Friday 2/26/16 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]

Spanish La Liga Fr 26Feb 19:30

Eibar

v

Las Palmas

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		3/4	13/5	4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT EIBAR	RECENT FORM
HWALHLALHWAL​ Most recent​	2 - 3 1 - 0	ALHLHWALALHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Las Palmas have not won away from home in the league this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Eibar are enjoying a terrific season and should register their eighth home win of the campaign against lowly Las Palmas. The Gran Canaria club really struggle on the road - drawing three and losing nine - and Eibar, who have won three of their last four at Ipurua, look a decent bet.

RECOMMENDATION: Eibar
2

 

[superbeets]

French Ligue 1 Fr 26Feb 19:30

Nice

v

Bastia

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		5/6	12/5	15/4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT NICE	RECENT FORM
HWALHWALHDAD​ Most recent​	0 - 1 2 - 0 2 - 2 1 - 1	HL*ALHWALHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Ten of Nice's last 13 matches have featured fewer than three goals

EXPERT VERDICT: There may not be many goals in this one as ten of Bastia's last 11 games have been unders but runaway Ligue 1 leaders PSG are the only team ot have beaten Nice in their last seven home matches. Bastia ended a 14-match winless away run at struggling Reims last time out but this looks a lot tougher.

RECOMMENDATION: Nice
2

 

[superbeets]

German Bundesliga Fr 26Feb 19:30

Cologne

v

Hertha Berlin

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		11/10	23/10	11/4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT COLOGNE	RECENT FORM
HWHLADADHWAL​ Most recent​	1 - 2 1 - 2 1 - 0 0 - 3	HDADHDAWALHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Cologne have won just two of their last ten Bundesliga matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Cologne are fighting their way out of a sticky spell and are likely to take heart from two wins in their last three home games, but Hertha Berlin can make life tough for them. Hertha have suffered one defeat in their last eight league matches and former Chelsea striker Salamon Kalou has scored in four of his last six games.

RECOMMENDATION: S Kalou first goalscorer
1

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 27Feb 12:45

West Ham

v

Sunderland

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		4/5	5/2	7/2	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WEST HAM	RECENT FORM
ADHWALHD*ADAW​ Most recent​	1 - 0 0 - 0 1 - 1 0 - 3	AWALHDHLADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: West Ham are unbeaten in their last ten league games at Upton Park

EXPERT VERDICT: Sunderland should be well rested having been knocked out of the FA Cup and their win over Manchester United will have given them a huge boost. However, the strugglers face a tough task in the East End as West Ham have been tough to crack in their own back yard.

RECOMMENDATION: West Ham
2


REFEREE: Mike Dean STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 27Feb 15:00

Southampton

v

Chelsea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		9/5	9/4	6/4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SOUTHAMPTON	RECENT FORM
HWHWAWADHWAW​ Most recent​	1 - 1 0 - 3 2 - 1 1 - 5	AWADHDHWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Southampton have kept six successive league clean sheets

EXPERT VERDICT: Chelsea’s indifferent league form received a lift with their 5-1 victory over Newcastle, but they will find resilient Southampton a lot tougher to break down. Saints have scored more than twice in just one game since Boxing Day and a tight game looks certain at St Mary's.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 27Feb 15:00

Stoke

v

Aston Villa

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		8/13	11/4	9/2	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT STOKE	RECENT FORM
ALAW*ALALHLAW​ Most recent​	0 - 1 2 - 1 1 - 3 0 - 0	HWADHLALHWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Aston Villa have won just three league games this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Things can only get better... well, maybe not if you are an Aston Villa fan. Just as Villa seemed to hit rock-bottom, social media buffoon Joleon Lescott made things even worse. It’s hard to think of a reason to back the Villans given their issues, and Stoke look more than a fair price to add to Remi Garde’s woes.

RECOMMENDATION: Stoke
1


REFEREE: Kevin Friend STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Jets' Little out for rest of season
By The Sports Xchange

Winnipeg Jets forward Bryan Little will not return to the ice this season after suffering a compression fracture of a vertebrae last week.
Jets coach Paul Maurice announced the bad news for the Jets on Thursday morning before a game against the Dallas Stars. Little is the team's second-leading scorer this season with 17 goals and 42 points through 57 games.
The Jets recalled forward Matt Halischuk from Manitoba of the American Hockey League and also placed Mark Stuart on injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 13.

--The Anaheim Ducks claimed forward Chris Wagner off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche and assigned him to San Diego of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Wagner has four goals and 26 penalty minutes in 37 games with the Ducks and Avalanche this season.

--The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis from Syracuse and assigned goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to the American Hockey League team.
The 23-year-old Gudlevskis has made one appearance for the Lightning this season in a 1-0 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 24.
The 21-year-old Vasilevskiy is 10-5-0 with a 2.75 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 17 games for the Lightning this season. He had won three of his past four starts, including a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena.

--Columbus Blue Jackets right wing David Clarkson was activated from injured reserve but he is still likely a few days from playing. Clarkson has been out with an upper-body injury since Jan. 2.
Columbus defenseman Justin Falk cleared waivers and was sent to minor-league Lake Erie.

--The Carolina Hurricanes put center Brad Malone on waivers. The 26-year-old had two goals and three assists in 37 games. He had been a healthy scratch for 11 straight games.

--The Toronto Maple Leafs confirmed that left wing James van Riemsdyk (non-displaced fracture in left foot) and left wing Joffrey Lupul (sports hernia surgery) are out for the season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wild (27-24) at Capitals (44-11)

Date: February 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The honeymoon for John Torchetti is over, and Minnesota is back to scoring goals at the rate that got Mike Yeo fired.

It seems unlikely to change Friday night in Washington without Zach Parise as the Wild take on a Capitals team that's allowed the fewest goals in the league and hasn't lost consecutive games in regulation in nearly a full year.

Torchetti won his first four games after taking over with 21 goals scored. Since, the Wild (27-24-10) have totaled three in consecutive losses with Thursday's 3-2 defeat in Philadelphia beginning a back-to-back set.

The NHL-leading Capitals (44-11-4), meanwhile, are coming off Wednesday's 4-3 home loss to Montreal and are out to avoid their first consecutive regulation losses since March 11 and 13. Washington trailed 3-0 early in the second period and 4-1 entering the third, coming just short of sending it to overtime as its four-game winning streak came to an end. The Capitals trailed in each of those victories.

"We can't come back every night," Nicklas Backstrom said. "That's not going to happen. We have to play a better 60-minute game."

The Capitals have been more vulnerable with 2.87 goals allowed per game over an 11-4-1 span after posting a 2.09 mark though 43 games, but they might have a new defenseman in the lineup against the Wild to help combat that. Washington acquired Mike Weber from Buffalo on Tuesday for a third-round pick in the 2017 draft.

Weber, who was in his eighth season with the Sabres, had a plus-3 rating in 35 games for a team with a minus-23 goal differential.

"Mike is a stay-at-home defenseman, who plays a physical game and is respected by his teammates," Washington general manager Brian MacLellan said. "We felt it was important to add depth to our blue line by adding another quality veteran defenseman."

The Capitals were the second to last team Yeo faced before Minnesota made the change with Washington winning 4-3 on Feb. 11 behind a second-period hat trick from Alex Ovechkin. It's part of a nine-game stretch on which he's scored 10 goals, and the NHL's top goal scorer has nine in his last seven contests with the Wild, including five in his last two.

That three-goal team effort for the Wild matched their best output over the 2-11-3 span on which they averaged 1.87 per game that pushed Yeo out the door, so it's really no surprise things have regressed from their winning streak. Torchetti, however, isn't yet hanging it on his team.

"I liked our effort," Torchetti said. "I just think their goalie was really good tonight. He made a couple of really big saves. I think we should've been playing into overtime."

Thomas Vanek still managed to score for the third time in four games after managing one in his previous 13 and tied Parise for the team lead with 18. Parise missed the game with an upper-body injury and is expected to remain out for at least one more.

Braden Holtby probably won't mind that as he tries to bounce back from allowing three goals on 18 shots before being removed in the second period against the Canadiens. He avoided the loss, though he's 5-1-0 with a 3.28 goals-against average over his last seven games.

Devan Dubnyk has also experienced some struggles lately, going 3-6-0 with a 3.12 GAA this month. He's 0-3-1 on zero days rest this season, though that's mostly because the Wild have scored seven goals in those games. He's won both of his career trips to Washington.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lightning (34-22) at Devils (30-25)

Date: February 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman publicly stated a week and a half ago that he won't trade pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos before the deadline.

Almost immediately, Stamkos and the Lightning began turning things around.

Stamkos has scored in each contest during a four-game winning streak, which Tampa Bay will try to extend when it begins a four-game road trip Friday night against the slumping New Jersey Devils.

Tampa Bay (34-22-4) reportedly offered its franchise player an eight-year, $68 million contract extension late last month that Stamkos rejected. Trade rumors had been swirling for quite some time with the possibility that Yzerman would want to get a return for Stamkos rather than have him leave for nothing in the offseason.

There's still a chance that happens, but Stamkos isn't going anywhere this season. Yzerman released a statement Feb. 15 to confirm that the Lightning won't be trading Stamkos ahead of Monday's deadline, with the goal being to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.

Tampa lost to San Jose the next day and Stamkos had one goal in his first seven games this month, but he's been on a tear during the winning streak that immediately followed that defeat.

Stamkos scored his 26th goal in the first period and Cedric Paquette converted a penalty shot in the second to give the Lightning a 2-1 win over Arizona on Tuesday. The defending Eastern Conference champs are tied for second place in the Atlantic Division with Boston, which they visit Sunday.

'We're getting there," Stamkos said. "We know what this group is capable of when we're playing at our best, and I don't think we're at our best right now. It's encouraging that we're finding ways to win not being at our best.'

Tampa has gone 2 for 30 on the power play over its last nine. Forward Nikita Kucherov, who has 24 goals and a team-high 49 points, will be a game-time decision after missing the last two with a lower-body injury.

The Lightning have won twice on the road during their streak, but they've dropped three straight and 12 of their last 15 visits to New Jersey. Stamkos has scored in the last two meetings overall, including the Lightning's 4-3 overtime victory in the last matchup April 9.

"The (previous) road trip was good, even though it was only two games," coach Jon Cooper said. "Now we've got to turn it into this four-gamer and go on this trip and come away with more points than games played. If we can do that, we'll be OK."

The Devils (30-25-7) are one point back of Pittsburgh for the last wild-card spot despite having dropped four of five. They've allowed 19 goals during that stretch after being crushed 6-1 at Columbus on Thursday.

Reid Boucher scored to give him two goals and two assists over his last three.

'If we have an honest assessment of it, we weren't ready to play in the first period and that was the biggest difference in the game," coach John Hynes said.

It's unclear who will be in net after Cory Schneider gave up three goals on 11 shots before being relieved by Keith Kinkaid, who gave up three more on 13 shots.

Ben Bishop, 4-2-0 with a 1.46 goals-against average against the Devils, will get the nod for Tampa.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (33-22) at Hurricanes (28-24)

Date: February 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Boston's pursuit of home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs would get a nice boost if it can navigate successfully through a very difficult portion of its upcoming schedule.

If they slip, the Bruins could find themselves in trouble within a tight Eastern Conference race.

The Carolina Hurricanes are one of those teams battling for a wild-card spot, and they'll try to knock off visiting Boston on Friday night in the first of three meetings over their final 20 games.

The Bruins (33-22-6) are tied with Tampa Bay for second place in the Atlantic Division, five points behind Florida with both clubs having a game in hand on them. After facing the playoff-hopeful Hurricanes (28-24-10), Boston begins a four-game homestand Sunday against the Lightning with Calgary, defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago and NHL-best Washington also visiting TD Garden.

It has split its last six after David Pastrnak scored twice in Wednesday's 5-1 home win over Pittsburgh.

"Everything's so tight right now," defenseman Torey Krug told the team's official website. "It's just about continuing to improve your game and make sure we're in the picture when the times comes."

The Capitals are running away with the Presidents' Trophy, but the rest of the East is jumbled. Detroit holds the first wild-card spot, but is only one point back of the Bruins and Lightning for the Atlantic's last automatic berth.

Five teams are within five points of the Penguins for the final wild card including the Hurricanes, who are two back.

"You want your team to be consistent and be ready to battle every night," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "That's what our challenge is right now. We've got a tough schedule, but again, I think pretty well every team in this league is going through the same thing."

Carolina hasn't been to the playoffs since 2008-09 and had an opportunity to help its postseason chances when it visited East-worst Toronto on Thursday, but it mustered only John-Michael Liles' first-period goal in a 3-1 defeat. It is in the midst of a 2-3-0 stretch, something not ideal when tied for the most games played in the East.

Pittsburgh has three games in hand on the Hurricanes, who now hope to get back on track with their next two being at home. They're 6-1-1 in Raleigh since Jan. 24, but are also dealing with trade rumors surrounding captain Eric Staal ahead of Monday's deadline.

Staal, who has a no-trade clause, had an assist against the Maple Leafs.

'It's an awkward situation,' his brother Jordan Staal said. 'But at the same time, he's come ready to play and ready to work every day, and that's all you can ask for.'

Carolina has lost five of the last six meetings with Boston and could turn to Eddie Lack in the second of a back-to-back after Cam Ward made his fourth straight start Thursday. Lack made 40 saves for Vancouver to beat the Bruins on Feb. 24, 2015, in his only career start against them.

Tuukka Rask has won three of his last four starts with a 1.77 goals-against average and should get the start for Boston. He's stopped 121 of 125 shots while going 3-0-1 in his last four against Carolina.

"They play with a lot of energy," Krug said of the Hurricanes. "I think their transition game is really strong, so it's a good test going into their building."

Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk sat out again Thursday after aggravating a leg injury during practice the previous day. It's unclear if he'll be available for this one.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Oilers (22-34) at Ducks (32-19)

Date: February 26, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Two months after Bob Murray's talented hockey team languished in 29th place in a 30-team league, the Anaheim Ducks' general manager has been rewarded for demonstrating an incredibly rare quality in NHL executives.

A little bit of patience.

The three-time Pacific Division champion Ducks have rebounded from a pathetic start to their season with a dynamic surge that shows few signs of slowing Friday night against the Edmonton Oilers.

With the four-day Christmas break neatly serving as the dividing line between ineptitude and brilliance, Anaheim has followed up its 12-15-6 start with a 20-4-2 streak since the holidays.

The Ducks (32-19-8) have won six straight and 13 of 15, climbing into second place in the Pacific and steaming toward another playoff berth.

'This team has faced the adversity of a bad start and fought its way back into the picture of making the playoffs,' Murray said in a phone interview Thursday. 'Right now, you look at them and say they're doing fine. ... It looks like there's chemistry now. Everybody has fit into a role and is accepting their roles, which is huge.'

The Ducks are doing it with largely the same roster that was the NHL's lowest-scoring group by a wide margin just two months ago. Murray made only a couple of timely additions, including revitalized forward David Perron, and got a couple of players back from injury, including dependable defenseman Simon Despres.

Murray tweaked the Ducks' roster in the offseason, and he realized the changes largely didn't help. So his next moves were all about what he didn't do.

He resisted the urge to fire Bruce Boudreau, one of the winningest coaches in recent NHL history. He also decided against blowing up his talented roster core, trading veterans for cheap youth, or even breaking up his coveted goaltending tandem of Frederik Andersen and John Gibson for distressed prices.

Instead, Murray decided to believe in his team - and he stayed behind Boudreau while hockey pundits widely predicted Murray would make the usual move in a notoriously impatient league.

Murray also said the Ducks eliminated a few unspecified distractions. The GM alluded to 'a couple of personal issues that weren't good' and 'agent issues,' but refused to go into detail about those off-ice woes, which haven't been widely discussed outside the Ducks' dressing room.

'The start of the year was a circus, and I couldn't get control of it quick enough,' Murray said. 'I've got to be harder on certain situations in the years going forward.'

For all of those reasons, Anaheim got off to one of the worst starts by a title-contending team in recent NHL history after falling one game short of the Stanley Cup Final last summer. The Ducks went 1-7-2 in October and barely improved before Christmas.

The Ducks largely credit the four-day holiday break for their improved mental state, citing the inactivity as a chance to remember what works.

'Every night, we're going into the game knowing we're going to win,' said center Ryan Kesler, who has 21 points in Anaheim's last 23 games after managing just 12 points in the first 36.

Although they largely credit their turnaround to their embrace of a defense-first mindset promoted by Boudreau in response to their offensive woes, the Ducks' scoring touch also has returned.

Anaheim's confounding slump was exemplified by captain Ryan Getzlaf, who went into the holiday break with just one goal - into an empty net, no less. Getzlaf leads the NHL in scoring after the All-Star break with 17 points in 13 games, including a current nine-game point streak.

The Ducks are 13-1-2 in their last 16 meetings with the Oilers (22-34-6), beating them twice since the Christmas break - 5-3 at Edmonton in the most recent Feb. 16.

The league-worst Oilers are on a season-high six-game skid after blowing a third-period lead in a 2-1 loss at Los Angeles on Thursday.

Connor McDavid was held without a point for just the third time in 12 games since returning from a broken clavicle. He's still got 16 points over that stretch, including an assist on a goal by Taylor Hall against the Ducks last week.

Hall has 11 points in his last 13 meetings with Anaheim, but he has only three in the past 10 overall.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sabres (24-30) at Sharks (32-21)

Date: February 26, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

One of the mysteries of the NHL is why the San Jose Sharks have had so much trouble with the lowly Buffalo Sabres.

The Sharks ended an eight-game slide to the Sabres earlier this season and now hope to halt a four-game home losing streak in the series Friday night.

San Jose (32-21-6) missed the playoffs last season after 10 consecutive appearances while Buffalo (24-30-7) is on the verge of a fifth straight campaign without reaching the postseason. That doesn't explain how these teams have fared against each other.

The Sharks were on an 0-7-1 skid in this series before Patrick Marleau scored in overtime of a 2-1 win Nov. 14. That caused a sigh of relief for first-year coach Peter DeBoer to break that hex in his first try.

"I accidentally dug into it because everyone was talking about it," he said after that game. "I knew we hadn't had much success against Buffalo recently, but I didn't realize it was as long as it has been."

San Jose's previous win over the Sabres was a 5-2 home victory in January 2010, and it's gone 0-3-1 in Buffalo's last four visits.

The Sharks play their first home game after completing a 3-1-1 trip with Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss to Colorado. Joel Ward scored with 91 seconds left in the third period to salvage a point.

'Some of the cities we're in and how desperate some of the teams are that we're playing, it's a good road trip,' DeBoer said. 'The guys found a way to get some points. That's important.'

Nick Spaling scored 2:10 into the game in his Sharks debut after being acquired Monday from Toronto. He had one goal in 35 games with the Maple Leafs.

Joe Thornton assisted on Ward's goal to give him 15 points in the last 10 games. Thirty five of his team high-tying 56 points and 13 of his 14 goals have come on the road. He has no goals and 13 assists in 11 home games in 2016.

Joe Pavelski leads the Sharks with 26 goals but hasn't scored in his last eight games against the Sabres. Thornton has three assists in his past nine matchups.

Buffalo opened a three-game California trip with Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Anaheim, marking the fifth time it was shut out.

'We want to show that we can play with the best teams, but it's the small margins,' goaltender Robin Lehner said. 'I think we need to get tougher in front of both nets. We need to make it harder for the other goalies. In this league if you want to beat the goalies you need to get traffic in front.'

The Sabres went 0 for 4 on the power play after going 3 for 8 in their two previous games in which they totaled seven goals. Buffalo is among the league's best teams with 30.4 shots per game on the road.

"I'm not going to be satisfied with being stride-for-stride with a good hockey team," coach Dan Bylsma told the Sabres' official website. "We had every opportunity I think to get a few goals in that game and win the hockey game and we come up short."

 

[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 35.5 47 OVER
2/13 10 52 56 OVER
2/14 5 25 24 UNDER
2/15 7 38.5 47 OVER
2/16 8 43.5 39 UNDER
2/17 3 16.5 21 OVER
2/18 11 60.5 68 OVER
2/19 5 26.5 24 UNDER
2/20 9 47 59 OVER
2/21 6 30.5 34 OVER
2/22 4 21 27 OVER
2/23 9 49.5 43 UNDER
2/24 4 22.5 21 UNDER
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Washington won four of its last five games.
-- Lightning won their last four games, scoring 16 goals.
-- Carolina won four of its last five home games.
-- Anaheim won its last six games, scoring 25 goals.
-- San Jose won four of its last six games.

Cold teams
-- Minnesota lost its last two games, 4-1/3-2.
-- New Jersey lost four of its last five games.
-- Boston is 1-4 in game following its last five wins.
-- Edmonton lost six in row, nine of last ten games.
-- Buffalo lost three of its last four games.

Series records
-- Washington won four of last six games with Minnesota.
-- Devils won four of last six games with Tampa Bay.
-- Bruins won five of last six games with Carolina.
-- Ducks won six of last seven games with Edmonton.
-- Sabres won eight of last nine games with San Jose.

Totals
-- Over is 7-1-1 in last nine Minnesota games.
-- Five of last six New Jersey-Tampa Bay games stayed under.
-- Seven of last nine Boston games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Anaheim games.
-- Four of last five San Jose games went over the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Minnesota is 4-7 if it played the night before.
-- Devils won three of last four games if they won night before.
-- Carolina won seven of last nine games if it played night before.
-- Edmonton is 2-5 if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Nets waive Johnson
By The Sports Xchange

The Brooklyn Nets waived former All-Star guard Joe Johnson on Thursday, the club announced.
Johnson, 34, was known to be seeking a buyout of his contract and is interested in joining a playoff team for the stretch run.
Johnson needed to be released by Tuesday to be eligible for the postseason with his new team.
Among the group of teams reportedly interested in Johnson's services are the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors.
Johnson is making $24.9 million this season in the final year of a six-year, $124 million contract.

--Point guard Andre Miller and the Minnesota Timberwolves are close to a buyout agreement, his agent said.
Miller wants to join a team contending for a playoff spot, according to agent Andy Miller, before the March 1 deadline.
The 39-year-old Miller signed a one-year contract with the Timberwolves in the offseason in part to help with the team's young guards.

--Veteran forward J.J. Hickson signed a contract for the remainder of the season with the Washington Wizards.
The team did not disclose terms of the deal, but Hickson was expected to receive the pro-rated veteran's minimum salary. He will join the team for Friday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (26-30) at 76ers (8-49)

Date: February 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

There's a distinct difference of opinion on whether the Washington Wizards are overlooking short-handed opponents after another disappointing defeat.

They could be in danger of looking past their next opponent whether its at full strength or not.

The Wizards face the league's worst team twice in a four-day span beginning Friday night at the Philadelphia 76ers.

Washington (26-30) dropped its third straight on the road, 109-104 to Chicago on Wednesday. The Bulls shot 50.0 percent despite playing without Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler.

An exasperated coach Randy Wittman seemed to reference a 20-point loss Saturday to a Miami team without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to express his displeasure.

"It's happened to us numerous times," Wittman said. "If you don't learn from it, then that's our fault. If you don't learn from it, this happens all the time to this team, this group of guys, last year, year before that, last week."

Star John Wall, who had 16 points and seven assists, insisted that the Wizards did not take the short-handed Bulls for granted.

"We know that's when teams are at their toughest because you've got to worry about so much more," Wall said. "Usually the ball would be in Derrick Rose's hands and Jimmy Butler's hands a lot but without those guys in there, there's a lot more ball movement."

The only notable absence Friday for Philadelphia (8-49) could be rookie reserve guard T.J. McConnell, who missed his first game with an ankle sprain that kept him out of Wednesday's 111-91 defeat to Detroit.

Of course, if there's reason for the Wizards to overlook anyone Friday it will be because of the 76ers' awful record and what figures to be a drab atmosphere with Philadelphia last in the Eastern Conference in average home attendance.

Losers of six straight and 10 of 11, the 76ers fell behind by 13 points after one quarter against the Pistons and never recovered. Philadelphia trailed by as many as 30.

'We had that good stretch before the All-Star break, and it earned us some respect,' guard Ish Smith said. 'The problem is that we've lost what we had, so teams are taking us seriously and beating the crap out of us. That's what the Pistons did tonight.'

Philadelphia is allowing an average of 121.3 points and 40.9 percent 3-point shooting in four games since the All-Star break.

Jahlil Okafor is averaging 17.3 points as he is in a tight race with Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns to finish as the league's top rookie scorer.

Smith may have a chip on his shoulder Friday since he was cut by the Wizards in training camp. He scored a team-high 22 in the Sixers' 106-94 loss at Washington on Feb. 5, with Wall recording his first triple-double of the season with 18 points, 10 assists and 13 boards.

The Wizards got a boost Wednesday with the season debut of Alan Anderson after left ankle surgery. He finished with nine points in 16 minutes.

"I just had to be patient and just be ready," Anderson said. "I didn't know how I was going to play, when I was going to play, I just had to be patient and when I got out there."

Washington has taken seven of the last eight meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (29-27) at Pacers (31-26)

Date: February 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Myles Turner's emergence has given the Indiana Pacers a defensive presence inside while allowing Paul George to move more freely at the other end of the floor.

Turner wasn't at his best against Charlotte two weeks ago, though, and the Hornets took advantage.

Charlotte is fresh off having its winning streak snapped and looks to subdue Turner and the Pacers again as it continues a road trip Friday night.

Turner missed all but eight games over the first two months because of a fractured left thumb after being selected with the 11th pick in June's draft, then saw limited action through mid-January.

Coach Frank Vogel inserted Turner into the starting lineup for the last 12, though, and the 6-foot-11 forward had his best game in that stretch Wednesday, scoring 24 points while hitting 10 of 20 from the field as the Pacers (31-26) beat New York 108-105.

'Coach wants me to be aggressive and take those shots and I'm not drawing back,' said Turner, who is averaging 17.0 points and shooting 55.6 percent over his last four. "That's just the mentality I have to start taking.'

George has benefited from the move, too. He finished with 27 points against the Knicks and has scored at least 20 in eight straight after adjusting through the first four with Turner in the starting lineup.

Indiana's new starting five has scored 102.2 points per 100 possessions when on the court together while giving up 85.2.

"Defensively, we get stops and rebounds. Myles gives us that presence," George said. "You still get that stretch offensively, with Myles being able to spread the floor. We still get that small-ball spacing, but we're still big. That's been enjoyable with this group."

Turner struggled against the Hornets on Feb. 10, going 4 of 11 from the field and scoring 10 points with a team-worst minus-18 rating in a 117-95 defeat that snapped the Pacers' 12-game home winning streak in the series.

That victory was part of a five-game win streak for Charlotte (29-27), but it had that run and a four-game road winning streak snapped with Wednesday's 114-103 loss to Cleveland. The defensive effort wasn't nearly as good following an eight-game stretch during which it allowed an average of 94.8 points.

"We've just got to lock back in and forget about this one," guard Kemba Walker said. "We'll learn from our mistakes and go to Indy and try to pull out a big win."

Walker is averaging 25.2 points over his last six - including having 25 in the first meeting with the Pacers - and shooting 55.3 percent over his past three. He's been the catalyst for Charlotte, which leads Detroit by one game for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot but is 1 1/2 behind Indiana for fifth.

The Hornets are 2-1 on a five-game, post-All-Star break trip that ends Sunday against Atlanta.

'For us, we wanted to make the playoffs. Our goals are A, to qualify for the playoffs, and B, be playing at a level to be a factor in the playoffs," coach Steve Clifford said. "There will be two to three teams in the conference that take off and play a lot better from here on out. We want to be one of them.'

Pacers guard Rodney Stuckey, who hasn't played since Jan. 12 because of a foot injury, could return.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (25-31) at Knicks (24-35)

Date: February 26, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Kristaps Porzingis thinks the New York Knicks are building toward a championship even as they spiral out of playoff contention.

The Knicks will try to win for the third time in 16 games Friday night against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden.

Porzingis has been a major bright spot for New York (24-35) after the organization was heavily criticized for taking the 20-year-old forward fourth overall last summer. His average of 14.1 points is the highest by a Knicks rookie since Patrick Ewing scored 20.0 in 1985-86, and his 110 blocks is already a club record for first-year players.

Despite Porzingis emerging as a key building block for the future, the Knicks have lost 13 of 15 after showing promise with a 22-22 record while sitting one-half game out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

New York is now 6 1/2 back, but Porzingis claims it's all part of the process.

"This is our first year together. This is my first year in the NBA," he said. "I think I'll grow as a player every season. We'll grow as a team. We have Carmelo (Anthony) to guide us; the young guys. I believe we have a group in the future to be something special.

"That's what I believe in. This is going to make us stronger mentally so when we get to that moment to be a championship team, we'll be ready for it."

Porzingis led the Knicks with 22 points and Anthony missed a potential game-tying 3 at the buzzer of Wednesday's 108-105 loss at Indiana.

"Everybody has to get connected," said interim coach Kurt Rambis, who is 1-4 since replacing the fired Derek Fisher. "We're really not connected as a team yet."

Anthony is averaging 23.8 points in six games since sitting out one with a sore knee. However, he scored 14 while missing 15 of 20 shots Wednesday.

Anthony has averaged 29.4 points while hitting 16 of 28 3-pointers over his last five meetings with the Orlando. He scored 23 while Porzingis was held to nine on 3-for-12 shooting in a 107-99 loss to the Magic (25-31) on Dec. 21. That came after Porzingis went 3 for 13 from the field in a 100-91 defeat at Orlando on Nov. 25.

New York is trying to avoid being swept in the three-game season series, which would be its longest slide against the Magic since dropping six straight from 2009-11.

Orlando, four games out of the East's final playoff spot, has won four of seven following a 2-15 stretch. The Magic, though, allowed Stephen Curry to score 51 points while falling 130-114 to Golden State on Thursday.

They've let opponents average 109.9 points and shoot 47.4 percent over the last 15 games.

"We gotta do a better job of getting stops, doing a better job of playing collective defense," guard Victor Oladipo said.

Evan Fournier led Orlando with 20 points, and he's averaging 21.3 over the last three games - 7.0 higher than his career-best season mark.

The swingman had 16 points at New York in December, while center Nikola Vucevic scored 26.

Vucevic has averaged 24.4 points and 14.0 rebounds over his last five matchups with the Knicks. He enters this one with 23.1 points and 11.3 boards per game over the past seven.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cavaliers (41-15) at Raptors (38-18)

Date: February 26, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

It's been nearly two months since the Toronto Raptors lost at home, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are taking notice.

Only three games separate the Eastern Conference's top two teams, a deficit the Raptors have a chance to trim when the Cavaliers visit Air Canada Centre on Friday night.

Toronto (38-18) hasn't allowed the Cavaliers to distance themselves by winning 17 times in a 20-game stretch for the first time in team history. The Raptors have been unbeatable at home over that period, winning nine straight to match a single-season franchise record established from March 7-April 4, 1999.

After extending the streak with Wednesday's 114-105 victory over Minnesota, Toronto can tie the club mark for consecutive home wins set between the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.

Cleveland (41-15) has been able to maintain its hold on the top spot by winning 11 of 14 since losing coach Tyronn Lue's debut on Jan. 23. It had a five-game winning streak halted with Monday's 96-88 home loss to Detroit, but recovered strongly in Wednesday's 114-103 victory over surging Charlotte.

Held to a season low-tying 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting by the Pistons, LeBron James bounced back by scoring 10 of his 23 in the first quarter and helping the Cavaliers to a season-high 40 in the second.

"It was fortunate for us that LeBron was able to attack early and set the tone for us," Lue said.

Kyrie Irving also had 23 points and Channing Frye went 4 of 8 from 3-point range in recording 15 in his second game since being acquired from Orlando at last week's trade deadline.

"He adds another dynamic piece to our team we hadn't had up to this point," James said of Frye.

Frye, a career 38.7 percent 3-point shooter, does add another outside threat to a Cleveland team that's had much success from the perimeter in two prior 2015-16 meetings with Toronto. The Cavaliers were 14 of 29 from beyond the arc in a 103-99 loss at Air Canada Centre on Nov. 25 and finished 17 of 33 in a 122-100 home rout on Jan. 4.

Irving's return from last June's fractured kneecap has also made a difference. He had 25 points in the last matchup after missing the first and is averaging 24.3 points on 52.8 percent shooting over his last seven games.

The Raptors continue to be led by their All-Star backcourt of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. The duo combined for 52 points against Minnesota and hit two critical 3-pointers each in the final 3 1/2 minutes as Toronto closed the game on a 13-4 run.

"It was a gutsy win. We found a way to win defensively and DeMar DeRozan made some big plays down the stretch," coach Dwane Casey said.

DeRozan ended with 31 points and is averaging 25.3 over his last 11, while Lowry scored 12 of his 21 in the fourth quarter and didn't have a turnover. He's had six giveaways during a five-game stretch in which the Raptors are averaging a league-low 9.6 per game.

Cleveland, which has won four of five against Toronto, did a better job taking care of the ball Wednesday. After committing 18 turnovers - six from James - that led to 23 Detroit points, the Cavaliers had nine against Charlotte.

The Cavaliers will be without guard Mo Williams for at least the next two games so he can receive treatment on his injured left knee.