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

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Champions League TODAY 19:45

Paris St-G.

v

Chelsea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		4/6	11/4	5	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT PARIS ST-G.	RECENT FORM
HWAWHWAWHW*HD​ Most recent​	1 - 1 3 - 1 0 - 3	HDAWAWADHDHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: PSG have lost one match this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Much has been made of Chelsea’s revival under Guus Hiddink, but flashy wins against struggling opponents don’t disguise the fact that the Blues are a shadow of last year’s team and they could be set for another last-16 exit to Paris Saint-Germain. The French side look stronger than last season when they knocked Chelsea out at this stage.

RECOMMENDATION: PSG
3


REFEREE: Carlos Velasco Carballo STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Champions League TODAY 19:45

Benfica

v

Zenit

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		21/20	5/2	3	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BENFICA	RECENT FORM
AWAWHWAWAWHL​ Most recent​	0 - 2 2 - 0	ALHWHWALHDAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Both teams scored in five of Benfica’s six group games

EXPERT VERDICT: Zenit topped Group H in style and completed the double over Benfica in last season’s Champions League group stage, handing the Eagles their first defeat in 14 European home games at the time. But Benfica are in fine form, winning 11 of their last 12 games and scoring 37 goals during that run.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Gianluca Rocchi STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Champions League We 17Feb 19:45

Roma

v

Real Madrid

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		7/2	29/10	5/6	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ROMA	RECENT FORM
HDALHWAWHWAW​ Most recent​	2 - 1 0 - 3 0 - 3 1 - 2	HWHWADHWAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Real Madrid have won just one of their last four away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Roma look to be improving under Luciano Spalletti, winning their last four matches, and they could get something when Real visit Stadio Olimpico. Los Blancos warmed up for this clash with a 4-2 win against Athletic Bilbao, but their recent away record is ordinary and they look far from a certainty.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

Champions League We 17Feb 19:45

Gent

v

Wolfsburg

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		9/5	12/5	17/10	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT GENT	RECENT FORM
ALHWAWHWALHW​ Most recent​	Unknown	HDALALHDALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Both sides are in the knockout stage for the first time

EXPERT VERDICT: Gent won their final three group games to book their place in the last 16, with Danijel Milicevic scoring the winner in two of them. Wolfsburg certainly seem to struggle away from home, losing two of their three away group games and winning only one away game in the Bundesliga this season.

RECOMMENDATION: D Milicevic first goalscorer
1

 

[superbeets]

Europa League Th 18Feb 18:00

Fiorentina

v

Tottenham

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		13/10	9/4	21/10	More markets

​

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 Th 18Feb 18:00

Midtjylland

v

Man Utd

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		4	11/4	4/6	More markets

​

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

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Champions - Round of 16 Odds

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016

Benfica vs. Zenit Petersburg

Benfica +110
Zenit Petersburg+240
Draw +240
Over 2.5 (+125)
Under 2.5 (-165)

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Chelsea

Paris Saint-Germain -140
Chelsea +350
Draw +295
Over 2.5 (+125)
Under 2.5 (-150)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CL Best Bets - Round of 16
By Toby Maxtone-Smith

Champions League Round of 16 - First Legs

The last 16 of the Champions League is where the knockout stages begin. After three rounds and a final, one team will emerge victorious in Milan.

Who will it be?

Barcelona are the 5/2 favourites, and would become the first team to retain the trophy under its current name.

Next in the betting come Bayern Munich at 11/4. Pep Guardiola arguably needs to win the competition in his final season at the German club to make sure his tenure there is remembered as a success.

Next come Real Madrid at 5/1.

Fourth favourites are, rather surprisingly given their recent form, Manchester City at 12/1, with Atletico Madrid at the same price.

Next come PSG at 14/1, Chelsea and Juventus at 25/1, Arsenal at 33/1 and the rest 50/1 or longer. Dynamo Kiev are the rank outsiders at 500/1.

Tuesday, Feb. 16
Games scheduled for 2:45 p.m. ET on FS1 & FS2

PSG vs. Chelsea: 0-0 at half-time at 13/8

Even in their worst season in over a decade this is the first time Chelsea have been as long as 5/1 for a match. The prices suggest that PSG, 24 points clear in their own domestic league, are stronger than any English team. After two tight ties between the sides in the last two seasons, with Chelsea coming through in 2013 and PSG in 2014, bookies have the French side strong 4/7 favourites to qualify, with Chelsea at 11/8.

PSG are 4/6 to win this game, and although they deserve odds-on status, a better bet may be to trust Chelsea to keep it tight at first and to back a 0-0 draw at half-time. Even shorn of John Terry and Kurt Zouma, Chelsea will be an organised side with Jon Obi Mikel protecting the defence. In away games at Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester United this season Chelsea went into the break without conceding. Despite the importance of away goals, Chelsea’s first instinct here will be to defend, and even in their wounded state they should be able to stave off a thrashing from Laurent Blanc’s side.

Benfica vs. Zenit St Petersburg: Jonas to score first at 7/2

This looks like being one of the more evenly matched last 16 games, with Zenit ranked as the slight favourites to qualify at 8/11, with Benfica at evens (1/1). For this game, however, Benfica go in as 23/20 favourites with the Russians available at 29/10. However it may be a good idea to ignore the win-draw-win market and instead back Benfica’s red-hot striker Jonas to open the scoring.

At 7/2 the price may seem a little short, but this is a man who has scored 23 goals in 22 league games for Benfica this season at a rate of one goal every 78 minutes. Zenit’s defence has been leaky this season - they went down 4-1 at mid-table Terek Grozny in their final game before the winter break, and could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to lowly Ufa last time out.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Sabres LW Kane draws one-game ban from team
By The Sports Xchange

The Buffalo Sabres will sit left winger Evander Kane one game for missing practice Monday after he attended the NBA All-Star Game the night before in Toronto.
Head coach Dan Bylsma said Kane won't play against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.
"He slept in, called (general manager) Tim (Murray) and myself, broke a team rule," Bylsma said. "We'll be dealing with it internally, but he will not be playing in Ottawa. I'm disappointed."
After Kane scored a goal and helped the Sabres to a 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday afternoon at First Niagara Center in Buffalo, he took a private plane to attend the All-Star Game at Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
The NBA All-Star Game started at 8 p.m. ET. Buffalo is about 100 miles from Toronto.

---The Tampa Bay Lightning put out a statement stating captain Steven Stamkos will not be traded prior to the NHL trade deadline.
The 6-foot-1, 194-pound center is in the final season of a five-year, $37.5 million contract, which carries a salary-cap charge of $7.5 million in 2015-16. He could become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
General manager Steve Yzerman made clear the Lightning's plan before the trade deadline on Feb. 29.
"As February 29th approaches, I am stating today that Steven Stamkos will not be traded before the NHL's Trade Deadline," Yzerman said in a statement. "I have said repeatedly that it is our hope to reach an agreement with Steven on a new contract at some point, and with 27 games remaining in the season, our entire organization, Steven included, wants to focus on making the playoffs.
"I will keep the negotiating process strictly between the involved parties and have no further comment on the state of those negotiations."

---Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson sat out Monday afternoon's game against the Calgary Flames due to an upper-body injury.
Gibson, who made this year's NHL All-Star team for the first time, sustained the injury in the second period of Anaheim's 3-2 overtime road win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Gibson was bowled over by the Blackhawks winger Richard Panik as he was crashing the net.
Goalie Anton Khudobin was recalled from the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League on Sunday and served as Andersen's backup.

---The San Jose Sharks recalled defenseman Mirco Mueller from the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League, the team announced.
Mueller, 20, played in 10 games with the Sharks this season. He made his NHL debut last season and has one goal and three assists in 39 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (33-19) at Capitals (40-10)

Date: February 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - Mike Richards was supposed to be the Los Angeles Kings' Derek Jeter and represent the pivotal piece to winning championships. He won two Stanley Cups, yet was shown the door last summer.

Richards hit two highs and many more lows in four seasons with the Kings, who terminated his contract last summer. He had been sent to the minor leagues after his play and production dropped off and was arrested at the Canadian border in June for possession of a controlled substance.

The 31-year-old eventually settled a grievance with Los Angeles but was out of the NHL until the Washington Capitals signed him in January. Richards faces the Kings on Tuesday for the first time since his departure and insists there are no hard feelings toward the organization or Los Angeles general manager Dean Lombardi.

'He had to do things that he probably didn't want to do at the end of the day, but I didn't make it easy on him, either, to keep me around,' Richards said. 'I want to say fault on both parts, but it's probably more so on me, and he had to do what he had to do (for) what he thought benefited the L.A. Kings.'

Lombardi could have bought out Richards with no salary-cap ramifications in the summer of 2014 after the Kings' second Cup but let the two-way forward and former Philadelphia Flyers captain convince him to keep him around. The GM adored Richards and still praises him for setting the tempo in the first playoff series in 2012 against Vancouver, the first sign Los Angeles was title-bound.

Acquired from Philadelphia at the 2011 draft, Richards had 15 points in the 20 games during 2012 Cup run and was his usual penalty-killing, defensive-minded self for the first two seasons before he became a fourth-liner and was a bit part of the 2014 championship. The Kings waived him and sent him to the American Hockey League for a stint a year ago with the hope Richards would get his game together, but that didn't happen and his 16 points were a career low.

Richards' off-ice problems publicly came to light when he was arrested for possession of a controlled substance at a North Dakota-Manitoba border crossing June 17. The Kings terminated his contract June 29 'for a material breach of the requirements of his standard player contract,' and in October they settled on paying him a portion of the $22 million left on the deal.

Looking back on his time with the Kings, Richards remembers the Stanley Cups fondly and doesn't want to harp on the bad times.

'I don't hold grudges,' the Kenora, Ontario, native said after a recent Capitals practice. 'I'm happy to be here now and I'm a true believer that everything happens for a reason. We'll see how this plays out.'

Richards has yet to register a point in 11 games with Washington, where he's able to play with former Kings teammate and 2014 playoff MVP Justin Williams. After Richards signed a pro-rated $1 million deal for the rest of the season, Williams said the Capitals are 'not going to put a ceiling on what he can do because we've seen what he can do.'

Coach Barry Trotz and general manager Brian MacLellan didn't expect Richards to be an offensive juggernaut, believing instead he was a good fit as a gritty complementary piece. Trotz said he was honest about what he wanted from Richards and didn't come in with preconceived notions.

'I think he was a player that, it's probably no different than (Alex Ovechkin), a lot of people make assumptions, a lot of people have perceptions and it's not necessarily reality,' Trotz said. 'It's the outside world. Unless you're in that locker room or you're playing every night and competing with or against Mike Richards, that's the only way you find out about the person. He's been as advertised coming in for us.'

The day the Capitals signed Richards, Lombardi said: 'Now that everything's out in the open and the team can work with him without things being hidden, I think he's got a great shot.'

Richards said signing with the Capitals was all about winning - not proving the Kings wrong.

'It's not proving people wrong,' Richards said. 'If you're looking to do that, then you got other issues probably if you're in this sport to do that. It's more just about getting the best out of you, taking advantage of the opportunities you're given and really just being a part of the NHL and doing your best to have success.'

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (25-27) at Hurricanes (25-21)

Date: February 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

In many of its recent games, it's been difficult to predict which Carolina Hurricanes team will show up. Is it the one that scores goals in bunches or the one that can barely dent the net?

The Hurricanes were a high-scoring team in their latest game and in a victory against the Winnipeg Jets earlier this month. They'll try for another such effort while keeping the Jets from a franchise-record fifth straight road win Tuesday night.

Carolina (25-21-10) has scored five or more goals in four of its last 10 games. The Hurricanes have also tallied one or none in the other six.

They had their best offensive performance of the season Saturday, a 6-3 victory against the New York Islanders, and Victor Rask found the net twice after scoring one goal in his previous 14 games.

"We can become more consistent offensively," coach Bill Peters said. "Three (goals) is a beautiful number, I think. If you can get to three each and every night, you're getting a point or points. I think we have enough skill to get three a night."

The Hurricanes won 5-3 in Winnipeg on Feb. 5 with Andrej Nestrasil scoring twice and Jordan Staal recording a season-best three points. Netrasil has four of his nine goals in his last four games.

The Jets (25-27-3) are hoping to change the result in this matchup extending their road-point streak to seven games, which is one shy of the franchise mark they set last season.

Winnipeg has won its last five games in Carolina and is 10-1-2 in its last 13 dating back to the franchise's days in Atlanta as Carolina's Southeast Division rival.

Carolina is hoping to have leading scorer Justin Faulk available for this visit from the Jets. The defenseman has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury.

Goaltender Cam Ward is doubtful because of a lower-body ailment. He kept the Jets scoreless for the first 38 minutes in the victory in Winnipeg, and Faulk scored one of the team's four first-period goals.

"We're a lot better team than we played them in Winnipeg so it'll be a truer indication," Peters said. "I think they'll play better. We'll play better. That was (the first game) coming out of the All-Star break. That's a different time when you take all those days off."

Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec registered a 2-1 shootout win in Edmonton on Saturday in his return from a knee injury that had kept him out since Nov. 21.

"To win always feels good," Pavelec said. "It was nice to be back after almost three months. I enjoyed it. The guys did a great job to keep them outside and they were patient. They were waiting for their opportunities, and in the first few minutes, that helped me a lot."

Pavelec is 5-1-0 with a 2.01 goals-against average in his last six games against Carolina. Hurricanes netminder Eddie Lack gave up five goals in his most recent matchup with Winnipeg on April 4 while with Vancouver after going 4-1-0 with a 2.29 GAA in his first five meetings.

The Jets won't have defenseman Mark Stuart for at least four weeks because of a broken hand, and Adam Pardy is expected to take his spot.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (30-20) at Blue Jackets (23-28)

Date: February 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Joonas Korpisalo's improvement has the Columbus Blue Jackets playing some of their best hockey of the season.

The rookie goaltender faces one of his toughest tests yet Tuesday night, as he'll attempt to slow down the NHL's hottest scorer and a Boston Bruins team that's rolling offensively.

Columbus (23-28-6) has offered some encouragement to an overall disappointing season by going 4-0-1 since Feb. 4 and winning six of its last eight. Korpisalo has played a key role in the surge by stabilizing a position placed in disarray by injuries to Sergei Bobrovsky and Curtis McElhinney.

The 21-year-old is 8-1-2 with a 1.94 goals-against average while starting 11 of the team's last 13 games. He's yielded two or less goals in nine of his starts during the stretch, including Saturday's 33-save effort in a 4-2 win over Ottawa.

Korpisalo had 32 saves on Jan. 23 in a 3-2 shootout loss at Boston, third in the NHL with 168 goals. Brad Marchand scored in that contest, one of 13 goals the Bruins wing has produced during a career-best 13-game tear since Jan. 16.

Marchand has a goal in 12 of the last 13 games and seven straight, two shy of Hall of Famer Phil Esposito's team record set in 1970-71. He wasted no time extending the streak, scoring eight seconds into Sunday's matchup at Detroit for the fastest goal in franchise history.

The Bruins (30-20-6) have 15 goals through the first three of a season-high six-game trip despite a power play that's 0 for 11 and playing the last two without All-Star center Patrice Bergeron, out with an undisclosed injury sustained during Thursday's 6-2 rout of Winnipeg.

Boston also has been giving up goals in bunches of late, permitting 19 over its last four. Tuukka Rask was pulled for the second time in three starts after surrendering five on 24 shots midway through Sunday's wild 6-5 loss to the Red Wings.

The Bruins blew an early 3-1 lead as Detroit recorded four consecutive goals, but rallied to tie it at 5-all early in the third before ultimately having their six-game road winning streak halted.

"I think we ran out of gas a little bit at the end," coach Claude Julien said. "We had some players that have played hard here the last two games and this was a tough one for them to try and get that same energy we had."

Rask, who allowed five goals on 32 chances in 32:29 of a 9-2 loss to Los Angeles last Tuesday, does own a 1.75 GAA in winning three of five starts against Columbus. He's also been better on the road, having amassed an 11-4-2 record and a 2.09 GAA in 18 starts compared to a 3.08 mark at home.

Boston is 18-6-3 as the visitor, second only to Washington in road winning percentage, and had won four straight in Columbus prior to a 6-2 loss on Dec. 27, 2014.

The Blue Jackets have won three of four in Columbus and moved to 2-0-1 on a five-game homestand behind Boone Jenner's two goals and Korpisalo's solid performance against Ottawa.

'We're getting that feeling, excitement back in our game,' forward Brandon Saad said. 'Anytime you string some wins together and the streak we have with forcing games to overtime and bouncing back like we do, it's exciting for the team. We're feeling good about ourselves.'

Saad, Columbus' leader with 21 goals, has scored in two straight and has five in his last eight.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flyers (24-21) at Devils (29-21)

Date: February 16, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Outstanding goaltending and defense made the New Jersey Devils a perennial playoff participant during the previous two decades.

That same formula may help them get back there after a three-year drought.

The surging Devils vie for a fourth straight win and second over the Philadelphia Flyers in four days when the longtime rivals face off Tuesday night.

In a season where it's averaging an NHL-low 2.19 goals, New Jersey (29-21-7) is right in the playoff mix by being the league's stingiest team. The Devils have lowered their league-leading goals-against average to 2.18 by yielding 18 over an 8-2-2 stretch that's vaulted them into one of the Eastern Conference's two wild-card spots.

'You can't say it's a fluke at this point in the season,' forward Lee Stempniak said. 'We've worked extremely hard.'

New Jersey has relied heavily upon standout goaltender Cory Schneider, second in the league with 47 starts, but received an excellent stand-in performance from Keith Kincaid to extend the streak. The seldom-used backup made 28 saves for his first career shutout in Sunday's 1-0 victory over Los Angeles.

"I credit our goalie coach Chris Terreri; he's done a great job with both our goalies and I think (Kinkaid) has done a fantastic job of being able to stay ready and perform when called upon," first-year coach John Hynes told the NHL's official website.

Schneider got a break after recording 31 saves in Saturday's 2-1 win in Philadelphia, his seventh consecutive outing allowing two goals or less. The All-Star owns a 1.56 GAA over that span and a league-leading 1.98 mark this season.

Another strong effort could be in the works with Philadelphia (24-21-10) in the midst of an offensive funk. The Flyers have managed one goal in three of their past four games and didn't score until the final seconds of Sunday's 3-1 defeat to the New York Rangers.

Philadelphia, seventh in the eight-team Metropolitan Division, has lost five of six.

"Those were two big points that we needed," forward Wayne Simmonds said. "But, short memories. We've got to forget about this one and move on to New Jersey on Tuesday night."

On a positive note, Shayne Gostisbehere assisted on Brayden Schenn's late goal to extend his point streak to 12 games, the longest by a rookie defenseman in NHL history. The 22-year-old has 15 points over the run.

Simmonds has scored eight of his team-leading 20 goals over the last 10 games and had one in the Flyers' 4-3 overtime win at New Jersey on Dec. 4. The road team has won all three 2015-16 meetings, with the Devils earning a 4-1 victory in Philadelphia on Oct. 29 behind Schneider's 27 saves and Travis Zajac's two power-play goals.

New Jersey, 5-0-1 in its last six at home, is 5 of 11 on the power play against the Flyers this season, and the unit has accounted for all five goals during the winning streak. The Devils have converted a league-leading 42.9 percent (12 of 28) of their chances over the last 10 games, including 8 of 14 in five home outings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sabres (23-28) at Senators (25-26)

Date: February 16, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Buffalo Sabres will try to continue their high-scoring ways this week but haven't fared well in recent road games.

They'll try to change that Tuesday night against the slumping Ottawa Senators while matching their longest win streak this season.

Buffalo (23-28-6) scored 10 goals in back-to-back home victories and had three in the opening period of a 4-1 win over Colorado on Sunday. Jack Eichel found the net 2:02 into the game to end a six-game drought, and Evander Kane tallied his sixth in eight contests.

"There's a lot of positive things going on in this locker room," Eichel said. "I think as a team we can get on a little bit of a streak and start to patch together a few more wins in a row."

Kane, though, has been suspended for this game after missing practice Monday morning, sleeping in after attending the All-Star game in Toronto on Sunday.

The Sabres have netted one goal in each of their back-to-back road losses but registered a 3-2 victory in Ottawa on Jan. 26. Eichel scored twice as Buffalo ended a four-game skid to the Senators (25-26-6) and a six-game road losing streak in the series.

The Sabres play five of their next six away from home and seek their first string of three consecutive victories since Nov. 7-12 to kick off that stretch.

They'll face a team that's dropped three in a row, one shy of matching its longest skid this season, and slow starts have hindered Ottawa in that slump. The Senators have failed to score in at least the first 30 minutes in each of those games and didn't get on the scoreboard until the third period Saturday in a 4-2 loss at Columbus.

"It's real important. We've had trouble starting games this year," Kyle Turris said after practice Monday. "We need to be better at that. So getting a good start, getting off on the right foot with lots of energy, especially at home, get the crowd on your side, it makes the game a lot easier."

The Senators are still seeking their first win since acquiring former Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf in a nine-player deal last Tuesday. The veteran defenseman has three assists in his three games with the team.

Phaneuf doesn't have a point in his last six games against Buffalo while fellow star blueliner Erik Karlsson has three goals and two assists in his past five matchups. Karlsson's 11 career goals versus the Sabres are his most against any opponent.

Bobby Ryan has six goals and three assists in his last seven meetings, and Turris scored twice in the first game against Buffalo this season, a 3-1 win Oct. 8.

Eichel has three of his 17 goals in the two games versus Ottawa, the rookie's most against any team. Kane began his current scoring binge by tallying the Sabres' first goal in last month's victory.

The Senators haven't lost four straight since an 0-2-2 skid Oct. 15-24. They've won two of three at home, where they play their next three games.

Ottawa has scored at least one power-play goal in four straight contests, going 5 for 20 in that run. Buffalo has killed off 17 of 19 penalties in its last six games, including a season-high six against Colorado.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (29-20) at Lightning (30-21)

Date: February 16, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Steven Stamkos' future in Tampa Bay became clearer this week, and the Lightning will try to use that assurance to boost them toward some more positive results.

They'll first seek to bounce back from their first home loss of 2016 on Tuesday night against the San Jose Sharks.

Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman quashed any rumors that his team was seeking to deal its superstar forward before the Feb. 29 trade deadline by issuing a statement Monday. The Lightning are seeking to work out a long-term contract extension with Stamkos.

"Steven Stamkos will not be traded before the NHL's trade deadline," Yzerman said. "I have said repeatedly that it is our hope to reach an agreement with Steven on a new contract at some point, and with 27 games remaining in the season, our entire organization, Steven included, wants to focus on making the playoffs. I will keep the negotiating process strictly between the involved parties and have no further comment on the state of those negotiations."

The timing of Yzerman's statement comes with the Lightning (30-21-4) having lost three of four following a 10-1-0 stretch. Playing at home couldn't help Tampa Bay on Sunday against St. Louis.

The Lightning ended a nine-game win streak on their own ice - one shy of tying their franchise mark - with a 2-1 defeat. The Blues' winning goal came with 2:19 remaining after an overturned video review.

"We've just got to regroup here because everyone around us (in the standings) is winning," coach Jon Cooper said. "That nice little run brought us back into the playoff picture, but we might wake up Tuesday morning and we might be out (of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot)."

Tampa Bay is seeking a third consecutive win over San Jose and its first in three home matchups. The Lightning won 4-3 Dec. 5 with Nikita Kucherov scoring a pair of goals.

The Sharks (29-20-5) defeated Arizona 4-1 on Saturday to improve to 2-0-1 in their last three, tallying a combined nine goals in the past two. San Jose has spread out that scoring with only Joonas Donskoi finding the net in both contests.

"We're in a good mindset right now," coach Peter DeBoer said. "We're comfortable in our game and there's no panic, whether we're down or some bounces go against us. We're finding ways to keep our composure, stay in the game and we're getting rewarded for that."

San Jose has matched a season high by scoring at least one power-play goal in four consecutive games, going 7 for 20. The Sharks haven't produced a five-game streak since Oct. 30-Nov. 9, 2014.

San Jose scored all three of its goals with the man advantage in its December matchup with Tampa Bay, which has killed 35 of 37 penalties in its last 11 contests.

Sharks defenseman Brent Burns had a goal and an assist in the last meeting but has been stuck on 18 goals since Jan. 11, going without a score in a season-worst 14 games.

San Jose's top scorer, Joe Pavelski, will seek to avoid his longest drought this season, seven games. He has one assist in his last three versus Tampa Bay.

Stamkos has eight goals and five assists in nine career matchups with the Sharks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (37-15) at Blues (32-17)

Date: February 16, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Jake Allen took no offense when the St. Louis Blues weren't too worried about Brian Elliott stepping in as the No. 1 goaltender following Allen's injury last month.

Pretty soon they'll have both of them.

Allen's return is imminent, although it's unclear if he'll be ready to play Tuesday night as the Blues host surging Dallas looking to tighten the Central Division race by beating the Stars for the third time in four meetings this season.

Elliott has gone 9-3-2 with a 1.72 goals-against average since Allen went down with a lower-body injury Jan. 8, improving his season GAA to 2.07 over 30 appearances. He also has a league-leading .933 save percentage, besting Allen's marks of 2.17 and .924.

Allen has been skating with the team and could return any day. Elliott, though, was in net for a two-game trip to the Sunshine State, making 30 saves in Friday's 5-3 win over Florida before stopping 37 shots in Sunday's 2-1 win over Tampa Bay.

The Blues (32-17-9), who are among the stingiest teams in the league with 2.31 goals allowed per game, have gone 3-0-1 since dropping three of their previous four. They trail Central co-leaders Dallas (37-15-5) and Chicago by six points.

"From the start of the year, both our goalies didn't surprise anyone," said rookie center Robby Fabbri, who has scored in the last two and also has three assists during a four-game point streak. "We knew how good they were. They've kept us in games. They've won us games."

St. Louis also has gotten a boost from the return of Jaden Schwartz, who had a goal and an assist against the Panthers in his first game since missing the previous 49 with a fractured left ankle.

Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has been out the last three with a right knee injury, but he's been skating with the club and also could return soon.

"This defense has really rallied around missing (Pietrangelo)," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "It looks like we found some rhythm. We're starting to really play well and we have to keep playing well."

The Stars also have been hot lately and won their fourth straight Monday when Mattias Janmark scored 3:49 into overtime of a 3-2 victory over Nashville that began a three-game trip. They've won five straight away from home following an 0-5-3 road stretch Dec. 26-Jan. 19.

Cody Eakin and Ales Hemsky also scored for Dallas, which has won seven of its last eight - the only loss coming at Chicago on Thursday - to tie the Blackhawks atop the division with three games in hand.

"We wanted to keep rolling," coach Lindy Ruff said. "I thought it was a heck of a hockey game. It was who was going to finish or which goalie was going to give in a little bit, and neither one wanted to give in."

The Stars have had some trouble against St. Louis, though. The Blues won the first meeting 3-0 on Dec. 12 behind Allen's 26 saves. St. Louis won a nine-round shootout for a 3-2 victory Dec. 26 with Allen in net, but Elliott's 33 saves weren't enough in Dallas' 3-0 home win the following night that ended a four-game skid in the series.

Antti Niemi was in net for both defeats, while Kari Lehtonen picked up his only shutout of the season with 22 saves in the previous meeting. Lehtonen could get the start in this one after Niemi stopped 24 shots Monday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ducks (28-19) at Oilers (22-29)

Date: February 16, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

A fourth straight Pacific Division title seemed out of the question for the Anaheim Ducks less than two months ago. Their schedule for the rest of this month could have them back in first.

The red-hot Ducks look to continue capitalizing on struggling opponents and extend their dominance of the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

Anaheim (28-19-8) entered the Christmas break at the bottom of the Western Conference, but a 16-4-2 stretch has it second in the division and five points back of Los Angeles.

The Ducks are in position to close that gap further and potentially overtake the Kings by the time they meet in Anaheim on Feb. 28. They're in the midst of a six-game stretch against teams out of playoff position, opening it with a 6-4 win at Calgary on Monday.

"We're having fun," said Corey Perry, who had a goal and assist. "Everybody knows their role, everybody's playing their role and everyone's doing the right things. It's working out right now."

Mike Santorelli's recent production has been a welcome surprise. The center has nine goals and five assists on the season, getting three and one over the last three games after matching his career high with a pair of tallies Monday.

"He's opportunistic," coach Bruce Boudreau told the team's official website. "He has a touch around the net and has good hands. When he gets chances, he's scoring goals."

Ryan Getzlaf is on a tear with 20 points in 16 games after assisting on Perry's goal against the Flames. The captain has nine points while the Ducks are 3-1-1 on this season-high seven-game road trip that ends in Vancouver on Thursday.

Getzlaf has 35 points over his last 32 meetings with the Oilers. His 25 in 18 visits to Edmonton over that stretch include 15 during a 10-game streak. He kept that going on New Year's Eve by scoring in a 1-0 victory as Anaheim improved to 9-1-1 in its last 11 at Rexall Place.

The Ducks are 17-2-2 in its last 21 overall matchups with the Oilers (22-29-6).

Edmonton is in the West cellar and is 3-6-1 in its last 10 games after falling 2-1 in a shootout to Winnipeg on Saturday. The Oilers were outshot 33-22 through overtime

"We haven't been in the other team's offensive end enough to really get volume shooting," coach Todd McLellan said. "There hasn't been enough rhythm in our game."

Connor McDavid is looking to bounce back from only his second games without a point in seven since returning from a broken clavicle. He's totaled 12 points over that stretch, including a season-high five in a 5-2 win over Toronto on Thursday.

Cam Talbot will be back in net after an illness sidelined him for one game. However, the Oilers came away impressed with rookie Laurent Brossoit, who had 32 saves before giving up goals on two shootout attempts.

"I thought LB was excellent," McLellan told the team's official website. "I think that he's got a real bright future in the game.

"We're going to play Cam a fair amount, as long as his level of play goes up. Now we've got to figure out what do with LB. Do we want him watching Cam, or stopping 35 shots a night? We'll have to make that decision."

Talbot made 34 saves against the Ducks on New Year's Eve, while the Oilers could only muster 21 shots.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - February

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

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

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

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
2/1 No games scheduled - - -
2/2 12 64.5 75 OVER
2/3 3 16 15 UNDER
2/4 12 64.5 77 OVER
2/5 4 21 27 OVER
2/6 12 62 67 OVER
2/7 3 16.5 17 OVER
2/8 4 20 20 PUSH
2/9 12 64.5 72 OVER
2/10 3 16.5 10 UNDER
2/11 9 49.5 66 OVER
2/12 7 35.5 47 OVER
2/13 10 52 56 OVER
2/14 5 25 24 UNDER
2/15 7 38.5 - -
2/16 8 - - -
2/17 3 - - -
2/18 11 - - -
2/19 5 - - -
2/20 9 - - -
2/21 6 - - -
2/22 4 - - -
2/23 9 - - -
2/24 4 - - -
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews

Here's hoping you didn't place a bet on the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup early this season when the Habs looked unstoppable for a while and became the betting favorites to hoist the Cup.

The season went downhill once star goalie Carey Price, the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner, went down with an injury, and last week came news out of Canada that Price won't return this season. The team thus far has denied that media report. Price has been out since suffering a lower-body injury Nov. 25 against the New York Rangers. He was expected back early last month. A Montreal newspaper said Price has a torn MCL in his right knee. Price has been participating in light skating for weeks but hasn't even donned the goalie equipment. The last statement from the team came from general manager Marc Bergevin on Jan. 21 when he suggested that Price would be sidelined for another three to four weeks.

The Habs were 17-4-2 (NHL-leading 36 points) following a win in Price's final game before the injury. Now they are 27-25-4 (58 points) and not even holding a playoff spot. Price was 10-2-0 with a 2.06 GAA and .934 save percentage. Now Montreal ranks 19th in GAA at 2.7 per game. The Canadiens acquired goalie Ben Scrivens from Edmonton in late December and he's been pretty good thus far but doesn't have the track record to feel confident about that continuing the rest of the way.

Montreal is +2500 to win the Cup.

Stamkos Staying Put

The NHL trade deadline is Feb. 29 (yep, it's a leap year), but one guy who apparently won't be on the move is Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos. He's the kind of talent who would have altered Cup odds for any team he would have gone to, but Lightning GM Steve Yzerman says he's not trading Stamkos even though he could walk away this summer as an unrestricted free agent. You keep hearing that Stamkos wants to sign with his hometown Maple Leafs, who recently made a big trade with an eye on clearing salary-cap space to lure Stamkos. He has said he wants to stay in Tampa, but what else would he say? Stamkos is looking for a deal worth about $10 million a year like those signed by Chicago stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Stamkos will get that kind of money from someone even though he's having a moderately disappointing season with 22 goals and 20 assists. One reason the Lightning haven't re-signed him yet is they are concerned about the impact his salary hit will have on their ability to sign others. The Bolts have a lot of talented guys coming up toward free agency, led by star defensemen Victor Hedman. I wouldn't rule out a trade just yet, but perhaps at the NHL draft in late June with the assumption that the acquiring team has a pre-arranged contract extension set with Stamkos. The Lightning would be dumb to deal him now as they still have a championship-caliber roster and are +700 third-favorites to repeat as Eastern Conference champions.

This Week's Games To Watch

Los Angeles at Washington, Tuesday: This could easily be a Stanley Cup preview, and it's currently the third-favored exact Cup matchup at +800. Washington continues to lead the NHL in points while the Kings are atop the Pacific Division. The L.A. players might be hitting a wall at this point as it's game No. 5 on a season-high seven-game road trip. The Kings are 2-2 on it after a 1-0 loss on New Jersey on Sunday. The Kings have played the last few games without star goalie Jonathan Quick due to a lower-body injury. It's not clear if Quick will play here against the league's highest-scoring offense and thus there's no opening line. The Caps had a five-game winning streak end Saturday in a 4-3 loss at Dallas. That was notable because it was just Washington goalie Braden Holtby's second regulation loss since Nov. 12. Holtby entered the game 27-1-3 since Nov. 12, with the only regulation loss Jan. 16 at Buffalo. First meeting of the season between the Caps and Kings.

Buffalo at Ottawa, Tuesday: Clearly Sabres forward Evander Kane isn't a very bright guy. He was suspended for this game after missing practice on Monday. Why wasn't Kane there? Because he apparently didn't make it back from Toronto on time after attending the NBA All-Star Game. Perhaps if he hadn't posted some pictures of himself as well as his tickets on his Instagram account, Kane could have had a better excuse for missing practice and not gotten suspended. He supposedly also posted (and later deleted) footage of his all-star partying on Snapchat. Kane has 16 goals and eight assists in 47 games this season. The Senators, on a three-game losing streak, are -145 favorites here.

Detroit at Pittsburgh, Thursday: Red Wings forward and future Hall of Famer Pavel Datsyuk reached the 900-point plateau for his career on Sunday. He's the sixth player in Red Wings history to reach that milestone, joining Gordie Howe (1,809 points), Steve Yzerman (1,755), Alex Delvecchio (1,281), Nicklas Lidstrom (1,142) and Sergei Fedorov (954). Pretty good company. On Monday, Datsyuk was named the NHL's first star for last week after collecting five goals and two assists in four games, helping his team to a 3-0-1 record. Might the Pens get back Evgeni Malkin by this game? He missed a sixth straight game Monday with a lower-body injury but is "making progress," according to Coach Mike Sullivan.

Chicago at Minnesota, Sunday : This game will be nationally televised by NBC at it's being held outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus. As of now, it doesn't look like we will get snow during it, which is a shame. The forecast for Sunday afternoon is a high of 39 with a 20 percent chance of precipitation. The Blackhawks have lost first-line winger Marian Hossa for likely at least a couple of weeks to a lower left leg injury suffered on Saturday. Hossa has 28 points on the season and is four goals shy of 500 career. The Wild have been huge disappointments this season and it cost head coach Mike Yeo his job over the weekend. Minnesota entered Monday's game in Vancouver with one win in its past 14 games. John Torchetti, who was coaching the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, has been named interim coach.