NHL Knowledge
St Louis-Chicago
Chicago won last two games to force Game 7, rallying from down 3-1 in Game 6; Blues won five of last eight games with Chicago, with four wins by one goal, three in OT/SO; but you have to wonder if the Blues believe they can win. Chicago lost five of their last eight games overall, with three losses in OT. Over is 6-2-3 in last 11 Chicago games. Blues won ten of their last 15 games- they're 5-16 on power play in series, but had only one last game; Chicago is 5-18 on power play in series, 2-3 in last game. Five of six games in series have been decided by one goal.
Nashville-Anaheim
Anaheim won last three games after falling behind 2-0 in series; they won last two games 4-1/5-2, killing all nine Nashville power plays. Over is 10-1-4 in last 15 series games; Under is 5-2-3 in last nine Anaheim games overall, 4-2-3 in last nine Nashville games. In 17 years of existence, Nashville has only won two playoff series, first round series in 2011, 2012; they've been over .500 in 11 of last 12 years, so you know there is doubt in their minds now. Ducks are 3-2 in last five visits here. Anaheim is 2-19 on power play in series, Predators 1-22.
Playoffs tally: Home: 21-23, Over: 16-15-13
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Monday's NHL Betting Preview
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It's Game 7 time! The Blues will host the Blackhawks in the final game of their, predictably, awesome first round series. In Monday's only other game the Predators will try to push their series to Game 7 with their backs against the wall against the Ducks.
Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators (A: -110, H: -110, O/U: 5)
The Nashville Predators flew home last week in control of their first-round playoff series and looking to push the Anaheim Ducks to the brink of elimination. Three straight losses later, the Predators returned home with a far different agenda - needing a victory Monday night to keep their season going as they prepare to host the Ducks in Game 6.
Since dropping a pair of one-goal decisions at home, Anaheim has outscored Nashville 12-3 to seize a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. "Just like our season," Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said. "We started off terrible and then got good. It's a race to four and we still have to win another game. But I don't think there's a single guy in this room that didn't think we'd be in this position." The No. 7 seed Predators also didn't expect to be in this position after taking their first two-game series lead in franchise history - on the road no less - before dropping three in a row to the Pacific Division champions. "It's do or die," Nashville center Ryan Johansen said. "It's about finding a way to get it in the net and keeping them from scoring. We have to throw them everything we've got."
PROBABLE GOALIES: Ducks - F. Andersen (0.922%), Predators - P. Rinne (0.906%).
ABOUT THE DUCKS (49-27-11, 42-45 ATS, 33-35 O/U): Every move seems to be working for Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau, including the surprise top-line promotion of Ryan Garbutt, who put his team ahead to stay in Game 5 with a second-period goal that accounted for his first point of the series. "He's as good a forechecker as we have, he's responsible defensively, and if people take liberties, he's not afraid to mix it up," Boudreau said of the decision to pair Garbutt with Getzlaf and David Perron. "I just thought it was a good fit." Frederik Andersen has been spectacular since taking over for John Gibson in net, turning aside 84-of-87 shots for a .966 save percentage.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (43-30-14, 36-51 ATS, 34-34 O/U): Forward Craig Smith, who finished third on the team with 21 goals, has essentially missed three contests after suffering a lower-body injury in the opening minutes of Game 3, but he was back at practice Sunday and remains listed as day-to-day. Nashville must find a way to solve Anaheim's penalty-killing unit, which ranked No. 1 during the regular season and has snuffed out 14 straight power-play chances over the past three games and 21-of-22 in the series. The Predators led the league with 55 goals from their defensemen but have managed only a pair of assists from captain Shea Weber in the past three games.
TRENDS:
* Ducks are 9-2 in their last 11 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Predators are 0-4 in their last 4 games following a loss of 3 or more goals.
* Under is 3-0-1 in Ducks last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Over is 4-1-3 in the last 8 meetings in Nashville.
Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues (A: -105, H: -115, O/U: 5)
The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues are no strangers to many elements of the current script, with the former ultimately overcoming a two-game deficit in 2014 to defeat the latter in a hard-hitting first-round playoff series. The reigning Stanley Cup-champion Blackhawks look to repeat the feat on Monday when the bitter Central Division rivals play a winner-take-all Game 7 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo did his best to put a positive spin on the position of the Blues, who are perilously close to being bounced in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season - despite having home-ice advantage in each series. "We worked 82 games this year to get that home ice," Pietrangelo said after seeing Chicago score five unanswered goals en route to a 6-3 victory in Game 6 on Saturday. "If there's a time to use it, it's right now." The Blackhawks overcame a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate a rival in 2013, having done so versus Detroit in a second-round matchup.
PROBABLE GOALIES: Blackhawks - C. Crawford (0.923%), Blues - B. Elliott (0.930%)
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (50-28-10, 39-49 ATS, 33-33 O/U): Although Brent Seabrook scored the overtime goal to oust the Red Wings three years ago, the defenseman isn't taking his team's success for granted heading into Monday's pivotal contest. "I don't think you ever learn how to play in a Game 7," Seabrook told the Chicago Sun-Times. "When you play in more of them, you get — comfortable's not the right word — but you get not as nervous, I guess." Seabrook has recorded at least a point in all four of his previous Game 7s, including a goal to help Chicago oust Anaheim in the 2015 Western Conference final.
ABOUT THE BLUES (52-26-10, 39-49 ATS, 35-41 O/U): Vladimir Tarasenko scored his series-leading fourth goal and 14th in 19 career playoff games on Saturday to give St. Louis a 3-1 lead before the roof caved in. The 24-year-old Russian reportedly was upset after seeing limited time during a power play despite scoring 12 of his career-best 40 goals with the man advantage, but coach Ken Hitchcock told reporters that St. Louis had the puck in the offensive zone and couldn't get Tarasenko on the ice. Veteran Troy Brouwer will play in his seventh consecutive Game 7 on Monday, having competed in one with Chicago in 2011, two with Washington the following year, one in 2013 and two more with the Capitals in 2015.
TRENDS:
* Blackhawks are 8-2 in their last 10 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
* Over is 9-2-6 in Blackhawks last 17 games following a win.
* Over is 11-2-3 in Blues last 16 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Road team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
ANAHEIM (49-27-0-11, 109 pts.) at NASHVILLE (43-30-0-14, 100 pts.) - 4/25/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 214-172 ATS (+425.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 172-108 ATS (+19.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 39-25 ATS (+12.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 72-38 ATS (+15.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 44-21 ATS (+13.7 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 41-19 ATS (+15.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 31-10 ATS (+12.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 43-44 ATS (-41.1 Units) in all games this season.
NASHVILLE is 19-34 ATS (+54.4 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
ANAHEIM is 9-5 (+1.9 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 9-5-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+8.7 Units)
CHICAGO (50-28-0-10, 110 pts.) at ST LOUIS (52-27-0-9, 113 pts.) - 4/25/2016, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 52-36 ATS (+7.4 Units) in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 22-13 ATS (+5.6 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
ST LOUIS is 15-4 ATS (+9.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 27-18 ATS (+2.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CHICAGO is 417-405 ATS (+845.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 14-13 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 14-13-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
12 of 21 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.1 Units)
ANAHEIM vs. NASHVILLE
Anaheim is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Anaheim's last 15 games when playing Nashville
Nashville is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Nashville is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
CHICAGO vs. ST. LOUIS
Chicago is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games at home
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Anaheim at Nashville
Anaheim: 17-6 SU after scoring 3 goals or more in 2 straight games
Nashville: 1-7 SU at home revenging a loss where opponent scored 5 or more
Chicago at St Louis
Chicago: 5-12 SU in road games after having won 2 of their last 3
St Louis: 25-11 SU after one or more consecutive overs