Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Monday 4/22/19
Two more teams have the opportunity to punch their ticket to the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Monday. That starts with the Washington Capitals taking on the Carolina Hurricanes in a series where the home team has won every game. In other action, the Nashville Predators travel to Texas to take on the Dallas Stars hoping that they can force a Game 7 back in Tennessee.
Featured Games
Washington Capitals (-105) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (-115)
The series between these two teams shifts back to Carolina as the home team has won all five contests in the series. That includes the Washington Capitals winning on Saturday night, dominating the Hurricanes, 6-0. Ironically, the Capitals would score a single goal in the first, two in the second, and three in the third on their way to victory Nicklaus Backstrom scored two goals and added two assists and Braden Holtby saved all 30 shots he faced.
Goaltending Matchup:
Braden Holtby was outstanding for Washington in Game 5. He saved all 30 shots he faced, this coming after his outing in Game 4 when he allowed just two goals. Holtby has allowed 12 total goals through the first five games of this series. He finished the regular season 32-19-5 with a 2.82 goals-against average.
Petr Mrazek Had his toughest outing of the series, giving up six goals on 28 shots to Washington. This after Mrazek allowed just one goal combined in the previous two games. He has allowed 14 total goals in the series. Mrazek finished the regular season 23-14-3 with a 2.39 goals-against average.
Trends to Watch:
The Washington Capitals are…
7-2 in their last nine conference quarterfinals games.
7-3 in their last 10 games on the road.
17-8 in their last 25 games.
The Carolina Hurricanes are…
5-0 in their last five games on Monday.
18-6 in their last 24 games at home.
8-3 in their last 11 conference quarterfinals games.
Stat Pack:
Capitals:
Goals For: 3.34
Goals Against: 3.02
Power-Play: 20.8%
Penalty Killing: 78.9%
Hurricanes:
Goals For: 2.96
Goals Against: 2.70
Power-Play: 17.8%
Penalty Killing: 81.6%
Prediction
The home team has won every game in this series, including Washington blasting Carolina in the last contest. Washington scored 14 goals in the three home contests, but Mrazek has held the Capitals to just one goal in Carolina. The Hurricanes are an entirely different team at home in this series, and that will lead them to force a Game 7.
The total is set at 5.5 for this contest. Both games in this series in Carolina went under, and there is no reason to believe otherwise about this game either. Look for Mrazek to rebound to have a sensational game. The Carolina Hurricanes win, 2-1.
Nashville Predators (+113) vs. Dallas Stars (-125)
The Dallas Stars have won the last two games of this series and are ready to advance to the next round of the playoffs. The Stars fell behind 1-0 but scored three straight unanswered goals, two by Alexander Radulov to take the lead. Jamie Benn would add three assists and Jason Dickinson scored two goals of his own. Ben Bishop stopped 30 of 33 shots he faced.
Goaltending Matchup:
Pekka Rinne has given up nine goals over the last two games, including five on just 26 shots in Game 5. After allowing just six goals through the first three games, the Stars have had no problem finding the back of the net against the starting goaltender. Rinne finished the regular season 30-19-2 with a 2.42 goals-against average.
Ben Bishop has allowed three goals or less in every one of the five games of this series, including allowing three in Game 5. He has allowed 11 total goals, just four combined in the last two games. Bishop finished the regular season 27-15-2 with a 1.98 goals-against average.
Trends to Watch:
The Nashville Predators are…
4-1 in their last five games on the road.
5-3 in their last seven games.
12-5 in their last 17 conference quarterfinals games.
The Dallas Stars are…
6-2 in their last eight games.
6-2 in their last eight conference quarterfinals games.
5-2 in their last seven games against teams with a winning record.
Stat Pack:
Predators:
Goals For: 2.88
Goals Against: 2.59
Power-Play: 12.9%
Penalty Killing: 82.1%
Stars:
Goals For: 2.55
Goals Against: 2.44
Power-Play: 21.0%
Penalty Killing: 82.8%
Prediction
Dallas was one of the worst scoring teams in the league this past season but has figured out something in these last two games. Rinne is simply not able to stop shots as his team has become accustomed to in that puts the Stars on the brink of advancing. Until Rinne is able to prove that he is the answer, there is no reason to turn against Dallas.
The total is set at 5.0 for this contest, and these two teams have gone over that in each of the last two games. Even Game 3 saw the two combine to score 5 goals. With such good goaltending it’s hard to believe that the over is the Smart pick, but with Rinne struggling it makes sense to go that direction. Take the Dallas Stars to win, 5-2.
Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes Preview and Predictions 04-22-2019 in NHL
The Washington Capitals answered consecutive defeats at PNC Arena with a resounding victory at home to once again wrest away control of their Eastern Conference first-round series. The Capitals return to Raleigh (N.C.) aiming to eliminate the upstart Carolina Hurricanes on Monday when the Metropolitan Division rivals play Game 6 of their series.
"Obviously, I thought that was a pretty great response (after losing Games 3 and 4). We weren't satisfied with the games in Carolina," forward Nicklas Backstrom said after his four-point performance (two goals, two assists) powered Washington to a 6-0 romp in Game 5 on Saturday. The 31-year-old Swede matched last season's entire playoff goal total with five in this series and has nine in his last 10 games overall. While Backstrom and the Capitals might be inclined to reflect fondly on Saturday's game, the same isn't true for a Carolina club that has zero margin for error in its first playoff series since 2009. "Park it. It stunk," Hurricanes captain Justin Williams said. "There's ups and downs, a lot of momentum swings in playoff series, and we've got to swing it back in our direction in Game 6."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, TVAS, FS Carolinas, NBCS Washington
ABOUT THE CAPITALS: Although captain Alex Ovechkin collected one goal and two assists in Game 5, he also made an impact on Saturday's game by stepping up his physical play with a season-high 11 hits. Devante Smith-Pelly, who is known for his physicality, finished with a plus-1 rating and one shot on goal in 10:43 of ice time during his first game since being recalled from Hershey of the American Hockey League. "Everyone did good job on the forecheck, making their (defensemen) turn and making it hard for them to get out on breakouts, so got to keep doing that if we're going to be successful," the 26-year-old Smith-Pelly said.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES: Rookie Andrei Svechnikov hopes to draw back in the lineup after sitting out the last two contests following his ill-fated fight with Ovechkin in the first period of Game 3. "I always recover so quickly, and we'll see. I hope I'm going to play next game," said the 19-year-old Russian, who may get his wish after Carolina assigned fellow forward Aleksi Saarella to Charlotte of the American Hockey League on Sunday morning. The Hurricanes' power play could benefit from some conditioning, as it went 0-for-5 in Game 5 and showed so little in terms of potential that Jordan Staal labeled it "garbage" while Williams told reporters that the team "stunk it up" with the man advantage.
OVERTIME
1. Carolina G Petr Mrazek looks to rebound from a diastrous six-goal performance when he returns to Raleigh, where he has turned aside 48 of 49 shots in the series.
2. Washington RW T.J. Oshie is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his broken collarbone, the team announced Sunday.
3. Hurricanes D Jaccob Slavin recorded five assists in his previous three contests before the team was shut out in Game 5.
PREDICTION: Capitals 4, Hurricanes 1
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Nashville Predators vs. Dallas Stars Preview and Predictions 04-22-2019 in NHL
The top team in each conference already has been ushered out of the opening round of the playoffs and the No. 2 seed in the West is trying to avoid a similar fate in its first-round series. The Central Division champion Nashville Predators are wobbly after suffering back-to-back losses and need a victory in Game 6 at the Dallas Stars on Monday night to stave off elimination.
The Predators have won three times in Dallas this season, including a 3-2 victory in Game 3, but they have been burned for 10 goals in the past two defeats. "We've played a lot of playoff games, we've been put in these situations and positions before," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said after Saturday's 5-3 setback at home. "They've answered the bell, they'll answer the bell in Game 6 and we'll bring it back here - but this group's got to go and do it." The Stars, in the playoffs for only the third time in 11 seasons, have scored at least five goals in consecutive games for the first time this season. "I think we keep getting better, and we have to keep getting better," Dallas coach Jim Montgomery said. "The next one's the hardest one because it's the potential to end someone's season. That's the challenge in front of us now."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, CNBC, Sportsnet1, TVAS2, FS Tennessee (Nashville), FS Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS: The good news for Nashville: Rocco Grimaldi, despite being a Game 1 scratch, has scored in three of his four games. The bad news: The 5-foot-6 Grimaldi leads the team in goals while the No. 1 line of Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson has combined for four points in the series after amassing 76 goals during the regular season -- including a team-high 34 by Arvidsson, who has been held off the scoresheet by Dallas. "The bottom line is we're not playing good enough and we need to raise our level - everybody," goaltender Pekka Rinne said.
ABOUT THE STARS: While Dallas rode the stellar goaltending of Ben Bishop and a defense that permitted the second-fewest goals during the regular season to the first wild card, the top line of Tyler Seguin, captain Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov has tilted the momentum. The trio accounted for seven of its 16 points and 16 shots on goal in Game 5 while matched up against Nashville's No. 1 unit. "Our line's all about work," Seguin said. "It's about will. Obviously, we have the skill and the talent there. But when we're working hard, we're happy to go up against anybody."
OVERTIME
1. Bishop, named a Vezina Trophy finalist on Saturday, has not allowed more than three goals in his last 17 appearances.
2. Arvidsson did not go more than three games in a row without a point during the regular season.
3. Benn had three assists in Game 5 to take over the team lead with six points.
PREDICTION: Stars 3, Predators 2
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85Nashville -86 Dallas
NASHVILLE is 16-8 ATS (7.6 Units) in road games against excellent power play teams - scoring on > 19% of their chances in the current season.
89Washington -90 Carolina
CAROLINA is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in home games after 2 consecutive division games in the current season.
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NHL
Monday, April 22
Trend Report
Washington Capitals
Washington is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Washington is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games on the road
Washington is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Carolina
Washington is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Carolina
Washington is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Carolina
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 9 games when playing on the road against Carolina
Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Carolina's last 6 games
Carolina is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Carolina's last 6 games at home
Carolina is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Washington
Carolina is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Washington
Carolina is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
Carolina is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Carolina's last 9 games when playing at home against Washington
Nashville Predators
Nashville is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Nashville is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Nashville is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Nashville's last 10 games on the road
Nashville is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
Nashville is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Nashville is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Nashville's last 8 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas Stars
Dallas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Dallas's last 13 games at home
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Nashville
Dallas is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Nashville
Dallas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas's last 8 games when playing at home against Nashville
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