Thursday 2/18/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

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[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 18:00

Fiorentina

v

Tottenham

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

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT FIORENTINA	RECENT FORM
ALHWADHWADHW​ Most recent​	2 - 0	AWAWAWAWHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Fiorentina have won four and drawn one of this last five games at home to English teams

EXPERT VERDICT: Fiorentina dumped Tottenham out of the Europa League last season, although the two clubs have more important battles to come this term. It would be no surprise if the respective managers rotated their squads, although both teams have plenty of attacking quality.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2

 

[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 18:00

Midtjylland

v

Man Utd

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		17/4	13/5	4/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MIDTJYLLAND	RECENT FORM
ALHWADALALHD​ Most recent​	Unknown	AWHLAWHWADAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Midtjylland have lost seven of their last ten games

EXPERT VERDICT: Midtjylland are still in their winter break and, having not played since December, they could be caught cold by Manchester United. The Danish side have worked miracles to get this far but the fact they were beaten 5-0 and 4-1 by Napoli in the group stage does not bode well for a tie with the Red Devils.

RECOMMENDATION: Man Utd-Man Utd
1

 

[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 20:05

Augsburg

v

Liverpool

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		14/5	5/2	11/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT AUGSBURG	RECENT FORM
HLAWADHDALHL​ Most recent​	Unknown	HL*HDALHDAD*AW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Augsburg have lost two of their three European home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Partizan Belgrade and Athletic Bilbao both scored three goals in their wins at Augsburg in the Europa League group stage and Liverpool can also land a victory in Bavaria. There is a gulf in class between the teams even if Jurgen Klopp decides to rest a few star men.

RECOMMENDATION: Liverpool
2

 

[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 18:00

B Dortmund

v

Porto

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		1/2	7/2	13/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT B DORTMUND	RECENT FORM
ALAWHWADAWHW​ Most recent​	Unknown	AWALHWAWHLAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Dortmund have won 11 home games by at least two goals this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Porto have several defensive absentees for this high-profile clash and Dortmund are priced accordingly. The German giants are a clear second in the Bundesliga and are likely to target a comfortable first-leg lead, so backing them to win by more than one goal might be the way to go.

RECOMMENDATION: Dortmund
3

 

[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 20:05

Valencia

v

Rapid Vienna

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		5/6	11/4	15/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT VALENCIA	RECENT FORM
AWHLALALHDHW​ Most recent​	3 - 2	ALHWHWALHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Valencia have drawn three of their last five home games

EXPERT VERDICT: Valencia finally registered a league win under Gary Neville on Saturday but that came against a poor Espanyol side and they look too short against Rapid Vienna. The Austrian club topped their Europa League group and they can make it another uncomfortable Mestalla evening f

 

[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga Fr 19Feb 19:30

Levante

v

Getafe

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS4		13/10	21/10	12/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEVANTE	RECENT FORM
HWALHWALHLAL​ Most recent​	1 - 1 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 - 2	HWHWALHLALHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Levante have won two of their last three at home

EXPERT VERDICT: Struggling Levante need a lifeline if they are to avoid relegation from Spain’s top tier and they could get one against Getafe. The visitors have lost their last four fixtures and their away record is very poor - they have picked up just five points on the road - so the home side could take advantage.

RECOMMENDATION: Levante
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Golfers to Bet - Northern Trust

Tournament: Northern Trust Open
Date: Thursday, February 18th
Venue: Riviera Country Club
Location: Pacific Palisades, CA

The TOUR stays in California for the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Thursday. Last week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was extremely exciting and saw Vaughn Taylor come away with his first PGA TOUR victory in 11 years.

This week’s event will feature some serious firepower, as Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson will all be playing. As it seems to be the case with nearly every tournament, Phil Mickelson is a two-time winner at this event. He will, however, be absent from this year’s field.

James Hahn won’t be absent and he’ll actually be defending his victory from 2015 in this one.

Bubba Watson was the winner in 2014 and John Merrick came away victorious in 2013. The best score ever shot at the Northern Trust Open was a 20-under by Lanny Wadkins in 1985.

Let’s now take a look at who might be gunning to beat that come Sunday:

Golfers to Bet

Dustin Johnson (16/1) - Dustin Johnson did not play very well at Pebble Beach last week, shooting just a two-under for the tournament. He is, however, going to be hungry to win the Northern Trust Open this weekend. Johnson has been the runner-up at this event in back/1back years and coming that close to victory has to be eating away at him. He lost last year in a playoff and shot a 13-under in his defeat in 2014, but this could be the year he breaks through. At 16/11, he’s more than worth taking a shot on at a course he loves playing at.

Hideki Matsuyama (16/1) - Hideki Matsuyama did not play at Pebble Beach last week, but he won the Waste Management Phoenix Open the week before. Matsuyama shot a 14-under at that tournament and will be extremely confident coming into this one. He burst onto the scene with a strong 2015 season and he is now showing that he needs to be taken seriously moving forward. Having already notched one win in 2016, Matsuyama is going to stake his claim as one of golf’s best players. He is an excellent pick at 16/11, as this course should really fit his style of play perfectly.

James Hahn (100/1) - Course history is one of the most important things to factor in when trying to pick a winner and James Hahn is receiving some crazy odds for somebody that won this tournament in 2015. Not only did Hahn win last year, but he has also played pretty well this season. Hahn has a top-10 finish and two top-25 finishes to his name this year and he has made six of the seven cuts he’s faced as well. He is not a guy that is likely to spiral off and should be in the running to win on Sunday. He’s well worth putting a unit on for Sunday.

Mark Hubbard (300/1) - Hubbard is another guy that is worth putting a unit on this weekend. He has been a pleasant surprise this season, making nine of the 10 cuts he’s faced this season and he is getting 300/11 odds for this weekend’s event. Hubbard’s best finish this season was just a top-25, but he has consistently shot a few good rounds per tournament. He is a guy that just needs to find a way to put it together for four rounds and it’s likely that he’ll find a way to do it at some point. This is an excellent spot for him to show up and his talent could lead him to a win on Sunday.


Odds to win Northern Trust Open

Jordan Spieth 6/1
Rory McIlroy 7/1
Dustin Johnson 16/1
Hideki Matsuyama 16/1
Justin Rose 18/1
Bubba Watson 20/1
Jimmy Walker 24/1
Sergio Garcia 26/1
Charl Schwartzel 28/1
J.B. Holmes 29/1
Adam Scott 35/1
Bill Haas 35/1
Paul Casey 45/1
Justin Thomas 55/1
Harris English 60/1
Keegan Bradley 60/1
Matt Kuchar 60/1
Freddie Jacobson 65/1
Kevin Na 65/1
Andy Sullivan 70/1
Bernd Wiesberger 80/1
Brendan Steele 80/1
Charles Howell III 80/1
Danny Lee 80/1
Jason Dufner 80/1
Matt Jones 80/1
Ryan Moore 80/1
Billy Horschel 85/1
Gary Woodland 85/1
Graham Delaet 100/1
Luke Donald 100/1
Patrick Rodgers 100/1
William McGirt 100/1
John Huh 110/1
Daniel Berger 125/1
Hunter Mahan 125/1
James Hahn 125/1
Jamie Lovemark 125/1
K.J. Choi 125/1
Marc Leishman 125/1
Patton Kizzire 125/1
Robert Streb 125/1
Si Woo Kim 125/1
Charley Hoffman 140/1
Aaron Baddeley 150/1
Adam Hadwin 150/1
Anirban Lahiri 150/1
Brian Harman 150/1
Bryce Molder 150/1
Cameron Tringale 150/1
Chris Kirk 150/1
Francesco Molinari 150/1
Hiroshi Iwata 150/1
Lucas Glover 150/1
Smylie Kaufman 150/1
Tony Finau 150/1
Vaughn Taylor 150/1
Will Wilcox 150/1
Ernie Els 170/1
Fabian Gomez 175/1
Padraig Harrington 175/1
Seung-Yul Noh 175/1
Brendon Todd 200/1
Cameron Smith 200/1
Daniel Summerhays 200/1
Hudson Swafford 200/1
Jamie Donaldson 200/1
John Merrick 200/1
Kevin Chappell 200/1
Martin Laird 200/1
Retief Goosen 200/1
Roberto Castro 200/1
Scott Stallings 200/1
Steve Stricker 200/1
Stewart Cink 200/1
Zac Blair 200/1
Ben Crane 225/1
Morgan Hoffmann 225/1
Fred Couples 230/1
Andrew Loupe 250/1
Blayne Barber 250/1
Brendon de Jonge 250/1
Chad Campbell 250/1
Chez Reavie 250/1
Harold Varner III 250/1
Jason Kokrak 250/1
Kyle Reifers 250/1
Matt Every 250/1
Pat Perez 250/1
Spencer Levin 250/1
Angel Cabrera 300/1
Ben Martin 300/1
Brett Stegmaier 300/1
Camilo Villegas 300/1
David Hearn 300/1
David Toms 300/1
Jason Gore 300/1
Jeff Overton 300/1
John Senden 300/1
Johnson Wagner 300/1
Jon Curran 300/1
Michael Kim 300/1
Peter Malnati 300/1
Scott Brown 300/1
Scott Pinckney 300/1
Shawn Stefani 300/1
Vijay Singh 300/1
Bronson Burgoon 350/1
Carlos Ortiz 350/1
Charlie Beljan 350/1
Greg Owen 350/1
Mark Hubbard 350/1
Ricky Barnes 350/1
Steven Bowditch 350/1
Chris Stroud 400/1
Derek Fathauer 400/1
Mark Wilson 400/1
Nick Taylor 400/1
Luke List 450/1
Tyler Aldridge 450/1
Tyrone Van Aswegen 450/1
Andres Gonzales 500/1
Brian Gay 500/1
Brian Smock 500/1
Carl Pettersson 500/1
Chad Collins 500/1
Erik Compton 500/1
J.J. Henry 500/1
J.J. Spaun 500/1
Justin Leonard 500/1
Ken Duke 500/1
Matt Dobyns 500/1
Robert Allenby 500/1
Scott Langley 500/1
Steve Wheatcroft 500/1
Stuart Appleby 500/1
Troy Merritt 500/1
Whee Kim 500/1
Will MacKenzie 500/1

Odds Subject to Change

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

10 Players to Watch: Northern Trust Open
By Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange

1. Jordan Spieth, United States -- His run atop the World Golf Rankings has reached 21 weeks, and a total of 32 since he first got there last August, but former No. 1 Rory McIlroy has claimed he wants the top spot back before the Masters. Spieth started 2016 by winning the Hyundai Tournament of Champions before tying for fifth in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and finishing second in the Singapore Open. Last week, he tied for 21st at Pebble Beach, but hopes his final-round 66 will give him momentum heading to Riviera. After missing the cut in the Northern Trust as an amateur in 2012, he tied for 12th in 2014 and tied for fourth a year ago and is 13-under-par in eight rounds at "Hogan's Alley" as a pro.

2. Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland -- The Irishman usually passes on the entire West Coast Swing, but he will be at Riviera this week because he has heard so much about the classic course, which should fit his ball-striker's game. Former world No. 1 McIlroy is down to No. 3 behind Jordan Spieth and Jason Day of Australia despite winning four times last year, and he continues to play some good golf. He started 2016 by tying for third in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and tying for sixth in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic after winning his final start of 2015, the DP World Tour Championship-Dubai to wrap up the European Tour's Race to Dubai for the third time in four seasons, and being selected Golfer of the Year on the circuit.

3. Hideki Matsuyama, Japan -- Coming off his second PGA Tour victory in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Matsuyama should be fresh after taking a one-week break after he beat Rickie Fowler on the fourth playoff hole. That showed his mettle as he bounced back from a missed cut in the Farmers Insurance Open a week earlier. The Japanese star has risen to No. 12 in the World Golf Rankings and is hoping for another strong showing in the Northern Trust Open to climb into the top 10. Matsuyama tied for 23rd in his first start at Riviera two years ago and he closed with a 4-under-par 67 last year to finish in a tie for fourth, one stroke out of the playoff in which James Hahn defeated Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey of England.

4. Justin Rose, England -- Getting a relatively late start to 2016, Rose missed the cut in the Farmers Insurance Open, but then bounced back with a tie for sixth in his first appearance in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am last week. Those results came after he got the wrap-around season off to a solid start with a tie for sixth in the Frys.com Open in October. Rose, ranked No. 7 in the world, is making his 10th start in the Northern Trust Open and he has yet to really figure out Riviera, as his only top-10 finish there was a tie for ninth in 2011 and he also tied for 13th the next year before missing the cut in 2014. He skipped the tournament last year because of an injury to his right wrist.

5. Bubba Watson, United States -- After getting off to a good start in 2016 with a tie for 10th in the Hyundai Tournament a Champions and a tie for 16th in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Bubba shot 74 in the third round last week at Pebble Beach and missed the 54-hole cut. He will try to get back on track this week and Riviera might be the right place for that, as he closed with 64-64 two years ago to win the Northern Trust Open by two strokes over Dustin Johnson. Watson, who is No. 6 in the World Golf Rankings, also played that well as recently as December, when he shot 63-66 on the weekend to win the unofficial Hero World Challenge against a strong field.

6. Adam Scott, Australia -- Scott will try to get a jump-start to 2016 when he plays this week in the Northern Trust Open, after tying for 56th at the Sony Open in Hawaii in his only start of the year. Scott, down to No. 19 in the rankings, did get the wrap-around season off to a strong start when he finished second in the CIMB Classic in November, closing with a 63 to finish one stroke behind first-time winner Justin Thomas. Scott, who seems to be making progress in his switch back to the short putter, won the 2005 Northern Trust Open in a playoff with Chad Campbell after it was shortened to an unofficial 36 holes by rain, finished second the next year and tied for 10th in 2013.

7. Dustin Johnson, United States -- Even though he has yet to really hit his stride in the early stages of 2016, DJ will be one of the favorites this week at Riviera, where he has done everything except win. He will be making his ninth start in the Northern Trust Open and has placed in the top 10 on five occasions, including second the last two years. In 2014, he finished two strokes behind Bubba Watson, and last year he lost when James Hahn made a 25-foot putt on the third playoff hole. Johnson failed to break 70 in any of his fourth rounds while tying for 41st last week at Pebble Beach, two weeks after he played the weekend in 74-80 to slide to a tie for 18th after being in contention in the Farmers Insurance Open.

8. Charl Schwartzel, South Africa -- After his start to 2016 was short-circuited by an illness that put him in the hospital, Schwartzel plays for the first time this season on the PGA Tour coming off an eight-stroke victory last week in the Tshwane Open for his 11th European Tour title. And there are reasons to believe he could keep it going this week in the Northern Trust Open. This will be his fourth start at Riviera, and even though he stumbled to a tie for 41st last year, he also tied for third in 2013 and finished solo fifth a year later, breaking 70 in seven of the first eight rounds he played at "Hogan's Alley." Schwartzel also won the Alfred Dunhill Championship in November and has finished in the top 10 in his last four starts.

9. Jason Dufner, United States -- Thanks to a strong start to the season, including his fourth PGA Tour victory last month in the CareerBuilder Challenge and two other top-10s, Duf enters the Northern Trust Open at eighth in the FedEx Cup standings. However, he is coming off a tie for 51st last week in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and surprisingly has never played very well at Riviera. The 2013 PGA champion is one of the best ball-strikers around and "Hogan's Alley" should be made to order for him, but his best result in five appearances was a tie for 29th in 2011, and he has missed the cut twice. With his game, he figures to play well there sometime, and this could be the week if he can regain the magic he had in the California Desert.

10. Bill Haas, United States -- After finishing in the top 10 in two of his last three tournaments on the West Coast Swing, Haas comes to Riviera, where in 2012 he claimed perhaps the most impressive of his six PGA Tour titles other than his victory in the 2011 Tour Championship. He reeled off scores of 68-68-69 in the last three rounds of the Northern Trust Open and then took down Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley, the reigning PGA champion, with a 45-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole. Haas seemed to be on his way to a repeat when he took a three-stroke lead to the final round a year later, but he closed with a 74 and tied for third, one shot out of the playoff in which John Merrick beat Charlie Beljan.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

PGA Tour Picks: Northern Trust Open Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 2/16/2016

I'm a pretty big Phil Mickelson fan. So it was heartbreaking to see him miss that fairly easy putt on the 72nd hole Sunday at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am to miss a playoff against Vaughn Taylor. At the same time, it was great to see the journeyman Taylor win and especially moving to witness the reaction of he and his wife afterward.

Mickelson played terrific golf almost all week and had a five-footer at 18 on Sunday to force that playoff and a shot at his fifth Pebble Beach Pro-Am title and first PGA Tour win anywhere in nearly three years. Lefty had led by two entering the final round and struggled early. When he got to the par-3 17th, Mickelson was down two to Taylor. Mickelson made a beautiful birdie on that hole to set the dramatics on 18.

“Never crossed my mind that I wouldn’t make that one,” Mickelson said.

On the bright side, it does appear Mickelson is back at an elite level. It was his third Top 11 finish in four starts in 2016. As for Taylor, he entered last week at No. 447 in the world rankings and hadn't won on the Tour in 11 years. In fact, he was playing on the Web.com Tour. He pulled out of an event in Colombia two weeks ago with some sort of virus and went straight to California. He was originally an alternate at Pebble Beach and started this season with the limited status afforded to past Tour champions due to wins in the Barracuda Championship in 2004 and 2005. He was on seventh on Tour in starts since 2005 without a win.

Taylor shot to the top of the leaderboard on Sunday with four consecutive birdies from holes 13-16. He shot a seven-under 65 for the day after beginning Sunday six shots behind Mickelson. And now Taylor has a two-year exemption on the Tour and a ticket to the Masters (he lives in Augusta), among other spoils. Taylor was planning to attempt to Monday qualify for this week's tournament but is now in.

Needless to say, Taylor wasn't on my radar last week. I went with Jimmy Walker at +1600 (same price as Mickelson) to win. He had a second-round 63 but didn't break 70 in any other round and was T11. For the first time in a long while, I didn't get a single Top 10, liking Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson with Walker. Hit on a few head-to-head props but let's put Pebble in the rear-view mirror.

The West Coast Swing concludes this week with the best field of the year thus far, thanks to most of the top Europeans coming over, for the Northern Trust Open at storied Riviera Country Club outside Los Angeles. Riviera, known as "Hogan's Alley," was the toughest par 71 on Tour last year with a scoring average of 72.592. The Top 50 in the world rankings after this event automatically qualify for next month’s WGC-Cadillac Championship at Trump Doral.

The defending champion is James Hahn, his first Tour win. He beat Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey in a playoff that lasted three holes. Johnson just missed a 10-foot putt on his 72nd hole to win it and a 12-footer to extend the playoff. Casey bogeyed the 18th. Sergio Garcia was leading but finished bogey-bogey. Hahn is back to defend but has done little since and is a +10000 long shot at Bovada. Garcia is one of a group of top Euros making their 2016 USA debuts.

Golf Odds: Northern Trust Open Favorites

Spieth is the +650 favorite along with Rory McIlroy, also making his debut in the States this year. Spieth was a disappointing 21st last week but did finish strong with a 66 on Sunday. He finished one shot out of this playoff last year. McIlroy was T3 and T6 in his first two starts in 2016 on the European Tour. He has never played an official PGA Tour round at Riviera.

Johnson (+1400), Hideki Matsuyama (+1600) and Justin Rose (+1800) round out the favorites. Johnson wasn't just runner-up here last year but also in 2014 (solo that year). He has two other Top 5s at Riviera this decade. Johnson was 41st last week. I picked Matsuyama to win two weeks ago outside Phoenix and he did before taking last week off. He also was a shot out of last year's playoff here. Rose was sixth last week at Pebble. His best finish here of late was ninth in 2011.

Golf Odds: Northern Trust Open Picks

For a Top 10, I like McIlroy at -150, Johnson at +135, Matsuyama at +140 and Charl Schwartzel at +225 (he just won overseas). For the top Englishman, go Casey at +350. I like McIlroy as the top European at +150. Go Matsuyama at +275 as top "rest of the world."

Head-to-head, go Casey (-175) over Andy Sullivan (+135), Schwartzel (-115) over J.B. Holmes (-115), Rose (-165) over Walker (+125), Bill Haas (-125) over Adam Scott (-105), McIlroy (-120) over Spieth (-110), Garcia (-115) over Bubba Watson (-115), and Johnson over Matsuyama (-115).

Johnson has come so close to winning here before and I think he breaks through this time.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Wideman's suspension upheld
By The Sports Xchange

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld a 20-game suspension for Calgary Flames
defenseman Dennis Wideman after he knocked an official to the ice during a game last month.
The league cited a violation of Rule 40 for physical abuse of officials from a game in Calgary on Jan. 27 against the Nashville Predators. Wideman cross-checked linesman Don Henderson into the ice face first while trying to get back to the team's bench at 11:19 of the second period.
Wideman met with Bettman on Feb. 10 during a a hearing in New York after the an appeal of the suspension handed down by NHL senior executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell on Feb. 3.
While awaiting results of the appeal, Wideman already has served seven games of the suspension. Based on his average annual salary, he will lose $564,516.20.
Wideman, 32, played the last four seasons with the Flames. He has two goals, 17 assists and 30 penalty minutes in 48 games this season.

---The Edmonton Oilers recalled goaltender Anders Nilsson from the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League.
Nilsson, 25, has appeared in 26 games with the Oilers this season, recording a 3.14 goals-against average and .901 save percentage. The Lulea, Sweden, native has appeared in two games with Bakersfield, winning both games and posting a 2.01 goals-against average and .935 save percentage.
The Oilers also assigned goaltender Laurent Brossoit to their AHL affiliate. Brossoit, 22, has appeared in one game with the Oilers this season, posting a .920 goals-against average and .970 save percentage.

---The Nashville Predators assigned forward Gabriel Bourque to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on a long-term injury loan.
Bourque was expected to suit up for the Admirals on Wednesday night when they traveled to play the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Bourque, 25, has missed the Predators' last 35 games after leaving the game at Philadelphia on Nov. 27 with an upper-body injury. In 22 NHL games in 2015-16, the Rimouski, Quebec, native has one goal and three assists.

---The Chicago Blackhawks assigned defenseman Rob Scuderi to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.
Scuderi, 37, appeared in 17 games with the Blackhawks since being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 14. He registered four assists in 25 games with Pittsburgh prior to joining Chicago.
The two-time Stanley Cup champion (2009 and 2012) has 104 points (eight goals, 96 assists) in 762 regular-season games across 12 seasons with Chicago (2015-16), Pittsburgh (2003-09, 2013-15) and the Los Angeles Kings (2009-13). He has 14 points (one goals, 13 assists) in 117 career postseason games.

---The Anaheim Ducks reassigned goaltender Anton Khudobin to the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League.
Khudobin, 29, was recalled Sunday and backed up Frederik Andesen in the Calgary and Edmonton games on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
Khudobin has posted a 7-6-1 record with a 2.69 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in 14 games with the Gulls this season.
Khudobin, acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes on June 27, 2015, went 3-3-0 with one shutout, a 2.70 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in eight games with Anaheim earlier this season.

---The St. Louis Blues assigned forward Dmitrij Jaskin to Chicago of the American Hockey League, recalled goaltender Jordan Binnington and sent goaltender Pheonix Copley to the minor league team.
Binnington, 22, has an 11-10-3 record in 25 games for the Wolves this season with an 11-10-3 record, a 2.86 goals against average, a .903 save percentage and one shutout. In one game with the Blues, he stopped three of four shots in 13 minutes of ice time.
Copley, 24, came to the Blues in a July 2015 trade with the Washington Capitals. He has made 25 appearances with the Wolves this season and posted an 11-11-1 record, a 2.75 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage and three shutouts. Jaskin, 22, has played in 49 games with the Blues this season, registering 10 points (three goals, seven assists) and 22 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-3, 217-pounder has appeared in 123 career NHL games, posting 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists) and 46 penalty minutes.

---The Los Angeles Kings returned goaltender Peter Budaj to Ontario of the American Hockey League after his emergency recall last week.
Budaj picked up his first NHL win since 2014 in his first appearance of the season when the Kings beat the New York Rangers 5-4 in overtime last Friday.
The 33-year-old Slovakia native was leading the AHL in goals-against average (1.58), save percentage (.935), wins (26), shutouts (eight) minutes (2,284:25) and ranked fourth in saves (862) when he was recalled by the Kings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (29-19) at Penguins (28-19)

Date: February 18, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins are trying to overcome a slew of injuries. Another scoring slump from Sidney Crosby isn't helping, either.

With Evgeni Malkin likely out again, Crosby will try to shake out of his funk and lead the Penguins to a seventh win in eight home games Thursday night against the Detroit Red Wings.

Pittsburgh (28-19-8) went 6-1-0 with 29 goals before scoring just three during a 1-1-1 stretch after Monday's 2-1 shootout loss at Florida.

Injuries continue to be a problem for the Penguins, who are without Malkin (lower body), Eric Fehr (lower body), Nick Bonino (hand), Beau Bennett (upper body) and David Warsofsky (concussion), while Pascal Dupuis prematurely retired in December with medical issues.

Malkin's absence is by far the most significant since he's second on the team with 23 goals and 49 points.

"The door is open for us to show what we can do," right wing Bryan Rust told the team's official website. "A few of the young guys can step in and make our mark. Hopefully, we'll become regulars here one day."

Rust, 23, has two goals in 15 games and no points in the past eight since being recalled from Wilkes-Barre of the AHL last month.

The scoring onus continues to fall on Crosby, the team leader with 24 goals and 53 points. The superstar center, though, doesn't have a point in three games after collecting 22 over the previous 12.

He had a goal while Malkin, Kris Letang and Patric Hornqvist had three points apiece in a 5-2 win at Detroit on New Year's Eve.

Crosby's mini-slump isn't making Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill feel any better.

"Crosby's playing at a high level right now," he told the team's official website. "They're playing as a five-man unit for sure. We know they're a really good hockey team. If you turn pucks over against them you're going to be in trouble.

"We turned over way too many pucks over against them on New Year's Eve and put ourselves in a tough spot. ... We can't give them any free offense."

That's especially true at CONSOL Energy Center, where Pittsburgh averages 2.89 goals compared to 2.19 on the road. The Penguins scored 42 goals during an 8-0-2 stretch at home before losing 3-0 to the New York Rangers on Feb. 10.

Crosby failed to register a shot after tallying 14 goals and nine assists over his previous 11 home games.

The Red Wings (29-19-9) will be trying to avoid a season-high four-game road skid after opening this four-game trip with Monday's 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders.

"We had too many unforced errors, too many times where we turned pucks over," Blashill said.

Pavel Datsyuk remained red hot with his 12th goal. He has six goals and four assists during a six-game point streak, but has been limited to two assists in his past six meeting with the Penguins.

Petr Mrazek will be back in net after Jimmy Howard made 28 saves against the Islanders. Mrazek is 11-2-2 with a 1.59 goals-against average and three shutouts in 15 starts since making 32 stops against Pittsburgh on Dec. 31.

The Red Wings are expected to have defenseman Niklas Kronwall (knee) back during this trip, but he's already been ruled out for Thursday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (41-10) at Islanders (30-19)

Date: February 18, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The NHL-best Washington Capitals don't want to disrupt that chemistry ahead of next week's trade deadline.

The first change the New York Islanders would like to make is reversing their luck against Braden Holtby and Alex Ovechkin.

The Capitals' stars look to lead them to another win over the Islanders on Thursday night in Brooklyn.

Washington (41-10-4) leads the league with 86 points and has won six of its last seven games following Tuesday's 3-1 victory over Los Angeles. Scoring a league-best 3.29 goals per game and ranking second by allowing 2.27, the Capitals seem poised to stand pat at Monday's trade deadline.

"There's obviously a lot of really good players in the league, but I feel like from top to bottom we've got a really good close core," right wing T.J. Oshie said. "We battle well together. We play hard together. We mesh well on and off the ice."

Washington has had few issues lately against the Islanders (30-19-6), going 8-1-2 in the last 11 regular-season meetings and eliminating them in seven games of their first-round playoff series in April.

Ovechkin has 30 goals and 18 assists in 46 overall meetings with New York, while Holtby is 12-4-2 with a 1.94 goals-against average - winning five of his last six with a 1.30 GAA.

Those two were vital in a 3-2 home win over the Islanders on Feb. 4. Ovechkin netted the decisive tally with 2:40 left to play, while Holtby had 24 saves.

He stopped 34 shots in Brooklyn on Jan. 7 and Ovechkin had a goal in a 4-1 victory.

Ovechkin, the league-leader with 35 goals, scored six times during a four-game streak that ended in Tuesday's 3-1 win over Los Angeles. Holtby was rested in favor of backup Philipp Grubauer, who stopped 39 shots.

Holtby has a 2.96 GAA over his last seven games, but he's 5-1-1 thanks to Washington's scoring.

"I don't know if that's him or us. I want to put that on us because when we weren't so sharp, he was very sharp. I wouldn't put it on him," coach Barry Trotz said.

Before opening a season-high seven-game road trip Friday in New Jersey, the Islanders are trying to match their longest home winning streak of 2015-16 at five. They scored three goals in the second period to beat Detroit 4-1 on Monday, winning for the fourth time in five tries overall.

"I thought we played three solid periods," coach Jack Capuano said.

John Tavares has 15 points in 10 games, getting at least one in nine after setting up Ryan Strome's tally against the Red Wings. That stretch also includes a five-game home point streak for the Islanders captain, scoring three goals with six assists.

Tavares doesn't have a point in three straight meetings with the Capitals, including a 2-1 defeat in Game 7.

Brock Nelson has three goals and three assists in 15 career matchups, but he has one point in each of the two this season.

Nelson and Tavares are tied for the team lead with 21 goals.

It's unknown if Jaroslav Halak will be back in net after Thomas Greiss made 28 saves Monday. Halak has lost four of his last five starts with a 4.26 GAA while being pulled twice.

Greiss has won all five decisions over his last six games with a 2.07 GAA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hurricanes (26-21) at Senators (26-26)

Date: February 18, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Carolina Hurricanes are making a serious playoff push, though they'll still need to keep collecting points to end a seven-year postseason drought.

That hasn't been an issue in recent meetings with the Ottawa Senators, who'll look to build off a needed win of their own when the teams face off Thursday night.

Near the bottom of the Eastern Conference on Jan. 7, Carolina has closed within two points of a playoff spot by going 10-3-3 since. It's earned a point in five straight following Tuesday's 2-1 win over Winnipeg, in which Jordan Staal and Riley Nash had power-play goals to support Eddie Lack's 20 saves.

Solid defense has sparked the surge, as the Hurricanes' 2.13 goals-against average over the 16-game stretch is among the league's lowest. They're allowing 26.7 shots on goal per game this season, second-fewest in the NHL.

'Defensively, we have nothing to complain about right now,' Lack said.

Carolina (26-21-10) has been less consistent on the offensive end, but it's been getting timely goals and a big lift from Staal. The veteran center has six goals and 13 assists over his last 17 games to tie injured defenseman Justin Faulk for the team lead with 34 points.

"I don't know who's playing better in the league," coach Bill Peters said. "I don't watch every game but I'll tell you what, he's playing very, very well. He's playing valuable, big minutes, and he's coming through."

The Hurricanes could have plenty of chances against a Senators team that's allowing a league-high 33.1 shots per game and ranks 29th in penalty killing. Carolina owned a 46-21 shot advantage in a 3-2 home overtime win Nov. 7 to improve to 5-0-2 in the last seven matchups. The Hurricanes won both 2014-15 meetings at Canadian Tire Centre and are 4-1-1 in their past six visits.

Ottawa (26-26-6) sits six points out of a playoff spot but gained some ground with Tuesday's 2-1 shootout win over Buffalo, its first in four games since acquiring defenseman Dion Phaneuf from Toronto on Feb. 9.

'With the position that we're in, we need to find a way every night to rally for two points and that's the start of it,' said forward Bobby Ryan, who had the first of two Senators' scores in the shootout. 'Now we need to get ready for a different test (on Thursday).'

Craig Anderson maintained his strong recent play with 38 saves. He's 3-2-0 with a 1.59 GAA and .952 save percentage over his last five starts.

Anderson continues to do his best work at Canadian Tire Centre, where Ottawa is 15-10-4 and has won three of four. He's registered a 2.17 GAA in 23 home starts compared to a 3.46 mark in 23 on the road.

Carolina could have Cam Ward back in net after he missed Tuesday's win with a lower-body injury. Ward, 6-0-1 with a 1.54 GAA in his past seven games against Ottawa, has allowed seven goals in four starts since returning from a concussion after the All-Star break.

Faulk, who had a goal and an assist in the teams' previous meeting, will miss a fourth straight game with a leg injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (32-19) at Maple Leafs (20-26)

Date: February 18, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Though there's no shame in falling to the defending champions, the way the New York Rangers had their home point streak end was particularly tough to swallow.

Of course, losing to the NHL-worst Toronto Maple Leafs would be another story.

As Mats Zuccarello seeks another big game in the series, visiting New York will try bounce back quickly Thursday night with its fourth consecutive victory over Toronto.

The Rangers had gone 5-0-1 in their previous six games overall and outscored opponents 36-23 during an 8-0-2 stretch at home before Wednesday's 5-3 loss to Chicago.

Derick Brassard and Dan Boyle scored in a two-minute span early in the third period to put New York ahead before the Blackhawks rallied for three goals in the final 11.

The Rangers weren't happy with a penalty on Keith Yandle behind the net with 3:30 to play. Thirty seconds later, Chicago took the lead before adding an empty netter.

Boyle had been dealing with the flu, while fellow defenseman Marc Staal remains uncertain after his wife Lindsay gave birth to their second child on Wednesday.

Kevin Hayes stepped up with his third goal in four games for the Rangers, who welcomed back captain Ryan McDonagh after he missed the last four with a concussion.

The Rangers (32-19-6) scored on both their power-play chances and are 4 for 7 in their last three games, but they also allowed the Blackhawks to go 3 for 4 in those spots.

'You've got to find a way to get the job done, killing the penalty,' coach Alain Vigneault said.

The Rangers now hope to avoid their first back-to-back losses since a three-game slide from Dec. 17-20 as they embark on a stretch with 11 of the next 15 on the road.

The Leafs are struggling at both ends, allowing 24 goals over a 1-4-0 road trip and scoring only 30 while going 4-11-2 over their last 17. They gave up four power-play goals in Monday's 7-2 loss to Chicago, one more than they've scored with the man advantage in 53 opportunities over the past 16 games.

"You can't just lie down and quit," center Nazem Kadri said. "It seems like we'll have a few good games then we'll kind of just lay an egg in that third or fourth game."

Mark Arcobello has three goals in his last two games, but netminder James Reimer has a 4.19 goals-against average over his past seven starts. He also has a 3.46 mark in six meetings with the Rangers, though he didn't play in the first two this season.

Zuccarello came up big with a hat trick in a 3-1 home win in the first meeting Oct. 30 before adding a goal and two assists in a 4-3 win at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 15.

He's totaled seven goals while New York has scored 16 in the past four matchups. Brassard has two goals and six assists over a five-game point streak against the Leafs.

Antti Raanta is expected to get an opportunity to keep Toronto (20-26-9) scuffling as it opens a four-game homestand. Raanta has allowed at least four goals in three of his last four starts, but he's won his last two against the Leafs.

New York is 7-2-1 over its past 10 games at the Air Canada Centre.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (25-28) at Lightning (30-22)

Date: February 18, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

A weeklong rough stretch has left the Tampa Bay Lightning feeling a sense of urgency.

The Winnipeg Jets have felt that way for much longer.

Looking to avoid a fifth loss in six games, the Lightning try to get back on track against the visiting Jets on Thursday night.

One day after general manager Steve Yzerman said captain Steven Stamkos would not be moved before this month's trade deadline, Tampa Bay (30-22-4) failed to generate a spark from the news and fell 4-2 to San Jose on Tuesday. The Lightning have followed a nine-game home winning streak with back-to-back defeats at Amalie Arena, and sit just outside of playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

'When you keep losing, you're not climbing the standings,' said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper, whose team hasn't dropped three straight since a season-high four-game slide Oct. 24-31.

'You're going the wrong way."

Though the effort appears to be there, Cooper's players know the margin for error is slim.

"We've got 26 games left and they're all going to be important," said Ben Bishop, who has a 3.33 goals-against average while losing three of four. "It's gut-check time."

Tampa Bay needs to see improvement on the offensive end where it's been held to one or two goals in the four losses over the last five games. It's 1 for 14 on the power play in those five after going 6 for 20 in the previous five.

Stamkos has been held without a point in the last four defeats.

The Lightning have dropped three straight 2-1 decisions at home to the Jets (25-28-3), but earned a 4-3 overtime victory at Winnipeg on Oct. 23.

Tampa Bay's Cedric Paquette had a goal with an assist in that contest. He's recorded three points in 28 games since, but his third goal of the season came Tuesday.

Sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference, the Jets haven't showed any real signs of being a team that can make a serious last-season playoff push. They've managed five non-shootout goals while splitting the last four and were held to eight of their 21 shots in the first two periods of Tuesday's 2-1 loss at Carolina.

"Back to the drawing board," forward Drew Stafford said after the Jets fell for the 10th time in 16 games. "It starts with our compete on pucks, the battles."

Winnipeg is 1 for 20 on the power play in four games after going 5 for 12 in the previous five. A unit that ranks near the bottom of the league in penalty-kill percentage (77.4) also allowed the Hurricanes to score both goals with the main advantage.

"Again we lost the special teams battle," said Jets forward Mathieu Perreault, who has two points in eight games. "We've got to clean it up."

Leading scorer Blake Wheeler remains a consistent offensive presence for Winnipeg with a goal in two straight games and four points in the last three. He's recorded five goals and seven assists during an eight-game point streak against the Lightning.

Stamkos, who had a 14-game point streak against the Jets end with last season's home defeat, has 25 goals and 18 assists in 31 meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (30-20) at Panthers (33-18)

Date: February 18, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The top away team in the Western Conference is putting its road record on the line against one of the best teams in the East, though only one of them has lived up to those reputations lately.

The San Jose Sharks are showing no signs of slowing down entering their second stop on five-game road trip Thursday night, while the Florida Panthers' first three on a six-game homestand have been a struggle.

Tuesday's 4-2 win in Tampa Bay got the Sharks to 19-8-2 on the road a season after finishing 21-16-4, and all but one win in a 7-2-0 stretch in opponents' buildings has come by at least two goals.

"It's a good start," said Joe Thornton, who had two assists to give him three goals and six assists on a six-game point streak, as well as 34 points in his last 26 contests after opening the season with 16 in 29.

"For a passer, it's nice when the guys are finishing the way they are."

Marc-Edouard Vlasic added an assist to extend his point streak to eight and tie teammate Brent Burns for the longest in franchise history by a defenseman. Burns' ended last month.

Points and goals leader Joe Pavelski scored for the first time in seven games, and the penalty kill continued to thrive by improving to 19 for 21 in seven games this month. It all amounts to plenty of confidence in the San Jose dressing room with the Sharks (30-20-5) scoring 13 goals in their last three games as part of a 3-0-1 span.

"We kind of eliminated the neutral zone with the turnovers and took away a little bit of their speed," Pavelski said. "Guys made some plays at the right time. We got the saves as well."

Those came from Martin Jones, who's given up three goals with a .965 save percentage on a three-game winning streak.

He likely won't be up against Roberto Luongo, who has returned to practice after being hit in the neck by a puck but is expected to miss a second straight game. Al Montoya was in goal for Monday's 2-1 shootout win over Pittsburgh and has split his last four games with a 2.15 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.

He was also in goal as the clubs opened the season series with San Jose's 5-2 home win on Nov. 5, though the Panthers (33-18-6) have won seven of the last nine meetings.

The win over the Penguins followed losses to Nashville and St. Louis to start the homestand, which is part of a 2-3-1 span during which seven of the Atlantic Division leader's 13 goals came in one game. At home, Florida has gone 1-2-1 with six goals scored since an 11-1-0 run.

"I thought the four lines competed and battled hard against each line they played against,"â??coach Gerard Gallant told the team's official website. "Iâ??really was happy with the way our guys battled. We didn't want to get in this little streak where we're losing games and we got embarrassed in the two this weekend. It was a big two points for us."

Florida's goal came from Nick Bjugstad, his first in nine games as he tries to catch up to last season's pace. The 23-year-old also converted in the shootout but has 10 goals through 42 contests after managing 24 in 72 a season ago.

"(His performance)â??was huge,"â??Gallant said. "It's confidence. (Bjugstad)â??is one of those guys, when he gets confidence he's really good. He did some real good things tonight. He went down the wing, he was shooting pucks, he finished some checks. He keeps his game simple, he's really good."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (33-20) at Blues (33-17)

Date: February 18, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

(AP) - Beating the Boston Bruins 9-2 in the first game of their longest road trip of the season was a statement victory for the Los Angeles Kings.

Since that dominating performance, plenty of questions have followed.

The Kings have lost three of their past four, scoring a total of seven goals in the process. Figuring out what's wrong is the focus as they face the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night before ending the trip Saturday in Nashville.

'We've done a lot of good things,' defenseman Jake Muzzin said after a 3-1 loss to NHL-leading Washington on Tuesday. 'Maybe we scored too many goals in Boston, and now we're coming up a little short. We've just got to capitalize on some chances.'

Even though capitalizing when it counts is what the Kings are used to doing, the state of the road trip isn't so bad despite a 2-3-0 record. Aside from a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders, coach Darryl Sutter said his Kings have 'played as good as we can.'

Maybe playing so well against Boston and even scoring five in an overtime victory over the Rangers somehow altered Los Angeles' scoring touch. Norris Trophy candidate Drew Doughy wondered if the Kings 'wasted' their goals in the Bruins and Rangers games.

A seven-goal blowout can also be chalked up as an aberration.

'That nine-goal game was something I've never witnessed as an L.A. King,' Doughty said. 'Not that that was a fluke or anything like that, but that night the bounces were just going our way and we were playing good hockey. For the most part, we're going to win games 2-1 or 3-2 and we're happy with that. We'd like to be the highest-scoring team in the NHL, but we realize that it might not go that way.'

The Kings (33-20-3) are ninth in the league in scoring and have plenty of offensive talent in Doughty, centers Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter and wingers Milan Lucic and Tyler Toffoli. They're missing potent winger Marian Gaborik, who suffered an apparent knee injury early in Friday's game against the Rangers.

Los Angeles still has many core pieces from winning the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, so players won't use injuries as an excuse. And even if the Kings are playing well, their once-sizable Pacific Division lead has shrunk to three points over Anaheim and four over San Jose.

'We're in the situation where we need to find points,' captain Dustin Brown said. 'There's definitely areas we can improve on, so that's something we need to focus on in practice... They're not huge adjustments we need to make, but it's the little things this time of year that are hugely important.'

The Kings are 4-7-0 over the past several weeks, a rough patch that isn't cause for panic. But the lack of goals lately is troublesome.

'We've got to score,' Doughty said. 'Guys on our team are getting a lot of chances where we're going to the net; we're doing the right things that create chances. But the bottom line we've got just to bear down and put them in. We've been struggling to score lately, and it's been hurting us.'

It could be tough to get untracked against the stingy Blues (33-17-9), who have surrendered 10 goals in seven games this month as their penalty kill has gone 31 for 32. They're allowing a Western Conference-low 2.29 goals per game this season.

They held the West's top offense to a season-low 18 shots Tuesday in a 2-1 overtime win over Dallas.

Brian Elliott made his 15th consecutive start, a span in which he's 10-3-2 with a 1.67 goals-against average.

'I think we're taking the momentum and the good feeling and that swagger we've had in the past that when we play our game nobody can beat us,' Elliott said. 'I think having that attitude is huge for us.'

Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk netted the winner on the power play, and Jaden Schwartz scored his second goal in three games since missing nearly four months with a fractured ankle. St. Louis has won all three after losing four of six.

These teams have split two matchups this season, with each winning on the road. Elliott had 26 saves and stopped six of seven shootout attempts in a 2-1 victory Jan. 9 in the last meeting after shutting out the Kings in his previous two games against them.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (31-20) at Predators (26-21)

Date: February 18, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

A mediocre performance earlier this week couldn't keep the Boston Bruins from continuing their road success, and the stumbling Nashville Predators don't figure to either.

While the Bruins look to keep rolling through a season-long road trip Thursday night, the Predators hope to put the brakes on their struggles at home.

Boston (31-20-6) has pulled within four points of Atlantic Division-leading Florida with a 10-4-1 stretch since Jan. 15, thanks in large part to strong play on the road.

Tuesday's 2-1 overtime win at Columbus moved Boston to 3-1 on its six-game trip and was the team's seventh victory in the last eight away from home. Boston is 19-6-3 on the road and can join Washington as the only Eastern Conference teams with 20 road victories - three more than the Bruins had all of last season.

After scoring 15 goals on the first three stops of their road trip, the Bruins had to come from behind for Tuesday's win. Tuukka Rask surrendered an early goal but finished with 28 saves, and Loui Eriksson scored 33 seconds into overtime.

Boston overcame its fourth straight scoreless game on the power play, going 0 for 4 to extend a disappointing stretch for one of the league's top units. The Bruins hold a season power-play percentage of 22.1, but they have just one goal in their last 32 opportunities spanning nine games.

'I felt like it wasn't the best game ... we made so many mistakes, even on the power play,' Eriksson said. 'We made some mistakes. They got some breakaways. At the end of the day we got the win, so it was nice.'

Eriksson scored a goal in his fourth straight game and has five in his last six following a nine-game drought.

Patrice Bergeron also scored Tuesday for his third goal in the last two games, though Brad Marchand finished without one for just the second time in the last 14.

Eriksson scored in this season's first meeting against Nashville, but Viktor Arvidsson's third-period goal lifted the Predators to a 3-2 road win. Boston had been 6-0-3 in the previous nine matchups.

Nashville (26-21-10) has opened February 2-3-2, including a 1-3-1 mark at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators lost for the fifth time in six home games with Monday's 3-2 overtime defeat to Dallas.

A bad change led to Nashville's ninth overtime loss in 10 tries in this season's new 3-on-3 format.

'That's something that's easily fixable," captain Shea Weber said. "We've been better, we've improved since, we've done some work on it, but still, those points make the difference.'

While Rask snapped a three-game span in which he held an .870 save percentage this week, Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne's struggles continued last week before taking two games off in favor of backup Carter Hutton, who made 15 saves against the Bruins in December.

Rinne dropped to 1-3-1 with a 3.41 goals-against average in his last five starts following Friday's 4-3 overtime loss at Tampa Bay. He is 3-0-1 with a 2.32 GAA lifetime against Boston.

"Confidence is a huge thing and it's a skill to keep it at an even level," Rinne told the team's official website. "It's going to go up and down throughout the season."

Rask is 2-0-2 with a 2.66 GAA in four career starts against Nashville.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wild (25-22) at Oilers (22-30)

Date: February 18, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

In the 55 games this season leading to his dismissal, former Minnesota coach Mike Yeo strung together four winning streaks of three games but never went beyond.

John Torchetti is set to match that in the minimum number of games on the job.

The opportunity comes Thursday night in Edmonton with the Wild concluding a three-game road trip, while Edmonton is playing the fourth of a six-game homestand.

Wednesday's 5-3 win in Calgary followed a 5-2 victory in Vancouver two nights before for Torchetti's debut, and the Wild (25-22-10) aren't just winning following a 1-11-2 span that cost Yeo his job. They're doing so with some impressive offense.

Prior to Monday, Minnesota hadn't scored more than three goals in a game since Jan. 5 - a 2-11-3 drought on which it averaged 1.87 goals per game with a 14.9 percent power play. With 10 goals and a power-play conversion in each, things are looking up under the interim coach.

Charlie Coyle has scored in both games under his new boss and three of his last four. Jason Pominville had a goal and an assist Wednesday after managing just the same in his previous 23 games.

"I think the message is, 'Let's start to work, let's start to compete, and let's start to get the puck back,'" Zach Parise told the league's official website. "We've responded well the first two games. Now we'd love to finish the road trip with another win. So far we've done pretty well, I think."

The Wild opened the season series with a 4-3 home win on Oct. 27 as part of a 9-2-1 stretch against the Oilers, which includes five wins in as many tries in Edmonton with a 17-5 scoring advantage.

After Tuesday's 5-3 home loss to Anaheim, the Oilers (22-30-6) have given up an average of 3.54 goals per game over a 3-7-1 span. Some of that falls on spending so much time in the penalty box. The Oilers have faced 36 short-handed situations in eight games since the All-Star break, which is fewer than only Philadelphia.

"It's a little bit of lack of discipline and a little bit of frustration creeping into our game," Matt Hendricks told the team's official website. "â?¦ We're getting a lot of penalties in the offensive zone or the neutral zone where we're trying to go on the offensive at those times.

"Obviously, you're going to get the defensive zone ones to try and stay in position. A guy beats you to the net and you take a hook, a trip or something to try to negate a scoring chance. But it's the ones in the offensive zone, when they're not necessary, that are the ones that really seem to sting."

Any positives in the latest letdown came from Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl ending their offensive droughts. The team's two points leaders had gone five games without a point, and for Draisaitl it was the first time doing so this season.

"I think we played really well," Draisaitl said. "I think we played a very competitive, strong game for 60 minutes. Obviously, it's frustrating to leave the rink with no points."

Cam Talbot gave up three goals before two empty netters, and fell to 1-3-0 with a 3.62 goals-against average over his last five games.

Minnesota's Devin Dubnyk faced the Flames and has won consecutive contests after an 0-8-1 span.

Backup Darcy Kuemper is 0-2-1 with a 3.66 GAA in his last three starts, but he's 2-0-1 with a 1.30 GAA in his career against the Oilers.