Saturday 1/16/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 12:45

Tottenham

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Sunderland

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BT1		4/11	17/4	17/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT TOTTENHAM	RECENT FORM
AWHWAWADHDHL​ Most recent​	2 - 1 5 - 1 1 - 0 1 - 0	ALALHLHWALAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Sunderland lost on their last four trips to Tottenham

EXPERT VERDICT: Punters might be surprised to learn that Sunderland have netted in their last seven away games. But Tottenham don’t give up many chances with Eric Dier forming an effective shield and the hosts look value to shut out the Black Cats.

RECOMMENDATION: Tottenham to win 2-0
1


REFEREE: Mike Dean STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Chelsea

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Everton

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		5/6	11/4	15/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CHELSEA	RECENT FORM
HWHDADAWHWHD​ Most recent​	1 - 0 1 - 0 2 - 1 3 - 1	AWHLHDHWHWAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Everton have lost by more than one goal in just one of the teams' last nine meetings

EXPERT VERDICT: Chelsea have picked up a little since Guus Hiddink took charge but they face a tricky test against Everton whose pace, power and creativity looks tailor-made to cause them problems. If Everton gain the upper hand in midfield early on they can achieve a positive result.

RECOMMENDATION: Everton
1


REFEREE: Mike Jones STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Man City

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C Palace

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		4/11	9/2	8	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN CITY	RECENT FORM
HWADAWALAWHD​ Most recent​	5 - 1 3 - 0 1 - 0 3 - 1	AWADHDHLAWAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Man City have won their last nine games against Palace

EXPERT VERDICT: Is there a player more important to his team than Sergio Aguero is to Manchester City? The injury-hit Argentinian looked back to his incisive self in City’s cup win at Norwich and may be the man to get things started against a Palace side who were thumped 5-1 on their last visit to the Etihad.

RECOMMENDATION: S Aguero first goalscorer
2


REFEREE: Jonathan Moss STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Bournemouth

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Norwich

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		10/11	13/5	7/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BOURNEMOUTH	RECENT FORM
AWHDALADAWHL​ Most recent​	1 - 2 1 - 2 0 - 0 2 - 0	AWALHWHWHLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Norwich have conceded 23 goals in 11 away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Bournemouth’s captures of Juan Iturbe and Benik Afobe were a statement of intent in their quest for Premier League survival. The stylish Cherries have perhaps deserved more than just two home wins, but they will fancy their chances against a Norwich side who have struggled at the back on their travels.

RECOMMENDATION: Bournemouth
2


REFEREE: Robert Madley STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Newcastle

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West Ham

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		6/4	12/5	2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT NEWCASTLE	RECENT FORM
HDHLALALALHD​ Most recent​	2 - 0 0 - 0 0 - 1 5 - 0	ADADHWHWHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: There have been three goals or more in only one of the teams’ last seven meetings

EXPERT VERDICT: Back under 2.5 goals in this St James’ Park clash. West Ham are in better form now than when they lost 2-0 on Tyneside in May and are comfortable with manager Slaven Bilic’s counter-attacking tactics. Newcastle are unlikely to be too ambitious.

RECOMMENDATION: Under 2.5 goals
1


REFEREE: Neil Swarbrick STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Southampton

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West Brom

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		3/4	13/5	19/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SOUTHAMPTON	RECENT FORM
HLHWALALHLHW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 1 - 0 0 - 3 3 - 2	HLALHWHWHDAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Saints have already lost as many home games (four) as they did last season

EXPERT VERDICT: Southampton’s Boxing Day rout of Arsenal has proved a false dawn for the Saints, whose win over Watford on Wednesday was only their second in their last 11 games. It could be worth chancing the stubborn Baggies, who drew with Chelsea on Wednesday.

RECOMMENDATION: West Brom
1


REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kansas City at New England

When: 4:35 PM ET, Saturday, January 16, 2016
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

The reigning AFC East-champion New England Patriots enjoyed a bye to begin the playoffs – and by all accounts, so did the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs. After breezing to a 30-0 victory over Houston last week, the Chiefs vie for their 12th straight win when they face the host Patriots on Saturday in a divisional-round clash.

“Typical Kansas City game – a lot of turnovers on defense, no turnovers on offense, capitalized on opponents’ mistakes and didn’t make any,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said of the Chiefs’ convincing victory. A1serviceplays.com “They’ve won a lot of games pretty much doing that.” Belichick has won quite a few games in his own right, and the cagey coach likely will have Julian Edelman (broken bone in foot) back in the lineup for the first time since Nov. 15. The shifty wideout helped the offense average 418.6 yards and 33.6 points during the team’s 9-0 start to the season, as opposed to 317.5 and 23.1 without him (3-4).

TV: 4:35 p.m. ET, CBS.

LINE: Patriots -5. O/U: 42.5

ABOUT THE CHIEFS (12-5): Alex Smith became one-dimensional in the passing attack last week after wideout Jeremy Maclin suffered a high-ankle sprain. Kansas City initially feared Maclin had endured the third right ACL injury of his career, but the 27-year-old’s availability for Saturday’s tilt remains clouded at best. When asked if Maclin could play without participating in practice, coach Andy Reid said: “He could do that. He might not have to do that, but he could do that.”

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (12-4): Tom Brady threw for 4,770 yards this season, but the veteran quarterback may find the going tough against All-Pro safety Eric Berry, as well as cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Sean Smith. New England’s 30th-ranked rushing attack averaged just 87.8 yards per game, the team’s lowest since Belichick’s first year as head coach in 2000. Brandon Bolden, who has risen up the ranks in lieu of injuries to LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis, is averaging just 3.3 yards on 63 carries.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Kansas City TE Travis Kelce reeled in eight passes for 128 yards versus Houston, with the latter total trumping his combined production from the previous three weeks.

2. The Patriots rebounded after dropping a 41-14 decision to the Chiefs last season to win 13 of their next 15 games and capture the Super Bowl title.

3. New England won its previous two playoff games against teams riding double-digit winning streaks, besting Pittsburgh in 2004 and San Diego two years later.

PREDICTION: Patriots 24, Chiefs 17

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Green Bay at Arizona

When: 8:15 PM ET, Saturday, January 16, 2016
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

The Green Bay Packers rebounded from a late-season stumble with an impressive road victory over the Washington Redskins in the opening round of the playoffs on Sunday. The road only gets more difficult for quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, who will try to avenge a 30-point beating in Week 16 when they visit the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night.

Green Bay was bludgeoned at Arizona 38-8 before dropping a 20-13 decision at home to Minnesota in the regular-season finale to squander their chance for the NFC North title. Rodgers said the Packers had their “mojo” back after erasing an early 11-point deficit versus Washington to set up a rematch with the Cardinals. A1serviceplays.com No. 2 seed Arizona reeled off nine consecutive victories before absorbing a 36-6 loss to visiting Seattle in its season finale. Behind quarterback Carson Palmer, the Cardinals feature the league’s top-ranked offense and finished second in the league in scoring with an average of 30.6 points.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC.

LINE: Cardinals -7.5. O/U: 50

ABOUT THE PACKERS (11-6): Rodgers rallied Green Bay by throwing a pair of second-quarter touchdown passes against Washington, including one to second-year wide receiver Davante Adams, who is not expected to play Saturday due to an MCL sprain in his knee. The Packers’ ground game, which has struggled throughout the season, got going against the Redskins as Eddie Lacy and James Starks each ran for a second-half touchdown while gaining a combined 116 yards on 24 carries. Green Bay, which ranked sixth in the league against the pass, recorded six sacks in their wild-card victory.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS (13-3): Palmer set career highs in yards (4,671), TD passes (35) and quarterback rating while throwing to one of the league’s top receiving corps in Larry Fitzgerald (career-high 109 catches), John Brown and Michael Floyd, which combined for 22 scoring receptions. Rookie running back David Johnson has scored a total of 13 touchdowns and had been superb since taking over as the starter while also providing a pass-catching threat out of the backfield. Arizona recorded nine sacks in Week 16 against the Packers, but linebacker Alex Okafor suffered a toe injury during the bye that ended his season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Arizona LB Dwight Freeney and DL Calais Campbell combined for 5.5 sacks in the first meeting.

2. Rodgers threw for 423 yards and four touchdowns in his first career playoff start – a 51-45 loss at Arizona in January 2010.

3. Floyd has recorded five 100-yard performances in his last eight games, including six catches for 111 yards against the Packers.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 27, Packers 23

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Coyotes acquire Tinordi in trade
By The Sports Xchange

The Arizona Coyotes acquired defenseman Jarred Tinordi from the Montreal Canadiens on Friday in a three-team trade involving the Nashville Predators.
The Predators traded defenseman Victor Bartley to the Coyotes for defenseman Stefan Elliott, then the Coyotes packaged Bartley and forward John Scott to acquire Tinordi and forward Stefan Fournier from the Canadiens.
Tinordi, 23, has six assists in 46 NHL games over parts of four seasons with the Canadiens, who made him the 22nd pick of the 2010 NHL draft.
Scott, 33, has one assist in 11 games this season for the Coyotes, who on Wednesday assigned him to Springfield of the American Hockey League. Scott was elected the Pacific Division captain for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game in a fan vote.
The Coyotes recalled Scott from the Springfield Falcons.

--The Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Richard Nedomlel to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for future considerations.
Nedomlel, 22, appeared in two games for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League this season and recorded a plus-1 rating and 20 penalty minutes.

--New York Islanders coach Jack Capuano, New Jersey Devils coach John Hynes and Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan were among five assistants named to the staff of Team USA for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Nashville Predators assistant coach Phil Housley and Scott Gordon, coach of Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, were also named assistants to Team USA coach John Tortorella.

--The Washington Capitals recalled defenseman Ryan Stanton from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League.
Stanton, 26, appeared in 54 games with the Canucks last season, recording 11 points (three goals, eight assists) and 35 penalty minutes.
The 6-foot-2, 204-pound Stanton signed with the Capitals as a free agent on July 24, 2015.

--The Los Angeles Kings assigned forward Michael Mersch to the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League.
Mersch, 23, has appeared in 15 games this season with the Kings, recording three points (one goal, two assists) and a plus-1 rating.

--The Edmonton Oilers recalled defenseman Brad Hunt from the American Hockey League's Bakersfield Condors, the Oilers announced. Hunt, 27, has appeared in six games with the Oilers this season, posting two penalty minutes.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (22-15) at Flyers (18-15)

Date: January 16, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

Confidence is driving the Philadelphia Flyers' turnaround, and it's especially evident at home. New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault claims he can still see the confidence in his team despite a rough stretch.

With their new-found attitude, the Flyers go for a seventh straight home win Saturday against the Rangers.

Philadelphia (19-15-7) missed the playoffs last season and began 2015-16 by dropping 15 of its first 22 games. Things have changed dramatically since with the Flyers going 12-5-2.

"I think our guys have stuck together all year and worked hard for each other, and that has a way of growing," first-year coach Dave Hakstol said.

Philadelphia's winning streak is growing. The team has tied it's longest of the season at four games after scoring twice in a span of 1:22 of the third period to rally for a 3-2 victory over Boston on Wednesday.

It was also Philadelphia's sixth win in a row at home, its longest such streak since reeling off 10 consecutive from Nov. 9, 2013-Jan. 8, 2014.

"It's all about confidence," said Claude Giroux, who had a season-high three assists. "Right now we have it, and we have to make sure we keep it."

Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds seem to have plenty of confidence. Voracek has nine points over the last six home games while Simmonds has four goals and one assist in the past five there.

The Flyers have won seven of nine matchups with the Rangers at Wells Fargo Center, including three in the playoffs. They took a third straight overall meeting Nov. 28, winning 3-0 behind two goals and an assist from Simmonds.

The right wing has three goals and two assists during the winning streak versus New York.

Despite the recent improvement, Philadelphia is six points back of the Rangers (23-15-5) for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

"Let's be honest, it's another big game," Voracek said. "Every game is important. Every point. It's going to be tight until the end."

The Rangers have lost 15 of 22 after opening a three-game trip with a 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday.

Vigneault doesn't think confidence is a problem.

"I feel that the way we've been playing our confidence is good. We're playing good hockey," he said. "It's just a matter of making the right plays at the right time. Those plays can be offensive and they can be defensive play.

"Our mental capacity of being able to play in those big games has been there in the past, and I'm sure will be there as we move forward."

Kevin Hayes has just one goal in 20 games while Rich Nash and Mats Zuccarello have failed to find the net in five straight contests. Zuccarello doesn't have a point in seven consecutive regular-season meetings with the Flyers, while Nash has one goal over his last five overall visits to Philadelphia.

"We need those high end guys to get it going for us," Vigneault said.

That's also true for Henrik Lundqvist, who is 1-7-1 with a 3.43 goals-against average in his last 10 road games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Devils (19-19) at Coyotes (22-16)

Date: January 16, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

The Arizona Coyotes may be the only NHL team currently without an All-Star, but their respect is certainly growing around the league.

Riding a season-high seven-game point streak, they'll continue their surprising playoff push Saturday afternoon against a New Jersey Devils team struggling with injuries and a lack of offensive production.

After managing just 56 points to place last in the Western Conference last season, Arizona (22-16-5) is only seven away from matching that total due to a 5-0-2 stretch since Dec. 31. The Coyotes had won a season-high four straight before squandering a two-goal lead in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to Detroit.

Arizona is getting contributions from both old and young in rising to sixth in the West. Longtime captain Shane Doan has scored eight of his team-high 16 goals over an eight-game stretch, while 20-year-old Max Domi has 13 after recording his first career hat trick in Tuesday's 4-3 victory over Edmonton. Fellow rookie Louis Domingue is 4-0-1 with a 1.76 goals-against average in his last five starts filling in for an injured Mike Smith.

With the franchise's first playoff berth since 2011-12 in sight, general manager Don Maloney added some depth to the blueline by trading enforcer John Scott to Montreal for defenseman Jarred Tinordi on Friday as part of a three-team deal. The move comes two days after the Coyotes claimed defenseman Kevin Connauton off waivers from Columbus.

Scott had been selected an All-Star by fan voting despite having one point in 11 games and being sent to the minors on Wednesday. The career journeyman was slated to captain the Pacific Division team in the Jan. 31 game in Nashville.

"That had nothing to do with this deal whatsoever," Maloney told the Coyotes' official website. "We're in the business of looking after the Coyotes.

We think with Jarred coming in, and Kevin Connauton, we've got two young defensemen that have upside that can help us not only now but down the road as well. We're trying to make our team better and I do think we made ourselves better."

New Jersey (21-19-5) presently sits on the outside of the East's playoff picture, mostly due to an offense that's 29th in the NHL in scoring (2.16 goals per game) and last in shots per game (24.6). The Devils have generated a mere six goals during a 1-5-0 stretch in which they're 0 of 15 on the power play.

Those problems have coincided with Michael Cammalleri, the team's leader with 31 points, having missed the last seven games with an upper-body injury. Patrik Elias (knee), John Moore (lower body), Bobby Farnham (suspension), Jordin Tootoo (undisclosed), Jacob Josefson (foot) and Jiri Tlusty (upper body) also have missed all or part of a four-game trip that concludes Saturday.

The Devils have lost the last two on the trek following Thursday's 3-0 defeat to Colorado.

'You're not going to win any games scoring zero goals,' said Kyle Palmieri, who leads New Jersey with 17 goals but has gone six straight without one. 'Hopefully one squeezes through and the flood gates open from there.'

New Jersey has been able to rely on Cory Schneider, who's posted a 2.03 GAA despite winning just one of his last five starts. The All-Star goaltender owns a 1.98 GAA on the road and has stellar career numbers in Arizona, having allowed just three goals while going 3-0-1 in four starts.

Schneider made 18 saves and Travis Zajac had a goal and two assists in a 3-2 home victory over the Coyotes on Oct. 20, the Devils' third straight in the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Senators (17-18) at Kings (25-12)

Date: January 16, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

Anze Kopitar continues to show why the Los Angeles Kings want to keep him around for many years to come.

With an expected contract extension in tow, Kopitar looks to build on his second four-point game in two weeks and help the Kings to an eighth victory in 10 games Saturday against the visiting Ottawa Senators.

Four days after Kopitar recorded a goal and three assists in a 4-2 win over Detroit, Los Angeles was expected Friday to announce a reported eight-year, $80 million deal with the 28-year-old center. In the final season of a seven-year, $47.6 million contract, Kopitar has gotten all but seven of his team-leading 35 points in the last 24 games.

In his 10th season with the Kings (27-12-3), Kopitar has 230 goals and 415 assists.

"I think he's one of the best players in the world, and maybe he doesn't get as much credit because of where we are geographically," teammate Alec Martinez said.

Kopitar has posted three goals and 12 assists while Los Angeles has gone 7-1-1 since the NHL's three-day Christmas break. The Pacific Division leaders have averaged 3.1 goals and converted 31 percent (9 of 29) of their power-play chances over the span.

"I feel pretty good," Kopitar said. "Even before the Christmas break, we were playing pretty well. It's just about building momentum, putting winning streaks together (and) most importantly not losing two games in a row."

In the midst of a 7-0-1 stretch, teammate Jonathan Quick has a 1.13 goals-against average in his last seven starts.

Los Angeles, 14-3-1 at home since losing its first three there, fell 5-3 at Ottawa (20-18-6) on Dec. 14. Kopitar had an assist and Quick struggled while facing 21 shots as the Senators scored the first four goals of the second period.

Ottawa, however, has averaged 1.7 goals during a 2-10-1 road stretch and been outscored 11-2 while dropping the first two on a five-game trip. The Senators have scored nine goals while losing five of seven overall and gone 2 for 25 on the power play in their last eight.

"We've got to do a better job of manufacturing scoring opportunities and get something going," said forward Kyle Turris, who has two points in the last 10 road games. "We've got to find a way to get more pucks and bodies to the net and create some kind of chaos and ugliness in front of the net."

Bobby Ryan's 36 points are tied for the lead among Ottawa's forwards, but his three points in a 3-2 overtime win at St. Louis on Jan. 4 is all the scoring he's produced in the last eight. He has two goals and three assists in his last five against the Kings.

Craig Anderson snapped an 0-4-2 stretch against Los Angeles with a 33-save performance last month. However, he has a 3.66 GAA during an 0-5-1 road slide overall.

It's possible Andrew Hammond could get the start if he's ready to return after leaving the team this week to attend to a personal matter. He yielded every goal in Sunday's 7-1 loss at Washington.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canadiens (21-18) at Blues (22-15)

Date: January 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Montreal Canadiens' lackluster scoring attack might get a lift if they can get one of their top goal scorers back in the lineup.

The Canadiens will also face a short-handed team they've dominated in recent meetings Saturday night, and Montreal could have another advantage as the St. Louis Blues haven't been at their best in slowing down opponents lately.

The Canadiens (23-18-3) have averaged 1.8 goals in a 5-14-1 stretch and scored one in each of their back-to-back losses. They produced 40 shots Thursday in a 2-1 defeat to Chicago.

"The effort was there," coach Michel Therrien said. "We got lots of pucks to the net, lots of chances, but (Blackhawks goaltender Corey) Crawford was very good."

The Canadiens might get Dale Weise, tied for second on the team with 11 goals, back from an upper-body injury he suffered in a 5-1 rout of Boston in the Winter Classic on Jan. 1.

Weise was initially expected to miss two to three weeks, but the forward and Therrien indicated Friday that absence could end much sooner.

"The doctors have got to look at some stuff and make sure I'm medically cleared, but I feel real good," Weise said.

If he returns, Weise will try to lead Montreal to a fourth consecutive win against St. Louis (25-15-7). The Canadiens have taken the past three meetings by a combined 12-3 and won 3-0 in their initial one this season Oct. 20, part of a franchise-record 9-0-0 start.

St. Louis has lost six of eight following a 4-1 defeat to visiting Carolina on Thursday, the fourth time the Blues have given up four goals in that stretch.

St. Louis' lengthy injury list includes starting goaltender Jake Allen, who might remain out until the All-Star break because of an ailing knee. Alexander Steen could be the next to join after getting hit inadvertently in the face by teammate Kevin Shattenkirk's stick Thursday.

Jay Bouwmeester, Carl Gunnarsson, Steve Ott, Magnus Paajarvi and Jaden Schwartz are also among the missing.

"We don't have any energy. We're running on fumes right now," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We've got to play a game on Saturday. We've got to focus on Saturday. We've got to find some energy.

"We just can't continue to play without all the bodies and expect not to have some of these (lackluster efforts)."

Brian Elliott, who was pulled in the third period against Carolina, is expected to be in net again for the third of St. Louis' four consecutive home games. He hasn't started against Montreal since Nov. 6, 2010, when he was with Ottawa.

Mike Condon is expected to start for the Canadiens. He has a 1.52 goals-against average in his last four games, including the back-to-back losses.

Condon, continuing to fill in for an injured Carey Price, has never faced St. Louis.

Max Pacioretty scored the opening goal in the latest win over the Blues, giving him three in his past three matchups. Alex Galchenyuk had two goals and an assist in the last visit to St. Louis, a 5-2 victory Feb. 24, while Brendan Gallagher also scored twice.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (31-7) at Sabres (16-22)

Date: January 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Wins and goals have been frustratingly scarce for the Buffalo Sabres on home ice over the past month, two qualities that the Washington Capitals continue to reap in abundance.

The NHL's current front-runners attempt to pin a seventh straight home loss on the Sabres while vying for a sixth consecutive win when the teams meet Saturday night.

Buffalo (17-22-4) was dealt a fifth straight defeat in regulation at First Niagara Center with Friday's 4-1 loss to Boston. It's been outscored 17-6 while producing just two even-strength goals over that stretch, which began with a 2-0 setback to the Capitals on Dec. 28.

Avoiding a first seven-game home skid since losing eight straight from Jan. 9-Feb. 5, 2014, figures to be a daunting task. Washington (33-7-3) has outscored opponents 22-8 over its streak and has gone 14-1-1 since Dec. 12 to become only the fifth team in league history to win at least 33 of its first 43 games.

The Capitals kept rolling with Thursday's 4-1 home win over Vancouver that followed a 7-1 rout of visiting Ottawa on Sunday. Alex Ovechkin had a three-game goal streak snapped by the Canucks, but Evgeny Kuznetsov recorded two goals and an assist and Braden Holtby made 29 saves for his league-high 28th victory.

"They are a good team," Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins said afterward. "They're deep all the way through. I thought we were playing pretty good in the first period, but it was still hard to generate against them."

Buffalo knows that feeling all too well, having lost both ends of a home-and-home set to the Capitals in late December. Washington completed the sweep with a 5-2 win on Dec. 30 behind Ovechkin's two goals.

The Sabres could get a break if Holtby is rested for a possible start against the New York Rangers on Sunday. The All-Star goaltender has stopped 56 of 58 shots in Washington's two wins over Buffalo and hasn't lost in regulation since Nov. 10 at Detroit. He's compiled a 20-0-2 record and 1.85 goals-against average since to move within one of Jose Theodore's club-record point streak set in 2010.

Backup Philipp Grubauer has held his own when called upon, as he did with a 32-save effort against Ottawa that lowered his GAA to 2.23 in nine appearances (eight starts).

Buffalo finally got its top goaltender back on Friday, as Robin Lehner made his first appearance since suffering a high-ankle sprain in the Oct. 8 opener against Ottawa. He finished with 27 saves but allowed three third-period goals.

The Sabres registered 34 shots but their usually solid power-play came up empty in four chances, three of which came within a 7-minute span in the second period.

'That's what makes or breaks games,' captain Brian Gionta said. 'Unfortunately, when you don't get a goal or get very good momentum off it, it's going to hurt you. And that's what happened.'

The unit continues to be without one of its key members with Tyler Ennis still out with an upper-body injury. Zemgus Girgensons will join him on the sidelines after exiting Friday's game with an upper-body issue.

With Lehner unlikely to play back-to-back nights, Chad Johnson is expected to start on Saturday. Johnson had 38 saves in the Dec. 30 meeting with Washington and stopped 42 of 44 shots in a 3-1 loss at Chicago on Jan. 8, his third consecutive defeat.

The Capitals have won four straight in the series and are 8 of 13 on the power play in the last six matchups.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Avalanche (22-20) at Blue Jackets (14-25)

Date: January 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Matt Duchene is unexpectedly among the NHL's goal-scoring leaders and has already surpassed his total from last season.

Much of his success has come on the road, but that's eluded him when visiting the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Duchene looks to continue his road production Saturday night when the Colorado Avalanche face the league-worst Blue Jackets.

Duchene's 22 goals are one more than he had all of last season and five off his career high set in 2010-11. The All-Star center has scored 15 of his goals away from home, including four in the last three games.

He tallied just 51 seconds into Thursday's 3-0 home victory over New Jersey to support Calvin Pickard's first career shutout.

"It was a great first shift, and it capped off with a goal," Pickard told the team's official website. "It was a beautiful goal. Dutchy made a nice move. To get that first goal right away, it gave our team some confidence. It looked like our team was playing with confidence all night."

The Avalanche (22-20-3) have won four of six overall and now play five of their next seven on the road, where they are 6-2-0 in the last eight. They've enjoyed plenty of success in Columbus with a 7-1-1 mark in the past nine visits.

That's come without much from Duchene, who had no goals in his first seven games there before scoring in a 4-0 victory March 7.

Semyon Varlamov, who had 44 saves in that matchup, is expected to be back in net for this one after backing up Pickard Thursday.

Varlamov hasn't been terribly sharp lately, going 3-4-2 with a 3.75 goals-against average in his last nine games. He stopped 32 shots but was beaten twice in the third period in a 4-3 loss to the Blue Jackets on Oct. 24.

Columbus (16-25-4) got its top netminder back after activating Sergei Bobrovsky from injured reserve Friday following a 16-game absence due to a groin strain.

The Jackets went 5-9-2 without him, and they might miss him for one more as he'll reportedly act as a backup to rookie Joonas Korpisalo.

Korpisalo is 2-4-1 with a 3.27 GAA in seven games, but he was superb in a 41-save performance in Wednesday's 3-1 win at Toronto that snapped the team's four-game slide.

"I think a big part of winning in the NHL is your structure and play away from the puck," coach John Tortorella said. "I think we're good at it sometimes, sometimes we can't find it. ... We've talked about it since I've been here and it's the consistency of playing with structure and I don't think we've totally played with that.

Scott Hartnell and Brandon Saad are the Blue Jackets' two leading scorers but both have been quiet lately. Hartnell has no goals in six games while Saad has one point in five after tallying six goals with five assists during a seven-game point streak.

Colorado's Jarome Iginla, who recently became the 19th player in league history to reach 600 goals, has tallied in three straight games against Columbus.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (19-20) at Oilers (14-23)

Date: January 16, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Since a season-shifting run a month ago, Calgary has been unable to find similar footing to elevate itself into the top half of the Pacific Division.

Saturday night's game in Edmonton should provide a fine opportunity for two points as the Flames try to beat their provincial rivals for the eighth straight time in their building.

The Flames (20-20-2) won seven straight Dec. 1-17 but have gone 5-6-0 since, often in their typical high-scoring form at either end. That continued in Wednesday's 6-0 home win over Florida that salvaged a split of a four-game homestand.

Sam Bennett scored four goals, marking the first time a Calgary player has done so since Jarome Iginla on Feb. 23, 2003. The 19-year-old - who had a hat trick in the first period - also scored in Monday's 5-4 loss to San Jose, a five-goal burst that's followed an 18-game stretch in which he'd been limited to one assist.

"He skated so well," coach Bob Hartley told the team's official website. "Obviously, we knew that he was putting lots of pressure on himself by not scoring. As much as we were talking to him and trying to get him to relax and play the right way, that goal the other night - that power-play goal (against the Sharks) - really took lots of pressure away."

Johnny Gaudreau also scored and has seven goals in his last nine games, moving him within one of his second straight 20-goal season. Calgary's leading scorer has achieved his total in 42 games after scoring 24 in 80 last season.

The Flames are opening a five-game trip looking to improve a 6-11-2 road record, while the Oilers are making a quick stop home among five road games. During an 11-3-0 span in the series, Calgary has won all seven games in Edmonton by a 30-10 total.

It also beat the Oilers 5-3 at home Dec. 27 behind two goals apiece from Mark Giordano and Gaudreau.

That's part of a 3-8-3 span for the Oilers (17-23-5) which has discouragingly followed a six-game winning streak. They've totaled 24 goals in those 14 games and have lost four straight following Thursday's 2-1 shootout defeat at San Jose.

That followed a 4-3 overtime loss at Arizona on Tuesday, though they were more optimistic over the latest performance. Edmonton allowed three power-play goals to the Coyotes but held the Sharks scoreless on four opportunities.

"This was a better game for us," coach Todd McLellan told the Oilers' official website after losing to his former team. "Same result, getting a point, but I thought we played a firmer, better-executed game than we did in Phoenix. Penalty kill rebounded well against a very dangerous power play. I know that team well, and for us to play the way we did, we have to be somewhat pleased."

Edmonton could now use some scoring from its top lines to turn those results into wins. Taylor Hall, leading the team with 16 goals and 25 assists, has gone pointless in his last five.

Of their other 10-goal scorers, Jordan Eberle has been limited to two in his last 13 games while Leon Draisaitl has one in 16. Only Benoit Pouliot has been finishing with five of his 10 goals in his last nine games.

A little offense would make things easier on Cam Talbot, 3-4-2 in his past 10 despite a 1.90 goals-against average.

Counterpart Karri Ramo didn't face the Panthers after allowing five goals on 18 shots Monday. Prior to that, he'd started the new year 2-1-0 with a 1.01 GAA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (16-25) at Hornets (18-20)

Date: January 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks are both at .500 in the second game of back-to-back sets, and key players for both logged major minutes in game one.

Fatigue will be a factor Saturday night when the Hornets look to defeat the visiting Bucks for the ninth time in 10 matchups.

Charlotte (18-21) has split six second games of back-to-back sets and Milwaukee (17-25) has split 10 after grueling affairs for both Friday. The Hornets fell 109-107 at New Orleans while the Bucks won 108-101 in overtime at home over Atlanta.

Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum, the Hornets' top scorers, each had 25 points and played over 40 minutes. That won't be a good enough reason to Batum if Charlotte, loser of eight of nine, falters Saturday.

"We got no excuses," Batum said. "We're both on back-to-back, we're going to be at home, so again, no excuses, gotta come back on the court and be ready to go right from the start."

Giannis Antetokounmpo logged more than 50 minutes Friday for Milwaukee for the second time in his career, though he said afterward that he felt fine after finishing with 28 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.

Khris Middleton scored 26 points in a season-high 45 minutes while point guard Michael Carter-Williams had 15 points, nine boards and seven assists in 41 minutes. Tyler Ennis was the only guard available to back up Carter-Williams since Jerryd Bayless missed his sixth straight game with a sprained left ankle and O.J. Mayo sat out after aggravating a left hamstring injury.

Middleton has played at least 40 minutes in three straight games.

"Most of the starters' minutes have been around that all year, at least the last couple games so it wasn't a concern," Middleton said.

Of more concern to him is the increasing amount of double-teams he is seeing since he is averaging 23.3 points in his last six games along with 5.0 assists.

"I just gotta accept it and try to get off and make a play for my team," Middleton said. "They're trying to take the ball out of my hands with double teams, that means somebody else is going to be open. I've gotta be unselfish and trust my teammates."

The Hornets' depth is also being tested as they play without big man Al Jefferson. Guard Jeremy Lamb sat out Friday with a toe injury.

Rookie Frank Kaminsky came up big with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting against the Pelicans.

"He showed that he can be in this league, he's not a rookie," Batum said. "He's not a rookie for us, he can play."

Charlotte continued its dominance in this series with an 87-82 home victory Nov. 29. Walker scored 22 for the Hornets, who held the Bucks to their second-lowest point total.

Middleton scored 19 and Greg Monroe had 17 points and 10 rebounds that night. Monroe has four straight double-doubles, averaging 20.3 points and 11.5 rebounds.

The Bucks, 5-18 on the road, are opening a four-game trip.

"We've gotta face some great teams on the road so to get a couple of these on the road would be good for us to get us rolling," Middleton said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (20-19) at Wizards (18-19)

Date: January 16, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The last time the Washington Wizards reached the .500 mark, they immediately dropped five of six and fell into another hole.

They can move over the break-even mark for the first time in more than seven weeks Saturday night, though they have a tough task in hosting a Boston Celtics club that has trounced them twice.

Washington (19-19) matched its highest scoring effort of the season with Friday's 118-104 victory at Indiana. John Wall had 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Bradley Beal came off the bench for 22 points.

The Wizards last had a winning record when they were 6-5 going into a loss at Charlotte on Nov. 25. They last were at .500 after a four-game run Dec. 26 but quickly fell four under the break-even mark six games later.

"Hopefully the team is not talking about it and we don't talk about it, me personally about being at .500 and trying to get above," Wall said. "Every time we do that, we end up going on a losing streak and going three or four games below."

Beal has played twice since missing 16 games with a stress reaction in his lower right leg. His minutes are being restricted and he logged just under 22 against the Pacers, making 9 of 15 shots.

"It was just me getting into my rhythm," Beal said. "Because I knew I was on limited minutes so I've got to be as aggressive as I can at the time that I have."

Wall's 31 minutes were the most on the team, as the Wizards scored a season-high 67 points from their bench and were able to rest their starters with Saturday's contest in mind.

'Our bench was fantastic tonight,' coach Randy Wittman said. 'We've got guys, plug-in guys, you know? We've got a group of guys that believe, who come out and play with the intensity and effort every night like that.'

Wall has a tough matchup against Isaiah Thomas after totaling 23 points, 14 assists and 11 turnovers in two games against the Celtics. Thomas has 37, 11 and five in those departments with Boston winning by an average of 26.5 points.

Another key to those victories was Boston made 12 3-pointers in each.

The Celtics (21-19) are one of the NBA's worst 3-point shooting teams at 32.4 percent. They made 14 of 30 for their second-best percentage of 46.7 in Friday's 117-103 win over Phoenix.

'We needed a night where we shot the ball well from 3, so it was good to see the ball go through the net some,' coach Brad Stevens said.

Thomas scored 19 after averaging 32.3 in his previous three games. Kelly Olynyk had 21 points in his second straight game off the bench since being replaced in the lineup at center by Jared Sullinger.

Sullinger has totaled 39 points and 23 rebounds against Washington this season.

The Celtics have dropped three straight on the road while the Wizards have lost three of four at the Verizon Center entering a five-game homestand that Wittman is trying not to emphasize.

"It's not a pivotal stretch," Wittman said. "That's what happens when you view five games as a pivotal stretch. Then you forget those other games, those other five after that aren't pivotal, then you don't play very well."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (11-28) at Hawks (23-16)

Date: January 16, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Atlanta Hawks missed a chance to get back in the win column in their first game this weekend but have the opportunity to bounce back at home, where they are undefeated in second half of back-to-backs.

Playing their only set of consecutive games at Philips Arena until the All-Star break, the Hawks look to improve to 6-0 in the second half of back-to-backs in Atlanta on Saturday night against the Brooklyn Nets.

Atlanta (23-17) scored just four points in the final 4:44 of regulation and six in overtime Friday in a 108-101 loss to Milwaukee. The Hawks opened their brief road trip with a 107-84 drubbing to Charlotte on Wednesday.

Paul Millsap scored a combined 43 points in those two games. He had 23 points and 10 rebounds against the Bucks before fouling out with 1:17 left in the fourth quarter.

The Hawks then lost starting forward Kent Bazemore when he fouled out in the opening minute of overtime.

"Obviously we would have preferred to have (Millsap) and (Bazemore), two of our better players, out there, but I think everybody felt that when overtime started we had enough to win. We just didn't get it done," guard Kyle Korver said.

Atlanta hosts Orlando on Monday and won't play back-to-back home contests again until a season-high five-game homestand Feb. 19-28. The Hawks, winners in five of six at home, are in a stretch where they're playing 15 of 23 on the road.

They'll try to open this short stay by earning a seventh consecutive home win over the Nets (11-29), a streak that includes last season's playoffs. The Hawks won that opening-round series 4-2 by taking three victories in Atlanta.

The Hawks and 5-0 in the second half of back-to-backs in Atlanta while the Nets are 1-5 in the second game of back-to-backs on the road.

Atlanta had a six-game regular-season win streak against Brooklyn end with a 90-88 defeat Nov. 17. The Nets scored the final four points to finish off that back-and-forth game.

Brooklyn, which lost 101-87 in Atlanta on Nov. 4, fell for the sixth time in seven games with Friday's 116-104 defeat to Portland.

The Trail Blazers took command for good with a 19-2 run in fourth quarter, and the Nets dropped to 1-2 under interim coach Tony Brown.

"Obviously it's still a work in progress. We're always learning and building," said center Brook Lopez, who had a team-best 25 points. "But we still have great spirits abound."

Lopez is averaging 25.7 points on 55.6 percent shooting and 10.3 rebounds in his last three regular-season games against the Hawks. He averaged 19.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in last year's playoff series.

Atlanta's Al Horford is averaging 20.6 points while shooting 70.1 percent in his last five regular-season games versus Brooklyn.

Horford had 18 points and eight rebounds Friday after being limited to two points and two boards in the blowout in Charlotte.