NHL LONG SHEET
NASHVILLE (41-32-0-9, 91 pts.) at DETROIT (54-21-0-7, 115 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 27-8 ATS (+27.0 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
NASHVILLE is 51-46 ATS (+111.4 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 15-9 (+1.7 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 15-9-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
13 of 23 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.0 Units)
BOSTON (41-29-0-12, 94 pts.) at MONTREAL (47-25-0-10, 104 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 44-80 ATS (+142.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.
BOSTON is 41-41 ATS (+86.9 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 18-15 ATS (+39.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
BOSTON is 18-13 ATS (+32.3 Units) after a division game this season.
BOSTON is 14-11 ATS (+32.7 Units) in road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 20-4 (+15.3 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 20-4-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
12 of 23 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.1 Units)
DALLAS (45-30-0-7, 97 pts.) at ANAHEIM (47-27-0-8, 102 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 19-32 ATS (-19.3 Units) in road games in April games since 1996.
DALLAS is 53-58 ATS (-35.7 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 28-13 ATS (+9.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 59-36 ATS (+10.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 140-130 ATS (+308.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
DALLAS is 17-12 ATS (+30.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
DALLAS is 20-12 ATS (+7.5 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 25-12 ATS (+11.9 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.
DALLAS is 22-12 ATS (+7.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
DALLAS is 8-2 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
DALLAS is 18-14 ATS (+33.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DALLAS is 27-17 ATS (+9.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 15-9 (+5.5 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 15-9-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
12 of 20 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.7 Units)
NHL SHORT SHEET
Nashville at Detroit
Nashville:
8-12 SU playing with double revenge
1-5 SU playing with 3+ days rest
Detroit:
30-8 SU after scoring 3+ goals BB games
27-8 SU after a win by 2+ goals
Boston at Montreal
Boston:
7-2 SU off a loss by 2 goals or more to a division rival
12-7 SU in road games after 1 or more consecutive losses
Montreal:
2-7 SU at home off a home win by 2+ goals
3-9 SU at home off a home win
Dallas at Anaheim
Dallas:
11-0 SU playing with double revenge
13-6 SU Away revenging 1 goal loss
Anaheim:
18-8 SU as a home favorite of -200 or less
19-7 SU off a home win
NHL Trend Sheet
Boston at Montreal
Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
Favorite is 17-5 in the last 22 meetings.
Bruins are 16-35-1 in the last 52 meetings.
Bruins are 7-19-1 in the last 27 meetings in Montreal.
Nashville at Detroit
Favorite is 13-5 in the last 18 meetings.
Home team is 12-5 in the last 17 meetings.
Predators are 3-9 in the last 12 meetings.
Predators are 6-24-2 in the last 32 meetings in Detroit.
Calgary at San Jose
Over is 4-0-2 in the last 6 meetings.
Over is 7-3-1 in the last 11 meetings in San Jose.
Dallas at Anaheim
Home team is 10-3 in the last 13 meetings.
Under is 7-3-3 in the last 13 meetings.
Stars are 2-5 in the last 7 meetings in Anaheim.
Hockey Today
Boston at Montreal (7 p.m. EDT). The Canadiens swept the eight-game season series and have beaten the Bruins 11 straight times dating to March 20, 2007.
STARS
-Gary Roberts and Evgeni Malkin, Penguins. Roberts scored twice and Malkin added a goal and two assists to lead Pittsburgh to a 4-0 win over Ottawa.
-Joe Sakic, Avalanche, scored 11:11 into overtime to give Colorado a 3-2 win at Minnesota.
-Stephane Yelle and Miikka Kiprusoff, Flames. Yelle scored two goals and Kiprusoff made 37 saves and Calgary held off San Jose 3-2.
-Scott Gomez, Rangers, had three assists to help New York top New Jersey 4-1.
GREAT EIGHT
Colorado captain Joe Sakic scored his NHL-record eighth career playoff overtime goal in Wednesday night's 3-2 win over Minnesota in the opener of that first-round series. He has two more than former Montreal great Maurice Richard.
FEARLESS FLAMES
Seventh-seeded Calgary handed San Jose its first regulation home loss since Feb. 14 with a 3-2 win in the opener of that first-round series. The Flames recorded their fourth straight playoff win at the Shark Tank, where Calgary swept all three of its games in the 2004 Western Conference finals - the last playoff series the Flames won. Calgary also won two of its three games in San Jose during the 1995 playoffs, giving the Flames six wins in seven postseason games at the Shark Tank. This victory was the first playoff win for veteran Calgary coach Mike Keenan since 1996.
REMEMBER ME?
Former Devil Scott Gomez had three assists in helping the New York Rangers defeat New Jersey 4-1 in the opening game of that first-round series on Wednesday night. Gomez, who had 21 goals and 44 assists in 97 playoff games with New Jersey before signing with the Rangers last summer, heard boss every time he touched the puck. The only goal he didn't have a hand in was Nigel Dawes' empty-netter in the final seconds.
FAMILIAR FOE
Gary Roberts had two goals in Pittsburgh's 4-0 playoff-opening win over Ottawa on Wednesday night, one fewer than he had during an injury-interrupted season. Roberts played on Toronto teams that eliminated the Senators three times during a four-season span from 2001-04.
STATS
Dallas won five of eight against first-round opponent Anaheim during the regular season and got a shootout point in one of the losses. The Ducks were 20-5-1 following Teemu Selanne's return on Feb. 5, with two of the wins coming in their final two games against the Stars. The teams meet in the first-round opener on Thursday night.
OUT AND IN
Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau has all but ruled out having Saku Koivu in the lineup for the series' opening game against Boston on Thursday night in Montreal. Koivu broke a small bone in his left foot while blocking a shot during a game March 28 in Buffalo. Defenseman Francis Bouillon is also expected to sit out with an ankle injury, while forward Michael Ryder is back from a sore knee and defenseman Mike Komisarek is likely to return from a hip injury.
INJURY LIST GROWS
Ottawa - already without key injured regulars Daniel Alfredsson, Mike Fisher and Chris Kelly - played most of the final two periods without defenseman Anton Volchenkov, who was cut in the forehead by an Evgeni Malkin slap shot in Pittsburgh's 4-0 win on Wednesday night.
SCARY MOMENT
Minnesota winger Mark Parrish left Wednesday night's playoff opener against Colorado with a head injury following an awkward run-in with Ruslan Salei in the second period. As a loose puck trickled toward the Wild bench, Parrish and Salei gave chase, with a minor collision before Parrish hit the boards hard. He crumpled to the ice and remained there for nearly 10 minutes. Parrish was eventually helped off the ice by team trainers.
SPEAKING
``For the last 15 games, he has been the best goalie in the National Hockey League, so I am not surprised,'' Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien on Marc-Andre Fleury, who stopped all 26 shots he faced in a 4-0 series-opening win over Ottawa.
Wild forward Mark Parrish leaves Game 1 vs. Avs with head injury
April 9, 2008
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -Minnesota Wild right wing Mark Parrish left Wednesday night's playoff opener against Colorado with a head injury following an awkward run-in with Ruslan Salei in the second period.
As a loose puck trickled toward the Wild bench, Parrish and Salei gave chase, with a minor collision before Parrish hit the boards hard. He crumpled to the ice and remained there for nearly 10 minutes, with a hush falling over the crowd concerned for the Bloomington native.
Parrish was eventually helped off the ice by team trainers while his teammates tussled with Salei behind the net.
It was a rough way to go out for Parrish, who wasn't even sure he would play Wednesday night after being a healthy scratch four times in March. He fell out of favor with coach Jacques Lemaire earlier in the season because of a perceived lack of effort in practice and in games, but had recently earned the trust back.
``He had a time there where he was not skating, not good in practice,'' Lemaire said earlier this week. ``Now I can see that he's working. That's what you got to do. When things are not going well, it's OK, you can blame the coach, but you still got to play. Blame me, but keep playing.''