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.

Boston Bruins visit Ottawa Senators on Thursday: NHL Betting

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Boston at Ottawa Betting

When: 7:30 PM ET, Thursday, April 5, 2012
Where: Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Ontario

The Opening Line is : —- Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Boston Bruins visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday in what likely is a preview of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. Boston, which will be the second seed, has won four straight away from home and 13 of its last 16 trips to Ottawa. The Senators need one point to clinch seventh in the East. Ottawa has won four of five overall but has lost three of four at home.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), Rogers Sportsnet East (Ottawa)

Boston Bruins (47-29-4): The Northeast Division champions are 5-1-1 in their last seven games overall and have won 22 of the last 28 meetings with the Senators. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk left Tuesday’s loss to Pittsburgh with a leg injury and is questionable. “He got hit on the side of the leg,” coach Claude Julien said. “We are still confident that it will hopefully not be as bad as it looked.” Tim Thomas will get another night off as he did not travel with the team to Ottawa. Anton Khudobin could make his Bruins debut in net. The 25-year old has made four starts in the NHL, all with Minnesota.


Ottawa Senators (41-29-10): Ottawa will be playing its regular-season home finale. It is 20-16-4 at Scotiabank Place. The Senators won their last meeting with the Bruins on Feb. 28, ending an eight-game losing streak in the all-time series. Jason Spezza needs one goal over his final two games to match his career high. Spezza scored 34 goals in back-to-back seasons from 2006-08. Coach Paul MacLean was blunt when explaining Tuesday’s loss to Carolina that ended Ottawa’s four-game winning streak. “They obviously were more competitive than we were,” he said. “I think we got what we deserved.”

OVERTIME:

1. The Bruins have won 21 of their last 27 divisional games while the Senators have lost four of five.

2. The road team has captured 11 of the last 15 matches in the all-time series.

PREDICTION: Senators 4, Bruins 2. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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Wednesday NHL Betting: Tampa Bay Lightning vs

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Tampa Bay vs Montreal Betting

When: 7:30 PM ET, Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec

The Opening Line is : Montreal Canadiens -110 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: Steven Stamkos and 42-year old goalie Dwayne Roloson are making the Tampa Bay Lightning’s final stretch of the season interesting. Stamkos is two goals away from becoming only the second player in 16 years to reach 60 in a season as the Lightning visit the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. Roloson has won four of six, including triumphs against the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals. Montreal has dropped four straight and seven of eight.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS,Sun Sports.

Tampa Bay Lightning (37-35-7): Stamkos scored twice in the final 1:03 to beat the Capitals 4-2 on Monday for his 13th multi-goal game. The 22-year old center has 95 points, tying a career high, and 177 career goals with three games left in his fourth NHL season. Roloson is averaging 32.5 saves in starting six of the last seven games, sporting a .907 save percentage. Defenseman Victor Hedman has recorded a goal and four assists in a career-high four-game point streak. Speedy forward J.T. Brown had five shots against Washington in his second game since being signed out of Minnesota-Duluth.

Montreal Canadiens (29-35-15): Goalie Carey Price, who has a .916 save percentage, is reportedly suffering from headaches and is likely to miss the final three games. Robert Mayer was recalled from Hamilton of the American Hockey League to back up Peter Budaj, who played at Washington on Saturday. Montreal continues to struggle on offense with just six goals in its last four games. Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole have been bright spots in the offensive end. Pacioretty leads the team with 60 points – 11 more than he had combined in his first three seasons. Cole has a career-high 32 goals.

OVERTIME

1. Montreal has won the least home games (14) in the league and only one team has fewer road wins than Tampa Bay (12).

2. Stamkos has a franchise-record 12 game-winning goals.

3. The Canadiens are just 3 for 34 on the power play the last 10 games.

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

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NHL Betting Predictions: Detroit Red Wings at St. Louis Blues on Wednesday

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Detroit at St. Louis Betting

When: 7:30 PM ET, Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri

The Opening Line is : St. Louis Blues -155 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Detroit Red Wings continue their quest for home advantage throughout the playoffs when they visit the Central-leading St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. The home team has won all five of the previous matchups and Detroit can take the season series from St. Louis for the third time in four years with a victory. The Blues clinched the Central Division title on Saturday, despite a 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN2

Detroit Red Wings (47-27-5): The Red Wings can’t finish higher than fourth in the Western Conference Standings, but can fall to sixth depending on the outcome of their final three games. Detroit, which closes out the season at home against New Jersey and Chicago, has dropped seven in a row on the road – its longest skid since an 11-game slide Jan. 7-Feb. 25, 1986. The Red Wings are an impressive 31-6-2 at Joe Louis Arena, but a dismal 16-21-3 on the road.

St. Louis Blues (48-21-10): The Blues have already claimed their first division title since 2000 and are guaranteed one of the top two seeds in the West. St. Louis trails Vancouver in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy after dropping consecutive contests. “We don’t really care right now how many points we’ve got,” captain David Backes said recently about the team’s prospect of having the best record in the league. “The slate’s wiped clean for playoffs, which is really the big picture.” The Blues have been nearly unbeatable at home, posting a league-best 30-5-4 record at Scottrade Center.

OVERTIME:

1. Red Wings forward Jiri Hudler has four goals and two assists in his last five games.

2. Blues forward David Perron has goals in three straight games.

3. Detroit defenseman Kyle Quincey will serve his one-game suspension Wednesday for a high elbow he delivered Sunday on Florida’s Tomas Kopecky.

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

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NHL Betting Predictions: Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings

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Edmonton vs Los Angeles Betting

When: 10:30 PM ET, Monday, April 2, 2012
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

The Opening Line is : Los Angeles Kings -1.5 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: After finishing a four-game road trip, the Los Angeles Kings can control their own destiny. By winning its final three games, Los Angeles will win the Pacific Division and earn the third seed in the Western Conference. The Kings will look to set the plan in motion on Monday when they host the Edmonton Oilers.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, RS West (Oilers), FS Prime Ticket (Kings)

Edmonton Oilers (32-38-9): Edmonton continues to collect points away from home. Teemu Hartikainen scored his first two goals of the season as the Oilers improved to 5-0-2 in their last seven road matches with a 2-1 victory over Anaheim on Sunday. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins notched an assist for his 51st point, tying him with Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog for the rookie scoring lead. The top overall pick of the 2011 draft, Nugent-Hopkins also had an assist in Friday’s 4-1 loss to Los Angeles. Devan Dubnyk, who has won four of his last five starts, turned aside 20 shots in a 2-1 win over the Kings on Jan. 15.

Los Angeles Kings (39-27-13): Brad Richardson is filling in admirably for Jeff Carter, who is nursing an ankle injury. Richardson tallied twice and captain Dustin Brown also scored in Los Angeles’ 4-3 shootout loss to Minnesota on Saturday. Anze Kopitar, who has collected 21 points in his last 17 games, recorded a goal and an assist on Friday. All-Star Jonathan Quick sat out versus Minnesota, but turned aside 13 of 14 shots Friday to improve to 6-1-3 in his career versus Edmonton.

OVERTIME:

1. Although its record leaves a bit to be desired, Edmonton has given Los Angeles a tough go of it this season. The Oilers have won two of the three meetings.

2. The Kings won’t have to leave the Golden State in their final three games. After hosting Edmonton, Los Angeles will tangle with San Jose in a home-and-home series.

PREDICTION: Kings 2, Oilers 1 (OT). CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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NHL Online Betting: Washington Capitals against Tampa Bay Lightning

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Washington at Tampa Bay Betting

When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, April 2, 2012
Where: Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, Florida

The Opening Line is : Washington Capitals -1.5 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Washington Capitals will be in the playoffs if they can win their last three games, but it won’t be easy with two on the road starting with Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. The Capitals have lost only once in regulation in their last seven games and stand two points ahead of the ninth-place Buffalo Sabres. The Lightning are eliminated from playoff contention, but have won four of six.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, TSN2, RDSI, CS Maryland (Capitals)

Washington Capitals (40-31-8): Standout center Nicklas Backstrom returned Saturday after missing almost three months with a concussion and played 19:40. That news can only help an offense that has scored only 12 goals in its last six games. Shootout victories in their last two games have given the Capitals a boost. Alex Ovechkin has no goals in his last three games, but nine in his last 10. Michal Neuvirth made 39 saves in the 3-2 victory over Montreal on Saturday and is likely to get another start with Tomas Vokoun out with a groin injury. Alexander Semin has 41 points in 38 games against Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay Lightning (36-35-7): Stamkos needs four goals in four games to become only the second player in 16 years to reach 60 goals in a season, joining Ovechkin (65 in 2007-08). His 56 goals tie him with Ovechkin and Jonathan Cheechoo for the second most in a single season since the lockout. Ryan Malone reached the 20-goal plateau for the sixth time in his eight NHL seasons by scoring five in the last two games. Defenseman Victor Hedman has five assists in his last five games. The Lightning’s 39 shots on goal in the 3-2 overtime victory over Winnipeg on Saturday matched a season high.

OVERTIME:

1. The Lightning has beaten the Capitals four straight at home, including the playoffs last season.

2. Washington’s Matt Hendricks has four goals, but is 8 for 12 in the shootout this season.

3. Stamkos scored his fifth overtime goal Saturday – passing nine players at four – to set the NHL’s single-season record.

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

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Sunday NHL Betting: Minnesota Wild visit Chicago Blackhawks

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Minnesota at Chicago Betting

When: 7:00 PM ET, Sunday, April 1, 2012
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

The Opening Line is : Chicago -1.5 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Chicago Blackhawks are building momentum after clinching a playoff slot Saturday and the Minnesota Wild could be heading toward a top-five pick in the NHL draft as they meet for first of two games in five days on Sunday. The Hawks have won the first two in the season series and six of seven overall against the Wild. Chicago is 11-2-2 in its last 15 games. Minnesota has won two straight in extra time.

TV: 7 p.m. ET; FS-North, FS-WIS, WGN.

Minnesota Wild (33-35-10): Forward Jason Zucker became the eighth player to make his NHL debut and the 45th to dress for the Wild on Thursday against Florida. The University of Denver product contributed two assists in his second game on Saturday against Los Angeles. The Wild beat Florida in overtime and topped the Kings in a shootout. Goalie Niklas Backstrom started the last two games after missing almost a month with a groin injury. Kyle Brodziak has a career-high 21 goals and 43 points. He had 12 points in March. Erik Christensen has six of his seven goals in the last 10 games.

Chicago Blackhawks (44-26-9): Chicago’s hot streak, extended by a 5-4 victory at the Nashville Predators on Saturday, has made the race for the fourth through sixth spots in the Western Conference tight. The Predators have 98 points while the Blackhawks are tied with the Detroit Red Wings at 97. Marian Hossa leads the team with 76 points, his best total since 2006-07. Defenseman Duncan Keith will be serving the last of a five-game suspension for his elbow to the head of Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin. Captain Jonathan Toews is skating and close to return from a concussion as well.

OVERTIME:

1. Minnesota defenseman Tom Gilbert had a goal and four assists in three games against Chicago while he was with Edmonton earlier this season.

2. Chicago was 0 for 15 in the previous four games on the power play before converting two of six tries on Saturday.

3. Dany Heatley tops the Wild with 48 points, the least amount for any team’s leading scorer.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 5, Wild 2. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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NHL Picks and Predictions: Florida Panthers vs Detroit Red Wings

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Florida @ Detroit Betting

When: 4:00 PM ET, Sunday, April 1, 2012
Where: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

The Opening Line is : Detroit -1.5 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Detroit Red Wings are hoping that All-Star Jimmy Howard can help them put an end to their struggles. Howard labored in his return on Friday after being sidelined for four games with a groin injury, but is expected to draw the start in Sunday’s home tilt against the Florida Panthers. Coach Kevin Dineen’s club could also use a boost after winning just one of its last six games (1-2-3).

TV: 4 p.m., NHLN, FSFL

Florida Panthers (37-25-16): Things were going so well for Florida, which had flustered Philadelphia to post its fifth straight win on March 20. Then, the bottom fell out against the bottom feeders of the NHL. The Panthers’ offense dried up as they mustered 10 goals in their last six games – with just one tally coming in a 4-1 loss to NHL-worst Columbus on Friday. Tomas Kopecky scored the goal and has three points in his last four games for Florida, which leads Washington by just two points in the Southeast Division.

Detroit Red Wings (46-27-5): Although it has secured its 21st consecutive postseason appearance, Detroit certainly isn’t heading into the second season on a high note. The Red Wings fell to 3-8-2 in their last 13 games after dropping a 4-1 decision to Central Division rival Nashville on Friday. Despite their struggles, the Red Wings trail the fourth-place Predators by just one point. Jiri Hudler netted his third goal in four games, but has failed to score in four career matches versus the Panthers.

OVERTIME:

1. Florida’s Jose Theodore is mired a season-high five-game losing skid. Ending the slump looks to be an uphill climb against Detroit, against which he has won just four of 11 career meetings.

2. Detroit’s Johan Franzen needs one more game-winning goal to tie Sergei Fedorov (11) for the franchise record.

PREDICTION: Red Wings 3, Panthers 2 (OT). CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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NHL Betting Picks: Ottawa Senators vs New York Islanders on Sunday

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Ottawa vs NY Islanders Betting

When: 3:00 PM ET, Sunday, April 1, 2012
Where: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York

The Opening Line is : Ottawa -1.5 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Ottawa Senators can clinch a playoff berth when they visit the New York Islanders on Sunday. The Senators hold a 2-0-1 series edge and have outscored the Islanders 11-2 over the previous two meetings, including a 6-0 rout in the only other meeting in Long Island. Ottawa has won three straight overall while New York has won five of its last seven. Both clubs are playing the second game of a back-to-back.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, SNET (Ottawa), MSG+ (New York)

Ottawa Senators (40-28-10): The Senators sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with 90 points and can clinch a playoff berth with a win Sunday. Ottawa holds a two-point lead over the Washington Capitals and a four-point advantage over the Buffalo Sabres, who fell 4-3 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. The Senators hold a game in hand on both clubs. Ottawa closes out the season with games at home against Carolina and Boston before finishing in New Jersey on April 7. Forward Jason Spezza had a goal in Saturday’s 4-3 win over Philadelphia and now has three markers and four assists in his last four games.

New York Islanders (33-34-11): New York’s three-game win streak came to an end with a 6-3 loss to Boston on Saturday, mathematically eliminating them from playoff contention. “It’s not fun losing,” center John Tavares said after the game. “We want to finish the season strong.” Forward Kyle Okposo netted his career-best 21st goal and his sixth during a five-game goal-scoring streak in the loss. Left wing Matt Martin dished out six hits and established an NHL record. Martin has 360 hits this season, breaking the previous record of 356 (hits have only been recorded by the league since 2005-06) set by Minnesota forward Cal Clutterbuck in 2008-09.

OVERTIME:

1. Senators goalie Craig Anderson is 1-0-1 with a 0.98 GAA and .967 save percentage in two starts against the Islanders this season.

2. The Islanders have been shorthanded only 18 times in the last nine games and are 17 of 18 on the penalty kill in that stretch.

3. Norris Trophy candidate Erik Karlsson has two goals and four assists in three contests against New York this campaign.

PREDICTION: Senators 3, Islanders 2. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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NHL Online Betting: Philadelphia Flyers visit Pittsburgh Penguins

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Philadelphia at Pittsburgh Betting

When: 12:30 PM ET, Sunday, April 1, 2012
Where: Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Opening Line is : Pittsburgh -1.5 Click here to Bet at Bovada

THE STORY: The Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins could be seeing an awful lot of each other over the new few weeks. The Keystone State rivals will meet in the Steel City on Sunday as a potential prelude to an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. The Flyers, who have won three of the four meetings this season, trail the Penguins by three points in the race for home-ice advantage.

TV: 12:30 p.m., NBC

Philadelphia Flyers (45-24-9): Philadelphia rallied from a three-goal deficit to secure a point in a 4-3 shootout loss to Ottawa on Saturday afternoon. Sergei Bobrovsky yielded three goals in the first period, but settled down while making his second straight start. With fellow Russian Ilya Bryzgalov nursing a chip fracture in his foot and being ruled “doubtful” by general manager Paul Holmgren, Bobrovsky will likely receive the call from coach Peter Laviolette – and with good reason. He has guided Philadelphia to four straight wins in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Penguins (48-24-6): Sidney Crosby snapped his modest two-game streak without a point by collecting four of them in a 5-3 win over Buffalo on Friday. All-Star Evgeni Malkin, who netted his career-high 48th goal, has collected two goals and three assists versus the Flyers this season. The NHL’s leading scorer admitted that he considers it a “dream” to net 50 goals in a campaign. With his scoring ability, Malkin could give the Flyers a nightmare on Sunday afternoon.

OVERTIME:

1. All-Star Claude Giroux, who is mired in a three-game streak without a point, collected two assists in the Flyers’ 3-2 overtime victory over the Penguins on March 18. He has five assists in the season series.

2. Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang could return to the ice on Sunday after being sidelined with a lower body injury. The team sent fellow blue-liner Simon Despres to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Saturday.

3. The teams will conclude the season series in Pittsburgh next Saturday.

PREDICTION: Penguins 5, Flyers 1. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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NHL Betting Lines: Edmonton Oilers vs Anaheim Ducks

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Edmonton vs Anaheim Betting

When: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, April 1, 2012
Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California

The Opening Line is : Anaheim -1.5 Click here to Bet at Bovada

PREVIEW: The Anaheim Ducks say farewell to their fans as they take on the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday in their home finale. Anaheim has lost three of five at the Honda Center, where it is 21-17-2. The game could be the last at home for Teemu Selanne, who has yet to decide whether he will retire at season’s end. Edmonton has lost two straight following a 5-0-2 run but has earned at least one point in six straight on the road (4-0-2).

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Rogers Sportsnet West (Edmonton), Prime Ticket (Anaheim)

Edmonton Oilers (31-38-9): Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is locked in a tight battle for the rookie scoring title. Despite having played in only 58 games, Nugent-Hopkins is tied for second at 50 points with New Jersey’s Adam Henrique, one point behind Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog. Nikolai Khabibulin has posted just one win since Dec. 22, going 1-12-4 over his last 18 starts. “For a guy who’s had that great of a career, for his year to end like this, nobody wants to see that,” defenseman Ryan Whitney said. “It’s really unfortunate that that’s how we play in front of him. I feel bad for him.”

Anaheim Duck (33-34-11): Selanne, who has registered 1,404 career points, is five away from tying Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk for 18th place on the all-time list. The “Finnish Flash” also has 662 goals, two fewer than Philadelphia’s Jaromir Jagr, who is 11th all time. Bobby Ryan needs two goals to reach 30 for the fourth consecutive season. Anaheim concludes the campaign with road games against Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.

OVERTIME:

1. The Oilers have lost four of their last five visits to Anaheim.

2. Anaheim has won five straight and 10 of 11 in the all-time series.

PREDICTION: Ducks 4, Oilers 2. CLICK HERE for 500 Handicappers Package FOR 5$.

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