Saturday 10/31/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 15:00

C Palace

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Man Utd

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

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT C PALACE	RECENT FORM
HWAWHWHLALAL​ Most recent​	1 - 2 0 - 2 0 - 0 0 - 3	HWALAWADHDHD*​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: United have conceded seven times in four away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Manchester United sit fourth despite failing to impress this season, but they will have to be wary of Crystal Palace’s vibrant attack. Only two teams have managed to shut out Palace this term and they may have further joy against a United defence who have consistently failed to impress away from home.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
3


REFEREE: Mike Jones STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Watford

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West Ham

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		8/5	12/5	19/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WATFORD	RECENT FORM
HWAWHLADHLAW​ Most recent​	0 - 4 1 - 0 1 - 1 1 - 2	AWAD*HDADAWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Watford have scored only once in five home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: West Ham are doing their best to dispel the old adage ‘there’s no place like home’, with Slaven Bilic’s side collecting 13 of their 20 points on the road. Watford are going along nicely enough, losing just twice in their last six outings, but the in-form Hammers should prove too strong.

RECOMMENDATION: West Ham
3


REFEREE: Keith Stroud STADIUM:

 

[Topdawg1]

Is fezzik gom very strong? Saw his plays at pregame and not winning by a lot

 

[EStraightKillah]

Is fezzik gom very strong? Saw his plays at pregame and not winning by a lot

well.. Fridays double dime play was Wyoming/Utah St Under 50 and he said he thought all the way down to 46 was probably too high. Final score: 58-27 for a total of 85 total points. Bol with that.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Islanders (6-2) at Devils (4-4)

Date: October 31, 2015 1:00 PM EDT

Though the New Jersey Devils have enjoyed some early success on the road, they need to start winning at home.

With five of their next seven at the Prudential Center, the Devils can begin Saturday by halting their recent struggles against the New York Islanders.

Two nights after its four-game winning streak ended with a 3-1 home loss to lowly Columbus, New Jersey (5-4-1) bounced back to win 4-1 at Philadelphia on Thursday. Travis Zajac scored twice and Kyle Palmieri had a goal and two assists as the Devils improved to 4-1-0 on the road.

"Tribute to the guys, they've found ways to win," coach John Hynes said.

Despite their embrace of the challenges of the road, the Devils' 1-3-1 mark at home is disconcerting. They've totaled seven goals - compared to 18 away from home - and been held to one in four home contests.

"Very disappointing," defenseman Andy Greene said.

The good news for New Jersey is that it has the opportunity to improve quickly at the Prudential Center. Following this game, the Devils head to Brooklyn for Tuesday's rematch with the Islanders (6-2-2), then play the next three at home before visiting Chicago on Nov. 12 and returning to host Pittsburgh two days later.

The next two games, however, will likely be anything but easy.

New York looks to continue its strong start with a seventh consecutive victory over the Devils, who have managed to earn a point in four of the previous six meetings. The Islanders have also won six straight in Newark.

New York salvaged a point in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to Carolina, but blowing a 2-1 third-period lead didn't sit well with some of its players.

"You're not going to win every night but we have to bring a better effort,' said center Frans Nielsen, who has three goals in the last two games. 'Every point is huge.

"We were beating ourselves with turnovers. The good thing about hockey is when you lose a game, there's a new one two days later. We have to forget about this one quickly."

The Islanders killed off both penalties Thursday to make them 23 for 23 in the last seven games. New York has killed a league-leading 91.7 percent of its short-handed situations after ranking 26th at 78 percent last season.

New Jersey has gone 1 for 12 on the power play in the last six against the Islanders and 0 for 11 during its six-game home skid in the series.

Jaroslav Halak has won four straight against the Devils and owns a 1.14 goals-against average with two shutouts in his last six matchups.

Teammate John Tavares has been held without a point in two games after posting at least one in the previous six. He has six goals and four assists in his last seven games - all victories - against New Jersey.

After spending parts of the past four seasons with New Jersey, Marek Zidlicky returns in his first with the Islanders.

All of Zajac's four goals and three assists have come in his last five games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (4-4) at Stars (8-2)

Date: October 31, 2015 3:00 PM EDT

After failing to help bring a Stanley Cup to San Jose in five seasons with the Sharks, Antti Niemi has landed with a club that hopes to be a serious contender throughout this one.

Dealt to Dallas over the summer, Niemi is likely to face the visiting Sharks for the first time since that trade when the Western Conference-leading Stars try to continue their early success Saturday.

Niemi won a Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2010, then signed with San Jose following that season. The Sharks reached the conference finals with him in 2011, but won one playoff series over the next three years and missed the postseason for the first time in 11 last season.

After Niemi suffered a career-high 23 losses in 2014-15, the Sharks never made a serious offer to bring him back and traded his rights to Dallas on June 27 for a seventh-round pick. Two days later, he signed a three-year deal with the Stars (8-2-0) worth $13.5 million.

"It's a great time to be able to play with one of the up-and-coming teams who has lots of talent," Niemi, who posted 163 wins and had a 2.40 goals-against average for the Sharks, told the NHL's official website this summer.

Teamed with fellow Finn Kari Lehtonen, Niemi is 5-1-0 with a 2.32 GAA as a starter and came off the bench in another game this month. He's set to make a third straight start for the first time this season as the Stars look to keep surging following back-to-back 4-3 victories.

Niemi made 29 saves, Patrick Sharp had two goals and Jamie Benn scored in overtime as Dallas rallied from a two-goal, third-period deficit to beat Vancouver on Thursday. The Stars overcame a 3-0 hole to top Anaheim on Tuesday.

"We're learning to battle through some tough situations and come up with some big wins," coach Lindy Ruff told the Stars' official website.

Benn is among the NHL leaders with nine goals and eight assists, while Tyler Seguin has four assists in the last three games. Sharp has recorded all three of his goals in the past two.

"One thing we are learning is that we are never out of a game," said Sharp, Niemi's teammate in Chicago. "We've got some firepower in there, we've got some speed and we are well-conditioned. So, we are going to play great right to the end."

Though the Stars dropped both home meetings with San Jose (5-4-0) last season, they snapped a four-game series skid with a 5-1 victory April 6. Benn had two goals and an assist in that contest.

San Jose allowed two goals in the first four games this season but has since yielded 18 in dropping four of five. Brought in to replace Niemi, ex-Los Angeles Kings backup Martin Jones stopped 108 of 110 shots in the first four but has posted a 3.02 GAA in losing three of his last four starts.

He allowed the go-ahead score in the third period of Wednesday's 2-1 loss to Nashville.

"I give up a couple of soft goals and that's the difference in the game," Jones said.

Teammate Joe Pavelski has two goals in as many games, and four assists in his last three at Dallas.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (5-1) at Kings (6-3)

Date: October 31, 2015 4:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Kings have rediscovered their dominant defensive form during their winning streak. The Nashville Predators' performance at that end of the ice has keyed their best start in 10 years.

Goals could be difficult to come by at Staples Center on Saturday when the Kings try for their seventh consecutive victory by snapping a five-game skid against the Predators.

Since giving up 12 goals in the first three games, Los Angeles (6-3-0) has tightened things up and allowed six over the past six. Milan Lucic had the late go-ahead score and Jonathan Quick stopped 24 shots in a 4-1 win at Winnipeg on Tuesday.

"I think the main thing is that we're having fun and we just have to keep having fun, working hard and that's going to (help) continue our success," Lucic said.

Quick has posted an 0.99 goals-against average in winning his last five starts, though he's struggled against Nashville with a 2-7-2 record and 2.93 GAA in 12 career starts.

Los Angeles, among the top defensive teams in the NHL over the past several seasons, is second-best in the league this season with 18 goals allowed. It will face the No. 1 team in that category in the Predators (7-1-1), who have given up 17 and are off to their best nine-game start since they were 8-0-1 in 2005-06.

Following last Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to Pittsburgh, Nashville bounced back by limiting San Jose to a season low-tying 21 shots in Wednesday's 2-1 win to open a four-game trip. Eric Nystrom opened the scoring before Calle Jarnkrok put the Predators ahead in the third period.

"You want to have success on the road and that first game is usually an indication of how you're going to come out of the gates and how you're going to play the rest of the trip," defenseman Barret Jackman told the team's official website. "When you win the first game it's great for momentum and great for a blueprint of how you have to play the entire time."

Pekka Rinne, with a 1.74 GAA in his eight starts, made 20 saves against the Sharks. He had been 4-3-0 with a 3.88 GAA at Staples before stopping 23 shots in a 2-1 win in the most recent meeting there March 14.

Nashville has gone 5-0-1 against Los Angeles over the past two seasons, including five straight wins. Mike Fisher has three goals and four assists in his last four in the series, while defenseman Seth Jones has five assists in the past five matchups and three in his last three games overall.

Tyler Toffoli has stepped up offensively during the Kings' win streak with six goals in the six games. Jeff Carter, with a team-high nine points, has three goals and four assists in his last four overall and six goals over his last six against Nashville.

Los Angeles, which has scored 14 times in the past four games, has gone 4 for its last 9 with the man advantage after a 1-for-21 start. The Predators, though, rank among NHL leaders with an 88.5 penalty killing percentage.

Nashville has yet to allow a first-period goal but the Kings have five over their last five games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (6-4) at Maple Leafs (1-6)

Date: October 31, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

While Phil Kessel is contributing well to the Pittsburgh Penguins' current winning run, the Toronto Maple Leafs have kept on losing since he's been gone.

Kessel returns to Toronto Saturday night looking to be part of a fourth consecutive Penguins' victory, a feeling he rarely experienced during six mostly unsuccessful and at-times turbulent seasons with the Maple Leafs that ended with the enigmatic forward's July trade to Pittsburgh.

The three-time All-Star's 181 goals during his Toronto tenure were the fifth-most in the NHL, but the Maple Leafs reached the playoffs only once over those six seasons and Kessel's relationship with fans and media was often contentious. With the team entering another rebuilding phase, he was shipped to Pittsburgh (6-4-0) for forward Nick Spaling, prospects Scott Harrington and Kasperi Kapanen and two conditional draft choices.

Kessel has begun to settle in nicely with his new team, scoring three goals in five games as part of a 6-1-0 stretch that included a 2-1 home win over Toronto on Oct. 17.

'It's different, but it's part of the game,' Kessel said following that victory. 'You just get used to it.'

Pittsburgh's other established stars are beginning to hit their stride as well. Evgeni Malkin has four goals and six assists over his last eight games after recording one of each in Thursday's 4-3 win over Buffalo. Sidney Crosby had two assists after notching only three points through the first nine.

'We know we have the guys that can score, but you're not going to win just on talent,' said forward Pascal Dupuis, who notched his first goal since returning from an 11-month absence caused by career-threatening blood clots. 'You have to grind games and win them the hard way. It's what we're learning to do early in the year.'

Marc-Andre Fleury has posted a 1.50 goals-against average while starting the first six games of the surge, and will be back in action after Jeff Zatkoff amassed a career-high 50 saves against the Sabres.

Fleury has won four straight meetings with Toronto (1-6-2) and stopped 26 shots in the most recent one, which began a five-game losing streak the Leafs extended with Friday's 3-1 loss at the New York Rangers.

Toronto has just nine goals during its skid and owns the NHL's second-worst power-play at 8.7 percent (2 for 23). The Penguins have been only slightly better at 9.4 percent (3 for 32) and had an 0 for 11 stretch snapped by Malkin's goal on Thursday.

Malkin has five goals and five assists while playing in five of Pittsburgh's six consecutive wins over Toronto, which last defeated the Penguins Oct. 26, 2013 at Air Canada Centre. He and defenseman Olli Maata scored 39 seconds apart during the first period in this month's matchup, spoiling an otherwise solid 31-save outing from Jonathan Bernier.

Bernier fell to 0-4-2 in six career starts against the Penguins and is 0-5-1 this season despite stopping 23 of 25 shots in Friday's defeat.

"I thought we had some opportunities and thought Bernier had his best night of the year," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock told the NHL's official website. "We did some good things, but we have to find a way to win games."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (5-3) at Lightning (5-4)

Date: October 31, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Scoring wasn't at all a problem last season for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and that potent offense continued into the first two weeks this season.

Lately, though, goals have been extremely difficult to find.

Tampa Bay aims to avoid a fourth straight loss Saturday night when it welcomes the surging Boston Bruins to Amalie Arena.

A deep Lightning team scored a league-high 262 goals in 2014-15 and advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. They maintained that level of production in the early stages this season, scoring 27 times during a 5-2-1 start.

However, the offense dried up completely in back-to-back 1-0 losses at Chicago and St. Louis before the Lightning returned home Thursday and lost 2-1 to Colorado.

After getting shut out just once all last season - in the 76th game - Tampa Bay was blanked twice in its first 10.

"If we were like the NFL with a 16-game season, I would be worried," coach Jon Cooper told the team's official website. "But it's an 82-game season. I'm not worried."

Alex Killorn scored for the Lightning (5-4-2), who have totaled one goal in three consecutive games for the first time since the 2001-02 season.

"There are ups and downs in the season, and it's too bad that a goal drought like this is happening early on," Killorn said. "But we've been through this before, and guys will get over it for sure."

There is plenty of blame to go around, just not for the goaltending tandem of Ben Bishop and Kristers Gudlevskis, who have held opponents to two goals or fewer six times and combined for a 2.43 goals-against average.

Captain Steven Stamkos has a team-best five goals but none in four games, while Tyler Johnson - who finished tied for second on the Lightning with a career-high 29 in 2014-15 - has yet to score. Johnson didn't practice Friday and is questionable for this game with an undisclosed injury.

Forwards Jonathan Drouin (lower body) and Cedric Paquette (ankle) also were absent from practice and are doubtful.

Tampa Bay had no problem scoring in its first meeting with the Bruins, a 6-3 road victory Oct. 12. That was the Lightning's third straight win in the series after 10 consecutive losses.

This promises to be a more difficult challenge with Boston having won three straight as part of a 5-0-1 run.

The Bruins (5-3-1) won for the fourth time in as many road games, beating Florida 3-1 on Friday as Brad Marchand scored twice in support of Tuukka Rask's 31-save effort.

'It's the same as every game. You just want to work hard and sometimes it comes together and sometimes it doesn't. Luckily tonight got a couple of bounces,' Marchand said.

Marchand has four goals and three assists during a five-game point streak, while David Krejci continued his fast start with an assist. He has at least a point in every game, collecting seven goals and eight assists.

Krejci's season-opening nine-game streak is the longest by a Boston player since 1992-93 when Joe Juneau and Dmitri Kvartalnov opened with 14-game runs.

Rask could give way to Jonas Gustavsson on the second of this back-to-back. Gustavsson has won both of his starts, making 23 saves in a 5-3 victory over the New York Islanders in his latest Oct. 23.

Bishop is 3-0-0 with a 2.59 GAA in his last three against Boston.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (4-5) at Senators (3-3)

Date: October 31, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Ottawa Senators are getting back on track after a sluggish stretch. The Detroit Red Wings still have work to do to shake out of their funk.

The Senators try to capitalize on another meeting with the struggling Red Wings as they go for a sweep of this home-and-home series Saturday night.

Ottawa followed a season-opening 3-1-0 stretch by losing four in a row. The Senators, though, have put that slide behind them, ending a four-game home losing streak by beating Calgary 5-4 in a shootout Wednesday before edging Detroit 3-1 on the road Friday.

"We needed it," right wing Bobby Ryan said. "We've got to start to get on a roll. It's two points in a division road game, a four-point game."

Ryan and Kyle Turris are keying Ottawa's turnaround. Ryan has two goals and two assists in the last three games, while Turris set up one of those goals while scoring two of his own in the past two.

The duo combined for two goals and one assist against the Red Wings.

Unlike Ottawa (5-3-2), Detroit isn't having much luck in front of the net. The team has been held to 12 goals during a 1-5-1 stretch after scoring 11 while winning its first three games.

Coach Jeff Blashill wants to see the Red Wings (4-5-1) get closer to the net while also preventing opponents from crowding their goaltender.

"We talk about owning each crease and we didn't own each crease," Blashill said Friday. "They score two net-front goals and we couldn't get there."

Henrik Zetterberg leads Detroit with 12 points after scoring Friday. The center has five points in five road games and 11 in eight visits to Canada's capital, including two goals and one assist in the past two.

Zetterberg got one of each before Gustav Nyquist scored with 48 seconds left in overtime of a 3-2 win at Ottawa on Dec. 27, giving the Wings a fifth win in six games there.

Nyquist has six points in his last six meetings with the Senators, including one in each of the last four.

The right wing's four goals are tied for the team lead with Justin Abdelkader and Teemu Pulkkinen. However, Abdelkader got all of his in the first two games.

The left wing doesn't even have a point in eight straight, and he hasn't dealt with a longer drought since a 13-game stretch Feb. 9-March 5, 2013.

The Red Wings will likely turn to Petr Mrazek after Jimmy Howard made 32 saves Friday. Mrazek is 2-3-0 with a 2.61 goals-against average in five appearances, with three of them coming in the back end of games on consecutive days.

He had 33 saves before giving up three shootout goals - one to Turris - in a 2-1 home loss in his only career meeting with Ottawa on March 31.

The Senators are also expected to make a switch in net, going back to Craig Anderson after Andrew Hammond's 29-save effort against the Red Wings. Anderson is 4-2-1 with a 2.78 GAA, and he's lost his last two matchups with Detroit by giving up seven goals on 70 shots, including Nyquist's winner in December.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (7-2) at Panthers (5-4)

Date: October 31, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

As the Washington Capitals continue to succeed since one of their top players returned, the Florida Panthers struggled in their first game without one of theirs.

The surging Capitals vie to maintain their recent dominance in this series Saturday night in Florida.

Washington (7-2-0) scored 24 goals while winning five straight from Oct. 15-23, with Nicklas Backstrom returning from hip surgery to play in the final four. Though the offense has cooled off some since, the Capitals got just enough to support Braden Holtby's 29 saves in Friday's 2-1 victory over Columbus that followed a 3-1 loss Wednesday to Pittsburgh.

'You're not going to score six, seven goals every game," said Backstrom, who set up T.J. Oshie's game-winning goal in the third period and has four goals and four assists since coming back. "This is the way the game's going to be in the future.'

Backstrom has 14 points in helping the Capitals go 11-0-2 in their last 13 meetings with Florida (5-4-1), while Alex Ovechkin has 12 goals and eight assists. The Panthers posted their last regulation win in the series on Feb. 1, 2012 at home.

Holtby is 7-0-1 in eight career games against Florida and has yielded two goals or less in each of his last six overall outings, though it's unclear whether he or Philipp Grubauer will play Saturday in the second of a back-to-back.

Either will be taking on a banged-up Panthers team that may be without two members of its top line. Young center Aleksander Barkov is out 2 to 4 weeks after breaking a bone in his hand on Oct. 22 and Jaromir Jagr is uncertain to return from a lower-body injury that kept him out of Friday's 3-1 home loss to Boston.

Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is questionable as well after breaking his nose on an illegal boarding hit from the Bruins' Brad Marchand late in the third period.

Jagr had scored in consecutive games prior to exiting Tuesday's 4-1 win over Colorado that opened this three-game homestand. Though the Panthers had 32 shots in his absence on Friday, they finished 1 for 6 on the power play and allowed two goals on Boston's three chances.

"We had the momentum and had our chances; we just needed to get them in the net," Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck told the NHL's official website.

Florida has allowed seven goals when short handed over the last five games, though the Capitals' usually potent power play is just 2 for 14 over its past five.

Roberto Luongo made 27 saves against Boston in his sixth start in seven games, opening the possibility of Al Montoya drawing the assignment Saturday. Montoya has won each of his two starts and been sharp in both, most recently recording 33 saves in a 6-2 decision at Dallas last Saturday.

Montoya is 0-2-1 in four appearances versus Washington but stopped 27 of 28 shots in his last start against them, a 2-1 shootout loss on Oct. 18, 2014.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (6-3) at Blue Jackets (2-9)

Date: October 31, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Winnipeg Jets keep falling behind early, though they've been able to overcome those deficits more often than not.

They'll look for a better start Saturday night when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets, who continue to struggle.

The Jets (6-3-1) ended a six-game homestand with Thursday's 3-1 win against Chicago. They gave up a goal at the 1:26 mark, but improved to 5-2-1 when conceding the first goal. They were 11-16-6 when doing so in 2014-15.

Winnipeg has been outscored 7-6 in the first period but holds a 26-18 edge over the final 40 minutes.

"We came out in the second with a style of game that we can be good at," coach Paul Maurice told the team's official website. "We couldn't contain it for the whole 20, but I thought after the first period, anyway, the compete was right and the battle was right."

Columbus is 1-7-0 when allowing the first goal.

Blake Wheeler scored his fifth goal and leads Winnipeg with 12 points, recording at least one in all but one contest. Bryan Little had two assists and has recorded all nine of his points in the last seven games. Little has three goals and three assists in his last four meetings with Columbus.

After going 3-2-1 at home, the Jets open a four-game trip and play eight of their next nine on the road, where they opened the season by winning three of four while outscoring opponents 15-8. Winnipeg scored four power-play goals on 12 chances in those contests.

Columbus (2-9-0) was unable to build on two consecutive victories, losing 2-1 at Washington on Friday. Matt Calvert scored his first but the Blue Jackets were held to fewer than three goals for already the seventh time after showing some offensive life in 4-3 and 3-1 wins at Colorado and New Jersey.

They haven't necessarily had trouble generating shots, averaging 30.3 per game, but cashing in on opportunities has been an issue. Their 6.9 shooting percentage matches the league low by Arizona last season and is a drop-off from Columbus' own 9.6 mark.

"We've got to get our offense going," coach John Tortorella told the team's official website after his fourth game with the club. "We defended well. There were a lot of good things in it, but we didn't find a way to win this game. We're not looking for moral victories here, but we're going to move by it and learn from it."

A second start in 24 hours might not be out of the question for Sergei Bobrovsky after he stopped 26 shots. He started Columbus' first two games of the season on back-to-back nights, though he surrendered eight goals on a combined 47 shots. He's also struggled historically against the Jets, going 1-4-1 with a 4.10 goals-against average in seven career starts.

The Jets figure to have Ondrej Pavelec back in net after backup Michael Hutchinson made a career-high 45 saves against the Blackhawks. Pavelec gave up six goals on 26 shots in his last matchup with the Blue Jackets, a 6-3 home loss Jan. 11, 2014.

Winnipeg has won three of the last four meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wild (7-2) at Blues (7-2)

Date: October 31, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Despite missing players, the St. Louis Blues have nearly earned the maximum number of points more than halfway through one of their longest homestands of the season.

The Blues will try to add two more points to their ledger Saturday night while extending the Minnesota Wild's recent road woes.

St. Louis (7-2-1) has claimed five out of six points on a five-game homestand with a 2-1 victory against Anaheim on Thursday. Colton Parayko was credited with the tiebreaking goal in the third period thanks to a lucky bounce.

Parayko's shot with 9:29 left ricocheted off the boards and was redirected into the net by Ducks goaltender Frederik Andersen's left skate. The defenseman, though, was reportedly seen in a walking boot Friday and is a game-time decision.

The Blues' 2-0-1 mark on their homestand has come with Patrik Berglund (shoulder), Jaden Schwartz (ankle) and Paul Stastny (foot) on injured reserve. Kevin Shattenkirk (lower body) and Scottie Upshall (undisclosed) have been dealing with day-to-day ailments.

"They're tough to replace, but guys are stepping up," goaltender Jake Allen said. "Guys are getting a chance to show what they're made of, score some goals. Everyone is chipping in somehow and we're getting it done."

Veterans Martin Havlat and Dainius Zubrus have practiced with the team this week on professional tryout contracts, and the Blues will have around a week to decide whether to sign either permanently.

Until then, St. Louis will try for a seventh win in nine games by sending Minnesota (7-2-1) to a fourth consecutive road loss.

Minnesota is 0-2-1 in its last three away from home but has made up for it by winning all five home games. The Wild earned a pair of one-goal wins on their latest stint at home.

Nino Niederreiter scored the tiebreaking goal 32 seconds into the third period of Friday's 5-4 win over Chicago, and Mikko Koivu extended his point streak to eight games with three assists. Jason Zucker now has a five-game point streak after scoring just 18 seconds into Friday's win and assisting on Niederreiter's winner.

"Division wins are huge. There's no question," coach Mike Yeo said. "We get to have another fun one (Saturday). ... When you're going head to head, there's only so many points they can give out. Making sure you're getting them and making sure someone else isn't is real important."

Koivu's point streak began after a 3-2 home win over St. Louis on Oct. 10. Charlie Coyle scored a pair of goals in Minnesota's rematch with the team it eliminated from the 2015 postseason.

The Wild won two of their three games in St. Louis during that series but are 1-4-2 in their last seven regular-season visits.

With Devan Dubnyk starting Friday, Minnesota could turn to Darcy Kuemper, but the Wild's backup goaltender gave up four goals in 20:51 in his most recent start Sunday in Winnipeg.

Kuemper is 0-1-0 with a 3.54 goals-against average in three appearances versus St. Louis including the postseason. Dubnyk is 7-3-0 with a 2.37 GAA in his last 10 regular-season and playoff matchups.

Allen is slated to make his third straight start and has allowed one goal on 49 shots in his last two. However, he faced 19 shots in losing to Minnesota three weeks ago.

Zach Parise scored on him in that game, giving him six goals and four assists in his past nine matchups including the playoffs.

St. Louis' Vladimir Tarasenko has 10 goals and four assists in his last 11 regular-season and postseason meetings with Minnesota. He registered a goal and an assist in the latest one.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (2-8) at Oilers (4-7)

Date: October 31, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

Connor McDavid made his first major impact for the Edmonton Oilers in his first meeting with the Calgary Flames two weeks ago.

He hasn't let up since.

McDavid tries to extend his point streak to eight games and help the Oilers end their six-game home slide against the Flames on Saturday night.

McDavid mustered one goal and was a minus-5 through his first four games in the NHL after being drafted first overall last summer. The center followed that slow start by scoring two goals and assisting on another in a 5-2 win at Calgary on Oct. 17, ending Edmonton's seven-game losing streak to the rival Flames.

That kicked off McDavid's seven-game streak, during which he has four goals and seven assists. He ranks among the league leaders with 12 points.

He's the first Oilers rookie to put together a streak that long since Sam Gagner's nine-game run in September 2008.

McDavid had assists on two of Edmonton's three third-period goals in Thursday's 4-3 come-from-behind win over league-leading Montreal. Leon Draisaitl upstaged him with a pair of goals, including one with 62 seconds left in regulation, hours after being called up from Bakersfield of the AHL to make his season debut.

Defenseman Darnell Nurse has also made an immediate impact with one goal and one assist in his first two games of 2015-16.

Draisaitl and Nurse - first round picks in 2014 and '13 - are trying to prove they're worthy of staying with the Oilers. Draisaitl struggled last season, tallying just two goals and nine points with a minus-17 rating in 37 games.

"It would be weird if we would (want to go back), right?" Draisaitl said. "I think both of us want to stay here. We want to be here and we want to eventually play here and win championships here. I think this is a good time for us to show what we can do to improve."

There is plenty of room for improvement for the Flames (2-8-1), who have yet to win in regulation and have dropped four straight for the second time this season.

They're also surrendering a league-worst 4.09 goals per game after Friday's 6-2 loss to the Canadiens.

"We're giving up too many goals, way too many," defenseman Kris Russell said. "It comes down to individual efforts, I've got to be better, I don't look past that. I'm on for way too many goals and I'm not helping my team."

It's unclear if Joni Ortio will be back in net after making 25 saves Friday. Calgary could opt for Karri Ramo, who was recalled from Stockton of the AHL to back up Ortio since starter Jonas Hiller is out with a lower-body injury.

Ramo has lost all three of his starts this season behind a 4.38 goals-against average. He's 2-1-0 with a 2.34 GAA in four career meetings with the Oilers - all in Edmonton - injuring his leg after 58 seconds in a 4-0 victory April 4.

Johnny Gaudreau has collected seven of his team-leading 12 points in the past six games, but has gone nine straight since scoring his only goal Oct. 10.

He has no points in four straight meetings with Edmonton.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Devils won five of their last six games; Islanders won six of their last eight.
-- Dallas Stars won seven of their last eight games.
-- Los Angeles won last six games, outscoring foes 18-6. Predators won four of their last five games.
-- Pittsburgh won six of its last seven games.
-- Senators won their last two games, 5-4so/3-1.
-- Bruins won five of their last six games.
-- Washington won six of its last seven games.
-- Wild won four of their last five games. St Louis won six of its last eight.

Cold teams
-- San Jose lost four of its last five games.
-- Toronto lost its last five games, three by one goal.
-- Red Wings lost six of their last seven games.
-- Lightning lost last three games: 1-0/ot-2-0/2-1.
-- Florida lost four of its last six games.
-- Columbus lost nine of its first 11 games. Winnipeg lost three of its last five.
-- Flames lost last four games, outscored 19-7. Edmonton lost three of last four.

Series records
-- Islanders won their last six games New Jersey.
-- Sharks won four of last five games with Dallas.
-- Kings lost their last five games with Nashville.
-- Penguins won their last six games with Toronto.
-- Red Wings won three of last four visits to Ottawa.
-- Bruins lost last three games with Tampa Bay.
-- Panthers lost eight of last ten games with Washington.
-- Jets won three of last four games with Columbus.
-- Blues lost their last three games with Minnesota.
-- Flames won seven of last eight games with Edmonton.

Totals
-- Under is 4-0-2 in last six Islander-Devil games.
-- Last three San Jose-Dallas games went over total.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five LA-Nashville games.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Pittsburgh games.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Detroit-Ottawa games.
-- Over is 8-1 Boston games this season.
-- Six of last eight Washington games stayed under.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Winnipeg games.
-- Last three Minnesota games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Calgary-Edmonton games went over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jazz (1-1) at Pacers (0-2)

Date: October 31, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Indiana Pacers are showing more offensive punch than in recent years, but the defense is a bigger concern after losing their first two games for the first time in six seasons.

They'll try to find their way into the win column Saturday night against the visiting Utah Jazz.

Indiana is 0-2 for the first time since 2009-10 after Wednesday's 106-99 loss at Toronto and a 112-103 home defeat to Memphis the next night. The Pacers, who averaged 97.3 points last season and haven't finished better than 23rd in scoring since 2011-12, look improved offensively, though two of their most potent scorers are struggling to shoot.

Paul George has scored 35 points but is 9 of 32 (28.1 percent) from the field with seven turnovers, though he's been contributing in other ways with 20 rebounds and 13 assists. New addition Monta Ellis, who averages 19.3 points for his career, has 18 points on 6-of-23 shooting.

"Those guys are proven offensive weapons," coach Frank Vogel told the team's official website. "They haven't got going yet and they will. You can rely on guys like Paul and Monta."

The Pacers have had major difficulties on the other end of the floor, though, letting opponents shoot 47.5 percent. They have allowed 97.0 points per game or fewer each of the last four seasons

Indiana gave up 39 points in the final quarter to Memphis, and 35 and 34 in the third and fourth quarters at Toronto.

"It's going to be tough to win games when we give up 30 points and 40 points a quarter," said George Hill, who has scored a team-high 39 points.

Utah (1-1) bounced back in resounding fashion from Wednesday's 92-87 loss in Detroit, winning 99-71 at Philadelphia two nights later. The Jazz limited the 76ers to 30.2 percent shooting and saw another strong performance by Derrick Favors, who had 20 points and 12 rebounds after recording 26 and 6 against the Pistons.

"I know a lot of people were expecting more out of me in the preseason," said Favors, who averaged 11.4 points in five preseason games. "But I used preseason to get myself in shape and work on things I worked on during the summer. When the season rolled around, I got focused."

Gordon Hayward's slow start continued, as he has 25 points through two contests after averaging 19.3 per game a season ago. He was 3 of 12 from the floor Friday, though he added seven rebounds and four assists. He has averaged 25.0 points in his last three meetings with the Pacers.

Utah tallied 23 second-chance points after scoring only three against Detroit, while the Pacers have already conceded 41 second-chance points. The Jazz ranked second with 15.1 per game last season with Favors and Rudy Gobert combining for 6.2

C.J. Miles, who played 389 games for the Jazz from 2005-12, scored 18 points in each of his first two games, going 8 of 14 from 3-point range.

The Pacers will be playing for the first time since Hall of Fame center Mel Daniels died Friday at the age of 71. Daniels was a two-time American Basketball Association MVP and helped lead the team to ABA titles in 1970, 1972 and 1973.

Indiana has won four straight and six of seven in the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (1-1) at Wizards (2-0)

Date: October 31, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

A win Saturday night would give the Washington Wizards their first 3-0 start in a decade. It would also be a franchise-record eighth straight victory over the New York Knicks.

Washington swept a two-game road trip by beating Orlando 88-87 on Wednesday and rallying past Milwaukee 118-113 on Friday. John Wall capped a 22-point night against the Magic with a go-ahead floater with 12.7 seconds remaining before the Wizards outscored the Bucks 36-21 in the fourth quarter.

Bradley Beal scored 14 of his 26 points and reserve Ramon Sessions had 11 of his 23 in the fourth Friday for Washington, which went 7 of 9 from 3-point range in the final 12 minutes.

'(Beal's) taken my role for another night,' said Wall, who had 19 points and 10 assists. 'He stepped up. I made one 3 (in the fourth quarter), but he made some big shots for us.'

Washington shot 51.5 percent after posting a 39.3 mark in Orlando.

'This is the first two games we've run this offense in the regular season,' Wall said. 'In the preseason it's totally different.'

The Wizards now take on New York (1-1) in their first game at home, where they went 29-12 last season to post the third-most wins in the Eastern Conference.

Two of those victories came against the Knicks, part of a seven-game run in the series that matches Washington's longest from March 30, 1984-March 20, 1985.

New York has been held to 90.1 points and 41.5 percent shooting during the current slide, while Washington has received balanced scoring from Beal (19.0), Wall (18.4) and Marcin Gortat (12.1).

Carmelo Anthony appeared in five of those seven meetings for the Knicks and averaged 23.4 points on 45.2 percent shooting. He's struggled with his shot so far, going 14 for 43 (32.6 percent) and making 1 of 12 from 3-point range.

Anthony scored 25 on Thursday but shot 10 of 27 in a 112-101 home loss to Atlanta. He had 11 points in a 122-97 win the night before in Milwaukee, which marked his first game since a knee injury ended his 2014-15 season in February.

"I kind of prepared myself (for being rusty), but on the flip side of that I want to get it going," Anthony said. "I don't want to try to push it too much. I want to let it come to me naturally and not try to force it out there as far as trying to force my rhythm.

" ... It'll come back. Everything will start clicking for me."

Robin Lopez has been an early bright spot for the new-look Knicks after coming over from Portland in July on a four-year, $54 million contract. He's averaged 13.0 points and made 11 of 16 from the field.

Fellow starter Kristaps Porzingis, the No. 4 overall pick in June's draft, is also scoring 13.0 per game but shooting 33.3 percent.

"(The chemistry) will get there," Anthony said. "We have it some moments and some moments we don't. But it's there and is something that will come around to us."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (2-0) at Pelicans (0-2)

Date: October 31, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Stephen Curry opened this season with another high-scoring performance against the New Orleans Pelicans, highlighted by a stellar opening quarter.

He won't have to wait too long to face them again.

The superstar looks to push Golden State to 3-0 on Saturday night and help the Warriors extend their recent dominance over New Orleans.

Curry didn't let the pomp over the Warriors' NBA title celebration get in the way Tuesday as he scored 40 points in a 111-95 victory against the Pelicans, the second-most by a reigning MVP in a season opener. He tallied 24 points in the first period while connecting on seven of his first nine shots, including four 3-pointers.

Curry has scored at least 39 points in each of his last three games against New Orleans, including the final two contests in an opening-round playoff sweep in April. He has multiple games of 39-plus points against only one other team, four versus Portland.

"Some of those shots that Steph made, it doesn't matter who's out there, that's just who he is," said New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry, an assistant for Golden State last season.

Curry followed with a game-high 25 points in a 112-92 victory in Houston on Friday in a matchup with James Harden, who finished second in last season's MVP voting. Harden had 16 points on 4-of-18 shooting and went 1 of 10 from 3-point range.

"The best players in this league learn every year how to get a little bit better, a little bit more efficient," Curry said. "I'm just trying to follow suit."

Klay Thompson was on the court for 24 minutes due to an ailing back, and how much he'll play in the second of a back-to-back is unclear. Andrew Bogut is not traveling with the team because of a concussion he suffered in the season opener, and coach Steve Kerr is back home while continuing to recover from back surgery.

Bogut also got stitches for a cut above his right eye following Golden State's 15th win in the last 16 meetings, including the playoffs. The Warriors have won nine of their last 10 visits to New Orleans (0-2) but have needed overtime to earn two of their past three victories there.

They'll next try to spoil the Pelicans' home opener while sending them to their worst start since dropping their first eight games in 2004-05.

New Orleans has had plenty of time to rest since a 112-94 loss to Portland on Wednesday. The Pelicans allowed the Blazers' starting backcourt to score a combined 58 points with C.J. McCollum tallying a career-high 37.

They were also outscored 43-18 in the opening quarter.

"Tonight we fought like crazy and competed, but we've got to get off to better starts," Gentry said. "We were playing uphill the rest of the game. Then it has to be a perfect storm to come back. But I liked the fight."

Anthony Davis had 25 points and 10 rebounds after missing 16 of 20 shots while finishing with 18 points and six boards against Golden State.

He averaged 30.9 points on 56.9 percent shooting and 12.3 rebounds in the previous seven matchups, including the playoffs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (0-2) at Grizzlies (1-1)

Date: October 31, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Having started this season with contrasting performances, the Memphis Grizzlies will try to stay consistent Saturday night while carrying some momentum into their longest road trip.

A visit from the scuffling Brooklyn Nets could aid the Grizzlies' attempt to accomplish those goals.

A winner of 50-plus games the past three seasons, Memphis hardly looked like it in Wednesday's opener against reigning Eastern Conference champion Cleveland. The Grizzlies absorbed a 106-76 thumping on their own floor but bounced back with a 112-103 win at Indiana the next night.

"(Wednesday) night, we got our butt whipped, so guys came out with a lot more energy in this game," forward Zach Randolph said. "We stuck with it. We stuck to our defense. Guys hit shots. It was a good team win."

Memphis (1-1) outscored the Pacers 18-7 in the final four minutes to exit with its first victory, and Marc Gasol registered eight of his team-leading 20 points in that closing stretch. Jeff Green contributed a pair of 3-pointers.

"We know in order to compete in the Western Conference, we can't come out the way we did (Wednesday) night," Green said. "Tonight was a prime example of what we need to do."

After their brief return home, the Grizzlies will head out on a five-game Western trip that begins Monday against defending NBA champion Golden State.

Memphis will try to go into that trek on a positive note by earning its third consecutive victory over the Nets (0-2). The Grizzlies won 95-86 at home in the final of last season's two meetings Feb. 10.

Brooklyn heads into this game after a miserable second-half showing in a 102-75 drubbing in San Antonio on Friday. The Nets led 47-42 at the break then scored just 28 points over the final 24 minutes.

They had 16 points in the third quarter Wednesday en route to a 115-100 loss to visiting Chicago.

"Hopefully, we can bounce back (Saturday)," said guard Jarrett Jack, who made his season debut in the loss to the Spurs after dealing with an ailing hamstring. "We're playing a good Memphis team in its building, which is going to be tough as well. It's opportunity to get this first win out of the way."

The Nets' start is their worst since they set an NBA record by dropping their first 18 games in 2009-10, but Brook Lopez has performed admirably in the first two games. The center is averaging 21.5 points on 57.1 percent shooting, and had 17 while making six of 11 attempts Friday.

Lopez wasn't allowed to shine while facing Memphis and Gasol last season, averaging 11.5 points while shooting 43.5 percent. That was his third-lowest scoring mark against any opponent.

Randolph, meanwhile, averaged 19.5 points and 11.0 rebounds while shooting 60.7 percent in last season's two games against Brooklyn. He's off to a slow start this season with an 11.5-point average on 36.4 percent shooting.

Randolph missed eight of 11 shots and finished with 11 points in Thursday's victory.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Suns (1-1) at Trail Blazers (1-1)

Date: October 31, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

Tyson Chandler underwhelmed in his Phoenix Suns debut, while C.J. McCollum enjoyed one of the best performances of his career in the Portland Trail Blazers' opener.

Both players and their teams flipped the script Friday, but will meet again Saturday night in Portland on the second half of a home-and-home.

Chandler, who signed a four-year, $52 million deal in July, had only three points and six rebounds in 17 minutes in Wednesday's 111-95 loss to Dallas. He was a force at home against the Trail Blazers on Friday, however, recording 15 points and 13 rebounds. He also helped Phoenix score 58 points in the paint, illustrating the possibility of a more consistent interior game for the Suns. They ranked 16th over the last three seasons with 41.8 points in the paint per game.

Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight also combined for 40 points in the backcourt, and coach Jeff Hornacek said the pick-and-roll action ran by his two guards was reminiscent of Steve Nash, whom the organization inducted into its Ring of Honor at halftime.

"They made some great passes and Tyson finished on a couple and they had to foul him on others or he is going to dunk it," Hornacek said. "So that's what we need. When we can get that going then it's going to open up other things."

McCollum lit up New Orleans in Portland's 112-94 home win on Wednesday, scoring a career-high 37 on 14-of-22 shooting, including 6 of 9 from 3-point range. He scored 16 on Friday but was 7 of 22 from the field and is 16 for 47 in six career games against the Suns.

Damian Lillard scored a game-high 24 but was also shaky from the field, going 7 for 20 to fall to 15 for 41 in two games. He's averaging 16.4 points on 35.5 percent shooting in his last eight games against Phoenix compared to 26.3 and 49.2 in his first four career matchups.

Lillard, who averaged 2.7 turnovers per game in 2014-15, is at 5.5 thus far after committing seven giveaways Friday. The Trail Blazers had 23 turnovers, leading to 29 points for the Suns.

Portland seemed to take issue with the way the game was officiated, as it was 15 of 19 from the free-throw line compared to Phoenix hitting 32 of 42.

"It is frustrating," Lillard said. "The refs are going to call the way they see it. We just got to play."

The Suns continued to struggle from 3-point range Friday and are 10 for 42 to begin the season. They ranked 21st in 2014-15 (34.1 percent).

Phoenix snapped a three-game losing streak in the series with Friday's win, but has dropped 10 of 12 at Portland, including both last year by a combined 44 points.

Portland shot 50.0 percent at home Wednesday against the Pelicans and its .768 home winning percentage over the last two seasons is tied with Oklahoma City and Houston as the NBA's fourth-highest in that span.