Tuesday 11/3/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

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

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

 

[superbeets]

Champions League TODAY 19:45

Man Utd

v

CSKA Mosc.

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		8/15	10/3	6	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN UTD	RECENT FORM
ALAWADHDHD*AD​ Most recent​	3 - 3	HWAWHWHDADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Man Utd have drawn their last three matches 0-0

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester United have been grinding out results rather than playing anything remotely like spectacular football this season and it could be more of the same against CSKA Moscow. The reverse fixture finished in a 1-1 draw in Moscow and United may need patience to land maximum points.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw-Man Utd double result
1


REFEREE: Szymon Marciniak STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Champions League TODAY 19:45

Seville

v

Man City

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		19/10	13/5	6/4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SEVILLE	RECENT FORM
ALHWADALHWAL​ Most recent​	Unknown	HWHWHWADHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Seville have won their last ten European home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Seville usually save their best European form for their home fixtures and Manchester City face a real test in Spain. The best bet is for both teams to score - City remain a class act going forward despite their injury concerns in the striking department - and Seville have bagged in nine of their last 11 matches.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
3


REFEREE: Svein Oddvar Moen STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Champions League We 4Nov 19:45

B Munich

v

Arsenal

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		2/5	17/4	7	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT B MUNICH	RECENT FORM
HWAWALHWAWAD​ Most recent​	1 - 1 0 - 2 3 - 1 1 - 0	HWAWHWHWALAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Arsenal have scored in six of their last seven games against Bayern

EXPERT VERDICT: Arsenal stunned the Bundesliga champions in the reverse fixture at the Emirates but Bayern Munich can gain swift revenge. Bayern had enough chances to have won on matchday three despite losing 2-0 and should make more of their opportunities this time around, although Arsenal do pose a counter-attacking threat.

RECOMMENDATION: Bayern to win 2-1
1

 

[superbeets]

Champions League We 4Nov 19:45

Chelsea

v

Dynamo Kiev

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		8/11	11/4	9/2	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CHELSEA	RECENT FORM
HLHWADALAD*HL​ Most recent​	Unknown	HWAWAWHLHDHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Dynamo Kiev have never won on 12 trips to England

EXPERT VERDICT: The pressure on Chelsea is immense following their terrible start to the season which showed no sign of ending with the 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool on Saturday. However, Dynamo Kiev don’t tend to travel particularly well in Europe and Chelsea were clearly superior in the reverse fixture which finished 0-0 in Ukraine.

RECOMMENDATION: Chelsea
2

 

[superbeets]

Europa League Th 5Nov 18:00

Celtic

v

Molde

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		8/13	11/4	9/2	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CELTIC	RECENT FORM
AWAWALHWAWHW​ Most recent​	Unknown	HDHWHWHWAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Celtic are without a clean sheet in their last five European matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Home advantage is usually worth plenty to Celtic at Parkhead but Molde have been fantastic in this season’s Europa League and can at least find the net in Glasgow. Molde have notched in eight of their nine European matches this term and will be dangerous opponents having already won at Fenerbahce in the group.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
1

 

[superbeets]

Europa League Th 5Nov 18:00

Rubin

v

Liverpool

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		29/10	5/2	10/11	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT RUBIN	RECENT FORM
HDALHWADALAW​ Most recent​	Unknown	ADADHDHDHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Liverpool have drawn all three Europa League matches this season

EXPERT VERDICT: The Europa League is probably bottom of Liverpool’s priorities this season and Jurgen Klopp is likely to select a weaker starting 11 than the team which beat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The long trip isn’t ideal either and the Reds could be heading for a fourth straight European stalemate.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (9-3) at Bruins (6-3)

Date: November 03, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

After being shut down by one of the league's lowest-scoring teams, the Dallas Stars now face one that can match their firepower.

The Boston Bruins bring a four-game winning streak and the NHL's most potent offense into Tuesday night's clash of early success stories.

Boston has recovered strongly from an 0-3-0 start by notching points in seven consecutive games, six of them victories. The Bruins (6-3-1) have amassed 32 goals over the stretch and are averaging 3.9, slightly better than rival Montreal for the league's top mark.

Brad Marchand has five goals and four assists over a six-game point streak and Brett Connolly has scored four times on an identical run while playing on Boston's top line. Both recorded third-period goals as the Bruins extended their surge with Saturday's 3-1 triumph at Tampa Bay.

"We're feeling good right now," Connolly said. "We're confident, and that goes a long way.'

A return to form from Tuukka Rask has boosted the Bruins as well. After posting a 4.40 goals-against average and .854 save percentage over his first five starts, the 2013-14 Vezina Trophy winner has stopped 55 of 56 shots in consecutive victories over Arizona and Florida.

"It's nice to see him playing with confidence again," defenseman Zdeno Chara told the NHL's official site.

Rask figures to face a greater challenge against Dallas (9-3-0), which ranks third in scoring and boasts the league's top point producers in Jamie Benn (18) and ex-Bruin Tyler Seguin (17). Boston's David Krejci sits fourth in the race with 15 points and has five goals and five assists over the last seven games.

Benn scored his NHL-leading 10th goal and Seguin garnered a league-best 12th assist Monday in Toronto, but the Stars generated nothing else despite 44 shots in a 4-1 loss that halted a three-game winning streak in the opener of a four-game trip.

'I think we had our chances,' Seguin said. 'We gave them a few, myself included, didn't bear down, but we had opportunities of scoring."

Benn, the NHL's First Star for October, joined Brad Richards in 2010-11 as the only Stars players with 18 points through their first 12 games.

Seguin has two assists in four meetings with his former team since his July 2013 trade to Dallas, though the Stars have won in both of his returns to TD Garden. Benn had two goals in a 5-3 triumph at Boston on Feb. 10.

Rask owns a 1.88 GAA in four career appearances against Dallas and thwarted 36 of 37 chances in winning his lone 2014-15 start in the series.

With Antti Niemi having started Dallas' past four games, coach Lindy Ruff could turn to Kari Lehtonen for this one. Lehtonen won his first three outings but was pulled early in the second period of his last, a 6-2 loss to Florida on Oct. 24 in which he surrendered three goals on 11 shots.

Lehtonen recorded a 3.04 GAA in splitting two decisions with Boston last season, making 41 saves in the February win at TD Garden.

The Bruins lost their first four at home prior to a 6-0 rout of Arizona on Oct. 27. They will play three straight on the road following Tuesday's tilt.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (8-2) at Rangers (7-2)

Date: November 03, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Washington Capitals are off to one of the best starts in franchise history because of what they've been doing on the road, while the New York Rangers are right there with them due to some solid play at home.

The Capitals can remain perfect away from home Tuesday night by snapping the Rangers' winning streak at Madison Square Garden.

Washington (8-2-0) will try to open a season with nine wins in its first 11 games for the second time in team history after also doing it at the start of 2011-12. A big reason for the surge has been a dominant showing on the road, which continued with a 2-1 overtime win at Florida on Saturday.

Though they came out flat, the Capitals tied it on Jay Beagle's goal early in the third period and won on Evgeny Kuznetsov's tally in their first taste of 3-on-3 overtime.

After rattling off five straight wins Oct. 15-23 by outscoring opponents 24-10, they needed only four goals over the weekend to pick up four points with victories over Columbus at home and against the Panthers.

"I think what you learn is that the NHL is pretty good," coach Barry Trotz said. "You're not going to score five and six goals every night... Most nights it's going to be 2-1, 3-2, 4-3. It's going to be close. We needed a couple close games."

Washington's victory Saturday helped it match a team-best 4-0-0 away start.

The Caps have outscored the opposition 18-9 as the visitor, led by four goals and six assists from Kuznetsov, two goals and five assists from Alex Ovechkin and three goals and an assist from Nicklas Backstrom.

In order to open with five straight road wins for the first time, Washington needs to exorcise its demons on Broadway. Including playoffs, the club has lost 11 of 15 at MSG.

That span includes Game 7 losses in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2012 and '15 and three losses while dropping a seven-game opening-round series in '13.

New York (7-2-2) started slow at home but has won its last four there. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who is 7-3-0 in his last 10 starts against the Capitals - including the postseason - is 3-1-1 at home with a 1.79 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.

The Rangers are closing a three-game homestand during which they picked up a 4-1 win over Calgary on Oct. 25 and beat Toronto 3-1 on Friday.

New York finally saw results from its top line against the Maple Leafs after coach Alain Vigneault reunited Mats Zuccarello with Derick Brassard and Rick Nash.

Zuccarello, who has scored five of his seven goals at home, came through with his first hat trick, while Brassard and Nash each earned an assist on all three goals.

"We got results from our difference makers," said Vigneault. "They had their best game of the year at both ends of the rink."

The Rangers may also get Viktor Stalberg back from a head injury he suffered on a hit by Philadelphia defenseman Radko Gudas on Oct. 24. Stalberg, who has a goal and three assists in nine games, has been cleared by doctors.

New York's offense will likely face goalie Braden Holtby, who lost the final three games of last season's East semis. Holtby allowed eight combined goals in those contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Devils (4-4) at Islanders (6-3)

Date: November 03, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Critics who viewed it a mistake for the NHL's youngest coach to oversee one of its more veteran rosters had every reason to gloat during New Jersey's 0-3-1 start.

Now the Devils and coach John Hynes appear intent on proving all of them wrong.

New Jersey can win its third straight Tuesday night by earning its second victory in four days over the host New York Islanders, who won't have captain John Tavares for a third consecutive contest.

The 40-year-old Hynes was hired in June and has guided the Devils (6-4-1) to victories in six of their last seven since the slow start, earning praise from a team with an average age of close to 28 - one of the oldest in the league.

Mike Cammalleri and Jacob Josefson scored in the shootout after New Jersey blew a two-goal first-period lead in a 3-2 win over the Islanders (6-3-3) on Saturday that ended a six-game losing streak in the series.

Bobby Farnham, who played under Hynes the previous three seasons in the AHL in Pittsburgh's system, had a goal and an assist in his Devils debut after being picked up off waivers from the Penguins earlier in the week.

Cory Schneider made 24 saves and is 6-2-1 with a 2.17 goals-against average.

"A lot has been said and written about us this summer, but I don't think we really believed it at all," Schneider said. "The new coaching staff has really got us playing a certain style that suits our personnel.

"We're not getting too high on ourselves. We're not satisfied or happy with where we're at. We just have to keep pushing and keep climbing the standings."

New York didn't have Tavares on Saturday, and an undisclosed illness also kept him out of Sunday's 2-1 loss to Buffalo. The Islanders, who are 0-2-1 following a 6-1-0 stretch, aren't sure when they'll get their captain back.

Coach John Capuano said at Monday's practice that Tavares is still very sick and is day to day. That doesn't bode well for a New York team that has scored fewer than three goals in three straight after netting at least that many in each of its previous seven.

"John's one of the best players in the world, certainly, so you're going to miss him," defenseman Travis Hamonic said.

"Show me a team that's (not) going to miss their best player and one of the best in the world, and I'll say they're lying. We want him out there with us, but we have to duck, everyone has to pick up their own socks and have a better effort."

Capuano said the Islanders played their best game of the season against the Devils despite the defeat, but he was much more critical of Sunday's performance.

"Some of the young guys were just very disappointing," he said. "They have to step their game up. Some guys were just too casual. You're not going to win many games like that."

Jaroslav Halak made 15 saves against the Devils before Thomas Greiss stopped 20 shots in the second of a back-to-back. Halak is 5-1-1 with a 1.25 GAA in his last seven against New Jersey, but Capuano has elected to give Greiss his second straight start.

Schneider is 2-2-1 with a 1.57 GAA in five career starts against the Islanders and should get the nod again.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Senators (3-4) at Canadiens (11-2)

Date: November 03, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Montreal Canadiens have responded to losing their Hart Memorial Trophy-winning goaltender in about the best way possible: scoring 11 goals in two games.

Fill-in starter Mike Condon has also been impressive, and the combination has made for a pair of four-goal victories heading into Tuesday night's home game with the Ottawa Senators, who have allowed plenty of offense in their last five.

Montreal (11-2-0) figures to be without Carey Price for at least two more games because of a lower-body injury, but it continued to show it can get by without him in Sunday's 5-1 home win over Winnipeg.

Tomas Fleischmann and David Desharnais each have five points in the last two games, and Paul Byron has scored in both. Top scorer Max Pacioretty is without a point in four straight but has eight goals and six assists on an eight-game point streak against Ottawa.

"There's no doubt he helps us, but we're able to play without him," center David Desharnais told the league's official website. "He's an important element of the team, but he's a part of the team.

"It's up to us to prove it, and I think we've done that since the start of the season. We're scoring more goals than ever, so I think we could get a little more credit. But that shouldn't take anything away from Price; he's our best player and we need him."

The Canadiens' 9-0-0 start established a new franchise record, and they'll now try to win their first six at home for the first time since 1979-80.

Condon faced just 19 shots against the Jets but improved to 4-0-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .944 save percentage to begin his NHL career.

"I'm not going to try and be Carey. I don't think anyone can," Condon said. "I'm just going to try and keep the spot warm for him."

All of his wins have been by at least two goals, and the last three have come by a combined 18-5 score.

"Any goalie isn't going to complain about the team scoring goals," Condon said. "We play good defensively and that translates into offense. I'm very fortunate for that and it's very fun to watch."

Ottawa (5-4-2), which won three of the last four meetings with Montreal last season, hasn't played well on defense and is 2-3-2 since starting 3-1-0.

The Senators have allowed 18 goals in their last five after Saturday's 5-3 home loss to Detroit. They're 1-3-2 in Ottawa, but coach Dave Cameron doesn't think playing three of their next four on the road is going to change anything on its own.

"It's not just struggling on home ice, it's the drop in our game," Cameron told the team's official website.

"There's too big a drop in our game when we're good and when we're not good. We have to figure out why that is. I talked to them and I had a few suggestions why I think that is and challenged them in a couple of areas. We'll see where that goes."

The power play has been part of it with a 0-for-14 mark in the last four games, and their 75.5 percent penalty kill is among the NHL's worst. Montreal, meanwhile, is near the top in both power-play (23.4) and penalty-kill (88.9) percentage.

The Senators' offense won't be at full strength after forward Mark Stone, who leads the team with 13 points, was suspended two games by the NHL on Monday for his hit to the head of Detroit's Landon Ferraro. Stone will also sit against Winnipeg on Thursday.

Ottawa is also waiting for the arrival of the Craig Anderson who started last season 4-2-2 with a 1.72 GAA and .951 save percentage. Through eight games this season, the veteran is 4-3-1 with 3.05 and .904 marks, including nine goals allowed in his last two.

Over the previous two seasons, he's 2-1-1 with a 3.98 GAA and .842 save percentage in the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lightning (6-5) at Red Wings (5-5)

Date: November 03, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning are hoping they've solved their scoring issues.

Henrik Zetterberg can hit another milestone if he continues doing his part.

Zetterberg goes for his 300th goal as the Red Wings try to win back-to-back games Tuesday night for the first time since they last faced the Lightning three weeks ago.

Detroit (5-5-1) is trying to build on its best offensive showing of the season, beating Ottawa 5-3 on the road Sunday after going 1-5-1 while averaging 1.71 goals following a 3-1 win over Tampa Bay on Oct. 13.

The Lightning were on a worse stretch, as they were outscored 8-2 during an 0-3-1 span before Sunday's 4-3 win at Carolina.

"We knew that it was just a matter of time until pucks started going in," said center Steven Stamkos, who scored for the first time in six games. "We didn't do it by cheating, we did it by working hard. We tried to mix things up and some things clicked. Sometimes it's just a fresh start that you need."

Things are certainly clicking for Zetterberg, who is among the league leaders with 14 points. The 35-year-old captain had a pair of assists Sunday, giving him 501 for his career and 800 points to rank seventh on the franchise list in both categories.

Zetterberg is also one goal shy of becoming the eighth player in team history to reach 300.

"When I came here as an assistant, I had the opportunity to see him day to day," coach Jeff Blashill told the team's official website. "It was a reaffirmation of why some guys are great. They're great because of the approach that they put in every single day. That's why he is what he is. That's why he's one of the best players in the world, has been for a long time and he continues to be because of the approach that he has every single day."

Zetterberg had one goal and one assist versus the Lightning last month. The center had three assists against them while the Red Wings were eliminated in seven games of their first-round playoff series last spring.

Gustav Nyquist leads Detroit with five goals, and he's collected four over his last six regular-season meetings with Tampa Bay, including one on Oct. 13.

Detroit hasn't decided who will be in net, but Jimmy Howard is 4-2-2 with a 1.97 goals-against average and one shutout in eight career regular-season matchups with the Lightning. He made 20 saves against them last month.

Petr Mrazek, though, had a 2.11 GAA and two shutouts while starting last season's playoff series. He held Stamkos and Ryan Callahan without a goal, and the duo has combined for 10 this season.

Callahan had the Lightning's lone tally at Detroit last month, and he added his latest Sunday while Tyler Johnson scored his first of the season.

Johnson had six goals in the opening-round playoff series, but he's scored just twice in 10 against the Red Wings in the regular season - none in the last four.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (7-4) at Blues (8-2)

Date: November 03, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

The St. Louis Blues have withstood a slew of key injuries to remain near the top of the Western Conference, though their next challenge doesn't figure to get any easier.

The Blues renew acquaintances with a longtime nemesis when the Los Angeles Kings visit St. Louis on Tuesday night for a clash of early season heavyweights.

The Blues (8-2-1) have the second-most wins in the West despite extended absences from forwards Jaden Schwartz, Paul Stastny and Patrik Berglund and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. Top scorer Vladimir Tarasenko then missed Saturday's game against Minnesota with a leg injury, but captain David Backes recorded his first two goals of the season and goaltender Jake Allen delivered another strong performance to lead St. Louis to a 3-2 overtime victory.

Backes scored the game-winner with 33.6 seconds remaining in overtime and Allen made 29 saves. He's yielded three goals while starting each of the Blues' three consecutive wins and will get the nod again Tuesday.

'We've got a lot of guys that are playing roles and minutes that they haven't played before and doing a heck of a job,' coach Ken Hitchcock said. 'You're missing five, six, seven players a night and you're still getting points against really good teams."

Tarasenko, who notched his second career hat trick in a 5-2 win during the Kings' last trip to St. Louis on Dec. 16, is expected to return Tuesday.

The dynamic forward's presence will be welcomed against a Los Angeles team that had won seven straight and appeared on its way to an eighth before Chicago scored three unanswered third-period goals to rally for a 4-2 triumph on Monday.

'If we could have made it 3-1, it probably would have made a big difference,' Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. 'We just couldn't get the third goal.'

Los Angeles (7-4-0) had scored three or more in its five previous games and totaled 22 during the win streak after mustering just two during an 0-3-0 start. Tyler Toffoli registered eight of his nine goals over the run but was held without a point along with linemates Jeff Carter and Milan Lucic against Chicago.

The trio had combined for 12 goals and nine assists over the five games prior.

Jonathan Quick also played a main role in the Kings' surge, posting a 1.31 goals-against average and .955 save percentage while starting six of the wins. He allowed four goals on 26 shots on Monday, however, and could give way to Jhonas Enroth in the second of a back-to-back.

Enroth was sharp in his lone start this season, tallying 39 saves in a 4-1 victory at San Jose on Oct. 22. The offseason pickup stopped 27 of 29 chances in his only previous start against St. Louis, a 3-0 loss with Buffalo on Feb. 5.

Quick is 7-2-0 with a 1.48 GAA against the Blues in the regular season since 2011-12 and has shined in the Kings' playoff series wins over St. Louis in 2012 and '13, compiling a 1.55 GAA while winning eight of 10 outings.

The Kings also have controlled the regular-season series of late, winning 10 of 13 matchups since 2011-12. They've scored just 11 goals in losing four of their last six in St. Louis including the postseason, however.

Allen, who is 19-6-1 in the regular season at Scottrade Center, had 21 saves in the Dec. 16 win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flyers (3-5) at Oilers (4-8)

Date: November 03, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Any hype and attention involving the Edmonton Oilers tends to start with superstar rookie Connor McDavid. Leon Draisaitl is generating some of his own, along with some goals.

While McDavid is the reigning NHL Rookie of the Month, Draisaitl looks to continue his dazzling start to the season Tuesday night against the struggling Philadelphia Flyers.

Edmonton (4-8-0) selected McDavid first overall in last summer's draft, and he's living up to the hype of becoming the NHL's next star. The center's 12 points lead all rookies and put him among the overall leaders.

"(His game has) matured already," first-year Oilers coach Todd McLellan told the team's official website of McDavid. "For an 18-year-old, you don't think it's going to advance that quick but his game has matured in a lot of different areas. He went from being a player to a catalyst on the team. I think that's real important."

Draisaitl is proving to be valuable in a much shorter period of time. The third overall selection in 2014, the center has three goals and five points in two games since being called up from Bakersfield of the AHL on Thursday. He only scored twice and had seven assists in 37 games as a rookie last season.

Draisaitl's was terrific again Saturday, netting one goal and setting up two others before goaltender Cam Talbot gave up a goal with 8.7 seconds left in a 5-4 loss to Calgary.

Draisaitl, however, is benefiting from playing on the Oilers' top line with left wing Taylor Hall and center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Hall leads the team with 13 points while Nugent-Hopkins has seven during a five-game streak.

"I think, along with a lot of guys on our team, we're starting to figure out what we need to do as a team and how (McLellan) wants us to play," Hall said. "It's been nice to have Leon along with Ryan on our line. We seem to be working well lately."

Edmonton is 4-0-1 in its last five home meetings with Philadelphia after Nugent-Hopkins' second goal came in overtime of a 5-4 win March 21. He has four goals and one assist the last three matchups.

The Flyers (4-5-2) have been outscored 15-6 while losing four games in a row with the last three coming in regulation. They only scored once in each of those games, including Monday's 4-1 loss at Vancouver to drop to 1-3-1 on the road.

"We're not happy and these aren't easy times, but the group will stay together and keep working hard," coach Dave Hakstol told the team's official website. "I thought we had a more concerted effort to get some bodies to the blue paint."

Philadelphia hasn't dropped five straight overall since Dec. 27-Jan. 3.

Claude Giroux has scored three of his four goals on the season over the past three road games. The captain had two goals at Edmonton in March, giving him eight points in seven career matchups.

Jakub Voracek had three assists in the last meeting with the Oilers, and he has two goals and six assists over his past four.

All four of the right wing's points this season are assists, and his 11 games without a goal matches the longest season-opening drought of his career set in 2010-11.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (3-8) at Avalanche (3-7)

Date: November 03, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Calgary felt frustration similar to Colorado's before pulling off a dramatic victory to end its losing streak.

Now the Avalanche will try to get on track at the Flames' expense.

Colorado looks to avoid a seventh loss in eight games when it hosts Calgary on Tuesday night.

The Flames (3-8-1) have yet to put together back-to-back victories and had lost four straight for the second time this season before Michael Frolik completed his first career hat trick with 8.7 seconds remaining in Saturday's 5-4 win at Edmonton.

Brandon Bollig also scored and T.J. Brodie added a goal and an assist.

"Momentum is huge," Brodie said. "Hopefully, we can carry on to the next game. Keep building om that, keep building confidence, just run with it."

The Avalanche (3-7-1) are trying to keep their poor start from snowballing like it did last season, when they began 2-4-4 and finished last in the Central Division.

Coach Patrick Roy is having trouble explaining his team's trouble in close games. Colorado lost by one goal for the sixth time Sunday, 4-3 to San Jose after allowing the tiebreaking tally with 1:39 left.

"We don't have the results to support what we are doing, and that's all that is missing right now," Roy said. "For 57 minutes, we were very solid. It's just a frustrating situation right now. We're doing a lot of good things right now, but we just can't get rewarded for it. It's hard."

Jarome Iginla scored his fourth goal and Gabriel Landeskog had an assist for the Avalanche, 1-4-1 at home after dropping a fourth straight there.

"At the end of the day, we don't come away with any points and that is what matters," Landeskog said. "It's a business of winning, and you have to win or else you're not doing your job."

Iginla hasn't scored in five games against his former team since the Flames traded him to Pittsburgh in March 2013 after 15 1/2 seasons with the franchise. He'll try to snap that drought against Karri Ramo, who gets his second straight start.

Jonas Hiller remains out with a lower-body injury suffered in Wednesday's shootout loss at Ottawa, and Ramo was recalled from the AHL one day later. He lost his first three starts before being sent down but made 19 saves to get the win Saturday.

"It feels really good," Ramo said. "It wasn't necessarily a pretty one, but sometimes it goes that way. I have to be better, but what matters the most right now is that we got the win and we have to start building from this."

Ramo has gone 3-1-0 with a 2.75 goals-against average in his last four against the Avalanche, including a 25-save effort in the Flames' 3-2 victory in the most recent meeting March 23.

Semyon Varlamov took the loss in that contest and has a 3.42 GAA in his last five against Calgary. He's gotten off to a rough start this season, allowing at least three goals six times with an .891 save percentage in eight games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (2-10) at Sharks (5-5)

Date: November 03, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets have both dropped five of their last seven games. The difference is one team preceded that with a season-opening winning streak and is coming off an encouraging effort, while the other's 2-5-0 span has been a modest improvement, despite having another losing streak in the works.

The Sharks begin a four-game homestand Tuesday night while Columbus faces a three-game West Coast trip that could sink it even deeper into the Metropolitan Division basement.

San Jose (6-5-0) ended a two-game skid with Sunday's 4-3 win over Colorado behind two goals from Brent Burns and an empty-netter from Joe Pavelski that gave him a goal in four straight games. Pavelski also has three goals in his last two against Columbus.

"A big two points, as big as two points can get (11) games into the season," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told the team's official website. "We needed them. We had done enough to be close, but not enough to earn a win. Whether we had won or not, with the game we played I would have been happy. It's nice to get rewarded.

"It's probably the most honest game we've played for 60 minutes in a long time. You get rewarded for that. We've been close, but we haven't been (rewarded) and I thought we fixed that tonight."

Martin Jones got off to a scorching start with a 0.49 goals-against average and .982 save percentage in four straight wins to begin his time in San Jose, but he's since fallen off with 3.02 and .894 marks over a 2-3-0 span.

The former Los Angeles King gave up five goals in his only game against Columbus - a 5-3 loss in January 2014.

While San Jose has allowed 3.71 goals per game over the last seven, it might be as concerned with a power play that's gone 2 for 18 over the last eight games. Columbus', however, has been even worse.

The Blue Jackets' power play was about the only consistency early on, going 6 for 21 (28.6 percent) through five games, but over the last seven, it's 2 for 26 (7.7).

Columbus (2-10-0) won both meetings with the Sharks last season and has taken six of the last eight, but that's about all it has to fall back on at the moment. The Blue Jackets lost 3-2 at home to Winnipeg on Saturday.

"At times I thought we had chances to make plays and we have just not been able to," said coach John Tortorella, whose team plays Thursday at Los Angeles and Friday in Anaheim. "It's been a struggle. I know it's in the room. I know they are better players."

The Blue Jackets have dropped two straight since winning two of their first three under Tortorella.

The main concern under former coach Todd Richards was terrible defensive-zone play with 4.86 goals allowed per game. That's changed with 2.40 in the five under Tortorella, though Columbus would still like to see some improvement from Sergei Bobrovsky.

He was removed after giving up three goals in the first period against the Jets, bumping his GAA to 3.97. Bobrovsky hasn't been great in San Jose, going 2-1-0 with a 3.38 mark, though he's faced an average of 39.7 shots in those games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Dallas Stars won eight of their last nine games; Bruins won six of their last seven.
-- Devils won six of their last seven games.
--
Washington won seven of its last eight games. Rangers won four of last five. -- Canadiens won ten of their first twelve games.
-- Kings won seven of their last eight games. Blues won seven of their last nine.

Cold teams
-- Islanders lost last three games, scoring five goals.
-- Senators lost five of their last seven games.
-- Lightning lost four of their last five games. Detroit lost six of its last eight.
-- Calgary lost four of its last five games. Colorado lost six of its last seven.
-- Philly lost last four games, scoring six goals. Edmonton lost four its last five.
-- Blue Jackets lost ten of their first twelve games. Sharks lost five of their last seven.

Series records
-- Dallas Stars won three of last five visits to Boston.
-- Islanders won six of last seven games with New Jersey.
-- Rangers won their last three games with Washington.
-- Canadiens won five of last seven games with Ottawa.
-- Lightning-Red Wings split their last ten meetings.
-- Kings won eight of last ten games with St Louis.
-- Flames won three of last four games with Colorado.
-- Flyers won three of last four games with Edmonton.
-- Blue Jackets won six of last eight games with San Jose.

Totals
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Dallas-Boston games.
-- Under is 4-0-3 in last seven Devil-Islander games.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Ranger-Washington games.
-- Four of last five Ottawa-Montreal games stayed under.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Tampa Bay-Detroit games.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five St Louis games.
-- Last three Calgary games went over the total.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Edmonton games.
-- Six of last nine Columbus-San Jose games went over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bulls (3-1) at Hornets (0-3)

Date: November 03, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Chicago Bulls aren't suffering from a lack of vision. The Charlotte Hornets are hoping theirs will start to pay off.

With Derrick Rose's eyesight forcing him to alter his game, the Bulls look to continue their strong start Tuesday night and send the Hornets to their worst in 26 years.

Injuries have plagued Rose over the past four seasons and 2015-16 hadn't even started yet before he took the latest blow. The 2010-11 NBA MVP suffered a broken orbital bone and underwent surgery after taking an elbow to the face in practice during the preseason.

Rose's vision is still blurred, but he's found a way to make an impact for Chicago (3-1) with a different approach.

The point guard averages 20.3 points for his career, but the injury combined with wearing a protective mask has forced him to change from scorer to distributor.

Rose scored six points Sunday, but his season-high eight assists were vital in a 92-87 win over Orlando. He went 2 for 8 from the floor, a significant drop from his career 17.2 attempted field goals per game.

"There is no point in shooting the ball if I can't see," Rose said.

He's seeing Nikola Mirotic emerge into a major scoring threat, averaging 18.8 points after posting 10.2 as a rookie last season. The forward's early season success can be traced to a 46.8 shooting percentage from 3-point range.

Mirotic's 28 points were one short of a career high and he added eight rebounds while hitting 10 of 19 from the floor in a 98-89 win over Charlotte (0-3) on March 23.

Pau Gasol chipped in with 27 points, 12 boards and four blocks, giving him averages of 22.6, 11.4 and 2.4 over his last five meetings. The veteran center enters this matchup with 16 points in three consecutive games, connecting on 21 of 39 field goals over that stretch.

"There is no burden on one person on the team or one person to carry the load," Rose told the Bulls' official website. "That is exciting; everybody is trying to invest in the team."

While the Bulls are closing in on matching their 5-1 start from last season, the Hornets are on the cusp of their worst start since losing their first five in 1989-90.

Kemba Walker's 17-footer at the buzzer rimmed out in Sunday's 94-92 defeat to Atlanta in Charlotte's home opener. That came two days after he missed a 3 in the final seconds of a 97-94 loss in the opener of the home-and-home set.

Charlotte, though, isn't frustrated since eight players on the roster have three seasons or less of NBA experience.

"We have a young new team and we missed some execution at the end," said forward Nicolas Batum, acquired in a trade from Portland over the summer. "We have to learn from those games. It's still early in the season, but we're right there - we're going to be OK."

Batum was 5 of 14 from the field to finish with a season-high 16 points Sunday.

Walker is averaging a team-best 16.3 points after scoring 17. He had 29 against the Bulls in March, while Batum has totaled that much over his last three matchups.

It's unclear if the Hornets will have 7-foot forward Cody Zeller available due to dehydration.

"Cody couldn't practice (Monday)," coach Steve Clifford said. "In the last week and a half, he's lost eight to 10 pounds. He gained some of it back."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (3-1) at Heat (2-1)

Date: November 03, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Miami Heat needed a mid-game boost to earn their latest win. They might need some additional help to get over the hump against their next opponent.

The Heat hope the energy from a fiery halftime speech carries over to a Tuesday night meeting with the visiting Atlanta Hawks.

The Heat (2-1) nearly suffered their first loss at home after coming out flat against Houston on Sunday. Miami trailed 65-44 early in the third quarter but Udonis Haslem's words at halftime that were credited as the spark that ignited a 65-24 run to close a 109-89 victory.

Haslem didn't play against the Rockets and has logged 11 minutes in one game this season. That didn't stop him from laying into his teammates with a profanity-laced tirade that featured some water-bottle spikes in the locker room.

'Absolutely awesome,' coach Erik Spoelstra said. 'That's what leaders do. By the time I got in there, he was already halfway through it and there wasn't much that was needed to be said after that.'

The Heat were coming off an emotional 102-92 loss in Cleveland on Friday that reunited Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with former teammate LeBron James. It appeared that defeat would create a lull through the weekend until the Heat woke up late against the Rockets.

Wade scored nine of his 20 points while Luol Deng had seven of his 14 in the third quarter, and Bosh scored all 10 of his in the fourth. Hassan Whiteside added 10 of his game-high 25 after halftime.

Whiteside recorded his first double-double by hitting 12 of 15 shots to go with his 15 rebounds.

Mike Budenholzer's discussion with his team Sunday likely wasn't as animated as Haslem's, but it did the job all the same.

Atlanta (3-1) has won three straight, the last two coming in tight fashion against a young Charlotte team that missed the playoffs last season. The Hawks trailed 76-70 on Sunday after allowing 37 points in the third quarter, triggering a talk from their coach between periods.

Atlanta responded to Budenholzer's defensive requests appropriately, holding the Hornets to 4-of-24 shooting in the fourth to earn a 94-92 win.

'They all know the third wasn't our best, but they found a way,' Budenholzer said.

Atlanta's two victories over winless Charlotte came by a combined five points.

The Hawks made 38.0 percent of their 3-pointers last season, second-highest in the NBA, but they sit in the bottom third of the league this season at 32.0.

Kyle Korver has gone 4 of 14 from beyond the arc while Al Horford (5 for 18), Jeff Teague (3 for 13) and Dennis Schroder (3 for 13) have also struggled.

Outside of the ugly quarter against the Hornets, defense has helped the Hawks stay afloat. Opponents are making 39.4 percent from the floor against Atlanta, which has allowed an average of 36.5 points in the paint while forcing 68 turnovers.

Miami has dropped six straight against the Hawks, with two of the last three coming at AmericanAirlines Arena last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (0-3) at Pistons (3-0)

Date: November 03, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Stan Van Gundy's vision for the Detroit Pistons is beginning to come to fruition. Conversely, the Indiana Pacers' makeover remains very much a work in progress.

When the Central Division foes renew their rivalry Tuesday night, the Pistons will be the team still without a loss and the Pacers the ones continuing to search for their first win.

Detroit's first-place standing and Indiana's residence at the bottom of the Central represents a stark role reversal from recent years, with the Pacers finishing first or second in the division in four of the last five seasons and the Pistons having missed the playoffs in six straight.

There's early optimism that drought could be coming to an end with Detroit following an opening-night victory at 2014-15 Eastern Conference regular-season champion Atlanta with home wins over Utah and Chicago.

"I think these guys are playing without fear right now," Van Gundy said. "I think they are confident in getting the job done."

The new-look Pistons displayed that swagger in Friday's gritty 98-94 overtime win over the Bulls that achieved the club's first 3-0 start since it won its first four in 2008-09, the last time Detroit reached the postseason.

An improved defense anchored by center Andre Drummond has fueled the turnaround, with the Pistons having held opponents under 95 points in all three games.

That streak could very well continue against a slumping Indiana team that's averaged 92.7 points in beginning its season with three consecutive defeats as it's struggled to adapt to a more up-tempo system and personnel changes. The Pacers haven't started 0-4 since losing the first nine in 1988-89.

The free-wheeling approach was expected to play to the strengths of Monta Ellis, but the marquee offseason addition is averaging 10.0 points while shooting 29.7 percent.

Turnovers have been a major problem as well. Indiana committed 24 that led to 30 Utah points in Saturday's 97-76 home loss, two days after it had 20 giveaways in a 112-103 setback to Memphis.

"It's not that teams are beating us - we're beating ourselves,' said point guard George Hill, who had seven turnovers against the Jazz.

Indiana also has been outrebounded by 9.0 per game, while the Pistons rank among the league leaders with a plus-11.7 margin. Drummond, named the Eastern Conference player of the week Monday, tops the NBA with 16.3 rebounds per game and grabbed 20 along with 20 points against Chicago.

Drummond, Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris, acquired from Phoenix in July, are all averaging at least 18.7 points. Morris had 15 third-quarter points and finished with 26 on 10-of-15 shooting against the Bulls.

"We thought he was one of those guys that just, if you give him an opportunity ... you know there are a lot of guys like that in this league, that just if they get in the right spot, right system and get an opportunity, they can really thrive," Van Gundy said. "We are only three games but right now, he certainly is thriving."

Drummond averaged 16.3 points and 13.3 rebounds as the Pistons split four 2014-15 meetings with Indiana, which has won 10 of 13 in the series and is 5-1 in Detroit over that stretch.