Thursday 2/11/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

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

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

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 19:45

Lazio

v

Verona

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		1/2	10/3	11/2	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LAZIO	RECENT FORM
ADHLHWADHLAD​ Most recent​	2 - 0 3 - 3 3 - 2 5 - 4	HLADHDADHWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Verona have conceded less than two goals in five of their last six matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Lazio's European qualification hopes are looking remote after a three-game winless sequence but they can get back to winning ways with a narrow success over rock-bottom Verona. The basement boys are on a five-match unbeaten run (four of them draws) but have not won any of their 11 Serie A away games.

RECOMMENDATION: Lazio to win 1-0
1

 

[superbeets]

German Bundesliga Fr 12Feb 19:30

Mainz

v

Schalke

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		19/10	12/5	29/20	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAINZ	RECENT FORM
AWHDALALHWAW​ Most recent​	2 - 0 0 - 1 2 - 2 2 - 4	AWALHWHLAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Mainz have conceded one goal in their last four home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Schalke sit in the final Champions League qualification berth with Mainz only three points behind them so this is a big game between sides both hopeful of making Europe next season. Mainz have been solid at the back but are unlikely to sustain their challenge, while Schalke have kept three clean sheets in four and the sides are fancied to cancel each other out.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

Portuguese Liga Fr 12Feb 20:30

Benfica

v

Porto

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		11/10	21/10	11/4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BENFICA	RECENT FORM
HWAWAWHWAWAW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 2 - 0 2 - 2 2 - 3	HDAWALHWAWHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: The Benfica-Benfica double result has copped in their last six league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Benfica conceded a late goal to lose at Porto in September but they should be confident of avenging that defeat in the reverse fixture. Since a 3-0 home defeat to title rivals Sporting, Benfica have won 13 of their 14 games while Porto have lost three of their seven league matches in 2016, including a shock home reverse to Arouca last weekend.

RECOMMENDATION: Benfica
2

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 13Feb 12:45

Sunderland

v

Man Utd

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		15/4	5/2	3/4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SUNDERLAND	RECENT FORM
ALAWALHDHLAD​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 1 1 - 2 0 - 1	ADAWHLAWHWAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Sunderland have not conceded more than once in their last eight home league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Wayne Rooney’s improved run of form has given Manchester United a glimmer of optimism in an otherwise gloomy season, but the Red Devils face a tough task to grab a Champions League spot and could suffer another setback at Sunderland. The Black Cats have turned in some improved performances in recent weeks, with the draw at Anfield the latest flash of hope as they look to avoid relegation.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Andre Marriner STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 13Feb 15:00

C Palace

v

Watford

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		5/4	23/10	11/5	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT C PALACE	RECENT FORM
ALALHLHWHLAD​ Most recent​	1 - 0 2 - 3 4 - 0 3 - 2	ALALHWAWHDAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Crystal Palace have failed to score in five of their last eight league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Crystal Palace’s point at Swansea last Saturday ended a run of five straight defeats for the Eagles in the Premier League and goals are in short supply – they have netted only three times in those six outings. Watford have lost three on the spin away, without scoring in any of them.

RECOMMENDATION: No goalscorer
1


REFEREE: Robert Madley STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 13Feb 15:00

Swansea

v

Southampton

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		19/10	23/10	7/5	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SWANSEA	RECENT FORM
ALHLHWAWADHD​ Most recent​	0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 0 3 - 0	HLHWHWAWADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Southampton have kept five straight clean sheets

EXPERT VERDICT: Southampton have tightened up defensively with five straight clean sheets, including shutouts at Manchester United and Arsenal and they can take a point from this trip. Improving Swansea are are unbeaten in four with 1-1 draws against West Brom and Crystal Palace in their last two outings.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
2


REFEREE: Jonathan Moss STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Blues take F Schwartz off IR
By The Sports Xchange

The St. Louis Blues activated forward Jaden Schwartz from injured reserve on Wednesday.
Schwartz has missed the Blues' last 49 games after suffering a fractured left ankle during practice on Oct. 23. He is expected to be in the lineup when the Blues visit the Florida Panthers on Friday night, the team announced.
Schwartz, 23, has posted four assists in seven games this season. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder was originally drafted by the Blues in the first round (14th overall) of the 2010 NHL draft. Schwartz , a native of Wilcox, Saskatchewan, has produced 139 points (62 goals, 77 assists) in 214 career regular-season games and seven points (two goals, five assists) in 18 career postseason outings.

---The Buffalo Sabres placed forward Zemgus Girgensons on injured reserve and replaced him on the roster with forward Justin Bailey on Wednesday.
Girgensons sat out the Sabres' 7-4 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night with an upper-body injury that he suffered in a 2-1 overtime loss to Boston on Saturday. The 22-year-old Latvian has five goals and six assists in 45 games this season.
Bailey, 20, joins the Sabres for his first career recall after a stretch which has seen him compile 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his last eight AHL games. Through the first 47 games of his professional career, Bailey ranks second among Rochester skaters in goals (10) and fourth in points (23), and leads the team with 104 shots.

---The Edmonton Oilers recalled goaltender Laurent Brossoit from the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League.
Brossoit, 22, has appeared in 26 games with Bakersfield this season, posting a 14-8-3 record, 2.70 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and three shutouts. He also represented the Condors at the 2016 AHL All Star Game. The Surrey, British Columbia, native played in his first and only NHL game last season, making 49 saves as the Oilers dropped a 3-1 decision to the San Jose Sharks.
The Oilers also assigned goaltender Anders Nilsson to their AHL affiliate. Nilsson, 25, has a 10-12-0 record in 26 games (24 starts) this season with a 3.14 goals-against average and .745 save percentage.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ducks (26-19) at Blue Jackets (21-28)

Date: February 11, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Corey Perry is playing so well that teams are resorting to all kinds of tactics to try to slow down the prolific winger.

Perry was bloodied but not beaten his last time out and looks to continue his strong production for the visiting Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Ducks top goal scorer with 21, Perry had two assists in Tuesday's 4-1 victory at Philadelphia to give him 10 points in a 7-1-0 surge.

That performance did not come without a price. Perry and the Flyers' Brandon Manning were bloodied during a skirmish in the second period that resulted in Perry being sent to the locker room with a cut over his left ear.

He said that he felt the Ducks (26-19-7) handled the physical game the right way.

"It's all about keeping them in check, but at the same time sticking up for one another," Perry said. "I thought we did a good job of that."

Anaheim recovered after getting crushed 6-2 on Monday by Pittsburgh to open a seven-game trip. It didn't take long to get back on track as Rickard Rakell scored twice for a 2-0 lead in an opening period in which the Ducks held a 15-5 edge in shots.

'I couldn't have written it up as good as that,' coach Bruce Boudreau said. 'I thought our first period was pretty dominating. It just shows the guys were a little ticked off with their effort (Monday) night and they wanted to atone for it."

Captain Ryan Getzlaf also had two assists to give him 33 overall and 10 points in his last seven games. Getzlaf and Perry each had three assists in the Ducks' 4-2 home win over the Blue Jackets on Nov. 6.

Anaheim figures to get its first look at rookie Joonas Korpisalo, who has started the last seven games for Columbus (21-28-6) while filling in for injured Sergei Bobrovsky (groin) and Curtis McElhinney (ankle).

Korpisalo has a season-high 44 saves in Tuesday's 3-2 shootout home defeat to the New York Islanders. He had gone 6-1-1 with a 1.84 goals-against average in his previous eight starts.

"Korpi played a great game," forward Boone Jenner said. "Obviously he's been doing that a lot lately and he was there again tonight."

Korpisalo has had to be sharp since the Blue Jackets have totaled six non-shootout goals in four games since the All-Star break. Jenner, who has 17 goals, and Brandon Saad, who has a team-high 19, are both pointless in this stretch.

Columbus failed to score after the first period Tuesday, getting outshot for the game 46-31. The club opened a five-game homestand after winning two of three in Western Canada.

'It looked like we kind of ran out of gas,' coach John Tortorella said. 'I'm not sure if the trip hurt us. I'm always concerned about that, coming off that West Coast trip. I don't want to make excuses. Judging from the first period, I thought we were there.'

Tortorella opted to cancel Wednesday's practice.

Anaheim has the league's best penalty kill at 89.0 percent while Columbus owns the NHL's third-worst power play at home at 16.0 percent.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (32-17) at Islanders (28-18)

Date: February 11, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Kings kicked off a seven-game trip by scoring more goals in a road game than they had in nearly 23 years.

They might like their chances of winning again if they get to face the New York Islanders' Jaroslav Halak.

Halak has dropped eight straight starts against Los Angeles and is likely to get the nod Thursday night when his Islanders try to slow down the red-hot Kings' power play.

Los Angeles (31-17-3) had nine players score in Tuesday's 9-2 rout of Boston, posting its highest goal total on the road since a 9-3 win over Detroit on March 29, 1993.

'I don't think I've ever been with the Kings when they've got nine goals,' said eighth-year defenseman Drew Doughty, who leads the NHL with 33.7 shifts per game. 'It was fun, a lot of fun.'

Jeff Carter ended an eight-game goal drought and Anze Kopitar added an assist to give him seven in a five-game streak.

Carter, Doughty and Luke Schenn scored on the power play as Los Angeles went 3 for 3 to give it a 7-for-12 mark in the last three games. The Kings are at 23.4 percent, third in the NHL.

New York (28-18-6) is a formidable penalty killing team at 86.8 percent, second overall. Halak made 29 saves in Tuesday's 3-2 shootout victory at Columbus to end a three-start slide in which he allowed 10 goals.

The worst effort in that span was Saturday's 5-1 road defeat to the Red Wings in which he was replaced in the second period after giving up four goals on 13 shots.

"It's always frustrating to lose the game and being pulled even more frustrating," Halak said. "But it's only one game and we've got a lot of games left and whatever happens that night, you just have to forget about it and try to focus on the next game."

Halak began his career with five straight wins over the Kings, but has gone 0-6-2 with a 3.07 goals-against average in his last eight starts against them. That includes a 2-1 defeat Nov. 12 in which Milan Lucic put Los Angeles ahead for good with a second-period tally.

Lucic was happy to put Tuesday behind him after an emotional return to Boston, where he played eight seasons and was honored with a video tribute.

'As much as I was looking at this game, I'm glad it's finally over so I can stop thinking about it and thinking about the rest of the road trip and all those type of things,' Lucic said.

Jonathan Quick made 35 saves in his 28th victory after getting pulled in the second period of his previous outing last Thursday, when he stopped six of nine shots in a 4-2 loss to Anaheim.

The Islanders' Kyle Okposo and John Tavares are on three-game point streaks, with six points for Okposo and five for Tavares.

These teams lead the NHL in hits per game, with New York averaging 30.3 and Los Angeles 29.3. Islanders winger Matt Martin is averaging a league-high 4.9 while Lucic tops the Kings at 3.5.

The Kings placed veteran defenseman Christian Ehrhoff on waivers Wednesday. Ehrhoff, who signed a one-year contract with Los Angeles last summer, recorded an assist Tuesday and has nine with two goals in 40 games this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sabres (21-27) at Flyers (23-20)

Date: February 11, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Sean Couturier's injury put Philadelphia general manager Ron Hextall in an interesting position with the trade deadline approaching and a tight Eastern Conference wild-card race unfolding.

Adding another asset might become futile, though, if the Flyers don't start winning without their young center.

Philadelphia looks to avoid a fourth straight defeat Thursday night when it hosts a Buffalo Sabres team also suffering through a three-game skid and injury concerns of its own.

Couturier had an assist in last Thursday's win over Nashville to give him 10 along with six goals in his last 16 games, but he suffered an ankle injury in that contest that is expected to keep him out at least three more weeks.

The Flyers (23-20-9) are 0-2-1 since the 23-year-old went down following Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Anaheim and are 2-8-2 without Couturier on the season. They'll have to jump five teams to get into playoff position in the East, but it's still a close race with plenty of time remaining.

Hextall could choose to replace Couturier before the Feb. 29 trade deadline, which is shortly before Couturier is expected to return. For now, he's hoping the current players can show they can overcome Couturier's absence.

"He's a big part of our team, we all knew that," Hextall said. "Would we like him back tomorrow? Yeah. It would be terrific. But it's not going to happen, so we're going to go with what we've got. And we need to find ways to win games."

It hasn't helped that the Flyers have been on the ice plenty since returning from the All-Star break. This will be their sixth game in 10 days, and they won't have more than two days off until March 8-10.

"This time of year, it's a busy schedule, so I don't know how many people have the luxury of being 100 percent healthy or feeling physically 100 percent energized," said rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who has two goals and 10 assists during a nine-game point streak. "Everybody's got to get themselves ready and prepared and go out and do the job."

The Sabres (21-27-6) also are having health issues. Forward Zemgus Girgensons suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday's overtime defeat at Boston and sat out Tuesday's 7-4 loss to Florida, then was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.

Winger Johan Larsson also sat out against the Panthers after suffering an undisclosed injury in the morning skate. He didn't practice Wednesday and his status for this contest is unclear as Buffalo looks to win a third straight meeting with the Flyers this season.

Girgensons scored in overtime to give the Sabres a 4-3 win Oct. 27 before Ryan O'Reilly had a goal and two assists in a 3-1 win Oct. 30. O'Reilly, though, has gone 13 straight without a goal despite having 10 assists in that span.

He assisted on both of Sam Reinhart's power-play goals against Florida.

"I thought Ryan actually was a guy who stood out (Tuesday) in how he played," coach Dan Bylsma said. "He's squeezing a little bit when it comes to shooting the puck and scoring goals for us right now, but I think that's a frustration we all share."

It's unclear if Robin Lehner or Chad Johnson will get the start in net after Johnson relieved Lehner on Tuesday.

Steve Mason is 2-2-1 with a 2.59 goals-against average starting each game for the Flyers since former Sabres goalie Michal Neuvirth suffered a lower-body injury. Coach Dave Hakstol said he hasn't ruled out giving Anthony Stolarz his first NHL start in this contest.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Avalanche (27-25) at Senators (25-24)

Date: February 11, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

There might be no great time to play five of six games on the road, and immediately after a winless four-game homestand would seem to be one of the worst.

That's what Colorado faces starting Thursday night in Ottawa, but coach Patrick Roy seems to think something positive is coming.

The Avalanche (27-25-4) have won seven of 10 on the road dating to Dec. 12 and scored 2.90 goals per game in that time. For the season, they're averaging 1.11 points per road game and 0.96 at home after blowing another lead in Tuesday's 3-1 home loss to Vancouver.

"I think it is good timing. Now we're going to refocus," Roy told the team's official website. "We've been playing well on the road. Seems like on the road we're scoring more, and we take leads and play with more confidence. Like tonight, we had the lead, no excuse."

The Avalanche are in this position after an 0-3-1 homestand that ended with them scoring one goal for the third time in six games and going 0 for 4 on the power play to dip to 1 for 12 on the losing streak. Colorado had a first-period lead in the last three and emerged with one point.

"Obviously, the last four games haven't ended the way we wanted," captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "We haven't found ways to win. We have to put an end to this. You can't afford to go on slides like this at this point of the year. We just have to find a way to get out of it."

The Avalanche are at least getting the Senators on the tail end of a back-to-back set. Ottawa is 2-7-0 with no rest, but one of those came against Colorado.

Ottawa won 5-3 in Denver on Nov. 25 behind two goals and an assist from Shane Prince, but the Avalanche have won eight of the last 10 with an average of 4.00 goals per game. Landeskog had a goal and an assist in the latest meeting and has nine points in six career games against Ottawa.

The Senators (25-24-6) are returning home after Wednesday's 3-1 loss in Detroit after a two-game home winning streak in which they totaled 11 goals. Though the offense went a bit quiet against the Red Wings, Zack Smith - who has scored in his last two against Colorado - kept his hot streak going with a goal in a third straight game.

It came on the power play, but Ottawa was 1 for 7 and is 6 of 48 (12.5 percent) in 15 games since last converting twice in one contest.

"We let them off the hook in the first period," coach Dave Cameron said. "I'd like to see us get it to the net. We were looking for the Grade A chance."

It was the first game for Dion Phaneuf after Ottawa acquired him from Toronto on Tuesday in a nine-player deal. He played a role in Detroit's winning goal, but his coach focused on more than that.

"I thought he fit right in," Cameron said. "He played in all situations for us. ... He's very vocal, I like that."

Craig Anderson faced the Red Wings, so Andrew Hammond could be in goal needing improvement from his last four games. The second-year goaltender has gone 0-2-0 in two starts and two relief efforts with a 4.80 goals-against average and .830 save percentage.

Potential counterpart Semyon Varlamov has a 3.69 GAA and .896 save percentage in consecutive losses, but he's enjoyed a 6-2-0 road stretch with 1.60 and .957 marks. He was replaced in November against the Senators and has a 3.31 GAA in seven career games against them.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (39-9) at Wild (23-20)

Date: February 11, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo is remaining positive amid the longest home losing streak in club history, even though snapping it against the NHL's best team won't be easy.

The sinking Wild figure to be hard-pressed to end their six-game home slide when they meet Alex Ovechkin, Braden Holtby and the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.

Minnesota (23-20-10) established its worst home losing streak at 0-3-3 with Tuesday's 4-3 overtime defeat to Dallas. It's part of a 1-9-2 overall stretch for Yeo's club.

The coach said his message to the team remains upbeat.

"We're not all about moral victories, and we're not all about trying to just point out the positives, and deflect against what's real, but the truth of the matter is that's the only way out of this," Yeo told the Wild's official website.

Not too many teams have obtained positive results against Washington (39-9-4), winner of four straight after opening this three-game trip with Tuesday's 5-3 victory over Nashville. Holtby made 23 saves, giving him a 26-1-3 mark and 2.11 GAA in his last 31 starts.

Ovechkin scored into an empty net for his 31st goal - one off the NHL-leading total held by Chicago's Patrick Kane. Four other Capitals scored, with Marcus Johansson registering a goal and two assists.

"I've said it a million times, we get different performances from different guys, big performances on every night," Holtby said.

Johansson returned to the Washington lineup after missing four games with an upper-body injury. He has 13 points in his last 11.

"It's good to be back and there's nothing better than coming back and being a part of winning a game," he said.

Another unheralded Washington skater contributing is Andre Burakovsky, who has six goals and four assists in an eight-game point streak.

The Capitals are averaging league bests of 3.3 goals overall and 3.7 since the start of January. The Wild are averaging 1.9 goals since the start of 2016 for the league's second-worst mark.

Zach Parise leads Minnesota with 17 goals, but has none in this overall 0-4-2 slide. None of Thomas Vanek's 14 goals have come in his last nine games.

The Wild look to avoid losing seven straight for the first time since an 0-5-2 stretch in 2011-12. Yeo feels his team is trending in the right direction after enjoying double-digit shot advantages in its last two games.

"If we can stay strong, and if we can continue to get stronger in our game, and if we continue to out-chance and outshoot teams, then we will win," he said.

Defenseman Jared Spurgeon could return after sitting out Tuesday with a deep bruise.

Devan Dubnyk has gone 0-7-1 with a 2.73 GAA in his last eight starts and 2-2-0 with a 3.27 GAA in four career matchups with Washington.

Minnesota has scored on the power play in four straight games to match a season best. Washington is 1 for 20 with the man advantage in its last six contests.

The Caps won 3-2 at Minnesota on March 19 after going 0-6-1 in their first seven road games in the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (28-19) at Jets (24-26)

Date: February 11, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Boston Bruins are trying to forget their latest effort. The Winnipeg Jets hope a couple of road victories has them poised for improvement at home.

Coach Claude Julien is expected to shuffle the lines as the Bruins open this season-high six-game road trip against the Jets on Thursday night.

Boston (28-19-6) was hammered 9-2 at home by Los Angeles on Tuesday, surrendering 57 shots for the first time since a meeting with Detroit on March 18, 1965.

"What's ahead of us is more important than what is behind us," Julien told the team's official website. "I'm not going to get into (Tuesday) night, but I'm just going to say we haven't played like that all year, so it's not something we should dwell on more than think about what we have ahead of us.

"We're looking at Winnipeg and we understand and realize the importance of this road trip."

The Bruins' 16-5-3 road record ranks only behind Washington's 19-5-2 and includes four straight victories.

Boston, though, has won only once in their last eight away matchups with the Jets, dating back to 2010 when they were the Atlanta Thrashers. The Bruins' three-game skid in Winnipeg includes one goal in each contest, and they fell 6-2 at home in the season opener for both clubs Oct. 8.

The Jets (24-26-3) are last in the Central Division and among the worst home teams in the West at 13-12-1. They've surrendered an average of 3.67 goals while losing seven of nine.

Winnipeg, however, showed some promise against a couple teams in playoff position, beating St. Louis 2-1 in a shootout on Tuesday after topping Colorado 4-2 on Saturday.

"The on-ice product the last two games is a function of preparation," coach Paul Maurice told the team's official website. "Every team has to find its soul, and how it gets itself ready. We've been right there the last two games, as good as we've been all year, where you're wired into the game and ready to go. That's a big deal.

"We're back skating, we're competing on pucks. We're battling and when it all goes bad, we're getting a block or a save."

The Jets are getting Drew Stafford back from a one-game suspension for hitting the Avalanche's Nick Holden in the face with his stick. He had two goals and one assist in that game to match his point total from the eight prior.

Stafford has four points in his last three meetings with the Bruins, including two in the season opener.

His 16 goals are tied for the team lead with Bryan Little, who ended an eight-game drought Tuesday. The center has just one assist in the past eight games with Boston.

Brad Marchand leads the Bruins with 25 goals, three shy of his career high set in 2011-12. He's scored 10 over the past 10 games, netting half of them during a four-game streak.

Marchand didn't score in a 2-1 loss at Winnipeg on Dec. 19, 2014, after getting one in each of the previous three visits.

Tuukka Rask should be back in net after getting pulled midway through the second period Tuesday. He's lost five of his last six road matchups with the Jets franchise but owns a 2.03 goals-against average while dropping two of the past three.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (34-15) at Blackhawks (36-17)

Date: February 11, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Patrick Sharp was a key part of the Chicago Blackhawks' transformation from league also-ran to Stanley Cup champion.

He raised the Cup on the United Center ice in June and will make his first trip back to Chicago as a player Thursday night, with his Dallas Stars looking to cut into the Blackhawks' Central Division lead.

For the past 9 1/2 seasons, Sharp was a staple in Chicago's lineup, leading the team in scoring four times. The fan favorite tallied 239 goals and scored another 42 in the playoffs to help the club to three Stanley Cups.

Three weeks after their latest Cup celebration, the Blackhawks (36-17-4) traded Sharp to Dallas (34-15-5) in need of saving salary-cap space.

Sharp got off to a fast start with the Stars - as did most of his teammates - but has been stuck on 16 goals since Jan. 3. He had a goal and an assist in his first game against his former team in a 4-0 win Dec. 22 as Dallas moved 10 points ahead of Chicago.

The Stars' push to the division crown hit a snag in January, however, as they slogged through much of the month while the Blackhawks pulled ahead on the strength of a franchise-best 12-game winning streak.

Chicago returned to Dallas on Saturday and this time it dominated play, winning 5-1 behind a goal and three assists from Artem Anisimov.

Patrick Kane scored his NHL-leading 32nd goal - four ahead of Dallas' Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin - and Artemi Panarin had two assists as Chicago's top line accounted for two goals and five assists.

'They knew what happened here last time, and didn't want that to happen again,' said Dallas defenseman Alex Goligoski, who was on the ice for the Blackhawks' last four goals. 'It will be nice to get them again pretty quick, so it's a chance to get them back.'

The Stars bounced back with Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win in Minnesota, their fourth victory in five games. John Klingberg scored the winner for Dallas, which has scored at least four goals in three of four games since the All-Star break, with the Chicago loss being the exception. The Stars reached the four-goal mark twice in 15 games before the break.

Corey Crawford made 36 saves against the Stars and stopped 25 of 26 shots Tuesday against San Jose, but Chicago's three-game winning streak was snapped with a 2-0 loss. The Blackhawks, three points ahead of Dallas, have four losses in their last 20 games, totaling one goal in the defeats.

'We didn't have the same jump that we usually do," said Crawford, who is 13-3-0 with a 1.88 goals-against average in his last 16 starts. "It was just one of those games where the puck wasn't going in.'

The Blackhawks did have one puck go in but Brandon Mashinter's goal late in the first period was disallowed after the Sharks won a successful video challenge for goalie interference.

When the first question of his postgame press conference asked about the play, a fuming Joel Quenneville gave a quick answer before abruptly throwing up his arms and walking out.

The Blackhawks are hopeful Panarin, who leads NHL rookies with 52 points, can return after he missed his first game with an illness.

Former Blackhawk Antti Niemi was given the night off Tuesday after being pulled for giving up three goals on eight shots in Saturday's first period. He has a 4.02 GAA in losing seven consecutive starts in Chicago since winning Dec. 30, 2010 in his first game back at the United Center.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Maple Leafs (19-24) at Oilers (21-29)

Date: February 11, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are tied for the fewest points in the NHL. While Connor McDavid is giving the Oilers hope for a brighter future, the rebuilding Maple Leafs think their recent trade has them on the road to success.

The Maple Leafs could have two new faces in the lineup Thursday night when they go for an eighth win in nine meetings with the Oilers.

Toronto (19-24-9) has lost 11 of its last 14 games, a stretch that includes going 2-7-0 on the road after losing the first two of this season-high five-game trip.

The Maple Leafs fell 4-3 at Calgary on Tuesday hours after trading captain Dion Phaneuf to Ottawa in a nine-player deal that included defenseman Jared Cowen, left wing Colin Greening and 20-year-old prospect Tobias Lindberg joining Toronto.

The deal also gives the Leafs flexibility under the salary cap, fueling speculation that they'll be active in free agency over the next two summers.

"If you manage it right, and you draft right, and you develop right, you can be good for a long time. That's what we're in the process right now," coach Mike Babcock said.

Babcock is expected to at least have Greening available. He only played once for the Senators this season and has 87 points in 256 career games over six seasons.

Cowen isn't nearly as certain to make his team debut.

"He's had some problems with his hips and knees. Then we're going to decide what's best to get him going," Babcock said. "We obviously have to get his confidence back to get him playing the way he once did. The first thing is to get him healthy. We'll see whether he's going (Thursday) or in a few days.

"They're both guys with a new opportunity in a new organization, and we need help."

The Maple Leafs beat Edmonton 3-0 at home Nov. 30 and have totaled 33 goals in their last eight games in the series.

The Oilers (21-29-5), losers of six of eight, need help defensively as they've been outscored 15-3 during a three-game skid. They showed some improvement in Tuesday's 2-1 loss at New Jersey, but coach Todd McLellan was more concerned with them tying their season low of 20 shots.

"We have to push the needle forward," McLellan said.

McDavid has done his part with seven points in five games after missing 37 with a broken clavicle. He has 19 points in 18 games, getting nine over his last seven at home.

McDavid was a fan of the Maple Leafs growing up in a Toronto suburb, and he'll now face them for the first time.

Benoit Pouliot has six points in five games after combining with McDavid to assist on Jordan Eberle's goal against the Devils. He has 12 points over his last nine meetings with the Leafs, netting two goals in a 4-1 win March 16.

Cam Talbot has split his last two meetings with Toronto with a 4.56 goals-against average after winning the previous two starts by yielding two goals on 52 shots.

Talbot, though, has a 4.52 GAA while losing his only two decisions over the last three games.

"I have to play better," Talbot acknowledged after making 24 saves Tuesday.

Leo Komarov leads the Maple Leafs with 17 goals and 33 points, and he scored twice in the last matchup with the Oilers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (24-25) at Sharks (28-20)

Date: February 11, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The stigma of Calgary's fall from last year's playoff darlings to this season's surprising disappointment added another black mark when coach Bob Hartley benched three forwards, including the Flames' top two scorers.

They persevered without them for one night, but they'll need them in the right frame of mind moving forward if they plan on returning to the postseason.

Calgary begins a back-to-back set of road matchups with foes sitting above them in the Pacific Division standings as Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Lance Bouma return to the lineup Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks.

The trio served as healthy scratches for Tuesday's 4-3 win over Toronto after Hartley levied discipline for an unspecified violation of team rules. Hartley conducted a brief practice Monday before leaving the ice and initially stating that at least Bouma was "feeling ill."

He declined to go into specific reasons for the benching, but the move doesn't look good for a team fighting to regain the highs of 2014-15. The Flames (24-25-3) surprisingly made the playoffs for the first time in six seasons and beat Vancouver in the first round before falling to top-seeded Anaheim.

They're sixth in the Pacific this season, though, seven points behind Nashville for the Western Conference's final wild-card spot and eight back of the Ducks for the division's last automatic playoff berth.

"The best apology for us three is to come out against San Jose and have our best game of the season and help this team win and help this team move up in the standings," said Gaudreau whose 49 points lead the Flames, with Monahan's 35 ranking second. "We had a pretty sincere apology, but the best apology would be helping this team win as much as possible and playing our best hockey the rest of the season."

Calgary won for the third time in four games with help from Markus Granlund, who had a goal and an assist after being a healthy scratch for the previous three. It first will try to gain ground on the second-place Sharks (28-20-4) before facing Arizona on Friday.

San Jose has won two of the three meetings this season, most recently overcoming Monahan's goal and Gaudreau's two assists in a 5-4 victory Jan. 11.

"Those are probably two of the most important games of our season," Hartley said. "This is a great situation for us. Two huge games against two teams that are playing very well. We're playing very well, too. Lets improve our road record and lets collect some big wins."

The Sharks split a four-game road trip after blanking Chicago 2-0 on Tuesday. Patrick Marleau scored on the power play and Joe Thornton added an empty netter to support Martin Jones, who stopped 33 shots for his fifth shutout of the season.

Jones has allowed one goal or none in three of his last five starts and is 9-2-1 with a 2.06 goals-against average since Jan. 9.

"The guys played hard and gave them, really, nothing," said captain Joe Pavelski, who assisted on Marleau's goal. "The (penalty kill) was great (and) the power play (was, too). (Jones) was solid. (We're) playing a good team game right now."

Jones could be in net again as the Sharks look to improve on their 10-12-2 home record. Thornton has two goals and two assists this season against the Flames, who haven't named a starter in net.

Jonas Hiller has started the last two but should split duties with Karri Ramo on the trip.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - February

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
2/1 No games scheduled - - -
2/2 12 64.5 75 OVER
2/3 3 16 15 UNDER
2/4 12 64.5 77 OVER
2/5 4 21 27 OVER
2/6 12 62 67 OVER
2/7 3 16.5 17 OVER
2/8 4 20 20 PUSH
2/9 12 64.5 72 OVER
2/10 3 - - -
2/11 9 - - -
2/12 7 - - -
2/13 10 - - -
2/14 5 - - -
2/15 7 - - -
2/16 8 - - -
2/17 3 - - -
2/18 11 - - -
2/19 5 - - -
2/20 9 - - -
2/21 6 - - -
2/22 4 - - -
2/23 9 - - -
2/24 4 - - -
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Streaks, Tips, Notes

Penguins, Rangers Heating Up the Metro

This hasn't been a very good year for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but after six wins in their last seven games, they're back in the hunt for a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division. They'll try to improve their position this Wednesday (8 PM ET, NBCSN) at the expense of the New York Rangers, who have won six of their last eight.

Both teams could be missing key players on Wednesday. The 27-18-7 Penguins have been without centre Evgeni Malkin (23 goals, 26 assists) for the past three games due to a lower-body injury, while the 30-18-5 Rangers have played the last six games without left wing Rick Nash (12 goals, 21 assists), who's out with a bone bruise in his left leg. Both Malkin and Nash are listed as day-to-day.

At press time, the two No. 1 goaltenders are projected to suit up for their respective clubs: Marc-Andre Fleury (.920 save percentage) for Pittsburgh and Henrik Lundqvist (.921 SV%) for New York. This will be their first meeting of the season. Last April, Lundqvist and the Rangers beat Fleury's Penguins in five games during the first round of the playoffs; each New York win had a final score of 2-1.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pelicans (20-32) at Thunder (39-14)

Date: February 11, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Monty Williams' impact on the New Orleans Pelicans went beyond reaching the playoffs twice in five seasons. That has become obvious with Williams now grieving the untimely death of his wife.

While the Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder are scheduled to play basketball Thursday night, their thoughts will be with Williams a day after the tragic crash.

Williams went 173-221 in five seasons as coach of the Pelicans before he was dismissed after being swept by Golden State in the first round of the playoffs last season. He was subsequently hired to be coach Billy Donovan's top assistant with the Thunder.

Tragedy struck Williams on the eve of this matchup with New Orleans. His wife Ingrid, 44, was killed in a crash just outside of downtown Oklahoma City. Her SUV was hit by an oncoming car that crossed the center line, said police Capt. Paco Valderrama. That driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and an investigation is ongoing.

"The Thunder organization has heavy hearts tonight with the news of Ingrid's passing," the Thunder said in a statement. "Words cannot adequately describe how deep our sorrow is for the loss of Monty's wife. Our thoughts and prayers are with Monty and his family, and we will support him in every way possible.

"We know the entire community of Oklahoma City has them in their prayers."

The same could be said of the Pelicans, who expressed their condolences following Wednesday's 100-96 win over Utah.

"It's just really, really tough when you know a guy like Monty and what he's all about," coach Alvin Gentry said. "Then you realize that it's just a basketball game. That's all it is."

Pelicans star Anthony Davis became close with Williams and his family during his first three NBA seasons and commented on Twitter:

"Completely devastated. Ingrid Williams was like a 2nd mother to me when I got to NOLA. My thoughts & prayers are with Monty & the family."

With emotions almost certainly focused on Williams, the Thunder (39-14) will try to win for the 14th time in 16 games after Monday's 122-106 victory at Phoenix.

They're averaging 112.4 points over that stretch, with Kevin Durant contributing 30.5. The star forward is scoring 36.3 per game over the last three after scoring 32 on 11-of-21 shooting against the Suns.

Durant's 27.8 season average is third in the league. He's averaged 30.5 points in his last 11 home meetings with New Orleans (20-32), but a strained left hamstring forced him to miss a 110-103 win Nov. 18.

Russell Westbrook led the way with 43 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in that meeting. He's had some of the best games of his career recently against the Pelicans, scoring at least 40 in each of the past three meetings while averaging 45.3 on 56.0 percent shooting.

The Pelicans have followed a four-game slide with consecutive wins. Davis has totaled 46 points in those victories, hitting a running left-handed hook and a 3-pointer in the final minute to key Wednesday's win.

"I feel like as a leader of the team that's my responsibility," Davis said. "At some point in time, you've got to take over a game."

Jrue Holiday had 21 points and nine assists against the Jazz, two days after getting 27 and nine in a 116-102 win at Minnesota.

The veteran guard shared his thoughts on the Williams' tragedy.

"The players that were here with Monty and their family definitely felt it," said Holiday, who spent two seasons under Williams. "Obviously we're all blessed to play the game of basketball but family comes before that. And I know most of the guys were thinking about our families, thinking about his family."