PREMIUM
Rogers' SURE SHOT SPECTACULAR >> 6-3 L2 Days! 3-1 Wednesday!
(NHL) Ottawa vs. Minnesota,
03/30/2017 4:00 PM, Score: 1 - 5
Money Line: -150.00 Minnesota (Home)
Result: Win
Money Line: -150.00 Minnesota (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: The 41-25-9 Ottawa Senators lost 3-2 in a shootout at Philadelphia on Tuesday and head to Minnesota having gone 2-3-3 in their last eight games. The 44-24-8 Minnesota Wild are also slumping, having dropped back-to-back outings in overtime. They have mow lost four in a row and gone 1-7-2 over their last 10. Both are in the playoffs but neither can be comfortable by the way they are ending the regular season.
Ottawa: The loss to the Flyers leaves the Senators four points behind the first-place Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division race. Th loss was costly, because the Senators saw a pair of one-goal leads evaporate quickly. Flyers center Jordan Weal not only scored the shootout winner but also tied the game late in the third when he pick-pocketed Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson behind the net and beat Anderson to the crease for an easy goal. "We had the game at 2-1," Senators head coach Guy Boucher said. "If there's no mistake, it stays 2-1 and everybody's happy. But we're not going to look at this as, 'Oh, our goalie made this gigantic mistake.' It happens. For all the saves he's made this year, and all the times he's made us win a game, he gave us a point tonight."
Minnesota: The Wild limited the explosive Washington Capitals to just 20 shots on goal and rallied with a pair of goals in the final 4:57 to force overtime. With goaltender Devan Dubnyk pulled for an extra attacker, Wild center Eric Staal scored his team-leading 27th goal to tie the game with 26.6 seconds left. However, the Caps won 5-4 in OT. Dubnyk has seen his bid for a Vezina Trophy tarnished by a disastrous 2-7-2 mark and 3.31 goals-against average since March 6. He's in in dire need of a breather and head coach Bruce Boudreau is hoping Alex Stalock, who has been recalled from Iowa of the American Hockey League, will provide one. Stalock will start Thursday's home game against the Senators, his first NHL game since Feb.16th.
The pick: The Wild are safely in second place in the Central Division, nine points behind the Chicago Blackhawks but seven ahead of the Nashville Predators. Stalock has a 2.31 goals-against average and .924 save percentage in 45 games for Iowa and is 24-19-7 with a 2.37 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and four shutouts in 62 career NHL games during parts of five seasons with the Sharks (2010-16). Make Minnesota, 24-12-2 at home, an 8* play.
Ottawa: The loss to the Flyers leaves the Senators four points behind the first-place Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division race. Th loss was costly, because the Senators saw a pair of one-goal leads evaporate quickly. Flyers center Jordan Weal not only scored the shootout winner but also tied the game late in the third when he pick-pocketed Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson behind the net and beat Anderson to the crease for an easy goal. "We had the game at 2-1," Senators head coach Guy Boucher said. "If there's no mistake, it stays 2-1 and everybody's happy. But we're not going to look at this as, 'Oh, our goalie made this gigantic mistake.' It happens. For all the saves he's made this year, and all the times he's made us win a game, he gave us a point tonight."
Minnesota: The Wild limited the explosive Washington Capitals to just 20 shots on goal and rallied with a pair of goals in the final 4:57 to force overtime. With goaltender Devan Dubnyk pulled for an extra attacker, Wild center Eric Staal scored his team-leading 27th goal to tie the game with 26.6 seconds left. However, the Caps won 5-4 in OT. Dubnyk has seen his bid for a Vezina Trophy tarnished by a disastrous 2-7-2 mark and 3.31 goals-against average since March 6. He's in in dire need of a breather and head coach Bruce Boudreau is hoping Alex Stalock, who has been recalled from Iowa of the American Hockey League, will provide one. Stalock will start Thursday's home game against the Senators, his first NHL game since Feb.16th.
The pick: The Wild are safely in second place in the Central Division, nine points behind the Chicago Blackhawks but seven ahead of the Nashville Predators. Stalock has a 2.31 goals-against average and .924 save percentage in 45 games for Iowa and is 24-19-7 with a 2.37 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and four shutouts in 62 career NHL games during parts of five seasons with the Sharks (2010-16). Make Minnesota, 24-12-2 at home, an 8* play.
