Saturday 3/19/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

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

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

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 12:45

Everton

v

Arsenal

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		17/10	5/2	17/10	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT EVERTON	RECENT FORM
AWHLAWAWHLHW​ Most recent​	2 - 2 3 - 0 1 - 1 0 - 1	ALHLADAWHLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Everton have scored 51 Premier League goals this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Everton should be buzzing after reaching the FA Cup semi-finals thanks to their win over Chelsea and they can beat Arsenal at Goodison Park. The Toffees have a lot of attacking talent and Arsenal, beaten by Watford in the FA Cup last week, are a team begging to be opposed.

RECOMMENDATION: Everton
1


REFEREE: Mark Clattenburg STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 15:00

West Brom

v

Norwich

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		5/4	23/10	13/5	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WEST BROM	RECENT FORM
AD*AWALHWADHW​ Most recent​	0 - 2 2 - 1 1 - 2 1 - 2	ALHDALHLALHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Norwich have failed to score in four of their last six league games

EXPERT VERDICT: West Brom are on the up, going unbeaten for four outings and winning three of those games – a run which includes a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at the Hawthorns. Norwich are winless in ten league games, drawing just twice, and have a poor W2, D2, A11 away record.

RECOMMENDATION: West Brom
3


REFEREE: Anthony Taylor STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Chelsea

v

West Ham

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		3/4	29/10	4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CHELSEA	RECENT FORM
HWAWAWHDHLAL​ Most recent​	2 - 0 0 - 0 2 - 0 3 - 0	ADAWHWHWAWAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Chelsea are unbeaten in 12 league games under Hiddink

EXPERT VERDICT: West Ham’s 2-1 defeat of Chelsea in October was at the heart of the Blues’ early-season meltdown but the champions have regained some fight of late. Chelsea suffered two cup exits last week but Guus Hiddink has brought some confidence back to the team and they can outscore a lively West Ham side.

RECOMMENDATION: Chelsea to win 2-1
1


REFEREE: Robert Madley STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Watford

v

Stoke

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		7/5	9/4	23/10	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WATFORD	RECENT FORM
AWHWHDALHLAW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 1 - 0 0 - 1 1 - 3	HLAWHWHWADHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Both teams have scored in 11 of Watford’s 29 matches

EXPERT VERDICT: These two share the record for both the most Premier League games with under 2.5 goals (17) and the most games in which both teams have failed to score (18). Under 2.5 goals is a short price but at least one team has failed to score in the last seven meetings and this could finish goalless.

RECOMMENDATION: No goalscorer
1


REFEREE: Craig Pawson STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 15:00

C Palace

v

Leicester

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		2	12/5	6/4	More markets

​

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

KEY STAT: Palace have failed to win their last 12 league matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Crystal Palace haven’t won a league game since before Christmas and have an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to while Leicester are dreaming of the Premier League title. So it’s not hard to guess what the team’s differing priorities are and a Foxes win looks a decent bet.

RECOMMENDATION: Leicester
3


REFEREE: Mike Jones STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 17:15

Sociedad

v

Las Palmas

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		4/6	5/2	5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SOCIEDAD	RECENT FORM
HWAWHDALHDAL Most recent	1 - 1 2 - 2 1 - 1 1 - 1	ALHLAWHWAWHL Most recent

KEY STAT: Las Palmas have won their last two away games, having failed to win any of their first 12

EXPERT VERDICT: A three-match winning run for Las Palmas came to an end with Real Madrid's 89th-minute winner last time out but they are worth backing to claim a point at Real Sociedad, who they beat 2-0 in the reverse fixture. The hosts have a modest home record, winning just five of 14 in the league, and they have been held to 1-1 draws in their last two matches on their own turf.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw

 

[stoopid]

[h=3]Marc Lawrence[/h]Play: Miami (FL) (+2.5 -110)
Line Source: William Hill
Posted on: March 18, 2016 @ 1:15:39 PM EDT
Really 100 points? How many college teams score 100 points

 

[rockland]

Marc Lawrence

Play: Miami (FL) (+2.5 -110)
Line Source: William Hill
Posted on: March 18, 2016 @ 1:15:39 PM EDT
Really 100 points? How many college teams score 100 points

Exactly. Just rudiculous. Marketing through irrelevant tighteners.

 

[safecracker]

It's March Madness!
College bowls and March madness drain bankrolls.
I want you people to win!
If you are down it's not your time.
Consider playing 1 or 2 games.
Bet the board and you are toast.

 

[crystalballs]

Absolutely correct! I've bet two games in two days. Won both!

 

[NYC-Italian]

It's March Madness!
College bowls and March madness drain bankrolls.
I want you people to win!
If you are down it's not your time.
Consider playing 1 or 2 games.
Bet the board and you are toast.

Could not agree more and the same goes for these handicappers. They seem to go a little mad right now as well.

For example: you had one handicapper give out a college basketball teaser. A teaser. Are you serious? A college basketball teaser and it lost.
You had another give out the Oregon money line. That is a team favored by 23 points and they give out the money line.
You had another handicapper go zero and six. I can do better than that by throwing darts.
You had another give out a team that was favored by 8 1/2 points and he claimed the other team would not be able to handle the home court and it was going to be a route and then he proceeded to give out a final score with a win of nine points. Obviously, that game lost because they won by three.
And last, but not least, let's talk about Mr. Mark Lawrence who just gave out a stat with a team score of 100 points as a barometer. He did similarly yesterday with a just random number as his reason to give out Michigan as a pick or a free pick. It lost.
Also, not to mention, I have seen at least 2 ex-posters from another sports posting forum that are on here as handicappers and are getting people to pay for their picks.
People really need to proceed cautiously right now.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Soccer: EPL Best Bets - Week 31
By Chris David

Week 29 and Week 30 Recaps

Due to other competitions, the EPL hasn’t had a full weekend since Week 29 and favorites posted a 5-2 record but two of the underdogs provided generous returns. West Ham United (+330) knocked off Everton 3-2 at Goodison Park while West Bromwich Albion (+370) stunned Manchester United 1-0 at home. Total bettors caught a 5-5 stalemate, which was helped with a pair of 1-1 draws.

In the five games that took place in Week 30, favorites went 3-1 with one draw as league leaders Leicester City and Tottenham both posted shutouts for ‘chalk’ bettors. The ‘under’ went 3-2.

Through 30 weeks of the season, favorites are 135-78 with 80 draws. The ‘over’ is 144-143-6.

Weekend Action

Due to the March Madness schedule, we’re providing a quick handicap of all 10 games this week.

Saturday, Mar. 19

Arsenal at Everton (NBSCN, 8:45 a.m. ET)

Arsenal (+160) meets Everton (+170) on the road and while they’re favored, bettors should be hesitant backing Arsene Wenger’s team at this point. The Gunners are 1-1-5 in their last seven games of all competitions and the defense has allowed 14 goals during this span. Everton hasn’t been much better lately, dropping two of its last three and the club hasn’t been a good bet (4-4-7) at home this season. Arsenal has won two straight in this series but is 1-2-1 in its last four visits to Goodison Park.

West Ham United at Chelsea (NBCSN, 11:00 a.m. ET)

Chelsea (-145) can inch closer to the top of the standings on Saturday with a home win against West Ham United (+425). The Blues dropped a 2-1 decision to the Hammers earlier in the season but West Ham hasn’t won at Stamford Bridge since 2002. The Blues are 7-2-0 in the last nine home encounters against West Ham and only allowed three goals during this pan. Chelsea remains unbeaten in 13 EPL games (6-7-0) since manager Jose Mourinho left but it needs to improve on the home mark (2-5-0). The Blues won’t have Diego Costa (suspension) or Eden Hazard (hip) available.

Leicester City at Crystal Palace (11:00 a.m. ET)

It appears as if the bookmakers are baiting you to take Leicester (+135) this weekend against a Crystal Palace (+210) squad that has failed to win a league game (0-2-8) in 2016. The Foxes have looked vulnerable over their last four games (3-1-0) despite capture three victories in the same fashion (1-0). City beat Palace 1-0 in late October at home and seeing this week’s total at 2 ½ and shaded to the ‘under’ (-140) makes you believe another low-scoring affair will take place.

Stoke City at Watford (11:00 a.m. ET)

Stoke (+215) will be looking to avenge a 2-0 loss on Oct. 25 to Watford (+140) when the pair meet at Vicarage Road. The Potters dropped a 2-1 decision last week to Southampton but were on a great run (3-1-0) prior to that setback. The Hornets just earned a spot in the FA Cup semis after beating Arsenal and a letdown could be in play here. This game has a total of 2 goals and both Watford (17-12) and Stoke (17-13) have been ‘under’ leans this season. Also, Watford’s offense has been blanked in seven of its last nine league games plus only 10 combined goals have been scored in the last eight games for the Hornets.

Norwich City at West Bromwich Albion (11:00 a.m. ET)

West Brom (+115) has gone unbeaten in its last eight at home (4-4-0) plus they enter this game with some confidence, beating Manchester United 1-0 at The Hawthorns and earning a 2-2 draw at Leicester City one game earlier. Norwich (+265) sits in the relegation zone and it’s hard to make a case for a club that has dropped six straight league games on the road while scoring just one during that span.

Aston Villa at Swansea City (NBCSN, 1:30 p.m. ET)

Rare to see Swansea City (-160) listed as this big of a favorite but that’s what happens when you meet Aston Villa (+500). The club has been average (5-5-5) this season at Liberty Stadium but Villa has been atrocious on the road (1-3-11), getting outscored 32-11 as visitors. A good effort for the Lions would be holding Swansea to a pair of goals or less.

Sunday, Mar. 20

Manchester United at Manchester City (NBC, 12:00 p.m. ET)

The second go ‘round of the Manchester Derby takes place Sunday and oddsmakers are expecting City (-115) to beat United (+325) at home in this spot. The Citizens advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals earlier this week while the Red Devils were eliminated from Europa competition. Despite staying alive in CL play, City is just 1-1-3 in its last five league games and it’s only managed six goals over this span. United has found itself in another drought, going winless (0-2-2) in its last four games in all competitions. The offense has scored just two goals during this span, which has helped the ‘under’ cash go 4-0. The pair played to a scoreless draw at Old Trafford last October but City had won four of the previous five matches over United. City won’t have Vincent Kompany (calf) available for Sunday plus the club could be without defender Nicolas Otamendi as well.

Sunderland at New Castle United (NBCSN, 9:30 a.m. ET)

This is a very important game for a pair of clubs looking to stay out of the drop zone. It’s hard to ignore the fact that Sunderland has won six straight games in this series, which includes a 3-0 win earlier this season at the Stadium of Light. New Castle has been better at home this season (4-4-5) but it comes into this game with four straight losses while Sunderland has managed to earn six points (1-3-1) in its last five. Despite the poor form, New Castle (+115) has been installed as the favorite and they looked confident under new manager Rafa Benitez this past Monday when they dropped a 1-0 decision to Leicester.

Liverpool at Southampton (9:30 a.m. ET)

Liverpool (+190) and Southampton (+155) will collide at St. Mary’s Stadium on Sunday and the oddsmakers are expecting a tight game and they should. Both clubs have notched 44 points this season but the Reds do have two games in hand. These teams played to a 1-1 draw in late October but Liverpool had won the three previous encounters. Liverpool could be caught fatigued after earning a hard fought Europa win over Manchester United this past Thursday.

Bournemouth at Tottenham (12:00 p.m. ET)

Tottenham (-190) hammered Bournemouth (+550) by a 5-1 score line in the first meeting this season and oddsmakers have made the Spurs heavy favorites for the rematch. Tottenham is still five points behind Leicester and it knows it can’t slip up on any given week. The Cherries are unbeaten in their last four (3-1-0) games and the offense has posted eight goals over this span. Tottenham is a major step up in class but you can’t ignore Bournemouth’s respectable road record (5-4-6) for a newly promoted club. The Spurs have only lost twice (8-5-2) this season and their plus-15 goal differential (27-12) at White Hart Lane is the second best in the league.

Fearless Predictions

Week 29 turned out to be a solid one ($585) and it could’ve been better if Arsenal could’ve withstood a second-half surge from Tottenham. Either way, the overall deficit is trending down ($1,190) and we’re hoping to get that number in the black with just eight weeks left.

Straight – Under 2 (+110) Norwich City-West Brom – 2 Units

Straight – Under 2 (+110) Stoke City-Watford – 2 Units

Straight - Arsenal (+165) over Everton – 2 Units

Straight – Crystal Palace (+185) over Leicester City – 1 Unit

Straight – Over 2 ½ (-105) Manchester City-Manchester United – 3 Units

Straight – Under 2 ½ (-120) Sunderland-New Castle United – 1 Unit

Parlay – Tottenham (-190), Over 2 ½ Manchester Derby – 2 Units

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

UFC Fight Night 85

UFC Fight Night 85: Hunt vs. Mir
Saturday, March 19th – 10:00 p.m. ET
Brisbane, Australia
Mark Hunt (11-10-1) vs. Frank Mir (18-10-0)
Five Round Heavyweight Bout

Line: Hunt -160, Mir +130

Veterans Mark Hunt and Frank Mir meet Down Under at UFC Fight Night 85.

Mark Hunt has been on the MMA scene for quite some time, with the 41-year-old New Zealander having made his debut back in 2004. His career has seen ups and downs, with winning streaks of five fights and six consecutive losses to his name, but his most recent fight was a victory over Antonio Silva in November 2015.

He will look to build upon this result against Frank Mir, no kid himself at the age of 36. The American has a better overall record than his opponent, but has lost five of his past seven bouts, including his most recent outing against Andrei Arlovski.

Hunt is a powerful fighter, and 73 percent of his victories have come via knockout or TKO. He lands 3.24 significant strikes per minute at a clip of 44.16 percent, and absorbs 2.73 such strikes per minute with a defense rate of 52.91 percent.

He attempts 0.7 takedowns per 15 minutes at an accuracy of 55.56 percent, and defends takedowns at a rate of 68.06 percent. Throughout his career, he has averaged a pedestrian 0.28 submission attempts per 15 minutes.

Mir is a very different type of fighter, with half of his victories coming via submission. He averages 2.21 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy of 47.54 percent, and absorbs a much higher 3.87 significant strikes per minute with a low defense rate of 38.61 percent.

His strengths are in grappling, where he averages 2.06 takedown attempts per 15 minutes at an accuracy of 42.86 percent. He defends takedowns successfully 54.55 percent of the time, and has averaged an impressive 2.06 submission attempts per 15 minutes in his career.

Other UFC Fight Night 85 Bouts & Odds -

Lightweight Bout:
Alan Patrick -280
Damien Brown +220

Lightweight Bout:
Ross Pearson -115
Chad Laprise -115

Welterweight Bout:
Richard Walsh +100
Viscardi Andrade -130

Women's Bantamweight Bout:
Leslie Smith -155
Rin Nakai +125

Featherweight Bout:
Dan Hooker -200
Mark Eddiva +165

Welterweight Bout:
Brendan O'Reilly +350
Alan Jouban -475

Women's Strawweight Bout:
Bec Rawlings +105
Seohee Ham -135

Middleweight Bout:
James Te-Huna -260
Steve Bossé +210

Middleweight Bout:
Dan Kelly +375
Antônio Carlos Júnior -500

Lightweight Bout:
Jake Matthews -115
Johnny Case -115

Welterweight Bout:
Neil Magny -115
Hector Lombard -115

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Dallas ink D Johns to two-year extension
By The Sports Xchange

The Dallas Stars signed defenseman Stephen Johns to a two-year contract extension on Friday.
Johns was set to become a restricted free agent at the conclusion of this season.
Johns, 23, has appeared in four games for Dallas this season, recording one goal and two penalty minutes. He made his NHL debut on March 11 against the Chicago Blackhawks, registering three hits and three blocked shots in 17:27. On Thursday night, Johns scored his first career NHL goal to tie the game in the third period in the Stars' 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Johns was originally selected by Chicago in the second round (60th overall) of the 2010 NHL draft and was acquired by Dallas via trade on July 10, 2015.

---The Chicago Blackhawks assigned defenseman David Rundblad to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.
Rundblad, 25, was on loan by the Blackhawks to the ZSC Lions of Switzerland's National League A.
Rundblad has notched two assists in nine games with the Blackhawks this season. The native of Lycksele, Sweden registered 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 63 regular-season games over three seasons with Chicago (2013-15). He also appeared in five Stanley Cup playoff games last season.
Over his five-year NHL career, Rundblad has scored 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) in 113 career games with Ottawa (2011-12), Phoenix (2011-2014) and Chicago (2014-16).

---The Buffalo Sabres recalled defenseman Chad Ruhwedel and goaltender Nathan Lieuwen from the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Ruhwedel, 25, has totaled 22 points in 46 AHL games this season, leading all Rochester defensemen with eight goals. He has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in his last 12 games. The San Diego native has appeared in 32 career games with the Sabres since making his NHL debut in the 2012-13 season and will join the team on his first recall this season.
The 6-4, 200-pound Lieuwen, 24, joins the Sabres on his second recall of the season after serving as the team's backup goalie for five games in October. In 26 AHL games this season, he has compiled a 14-10-1 record with a .911 save percentage and 2.86 goals-against average. A native of Abbotsford, British Columbia and the Sabres' sixth-round pick in the 2011 NHL draft, Lieuwen played in seven games for the Sabres during the 2013-14 season, posting a 1-4-0 record with a .906 save percentage and 2.98 goals-against average.

---The New Jersey Devils recalled forward Brian O'Neill on an emergency basis from Albany of the AHL.
O'Neill, 27, has two assists and eight penalty minutes in 22 games with the Devils this season. He has 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) and four penalty minutes in 31 games with Albany.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (38-24) at Flyers (34-23)

Date: March 19, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh-Philadelphia rivalry increases in intensity during late-season matchups when both teams are involved in the playoff race.

Saturday's meeting is the first of three crucial ones down the stretch.

The Flyers have caught fire and are expected to have Jakub Voracek back as they look to beat the visiting Penguins for the ninth time in the last 10 matchups.

Philadelphia's 3-2 win at Chicago on Wednesday briefly put it in the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot, but it will head into this contest sitting one point back of Detroit. The Flyers (34-23-12) have gone on an 8-1-1 tear that includes three consecutive home victories to make up ground.

Brayden Schenn scored the tying goal against the Blackhawks in the second period before Radko Gudas' deflected shot found the net in the middle of the third.

"You can see all the guys buying in and pulling together," Gudas said. "It's a great feeling to be around this team right now. Even if you get down one goal, we're coming back. You've got that feeling inside that we're working hard to come back."

The most impressive aspect of the surge is that Voracek has been sidelined for the last nine with a left foot injury. He has been cleared to play and was a full participant in practice Friday, but coach Dave Hakstol said Voracek will be a game-time decision.

Voracek, who has four goals and eight assists during a seven-game point streak against the Penguins, made it sound as if he'll be in the lineup.

"I pushed it really hard," Voracek said. "It felt pretty good. Now I just have to find a way to help the team win a game."

The Flyers had won eight in a row against Pittsburgh (38-24-8) before Phil Kessel scored twice and Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist in the Penguins' 4-3 victory Jan. 21.

Pittsburgh is four points ahead of the Flyers in the wild-card standings. They'll also face each other April 3 and in the Penguins' regular-season finale April 9.

"You've got to be intense, and in a game like that the intensity is higher. The emotion is higher," Crosby told the team's official website. "You've got to raise your level as well, but at the same time just be disciplined and focus on playing the game. You've got to focus on playing the game and getting two points."

Pittsburgh is on a roll as well after beating Carolina 4-2 on Thursday for its fourth straight win. The streak started when Evgeni Malkin suffered an upper-body injury against Columbus on March 11. He'll be out at least another five weeks as the Penguins try to pass the New York Islanders, who hold a one-point lead for the Metropolitan Division's last automatic playoff berth.

The Penguins rallied from a two-goal deficit Thursday, just as they did in the last meeting with the Flyers.

"It should be a good game," forward Carl Hagelin said. "We're right there with each other and both teams are looking to get two points, and hopefully we get them."

Marc-Andre Fleury has a 1.75 goals-against average in his last eight starts and should be in net for this one, although he has a 4.20 GAA in his last six against the Flyers.

It's unclear if Steve Mason or Michal Neuvirth will get the nod for Philadelphia.

The Flyers will be without forward Chris VandeVelde after he was suspended two games for elbowing Chicago's Jonathan Toews in the head.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hurricanes (31-27) at Wild (32-28)

Date: March 19, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

Frustrated and embarrassed, the Minnesota Wild must find a way to move on from a rough finish to their latest road trip.

A visit from the Carolina Hurricanes might help.

Looking to avoid a third consecutive loss overall and at home, the Wild try to continue their success against the Hurricanes on Saturday.

Minnesota (32-28-11) opened a three-game trip with a 4-1 victory over Montreal last Saturday, but things got worse from there. The Wild allowed the tying goal with 7.1 seconds left in regulation of a 3-2 overtime defeat to Ottawa on Tuesday and on Thursday, they yielded their highest goal total of the season in a 7-4 loss to New Jersey.

"We're right in the race for a playoff spot, and games like that, they can't happen," forward Nino Niederreiter told the Wild's official website.

Just behind Colorado for the second wild-card spot, Minnesota has gone 1-3-1 in its last five and threw up a major red flag with Thursday's performance.

"It's hard to say anything after a game like that," forward Erik Haula said. "It wasn't anything at all what we wanted. I thought we got better in the end but it wasn't even close to what we want to bring."

The Wild certainly weren't focused in the first period as the Devils chased Devan Dubnyk with three goals on eight shots.

"You start with the first goal, and the second and third, we just weren't good enough in front of the net," said Niederreiter, who has scored in three consecutive games to equal his career high of 37 points. "It's game (71) ... have to make sure we battle those."

Minnesota hasn't had much trouble containing Carolina, giving up nine goals during a five-game winning streak. Dubnyk is 1-1-1 with a 3.50 goals-against average in his last four starts, but beat the Hurricanes (31-27-13) for a fourth straight time by making 37 saves in a 3-2 overtime victory Nov. 12.

Carolina has totaled five goals in going 0-1-2 since opening its five-game trip with a 3-2 overtime victory over Boston last Thursday. The Hurricanes scored the first two goals against Pittsburgh on Thursday, but went on to a 4-2 loss that ended their six-game point streak.

"We were just trying to get pucks to the net," rookie forward Phillip Di Giuseppe said. "We had a good start, and we should have fed better off that."

Carolina is six points behind Detroit for the final wild-card spot with multiple teams to pass.

"Next game is huge for us," Di Giuseppe said. "This is our first (regulation) loss since the (trade) deadline. It wasn't the result we wanted, but we'll come back stronger in the next game."

Di Giuseppe has three of his seven career goals on this trip, and six points in six games.

Eddie Lack made 44 saves in his second straight start Thursday. He's faced at least 30 shots each time while going 1-1-2 with a 2.70 GAA this month.

Though the Hurricanes are 0 for 7 on the power play in two games, they've killed 19 of 20 penalties over the last nine.

Minnesota went 2 for 3 with the man advantage against the Devils but is 0 for 11 in three March home contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (40-23) at Sharks (39-25)

Date: March 19, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

Fuming following a loss reminiscent of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers must refocus on their current battle for playoff positioning.

The star goaltender can put the rough night behind him by beating a team he has dominated in the past.

Lundqvist looks to end his March struggles and help the Rangers solidify their hold on second place in the Metropolitan Division when they visit the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

New York (40-23-8) was denied a second straight win on its three-game California trip and had to settle for one point Thursday in a 4-3 overtime loss to Los Angeles.

The Rangers extended their road point streak to five games and have gone 8-2-2 in their last 12 away from home, but they blew a 3-1 third-period lead and a controversial non-call contributed to the disheartening defeat.

Lundqvist felt he was interfered with by the Kings' Tyler Toffoli on Anze Kopitar's tying goal with 4:10 to play, though coach Alain Vigneault's challenge was denied. Kopitar then scored in overtime to drop New York to 3-3-2 this month.

'I'm so frustrated right now, I don't even know where to begin,' Lundqvist said.

Lundqvist made 33 saves but suffered his fourth consecutive loss - this one similar to Game 2 of the 2014 final at Los Angeles, in which a controversial goal scored after Lundqvist might have been interfered with led to a 5-4 double-overtime defeat. That put the Kings up 2-0 in the series, which they won in five games.

"We got three points out of four in two of the toughest buildings in the league (also Anaheim on Wednesday)," Vigneault told the team's official website. "We battled real hard. I thought we did what we had to do to come out of here with two points. I'm real proud of how we competed. That's a real good team over there."

Lundqvist is 0-2-2 with a 3.76 goals-against average in March. He didn't play in a 4-0 win over the Sharks on Oct. 19, New York's third straight in the series, but has gone 2-1-0 with a 0.67 GAA in his last three starts against them. The most recent was a 30-save effort in a 3-1 victory at San Jose on Jan. 10, 2015.

The Rangers are three points up on the Islanders for second place, though the Islanders, who also play Saturday, have two games in hand.

San Jose (39-25-6) has no worries about an automatic playoff spot in the Pacific, holding a 15-point lead over Arizona for third place, but the Sharks are also pushing Anaheim for second.

After beating Washington and Boston in a three-day span at home, the Sharks fell 3-1 to the Coyotes on the road Thursday after having two early goals waved off.

Dainius Zubrus' first-period score was nixed by a reviewed offside call and Chris Tierney's goal in the second was disallowed due to a kicking motion.

'It's a little frustrating when you're happy you scored and two times they cancel it,' said forward Tomas Hertl, who scored his first goal in seven games. 'But it was probably the right call and we should score a couple more goals.'

San Jose has averaged 3.5 goals during a 9-3-3 stretch at home.

Martin Jones made 24 saves but allowed four goals Oct. 19 in his only career appearance against the Rangers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Devils (34-30) at Blue Jackets (28-34)

Date: March 19, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

A stunning offensive outburst has the New Jersey Devils feeling better about their unlikely postseason chances, but getting there probably means solving an unexpected nemesis.

The last-place Columbus Blue Jackets go for their sixth straight win over the Devils when they open a weekend home-and-home set in Columbus on Saturday night.

New Jersey (34-30-7) followed Monday's 7-1 loss at Anaheim with a season-high goal total in Thursday's 7-4 win over Minnesota.

Devante Smith-Pelly scored his fifth and sixth goals since New Jersey acquired him from Montreal at the trade deadline, and Mike Sislo and Adam Henrique each added two.

Smith-Pelly has provided punch to the league's lowest-scoring team with six goals and three assists in seven games with the Devils. He had six each in 46 with the Canadiens.

He's helped New Jersey to three wins in four games, keeping it within six points of Detroit for the Eastern Conference's final wild-card spot. The Devils had scored nine goals in five games before Thursday.

'There is no quit in this team,' Henrique said. 'Obviously there is still a shot. We'll just keep finding ways to keep putting points up.'

The Devils' final nine games aren't easy, and that includes the two matchups with Columbus (28-34-8). The Blue Jackets extended their series win streak to five with three regulation victories this season, the latest a 6-1 home rout Feb. 25.

Sergei Bobrovsky has won four straight over New Jersey after making 50 saves and allowing two goals in the first two wins. He's posted a 1.50 goals-against average in those four contests.

However, Bobrovsky has struggled this month since returning from a groin injury, losing all three of his starts with a 3.38 GAA. He hasn't won since Dec. 5 and has posted a 3.82 mark in his last five starts, allowing three goals on 22 shots in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Red Wings.

While the Devils are hitting their stride, the Blue Jackets are skidding with three straight defeats to fall to 1-3-0 on their five-game homestand. They averaged 3.5 goals during a 5-2-1 stretch but have followed with three total during their losing streak.

Coach John Tortorella mixed up his lines against Detroit, moving Boone Jenner to center on the top line between Brandon Saad and Cam Atkinson. Brandon Dubinsky rotated from center to wing on the second line with Alexander Wennberg and rookie Oliver Bjorkstrand.

Wennberg scored with one minute left Thursday as the Blue Jackets narrowly averted being shut out for the second straight time. They lost 4-0 to Tampa Bay on Sunday.

'I didn't think we played poorly, and I don't think we were lazy,' Tortorella said. 'On the other hand, I don't think we played that well. And I don't think we played that hard. We were kind of caught in between.'

Columbus will look for an offensive jolt against a struggling goaltender. New Jersey's Keith Kinkaid has allowed 10 goals in the last two games, getting pulled against the Ducks before benefiting from the Devils' offensive outburst against the Wild.

The Blue Jackets beat Kinkaid three times on 13 shots in February after he replaced No. 1 goalie Cory Schneider, who is sidelined with a sprained right knee.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canadiens (33-32) at Senators (33-31)

Date: March 19, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The amount of games to make the playoffs are dwindling for both the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, and the Atlantic Division rivals have failed to generate any consistent momentum for a push ahead of Saturday night's critical game in Ontario's capital.

The Senators (33-30-8) were denied a third straight win after losing 3-1 at Buffalo on Friday. They conceded a pair of goals around Alex Chiasson's tally in the first 8:17 of the contest and failed to help themselves by playing short-handed for more than half of the final 7:03.

"We need more pride; need to battle a little hard," Chiasson told the team's official website. "We're fighting for our life, our playoff hope. Not the effort that's demanded of us. We should expect more from ourselves."

Ottawa's power play again sputtered, going 0 for 4 to extend its man-advantage drought to 21 chances over the last eight games. The Senators had killed all 11 penalties over the previous four games before yielding a power-play goal 2:07 into Friday night's defeat.

'Not good enough,' said goaltender Craig Anderson, echoing Chiasson's sentiments. 'Bottom line is we didn't get two points and that's what we needed.'

The Senators are seven points behind Detroit for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with 10 games remaining.

While Ottawa was unable to extend its winning streak, Montreal (33-32-6) avoided a third straight loss by defeating Buffalo 3-2 in overtime Wednesday. Paul Byron's winning goal deflected off the stick of a Sabres defenseman to make sure Ben Scrivens' season-high 41 saves didn't go for naught.

"We played with a lot of emotion last game, which is an encouraging sign," forward Lars Eller said after practice Friday. "It's nice to see everyone not backing off."

Coach Michel Therrien rewarded Scrivens with another start, which will be his first against Ottawa since a 4-3 overtime loss Nov. 13, 2014, playing for Edmonton. Scrivens is 2-2-1 with a 2.39 goals-against average in five lifetime starts versus the Senators.

Montreal's postseason situation is as dire as Ottawa's, entering this game nine points behind Detroit. The Canadiens will be without P.K. Subban - second on the team with 51 points - for both their games this weekend as Therrien ruled his top defenseman out as he continues to recover from a neck injury suffered March 10.

The Habs' defense corps took another hit Friday when Mark Barberio was ruled out due to concussion-like symptoms.

Montreal has taken five of six possible points this season between the teams after a 3-1 victory in the most recent meeting Dec. 12. The Canadiens tied a franchise record with 27 first-period shots before chasing Anderson in the second.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau has scored three of Ottawa's four goals in the season series, one in each game, and the Senators are 0 for 7 on the power play versus the Habs.