Cnotes 2018 NHL Picks/News/Trends/Best Bets - Thru The Stanley Cup !

[Cnotes53]

1Carolina -2 Boston
CAROLINA is 31-13 ATS (15.3 Units) against poor power play killing teams - opp score on >17.5% of chances in the 2nd half of the year in the current season.




NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 9

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CAROLINA (54-31-0-8, 116 pts.) at BOSTON (57-29-0-9, 123 pts.) - 5/9/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 67-102 ATS (-44.9 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
CAROLINA is 27-55 ATS (+88.7 Units) in road games after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.
CAROLINA is 19-47 ATS (+80.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 24-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 38-17 ATS (+16.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
CAROLINA is 27-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) after a division game this season.
BOSTON is 294-247 ATS (-106.3 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 6-3 (+2.9 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 6-3-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.0 Units)

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NHL

Thursday, May 9

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina's last 7 games
Carolina is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Carolina is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina's last 7 games on the road
Carolina is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Carolina's last 7 games when playing Boston
Carolina is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston Bruins
Boston is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games
Boston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Boston is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games at home
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games when playing Carolina
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Carolina


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, May 9


Carolina @ Boston

Game 1-2
May 9, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Carolina
12.068
Boston
13.619
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 1 1/2
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-155
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-155); Under

 

[Cnotes53]

NHL Eastern Conference Finals: Hurricanes vs Bruins series preview, odds and best bets
Rohit Ponnaiya

Torrey Krug and the Boston Bruins are favorites to win their NHL Eastern Conference Finals series against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Boston Bruins eliminated the Columbus Blue Jackets in six games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and play the Carolina Hurricanes in a best-of-seven series. We break down the NHL series odds and give you in-depth trends and notes so you can make the best bets on the road to the Stanley Cup.

BOSTON BRUINS VS CAROLINA HURRICANES

Series Winner Odds: Boston -208/Carolina +145 @ Sports Interaction
Stanley Cup Winner Odds: Boston +180/Carolina +375 @ Sports Interaction
Regular Season Head to Head: Boston 2-1

SCHEDULE

Game 1: TD Garden, Boston, MA. Thursday, May 9, 8:00 p.m ET

The rest of the schedule will be confirmed later this week.

BACKGROUND

Both Boston and Carolina had brutal seven-game tests in the opening round but Carolina swept the Islanders in the second round and Boston came back from down 0-1 to win four of the next five games in its series with the Blue Jackets. The Bruins have home-ice advantage for the conference finals.

Boston won two of three games against Carolina during the regular season with each team scoring a total of 10 goals. But backup Jaroslav Halak played in both of those Bruins wins, while Tuukka Rask has been in nets for Boston in every minute of the playoffs.

Carolina could have goalie Petr Mrazek back for Game 1 after he returned to practice with no restrictions Monday. But if backup Curtis McElhinney has to start, he's proven to be more than capable after closing out the series against the Islanders with three straight wins, a GAA of 1.56 and a .947 save percentage.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Boston and Carolina have allowed the fewest goals per game in the playoffs, with the Bruins allowing just 2.15 goals per contest and the Canes giving up just 2.27. Rask has been terrific in between the pipes for Boston with a GAA of 2.02 and save percentage of .938.

Carolina, on the other hand, has made things as easy as possible for its goaltenders, holding opponents to just 27.8 shots per game and 22.8 scoring chances per 60 minutes (both the second-best marks in the playoffs).

These teams have also been two of the highest-scoring squads during the playoffs, with Carolina averaging 3.09 goals and the Bruins right behind them with 3.08 per outing.

YOU MISS 100% OF THE SHOTS YOU DON'T TAKE

The Hurricanes easily had the best shot differential in the league during the regular season at plus-479 but their goal differential of plus-22 ranked just 13th. They'll need to capitalize on their scoring chances against a Bruins squad that had the third-best goal differential at plus-44.

FAST STARTS/SLOW STARTS

Boston has scored 13 first-period goals this postseason while allowing just five in the opening frame. Carolina has managed just six goals in the opening period while allowing 13. Taking the Bruins to score first could be a smart bet. Falling behind against Boston early would be terrible news for Carolina, with the Bruins going 41-9-5 when drawing first blood during the regular season and playoffs.

SPECIAL TEAMS ADVANTAGE

Boston has the clear edge on special teams. During the playoffs it has converted on 28.6 percent of its power plays (best in the NHL) while killing penalties at a rate of 83.8 percent. The Hurricanes have scored on just 10.5 percent of their power plays and kill just 75 percent of their penalties, with both marks being the worst in the league among teams that made it past the first round of the playoffs.

PLAYER TO WATCH: SEBASTIAN AHO, CAROLINA HURRICANES

Aho absolutely wrecked the Bruins during the regular season, scoring four goals and adding three assists in three games. He has four goals and five helpers through 11 games so far in the postseason. Taking Aho to score the most goals in this series pays out at +750.

 

[Cnotes53]

THURSDAY, MAY 9
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CAR at BOS 08:00 PM
CAR +127
U 5.5

 

[Cnotes53]

Bruins' score 4 goals in 3rd, beat Hurricanes 5-2 in Game 1
May 9, 2019
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BOSTON (AP) Marcus Johansson and Patrice Bergeron scored power-play goals 28 seconds apart, and Boston scored four times in the third period to rally from a one-goal deficit and beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Thursday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Tuukka Rask stopped 29 shots for Boston, which trailed 2-1 before capitalizing on back-to-back power plays. With about three minutes left, Brandon Carlo deflected a slow-rolling puck into the empty net to make it 4-2, and then 11 seconds later Chris Wagner skated in on Petr Mrazek to clinch it.

Steven Kampfer, starting for suspended defenseman Charlie McAvoy, also scored for Boston - his first career postseason goal - with about three minutes gone in the game.

Back in the net for the first time since Game 2 of the second-round series against the Islanders, Mrazek made 23 saves for the Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney finished off New York, but coach Rod Brind'Amour went back to Mrazek when he was clear by doctors after the five-day break between series.

Sebastian Aho and Greg McKegg scored for Carolina.

It was still 2-1 when Jordan Staal was sent off for roughing in the opening minute of the third period. Johansson slammed home a rebound of Brad Marchand's shot to tie it, and just 15 seconds later the Bruins were back on the power play when Dougie Hamilton was given 2 minutes for roughing.

Boston set up in the Hurricane's zone, Jake DeBrusk sent the puck across the ice to Marchand, who tipped it back into the slot for Bergeron, and he slid it through Mrazek's pads to make it 3-1.

Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour called his timeout to settle things down, but Hamilton picked up another penalty less than three minutes later.

The Bruins failed to score.

THE BIGGER THEY ARE

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara took a wrist shot from Aho off the right foot late in the first period and left for the locker room, but he was back in the second.

The shot hit Chara on the outside of his right foot and the 6-foot-9 defenseman buckled over and went to the ice. He struggled to make it to the bench, and once he got there he was in obvious pain. He missed the rest of the first period but returned for the start of the second.

Boston was already without Chara's defense partner, Charlie McAvoy, who was suspended one game for a shoulder to the head of Columbus forward Josh Anderson. McAvoy was averaging a team-high 24:26 ice time, and Chara was third.

AHO THERE

Aho led the Hurricanes with 38 goals and 83 assists in the regular season, but he was even better against Boston. In three games, he had four goals and three assists.

In his first career playoffs, Aho now has five goals and 10 points in 12 games.

McKegg scored when he shot the puck off Rask's shoulder and then barreled into the goalie as the puck bounced behind him and into the net. A review confirmed that the puck crossed the line before McKegg ran into Rask.

NOTES: The franchises met in the playoffs for the fifth time, with two of those coming before the Hartford Whalers moved to Raleigh in 1997. Boston is 3-1. ... The Hurricanes reassigned forward Patrick Brown and defenseman Jake Bean to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL.

UP NEXT

Game 2 is Sunday at 3 p.m.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY MAY 11, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM St. Louis Blues San Jose Sharks SAP Center at San Jose

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 12, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:08 PM Carolina Hurricanes Boston Bruins TD Garden

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY MAY 13, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:08 PM St. Louis Blues San Jose Sharks SAP Center at San Jose

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY MAY 14, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM Boston Bruins Carolina Hurricanes PNC Arena

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 15, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM San Jose Sharks St. Louis Blues Enterprise Center

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MAY 16, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM Boston Bruins Carolina Hurricanes PNC Arena


******************************


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

05/09/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/08/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/07/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/06/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.55
05/05/2019 1-0-1 100.00% +5.45
05/04/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/03/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -13.00
05/02/2019 2-2-0 50.00% +0.35
05/01/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00

Totals..............12-15-1 ......44.44% -21.75


******************************


BEST BETS:


DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

05/09/2019..............0 - 1.....................-5.00.................. 0 - 1.................-5.50..............-10.50
05/08/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.00..................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/07/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.00..................0 - 1..................-5.50..............-0.50
05/06/2019..............0 - 1......................-5.00..................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-5.50
05/05/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.45..................0 - 0................. -0.00.............+5.45
05/04/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.00
05/03/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................1 - 1..................-0.50...............-0.50
05/02/2019..............1 - 1.....................+0.85..................1 - 1..................-0.50 ..............+0.35
05/01/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.00


Totals..................... 4 - 3.....................+6.30..................4 - 9..................-29.50.............-23.20


*************************************


APRIL'S NHL BEST BETS


Totals....................10 - 12.................+3.00..................30 - 19.............+45.50...............+48.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

? Iona College is getting $6M in renovations to its basketball arena.

? Hard to believe, but Washington is 1-7 this season when Max Scherzer starts.

? Mariners started the season 13-2, are now 20-20.

? Arizona Cardinals signed QB Kyler Murray to a 4-year, $35M deal.

? Have they announced which NFL team is going to be on Hard Knocks this summer?

? RIP Jim Fowler, 89, Marlon Perkins? sidekick on Wild Kingdom, the old TV show about animals all over the world.


**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here??.

13) Albert Pujols got his 2,000th career RBI when he homered Thursday in Detroit. 1,029 of his 2,000 RBI have come via home runs.

A 33-year old law student caught Pujols? historic home run, but refused four offers to sell the keepsake baseball back to Pujols? both the Tigers/Angels made multiple offers to the guy.

?I don?t want money. I don?t care.? Alrighty then.

12) Pretty fitting that Billy Joel spent his 70th birthday doing a concert in Madison Square Garden; that must?ve been a great night.

Long time ago, back in the 90?s sometime, Billy Joel booked a couple of concerts here in Albany- they sold out in about a half hour. They added a couple more dates- they sold out, too. Don?t remember the exact number, but pretty sure he wound up with 8-10 concerts here that month, all sellouts. I went to one of them, just a terrific show.

11) Every baseball telecast should announce which umpires are in the replay center in New York City. Gary Cohen does it sometimes on Met games; never heard anyone else do it.

10) South Carolina appears ready to offer $120M in tax breaks to the Carolina Panthers to move their practice fields and team headquarters out of North Carolina, and into the Palmetto State.

Rock Hill, SC is only 15 miles from Charlotte, which is what makes all this feasible.

Must be nice to be rich; people line up to give you even more money.

9) Westgate SuperBook took 46 bets on Tony Romo to win the Byron Nelson at 10,000/1; he shot a 5-over par 76 in the first round Thursday, even with an eagle on one hole.

8) 76ers 112, Raptors 101? Game 7 is in Toronto Sunday.

Trailblazers 119, Nuggets 108? Game 7 is in Denver Sunday.

7) Baseball injuries:
? Giants put C Buster Posey on 7-day concussion list.
? Mets put P Steven Matz on the IL.

6) Watching Rangers-Astros game, being played in a dome, but there are open spaces in the walls in left-center field and it was pouring rain in Houston, so when they showed pitches from the centerfield camera, you could see a steady downpour of rain that wasn?t coming down on the field, but some of the fans were getting drenched.

5) Wednesday night, Orioles lost a tough 2-1 game in 12 innings to Boston; saw something in the boxscore that I don?t think I?ve seen before.

Baltimore hitters struck out 22 times, with zero walks. Thats really terrible.

Jackie Bradley Jr made an amazing catch to rob Mancini of a homer that would?ve ended the game. Tremendous catch.

4) Doug Eddings has umpired home plate in seven games this season; the underdog won all seven games.

3) Minnesota Twins? new replay coordinator Nate Dammann spent the last 12 years as one of their bullpen catchers, an interesting change/upgrade in career.

2) Astros 4, Rangers 2? Hunter Pence has 17 RBI in his last nine games for Texas.

1) NFL recently cut $20M from the NFL Network budget less than two years from a potential work stoppage, which may be a bad omen for the 2021 season taking place.

 

[Cnotes53]

Saturday?s 6-pack

? Warriors 118, Rockets 113? Curry had 0 points in first half, 33 in the second.

? Since 1999-00, James Harden has been fouled shooting a 3-pointer 429 times; next highest during that time is Jamal Crawford, with 249.

? Jose Altuve (hamstring) left the Astros? game in first inning Friday.

? Tampa Bay P Tyler Glasnow (forearm) left Friday?s game in 6th inning.

? Mets 11, Marlins 2? Mets scored eight runs in 1st inning, their most runs in any first inning since June 16, 1989 at Philadelphia.

? Travis d?Arnaud batted once for the Dodgers after they acquired him from the Mets Sunday; now d?Arnaud has been traded to Tampa Bay for cash, probably not a lot of cash.

Quote of the Day
?Whatever you are, be a good one.?
Abraham Lincoln

Saturday?s quiz
Who was Golden State?s coach the last time they didn?t make the playoffs?

Friday?s quiz
Kawhi Leonard played his college basketball at San Diego State.

Thursday?s quiz
George Karl was the Milwaukee Bucks? coach the last time they played in Eastern Conference finals, in 2001.

**************************

Saturday?s List of 13: Random Lists of 3??

13) Three favorite dinners:
? Pizza, just a plain cheese thin pizza. Excellent.
? Spaghetti and meatballs
? Scrambled eggs with sausage

12) Three underrated things:
? NHL playoffs
? Taking the train from Albany to NYC (as opposed to driving)
? Pinball Museum in Las Vegas; 250 vintage pinball machines under one roof

11) Favorite TV shows:
? CSI
? Law and Order
? Odd Couple

10) Favorite Bob Seger songs:
? Turn the Page
? Travelin? Man
? Against the Wind

9) I watch a ton of baseball every day, thanks to the Extra Innings package on DirecTV. These are my favorite announce crews to listen to, if there are no games on that I have rooting interest in:

? Milwaukee Brewers: Brian Anderson/Matt Lepay with analyst Bill Schroeder
? Texas Rangers: Dave Raymond with CJ Nitkowski or Tom Grieve.
? Colorado Rockies: Drew Goodman, moreso when Jeff Huson is the analyst, but Ryan Spilborghs is getting better.

8) Three movies I?ve never seen:
? Star Wars
? Rocky V, or any of the Rocky movies after that
? Godfather II or Godfather III

7) Three favorite sporting events I?ve been to:
? 2000 NFC title game, Rams-Bucs in St Louis
? 2008 World Series game, Rays-Phillies
? AHL playoff game in Glens Falls that went triple OT, sometime in mid-80?s. Game ended around 12:50am; the concession stand ran out of food.

6) Favorite three non-sports movies:
? Rounders
? The Bodyguard
? Begin Again

5) Three favorite Billy Joel songs:
? Piano Man
? Vienna
? She?s Got a Way

4) Three favorite basketball movies:
? Blue Chips
? One on One
? Fast Break

3) Favorite Kevin Costner movies:
? For Love of the Game
? The Bodyguard
? Bull Durham

2) Three best Oakland A?s managers:
? Dick Williams
? Bob Melvin
? Tony LaRussa

1) Three best head coaches for the Rams:
? Dick Vermeil
? Sean McVay
? Chuck Knox

 

[Cnotes53]

Marchand staying out of trouble
May 10, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) There's a dust-up in the corner, the referee raises his arm to signal a penalty, and Brad Marchand is right in the middle of it.

Only this time, he's trying to keep the peace.

The face-licking, stick-stomping Bruins forward moved quickly to pull rookie Connor Clifton away before he could retaliate for an illegal hit by Carolina's Jordan Staal. Instead of matching minors, Boston wound up with a power play that led to the tying goal, and the Bruins went on to beat the Hurricanes 5-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

''He's turning over a new leaf, eh?'' Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said with a smile after the Bruins moved three wins from returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2013.

A 5-foot-9 gadfly nicknamed ''The Little Ball of Hate,'' Marchand is a two-time All-Star who helped Boston lift the Cup as a rookie in 2011 and scored 100 points this season for the first time. He leads all players with 15 points this postseason.

But his antics have angered other teams and sometimes overshadowed his skills.

During last year's postseason, he developed a tendency to lick opponents' faces; the NHL told him to knock it off. This year, even Cassidy has praised him for the maturity that has kept that behavior to a minimum; Marchand was caught stomping on Blue Jackets' forward Cam Atkinson's stick before a faceoff.

Later in the series, he sucker-punched Columbus' Scott Harrington from behind. More important for the Bruins, after going scoreless in the first three games of the East semifinals, Marchand had a goal and three assists over the next two to help them rally from a 2-1 deficit and win the series in six.

''Listen, he's been in these big games,'' Cassidy said. ''He's a Stanley Cup champion. So he understands maybe a little more than meets the eye sometimes.''

Perhaps nobody understands better than Marchand what was going through Clifton's mind when he saw Staal hit Wagner from behind in the conference finals opener on Thursday night. Clifton gave Staal a cross-check and grabbed him around the back of the head.

But, before things could go any further, Marchand was pulling him away.

''When someone gets hit like that, you stand up for him,'' Marchand told WEEI.com.

As for playing peacemaker, Marchand said: ''You know, it's not often I'm in that position. But, obviously, it was an important power play and we scored on it, so he did a great job of getting in there but staying disciplined.''

Marchand said he didn't know how far Clifton was going to take it; he just wanted to make sure that he stopped.

''I would expect that. He's a leader,'' Clifton said. ''We had a power play and it was a bad hit, but he stopped me pretty fast.''

After keeping Clifton out of trouble, Marchand assisted on Marcus Johansson's goal during the Staal penalty that tied the score 2-2. He also set up Patrice Bergeron's power-play goal 28 seconds later that gave Boston the lead for good.

''Good for Brad,'' Cassidy said. ''We've put an `A' on his shirt at times this year for a reason, and I'm glad to see that he made that decision tonight with a younger guy.''

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said Friday that his team is aware of Marchand's tendencies, but he didn't spend any time figuring out ways to goad the Bruins forward into a dumb penalty.

''We know all the players in this league,'' the coach said. ''Sometimes it's better just to go and play the game and not be worried about what someone may or may not do.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Goalies helped spark Blues, Sharks
May 10, 2019
By The Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) St. Louis' season started to turn around as soon as goalie Jordan Binnington came up from the minors to help lead the Blues from the bottom of the standings.

The key moment for their opponent in the Western Conference final came much later in the year when San Jose coach Peter DeBoer made the decision to stick with struggling Martin Jones in net midway through the first round. Jones found his game and has helped carry the Sharks into the final four.

The decision to change goalies in St. Louis and stick with one in San Jose now has these two star-crossed franchises eight wins away from a first Stanley Cup title.

''When we put him in Philly as the starter, we haven't looked back,'' Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said Friday on the eve of Game 1. ''It would be disingenuous to say that this was anywhere part of the plan. This is the Jordan Binnington story in the sense that he's made the best of the opportunity.''

Binnington was called up from the minors in December and then had a shutout in his first start against the Flyers on Jan. 7, becoming a big reason why the team in last place in the NHL on Jan. 2 is still alive.

He helped anchor an 11-game winning streak that got the Blues back into contention and became a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie at age 25. He's been steady in the playoffs with a .915 save percentage and 2.39 goals against average.

''There were some years there where I wasn't sure,'' Binnington said when asked if he ever doubted he'd become an NHL goalie. ''It took a lot of maturing and experience. I was in the right place.''

Jones came into the season with much pedigree, having led the Sharks to the Stanley Cup Final just three years ago. But he was one of the worst goalies in the league this season with an .896 save percentage and then was pulled twice in the first four games of the opening round against Vegas.

But he rebounded from there with a .928 save percentage in the last 10 games, including a franchise-record 58 in a double-overtime win at Vegas that helped spark a comeback from 3-1 down in the series.

''There was never a doubt in anybody's mind that he'd go out and play well,'' teammate Logan Couture said.

DeBoer said all Jones needed was a few small adjustments as he had overcompensated from being too passive late in the season to being overly aggressive in the first four games against the Golden Knights.

Having found the happy medium and getting better support from his teammates, who have limited odd-man rushes, Jones is playing at a high level once again.

''It's tough as a goalie, you want to go out and make a difference and make a big save,'' he said. ''You just have to be a little bit more patient and wait for the game a little bit more.''

Here are some things to watch in the series:

CHECKERED HISTORY: Both franchises have had their share of playoff disappointments. The Blues reached the Cup final their first three years as the top team in the all-expansion Western Conference but were swept all three times. They haven't been back to the Cup final despite making the postseason 39 times since.

They lost in the conference final in 1986 to Calgary, in 2001 to Colorado and three years ago to the Sharks as they've too often had quality teams that just weren't good enough.

''Over the last eight years we've averaged 99 points, we've been a solid team,'' Armstrong said. ''But we haven't gone to the promised land of winning a championship.''

The Sharks have also been one of the most consistent teams in the league without winning the ultimate prize. They lost in the conference finals in 2004, 2010 and 2011 before finally breaking through with the win against the Blues. But they fell to Pittsburgh in six games in the Cup final and are running out of time to deliver a title for 39-year-old star Joe Thornton.

''It's not just win one for Joe, it's win one for all of us. Win one for San Jose,'' captain Joe Pavelski said. ''It would be a cool story.''

CAPTAIN COMEBACK: Pavelski has also provided inspiration this postseason. He was knocked out with a bloody concussion in Game 7 against Vegas, leading to a major penalty and four power-play goals that erased a 3-0 deficit in the third period. Pavelski then made it back on the ice for Game 7 last round against Colorado where he had a goal and an assist in the first period to spark the win.

WHERE'S VLAD?: Vladimir Tarasenko led the Blues with 33 goals in the regular season but has struggled so far in the playoffs, especially at even strength. Tarasenko has four power-play goals but only one point at even strength through 13 games. Tarasenko was shut down by Marc-Edouard Vlasic when these teams met in the conference final three years ago. He had no points the first five games before scoring two late goals in San Jose's decisive Game 6 victory after the game had been decided.

STICKING AROUND: Coach Craig Berube still has the interim tag after taking over early in the season from the fired Mike Yeo. But after leading the Blues to the conference final, Armstrong said a long list of candidates for the full-time job has been whittled down.

''Now we're at a list of one,'' he said. ''When the season is over and the right time comes, we'll sit down and discuss it.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Preview: Blues (45-28) at Sharks (47-27)
Date: May 11, 2019 8:00 PM EDT

The road to winning the Stanley Cup is only halfway over, yet both combatants in the Western Conference final are truly battle tested.

When the San Jose Sharks play host to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night to kick off the third round of the NHL playoffs -- a rematch of the 2016 Western Conference final won by the Sharks -- both teams have already overcome so much.

The Sharks first beat the Vegas Golden Knights in the opening round -- their Game 7 comeback that featured four third-period power-play goals, a blown final-minute lead and then an overtime win will undoubtedly go down in hockey lore -- before surviving a gut-wrenching series with the Colorado Avalanche in the second round.

The Blues have impressively overcome their challenges, too. After upsetting the favored Winnipeg Jets in a six-game set to kick off the second season, in which they won all three road games, St. Louis knocked off the Dallas Stars in double-overtime in Game 7 of the second round. Throw in the oft-recorded tale of how the Blues were last in the league on Jan. 3, and there's no doubt adversity doesn't impact this club.

"I'm really proud of this group more and more every single day," Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo told NHL.com. "A lot of people say we have a close room, and we do because that's a resilient effort from where we were in December to get to where we are now. Sometimes you've just got to look back and be proud of the effort. It's been a long road, but we just keep on pushing. ... We're finding a way."

The Sharks can tell a similar tale.

"It's good to have some adversity, and I think that we definitely have had that," San Jose defenseman Erik Karlsson said. "In both Game 7s, I think we played with no fear. You know, we haven't thought about the end result. We've just stayed in the moment and tried to take care of each shift, and that's what it takes. If you do that, I think with the group that we have and the talent that we have in here, the end result is going to go our way."

For what it's worth, San Jose won two of three regular-season meetings, one of those in overtime. Considering the Sharks finished two points ahead of the Blues in the standings, it stands to reason fans should expect another long series featuring a pair of clubs with plenty of experience.

Both teams feature all kinds of key players who were involved in the last playoff meeting three years ago: Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic for the Sharks; Jaden Schwartz, Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Pietrangelo for the Blues.

That series has no bearing on today, but makes for an interesting sidebar. San Jose's only trip to the Stanley Cup Final was in 2016. The Blues last reached the final round in 1970 -- which is remembered for Bobby Orr's overtime winning goal.

"I've been lucky enough to play in a few Western Conference finals in my career and you realize you can't take them for granted because you never know when the next one is going to come," Couture said. "That's basically the message that's been passed on to me and we're trying to pass on to these other guys in this room. You have to really cherish these moments and take advantage of them, because they don't come around often."

Pavelski returned from an apparent head injury for Wednesday night's Game 7 against Colorado and he scored the game's first goal.

--Field Level Media


**********************************


NHL HEAD TO HEAD

Mar 9, 2019 Score ATS Results
STL 2 Under: 5
SAN ? 3 Cover: 226
Tools: Recaps

Nov 17, 2018 Score ATS Results
STL 0 Under: 4
SAN ? 4 Cover: 164
Tools: Recaps

Nov 9, 2018 Score ATS Results
SAN 0 Cover: 271
STL ? 4 Under: 4
Tools: Recaps

Mar 27, 2018 Score ATS Results
SAN 2 Under: 5
STL ? 3 Cover: 241
Tools: Recaps

Mar 8, 2018 Score ATS Results
STL 0 Under: 2
SAN ? 2 Cover: 242
Tools: Recaps

Feb 20, 2018 Score ATS Results
SAN ? 3 Push: 5
STL 2 Cover: 219
Tools: Recaps

 

[Cnotes53]

 

[Cnotes53]

NHL Western Conference Finals: Blues vs Sharks series preview, odds and best bets
Rohit Ponnaiya

Jordan Binnington and the St. Louis Blues are underdogs for their Western Conference Finals series against the San Jose Sharks.

The San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues have seen their share of struggles this season but will face each other in the Western Conference Finals with the winner advancing to play for the Stanley Cup.

The Sharks open as the series favorite thanks to a deep lineup filled with playmakers but the Blues are riding red-hot rookie netminder Jordan Binnington. We break down the series odds and give you in-depth trends and notes so you can make the best bets on the road to the Stanley Cup.

St. Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks

Series Winner Odds: San Jose -175/St. Louis +120 @ Sports Interaction
Stanley Cup Winner Odds: San Jose +225/St. Louis +330 @ Sports Interaction
Regular Season Head to Head: San Jose 2-1

SCHEDULE

Game 1: SAP Center, San Jose, CA - Saturday, May 11, 8:00 p.m. ET
Game 2: SAP Center, San Jose, CA - Monday, May 13, 9:00 p.m. ET
Game 3: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO - Wednesday, May 15, 8:00 p.m. ET
Game 4: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO - Friday, May 17, 8:00 p.m. ET
*Game 5: SAP Center, San Jose, CA - Sunday, May 19, 3:00 p.m. ET
*Game 6: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO - Tuesday, May 21, 8:00 p.m. ET
*Game 7: SAP Center, San Jose, CA - Thursday, May 23, 8:00 p.m. ET

* If necessary

BACKGROUND

Both teams are coming off a grueling seven-game series, with the Blues coming off a 2-1 double overtime win against the Stars while the Sharks held off the Avalanche 3-2 in Game 7.

The Sharks were on the ropes to Vegas in Round 1, down three games to one after three straight losses where they allowed at least five goals. Since then their defense and goalie Martin Jones have played much better.

The Blues have been led by backstopper Binnington. The Calder Trophy candidate went 24-5-1 with a 1.89 GAA and .927 save percentage during the regular season, and saved 51 of 53 shots in the last two games against Dallas.

The regular season matchups between these two sides don't tell us much. Each team won 4-0 at home back in November (well before Binnington got his first start) and then the Sharks squeezed out a 3-2 overtime victory at home in March.

SWEATING BETTORS

The Blues have played a ton of close games, with eight of their last 10 games being decided by a single goal. The Sharks have played three consecutive games that were decided by just one goal. Taking the puckline on the underdog could prove to be a profitable play.

VULNERABLE BETWEEN THE PIPES?

I mentioned that Jones has played much better in the net lately, but that uneven play earlier in the playoffs has to worry Sharks backers. San Jose has easily allowed the most even strength and overall goals during the playoffs and their goals allowed per game of 3.07 is the highest of any team to make it past the first round.

FURIOUS FINISHES

St. Louis has scored more goals in the third period (18) than in the first two periods combined (15). The Sharks have allowed 16 goals in the final period, compared to 11 in the opening period and 15 in the second. Taking the third period to be the highest scoring might be a sharp bet.

ANOTHER PERIOD TREND

The Blues have scored just six postseason goals in the second period, while allowing only nine. The second has also been the Sharks lowest scoring period with 11 goals. Lean towards the second period Under.

PLAYER TO WATCH: JADEN SCHWARTZ, ST. LOUIS BLUES

In a series featuring plenty of big-name forwards inluding Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, and Vladimir Tarasenko, Schwartz might be the hottest one entering Game 1. Schwartz has scored eight goals in his last nine games, and has found the back of the net in four of the last six contests against Dallas. Taking Schwartz to score the most goals in the series pays out at +1850.

 

[Cnotes53]

Blues vs Sharks NHL betting picks and predictions: San Jose a good bet to take big bite out of Blues in Game 1
Monty Andrews

Sharks have scored double-digit goals in all three periods this postseason and are averaging a whopping 3.88 goals at home in the playoffs.

It wasn't easy for either team, but you won't hear the St. Louis Blues or San Jose Sharks complain as they prepare for Game 1 of the Western Conference final Saturday night at HP Center. The host Sharks needed seven games to dispatch the Colorado Avalanche, prevailing 3-2 in a thrilling Game 7 at home. The St. Louis Blues had an even more dramatic time of it, with Patrick Maroon's goal in double-overtime lifting the Blues past the Dallas Stars.

San Jose comes in as a -125 favorite to advance to the Stanley Cup final, but it won't be easy against a Blues side (+105) that has routinely saved its best for last.We break the best ways to wager Game 1 of the Western Conference Final.

ST. LOUIS BLUES AT SAN JOSE SHARKS (-130, 5.5)

Series Price: Blues +120/Sharks -175

QUICK-HITTER

It was true in the regular season, and it remains a fact in the Stanley Cup playoffs: The San Jose Sharks are one dangerous team in the opening period. The Sharks scored a league-best 102 first-period goals during the season, and their 14 goals in the first 20 minutes of their 14 playoff games sits tied with the Stars for the most in the league. And while San Jose's defense hasn't been nearly as successful, the team is still plus-3 for the postseason while the Blues, who allowed just 58 first-period goals during the season, are a minus-4. Give us the home team to own a lead after the opening stanza of Game 1.

PREDICTION: Sharks -0.5 first-period line (+170)

PERIOD BET

Here are some numbers for you: 23, 17, 34. It's not the combination to our gym locker (though it's probably the combination to someone's gym locker), but rather, the total goals scored by these two teams by period. Notice the outlier? The Blues and Sharks rank 1-2 in third-period goals through the first two rounds of the postseason, while the Sharks have been equally porous on the defensive end with a league-high 16 third-period goals allowed. Once they get past the nerves, expect both teams to bring the scoring chances as the game goes on; we like the third as the highest-scoring period.

PREDICTION: Highest scoring period - Period 3 (+225)

TEAM/PLAYER BET

It's no surprise that Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture have identical odds to score in Game 1; after all, they've had a nearly dead-even postseason so far in terms of offensive production. Both players have nine goals and five assists, and both skaters scored six goals against Vegas in the opening round and three more against Colorado in Round 2. So why are we leaning toward Hertl over Couture? Hertl scored eight more regular-season goals in four fewer games, has eight more shots than Couture in the playoffs, and has scored eight of his nine goals at home. We're leaning toward the Czech dynamo to convert Saturday.

PREDICTION: Tomas Hertl anytime goal (+135)

FULL-GAME TOTAL

After opening their postseason run against two teams who liked to play an up-tempo game, the Sharks will face a very different opponent in the Blues, who have seen five or fewer goals scored in eight of their 13 postseason contests. The teams have also trended toward the under, with each of their previous five games producing five or fewer total goals. We expect things to tighten up as this series moves along, but with the Sharks looking to make a statement and the Blues averaging an impressive 3.17 goals on the road, there could be a little money to be made with the O5.5.

PREDICTION: Over 5.5 (+110)

FULL-GAME SIDE

The Blues were able to overcome early- and mid-game offensive shortcomings in the first two rounds of the postseason by being so prolific in the final period ? but that strategy likely won't work against the host Sharks, who have scored double-digit goals in all three periods and are averaging a whopping 3.88 goals at home in the playoffs. It's also notable that the home team has won each of the past five head-to-head meetings between the teams, with three of those contests decided by multiple goals. Neither team has a rest edge, so we're rolling with home-ice advantage here; take the Sharks -1.5 for a nicer payout.

PREDICTION: Sharks -1.5 (+210)

 

[Cnotes53]

3St Louis -4 San Jose
ST LOUIS are 19-4 ATS (15.3 Units) against good passing teams - averaging 5 or more assists per game in the 2nd half of the year in the current season.


NHL
Dunkel

Saturday, May 11


St. Louis @ San Jose

Game 3-4
May 11, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
10.967
San Jose
12.390
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Jose
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Jose
-125
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Jose
(-125); Over


NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, May 11

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ST LOUIS (53-32-0-10, 116 pts.) at SAN JOSE (54-32-0-10, 118 pts.) - 5/11/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 38-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 16-10 ATS (+26.4 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
ST LOUIS is 32-21 ATS (+10.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 20-9 ATS (+10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 5-4 (+1.4 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 5-4-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
6 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+6.2 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


NHL

Saturday, May 11

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

St. Louis Blues
St. Louis is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
St. Louis is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games
St. Louis is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
St. Louis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing San Jose
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing San Jose
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Jose
San Jose Sharks
San Jose is 7-18 ATS in its last 25 games
San Jose is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
San Jose is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
San Jose is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 10 of San Jose's last 12 games at home
San Jose is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
San Jose is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Jose's last 5 games when playing St. Louis
San Jose is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis

 

[Cnotes53]

SATURDAY, MAY 11
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

STL at SJ 08:00 PM

SJ -123

U 5.5

 

[Cnotes53]

Timo Meier scores 2 to lead Sharks past Blues 6-3 in Game 1
May 11, 2019
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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Timo Meier scored twice and set up one of Logan Couture's two goals with a hard hit, sending the San Jose Sharks to a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 of the Western Conference final Saturday night.

Meier's hit on Alex Pietrangelo led to Couture's goal that opened the scoring in the first period and he then scored twice in the second to give the Sharks a comfortable lead and their third straight Game 1 win this postseason.

Couture added an empty-net goal to give him an NHL-leading 11 in the postseason. Joe Pavelski and Kevin Labanc also scored for San Jose and Martin Jones made 28 saves.

Game 2 is Monday night at the Shark Tank.

Joel Edmundson, Ryan O'Reilly and Tyler Bozak scored for the Blues but the team gave little help to rookie goalie Jordan Binnington to get off to a rough start in the conference final. Binnington made 19 saves but was left exposed by his defense on numerous occasions.

This series is a matchup between two franchises seeking their first championships after years of playoff disappointments. They endured tough roads to get here with the Sharks needing to win a pair of seven-game series and the Blues needing a double-overtime win in Game 7 against Dallas to make it to their fourth conference final in the past 49 years.

The teams traded goals midway through the second period with Labanc converting after a turnover by Edmundson and O'Reilly answering 1:17 later with a nifty move to get around Jones and tuck a rebound into the open net.

Meier then took over with his two goals in the second half of the period that gave the Sharks breathing room. His first came after Couture poke-checked Colton Parayko coming out of the zone. Meier got the puck, deked past Jay Bouwmeester and then used his quick hands to get a backhand past Binnington.

Meier then got his first two-goal game in the postseason late in the period when his centering pass from behind the goal line deflected off Vince Dunn's skate and into the net to make it 5-2.

Bozak scored with 6:59 left in the third for the Blues but they couldn't get any closer despite pulling Binnington with more than four minutes remaining. Couture then sealed it with an empty-netter.

Both teams expected a physical series between two teams with big players who like to get on the forecheck. That's just the way it started with the Blues delivering several hard hits in the opening period in sharp contrast to the type of series San Jose played last round against the speedy Colorado.

But the Sharks turned one hit of their own into an early goal as Meier separated Pietrangelo from the puck in the neutral zone to send Gustav Nyquist in on a two-on-one. Nyquist slid the puck to Couture, who one-timed it into the open net.

The Blues answered after Couture was sent hard into the boards by Jaden Schwartz with no call at one end. That led to a rush and Edmundson deflected Schwartz's shot from the circle past Jones.

Then St Louis committed two penalties in a span of 57 seconds after going more than 136 minutes without one in the playoffs. That gave San Jose a two-man advantage that Pavelski converted into a goal when he batted his own rebound out of midair into the net.

NOTES: Couture also had 10 goals in the playoffs in 2016, joining Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel as the only active players with at least two seasons of 10 or more postseason goals. ... Blues D Carl Gunnarsson (lower-body injury) was scratched and Robert Bortuzzo played in his place.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 12, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:08 PM Carolina Hurricanes Boston Bruins TD Garden

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY MAY 13, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:08 PM St. Louis Blues San Jose Sharks SAP Center at San Jose

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY MAY 14, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM Boston Bruins Carolina Hurricanes PNC Arena

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 15, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM San Jose Sharks St. Louis Blues Enterprise Center

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MAY 16, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM Boston Bruins Carolina Hurricanes PNC Arena

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MAY 17, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:08 PM San Jose Sharks St. Louis Blues Enterprise Center

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY MAY 18, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:15 PM Carolina Hurricanes Boston Bruins TD Garden


*******************************


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

05/11/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/09/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/08/2019 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/07/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/06/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -11.55
05/05/2019 1-0-1 100.00% +5.45
05/04/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
05/03/2019 1-3-0 25.00% -13.00
05/02/2019 2-2-0 50.00% +0.35
05/01/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00

Totals..............13-16-1 ......44.82% -22.25


******************************


BEST BETS:


DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS


05/11/2019..............0 - 0 .................. +0.00...................0 - 1.................-5.50..............-5.50
05/09/2019..............0 - 1.....................-5.00.................. 0 - 1.................-5.50..............-10.50
05/08/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.00..................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
05/07/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.00..................0 - 1..................-5.50..............-0.50
05/06/2019..............0 - 1......................-5.00..................1 - 1..................-0.50..............-5.50
05/05/2019..............1 - 0.....................+5.45..................0 - 0................. -0.00.............+5.45
05/04/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.00
05/03/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................1 - 1..................-0.50...............-0.50
05/02/2019..............1 - 1.....................+0.85..................1 - 1..................-0.50 ..............+0.35
05/01/2019..............0 - 0.....................+0.00..................0 - 2.................-11.00.............-11.00


Totals..................... 4 - 3.....................+6.30..................4 - 10................-35.00.............-28.70


*************************************


APRIL'S NHL BEST BETS


Totals....................10 - 12.................+3.00..................30 - 19.............+45.50...............+48.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Sunday?s 6-pack

Odds to win the college football title next fall:

2-1? Clemson Tigers

5-2? Alabama Crimson Tide

7-1? Georgia Bulldogs

12-1? Ohio State Buckeyes

14-1? Michigan, Oklahoma

20-1? LSU, Auburn

Quote of the Day
?First walk-off homer ever. I never thought I?d ever do it, so it felt pretty good. I didn?t even know what to do around the bases. I didn?t even know what to do with my hands.?
A?s 3B Matt Chapman, after his walk-off homer Friday night

Sunday?s quiz
Which actress who was on the Charlie?s Angels TV show also played Hodges? mother on CSI?

Saturday?s quiz
Mark Jackson was Golden State?s coach the last time they didn?t make the playoffs, in 2012.

Friday?s quiz
Kawhi Leonard played his college basketball at San Diego State.

******************************

Sunday?s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind??.

13) Tip of the cap to Dick Vitale, whose V Foundation gala raised $4.3M this week to fight pediatric cancer. Vitale works very hard on this fundraising effort; good for him.

12) Cubs 2, Brewers 1 (15)? Milwaukee is first team since the 1984 Indians to have their first two extra-innings games of a season go at least 15 innings.

It was the Cubs? third walk-off win in their last five games.

11) Lakers signed Frank Vogel as their new head coach; he went 250-181 in six years as coach of the Pacers, then had two rough years in Orlando, going 54-110.

Apparently Tyronn Lue passed on the job because he didn?t want Jason Kidd as an assistant.

When Vogel was a kid, he appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, because he could spin a basketball on a toothbrush, while he was brushing his teeth. Wonder if he can still do that.

10) Pro golfer Taylor Duncan hit his wife in the head with a shot this week; hope he wins a lot of money this week, to make up for it.

9) I traded Luis Castillo in my fantasy league (for Corey Seager) which looks like a terrible trade, but how about the Miami Marlins trading Castillo TWICE?

First the Marlins traded him to San Diego, but that deal got voided because one of the pitchers they got back from the Padres was hurt. Then they traded Castillo to Cincinnati, as part of a package for Dan Straily; I?m kicking myself for screwing up a fantasy league trade, and these geniuses bungle a deal when they run a franchise that is worth a billion dollars? Brilliant!!!

8) Lakers/Knicks are having a pretty good duel to see which team can be more dysfunctional, and right now, LA might be winning. Hard to tell who is making the decisions for the Lakers, but whoever it is, they?re also doing a terrible job.

When Luke Walton was gobbled up by Sacramento about ten minutes after the Lakers let him go, you got the idea that LA is a complete mess.

7) Baseball injuries:
? Tampa Bay put P Tyler Glasnow (forearm) on the IL; he is out 4-6 weeks.
? Phillies put P Vince Velasquez (forearm) on the 10-Day IL.

6) SouthPoint casino in Las Vegas put up an interesting college football prop bet Saturday:
Odds to win national title this coming season:
8-5: Alabama-Oklahoma-Ohio State
3-2: Clemson-Georgia-Michigan
12-5: Everyone else

5) College basketball transfer portal:
? California transfer Justice Sueing commits to Ohio State. Sit one year, play two. Averaged 14.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg. Someone wrote ?Needs to work on his motor,? which really means ?He doesn?t try hard all the time.? Pretty bright red flag right there.
? Pacific G Ajare Sanni is transferring to UC Santa Barbara.
? Memphis poached Little Rock grad transfer G Rayjon Tucker (41% of 3?s).
? Mbacke Diong removed his name from the portal, will stay at UNLV.

4) San Francisco Giants claimed OF Aaron Altherr on waivers from the Phillies.

A?s traded P Edwin Jackson to Toronto for cash; Blue Jays will be Jackson?s 14th team.

3) Golden State Warriors won three of the last four NBA titles, and the year they didn?t win was the year they went 73-9 in the regular season. Go figure.

2) A?s 3, Indians 2? Oakland?s third walk-off win in last four days.

1) The guy in Detroit who caught Albert Pujols? home run Thursday (Pujols? 2,000th RBI) had a change of heart and will give the ball to Pujols. Originally the guy had declined, saying he would just keep the ball. Apparently he turned down a few good offers of memorabilia combinations on Thursday, from both the Angels and Tigers.

One small problem??.now Pujols says he doesn?t want the ball; I?m wondering if he thinks a switch has been made, and wouldn?t be 100% this was the actual baseball he hit.

 

[Cnotes53]

McAvoy back for Bruins, easy part ahead
May 11, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) When he's playing, Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said, it's easy for him to maintain his composure and concentrate on the game in front of him.

Up in the press box, that's the hard part.

''I'm not a very good hockey watcher,'' McAvoy said as he prepared to return from his one-game suspension for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. ''The game seems like it's much longer.''

McAvoy was suspended for a shoulder to the head of Columbus forward Josh Anderson in the second-round finale. So instead of taking the ice in his usual pairing with Zdeno Chara, McAvoy was wandering around the media dining area before Game 1, wondering if he had to pay or not. (He didn't.)

And while his teammates were beating the Hurricanes 5-2 in the conference final opener, McAvoy was in street clothes on the very top level of the TD Garden, trying to keep his emotions under control.

''Here on this level, I'm like this,'' McAvoy said, holding out his hand, palm down, and moving it in a steady and straight line in front of his face.

''But up there,'' he said, pumping his fist and bouncing out of his imaginary seat. ''I'm glad I get to play tomorrow.''

A 21-year-old first-round draft choice from Boston University, McAvoy had seven goals and 21 assists from the blue line this year, his second full season in the NHL. He missed six weeks early in the season with a concussion and another two over Christmas because of a foot injury.

But he hadn't had to sit out healthy, for just one game.

McAvoy said he would try to use the forced break to his advantage.

''Whenever you're out, you can use it as an opportunity to get other things feeling right,'' he said, adding that watching the game from above game him a perspective that would be beneficial. ''I feel like I picked up on some things.''

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said McAvoy was missed for his physical play and his ability to start the transition to offense.

''Those up-the-middle passes that maybe the other guys just don't have the vision or confidence, or both, to make,'' he said. ''Those quick-strike plays where forwards are getting the pucks in their hands in good spots with a better chance to attack.''

Steven Kampfer, who replaced McAvoy in the lineup, had Boston's first goal, and the Bruins scored four times in the third period on Thursday night to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 2 is Sunday at the TD Garden, with the series moving to Carolina for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Thursday.

The Hurricanes fell behind 2-0 in their first-round series against the Washington Capitals before eliminating the defending Stanley Cup champions in seven games. In the second round, they swept the New York Islanders.

''We don't want to get down 2-0,'' Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. ''If we get to that point, that's what everyone will be saying. We have some things to draw on, no matter what, no matter which way this thing goes.''

INJURY UPDATE

Cassidy said forward Noel Acciari won't play in Game 2 but may be on track to return for Tuesday's Game 3 in Carolina. Acciari (undisclosed injury) returned to non-contact practice on Saturday and was expected to be cleared for full practice on Monday, Cassidy said.

Saku Maenalanen is skating, but he still can't shoot because of his hand injury, Brind'Amour said. Forward Jordan Martinook ''is going to play,'' Brind'Amour said. ''He's banged up, a little gimpy out there. But we want him in the lineup.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Hurricanes vs Bruins NHL betting picks and predictions: Expect plenty of lamp lighting in Game 2
Monty Andrews

The Hurricanes have been a sensational over play of late, exceeding the total in six of their previous eight games, including their previous three

A dominant third period in Game 1 has the Boston Bruins out in front in the Eastern Conference final ? but the Carolina Hurricanes should make Game 2 a lot more competitive as the teams renew acquaintances Sunday at TD Garden.

Carolina actually led 2-1 after 40 minutes, but surrendered four third-period goals to a Bruins team that has now won four consecutive Stanley Cup playoff games. That said, the Hurricanes haven't trailed in the postseason since dropping the first two games of their first-round best-of-seven to Washington ? and reeled off eight wins in the next nine games after that.
Carolina Hurricanes at Boston Bruins (-160, 5.5)

Bruins lead series 1-0
Series Price: Hurricanes +225/Bruins -333

QUICK-HITTER

Boston has been truly dominant in the opening period so far in the postseason, scoring 14 goals in the first 20 minutes while surrendering only six goals over that span. It was well on its way to controlling the opening frame Thursday night, opening the scoring just 2:55 in, but Sean Kuraly's costly roughing penalty less than 45 seconds later set the stage for Carolina to even the score. The Hurricanes are a minus-7 in the opening 20 minutes, and with the Bruins still enjoying home-ice advantage, we like Boston to go into the first intermission with a lead.

PREDICTION: Bruins -0.5 first period line (+165)

PERIOD BET

While the Hurricanes have been largely inferior in the opening period, they've been an unstoppable force in the middle stanza in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Carolina has scored 12 times in the second period while surrendering an unfathomable five goals; it held Boston off the scoresheet in the second period of Game 1 en route to a 2-1 advantage after 40 minutes. The Bruins, meanwhile, are actually a minus-one in the second stanza so far in the postseason, and have seen just 10 total goals scored in the second period of their last 10 playoff games. We like a repeat of the Game 1 result at sky-high odds.

PREDICTION: Second period correct score: Hurricanes 1-0 (+550)

TEAM/PLAYER BET

The Bruins have been on a tear in the final period of their past four playoff games, scoring a whopping 11 goals while surrendering only three. They've converted multiple times in the final frame of all four of those games, and have kept the opponent from scoring in the third period of five of their past six contests overall. Carolina won't be pushed around like it was over the final 20 minutes of Game 1, but it's hard to bet against Boston closing out the scoring given how it has played of late ? and it doesn't hurt, either, that Boston leads all playoff teams with 20 goals in the third period.

PREDICTION: Team to score last - Bruins (-145)

FULL-GAME TOTAL

The Hurricanes have been a sensational over play of late, exceeding the total in six of their previous eight games, including their previous three (averaging seven goals per game over that span). And these teams know a thing or two about putting the puck in the net, having combined for seven or more goals in seven of their past eight head-to-head encounters. Carolina should be able to generate enough shots to keep Rask and the Bruins' defense on its heels, while Boston's dangerous top-six and potent power play are a threat to put up big numbers every game. We like the O5.5 play in Game 2.

PREDICTION: Over 5.5 (+110)

FULL-GAME SIDE

Game 1 was certainly closer than the score would suggest, with Carolina actually outshooting the hosts while also winning the faceoff battle. But that third-period meltdown speaks to a larger issue that could the the Hurricanes' undoing: While Petr Mrazek has been mostly terrific in the postseason, his .907 save percentage doesn't look all that great. Boston counterpart Tuukka Rask, by comparison, has a .929 save percentage at home in the playoffs and has helped the Bruins post a plus-7 goal differential through eight games in Boston. It'll be close, but we favor the home side to come away with a one-goal win.

PREDICTION: Bruins winning margin - 1 goal (+225)