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NHL roundup: Caps crush Blackhawks
By The Sports Xchange

WASHINGTON -- Braden Holtby picked up his third shutout in nine days, Jay Beagle scored twice, and the Washington Capitals defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-0 Friday night at Verizon Center for their eighth straight win.
Tom Wilson had a goal and two assists, and T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom each notched a goal and an assist for Washington. Brett Connolly and Tom Wilson also scored for Washington, while Lars Eller and Nate Schmidt each had two assists for the defending Presidents' Trophy winners.
Holtby stopped 24 shots for his sixth shutout of the season, and has not been reached for an even-strength goal in any of his last five starts. Corey Crawford made 25 saves for Chicago, which had won four straight. Crawford was lifted in favor of Scott Darling when it was 5-0.

Maple Leafs 4, Rangers 2
NEW YORK -- Frederik Andersen stopped 34 shots as Toronto stymied New York at Madison Square Garden to improve to 7-1-1 in its past nine games.
William Nylander, James van Riemsdyk, Connor Brown and Connor Carrick scored for the Maple Leafs. Mitch Marner and Tyler Bozak had two assists.
Chris Kreider scored for the Rangers in the second period and J.T. Miller scored with 1:25 remaining in the third period. Henrik Lundqvist turned aside 23 shots.

Hurricanes 5, Sabres 2
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Jeff Skinner scored two goals in a 55-second span as Carolina defeated Buffalo at PNC Arena.
Brock McGinn also scored two goals for the Hurricanes, who are 13-1-1 in their last 15 home games. Carolina's Victor Rask had a goal as well.
William Carrier and Brian Gionta scored for the Sabres, who lost all three meetings with Carolina this season.

Islanders 5, Panthers 2
SUNRISE, Fla. -- John Tavares scored three goals and New York snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Florida at the BB&T Center.
Jason Chimera added his sixth goal of the season and Nick Leddy scored his seventh for the Isanders. Leddy also had two assists.
Vincent Trocheck and Reilly Smith scored for the Panthers.

Blue Jackets 3, Lightning 1
TAMPA, Fla. -- Columbus scored three consecutive goals to pick up a victory over Tampa Bay at Amalie Arena.
Joonas Korpisalo finished with 31 saves for the victory. Josh Anderson and Nick Foligno scored for the Blue Jackets, who won for just the second time in five games since winning 16 consecutive. Boone Jenner added a shorthanded, empty-net goal with 1:05 left to secure the victory.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28 shots in losing his fifth consecutive decision. Jonathan Drouin scored his 13th of the season for Tampa Bay's only goal.

Devils 2, Flames 1
CALGARY, Alberta -- Kyle Palmieri had a goal and an assist to lead New Jersey over Calgary at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Taylor Hall scored the game-winning goal for the Devils, who rebounded from a 3-2 overtime loss in Edmonton to the Oilers one night earlier.
Sean Monahan scored his first goal in 12 games for the Flames.

Coyotes 4, Jets 3
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Brendan Perlini scored a pair of goals in Arizona's 4-3 win over Winnipeg at Gila River Arena.
Peter Holland and Jamie McGinn also scored for the Coyotes in a four-goal first period that chased Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Mike Smith made 34 saves for Arizona for his first win since Dec. 15.
Shawn Matthias, Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart scored for the Jets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flyers (22-16) at Bruins (22-18)

Date: January 14, 2017 1:00 PM EDT

BOSTON -- The Bruins played well but weren't able to get at least one point out of their game in Nashville on Thursday night.

But that doesn't mean Claude Julien's team didn't leave Bridgestone Arena feeling fortunate.

Goaltender Tuukka Rask left the game in the first period after taking a Roman Josi shot high. He was able to make his own way to the locker room, where he went through the concussion protocol. He said Thursday night he was "OK" and was on the ice for practice Friday in preparation for Saturday's home matinee against the Philadelphia.

"I'll be good (for Saturday)," Rask said. "It caught part of my jaw too, so I had to go through the concussion testing there. I just had to make sure the breathing was normal and stuff, so it's all good."

Said Julien: "Tuukka's good. I don't know if we dodged a bullet. He's just fine. There's a risk in every game for every player, and he's fine. That's the most important thing right now."

Also in Nashville, rookie Anton Blidh was given a five-minute penalty and game misconduct for his interference hit on Josi, but apparently there will be no discipline handed down by the NHL.

The Bruins, who lost 2-1 in Nashville (the 26th time in45 games they have scored two goals or less), went 2-1-1 on their four-game road trip. But they are just 2-3-1 in the last six and sit at one game under actual .500 at 22-18-5. They face a Flyers team that nipped the Vancouver Canucks in a shootout Thursday but is just 3-6-3 since winning 10 straight games.

Steve Mason, who has been struggling after a heavy workload because of the Michael Neuvirth injury, was pulled after two periods -- four goals allowed -- Thursday. Neuvirth relieved and shut the Canucks through the shootout, getting the win.

Mason made 45 saves in 65 minutes and then was 8 of 9 in the shootout in a 3-2 win over the Bruins in Philadelphia Nov. 29. He is 6-2-3 with a 2.12 goals against average against Boston, while Neuvirth is just 1-4-0 in eight games with a 3.70 average and .868 save percentage against the Bruins. But it looks like Neuvirth will be in goal Saturday, coach Dave Hakstol not committing to a starter in Sunday's day game at Washington -- before the Flyers have their bye week.

Neuvirth returned last weekend after missing almost two months with a knee injury -- Mason starting 22 of 24 games with his backup out.

The Flyers were trailing 4-3 when Neuvirth entered the game Thursday. He stopped 10 shots in the third period, one in overtime and all three in the shootout.

"We thought it was a good time for a change for our team," Hakstol said after the game. "Just coming out of the second period it was a tough second period for us. There were a lot of different things going on there. So it was probably two-fold. It was time to make a change for our team and push for a change in direction and our focus. 'Neuvy' went in and did a good job."

Friday, he said, "He looked really calm and settled right away as soon as he went in at the start of the third period."

Defenseman Mark Streit, out since Dec. 11 with a shoulder injury was returned to the roster yesterday, with Boyd Gordon placed on waivers. Hakstol wouldn't commit to Streit playing Saturday but it appears he will play.

The Bruins likely will be without defenseman Colin Miller for a second straight game because of a lower body injury.

Matt Beleskey, out since December 3 with a knee injury, rejoined his teammates for practice Friday but still hadn't been cleared for contact.

The Flyers (22-16-6) and Bruins, two old rivals, could wind up fighting for a wild card playoff spot down the road. They come into this game with the Flyers ahead of the Bruins in the Eastern Conference standings.

Rask is 10-2-3 with a 2.12 goals against average and .926 lifetime against the Flyers; and the Bruins still have only one win this season in games started by anyone but him -- rookie Zane McIntyre, who relieved and lost Thursday, and Anton Khudobin a combined 1-8-2.

The Bruins are just 9-10-0 at home, while the Flyers are 8-10-3 on the road this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (19-16) at Avalanche (13-26)

Date: January 14, 2017 3:00 PM EDT

Saturday's matinee was going to simply be a matchup between Central Division rivals at Pepsi Center.

It has turned intriguing after the Nashville Predators acquired forward Cody McLeod from the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.

The move comes a day before the teams meet in Denver and adds a little spice to the affair. McLeod, a longtime fan favorite in Colorado, had seen his playing time slip under first-year coach Jared Bednar. Now, he will be on the opposite bench facing the Avalanche for the first time in his 10-year career.

McLeod won't add scoring to the Predators but he will add toughness. The enforcer leaves the club with 1,359 career penalty minutes, tops in Avalanche history and third all-time in franchise history. His farewell in a Colorado uniform was a fight with Joseph Cramarossa in a 4-1 loss to Anaheim on Thursday.

McLeod led the NHL in fighting majors last year with 12 and has eight this year. He had one goal in 28 games this season.

The move bolsters Nashville, which has been hit hard by injuries. Defenseman Roman Josi and forward Colin Wilson were placed on injured reserve Friday, joining defenseman P.K. Subban and forward James Neal.

Josi left Thursday's win over Boston late in the first period after being hit by the Bruins' Anton Blidh, a hit Predators coach told The Tennessean was "late and dirty." The team doesn't have a timetable for Josi's absence but general manager Dave Poile was more hopeful about Wilson's prognosis.

"Colin shouldn't be long-term, and I don't think we know enough about Roman to make any forecast," Poile told The Tennessean on Friday.

The Avalanche (13-26-1) are last in the NHL in points and speculation that they would start making deals has been growing since they started their slide that has seen them lose 11 of 13.

In return for McLeod Colorado received minor league center Felix Girard, who was immediately assigned to the AHL.

Avalanche general manager said he had spoken with McLeod about the possibility of trading him to the Predators (19-16-7) and the longest-tenured player on the roster was receptive. Sakic told HockeyBuzz.com that he dealt McLeod as a thank you and a favor to the veteran.

"It's a favor for everything he's done," Sakic said. "I asked him what he wanted. You think about it, it's Nashville, it's a good opportunity and if that's something that he wanted to do, obviously we know where we're at; we're not going anywhere this year."

McLeod, who signed with the Avalanche as an undrafted free agent in 2006, has one more year on his contract with a salary cap hit of $1.33 million; Colorado will retain 40 percent of his salary as part of the trade.

Poile told The Tennessean McLeod will add a veteran presence to the team.

"We really believe that Cody will provide that element for us in terms of leadership -- a more veteran player, been there, done that before," Poile said. "Very physical player that can and will support our skill guys."

McLeod met his new team in Denver on Friday as the Predators started their five-game road trip to try to climb in the standings. They are two points behind third-place St. Louis in the Central Division and a point behind Los Angeles for the second wild card slot in the Western Conference.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (29-8) at Panthers (19-17)

Date: January 14, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Fans at the BB&T Center are getting restless.

In the final seconds of Friday night's 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers fans were screaming "Fire Rowe" -- a chant that grew louder just before the final horn sounded.

Tom Rowe, named general manager at the start of the season, took over as interim coach for the fired Gerard Gallant in November.

All Gallant did was win the Atlantic Division last season, leading the Panthers past teams considered more talented and certainly more established such as the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning.

But Panthers ownership wanted more.

Impatient for glory, the Panthers changed their uniforms and invested millions in new players in an active offseason. Once the season started, injuries to Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad hampered the Panthers' once speedy, skilled and explosive offense.

Cursed with impatience, the Panthers fired Gallant, who is still popular with fans, judging by Friday's chants that also mentioned his return as a hoped-for result.

That's unlikely to happen, of course. The Panthers put their faith in Rowe, and so far it has not been rewarded.

"It's been a frustrating season -- I understand that," Rowe said after Friday's loss. "But our guys can't feel sorry for themselves."

Florida's task does not get any easier on Saturday night when the Panthers (19-17-8) play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets (29-8-4), who have proved to be one of the top teams in the NHL so far this season.

The Jackets came back from an early deficit to defeat the host Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 on Friday night. Columbus got goals from Josh Anderson, Nick Foligno and Boone Jenner.

With the win, Columbus remained No. 1 in the NHL with 62 points, quite remarkable for a team that has never won a playoff series in its 16-year history.

The Jackets finished 27th in the NHL last season. But this season, the first full year under coach John Tortorella, has been a stunning success, complete with a franchise record 16-game win streak and a 14-0-0 record in December.

January hasn't been quite as kind to the Jackets, who are 3-3-0 this month, a fact that has not escaped Tortorella.

"We've dipped a bit," Tortorella told the media after Friday's win over Tampa Bay. "I think this was a good way to get a win -- grab a hold of ourselves and grind away."

Foligno said the Jackets were "too soft on pucks" Friday.

"We allowed (Tampa Bay) to generate too much speed," Foligno told the media. "But we caused some turnovers in the second period and eventually took the game over."

And that's one of the main differences right now between the Jackets and Panthers. Columbus can overcome a slow start ... but not Florida.

"It's tough when the other team gets off to a good start and finds the back of the net," Panthers right winger Reilly Smith said. "There's no one to blame but ourselves. You are not going to win when you give up so many good scoring chances."

In other story lines:

-- Rowe said Panthers left winger Jonathan Huberdeau, who has yet to play this season because of a broken leg, won't return until March at the earliest.

-- Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (lower-body injury) is "week to week' on his return.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Islanders (16-16) at Hurricanes (20-15)

Date: January 14, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The way things are going for the Carolina Hurricanes, they've been on the right side of some sizeable swings in momentum.

Part of that is because of Jeff Skinner's recent play.

He has been productive in racking up a team-high 17 goals. Two of those came Friday night and he'll look for more Saturday night against the New York Islanders.

"Good way to get your 300th (career point) and then follow it right up," Carolina coach Bill Peters said. "I thought he was good. He was dangerous, got us on the power play in the first period. Taking it hard to the net, also."

The Hurricanes are hot at home, while the Islanders are amid a stretch of road games. But New York might have found some life Friday night by defeating Florida.

The Islanders and Hurricanes meet for the first time this season.

New York had three total goals in its past three games until putting up five at Florida.

"Continue to find a way to create some offense," coach Jack Capuano said. "And when we get the opportunity, bury it."

That's about how the Hurricanes have gone about it recently. They've scored five goals in each of their last two games after a four-goal output in the game before that.

This offense might be the main reason they've emerged as a contender in the playoff mix. Cam Ward's steady goaltending has been a staple for the team the past couple of months.

Now by moving up in the standings, a different vibe is starting to develop.

"We believe we're part of it and that's important," Peters said of being in playing contention. "They get energized by the fact that they can play with anybody."

Peters said the Hurricanes, who are largely comprised of a young roster, naturally will need a break when the All-Star weekend comes later in the month.

"We've got to stay on it and stay with it," rookie left winger Brock McGinn said. "We're trying to go into the All-Star break with a good push."

In barely more than a two-week period, the Hurricanes have defeated the Boston Bruins twice, the Chicago Blackhawks and the team with the NHL's best record, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"We're very confident right now," McGinn said. "I think there's a really good chemistry right now in this dressing room and we're feeling comfortable and we just have to keep going."

The Hurricanes have been particularly impressive on home ice for the past two months, winning 13 of their last 15 games at PNC Arena.

The game against Buffalo on Friday night and Saturday night's game against the Islanders are outings against teams below them in the Eastern Conference standings.

Yet there's no reason to become overconfident.

"We're mature enough now," Peters said. "There are areas we can clean up. There's some things we can do better to make it easier."

The Islanders had failed to score more than one goal in regulation in three consecutive games until posting Friday night's 5-2 victory at Florida.

Capuano said the Islanders must stay the course.

"If I thought it was something with the system or the structure, we would change it," Capuano said.

All five of the Islanders-Hurricanes games come in the latter half of the schedule.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (28-14) at Canadiens (26-11)

Date: January 14, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

MONTREAL -- Two of the NHL's top offenses will be looking to rebound when the Montreal Canadiens host the New York Rangers on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.

The Canadiens are back home after a back-to-back set in Winnipeg and Minnesota, which ended with a 7-1 thumping at the hands of the Minnesota Wild. Carey Price was in net for all seven goals, and while some questioned coach Michel Therrien leaving him in, the decision was up to the goaltender after chatting with his coach at the second intermission.

"Nobody else has the chance to get pulled during a game so I'd rather stick it out," Price said after the game.

The Habs' starter, who is expected to get the nod against the Rangers, has seen his numbers drop off over the last month. After Thursday's shelling, Price has now allowed at least three goals in seven of his last 10 starts, and at least four goals in five of those outings while posting a 4-4-2 record during that stretch.

The loss came a night after the Canadiens dropped seven goals of their own on the Jets, marking the sixth time in their last nine games that Montreal has scored at least three goals. Therrien's charges sit fifth in the NHL with an average of 3.07 goals per game.

New York leads the league in that category at 3.43, scoring at least four goals in each of its last five wins. The Rangers' offense was held at bay in a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, despite 36 shots on goal. Its power play, which ranks eighth in the NHL -- two spots back of Montreal -- was shut out on six opportunities against Toronto.

"Our power play, which had been a real strong weapon for us the last little while, had quite a few opportunities but really didn't get any good looks other than off the faceoff where we won it and we hit the post there," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said after the game. "Other than that their penalty-killing pressure was hard as far as us getting some quality looks."

New York owns the second-best road power play in the NHL and will face a Canadiens penalty kill that sits 23rd overall and has allowed at least one man-advantage tally in nine of their last 10 games (11 goals on 33 opportunities). If there's a silver lining for Montreal, however, it's that the club has been better when down a man at home, ranking eighth overall.

"We lost the special teams battle," said center Derek Stepan following the loss to the Leafs. "It's a key point for us. We talk about it before every game that we have to win those and we lost. You are going to put yourself in a tough spot to win a hockey game when you lose the special teams (battles)."

Plagued by the injury bug for much of December, the Canadiens appear to be ready to get some reinforcements back. The team returned forwards Nikita Scherbak and Bobby Farnham to the AHL's St. John's IceCaps after Thursday's game, suggesting that at least one of Alex Galchenyuk (knee), Andrew Shaw (concussion) or Andrei Markov (groin) could return against the Rangers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Maple Leafs (19-13) at Senators (22-14)

Date: January 14, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

OTTAWA -- The first time the Senators faced Auston Matthews, they were left with a bitter sweet memory.

The Toronto Maple Leafs rookie became the first player in modern NHL history to score four goals in his debut game, but the Senators still managed to prevail with a 5-4 overtime win in their home opener.

"It wasn't one systematic breakdown," Senators coach Guy Boucher recalled Friday. "It was him playing well. it was us opening up here and there. Things that we don't normally open up now.

"We're definitely better armed to face top players now, as a group."

When the Senators (22-14-4) host Matthews and the Maple Leafs on Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre, it will mark the final game of a week that brought them similar challenges. They lost 1-0 to Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Jan. 7, defeated Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Jan. 8 and then put together what was probably their best game of the season on Jan. 12, a 4-1 victory over Sidney Crosby and the defending Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

They did not give up a goal to Ovechkin, McDavid or Crosby.

The Maple Leafs (19-13-8) will be coming off a high of their own. On Friday, they went into Madison Square Garden and scored a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers. Goalie Frederik Andersen made 34 saves against the highest scoring team in the NHL.

The Maple Leafs are now 7-0-2 in their last nine games on the road.

"We're taking care of pucks, is the biggest thing," said winger Connor Brown, who scored his 10 of the season on Friday. "Our special teams have been good, especially on the road. That's been leading to some success. We just have to keep playing the way we've been playing."

The Maple Leafs sudden surge has them two points behind the Senators for third place in the Atlantic Division as both teams get prepared to play their 41st game to mark the midway point of the season.

"I don't think we're getting too carried away with (the playoff race)," said Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly. "We know we have a long way to go. There's a lot of games left. That being said, when you're coming down the stretch here, you're in the spot that we're in, each game is big. All these points are big, especially when you're playing a team within your division. That's what we have a chance to do (Saturday) night. When you win those games, it's a good feeling and that's how you put yourself in a nice spot."

Curtis McElhinney will make his first start in goal for Toronto on Saturday. McElhinney, who was claimed off waivers by the Maple Leafs earlier this week, played seven games for the Senators in 2010-11. He has a 1-4-0 career record against Ottawa.

Making his 18th consecutive appearance in goal for the Senators will be Mike Condon, who made 29 saves to beat the Penguins for his 10th win of the season. Condon has a 2-0-0 career mark against the Maple Leafs

Centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau is also expected to play a prominent role for Ottawa after shutting down both McDavid and Crosby in head-to-head matchups.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (26-10) at Red Wings (17-19)

Date: January 14, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

DETROIT -- The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings are both on losing streaks, but that is where the similarities end.

The Red Wings host the Penguins at Joe Louis Arena at 7 p.m., on Saturday.

Pittsburgh (26-10-5) lost its past two games, 4-1 to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday and 5-2 to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.

Detroit (17-19-6) is on a three-game losing streak (0-2-1), with their its recent setback a 5-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

The Penguins, defending Stanley Cup champions, had not lost two consecutive games in regulation since Dec. 14-19, 2015. A key to the two losses was the penalty kill, which allowed four power-play goals in the two games.

"Our penalty kill has to improve," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "We can't give up shorthanded goals against night in and night out and expect to sustain winning."

Sullivan didn't see the end if the loss to Ottawa. He was ejected from the game by referee Wes McCauley with less than two minutes left.

"I was probably a little bit surprised but it is what it is," Sullivan said. "That's between the refs and the coaches and that's where it will stay."

Despite the losses, the Penguins total of 57 points is the third most in franchise history after 41 games.

The Red Wings are coming off a seven-game road trip that saw them go 2-3-2. During Detroit's three-game winless skid, it's defensive play has deteriorated, allowing 15 goals.

"We've got to get tighter defensively. We can't continue to give up this many goals and expect to win," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill told www.mlive.com. "So, we're going to have to tighten up defensively without losing our offensive attack."

Detroit led 2-1 after the first period Thursday, but allowed three goals in the second period, all the result of turnovers or miscues.

"We started playing a little sloppy in the second, didn't get the puck down. Passed up a lot of shots and gave them a lot if 2- on- 1 rushes," Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "And that's a tough team to do that to. "In the third, I thought we got back to playing the way we wanted to. We created chances but it's tough to score five to win."

That has been something that has been almost impossible for the team this season. The Red Wings rank 25th in the NHL in goals (2.38 per game) and their power play us last at 11.4 percent. And When Gustav Nyquist scored a 5-on-3 power-play goal against Dallas, it was Detroit's first road power- play goal since Oct. 19, breaking an 0-for-57 drought away from Joe Louis Arena.

It was the first goal for Nyquist, who only has five goals this season, in 21 games.

The Red Wings also find themselves in unfamiliar territory.

The team that has reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs for 25 consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in North American professional sports, are last in the Atlantic Division, eight points behind the Ottawa Senators, who are in the Atlantic Division's third playoff spot.

And there are four teams between Detroit and Ottawa.

The Red Wings haven't finished last in their division since 1989-90 -- the season before the playoff streak began -- when they brought up the rear of the old Norris Division of the Campbell Conference.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wild (26-9) at Stars (18-17)

Date: January 14, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

DALLAS -- Central Division rivals the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars know one another quite well, especially after squaring off in the opening round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring. Dallas took that series in six games -- the Stars' first playoff series win since 2008.

The division rivals meet again in the third of five meetings this regular season on Saturday night at American Airlines Center and, as always, it promises to be an entertaining contest.

Minnesota (26-9-5), which is 8-1-1 in its past 10 games, heads to the Lone Star State fresh off a 7-1 win over Montreal on Thursday night at XCel Energy Center in St. Paul, a game in which Matt Dumba and Eric Staal each had three points.

Wild first-year coach Bruce Boudreau knows his team jumped on a Canadiens squad that looked tired on the tail end of a back-to-back, but Boudreau still saw one huge positive from that victory, even considering the circumstances from which those two points arose.

"I think we only gave up four scoring chances (Thursday)," Boudreau said on Friday after practice. "To give up fewer than 10, we think is great and to give up only four is really good."

Tired or not, Minnesota faced a Montreal team that likes to get up and down the ice, much like the Wild's next two foes, Dallas on Saturday and Chicago at United Center on Sunday.

"Yeah, they're going to be tough games," Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin said after practice on Friday. "Both teams are really good teams, both skilled. We have to be ready from the start in Dallas tomorrow."

Minnesota is 12-5-5 on the road and 7-3-2 against the Central, but the biggest number attached to the Wild right now might be their 15-1-2 record in their past 18 games.

"It's going to be a tough game inside the offensive zone to get quality opportunities," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said of the Wild on Friday. "But we're going to have to find a way to get inside. It's going to be tough to get the Grade-A (scoring chances), but we're going to have to fight for the second opportunities."

Ruff made practice optional on Friday, but Stars captain Jamie Benn and goaltender Kari Lehtonen were among those who participated.

Like Minnesota, Dallas (18-17-8) heads into this divisional tilt off a win, a 5-2 triumph against Detroit on Thursday that snapped the Red Wings' six-game winning streak in Dallas.

The Stars are 12-6-4 at home and 5-3-2 over their past 10 games, and have scored three or more goals in seven of their past nine games.

"Well, I think overall, getting some pieces back, I think that has made a difference," Ruff said of the Stars' recent offensive surge. "I think we've played better defensively, which kept the games close. Had the lead in a few of those games, which a few more chances come up then."

One player who has been a big part of that recent Dallas surge is young defenseman John Klingberg, who has put his early-season struggles behind him to notch five assists and nine points, including a goal against Detroit, over his past 11 games.

"I think a big key to creating offense is having your D involved," Ruff said. "You look at Esa (Lindell), (Klingberg), Jordie Benn, guys getting up and getting involved, Jamie Oleksiak, I think your offensive numbers go up when you see those guys involved."

The Wild and Stars split their first two meetings this season, with each team winning on home ice.

Even after a six-goal margin against the Canadiens, Minnesota knows it must play much better against the Stars if it is to leave Dallas with two points for just the sixth time in 33 trips there.

"We got good bounces, but I don't think we played our best game (against Montreal)," Brodin said. "(Saturday) we have to really start from the defensive zone, be really good from there and then we can play offense. I think that's the big key."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (23-20) at Oilers (22-15)

Date: January 14, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Only a three-hour drive separates the two cities, but Calgary and Edmonton are both on the roads to redemption.

Just past the halfway point of the NHL season, and the two teams are both in playoff spots. The Flames missed the postseason in 2015-16. The Oilers haven't been to the playoffs in a decade. Just three points separate the two teams in the standings.

It sets the stage for what should be a fiery chapter in the Battle of Alberta Saturday night at Rogers Place.

"It's basically playoff time for us right now," said Oilers center/right winger Leon Draisaitl. "We need every single point. Every team is battling for a playoff spot right now and we are in the hunt."

The Oilers should be recharged from Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over New Jersey. The team didn't practice Friday, giving the players a full day off.

But, despite coming off the win, there are issues for the Oilers. The biggest is that that three of their four lines aren't scoring. Pretty well all of the offensive threat comes from the top unit of Connor McDavid, Draisaitl and Patrick Maroon. Maroon has the team lead with 17 goals; Draisaitl has 16. McDavid leads the NHL with 50 points.

That troika is carrying an Oilers team that is slumping in other areas.

Jordan Eberle hasn't scored since Dec. 6; that's quite a dry spell for a guy who scored 25 times last season. Center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has just 20 points this season. And Milan Lucic, brought over as a marquee offseason free-agent signing, has no goals and only three points over the course of the last nine games.

But Eberle, at least, has shown some signs of coming out his funk. He rung a shot off the iron in Thursday's 3-2 win over New Jersey, and his play has been on an upward curve.

"I think it's coming for Jordan -- breakaway, crossbar, post, whatever it was," said Oilers coach Todd McLellan. "He had that in Ottawa (in Sunday's loss to the Sens), so if he gets one, will the rest come? We certainly hope so."

The Oilers and Flames have already faced each other twice this year -- with both of those encounters coming in the opening week of the campaign. The Oilers triumphed in both games, and outscored the Flames 12-7 over the two encounters.

While the Oilers beat the Devils Thursday, the Flames lost 2-1 to the Devils Friday night. The Flames will need to bounce back in order to remain close to the Oilers in the standings.

"Every game is a big game," said Flames center Matt Stajan, who is expected to play his 900th career NHL game Saturday. "Tonight stings, but we got what we deserved, so we move forward. It'll be a fun one tomorrow night. I know a lot of people have been looking forward to it, but it's a big two points. They're a team right ahead of us and we've got to try and get the two points we lost tonight and make sure we put in a lot better of an effort than we did."

"The game against Edmonton coming up is going to be a fun game and a huge game for both teams," said Flames defenseman Mark Giordano. "We've got to take care of business, get as many points, close that gap again. They got two points again last night and moved a little further ahead of us."

"Once we watch a little video on tonight, I think we'll see what mistakes we made and the turnovers that hurt us," said Flames defenseman Deryk England. "Going into Edmonton, they thrive off turnovers -- their speed and their skill guys -- so we've got to make sure we get pucks deep"

The Flames got veteran right winger Troy Brouwer back into the lineup for Friday's loss to the Devils. He had been out since Dec. 23 with a broken finger.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (20-22) at Kings (21-17)

Date: January 14, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- The Winnipeg Jets visit the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday at Staples Center in a game that could produce plenty of scoring.

Both teams are creating offense in 2017. The Jets are second in the NHL with an average of 3.7 goals per game in January, and the Kings have scored 13 goals in their last three games.

The Jets (20-22-3) are playing the second of back-to-back games against Pacific Division opponents. They dropped their second straight game, a 4-3 decision to the Arizona Coyotes on Friday after yielding four first-period goals.

Starting goaltender Connor Hellebuck was relieved for the second straight game after surrendering three goals on six shots in just 10:16.

As the pressure increases around the team and coach Paul Maurice, their play was so disappointing against the Pacific cellar dwellers that a closed door, 15-minute "players only" meeting was held immediately after the game. The coach had no problem with the postgame discussion without his presence.

"We never quit, but we need to be better in all the smaller pieces of the game," Maurice said. "It's important that the team had that conversation after the game among themselves."

Wheeler would not disclose what was said in the players' meeting, but his tone spoke volumes about the atmosphere in the room.

"What do you think, that we were just silent in here with the door shut," Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. "Obviously, there's a conversation between us, I'm not going to give anything that was said."

Winnipeg won their first matchup, a 3-2 shootout win Nov. 13 with Mark Scheifele scoring the deciding goal.

Despite the Friday loss, the Jets' recent solid play on the road has kept them in the race for a playoff spot, winning four of their last six away from MTS Centre.

Winnipeg is seeking their fourth straight victory against Los Angeles dating to last season.

Nikolaj Ehlers is on a seven-game, nine-point point streak (five goals and four assists), but they miss the presence of high scoring rookie Patrik Laine (21 goals, 16 assists), who did not accompany the team on the trip because of an upper-body injury.

The Kings (21-17-4) come off their most complete performance of the season, a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. Los Angeles limited St. Louis to eight shots in the first two periods and drove Jake Allen from the Blues net after 35 minutes.

Tanner Pearson and Jake Muzzin led the way with two goals each as Pearson appears to be on the way to a career-best season for goals scored.

Pearson is the lone King to register double digits in goals other than All-Star Jeff Carter (22 goals). Pearson's 13 goals put him in a position to easily eclipse his career high of 15 set last season.

Pearson has scored six goals in his last eight games filling the void creating when high-scoring linemate Tyler Toffoli was sidelined with a lower-body injury.

"We are a good rush team, and if that first shot doesn't go in, someone else is going to the net and a good chance to get the second chance going," Pearson said. "We just need to keep this momentum into the game against Winnipeg."

For the Kings to have a chance for a deep playoff run, they will need better production from their established stars like Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, both significantly off last season's offensive numbers.

Though Kopitar has registered five points in his last five games, his season totals of four goals and 17 assists are far behind the normal output. Doughty is off the pace of last season that earned him the Norris Trophy, awarded to the league's best all-around defenseman.

The Kings hope the recent uptick in offense will quell trade speculation that has circled the team the past few weeks. The overall lack of offense -- only Arizona and the Colorado Avalanche have scored less -- has them sitting outside their usual top three standing in the Pacific Division.

Rumors of a potential trade with the Avalanche has been fueled by the continued presence of Colorado's scouting staff in Los Angeles over the past week. While the Kings' preference is not to move one of their established defenseman, Jake Muzzin and Alec Martinez, if the offense falters, general manager Dean Lombardi might have no choice to swing a deal to keep his team in contention.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (21-16) at Sharks (25-15)

Date: January 14, 2017 10:30 PM EDT

A favorable stretch of the schedule could provide the San Jose Sharks with a chance to recharge their batteries and perhaps get back atop their division.

Looking for its third win in four games, San Jose takes on the road-weary St. Louis Blues on Saturday night at SAP Center.

The Sharks (25-15-2) begin play in second place in Pacific Division, two points behind the Anaheim Ducks, but only one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers. This matchup with the Blues begins a seven-day stretch in which San Jose will play four games at home and one in Los Angeles.

Sharks goaltender Martin Jones said the team must take advantage of this portion of the schedule.

"The first half of the season felt like we were on the road every other week, so it's kind of nice to have a little stretch at home, and we just got to make sure we take care of our home games because they don't get easier down the stretch," he said in a radio interview on Friday.

In his first 14 home games, Jones gave up a total of 22 goals while posting a 10-4-0 record. In three contests this month in San Jose, though, he's yielded 10 goals en route to a 1-1-1 record.

Jones was on the losing end in San Jose's only previous matchup with the Blues, a 3-2 setback on Nov. 17 in St. Louis. The Sharks are 2-4-1 in their last seven regular-season games against the Blues at SAP Center.

The Sharks' top two scorers come into this contest each riding four-game point streaks. Brent Burns has two goals and seven assists in that span, and continues to lead the team with 17 goals and 27 assists. Joe Pavelski has scored three goals with two assists in his last four contests, giving him 15 goals and 24 assists on the season.

Joe Thornton could be primed to end a slump that's seen him notch one assist in his last five games. Thornton has five goals and 11 assists in his last nine games versus St. Louis.

St. Louis (21-16-5), which is playing the second in a three-game swing through California, is coming off a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. It was the Blues' second straight loss and third in four games.

"We've got 48 hours to take a hard look at ourselves and get ready for the next game," St. Louis captain Alex Pietrangelo said.

What the Blues need to be looking at is their poor play on the road. With a 5-11-1 record, St. Louis is tied with the Vancouver Canucks and Arizona Coyotes for the fewest road wins in the Western Conference.

"This isn't one guy or two guys. This is a collective effort that, we need to be better," Pietrangelo said.

Two players the Blues must see improvement from are Jake Allen and Vladimir Tarasenko.

Allen is 17-11-3, but he's been pulled early in each of his last two starts after surrendering six goals on 26 shots over just 45 minutes. He got the win in the Blues' victory over the Sharks back in November, and is 1-0-1 with a 2.87 goals-against average in San Jose during his career.

Backup Carter Hutton, who's stopped 37 of 40 shots in relief of Allen over the last two contests, has never played in San Jose.

Tarasenko is the Blues' leader in goals (20), assists (23) and points (43) by a wide margin, and headed to his third straight All-Star game. However, it's clear that Tarasenko prefers playing on home ice -- in 17 road games, he has just seven goals with one coming over the last seven contests.

Tarasenko has one assist in four career regular-season games in San Jose.

The Sharks announced Friday announced that Dylan DeMelo suffered a broken right wrist in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers. DeMelo, who has a goal and three assists in 14 games, underwent surgery Thursday and will miss eight weeks.

Also on Friday, Mirco Mueller was reassigned to San Jose of the American Hockey League. Mueller, the Sharks' first-round pick in the 2013 draft, had a goal and an assist in three games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - January

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
1/1 3 16 19 OVER
1/2 3 15.5 13 UNDER
1/3 7 37.5 40 OVER
1/4 6 33.5 29 UNDER
1/5 7 37.5 45 OVER
1/6 6 32.5 26 UNDER
1/7 12 64.5 68 OVER
1/8 6 31.5 36 OVER
1/9 4 21 20 UNDER
1/10 7 37.5 41 OVER
1/11 4 21.5 26 OVER
1/12 9 48.5 54 OVER
1/13 7 37 40 OVER
1/14 12 - - -
1/15 4 - - -
1/16 7 - - -
1/17 9 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 6 - - -
1/21 11 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 6 - - -
1/24 10 - - -
1/25 4 - - -
1/26 13 - - -
1/27 No games scheduled - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 14 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Saturday’s games

Flyers won three of last four games with Boston; under is 3-1-3 in last seven series games. Philly lost three of last four visits to Boston. Flyers lost seven of last nine games, losing last six road tilts. Four of their last six games went over total. Bruins lost four of their last six games overall; they’re 2-5 in last seven home games. Over is 5-4 in their last nine games.

Nashville won its last four games with Colorado; last seven series games went over the total. Predators won their last three visits to Denver. won last two games but are 2-3 in last five on road, scoring three goals in losing last two road tilts. Under is 5-2 in their last seven games. Avalanche lost six of last seven games overall, four of last five at home; under is 3-0-1 in their last four.

Florida won four of last five games with Columbus; Blue Jackets lost last three visits to Miami, all by one goal, scoring total of five goals. Under is 6-2 in last eight series games. Columbus is 2-3 since their 16-game win streak ended; they lost two of last three road games. Over is 5-3-1 in their last nine games. Panthers lost seven of last eight home games; they’re 4-3 in last seven games overall. Eight of their last nine games stayed under.

Islanders won six of last nine games with Carolina; three of last four went OT. Over is 6-3 in last nine series games. Islanders won four of last five visits to Raleigh. New York lost three of last four games (under 3-1); they’re 3-4 in last seven road games. Carolina won four of its last five games (over 4-1); they won their last three home games, scoring 14 goals (over 3-0).

Rangers lost three of last four games with Montreal; they lost three of last four visits to Molson Centre. Under is 4-2-1 in last seven series games. New York won five of last seven games; they won five of last six road games. Eight of their last nine games went over total. Canadiens won four of last six games but lost four of last five at home; over is 4-0-1 in their last five games.

Senators won their last five games wit Toronto; Maple Leafs were outscored 24-11 in losing last five games in this building. Over is 7-3 in last ten series games. Toronto won seven of last nine games overall, six of last seven on road. Four of their last five games went over. Ottawa is 6-4 in its last ten games overall, 4-2 in its last six at home; four of their last five stayed under the total.

Penguins won their last four games with Detroit; they’re 3-2 in last five visits to Motor City. Over is 8-1 in last nine series games. Pittsburgh lost four of last five road games, outscored 5-2/4-1 in last two games- three of their last four games went over. Red Wings lost three in row, five of last six games; this is their first home game in 18 days. Six of their last nine games went over total.

Dallas Stars won six of last nine games with Minnesota; Wild lost three of last four visits to Texas- four of their last five games here stayed under total. Minnesota won 15 of last 17 games, eight of last nine on road; over is 7-1-1 in their last nine games. Dallas lost four of its last six games, they split last six home games. Four of their last five games went over total.

Ducks won their last four games with Arizona; five of last six series games went over. Anaheim won three of last four visits to desert. Ducks won five of their last six games; they split last four on road. Under is 4-0-1 in last five series games. Coyotes won last two games after losing nine in a row before that; six of their last nine games stayed under the total.

Edmonton won three of last four games with Calgary; road team is 5-4 in last nine series games. Flames won three of last five visits to Edmonton. Calgary is 2-3 in its last five games, losing last two road games, 4-2/2-0. Under is 3-0-1 in last four series games. Edmonton is 3-4 in its last seven games, splitting last four at home. Over is 3-1-1 in last five series games.

Kings lost five of last six games with Winnipeg; Jets won their last two games in Staples Center, both in shootouts. Over is 4-1-3 in last eight series games. Winnipeg lost three of last four games; they won four of last six on road. Over is 6-2 in their last eight games. Los Angeles won four of its last six games; they’re 3-2 in last five at home. Their last three games went over total.

Sharks won four of last six games with St Louis; they split last four games in Shark Tank. Over is 3-0-1 in last four series games. Blues lost three of last four games; over is 6-1-1 in their last eight games- they lost 5-2/5-1 in last two road games. San Jose lost four of last six games; they’re 4-2 in last six home games. Over is 3-0-1 in their last four games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Embiid-led Sixers win third straight
By The Sports Xchange

PHILADELPHIA -- Joel Embiid had 24 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots as the surging Philadelphia 76ers beat the Charlotte Hornets 102-93 on Friday night.
Dario Saric added 15 points for the Sixers, who won their third straight and their fifth in six games.
Ersan Ilyasova finished with 12 points and Robert Covington and Sergio Rodriguez contributed 11 apiece for Philadelphia (12-25).
Nic Batum had 19 points to pace Charlotte, which shot 32.9 percent from the floor in losing for the sixth time in seven games. The season low for the Hornets (20-20) is 32.7 percent.
Kemba Walker had 17 points and Cody Zeller chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist finished with 12 points and 12 boards.

Timberwolves 96, Thunder 86
MINNEAPOLIS -- Karl-Anthony Towns had his 10th straight double-double with 29 points and 17 rebounds and Ricky Rubio continued his strong play with 14 points and 14 assists for Minnesota in a win against Oklahoma City.
Andrew Wiggins added 19 points for Minnesota, which won three games in a row to end a four-game homestand. Making another start in place of injured Zach LaVine, Brandon Rush hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 points.
Russell Westbrook had 21 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for his 19th triple-double of the season, the most in a season since Wilt Chamberlain had 31 in 1967-68. Enes Kanter added 21 points and eight rebounds off the bench as Oklahoma City had its three-game winning streak snapped.

Bucks 116, Heat 108
MILWAUKEE -- Playing at full strength for the first time in a week, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists as Milwaukee extended Miami's losing streak to four games with a victory at the Bradley Center.
A virus limited Antetokounmpo to nine minutes of action in Milwaukee's last two games, but he returned and hit 8 of 12 shots as the Bucks connected at a 50.6 percent clip and made 9 of 15 3-pointers.
Jabari Parker hit three 3-pointers and led the Bucks with 24 points. Tony Snell added 14 and Malcolm Brogdon finished with 13.

Raptors 132, Nets 113
TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 28 points as Toronto defeated Brooklyn at Air Canada Centre.
DeRozan added four rebounds and two assists for Toronto, which shot 53.6 percent from the floor. Kyle Lowry chipped in 20 points, six assists and six rebounds while DeMarre Carroll added 18 points and 11 boards.
Raptors guard Cory Joseph went a perfect 7 for 7 from the field while adding 16 points and seven assists off the bench.

Grizzlies 110, Rockets 105
HOUSTON -- Zach Randolph posted a double-double off the bench and Memphis erased a 16-point deficit in rallying past Houston at Toyota Center.
Randolph finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds and carried the Grizzlies offensively during a 9-0 run to open the fourth quarter. Houston (31-11) dropped consecutive games for the first time this season largely due to their poor perimeter shooting. The Rockets missed 21 of 24 3-pointers in the second half.
Mike Conley had 17 points and nine assists for the Grizzlies (25-17), who also received 14 points, six rebounds and six assists from Marc Gasol and a season-high 22 points from Tony Allen before he fouled out with 3:35 to play.

Celtics 103, Hawks 101
ATLANTA -- Isaiah Thomas made sure that first-year Boston Celtics teammate Al Horford was a winner in his return to Atlanta, snapping the Hawks' seven-game winning streak in the process.
Thomas had the winning basket with 2.2 seconds left while scoring 13 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter as the Celtics won despite the Hawks overcoming a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
The Hawks tied the score on a 3-pointer by Paul Millsap with 25.6 seconds remaining, but the Celtics set up Thomas for the final shot and the diminutive guard penetrated into the lane to score in traffic.
The Celtics, who have won six of seven games, made 17 3-pointers and got a boost off the bench from Kelly Olynyk, who had a season-high 26 points.

Magic 115, Trail Blazers 109
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Nikola Vucevic scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Orlando to a victory over Portland at Moda Center.
Elfrid Payton contributed 19 points and seven assists as the Magic snapped a four-game losing streak.
Damian Lillard collected 34 points and eight rebounds and CJ McCollum added 26 points for the Trail Blazers, who had won two in a row.

Jazz 110, Pistons 77
SALT LAKE CITY -- Rodney Hood scored a season-high 27 points, while going 7-of-8 from 3-point range, to help Utah run away from Detroit.
George Hill added 22 points and Gordon Hayward chipped in 20 to lead the Jazz. Hood, Hill and Hayward combined to shoot 26-of-39 (66.7 percent) from the field and 15-of-21 (71.4 percent) from the perimeter.
Utah won for the third time in four games and snapped a two-game losing streak in the series with Detroit.

Cavaliers 120, Kings 108
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Kyrie Irving scored 26 points, Kyle Korver added 18 and Cleveland held off a series of runs by Sacramento to post a victory at the Golden 1 Center.
LeBron James had 16 points and 15 assists, and Cleveland snapped a two-game skid in his annual visit to the city where he made his debut in 2003.
James' teams have now won nine times in his 12 visits against the Kings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pelicans (16-24) at Bulls (19-21)

Date: January 14, 2017 5:00 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The New Orleans Pelicans found a way to win without their best player. Now they'll face a Chicago Bulls team that has been short-handed for three straight games and could be for more.

The Pelicans enter Saturday's game with the Bulls at the United Center having won back-to-back games, the second of which -- a 104-95 win over the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night -- came without the services of All-Star forward Anthony Davis.

Davis was sidelined Thursday with a bruised hip he suffered on Monday night against the Knicks. Still, the Pelicans got more than enough help as Tyreke Evans scored a season-high 29 points and Terrence Jones, who started in Davis' place, finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

New Orleans (16-24) won their second straight road game to improve to 6-13 away from home as they enter the fourth game of a five-game road stretch.

"It's really, really difficult to win games on the road in this league," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said after Thursday's win, according to NBA.com. "When you're missing your best player and able to do it, it really doesn't matter who you're playing."

While Jones more than doubled his season scoring average of 10.7 points, it was Evans who made the most impact. Evans, who had been shooting less than 40 percent from the floor, finished Thursday's win 10-of-15 from the field and 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

Asked by reporters what worked for him Thursday, Evans replied, "Just attacking the rim, just talk to the bigs, a lot of pick-and-roll step-up so I can go downhill and attack and make plays."

The Bulls (19-21), meanwhile, enter Saturday's game having lost three straight games, including a 104-89 setback Thursday night against the New York Knicks. Chicago played its second straight game without All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler, who left Monday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to the flu and hasn't played since. The Bulls were also without reserves Nikola Mirotic and rookie Denzel Valentine, both of whom have been plagued by the flu as well.

The Bulls announced Friday that Mirotic won't play against the Pelicans. Butler and Valentine are both questionable.

The depleted lineup has played a major role in the three losses that have dipped the Bulls to two games under. 500. In addition to playing short-handed, the Bulls continue to struggle to shoot the ball well. That's been most evident with Doug McDermott, who went 0-for-5 from the field against the Knicks and who is 4-for-22 over Chicago's three-game losing streak.

"This game is a lot about confidence. The big thing is trying to put him in position to get him some shots," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said of McDermott, according to the Chicago Tribune. "He's too good of a shooter to stay in a slump like this. I'm confident he'll get out of it and so are his teammates."

With the Bulls dealing with illness throughout the lineup, veteran guard Rajon Rondo has gotten back into the rotation after being benched for five games. Hoiberg told reporters Thursday Rondo likely would remain in the rotation moving forward.

"That's something that we thought a lot about is getting him in there with that second group," Hoiberg said. "When we get Niko back healthy and obviously with Doug going back to his bench role when we get Jimmy (Butler) back, get him out there and be the leader of that second unit. I talked to him about the lift and the spark that he gave us with the energy and the pace, the push that he had with that second unit."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spurs (31-8) at Suns (12-27)

Date: January 14, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

Two nights after watching the two bottom teams in the Western Conference battle it out, Mexican basketball fans will get treated to one of the NBA's best -- the San Antonio Spurs -- when the Phoenix Suns "host" a second game in the nation's capital on Saturday night.

Nearly 20,000 people packed the Mexico City Arena on Thursday night to watch the Suns fall to the Dallas Mavericks 113-108 despite a crowd-pleasing, 39-point performance by guard Devin Booker.

The 20-year-old poured in 29 points in a furious Suns rally in the fourth quarter that excited the crowd but nonetheless fell short.

The Suns will get an opportunity to earn a split in their two games south of the border Saturday, but the competition will be a lot stiffer.

Instead of playing a team with which it shares the worst record in the West (12-27), the Suns must deal with the 31-8 Spurs, who are coming off a 134-94 shellacking of the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

Both the point total and margin of victory were season highs for the Spurs, who had lost at home to Milwaukee on Tuesday and were looking for redemption against the Lakers.

"You always want to handle a loss by bouncing back the next night," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters after the game. "Our ball movement was great and everybody, both the first and second team, really were great tonight. I thought we had a good performance."

San Antonio has had many of them against Phoenix in recent meetings. The Spurs have beaten the Suns nine times in a row by an average score of 109-90.

The Suns have scored 100 or more points against San Antonio in just one of their last 10 meetings.

Booker left the Mexico City Arena on Thursday night not concerned about the next opponent. Regardless of who the Suns play, he insisted, the goal is win now because in a wide-open Western playoff race, spots remain within reach.

"We are at the point of the season where it's make or break," Booker claimed to reporters after the Dallas game. "Every game counts at this point of the season and we need to get wins. We have a coach who trusts and believes in us."

The second-year star is one of the best things going right now in the NBA. He has scored 20 or more points in four straight games, averaging 29.0 points on 55.0 percent shooting from the field and 60.9 percent accuracy from 3-point range during that impressive stretch.

Center Tyson Chandler is another Suns players on a bit of a roll. He has back-to-back double-doubles, including a 14-point, 19-rebound effort in the Mexico City curtain-raiser.

The Spurs, who have scored 100 or more points in 16 straight games, their longest streak since 1995, are led by Kawhi Leonard, who has scored in double figures in 71 straight games.

The San Antonio record is 75, set by Tim Duncan.

The Spurs already have wins over the Suns at Phoenix (107-92) and San Antonio (119-98) this season. The Mexico City matchup completes the season series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: 76ers (12-25) at Wizards (19-19)

Date: January 14, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- The "process" is starting to show progress for the Philadelphia 76ers. Washington Wizards star John Wall hopes his injured pinky progresses enough for him to shoot effectively when the Eastern Conference foes meet for the second time this season.

Before the 76ers (11-25) made the trip down interstate I-95 for Saturday's matchup with the Wizards, they downed the Charlotte Hornets 102-93 Friday for their third straight victory. Joel Embiid turned in his latest dominant performance, finishing with 24 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Philadelphia, which won just 10 games last season, has won five of its last six.

"I've been trying to change the culture," Embiid said. "I think people are starting to see that. We're winning games, and the way people view the Sixers, that changes."

Anchored by its rookie center, Philadelphia held Charlotte to 32.9 percent shooting and forced 19 turnovers.

"I think we can beat damn near any team, playing like this," reserve center Nerlens Noel said.

Noel and big man Jahlil Okafor likely end up playing more against the Wizards because the 76ers plan on resting Embiid.

There are no immediate plans for the Wizards (19-19) to rest Wall despite new injuries. X-rays on the point guard's right pinky injury showed no major concerns, but it caused all kinds of problems in Wednesday's 117-108 loss at the Boston Celtics. The three-time All-Star shot a dismal 4 of 21 from the field as the Wizards fell back to .500 after posting a winning record for the first time all season.

Though Wall expects to play Saturday, he's spending his time working on solutions.

"It affected me big-time. Every time I was trying to shoot it was like the last pinkie was getting caught," said the right-handed Wall at Friday's practice. "I'm trying to find a way to stabilize it so it can stay closer into my other finger so it's (not) the last finger being caught."

Wall is also dealing with a sore left wrist. He also expects he'll deal with a lighter wallet following his postgame altercation. Boston's Jae Crowder exchanged words with Wall before making contact with the point guard's face. That led to a counter jab from Wall before the two were separate.

"A fat fine," Wall said of the expected repercussion. "A guy violates your space, you got to do what you got to do. I already know a fine should be coming so I'm willing to accept it."

Bradley Beal had no issue with his shot against Boston as Wall's backcourt partner had 35 points with six 3-pointers.

An injury kept Beal sidelined when Washington lost 109-102 at Philadelphia on Nov. 16. Embiid also rested that game, but Okafor stepped up with points.

The rematch marks the fourth straight game this week Washington's opponent played without star or key players. The Wizards beat the Bucks Sunday as Milwaukee took the court without Giannis Antetokounmpo and then faced a Chicago Bulls squad on Tuesday sans Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Nikola Mirotic. Boston didn't have four players available, including Avery Bradley, but fellow guard Isaiah Thomas' 38 points -- 20 in the final period -- did in Washington on Wednesday.

Washington rallied past Milwaukee and Chicago, but faded late against Boston as the Celtics outscored them 34-23 in the fourth quarter.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (17-24) at Jazz (25-16)

Date: January 14, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

Last season, the Utah Jazz reached the halfway point five games under .500 and two years ago, they reached the midpoint 13 games under .500.

This time, the Jazz will begin the second half in much better shape despite being beset by injuries at times.

Among the reasons for the improvement is a top-ranked scoring defense and the Jazz get another chance to display their effective defense Saturday night when they host the Orlando Magic.

"That's our identity," Utah guard Rodney Hood said. "That's how we're going to be the team we want to be. We got to defend. It makes offense so much easier when we're making it harder for other people."

Utah is 25-16 through 41 games and it is the team's best mark at the halfway point in an 82-game season since 2010-11 when it was 27-14. The one difference from this year and 2011 was the last game of the first half began a six-game losing streak and the Jazz wound up with 39 wins.

The Jazz are on pace for their first 50-win season since 2009-2010 despite using 15 starting lineup and their roster missing a combined 100 games due to injuries or illness. Utah's injury report was empty Friday when the Jazz allowed 14 points in the fourth quarter of a 110-77 rout of the Detroit Pistons.

Utah took control during the third quarter and wound up with its seventh win in 10 games since losing three straight from Dec. 20-23. The Jazz have allowed less than 100 points in their last six wins and 21 times overall.

While the defense clicked so did the offense Friday and only Rudy Gobert played 30 minutes. Rodney Hood scored a career-high 27 points, George Hill added 22 and Gordon Hayward contributed 20 as the trio combined to shoot 66 percent and make 15 3-pointers.

"We didn't shoot the ball well in the first quarter," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "But I think the guys still played offense the right way when the shots weren't going down. That's our challenge, to continue to play the right way. We have to do that when we're not making shots."

Hood is 17-for-29 in his last two games after shooting 11 of 40 in his previous four games. Hill is averaging 17.2 points in his last four games after missing three games with concussion-like symptoms and a lacerated lip.

Hayward has 25 games with at least 20 points this season and Utah is 18-7 in those games.

Orlando is halfway through a six-game trip that will take them through Denver and New Orleans after Saturday. The first two games did not go well as the Magic dropped a 111-95 decision to the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday and were handed a 105-96 defeat by the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday.

Nikola Vucevic returned to the starting lineup Wednesday after coming off the bench in his previous 20 games. He totaled 16 points and 12 rebounds against the Clippers but was even better in Friday's 115-108 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Vucevic scored a season-high 30 points and added 10 rebounds in a game where Orlando made its first eight shots and bolted to an 18-1 lead before letting Portland back in it.

"He has a lot of stuff to his game," Orlando coach Frank Vogel said. "You can throw it to him in the low post, he crashes the glass, and he has the pick-and-pop game. He brings a lot to the table.

Vucevic's most productive showing snapped a four-game losing streak and also was Orlando's sixth win in its last 19 games since getting three straight wins Dec. 2-6.

"We needed that," Vucevic said. "We needed a game like that to see that we can do it. We've had a lot of games where we were playing pretty well, and the (other) team would make a run and we would kind of fall apart."

Vucevic's night helped compensate for another tough night for Evan Fournier. Fournier shot 3 of 10 and is shooting 36 percent (22 of 61) in five games since returning from a right heel contusion.

Orlando's inconsistency resulted in a 17-24 record at the halfway point. It is three games of last year's mark when the Magic won 35 games and it is the fifth straight season Orlando is under .500 at the halfway point.

"Displeased with our record and pleased with our togetherness and our belief in what we can still do this season," Vogel said before Friday's win. '"There are just a lot of areas that we can improve upon."

Among them are on offense. While the Magic are in the middle of pack defensively (103.4 points per game), they are one of seven teams averaging less than 100 points and Friday was the seventh time, the offense produced at least 110 points.

Utah is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings. On Nov. 11, Hayward scored 20 points and the Jazz held Orlando to 10 points in the fourth quarter in an 87-74 win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Free NBA Picks: Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

I don't generally write a Monday Opening Line Report story here at Doc's because, hey, we all need one day off. That said, arguably the second-most anticipated game remaining in the regular season -- I would argue No. 1 is Golden State at Oklahoma City on Feb. 11 in Kevin Durant's first game back in OKC -- is Monday night when Cleveland visits Golden State. So I feel obligated to remind you. That will be the last time those two play until, as most expect, they square off in a third straight NBA Finals, which no two teams have ever done against one another. In Cleveland's last visit to Oakland, LeBron James had perhaps the most important defensive play in NBA history in stunningly blocking a late Andre Iguodala layup attempt (he makes that, the Warriors likely win) from behind that led to the Cavs' Game 7 upset. Including the Finals, the Cavs are on a four-game winning streak against the Dubs following a 109-108 thriller on Christmas. Expect both teams to go into a mini-funk after Monday's game. They both will be amped up for that and then go flat for a few games. Frankly, a lot of teams will go into a funk around this time of year as they slog through the dog days until the All-Star break.

Lakers at Clippers ( -10.5, 215)

An unusual 3:30 p.m. ET tipoff. The Lakers were embarrassed on Thursday night in San Antonio, 134-94. It was L.A.'s second-worst loss of the season. Julius Randle had 22 points but was the only Laker starter in double digits. I almost wish Kobe Bryant was still around because he would have gone ballistic on his guys after that. The Clippers won a fifth straight Wednesday, 105-96 over Orlando. J.J. Redick had 22 points and DeAndre Jordan 20 rebounds. Austin Rivers returned after missing a game with an illness. The Clippers lost "at" the Lakers 111-102 on Christmas in the first meeting as the Clips were without Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. It ended the Lakers' 11-game losing streak in the series. It was the Clippers' longest active winning streak against any opponent. But the Clips have won the past eight as the "home" team.

Key trends: The Lakers are 5-1 against the spread in the past six meetings. The "over/under" has gone under in seven of the past eight.

Early lean: Clippers and under.

Pelicans at Bulls (TBA)

Another weird tip time of 5 p.m. ET. New Orleans won a second straight Thursday, 104-95 in Brooklyn. Anthony Davis was out with a hip bruise. Tyreke Evans had a season-high 29 points and Terrence Jones 24 points and 12 rebounds. Rookie Buddy Hield is the only New Orleans player to see action in all 40 games this season. Chicago lost a third consecutive Thursday, 104-89 at the Knicks. Jimmy Butler, Nikola Mirotic and Denzel Valentine all were out due to illness. The Bulls think Butler can play Saturday. First meeting of the season between New Orleans and Chicago -- it's a homecoming for Davis, if he plays. Chicago has won the past four meetings; both were close last season.

Key trends: The Pelicans have covered six straight in Chicago. The under is 4-1 in the Bulls' past five.

Early lean: Wait on Davis and Butler.

Spurs vs. Suns (+11.5, 214.5)

Second game in a row in Mexico City for the Suns, who gave up two home games to do so. It's the first time one team has played two regular-season games south of the border. Trivia tidbit: The Suns also were the first organization to have a Mexican-born player play for them when center Horacio Llamas signed in 1998. Phoenix lost in the Mexico City altitude on Thursday, 113-108 vs. Dallas despite 29 fourth-quarter points from Devin Booker (39 overall). San Antonio bounced back from an upset loss to the Bucks on Tuesday with a 40-point destruction of the Lakers on Thursday. Kawhi Leonard had 31 points as the Spurs shot a season-high 61 percent. San Antonio has scored 100-plus points in 16 consecutive games, its longest streak since hitting the century mark in 22 straight in 1995. San Antonio has won both meetings with Phoenix easily this season and taken nine straight in the series.

Key trends: The Spurs are 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The under is 7-3 in the previous 10.

Early lean: Suns (they are used to the unusual gym, altitude, etc. by now) and under.

76ers at Wizards (TBA)

Philadelphia hosted Charlotte on Friday so wait and see what the Sixers do with Joel Embiid here. He hasn't been playing both ends of a back-to-back but maybe has reached the point where the team takes the training wheels off. Washington's three-game winning streak ended in a 117-108 defeat in Boston on Wednesday. Bradley Beal had 35 points but John Wall had just nine. Philadelphia beat visiting Washington in the first meeting 109-102 on Nov. 16. Embiid didn't play. Neither did Beal.

Key trends: The Wizards are 9-1 ATS in their past 10 at home. The over is 7-2 in Philly's past nine in the second of a back-to-back.

Early lean: Wait on Embiid.

Magic at Jazz (TBA)

Orlando was in Portland on Friday with Serge Ibaka questionable. Utah hosted Detroit. The Magic swept the series last year, holding the Jazz to 93 and 92 points in the two games. Utah has lost the past two in the series at home. It was another low-scoring affair on Nov. 11 in Orlando as the Jazz won 87-74 in one of the ugliest games of the season. Gordon Hayward had 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Evan Fournier had 20 for the Magic, who shot just 33.3 percent from the field.

Key trends: The Magic have covered their past four in Utah. The under is 4-1 in Utah's past five vs. teams with a losing record.

Early lean: Go under no matter the number. This might end 75-70 in favor of the Jazz.