Friday 1/8/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

French Ligue 1 TODAY 19:30

Paris St-G.

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Bastia

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT PARIS ST-G.	RECENT FORM
AWHWHWHWAWAW*​ Most recent​	2 - 0 4 - 0 3 - 1 2 - 1	ADHWHLADHWAW*​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored five goals in his last three league games

EXPERT VERDICT: PSG simply can’t be opposed in Ligue 1 at present and bookmakers understandably make the champions a short price. The Parisians have won 16 of their 19 league games this season and they are starting to eye up an unbeaten campaign. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been in fine form and he looks a likely first goalscorer.

RECOMMENDATION: Z Ibrahimovic first goalscorer
1

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup TODAY 19:55

Exeter

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Liverpool

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT EXETER	RECENT FORM
HDHWHLALHLHL​ Most recent​	1 - 3 0 - 6	HDALHWAWALAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Exeter have won two of their last ten home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: You never quite know what to expect from Liverpool, but it’s hard to see them slipping up when they visit out-of-form mid-table League Two side Exeter. The Reds may have to bide their time, however, as their hosts will set up to frustrate and Jurgen Klopp is likely to make a raft of changes to his line-up.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw-Liverpool double result
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[superbeets]

English FA Cup Sa 9Jan 12:45

Wycombe

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Aston Villa

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WYCOMBE	RECENT FORM
AWHDHWAWHWHL​ Most recent​	3 - 8 0 - 5	ADHLADHDALAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Aston Villa have won twice in 23 matches this season

EXPERT VERDICT: With just two wins all season and confidence on the floor, Aston Villa just have to be taken on at short odds. Wycombe’s run of five matches without defeat came to an end at home to Morecambe on Saturday and the Chairboys have peformed better on the road but can at least force a replay.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
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[superbeets]

Italian Serie A Sa 9Jan 17:00

Fiorentina

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Lazio

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT FIORENTINA	RECENT FORM
HWHWALHLHWAW​ Most recent​	0 - 2 0 - 1 2 - 0 1 - 2	HLADHDHWAWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Lazio have lost six of their seven games against currently teams above them

EXPERT VERDICT: A 2-1 win away at Serie A leaders Inter before Christmas was a rare positive performance in a big game from Lazio, who failed to register a shot on target in Wednesday’s 0-0 bore draw with Carpi. Free-flowing Fiorentina are playing some cracking football with Josip Ilicic scoring five goals in his last four league matches.

RECOMMENDATION: J Ilicic first goalscorer
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[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga Sa 9Jan 17:15

Seville

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Ath Bilbao

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SEVILLE	RECENT FORM
HWHWADHWALAW​ Most recent​	2 - 0 1 - 1 2 - 1 1 - 2	ALHWHWAWHDHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Seville have won their last six home games

EXPERT VERDICT: Seville have managed greater consistency over the last month or so but they face an Athletic Bilbao outfit who have also got their act together after a tricky period. The hosts usually do the business at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan but they may have to settle for their first draw of the season against lively Athletic.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
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[superbeets]

English FA Cup Sa 9Jan 17:30

Man Utd

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Sheff Utd

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN UTD	RECENT FORM
ALALHLALHDHW​ Most recent​	2 - 0 3 - 0 2 - 1 2 - 0	ADHWHWAWHWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Man United have won just one of their last five home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester United drew with Chelsea and followed up with a gritty win against Swansea last weekend but it’s too soon to tell if they have turned a corner and Sheffield United could give Louis van Gaal another headache. The Blades have a strong cup pedigree in recent seasons and look value to force a replay.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Ducks land G Tokarski from Canadiens
By The Sports Xchange

The Montreal Canadiens dealt goaltender Dustin Tokarski to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for left winger Max Friberg, the clubs announced on Thursday.
Tokarski, 26, had a 1-3-0 record and 3.19 goals-against average with Montreal this season. He has played in 33 career NHL games over parts of five seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Canadiens and is 10-12-0 with a 2.85 GAA.
Friberg, 23, has played in six career NHL games. He had 17 points - five goals, 12 assists - with the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League this season.
Friberg will be assigned to the St. John's IceCaps of the AHL. He was Anaheim's fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft.
Tokarski was a fifth-round pick in 2008 by Tampa Bay.

---The New Jersey Devils placed forward Mike Cammalleri on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, the club announced.
Cammalleri was spotted recently with an ice bag on his right wrist and forearm. The team has not confirmed that is the area of the injury.
Cammalleri, 33, leads the Devils with 35 points and has 14 goals and 21 assists. He was placed on injured reserve retroactively to Dec. 30.

---The Boston Bruins placed defenseman Adam McQuaid on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and recalled forward David Pastrnak from the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League.
McQuaid was injured in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals. He was skating after a loose puck in the Boston zone when Washington's Zach Still drove McQuaid's forehead into the glass.
McQuaid has appeared in 38 games for the Bruins with one goal and five assists for six points with a plus-six rating. Pastrnak, 19, has appeared in 10 games with Boston this season, registering two goals and two assists for four points with eight penalty minutes.

---Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers and New Jersey Devils forward Bobby Farnham were fined by the NHL for recent incidents of diving/embellishment, the league announced.
Both players were fined $2,000 for the offenses - their second citations of the season. The rule is aimed at punishing players who repeatedly dive and embellish while trying to draw penalties.
Ehlers was fined for an incident on Dec. 29 against the Detroit Red Wings. Farnham's offense occurred on Dec. 30 against the Ottawa Senators.

---The San Jose Sharks recalled goaltender Alex Stalock from the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League, the club announced.
San Jose also reassigned goaltender Troy Grosenick to San Jose. Grosenick was previously with the Barracuda on a conditioning assignment.
Stalock, 28, is 2-5-0 with a 2.98 goals-against average in 10 games with the Sharks this season and is 23-19-5 with a 2.34 GAA in 59 career NHL games. Grosenick, 26, is 1-1 with a 1.53 GAA in two career NHL games.

---The Colorado Avalanche waived former first-round pick defenseman Brandon Gormley.
The 23-year-old Gormley was the 13th overall pick in 2010 by the Phoenix Coyotes. He was acquired this offseason in exchange for defenseman Stefan Elliot.
The former Quebec League standout appeared in just 26 games for Colorado.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (18-14) at Devils (18-16)

Date: January 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Boston Bruins have won once in six games since beating the New Jersey Devils almost three weeks ago.

Armed with a sense of urgency, the Bruins might have a good opportunity to halt that slide by extending their road success and recording a fifth consecutive victory over the Devils on Friday night.

Boston (20-14-4) has gone 1-5-0 since a 2-1 shootout home victory over New Jersey on Dec. 20 gave it 11 wins in a 15-game stretch. Four of the most recent five defeats came in five games at home, including the Winter Classic in nearby Foxborough, leaving the Bruins at 9-11-2 on home ice.

They're allowing 3.05 goals per game at home compared to 2.31 on the road.

Boston begins a five-game Eastern Conference trip against the Devils (20-16-5), whom they've defeated in 16 of the last 19 meetings and seven of nine at New Jersey. The Bruins have allowed five goals during a four-game winning streak in the series.

"It is a big road trip coming up, and we have to approach it that way," coach Claude Julien told the Bruins' official website. "I'm hoping that our group here is going to be ready for that challenge.

"There's no reason for us to not have the confidence, with the record that we have on the road, and hopefully, we can have that and go out there and prove that we've still got a good road team."

Boston has been held to two or fewer goals five times in seven games and given up at least three goals in five straight. The Bruins hung tough against the East's top team Tuesday but dropped their second in a row, 3-2 against Washington.

"It's tough because we're so committed to winning and looking at results," defenseman Torey Krug said. "But at this point in the season, we've got to start fine-tuning our game and trying to come away with points because our standings are so tight.

"So we'll move on and we'll take the positives, whatever it is, and just carry it into the next one."

Tuukka Rask, who watched backup Jonas Gustavsson make 29 saves against the Devils last month, is expected to be back in net on the road where he's 7-2-2 with a 1.85 goals-against average.

Including a goal against the Devils, Loui Eriksson has three and six assists in nine games. He's recorded three goals and four assists in a five-game point streak at New Jersey.

The Devils have allowed seven goals in five contests, but they've managed one goal while losing two straight. Adam Henrique scored early in the third period Wednesday cut the deficit to one at Montreal, but New Jersey fell 2-1.

"We'll find a way to regroup and make sure we're prepared to play against Boston," coach John Hynes told the NHL's official website.

Hynes is uncertain if leading scorer Mike Cammalleri will miss a fourth straight game with an upper-body injury.

Cory Schneider, named an All-Star on Wednesday, has posted a 1.26 GAA in the last four games. He made 38 saves while dropping his fourth straight start to Boston last month.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (13-23) at Hurricanes (16-18)

Date: January 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Columbus Blue Jackets believe they've found the ideal defenseman to help improve a club that's allowed the most goals in the NHL.

Projected to be a fixture in Columbus for many years, Seth Jones is expected to make his debut for the visiting Blue Jackets on Friday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Though coach John Tortorella has brought a more defensive-minded approach since replacing the fired Todd Richards after an 0-7-0 start, Columbus has yielded 130 non-shootout goals while recording a league-low 33 points.

In an effort to upgrade their play in the defensive end, the Blue Jackets (15-23-3) acquired the 21-year-old Jones from Nashville on Wednesday for former All-Star forward Ryan Johansen.

"It addresses our biggest need - short term and long term," general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. "We've been looking for a D-man for a while, and to get a D-man of this caliber, obviously, you have to give up a lot."

The fourth overall pick in 2013 and son of former NBA player Popeye Jones, the third-year blueliner recorded 15 goals, 48 assists and averaged 19:44 minutes in 199 games while playing in the shadows of top-tier defenders Shea Weber and Roman Josi in Nashville. However, the 6-foot-4, 208-pound Jones immediately vaults to the top of the defensive pairings in Columbus.

"They told me that I should be prepared for a few more minutes than I've been playing in Nashville, and a little more opportunity on the power play and the penalty kill," said Jones, who's averaging a career-high 2:25 minutes of power-play ice time. "I'm very excited for that role I'm going to get and I think I'm ready. They've made it pretty clear they're going to throw a little more at me than I'm used to getting."

With the emergence of third-year center Boone Jenner, the addition of Brandon Saad and some potentially solid depth at forward, the Blue Jackets felt ready to deal the 23-year-old Johansen. Both the team and Johansen, who had a career-high 71 points last season, said the move had nothing to do with any problems he may have had with Tortorella.

"This is something we felt we needed to address," Kekalainen said. "We've been looking for a defenseman for a long time. (Jones) is a defenseman that can be a No. 1, No. 2 defenseman."

The Blue Jackets would like to see an immediate return after allowing 24 goals while losing four of six. After being outscored 13-6 during a recent three-game road stretch, Columbus tries to avoid matching a season high with its fourth consecutive defeat away from home.

Its only victory in four meetings last season with the Hurricanes (16-18-7) came 4-3 in a shootout at Carolina on March 10.

Paced by a unit comprised of six American-born defensemen, the Hurricanes have allowed 18 goals in the last 10 games. However, they've scored 17 while going 4-4-2. Carolina has killed 25 of 27 penalties in the last 13 games but is 0 for 14 on the power play in the past eight.

After totaling one goal in overtime losses to Nashville and Edmonton, the Hurricanes fell 3-2 at Vancouver on Wednesday.

"I don't like losses," coach Bill Peters said. "They all feel the same to me."

Jordan Staal had a goal with an assist after recording one point in the previous seven contests.

Defenseman Justin Faulk leads the Hurricanes with 30 points but has none in a season-high five consecutive games. He had three goals with two assists against the Blue Jackets last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sabres (14-21) at Blackhawks (24-13)

Date: January 08, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The last three of the Chicago Blackhawks' five straight wins have been due in large part to defense. That doesn't bode well for a Buffalo Sabres team that's seen its offense dry up during a five-game losing streak.

The Blackhawks try for their ninth consecutive victory and sixth in a row at home in the series as they continue a four-game stretch at United Center on Friday night.

Chicago (25-13-4) defeated Pittsburgh for the second consecutive night Wednesday, winning 3-1 behind a second straight two-goal game from rookie Artemi Panarin and 17 saves from backup Scott Darling. The Blackhawks have given up three goals in the past three victories after allowing eight in first two of their streak.

"We're playing a little bit better in our own end, keeping pucks to the outside, defensive zone puck management ... so I think we're pretty pleased right now," forward Andrew Desjardins said.

Chicago allowed 31 shots Wednesday, but had 37 itself and had given up 26 or fewer in the previous three games. The club has outshot four consecutive opponents.

The offense was handled for the second straight night by Panarin, who leads NHL rookies with 15 goals and 38 points. He managed two goals in his previous 13 before getting two in a 3-2 win Tuesday and turning in an identical performance Wednesday.

"We knew he was a special player right from the outset," linemate Patrick Kane told the team's official website. "Couple (of) big games by him (and) a couple huge goals. I'm sure you'll see that more as his career goes on (with) the Blackhawks, and he'll get even more accommodated here in the United States and everything like that. He'll become a better player. Sky's the limit for that kid."

Kane assisted on Panarin's first goal Wednesday for his league-leading 60th point of the season. He has two goals and eight assists on a five-game point streak.

Kane has scored a goal in four straight meetings with the Sabres, who appear to be badly overmatched. Outscored 18-7 during its five-game skid, Buffalo (15-21-4) has given up 31 goals and scored 17 during its 0-7-1 stretch in this series.

The Sabres preceded their overall losing streak with a 4-1-1 span and totaled nine goals in the final two victories, but they've gone back to playing like one of the worst offensive teams in the league. They were dominated by Atlantic Division-leading Florida on Tuesday, falling 5-1 to complete a three-game homestand.

"I don't think our pushback was there in the third period where it needed to be," coach Dan Bylsma said. "They got the third goal, and I thought we really sagged after that."

The lone goal came from Ryan O'Reilly on the power play, and Buffalo has gone 4 for 14 in the last three games after an 0-for-21 stretch in the previous seven.

O'Reilly, with two goals in his past three contests to give him 16 on the season, was chosen Wednesday to represent the Sabres in the All-Star Game.

"He's our leader. He's our go-to guy right now," rookie center Jack Eichel told the team's official website.

Chicago's Corey Crawford, expected to return to the net Thursday, has given up two goals over his last two starts. He's won all six career starts against the Sabres with a 1.82 goals-against average.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lightning (17-17) at Oilers (14-21)

Date: January 08, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Tampa Bay Lightning make no excuses for underachieving through the first half of the season. Whether they're able to do something about it remains to be seen.

Trying to avoid a fourth defeat in five games Friday night, the Lightning look to end their struggles in Edmonton against an Oilers team that's played well at home.

After hoping to build on last season's run to the Stanley Cup Final, Tampa Bay (19-17-4) approaches its halfway mark outside of playoff position in the Eastern Conference. Hampered by an offense ranked in the league's bottom half with an average of 2.48 goals, the Lightning have not won more than three in a row.

They'll try to bounce back from opening a four-game western trip with Tuesday's 3-1 loss at Calgary.

"Definitely something's got to change," said defenseman Anton Stralman, who continues to do his part with eight points in nine games. "Right now we have the talent, we have the energy. We're just not going out and executing and working hard enough. It's got to be a mindset."

It hasn't helped that the future of 2013 third overall pick Jonathan Drouin within the organization continues to be distraction. The underachieving forward requested a trade after being assigned to Syracuse of the AHL last weekend.

"It's frustrating, but no one's feeling sorry for us right now," said star forward Steven Stamkos, who scored his team-leading 17th goal Tuesday. "We can't sit here and pout. We've got to do something about it. We can't just keep saying the right things - we've got to do it. It starts with me. I've got to be better."

Tied for the team lead with 30 points and named an All-Star for the fourth time, Stamkos has six goals in eight games, but his longest point streak is three in a row.

Despite killing all 18 penalties over its last seven games, Tampa Bay has yielded at least three goals in three of four. Ben Bishop, who joins Stamkos as an All-Star selection, has a 2.63 goals-against average - .57 higher than his season GAA - while dropping three straight.

Bishop was in net as the Lightning dropped their fourth in a row at Edmonton, 3-2 on Oct. 20, 2014.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the go-ahead goal in that contest, and he also has four assists in five games against Tampa Bay. He recorded his fifth assist in five games on Andrej Sekera's goal 2:47 into overtime of Monday's 1-0 win over Carolina.

Though last in the West with 37 points, the Oilers (17-21-3) have won nine of 11 at home and two straight after opening a six-game homestand with back-to-back defeats.

"It means a lot to get these two points ... and to build some momentum in our own rink," said Cam Talbot, who made 29 saves for his first shutout with the Oilers. "Just the way the team has been playing in our own end, it's a confidence boost for everyone."

Although Talbot has been strong with a 1.79 GAA in his last six starts, Edmonton is 1 for 19 on the power play while scoring 14 non-shootout goals in its last eight games.

Stamkos has five goals in seven games against the Oilers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (17-14) at Avalanche (20-18)

Date: January 08, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

As Ryan Johansen looks to make a fresh start in Nashville, the Predators hope they've finally found the top-line center they've desired.

Trying to spark a Predators team that's been middling offensively, Johansen expects to debut for Nashville against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.

Nashville (19-14-7) ranks 18th in the NHL with 2.55 goals per game and has averaged 2.22 in its last 23 contests. Needing a boost, the Predators acquired Johansen from Columbus on Wednesday for third-year defenseman Seth Jones, who immediately becomes the Blue Jackets' No. 1 blueliner.

"It was a steep price to pay," Predators general manager David Poile said of swapping former No. 4 overall picks. "But having Ryan Johansen at center ice with the defense that we have, our top four still being intact, I think that is a better balance for our club because it's a better chance to win on a nightly basis.

"We accomplished something that we haven't been able to in 18 years of our history, and that's to acquire a No. 1 center."

The 23-year-old Johansen scored 59 goals the previous two seasons and had a career-high 71 points in 2014-15, but he's endured a rough first half with six goals and 20 assists in 38 games. He was benched in John Tortorella's first game as Columbus coach Oct. 21, as well as last month against Arizona and at Florida on Dec. 27.

'The first half obviously hasn't been how I drew it up," said Johansen, who has gone 15 games without a goal. "But I got a chance now to really get my game back on track.'

The Blue Jackets and Johansen said the move had nothing to do with his relationship with Tortorella, and the fifth-year player is eager to contribute to his new club.

"I want that jersey on as soon as possible and start the new chapter I guess," said Johansen, who has two goals and two assists in his last five games against Colorado. "We'll go have some fun."

The Predators haven't experienced much enjoyment during a 1-2-1 stretch. They've totaled four goals in the last three games and fell 4-1 to Winnipeg on Tuesday despite a 44-18 shot advantage. Nashville is 9-12-4 when outshooting opponents.

'(Tuesday) night was certainly typical of our year," Poile said.

Nashville outshot Colorado 36-25 on Dec. 12, but Semyon Varlamov made 34 saves in the Avalanche's 3-2 road win. Two points behind the Predators in the Central Division, the surging Avs are anxious to mix it up again.

'It should be exciting to catch Nashville,' said coach Patrick Roy, whose club has gone 8-2-2 in its last 12 and 11-4-2 in 17. "It's pretty good what our guys have been doing lately.'

Nathan MacKinnon scored the tying goal with 1:29 remaining in the third and Gabriel Landeskog scored with 16.5 seconds left in overtime to give the Avs a 4-3 victory over St. Louis on Wednesday. Colorado (20-18-3) has won two straight at the Pepsi Center for the third time this season.

"I think our guys are having fun coming to the rink," Roy said. "It was a tough start, and now we're playing some good hockey, which is exciting for every one of us."

Tied for the team lead with 34 points and second with 14 goals, MacKinnon snapped a 10-game home goal drought Wednesday. He has one goal and seven assists in nine games against Nashville.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (21-14) at Ducks (15-16)

Date: January 08, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

A visit to the Anaheim Ducks isn't the ideal situation for the St. Louis Blues as they try to avoid their longest losing streak in nearly two years.

That's because St. Louis heads into Friday night's matchup with nine straight defeats in Anaheim and two wins in its last 22 there.

The Blues (23-14-6) are also coming off back-to-back games in which they blew big leads, both part of a four-game slide that's their longest since dropping the final six games of the 2013-14 season.

St. Louis allowed three unanswered goals in a 3-2 overtime loss to Ottawa on Monday before opening a three-game trip Wednesday against Colorado, again wasting a two-goal lead and giving up three straight scores in a 4-3 defeat in overtime.

"You've got a one-goal or two-goal lead on the road, that's time to batten down the hatches," center David Backes told the team's official website.

The Blues have outshot opponents 150-127 during the four-game skid, which started with them scoring once in each of the first two.

"There was a lot of good play again, but it's not being rewarded with goals," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We're not closing off games. We're going through that phase where we've got to show more composure and close off games."

St. Louis was able to finish off a 2-1 win Oct. 29 in the first meeting with the Ducks (16-16-7) as rookie defenseman Colton Parayko put the team ahead with 9:29 left in the third period.

However, it's been a different story in Anaheim. The Blues have been outscored 33-17 in dropping nine straight visits in regulation and are 2-18-1 with one tie there since the beginning of the 2002-03 season.

The Ducks fell 4-0 to visiting Toronto on Wednesday and lost All-Star goaltender John Gibson early in the third with a lower-body injury following a collision.

Gibson, 8-5-2 with a 1.76 goals-against average while playing in 16 of 18 games since being recalled from San Diego of the AHL on Nov. 24, practiced Thursday.

Still, the Ducks went out and acquired a goaltender, sending left wing Max Friberg to Montreal for Dustin Tokarski on Thursday. Tokarski, 10-12-5 with a 2.85 GAA in 33 career appearances with Tampa Bay and the Canadiens, played in six games this season.

Goaltending, though, hasn't been the problem for Anaheim. It was shut out a league-high eighth time Wednesday and is last in the NHL with 1.85 goals per game after averaging 2.78 last season, when it lost in seven games to Chicago in the Western Conference finals.

The Ducks were on a 4-0-1 surge in which they allowed four goals before the Maple Leafs matched that total.

"We stopped playing the way we normally do, or have done in the last little bit," forward Corey Perry said. "It's all about sticking with the process and game plan. It works, but when you get away from it, it doesn't."

Vladimir Tarasenko also scored in the first meeting for the Blues and has two goals and two assists in his last three games. Tarasenko, named an All-Star on Wednesday, is among the league leaders with 24 goals and 43 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - January

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
1/1 2 10.5 9 UNDER
1/2 12 61.5 63 OVER
1/3 4 21 22 OVER
1/4 5 27 17 UNDER
1/5 8 43.5 46 OVER
1/6 5 26.5 23 UNDER
1/7 7 38.5 29 UNDER
1/8 6 - - -
1/9 10 - - -
1/10 6 - - -
1/11 4 - - -
1/12 8 - - -
1/13 4 - - -
1/14 8 - - -
1/15 6 - - -
1/16 10 - - -
1/17 7 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 3 - - -
1/21 10 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 11 - - -
1/24 5 - - -
1/25 6 - - -
1/26 9 - - -
1/27 4 - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 No games scheduled - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews

Unless you have lived in south Florida for a couple of decades, you probably only considered the Florida Panthers franchise relevant once in its history: the 1995-96 season when the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Finals. That team, led by goalie John Vanbiesbrouck and forwards Scott Mellanby and Rob Niedermayer, was swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Finals, but hockey was a big deal in Miami then (not any longer).

You may remember fans there throwing rubber rats on the ice every time Florida scored. How did a rat become synonymous with that 1995-96 team? On the night of the home opener, a rat scurried across the team's locker room. Mellanby reacted by one-timing the rat against the wall, killing it. That night, he scored two goals, which Vanbiesbrouck called "a rat trick." It caught on immediately and then really took off in the postseason.

The Panthers have made the playoffs just three times since then and not won a series, last losing the conference quarterfinals in 2012. But entering Tuesday, the Panthers are atop the Atlantic Division with 50 points and are the story of the early NHL season. They were 11-3-0 in December and took a franchise-record nine-game winning streak into Tuesday's game at Buffalo, which starts a six-game road trip ( Panthers are -130 favorites). Center Dave Bolland, Florida's highest-paid forward at $5.5 million per season, will not travel with the team. He likely won't return until after the All-Star break.

Florida is the fourth team to win nine straight this season; the Capitals, Canadiens and Rangers all failed to reach 10. Florida is on pace for 105 points after ending with 91 last season.

Ageless Jaromir Jagr, 43, leads the team in goals (13) and points (28). He is just six goals away from tying Brett Hull's 741, which ranks third on the NHL's all-time list. Jagr was voted a captain by the fans for the Atlantic Division All-Star team, although Jagr has admitted he would rather spend the time off in the Bahamas. Hey, who wouldn't rather be there than Nashville in January? Before voting was finalized, Jagr joked that he'd die if he had to play the new 3-on-3 format with some of the game's biggest stars. Goalie Roberto Luongo also is having a fine season with a 17-11-3 record and 2.09 GAA. Backup Al Montoya has been even better with a 6-6-1 mark and 1.69 GAA. The team's 5-on-5 save percentage is .941, tied for the highest in the league.

Over the weekend, the Panthers gave coach Gerard Gallant a contract extension. The team's GM is Dale Tallon, who deserves a lot of credit for building the Chicago Blackhawks into the powerhouse they are now, also just got an extension.

Oddsmakers haven't totally jumped on the Panthers bandwagon yet. They are +1400 to win the Stanley Cup, tied for the sixth-shortest odds. Florida is a +600 co-second favorite with Montreal to win the East.

Here are some other games to watch this week.

St. Louis at Los Angeles, Saturday: The Kings are pulling away in the Pacific Division but had a five-game winning streak end Saturday at Colorado, 4-1. No. 1 goalie Jonathan Quick got the night off, however. Quick was named the NHL's First Star of the Week on Monday after going 4-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average last week. Kings center Jeff Carter missed a fifth straight game with an upper-body injury Saturday. He has 11 goals and 17 assists this season. Carter did travel, so he's probably back by this game if not earlier. The Blues entered the week on a three-game losing streak, totaling just four goals. They did get back forward Patrik Berglund on Saturday in Toronto after he had missed the first 40 games due to offseason shoulder surgery. Berglund, who had 12 goals and 15 assists last year, skated on a line with David Backes and Magnus Paajarvi. This will be the Blues' third game in four nights and second of a back-to-back as St. Louis is at Anaheim on Saturday. The Kings won 3-0 in St. Louis on Nov. 3. Quick sat that one out as well. Jhonas Enroth had the shutout.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Chicago won its last five games, scoring 20 goals.
-- Oilers won last two games in OT/SO after losing seven of previous eight games.
-- Anaheim won four of its last six games.

Cold teams
-- Boston lost five of its last six games. Devils are 2-3 in last five home games.
-- Carolina lost four of its last five games. Columbus lost 12 of its last 17 games.
-- Buffalo lost last five games, scoring seven goals.
-- Lightning lost three of their last four games.
-- Predators lost three of their last four games. Colorado lost four of last six home games.
-- Blues lost last four games, scoring seven goals.

Series records
-- Bruins won five of last six games with New Jersey.
-- Hurricanes won five of last seven games with Columbus.
-- Sabres lost their last eight games with Chicago.
-- Home side won last six Tampa Bay-Edmonton games.
-- Colorado won three of last four games with Nashville.
-- Ducks won five of last seven games with St Louis.

Totals
-- Under is 6-1-2 in last nine New Jersey games.
-- Under is 6-2 in last eight Columbus-Carolina games.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Buffalo-Chicago games.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Tampa Bay games.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in Nashville's last five visits to Denver.
-- Five of last six St Louis-Anaheim games stayed under.

Back-to-backs
-- None

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Bryant leading All-Star balloting
By The Sports Xchange

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers leads in voting as the NBA announced an update to All-Star balloting on Thursday.
Bryant, who is retiring after the season, has 1,262,118 votes - more than 300,000 ahead of reigning MVP Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James has the third-most votes - and leads the Eastern Conference with 636,388 votes.
James, Indiana's Paul George (457,554) and Detroit's Andre Drummond (261,158) lead the frontcourt voting in the East with New York forward Carmelo Anthony (255,536) next in line. Miami's Dwyane Wade (562,558) and Cleveland's Kyrie Irving (271,094) are the leaders among guards with Toronto's Kyle Lowry (242,276) in close pursuit.
Bryant, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant (616,096) and Golden State's Draymond Green (332,223) are the leaders in frontcourt votes in the Western Conference with San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard (330,929) right behind Green. Curry (925,789) and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook (479,512) are the top vote-getters among guards.
Voting concludes on Jan. 18. The All-Star Game is Feb. 14 in Toronto.

---Portland shooting guard CJ McCollum sat out Wednesday night's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers because he was accidentally listed as inactive.
McCollum, who is averaging 21 points per game, was not allowed to play even though the Trail Blazers realized the mistake and tried to correct the error before tip-off.
Before each game, the head coach must submit a lineup card listing up to 13 players on the 15-player roster who are active. Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts signed the sheet, which had rookie Luis Montero active instead of McCollum.
Portland officials and an NBA official on site at the game in Portland discussed a resolution and left the decision to allow McCollum to play with Clipper coach Doc Rivers. Rivers rejected the idea of letting the Trail Blazers' second-leading scorer play and the Clippers went on to a 109-98 win.

---Houston Rockets guard Ty Lawson was suspended for three games by the NBA without pay for driving under the influence, the league announced.
Lawson's suspension is for a DUI charge in California from July. It begins with Thursday's game against the Utah Jazz.
This is the second DUI-related suspension in two months for Lawson. He was also suspended for two games last month for a DUI incident in Denver in Jan. 2015.

---The Memphis Grizzlies waived journeyman center Ryan Hollins on Thursday, the club announced.
Hollins, 31, played in four games for Memphis and averaged 1.7 points and 2.0 rebounds. Hollins has played in 490 career games over 10 seasons with nine teams.

---The Phoenix Suns waived point guard Bryce Cotton and power forward Cory Jefferson, the team announced.
Jefferson saw limited playing time with a total of 28 minutes, 12 points and 10 rebounds in six games. His contract would have become guaranteed on Sunday if he were still on the roster.
Cotton was signed on Nov. 25 after All-Star guard Eric Bledsoe was sidelined by knee pain and eventually underwent season-ending surgery. Cotton also has seen limited time with four points and three assists in three games this season.

---The Detroit Pistons assigned guard Spencer Dinwiddie to Grand Rapids of the NBA Development League.
Dinwiddie has played in nine games for the Pistons this season and is averaging 4.4 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists. But the team's No. 3 point guard hasn't seen action in Detroit's last 10 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (22-15) at Wizards (15-18)

Date: January 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

A four-game win streak had the Washington Wizards at .500 and looking to climb out of the cellar in the Southeast Division before a few of the NBA's top defensive clubs stopped them in their tracks.

After one of their strongest efforts of the season still resulted in a loss against one of those teams, the Wizards get no respite from lockdown defenses Friday night in their second meeting with the Toronto Raptors in just over a week.

The Raptors (22-15), Miami and Cleveland each rank in the top four in fewest points allowed per game, and Washington (15-18) has lost to all three over its last four games - though two of the defeats are hard to comprehend in that context.

The string began with a 94-91 loss at Toronto on Dec. 30 in which the Wizards made 35 shots to the Raptors' 28 but were done in by 32 points they gave up on free throws.

Sunday's 97-75 loss to the Heat was easy to explain since Washington scored its season low, eclipsing an 84-82 home loss to Toronto on Nov. 28, and shot a season-worst 13.8 percent (4 for 29) from 3-point range. The Wizards then bounced back with an outstanding effort against the Cavaliers that was wasted in a 121-115 loss Wednesday.

They did everything right on offense against a team surrendering an average of 95.3 points, posting season bests in field-goal (55.3) and 3-point (58.3) percentage, assisting on 31 of 42 field goals and setting the tempo with a 22-5 edge on the break.

Garret Temple had 21 points to lead six players in double figures and John Wall added 20 with 12 assists after snapping his eight-game streak of at least 11 assists with five against Miami. In the end, though, Washington had no answer for Kyrie Irving, who scored 21 of his season-high 32 points in the fourth quarter.

"We did a bad job of knowing personnel in certain spots of who we wanted to shoot the ball," forward Jared Dudley said. "I thought we scored enough to win the game. ... Overall, not enough stops to win."

Poor play in the second quarter was again a major factor. Cleveland had a 38-24 scoring edge in the period and Toronto's was 24-14, but Miami's was the worst at 25-7 - which didn't even mark the fewest points Washington has scored in a quarter this season. It had six in the fourth of a 101-87 loss at Charlotte on Nov. 25.

The good news is that Nene returned from a 19-game absence because of a strained left calf and Gary Neal was back after missing five with a strained right quadriceps. Kris Humphries sat out with a sore knee but should face the Raptors.

Having Nene and Humphries should help after Toronto owned a 55-44 rebounding edge Dec. 30, including 15 on the offensive glass that contributed to a 21-6 advantage in second-chance points.

The Raptors had allowed an average of 118.5 points in losses to Chicago and Cleveland before bouncing back with a 91-74 win at Brooklyn on Wednesday that marked their season low for points allowed.

Despite shooting 4 for 22 from 3-point range, they won their first game without DeMarre Carroll, who will be out a while after having arthroscopic right knee surgery.

"We're going to have games where we're not going to be able to score," said guard DeMar DeRozan, who had 15 points. "We've got to understand we've got to be able to win games in the 80s and keep teams, like tonight, in the low-70s, high-70s."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (19-17) at Nets (10-25)

Date: January 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Because the new year hasn't been kind, the Orlando Magic are desperate to avoid falling into the losing ways that plagued them the past three seasons.

First-year coach Scott Skiles hasn't been afraid to tinker with the lineup, and Victor Oladipo could be a long-term fix at point guard regardless of Elfrid Payton's health.

The Magic look to end their longest slide of the season Friday night with their third victory in four weeks over the Brooklyn Nets, who can't buy a win at Barclays Center.

After winning 20, 23 and 25 games in the last three seasons, respectively, Orlando (19-17) seemed to have turned a corner under Skiles by going an Eastern Conference-best 13-5 from Nov. 25-Dec. 30.

The Magic, though, opened 2016 with three straight road defeats by an average of 21.0 points before falling 95-86 to Indiana in their return home Wednesday. They averaged 104.0 points on 51.0 percent shooting in a 7-2 stretch before scoring 86.3 per game during the skid.

"There's no way that we're going to go back to losing like last year. We've worked too hard for that," guard Evan Fournier, who hopes to play through an in-grown toenail, told the team's official website. "We've just got to trust each other and believe that it is going to be all right."

Skiles has responded by moving Oladipo, a reserve the last six weeks after opening the season as a starter, into the point guard role the past two games. Oladipo has played well, totaling 38 points and hitting 5 of 8 from 3-point range. He could be there to stay since Payton, who started the first 34 games, averaged 2.3 points on 25.0 percent shooting over a four-game stretch before missing the past two with an ankle injury.

Nikola Vucevic finished with 17 points Wednesday when the Magic shot 40.5 percent - including 6 for 31 from beyond the arc - and committed 17 turnovers. Tobias Harris is among those struggling to find his stroke, missing 9 of 10 from 3-point range in the last three games, and Fournier is 3 for 19 from deep during the losing streak.

Orlando hopes to get right against the team it defeated to cap its best December (10-5) since going 12-3 in 2008. Vucevic led the way with 20 points and Fournier added 17 in a 100-93 home win over the Nets on Dec. 30.

The Magic also dealt Brooklyn (10-25) a loss during its current eight-game home slide with a 105-82 victory at Barclays on Dec. 14. Vucevic had 18 points and Payton contributed 17 as Orlando shot 53.9 percent while limiting the Nets to 38.8.

Brooklyn, which has made 10 for 39 (25.6 percent) from 3-point range in the two meetings, has averaged 91 points during its worst home skid since a 14-game dive during the 2009-10 season. The club scored a season-low total in a 91-74 home loss to Toronto on Wednesday.

'We need to work through some things,' said center Brook Lopez, who had 24 points and 13 rebounds. 'It hasn't all gone as planned.'

Lopez has been a bright spot, averaging 24.6 points and 11.6 boards in his last five games. That includes a 24-point, 15-rebound effort last week in Orlando.

Joe Johnson had five points Wednesday after totaling 41 in his previous two.

The Nets haven't lost a season series to the Magic since moving to Brooklyn in 2012-13. The teams will play one more time in Orlando on March 29.