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

CNOTES · Mar 4, 2016

Preview: Canadiens (30-29) at Jets (26-32)
Date: March 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Montreal Canadiens' fourth game in six nights came against a third straight physical opponent that they weren't able to match - and this one was well-rested.

And no matter whom they play, they still can't find their scoring touch.

Montreal concludes a four-game road trip against Western Conference opponents Saturday night when it faces another hard-hitting team in the Winnipeg Jets, who like the Canadiens have dropped three in a row.

Montreal (30-29-6) managed a season-low 15 shots in a 3-2 loss to Los Angeles on Thursday, scoring two goals for the third straight time on the trip. Matchups with San Jose on Monday and Anaheim on Wednesday left the Canadiens drained, and the Kings - considered perhaps the most physical team in the league - came in off a three-day break.

"They came out hard. These were three physical games. They were really physically demanding," forward Max Pacioretty told the team's official website. "Tonight, there was no space out there. You know why that team has had so much success both this year and in the past. They just take away your time and space. ... You're going along the boards against them and you know you're getting hit."

The Canadiens' 2.12 non-shootout goals per game since Nov. 28 is among the three lowest marks in the league - a stretch in which the club has gone 12-25-4.

Pacioretty leads the club with 23 goals but has scored in only three of the last 19 games.

"Without looking for excuses, you can't forget that we've played four games in the last six nights and we were playing a team that hadn't played since Sunday," coach Michel Therrien said. "When you're playing a team like that and you've got the same energy level as they do, they're already tough to play against. They're the best defensive team in the league and I felt that the energy level just wasn't there for us."

A matchup with Winnipeg (26-32-5) might be what the Canadiens need to get back on track offensively. Montreal has won 11 of the last 14 meetings against the Jets franchise, taking the first one this season 5-1 on Nov. 1.

Winnipeg is 10th in the NHL with 25.56 hits per game - Los Angeles is first at 30.13 - but the Jets have gone 1-5-2 in their last eight, allowing 3.63 non-shootout goals in that span.

They've given up at least four goals seven times in the past 14 games and are allowing 2.97 on the season - among the worst marks in the league.

The New York Islanders' Kyle Okposo scored off a quirky rebound in overtime Thursday, converting when center Frans Nielsen blasted the puck toward the net and hit Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers in the face. Okposo got the rebound and shot it in past goaltender Michael Hutchinson for a 4-3 win.

"We battled our hearts out," said center Mark Scheifele, who scored twice and has five goals and five assists in his last seven games. "When you play a game like that, create as many chances we did ... It's obviously tough that it didn't come out our way.

"We can't get down on ourselves. It's going to (stink) tonight, we're going to feel bad about it tonight, but tomorrow's another work day and we know that we've got another game coming up."

Winnipeg has dropped six in a row and 11 of 13 at home, though it won 5-2 in its most recent matchup with Montreal there March 26.

Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien has a goal and six assists in a seven-game point streak.

CNOTES · Mar 4, 2016

Preview: Panthers (36-20) at Coyotes (27-31)
Date: March 05, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Jaromir Jagr's steady production of late has him on the brink of passing Gordie Howe on the all-time scoring list. His Florida Panthers haven't proved as consistent since beating the Arizona Coyotes last month.

Jagr will seek his 1,851st point Saturday night while trying to lead the Panthers to another win over the scuffling Coyotes.

Jagr's eighth point in seven games, an assist Thursday in Colorado, moved him into a tie with Howe for third place. The Panthers' 44-year-old leading scorer is third with 743 goals, 58 behind Howe, and can tie Ray Bourque for ninth with 1,612 games Saturday.

"I always said if you want to be a good hockey player, you've got to know the history of hockey," Jagr told his team's official website. "You've got to appreciate those guys who were stars before you came in the league. I had a chance to meet almost everybody in the top 10 (in scoring), and I respect them so much."

The Panthers (36-20-8) lost 3-2 to the Avalanche and fell to 1-2-1 on a five-game trip. That stretch has dropped them into a tie atop the Atlantic Division with Tampa Bay, which has won eight in a row.

They beat the Coyotes 3-2 on Feb. 25 before starting their trip with Aleksander Barkov tallying a pair of goals. Jagr had an assist on his second score.

Florida has lost four of five in Arizona and scored one goal in regulation in each of the past four visits. In this matchup, the Panthers will take on a team that's lost a season-high seven in a row.

The Coyotes (27-31-6) have been outscored 11-1 in the past two losses, falling 5-1 to Anaheim on Thursday in their return from a five-game trip. Niklas Treutle gave up all the goals on 16 shots in his first NHL start and Louis Domingue was forced to make a 12th consecutive appearance.

"I'll take the responsibility. We put a young player in a position where he's not ready for," coach Dave Tippett told the team's official website. "It's obvious he's not ready for it, but Louis has played 11 straight (and) looked tired on the road. That's where we are. We have to give Louis a break."

Arizona's skid is its longest since an eight-gamer last March. The Coyotes also lost 10 in a row last season for their longest slump since relocating from Winnipeg in 1996-97.

It's unclear if the Coyotes will have second-leading scorer Max Domi to help stop the slide. He might get a one-game suspension because of his instigator penalty with less than five minutes to go in a hot-tempered third period Thursday.

Arizona has been outscored 29-12 during the skid even with Domi, one of the league's top rookie scorers with 43 points, on the ice.

Domi didn't register a point in last month's loss, but leading scorer Oliver Ekman-Larsson extended a six-game streak against Florida. He has three goals and three assists in that run.

Jussi Jokinen has two goals and six assists in a seven-game point streak against the Coyotes. He has seven assists in a season high-tying six-game overall run.

CNOTES · Mar 4, 2016

Preview: Canucks (24-27) at Sharks (35-22)
Date: March 05, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks' third-period performances have keyed their modest win streak, with two of those efforts powering comebacks against the Vancouver Canucks.

The Sharks will try to make it three wins in a row over the slumping Canucks on Saturday night by avoiding a fifth straight home loss in the series.

San Jose (35-22-6) has outscored its past three opponents 9-0 in the final period, tallying two goals in the third in a 3-2 victory in Vancouver on Thursday. Brent Burns netted the tying score 43 seconds into the period and Patrick Marleau had the winner with 14:31 remaining.

"We have (rallied) a few times so we know we can do it, but obviously you don't want to be toying with it all that many times," Marleau said. "We know we are going to get our chances. It's just a matter of burying those chances and sticking with it."

The Sharks scored all of their goals in the third in a 4-1 victory in Vancouver on Sunday and have tallied 13 overall in their three-game run. They have been blanked in that period in each of their last four home games against the Canucks (24-27-12) while being outscored 13-7 overall since a 4-1 win Oct. 3, 2013.

Vancouver won two of its three road games last month but is 4-10-1 in its last 15 overall and dropped the final three of a five-game homestand. The Canucks have fallen 10 points back in the race for the Western Conference's final playoff spot while San Jose is within four of Pacific Division leaders Los Angeles and Anaheim.

"We have shown we can play against (tough competition) when we're focused and we're playing the way we want. There have been a few lapses here and there, and that's been hurting us the last few games," Vancouver forward Henrik Sedin said. "We are where we are in the standings. For us, we have to realize that we keep playing this way even if we're losing one goal games. These are games we learn from."

The Sharks could use some more consistency at home and are seeking back-to-back victories there for the first time since a season-best three-game run Jan. 9-16. San Jose has alternated wins and losses in eight contests on its own ice since then but earned one point in three defeats.

The Sharks have won four of five overall matchups with Vancouver, with Marleau and Tomas Hertl having scored a goal in each of the past two.

Hertl has six of his career-high 16 goals in the past 10 games while Marleau has two of his 19 in that same span.

The Canucks' Radim Vrbata, who has four goals in his last three games in San Jose, has been out since Feb. 21 because of a lower-body injury but has been practicing.

Vancouver goaltender Ryan Miller has a 3.78 goals-against average in three straight losses to San Jose after posting a 1.55 GAA in seven consecutive wins. Sharks counterpart Martin Jones made his first two starts against the Canucks in the past week, stopping 51 of 54 shots.

Vancouver is 6 for 19 on the power play in its last eight games but went 0 for 1 in each matchup with San Jose. The Sharks are 5 for 5 on the penalty kill in their last four contests.

CNOTES · Mar 5, 2016

Preview: Flames (26-34) at Penguins (33-22)
Date: March 05, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

Entering a game against just about any other team, it might be of note that Pittsburgh's made a trend of needing at least four goals to get a win. Given Calgary's last dozen efforts, opponents should just assume they'll get there.

The now-last place Flames visit the Penguins Saturday needing a win to avoid a second straight season with an eight-game losing streak.

The Penguins (33-22-8) have averaged 4.80 goals in their wins over a 5-3-0 span with at least four in each, which includes Thursday's 4-1 home win over the New York Rangers. They've gone 12-2-2 at home dating to Dec. 21 with 4.00 goals per game and at least four in 11 of the victories.

Against the Rangers, the first three came in the final three minutes of the second period after falling behind 1-0 about a minute before that. Sidney Crosby started it with his 26th, followed by Evgeni Malkin's 25th and Patric Hornqvist's 17th before Phil Kessel added an empty netter in the third.

"I think being down probably gave us a little bit of jump and urgency," Crosby told the team's official website. "Each game kind of tells its own story. ... Whether we got one in the past (against Henrik Lundqvist) or three tonight, I think we're confident we can score goals if we do the right things."

Crosby has eight goals and four assists in nine career games against the Flames, but none of that came as Calgary (26-34-4) won the home meeting with the Penguins 5-2 on Nov. 7 to end a nine-game losing streak in the series. The Flames got two goals and an assist from Johnny Gaudreau and a goal and an assist from both Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett.

Monahan has been impressive over the last month with seven goals and 10 assists in 17 games, but it's almost all gone to waste as the Flames have allowed 4.17 goals per game over the last 12, including a 6-3 loss in Buffalo on Thursday.

Their six-game road skid has come entirely in regulation, but it's still a ways from a 0-11-0 away span from 2012-13. That's not making them feel any better about the seven-game overall losing streak or falling into the Western Conference cellar.

"We say it every day. We don't want to lose," coach Bob Hartley told the team's official website. "We want to win games. We will do what's possible at the limit, to make sure that we go out there, we compete hard, we win games, we battle in games, and if it is to give extra responsibilities to some veterans or to some kids, we're there to get two points."

For that to realistically happen, they're going to have to find a way to stay out of the penalty box. Over the last 12 games, the Calgary penalty kill has gone 36 of 54 (66.7 percent), though Pittsburgh's power play has gone 2 for 27 (7.4) over the same span.

"We've been taking too many penalties and gave up a lot of momentum and they score on the power plays," defenseman Dougie Hamilton said. "I think we've been talking about it and nobody's really changed anything. So that's probably the frustrating thing about it."

Calgary will start Joni Ortio in goal with the 24-year-old seeking his first win of the season, going 0-6-2 with a 3.34 goals-against average in nine games.

He'll be opposed by Marc-Andre Fleury, who's won his last three starts with a 0.67 GAA. He's 7-2-0 with a 1.77 mark in 10 career games against the Flames.

CNOTES · Mar 5, 2016

Preview: Capitals (47-12) at Bruins (36-23)
Date: March 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

A win at home over the best team in the Western Conference should do wonders for a Boston Bruins club that has struggled on its own ice this season.

There's no telling how high their confidence would go with another home win - this time against the best team in the league.

With coach Claude Julien on the verge of history, the Bruins seek a third straight victory at TD Garden on Saturday night when they face the Washington Capitals.

Boston (36-23-6) is battling Tampa Bay and Florida for the top spot in the Atlantic Division despite a disappointing 15-16-3 home record. The Bruins probably won't mind starting a stretch of 10 of 13 on the road Monday against the Panthers, but first up is a meeting with the Capitals, who have a 16-point lead atop Metropolitan Division and almost as comfortable an advantage in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.

"We all know that (Saturday) night's going to be a game against one of the best teams in the league and we have to be ready for them," Boston captain Zdeno Chara told the team's official website.

After starting their four-game homestand with a loss to the Lightning, the Bruins rebounded with a win over Calgary before beating Chicago 4-2 on Thursday in perhaps their most impressive victory of the season. Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand each had a goal and an assist to give Boston consecutive home wins for the first time since Dec. 16 and 20.

'There were a lot of reasons to get excited about this game tonight and it showed in our play," Julien said.

The win was Julien's 387th with Boston, tying Art Ross for the most in franchise history.

"The fact that I've avoided being fired for the last nine years helped (me) get that many wins here," Julien said. "So I just feel fortunate, and most of all, I feel humbled by that achievement."

Marchand's two-point performance continued a stellar stretch for the forward. He leads all players with 18 goals and 24 points in 23 games since Jan. 15. Marchand, though, has just one point in his last nine games against the Capitals (47-13-4).

Tuukka Rask figures to be back in net for Boston after going 5-1-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average in his last six games. Rask, though, has a 3.05 GAA during a five-start losing streak versus Washington.

On the opposite end of that streak is Braden Holtby, who has been in net for all five of those wins with three shutouts and a .979 save percentage.

Holtby, however, could be rested after he made 20 saves in a 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Friday, Washington's ninth straight one-goal game.

Backup Philipp Grubauer has stopped 66 of 69 shots in winning his last two starts.

The defeat was the third in six games for the Capitals, who have yet to lose two in a row in regulation this season. They gave up the first goal for the ninth time in 11 games.

'If we would've had a better start, who knows how that game would've wound up?' said T.J. Oshie, who scored the tying goal late in the second period.

Nicklas Backstrom has six assists in his last five games overall, and eight during a five-game point streak against Boston.

CNOTES · Mar 5, 2016

Preview: Blue Jackets (26-30) at Flyers (29-23)
Date: March 05, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

It's daunting enough that Philadelphia faces a five-point deficit for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot, but trying to make up that ground without Jakub Voracek for the next week and a half presents another dilemma.

A second consecutive loss to one of the worst teams in the league - and possibly being down another center - won't help the Flyers' chances either.

Philadelphia heads into Saturday night's home matchup with the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets trying to recapture some of the scoring flare it showed in its first game without Voracek.

After beating Calgary 5-3 on Monday behind Brayden Schenn's hat trick and four assists from Claude Giroux, the Flyers (29-23-11) were blanked for a fourth time this season Thursday in a 4-0 loss to Edmonton. It marked the first time since Oct. 8, 2011, that they went scoreless on at least seven power play chances.

Voracek, whose 38 assists lead the club and 48 points rank second, sat out his second straight contest with a lower-body injury that will keep him out for at least the next five. Making matters worse, Schenn sat out the last six minutes against the Oilers after hitting his head on the ice during a scrum earlier in the third period.

Schenn, who has six of his career-high 21 goals along with six assists over his last nine, will be a game-time decision against the Blue Jackets (27-30-8) as the club evaluates his injury.

Philadelphia sits in ninth in the East and is trying to catch rival Pittsburgh for the last wild-card spot. It had a three-game winning streak snapped against Edmonton as Michal Neuvirth tied his season high for goals allowed.

Neuvirth has a 2.83 goals-against average while making five consecutive starts despite usual No. 1 goaltender Steve Mason being healthy. Coach Dave Hakstol hasn't said if Neuvirth or Mason, who won the Calder Trophy with Columbus in 2008-09, will get the start against the Blue Jackets.

Columbus has won both meetings this season - 4-1 on Dec. 5 and 3-2 in a shootout Dec. 19 - with Mason in net for both. He's 2-3-2 with a 3.00 GAA against his former team.

"We've got a big job ahead of us here. We're going to need both guys to win games for us," Hakstol said following Friday's practice. "I think (Mason's) going to be ready to go whenever the call comes."

The Blue Jackets possess plenty of offensive firepower as the only team in the NHL with four 20-goal scorers in Brandon Saad (24), Boone Jenner (23), Cam Atkinson (21) and former Flyer Scott Hartnell (21).

The latter three all scored and Saad assisted on one of David Savard's two goals during Friday's 6-3 win over Edmonton. Columbus has scored at least six goals three times in a 4-1-1 stretch since Feb. 22.

"We have to play the same way no matter what, and for the most part, we're doing that," defenseman Ryan Murray said. "We're getting better as far as situational play and making good decisions and I think we're growing."

Hartnell has two goals and six assists during Columbus' five-game winning streak against his former team. The Flyers have lost their last seven trips to Columbus - the last three past regulation - since last winning there Dec. 13, 2005.

Rookie Joonas Korpisalo has made four straight starts in net for the Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky, who hasn't played since Jan. 21 because of a lower-body injury but has been a full participant in practice, and Curtis McElhinney are potential options to complete the back-to-back set.

CNOTES · Mar 5, 2016

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (9) COLUMBUS@ (10) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS using money line in Road games in March games
The record is 13 Wins and 3 Losses for the last three seasons (+14.35 units)

NHL > (11) MONTREAL@ (12) WINNIPEG | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play AGAINST WINNIPEG using money line in Home games second half of the season
The record is 2 Wins and 11 Losses for the this season (-11.4 units)

NHL > (13) OTTAWA@ (14) TORONTO | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 16 Wins and 55 Losses for the last two seasons (-36.85 units)

NHL > (11) MONTREAL@ (12) WINNIPEG | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MONTREAL using money line in Road games in non-conference games
The record is 1 Wins and 12 Losses for the this season (-11.9 units)

NHL > (17) WASHINGTON@ (18) BOSTON | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play AGAINST BOSTON using money line in Home games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 3 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (-10.65 units)

NHL > (19) FLORIDA@ (20) ARIZONA | 2016-03-05 21:05:00 - 2016-03-05 21:05:00
Play ON ARIZONA using money line in All games after a division game
The record is 14 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (+11.8 units)

NHL > (19) FLORIDA@ (20) ARIZONA | 2016-03-05 21:05:00 - 2016-03-05 21:05:00
Play AGAINST ARIZONA using money line in All games in a home game where where the total is 5 or less
The record is 5 Wins and 22 Losses for the last two seasons (-17.5 units)

NHL > (21) VANCOUVER@ (22) SAN JOSE | 2016-03-05 22:05:00 - 2016-03-05 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 13 Wins and 23 Losses for the last two seasons (-23.1 units)

NHL > (17) WASHINGTON@ (18) BOSTON | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in all games
The record is 47 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (+23.1 units)

NHL > (9) COLUMBUS@ (10) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 23 Wins and 45 Losses for the last two seasons (-30.25 units)

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

NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (9) COLUMBUS@ (10) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play ON COLUMBUS in Road games in March games
The record is 13 Wins and 3 Losses for the last three seasons (+14.35 units)

NHL > (11) MONTREAL@ (12) WINNIPEG | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play AGAINST WINNIPEG in Home games second half of the season
The record is 2 Wins and 11 Losses for the this season (-11.4 units)

NHL > (13) OTTAWA@ (14) TORONTO | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO in All games second half of the season
The record is 16 Wins and 55 Losses for the last two seasons (-36.85 units)

NHL > (11) MONTREAL@ (12) WINNIPEG | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MONTREAL in Road games in non-conference games
The record is 1 Wins and 12 Losses for the this season (-11.9 units)

NHL > (17) WASHINGTON@ (18) BOSTON | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play AGAINST BOSTON in Home games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 3 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (-10.65 units)

NHL > (19) FLORIDA@ (20) ARIZONA | 2016-03-05 21:05:00 - 2016-03-05 21:05:00
Play ON ARIZONA in All games after a division game
The record is 14 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (+11.8 units)

NHL > (19) FLORIDA@ (20) ARIZONA | 2016-03-05 21:05:00 - 2016-03-05 21:05:00
Play AGAINST ARIZONA in All games in a home game where where the total is 5 or less
The record is 5 Wins and 22 Losses for the last two seasons (-17.5 units)

NHL > (21) VANCOUVER@ (22) SAN JOSE | 2016-03-05 22:05:00 - 2016-03-05 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 13 Wins and 23 Losses for the last two seasons (-23.1 units)

NHL > (17) WASHINGTON@ (18) BOSTON | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play ON WASHINGTON in all games
The record is 47 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (+23.1 units)

NHL > (9) COLUMBUS@ (10) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 23 Wins and 45 Losses for the last two seasons (-30.25 units)

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

NHL TOTALS

NHL > (11) MONTREAL@ (12) WINNIPEG | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play OVER MONTREAL on the totalin Road games second half of the season
The record is 10 Overs and 1 Unders for the this season (+9.65 units)

NHL > (1) MINNESOTA@ (2) BUFFALO | 2016-03-05 13:05:00 - 2016-03-05 13:05:00
Play UNDER MINNESOTA on the totalin Road games after a 3 game unbeaten streak
The record is 0 Overs and 8 Unders for the last two seasons (+8.2 units)

NHL > (13) OTTAWA@ (14) TORONTO | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play OVER TORONTO on the totalin Home games on Saturday games
The record is 26 Overs and 8 Unders for the last three seasons (+17.9 units)

NHL > (21) VANCOUVER@ (22) SAN JOSE | 2016-03-05 22:05:00 - 2016-03-05 22:05:00
Play OVER SAN JOSE on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 23 Overs and 8 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.75 units)

NHL > (7) ANAHEIM@ (8) LOS ANGELES | 2016-03-05 16:05:00 - 2016-03-05 16:05:00
Play OVER ANAHEIM on the totalin Road games second half of the season
The record is 9 Overs and 1 Unders for the this season (+8.3 units)

NHL > (15) CAROLINA@ (16) TAMPA BAY | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play UNDER CAROLINA on the totalin All games when playing with 3 or more days rest
The record is 4 Overs and 17 Unders for the last three seasons (+12.5 units)

NHL > (17) WASHINGTON@ (18) BOSTON | 2016-03-05 19:05:00 - 2016-03-05 19:05:00
Play OVER BOSTON on the totalin Home games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 11 Overs and 2 Unders for the this season (+8.9 units)

CNOTES · Mar 5, 2016

NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, March 5

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MINNESOTA (30-25-0-10, 70 pts.) at BUFFALO (26-31-0-8, 60 pts.) - 3/5/2016, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 30-35 ATS (-13.9 Units) in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 10-19 ATS (-13.3 Units) second half of the season this season.
MINNESOTA is 10-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in non-conference games this season.
MINNESOTA is 13-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BUFFALO is 14-10 ATS (+27.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MINNESOTA is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in road games in March games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 4-1 (+1.9 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 4-1-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.9 Units)

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NASHVILLE (32-21-0-12, 76 pts.) at COLORADO (33-29-0-4, 70 pts.) - 3/5/2016, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 32-33 ATS (-13.2 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 13-30 ATS (+45.3 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 14-27 ATS (-16.6 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 127-110 ATS (-6.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 40-33 ATS (-2.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 12-8 ATS (+20.5 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
COLORADO is 17-12 ATS (+31.6 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
NASHVILLE is 199-145 ATS (+30.0 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 207-167 ATS (+31.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
COLORADO is 45-53 ATS (-54.0 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 7-4 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 7-4-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.5 Units)

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CALGARY (26-34-0-4, 56 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (33-22-0-8, 74 pts.) - 3/5/2016, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 2-11 ATS (+16.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
CALGARY is 99-100 ATS (+223.6 Units) in road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 77-73 ATS (+179.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 36-40 ATS (-34.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 20-25 ATS (-16.4 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 4-1 (+2.7 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 4-1-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.6 Units)

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

ANAHEIM (36-19-0-8, 80 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (38-21-0-4, 80 pts.) - 3/5/2016, 4:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 13-7 (+5.8 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 13-7-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-1.4 Units)

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COLUMBUS (27-30-0-8, 62 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (29-23-0-11, 69 pts.) - 3/5/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 9-2 (+8.2 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 9-2-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.4 Units)

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

MONTREAL (30-29-0-6, 66 pts.) at WINNIPEG (26-32-0-5, 57 pts.) - 3/5/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 5-18 ATS (-13.4 Units) in non-conference games this season.
MONTREAL is 12-17 ATS (-10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
WINNIPEG is 48-38 ATS (+90.5 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 28-10 ATS (+14.2 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 91-70 ATS (+162.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
WINNIPEG is 2-11 ATS (-12.0 Units) in home games second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 3-2 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 3-2-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.7 Units)

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

OTTAWA (30-28-0-7, 67 pts.) at TORONTO (21-32-0-10, 52 pts.) - 3/5/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 32-25 ATS (+57.0 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 13-8 ATS (+21.8 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
OTTAWA is 18-10 ATS (+30.5 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 51-94 ATS (-75.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 7-20 ATS (+28.9 Units) second half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 1-16 ATS (+23.8 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
TORONTO is 28-64 ATS (+112.3 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 3-17 ATS (+27.7 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
TORONTO is 21-40 ATS (+70.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 7-23 ATS (-18.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 6-5 (+2.3 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 6-5-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+7.2 Units)

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

CAROLINA (29-26-0-10, 68 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (38-22-0-4, 80 pts.) - 3/5/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 18-45 ATS (+80.9 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
CAROLINA is 58-86 ATS (-35.1 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 20-6 ATS (+10.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
TAMPA BAY is 11-2 ATS (+7.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
CAROLINA is 14-7 ATS (+6.8 Units) after a division game this season.
TAMPA BAY is 331-386 ATS (-168.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 7-1 (+5.5 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 7-1-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.2 Units)

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

WASHINGTON (47-13-0-4, 98 pts.) at BOSTON (36-23-0-6, 78 pts.) - 3/5/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-2 (+5.2 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 6-2-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.7 Units)

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

FLORIDA (36-20-0-8, 80 pts.) at ARIZONA (27-31-0-6, 60 pts.) - 3/5/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 138-212 ATS (+370.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
FLORIDA is 155-194 ATS (-80.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1996.
ARIZONA is 14-6 ATS (+21.7 Units) after a division game this season.
FLORIDA is 36-28 ATS (+6.3 Units) in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 3-11 ATS (+17.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
ARIZONA is 19-53 ATS (+78.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 18-42 ATS (+76.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 21-55 ATS (+93.5 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 15-52 ATS (+97.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 6-30 ATS (+56.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 3-2 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA is 3-2-0 straight up against FLORIDA 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)

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

VANCOUVER (24-27-0-12, 60 pts.) at SAN JOSE (35-22-0-6, 76 pts.) - 3/5/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 24-39 ATS (+65.1 Units) in all games this season.
VANCOUVER is 2-9 ATS (-9.5 Units) on Saturday games this season.
VANCOUVER is 9-21 ATS (+34.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VANCOUVER is 73-55 ATS (+16.8 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 5-10 ATS (-7.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
SAN JOSE is 16-20 ATS (-19.4 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 151-129 ATS (-68.9 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 35-35 ATS (-18.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 25-26 ATS (-19.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 7-4 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 7-4-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.8 Units)

CNOTES · Mar 5, 2016

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, March 5

Hot teams
-- Minnesota won last three games, allowing five goals.
-- Predators won five of their last six games. Colorado won three of last four at home.
-- Penguins won four of their last six games.
-- Anaheim won last 10 games, allowing 10 goals in last seven games. Kings won five of their last six games.
-- Philadelphia won three of its last four games.
-- Tampa Bay won its laat eight games.
-- Washington won seven of its last nine games. Boston won four of its last five.
-- San Jose won its last three games, outscoring foes 13-5.

Cold teams
-- Sabres lost four of their last six games.
-- Calgary lost its last seven games, scoring 15 goals.
-- Blue Jackets are 3-4 in their last seven games.
-- Winnipeg lost seven of last eight games. Canadiens lost last three games, outscored 12-6.
-- Toronto lost eight of its last nine games. Senators lost three of their last four.
-- Carolina lost three of its last four games.
-- Arizona lost its last seven games, scoring 13 goals. Panthers lost three of last four games.
-- Canucks lost seven of their last nine games.

Series records
-- Minnesota won four of last five games with Buffalo.
-- Colorado won four of last five games with Nashville.
-- Penguins won nine of last ten games with Calgary.
-- Ducks won five of last six games with Los Angeles.
-- Flyers lost their last five games with Columbus.
-- Canadiens won eigh tof last ten games with Winnipeg.
-- Ottawa won four of its last six games with Toronto.
-- Lightning won seven of last eight games with Carolina.
-- Bruins lost their last five games with Washington.
-- Arizona won six of its last nine games with Florida.
-- Road team won last ten Vancouver-San Jose games.

Totals
-- Six of last eight Buffalo games stayed under total.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Colorado games.
-- Seven of last ten Calgary games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Los Angeles games.
-- Over is 6-3-1 in last ten Columbus-Philadelphia games.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Montreal games.
-- Eight of last ten Ottawa-Toronto games went over.
-- Four of last five Carolina games stayed under.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five Washington-Boston games.
-- Last three Florida games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Vancouver-San Jose games stayed under.

Back-to-backs
-- Columbus is 6-9 if it played the night before.
-- Washington is 7-3 if it played the night before.

CNOTES · Mar 5, 2016

NHL

Saturday, March 5

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

1:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. BUFFALO
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Buffalo
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Buffalo is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games at home
Buffalo is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

3:00 PM
CALGARY vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Calgary's last 10 games
Calgary is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Pittsburgh's last 11 games when playing Calgary

3:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. COLORADO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Nashville's last 7 games on the road
Nashville is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Colorado is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games

4:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. LOS ANGELES
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Anaheim's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Anaheim's last 6 games on the road
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Los Angeles is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Anaheim

7:00 PM
CAROLINA vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Carolina's last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Carolina is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games at home
Tampa Bay is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games at home

7:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. PHILADELPHIA
Columbus is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Columbus's last 12 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 12 games when playing Columbus
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. WINNIPEG
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Montreal's last 14 games on the road
Montreal is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Winnipeg is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Winnipeg's last 7 games at home

7:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. TORONTO
Ottawa is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Ottawa's last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Ottawa
Toronto is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing Ottawa

7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. BOSTON
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Boston
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Washington

9:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 5 games when playing Arizona
Florida is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Arizona is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games when playing at home against Florida

10:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. SAN JOSE
Vancouver is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Vancouver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Jose's last 8 games when playing Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Jose's last 9 games at home

CNOTES · Mar 5, 2016

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS: 2 - 2
YTD: 6 - 9 -1.23

SATURDAY, MARCH 5

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIN at BUF 01:00 PM

MIN -155

O 5.0

CAL at PIT 03:00 PM

PIT -275

U 5.5 BEST BET

NAS at COL 03:00 PM

COL +129 BEST BET

O 5.5

ANA at LA 04:00 PM

ANA +122 BEST BET

O 5.0 BEST BET

CNOTES · Mar 5, 2016

SATURDAY, MARCH 5

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNIT

OTT at TOR 07:00 PM

OTT -127

CAR at TB 07:00 PM

CAR +177

CLB at PHI 07:00 PM

PHI -155

MON at WIN 07:00 PM

WIN -118

WAS at BOS 07:00 PM

BOS -130

FLA at ARI 09:00 PM

ARI +125

VAN at SJ 10:00 PM

VAN +210

CNOTES · Mar 6, 2016

Preview: Penguins (33-22) at Devils (31-28)
Date: March 06, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins had trouble providing reasons for losing at home to one of the NHL's worst teams when so much is on the line in a tight playoff race.

There's also little explanation for why they've played so poorly in their recent trips to New Jersey.

Cory Schneider's play in net has been part of it, but the injured Devils goaltender won't be in uniform when they try to trim their deficit for the Eastern Conference's final postseason spot Sunday night.

Pittsburgh (33-22-8) blew a two-goal lead in a loss to Washington on Tuesday before bouncing back with a win over the New York Rangers two nights later. But after Sidney Crosby scored his second goal of the game Saturday against a Calgary team that entered having dropped seven straight, the Flames scored the final three for a 4-2 victory.

The Penguins' five-point edge for the last wild-card spot was cut to three after Philadelphia routed Columbus 6-0 later that night. They also missed an opportunity to move into seventh in the East and could've pulled within one point of the New York Islanders, who hold the Metropolitan Division's last automatic playoff berth.

"For whatever reason, we didn't have the desperation, the urgency that you need," Crosby said. "Sometimes that happens, but there's no excuse for that because we need points. We're in a huge playoff race right now. We can't accept that. We've got to be better."

Pittsburgh has lost three of its last four on the road and begins a four-game trip against the Devils (31-28-7), who trail the Penguins by five points in the playoff race.

"The good thing is we've got 19 games left," said Patric Hornqvist, who had two assists to give him four along with five goals during a five-game point streak. "We know we have a good enough group in here to win a lot of games and series, so just fix those things and go on here."

Crosby and Phil Kessel scored in a 2-0 home win over the Devils in the last meeting Jan. 26, but Pittsburgh's had plenty of trouble finding the net in road matchups. The Penguins have been outscored 22-8 while dropping seven of eight in Newark and have been blanked in the last two by Schneider, who made 21 saves in a 4-0 win Nov. 14.

Schneider, though, suffered a lower-body injury and left in the second period of Friday's 4-2 loss at Dallas. The severity of his injury is expected to be released prior to the game, which backup Keith Kinkaid will start.

Kinkaid stopped all six shots he faced against the Stars and is 5-5-1 with a 2.48 goals-against average in 11 starts and three relief efforts this season.

"Keith came in and played great right when he went in there," said forward Adam Henrique, who has four goals over his last three. "They had a couple opportunities he made big saves on."

New Jersey could use a solid performance from Kinkaid with the club running out of time to catch Pittsburgh. The Devils have dropped seven of their last nine, including a 1-4-0 mark at home in that stretch.

Coach John Hynes certainly wasn't pleased with the latest effort.

"We were just light on the puck," Hynes said. "May have been the difference of getting a point out of the game or two points out of the game right there."

Crosby has scored once in his last 10 games in New Jersey.

CNOTES · Mar 6, 2016

Preview: Islanders (35-20) at Rangers (38-21)
Date: March 06, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

After knocking off the NHL's top team despite being without their star goaltender, the New York Rangers look to take down their in-state rival for the first time this season.

With Henrik Lundqvist's status uncertain, the Rangers try to avoid a third straight defeat to a New York Islanders' team that's looking for six wins on a seven-game road trip for the first time in franchise history Sunday night.

As Lundqvist sat with neck spasms, the Rangers (38-21-6) got a tiebreaking goal from Derek Stepan early in the third and 32 saves from Antti Raanta in Friday's 3-2 victory at Washington.

'It was a good sign for us responding under tough conditions, travel (to Washington) and obviously going against the top team in the league and proving that we can come out on top,' said captain Ryan McDonagh, who had two assists.

Though the second-place Rangers are well back of the Capitals in the Metropolitan Division, they're amid an 11-3-1 stretch and five points ahead of the third-place Islanders (35-20-7).

"It's about finding ways to win," coach Alain Vigneault said.

The Rangers did so minus Lundqvist, who remains day to day after he left Thursday's 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh following a collision with McDonagh.

"I don't think it's anything serious," Vigneault said of Lundqvist, who yielded three goals in the second period of that defeat. "He's getting evaluated again (Saturday)."

Lundqvist stopped 65 of 68 shots while the Rangers totaled two goals in going 0-1-1 in this season's first two meetings with the Islanders - both on the road.

Raanta has a 1.67 goals-against average while winning his last three starts, and could make his first career appearance against the Islanders.

"(The Rangers) are a good team, right in front of us in the standings," Islanders forward Anders Lee said. "Big divisional game, and we've got to be ready to go. They play physical. We've got to get to the net and limit their opportunities, obviously."

The Islanders improved to 5-1-0 on a season-high seven-game trip with Thursday's 4-3 overtime win against Winnipeg. Kyle Okposo scored the winner and had an assist while Lee also contributed one of each.

"The guys worked hard this road trip," coach Jack Capuano told the NHL's official website.

Okposo and Lee have combined for three goals and four assists in the last two games for the Islanders, who have won nine of 12.

"Just excited for us and the boys," Lee said. "It will be nice to get back home and get our bearings back."

Amid their recent success, the Islanders are just 2 for 20 on the power play in seven games but 2 for 4 against the Rangers in 2015-16.

Okposo has a goal with two assists against them this season.

Though Thomas Greiss started the last two games, Jaroslav Halak could get the call after stopping all but two of 69 shots faced in the first two of this season series.

While playing for Montreal, St. Louis and the Islanders, Halak has a 1.25 GAA and .960 save percentage during a four-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden. He made 27 saves in a 3-0 victory in the teams' most recent meeting there Jan. 13 of last year.

In the midst of a 7-0-1 starting stretch, Greiss has never made a start against the Rangers.

Teammate John Tavares has gone three games without a point after recording 19 in the previous 14 contests.

CNOTES · Mar 6, 2016

Preview: Stars (39-20) at Senators (30-28)
Date: March 06, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

Dallas' growing list of injuries now includes John Klingberg, further thinning out a defensive unit that already is missing Jordie Benn.

The Stars won't get concerned unless the issues extend into the postseason, but the injuries could affect where they end up in a tight Central Division race.

Dallas looks to avoid a fifth loss in six games Sunday night when it faces an Ottawa Senators team hoping to improve its postseason chances.

Benn and forward Patrick Sharp are expected to miss roughly another week with lower-body injuries, and forward Patrick Eaves has been out the last six games while battling pneumonia. Dallas (39-20-7) snapped a four-game skid with Friday's 4-2 win over New Jersey, but Klingberg left early with a lower-body injury and didn't practice Saturday.

Coach Lindy Ruff said Klingberg, who ranks third among defensemen with 53 points, won't travel to face Ottawa (31-28-7), although there's a chance if he progresses quicker than expected that he could join the club for Tuesday's game at Montreal.

Eaves practiced Thursday and will travel, but Ruff didn't say if he'll be in the lineup. With only six healthy defensemen, Ruff hinted that a call-up from the minors was expected before this contest.

"Nothing conclusive with the tests, which is good," Ruff said of Klingberg's injury. "So, we just go day to day with him and see where he is at."

The Stars are tied with Chicago for the Central lead and are two points ahead of St. Louis despite going 2-5-2 since falling to the Blues in overtime Feb. 16. Their wounded group looked good against the Devils, though, as Valeri Nichushkin scored and had an assist on his 21st birthday.

Vernon Fiddler scored his 100th career goal, Former Senator Jason Spezza added his 23rd of the season and Alex Goligoski and Mattias Janmark had two assists apiece.

"We haven't won too much lately, so you don't want to lose that feeling of winning," Janmark said. "It's good to break that losing streak, but we have to work on a winning streak now."

The Senators are trying to do the same. They're tied with New Jersey and Carolina for 10th in the Eastern Conference, five points back of Pittsburgh for the last wild-card spot.

Ottawa is 6-2-1 in its last nine, but it had dropped three of four prior to Saturday's 3-2 win at Toronto in Dion Phaneuf's first game there since being acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Maple Leafs on Feb. 9.

Bobby Ryan scored before Marc Methot tied it early in the third and Zack Smith tallied the winner with 2:15 remaining.

'Big points for us,' Phaneuf said. 'We seemed to keep coming."

Mike Hoffman scored twice and Jean-Gabriel Pageau had two goals and an assist to overcome a three-point night from Jamie Benn in a 7-4 victory over the Stars in the first meeting Nov. 24, snapping a seven-game losing streak in the series.

Hoffman has scored once in his last 10, though, and coach Dave Cameron benched him for the entire third period Saturday.

'Ice time is always distributed with what I think gives us the best chance to win,' Cameron said without elaborating on the decision.

Craig Anderson made 33 saves in the first meeting with Dallas, but he suffered a lower-body injury Monday against St. Louis and is considered day to day. Andrew Hammond has started the last two and stopped 41 shots Saturday.

Kari Lehtonen earned the win for the Stars on Friday, but Antti Niemi could be back in goal for this one.

CNOTES · Mar 6, 2016

Preview: Red Wings (32-21) at Blackhawks (40-21)
Date: March 06, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

A stellar performance by Patrick Kane and company left quite an impression on Detroit coach Jeff Blashill after his Red Wings suffered a home loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in their first of two meetings in five days.

Blashill acknowledged afterward what his team needs to do to slow down Kane, and they'll get another shot in Sunday's rematch at the United Center.

Chicago (40-21-5) got off to a quick start Wednesday against its longtime rival, taking a 1-0 lead 2:23 into the first period on Brent Seabrook's career-high 13th goal en route to a 5-2 victory. The game took a major turn in the second when the Blackhawks took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play, scoring twice in a 1:26 span to go up 3-0.

Kane assisted on the first - Artemi Panarin's first of two goals on the night - and scored the second after Seabrook found him wide open at the blue line. The superstar then skated in untouched to wrist a shot past Petr Mrazek.

'We've just got to do a better job of being tight to him,' Blashill said of Kane, who has a career-best 37 goals and leads the league with a career high-tying 88 points. "We've got to do a better job of not giving him as much space. It's not an easy thing to do. He's great at creating space, but you have to limit his opportunities.'

The trouble with that is if too much attention is paid to Kane, linemates Artem Anisimov and Panarin also have a knack for scoring. Panarin leads all rookies with 24 goals and 59 points and has four of his six power-play scores in the last seven games.

"Him and Kane, they find each other pretty much anywhere," Detroit defensemen Jonathan Ericsson said. "We've got to be aware of them wherever they are. They're a little unpredictable on the ice, too because they maybe don't follow the standard routes, so you've got to keep an eye on them and try to stay close."

The Blackhawks haven't had a 90-point scorer since Jeremy Roenick totaled 107 in 1993-94.

Blashill also had high praise for Corey Crawford, who didn't allow a goal until midway through the third period and finished with 31 saves. Wednesday's victory gave him a career-high 34 - the most by a Blackhawks goaltender since Ed Belfour had 37 in 1993-94.

"He consistently does that," Blashill said. "He makes big saves at big moments, that's why he is who he is. He's a big piece of their team."

Crawford got the day off the following night, and Chicago came out flat Thursday in Boston, getting outshot 12-5 in the first period and losing 4-2.

'I know it's a back-to-back, but you can't really make up any excuses," defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said.

Although the Blackhawks didn't play with much intensity, the power play continued to roll as Jonathan Toews scored with the man advantage. Chicago, tied with Dallas atop the Western Conference, is 12 for 25 with the extra skater in the last eight games. Detroit (32-21-11) had killed all 17 penalties over a six-game stretch before having its three-game win streak end Wednesday.

"We've got to stay out of the box," Ericsson said. "Their power play is really good. ... We've got to communicate a little better."

The three days' off between games for Detroit should benefit Mrazek, who returned Wednesday after sitting out Monday's 3-2 overtime win at Dallas with a groin injury. Mrazek has allowed five goals in three of his last six starts after going 9-2-2 with a 1.22 goals-against average in his previous 13.

Brad Richards, who won the Stanley Cup with Chicago last season, scored Wednesday and has been heating up, tallying three of his eight goals in the last six games.

The Blackhawks are 7-1-1 in their last nine home meetings with the Red Wings, which includes the 2013 Western Conference semifinals.

CNOTES · Mar 6, 2016

Preview: Oilers (25-35) at Jets (26-32)
Date: March 06, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

After a last-place team snapped Edmonton's mini-run, the Oilers can still put a positive stamp on their trip against another.

Two days after watching their first win streak in a month end, the Oilers visit the Winnipeg Jets in a battle of two of the Western Conference's worst teams Sunday night.

Edmonton (25-35-7) found a pulse with three straight wins following a dismal 1-8-2 stretch, including victories at Buffalo on Tuesday and Philadelphia on Thursday to open a four-game trip. But despite another goal and an assist from rookie phenom Connor McDavid, the Oilers blew up defensively in Friday's 6-3 loss at Columbus, pushing them to the bottom of the Pacific Division with 57 points.

The effects of Thursday's 4-0 win over the Flyers were evident as the Blue Jackets scored on their first two shots and beat 22-year-old backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit four times in the opening 30 minutes.

"I was concerned going in that our gas tanks would be a little bit empty and the energy level would be low," coach Todd McLellan told the team's official website. "Tired teams can still win in this league if they play smart, and we didn't."

McDavid, the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, has returned from a broken left collarbone with eight goals and 14 assists in 17 games to pump life into an Edmonton attack that averages 2.40 goals.

However, it was a defensive unit ranked toward the bottom of the league that lifted the Oilers on their run and floored them in their latest loss.

Edmonton, the only remaining team with single digit victories on the road at 9-21-5, surrendered two goals on its win streak and six over its previous five games before Brossoit coughed up six in his second start of the season and third of his career.

Starter Cam Talbot will return Sunday looking to continue the dominance that resulted in a .966 save percentage over his last five starts. Talbot stopped 44 shots in a 3-1 home win over the Jets on Dec. 21, but Brossoit suffered the loss in a 2-1 shootout defeat in Edmonton on Feb. 13.

Winnipeg has won five of the last six meetings in this series, though four of them were decided in either overtime or a shootout.

The Jets (27-32-5), last in the Central, followed their Feb. 13 win over the Oilers with a 1-5-2 stretch before Saturday's 4-2 win over Montreal snapped a three-game skid.

Mark Scheifele continued his hot streak with his first career hat trick, including the winner with 6:59 left to end Winnipeg's six-game home skid.

Scheifele has followed a 14-game goal drought with eight in his last eight since stepping into the No. 1 center spot following a season-ending vertebrae injury to Bryan Little. Scheifele leads Winnipeg with a career-high 20 goals.

"It feels good," the 22-year-old told the team's official website. "I want to continue to grow and get better."

Saturday was the first time in eight games Winnipeg held an opponent to fewer than three goals. Michael Hutchinson started four games in that stretch, scuffling to an .885 save percentage and 3.50 goals-against average.

Winnipeg placed defenseman Adam Pardy on waivers Sunday and Edmonton picked him up a day later. The 31-year-old had just one assist in 14 games with the Jets, but he has two in three contests with the Oilers.

CNOTES · Mar 6, 2016

Preview: Blues (37-20) at Wild (30-25)
Date: March 06, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

While the St. Louis Blues try to keep the pressure on in the race for Western Conference supremacy, the Minnesota Wild would like to extend their new wild-card lead.

Jori Lehtera played a major role in evening this season series last month. Now he's hoping to return as the Blues look to come away with the decisive fifth meeting.

Vladimir Tarasenko attempts to torment the hosts again Sunday night when St. Louis chases its third straight win and tries to deny Minnesota its longest run in almost a year.

The Blues have had four days off since a 4-3 shootout win at Ottawa moved them into a three-way tie atop the Central Division. With Chicago and Dallas now leading the West by two points, St. Louis will try to keep pace with its seventh win in eight road games.

The Blues (37-20-9), however, have dropped four of their last five trips to Minnesota, including last year's first-round playoff series that the Wild won in six games. They evened this season series Feb. 6 when Lehtera, Paul Stastny and Troy Brouwer each had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 home win.

Stastny has three assists and four points in his three games against the Wild.

With some time off between games, Lehtera said he was "pretty sure" he'd be ready to return following a three-game absence after taking a redirected puck to the face on Feb. 25 against the New York Rangers.

"I feel pretty good," he told the team's official website. "I'm ready to play again."

Tarasenko, who scored his team-high 30th goal against the Senators, should feel good about facing the Wild (31-25-10). The right wing has scored in each of his last four regular-season meetings and has 11 goals in his past 12 versus Minnesota, including playoffs.

St. Louis has totaled eight goals in its back-to-back wins after scoring just four times during a three-game losing streak. The club hopes to keep it going against projected starter Devan Dubnyk, who stopped 30 shots in a 3-2 shootout win at Buffalo on Saturday.

Dubnyk is 4-1-1 with a 1.98 goals-against average in his last six starts against the Blues dating to last year's playoff series. Minnesota's defense continues to carry an offense that has averaged 2.6 goals in its last seven.

David Jones, however, scored his first goal since he was acquired from Calgary at the trade deadline as Minnesota won its fourth straight Saturday.

The Wild, who have made the playoffs three straight years, moved into sole possession of the West's final wild-card spot with the victory and Colorado's loss. They can build a four-point cushion with their first five-game run since March 21-28.

'Every single point is important and we've got to keep getting better and keep building our game,' said Mikko Koivu, who has found the net in each of the past two games.

Charlie Coyle has three goals in his last two home games and scored twice in the other home meeting with St. Louis. Erik Haula has two goals in the past three matchups overall.

Jake Allen will try to contain Minnesota after allowing five goals on 77 shots in the back-to-back wins. Including playoffs, he owns a 2.19 GAA in 10 career starts.

CNOTES · Mar 6, 2016

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (53) DETROIT@ (54) CHICAGO | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play ON CHICAGO using money line in Home games after a non-conference game
The record is 13 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+13 units)

NHL > (53) DETROIT@ (54) CHICAGO | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play ON CHICAGO using money line in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 22 Wins and 5 Losses for the this season (+16.7 units)

NHL > (59) EDMONTON@ (60) WINNIPEG | 2016-03-06 19:05:00 - 2016-03-06 19:05:00
Play AGAINST WINNIPEG using money line in Home games second half of the season
The record is 2 Wins and 11 Losses for the this season (-11.4 units)

NHL > (57) PITTSBURGH@ (58) NEW JERSEY | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH using money line in All games vs. division opponents
The record is 18 Wins and 33 Losses for the last two seasons (-28.5 units)

NHL > (61) ST LOUIS@ (62) MINNESOTA | 2016-03-06 20:05:00 - 2016-03-06 20:05:00
Play ON ST LOUIS using money line in Road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 8 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+7.3 units)

NHL > (61) ST LOUIS@ (62) MINNESOTA | 2016-03-06 20:05:00 - 2016-03-06 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in Home games second half of the season
The record is 3 Wins and 9 Losses for the this season (-10.85 units)

NHL > (57) PITTSBURGH@ (58) NEW JERSEY | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH using money line in Road games vs. division opponents
The record is 6 Wins and 18 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.45 units)

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

NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (53) DETROIT@ (54) CHICAGO | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play ON CHICAGO in Home games after a non-conference game
The record is 13 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+13 units)

NHL > (53) DETROIT@ (54) CHICAGO | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play ON CHICAGO in All games after a non-conference game
The record is 22 Wins and 5 Losses for the this season (+16.7 units)

NHL > (59) EDMONTON@ (60) WINNIPEG | 2016-03-06 19:05:00 - 2016-03-06 19:05:00
Play AGAINST WINNIPEG in Home games second half of the season
The record is 2 Wins and 11 Losses for the this season (-11.4 units)

NHL > (57) PITTSBURGH@ (58) NEW JERSEY | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH in All games vs. division opponents
The record is 18 Wins and 33 Losses for the last two seasons (-28.5 units)

NHL > (61) ST LOUIS@ (62) MINNESOTA | 2016-03-06 20:05:00 - 2016-03-06 20:05:00
Play ON ST LOUIS in Road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 8 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+7.3 units)

NHL > (61) ST LOUIS@ (62) MINNESOTA | 2016-03-06 20:05:00 - 2016-03-06 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA in Home games second half of the season
The record is 3 Wins and 9 Losses for the this season (-10.85 units)

NHL > (57) PITTSBURGH@ (58) NEW JERSEY | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play AGAINST PITTSBURGH in Road games vs. division opponents
The record is 6 Wins and 18 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.45 units)

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

NHL TOTALS

NHL > (53) DETROIT@ (54) CHICAGO | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin All games in non-conference games
The record is 15 Overs and 37 Unders for the last two seasons (+21.65 units)

NHL > (51) DALLAS@ (52) OTTAWA | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play OVER OTTAWA on the totalin All games in non-conference games
The record is 33 Overs and 14 Unders for the last two seasons (+18.75 units)

NHL > (51) DALLAS@ (52) OTTAWA | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play OVER OTTAWA on the totalin Home games in non-conference games
The record is 28 Overs and 10 Unders for the last three seasons (+18.45 units)

NHL > (53) DETROIT@ (54) CHICAGO | 2016-03-06 17:05:00 - 2016-03-06 17:05:00
Play UNDER CHICAGO on the totalin Home games in non-conference games
The record is 7 Overs and 19 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.7 units)

CNOTES · Mar 6, 2016

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

-- Austin Peay 83, UT-Martin 73-- 8th seed in OVC wins the tournament.

-- Western Carolina 88, Wofford 83 2OT-- WCU's point guard played all 50:00.

-- Marshall 109, Southern Mississippi 106 OT-- Losing side scored 90+ points in six of last nine Marshall games.

-- Northern Colorado 78, Montana 72-- Bears were a 15-point underdog.

-- Virginia 68, Louisville 46-- Dismal end to season for Cardinals.

-- Dayton 68, VCU 67 OT-- Atlantic 14 ends in a three-way tie for first.

**********

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

13) It is now Champ Week, not Championship Week; wonder what genius got paid to come up with that one? In any event, it is one of the best weeks all year and it is off to a tremendous start. In lot of ways, this week is better than the NCAAs, since for lot of these schools, just getting in the tournament is the biggest deal of all.

12) Yale 71, Columbia 55-- Yale is in NCAAs for first time since 1962; congrats to the Bulldogs and coach James Jones, a fellow Albany alum and a good guy. He's done a consistently solid job at Yale and now the national media will get to know him.

11) Austin Peay 83, UT-Martin 73 OT-- 69-year old Dave Loos is Austin Peay's coach; he is 491-443 in 30 years as a head coach, 26 of which have been at Peay. Last four years, they're 20-44 in OVC games, but over last four days, they put together a run for the ages, posting four straight upsets to win the OVC tournament.

Coach Loos has ten grandchildren, one of whom is a 5-year old girl who is fighting cancer; hopefully this tournament run gave the family some joy at a sad time.

10) In case you wonder about such things, the three states with the highest rate of sleep deprivation are: Kentucky-Hawai'i-Maryland.

9) The last first-team basketball All-American whose team didn't make the NCAA tournament was Mychal Thompson (Klay's father) at Minnesota in 1978. Its going to happen this year with Ben Simmons and LSU.

8) Saturday was Josh Whitman's first day as the new AD at Illinois; all he did was fire the football coach, who had just signed a 2-year contract in November, so the school has to eat $985,000, and four new assistant coaches who just moved to Champaign have to go and find new jobs. This was totally unexpected.

Lot of speculation on social media had Illinois going after Lovie Smith to be coach.

7) Illinois is 13-17 in basketball this year, 5-12 in conference; in John Groce's four years with the Illini, he is 75-59, 29-42 in Big 14. If I were him, I'd be nervous.

6) Boston College finishes 0-18 in basketball, meaning they go 0-26 in this school year in football/basketball, a level of consistent ineptitude that will go down in history as basically unbeatable. How does the athletic director not get fired there?

5) North Carolina 76, Duke 72-- Duke was 13-34 on arc, 12-33 inside arc; they let Carolina's big men catch the ball 12-15 feet from basket, and defied them to score and it almost worked but it didn't-- Carolina is top seed in ACC tournament, Duke tied for 5th with Notre Dame. They're likely to be lower than a 2-seed for only 4th time in their last 20 NCAA tournaments and are vulnerable to an early upset.

4) Northern Iowa 57, Wichita State 52 OT-- Joe Lunardi was fairly adamant last night that the Shockers are in the tournament, so I'll defer to him on that, but they will have a very, long, nervous week until they see their name in the brackets. Wichita is not that strong on offense-- MVC is only the #12 conference this season.

3) Siena plays Iona tonight in Albany, the #2 seed playing the #3 seed on #3 seed's home court. MAAC teams have bitched about this for years, but Albany is the only place they can hold the tournament and make a lot of money. At the end of the day, no one likes to lose money.

2) IP-Fort Worth has a kid named Max Landis who routinely jacks 28-footers; he is shooting 45.5% behind the arc this year for the 24-8 Mastodons, who play in the semis of the Summit League Monday night- they're a fun team to watch.

1) As a DirecTV subscriber, this was the first year that ESPN3.com was available to me on my laptop-- have enjoyed it a lot. Saw a ton more games, from the Southern Conference to Summit the Big West to the MAC. Some of these leagues are better than you think- if the top seeds can survive their conference tournaments, they could spring some surprises in the NCAA tournament in a couple of weeks.