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

CNOTES · May 10, 2016

NHL

Tuesday, May 10

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Tuesday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs betting preview: Capitals at Penguins
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Marc-Andre Fleury is ready to return between the pipes for the Penguins, but they will continue to ride the red-hot Matt Murray in Game 6.

Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins (A: +115, H: -135, O/U: 5)

Penguins lead series 3-2

The visiting Washington Capitals look to continue to turn the tables on the Pittsburgh Penguins and extend their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday when the Metropolitan Division rivals play Game 6 at Consol Energy Center. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Capitals, who staved off elimination on Saturday with a 3-1 victory, are hoping to avenge last season's playoff failure as they were unable to hold a 3-1 series lead against the New York Rangers.

"Now we're ... feeling pretty good about ourselves and maybe (the Penguins are) not feeling as good about themselves," Washington forward Jason Chimera told reporters Monday. "We have a better feeling going into the game now for sure." Pittsburgh is no stranger to seeing a 3-1 series advantage go by the boards, having lost the last three games of a set in both 2011 (versus Tampa Bay) and 2014 (against the Rangers). "You have to leave that behind you," Pittsburgh forward Patric Hornqvist said of Saturday's disappointing showing. "It's a new day (Tuesday) and a new game, a new opportunity. We have to take that one."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, TVAS

PROBABLE GOALIES:

Capitals - Braden Holtby (W/L: 6-5, GAA: 1.53, SAVE %: .926)

Penguins - Matt Murray (W/L: 6-2, GAA: 1.96, SAVE %: .932)

INJURY REPORT:

Capitals - No injuries to report.

Penguins - RW B. Bennett (Questionable Tuesday, shoulder), D O. Maatta (Questionable Tuesday, head).

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (62-22-9, 35-30 O/U): Veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik told reporters on Monday that he is ready to move forward after serving a three-game suspension for a hit on Pittsburgh blue-liner Olli Maatta on April 30. "Nothing I can do about it," the former Penguin said. "Just watch. They were three games that could have gone either way. We're not in the position that we foresaw, but we have a good opportunity (Tuesday)." Captain Alex Ovechkin recorded a goal and an assist for the second time in three outings on Saturday, raising his series point total to five and playoff point tally to 10 (five goals, five assists).

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (55-28-9, 40-35 O/U): Coach Mike Sullivan isn't interested in making a switch as rookie goaltender Matt Murray is expected to get the nod over franchise netminder Marc-Andre Fleury. Murray yielded three goals on 19 shots Saturday to drop to 6-2 with a 1.96 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in eight consecutive starts in the playoffs. "The reality is, Marc is a terrific goalie. We know that," Sullivan told reporters of Fleury, who suffered a concussion on March 31. "Unfortunately he suffered an injury late in the season that kept him out for an extended period of time. That's a difficult circumstance. It's nobody's fault. It is what it is."

TRENDS:

* Capitals are 0-4 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Penguins are 21-6 in their last 27 home games.
* Under is 3-0-1 in Capitals last 4 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
* Under is 2-0-2 in Penguins last 4 overall.
* Home team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

CNOTES · May 10, 2016

NHL
Long Sheet

Tuesday, May 10

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WASHINGTON (62-22-0-9, 133 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (55-28-0-9, 119 pts.) - 5/10/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 55-37 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 22-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
PITTSBURGH is 37-18 ATS (+8.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 26-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 14-5 ATS (+7.4 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
WASHINGTON is 62-31 ATS (+12.8 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 59-45 ATS (+105.1 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 14-5 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games after a division game this season.
PITTSBURGH is 14-18 ATS (-17.1 Units) in home games when leading in a playoff series since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 11-7 (+3.5 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 11-7-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
10 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.7 Units)

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NHL
Short Sheet

Tuesday, May 10

Washington at Pittsburgh, 8:05 PM ET
Washington: 4-6 SU after 3 consecutive division games
Pittsburgh: 5-1 SU off a loss by 2 goals or more to a division rival

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, May 10

Pittsburgh-Washington (P 3-2)
Washington staved off elimination with its Game 5 win; they get D Orpik back here; he is their most physical defenseman, and a solid penalty killer. Home team is 4-1 in this series, with Caps losing 3-2 in both games here. Washington was outshot 31-19 in Game 5, but shut Pens out for the last 52:52 to stay alive. Penguins won four of last five home games, but are 1-16 on power play in series, Caps are 3-17. Pens won 11 of last 15 games; over is 7-4-3 in their last 14 games. Capitals lost five of last eight games- under is 7-2-3 in Washington's last 12 games.

Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 14-8, Over: 9-5-8

NHL

Tuesday, May 10

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
Washington is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Washington
Pittsburgh is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington

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NHL
Dunkel

Tuesday, May 10

Washington @ Pittsburgh

Game 75-76
May 10, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
10.682
Pittsburgh
12.034
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-135
5
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-135); Over

CNOTES · May 10, 2016

Preview: Capitals (56-18) at Penguins (48-26)
Date: May 10, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

(AP) - Sidney Crosby hovered in the left circle, waited for the pass from assistant coach Rick Tocchet before firing a laser into the far corner of the empty net.

Then the Penguins captain did it again. And again. And again, once rifling the puck with so much velocity it became lodged between the twine, a reminder that Crosby's shot - when fully unleashed - remains one of the NHL's best. The trick is finding the time, the room - and just as important, the initiative - to let it loose during a game.

It's not happening with any great regularity for Crosby during his team's hotly contested Eastern Conference semifinal against Washington. Through fifteen-plus periods and 133 shifts, Crosby has only 11 shots and none of them has found a way past Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby.

And while Pittsburgh's depth has helped carry the Penguins to a 3-2 lead over the Presidents' Trophy winners heading into Tuesday night's Game 6, Crosby is well aware it will take more than the two assists he's put up for the Penguins to advance to the East finals against Tampa Bay.

'You definitely want to score more,' Crosby said Monday. 'I think you always want more but I think we've generated some decent chances. We've still got to find a way to produce more, whether it's generate chances or execute when we do get them. I would say that's how we view it. I think we can get better.'

It's not that Crosby has been ineffective. His mere presence is enough to open up opportunities for teammates. Patric Hornqvist buried the overtime winner in Game 4 thanks in large part to Holtby being so focused on Crosby parked in front of the net the goaltender couldn't make it across the crease in time to stop the shot from the right circle.

Yet neither Crosby nor Evgeni Malkin - who has a goal and an assist in the series - has been able to match the dynamic play of Washington's Alexander Ovechkin, who set the tone early in Game 5 and scored a goal and an assist for the second time in three games as the Capitals fought off elimination.

Still, Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan is quick to defend the tandem that generates relentless defensive attention from opponents.

'These guys have had an impact on the game,' Sullivan said. 'They may not have had the off production everybody grows accustomed to but they certainly have made an impact on the series.'

It's telling that perhaps the series' biggest subplot - the rapid maturation of 21-year-old Penguins goalie Matt Murray while filling in for Marc-Andre Fleury - has taken a backseat to Crosby and Malkin regaining their scoring touch. Sullivan, who has often remained coy about his personnel decisions, cut short any potential drama by naming Murray the starter for Game 6.

And he spent several minutes protecting his stars.

'They share a tremendous amount of responsibility for our group and they're doing everything within their power to help our team win,' Sullivan said. 'We know it, our players know it ... (but) this team isn't about any one or two players.'

Good thing, because the return of Washington defenseman Brooks Orpik following a three-game suspension for an illegal hit on Pittsburgh's Olli Maatta gives the Capitals another big body to steer Malkin and Crosby out of the way. It's a task Washington handled capably even with Orpik out of the lineup.

'I think we've just been keying in on him and trying to limit his space and his time,' Holtby said. 'He's still making some plays, but we're doing a pretty good job of coming back as a five-man unit so that there's not too many options open for him.'

Crosby becoming a little more selfish might help, too. From the day he arrived in December, Sullivan has preached the importance of getting the puck to the net rather than search for the perfect play, a trap both Crosby and Malkin have succumbed to at times during their careers in part because their talent and vision allow them to take risks others would not.

Sullivan calls it 'playing the right way,' a mantra that's been repeated so often over the last five months forward Eric Fehr joked 'it's something that's a part of our everyday life now, making sure that we're reminding ourselves that a shot is never a bad play.'

A creed Crosby insists is getting through even if the pucks - for now - are not.

'Over the course of the game there's always times you could look back and say, `I could have shot that maybe,'' he said. 'Our focus, our mentality has been to finish at the net and create chances there. A lot of the pucks at the net are from second, third chances. We have a feeling for that.'

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 Final 1 to 3
Recaps

GAME 6
Capitals at Penguins
Tue, May 10 - 8:00PM EDT

CNOTES · May 10, 2016

NHL TOTALS

NHL > (75) WASHINGTON@ (76) PITTSBURGH | 2016-05-10 20:05:00 - 2016-05-10 20:05:00
Play OVER PITTSBURGH on the totalin Home games second half of the season
The record is 17 Overs and 5 Unders for the this season (+12 units)

NHL > (75) WASHINGTON@ (76) PITTSBURGH | 2016-05-10 20:05:00 - 2016-05-10 20:05:00
Play OVER PITTSBURGH on the totalin Home games after a division game
The record is 13 Overs and 3 Unders for the this season (+10.4 units)

CNOTES · May 10, 2016

Penguins sticking with Murray in Game 6
May 9, 2016

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Penguins are sticking with rookie goaltender Matt Murray.

Coach Mike Sullivan announced Monday that Murray will remain in the net for Game 6 of his team's Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Washington Capitals. Murray has started eight straight playoff games for the Penguins, going 6-2 with a 1.96 goals-against average to help Pittsburgh take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The 21-year-old Murray gave up three goals on 19 shots in a 3-1 loss in Game 5. Sullivan, however, has praised Murray's play while filling in for veteran Marc-Andre Fleury.

Fleury hasn't played since suffering a concussion on March 31. Fleury spent the last three games as Murray's backup and will stay in that role as the Penguins try to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in four years.

CNOTES · May 10, 2016

5/9 - Yesterday's Results: 1 - 0 - 1 + 1.00
Overall : + 7.18

TUESDAY, MAY 10

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAS at PIT 08:00 PM

PIT -126

O 5.0

CNOTES · May 11, 2016

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Thunder 95, Spurs 91-- Road team has won three of five series games. This was only the second time this season Spurs lost consecutive games.

-- In his career, Gregg Popovich is 2-10 in elimination games on the road.

-- Penguins 4, Capitals 3 OT-- Pittsburgh advances in six games.

-- Bronx 10, Royals 7-- Lorenzo Cain hit three HRs in a losing cause.

-- Stations Casinos is going to buy the Palms in Las Vegas for $312.5M.

-- The NBA Draft has 60 picks, two per team; 63 players were invited to the NBA Combine. If you've declared for the draft but weren't invited to the Combine, please go back to college, unless your goal in life was to play in Turkey or the D-League.

**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Mid-week musings......

13) Only ten NBA head coaches have had their current job for more than two years. You grab the big money for as long as you can, put up with the insanity, then go on TV and relax. When coaches who win 50+ games get fired, you know its a nutty job.

12) Of the 32 NFL kickers who finished last season. 21 of them were not drafted.

11) Stephen Strasburg gets $175M for seven years from the Nationals; unusual for a Scott Boras client not to give free agency a shot. Finally, a sane person-- take the $$$ and run while you can!!!!

10) TV guys always are quick to praise AT&T Park in San Francisco, but there are bullpens on the field for one reason; the geniuses who planned this scenic ballpark forgot to incorporate them in the stadium's original plans. Whoops.

9) Christopher Kamka points out that of Todd Frazier's first 27 RBI this year, 16 of them came from the 7th inning on.

8) JT Realmuto lost a home run Monday night because a runner on first base went back to first base to tag up and Realmuto passed him, which means he is out. Nice to know Milwaukee 1B Chris Carter was paying attention; this happened in another Brewer game last month at Miller Park, but no one ever noticed.

Realmuto gets a single and one RBI but loses the home run.

7) Speaking of the Marlins, Dee Gordon's 80-game suspension ends in late July, but if the Marlins make the playoffs, Gordon is also ineligible for those games.

6) Mike DeCourcy of Sporting News reports that of the top ten vote getters in the NBA MVP voting, eight of them played 2+ years in college.

5) Random stat of the day: since 1984, the Portland Trailblazers hold the odd record of having the worst 3-point % (0-20) in a game they won. Lot of teams won without making a 3-pointer, but Portland missed the most, way back on December 10, 2002.

4) If I was a Seattle Mariners fan, I'd be excited; they're clearly the best team in the AL West and if their starting pitchers stay healthy, they're going to make the playoffs.

3) I like to watch the Mix Channel on DirecTV on baseball nights; can monitor eight games at once on my bigscreen. One small problem; Dodger games are never on the Mix Channel- that is channel 720 on DirecTV, by the way.

2) I'd have to be a masochist to watch the A's; they're terrible. Oakland starting pitchers lasted a total of nine innings in their last three games- they've finished the sixth inning once in their last ten road games.

Your five starting pitchers are like your five offensive linemen in the NFL; if those five guys aren't solid, your team cannot win.

1) I do not understand the new slide rule at second base and I think lot of players, managers feel the same way. No idea what the rule is and how it is supposed to be applied, because of the drastic inconsistencies in the first six weeks this season.

CNOTES · May 11, 2016

NHL

Wednesday, May 11

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Wednesday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs betting preview: Blues at Stars
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The top-seeded Stars stunned the Blues by jumping out to a quick three-goal lead and holding on for a 3-2 victory in Game 6 to bring the series back to Dallas.

St. Louis Blues at Dallas Stars (A: +100, H: -120, O/U: 5)

Series tied 3-3

The Dallas Stars staved off elimination with a huge road victory and now have a chance to clinch a spot in the Western Conference final on their home ice when they host the St. Louis Blues in Wednesday night's winner-take-all Game 7. Dallas is seeking its first Game 7 victory since beating Colorado in the 2000 Western Conference final.

The top-seeded Stars stunned the Blues by jumping out to a quick three-goal lead and holding on for a 3-2 victory in Game 6 to bring the series back to Dallas. "We still have to win two in a row, which we have not been able to do in this series," Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen said. "That's something that's our goal. It's still alive so we just need to relax now and get ready for the next one." Monday's loss dropped St. Louis to 1-3 in potential series clinchers, but the Blues did eliminate reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago in Game 7 of the first round and have won twice in Dallas in this series. "I know one thing: We're going to come and we're going to come after them, big-time," St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said.

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

PROBABLE GOALIES:

Blues - Brian Elliott (W/L: 7-6, GAA: 2.39, SAVE %: .929)

Stars - Kari Lehtonen (W/L: 6-2, GAA: 2.58, SAVE %: .907)

INJURY REPORT:

Blues - No injuries to report.

Stars - LW T. Moen (Out For Season, hand), C T. Seguin (Out Wednesday, achilles).

ABOUT THE BLUES (56-28-11, 37-42 O/U): Hitchcock opened some eyes following Game 6 when he told the media that "I want to sleep on" a decision for his starting netminder for Game 7 after Brian Elliott was yanked in the first period for allowing three goals on seven shots. Although St. Louis has a viable alternative in Jake Allen, who opened the season as the team's No. 1 netminder before getting hurt, Elliott has started every game in the postseason after posting a 23-8-6 mark and 2.07 goals-against average in the regular season. "He's the ultimate pro," Allen said of Elliott. "He'll definitely be ready. He's been the best player on our team the whole playoffs and he'll be ready to go again."

ABOUT THE STARS (57-26-11, 50-39 O/U): Although Dallas was the league's highest-scoring team in the regular season, the Stars turned to a rope-a-dope tactic following the early goal outburst in Game 6 and nearly squandered the lead while registering a season-low 14 shots on goal. "So far in the playoffs, we haven't been a good team with a three-goal lead," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "Even with a four-goal lead, we weren't a good team. We're a team that's still learning. And a lot of players it's their first kick at this." Jason Spezza, who scored 33 times during the regular season and added four tallies in the first-round win versus Minnesota, netted his first goal of the series Monday.

TRENDS:

* Blues are 9-2 in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Stars are 1-4 in their last 5 games following a win.
* Over is 2-0-3 in Blues last 5 overall.
* Over is 5-0-4 in Stars last 9 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Road team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

CNOTES · May 11, 2016

NHL
Short Sheet

Wednesday, May 11

St Louis at Dallas, 8:05 PM ET
St Louis: 17-9 SU as a road underdog
Dallas: 8-14 SU in home games off a road win

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, May 11

St Louis-Dallas (3-3)
Dallas scored goals 0:20 apart in first 6:00 of Game 6, held on to tie series. Blues outshot Dallas 37-14 Monday. Road team won four of six series games. Blues won nine of last 13 games overall with Dallas-- visiting team is 3-2 in this series- Dallas didn't score in last 49:02 of Game 5, last 43:11 of Game 6. Over 3-1-3 in last seven series games. Four of last six St Louis wins in series came in OT or SO. Over is 5-1-4 in St Louis' last ten games. Dallas won nine of last 14 games overall; over is 5-1-4 in their last ten. Stars are 2-17 on power play in series, St Louis 5-21. Dallas lost three of last four at home; Blues won three of last five road games.

Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 15-8, Over: 10-5-8

NHL

Wednesday, May 11

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. DALLAS
St. Louis is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games
St. Louis is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Dallas is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games
Dallas is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home

CNOTES · May 11, 2016

Pro Hockey Trend Report

ST LOUIS (56-29-0-10, 122 pts.) at DALLAS (57-26-0-11, 125 pts.) - 5/11/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 57-37 ATS (+14.7 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 26-15 ATS (+6.3 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
DALLAS is 26-18 ATS (+44.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 56-39 ATS (+5.6 Units) in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 27-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
ST LOUIS is 19-10 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 26-16 ATS (+7.2 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
ST LOUIS is 31-21 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 20-12 ATS (+6.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 31-37 ATS (-8.4 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 12-9-0 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)

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

NHL (PROFESSIONAL)

DUNKEL'S HIGHLIGHTED GAME

St. Louis at Dallas - Wednesday May 11, 2016The Blues look to bounce back from their 3-2 loss in Game 6 as they face a Stars team that is 0-4 in its last 4 games after allowing 2 goals or less in the previous game. St. Louis is the pick (-105) according to Dunkel, which has the Blues favored by 1.

Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-105).

St. Louis
@
Dallas

Game 77-78
May 11, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: St. Louis
13.062
Dallas
12.113
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: St. Louis
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Dallas
-115
5
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis
(-105); Over

CNOTES · May 11, 2016

Blues, Stars meet in Game 7
May 10, 2016

2016 Playoff Results

The Stars and Blues will meet in a decisive Game 7 on Wednesday from American Airlines Center in Texas. Dallas stayed alive on Monday by capturing a 3-2 victory at St. Louis, cashing as a plus-145 underdog.

Including that result, the visitor has won four of the first six games in this best-of-seven matchup.

Oddsmakers opened Dallas as a minus-120 favorite while St. Louis is a plus-110 underdog. The total on this game is sitting at 5 and shaded to the ‘over’ (-140).

Road teams have gone 34-35 in this year’s NHL playoffs and visitors have fared very well historically in the Stanley Cup postseason.

There have been 163 all-time Game 7’s in the NHL Playoffs and the home squad owns a 95-68 (58.6%) record, which includes a 1-1 record in this year’s postseason.

Recent Game 7 History

St. Louis
2016 Conference Quarterfinals - Beat Blackhawks at home 3-2

Dallas
2008 Conference Quarterfinals - Lost at Canucks 4-1

The winning team in five of the last seven Game 7's scored just two goals, as five of those games finished under the total.

NHL Game 7 Playoff History (2012-2016)

2016
Nashville 2 at Anaheim 1
Chicago 2 at St. Louis 3

2015
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 at New York Rangers 0
Chicago Blackhawks 5 at Anaheim Ducks 3
New York Rangers 2 at Washington Capitals 1
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 at Detroit Red Wings 0
Washington Capitals 2 at New York Islanders 1

2014
Los Angeles Kings 5 at Chicago Blackhawks 4 (OT)
Los Angeles Kings 6 at Anaheim Ducks 2
Montreal Canadiens 3 at Boston Bruins 1
New York Rangers 2 at Pittsburgh Penguins 1
Philadelphia Flyers 3 at New York Rangers 4
Minnesota Wild 5 at Colorado Avalanche 4
Los Angeles Kings 5 at San Jose Sharks 1

2013
New York Rangers 5 at Washington Capitals 0
Toronto Maple Leafs 4 at Boston Bruins 5 (OT)
Detroit Red Wings 3 at Anaheim Ducks 2
Detroit Red Wings 1 at Chicago Blackhawks 2 (OT)
San Jose Sharks 1 at Los Angeles Kings 2

2012
Ottawa Senators 1 at New York Rangers 2
Washington Capitals 2 at Boston Bruins 1 (OT)
New Jersey Devils 3 at Florida Panthers 2 (2OT)
Washington Capitals 1 at New York Rangers 2

CNOTES · May 11, 2016

Preview: Blues (49-24) at Stars (50-23)
Date: May 11, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

DALLAS (AP) - Home ice belongs to the Dallas Stars for Game 7 of their second-round playoff series against the St. Louis Blues.

The advantage? Well, the visiting team has dominated so far.

'I have the benefit of the match at home,' Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. 'I don't know if that's going to make any difference in the game, though.'

Dallas hosts Game 7 on Wednesday night after avoiding elimination with a 3-2 win at St. Louis on Monday. The Stars led 3-0 in the first period and held on for the third consecutive victory in the series by the visiting team - and fourth overall.

'We've been able to put some good road games together, some simple road games together,' Blues right wing Troy Brouwer said.

The Blues, who finished only two points behind Dallas in the regular-season standings for the Western Conference's top seed, are 4-2 on the road this postseason and have already played a seven-game series. St. Louis won its first-round clincher at home, when Brouwer scored the Game 7 winner against defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago.

'We obviously know the stage,' Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. 'It's going to be a little different now that we're on the road, but I think overall, we know what the pressure is, we know what it's going to be.'

Brouwer is playing in his NHL-record eighth consecutive playoff series to go seven games. He also had Games 7s with Washington and Chicago the previous five seasons.

'Same mindset we had last series, going to take one more win to finish the series and it's what we want to do,' Brouwer said.

The Blues won 4-1 in Game 5 at Dallas on Saturday to go home with a chance to clinch the series. But now they need a third win this month at the American Airlines Center, which hadn't even opened the last time the Stars hosted a Game 7 - on May 27, 2000, when St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock was still coaching the Stars, and they beat Colorado at Reunion Arena in the Western Conference finals.

Dallas has played only one seven-game series since, losing at Vancouver in the first round of the 2007 playoffs. That was just weeks before the Stars used their fifth-round pick in the draft to select Jamie Benn, now their captain and with an NHL-high 15 points this postseason.

'I'm sure there's going to be some nerves for the first couple shifts,' Benn said. 'But after that, I think it'll be fun.'

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 Final 3 to 2
Recaps

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

CNOTES · May 11, 2016

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (77) ST LOUIS@ (78) DALLAS | 2016-05-11 20:05:00 - 2016-05-11 20:05:00
Play ON ST LOUIS 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 11 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+9.25 units)

NHL > (77) ST LOUIS@ (78) DALLAS | 2016-05-11 20:05:00 - 2016-05-11 20:05:00
Play ON ST LOUIS using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 18 Wins and 9 Losses for the this season (+11.45 units)

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

NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (77) ST LOUIS@ (78) DALLAS | 2016-05-11 20:05:00 - 2016-05-11 20:05:00
Play ON ST LOUIS in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 11 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+9.25 units)

NHL > (77) ST LOUIS@ (78) DALLAS | 2016-05-11 20:05:00 - 2016-05-11 20:05:00
Play ON ST LOUIS in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 18 Wins and 9 Losses for the this season (+11.45 units)

CNOTES · May 11, 2016

5/10 - Yesterday's Results: 1 - 0 + 1.00
Overall : + 8.18

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

STL at DAL 08:00 PM

STL -105

O 5.0

CNOTES · May 12, 2016

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Max Scherzer beat his old team (Detroit) 3-2 last night; he struck out 20 Tigers, tying Clemens/Johnson/Kerry Wood as guys with 20 Ks in one game.

-- Detroit manager Brad Ausmus was in uniform as a player for the Clemens/Wood 20-strikeout games.

-- Detroit hitters swung at 69 pitches, missed 33 times. Over the last 15 years, that is 2nd-highest misses in one game- Clayton Kershaw got 35 LY. Jeremy Bonderman also induced 33 misses in a 2004 game.

-- Bryce Harper was suspended for a game earlier in the day, but appealed; too bad he didn't sit this game out; only seven Detroit outs came on batted balls.

-- Raptors 99, Heat 91-- Toronto takes a 3-2 series lead.

-- Since 1929, A's are 4th team to allow 11+ runs in four straight games, joining the '51 Pirates, '86 Brewers and '07 Astros. Awesome.

**********

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

13) Hard to believe not one person voted for Lebron James for MVP; Warriors won playoff games without Steph Curry. How many playoff games would Cleveland win if Lebron was hurt for a while?

12) Early NBA salary cap numbers for next year: Lakers ($62,298,562) have most room available, Clippers ($10,820,891) have the least.

11) Magic Johnson won NBA MVP in both 1989, 1990; thats the last time a player from a Big 14 college won the NBA MVP.

10) Arizona pitcher Daniel Hudson is only pitcher in big league history to have Tommy John surgery in consecutive years and make it back to the majors.

9) Los Angeles Angels are in trouble; they tried to patch some holes Wednesday by trading for P Jhoulys Chacin and SS Brandon Ryan.

8) Braves 5, Phillies 1-- Atlanta is now 2-16 at home.

7) Royals 7, Bronx 3-- Ventura went six innings for the win, just second time in KC's last 11 road games the Royals' starting pitcher went 6+ innings.

Lorenzo Cain hit three HRs Tuesday; he got drilled on the knee in his first AB here.

6) Injury-prone Stephen Matz (forearm) will miss his next start; he's only made 12 big league starts, for 70.1 innings.

5) You know how each ballpark has a person who brings out the headphones for umpires when there is an instant replay challenge? The guy who does it in Arlington at Ranger games is former big league pitcher Pete Falcone, who went 70-90, 4.07 in his 10-year career (1975-84), mostly with the Cardinals/Mets.

4) Astros 5, Indians 3 (16)-- Marwin Gonzalez sent fans home happy with a homer in 16th inning; three extra inning day games yesterday. Home side won all three.

3) Minnesota Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino is 16-38 in league games in his three years with the Gophers; he also overspent his $150K private plane allowance by double, spending $325K on private planes, which are used for recruiting.

You'd think Pitino's job would be in danger, but he has a $7.1M buyout that will keep him employed for at least another year- that deal was negotiated by an AD who later got fired by the school for other reasons. Not the best situation in Minnesota. .

2) World Series of Beer Pong is going to be at my second home, the Westgate Casino in Las Vegas, July 6-10. Had no idea there was professional beer pong.

1) Max Scherzer threw 119 pitches in his 20-strikeout win last night; he didn't walk anyone, and it wasn't a difficult decision for Dusty Baker to leave him in, especially in a 3-2 game. Both Detroit runs scored on home runs. It will be interesting to track him the next few weeks, but doubtful this game will have any ill effect on him.

CNOTES · May 12, 2016

NHL

Thursday, May 12

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NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs betting preview: Predators at Sharks
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Pekka Rinne and the Predators will have to do something they have never done if they want to advance to the conference finals - win at San Jose in the postseason.

Nashville Predators at San Jose Sharks (A: +163, H: -181, O/U: 5)

Series tied 3-3

The Nashville Predators had to overcome a 3-2 series deficit versus Anaheim and win Game 7 on the road to advance out of the first round of the playoffs. The Predators will attempt to duplicate that script and secure a trip to their first Western Conference finals when they visit the San Jose Sharks in Thursday night's decisive Game 7.

Nashville has refused to buckle against the Sharks, staving off elimination with a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory in Game 6, and must face another daunting obstacle: It is 0-7 all-time in San Jose in the postseason. "We've been down in games throughout this whole playoffs," Predators forward Mike Fisher said. "We've found a way when chips are down to get wins and to get goals in big moments." The Sharks have outscored Nashville 13-5 in the three meetings at home, but they squandered an early two-goal edge and a late one-goal advantage in Monday's loss. "Based on how the series has been played, it should come down to one game in a Game 7," San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said. "We worked all year for home-ice advantage in this situation and we intend to take advantage of it."

TV: 9 p.m. ET; NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVAS

PROBABLE GOALIES:

Predators - Pekka Rinne (W/L: 7-6, GAA: 2.41, SAVE %: .913)

Sharks - Martin Jones (W/L: 7-4, GAA: 2.35, SAVE %: .913)

ABOUT THE PREDATORS: The unit of Fisher, James Neal and Colin Wilson, which was put together prior to Game 3, has been the best line for either team in the series, combining for 15 points over the past four games. Wilson, who set a franchise mark last season with five goals in one playoff series, continued his postseason heroics with the game-tying tally Monday to stretch his point streak to a club-record seven games and further bury the memory of his woeful six-goal campaign during the regular season. Goaltender Pekka Rinne had his share of shaky moments in Monday's victory, but he made a huge stop in overtime and had his best performance of the playoffs in the Game 7 win at Anaheim.

ABOUT THE SHARKS: Injuries limited forward Logan Couture to just five contests prior to the Christmas break, but he has been the most dynamic player for San Jose against the Predators, scoring five goals and adding three assists to give him 14 points in 11 postseason games. “In this league you win as a team," said Couture, who stood to be the hero in Game 6 after putting the Sharks ahead with a third-period power-play tally before Wilson responded with the equalizer. "You need everyone going to win hockey games. We've got to be hungrier than they are." The Sharks have been dominant with the man advantage, cashing in on their only opportunity in Game 6 to improve to 11-for-39 in the playoffs.

TRENDS:

* Predators are 1-4 in their last five road games.
* Sharks are 4-0 in their last four home games.
* Over is 4-0-2 in Predators last six overall.
* Over is 5-0-3 in Sharks last eight overall.

CONSENSUS: The public is strongly behind the Sharks and their home-ice advantage in this Game 7, with 74 percent of wagers on them. When it comes to the total 68 percent of wagers are on the over.

CNOTES · May 12, 2016

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 12

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

NASHVILLE (48-33-0-14, 110 pts.) at SAN JOSE (53-32-0-8, 114 pts.) - 5/12/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 48-47 ATS (-14.0 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 39-78 ATS (+129.7 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 10-16 ATS (-8.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 19-31 ATS (-17.6 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 24-37 ATS (+62.5 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 30-14 ATS (+5.5 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
SAN JOSE is 22-10 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN JOSE is 17-4 ATS (+12.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 11-16 ATS (-11.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
SAN JOSE is 26-28 ATS (-23.7 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 84-82 ATS (-55.5 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 3-7 ATS (-6.6 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive overs this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 9-6 (+4.7 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 9-6-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.8 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

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

NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, May 12

Nashville at San Jose, 9:05 PM ET
Nashville: 2-10 SU after 4 or more consecutive overs
San Jose: 22-9 SU revenging a loss where opponent scored 4 or more goals

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 12

Nashville-San Jose (3-3)
Home side won all six series games; Predators lost last three visits here, outscored 13-5. Nashville's last two series wins both came in OT- they scored at 2:03 of OT of Game 6 to force this deciding game. Preds outshot San Jose 27-10 over last 42:03 of Game 6. Sharks won eight of last 12 games overall; over is 5-0-2 in their last seven games. Predators are 5-6 in last 11 games, losing four of last five on the road; they've won last six times they scored 3+ goals; they're 1-6 in last seven games scoring two or less goals. San Jose is 6-18 on power play in series, Nashville is 3-19. Over is 4-0-2 in this series. San Jose is 5-4 in Game 7's in their franchise history. Nashville won its first Game 7 in last series; they're 21st team in NHL to play two Game 7's in same season.

Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 15-9, Over: 11-5-8

NHL

Thursday, May 12

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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9:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. SAN JOSE
Nashville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games
San Jose is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose's last 7 games

CNOTES · May 12, 2016

NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, May 12

Nashville @ San Jose

Game 83-84
May 12, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
13.083
San Jose
12.217
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-185
5
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(+160); Over

CNOTES · May 12, 2016

Game 7 - Predators at Sharks
May 11, 2016

2016 Playoff Results

The Predators and Sharks will meet in a decisive Game 7 on Thursday from SAP Center in northern California. Nashville picked up its second overtime victory in the series on Monday by edging San Jose in Game 6 by a 4-3 count, cashing as a plus-105 underdog.

Including that result, the home team has won each of the first six games in this best-of-seven matchup.

Oddsmakers opened San Jose as a minus-175 favorite while Nashville is a plus-155 underdog. The total on this game is sitting at 5 and shaded to the ‘over’ (-115).

Road teams have gone 35-35 in this year’s NHL playoffs and visitors have fared very well historically in the Stanley Cup postseason.

There have been 164 all-time Game 7’s in the NHL Playoffs and the home squad owns a 95-69 (57.9%) record, which includes a 1-2 record in this year’s postseason.

Recent Game 7 History

Nashville
2016 Conference Quarterfinals - Beat Ducks on road 2-1

San Jose
2014 Conference Quarterfinals - Lost to Kings at home 5-1

The winning team in five of the last eight Game 7's scored just two goals, as five of those games finished under the total.

NHL Game 7 Playoff History (2012-2016)

2016
St. Louis Blues 6 at Dallas Stars 1
Nashville Predators 2 at Anaheim Ducks 1
Chicago Blackhawks 2 at St. Louis Blues 3

2015
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 at New York Rangers 0
Chicago Blackhawks 5 at Anaheim Ducks 3
New York Rangers 2 at Washington Capitals 1
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 at Detroit Red Wings 0
Washington Capitals 2 at New York Islanders 1

2014
Los Angeles Kings 5 at Chicago Blackhawks 4 (OT)
Los Angeles Kings 6 at Anaheim Ducks 2
Montreal Canadiens 3 at Boston Bruins 1
New York Rangers 2 at Pittsburgh Penguins 1
Philadelphia Flyers 3 at New York Rangers 4
Minnesota Wild 5 at Colorado Avalanche 4
Los Angeles Kings 5 at San Jose Sharks 1

2013
New York Rangers 5 at Washington Capitals 0
Toronto Maple Leafs 4 at Boston Bruins 5 (OT)
Detroit Red Wings 3 at Anaheim Ducks 2
Detroit Red Wings 1 at Chicago Blackhawks 2 (OT)
San Jose Sharks 1 at Los Angeles Kings 2

2012
Ottawa Senators 1 at New York Rangers 2
Washington Capitals 2 at Boston Bruins 1 (OT)
New Jersey Devils 3 at Florida Panthers 2 (2OT)
Washington Capitals 1 at New York Rangers 2

CNOTES · May 12, 2016

Sharks hope home ice is crucial in Game 7
May 11, 2016

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) All season long the San Jose Sharks faced questions about why they could be so dominant on the road but struggle to win at home.

In the biggest game yet of their season, the Sharks hope their playoff home success carries over to Game 7 of their second-round series against Nashville on Thursday night (9 p.m. EDT, NBCSN) when a spot in the Western Conference final is on the line.

''I love our game at home. I really do,'' center Joe Thornton said. ''I know it was a big part of the story going into the postseason how our home record was. But I've loved our home game and I love the energy the crowd has been giving us. It's been great.''

The Sharks led the NHL with 28 road wins this season but had a losing record at home, where their 18 wins in 41 games were the fewest of any playoff team. But after losing their first home game of the postseason to Los Angeles, the Sharks have rolled off four straight home wins as the Shark Tank has once again become an imposing building for opposing teams.

The Sharks find themselves in a must-win Game 7 because they were unable to win any games in Nashville this series. The Predators took all three home games, including a triple-overtime thriller in Game 4 and an overtime win in Game 6 on Monday night.

That was San Jose's ninth loss in its past 12 games with a chance to eliminate an opponent.

''Past experiences or not, it's about what's in this room right now and about us,'' captain Joe Pavelski said. ''We kind of said that early. This is a different team.''

The Game 6 win sent Nashville on its ninth flight between California and Tennessee this postseason after winning the first round in seven games in Anaheim. Like they did before that seventh game, the Predators packed extra clothes in hopes they would win and head to either Dallas or St. Louis for their first conference final appearance in franchise history instead of home for the summer.

''Everyone knows what's at stake, and we're going to be ready to go,'' captain Shea Weber said. ''Big point in a lot of guys' careers. It's time guys step up.''

Here are some other things to watch in Game 7:

TOP LINE: San Jose's top line of Thornton, Pavelski and Tomas Hertl have led the way all season and for much of the playoffs. But those three were completely outplayed, generating just three shots on goal and being on the ice for Nashville's first goal. With a last chance at home, the Sharks may be able to get that top line more ice time when Nashville's top defensive pair of Weber and Roman Josi aren't on the ice.

''This is bigger than one line or on one or two guys,'' coach Peter DeBoer said. ''We've talked all year about depth and I think it's on everybody to bring their AA-plus game tomorrow.''

WHERE'S FORSBERG?: Nashville F Filip Forsberg tied the franchise record scoring 33 goals during the regular season, but he has been held to only one goal in this series and two through 13 games of the postseason. Forsberg wasn't the only one struggling to score in this series. Nashville defenseman Roman Josi had taken 38 shots before scoring his first postseason goal in Game 6, the most of any player in these playoffs who has yet to score.

POTENT POWER PLAY: The Sharks have one of the game's top power plays led by a top unit that features Thornton's playmaking, Brent Burns' big shot from the point and Pavelski's goal-scoring. That power play has been a barometer for San Jose's success this postseason with the team converting 9 of 24 chances in seven playoff wins and just 2 of 15 in four losses.

PLAYOFF COLIN WILSON: The Predators left wing now is only a goal away from matching the six goals he scored in 64 games during the regular season. He's already set a franchise-record with a seven-game points streak. Wilson has scored a goal in three of the past four games, three of those Nashville victories.

NIETO'S HEALTH: Sharks F Matt Nieto left Game 6 in the first period after crashing into the net and did not return. Nieto did not practice Wednesday and his status for Game 7 is in doubt. If he can't play, the Sharks will miss his speed but will put Tommy Wingels back in the lineup after scratching him the past two games.