Thursday 12/3/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
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[superbeets]

French Ligue 1 TODAY 20:00

Rennes

v

Marseille

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		21/10	21/10	29/20	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT RENNES	RECENT FORM
ADAWHLAWHDAD​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 1 1 - 1 2 - 2	AWHWHLAWHWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Marseille have won their last three away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Rennes have become the Ligue 1 draw specialists and that result could come into consideration when Marseille visit Roazhon Park. However, OM have steadily improved since Michel took charge and they are capable of inflicting a fourth defeat of the season on the home side.

RECOMMENDATION: Marseille
1

 

[superbeets]

Championship TODAY 20:00

Reading

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QPR

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		11/10	12/5	3	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT READING	RECENT FORM
ALHDHDALHWAL​ Most recent​	1 - 1 0 - 0 0 - 1 1 - 0	HWALALHDALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: QPR have kept one away clean sheet

EXPERT VERDICT: Steve Clarke’s decision to stay on as Reading boss was greeted with a much improved home showing against Bolton and another home win beckons against goal-shy QPR. Rangers beat Leeds at home last time out but have struggled on the road.

RECOMMENDATION: Reading
3

 

[superbeets]

Championship Fr 4Dec 19:45

Ipswich

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Middlesbro

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		19/10	23/10	13/8	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT IPSWICH	RECENT FORM
ADHDHWAWHDAW​ Most recent​	2 - 0 3 - 1 4 - 0 1 - 1	HWHWALHWAWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Ipswich have scored 12 goals in their last four games

EXPERT VERDICT: Ipswich fans are again dreaming of the playoffs after seeing a seven-game winless run replaced by six matches unbeaten. Daryl Murphy has found his lost scoring boots, netting six times in his last three games, but Boro will be Town’s toughest test for a while and it may be best to back both teams to score

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
1


REFEREE: Tim Robinson STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

English FA Cup Fr 4Dec 19:55

Salford City

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Hartlepool

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BBC2		5/2	13/5	Evs	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SALFORD CITY	RECENT FORM
ALHWAWHDHWAL​ Most recent​	Unknown	HLALHWHWALHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Hartlepool have lost six of their last eight away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Salford produced one of the shocks of the first round when they beat Notts County and they face a similar task against Hartlepool. The visitors are struggling in League Two but will still be expected to win. However, they have not reached the third round since 2011 and Salford can take another famous scalp.

RECOMMENDATION: Salford
1

 

[superbeets]

Scottish Premiership Sa 5Dec 12:30

Dundee

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Aberdeen

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		16/5	23/10	10/11	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT DUNDEE	RECENT FORM
ADHLADHDADAD​ Most recent​	1 - 1 1 - 1 2 - 1 2 - 3	ALHDALHWADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Dundee have drawn seven of their last 11 games

EXPERT VERDICT: Both teams to score looks the best bet at Dens Park. Hosts Dundee are score-draw kings and while Aberdeen have moved back up to second in the table their best recent results have been achieved at Pittodrie. The Dons have lost three and drawn one of their last four away games.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Bobby Madden STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 5Dec 12:45

Stoke

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Man City

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		9/2	11/4	8/13	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT STOKE	RECENT FORM
HD*ADHWAWALHW​ Most recent​	1 - 4 0 - 0 0 - 1 1 - 1	AWADHLALHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Man City have won one of their last seven Premier League games at Stoke

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester City have kept only two clean sheets in their last 15 matches and their creaky defence is likely to be given a thorough examination by Stoke. Manuel Pellegrini’s men beat Southampton in their last league game but they still conceded in the 3-1 success and it remains an area of concern.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Flyers' Gudas suspended three games
By The Sports Xchange

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas was suspended for three games without pay by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Wednesday after delivering an illegal check to the head of Ottawa Senators forward Mika Zibanejad.
Gudas hit Zibanejad in the face with a forearm after a faceoff at 2:11 of the third period during Tuesday night's game. Zibanejad left the ice and did not return.
The 25-year-old native of the Czech Republic has one assist and 22 penalty minutes in 22 games this season.

---Vancouver Canucks forward Brandon Sutter underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia injury and is expected to miss four to six weeks, the team announced.
Sutter had not played since Nov. 10 because of the injury.
Sutter, who was the 11th pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, has four goals and eight points in 16 games this season.

---The Dallas Stars activated goaltender Kari Lehtonen from injured reserve.
Lehtonen, 32, suffered an upper-body injury on Nov. 24 against Ottawa and missed the last three games. He has a 9-1-0 record in 10 starts this season.
The Stars also reassigned goaltender Jack Campbell to Texas of the American Hockey League. Ge did not appear in a game with Dallas during his recall.

---The New York Rangers recalled forward Tanner Glass from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.
Glass, 32, has played in two games for the Rangers this season, posting a plus-1 rating and four penalty minutes. Glass also has 11 hits in the two games.

---The Toronto Maple Leafs assigned goaltender Jonathan Bernier to the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies on a conditioning loan.
Bernier has appeared in nine games for the Maple Leafs this season, going 0-8-1 with a 3.28 goals-against average and .888 save percentage. In 184 career NHL games, he owns a 76-75-21 record with a 2.66 goals-against average and .915 save percentage.

---The Minnesota Wild recalled defenseman Mike Reilly from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League.
The team also reassigned defenseman Christian Folin to Iowa.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Avalanche (10-14) at Rangers (16-6)

Date: December 03, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The struggling New York Rangers may be looking forward to a return to Madison Square Garden, where they own the best home record in the NHL.

Matt Duchene's torrid stretch for the Colorado Avalanche has mostly come on the road.

The Rangers will attempt to cool the red-hot Duchene on Thursday night and sweep the season series from the Avalanche.

New York (17-6-3) followed a 13-1-1 stretch by losing four of five games, and its only victory during the slump was a 4-3 home win over Carolina on Monday. The victory improved the Rangers to 11-3-1 with an average of 3.20 goals per game at MSG.

They'll try to continue that success after falling 2-1 in a shootout against the Islanders across the East River in Brooklyn on Wednesday. The Rangers came away encouraged despite losing in their first appearance at Barclays Center.

"Focus. I think it comes down to so much mentally in this game; when you're good, when you're not good. It comes down to making good decisions," goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said. "When we're smart with the puck, when we time it and it all comes down to making that good read. Making that smart decision with the puck. Things just fall into place.

"Play a simple game, especially when you play a good team."

The Rangers should heed that advice when dealing with Duchene, who has 12 goals and eight assists over the past 14 games. The center has nine goals and six assists in 10 road games over that stretch.

After setting a franchise record with 11 goals in November, Duchene got December off to a strong start by scoring a goal in a 2-1 win at New Jersey on Tuesday.

"The big thing is to not think about it too much," said Duchene, who had one goal and two assists in his first 11 games. "I'm just focusing on speed, going hard to the net and shooting a lot of pucks. I felt like I maybe could have had another one (Monday). You have to stay hungry. That's the biggest thing."

Duchene has seven points in his last six meetings with the Rangers but just two goals, and he finished with no points in a 2-1 home loss to them Nov. 6.

Reto Berra made 31 saves in that matchup - his first against New York. He had 27 saves Tuesday but will likely return to the bench in favor of Semyon Varlamov, who is 5-7-1 with a 3.28 goals-against average.

"I love the fact Reto makes it a competition," coach Patrick Roy told the NHL's official website. "This is how we will get back in the playoff race; we need solid goaltending and we're aware of that. But we still have a lot of confidence in (Varlamov) and we're confident he'll bounce back as well."

Varlamov, though, is 4-3-0 with a 3.52 GAA in seven career games against the Rangers.

It's unclear if New York will turn to Lundqvist in the second of back-to-back games after he had 36 saves and turned aside two of three shootout attempts Wednesday. He is 8-2-1 with a 2.03 GAA in 11 home starts and made 29 stops at Colorado last month.

Backup Antti Raanta, who is 4-1-0 with a 1.36 GAA in six starts, has split two decisions over three career meetings with the Avalanche while compiling a 2.55 GAA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Devils (10-10) at Hurricanes (8-12)

Date: December 03, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The New Jersey Devils have been much better on the road than at home, and that's also been true for Adam Henrique.

After losing for the third straight time at home, Henrique and the Devils go for a three-game road winning streak Thursday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

New Jersey (12-10-2) is 7-4-0 away from Newark and averaging 2.72 goals compared to 1.92 at home. Scoring on home ice was an issue again Tuesday when the Devils outshot Colorado 28-25 only to lose 2-1.

"There's really not a focus on that," first-year coach John Hynes said. "We want to try to win every game that we can play. We don't put any emphasis one way or the other on home versus on the road. We've obviously found a way to win a little bit more on the road than we have at home. That's something that we'll discuss and talk about.

"If we want to continue to be a good team, we gotta find a way to win more games at home."

That will have to wait until Friday against Philadelphia after the Devils visit Carolina (8-12-4), which is tied with Columbus for last place in the Eastern Conference.

Henrique leads New Jersey with 11 goals and his 19 points are second to Mike Cammalleri's 23. However, the left wing has done much of his damage as the visitor, scoring seven goals with five assists.

The venue when facing the Hurricanes hasn't mattered to Henrique, who has six goals in eight overall matchups, though he was kept off the score sheet during a 3-1 loss in Raleigh on March 28 that ended the Devils' four-game winning streak there.

"We try to prepare the same," said Cory Schneider, who had 23 saves Tuesday. "We're trying to keep everything as similar as possible. Some nights we're getting that late goal on the road for some reason or getting that extra one to go ahead."

Schneider should be back in net and looking to improve on his 7-2-0 record and 2.19 goals-against average on the road. He's not at fault for the struggles at home, posting a 1.89 GAA with his only shutout of the season while going 4-5-2.

Schneider is 4-1-1 with a 1.65 GAA in six overall starts against the Hurricanes, winning his last three visits to Carolina behind a 1.34 GAA.

The Hurricanes enter a three-game homestand following a 3-6-4 stretch that includes wins in their last two at PNC Arena. They've dropped their previous two games on the road after falling 4-3 to the New York Rangers despite holding a 36-22 edge in shots.

"Obviously, we need to get wins," captain Eric Staal said. "We need points. We are finding ways to let them slip away. We have to find a way to pick up the win, and crawl our way back into the mix."

Victor Rask is chipping in with three goals over the last four games, matching his total over the previous 14. His eight goals tie him with defenseman Justin Faulk for the team lead and are three shy of matching his total as a rookie last season.

Rask hasn't scored in four meetings with the Devils, while Faulk has one goal in each of the last two at home.

Staal had two points against New Jersey on March 28, but has the same amount in the last seven games overall.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blackhawks (13-9) at Senators (9-7)

Date: December 03, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Patrick Kane will try to claim a piece of Chicago Blackhawks history Thursday night and help his team avoid a season-high losing streak.

Kane will seek to tie Bobby Hull's franchise-record point streak when Chicago visits the Ottawa Senators.

Kane put himself on the verge of matching Hull's 21-game streak by scoring in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Minnesota. The NHL's point leader with 38, Kane has 12 goals and 20 assists in the longest streak by an American-born player and the NHL's longest since Sidney Crosby's 25-game run for Pittsburgh in 2010-11.

"It would be nice, especially when a guy like Bobby Hull has the record, but it's not really something I'm thinking about," Kane said. "But I'm not really worried about it anymore. ... I'm just trying to play the game and help my team the best I can."

The Blackhawks (13-9-3) were coming off a 3-2 overtime defeat in Los Angeles to conclude a 3-1-2 road trip. They've lost back-to-back games on five occasions and responded from their latest skid by beating San Jose 5-2 on Nov. 25.

Chicago will try for another decisive win against a team that's given up a combined eight goals in its own set of back-to-back defeats and 15 while splitting its last four games.

Ottawa lost 4-2 to Philadelphia on Tuesday in its return from a three-game road trip. The Senators (12-7-5) tied that game twice but couldn't come up with an equalizer following Wayne Simmonds' goal late in the second period.

"I think we were tired today," captain Erik Karlsson said. "I think you could feel that. Unfortunately, the way it is sometimes. They did a tough job on us. I think we created enough scoring chances to win, but we couldn't put the puck in the net.

"It's just one of those games that we have to move on. I think we're doing a lot of good things and we still have a great feeling in the room."

Ottawa also lost forwards Milan Michalek and Mika Zibanejad during that game with Michalek's injury looking more long term. Michalek was hit in the hand by a shot from the Flyers' Radko Gudas, and Zibanejad was hit in the face by the defenseman.

Michalek's injury could prove significant as he had seven goals and two assists in his previous 10 matchups with Chicago.

The Blackhawks have won five of the last six games against Ottawa and swept last season's two matchups. They won 5-4 in a shootout in their lone trip to Ottawa on Oct. 30 with Jonathan Toews scoring a pair of goals.

Kane failed to register a point and has one assist in his last four matchups.

Toews, meanwhile, has six goals and two assists in his past four meetings, and Marian Hossa has totaled five goals and five assists in a seven-game point streak versus his former team.

Hossa has also scored a goal in each of his last four visits to Ottawa.

Toews and Hossa, however, haven't been too productive lately. Hossa has one goal and one assist in his last six games while the Chicago captain doesn't have a point in his past three.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (16-5) at Canadiens (18-4)

Date: December 03, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

One might think the Montreal Canadiens would feel the absence of Carey Price a bit more with Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals coming to town.

The thing is the Canadiens haven't played very well against the Capitals on home ice even with their star goaltender between the pipes.

Washington has won nine of its previous 11 visits to the Bell Centre and rides a five-game overall win streak into the season's first meeting Thursday night.

Price will miss at least six weeks with a knee injury, leaving Michael Condon and Dustin Tokarski in goal until mid-January at the earliest. While Montreal (19-4-3) holds the NHL's largest division lead, things could tighten up in a hurry with Price out.

Having the Vezina Trophy winner in net, however, hasn't really mattered at home against the Caps, who are 9-0-2 in Montreal since the start of 2009-2010 and have handed Price a 2-6-2 record and a 3.39 goals-against average in that span.

Ovechkin in particular has played well during Washington's run of dominance in the City of Saints, netting eight goals with six assists for a plus-9 rating in his last 10 games there after scoring twice in a 5-4 shootout win April 2.

Nicklas Backstrom has 10 points over his last eight in Montreal, and now that he's been reunited with Ovechkin on the top line, Washington (17-5-1) has begun to surge. Backstrom was eased into things after undergoing offseason hip surgery, but since coach Barry Trotz moved him back alongside Ovechkin in mid-November, the Capitals have won six of seven.

"We know they have some weapons," P.K. Subban told the Canadiens' official website. "It's definitely going to be our toughest challenge of the season, in my opinion. With them coming into our barn, we've definitely got to be prepared to play our best game."

While it's no easy task replacing Price, who was 10-2-0 with a 2.06 GAA, Condon has played well with a 2-0-1 record and 1.92 GAA in three games since Price was sidelined for a second time.

He made 22 saves and Paul Byron and Max Pacioretty scored in a 2-1 win over Columbus on Tuesday that improved the league-best Canadiens to 3-2-1 in their last six at home.

The win also showed that Montreal is unlikely to wither while waiting on Price. After Nick Foligno sent winger Andrew Fleischmann into the boards on a knee-to-knee hit with the game tied at 1 in the second period, defenseman Nathan Beaulieu hit Foligno and dropped the gloves, though he was shaken up by a hard punch from the Blue Jackets captain.

"Beaulieu is a great teammate," said Pacioretty, who scored the winner in the third on the power play. "That earns a lot of respect in the room."

The Canadiens will need that united front to start turning it around at home against the Capitals, who have had four days of rest and will be trying to win six in a row for the first time since an eight-game run in April 2013.

Washington pushed its goal total to 13 in its last three games with a 4-2 win at Toronto on Saturday. Braden Holtby stopped 32 shots to win his seventh straight start - a span in which he has a 1.85 GAA.

"We're trying not to get too complacent with what we're doing," Holtby told the Capitals' official website. "We don't think our game is quite where we want it yet, but we're finding ways to win, which is a good sign."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Coyotes (13-10) at Red Wings (12-8)

Date: December 03, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Detroit Red Wings continue to give up tying goals in the third period. That hasn't prevented them from maintaining their point streak that's stretched into a third week.

The Wings look to keep rolling as they face an Arizona Coyotes team coming off an ugly loss Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena.

Detroit (13-8-4) allowed an equalizer in the third for the fifth straight game and then fell behind by one against Buffalo on Tuesday, but Justin Abdelkader's power-play goal with 6:29 left forced overtime. Brad Richards then scored the only goal of the shootout to lift the Wings to a 5-4 victory, giving them a 5-0-3 mark since Nov. 16.

"As much as you don't want to give up leads, and mistakes happen, we're getting points and that's very good," said left wing Drew Miller, who had a goal and an assist. "You look at the end of the year, you don't want to miss (the) playoffs by one or two points. You look back now and you're getting one or two points losses but you're getting the one point that helps a lot down the line.

"So I thought tonight we had a good character win. Finding a way to win is big in this league, so I think we're learning that and that's big for our team."

All eight games during the point streak have been decided by one goal.

Detroit outshot Buffalo 32-14 over the second and third periods and 46-32 for the game. The total for the game was the Wings' highest since they recorded 47 on Nov. 21, 2013.

Abdelkader snapped a seven-game goal drought with two goals and an assist and completed a "Gordie Howe hat trick" by fighting Josh Gorges in the second period.

Tomas Tatar scored and has six goals and three assists in his last 10 games, while Gustav Nyquist notched two assists to give him four points in the past three.

Arizona (13-10-1) had its three-game winning streak end in disheartening fashion Tuesday in a 5-2 loss at Nashville. The Coyotes came in 10-0-0 when leading after 40 minutes, but allowed four unanswered goals in the third.

The Predators held a 41-15 advantage in shots. Arizona's minus-3.92 shot differential is among the worst in the league.

"Going into the third we knew we were fortunate to be up by one, and that goes in big part to Smitty (goaltender Mike Smith)," center Kyle Chipchura told the team's official website. "We had belief we could hold on, but you can't keep (getting outshot) every night. It's eventually going to catch up with you."

Sloppy play and turnovers also plagued the Coyotes, who are enjoying a resurgent season but have suffered through some growing pains with their young players.

"You can't turn the puck over like that and expect to win games," coach Dave Tippett said. "(Our) puck play was poor, to say the least. (Smith) kept us in it for a long time, but you can't keep giving them Grade A chances off turnovers like that and expect to win."

Tippett's team also needs to be better on the penalty kill as it's allowed at least one power-play goal in the past four games, with opponents going 5 for 14.

Rookie Max Domi has five assists in a four-game point streak, while defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored his fifth goal in the past nine contests.

Arizona has been surprisingly successful in this series of late, winning three of the past four meetings with Detroit and five of eight. The Coyotes took the last matchup 5-4 at Joe Louis on March 24.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Panthers (9-9) at Predators (11-7)

Date: December 03, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers will seek their first four-game win streak in two seasons in a difficult place for them.

The Panthers are winless in their last nine road games against the Nashville Predators heading into Thursday night's contest.

Florida (11-9-4) won its third straight Tuesday, 3-1 at St. Louis. Brandon Pirri and Derek MacKenzie scored 13 seconds apart to open the scoring in the second period, MacKenzie added another and Roberto Luongo made 29 saves.

'It was a great win for us,' coach Gerard Gallant said. 'We battled hard against a real good hockey team over there. We got some breaks and MacKenzie came up big for us tonight. And obviously Luongo played really good in the net. So we had a good team effort again tonight.'

The Panthers haven't won four straight since a five-game run Dec. 10-19, 2013.

Florida's drought in Nashville dates to a 4-2 victory Dec. 11, 1999. The Panthers have lost five times in regulation, twice in shootouts and tied twice in their nine visits since.

The Panthers are 0 for 31 on the power play in their last 11 games against the Predators. They own the league's second-worst power play on the road at 8.3 percent.

Nashville (13-7-4) won for the second time in seven games with Tuesday's 5-2 victory over Arizona. Filip Forsberg had two goals and an assist, scoring twice in a third period in which the Predators outscored the Coyotes 4-0.

Forsberg has three goals in his last three games after a 17-game drought.

"It's kind of part of my job to score goals for the team," Forsberg said. "Obviously it's been frustrating, especially when we haven't been winning."

Both teams could be missing key players.

Nashville lost center Mike Fisher in Tuesday's game and Colin Wilson sat out due to lower-body injuries. They have combined for 15 points.

Florida center Nick Bjugstad missed his first game after suffering an upper-body injury during Monday's practice. Bjugstad is tied for second on the team with seven goals.

'He's pretty irreplaceable,' MacKenzie said. 'I thought Bollie (Dave Bolland) came in and did a good job for us tonight. Bjugs was certainly missed, especially against big teams like this. He's a big horse for us and hopefully we'll see him back soon.'

Fisher, who was placed on injured reserve and will miss four games, and Bjugstad win more than half of their face-offs for clubs that are below 50 percent.

Luongo figures to start after yielding four goals in this win streak, which includes two goals from Pirri and three points from Jussi Jokinen.

"Guys have had more jump in the last few games, been more aggressive on their plays and we've created more chances like that," Luongo said. "Guys are working hard on both ends of the ice, which is a big difference for our team right now. "

Pekka Rinne figures to start for the Predators after he made 13 saves Tuesday to end an 0-3-1 stretch in which he posted a 3.26 goals-against average. Rinne has a 2.22 GAA in winning all three home starts against Florida.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Maple Leafs (6-12) at Wild (12-7)

Date: December 03, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Beating the defending Stanley Cup champions to snap out of a slump is all well and good for Minnesota coach Mike Yeo, but he knows it won't mean much if the Wild revert back to old habits.

They'll look to avoid a fourth straight home loss when they face the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

Minnesota (12-7-4) slogged through a 1-4-2 stretch that included dropping the final three of a four-game homestand before heading off to Chicago on Tuesday.

Yeo openly criticized his team's play during that rough patch, but he came away feeling much better after Ryan Suter punched home a rebound with less than eight minutes left in the third period to give the Wild a 2-1 win over the Blackhawks.

"We hadn't played well, hadn't played consistent in a long time, and we finally put a game together," Suter said. "Finally, we got everybody moving in the right direction."

Jason Pominville scored in the first for Minnesota, which now looks to pick up two points on home ice. The Wild started 8-1-0 at Xcel Energy Center before the current slump and caps a stretch of playing six of seven at home Saturday against Colorado.

"I think more importantly than anything else is, let's build on it," Yeo said. "We played a good game, got a good result, now what do we do with it?"

They're hoping the defensive showing against Chicago carries over. The Wild allowed at least three goals in seven of their previous nine, and opponents are putting an average of 29.6 shots on net per game.

Minnesota received a boost Tuesday when defenseman Marco Scandella returned after missing five games with a lower-body injury.

"It definitely starts in our own end and being tight defensively," center Charlie Coyle said. "From there, some teams get kind of discouraged, and we keep them to the outside, and then we'll catch them."

Toronto (8-12-5) could stand to play better defensively as well. The Leafs are amid a 1-3-1 stretch and have given up at least four goals in three of their last four.

One of the few positives came Monday when Garret Sparks made 24 saves in a 3-0 win over Edmonton to become the first in franchise history to post a shutout in his NHL debut.

Sparks wasn't nearly as good Tuesday while suffering a 6-1 loss to Winnipeg. He took much of the blame for the defeat, something coach Mike Babcock said wasn't necessary.

"He shouldn't have taken ownership," Babcock said. "I thought we were set up really good going into the third period down 2-1. We came out and dominated the first shift of the third and then we made enough mistakes to make the goalie take ownership for no reason."

Sparks was called up from the minors to replace Jonathan Bernier, who is 0-8-1 with a 3.28 goals-against average this season. Bernier was sent to the AHL for a 10-day conditioning stint to hopefully get back into form.

James Reimer is expected to start against the Wild, who have won the last three meetings. Reimer is 4-1-1 with a 1.45 GAA since Nov. 12 and has won both of his career starts against Minnesota, stopping 65 of 66 shots.

Devan Dubnyk is likely to get the nod for the Wild. He made 34 saves to beat the Leafs 2-1 in the most recent meeting March 23.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (18-5) at Canucks (8-9)

Date: December 03, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

While the Dallas Stars try to avoid their first losing streak this season, the Vancouver Canucks hope another lengthy one doesn't await them.

The way the series has played out recently suggests the woes of the latter might continue.

The Stars will go for their third victory in as many tries against the Canucks this season and 10th straight overall when they visit Rogers Arena on Thursday night.

Dallas' nine-game winning streak in this series dates back to April 18, 2013, and includes three games in Vancouver. The latest two victories - 4-3 in overtime on Oct. 29 and 3-2 in a shootout on Friday - have helped the Stars (19-5-1) to easily their best start in franchise history. Dallas, and the Minnesota North Stars prior to the 1993-94 season, never posted more than 16 wins through 25 games.

The Stars are tied with Montreal for the league lead in wins, and they haven't lost consecutive games yet. But after opening a four-game road trip with Saturday's 4-3 overtime victory at Minnesota, Dallas suffered a hiccup with a 4-3 shootout loss at Calgary on Tuesday.

The Stars led 3-0 before Antti Niemi allowed three third-period goals on 16 shots and surrendered three in the shootout. The loss, Dallas' first this season when leading after two periods, ended the Stars' six-game road winning streak while dropping them to 10-2-1 away from home.

'We just stopped playing hockey,' captain Jamie Benn said. "It's a pretty embarrassing loss.'

Dallas also might have lost defenseman Jason Demers when he left with an upper-body injury. Demers, who has four goals and seven assists in 22 games, did not practice on Wednesday and is listed as questionable to face the Canucks.

The Stars might have Kari Lehtonen back in net, though, after he was activated from injured reserve this week. Lehtonen missed the last three games due to a lower-body injury suffered in the second period of a 7-4 loss to Ottawa on Nov. 24. Niemi has started all three games since.

Lehtonen has won nine of 10 starts this season and his last seven against the Canucks with a 1.42 goals-against average. He left Wednesday's practice earlier than Niemi, typically a sign he will start the next game.

The Canucks (9-9-8) have lost three straight and will try to avoid their third four-game losing streak this season.

Vancouver's overtime woes stretch far past its series with Dallas. The Caunucks are 1-8 in games decided after regulation this season, the one victory coming in a shootout on Oct. 12.

Since, they have lost seven straight overtime contests - the latest Tuesday's 2-1 defeat at Los Angeles during which Vancouver allowed the Kings to tie the game early in the third period before Anze Kopitar ended it three minutes into extra time.

"It's really tough," goaltender Jacob Markstrom told the team's official website. "It's getting sick and tired right now losing in overtime. It's no fun."

The Canucks open a four-game homestand at Rogers Arena, where they started the season 0-2-3 but are 3-2-0 since.

Ryan Miller will likely be back in net Thursday after getting pulled from Monday's 4-0 loss at Anaheim before sitting out Tuesday's loss.

He is 0-4-3 with a 3.85 GAA in his last seven starts against the Stars while playing with Buffalo, St. Louis and Vancouver.

The Canucks will be without center Brandon Sutter for 4-6 weeks after he underwent successful surgery to repair a sports hernia on Wednesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Washington won last five games, scoring 21 goals. Montreal won five of its last six.
-- Coyotes won three of their last four games. Detroit won four of its last six.
-- Florida won its last three games, allowing four goals.
-- Dallas Stars won seven of their last nine games.

Cold teams
-- Avalanche lost four of last six road games. Rangers lost four of last five.
-- New Jersey lost five of its last seven games. Carolina lost eight of its last ten.
-- Chicago lost four of its last six games. Ottawa lost three of last five at home.
-- Nashville lost five of its last seven games.
-- Maple Leafs lost four of their last five games. Minnesota lost six of its last eight.
-- Vancouver lost eight of its last ten games.

Series records
-- Colorado won three of last four visits to Madison Square Garden.
-- Devils won five of last seven games with Carolina.
-- Blackhawks won five of last six games with Ottawa.
-- Road team won seven of last nine Washington-Montreal games.
-- Red Wings lost three of last four games with Arizona.
-- Predators won seven of last nine games with Florida.
-- Maple Leafs lost last three games with Minnesota.
-- Canucks lost last nine games with Dallas, last three in OT/SO.

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Colorado games went over the total.
-- Last five New Jersey-Carolina games stayed under total.
-- Last four Ottawa games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Washington games went over total.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Detroit games.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Florida games.
-- Six of last nine Toronto games went over total.
-- Last three Vancouver games stayed under; three of last four Dallas games went over.

Back-to-backs
-- Rangers are 5-1 if they played the night before.
-- Maple Leafs are 0-6 when they played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Thunder (11-7) at Heat (10-6)

Date: December 03, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

It seems clear the Oklahoma City Thunder need offensive contributions from others besides Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to be successful.

It's the defensive end where the Miami Heat need to keep having everyone help.

The league's No. 2 scoring offense takes on the No. 2 scoring defense as the Thunder visit the Heat on Thursday night.

"We're not gonna shut Kevin Durant down, you're not gonna shut Russell Westbrook down, only thing we can hope for is they have bad shooting nights," Dwayne Wade said. "... It's our job to make sure that we make it as tough as possible, play our defensive concepts and don't give them too many easy baskets and play the way we play."

Both teams have had two days off following disappointing losses.

Oklahoma City (11-7) overcame a 16-point deficit in Atlanta to take a four-point lead on Westbrook's back-to-back baskets with 2 1/2 minutes left, but he was 0 for 2 with a turnover down the stretch in a 106-100 loss. The Thunder, who average 108.9 points, fell to 0-5 when failing to top 100.

Westbrook scored half of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, grabbed 11 rebounds and handed out seven assists, but Oklahoma City had a four-game winning streak snapped. Durant had 25 points, including the Thunder's only four in the final two minutes, but felt he "could've been a lot better."

Oklahoma City's reserves certainly could have been, matching a season low with 19 points on 7-of-31 shooting. The Thunder are 11-1 when their bench scores at least 30 and 0-6 when they don't.

Dion Waiters averaged 13.5 points in the previous 11 games as Oklahoma City went 8-3, but he was 0 of 7 from the field and had one point Monday. Fellow reserve Anthony Morrow hit three 3-pointers but missed his other nine shots. The Thunder are 6-0 when Morrow hits at least 40.0 percent from the field.

"Every game is different and every day is different," Morrow told the team's official website. "It's about keeping that same steady work ethic and mentality."

Those areas have pleased first-year coach Billy Donovan.

"These guys are really committed to the game," he said after Tuesday's practice in Miami. "They're committed to their personal development. They get in the gym and they work."

Heat veteran Chris Bosh sounds similarly pleased despite Monday's 105-95 home loss to Boston. It was the third defeat in 10 games for Miami (10-6), which leads the Southeast Division after failing to make the playoffs last season.

"Before the season started, if you would've told me your team would be 10-6 in the first 16, I'm gonna take that," said Bosh, who had 21 points and 10 rebounds Monday playing through an illness. "... We're better than I thought we would be. That's one thing that we understand. We do wanna win and can win ball games, but we're an inexperienced group as far as together is concerned."

The Heat are giving up 96.3 points per game and are 9-1 when holding opponents under that mark.

Wade had a season-high 30 points Monday but also committed six turnovers. He was held to a combined 30 points in two meetings with the Thunder last season as the Heat lost both despite Westbrook totaling 31 points and Durant scoring 19 in the only one he played.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nuggets (6-13) at Raptors (12-7)

Date: December 03, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Kyle Lowry's offensive spark may have closed Toronto's latest road win, but it was the Raptors' defense that opened the door.

The Raptors hope to carry the momentum from both back home when the Denver Nuggets visit Thursday night.

Lowry scored a franchise-record 22 points in the fourth quarter during Wednesday's 96-86 victory at Atlanta, helping the Raptors rally from a 17-point deficit in the second half.

Toronto (12-7) trailed by 14 at halftime after scoring just 16 points in each of the opening two quarters. Lowry, though, made 7 of 8 shots in the final frame to finish with a season-high 31 points.

'I told him, `Win the game for us,'" said DeMar DeRozan, who added 17 points. 'That's what he did.'

And he did it through flu-like symptoms. Lowry needed to leave the game in the second quarter but returned to begin the third. He caught a rhythm in the final 12 minutes to ignite the comeback.

"The thing about Kyle is he's so quick and he's so strong," coach Dwane Casey said. "He goes in there and drives into the bodies of the big guys and initiates contact. He's almost like a little mouse. He gets in there and finds a hole and gets through there... He knows when to do it. He knows how to do it."

He did it in his last meeting against the Nuggets, too, scoring 30 points to go with 11 assists and seven rebounds during a 116-102 win on Dec. 28. He made 12 of 20 shots and 3 of 5 from 3-point range.

Lowry finished 9 of 17 from the field against the Hawks while making 11 of 12 free throws. He chipped in five rebounds and five assists.

Toronto's defense set the stage for his big fourth quarter, limiting the Hawks to 20 points in both the third and fourth and holding them to 36.7 percent shooting, including 29.6 on 3-pointers.

The Raptors, who have won five of six, improved to 7-0 when holding teams under 40 percent shooting with five of those wins coming on the road.

Toronto won its last four road games to close a daunting stretch of 13 of 19 away from home to open the season. The Raptors get some relief, though, by starting a six-game homestand against reeling Denver.

The Nuggets (6-13) have lost eight straight including three to open their current five-game road trip. They haven't lost nine in a row since a 14-game skid in the 2002-03 season.

Denver struggled to defend during the first four losses of its streak, allowing 113.0 points per game, but an offense that's averaged just 81.3 in the past four has been the biggest issue lately.

The Nuggets made 38.7 percent of their shots during Wednesday's 99-90 loss at Chicago, slightly better than the 37.3 they posted in Monday's 92-74 loss at Milwaukee. Denver was outrebounded by the Bulls 62-49, while allowing 30 second-chance points and making just 13 of 22 free throws.

'You give a team 30 points off offensive rebounds then you miss nine free throws in a close game, you're going to make it hard on yourself to pull that game out,' coach Michael Malone said.

Gary Harris missed his third straight contest, but he cleared the NBA's concussion protocol on Wednesday and should start against the Raptors. He averaged 13.7 points in six games before his injury.

The Raptors have won the last three in this series and three of four in Toronto.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (10-8) at Jazz (8-8)

Date: December 03, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

The Orlando Magic had a hard enough time holding off Utah three weeks ago, and that was with the Jazz missing two starters.

Looking to win five straight games for the first time in nearly four years, the visiting Magic expect a much tougher test Thursday night against a Jazz team that nearly handed Golden State its first loss.

Orlando (10-8) looked like it would cruise to an easy win over a Utah team playing without Rodney Hood (right foot soreness) and Rudy Gobert (left ankle sprain) on Nov. 13. The Magic led by 22 in the second quarter and were up by 23 in the fourth before letting the Jazz pull within seven with 1:10 to go. Utah couldn't get any closer, however, and Orlando won 102-93 as Evan Fournier had a game-high 21 points.

The Magic had a similar fast start and late letdown Tuesday against Minnesota to open a five-game road trip. They led by 17 in the third quarter before allowing the Timberwolves to tie the score with 4:30 to play. They then clamped down defensively, as Minnesota missed six of its final seven shots and won 96-93 for a fourth straight victory. They haven't won five in a row since January 2012.

"We have a pretty nice streak going, but we have to keep it up," Nikola Vucevic said. "We have a tough one against Utah coming up. They have a good team. Gobert is going to be playing and he changes the look of their team."

The Magic, however, have gotten a reprieve of sorts since the Jazz ruled out Gobert indefinitely Wednesday night due to a sprained MCL in his left knee. The 7-foot-1 center helped limit Utah's opponents to 35.7 percent shooting - the lowest mark by an player who averages at least 30 minutes.

Though the Magic don't have to worry about Gobert patrolling the paint, they'll also have to contend with Hood's offense. Fourth on the team in scoring at 13.1 points per game, Hood had a chance to put the Jazz (8-8) ahead of the Warriors by two on Monday but missed a 3 with five seconds left in a 106-103 loss.

'We competed against the best team in the league and gave ourselves a chance to win,' said Gordon Hayward, who is averaging 24.7 points and has made 8 of 15 3-pointers in the last three games. 'Had a shot at the end. Couple mistakes here and there. ... And maybe it's a different outcome, but can't complain."

The Magic will also have one of their top players available this time that didn't play last month. Victor Oladipo sat out under the league's concussion protocol and his shift from starter to reserve has coincided with the Magic's winning streak. He is providing a spark off the bench, averaging a team-best 18.3 points in the last four games.

Fournier is averaging 10.3 points in the last four - 6.6 below his team-leading average.

Defense has keyed the winning streak, as the Magic are allowing 91.3 points and 39.4 percent shooting in the last four after giving up an average of 105.8 points in dropping three of the previous four.

'The only way to be a winning team is by defending,' Vucevic said. 'Some games we might go out there and outscore people, but we know that for us to be consistently winning we have to defend.'

Orlando's 98-93 win at Utah last December snapped a five-game losing streak in Salt Lake City.