Category Archives: NHL Hockey

The National Hockey League (NHL; French: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH) is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 6 are located in Canada and 24 in the United States.

Phoenix Coyotes against St. Louis Blues on Friday: NHL Odds

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Phoenix at St. Louis Betting

When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, April 6, 2012
Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri

The Opening Line is : St. Louis Blues -170 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Phoenix Coyotes clinched a playoff berth Thursday as a result of the Dallas Stars’ 2-0 loss to the Nashville Predators. The Coyotes look to improve their playoff positioning in St. Louis on Friday in the finale with the Blues. St. Louis is going for the season-series sweep and has outscored Phoenix 11-3 in the first three matchups. The Blues are hunting the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN2

Phoenix Coyotes (40-27-13): The Coyotes have won at least 40 games for the third consecutive season, a franchise first. Phoenix can finish third, seventh or eighth in the West depending on the outcomes of games played on Saturday. Goalie Mike Smith is aiming for a fourth consecutive shutout. He set an NHL record in his last start for most saves made in a shutout performance, making 54 stops in a 2-0 win over Columbus on Tuesday. Smith has turned away the last 157 shots he’s faced.


St. Louis Blues (48-21-11): The Blues also boast a red-hot goaltender. Brian Elliott’s consecutive shutout minutes streak ended Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings at 241 minutes, 33 seconds. The mark set a new franchise record for most consecutive shutout minutes by a Blues goalie, previously surpassing Manny Legace’s record of 186:15 set from Dec. 28, 2007 – Jan. 8, 2008. Elliott leads the NHL in goals-against average (1.49), save percentage (.943) and ranks second in shutouts (nine) behind Los Angeles’ Jonathan Quick.

OVERTIME:

1. Smith is 18-5-2 when getting at least two days off between starts.

2. Phoenix finishes the 2011-12 campaign Saturday in Minnesota and St. Louis travels to Dallas for its season finale.

PREDICTION: Coyotes 3, Blues 2. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$. 

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Thursday NHL Betting: Must win for Capitals vs. Panthers

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It’s a game with huge playoff implications on Thursday night in south Florida as the Panthers can clinch a playoff spot with just one point, while Washington could potentially also lock down a spot if it wins and gets some help. The Caps are -145 favorites on WagerWeb.com in their final home game of the regular season.

Washington is tied for eighth in the East with Buffalo at 88 points, but the Caps currently hold the tiebreaker (one more win). If Washington wins tonight and Buffalo loses at Philadelphia, the Caps clinch the spot. But otherwise, it could come down to Washington’s game at the on Saturday.

The Panthers are currently third in the East because they lead the Southeast Division. All Florida needs is one point in its final two games to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. The Panthers have never won the division title – Washington has won four consecutive Southeast Division titles since 2007. Although the Panthers (92) hold a four-point lead on the Caps entering the game, they don’t own the tiebreaker.

On Tuesday, the Panthers saw their three-goal advantage erased in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Jets. It marked the first time the Panthers coughed up a 3-0 lead since losing 4-3 in a shootout to the Lightning on Nov. 6. Though Florida has picked up at least a point in 12 of its past 14 games (6-2-6), the team has lost seven of eight. Tuesday also signified the continuation of a startling overtime/shootout trend: The Panthers added on to their league-leading losses with 18.

The Capitals will turn to Michal Neuvirth in the nets for Thursday’s game. Neuvirth won 27 games and a first-round playoff series for Washington last season, and he is 13-13-5 with a 2.86 GAA and a .901 save pct. in 2011-12. Lifetime against the Panthers, Neuvirth is 2-3-1 with a 3.07 GAA and a .905 save pct. in eight appearances (seven starts). He is 0-2 with a 4.07 GAA and an .881 save pct. against the Panthers this season; injured netminder Tomas Vokoun went 3-0 against his former Florida employers in 2011-12, winning two of those games via the shutout route. In his last four games (two starts), Neuvirth is 2-1 with a 2.60 GAA and a .911 save pct.

In two games in Washington this season — the most recent in early February — the Panthers are 0-2 and haven’t scored a goal. In fact, the Panthers have lost three of five to the Capitals, including two in a row, and have been outscored 15-10 overall.

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NHL Betting: Jeff Carter out of huge Sharks-Kings matchup

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The can clinch a playoff spot with just a point on Thursday night against San Diego, but they will have to do so without star forward . L.A. is still a -125 favorite on WagerWeb.com.

Carter, acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a trade-deadline deal in late February, has missed the past three games with a deep bone bruise in his ankle. Tests performed Monday revealed no structural damage, and Carter is healing well, coach Darryl Sutter said Wednesday. But he wants Carter to skate through a full practice before putting him back in the lineup. Carter, who averaged 36 goals in his four previous seasons, all with the , has six goals and three assists in 16 games with the Kings. The team is 11-5-0 with him in the lineup, 2-0-1 without.

The Kings (93 points) can clinch a playoff spot with a win, an overtime or shootout loss, or if the Dallas Stars lose to the Nashville Predators, a game that should be wrapping up shortly before the puck drops at Staples Center. L.A. is still in a dogfight for the Pacific Division title as well.

San Jose (92 points) could win the division as well or even miss the playoffs altogether. As of now, the Sharks are No. 8 in the West but could climb as high as No. 3 if they win the Pacific. Or if San Jose loses its final two games and Dallas wins its final two, the Sharks will watch the playoffs from home – the No. 9 Stars are three points behind the Sharks.

San Jose comes off back-to-back huge wins over those Stars. The most recent was 5-2 in Dallas on Tuesday. Sharks forward Logan Couture had gone 10 games without a goal when he snapped a 2-2 tie with a deflection of Martin Havlat’s setup at 17:24 of the second period. Couture’s 31st of the season came only 27 seconds after Dallas’ Michael Ryder went to the penalty box for tripping. The Sharks would clinch a playoff berth with a win

While San Jose has been up and down throughout the season’s second half, C Joe Thornton has been mostly up. With 36 points in 33 games since Jan. 31, Thornton quietly has pushed himself into a tie for 14th among NHL scorers, with 75 points overall. His 58 assists are tied for third-best in the league and he has a plus-17 rating on the season.

L.A. last played on Monday, when Jonathan Quick made 19 saves to record his 10th shutout of the season in a 2-0 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oilers.

This is the first of a home-and-home set to close out the season for both teams. The clubs will also meet on Saturday in San Jose. This is the fifth of six meetings between these Pacific foes, with the home team winning each of the first four matchups. Each club posted a two-goal victory in November before the Sharks claimed a 2-1 shootout decision in December and the Kings a 5-2 triumph on March 20.

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NHL Hockey Futures: Detroit Team To Back at +650

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EASTERN CONFERENCE

New York Rangers (+200 to win Eastern Conference)
You have to do a wide range of things in the NHL playoffs to be successful: score lots of goal, prevent lots of goals, have a killer power play…these are all things you expect to hear. But toughness is the biggest scale tipper in the NHL playoff scene and the Rangers have it in truck loads. The biggest weakness in their game is their power play, which is the fourth worst in the league but with Henrik Lundqvist in net there isn’t much concern. And if you’re into cosmic voodoo (which 23% of my betting psyche is), then this seems like a good year to go all-in on New York, doesn’t it?

Boston Bruins (+500 to win Eastern Conference)
If you loved them last year, there are just as many reasons to love them this season. Handicpapers haven’t adored their inconsistency, but they’re ending the season on a strong high note after beating the Rangers 2-1. That put the Bruins at 7-3 SU in their last 10 games and they’re on as much of a momentum building streak as any team in the league right now. Nothing has changed from last season, except that Tyler Seguin has more experience. Plus they have a taste for blood and gold.

Pittsburgh Penguins (+190 to win Eastern Conference)
The worry with Pittsburgh is that they’re not as physical as they need to be in the playoffs, and since Sidney’s return they haven’t been that consistent going 6-5 SU in eleven games. They’ll find their legs soon enough, and after that beware if you bet against them especially with Evgeni Malkin playing far and away his best hockey ever.

The obvious reason to go against Pittsburgh is that Sidney is one brutal hit away from going back to the shelf indefinitely. These odds are very tight, but even without Sid The Kid, this team was absolutely formidable during big stretches of the season. There won’t be any buyer’s remorse here no matter what happens to Crosby, but those buyers should definitely beware.

Favorite Sleeper: Washington Capitals (+1600 to win Eastern Conference)
Listen, I know this isn’t a great bet, but you have to think that Ovechkin and company have to breakout of their playoff slump eventually, right? With a $100 flier thrown their way you could reap massive profits if they do. Still, there’s just as many reasons to bet on them (star studded roster) as there are to bet against them (star studded roster never performs in April).

The Rest of the East: Philadelphia +600, Buffalo +1600, New Jersey +1400, Ottawa +1800, Florida +1800

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Vancouver Canucks (+170 to win Western Conference)
You know who is hedging against this bet? The city of Vancouver! There’s a damn good reason that they have the best odds in the conference, and it has everything to do with the fact that they own the best record in the entire NHL. The main difference between last year and this year is that the Canucks have depth at goaltending. You can’t fault Roberto Luongo for being absolutely useless on the road in the Stanley Cup Finals last season in the Boston hosted games (ok maybe you can), but if he falters then the Nuckleheads have Corey Schneider to sit between the pipes.

Detroit Red Wings (+650 to win Western Conference)
There’s simply no possible way to write a column about “favorites to win the west” without mentioning the Red Wings. The Wings have lost their footing recently, going just 3-7 SU over their last ten games, but they also are likely candidates to have home ice heading in to the first couple rounds of the playoffs. It’s never a bad investment to bet on the Detroit Red Wings in NHL futures.

San Jose Sharks (+1200 to win Western Conference)
I’m basically putting them here because I wanted to remind you that this isn’t a bet to “appear in the Western Conference Finals and lose”. The Sharks are the ultimate non-closer in the NHL playoffs. Throwing your money at them this year is just a waste of time.

Favorite Sleeper: St. Louis Blues (+300 to win Western Conference)
If defense wins championships, the Blues should be your pick. With only 1.86 goals allowed through this season, the Blues are the unexpected NHL stalwarts on defense in the entire league ranking first in defense. It helps when you have a goalie like Brian Elliott in net and a slew of great two-way players coming back from the injured reserve.

All that being said, there’s a reason they’re my sleeper pick. They haven’t been this good or relevant for pretty much ten years. In fact, the last time they won a playoff series was ten seasons ago. Since then, they’ve made the playoffs three times and never survived the first round.

I doubt that the Blues themselves care that much about the past. They play like they believe in themselves, and if you do too then this is as worthy a bet as anyone else on the board.

The Rest of the West: Chicago +750, Nashville +700, Dallas +1800, Colorado +3500

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NHL Online Gambling: Tampa Bay Lightning vs Toronto Maple Leafs

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Tampa Bay @ Toronto Betting

When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 5, 2012
Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario

The Opening Line is : Toronto Maple Leafs -130 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Toronto Maple Leafs have been good offensively for much of the season, especially against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Leafs have outscored the Lightning 17-5 in three victories and will go for the season sweep on Thursday. Toronto lost all four games to Tampa Bay last season. Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos, who grew up in the Toronto area, is two shy of becoming only the second 60-goal scorer in the NHL since 1995-96.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, SunSports, Leafs TV.

Tampa Bay Lightning (37-36-7): Stamkos was shut out in Montreal on Wednesday after recording eight goals and three assists in his previous six games. The 22-year old center attempted 10 shots and four went on goal against the Canadiens. His teammates will be looking for him even more the last two games, including a trip to Winnipeg on Saturday. Vincent Lecavalier scored for the first time in four games after returning from a broken hand. Defenseman Victor Hedman has points in a career-high five consecutive games. Goalie Dwayne Roloson, 4-2 in his last six starts, is expected to play the final two contests.


Toronto Maple Leafs (34-36-10): Toronto looked like it was headed for two straight wins over Buffalo on Tuesday before coughing up a 3-0 lead and losing 6-5 in overtime. The Leafs showed why they stand second to last, just ahead of Tampa Bay, in goals-against at 3.16 per game. Phil Kessel continues to improve his career-best numbers with four points in the last two games to give him 81, while Tyler Bozak has seven points in seven games with a plus-2 rating. Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson is out for the rest of the season with a separated shoulder. Ben Scrivens played the last two games in net for the Leafs.

OVERTIME:

1. Toronto is eighth in the league on the power play, but 29th in penalty killing.

2. Stamkos has 46 even-strength goals, the most in a single season since 1992-93.

3. Rookie forward Carter Ashton, traded from Tampa Bay to Toronto on Feb. 27, has no points in 14 games.

PREDICTION: Lightning 4, Maple Leafs 3. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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NHL Betting Picks: Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers

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Buffalo & Philadelphia Betting

When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 5, 2012
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Opening Line is : Philadelphia Flyers -135 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Buffalo Sabres are walking a fine line. Tied with Washington for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, the Sabres will look to better their standing on Thursday when they visit the City of Brotherly Love to face the Philadelphia Flyers. The Capitals, who own the tiebreaker, could secure a postseason berth with a victory over Florida and a Buffalo regulation loss.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG, CSP

Buffalo Sabres (39-31-10): Coach Lindy Ruff’s club erased a three-goal deficit in the first period and a two-goal disadvantage in the third before skating away with a 6-5 overtime win over Northeast Division rival Toronto on Tuesday. Derek Roy’s overtime marker lifted Buffalo to a 14-2-3 mark in its last 19 contests. Roy had notched just one point in his previous six contests. The Sabres will now have their campaign on the line against the Flyers, who eliminated them during last season’s Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Defenseman Tyler Myers will miss the team’s final two regular-season matches with what Ruff termed a “bad foot.”


Philadelphia Flyers (46-25-9): Claude Giroux has been on quite the roll. Giroux notched three assists in Philadelphia’s 5-3 loss to the Atlantic Division rival New York Rangers on Tuesday. He has collected 10 points – including a five-assist effort in a 7-2 triumph on Feb. 16 – in three victories over Buffalo and fellow All-Star Scott Hartnell has tallied in all three contests as well. The NHL’s First Star of the Week, Wayne Simmonds has recorded six goals in his last five contests – including two on Feb. 16.

OVERTIME:

1. Buffalo’s Ryan Miller wasn’t too impressed with Washington’s Brooks Laich making a guarantee that his club would make the playoffs. “I don’t think he’s Mark Messier,” Miller said, referring to the former Rangers captain famously saying that New York would defeat New Jersey in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. Messier netted a hat trick in Game 6 and the Rangers went on to win both the series and the Stanley Cup.

2. Ilya Bryzgalov struggled in his return from a chip fracture in his right foot, yielding five goals versus the Rangers. The Russian has been in net for all three Flyers victories over the Sabres this season.

PREDICTION: Sabres 3, Flyers 2 (SO). CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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Winnipeg Jets visit New York Islanders on Thursday: NHL Odds

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Winnipeg at NY Islanders Betting

When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 5, 2012
Where: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York

The Opening Line is : New York Islanders -125 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The New York Islanders will close out their home schedule on Thursday by welcoming the Winnipeg Jets. Both teams will miss the 2012 playoffs. This is the fourth and final meeting between the clubs with the Islanders holding a 3-1 series lead. The Jets‘ lone win came in November, when they shutout the Islanders 3-0 in New York. PA Parenteau leads the Islanders with two goals and an assist in the three games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN-Jets, MSG Plus 2

Winnipeg Jets (37-34-9): Despite barely missing out on the playoffs, Winnipeg’s inaugural season has to be considered a success. A trip to the NHL’s second season would have been nice, but the Jets have a plan in place that should see them there in the near future. “The long-term success is what we’re about,” said Mark Chipman, Chairman of True North Sports and Entertainment. “It’s to be a team that is a perennial playoff team. A team that is going to have a .600 winning percentage, or better and be consistently in the playoffs. And then, given the right circumstances to go deep into the playoffs and eventually contend for a championship.”

New York Islanders (33-36-11): The Islanders will close out their season on Saturday in Columbus. Sunday marks the beginning of another long off-season – a fifth straight without playoff action. But not all is doom and gloom on Long Island – thanks to a strong nucleus of players that is highlighted by John Tavares. Tavares recorded his 200th NHL point Tuesday in New Jersey, making him the second-fastest to the mark in Islander history behind Bryan Trottier. “He’s one of the elite players in the league,” said coach Jack Capuano. “He takes a lot of pride in his game and it’s important to him to play hard in very single game we play.”

OVERTIME:

1. Parenteau has scored both game-winning goals for the Islanders in their two wins versus the Jets.

2. Captain Mark Streit recorded his 150th point as an Islander on Tuesday with an assist.

PREDICTION: Jets 5, Islanders 3. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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Florida Panthers against Washington Capitals on Thursday: NHL Predictions

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Florida at Washington Betting

When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 5, 2012
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District Of Columbia

The Opening Line is : Washington Capitals -145 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Florida Panthers attempt to clinch the first division title in franchise history when they visit the Washington Capitals on Thursday. Florida, which hasn’t made the playoffs since 1999-2000, needs one point over its final two games to secure the Southeast. However, the Panthers have lost four straight overall and three in a row on the road. The Capitals, who are seeking their fifth consecutive division crown, are four points behind Florida. They also are tied for eighth in the Eastern Conference with Buffalo.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN (Florida), CSN Maryland (Washington), NHL Network

Florida Panthers (37-25-18): Florida has lost four straight visits to Washington and 12 of 17 overall against the Capitals. The Panthers get a break Thursday as they will not be facing Tomas Vokoun, who allowed a total of one goal in going 3-0-0 against his former team this season. Vokoun is out with a groin injury. “Maybe that’ll give us some positive thoughts going in,” Stephen Weiss said. Florida has lost seven of its last eight games but earned a point in five of the losses (1-2-5).

Washington Capitals (40-32-8): Thursday is Washington’s regular-season home finale. It has posted a 25-11-4 record in its own building, including a 4-1-2 run over its last seven home contests. The club has earned at least one point in six of its last eight overall (4-2-2). The Capitals control their own fate as victories in their final two games clinch at least eighth place in the East. “Even with the ups and downs and all that, and the inconsistency we’ve had here, with two games to go we’re still in control,” Mike Knuble said. “All we’ve got to do is win.” A victory Thursday and a regulation loss in Philadelphia by Buffalo sends Washington to the postseason.

OVERTIME:

1. Neither club has done well against divisional opponents as Washington has lost six of seven and Florida has dropped six of eight.

2. The Panthers were shut out in each of their first two games at the Verizon Center this campaign.

3. The home team has won eight of the last 10 meetings.

PREDICTION: Panthers 3, Capitals 2. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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NHL Betting Lines: New York Rangers visit Pittsburgh Penguins

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NY Rangers at Pittsburgh Betting

When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 5, 2012
Where: Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Opening Line is : Pittsburgh Penguins -170 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Pittsburgh Penguins have guaranteed themselves a spot in the postseason. One more win and they’ll be assured of home ice for at least the first round of the playoffs. The Penguins will eye that win and a fourth consecutive triumph over the New York Rangers when the Atlantic Division rivals meet Thursday night. The Rangers, owners of the East’s top seed, can also claim the Presidents’ Trophy by winning their final two games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG, FOX Pittsburgh, NBCSN

New York Rangers (51-22-7): New York clinched the conference crown with a 5-3 win over Philadelphia on Tuesday. It is the first time the Rangers own the No. 1 seed at season’s end since winning the Stanley Cup in 1993-94. “To win the division and the conference is definitely good, and it shows that all year long we have been consistent,” winger Marian Gaborik said. “We don’t want to let up. We want to tune up for the playoffs.”


Pittsburgh Penguins (49-25-6): The Flyers’ loss, combined with Pittsburgh’s 5-3 win over Boston, has the Penguins three points clear of Philadelphia in the race for home ice with two games to play. Sidney Crosby continued his recent tear since returning from lingering concussion symptoms, finishing with two goals and an assist against the Bruins on Tuesday. The former Hart Trophy winner, limited to just 20 games to date, has three goals and six assists in his past three outings.

OVERTIME:

1. Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin has a league-best 105 points and is all but assured the NHL scoring title. He has four goals and an assist in his last three games against the Rangers.

2. Gaborik is working on a six-game point streak (six goals, four assists).

3. New York is 21-3-2 when leading after the first period.

PREDICTION: Rangers 4, Penguins 3 (SO). CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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NHL Online Betting: Montreal Canadiens @ Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday

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Montreal vs Carolina Betting

When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 5, 2012
Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina

The Opening Line is : Carolina Hurricanes -170 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Montreal Canadiens look to win back-to-back games for the first time in almost four weeks when they travel to Carolina on Thursday. The Canadiens snapped a four-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over Tampa on Wednesday and have taken two of the previous three meetings with the Hurricanes this campaign. Montreal is dead last in the East with 75 points and Carolina sits 12th in the conference with 80 points.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, RDS, TSN (Montreal), FSN (Carolina)

Montreal Canadiens (30-35-15): Former Montreal team captain Vincent Damphousse withdrew his name from consideration for the team’s vacant general manager’s job Wednesday. “The job of general manager of the Canadiens would be an extremely stimulating challenge,” Damphousse said. “But right now my priority is my family.” In two local newspaper polls this week, Damphousse came second to Quebec Remparts coach and general manager Patrick Roy as the readers’ choice to replace Pierre Gauthier, who was fired last week.


Carolina Hurricanes (32-32-16): The Hurricanes reassigned forward Drayson Bowman to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL on Wednesday. The 23-year-old has six goals and seven assists in 37 games for Carolina this season and figures to be a big part of the team’s offense in the future. Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller spent five seasons in Montreal as an assistant coach that specialized in special teams. The Canadiens’ power play ranked first in the league twice and never finished lower than 13th during Muller’s tenure with the club. This season Montreal’s power play ranks a dismal 28th.

OVERTIME:

1. Canadiens forward Erik Cole celebrated his 700th NHL game by netting two goals against the Lightning on Wednesday. He has seven goals in his last six contests.

2. The Hurricanes are 8-0-2 in their last 10 games against Northeast Division foes.

3. Montreal finishes its season at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and Carolina plays its season finale in Florida against the Panthers later the same evening.

PREDICTION: Hurricanes 4, Canadiens 2. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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