Sunday 12/6/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 11:30

Bologna

v

Napoli

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		13/2	10/3	9/20	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BOLOGNA	RECENT FORM
AWHLHWAWHDAL​ Most recent​	2 - 2 0 - 3 2 - 0 0 - 2	ADHWHWAWAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Napoli have kept clean sheets in their last five Serie A away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Napoli took over at the summit by winning 2-1 at home to title rivals Inter on Monday and can cap off a perfect week by beating lowly Bologna at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara. The Partenopei have won 12 of their last 13 matches and haven't conceded on their Serie A travels since a 2-2 draw at Empoli in mid-September.

RECOMMENDATION: Napoli
1

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup TODAY 12:00

Rochdale

v

Bury

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		5/4	12/5	21/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ROCHDALE	RECENT FORM
HWHLHLAWALHW​ Most recent​	1 - 0 1 - 1 3 - 0 3 - 0	HWHWALHWHLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Rochdale have lost just three of their ten home league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Just seven miles and three points in League One separate these rivals so expect a hotly-contested cup clash. Dale have not lost in the last six meetings though and boast a good recent home record. Bury are on a four-match losing run away from home and that looks set to continue.

RECOMMENDATION: Rochdale
3


REFEREE: Darren Drysdale STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Championship TODAY 13:15

Sheff Wed

v

Derby

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		23/10	23/10	11/8	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SHEFF WED	RECENT FORM
HWHDALHWADAL​ Most recent​	0 - 0 0 - 1 2 - 2 0 - 0	AWHWHWALHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Derby have lost only two league games this season

EXPERT VERDICT: After a frustrating start, Derby are beginning to show why bookmakers chalked them up as pre-season title favourites. However, suprise package Sheffield Wednesday should give them a run for their money. The vibrant Owls have flourished under Carlos Carvalhal and look genuine playoff contenders.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
2


REFEREE: Graham Scott STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 14:00

Fiorentina

v

Udinese

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		4/9	7/2	13/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT FIORENTINA	RECENT FORM
HWAWAWHDADAD​ Most recent​	3 - 0 2 - 1 2 - 0 2 - 1	ALHDALHWAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Fiorentina are unbeaten in their last seven fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: Successive league wins have lifted Udinese into mid-table but their mini-revival may grind to a halt in Florence. Three of Udinese's six Serie A wins have been on their travels but they have lost on their last eight trips to the Artemio Franchi stadium, where Fiorentina have dropped just five points this term.

RECOMMENDATION: Fiorentina to win 2-0
1

 

[superbeets]

German Bundesliga TODAY 14:30

Stuttgart

v

W Bremen

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		Evs	11/4	5/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT STUTTGART	RECENT FORM
ALAWHWALHLAL​ Most recent​	3 - 2 1 - 1 1 - 4 4 - 1	AWHWHLAWALHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Stuttgart have conceded 16 goals in their last five games

EXPERT VERDICT: The Stuttgart defence has taken a hammering in recent weeks and they look too short against Bremen. The visitors are also struggling at the back but ten of their 13 Bundesliga points have come on the road and they look capable of beating their troubled opponents.

RECOMMENDATION: Bremen
1

 

[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga TODAY 15:00

Villarreal

v

R. Vallecano

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS3		4/7	14/5	11/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT VILLARREAL	RECENT FORM
AWALHDHWALAL​ Most recent​	4 - 2 4 - 0 2 - 0 2 - 1	HWALHWADHLHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Villarreal’s 13 league matches this season have produced just eight first-half goals

EXPERT VERDICT: Generally poor travellers, Rayo snapped a three-game road losing streak with a 1-1 draw at Getafe and they can snatch a point at El Madrigal. Villarreal, who had a luckless trip north to Huesca in the Copa del Rey on Thursday, have won only one of their last seven in the league and have stopped scoring.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[iwmore]

Cousin sal?
Green3ye5?
Tia

 

[iwmore]

Brandon watson?

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Leafs G Reimer out two games
By The Sports Xchange

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer has been ruled out for the next two games and is day-to-day after re-aggravating an injury, head coach Mike Babcock said Saturday.
Reimer missed nine days with a lower-body injury before returning Thursday against the Minnesota Wild, making 27 saves in a 1-0 loss. Babcock said Reimer re-aggravated the injury during the game.
Goalie Garret Sparks was set to start Saturday night's game against the St. Louis Blues as the Leafs conclude a three-game road trip.
Toronto recalled goalie Antoine Bibeau from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League on Friday and he backed up Sparks.
Goaltender Jonathan Bernier remains on a conditioning assignment with the Marlies after struggling for the first two months of the season. He made 22 saves in a 4-0 win against Rochester on Friday and was expected to start for the Marlies against Manitoba on Saturday.

---The Dallas Stars assigned right winger Brett Ritchie to the Texas Stars of the AHL.
Ritchie, 22, began the season on the injured non-roster list after undergoing wrist surgery prior to training camp. As a rookie for Dallas in 2014-15, he posted nine points (six goals, three assists) in 31 games played.
Ritchie appeared in 33 regular-season games for Texas last season, recording 21 points (14 goals, seven assists). In three Calder Cup playoff games, he had one goal and one assist.

---The Buffalo Sabres recalled forward Cal O'Reilly from the Rochester Americans of the AHL.
O'Reilly, 29, joins the Sabres for his first recall of the 2015-16 season. The Toronto native leads Rochester with 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 21 games this season and has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in his last six contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (13-12) at Blackhawks (13-9)

Date: December 06, 2015 5:00 PM EDT

Patrick Kane's stance regarding his impressive point streak has remained consistent, as he says the only thing he's worried about is helping the Chicago Blackhawks win.

His production hasn't been enough lately, though.

Kane can set the franchise record by picking up a point in his 22nd consecutive game as the Blackhawks look to end a three-game skid against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.

The streak began with a goal against Columbus on Oct. 17, and he tied Bobby Hull's 21-game team record with a goal and two assists Thursday against Ottawa.

Kane has 13 goals and 22 assists during his run and has scored in three straight, but the Blackhawks (13-9-4) have gone 0-1-2 in that stretch.

"It's one of those things I'm not too worried about when I'm playing the game," Kane said. "I guess when you're tied for anything with Bobby Hull it's pretty special considering the career that guy had. Like I said, I'm not too worried about it."

Chicago rallied from a two-goal deficit against the Senators behind Kane and a goal and two assists from Artemi Panarin, but it allowed Mike Hoffman's goal 30 seconds into overtime of a 4-3 loss.

Kane, Panarin and Artem Anisimov were the only forwards to get on the score sheet, and that line has been the only one playing well consistently. Captain Jonathan Toews doesn't have a point in his last four, and Teuvo Teravainen hasn't scored in 10 straight.

"It's another example of a game where we had spurts where we controlled the game," Toews said. "It's not fun to lose those games, especially when we're playing pretty good hockey. It's just little defensive letdowns that are costing us points the last little while."

Bryan Bickell, who is making $4 million this season, didn't have a point in seven games and passed through waivers before being sent to the AHL. He's been playing well in the minors, and coach Joel Quenneville hinted Bickell could be recalled before this contest after Viktor Tikhonov was placed on waivers.

Kane scored in a 3-1 loss to Winnipeg on Oct. 29 as the Jets improved to 5-1-1 against the Blackhawks since 2014.

Former Chicago forward Andrew Ladd and Mark Scheifele scored in that matchup, and they also had goals in Saturday's 2-1 win over Washington. Scheifele's goal with 19.9 seconds remaining in overtime sent the Jets (13-12-2) to their third victory in four games.

"We're close to a real good understanding of how we want to play and how it's supposed to look," coach Paul Maurice said. "More importantly for everyone, we understand it's never going to get easy."

Blake Wheeler, who scored in the first meeting with the Blackhawks, had an assist to give him five along with a goal during a six-game point streak. Ladd has a goal in three straight.

"We're getting better," Ladd said. "Over the last stretch of hockey we've played, defensively we're getting stronger and we know we have the guys up front that can put the puck in the net."

Michael Hutchinson has done a great job of keeping it out of Winnipeg's net when he faces Chicago. He's 4-0-1 with a 1.19 goals-against average in his career against the Blackhawks and is expected to start this matchup.

Corey Crawford will get the nod for Chicago. He's 2-3-0 with a 3.06 GAA in his last five against the Jets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (13-12) at Hurricanes (9-13)

Date: December 06, 2015 5:00 PM EDT

There's a good chance coach Dave Tippett didn't come into the season believing Max Domi would be his most consistent player offensively.

Now he's wondering where the Arizona Coyotes would be without the standout rookie.

Arizona has lost three straight both to the Carolina Hurricanes and overall to begin this five-game trip, and it will try to snap both streaks and stop the bleeding defensively Sunday.

Domi, the 12th overall pick of the 2013 draft, is pacing the Coyotes (13-12-1) with 10 goals and 23 points. He'd been more of a facilitator lately with five assists in his previous five, but he ended a nine-game drought without a goal by scoring two Friday.

No one else was able to get on the board, though, and Arizona fell 5-2 to Buffalo.

'We have too many people playing below par," Tippett said. "Max came out and really gave us a strong game. When players give you strong games like that it's too bad you can't find ways to make those count as wins."

The Coyotes have scored only five goals while dropping the first three of a five-game trip, but they've also given up five in each and have allowed at least that many seven times.

Mike Smith has been in goal for each game during the trip after winning his previous three starts. Domi scored in the first period Friday, but Arizona couldn't put Buffalo away.

It also was without Shane Doan for a sixth straight game because of a lower-body injury.

'When you are all over a team like that, you have to get on them and you have to keep going,' said Domi, who has a plus-5 rating despite the Coyotes being outscored by 10 goals on the season. 'As soon as you let them back in the game, the first doesn't mean much after that.'

The Hurricanes (9-13-4) were suffering through a three-game skid of their own heading into Saturday's matchup with first-place Montreal, but Jeff Skinner scored his second goal on the power play in the third period to give them a 3-2 victory.

Carolina lost 5-1 to New Jersey two nights prior.

'The win is big no matter what,' coach Bill Peters said. 'We needed to win. We didn't play well on our last out and we needed to bounce back. And credit to the guys, but we need to validate this win tomorrow (against Arizona).'

Joakim Nordstrom also scored Saturday, but it was Skinner's performance that stood out. Skinner had two goals in his previous 11 games combined, giving the two-time 30-goal scorer seven in 26 games.

'It's a good feeling,' Skinner said. 'It was going to be a big test. After last game we needed to bounce back. We needed to create some momentum for the next game and get on a bit of a roll. It's nice to roof one, especially when you haven't done one for a while. It's always a nice feeling, and I'll look to try and get some more of those.'

Skinner has scored twice in five career games against Arizona, which could have Smith in net again. Smith is 3-2-1 with a 2.14 goals against average in his last six against the Hurricanes, including a 2-1 shootout loss in the most recent meeting Feb. 5.

Carolina could counter with Eddie Lack after Ward made 36 saves Saturday. Lack, though, is 1-5-1 with a 3.57 GAA in seven starts this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Panthers (10-9) at Devils (11-10)

Date: December 06, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Though the NHL's oldest active player has been showing his age lately, the Florida Panthers have kept on rolling behind another of their veterans.

With Roberto Luongo expected back in net, the surging Panthers aim for a franchise-record sixth consecutive road win in Sunday night's matchup with a New Jersey Devils team that continues to struggle at home.

Strong performances from Luongo and fellow goaltender Al Montoya have been the constants during a five-game win streak in which Florida (13-9-4) has generated only 10 goals. The Panthers have surrendered just six, however, and earned their fourth one-goal win over the stretch with Friday's 2-1 shootout decision at Columbus.

Florida has a chance to sweep this five-game trip and can record its first six-game overall win streak since March 2-16, 2008. The Panthers have won five straight road games for the second time in club history.

"The confidence is building," forward Jaromir Jagr told the NHL's official website. "When you win some games, you believe in yourself more. Sometimes it's not pretty, but it's effective."

Montoya made 22 saves against Columbus after Luongo yielded one goal each in the three previous victories, giving him a 1.22 goals-against average over his last four outings.

"We've done a good job I think as far as our systems the last few games," Luongo said after Thursday's 2-1 win at Nashville. "Guys have been working hard and blocking shots and stuff like that. That's what it takes to win hockey games. You've got to pay the price for your team, and we're doing that right now."

The Panthers have been succeeding in spite of Jagr's recent slump. The 43-year-old, who'll play at the Prudential Center for the first time since being traded by the Devils to Florida on Feb. 26, has gone four straight without a point and has no goals over his last six.

Jagr remains one goal shy of matching Marcel Dionne (731) for fourth place on the NHL's career list.

Luongo is just 10-15-0 against New Jersey (13-10-3) and produced a 5.17 GAA in two losses last season, but he'll be facing a Devils team that's had problems scoring on home ice.

New Jersey's 2.00 goals per game at home ranks 29th in the NHL, and they've netted just seven over a 0-2-2 stretch there. The Devils did receive power-play scores from Kyle Palmieri and Mike Cammalleri in the third period of Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to Philadelphia, earning a point for the fourth time in five games.

'Philly played real well and we were not at our best, but we found a way to stay with it,' coach John Hynes said. 'That's a real good sign for our team.'

Cammalleri has three goals and two assists over the last two games and Palmieri three goals over the past four. Center Travis Zajac, fourth on the team with six goals, will miss a second straight game, however, with an upper-body injury sustained in Thursday's 5-1 win at Carolina.

Cory Schneider, Luongo's one-time teammate in Vancouver, looks to bounce back after permitting four goals on 25 shots against Philadelphia. He compiled a 1.83 GAA over his previous 13 starts, allowing two or less in 12.

Jagr had a goal and an assist as Florida snapped a three-game series skid with a 3-2 home win in last season's finale on April 11.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Senators (11-7) at Rangers (16-7)

Date: December 06, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

One of Alain Vigneault's ideas while searching for a way to snap the New York Rangers out of their recent funk was moving star rookie Oscar Lindberg to the top line.

Lindberg may find himself in that group as the Rangers go for only their second win in seven games Sunday night against the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden.

New York (17-7-3) averaged 3.40 goals during a 13-1-1 stretch only to follow it by losing five of six (1-4-1) behind 1.67 per game. The Rangers fell 2-1 to Colorado on Thursday, a day after losing by the same score on the road to the rival Islanders.

The struggles have Vigneault considering shaking up the lines, most notably having Lindberg center the top line with star right wing Rick Nash and left wing Chris Kreider.

Lindberg has been a pleasant surprise with 10 goals, tying Arizona's Max Domi for second in the NHL among rookies and one behind Detroit's Dylan Larkin.

"I'm not 100 percent sure we're going to go this way (Sunday), but I do think Oscar has played well and he seems to feel more and more comfortable with more responsibilities," Vigneault said. "If we do decide to go this route, those are two pretty good players that might be a good fit for him."

Lindberg has three goals in five games, including New York's lone tally against the Avalanche. However, Nash hasn't scored in four games after finding the net six times in the previous four, while Kreider has one goal in his last 10.

Kreider, though, has six points in his last five meetings with the Senators (14-7-5) after scoring four times in the past four. That includes a first-period goal in a 2-1 shootout win at Ottawa on Nov. 14.

Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves and turned aside two attempts in the tiebreaker in that contest. He owns a 2.13 goals-against average in his last 13 meetings at MSG, including the playoffs, but has just a 3-8-2 record.

Lundqvist, who is 8-2-1 with a 2.03 GAA at home this season, should be back in net after backup Antti Raanta made 16 saves Thursday.

The Senators, 7-3-1 on the road, have won six of their last eight overall while averaging 3.88 goals.

Erik Karlsson leads all NHL defensemen with 32 points and has 20 over the past 12 games, including three in each of the last two - both wins. His third point Saturday was an overtime goal to cinch a 3-2 win over the Islanders. That came after he assisted on Mike Hoffman's tying goal with 37 seconds left in regulation.

"We found a way to get it tied late and the guy on my team that hates 3-on-3 the worst enjoyed it," coach Dave Cameron said.

Karlsson, who won his second Norris Trophy last season, has four points in his last 12 against the Rangers, including the 2012 playoffs, but did score against them last month.

Hoffman has just one goal in seven career meetings with New York, but he enters this one with a team-leading 14 after scoring once Saturday. The left wing has nine goals over the past seven games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sabres (10-12) at Oilers (8-15)

Date: December 06, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

As they anxiously await Connor McDavid's return, Edmonton Oilers fans can at least catch a glimpse of this season's other heralded rookie for one night.

The Oilers try to slow down Jack Eichel and a rejuvenated Buffalo Sabres' offense when the rebuilding teams square off Sunday night.

The anticipated first showdown between the top two picks of the 2015 draft will be delayed as McDavid continues his recovery from a fractured clavicle suffered Nov. 3. The 18-year-old phenom is expected back well ahead of the Oilers' visit to Buffalo on March 1.

Edmonton (10-15-2) lost eight of its first 10 following McDavid's injury but has been better of late, largely due to Anders Nilsson's emergence into the No. 1 goaltender's role.

Nilsson has been terrific in the first two tests of Edmonton's five-game homestand, shutting down two of the league's highest-scoring teams. After making 38 saves in Wednesday's 3-2 shootout victory over Boston, the Swede stopped 42 shots and Jordan Eberle scored 45 seconds into overtime in a 2-1 win over Dallas on Friday.

'If Anders wasn't the first, second and third star, he should have been,' coach Todd McLellan said. 'It was a hell of a performance. He stole the game.'

Nilsson owns a 1.69 goals-against average while starting seven of the last eight games for Edmonton, seeking its first three-game win streak since it had a healthy McDavid from Oct. 17-21.

'We just want to keep rolling," Eberle said. "We played a good game against Boston and got the points. We didn't play our best (Friday), but we found a way to win.'

Nilsson's next challenge comes from a Sabres' offense that's come to life after struggling for much of November. Buffalo (11-12-3) mustered seven goals during a six-game skid from Nov. 14-25 but has since totaled 17 while going 3-0-1.

'It seems like yesterday we were answering questions on if we're getting frustrated or not, so it's nice to have (some goals),' forward Sam Reinhart said. 'Once we get a couple, it comes in a wave, and hopefully we can continue for as long as possible and start building up.'

Eichel, taken one spot behind McDavid, is tied for the team lead with eight goals but has just one during a surge that's been led by Reinhart and Evander Kane.

Kane recorded a second straight multigoal effort in Friday's 5-2 home win over Arizona. Reinhart, the 2014 No. 2 overall pick, has three goals in three games since being placed alongside Kane and center Ryan O'Reilly on the top line.

Young defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has stepped up as well, generating 13 points over a 13-game stretch. The Sabres also have received improved goaltending from Chad Johnson, who has won his last three starts while stopping 77 of 81 shots.

Johnson hasn't faced the Oilers since beating them twice while with Boston in 2013-14, turning aside 61 of 63 shots and posting one of his three career shutouts.

Nilsson has won both of his starts against Buffalo, each coming while with the New York Islanders in 2013-14.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (13-9) at Ducks (9-12)

Date: December 06, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

If one win isn't enough for Bruce Boudreau to think the Anaheim Ducks are improving, perhaps a rare victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins could change his mind.

Still in search of some consistency, the Ducks will try to win back-to-back games for just the second time this season Sunday night against the Penguins.

Anaheim (10-12-5) had the most points in the Western Conference last season but isn't anywhere close to contending for that status in 2015-16 after putting together a 5-5-3 stretch following a season-high four-game winning streak.

That run Nov. 1-7 is the last time Anaheim managed to string together at least two wins, and the Ducks have a chance to do it again after a 1-0 win over San Jose on Friday.

"We can't rest on our laurels that we won one game in a row," Boudreau said. "The NHL is about winning and winning every day. We have to play a better game (Sunday) than we did (Friday).

"We gotta keep the same mentality that we had. Sometimes we've been a group that's been satisfied with mediocrity. We want to become a group that's only satisfied with perfection. That's where winning two, three, four multiple games in a row is going to take place."

The Ducks have dropped four straight against Pittsburgh (14-8-2) and are 2-7-1 in the last 10 meetings.

John Gibson lost his only start versus the Penguins, stopping 33 shots in a 6-4 road loss Oct. 9. He'll likely get the nod again with Frederik Andersen dealing with the flu.

Anaheim is looking to jump-start its struggling power play, which has converted just 1 of 14 chances through the first four of a six-game homestand after going 7 for 19 over the previous six contests.

Corey Perry has scored eight of his team-high nine goals at home. He went without a point against the Sharks after collecting seven goals in six games. He has 11 goals and three assists in 11 career matchups with the Penguins, including six goals during a three-game scoring streak in the series.

The Penguins, who have dropped four of five on the road, gave up the first three goals and were outshot 37-20 in Saturday's 5-3 defeat at Los Angeles.

"I don't think we were good enough as a team," said defenseman Olli Maatta, who had a goal Friday in his return from a six-game absence due to an upper-body injury. "Everybody has to do a better job of competing and winning those puck battles."

Sidney Crosby has put together a strong stretch with four goals and as many assists in the past seven games - one fewer point than his total through the first 18 contests.

The star center has 12 points in nine career meetings with the Ducks, scoring all six of his goals in the last five matchups.

Evgeni Malkin is aiming to bounce back from one of his worst efforts of the season. He failed to get a point for just the second time in eight games and was a minus-3 against the Kings. He had 13 points, including eight goals, over the previous seven games to vault himself among the NHL's scoring leaders with 12 tallies.

Malkin has seven points in his last five games against Anaheim, including four points in his last two visits to Honda Center.

"Those are the guys if you can play a really good defensive game against them, you can play a good defensive game against any body," defenseman Hampus Lindholm said of trying to shut down Crosby and Malkin.

"It's a fun challenge and I'm ready for it."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lightning (12-11) at Kings (15-8)

Date: December 06, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

Jon Cooper hasn't been home to celebrate his new contract extension, but the Tampa Bay coach will gladly take the road victories that have helped the Lightning get on track.

The Los Angeles Kings don't plan on letting them end an impressive streak.

Tampa Bay looks to sweep its three-game trip through California by snapping the Kings' five-game home winning streak Sunday night.

Cooper, whose contract was set to expire following the season, inked a multiyear deal Friday after negotiations began in the offseason following a run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Tampa (13-11-3) got off to a rough start to 2015-16 but has won five of seven despite playing without Tyler Johnson, who has missed the last three with an undisclosed injury. Jonathan Marchessault got the deciding goal in Wednesday's 2-1 win over Anaheim before Nikita Kucherov scored twice in Saturday's 4-3 win over San Jose.

Brian Boyle and Eric Condra also scored for the Lightning, who have won all five of their games against the Pacific Division. They had just two goals in each of their previous four.

"You look at the positives. We killed off five penalties," Cooper said. "(Steven) Stamkos is not usually on the PK but he's doing it. A lot of guys are doing things they don't normally do. We are going to have to grind this season out. We have no margin for error."

Marchessault scored in the shootout to help the Lightning beat the Kings 2-1 on Nov. 25 and snap a three-game losing streak in the series. They haven't won in Los Angeles since 2009, and ending that drought might be difficult.

The Kings (16-8-1) are looking to close out a perfect four-game homestand before hitting the road for 10 of their next 11. They got two goals from Milan Lucic and a goal and two assists from defenseman Jake Muzzin in Saturday's 5-3 win over Pittsburgh.

Christian Ehrhoff and Drew Doughty also scored for Los Angeles, which got three goals from defensemen for the first time since 2007.

"I think we don't get much respect in those terms," coach Darryl Sutter said of his defensemen's offensive talents. "Everybody just talks about Drew, and it just goes down from there. It's something that even after last season we felt that we were top-10 in production from our defense, and that's what we expect."

The Kings weren't too thrilled about allowing three goals on just 20 shots after giving up fewer than that in each of their previous four.

"As long as we keep finding ways to win, that's what we've got to do," Muzzin said. "Everyone (on the defense) is playing well. Maybe the personnel isn't as highly touted, but the way we play and our character back there is the same."

Jonathan Quick has been in net for each game on the homestand, but Jhonas Enroth could get the nod to complete the back-to-back set. Enroth is 3-1-0 with a 1.26 goals-against average in four starts this season.

Ben Bishop started Saturday for the Lightning but left with 11:10 remaining after taking a stick to the face. Andrei Vasilevskiy came on and stopped six of eight shots.

Even if Bishop hadn't gotten hurt, Vasilevskiy likely would have been in net for this contest. He has a 2.44 GAA in five starts since coming off injured reserve.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Arizona won its last five games, allowing six goals.
-- Senators won six of their last eight games.
-- Sabres, Edmonton both won three of their last four games.
-- Tampa Bay won five of last seven games. Los Angeles won three of last four.

Cold teams
-- Jets lost five of their last six road games. Chicago lost five of its last seven, with three of five losses in OT/SO.
-- Arizona lost its last three games, outscored 15-5. Carolina lost eight of its last ten games.
-- New Jersey lost six of its last nine games.
-- Rangers lost five of their last six games.
-- Pittsburgh, Anaheim are both 4-5 in their last nine games.

Series records
-- Winnipeg won its last four visits to Chicago.
-- Coyotes lost their last three games with Carolina.
-- Devils won five of last seven games with Florida.
-- Rangers won five of last seven games with Ottawa.
-- Oilers won three of last four games with Buffalo.
-- Ducks lost their last four games with Pittsburgh.
-- Kings won six of last eight games with Tampa Bay.

Totals
-- Three of last four Winnipeg games went over total.
-- Five of last six Arizona games went over the total.
-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Florida games.
-- Six of last eight Ottawa-Ranger games stayed under.
-- Last four Edmonton games stayed under the total.
-- Last three Anaheim games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in last four Los Angeles games.

Back-to-backs
-- Winnipeg is 2-3 if it played the night before.
-- Carolina is 1-2 if it played the night before.
-- Ottawa is 1-2 if it played the night before.
-- Lightning is 1-3 if it played the night before; Kings are 3-0.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Suns (8-12) at Grizzlies (11-9)

Date: December 06, 2015 3:30 PM EDT

Being better at closing out tight games is a big reason the Memphis Grizzlies haven't lost to the Phoenix Suns over the past two seasons.

It's something that also cost Phoenix dearly this week.

Memphis looks to regroup from one of its worst performances by winning an eighth straight matchup with the Suns, who enter FedEx Forum on Sunday mired in a three-game losing streak comprised of down-to-the wire defeats.

The Grizzlies (11-9) would be very happy with how things were going if not for their archnemesis. The Grizzlies have won eight of 11, but two of the losses were to San Antonio - against whom they have a 2-12 record starting with the 2013 Western Conference finals.

Memphis was handed its most lopsided defeat in a month with a 103-83 home loss to the Spurs on Thursday.

"Even though it is December, you still want to try to set a precedent heading towards the New Year," forward Matt Barnes said. "But, we've still got a lot of time, and we're going to get our stuff together."

While letting the Spurs shoot 50.0 percent, the Grizzlies were held below 40.0 for the first time in 11 games. They fell to 0-5 when that happens and 2-7 when not surpassing their season average of 20.7 assists.

"We've got to move the ball better," said Marc Gasol, who had 15 points after scoring a career-high 38 in Tuesday's win at New Orleans. "We've got to move our bodies. We've got to run faster. We've got to get to the offense a little quicker. It's that simple. For us to be that efficient, we've got to run the floor, we've got to get more assists."

The Grizzlies also could use better 3-point shooting, ranking last in the West at 30.7 percent after going 2 of 16 on Thursday.

Phoenix (8-12) is among the league's best at 39.5 percent, but offense hasn't been the problem lately.

The Suns have lost seven of eight, giving up an average of 113.4 points and 44.1 percent from 3-point range. They've surrendered at least 30 points in the fourth quarter in all but one of those games.

Since winning in Toronto last Sunday to open a six-game road trip, Phoenix has lost the last three stops by a combined 11 points. The Suns blew a six-point lead in the final period in Brooklyn, fell in overtime at Detroit and wasted a 10-point advantage in the fourth of Friday's 109-106 defeat in Washington.

"We gotta finish games out at the end of the day," forward P.J. Tucker said. "That's three in a row we should have won."

There's been a similar problem when playing Memphis. The Suns led by seven with under two minutes to play in the last meeting but lost 102-101 on Feb. 2, and they dropped the previous matchup in double-overtime. Phoenix has held a second-half lead in all seven meetings since the beginning of 2013-14 but lost them all.

Mike Conley keyed last season's three-game sweep with an average of 24.0 points. The Grizzlies are 7-1 this season when he scores at least 17.

He could be headed for another big game against the Phoenix backcourt. An opposing guard has scored at least 29 in four of the past five games, including Washington's Bradley Beal and Detroit's Reggie Jackson with 34 apiece.

Starters Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, accounting for nearly 44 points per game this season, are minus-51 and minus-48, respectively, during Phoenix's 1-7 slump.

Center Tyson Chandler (hamstring) could miss a fifth straight game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lakers (3-16) at Pistons (11-9)

Date: December 06, 2015 6:00 PM EDT

As his farewell tour continues, Kobe Bryant returns to the site of one of the lower moments of his brilliant career.

Bryant will play his final game at the Palace of Auburn Hills when the Lakers reach the midway point of their eight-game road trip Sunday night against the Detroit Pistons.

Bryant's most memorable games in Detroit are ones he'd rather forget. In 2004, a Lakers team that included Shaquille O'Neal and Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton lost three straight there as the underdog Pistons won the NBA Finals in five. Bryant shot 32.2 percent in those three games.

The 37-year-old is 10-6 while averaging 23.1 points at the Palace during the regular season. His most recent trip was a mixed bag, as Bryant had 10 turnovers and went 4 of 11 from the field but posted 13 assists in a 106-96 win Dec. 2, 2014. He also had a career-high 11 turnovers there in 2008.

Bryant's 30.4 field goal percentage remains the lowest among qualifying players this season, and he was 4 of 19 in a 14-point effort in Friday's 100-87 loss at Atlanta. The two-time scoring champion did turn back the clock two days earlier, amassing a season-high 31 points to help Los Angeles (3-16) halt a seven-game skid with a 108-104 victory at Washington.

Bryant also will make his last stops in Toronto and Minnesota on this eight-game trek that began Tuesday in his home city of Philadelphia.

'Even though my body is sore, this moment is not coming again," he said. "Pulling up to the arena, getting ready for the game. It's not going to happen again. Walking down the tunnel and so forth. It's important to enjoy these moments as much as possible.'

Los Angeles has won seven straight over Detroit (11-9) and six of seven on the road, though the resurgent Pistons figure to make it tough for that success to continue. Detroit is 7-2 at the Palace and looking to complete a perfect four-game homestand after beating Milwaukee 102-95 on Friday.

Reggie Jackson has ignited the three-game win streak by averaging 29.3 points and 9.7 assists. The Pistons are 7-0 when he has more than 20 points.

Jackson scored 23 on Friday and Andre Drummond grabbed 23 rebounds to go with 17 points for his league-high 18th double-double. Marcus Morris also had 23 points following a 24-point, 14-rebound performance against his former Phoenix team.

"We're really fortunate to have him," coach Stan Van Gundy said of Morris. "We thought he was good when we got him, and he's better than I thought he was. He can do a lot of things on the floor, he can shoot the ball, he can go after the three (and) he can pass."

The Lakers continue to receive up-and-down games from their expected future stars in this transitional season. Julius Randle totaled 15 points and a career-high 19 rebounds against Washington, but he was held to eight points on 3-of-12 shooting by the Hawks and grabbed just five boards. Rookie D'Angelo Russell combined seven turnovers with his first double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds versus Atlanta.

"It's still a learning curve for him," coach Byron Scott said of Russell. "Made some mistakes on both ends of the floor, but I thought offensively he seems to be more comfortable in what we're doing."

The Pistons, losers of 12 of 13 in the series, last defeated Los Angeles 88-85 on March 6, 2012.