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

[Cnotes53]

NHL Western Confernce Finals Game 5 betting preview: Golden Knights at Jets

The unthinkable has happened. The Golden Knights are one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals, but they'll be in tough as +120 road dogs Sunday in Winnipeg.

Vegas Golden Knights at Winnipeg Jets (-140, 6)

Golden Knights lead series 3-1

The Vegas Golden Knights have seized every opportunity during their spectacular inaugural season, and now stand one win from the Stanley Cup finals entering Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Sunday at the Winnipeg Jets. After dropping the opening game of the series, the Golden Knights have ridden Marc-Andre Fleury?s outstanding goaltending, an impressive performance from its top line and the ability to counter Winnipeg?s every punch to a 3-1 series lead.

?The fact we always bounce back right away when they get (a goal) and keep the momentum on our side, I think has been the key to the series,? Fleury told reporters after Vegas captured Game 4 with a 3-2 victory on Reilly Smith?s go-ahead goal with 6:58 to play. Four times in the series, Vegas has scored a goal less than 90 seconds after a Winnipeg goal, and the Golden Knights have netted the game?s opening tally in winning each of the past three games. Winnipeg played well for long stretches of each of the past two games, only to come away with two road losses that has put the Jets? season on the brink following a hard-fought seven-game series victory over Nashville in the conference semifinals. ?In our minds, this series is far from over,? Jets defenseman Tyler Myers told reporters after Game 4, in which he scored the game-tying goal early in the third period. ?We?re going back home for the next one and we?ll focus on that.?

TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports

SERIES PRICE (PER SPORTS INTERACTION):

Vegas Golden Knights -355
Winnipeg Jets +279

LINE HISTORY: The Jets opened their must-win Game 5 as -163 home favorites, but they have been moved down to the current number of -140 as of Saturday evening. The total opened at 5.5, but it has moved up to an even 6.

CONSENSUS: Public bettors think returning home to the Winnipeg Whiteout will give the Jets enough of a boost to extend the series at least to a sixth game with 59 percent of wagers on the home team. When it comes to the total 55 percent of wagers are on the Over.

GOALIE SHOWDOWN:
GP W L GAA SAVE % SO
Marc-Andre Fleury (Golden Knights) 14 11 3 1.72 .945 4
Connor Hellebuyck 16 9 7 2.38 .921 2

INJURY REPORT:

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

Jets - D Dmitry Kulikov (Out, back).

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS: Vegas? top line of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Smith shined yet again in Game 4, combining for two goals and two assists. That was more than enough for Fleury, who made 35 saves overall and robbed Winnipeg several times in facing 27 shots in the final two periods. Vegas has excelled in the past two games by hounding the Jets in the neutral zone, finishing Game 4 with 24 takeaways and blocking 25 shots.

ABOUT THE JETS: Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves but allowed three goals in losing his third game in a row, and his save percentage during the losing streak is .895. Winnipeg applied waves of pressure in the final two periods and outshot the Golden Knights 37-29 in the game, sparked in part by a strong performance from Jack Roslovic and Mathieu Perreault on the third line (both finished plus-1). Patrik Laine picked up a power-play goal, the 20-year-old?s fifth in 16 playoff contests.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Golden Knights are 5-1 in their last six overall.
* Jets are 11-2 in their last 13 when their opponent allows two goals or less in their previous game.
* Under is 3-0-1 in Golden Knights last four road games.
* Under is 3-0-1 in Jets last four home games.
* Golden Knights are 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

 

[Cnotes53]

NHL
Dunkel

Sunday, May 20


Vegas @ Winnipeg

Game 7-8
May 20, 2018 @ 3:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Vegas
12.670
Winnipeg
13.775
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Winnipeg
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Winnipeg
-140
6
Dunkel Pick:
Winnipeg
(-140); Over




NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, May 20

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

VEGAS (62-27-0-7, 131 pts.) at WINNIPEG (61-27-0-10, 132 pts.) - 5/20/2018, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 61-38 ATS (+17.4 Units) in all games this season.
WINNIPEG is 61-41 ATS (+4.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 32-15 ATS (+47.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
WINNIPEG is 13-3 ATS (+9.0 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
VEGAS is 63-34 ATS (+22.5 Units) in all games this season.
VEGAS is 12-1 ATS (+10.7 Units) on Sunday games this season.
VEGAS is 36-18 ATS (+16.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VEGAS is 22-12 ATS (+8.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
VEGAS is 5-2 (+3.5 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
VEGAS is 5-2-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

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




NHL

Sunday, May 20

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

Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Vegas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Vegas is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Vegas is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vegas's last 6 games on the road
Vegas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games
Winnipeg is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Winnipeg is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Winnipeg is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Winnipeg's last 10 games at home
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Vegas

 

[Cnotes53]

Vegas looks to continue fairy tale run
May 19, 2018

LAS VEGAS (AP) Just saying the Vegas Golden Knights are one win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final has a magical ring to it.

But what's even more mystical is thinking the Knights are a mere five wins from hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup in its inaugural season.

Five more wins, over a potential 10 games.

And while this might be a first-year team writing a fantastical Hollywood screenplay nobody could've scripted last summer when the roster was constructed, the NHL playoffs are nothing new to a core of characters in this cast.

Everybody knows about three-time Stanley Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury, a key figure during Pittsburgh's reign the last two years, and 10-year veteran James Neal, who was with Nashville for last year's run to the final against the Penguins.

But between guys such as David Perron, Luca Sbisa, Deryk Engelland, Ryan Reaves, Reilly Smith, Cody Eakin and Tomas Tatar, the Golden Knights aren't as new to the playoffs as people may believe.

The players' individual postseason pedigree could be part of the reason the team is one game from clinching the Western Conference. Another reason is the eagerness of Fleury and Neal's co-stars in this feel-good story.

''We don't see ourselves as an expansion team for a long time now,'' said Perron, a 13-year veteran who is playing in his seventh postseason. ''But at the same time, it's always nice to keep proving people wrong and we know that even at this point, I don't feel like people believe we'll close it out. So, we've got to find a way.''

Coach Gerard Gallant has shown he has confidence in all his players, as they've all experienced pressure situations and performed well in all three round of the playoffs, including seven one-goal games. Not including Fleury's 129 career playoff games, or Neal's 94, the players who skated in Friday night's 3-2 Game 4 victory now have a combined 489 games of postseason experience to their credit.

''It's not new for those guys, I don't think you get here if you don't use your hockey players,'' Gallant said. ''We've done it from Day One and there's no reason not to use them because everybody competes, everybody battles and everybody's a part of our team. That's what we do. Guys work hard and compete hard and do your job and you'll play. I feel comfortable putting most of our guys on the ice. There's no issues there.''

And that's because the Golden Knights have always done a good job of living in the moment, and not looking past each game.

Haula spent his first four seasons in Minnesota and went to the playoffs every year, but it didn't take long for him to realize he was with a special group of players.

''We got off to a great start, won two on the road (to open the season), said Haula, who has three goals and four assists in the postseason. ''Right after that first home game, that was special. It was a special night for the whole community. Right there, I think we came together as a community, as a team. We never looked back. We just kept going.

''We just have a close group. We respect every single person in here. We need every single person in here.''

Luca Sbisa has been in the league nine years and been to the postseason five times. His presence on defense has bolstered the crew on the blueline, helping to neutralize Winnipeg's depth on offense.

''Coming in I just wanted to help this team and do what I could, especially on the ice,'' said Sbisa, who went to the playoffs in four of the five seasons he was with Anaheim. ''I wanted to give our team a chance to win every night and here we are. We can't look too far ahead, you gotta take it one game at a time. If you think about the next game you're probably going to shoot yourself in the foot. We just have to find the balance of being aggressive and being smart. It's been a long and fun ride so far.''

The fun continues Sunday, when the Jets host Game 5 and will look to stay alive against the fairy tale Knights from Vegas.

''I would say that winning and having fun go hand-in-hand,'' said Eakin, now in his seventh year and playing in his third postseason. ''I've been on a few teams that have been pretty good, won a few times. We know we got to play our best hockey. Especially this time of year, there's not a team that is going to roll over and die.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Vegas Knights a win from Stanley Cup
May 19, 2018

LAS VEGAS (AP) Marc-Andre Fleury sat shirtless in front of his locker, staring blankly, his exhausted gaze fixed nowhere. Pads still strapped to his legs after another spectacular night's work, the Vegas Golden Knights goalie looked as if he were trying to gather his thoughts, trying somehow to make sense of it all.

The rest of the hockey world is, too, as the newly minted Knights play Sunday with the most improbable prize of all at stake - a chance to go to the Stanley Cup Final.

The story is well known by now, or at least it should be. But the fantasy has never been so close to reality as it is now, with the Knights up 3-1 going into Sunday's game against the Jets in Winnipeg.

An expansion team born last October on the heels of the Las Vegas massacre that took 58 lives is on the brink of winning it all, confounding both hockey experts and expert bookies alike.

Even the guys on the other team are shaking their heads at what the hockey gods wrought.

''You know it's just the stars are just aligning for them,'' Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck said. ''But it's not going to stay that way.''

Maybe not, partly because hockey is a notoriously fickle game. But in this gambling town the odds are suddenly in the house's favor.

With the hope they don't have to play at home again until the Stanley Cup Final, the Knights trotted out some old Vegas mojo Friday night with Wayne Newton and the Blue Man Group making appearances to root the team on. The Backstreet Boys were there and rapper Lil Jon took the microphone to lead the cheers just before Reilly Smith punched in the go-ahead goal in the third period.

And, of course, this being Las Vegas the guy doing the anthems was a singing gondolier whose day job is serenading tourists in the faux canals of Venice just across the street.

There's nothing fake about this team now one win from one of most improbable runs ever. Once 500-1 longshots to win the Stanley Cup in their first year, the Knights are now favored - at least in the sports books - to win it all.

It's enough to make even Bark-Andre Furry - the lovable canine and goalie namesake who is now the unofficial team mascot - to sit up and take notice.

''It's nice, but the last one is always the toughest to get,'' Fleury said. ''I think we have to keep the same mind set and just go and take it one game at a time and not think too far ahead and be ready to play that next game because they are going to be coming hard.''

That mentality has worked well for a team that began the season as an afterthought, a collection of unwanted players from other teams thrown together in hopes of winning a respectable number of games in their first year. The coach himself, Gerard Gallant, had been unceremoniously fired from the Florida Panthers, left on the side of a road with his luggage as the team bus headed down the road.

It's been a remarkable run for a team that likes to call itself the Golden Misfits. They've struck gold in Las Vegas, a town that loves winners and has embraced its first major pro sports team.

Just how remarkable? Well, consider that while the Knights are five wins from bringing home the Stanley Cup in their first year, the Toronto Maple Leafs - a member of the NHL's exclusive Original Six club - haven't won one in the last 51 years.

On Friday, the Knights used the same formula - speed and stellar goaltending - that has worked for them all year to beat the Jets 3-1 and take a commanding advantage in the Western Conference finals. It was the third straight win for the Knights, who have no illusion on how tough getting win No. 4 will be.

''No team is going to go out quietly this time of the year,'' Gallant said.

Still, everything seems to be aligning in the Knights' favor. They're playing hard, yes, but they're also getting the kind of bounces and breaks that are usually the difference in a series between two evenly matched teams.

That continued in Game 4 as Dustin Byfuglien whiffed on an attempt near the blue line and Smith scooped up the loose puck and raced down the ice to score the winner over the shoulder of Hellebuyck with 6:58 left.

Soon the Knights were celebrating, and Elvis was singing. Viva Las Vegas blared through the arena, and the crowd of 18,697 filed out happily into the warm desert night.

One win away for a team no one dares bet against.

 

[Cnotes53]

Maurice wants Jets to stay loose
May 19, 2018

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice wants the Jets to focus on fun, not the magnitude of Sunday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The expansion Golden Knights are up 3-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference final and could eliminate the Jets and reach the Stanley Cup Final with a victory.

''These are the best games, always are, when everything is on the line,'' Maurice said Saturday. ''Everybody will be at their most excited. You have to find a way, and it shouldn't be very difficult, to love every minute of it. ... This has to be your finest hour. Before the puck drops, I'm not talking about the play, be able to get your mind that this is the most fun game of the year now.''

The Jets have accomplished more in the playoffs than the Atlanta Thrashers franchise did before relocating to Manitoba in 2011. They've also surpassed the achievements of the original NHL Jets franchise that moved to Arizona in 1996.

As the current Winnipeg team eliminated the Minnesota Wild in the first round in five games and then bounced the Predators in a Game 7 in Nashville, fans from across the country have cheered on the only Canadian team left in the championship run.

Jets defenseman Ben Chiarot and his teammates have seen the adoration, particularly in Winnipeg with their white-clad crowd inside Bell MTS Place and thousands more outside at ''whiteout'' street parties around the rink.

Now, though, isn't the time to let the hopes of hockey fans weigh them down, he said.

''I don't think you can think about that, how many people we have watching us,'' Chiarot said.

''It's a little daunting when you think of a whole province, or even the whole country, watching us play. So you just focus on what you do and the guys in the room and that's all we focus on.''

Winnipeg won the first game against the Golden Knights at home.

The Jets had an NHL-best home record of 32-7-2 in the regular season and finished with nine straight victories at home. They added four more in the playoffs, but have lost three of their last four games at home.

In the last two losses to Vegas, the Jets gave up the first goal. When they did tie it up in both matches, the Golden Knights responded with goals in under a minute to regain their lead.

''It's going to be really important, not only just to score the first, but just to have a good start,'' Jets forward Andrew Copp said. ''We felt like we actually started OK last game, just kind of got in penalty trouble early. That can determine how it looks like you start.''

If the Jets can pull out a victory Sunday, Game 6 is Tuesday night in Las Vegas. A Game 7 would be Thursday night in Winnipeg.

Maurice wants his players to approach the do-or-die game like their Game 7 victory in Nashville.

''I want them to take their experience from Game 6 and 7 and create the environment they created there where they came out with an excitement and smile on their face,'' he said. ''Going into Game 7, there's as much pressure in that game as there was here, right? It's the exact same game. This one is at home. We'll need that crowd. They've been great for us.

''Both teams, all four teams now (left in the playoffs), there's not quite as much in the tank as there was before. You're looking to draw on that and go out with an excited smile.''

 

[Cnotes53]

SUNDAY, MAY 20
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

VEG at WIN 03:00 PM

VEG +140

U 6.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Expansion Knights advance to Cup Final
May 20, 2018

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) The Vegas Golden Knights are going to the Stanley Cup Final - with a chip on their shoulder.

''Everybody on this team has something to prove,'' Ryan Reaves said. ''We call ourselves `The Golden Misfits' for a reason. We're doing a good job of proving everybody wrong.''

Reaves scored the winning goal, Marc-Andre Fleury made 31 saves and the Golden Knights beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Sunday to wrap up the Western Conference final in five games.

''It's insane,'' said defenseman Deryk Engelland, who grabbed the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl after the final buzzer to celebrate with his teammates. ''Your goal is always to make the playoffs. But if I were to guess I would be sitting here doing this right now, you would be a little skeptical at the time.''

Alex Tuch also scored for the Knights. They lost Game 1 in Winnipeg before winning four straight to become the first expansion team since the 1968 St. Louis Blues - when the six initial expansion teams were put alone in the West - to get to the final.

''It was their time,'' Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler said. ''They're just playing really well.''

Vegas will meet Tampa Bay or Washington in the final. Tampa Bay leads the Eastern final 3-2, with Game 6 set for Monday night in Washington.

The Knights, whose jaw-dropping inaugural 109-point campaign included a Pacific Division crown, swept Los Angeles in the first round, and knocked out San Jose in six games in the second.

''All those records and everything, it doesn't mean anything if you're not the last team standing,'' Vegas center Jonathan Marchessault said. ''I think we have a lot of gas left.''

Josh Morrissey scored for the Jets, and Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves.

''It's very difficult to find that positive feeling at this moment,'' Jets coach Paul Maurice said.

Reaves, the bruising Winnipeg native acquired from Pittsburgh before to the trade deadline in February, snapped a 1-1 tie with 6:39 left in the second period when he tipped Luca Sbisa's point shot past Hellebuyck. Reeves last goal before Sunday came 3 1/2 months ago while with Pittsburgh.

''The guys that weren't playing, myself included, we stayed ready,'' Reaves said. ''We had fun while we were doing it, but we worked hard so when we were called upon we were ready to go.''

Fleury stopped 151 of 161 shots in the series, and allowed just six goals the rest of the way after giving up four in the opener.

''Everybody's stepping up at different times,'' Fleury said.

Winnipeg got a power play early in the third, but couldn't muster much of anything. The Knights smothered much of the Jets' attack for the next 10 minutes, with Hellebuyck having to come up with big stops on William Karlsson and Eric Haula to keep his team within one.

The Jets pressed with under 4 minutes to go, with Fleury stopping captain Blake Wheeler on the doorstep, but it wasn't nearly enough as the Knights closed out their third straight series on the road.

The Jets had the NHL's second-best record with 114 points in the regular season. They advanced to the first conference final in city's history with a five-game victory over the Minnesota Wild in the opening round before topping the Presidents' Trophy-winning Nashville Predators in Game 7 on the road.

The usual raucous, white-clad crowd at Bell MTS Place were silenced just 5:11 into Game 5 when Tuch jumped on Morrissey's turnover and fired his sixth past Hellebuyck.

The Jets were tentative to start and it got worse after the opener as Vegas dominated the next couple of shifts, forcing some good saves from Hellebuyck before Winnipeg got its feet moving.

After being outshot 7-1 in the first 7 minutes, the Jets finally pushed back and turned the tide with the next nine attempts on goal, culminating with Morrissey making amends for his early gaffe with 2:46 left in the period.

Bryan Little won a faceoff in the offensive zone straight back to second-year defenseman, who blasted his first career playoff goal past Fleury's glove.

One of Winnipeg's downfalls in the series through four games was an inability to maintain momentum. The Knights scored within 1:28 of a Jets' goal in each of the first four games - a crushing 12 seconds after Winnipeg tied Game 3, and an equally gut-wrenching 43 seconds after the Jets knotted Game 4 - but they managed to take the game to the locker rooms tied 1-1.

Both teams had chances in the second period before Reaves made it 2-1, with Jets center Mathieu Perrault just missing on a pass from Little that had too much speed.

Right after Reaves scored the second playoff goal of his career - and first since 2015 with St. Louis - Winnipeg's Nikolaj Ehlers rang a shot off the post on Fleury.

NOTES: The Jets were an NHL-best 32-7-2 at home in the regular season, but were a pedestrian 5-4 in the playoffs, including losses in four of their last five post-season outings. .... Winnipeg had won a combined 13 straight at home before dropping a 2-1 decision in Game 4 against Nashville.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY MAY 21, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Tampa Bay Lightning Washington Capitals Capital One Arena


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


May NHL Record:

05/20/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +12.00
05/19/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/18/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/17/2018 1-0-1 100.00% +5.00
05/16/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/15/2018 0-1-1 0.00% -6.00
05/14/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -12.75
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...............9-17-1........34.61%.....-51.25


May Best Bets:

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

05/20/2018.....................1 - 0............+5.00.................1 - 0 - 0.....+5.00............+10.00
05/19/2018.....................0 - 1.............-5.00.................0 - 1 - 0......-5.50.............-10.50
05/18/2018.....................0 - 1.............-5.50.................0 - 1 - 0......-5.50..............-11.00
05/17/2018.....................1 - 0............+5.00.................0 - 0- 1......+0.00,,,,,,,,,,,,+5.00
05/16/2018.....................1 - 0............+5.00.................0 - 1..........-5.50..............-0.50
05/15/2018.....................0 - 1.............-6.00..................0 - 0 - 1.....-0.00..............-6.00
05/14/2018.....................0 - 0.............-0.00..................0 - 1..........-5.50..............-5.50
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.............................5 - 5.............+0.10................3 - 9 - 2.........-34.00............-34.75

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Odds to win the NFC this coming season:

4-1: Philadelphia Eagles

5-1: Los Angeles Rams

6-1: Minnesota Vikings

7-1: Green Bay Packers

9-1: Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints

10-1: San Francisco 49ers

**********

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

13) In 2003, 44 starting pitchers threw 200+ innings in the major leagues. Last year, 15 pitchers threw 200+ innings. Pitchers are getting like race horses; way less durable.

12) Tampa Bay Rays are doing something different this year; with Archer-Snell-Faria their only three regular starting pitchers, they?re patching together the other games using their bullpen, even starting the same pitcher (Sergio Romo) in games Saturday/Sunday over the weekend.

So far, the Rays are 6-9 in the bullpen games.

11) Golden Knights? Jonathan Marchessault is the first NHL player ever to score a goal in the first minute of a playoff game, and also in the last minute of the same game.

10) A golfer named Michael Arnaud on the web.com tour shot a 27 for nine holes this weekend; his first seven holes went: birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie- he shot 60 on the day.

9) Braves 10, Marlins 9? Atlanta scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

8) Cubs split a twinbill in Cincinnati Saturday; they went 3-27 with runners in scoring position in the two games. No bueno.

7) HBO?s Hard Knocks should do training camp with Hamilton TigerCats of the CFL; Johnny Manziel is one the QB?s and 75-year old Jerry Glanville is the defensive coordinator, which means he?ll be leaving tickets for Elvis Presley at TiCat games all over Canada.

6) PJ Tucker is a key player for the Houston Rockets now, but from 2007-12, he played pro ball in six different countries, improving his game, preparing himself for his big chance, and when it came, boy was he ready.

5) A 93-year old guy in Ohio got his first hole-in-one last week, after playing golf for 65 years.

4) Golden Knights 3, Jets 2? Las Vegas is mad about hockey; everywhere you go, there are tons of people here watching Knights? games. An expansion team playing for a title is a great story.

3) Mariners 3, Tigers 2 (11)? Francisco Liriano had a no-hitter going in 8th inning, but then Mitch Haniger tied the game with a homer off a reliever in the 8th inning.

2) A?s 9, Blue Jays 2? Oakland wraps up a stretch of 13 games against Houston-NY-Boston and Toronto, with last 10 of those games on the road and they went 7-6, 7-3 on the road trip.

1) One thing about Las Vegas sportsbooks; every time I wear a golf shirt from a college, and I mean every time, at least a couple people will comment on whichever team?s shirt I?m wearing, which leads to interesting conversations.

Saturday night it was an LSU shirt, Sunday a USC shirt. Doesn?t matter which team.

 

[Cnotes53]

NHL Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 betting preview: Lightning at Capitals

Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals (-125, 6)

Lightning lead series 3-2

The Washington Capitals looked unstoppable after posting two straight road victories to open the Eastern Conference finals, but one week later they are fighting for survival as they host the Tampa Bay Lightning for Game 6 on Monday night. The Capitals have dropped three straight, including Saturday?s 3-2 setback in Tampa Bay, as the Lightning moved within a victory of their third trip to the Stanley Cup finals and second in four years.

?A lot of people counted us out when we were down 0-2 (to Columbus) in the first round. Things got hard in the last series (against Pittsburgh) and we could have melted, and we just kept playing,? Washington defenseman Matt Niskanen told reporters. ?So that?s what we?ve got to do again. Bring our best effort for Game 6 at home, win a game, and then we?ll go from there.? The Capitals battled back after falling behind 3-0 in Game 5, outshooting Tampa Bay 26-9 in the final 40 minutes, and hope to carry that momentum over on home ice where they are 3-5 in the postseason. The Lightning have won five of six on the road in the playoffs and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has been outstanding in three straight wins while turning aside 100 of the 106 shots he has faced to improve to 11-4 in the postseason, but they know there is plenty of work to do. ?We have a lot of unfinished business. This isn?t even close to being over,? Tampa Bay right wing Ryan Callahan told reporters. ?This last game is definitely the hardest. ? To go in their building and try to close them out, it?s going to be tough.?

TV: NBC Sports Network, CBC, Sportsnet One, TVA

SERIES PRICE (PER SPORTS INTERACTION):

LINE HISTORY: The Capitals opened as -130 moneyline favorites for Game 6 but money coming in on the visiting Lightning has brought that number down to -125 on game day. The total hit betting boards at 6 and has yet to move off the opening number.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: Callahan, along with "fourth line" mates Cedric Paquette and Chris Kunitz, have played a big part defensively against the Alex Ovechkin unit the last three games and contributed two goals and two assists in Game 5. ?They played a winning role for our team and they inspire everyone,? Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters. ?They pull our team into the fight, that?s what they do.? Right wing Nikita Kucherov notched an assist in Game 5 to take over the team lead with 17 points, one better than captain Steven Stamkos and fellow center Brayden Point, while left wing Ondrej Palat has at least a point in three straight contests and 12 overall.

ABOUT THE CAPITALS: Washington gave up a goal in the first minute in each of the first two periods Saturday after trailing through the opening 20 minutes in both Game 3 and 4 at home, forcing it to chase the Lightning most of all three contests. ?We know we?ve got to come out with a better start at home, give our fans something to cheer about, and play the brand of hockey at home that we?ve had so much success (at) over the past years to this point,? defenseman John Carlson told reporters. Center Evgeny Kuznetsov has scored in four consecutive games and owns at least a point in eight straight to break the franchise record for points in a single postseason (22).

MATCHUP CHART:

INJURY REPORT:

Lightning - LW Adam Erne (Questionable, Lower Body).

Capitals - No injuries to report.

TRENDS:

* Lightning are 5-1 in their last 6 games following a win.
* Under is 2-0-2 in Lightning last 4 games following a win.
* Under is 2-0-3 in the last 5 meetings in Washington.
* Road team is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 66 percent of moneyline wagers are coming in on the home chalk Washington Capitals. The Over is seeing the edge in the total action with 56 percent of the bets.

 

[Cnotes53]

NHL
Dunkel

Monday, May 21


Tampa Bay @ Washington

Game 9-10
May 21, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
13.122
Washington
12.044
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-130
6
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(+110); Under




NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, May 21

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

TAMPA BAY (65-27-0-5, 135 pts.) at WASHINGTON (59-31-0-9, 127 pts.) - 5/21/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 60-40 ATS (+0.2 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 36-24 ATS (+0.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 27-13 ATS (+9.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
WASHINGTON is 36-22 ATS (+7.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 21-14 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
TAMPA BAY is 66-32 ATS (+12.2 Units) in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 35-18 ATS (+8.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TAMPA BAY is 235-236 ATS (+499.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 8-6 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 8-6-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.2 Units)

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




NHL

Monday, May 21

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

Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Tampa Bay is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Tampa Bay is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Washington
Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Tampa Bay is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games when playing Washington
Tampa Bay is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington Capitals
Washington is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Washington is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games
Washington is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games at home
Washington is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Tampa Bay
Washington is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games when playing Tampa Bay
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
Washington is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

 

[Cnotes53]

Preview: Lightning (54-23) at Capitals (49-26)
Date: May 21, 2018 8:00 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Washington Capitals know they have a lot of work to do.

The Tampa Bay Lightning know their work is far from done.

Both teams expect to be at their best on Monday for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals at Capital One Arena with Tampa Bay holding a 3-2 series advantage and the chance to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

The Capitals, a franchise haunted by the failures of postseasons past, are staring down another one heading in to their first elimination of this playoffs.

After finally pushing past the Pittsburgh Penguins and advancing past the second round for the first time in 20 years -- and the first time in the Alex Ovechkin era -- Washington kept rolling right on in to the conference finals, winning the first two games on the road.

But since grabbing that 2-0 series lead, the Capitals have dropped the past three games and are once again facing questions about seeing a big series lead dissipate into disappointment.

In the conference era, which dates back to 1974-75, only two teams in 41 occasions have won the first two games of a conference final or league semifinal and failed to win the series: the Montreal Canadiens in 1984 and Boston Bruins in 1991.

"It's OK," Washington captain Alex Ovechkin said. "We're going to play better in Game 6 and we have (to) bounce back and come here and play a Game 7 and that's it."

The Capitals are leaning on some of the adversity they have faced this season, including being down 0-2 themselves in the opening round after dropping consecutive home games to open the series against Columbus.

"We kind of had our backs against the wall a couple times this year in this playoffs. We can draw from those experiences," defenseman John Carlson said. "Just got to go out there and play hockey. That's what we do. Just all about upstairs and what you can control. I think if you stay in the moment like we have, we got a pretty good chance of winning.

"I think these guys are a very capable group that is very capable of winning the next game. That's all we're worried about."

History is not on Washington's side, however.

When a series is tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven format, the team which won Game 5 has an all-time series record of 215-55, a 79.6 winning percentage.

But the Lightning are well aware that a 3-2 series lead means the next victory is going to be the hardest to earn.

Twice in the previous three years Tampa Bay has been in this same position in the conference finals. In 2015, they held a 3-2 lead against the New York Rangers heading back home but lost Game 6 before winning in seven games. In 2016, the Lightning were up 3-2 on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the conference finals and lost Game 6 at home and eventually the series in seven games.

Now, they are back in the same situation in 2018, but instead are heading on the road with the chance to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the third time in franchise history.

"We have a lot of unfinished business," Lightning forward Ryan Callahan said. "This isn't even close to being over. This last game's definitely the hardest, against a very, very good Washington team and to go in their building and try to close them out it's going to be tough."

Tampa Bay has been a strong road team in these playoffs, posting a 5-1 record away from home with four consecutive road victories. The Lightning have also never lost a playoff game in Washington in three all-time postseason meetings, which also includes 2003 and 2011, with a 7-0 record.

Yet, all that matters is what Tampa Bay can put forth on Monday.

"We're going to have to match their urgency," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. "The closeout games, potential closeout games, they just seem to bring out the best in everybody. For us, we've had some success when we've gotten the lead. When you do that, you put a little pressure on the other team. Something we'll try and focus on (Monday) night."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Capitals at Lightning
Fri, May 11 Final 4 to 2

GAME 2
Capitals at Lightning
Sun, May 13 Final 6 to 2

GAME 3
Lightning at Capitals
Tue, May 15 Final 4 to 2
Recaps

GAME 4
Lightning at Capitals
Thu, May 17 Final 4 to 2
Recaps

GAME 5
Capitals at Lightning
Sat, May 19 Final 2 to 3
Recaps

GAME 6
Lightning at Capitals
Mon, May 21 - 8:00PM EDT

GAME 7
Capitals at Lightning
Wed, May 23 - 8:00PM EDT

 

[Cnotes53]

Vasilevskiy turns East final around for TB
May 20, 2018

Jon Cooper didn't blame Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Tampa Bay Lightning digging a deep hole early in the Eastern Conference final.

Two games and two losses brought plenty of criticism of the young Russian goaltender. Cooper wasn't thrilled about that.

''The questions were coming from the other side of the table, and I felt it was the questioning of Vasilevskiy,'' the Tampa Bay coach said. ''We don't. He's been the guy for us.''

Vasilevskiy is the guy who turned the series around for the Lightning, who now lead the Capitals 3-2 and can eliminate Washington on the road in Game 6 on Monday night and move on to the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. After a 6.00 goals-against average and .839 save percentage in Games 1 and 2, he has a 2.00 GAA and .943 save percentage since as the series' biggest difference-maker.

''Just tried to stay positive and play my game,'' Vasilevskiy said last week. ''It's very important, especially in the playoffs. Good or bad game, doesn't matter. Turn the page, start over again and again. That's how you get success.''

Vasilevskiy has found plenty of success this season, his first as a full-time NHL starter. The 23-year-old is a Vezina Trophy finalist after leading the league with 44 wins and eight shutouts.

But Vasilevskiy hasn't made it easy on himself. He rarely does.

Cooper saw it during the 2016-17 season when Vasilevskiy struggled during a stretch of 10 consecutive starts when Ben Bishop was hurt and then again late this season when a swoon by him and the entire team almost cost Tampa Bay the East's top seed. Vasilevskiy bounced back strong each time.

''His ability to be able to turn the page now and understand, `You know what there might be a tough night for you, but I'm going to go out the next night anyway and I've got to be there for my team,' - I think that's where his growth process has really come in,'' Cooper said.

The same happened between Games 2 and 3 in this series. The shy Vasilevskiy who has been reluctant to do interviews told a pool reporter he didn't make any adjustments from his worst games against the Capitals to his best.

Somehow, he has looked like an entirely different goalie. Chants of ''Vasy! Vasy!'' filled Amalie Arena in Game 5 on Saturday night when he stopped 28 of 30 shots, and the highest praise was reserved for inside the Lightning's locker room.

''He's a world class goaltender, that's what he does,'' defenseman Braydon Coburn said. ''He battles hard every day in practice all season long, and he's raised his game in the playoffs here.''

No doubt his teammates have improved their play in front of Vasilevskiy, with defenseman Anton Stralman saying: ''We always feel like we owe him.'' But against a star-studded Capitals team led by countrymen Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vasilevskiy had to raise his game to give Tampa Bay any chance.

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said confidence in Vasilevskiy never wavered, and he has showed them on the ice evidence of what they've seen all season.

''He just expects a lot,'' Stamkos said. ''You see his work ethic every day in practice. You guys don't get to see what goes on in the room, but his mental preparation, his physical preparation, he wants to be the best all the time. He doesn't want to give up a goal at all, including in practice. That's the mentality he has and that's why he's so good.''

If the Capitals can crack Vasilevskiy like they did the first two times, there will be a Game 7 on Wednesday night at Tampa Bay. But they'd better figure that out and get an even better game from Braden Holtby because the Lightning are 11-0 in the playoffs when scoring three-plus goals.

That record is thanks to Vasilevskiy, who doesn't like cameras but loves playoff hockey.

''It's definitely a fun time,'' he said. ''Lot of emotions. Different hockey. It's pretty fun to play. Just excitement level is pretty high. A different season.''

 

[Cnotes53]

MONDAY, MAY 21
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TB at WAS 08:00 PM

TB +110

U 6.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Caps shut out Lightning to force Game 7
May 21, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) Facing elimination at home, the Washington Capitals looked determined to hit everything that moved in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final.

The goal was to finish checks on Tampa Bay Lightning players as much as possible, though at one point Devante Smith-Pelly decked Dan Girardi and took teammate Jay Beagle down with him.

''I apologized to him,'' Smith-Pelly said. ''I said sorry. He didn't seem to care.''

Sorry, not sorry.

The Capitals made no apologies for taking the body and grinding out a physical 3-0 victory Monday night that tied the playoff series and set up a deciding Game 7. T.J. Oshie had a goal on the power play and into an empty net, Smith-Pelly scored a back-breaker and Braden Holtby stopped all 24 shots, but it was the bruising style that kept the Capitals alive and could still pay more dividends.

''You've got to wear them down,'' Smith-Pelly said. ''Every game, if guys are going to be playing 25, 30 minutes, it's tough when you're getting hit every single shift. We've been on the body all game and all series. If it shows up in Game 7 where guys are starting to get tired, then it was all worth it.''

Game 7 is Wednesday night at Tampa Bay. The winner faces the Vegas Golden Knights, who are in the Stanley Cup Final in their first season.

Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson and Brooks Orpik led the charge in the grueling Game 6, throwing their bodies around all night like human wrecking balls. Orpik separated Cedric Paquette from the puck twice on one shift, Ovechkin leveled rookie Yanni Gourde and Wilson was his usual self, dishing out a handful of crushing body checks.

The Capitals outhit the Lightning 39-19 and outshot them 34-24, bruising and battering them all over the ice.

''It's desperation, really,'' Orpik said. ''You try to empty the tank as much as you can. That's probably one area where we have an edge is the size and physical play.''

That edge was noticeable in Game 6 when Washington fired up an already-raucous crowd well before Oshie's power-play goal 15:12 into the second period. While Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was again on top of his game in stopping 31 of 33 shots, Orpik said the Capitals wanted to give back to fans for their energy and did so by laying out Lightning players.

From Wilson's big hit on Paquette on his first shift through the time Smith-Pelly scored with 9:58 left, the physical play took a toll on the Lightning, who didn't have the energy left to muster a late comeback. Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos said simply the Capitals ''executed their game plan'' and the Lightning didn't respond.

''They played with that desperate hockey and we should have matched it and we didn't,'' winger Ryan Callahan said. ''They played like their lives were on the line, and we played like we had another chance and that's unfortunate, but we've got to change the script now in Game 7.''

Tampa Bay had no answer for the physicality with a hit disparity coach Jon Cooper chalked up as, ''Somebody was engaged and somebody wasn't.'' The Lightning also couldn't solve Holtby, who was at his best on a handful of deflection attempts to record his first shutout of these playoffs.

''I was just trying to stay in the moment, focus on one puck at a time,'' Holtby said. ''I try and stay the same level through the game.''

The Lightning missed a chance to close out an opponent for the first time in these playoffs. They eliminated New Jersey and Boston in five games apiece but are now on the brink themselves.

The Capitals improved to 10-2 in the Ovechkin/Nicklas Backstrom era when facing elimination any time before Game 7. They're 3-7 in Game 7 over that time but will obviously take their chances after grinding their way back to 3-3 in the series.

''I think it's great that we're close,'' Oshie said. ''I think both teams for the most part figured out what works against the other team. It's just a matter of who's going to play longer, harder and do more of it.''

NOTES: Washington improved to 4-5 at home in the playoffs. The Lightning dropped to 5-2 on the road. ... An assist on Oshie's first goal extended Capitals C Evgeny Kuznetsov's point streak to nine games, tied with Backstrom in 2009 for the longest in franchise playoff history. ... F Andre Burakovsky returned to the Capitals lineup after being a healthy scratch for Game 5, replacing Alex Chiasson.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 23, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Washington Capitals Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena


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

May NHL Record:

05/21/2018 1-1-0 50.00% +0.00
05/20/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +12.00
05/19/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -10.50
05/18/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
05/17/2018 1-0-1 100.00% +5.00
05/16/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
05/15/2018 0-1-1 0.00% -6.00
05/14/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -12.75
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...........10-18-1........35.71%.....-51.25


May Best Bets:

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

05/21/2018.....................0 - 1............-5.00..................1 - 0 - 0 .....+5.00............+0.00
05/20/2018.....................1 - 0............+5.00.................1 - 0 - 0.....+5.00............+10.00
05/19/2018.....................0 - 1.............-5.00.................0 - 1 - 0......-5.50.............-10.50
05/18/2018.....................0 - 1.............-5.50.................0 - 1 - 0......-5.50..............-11.00
05/17/2018.....................1 - 0............+5.00.................0 - 0- 1......+0.00,,,,,,,,,,,,+5.00
05/16/2018.....................1 - 0............+5.00.................0 - 1..........-5.50..............-0.50
05/15/2018.....................0 - 1.............-6.00..................0 - 0 - 1.....-0.00..............-6.00
05/14/2018.....................0 - 0.............-0.00..................0 - 1..........-5.50..............-5.50
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.............................5 - 6.............-4.90................4 - 9 - 2.........-29.00............-34.75

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

Odds on some interesting NFL games this season:

Week 2: Vikings @ Green Bay (-2.5)

Week 3: Cowboys @ Seattle (-1.5)

Week 4: Eagles (-2.5) @ Tennessee

Week 5: Redskins @ New Orleans (-7.5)

Week 6: Chiefs @ New England (-7)

Week 7: Broncos (-1.5) @ Arizona


**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Mid-week musings??.

13) Rockets 95, Warriors 92? Houston held Golden State to 12 4th-quarter points as they evened Wester finals 2-2.

Rockets? PJ Tucker didn?t score a basket (0-4) but he grabbed 16 rebounds and was +7 in 44:08, which means Houston was outscored by 10 points in the 3:52 he sat out.

12) A gutty gambler dropped $50,000 on the Rockets to win the NBA title at 10-1 at the SouthPoint Casino Tuesday. Later on Tuesday, someone put $10,000 on the Rockets to win Game 4, at a +$400 money line.

11) Michigan Wolverines opened as a 7-point underdog at Notre Dame this coming football season; they?re now a 1-point favorite.

10) Tampa Bay Rays brought SS prospect Willie Adames up Tuesday; he got to the ballpark a half hour before the game, but still started and homered off of Chris Sale.

9) On May 22, 1990, the Reds lost 3-1 in 16 innings to the Cubs; Cincy walked Andre Dawson intentionally five times that day.

Who was batting behind Dawson? Former big league manager Lloyd McClendon was 0-6, then Dave Clark went 1-2

Cincinnati wound up winning the World Series that year.

8) Seattle Mariners put CF Dee Gordon (toe) on the DL. Tigers? P Matthew Boyd left with an oblique injury after allowing one hit in four IP at Minnesota.

7) Chargers? TE Hunter Henry tore his ACL, is done for 2018.

6) Reds 7, Pirates 2? Matt Harvey wins his home debut for the Reds, allowing one run in six IP. Devin Mesoraco is playing well for the Mets, so a good trade for both teams.

5) Jets traded QB Christian Hackenberg to Oakland for a 7th-round pick. Hackenberg suited up for five games with the Jets, but never took a snap.

4) Orioles? SS Manny Machado is married to the sister of Indians? 1B Yonder Alonso.

3) Someone didn?t vote for Jayson Tatum on the NBA?s all-rookie team; whoever that is should lose their right to vote.

2) Mets signed OF Jose Bautista not long after the Braves cut him; he batted 5th, and scored the Mets? only run in a 5-1 loss to the Marlins.

1) Super Bowl champ Eagles released starting LB Michael Kendricks Tuesday; he had been with the club the last six seasons.

 

[Cnotes53]

NHL Eastern Confernce Finals Game 7 betting preview and odds: Capitals at Lightning

Washington Capitals at Tampa Bay Lightning (-145, 5.5)

Series tied 3-3.

The Washington Capitals look to put past playoff failures in the rear-view mirror when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night for a deciding Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Capitals, who sit one win away from their first trip to the Stanley Cup finals since 1998 after a 3-0 victory Monday, have a 4-11 record overall and a 1-3 mark on the road all-time in Game 7s while the Lightning are 5-2 (3-0 at home) in deciding contests.

?I don?t think there?s (another) team I?ve ever had that I?d want to go into Game 7 with,? Washington?s Barry Trotz, who has coached 107 playoff contests in his career and 1,524 in the regular season, told reporters. ?This team has done a lot of special things this year. It?s grown. It continues to do that. What an opportunity. ? We?ll see if we can earn the right to keep playing.? While Washington?s superstar Alex Ovechkin looks to take his team to the Cup finals for the first time in his tenure, fellow captain Steven Stamkos of Tampa Bay (four goals in the series) hopes to make it for the second time in four seasons with Vegas awaiting the winner for Game 1 on Monday. The Lightning will have raise their level of play after being outshot by an average of more that 10 per game in the series and take pressure off goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has turned aside 131 of 139 attempts while winning three of the last four contests. ?We wish we would have wrapped it up (Monday),? Tampa Bay right wing Ryan Callahan told reporters. ?At the end of the day, Game 7s are fun. You enjoy it. This is why you battle for home-ice advantage throughout the regular season.?

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

LINE HISTORY: The Lightning opened as -150 moneyline favorites and as of Tuesday night that number is down to -145. The total hit betting boards at 5.5 and has yet to move.

CONSENSUS: Bettors are taking the home favorites with 60 percent of wagers coming on the Lightning. Users are also expecting a high scoring Game 7 with 55 percent of totals selections coming on the Over.

GOALIE SHOWDOWN:
W L OTL GAA Save % SO
Braden Holtby 34 16 4 2.99 .907 0
Andrei Vasilevskiy 44 17 3 2.62 .920 8

INJURY REPORT:

Capitals - No injuries to report.

Lightning - LW Adam Erne (Questionable, Lower Body).

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (28-17-4-1, 28-20 O/U): Washington outhit the Lightning 39-19, many of those leading to its 17 takeaways in Game 6, and defenseman Brooks Orpik told reporters: ?You try to empty the tank as much as you can. That?s probably one area where we have an edge is the size and physical play.? Right wing T.J. Oshie scored two of the three goals Monday and has seven points in the series while Nicklas Backstrom set up a pair of tallies for his first points in three games since returning from a hand injury. Center Evgeny Kuznetsov had an assist Monday to extend his point streak to nine games and has 23 overall - a franchise playoff record.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (35-13-2-0, 29-19 O/U): Tampa Bay has been outshot 209-145 in the series, managing only 24 in Game 6, and have not scored a goal since 33 seconds into the second period of Game 5 on Saturday night. ?We?ve got to execute, that?s part of it,? coach Jon Cooper told reporters. ?People say executing is passing the puck and putting it on the tape. Executing is getting pucks on net, putting them where you can get it back. We just haven?t been near aggressive enough at that.? Right wing Nikita Kucherov, who leads the team with 17 points in the playoffs, and Stamkos each managed one shot on net in Game 6 while combining for a minus-3 rating.

MATCHUP CHART:

TRENDS:

* Capitals are 14-3 in their last 17 road games.
* Lightning are 37-15 in their last 52 home games.
* Under is 2-0-2 in Capitals last 4 overall.
* Under is 4-0-3 in Lightning last 7 following a loss of 3 or more goals.
* Under is 2-0-2 in the last 4 meetings.

 

[Cnotes53]

NHL
Dunkel

Wednesday, May 23


Washington @ Tampa Bay

Game 53-54
May 23, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
13.064
Tampa Bay
12.103
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-150
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+130); Under




NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 23

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

WASHINGTON (60-31-0-9, 129 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (65-28-0-5, 135 pts.) - 5/23/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 9-6 (+4.0 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 9-6-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.9 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

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




NHL

Wednesday, May 23

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

Washington Capitals
Washington is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Washington is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
Washington is 12-1 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
Washington is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Washington is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Tampa Bay
Washington is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games when playing Tampa Bay
Washington is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Washington's last 17 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Tampa Bay is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Washington
Tampa Bay is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing Washington
Tampa Bay is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Tampa Bay's last 17 games when playing at home against Washington

 

[Cnotes53]

Game 7 - Capitals at Lightning
May 22, 2018

The Lightning are looking for their first Stanley Cup appearance since 2015 as they return home to battle the Capitals for Game 7 on Wednesday.

The Capitals stayed alive by shutting out Tampa Bay in Game 6 at home, 3-0 after losing their first two home games in this series to the Lightning.

Tampa Bay last played in a Game 7 in 2016 as the Lightning dropped a 2-1 road decision to the Penguins. The last time the Lightning hosted a Game 7 in the playoffs came in the 2015 playoffs as Tampa Bay blanked Detroit, 2-0 to advance past the opening round.

Washington fell short to Pittsburgh in Game 7 of the conference semifinals, 2-0, while seeking its first Game 7 victory since beating the Islanders in the opening round in 2015.

The Lightning opened as -145 favorites in Game 7, while the Capitals sit at +125 at most sports books. The total is listed at 5.5, but shaded to the 'under' at -115.

Road teams have gone 36-41 in this year?s NHL playoffs, while owning a 5-6 mark in the conference finals.

There have been 169 all-time Game 7?s in the NHL Playoffs and the home squad owns a 98-71 (58.0%) record.

Recent Game 7 History

Washington
2017 Conference Semifinals - Lost to Penguins at home, 2-0
2015 Conference Semifinals - Lost to Rangers on road, 2-1

Tampa Bay
2016 Conference Finals - Lost to Penguins on road, 2-1
2015 Conference Finals - Beat Rangers on road, 2-0

The winning team in eight of the last 14 Game 7's scored just two goals, as eight of those games finished under the total.

NHL Game 7 Playoff History (2012-2018)

2018
Winnipeg Jets 5 at Nashville Predators 1
Toronto Maple Leafs 4 at Boston Bruins 7

2017
Pittsburgh Penguins 2 at Washington Capitals 0
Edmonton Oilers 1 at Anaheim Ducks 2

2016
Tampa Bay Lightning 1 at Pittsburgh Penguins 2
Nashville Predators 0 at San Jose Sharks 5
St. Louis Blues 6 at Dallas Stars 1
Nashville Predators 2 at Anaheim Ducks 1
Chicago Blackhawks 2 at St. Louis Blues 3

2015
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 at New York Rangers 0
Chicago Blackhawks 5 at Anaheim Ducks 3
New York Rangers 2 at Washington Capitals 1
Tampa Bay Lightning 2 at Detroit Red Wings 0
Washington Capitals 2 at New York Islanders 1

2014
Los Angeles Kings 5 at Chicago Blackhawks 4 (OT)
Los Angeles Kings 6 at Anaheim Ducks 2
Montreal Canadiens 3 at Boston Bruins 1
New York Rangers 2 at Pittsburgh Penguins 1
Philadelphia Flyers 3 at New York Rangers 4
Minnesota Wild 5 at Colorado Avalanche 4
Los Angeles Kings 5 at San Jose Sharks 1

2013
New York Rangers 5 at Washington Capitals 0
Toronto Maple Leafs 4 at Boston Bruins 5 (OT)
Detroit Red Wings 3 at Anaheim Ducks 2
Detroit Red Wings 1 at Chicago Blackhawks 2 (OT)
San Jose Sharks 1 at Los Angeles Kings 2

2012
Ottawa Senators 1 at New York Rangers 2
Washington Capitals 2 at Boston Bruins 1 (OT)
New Jersey Devils 3 at Florida Panthers 2 (2OT)
Washington Capitals 1 at New York Rangers 2