Friday 12/4/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
Good luck on all your plays.

When not viewing the service plays.
Make sure to enjoy the rest of what the RX has to offer.

First time here at the RX.
Make sure to visit the Newbies Room
Click here to go there now

 

[superbeets]

German Bundesliga TODAY 19:30

Schalke

v

Hannover

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SCHALKE	RECENT FORM
HDADALHLHWAD​ Most recent​	1 - 0 2 - 0 5 - 4 3 - 0	HLALAWHLALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Hannover have scored in each of their last five away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Schalke have not won in five league games but they’ve faced Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in that time so their poor run is not without explanation. Hannover are nowhere near the same level as those sides but they have looked decent on the road recently and could trouble the hosts.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
1

 

[superbeets]

French Ligue 1 TODAY 19:30

Nice

v

Paris St-G.

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT NICE	RECENT FORM
HDHLAWHWALAD​ Most recent​	1 - 3 0 - 1 2 - 1 0 - 0	ALHWAWAWHWAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Paris St-Germain have won 11 of their last 13 away league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Paris-St Germain dropped points for only the third time this season when drawing 0-0 away to Angers on Tuesday but can respond with a comfortable victory over Nice on the Mediterranean coast. High-flying Nice are among the highest scorers in the division but are nowhere near the level of PSG, who are 17 points superior.

RECOMMENDATION: PSG-PSG double result
1

 

[superbeets]

Championship TODAY 19:45

Ipswich

v

Middlesbro

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT IPSWICH	RECENT FORM
ADHDHWAWHDAW​ Most recent​	2 - 0 3 - 1 4 - 0 1 - 1	HWHWALHWAWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Ipswich have scored 12 goals in their last four games

EXPERT VERDICT: Ipswich fans are again dreaming of the playoffs after seeing a seven-game winless run replaced by six matches unbeaten. Daryl Murphy has found his lost scoring boots, netting six times in his last three games, but Boro will be Town’s toughest test for a while and it may be best to back both teams to score

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
1


REFEREE: Tim Robinson STADIUM

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup TODAY 19:55

Salford City

v

Hartlepool

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BBC2					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SALFORD CITY	RECENT FORM
ALHWAWHDHWAL​ Most recent​	Unknown	HLALHWHWALHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Hartlepool have lost six of their last eight away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Salford produced one of the shocks of the first round when they beat Notts County and they face a similar task against Hartlepool. The visitors are struggling in League Two but will still be expected to win. However, they have not reached the third round since 2011 and Salford can take another famous scalp.

RECOMMENDATION: Salford
1


REFEREE: Gavin Ward STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Scottish Premiership Sa 5Dec 12:30

Dundee

v

Aberdeen

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT DUNDEE	RECENT FORM
ADHLADHDADAD​ Most recent​	1 - 1 1 - 1 2 - 1 2 - 3	ALHDALHWADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Dundee have drawn seven of their last 11 games

EXPERT VERDICT: Both teams to score looks the best bet at Dens Park. Hosts Dundee are score-draw kings and while Aberdeen have moved back up to second in the table their best recent results have been achieved at Pittodrie. The Dons have lost three and drawn one of their last four away games.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Bobby Madden STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 19:45

Lazio

v

Juventus

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU					More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LAZIO	RECENT FORM
HLAWALHDHWAL​ Most recent​	0 - 3 1 - 1 0 - 2 2 - 1	HWADAWHWHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Lazio have lost five of their last seven Serie A matches

EXPERT VERDICT: A five-match winless sequence has seen Lazio slide from third to tenth in Serie A and their descent could continue with a defeat at home to champions Juventus. Slowly but surely Juve are recovering from their slow start to the season and they should be backed to claim a fifth successive victory.

RECOMMENDATION: Juventus
2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flyers (9-10) at Devils (11-10)

Date: December 04, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Philadelphia's last meeting against New Jersey was the very beginning of a prolonged slump, but the Flyers hope the next will help them continue their resurgence.

While the Flyers seek a fourth straight win Friday night, the Devils try to avoid a fourth consecutive home defeat.

Philadelphia (10-10-5) has won three in a row and four of five to offset a miserable three-week stretch. The Flyers went 2-7-3 from Oct. 29-Nov. 21, starting with a 4-1 home loss to the Devils, but they have a chance to sweep their three-game road trip.

They opened it with wins of 3-0 over the New York Rangers on Saturday and 4-2 over Ottawa on Tuesday, the latter sealing Philadelphia's first three-game winning streak.

"The last little bit we've been playing good hockey,' right winger Wayne Simmonds said. 'I think we're spending a lot more attention to detail and we're getting it done.'

Simmonds tallied a goal and an assist against the Senators, giving him three goals and two assists in the past two games after he went six contests without a point.

Steve Mason also has been a key contributor lately after opening the season 2-5-2 with a 3.55 goals-against average in his first nine games. He has a 1.82 GAA for a 3-2-2 record with one shutout in his last seven.

Mason has been the constant for a defense that allowed at least four goals eight times in its opening 16 games but has done so just once in the last nine.

He did suffer the late-October loss against New Jersey, though, after surrendering three goals on 32 shots, and he has lost all seven of his starts against the Devils with a 3.77 GAA.

The Flyers' defense will also be without Radko Gudas for three games after he was suspended without pay by the NHL on Wednesday for an illegal check to Ottawa's Mika Zibanejad's head. He was not penalized on the play but will sit out after it was reviewed by the league.

The first matchup in this series started Philadelphia's decline, but it was the middle of a 10-3-0 stretch for New Jersey.

The Devils (13-10-2) have been inconsistent at 3-4-1 since, and they will try and win back-to-back games for the first time since the tail end of their hot stretch.

New Jersey has scored just four goals during a three-game losing streak at the Prudential Center, and ranks 29th in the league with 1.92 goals at home. Only Philadelphia (1.75) is worse.

But the Devils, who have won three in a row and five of six in this series, had no problem offensively in Thursday's 5-1 victory at Carolina. Mike Cammalleri scored twice and added an assist while Adam Henrique, Stephen Gionta and Jacob Josefson each found the back of the net.

'We feel like we accomplished something as a team (Thursday),' Cammalleri said. 'The result followed.'

Center Travis Zajac left the game during the first period with an upper-body injury. Zajac, who has six goals and nine assists, won't be available against the Flyers but his status moving forward is unclear.

Backup Keith Kinkaid earned the win, but Cory Schneider will be back in net Friday. Schneider earned the victory in the first matchup, and he is 3-2-0 with a 2.37 GAA lifetime against the Flyers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Panthers (10-9) at Blue Jackets (10-16)

Date: December 04, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers haven't done much offensively during their best stretch of the season. Roberto Luongo has done his best to make that a moot point.

With a chance to match their longest road win streak in seven years, the Panthers would be hard pressed not to start Luongo in the second of this back to back Friday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Since losing three straight appearances that included a season high-tying five goals allowed in an overtime loss to the New York Rangers, Luongo has picked up his play considerably. He's led Florida (12-9-4) to four consecutive wins, including a 32-save performance in Thursday's 2-1 victory at Nashville.

The Panthers, who have won the first three on this five-game trip, seek five consecutive victories away from home for the first time since Nov. 30-Dec. 12, 2008.

"You want to get on a bit of a roll and get some points," Luongo told the team's official website. "I think, especially this road trip, we've had some tough tests and we've played some good hockey as a team. We've won some gritty road games. That's the type of hockey when we play here, and that's the way we win."

The 16-year veteran has a .957 save percentage during his four-game run. If that wasn't motivation enough to start him on back-to-back days, he's also 6-1-2 with a 1.92 goals-against average in his last nine starts against the Blue Jackets.

Whether Luongo or Al Montoya gets the nod in net, they likely won't have much margin for error.

The Panthers have scored nine non-shootout goals during their win streak, but did end a three-game stretch without a power-play tally Thursday when Jonathan Huberdeau connected in the second period. It was a rare road man-advantage goal for Florida, which is 4 for 37 (10.8 percent) in those situations.

Still trying to dig out from a season-opening eight-game losing streak, Columbus (10-16-0) has been much better since with a 10-8-0 record. The Blue Jackets were really making strides with wins in six of eight games before losses at St. Louis and Montreal this week.

They scored a combined two goals in those defeats, were outshot 58-47, allowed two power-play goals and failed to convert on either of their opportunities.

A punchless power play has been a concern all season, and that unit is 0 for 19 over the past eight games after a 5-for-11 stretch last month.

"Our power play has gone dry, and we spent a number of minutes today working on that," coach John Tortorella told the team's official website after practice Thursday. "We need to get into a more shooting mentality on our power play."

Tortorella's team has turned around its fortunes at home, winning four of five after six consecutive losses there.

Sergei Bobrovsky has been in net for each of those games, posting a 1.59 GAA and one shutout. He's been just as good lately against the Panthers with wins in seven consecutive starts while compiling a 1.95 GAA.

Although Columbus plays at Philadelphia on Saturday, Bobrovsky has started on back-to-back days several times this season and is expected to get the nod.

The Blue Jackets had won 10 straight in this series before a 3-2 road loss Jan. 29. Bobrovsky got that night off as Florida notched its first win over Columbus since Nov. 21, 2007.

Panthers leading scorer Jaromir Jagr's next goal will be the 731st of his career, tying him with Marcel Dionne for fourth all-time.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (13-11) at Sabres (9-12)

Date: December 04, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Offense is coming as easily as it has in a year for Buffalo, and Arizona has been terrible defensively for not just the last two games but much of the season.

The teams meet Friday night in Buffalo, where the Sabres have a shot at a scoring plateau they haven't reached in nine seasons, while the Coyotes play the third of a five-game trip trying to hold an opponent under five goals.

Buffalo (10-12-3) last scored four goals in three straight from Dec. 11-15 as part of a four-game winning streak and hasn't done it in four straight since it had 30 over five consecutive contests in 2006-07 - also the last season the club won a playoff series.

The Sabres, however, didn't fully capitalize on the latest effort, falling 5-4 in a shootout at Detroit on Tuesday following 4-1 wins over Carolina and Nashville. To coach Dan Bylsma, it showed his team has the firepower to recover after falling behind 2-0 and 3-1 before forcing overtime.

"We got down, with their first shot, and they get another on a faceoff play that caroms in off their player and over our goalie," Bylsma told the team's official website. "When you're down 2-0, you have to go after it, and I think you saw that in how the game was played up and down the ice. We had to fight back."

Evander Kane scored twice and has four points in the last two games - equaling his total in the first 13 - and Rasmus Ristolainen's three assists gave him 12 points in his last 12 games after totaling five in his first 13.

"We did fight, but we didn't get it done," said Kane, who scored once on the power play to help the Sabres to a 4-for-9 mark in the last two games.

Linus Ullmark was in goal, so the streaking Chad Johnson figures to face the Coyotes. Johnson faced the Hurricanes and Predators to improve to 3-1-1 with a 1.28 goals-against average and .954 save percentage in his last seven games. He beat Arizona on Feb. 24, making 27 saves in a 5-1 win while with the New York Islanders.

That fits right in with the Sabres' success against the Coyotes. Johnson's current team has averaged 3.20 goals during an 8-1-1 span in the series, and Ristolainen scored in both meetings last season.

After Thursday's 5-1 loss in Detroit, the Coyotes (13-11-1) are now one of five teams surrendering at least three goals per game. It was their second straight allowing five and fourth in their last nine to bump their season average to 3.00.

They fell behind 3-0 in the first period two nights after the Predators piled on four in the third, so Arizona allowed seven goals in a 40-minute span.

Mike Smith gave up the three first-period goals before being replaced, dropping him to 7-7-1 with a 3.49 GAA and .887 save percentage over his last 17 games.

Coyotes captain Shane Doan has missed the last five games with a lower-body injury, but coach Dave Tippett said there was a chance he could return Friday.

They got Steve Downie back after he missed 10 games with an upper-body injury, and the forward assisted on Jordan Martinook's goal.

"He made a good play on our goal," coach Dave Tippett told the team's official website. "He hadn't played in 10 games so it was good to get him back in there."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (14-7) at Islanders (13-8)

Date: December 04, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The New York Islanders likely won't have the same intense atmosphere from their latest game to spur them on in their next.

The Islanders, though, have proved adept at winning lately regardless of the environment and seek a season high-tying fourth consecutive victory Friday night against the St. Louis Blues.

A visit from the New York Rangers on Wednesday gave the Islanders their second capacity crowd in their first 15 games at the Barclays Center, and they rewarded those fans with a 2-1 shootout victory over their rivals.

The other sellout was in their first game in Brooklyn on Oct. 9 against Chicago.

"It's a big win. ... I'm glad we were able to get the two points and certainly have our fans waking up strutting their step," captain John Tavares said. "We want to build on it. It's important not to have any letdown after this. We obviously have a tough weekend coming up."

The Islanders (14-8-4) are 4-0-1 in their last five, and their current win streak began with a 3-2 victory in Tampa Bay on Saturday. They opened a three-game homestand Monday with a 5-3 win over Colorado in front of 11,585 fans, 4,000 fewer than Wednesday night.

They could have a similar difference in crowd size during the visit from the inconsistent Blues (15-7-3).

St. Louis certainly has hardly wowed anyone recently by going 4-4-2 in its last 10 games. The Blues have alternated wins and losses in their past eight contests and fell 3-1 to visiting Florida on Tuesday.

"We wanted to play a slow east-west game and we couldn't. Until we switched all the lines up in the third period, we didn't dig in and play the way we needed to play," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Hopefully, we can get our game back in order for the weekend."

The Blues have totaled one goal in the opening period of their last four games and the Islanders took advantage of their slow start Oct. 24 in St. Louis to build a 2-0 lead after two periods.

The Blues rallied with Colton Parayko and Alexander Steen scoring in the third, but Mikhail Grabovski gave New York a 3-2 overtime win, ending the Islanders' five-game skid in the series.

They fell 6-4 on Dec. 6 in the Blues' lone visit last season, with Paul Stastny's second goal breaking a third-period tie. The veteran forward has five in his last five matchups.

Vladimir Tarasenko finished off the scoring in that win, but St. Louis' leading scorer is reportedly fighting an illness.

Should Tarasenko have to sit out, defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk will try to pick up the slack by adding to his two goals and seven assists in a five-game point streak against the Islanders. He had two goals and eight assists in an eight-game streak that ended Tuesday.

Kyle Okposo has three goals and five assists in a five-game point streak versus St. Louis. Tavares, who has scored a goal in each of his last three matchups with Blues, has seven goals and four assists in his last 11 overall contests.

St. Louis has won six of its final eight games at the Islanders' old Nassau Coliseum.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (12-8) at Flames (8-14)

Date: December 04, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Although they had some more late heroics, the Boston Bruins couldn't extend their season-high winning streak when they faced one of the NHL's worst teams.

They'll see another one of the league's bottom feeders Friday night, but the Calgary Flames are in pursuit of their longest home win streak in three seasons.

Boston had won five in a row until a 3-2 shootout loss to Edmonton on Wednesday in the opener of a three-game trip through Western Canada. Zdeno Chara scored the tying goal with 3:21 left in regulation, but the Bruins went 0 for 3 in the shootout.

"It's disappointing but we still have a chance to get five out of six points on the road," forward David Krejci said. "We've just got to be ready for the next game."

Boston's win streak nearly ended in each of the previous three games, beginning with a 4-3 shootout victory in Toronto on Nov. 23. Colin Miller had the tying score with 1:44 to go in regulation in a 3-2 overtime win at Detroit two days later, and the Bruins (13-8-2) scored two goals in the final four minutes of a 4-3 victory against the New York Rangers last Friday.

"I don't think you want to make that a habit. You're down one goal, and then all of a sudden, you just start playing like you should have been right off the bat," goaltender Tuukka Rask told the team's official website. "That's been the case a few times, here, and I think we have to fix that."

Boston owns one of the Eastern Conference's best road records at 8-2-1 but will have to snap Calgary's five-game home win streak to add to that.

The Flames (9-14-2) rallied for a 4-3 shootout win against Dallas to open a five-game homestand Tuesday and snap a string of three consecutive defeats. Calgary scored three times in the third period, and former Bruins defenseman Dougie Hamilton had the tying goal with 2:18 left in regulation.

"It's about the momentum," coach Bob Hartley said Wednesday. "You win, you need to keep building and keep working. Last night we played and got two points and now our focus is on Boston."

Calgary will seek its first six-game home win streak since taking eight in a row Feb. 23-March 27, 2013. The Flames swept last season's two matchups with Boston and avoided a third consecutive home loss in the series with a 4-3 overtime victory Feb. 16.

They also rallied from a 3-0 deficit in that game with Jiri Hudler scoring twice in the third period and T.J. Brodie netting the winning goal. It was among Calgary's franchise-record 10 third-period comebacks in 2014-15 that helped it reach the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.

The Flames are currently tied for last place in the West with Edmonton.

"I still think there's that winning attitude in here and that sense we know what we have in this room and we can have the same kind of success and even more so than we had last year," forward Brandon Bollig told the team's official website.

Hamilton will face his former team for the first time since a draft-day trade that netted Boston a first-round pick and two second rounders. He paced all Bruins blueliners with 42 points last season and tied for the team lead with 32 assists.

Hudler had three goals and one assist in last season's series, but has one assist in his last five games. Chara has four goals and four assists in his past seven matchups with Calgary.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (19-5) at Oilers (7-15)

Date: December 04, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

The only teams that have been able to slip by the Dallas Stars this season are the ones who can score in bunches. The issue for the Edmonton Oilers is that a chunk of their offensive punch currently resides on the injury report.

The Stars look to continue improving on their already franchise-best start Friday night when they visit the Oilers, who are hoping not to sink without some of their biggest playmakers.

Dallas (20-5-1) picked up its 20th victory at the earliest point in franchise history Thursday with a 4-2 win at Vancouver. Patrick Sharp netted the game-winning goal with 5:59 left, while Valeri Nichushkin,Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza also scored.

The Stars avoided their first losing streak of the season and improved to 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and 11-2-1 away from home.

"We're finding ourselves playing in these one-goal games late in the third period quite a bit lately, and we're coming out on the right side," Sharp said. "That's a good sign for our team going forward."

Dallas is 16-3-1 versus the Oilers since Jan. 22, 2010, and the Stars have won six of the last seven matchups in Edmonton - though the Oilers did win the last 4-0 on March 27.

The Stars took the first matchup this season 4-2 in Dallas on Oct. 13 behind a hat trick from Spezza, who has six goals in his last nine games.

Edmonton (9-15-2) might need a similar offensive boost to have a chance on Friday. Dallas has surrendered just 38 goals in its 20 wins, but has given up 29 in its six losses.

But the Oilers won't have Connor McDavid (collarbone), Nail Yakupov (ankle), Benoit Pouliot (lower body) and Rob Klinkhammer (leg), who hold murky timelines for their returns to take away a combined 37 points. Edmonton has averaged just 1.3 goals in its last six games and its power play is 0 for 8 in the last two.

A return home was just what Edmonton needed, though, after a 1-3-1 road trip. The Oilers opened a five-game homestand with Wednesday's 3-2 shootout victory over Boston, just their third win in the last 10 games.

Edmonton was shut out at Washington and Toronto to open and close its road trip, respectively, and the Oilers' lone win was a 3-2 shootout victory in Pittsburgh after they coughed up a 2-0 lead in regulation.

'We weren't at all pleased with how our road trip ended in Toronto,' coach Todd McLellan said. 'To come back and play and engage in a game against a big, physical team was something we needed.'

Anders Nilsson has been great in net and continued his push for the No. 1 job against the Bruins. He had 38 saves through overtime and then stopped all three shootout attempts to improve to 3-3-0 since Nov. 20 with a 1.80 goals-against average.

Dallas' Kari Lehtonen improved to 10-1-0 with Thursday's win in Vancouver, but it is unclear if he or Antti Niemi will start against the Oilers. Niemi is 11-1-2 with a 2.45 GAA in his career against Edmonton while with Chicago and San Jose, and Lehtonen holds a 13-4-1 record with a 2.32 GAA and while with Atlanta and Dallas.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (13-10) at Ducks (8-12)

Date: December 04, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

After another subpar homestand, the San Jose Sharks appear to be in good position as they begin a road-heavy stretch in the schedule.

That's because the Sharks have won seven in a row away from home heading into Friday night's matchup with the struggling Anaheim Ducks.

San Jose swept a six-game trip before returning to the SAP Center and dropping two of three, including Tuesday's 5-1 loss to Pittsburgh. The Sharks are 10-3-0 on the road and 4-7-0 at home.

They outshot the Penguins 34-29 and scored a power-play goal for the fourth straight game, but trailed 2-0 after a pass deflected off defenseman Paul Martin's skate and went past Martin Jones before Matt Cullen banked a rebound from behind the net off Jones' pad and in.

'It's frustrating when you think you play well and you don't think it's a 5-1 game,' Martin said. 'There were some rebounds, some second-chance opportunities but it seemed like they were always there to slap it into the corner and make us start all over again.'

The seven-game road win streak is the Sharks' longest since a nine-game run in 2009-10, and they went 2-0-1 in three visits to Anaheim last season. Friday begins a stretch of eight road games in the next 10 for San Jose.

The Ducks (9-12-5) have dropped three of four following Wednesday's 2-1 home defeat to Tampa Bay. The result was especially disappointing after Anaheim had its most complete effort of the season in a 4-0 win over visiting Vancouver on Monday.

The Lightning handed Anaheim just its second regulation loss in the last 11 at home, even with the Ducks holding a 28-14 shot advantage over the final two periods.

'If you're looking for territorial edge or any of that, I thought we outplayed them,' coach Bruce Boudreau said. 'But in the end, we've got to come up with the win, and it seems to be eluding us on a regular basis. I mean, we can talk about how well we're playing against good teams and doing the right things, but the two points is most necessary at this point.'

Like the Sharks, Anaheim got a bad bounce when defenseman Cam Fowler's shot hit the post with 14 seconds left.

'There's a lot of good things that happened in that game, but when you give up two goals in the second period, it's tough,' said right wing Corey Perry, who scored his ninth goal. 'We were right there with them. If not for one bounce at the end of the game, it would have been a different story.'

These teams have met twice in San Jose this season. Patrick Marleau scored two goals to give the Sharks a 2-0 victory Oct. 10 and Perry scored in Anaheim's 1-0 win Nov. 7.

Jones started both games for San Jose and stopped 43 of 44 shots, while Frederik Andersen was in net for the Ducks' loss.

Andersen has missed the last five games while dealing with the flu and John Gibson has started the past four, going 1-2-1 with a 2.00 goals-against average.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Flyers won four of their last five games.
-- Columbus won four of last five at home. Florida won last four games, allowing five goals.
-- Islanders won four of their last five games.
-- Bruins won five of their last six games.
-- Dallas Stars won eight of their last ten games.
-- Sharks won seven of their last nine games.

Cold teams
-- New Jersey lost its last three home games.
-- Arizona lost five of its last six road games. Buffalo lost seven of last nine overall.
-- St Louis lost three of its last four road games.
-- Calgary lost three of its last four games.
-- Edmonton lost seven of its last ten games.
-- Anaheim lost three of its last four games.

Series records
-- Devils won five of last six games with Philly.
-- Blue Jackets won nine of last ten games with Florida.
-- Sabres won eight of last ten games with Arizona.
-- Islanders lost seven of last nine games with St Louis.
-- Bruins lost last two games with Calgary, after winning previous five.
-- Dallas Stars won four of last five games with Edmonton.
-- Sharks won five of last seven games with Anaheim.

Totals
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Flyer-Devil games.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Florida-Columbus games.
-- Four of last five Arizona games went over total.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight St Louis games.
-- Three of last four Calgary games went over.
-- Four of last five Dalals games went over the total.
-- Last four San Jose games went over the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Devils are 1-1 if they played the night before.
-- Panthers are 1-2 if they played the night before.
-- Arizona is 3-2 if it played the night before.
-- Dallas Stars are 2-0 if they played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Notebook: Irving close to return for Cavs
By The Sports Xchange

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Kyrie Irving is nearing a return to action after being fully cleared to resume practicing on Thursday.
Irving suffered a broken left kneecap in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors last June. He had been practicing on an individual basis in recent weeks. Irving hasn't revealed a target date for his return but speculation persists he's aiming for the Christmas Day game against the Warriors.
The three-time All-Star declined to speak with reporters after Thursday's practice.

---Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat will miss at least two games after leaving the team due to a family emergency.
Gortat traveled to Poland on Thursday to visit his ailing mother, who is hospitalized in his native country. Gortat learned of his mother's condition before Tuesday's game against Cleveland. Gortat played that night against the Cavaliers and had 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots. He scored a season-high 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

---Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Indiana Pacers forward Paul George were named Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in October and November.
Curry averaged 31.6 points and made 94 3-pointers as the Warriors won all 19 of their games. The reigning NBA MVP scored 40 or more points five times, including a 53-point outing against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 31. George displayed he is fully recovered from a gruesome broken leg suffered in the summer of 2014. He averaged 27.2 points and made 51 3-pointers as Indiana won 11 of 16 games.
New York Knicks center Kristaps Porzingis was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month and Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns won Western Conference honors.

---The Atlanta Hawks sent guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and center Edy Tavares to Canton of the NBA Development League.
Hardaway, a third-year pro, has played in just four games for the Hawks this season and averaged 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds. The former Michigan standout started 30 games for the New York Knicks last season and averaged 11.5 points before he was acquired by Atlanta in a draft-night trade in June.
Tavares has played in three games for Atlanta this season and has one point, one rebound and one assist. The D-League assignment is his second of the season. He averaged 16.0 points, 14.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks in two games for Austin.

---Detroit Pistons backup center Aron Baynes underwent surgery to repair a broken nose, the club announced.
Baynes suffered the injury in a game against Oklahoma City last Friday but doctors cleared him to continue playing. He played 11 minutes in Wednesday's overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns. Baynes is averaging 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

---The Miami Heat reassigned forward/center Jarnell Stokes to Sioux Falls of the D-League, the club announced.
Stokes was recently acquired Memphis as part of the package in which guard Mario Chalmers was traded to the Grizzlies. Stokes played in two NBA games with the Grizzlies before the trade but hasn't seen action with Miami.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (5-13) at Knicks (9-10)

Date: December 04, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Phil Jackson recently said that New York Knicks rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis has a "magical element" to him.

Porzingis has been hearing the Madison Square Garden faithful chant his name and can further endear himself to those fans Friday night by helping the Knicks hand the rival Brooklyn Nets a seventh straight road defeat.

Jackson had high praise for Porzingis in a radio interview, saying "there's the magical element to this young man that has caught the admiration, I think, of the fan base here in New York City and people around the country that do follow the Knicks."

Porzingis leads all rookies with nine double-doubles and a 9.3 rebounding average while ranking third in scoring at 13.8 points per game. His figure of plus-3.1 ranks second among lottery picks and his rapid rise has won over New York's fan base.

"We obviously felt very strongly about drafting him at No. 4, we liked a lot of things about him and thought he would be a great selection," coach Derek Fisher said. "So far although it wasn't approved at first, it seems to have turned a little bit."

The fans were chanting Porzingis' name as time wound down in Wednesday's 99-87 win over Philadelphia that snapped a four-game slide. The 7-foot-1 Porzingis had 17 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks as New York (9-10) held a 52-32 edge in points in the paint.

Now his task is to help New York save face against its nearest rival after the Knicks lost all four 2014-15 meetings with the Nets.

Although Brooklyn (5-13) owns the Eastern Conference's second-worst record, there is every indication that Friday's matchup won't be easy.

The Nets have won consecutive games for the first time since April to start a nine-game stretch in which they won't leave New York, with this contest the only road game.

'Win a bunch of those games, just keep playing hard, take it one game at a time and just see what we can do,' guard Shane Larkin said.

Larkin will return to face the Knicks for the first time after he logged a team-high 1,865 minutes for last season's club that went 17-65.

Brook Lopez, leading the Nets with 20.1 points per game, will match up again with brother and first-year Knicks center Robin. The twins have met as starters seven times; Brook Lopez is averaging 24.1 points and 8.0 rebounds in those games while Robin is averaging 13.1 and 6.0 with his team winning four times.

A team effort keyed Tuesday's 94-91 win over Phoenix. Larkin's basket with 4:08 left put Brooklyn ahead for good, Lopez scored 23 points and the Nets limited the Suns to 37.5 percent fourth-quarter shooting.

"It shows how much we've actually been growing," Lopez said. "We've definitely seen results in the win column but it's been a progression all season long."

The Nets even played well in their last game away from home despite seeing their road slide reach six, their longest since losing their final seven in 2010-11. They lost 90-88 in Cleveland on Saturday on LeBron James' last-second shot.

Former Knicks center Andrea Bargnani will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury.

This is the 180th regular-season meeting between these teams, with the Knicks leading 90-89.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Suns (8-11) at Wizards (7-9)

Date: December 04, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

After seemingly ending their woes with an impressive win over the Eastern Conference's top team, the Washington Wizards took two steps back against the West's worst.

One of the NBA's most puzzling clubs, the Wizards hope to avoid their longest home losing streak in almost two years Friday night against the slumping Phoenix Suns.

Washington entered this season with high hopes after reaching the conference semifinals, but is instead stuck at the bottom of the Southeast Division.

Following a four-game skid, the Wizards looked like the contender they're supposed to be in Tuesday's 97-85 win at Cleveland. After dealing the Cavaliers their first home defeat, former Suns center Martin Gortat referred to his team as "unpredictable" and "crazy."

That was evident again Wednesday when the Wizards (7-9) committed 23 turnovers in an embarrassing 108-104 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, who had a West-worst 2-15 record before snapping a seven-game losing streak.

"We've got to move the ball and take open shots," said point guard John Wall, who had a season-high 35 points and 10 assists but also had five turnovers. "When we don't take open shots, I think that's when we take bad shots and turn the ball over."

Wall has been able to turn things around, totaling 69 points on 25-of-43 shooting to go along with 21 assists in his last two games. He had averaged 13.6 points on 33.8 percent shooting and 5.8 assists over his previous five.

After scoring 20.8 per game on 52.5 percent shooting over the prior four meetings with the Suns (8-11), Wall totaled 25 points on 10-of-31 shooting in last season's series.

Washington has put up a 46.9 field-goal percentage in its last two games after shooting 33.6 percent over its previous three. The Wizards, however, have been dominated on the glass with a minus-6.8 rebounding margin while dropping five of six.

"We lost the war of rebounding the ball and we lost the war of turnovers (against the Lakers)," Wall added. "When you win those two, you win those games."

The Wizards might be alright in one of those categories as they try to avoid dropping four straight at home for the first time since January 2014. Banged-up Phoenix has a minus-8.2 rebounding margin over its past four games, a stretch that began when leading rebounder Tyson Chandler injured his hamstring early in a 135-116 loss to Golden State last Friday.

It's uncertain when Chandler or Markieff Morris (knee) will be able to return.

The Suns have forced 18.0 turnovers per game in their last six, but they've allowed 114.0 points and a 49.8 field-goal percentage during a 1-6 stretch. They let Detroit shoot 50.6 percent and 12 of 27 (44.4) from 3-point range in Wednesday's 127-122 overtime loss.

'We couldn't stop anybody," coach Jeff Hornacek said. "We just let them go through us without any resistance.'

Brandon Knight led the way with 22 points, backcourt mate Eric Bledsoe had 21 and Jon Leuer matched a season high with 20. Mirza Teletovic is averaging 16.7 points while hitting 14 of 23 from 3-point range through the first three of this six-game trip.

The Suns have won 13 of the past 16 meetings with the Wizards, including both last season. Knight has averaged 25.3 points on 52.8 percent shooting over his last three games against Washington dating to his time with Milwaukee.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (7-12) at Pistons (10-9)

Date: December 04, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Greg Monroe won his battle at center against Andre Drummond the last time they met, and they'll match up again in his first game back in Detroit.

Monroe will try to help the Milwaukee Bucks end a seven-game road losing streak Friday night in his return to the Motor City against Drummond and the Pistons.

Monroe spent his first five seasons with the Pistons before signing a three-year, $50 million contract in July. He downplayed facing his former team when Milwaukee won 109-88 at home Nov. 23, the Bucks' fourth straight win in this series.

"I'm going to come in with the same focus," he said. "That is do what I need to do to help my team win on that night. They just happen to be the only other team I have played for."

Milwaukee (7-12) would like to see a repeat of his effort from the last meeting in which Monroe had 20 points and 13 rebounds while Drummond finished with 15 and 15.

Drummond made 6 of 14 from the field for what remains his worst shooting effort since the season's first week. Monroe's knowledge of facing the big man in practice certainly helped.

"We just tried to be physical," said Bucks guard Khris Middleton, also a Detroit teammate of Drummond's in 2012-13. "We know he doesn't like contact. Once he misses a couple, he is going to get down on himself and start forcing tough shots. Greg did a great job of just making him shoot tough shots and not letting him get to his right hand."

Drummond leads the NBA with 16.7 rebounds per game and 17 double-doubles.

Detroit (10-9) has two starters looking to make amends for poor performances from the last meeting.

Ersan Ilyasova, who spent his first seven seasons with the Bucks before being traded to the Pistons in the offseason, missed all seven shots for his first scoreless effort as a starter in two seasons. Point guard Reggie Jackson was held to a season-low seven points on 3-of-11 shooting to go with seven assists.

The Pistons would like to see Jackson perform like he has in consecutive victories in which he has totaled 65 points and 24 assists. He scored 34 and had a season-high 16 assists in Wednesday's 127-122 overtime victory over Phoenix.

"When he's doing that, when he's driving and attacking and finding people, I mean we can get good shots pretty much at will," coach Stan Van Gundy said.

It's not clear who the Bucks will start at point guard after Jerryd Bayless did not play for the first time in Wednesday's 95-70 loss at San Antonio. Tyler Ennis got the nod, finishing with four points and three assists, and coach Jason Kidd said benching Bayless was not a disciplinary move.

'No, I just didn't want to play him tonight,' Kidd said. 'I wanted to look at Tyler tonight.'

Michael Carter-Williams was the starting point guard the last time these teams met. He's shot 28.1 percent in the past five games.

The Bucks shot a season-low 33.8 percent Wednesday and finished with their lowest point total in two seasons. They haven't won on the road since beating New York 99-92 on Nov. 6.

Giannis Antetokounmpo averages a team-high 16.1 points, but he's totaled 24 in the past three games and shot 5 for 18 in the last two.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lakers (3-15) at Hawks (12-9)

Date: December 04, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Lakers have a chance to win consecutive games for the first time in more than nine months. Though the Atlanta Hawks' last winning streak was much more recent, it feels like an eternity ago.

Kobe Bryant finally delivered a performance that matches up with his closing legacy, and he will try to make it two in a row when the Lakers visit the slumping Hawks Friday night.

Washington was the second stop on Bryant's farewell tour after he announced his impending retirement prior to a season-long eight-game road trip. He turned back the clock by scoring 12 of his season-high 31 points in the fourth quarter during Wednesday's 108-104 victory over the Wizards.

It snapped the Lakers' seven-game losing streak and eight-game skid on the road. It also puts them in position to win two straight for the first time since winning three in a row Feb. 22-27.

Battling an ailing body and shooting woes, Bryant will look for his second straight standout game - something that hasn't happened yet this season.

He made 10 of 24 shots against the Wizards and 4 of 11 from 3-point range, but he hasn't made at least 40 percent of his shots and 33 percent of his 3-pointers in consecutive games. He only has those shooting numbers on two occasions total.

In Tuesday's 103-91 loss at Philadelphia to open the road trip, Bryant finished 7 of 26 from the field while making 4 of 17 from beyond the arc. Even after Wednesday, he was still last of 115 qualifying players in field goal percentage (31.1) and last of 101 in 3-point percentage (22.2).

'We are all just having fun and going out there and trying to play with the right energy,' Bryant said. 'It seems like it has pumped some life into us.'

Atlanta could use a similar jolt.

The Hawks (12-9) lost three straight in mid-November and have traded wins and losses in eight games since. They have dropped seven of 11 and haven't won two in a row since a seven-game run Oct. 29-Nov. 7 - a spurt that had them looking like the title contender they were a year ago.

However, after opening a three-game homestand with a 106-100 win over Oklahoma City, Atlanta squandered a big second-half lead in Wednesday's 96-86 loss to Toronto, snapping a three-game home winning streak.

The Hawks led by as much as 17 in the third quarter before the Raptors rallied. Atlanta allowed a season-high 39 points in the final quarter and lost for the first time in 36 home games when leading to begin the fourth.

'It's just unacceptable on our part,' center Al Horford said. 'We just relaxed in the second half as a team, especially in the fourth quarter. It's just disappointing.'

Horford's 12 points helped him match a career high with 21 consecutive double-digit games, but Atlanta finished with season lows in points and field goal percentage (36.7). The Hawks scored fewer than 90 points for the second time in three games while shooting worse than 30 percent from 3-point range (29.6) for the third time in five.

After calling the Lakers "a circus" following their loss to the 76ers, guard Nick Young did not play against the Wizards.