Thursday 1/7/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

League One TODAY 19:45

Wigan

v

Gillingham

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		19/20	13/5	16/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WIGAN	RECENT FORM
ADHD*HLAWAWAD​ Most recent​	2 - 0 1 - 0 2 - 3 2 - 0	ADHLAWAWHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Wigan’s 11 home games have seen just 20 goals

EXPERT VERDICT: Gillingham are the second-highest scorers in League One but they may struggle to turn on the style in this clash of promotion hopefuls. Wigan have conceded just five goals at home in 11 league matches,although they have scored just 15 and this could be a tight affair.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup Fr 8Jan 19:55

Exeter

v

Liverpool

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BBC1		13/2	4	4/9	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT EXETER	RECENT FORM
HDHWHLALHLHL​ Most recent​	1 - 3 0 - 6	HDALHWAWALAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Exeter have won two of their last ten home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: You never quite know what to expect from Liverpool, but it’s hard to see them slipping up when they visit out-of-form mid-table League Two side Exeter. The Reds may have to bide their time, however, as their hosts will set up to frustrate and Jurgen Klopp is likely to make a raft of changes to his line-up.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw-Liverpool double result
1

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup Sa 9Jan 12:45

Wycombe

v

Aston Villa

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		12/5	11/5	6/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WYCOMBE	RECENT FORM
AWHDHWAWHWHL​ Most recent​	3 - 8 0 - 5	ADHLADHDALAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Aston Villa have won twice in 23 matches this season

EXPERT VERDICT: With just two wins all season and confidence on the floor, Aston Villa just have to be taken on at short odds. Wycombe’s run of five matches without defeat came to an end at home to Morecambe on Saturday and the Chairboys have peformed better on the road but can at least force a replay.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup Sa 9Jan 17:30

Man Utd

v

Sheff Utd

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		2/7	9/2	17/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN UTD	RECENT FORM
ALALHLALHDHW​ Most recent​	2 - 0 3 - 0 2 - 1 2 - 0	ADHWHWAWHWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Man United have won just one of their last five home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester United drew with Chelsea and followed up with a gritty win against Swansea last weekend but it’s too soon to tell if they have turned a corner and Sheffield United could give Louis van Gaal another headache. The Blades have a strong cup pedigree in recent seasons and look value to force a replay.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup Su 10Jan 12:00

Oxford

v

Swansea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BBC1		14/5	13/5	10/11	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT OXFORD	RECENT FORM
HWHDALHWADAW​ Most recent​	0 - 1 3 - 0 1 - 0 2 - 1	HLALHDHWADAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Swansea last scored a first-half away goal in August

EXPERT VERDICT: This will be a tricky FA Cup trip for Swansea as Oxford are flying high in League Two thanks to their resilient home form, conceding just eight goals in 12 games. In the League Cup, Oxford stuffed Brentford 4-0 and only lost 1-0 to a second-half strike at Sheffield Wednesday, so it’s unlikely to be a walkover.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup Su 10Jan 14:00

Chelsea

v

Scunthorpe

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		1/6	6	14	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CHELSEA	RECENT FORM
HWALHWHDADAW​ Most recent​	3 - 1 2 - 2 3 - 0	ADHWHLAWHDHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Scunthorpe have won just one of their last six League One games

EXPERT VERDICT: Chelsea were embarrassed by League One Bradford in last season’s FA Cup so the Blues will be on their guard even against a toothless Scunthorpe side. The Iron haven’t scored more than one goal in their last six League 1 games and it’s hard to see Chelsea being embarrassed again.

RECOMMENDATION: Chelsea to win 3-0
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Hyundai Champions

Tournament: Hyundai Tournament of Champions
Date: Jan. 7- Jan. 10
Venue: Kapalua Resort Plantation Course
Location: Kapalua, Hawaii

The golfers head to the beautiful Kapalua Resort Plantation Course for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on Thursday.

The Hyundai Tournament of Champions marks the unofficial start to the PGA Tour season. It is the calendar-year opening tournament and the golfers bring their best to the 7,411-yard course.

Ernie Els is the guy who has shot the best score in Kapalua, as he went -31 when he won in 2003. That score is the second lowest in the history of the PGA Tour behind the -33 that Steve Stricker shot at the 2009 Bob Hope Classic.

In 2015, Patrick Reed came away as the winner in Hawaii. Reed shot a -21 over the course of the weekend and will be going for his second straight victory beginning Thursday.

None of the players in this year’s field have won the event twice, but there is plenty of firepower in this year’s event. Both Jason Day and Jordan Spieth will be playing and this tournament is certainly going to be fun to watch.

Let’s now take a look at who might be coming away with the win in 2016:

Golfers to Watch

Jordan Spieth (4/1 - Spieth has played in just one official TOUR tournament this season, finishing T7 at the WGC-HSBC Champions. He now heads back to Kapalua, where he finished second in 2014. Spieth was unable to edge out Zach Johnson in that tournament and he will be hungry to earn a victory at this one. He can make a statement by winning the first tournament of the calendar year; especially considering the field includes Jason Day.

Jason Day (5/1) - Day came as close as could be to finishing the season as the world #1 in 2015 and he’ll be out to prove he is the best on Thursday. Day has had to battle with Spieth in the standings for over a year now and this tournament is going to be huge for both of them. Last year, Day shot a -20 over the weekend and finished T3 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He was two strokes away from winning and will be out to actually win it this week.

Zach Johnson (20/1) - Johnson has quietly been one of the more consistent golfers on the Tour and he is receiving some fantastic odds heading into this one. Johnson won this tournament back in 2014 and followed it up with a T7 finish in 2015. He knows this course well and is an outstanding value at 20/1 here. He is worth putting a unit or two on, as he is likely to be near the top of the leaderboard come Sunday.

Scott Piercy (60/1) - Unlike many of the golfers in this field, Piercy has already played in three official events and shot a -7 or better in all of them. Piercy finished T7 at the CIMB Classic on Oct. 29 and has had some success in Hawaii in his career. Piercy finished T12 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in 2012 and T13 in 2013. He could be worth throwing a unit on this weekend, as the payout would be huge for a guy that can really feel it up when he’s on.

Odds to win Hyundai Tournament of Champions

Jordan Spieth 4/1
Jason Day 5/1
Dustin Johnson 15/2
Bubba Watson 10/1
Patrick Reed 10/1
Rickie Fowler 10/1
Kevin Kisner 18/1
Brooks Koepka 20/1
Zach Johnson 20/1
Graeme McDowell 25/1
J.B. Holmes 25/1
Justin Thomas 25/1
Emiliano Grillo 30/1
Jimmy Walker 30/1
Russell Knox 30/1
Bill Haas 40/1
Brandt Snedeker 40/1
Chris Kirk 50/1
Danny Lee 50/1
David Lingmerth 60/1
Scott Piercy 60/1
Alex Cejka 80/1
Smylie Kaufman 80/1
James Hahn 90/1
Davis Love III 125/1
Padraig Harrington 125/1
Peter Malnati 125/1
Steven Bowditch 125/1
Fabian Gomez 150/1
J.J. Henry 150/1
Troy Merritt 175/1
Matt Every 200/1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

10 Players to Watch: Hyundai Tournament of Champions
The Sports Xchange's 10 Players to Watch: Hyundai Tournament of Champions

1. Jordan Spieth, United States -- Rory McIlroy warned Spieth that backing up his brilliant 2015 season won't be that easy, but the 22-year-old was still going strong last month, when he finished fourth in the Hero World Challenge. Spieth starts the year atop the World Golf Rankings after winning five times last year, including the Masters and the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. This is only his second start in the Hyundai TOC, but he took to the Plantation Course right away two years ago, when he finished second, one stroke behind Zach Johnson. Spieth was tied for the lead entering the final round and closed with a 4-under-par 69. However, he missed two birdie putts from about 6 feet down the stretch, and Johnson passed him with a 66.

2. Dustin Johnson, United States -- DJ is back in Kapalua after skipping the Hyundai Tournament of Champions last year while on a six-month leave of absence from the PGA Tour to take care of personal issues. He has used his prodigious length off the tee to great advantage at the Plantation Course, finishing in the top 10 in each of his past three appearances, including a victory in 2013. That title came on the strength of rounds of 69-68-66 that made him a winner by three shots over Steve Stricker when the tournament was limited to 54 holes because of inclement weather. Johnson had a chance to repeat in 2014 when he was tied for the lead entering the final round, but he closed with an even-par 73 and tied for sixth.

3. Jason Day, Australia -- If Day can shake off any rust that accumulated since he last played in the Presidents Cup in October, he should be a contender on the Plantation Course. He took time off for the birth of his second child, Lucy, after a season in which he won five times, including his first major title in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. No. 2 in the World Golf Rankings, he could push No. 1 Jordan Spieth at Kapalua, where he has finished in the top 10 in both of his previous appearances. Day closed with a brilliant 11-under 62 last year to finish one stroke out of the playoff in which Patrick Reed defeated Jimmy Walker, and he tied for ninth in 2011, bouncing back from a lackluster, even-par 73 in the first round.

4. Patrick Reed, United States -- The defending champion returns to the Plantation Course hoping to pick up right where he left off last month, when he finished second against a strong field in the unofficial Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, recording his sixth consecutive top-10 finish at the end of 2015. Last year at Kapalua, Reed rallied from four strokes behind with four holes to play in the final round, making two birdies and an 80-foot chip-in for eagle on the 16th hole to catch Walker before winning with an 18-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole. He joined Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy as the only players since 1990 to win four times by the age of 25, and Jordan Spieth would become a member of that club a few months later.

5. Rickie Fowler, United States -- Having risen to No. 6 in the World Golf Rankings while proving he could be a consistent winner by claiming three titles last year, including the Players Championship, Fowler starts a year in which his top goal is to claim his first major championship. This will be his second appearance in the Hyundai TOC. He tied for sixth two years ago when the tournament was shortened to 54 holes by stormy weather, bouncing back from a 1-over 74 in the second round with a closing 67. Fowler finished 2015 with more solid play, tying for 25th in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, tying for 17th in the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions and taking solo third in the Hero World Challenge.

6. Bubba Watson, United States -- One of the longest hitters in golf in addition to being one of the game's most talented shot-makers, Watson has what it takes to dominate on the spacious Plantation Course, but he has not quite done it yet. He has played in the Hyundai TOC at Kapalua four times previously and broke into the top 10 only in the last two, with a tie for fourth in the rain-shortened event in 2013 and solo 10th last year. However, the fourth-ranked Watson is coming off a victory in the Hero World Challenge last month after being a last-minute entry, and he also enjoyed a 2014-15 season in which he finished in the top three seven times -- including victories in the WGC-HSBC Championship and the Travelers Championship.

7. Zach Johnson, United States -- In addition to taming lengthy Augusta National with his straight and steady game to win the 2007 Masters, plus winning the Open Championship last year at St. Andrews, Johnson captured the Hyundai TOC on the spacious Plantation Course two years ago. He came from two strokes down by closing with a 6-under-par 67, carding four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine by hitting wedge shots close each time. He claimed a one-stroke victory over Jordan Spieth. Last year as defending champion, Johnson shared the 36-hole lead after opening with 68-67 before shooting even-par 73 and then finishing solo seventh following another 67. He is coming off a season in which he finished in the top 10 on 10 occasions, including his victory in the third major of the year.

8. Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland -- McDowell hopes to ride into the new year on the momentum of his third PGA Tour victory in the Mayakoba Classic in November and a solo third in the RSM Classic a week later. This could be the start of a resurgence for him after a two-year slump, which he attributes in part to neglecting his game a bit to get married and start a family. McDowell is making his second start in the Hyundai TOC, and he enjoyed the Plantation Course the first time around. He followed an opening 2-under-par 71 with 68-68-62 to wind up one stroke out of the playoff in which Jonathan Byrd beat Robert Garrigus in 2011. McDowell played so poorly for most of 2015 that he didn't make the FedEx Cup playoffs, and he bowed out of the Race to Dubai on the European Tour early.

9. Kevin Kisner, United States -- One of 14 first-time winners playing in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, Kisner made it to Kapalua with a resounding six-stroke victory in the RSM Classic in November after losing in playoffs at the RBC Heritage, the Players Championship and the Greenbrier Classic earlier in the year. He won the final event of the early portion of the 2015-16 schedule by playing the weekend in 64-64 after finishing second a few weeks earlier in the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in China. Kisner started the WGC event with 64-66 to take the 36-hole lead, but he closed with 70-70 to wind up two shots behind Martin Laird of Scotland. Those 1-2 finishes in the fall have lifted Kisner into the early lead in the FedEx Cup standings.

10. Jimmy Walker, United States -- Suddenly becoming a force on the PGA Tour by claiming his first five victories on the circuit after reaching the age of 33 in 2013, Walker seemed headed for another title when he held a five-stroke lead with five holes remaining in the 2015 Hyundai TOC. However, he made his first bogey in a span of 33 holes at No. 14, and Patrick Reed caught him with two birdies and an eagle down the stretch before winning with an 18-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole. Walker, who tied for 21st in his first appearance at Kapalua two years ago, bounced back the following week to win for the second straight year in the Sony Open in Hawaii, this time by nine strokes, and later in the year captured the Valero Texas Open.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (27-7) at Islanders (19-13)

Date: January 07, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Islanders closed the Nassau Coliseum with a playoff victory over the Washington Capitals. It was the Capitals, though, who eventually won the series and sent the Islanders packing to Brooklyn.

Washington now gets a look at the Islanders' new digs as the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division meet for the first time this season Thursday night.

New York beat the Capitals 3-1 in Game 6 of their opening-round playoff series April 25. That marked an emotional end to the Islanders' era in Nassau County after the Capitals won the series two days later.

Coach Barry Trotz expects a similar intensity in Washington's first visit to Barclays Center.

"I think it will be two very good hockey teams," Trotz told the Capitals' official website. "We met in the playoffs, and it will have a playoff feel, I think."

The Capitals (29-7-3) own the most points in the NHL and are comfortably leading the division by 12 over the Islanders (22-13-5).

"It's a good spot to be because they challenge you every night," goaltender Braden Holtby said. "I mean we have been in the position where we have played those top teams during the regular season and you always get up a little bit more for it because you want to test yourself and I think that's good for us."

Washington won nine straight before going 1-1-1 on this five-game road trip that ends Saturday against the Rangers.

The Capitals beat Boston 3-2 on Tuesday, three days after a stunning 5-4 shootout defeat to a Columbus team that has the fewest points in the league.

Alex Ovechkin is among the NHL leaders with 21 goals, but he's been held without a point for two straight games after scoring four times over the previous three.

He owns 46 points in 44 career meetings with the Islanders, including five in last year's playoffs.

Ovechkin will captain the division's team at the All-Star game in Nashville on Jan. 31, and he'll be joined by Holtby and center Nicklas Backstrom.

Backstrom has 10 points over the past seven road games, while Holtby leads the NHL in wins (25), goals-against average (1.93) and save percentage (.932). He posted a 1.63 GAA while starting six games against the Islanders in last year's playoffs.

New York has won three of four after beating Western Conference-leading Dallas 6-5 on Sunday.

"The key is to keep this going and peak at the right time," said forward Cal Clutterbuck, who had two goals.

The Islanders are expected to have Jaroslav Halak in net for the first time in six games after an upper-body injury landed him on injured reserve. He's 7-3-0 with a 2.22 GAA in 11 games in Brooklyn.

Halak played 12 games for Washington in 2013-14, and he's 5-4-0 with a 2.31 GAA in nine starts - including the playoffs - against his former team since signing with the Islanders.

John Tavares, New York's lone All-Star, has 20 points in 21 career regular-season matchups with the Capitals. He had six points in the playoff series.

The Capitals will be without forward Zach Sill, who will serve the first of a two-game suspension for hitting Boston's Adam McQuaid from behind.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Panthers (19-12) at Senators (16-15)

Date: January 07, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers aren't focused too much on their club-record winning streak, but they're certainly not ready to think about losing anytime soon.

Looking to keep rolling with an 11th consecutive victory, the Panthers can equal a club-record five-game winning road run for the second time this season Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators.

Jaromir Jagr scored his team-leading 14th goal and Roberto Luongo made 31 saves to win his eighth straight start in Tuesday's 5-1 victory at Buffalo. Including two shootouts, Florida (24-12-4) owns a 35-12 goal advantage during a 10-game winning streak that's the longest in the NHL this season.

'We're just having fun right now,' said winger Jonathan Huberdeau, who had a goal with an assist. "We're trying not to think too much about the streak. Ten ... might as well just keep going and win every game.'

The streak began with a 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders in Brooklyn on Dec. 15. A win would match the team's longest road winning streak, set in 2008-09 and equaled from Nov. 14-Dec. 4. Florida has outscored its last four road opponents 17-3.

"We've been real good on the road lately," coach Gerard Gallant told the NHL's official website. "We played well on the road and we played really well at home, so we've just got to keep going, keep the game simple on the road and play hard."

Luongo, named to his fifth All-Star team Wednesday along with Jagr and Aaron Ekblad, has a 1.23 goals-against average in his last eight starts and stopped 88 of 90 shots in three road games during that run. After giving up three goals in a 4-2 home loss to Ottawa (19-15-6) on Dec. 8, he faced 16 shots in a 2-1 shootout victory over the Senators two weeks later in Florida.

With three goals in two games, Jagr is five behind Brett Hull for third on the NHL's all-time list.

'You could say it's hard to believe at 43 he's playing that great but knowing him it's not hard to believe,' Huberdeau said. 'His work ethic is incredible. We're just lucky to have him around us.'

Jagr didn't record a goal in either game against Ottawa, which returns home after snapping a three-game skid with Monday's 3-2 overtime win at St. Louis.

Following consecutive 3-0 defeats, the Senators overcame a 2-0 deficit Monday. Bobby Ryan recorded his 200th goal to tie things in the third period, then won it 2:33 into the extra session.

'Obviously we've been fighting it a little bit to get some goals,' said Andrew Hammond, who made 36 saves to snap his own three-game skid. 'You kind of knew once we got that first one it would open the door for us."

After going 3 for 35 on the power play in the previous 11 games, Ottawa went 2 for 3 on Monday. The Panthers have killed 13 of 14 penalties in the last three games.

"Big game at home," defenseman Chris Wideman said. "It's going to be a big test."

Tied for second on the team with 13 goals, Ryan has one in six games at Florida.

The Senators hope forward Mika Zibanejad will be available after he took a stick to the face Monday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flyers (15-15) at Wild (21-11)

Date: January 07, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Wild have remained consistent defensively while looking for something to put them over the top in their opponents' zone.

Heading into Thursday night's home game against Philadelphia, Zach Parise is hinting at providing that with the Wild coming off their highest-scoring effort in nine games, while the Flyers have parted ways with a former impact forward.

Parise scored three goals in Wednesday's 4-2 win in Columbus as the Wild (21-11-7) wrapped up a 2-1-1 road trip. They're still averaging 2.33 goals in the last nine, going 1 for 19 on the power play, after scoring 2.80 per game in their first 30.

Parise had managed just two assists in his previous six games but now has a team-high 14 goals despite missing nine games in November. He's been limited to an assist in his last four against Philadelphia.

"I feel like the last few games, his game has really been coming," coach Mike Yeo said. "He didn't score last game, but I think he needed a game like that."

Part of it might be growing accustomed to playing with a knee brace, and that adjustment period seems to have passed.

"I forgot about it," Parise told the team's official website after the hat trick.

However, the status of another top forward is now in question. Mikko Koivu left the game in the first two minutes after a crash into the boards and was taken to the hospital with an apparent upper-body injury. The center leads the team with 32 points.

Any absence could be manageable if Minnesota is able to keep it up defensively. The Wild have given up 12 goals over a 4-2-1 span and are giving up a Western Conference-low 1.76 per game since the start of December.

All-Star goaltender Devan Dubnyk has started 12 of those 17 games, posting a 1.83 goals-against average. He's been particularly good in Minnesota's last five, going 3-1-1 with a 1.59 GAA and .948 save percentage after stopping 29 shots Wednesday.

The Wild and Flyers have split four games over the past two seasons - Vincent Lecavalier's first two in Philadelphia - but the Flyers have finally parted ways with the center. Lecavalier, known best for a storied career with Tampa Bay, was dealt to Los Angeles on Wednesday along with defenseman Luke Schenn for center Jordan Weal and a third-round pick. Lecavalier has been a healthy scratch for most of the season for a Flyers team which is scoring an East-low 2.16 goals per game.

Weal, a third-round pick in 2010, is without a point in 10 games of his first NHL season. The 23-year-old had 69 points in 73 games last season for AHL Manchester, which won the Calder Cup with Weal as postseason MVP.

Philadelphia (16-15-7) is coming off Wednesday's 4-3 home win over Montreal with Brayden Schenn scoring for a second straight game and adding two assists.

The victory followed a winless three-game West Coast road swing.

"I think we had a little bit of fire in our belly tonight," winger Ryan White said. "It was a tough trip, we didn't get any points and we need to start cleaning them up here at home."

Some road points would also be useful. The Flyers are on a season-worst 0-4-1 skid on the road with eight goals scored.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (19-19) at Stars (27-10)

Date: January 07, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Dallas captain Jamie Benn felt the Stars played "stupid hockey" while going winless on their recent three-game trip.

Perhaps a return home, where the Stars can win a season-high fifth straight contest, will spark more intelligent play Thursday night against the Winnipeg Jets.

Dallas (28-10-4) had not dropped consecutive games until an 0-2-1 trip through the New York City area to open 2016. The Stars yielded 15 goals on the trek, including six each in the last two contests.

"We really totally embarrassed ourselves," said coach Lindy Ruff, who agreed with Benn's description following Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Rangers.

The Stars had 39 minutes in penalties on the trip, including 25 in Sunday's 6-5 defeat to the Islanders.

Benn (52 points) and linemate Tyler Seguin (50) trail only Chicago's Patrick Kane in scoring, but they failed to register a point and were each a minus-5 on the trip. Ruff benched both for the final 12 minutes as the Stars dropped a fifth straight road contest Tuesday.

"It's just me not leading the way," Benn said. "I did a good job of leading the way in the not so good part of the game (Tuesday). It's embarrassing."

Though Dallas leads the Western Conference, it's 2-3-2 since the NHL's Christmas break.

"We've lost a few in a row and have a chance to make a difference and stop it right away," forward Jason Spezza said. "This is a test for us. It's an 82-game season, and it's not all going to be roses. And you almost don't want it to be.

"You want a little adversity. Now we get a chance to not let last year creep into this year and stop a losing streak."

The Stars should have a good opportunity to halt to their slide in the first of two straight at the American Airlines Center, where they are 16-4-0 and have outscored the last four opponents 18-3. Dallas last won five straight there in 2010-11.

Benn has four goals with four assists during that four-game home winning streak. Antti Niemi yielded nine goals in two starts on the trip but has a 1.16 goals-against average while winning six consecutive at home.

Dallas is 2 for 34 on the power play in its last 13 road games but 6 for 16 during those last four home contests.

Benn had one of the Stars' two power-play goals and Seguin recorded a pair of assists in the 6-3 home win over Winnipeg (19-19-2) on Nov. 12.

The Jets have alternated wins and losses through four of a five-game trip. Drew Stafford had a pair of power-play goals and rookie Connor Hellebuyck made a season-high 43 saves in Tuesday's 4-1 victory at Nashville. The 44 shots matched the second most allowed by Winnipeg this season while its own 18 equaled a low for 2015-16.

"We felt that we've had games swing the other way for us where we'd put up 40-plus shots and run into a hot netminder," said Stafford, who has three goals on the trip. "This one, especially against a team we're chasing in the standings, it's a big one."

Hellebuyck is 9-4-0 in his first season, and has a 1.21 GAA while winning four of five.

"It was a fun one," he said of his most recent performance. "Anytime you get that (kind of work), it helps with the confidence."

Winnipeg's Blake Wheeler has 16 points in 13 games against Dallas.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (19-16) at Flames (18-18)

Date: January 07, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Shane Doan is on a stunning scoring tear. What's much more surprising, and certainly more important, is the Arizona Coyotes' dominance of Pacific Division rivals.

While that includes a win over the Calgary Flames, things may be different in a road matchup.

Doan looks to continue his impressive production as the Coyotes try to beat the Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome for the first time in almost four years Thursday night.

Doan's 383 career goals are a Coyotes franchise record, and his 919 points are 10 back of the team mark held by Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk.

The 39-year-old captain appeared to be slowing down last season with 14 goals, but he's already surpassed that total with a team-high 15. Nine of those have come in the last seven games, including seven in the past four after he tallied twice in Monday's 3-2 win at Vancouver.

"The greatest thing about 'Doaner' when he scores is his smile," coach Dave Tippett told the team's official website. "He loves to score ... He's having fun playing and I think some of this youth around our team has made him feel youthful also."

The Coyotes (19-16-4) have had a lot to smile about. They're second in the division after finishing with the fewest points in the Western Conference last season, and they've gone 8-1-2 against the Pacific.

Arizona, which went 12-17-0 within the division last season, beat the Flames 2-1 in overtime at home on Nov. 27 to end a five-game skid in the series.

The Coyotes, though, haven't won at Calgary since Feb. 23, 2012, going 0-7-1 in their last eight visits.

The Flames (19-18-2) are two points behind Arizona, thanks in large part to their dominance at home. They've won 12 of their last 14 there after Tuesday's 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay.

"As a team, we're playing a lot better than the start of the year," goaltender Karri Ramo said. "That's why we're having success. Everybody's chipping in, doing their things."

That's certainly true for Ramo, who should get the nod for an 11th straight game Thursday after stopping 56 of 57 shots to win his last two. He's 9-4-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average in 13 games since making 19 saves at Arizona.

That's a tremendous improvement after he posted a 4.43 GAA while losing four of his first five starts - a stretch that included a demotion to the minors.

"He went down, he was not happy, he came back and right from there he started to work," coach Bob Hartley said. "He's probably been one of the best goalies in the league."

Ramo is 4-0-1 with a 1.38 GAA in five career starts against the Coyotes.

Johnny Gaudreau leads the Flames with 17 goals and 39 points, but he has no points in four straight games to match his longest drought of the season. He had an assist at Arizona in November, giving him seven points over his last five matchups.

The Coyotes are expected to have Martin Hanzal back after he missed seven games with a lower-body injury. Of the center's 20 points, 15 have come on the road. He also had a goal against the Flames in November.

He's slated to join Anthony Duclair and Tobias Rieder on a line.

"I think me and 'Dukey' and Marty have great chemistry," Rieder said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (19-13) at Sharks (17-17)

Date: January 07, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Dylan Larkin won't turn 20 for another six months, but the Detroit Red Wings' rookie center already is making quite an impact.

His coach believes he's barely tapped into his potential, though.

The club's lone All-Star looks to help Detroit remain perfect on its road trip when it faces the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

Larkin began his first NHL season with a five-game point streak and hasn't slowed down much, leading the Red Wings (20-13-7) with 14 goals and ranking second behind Henrik Zetterberg with 27 points.

He scored a highlight-reel goal in Monday's 1-0 win over New Jersey that gave Detroit back-to-back victories to begin a six-game trip.

"We've struggled a bit with one-goal leads, and I think we'll have to learn from this win and how we shut it down in the third period," Larkin said. "It's a huge two points. For all teams it's going to come down to a lot of games like that, where you got to shut it down."

Two days after that win, the 19-year-old became the third Red Wings rookie and second-youngest since 1969 to be selected an All-Star.

First-year coach Jeff Blashill appreciates Larkin's confidence, but he held back on showering him with praise when asked about Larkin's strengths. The 15th overall pick in 2014 is only 39 games into his career, and Blashill doesn't want the attention going to his head.

"Larks is a really talented player. Larks has a lot of energy and drive. Larks (also) has to get better at a lot of things," Blashill said. "My job is to help our guys get better, whether it's a guy like Zetterberg or (Pavel) Datsyuk that's been around as elite players in the league, or a young guy like Larkin. I look at it like we try to accentuate their positives and work on their negatives. Every player's got positives and negatives, and he's not different."

Larkin assisted on Tomas Tatar's goal in the first meeting with the Sharks on Nov. 13, but San Jose pulled out a 3-2 road victory despite being outshot 28-14 to win for the sixth time in the last seven matchups.

The Sharks (18-17-2), though, have the league's worst home record at 5-11-0 and have dropped two of three to begin a five-game homestand. All-Star Brent Burns scored his 16th goal - most among NHL defensemen - before they fell 4-1 to Winnipeg on Saturday.

Joe Thornton had an assist to give him eight along with three goals during an eight-game point streak, his longest since a 10-game run in 2009.

San Jose is just 2-3-1 over the last six, though, and coach Peter DeBoer wasn't happy with the latest effort.

'That was an egg. Top to bottom, poor effort, poor execution. Sloppy, soft,' DeBoer said. 'They won all the races, all the battles and they won the goaltending battle. We're in no position to show up and play like that. It's unacceptable.'

Alex Stalock replaced Martin Jones in net in the third period, but the Sharks reassigned Stalock to the AHL in favor of Troy Grosenick on Wednesday. It's unclear who will start this contest, as Jones has a 3.68 goals-against average over his last six.

Petr Mrazek could get another shot in goal for the Red Wings. He has a 1.96 GAA in five starts and two relief efforts since Dec. 22.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Maple Leafs (12-15) at Kings (23-12)

Date: January 07, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

While the Los Angeles Kings spent an off day retooling for another anticipated Stanley Cup run, the Toronto Maple Leafs continued to make the idea of the playoffs not so far-fetched.

As the resurgent Maple Leafs aim for a season-high fourth straight victory, the Kings look to bounce back from a rare recent loss when the teams face off Thursday night.

Absent from the postseason in nine of the past 10 seasons, Toronto (16-15-7) is creating a case for contention by going 8-2-2 since Dec. 5 as both its offense and goaltending have shown more consistency.

The Maple Leafs have averaged 3.67 goals during the 12-game stretch, while a revitalized Jonathan Bernier has allowed just three over the winning streak. After recording consecutive 39-save efforts to defeat Pittsburgh and St. Louis, he made 39 more as Toronto opened its three-game California trip with Wednesday's 4-0 win over Anaheim.

After losing his first 11 decisions and being briefly sent to the minors last month, the former Kings' first-round pick has gone 6-2-0 with a 2.21 goals-against average in eight starts.

"He's got his confidence back," coach Mike Babcock told the NHL's official website. "He's playing out of the net, he's doing things right, feels good about himself and gives our team confidence."

Bernier has been aided by an offense that's scored three or more goals in nine of the last 12, though it'll be hard-pressed to maintain that efficiency against a Kings' defense that's yielded the third-fewest goals in the NHL this season. Los Angeles (25-12-2) has been particularly stingy on home ice, having permitted just 1.93 per game while winning 12 of 15 at Staples Center.

The Leafs now face one of the league's hottest goaltenders in Jonathan Quick, named First Star of the Week on Monday after allowing four goals in four consecutive wins. The All-Star selection ran the team's streak to five by making 29 saves in Saturday's 2-1 victory over Philadelphia.

Los Angeles is coming off Tuesday's 4-1 defeat in Colorado, where backup Jhonas Enroth was hurt by a penalty kill that allowed three goals in five chances.

'We hung our goalie out to dry way too many times,' center Anze Kopitar said. 'We have to throw it all out there and just make sure we play the right way.'

The Kings are a troubling 69.0 percent on the penalty kill over their last seven, though Toronto is just 1 of 19 on the power play over the past five.

Los Angeles has scored a power-play goal in six straight, going 7 of 20 over that stretch.

The Kings made a move towards bolstering both their depth and back line with Thursday's acquisition of veteran center Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Luke Schenn from Philadelphia.

Lecavalier, 35, helped Tampa Bay win the 2004 Stanley Cup and has 411 goals over a 17-year career, though he played in just seven games while usually a healthy scratch with the Flyers this season. The three-time All-Star joins a Kings team that owns a 10-point lead atop the Pacific Division and has won two Cups in the past four seasons.

'There's nothing better than to be on a team that's been there,' Lecavalier said in a phone interview conducted by the Kings. 'If you look at the standings and where they are right now, they're obviously playing some great hockey. I know the Kings have high expectations for the players, and I love that. ... Just to be a part of that, it's very exciting.'

Toronto, which has won five of six on the road, had a three-game win streak at Staples Center halted with a 2-0 loss on Jan. 12.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - January

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
1/1 2 10.5 9 UNDER
1/2 12 61.5 63 OVER
1/3 4 21 22 OVER
1/4 5 27 17 UNDER
1/5 8 43.5 46 OVER
1/6 5 26.5 23 UNDER
1/7 7 - - -
1/8 6 - - -
1/9 10 - - -
1/10 6 - - -
1/11 4 - - -
1/12 8 - - -
1/13 4 - - -
1/14 8 - - -
1/15 6 - - -
1/16 10 - - -
1/17 7 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 3 - - -
1/21 10 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 11 - - -
1/24 5 - - -
1/25 6 - - -
1/26 9 - - -
1/27 4 - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 No games scheduled - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews

Unless you have lived in south Florida for a couple of decades, you probably only considered the Florida Panthers franchise relevant once in its history: the 1995-96 season when the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Finals. That team, led by goalie John Vanbiesbrouck and forwards Scott Mellanby and Rob Niedermayer, was swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Finals, but hockey was a big deal in Miami then (not any longer).

You may remember fans there throwing rubber rats on the ice every time Florida scored. How did a rat become synonymous with that 1995-96 team? On the night of the home opener, a rat scurried across the team's locker room. Mellanby reacted by one-timing the rat against the wall, killing it. That night, he scored two goals, which Vanbiesbrouck called "a rat trick." It caught on immediately and then really took off in the postseason.

The Panthers have made the playoffs just three times since then and not won a series, last losing the conference quarterfinals in 2012. But entering Tuesday, the Panthers are atop the Atlantic Division with 50 points and are the story of the early NHL season. They were 11-3-0 in December and took a franchise-record nine-game winning streak into Tuesday's game at Buffalo, which starts a six-game road trip ( Panthers are -130 favorites). Center Dave Bolland, Florida's highest-paid forward at $5.5 million per season, will not travel with the team. He likely won't return until after the All-Star break.

Florida is the fourth team to win nine straight this season; the Capitals, Canadiens and Rangers all failed to reach 10. Florida is on pace for 105 points after ending with 91 last season.

Ageless Jaromir Jagr, 43, leads the team in goals (13) and points (28). He is just six goals away from tying Brett Hull's 741, which ranks third on the NHL's all-time list. Jagr was voted a captain by the fans for the Atlantic Division All-Star team, although Jagr has admitted he would rather spend the time off in the Bahamas. Hey, who wouldn't rather be there than Nashville in January? Before voting was finalized, Jagr joked that he'd die if he had to play the new 3-on-3 format with some of the game's biggest stars. Goalie Roberto Luongo also is having a fine season with a 17-11-3 record and 2.09 GAA. Backup Al Montoya has been even better with a 6-6-1 mark and 1.69 GAA. The team's 5-on-5 save percentage is .941, tied for the highest in the league.

Over the weekend, the Panthers gave coach Gerard Gallant a contract extension. The team's GM is Dale Tallon, who deserves a lot of credit for building the Chicago Blackhawks into the powerhouse they are now, also just got an extension.

Oddsmakers haven't totally jumped on the Panthers bandwagon yet. They are +1400 to win the Stanley Cup, tied for the sixth-shortest odds. Florida is a +600 co-second favorite with Montreal to win the East.

Here are some other games to watch this week.

Washington at NY Islanders, Thursday: The Capitals continue to lead the East by a mile in points and the NHL in goal differential at plus-38. But they also have lost two straight entering Tuesday's game in Boston. Perhaps a natural lull following a nine-game winning streak. Goalie Braden Holtby was named the NHL's Second Star for December. He posted a 9-0-1 record with a 1.69 goals-against average, a .947 save percentage and one shutout in 11 appearances. But he gave up four goals Saturday in Columbus. The Caps remain without top defenseman John Carlson due to a lower-body injury. He might return for this game. Center Jeff Beagle will miss six weeks following hand surgery on Sunday. The 30-year-old leads all Capitals forwards in shorthanded ice-time per game and has won 58.4 percent of his faceoffs this season. Beagle has six goals and six assists. The Isles will have had a nice break as they will have been off since an impressive 6-5 home win over Western Conference-leading Dallas on Sunday. But the Isles have lost top defenseman Johnny Boychuk for 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury. Boychuk has three goals and 11 assists with a plus-nine rating this season. This is the first meeting between the Caps and Isles. Washington beat New York in seven games in last year's conference quarterfinals. Holtby had to make only 10 saves in Game 7. New York has lost seven consecutive first-round playoff series.

St. Louis at Los Angeles, Saturday: The Kings are pulling away in the Pacific Division but had a five-game winning streak end Saturday at Colorado, 4-1. No. 1 goalie Jonathan Quick got the night off, however. Quick was named the NHL's First Star of the Week on Monday after going 4-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average last week. Kings center Jeff Carter missed a fifth straight game with an upper-body injury Saturday. He has 11 goals and 17 assists this season. Carter did travel, so he's probably back by this game if not earlier. The Blues entered the week on a three-game losing streak, totaling just four goals. They did get back forward Patrik Berglund on Saturday in Toronto after he had missed the first 40 games due to offseason shoulder surgery. Berglund, who had 12 goals and 15 assists last year, skated on a line with David Backes and Magnus Paajarvi. This will be the Blues' third game in four nights and second of a back-to-back as St. Louis is at Anaheim on Saturday. The Kings won 3-0 in St. Louis on Nov. 3. Quick sat that one out as well. Jhonas Enroth had the shutout.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Washington won eight of its last ten games. Islanders won three of last four.
-- Florida won its last ten games, allowing 12 goals.
-- Jets won four of their last six games.
-- Coyotes won five of their last eight games. Calgary won four of its last six games.
-- Detroit won its last two games, allowing three goals.
-- Maple Leafs won six of their last eight games. Kings won five of their last six.

Cold teams
-- Florida lost five of its last seven games.
-- Flyers lost three of their last four games. Minnesota is 4-5 in its last nine games.
-- Dallas Stars lost four of their last five games.
-- San Jose lost four of its last six games.

Series records
-- Islanders lost three of last four games with Washington.
-- Florida is 5-3 in its last eight games with Ottawa.
-- Flyers won four of last six games with Minnesota.
-- Winnipeg-Dallas split their last ten games.
-- Flames won five of last six games with Arizona.
-- Sharks won six of last seven games with Detroit.
-- Kings lost three of last four games with Toronto.

Totals
-- Four of last five Islander-Washington games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven Florida-Ottawa games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Philly games went over the total. Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Wild games.
-- Six of last eight Dallas-Winnipeg games went over.
-- Six of last eight Arizona-Calgary games stayed under.
-- Over is 6-0-1 in last seven San Jose games.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Toronto-Los Angeles games.

Back-to-backs
-- Toronto is 1-8 if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (21-15) at 76ers (4-33)

Date: January 07, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

A matchup with the lowly Philadelphia 76ers would have provided the Atlanta Hawks with a perfect opportunity to break out of a funk two weeks ago.

That certainly isn't the case since Ish Smith joined the 76ers.

After not losing three straight until late March last season, the Hawks hope to avoid their third such streak in two months Thursday night when they visit Philadelphia.

Atlanta (21-15) only dropped three in a row twice en route to the Eastern Conference's top seed in 2014-15. The Hawks showed signs of a potential return to the top with a six-game winning streak Dec. 16-26, but they've since taken a step back by losing three of four.

"It's frustrating because I feel like we are playing hard," center Al Horford said. "We're doing some good things out there but we keep having mental lapses as a group, forgetting assignments, little things."

They now look to regroup after getting swept in a home-and-home series against New York, including a 107-101 defeat in Atlanta on Tuesday. The Hawks fell behind by 16 points in the third quarter and got within two with 40 seconds left but couldn't complete the comeback.

"I credit our guys for fighting and competing," coach Mike Budenholzer said. "But we have to be better for more of the 48 minutes.'

Dennis Schroder contributed seven points and eight assists in his return to the sixth man role after sitting out the previous two games despite having no announced injury.

The man Schroder backs up, point guard Jeff Teague, had no assists for the first time since Jan. 14, 2014. Teague has 15 assists and 13 turnovers in the last four games as the Hawks have averaged 101.5 points on 43.0 percent shooting, compared to 111.5 points and 51.2 percent during the win streak.

That run began Dec. 16 against league-worst Philadelphia (4-33), with Millsap and Teague combining for 39 points as Atlanta shot a season-high 61.5 percent in a 127-106 home win.

At that time, the 76ers were in the midst of a 12-game losing streak and a 1-30 start. But on Dec. 24, they acquired Smith from New Orleans for two second-round draft picks.

Smith made an immediate impact, averaging 18.0 points and 8.3 assists in his first three games as Philadelphia won two of them. The journeyman point guard then came up big with 21 and 11 on Monday when the team improved to 3-3 since his arrival with a 109-99 home win over Minnesota.

The 76ers have averaged 100.7 points and 24.2 assists in six games with Smith after previously scoring a league-low 91.4 per game with 18.8 assists.

'We're constantly trying to get better," Smith said. "Let's move on to (the Hawks).'

Jahlil Okafor scored 10 on Monday in his return to the starting lineup but played just 20:42. That was near his average in the previous three games coming off the bench after missing a pair with a knee injury.

Okafor had 19 points in the first meeting with Atlanta while Isaiah Canaan had 24 with six 3-pointers.

The Hawks have won eight of the past nine meetings, though the only defeat was 92-84 on March 7 in the most recent meeting in Philadelphia. Nerlens Noel, who had a career-high 17 rebounds in that contest, has averaged 15.0 points and 9.2 boards in his last six games.

Elton Brand, who played for the Hawks the past two seasons, could make his season debut after signing with the 76ers on Monday. He also played with Philadelphia from 2008-12.