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

CNOTES · May 22, 2016

NHL

Sunday, May 22

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Sunday's NHL Conference Finals betting preview: Lightning at Penguins
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Right winger Phil Kessel leads the Penguins with 17 points in the playoffs after notching his fifth goal in the last five games Friday.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins (A: +180, H: -210, O/U: 5)

Series tied 2-2

The Tampa Bay Lightning rebounded from their worst performance of the postseason to even the Eastern Conference finals and look to seize control of the series when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins for Game 5 on Sunday. The Lightning gave up 48 shots Wednesday before scoring the first four goals of Game 4 two days later and holding on for a 4-3 triumph.

Tampa Bay catalyst Ryan Callahan told reporters the change was more about energy than X's and O's and the Lightning hope to carry that emotion over on the road. “The bottom line is get a good rest tonight and make sure we refocus and get ready for a tough game,” Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman told reporters after assisting on two goals Friday. “They’re a really good team, but so are we, and it’s going to be a battle all the way.” Pittsburgh could draw positives out of a three-goal third period Friday, but lost defenseman Trevor Daley (left leg) indefinitely and gave up more than three goals for the first time in nine games. “We knew this was going to be a hard game,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said on Friday. “. … We didn’t play the way we’ve been playing that has allowed us the results that we’ve gotten here over the postseason.”

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

PROBABLE GOALIES:

Lightning - Ben Bishop (W/L: 8-2, GAA: 1.85, SAVE %: .928)

Penguins - Matthew Murray (W/L: 9-4, GAA: 2.33, SAVE %: .926)

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (56-34-6, 39-44 O/U): Right wing Nikita Kucherov has yet to score a goal in the series, but totaled four assists in the last two games and leads the team with 16 points in the playoffs – one better than Tyler Johnson. Kucherov played with Vladislav Namestnikov and Alex Killorn on Friday while coach Jon Cooper put Johnson between Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Drouin, who recovered from a rough game with a big power-play goal – his 12th point of the postseason. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy could get his fourth straight start in place of Ben Bishop (left leg) and owns a .928 save percentage in the series.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (58-30-9, 43-36 O/U): Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made seven saves in the third period Friday after replacing Matt Murray, making his first appearance in net since March 31, and Sullivan told reporters he would make a decision on his Game 5 starter Sunday. Defenseman Olli Maatta could move back in the lineup for Daley, who left the arena on crutches Friday. “(Daley) is a hard guy to replace," Sullivan said. "He plays a lot of minutes. He plays in key situations.” Right wing Phil Kessel leads the team with 17 points in the playoffs after notching his fifth goal in the last five games Friday.

TRENDS:

* Lightning are 4-1 in their last 5 road games.
* Penguins are 7-0 in their last 7 Sunday games.
* Under is 3-0-1 in Lightning last 4 games following a win.
* Over is 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings in Pittsburgh.
* Lightning are 2-8 in the last 10 meetings in Pittsburgh.

CONSENSUS: At the time of publication the Penguins are picking up 65 percent of the moneyline wagers for Game 5. When you look at the total wagers, Over 5 is grabbing 74 percent of the action. View full consensus data here.

CNOTES · May 22, 2016

NHL
Dunkel

Sunday, May 22

Tampa Bay @ Pittsburgh

Game 17-18
May 22, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
10.794
Pittsburgh
13.651
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 3
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-205
5
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-205); Over

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, May 22

Tampa Bay-Pittsburgh (2-2)
Tampa Bay led Game Four 4-0 after two periods, had to hold Penguins off for last 6:52 after Pitt cut lead to 4-3. Lightning won six of its last nine games with Penguins- they won two of last three played here. Over is 9-1-1 in last 11 series games, 2-1-1 in this specific series. Lightning is 2-8 on power play in first three games in this series, Pittsburgh is 3-13. Pittsburgh is 6-3 in its last nine games, going 4-1 in last five at home. Tampa Bay won three of last four road games (2-1 in OT). Pittsburgh won three of its last four home games.

Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 16-9, Over: 11-5-9
Conference finals-- Home 4-4, Over 3-4-1

NHL

Sunday, May 22

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. PITTSBURGH
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Tampa Bay is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, May 22

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TAMPA BAY (56-34-0-6, 118 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (58-30-0-9, 125 pts.) - 5/22/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 58-39 ATS (+12.4 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 24-10 ATS (+10.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
PITTSBURGH is 40-20 ATS (+7.5 Units) second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 13-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
TAMPA BAY is 38-20 ATS (+10.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
TAMPA BAY is 202-211 ATS (+449.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 7-6-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
10 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+7.7 Units)

NHL
Short Sheet

Sunday, May 22

Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh, 8:05 PM ET
Tampa Bay: 22-27 SU when playing their 3rd game in 5 days
Pittsburgh: 13-4 SU after allowing 4 goals or more

CNOTES · May 22, 2016

Preview: Lightning (46-31) at Penguins (48-26)
Date: May 22, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH (AP) Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has been stressing for weeks his team has multiple goaltenders capable of taking the franchise to the Stanley Cup.

Might be time to find out if he's right.

Rookie Matt Murray's precocious postseason play came to a sudden and abrupt halt in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Friday night. Sullivan pulled the 21-year-old after two periods in which the energized Tampa Bay Lightning forced Murray to dig the puck out of the net four times. In came well-rested Marc-Andre Fleury, playing for the first time in seven weeks, a sabbatical that began while he recovered from concussion sustained on March 31 and continued long after he was cleared thanks to Murray's steadying presence.

Fleury stopped all seven shots he faced in the third as Pittsburgh put together a frantic rally before falling 4-3 as the Lightning evened the entertaining series at 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Sunday.

Sullivan declined to name a starter on Saturday. The way he sees it, there really are no bad options. In Murray the Penguins have watched their goaltender of the future evolve into the goaltender of the present. In Fleury Pittsburgh has a goaltender whose name is already on the Cup and who handled Murray's rise with customary class.

'Marc's been a big part of this team all year,,' Sullivan said. 'He's really helped this team get to the position it's at with the way he's played all season. The timing of his injury down the stretch was unfortunate. It's not a perfect circumstance. But I think that's the nature of the business we're in. We just try to make the best decisions and make the most of the situation that we're in.'

And as flat as Pittsburgh looked over much of the first 40 minutes on Friday to squander a chance to take firm control of things, the Penguins were just as dominant in the third while nearly pulling off a comeback that - if completed - would have delivered an emotional punch Tampa Bay would have found difficult to overcome.

It's playing with that kind of urgency Pittsburgh will focus on heading home, not who will be in net.

'We know the way we need to play at this point,' forward Matt Cullen said. 'We know we didn't play that way the first half of the game and that's what cost us.'

And not Murray's first real statistical stumble since taking over in Game 3 of the opening-round series against the New York Rangers. He gave up four goals on 30 shots, a couple of which he attributed to crazy bounces rather than poor positioning. He's not going to sweat Sullivan's call, knowing everything at this point is a game-by-game basis.

'It's the same old thing every day,' said Murray, who is 9-4 with a 2.33 goals against average during the playoffs. 'My job doesn't change. I just have to be ready when my name is called.'

The Penguins may have to move forward without defenseman Trevor Daley, who sustained a lower-body injury after colliding with Tampa Bay's Ryan Callahan and had to be helped to the trainer's room. Sullivan offered no update Saturday, though it seems unlikely Daley would be available on Sunday, leaving Olli Maatta - benched earlier in the series - or Derrick Pouliot as the likely options to step in.

Like Pittsburgh, the Lightning aren't too concerned whether Murray or Fleury lead the Penguins onto the ice. Like Pittsburgh, the Lightning are more focused on sticking to the style that allowed them to put together their two most dynamic periods since dispatching the New York Islanders in the second round.

'I don't think it really changes anything because ultimately they (were) playing a guy that was on fire,' coach Jon Cooper said. '(Murray) has carried them to this point. I think whatever decision they make you still got to put the puck behind them. They're both really good National Hockey League goalies, so it doesn't change our mindset or outlook at all.'

Tampa Bay beat Fleury twice during the regular season, scoring a combined nine goals against him and chasing him once, though Fleury made a couple of quality stops on Friday night, including a breakaway save early in the third that seemed to shift the momentum.

'I felt a lot better at the end of it than at the beginning of the period,' Fleury said. 'Being part of the game, being part of the speed was nice. I'd been practicing for a while. It's good to see the difference.'

Speed that will likely amp up with a trip to the Cup finals two wins away for a pair of teams that have been among the league's most resilient clubs all year. The Penguins haven't dropped consecutive games since January and the Lightning put together a similar stretch that was snapped after dropping Game 2 and Game 3 of a series that in some ways is just getting started.

'Our guys, they know the formula,' Sullivan said. 'They know what works for us. When we go out, and we execute, we play with determination, we believe we can beat anybody.'

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Lightning at Penguins
Fri, May 13 Final 3 to 1
Recaps

GAME 2
Lightning at Penguins
Mon, May 16 Final 2 to 3
Recaps

GAME 3
Penguins at Lightning
Wed, May 18 Final 4 to 2
Recaps

GAME 4
Penguins at Lightning
Fri, May 20 Final 3 to 4
Recaps

GAME 5
Lightning at Penguins
Sun, May 22 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 6
Penguins at Lightning
Tue, May 24 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 7
Lightning at Penguins
Thu, May 26 - 8:00PM EDT

CNOTES · May 22, 2016

NHL TOTALS

NHL > (17) TAMPA BAY@ (18) PITTSBURGH | 2016-05-22 20:05:00 - 2016-05-22 20:05:00
Play OVER PITTSBURGH on the totalin Home games second half of the season
The record is 18 Overs and 6 Unders for the this season (+11.6 units)

5/21 - YESTERDAY'S RESULTS : 1 - 0 + 1.00
OVERALL : + 9.55

SUNDAY, MAY 22

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TB at PIT 08:00 PM

PIT -190

O 5.0

jacob · May 22, 2016

CNOTES said:
SUNDAY, MAY 22

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TB at PIT 08:00 PM

PIT -190

O 5.0

Cnotes... do you still like the Over at 5.5 at +117?

CNOTES · May 23, 2016

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Odds on six of the NFL's more interesting games this fall...........

-- Week 2-- Eagles @ Bears (-3)-- Monday night in Windy City.

-- Week 3-- Falcons @ Saints (-1)-- Monday night on Bourbn Street.

-- Week 4-- Dolphins @ Bengals (-6.5)-- Thursday night in Queen City.

-- Week 5-- Bucs @ Panthers (-8.5)-- Monday night in Charlotte.

-- Week 6-- Jets @ Cardinals (-6)-- Monday night in the desert.

-- Week 7-- Texans @ Broncos (-3.5)-- Osweiler against his old team.

**********

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

13) Blue Jays manager John Gibbons had an interesting week;
Sunday: ejected, Monday: ejected.
Tuesday-Thursday: suspended in connection with Sunday's ejection
Friday/Saturday: He actually managed the whole game both days.
Sunday: ejected-- good work if you can get it.

12) Washington Nationals played 13 of their first 44 games against Miami; now the teams will play only six more times the rest of this season. .

11) Albuquerque Isotopes are the Rockies' AAA team; they're having a bad year, losing six games in a row and 10 of last 12.

Things are so bad that the team employee who wears the "jar of salsa" costume during the Chile Race promotion pulled a leg muscle this weekend nad is now out of action.

10) From 2013-15, Hillary Clinton made 94 speaking engagements, earned $21.6M doing so. Thats million, with an M. Yikes.

9) Phil Mickelson agreed to forfeit nearly $1 million that the Securities/Exchange Commission said was unfairly earned on a tip from an insider trading scheme run by a former corporate director and a professional gambler.

Who plays Mickelson in the movie that will inevitably be made about this?

8) Thunder 133, Warriors 105-- This makes Game 4 a very interesting game. if the Spurs/Warriors go a combined 140-24 in the regular season and neither makes the NBA Finals, teams will be resting players constantly next season. No bueno.

7) I'm sitting here watching the 1995 movie Jury Duty, a movie so stunningly bad that I can't turn it off. For some reason, Dick Vitale was in this movie as a TV leegal analyst, basically playing his TV role, yelling and screaming. 21 years later, this movie is still on pay TV-- is this a great country or what?

6) I was watching the 1991 movie Forget Paris the other night, where Billy Crystal is an NBA ref; in the opening scene, he makes a critical call in a playoff game against the Phoenix Suns, who had Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson, Dan Majerle.

25 years later, Barkley is the best studio analyst the NBA has; Majerle is the coach at Grand Canyon College an up-and-coming D-I team and Johnson somehow is mayor of Sacramento, where he has saved the NBA's Kings from moving several times.

Real life is often stranger than fiction.

5) Then there is the 1973 movie "World's Greatest Athlete", where Seahawk coach Pete Carroll had an untitled role as a college football player. Also in this fine movie are the guy who played Mr Whipple in the old Charmin TV commercials, the guy who played General Burkhalter on Hogan's Heroes and former Viking QB Joe Kapp.

4) Why do the Texas Rangers want a new stadium? The one they play in is only 22 years old- teams should have to stay at least 40 years in a new stadium.

3) Tim Lincecum signed with the Angels for $2.5M; Halos are in even worse shape than the A's- their payroll is $164,673,333, compared to Oakland's $86,806,234.

2) While I am on this subject, the A's are 19-26 this year with a starting pitching rotation that is totally in shambles with Sonny Gray ineffective/hurt. After making the playoffs in 2012-14, the Ivy League genuses in the Oakland front office decided to trade Yoenis Cespedes for Jon Lester so they could win the 2014 World Series. The plan failed.....miserably.

109-154, thats the A's record since July 31, 2014- they pay Billy Butler $10M a year, Jed Lowrie $7M, Coco Crisp $11M. People talk about Moneyball all the time, but the 2001-03 A's were good for three reasons-- Hudson, Mulder, Zito. Starting pitchers.

Without solid starting pitchers (6+ innings most every night) your team has absolutely zero chance to contend. None. Pitching is the most critical element in baseball.

1) Congratulations to my friend Gary DiNola for being inducted into the Upstate New York Basketball Hall of Fame last night. I spent four years (1994-98) as one of his assistants and it one was one of the most interesting/fun eperiences of my life.

CNOTES · May 23, 2016

NHL

Monday, May 23

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Monday's NHL Conference Finals betting preview: Sharks at Blues
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Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock on goalie Jake Allen, "He gave us exactly what we needed. He's a competitive son of a gun."

San Jose Sharks at St. Louis Blues (A: +110, H: -130, O/U: 5)

Series tied 2-2

Although the St. Louis Blues recorded their third six-goal outburst of the postseason, coach Ken Hitchcock was more interested in the play at the other end of the ice. With that in mind, goaltender Jake Allen will receive his second consecutive start in Game 5 on Monday as the Blues look to gain the advantage in the Western Conference final when they host the San Jose Sharks.

"He gave us exactly what we needed. He's a competitive son of a gun," Hitchcock told reporters of the 25-year-old Allen, who manned the crease in place of a struggling Brian Elliott and made 31 saves in St. Louis' 6-3 triumph on Saturday. While the Blues evened the series at two victories apiece, San Jose's Martin Jones will need to collect himself after seeing his impressive shutout streak halted just shy of 154 minutes. "We've responded well anytime we've needed to this year, all season long," the 26-year-old Jones said after yielding four goals on 19 shots to earn an early exit in Game 4. "We'll get ready for the next one. I don't really have to change anything. Prepare like I have been for the next game."

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

PROBABLE GOALIES:

Sharks - Martin Jones (W/L: 10-6, GAA: 2.07, SAVE %: .921)

Blues - Jake Allen (W/L: 1-0, GAA: 1.64, SAVE %: .930)

ABOUT THE SHARKS (56-33-9, 49-38 O/U): Captain Joe Pavelski extended his point streak to five games (two goals, four assists) with his franchise-best and NHL-leading 10th goal through Saturday. Fellow forward Joe Thornton set up the tally for his third assist in two contests and 11th of the playoffs, putting him two behind Logan Couture for the team lead. The 27-year-old Couture was held off the scoresheet in Game 4, but dominated the faceoff circle by winning nine of 12 draws.

ABOUT THE BLUES (59-30-11, 39-45 O/U): The availability for captain David Backes and rookie forward Robby Fabbri will be decided prior to Game 5, as Hitchcock did not shed any additional light for reporters on Sunday. Both forwards suffered undisclosed injuries and missed a significant portion of ice time in Saturday's victory, with Hitchcock telling reporters that "(Backes) had pompoms out. He was cheerleading. He was doing a good job." Fabbri notched an assist on the first of Troy Brouwer's two power-play goals on Saturday for his team-leading 14th point, while the latter's seven tallies in the 2016 playoffs match his sum total of his initial 78 career postseason games.

TRENDS:

* Sharks are 3-12 in their last 15 Conference Finals games.
* Blues are 1-5 in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
* Over is 4-0 in Sharks last 4 following a loss of 3 or more goals.
* Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

CONSENSUS: Early Consensus data is showing that the public is heavily favoring the Blues at home in Game 5 at a rate of 70 percent. The Over is scoring a good chunk of the totals wagers at 63 percent.

CNOTES · May 23, 2016

NHL
Dunkel

Monday, May 23

San Jose @ St. Louis

Game 19-20
May 23, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Jose
13.461
St. Louis
12.109
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 1 1/2
4
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(+110); Under

NHL
Short Sheet

Monday, May 23

San Jose at St Louis, 8:05 PM ET
San Jose: 14-6 SU as a road underdog of +100 to +200
St Louis: 26-36 SU at home after a game where 9 or + total goals were scored

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, May 23

San Jose-St Louis (2-2)
Sharks shut St Louis out in their two series wins; road team won six of last nine St Louis-San Jose tilts- under is 3-1 in this series. San Jose won three of last four games here; they're 4-4 on road in playoffs so far this year. Blues lost three of last four home games, under is 3-1 in their last four games overall. San Jose is 2-15 on power play in series, the Blues are 2-12. St Louis is 5-3 on road so far in playoffs- they scored six goals on only 27 shots in Game 4, after getting blanked in Games 2-3.

Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 16-9, Over: 11-5-9
Conference finals-- Home 4-5, Over 4-4-1

NHL

Monday, May 23

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
SAN JOSE vs. ST. LOUIS
San Jose is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games
San Jose is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing San Jose
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against San Jose

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, May 23

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SAN JOSE (56-34-0-8, 120 pts.) at ST LOUIS (59-31-0-10, 128 pts.) - 5/23/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 59-41 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 36-24 ATS (-0.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 34-23 ATS (+3.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 23-14 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 22-9 ATS (+12.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
SAN JOSE is 19-9 ATS (+8.5 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 32-15 ATS (+13.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
SAN JOSE is 25-12 ATS (+11.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN JOSE is 20-6 ATS (+12.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 8-5 (+1.8 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 8-5-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.0 Units)

CNOTES · May 23, 2016

Blues sticking with Allen against Sharks
May 22, 2016

ST. LOUIS (AP) The St. Louis Blues are sticking with goalie Jake Allen in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the San Jose Sharks.

Coach Ken Hitchcock kept quiet about other potential roster issues.

Allen was strong in Game 4 in his first start of the postseason, making 31 saves in a 6-3 victory in San Jose on Saturday night that knotted the series at two games apiece. Brian Elliott started the first three games, giving way to Allen in the third period in Game 3.

Game 5 is Monday night.

In Game 4, Blues captain David Backes didn't play the final two periods and rookie Robby Fabbri had just two shifts in the third period after getting shaken up on a hit by Tommy Wingels.

Hitchcock said he'd have an update on both players on game day.

CNOTES · May 23, 2016

Preview: Sharks (46-30) at Blues (49-24)
Date: May 23, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS (AP) The St. Louis Blues are sticking with goalie Jake Allen in Game 5 of the Western Conference final against the San Jose Sharks.

It's not a huge surprise considering how well the Blues played after the goalie switch. They're coming off perhaps their best game of the postseason, a convincing 6-3 victory that knotted the series at two games heading into Monday night's game.

Coach Ken Hitchcock switched to Allen to give the team a 'jolt' because it was becoming overly reliant on Brian Elliott. He didn't care if it was viewed as a goalie controversy.

'We needed to play harder for a goalie,' Hitchcock said. 'It didn't matter if it was Ells or Jake or whatever.'

Hitchcock kept quiet about other potential roster issues, saying he'd have updates on captain David Backes and rookie Robby Fabbri on game day.

Both have been major reasons the Blues are in their first conference final since 2001, Fabbri with 14 points and Backes with seven goals and 13 points.

Sharks coach Peter DeBoer expects a bounce-back effort in Game 5 without making lineup changes.

'You know what, we've played some really good hockey in the last two or three weeks,' DeBoer said. 'I think we can fix it without having to take those type of measures.'

But DeBoer added he'd 'sleep on it.'

Allen and Elliott basically split duties during the regular season, each playing long stretches because the other was injured. Allen was ready when the call came and made 31 saves in Game 4.

'I've been sort of letting him do his thing the first three series,' Allen said. 'Hitch told me to go get `em. It's my chance now.'

Allen started all six games in the Blues' first-round loss to Minnesota last spring. He learned from that experience not to think he had to be extra special.

'I think I came in last year a little bit antsy,' Allen said. 'I think this year we just realize it's honestly another hockey game. Be yourself, play your game, what we've done all year will bring success.'

The Blues ended a scoreless drought of 156:59 with two first-period goals and poured it on in Game 4, easing any pressure Allen might have been feeling. The scoring matched their high for the playoffs in a 6-1 Game 7 victory at Dallas.

'We knew we had so much more in us to give,' Allen said. 'If it was the other way around, and we were playing phenomenal and we still weren't finding ways to win, then maybe that's another story.'

Backes didn't play the final two periods on Saturday night. Fabbri had just two shifts in the third period after getting shaken up on a hit by Tommy Wingels.

Forward Paul Stastny was entering the ice just after Fabbri was hit and didn't see it, but didn't think Blues players were too riled about it.

'I mean playoff time, you know you're always going to get hit when you have the puck or when you move the puck, a second or two after,' Stastny said. 'That's just how it is - we do the same thing to them, they do the same thing to us.'

Before they stumbled in an opportunity to seize control of the series, the Sharks had been dominant. DeBoer anticipates a highly motivated roster for Game 5.

'You know, missed opportunity,' DeBoer said. 'They want to make it right.'

Martin Jones is the franchise's first goalie to post consecutive playoff shutouts. He struggled under the Blues' pressure and was lifted for the first time in the postseason after allowing four goals on 19 shots in Game 4.

'They scored a couple goals,' Jones said. 'You don't like it, but you move on. You get ready for the next one.'

Forward Logan Couture said when the Sharks have had setbacks this season they've always found a way to 'push back.'

'We know in our room we didn't play well at all,' Couture said. 'We made a lot of mistakes that we haven't been making throughout these playoffs, but Game 5 is a new opportunity for us.'

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Sharks at Blues
Sun, May 15 Final 1 to 2
Recaps

GAME 2
Sharks at Blues
Tue, May 17 Final 4 to 0
Recaps

GAME 3
Blues at Sharks
Thu, May 19 Final 0 to 3
Recaps

GAME 4
Blues at Sharks
Sat, May 21 Final 6 to 3
Recaps

GAME 5
Sharks at Blues
Mon, May 23 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 6
Blues at Sharks
Wed, May 25 - 9:00PM EDT

GAME 7
Sharks at Blues
Fri, May 27 - 8:00PM EDT

CNOTES · May 23, 2016

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (19) SAN JOSE@ (20) ST LOUIS | 2016-05-23 20:05:00 - 2016-05-23 20:05:00
Play ON SAN JOSE using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 14 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+12.9 units)

NHL > (19) SAN JOSE@ (20) ST LOUIS | 2016-05-23 20:05:00 - 2016-05-23 20:05:00
Play ON SAN JOSE 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 9 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+9.05 units)

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

NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (19) SAN JOSE@ (20) ST LOUIS | 2016-05-23 20:05:00 - 2016-05-23 20:05:00
Play ON SAN JOSE in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 14 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+12.9 units)

NHL > (19) SAN JOSE@ (20) ST LOUIS | 2016-05-23 20:05:00 - 2016-05-23 20:05:00
Play ON SAN JOSE in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 9 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+9.05 units)

CNOTES · May 23, 2016

5/22 - YESTERDAY'S RESULTS 1 - 0 + 1.00
OVERALL: + 10.55

MONDAY, MAY 23

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

SJ at STL 08:00 PM

SJ -102

O 5.0

CNOTES · May 24, 2016

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- Giants win 1-0 for second consecutive day, first time they've won consecutive games 1-0 since August, 1980.

-- Padres lost in 17 innings Sunday, then on a messed-up pop-up Monday, wasting lot of good pitching by starters Rea, Pomeranz.

-- Sharks 6, Blues 3-- San Jose is one game away from Stanley Cup finals.

-- Royals lost Alex Gordon for 4-6 weeks with a broken hand.

-- Draymond Green will play tonight; he got fined but the league backed off on his suspension- the league prefers good TV ratings to actual justice.

-- Atlanta Braves have five of the first 80 picks in the June 9 amateur draft.

**********

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

13) Major league baseball teams aren't allowed to play more than 20 days in a row, so players on Colorado/Pittsburgh had to vote to play Monday, after Sunday's game was rained out in the second inning.

Pirates will now take the field 34 days in a row, Colorado 27, but playing yesterday was better than the Rockies flying in for one day later this season.

12) With Lucas Duda out for an extended time bith back issues, would the Mets trade for a 3B, move David Wright to first? He has been struggling with throws, anyway, this could be the time to put him at first base.

11) Interesting matchup in Chicago tonight: Indians are 7-0 when Josh Tomlin starts on the mound, White Sox are 9-0 when Chris Sale pitches.

10) White Sox announcer Steve Stone was talking about former Braves' slugger Rico Carty (.299 career BA, 204 HRs). Apparently Carty wasn't a trusting soul-- he kept his wallet in hsi uniform pants while he was playing. Seriously.

9) On the Pirate game yesterday afternoon, Colorado announcers were saying that when he played for the Bronx Bombers, New York coaches tried to get Dominic Cervelli to quit and become a minor league coach, like Crash Davis in Bull Durham.

Cervelli just signed a three-year, $31M extension; hope he sends a copy of his checks to New York, so they can see how wrong they were.

8) I've spent a lot of time keeping score at baseball games, was even an official scorer in the minor leagues for two years, but if I started keeping score again, I'd have to change the way I kept score, because of shifting defenses.

A good scorecard is something you can look at six months later and tell what went on in that game, even if you never saw the game. Jotting down "5-3" is no longer enough, because the 3B ("5") might have shifted to the right side of the infield. Now you need to take notes and be more descriptive, in order to be more accurate.

7) Raptors 105, Cavaliers 99- Why do teams play so much better at home?

6) Trevon Blueitt is going back to Xavier; the Musketeers have their top four guys on the perimeter back and are a top 25 team.

5) Drivers in this year's Indianapolis 500 represent 11 different countries.

4) In his last 1,001 innings pitched, Clayton Kershaw's ERA is 1.995.

3) Players who have come to bat with most men on base this season:
Rizzo 150, Polanco 147, Pujols 143, Abreu 137.

2) Players with 100+ PA who have driven in the highest %age of baserunners:
Bruce 26.7%, Betts 24.2%, Markakis 24.2%, Bradley Jr 23.4%

1) Players with 100+ PA who have driven in the lowest %age of baserunners
Gennett 1-64, MTaylor 2-68, Norris 3-85.

CNOTES · May 24, 2016

NHL
Dunkel

Tuesday, May 24

Pittsburgh @ Tampa Bay

Game 21-22
May 24, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
12.710
Tampa Bay
13.735
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-140
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(+120); Under

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, May 24

Tampa Bay-Pittsburgh (TB 3-2)
Tampa Bay tied Game 5 with 3:16 left, won it 0:53 into OT; they can end series with win on home ice, but road team is 3-2 in this series. Lightning won seven of its last ten games with Penguins- they won four of last five played here. Over is 10-1-1 in last 12 series games. Lightning is 2-11 on power play in first three games in this series, Pittsburgh is 3-16. Pittsburgh is 6-4 in its last ten games, going 4-3 in last seven on road. Tampa Bay won three of last four home games; four of its last eight games overall went to overtime.

Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 16-9, Over: 11-5-9
Conference finals-- Home 4-6, Over 5-4-1

NHL

Tuesday, May 24

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

8:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh

NHL
Long Sheet

Tuesday, May 24

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

PITTSBURGH (58-30-0-10, 126 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (57-34-0-6, 120 pts.) - 5/24/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 14-22 ATS (-15.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 39-20 ATS (+6.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
TAMPA BAY is 203-211 ATS (+496.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 58-40 ATS (+4.0 Units) in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 40-21 ATS (+10.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
PITTSBURGH is 60-43 ATS (+105.7 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 7-12 ATS (-9.5 Units) on Tuesday nights this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 7-7 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 7-7-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
11 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+9.0 Units)

CNOTES · May 24, 2016

NHL
Short Sheet

Tuesday, May 24

Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, 8:05 PM ET
Pittsburgh: 26-13 SU after 1 or more consecutive losses
Tampa Bay: 7-12 SU on Tuesday nights

CNOTES · May 24, 2016

Preview: Penguins (48-26) at Lightning (46-31)
Date: May 24, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) The bigger the playoff moment, the more Nikita Kucherov shines.

The young Russian has a knack for scoring when Tampa Bay needs it most, which is one of the reasons the Lightning are within one victory of reaching the Stanley Cup final for the second straight year.

Kucherov has found the back of the net a NHL-leading 11 times in 15 games this postseason, seven of them in situations in which he's either tied the score or given his team a lead.

The 22-year-old's latest addition to his impressive playoff resume he began compiling last year was a late goal Sunday to force overtime against Pittsburgh in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. He also notched an assist on Tyler Johnson's winner less than a minute into the extra period.

The 4-3 victory on the road gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 in Tuesday night at Amalie Arena.

'When you're a rising star in this league, as he is ... every team's got one of those guys at some point,' Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. 'It just seems the bigger the moment, the bigger they rise to the occasion. He is proving that last year wasn't a fluke. He's just a gifted, skilled, determined player. He's really a pleasure to coach.'

Kucherov had 10 goals in 26 playoff games a year ago, including a pair of overtime winners that helped the Lightning to the Stanley Cup final, where they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. One more victory and Tampa Bay will become the first team to make consecutive trips to the championship round since the Penguins and Detroit Red Wings did it in 2008 and 2009.

'He keeps climbing the ladder, and he keeps getting better. But what has really been remarkable for me this year in watching him is the timeliness of his game. He's not scoring one goal in a 6-1 loss or the sixth goal in a 6-1 win,' Cooper said Monday.

'He's getting the game-tier, game-winner; sets up the biggest of the biggest goals, and that says a little bit about the type of player you are,' the coach added. 'When you need him, he's the one ultimately, more often than not, that's there for you. I think that's the one thing that's remarkable about him.'

Pittsburgh has gone from a 2-1 series lead to facing elimination for the first time this postseason after losing consecutively for the first time since January.

Coach Mike Sullivan said he won't make a decision on a starting goaltender for Game 6 until Tuesday morning. Marc-Andre Fleury made his first start in nearly two months in Game 5, and was unable to protect leads of 2-0 and 3-2.

Rookie Matt Murray started the first four games of this series and is 9-4 with a 2.33 goals-against-average and .923 save percentage.

'I thought Marc made some big saves for us, especially early in the game,' Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said, adding it was difficult to gauge how much the long layoff impacted Fleury's performance.

'It's a tough circumstance. We believe in the guys we have. We think we have quality people, but it's an imperfect situation,' Sullivan said before the team flew south to Florida on Monday. 'All things considered, we're trying to make the best decisions we can.'

The Penguins are confident than can rebound Tuesday night and take the series back home for a seventh game.

'I believe in my team. I believe in myself, and we can come back to Pittsburgh for sure,' Penguins star Evgeni Malkin said.

'Every game you shake off, win or lose,' Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz said.

'This group has done a terrific job all year of just staying in the moment and not dwelling on the past, not getting ahead of itself, and just trying to focus on that one game in hand,' Sullivan said, 'and that's what we're going to have to do.'

Tampa Bay plans to approach it the same way.

The Lightning beat the New York Rangers on the road to take a 3-2 lead in last year's conference finals. They returned home and were trounced 7-3 in Game 6.

'You can't sit here and dictate or guarantee what the result's going to be, but our mindset going into the game has got to be a heck of a lot different,' Cooper said. 'And our group is well aware of that.'

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Lightning at Penguins
Fri, May 13 Final 3 to 1
Recaps

GAME 2
Lightning at Penguins
Mon, May 16 Final 2 to 3
Recaps

GAME 3
Penguins at Lightning
Wed, May 18 Final 4 to 2
Recaps

GAME 4
Penguins at Lightning
Fri, May 20 Final 3 to 4
Recaps

GAME 5
Lightning at Penguins
Sun, May 22 Final 4 to 3
Recaps

GAME 6
Penguins at Lightning
Tue, May 24 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 7
Lightning at Penguins
Thu, May 26 - 8:00PM EDT

CNOTES · May 24, 2016

Hitchcock hedges on lineup for Game 5
May 23, 2016

ST. LOUIS (AP) St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock will decide on the status of injured players after the pre-game skate before Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the San Jose Sharks on Monday night.

Captain David Backes and rookie Robby Fabbri, both forwards, were injured in Game 4. Backes missed the final two periods and Fabbri had just two shifts in the third period of a 6-3 victory that knotted the series at 2-2.

Hitchcock said he'll have the same number of players dressed for the warmup as in Game 4, when he had two extra forwards and one extra defenseman on the ice.

Sharks coach Peter DeBoer indicated he'd have no lineup changes.

CNOTES · May 24, 2016

Blues sticking with Allen in Game 5 against Sharks
May 22, 2016

ST. LOUIS (AP) The St. Louis Blues are sticking with goalie Jake Allen in Game 5 of the Western Conference final against the San Jose Sharks.

It's not a huge surprise considering how well the Blues played after the goalie switch. They're coming off perhaps their best game of the postseason, a convincing 6-3 victory that knotted the series at two games heading into Monday night's game.

Coach Ken Hitchcock switched to Allen to give the team a ''jolt'' because it was becoming overly reliant on Brian Elliott. He didn't care if it was viewed as a goalie controversy.

''We needed to play harder for a goalie,'' Hitchcock said. ''It didn't matter if it was Ells or Jake or whatever.''

Hitchcock kept quiet about other potential roster issues, saying he'd have updates on captain David Backes and rookie Robby Fabbri on game day.

Both have been major reasons the Blues are in their first conference final since 2001, Fabbri with 14 points and Backes with seven goals and 13 points.

Sharks coach Peter DeBoer expects a bounce-back effort in Game 5 without making lineup changes.

''You know what, we've played some really good hockey in the last two or three weeks,'' DeBoer said. ''I think we can fix it without having to take those type of measures.''

But DeBoer added he'd ''sleep on it.''

Allen and Elliott basically split duties during the regular season, each playing long stretches because the other was injured. Allen was ready when the call came and made 31 saves in Game 4.

''I've been sort of letting him do his thing the first three series,'' Allen said. ''Hitch told me to go get `em. It's my chance now.''

Allen started all six games in the Blues' first-round loss to Minnesota last spring. He learned from that experience not to think he had to be extra special.

''I think I came in last year a little bit antsy,'' Allen said. ''I think this year we just realize it's honestly another hockey game. Be yourself, play your game, what we've done all year will bring success.''

The Blues ended a scoreless drought of 156:59 with two first-period goals and poured it on in Game 4, easing any pressure Allen might have been feeling. The scoring matched their high for the playoffs in a 6-1 Game 7 victory at Dallas.

''We knew we had so much more in us to give,'' Allen said. ''If it was the other way around, and we were playing phenomenal and we still weren't finding ways to win, then maybe that's another story.''

Backes didn't play the final two periods on Saturday night. Fabbri had just two shifts in the third period after getting shaken up on a hit by Tommy Wingels.

Forward Paul Stastny was entering the ice just after Fabbri was hit and didn't see it, but didn't think Blues players were too riled about it.

''I mean playoff time, you know you're always going to get hit when you have the puck or when you move the puck, a second or two after,'' Stastny said. ''That's just how it is - we do the same thing to them, they do the same thing to us.''

Before they stumbled in an opportunity to seize control of the series, the Sharks had been dominant. DeBoer anticipates a highly motivated roster for Game 5.

''You know, missed opportunity,'' DeBoer said. ''They want to make it right.''

Martin Jones is the franchise's first goalie to post consecutive playoff shutouts. He struggled under the Blues' pressure and was lifted for the first time in the postseason after allowing four goals on 19 shots in Game 4.

''They scored a couple goals,'' Jones said. ''You don't like it, but you move on. You get ready for the next one.''

Forward Logan Couture said when the Sharks have had setbacks this season they've always found a way to ''push back.''

''We know in our room we didn't play well at all,'' Couture said. ''We made a lot of mistakes that we haven't been making throughout these playoffs, but Game 5 is a new opportunity for us.''

CNOTES · May 24, 2016

Kucherov's excellence driving Lightning
May 23, 2016

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) The bigger the playoff moment, the more Nikita Kucherov shines.

The young Russian has a knack for scoring when Tampa Bay needs it most, which is one of the reasons the Lightning are within one victory of reaching the Stanley Cup final for the second straight year.

Kucherov has found the back of the net a NHL-leading 11 times in 15 games this postseason, seven of them in situations in which he's either tied the score or given his team a lead.

The 22-year-old's latest addition to his impressive playoff resume he began compiling last year was a late goal Sunday to force overtime against Pittsburgh in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. He also notched an assist on Tyler Johnson's winner less than a minute into the extra period.

The 4-3 victory on the road gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 in Tuesday night at Amalie Arena.

''When you're a rising star in this league, as he is ... every team's got one of those guys at some point,'' Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. ''It just seems the bigger the moment, the bigger they rise to the occasion. He is proving that last year wasn't a fluke. He's just a gifted, skilled, determined player. He's really a pleasure to coach.''

Kucherov had 10 goals in 26 playoff games a year ago, including a pair of overtime winners that helped the Lightning to the Stanley Cup final, where they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. One more victory and Tampa Bay will become the first team to make consecutive trips to the championship round since the Penguins and Detroit Red Wings did it in 2008 and 2009.

''He keeps climbing the ladder, and he keeps getting better. But what has really been remarkable for me this year in watching him is the timeliness of his game. He's not scoring one goal in a 6-1 loss or the sixth goal in a 6-1 win,'' Cooper said Monday.

''He's getting the game-tier, game-winner; sets up the biggest of the biggest goals, and that says a little bit about the type of player you are,'' the coach added. ''When you need him, he's the one ultimately, more often than not, that's there for you. I think that's the one thing that's remarkable about him.''

Pittsburgh has gone from a 2-1 series lead to facing elimination for the first time this postseason after losing consecutively for the first time since January.

Coach Mike Sullivan said he won't make a decision on a starting goaltender for Game 6 until Tuesday morning. Marc-Andre Fleury made his first start in nearly two months in Game 5, and was unable to protect leads of 2-0 and 3-2.

Rookie Matt Murray started the first four games of this series and is 9-4 with a 2.33 goals-against-average and .923 save percentage.

''I thought Marc made some big saves for us, especially early in the game,'' Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said, adding it was difficult to gauge how much the long layoff impacted Fleury's performance.

''It's a tough circumstance. We believe in the guys we have. We think we have quality people, but it's an imperfect situation,'' Sullivan said before the team flew south to Florida on Monday. ''All things considered, we're trying to make the best decisions we can.''

The Penguins are confident than can rebound Tuesday night and take the series back home for a seventh game.

''I believe in my team. I believe in myself, and we can come back to Pittsburgh for sure,'' Penguins star Evgeni Malkin said.

''Every game you shake off, win or lose,'' Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz said.

''This group has done a terrific job all year of just staying in the moment and not dwelling on the past, not getting ahead of itself, and just trying to focus on that one game in hand,'' Sullivan said, ''and that's what we're going to have to do.''

Tampa Bay plans to approach it the same way.

The Lightning beat the New York Rangers on the road to take a 3-2 lead in last year's conference finals. They returned home and were trounced 7-3 in Game 6.

''You can't sit here and dictate or guarantee what the result's going to be, but our mindset going into the game has got to be a heck of a lot different,'' Cooper said. ''And our group is well aware of that.''

CNOTES · May 24, 2016

NHL TOP TRENDS

NHL > (21) PITTSBURGH@ (22) TAMPA BAY | 2016-05-24 20:05:00 - 2016-05-24 20:05:00
Play UNDER PITTSBURGH on the totalin Road games revenging a home loss versus opponent
The record is 5 Overs and 18 Unders for the last two seasons (+13.8 units)

NHL > (21) PITTSBURGH@ (22) TAMPA BAY | 2016-05-24 20:05:00 - 2016-05-24 20:05:00
Play UNDER PITTSBURGH on the totalin Road games revenging a loss versus opponent
The record is 8 Overs and 24 Unders for the last two seasons (+16.3 units)