Thursday 11/12/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

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Euro Championships TODAY 19:45

Norway

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Hungary

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS3		10/11	12/5	15/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN NORWAY	RECENT FORM
HDHDAWHWHWAL​ Most recent​	4 - 0	HWAWHDADHWAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Norway kept three clean sheets in five home qualifiers

EXPERT VERDICT: Two late goals from Italy consigned Norway to third place in Group H, but Per-Mathias Hogmo will fancy his side’s chances of making amends over two legs against Hungary. The Norwegians were unbeaten in five before that 2-1 loss in Rome and look capable of regaining the winning thread in Oslo.

RECOMMENDATION: Norway
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Euro Championships Fr 13Nov 19:45

Bosnia-Hz.

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Ireland

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		19/20	12/5	7/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN BOSNIA-HZ.	RECENT FORM
ADHWALHWHWAW​ Most recent​	Unknown	HDHDAWHWHWAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Ireland have lost only one of their last eight matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Ireland saved their best group performances for their four battles with powerhouses Germany and Poland and could ensure their playoff tie remains level after the first leg away to Bosnia. The hosts are excellent up front but lack defensive stability which could cost them against the gritty Irish.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
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International Fr 13Nov 19:45

N Ireland

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Latvia

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BBC2		4/6	11/4	4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN N IRELAND	RECENT FORM
NDHDAWHDHWAD​ Most recent​	1 - 0	ADHLADHLADHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Latvia haven’t won in 11 international matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Northern Ireland are on a high after qualifying for Euro 2016 and they can continue their fine form against Latvia. The Latvians endured an awful qualification campaign, failing to win a single game, and they even lost 1-0 at home to Kazakhstan in their final Group A contest.

RECOMMENDATION: Northern Ireland to win 2-0
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International Fr 13Nov 19:45

Spain

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England

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
ITV		8/11	5/2	4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
HWAWHWAWHWAW​ Most recent​	0 - 1 2 - 0 1 - 0 1 - 0	ADAWAWHWHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Three of Spain’s last four friendlies have featured two goals or fewer

EXPERT VERDICT: England progressed serenely to the Euro 2016 finals with a perfect qualification record of ten wins from ten matches but doubts persist about their ability to mix it with the elite nations and Spain can highlight the difference. A home win to nil looks the most likely outcome.

RECOMMENDATION: Spain to win 1-0
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International Fr 13Nov 19:45

Wales

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Holland

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BBC2		3	12/5	10/11	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSIN WALES	RECENT FORM
AWHWAWHDALHW​ Most recent​	1 - 3 1 - 2	HLAWHLALAWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Holland conceded 14 goals in Euro 2016 qualifying

EXPERT VERDICT: Wales netted 11 times en route to qualifying for Euro 2016 but, in contrast to Holland, they were the epitome of composure in defence, conceding on just four occasions. Wales have found success in solidarity and the Dutch, who failed to qualify for Euro 2016, are a team to oppose.

RECOMMENDATION: Wales
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League One Sa 14Nov 12:30

Rochdale

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Wigan

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		7/4	23/10	6/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ROCHDALE	RECENT FORM
ADHDHDADHWHL​ Most recent​	0 - 2 0 - 1 3 - 1 0 - 2	HWAWADHWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Rochdale have drawn their last four league games

EXPERT VERDICT: An FA Cup thrashing at Bury put paid to Wigan’s long unbeaten run and Gary Caldwell’s team will be aiming to bounce back but the draw appeals as the best bet. Rochdale have shared the points in their last four league games and the visitors have also played out their fair share of stalemates in recent weeks.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
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[Can'tPickaWinner2 0]

Jim Feist's Bonus Play for Thursday, Nov 12, 2015

(505) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS VS (506) PHOENIX SUNS

Take: UNDER THE TOTAL.

Reason: Your Bonus Play for Thursday, November 12, 2015 is in the NBA scheduled contest between the LA Clippers and the Suns in Phoenix. The Clippers are in the second of a back to back road spot, at Dallas last night. L.A. is a good defensive team and a great rebounding one, 7th in the NBA in field goal shooting defense. The under is 7-3 in the Clippers last 10 vs. a team with a losing record. Phoenix is rested on a two-game skid averaging 97 ppg during the skid. Phoenix is on a 20-7 run under the total, 22-10 under against the Western Conference. The under is 11-5-1 in the Suns last 17 vs. a team with a winning record. And when these teams meet the under is 7-2 on this court. Play Clippers/Suns Under the total.

 

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CAPPERS ACCESS

Jets
Virginia tech
Suns

 

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NHL notebook: Bruins' Pastrnak remains out
By The Sports Xchange

Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak has a small, non-displaced crack in his foot, general manager Don Sweeney said Wednesday.
There is no timetable for Pastrnak's return. He hasn't played since Oct. 31.
The 19-year-old Pastrnak has two goals and four points in 10 games this season. He was selected by the Bruins in the first round (25th overall) of the 2014 NHL draft.
Meanwhile, defenseman Dennis Seidenberg, who had back surgery in late September, is getting closer to a return.

---The Chicago Blackhawks recalled forward Brandon Mashinter from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.
Mashinter, 27, is tied for second on the IceHogs with seven points (four goals, three assists) through 12 games in his first season as team captain. The Bradford, Ontario, native has 27 penalty minutes in 23 career NHL games with San Jose and the New York Rangers.

---The Arizona Coyotes assigned forward Dustin Jeffrey to the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League.
Jeffrey, 27, registered one assist and a plus-2 rating in one game with the Coyotes this season. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound native of Sarnia, Ontario, has recorded 12 points (five goals, seven assists) and two penalty minutes in 10 games with the Falcons. He led Springfield in goals, assists and points at the time of his recall.

---The Minnesota Wild reassigned forward Kurtis Gabriel to the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League.
Gabriel, 22, was recalled by Minnesota for the second time this season on Monday and made his NHL debut on Tuesday night, registering five penalty minutes and one hit in 2:51 of ice time in the Wild's 5-3 win against Winnipeg.

---The Tampa Bay Lightning reassigned forward Mike Blunden to the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.
Blunden, 28, was recalled by the Lightning on Monday and was a healthy scratch for Tuesday night's game against the Buffalo Sabres. The Toronto native has appeared in 104 career NHL games, including two with the Lightning last season. Blunden set career highs for games played (40), goals (two), assists (two) and points (four) during the 2009-10 season while with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

---The Dallas Stars reassigned forward Devin Shore to the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League and loaned defenseman Patrik Nemeth to its AHL affiliate on a conditioning assignment.
Nemeth, 23, has appeared in two games this season for Dallas, registering three shots on goal. Per terms of the loan, his conditioning assignment can span up to 14 days. Shore, 21, appeared in his first three career NHL games with Dallas and posted a plus-2 rating. At the time of his recall on Nov. 1, he was second in the AHL in goals (eight) and tied for sixth in points with 11 in nine games.

 

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Preview: Capitals (9-4) at Flyers (4-7)

Date: November 12, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Although he certainly tried his hardest, Alex Ovechkin came up empty in his first attempt to become the NHL's top Russian-born scorer.

The Washington Capitals superstar might succeed Thursday night based on his past performances in Philadelphia, but those games against the Flyers have often ended with his team on the losing side.

Ovechkin's 483 goals have him tied with former teammate and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Sergei Fedorov, who was in the building for Washington's visit to Detroit on Tuesday. Ovechkin took a career high-tying 15 shots in his attempt to surpass his "idol," and the Capitals had a season-high 38 but lost 1-0.

Washington (10-4-0) had a 17-9 shot advantage in the third period.

"Sometimes, you have those kind of nights where you have lots of shots but they don't go in," Ovechkin said. "Just forget about it and move forward."

Ovechkin has scored in nine of his last 11 games in Philadelphia, totaling 11 goals and three assists. He has 18 goals and 10 assists in 21 lifetime contests there including the playoffs.

The Capitals, though, are 0-4-3 in their last seven visits when Ovechkin is in the lineup. They've dropped six of seven overall in the series, though the teams haven't met this season.

"Same as (Detroit), not an easy building or an easy team to play against when you need a win," defenseman Karl Alzner said. "Hopefully, we can right the ship and just play back to the way we have been. Philly comes at you hard and it's not a fun place to play."

This Flyers team, though, has lost three straight at home and seven of eight overall while being limited to 12 goals. They held a players-only meeting following a 4-0 loss to Colorado on Tuesday.

"It's unacceptable," defenseman Mark Streit said. "Really poor performance on our part."

Philadelphia (5-7-3) fell to 1 for 20 on the power play at home and was outshot for an eighth consecutive game. The Flyers are allowing 34.3 shots per game, second-worst in the league.

"We need to play better together, support each other, play as a team," captain Claude Giroux said. "When we support each other, that's when it makes our job easier so we're not playing by ourselves out there."

Michal Neuvirth has started the past four games for Philadelphia over supposed No. 1 goalie Steve Mason, but it's unclear if he'll be in net to face his former team for the first time in the regular season. In his only playoff appearance for the New York Islanders last season, he stopped all six shots in a 5-1 loss in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Jakub Voracek has eight goals and four assists in his last eight games against Washington, but he's started this season in a major funk. The winger has no goals and five assists following a career-best 81 points in 2014-15.

Braden Holtby has a 1.80 goals-against average in his past 10 starts but a 4.29 GAA with an 0-2-1 record in his last four at Philadelphia.

The Capitals are attempting to avoid their first losing streak of the season and a third consecutive road defeat after a 4-0-0 start away from home.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2 0]

Preview: Blues (11-3) at Rangers (11-2)

Date: November 12, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Henrik Lundqvist was at the top of his game his last time out. Jake Allen's been that way for two straight weeks.

When the New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues, two of the NHL's hottest teams, face off Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, scoring could be at a premium due to the play of those goaltenders.

New York (11-2-2) has vaulted to the top of the Metropolitan Division by virtue of a six-game winning streak in which Lundqvist and Antti Raanta have each played a major part. Lundqvist kept the run going by making 33 saves for his first shutout in Tuesday's 3-0 home triumph over Carolina.

The Rangers have recorded points in 10 consecutive games (8-0-2) and are outscoring opponents 23-5 in winning six straight on home ice.

"Our confidence is really high, and our confidence rolls right down from our goalie," said forward Rick Nash, who had a goal and an assist in returning from a two-game absence caused by a sore back. "Hank's one of the best goalies in the world, and it just kind of flows that way."

While Lundqvist owns a 1.15 goals-against average in going 5-0-1 over a six-start stretch, Allen has put up even better numbers of late. He's 6-1-0 with a 0.88 GAA and .971 save percentage over his last seven appearances, claiming the No. 1 job after beginning the season in a timeshare with Brian Elliott.

Allen's been especially good on this road trip. After stopping 45 shots in Saturday's 4-0 victory at Nashville, he turned back 24 as St. Louis (11-3-1) won for the sixth time in seven games with Tuesday's 2-0 decision over New Jersey.

"Each time I get on the ice I feel more at ease and more comfortable," Allen told the NHL's official website. "I've said before the more games I play, the better I feel and that's been the scenario since last year. There will be some bumps in the road, but it's going the way I want it to go right now."

The Blues are 3-0-0 on this four-game trek, opening it with a 6-5 comeback win over rival Chicago on Nov. 4 that saw Allen stop 27 of 28 chances after relieving Elliott in the first period.

The streak has been aided by a power play that's come to life, scoring three times in seven chances during the trip after an 0-for-21 spell over the previous six games.

New York fields one of the league's top penalty kills at 88.0 percent and is 32 of 34 over its last 11 outings. The Rangers thwarted all six Carolina power-play chances, in large part due to Lundqvist's work in the crease.

"Obviously we needed good goaltending to kill off the number of penalties we had, and we definitely got that," coach Alain Vigneault said.

St. Louis continues to thrive despite injuries to a number of key players. Absences by forwards Jaden Schwartz, Paul Stastny and Patrik Berglund prompted last week's signing of Martin Havlat, with the veteran wing scoring in his Blues debut Tuesday.

"The way we've been going, he really helps us," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He was a good get for us. He's a good fit.'

St. Louis has dominated this series since 2000-01, going 12-2-2 with a tie.

 

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Preview: Avalanche (5-9) at Bruins (7-6)

Date: November 12, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Colorado will remain with Reto Berra in goal after Semyon Varlamov suffered an injury in practice, and that might not be such a bad thing.

While Varlamov struggles, the team's No. 2 will try for a third away shutout Thursday night in Boston with both the Avalanche and Bruins trying to string together wins.

Varlamov hurt his groin in Tuesday's morning skate, so Berra started that night's 4-0 win in Philadelphia after also shutting out Anaheim on Oct. 16. He's 2-3-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .952 save percentage in six games - five starts - and also ended last season with a shutout.

Varlamov, meanwhile, is 3-6-1 with 3.26 and .890 marks, so there's not a feeling of disadvantage in front of Berra, and this could be an audition for the starting job.

"It's nice to know if we do have a breakdown that he is back there to stop the puck and get the job done," Cody McLeod told the team's official website. "We just want to make sure to block as many shots as we can, make it a bit easier on him. It's definitely confidence for the boys knowing that he is there to stop the puck."

The win ended a two-game slide and provided a reprieve from a rough defensive stretch during which the club went 2-6-0 with 3.12 goals against.

Matt Duchene had two goals and an assist, giving him five goals in his last four games after managing one in his first 11.

Coach Patrick Roy said it was the most complete effort of the season, but Colorado (5-9-1) is still seeking its first set of consecutive wins.

"I thought we dominated from the start to the end," Roy said. "We managed our game well. Very pleased with our performance."

Berra also saw the ice the last time out against Boston, but it was because Varlamov gave up five goals in 35 1/2 minutes of a 6-2 final in Colorado on Oct. 14. The sixth came on an empty net, and Berra is 1-2-0 with a 1.51 GAA and .943 save percentage in four games against the Bruins.

Colorado's John Mitchell, who scored in the first meeting as part of a four-game goal streak to open the season, could return after missing four games with an oblique injury.

The Bruins (7-6-1) got back on track with Sunday's 2-1 win at the New York Islanders but haven't played since. That victory followed three straight losses in what's started as a rather streaky season. The Bruins went 6-0-1 prior to that, which came after losing their first three games.

They'd allowed 13 goals over the most recent skid.

"It was important for us to show up (Sunday) and bring out a solid effort," said Patrice Bergeron, who had a goal and an assist. "We had to bring more composure to our game. I thought we did a good job of that."

Boston has been limited to five goals in the last three games, but the power play remains consistent with at least a goal in the last seven pacing a league-leading 33.3 percent season mark.

Goaltending hasn't been anywhere near that consistent, though Tuukka Rask made 36 saves against the Islanders after allowing eight goals in his previous two games. Rask's GAA still stands at 3.22 with an .891 save percentage.

"He played really well for us, kept us in the game," coach Claude Julien said of Rask's latest work. "He made saves for us (Sunday) when we really needed them."

Rask didn't face the Avalanche last month and is 0-3-1 against them despite a .935 save percentage.

 

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Preview: Wild (9-3) at Hurricanes (6-9)

Date: November 12, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

While the Carolina Hurricanes seek to keep their heads above water during a stay at home, the Minnesota Wild hope a lengthy road trip won't sink them without their biggest star.

Each looks to stay afloat during a pivotal early-season stretch that starts when the Wild visit the Hurricanes on Thursday night.

Minnesota (9-3-2) will play without Zach Parise for at least another week after he sprained his right MCL during a 3-2 home loss to Nashville on Nov. 5. The Wild survived their first two games without their top goal scorer at home, though, with victories of 1-0 over Tampa Bay on Saturday and 5-3 over Winnipeg on Tuesday.

Now, the Wild open a four-game road trip at Carolina, one that coach Mike Yeo says will be tough without Parise.

"We got five (goals on Tuesday), but we can't expect to get five every night," he said. "We've got key guys out of the lineup, and now going on the road, it's going to be a good test."

Minnesota has surprisingly flunked its last four away from home.

The same team that tied an NHL record with 12 consecutive road victories at the tail end of last season is 2-2-2 this time around. After winning their opening two away games, the Wild have lost two in regulation and two in overtime.

Scoring has been an issue for the Wild, who have totaled eight goals in their last four road games after tallying nine in their first two.

The good news was an outburst against the Jets that featured a pair of goals from Thomas Vanek. The 11-year veteran's six goals is second to only Parise's seven, but his two against Winnipeg snapped a six-game slump without one.

During the second period, Vanek was moved to a line with Jason Pominville, who he skated with frequently from 2005-2012 when the two were teammates in Buffalo. It's a move the Wild are hoping can spark more offense, especially for Pominville who has six assists but hasn't scored yet.

Pominville has 14 goals and 14 assists in 34 career games against Carolina, while Vanek has 15 goals and 20 assists in 32.

"I've struggled in this league before too, just like every other goal scorer does," Vanek told the team's official website. "Sometimes all it takes is one, even if it's an empty-netter."

The Hurricanes (6-9-0) couldn't get any of their 33 shots past Henrik Lundqvist in a 3-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday in their only road contest over a 10-game span from Oct. 30-Nov. 22. It was Carolina's third loss in four games after it won three in a row to close October.

Carolina came up empty on a pair of first-period power plays and the Rangers scored 11 seconds apart for a 2-0 lead in the first.

"It's definitely frustrating, but it is what it is," captain Eric Staal told the team's official website. "We're going to have to be sharp in all areas, execute and be better."

A season-long five-game homestand over 11 days should help but the Hurricanes are 2-4-0 at PNC Arena, scoring just 14 goals.

Minnesota goaltender Devan Dubnyk has won his last three starts against the Hurricanes and stopped 37 shots in a 3-1 road victory March 6. Carolina's Cam Ward is 3-0-1 with a 2.76 goals-against average against the Wild.

 

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Preview: Flames (5-10) at Lightning (7-8)

Date: November 12, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Finding the back of the net was the least of the Tampa Bay Lightning's concerns last season as they rode the league's highest-scoring offense to a berth in the Stanley Cup Final.

This season's scoring woes have been tough to explain, especially with those issues being prevalent at home lately.

Tampa Bay looks to avoid dropping four straight on its own ice for the first time in more than two years when it meets the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

The Lightning (7-8-2) scored fewer than two goals 11 times during the regular season in 2014-15, but that's already happened eight times after they fell 4-1 to visiting Buffalo on Tuesday.

They have 39 goals - 10 on the power play - through 17 games after scoring 60 through that same amount last year. Making matters worse, Ondrej Palat, who has two goals and five assists after registering a career-high 63 points last season, will miss the next three to five weeks with a left ankle injury suffered in Saturday's 1-0 loss at Minnesota.

'There's no sense in getting frustrated,' said Steven Stamkos, who has a team-high eight goals after scoring against the Sabres. 'The only guys that are going to get us out of this is ourselves.'

Tampa Bay has dropped seven of nine, scoring once or being shut out in each defeat. That includes scoring one goal each time during a three-game home losing streak.

The Lightning, who haven't lost four straight at home since a five-game skid in 2013, are 2-4-0 at Amalie Arena after finishing with a league-best 32-8-1 mark there last season.

"I don't think our start was where we wanted it to be," said winger Ryan Callahan, who has one point in his last 10. "I thought we built on our game and started to play better and better (in the second period Tuesday), but, at the end of the day, it wasn't what it needed to be."

Tampa Bay could be due for a big night against Calgary (5-10-1), which has allowed at least three goals 12 times while surrendering a league-high 62. It gave up three in back-to-back victories before falling 4-3 to Florida on Tuesday to begin a four-game trip.

Karri Ramo suffered the defeat after winning three of his previous four outings, dropping to 3-5-0 with a 3.60 goals-against average in eight starts. Coach Bob Hartley has named Ramo his starter for the fifth straight contest.

"Looking at the past games from Rams, he's been very good and he's given us a chance to win some games," Hartley told the team's official website. "I think that Rams has gained back his game, gained back his confidence. He's playing well for us."

Hartley is aware the Lightning have had their scoring troubles, but he still maintains they're dangerous even with Palat out. Stamkos doesn't have a point in his last three games against the Flames, including Tampa Bay's 5-2 victory in the last meeting Nov. 6, 2014.

Cedric Paquette scored twice in that matchup.

"They have four lines that come at you with speed," Hartley said. "Victor Hedman is probably one of the best quarterbacks in the league, one of the best skating defensemen in the league. It makes it a good challenge."

Ben Bishop could be in goal for the Lightning after getting Tuesday off. He has a 1.63 GAA over his last five starts, but he's lost them all with Tampa Bay totaling three goals.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2 0]

Preview: Canucks (6-4) at Senators (4-5)

Date: November 12, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Sedin twins may have found their third.

Coming off a career game in which he played on the first line, Jannik Hansen and the Vancouver Canucks try to keep rolling Thursday night against an Ottawa Senators team struggling to close out games.

The twins are doing their usual work of sparking the Canucks offensively, as Daniel Sedin shares the team lead in goals (five) with brother Henrik Sedin and Jared McCann, while also topping the club with 10 assists and 15 points. Hansen proved himself a seamless fit for one game at least, registering his first four-point effort with a goal and three assists in Tuesday's 5-3 win at Columbus.

That top line finished with four goals and six assists. Henrik Sedin - second on the team with 12 points - had season highs of two goals and three points and Daniel added a goal and three assists.

Hansen had managed two goals in his previous 11 games before coach Willie Desjardins adjusted his lineup to put the Dane with the Swedes.

"Shake the lines up a little bit, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't," Hansen said. "It's nice, you get a lot of opportunities, it's a matter of getting open for them and finding them and getting them the puck as much as possible."

Vancouver is 1-1-1 on a seven-game road trip - its longest of the season - that keeps it in Canada for the final four contests. The Canucks are 5-1-2 on the road, but one area where they're hoping the Sedins and Hansen can make an impact is on the power play, as they're 2 for 26 with the man advantage away from Vancouver after going 0 for 3 against the Blue Jackets.

The Canucks (7-4-5), though, are tied for second in the NHL with 39 even-strength goals.

Jacob Markstrom made 42 saves in his season debut and is expected to return to the bench in favor of Ryan Miller, 0-2-1 with a 3.33 goals-against average in his last three starts.

Ottawa (7-5-3) earned one point on a two-game road swing that concluded with a 7-5 loss to Nashville on Tuesday. Zack Smith scored a pair of first-period goals but the Senators yielded three unanswered goals in the third to blow a lead in that period for the third straight game and sixth time overall.

"We seem to get to that point now when the game is on the line, especially after we get early leads and things are going real good, and we get to the point where the game is on the line and we try to do too much rather than just trusting the simple stuff that got you there," coach Dave Cameron told the league's official website.

The Senators, whose third-period failures have cost them four points, have allowed 20 goals in the third - tied for third-most in the league.

Cameron was undecided on a goaltender after practice Wednesday, but Craig Anderson or Matt Hammond likely will be busy since Ottawa allows a league-high 34.6 shots per game.

Mark Stone has a six-game point streak, netting a goal and six assists, but first-line center Kyle Turris - Ottawa's leader with eight goals - has gone a season-high three games without a point.

Ottawa went 1-0-1 in the 2014-15 season series and rallied to a 4-3 overtime home win Dec. 7, scoring three consecutive goals in an 8:05 span of the third period to force the extra five minutes. Mika Zibanejad scored two of those goals and assisted on Erik Karlsson's overtime tally.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2 0]

Preview: Sabres (6-8) at Panthers (6-6)

Date: November 12, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

After the Buffalo Sabres ended a lengthy slide to one team from Florida, they have a chance to halt their road struggles against the other.

The surging Sabres can win three straight away from home for the first time in four seasons by snapping a four-game road skid to the Panthers on Thursday night.

Jack Eichel had a goal with an assist and Chad Johnson made 30 saves to help Buffalo (7-8-0) snap a seven-game skid to Tampa Bay with Tuesday's 4-1 victory.

"It's great to beat them and build some confidence off that game," said Eichel, the second overall pick in this year's draft.

Winners in four of the last five, the Sabres are off to their best start since 2011-12. They had no more than three wins through 15 games in each of the past three seasons.

Eichel, second on the team with nine points, has three goals and three assists in the last five contests.

"It's great," said Eichel, who turns 19 later this month. "I just want to keep putting the puck on net."

The Sabres have killed 13 of their opponents' last 14 power plays and are converting 23.5 percent of their own chances to rank among the league leaders.

Buffalo has allowed one goal in each of its last two games on the road, where it hasn't won three in a row since March 2012. After winning nine road games in 2014-15 and eight the previous season, the Sabres have split their first six away from the First Niagara Center.

"We've battled pretty hard this year," said forward Marcus Foligno, who scored his first of the season Tuesday.

The Sabres, though, have lost eight of nine to the Panthers (6-6-3) after last month's 3-2 defeat at Florida and haven't beaten them on the road since Oct. 25, 2013.

Jaromir Jagr had two goals with an assist in the Oct. 15 win over Buffalo, and his tiebreaker in the third period Tuesday helped the Panthers end an 0-3-2 skid with a 4-3 victory over Calgary. He also had an assist while snapping a four-game point drought, but like his teammates wasn't completely happy with Florida's collective effort.

"We won, that's a good thing," said Jagr, who has a team-leading 12 points. "We feel like we didn't play our best. Everybody felt like we should play a little better.

"We have to make sure we play our best hockey and get some wins together."

Florida needs to improve on the defensive end, having yielded 12 goals in the last three games and allowing two straight opponents to score on their only power-play chance.

"You can't be satisfied with a win; you want to be satisfied with the process," goaltender Roberto Luongo said.

Luongo snapped a three-game skid while making 25 saves Tuesday, but he's allowed at least three goals in six of his last eight starts. However, he's posted a 1.00 goals-against average while winning seven straight starts against the Sabres, including a 24-save effort last month.

Teammate Vincent Trocheck recorded his second goal in three games Tuesday and is one shy of matching his career high of seven, set in 50 games last season.

Johnson, who yielded 14 goals in three starts prior to handling the Lightning, made 26 saves against the Panthers last month.

 

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Preview: Maple Leafs (3-8) at Predators (7-3)

Date: November 12, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

After getting goals from some unlikely sources, the Nashville Predators will try to build on their highest scoring output as they continue a four-game homestand.

They could be difficult given the way James Reimer is filling in for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Predators hope to keep getting production throughout the lineup Thursday night when they go after a fourth straight victory over the Atlantic Division-worst Leafs.

After getting shut out for the first time in Saturday's 4-0 loss to St. Louis that opened this home stay, Nashville rallied from a 3-1 deficit in Tuesday's 7-5 win over Ottawa.

With Paul Gaustad (lower-body) out, Colton Sissons got the call from the AHL and scored his second career goal as a patchwork fourth line that totaled three goals and three assists.

Austin Watson had a goal and two assists, while Gabriel Bourque scored his first goal of the season while also assisting on Watson's second-period tally. The young trio hopes to keep holding things down with Gaustad day-to-day and Eric Nystrom on injured reserve.

"We're at our best if we can be in their end and cycling the puck and playing some hard minutes down there," Watson told the team's official website. "We were fortunate to put a few in the net last game, but that's what we want to do as much as we can."

Shea Weber, one of the team's elder statesmen, also enjoyed a memorable game with his 150th career goal and 400th point. He has a goal and three assists in his last two versus Toronto.

The Predators, 5-1-1 at home, will try to stay hot after winning for the first time in six games in which they registered at least 34 shots. They're 8-0-0 when they've finished with fewer.

The Leafs (3-8-4) rank in the bottom third of the league with 30.6 shots allowed per game after surrendering 38 on Tuesday. Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau and Jake Gardiner, however, each scored in the final eight minutes in a 3-2 road win over Dallas that snapped an 0-1-2 skid.

Parenteau will now try to extend a six-game point streak (three goals, six assists) against the Predators (9-3-2) dating to his time with Colorado.

"They beat Dallas a couple times (also 4-1 on Nov. 2); that's pretty good," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. "We'll make sure that we respect our opponent and their ability to win hockey games, because they can."

Peter Holland scored on Toronto's lone power-play chance Tuesday, leaving the club 5 for 16 in those situations over the last five games. It will look to continue that trend against a Nashville team that has allowed two power-play goals apiece in its last three games.

'We're not a team that scores a lot of goals, so we got to play good defensively,' Gardiner said. 'When we get those chances, we got to capitalize.'

Toronto's No. 1 goaltender Jonathan Bernier will miss his sixth straight start because of a lower-body injury. But Reimer has filled in nicely, going 2-1-2 with a 1.96 goals-against average.

Reimer, though, has given up six goals on 29 shots in two career meetings with the Predators. Nashville has totaled 17 goals during its three-game winning streak in this series.

Pekka Rinne, expected to start for the Predators, has given up nine goals in his last two starts and is 1-1-0 with a 3.72 GAA in three career home meetings with the Leafs.

 

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Preview: Devils (6-6) at Blackhawks (8-6)

Date: November 12, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

The Chicago Blackhawks are closer to the bottom of the Central Division than the top through 15 games, but the new pieces surrounding franchise mainstays such as Patrick Kane might be coming together as they have in years past.

Kane is finding footing with linemates Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin, and the trio will try to keep it going Thursday night against the visiting New Jersey Devils.

The two teams met Friday with the Devils (8-6-1) winning 4-2 at home, but Kane still managed to score, then remained hot with a goal and three assists in Sunday's 4-2 home win over Edmonton. Kane has scored in four straight games and has seven goals and 10 assists on a 10-game point streak. He also has at least a point - six goals and 12 assists - in all nine home games this year.

But that's just part of it. The rookie Panarin had two goals and an assist against the Oilers and is averaging a point a game, while first-year Blackhawks center Anisimov added a goal and an assist.

"All three of us, the way we want to play is very similar," said Kane, who's 23 points are tied with Dallas' Tyler Seguin for the NHL lead. "I think we do a good job of supporting the puck, hanging on to the puck, trying to make plays."

The Blackhawks (8-6-1), however, aren't exactly following through with results, giving up 3.67 goals per game over a 2-3-1 span. Corey Crawford allowed three goals on 13 shots against the Devils, then stopped 34 of 36 against the Oilers with 22 second-period stops. Even so, he has a 3.68 GAA over a 2-2-1 span.

"(Sunday's game) was a good one for me, to get back into it," said Crawford, who's 1-1-1 with a 2.07 GAA against the Devils. "It was a big win for us."

Chicago had swept the four meetings over the previous two seasons before Friday's loss. New Jersey got a goal and an assist from Kyle Palmieri, Lee Stempniak and Travis Zajac. Palmieri has four goals and five assists in his last seven games after beginning his first season with the Devils with three points through eight contests. Stempniak has six points in his last four against Chicago.

The Devils followed up that win with Sunday's 4-3 victory over Vancouver but concluded the three-game homestand with Tuesday's 2-0 loss to St. Louis.

They were pleased with their start, then were outshot 14-4 in the second period.

"We have to go back and figure out what happened between the first and second and make sure we don't have that kind of lull coming out of a really good period in the first," said Cory Schneider, who made 26 saves. "We have to figure out a way to play like that for three periods."

Despite the latest loss, confidence is growing for a club that finished seventh in the Metropolitan last season and started 0-3-1. Since, New Jersey is 8-3-0, and it's won four of six on the road this season. Chicago, however, is 7-1-1 at home with at least a point from the last eight. A road win against the defending Stanley Cup champions would only further the Devils' confidence.

"I think we are coming to expect that we want to beat every team," Schneider said after the Chicago win. "You can't just feel good or get up for certain games. You have to get up for all of them and we are developing that mentality right now."

Schneider, who has a 1.78 GAA over a 3-2-0 span, is 3-3-1 with a 3.06 GAA against the Blackhawks.

 

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Preview: Jets (8-6) at Stars (12-4)

Date: November 12, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

The Dallas Stars feature the NHL's highest-scoring duo in Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn.

The Winnipeg Jets also have a lethal combination in Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little.

Plenty of firepower will be on display Thursday night in Dallas when these Central Division rivals open their five-game season series.

Seguin and Benn have combined for the most goals (19) and points (44) by a set of two teammates this season. They did not have a point for the second time in Tuesday's 3-2 home loss to Toronto.

The only other time that happened was in a 4-1 win at Pittsburgh on Oct. 22. Seguin and Benn responded by combining for 24 points in the next eight games, including 13 by Seguin who had at least one in every game of that run.

Wheeler and Little have totaled 35 points to rank third among NHL teammates. They had five and had a hand in all of the goals in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to Minnesota that started this four-game trip.

Winnipeg (8-6-2) took three of four from Dallas last season, with Wheeler and Little combining for five points. Seguin and Benn totaled one goal and six assists in those games.

The Jets will face another high-scoring team after struggling against a Wild club that's second in the Western Conference with 3.1 goals per game. Ondrej Pavelec was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals on 12 shots, with Michael Hutchinson replacing him.

Winnipeg outscored Minnesota 2-0 in the third period on goals by Little and Wheeler but it was too late.

'I don't know why it took us to be down 5-1 to turn it on like that,' Little said.

Now the Jets must try to slow down a Stars team averaging a West-leading 3.5 goals that also ranks among the NHL's best with 31.3 shots per game.

Dallas (12-4-0) outshot the Maple Leafs 38-30 on Tuesday but failed to score at least three goals for just the fourth time. The Stars had a three-game win streak snapped.

"We missed too many good opportunities," coach Lindy Ruff said. "We had 2-on-1s, 3-on-1s, our power play had an empty net to put it in. On the rush, we probably had five or six point-blank ones that you don't score."

Another concern for Ruff is that opponents are 9 for 25 on the power play in the last eight contests, an anemic 64.0 percent penalty-kill rate.

"Obviously we gotta get better, we can't give up a (power-play) goal a game and expect to win," Ruff said.

The Stars are playing their second game against a division opponent after losing 6-3 at last-place Colorado on Oct. 10. The Jets are 2-2-0 against Central opponents, with this road trip consisting exclusively of them.

"It's early in the season but these are big points against teams in our division and we gotta find a way to come out like we ended it," Little said.

The Stars' John Klingberg has 13 assists and 15 points to lead Western Conference defensemen.