Hockey Today
SCOREBOARD
Wednesday, Nov. 12
Washington at Carolina (7 p.m. EST). Rod Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes host Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals in a matchup of Southeast Division rivals.
STARS
Tuesday
— Dan Ellis, Predators, made 54 saves to help Nashville beat San Jose 4-3 in overtime.
— Jordan Staal, Penguins, had a hat trick in the third period and set up Ruslan Fedotenko’s overtime goal in Pittsburgh’s 7-6 victory over Detroit.
— Chris Higgins, Canadiens, scored three goals for his first career hat trick in Montreal’s 4-0 win over Ottawa.
— Martin Biron, Flyers, made 35 saves to lead Philadelphia to a 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders.
— Dustin Boyd, Flames, had his first career two-goal game as Calgary beat Toronto 4-3.
— Devin Setoguchi, Sharks, had two goals and an assist while matching the club record with 10 shots in San Jose’s 4-3 overtime loss to Nashville.
— Jarret Stoll, Kings, had a power-play goal in his 300th NHL game as Los Angeles beat Dallas 3-2 in a shootout.
FAMILIAR FOES
Jordan Staal had a hat trick in the third period and set up Ruslan Fedotenko’s goal with 1:11 left in overtime, leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 7-6 win over the Detroit Red Wings in a Stanley Cup rematch. Marian Hossa had two assists in his first game against the Penguins since he opted to sign a one-year deal with Detroit instead of staying in Pittsburgh for a longer and more lucrative contract.
WOW, THAT’S A LOT
The San Jose Sharks set a franchise record with 57 shots on Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators—and lost. Ville Koistinen scored with 2:32 left in overtime, and Dan Ellis made 54 saves in Nashville’s 4-3 victory. Devin Setoguchi had two goals and an assist while matching the club record with 10 shots for the Sharks.
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Carey Price recorded his first shutout of the season in the Montreal Canadiens’ 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Price stopped 28 shots, including a right pad save on Dany Heatley’s breakaway shot in the third, for his fourth career shutout.
OUCH
Danny Briere left the Philadelphia Flyers’ 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders with an unspecified lower body injury. He staked the Flyers to a 1-0 advantage in the second period but didn’t complete another shift following his fifth goal—all scored in his past four games.
SPEAKING
“The hat trick was definitely for my mom. I think my dad gets a lot of credit for where I am right now but I’d just like to say, ‘Sue, thank you.”’— Chris Higgins after recording his first career hat trick in the Montreal Canadiens’ 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators.
St. Louis Blues vs. Buffalo Sabres
The Blues dropped their fifth straight game with a 5-3 loss to the Kings at STAPLES Center Saturday night.
Los Angeles won as a -120 home favorite while the exciting third period pushed the total over the 5.5-goal total.
The Sabres scored the first goal of the game but allowed three straight to lose 3-1 to the Bruins at TD Banknorth Garden Saturday.
The Bruins won as -130 home favorites. The final score played under the 5.5-goal total set by oddsmakers.
Current streak:
St. Louis has lost 5 straight games.
Buffalo has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
St. Louis: 5-7-1
Buffalo: 8-3-3
St. Louis most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
Before playing Tampa Bay are 3-3-1
After playing Los Angeles are 5-5
After a loss are 3-7
Buffalo most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
Before playing Colorado are 7-3
After playing Boston are 7-3
After a loss are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 5 games on the road
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
St. Louis is 9-0-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Buffalo's last 7 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games at home
Buffalo is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Buffalo is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Next up:
St. Louis at Chicago, Friday, November 14
Buffalo home to Columbus, Friday, November 14
Phoenix Coyotes vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Coyotes defeated San Jose 4-2 as a +125 underdog on Sunday. The six goals scored went OVER the posted over/under total (5).
Olli Jokinen had two goals and an assist for Phoenix, while Ilya Bryzgalov made 30 saves in the win.
The Blue Jackets won their third straight game with a 3-1 victory over the Flames at Nationwide Arena Saturday night
Columbus won as a +107 home favorite while the final score played under the total of 5.5 goals.
Current streak:
Phoenix has won 2 straight games.
Columbus has won 3 straight games.
Team records:
Phoenix: 7-6-0
Columbus: 7-6-2
Phoenix most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-5-1
Before playing Chicago are 6-4
After playing San Jose are 2-8
After a win are 3-7
Columbus most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
Before playing Buffalo are 5-3
After playing Calgary are 4-6
After a win are 3-7
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 9 games
Phoenix is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Phoenix is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Columbus
Phoenix is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Columbus's last 6 games
Columbus is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Columbus is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Columbus is 8-13-3 SU in its last 24 games when playing Phoenix
Next up:
Phoenix at Minnesota, Thursday, November 13
Columbus at Buffalo, Friday, November 14
New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils
Chris Drury and Paul Mara lit up the lamp for the Rangers in their 3-2 shootout loss to the Oilers on Monday night.
Edmonton won as +150 road underdogs as the game played under the 5.5-goal total set by sportsbooks.
The Devils lost to Edmonton 2-1 as a -110 favorite on Sunday. The three goals scored fell UNDER the posted over/under total (5.5).
Zach Parise scored New Jersey's lone goal, while Scott Clemmensen had 26 saves in the loss.
Current streak:
New York has lost 2 straight games.
New Jersey has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
New York: 11-5-2
New Jersey: 7-5-2
New York most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
Before playing Florida are 6-4
After playing Edmonton are 5-5
After a loss are 5-5
New Jersey most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 7-1-2
Before playing Buffalo are 9-1
After playing Edmonton are 6-4
After a loss are 5-5
A few trends to consider:
NY Rangers are 12-2 SU in their last 14 games when playing New Jersey
NY Rangers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 7 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of the NY Rangers last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Jersey's last 7 games when playing NY Rangers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Jersey's last 6 games at home
New Jersey is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
New Jersey is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Next up:
NY Rangers home to Boston, Saturday, November 15
New Jersey at Washington, Friday, November 14
Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Alexander Ovechkin scored a goal and added an assist to lead the Capitals past the Lightning 4-2 on Monday night.
Washington won as -170 home favorites as the teams played over the 5.5-goal total posted by oddsmakers.
The Hurricanes lost to Atlanta 5-2 as a -190 favorite on Sunday. The seven runs scored went OVER the posted over/under total (5.5).
Rod Brind'Amour and Ray Whitney scored for Carolina, while Cam Ward had 17 saves.
Current streak:
Washington has won 3 straight games.
Team records:
Washington: 8-4-2
Carolina: 8-5-2
Washington most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 2-8
Before playing Calgary are 4-6
After playing Tampa Bay are 3-7
After a win are 6-4
Carolina most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
Before playing Boston are 4-6
After playing Atlanta are 8-2
After a loss are 8-2
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Carolina is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Carolina's last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina's last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
Carolina is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games at home
Next up:
Washington home to New Jersey, Friday, November 14
Carolina at Atlanta, Friday, November 14
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers
Gary Roberts tallied both markers for Tampa Bay in its 4-2 loss to Washington on Monday night.
Washington won as -170 home favorites as the teams played over the 5.5-goal total posted by oddsmakers.
The Panthers defeated Anaheim 3-1 as a +200 underdog on Sunday. The four goals scored fell UNDER the posted over/under total (5.5).
David Booth scored a hat trick for Florida, while Craig Anderson made 44 saves in the win.
Team records:
Tampa Bay: 5-5-4
Florida: 5-8-1
Tampa Bay most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
Before playing St. Louis are 3-7
After playing Washington are 5-5
After a loss are 3-7
Florida most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
Before playing NY Rangers are 6-4
After playing Anaheim are 4-4-1
After a win are 4-6
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing on the road against Florida
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Florida's last 7 games
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Florida's last 11 games at home
Next up:
Tampa Bay home to Detroit, Thursday, November 13
Florida home to Detroit, Friday, November 14
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers
Gary Roberts tallied both markers for Tampa Bay in its 4-2 loss to Washington on Monday night.
Washington won as -170 home favorites as the teams played over the 5.5-goal total posted by oddsmakers.
The Panthers defeated Anaheim 3-1 as a +200 underdog on Sunday. The four goals scored fell UNDER the posted over/under total (5.5).
David Booth scored a hat trick for Florida, while Craig Anderson made 44 saves in the win.
Team records:
Tampa Bay: 5-5-4
Florida: 5-8-1
Tampa Bay most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
Before playing St. Louis are 3-7
After playing Washington are 5-5
After a loss are 3-7
Florida most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
Before playing NY Rangers are 6-4
After playing Anaheim are 4-4-1
After a win are 4-6
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing on the road against Florida
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida's last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Florida's last 7 games
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Florida's last 11 games at home
Next up:
Tampa Bay home to Detroit, Thursday, November 13
Florida home to Detroit, Friday, November 14
Boston Bruins vs. Chicago Blackhawks
The Bruins allowed the first goal of the game but charged back for a 3-1 victory over the Sabres at TD Banknorth Garden Saturday night.
The Bruins won as -130 home favorites. The final score played under the 5.5-goal total set by oddsmakers.
The Blackhawks defeated Calgary 6-1 as a -165 favorite on Sunday. The seven goals scored went OVER the posted over/under total (5.5).
Patrick Kane and Martin Havlat each had a goal and two assists for Chicago, while Cristobal Huet made 22 saves in the win
Current streak:
Boston has won 3 straight games.
Chicago has won 4 straight games.
Team records:
Boston: 8-3-3
Chicago: 7-3-3
Boston most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 3-7
Before playing Ottawa are 5-5
After playing Buffalo are 3-7
After a win are 5-5
Chicago most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
Before playing Edmonton are 6-4
After playing Calgary are 4-6
After a win are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
Chicago is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
Next up:
Boston home to Montreal, Thursday, November 13
Chicago home to St. Louis, Friday, November 14
Colorado Avalanche vs. Vancouver Canucks
Darcy Tucker provided the only action in the Avalanche's 1-0 win over the Predators at Pepsi Center Saturday night.
The Avalanche won as -144 home favorites while the final score played well under the total of 5.5 goals.
Roberto Luongo was in familiar form during the Canucks 2-0 victory over the Wild at General Motors Place Saturday night.
Vancouver won as a -130 home favorite while the final score played under the 5.5-goal total set by oddsmakers.
Current streak:
Vancouver has won 3 straight games.
Team records:
Colorado: 6-8-0
Vancouver: 9-6-0
Colorado most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 2-8
Before playing Buffalo are 8-8-1
After playing Nashville are 6-4
After a win are 7-3
Vancouver most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
Before playing San Jose are 5-5
After playing Minnesota are 8-2
After a win are 4-6
A few trends to consider:
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Vancouver
Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Colorado's last 18 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Vancouver's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Vancouver's last 7 games
Vancouver is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Vancouver is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Next up:
Colorado at Edmonton, Saturday, November 15
Vancouver home to Toronto, Saturday, November 15
Hot teams
-- Blue Jackets won last three games, allowing eight goals. Coyotes won three of their last four games.
-- Carolina is 5-1 in game following a loss this season. Washington won its last three games, allowing five goals.
-- Bruins won three in row, six of last seven games. Blackhawks won last four games, outscoring foes 21-8.
-- Canucks won last three games, shutting all three opponents out.
Cold teams
-- Sabres lost five of their last seven games. Blues lost last five games, and seven of last eight.
-- Devils lost six of their last eight games. Rangers lost four of last five.
-- Panthers lost six of their last seven games. Lightning lost three of their last four games.
-- Avalanche lost five of their last six games.
Totals
-- Five of last six Columbus games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Buffalo games stayed under the total; Blues' last four games went over.
-- Three of last four New Jersey games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Washington games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Florida games stayed under the total.
-- Last four Boston road games stayed under the total; over is 7-1-1 in Chicago games since they changed coaches.
-- Four of last five Colorado road games went over the total; six of last seven Vancouver games stayed under.
Series Records
-- Underdog won last six Phoenix-Columbus games, with Blue Jackets winning four of last five.
-- Blues won last two games vs Buffalo, 3-2ot/4-3.
-- Rangers are 11-2 in last thirteen games against the Devils; they ousted New Jersey in five games in playoffs last spring.
-- Washington won three in row vs Carolina, allowing five goals.
-- Lightning lost five of last six visits to Miami.
-- Bruins won last two games vs Chicago, 5-3/3-1.
-- Avalanche won their last six games against Vancouver.
PHOENIX (7-6-0-0, 14 pts.) at COLUMBUS (7-6-0-2, 16 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 16-7 ATS (+24.3 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
COLUMBUS is 25-23 ATS (+56.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 14-12 ATS (+34.7 Units) in road games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 59-58 ATS (+136.7 Units) in road games after a division game since 1996.
PHOENIX is 67-58 ATS (+134.5 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 5-4 (+0.8 Units) against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 5-4-0 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)
ST LOUIS (5-7-0-1, 11 pts.) at BUFFALO (8-3-0-3, 19 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 4-16 ATS (+28.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 8-24 ATS (+42.9 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 140-97 ATS (+30.1 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
BUFFALO is 5-14 ATS (-14.1 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 2-0 (+3.3 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 2-0-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.1 Units)
NY RANGERS (11-6-0-2, 24 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (7-5-0-2, 16 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 16-26 ATS (-21.5 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 15-7 (+7.8 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 15-7-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.6 Units)
WASHINGTON (8-4-0-2, 18 pts.) at CAROLINA (8-5-0-2, 18 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 29-15 ATS (+9.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 27-17 ATS (+50.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 57-63 ATS (-59.7 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 9-8-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
9 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.9 Units)
TAMPA BAY (5-5-0-4, 14 pts.) at FLORIDA (5-9-0-1, 11 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 36-60 ATS (-26.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 20-55 ATS (+87.0 Units) in road games in November games since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 20-33 ATS (-15.7 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 19-34 ATS (-22.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 12-20 ATS (-11.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 85-102 ATS (+199.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
FLORIDA is 30-47 ATS (-29.2 Units) in home games in November games since 1996.
FLORIDA is 56-99 ATS (+169.1 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
FLORIDA is 74-115 ATS (+210.5 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.
FLORIDA is 8-13 ATS (+21.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 9-7 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 9-7-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.2 Units)
BOSTON (8-3-0-3, 19 pts.) at CHICAGO (7-3-0-3, 17 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 10-2 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games in November games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 12-2 ATS (+9.7 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 22-13 ATS (+36.5 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 22-17 ATS (+46.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 19-11 ATS (+31.0 Units) in November games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 40-34 ATS (+79.5 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 17-10 ATS (+27.7 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-0 (+2.3 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 2-0-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.1 Units)
COLORADO (6-8-0-0, 12 pts.) at VANCOUVER (9-6-0-0, 18 pts.)
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) after shutting out their opponent in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 4-11 ATS (-11.5 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 3 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 65-85 ATS (-67.1 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 11-5 (+5.4 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 11-5-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
10 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.3 Units)
NY RANGERS vs. NEW JERSEY
NY Rangers are 12-2 SU in their last 14 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 7 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Jersey's last 6 games at home
PHOENIX vs. COLUMBUS
Phoenix is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 9 games
Columbus is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Columbus is 8-13-3 SU in its last 24 games when playing Phoenix
ST. LOUIS vs. BUFFALO
St. Louis is 9-0-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Buffalo
St. Louis is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Buffalo is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games at home
WASHINGTON vs. CAROLINA
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games on the road
Carolina is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Carolina's last 9 games at home
TAMPA BAY vs. FLORIDA
Tampa Bay is 4-16 SU in its last 20 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games on the road
Florida is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Florida's last 7 games
BOSTON vs. CHICAGO
Boston is 1-2-2 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago is 2-4-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chicago's last 12 games when playing Boston
COLORADO vs. VANCOUVER
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Colorado's last 18 games
Vancouver is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Colorado
Vancouver is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
On the Ice - Wednesday
By Judd Hall
Puckheads will be in heaven on Wednesday night as we’ve got seven games on the board for our enjoyment. One of the matches is an early showdown for the lead in the Southeast Division. We won’t have to worry about tired sides either since each club has had at least one night off.
There’s plenty of action for us to cover, so let’s get to it.
Phoenix Coyotes at Columbus Blue Jackets – 7:05 p.m. EST
This game looked like it would be clunker between cellar dwellers at the start of the season, but both sides are playing solid hockey. Columbus has won three straight fixtures and has pulled in at least one point in six straight matches. One of the reasons for the inspired play is rookie netminder Steve Mason. The youngster has a 2.60 goals against average in winning the first three games of his NHL career; he’s the first netminder to do that since Montreal’s Jaroslav Spacek did it last season.
Phoenix has welcomed November with open arms as it has won three of five matches this month and five of its last eight dating back to last month. The Coyotes are picking up points in the Pacific Division thanks to their biggest off-season acquisition, Olli Jokinen. The former pivot for the Panthers has lit the lamp five times and helped on three other goals this month. That’s important since Shane Doan has one assist in his last three appearances.
One thing we should anticipate to see is a high scoring affair as the ‘over’ is 5-2-1 for the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena this season. Also, the road squad has fared well in this head-to-head battle by going 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
St. Louis Blues at Buffalo Sabres – 7:05 p.m. EST
A promising season has slowed down for the Blues recently as they’ve posted just three points in their previous eight contests. While you could blame their stilted play on a non-existent offense, it is more tethered to their special teams performance. St. Louis has given up at least one power play goal in its last five matches and has allowed seven PPGs in 27 times being short-handed. I should be fair though as the goaltending has been lackluster as well. Manny Legace hurt his hip thanks to Sarah Palin’s carpet, leaving Chris Mason to take over between the pipes. The problem is the former starter for Nashville stunk up the joint with a 0-4 record and a GAA of 3.59.
Buffalo has come back down to Earth as well with a 2-3-2 mark in its past seven games. You could point the finger at Ryan Miller for the poor play after losing his last two starts with a 3.96 GAA. But the team’s dependence on Thomas Vanek has hurt them so far. If the first four games (all victories) of October, Vanek scored six goals. Yet he’s only scored three times in the first four matches this month to a 2-2 record. I guess you can say that Lindy Ruff is relying too much on his offensive-minded winger.
St. Louis has seen the ‘over’ hit in four straight matches and in all five of its road contests. The Sabres have a 4-3 record in favor of the ‘over’ at home this year as well.
New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils – 7:05 p.m. EST
The Blueshirts are happy to have racked up such a big lead in the Atlantic Division as they’ve been in a funk recently. That’s about all you can say for a squad that is 1-3-1 in November. To give you an idea how bad things are in Gotham right now, the Rangers were 4-1 at this same time last season. One reason for the slump is Nikolai Zherdev’s play. He had five goals and seven assists in his first month in New York, but he’s got just two points in November.
New Jersey isn’t faring much better with the loss of Martin Brodeur for the next four months. Making matters worse is Kevin Weekes’ struggle to take over the starting job in goal for the Devils. Weekes has gone 7-6-1 with a 3.03 GAA in 14 career starts against the Rangers.
Bettors should also know that the ‘over’ has gone 4-1-1 in the last six head-to-head meetings. And the road team has won six of the last 10 matches, including the playoffs.
Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes – 7:05 p.m. EST
The Southeast Division came down to the Hurricanes and Capitals last season. So it’s only fair that these two franchises are tied for first place at this point of the year. Washington was able to not hiccup with Alex Ovechkin in Russia visiting his ailing grandfather. Yet the Caps are running smooth right now with Ovechkin back in the lineup, going 3-0-1 since Nov. 4.
Carolina is so-so this month as evidenced by its 3-3 record. While that might seem bad, remember that the Hurricanes have dealt with the injury bug once again this year…the biggest absence being Justin Williams. If that wasn’t enough, the goaltending of Cam Ward and Michael Leighton has done nothing to distinguish themselves.
The Capitals have feasted on divisional foes recently with a 10-1 record against the Southeast dating back to the end of last season. But the home team has gone 8-2 in the last 10 matchups of these rivals.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers – 7:35 p.m. EST
The Lightning were all the rage during the summer after making move after move to bring in new players. With so many new faces joining the team, chemistry is sure to be an issue. Tampa Bay is no exception to that rule as its special teams defense has surrendered 10 power play goals in the last seven games. Something else to keep an eye on is Vincent Lecavalier and his magically disappearing scoring touch, failing to get a goal during the Tampa Bay’s current road trip.
Florida hasn’t fared much better than their intrastate rivals. Although, much of the Panthers’ issues come from being banged up. Now Pete DeBoer’s team must contend with losing Cory Stillman’s scoring ability to the Injured Reserved list with facial lacerations. The Cats will have higher spirits this time around after snapping a six-game skid at Anaheim on Nov. 9, 3-1.
The Panthers have fared well against Tampa Bay, going 6-4 in their last 10 meetings. And they’ve seen the ‘under’ go 6-1 in their past seven games.
Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks – 8:35 p.m. EST
These “Original Six” squads have long been afterthoughts to everyone, but not this season. Chicago finds itself in second place in the Central Division after going 6-1-2 since Joel Quenneville took over as head coach on Oct. 16. The Blackhawks have also benefitted from a renewed interest of fans in the local area this year, going 6-0-2 at the United Center.
Boston has won all three games it has played in November and is 6-1 since Oct. 25. Tim Thomas has been on fire during that stretch with a 4-1 record and minuscule GAA of 1.19 while saving 96.4 percent of the shots fired his way. Thomas’ great goaltending has made the penalty kill unit that much better as it has stopped 21 of 26 power plays.
Something has to give as far as totals go: Chicago has watched the ‘over’ post a 5-3 mark at home, while the ‘under’ is 4-0 on the road for the Bruins. Home teams are 3-1 in the last four head-to-head scuffles.
Colorado Avalanche at Vancouver Canucks – 10:05 p.m. EST
The Avalanche looked like they had things figured out when they won five straight tilts between Oct. 16 and Oct. 25. Yet Colorado found a way to erase any momentum it had by dropping its next five games. While the goalie is the first scapegoat (and Peter Budaj has been garbage this year), the offense is God awful when getting a one or two-man advantage. That’s easily seen as the Avs have just two power play goals in 29 chances, which is bad even for a team converting 14.9 percent of the time.
Vancouver seems to have settled down now after being an ‘over’ machine during the first month of the season. A lot of that has to do with Roberto Luongo stopping all 81 shots on goal faced in his last three starts. Needless to say, the ‘under’ has been on order for betting the Canucks, hitting in four straight fixtures and six of their last seven.
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