Cnotes NHL April's Picks Thru the Playoffs - Trends - News - Etc. !!

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack


-- Spurs 100, Thunder 96-- Spurs are 16-4 in series if they have a 2-1 lead.


-- Cavaliers 121, Hawks 108-- Do they really have to play anymore?


-- Thunder 2, Islanders 1 OT-- Tampa Bay wins both games in Brooklyn in OT.


-- Golfer Zac Blair was DQ'd after he used a putter that he bent when he smacked himself in the head with it. No bueno.


-- Marlins 6, Phillies 4-- Miami has won 11 of its last 12 games.


-- KLWheat likes Mohaymen in the Kentucky Derby.


**********


Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: DD Lohaus handicaps the Kentucky Derby....

First Saturday in May; must be Kentucky Derby Day!


Snuck up on me this year which again proves that the older you get, the faster time flies.


As I write this analysis and give my picks, the weather for Saturday looks gorgeous and should allow for all runners to give their best efforts. It is with that assumption that I make my analysis and selections.




The conversation begins with Nyquist. He has done nothing wrong and has been on quite a run since last year. He has beaten another top contender in this race (Exaggerator) three times! This team has won the Derby (and Preakness) before and Nyquist will likely be favored for the race. He is a logical favorite and his versatile running style makes him very dangerous.


Mohaymen came up short in the much anticipated race with Nyquist in the Florida Derby. Trainer calls it 'a throw out' and this guy looked fantastic in his last workout (46.8). May be a bit too fast to have enough left to handle this group but also could be peaking at the right time; maybe he didn't like losing his last (and first) in Florida and will be extra motivated to turn the tables on Nyquist. A lot to like if you're willing to throw out the last.


Gun Runner, for Steve Asmussen, is a the prototypical 'sharp-looker' from a high octane outfit. Has a steady race tab and been winning quite nicely. He will have to be on his toes for this one but may be ready to step forward. Like the 6F workout; not necessarily the time but the distance; tells me he has some bottom... I would not be surprised if this one makes some noise.


Exaggerator, as mentioned earlier is a top contender but hasn't figured out how to be Nyquist. A prime post position should give him lots of choices. Not sure I like to pick a horse that's been beaten three times by the expected race favorite. He is a hard knocker who gives an honest effort and maybe he just needed to figure things out. I think he's more likely to get a minor award.


Destin has had eight weeks off since his last race; a win in the Tampa Derby. This one has the looks of a runner flying under the radar for Todd Pletcher (if that's possible). Not thrilled with his latest workout, but I wouldn't be shocked if this one shows well on Saturday. This one will offer some value and worth playing underneath top ones.


The Bets:


$20WP Mohaymen: I think this guys turns the table and runs BIG on Saturday.


$10Ex Mohaymen/Nyquist, Gun Runner, Exaggerator, Destin


$5Ex Nyquist, Gun Runner, Exaggerator, Destin/Mohaymen


$1ExBx Nyquist/Gun Runner/Exaggerator/Destin


$2Tri Mohaymen/Nyquist/Gun Runner, Exaggerator, Destin


Total Bets: $118.00

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up


Saturday, May 7


Pittsburgh-Washington (P 3-1)
Hornqvist scored at 2:34 of OT to put Caps' bacl to wall here. Washington D Orpik is suspended one more game; he is their most physical defenseman, and a solid penalty killer; Penguins get LeTang back. Home team is 3-1 in this series. Penguins won four of last six visits here, but are 0-14 on power play in series, Washington 1-12. Pens won 11 of last 14 games; over is 7-3-3 in their last 13 games. Capitals lost two of last three home games, five of last seven games overall. Under is 6-2-3 in Washington's last 11 games.


St Louis-Dallas (2-2)
Eakin scored at 2:58 of OT to tie series, give Dallas home ice edge. St Louis won eight of last 11 games with Dallas overall-- home team won six of last nine series games, with the over 3-1-1 in last five series games. Four of last five St Louis wins in series came in OT or SO. Over is 5-1-2 in St Louis' last eight games. Dallas won eight of last 12 games overall; over is 5-1-2 in their last eight games. Stars are 1-14 on power play in series, St Louis 5-17. Blues won three of their last five visits to Lone Star State. .


Nashville-San Jose (2-2)
Home side won all four series games; Fisher scored 51:12 into OT, after Nashville tied game with 4:21 left in game. Sharks won seven of last ten games overall, four of last five vs Nashville in this building. Over is 3-0-2 in their last five games. Predators lost five of last nine games, three of last four on road; they've won last five times they scored 3+ goals; they're 1-5 in last six games scoring two or less goals. San Jose is 4-14 on power play in series, Nashville is 3-15. Under is 6-4-2 in last 11 series games. Very long game less than 48 hours ago with long plane trip mixed in there. Lot of tired legs.


Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 10-6, Over: 7-3-6








NHL


Saturday, May 7


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


1:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. DALLAS
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Dallas
St. Louis is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Dallas is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing St. Louis


7:15 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. WASHINGTON
Pittsburgh is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Washington
Pittsburgh is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Washington is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh


10:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. SAN JOSE
Nashville is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Nashville is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
San Jose is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Nashville

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel


Saturday, May 7




Pittsburgh @ Washington


Game 61-62
May 7, 2016 @ 7:15 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
12.664
Washington
11.552
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-155
5
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(+135); Over


St. Louis @ Dallas


Game 63-64
May 7, 2016 @ 1:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
13.003
Dallas
12.198
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
-125
5
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(+105); Over


Nashville @ San Jose


Game 65-66
May 7, 2016 @ 10:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
10.298
San Jose
13.101
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 3
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-165
5
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(-165); Under








NHL
Long Sheet


Saturday, May 7


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


PITTSBURGH (55-27-0-9, 119 pts.) at WASHINGTON (61-22-0-9, 131 pts.) - 5/7/2016, 8:15 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 61-31 ATS (+25.0 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 48-27 ATS (+17.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 55-36 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 19-12 ATS (+31.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
PITTSBURGH is 37-17 ATS (+13.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 91-80 ATS (+178.9 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 26-13 ATS (+8.9 Units) vs. division opponents this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 11-6 (+4.5 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 11-6-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.7 Units)


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


ST LOUIS (55-28-0-10, 120 pts.) at DALLAS (56-25-0-11, 123 pts.) - 5/7/2016, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 56-36 ATS (+15.3 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 25-17 ATS (+45.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 55-38 ATS (+5.9 Units) in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 26-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
ST LOUIS is 18-10 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 20-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 25-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
ST LOUIS is 30-20 ATS (+8.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 19-11 ATS (+6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 30-36 ATS (-8.5 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 11-8-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
10 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.3 Units)


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


NASHVILLE (47-32-0-14, 108 pts.) at SAN JOSE (52-32-0-7, 111 pts.) - 5/7/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 47-46 ATS (-14.2 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 19-30 ATS (-16.8 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 23-36 ATS (+60.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 29-14 ATS (+29.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
SAN JOSE is 21-10 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN JOSE is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
NASHVILLE is 201-149 ATS (+27.2 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 10-16 ATS (-11.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
SAN JOSE is 25-28 ATS (-24.7 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 2-7 ATS (-9.6 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive overs this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 8-5 (+4.7 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 8-5-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.6 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Penguins (48-26) at Capitals (56-18)
Date: May 07, 2016 7:15 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins keep on proving the time-worn adage that it isn't how you start, but how you finish.


The NHL's best team over the regular season's final month enters Saturday night's Game 5 of its Eastern Conference semifinal with a chance to send yet another promising Washington Capitals' campaign to a bitter playoff ending.


A matchup between the Presidents' Trophy winners and the league's hottest team down the stretch has so far gone in favor of the latter. The Penguins have registered three straight one-goal victories following a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 1 to put Washington on the brink of elimination as the series shifts back to Verizon Center.


Pittsburgh has moved a big step closer to its first Stanley Cup final since 2009 with consecutive 3-2 wins, with rookie Matt Murray's 47 saves the difference in Monday's Game 3 and Patric Hornqvist playing the hero Wednesday by scoring 2:43 into overtime.


Despite an 0-for-14 showing on the power play and being outshot in each of the last two matchups, the Penguins hold a 3-1 series advantage by making the most of their even-strength opportunities and the 21-year-old Murray outplaying Vezina Trophy favorite Braden Holtby.


"They're a good defensive team and it's the playoffs, it's hard to get scoring chances," Hornqvist said. "But when we get them, we score, and that's part of why we win the game."


Pittsburgh's season-long resiliency continues to show up as well. Murray is 6-1-0 with a 1.81 goals-against average in these playoffs filling in for a now-healthy Marc-Andre Fleury, and the Penguins overcame Kris Letang's Game 4 absence after the cornerstone defenseman was suspended one game for an illegal hit in Monday's win.


Trevor Daley did his part to offset Letang's departure with a huge Game 4. The in-season acquisition scored Pittsburgh's first goal and was a plus-3 in a team-best 28:41 of ice time while helping keep Alex Ovechkin off the scoresheet.


'It wasn't a perfect game by any stretch but we're playing against a pretty good opponent and Tanger's a tough guy to replace,' coach Mike Sullivan said. 'Guys had to play more minutes, more significant roles. I thought the group of them did a tremendous job."


Such performances have been par for the course for Pittsburgh since Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston in mid-December. The Penguins were ninth in the East at the time, but vaulted to second in the Metropolitan Division after a 14-2-0 finish with star forward Evgeni Malkin sidelined for nearly that entire run.


Washington, which went a league-leading 27-6-8 in one-goal games en route to a franchise-record 120 points, returns home in an all-too-familiar position. The Capitals have been a No. 1 or 2 seed three times previously since 2009 and failed to reach the conference finals each time.


The Capitals have recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win a series once in the 11-year Ovechkin era, rallying past the New York Rangers in the 2009 quarterfinals before falling to eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh in the second round.


'We have the experience, the composure,' said Holtby, who has allowed three or more goals in three of the four games. 'It's just a matter of putting it to use now and keep pushing forward. Hopefully the bounces will go our way sooner or later.'


Getting production from sources other than Ovechkin, T.J. Oshie and John Carlson, who have accounted for 12 of the Capitals' 23 postseason goals, would help as well. Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov have been particularly quiet, recording just one assist each in the series after both had at least 70 points in the regular season.


Washington will attempt to stay alive with defenseman Brooks Orpik still unavailable as the ex-Penguin finishes serving a three-game suspension for a high hit on Olli Maatta in Game 2.


Maatta is expected to miss a third straight game after sustaining an upper-body injury on the play. Pittsburgh will have forward Eric Fehr back after the key penalty killer sat out Game 4 with an undisclosed injury.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Penguins at Capitals
Thu, Apr 28 Final 3 to 4
Recaps


GAME 2
Penguins at Capitals
Sat, Apr 30 Final 2 to 1
Recaps


GAME 3
Capitals at Penguins
Mon, May 2 Final 2 to 3
Recaps


GAME 4
Capitals at Penguins
Wed, May 4 Final 2 to 3
Recaps


GAME 5
Penguins at Capitals
Sat, May 7 - 7:15PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blues (49-24) at Stars (50-23)
Date: May 07, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

Kari Lehtonen might have ended the Dallas Stars' recent goaltender carousel after leading them to a crucial overtime victory. Coach Lindy Ruff wasn't exactly forthcoming, however, choosing a deadpan statement over a ringing endorsement.


In all likelihood, Lehtonen will stand between the pipes for the Stars' attempt to take command of their Western Conference semifinal series against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.


Lehtonen made 24 saves in a 3-2 win Thursday that tied the series at 2-all and became the first Stars goaltender to complete a start in three contests. He was pulled after the first period in Game 2 and replaced Antti Niemi early in the second in Game 3, a 6-1 drubbing Tuesday.


"I think Kari stepped up to the plate tonight and brought us a great game. Made some big saves in there," captain Jamie Benn told the league's official website. "It was definitely huge for this hockey club."


With the Stars alternating Lehtonen and Niemi for much of this season, Ruff is likely accustomed to playing it close to the chest on who will serve as his starter.


"Now we've got a decision to make again next game with these two goalies," Ruff said before giving a sideways glance and a slight smirk.


Dallas is hoping its return home resembles its 2-1 victory in the series opener with Lehtonen in net rather than its 4-3 overtime defeat in Game 2.


"It's best two out of three now," forward Jason Spezza said. "We're excited to be going home. We've got to go home and try to win a game."


The teams have split four matchups in Dallas this season, and Lehtonen has yielded one goal on 54 shots in the two wins.


"They've got home-ice advantage again. We've got our work cut out for us," St. Louis captain David Backes said. "We've got to put this one behind us like we put the other ones behind us and worry about going in there Saturday afternoon and winning a game."


The Blues will try to steal back home-ice advantage while adding to their recent special-teams prowess. They are 5 for 15 on the power play in the past three games after going 1 for 3 on Thursday.


St. Louis has given up one goal in their 14 times short-handed in this series, Patrick Sharp's second-period tally in Game 4.


That helped lead to Dallas' first overtime victory in three tries in this postseason, coming on Cody Eakin's first goal of the playoffs. St. Louis is 2-2 in the extra period.


"I said it's time for us to man up, and I thought we did," Ruff said. "I thought our leaders were our leaders. I thought Jamie Benn was great again, and I thought some young guys played really well."


Benn is among the NHL playoff leaders with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) after producing two assists Thursday. He had one goal and one assist in the first three games of this series.


Tyler Seguin (lower body) and Patrick Eaves (leg) are expected to sit out again. The Blues might replace rookie defenseman Joel Edmundson, who committed a costly turnover in Game 4, with Robert Bortuzzo.


St. Louis' Vladimir Tarasenko will try to stay in the groove after totaling two goals and three assists in the two home games. Tarasenko, who has a team-best six goals and five assists in this postseason, was held without a point in the two games in Dallas.


St. Louis is 0-4 in Game 5s since closing out its opening-round series against San Jose in 2012.


The Stars have lost their last two Game 5s, including 5-4 in overtime to Minnesota in the opening round.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1


Blues at Stars
Fri, Apr 29 Final 1 to 2
Recaps


GAME 2
Blues at Stars
Sun, May 1 Final 4 to 3
Recaps


GAME 3
Stars at Blues
Tue, May 3 Final 1 to 6
Recaps


GAME 4
Stars at Blues
Thu, May 5 Final 3 to 2
Recaps


GAME 5
Blues at Stars
Sat, May 7 - 1:00PM EDT


GAME 6
Stars at Blues
Mon, May 9 - 8:00PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack


-- 167,227 people went to the Kentucky Derby; to see a 2:01.37 race.


-- Kershaw-Dickey in Toronto yesterday had to be a tough game to ump the plate.


-- May 30-31 Pirate-Marlin series was moved from Puerto Rico to Miami because of the Zika virus problem in central America.


-- There are 108 stitches on a major league baseball.


-- Aaron Hill hit three HRs, knocked in seven runs as Milwaukee came back from a 6-2 deficit to beat the Reds 13-7 in ten innings.


-- In NHL history, when a series has been 2-2, the Game 5 winner has gone on to win 190 of 243 (78.2%) series.


**********


Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Happy Mothers' Day......


13) Whats wrong with the people who run the Memphis Grizzlies?


Three years ago, Memphis went 56-26, lost in Western Conference final; they showed their gratitude for the franchise's best-ever season by firing coach Lionel Hollins.


Yesterday, the Grizzlies fired coach Dave Joerger, after he led injury-ravaged Griz to a 42-40 season. You don't think thats impressive? Memphis used 28 different players this year, the most any NBA team has ever used in one season and yet they still made the playoffs. And they fire the coach. Wow.


12) Bartolo Colon homered last night in San Diego, making him the oldest player in major league history (42) to hit his first home run. Colon took 31 seconds to round the bases; don't think he was showboating, he just doesn't move very fast.


11) Sounds like major leagues are going to expand to 32 teams soon; Montreal, Mexico City mentioned as possible franchise homes. 32 teams would make it easier to schedule; not sure where all the new pitchers are going to come from, though.


10) Saw something I've never seen in a major league game last night.


Cincinnati's speedster Billy Hamilton was on second, he tries to steal third. Milwaukee catcher Jonathan Lucroy throws to third, but the third baseman doesn't cover the base. I've seen guys not cover second base, but never third; it looked like Little League.


9) Willie Mays turned 85 this week; one of the greatest players ever, he hit 660 home runs in his career and played a great centerfield.


8) San Diego Padres have never had a no-hitter; Colin Rea got into the 7th inning with one Friday night, but had to settle for a 5-3 win. Yoenis Cespedes rolled a single thru the shift-vacated right side of the infield to get the Mets' first hit.


7) In doubleheaders, the home plate umps do not work the other game. Feel bad for the home plate ump in Baltimore today, who did two games on the bases yesterday. I'm guessing the strike zone might be a little large this afternoon.


6) Orioles' SS JJ Hardy's mom played on the LPGA tour; his dad was a professional tennis player.


5) Portland 120, Golden State 108-- I'm guessing Steph Curry's leg feels a little bit better than it did 24 hours ago.


4) Toronto 95, Miami 91-- Three games in this series were decided by a total of 14 points, with two of them going to overtime. Kyle Lowry had 33 for the Raptors after he went 10-35 from the floor in the first two series games.


3) Week or so ago, we talked about how quickly Bruce Boudreau would have a new coaching job after Anaheim Ducks fired him despite his 409-192-80 career record. Boudreau also has a 1-7 career record in Game 7's of playoff series. Minnesota would probably be happy just to get to Game 7 of a playoff series.


2) Quick baseball notes:
-- White Sox have a 5-game lead, Cubs have a 7.5-game lead in their divisions.
-- Giants are only 17-15, but they're in first place.
-- Arizona ownership has to be sick to be 14-18 after all the money they spent this winter. Luckily for them, they're only three games out of first place.
-- Angels' 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay was a real gut-wrencher; watching it happen, the loss just seemed more important than one game. Halos have already lost their three of their top pitchers to injury- a lost season looks like a real possibility.


1) RIP Howard Garfinkel, 86, an iconic figure in basketball who co-founded the Five-Star Basketball Camp and helped thousands of basketball coaches/players further their careers. Mr Garfinkel was a beloved figure who dedicated his life to hoops. RIP, sir.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL


Sunday, May 8


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs betting preview: Islanders at Lightning
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ben Bishop will try to backstop the Lightning to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year with a win over the Islanders Sunday.


New York Islanders at Tampa Bay Lightning (A: +149, H: -165, O/U: 5)


Lightning lead series 3-1


The Tampa Bay Lightning look to make it a little easier on themselves and end the Eastern Conference second-round series when they host the New York Islanders on Sunday afternoon in Game 5. The Lightning were forced to rally before winning each of the last two contests in overtime at Brooklyn, N.Y., and return home where they have won four of five in the postseason.


“The fourth win is the hardest one,” Tampa Bay right wing Ryan Callahan told FSN Sun. “That’s one thing you learn as you go through the playoffs. We expect their best effort Sunday and we’ve got to be ready for it.” The Islanders must find an answer for right wing Nikita Kucherov, who scored the tying goal in Games 3 and 4 and has eight tallies in nine playoff games. New York has gotten off to strong starts throughout the series, but has not been able to maintain them while being outshot 104-52 in the final two periods and overtime combined. “We had plenty of opportunities,” Islanders captain John Tavares told reporters Friday. “It’s a fine line in playoff hockey. You have to be able to overcome these things. It doesn’t matter how you get it done, obviously. You’ve got to get results this time of year.”


TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBC, Sportsnet, TVAS


PROBABLE GOALIES:


Islanders - Thomas Greiss (W/L: 5-5, GAA: 2.31, SAVE %: .928)


Lightning - Ben Bishop (W/L: 7-2, GAA: 2.12, SAVE %: .931)

INJURY REPORT:


Islanders - Brain Strait (questionable Sunday, upper body).


Lightning - Erik Condra (questionable Sunday, upper body).


ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (50-30-12, 38-45-9 O/U): Tavares has been held without a point in the last three games and was limited to one shot on goal in Friday’s contest as he and Kyle Okposo were joined by new linemate Shane Prince. Okposo had the only goal for the Islanders last time out on the power play, which has converted once in each of the first four games of the series (4-for-16 overall). Defenseman Ryan Pulock (upper body) returned to the lineup in Game 4, replacing Marek Zidlicky, and registered two shots on goal in 14:12 of ice time while rookie Alan Quine was a healthy scratch in favor of fellow forward Ryan Strome.


ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (53-33-5, 37-42-12 O/U): Kucherov finished with 10 goals in 26 games during last season’s postseason and is close to topping that already in the first two rounds while posting 11 points – one shy of linemate Tyler Johnson for the team lead. “He’s proving he’s not a one-hit wonder,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters of Kucherov. “He did it last year in the playoffs. … Now we’re back on the biggest stage, and he continues to amaze.” Cooper moved Alex Killorn onto a line with Johnson and Kucherov while Ondrej Palat joined Valterri Filppula and Jonathan Drouin on another unit and each created a goal Friday.


TRENDS:


* Islanders are 8-1 in their last nine after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.
* Lightning are 5-1 in their last six games overall.
* Over is 3-0-2 in the last five meetings in Tampa Bay.
* Over is 4-1-2 in Lightning last seven games versus Metropolitan Division opponents.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up


Sunday, May 8


NY Islanders-Tampa Bay (TB 3-1)
Lightning won both games in Brooklyn in OT, can wrap series up here; Tampa Bay won Game 4 at 1:34 of OT; they're 3-2 in last five home games with Islanders. Over is 6-2-2 in last ten series games. Tampa Bay won seven of its last nine games, winning four of last five at home. NY is 4-16 on power play in series, Lightning 2-14. Tampa Bay outshot NY 104-52 in periods 2-3 and OT first three games in series. Islanders are 3-2 in last five road games, but are they tired? Five of their last eight games went into overtime.


Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 12-7, Over: 8-4-7








NHL


Sunday, May 8


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


3:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. TAMPA BAY
NY Islanders are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games on the road
NY Islanders are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel


Sunday, May 8




NY Islanders @ Tampa Bay


Game 67-68
May 8, 2016 @ 3:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
NY Islanders
9.791
Tampa Bay
12.754
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 3
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-175
5
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-175); Over








NHL
Long Sheet


Sunday, May 8


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


NY ISLANDERS (50-30-0-12, 112 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (53-33-0-5, 111 pts.) - 5/8/2016, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 35-18 ATS (+5.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
TAMPA BAY is 18-5 ATS (+23.9 Units) in the second round of the playoffs since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 199-209 ATS (+489.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
NY ISLANDERS are 16-7 ATS (+7.2 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 24-18 ATS (+5.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 17-22 ATS (-14.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.


Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 7-6-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.5 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Islanders (45-27) at Lightning (46-31)
Date: May 08, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Lightning are one victory away from reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year, and they know it won't be easy to close out their second-round playoff series against the New York Islanders.


Even on home ice.


Despite leading the series 3-1, the Lightning have been outplayed for extended stretches, including much of the past two games, which Tampa Bay won in overtime on the road.


Game 5 is Sunday (3 p.m. EDT, NBC) at Amalie Arena, where defenseman Jason Garrison said the defending Eastern Conference champions can't afford a letdown.


The Lightning won three of the first four games in their opening round series against Detroit, but needed a late goal from Alex Killorn and 34 saves from Ben Bishop in a 1-0 victory that finished that series in five games.


'It's definitely the toughest win to get,' Garrison, who won Game 4 with a goal less than two minutes into overtime, said during a conference call Saturday, when the Lightning flew home from New York but did not practice.


'We've been in the position before. In the series against Detroit, I don't think we played our best,' Garrison added. 'Bish really stood on his head for us. So we learned from that to not try to give away too many chances.'


It also was a travel day for the Islanders, who elected to practice in suburban Brandon at the suggestion of captain John Tavares.


'We didn't want to be sitting around too much when we got in. It was obviously an option skate ... but guys wanted to get their feet moving,' Tavares said. 'Getting the morning off, it's a bit of an odd schedule that we're not as accustomed to, so it was just, `Let's get here and skate if you want, if not do what you need to do to be ready.'


Coach Jack Capuano was fine with the idea, adding 'whatever the guys feel is necessary to do, I'm going to jump on the bandwagon with them.'


Tavares is confident the Islanders can bounce back and keep the team's deepest playoff run since 1993 alive.


'We've been in elimination situations before, we fought them off and then a couple of times where we weren't as successful,' Tavares said. 'We just want to keep playing and build around the good things that we're doing and throw everything at them.'


The Lightning are on the brink of returning to the conference finals in large part because of Bishop and another stellar postseason for Nikita Kucherov, who forced OT with third-period goals in Games 3 and 4 in Brooklyn.


The 22-year-old right winger had 10 goals and 12 assists in Tampa Bay's run to the Stanley Cup final a year ago. His timely goals - with less than a minute left in regulation in Game 3, and eight minutes into the third period of Game 4 Friday night - gives him a NHL-leading eight this postseason.


Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after Friday night win that Kucherov is 'proving he's not a one-hit wonder.'


And the young forward is not alone. Killorn, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Jonathan Drouin are other young players who've made key contributions with Tampa Bay still playing without injured star Steven Stamkos and defenseman Anton Stralman.


'It's players that were drafted with a talent base and a skill, but it's the mentality part that has to develop coming into pro hockey. How you prepare, how you play. You're playing against older, bigger, stronger men, and how are you going to survive in that,' Cooper said during Saturday's conference call 'And all these guys have made that conscious choice to do all the little things you need to do to be successful in this league.'


Kucherov scored 30 goals this season, second behind Stamkos' 36. He led the team with 66 points.


'Ultimately I think goal scoring is something that comes natural to Kuch. It's all the other things that he had to slowly learn,' Cooper said. 'To get yourself in a position to score goals, you have to do all those other things. He made a conscious choice to be better in those areas, and it's paying mass dividends now.'




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Islanders at Lightning
Wed, Apr 27 Final 5 to 3
Recaps


GAME 2
Islanders at Lightning
Sat, Apr 30 Final 1 to 4
Recaps


GAME 3
Lightning at Islanders
Tue, May 3 Final 5 to 4
Recaps


GAME 4
Lightning at Islanders
Fri, May 6 Final 2 to 1
Recaps


GAME 5
Islanders at Lightning
Sun, May 8 - 3:00PM EDT


GAME 6
Lightning at Islanders
Tue, May 10 - 7:30PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

5/7 - YESTERDAY'S RESULTS: 3 - 1 - 1 + 1.04
OVERALL : + 6.18


SUNDAY, MAY 8


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


NYI at TB 03:00 PM


NYI +140


U 5.0

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack


Eight schools that might bolt if the Big X expands from 10 to 12 teams.........


-- Cincinnati-- By far the most logical choice to switch leagues.


-- Central Florida-- Remember, conference changes are most always football-related.


-- Houston-- Old SWC rivals with the Texas schools


-- BYU-- Mormons have seen the light; going independent was a mistake.


-- South Florida-- UCF is by far the better Florida (close to Disney) option.


-- Memphis-- If they switch, Tubby Smith will be familiar with new league.


-- UConn-- Storrs is 7.5 hours from Morgantown, which off the beaten path itself.


-- Boise State-- Out of the way in a different direction; highly doubtful.


**********


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


13) Lets see the analytics people quantify this with a number......


Packers' WR Randall Cobb graduated from Kentucky Sunday; one of the people who was there cheering him on was teammate Aaron Rodgers- how cool is that?


Rodgers did a Kentucky Derby/graduation weekend. One of the things the analytics people do not get is the value of friendship/camaraderie within a team. It just can't be quantified, but on Sundays in the fall, stuff like this matters.


12) Washington Nationals have a problem and if they don't fix it, Bryce Harper will walk 200 times this year.


Harper came to the plate seven times Sunday; he walked six times and got hit by a pitch the other time. The Cubs do not respect Ryan Zimmerman, so they won't pitch to Harper. Washington has to put Daniel Murphy or Anthony Rendon right behind Harper, which will encourage opponents to pitch to Harper.


11) You look at Bartolo Colon, thriving at age 42 with a body made for slow-pitch softball, and one thing becomes obvious: baseball players overtrain.


10) Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas is done for the Miami series with a sprained ankle, which is bad news for Toronto; they're +39 when he has been in the game, -37 when he has been off the floor.


9) Speaking of Miami-Toronto, why was Dwyane Wade taking jump shots during O, Canada before Game 3? Apparently he is a stickler for a shooting routine he has, and the timing of the anthems was going to interrupt that, only Wade kept shooting to maintain his routine. Thats his story and he's sticking to it.


8) Mets 4, Padres 3-- San Diego got hosed badly when pitcher Andrew Cashner was called out at the plate while trying to score the tying run in the sixth inning, then the replay people did not overturn the call, when Stevie Wonder could've seen the guy was safe. Even the Mets' TV guys said Cashner should've been called safe.


How San Diego had bases loaded and none out in 8th inning and couldn't score, so the carping about Cashner's play takes a back seat to that, but the play cast doubts on the replay system and if there are some umps who are reluctant to overturn calls.


7) Padres have now played in ten series and the lost the last game in all ten.


6) Golfer James Hahn won the Wells Fargo tournament yesterday; he had missed his previous eight cuts and last played on a Sunday on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb 7).


5) Chicago Cubs are first team since the '84 Tigers to start a season 24-6.


4) College basketball transfers:
-- Que Johnson goes from Washington State to Western Kentucky
-- Devin Watson goes from San Francisco to San Diego State.


3) Washington Huskies hired Michael Porter Sr as an assistant coach last week; it seemed a little odd, since Mr Porter was an assistant girls' coach in his last job, but to reinforce faith in life having no coincidences, we find out that Michael Porter Jr is the #3 ranked player in the class of 2017. Wonder where he will go to college?


2) Thunder 111, Spurs 97-- Series is tied 2-2. Now things get interesting.


1) Looks like Sacramento is going to hire the coach Memphis fired. Memphis wants to hire the coach Indiana fired; shouldn't Indiana hire the coach Sacramento fired?

 

[CNOTES]

NHL

Monday, May 9

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stanley Cup Playoffs: Monday's betting preview and odds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Western Conference takes center stage Monday night as the St. Louis Blues and the San Jose Sharks both have 3-2 series leads and look to advance to the Conference Finals.

Dallas Stars at St. Louis Blues (A: +140, H: -150, O/U: 5)

Blues lead series 3-2

The St. Louis Blues look to secure their first Western Conference final berth in 15 years on Monday when they attempt to eliminate the Central Division-rival Dallas Stars in Game 6 at Scottrade Center. Although St. Louis inched closer to the Promised Land with a 4-1 triumph in Game 5 on Saturday afternoon, forward Alex Steen cautioned his club that it shouldn't look too far ahead.

"It doesn't really change much," Steen told reporters. "We expect their best and obviously we're going to bring ours and it's going to be a heck of a hockey game again. It's no real different situation. We've got to win another hockey game." Blues goaltender Brian Elliott has been the primary reason the Blues are on the brink of their first conference title appearance since 2001, making 27 saves on Saturday - with two coming from point-bank range on Game 4 overtime hero Cody Eakin. Despite seeing his team pushed to the edge, Dallas coach Lindy Ruff isn't overly concerned as the series shifts back to the Show Me State. "I'm confident. These guys, they've given us everything they've had all year and we've had some tough situations, and they'll pull out of it," Ruff told reporters.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVAS

PROBABLE GOALIES:

Stars - Kari Lehtonen (W/L: 5-2, GAA: 2.65, SAVE %: .905)

Blues - Brian Elliott (W/L: 7-5, GAA: 2.20, SAVE %: .930)

ABOUT THE STARS (56-26-11, 50-39 O/U): After going 4-for-19 on the power play in its first-round series, Dallas has converted just once in 16 opportunities the man-advantage versus St. Louis - a far cry from the 22.1 percent efficiency it showed in the regular season. Despite the team's struggles, captain Jamie Benn insists the Stars aren't getting down on themselves. "There's not too much (frustration with the power play)," said Benn, who scored 17 times with the man advantage in the regular season but has yet to do so in the playoffs. "We've just got to go out there as a group of five and try to make a difference."

ABOUT THE BLUES (56-27-11, 37-42 O/U): Veteran forward Troy Brouwer has received his wake-up call with four goals and three assists in the past seven contests after being held off the scoresheet in each of his previous five. Robby Fabbri joined Brouwer in scoring in Game 5 and added an assist for his fourth multi-point performance of the postseason - with his 10 points (two goals, eight assists) leading all rookies. "It's pretty awesome, to think last year I was sitting watching (the playoffs) and a year later, I'm in them," the 20-year-old Fabbri told reporters. "It's been a great ride, just have to keep going here."

TRENDS:

* Stars are 17-4 in their last 21 games following a loss of 3 or more goals.
* Blues are 4-1 in their last five meetings at home.
* Over is 5-0-3 in Stars last 8 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Over is 4-0-2 in Blues last 6 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.



San Jose Sharks at Nashville Predators (A: -110, H: -110, O/U: 5)

Sharks lead series 3-2

Although they've held serve at home, the San Jose Sharks can punch their ticket to their fourth Western Conference final appearance should they show the mettle that made them the top road team during the regular season. Boasting an NHL-best 28-10-3 mark away from home, the Sharks look to quiet Music City on Monday when they face off against the host Nashville Predators in Game 6.

"We know it's a tough challenge to win in Nashville. (Monday's) a huge game," San Jose veteran Joe Thornton told reporters. "They're going to play desperate. We got to play just as desperate. I expect their 'A' game and our 'A' game too. Can't wait." Nashville's second line of Mike Fisher, Colin Wilson and James Neal has collected seven goals in the last three contests - including the club's lone tally in a 5-1 setback in Game 5 on Saturday. "We just need to go into Nashville and have a better game," Neal told reporters. "Our team will. I believe in the guys. We'll regroup."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, CNBC, SN, TVAS2

PROBABLE GOALIES:

Sharks - Martin Jones (W/L: 7-3, GAA: 2.20, SAVE %: .917)

Predators - Pekka Rinne (W/L: 6-6, GAA: 2.37, SAVE %: .909)

ABOUT THE SHARKS (53-31-8, 47-35 O/U): Joe Pavelski scored twice in Game 5 to raise his postseason total to a a team-high eight, one shy of the NHL lead held by Tampa Bay's young stud Nikita Kucherov. Logan Couture also tallied on Saturday for his 13th point, joining defenseman Brent Burns for club-best honors while residing just one behind Dallas' Jamie Benn. "That's what we're supposed to do; we're supposed to go out and contribute offensively and score goals and play well," Couture told reporters of the team's veteran leadership. "When we're winning games, most nights the big guys are contributing. That's just expected."

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (47-33-14, 37-36 O/U): After mustering just one point (a goal) in Nashville's seven-game series with Anaheim, Fisher has erupted for four tallies and two assists against San Jose. Speaking of the first round, the Predators must repeat the feat of winning Games 6 and 7 should they wish to reach the conference final for the first time in franchise history. Nashville needs more out of Filip Forsberg, who had 33 goals in the regular season but has mustered just two in the playoffs and is a staggering minus-8 in the series.

TRENDS:

* Sharks are 5-0 in their last 5 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.
* Predators are 1-5 in their last 6 games following a loss of 3 or more goals.
* Over is 4-0-3 in Sharks last 7 overall.
* Over is 3-0-2 in Predators last 5 overall.
* Sharks are 1-8 in the last 9 meetings in Nashville.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel

Monday, May 9


San Jose @ Nashville

Game 69-70
May 9, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
13.024
Nashville
10.575
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 2 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-120
5
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(-120); Under

Dallas @ St. Louis

Game 71-72
May 9, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
10.056
St. Louis
12.519
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-165
5
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(-165); Over




NHL
Short Sheet

Monday, May 9

San Jose at Nashville, 9:05 PM ET
San Jose: 10-2 SU in road games after having lost 2 of their last 3
Nashville: 9-16 SU after 3 or more consecutive overs

Dallas at St Louis, 8:05 PM ET
Dallas: 23-16 SU as a road underdog of +100 to +150
St Louis: 10-15 SU off a win against a division rival




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, May 9

St Louis-Dallas (SL 3-2)
Dallas Stars lost four of last five visits to St Louis; series is over if they don't win here. Blues won nine of last 12 games with Dallas overall-- visiting team is 3-2 in this series- Dallas didn't score in last 49:02 of Game 5- over is 3-1-2 in last six series games. Four of last six St Louis wins in series came in OT or SO. Over is 5-1-3 in St Louis' last nine games. Dallas won eight of last 13 games overall; over is 5-1-3 in their last nine. Stars are 1-16 on power play in series, St Louis 5-19. Blues split last four home games; Dallas won three of last four road games.

Nashville-San Jose (SJ 3-2)
Home side won all five series games; Sharks lost four of last five visits here, but can end series with win tonite. San Jose won eight of last 11 games overall, but are 0-2 on road in this series. Over is 4-0-2 in their last six games. Predators lost six of last ten games, but won last three home games; they've won last five times they scored 3+ goals; they're 1-6 in last seven games scoring two or less goals. San Jose is 5-17 on power play in series, Nashville is 3-18. Under is 6-5-2 in last 13 series games. Did Nashville spend all its energy in triple OT Game 4 win?

Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 13-7, Over: 8-5-7




NHL

Monday, May 9

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

8:00 PM
DALLAS vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
St. Louis is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Dallas

9:00 PM
SAN JOSE vs. NASHVILLE
San Jose is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Nashville
San Jose is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Nashville is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Jose
Nashville is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, May 9

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

SAN JOSE (53-32-0-7, 113 pts.) at NASHVILLE (47-33-0-14, 108 pts.) - 5/9/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 216-174 ATS (+424.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 184-163 ATS (+363.0 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 21-7 ATS (+13.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
SAN JOSE is 18-7 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 44-25 ATS (+17.9 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 47-47 ATS (-24.6 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 9-16 ATS (-10.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 23-37 ATS (+61.9 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
NASHVILLE is 8-6 (+3.7 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 8-6-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.5 Units)

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

DALLAS (56-26-0-11, 123 pts.) at ST LOUIS (56-28-0-10, 122 pts.) - 5/9/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 30-37 ATS (-15.5 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 56-38 ATS (+14.9 Units) in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 33-21 ATS (+0.8 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 26-15 ATS (+7.3 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
ST LOUIS is 31-20 ATS (+4.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 20-11 ATS (+8.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 56-37 ATS (+4.9 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 24-17 ATS (+43.3 Units) in road games revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 25-17 ATS (+45.4 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 17-7 ATS (+7.9 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
DALLAS is 17-3 ATS (+12.6 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
DALLAS is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 49-41 ATS (+94.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 16-8 ATS (+27.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 12-8-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
10 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.3 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Stars (50-23) at Blues (49-24)
Date: May 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

(AP) - Brian Elliott's postseason play is the biggest reason the St. Louis Blues are one win away from their first appearance in the Western Conference final since 2001.


Game after game, the goalie has been handled the pressure.


Protecting a two-goal lead in Game 5 at Dallas on Saturday, the 31-year-old Elliott came up big when needed. The key stop among the 12 saves he made in the third period was thwarting Cody Eakin alone in front of the net.


'Just poised,' forward Alexander Steen said Sunday. 'Just comes across, makes himself big, stops the puck. And it's like, it's business as usual, get the puck and go the other way.'


The Blues have played two long series and Elliott has been there all the way, giving him league highs in minutes (762:03) and saves (384) in 12 games. Elliott seized the job down the stretch of the regular season after Jake Allen was sidelined by injury, and a healthy Allen now can only watch and marvel along with the rest of the team.


'If we take care of second opportunities, he's a guy that smothers pucks,' forward Scottie Upshall said. 'He's flexible, he sees the ice well and he's very underrated playing the puck.'


After ending longstanding postseason frustration by eliminating the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks in the first round, the Blues can close out Dallas at home Monday night.


Coach Ken Hitchcock cautions not to make too much of Saturday's 4-1 victory. The Blues seemingly seized control of the series with a 6-1 rout in Game 3, and then the Stars bounced back with an overtime victory in St. Louis to tie the series at two games.


St. Louis has had standing-room crowds throughout the playoffs. Still, the road team has won two straight and three of five in the series.


The Blues are at their best with relentless forechecking and physical play counteracting a faster opponent. The Stars aren't likely to panic, realizing they dictated much of the pace in Game 5, but lacked favorable bounces.


'We pretty well played close to our best game, we just didn't finish,' Stars coach Lindy Ruff said Sunday. 'There's some puck luck in the game and they had all the puck luck.'


Hitchcock got mileage out of a few lineup changes and juggling lines early on in Game 5, but made no promises about sticking with a winning combination. Dmitrij Jaskin stepped up in his first game of the postseason, showing great hands on a second-chance goal and gives St. Louis more skill than agitators Ryan Reaves and Steve Ott.


'Everything is from feel, how I feel when I get up in the morning or think it through tonight when I get rid of you folks,' Hitchcock told reporters. 'I don't rest on keeping every routine the same.'


Dallas forward Tyler Seguin (lower body) isn't making the trip to St. Louis, although forward Patrick Eaves (leg) could return for Game 6 after missing four games. Ruff has scratched Colton Sceviour, who got the lone goal in Game 3, in the past two games preferring a larger lineup to counteract the Blues.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Blues at Stars
Fri, Apr 29 Final 1 to 2
Recaps


GAME 2
Blues at Stars
Sun, May 1 Final 4 to 3
Recaps


GAME 3
Stars at Blues
Tue, May 3 Final 1 to 6
Recaps


GAME 4
Stars at Blues
Thu, May 5 Final 3 to 2
Recaps


GAME 5
Blues at Stars
Sat, May 7 Final 4 to 1
Recaps


GAME 6
Stars at Blues
Mon, May 9 - 8:00PM EDT


GAME 7
Blues at Stars
Wed, May 11 - 8:00PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Sharks (46-30) at Predators (41-27)
Date: May 09, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks gave a championship-caliber response to a potentially devastating defeat.


And if they can recapture their past success on the road, they'll be playing for a Western Conference title.


In a second-round series where both teams have successfully defended home ice, the Sharks hope to break that trend and eliminate the Nashville Predators in Monday night's crucial Game 6.


San Jose wasn't shaken by consecutive losses in Nashville, most notably Thursday's 4-3 triple-overtime heart-breaker in Game 4 that evened the series. The Sharks proceeded to dominate the final two periods of Saturday's 5-1 rout to move one win from their first conference final since 2011.


The Sharks scored four answered goals after Nashville's Mike Fisher briefly forged a 1-all tie late in the first period, with Joe Pavelski answering less than two minutes later and Logan Couture converting a back-breaking breakaway 35 seconds into the second.


Pavelski added a power-play goal later in the second for his eighth of this postseason. The San Jose captain had one disallowed on goaltender interference during the first overtime of Game 4, in which the Sharks owned a 25-18 shot advantage after regulation.


'The guys really wanted it. We felt after that last game we played a couple really good periods, some of our better periods of the playoffs,' he said. 'We had to carry that. It was up to us to really get that momentum back. Guys did a good job coming out.'


A successful line shuffle also helped the Sharks regain the upper hand. Moved to the wing alongside Couture and Joonas Donskoi, Patrick Marleau recorded a goal and an assist after being held to one point over the previous four games.


'I thought it was Patty's best game of the series, and that line was excellent all night,' coach Peter DeBoer said. 'Some changes work, and (Saturday) that change worked.'


Saturday's result may prompt Peter Laviolette do so some tinkering, as Nashville hasn't received much production beyond the line of Game 4 hero Fisher, James Neal and Colin Wilson. Filip Forsberg has particularly struggled, managing one goal with a minus-8 rating for the series.


Laviolette did re-insert Mike Ribeiro into the lineup after making him a healthy scratch in Games 3 and 4. The veteran center has just one assist in 10 games this postseason.


The Predators can draw confidence from their resilient showing in the opening round, where they rallied from a 3-2 series deficit to oust Anaheim. Nashville was also blown out on the road in Game 5 of that matchup before regrouping for a 3-1 win at home.


"We've been in this position before, backs against the wall," defenseman Ryan Ellis said. "It usually brings out the best in people. "It did last series, hopefully it does for us this time."


Pekka Rinne certainly came through in the Anaheim series, stopping 62 of 64 shots in the final two wins. He was outstanding as well in Nashville's two home victories of this one, registering 26 saves in Tuesday's 4-1 victory in Game 3 and 44 in Thursday's thriller.


San Jose has lost in eight of its last nine visits to Bridgestone Arena, though it posted a league-best 28-10-3 road record during the regular season and won all three games at Los Angeles in the first round.


The Sharks' power play hasn't been quite as potent away from home during these playoffs, however. San Jose, which led the NHL with 62 power-play goals during the regular season, is 7 for 17 on home ice and 3 for 21 on the road. The Sharks went 1 for 9 in the two losses in Nashville.




SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Predators at Sharks
Fri, Apr 29 Final 2 to 5
Recaps


GAME 2
Predators at Sharks
Sun, May 1 Final 2 to 3
Recaps


GAME 3
Sharks at Predators
Tue, May 3 Final 1 to 4
Recaps


GAME 4
Sharks at Predators
Thu, May 5 Final 3 to 4
Recaps


GAME 5
Predators at Sharks
Sat, May 7 Final 1 to 5
Recaps


GAME 6
Sharks at Predators
Mon, May 9 - 9:00PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

NHL MONEYLINE


NHL > (69) SAN JOSE@ (70) NASHVILLE | 2016-05-09 21:05:00 - 2016-05-09 21:05:00
Play ON SAN JOSE using money line in All games in a road game where where the total is 5 or less
The record is 21 Wins and 7 Losses for the this season (+15.55 units)


NHL > (71) DALLAS@ (72) ST LOUIS | 2016-05-09 20:05:00 - 2016-05-09 20:05:00
Play ON DALLAS using money line in All games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 17 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+14.2 units)

NHL > (71) DALLAS@ (72) ST LOUIS | 2016-05-09 20:05:00 - 2016-05-09 20:05:00
Play ON DALLAS using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 16 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.95 units)


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


NHL PUCKLINE


NHL > (69) SAN JOSE@ (70) NASHVILLE | 2016-05-09 21:05:00 - 2016-05-09 21:05:00
Play ON SAN JOSE in All games in a road game where where the total is 5 or less
The record is 21 Wins and 7 Losses for the this season (+15.55 units)


NHL > (71) DALLAS@ (72) ST LOUIS | 2016-05-09 20:05:00 - 2016-05-09 20:05:00
Play ON DALLAS in All games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game
The record is 17 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+14.2 units)


NHL > (71) DALLAS@ (72) ST LOUIS | 2016-05-09 20:05:00 - 2016-05-09 20:05:00
Play ON DALLAS in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 16 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.95 units)


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


NHL TOTALS


NHL > (69) SAN JOSE@ (70) NASHVILLE | 2016-05-09 21:05:00 - 2016-05-09 21:05:00
Play OVER NASHVILLE on the totalin Home games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 11 Overs and 1 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.4 units)

NHL > (71) DALLAS@ (72) ST LOUIS | 2016-05-09 20:05:00 - 2016-05-09 20:05:00
Play OVER DALLAS on the totalin Road games after allowing 4 goals or more
The record is 19 Overs and 5 Unders for the last two seasons (+13.45 units)


NHL > (71) DALLAS@ (72) ST LOUIS | 2016-05-09 20:05:00 - 2016-05-09 20:05:00
Play OVER DALLAS on the totalin All games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game
The record is 9 Overs and 1 Unders for the this season (+8.05 units)

 

[CNOTES]

5/8 - Yesterday's Results : 1 - 1 0.00
Overall : 6.18


MONDAY, MAY 9


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


DAL at STL 08:00 PM


STL -160


O 5.0



SJ at NAS 09:00 PM


SJ -118


O 5.0

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack


-- Miami 94, Toronto 87 OT-- Good night for Commissioner Silver's league.


-- Golden State 132, Portland 125 OT-- A great, great basketball game.


-- Steph Curry is listed at 6-3, 190. You can become a great basketball player by working your butt off. Curry is one of the two best basketball players on the planet and he is 6-3, 190.


-- Curry scored 40 points, wth 9 rebounds, 8 assists; he didn't start. He was +21 in an overtime playoff game. On the road. He played 36:34 after missing four games.


-- Put it this way: Charles Barkley was lost for words on the postgame show.


-- Curry: Davidson, Lillard: Weber State, McCollum: Lehigh, Thompson: Wash St. Lot of great college basketball played all over the country.


**********


Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but......


13) Would the Angels trade Mike Trout?


Halos are in deep trouble, with three starting pitchers and SS Simmons now on the shelf for an extended time. LA's farm system hasn't been very productive (other than Trout) and Anaheim is in deep trouble. How do they get better?


They're stuck with Albert Pujols' contract and they're paying Josh Hamilton to sit on the DL in Texas-- trading Trout would net a significant return, but it would also put up a white flag and turn off people who pay to come to the ballpark in Anaheim.


12) A high school in McKinney, TX is spending $62.5M to build a 12,000-seat HS football stadium. $62.5M.....for a high school football stadium.


11) Mike Krzyzewski had hernia surgery last week, his 2nd surgery since Duke's season ended. Coach K will turn 70 during the season next winter. I don't envy the guy who takes his place at Duke-- the bar has been set impossibly high.


10) College basketball transfers......
-- Canyon Barry (Rick's son) from Charleston to Florida.
-- LG Gill from Duquesne to Maryland
-- Miles Reynolds from Saint Louis to Pacific
-- Lew Evans from Utah State to Tennessee.


9) Interesting doubleheader at Barclay's Center in Brooklyn on Dec 11: Hofstra will play Kentucky, St John's will play LIU. Curious to see how much better Johnnies will be in Chris Mullin's second year as coach.


8) Krispy Kreme donuts sold the company for $1.35B yesterday; smaller donuts than what they sell at Dunkin' Donuts, but I guess lot of people like them. Myself, I'm for bigger donuts, but to each their own.


7) Sean McDonough was named to replace Mike Tirico on Monday Night Football. Tirico is off to NBC, as lot of people are jumping (or being pushed) off ESPN's boat.


6) Trent Dilfer, Ray Lewis, Cris Carter are off ESPN's NFL coverage; appears that Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss, Charles Woodson are in.


5) Sounds like MLB will throw the book at Jose Reyes; a suspension of 60-80 games, depending who you listen to. My question is this; an 80-game suspension goes past the July 31 trade deadline-- can you trade a player while he is suspended?


4) 2003/2004 Philadelphia Eagles are last team to repeat as NFC East champs, bad news for the Redskins, who won the division LY.


3) Yoenis Cespedes has 28 homers in 94 games with the Mets. A's are 104-146 since they traded Cespedes for Jonny Gomes and two months of Jon Lester. Then they got almost nothing in return from Toronto for Josh Donaldson. Been a bad couple of years for the Ivy League geniuses in the Oakland front office.


2) Former Bowling Green head coach Chris Jans was named special assistant to Gregg Marshall at Wichita State- he was a consultant in Wichita last winter. Bowling Green was 21-12 in Jans' only season at BG, one of their two winning seasons sinxe '05, but he got fired after an off-court incident where he was drunk, hit on a woman and the incident was recorded on someone's phone.


1) Heat 94, Raptors 87 OT-- Third OT game out of four in series, which is now 2-2.