Saturday 4/2/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (44-25) at Islanders (42-25)

Date: April 02, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

The New York Islanders are one of the only teams to hold Pittsburgh relatively in check over the past three-plus weeks, and they still couldn't top the red-hot Penguins in the latest matchup.

The Islanders have won the past three home games in the series and will try to keep that streak going while spoiling Pittsburgh's attempt to clinch a playoff spot Saturday afternoon.

The Penguins (44-25-8) have scored 42 goals while winning 10 of 11 and failed to score three in just two games in that stretch. Chris Kunitz tallied their only goal in regulation in a home matchup with the Islanders on March 15, but Pittsburgh came away with a 2-1 shootout victory.

That's also the only time the Penguins have earned two points in the last eight games in which they have scored two goals or fewer. That span includes a 2-1 loss in Brooklyn on March 8.

Pittsburgh has won 17 in a row when tallying at least three goals and earned their fourth consecutive overall victory Thursday by topping Nashville 5-2. Phil Kessel found the net twice, giving him four goals and five assists during the win streak, and Sidney Crosby registered his 24th point in 17 games.

"I think we always believed in here," Kessel said. "We always knew we had a good squad. We just kept on battling and proved it."

The Penguins' surge, which includes a season high-tying five consecutive road wins, has moved them to the brink of a 10th straight postseason appearance. They can secure that with a victory or a Detroit regulation loss.

They can also get there if they earn one point, and the Red Wings lose in overtime or go to a shootout Saturday night in Toronto.

Pittsburgh swept the season series against Detroit, giving it the second tiebreaker.

The Islanders (42-25-9) can move to the verge of a postseason berth with a season high-tying fourth consecutive win Saturday and a regulation defeat by the Red Wings.

New York earned its 37th non-shootout win, same as Detroit, by edging Columbus 4-3 on Thursday. After his team blew an early two-goal lead, Anders Lee provided the tiebreaking power-play score with 14:37 remaining and boosted the Islanders to 9-1-1 in their last 11 home games.

"It was a gut-check win against a good team," coach Jack Capuano said. "They played hard, they came at us hard. We're finding ways here right now. It's about work ethic and the will to compete."

The Islanders are four points ahead of Philadelphia for the Eastern Conference's top wild-card spot and two behind the New York Rangers for third in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers play Ottawa on Saturday afternoon and the Rangers face Buffalo at night.

The Islanders' last four victories have come against teams out of playoff position, and the past three by one goal or a shootout. They have lost five straight to opponents that are currently postseason-bound.

Pittsburgh hasn't won six straight on the road since a franchise record-tying, seven-game run in 2010-11.

Crosby has four goals and four assists in his last five games against the Islanders. New York captain John Tavares, who scored twice against Columbus, has four goals and three assists in his past six matchups with Pittsburgh.

Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic is out for the rest of the regular season because of a lower-body injury. Mikhail Grabovski (upper body) and goaltender Jaroslav Halak (groin) are also sidelined.

Marek Zidlicky will likely return from an upper-body injury to take Hamonic's spot on the roster.

Pittsburgh defenseman Olli Maatta remains week to week with a lower-body ailment.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (47-22) at Kings (46-26)

Date: April 02, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

Division titles, home-ice advantage and the top seed in the Western Conference - they're all still for the taking.

The Dallas Stars have the inside track to all three, but the Los Angeles Kings are also in the hunt for them heading into Saturday's showdown at Staples Center.

With 103 points, the Stars (47-22-9) lead St. Louis by two points for the Central Division title - and by extension the Western Conference. Claiming the Central is important since the runner-up will have a difficult first-round challenge against reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago.

The Kings, meanwhile, are engaged in a back-and-forth with Anaheim for the Pacific Division lead. Los Angeles (46-26-5) remained one point ahead of Anaheim after the Ducks lost 3-2 to Vancouver on Friday night.

'We want to finish first. We want home ice,' Jeff Carter said after Los Angeles blanked Calgary 3-0 on Thursday night. 'We're fortunate enough to be in the position we are and got five games to get where we need to be.'

Dallas has done almost all it can do of late to fend off St. Louis and is seeking its fourth straight win and seventh in eight games after disposing of Arizona 4-1 on Thursday night. Jamie Benn became the 10th player in franchise history to score 40 goals in a season and Patrick Sharp became the fourth Stars player to reach 20 this season, sealing the victory with an empty-netter.

'It means I've got good line mates and good teammates,' said Benn, who has a three-game goal-scoring streak. 'They're setting me up 40 times, I guess."

Defensively, the Stars have dominated on the penalty kill, scoring more short-handed goals (3) than power-play goals conceded (2) in 37 chances over the last 12 games.

While the Kings are six points behind the Stars for the top spot in the West, they have every reason to be confident facing them as they go for the season sweep. In the most recent contest, Los Angeles stormed to a 5-2 victory at Dallas on March 15, chasing Kari Lehtonen early in the second period after beating him four times on 11 shots.

"We know it's going to be a heavy game. There will be a lot of battles on the walls," coach Lindy Ruff told the Stars' official website after practice Friday morning. "I felt in the last game they created some pressure; we gave them a few goals. I feel it's going to be a 3-2 game if we play well."

Jonathan Quick, who made 27 saves in a 3-2 win over the Stars on Jan. 19 and had the night off in last month's win, should get the nod after turning aside 21 shots versus the Flames. Quick has been dominant at home of late, going 9-1-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average in his last 11 starts at Staple Center.

He's also seeking his fifth win in his last six starts versus Dallas and enters this game with a 17-7-2 record and 2.42 GAA lifetime against the Stars.

"At the end of the day, winning matters," coach Daryl Sutter said of his goaltender to the team's official website. "There's a lot of goalies that when you give up two or three goals that their game changes not for the better, where Jonathan is about winning and having to make saves and that sort of things.

"You can win, but you don't win consistently without that guy over a long period of time."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (30-39) at Hurricanes (34-28)

Date: April 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

After getting the better of an old friend in his return to PNC Arena, the Carolina Hurricanes are still clinging to the slimmest of playoff hopes.

Although an Eastern Conference wild card is unlikely entering Saturday night's contest against the downtrodden Columbus Blue Jackets, the Hurricanes have played well since the trade deadline and got a glimpse of their future their last time out.

With only four games remaining, positive math remains in place for the Hurricanes (34-28-16), who trail Philadelphia by five points for the second wild card in the East. Detroit stands between Carolina and the Flyers for that spot.

The club signaled it was ready for a new era in February when it dealt captain and pending free agent Eric Staal to the New York Rangers in exchange for a prospect playing in Finland and two second-round draft picks.

Staal was given a warm reception upon his return to Raleigh on Friday before the Hurricanes rallied in the third period to beat the Rangers 4-3. The win gave Carolina points in 12 of 14 games since the deadline - a span in which the club has gone 6-2-6.

The Hurricanes have managed it despite a 2-for-21 slump on the power play, but the penalty kill has been outstanding with a 36-of-39 success rate in the past 16 games.

"This team continues to grow, develop and mature. That's what's happening," coach Bill Peters said.

"The growth amongst our group from training camp to now has been very good."

Victor Rask got the go-ahead score on a rare power-play goal with 10:54 left to help the Hurricanes deny New York in its bid to clinch a playoff spot.

What seemed more important moving forward in the wake of the Staal trade was the play of a few Carolina youngsters. In his fourth game since being recalled from Charlotte of the AHL, 23-year-old center Patrick Brown scored his first NHL goal in the opening period before assisting on Jeff Skinner's tying tally in the third.

Promising 21-year-old forward Sergey Tolchinsky, who posted back-to-back 90-point seasons in the OHL from 2013-15, made his NHL debut and picked up an assist on Justin Faulk's goal in the second, though he was sent back to Charlotte on Friday. Tolchinsky has had an outstanding rookie campaign in the AHL with 30 points and will be a player to watch in training camp this fall.

In its penultimate game at PNC Arena this season, Carolina will try to reach the 20-win plateau on home ice for the first time since 2011-12.

A season which began with an eight-game losing streak is ending in similar fashion for the Blue Jackets (30-39-8), who suffered their fourth straight loss and eighth in 10 games with a 4-3 defeat to the New York Islanders on Friday.

Brandon Dubinsky, Brandon Saad and Boone Jenner scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves for Columbus, which is also skating plenty of youngsters down the stretch.

The game marked the NHL debut for 19-year-old Sonny Milano, the 16th overall pick in the 2014 draft who was called up from Lake Erie of the AHL on Wednesday. Milano and fellow call-up Dean Kukan, a defenseman, each logged roughly 14 minutes of ice time.

Milano had 12 goals and 15 assists in 48 AHL games this season.

"He deserves a chance," coach John Tortorella said. "I'm anxious to see him play. He's produced for (Lake Erie) and we want to give him a chance."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Devils (37-33) at Lightning (44-28)

Date: April 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

While Steven Stamkos couldn't help but lash out in frustration for the second time in two weeks, Ben Bishop couldn't help but throw in his two cents.

Both insist the Tampa Bay Lightning will regroup over the final week.

After their bid for an Atlantic Division title took a hit, the Lightning hope to bounce back in their final home game Saturday night against a New Jersey Devils team that's on the brink of elimination.

Tampa Bay hoped a six-game stay at Amalie Arena would serve as a springboard to its first division crown since claiming the Southeast title and hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2003-04.

The club totaled 13 goals in winning the first two games to move into a first-place tie with Florida, but has scored a combined five while dropping two of the last three. The Lightning fell 5-2 to the Panthers on Saturday and 3-0 to Montreal on Thursday.

Now Tampa Bay (44-28-5) is two points back of Florida, which also has five to play. A victory over the Devils would secure the tiebreaker with more victories in regulation or overtime.

'There's no excuses here,' Stamkos said. 'Look yourself in the mirror time. If you're not giving the effort, then you're letting your teammates down. That's not acceptable at this time.

'I still have 100 percent belief that this group is special and can get it done,' he added. 'We have the guys. I believe in them and we've got to start believing in ourselves.'

It's not the first time the captain has had harsh words for the defending Eastern Conference champs. He called them "fragile" after the team dropped five of six in March and fell to third in the Atlantic.

The Lightning responded that time by winning three in a row, and now they hope to rally in similar fashion after Bishop also called out his team.

'There's a lot of people talking the talk but not that many guys walking the walk," the veteran goaltender said. "We've got five games left. We'll figure it out."

Bishop, expected to start Saturday, has gone 11-3-1 with a 1.67 goals-against average in his last 15 starts. He has four shutouts in that span and has two in his last three matchups with the Devils, including a 4-0 win Feb. 26 in the clubs' only meeting this season. Bishop's 1.26 career GAA versus New Jersey is his best against any opponent.

Stamkos has scored in each of the last three against the Devils but had his six-game point streak snapped Thursday. Ondrej Palat had a five-game point streak end but has five points in his last two meetings with New Jersey.

Ryan Callahan has 16 points in his last 14 games against the Devils. He returned Thursday from a five-game absence due to a lower-body injury, but his point drought reached 10 games.

The Devils (37-33-8) have totaled just six goals while losing three of their last four games to fall seven points out of a postseason spot with four remaining. All three defeats were by one goal, including 3-2 to Florida on Thursday as Mike Sislo scored his third of the season and Blake Pietila had his first.

A loss Saturday would leave New Jersey out of the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

Cory Schneider will return to net after missing 12 games with a knee injury. He has a 3.42 GAA in four starts versus the Lightning after allowing all four goals in February.

Tampa Bay will also face New Jersey on Thursday during a season-ending four-game trip.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canadiens (36-36) at Panthers (43-25)

Date: April 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Florida Panthers will always have a soft spot in their hearts for plastic rats, but they certainly hope they don't see them again anytime soon after a promotional giveaway nearly hampered the team's pursuit of the Atlantic Division title.

The Panthers jumped back into first place after winning their last game and getting some help from the Montreal Canadiens, who can further aid Florida's push when they visit Sunrise on Saturday night.

Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice and the Panthers killed off two third-period penalties after fans threw the toy rats onto the ice in a 3-2 win over New Jersey on Thursday. The rats, which paid homage to the 1995-96 team's stunning run to the Stanley Cup Final, could have ended up providing an entirely different memory for Florida.

"We love our fans and we love the rats, but I hope this doesn't happen again," coach Gerard Gallant said.

Jaromir Jagr had a pair of assists and Al Montoya made 23 saves for the Panthers, who broke a tie with Tampa Bay for the division lead when the Lightning lost 3-0 to Montreal on Thursday. Both teams have five games remaining.

Florida's magic number to earn a playoff spot dropped to three points.

"We needed that, especially at home in front of our fans," Huberdeau told the team's official website. "It's a big game. We're right back at the top, even though we've got to stay there and play better consistently."

Huberdeau has certainly been doing that, scoring for the fourth straight game and tying his career high with 54 points, set last season.

Jagr has a goal and five assists in a four-game point streak, while Aleksander Barkov also scored Thursday and has five points in a four-game run.

"They're our leaders and they took control tonight," Gallant said.

Florida's 3.58 goals per game since March 7 is tied for the second-best mark in the league in that span.

The Panthers, who avoided a third straight loss at home, will try to pick up another victory there before opening a three-game trip. Four of Florida's remaining games are against teams eliminated from playoff contention.

Two of those are against Montreal (36-36-6), which nonetheless has won two straight as it seemingly embraces the spoiler role. The Canadiens defeated desperate Detroit 4-3 on Tuesday before knocking off the Lightning.

"The last game against Detroit gave us some confidence as a team, and I think we played a great 60 minutes, we put together 60 minutes (Thursday). Lately, before the Detroit game, we were maybe putting together two good periods," center Lars Eller said.

Rookie Mike Condon made 26 saves, including a stop of Ondrej Palat's penalty shot in the second period, for his first NHL shutout, while David Desharnais, Torrey Mitchell and Phillip Danault scored.

The Canadiens' effort was all the more impressive considering they played with five defenseman after Nathan Beaulieu left after one period with a broken thumb. He'll miss the rest of the season.

Montreal also played without defenseman P.K. Subban for a 10th straight game due to a neck injury. His status remains uncertain.

Florida, which has taken the first two meetings in the season series, visits the Canadiens on Tuesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sabres (32-35) at Rangers (43-25)

Date: April 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Reaching the playoffs is a mere formality for the New York Rangers, and their next two games might present them with that chance. They're more concerned with avoiding their longest losing streak since December.

The Rangers look to shake out of this funk and continue their domination of the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

New York (43-25-9) has made the playoffs the last five seasons, reaching the Eastern Conference finals three times and the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. The Rangers also won last season's Presidents' Trophy, so expectations for 2015-16 were much greater than a return to the postseason.

The Rangers, though, wasted an opportunity to clinch that spot Thursday, losing 4-3 at Carolina, four nights after an overtime defeat to Pittsburgh. They haven't lost three games in a row since Dec. 17-20.

With five games left, New York's latest crack at gaining a berth includes a win in regulation or overtime combined with a Detroit loss at Toronto. If that doesn't suffice for the Rangers, their next opportunity comes Monday at last-place Columbus.

They're not looking that far ahead and don't seem to be troubled by trailing the Penguins by one point for second place in the Metropolitan Division.

"Really, myself and the coaching staff and the whole group are focused on (Saturday's) game," coach Alain Vigneault said. "We're definitely aware that we didn't play a full 60 minutes (Thursday).

"I'd say to a man, everybody wants to be better."

That's not usually a problem against Buffalo (32-35-11), which is missing the playoffs for a fifth straight season. The Rangers have won nine straight meetings for their longest active streak against any opponent. They scored the first three goals in a 4-2 road victory March 8 after netting three unanswered in a 6-3 win at home Jan. 25.

Mats Zuccarello and J.T. Miller scored in each game, while Derick Brassard totaled three with four assists to give him 14 points in eight meetings.

Zuccarello, who added two assists in last month's matchup, has 11 points over his past nine games with Buffalo. He enters this one with five points in five games after scoring his career-high 25th tally Thursday.

While Zuccarello is one point short of his personal-best of 59 from 2013-14, Miller is having a career year with 21 goals and as many assists.

Henrik Lundqvist will likely be back in net, and he has a 1.67 goals-against average while winning six straight starts against Buffalo. He hasn't been very sharp over his last nine games, compiling a 3.38 GAA while getting pulled twice.

The Sabres have dropped four of five on the road, but they scored the first three goals of Thursday's 4-1 home win over the Maple Leafs.

Ryan O'Reilly leads Buffalo with 56 points and his assist Thursday came on one of older brother Cal O'Reilly's career-high two goals.

"For them giving me a chance to play with (Ryan), it's pretty special for us," said Cal O'Reilly, who was recalled from the minors in February. "There was a time where I didn't know I'd get the opportunity again, and I'm very fortunate the Sabres here gave me a chance to play."

Jack Eichel has a team-high 23 goals while his 51 points are the most by a Sabres rookie since Derek Plante had 56 in 1993-94. Eichel has three points in two meetings with New York.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (39-28) at Maple Leafs (28-38)

Date: April 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Detroit Red Wings just got a win they desperately needed, though there's still more work to do to extend the NHL's longest active playoff streak.

With a challenging final stretch ahead, they'll need to seize an opportunity in Saturday night's matchup with the rebuilding Toronto Maple Leafs.

Detroit's sense of extreme urgency was evident Friday against Minnesota, in which it started strong in all three periods en route to a critical 3-2 win. The Red Wings outshot the Wild 11-5 in the first, built a 2-0 lead early in the second and received a pivotal goal from Riley Sheahan 2:08 into the third.

Despite the desired result, Detroit (39-28-11) still faces an uphill climb to avoid its first postseason absence since 1990. It's a point back of Boston for third in the Atlantic Division with four games left, three of which come on the road.

The Red Wings visit Boston on Thursday after hosting Philadelphia, tied with Detroit for eighth in the East but owning two games in hand, on Wednesday.

'For the last few years, that's the way it's been, we've had to battle our way into the playoffs,' said forward Gustav Nyquist, who had two assists Friday. 'We know we control our own fate. As long as we keep winning, we're good. We have to empty our tanks. We know there's nothing to save it for.'

With nothing at stake save a chance to increase its odds of winning this year's draft lottery, Toronto (28-38-11) theoretically presents a reprieve on Detroit's remaining schedule. The Maple Leafs have continued to play hard under former Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, though, winning six of 10 with an offense that's been extremely hit or miss over that stretch.

Toronto has scored at least four goals in each of its last five victories and totaled three in its past four losses. After routing Atlantic Division leader Florida 5-2 on the road Tuesday behind Nazem Kadri's hat trick, the Leafs were badly outplayed by also-ran Buffalo in Thursday's 4-1 defeat.

One constant during Toronto's inconsistent run has been the steady play of Jonathan Bernier. Sent to the minors in December after a string of rough outings, the goaltender has yielded two goals or less in winning four of his last six starts.

Bernier began that sequence with a 38-save effort in a 1-0 win at Detroit on March 13. He had 32 against the Panthers.

"Obviously he's played at a high level this last while," Babcock said. "Any time you go through adversity and you fight through it, it gives you a better opportunity and better base (be successful) again."

Detroit's goaltending situation has been more muddled of late. Jimmy Howard won for the fourth time in five starts with 20 saves against Minnesota and is making a bid to reclaim the No. 1 job from the struggling Petr Mrazek.

Mrazek owns a 4.69 goals-against average over his last five appearances and was pulled in Tuesday's 4-3 loss at Montreal after permitting two goals on seven shots.

Mrazek has stopped 58 of 60 shots in two starts against Toronto this season, compiling 32 saves in a 2-1 overtime win at Air Canada Centre on Nov. 6. Howard had 22 in a 4-0 home victory over the Leafs on Oct. 9.

Detroit has scored a power-play goal in a season-high seven straight and is 10 of 22 over that span.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (43-29) at Predators (39-26)

Date: April 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks are locked into a top-three spot in the Pacific Division, but a down stretch has them looking at a likely postseason start on the road.

The Nashville Predators' skid has made it unlikely they jump up from a wild card and into the Central's top three.

Each will try to end untimely funks when the Predators go for a season sweep and seventh straight home win over the Sharks on Saturday night.

Los Angeles and Anaheim are battling for the Pacific's top spot and enter the weekend a handful of points ahead of San Jose (43-29-6) with an extra game to play apiece. That means the Sharks' probable outcome is waiting to see which city they will travel to when the playoffs start in two weeks.

Opening on the road may prove advantageous, however, as San Jose's 2-4-0 slump has been marked by poor play at home. All four losses were at the SAP Center to drop the Sharks to 17-19-3 there, a stark contrast to their Western Conference-leading 26-10-3 record away from home.

San Jose lacked energy in Thursday's 4-2 defeat to a Vancouver team that had lost nine in a row. The Sharks had clinched a playoff spot with Monday's 5-2 win over the Kings and beat the Canucks 4-1 on the road Tuesday.

"It's tough to manufacture,' coach Peter DeBoer said. 'Let's be honest. Everybody knows kind of where we're at. So that's the reality of the situation, too. You can talk about it all you want, and of course everyone wants to win 10 in a row going into the playoffs. But I'm confident our group will have its game in the right place when that starts.'

A turnaround needs to start in their own end, as the Sharks have surrendered 17 goals in the last five games.

Martin Jones made 22 saves against Vancouver but surrendered two goals in the first period and the winner in the third about four minutes after San Jose tied it.

Jones posted a 1.76 goals-against average while going 11-5-1 from Feb. 9-March 22, but he has a 2.70 GAA in his last three starts.

Jones has suffered both losses against the Predators (39-26-13) this season as Nashville moved to 10-3-1 in the last 14 meetings. The Predators have outscored the Sharks 24-9 in the six consecutive home wins.

Jones surrendered five goals in a 6-2 defeat at Nashville on Feb. 6. Viktor Arvidsson scored twice, Filip Forsberg added a goal and two assists and Shea Weber, Calle Jarnkrok and James Neal also scored.

However, Nashville's top five goal scorers - Forsberg, Neal, Craig Smith, Weber and Jarnkrok - have totaled two in a three-game losing streak. The Predators have also allowed 14 goals in that stretch, which has followed a 12-2-2 surge.

Nashville is holding down the top wild-card spot, but appears unlikely to catch Chicago for the third seed in the Central following Thursday's 5-2 loss at Pittsburgh.

'We've been doing this for 70-something games and obviously, it's all about getting in,' Forsberg said. 'It doesn't matter if you win the last four or you lose the last four, as long as you get in. It's all about getting in.'

The Predators came up empty on four power-play opportunities and Pekka Rinne allowed four goals before sitting out the third period in favor of Carter Hutton.

Rinne has gone 5-3-1 in his last nine starts against San Jose with a 1.09 GAA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (32-40) at Oilers (30-42)

Date: April 02, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

There are only two games left at Rexall Place. As much as Edmonton Oilers fans will miss the place, so might the Calgary Flames.

It's a building where Calgary has flourished in recent seasons despite limited success otherwise, though the Oilers will have a better chance to ruin their Alberta rival's final visit Saturday night if a lengthy break got them healthier.

These clubs are just trying to avoid finishing last in the Pacific Division.

Edmonton (30-42-7) is missing the playoffs for a 10th straight year and has a Western Conference-low 67 points, three fewer than a Flames team which failed to qualify for the sixth time in seven seasons.

That span, however, has seen Calgary go 14-3-1 in Edmonton. The Flames are 7-0-1 in their last eight at Rexall Place, though the loss came in the last trip - 2-1 in a shootout Jan. 16.

The Oilers head to a new downtown arena next season, so Wednesday's matchup with Vancouver will mark the finale at a building they've called home since it opened in 1974 as Northlands Coliseum. While the three-day break before that game gives management time for last-minute preparations for the festivities, having the past four days off gave some key players time to heal.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins hasn't played since suffering a concussion March 22 in Arizona but returned to practice Thursday.

"Obviously if I'm back skating, practicing with the guys, it wasn't a terrible one or anything," he said. "Just definitely was shook up, but feel a lot better now. ... Right now it's just kind of day to day."

Nugent-Hopkins had missed nearly two months earlier this year with a hand injury, the same issue which has kept Adam Pardy sidelined the past nine games. He's been skating with the team in practice and wants to return soon so he can make an impression on a team he didn't join until being claimed off waivers Feb. 29.

"It's really important I get into the next three (games) and leave a positive impact," Pardy said.

Fellow defenseman Eric Gryba also is hopeful of returning Saturday after being out for six weeks with a knee problem.

However, Edmonton still remains without Oscar Klefbom (foot), Andrew Ference (hip), Brandon Davidson (knee) and Benoit Pouliot (shoulder).

"It's been a year-long monkey wrench when it comes to injuries," said coach Todd McLellan, whose club has lost four of five.

Both the Oilers and Flames are coming off back-to-back defeats to the Pacific's top teams. Edmonton lost 6-4 at Los Angeles last Saturday, then 2-1 to Anaheim on Monday.

Calgary (32-40-6) wasn't nearly as competitive, falling 8-3 to the Ducks on Wednesday and 3-0 to the Kings a night later. The Flames are 0-8 this season against those teams.

"It's been a tough year for us in our own division," forward Mikael Backlund told the club's official website.

Calgary has lost five of six overall but is 9-1-1 in its past 11 versus Edmonton. Joe Colborne has four goals and four assists in his last seven games against the Oilers.

Taylor Hall has eight points in the four meetings this season and leads Edmonton with 81 but has just four in his last 11 games. Jordan Eberle has tied Hall for the team lead with 25 goals by scoring in five of the past eight games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (55-16) at Coyotes (34-36)

Date: April 02, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

There's little at stake for the Washington Capitals heading into the final week of the season, but they're finding motivation in getting Braden Holtby in the record books.

Holtby might be back in net in order to get a chance to tie the NHL's record for wins in a season Saturday night against the Arizona Coyotes.

Washington (55-16-6) has already won the Presidents' Trophy and set the franchise's single-season wins record with Friday's 4-2 victory at Colorado.

Partly due to their failure to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs on seven postseason trips in the past eight seasons, the Capitals' legacy will ultimately be judged on whether they can win their first Stanley Cup.

Holtby is trying to leave a personal imprint on the season. His 47 wins are one shy of the single-season record set by Martin Brodeur with New Jersey in 2006-07.

The Capitals want him to own that record, and coach Barry Trotz is considering starting him on back-to-back days for the fourth time this season after he only needed 17 saves Friday. He's won his three prior starts on no days' rest.

"Maybe it's a once in a lifetime opportunity," said Alex Ovechkin, who scored his league-leading 45th goal against the Avalanche."We're going to do our best."

Holtby has a 1.46 goals-against average while winning both career meetings with Arizona (34-36-7). He made 25 saves in a 3-2 win over the Coyotes on Feb. 22.

If Holtby is rested, Philipp Grubauer would get the nod, and he's lost his last two starts with a 4.07 GAA.

Ovechkin has 14 points in 11 career games against the Coyotes, getting two earlier this season. He's gone four straight games without a goal in Arizona, however, last scoring there in January 2006.

The Coyotes are out of playoff contention for a fourth straight season after falling 4-1 at Dallas on Thursday.

"It's unfortunate," coach Dave Tippett told the team's official website. "We came into this season with our goal of making the playoffs.

"We knew we were going to be a very young team and it was going to be an uphill battle, but what we said at the start of the year was this team has to grow this year. From where we were last year we've got growth started. We're moving in the right direction."

Part of Tippett's optimism comes from the emergence of rookies Max Domi and Anthony Duclair, who have combined for 37 goals and 55 assists.

Duclair has two goals and four assists during a five-game point streak after totaling four points over the 15 previous games.

Domi has four points in five games, and averages one over his last 15 at home.

Both Duclair and Domi were held pointless at Washington.

It's unknown if the Coyotes will have Martin Hanzal and Oliver Ekman-Larsson back. Hanzal has seven points during a five-game streak and scored a goal Thursday before leaving after the first period with an upper-body injury.

Ekman-Larsson missed one game with an illness, leaving Arizona without its top scorer at 51 points. The defenseman has one in each of the last three meetings with Washington.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - April

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

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

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

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
4/1 5 25 36 OVER
4/2 11 - - -
4/3 5 - - -
4/4 5 - - -
4/5 11 - - -
4/6 3 - - -
4/7 13 - - -
4/8 1 - - -
4/9 15 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

For the most part, we know which teams are in the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the West, it will be Dallas, St. Louis and Chicago from the Central Division. Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Jose will make it from the Pacific Division. And Nashville and Minnesota from the Central should claim the final two wild-card spots. The Wild got a huge win in that regard on Saturday against Colorado; the Avs are now five points behind the Wild for that final wild-card spot and Minnesota holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.

In the East, Washington (will clinch the Presidents' Trophy this week and remains +400 Cup favorite), the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh are locks from the Metropolitan Division, as are Florida, Tampa Bay and Boston from the Atlantic. The NY Islanders, Philly and Detroit are battling for the two wild-card spots. I expect the Flyers to be the odd team out.

But perhaps the most interesting race to monitor the rest of the way is at the bottom of the standings and the best chance to win the NHL Draft lottery and select touted prospect Auston Matthews with the No. 1 overall pick this June. Matthews was the first player to be named by USA Hockey to the U.S. roster for the upcoming world hockey championship in Russia (starts May 6). Matthews finished second in the top Swiss league this season in voting for league MVP after scoring 24 goals and 46 points in 36 games. He's just 18.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have the fewest points entering the week with 65, and they badly need a franchise-changing talent like Mathews could be. Some other teams are making a late push to try and "catch" Toronto or at least get as low as possible. Vancouver appears to be in full tank mode, having lost eight straight games and scoring a total of seven goals in them. The Canucks have 67 points. So does Edmonton, which could be frightening if it lands Matthews to pair with Connor McDavid.

Ottawa is fading and has decided to shut down defenseman Dion Phaneuf and forward Clarke MacArthur the rest of the way. Phaneuf was acquired at the trade deadline from the Maple Leafs, but the Sens are playing only about .500 hockey since and they aren't making the playoffs. MacArthur played four games this season because of a concussion.

My point being: bet big against those teams near the bottom with nothing to play for. Might not be a bad idea to also wager against the Caps for a bit as they might start resting guys with nothing left to prove in the regular season.

This Week's Games To Watch

Dallas at Los Angeles, Saturday: Matchup of division leaders, although it may not be by Saturday. The Stars remain No. 1 in the NHL in scoring and haven't missed the injured Tyler Seguin too badly yet. Dallas got back center Mattias Janmark from a six-game injury absence on Saturday and he had two goals in a 4-2 win over San Jose. Coach Lindy Ruff still hasn't said whether Kari Lehtonen or Antti Niemi will be his playoff goalie. Lehtonen had taken over as the primary guy but Niemi was in there against the Sharks. Led by Jonathan Quick, the Kings are No. 1 in the NHL in goals against. The Kings are 2-0 vs. the Stars this season, winning 3-2 at home and 5-2 on the road. These teams won't play again unless it's the Western Conference Finals. The Kings are +350 to win the West and Stars +550.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Senators won their last two games, 2-1/3-2. Flyers won four of last six games.
-- Penguins won four in row, nine of last 10 games. Islanders won four of last five games.
-- Dallas Stars won six of their last seven games.
-- Tampa Bay won four of its last six games.
-- Montreal won 3-0/4-3 in its last two games. Florida won three of last four games.
-- Red Wings are 5-3 in their last eight games.
-- Washington is 6-3 in its last nine games.

Cold teams
-- Kings lost four of their last six games.
-- Carolina lost its last four games, outscored 16-7. Columbus is 3-7 in its last ten games.
-- New Jersey lost three of its last four games.
-- Sabres lost four of their last five road games. Rangers lost 3-2ot/4-3 in last two games.
-- Maple Leafs lost three of their last four games.
-- San Jose lost four of its last six games. Nashville lost last three games, outscored 14-7.
-- Calgary lost five of its last six games. Edmonton lost four of its last five.
-- Arizona lost 4-1/5-2 in its last two games.

Series records
-- Senators won three of last four games with Philly.
-- Islanders won five of last seven games with Pittsburgh.
-- Dallas/Los Angeles split their last ten games.
-- Carolina won six of last seven games with Columbus.
-- Devils lost three of last four visits to Tampa Bay.
-- Canadiens won six of last nine games with Florida.
-- Rangers won their last nine games with Buffalo.
-- Maple Leafs won four of last six games with Detroit.
-- Predators won six of last eight games with San Jose.
-- Flames won eight of last ten games with Edmonton.
-- Washington won three of its last four games with Arizona.

Totals
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Ottawa games.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Pittsburgh games.
-- Seven of last ten Dallas Stars games went over the total.
-- Under is 6-3-1 in last ten Carolina-Columbus games.
-- Six of last seven Devil-Lightning games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Florida games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-0-2 in last seven Ranger games.
-- Last eight Detroit-Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five San Jose games.
-- Five of last seven Calgary-Edmonton games went over.
-- Eight of last ten Arizona games stayed under the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Detroit lost last nine games if it played the night before.
-- Washington won seven of last nine if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Bryant turned out overseas offer
By The Sports Xchange

Kobe Bryant, the NBA's highest-paid player based on his 2016 salary, turned down a pitch from European club FC Barcelona to extend his basketball career overseas.
Bryant, whose salary this season is $25 million, lived in Europe for eight years and has made many trips to Barcelona. But according to Spanish sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Bryant turned down an offer from the team to end his basketball career overseas, possibly as a teammate of Bulls center Pau Gasol. They were teammates during NBA title runs in 2009 and 2010.
Bryant, 37, announced before the season his 20th season would be his last. Bryant was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets and traded to the Lakers, with whom he played his entire NBA career. In 72 games this season, Bryant is averaging 16.6 points per game.
He admits the game became a physical struggle, especially a chronic shoulder issue and general leg soreness. Bryant played in 41 total games the two previous seasons because of shoulder and leg injuries that required surgery. He ruptured his Achilles and tore the labrum in his shoulder.

---Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle has been fined $15,000 for making an obscene gesture after hitting the game-winning shot against the Miami Heat, the NBA announced.
Randle's actions occurred with 1.9 seconds remaining in overtime of the Lakers' 102-100 victory over the Heat at Staples Center on Wednesday night.
After making the shot, Randle mimicked a gesture made popular by Sam Cassell during his playing days and from the character Pedro Cerrano in "Major League II."

---The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Bryce Cotton to a 10-day contract.
The 6-foot-1, 165-pound Cotton, 23, has appeared in 18 games over two seasons with the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns, averaging 4.7 points and one assist in 10.7 minutes. He has played in 40 games (all starts) for the NBA Development League's Austin Spurs, averaging 22 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 39.2 minutes.
Cotton was undrafted in 2014 out of Providence College.

---The Sacramento Kings recalled forwards Duje Dukan and Eric Moreland from the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League.
Dukan, 24, is averaging 14.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 27 games (all starts) for the Bighorns this season.
Moreland, 24, has played in five games (four starts) for the Bighorns, averaging 9.6 points and 9.8 rebounds.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

While top teams dominate at home, take a look at NBA road faves down the stretch
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

For a season stacked with storylines ranging from Golden State’s run at the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls to D’Angelo Russell’s egregious violation of the “Bro Code,” perhaps no subplot has garnered more attention than the home dominance displayed on a nightly basis by the top two teams in the business.

Through Thursday night, the Golden State Warriors (36-0, 54 straight) and San Antonio Spurs (38-0, 47 straight) had combined to post a remarkable regular season home record of 101-0 dating back to last season.

To put that into perspective, not one, but two Super Bowl Champions have been crowned since the last time the Warriors lost a regular season matchup at Oracle Arena (113-111 OT loss vs. Chicago on January 27, 2015).

As a whole, the 30 NBA member organizations were a combined 665-461 at home entering Thursday night’s schedule, with an against-the-spread record of 555-558-13. Clearly, a wagering strategy based solely on backing home teams—even if that pool includes Golden State and San Antonio—offers no discernible betting advantage whatsoever.

Obviously, the same thing can be said about backing road teams, who were 558-555-13 ATS entering Thursday night’s slate of action. But what if we refined our search criteria a bit to, say, just backing road favorites?

This is where things get really interesting.

With just two weeks to go in the 2015-2016 NBA regular season, there are eight franchises that are covering the spread a profitable 58.8 percent of the time or better when assuming the role of road favorite. Those teams include:

* ”Games remaining” indicates road games remaining entering Friday’s schedule and all records are ATS.

Orlando Magic: 5-1 (.833), 3 games remaining
Miami Heat: 12-5 (.706), 5 games remaining
Milwaukee Bucks: 2-1 (.667), 3 games remaining
Utah Jazz: 8-4 (.667), 3 games remaining
Los Angeles Clippers: 13-9-2 (.591), 3 games remaining
Memphis Grizzlies: 10-7 (.588), 4 games remaining
San Antonio Spurs: 20-14 (.588), 4 games remaining
Golden State Warriors: 20-14-2 (.588), 2 games remaining

This isn’t exactly a small sample size we’re talking about here, but rather, an eight-team pot with 149 bet-worthy matchups. And get this: If you’re willing to expand our criteria to road favorites hitting at 53.3 percent of the time or better instead of 58.8 percent, you wind up adding four more clubs (Portland, Washington, Charlotte and Indiana) with another 50 games.

Granted, as you work to implement parts of this basic strategy over the next two weeks, you must always remain cognizant of the fact that certain NBA teams (Sixers, Lakers, Suns, Nets) will be looking to tank away their remaining games in an effort to jockey for better draft position.

But it’s not as if the Philadelphia 76ers were covering as road favorites, anyway. In fact, the Sixers and the Lakers are the only two franchises in the NBA that have yet to be posted as a road favorite at any point this season.

Hell, even Brooklyn was listed as a road favorite once this season. Predictably, the Nets failed to cover.

NO REST FOR THE WEARY

Well, that headline is only partially true, as we’re about to mention the San Antonio Spurs, who have been taking it very easy over the last week.

This is the time of year when “the grind” catches up. Injuries, lengthy road trips, locker room dysfunction, you name it. Every team is battling a variety of factors that now put attributes like focus and hustle at a premium. As a result, it’s imperative to identify the clubs cable of scratching out a cover when working on little rest.

Entering Thursday’s NBA schedule, there were five teams who were covering the spread at least 60.0 percent of the time when playing the second half of a back-to-back.

Golden State Warriors: 13-7 (.650)
Memphis Grizzlies: 11-6 (.647)
San Antonio Spurs: 9-6 (.600)
Toronto Raptors: 9-6 (.600)
Milwaukee Bucks: 12-8 (.600)

Expand our criteria from covering the spread 60.0 percent of the time to 58.8 percent of the time and five additional organizations make the cut (New York, Detroit, Dallas, Utah and Boston).

These are the teams that have demonstrated a penchant for turning a profit when working on short rest and, as a result, should be taken very seriously over the final two weeks of the season.

However, you can’t analyze how different teams perform during the second half of a back-to-back without having a serious conversation about how those same teams perform in that situation in regards to the over/under. Sometimes defense takes a backseat in this scenario, which is absolutely quantifiable.

Entering Thursday night, the over was hitting 64.7 percent of the time or better in the second half of a back-to-back situation for the following six clubs:

Minnesota Timberwolves: 9-3-2 (.750)
Houston Rockets: 14-5 (.737)
Toronto Raptors: 10-5 (.667)
Washington Wizards: 13-7 (.650)
Denver Nuggets: 11-6 (.647)
Los Angeles Lakers: 11-6 (.647)

None of this analysis qualifies as neurosurgery, but once you get 70 or more games into the NBA regular season, sometimes it helps to take a step back and analyze the league through some basic filters. In the above mentioned scenarios we’ve identified 15 different teams that are hitting at 60.0 percent or better within the criteria of one basic category.

None of this may be a secret relegated to the dark alleys of the Las Vegas Strip, but it all falls under the one category that we are most interested in, and that’s profitability.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (39-36) at 76ers (9-67)

Date: April 02, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Clinging to eighth place in the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers have a good opportunity to solidify their position this weekend against two of the East's worst teams.

The trip begins Saturday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, who are trying to avoid matching the worst finish in league history, but the Pacers won't take them lightly considering they're coming off a lopsided home loss to another last-place team.

Pacer players said the right things following Friday's practice but they also sounded like their confidence had been shaken a day after a 114-94 loss to Orlando.

"We're not broken," star Paul George said. "This is the team's first year together and we're going to have our bumps and bruises. We're going to have to learn and kinda grow and guide this ship as we go. But we're together and that's the best thing about this situation."

The situation is Indiana's lead over ninth-place Chicago is down to one game and the Bulls own the tiebreaker after beating the Pacers (39-36) on Tuesday to win three of four in the season series.

"We still believe in each other," said Ian Mahinmi, who had six points and three turnovers Thursday after averaging 18.3 points and totaling three giveaways in his previous three. " ... We feel like the whole group wants to turn this thing around."

Shoring up their defense would be a good place to start.

The Pacers gave up 56 points in the paint to the Magic, the third time in four games they allowed at least 54. Their season average is 42.2.

"We take pride in our defense," George said, "and to give up 50-60 points in the paint is unacceptable."

An upsurge of scoring inside has, not surprisingly, dominoed into more points allowed. Over the last four, they're yielding an average of 108.3 points - 7.8 worse than their season average. They're 0-19 when permitting at least 107.

The good news for the Pacers is the 76ers aren't a huge offensive threat, reaching that mark twice in their last 16 games.

Indiana also allowed its fewest points of the season against Philadelphia on March 21, as George scored seven in the last 5:40 to help the Pacers pull away for a 91-75 victory. Indiana has won eight of nine meetings, limiting the 76ers to an average of 78 points in the last three.

Philadelphia (9-67) will complete a back-to-back after shooting 36.7 percent in Friday's 100-91 loss in Charlotte, its 11th straight defeat and 24th in 25 games.

The 76ers must win once more to avoid matching the worst 82-game record in league history. Losing their final six would drop them to 9-73 to tie the mark they set in 1972-73.

Philadelphia was 10 of 39 from 3-point range Friday as the starting backcourt of Isaiah Canaan and Ish Smith combined for eight points on 3-of-18 shooting.

'We needed to make more shots. It's almost that simple," 76ers coach Brett Brown said.

Canaan has been abysmal lately, shooting 23.1 percent in the last four, and scored 15 at Indiana last week.

George scored 34 in a 27-point win at Philadelphia on Nov. 18 and is two 3-pointers away from joining Reggie Miller as the only Pacers with at least 200 3s in a single season. He is still 31 from Miller's franchise record from 1996-97.

George is 6 of 15 from beyond the arc in this season's two meetings with Philadelphia.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pistons (40-36) at Bulls (38-37)

Date: April 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

It was just a few days ago that the Chicago Bulls were facing a growing deficit in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

They have sliced into that in each of their past two games but might be short-handed for their attempt to move back into the eighth spot Saturday night. To accomplish that goal, they would have to beat the Detroit Pistons while getting some help.

Chicago dropped 2 1/2 games behind Detroit with nine remaining after its fourth consecutive loss Monday, 102-100 against visiting Atlanta. The Bulls (38-37) are now chasing Indiana following their back-to-back wins and the Pacers' two straight defeats, including a 98-96 home loss to Chicago on Tuesday.

The Bulls then posted a 103-100 victory in Houston on Thursday with Taj Gibson sidelined and Derrick Rose missing for the second half. Nikola Mirotic scored 28 points off the bench for the second straight game and has gone 12 of 23 from 3-point range in that stretch.

"I think the biggest thing is those guys went out there and played together. That's a huge thing. We got hit with adversity in both games, got down, but found a way to stick together," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "What's been a struggle with this team is fighting through adversity and we did it these past couple of games."

Gibson (bruised rib) and Rose (bruised left elbow) are considered doubtful for Saturday.

If the duo sits out, it could make it challenging for Chicago to force a split of its four-game season series against Detroit (40-36). If the Bulls can pull that off, they could move into eighth if the Pacers lose again Saturday.

Indiana, though, is visiting league-worst Philadelphia, which has dropped 24 of its last 25 games.

The Pistons could also use a surprising win from the 76ers as they're only one-half game ahead of the Pacers for seventh in the East. Detroit lost 98-89 to Dallas on Friday to finish 6-3 on its nine-game homestand.

With a season-high 31 points, Marcus Morris was the only Pistons player with more than 15, and he also grabbed 12 rebounds. Detroit will play four of its final six away from home, beginning with a three-game trip.

"Now we are going to have to go on the road and beat some good teams if we want to get in," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We needed this game."

The Pistons, 2-4 on the road last month, played one of the league's most memorable games this season in their most recent trip to Chicago on Dec. 18. They outlasted the Bulls 147-144 in four overtimes for only their second win in the last 17 visits.

Chicago avenged that defeat with a 111-101 victory at Detroit on Jan. 18, only its second in the last six overall meetings. Pau Gasol scored a season-high 31 points and has a combined 61 in his past two matchups.

Jimmy Butler was held to 16 points after tallying 43 in the game at the United Center.

Morris is averaging 21.3 points on 52.1 percent shooting this season against Chicago, his best scoring mark versus any East opponent. Andre Drummond had a career-high 33 in the win in Chicago, and Reggie Jackson had 31.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (51-24) at Spurs (63-12)

Date: April 02, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The San Antonio Spurs may be flying slightly under the radar but they're now the only team that can complete an unbeaten home schedule.

The Spurs put their 47-game regular-season home win streak on the line Saturday night when they meet the only opponent they have yet to beat this season in the Toronto Raptors.

Golden State's amazing pursuit of a record 73 wins has become the NBA's biggest story. That chase stalled with Friday's shocking 109-106 loss to Boston that snapped its 54-game regular-season home win streak and was the Warriors' first defeat in Oakland.

It left San Antonio (63-12) as the only team still perfect at home after moving to 38-0 with its 100-92 win over New Orleans on Wednesday. The Spurs, who can notch a franchise-best 64th win, topped the record 37-0 start by the Chicago Bulls during their 72-victory season in 1995-96.

They are very close to getting to 41-0, but insist that's not important.

"Going undefeated at home is a great accomplishment, it's kind of crazy to think about it, didn't expect it but if we get it, it's not something that's in our minds of focusing on staying perfect," guard Danny Green said. "We're going to take it a game at a time, get better, stay crisp and get ready for the playoffs."

Long known as one of the league's best defensive teams under coach Gregg Popovich, the Spurs allow 96 points per 100 possessions and an average of 92.6 points to lead the NBA in those departments.

No opponent shot the ball better versus that defense than Toronto did in connecting at 57.8 percent in a 97-94 win Dec. 9. The Raptors (51-24) attempted 64 shots for the second-lowest mark in an NBA game this season, committing 21 turnovers.

DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and Kyle Lowry added 19, totaling 16 points off 15 drives. They were big reasons why the Raptors averaged 1.54 points per possession on drives compared to the Spurs' 1.09 mark.

"They're very good, obviously with the two-man duo they got going there and obviously some great players around them," Green said. "But DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, they're playing at a very high level, they've won 50 games this season, which is big for them."

Another factor in that contest was the solid play by reserve guard Cory Joseph, who will visit San Antonio for the first time after spending his first four NBA seasons with the Spurs. The Raptors ran 26 ball screens with Joseph, averaging 1.14 points per possession on those situations for a higher mark than the 21 ball screens they used with DeRozan and 20 with Lowry.

It's always unclear if Popovich will rest anyone, with veteran forward David West sitting out the last two games.

Toronto has dropped 12 of its last 13 at San Antonio as it seeks a seventh straight victory in the second half of a back-to-back set. The Raptors are 8-3 when playing on the road in such a scenario.

DeRozan scored 27 and Lowry added 22 in Friday's 99-95 victory at Memphis. The Raptors hung tough down the stretch and never gave up the lead after Terrence Ross' 3-pointer made it 87-84 with 5:06 left.

'That's what we've been trying to do for the past three or four years - develop a winning culture and learning habits," coach Dwane Casey said. 'I think that we are getting there, and we are taking the steps in the right direction."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (30-46) at Nuggets (32-45)

Date: April 02, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Denver Nuggets must feel fortunate that they won't face Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins.

They have allowed Cousins to score at least 30 points four straight times, including twice in losses this season, but won't have to worry about him Saturday night in Denver.

The volatile center earned an automatic one-game suspension after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season in Wednesday's 120-111 home win over Washington in which he had 29 points and 10 boards. He sat out Friday's 112-106 defeat to Miami and is expected to rest Saturday while playing only home games for the remainder of the season.

That's good news for the Nuggets (32-45) since Cousins is averaging 34.5 points in his last four games against them, totaling 76 on 59.1 percent shooting to go with a total of 29 boards in two this season to help Sacramento (30-46) move within a game of a season sweep.

The Kings are 2-11 without Cousins this season and 13-43 overall when he doesn't play.

The big man's absence could prevent Saturday's game from being the typical, high-scoring affair these teams have contested over the last two seasons. All six matchups in that span have seen both teams crack 105 points, with the Kings winning 116-110 on Feb. 19 and 114-110 four days later.

Denver had a healthy Danilo Gallinari then and won't have the injured high-scoring forward this time.

The Nuggets look to recover after falling 101-95 on the road Thursday to a short-handed New Orleans club. Darrell Arthur led the way with 24 points as no Denver starter had more than the 16 by Gary Harris.

'I feel like every game at this point is a learning experience,' coach Michael Malone said. 'It's a game we definitely should have won, but we didn't come out with the energy or do what we needed to do to win.'

It was a rough experience for Will Barton, who missed all eight shots and scored six points after he totaled 48 in his previous two games.

The Nuggets are also seeking to start a new home win streak after a five-game run at Pepsi Center ended with Monday's 97-88 defeat to Dallas.

Rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay is averaging 15.3 points in his last three games. He has totaled 19 on 9-of-27 shooting against Sacramento.

The Kings had a three-game home win streak snapped Friday despite facing a Heat team playing without superstar Dwyane Wade. They cut a 24-point deficit down to one in the fourth quarter.

'We've been dealing with injuries and we've been dealing with other things off the court,' guard Darren Collison said. 'I'm just proud guys have continued to stay with it. It's going to pay off in the near future, believe it or not."

Collison scored a season-high 26 and Seth Curry matched his career best with 21 for the second time in three games.

Forward Omri Casspi is day to day after leaving Friday with a strained right hamstring.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Heat (44-31) at Trail Blazers (40-36)

Date: April 02, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Portland Trail Blazers haven't stopped winning at home despite a slump from their best player.

The Miami Heat, meanwhile, continue to succeed even without their two stars.

As the Trail Blazers aim for a seventh straight victory on their home floor in Saturday night's matchup with Miami, the Heat will try to clinch a playoff spot without Chris Bosh and most likely Dwyane Wade.

The Heat failed to overcome Bosh's extended absence as they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008 last season, but they're on the verge of returning despite the All-Star being sidelined since the All-Star break by a recurrence of blood clots. Miami (44-31) can secure a berth with a victory or if Chicago loses to Detroit on Saturday.

Getting that win should prove to be difficult, as the Trail Blazers have averaged 114.5 points in winning 10 of 11 at home. Not having Wade, dealing with a sore neck and back from a hard fall in Wednesday's 102-100 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, available for a second straight night would make the task increasingly challenging.

Wade is doubtful to play after missing Friday's game at Sacramento, though Gerald Green filled in more than ably in a spot start. The journeyman guard, who had played 10 minutes over Miami's previous three games, scored a season-high 30 points to lead the Heat to a 112-106 win.

Green made 5 of 9 3-point attempts and the Heat finished 12 of 22 from beyond the arc after going 3 of 17 at Los Angeles, where Miami squandered a 15-point lead to lose to the West's last-place team.

'Obviously, everybody was disappointed about the Lakers loss,' Green said. 'Even though the Kings played very well, we just stayed patient, we stayed the course, listened to the game plan and everything (worked out).'

The Heat have been similarly resourceful to go 15-7 without Bosh. Hassan Whiteside has helped fill that void by averaging 17.9 points and 13.6 rebounds while shooting 61.8 percent since the All-Star break.

Portland (40-36) has withstood a four-game stretch in which Damian Lillard has shot 27.9 percent and been held under 20 points each time. It moved to 3-0 on this four-game homestand despite the star guard managing 14 points on 3-of-16 shooting in Thursday's 116-109 win over Boston.

Al-Farouq Aminu offset Lillard's rough outing by amassing a career-high 28 points, three nights after Allen Crabbe delivered 21 on 8-of-10 shooting in 21 minutes during Monday's 105-93 victory over Sacramento.

While Lillard may be struggling, the Blazers have been hot as a team from the perimeter. They're 28 of 63 from 3-point range over their last two, with Aminu 8 of 17 and Crabbe 6 of 10 over that stretch.

'He turned the game around for us,' Lillard said of Aminu. 'For a guy that hadn't been shooting the ball great on a lot of those 3-point shots, (Thursday) when we needed him, he rose up and knocked them down pretty much every time.'

Portland, one game back of sliding Memphis for fifth in the West, may have a tougher time hitting from the outside against Miami. The Heat are allowing the third-fewest 3-pointers in the NBA (7.5 per game) this season and have limited opponents to 31.4 percent over their last four.

Miami went 12 of 23 from 3 and shot 57.3 percent overall in a 116-109 home victory over Portland on Dec. 20, its fifth win in the last six meetings.