Wednesday 11/25/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Champions League TODAY 19:45

Juventus

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Man City

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT JUVENTUS	RECENT FORM
HWALHWADAWHW​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 0	ADHWHWAWADHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Juventus are unbeaten in their last 15 European home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester City were humbled 4-1 by Liverpool on Saturday and Manuel Pellegrini’s men have kept just two clean sheets in their last 14 matches which is a concern heading for Turin. Juventus won 2-1 in Manchester and backing both teams to score looks a sound wager given City’s considerable attacking threat.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
3


REFEREE: Felix Brych STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Champions League TODAY 19:45

Man Utd

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PSV Eindhoven

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN UTD	RECENT FORM
HDHD*ADHWHWAW​ Most recent​	3 - 1 1 - 0	ALAWAWHWHWAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Man Utd have won seven of their last eight European home games

EXPERT VERDICT: This is a slightly trickier match for Manchester United than the odds would suggest, but the Red Devils usually use Old Trafford to their advantage on European nights and can grind out another victory. However, the Dutch champions are more than capable of making life awkward, particularly in the early exchanges.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw-Man Utd double result
1


REFEREE: Pavel Kralovec STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Europa League Th 26Nov 18:00

FK Qarabag

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Tottenham

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT FK QARABAG	RECENT FORM
ALHWHWHDAWHW​ Most recent​	Unknown	ALAWHWHWADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Qarabag are unbeaten in their last five European home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Tottenham are likely to rest a number of key players with one eye on Sunday’s lunchtime clash with Chelsea so there is no desire to back them given this mammoth trip. Qarabag have beaten Anderlecht at home and drawn with Monaco and can keep it competitive.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Tasos Sidiropoulos STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Europa League Th 26Nov 20:05

Liverpool

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Bordeaux

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LIVERPOOL	RECENT FORM
HDHWAWAWHLAW​ Most recent​	3 - 0	HLHWALADHWAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Bordeaux have lost all five matches in England without scoring

EXPERT VERDICT: Jurgen Klopp has given the Europa League much more respect than predecessor Brendan Rodgers and if he picks a strong side Liverpool should be rewarded with maximum points. Powder-puff Bordeaux have a woeful record in England and scored just twice in four Europa League group-stage encounters.

RECOMMENDATION: Liverpool
2

 

[superbeets]

Europa League Th 26Nov 20:05

Celtic

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Ajax

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CELTIC	RECENT FORM
HWAWHWHLAWHD​ Most recent​	2 - 1 0 - 1 2 - 2 1 - 0	ALAWHWHDADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Celtic have not won any of their last nine Europa League fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: Celtic’s defensive woes have let them down greatly in Europe this season with the Scottish champions having already conceded nine goals in four Europa League matches. The Bhoys have shipped at least twice in every game and Ajax can finally land a victory in Group A at the fifth attempt.

RECOMMENDATION: Ajax
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL notebook: Winter Classic Alumni Game rosters announced
By The Sports Xchange

Ray Bourque, who played 21 seasons with the Bruins and holds the franchise record for points (1,506) will join current Boston president Cam Neeley and take part in the 2016 Winter Classic Alumni Game against former players from Original Six franchise Montreal.
Yvan Cournoyer, Jacques Demers and Guy Lafleur lead the Canadiens alumni with a roster that includes Larry Robinson, Guy Carbonneau, Jose Theodore and Mats Naslund.
Don Cherry and Mike Milbury will serve as coaches for the Bruins squad that also includes Mark Recchi, Glen Wesley and Al Iafrate.
The game will take place at 3:30 p.m., Dec. 31 at Gillette Stadium.

---New Jersey's all-time scoring leader has missed the Devils' first 20 games this season, but Patrik Elias is ready to return.
The 39-year-old forward who has been sidelined with a knee injury, could make his season debut Wednesday when the Devils host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Elias practiced Monday on the third line with forwards Jacob Josefson and Stefan Matteau. He also took part in the Devils' power play.

---The Anaheim Ducks recalled goaltender John Gibson and center Chris Mueller from the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League.
In addition, the Ducks reassigned center Michael Sgarbossa and defenseman Shane O'Brien to San Diego.
Gibson, 22, has posted a 16-8-0 record with two shutouts in 26 career NHL games with Anaheim.

---The Minnesota Wild recalled forward Kurtis Gabriel from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League and reassigned forward Brett Bulmer to Iowa.
Gabriel, 22, made his NHL debut on Nov. 10 registering five penalty minutes in a win against Winnipeg.
Bulmer, 23, was recalled by Minnesota on Nov. 16 and skated in three games totaling two shots on goal.

---The Carolina Hurricanes said forward Nathan Gerbe will be placed on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 22.
Gerbe suffered a lower-body injury on Sunday in the first period of Carolina's 4-3 win against Los Angeles.
He is expected to miss four to six weeks.

---The San Jose Sharks reassigned forward Nikolay Goldobin to the San Jose Barracuda.
They also signed forward Dainius Zubrus to a one-year, two way contract.
Zubrus, 37, recorded 10 points (four goals, six assists) and 42 penalty minutes in 74 games with New Jersey last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Oilers (7-13) at Hurricanes (7-10)

Date: November 25, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Sitting in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes are playing competitively but have often come up short.

They'll host an Edmonton Oilers team on Wednesday night that's experienced similar results and is in seventh in the Pacific.

Carolina (7-10-4) has lost six of seven with four of those defeats coming in overtime or a shootout. Victor Rask and Brett Pesce scored in the third period Monday to force OT in Philadelphia but the Hurricanes lost 3-2 on a power-play goal just 24 seconds into the extra period.

"It shows a lot about our character. We didn't give up until the very end," Pesce told the team's official website after scoring the tying goal with 3:45 left in regulation. "We came out fired up and got rewarded with a point."

The result moved Carolina two points ahead of last-place Columbus in the Eastern Conference. One of the Hurricanes' two victories this month was a 4-3 win over Los Angeles on Sunday that snapped a four-game home losing streak and a five-game overall skid.

"We have three points in our last two games, which is obviously good for our confidence and momentum," Pesce said. "We played the best in the third period (against Philadelphia), and we can carry that into the next game."

Edmonton, last in the West, is 1-3-1 in its last five and its past three losses have been decided by one goal. The Oilers (7-13-1) outshot Washington 33-30 on Monday in a 1-0 loss, their third straight on the road.

On a relatively promising note, they have yielded one goal in each of their past two games after allowing a combined 19 in their previous five.

"I definitely think it's getting better," forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. "I think once we can do it consistently then I think we'll be a lot more successful. We show it for a lot of periods and a lot of games but it's just about doing it consistently right from the get-go. That's when we'll start finding wins."

Neither team shined defensively in the most recent matchup March 8, and Carolina's 7-4 home win ended a three-game slide in the series. Elias Lindholm provided his only career hat trick and had two assists.

Nugent-Hopkins had his second hat trick and one assist, giving him six goals and two assists in five career games against Carolina.

Jordan Eberle had three goals and three assists in last season's two matchups. He had two goals and an assist in a 6-3 home win Oct. 24, 2014.

Carolina's Jeff Skinner totaled three goals in the two games, giving him six goals and three assists in six lifetime meetings.

The Hurricanes won't have Nathan Gerbe available for the next four to six weeks because of a lower-body injury suffered in the win against the Kings. Edmonton's Justin Schultz is close to returning from an ailing back but coach Todd McLellan indicated the defenseman would likely sit out Wednesday.

Schultz, who hasn't played since Oct. 25, could get back on the ice sometime during the Oilers' season-high five-game trip.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (8-14) at Devils (9-8)

Date: November 25, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The New Jersey Devils attempt the fewest average shots in the NHL but it was the Columbus Blue Jackets who somehow prevailed in the last meeting despite finishing with the league's lowest total.

Sergei Bobrovsky has won his last three starts against the Devils and is expected to be opposed by one of the league's best in Cory Schneider in Wednesday night's matchup at the Prudential Center.

New Jersey (11-8-1) averages 25.3 shots and its success is predicated on the strong play of Schneider, who ranks among the league leaders with 10 wins and a 2.05 goals-against average. He made 36 saves in Sunday's 3-2 road win over his former team, Vancouver.

Columbus (8-14-0) beat New Jersey 3-1 on Oct. 27, with Bobrovsky making 23 saves and Schneider 11. No team this season has registered fewer than the Blue Jackets' 14 shots.

Bobrovsky has posted a 1.67 GAA in his last three meetings with New Jersey.

Last month's matchup was the third game for John Tortorella as Blue Jackets coach, and he said the club "didn't play that well" that night. Columbus fell to 8-7-0 under him with Sunday's 5-3 home defeat to San Jose.

Bobrovsky made 24 saves on 28 shots after posting a 1.00 GAA in winning his previous four starts. He seemed on course for a fifth straight victory before the Blue Jackets blew a two-goal lead in the third period and allowed the final four goals.

"They found a way to win," Tortorella said. "We found a way to lose.'

Columbus is hoping forwards Brandon Dubinsky and Alexander Wennberg return from six-game absences Wednesday. They practiced Tuesday and were activated off injured reserve, though Tortorella said he would wait until the morning skate to determine their status.

The Blue Jackets lost winger Rene Bourque for at least a week due to an upper-body injury suffered Sunday. Defenseman Fedor Tyutin will miss a second straight game with a broken nose.

Tortorella spent the two days in practice leading up to this game looking for more energy from his team.

"We need to be consistently harder and we need to play with pace, and we haven't been consistent with that," he told the Blue Jackets' official website. "I don't think we have a full understanding of the standard you have to be at every single game. How hard you play and how hard you are and the pace you play with, you can control that."

Ryan Johansen, who missed the first game against the Devils with an illness, has recorded eight points in his last seven contests. He has no points in five games at New Jersey.

Mike Cammalleri has seven points in his past four games for New Jersey, recording a goal and two assists Sunday as the Devils avoided an 0-3-0 trip.

"We wanted to play better than we had the last couple of games and not have our play continue to go south," coach John Hynes said. "We did that tonight and fortunately we were able to find a way to win in the process."

New Jersey has scored one power-play goal in five straight contests while Columbus is 0 for 11 with the man advantage in its last 11.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canadiens (16-4) at Rangers (15-3)

Date: November 25, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Two of the NHL's best goaltenders are expected to face off Thursday night when Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers seek their 10th consecutive home win at the expense of reigning Vezina and Hart Trophy winner Carey Price at Madison Square Garden in a showdown of Eastern Conference co-leaders.

Lundqvist stopped 31 shots for his second shutout in six starts Monday night, beating Nashville 3-0 for his league-leading 12th win. The 2012 Vezina winner was at his best in the first period, helping New York (16-3-2) kill off 7:21 worth of short-handed play while being outshot 14-3 in the opening 20 minutes.

"Going into every game I don't expect us to play perfect for 60 minutes," Lundqvist told the league's official website. "As a goalie you need to be there when your team is not on their toes, like tonight taking some penalties early. But the fun part is once I take care of my part I know they're going to get going. It's a fun way to win games when you help each other out."

The nine-game home win streak is tied for second-longest in franchise history, and the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers are now chasing the club mark of 14 established in the 1939-40 season. During this home streak, Lundqvist is 6-0-0 with a 1.17 goals-against average while helping New York kill off 25 of its opponents' 26 power plays.

Rick Nash followed his Saturday night hat trick with a first-period goal Monday. That two-game total was double his output from the first 17 as he tries to rediscover his 42-goal form from 2014-15.

"I think after you score a few goals you feel better with the puck," Nash said. "It was a long stretch where I was getting frustrated and couldn't score."

Nash hasn't scored a goal off Price since 2010, including a 3-0 road loss Oct. 15 when Price got the better of Lundqvist with 25 saves. Lundqvist stopped 29 shots in his fifth loss in his last six regular-season starts between the teams.

Price has backstopped Montreal (16-4-2) to a home-and-home sweep of the New York Islanders after missing nine games due to a lower-body injury. He made 21 stops in a 4-2 win Sunday when Alex Galchenyuk snapped a 2-all tie with 3:29 remaining.

The netminder has dominated the Rangers in the regular season of late, winning his last four starts against them and going 7-1-0 with a 0.37 GAA and five shutouts in his last eight.

Sunday's win came at a steep cost for the Habs, who lost Brendan Gallagher to two fractured fingers on his left hand after blocking a shot. Gallagher, tied for third on the team with 19 points, underwent surgery Monday and is expected to miss at least six weeks.

"It's a big loss. He's a big part of the success of this hockey team," coach Michel Therrien said following practice Tuesday. "... We lost Price for a period of time, but for me, it's not an excuse for not having success."

Devante Smith-Pelly, who missed Sunday's win with a lower-body injury, practiced on the first line with Max Pacioretty and center Tomas Plekanec on Tuesday. Plekanec has gone six games without a goal but does have five assists in that span. Pacioretty has four goals and five assists in his last eight.

Montreal's power play appears poised to challenge New York's stout penalty kill, converting 3 of 5 chances Sunday after failing to cash in on 14 opportunities in its previous four games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canucks (7-8) at Wild (11-5)

Date: November 25, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Wild have been the NHL's best home team, and they should be even better with Zach Parise expected back soon.

They'll look for a fourth consecutive home win Wednesday night against the Vancouver Canucks.

Minnesota (11-5-3) is 8-1-0 at home and has outscored opponents 10-3 in three straight victories there since losing to Nashville on Nov. 5. The Wild had dropped the last three on a four-game trip before returning home to knock off that Predators team 4-0 on Saturday.

They held Nashville to 23 shots after allowing 35.5 per game during the trip as Devan Dubnyk recorded his third shutout. All three have come at home, where Dubnyk has a 1.90 goals-against average compared to 3.09 on the road.

Ryan Suter had a goal and two assists against his former club and Minnesota improved to 9-1-0 when scoring first.

"As soon as that went in that was a lot of relief for our team," Suter said of his goal at the 13:07 mark. "We had been chasing and I think that's what's taken away from our structure and the way that we were used to playing. To get the first goal was important."

Parise missed a seventh straight game since suffering a sprained MCL. He ranks second on the Wild with seven goals despite the absence and has been skating with the team, giving him a shot to return Wednesday.

"I just think the main thing right now is let's just hear what the doctors have to say, and then we can decide how quickly we can try to get him back," coach Mike Yeo told the league's official website. "But obviously putting his health first, and his long-term health first, making sure that when he comes back that he's going to stay in."

The Canucks (8-8-6) lost for the fifth time in six games Sunday, falling 3-2 to New Jersey and failing to build any momentum after a 6-3 win over Chicago a day earlier.

"It's really disappointing," captain Henrik Sedin said. "It was a chance for us to get moving up in the standings and start feeling good about ourselves and get some wins and get some momentum. That didn't happen.

"I thought we played good enough to win, but it doesn't count."

Vancouver had 36 shots turned aside by its former goaltender, Cory Schneider, and was held to one goal on eight power plays after converting eight of 21 chances in the previous five games.

"Our power play could have gotten us back in the game," said Sedin, who has four goals and eight assists in his last seven games. "We had a lot of chances, just couldn't score. It's something we have to look at again."

The Canucks have been dismal on the penalty kill, surrendering 11 goals on opponents' 36 opportunities in the past 10 games after previously limiting teams to 3 for 32.

They've let the Wild go 17 for 50 on the power play (34.0 percent) while losing nine of 13 in Minnesota.

Ryan Miller figures to be back in net after getting a rest Sunday but owns a 3.47 GAA in his last eight starts against the Wild.

Dubnyk went 3-1-0 with a 2.01 GAA in four starts against Vancouver last season.

Mikko Koivu, who owns a six-game point streak, has seven assists in his last four home games against the Canucks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (9-6) at Sabres (7-11)

Date: November 25, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Buffalo Sabres have found goals hard to come by during a season-high, five-game slide.

The Nashville Predators won't have any sympathy as they endure the longest scoring drought in club history after being shut out three straight times.

These teams with floundering attacks meet Wednesday night, with the visiting Predators seeking a fifth straight win in the series.

Buffalo (8-11-2) fell 2-1 at home to St. Louis on Monday to drop to 0-3-2 in its last five. The Sabres took the lead into the third period on former Predators center David Legwand's first goal only to falter over the final 20 minutes.

"I thought it was a hard-fought game," coach Dan Bylsma said. "There was a lot of good in a lot of areas from our team. You'd like to find some goals in there."

Bylsma's club isn't the only one searching for goals with Nashville (11-6-3) enduring a drought of 213 minutes, 47 seconds after Monday's 3-0 road loss to the New York Rangers. That's the longest in the NHL since the Coyotes were blanked for 245:33 in 2012-13.

The Predators are on the verge of even more dubious distinctions. The last time a team was shut out four straight times happened to the 1967-68 Oakland Seals, who tied one of those games.

The last club to lose by shutout four straight times was the Montreal Maroons, whose streak spanned the end of 1929-30 and beginning of 1930-31. The 1928-29 Chicago Blackhawks are the last team to get shut out four straight times in losses in one season with a five-game slide.

"We've got to find a way to stay with it. We can't get frustrated," captain Shea Weber told the Predators' official website. "It's tough to say that when you haven't scored in three games."

Frustration was evident after Nashville couldn't solve the NHL's top goalie in Henrik Lundqvist, who made 31 saves. The Predators have wasted 10 power-play chances in the last three games.

"The guys are trying to score, and it's not dropping right now," coach Peter Laviolette said.

Nashville has never faced Sabres rookie Linus Ullmark, who started Buffalo's last game. Chad Johnson, who has three career shutouts, won his lone start against the Predators.

The Sabres, averaging 2.1 goals, may be more likely to get blanked since Pekka Rinne has allowed one goal in three career starts against them.

Rookie Jack Eichel, second on Buffalo with six goals, hasn't scored in his last six games.

Ryan O'Reilly, who has seven goals and is in his first season with the club, feels that the Sabres need a better mental approach to games.

'We're close at times and then we fall away from it,' he said. 'We don't have that mentality that we have to improve, we have to grow together. We sit back too much and we get too comfortable."

Legwand is the Predators' all-time leader in games (956), goals (210) and points (566). He has no points in two games against his former club.

Nashville has outscored Buffalo 14-3 in the last four meetings. The Predators have won seven times, lost once and tied once in nine games at Buffalo.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (13-6) at Penguins (11-8)

Date: November 25, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The St. Louis Blues had one of their best defensive showings in nearly two weeks last time out but that was against one of the league's weaker teams.

They would appear to have a greater challenge in Wednesday night's visit to Pittsburgh but the star-laden Penguins haven't proved consistent scorers for much of this season, especially in their past few games.

St. Louis' 2-1 win in Buffalo marked the first time it had given up fewer than two goals since back-to-back shutouts Nov. 7 and 10. The Blues (14-6-2) let their opponents score a combined 21 times in their previous six games.

Despite that improved effort, they still needed third-period goals from Troy Brouwer and Robby Fabbri to avoid a third consecutive road loss. Fabbri tallied the tiebreaker with 6:34 remaining.

"We just wanted to make sure that guys were feeling good about themselves and guys were making good plays. Because when you're down on yourself, that's when you're not making good plays and you don't have your head up," Brouwer said. "That's the mentality we want in this room."

St. Louis will next face Pittsburgh superstars Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin among others. The Penguins, though, aren't too far ahead of the Sabres' 2.05 goals per game, averaging 2.20.

Pittsburgh recorded a pair of 4-3 victories to open a four-game homestand but lost 3-1 to San Jose on Saturday. Kessel's second-period score snapped a personal five-game drought.

Prior to its homestand, Pittsburgh (12-8-0) totaled one goal in back-to-back losses.

"I thought we had some good scoring chances but for me, it was all about those second-chance opportunities," coach Mike Johnston said. "We had a couple but not nearly as many as we've had the last few games."

The Blues have often contained the Penguins over the past seven meetings, allowing a combined 11 goals while going 5-1-1. St. Louis has won three straight in Pittsburgh, including a 3-2 overtime victory in the latest visit March 24.

"They're a big, strong, solid team. They play really good team D," forward Matt Cullen said. "They're one of the top teams in the league and they have a lot of guys who can hurt you offensively. So for us, it's a really good challenge."

St. Louis' Vladimir Tarasenko has six goals and three assists in his last seven games, but he has been limited to two assists in three career matchups against Pittsburgh. Tarasenko is among the league leaders with 13 goals.

"The thing that he can do on the ice are unbelievable. He skates; he shoots; he's strong; he makes plays," Cullen said. "For us, he's a guy that we're going to have to be aware of. There's a lot of guys like that in the league but he's one of the very, very best."

The Blues are the only team Crosby has never scored against in his career, tallying five assists in 10 lifetime meetings. The Penguins captain has one goal and one assist in his last five overall contests.

Malkin has no goals and four assists in his past six matchups. Kessel has three goals and five assists in 10 career meetings but just two assists in a personal four-game losing streak versus the Blues.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (10-10) at Capitals (13-5)

Date: November 25, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

One game after dominating their opponent offensively, the Washington Capitals relied on their red-hot goaltender to steal a win.

After earning his first shutout of the season, Braden Holtby is expected to be in net again as his team looks to take advantage of their third straight Western Conference opponent, the Winnipeg Jets, on Wednesday night at the Verizon Center.

Holtby stopped 33 shots and Dmitry Orlov scored with 6:32 left in the third period to lift Washington (14-5-1) to its second straight victory and third in four games, 1-0 over Edmonton on Monday.

"That's the key," Holtby, 6-1-0 with a 1.42 goals-against average in his last seven starts, told the team's official website. "If I can see it, then it's my job to stop it, that trust factor. Guys did a great job of boxing guys out, getting sticks in front, rebounds â?? being ready to clear them right away and being on the same page with that. It makes the game a lot smoother. It's a hard thing to do for them and they did a really good job."

Washington, 6-2-1 in the last nine, defeated Colorado 7-3 in its previous game Saturday, the second of a five-game homestand. It wasn't nearly as dominant against the Oilers, who carried play for extended stretches and held a 23-15 shot advantage through two periods.

"Tonight certainly wasn't our best game, but we were able to find a way," forward Brooks Laich said. "At the end of the day, that's what you have to do. Good teams do it. We were able to pick up two points."

Edmonton gave the Capitals trouble with its speed, but Wednesday's style might be more to Washington's liking. The matchup pits two of the NHL's biggest and most physical teams.

The Capitals could also be facing a frustrated opponent in the Jets (10-10-2), who failed to win their third straight when they yielded three third-period goals and lost 4-1 to visiting Colorado on Monday.

'You don't come out of too many losses thinking you deserved to win the game," defenseman Tyler Myers said. "We did a lot of really good things tonight. We controlled the puck in their end. I just thought we could have done a better job of getting the puck to the net. But there's a lot of positives to take away from this game.'

Toby Enstrom gave Winnipeg the lead in the first period but the Avalanche took control in the final 20 minutes, holding a 13-5 shot advantage.

"We had a lot of good chances," Michael Hutchinson, who made 25 saves, told the team's official website. "If we keep moving the puck around that crisp and keep getting as many chances as we did, the puck's going to find its way into the net more often than not. We have to keep going and keep our confidence up."

That might not be easy to do with Winnipeg opening a three-game trip. The Jets have lost five straight on the road, getting outscored 24-10.

They've also dropped three straight at Washington, giving up 14 goals. Winnipeg's 3.09 goals allowed per contest is among the worst marks in the NHL.

Winnipeg did take the latest meeting 3-0 on March 21 behind 28 saves from Ondrej Pavelec, though Hutchinson is expected to make his first career appearance against the Capitals.

Orlov has a goal in two straight games.

Alex Ovechkin has 42 goals in 57 games against the Winnipeg/Atlanta franchise, his highest total against an opponent, along with 42 assists. He had scored eight times in a six-game goal streak in the series before the March 21 shutout.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (10-8) at Red Wings (11-8)

Date: November 25, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Coach Jeff Blashill has used recent games to gauge his team's growth, and his Detroit Red Wings have often stood tall.

They'll try to push their point streak to five Wednesday night when they face an opponent they've often come up short against lately, the streaking Boston Bruins.

Detroit (11-8-2) has gone 3-0-1 in its last four with all of the games decided by one goal. In the latest Saturday, the Red Wings shook off a late equalizer from St. Louis and won 4-3 in overtime.

Teemu Pulkkinen goal in the extra period gave Detroit a road victory over one of the Western Conference's top teams, and he assisted on Pavel Datsyuk's first tally since his return from ankle surgery.

"We played some really good hockey teams," Blashill said. "We want to measure ourselves against what we think are some of the best teams in the league and see how we stack up. ... This is obviously a real good hockey team and on the road it's an impressive win for us."

With its healthier lineup, Detroit has scored at least three goals in three of its last four games after reaching that mark twice in the previous 13. Rookie forward Dylan Larkin has led the way with a four-game goal streak.

Justin Abdelkader scored on the power play in the third period of a 3-1 loss at Boston on Nov. 14.

Patrice Bergeron got the Bruins' first goal in that contest, part of his eight-game point streak in which he's registered three goals and six assists. Bergeron assisted on the opening goal in Toronto on Monday, Brad Marchand's short-hander, in a 4-3 shootout victory.

Marchand followed with his fifth goal in four games in the second period as Boston (11-8-1) won its third straight while improving to 7-2-0 on the road.

"It really didn't matter how you win as long as you get the win, and they're not all going to be pretty," Marchand told the team's official website. "We've got to learn to win games like this, and we did that tonight, so we have to be happy."

Boston can tie its longest win streak of the season by earning a sixth consecutive victory over the Red Wings. The Bruins have taken nine of 10 meetings, including postseason, and four of five at Detroit.

Boston has killed off all 10 power plays in the past three games - six against the Maple Leafs. Prior to that stretch, the Bruins had been allowing a league-worst 29.2 percent conversion rate.

Bergeron has recorded three goals and six assists in his past nine matchups with Detroit, including postseason.

The Red Wings will face former teammate Landon Ferraro for the first time. The forward registered his first point of the season - an assist - in his Bruins debut Monday, one day after being claimed off waivers from Detroit.

The Wings are opening a season-high six-game homestand.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flyers (6-9) at Islanders (10-8)

Date: November 25, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

After failing to contain their latest opponent, the New York Islanders are likely relishing a chance to face one of league's least prolific teams.

The visiting Philadelphia Flyers are coming off an end to a lengthy scoring drought and will attempt to claim a rare set of consecutive victories Wednesday night.

The Islanders (10-8-3) gave up nine goals in back-to-back losses to Montreal and faltered late in a 4-2 road defeat Sunday. The Canadiens scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:29 remaining, their third on the power play, and had a short-handed score in the second period.

On the flip side, New York went 0 for 5 with a man advantage and is 0 for 8 in the two games.

"I thought we battled and played well. I thought we should have got a better outcome," defenseman Johnny Boychuk said. "We just have to continue to bear down and do a good job on our special teams because they're usually good."

The Flyers, meanwhile, converted a pair of power plays and captain Claude Giroux tallied a short-handed goal in a 3-2 overtime victory over Carolina on Monday.

Brayden Schenn ended Philadelphia's scoreless drought at 167:54 - the fifth-longest in franchise history - before the Flyers (7-9-5) allowed the Hurricanes to rally. Shayne Gostisbehere snapped Philadelphia's three-game skid and gave the team its third win in 14 games just 24 seconds into the extra period.

The Flyers still have plenty of work to do to increase their 1.76 goals per game. They totaled a franchise-worst 34 in their first 20 games.

Drawing more penalties could prove one successful method as the team has a respectable 23.1 percent conversion rate on the man advantage in the last eight contests. Philadelphia has also killed all 12 penalties in its past three.

"We're pushing a lot of small areas in the right direction. We just have to keep pushing," first-year coach Dave Hakstol said. "I think the feeling and the focus in the locker room is good. Nobody's comfortable with the won-loss record, and that's a good thing."

The Islanders rallied then faltered just before the buzzer in the latest matchup with the Flyers, a 5-4 loss on April 7 that ended a four-game win streak in the series. Schenn scored the winning goal with 2.1 seconds left after New York found the net twice in the prior two minutes, including Anders Lee's equalizer with 28 seconds remaining.

In its first visit to Brooklyn's Barclays Center, Philadelphia seeks back-to-back wins for just the third time this season and first since Oct. 21 and 24. The Islanders took each of the last three meetings at the old Nassau Coliseum, registering a 7-4 victory in the final one Jan. 19.

John Tavares had a goal and an assist in that game, giving him nine goals and five assists in his last 13 matchups. The New York captain has five goals and three assists in his past six overall games.

Giroux's 37 points versus the Islanders are his most against any opponent and his 11 goals are tied for his second-most behind his 15 against Washington. He scored two goals in the win in April.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (12-8) at Lightning (10-9)

Date: November 25, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Jonathan Quick bounced back from a poor effort with one that the Los Angeles Kings expect from him.

He's enjoyed great success in the past against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who will likely counter with Ben Bishop at home Wednesday night in this matchup of top defensive clubs.

Quick allowed four goals on 21 shots in two periods before Jhonas Enroth replaced him in Sunday's 4-3 loss at Carolina. He was back to top form Monday with 33 saves in a 3-1 victory at Florida.

"Quickie is the best goalie in the world and he never quits on pucks," defenseman Alec Martinez said. "He's always staying in the battle and staying in the fight."

Quick is 5-1-0 with a 1.58 goals-against average in six starts against the Lightning. He'll try to help Los Angeles (13-8-0) cap this five-game trip with a 3-2-0 mark.

"At the end of the day, if you want to win on the road, you've got to shut some guys down, and to do that, you need great goaltending," coach Darryl Sutter said.

The Kings yield 2.19 goals per game for the league's third-best mark, with Tampa Bay (10-9-3) second at 2.18. Bishop is among the league leaders with a 2.05 GAA after a 30-save effort for his first shutout in Saturday's 5-0 rout of Anaheim.

The Lightning seek their first three-game win streak since the season's first three games. Their offense has been the issue with an average of 2.41 goals.

"Our team defense has been outstanding this year but we need to score more than what we have to get us more wins," coach Jon Cooper said. "I think it's the timeliness of our scoring, that's been the problem."

Steven Stamkos had two goals Saturday to end a three-game drought. His coach isn't concerned about the superstar, who has 11 goals with no one else on the club owning more than six.

"Stammer, what has he got, 11?" Cooper said. "The next guy on our team has what? Five or six, maybe half that. That's not falling on Stammer, it's falling on a lot of other guys who've got to start scoring some goals."

Nikita Kucherov has six goals and Vladislav Namestnikov has five. Kucherov ended a six-game drought Saturday and Namestnikov has come up empty in 13 of his last 14.

While the Lightning are beginning a stretch of three games in four days, the Kings are concluding such a stretch to end their trip.

"They've had a long trip," Cooper said. "This is the end of, I guess, three of four for them. If there's any opportunity to take advantage of teams, you've got to take advantage of them at the end of a road trip."

Tyler Toffoli, who scored his team-high 11th goal Monday, insists that the Kings won't lose focus.

"We know going into Tampa what they bring as a hockey team and that's going to be a huge game," Toffoli said. "We want to finish this road trip on the right note."

Los Angeles has taken six of the last seven matchups.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ducks (7-10) at Coyotes (10-9)

Date: November 25, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

With each meeting between Arizona and Anaheim, the teams' standing in the Pacific Division has grown closer to that which was expected of each club entering the season.

The first was a four-goal Coyotes' win to remain unbeaten and extend the Ducks' season-opening losing streak. The second was an overtime win for third-place Arizona that ended fifth-place Anaheim's four-game winning streak. The third comes Wednesday night in Arizona, and a Ducks' win would vault them past the Coyotes into fourth.

Arizona (10-9-1) is returning for three at home after a 1-3-0 road trip that ended with Saturday's 3-2 loss in Winnipeg. It followed an encouraging 3-2 win at NHL co-leader Montreal on Thursday, so coach Dave Tippett isn't making too much of it.

"It was a competitive game," Tippett said. "Couple of bounces here and there but it was a real tight game. They capitalized on their chance in the third and that was the difference in the game."

On the road trip as a whole, though, the Coyotes gave up 3.75 goals per game and have surrendered 3.36 over a 5-6-0 span that followed a 2.44 mark during a 5-3-1 start.

The Coyotes opened the season series with a 4-0 win on Oct. 14 followed by a 4-3 victory on Nov. 9 with both coming on the road. The deciding factor in each was a pair of Arizona 20-year-olds as Anthony Duclair totaled four goals and Max Domi scored three with an assist.

Anaheim (8-10-4) is seeking consecutive wins for the first time since that winning streak leading into the latest loss to the Coyotes. The Ducks, who are going on the road for one before playing six straight at home, set themselves up to do so with Tuesday's 5-3 home win over Calgary.

They fell behind 2-0 midway through the first, then tied it on goals by Corey Perry and Rickard Rakell. They fell behind in the second, but Rakell and Perry struck again in the third before Ryan Kesler's empty-netter. Perry's goals came on the power play and accounted for two of Ryan Getzlaf's five assists, giving the center nine points in his last five after managing five through his first 13.

Perry's seven goals have all come in the last 11 games after going without one through 11, though he hasn't scored in his last seven against the Coyotes.

With their stars contributing, the Ducks have averaged 2.67 goals in 12 games since the start of November after scoring 10 in their first 10. Tuesday was their first five-goal game of the season.

"Every night isn't going to go that way, but we worked hard for our shots tonight," Perry told the team's official website. "We were clicking. We were feeding off of each other. That's the way we have to play."

Both teams have had some health concerns in goal with Anaheim's Frederik Andersen missing Tuesday's game due to illness, and backup Anton Khudobin giving up two goals on five shots before being pulled for John Gibson. If Andersen is able to play, he'll be trying to improve on a 1-2-2 span with a 3.80 goals-against average that began against Arizona. He's 3-0-3 with a 1.58 GAA in seven games in the series.

Arizona's Anders Lindback faced the Jets and has allowed 10 goals in his last three games, but Mike Smith figures to be in goal after sitting out because of a lower-body injury. Smith beat Montreal with 31 saves to get to 4-2-0 with a 2.76 GAA this month after suffering through a 1-3-1 seven-game span with a 4.55 mark.

He was in goal for the shutout in Anaheim, though he's 2-5-1 in nine games of the series dating to the start of 2013-14.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Senators (8-5) at Avalanche (8-12)

Date: November 25, 2015 9:30 PM EDT

The Colorado Avalanche have one of the league's hottest lines, their starting goaltender back from injury and a dominant record against their next opponent.

What they don't have much of this season is success on home ice, but Wednesday night's matchup with the surging Ottawa Senators gives them an opportunity to change that.

The Avalanche (8-12-1) opened their seven-game, 15-day trip with a 13-3 scoring advantage in three wins before they allowed 16 goals during three straight losses.

Semyon Varlamov's return from a seven-game absence due to a groin injury provided a lift and Colorado ended its trek Monday with a 4-1 victory over Winnipeg. Varlamov stopped 20 shots in his first appearance since Nov. 5 and Cody McLeod's goal snapped a third-period tie.

"It was our seventh game of our road trip," coach Patrick Roy said. "Sometimes you can lose your focus. I'm very proud of our guys who stayed focused and paid attention to the details of the game. I thought we did a good job defending and we found ways to score the big goals."

Matt Duchene also scored to give him seven goals and six assists during a seven-game point streak. With 10 goals in November, Duchene has tied Claude Lemieux for the most in the month in Avalanche history.

Duchene, linemates Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon combined for 10 goals and 23 points on the trip.

"These three are eating a lot of minutes," Roy told the team's official website. "They're playing well. They possess the puck. It's by far our best line. They seem to click well together."

Duchene, though, has been held without a point in five of eight home games, while Landeskog has failed to score a goal in five consecutive contests there. Colorado has lost five of six at the Pepsi Center and its two home wins are the fewest in the league.

"We need to be good at home now. It's always tough, the first game coming back from a long trip," Roy said.

The Senators have proven a favorable matchup for the Avalanche, who have won eight of nine meetings and the last four at home. Ottawa hasn't won in Denver since Dec. 12, 2005.

Varlamov, who is scheduled to be in net again, has played a role in that success. He's 3-0-0 with a 1.99 goals-against average in his last three starts versus Ottawa.

The Senators, however, are enjoying their best stretch of the season with three straight wins and a 4-0-2 mark in the last six games.

Craig Anderson fell short of a third consecutive shutout but still led Ottawa (11-5-5) to a win Tuesday in the opener of a three-game trip. He turned away 33 shots in a 7-4 victory over West-leading Dallas, which had won five in a row.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau had two goals and an assist and Bobby Ryan also scored to extend his career-best point streak to nine games (four goals, seven assists).

"We had good goaltending," coach Dave Cameron said. "Just a little disappointed when we were up 5-1 that we let off a little bit and gave them some opportunities. Two-goal game, we were leading, Andy made two huge saves. And then at the end, he made a huge save."

Captain Erik Karlsson has five goals and 11 points during a seven-game streak.

Anderson has stopped 94 of 98 shots during the three-game win streak but he's 1-3-1 with a 5.55 GAA versus Colorado.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blackhawks (11-8) at Sharks (12-8)

Date: November 25, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

As the Chicago Blackhawks feel the effects from their longest road stretch of the season, the San Jose Sharks may be disappointed to be returning home.

Fresh off a perfect trip, the Sharks vie for a seventh consecutive win Wednesday night against a Blackhawks team that struggled its last time out.

San Jose (13-8-0) scored four unanswered goals over the final 13:47 to rally for a 5-3 victory Sunday against Columbus and complete a 6-0-0 trek. The win was the Sharks' seventh straight on the road, where they're a league-best 10-3-0.

'I think that 6-0 at the NHL level at any time is quite a feat,' said coach Peter DeBoer, who returned to the bench after missing Saturday's 3-1 win over Pittsburgh due to a personal matter. 'But to go on the road and rattle off those wins in the buildings we just played in, I think is a real testament to the character of our group and the leadership of our group.'

Joe Pavelski scored twice during the third-period comeback and compiled four goals and three assists on the trip. Brent Burns has three goals in the last two wins and Patrick Marleau has been hot as well, notching a goal and an assist Sunday to give him six points in five games. The Sharks' captain had nine points over his first 16.

Martin Jones also shined, posting a 1.56 goals-against average while starting five of the wins. He was named the NHL's First Star of the Week on Monday after following Thursday's 34-save shutout of Philadelphia with 38 saves against Pittsburgh.

San Jose, which last won seven straight March 25-April 5, 2013, hasn't achieved the same success at SAP Center. The Sharks have 18 goals in going 3-5-0 at home and are scoring 3.08 per game on the road.

Offense may be easier to come by after the Blackhawks yielded their highest regulation goal total of the season during Saturday's 6-3 defeat at Vancouver, the third stop on a six-game western swing. The Canucks scored three times in the final 5:25 as Chicago appeared to wear down in its second game in as many days.

'It's disappointing. We played pretty well and controlled most of the game," forward Patrick Kane said. "You get yourself back 3-3 and a couple of shifts later you're down 5-3. It's frustrating but those guys made some good plays."

Kane assisted on Artem Anisimov's goal that forged a 3-all tie with 7:40 left to extend his career-high point streak to 16 games. The standout wing has 10 goals and 16 assists during the run and a league-leading 32 points.

Chicago (11-8-2) fell to 1-1-1 on the trip and 3-6-1 overall on the road, where Corey Crawford owns a 3.33 GAA compared to a 2.11 mark at home. He made 14 saves against the Canucks and has allowed three or more goals in five of his past seven outings, recording a 3.77 GAA during that span.

Crawford did win both starts against the Sharks last season, including a 33-save effort in a 6-2 victory at San Jose on March 14.

Chicago has earned a point in eight of its last nine meetings with San Jose, which earned a 2-0 home decision Jan. 31. The Blackhawks are 6-1-2 over the stretch.