Cnotes53 2017 NHL Best Bets-News-Trends-Thru The Stanley Cup ! !

[Cnotes53]

NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, May 3


Washington @ Pittsburgh

Game 19-20
May 3, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
11.779
Pittsburgh
12.938
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-160
6
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-160); Over

Nashville @ Winnipeg

Game 21-22
May 3, 2018 @ 9:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
14.614
Winnipeg
12.338
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Winnipeg
-140
6
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(+120); Over




NHL

Thursday, May 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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Washington Capitals
Washington is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Washington's last 12 games
Washington is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Washington is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Washington is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Pittsburgh is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Pittsburgh is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing Washington
Pittsburgh is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Washington
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington


Nashville Predators
Nashville is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games
Nashville is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Nashville is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Nashville's last 8 games when playing Winnipeg
Nashville is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Nashville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Winnipeg is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Winnipeg's last 10 games
Winnipeg is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Winnipeg is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Winnipeg's last 8 games when playing Nashville
Winnipeg is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Nashville
Winnipeg is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 6 games when playing at home against Nashville

 

[Cnotes53]

High-scoring top lines dominating best defenders in playoffs
May 3, 2018

Each time Boston's top line jumps over the boards, the Tampa Bay Lightning are on red alert.

Make a mistake and Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak will make you pay.

''You think it's going all right and you're playing well, and they only need one look,'' Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. ''We knew that. That's no surprise. They're a good line.''

Top lines are lighting up opponents all over the playoffs, ratcheting scoring up to a pace not seen in more than two decades. Top trios from the Capitals, Golden Knights, Penguins, Jets and Predators are having their way against top opposing defensemen. Goals are supposed to be harder to come by in the playoffs, but after years of NHL rule changes to get goals, goals and more goals, that is exactly what's happening.

''Every line, every group of forwards, give different challenges for defensemen,'' Washington coach Barry Trotz said. ''It's the types of reads and the tendencies of the group and as a series goes on there's going to be more and more deception happening from a forward group to our group of defenders and vice versa. It's the constant reads and the constant communication and the constant positioning that you have to have against really dynamic people who are good collectively or individually.''

Especially in the Stanley Cup playoffs, it's not easy playing good D.

A total of 341 goals were scored through the first 56 playoff games, the most at that point since 1996 (347). Elite goaltenders are putting on a show, yet top lines like Jake Guentzel, Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist (Pittsburgh); Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson (Washington); Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg); Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith (Vegas): and Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson (Nashville) are taking advantage of their opportunities.

Top lines have been on the ice for 42 of the 78 goals scored through Tuesday in the second round, a showcase of skill that proves great offense is beating great defense. So many of the game's best defensemen are now counted on as much for their offense as the play in their own end, yet even those tasked with stopping the stars haven't been able to do it.

''We've got a game plan, but I don't think we've completely executed it yet,'' Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon said of containing the Golden Knights' top line. ''We're kind of doing it in bits and pieces.''

The Penguins trail the Capitals 2-1 in their second-round series in part because they haven't gotten much offense beyond Guentzel, Crosby and Hornqvist, plus the goals that top line is giving up to Ovechkin and Kuznetsov.

''They're pretty aggressive, so there's some open ice heading the other way against them,'' top Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen said. ''You've got to defend hard when they have it and make your plays and have confidence to make plays when you do have it. If you're only playing defense against them, it's going to be a long night. You have to go on the attack, as well.''

That's the risk-reward for elite defenders in the playoffs: knowing when to counterattack. It has worked some for the Bruins, who so far have limited the damage from Tampa Bay's J.T. Miller, Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov and put up some goals against them.

Bruins defensemen Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy corralled Auston Matthews and Toronto's top offensive performers in the first round and continue to draw the toughest assignments against the Lightning.

''The guys on the ice, that's their assignment for 15, 18 minutes, whatever they play at even strength that night,'' Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. ''There's no magic formula about following them around or any particular structure other than Z and Charlie have done a good job of not getting caught up ice, giving them odd-man rushes for the most part.''

Pittsburgh's biggest hole through three games defensively - outside of Matt Murray's apparently vulnerable glove hand - has been defending the Capitals on the rush.

''They're a very skilled team,'' defensemen Justin Schultz said. ''You've got to have numbers back and keep your head on a swivel because they're very talented.''

It's not just rush goals, though, as the Jets' Connor, Scheifele and Wheeler showed in helping lead a comeback from down 3-0 to beat the Predators 7-4 to take a 2-1 series lead. Winnipeg and Nashville have combined for 25 goals despite two Vezina Trophy finalists in net and some of the best defensemen in hockey. It's a blueprint for how the NHL wanted to crank up offense.

''I think the mindset is definitely to play well defensively,'' Predators captain Roman Josi said. ''Both teams want to play a good game defensively, and for some reason these two teams seem to bring the best out of each other and they're always high-scoring games.''

 

[Cnotes53]

THURSDAY, MAY 3
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAS at PIT 07:00 PM
PIT -195
O 6.0

NAS at WIN 09:30 PM
NAS +115
O 6.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Rinne, Preds rebound with 2-1 win vs Jets to tie series at 2
May 3, 2018

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Pekka Rinne made 32 saves, P.K. Subban and Ryan Hartman scored and the Nashville Predators held off a late charge by the Winnipeg Jets to win 2-1 on Thursday night and even their second-round series through four games.

Patrik Laine scored off a faceoff in the final minute, but Nashville's Nick Bonino won two key faceoffs after that to end it.

Game 5 will be Saturday in Nashville, with Game 6 set for Winnipeg on Monday. Game 7, if necessary, would be in Nashville next Thursday.

Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27 shots, but Nashville snapped Winnipeg's 13-game home winning streak, which dated to March 2.

Rinne allowed five goals amid a series of defensive miscues in a 7-4 Game 3 defeat. He rebounded impressively behind a team that was much sharper in its own end.

The Jets found far less space in the neutral zone, but also saw a couple of golden opportunities bounce over their sticks.

The Predators led 1-0 after the first period and stretched their lead with 5:24 left in the second when Subban blasted a one-timer on Nashville's first power play.

Booed by the thunderous white-clad crowd every time he's touched the puck the last two games, Subban seemed to feed off the noise. It was Subban's third goal of the series after being held without one in the first round.

The Jets had a couple of great chances to tie it earlier in the period. Kyle Connor missed on a pass from Bryan Little in the slot on a power play, and Mark Scheifele let the puck skip over his stick on a 2-on-1 with Blake Wheeler moments before Subban silenced the crowd with his goal.

Laine scored on a 6-on-4 with 50.2 seconds left in the third - his third of the playoffs and first of the series - but the Predators held on from there to wrestle back home-ice advantage.

Nikolaj Ehlers was back on the Jets' top line alongside Scheifele and Wheeler after switching spots with Connor following Tuesday's disastrous opening 20 minutes when Winnipeg fell behind 3-0. Connor once again skated with Laine and Paul Stastny.

Nashville opened the scoring with 2:40 left in the first when Hartman scored his second of the playoffs off a scramble in front. An attempted clear by Winnipeg's Ben Chiarot in front instead went off defense partner Tyler Myers and directly to Hartman, who beat Hellebuyck up high.

The teams traded chances earlier in the period, with Hellebuyck stopping Roman Josi and Scott Hartnell on 2-on-1 breaks, while the butt end of Rinne's stick stopped Josh Morrisey's backhand chance along the ice at the other end.

Notes: The Jets inserted winger Joel Armia into the lineup after he missed the first three games of the series with an upper-body injury. Rookie forward Jack Roslovic was a healthy scratch. ... Hartnell stepped in for Kevin Fiala, who scored in double overtime for Nashville in Game 2. The Predators also dressed defenseman Yannick Weber in place of Alexei Emelin.


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


Guentzel scores twice, Pens drop Caps
May 3, 2018

PITTSBURGH (AP) Mike Sullivan knows his team is ''wired'' for offense, as tends to happen when you have Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and - increasingly - Jake Guentzel on your roster.

Yet the Pittsburgh Penguins have proven during their two-year run atop the NHL they know what they're doing at the other end of the ice, too, playing with a discipline that's more grit than glamour.

Their hopes for a historic three-peat remain alive because of it.

Guentzel scored twice and the Penguins held Washington star Alex Ovechkin without a shot on goal for just the third time in 107 career playoff games to grind out a 3-1 victory in Game 4 on Thursday night to even their typically taut Eastern Conference semifinal.

Pittsburgh held Washington to three shots total in the third period.

''It's like we played Game 7 tonight,'' said Malkin, who scored from his belly late in the second period to put Pittsburgh in front to stay. ''Unbelievable.''

Well. Not exactly.

This is what tends to happen when the two longtime rivals meet in the postseason. Washington edges ahead and the Penguins respond immediately, one of the main reasons Pittsburgh is 9-1 all-time against the Capitals in the playoffs.

Plenty of work remains to be done for Washington to shrug off the weight of its ignominious history and for the Penguins to push their bid for a three-peat to the next round. Yet Pittsburgh laid down the blueprint over three periods that were decidedly tamer than the Game 3 chaos caused in large part by Washington forward Tom Wilson's illegal high hit that left rookie Zach Aston-Reese with a broken jaw and led the league to suspend Wilson for three games.

While Sullivan downplayed the impact of Wilson's absence, the pushing and shoving was largely kept to a minimum save for a scrap between Pittsburgh's Kris Letang and Washington's T.J. Oshie as Guentzel skated down the ice to flip in an empty-net goal with 58 seconds to go.

For the Penguins, the stakes - as they so often have during Sullivan's tenure - far outweighed any search for retribution.

''We understood it's a huge game for us,'' Malkin said.

Instead the teams head to Washington for Game 5 on Saturday night all tied up, the ninth time in 11 postseason meetings the series will go at least six games. Same as it ever was.

Oshie scored Washington's lone goal - a shot from the slot on the power play 12:55 into the second that knotted the score at 1 - and Braden Holtby finished with 21 saves but the Capitals couldn't sneak anything else by Murray, who stopped 20 shots just two days after putting together an admittedly ''shaky'' performance in Game 3.

The guys in front of Murray made his job relatively easy. The Penguins blocked 13 shots and rarely let Washington put together any sustained pressure.

Devante Smith-Pelly replaced Wilson on the top line with Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, but Pittsburgh kept the clamps on. Ovechkin failed to put a single puck on net, though Washington coach Barry Trotz downplayed Ovechkin's ineffectiveness.

''Trust me, Ovie will get his shots,'' Trotz said.

He's going to have to if he wants to keep pace with Guentzel. A year after scoring a playoff-high 13 goals while helping the Penguins to a second consecutive Cup, the slender 23-year-old is once again thriving in May.

Guentzel gave the Penguins the lead 9:21 into the second period when he stood on the doorstep and banged home a rebound of Dominik Simon's shot for his ninth of the playoffs and his 20th point of the postseason. Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier in 1988 are the last two players to reach 20 points in 10 or fewer postseason games.

''I just kind of feel like the (pucks) are going in right now,'' Guentzel said.

Guentzel has a league-leading 10 playoff goals, joining Mario Lemieux as the only NHL players to reach double digits in their first two career postseasons.

The 23-year-old, however, is still learning. He committed a slashing penalty after putting the Penguins in front, and Oshie's shot from the slot 12:55 into the second tied it.

Malkin went to his belly to put Pittsburgh back in front with 2:33 to go in the second. The Russian star flung himself at the puck during a scrum in the crease, the puck just flitting over the goal line following a scramble. There was no initial goal call on the play, reminiscent of a sequence in Game 2 in which the red goal light remained unlit after Pittsburgh's Patric Hornqvist jabbed at it from in front.

Replays in Game 2 proved inconclusive and the Capitals held on. This time, the review was kinder to the Penguins. Video clearly showed the puck inching across the line, and it stood after the Capitals challenged claiming goalie interference.

''It's a good goal, we're happy,'' Malkin said. ''Sometimes it's a bad call against us. Sometimes it's a good call. But we're looking at the next game. We understand it's not over.''

NOTES: Crosby also failed to get a shot on goal but had two assists. ... Pittsburgh F Carl Hagelin played 16:11 while wearing a full face shield in his return from an upper-body injury that forced him to miss the first three games of the series. ... The Capitals have scored a playoff goal in nine of 10 playoff games. ... The loss was Washington's first on the road in the playoffs (4-1). ... The Capitals were 1 for 3 on the power play. The Penguins were 2 for 4.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MAY 4, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Tampa Bay Lightning Boston Bruins TD Garden
10:00 PM San Jose Sharks Vegas Golden Knights T-Mobile Arena

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY MAY 5, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals Capital One Arena
9:30 PM Winnipeg Jets Nashville Predators Bridgestone Arena

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 6, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Boston Bruins Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena
7:30 PM Vegas Golden Knights San Jose Sharks SAP Center at San Jose


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


May NHL Record:

05/03/2018 2-2-0 50.00% -0.25
05/02/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -10.50
05/01/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -12.75

Totals...............4-8-0........33.33%.....-23.50



May Best Bets:

DATE................................ATS........... UNITS..................O/U..........UNITS..............TOTAL

05/03/2018.....................1 - 0............+5.75................0 - 2...........-11.00.............-5.25
05/02/2018.....................1 - 1............+0.50.................0 - 2..........-11.00.............-10.50
05/01/2018.....................0 - 1.............-5.00.................1 - 1...........-0.50..............-5.50

Totals.............................2- 2.............+1.40..................1 - 5...........-22.50............-21.25

 

[Cnotes53]

Preview: Lightning (54-23) at Bruins (50-20)
Date: May 04, 2018 7:00 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Jon Cooper was asked after Game 3 what his team has done to turn around its series with the Boston Bruins.

"These guys, they just find a way," the Tampa Bay coach said after a 4-1 road victory gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal. "I guess in the end, they're putting the team first, putting the team before self. That's what's going on right now."

The Lightning, who captured the Atlantic Division and overall conference record by a point over the Bruins in the final days of the regular season, surrendered home-ice advantage with a 6-2 loss in the opener. But Wednesday night, they grabbed it back and can now establish a stranglehold on the series with a win in Game 4 on Friday night.

Wednesday was the 55th time the franchise played at TD Garden -- and became just its 10th win. But that historical stat seems to mean nothing to this team, which is now 6-2 in the playoffs.

"I think the same thing we did the game before and what I felt a lot of the game before that," Cooper said of the Game 3 performance. "We're in a playoff series and we're playing like that. We're skating. We're physically engaged. They're just playing responsible. That's what they're doing."

Ondrej Palat, who scored twice in the first 3:19 of the game, was not on the ice for practice at the Bruins' practice facility Thursday, but there was no report. Ryan Callahan, who has played such a strong two-way game in the series, took Palat's spot on the power play in practice.

Palat's early outburst marked the fastest two goals by the same player at the start of a playoff game since 1996.

Boston's Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk rested on "maintenance days" Thursday and are apparently not totally healthy. Coach Bruce Cassidy said they will be evaluated Friday morning.

There was also a very good chance that rookie Ryan Donato could be among those added to the mix as Cassidy looks to "tinker" with his lineup.

"They were maintenance days, so we'll see how they are in the morning. I assume they'll be fine tomorrow (for Game 4), but we'll see then," Cassidy said. "We'll assess them in the morning, and we'll probably tinker (with the lineup), but I'm not going to tell you who is going in or out now because we've got to get the healthy guys sorted out first, and then we'll go from there."

After Wednesday's game, the coach said, "We need to defend better, and part of that is intensity. My estimation, urgency, pick you word. We didn't have it. You've got to manage the puck first, and then once you don't have it anymore, you've got to have a certain level of structure and urgency to get it back, and we didn't.

"As the game went along, I think the will is there with the group; I don't doubt that. They're trying to be physical; they're trying to play hard, but at the end of the day we made some mistakes in front of our net.

"We've got to get back to, OK, what made us successful and play smart hockey, and the intensity will come. The group has a lot of will. I think we put one in front of the other, forgot to play a little bit."

Yanni Gourde became the second Lightning player to enjoy the birth of a child during the playoffs. Gourde's baby girl was born Tuesday. He made it to Boston in time for the Wednesday morning skate and had an assist in the win.

Steven Stamkos scored his first goal of the series Wednesday. It was into an empty net, but the Lightning have to feel good about their best player and captain hitting the score sheet. It was his second goal in eight playoff games, but he has five assists.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Bruins at Lightning
Sat, Apr 28 Final 6 to 2
Recaps

GAME 2
Bruins at Lightning
Mon, Apr 30 Final 2 to 4
Recaps

GAME 3
Lightning at Bruins
Wed, May 2 Final 4 to 1
Recaps

GAME 4
Lightning at Bruins
Fri, May 4 - 7:00PM EDT

GAME 5
Bruins at Lightning
Sun, May 6 - 3:00PM EDT

GAME 6
Lightning at Bruins
Tue, May 8 - 12:00AM EDT

 

[Cnotes53]

Preview: Sharks (45-27) at Golden Knights (51-24)
Date: May 04, 2018 10:00 PM EDT

LAS VEGAS -- It looked like it was going to be so easy.

The expansion Vegas Golden Knights swept their first-ever playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings, then opened the second round of the Western Conference playoffs with a stunningly lopsided 7-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks.

But the Sharks won Game 2 in double overtime 4-3, and bounced back from a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 3 to blank the Golden Knights 4-0 on Wednesday night to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2.

Still, Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said it's no time to push the panic button heading into Friday night's Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena.

"We're 2-2 and we've got home ice," Gallant said Thursday afternoon. "It's best two out of three. There's no panic. We get ready to play."

Vegas is 32-11-2 on its home ice this season. However, San Jose won the last meeting there and comes in with momentum, winning two of the last three games in the series.

"We're playing in the second round of the playoffs," Vegas forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare said. "We're playing a good team. It's how we handle it. We had times in (Wednesday night's shutout loss) that we played better in the game, but for 60 minutes they were the better team."

Gallant took it one step further, questioning the effort of a few of his players in the loss.

"It's about playing fast," Gallant said. "When you don't play fast, you give San Jose a chance to break out and that's what happens. They played fast last night and we didn't have a chance to break out. It all goes hand-in-hand.

"When our forecheck is good we play a real good game. ... When 10 to 15 percent of the guys don't show up and forecheck like all the other guys, that makes the biggest difference in the world. San Jose had 20 guys competing and playing hard last night, and that's why they were the better team."

One thing is for certain. The Sharks have adjusted to the speed of the Golden Knights after the Game 1 blowout and put a premium on forechecking. They're an overtime loss in Game 3 away from leading the series, 3-1.

"There's a bunch of pieces that go into that," San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said of slowing down the Vegas attack. "Puck management is a big part of it. They feed off turnovers and transition as quickly as any team in the league. That's obviously a huge part of it. Your attention to detail through the neutral zone, top of the circles in your end to top of the circles in the other end, has to be really good to handle that."

"When we make them come through us, 200 feet through all five guys, we're a lot tougher team to play against," Sharks goalie Martin Jones said.

Jones, yanked after allowing five goals on 13 shots in the opener, bounced back to garner his sixth career playoff shutout on Wednesday night, stopping 34 shots in the process. San Jose also was a perfect 5-of-5 on the penalty kill.

"We've done a better job of not forcing plays through the neutral zone," Sharks forward Logan Couture said. "If you don't have it, just chip it and forecheck. That at least gives our defensemen a chance to get their guy and step up on them so they're not flying through the neutral zone."

Still, San Jose must find a way to win at least one more time at T-Mobile Arena, where a Game 7 would be played if needed on Tuesday, to advance to the Western Conference finals.

"It's nothing to worry about," Vegas center Cody Eakin said of Wednesday night's loss. "It's 2-2. Two of the (remaining) three are at home. We have the advantage."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Sharks at Golden Knights
Thu, Apr 26 Final 0 to 7

GAME 2
Sharks at Golden Knights
Sat, Apr 28 Final 4 to 3
Recaps

GAME 3
Golden Knights at Sharks
Mon, Apr 30 Final 4 to 3

GAME 4
Golden Knights at Sharks
Wed, May 2 Final 0 to 4

GAME 5
Sharks at Golden Knights
Fri, May 4 - 10:00PM EDT

GAME 6
Golden Knights at Sharks
Sun, May 6 - 7:30PM EDT

GAME 7
Sharks at Golden Knights
Tue, May 8 - 12:00AM EDT

 

[Cnotes53]

Conference Finals Cheat Sheet
May 9, 2018

Conference Final Predictions

Eastern Conference
Washington vs. Tampa Bay

How they got here: The Capitals are appearing in their first conference finals since 1998 after ending their two-year hex against the Penguins. Pittsburgh knocked out Washington in the conference semifinals in 2016 and 2017 as the Penguins eventually won the Stanley Cup. This time around, the Capitals jumped the hurdle known as Pittsburgh by eliminating the Pens in six games, capped off by a 2-1 road overtime victory in the series clincher.

Washington is coming off its third consecutive Metropolitan division title, but didn?t capture the President?s Trophy for the first time since 2015. Alex Ovechkin led the NHL in goals for the seventh time in his career as he netted 49 goals this season, while Evgeny Kuznetsov handed out 56 assists and finished with 83 points.

The Lightning are participating in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in four seasons after eliminating the Devils and Bruins. Tampa Bay made quick work of New Jersey in the first round in five games, but were thumped in Game 1 of the semifinals against Boston. The Bolts rebounded with four consecutive wins over their division rivals to advance in five games, while limiting the Bruins to seven goals in the last four games after allowing six goals in the Game 1 loss.

Tampa Bay clinched its first division title since 2004, when the Lightning hoisted the Stanley Cup in a seven-game series victory over the Flames. The Bolts reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015 and 2016, as Tampa Bay ousted the Rangers three seasons ago, but fell short to the Penguins two seasons ago.

Steven Stamkos racked up his highest point total since 2012 as the center dished out a career-best 59 assists and totaled 86 points. Right wing Nikita Kucherov reached the 100-point plateau for the first time in his career, while center Brayden Point posted 32 goals in his second season with Tampa Bay.

Head-to-Head Matchups: Prior to this season, the Capitals owned a 7-0-1 record against the Lightning dating back to December 2014. However, Tampa Bay captured two victories in three matchups this season. The Lightning erased a 2-0 deficit in the first meeting on October 9 at Amalie Arena to edge the Capitals, 4-3. Kucherov scored the game-tying goal in the third period, while Point delivered the winner in overtime as Tampa Bay outshot Washington, 40-26.

The Capitals picked up revenge at home in the next matchup on November 24 as Washington cruised past Tampa Bay, 3-1 as +130 underdogs. Ovechkin was one of three Washington goal-scorers in the win as the Caps outshot the Bolts, 38-26, while Philipp Grubauer picked up 25 saves for the Capitals.

The Lightning won in their next visit to D.C. on February 20 in a 4-2 triumph as -130 favorites. Tampa Bay struck for three goals in the first period, including a pair of goals from Point. Ovechkin netted the lone goal for Washington, while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 35 shots for Tampa Bay.

Head-to-Head Playoff History: The Capitals and Lightning are hooking up for the third time ever in the postseason. Tampa Bay captured the first two series as the Bolts knocked out the Caps in six games of the 2003 quarterfinals and pulled off a sweep of Washington in the 2011 semifinals.

Western Conference
Vegas vs. Winnipeg

How they got here: The Vegas Golden Knights completed the greatest season for an expansion team in NHL history and aren?t done yet. Not only did the Golden Knights capture the Pacific division title with 109 points and 51 victories, but Vegas also knocked out playoff veterans Los Angeles and San Jose in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Vegas made quick work of Los Angeles in the opening round by sweeping the Kings, while allowing only three goals in the series. The Golden Knights were tested by the Sharks in the conference semifinals as the division rivals split the first four games. However, Vegas pulled away with a pair of wins in the next two contests to advance to the conference finals as the Knights scored at least three goals in all four wins.

The Golden Knights are at this point of the season in spite of not having a single player register at least 78 points. William Karlsson posted 43 goals for Vegas, while three other Knights scored at least 25 goals, paced by Erik Haula?s 29 goals. The Knights went through four goalies this season after some early season injuries, but Marc-Andre Fleury has been the backstop by compiling a 2.24 goals against average.

The Jets are new to this round as well, qualifying for the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Winnipeg finished with the second-most points in the NHL (114) as it knocked out a pair of Central division rivals in the first two rounds. After eliminating Minnesota in five games, the Jets knocked out the top team in the NHL by staving off the Predators in seven games of the conference semifinals.

In the second round, neither team won consecutive games, but the Jets were the last team standing by winning its third contest at Bridgestone Arena in a Game 7 blowout. Winnipeg owns a 4-2 road record in the playoffs, although the Jets will have home-ice advantage in this round. In three home games against Nashville, the Jets lost twice, while scoring a combined one goal in the two defeats.

Right wing Patrik Laine netted 44 goals to lead Winnipeg, while Blake Wheeler dished out 68 assists and posted a team-best 91 points. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck put together a dynamic season in net for Winnipeg by winning 44 games in the regular season, while posting six shutouts.

Head-to-Head Matchups: Vegas captured two of three regular season matchups with Winnipeg as these teams haven?t hooked up since February. The Golden Knights blasted the Jets on November 10 at T-Mobile Arena, 5-2 as +115 underdogs. Vegas led from start to finish in the first meeting as the Knights jumped out to a 2-0 lead, while Karlsson scored two goals in the win.

Less than a month later back in Winnipeg, the Jets picked up revenge in a 7-4 blowout as a nearly -200 favorite. The Knights led 2-1 after one period, but the Jets pulled away in the third period by scoring five goals on only nine shots. Hellebuyck struggled for the second straight time against Vegas as he allowed nine goals in the first two meetings.

The Golden Knights captured the final matchup in overtime at Winnipeg, 3-2 on February 1. David Perron scored the game-winning goal in OT as Fleury beat the Jets in his only start against them this season.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 13, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Washington Capitals Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY MAY 14, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Vegas Golden Knights Winnipeg Jets

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY MAY 15, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Tampa Bay Lightning Washington Capitals Capital One Arena

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 16, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:00 PM Winnipeg Jets Vegas Golden Knights T-Mobile Arena

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MAY 17, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Tampa Bay Lightning Washington Capitals Capital One Arena

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MAY 18, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Winnipeg Jets Vegas Golden Knights T-Mobile Arena

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY MAY 19, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:15 PM Washington Capitals Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena

 

[Cnotes53]

Sunday's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs betting preview and odds: Capitals at Lightning

Washington Capitals at Tampa Bay Lightning (-200, 6)

Capitals lead series 1-0

The Washington Capitals are playing like a team of destiny since losing the first two games of the playoffs and can take a commanding lead in the Eastern Conference finals when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night for Game 2. The Capitals limited Tampa Bay to 21 shots - 10 in the first two periods - and received a goal and an assist from captain Alex Ovechkin en route to a 4-2 victory in Game 1 on Friday.

?This group is having fun,? Washington coach Barry Trotz told reporters after his team?s ninth win in its last 11 contests. ?They?re calm. They?ve got a really good work ethic. ? When you have a real good group that likes to be around each other and have these moments and play in the playoffs, you don?t want those to go away.? The Capitals will need a similar defensive effort in Game 2 against the Lightning, who lost the first game in the previous round at home against Boston before recording four straight victories. Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters after practice Saturday his team fueled the fire of a good team by handing them chances and did not stick to the plan that was so successful in winning eight of the first 10 games in the playoffs. ?We?ve got to put it behind us,? Lightning right wing Ryan Callahan told reporters. ?We?ve been in this situation before, unfortunately. You don?t want to be, but you don?t have to look too far to draw back on the way we responded against Boston. We have to do the same here.?

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, Sportsnet, TVA

SERIES PRICE (PER SPORTS INTERACTION):

LINE HISTORY: The Lightning hit the board for Game 2 as -182 home favorites and have been bet up to -200 as of Saturday night. The total opened at an even 6.

COVERS CONSENSUS: The line move in the Lightning's favor isn't too surprising considering they are seeing 61 percent of public wagers. When it comes to the total 59 percent of bettors are on the Over. Check out the complete consensus data here.

GOALIE SHOWDOWN:
GP W L GAA SAVE % SO
Braden Holtby (Capitals) 12 9 3 2.04 .925 0
Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning) 11 8 3 2.43 .920 0

INJURY REPORT:

Capitals - C Nicklas Backstrom (Questionable, hand).

Lightning - LW Adam Erne (Questionable, lower body).

ABOUT THE CAPITALS: Ovechkin scored the key goal of the game on the power play with six seconds left in the first period and Washington has converted with the man advantage in 11 of 13 playoff games, going 15-for-46 overall. The Capitals went 2-for-4 in the power play despite the absence of center Nicklas Backstrom (hand), who continues to work out on his own and is day-to-day, but Trotz told reporters he is optimistic the Swede will play in the series. Evgeny Kuznetsov had a pair of assists Friday to give him 16 points in the playoffs - one behind team leader Ovechkin - and T.J. Oshie set up two goals to become the fifth player on the team to reach 10 points.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: Tampa Bay started the playoffs with solid penalty killing (19-for-23, two against were 5-on-3), but has reverted back to their regular-season form (28th) after giving up six power-play goals in 12 attempts the last four contests. Captain Steven Stamkos scored one of the Lightning?s two goals in the third period Friday on the power play and has three in the past four games while right wing Nikita Kucherov leads the team with 13 points in 11 postseason games. Center Cedric Paquette and defenseman Anton Stralman sat out practice Saturday, but Cooper told reporters they both would ?all right? for Game 2.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Capitals are 13-3 in their last 16 road games.
* Lightning are 5-0 in their last 5 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.
* Over is 21-7-2 in Capitals last 30 after allowing two goals or less in their previous game.
* Over is 21-8-2 in Lightning last 31 vs. Metropolitan Division opponents.
* Over is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings in Tampa Bay.

 

[Cnotes53]

NHL

Sunday, May 13

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

Washington Capitals
Washington is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Washington is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Washington is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Washington is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Washington is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Washington's last 21 games when playing Tampa Bay
Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Washington's last 15 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Tampa Bay is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
Tampa Bay is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Tampa Bay is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Tampa Bay's last 21 games when playing Washington
Tampa Bay is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Tampa Bay's last 15 games when playing at home against Washington


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

NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, May 13

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

WASHINGTON (58-28-0-9, 125 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (62-26-0-5, 129 pts.) - 5/13/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 63-31 ATS (+31.6 Units) in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 23-10 ATS (+33.8 Units) when trailing in a playoff series since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 232-235 ATS (+542.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 59-37 ATS (+13.0 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 35-21 ATS (+8.9 Units) second half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 35-19 ATS (+14.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 20-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-3 (+4.8 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 7-3-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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

NHL
Dunkel

Sunday, May 13


Washington @ Tampa Bay

Game 55-56
May 13, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
13.207
Tampa Bay
11.960
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-200
6
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+170); Over

 

[Cnotes53]

SUNDAY, MAY 13
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAS at TB 08:00 PM

TB -180

O 6.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Capitals pull away, beat Lightning 6-2 for 2-0 series lead
May 13, 2018

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals overcame a major hurdle by reaching the Eastern Conference final.

Just like that, they're in a full-on sprint toward the finish.

The Capitals scored in the opening minute of the game and twice in the last 1:02 of the second period Sunday night to pull away to a 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning and a 2-0 lead in the East final.

''It's huge but it's not over yet,'' Ovechkin said. ''We played hard and played smart. You can see all four lines doing their job.''

Evgeny Kuznetsov and Lars Eller each had a goal and two assists. Ovechkin and Tom Wilson had a goal and an assist apiece for the Caps, who took the first two games of the best-of-seven matchup on the road. Since 1974-75, teams that take a 2-0 lead in the conference final or semifinal have a series record of 39-2 (95.1 percent).

''We didn't panic. Just stayed to the system and played the right way,'' Ovechkin said. ''We stayed calm and waited for our opportunities.''

Devante Smith-Pelly and Brett Connolly also scored, helping Washington improve to 7-1 on the road this postseason. It's their first visit to the conference final during Ovechkin's 13-season career.

''You're on the road and it's us against them, and this group has really bonded,'' coach Barry Trotz said. ''They've got a lot of resiliency, and they're having fun.''

Game 3 is Tuesday night in Washington.

The Lightning had the best record in the Eastern Conference this season and breezed through the first rounds of the playoffs against New Jersey and Boston.

Little has gone right against the Capitals.

''For a team that's been used to being able to make some plays, we sure haven't made them in these two games. It's very uncharacteristic of us. That's the difference. They've made plays, we haven't. And it's cost us,'' Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said.

''We've just played tentative and a little bit slow. We didn't get 113 points by playing that way. We didn't win the first two rounds by playing that way,'' Cooper added. ''For some reason for two games, that's the way we've played.''

Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos had early power-play goals for Tampa Bay, which rebounded after falling behind on Wilson's goal 28 seconds into the game.

Smith-Pelly's one-timer finished an odd-man rush and made it 2-2 at 2:30 of the second period. The Caps took control when Eller scored with 1:02 remaining and Kuznetsov - with assists from Ovechkin and Eller - delivered on a power play less than a minute later.

Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was called for tripping Andre Burakovsky with 10 seconds left in the period. Kuznetsov scored seven seconds later to make it 4-2, the second time in the series the Caps stunned the Lightning with a power-play goal in the closing seconds of a period.

Ovechkin and Connolly finished the rout with third-period goals. Braden Holtby stopped 33 of 35 shots to improve to 10-3 this postseason.

''We've defended this entire playoffs up until these last couple of games, and that's why we've had success,'' Stamkos said. ''We haven't defended with the same urgency. We're leaving our goalie out to dry.''

Ovechkin also had a goal and an assist in Washington's 4-2 victory in Game 1.

Vasilevskiy was pulled from the opener after facing 25 shots in two periods, but the Lightning didn't pin the loss on him. Instead, they vowed to play harder in front of the young goaltender, who finished with 31 saves in Game 2.

Tampa Bay benefited early from a couple of questionable penalties - Wilson for goaltender interference and T.J. Oshie for high-sticking Victor Hedman, when the Tampa Bay defenseman actually was struck by the puck - to score twice in just over three minutes on the power play for a 2-1 lead.

Stamkos and Hedman assisted on Point's goal at 7:08 of the first. Stamkos' fourth goal in five games gave Tampa Bay its first lead of the series.

The Lightning will have to turn the series around on the road to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2015.

''We'll prepare for the toughest game that we've played all season,'' Stamkos said. ''It's gut-check time. Let's see who we really are.''

NOTES: Washington's John Carlson had two assists, giving him 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) this postseason. That's a club record by a defenseman in one playoff year. He had been tied for the most with Kevin Hatcher (5-7-12, 1988), Scott Stevens (1-11-12, 1988) and himself (5-7-12, 2016). ... Before Sunday night, the Lightning had won Game 2 of a series five consecutive times after losing Game 1. They're 4-2 in six previous series in which they lost Game 1, with those series losses coming in the first round in 2014 against Montreal and the 2015 Stanley Cup Final against Chicago. ... Capitals C Nicklas Backstrom, who took a shot from Justin Schultz off his right hand in Game 5 of Washington's second-round series against the Penguins, missed his third straight game. He took part in the morning skate on a limited basis and remains day-to-day. ... Hedman has a franchise-record, seven-game point streak (eight assists). Martin St. Louis had a six-game streak in 2004.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY MAY 14, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Vegas Golden Knights Winnipeg Jets

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY MAY 15, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Tampa Bay Lightning Washington Capitals Capital One Arena

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 16, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:00 PM Winnipeg Jets Vegas Golden Knights T-Mobile Arena

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MAY 17, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Tampa Bay Lightning Washington Capitals Capital One Arena

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MAY 18, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Winnipeg Jets Vegas Golden Knights T-Mobile Arena

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY MAY 19, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:15 PM Washington Capitals Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY MAY 20, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Vegas Golden Knights Winnipeg Jets


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


May NHL Record:

05/13/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -4.00
05/03/2018 2-2-0 50.00% -0.25
05/02/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -10.50
05/01/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -12.75

Totals...............5-9-0........35.71%.....-27.50



May Best Bets:

DATE................................ATS........... UNITS..................O/U..........UNITS..............TOTAL

05/13/2018.....................0 - 0.............-0.00.................1 - 0...........+5.00............+5.00
05/03/2018.....................1 - 0............+5.75................0 - 2...........-11.00.............-5.25
05/02/2018.....................1 - 1............+0.50.................0 - 2..........-11.00.............-10.50
05/01/2018.....................0 - 1.............-5.00.................1 - 1...........-0.50..............-5.50

Totals.............................2- 2.............+1.40..................2 - 5...........-17.50............-16.25

 

[Cnotes53]

Monday?s 6-pack

CG Technology released spreads for every Week 1-16 game for 2018-19 NFL season. Here are a few of the more interesting spreads:

Week 1: Falcons @ Philadelphia (-4)
Week 2: Chiefs @ Pittsburgh (-7)
Week 3: Jets @ Browns (-2.5)
Week 4: Vikings (-2) @ LA Rams (-3)
Week 5: Raiders @ LA Chargers (-5)
Week 6: Jaguars @ Dallas (-1)

Fact of the Day
25% of the players in the Euro League are former NBA draft picks.

Monday?s quiz
Which team did Joe Namath finish his NFL career with?

Sunday?s quiz
Arizona Coyotes used to be the Winnipeg Jets, before moving to Arizona.

Saturday?s quiz
Ozzie Guillen managed the White Sox when they won the 2005 World Series.

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


Monday?s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend?..

We start today with two examples of why baseball is a fascinating game:
13) Baseball strategy, Exhibit A: Twins-Angels are tied in late innings; Angels have game-winning run on 3rd with two out. Minnesota walks Pujols/Simmons intentionally, to bring up Marte, putting lot of pressure on their pitcher to throw strikes. I?ve never seen a team walk two hitters intentionally to load the bases with two outs, especially with the batter coming up not being a pitcher.

Twins escape the jam, win the game 5-3 in 12 innings.

12) Baseball strategy, Exhibit B: San Diego was tied with the Cardinals in late innings; Padres had men on first and second, no one out, and pinch-hit Spangenberg for Villanueva so he could bunt the runners over.

Spangenberg fouls off two bunts, count is 2-2, and then he fouls off another bunt and strikes out. What are you telling a position player when you have him bunt with two strikes? Especially on the day you brought him back from AAA.

Padres wound up with a walk-off win in the 13th inning, despite all that.

Two teams use unusual strategy, and both win their game.

11) Charlotte Knights, AAA farm team of the White Sox, drew 10,512 fans Saturday, their 8th sellout this season. Would Charlotte be a good city for a major league team?

10) Nick Markakis is hitting .346 this year, having a terrific year; he is 34 years old, has 2,105 career hits, but has never played in an All-Star Game. Hopefully that?ll change this year, and if it does, it?ll be the best moment at the All-Star Game, when he is introduced before the game.

9) Bad news for the Seattle Mariners; Robinson Cano was hit by a pitch Sunday, broke a bone in his right hand.

8) Odubel Herrera has reached base in 41 straight games; the all-time record is 84, held by Ted Williams.

7) Phillies 4, Mets 2? Jacob deGrom threw 45 pitches in the first inning; Phillies fouled off 20 of the 45 pitches- they didn?t get a hit or score a run. A very unusual inning, and then deGrom was lifted from the game.

Mets said that deGrom wasn?t hurt; they just were cautious because of the rain delay before the game and the 45 pitches he threw in the first inning. Plus, it was his first start in 11 days.

6) By way of reference, Angels? Jaime Barria threw 49 pitches in a scoreless first inning against the Giants April 22; that was the night of the 21-pitch AB to Brandon Belt. Those two starts are the most pitches this season thrown in a scoreless inning.

5) Atlanta Braves? 3B prospect Austin Riley was 4-for-5 Sunday with three HR?s, 8 RBIs for AAA Gwinnett; he?ll be in Atlanta pretty soon.

4) Richmond-Albany college lacrosse game drew 4,800 fans Saturday here in the capital city of New York State. Albany doesn?t draw crowds like that for football, but they?re ranked #2 in the country in lacrosse, so the bandwagon is pretty crowded these days. Good for the Great Danes.

3) Texas Rangers brought up lefty reliever Brandon Mann from AAA Sunday; the 34-year old Mann was originally drafted in 2002, and has played both in Japan and in independent leagues. What a journey he must?ve had; congrats on making the big leagues.

2) Major Leagues need to identify who the replay umpires are for each game; they make calls that change games, but they?re hunkered down in Manhattan and are fairly anonymous. It?d be interesting to know who is making a particular call, for better or worse.

1) RIP Coach Chuck Knox, the man who won five straight division title for the Rams in the 70?s, and went to coach the Seahawks/Bills. Coach Knox was 186-147-1 in his NFL career; he won Coach of the Year for all three teams that he coached. RIP, sir.

 

[Cnotes53]

Byfuglien poses big problem for Vegas
May 13, 2018

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Dustin Byfuglien is a big problem for Vegas.

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Winnipeg defenseman can do it all, as the Golden Knights saw up close when he helped the Jets win Game 1 of the Western Conference finals with a goal and an assist.

''We got moving our feet right away,'' Byfuglien said. ''And the ice opened up.''

Byfuglien has a powerful shot, as he showed with a slap shot 1:05 into the Jets' 4-2 victory .

The 33-year-old former forward, who played right wing for the Chicago Blackhawks during their Stanley Cup run in 2010, can join a rush on offense in even-strength situations and plays on the power play. The NFL-sized player is nimble enough to skate fluidly and he handles the puck with soft hands. Byfuglien can crunch opponents against the boards or on the open ice with checks and kill penalties with savvy positioning.

In Game 1, he did all of that and more.

''You saw the Dustin Byfuglien spectrum,'' Jets coach Paul Maurice said. ''He can shoot the puck a ton. He can make soft-hand plays and he can be as big and strong as you want out there.''

Vegas center William Karlsson was asked to compare Byfuglien with any other player in the league. And he was stumped.

''He's kind of one of a kind,'' Karlsson said.

If the expansion Golden Knights can't figure out a way to keep the puck away from Byfuglien and work around him offensively, their inaugural season may not last beyond this series.

Game 2 is Monday night in Winnipeg.

Byfuglien leads the league's defensemen with 15 points and five multi-point games in the playoffs.

''When he is on his game, he is as good as anybody,'' Vegas coach Gerrard Gallant. ''He's a big strong man and can play the game any way you want to play it.

''Buf is a good player, but hopefully we don't give him too many chances to load up like we did (in Game 1) and take that big shot.''

The Blackhawks gave Byfuglien a shot to play in the NHL, taking a flyer on the Minnesota native in the eighth round with the No. 245 pick overall in 2003. He played his first full season in the league five years later and had 11 goals and five assists for Chicago during the 2010 playoffs.

Byfuglien didn't get to celebrate the championship for very long because the Blackhawks traded him to less than three weeks after hoisting the Cup. Chicago sent him to the Atlanta Thrashers, who became the Jets, to help manage its salary cap. He has become a three-time All-Star with the franchise and a player respected enough on the blue line to be in the running for the Norris Trophy six times.

Byfuglien, though, got off to a slow start offensively this season with a slump that seems improbable for a player with five goals in 13 playoff games this year. He began the season with a 29-game goal drought and finished with eight goals, his fewest in five seasons.

''He had a helluva year and it was masked by the fact that he didn't score a goal for a long time and didn't generate points,'' Maurice said. ''The question was `What's wrong with Dustin Byfuglien?' And the answer was, `Absolutely nothing,' because our hockey team was winning and he was playing right.''

Byfuglien has been businesslike around reporters lately, appearing to be focused on his tasks instead of showing off tricks with a cosmetic tooth he can pop in and out of his mouth with his tongue. When a reporter asked about the Atlanta hat he wore in the dressing room before Game 1, wondering if it was a nod to his season with the Thrashers, he wasn't in the mood to play along.

''The what?'' he asked. ''I don't even know what hat I got on.''

Byfuglien also wasn't interested in comparing the Jets' run to his success with the Blackhawks.

''That was a while ago,'' he said.

Discussing the challenges of facing Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury also didn't interest him.

''Get it behind him,'' he said. ''Shoot pucks and hopefully they go in.''

His first shot against Fleury found the back of the net, and the blast probably pushed the netting to its limit because it was so powerful.

''That first goal was a bomb,'' Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland said.

 

[Cnotes53]

The Jets built Cup contender by drafting
May 13, 2018

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Not many people, if any, expected the Winnipeg Jets to have one of the NHL's best teams this season.

Vegas Golden Knights assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon was one of the few.

The former owner, general manager and coach of the Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat Kings said he watched Winnipeg play 20 times last season, giving him a peek at what was to come.

''It was pretty easy to see that it was going to happen,'' McCrimmon said. ''This year, certainly it has.''

The Jets earned 114 points during the regular season, trailing only Nashville.

Winnipeg advanced in the playoffs for the first time since moving from Atlanta in 2011. The Jets lost only once to Minnesota in the first round, and eliminated the top-seeded Predators on the road in Game 7 of the second round.

The Jets clearly looked like the better team in a 4-2 win Saturday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against Vegas, the darling of the NHL in its expansion season.

Suddenly, Winnipeg might have the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup, especially if it wins Game 2 at home on Monday night.

The Jets have a pair of fantastic lines up front along with two solid ones and a strong group of defenseman led by Dustin Byfuglien , and 24-year-old Connor Hellebuyck has been one of the best goaltenders this postseason.

How has a franchise, which has largely been an afterthought in the league, gone from finishing fifth or worse in its division the previous three seasons to having one of the world's best hockey teams?

''They put on a clinic in drafting and developing,'' McCrimmon said. ''Along with that, great patience and leadership from Mark Chipman as an owner.

''What they did takes time.''

Unlike other NHL teams, which fire general managers and coaches if they don't quickly have success, the Jets have allowed general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to build a championship contender since hiring him in 2011 when they left Atlanta. He was just 20 games above .500 in his first five seasons as Winnipeg's GM, and its only previous postseason appearance in 2015 lasted just four games against Anaheim.

Coach Paul Maurice, likewise, was afforded the opportunity to lead the team for fourth-plus season this year. He made the most of it by helping the Jets go 52-20-10 during the regular season.

But ultimately, it comes down to having talented, unselfish players, and the Jets have plenty.

When Winnipeg had high draft picks, as it often did as a struggling team, it didn't miss.

Patrik Laine, a 20-year-old winger, was drafted second overall two years ago and is one of the league's best young players. He had 70 points in the regular season and scored his fourth goal of the playoffs in Game 1.

Mark Scheifele, selected No. 7 overall in 2011, leads all postseason scorers with 12 goals and has averaged more than a point per game the past two seasons. On the back end, defenseman Jacob Trouba has been exceptional in the playoffs as the franchise hoped he would be eventually after taking him No. 9 overall in 2012.

The Jets have also hit on some late-round picks, including Hellebuyck, whom they took No. 130 overall six years ago.

''Hit home run after home run in the draft,'' captain Blake Wheeler said . ''A lot of our marquee players are guys we drafted and have taken huge steps in the last year or two to be impact players.''

Winnipeg didn't draft its best player, Wheeler, but the franchise acquired him from Boston in a trade while it was in Atlanta in 2011 and has built around him. That same year, the Thrashers took advantage of Chicago's need to get rid of salaries by dealing for Byfuglien.

And like the front office and coaching staff, it seems the players were patient about the process of slowly building a winner when the team moved to Canada.

''We weren't coming here expecting to blow the doors off right away,'' Byfuglien said. ''We knew it was going to be a process of building and finding the right group of guys.''

But when it looked like the Jets had a shot to contend this season, they were willing to give up a first-round pick to St. Louis just before the trade deadline to add veteran center Paul Stastny to chase the Stanley Cup. And now, they might just be the team to beat.

''The story of Winnipeg and the Jets, for far too long, has been about being underdogs and underrated,'' Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman said. ''But not anymore.''

 

[Cnotes53]

NHL Western Conference final Game 2 betting preview and odds: Knights at Jets

Vegas Golden Knights at Winnipeg Jets (-150, 6)

Jets lead series 1-0.

The Vegas Golden Knights won eight of their first 10 playoff games and entered the Western Conference finals with five days off, but find themselves facing a potentially deep hole if they cannot slow down the host Winnipeg Jets in Game 2 on Monday. The Jets show no signs of fatigue after a grueling series victory over Nashville, beating Marc-Andre Fleury three times in the opening 7:35 of Game 1 en route to a 4-2 victory that puts Vegas in a series deficit for the first time.

?We are going to see what kind of team we are,? Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault told reporters after he collected two assists in Game 1, but whose team had little answer for Winnipeg?s waves of pressure. ?It?s definitely a must-win next game, and I think as a group everybody needs to step up, not just one or two guys.? The Golden Knights did a better job in the middle of the series opener but nonetheless matched their season low with 21 shots on net, or one fewer shot than the Jets blocked. It was more of the same for Winnipeg?s deep offense, as forward Blake Wheeler dished out three assists while defenseman Dustin Byfuglien and center Mark Scheifele each netted a goal with an assist. ?It was just a matter of coming out and playing our game, keeping it simple,? Byfuglien told the media after boosting his postseason totals to five goals and 10 assists. ?I felt that we got moving our feet right away. The ice opened up, and we got to moving the puck easily and doing simple things.?

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, Sportsnet, TVA

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):

LINE HISTORY: The Jets opened as -140 home favorites for Game 2 and have been bumped up to -150 as of Sunday night. The total hit betting boards at 6 and has yet to move. Check out the complete line history here.

CONSENSUS: There could be some sharp action on the Jets as the line has moved in their favor despite seeing just 39 percent of wagers according to the public. The Over is seeing the slight edge in the total action with 57 percent of the bets.

GOALIE SHOWDOWN:
W L OTL GAA Save % SO
Marc-Andre Fleury 29 13 4 2.24 .927 4
Connor Hellebuyck 44 11 9 2.36 .924 6

INJURY REPORT:

Golden Knights - LW William Carrier (Questionable, upper body), D Clayton Stoner (Out, abdominal).

Jets - D Dmitry Kulikov (Out, back).

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (59-26-5-3, 46-43 O/U): A better start is critical for Vegas, which found itself chasing the game after giving up a goal 65 seconds in, a power-play tally, and a third goal that originally was disallowed for goaltender interference but reversed after the Jets challenged. Marchessault found linemate William Karlsson on a beautiful feed for the Golden Knights? second goal with 4:05 left in the second, but Vegas mustered just eight shots in the final period. Fleury gave up more than three goals for just the third time in 11 playoff games, finishing with 22 saves.

ABOUT THE JETS (61-23-9-2, 46-46 O/U): Scheifele scored his league-high 12th goal of the playoffs in the second period, an important redirect of a Byfuglien blast on the power play to make it 4-1. Scheifele and Wheeler each have 18 points through 13 postseason games, Wheeler leads the NHL with 15 assists, and nine Jets finished the opener with a plus-rating. Winnipeg?s top defensive pairing of Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey each blocked a team-high four shots, and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck recorded 19 saves in improving to 9-4 in the playoffs.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Golden Knights are 11-3 in their last 14 vs. a team with a winning record.
* Jets are 43-11 in their last 54 home games.
* Under is 3-1-2 in Golden Knights last 6 road games.
* Under is 7-1-1 in Jets last 9 home games.

 

[Cnotes53]

NHL
Dunkel

Monday, May 14


Vegas @ Winnipeg

Game 57-58
May 14, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vegas
15.080
Winnipeg
12.556
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Vegas
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Winnipeg
-145
6
Dunkel Pick:
Vegas
(+125); Over




NHL

Monday, May 14

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

Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Vegas is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Vegas is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Vegas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games
Winnipeg is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games
Winnipeg is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Winnipeg is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Winnipeg's last 9 games at home


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


NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, May 14

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

VEGAS (59-27-0-7, 125 pts.) at WINNIPEG (61-24-0-10, 132 pts.) - 5/14/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 61-35 ATS (+20.5 Units) in all games this season.
WINNIPEG is 38-18 ATS (+7.8 Units) second half of the season this season.
WINNIPEG is 34-21 ATS (+6.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WINNIPEG is 24-11 ATS (+10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
VEGAS is 60-34 ATS (+19.3 Units) in all games this season.
VEGAS is 15-5 ATS (+7.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
VEGAS is 33-18 ATS (+13.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
VEGAS is 2-2 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 2-2-0 straight up against VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

 

[Cnotes53]

MONDAY, MAY 14
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

VEG at WIN 08:00 PM

WIN -145

O 6.0