Monday 12/21/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

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

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

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 20:00

Arsenal

v

Man City

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		7/5	5/2	21/10	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ARSENAL	RECENT FORM
ALHWADHWAWAW​ Most recent​	2 - 2 3 - 0 1 - 1 0 - 2	ALHWHWALHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Arsenal have won two and drawn two of their last four meetings with Man City

EXPERT VERDICT: Arsenal can use home advantage to win this titanic title tussle. A 4-1 home defeat to Liverpool made headlines, but it’s Manchester City’s away form that threatens to derail their bid. Manuel Pellegrini’s men are winless in four league road trips, losing 4-1 at Tottenham, 2-0 at Stoke and drawing 0-0 with a dire Aston Villa side.

RECOMMENDATION: Arsenal
3


REFEREE: Andre Marriner STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Penguins' Crosby day-to-day
By The Sports Xchange

The Pittsburgh Penguins have lost five games in a row, and they received more bad news on Sunday when the team announced that star center Sidney Crosby has a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.
Crosby has just six goals and 16 assists in his 32 games this season, and he has no goals and three assists during the Penguins' current losing streak.
Pittsburgh has lost nine of its past 11 games, and Crosby has one goal in that span.

---The St. Louis Blues recalled forward Jordan Caron and defenseman Joel Edmundson from the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.
The Blues also assigned defenseman Petteri Lindbohm to their AHL affiliate.
Caron, 25, was signed by the Blues as a free agent this past offseason. He has dressed in 25 games for the Wolves this season, posting 14 points (nine goals, five assists) and 30 penalty minutes.
Edmundson, 22, has made 23 appearances with the Blues this season, with two assists and 20 penalty minutes.
Lindbohm, 22, has dressed in 20 games for the Wolves this season, recording seven points (two goals, five assists) and 22 penalty minutes. He has five penalty minutes in seven games for the Blues.
---The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled center Tanner Richard from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.
Richard has played in 23 games with Syracuse this season, recording 11 assists. He has played in 166 career AHL games, all with Syracuse, notching 69 points (15 goals, 54 assists).

---The San Jose Sharks reassigned forward Barclay Goodrow to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL.
Goodrow, 22, has recorded three assists in 14 games with the Sharks this season. He has four goals and 11 assists in 74 career NHL games with San Jose. Goodrow has recorded 11 points (8 goals, 3 assists) in 15 AHL games this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ducks (11-14) at Islanders (15-11)

Date: December 21, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Goals have been hard to come by during the New York Islanders' worst stretch of the season.

The Anaheim Ducks can certainly relate.

The Islanders look to snap a frustrating three-game skid when they host the NHL's lowest-scoring team Monday night.

After climbing the Eastern Conference standings with a 7-0-1 stretch Nov. 28-Dec. 13, New York (18-11-5) has mustered just two Brock Nelson goals while losing three straight in regulation for the first time this season. The low point came Thursday in Arizona, where the Islanders fell 1-0 to a Coyotes team that had allowed 37 goals over its previous eight games.

'We've got to find a way to score goals,' forward Ryan Strome said afterward. 'These guys had struggled defensively the past couple games and we couldn't crack them.'

A power play that's gone 1 for 16 over the last four games has compounded New York's offensive problems, as has John Tavares' prolonged slump. The center has one point in his past eight.

Tavares also won't have linemate Kyle Okposo, the team leader with 26 points, for a second straight game due to a lower-body injury.

The Ducks' scoring woes have lingered even longer, with their 58 goals by far the fewest in the NHL. They've managed 19 while going 4-9-1 on the road and two or fewer in eight of nine overall.

After being shut out for a seventh time in Thursday's 3-0 loss to Buffalo that began this four-game trip, Anaheim (12-14-5) generated enough offense to back Frederik Andersen's sharp effort in Saturday's 2-1 win over New Jersey.

Andersen made 21 saves in his first start since Nov. 21 and was supported by first-period scores from Chris Stewart and Ryan Kesler, the latter's fourth in 31 games.

'We really didn't give them anything except for that heck of a shot on their goal,' Stewart said. 'We had our matchups. I thought we locked them down pretty tight for most of the game.'

The Ducks didn't do much offensively in a 4-1 home loss to the Islanders on Nov. 13, in which Frans Nielsen had two goals and Thomas Greiss 24 saves for New York.

Greiss has yielded three goals over his last three starts and had won four straight prior to Thursday's 2-1 defeat at Colorado. He's been sharing time lately with Jaroslav Halak, coming off a 28-save effort against Arizona.

Both netminders have been a vital part of a penalty kill that's thwarted 28 consecutive chances over a 12-game span. New York ranks third in the league in that category at 86.9 percent, just below the Ducks at 87.7.

Anaheim has gone 0 for 13 on the power play over its last six.

Both Andersen and John Gibson are expected to start during a back-to-back set against the Islanders and Rangers. Gibson owns a 1.97 goals-against average in nine appearances - eight starts - but has been shaky in his last two, surrendering three goals each time in losses to Carolina and the Sabres.

Andersen stopped 29 shots in a 3-2 home win over the Islanders on March 28, one of Anaheim's four victories in the series' past six matchups.

Ducks center Nate Thompson is eligible to play after serving a three-game suspension for an illegal check on the Hurricanes' Justin Faulk on Dec. 11.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (12-19) at Penguins (14-14)

Date: December 21, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Columbus Blue Jackets have made strides following a coaching change. The Pittsburgh Penguins have yet to receive a spark from theirs.

Still in search of their first win under Mike Sullivan, the reeling Penguins continue their growing rivalry with the Blue Jackets on Monday night.

Pittsburgh (15-14-13) fired Mike Johnston on Dec. 12 in an attempt to shake up its talent-laden roster, but the results have been worse under Sullivan, an assistant during Columbus coach John Tortorella's previous jobs with Tampa Bay, the New York Rangers and Vancouver.

The Penguins have been outscored 15-4 in four straight regulation losses since the change, and their 0-4-1 skid is the club's longest since a six-game losing streak Dec. 29, 2011-Jan. 12, 2012.

Much of the blame has fallen on Sidney Crosby, who's a career-worst minus-6 and has one goal over his last 11 games. The Pittsburgh captain failed to score in a seventh straight contest in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Carolina, Pittsburgh's fifth straight defeat at home.

Crosby is day to day with a lower-body injury and could miss this contest. Sullivan said he'll be evaluated Monday morning, and that Crosby will play if he's ready even though the four-day holiday break begins after Monday's game.

'I don't know what's going on," said center Evgeni Malkin, who tallied the Penguins' goal and has three in five games. "We play better, we're tight. It's a tough loss again, but (we're keeping our) heads up.'

Malkin has been the only consistent offensive threat for a team that's seen several others besides Crosby underachieve. Phil Kessel has gone eight straight without a goal and Chris Kunitz has four in 32 games.

Injuries to goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and defenseman Kris Letang have hurt as well, affecting a penalty killing unit that's given up five goals in 16 opportunities during Sullivan's brief tenure.

Carolina went 2 for 4 on the power play Saturday to spoil an otherwise solid NHL debut from Matthew Murray, who might yield to Jeff Zatkoff on Monday with Fleury to miss a fourth straight game with a concussion.

Columbus (13-19-3) also struggled immediately after Sergei Bobrovsky sustained a lower-body injury Dec. 8, losing its first four without its top goaltender. The Blue Jackets have regrouped to win their last two, coming to life offensively in Thursday's 7-5 victory at Arizona before rookie Joonas Korpisalo stepped up in Bobrovsky's place against Philadelphia on Saturday.

Korpisalo made 30 saves in Columbus' 3-2 shootout win to record his first career victory in his third attempt.

'He's unreal,' Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray said. 'He makes a big save and he's not even fazed by it. Or he gets scored on and he's not even fazed by it.'

Korpisalo is expected to be in net again Monday.

Columbus also is receiving disappointing results from its star center, with Ryan Johansen in a nine-game goal drought and getting scratched by Tortorella against the Coyotes. Others have picked up the slack, with Brandon Saad collecting four points during the win streak and Scott Hartnell amassing 10 over his last eight. Cam Atkinson has four goals in six games.

Bobrovsky was in goal for a pair of 2-1 wins over Pittsburgh earlier this season, the most recent coming on Atkinson's overtime goal Nov. 27.

That last meeting also featured some controversy, with Brandon Dubinsky cross-checking Crosby in the head to draw a one-game suspension. Tortorella added some heat to the incident by accusing the Penguins of complaining to the league offices.

Dubinsky said following Saturday's game that he's looking forward to the rematch, which leads into the holiday break.

"That ham, turkey, tenderloin or whatever you like is going to taste a lot better on Christmas if we can find a way to get some points on Monday," he said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (19-10) at Flyers (13-12)

Date: December 21, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The only team to keep Vladimir Tarasenko from lighting the lamp in the last two-plus weeks is the Philadelphia Flyers.

He'll try to rectify that in Monday night's rematch while leading the St. Louis Blues to a season high-tying fourth consecutive win.

Tarasenko has seven of his 21 goals in the past eight games and has scored one in a career-best five straight. He also had two assists for the second time in three contests in a 3-2 victory over Calgary on Saturday.

"Hockey is a team game. My teammates make it for me," Tarasenko said. "I think I need to score more because I have really a lot of goal chances. So you can't stop working and relaxing because it's only December."

Tarasenko didn't have a point in a 4-2 home loss to Philadelphia on Dec. 10, the only time that's happened in nine games dating to Dec. 4. The Flyers (14-12-7) tallied three straight goals in the second period with Claude Giroux concluding that run and assisting on two more scores in the game.

Philadelphia has split four subsequent contests, winning both home games. The Flyers rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period Saturday in Columbus but were denied a third consecutive overall victory in a 3-2 shootout loss.

Philadelphia will try to bounce back and head into its five-day break on a positive note with a ninth win in the last 11 home games against St. Louis. The Blues (20-10-4), who last won four in a row Oct. 13-18, visit Boston on Tuesday before getting a three-day hiatus.

"We've been playing well and we want to keep things going in the right way," forward Ryan White said. "I think it's not so much about the break. The break is good for the body and getting a couple of mental days away from the rink. At the same time, the way things have been going we almost want to keep playing. So it's a big game for us (Monday) night."

The Flyers have outscored the Blues 11-4 while earning at least one point in each of the past five overall meetings (3-0-2).

Michal Neuvirth started in net in the most recent matchup but Steve Mason has performed better against the Blues, going 3-0-1 with a 0.62 goals-against average in his last five matchups. Neuvirth is 2-1-0 with a 3.33 GAA in three lifetime meetings.

Brian Elliott, who started for St. Louis earlier this month, earned his first win in nine appearances since Oct. 18 on Saturday, making 36 saves. He is 2-4-0 with a 3.05 GAA in his last six games against Philadelphia while Jake Allen, 4-1-0 with a 1.41 GAA in his past five starts, has never faced the Flyers.

Tarasenko has one assist in three career games against Philadelphia. Scott Gomez has one goal and five assists in his last three matchups but the veteran center doesn't have a points in his last eight contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (22-6) at Hurricanes (13-15)

Date: December 21, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Washington Capitals weren't content with four straight wins, and they certainly aren't satisfied with their cushy division lead.

After rallying to extend their winning streak, the Capitals look to spread the gap between themselves and the rest of the Metropolitan Division when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night.

Washington (24-6-2) jumped eight points ahead of the second-place New York Rangers with Sunday's 7-3 victory at Madison Square Garden. The Capitals pulled even with Dallas' NHL-leading 50 points with their fifth straight win, improving to 12-1-1 since Nov. 21.

'(There is) never enough of a cushion,' Jason Chimera said. 'You want to get as much as you can.'

That was the mantra as Washington matched a season high in goals against the Rangers. The Capitals trailed 3-1 after the first period before scoring six unanswered goals, four in the second and two in the third.

Eleven Capitals tallied at least one point, led by two goals and an assist from Justin Williams and a goal and two assists from Marcus Johansson.

Washington is 5 for 7 on the power play in the last two games after going 1 for 13 in the previous four.

'I see a lot of good building blocks,' said Williams. 'We still wanted to push forward, we still wanted to play hard.'

Braden Holtby surrendered three goals in the final 6:18 of the first period, but he turned aside all 21 shots he faced in the final 40 minutes. He finished with 33 saves to improve to 13-0-1 in his last 15 starts with a 1.91 goals-against average.

Holtby made 18 saves to earn the win in this season's first matchup against Carolina, a 4-1 home victory on Oct. 17. He is 8-4-0 with a 1.99 GAA in 12 career starts against the Hurricanes.

The Capitals have won five of their last six games at PNC Arena and five of the last six meetings in this series.

The final two wins of that bunch came against Carolina's Cam Ward, who has shined in the last two games after a slow start to the season. Ward posted an .893 save percentage through his first 22 games, but he has allowed just two goals on 55 shots in his last two.

Ward, though, has lost each of his last four starts against Washington with a 3.52 GAA, including the October loss.

Carolina (13-15-5) improved to 5-2-1 in its last eight games with Saturday's 2-1 win at Pittsburgh. The Hurricanes played five of their last six games away from home but return to PNC Arena where they have won four of six.

Carolina's power play was stuck in an 0-for-13 slump in five games from Nov. 23-Dec. 3, but the Hurricanes are an NHL-best 10 for 27 on the man advantage in eight contests since.

Jordan Staal and John-Michael Liles supplied the offense on Saturday with first-period power-play goals.

'It's always nice when the power play is clicking,' Staal said. 'It gives us some extra motivation or extra confidence on the offensive side of the puck when it's going in on the power play.'

Washington, which has won its last three road games, ranks toward the top of the league with an 83.7 penalty kill percentage.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canadiens (19-11) at Predators (14-11)

Date: December 21, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Max Pacioretty believes that the Montreal Canadiens haven't forgotten how to play hockey, but he has mostly forgotten how to score.

The club captain has failed to find the back of the net in seven of the last eight games, with the Canadiens losing those seven contests ahead of Monday night's visit to the Nashville Predators.

Montreal (20-11-3) began the season with nine victories but has lost seven of eight, with Pacioretty's only tally in that span in a 3-1 victory over Ottawa last Saturday. The Canadiens have lost the games in which he has not scored.

'We started the year with nine wins in a row,' said Pacioretty, who has a team-high 14 goals with seven in the nine-game unbeaten start. 'I don't know why we forgot how to play the game, but we have to find answers really quick.'

Dale Weise is second on the club with 10 goals, with one in his last 14 games. Brendan Gallagher, who has nine goals, is out with an injury, while Tomas Fleischmann has scored one of his eight goals in the last 12 games.

The Canadiens have scored three or fewer in their last 11 games and have been outscored 12-3 in a three-game slide

Montreal's concern level increased after Saturday's 6-2 loss at Dallas. The Canadiens gave up eight power-play chances for the first time in two seasons.

'We lost some games at home that we believe we were playing some really good hockey,' coach Michel Therrien said. 'It's not the same thing tonight.'

Mike Condon, who has been filling in for Carey Price, stopped 17 of 23 shots before Dustin Tokarski replaced him. Condon has dropped five straight starts.

The Predators (16-11-6) ended a three-game slide with Saturday's 3-2 win over Minnesota as they set their sights on improving to 5-0-3 in the last eight meetings with the Canadiens.

"Definitely it's something to build off of but we're not going to get ahead of ourselves," defenseman Shea Weber said. "We're not world beaters by any means. That's a good solid game for us but we've got a tough opponent in Montreal, who's obviously fighting for a lot right now because they've been struggling lately too."

Weber had assists on first-period goals by Filip Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro as Nashville scored first in a third straight game. This one was the first in that span in which the Predators went up by two.

"It's just a different game when you can extend your lead after you score the first goal," Ribeiro said. "I think that's the perfect example today."

Pekka Rinne figures to start for the Predators. He's 4-1-1 with a 1.32 goals-against average in six starts against the Canadiens.

He would be up against a struggling Montreal power-play unit. The Canadiens got one such tally from Daniel Carr on Saturday, although they are 1 for 27 in their last eight games.

Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban has a team-high 22 assists. His 1.4 giveaways per game represent the NHL's highest mark.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (23-7) at Wild (17-8)

Date: December 21, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin help the Dallas Stars form the league's highest-scoring team, although they don't expect goals to come easily Monday night.

The Stars have needed overtime to defeat the Minnesota Wild twice this season as they seek to snap their Central Division rival's four-game home win streak.

Dallas (24-7-2) is averaging 3.4 goals after Saturday's 6-2 rout of Montreal. Benn scored twice and added an assist while Seguin had one of each.

Benn leads the NHL with 22 goals and he and Seguin each have 44 points to tie for second. The Stars matched a season high by scoring six for the third time, but they don't expect that kind of output in this back-to-back set against Minnesota (17-8-6) and Chicago.

"You're probably not going to see a game like tonight in the next couple," Benn said. "So we're going to have to play tight defense, low-scoring games, they should be exciting ones."

Benn and Seguin have combined for eight points in the season series, in which Dallas won 3-2 at home Nov. 14 and 4-3 two weeks later after rallying from three goals down after two periods.

John Klingberg scored the overtime winner in the first matchup and Seguin did the same in the second one.

Klingberg leads all Western Conference defensemen with 31 points and ranks among the NHL's leaders with 26 assists. He has five points in the season series.

Dallas had gone 0 for 16 on the power play in four games before going 3 for 8 against the Canadiens.

'It was good to see our power play grab the game,' coach Lindy Ruff said. 'We played the plays when they were there.'

The Stars are 0 for 18 with the man advantage in their last seven road games and 1 for 6 in the season series against the Wild.

Minnesota starts a four-game homestand after Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Nashville. The Wild fell behind by two goals in a dismal first period in which Jason Zucker missed a penalty shot.

'Tough start, that's for sure,' coach Mike Yeo said. 'The first period was not us and they were ready. We knew they would be ready."

The Wild have outscored foes 15-4 in this home win streak since losing there to Dallas. They have gone 5 for 8 on the power play in their last two.

Minnesota also is beginning a back-to-back set, with Montreal visiting Tuesday. Devan Dubnyk has started the last two games for the Wild, and Yeo indicated that Dubnyk and Darcy Kuemper will split starts in these two games.

Dallas figures to do the same with Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen. Niemi may be the better choice Monday since he is 9-3-2 with a 1.97 goals-against average in 14 starts against the Wild while Lehtonen has a 3.40 GAA in seven starts at Minnesota.

Wild star Zach Parise has 10 points in a seven-game streak, his longest with the club. He has 25 points in 19 games against Dallas.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (15-15) at Oilers (12-18)

Date: December 21, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

The Edmonton Oilers couldn't carry their lengthy win streak through a road trip and are returning home having lost three in a row.

The Oilers will try to snap that skid by earning a seventh consecutive victory on their own ice Monday night when they face one of the league's worst road teams, the Winnipeg Jets.

Edmonton earned a sixth consecutive victory - matching its longest win streak in 14 seasons - by topping Boston 3-2 in overtime last Monday in the opener of their four-game trek. The Oilers (14-18-2) were then outscored 13-3 in the following three games and were routed 5-1 by Colorado on Saturday despite outshooting the Avalanche 40-29.

"I thought we played hard, had a lot of really good efforts. It's just how it goes," forward Taylor Hall said. "We've got to find ways to turn B (scoring) chances into A chances. It didn't happen tonight."

Edmonton will try to end its losing streak before starting a four-day break, and a visit from Winnipeg (15-15-2) appears to give them a good chance. The Jets are 6-10-1 on the road and 1-8-1 in the last 10 games there while getting outscored 39-20.

Edmonton's home win streak is its longest since a seven-game run Feb. 4-March 2, 2008, and is two shy of matching a franchise record.

The Oilers lost 4-1 in the most recent visit from Winnipeg on March 23 and have dropped four straight in the series, with the first three defeats coming in overtime or a shootout.

The Jets avoided a third consecutive overall loss Friday with a 5-2 victory against the New York Rangers, and Bryan Little got his team started on the right foot by scoring two goals in the first 7:34.

Little also helped set up Tyler Myers' goal in the second period, and Blake Wheeler matched a career high with four assists.

The Jets are playing seven of their next nine games on the road and will visit Calgary on Tuesday before getting a four-day break.

"We need as many points as we can get at this point," defenseman Mark Stuart said. "It's going to be important to grab four these next two (games) before the break.

"Every game, no matter who you're playing or where you're at, it's tough. Every team presents a different challenge, so these are going to be two tough games for us."

Little has four goals and three assists in eight lifetime matchups with Edmonton. He tallied two goals and an assist in his most recent, a 5-4 shootout win Feb. 16.

Jacob Trouba also has four goals and three assists in six career meetings but doesn't have a point in his last two. Tyler Myers has a goal in each of his last three games against the Oilers.

Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has also scored a goal in each of his last three games against Winnipeg and has four assists during a six-game point streak versus the Jets. Hall has five goals and seven assists in a seven-game point streak in the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Maple Leafs (8-13) at Avalanche (17-16)

Date: December 21, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

With Semyon Varlamov locked in, the Colorado Avalanche are starting to play like they did two seasons ago.

The resurgent Avalanche aim for their longest win streak since that outstanding 2013-14 campaign in Monday night's matchup with a Toronto Maple Leafs team that's recently raised its play as well.

Colorado (17-16-1) has won five straight, its best run since a six-game streak March 25-April 4, 2014, during a season in which it tied a franchise record with 52 victories.

Varlamov played a large part in that success and has been instrumental in the current surge, yielding six goals in winning six consecutive starts.

He's allowed two or fewer goals in each game of a 7-1-0 stretch, making 39 saves in Saturday's 5-1 home rout of Edmonton.

"Varly is playing so well right now," coach Patrick Roy said. "When you're looking at him, it seems like it is very easy. He seems like he is under control. He's moving well. He sees the puck big. He's in the zone right now. We feed off of him right now. He's the big reason why we're having a good turnaround."

Varlamov will be tested by a Toronto team that's amassed 19 goals during a 3-0-2 stretch that was highlighted by the Leafs' most lopsided win of the season Saturday, 5-0 over Los Angeles. Michael Grabner scored twice while recording a career-high four points and Leo Komarov added two goals and an assist to give him seven points over his last five games.

"I thought Leo was good, I thought Grabs was good and I thought Naz (Kadri) was really competitive," coach Mike Babcock said. "Grabby's so quick that he puts a ton of pressure on those guys and then we end up with the puck a lot more than we would without him."

Jonathan Bernier chipped in with 26 saves to halt an 11-game losing streak to start the season. He had posted a 4.14 GAA over his prior five starts and recently returned from a brief stint in the minors.

'I've had a tough time, but I've been saying it: `If you stick to the program and you work hard, at one point you'll get rewarded,'' he said. 'Definitely that was a big win for myself and for the team."

Toronto (11-13-17) will be relying on Bernier with James Reimer (groin) and rookie Garret Sparks (lower body) sidelined through the Christmas break. Reimer had 34 saves in a 5-1 home win over the Avalanche on Nov. 17, a game Varlamov missed with a groin injury.

The Maple Leafs fell 4-3 in a shootout in their most recent visit to the Pepsi Center on Nov. 6, 2014. They're 5-8-2 on the road this season, scoring one or no goals in seven of those contests.

Colorado has been productive offensively of late as well, scoring 16 times during its streak. The Avalanche converted their lone power-play chance against the Oilers after going 1 for 26 over the previous 10 games.

Jarome Iginla ended a nine-game goal drought Saturday to move within two of becoming the 19th player to reach 600.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - December

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
12/1 10 53.5 51 UNDER
12/2 4 22.5 18 UNDER
12/3 8 41.5 37 UNDER
12/4 7 36 33 UNDER
12/5 10 52 54 OVER
12/6 7 36 37 OVER
12/7 3 16 15 UNDER
12/8 9 48.5 55 OVER
12/9 4 21.5 20 UNDER
12/10 7 37 44 OVER
12/11 7 36 37 OVER
12/12 10 52 47 UNDER
12/13 3 15 12 UNDER
12/14 5 25.5 24 UNDER
12/15 11 58.5 61 OVER
12/16 2 10.5 6 UNDER
12/17 11 59.5 56 UNDER
12/18 6 30.5 38 OVER
12/19 10 52 46 UNDER
12/20 6 31 42 OVER
12/21 8 - - -
12/22 10 - - -
12/23 No games scheduled - - -
12/24 No games scheduled - - -
12/25 No games scheduled - - -
12/26 9 - - -
12/27 9 - - -
12/28 6 - - -
12/29 10 - - -
12/30 5 - - -
12/31 9 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Ducks are 4-3 in their last seven games.
-- Columbus won last two games after losing its previous five.
-- Blues won four of their last five games.
-- Washington won its last five games, scoring 20 goals. Carolina is 5-3 in last eight games.
-- Minnesota won three of its last four games.
-- Colorado won last five games, outscoring opponents 16-5.

Cold teams
-- Islanders lost last three games, outscored 8-2.
-- Pittsburgh lost seven of its last eight games.
-- Flyers lost four of their last seven games.
-- Canadiens lost seven of their last eight games. Nashville lost three of its last four.
-- Dallas Stars lost three of their last four road games.
-- Toronto is 4-6 in its last ten games.
-- Oilers lost last three games, outscored 13-3. Winnipeg lost four of its last five road games.

Series records
-- Islanders lost six of last nine games with Anaheim.
-- Blue Jackets won five of last six games with Pittsburgh.
-- Home side won eight of last ten Philly-St Louis games.
-- Carolina lost five of last six games with Washington.
-- Montreal/Nashville split last ten games; four of last five went OT.
-- Dallas Stars won three of last four games with Minnesota.
-- Maple Leafs won three of last four games with Colorado.
-- Jets won their last four games with Edmonton.

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Islander games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 3-1 in Blue Jackets' last four visits to Pittsburgh.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five St Louis games.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Carolina games.
-- Five of last six Montreal games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Dallas-Minnesota games went over.
-- Eight of last ten Colorado games stayed under total.
-- Five of last seven Edmonton games went over total.

Back-to-backs
-- Washington is 3-0 on road if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Raptors' Bennett could play doubleheader
By The Sports Xchange

The Toronto Raptors assigned forward Anthony Bennett to their NBA Development League affiliate, Raptors 905, on Sunday.
Bennett played for Raptors 905 in a Sunday afternoon game against the Delaware 87ers. After the game, he was expected to be recalled by the Raptors and be available to play in their 6 p.m. ET game against Sacramento at Air Canada Centre, the team announced.
"Anthony came to us asking to use this doubleheader as an opportunity work on his game," said Jeff Weltman, the Raptors' executive vice president of basketball operations. "This is an example of how we envisioned using our D-League team to improve our players."
Bennett has appeared in nine games with the Raptors this season, totaling 14 points and 15 rebounds in 48 minutes.

---The Miami Heat sat out guard Tyler Johnson (shoulder) and forward Josh McRoberts (knee) for Sunday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he wants Johnson to go through a full-contact practice without a setback before playing him in a game. Johnson, who played for five-plus minutes against Brooklyn on Dec. 16, has missed five of his past six games.
McRoberts missed his sixth consecutive game.
"He had a bone bruise and we were trying to calm it down, but it just didn't get better. The only thing that we felt could calm it down would be just rest," Spoelstra said.

---The Detroit Pistons recalled guard Brandon Jennings, forward Reggie Bullock and guard Darrun Hilliard from the team's D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive.
Jennings, seeing his first game action since suffering a ruptured left Achilles at Milwaukee on Jan. 24, recorded 11 points, three rebounds, a game-high 12 assists and 27 minutes in a 130-104 Drive win over the Iowa Energy on Saturday.

---The Cleveland Cavaliers recalled guard Joe Harris from the Canton Charge of the D-League.
Harris has appeared in 10 games for the Charge this season, averaging 16.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 33.1 minutes per game. He has played in five games for the Cavs this season.

---Brooklyn Nets guard Shane Larkin missed his third straight game Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves wiith a concussion.
Donald Sloan has received the minutes allotted to Larkin, playing 12 minutes Wednesday, 24 on Friday and 20 on Sunday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (11-16) at Wizards (11-14)

Date: December 21, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Sacramento Kings certainly aren't known for their performance on defense, but they've held opponents under 100 points in a season-high four straight games.

The Washington Wizards can't be as proud of the defensive streak they're currently on.

As they look to continue their surge, the Kings will try to win consecutive road games for the first time in more than a year Monday night against the injury-ravaged Wizards.

Since ranking 29th in the NBA with 108.7 points per game on Dec. 7, Sacramento (11-16) has tightened things up by limiting its last four opponents to 96.8 on 41.3 percent shooting.

The Kings also have won four times during their best five-game stretch of the season. They held Toronto to 37.2 percent shooting - including 8 of 29 from 3-point range - in Sunday's 104-94 win.

Rajon Rondo finished with 19 points and 13 assists, while Rudy Gay contributed 19 and nine rebounds. DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi combined for 30 points and 20 boards.

Gay, a Baltimore native, has totaled 50 points in his last two games versus Washington. Rondo has averaged 15.8 points on 61.5 percent shooting and 12.8 assists over his last four overall.

'I love (Rondo). It's going to be a love, anger, hate, complaining (kind of relationship), but he's a high basketball IQ guy," coach George Karl said. "Right now he's our motor, he makes us go, he makes us go in a good way."

Playing for the third time on a four-game trip, Sacramento hopes to win back-to-back on the road for the first time since Nov. 22 and 25. It's the league's longest stretch in terms of time, but tied for second (45) behind the Los Angeles Lakers (47) in games between consecutive road wins.

The Kings have won five of seven in this series with both losses coming in Washington. Gay had 26 points and Cousins added 20 in a 109-86 home win March 22 in the most recent meeting.

After shooting 52.6 percent and 9 for 21 from 3-point range Sunday, Sacramento could get good looks against a Washington team that has allowed its opponents to reach 100 points in 10 straight games. It the team's longest streak since a 13-game span during the 2006-07 season.

The Wizards have allowed an average of 108.7 points on 49.0 percent shooting - including 42.2 from beyond the arc - during that stretch. They showed improvement Saturday by holding Charlotte to a 41.9 field-goal percentage in a 109-101 home win that snapped a two-game losing streak.

Washington (11-14) has just 10 healthy players with Otto Porter (thigh), Nene (calf), Drew Gooden (calf), Alan Anderson (ankle) and Bradley Beal (leg) sidelined.

'We're right there - even with the injuries,' coach Randy Wittman said.

John Wall finished with 27 points and 12 assists Saturday despite committing eight turnovers. Garrett Temple had a career-high 21 points and Jared Dudley added a season high-tying 19.

Wall has averaged 26.5 points and 10.8 assists in his last five home games. He had 31 and 12 in a 113-97 win March 14 in the most recent matchup with Sacramento at the Verizon Center.

Washington hasn't won back-to-back games since a three-game run from Nov. 14-21.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Timberwolves (11-16) at Celtics (14-13)

Date: December 21, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Minnesota Timberwolves might be taking a brief look into Kevin Garnett's past, but it's their stars of the future who are opening eyes.

Garnett makes another return to the TD Garden to face the Celtics on Monday night as he tries to help the young Timberwolves earn their first win in Boston in almost a decade.

Minnesota (11-16) has followed eight losses in nine games with a pair of wins, including the front end of their back-to-back set with Sunday's 100-85 victory at Brooklyn - another former team for Garnett.

After opening his career in Minnesota, the 21-year veteran spent six seasons with Boston - winning the 2008 NBA championship - and played the better part of two with the Nets. He has chipped in 3.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in his first season back with the Timberwolves, but his role is mainly to mold their young core.

Boston coach Brad Stevens has taken notice of the group Garnett is working with.

"They're talented. I mean, super talented," Stevens said following Sunday's practice. "I said this yesterday, they look like the young (Oklahoma City) team as far as when you start looking at (Andrew) Wiggins and (Karl-Anthony) Towns. Those are real building blocks."

It hasn't turned into consistent success yet, but the Timberwolves have stacked wins together for the first time since late November. Wiggins finished one off his career high with 32 points in Friday's 99-95 win over Sacramento while matching a career high with 10 rebounds and setting a season high with six assists. Towns followed with 24 points and 10 rebounds at Brooklyn, helping Minnesota snap a four-game road losing streak.

Towns has averaged 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in his last four games. His latest work came at Barclays Center, where he was the top pick in the June draft.

'It felt like I was at the park out here tonight,' he said, 'just having a blast, having fun and no matter what happened.'

More enjoyable would be snapping the Timberwolves' nine-game losing streak in Boston dating to Jan. 18, 2006. Minnesota has won three of five games in this series, but the Celtics took the previous 11.

The Celtics (14-13) aren't cracking many smiles after their dismal week.

Just over a week ago, Boston took then-undefeated Golden State into two overtimes and followed with a win at Charlotte. The Celtics have followed that with three straight losses, two coming at TD Garden.

Boston committed 40 turnovers the last two contests, including a season-high 22 while getting outscored 68-36 in the paint in Friday's 109-101 loss to Atlanta - its third straight home defeat .

'We got exposed again (Friday) - for the third time this week,' Stevens said.

Isaiah Thomas scored 29 points two days after matching a career high with 38, and Jae Crowder added a career-best 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Thomas made 18 of 32 shots and 25 of 26 free throws the last two games, and Crowder has averaged 15.9 points in nine December contests.

Stevens says there is more than a 50 percent chance Amir Johnson will play. He is dealing with plantar fasciitis.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (15-12) at Knicks (14-14)

Date: December 21, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The message was simple early in the New York Knicks' latest win.

'Wake up, basically,' coach Derek Fisher said.

Those words can be applied to the last week-and-a-half as the Knicks seek their fifth straight victory when the Orlando Magic visit Madison Square Garden on Monday night.

New York (14-14) fell behind Chicago 12-2 in the first quarter on Saturday but regrouped and rolled to a fourth straight win, 107-91. Not only are the Knicks in line to record their longest winning streak in nearly two years, but it comes on the heels of a 2-8 stretch.

The offense had stalled with 93.5 points per game during the 10-game lull, but it has perked up with an average of 108.3 in the last four.

Carmelo Anthony is averaging 25.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists during the streak, and Arron Afflalo has averaged 23.0 points while shooting 63.4 percent in the last three games. The pair have combined to make 13 of 28 3-pointers in the four wins and have helped put the Knicks in position for their first five-game winning streak since an eight-game run from March 5-21, 2014.

Still, a second look reveals a soft schedule. New York's streak started with wins over Portland (11-18), Minnesota (11-16) and Philadelphia (1-28) before Saturday's win over the Bulls, who had lost a four-overtime game the night before and played without Pau Gasol.

The real struggle for New York this season is sustaining success. Prior to their winning streak, the Knicks rattled off streaks of four losses, two wins, four losses and four wins. They follow Orlando with a tough three-game road trip against Cleveland, Atlanta and Boston, opening a stretch of seven of nine games away from home.

'I just think we have to find a way to become more consistent,' Fisher said before Saturday's game. 'We don't want that pattern and I think that starts with winning games here at Madison Square Garden on a regular basis.'

The Knicks are 7-7 at home but have won four of five games there. They have taken five of the last six against Orlando at MSG, but the Magic have won four of six in this series overall.

A 100-91 win over New York on Nov. 25 was the first of five straight for the Magic (15-12), starting a 9-3 stretch. Their three-game winning streak ended on Sunday, however, with a 103-100 loss to Atlanta.

Orlando scored 24 points off 20 Hawks' turnovers but allowed them to shoot 50 percent overall and from 3-point range. Magic opponents shot just 42.7 percent in the previous three games.

"Overall, our defense was terrible to the point of being laughable almost," coach Scott Skiles told the team's official website. "We just had a very high-mistake game. We only had 13 turnovers, but we had a lot of busted plays."

Anthony made 3 of 4 3-pointers and finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds in the first meeting between these teams. Victor Oladipo scored 24 for the Magic, while Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and 12 rebounds.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (7-20) at Bulls (15-10)

Date: December 21, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

After his predecessor was criticized for pushing the Chicago Bulls too hard, Fred Hoiberg was supposed to provide a player-friendly atmosphere while opening up the offense.

Jimmy Butler seemed to be longing for the old days under hard-driving Tom Thibodeau when he directed some critical comments in the direction of his new coach.

Following back-to-back frustrating losses, the Bulls hope to pull together and avoid matching their longest skid Monday night by dealing the Brooklyn Nets a ninth straight road defeat.

Chicago was one of the NBA's top defensive clubs while posting a .647 winning percentage over five playoff seasons under Thibodeau. But he was blamed by some for a lack of offensive creativity, playing starters too many minutes and creating an unpleasant atmosphere.

Hoiberg was brought in to provide a breath of fresh air while making better use of the team's deep roster and implementing his fast-paced, up-tempo offense that thrived at Iowa State.

Butler and Pau Gasol are averaging fewer minutes than last season, but the Bulls certainly don't seem to be any happier - or better offensively. After averaging 104.7 points per 100 possessions last season, they have one of the league's least efficient offenses this season at 98.3.

Butler had a career-high 43 points in more than 55 minutes Friday, Derrick Rose scored 34 while playing 54 and Gasol had 30 and 15 rebounds in his 48 of a 147-144 four-overtime home loss to Detroit. The Bulls (15-10), however, showed little energy the next night, falling 107-91 at New York.

Butler finished with 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting, Rose had six on 3-of-10 shooting and Gasol stayed behind in Chicago to rest. After shooting 39.4 percent from the floor and 5 for 21 from 3-point range, Butler vented about the team's lack of accountability.

"We probably have to be coached a lot harder at times. I'm sorry, I know Fred's a laid back guy, and I respect him for that," the All-Star guard told the team's official website. "But when guys aren't doing what they are supposed to do, you've got to get on guys, myself included.

"It's making everybody do their job. We were not doing what we were supposed to be doing, what we wrote up on that board before the game. And nobody spoke up about it."

Chicago hopes to take its frustration out on struggling Brooklyn while avoiding its second three-game losing streak. The Nets are in the midst of their own five-game slide following Sunday's 100-85 loss to Minnesota and also have dropped eight in a row on the road.

They've allowed an average of 108.3 points during that skid away from home, their longest since a 12-game streak from Dec. 22, 2010-Feb. 4, 2011. Brooklyn (7-20) has scored just 90.5 per game over its past four overall after going 5 for 21 from 3-point range Sunday.

'You can't guarantee you're going to make shots every night, but you can go out and compete every night," said coach Lionel Hollins, whose club has a league-worst 30.9 3-point percentage.

Brook Lopez had 20 points and 12 rebounds against the Timberwolves, but Jarrett Jack and Joe Johnson scored a combined 10 on 4-of-19 shooting. Lopez finished with 26 points on Oct. 28 when Brooklyn went 0 for 9 from beyond the arc in a 115-100 home loss to Chicago.

Rookie Bobby Portis may have earned more playing time with season highs of 20 points and 11 rebounds Saturday for the Bulls, who have won 13 of 17 regular-season matchups with the Nets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Trail Blazers (11-18) at Hawks (17-12)

Date: December 21, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Atlanta has been executing offensively on a three-game winning streak, and Portland's losing streak reached three after one of its worst defensive halves of the season.

More could be on the way Monday night as the Hawks open a three-game homestand and the Trail Blazers try to avoid an 0-4 start to their five-game road trip.

The Hawks (17-12) won 103-100 in Orlando on Sunday and are averaging 113 points while shooting 52.5 percent in the last three games. Kyle Korver was 6 of 8 from 3-point range on his way to a team-high 19 points with four of those 3s coming in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning shot to break a 100-all tie.

Coach Mike Budenholzer said an effective Korver has a trickle-down effect.

"When he's making shots it creates space for us," Budenholzer said. "Obviously if Kyle gets a good look, you feel like it's going to go in."

His shots, however, haven't been as easy to come by this season. The sharp-shooting guard is attempting 4.9 3s per game this season after averaging 5.7 in his first three seasons in Atlanta, and his 41.7 percent mark is down from 47.4 those three seasons. He's averaging 10.3 points after scoring 12.1 in 2014-15.

"I haven't quite found my rhythm yet so it was good to see the ball go in the basket," said Korver, who had shot 28.9 percent from 3 in his previous seven games. "I'll keep trying to find my rhythm and find my shot, and you try to stay confident."

The Hawks won both meetings last season with Paul Millsap averaging 24 points, and the Blazers will have to look elsewhere for scoring after leaning on the departed LaMarcus Aldridge for 33.5 points in those games.

While Atlanta is 4-3 in the second game of back-to-back sets, Portland is 1-6 with five straight defeats.

The Blazers (11-18) are coming off a 116-109 loss Sunday in Miami in which they led by 10 at the break, then allowed 64 points on 63.9 percent in the second half to fall into last place in the Northwest Division.

"They scored (64) in the second half," Mason Plumlee told the team's official website. "That's a lot of points to give up in a half. It's hard to win when you give up that many. And they shot the ball really well from 3 tonight."

The Heat were 12 of 23 from outside after the Blazers had limited their previous two opponents to 4 of 29. Portland has given up 108 points per game, a 56.9 2-point percentage and averaged 18.7 turnovers on the skid.

Damian Lillard led the way with 32 points, and Al-Farouq Aminu had 16 points for a second straight game but didn't get a shot off in the second half after hitting four first-half 3-pointers. The forward is 8 of 12 from long range in the last two games and 51.4 percent in his last nine.

Lillard, who was 10-of-18 shooting after a few rough games, is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, but it sounds like he'll continue to play through it.

"It wasn't nothing crazy, just a little sore," Lillard said. "In the game I think I aggravated it a little bit ... I'm not really worried about it."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (15-11) at Rockets (14-14)

Date: December 21, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Houston Rockets have won consecutive games without James Harden in top form, in part because Dwight Howard's offensive production has started to come around.

The center will try to again respond to rumors of his unhappiness playing second fiddle to Harden with a third straight strong performance Monday night against the visiting Charlotte Hornets, who haven't beaten the Rockets in over five years.

In Saturday's 107-97 home win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Harden was 4 of 13 for 18 points while Howard went 8 of 11 with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Harden is 11 of 37 in the last two games, and Howard has averaged 19.0 points and 14.5 rebounds in 26.0 minutes as he tries to focus on what's happening on the court.

"That's one thing we've been talking about in the locker room is not allowing the noise, the distractions to really affect who we are and what we're trying to accomplish as a team," said Howard, whose 13.1 scoring average and 8.5 shots per game are his lowest since his rookie season. "That's what we have to do. There's always going to be talk, there's always going to be noise but we have to be able to keep that noise out and only hear the voices of each other."

The Rockets (14-14) are now in position to peek out over .500 for the first time since being 4-3. It's not exactly where the Western Conference finalists expected to be with seven games remaining before the calendar flips, but they're happy with the latest efforts.

Houston has limited its last two opponents to 41.2 percent and outrebounded them 54.5-42.0 after allowing 51.0 percent and losing the rebounding battle 49.5-31.0 in its two preceding losses.

"First glance, I think we played well. It's been a while since we played well," interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "It's been even longer since we've strung a few games in a row where we've played well. But our defense to start the game was superb. Our activity, our energy - and it was everybody."

Houston has won the last nine meetings by an average of 14.5 points while limiting the Hornets to 38.7 percent shooting.

Charlotte (15-11) was becoming known for the kind of play Bickerstaff spoke of on a four-game winning streak but has since gone 1-3 with some defensive letdowns. The Hornets fell 109-101 in Washington on Saturday, allowing the Wizards to shoot 50.6 percent. They also turned the ball over 18 times and are averaging 16.0 in the last three games, which is out of character for a team that averages an NBA-low 12.8.

"It's a combination of us not being as solid, strong with the ball as we needed to and they're playing against a team that's good at doing that," coach Steve Clifford said.

Kemba Walker had 18 points, which is right at his season average, but it took 18 shots and he's been limited to 36.2 percent in the last four games. He was held to 8.0 points on 28.6 percent in the two losses to Houston last season.

The guard is adjusting to playing more with Jeremy Lin - who played 36 minutes against Washington and is averaging 17.6 points in the last five games - and Clifford is intrigued by playing the two along with Nicolas Batum.

"What it does is it gives you three pick-and-roll players, so I think you saw last night we had really good stretched of offense with those guys," Clifford said. "They can spread the defense out, which creates space for each other."

Charlotte's Al Jefferson is serving the fourth game of a five-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy.

Houston's Ty Lawson will complete his two-game suspension for a January drunken-driving case in Colorado.