Tuesday 3/8/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

English FA Cup TODAY 19:00

Hull

v

Arsenal

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		9/2	14/5	8/11	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT HULL	RECENT FORM
AWHDADAWHDAL​ Most recent​	1 - 3 0 - 3 1 - 2 1 - 3	HWHDHLALHLAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Arsenal’s last defeat in the FA Cup was February 2013

EXPERT VERDICT: Hull aren’t in great form, winning just twice in seven games and scoring only three goals, but they have kept five clean sheets. Despite resting players in the original encounter, Arsenal are likely to name a strong side this week and they’ve won on their last four trips to Hull, scoring 11 goals.

RECOMMENDATION: Arsenal
3

 

[superbeets]

Champions League TODAY 19:45

Wolfsburg

v

Gent

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		1/2	18/5	13/2	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WOLFSBURG	RECENT FORM
HWAWADHLAWHW​ Most recent​	Unknown	ALHWHLALHWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Gent have scored in all seven of their CL matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Having gone 3-0 up in Belgium, Wolfsburg somehow conspired to win by just a single goal after a calamitous final ten minutes. The hosts are short odds to make the last eight but backing goals could be the best approach again with Gent having a canny knack of finding the net.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2


REFEREE: Damir Skomina STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Champions League TODAY 19:45

Real Madrid

v

Roma

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

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT REAL MADRID	RECENT FORM
HWAWADHLAWHW​ Most recent​	1 - 2 4 - 2 0 - 1 1 - 1	HWAWHLHWAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Cristiano Ronaldo has scored eight goals in his last six games

EXPERT VERDICT: Of all the Real Madrid players prospering from Zinedine Zidane’s attacking philosphy, main man Cristiano Ronaldo has probably benfitted the most. Once again, Ronaldo is Real’s main man and he looks primed to get Madrid rolling against Roma at the Bernabeu.

RECOMMENDATION: C Ronaldo first goalscorer
2


REFEREE: Szymon Marciniak STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Champions League We 9Mar 17:00

Zenit

v

Benfica

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		11/10	5/2	11/4	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ZENIT	RECENT FORM
HWALHDALALAD​ Most recent​	1 - 0 3 - 2	AWHLHWAWHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Benfica have won 15 of their last 16 matches

EXPERT VERDICT: No team in Portugal is able to lay a glove on Benfica at present and with a goal advantage from the first leg, expect the Eagles to secure their quarter-final berth in St Petersburg. Zenit ended their winter break with a goalless draw at Krasnodar on Saturday but the lack of competitive action could be decisive.

RECOMMENDATION: Benfica
1

 

[superbeets]

Champions League We 9Mar 19:45

Chelsea

v

Paris St-G.

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

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CHELSEA	RECENT FORM
HWALHWAWAWHD​ Most recent​	2 - 2 2 - 0 0 - 0	HDHWHWALAW*HD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Paris Saint-Germain have failed to score in just two of their last 25 away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Chelsea a 2-1 deficit to overturn at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie and that looks too tall an order against a quality Paris St-Germain outfit. While the Blues have improved under Guus Hiddink they are still not firing on all cylinders and are behind the best sides in Europe; a category in which it’s fair to include PSG.

RECOMMENDATION: PSG
1

 

[superbeets]

Europa League Th 10Mar 18:00

B Dortmund

v

Tottenham

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		8/15	3	5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT B DORTMUND	RECENT FORM
HWAWAWHWAWHD​ Most recent​	Unknown	ADHLHWHWALHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Dortmund have scored 20 goals in their six European home games this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Borussia Dortmund deserve to be favourites to win the Europa League and they should put down a marker against Tottenham. However, that is reflected in the prices and a better bet could be goals given the hosts are much better going forward than they are in defensive situations.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

Champions League Round of 16 - Second Legs

The first legs of the last 16 of the Champions League saw three favourites all increase their chances of making it to the quarterfinals:

Barcelona all but ended Arsenal’s hopes of winning their first Champions League with a 2-0 win in North London, and the Catalan side are the 7/4 favourites to lift the trophy in May.

Bayern Munich were pegged back to 2-2 by Juventus but are firm favourites to qualify from the tie and are 3/1 to win it.

Real Madrid won 2-0 at Roma and are 5/1 to win the competition for the eleventh time.

Next in the betting come PSG at 9/1, Manchester City at 12/1, Atletico Madrid at 14/1, Chelsea at 28/1, Juventus at 40/1 and Wolfsburg at 66/1.

All the other sides are 100/1 or bigger.

Tuesday, Mar. 7
Games scheduled for 2:45 p.m. ET on FS1 & FS2

Real Madrid vs. Roma: Both teams to score at 8/13

Real Madrid are 1/100 to qualify for the quarter-finals after strikes from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesé saw off Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. But until Real took the lead just before the hour mark the match was relatively even, and the hosts could easily have taken the lead, and Serie A’s top scorers have shown what they can do going forward since that defeat: they have scored 12 goals in their last three games, most recently seeing off a strong Fiorentina side 4-1.

Zinedine Zidane’s side have, likewise, been banging in the goals: though their league campaign is as good as over they still had the motivation to put seven past Celta Vigo in their last game. With Roma being forced to attack Real from the off this game promises goals, and even at 8/13 both teams to score looks a good bet.

Wolfsburg vs. Gent: Julian Draxler to score first at 5/1

For most of the first leg in Belgium, Wolfsburg completely outplayed Gent. They stormed into a three-goal lead and Gent’s Champions League run looked like it was coming to an end. But, in the last ten minutes, goals from Sven Kums and Kalifa Coulibaly reignited the tie. Gent are now 10/1 to qualify with Wolfsburg available at 1/16.

Gent need to win by two or more goals (or win 4-3, 5-4 etc) to make it through to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, and on the first leg that looks an impossible task. Wolfsburg picked them off effectively on the counter-attack, with Julian Draxler scoring twice. Draxler, who has 16 caps for Germany, is massively better than anyone available to Gent, and at 5/1 is a good bet to torment the Belgian side once again.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Lighning lift Drouin's suspension
By The Sports Xchange

The Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday lifted the suspension of forward Jonathan Drouin, who will to report to the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.
Drouin, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft, had been suspended by the Lightning since Jan. 20 when he failed to report to a game with Syracuse after being assigned to the AHL on Jan. 2.
The 20-year-old Drouin was hoping to be moved at the NHL trade deadline that passed last Monday. Drouin requested a trade in November.
Drouin was slowed by injury this season and had two goals and six assists in 19 games with the Lightning. In 2014-15, he played in 70 regular-season games and totaled 32 points (four goals, 28 assists) as a rookie.

---The Nashville Predators recalled forward Colton Sissons from the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League.
Sissons, 22, has appeared in 19 games with the Predators in 2015-16, notching one goal and one assist with a 59 percent success rate in the face-off circle, best among all NHL players taking at least 100 draws.
Sissons has served as the youngest captain in Admirals history this season, recording 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in 38 games. Now in his third professional season, the North Vancouver, British Columbia, native has six points (two goals, four assists) in 36 career NHL games.

---The Calgary Flames recalled defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon on an emergency basis Monday from the Stockton Heat.
Wotherspoon, 22, has played in six games for Calgary this season and averaged 14 minutes in ice-time with a plus-3 rating.
Wotherspoon has skated in 42 games for Stockton this season, recording four assists and 12 penalty minutes. He was Calgary's second-round pick (57th overall) in the 2011 NHL draft.
The New York Rangers recalled defenseman Brady Skjei from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis.
Skjei, 21, has skated in three games with the Rangers this season, registering three shots on goal and two penalty minutes.
He made his NHL debut on Dec. 15 against Edmonton.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (38-22) at Sabres (27-31)

Date: March 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Rangers' first game without Henrik Lundqvist was a pleasant surprise against the top team in hockey. The second might have had them saying enough is enough.

There's at least one more game separating their No. 1 goaltender from a return, and it's Tuesday night in Buffalo against a Sabres team seeking its first five-game point streak in nearly four years.

Lundqvist is expected to return from a neck injury this weekend - either Saturday in Detroit or Sunday at home against Pittsburgh - while Rick Nash is also nearing a return. He'll miss his 20th consecutive game with a bone bruise in his leg, but he's finally returned to practice on a no-contact basis.

"He is progressing very well," coach Alain Vigneault told the team's official website of Nash. "He was week to week, now he's day to day. He's got to get a couple practices in, get some contact, with the team. I do know that it looks very positive at this point."

They'll also be short at the blueline with Marc Staal out for a second straight game because of back spasms, and Dylan McIlrath will also skip the trip due to a knee injury.

McIlrath was injured in Sunday's 6-4 home loss to the New York Islanders as the Rangers (38-22-6) fell behind 3-0 in the opening five minutes. It followed Friday's 3-2 win in Washington. Regardless of personnel, all of their losses over a 7-4-1 span have come with the Rangers giving up at least four goals.

Nevertheless, they tied it midway through the third period before allowing a pair in the final minute and a half as the Islanders got within three points of the second-place Rangers with three games in hand.

"I'm not sure to be honest with you," Derek Stepan said of the Rangers' slow start. "Maybe the three (games) in four nights, but that's no excuse. I thought we really responded well after being down 3-0."

Antti Raanta figures to be back in goal having posted a 3.15 goals-against average over a 3-2-1 span as a starter.

The Rangers won the first meeting 6-3 at home on Jan. 25 - Nash's second game out of the lineup - and Derick Brassard picked up the slack with two goals and three assists. The center has four goals and eight assists in the last seven games in the series as part of eight straight Rangers' wins by a combined score of 32-11.

Buffalo (27-31-9) came from two goals down for Monday's 4-3 shootout win in Toronto, giving the Sabres at least a point in four straight games. They haven't made it five since a nine-game point streak in March 2012.

Evander Kane had a goal and an assist, and 11 of his 18 goals have come in the last 22 games. Jack Eichel has scored in three straight to reach 20 goals, making him the first Sabres rookie to reach that mark since Tyler Ennis in 2010-11.

"You're down two goals going into the third period. You get one back in the second, you're able to break the goalie and then they're able to get one and regain that two-goal lead," said Eichel, whose team had lost six straight overtime or shootout games.

"It's really big for us to be resilient in that third and play a simple game, be able to get two goals and force overtime and a shootout and see what happens. It's nice to win a shootout."

Chad Johnson faced the Maple Leafs, so Robin Lehner could be in goal. Over a 3-3-3 span, he's posted a 1.75 GAA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Senators (31-29) at Hurricanes (29-26)

Date: March 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Like the Carolina Hurricanes, the Ottawa Senators have struggled lately to cut their deficit in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

The Senators have found success in recent road games, but they haven't fared as well in most of their latest visits to Raleigh, a trend they'll try to change Tuesday night.

Ottawa (31-29-7) is 1-2-1 in four games this month after a 2-1 defeat to Dallas on Sunday, as they gave up the go-ahead goal with 2:14 left. Though the Senators are just six points out of the final East postseason spot, they'd have to jump past four teams to reach the playoffs.

"We'd be lying if we said we didn't watch the scoreboards,' forward Zack Smith said. 'It doesn't change the way we're playing. If anything, it's a little motivation. It definitely makes (Sunday's) loss sting a bit more.'

Ottawa will try again to make up ground on a two-game trip through the Southeast. The Senators have won two straight and three of four on the road.

"We're going to get back to work. Every single game is important here," forward Ryan Dzingel said. "I think getting out of here and playing these two teams will be good for us. Hopefully, we can get two wins."

Ottawa, though, is 2-10-2 in its last 14 road matchups with Carolina (29-26-11) and lost 3-2 in overtime in its first visit this season Nov. 7. The Hurricanes' Jeff Skinner forced the extra period by scoring with 3.3 seconds left and Jordan Staal tallied the winning goal.

Staal also scored in a 4-2 loss at Ottawa on Feb. 18, and Carolina enters this matchup 1-3-1 in its last five after allowing Tampa Bay to rally for a 4-3 overtime win Saturday.

The Hurricanes allowed the tying goal with 6:18 remaining in regulation, failing to build on a 3-1 victory at New Jersey last Tuesday.

"It was good that we got one point but disappointing we couldn't get two," goaltender Eddie Lack told the team's official website. "We played a good game tonight but came up a little short."

Before heading out on a five-game trip, Carolina will try to avoid a third consecutive home loss.

Cam Ward has allowed 11 goals over three consecutive losses but has gone 6-0-1 with a 1.54 goals-against average in his last seven starts against Ottawa.

Senators No. 1 goaltender Craig Anderson hasn't played since last Tuesday because of a lower-body injury but will travel with the team. Andrew Hammond, who's posted a 2.03 GAA in the past four games, is 1-0-1 with a 1.88 GAA in two lifetime starts against Carolina.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (32-22) at Blue Jackets (27-31)

Date: March 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Detroit Red Wings failed to add to their slim lead for a wild-card spot in a pair of matchups with a former division rival. They'll try for better results against another such opponent and one of the Eastern Conference's lowlier teams.

The Columbus Blue Jackets, though, have dominated Detroit recently and will try for a season-high home win streak in their next matchup Tuesday night.

Detroit (32-22-11) was outscored by a combined 9-3 in back-to-back losses to Chicago, with the Red Wings' special teams faltering again in a 4-1 road defeat Sunday. Detroit allowed the Blackhawks go 2 for 3 with a man advantage for the second straight game and came up empty on its three power plays, giving it a 2-for-28 mark in the last nine contests.

"We got out-specialty teamed by a large amount tonight, so between our power play and penalty kill, they both have to be better for us to win on the road," said coach Jeff Blashill, whose club killed off 26 of 27 penalties in its final nine games last month. "We got to find a way to be better than we were on special teams."

Looking to improve in those areas, Blashill's team is entering an advantageous stretch of schedule. Detroit will face five opponents that are currently out of playoff position in its next six games, including two matchups with Columbus (27-31-8), which was blown out 6-0 in Philadelphia on Saturday.

"Top to bottom we didn't play well, not enough energy," center Brandon Dubinsky said. "We didn't have any answers. A lot of it was self-inflicted. ... A lot of things didn't go right tonight, but it's just one game. We have to find a way to put it behind us."

The Blue Jackets have won their last three on home ice by a 16-7 margin entering the opener of a five-game homestand. They've taken eight of the last 11 matchups with the Red Wings, though they fell 2-1 in a shootout at Detroit on Feb. 23 in the first meeting of the season.

Petr Mrazek, the winning goaltender in that game, tied his career high for goals allowed in a 5-2 home loss to Chicago on Wednesday and was pulled after giving up two goals on five shots Sunday.

Jimmy Howard will start Tuesday, and he might not have to face Columbus' leading goal scorer Brandon Saad, who suffered an upper-body injury in a 6-3 home win over Edmonton on Friday. Howard's two shutouts last season came in three matchups with the Blue Jackets.

Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk's status is unclear due to an illness that kept him out Sunday. He skated Monday.

"He's a big piece obviously. For sure it's tough to have him gone," Blashill said. "Hopefully, he'll be back on Tuesday."

Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray is also dealing with an illness but is slated to play against Detroit.

The teams wrap up their season series with another matchup at Nationwide Arena on March 17.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (37-23) at Lightning (39-23)

Date: March 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Tampa Bay handled Boston easily just over a week ago to extend what would become a franchise-record winning streak that helped it vault into first place in the Atlantic Division.

After that run came to an emphatic end, the Lightning need to beat their division rivals for the third time this season to prevent the Bruins from catching them.

Boston can claim at least a share of the Atlantic lead by evening the season series with Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.

The Lightning (39-23-4) won nine straight after losing to San Jose on Feb. 16, allowing two goals or fewer seven times to pass Florida for the division lead. The run included a 4-1 win at Boston (37-23-7) on Feb. 28 as Ryan Callahan had two goals and an assist and Steven Stamkos scored on a penalty shot.

Tampa looked out of sorts Monday, though, and was outshot 40-18 in a 4-2 loss at Philadelphia. Ondrej Palat scored on one of the Lightning's three shots in the first period before the Flyers tied it while peppering goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy with 22 shots in the second.

Vasilevskiy finished with 36 saves but allowed the first two goals of the third. The defensive unit was short-handed, as Braydon Coburn sat out the first of at least two with a lower-body injury and Andrej Sustr missed his third straight with an undisclosed ailment.

Slater Koekkoek was called up from the minors and had an assist for his first career point in his eighth NHL game.

"The beauty about this sport is we got a game tomorrow against a divisional opponent and we obviously have to have a bounce back," Stamkos said. "I expect a bounce back from this group."

Tampa has won two of three meetings with Boston and sits one point ahead of both Florida and the Bruins, who beat the Panthers 5-4 on Monday after Lee Stempniak scored in overtime for his first goal since coming over from New Jersey at the trade deadline.

Patrice Bergeron had two goals and has scored in four straight, giving him nine goals and five assists over his last 12. Brad Marchand had two assists for Boston, which began a stretch that has it playing 10 of 13 on the road.

Coach Claude Julien passed Art Ross to become Boston's career leader with 388 regular-season victories as the Bruins improved to 4-0-1 since losing to the Lightning. They've won three straight on the road and are 10-2-0 away from home since Jan. 15.

Julien wasn't in the mood to celebrate, though, after the Bruins blew a 3-0 lead.

"One of the worst periods I've seen in a long time from our hockey club," Julien said of the second. "We got better in the third period, but we had to go to overtime to win. We're not a team that likes to give up that many goals."

Defenseman Kevan Miller scored in the last meeting with Tampa Bay, but he was scratched Monday with an upper-body injury and his status for this contest is uncertain.

Tuukka Rask stopped 47 of the 51 shots he faced against the Panthers and could get a much-deserved night off in this one, especially considering he's posted a 4.55 goals-against average while dropping his last four starts against Tampa.

Jonas Gustavsson, who gave up five goals in a loss to Columbus in his last start Feb. 22, would get the nod if Rask sits.

Ben Bishop will be back in goal for the Lightning. He has a 1.48 GAA while winning his last six starts and made 32 saves in the last win over the Bruins.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (34-23) at Islanders (36-20)

Date: March 08, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins have certainly been encouraged by their recent results, which include a number of lopsided wins.

The New York Islanders are probably feeling even better as they continue their upward surge in the Atlantic Division.

With both coming off big victories, the Penguins visit the Islanders in a crucial division matchup Tuesday night.

The Islanders (36-20-7) pushed three points up on Pittsburgh and moved within three of the New York Rangers by beating their bitter intercity rivals for the third time in as many meetings this season, 6-4 on Sunday. Cal Clutterbuck scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:28 remaining in the third period as the Islanders overcame blowing a 3-0 first-period lead to earn their third straight win and cap a 6-1-0 road trip.

The Islanders occupy the third and final automatic playoff spot in the Atlantic, with three games in hand on the Rangers and two on the wild card-leading Penguins.

'We know we have games in hand, we know the situation,' said forward Kyle Okposo, who scored during a wild seven-goal first period and has two goals and four assists in his past three. 'Obviously we're fighting for home ice down the stretch. We're fighting for a playoff spot.'

Johnny Boychuk had two goals for New York, which has scored 10 in the past two games.

"It was a crazy game," Clutterbuck told the team's official website. "The road trip was so long and you go through so many stages. This win right now was the biggest one."

The Islanders, though, need to tighten up defensively, having allowed 12 goals in the past four games. Plus, they'll be facing a Penguins team that's scored four or more six times in the last 10 games, winning by three or more goals five times in that span.

The most recent came Sunday, a 6-1 victory at New Jersey. Evgeni Malkin scored twice and backup Matt Murray faced only 18 shots as Pittsburgh (34-23-8) won for the fourth time in six games.

The Penguins bounced back from a lackluster 4-2 home loss to lowly Calgary on Saturday.

"Obviously this was the response we were looking for (after losing to the Flames)," coach Mike Sullivan told the team's website. "We believe in our leadership group. We knew they would play the right way and I thought we played hard and it was a solid team effort. We got contributions throughout our lineup."

The line of Tom Khunhackl, Nick Bonino and Bryan Rust also totaled two goals and four assists.

Malkin has recorded four goals and three assists in the last five games, while Sidney Crosby has three goals and six assists in a five-game streak.

Crosby scored twice and Malkin and Kris Letang each had three assists as Pittsburgh ended a four-game losing streak to New York in emphatic fashion Jan. 2, winning 5-2 at home. Marc-Andre Fleury, expected to start Tuesday, made 38 saves.

John Tavares scored in that game and has three goals and three assists in a four-game point streak in the series. However, the Islanders captain has gone five games without a goal and managed just two shots Monday.

Malkin has recorded four goals and 10 assists in his last nine against New York, while Crosby has four goals and two assists in his past three matchups.

The Islanders have won the last two home meetings with the Penguins.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (40-20) at Canadiens (30-30)

Date: March 08, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Locked in an increasingly tightening Central Division race, the Dallas Stars are aware they can't get caught looking ahead.

They'll have one more chance to tune-up for a critical homestand Tuesday night against the fading Montreal Canadiens.

Tied with Chicago for first place and just two points ahead of St. Louis, Dallas (40-20-7) will face the Blackhawks on Friday and the Blues on Saturday during a stretch of five straight on home ice. The Stars recaptured some momentum following an 0-3-1 skid from Feb. 25-March 1 with narrow wins over New Jersey and Ottawa.

Coach Lindy Ruff still wasn't overly pleased with his team's performance following Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Senators, in which Antoine Roussel scored the tie-breaker with 2:14 remaining.

'I wasn't happy with our puck movement,' Ruff said. 'It might be the worst puck moving game for missing passes and not making plays in the three years I've coached here.'

Ruff is feeling better about his goaltending situation after Kari Lehtonen turned in a second consecutive sharp effort. The veteran followed an 18-save performance in Thursday's 4-2 win over New Jersey with 23 against Ottawa.

"I feel like he has put three real solid games together, which is what we are looking for," Ruff said. "He looked comfortable. He looked aggressive. He made some real important saves for us (Sunday)."

Stopping pucks has been on ongoing issue for Montreal (30-36-6) with Carey Price sidelined since late November by a lower-body injury, though a lack of offense has contributed to the Canadiens' most recent slide.

Montreal scored just eight goals over an 0-3-1 trip that likely ended its already dimming playoff chances. It could be further short-handed after Brendan Gallagher exited Saturday's 4-2 defeat to Winnipeg with a lower-body injury.

The Canadiens can at least look forward to returning to the Bell Centre, where they're 5-0-1 over their last six and start a four-game stay on Tuesday.

"It's going to be nice to get home," captain Max Pacioretty told the Canadiens' official website. "These weren't the results that we wanted. We had a couple of really good efforts. We battled back and forth with (Winnipeg) right until the end. We've just got to keep at this."

One bright spot has been Alex Galchenyuk, who scored both goals Saturday and has seven over his last six.

Dallas hopes to get its top two scorers going again in time for its pivotal stretch. Jamie Benn is in a season-high six-game goal drought and Tyler Seguin has gone four straight without a point.

Jason Spezza remained hot, however, by scoring in a third straight game on Sunday to give him six goals over a seven-game span.

Benn does have eight points over these teams' past four matchups and contributed two goals and an assist to a 6-2 win over the Canadiens on Dec. 19. Patrick Eaves has three goals in his last four against Montreal and is expected to return from a seven-game absence caused by an illness.

The Stars likely still won't have defenseman John Klingberg and forward Patrick Sharp available due to lower-body injuries.

Dallas, 19-10-6 on the road, has lost in four of its last five visits to Montreal.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (33-21) at Jets (27-33)

Date: March 08, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Filip Forsberg's scoring binge has helped solidify the Nashville Predators' playoff position, while Mark Scheifele is emerging as the bright spot in the Winnipeg Jets' otherwise lost season.

The young forwards each look to continue their hot stretches in Tuesday night's matchup in Winnipeg, where the surging Predators enter on a franchise-record 12-game point streak.

Nashville (33-21-12) has taken a firm hold on the Western Conference's first wild-card spot by winning six of seven and going 8-0-4 since Feb. 12. It further distanced itself from ninth-place Colorado with a 5-2 comeback victory Saturday in Denver, scoring four unanswered third-period goals to move ahead.

"It was very noticeable from my eyes the resiliency in the group (Saturday), which has made us very successful as of late as well," center Ryan Johansen told the Predators' official website. "That was a huge win in their building, knowing the circumstances of the standings right now."

Forsberg aided the rally with his eighth goal over a six-game span in which he's notched two hat tricks. The 21-year-old's 14 goals and 21 points since Feb. 6 are both tops in the NHL.

He's not the only one producing for Nashville, which has totaled 19 goals over its last four. Craig Smith has eight points during that run playing on a line with Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro, who's recorded a goal and six assists over a four-game point streak.

"Every line can score," Smith said. "You don't have to really worry. You can get goals from everywhere, and that's what we need."

Forsberg's nine goals and 14 points since Feb. 18 are tied for the league lead with Scheifele, who's given Winnipeg (27-33-5) a needed boost following captain Andrew Ladd's trade to Chicago and Bryan Little's season-ending back injury. The 22-year-old has six goals over a three-game streak, following his first career hat trick in Saturday's 4-2 win over Montreal with the team's lone score in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Edmonton.

The Jets lost for the eighth time in 10 games despite registering 40 shots.

'We had some really good chances to score, but our mentality needs to be to create more traffic,' center Adam Lowry said. 'Our defense did a great job tonight getting pucks to the net. It's on the forwards to get those second and third opportunities.'

Winnipeg's offensive struggles could continue with the Predators receiving strong work from goaltenders Pekka Rinne and Carter Hutton, both of whom figure to draw starts in a back-to-back set concluding Wednesday in Calgary. Rinne improved to 6-0-2 with a 1.72 goals-against average over his last eight starts with 34 saves against Colorado, while Hutton is 4-0-1 with a 1.19 GAA over his past five and has won three straight on the road.

Nashville, which has won five straight and nine of 10 as the visitor, has split four season matchups with the Jets and earned points in both visits to Winnipeg. Rinne made 26 saves in a 4-1 win on Jan. 21, one week after the Jets posted a 5-4 overtime victory.

Nashville's James Neal has three goals and three assists in the season series and 16 goals in his last 19 games against the Winnipeg franchise. Johansen has two goals and five assists in the past three meetings with the Jets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (36-23) at Oilers (26-35)

Date: March 08, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Todd McLellan lost his job with the San Jose Sharks after they failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons, a run during which it never made an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final despite having plenty of talent.

There's less pressure for postseason success in Edmonton, where McLellan is overseeing what seems like a continuous rebuild for an Oilers club that hasn't reach the playoffs since playing for the Cup in 2006.

He believes the future is bright for the Oilers, though, and they'll look to win for the fifth time in six tries against his former team that can do the same Tuesday night.

McLellan won 311 regular-season games over seven seasons with the Sharks (36-23-6) but could never get them past the Western Conference finals. The sides mutually agreed to part ways after a disappointing 89-point season in 2014-15 before the Oilers (26-35-7) hired McLellan shortly after.

San Jose has rebounded under new coach Pete DeBoer and is all but guaranteed to secure one of the Pacific Division's automatic playoff berths, but Edmonton is sitting in its familiar spot at the bottom of the West.

The Oilers acquired Patrick Maroon, Adam Pardy and Adam Cracknell at the trade deadline to add some size and have played well toward the end of another bleak season. Maroon and Lauri Korpikoski scored in Sunday's 2-1 victory at Winnipeg, giving Edmonton four wins in five games following a seven-game skid.

"We're going to have some ups and downs," McLellan said. "If we can keep this attitude that we have right now and that relentlessness and tenacity in our game, we have a chance to evolve over the last month of the season and carry that into the summer."

McLellan has faced his former team twice, winning 4-3 on Taylor Hall's overtime goal Dec. 9 and falling 3-2 on Jan. 14 after Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi scored in the shootout.

Pavelski's goal 19 seconds into overtime Monday gave the Sharks a 2-1 win over Calgary as they improved to 7-1-1 on the road since Feb. 9. Brent Burns scored his 24th goal, becoming the first defenseman to reach that mark since Mike Green scored 31 in 2008-09.

San Jose sits in third place in the Pacific - five points behind Anaheim and four back of Los Angeles - as it tries for its first division title since McLellan guided it to its fourth straight in 2010-11.

"Right now you've got to keep pace with everybody," Pavelski said. "Everybody's playing good. We understand our game's got to improve over the last week, week and a half. It can get better."

Martin Jones made a career-high 47 saves against the Flames, likely meaning that James Reimer will get his second start for the Sharks since being acquired at the trade deadline. Reimer, who lost 4-2 to Vancouver on Saturday, is 4-0-0 with a 1.64 goals-against average in four starts and one relief appearance against the Oilers.

Cam Talbot was named the NHL's first star last week and has won his last four starts while stopping 141 of 144 shots. He made 36 saves in his only career start against the Sharks in the last meeting.

'When a goalie gets on a roll, sometimes the puck seems a little bigger,' Talbot said. 'Luckily for me, it's going in the right direction right now and I'll try to keep it going as long as I can.'

Oilers defenseman Brandon Davidson was helped off the ice Sunday and is expected to be out long-term, but Oscar Klefbom could play for the first time since Dec. 11.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - March

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
3/1 8 48.5 49 OVER
3/2 3 16.5 17 OVER
3/3 12 65.5 69 OVER
3/4 3 15.5 20 OVER
3/5 11 58 62 OVER
3/6 6 30.5 34 OVER
3/7 7 36 38 OVER
3/8 8 - - -
3/9 6 - - -
3/10 6 - - -
3/11 5 - - -
3/12 12 - - -
3/13 3 - - -
3/14 6 - - -
3/15 8 - - -
3/16 6 - - -
3/17 8 - - -
3/18 6 - - -
3/19 11 - - -
3/20 7 - - -
3/21 4 - - -
3/22 10 - - -
3/23 2 - - -
3/24 11 - - -
3/25 3 - - -
3/26 14 - - -
3/27 3 - - -
3/28 8 - - -
3/29 9 - - -
3/30 3 - - -
3/31 10 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Rangers won six of their last nine games.
-- Blue Jackets won their last three home games.
-- Tampa Bay had its nine-game winning streak snapped last night. Bruins won five of their last seven games.
-- Islanders won six of their last seven games. Penguins won four of their last six.
-- Dallas Stars won last two games, allowing three goals.
-- Nashville won six of its last seven games.
-- San Jose, Edmonton both won four of their last five games.

Cold teams
-- Sabres lost five of their last eight games.
-- Ottawa lost four of its last six games. Carolina lost four of its last five games.
-- Red Wings lost six of their last nine games.
-- Montreal lost last four games, outscored 16-8.
-- Winnipeg lost eight of its last ten games.

Series records
-- Rangers won their last eight games with Buffalo.
-- Senators lost three of last four visits to Carolina.
-- Blue Jackets won seven of last ten games with Detroit.
-- Lightning won four of last five games with Boston.
-- Islanders won four of last five games with Pittsburgh.
-- Dallas-Montreal split their last ten games.
-- Nashville-Winnipeg split their last ten games.
-- Sharks won six of last nine games with Edmonton.

Totals
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Buffalo games.
-- Under is 6-3-1 in last ten Ottawa-Carolina games.
-- Under is 8-1-1 in last ten Detroit-Columbus games.
-- Five of last seven Tampa Bay games stayed under.
-- Over is 7-1-2 in last ten Pittsburgh games.
-- Six of last nine Dallas Stars games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Nashville-Winnipeg games.
-- Eight of last nine Edmonton games stayed under.

Back-to-backs
-- Buffalo is 5-6 if it played the night before.
-- Bruins lost four of last five if they played night before. Tampa Bay won four of its last five if they played night before.
-- San Jose lost five of last seven games if they played night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Pacers add PG Lawson
By The Sports Xchange

The Indiana Pacers officially signed point guard Ty Lawson on Monday to add bench depth.
Terms of the contract with the free agent were not announced. The move comes after Lawson was bought out by the Houston Rockets last week.
The Pacers requested waivers for forward Chase Budinger on Saturday to create a roster spot for Lawson. The team reached a buyout agreement with Budinger that was finalized Friday night.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Lawson is in his seventh year in the NBA. He played his first six seasons with the Denver Nuggets before Houston acquired him last summer. He averaged 5.8 points per game and 3.4 assists with the Rockets in 53 games this season before the Rockets waived him.
The Pacers (33-30) are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference standings as they hope to make a playoff run.

---The NBA fined Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart $15,000 for making an obscene gesture.
The incident occurred with 1:49 remaining in the third quarter of the Celtics' 105-104 win over the New York Knicks on March 4 at TD Garden

---Milwaukee point guard Michael Carter-Williams will miss the rest of the season due to a hip injury and undergo surgery on Thursday.
The team released a statement saying Carter-Williams will have surgery for a torn labrum in his left hip in Vail, Colo. His recovery time is expected to be three months.
Carter-Williams, 24 has played 54 games this season and made 37 starts while averaging 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists.

---The Philadelphia 76ers claimed guard-forward Sonny Weems off of waivers.
Weems has appeared in 176 career games in four NBA seasons and has posted averages of 7.0 points a 2.0 rebounds in 19 minutes per game.
He played overseas from 2011-2015, before returning the NBA this season with Phoenix where he appeared in 36 games and averaged three points in 12 minutes per game.