versus the Wild.


After halting a seven-game losing streak to the Rangers, Florida next faces another longtime nemesis. The Wild are 12-1-2 in the series' past 15 meetings and have won the last three in regulation.


Minnesota (20-10-7) also has received strong goaltending from Devan Dubnyk during a 2-0-1 stretch as he's permitted four goals on 93 shots. On the current four-game road trip, he followed a 33-save effort in Thursday's 3-1 win at St. Louis with 28 in Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss at Tampa Bay.


Jared Spurgeon helped the Wild earn a point by scoring the tying goal with 2:39 left in regulation. Minnesota also had a third-period power-play goal from Ryan Suter overturned when Zach Parise, back from a knee injury that sidelined him against St. Louis, was ruled to have interfered with Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.


"I think probably if we won the shootout, we might be feeling pretty good about ourselves, so we obviously have to find a way to make sure we're ready to start the game better (Sunday)," coach Mike Yeo said.


Dubnyk has registered a 1.46 GAA in winning all four career starts against Florida, including a 2-1 victory in the most recent matchup Feb. 12.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Senators (15-14) at Blackhawks (21-13)
Date: January 03, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Chicago Blackhawks have gotten back into a groove after going through a rare scoring slump, but they're still having trouble keeping the puck out of their own net.


That's good news for an Ottawa Senators team in the midst of a rough patch.


Chicago seeks its sixth victory in eight tries Sunday night by dealing Ottawa its first seven-game road losing streak in over six years.


The Blackhawks (22-13-4) fell 4-0 to Western Conference-leading Dallas on Dec. 22 and returned from the holiday break with a 2-1 home loss to Carolina last Sunday, scoring only a meaningless goal with less than three seconds remaining.


They were much better in back-to-back road victories, beating Arizona 7-5 on Tuesday and Colorado 4-3 on Thursday, with Jonathan Toews scoring in overtime on New Year's Eve.


Toews' goal came on the power play, improving Chicago to 5 for 10 with the man advantage in those wins. It went 1 for 11 on the power play over the previous six.


Patrick Kane also had a goal and two assists in each contest and leads the NHL with 56 points.


"I thought we played great," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We gave up some stuff, but I thought we did some good things and generated some dangerous opportunities. We were much better."


The problem is that the Blackhawks had trouble putting both games away. They led Arizona by four in the third period before the Coyotes made it interesting with three in the final 20 minutes, and the Avalanche rallied from a two-goal hole to send it to OT.


Corey Crawford was in net for all five goals Tuesday before Scott Darling looked shaky at times Thursday.


"They get back in the game and you don't have a comfortable feeling," Quenneville said.


Chicago was the team rallying in the first meeting with Ottawa on Dec. 3. Mike Hoffman and Bobby Ryan scored in the first period before Kane and rookie Artemi Panarin tied it in the second.


Hoffman scored in overtime to give the Senators (18-14-6) as 4-3 victory in that contest and also added an assist, while Erik Karlsson chipped in three assists.


Ottawa could use another solid offensive performance after it fell 3-0 to New Jersey on Wednesday for its first shutout since a 2-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Oct. 15. It outshot the Devils 28-11 over the final two periods.


"It's tough, but I thought we played a pretty decent game," said forward Mark Stone, who scored in the first meeting with Chicago. "We got a lot of pucks to the net, but we didn't get a lot of traffic to the net. Their goalie didn't have to make enough high-quality saves."


The Senators have dropped four of five overall and are 0-5-1 on the road since Dec. 10, getting outscored 22-9 in that stretch. They haven't lost seven straight on the road since Oct. 29-Dec. 5, 2009.


Ottawa has lost all six trips to United Center since last winning there March 28, 2001. The Senators likely will have former Blackhawk and Chicago-area native Craig Anderson in net as they look to end that drought.


Anderson stopped 77 of 79 shots in his previous two starts before giving up each goal in a 7-3 loss to Boston on Tuesday. He made 35 saves in the first meeting but has a 3.11 goals-against average in five career starts in his hometown.


Crawford made 23 stops in the first matchup and is 2-0-1 in his career against the Senators.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Jets (18-18) at Ducks (14-15)
Date: January 03, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

John Gibson's superb play has the Anaheim Ducks in good spirits for their longest homestand of the season.


They'll begin this important eight-game stretch Sunday night against one of the NHL's poorer road teams, the Winnipeg Jets, as Gibson vies for a third consecutive shutout.


Despite winning three of four and earning a point in five straight, Anaheim (15-15-7) still returns home 13th in the Western Conference with 37 points. The Ducks have an opportunity to gain ground with five conference foes set to visit the Honda Center, where they're 9-5-4 this season and 3-1-0 in their last four.


"We can make a big step here by winning a lot of games at home," coach Bruce Boudreau said.


The defending Pacific Division champions come back optimistic after going 2-0-1 on a road trip in which they yielded only three goals. Gibson set the tone by making 14 saves in Tuesday's 1-0 win at Calgary and followed with 21 in another 1-0 victory over Edmonton on Thursday.


Since being promoted from the AHL on Nov. 24, Gibson has recorded a league-best 1.68 goals-against average and four shutouts in 14 appearances. He's expected to play after Frederik Andersen worked Friday's 2-1 shootout loss at Vancouver.


The Ducks have needed Gibson to be great, they scored just three goals on their trip and have netted a league-low 68 overall.


"Hopefully we can score some more goals and give our goalies some help. They've been playing great," forward Andrew Cogliano said.


The Ducks' slumping offense took another hit when Cam Fowler injured his knee last Sunday against Philadelphia. The defenseman and power-play quarterback will miss at least three additional weeks with a Grade 2 sprain.


Scoring wasn't an issue in Anaheim's matchups with Winnipeg (18-18-2) last season. The Ducks amassed 12 goals in winning all three regular-season meetings and 16 in sweeping the Jets in the West quarterfinals. They've won eight straight against Winnipeg including the playoffs.


Ryan Kesler had three goals and two assists in the playoff series, but the one-time 41-goal scorer posted only his fifth in 37 games this season in Friday's defeat.


The Jets enter on a high note after Saturday's 4-1 win in San Jose ended a six-game road skid. They opened this season-high five-game trek with Thursday's 4-2 loss to Arizona after winning two straight at home.


Drew Stafford had a short-handed goal and Mathieu Perreault scored on the power play to back Connor Hellebuyck's 27 saves and boost a special teams unit that's been among the league's worst. Winnipeg ranks 29th on the power play at 14.4 percent and is 1 for 21 over its last seven on the road, where its dropped 11 of 13 and is 7-13-1 overall.


The Jets have surrendered a power-play goal in eight of 10 games, killing just 71.8 percent of short-handed situations over that span. They were 4 for 5 against the Sharks.


"We talked a lot about discipline and we did a better job of staying out of the box and getting the kills when we needed," Perreault said.


Hellebuyck has started 11 of the last 13 games, meaning the struggling Michael Hutchinson could get the nod Sunday. Hutchinson has posted a 3.79 GAA in losing seven consecutive starts, allowing at least three goals in six.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL MONEYLINE


NHL > (7) WINNIPEG@ (8) ANAHEIM | 2016-01-03 21:05:00 - 2016-01-03 21:05:00
Play AGAINST ANAHEIM using money line in Home games after a division game
The record is 1 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (-12.05 units)


NHL > (7) WINNIPEG@ (8) ANAHEIM | 2016-01-03 21:05:00 - 2016-01-03 21:05:00
Play AGAINST ANAHEIM using money line in All games after a division game
The record is 2 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (-13.4 units)


NHL > (1) DALLAS@ (2) NY ISLANDERS | 2016-01-03 17:05:00 - 2016-01-03 17:05:00
Play ON DALLAS using money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season
The record is 12 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+10.8 units)


NHL > (1) DALLAS@ (2) NY ISLANDERS | 2016-01-03 17:05:00 - 2016-01-03 17:05:00
Play ON DALLAS using money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 12 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+10.8 units)


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


NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (7) WINNIPEG@ (8) ANAHEIM | 2016-01-03 21:05:00 - 2016-01-03 21:05:00
Play AGAINST ANAHEIM in Home games after a division game
The record is 1 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (-12.05 units)


NHL > (7) WINNIPEG@ (8) ANAHEIM | 2016-01-03 21:05:00 - 2016-01-03 21:05:00
Play AGAINST ANAHEIM in All games after a division game
The record is 2 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (-13.4 units)


NHL > (1) DALLAS@ (2) NY ISLANDERS | 2016-01-03 17:05:00 - 2016-01-03 17:05:00
Play ON DALLAS in All games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season
The record is 12 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+10.8 units)


NHL > (1) DALLAS@ (2) NY ISLANDERS | 2016-01-03 17:05:00 - 2016-01-03 17:05:00
Play ON DALLAS in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 12 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+10.8 units)


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


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (5) OTTAWA@ (6) CHICAGO | 2016-01-03 19:05:00 - 2016-01-03 19:05:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin All games in non-conference games
The record is 10 Overs and 31 Unders for the last two seasons (+21 units)


NHL > (5) OTTAWA@ (6) CHICAGO | 2016-01-03 19:05:00 - 2016-01-03 19:05:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 1 Overs and 10 Unders for the this season (+9 units)

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel


Sunday, January 3




Dallas @ NY Islanders


Game 1-2
January 3, 2016 @ 5:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
11.043
NY Islanders
12.520
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Islanders
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Islanders
-115
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Islanders
(-115); Under


Minnesota @ Florida


Game 3-4
January 3, 2016 @ 6:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
9.655
Florida
11.884
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Florida
by 2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Florida
N/A


Ottawa @ Chicago


Game 5-6
January 3, 2016 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Ottawa
11.520
Chicago
13.118
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 1 1/2
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
-185
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(-185); Over


Winnipeg @ Anaheim


Game 7-8
January 3, 2016 @ 9:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg
12.381
Anaheim
11.297
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Winnipeg
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-165
5
Dunkel Pick:
Winnipeg
(+145); Under








NHL
Long Sheet


Sunday, January 3


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


DALLAS (28-8-0-4, 60 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (21-13-0-5, 47 pts.) - 1/3/2016, 5:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY ISLANDERS are 11-2 ATS (+8.9 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 22-12 ATS (+35.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 28-12 ATS (+10.5 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 34-20 ATS (+56.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 8-2 ATS (+5.9 Units) in road games after a non-conference game this season.
DALLAS is 19-9 ATS (+28.1 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 12-2 ATS (+9.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DALLAS is 12-2 ATS (+9.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 36-42 ATS (-11.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 3-1 (+1.7 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 3-1-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.7 Units)


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


MINNESOTA (20-10-0-7, 47 pts.) at FLORIDA (22-12-0-4, 48 pts.) - 1/3/2016, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-1 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 3-1-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.2 Units)


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


OTTAWA (18-14-0-6, 42 pts.) at CHICAGO (22-13-0-4, 48 pts.) - 1/3/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 7-17 ATS (-11.6 Units) on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 38-12 ATS (+15.4 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 24-16 ATS (+40.9 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 16-9 ATS (+25.6 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 16-8 ATS (+25.6 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 11-16 ATS (-19.1 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 301-316 ATS (-75.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 162-162 ATS (-71.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.


Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 3-2 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO 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=+3.2 Units)


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


WINNIPEG (18-18-0-2, 38 pts.) at ANAHEIM (15-15-0-7, 37 pts.) - 1/3/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 24-8 ATS (+12.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 459-384 ATS (+72.9 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 29-8 ATS (+17.3 Units) on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 15-22 ATS (-14.1 Units) in all games this season.
ANAHEIM is 2-10 ATS (-11.1 Units) after a division game this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 9-1 (+7.5 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 9-1-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.6 Units)


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







NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up


Sunday, January 3


Hot teams
-- Florida won its last eight games, allowing 10 goals. Minnesota won three of its last five games.
-- Chicago won five of its last seven games.
-- Winnipeg, Anaheim both won three of their last four games.


Cold teams
-- Dallas Stars lost their last three road games. Islanders are 3-5 in their last eight games.
-- Seantors lost four of their last five games.


Series records
-- Islanders won three of last four games with Dallas.
-- Minnesota won five of last six games with Florida.
-- Chicago won five of last seven games with Ottawa.
-- Ducks won their last eight games with Winnipeg.


Totals
-- Seven of last nine Dallas-Islander games went over the total.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five Minnesota games.
-- Four of last five Chicago-Ottawa games went over.
-- Six of last eight Anaheim-Winnipeg games went over.


Back-to-backs
-- Dallas Stars are 4-2 if they played the night before (teams are 3-6 the night after playing the Devils). Islanders are 4-3 (post-Penguins 3-2).
-- Minnesota is 2-4 if it played night before (post-Tampa Bay 2-4). Florida is 3-1 on road if they played night before (post-NYR 1-4).
-- Winnipeg is 2-6 if it played the night before (post-San Jose 1-2)








NHL


Sunday, January 3


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


5:00 PM
DALLAS vs. NY ISLANDERS
Dallas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Islanders last 6 games at home
NY Islanders are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Dallas


6:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. FLORIDA
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Florida
Minnesota is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 5 games at home


7:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. CHICAGO
Ottawa is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Ottawa's last 10 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chicago's last 10 games when playing at home against Ottawa


9:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. ANAHEIM
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 7 games when playing on the road against Anaheim
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Anaheim
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Anaheim's last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Anaheim's last 7 games when playing at home against Winnipeg

 

[CNOTES]

SUNDAY, JANUARY 3


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




DAL at NYI 05:00 PM


NYI -105 BEST BET


U 5.5




MIN at FLA 06:00 PM


FLA -130 BEST BET


U 5.0




OTT at CHI 07:00 PM


CHI -197


O 5.5




WIN at ANA 09:00 PM


ANA -170 BEST BET


O 5.0

 

[CNOTES]

NHL Capsules
January 4, 2016


SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Jaromir Jagr scored two goals, including the game-winner in the third period, and Al Montoya made 38 saves as the streaking Florida Panthers beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Sunday.


The victory was the ninth in a row for Florida and seventh straight at home, both franchise records. The nine-game winning streak ties Montreal, Washington and the New York Rangers for the longest in the NHL this season.


Dmitry Kulikov had two assists for the Panthers (23-12-4).


The 43-year-old Jagr has 735 goals, six behind Brett Hull for third on the league's career list.


Jason Zucker scored for the Wild.

BLACKHAWKS 3, SENATORS 0


CHICAGO (AP) - Corey Crawford made 26 saves in his NHL-leading sixth shutout this season to lead Chicago past Ottawa for its third straight win.


Duncan Keith and Artem Anisimov scored for the Blackhawks, who got an empty-net goal from Andrew Desjardins with 48 seconds left.


Crawford wasn't tested consistently, but he was sharp when needed in earning his 18th career shutout in his 300th game.


Ottawa's Craig Anderson stopped 27 shots, but the Senators lost their third straight and fifth in their last six.


ISLANDERS 6, STARS 5


NEW YORK (AP) - Kyle Okposo had two goals and an assist, Cal Clutterbuck scored twice and New York beat the NHL-best Dallas Stars.


Anders Lee had a goal and an assist, and Mikhail Grabovski also scored to help the Islanders win for the fourth time in six games and improve to 4-0-1 in their last five against the Stars. Thomas Greiss finished with 36 saves.


New York trailed 2-1 in the first period before scoring the next four goals and then held off Dallas in the third to improve to 12-4-1 against Western Conference teams.


Valeri Nichushkin had two goals for Dallas. Vernon Fiddler, Patrick Sharp and Jason Spezza also scored, and Kari Lehtonen stopped 38 shots.


The Stars, coming off an overtime defeat at New Jersey the previous night, lost consecutive games for the first time this season. Dallas was the last remaining NHL team without back-to-back losses.


DUCKS 4, JETS 1


ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Kevin Bieksa and Ryan Kesler each scored a power-play goal, and Anaheim earned at least one point for the sixth consecutive game by defeating Winnipeg.


Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry also scored, and John Gibson made 19 saves for the Ducks as they opened an eight-game homestand vital to their playoff hopes in the jumbled Pacific Division.


Tyler Myers scored for the Jets, and Michael Hutchinson stopped 31 shots.


After sweeping the Jets in the first round of last year's Stanley Cup playoffs, the Ducks won the first meeting this season.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hurricanes (16-17) at Oilers (13-21)
Date: January 04, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

While the Edmonton Oilers are at the bottom of the Western Conference, they're feeling good about starting the new year in a positive fashion.


In the midst of one of their longest homestands of the season, the Oilers look to continue their success in Edmonton on Monday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.


Edmonton (16-21-3) has missed the playoffs for nine straight seasons since losing the Stanley Cup Final to Carolina in 2006.


The Oilers, though, have shown promise with an 11-7-1 home record - four wins shy of their total from all of last season.


Their success at Rexall Place includes a season-high seven-game winning streak before returning from the Christmas break to begin a six-game homestand with losses to Pacific Division rivals Los Angeles and Anaheim.


Edmonton, though, bounced back against another division foe Saturday, winning 4-3 in a shootout over Arizona.


"After Christmas, we didn't take advantage of the games against teams in our division," said center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who scored the decisive shootout attempt. "It was great to see us stick with it after getting down by a goal in the third. We really wanted to come back and get that one and played with some desperation."


Taylor Hall has done much of his damage at home. The left wing leads the team with 16 goals and 41 points, getting 11 and 28 as host after finding the net against the Coyotes.


He has one goal and two assists in two home meetings with the Hurricanes (16-17-6).


Jordan Eberle's success against Carolina isn't limited to any venue as he's collected four goals and five assists in his last six matchups. However, Eberle and Hall were pointless in a 4-1 loss at Carolina on Nov. 25.


Eberle, however, scored twice and assisted on Nugent-Hopkins' tally in a 6-3 home win over the Hurricanes in October 2014.


Carolina, 3-1-1 in its last five games, is coming off Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to Nashville. The Hurricanes owned a 13-4 shot advantage after the second period but never found the net.


"I feel like we played good enough to win, but we got an unlucky bounce on their goal," goaltender Eddie Lack told the team's official website after being beaten on the first shot he faced in OT following 19 saves.


Lack is likely to return to the bench in favor of Cam Ward, the 2006 Conn Smythe winner and one of two remaining Hurricanes (Eric Staal) from that Cup-winning team.


Ward is 1-4-0 with a 3.64 goals-against average in his last six road games, getting pulled twice. He has a 2.78 GAA while winning four of his last five meetings with the Oilers, making 30 saves Nov. 25.


Justin Faulk had two assists in that matchup, giving him six in as many career games against Edmonton.


The defenseman leads the Hurricanes with 30 points, but has none and is a minus-4 over the last three games.


Victor Rask, who is second to Faulk with 26 points, has two goals and one assist over the past four games. His goal Saturday was his 11th, matching his total from all of last season as a rookie.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Red Wings (18-13) at Devils (18-14)
Date: January 04, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New Jersey Devils are fresh off a victory over the NHL's top team and looking for their longest win streak against the Detroit Red Wings since the 1995 Stanley Cup Final.


The Devils try to continue their climb in the standings and sweep the three-game season series from the visiting Red Wings on Monday night.


New Jersey (20-14-5) posted its first three-game winning streak in more than two months with a 3-2 overtime victory over Dallas on Saturday.


After the Devils blew a 2-0 lead by allowing two goals in the last 10 minutes of the third period, John Moore scored the winner on a power play 1:47 into overtime.


The Devils took over the wild card lead in the Eastern Conference and improved to 4-1-0 in their past five games, reaching the 20-win plateau 12 games quicker than last year.


"It was a huge test for us," Moore said. "They're a very talented team. We have to build off this. We have to find ways to keep climbing in the standings and gain momentum."


Kyle Palmieri has led New Jersey with four goals and one assist over the past five. The Devils have scored at least three goals in each of their past four wins.


"I think when we play a strong game and play well together as a team and we have a complete team effort, we have a chance to win every game," Devils coach John Hynes said.


The Red Wings (19-13-7) started a six-game road trip with a 4-3 win over Buffalo on Saturday. Henrik Zetterberg scored for the first time in the last seven contests and Petr Mrazek made 32 saves as Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak.


Mrazek had at least 10 saves in each period, including a stop of Zach Bogosian on a breakaway late in the third.


"He saved us tonight," Zetterberg said. "There were some key moments and some big saves, and it makes it easier for us to play defense."


Detroit coach Jeff Blashill shuffled his lines before the Dallas game and said he expects to use the same combinations against New Jersey.


"Those lines will work well as long as the individuals on the lines play well," he said. "The one thing we have to do is play your best every night to have a chance to win."


The Devils beat the Red Wings twice last month. Their 4-3 victory on Dec. 22 marked just their second win in their last 14 trips to Joe Louis Arena. They won 3-2 in overtime in New Jersey 11 days earlier.


Those victories followed a dominant stretch by the Red Wings in which they won 11 of the previous 14 meetings.


The Devils haven't won three in a row over Detroit since their four-game sweep to capture the Stanley Cup in 1995.


New Jersey was without points leader Mike Cammalleri against the Stars. The forward, who has 14 goals and 21 assists in 38 games, is day to day with an upper-body injury.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Kings (23-11) at Avalanche (18-18)
Date: January 04, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Los Angeles' winning streak has featured a stingy defensive-zone presence, and Colorado's latest struggles have about canceled out its similar form from just over two weeks ago.


Recent history in the series points toward those trends continuing Monday night as the Kings visit the Avalanche seeking their third winning streak of at least six games this season.


The Kings (25-11-2) scored 18 goals in the first four games of the latest streak before Saturday's 2-1 home win over Philadelphia. They've limited opponents to seven goals on the five-game run.


"When you come to the rink on a winning streak, everything's just so much more fun," Drew Doughty said. 'We want to continue feeling that way. We don't like coming to the rink unhappy.


"We're playing with a lot of confidence right now, and it's just gone through the whole team. Every single guy is playing that way, and that makes our team a lot better."


Doughty gave Los Angeles a 2-0 lead late in the first period on the power play, which has been a key part of the streak, going 6 of 15 with at least one goal in each win.


Dwight King opened the scoring and has two goals in three games back from a broken foot that sidelined him for the team's first 35 games.


"I don't think anybody planned this kind of outcome, but I'll take them and hopefully just keep going," King said.


The Avalanche (18-18-3) haven't slowed many players down lately, allowing 20 goals over a 1-2-2 span following a five-game winning streak during which they gave up five goals. They also came up short offensively in Saturday's 4-0 home loss to Calgary.


They're on a 0-2-2 skid at home to fall to 6-9-3 for the season. With the Kings followed in by St. Louis and Nashville to conclude a five-game homestand, that skid could grow. Los Angeles is seeking its first five-game road winning streak since winning eight straight from Feb. 26-March 27, 2014. Colorado's last five-game home skid was part of an eight gamer from Jan. 26-March 11, 2011.


"We had a great crowd supporting us (that) paid good money to see us play, and we didn't have a good game at all," Erik Johnson told the team's official website. "It's something we have to put behind us, learn from and next game be ready to go."


It was Jarome Iginla's third try at becoming the 19th player in NHL history to score 600 goals. He said he hopes the looming milestone isn't a distraction to his teammates as they work through a difficult time.


"We talk about it," said Iginla, who has one goal in his last 20 games against the Kings. "It's not to look for me. I want us to play normal, if anything use me as a decoy. There's a lot of time to get that."


Jonathan Quick could make it even more difficult. He's seeking his third six-game winning streak of the season and has a 1.40 goals-against average and .954 save percentage in the last five. Quick has won his last six games versus Colorado with a .947 save percentage.


Likely counterpart Semyon Varlamov is headed the other direction, posting a 4.37 GAA and .856 save percentage over an 0-2-2 span.


The Kings won 2-1 at home over the Avalanche on Oct. 18 to get to 8-0-1 with 15 goals allowed in the series since last losing to Colorado on Jan. 22, 2013. Marian Gaborik has scored in his last three games against the Avalanche.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Coyotes (18-16) at Canucks (12-15)
Date: January 04, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Despite their issues on the road, the Arizona Coyotes are second in the Pacific thanks to their success within the division.


Their only regulation loss to a Pacific opponent, however, came to the Vancouver Canucks.


Seeking a third road win in almost eight weeks, the Coyotes look to avoid a fourth straight loss to the Canucks on Monday night.


After finishing at the bottom of the Western Conference last season, there were few expectations foisted on Arizona heading into 2015-16. So far, the Coyotes (18-16-4) are among the league's biggest surprises as they sit one point ahead of Vancouver (15-15-9) in the division race.


Arizona's position in the Pacific comes despite a 2-8-1 record on the road since a win at Los Angeles on Nov. 10. That's also part of the Coyotes' 7-1-2 record within the division.


They gained another point in such a matchup Saturday, opening a three-game trip through Western Canada with a 4-3 shootout loss to Edmonton.


Anthony Duclair is looking to improve upon his first goal in 10 road games after scoring six in his first 10. The 20-year-old left wing's 11 goals rank third on the team, but coach Dave Tippett is looking for more consistency.


"He's a good young player. He's got a great attitude," Tippett said. "He's worked very hard but there's a lot to learn.


"One of the biggest thing that young players have to learn is the fact that the expectations of consistency every night."


Max Domi assisted on Duclair's goal against the Oilers and his 28 points rank second among rookies.


Like Duclair, Domi is struggling for consistency as he's failed to score in 12 straight games.


He found the net at home against Vancouver on Oct. 30, but the Coyotes' comeback from a three-goal, first-period deficit fell short in a 4-3 defeat.


Arizona has lost three straight to the Canucks and is 1-2-2 in the last five visits to Vancouver.


The Canucks have won four of their last five at home after beating Anaheim 2-1 in a shootout on New Year's Day.


"We were playing a little bit more defensive," coach Willie Desjardins said. "I like playing offensive. I don't like sitting back as much as that. I'd rather get more aggressive, but we've gotten points out of games that we haven't in the past, so it's good."


Jacob Markstrom is coming through in a big way. He's 3-1-0 with a 1.93 goals-against average in four games since starter Ryan Miller went down with a groin injury.


Markstrom should be back in net after making 27 saves and turning aside all three shootout attempts Friday. He stopped 26 shots in a 3-1 win at Arizona on March 22 - his only meeting with the Coyotes.


Daniel Sedin has three goals and four assists in his last five games with Arizona, scoring a power-play tally Oct. 30. He has 15 points in 17 home games but none in the past two.


The Canucks will see a familiar face on the opposing bench as Brad Richardson plays his first game in Vancouver since signing with the Coyotes as a free agent over the summer.


Richardson, who spent the last two seasons with the Canucks, has 15 points after getting two Saturday.


"It's just another game," Richardson told the team's official website. "It's nice to play against former teams and hopefully play well, but I'm just looking at it as another game and playing my best."

 

[CNOTES]

NHL MONEYLINE


NHL > (57) LOS ANGELES@ (58) COLORADO | 2016-01-04 21:05:00 - 2016-01-04 21:05:00
Play ON COLORADO using money line in All games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 20 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (+14.8 units)


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


NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (57) LOS ANGELES@ (58) COLORADO | 2016-01-04 21:05:00 - 2016-01-04 21:05:00
Play ON COLORADO in All games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 20 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (+14.8 units)


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


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (51) DETROIT@ (52) NEW JERSEY | 2016-01-04 19:05:00 - 2016-01-04 19:05:00
Play UNDER NEW JERSEY on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 10 Overs and 28 Unders for the last three seasons (+16.55 units)

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack


Westgate Super Contest (1,727 entrants-- prize pool is $2.5M)


Most popular picks in Week 17 season record: 52-50-2


6) Buccaneers, +10.5 (254)-- Will Carolina rest its starters? L


5) Steelers -10.5 (317)-- Steelers need win and Jets to lose in Buffalo. W


T3) Jets, -3 ((327)-- Lot of opinions both ways in this critical game. L


T3) Giants, -3 (327)-- One coach is already fired; other one will be Monday L


2) Packers -3 (392)-- Winner gets home field in playoff game next week. L


1) Bills +3 (403)-- Rex Ryan can knock his old team out of the playoffs. W
**********


Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Sunday.....


13) Vikings 20, Packers 13-- Second abominable week in row for Green Bay, which now goes to Washington next week, while Seahawks visit Minnesota. If my team had Aaron Rodgers, I'd sure as hell find him some receivers who can get open.


12) Bills 22, Jets 17-- Jets had ball in red zone down 19-17 with just over 4:00 left; you figure they at worst get go-ahead FG, but Fitzpatrick threw INT in end zone and their season comes to an unfortunate end. Jets were +18 in turnovers in their ten wins, -15 in their six losses. Sometimes its that simple.


11) Steelers 28, Browns 12-- Cleveland fired its GM before the game, the coach after the game. Next year they'll have their sixth HC in nine years. Pittsburgh has had three head coaches since 1969. Hire a coach, then give some freakin' time. Oy.


10) Eagles 35, Giants 30-- Tom Coughlin will be in the Hall of Fame; he obviously doesn't want to retire, but Giants have had three straight losing seasons and only one playoff spot in last seven- that gets you fired.


But when you've won two Super Bowls you get to "resign" or "mutually agree to part ways". Has to be very awkward for the Giants' front office-- "....nothing ends well or else it wouldn't end". That line from the bartender in the Tom Cruise movie, Cocktail, whose name, coincidentally, was Doug Coughlin.


9) Colts 30, Titans 24-- Tennessee clinches first pick in draft; you know they're not taking a QB-- maybe they'll deal the pick for multiple selections. Cleveland will pick #2 and Dallas #3- those two teams will have very interesting offseasons.


8) Seahawks 36, Cardinals 6-- Seattle goes on road in playoffs next week but they are a team no one wants to play. Arizona gets the #2 seed and has next week off- they will want the #3 seed to win next week so they don't have to play Seahawks again.


7) Broncos 27, Chargers 20-- Peyton Manning came out of the bullpen with Broncos down 13-7 in third quarter, promptly led go-ahead TD drive, and has his starting job back. This winter, what will Denver do with Osweiler? Manning will be retired and the Broncos are going to need a franchise QB.


6) Texans 30, Jaguars 6-- Houston recovers from its 2-5 start to win the AFC South; when I watched Hard Knocks last summer, wasn't impressed with Bill O'Brien at all- thought he butchered the QB situation, and Texans did wind up starting five different QBs this season, but now they're in the playoffs, thanks to Andrew Luck being hurt and the division being a bad division.


5) Dolphins 20, Patriots 10-- New England is 2-4 in its last six games after their 10-0 start; Patriots had only 12 first downs, 196 TY. Hard to tell if they're playing possum or if they have real issues, but they'll have next week off to work on them.


4) Redskins 34, Cowboys 23-- Dallas went 1-7 at home this year; they'll have the #3 pick in April's draft. Tony Romo will turn 36 right around the time the draft happens; might be a good time to pick a franchise quarterback.


3) Lions 24, Bears 20-- Detroit won six of its last eight games and one of the losses was the Green Bay Hail Mary in that Thursday night game- the question is now, will they fire Jim Caldwell after almost everyone else got fired during the season?


2) Chiefs 23, Raiders 17-- KC started season 1-5, so just making playoffs is big deal; they head to Houston to face a team they're better than. Chiefs won 27-20 in season opener at Houston, then didn't win again for six weeks.


1) Panthers 38, Buccaneers 10-- Carolina is highly underrated; they're heading into playoffs at 15-1 and the #1 seed in the NFC. Last two Super Bowls were #1-seed vs #1-seed; in 20 years before that, it only happened once.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel

Monday, January 4


Detroit @ New Jersey

Game 51-52
January 4, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
12,893
New Jersey
10.694
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Jersey
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+105); Under

Ottawa @ St. Louis

Game 53-54
January 4, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ottawa
11.291
St. Louis
12.749
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-200
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-200); Over

Carolina @ Edmonton

Game 55-56
January 4, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Carolina
9.666
Edmonton
12,371
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 2 1/2
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Edmonton
-130
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
(-130); Over

Los Angeles @ Colorado

Game 57-58
January 4, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
12.673
Colorado
11.209
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
-140
5
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-140); Under

Arizona @ Vancouver

Game 59-60
January 4, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
10.210
Vancouver
9.076
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Vancouver
-160
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+140); Under




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, January 4

Hot teams
-- Devils won four of their last five games.
-- Carolina is 4-3 in its last seven games.
-- Los Angeles won its last five games, allowing seven goals.
-- Vancouver won three of its last four games.

Cold teams
-- Detroit lost seven of its last ten games.
-- Ottawa lost five of its last six games. Blues lost three of their last four.
-- Edmonton lost seven of its last nine games.
-- Avalanche lost four of their last five games.
-- Arizona is 4-5 in its last nine games.

Series records
-- Red Wings won four of last six games with New Jersey.
-- Senators won three of last four games with St Louis
-- Hurricanes lost three of last four visits to Edmonton.
-- Kings won their last six games with Colorado.
-- Canucks won four of last five games with Arizona.

Totals
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Detroit-New Jersey games.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six St Louis games.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Carolina-Edmonton games.
-- Four of last six Colorado games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Arizona-Vancouver games stayed under.

Back-to-backs
-- Ottawa is 1-4 if it played the night before; teams are 1-4 night after playing Chicago.




NHL

Monday, January 4

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

7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. NEW JERSEY
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
New Jersey11-4-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Detroit

8:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. ST. LOUIS
Ottawa is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ottawa's last 7 games on the road
St. Louis is 3-8-1 SU in its last 12 games ,when playing Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games

9:00 PM
CAROLINA vs. EDMONTON
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Carolina's last 8 games when playing Edmonton
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing at home against Carolina
Edmonton is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home

9:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. COLORADO
Los Angeles is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Los Angeles is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Colorado's last 18 games at home

10:00 PM
ARIZONA vs. VANCOUVER
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games
Arizona is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games
Vancouver is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vancouver's last 6 games at home