Tuesday 1/26/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Capital One Cup TODAY 19:45

Liverpool

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Stoke

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		8/11	14/5	9/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LIVERPOOL	RECENT FORM
AWADHDHLHWAW​ Most recent​	1 - 0 1 - 0 0 - 0 2 - 1	ALHLAWHWHDAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Stoke’s five League Cup matches this season have produced a total of eight goals

EXPERT VERDICT: Liverpool’s inconsistency explains why, even though they have a 1-0 advantage going into the home leg of this League Cup semi-final, they’re no value at odds-on against a team as dogged as Stoke. The Potters are tighter than Liverpool and Mark Hughes’s men are in the position of knowing they have to go for it.

RECOMMENDATION: Stoke
2


REFEREE: Jonathan Moss STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Dutch Eredivisie TODAY 19:45

Ajax

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Heracles

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		2/7	5	15/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT AJAX	RECENT FORM
HWHDALHWAWHW​ Most recent​	2 - 1 3 - 0 4 - 0 6 - 0	ALALHDHWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Excelsior have taken just two points from their last seven Eredivisie matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Excelsior have been beaten in their last two home games by Roda JC and and Cambuur so their fans will not be expecting much joy when PSV come calling. The Dutch champions have lost only one of 19 league games this season.

RECOMMENDATION: Ajax-Ajax double result
1

 

[superbeets]

Coppa Italia TODAY 20:00

Alessandria

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Milan

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SS3		6	11/4	8/15	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALESSANDRIA	RECENT FORM
AD*ADHDALAWHW​ Most recent​	Unknown	AWHLADHWHWAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Milan have lost one of their last 11 matches

EXPERT VERDICT: It’s a big night for Alessandria from the Italian third tier as they host Serie A giants Milan in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final. But Milan’s only defeat in their last nine away games was against Juventus and they should have few problems.

RECOMMENDATION: Milan to win 2-0
1

 

[superbeets]

French League Cup TODAY 20:00

Lille

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Bordeaux

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BTEU		11/10	21/10	14/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LILLE	RECENT FORM
AW*HDAD*ALAD*HL​ Most recent​	0 - 0 2 - 0 1 - 1 2 - 1	AW*AWHWHWAW*AD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Lille have not scored more than one goal in any of their last eight matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Bordeaux beat Lille in Ligue 1 earlier in the month and they are a good price to complete a January double. They are unbeaten in their last 11 games, while Lille haven’t won any of their last five and were dumped out of the French Cup by fourth division Trelissac.

RECOMMENDATION: Bordeaux
3

 

[superbeets]

Capital One Cup We 27Jan 19:45

Man City

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Everton

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SS1		8/15	7/2	11/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN CITY	RECENT FORM
AWALAWHDHWAD​ Most recent​	0 - 0 1 - 0 3 - 1 1 - 1	HDHWHWADADHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Everton have drawn eight of their last 13 away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Everton fully deserve the 2-1 advantage they take to the Etihad Stadium for the second leg of this League Cup semi-final and they can hold on and book their place at Wembley. A draw is what they need and a draw is what they are good enough to get. The Toffees are an enigma but capable of standing firm when required.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
2


REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Coppa Italia We 27Jan 19:45

Juventus

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Inter

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS2		8/11	5/2	4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ALL VENUES	RECENT FORM
AWHWAWAWAWHW​ Most recent​	0 - 0 2 - 1 1 - 1 3 - 1	HLAWHLADAWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Juventus have won their last 13 domestic matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Inter have won one of their last five league matches so may be relieved to be involved in the Coppa Italia, but it will be difficult for them avoid defeat in this semi-final first leg. The visitors have lost once on the road in the league this term but the Old Lady can gain an early advantage.

RECOMMENDATION: Juventus
2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Blue Jackets coach Tortorella to miss at least two more games
By The Sports Xchange

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella is expected to miss the team's home-and-home series against the Montreal Canadiens after he suffered two broken ribs in a fall during an outdoor practice last week.
Tortorella broke the ribs in a collision on Friday with Blue Jackets forward Rene Bourque after the player lost his balance skating over a rut in the ice. Tortorella was taken by ambulance from the arena to Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, where he was examined and released.
The organization announced that assistant coach Craig Hartsburg will lead the Blue Jackets when they face the Canadiens on Monday night at Nationwide Arena and at Montreal on Tuesday in the final game for each team before the All-Star break.
Hartsburg coached his first game with the Blue Jackets on Saturday, a 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins.

---The St. Louis Blues assigned goaltender Jordan Binnington and forward Ty Rattie to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.
Binnington, 22, appeared in one game during his stint with the Blues, stopping three of four shots in 13 minutes of play
Rattie, 22, made 11 appearances with the Blues, recording five points (three goals, two assists).

---The Chicago Blackhawks recalled forward Mark McNeill from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.
McNeill, 22, ranks fifth on the IceHogs with 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 29 games, including a six-game point streak (four goals, three assists) from Jan. 12-23.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ducks (19-18) at Bruins (23-17)

Date: January 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

A sense of urgency has lifted the Anaheim Ducks out of the Western Conference cellar and into the playoff race. Corey Perry is playing a big part, too.

Perry looks to continue his offensive surge as the Ducks try to enter the All-Star break with a three-game winning streak Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins.

After finishing with the most points in the conference last season, Anaheim (21-18-7) has been a shocking disappointment for much of 2015-16. The Ducks had the fewest points in the West following a 3-2 overtime loss at the New York Rangers on Dec. 22.

They've since gone 9-3-1, becoming a factor in the race for third place in the Pacific Division with Arizona and Vancouver.

"We're already a bit in playoff mode," center Ryan Kesler said. "We know every game is important and it's important that we get the points."

Perry has been essential to that. The right wing has nine goals with two assists over the last 14 games, including two goals to match Kesler's pair in Saturday's 4-3 win at Detroit.

"It would be great to go into the break with a nice win streak feeling good about ourselves," left wing David Perron said. "With games in hand on some teams, those are two big points for us. Having a great feeling going into the break would be nice."

Perron has one point in each of his first three games with the Ducks, who acquired him in a trade with Pittsburgh on Jan. 16. He has no points and a minus-6 rating in six straight meetings with Boston.

Perry has eight points in his last eight meetings with the Bruins (26-17-5). He had a goal in a 3-2 win at Boston on March 26, helping Anaheim improve to 6-1-1 over the last eight matchups with three straight victories.

The Bruins are also looking to enter the break hot. They've followed a 2-7-1 stretch by winning five of six games after Brett Connolly scored with 1:54 left in a 3-2 win at Philadelphia on Monday.

"I've been getting some good chances and to see that one go in such a big game is great right before the All-Star break," Connolly said.

Brad Marchand has set a personal-best with a goal in five straight games, the longest by a Bruin since Patrice Bergeron had a seven-game streak from March 18-30, 2014.

Marchand leads Boston with 20 goals, while Bergeron trails him by one after also finding the net Monday. Both, however, have struggled with the Ducks. Bergeron has just one goal in 11 matchups and Marchand has one in five.

It's unknown if Tuukka Rask will get a second straight start. He had 34 saves Monday after being scratched with an undisclosed injury prior to Saturday's 3-2 shootout win over Columbus.

Rask has a 2.02 goals-against average while winning three of his last four starts, but he's 1-3-1 with a 3.34 GAA in five against Anaheim.

Jonas Gustavsson, though, has a 3.50 GAA while going 2-1-0 versus the Ducks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Devils (23-19) at Penguins (22-17)

Date: January 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The All-Star break might not be coming at the best time for the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The surprising Devils try for a season-high fifth straight win Tuesday night as they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins, who appear to be finding their footing of late as the teams close out their pre-All-Star schedules.

New Jersey (25-19-5) has put a 1-5-0 stretch in the past in impressive fashion and can win five in a row for the first time since Feb. 3-10, 2013. Lee Stempniak scored twice against his former team and Cory Schneider made 22 saves in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Winnipeg, which improved the club to 14-9-2 on the road.

The Devils have scored first in each game of the win streak and have totaled 15 goals during their run after managing six in the previous six games.

'It was a huge game, trying to separate ourselves from teams right around us clustered for a playoff spot," said Stempniak, who has scored four times in a three-game goal streak. "It was a great team effort."

Few expected the Devils to be in the thick of the postseason race this season, but the more prolific offense as well as improved defensive play has New Jersey looking like it doesn't need a break right now. It's given up six goals in the past four games after allowing 16 in the six prior ones.

Schneider has posted a 1.51 goals-against average in his last six starts, and he's expected be in net to try for a third consecutive shutout of the Penguins. He beat them 4-0 with 21 saves Nov. 14 and has a 0.80 GAA in his past five matchups in the series.

"Especially tonight on the road in a fun building, I thought we had probably our most complete effort of the (winning streak)," Schneider told the team's official website. "I think that's encouraging.

"It will be good to rest up and have a big one on Tuesday. It's going to be an important game for us. We're feeling good right now, but we can't let that get in the way of how we need to play (at Pittsburgh)."

Lately, that hasn't been very well, with the Penguins winning four in a row and 10 of 12 at home in the series.

Pittsburgh (23-17-7) might also like to keep playing through this week, having won two in a row and three of four in what's been a largely disappointing season that led to the firing of coach Mike Johnston in December.

After losing their first four games under Mike Sullivan, though, the Penguins have gone 8-3-4. They've finally woken up offensively, averaging 3.20 goals in that stretch.

Pittsburgh beat Vancouver 5-4 on Saturday to give it a 5-0-2 mark in its last seven at home. Evgeni Malkin recorded his 10th career hat trick to give him 17 points in 12 games while Sidney Crosby extended his season-high point streak to six with an empty net goal, his 21st point in 16 contests.

Still, concerns lingers after the Penguins had to rally from an early 2-0 deficit and trailed 3-1 in the third period. Pittsburgh has fallen behind 2-0 in its last two wins and has faced two-goal deficits in eight of 11 games, earning points in six.

The Penguins have given up at least four goals three times in their last five.

'I don't know what's going on," Malkin said. "We can't score five goals every game. We need to change and play better in the first period.'

Pittsburgh's minus-0.30 goal differential in the opening period is among the worst marks in the league. Its plus-0.36 mark in the second is second best.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Maple Leafs (13-20) at Panthers (23-15)

Date: January 26, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers responded to a four-game losing streak by beating last season's Stanley Cup finalists on consecutive nights.

The Toronto Maple Leafs don't provide as daunting a task as the Panthers wrap up a four-game homestand Tuesday night hoping to enter the All-Star break on a high note.

Saturday's 5-2 win over Tampa Bay followed a 4-0 victory over Chicago, which came after Florida (28-15-5) was outscored 16-5 over a 0-3-1 span. Even with those defensive lapses, though, the Panthers have allowed an average of 1.83 goals over a 14-3-1 span.

"We knew it was going to be two tough games," coach Gerard Gallant told the team's official website. "It was a good challenge for our team because we haven't played well the last probably five or six games prior; even though we won a few of those games, we didn't get back to our game. And I thought this weekend up until the third period we played great hockey. And that's what we need to do."

Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist against the Lightning and has recorded four of his eight goals on the season in his last eight games. Reilly Smith has scored in three straight and defenseman Brian Campbell got a goal in both wins.

"We know we can beat any team in the league," Huberdeau said. "That just means that we're a really good team and we can just show we've had a struggle lately and we came out this weekend and showed the league that we're a good team against a really good team, too."

Roberto Luongo will start and was in goal for both wins as part of an 11-2-1 personal stretch on which he's posted a 1.70 goals-against average and .943 save percentage. The veteran has won seven straight at home with 1.40 and .951 marks, and he's 13-1-0 with a 2.02 and .931 in his last 16 starts versus the Maple Leafs.

The Panthers have won six of eight meetings over the past two seasons, and the Atlantic Division foes will meet four times between now and the end of the season.

The Maple Leafs (17-20-9) were in high spirits over the holidays with a three-game winning streak Dec. 30-Jan. 6 capping an 8-2-2 span. Since then, though, they've gone 1-5-2 with 10 goals scored, including a 3-2 home shootout loss to Montreal on Saturday.

Toronto is playing back-to-back road games before entering the break having gone 0 for 21 on the power play in its last seven, and it managed just 19 shots in 65 minutes against the Canadiens.

"You get embarrassed when you're getting outworked that bad and you're not competing hard," said coach Mike Babcock, whose team was outshot 14-3 in the opening period.

The Maple Leafs have one goal from top scorer and points leader Leo Komarov in the last 14 games, while Tyler Bozak hasn't scored in his last 12 nor Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau over his previous eight.

James Reimer will be in goal seeking a little more support. Reimer, who has started the last three games, has posted a 1.81 GAA and .942 save percentage in his last 10 games but has a 1-5-3 record to show for it.

Florida's Brandon Pirri scored twice in the latest meeting and has scored in all four of his career games against Toronto, but he's been a healthy scratch for the last two games as trade rumors swirl. The forward, who had a career-high 22 goals last season, doesn't have a point in his last six games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sabres (18-26) at Senators (19-20)

Date: January 26, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Bobby Ryan's mouth provided the motivation while his stick helped get the Ottawa Senators back in the win column. That's not usually a problem against the Buffalo Sabres.

The Senators look to continue their success against the last-place Sabres on Tuesday night before both teams enter the All-Star break.

Ottawa (23-20-6) lost for the eighth time in 12 games after giving up three unanswered goals in the third period of a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Friday. The effort was the final straw for Ryan, who ripped his teammates for a lackluster third period and failing to work for each other.

The Senators responded with a 3-0 win over the New York Rangers two days later with Ryan scoring his 17th goal of the season.

"When you put yourself out there and you make the comments, they're going to echo throughout the room," Ryan told the team's official website. "It felt like I did what I said I was going to do, and everybody followed along.

"I thought the guys that are in the leadership positions stepped up and led the way."

Ryan has been doing his part with four goals and two assists during a five-game point streak. That's two more points than he had over the previous 10 games.

He's got eight points over his last six meetings with Buffalo (19-26-4), including six in the past four at home.

Erik Karlsson has seven goals with three assists in his last eight home matchups with the Sabres, finding the net in a 3-2 win March 6. His 51 points lead all defensemen, and he's accumulated 16 in the past 10 home games.

The Senators are 13-1-3 in their last 17 meetings with Buffalo, going 7-0-1 at home over that stretch. They won the last matchup on the road 3-1 in the season opener for both teams Oct. 8.

The Sabres, occupants of the Atlantic Division cellar, have lost 10 of 14 and three in a row after falling 6-3 to the Rangers on Monday.

Zemgus Girgensons provided a bright spot, scoring twice after missing four games with an upper-body injury. The tallies also ended the center's seven-game drought and brought his season total to five after he had a career-high 15 in 2014-15.

"I didn't want to get frustrated throughout the year," Girgensons said. "It's been a long time. It's not fun when you lose but I did like to get two goals. It's not that bad."

Ryan O'Reilly is looking to snap a scoring drought of his own. The left wing leads the Sabres with 17 goals and 40 points, but he's gone eight straight games without finding the net and is a minus-8 over that stretch. He was a minus-3 and didn't even register a shot against the Rangers.

O'Reilly also failed to get a shot against the Senators in October, extending his goal drought to five games with them. However, he's chipped in with six assists over that span.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blackhawks (32-15) at Hurricanes (22-20)

Date: January 26, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Eddie Lack exposed a struggling Blackhawks offense with a solid performance in net that helped the Carolina Hurricanes pick up a surprising victory in Chicago right after Christmas.

The Blackhawks didn't lose for three weeks following that defeat, but they're again having a tough time finding the back of the net as they head into Raleigh to face Lack and the Hurricanes on Tuesday night.

Chicago (33-15-4) elevated Andrew Shaw to the top line with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa following a 2-1 loss to Carolina (22-20-8) on Dec. 27, when Brent Seabrook's goal with three seconds left was all that prevented Lack from earning a shutout.

The Blackhawks averaged nearly four goals during a franchise-record 12-game winning streak after that loss and scored in the opening minute against Tampa Bay on Thursday. But that Artem Anisimov goal was all they would get for the next 155 minutes and 43 seconds over a 2-1 loss to the Lightning, a 4-0 drubbing the next night at Florida and the start of Sunday's home matchup with St. Louis.

Rookie Artemi Panarin got Chicago on the board off an assist from NHL leading scorer Patrick Kane with 4:34 left in the second period, and Shaw scored on the power play in the third as the Blackhawks ended their skid with a 2-0 win over the Blues.

Coach Joel Quenneville gave most of the credit to Corey Crawford, who made 25 saves for his league-best seventh shutout.

'He's starting to develop some consistency with the defense in front of him,' Quenneville said of Crawford. 'I thought we lost the momentum after the Tampa Bay game and getting it back on track was important for us.'

Crawford, who had the night off against the Panthers, has a 1.40 goals-against average while winning nine of his last 10 starts, saving nearly 96 percent of the shots he's faced in that span. His .932 save percentage in a league high-tying 41 starts ranks among the NHL leaders.

Crawford made 25 saves in the first meeting with Carolina, and he's hoping the Blackhawks can provide him with more offensive support this time around.

Lack, who made 35 saves against Chicago, has been thrust into the No. 1 role since Cam Ward went on injured reserve last week with a concussion. He's taken his share of lumps while losing 5-0 to Pittsburgh on Jan. 17 and 4-1 to the New York Rangers on Friday, but had a 32-save shutout to beat Toronto on Thursday and stopped 33 shots in Sunday's 5-2 win over Calgary.

'The more I play, the more comfortable I feel,' Lack said. 'Sometimes, it's tough to get in a bit of a rhythm, but I feel pretty comfortable now.'

The Hurricanes are among the wild-card contenders in a tight Eastern Conference race, thanks in large part to a 6-2-1 stretch since Jan. 8. Kris Versteeg has had plenty do with it, accounting for five goals and three assists in that span.

Versteeg, acquired along with Joakim Nordstrom from the Blackhawks in an offseason trade, scored twice against the Flames with Nordstrom also adding a goal in his second straight game.

Versteeg's 20 assists are tied with Eric Staal for the Hurricanes' most, and his 30 points are three behind defenseman Justin Faulk for the team lead.

'When you get to new teams, sometimes people think it's going to (click) right away,' said Versteeg, who won the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2009-10 and last season. 'It's new things every day. Over the last month and a half, I've started to adjust, and I feel a little more comfortable each day.'

This marks the last game before the All-Star break for both teams.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (16-27) at Canadiens (21-21)

Date: January 26, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

With two wingers leading the way, the Columbus Blue Jackets woke up their stagnant offense while taking advantage of a struggling Montreal Canadiens defense.

The Blue Jackets seek another high-scoring performance in Tuesday night's finale of a home-and-home series while trying to head into the All-Star break on a positive note.

Columbus (18-27-5) was outscored 31-20 in a 2-5-2 stretch but topped Montreal 5-2 on Monday as Cam Atkinson registered his third career hat trick. Brandon Saad - the Blue Jackets' lone All-Star representative - added his two goals in his team's three-goal third, including the tiebreaking score with 10:54 remaining.

"We worked hard. We worked to get pucks back. We were opportunistic," said center Brandon Dubinsky, who had three assists as the Blue Jackets ended a four-game skid against the Canadiens. "We buried some of our chances and that was the difference."

Montreal (24-21-4) dropped to 1-5-1 in its last seven with Monday's defeat and has been outscored 20-10 in the past five games while continuing to play without Carey Price. The reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner, who hasn't played since Nov. 25, is expected to remain sidelined at least another three-plus weeks because of his lower-body injury.

"Those moments where we lose the puck or we lose our heads, it's costing us games right now," defenseman P.K. Subban said. "The good thing is we don't have much time to think about it. We turn around and play the same team on our ice in our barn."

The Canadiens will try to bounce back by sending Columbus to its seventh loss in eight road games. The Blue Jackets have totaled 14 goals in that 1-5-1 stretch.

Montreal is 2-7-0 in its last nine home games and has dropped the last three - its longest losing streak at the Bell Centre since an 0-3-1 skid Feb. 13-21, 2012.

The Canadiens have given up a respectable 2.6 goals per contest in those past nine home games but have averaged a paltry 1.3 at the other end. They've scored once in each of their past three losses.

Montreal has outscored the Blue Jackets 5-2 while winning the past two home games in the series. Mike Condon, who started Monday's loss, and Price were in net for those contests.

With the break coming up, the Canadiens could choose to stick with Condon for the second half of their back-to-back games or start Ben Scrivens.

Scrivens is 0-3-0 with a 3.77 goals-against average in his three appearances this season and had a 3.24 GAA in a pair of shootout losses against the Blue Jackets in 2014-15 while with Edmonton.

Condon was between the pipes for the most recent home game versus Columbus, a 2-1 victory Dec. 1.

With Joonas Korpisalo in net for the Blue Jackets in Monday's win, Columbus might give Anton Forsberg a chance to earn his first victory in nine NHL starts. He earned his only win in nine career appearances Jan. 2 when he replaced Curtis McElhinney in a shootout victory against Washington.

Montreal captain Max Pacioretty was held off the scoresheet Monday after scoring six goals in his previous four games against Columbus.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Avalanche (25-21) at Sharks (23-18)

Date: January 26, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

San Jose has been impressive offensively during a nine-game point streak. Extending it in a matchup with the streaking Colorado Avalanche might prove difficult.

The Avalanche try for a season-high fifth straight win in the second game of a three-game road trip Tuesday night, while the Sharks conclude a span of six of seven at home having finally developed some confidence in their own building.

Colorado (26-21-3) is coming off Saturday's 3-1 win over Dallas, with Carl Soderberg and Gabriel Landeskog scoring short-handed goals. The Avalanche were outshot 43-15, though they saw it as the kind of win they'll occasionally need to keep pace in the competitive Central Division.

"This one goes under the category of an ugly win, and we're happy with that," Landeskog told the team's official website. "To be a good team and be a playoff team, you have to be able to win these ugly ones."

The extended results haven't looked that way. It was the fourth straight game in which they held an opponent to one goal, and they've averaged one against over a 5-1-0 span. The Avalanche have given up 2.29 goals per game in a 14-5-2 stretch after allowing 2.93 during a 12-16-1 start.

That's had plenty to do with Semyon Varlamov, though backup Calvin Pickard will face the Sharks after Varlamov started for second straight time and third in four games. Pickard, 23, has been impressive in his three starts, going 2-1-0 with a 1.68 goals-against average.

He's been substantially better on the road in his career, going 3-2-2 with a 1.82 GAA as a starter compared to 3-5-1 with a 2.80 mark in nine home starts. He won 6-3 at San Jose on Dec. 28 with 35 saves.

The teams have split two games this season, with Colorado's victory snapping a 13-game road skid in the series. Nathan MacKinnon scored three goals Dec. 28 and has six in seven career contests against San Jose.

Patrick Marleau scored for the Sharks and has 11 goals and eight assists in his last 15 against the Avalanche.

San Jose (25-18-4) is coming off Sunday's 3-2 overtime home loss to Los Angeles, though it's 7-0-2 in its last nine. That includes a 4-0-2 home mark after starting the season 5-12-0 at the Shark Tank.

Even so, the Sharks allowed Vincent Lecavalier to tie it with 13 seconds left for the Pacific Division leader.

"Obviously we want to hunt them down," coach Peter DeBoer told the team's official website. "They didn't lock up the division tonight that I know of, did they? So we like how we're playing and we're going to chase them right to the final buzzer."

Logan Couture scored for the third time in eight games after going without a goal in his first nine contests of a season disrupted by a broken leg. Joe Pavelski scored in a second straight game and Joe Thornton's assist brought his point streak to nine.

Thornton has 23 points in his last 18 after being held to 16 through 29.

"We have a great feeling in this locker room," he said. "We feel we have our home game in control now. It took us a while, but we feel confident at home, and our road record speaks for itself. We thought we had them. But that's hockey.

"It's a good hockey team and you can't hang your heads after a lot like that. We played great and we'll get better results in the future."

Martin Jones, whose six-game winning streak came to an end Sunday, is 3-1-0 against the Avalanche despite a 3.46 GAA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (20-18) at Canucks (16-18)

Date: January 26, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

A trip north of the border has helped solve the Nashville Predators' woes away from home and gotten them out of their funk during a road-heavy stretch.

The Vancouver Canucks are more than happy to be back home after traveling for the last week and a half.

Nashville looks to take the first three of a four-game swing through Canada on Tuesday night when it faces a Canucks team that has played well at Rogers Arena lately.

The Predators (22-18-8) began a stretch of playing 11 of 14 on the road with an overtime loss at St. Louis on Dec. 29 and finally will see it end with Wednesday's visit to Calgary. They went 2-6-2 to begin that span but have bounced back with consecutive victories to start this trip, beating Winnipeg on Thursday and Edmonton on Saturday by 4-1 scores.

Ryan Johansen and James Neal had a goal and an assist apiece against the Jets before Filip Forsberg had that same line against the Oilers. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm scored twice Saturday to support Pekka Rinne, who stopped 49 of 51 shots in the victories.

Rinne had a 3.73 goals-against average while dropping his previous five starts for the Predators, who haven't won three straight road games since March 10-14, 2014. They haven't had a three-game overall winning streak since Oct. 17-22.

"On the road trip, to start 2-0 is huge for us in the position we're in," Ekholm said. "But it's always nice to contribute both offensively and defensively. It wasn't pretty, both my goals weren't really how we drew it up, but we'll take it."

Vancouver (20-18-11) spent 10 days on the road and went 3-2-1 before finally returning home. This will be its last contest before the All-Star break, then it will host Columbus and Calgary in the first two following the layoff.

The Canucks, though, let points slip away to end the trip, blowing a two-goal lead in the third period of Saturday's 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh. Jannik Hansen scored twice in the first before Bo Horvat put them up 3-1 six minutes into the third, but the Penguins scored four straight goals before Hansen completed the second hat trick of his career with 17 seconds remaining.

'I think if we would've gotten this game it would've been a great road trip,' Horvat said. 'It's unfortunate, but we have to take the positives out of it and move on.'

Horvat played well on the trip and has seven goals and five assists in his last 10 after having only 10 points through his first 39. He has four goals and two assists during a four-game point streak at Rogers Arena, where the Canucks are 6-2-1 since Dec. 7 following a 3-6-3 start there.

"It'll be good to get back (home)," coach Willie Desjardins said. "But just because you go home doesn't mean anything unless you make it happen."

Vancouver will be seeking its first back-to-back victories since Dec. 22 and 26, likely with Ryan Miller in net.

Miller, who missed six games from Dec. 21-Jan. 13 because of muscle cramps, went 2-4-1 with a 3.42 GAA while making his last eight starts on the road and could get his first home start since beating the New York Rangers on Dec. 9.

Miller has a 1.60 GAA while winning four of his last five against the Predators, who won three of the previous four meetings prior to Vancouver's 5-4 shootout win March 31.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - January

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

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

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

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
1/1 2 10.5 9 UNDER
1/2 12 61.5 63 OVER
1/3 4 21 22 OVER
1/4 5 27 17 UNDER
1/5 8 43.5 46 OVER
1/6 5 26.5 23 UNDER
1/7 7 38.5 29 UNDER
1/8 6 31.5 34 OVER
1/9 10 53 47 UNDER
1/10 6 30 32 OVER
1/11 4 20.5 22 OVER
1/12 8 42.5 45 OVER
1/13 4 21.5 20 UNDER
1/14 8 42.5 37 UNDER
1/15 6 31 31 PUSH
1/16 10 52 48 UNDER
1/17 7 35 34 UNDER
1/18 5 26.5 26 UNDER
1/19 8 42.5 50 OVER
1/20 3 15.5 10 UNDER
1/21 10 53.5 49 UNDER
1/22 6 *PPD *PPD *PPD
1/23 11 *PPD *PPD *PPD
1/24 5 *PPD *PPD *PPD
1/25 6 31 33 OVER
1/26 9 - - -
1/27 4 - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 No games scheduled - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Bruins won fve of their last six games. Anaheim won four of its last five.
-- New Jersey won its last four games. Penguins won three of their last four.
-- Florida won nine of its last ten home games.
-- Chicago is 13-2 in irs last 15 games; Hurricanes won six of their last nine.
-- Colorado won its last four games, allowing one goal in each game. Sharks won seven of last nine.
-- Nashville won three of its last four games. Canucks are 4-3 in last seven games.

Cold teams
-- Maple Leafs lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Buffalo lost nine of its last thirteen games. Ottawa is 5-8 in its last 13.
-- Canadiens lost six of their last seven games. Columbus lost seven of its last ten.
-- Arizona lost four of its last five games. Winnipeg lost six of its last eight.

Series records
-- Ducks won their last three games with Boston.
-- Devils won three of last four games with Pittsburgh.
-- Panthers won five of last six games with Toronto.
-- Senators won six of last seven games with Buffalo.
-- Blackhawks won four of last five games with Carolina.
-- Montreal won six of last eight games with Columbus.
-- Jets won seven of last nine games with Arizona.
-- Sharks won four of last five games with Colorado.
-- Canucks won six of last nine games with Nashville.

Totals
-- Under is 5-1-3 in last nine Boston games.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Pittsburgh games.
-- Under is 6-1-2 in last nine Toronto games.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Ottawa games.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Chicago games.
-- Four of last six Montreal-Columbus games stayed under.
-- Under is 5-1-2 in last eight Arizona games.
-- Last seven Colorado games stayed under total.
-- Under is 3-0 in Nashville's last three visits to Vancouver.

Back-to-backs
-- Boston is 4-2 if it played the night before (teams are 5-5 night after playing Flyers).
-- Buffalo is 3-5 if it played the night before (post-Ranger teams are 4-4).
-- Columbus is 3-6 on road if it played night before (post-Montreal games are 5-2). Montreal is 5-5 if it played night before, 2-1 at home (post-Columbus teams are 6-5).
-- Arizona is 4-4 if it played night before (post-Minnesota teams are 1-6).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Hall of Famer Wanzer dies at 94
By The Sports Xchange

Basketball Hall of Famer Bobby Wanzer, who led the Rochester Royals to the 1951 NBA championship, has died at the age of 94.
Wanzer died Saturday at his home in Pittsford, N.Y., a suburb of Rochester. The death was announced by his family.
Wanzer, a point guard, was a college star at Seton Hall for two seasons before embarking on an NBA career. He was the 10th overall selection of the 1948 NBA Draft and played nine seasons before retiring.
He averaged 12.4 points and 3.6 assists in the 1951 NBA Finals as Rochester defeated the New York Knicks in seven games.
Wanzer was a five-time NBA All-Star and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.

---Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson will be sidelined at least three weeks with a sprained right knee, the team announced.
Roberson injured the knee during Sunday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. He underwent an MRI exam on Monday and it was determined he will not require surgery.

---Sacramento Kings standout DeMarcus Cousins and Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker were named the Western and Eastern Conference Player of the Week, respectively, for games played between Jan. 18-24.
Cousins averaged 36 points and 14.7 rebounds in three Sacramento victories. He scored a career-best 48 points in a victory over the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 23.
Walker averaged 34.8 points, six rebounds and six assists as the Hornets went 3-1. He tallied a franchise-record 52 points during a double-overtime win against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 18 and scored 40 points against the Orlando Magic on Jan. 22.

---The Memphis Grizzlies reassigned forward Jarell Martin to the Iowa Energy of the D-League.
Martin, 21, was the 25th overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NBA draft following his sophomore season at Louisiana State. The 6-foot-10, 239-pound Martin has logged nine minutes with the Grizzlies over the first two games of his NBA career.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Clippers (28-16) at Pacers (23-21)

Date: January 26, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The wild theory that the Los Angeles Clippers are fine without Blake Griffin has lost its luster. A shiny season-high winning streak helped conceal that for some time, but the shaky stretch that followed has uncovered some rust.

The Clippers are faced with surviving their star's absence through at least the final two stops of their road trip, starting with Tuesday night's visit to the slumping Indiana Pacers.

Los Angeles (28-16) won 10 consecutive games from Dec. 25-Jan. 13, the final nine of which came without Griffin. The Clippers initially believed Griffin might return on this five-game trip, but he has been ruled out for the final two as he continues to recover from a partially torn tendon in his left quadriceps.

They've lost three of their past five, with Sunday's 112-94 defeat at Toronto registering as their most lopsided defeat of the season.

The reserves were the issue against the Raptors, who held a 51-29 advantage off the bench. All five Los Angeles starters were a plus-5 or better, while the Clippers' top five reserves were at minus-23 or worse.

'They were just awful,' coach Doc Rivers said. 'I think that's it. It's rare when you lose by 18 points and your starters all have a plus. That doesn't happen very often. Our bench has been good but (Sunday night) they were awful.'

Los Angeles ranks toward the top of the league with a 40.1 percentage from 3-point range since Dec. 26, led by league-leading J.J. Redick's 55.4, but the Clippers made just 8 of 26 3s in Toronto. They were outrebounded 44-34, with that total their lowest of the season.

'It's not about the first unit, the second unit, it's our team,' said Chris Paul, who finished with 23 points and 11 assists. 'There's been nights where the starters have come out and haven't played well and the second unit has brought us back, so I told us after the game that we've just got to find a way to put it all together.'

The pieces seemed to be fitting for Indiana (23-21) the last time these two teams met in a 103-91 win on Dec. 2. That was the final game of a season-high six-game winning streak and the Pacers' 12th victory in 14 tries.

They have been up and down since, however, and are struggling through their worst stretch of the season with five losses in six games.

Indiana finished a 1-3 road trip with Saturday's 108-97 loss at Sacramento. The Pacers shot 41.9 percent and didn't have a single player with a positive point differential.

'We gotta do better than that on a trip like this. I'm disappointed,' coach Frank Vogel said. 'We played well in a few games, but not good enough.'

Indiana will try to improve on its 13-6 record at Bankers Life Fieldhouse after going 4-7 through a stretch of nine of 11 games away from home.

Paul George was named an Eastern Conference All-Star starter last week, and he rebounded from three consecutive games with fewer than 20 points by scoring 34 against the Kings. George put up 31 against the Clippers last month - three fewer than Los Angeles' starters totaled - while grabbing 10 rebounds in a game Paul missed.

Pacers starting center Ian Mahinmi is questionable due to his sprained left ankle, and reserve Rodney Stuckey has been ruled out with a sprained right ankle.