Friday 2/12/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

German Bundesliga TODAY 19:30

Mainz

v

Schalke

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		19/10	12/5	29/20	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAINZ	RECENT FORM
AWHDALALHWAW​ Most recent​	2 - 0 0 - 1 2 - 2 2 - 4	AWALHWHLAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Mainz have conceded one goal in their last four home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Schalke sit in the final Champions League qualification berth with Mainz only three points behind them so this is a big game between sides both hopeful of making Europe next season. Mainz have been solid at the back but are unlikely to sustain their challenge, while Schalke have kept three clean sheets in four and the sides are fancied to cancel each other out.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

Portuguese Liga TODAY 20:30

Benfica

v

Porto

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		23/20	11/5	5/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BENFICA	RECENT FORM
HWAWAWHWAWAW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 2 - 0 2 - 2 2 - 3	HDAWALHWAWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: The Benfica-Benfica double result has copped in their last six league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Benfica conceded a late goal to lose at Porto in September but they should be confident of avenging that defeat in the reverse fixture. Since a 3-0 home defeat to title rivals Sporting, Benfica have won 13 of their 14 games while Porto have lost three of their seven league matches in 2016, including a shock home reverse to Arouca last weekend.

RECOMMENDATION: Benfica
2

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 13Feb 12:45

Sunderland

v

Man Utd

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		15/4	5/2	3/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SUNDERLAND	RECENT FORM
ALAWALHDHLAD​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 1 1 - 2 0 - 1	ADAWHLAWHWAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Sunderland have not conceded more than once in their last eight home league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Wayne Rooney’s improved run of form has given Manchester United a glimmer of optimism in an otherwise gloomy season, but the Red Devils face a tough task to grab a Champions League spot and could suffer another setback at Sunderland. The Black Cats have turned in some improved performances in recent weeks, with the draw at Anfield the latest flash of hope as they look to avoid relegation.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Andre Marriner STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 13Feb 15:00

C Palace

v

Watford

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		23/20	11/5	5/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT C PALACE	RECENT FORM
ALALHLHWHLAD​ Most recent​	1 - 0 2 - 3 4 - 0 3 - 2	ALALHWAWHDAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Crystal Palace have failed to score in five of their last eight league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Crystal Palace’s point at Swansea last Saturday ended a run of five straight defeats for the Eagles in the Premier League and goals are in short supply – they have netted only three times in those six outings. Watford have lost three on the spin away, without scoring in any of them.

RECOMMENDATION: No goalscorer
1


REFEREE: Robert Madley STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 13Feb 15:00

Everton

v

West Brom

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		1/2	3	6	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT EVERTON	RECENT FORM
ADHLALAWHWAW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 0 - 0 2 - 1 2 - 0	AWHDHDHDALAD*​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: West Brom have scored only eight away goals

EXPERT VERDICT: Everton’s oddly frustrating season continues to be a great source of annoyance to their fans and followers, but West Brom are typically so unambitious on the road that it’s hard to see them outscoring the Toffees. The Baggies will look to catch them on the break but could cave under long periods of pressure.

RECOMMENDATION: Everton
2


REFEREE: Michael Oliver STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 13Feb 15:00

Bournemouth

v

Stoke

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		21/20	12/5	5/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BOURNEMOUTH	RECENT FORM
HLHWADAWAWHL​ Most recent​	3 - 1 1 - 0 1 - 1 4 - 0	HDALAW*ALALHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Stoke have conceded 15 goals in their last seven league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Stoke's promising season fell apart after cup exits against Liverpool and Crystal Palace in the same week and recent Premier League performances have reflected that bitter disappointment. The Potters have lost 3-0 to Manchester United and Everton and could be heading for a fourth straight league loss.

RECOMMENDATION: Bournemouth
2


REFEREE: Graham Scott STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: D Murray agrees to extension with Jackets
By The Sports Xchange

The Columbus Blue Jackets reached an agreement with defenseman Ryan Murray on a two-year, $5.65 million contract extension Thursday.
The 22-year-old Murray was the second overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft. He has four goals and 13 assists in 55 games this season, one of only three Blue Jackets players to see action in every game.
Murray's career high is 66 games as a rookie two years ago. Last season, he was limited by injuries to 12 games.
Murray would have become a restricted free agent on July 1. The extension runs through 2018 at $2,825,000 annually.

--The 2017 NHL draft is headed to Chicago, the NHL announced.
The draft will be held June 23-24, 2017 at the United Center. It marks the first time the event has been held in Chicago.

--Boston Bruins goaltender prospect Malcolm Subban will be sidelined a minimum of eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a broken larynx, the team announced.
Subban suffered the injury when he was struck in the throat by a puck on Feb. 6 while with the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League. The incident occurred during warmups of a game against the Portland Pirates.
Subban, the brother of Montreal Canadiens All-Star defenseman P.K. Subban, has played in 27 games for Providence this season, posting a 14-8-5 record with a 2.46 goals-against average and .911 save percentage.

--Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri was fined $5,000 for making "inappropriate gestures" during Tuesday's game against the Calgary Flames, the NHL announced.
Kadri made a throat-slash gesture at Calgary defenseman Mark Giordano while expressing his anger over a hit he received from Giordano.

--The Detroit Red Wings assigned center Joakim Andersson to Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League, the club announced.
Andersson has three points (one goal, two assists) in 28 games with the Red Wings this season.

--The San Jose Sharks recalled defenseman Mirco Mueller from the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League, the team announced.
Mueller, 20, played in 10 games with the Sharks this season. He made his NHL debut last season and has one goal and three assists in 39 games.

--Tampa Bay Lightning announced that defenseman Jason Garrison is expected to miss 3-5 weeks with a lower-body injury.
He has four goals and seven points, and is second on the Lightning in blocked shots (76).
The Lightning recalled defenseman Slater Koekkoek from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.

--The Los Angeles Kings recalled defenseman Kevin Gravel from Ontario and assigned defenseman Christian Ehrhoff to the American Hockey League team.
The Kings also made goaltender Peter Budaj an emergency recall.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (27-19) at Hurricanes (24-21)

Date: February 12, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

While the Pittsburgh Penguins hope their recent goose egg was a mere hiccup during a hot stretch, the Carolina Hurricanes expect a rejuvenated attack after four days off.

The rested Hurricanes open a favorable stretch in the schedule Friday night as the visiting Penguins look to get back on track in a matchup of Metropolitan Division foes.

Pittsburgh (27-19-7) was the league's best team offensively from Jan. 21-Feb. 8, averaging 4.14 goals while winning six of seven games - including a big outburst in Monday's 6-2 win over Anaheim.

Sidney Crosby scored at least once in each of those seven contests for a career-best goal streak, helping the Penguins finally resemble the up-tempo team most expected entering the season.

Then New York Rangers pumped the breaks and beat Pittsburgh 3-0 on Wednesday. Crosby didn't record a shot on goal to end his 11-game point streak and the Penguins were shut out for the first time in 18 games.

Pittsburgh failed to find the back of the net on 34 shots and moved to 1 for 11 on the power play over its last four games, looking more like the team that averaged 2.19 goals through Dec. 19 - more than only Anaheim (1.84) and Philadelphia (2.09).

"We had some good chances," said Crosby, who totaled 12 goals and 22 points during his point streak. "They capitalized on theirs and we didn't. That was the difference."

Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury suffered his second loss in three starts after winning five in a row. That run started with one of his four shutouts when he made 22 saves in a 5-0 victory over the Hurricanes on Jan. 17.

Crosby scored twice as the Penguins snapped Carolina's three-game win streak in this series, including a 2-1 final Dec. 19 and 3-2 overtime victory at Carolina on Jan. 12.

Fleury's shutout ended a dismal stretch against the Hurricanes in which he went 2-3-1 with an .888 save percentage and 3.14 goals-against average dating to December 2013.

Carolina goalie Cam Ward, who has a .947 save percentage while winning three of his last four starts against Pittsburgh, may earn a third straight start since Eddie Lack allowed five goals against the Penguins last month.

Ward missed the most recent matchup in this series due to a concussion, but the 11-year veteran returned with two strong performances over the weekend. He made 33 saves in a 5-3 win at Winnipeg on Feb. 5 and finished with the same amount in a 2-1 shootout loss at Montreal two days later, helping Carolina wrap up a 1-1-1 trip.

The Hurricanes (24-21-9) open a key stretch with eight of 10 games at PNC Arena, where they are 6-1-2 since Dec. 26. They had scored five goals in each of their wins on a 3-1-0 run that stretched over the All-Star break before finishing with just one and missing all five shootout attempts against the Canadiens.

Jeff Skinner is riding a five-game point streak, but captain Eric Staal has only two assists in his last 10 games.

"We got rested up. We're good," coach Bill Peters said. "We'll get ourselves in a good rhythm here coming into this stretch and take advantage of our schedule being at home."

It opens with back-to-back games against the Penguins and Islanders as the Hurricanes celebrate the 10th anniversary of their 2006 Stanley Cup title this weekend.

Pittsburgh, which is 1-2-2 on the road since Jan. 12, is a bit banged up with Evgeni Malkin staying home to nurse a lower-body injury and Trevor Daley a game-time decision with an undisclosed injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canadiens (27-24) at Sabres (21-28)

Date: February 12, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Two-month chunks of the season have brought wildly different results for the Montreal Canadiens. With about that much time left, they hope for the earlier returns to make a push.

The Canadiens look to build off their first winning streak in more than two months when they open a three-game trip against the sinking Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

Montreal (27-24-4) opened as the NHL's best team with a 19-4-3 record through Dec. 1 but posted the league's worst mark of 5-20-1 from Dec. 3-Feb. 3. That miserable stretch included no point streaks with two four-game skids and a six-game drought.

With the clock ticking on what would be a massive collapse, the Canadiens have finally found a bit of relief with three straight wins to snap a four-game skid and close a homestand 3-1.

Montreal scored 10 goals in the final three games, looking more like the team that led the league with a scoring average of 3.54 through the season's first 24 games compared to the one that fell to the bottom at 1.86 from Nov. 28-Feb. 3.

Tomas Plekanec has led the latest swing in offense, tallying three goals and five assists in the last four games after going scoreless in the previous six.

"He's going out there and playing solid defensively and creating offense as well," Alex Galchenyuk said of his linemate.

Now the key is spreading the success around. The Canadiens' top line of Plekanec, Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher have logged 13 of Montreal's 26 points over the last three games. Meanwhile, captain Max Pacioretty has one goal and one assist in his last nine games and David Desharnais has gone without a point in his last seven.

"We need to follow up on what other guys are doing if we want to have success and keep it going," Desharnais told the team's official website. "At the start of the year, everyone was chipping in and there was a different hero each game."

While Montreal is 3-11-1 away from home since Dec. 5, Buffalo is 1-7-2 at First Niagara Center since Dec. 19.

The first two games between these Atlantic Division foes were as opposite as the Canadiens' season has been. A 7-2 rout of Buffalo on Oct. 23 was part of Montreal's nine-game opening run, but a 4-2 loss Feb. 3 was the final loss in its extended slump.

Though the Sabres have won four of the last five in this series, Montreal has taken five of the last six in Buffalo and has points in 12 of the last 14 there.

The Sabres (21-28-6) came out of the All-Star break with their win over the Canadiens, but they have followed with four straight losses - the first two in extra time and the final two in regulation.

After falling 7-4 to Florida on Tuesday, Buffalo surrendered another handful of goals in Thursday's 5-1 loss at Philadelphia. The Sabres trailed 4-0 in each game.

"Mental breakdowns, turnovers, lack of coverage, it's a little bit of everything," captain Brian Gionta said.

Robin Lehner was pulled Tuesday after allowing four goals on 12 shots, and he surrendered five more on 28 two days later. It is unclear if he or Chad Johnson will start in net Friday.

Ben Scrivens will make his fourth straight start in net for Montreal. He has won three in a row with a .959 save percentage, though he holds just a .908 mark in six career starts against Buffalo.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (32-18) at Rangers (31-18)

Date: February 12, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers are overcoming a pair of major absences thanks in large part to Henrik Lundqvist. An injury to Jonathan Quick has already posed a problem for the Los Angeles Kings.

Lundqvist should get a chance to spur the Rangers to a fifth straight win Friday night when they try to capitalize on Quick's potential absence.

New York (31-18-5) is 5-2-0 since Rick Nash went down with a bone bruise in his left leg. The team has also won both games without captain Ryan McDonagh, who is sidelined with a concussion.

While there's no timetable for either to return, another dazzling performance from Lundqvist could keep the Rangers rolling. He's won eight of his last 10 starts with a 1.77 goals-against average, winning four straight behind a 1.23 GAA after making 34 saves in a 3-0 win at Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

"There's no doubt that our goaltending was outstanding," coach Alain Vigneault said. "(Lundqvist) made some big saves at key times and we were able to get some timely goals."

Lundqvist will be facing the Kings for the first time since posting a .923 save percentage while New York lost to the Kings in five games of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.

Quick had a .932 save percentage in that series and a .903 mark while splitting two matchups that Lundqvist missed last season. However, he's expected to miss a second straight game with an undisclosed injury, leaving Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles (32-18-3) to decide between backup Jhonas Enroth and Peter Budaj, whose last appearance in the NHL came with Montreal in April 2014.

Enroth surrendered three goals in the opening period Thursday, finishing with 25 saves in a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders.

"We've been a really good team at bouncing back this year and that's what we have to do again heading into (Friday) night," left wing Milan Lucic told the team's official website.

That will require a better effort in net, and Enroth is 1-2-0 with a 3.20 GAA in his last four games against the Rangers, while Budaj has won three of four with a 2.17 GAA.

Lucic has four points in two games, scoring a goal in each. He's netted three goals over the past two meetings with New York, but those came with Boston.

The Rangers could use a strong stretch from Kevin Hayes, who ended a 12-game goal drought Thursday. The right wing has eight goals after netting 17 as a rookie last season. His failure to build on that made him a healthy scratch in back-to-back games last month.

He has two points in two meetings with the Kings, finding the net in a 4-2 win at MSG on March 24.

Jesper Fast snapped his streak of 11 games without a goal on Wednesday. The right wing, though, has seven points in his last eight contests but none in two against Los Angeles.

"When you miss some of your top people, it's an opportunity for some other guys to step up," Vigneault said.

Lundqvist's next appearance will be his 667th, moving him past Mike Richter for the Rangers record by a goaltender.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Avalanche (28-25) at Red Wings (28-18)

Date: February 12, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Petr Mrazek isn't lacking confidence in his first full NHL season. The Detroit Red Wings have plenty of it building in their emerging goaltender.

Mrazek should get a chance to continue his recent dominance as the Red Wings go for a fourth straight win Friday night against the Colorado Avalanche.

Mrazek, who turns 24 on Sunday, is 10-2-1 with a 1.31 goals-against average, .951 save percentage and three shutouts over his past 13 games after posting an 11-8-3 record and 2.32 GAA in his first 24.

"Every goaltender, I think, has swagger and the confidence, you know, so it's important for the goaltender," Mrazek told the team's official website. "I just try and work hard, stay positive, stop as many pucks as you can."

He stopped 22 Wednesday, coming 2:24 shy of back-to-back shutouts in a 3-1 win over Ottawa. Mrazek has allowed two goals on 75 shots during Detroit's three-game winning streak.

"He's a wall back there for us," center Andreas Athanasiou said.

That was certainly true while splitting a pair of meetings with Colorado last season. Mrazek allowed one goal on 51 shots, stopping 28 in a 3-0 road victory Feb. 5, 2015.

Henrik Zetterberg had a point in each of those two matchups, giving him 38 in 41 career meetings including the playoffs. The center has three points in the last two games, including his 10th goal of the season Thursday.

Dylan Larkin is facing the Avalanche for the first time. His 18 goals are tied with Chicago's Artemi Panarin for the league lead among rookies, while his 38 points trail only Panarin.

Detroit (28-18-8) is 5-0-2 in its last seven meetings with Colorado.

The Avalanche (28-25-4) have won 10 of their last 14 road games, including Thursday's 4-3 win at Ottawa after an 0-3-1 homestand.

"It was a big win for us when it hasn't been going our way," right wing Jarome Iginla told the team's official website. "For them to come back and to make a very close game of it and to hold them off in the third period and play a good, smart game with the lead, it definitely feels good. Now we want to keep going.

"It is a weight off our shoulders breaking the bad slide. Now we've got to build upon this."

Iginla ended his nine-game goal drought by finding the net twice on power plays. His 604 career goals are four behind Dino Ciccarelli for 17th in NHL history.

Iginla has eight goals in his last eight regular-season games at Detroit.

Matt Duchene leads Colorado with 24 goals, three shy of his career high set in 2010-11. However, the center's production has slowed down considerably with two goals in 12 games.

He's only scored twice over his last 11 matchups with the Red Wings.

It's unknown if Semyon Varlamov will start after making 26 saves Thursday. He's started on consecutive days three times already this season, going 2-1-0 with a 1.69 GAA in the second game of those stretches.

Varlamov, though, is 1-5-0 with a 3.09 GAA in six career meetings with the Red Wings, while backup Calvin Pickard made 34 saves and turned aside seven of nine shootout attempts in a 2-1 shootout win at Joe Louis Arena on Dec. 21, 2014.

He's split four decisions with a 3.76 GAA in seven road games this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (30-17) at Panthers (32-16)

Date: February 12, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Brian Elliott's stellar month-long stretch has kept the St. Louis Blues competitive during a time when their offense often hasn't been.

The Blues hope Jaden Schwartz's long-awaited return provides a boost against one of the NHL's more efficient scoring teams in Friday night's with the Florida Panthers.

While injuries and inconsistency have plagued the offense all season, St. Louis (30-17-9) has remained in contention in the top-heavy Central Division largely behind its steady defense. Elliott and fellow goaltender Jake Allen have each played key roles by combining for a 2.13 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.

Though Allen has been sidelined by a knee injury since Jan. 8, Elliott hasn't faltered under the increased workload. The 2015 All-Star has a 1.67 GAA in his 12 consecutive starts and has yielded one goal or less in five of the last seven.

"You can't complain about our goaltending, that's for dang sure," captain David Backes said following Elliott's 32-save effort in Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss to Winnipeg.

The Blues have still lost four of six in spite of Elliott's exploits, scoring no more than one goal in each game except for Sunday's 4-1 victory over reeling Minnesota. They were outshot 33-22 by the Jets, the Central's last-place team, to draw sharp criticism from coach Ken Hitchcock afterward.

"You have to work, you have to compete when you have the puck and not be discouraged because you're getting checked," he said. "There's a reason why we're scoring just one goal."

Having Schwartz in the lineup for the first time since Oct. 20 may help. The talented wing, third on the team with 28 goals and 63 points last season, has missed 49 games after fracturing his left ankle in practice.

"When he's up to speed, he brings instant, quick offense that's hard to find," Hitchcock said. "He's a hungry scorer."

Florida (32-16-6) figures to give Elliott a stern challenge having generated 34 goals over a 6-1-1 stretch. Temporarily shut down in Monday's 3-0 loss to Detroit that halted a four-game home win streak, the Panthers' offense got back on track with three first-period goals en route to Tuesday's 7-4 victory at Buffalo.

"We needed to have a bounce-back game," said center Jussi Jokinen, who recorded a goal and two assists and has 12 points over his last eight. "We didn't create enough (against Detroit), and we wanted to change that."

The Panthers still weren't overly sharp on defense, surrendering two power-play goals in four chances. They've killed just 14 of 20 short-handed situations over their last four games, while the St. Louis power play is 4 of 9 in the last two after an 0-for-19 stretch over the previous eight.

Roberto Luongo had 30 saves against Buffalo and has faced 34 or more shots in four of his last five starts while allowing three goals or more in three straight.

Luongo delivered a sharp 29-save effort and Derek MacKenzie scored twice in a 3-1 victory at St. Louis on Dec. 1 which stopped a six-game series skid.

Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (knee) and Florida forward Aleksander Barkov (upper body) will each miss a second straight game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (25-21) at Lightning (29-20)

Date: February 12, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Consecutive road losses by a total of six goals might have humbled Tampa Bay, but that seems easily correctable with it returning to a home winning streak that's nearing the level of its franchise record from last season.

The Lightning begin a four-game homestand Friday night against the Nashville Predators, who conversely should be eager to try to continue an impressive road winning streak after a sluggish homestand.

Tampa Bay (29-20-4) fell 4-2 in Montreal on Tuesday following Monday's 5-1 defeat in Ottawa to match its two-game high for goals allowed.

"We were leaky tonight," coach Jon Cooper said. "When you're a little bit leaky, you're not getting the bounces you were getting in the past and we definitely have to tighten that up. It's been a little bit alarming."

It came on the heels of a three-game homestand that pushed its winning streak in Tampa to eight - two shy of matching their record-setting streak from Dec. 11, 2014-Jan. 31, 2015. The Lightning may have been leaky on the quick road trip, but they've scored 3.50 goals per game on the home streak. They've also won 10 of their last 13 games overall.

"We're not going to panic over 48 hours," Cooper said. "This is a humbling league. You can't get comfortable at any time. There's no panic mode for us."

It might be easier to reassure themselves of that if Steven Stamkos could get going. The 26-year-old has scored once in his last 10 games, though he did have a goal in the first meeting with Nashville.

The Predators opened the season series with a 5-4 shootout win in Nashville on Oct. 20 behind two goals and an assist from James Neal. The forward has seven goals and eight assists on a personal nine-game winning streak against the Lightning, but the first seven came with Pittsburgh. His current team has been about as good with wins in seven of eight against Tampa Bay, including four straight.

The Predators (25-21-8) are following up a 1-3-0 homestand with the trip to Tampa followed by a stop in Florida, and they're doing so with a shot at their first five-game road winning streak since 2009-10. Their coach, however, isn't concerned with whom Nashville is facing or where.

"We need to win games, whether it's the top team or somebody in the division or somebody that's not in the playoffs right now," Peter Laviolette told the team's official website. "We have to collect points."

That'll be easier with a better defensive-zone presence after the Predators gave up 13 goals in their last three games on the homestand, including Tuesday's 5-2 loss to Washington.

"We made a couple of bad mistakes," Laviolette said. "You can't leave opportunities that are coming across the crease, uncovered men. We need to do a better job in that area. There weren't a lot of them, but the ones that did happen, we need to do a better job."

At the other end, Filip Forsberg scored twice and has three goals and two assists in his last two games.

Both teams' No. 1 goaltenders could use a bounce-back effort. Nashville's Pekka Rinne has a 4.03 goals-against average and .831 save percentage over a 1-2-0 span, while Ben Bishop has 3.32 and .893 marks over a 2-2-0 period.

Bishop has won his last four home games with a .940 save percentage, but he's 0-2-1 with 3.98 and .862 marks lifetime against the Predators.

Rinne has won his last three road starts with a goal allowed in each and a .963 save percentage, and he's won all three of his games against the Lightning.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (25-25) at Coyotes (24-23)

Date: February 12, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Just over three weeks ago, Arizona was sitting in second place and trying to snap a three-game losing streak to avoid conceding a spot in the standings. The Coyotes failed, and three Pacific Division foes have blown by them since.

A fourth could be on the way Friday night with streaking Calgary stopping in Arizona to complete a back-to-back road set.

The Coyotes (24-23-6) were tied with San Jose entering a head-to-head matchup on Jan. 21 and lost to complete a four-game losing streak. They followed it with two wins but have gone 0-4-1 since and are 2-7-2 dating to Jan. 14, watching Anaheim cruise by first before Vancouver did the same in Wednesday's 2-1 final.

"They are tight games right now and you can't afford mistakes," coach Dave Tippett told the team's official website. "We are letting points slip away. We know exactly what we have to do and the points we have to gain. It hasn't been very fruitful lately."

The 11-game span has furnished just 19 goals, though the power play has at least started to come around with a 4-for-13 mark in the last three following a 1-for-28 span. It's also been a struggle defensively with 23 goals allowed on the current five-game skid, and while some of that falls on goaltending, Arizona has allowed 35.8 shots per game in that time.

"You can sit there and feel sorry for yourself and think you should've won," said Max Domi, who assisted on Martin Hanzal's second-period goal. "But at the end of the day, if you only score one goal it isn't going to cut it. We did some good things tonight, but at this time of the year just doing some things isn't really good enough."

Louis Domingue has been in goal for four of those games, going 0-3-1 with a 4.94 goals-against average and .853 save percentage. He won his only game against Calgary on Jan. 7, making 25 saves in a 2-1 road victory.

The Coyotes have opened the season series with consecutive wins by that score after losing the previous five with the Flames. Hanzal scored in both, as did Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Calgary (25-25-3) traveled after a late night in San Jose, winning 6-5 in a shootout after building a 4-1 first-period lead. It fell behind in the third before Kris Russell again tied it, and the Flames then killed a 5-on-3 to get it to overtime. The win was their third straight in a stretch where they've scored 13 goals, moving them one back of Arizona for fifth in the division.

Mikael Backlund has scored in all three, and Sean Monahan has three goals and four assists in his last four games as the club masks defensive struggles resulting in eight goals in two games.

"Gutsy effort from our guys," Bob Hartley said via the team's official Twitter feed. "I'm very proud of our team."

Karri Ramo faced the Sharks and exited with a lower-body injury near the end of regulation, so Jonas Hiller will spend his 34th birthday between the pipes after earning the win over the Sharks in eight scoreless minutes.

"We really needed these points, and I want nothing more than to help the team win," Hiller said.

Hiller was in goal for Calgary's previous two wins and has gone 4-1-1 with a .942 save percentage in his last seven games.

The former Anaheim goaltender has won eight straight versus the Coyotes as part of an 11-0-1 run with a 1.97 GAA since last losing to them in regulation on Nov. 23, 2011.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - February

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
2/1 No games scheduled - - -
2/2 12 64.5 75 OVER
2/3 3 16 15 UNDER
2/4 12 64.5 77 OVER
2/5 4 21 27 OVER
2/6 12 62 67 OVER
2/7 3 16.5 17 OVER
2/8 4 20 20 PUSH
2/9 12 64.5 72 OVER
2/10 3 16.5 10 UNDER
2/11 9 49.5 66 OVER
2/12 7 - - -
2/13 10 - - -
2/14 5 - - -
2/15 7 - - -
2/16 8 - - -
2/17 3 - - -
2/18 11 - - -
2/19 5 - - -
2/20 9 - - -
2/21 6 - - -
2/22 4 - - -
2/23 9 - - -
2/24 4 - - -
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Montreal won its last three games, allowing four goals.
-- Penguins won six of their last eight games.
-- Rangers won their last four games, allowing five goals.
-- Detroit won its last three games, allowing two goals.
-- Florida won six of its last eight games.
-- Lightning won their last eight home games.
-- Calgary won four of five games since All-Star break.

Cold teams
-- Sabres lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Carolina is 4-5 in its last nine games.
-- Los Angeles is 3-5 in its last eight games, 3-1 in last four on road.
-- Colorado lost four of its last five games.
-- St Louis lost four of its last six games.
-- Nashville lost three of its last four games.
-- Arizona lost its last five games, allowing 23 goals.

Series records
-- Penguins lost three of last four games with Carolina.
-- Sabres won four of last five games with Montreal.
-- Rangers lost six of last eight games with Los Angeles.
-- Red Wings won five of last seven games with Colorado
-- Blues won six of last seven games with Florida.
-- Predators won seven of last eight games with Tampa Bay.
-- Arizona won last two games with Calgary, after losing previous five.

Totals
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Pittsburgh games.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Buffalo games.
-- Last five Los Angeles games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Colorado games went over.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Florida games.
-- Over is 3-0 in last three games for both Nashville, Tampa Bay.
-- Four of last five Arizona games went over the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Buffalo is 4-5 if it played the night before.
-- Los Angeles is 6-1 if it played the night before.
-- Colorado won its last five games if it played the night before.
-- Calgary is 3-5 if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flyers (20-3) at Rams (14-10)

Date: February 12, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

While a trip to Dayton continues to be an unpleasant journey for Atlantic 10 teams, it's been a long time since the Flyers enjoyed visiting Rhode Island.

Riding their longest winning streak in nine seasons, the 19th-ranked Flyers aim for their first road victory over the Rams in 11 years when the longtime conference opponents meet Friday night.

Success has been elusive for the Flyers as the visitor in this series, as they've lost six straight at Rhode Island since a 56-49 win Jan. 27, 2005. Dayton (20-3, 10-1) will be making this stop with plenty of confidence, though, having won eight in a row for the first time since a 13-game run in 2007-08 and earning its highest ranking since November 2009.

The Flyers earned their 20th consecutive home win in conference play with Tuesday's 76-74 comeback victory over Duquesne. They closed the game on a 19-5 run sparked by defense, forcing the Dukes into six missed shots and four turnovers over the final 5:50.

'To hold them without a field goal for the last 5-6 minutes, that's what it takes,' coach Archie Miller said. 'We showed the ability to dig down on a bad night.'

Such stretches have been the norm for Dayton, which limited its previous four opponents to 48.8 points and 33.3 percent shooting per game before Duquesne's 45.2 percent effort. The Flyers are allowing 61.3 points and 38.9 percent in conference play, the A-10's best marks.

Rhode Island (14-10, 6-5) has been sound at that end as well, having held teams to 62.4 points and 38.8 percent shooting over its last seven. The Rams have been less consistent offensively during that 4-3 stretch, though they've averaged 80.0 points and shot 53.4 percent in winning two straight after hitting a combined 30.9 percent from the field in low-scoring losses to St. Joseph's (64-55) and Massachusetts (61-56 in OT) from Jan. 30-Feb. 2.

A breakout from Four McGlynn helped the Rams to Tuesday's 81-63 win over George Mason, with the graduate transfer going 6 of 11 from 3-point range in a 25-point effort. McGlynn was 3 of 27 overall in averaging 5.7 points over his previous three.

Jared Terrell added 19 points and has averaged 22.2 in his last five as part of a backcourt that's been able to withstand November's season-ending knee injury to star E.C. Matthews. Fellow sophomore Jarvis Garrett is shooting a league-high 60.5 percent from behind the arc in conference play and scored a career-high 26 in Saturday's 79-62 win at La Salle.

"Jarvis and Jared continue to play at an extraordinarily high level for sophomore guards, and it was great to see Four see the ball go in," coach Danny Hurley said on his weekly radio show.

At home, the Rams are 11-3 and 5-1 against A-10 teams, though all of the league wins have come against schools currently under .500 in conference play. They've lost three straight to Dayton, which held Rhode Island to a 2-of-13 effort from 3-point range in a 56-52 win in last year's A-10 tournament semifinals.

Rhode Island finished 3 of 12 from beyond the arc in a 75-59 defeat at Dayton on March 3.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Trojans (18-5) at Sun Devils (13-11)

Date: February 12, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

USC's win over Arizona State about a month ago helped it surpass its 2014-15 win total. Another would improve the Trojans' chances for a conference title they've been nowhere close to competing for in the last two seasons.

The No. 23 Trojans have climbed the Pac-12 standings while building their celebrity on campus, and they seek their fourth straight win at Arizona State on Friday night.

USC (18-5, 7-3) already has two more conference victories than it combined for in the last two seasons (5-31) when it finished dead last in the Pac-12 both times.

This season has marked a complete 180 for the Trojans, who are tied in the loss column with conference-leading Oregon and seek their first four-game league win streak since Jan. 30-Feb. 14, 2013.

"At this point, people actually know who we are walking around campus," said junior guard Julian Jacobs after last week's win over UCLA. "As opposed to the last two years when you're the laughingstock of the Pac-12."

USC, which is 2-3 in conference road games, enjoyed a week-long break after its 80-61 dispatching of the Bruins on Feb. 4. Jacobs finished with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists as the Trojans scored at least 80 for the ninth time in 11 games.

They rank second in the Pac-12 in scoring at 84 per contest, but their defense has keyed the last two wins. USC limited Washington - the highest-scoring team in the conference - to 36.4 percent shooting in a 98-88 win Jan. 30 before holding UCLA to 34.8. The Trojans are 9-1 when opponents shoot worse than 40 percent and 15-0 when they score fewer than 83 points.

Both of those records were improved with USC's 75-65 win over Arizona State on Jan. 7, which gave the Trojans 13 victories - one more than all of last season.

The Sun Devils scored 25 points in the first half and only shot 38.2 percent thanks to a late rally. Jacobs played through a twisted ankle to finish with 15 points and five assists and Bennie Boatwright added 14 and seven rebounds for USC.

The Trojans have won the last two in this series, including a Pac-12 tournament victory last season, but the Sun Devils have taken three in a row and seven of the last eight in Tempe.

As enjoyable as Pac-12 play has been for USC, that's as poorly as it has gone for Arizona State (13-11, 3-8). The Sun Devils are in danger of their first losing conference season since going 6-12 in 2011-12.

They did snap a two-game skid with Saturday's 67-55 victory at Washington State, setting them up with an opportunity for their first conference winning streak Friday. Arizona State shot just 36.1 percent against the Cougars but forced 17 turnovers.

The Sun Devils, who have lost three of their last five at Wells-Fargo Arena, made 7 of 14 from 3-point range in the first half against Washington State to extend a trend of better shooting from long range. Arizona State shot just 31.9 percent from long range through its first 19 games but has a 40.2 mark in the last four.

"We get up a lot of shots every single day," said junior guard Andre Spight. "I think that's why they've been going in."

Sophomore guard Tra Holder led the Sun Devils with 16 points against the Cougars and scored 21 against USC last month.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (13-10) at Wildcats (19-5)

Date: February 12, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Three losses in four games have UCLA back on the NCAA Tournament bubble, though still with a chance to come off if some key wins happen.

An opportunity for one comes in Friday night's visit to Arizona, where the Bruins can greatly enhance their shaky profile with a season sweep of the 17th-ranked Wildcats.

Just as it did a year ago, UCLA (13-10, 4-6 Pac-12) would stir considerable debate among the selection committee with a solid finish to an overall inconsistent body of work. The Bruins own strong non-conference victories over Kentucky and Gonzaga along with an 87-84 win over then-No. 7 Arizona on Jan. 7, but have offset those results by losing double-digit games - six by 13 points or more - and residing in the bottom half of the competitive Pac-12.

UCLA, which did make the field as a 13-loss team last year, must improve its 1-4 record on the road in conference play to earn another at-large berth. It failed in its most recent chance for a statement win, falling behind early and never recovering in an 80-61 loss at Southern California last Thursday.

Despite eight days to recover, the task won't get any easier. After going into one of the nation's toughest venues Friday at the McKale Center, the Bruins continue a span of five road dates in seven games Sunday at Arizona State.

'This is a tough stretch and we've got to find it,' coach Steve Alford said.

Additionally, Arizona (19-5, 7-4) appears to have recovered from its earlier struggles. After dropping to 4-4 in the conference and having its 49-game home winning streak snapped in a Jan. 28 loss to first-place Oregon, the Wildcats have held Oregon State, Washington State and Washington to a combined 39.1 percent shooting and 66.3 points per game in three consecutive victories.

Arizona is also receiving a big lift from Ryan Anderson, with the graduate transfer posting a fourth straight double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds in Saturday's 77-72 win at Washington. He had a career-high 31 points and 12 rebounds in a 79-64 victory over Washington State three days earlier.

The Wildcats overcame 20 turnovers by outrebounding the Huskies 43-29 and holding a 21-6 advantage in second-chance points, capitalizing on a season-long strength. Arizona ranks among the Division I leaders with a plus-11.4 rebounding margin and is second overall in defensive rebounding percentage (.782).

'The last couple of weeks we've been focusing on the details with our bigs and the little things we can get better at individually have helped us be successful,' Anderson said.

UCLA can counter with its frontcourt duo of Tony Parker and Thomas Welsh, who rank 1-2 in the Pac-12 in offensive rebounds. Parker had 12 rebounds and 14 points in last month's matchup, in which Bryce Alford capped a 25-point performance with a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left.

Alford and Isaac Hamilton, the Bruins' top two scorers, were a combined 6 of 25 as UCLA shot a season-low 34.8 percent against USC.

"We just kept missing shots," guard Aaron Holiday said. "They'd get misses, turnovers and easy buckets."

UCLA will need better proficiency to complete the sweep, as the Wildcats are averaging 86.0 points and shooting 50.8 percent from 3-point range over their last four home games. Gabe York, the Pac-12 leader in 3-pointers made, has gone 47.5 percent from 3 at the McKale Center compared to 37.8 percent in all other games.

Allonzo Trier's return from a broken hand has brought the offense a further boost. The heralded freshman had seven points in 16 minutes off the bench against Washington after missing the previous seven games.

The Bruins won at the McKale Center in 2013, joining Oregon and California as the only visitors to win there over the past four seasons.