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

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Scottish Premiership TODAY 12:30

Aberdeen

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Hearts

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS2		10/11	13/5	11/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ABERDEEN	RECENT FORM
HDALHWADHWAW​ Most recent​	1 - 3 1 - 1 2 - 0 0 - 0	HWHLAWHWHDAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Hearts have lost just one of their last 11 games

EXPERT VERDICT: Hearts have lost just one of their last ten matches and they should be backed to frustrate Aberdeen at Pittodrie. The Jambos are only four points behind Aberdeen in second place and although they have drawn their last two matches, they were a little unlucky to not pick up at least one win.

RECOMMENDATION: Hearts
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REFEREE: Craig Thomson STADIUM:

 

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Championship TODAY 12:30

MK Dons

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Ipswich

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		5/2	5/2	6/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MK DONS	RECENT FORM
HLHWALHDADAL​ Most recent​	3 - 3	HDHWAWHDAWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Last week’s loss to Middlesbrough was Ipswich’s first defeat in six games

EXPERT VERDICT: MK Dons are without a win in four Championship matches and have lost five of their nine home games this season, scoring just eight times along the way. Only Birmingham have scored more Championship away goals than Ipswich, and Town have lost just three of nine away games

RECOMMENDATION: Ipswich
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Premier League TODAY 12:45

Norwich

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Everton

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		19/10	5/2	31/20	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT NORWICH	RECENT FORM
AD*ALHWALHDAL​ Most recent​	2 - 2 2 - 1 2 - 2 2 - 3	HWADHWADAWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Norwich have scored in seven of eight home games

EXPERT VERDICT: Everton have been finding the net freely enough to make the Norwich defence fearful and backing both teams to score looks the best path to profit in what should be a lively affair. Norwich are slightly struggling for form but typically cause problems for opposing sides at Carrow Road.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
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REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

 

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Premier League TODAY 15:00

West Ham

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Stoke

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		13/8	23/10	19/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WEST HAM	RECENT FORM
HWALHDALHDAD​ Most recent​	1 - 1 0 - 1 1 - 1 3 - 0	ADHWAWALHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: West Ham have won just two of their seven home games

EXPERT VERDICT: West Ham have not won since Dimitri Payet picked up an injury against Everton and they could be vulnerable when Stoke visit Upton Park. Mark Hughes’s team have won four of their last five games in all competitions and were outstanding when beating Manchester City 2-0 last time out.

RECOMMENDATION: Stoke
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REFEREE: Andre Marriner STADIUM:

 

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Premier League TODAY 15:00

C Palace

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Southampton

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		8/5	23/10	2	More markets

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

KEY STAT: Crystal Palace have won seven of their nine games against sides outside the top six

EXPERT VERDICT: Crystal Palace have a dire record against Southampton but they are a team reborn under Alan Pardew and can finally end their losing run. The Saints’ 6-1 League Cup defeat at St Mary's made it three losses on the trot and their home draw with Aston Villa hardly screams of a return to form.

RECOMMENDATION: Crystal Palace
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REFEREE: Mike Dean STADIUM:

 

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Premier League TODAY 15:00

Sunderland

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Watford

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		15/8	23/10	17/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SUNDERLAND	RECENT FORM
HWALHLAWHWAL​ Most recent​	4 - 2 2 - 0 0 - 1 2 - 0	AWHWALHLAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Watford have lost one of their last five away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Sam Allardyce will be pleased with Sunderland’s progress since he took charge of the Black Cats but the squad remains limited and Watford could snatch three points from their trip to the Stadium of Light. The Hornets pose a reasonable threat on the road and have a greater goal threat than the hosts.

RECOMMENDATION: Watford
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REFEREE: Graham Scott STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2 0]

Robert Ferringo

Utah +3 over Wichita State

There is a lot going on in this game, but much of it revolves around the respect that bettors, oddsmakers, and anyone related to college basketball has for Wichita State. They've been the best mid-major team in the country and one of the most successful teams, period, over the last two years. However, this team ain't those teams. They still have their stud backcourt of Ron Baker and Fred Van Vleet. And they should be adding former Kansas sharpshooter Conner Frankamp this week as well. But the fact is that Van Vleet has been injured all fall and we don't know how much we'll get from Frankamp, who has some rust to shake off. The bigger issue for the Shockers is the loss of Anton Grady, who was supposed to solidify the post for this group. If there is one area they cannot be shorthanded against Utah, it is the post. The Utes are a big, athletic team and they already have Top 60 wins over San Diego State and BYU. Wichita State has been a mess, losing all four of its games against Top 60 competition. Granted, they are at home here and that will be a HUGE advantage. But they aren't healthy and they aren't in any kind of a rhythm right now. They couldn't stop Utah on the interior when these teams played last year and I don't know that they'll be able to this time around. This play runs counter to one of my core betting systems in college hoops. But I also think that the number is going to open at 3.0 and be bet up. And if we can catch it around five points then I think those points will be gold in a game that I expect to come down to the final two minutes.

 

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JIM FEIST

(501) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS VS (502) BROOKLYN NETS
Take: UNDER THE TOTAL.

Reason: Your Bonus Play for Saturday, December 12, 2015 is in the NBA scheduled contest between the LA Clippers and the Nets in Brooklyn. The LA Clippers are a terrific defensive team, 8th in the NBA in field goal shooting defense. The under is 4-1 in the Clippers last 5 games following a straight up loss. They face a bad Brooklyn squad and the under is 33-16-2 when the Clippers face a team with a winning percentage below .400. The Nets are 25th in scoring and second worst in the NBA in three-point shooting (.306%). Brooklyn is 8-3 under the total against the Western Conference. Play the LA Clippers/Nets Under the total.

 

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UFC 194 preview: McGregor vs. Aldo in main event
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

Conor McGregor has talked his way into mixed martial arts' ultimate put-up-or-shut-up moment.

The bombastic, 27-year old Dublin native has risen through the Ultimate Fighting Championship's featherweight ranks through equal parts brash comments and the ability to back up his smack talk in the cage.

People tune in to see McGregor whether they are fans or whether they want to see him get his tail kicked.

Now more people than ever will watch when McGregor meets longtime champion Jose Aldo of Manaus, Brazil, in the main event of UFC 194 on Saturday night.

An expected gate of $9 million at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena will trash the previous record of $7.2 million set by McGregor's fight with Chad Mendes at UFC 189 in July. Early industry projections predict pay-per-view buys will top 1 million.

Aldo vs. McGregor was originally scheduled for UFC 189 and was heavily hyped with a worldwide promotional tour. But Aldo had to pull out of the bout two weeks prior with a rib injury. McGregor finished replacement Mendes in the second round to win what was billed as the interim featherweight title.

McGregor taunted Aldo in the wake of UFC 189 for pulling out of the bout, and hasn't let up in the interceding months leading up to the rescheduled fight.

"I'm a beast," McGregor said. "Nothing can break me. Nothing can stop this train from taking over this game, absolutely nothing. He busted, he bruised his rib and pulled out of the fight. My mind is strong, stronger than anything."

This time, both fighters made it to Vegas healthy. And come Saturday night, the battle is likely to come down to who can will the action to the area of the Octagon of their liking.

Aldo (25-1), who has been 145-pound champion since winning what was then called the WEC championship in November 2009, likes to keep the fight out in the center, where he uses devastating leg kicks and lightning-quick punches to slowly wear down his foe while darting in and out.

McGregor (18-2), the winner of 14 straight, is a southpaw who also likes to keep it standing. But he prefers to use forward pressure, keeping opponents guessing with an array of kicks, and likes to finish with a flurry along the cage, unleashing power with ruthless abandon.

For his part, Aldo said he doesn't care where the fight goes.

"There's really no difference," Aldo said. "You're going to see me go in there and get the win, and I don't really care how I win, I care about winning. Really the only difference is I always beat Americans and this time I'm going to beat an Irishman."

The evening's co-feature bout, on its own, would stand up as one of the UFC's better-drawing headline fights, as undefeated middleweight champion Chris Weidman (13-0) of Long Island, N.Y., puts his title on the line against former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold (14-2) of Santa Cruz, Calif.

Injuries are the only thing which has come close to stopping Weidman over the years, as he has rarely been in trouble in the Octagon. A tenacious wrestler and heavy-handed striker, Weidman stunned the MMA world in the summer of 2013 by knocking out Anderson Silva. He has since proven that was no fluke by winning a rematch with Silva, then defeating former champions Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort.

Rockhold, for his part, comes from a kickboxing background and has won four straight fights, all via finish, to earn his shot at the title.

 

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NHL notebook: Sharks' Couture out indefinitely
By The Sports Xchange

San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture will be out indefinitely after surgery to his right leg, general manager Doug Wilson said Friday.
"In Wednesday night's game in Edmonton, Logan suffered trauma to his right thigh, creating a Charley-horse effect which prohibited him from returning to the game," Wilson said in a statement. "Upon returning to San Jose, it was discovered that there was a small arterial bleed in the area. Last night, Logan underwent a successful procedure in San Jose to close the artery and is expected to make a full recovery.
"At this time, there is no projected time frame for his return to the ice but we do not expect this to be a long-term recovery. Fortunately, this injury is completely unrelated to his previous ankle injury."
The Sharks recalled forward Ryan Carpenter from the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League and assigned forward Ben Smith to their AHL affiliate on a conditioning assignment.

--The Arizona Coyotes recalled forward Craig Cunningham and goaltender Louis Domingue from the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League.
The Coyotes also assigned forward Dustin Jeffrey to their AHL affiliate.

--The New Jersey Devils placed forward Bobby Farnham on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
The move is retroactive to Dec. 8..
The Devils also activated forward Jiri Tlusty (shoulder) from injured reserve.

--The Chicago Blackhawks reassigned forward Marko Dano to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.
Dano, 21, has recorded one goal and one assist in 13 games with the Blackhawks this season.

 

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Preview: Panthers (11-11) at Bruins (14-9)

Date: December 12, 2015 1:00 PM EDT

While attempting to move past another notable name on the NHL's all-time goals list, Jaromir Jagr will seek to get the Florida Panthers started on another successful road trip.

Jagr, though, has rarely scored in recent matchups with the Boston Bruins, and the Panthers have fared even worse lately at TD Garden as they open a four-game trip there Saturday.

Jagr tied Marcel Dionne for fourth place all-time with his 731st goal, scoring 51 seconds into Thursday's game against Washington to get the Panthers (14-11-4) rolling toward a 4-1 victory - their sixth in eight games. The 43-year-old forward snapped a season-worst, eight-game goal drought.

"I was waiting for a long time. I had some chances. I just couldn't score," said Jagr, 10 goals shy of Brett Hull for third place. "It's not the first time I was stuck on a number."

Jagr has 33 goals in 78 regular-season matchups with the Bruins (15-9-3) but has scored two in his last 19. He had one goal and two assists in five matchups last season and missed Florida's only one with Boston this season, a 3-1 loss Oct. 30, because of a lower-body injury.

These teams have split the last four meetings, but the Panthers are 0-7-1 in Boston since a 2-0 victory Dec. 8, 2011. Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask has won all eight of those games, posting an 0.87 goals-against average. Florida's losing streak in Boston is currently its second-longest in any building behind a 10-game skid in Washington.

However, the Panthers were competitive in their two trips to the Garden last season, losing 2-1 in overtime and 3-2 on a goal with 1:09 left. Plus, they've played well on the road lately, winning five of six and nearly going unbeaten on a five-game trip until a 4-2 loss to New Jersey in Sunday's finale.

The Bruins had a three-game home win streak snapped with a 3-2 loss to Nashville on Monday but bounced back by rallying for a 3-1 win at rival Montreal two days later. They scored all of their goals in a 5:49 span in the third period with Loui Eriksson's short-handed tally beginning that run.

"The way we came out in the third is how we wanted to play the whole game. It took us a little bit to get into it apparently," forward Landon Ferarro said. "It was a big win for us."

The Bruins are in the midst of a 7-1-2 stretch as they've killed off 35 of 38 penalties. They're in a 3-for-19 slump on the power play but still lead the NHL in that department at 29.9 percent.

It's been a similar story for Florida, which is 28 for 30 on the penalty kill in its past nine games but in a 2-for-25 funk with the man advantage.

Brad Marchand scored twice in the win at Florida in October, and his 11 goals against the Panthers are his second-most versus any opponent behind his 13 versus Buffalo. Patrice Bergeron has four goals and three assists in his last six matchups.

Rask has a 1.29 goals-against average in 16 career games against Florida, his lowest versus any opponent, while going 13-2-1.

With backup Al Montoya starting Thursday's game, the Panthers will likely turn back to their top netminder. Roberto Luongo has a respectable 2.18 GAA in his last five games against Boston but has gone 2-2-1.

 

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Preview: Capitals (17-6) at Lightning (13-12)

Date: December 12, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Washington Capitals still boast a gaudy record. Poor play at even strength appears to be catching up to them, however.

The Capitals look to avoid a third loss in four games and win their fourth in a row over the improving Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night at Amalie Arena.

Washington (19-6-2) has scored one goal in each of its last two defeats, the most recent a flat 4-1 road loss at Florida on Thursday. The Capitals' goal, from Alex Ovechkin, came on a six-on-five late in the third period with Philipp Grubauer pulled for an extra attacker.

Washington has managed one five-on-five goal in the last three games.

"We're shooting a little bit of blanks in five-on-five," coach Barry Trotz told the team's official website. "I didn't think we had enough support on the puck. There is always a battle on the puck, and second-man races are very important for puck possession and I didn't think we did enough of that. Our execution wasn't really great.

" ... We just couldn't find the back of the net. We've got to generate a little bit more five-on-five."

The Capitals had four shots in the final period and failed to score on five power-play opportunities, which proved fatal when combined with their lack of production at even strength.

'We know how good we are and we can be better,' said Ovechkin, who's scored in two straight games. 'Forget and move forward.'

Ovechkin has three goals and two assists during his club's three-game winning streak against Tampa Bay, during which Washington has outscored the Lightning 13-7. The Capitals are also 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings.

Ovechkin opened the scoring on the power play in the first period of the most recent matchup, a 4-2 home victory Nov. 27. Braden Holtby made 32 saves and weathered a third-period onslaught in which Tampa Bay held a 20-6 shot advantage and scored twice.

Holtby, expected to return to the net Saturday, has given up two goals in each of his last five starts.

Tampa Bay (14-12-3) has been putting its sluggish start behind it, winning three of four and six of nine. The Lightning weren't at their best against visiting Ottawa on Thursday but still picked up a 4-1 victory.

'It wasn't a perfect work of art, but we got two points,' coach Jon Cooper said. 'We'll take it.'

Nikita Kucherov had his second two-goal effort in three games, Ben Bishop made 30 saves and Tampa Bay scored three times in the third period.

The Lightning also continued to perform better on the penalty kill, holding their opponent to 0 for 3 for the second straight game. Tampa Bay had given up eight goals on 19 opportunities in the previous four.

"We have a really good penalty kill, so to be able to shut them down was good," Bishop told the team's website. "We've had some bad games, but we don't have a bad penalty kill. We just need to stay out of the box."

Especially against Washington, third in the league at 23.9 percent on the power play. The Capitals went 3 for 4 on Nov. 27.

Tampa Bay has been playing well despite star center Steven Stamkos going seven games without a goal. He has 11 goals in 29 games after scoring 11 in his first 17 last season, which he finished with 43 goals.

Some offensive help arrived Thursday, however, as Ondrej Palat returned after missing 12 games with an ankle injury. The forward was on the ice for both Kucherov goals.

"He's a huge part of our team," Kucherov said. "He brings more energy."

 

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Preview: Senators (12-9) at Canadiens (18-8)

Date: December 12, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Montreal Canadiens are searching for offense during their longest losing streak of the season.

They have failed to score more than two goals in six straight games and have dropped four in a row heading into Saturday night's home game with the Ottawa Senators.

Montreal (19-8-3) still leads the Atlantic Division despite this 1-4-1 stretch that includes four straight regulation defeats. The Canadiens last lost five in a row Feb. 19-28, 2012.

"We're facing adversity and that's going to make us stronger," coach Michel Therrien said.

There is pressure to ignite an offense that is missing Brendan Gallagher, tied for second on the club with Dale Wiese with nine goals. Max Pacioretty has 13, with no points in this losing streak.

The Canadiens blew a third-period lead in Thursday's 3-2 loss at Detroit. Sven Andrighetto and Tomas Fleischmann had their goals.

Fleischmann ended a seven-game goal drought. David Desharnais, though, has come up empty in eight straight and Alex Galchenyuk in five in a row.

"That's the one thing we talked about before the game, we need to start scoring again," said center Tomas Plekanec, who has not scored in his last 14 games. "We've got to start scoring some ugly goals around the net."

Montreal is 0 for 12 on the power play during its slide.

Plekanec and P.K. Subban have combined for 39 assists. Subban is also pointless in the last four games.

Ottawa (15-9-5) can pull within four points of Montreal with a regulation victory as it closes a four-game trip. The Senators have sandwiched 4-1 losses to the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay around a 4-2 win over Florida.

Thursday's defeat to the Lightning was frustrating since Ottawa failed to score until Cody Ceci tallied in the third period to make the score 3-1. The Senators finished with a 31-30 edge in shots.

"We had some good chances early and we got kind of frustrated with all the chances we had in the first and second period and none of them seemed to go in the net," Ceci told the Senators' official website.

Mike Hoffman's only goal on the trip came against the Panthers. He had 12 points in a seven-game run prior to this trip.

The Canadiens gave Dustin Tokarski his first start Thursday and could go back to Mike Condon, who has been filling in for an injured Carey Price. Condon made his NHL debut with a 20-save effort in a 3-1 win at Ottawa on Oct. 11, with Plekanec scoring twice.

He also faced the Senators and stopped 25 shots the other time these teams met in a 2-1 overtime loss Nov. 3.

Craig Anderson has started every game on this trip for Ottawa. He has allowed a total of two goals in winning his last two starts against Montreal, including the game last month.

Ottawa's goalies face an average of 33.6 shots for the NHL's highest total. Montreal is among the league's leaders with 31.1 shots per game, totaling 71 in the two meetings with the Senators.

 

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Preview: Islanders (13-8) at Blue Jackets (11-17)

Date: December 12, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Islanders keep finding ways to win games. The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to devise new means to lose them.

The surging Islanders look to complete their road trip with another positive result in Saturday night's matchup against a Columbus team still reeling from Sergei Bobrovsky's injury.

New York (16-8-5) has recorded four one-goal victories over a 5-0-1 stretch and has earned a point in eight straight following Tuesday's 4-3 shootout triumph in Philadelphia. The Islanders' last three wins have come in shootouts.

The Islanders improved to 6-0-2 over their last eight despite being outshot 46-26 by the Flyers and captain John Tavares held without a point for a third straight game. Frans Nielsen picked up the offense with a pair of goals, however, and Jaroslav Halak made 43 saves before stopping all three attempts in the shootout.

"Even in the few scrambles in front, guys beared down and were able to keep the puck out for me," Halak told the NHL's official site. "It was a big two points for us, but we have to play better, we all know that."

The Islanders have leaned on Halak and fellow goaltender Thomas Greiss during this strong run. Halak has posted a 1.88 goals-against average over his last five starts and Greiss owns a 1.95 mark in winning his past three. Both are expected to play in a back-to-back sequence ending with Sunday's home date against New Jersey.

Halak had 37 saves in a 4-0 win in Columbus on Oct. 20 that led to the Blue Jackets firing coach Todd Richards. Though Columbus (11-17-2) has gone a respectable 11-10-2 under replacement John Tortorella, it's lost two straight and won't have Bobrovsky for three weeks after the veteran goaltender sustained a lower-body injury Tuesday against Los Angeles.

The Blue Jackets had a one-goal lead over the Kings when Bobrovsky left late in the third period. Curtis McElhinney allowed two in his place in an eventual 3-2 overtime loss, then surrendered three goals on Winnipeg's first five shots in Thursday's 6-4 defeat to the Jets.

Scott Hartnell did score in a third straight game for Columbus, while Cam Atkinson had two third-period goals to bring the Jackets within 5-4 before the Jets had an empty-netter late.

"We can break it down all you want as far as a push here and a push there, but we didn't play well enough to win," Tortorella said. "We had a push at the end but we didn't play well enough in all areas. We need more in the middle part of that game, and that's an area of our game we need to get better at."

Columbus has historically had success at home in this series, though New York is 2-0-1 at Nationwide Arena after notching just one victory in its first 10 visits.

Tavares has scored in four straight meetings, amassing five goals and four assists during that span. Halak is 4-0-2 with a 2.27 GAA in his last six against Columbus and snapped a personal five-game skid at Nationwide Arena with his Oct. 20 shutout.

The Islanders are 5-0-2 against the Metropolitan Division after compiling a 21-6-3 mark last season.

 

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Preview: Kings (17-8) at Sabres (10-15)

Date: December 12, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

With Los Angeles being among the best teams in the Western Conference in recent seasons and the Sabres the East's worst, one might have expected the Kings' struggles in Buffalo to have passed by now.

The ups of the Kings and downs of the Sabres are playing out further on current streaks, and they meet Saturday night in Buffalo with Los Angeles after its second seven-game winning streak this season but just its second win there dating to 1993.

The Kings (19-8-1) got out of Pittsburgh with a 3-2 shootout win on Friday after squandering two regulation leads. They've opened a six-game road trip with two wins, and in addition to the winning streak, they're 7-0-1 while allowing 1.63 goals per game since their last regulation loss on Nov. 22.

"I don't know if there's any one thing," goaltender Jonathan Quick said. "It would (be) just keep working, and good teams find ways to win. So we're just trying to be a good team every night. We've got a long way to go. We've got a lot of things to work on and continue to get better at."

The streak has come without a point from Tyler Toffoli, who along with Jeff Carter has a team-high 11 goals. Carter's seven-game point streak came to an end against the Penguins.

Jake Muzzin had a goal and an assist and has two goals and three assists in his last four games, but Los Angeles' eight goals over the last three games have come from eight different players. Quick said contributions from new faces are key on a winning streak like this.

"You can that they're getting a little more comfortable," Quick said of the team's newcomers. "So we want to see them continue to do that. The older guys that have been around for a little bit continue to push ourselves and push them at the same time and keep working."

Quick hasn't needed much pushing. He made 40 saves against Pittsburgh and has played in each game on Los Angeles' eight-game point streak with a 1.57 goals-against average and .939 save percentage. He's 4-1-0 with a 1.41 GAA and .933 save percentage in six career games against the Sabres.

The teams have split four games over the previous two seasons, but Los Angeles hasn't won in Buffalo since 2003, going 0-5-1 since with eight goals scored and 1-11-1 with a tie since the previous victory there in 1993.

The Sabres (11-15-3) have won their last two home games, but they're returning from a 0-3-0 road trip. It ended with Thursday's 4-3 loss in Calgary despite Rasmus Ristolainen's first career hat trick.

"That's special," Ristolainen, who has seven points in five games, told the team's official website. "That doesn't happen often to me, so I take it, but we really need wins. We've got to find a way and do it together here.

"That wasn't what we wanted. Really bad two periods. They outworked, they outbattled us, and that's not the way we should play, especially the situation - three losses, tough road trip. We've got to pick it up and do it together."

The biggest issue has been containing opponents' scoring with Buffalo allowing 13 goals on the losing streak.

Chad Johnson played in two of the losses, allowing eight goals with a .867 save percentage, but he's 2-0-0 with a 1.48 GAA and .942 save percentage versus Los Angeles.

 

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Preview: Stars (21-5) at Blues (15-9)

Date: December 12, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The St. Louis Blues can tend to a trio of issues in their next game. They've struggled the last month - most notably at home - and haven't beaten their next opponent in St. Louis in the last four meetings.

Trouble is, the team they're about to welcome happens to be sitting atop the NHL.

The Dallas Stars look to add to the league's only win total in the 20s on Saturday night while netting their fifth straight victory at Scottrade Center against the slumping Blues.

While St. Louis (16-9-4) is 1-3-1 to open December, the Stars (22-5-2) have continued to roll. Dallas extended its point streak to seven games with Friday's 3-1 win over Philadelphia, its longest since going 10-0-1 from Feb. 21-March 13, 2012.

Another win would also extend Dallas' streak in St. Louis. The four consecutive wins - the last three in regulation - are the most for the Stars as visitors in this series since the two teams joined the NHL in 1967, including Dallas' time in Minnesota.

St. Louis' lengthiest run without a win in this series was eight games, two three-game losing streaks separated by a pair of ties, from March 13, 1982-Jan. 27, 1984. The Blues have won the last two in this series, but both were in Dallas.

The Stars extended their Central Division lead over St. Louis and Chicago to 10 points with Friday's win.

Mattias Janmark and Antoine Roussel each scored in the second period to help the Stars rebound from an early deficit and Jamie Benn upped his league-leading total to 20 goals with an empty-netter late.

"I thought we played maybe our best all-around game when it comes to puck movement," coach Lindy Ruff told the team's official website. "Playing in their own end, I thought, (we) did a lot of great things in the game."

Dallas is 7-0-2 in its last nine road contests, though the two overtime losses came in the last three games.

St. Louis hasn't won consecutive games since three straight victories from Nov. 4-10, a span of 14 games after opening the season 11-3-1. The Blues are 5-6-3 over that stretch and have lost four of their last five.

They have also lost three of four at Scottrade Center and are 4-5-1 there after a 4-0-1 start. Thursday's 4-2 loss to Philadelphia dropped St. Louis to 1-2-0 on its five-game homestand, which closes against Colorado on Sunday night.

Robby Fabbri scored his first goal in six games to give the Blues a lead in the second period Thursday, but the Flyers answered with three goals to close the frame.

Coach Ken Hitchcock challenged the offense after the Blues scored one goal in three consecutive losses last week. Following the loss to the Flyers, he focused more on his team's toughness.

'We stopped checking,' Hitchcock said. 'I'm sure the players said the same thing. Stopped checking. Stopped checking, opened up gaps, had some soft plays in the scoring areas against us and that gave them the three goals.'

Goaltender Jake Allen will face the Stars. After opening the season with a 1.53 goals-against average and .950 save percentage in his first 10 appearances, Allen has a 2.79 GAA and .894 save percentage in his last 11.

It is unclear if Antti Niemi or Kari Lehtonen will start for Dallas. While Niemi has allowed 11 goals on 48 shots in his last two starts against the Blues, Lehtonen surrendered six on 19 shots his last outing against them.

 

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Preview: Avalanche (12-16) at Predators (13-9)

Date: December 12, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Nashville Predators have bounced back from tough losses before. The problem is they haven't been able to build on satisfying victories lately.

Nashville looks to win back-to-back games for the first time in nearly a month Saturday night when it hosts the Colorado Avalanche, who could be without Gabriel Landeskog for a second straight contest.

The Predators (15-9-5) played at Chicago on Tuesday and couldn't solve Corey Crawford, falling 4-1 despite a 37-24 advantage in shots. They didn't have much trouble with Scott Darling on Thursday, though, scoring three first-period goals en route to a 5-1 win.

"No one felt good about (Tuesday)," coach Peter Laviolette said. "I think that showed by the way we took the ice. That is first and foremost."

James Neal scored twice, and Filip Forsberg, Eric Nystrom and Craig Smith also had goals as Nashville played without forward Colin Wilson, who sat out a second straight game with a lower-body injury.

"We needed those two points," defenseman Ryan Ellis said. "I thought we played a great hockey game."

Things haven't gone as well following wins, though. Nashville has gone 4-6-2 since last winning consecutive games Nov. 14 and 17. Five of the defeats in that stretch have been by at least three goals.

Pekka Rinne's 2.40 goals-against average isn't as impressive has his 2.18 mark in 64 games last season. He has a 2.91 GAA in nine starts since the Predators' last consecutive wins, allowing at least three goals six times.

Rinne has a 2.14 GAA in 20 career starts against Colorado (12-16-1), which struggled without a member of its top line Wednesday.

Landeskog participated in the morning skate, then notified coach Patrick Roy he was experiencing back spasms. When he returned for the game that night, he said he didn't feel well enough to play and was a late scratch.

Mikhail Grigorenko took his spot on a line with Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene in a 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh, but he was demoted from that trio because Roy was disappointed with his play.

Landeskog will travel to Nashville and be a game-time decision. Roy said Grigorenko, who originally was scheduled to be a healthy scratch against the Penguins, will get another shot if Landeskog can't go.

"He needs to win his battles, and he lost a lot of battles," Roy said of Grigorenko. "If Grigo wants to play on that top line, he needs to be more consistent in his battles and do a better job. A young player needs to learn."

Duchene stayed hot, scoring for the 14th time in 18 games after having one goal through his first 11. The Avalanche, though, failed to convert on a 35-second 5-on-3 advantage in the third period.

"We had some really good chances, but that's how it is," forward Andreas Martinsen said. "I think we were still battling the whole way, we just couldn't get the two points."

Semyon Varlamov will be in net in for this contest after getting the night off against the Penguins. He's saved 84 of 88 shots while winning two of his last three starts.

Varlamov also has won two of his last three starts against the Predators while posting a 2.22 GAA. He made 38 saves in a 3-2 victory in the last meeting April 7.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2 0]

Preview: Hurricanes (11-14) at Coyotes (14-14)

Date: December 12, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

All the banged-up Arizona Coyotes needed in order to go from a long skid to a lengthy winning streak was return home.

After snapping a six-game losing streak, the Coyotes look to push their run at home to the same number Saturday night in another meeting with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Arizona (14-14-1) has been much better at home than on the road lately. The Coyotes have dropped six straight as the visitor, including Sunday's 5-4 defeat at Carolina, but have won five in a row at Gila River Arena.

They last won six straight there during an eight-game run from Oct. 19-Nov. 16, 2013.

Arizona opened a six-game stay with Friday's 2-1 overtime win over Minnesota, rallying behind Mikkel Boedker's two goals, including the power-play winner, while playing without captain Shane Doan, center Martin Hanzal and goalie Mike Smith due to lower-body injuries.

"We hung around the game, (Anders) Lindback made some big saves, we got fortunate on some crossbars and posts, and capitalized on the penalty at the end," coach Dave Tippett said. "We'll take the points and move on."

It's unclear if that'll be with Doan, Hanzal and Smith, whose expected return dates are unclear. Smith's potential absence could mean Lindback gets the nod on consecutive days for the first time this season after making 27 saves Friday.

He's 2-4-0 with a 3.57 goals-against average in six games - five of them starts - against the Hurricanes (11-14-4). He only made 13 saves at Carolina on Sunday.

The Coyotes' only other option would be Louis Domingue, who went 1-2-1 with a 2.73 GAA in seven games, including four starts, as a rookie last season.

Boedker leads the team with 11 goals and has collected five over the last two games at home after scoring nine in the previous nine. He has two points in seven career matchups with the Hurricanes.

The Coyotes have lost four straight overall and at home to Carolina, which has won three of its last four after dropping 11 of 14 (3-7-4).

Jeff Skinner is tied with Justin Faulk for the team lead with 11 goals, but the left wing has scored six in the past four games. However, he didn't get a point against Arizona. Skinner netted his third career hat trick in Friday's 5-1 win at Anaheim that gave Carolina a split of the first two on a four-game trip.

"Part of my job is to produce offensively," Skinner said. "It's been up and down for me this year, but the last few games we've been doing a good job of creating offense and finishing off. Sometimes it's a product of confidence."

Faulk added two assists against the Ducks, giving him a team-leading 23 points. He had a goal versus the Coyotes on Sunday, and his 11 on the season lead all defensemen and are four shy of his career high set in 2014-15.

Cam Ward may be back in net after being rested in favor of Eddie Lack, who had 31 stops Friday. Ward is 2-2-0 with a 4.28 GAA over his last five starts and was pulled after the opening period Tuesday for allowing four goals on eight shots in a 6-5 loss at Dallas.

He has a 1.92 GAA while winning three straight visits to Arizona.

 

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Preview: Rangers (17-9) at Flames (11-14)

Date: December 12, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

The flu hasn't completely slowed down the Calgary Flames, thanks in part to Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.

The Flames' young stars try to lead them to a perfect homestand and a ninth straight home win Saturday night against the New York Rangers.

Calgary (12-14-2) was hit hard Thursday when right wing Jiri Hudler and goaltender Karri Ramo were sidelined by flu symptoms. Jonas Hiller was also affected but got the start in place of Ramo and made 27 saves, while Gaudreau and Monahan combined for five points in a 4-3 win over Buffalo.

"You should've been in the locker room... the medical staff runs in the coach's office saying 'Guys are puking everywhere,'" coach Bob Hartley said.

"You have Karri Ramo in the laundry room and you have Jiri Hudler in the doctor's room and they're throwing up and they're white like ghosts and suddenly you look at Jonas Hiller and he's coming in, and he's whiter than a snowman."

With the illness possibly still an issue, the Flames are aiming to end a five-game homestand on a high note. Their single-season record for consecutive home wins is 10 from Nov. 7-Dec. 12, 2006, while their overall best was 11 spanning two seasons in 1990.

Gaudreau and Monahan have been terrific at home. Gaudreau has collected 21 of his team-high 28 points in Calgary, including eight goals and six assists over the last eight.

Of Monahan's 22 points, 15 have come at Scotiabank Saddledome, where he has 11 during a seven-game streak. The center has three goals and one assist in the last two games.

"Mony's a great student. He pays attention, he works at his game in practice and obviously he is showing progress and he deserves it," Hartley said.

However, in the three games Monahan and Gaudreau have played together against the Rangers (18-9-3) - all losses - they've combined for three assists and a minus-7 rating.

New York is stumbling through a 2-6-1 stretch after going 13-1-1 and trying to salvage a win on a three-game swing through Western Canada. The Rangers lost 7-5 at Edmonton on Friday, giving up the deciding goal 12 seconds after Rick Nash tied it with 1:46 left.

"It was one of the more disappointing games I've been a part of," captain Ryan McDonagh told the team's official website. "To come back twice, and then just give them Grade-A looks. Certainly we have to play a ton better if this team wants to be where we want to.

"We have 24 hours to think this through and find a way to compete harder and battle harder and find a way to win a hockey game."

Nash ended a six-game goal drought while adding two assists for his third three-point game of the season. The left wing may be looking forward to visiting Calgary after scoring twice in a 5-2 win there Dec. 16, helping the Rangers sweep a three-game trip against Vancouver, Edmonton and the Flames.

It's uncertain if Henrik Lundqvist or Antti Raanta will be in net. Lundqvist was pulled early in the third period Friday after giving up five goals on 33 shots, while Raanta allowed another tally and made two saves.

Lundqvist has a 2.97 goals-against average while splitting four career visits to Calgary, while Raanta is 3-0-0 with a 2.28 GAA in four career starts against the Flames.