Monday 11/23/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Getafe

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R. Vallecano

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS2		7/5	23/10	2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT GETAFE	RECENT FORM
HWADHWALHLAL​ Most recent​	1 - 2 0 - 1 1 - 2 0 - 1	ALHLALHWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Getafe have failed to score in five of their last seven fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: Lowly Getafe have lost all their last three games by more than one goal and their dismal run could continue with a loss at home to Rayo Vallecano. Two wins in three have lifted Rayo up the standings and they should fancy their chances of bagging a second away win of the campaign.

RECOMMENDATION: Rayo Vallecano
1

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 20:00

C Palace

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Sunderland

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

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT C PALACE	RECENT FORM
HWHLALALHDAW​ Most recent​	1 - 3 3 - 1 1 - 0 3 - 2	ALHDALHWALHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Sunderland are the only Premier League side yet to win away from home this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Crystal Palace returned to form with a deserved win at Anfield last time out and look primed to heap more misery on the Black Cats. Sunderland’s 3-0 derby win over Newcastle has been followed by defeats at the hands of Everton and Southampton and they may struggle to contain the vibrant Eagles.

RECOMMENDATION: Crystal Palace
2


REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Champions League Tu 24Nov 19:45

Arsenal

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Din Zagreb

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BTEU		2/9	6	14	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ARSENAL	RECENT FORM
HWALAWALHDAL​ Most recent​	2 - 1	HLALALALHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Arsenal have kept one clean sheet in their last six matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Only a win will do for Arsenal and they should be able to bounce back from the defeat at West Brom. The Gunners’ performances have dipped in recent weeks, but Dinamo Zagreb were beaten home and away by Olympiakos and benefitted from Olivier Giroud’s red card in the victory in the reverse encounter.

RECOMMENDATION: Arsenal to win 3-1
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REFEREE: Viktor Kassai STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Champions League Tu 24Nov 19:45

M. Tel Aviv

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Chelsea

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BT2		9	15/4	1/3	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT M. TEL AVIV	RECENT FORM
ALHLAWHLHWAW​ Most recent​	Unknown	ALAD*HLHWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Maccabi have scored one goal in this season’s group stages

EXPERT VERDICT: Powder-puff Maccabi Tel Aviv have struggled at this elite level with four straight Champions League defeats and their only goal came from the penalty spot. Only once in those matches have Maccabi managed to have more than one shot on target in the 90 minutes and a comfortable win to nil is likely for Chelsea.

RECOMMENDATION: Chelsea to win 2-0
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REFEREE: Alberto Undiano Mallenco STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Champions League We 25Nov 19:45

Juventus

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Man City

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		23/20	11/5	5/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT JUVENTUS	RECENT FORM
HWALHWADAWHW​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 0	ADHWHWAWADHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Juventus are unbeaten in their last 15 European home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester City were humbled 4-1 by Liverpool on Saturday and Manuel Pellegrini’s men have kept just two clean sheets in their last 14 matches which is a concern heading for Turin. Juventus won 2-1 in Manchester and backing both teams to score looks a sound wager given City’s considerable attacking threat.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
3

 

[superbeets]

Champions League We 25Nov 19:45

Man Utd

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PSV Eindhoven

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		2/5	7/2	7	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN UTD	RECENT FORM
HDHD*ADHWHWAW​ Most recent​	3 - 1 1 - 0	ALAWAWHWHWAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Man Utd have won seven of their last eight European home games

EXPERT VERDICT: This is a slightly trickier match for Manchester United than the odds would suggest, but the Red Devils usually use Old Trafford to their advantage on European nights and can grind out another victory. However, the Dutch champions are more than capable of making life awkward, particularly in the early exchanges.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw-Man Utd double result
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Buffalo at New England

When: 8:30 PM ET, Monday, November 23, 2015
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

A rash of injuries continues to threaten the New England Patriots' pursuit of a perfect record as they prepare for a second matchup with Rex Ryan and the visiting Buffalo Bills on Monday night. The Patriots kept their unbeaten record intact - barely - with a last-second, 54-yard field goal in a 27-26 win at the New York Giants last weekend but lost another key player in the process.

Wide receiver Julian Edelman, who had a team-leading 61 catches to go along with seven touchdowns, broke a bone in his foot Sunday and is expect to be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks. "You wish you could just plug somebody else in but it's impossible," New England quarterback Tom Brady said. "Julian Edelmans aren't just sitting out on the street anywhere, they'd be playing for another team." Ryan, who moved from the New York Jets to Buffalo in the offseason, will be trying to avenge a 40-32 loss to the Patriots in Week 2. The Bills are tied for second in the AFC East following back-to-back wins over division rivals Miami and New York.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Patriots -7. O/U: 48

ABOUT THE BILLS (5-4): Since coming off its bye, Buffalo has had success with a ground-and-pound attack that Ryan favored with the Jets, getting a combined 378 yards rushing and four touchdowns from the running back tandem of LeSean McCoy and rookie Karlos Williams. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor has been picked off once since throwing three interceptions in the Week 2 loss to New England while wide receiver Sammy Watkins provides a big play threat if he can remain healthy. The Bills have yielded 17 points in each of the last two weeks after giving up 68 in the previous two losses.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (9-0): Brady (league-best 24 TD passes) carved up Buffalo for 466 yards and three touchdowns in the first meeting as New England barely thought about running the ball, but two players who combined for 17 catches in that game - Edelman and Dion Lewis - are now out. Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has a team-high eight touchdowns, had seven receptions and the first of his five 100-yard games this season in the earlier meeting. The Patriots are second in the league in rushing yards allowed (88.2) and third in sacks (30), led by Chandler Jones' NFL-high 10.5.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Patriots have scored in an NFL-record 35 consecutive quarters.

2. Williams is one of two players (Robert Edwards) to score a touchdown in each of his first six NFL games.

3. Brady has 24 regular-season wins and 61 TD passes versus Buffalo - more than against any other opponent.

PREDICTION: Patriots 26, Bills 20

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Pats look to stay perfect

BUFFALO BILLS (5-4) at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-0)

Line: New England -7, Total: 48.5

The unbeaten Patriots look to maintain their dominance over the Bills when these division foes close out Week 11 on Monday night.

Buffalo (5-4 ATS) is heating up at the right time with back-to-back wins over AFC East foes Miami and the New York Jets, and has been an excellent road team this season at 3-1 (SU and ATS). New England (5-2-2 ATS) survived a scare against the Giants last week and needed a 54-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski in the closing seconds to improve to 9-0 SU. Since the 2012 calendar year, the Patriots own a commanding 7-1 SU (5-3 ATS) advantage in this series with the lone defeat being a meaningless 17-9 result last December when a playoff berth was already sewn up.

When these clubs met earlier this season, the Bills kept it close before falling 40-32 at home. The betting trends overwhelmingly favor New England, such as its 8-1 ATS mark at home versus teams with 24+ PPG in the past three seasons or its 12-2 ATS record since 2014 after playing in a shootout where 50+ points were scored. But Buffalo falls in the category of road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after a 2-1 ATS stretch going 43-17 ATS over the past 10 seasons in a matchup of two winning teams in the second half of the season.

The Patriots have been decimated by injuries all year, with none bigger than top WR Julian Edelman who injured his foot last Sunday and is out indefinitely. His teammates LB Jamie Collins and OLs Marcus Cannon (toe), Sebastian Vollmer (concussion) and Tre' Jackson (knee) are all listed as questionable for Monday night, which is the same status for the lone Bills player appearing on the injury report, OT Cyrus Kouandjio, who is questionable with a knee injury.

Buffalo has also been hurt by injuries this season to its offensive skill players, but everybody now appears healthy for the stretch drive and the offense is eager to improve on strong numbers of 25.7 PPG and 343 total YPG. QB Tyrod Taylor has enjoyed a fine season with a 5-2 starter record, 1,436 passing yards (205 YPG), 11 TD and 4 INT. But three of those picks came in the Week 2 loss to the Patriots to ruin a productive day of Taylor totaling 285 total yards and four touchdowns (3 pass, 1 rush). He is helped out greatly by a potent rushing attack chewing up 142 YPG on 4.8 YPC this year.

This includes 160 yards in the Sept. 20 loss to New England led by RB LeSean McCoy's 89 yards on 15 totes. McCoy has 528 yards this season on 4.7 YPC, and has shared the workload with both RB Karlos Williams (360 rush yds, 6.2 YPC) and Taylor (243 rush yds, 5.2 YPC).

Defensively, the Bills need to get more pressure on the quarterback as their 14 sacks pale in comparison to the 54 sacks they recorded last year. For the season, the Buffalo defense is holding teams to 23.0 PPG and 350 total YPG. This is broken down between 97 rushing YPG allowed (4.1 YPC) and 252 passing YPG allowed (6.4 YPA). But considering how easy it was for the Patriots to throw on Buffalo in Week 2, this could be another tough task for the defense.

New England QB Tom Brady (339 passing YPG, 24 TD, 3 INT) is having a phenomenal 2015 campaign, and he lit up the Bills for 466 passing yards (7.9 YPA) and three touchdowns back in September. However, the top yardage gainer that day, RB Dion Lewis (138), and the player with the most receptions, WR Julian Edelman (11 receptions), are both injured for the rematch. Brady is a dominant 21-3 SU (14-9-1 ATS) in his career versus Buffalo, throwing for 255 YPG, 57 TD and 17 INT.

Brady will continue to heavily target TE Rob Gronkowski, who had seven receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 versus the Bills. But he must also give more targets to WRs Danny Amendola (403 rec yds, 2 TD), Brandon LaFell (240 rec yds) and Aaron Dobson (124 rec yds), who went for 87 yards on seven catches versus Buffalo. With Lewis injured, the ground game has belonged to RB LeGarrette Blount (513 rush yds, 4.4 YPC, 6 TD), who has rushed for 267 yards and 2 TD over the past three games since Lewis went down.

The Patriots defense has already recorded 30 sacks this year, including 10.5 sacks by DE Chandler Jones. Opponents have only 18.8 PPG and 344 YPG against New England, whose run-stop unit is limiting teams to 88 YPG on 4.0 YPC. The Patriots do surrender 256 passing YPG on 6.4 YPA, but the passing defense has nine interceptions and only 14 touchdowns allowed.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFL Week 11 Essentials

Buffalo at New England: Speaking of Brady, he dodged a bullet last week against the Giants, but probably would’ve been able to lead the Patriots into the end zone if replay hadn’t negated Odell Beckham Jr.’s touchdown catch. New England only needed three points and got them from kicker Stephen Gostkowski to remain unbeaten, but it certainly has major issues to face due to a hobbled offensive line and a foot injury that will remove Julian Edelman from the equation for the next few weeks. Edelman torched the Bills for 11 catches and two TDs in a 40-32 Week 2 win at Buffalo, so replacing his production is going to be essential if the Pats are to secure a series sweep. Rex Ryan’s win over the Jets put the team in position to make the playoffs if the season ended today, but they’re embarked on a stretch of five road games in six weeks that will leave little room for error.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Bills (5-4) @ Patriots (9-0) -- NE (+1) won first meeting 40-32 in Week 2, throwing for 451 yards- two of its four TD drives were 13-30 yards, thanks to three takeaways (+1). Pats are 27-3 in last 30 series games; Buffalo's 17-9 win here LY was its first in last 14 visits to Foxboro. Bills are 2-0 since bye, running for 207 ypg; they're 3-0 in true road games, 3-1 vs spread as an underdog. Patriots are 3-0-2 as home favorites, winning at home by 7-34-7-29-17 points- they needed 54-yard FG at gun LW in Swamp to stay unbeaten. Patriots lead NFL with 12 TD drives of less than 60 yards; their defense/special teams set offense up for shorter drives. NFL-wide, divisional home favorites are 11-21-1 vs spread. Three of last four Buffalo games went over total; last three Patriot games stayed under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Allen East man

New England -7

The Patriots dominated the Bills in the first matchup this year. The final score of that game doesn't show how one-sided it was as the Patriots were up 37-13 in that one. Buffalo is not on the same level as New England and they are not good enough to go to Foxboro on a Monday night and get a win. The Patriots had a close call last week against the Giants and they will be very focused not to let anything jeopardize the perfect regular season again this week. The Patriots have just dominated this series, going 23-10 ATS in the last 32 meetings. That is a 70 percent winning rate for the last 15 years! The Patriots are 5-2 ATS in their last seven Monday Night Football games and they are 11-5 ATS against teams with a winning record. You know that New England won't beat itself. But the same can't be said for the Bills. Look for the Patriots to get a blowout winner here.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mike O'Connor

Buffalo (+7) 21 NEW ENGLAND 27

With a return to health of their big three on offense – Tyrod Taylor, LeSean McCoy and Sammy Watkins, the Bills have climbed back into the mix in the AFC Wild Card picture with consecutive divison wins against the Dolphins and the Jets. The Bills are 4-1 SU with those three in the line-up but their lone loss was to these New England Patriots in a game that wasn’t as close as the 32-40 final score would indicate back in Week 2. That was a long time ago and the Bills offense has had time to gel since then, especially the past two weeks as the Bills have generated an average of 210 rushing yards per game at 6.4 ypr. No doubt the Bills game plan will feature a heavy dose of LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams but they’ll face an improved New England rush defense that is only allowing an average of 88 rushing yards at 4.1 ypr to teams that gain 112 yards at 4.4 ypr.

Tom Brady has been incredible this season with 24 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions while generating consistent production via the pass. Brady and the New England passing offense is averaging 326 yards at 7.5 yps against teams that allow 261 yards at 6.7 yps but will be missing one of their key pieces for the next six to eight weeks as Julian Edelman is out with a foot injury. After losing their top runner/receiving threat Dion Lewis in Week 9 and with an offensive line that has been really banged up, the Patriots offense may not be as dynamic in this game.

New England benefits from a negative 34-62-3 situation that plays against the Bills and my model favors the Patriots by 6.2 points. While I think the Bills are trending up and the Pats are readjusting a bit, it’s a toss-up for me with a slight lean to the Bills plus the points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Randall the Handle

Buffalo (5-4) at New England (9-0)

It’s difficult to avoid being sucked into the New England vortex. After all, they rarely lose. They haven’t lost at all this year. But as we know, the pointspread is the great equalizer. We’ve reached a point where we don’t wonder if the Patriots are going to win but only by how much. In come the Bills, winners of consecutive divisional games following their week off. Of course, this is a much tougher assignment but the timing might be right. As infallible as the Pats are, they’ve been dealing with an inordinate number of injuries lately. They are masters at plugging in new guys but Buffalo is talented when healthy and finds itself in its best physical shape of the season. Rex Ryan has traditionally been a nuisance to this foe and current conditions should help maintain that peskiness. TAKING: BILLS +7½

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hurricanes (7-10) at Flyers (5-9)

Date: November 23, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Piling up as many injuries as they are points, the Philadelphia Flyers have had trouble scoring since beating Carolina for their only victory in the last two weeks.

Wayne Simmonds thinks he has the answer for the ailing Flyers to avoid being shut out for a team-record third straight game Monday night against the visiting Hurricanes.

Philadelphia (6-9-5) has dropped 11 of 13, but its 1-3-2 stretch over the past two weeks has proved costly beyond the standings. Over that span, the team has put forwards Ryan White (upper body) and R.J. Umberger and defenseman Mark Streit (groin) on injured reserve. And now center Scott Laughton could be out with an upper-body injury he suffered on a hit by Alex Chiasson early in Saturday's 4-0 defeat at Ottawa.

Injuries aren't the only concern as the Flyers try to snap a three-game slide (0-1-2) since Jakub Voracek scored his only goal this season 37 seconds into overtime for a 3-2 win at Carolina on Nov. 14. Philadelphia has been outscored 8-2 since that victory and been shut out in the last two games.

The Flyers, trying to avoid becoming the first team to be shut out in three straight since Arizona in March 2013, are averaging a NHL-low 1.70 goals and been held to one or none in 10 games.

"We have to make it a consistent thing and have traffic 100 percent of the time and not 85 percent of the time," Simmonds said. "There has to be second and third opportunities. The first shot, if the goalie sees it, he's going to stop it. If we don't take his eyes away it's not going to go into the back of the net."

Perhaps that's why Simmonds has scored just three goals after leading the Flyers with 28 last season. The right wing doesn't have a point in three straight games after finding the net against the Hurricanes (7-10-3).

Simmonds has 16 points in 17 career meetings with Carolina, collecting three goals and two assists in the last three at Philadelphia.

Voracek has seven points in his past six home matchups, while Claude Giroux - the team leader with six goals and 13 points - has 14 over his last 10.

The Flyers, though, have dropped three of their last four (1-2-1) at home against the Hurricanes.

Carolina is trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since a season-high three-game winning streak Oct. 27-30.

Coach Bill Peters is feeling encouraged after the Hurricanes capped a 1-1-3 homestand with Sunday's 4-3 victory over Los Angeles.

"We're a quarter of the way through the season, I like our group and I like the way we're going," Peters said.

Defenseman Justin Faulk has been a positive, leading Carolina with 15 points. His team-high eight goals have all come on the power play and he leads the NHL in that category. He scored twice with the man advantage in the second period Sunday, getting one on his trademark booming slap shot.

"There's probably four or five guys in the league that (defenders) don't quite find the shooting lane on because it hurts, and I think he's in that group," Peters said.

Faulk has just three assists in seven career games at Philadelphia, tough he did set up Victor Rask's tally Nov. 14.

Rookie Brett Pesce is looking to build on his goal and assist Sunday. The defenseman had just one point through his first 12 games and recorded none against the Flyers earlier this month.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Oilers (7-12) at Capitals (12-5)

Date: November 23, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

After enjoying one of their best showings the season, the Washington Capitals are hoping their slow starts are a thing of the past.

They could be in store for another high-scoring performance Monday night against the visiting Edmonton Oilers.

Washington (13-5-1) enters the third of a five-game homestand after a 7-3 victory over Colorado on Saturday. The Capitals had been held to two goals in three consecutive games and given up the first goal in nine straight, going 5-3-1 in that span.

They opened with four first-period goals against the Avalanche.

"That was a focus this morning, let's get a lead," coach Barry Trotz said. "We want this building to be a tough place to play. We want it to (be known) that if you come in here, you're in for a battle."

Each Capitals goal was scored by a different player with Evgeny Kuznetsov adding two assists, and Jason Chimera recording three.

Four defenseman scored goals, pushing Washington's season total to 11 from its blueliners.

"That's been a philosophy," Trotz said. "Teams are so good at tracking that if you don't get your defense involved either on transitional plays or beating forwards up the ice, or in terms of movement ... then it's harder to score. You've got to beat a lot of people 1-on-1."

Washington matched its season high for goals set in a 7-4 win at Edmonton on Oct. 23. The Oilers allow 3.2 per game, ranking 29th in the NHL, and last month's blowout came despite the Capitals recording only 26 shots. Edmonton's Anders Nilsson was pulled after surrendering the first six goals on 17 shots.

Evgeny Kuznetsov totaled three goals and two assists while Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie each assisted on two goals. John Carlson also registered three assists while Nicklas Backstrom, Andre Burakovsky and Justin Williams had a goal and an assist apiece.

The Oilers (7-12-1) have lost four of five on the road entering this five-game trip, but come off a 5-1 win over New Jersey on Friday.

Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist. Draisaitl, the third overall pick in 2014, has 17 points in 10 games since being called up from the AHL on Oct. 29. He trails only Hall's team-leading 24 points despite playing in half as many games.

Draisaitl has helped alleviate the loss of Connor McDavid, who recorded 12 points in 13 games before hitting injured reserve Nov. 4 with a broken clavicle.

"Every time (Draisaitl) has the puck, he's poised, he's patient, he's making plays, it's good to see," said forward Jordan Eberle, who scored for the second straight game. "He had kind of a tough time last year and to come back and to rebound and to play as well as he is right now, it's awesome. Especially with McDavid being out, he's filled in really well."

The Capitals have won 12 of the last 16 meetings in Washington.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (9-5) at Rangers (14-3)

Date: November 23, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Despite another strong performance in goal, Henrik Lundqvist was anything but happy with the New York Rangers' latest performance.

Even when the Rangers aren't at their best, though, they still manage to win almost every time, thanks to perhaps unmatched depth that's been giving them a chance in every game.

They'll look to keep rolling Monday night when they host a Nashville Predators team that's been shut out in back-to-back outings.

New York (15-3-2) had its nine-game winning streak snapped at Tampa on Thursday, but got right back on track with a 5-4 overtime victory over Florida on Saturday. Rick Nash completed a hat trick in the extra period, Mats Zuccarello continued his tear with a goal and two assists and Lundqvist made 39 saves.

The star goalie, though, didn't like what he saw during the Sunshine State swing.

"I'm still annoyed," he told the team's official website. "We have to learn our lesson here, especially after last game. We've been talking about all the ways we find to win a game, then we found a way to lose a game (Thursday) and almost did it again (Saturday). We need to learn from this and smarten up."

The Rangers were outshot 43-31 by the Panthers after the Lightning held a 28-21 advantage in shots. They were short-handed six times Saturday, giving up two goals.

Still, New York has thrived despite some stretches of similar play this season because of its deep roster.

Nash has only five goals, but Zuccarello's ascendance has rendered that moot. Zuccarello has recorded three goals and six assists in the last five games, and six and nine in the past 10.

The biggest advantage New York has is in net, with Lundqvist leading the league with a 1.85 goals-against average and .943 save percentage. Backup Antti Raanta is 4-0-0 with a 1.25 GAA and .955 save percentage.

"We didn't play real well," coach Alain Vigneault said Saturday. "They say never critique a win, but our goaltender kept us in ... we didn't play real well tonight and our goaltender gave us an unreal performance, and there's no doubt Rick Nash played one of his best games this year."

The last two games seem to indicate Nashville's problems could run considerably deeper than the Rangers'. The Predators (11-5-3) have dropped the first two games of their five-game road trip by 4-0 scores, the most recent coming Saturday against Minnesota.

Nashville allowed two power-play goals in four chances as the Wild took advantage of a chippy contest that included two fights, numerous altercations and a 10-minute misconduct against Nashville's Mike Ribeiro.

'Discipline's playing into it,' coach Peter Laviolette said. 'We're not very disciplined right now.'

The Predators have been short-handed 29 times in the past eight games. They had killed their past 13 penalties before ex-Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter's goal in the first period.

'We keep talking about it,' captain Shea Weber said. 'A lot of your best players kill penalties and when they kill penalties the whole game they can't do offensive things. I don't know how long we can sit here and talk about it until we actually start doing something.'

The Rangers won 4-1 at Madison Square Garden in the teams' most recent meeting March 2. Nash scored an empty netter to give him a goal in three straight matchups and four of five.

The Predators have lost four of their last five on the road.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (12-6) at Sabres (7-10)

Date: November 23, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

At this point it wouldn't be surprising if the Buffalo Sabres believed the NHL's scheduling system was playing an elaborate prank on them.

Sitting among the Eastern Conference's cellar dwellers, the Sabres haven't done much through the first four of a five-game stretch against the best in the West.

Buffalo closes the slate Monday night at home with its second meeting in four days against the St. Louis Blues, who have won 17 of 19 in the series dating to 1999.

The Sabres (8-10-2) seemed to have recovered from seven losses - all in regulation - over their first 10 games with a 6-2-0 stretch that featured solid victories over the New York Islanders, Vancouver and Tampa Bay.

And then their schedule became a headache with a game against San Jose preceding two apiece versus Dallas and St. Louis (13-6-2). Those three clubs are a combined 43-18-2 this season and are the West's top three in points earned.

Buffalo managed to pick up a pair of points with an overtime loss to the Sharks and a shootout loss against the Blues, but the NHL-leading Stars outscored the Sabres 6-1 in the two meetings following a 3-0 victory Saturday in Dallas.

Oddly enough, it was the first time this season that struggling Buffalo was shut out. The Sabres came in with the league's fourth-best power play at 22.6 percent, but they went 0 for 3 to fall to 1 of 13 with the man advantage during their four-game skid.

They failed to capitalize on a 5-on-3 that lasted 54 seconds after also coming up empty on a pair of two-man advantages in Thursday's 3-2 loss in St. Louis. Buffalo went 0 for 4 on the power play in that contest.

"Obviously, it's something we need to work on," rookie center Jack Eichel told the club's official website.

"We had two against St. Louis. We could have used that one (Saturday), could have tied the game up. (A 5-on-3 is) a chance we need to capitalize. For us, it's frustrating knowing that we weren't able to get it done, and the 5-on-3 cost us a little bit."

A lack of goals has been the primary issue for the Sabres against the Blues in recent seasons. St. Louis has outscored Buffalo 24-7 while taking seven straight meetings and also owns a 10-1 differential in winning its last three visits to upstate New York.

The Blues, however, have hit a bit of a rut following an 11-3-1 start, losing four times - three in regulation - over their last six games. They've been outscored 21-14 in those contests with starter Jake Allen and backup Brian Elliot each taking two losses.

Allen opened with a 7-3-0 record, 1.53 goals-against average and .950 save percentage, but in his last four starts his GAA is a more modest 2.65. Elliot's downturn has been worse with a 0-2-1 record and 3.60 GAA since winning his first four starts.

Allen, who stopped 32 shots against Buffalo on Thursday and will likely get the nod in this meeting, made 28 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss against Detroit on Saturday.

Kyle Brodziak, Jori Lehtera and Vladimir Tarasenko scored for St. Louis, which had 33 shots on goal after being held below 30 in its previous three games.

"I think we were lucky to get a point. I don't think we played our best as a group as a whole, myself included," said Allen, who made 23 saves in a 1-0 win Feb. 5 at Buffalo in his first career start against the Sabres.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (10-8) at Maple Leafs (5-10)

Date: November 23, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

James Reimer quieted one of the league's top offensive teams on Saturday but was still a secondary story behind Boston's Tuukka Rask. The Toronto goaltender may get a shot at redemption two days later.

Rask and the Bruins escaped the first of five meetings between the two Original Six teams, and they visit the Maple Leafs on Monday night for the capper of a home-and-home set.

Boston (10-8-1) finally linked two wins together with Saturday's 2-0 victory over the Maple Leafs. The Bruins entered with losses in five of seven and earned back-to-back victories for the first time since winning their final four games of October.

Zdeno Chara broke a scoreless tie late in the third period by beating Reimer with a slap shot and Rask made 22 saves for his second shutout of the season and 28th of his career.

Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson each assisted on Brad Marchand's late empty-net goal. Bergeron extended his point streak to seven games, while Eriksson, who had a hat trick in a 4-2 win over Minnesota on Thursday, and Marchand each moved theirs to four.

The Bruins, who are 6-2-0 on the road, closed a season-high five-game homestand with a third win.

"We keep using the word consistency," coach Claude Julien told the team's official website. "I think it's a real good win â?? we've just got to keep trying to play the same way night after night."

It would help to have the Rask that showed up against the Maple Leafs. Rask, who made stops on Shawn Matthias breakaways in all three periods, has been wildly inconsistent with five games allowing five or more goals and five more surrendering one or zero.

Rask, though, is 12-3-1 against the Maple Leafs with a 1.74 goals-against average and .938 save percentage.

He was great during his first eight appearances in Toronto with a 1.23 GAA and .958 save percentage, but he allowed four goals on just 16 shots his last time at Air Canada Centre in a 6-1 loss on Nov. 12, 2014.

While Rask has been up and down, Reimer has been steady for Toronto (7-10-4). The sixth-year goaltender has all seven wins for the Maple Leafs, including five in a row entering Friday thanks to a 1.36 GAA and .960 save percentage.

He was good again against the Bruins, facing 36 shots and allowing just Chara's goal - which he had little chance on. Reimer shut down a Boston attack averaging 3.26 goals for his third consecutive game allowing one while facing at least 34 shots.

Reimer, who has started 10 of the last 11 games for Toronto, is 1-5-2 in his last eight starts against the Bruins - though he has a 1.47 GAA and .958 save percentage in the last six. He is 3-2-0 with a .949 save percentage in six appearances against them in Toronto.

"It's just a good rivalry," said Reimer, who has played 24 straight periods without allowing multiple goals. "Whenever you face off against them it's a fun game because you know it's going to be a high-intensity one. Those are always the ones you want to be a part of."

Toronto dropped six of its first seven home games this season but has won the last two.

While the Bruins won the last two meetings in this series, the Maple Leafs have won three of five in Toronto.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (11-8) at Panthers (7-8)

Date: November 23, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Kings are second in the Pacific Division but back-to-back defeats have them concerned.

Concluding their season series with the Florida Panthers should quell any worries for now.

The Kings look to avoid matching their longest slide of the season by continuing their dominance of the struggling Panthers on Monday night.

Los Angeles (12-8-0) missed the playoffs last season and opened this one with three straight defeats before winning 12 of its next 15. However, the Kings followed that with a 3-2 loss at Detroit on Friday before giving up the first three goals in a 4-3 defeat at Carolina two days later.

"I think there's a lot of unhappy players, quite honestly," said captain Dustin Brown, who scored his second goal of the season on a penalty shot Sunday. "A lot of us were here last year when we let it slide, and as a result we're not playing at the end of the year. We have an opportunity to right the ship (Monday) night and that should be our focus."

Los Angeles has won 11 of the past 13 matchups with Florida (8-8-4), outshooting the Panthers 35-19 in a 4-1 victory Nov. 7.

Anze Kopitar had a goal in that matchup, giving him 11 points in 11 career meetings. The center's two goals Sunday were his first in five games since last facing Florida.

The Kings haven't determined if Jonathan Quick or Jhonas Enroth will start in net. Quick has lost four of his last seven starts with a 3.00 goals-against average and was pulled after giving up four goals on 17 shots through two periods Sunday.

Enroth made all eight saves the rest of the way, and he's 3-1-0 with a 1.17 GAA and one shutout in five games - four starts. He's also 3-1-1 with a 1.30 GAA in five games against the Panthers, but Quick is 6-2-0 with a 1.81 GAA.

The Panthers have lost eight of their last 11 games (3-5-3), giving up an average of 3.09 goals after yielding 2.00 during the first nine contests.

They fell 5-4 in overtime to the New York Rangers on Saturday after Reilly Smith missed a penalty shot with 1:42 left in regulation. Despite the defeat, Florida was resilient in scoring twice in a span of 39 seconds in the third period after coach Gerard Gallant pulled Roberto Luongo for an extra attacker.

"There was no quit," Gallant said. "I was really proud of our guys because we played one of the fastest teams in the league and we kept up with them and we probably pushed the pace more than they did."

Jaromir Jagr scored the goal that forced OT on Saturday. The right wing leads the team with eight goals and 16 points, but his next tally will tie him with former King Marcel Dionne for fourth all-time at 731.

Jagr has one goal in his last four meetings with Los Angeles and failed to register a shot Nov. 7.

Nick Bjugstad has a goal in each of the last two matchups. The center netted his seventh of the season and second in four games Saturday.