Friday 12/16/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

German Bundesliga TODAY 19:30

Hoffenheim

v

B Dortmund

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT3		11/4	16/5	5/6	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT HOFFENHEIM	RECENT FORM
H WA DH DA DH WA D​ Most recent​	1 - 1 1 - 1 2 - 2 1 - 3	H WH WA LH WA DA D​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Hoffenheim are the sole unbeaten team in the Bundesliga

EXPERT VERDICT: The apprentice, Julian Nagelsmann, comes up against former mentor, Thomas Tuchel, in a serious test of Hoffenheim’s undefeated record. Dortmund have scored 25 goals in their last nine away games so clearly boast the firepower to ensure Hoffenheim finally taste defeat.

RECOMMENDATION: B Dortmund
1

Spanish La Liga TODAY 19:45

Alaves

v

Real Betis

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		13/10	21/10	12/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALAVES	RECENT FORM
A WH LA WA WH DA D​ Most recent​	1 - 2 2 - 0 0 - 1 0 - 1	A LH WA LH WH DH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Alaves have scored only 14 goals in 15 league games this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Alaves scored only 49 times in 42 games on their way to the second division title last term so it is hardly surprising that they have found goals hard to come by in the top flight. Real Betis have taken seven points from their last three home matches and, while their away form isn’t great, they could frustrate their shot-shy hosts.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

French Ligue 1 TODAY 19:45

Angers

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Nantes

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		6/5	21/10	13/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ANGERS	RECENT FORM
H WA DH LA LH DA L​ Most recent​	0 - 0 0 - 0	H DA LH DH LA LH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Nantes have picked up just two points from their last seven matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Angers - having won just one Ligue 1 match since October - are on a steady decline but they should still have too many gears for second-bottom Nantes. Despite failing to match their early-season promise, Angers have lost just twice at home this term and have taken points off Marseille, Toulouse and Lille while the struggling visitors have scored only one goal in their last five league outings.

RECOMMENDATION: Angers
1

Spanish La Liga Sa 17Dec 12:00

Sp. Gijon

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Villarreal

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		9/4	23/10	6/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SP. GIJON	RECENT FORM
A LH LA LH LH WA L​ Most recent​	2 - 0 2 - 0 2 - 3 1 - 1	A DH LA WA DH WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Sporting have not kept a clean sheet in their last eight home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Sporting have failed to build on a strong start to the season (seven points in three games) and are likely to remain in the drop zone after hosting Villarreal at El Molinon. Villarreal have not won on their league travels for three months but will be targeting victory against Sporting, who have lost five of their last six games.

RECOMMENDATION: Villarreal
1

Premier League Sa 17Dec 12:30

C Palace

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Chelsea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		11/2	16/5	4/7	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT C PALACE	RECENT FORM
A LH LA LH WA DH L​ Most recent​	0 - 3 1 - 2 1 - 0 0 - 2	H WA WH WA WH WA W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Chelsea have won ten straight Premier League matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Premier League leaders Chelsea are six points clear at the top and can extend their winning sequence with a victory over London rivals Crystal Palace. The Eagles have had a poor season, losing at home to Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, West Brom and West Ham and the pressure looks set to increase on Alan Pardew.

RECOMMENDATION: Chelsea
2


REFEREE: Jonathan Moss STADIUM:

Premier League Sa 17Dec 15:00

Middlesbro

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Swansea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		11/10	12/5	3	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MIDDLESBRO	RECENT FORM
A DH LA DH WA LH L​ Most recent​	3 - 4 1 - 1 1 - 2 1 - 0	H LA DH WA LH WA L​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Swansea have taken one point from their last seven away matches

EXPERT VERDICT: This is a tough game to call with the draw possibly offering the best value. Swansea have been shocking on the road this season with Wednesday's 3-1 loss to West Brom the latest dismal effort, but Middlesbrough are hard to trust at the moment. Boro have scored just 13 Premier League goals this season and may not do enough to land maximum points.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Neil Swarbrick STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Rangers blank Stars
By The Sports Xchange

DALLAS -- New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist and Dallas Stars goalie Antti Niemi dueled in a 2-0 win for the Rangers at American Airlines Center on Thursday.
Rick Nash scored the game-winning goal on a shorthanded breakaway at 7:08 of the third period. It was Nash's first game back from a groin injury that kept him out of four games.
Lundqvist made 27 saves for New York, while Niemi stopped 28.
Mats Zuccarello scored into the empty net with 1:04 remaining to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

Blackhawks 4, Islanders 4
NEW YORK -- Richard Panik scored with 6:13 remaining in the third period Thursday night to cap a wild back-and-forth game and lift Chicago over New York at Barclays Center.
Artemi Panarin scored twice for the Blackhawks, who trailed 2-0 less than four minutes into the first period but tied the game 3-3 by the end of the first 20 minutes. Artem Anisimov and Marian Hossa also scored for Chicago.
Andrew Ladd, Casey Cizikas, Ryan Strome and Anders Lee scored for the Islanders, who lost three straight (0-3-0). Thomas Greiss made 27 saves.

Ducks 4, Bruins 3
BOSTON -- Rickard Rakell continued his hot streak with a goal and an assist and Anaheim rallied from a two-goal, first-period deficit and defeated Boston.
Andrew Cogliano, Kevin Bieksa and Josh Manson also scored for the Ducks, while Zdeno Chara, Austin Czarnik and David Krejci scored for the Bruins.
Jonathan Bernier made 31 saves for the Ducks.

Kings 4, Red Wings 1
DETROIT -- Tyler Toffoli recorded two goals and an assist to lead Los Angeles over Detroit at Joe Louis Arena.
Derek Forbort and Nic Dowd also scored for the Kings, who snapped a seven-game losing streak in Detroit. Dustin Brown had two assists, and Kings goalie Jeff Zatkoff made 17 saves.
Mike Green scored for the Red Wings and Jimmy Howard stopped 27 shots.

Coyotes 3, Maple Leafs 2 (SO)
TORONTO -- Peter Holland scored the only goal of the shootout and Arizona defeated Toronto.
Holland, traded away by the Maple Leafs last Friday, was the final shooter and made no mistake.
Jordan Martinook and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Coyotes in regulation.
Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner scored for the Maple Leafs.

Blues 5, Devils 2
ST. LOUIS -- Vladimir Tarasenko scored one goal and assisted on two more to lead St. Louis to a win over New Jersey.
Jake Allen, making his sixth consecutive start in the last 10 days, raised his career record to 5-0 against the Devils.
Nail Yakupov, Patrik Berglund, Alex Pietrangelo and Jori Lehtera also scored for the Blues.
Adam Henrique and Miles Wood scored for the Devils

Wild 5, Predators 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Behind another good game from Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota continued its season long six-game winning by topping Nashville.
Dubnyk stopped 34 shots and Eric Staal scored twice and Mikael Granlund, Jonas Brodin and Charlie Coyle one each for the Wild.
Ryan Ellis and Mike Fisher scored for the Predators and Pekka Rinne made 14 saves on 17 shots.

Jets 4, Panthers 3 (SO)
WINNIPEG -- Winnipeg snapped a four-game losing skid with a shootout win over Florida at the MTS Centre.
Bryan Little, Dustin Byfuglien and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets.
Aleksander Barkov, Reilly Smith and Vincent Trocheck scored in regulation for the Panthers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

In the Crease - Week 10
By Joe Williams

Streaky Teams
Wins and Losses Streak Over/Under Streak
Colorado 0-4-1 past five at home Chicago Under 5-0 past five, 9-1-1 past 11 overall
Columbus 6-0 past six overall Minnesota Under 3-0-1 past four overall
Philadelphia 9-0 past nine overall New Jersey Over 6-0-4 past 10 overall
Pittsburgh 6-0 past six overall Pittsburgh Over 11-0 past 11 overall
Washington 4-0 past four overall San Jose Under 8-2-4 past 14 on road

Pittsburgh Maulers
The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to roll. They hung seven on the visiting Arizona Coyotes in a 7-0 whitewash, posting their 11th consecutive 'over' result while picking up their sixth consecutive victory. Pittsburgh has posted four or more goals in six straight games, three or more goals in eight straight while their defense/goaltenders have given up two or more goals in seven of the past nine. Keep pounding the 'over' in Pittsburgh games until further notice. They host Boston Wednesday, a team which is 3-1-1 on the 'over' in the past five outings. In Friday's game they host Los Angeles, and the Kings have a 5-2-3 'over' mark in the past 10 outings. After that they have a trip to Toronto, a team on a five-game 'under' run.

Dallas Road Woes
The Dallas Stars find themselves near the basement in the Central Division, and a main reason for their tumble down the standings is their inability to win on the road. The Stars have managed a dismal 1-5-1 mark in their past seven away from the Metroplex, while going 6-3-1 in their past 10 games at home. The good news for the Stars is that they have a five-game homestand starting Tuesday against Anaheim, wrapping up Dec. 23 against Los Angeles. They won't be back on the road again until Dec. 27 in Arizona.

Looking Ahead

Friday, Nov. 18
The Sabres welcome the Islanders to town Friday night. Buffalo hasn't been an easy out at home, picking up points in five of their past seven at home. All three meetings last season were decided by one goal, with the road team winning each meeting. In fact, six of the past seven meetings in this series, and eight of the past 10, have been one-goal games, with four decided in a shootout. The 'under' is 4-1 in the past five meetings in this series.

While the Hurricanes have been hot, they'll find out if they are for real or not when the Capitals come calling. They've already proven themselves once against Alex Ovechkin and company, winning 5-1 at PNC Arena in Raleigh back on Nov. 12. The Hurricanes have won three of their past four home games against the Caps. The 'under' is 3-0-2 in Carolina's past five home games overall, while the Caps have very unique 4-4-4 over/under mark on the road in 12 tries this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Islanders (11-12) at Sabres (11-11)

Date: December 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Following a rare offensive burst in a win over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, the Buffalo Sabres are finally getting healthier on the back end.

After dealing with injuries on defense all season long, the Sabres (11-11-6) see the light at the end of the tunnel heading into a matchup with the New York Islanders on Friday. Defensemen Zach Bogosian and Taylor Fedun participated in practice on Thursday and both are nearing a return to the lineup -- which would give the Sabres a full roster of defensemen for one of the first times this season.

"As a team, it's great," Fedun said, according to The Buffalo News. "We've had some key injuries back there. It's definitely a good problem for us to have going forward."

"We haven't been in that situation the whole year long, so frankly it's a new situation for us here at the 29-game mark," Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma said, according to The Buffalo News. "Each defenseman that's stepped up and played for us has brought a little bit different element."

Buffalo squares off against the Islanders at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Bogosian has not played since Nov. 1 due to a knee sprain. The veteran is one of Buffalo's top defensemen when healthy. Fedun last played on Dec. 3. When both return, the Sabres will likely have to send a player back down to the AHL with eight defensemen on the roster.

In a 6-3 win over Los Angeles on Tuesday, the Sabres scored four goals in a span of 6:13 for a comeback win. Sophomore standout Jack Eichel had two goals and an assist, and Ryan O'Reilly, Brian Gionta, Evander Kane and Sam Reinhart also scored for the Sabres.

"Once we kind of got on a role, we stayed with it," O'Reilly said. "Goal after goal, you could feel the life in the building. Everything just kind of changed. We took the game over."

The Sabres have five games over the next eight days before their holiday break.

"After the loss to Washington, we really looked at these six games before the break for us to really bear down and focus here," Bylsma said, according to the team's website. "I think that's really why the L.A. win is a real big win for this group and one we want to keep going here. ... It's just a stretch of time I the season where we really have to bear down and try and get some wins here and go on a roll."

The Islanders (11-13-5) are coming off three consecutive losses, including a 5-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. The Islanders lost in a back-and-forth affair on Richard Panik's tie-breaking goal with just over six minutes remaining.

In each of those losses, the Islanders have entered the third period tied only to fall late.

"Turn around, right back at it tomorrow night," Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic said. "Points are crucial this time of year. We're well aware of what's at stake and where we want to get to as a group. We've been playing some good hockey. We've just got to get right back into it."

According to Newsday, youngster J-F Berube will get the start for the Islanders in net against Buffalo. It will be the first start of the season for him.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (14-12) at Penguins (20-7)

Date: December 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury likely will get back in the Pittsburgh Penguins' net in the next two nights -- a good guess would be Friday against the Los Angeles Kings at PPG Paints Arena -- with back-to-back games on tap.

That would leave Matt Murray, who has started a season-high four games in a row, to start the other of the two games, probably Saturday at Toronto.

For more than a decade, Fleury was Pittsburgh's franchise, go-to goalie. A concussion last spring opened the door for Murray, 22, who backstopped the Penguins to the Stanley Cup.

Now Fleury, 32, is learning something new: what to with down time. With coach Mike Sullivan seemingly in the mode of riding the hot hand, Fleury (8-5-2) has not played since Dec. 5 against the Ottawa Senators. It was his third consecutive start, but he got pulled for Murray in the second period.

"Marc's been great. He's a good pro," Sullivan said. "He controls what he can. He tries to do everything in his power to keep himself sharp, and that's all you can do as a player."

It is a different experience for the veteran.

"I don't know. It's tough to figure it out," Fleury said Thursday of not seeing game action for what would be 11 days if he starts Friday. "I just do little things with (goaltending coach Mike Bales) here and there, try to stay sharp, go over technical points, get on the ice early a little bit."

If it is weighing on Fleury, he isn't showing it. He was in a jovial mood after practice. Before practice, he went on the ice alone without pads and with a forward's stick, skating and shooting. He joked he was ready to fill in should Pittsburgh need an extra forward.

The Penguins, 20-7-3 and riding a seven-game winning streak, seem fine in the forward department. However, they will need to get by without top defenseman Kris Letang, who plays in all situations and has 19 points, including seven assists in the past seven games.

Sullivan announced Thursday that Letang will miss a few weeks because of a lower-body injury.

"It will be by committee," Sullivan said of replacing Letang. "We think we have capable people, and we'll sort it out. But he's a tough guy to replace."

The Kings (15-12-2) also are dealing with a goaltending situation, but it's not working out as well as the Penguins'.

No. 1 goaltender Jonathan Quick has missed most of the season because of a groin injury, and general manager Dean Lombardi said this week that Quick will be out until around mid-February. That has left the Kings just hanging around the playoff cutoff in the West.

Peter Budaj was asked to pick up most of the slack, perhaps too much of it. He started 25 of 26 games before former Pittsburgh backup Jeff Zatkoff started Thursday in Detroit. Zatkoff made 17 saves in a 4-1 victory to pick up just his second win to go with five losses.

Lombardi told the Los Angeles Times that he looked to trade for goaltending help.

"You're almost going down to the third man on the depth chart when you're talking to a lot of these teams, and then you also have the issue if you highlight a certain guy you have the realization that you have a No. 1 goalie (Quick) coming back, too, with (the) expansion (draft) coming," Lombardi told the Times.

"What are you going to give up for a two-month asset?"

Hanging around .500 -- 2-2-1 in the five games before the win at Detroit -- and being 5-8-1 on the road is frustrating for the Kings. The players held a closed-door meeting Tuesday after a 6-3 loss at Buffalo.

"A little bit of panic in our game right now," Los Angeles' Dustin Brown told the Times. "That's when you have to come together and support each other."

The Penguins expect the Kings to give them a tough game, just as the Boston Bruins did Wednesday, when Pittsburgh overcame a couple of one-goal deficits and won in overtime, 4-3.

"They're structured, just like Boston," Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby said. "They're comfortable playing in tight games, low-scoring games. We still have to play our game and try to produce, but understand that they're looking for turnovers, looking for mistakes, and we don't want to give that to them."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (18-11) at Canadiens (19-6)

Date: December 16, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens might find themselves among the NHL's top teams but they know there's still plenty of room for improvement when they host the San Jose Sharks on Friday.

Chief among them: the power play.

After getting off to a hot start, converting at least once in 13 of the team's first 20 games, it's cooled off considerably in the past nine games, connecting just four times on 29 opportunities. The loss of center Alex Galchenyuk hasn't helped matters; Montreal (19-6-4) is 1-for-15 with the man advantage in his absence.

That prompted some changes to the power play units at practice on Thursday. Defenseman Jeff Petry joined Shea Weber on the blue line on the first wave -- along with Alexander Radulov, Andrew Shaw and Max Pacioretty up front -- while Andrei Markov moved to the second unit alongside Nathan Beaulieu, with forwards Paul Byron, Brendan Gallagher and Artturi Lehkonen.

"We're trying to find solutions to get into a better rhythm on the power play," coach Michel Therrien said. "It doesn't mean we'll keep it (against the San Jose Sharks), but we wanted to take advantage of practice time to work on certain things."

"We want to give ourselves options for when teams focus a lot of attention on Weber," he added. "We think that Petry can also use his one-timer."

Weber's famous blast from the point has been tamed of late. While he's taken shots, they haven't been getting through at anywhere near the same rate as they had earlier on. On a personal note, he's managed just one assist in his last nine games.

But while the puck hasn't been going in for him, it's been the opposite for Byron. The 27-year-old scored his 10th goal of the season -- in his 29th game -- on Monday night, one off his career high set last year in 62 games. He's also four points shy of a career-best 21 points recorded in 2013-14 with the Calgary Flames.

Byron's addition to the power-play group will be his first regular appearance of the season with the man advantage, averaging a mere seven seconds before Friday night's tilt.

"If everything is going well right now, it's just because I worked really hard," he said. "But, it's also because of my teammates. I play with very good players who help me a lot. Good things come with work."

Things are going well, for the most part, for the Sharks (18-11-1), who are riding a three-game winning streak into Friday's contest -- including wins on back-to-back nights in which they trailed before emerging victorious in a shootout.

But Wednesday's win against the Ottawa Senators wasn't all sunshine and roses. Center Logan Couture, who ranks second on the team with 11 goals and third with 20 points, left the game midway through the third period after taking a cross-check to the back of his helmet from Senators winger Mike Hoffman.

The Sharks called up top prospect Timo Meier from the AHL's San Jose Barracuda on Thursday and it's possible the ninth overall pick from the 2015 draft makes his NHL debut against Montreal. Meier leads the Barracuda with nine goals in 17 games and is third on the club with 15 points.

"He approaches everything and does everything hard," Barracuda coach Roy Sommer told the Mercury News. "Practices hard, he's hard on himself. He plays the game hard. When you go in the corner with him, you know you've gone in the corner with him."

The Sharks' offense will welcome whatever jolt the 20-year-old can provide a team that is averaging just 2.43 goals per game this season. Defenseman Brent Burns leads the club with 13 goals and 28 points while captain Joe Pavelski ranks third in goals with 10.

Depth scoring has been hard to come by, however. San Jose is missing Tomas Hertl, who is out with an injury. Joel Ward, who scored 64 goals combined over the past three seasons, has just two in 30 games this year. Same goes for free agent acquisition Mikkel Boedker, who has also recorded just three assists on the season.

But while it's been a struggle for Boedker, coach Pete DeBoer likes what he's seen lately from the 26-year-old.

"The offense is going to come," said DeBoer, who coached him in junior hockey. "But, when he starts stringing together some games like you've seen here lately, that's the player that I know," I think we're just scratching the surface of what he can do."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (18-7) at Hurricanes (12-11)

Date: December 16, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes don't expect to see the same Washington Capitals team that a month ago jumpstarted their current seven-game home winning streak.

For starters, the Capitals will be rested and not coming off a tough road game at Chicago the night before, and Washington is now one of the hotter teams in the league, having won five straight over an eight-day span.

"We're very familiar with them because they're a team we play a lot in our division, and they've certainly got it going," Carolina coach Bill Peters said. "There are lots of teams that have it going in the Metro (Division) and they are one of them.

"We know what we're up against, especially teams that are on fire now, but that goes both ways," Peters added. "We're up to sixth now in the league on the power play so we're going to be aggressive and push the pace."

In addition to Washington's winning streak in the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia has won 10 straight, while Pittsburgh and Columbus have each strung together seven wins in a row.

Carolina's home winning streak is impressive and has included wins over division leaders Montreal and San Jose, and a Washington team that was only able to generate 21 shots in a 5-1 loss at PNC Arena on Nov. 12.

"Teams change lots in the course of a month," Peters said when asked about the Capitals recent success. "They change for numerous reasons, you change because of health issues, scheduling issues, playing better or playing worse -- one or the other. Right now, there are lots of teams gaining traction and playing better than they were earlier in the year."

Carolina extended its home winning streak on Tuesday night with a wild, 8-6 victory over Vancouver in which goalie Cam Ward was pulled. Peters said he'll be going back to his starter in net Friday night, giving Ward his 17 th start in the last 19 games.

"It looked like the puck was a 10-pound weight on our stick the other night and when we pulled (Cam) it was by no means a reflection on the goaltending, I was looking for a spark," Peters said.

"We're going right back to Wardo."

Ward has 37 career starts against Washington, including a career-high four shutouts against an opponent.

Washington has outscored its opposition 18-8 during its five-game winning streak in which the Capitals have climbed within four points of Pittsburgh for the Metropolitan Division lead.

"We're getting contributions throughout the whole lineup and it makes life a lot easier," Washington coach Barry Trotz said. "It has started to show some consistency."

Washington has allowed the third fewest goals in the NHL.

And Washington has done a lot of its damage recently without punch from Alex Ovechkin, who has 1 goal and two assists during the winning streak.

One interesting matchup to watch Friday night will be Washington's power play, which has converted on 5 of 10 chances over the last three games, against the No. 1 penalty killing unit in the league. Carolina has allowed just two power play goals since Oct. 28, running at a 92.3 percent clip for the season.

"The power play has been really key for us, especially when the outcome is still in doubt," Trotz said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Panthers (13-13) at Avalanche (11-16)

Date: December 16, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers are struggling to find the magic that got them into the playoffs last year, but one thing that has them feeling good is the historic chase by Jaromir Jagr.

The ageless forward enters Friday's game against the Colorado Avalanche within three points of Mark Messier for second on the NHL all-time scoring. Jagr had an assist in the Panthers' 4-3 shootout loss at Winnipeg on Thursday and has 1,884 career points.

At 44, he doesn't seem to be slowing down.

"He's ageless, he's still going and doing very well," Avalanche forward Jarome Iginla told HockeyBuzz.com. "I'm definitely impressed. His reach and his shot, and he's definitely not easy to knock off the puck. You go to hit him and you feel it just as much as he would. There's not that many guys at that age who would still have the fire and passion to still be doing it."

Jagr would like to be doing it on a team on a roll, but the Panthers (13-13-5) struggled since associate general manager Tom Rowe took over behind the bench for the fired Gerard Gallant. Florida is 2-4-4 since Rowe became the interim coach.

The hope was a coaching change would spark the Panthers but that hasn't happened. However, a win in Colorado last season came during a 12-game winning streak, and a win Friday could help start turning things around.

"We were in a pretty similar situation from last year to now," Nick Bjugstad told the Sun-Sentinel. "If you can string together that at any point of the season it can change the whole course of the year."

The Panthers are in prime position to get on another streak against a Colorado team that has seemingly lost the ability to win at home. The Avalanche are 0-5-1 in their last six games at Pepsi Center and 4-9-1 overall there. They showed some fight in their most recent setback, a 4-3 loss to the streaking Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, and they're hoping to build upon that effort.

"I thought we played real hard, real competitive, did a lot of good things," coach Jared Bednar said after the loss to the Flyers. "That's how we have to play -- like that."

The Avalanche (11-16-1) are still without goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who also missed Wednesday'sgame with a groin injury. Varlamov has been inconsistent this season but had his best outing in a 3-1 victory at Toronto on Sunday. He made 51 saves and came within a 6-on-3 power-play advantage for the Maple Leafs of getting his second shutout of the season.

Calvin Pickard will get the start again. He allowed four goals on 25 shots against Philadelphia, including two in a span of 1:46 of the third period that proved to be the difference.

Pickard's role as the starter is expected to be short-lived. Varlamov was on the ice for practice Thursday and Bednar said he thinks he will be ready soon.

"He's three days off the ice now, and now he's skating so we'll have to give him some shots," Bednar told HockeyBuzz.com. "It's not like we need three days leeway to get him back in only being out that length of time. We're taking it day and day and we'll ask the trainers when he's ready to go. When he feels good, then he'll be back in."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (18-5) at Flames (16-14)

Date: December 16, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

CALGARY, Alberta -- The Columbus Blue Jackets are riding a long winning streak while their next opponent, the Calgary Flames, are dealing with an abrupt end to one.

The teams meet Friday at 7 p.m. in Calgary. Columbus is going for its eighth-straight victory while the Flames are trying to start another streak after one ended at six with a 6-3 loss at home to Tampa Bay on

Wednesday night.

"It's a great league and it's hard to go on long win streaks so ultimately that's going to happen and it's just a matter of us re-focusing, re-grouping and bouncing back for next game," said Flames center Sam Bennett.

Normally a visit by the Blue Jackets has hosts licking their chops but that is no longer the case as, under head coach John Tortorella, the Blue Jackets (18-5-4) have emerged as a challenger for the lead in the tough Metropolitan Division. The are two points back division-leading Pittsburgh Penguins entering Friday, though they have played five fewer games.

If it wasn't for division foe Philadelphia Flyers, who have won 10 straight, the Blue Jackets would be the NHL's hottest team.

It's a far cry from the start of last season when the Blue Jackets began 0-7 and fired coach Todd Richards, bringing in lightning rod Tortorella. While they finished 27th overall in 2015-16, the Blue

Jackets caught fire this season and are an unheard of fifth overall.

Tortorella is being credited with taking a softer approach to coaching the youthful Blue Jackets that has worked thus far.

"It's him realizing that things should be ... done differently, whether it be with the players or with the media or whoever it is," Blue Jackets president John Davidson told Canadian network Sportsnet. "He's done a great job. The one thing I can tell you is he's a good coach. He's a really good coach."

Tortorella admits he's tried to be more relaxed. One change has been to eliminate game-day morning skates, which is considered sacrilegious by many in the NHL.

"I've made adjustments in my coaching to the youth of this team," he told NHL.com. "We've tried to, as I say, 'turn away' from mistakes and allow them to play because I think we need to play a different game, especially with some of the skill that's been brought to our team."

Columbus is relying heavily on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who has started 24 of 27 games and has a 17-4-2 record and 1.94 goals-against average.

The Flames were getting similar strong goaltending from Chad Johnson who was in goal for all six of their wins until he hit a snag against Tampa Bay and was pulled after two periods trailing 4-1. Still, he's sitting at a fine 2.12 GAA with a 13-5-1 record.

"This isn't easy," said Flames coach Glen Gulutzan. "You hope you create these runs and we got ourselves back above board but it's a lesson here too. You can't take your foot off the gas at all, you can't lose little battles, you can't lose face-offs at the rate we were, which caused us a lot of trouble and disrupted our team a little bit."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lightning (15-13) at Canucks (12-16)

Date: December 16, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Vancouver Canucks will try to get rid of the taste of canvas in their mouths Friday when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Canucks (12-16-2) are looking to pick themselves up off the proverbial mat after suffering a stunning 8-6 road knockdown to Carolina on Tuesday. After looking like they would coast to a win, the Canucks squandered a 5-2 lead in the third period.

"It was pretty deflating," Vancouver goaltender Ryan Miller said after practice Thursday. "The nature of hockey and the NHL is, you pretty much more get defined by how you persevere, how you get up off the ground."

The Canucks return home after a 1-4 road trip in which speculation resumed on the future of coach Willie Desjardins, who has been tasked with trying to groom young players into National Hockey League regulars and still keep the club in playoff contention. But Desjardins is not willing to let youth, injuries or other factors be used as excuses.

"It doesn't matter what's happening," Desjardins said after the fast-paced workout at Rogers Arena. "If you're up by three in the third period, you've gotta find a way to win."

The Lightning (15-13-2) have won just twice in their last nine games, but will provide a good test given that they are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. They will also provide a tonic of sorts.

Vancouver's lone win on the recent road trip was a 5-1 beatdown of the Bolts.

"They'll be ready for us," said Desjardins. "They weren't happy with what had happened at home, and they're going to come (hard) and they're a good team -- and we know that. For us, we can't worry about what another team brings. We've have to worry about what we bring and what we do. We have to get back. We have to recover from the third period (against Carolina). That was a tough one."

But the performance in Tampa Bay was a good one. Center Bo Horvat said the Canucks are looking to rediscover the same winning feeling.

"I thought we had one of our better games in Tampa Bay," said Horvat. "We played the systems well. Everybody was working hard. Everybody was going. Obviously, we had some great goaltending, too. They're one of the top teams in the league, and they have been for the last couple years. It just shows that we have the team to beat them -- and beat great teams in the league."

The Canucks got some good news Thursday as defenseman Chris Tanev, who has missed 20 games with an ankle injury, returned to practice. He was feeling good afterward and could play Friday, depending on how the ankle fares in the team's morning skate.

"I'm just happy to be out there," said Tanev. "It felt good (Thursday), so we're taking it day by day right now."

Desjardins was optimistic about Tanev's chances of playing but said that another key rearguard who has been out for an extended period, Alex Edler, whose status was questioned Thursday, will likely not return until after Christmas.

Meanwhile, the Lightning has more injury concerns after Nikita Kucherov missed Wednesday's 6-3 win in Calgary with an undisclosed injury and winger Ondrej Palat left the game in the second period. They add to a fallen forwards list that includes Steven Stamkos, likely out until the playoffs, and Ryan Callahan, who is considered close to returning.

In the meantime, the Bolts have found inspiration from some unlikely scorers. Center Brian Boyle's two goals in Calgary ended his scoring drought at 13 games. Meanwhile, defenseman netted his first goal since Oct. 23, 2015, and fellow blueliner Andrej Sustr snapped a 31-game goal drought.

"It really lifts the guys up on the bench because guys are really pulling for those guys," Lightning coach Jon Cooper told reporters in Calgary. "You can just tell there's a weight off their shoulders because it makes them feel a part of things. It was a total team effort (Wednesday.) Kuch is out and we lost Palat early in the second period. Stamkos is out. You need to get goals from somebody. When you're getting them from everybody it's a confidence builder for us."

Canucks center Brandon Sutter is expecting a strong start from the Lightning, based on the way it commenced the last meeting between the teams. Sutter and his teammates want to avoid taking penalties against a strong power play.

But while the Bolts are known for scoring, Boyle contended that goaltender Ben Bishop has been the biggest difference-maker, even though he sports a modest 9-10-1 mark with a .924 save percentage and 2.87 goals-against average.

"He's been our best player for quite a few years," Boyle told reporters in Calgary. "

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - December

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
12/1 12 64.5 70 OVER
12/2 2 10 8 UNDER
12/3 12 63 58 UNDER
12/4 7 36 40 OVER
12/5 4 21 30 OVER
12/6 9 49.5 49 UNDER
12/7 4 20.5 29 OVER
12/8 10 54.5 58 OVER
12/9 6 30.5 26 UNDER
12/10 10 53 68 OVER
12/11 8 42 32 UNDER
12/12 2 10.5 10 UNDER
12/13 10 54.5 69 OVER
12/14 4 21.5 30 OVER
12/15 8 42.5 49 OVER
12/16 7 - - -
12/17 10 - - -
12/18 6 - - -
12/19 5 - - -
12/20 12 - - -
12/21 2 - - -
12/22 10 - - -
12/23 12 - - -
12/24 No games scheduled - - -
12/25 No games scheduled - - -
12/26 No games scheduled - - -
12/27 10 - - -
12/28 5 - - -
12/29 12 - - -
12/30 4 - - -
12/31 11 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Friday’s games

Islanders won three of last four visits to Buffalo; road team won four of last five series games. Four of last five series games stayed under the total. Islanders lost 6-2/4-2 in last two games; they lost three of last four road games. Four of last five New York games went over. Buffalo lost three of last five games; they’re 4-3 in last seven home games. Over is 4-1-2 in last seven series games.

Kings won last three games with Pittsburgh; last two were in OT/SO. Under is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Teams split last four series games played here. Los Angles won three of last four road games; over is 3-1-2 in their last six games. Kings are 1-2 if they played night before. Penguins won their last seven games, scoring 39 goals; over is 12-0 in their last dozen games.

San Jose won seven of last eight games with Montreal; teams split last four series games here. Under is 8-2 in last ten series games. Sharks won three in row, six of last eight games; their last two wins were both in SOs. Over is 3-1-1 in San Jose’s last five games. Canadiens won three of last four home games; they lost last four times they scored less than five goals. Over is 3-1-1 in last five Montreal games.

Home side won six of last seven Washington-Carolina games; Caps lost three of last four visits to Raleigh. Under is 5-3 in last eight series games. Washington won its last five games, allowing total of three goals in last three games- they won 4-1/4-2 in last two road games. Hurricanes are are 0-3 in game following their last three wins, but they did win last three home games; three of their last four games went over the total.

Florida/Colorado split last ten home games; over is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Panthers lost two of last three visits to Denver. Florida lost eight of last ten games; they were outscored 18-9 in losing last four road games. Panthers are 2-2 if they played night before. Over is 5-0-1 in their last six games. Avalanche lost eight of last ten games; they’ve lost last six home games. Four of last five Colorado games went over total.

Road team won seven of last eight Columbus-Calgary games; Blue Jackets won last four games in the Saddledome. Under is 5-1 in last six series games. Columbus won its last seven games, outscoring foes 28-10; blue Jackets won five of last six road games. Under is 3-1-1 in their last five games overall. Calgary won six of last seven games, three of last four at home; their last three home games went over total.

Road team won seven of last nine Tampa Bay-Vancouver games; Lightning won last four games in this building, with two wins in OT. Over is 6-2-1 in last nine series games. Tampa Bay lost seven of last nine games, four of last five on road; over is 7-2-1 in his last seven games. Vancouver are off a 1-4 road trip; they lost last game 8-6. Canucks are 4-3 in last seven home games. Three of their last four games overall went over total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Warriors prevail with team effort
By The Sports Xchange

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors passed circles around the New York Knicks on Thursday night, assisting on their first 36 baskets over 35 minutes in a 103-90 victory over the undermanned Eastern Conference squad.
Klay Thompson had a game-high 25 points and JaVale McGee dropped in 17 in a rare start, helping Golden State improve to 7-0 against Eastern teams this season with a fifth straight win over the Knicks.
The 41 total assists gave Golden State (23-4) at least 30 in 19 of their 27 games this season. No other NBA team has reached 30 more than four times.
The Warriors topped 40 assists three times this season, becoming the first team to do so since the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls.
Kevin Durant (eight), Stephen Curry (eight) and Draymond Green (seven) led the assist barrage against the Knicks team that was without Carmelo Anthony (bruised right shoulder) and Derrick Rose (sore lower back).
Durant nearly recorded a triple-double with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds to go with his eight assists.

Spurs 107, Suns 92
PHOENIX -- Kawhi Leonard and Pau Gasol scored 18 points apiece and San Antonio used a 21-3 run in the fourth quarter to put away Phoenix.
LaMarcus Aldridge added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Spurs, who won 14 of 15 road games this season and three in a row overall. San Antonio hadn't played on the road since taking its only loss, 95-91 at the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 8. Leonard and Gasol grabbed 10 and nine rebounds, respectively.
Devin Booker had 17 points and Eric Bledsoe added 14 for the Suns, who hung with the Spurs for three quarters before falling victim to the decisive run.

Nuggets 132, Trail Blazers 120
DENVER -- Danilo Gallinari scored 27 points, Gary Harris added 18 in his return and Denver took a big lead early and went on to beat Portland.
Wilson Chandler had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who snapped a five-game losing streak against the Trail Blazers. Portland won 13 of the previous 14 against Denver but were never in this one.
The Nuggets' only win in that stretch was Nov. 9, 2015 in Denver. They held an eight-point lead late in their home opener this year only to see the Trail Blazers rally and win in overtime.
Damian Lillard led Portland with 40 points and 10 assists. CJ McCollum scored 23 and Mason Plumlee had 19 points and seven rebounds. The Trail Blazers lost for the fourth time in five games.

Bucks 108, Bulls 97
MILWAUKEE -- Matthew Dellavedova drained a 3-pointer that restored a double-digit lead with 1:34 left as Milwaukee held off a late charge by Chicago.
Making a rare appearance in front of a national television audience, the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker put on a show. They combined to hit 24 of 46 shots and sink five 3-pointers to finish with 30 and 28 points, respectively.
Antetokounmpo added 14 rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Parker grabbed five boards and dished out three assists.
The Bulls' Taj Gibson scored 17 of his 19 in the first half while Jimmy Butler added 10 before the break and finished with a team-leading 21. Dwyane Wade scored 16 of his 20 in the second half.

Pelicans 102, Pacers 95
NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Davis scored a game-high 35 points and rookie Buddy Hield had a season-high 21 as New Orleans defeated Indiana.
Hield made a season-high five 3-pointers, all in the second half, Jrue Holiday added 16 points and Terrence Jones had 10 points off the bench for the Pelicans, who finished the game on a 17-5 run.
Myles Turner led the Pacers with 26 points, Jeff Teague scored 21, Paul George had 18 and Al Jefferson scored 14 off the bench.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (7-17) at Magic (11-16)

Date: December 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The NBA world was buzzing at Brook Lopez's expense Wednesday night.

Lopez was the unfortunate soul caught in the wake of the oncoming storm Larry Nance Jr. was bringing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Nance came crashing through the lane on the break and rose up over the 7-foot Lopez for a monstrous one-handed jam that even had the home Brooklyn Nets bench jumping in shock.

What no one was buzzing about, though, was the important part of the game.

That was the sweet cut from Lopez for a layup that gave the Nets a sizable lead in the fourth quarter. Or the points and rebounds he poured in to deliver Brooklyn a win.

Now, Lopez and the Nets are moving on to Friday's opponent, the Orlando Magic.

The Nets used a strong 32-21 fourth quarter to power their way to a 107-97 win over the Lakers, in a sometimes sloppy effort from the young team. Lopez scored eight of his 20 points and grabbed four of his seven rebounds in the fourth quarter to help propel Brooklyn to a win.

The Lakers had the highlight, but the Nets had the finish.

"We just stayed together and kept our concentration and focus," Lopez said. "There were lots of ups and downs. We weren't really at our best the entirety of the game, but we fought through it. We haven't done that at times before, but we definitely had to stick to it tonight."

The Nets kept their heads in the game despite that highlight play and their own struggles throughout the season. They found a way to win.

For the season, Brooklyn has been surprisingly good late in games. According to NBA.com, the Nets are 6-7 in games that are within five points with five minutes to play. They score 106.8 points per 100 possessions in those moments. Brooklyn, surprisingly, has been plenty able to score so far this season and score late in games to pull out a surprising number of wins.

The Magic took the Los Angeles Clippers to the brink heading into the fourth quarter Wednesday as the team tried to snap a five-game home losing streak. But their uncharacteristically strong offense let them down in the fourth quarter.

The Magic shot just 8 for 23 in the final quarter, giving up the first seven points and having to climb out of a deep hole against one of the league's best teams in a 113-108 loss.

Orlando fell just short of the upset.

"I think we kept pace," said Jeff Green, who scored 19 points in the game. "I just think we missed shots to give them that lead. We got some stops. But, at the end of the day, we missed some shots. ... We've just got to continue to take those shots. We know we can shoot them and if we miss again, they'll fall."

Unlike the Nets, the Magic have had some struggles late in games this year.

Orlando is 7-9 in games within five points in the final five minutes. The team's offense has struggled, posting a lowly 94.4 offensive rating (points per 100 possessions). The defense has struggled too with a 115.1 defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions).

The Magic have had to face the seventh-most close games this season and have struggled to pull out wins. That might explain the Magic's middling 11-16 record and the Nets' surprising 7-17 record.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pistons (14-13) at Wizards (10-14)

Date: December 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards used a physical brand of basketball for an impressive win in their last outing. That approach is required for the middle contest of their three-game homestand with Andre Drummond and the Detroit Pistons on deck.

The Wizards (10-14) defeated the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday night 109-106 in large part to all-around performances from guards John Wall and Bradley Beal. Yet the postgame focus from both locker rooms centered on Washington's aggressive work on both ends of the court after Hornets took a 10-point lead early in the third quarter.

"It was our defensive pressure," Beal said after Washington won for the third time in four games. "We got tired of giving them open 3's in the first half, comfortable shots...In the second half, we just got after it."

Washington got after it on the boards and interior scoring, finishing with a 56-28 points in the paint advantage.

Center Marcin Gortat's presence was felt in those areas, as well as helping free Wall and Beal for open looks. Wall had 25 points, 10 assists and seven steals. Beal scored 18 of 20 points in the second half and finished with a career-high nine assists.

"He did a great job screening," Wall said of Gortat. "He really didn't focus on getting the ball as much, he just did a great job screening and rebounding the ball for us. At the end he set good screens and got an opportunity to get the ball and finish at the rim."

The Wizards will see plenty of Drummond if they attack the rim Friday night in their first meeting against the Pistons (14-13).

Drummond, second in the NBA with 13.7 rebounds per game, grabbed 17 in Detroit's 95-85 victory in Dallas on Wednesday night. The Pistons outrebounded the Mavericks 50-30. They also rallied from a 12-point deficit in the third quarter as the Reggie Jackson-led offense eventually helped Drummond and those defending.

"Our defense kept us around and then we finally had a good offensive quarter in the fourth," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We hung around long enough to give ourselves a chance to have one good quarter."

Reggie Jackson scored nine of his season-high 20 points in the fourth quarter. The guard played six games this season since returning from a knee injury.

"I just got my legs under me," Jackson said. "The encouragement of the coaches and my team just telling me to keep attacking, go downhill and keep making plays."

The matchup reunites twin brothers Marcus and Markieff Morris. However, Washington played Wednesday without Markieff Morris, who sat with a sore foot. Kelly Oubre Jr. made his first start of the season and scored 15 points.

Marcus Morris is third in scoring behind Tobias Harris (team-high 16.3 points) and Drummond (14.5) with 14.4.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (12-13) at Raptors (18-7)

Date: December 16, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The Atlanta Hawks will be back at the Air Canada Centre for the second time in two weeks on Friday night.

That has hardly been long enough to erase the pain of their visit on Dec. 3 when the Toronto Raptors trounced them 128-84. The 44-point margin of victory the largest in Raptors' history.

Not much has changed since then. The Raptors (18-7) continue to roll, having won four in a row and 10 of their last 11 games, including a 123-114 decision over the 76ers in Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

The Hawks (12-13) continue to struggle after a 9-2 start to the season.

The Hawks took a 131-120 loss at home to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night after winning their two previous games. It was the highest point total against the Hawks since the Golden State Warriors scored 137 points on March 4, 2008.

"I don't know exactly how I would describe it but there is some level of frustration," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "There is some level of optimism. I do think we are doing some things better. We need to do more things better for more of the 48 minutes. I would say there was a stretch when offensively, we were really, really struggling. We have taken two steps forward there. Maybe we have regressed defensively. We have to be moving forward with both."

"We definitely had a lot of steps forward to start and then a lot of steps back," said Hawks reserve forward Kris Humphries, a former Raptor. "Then a comeback win (over the Milwaukee Bucks) for a step forward. I think you have to look at the next seven games and gauge if our momentum is going the right way and judge how we are playing. Sometimes, a game like (the loss to the Magic) is hard to judge where you are at. The way they played, they would have beat anyone in the league."

The Raptors currently have the highest-rated offense in the NBA, but they were outscored in the fourth quarter Wednesday by the 76ers 40-31 and had a 19-point lead with 5:39 to play cut to six with 41 seconds remaining before they held on for the nine-point margin. Coach Dwane Casey was not pleased.

"It's a great example: the game is never over until it's over," Casey said. "We're not good enough to let up and relax. Every team in this league can come back and get you. That's what's upsetting about a good-going game until the fourth quarter. Gave up 40 points and 50 percent shooting because we took our foot off the gas pedal and you can't do that in this league."

DeMar DeRozan had 31 points against the 76ers after scoring 30 against the Milwaukee Bucks in Toronto's win on Monday.

"We just understand what needs to be done," DeRozan said. "Not much has to be said. We kind of know after a lot of games what we need to be better at next game. Consciously we're going into next practice, next game with that on our minds to be better. It's just the maturity of us and all of the guys that have been on this team carrying it over to the younger guys."

Raptors reserve center Lucas Nogueira did not play Wednesday because of a sore right knee. Tests showed no serious injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (14-12) at Celtics (13-12)

Date: December 16, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Back on Oct. 29, the Boston Celtics scored a 104-98 victory over the Hornets in Charlotte.

Isaiah Thomas had 24 points and seven assists in the win, while Kemba Walker delivered 29 points in the loss.

Friday night, the teams face each other for the first time since -- and there is a chance neither will play in the rematch at TD Garden.

While Thomas, who leads Boston with 26 points and 6.2 assists per games, hopes to return from a four-game absence with a groin strain, word came down Thursday that Walker and his 22.6 points and 5.2 assists will sit this one out because of a personal issue. He will rejoin the team for the game in Atlanta Saturday night for the final game of a five-game road trip.

Both teams lost on the road Wednesday night, the Celtics dropping their third in a row in a loss at San Antonio and the Hornets, the only team over .500 in the Southeast Division, losing in Washington.

The Celtics won their first game without Thomas, beating the Orlando Magic on the road. The Magic were just coming off a successful road trip and were flat in that game. Boston moved the ball around and surprised people with smoothness and ease without Thomas -- one local talk show host even saying they were better off without their Little Big Man.

But reality soon reared its ugly head in a home loss to the Toronto Raptors and a two-game road whiff at Oklahoma City and San Antonio -- losses to three teams with a combined 53-23 record through Wednesday's games.

"We're still trying to figure it out," Boston's Jae Crowder said after Wednesday's loss that dropped the Celtics to 13-12 on the season. "Haven't got there yet, obviously, and it shows in games like this. From top to bottom, we just haven't figured it out."

The hope is they'll have Thomas back for this one.

The Hornets have also lost three straight to fall to 14-12. They didn't play well in Washington, and their coach, Steve Clifford, wasn't happy.

"The game came down to physical play," Clifford said. "If guys aren't willing to be more physical, we'll be an up-and-down team, we'll struggle to make the playoffs.

"If we want to play with the physicality we choose to at times, we have a chance to be a good team."

The Hornets averaged the second-fewest turnovers in the league at 11.8 per game before Wednesday, but coughed it up 18 times in the loss to the Wizards.

Ramon Sessions will get his first start as a Hornet, starting for the first time since he played for the injured John Wall in Washington last season.

"This is my 10th year in the league and I've been thrown in these situations a lot," Sessions told the Charlotte Observer Thursday. "Just take in the flow of the game. Get guys their shots and be aggressive, also, with the extended minutes.

"Starting or not starting, there's not that much difference. Just play my game."

Thomas was 9 for 20 from the floor, including 2 for 7 from 3-point range, in the first meeting, finishing a plus-14. Walker was more efficient, going 10 for 16, including 4 for 8 from long range, but was a minus-18.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (11-12) at Bulls (13-11)

Date: December 16, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- The Chicago Bulls won't have to wait long to get another chance at the Milwaukee Bucks.

Twenty-four hours after the Bucks handed Chicago a 108-97 loss, the two teams will meet again in Chicago on the back end of a home-and-home series.

Chicago came out flat early against Milwaukee and never led in the contest, though the Bulls did manage a late surge before falling for the second game in a row and fifth time in their past seven.

"I would have hoped we had solved the playing half a game or three quarters of a game," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said after his team gave up 25 points on 17 turnovers and went 5 of 19 from 3-point distance. "We played the fourth quarter the way you have to play the entire game."

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker continued their hot streak for Milwaukee on Thursday, combining for 58 points on 24-of-46 shooting in the victory.

They rank first and second in scoring on the team this season. Antetokounmpo, who finished with 30 on Thursday, is averaging 22.3 points, while Parker is adding 19.4 a night. However, coach Jason Kidd says those numbers only tell part of the story.

"If we're just being judged on points, then they're playing really well," Kidd said. "But it's not all about points. Unfortunately, that's all you guys write about. It's a team game, but it comes down to winning and doing your job."

Kidd was quick to mention that Parker finished with three assists Thursday. The forward is averaging 2.1 helpers per game this season and has been quick to make the extra pass to keep Milwaukee's offense flowing.

"Sometimes it goes unnoticed that he passes the ball as well as Giannis," Kidd said.

Stopping those two will be key for the Bulls, who will also need to find a way to limit their turnovers and prevent Milwaukee from enjoying another 11-of-20 showing from beyond the 3-point arc.

"They made eight threes in the first half; that is not on our scouting report for them to make eight threes," Chicago guard Dwyane Wade said. "Then they also got transition points, so they got everything they wanted early in the first half.

"We are going to have to play better defensively tomorrow against this team."

Parker especially is looking forward to facing the Bulls. He grew up on the south side of Chicago, not far from the United Center.

"That's the game I circle on my calendar beyond any other game just because I'm a kid from the city," Parker said. "I grew up watching them, and that's something that's in my pride to try my best against the Bulls."

The Bucks are again expected to be without swingman Michael Beasley, who sat out the Thursday game due to a sore foot.

With Beasley out, Mirza Teletovic was first off the bench and saw nearly 20 minutes of action. He went 5 of 10 from the field with three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points.

"It shows our depth," Kidd said. "When somebody is down, somebody else has to step up, and Mirza did that tonight for us. He was big. He had some shots he normally makes that he missed tonight, but we're going to need that again from him tomorrow night."

Milwaukee has dropped five consecutive contests at the United Center.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (9-16) at Grizzlies (18-9)

Date: December 16, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Memphis coach David Fizdale is working some kind of magic with the Grizzlies.

With a roster more akin to a M*A*S*H unit, all the first-year coach has done is put his 18-9 Grizzlies in a position to do more than succeed -- once it gets healthy, Memphis may make some Western Conference powers seriously worry.

Case in point: In a span of five days, the Grizzlies have defeated both the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Against the Warriors on Saturday, it wasn't close -- neither Stephen Curry nor Draymond Green played in the fourth quarter. Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant logged less than two minutes in the final stanza in the 21-point victory.

On Wednesday, it was NBA champion Cleveland's turn to witness Fizdale's wizardry. Granted, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love sat out, but Memphis led by as many as 25 in a wire-to-wire victory.

Sacramento (9-16) will be next to get a close up look at Fizdale's early season genius when the Kings and Grizzlies tip off at 7 p.m. Friday at FedExForum.

The contest marks Dave Joerger's return to Memphis after three solid seasons as coach. Joerger went 147-99 before being fired in May and he quickly caught on with the Kings.

Sacramento (9-16) lost for the sixth time in eight games Wednesday in a 132-98 loss to Houston. The Kings played without center DeMarcus Cousins rest), forward Rudy Gay (hip) and guard Ben McLemore (quad).

Four starters scored in double figures, paced by guard Garrett Temple, who had 20 points and was 5 of 9 from long range. Sacramento finished 11 of 32 on 30-pointers.

The Sacramento defense was porous. The Kings had allowed an NBA-record 50 3-point attempts in a 117-104 home loss to Houston on Nov. 25 and Joerger was ready for another onslaught, and the Rockets didn't disappoint.

They flirted with the NBA record for 3-pointers, hitting 22 of 42 in a game where the Rockets produced a season-high 40 assists on 50 field goals.

"Certainly they shot well," Joerger understated. "They were shooting 65 percent from 3 for most of the night, and once they got ahead of us they became free and easy."

Memphis' defense is on the other end of the spectrum as Fizdale has his group of patchwork players playing at a high level. The Grizzlies are in the top three in defensive rating, scoring defense and third in shooting defense.

Because of the attention to detail on the defensive end, Memphis is on pace to win 50-plus games despite a bevy of injuries that would cripple most team's chances of competing.

All-Star point guard Mike Conley has missed the past seven games with a back injury that will keep him sidelined well into January.

In his first season with the Grizzlies, Chandler Parsons has been limited to six games because of a balky knee.

Vince Carter missed seven games with a hip injury before coming back against Golden State.

Zach Randolph missed seven games after the death of his mother.

Deyonte Davis, James Ennis III and Brandan Wright have missed significant time.

A rookie coach. A ton of injuries. How has Fizdale kept the Memphis ship from sinking?

"Coach Fizdale is someone that embodies resiliency," general manager Chris Wallace told NBA.com. "Whenever we've got down into a valley this year and haven't been playing well, he's had the ability to immediately snap us back and go get a win and raise our level of play instead of staying down for a long period of time and wallowing in that negativity."

Joerger hasn't been able to flip the right switches like Fizdale has with Memphis.

"We still have to play hard throughout the season," Kings forward Matt Barnes said. "People are going to be shorthanded and that's going to give other guys opportunity to step up and try to get a rhythm. They got off to a hot start and had all the confidence in the world and never really slowed down."

After starting all 24 games this season, Cousins was given the night off in Houston to rest. He leads the team in scoring (28.3 points), rebounding (10.9), and blocks (1.5) while ranking fourth in assists (3.6).

Friday's matchup of Cousins versus Marc Gasol should be worth watching. Gasol has picked up the slack with all of the Grizzlies' injuries. Fizdale praised his leadership qualities, too.

Gasol followed up his Western Conference Player of the Week honors with his fifth double-double of the season, scoring a very efficient 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and grabbing 11 boards against the Cavs. He also hit all three of his 3-point attempts, marking his fifth game with three-or-more shots made from beyond the arc. He had never achieved such a feat before this season.

"He's good," Fizdale said. "He's our MVP. I'm a little biased but I think he's the best center in the league."