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

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, January 13


Boston @ Philadelphia

Game 3-4
January 13, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
12.586
Philadelphia
10.908
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-115
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-115); Under

Florida @ Calgary

Game 5-6
January 13, 2016 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Florida
10.499
Calgary
11.803
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Florida
-120
5
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(+100); Over

Ottawa @ Anaheim

Game 7-8
January 13, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Ottawa
11.759
Anaheim
10.922
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ottawa
by 1
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-150
5
Dunkel Pick:
Ottawa
(+130); Under

Columbus @ Toronto

Game 1-2
January 13, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Columbus
9.586
Toronto
11.499
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-165
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-165); Over

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Short Sheet

Wednesday, January 13

Columbus at Toronto, 7:05 PM ET
Columbus: 24-17 SU revenging a loss where opponent scored 4 or more goals
Toronto: 13-32 SU off a road loss

Boston at Philadelphia, 8:05 PM ET
Boston: 6-14 SU revenging a loss versus opponent
Philadelphia: 9-2 SU in home games in January

Florida at Calgary, 9:35 PM ET
Florida: 15-6 SU after playing a road game
Calgary: 0-8 SU revenging a close loss vs opponent of 1 goal or less

Ottawa at Anaheim, 10:05 PM ET
Ottawa: 25-17 SU in non-conference games
Anaheim: 17-24 SU in all games

 

[CNOTES]

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




CLB at TOR 07:00 PM


CLB +140 BEST BET


O 5.5




BOS at PHI 08:00 PM


BOS -114


U 5.5




FLA at CAL 09:30 PM


FLA -109


U 5.0




OTT at ANA 10:00 PM


OTT +147 BEST BET


U 5.0

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rangers (22-14) at Islanders (20-15)
Date: January 14, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

First place in the Metropolitan Division looks like a pipe dream for the New York Rangers and New York Islanders at the moment.


That shouldn't lessen the intensity of the archrivals fighting it out for second place.


The teams meet Thursday night for the second time this season, again in Brooklyn, with matching point totals as they jockey for position in the playoff race.


The Rangers (23-14-5) have shown signs of coming out of their prolonged funk of late, going 2-0-1 in the last three after a 5-11-2 stretch. Rebounding from a heartbreaking overtime loss to division-leading Washington, they rallied for a 2-1 home victory over Boston on Monday.


Jesper Fast scored on a deflection in front with 1:42 to play after Derick Brassard had tied the game in the first minute of the third period, and Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves.


'The way we came back today, we played a really solid game and turned it up in the third, which is really a good sign that we have that determination and won't give up,' Lundqvist said.


It was the first time the Rangers overcame a deficit at the start of the third period and won in regulation. They were 0-11-2 coming in.


'The last four or five games we've started playing like ourselves,' said Brassard, who has two goals and an assist in his last three games. 'Even if we are down in the score, we see those signs that we can come back. It shows a lot of character. The difference in the third period tonight was our will, and we found a way to win the game.'


They weren't able to do so in their first game at Barclays Center on Dec. 2, coming out on the wrong end of an intense and tightly played 2-1 shootout loss. Viktor Stalberg answered John Tavares' power-play goal in the second period, but Kyle Okposo's goal in the first round was the only one of the tiebreaker.


The Islanders (23-15-5) pulled even with the Rangers going into this matchup with a 5-2 home victory over Columbus on Tuesday, avoiding a third straight loss. Brock Nelson had three goals and an assist and Thomas Greiss made 18 saves for the Islanders, 5-7-0 in their last 12.


The Islanders are 19-2-0 when they score at least three goals, including shootouts, and 16-3-2 when they score first.


'We came out flying and put them on their heels,' said center Ryan Strome, who ended a 16-game goal drought. 'It's always a hard game against Columbus. We have to come out against the Rangers the same way.'


The Islanders have been inconsistent at home of late, alternating losses and wins in the last six games. They've totaled 20 goals in their past four victories at Barclays while scoring one in each of the last three defeats.


'We'll enjoy this one tonight. I'm sure everyone will be ready for the Rangers,' forward Cal Clutterbuck said.


Catching the Capitals, who are a staggering 16 points up on both teams, looks unlikely at this point. Though still barely halfway through the season, the Rangers and Islanders appear set up for a season-long battle for the second and third automatic playoff spots and home-ice advantage for a potential first-round matchup.


"The Islanders just came off a big win. They're one of the best four-line teams in the league, and they're a big challenge for us and we're gonna have to be ready for them," coach Alain Vigneault said.


Lundqvist, who will start Thursday, has lost four straight starts against the Islanders with a 3.73 goals-against average.


Jaroslav Halak, expected back in goal for the Islanders, has given up two or fewer goals in four of his last five matchups with the Rangers.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Canucks (14-16) at Capitals (30-7)
Date: January 14, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Less than a week after Alex Ovechkin joined the 500-goal club, Daniel Sedin could make some history of his own against him.


Looking for an 11th consecutive home victory, Ovechkin and the league-leading Washington Capitals try to prevent Sedin from becoming the Vancouver Canucks' all-time leading goal scorer Thursday night.


The Capitals have been idle since Sunday, when Ovechkin scored twice in a 7-1 rout of Ottawa to become the 43rd player to reach 500. He's scored five of his NHL-leading 26 goals in the last three games for Washington (32-7-3), which has won four in a row and outscored opponents 56-28 during a 13-1-1 stretch.


'I think when one person has success, it reflects on everybody,' coach Barry Trotz said. "It was a moment that was great for the team to share.'


In the midst of their longest home winning streak since a club-record 13-game run Jan. 5-March 6, 2010, the Capitals scored a season-high seven goals for the fourth time Sunday.


"We have a really good mentality," said forward Nicklas Backstrom, who has three goals and six assists during a six-game point streak. "We work hard every night. We try not to take nights off."


One of Ovechkin's 501 goals was the difference in a 3-2 victory at Vancouver (17-16-10) on Oct. 22. Sedin had an assist and has six along with five goals during a six-game point streak against Washington.


Sedin scored two of his team-leading 19 goals Monday, including one in overtime of a 3-2 victory over Florida to tie Markus Naslund's franchise record of 346.


"(Naslund) was an idol growing up," Sedin told the NHL's official website about his fellow Swede. "He meant so much to (me and twin brother Henrik) coming into this league.


"He's a better goal-scorer than me, no question about that. It's more about how many games I played. He will always be the No. 1 in the goal department."


In the midst of a 6-2-2 stretch, the Canucks begin a six-game eastern road swing looking to record a point in their fourth consecutive contest. They face another big challenge against the NHL's top team after beating the hottest, having snapped the Panthers' 12-game winning streak.


"We're moving on from the last game," Henrik Sedin said. "What's most important is that we won and our focus is on our next game (Thursday) in Washington."


The Capitals have converted 44.0 percent of their power-play chances in the last eight home games. The Canucks have the Western Conference's worst penalty kill on the road since the beginning of November (71.8 percent).


Vancouver is expected to start goalie Ryan Miller, who has missed the last eight games with muscle issues. Miller posted a 4.22 goals-against average while going 1-2-0 in his last four starts - all on the road. He stopped 32 shots against Washington earlier this season.


Though it's unlikely forward Brandon Sutter (sports hernia) and defenseman Luca Sbisa (hand) will play Thursday, both could return at some point on the trip. Sbisa hasn't played since Dec. 1 and Sutter since Nov. 10.


It also remains uncertain when veteran forward Mike Richards will make his Capitals debut after the club signed him last week. Richards hasn't played since last season with Los Angeles, which bought out the remaining five years of his contract after his arrest at a Canadian border in June on charges of possession of a controlled substance.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blackhawks (27-13) at Canadiens (21-17)
Date: January 14, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Chicago Blackhawks sat 13 points out of the Central Division lead 2 1/2 weeks ago prior to a run that has them on the verge of reaching the top.


It's been quite the opposite situation for the Montreal Canadiens lately.


Chicago seeks a ninth victory in a row when it begins a road-heavy stretch against slumping Montreal in the first of two meetings in four days Thursday night.


The Blackhawks (28-13-4) lost 4-0 at Central-leading Dallas on Dec. 22 as their deficit in the division reached double digits, and they came out of the holiday break with a 2-1 home loss to Carolina five days later to drop even further back.


They've taken advantage of Dallas' current rough patch, though, and can tie for the Central lead with a win over the Canadiens (23-17-3). Chicago's 3-2 win over Nashville on Tuesday completed a perfect four-game homestand and matched their longest winning streak since a franchise-record 11-game run Feb. 22-March 6, 2013.


Coach Joel Quenneville received a contract extension through 2019-20 earlier in the day, then matched Al Arbour for second in career victories with 782.


"We went (into Dallas) before Christmas there, (and) had to win to even think of closing the gap," Quenneville said. "They beat us, and (it was like), 'OK, that's a distant thought.'


"Things change quickly in our division, in our league and in our game. All of the sudden, we've put ourselves in a much better spot. You're thinking playoff spot, (and) now you're thinking first place."


Marian Hossa celebrated his 37th birthday by assisting on both of Andrew Shaw's goals, and Corey Crawford made 41 saves. The Montreal native has won his last five starts with a 1.58 goals-against average.


'Everyone's playing well together as a team,' Crawford said. 'Making the right plays. We're not making too many mistakes out there in all three zones. I think our team is very well-rounded right now.'


Crawford is 3-0-2 with a 1.38 GAA in his career against his hometown team, and the Blackhawks have won the last three meetings with Montreal. Chicago is beginning a stretch of playing nine of 11 on the road, with one of the rare home games coming Sunday against the Canadiens.


Even a split of those meetings likely would give Montreal a bit of a boost. It held an 11-point lead in the Atlantic on Dec. 2 but has since gone 4-13-0, falling to third behind Florida and Detroit.


Coach Michel Therrien said that Carey Price, the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner who hasn't played since Nov. 25, would not return until after the All-Star break because of a lower-body injury.


Rookie Mike Condon has done his best to fill in but is 3-8-0 with a 2.64 GAA in 11 starts and two relief appearances during Montreal's slump. He won his previous three starts before making 29 saves in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh.


'He played awesome,' forward Max Pacioretty said. 'We have to be better in front of him. He shut the door. A lot of big saves."


The Canadiens have dealt with a bit of a distraction this week after Alex Galchenyuk's girlfriend was arrested early Sunday morning for a domestic violence-related incident involving Galchenyuk, who chose not to file a complaint.


Fellow Montreal forward Devante Smith-Pelly also was at the apartment. The two met with general manager Marc Bergevin and Therrien on Tuesday, but teammates said the matter was being handled internally and each participated in practice.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hurricanes (19-18) at Blues (22-14)
Date: January 14, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Carolina Hurricanes probably don't have much of a chance to win the Metropolitan, but a recent surge has pushed them closer to one of the division's automatic playoff berths.


The St. Louis Blues continue to rack up points as they chase the top spot in the Central.


Carolina goes for a season-high fourth straight win Thursday night when it visits a St. Louis team that has earned a point in its last five games.


The Hurricanes (19-18-7) trail first-place Washington by 22 points in the Metropolitan, but they've taken advantage of some struggles from both New York teams to pull within six points of second and third place.


Carolina moved one point back of Pittsburgh with a 3-2 win on Jeff Skinner's power-play goal in overtime Tuesday, improving to 11-5-3 in its last 19.


"We've been staring at the standings all year," said center Eric Staal, who had a goal and an assist to give him four points during the win streak. "We talked about (how) we scraped and clawed ... (and) now you've got to climb, you've got to beat teams in front of you."


Center Elias Lindholm assisted on all three goals after registering an assist in a 4-3 overtime win over Columbus on Saturday and scoring twice in a 4-1 victory over the Blue Jackets on Friday that started the win streak.


Carolina hasn't taken four in a row since Nov. 1-7, 2014.


"I think we have (believed we could make the playoffs) all year," Staal told the Hurricanes' official website. "I don't think that's changed. Other people might not, but I think the guys in our room have been committed to what we're trying to accomplish here.


" ... I like the vibe and feeling that we have. We have to grow that confidence and keep winning these close games. That will put us in the right spot."


St. Louis (25-14-7) had been in a bunch of close games - four straight decided after regulation - before scoring the final four goals in a 5-2 win over visiting New Jersey on Tuesday.


The Blues are 2-0-3 in their last five and sit in third place in the Central, three points behind surging Chicago and five back of Dallas.


Center Patrik Berglund scored twice against the Devils in his sixth game back after missing the first 40 with a shoulder injury, and Brian Elliott made 22 saves in his second straight win starting in place of an injured Jake Allen.


Berglund had one goal and one assist in his first five games.


"You're always worried for a player coming back from such a long-term injury, when does he hit the wall, but I think he hit the wall earlier than we thought and now he's punched through it," coach Ken Hitchcock told the Blues' official website. "He seems more energized than he's ever been, which is a good sign for us."


St. Louis won both meetings last season in shootouts and has dominated Carolina at home since the franchise moved from Hartford, going 8-2-1 with a tie.


That trend could continue as the Hurricanes enter with three losses in their last four on the road, while the Blues have gone 5-1-1 in their last seven on home ice.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Predators (17-17) at Jets (19-21)
Date: January 14, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

In lieu of victories in the standings, the Nashville Predators are settling for moral ones. They're well aware that needs to change.


The Predators attempt to snap their longest slide of the season by avenging the defeat that started it when they visit the last-place Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.


Nashville (19-17-7) is tied with Colorado for the Western Conference's second wild-card spot, one point ahead of Vancouver.


The Predators have done nothing to improve their tenuous position, losing four in a row for the first time since dropping six straight to end last season.


They're 1-6-1 in their last eight road games, losing the first three of this four-game trip after falling 3-2 to Chicago on Tuesday. Nashville found some solace in its failed attempt to overcome a three-goal deficit, outshooting the Blackhawks 33-12 over the last two periods.


"I like the fact that our team didn't quit," coach Peter Laviolette told the Predators' official website. "We have to try to build off of that. I know we have a tough game (Thursday) and I think our guys will be ready to play again.


"We have to win hockey games, and it's been frustrating because I feel like we've had that conversation too many times, so many times."


Pekka Rinne surely shares that frustration on the road. He's 1-8-2 with a 3.29 goals-against average in his last 11 starts away from home after making 20 saves Tuesday.


He had just 14 in a 4-1 loss to Winnipeg (19-21-3) on Jan. 5 after stopping 20 shots in a 7-0 win Nov. 14.


James Neal had a goal and an assist in that matchup, and he leads the Predators with 15 goals. The right wing, however, hasn't found the net in the last 17 road games and seven straight overall.


Filip Forsberg has two goals in three games after scoring at Chicago. He didn't factor in the scoring against the Jets last week after getting six points over his previous seven meetings.


The Jets, occupants of the Central Division's basement, have lost three in a row for the first time since a season-high six-game slide Nov. 5-16.


Like the Predators, frustration is mounting for Winnipeg.


"I just don't think that there's enough of an investment from everyone to get to where we need to go," right wing Blake Wheeler said. "How do we get that? That's the million-dollar question. How do we get 20-plus individuals buying into the same thing and spilling everything they have every night into it? Hopefully we'll figure it out by (Thursday)."


The Jets' attempt to snap the skid may require overcoming an absence by Tyler Myers. The defenseman got a game misconduct for cross-checking Tommy Wingels in the third period of Tuesday's 4-1 loss to San Jose.


The incident could draw the attention of the NHL's player safety department, leading to a suspension.


"I think it's a joke if I get a phone call from the league," Myers said.


Winnipeg's offense has been inconsistent during a 4-6-1 stretch, getting held to two goals or one in each of those defeats while scoring four times in three victories.


Drew Stafford had two goals at Nashville last week, tying him with Bryan Little for the team lead at 14. Stafford hasn't scored in three games since but has two assists, and Little has gone eight in a row without a goal while registering six assists.


Of Stafford's 24 points, 18 have come at home.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Red Wings (21-14) at Coyotes (22-16)
Date: January 14, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

A subpar special teams performance sent the Detroit Red Wings to their first loss on their longest road trip of the season.


To finish that trek on a successful note, the Red Wings will have to end the Arizona Coyotes' season-best win streak Thursday night.


Detroit (22-14-7) gave up a pair of power-play goals and went 0 for 2 on the man advantage Monday in a 4-2 defeat to Los Angeles, dropping to 4-1-0 on its six-game trip. The Red Wings got their previous three wins while scoring a combined five goals.


"We got to make sure we get more pucks to the net. We got to simplify a little bit," coach Jeff Blashill said. "It's hard to score in the league. We're not scoring enough goals overall so we got to make sure we're getting more pucks to the net."


The Red Wings gave up two goals in the previous three games on their season-high win streak and killed off all seven penalties.


The Coyotes (22-16-4) have gone 6 for 11 on the man advantage over their four consecutive victories and were 3 for 4 in a 4-3 overtime victory against Edmonton on Tuesday. Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored the winning goal on a power play, and Max Domi had the other two in the third period to complete his first career hat trick.


"We're a confident group right now. We're playing really well," forward Anthony Duclair said. "When we play as a team, we can beat anybody in this league. I think it's just a matter of believing in ourselves. We've got some great leadership in this locker room that's been doing a great job so far. We're just going to continue on like that."


Arizona, 10-2-2 in its last 14 home games, will seek to avenge a 5-1 drubbing to the Red Wings on Dec. 3 while earning a fourth consecutive win on its own ice.


Justin Abdelkader scored the first of Detroit's three goals in the opening period of that victory, and the Red Wings outshot the Coyotes 44-27. Detroit is 2-0-1 in its last three in the series and won 3-1 in its latest trip to Arizona on Feb. 7 after losing in three of the previous four visits.


Petr Mrazek was in net for that victory - his only appearance against the Coyotes - and is expected to start this game. He has a 1.25 goals-against average in four consecutive wins.


The Coyotes will likely counter with rookie Louis Domingue, who has a 1.47 GAA in four consecutive victories. Domingue, called up from the minors Dec. 11, has never faced Detroit.


"At the end of the day, I knew I could play here," Domingue told the team's official website. "I took a big step in my game, my confidence level. I practiced better and I'm trying to elevate that every day."


Red Wings defenseman Alexey Marchenko is expected to be a healthy scratch after scoring his first goal of the season in Los Angeles, and forward Drew Miller is expected to remain out for an extended period because of a torn left meniscus.


Detroit's penalty kill has operated at 84.6 percent in its 28 games with Miller and 68.8 percent without him.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Devils (19-18) at Avalanche (21-20)
Date: January 14, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Poor offense is back hurting the New Jersey Devils, and bad defense is plaguing the Colorado Avalanche again.


Those problems have dropped both clubs just outside the playoff picture but could result in one having a breakout performance Thursday night in Denver.


Yet, it was the Avalanche (21-20-3) who won a low-scoring affair in New Jersey on Dec. 1, winning 2-1 behind goals by Matt Duchene and Tyson Barrie. Colorado is 8-0-1 in the past nine matchups after winning the last five - all by one goal.


Cory Schneider has been victimized by the Devils' anemic offense during that skid, losing all five meetings despite a 1.75 goals-against average, and it's been a similar story lately. He has a 1.68 GAA in his last six starts but won only three of them.


Struggling to score is nothing new for the Devils (21-18-5), second to last in the league with 2.20 goals per game. Even on a three-game win streak that carried them through the new year, they scored just three goals in each victory.


Since that run, New Jersey has totaled six goals in five games while going 1-4-0 - clearly missing Mike Cammalleri's presence. The Devils' points leader has sat out six straight games with an upper-body injury and won't return until Saturday in Arizona at the earliest.


No New Jersey player averages more shots than Cammalleri (2.6), and the club has only mustered 20.6 per game in the last five to drop its league-worst average to 24.5.


The Devils went 17:07 without a shot between the second and third periods Tuesday and were outscored 4-0 over the final 40 minutes in a 5-2 loss at St. Louis.


"When the game was tight in the third period, we have to have a little bit more resolve to get ourselves back in there," coach John Hynes said.


New Jersey has dropped to ninth in the Eastern Conference after being tied for the sixth-most points earlier this month, just as Colorado has done in the West following a pair of blowout losses.


The Avalanche fell behind by four goals in the second period of Sunday's 6-3 defeat in Chicago, then was outshot 38-21 in Tuesday's 4-0 home loss to Tampa Bay.


'Obviously, it was not a good performance by our team," coach Patrick Roy said. "We were not good at all.'


Roy's club remains among the NHL's worst defensively, surrendering an average of 2.89 goals and a West-high 31.3 shots per game.


Colorado had been on a 9-2-2 run before the ugly losses to the Blackhawks and Lightning.


"The reason why we won some games is because we played well defensively, and we got away from that," Roy told the NHL's official website.


Roy did feel Semyon Varlamov "had a good game" Tuesday despite allowing four goals on 38 shots. He was pulled in the second period Sunday. With backup Reto Berra (ankle) still out, Varlamov has started seven consecutive games but has a 3.70 GAA.


It was Berra who won last month in New Jersey, but Varlamov has won his last four starts against the Devils while allowing five goals.


New Jersey hasn't scored a power-play goal in seven straight against the Avalanche and doesn't have one in its last five games overall. Colorado has let opponents score on 25 percent of its chances over the past 14 games.


That penalty-killing unit will soon get a boost from the return of defenseman Erik Johnson, who has missed the last four games with a lower-body injury but returned to practice Tuesday.


New Jersey will be without forward Bobby Farnham, who was suspended for four games for an interference penalty against the Blues.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Oilers (14-23) at Sharks (20-18)
Date: January 14, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Nobody can deny the success Todd McLellan had in seven seasons as coach of the San Jose Sharks.


Unfortunately for him, the majority of it came in the regular season.


McLellan returns to San Jose for the first time as coach of the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night hoping his team can end a six-game road skid.


The Sharks were a playoff team in each of McLellan's first six seasons, won three Pacific Division titles and advanced to the Western Conference finals twice. McLellan compiled a 311-163-66 mark with San Jose, but his 30-32 postseason record was disappointing for a franchise that always had Stanley Cup aspirations.


After the Sharks finished with 89 points last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002-03, McLellan and the team agreed to mutually part ways.


However, he wasn't out of work long as he was hired in May by an Oilers team that hasn't been to the playoffs since reaching the Cup finals in 2006.


McLellan already has a win against his old team, 4-3 in overtime Dec. 9.


"I think the first time back is a little bit different but we've got work to do," he told the Oilers' official website. "We're playing a team that's on fire right now. They're playing really well. Like most nights, we'll have our work cut out for us."


The victory over the Sharks was part of a six-game win streak for the Oilers, but they've gone 3-8-2 since to sink to the bottom of the conference.


Edmonton's struggles continued with a 4-3 overtime loss at Arizona on Tuesday, dropping to 0-4-2 in the past six road games.


"It's just tough to swallow because when you think we play well and the result is obviously not what you want, it's frustrating,' forward Jordan Eberle said.


Eberle has been a bright spot with two goals and seven points in five games.


Anders Nilsson hasn't been nearly as helpful. He lost his fourth straight start Tuesday with a 4.29 goals-against average in that span.


Cam Talbot has been much better lately, posting a 1.78 GAA in his last five starts.


The Oilers (17-23-4) are expected to get forward Nail Yakupov back after he missed 22 games with an ankle injury. Yakupov has two goals and 12 points in 22 games.


Even with a league-low six wins on home ice, the Sharks (21-18-2) are third in the Pacific and would be a playoff team if the season ended today. Still, San Jose's 6-12-0 home record is one of the biggest curiosities in the first half and has just about offset its 15-6-2 road mark which ranks among the NHL's best.


That road success continued with wins over Calgary and Winnipeg on back-to-back nights. The Sharks held on for a 5-4 victory over the Flames on Monday before scoring one power-play goal and another short-handed in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Jets, their third in a four-night span.


"It's two different records almost," Alex Stalock, who made 21 saves Tuesday, told the team's official website. "We've got to figure out the (record) at home. But we like the way we've been playing the past four games. We really do."


Brent Burns has been excellent those four games and beyond that with six goals and six assists during a career-high eight-game point streak. He ranks second among all defensemen with 40 points.


The Sharks are 10-1-2 in their last 13 home games against the Oilers.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL MONEYLINE


NHL > (61) DETROIT@ (62) ARIZONA | 2016-01-14 21:05:00 - 2016-01-14 21:05:00
Play ON ARIZONA using money line in All games after a division game
The record is 10 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+11.35 units)


NHL > (59) NASHVILLE@ (60) WINNIPEG | 2016-01-14 20:05:00 - 2016-01-14 20:05:00
Play AGAINST NASHVILLE using money line in All games
The record is 0 Wins and 9 Losses for the this season (-9 units)


NHL > (53) VANCOUVER@ (54) WASHINGTON | 2016-01-14 19:05:00 - 2016-01-14 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in All games
The record is 30 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (+18.65 units)


NHL > (53) VANCOUVER@ (54) WASHINGTON | 2016-01-14 19:05:00 - 2016-01-14 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in all games
The record is 32 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (+18.65 units)


NHL > (65) EDMONTON@ (66) SAN JOSE | 2016-01-14 22:35:00 - 2016-01-14 22:35:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE using money line in Home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 1 Wins and 7 Losses for the this season (-9.05 units)


NHL > (63) NEW JERSEY@ (64) COLORADO | 2016-01-14 21:05:00 - 2016-01-14 21:05:00
Play AGAINST COLORADO using money line in Home games in non-conference games
The record is 1 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (-9 units)

NHL > (65) EDMONTON@ (66) SAN JOSE | 2016-01-14 22:35:00 - 2016-01-14 22:35:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 19 Wins and 23 Losses for the last three seasons (-29.9 units)


NHL > (63) NEW JERSEY@ (64) COLORADO | 2016-01-14 21:05:00 - 2016-01-14 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 21 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (+14.8 units)


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


NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (61) DETROIT@ (62) ARIZONA | 2016-01-14 21:05:00 - 2016-01-14 21:05:00
Play ON ARIZONA in All games after a division game
The record is 10 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+11.35 units)


NHL > (53) VANCOUVER@ (54) WASHINGTON | 2016-01-14 19:05:00 - 2016-01-14 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON in all games
The record is 32 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (+18.65 units)


NHL > (65) EDMONTON@ (66) SAN JOSE | 2016-01-14 22:35:00 - 2016-01-14 22:35:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE in Home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 1 Wins and 7 Losses for the this season (-9.05 units)

NHL > (63) NEW JERSEY@ (64) COLORADO | 2016-01-14 21:05:00 - 2016-01-14 21:05:00
Play AGAINST COLORADO in Home games in non-conference games
The record is 1 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (-9 units)

NHL > (65) EDMONTON@ (66) SAN JOSE | 2016-01-14 22:35:00 - 2016-01-14 22:35:00
Play AGAINST SAN JOSE in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 19 Wins and 23 Losses for the last three seasons (-29.9 units)


NHL > (63) NEW JERSEY@ (64) COLORADO | 2016-01-14 21:05:00 - 2016-01-14 21:05:00
Play ON COLORADO in All games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 21 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (+14.8 units)


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


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (59) NASHVILLE@ (60) WINNIPEG | 2016-01-14 20:05:00 - 2016-01-14 20:05:00
Play UNDER NASHVILLE on the totalin Road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 0 Overs and 8 Unders for the last two seasons (+8.3 units)


NHL > (65) EDMONTON@ (66) SAN JOSE | 2016-01-14 22:35:00 - 2016-01-14 22:35:00
Play OVER SAN JOSE on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 19 Overs and 5 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.25 units)


NHL > (59) NASHVILLE@ (60) WINNIPEG | 2016-01-14 20:05:00 - 2016-01-14 20:05:00
Play UNDER NASHVILLE on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 13 Overs and 33 Unders for the last two seasons (+19.5 units)

NHL > (55) CHICAGO@ (56) MONTREAL | 2016-01-14 19:35:00 - 2016-01-14 19:35:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin All games in non-conference games
The record is 23 Overs and 53 Unders for the last three seasons (+27.5 units)


NHL > (61) DETROIT@ (62) ARIZONA | 2016-01-14 21:05:00 - 2016-01-14 21:05:00
Play UNDER DETROIT on the totalin All games when playing with 2 days rest
The record is 1 Overs and 8 Unders for the this season (+7.35 units)

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack


-- LSU 90, Ole Miss 81-- No need for a shot clock in this game.


-- Oklahoma 74, Oklahoma State 72-- Evans kid had 42 for the Cowboys.


-- Tenn-Martin 96, Tennessee Tech 90-- Skyhawks hit 16-25 from the arc.


-- St Bonaventure 69, Rhode Island 64-- Bonnies, VCU tied atop Atlantic 14.


-- Memphis 67, Temple 65-- Last 0:05 of this game set basketball back a few years. Owls fouled a Memphis player 60 feet from hoop with 0:01.3 left.


-- USC 89, UCLA 75-- Convincing wire-to-wire win for the Trojans.


**********


Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud.......


13) Clemson 68, Duke 63-- In last four days, Tigers beat Louisville/Duke, both home games, the best stretch in years for Clemson basketball. In those two games, Clemson took 57 foul shots, their opponents 23. Landry Nnoko was a beast in this game.


12) Should be noted that Clemson's Littlejohn Coliseum is being refurbished this year; Tigers are playing games in Greenville, SC, sharing the building with an ECHL minor league hockey team called the Greenville Swamp Rabbits-- tremendous name.


11) Forbes Magazine reported that the Rams are worth twice as much now as they were two days ago, before they moved to LA. Stan Kroenke has to pay NFL $550M to re-locate, but the team is worth more than that and doubled in worth, so he's already re-couped the $550M, and then some. I was happy today when I found a quarter and a dime on the floor of my car-- everything is relative.


10) Found it ironical that late Tuesday nite the movie Wall Street showed up on TV, where Michael Douglas' character tells an audience that ".....greed is good." This was a couple hours after NFL owners resorted to a secret ballot to make sure the guy with the most money won the re-location competition. Real life is stranger than fiction.


9) Philip Rivers might not be happy about the Chargers potentially moving, but he has to be happy Ken Whisenhunt is back as Chargers' offensive coordinator. Rivers had a big year in 2013 when Whisenhunt was OC for the Bolts.


8) Miami Marlins gave 2B Dee Gordon $50M for five years; he's been a very good leadoff hitter the last few years. Marlins have Mattingly as manager, Barry Bonds as a hitting coach- they should be very interesting to follow.


7) Alabama 73, South Carolina 50-- Rough night for Gamecocks, who lose for first time in 16 games this season. Solid week for Crimson Tide sports.


6) Still amazed that Alabama did the onside kick in a tie game with less than 11:00 left Monday night. Takes lot of onions to do that.


5) Sign of the times: 14 SEC basketball teams, 28 international players.


4) Cleveland Browns hired Hue Jackson as head coach; he went 8-8 in his one and only season as coach of the Raiders in 2011- he was OC in Cincinnati the last couple years. Marvin Lewis has lost three coordinators to HC jobs the last three years.


3) The great Bill Raftery announced two basketball games in same day on two different networks Sunday; Ohio State-Indiana on CBS, Villanova-Butler on FS1.


2) NFL free agency starts March 9, so Chargers really have to decide before then where they're going to play in 2016- their official deadline to inform the league for its '16 plans is March 23. Lot of loose ends to tie up in six weeks.


1) RIP Jim Simpson, 88, the first play-by-play guy ESPN used when they started in 1979- he also worked a lot for NBC before that. I'm pretty sure Simpson was working the first time Dick Vitale got behind an ESPN mike. If you're my age you heard him work a lot of different events, including lot of AFL games. RIP, sir.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, January 14

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

NY RANGERS (23-14-0-5, 51 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (23-15-0-5, 51 pts.) - 1/14/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 87-56 ATS (+11.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 46-24 ATS (+13.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 36-17 ATS (+12.9 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 14-6 ATS (+20.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 38-42 ATS (-9.5 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 6-5 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 6-5-0 straight up against NY RANGERS 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)

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

VANCOUVER (17-16-0-10, 44 pts.) at WASHINGTON (32-7-0-3, 67 pts.) - 1/14/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 6-12 ATS (-10.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 32-10 ATS (+21.5 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 12-3 ATS (+7.3 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak this season.
VANCOUVER is 159-102 ATS (+26.5 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 72-53 ATS (+17.3 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 180-192 ATS (+417.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 36-42 ATS (-30.6 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 149-195 ATS (-80.5 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 29-45 ATS (-39.7 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 3-2 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 3-2-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.4 Units)

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

CHICAGO (28-13-0-4, 60 pts.) at MONTREAL (23-17-0-3, 49 pts.) - 1/14/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 66-51 ATS (+4.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 46-26 ATS (+10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 17-24 ATS (-12.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 3-1 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 3-1-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.0 Units)

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

CAROLINA (19-18-0-7, 45 pts.) at ST LOUIS (25-14-0-7, 57 pts.) - 1/14/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 14-41 ATS (+73.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
CAROLINA is 57-110 ATS (+192.3 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1996.
ST LOUIS is 7-13 ATS (-11.9 Units) in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 3-1 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 3-1-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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

NASHVILLE (19-17-0-7, 45 pts.) at WINNIPEG (19-21-0-3, 41 pts.) - 1/14/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 19-24 ATS (-14.7 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 6-15 ATS (+23.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 26-31 ATS (-10.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 4-10 ATS (-7.9 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NASHVILLE is 7-12 ATS (-12.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
WINNIPEG is 43-34 ATS (+84.0 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 43-26 ATS (+70.2 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 199-161 ATS (+31.5 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 7-5 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 7-5-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
9 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+7.3 Units)

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

DETROIT (22-14-0-7, 51 pts.) at ARIZONA (22-16-0-4, 48 pts.) - 1/14/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 19-26 ATS (-12.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 90-98 ATS (-58.1 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1996.
ARIZONA is 22-20 ATS (+22.0 Units) in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 10-2 ATS (+12.0 Units) after a division game this season.
DETROIT is 25-18 ATS (+44.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 13-4 ATS (+8.7 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 16-8 ATS (+25.3 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 4-16 ATS (+26.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 13-41 ATS (+63.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 3-2 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA is 3-2-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.4 Units)

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

NEW JERSEY (21-18-0-5, 47 pts.) at COLORADO (21-20-0-3, 45 pts.) - 1/14/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 24-48 ATS (+79.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 8-25 ATS (+40.6 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 115-100 ATS (-6.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 59-42 ATS (+15.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 48-36 ATS (+11.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 21-11 ATS (+32.1 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 16-9 ATS (+25.1 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 5-1 ATS (+6.5 Units) in road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
COLORADO is 1-8 ATS (-11.2 Units) in home games in non-conference games this season.
COLORADO is 106-111 ATS (-92.3 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 5-0 (+5.3 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 5-0-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.0 Units)

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

EDMONTON (17-23-0-4, 38 pts.) at SAN JOSE (21-18-0-2, 44 pts.) - 1/14/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 9-34 ATS (+60.9 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 10-16 ATS (-16.9 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 1-6 ATS (-8.3 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
SAN JOSE is 1-7 ATS (-8.6 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
SAN JOSE is 28-29 ATS (-16.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 7-4-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.4 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, January 14

Hot teams
-- Washington won eight of last ten games. Canucks are 5-3 in their last eight games.
-- Blackhawks won their last eight games.
-- Carolina won last three games; four of its last six games went OT/SO. Blues won last two games after losing previous five.
-- Arizona won its last four games. Red Wings won four of their last five games.
-- Sharks won last three games, scoring 16 goals.

Cold teams
-- Rangers lost four of their last five road games. Islanders are 2-3 in last five games.
-- Canadiens lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Predators lost last four games, outscored 16-6. Winnipeg lost four of last five games.
-- Devils lost four of their last five games. Colorado lost its last two games, 6-3/4-0.
-- Edmonton lost its last three games.

Series records
-- Islanders won four of last six games with the Rangers.
-- Canucks won six of last eight games with Washington.
-- Blackhawks won four of last five games with Montreal.
-- Blues won three of last four games with Carolina.
-- Nashville-Winnipeg split their last ten games.
-- Detroit-Arizona split their last ten games.
-- Devils lost their last five games with Colorado.
-- Sharks won five of last eight games with Edmonton.

Totals
-- Six of last eight Ranger-Islander games stayed under.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Washington games.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Chicago-Montreal games.
-- Three of last four St Louis games went over total.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Nashville games.
-- Under is 3-1 in last four games for both Detroit/Arizona.
-- Nine of last ten New Jersey-Colorado games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Edmonton-San Jose games went over.

Back-to-backs
-- None

 

[CNOTES]

NHL

Thursday, January 14

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

7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. NY ISLANDERS
NY Rangers are 1-9 SU in their last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of the NY Rangers last 8 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
NY Islanders are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games at home
NY Islanders are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

7:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. WASHINGTON
Vancouver is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Vancouver's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Vancouver

7:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. MONTREAL
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Montreal's last 15 games

8:00 PM
CAROLINA vs. ST. LOUIS
Carolina is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Carolina's last 7 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Carolina
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

8:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. WINNIPEG
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Nashville's last 7 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Nashville is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Winnipeg's last 7 games when playing at home against Nashville
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Winnipeg's last 8 games when playing Nashville

9:00 PM
DETROIT vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games at home
Arizona is 7-17-1 SU in its last 25 games ,when playing at home against Detroit

9:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. COLORADO
New Jersey is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
New Jersey is 1-7-1 SU in its last 9 games ,when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey
Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Jersey

10:30 PM
EDMONTON vs. SAN JOSE
Edmonton is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Jose's last 11 games
San Jose is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home

 

[cloverleaf]

Appreciate the info Mr. C

 

[CNOTES]

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




DET at ARI 09:00 PM


ARI -101


U 5.0




NJ at COL 09:00 PM


COL -127


U 5.0




EDM at SJ 10:30 PM


SJ -179


O 5.5

 

[CNOTES]

Your Welcome Clover...............Bowling^&%

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack


-- Iowa 76, Michigan State 59-- Iowa spanked Spartans twice this year; they were so much quicker to loose balls in this game.


-- Tulsa 60, UConn 51-- Why are these schools in the same league?


-- Louisville 59, Pitt 41-- This eyesore of a game was 20-17 at halftime.


-- Rider 102, Marist 100 2OT-- Red Foxes took 46 FT, 36 3's. Wild game.


-- BYU 69, Gonzaga 68-- Second year in row Cougars won in Spokane.


-- Cal-Irvine 58, Long Beach State 54-- Two of the better teams in the Big West.


**********


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


Lot of NFL coaching news Thursday.........


13) 49ers signed Chip Kelly; the 49er Gift Shop had Colin Kaepernick jerseys on the clearance rack, but once Kelly got hired, those jerseys aren't clearance items anymore-- he is the ideal QB for Kelly's offense.


12) Giants promoted OC Ben McAdoo to head coach, crediting his work with Eli Manning the last two years. I have some questions/comments about this.


-- How much of Eli's improvement is McAdoo, and how much is Odell Beckham? In Philly, Nick Foles threw 27 TDs with two INTs when he had DeSean Jackson on his team. Foles went to St Louis with subpar WRs and he got benched.
-- Giants retained Steve Spagnuolo as DC; his defense was NFL's worst LY.
-- They fired a Hall of Fame head coach but kept the coordinator of the worst defense in the league? Thats either stupid or age descrimination. Or both.


11) Tampa Bay hired OC Dirk Koetter as coach; they fired Lovie Smith because they didn't trust him to hire an OC who would work well with Jameis Winston once Koetter got a head coaching job elsewhere. Weird way to run a $1B business.


10) Philly will turn to Chiefs' OC Doug Pederson as its next head coach. Pederson is the answer to a trivia question; he played QB for Miami in the game that Don Shula became the winningest coach in NFL history, in 1993 against the Eagles.


9) Rex Ryan hired his brother Rob as a defensive assistant; Buffalo's defense was better before Rex Ryan became the Bills' head coach.


8) NFL Network airs a replay of Super Bowl I tonight; 17 Hall of Famers played in that game which ironically was played in the LA Coliseum, which has been in the news a lot this week, with the Rams moving back to Los Angeles this coming season.


7) Hurricane Alex is the first January hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean since 1938.


6) Major League baseball put in a new rule for 2016: every team has to have a full-time Spanish translator. Not sure why you wouldn't have one anyway, as well as have your coaches be bilingual, with so many Hispanic players these days.


5) Dodgers have six people working in their front office who at one time were GMs of a major league team. Thats a little top-heavy, no?


4) Former NBA player Corey Maggette works Big West games on Prime Ticket in LA; he pointed out last night that Cal-Irvine's 7-foot-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye wears low-cut sneakers when he plays, almost like deck shoes. Very unusual; I'm guessing he gets his ankles taped, but you don't see many players wearing low-cut sneakers.


3) San Diego State's Skylar Spencer is a lefty, but when he was shooting 30% on the foul line, it was suggested that he shoot free throws right-handed. He has improved his %age into the upper 50's and looked like he had good touch in Wednesday's game.


2) Pro golfer Kevin Kisner lost three playoffs last year, the first PGA golfer to do that since 1937-- he later won a tournament too, so it was a big money year for him, making $3,567,939. You still make a lot of money when lose a playoff.


1) So far in the Atlantic 14 this season, favorites are 20-8 against the spread.