Cnotes NHL Best Bets-Trends-News Etc. !

[CNOTES]

NHL BEST BETS DOGS AND TOTAL :


WLT PCT UNITS


M/L Picks 0-0-0 0.00% +0


O/U Picks 0-0-0 0.00% +0




THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


NYI at NYR 07:00 PM

NYI +121


U 5.5




BOS at CLB 07:00 PM


BOS +114


O 5.5




MON at BUF 07:00 PM


O 5.5




DET at TB 07:30 PM


U 5.0




NJ at FLA 07:30 PM


O 5.0



WAS at PIT 08:00 PM

O 5.0




MIN at STL 08:00 PM


MIN +118


U 5.0




CAR at WIN 08:00 PM


CAR +118


U 5.0



ANA at DAL 08:30 PM


ANA +109


U 5.5

 

[CNOTES]

NHL Capsules
October 13, 2016


PITTSBURGH (AP) Phil Kessel beat Braden Holtby in the fourth round of a shootout and the Pittsburgh Penguins began the defense of their Stanley Cup with a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.


Kessel's wrist shot over Holtby's glove was initially ruled no goal but was overturned on replay. Marc-Andre Fleury then stuffed Alex Ovechkin from in close to help the Penguins improve to 5-0 against Washington in season openers.


Fleury finished with 39 saves for Pittsburgh. Patric Hornqvist and Evgeni Malkin scored as the Penguins capped a celebratory night in which they lifted their latest Stanley Cup banner to the rafters by tripping up a familiar rival.


Andre Burakovsky scored twice for Washington. Holtby made 28 stops, but allowed three goals in the shootout.

RANGERS 5, ISLANDERS 3


NEW YORK (AP) - Chris Kreider scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 25 shots in the New York Rangers' victory over the New York Islanders.


Michael Grabner, Mats Zuccarello, Brandon Pirri and J.T. Miller also scored for the Rangers at Madison Square Garden in the opener for both teams.


Lundqvist beat goalie Jaroslav Halak for the first time since Jan. 17, 2010, ending Halak's eight-game winning streak in the matchup - including the last five since joining the Islanders.


Nick Leddy, Cal Clutterbuck and Brock Nelson scored for the Islanders.


Islanders captain John Tavares briefly left the game after getting whacked on his left hand in the opening minute of the third.

PANTHERS 2, DEVILS 1, OT


SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) - Aleksander Barkov scored at 2:48 of overtime to lift Florida past New Jersey.


Barkov took a pass from Michael Matheson and one-timed the winner past Cory Schneider. Matheson knocked Damon Severson off the puck behind the net, then found Barkov unmarked in the right circle.


Roberto Luongo stopped 23 shots for Florida, including two huge saves in the final minutes of regulation. Schneider stopped 32 shots for the Devils, including all 16 he faced in the third period.


P.A. Parenteau, claimed off waivers from the New York Islanders earlier this week, scored for the Devils. Jonathan Marchessault opened the scoring for Florida.


The Panthers wore No. 16 jerseys with ''Fernandez'' on the back for warmups, a tribute to Jose Fernandez - the Miami Marlins ace pitcher who died in a boating accident off Miami Beach last month. The team also presented a $35,000 check to his foundation in a pregame ceremony.


STARS 4, DUCKS 2


DALLAS (AP) - Antoine Roussel scored the tiebreaking goal for Dallas against Anaheim.


Roussel scored on a pass from Adam Cracknell 1:23 into the third period, 22 seconds after Andrew Cogliano's second goal for the Ducks tied it at 2. Cracknell later added a goal.


Lauri Korpikoski and Stephen Johns also scored for the Stars. Antti Niemi Niemi stopped 33 shots, 16 in the first periid when the Stars were outshot 17-1.


Randy Carlyle, who led the Ducks to their only Stanley Cup title in 2007, coached his first game in his return. He was re-hired to replace Bruce Boudreau nearly five years after being fired.

LIGHTNING 6, RED WINGS 4


TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Tyler Johnson scored the go-ahead power-play goal off a nifty pass from Steven Stamkos midway through the third period and Tampa Bay beat Detroit.


Johnson was positioned at the right circle and redirected Stamkos' feed past Petr Mrazek at 8:34 to put the Lightning up 4-3, just 5 seconds after Detroit was called for too many men on the ice.


Jonathan Drouin, Cedric Paquette, Brian Boyle, Alex Killorn and Valtteri Filppula also scored for the Lightning. Thomas Vanek scored twice for the Red Wings, and Frans Nielsen and Danny DeKeyser added goals


CANADIENS 4, SABRES 1


BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Brendan Gallagher scored twice, including a tip-in on Shea Weber's shot, in new-look Montreal's victory over injury-depleted Buffalo.


Al Montoya made 30 saves in place of starter Carey Price, who was sidelined by the flu. Andrew Shaw, who was acquired in a trade with Chicago in June, and Torrey Mitchell also scored for Montreal.


Injuries continued to mount for Buffalo after Evander Kane was taken to the hospital for evaluation after he slammed heavily into the end boards late in the second period. The Sabres were already playing without second-year star center Jack Eichel, who is out indefinitely with a sprained left ankle.


Matt Moulson scored a power-play goal for Buffalo to briefly cut Montreal's lead to 2-1 in the opening minute of the third period.

JETS 5, HURRICANES 4, OT


WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) - Mark Scheifele scored at 2:41 of overtime to give the Winnipeg Jets a 5-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night in the opener for both teams.


After the Jets overcame a 4-1 deficit in the third period, Scheifele took a pass from captain Blake Wheeler and beat goalie Cam Ward.


Jets rookie Patrik Laine scored his first NHL goal and added an assist.


The crowd roared when Laine, the second overall pick in the draft, scored on the power play in the third period to close Carolina's lead to 4-3.


Mathieu Perreault made it 4-4 with 1:29 left, with Laine assisting on the goal.


Blake Wheeler had a goal and two assists, and Shawn Matthias also scored.


Jeff Skinner, Lee Stempniak, Jordan Staal and Victor Rask also scored for Carolina.


BRUINS 6, BLUE JACKETS 3


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Brad Marchand had two goals and three assists and Boston overcame a 2-0 first-period deficit to beat Columbus.


David Pastrnak had two goals and two assists, David Backes also scored twice and had an assist, and Tuukka Rask made 28 saves.


Backes, shifting to the first-line center position for injured Patrice Bergeron, scored both of his goals in a 3:36 span of in the second period to tie it at 3.


Alexander Wennberg, Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones scored for Columbus.


BLUES 3, WILD 2


ST. LOUIS (AP) - Nail Yakupov had a goal and an assist and Jake Allen made several big stops and finished with 18 saves to help St. Louis beat Minnesota.


Alexander Steen and Magnus Paajarvi also scored, and Patrik Berglund had two assists.


Ryan Suter and Charlie Coyle scored for the Wild.

 

[CNOTES]

Sabres forward Kane injured during opener against Montreal
October 13, 2016


BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Buffalo Sabres forward Evander Kane was taken to the hospital for evaluation after he slammed heavily into the end boards late in the second period of Buffalo's season-opening 4-1 loss to Montreal on Thursday night.


Coach Dan Bylsma was unable to provide a definitive update on Kane's status except to say, ''they're checking for a lot of things internally.''


Kane was hurt while racing Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin for a loose puck up the left wing in the Montreal zone. Kane reached out for the puck when the two bumped. Kane lost his balance, fell and slid with his left elbow slamming into the boards.


He lay in pain for several minutes while being attended to by a trainer. After being helped up, Kane was doubled over and slowly made his way off the ice and was led directly into the locker room.


Emelin wasn't penalized.


Buffalo was already banged up. Star second-year center Jack Eichel is expected to miss at least a month after spraining his left ankle in practice Wednesday.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack


— Dodgers 4, Nationals 3– Kershaw got last two outs to close game out, two days after he threw 110 pitches in Game 4. Thats why you pay the guy $31M a year. Break for Cubs, who won’t see Kershaw until Game 3 now.


— Florida visits LSU November 19 in a makeup game; Bayou Bengals go to Gainesville in both 2017 and 2018.


— In his great career, WR Larry Fitzgerald has caught TD passes from 13 different Cardinal QB’s.


— Since August 2014, half the 30 major league teams have hired a new chief baseball executive. Lot of impatient owners out there.


— Thru five weeks in the NFL, no kickoffs have been run back for a TD; last time that happened was 1979.


— Open Court on NBA TV has some good discussions with both NBA coaches/GMs that were filmed in Las Vegas this summer. Good stuff.


— Big Sky conference has 12 hoop teams; 8 of the 12 teams have either 4 or 5 starters back from LY. Will that make it harder to win on the road?


**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Things I’m looking for this weekend


13) Cam Newton should be back at QB for the 1-4 Panthers, who visit the Superdome this week. Saints allowed 34+ points in three of their four games, had their bye last week, while Carolina is traveling on short week after the Monday night loss to Tampa Bay.


12) Tennessee Vols have had a brutal schedule: Florida-Georgia-A&M the last three weeks, now Alabama on the third Saturday in October. Vols have been gritty and resilient- beating Bama is a tall order, even in Neyland Stadium. One thing in Tennessee’s favor; Crimson Tide has only played one close game- if this one is close, the Volunteers are in familiar territory.


11) Who will have more fans in Miami Sunday, the Steelers or Dolphins? Pittsburgh fans are usually everywhere, but Steelers are just 12-21-1 as road favorites the last nine years. Miami scored total of 24 points in losing its last two games. Steelers are 4-0 if they allow 16 or less points.


10) Ole Miss QB Kelly got in a fight at his brother’s high school game during his bye week; I’m sure the Ole Miss coaches were thrilled to hear that. Rebels lost 53-52 in OT to Arkansas LY; this figures to be a high scoring, fun game to watch.


9) Colin Kaepernick starting for the 49ers means that thru six weeks, 8 of 32 (25%) NFL teams have started at least two QB’s this season. Will it helps the 49ers? Kaepernick is more mobile, throws a better deep ball— he is 29-20 as an NFL QB, Gabbert 9-31, but Gabbert was also on a terrible Jaguars team.


8) North Carolina beat Miami 59-21 LY; what is the over/under on the number of times Miami coaches brought that up this week? Problem is, Miami had their rivalry game with Florida State last week and it is tough to get really fired up two weeks in a row.


7) League championship series get underway in baseball, but first, I have a question.


Cubs pinch-hit for Addison Russell in Game 4 against the Giants. When was the last time a guy with 95+ RBI during the regular season got pinch-hit for in a big spot in a playoff game?


6) Northwestern covered its last six visits to Michigan State; now they’re visiting a Spartan squad that lost three games in row for first time in seven years.


5) Eagles-Redskins is an intriguing game. Wentz played well in Eagles’ loss LW, but they did lose, after entering their bye week 3-0. Redskins have won three games in row and pass the Eagles in the standings with a win here.


4) Total in the West Virginia-Texas Tech game is 83; kickoff is noon ET, which is 11am in Lubbock, more stupid scheduling for TV purposes.


3) Oakland is 4-1, with three wins by 3 or less points. Chiefs have been dismal on road so far, but Andy Reid is 11-4 vs spread coming off a bye. Big rivalry game in the Coliseum, with the Raiders fired up for their first playoff spot since 2002.


2) Texas-San Antonio won as a 17-point home underdog LW; now they’re a 3-point road favorite at Rice this week, a historic soft spot for the favorite. Rice is 0-5, allowing 40.2 pts/game, so they’re impossible to back, but this will be an interesting result.


1) St Louis Cardinals drafted Joe Namath in the 1965 NFL Draft; Jets drafted him in the AFL Draft. How would the football world have changed if Namath had played for the Redbirds? Arizona had extra time to prep after playing on Thursday last week; they’re hoping get QB Palmer (concussion) back this week.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL


Friday, October 14




WAS 2
PIT 3 (SO)
The Capitals have now lost their last five visits to CONSOL Energy Center.




DET 4
TB 6
The Tampa Bay Lightning have now won 10 of the last 11 meetings vs the Detroit Red Wings - including the last 7 at home.

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Dunkel


Friday, October 14


Philadelphia @ Los Angeles


Game 5-6
October 14, 2016 @ 10:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
10.719
Los Angeles
14.281
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 3 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
-115
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-115); Over


Edmonton @ Calgary


Game 3-4
October 14, 2016 @ 9:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
11.968
Calgary
10.812
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
-130
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Edmonton
(+110); Under


Chicago @ Nashville


Game 1-2
October 14, 2016 @ 8:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
13.393
Nashville
11.281
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville
-130
5
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+110); Over







NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up


Friday, October 14


Not a lot to go on for the first week or so. We’ll give you what we have.

Chicago lost its home opener 5-2 to St Louis Wednesday; Blackhawks are 6-3 in last nine games vs Nashville. Home side is 8-2 in last 10 meetings, with visitor winning last two. Over is 3-0-1 in last four meetings in this building.

Edmonton beat Calgary 7-4 Wednesday as they opened their new arena; Oilers are 3-7 in last 10 games with Calgary (3-3 in last six), but lost four of last five visits to Saddledome. Over is 6-3 in last nine series games, 4-1 in this building.


Road team won six of last eight Philly-LA games, with Kings going 5-3 in those games (under 5-0-3). Flyers won four of last five games in Staples Center. LA lost 2-1 at San Jose in its season opener Wednesday.








NHL


Friday, October 14


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


9:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. NASHVILLE
Chicago is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Nashville is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nashville's last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago


10:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. CALGARY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing on the road against Calgary
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Edmonton's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Calgary's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Calgary's last 5 games when playing at home against Edmonton


11:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. LOS ANGELES
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Philadelphia's last 13 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Los Angeles's last 13 games when playing Philadelphia
Los Angeles is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

 

[CNOTES]

NHL
Long Sheet


Friday, October 14


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

CHICAGO (0-1-0-0, 0 pts.) at NASHVILLE (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/14/2016, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 10-5 (+4.3 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 10-5-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.4 Units)


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

EDMONTON (1-0-0-0, 2 pts.) at CALGARY (0-1-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/14/2016, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 7-32 ATS (+60.1 Units) in road games first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 14-45 ATS (+78.5 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 34-28 ATS (+64.5 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 28-21 ATS (+52.4 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 8-3 (+5.1 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 8-3-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.4 Units)


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

PHILADELPHIA (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (0-1-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/14/2016, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.


Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 2-2 (+0.8 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 2-2-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.2 Units)

 

[CNOTES]

NHL BEST BETS:


WLT PCT UNITS


M/L Picks 1-4-0 20.00% -1430


O/U Picks 1-6-2 14.29% -2800






FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


CHI at NAS 08:00 PM


NAS -123


O 5.0




EDM at CAL 09:00 PM


EDM +116


O 5.5




PHI at LA 10:30 PM


PHI +122


U 5.5

 

[CNOTES]

Friday's NHL Capsules
October 15, 2016


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Mike Fisher redirected Roman Josi's shot late in the second period for the go-ahead power-play goal, and Nashville beat Chicago 3-2 on Friday night in its season opener.


Fisher's goal was Nashville's third with the man advantage. P.K. Subban, Nashville's big offseason addition, scored the first goal of the season, Josi had a power-play goal, and Ryan Johansen had three assists.


Marcus Kruger and Niklas Hjalmarsson scored for Chicago, which has lost its first two games this season playing with six rookies in the lineup. The Blackhawks have allowed six power-play goals in their first two games.


Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne stopped a flurry of shots with Chicago on the man advantage over the final 1:46 to preserve the win.


Nashville improved to 4-1-1 over its last six season openers.


OILERS 5, FLAMES 3


CALGARY, Alberta (AP) - Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists for his second straight three-point game to lead Edmonton.


Leon Draisaitl had two goals and Jordan Eberle and Mark Letestu also scored to help the Oilers complete a sweep of the teams' season-opening home-and-home series. Cam Talbot finished with 32 saves.


Sean Monahan and Michael Frolik scored for the Flames, who fell to 0-5-1 in their last six home openers. Brian Elliott stopped 24 shots.


After scoring his third goal of the season in the first period, McDavid helped set up Eberle's tying goal in the second and Draisaitl's go-ahead score early in the third.

 

[CNOTES]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 15, 2016


Time (ET) Away Home Site


7:00 PM Anaheim Ducks Pittsburgh Penguins CONSOL Energy Center


7:00 PM Boston Bruins Toronto Maple Leafs Air Canada Centre


7:00 PM Detroit Red Wings Florida Panthers BB&T Center


7:00 PM Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Canadian Tire Centre


7:00 PM New Jersey Devils Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena


7:00 PM New York Islanders Washington Capitals Verizon Center


7:00 PM San Jose Sharks Columbus Blue Jackets Nationwide Arena


7:00 PM Winnipeg Jets Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center


8:00 PM New York Rangers St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center


8:30 PM Nashville Predators Chicago Blackhawks United Center


9:00 PM Dallas Stars Colorado Avalanche Pepsi Center


9:00 PM Philadelphia Flyers Arizona Coyotes Gila River Arena


10:00 PM Calgary Flames Vancouver Canucks Rogers Arena

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Jets (1-0) at Wild (0-1)
Date: October 15, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- New Minnesota Wild coach Bruce Boudreau likes his teams to play up-tempo, high-energy hockey. It's a hallmark he established during successful stints in Washington and Anaheim, which he hopes to show Minnesota fans on Saturday when the Wild hosts the Winnipeg Jets in their home opener.


If Boudreau's team is able to play that high-scoring, up-tempo style, it will be something Wild fans haven't often seen, and something they definitely haven't seen this season. The Wild comes home with a 0-1-0 mark after a generally lifeless 3-2 loss to the Blues in St. Louis on Thursday night, which had even Boudreau admitting his team's effort wasn't there.


"We were a step behind all night long," Boudreau said, after the Wild managed just two shots in the opening 20 minutes and went 0-for-5 on the power play.


Those doldrums stand in sharp contrast to the Jets, who made NHL history in their season opener on Thursday in Winnipeg, becoming just the third team in league history to win its season opener after trailing by three goals in the third period. Winnipeg fell behind 4-1 to Carolina in the third before rallying for a 5-4 overtime win.


Ironically, the last team to accomplish that feat was Minnesota, just last season. The Wild trailed 4-1 in the third period at Colorado in the 2015-16 season opener, and stormed back to win 5-4.


This young Jets' team, which has made the playoffs just once and has not won a playoff game since moving to Winnipeg from Atlanta in 2011, got some signs of a bright future in the comeback, including the first NHL goal from rookie right winger Patrik Laine, who the Jets plucked second overall in last summer's draft.


"It was an amazing feeling," said Laine, who stands 6-5 and is expected to be an imposing force at forward for the Jets this season and into the future. "You score your first NHL goal just once, so it was nice to get it in the first game. It was amazing to feel the atmosphere at the rink."


After having the hot-and-cold Ondrej Pavelec in goal since the days they were the Thrashers, the Jets have undertaken a youth movement in the crease as well, putting Pavelec on waivers and inserting youngster Connor Hellebuyck for the opening-night start. With all of that youth in important roles, Jets coach Paul Maurice said the first win, and the first road trip, are important learning opportunities for players more used to major junior and/or college hockey.


"It's a different league, it's a different style of game and it's a hard game to play in," Maurice said. "The confidence goes a long way."


The season-opening loss for Minnesota was a rarity. The Wild had gone 9-4-2 in their previous 15 openers, which was the highest points percentage in NHL history. With Boudreau still learning how to coach this team, and the team still learning how to play for him, the ability to bounce back will get an early test versus Winnipeg.




NHL HEAD TO HEAD


Oct 8, 2016 Score ATS Results
WIN 1 Over: 6
MIN « 5 Cover: 244
Tools:


Sep 29, 2016 Score ATS Results
MIN 1 Push: 5
WIN « 4 Cover: 253
Tools:


Apr 3, 2016 Score ATS Results
MIN 1 Cover: 236
WIN « 5 Over: 6
Tools: Recaps


Jan 15, 2016 Score ATS Results
WIN « 1 Under: 1
MIN 0 Cover: 164
Tools: Recaps


Nov 27, 2015
Score ATS Results
WIN « 3 Under: 4
MIN 1 Cover: 208
Tools: Recaps


Nov 10, 2015 Score ATS Results
WIN 3 Over: 8
MIN « 5 Cover: 247
Tools: Recaps


Oct 25, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIN 4 Over: 9
WIN « 5 Cover: 241
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Red Wings (0-1) at Panthers (1-0)
Date: October 15, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

SUNRISE, Fla. -- It was just one game, but it rocked the collective psyche of the Detroit Red Wings.


It was just one game, but it lifted up as many as two South Florida franchises.


When the Wings visit the Florida Panthers on Saturday night at the BB&T Center, the latter team will arrive to its home arena fully confident while Detroit will be looking to make some very quick adjustments.


The Wings blew a 3-1 second-period lead to the host Tampa Bay Lightning and lost their season opener 6-4 on Thursday night. It wasn't just the loss that was troubling -- it was the fact that the Wings gave up three power-play goals.


Tampa Bay's go-ahead goal came on a power play that took just five seconds to result in a score -- downright embarrassing for a proud Wings franchise.


"We had lots of self-inflicted wounds," Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "When you score three goals, you should at least go into overtime. But we gave up too many easy chances."


The Wings were disappointed in their penalty kill last year, when they were 14th in the league at 81.5 percent.


Detroit's Petr Mrazek made 30 saves on Thursday. But he couldn't survive a penalty-kill that was beaten 50 percent of the time (3-for-6).


Mrazek, 24, is coming off a season in which he won a career-high 27 games. He went 27-16-6 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .921 saves percentage. His numbers look ugly off his performance on Thursday -- a 5.08 GAA and a .857 saves percentage.


Detroit could give him a rest and go with accomplished veteran Jimmy Howard, the 34-year-old who went 14-14-5 with a 2.80 GAA and a .906 saves percentage last year.


Blashill, though, has indicated he will stick with Mrazek for Saturday's game and instead will mix up his lines and defensive pairings. One of the big changes Detroit will make on Saturday is to shift left winger Andreas Athanasiou from a healthy scratch all the way to the top line with Henrik Zetterberg and Frans Nielsen.


"(Athanasiou) brings a lot of speed," Blashill said. "He can get in on the forecheck and create turnovers. We need to tinker to get the most out of every line."


Detroit will still be without injured Niklas Kronwall, the Wings' top defenseman who is getting closer to a return.


His absence figures to be important as the Wings face a Panthers team that beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in overtime on a goal by Aleksander Barkov.


The Panthers are coming off a season in which they made the playoffs and set franchise records for wins (47) and points (103).


Thursday's win was extra motivational because the Panthers honored the late Jose Fernandez, the Miami Marlins pitcher who died at age 24 in a Sept. 25 boating accident. All Panthers players wore jerseys with No. 16 -- Fernandez's old number -- during warm-ups.


In overtime, the Panthers' real No. 16 -- Barkov -- got the game-winner.


But now that the opener is over, the Panthers will be back to business. They will surely look to exploit Detroit's penalty-kill issues, especially with defenseman Keith Yandle at the point.


Yandle, who bolted from the New York Rangers, signed a seven-year, $44 million deal with Florida in June. The 30-year-old Boston native had an impressive 42 assists last year, and he is teaming with the Panthers' other star defenseman, 20-year-old Aaron Ekblad, on the power play.


The Panthers were 23rd in the power play last year at 16.9 percent. But they brought in assistant coach Dave Barr from the Buffalo Sabres to jump-start the unit.


Florida has also added rookie defenseman Michael Matheson to the mix. He got the game-winning assist to Barkov on Thursday.


"(Matheson) made a big play," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said. "He knocked his guy off the puck, created separation and made the play to 'Barky'. He had a solid game."


Matheson, 22, is part of what appears to be a bright future for Florida. Certainly, the Red Wings are the more tradition-rich franchise with 11 Stanley Cups -- 11 more than the Panthers. But the Panthers actually have shorter odds to win the Cup this year (21-1 as opposed to 32-1).


Everything is trending in Florida's favor with 37-year-old goalie Roberto Luongo continuing to show fine form in between the pipes and several young stars on the team such as Barkov and Ekblad.


The Panthers have new uniforms this year, and they struck a deal late last year that allows them to stay at the BB&T Center long-term.


Now it's just a matter of keeping the momentum going on the ice, and that effort continues on Saturday against a Detroit franchise that will have something to prove -- no matter how early it is in the season.




NHL HEAD TO HEAD


Mar 19, 2016 Score ATS Results
DET « 5 Over: 8
FLA 3 Cover: 233
Tools: Recaps


Feb 8, 2016 Score ATS Results
FLA 0 Under: 3
DET « 3 Cover: 263
Tools: Recaps


Feb 4, 2016 Score ATS Results
DET 3 Over: 9
FLA « 6 Cover: 203
Tools: Recaps


Nov 29, 2015 Score ATS Results
FLA « 2 Under: 3
DET 1 Cover: 229
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Devils (0-0) at Lightning (1-0)
Date: October 15, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. -- The new-look New Jersey Devils are determined to make sure a two-game swing through Florida produces more than a case of sunburn.


The Devils debuted a new lineup that includes the likes of Taylor Hall, P.A. Parenteau and a healthy Mike Cammalleri with mixed results in an opening night overtime loss to the Florida Panthers.


"We have to be way harder on the puck in every facet," New Jersey head coach John Hynes told the Bergen County Record. "How we manage it, how hard we are in the offensive zone. How quickly and hard we defend down low."


After facing the Panthers on opening night, the task does not get any easier for the Devils in the second game against a Tampa Bay Lightning team that has reached the Stanley Cup Final and Eastern Conference finals the past two seasons.


"It's not going to be perfect right away," Hynes told The Record. "But we've got to take some lessons out of that. We can play with structure. We can play with detail.


"To take that to the next step as a team, we have to be harder and more competitive for more of the time in the game continually on the puck. That's the biggest lesson out of that (first) game, and we get another opportunity to challenge ourselves again. We've got a team that's favored, possibly, to win the Stanley Cup. We've got to be a better team than we were against Florida."


Tampa Bay opened the season with a 6-4 victory against Detroit, using depth and team speed to create the necessary momentum to rally from deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 while finding space through the neutral zone.


Lightning head coach Jon Cooper figures space will be a little bit harder to find against an historically stingy defensive team with an elite goaltender, but now has more scoring threats.


"They are built from the back end out," Cooper said. "I think Corey Schneider is an upper-echelon goaltender in this league. They have a coach that plays to that system and they are really disciplined in their structure.


"The one knock has been the goal scoring, but you throw in a healthy Cammalleri and a Taylor Hall, now their speed element is up, their goal-scoring should go up. I expect them to score a lot more. Let's just hope it's not (Saturday)."


Lightning alternate captain Ryan Callahan, who underwent hip surgery during the summer that forced him to miss the World cup of Hockey, has been cleared for contact and participated in a full practice with the team on Friday wearing a normal colored white jersey. But the time frame on his recovery has not been altered, according to Cooper.


"His jersey color may change but the when-he's-returning-date won't change, that one is way more important to me," Cooper said. "But he's chomping to get back. His body is holding him back for the time being."


Callahan is not expected back until November.



NHL HEAD TO HEAD


Apr 7, 2016 Score ATS Results
TAM « 4 Cover: 252
NJD 2 Over: 6
Tools: Recaps


Apr 2, 2016 Score ATS Results
NJD 1 Under: 4
TAM « 3 Cover: 187
Tools: Recaps


Feb 26, 2016 Score ATS Results
TAM « 4 Cover: 244
NJD 0 Under: 4
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Islanders (0-1) at Capitals (0-0)
Date: October 15, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Capitals enter their home opener Saturday night as the defending Presidents' Trophy winners, but still in pursuit of their first Stanley Cup.


After rolling to 120 points -- 11 more than any other team -- the Capitals were eliminated in six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals by their rivals and eventual cup winners, the Pittsburgh Penguins.


The Capitals opened this season Thursday night in the same building where last season ended and endured a similar result, dropping a 3-2 decision at Pittsburgh in a game decided by a shootout.


Trailing 2-1 after two periods, Washington tied it in the third and had several chances in overtime.


"I thought we had a good third period and I thought the 3-on-3 we were very good," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said.


Washington looks to carry that momentum into Saturday night against an Islanders team it went 3-0-1 against last season.


Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby made 28 saves against Pittsburg and right winger Andre Burakovsky scored twice while playing on the second line with Marcus Johansson and center Nicklas Backstrom.


"I think all three of us are thinking the same way. Me and (Johansson) have a lot of speed on the outside and Nicki is probably the smartest player in the league," Burakovsky said. "I think we have a lot of chemistry and we'll see a lot from it."


Trotz added: "That was by far our best line I thought tonight. All the other lines had spurts where they were okay, but they weren't as consistent as that line."


Rookie Zach Sanford, 21, made his NHL debut against Pittsburgh on the third line with center Lars Eller, who was acquired via trade from the Canadians in the offseason, and right winger Justin Williams.


In 41 career games against the Islanders, Alex Ovechkin has 32 goals and 15 assists, while Backstrom has 24 assists in 31 games. Holtby is 10-1-3 with a 2.21 career goals against average versus New York.


In their opener Thursday night, the Islanders rallied to tie the Rangers at 2 early in the third period before dropping a 5-3 decision at Madison Square Garden.


"There could be some changes," Islanders coach Jack Capuano told NHL.com. "We got guys hanging around here. We can't go with six defensemen. It's impossible to have six defensemen on your roster. We have to give other guys an opportunity here to find out early and see what we want to do on the back end."


The Islanders got goals from Nick Leddy, Cal Clutterbuck and Brock Nelson.


The Rangers went 1-for-5 on the power play while the Islanders failed in three attempts.


"Obviously even strength, it was a close game," Capuano said. "Shots were 25-25. They pounded pucks on their power play. There were 12 shots on their power play and they got the big goal when they needed it."


New York now faces a Washington team that cashed in 21.9 percent (fifth best in the NHL) of its power play chances last season.


In his first action since March 8 of last season due to a groin injury, Jaroslav Halak made 34 saves against the Rangers.


Saturday night marks a homecoming for Jason Chimera, who spent seven seasons with Washington before signing with the Islanders as a free agent in the offseason.


His line, including center John Tavares and fellow free-agent signee Andrew Ladd, was scoreless Thursday night.


Ladd has 14 goals and 19 assists in 42 games against Washington while Tavares owns 12 goals and 12 assists in 25 contests. Halak is 6-6-0 with a 2.73 goals against average versus the Capitals.




NHL HEAD TO HEAD


Oct 9, 2016 Score ATS Results
NYI 0 Under: 4
WAS « 4 Cover: 194
Tools:


Oct 1, 2016 Score ATS Results
WAS « 2 Under: 3
NYI 1 Cover: 299
Tools:


Apr 5, 2016 Score ATS Results
NYI « 4 Over: 7
WAS 3 Cover: 184
Tools: Recaps


Feb 18, 2016 Score ATS Results
WAS « 3 Cover: 281
NYI 2 Under: 5
Tools: Recaps


Feb 4, 2016 Score ATS Results
NYI 2 Under: 5
WAS « 3 Cover: 211
Tools: Recaps


Jan 7, 2016 Score ATS Results
WAS « 4 Cover: 303
NYI 1 Push: 5
Tools: Recaps


Oct 4, 2015 Score ATS Results
NYI 2 Over: 8
WAS « 6 Cover: 250
Tools:

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Canadiens (1-0) at Senators (1-0)
Date: October 15, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

OTTAWA -- - Under new coach Guy Boucher, the Ottawa Senators are determined to tighten up defensively this season.


Their first attempt, Wednesday night at Canadian Tire Centre against the Toronto Maple Leafs, didn't turn out very well.


The Senators, who allowed a league high 32.8 shots per game during the 2015-16 campaign, scored a 5-4 overtime victory over the Leafs despite being outshot 38-30. Goalie Craig Anderson was unbeatable to everyone except center Auston Matthews, who became the first player in NHL history to score four times in his debut.


Anderson will be in goal again Saturday night when the Senators host the Montreal Canadiens.


"We know we have to allow less shots," said Boucher, who blamed the high total by the Maple Leafs on four penalties taken by his team. "We need to improve that. We were on our way to doing it but when you lose that much momentum because you're on the penalty kill all the time and they get shots, that's gone down the drain."


The Canadiens, who defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 in their season opener Thursday, will remain on the road for their second game. Once again they will be without star goalie Carey Price, who is battling what the team calls a "severe" case of the flu.


Goalie Al Montoya, who stopped 30 shots in Buffalo, will be back between the pipes for the Canadiens.


"Guys had the right mentality," Montreal captain Max Pacioretty said of the one-for-all approach in Price's absence. "Guys sticking up for each other, a lot of selfless plays out there, some blocked shots, taking hits to make plays. That's our motto for this team no matter who you are in the lineup."


The Canadiens are expected to be bolstered by the return of defensemen Jeff Petry, who missed the opener with a knee injury.


Montreal was concerned it would be without forward Andrew Shaw, but the league decided against any supplemental discipline for his slew foot on Sabres forward Johan Larsson.


Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said Shaw will meet next week with general manager Marc Bergevin and NHL Department of Player Safety head Stephane Quintal for "education."


At the same time, Therrien said Shaw is "an intense player and you want to make sure he doesn't lose that edge."


The Senators will go with the same lineup they used against Toronto, which means defenseman Thomas Chabot, the team's first round selection in 2015, will be a healthy scratch for the second game in a row.


Boucher said that Chabot will play in one of the team's back-to-back games next week, either in Detroit Monday or back in Ottawa against Arizona on Tuesday. At some point, the Senators have to decide if they're keeping Chabot or sending him back to his junior team.


"It's not a developmental league, it's a performance league," said Boucher. "He will need to play to see if he's ready. If he's ready he'll stay, and if he's not ready he won't stay."



NHL HEAD TO HEAD


Oct 1, 2016 Score ATS Results
MON « 3 Under: 5
OTT 2 Cover: 204
Tools:


Sep 29, 2016 Score ATS Results
OTT « 4 Over: 7
MON 3 Cover: 239
Tools:


Mar 19, 2016 Score ATS Results
MON 0 Under: 5
OTT « 5 Cover: 245
Tools: Recaps


Dec 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
OTT 1 Under: 5
MON « 4 Cover: 243
Tools: Recaps


Nov 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
OTT « 2 Under: 3
MON 1 Cover: 229
Tools: Recaps


Oct 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
MON « 3 Under: 4
OTT 1 Cover: 298
Tools: Recaps


Oct 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
MON 4 Over: 9
OTT « 5 Cover: 296
Tools:


Oct 1, 2015 Score ATS Results
OTT « 5 Over: 7
MON 2 Cover: 167
Tools:

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Ducks (0-1) at Penguins (1-0)
Date: October 15, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- If there is such a thing as a Stanley Cup hangover, the Pittsburgh Penguins are trying to avoid it. So they came up with their equivalent of taking an aspirin before the party.


The club talked a lot about taking a certain approach -- enjoy all the ceremonies and celebrations, including the banner-raising Thursday before their season opener at PPG Paints Arena, then make a point of turning the page to the new season.


So far, so good.


The Penguins beat Washington 3-2 in a shootout in the season opener, and felt back in the swing of things by practice on Friday as they prepared for a visit from the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night.


"From training camp, to the visit to the White House, to getting our rings, to (Thursday) night, when Sid (Crosby) took the Cup on the ice, to the fans, we did all that," goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, the winner Thursday after making 39 saves and stopping Alex Ovechkin's shootout attempt to wrap up the win, said Friday. "After that, today, it feels like a new season. We're ready to start over, start fresh and get back into the routine."


With fellow goalie Matt Murray still recovering from a thumb injury, Fleury figures to get the start again.


It's not clear who will start for the Ducks.


John Gibson, a native of Whitehall, Pa., in suburban Pittsburgh, stopped 20 of 24 shots Thursday in a 4-2 loss at Dallas to open the season. The other option is Jonathan Bernier, who had a strong preseason.


"They had good chances," Gibson said of the Stars, according to the Los Angeles times. "Some nights I make those saves, and (Thursday) I didn't seem to make them."


Anaheim will be looking for its first win under new and former coach Randy Carlyle. The Ducks were 0-for-5 on the power play against Dallas, and Carlyle did not like his team's defensive effort in front of Gibson.


"How can you allow a team to score three from the top of the crease? That's blowing coverage and that's missed coverage, and those are assignments we will definitely recover from," Carlyle told the Times. "We'll make sure those things don't happen again."


Pittsburgh, meanwhile, almost surely will be playing without Crosby, their captain and the Conn Smythe Trophy winner who is out with a concussion.


The team is happy with his progress -- which allowed him to skate, in uniform, onto the ice with the Cup during Thursday night's pregame banner-raising ceremony -- but Crosby skated separately from the team Friday.


The Penguins' other star center, Evgeni Malkin, had a goal and assist and added a shootout goal on Thursday.


"Obviously, 'Geno' is an important guy for us," winger Chris Kunitz said. "(Thursday) night he showed he can change a game. He and (defenseman Kris Letang) are two guys out team needs to win some games while Sid's out.


"Most teams don't have that luxury. We're very fortunate."


And, if the Penguins can help it, they are living very much in the present rather than enjoying the vapors of that Stanley Cup win.


Playing a game 48 hours after their opener, and moving from a familiar rival to a Western Conference team that requires some extra homework, could help.


"The first shift (Thursday), when guys are coming at you, that's when you know it's time for the games," Pittsburgh defenseman Brian Dumoulin said. "Preseason games are fun -- they're good to get back in the swing of things -- but that was a real game, especially against a good team like Washington.


"It's weird to start off with such a familiar team as Washington. Then I don't even remember the last time we played Anaheim."



NHL HEAD TO HEAD


Feb 8, 2016 Score ATS Results
ANA 2 Over: 8
PIT « 6 Cover: 304
Tools: Recaps


Dec 6, 2015 Score ATS Results
PIT 1 Under: 3
ANA « 2 Cover: 241
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bruins (1-0) at Maple Leafs (0-0)
Date: October 15, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

TORONTO -- Auston Matthews has little chance of equaling his NHL debut when the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Boston Bruins on Saturday in the second game of the season for both teams.


The 19-year-old center, the first player taken in this year's draft, became the first player to score four goals in his NHL debut on Wednesday.


"It's in the past, it's on to the next one," Matthews said calmly as the Maple Leafs prepared for their home opener at Air Canada Centre amid celebrations of the franchise's 100th season.


The reality is that that despite Matthews' historic game, Toronto lost to the Senators 5-4 in overtime in its season opener in Ottawa.


"The kids were good, our veterans made a few mistakes, and we just have to keep the puck out of our net," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said after practice Thursday. "But we did have the puck a lot and we did a lot of good things. It's nice to see the kids do so well, and we'll be better Saturday."


The Maple Leafs also hope for better goaltending from Frederik Andersen, who likely will start again Saturday. Andersen vows to be better.


"We did a lot of good things, but I know I can be a lot better," Andersen said of the loss to Ottawa.


The Leafs had six rookies playing Wednesday. Matthews and his young teammates figure to face a more physical opponent Saturday when they play Boston.


The Bruins won their season opener 6-3 Thursday against the Blue Jackets in Toronto, erasing a 2-1 first-period deficit with three goals in the second and three more in the third.


They received five points from Brad Marchand (two goals, three assists) to match a team record for points in a season-opening game. Phil Esposito had five points (three goals, two assists) against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 10, 1973.


The Bruins were without Patrice Bergeron, who has an ankle injury, on Thursday and it was not certain Friday whether he would be available to play in Toronto. He did not make the trip to Columbus.


"If he is not on the ice tomorrow morning, I will address it, whether he is coming in for the game . . . or I'll let you know if he's not," Bruins coach Claude Julien said Friday.


David Backes had two goals and an assist Thursday in his Bruins debut as he took Bergeron's place at center on the line with left winger Marchand and right winger David Pastrnak, who had two goals and two assists..


"That's what it takes sometimes to win hockey games," Julien said. "You need guys to be hot and that line was for us. For David Backes to step in there and replace one of the best forwards in the league and to have instant chemistry on the line was important. All three of them played extremely well and it was nice to see we were able to come through with a win when you're missing a guy like Bergeron."


When Bergeron returns, Backes will likely go back to playing right wing on another line. He started to play on the wing regularly last season with the St. Louis Blues.


Julien says Backes does not care where he plays.


"True, I really don't," Backes said. "I think with our depth, with our injuries, and the way things happen in this league, having that flexibility is a key component to being able to put together some solid lines that can make a difference."


Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid is listed as questionable with a lower body injury and defenseman Kevan Miller is out six weeks after hand surgery.


The Bruins had four players make their NHL debuts Thursday for the first time on an opening night since 1985.



NHL HEAD TO HEAD


Mar 26, 2016 Score ATS Results
BOS « 3 Cover: 202
TOR 1 Under: 4
Tools: Recaps


Feb 2, 2016 Score ATS Results
TOR « 4 Over: 7
BOS 3 Cover: 179
Tools: Recaps


Jan 16, 2016 Score ATS Results
TOR 2 Under: 5
BOS « 3 Cover: 181
Tools: Recaps


Nov 23, 2015 Score ATS Results
BOS « 4 Cover: 251
TOR 3 Over: 7
Tools: Recaps


Nov 21, 2015 Score ATS Results
TOR 0 Under: 2
BOS « 2 Cover: 167
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Sharks (1-0) at Blue Jackets (0-1)
Date: October 15, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In the wake of a 6-3 defeat in their home opener against the Boston Bruins on Thursday, Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella will keep his lineup and lines intact in order to instill some confidence in the second-youngest team in the NHL when they host the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.


Unlike in the past, Tortorella doesn't want to "get the blender out" if things aren't going well. He said he would like to give them a chance to develop some chemistry and gel.


Tortorella told the Blue Jackets' website that one of the keys is to continue to encourage his players to make plays, saying he felt as though they were tentative and didn't make the plays that were available in the opener.


The team will be without the services of defenseman Ryan Murray, out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury after blocking a shot in Thursday night's loss. This will be the first game Murray has missed after playing 85 consecutive games.


Stepping in for the injured Murray is defenseman Dalton Prout, who was a healthy scratch for the home opener and the final two exhibition games.


Ahead of Saturday night's matchup against the Sharks, forward Brandon Dubinsky said, "My line, I've got to play better, I've got to make plays. I'm certainly disappointed with the outcome (vs. Boston). I prepared the right way and felt good coming to the game. I've got to work on my game and do better for the team."


Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky needs a major bounce-back game after posting a 5.17 goals-against average and an .861 save percentage against the Bruins on Thursday.


San Jose comes into Columbus with a 1-0-0 record after defeating the Los Angeles Kings in its home opener on Wednesday night, 2-1.


The nucleus of the Sharks team is largely intact from last season, but their new second line of Logan Couture, Mikkel Boedker and Joonas Donskoi was the team's best on Wednesday night. Couture and Donskoi also assisted on Brent Burns' game-winning goal against the Kings.


Despite having to travel across the country for their second game, the Sharks should be a well-rested team. No forward played more than Tomas Hertl's 17:47, showing the even distribution of ice time.


On the blue line, offseason free agent signing David Schlemko made his new coach happy with his play in his debut for the Sharks.


"I thought Schlemko was fantastic was tonight," head coach Peter DeBoer told csnbayarea.com. "That pair with (Brenden) Dillon and him looked really good."


The 29-year-old Schlemko had one shot, a pair of hits and a blocked shot on Wednesday and is expected to play an important role on this San Jose team that expects to contend for the Stanley Cup.


With DeBoer eschewing traditional forward lines, he feels confident in matching any of his four lines against the top lines of his opponents on a nightly basis.


"As a staff," DeBoer said to csnbayarea.com, "we came in and we want to start that way and give everyone an opportunity (to play). I think we all realize that we play our best when we're not chasing matchups or trying to hide guys."


Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson announced Friday that the club has recalled forward Ryan Carpenter from the San Jose Barracuda (AHL), while forward Timo Meier has been assigned to the Barracuda.




NHL HEAD TO HEAD


Nov 22, 2015 Score ATS Results
SAN « 5 Over: 8
COB 3 Cover: 298
Tools: Recaps


Nov 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
COB « 5 Over: 7
SAN 2 Cover: 197
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rangers (1-0) at Blues (2-0)
Date: October 15, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS -- When coach Ken Hitchcock looked at the schedule his St. Louis Blues faced to start the season, he just was hoping for the best.


The Blues had to open with back-to-back Central Division games in Chicago and at home against Minnesota before hosting the New York Rangers on Saturday night.


"This is a hellacious start to the season," Hitchcock said. "I think we understand how critical the start to the season is and how important your competitive level in your first 10 games at home matters. You get behind the eight ball and don't have a winning record at home early, you're not going to be able to catch up.


"We knew we were opening up with three games in four nights against really tough teams. The Rangers are a heck of a team. We knew we had to get points in at least two of these games."


St. Louis took care of that goal with a 5-2 win in Chicago and a 3-2 victory Thursday night over the Wild, which featured a goal and an assist from right winger Nail Yakupov, acquired in a trade from Edmonton just five days before the season opened.


It's the first time the Blues have begun the season with consecutive wins since they opened the year 4-0 in 2013-14.


Yakupov, the first overall pick in the 2012 draft who had not played up to those lofty expectations with the Oilers, is hoping to make more contributions to his new team as he settles in to his new surroundings.


"This organization got you for some reason, right?" said Yakupov, who had only eight games out of the 250 he played for Edmonton in which he registered both a goal and an assist. "They didn't just take you for luck or something.


"I know this is a good team. I haven't been on a team all my life that was a really good team. This is a great opportunity to grow your game and grow as a person. When you are moving even from house to house you have to get used to your new house, but I'm happy."


The Rangers come into Saturday's game off a season-opening 5-3 win at home over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.


Their lineup featured seven new players, and five of them recorded at least one point in the victory.


"A lot of guys played with a lot of jump," said goalie Henrik Lundqvist. "There was a great energy in the room. We had a stretch in the third where obviously we just have to manage the puck a little bit better with odd man rushes.


"That's how you get hurt in this league. That's how we got hurt a little bit last year. If we just clean that up, we are in good shape."


After number one goalie Jake Allen won the first two games for the Blues, Hitchcock said backup Carter Hutton, who signed as a free agent over the summer, will start against New York.




NHL HEAD TO HEAD


Feb 25, 2016 Score ATS Results
NYR « 2 Under: 3
STL 1 Cover: 299
Tools: Recaps


Nov 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
STL 3 Over: 9
NYR « 6 Cover: 263
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Predators (0-0) at Blackhawks (0-1)
Date: October 15, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- So how long could the Nashville Predators enjoy their season-opening 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night?


"We'll take the next hour or so to enjoy ourselves and then get back to work," Predators center Ryan Johansen said. "There's 81 more."


The next one is Saturday night, against the same Chicago team they edged. It's in the United Center and since the Blackhawks are 0-2-0 for the first time in six seasons, they are a good bet to come out of the gate flying.


Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban, veteran of exactly one game in this Central Division rivalry, knows the Predators will have to up their level of play if they are going to score a sweep of the home-and-home series.


"We've got to be prepared to do it again tomorrow," he said. "That's a great hockey team over there; it felt like a playoff game. They're going back to their barn tomorrow and they lost their home opener, so they're going to be ticked. If we were good tonight, we'll have to be a lot better tomorrow."


In his first game with the Predators, Subban, who was acquired from Montreal for team captain Shea Weber on June 29, made an intriguing opening impression. He scored on his first shot, tried a team-high six shots in 23:04 of ice time and blocked three shots while showing a willingness to mix it up with the likes of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.


While Subban may not have the 108 mph slapper or crushing bodychecks of Weber, he certainly appears to have added the elements Nashville was hoping for when it made the trade.


"He's certainly one of those players that you certainly have to be aware of offensively," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said of Subban. "You want to make him play in his own end, much like most defensemen."


Chicago's main goal in the rematch might be to stay out of the penalty box. After yielding three power-play markers Wednesday night in a 5-2 loss to St. Louis, it ceded three more Friday night.


Every Nashville tally came off the same assembly line -- pass to the point for a blast by Subban or Roman Josi that beats Corey Crawford, the last one tipped by Mike Fisher for the tie-breaker late in the second period.


"It takes a lot of energy out of your game," Toews said of the constant penalty-killing. "So we just have to smarten up and find ways to stay out of the box."


The Blackhawks might have played their best period of the young season in the third Friday night, putting 13 shots on net to the Predators' seven and exerting steady pressure over the last five minutes.


But Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne stopped all 13 shots, stoning Kane at the right goal post with 3 1/2 minutes remaining and then making four saves over the final 1:46 as Chicago emptied the net after Subban was whistled for interference to give it a 6-on-4.


"I thought he was the best player on the ice," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said of Rinne. "He was just outstanding."



NHL HEAD TO HEAD


Oct 14, 2016 Score ATS Results
CHI 2 Push: 5
NAS « 3 Cover: 266
Tools: Recaps


Feb 25, 2016 Score ATS Results
NAS « 3 Under: 4
CHI 1 Cover: 258
Tools: Recaps


Jan 19, 2016 Score ATS Results
CHI « 4 Cover: 303
NAS 1 Push: 5
Tools: Recaps


Jan 12, 2016 Score ATS Results
NAS 2 Push: 5
CHI « 3 Cover: 241
Tools: Recaps


Dec 10, 2015 Score ATS Results
CHI 1 Over: 6
NAS « 5 Cover: 274
Tools: Recaps


Dec 8, 2015 Score ATS Results
NAS 1 Push: 5
CHI « 4 Cover: 233
Tools: Recaps