puck humpday

[Aces High]

FLORIDA PANTHERS (3-4-2-0) AT PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (3-1-3-1), 7 p.m. -------------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Flyers try to remain unbeaten at home tonight when they welcome the Florida Panthers to the Wachovia Center.

Philadelphia is 2-0-2 on friendly ice thus far, including Monday's 5-0 pounding of Montreal in the second portion of a three-game set. Robert Esche made 20 saves for his first shutout of the campaign, and John LeClair contributed a goal and assist in his return from a broken foot suffered in the preseason.

Michal Handzus, Marcus Ragnarsson and Simon Gagne each added a goal and assist for the Flyers, who snapped a three-game winless streak (0-1-1-1). Tony Amonte tallied as well.

Esche, who notched the team's third shutout of the young season, will likely be between the pipes tonight and hopes to build on Monday's showing. In his first two starts of the season he allowed a total of seven goals.

Philadelphia will visit New Jersey on Thursday for the first meeting of the Atlantic Division rivals.

Florida, meanwhile, has won two of its last three games, including Saturday's 3-2 decision in Atlanta to start a three-game trip. Olli Jokinen posted a goal and an assist to lead the effort for the Panthers, who took a 2-0 lead in the first period. Viktor Kozlov and Mike Van Ryn also scored, while goaltender Steve Shields made 33 saves in his debut with the team.

Jokinen, who broke out with a career season last year, has tallied in three straight games and has four goals and three assists on the season. Kozlov leads the team with eight points (3g, 5a).

Regular starting goaltender Roberto Luongo should be back in net tonight. Luongo, who played the first eight games, has recorded a 1.85 goals-against average and .947 save percentage so far.

Florida will conclude its current venture Thursday in Ottawa.

Philadelphia went 2-1-1 against Florida last season and is 5-1-2 in the last eight meetings. The Panthers, however, are 1-0-2 in their last three trips to the City of Brotherly Love.




RECENT TRENDS
? Under is 7-2-1 in FLA?s last 10 overall.
? FLA is 4-2 ATS in their last six overall.
? Panther?s are 2-6 overall in their last eight.
? Over is 6-3-1 in PHI?s last 10 overall.
? PHI is 3-7 ATS overall this season.
? Over is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings.



Recent Meetings
Date Home Away Line ATS
4/6/2003 Fla. 2 Phi. 6 0.5,-105/5 Phi./O
2/22/2003 Phi. 2 Fla. 4 -0.5,-170/4.5 Fla./O
12/10/2002 Fla. 2 Phi. 5 0.5,-120/5 Phi./O
11/13/2002 Phi. 1 Fla. 1 -0.5,-220/5 Fla./U
4/8/2002 Phi. 4 Fla. 4 -1.5,-120/5 Fla./O
11/10/2001 Fla. 2 Phi. 3 0,210/5 Phi./P
10/13/2001 Fla. 2 Phi. 5 0,220/5.5 Phi./O
10/4/2001 Phi. 5 Fla. 2 0,-280/5.5 Phi./O
4/3/2001 Phi. 1 Fla. 2 -1.5,105/5 Fla./U
1/20/2001 Phi. 5 Fla. 3 -1.5,110/5.5 Phi./O

 

[Aces High]

MIGHTY DUCKS OF ANAHEIM (3-5-1-1) AT WASHINGTON CAPITALS (1-6-1-0), 7 p.m. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The Washington Capitals try to get things moving in the right direction tonight when they welcome the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to MCI Center for the opener of a brief homestand.

Washington has not won since a season-opening 6-1 pounding of the New York Islanders, going 0-6-1 thereafter. The horrendous slide includes an 0-5-1 road trip, which concluded with five straight defeats. During the venture the Capitals were outscored by a combined 24-8 margin.

The trek mercifully came to an end Saturday night in Toronto with a 4-1 setback. Jaromir Jagr netted the lone goal, while Olaf Kolzig finished with 18 saves. Washington surrendered two scores in each of the last two periods.

The woeful trip leaves the Capitals last in the National Hockey League's overall standings with three points, and they have allowed a league-high 29 goals. And to make matters worse, there are already reports that Jagr is butting heads with sophomore head coach Bruce Cassidy over various issues.

Washington will welcome Atlanta on Friday before kicking off a three-game trip Saturday in Minnesota.

Anaheim, meanwhile, is 3-1-1 since losing its first five games of the season. On Tuesday, Martin Gerber made 38 saves to lead the Mighty Ducks to a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Gerber, starting his second consecutive game in place of the struggling Jean-Sebastien Giguere, has allowed just two goals in his last three starts.

Giguere enters Wednesday's action with a bloated 3.14 goals-against average and .893 save percentage in six appearances. That's opposed to a lean 1.23 GAA posted by Gerber to go along with his .960 SP. Spurring the thought of a goaltending controversy, Gerber is expected to be back in there tonight.

Niclas Havelid and Rob Niedermayer each scored power-play goals in Tuesday's win, and Sandis Ozolinsh tallied as well. Sergei Fedorov finished with a pair of assists, his sixth and seventh of the season.

The Ducks opened a six-game road trip Tuesday and will visit the NY Islanders on Saturday.

Anaheim defeated Washington, 3-0, at the Pond last December and has won three of the last four meetings. The Ducks have, however, lost in three of their last five trips to DC.




RECENT TRENDS
? ANA is 6-2 ATS in last eight vs. WASH.
? ANA is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 overall.
? Under is 6-3 in ANA?s last nine overall.
? Cap?s are 2-6 ATS in their last eight overall.
? WAS is 1-8-1 in their last 10 overall.
? Over is 5-2-1 in WAS?s last eight overall.



Recent Meetings
Date Home Away Line ATS
12/11/2002 Ana. 3 Wash. 0 -0.5,-115/5 Ana./U
11/17/2001 Wash. 4 Ana. 1 0,-200/5 Wash./P
10/12/2001 Ana. 2 Wash. 1 0,115/5.5 Ana./U
3/13/2001 Wash. 0 Ana. 2 0,-280/5 Ana./U
2/9/2001 Ana. 3 Wash. 4 0,145/5 Wash./O
10/29/1999 Ana. 5 Wash. 2 0,-155/5 Ana./O
10/19/1999 Wash. 1 Ana. 7 0,-145/5 Ana./O
12/11/1998 Ana. 1 Wash. 0 -0.5,105/5 Ana./U
10/10/1998 Wash. 1 Ana. 0 -0.5,-130/5.5 Wash./U
1/1/1998 Wash. 3 Ana. 2 -0.5,-110/5 Wash./P

 

[Aces High]

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (4-3-0-1) AT PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (1-4-2-0), 7 p.m. ---------------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The New York Islanders try to get back on the winning track this evening when they head to Pittsburgh to face-off with the Penguins at the Igloo.

New York, which routed the Penguins 7-2 on Saturday, lost for only the second time in their last seven (4-2-1) last night as it was blanked 4-0 by the New Jersey Devils. Over its last four games New York has outscored opponents 12-4 in two victories and has been outgunned 7-0 in two defeats.

Rick DiPietro made 23 saves for the Isles, who fell at home for the first time in four games (3-1-0) this season. Garth Snow, who made 19 saves in New York's win on Saturday against the Penguins, will likely be back between the pipes tonight.

The Islanders' best chance at a score came early in the first period when Martin Brodeur made a glove save on Shawn Bates' breakaway attempt just 2:51 into the game.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is in the cellar of the Atlantic with just four points after Saturday's drubbing at the hands of the Islanders. Rico Fata and Aleksey Morozov each scored for the Penguins, who have lost two straight and are winless over their last three (0-2-1).

The Penguins are 0-4-1 this season when they do not score the first goal of the game, and 1-0-1-0 when they initiate the scoring.

Captain Mario Lemieux had an assist, leaving him one point shy of 1,700 for his career. He would be the sixth player in NHL history to reach that plateau, joining Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Mark Messier, Marcel Dionne and Ron Francis.

Lemieux, who is riding a six-game scoring streak, is Pittsburgh's all-time leading scorer versus the Islanders with 50 goals and 77 assists in 69 games played.

New York has dominated this series of late, going 5-0-0-1 in the last six contests. Over the past 15 meetings, New York is 10-4-1 versus the Penguins, and 4-1-1 over its last six in the Steel City.




RECENT TRENDS
? Isl?s are 1-3 ATS in the last four when away.
? Over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
? NYI?s are 6-3-1 ATS in last 10 meetings.
? Pen?s are 1-4-2 in the last seven overall.
? Under is 1-3 overall when PIT is at home.
? PIT ranks 29th in NHL with 3.29 GAA.



Recent Meetings
Date Home Away Line ATS
10/25/2003 NYI 7 Pit. 2 -0.5,-220/5 NYI/O
1/28/2003 NYI 5 Pit. 2 -0.5,-135/5.5 NYI/O
1/7/2003 NYI 6 Pit. 3 -0.5,-125/6 NYI/O
1/4/2003 Pit. 3 NYI 2 -0.5,110/6 Pit./U
12/7/2002 Pit. 3 NYI 6 -0.5,-130/6 NYI/O
11/16/2002 Pit. 2 NYI 3 -0.5,-150/6 NYI/U
3/4/2002 NYI 2 Pit. 4 0,-275/5.5 Pit./O
1/24/2002 NYI 4 Pit. 5 0,-280/5 Pit./O
1/3/2002 NYI 4 Pit. 2 0,-240/5 NYI/O
11/14/2001 Pit. 3 NYI 3 0,125/5 P/O

 

[Aces High]

ST. LOUIS BLUES (5-2-0-0) AT DETROIT RED WINGS (5-3-0-0), 7:30 p.m. -------------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings try to extend their franchise-record home winning streak and improve upon their perfect 4-0 start at home this evening and when they welcome the St. Louis Blues to Joe Louis Arena.

Detroit, which has won a franchise-record 15 consecutive regular-season home games dating back to last season, has outscored opponents 14-5 on its ice this year, but is coming off a 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

Mathieu Schneider scored the lone goal for the Red Wings, who had their two- game winning streak stopped. Dominik Hasek allowed two tallies on 31 shots in the losing effort.

Detroit's last home defeat was a 4-3 overtime loss to Vancouver back on February 18.

The team recalled goaltender Curtis Joseph from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League on Monday. He now joins Hasek and Manny Legace on the Red Wings' roster.

Head coach Dave Lewis has said that Hasek will be in net tonight, but that Joseph could start before the week is out in attempt to showcase the 36-year- old netminder, who is slated to make about $8 million this season.

On the injury front Darren McCarty suffered a broken big toe in the third period of Saturday's loss and missed the rest of the contest. He is expected to play tonight, though

St. Louis , meanwhile, enters tonight's contest on a high note after Brent Johnson posted 26 saves for his 12th career shutout to lead the Blues to a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.

Scott Mellanby tallied the lone goal of the contest for the Blues, who have won four of their last five games.

Mellanby, making his season debut after suffering from fractured ribs, gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead near the very end of the first period. While on the power play, Pavol Demitra skated with the puck behind the Nashville net and slid a nice backhand pass in front. As goalie Tomas Vokoun turned his head back towards the goal mouth, Mellanby found the loose puck at the right post and pounded it home with just three seconds remaining.

Detroit won all five matchups against the Blues last season and is 12-2-3 in the last 17 and 13-3-3 in the last 19 meetings. St. Louis has also lost three straight and seven of its last eight in the Motor City.

Over their last 17 trips to Detroit, the Blues have posted a 2-13-2 mark.




RECENT TRENDS
? Blues?s are 5-2 ATS in their last seven overall.
? STL ranks 4th in NHL with 2.00 GAA.
? Under is 6-1-1 in STL?s last eight overall.
? DET is 4-0 ATS at home.
? Wing?s are 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
? Over is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings.



Recent Meetings
Date Home Away Line ATS
3/29/2003 StL. 2 Det. 6 0.5,-135/5.5 Det./O
3/22/2003 StL. 2 Det. 4 0.5,-125/5.5 Det./O
3/7/2003 Det. 7 StL. 2 -0.5,-180/5.5 Det./O
12/31/2002 Det. 5 StL. 1 -0.5,-120/5.5 Det./O
12/8/2002 Det. 4 StL. 3 -0.5,-160/5.5 Det./O
5/11/2002 Det. 4 StL. 0 0,-260/5 Det./U
5/9/2002 StL. 3 Det. 4 0,115/5 Det./O
5/7/2002 StL. 6 Det. 1 0,115/5 StL./O
5/4/2002 Det. 3 StL. 2 0,-240/5 Det./P
5/2/2002 Det. 2 StL. 0 0,-230/5 Det./U

 

[Aces High]

CALGARY FLAMES (4-4-0-0) AT DALLAS STARS (5-4-0-0), 8:30 p.m. -------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The Dallas Stars try for their second consecutive win tonight when they welcome the Calgary Flames to the AmericanAirlines Center.

On Saturday, Rob DiMaio scored with 2:24 left in the third period to lift Dallas to a 3-2 win over Columbus. Jason Arnott and Philippe Boucher also scored for the Stars, who rallied in the third period to snap a two-game losing streak. Bill Guerin contributed three assists, while Arnott added one.

Marty Turco stopped 25 shots for Dallas, which trailed 1-0 after the second. It later forged a 2-2 tie with 6:36 remaining in the third period, as Boucher beat Marc Denis with a high shot from the right faceoff circle.

All the news was not good, however, as winger Brendan Morrow left after the second period with a headache. He is expected to be back in the lineup tonight.

Dallas is off to a 3-2 start at home this season after losing just five regulation games at the AAC in 2002-03.

Calgary, meanwhile, suffered its second loss in three games on Tuesday when it found itself on the wrong end of a 4-2 decision against the Colorado Avalanche.

Martin Gelinas scored both goals for the Flames, who have lost three of their last five and are 4-4 on the season. Jamie McLennan stopped just 15 shots to fall to 4-2 on the year.

With just 15 goals in eight games, the Flames are tied with San Jose for the fewest in the Western Conference.

Following tonight's contest Calgary will return home to the Saddledome, where the team will play its next three games beginning with a contest against Columbus on Saturday.

Calgary could have the advantage tonight, as the road team in this series is 4-2-4 over the last 10 matchups. The Flames are also 3-1-3 in their last seven trips to Dallas.



RECENT TRENDS
? Over is 3-1 in the Flame?s last four when away.
? CAL is 5-2-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.
? The Flames PK ranks 28th in NHL at 80.0.
? Under is 3-1 when the Stars are at home.
? Under is 5-2-1 in DAL?s last seven overall.
? Three of the last five meetings have been ties.



Recent Meetings
Date Home Away Line ATS
3/27/2003 Cal. 2 Dal. 1 0.5,150/5 Cal./U
2/19/2003 Dal. 1 Cal. 1 -0.5,-240/5 Cal./U
1/29/2003 Dal. 4 Cal. 1 -0.5,-240/5 Dal./P
10/24/2002 Cal. 3 Dal. 3 0.5,-115/5.5 Cal./O
3/28/2002 Cal. 2 Dal. 2 0,115/5 P/U
12/14/2001 Dal. 3 Cal. 4 0,-220/5 Cal./O
11/29/2001 Cal. 0 Dal. 3 0,-110/5 Dal./U
10/13/2001 Dal. 3 Cal. 4 0,-300/5 Cal./O
4/2/2001 Dal. 4 Cal. 4 0,-280/5 P/O
3/31/2001 Cal. 0 Dal. 2 0,150/5 Dal./U

 

[ddubs]

Good luck tonite, Aces

 

[Aces High]

gotta run out 4 awhile, back later.

thought i'd have more time to post in pucks since the yanks &*%*in' lost, but here comes bball breathin down my neck last nite.

great job by the forum the last few dayz, especially ddubs, chenker, and horns. :clap:

 

[homerh]

Good luck tonite
Thanks for the posts

 

[ND2002HORNS]

Thanks buddy! GL tonight Ace!

HORNS

 

[Penguinfan]

Again, love all the info!

Penguinfan

 

[Aces High]

caps - 1/2 - 125 {3x}

under 4 1/2 fla/phl + 110 {2x}

pens + 140 {2x}

pens + 1/2 -110 {3x}

under 5 stl/det + 110 {2x}

under 25 gs - 105 {2x}


PUCK THE MAN :chairshot

 

[ND2002HORNS]

Your Flyers look real good tonight!

HORNS