Sunday 11/13/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Can-Am 500 Preview
By Micah Roberts

You're going to look at Kevin Harvick's odds offered at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook this week and think there is an error somewhere, so let's get that notion out of the way right off the bat: Kevin Harvick is the 6-to-5 favorite (Bet $100 to win $120) to win Sunday's Cam-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Yes, as in +120, and that's not a match-up price. Those odds are to win the race against 39 other drivers.

The reason for such short odds this week is because he's owned the flat 1-mile layout of Phoenix over his career and he's going to have to win Sunday's Round of 8 finale if he wants a chance to move on to next weeks Championship Round at Homestead and the opportunity to win his second Sprint Cup title. Total desperation, and a great storyline to watch unfold throughout the race.

It's a tall task for any driver to 'have to win' when the chips are down, but Carl Edwards did it last week at Texas and Harvick himself did it at Phoenix in 2014 when he 'had to win' and then he went on to win his only championship a week later. This was on the Westgate crew minds when creating the odds on Monday. They've seen this movie before at Phoenix and it almost always ends the same way. This guy just doesn't get rattled, which is part of the odds equation.

But the main reason for the insanely low odds is that all he does at Phoenix is win.

Harvick has eight wins in 27 Phoenix starts, six of those coming in his past eight starts, including the March race when he led a race high 139 laps and beat Edwards by just 0.01 of a second. The Bakersfield, CA native has been crushing this track in all series since he first got into auto racing.

Jimmie Johnson and Edwards have already advanced to the Championship Round by virtue winning each of the past two races. If any of the other six drivers eligible to advance win Sunday, they'll advance. As it sits now, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch are tied in points and would advance. Matt Kenseth is 1-point behind and Denny Hamlin is 2-points behind. Harvick is down 18 points behind followed by Kurt Busch who is 34-points behind. Yes, Harvick could advance without winning if everyone else has some issues, but realistically, he has to win, as does Kurt Busch, to advance.

All of the eligible drivers have past wins at Phoenix.

The two Chase drivers that can coast without any worries have been the next best at Phoenix behind Harvick. Johnson has four wins and his 7.85 average finish and 15 top-fives are both better than Harvick, who has one more career start than Johnson. Edwards has two Phoenix wins, the last coming in 2013. Expect both of them to go out have some fun and try to win and keep Harvick and some of the other strong contenders out. If I'm either one of those guys, I don't want Kyle Busch, Kenseth or Harvick eligible to win the title at Homestead. By winning they would steal an automatic birth.

A great handicapping tool for Phoenix is to look at the five previous races on a similar flat tracks between New Hampshire, Richmond and of course March's Phoenix race. I would go as far to say that the results from September races at New Hampshire and Richmond are more relevant than the March Phoenix race just because it's more current.

Hamlin won at Richmond and Harvick won at New Hampshire which gives them a bit of an edge this week. Martin Truex Jr. actually led the most laps between both those races and since he's out of championship contention his goal will be to get his first Phoenix win and pad his stats by leading more laps and breaking a five-way tie for most wins (four) in the series this season.

However you look at it, the real question is whether or not you want to bet against Harvick. I certainly don't, but if you refuse to roll with the chalk, one of the four Gibbs drivers would be a nice choice.

Top-5 Finish Prediction

1) #4 Kevin Harvick (6/5)
2) #11 Denny Hamlin (8/1)
3) #19 Carl Edwards (12/1)
4) #20 Matt Kenseth (12/1)
5) #18 Kyle Busch (7/1)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Blue Jackets explode for 8-4 victory
By The Sports Xchange

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Cam Atkinson recorded a career-high four assists and Sam Gagner scored twice to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to an 8-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues 8-4 on Saturday.
Nick Foligno added a goal and two assists as Columbus improved to 5-1-1 in its last seven games.
Robby Fabbri, who was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career Thursday, responded with two goals Saturday for St. Louis, which lost its third straight game (0-2-1) while allowing a season high in goals.
The Blue Jackets took the lead for good when Foligno scored eight seconds after Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk tied the game at 6:35 of the first period.

Penguins 4, Maple Leafs 1
PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby kept up his early-season scoring surge with a goal and an assist to support Matt Murray's 35 saves and Pittsburgh extended its dominance of Toronto.
Bryan Rust also had a goal and an assist, Chris Kunitz scored the go-ahead tally with 18 seconds left in the second period and Evgeni Malkin added a power-play goal as the Penguins improved to 8-0-1 in their last nine against the Maple Leafs.
Crosby, only a year after being held to one goal in his first 12 games, now has 10 goals and three assists in nine games. He missed the first six of the season with a concussion.

Canadiens 5, Red Wings 0
MONTREAL -- Montreal pulled within one win of the NHL record for consecutive home wins to start a season with a victory over Detroit.
The win was their 10th straight on home ice to start the season. The 1963-64 Chicago Blackhawks emerged victorious in 11 consecutive contests on home ice to start the season.
Montreal (13-1-1) can tie the Chicago's record when it hosts the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. Carey Price made 25 saves while Andrew Shaw had a goal and two assists.

Panthers 3, Islanders 2 (OT)
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Jonathan Marchessault scored with 13.6 seconds left in regulation and Denis Malgin got the game-winner at 4:14 of overtime as Florida defeated New York.
The Panthers pulled goalie Roberto Luongo in the final minute to get an extra attacker, and the plan worked as Marchessault got his eighth goal of the season, with an assist from Aleksander Barkov.
Kyle Rau scored his first career goal for Florida.

Bruins 2, Coyotes 1
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak scored second-period goals and Boston all but shut down Arizona's offense in a dominating victory.
Tuukka Rask (9-1-0) made 30 saves for the Bruins, who improved to 5-2-0 in November and had all the jump despite playing their fourth game in six days. Patrice Bergeron was 24 for 29 on faceoffs for Boston.
Louis Domingue made 27 saves for the Coyotes, who lost their second straight home game and suffered their third loss in the last four contests.

Predators 5, Ducks 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- James Neal scored twice, giving him five in the last four games, and Pekka Rinne stopped 27 shots for his 41st career shutout as Nashville routed Anaheim.
The Predators recorded a point in their sixth straight match (4-0-2). They blew the game open with three goals in a 4:11 span late in the second period, including one while it was killing the Ducks' fifth power play.
It was the first shutout of the season for Rinne (5-4-3), who has allowed seven goals in the last six games.

Rangers 4, Flames 1
CALGARY, Alberta -- Henrik Lundqvist made 35 saves as New York defeated Calgary.
Rookie Pavel Buchnevich ran his goal-scoring streak to four games for the Rangers. Michael Grabner, Derek Stepan and Jimmy Vesey also scored for New York.
Micheal Ferland scored the lone goal for the Flames in the third period. Brian Elliott finished with 24 saves for Calgary, which has lost four straight games,

Devils 4, Sabres 2
NEWARK, N.J. -- Nick Lappin and Kyle Palmieri scored the tie-breaking and go-ahead goals in a span of 5:06 midway through the second period to lift New Jersey past Buffalo.
Kyle Quincey and John Moore also scored for the Devils, who won their fourth straight and is 6-0-1 at home. Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique and Damon Severson had two assists for New Jersey.
Marcus Foligno and Matt Moulson scored for the Sabres, who lost their fourth straight.

Sharks 3, Lightining 1
TAMPA, Fla. -- Patrick Marleau, Tommy Wingels and Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored as San Jose picked up its fifth road victory of the season.
Sharks goalie Martin Jones made 25 saves and took a shutout into the third period for the Sharks.
Anton Stralman scored for the Tampa Bay, which fell behind 2-0 only 10:04 into the game. Ben Bishop, a Vezina finalist last season, fell to 5-5-0 after stopping 17 shots.

Flyers 3, Wild 2
PHILADELPHIA -- Brayden Schenn scored the game-winning goal 8:43 into the third period and goaltender Steve Mason stopped 19 of 20 shots to lead Philadelphia over Minnesota.
Brandon Manning and Michael Del Zotto scored for the Flyers, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund tallied for the Wild, who lost for the third time in four games.

Hurricanes 5, Capitals 1
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and three assists for a career-high four points, Jordan Staal added a goal and three assists and Sebastian Aho scored the first two goals of his career as Carolina dominated previously red-hot Washington.
The Hurricanes snapped a three-game home losing streak. Aho had an empty-netter to give the Hurricanes a season-high goal total after scoring only nine in their previous five games.
Carolina scored four straight goals after Evegeny Kuznetsov gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (7-8) at Jets (7-7)

Date: November 13, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

WINNIEPEG -- If Nikolaj Ehlers was a soccer player in a Central American country, he would be signing up for the Witness Protection Program right about now.

Fortunately for the Winnipeg Jets right winger, he plays hockey for a living. He has also been one of his team's best players of late so his personal safety will not be an issue after he inadvertently shot the puck past his own goaltender to score the overtime winner for the Colorado Avalanche in a 3-2 loss on Friday night in Denver.

The Danish-born forward and his teammates flew back home Saturday morning to get ready to face the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday afternoon at the MTS Centre.

Ehlers already had two assists but few people remembered them after his errant pass -- made while he was battling against the boards with two Avalanche forwards deep in his own zone -- caught Michael Hutchinson by surprise and slipped between his pads instead of going to the intended target, defenseman Toby Enstrom.

"I thought I had two guys right by me and I just tried to throw it in the middle and get (our) two guys going," he told the Winnipeg Free Press.

The silver lining is the single point moved the Jets (7-7-2) into third place in the Central Division with 16 points. The Minnesota Wild are one point behind but have four games in hand.

The Kings come to Winnipeg on a two-game losing streak, having fallen to the Ottawa Senators 2-1 on Friday and the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 on Thursday.

Los Angeles is fourth in the Pacific conference with a record of 7-8-0.

The Kings are hoping their captain, Anze Kopitar, is a fast healer. He left Friday's game because of an apparent injury to his left arm after taking a hit along the boards from Senators defenseman Marc Methot.

Kings coach Darryl Sutter told the Los Angeles Times he's optimistic Kopitar will suit up against the Jets.

"He's the kind of guy who is going to try to play," Sutter said.

Sutter isn't sure what's wrong with goalie Jeff Zatkoff, who made his first start since Oct. 18 on Friday night, but pulled himself out of the game after the second period despite working on a shutout.

Early indications are Zatkoff sustained a lower-body injury. He previously was nursing a sore groin. Peter Budaj replaced him and gave up two goals to take the loss.

The Jets have more than their fair share of players in sick bay, too.

Forward Mathieu Perrault was put on the injured reserve list Saturday, necessitating the recall of Quinton Howden, while recently-healed defenseman Tyler Myers left Friday night's game because of a lower-body injury in the third period.

On the bright side, defenseman Jacob Trouba, who recently ended his contract hold out, returned to the lineup for the first time this season and ate up a lot of minutes.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (6-6) at Canucks (5-9)

Date: November 13, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- It was pointed out to Vancouver Canucks coach Willie Desjardins on Saturday that his team has done some little things right lately, but he was not about to mince words.

"We're doing some good things, but it's not good enough just to do that," Desjardins said after a practice at the University of British Columbia. "We have to find ways to score."

The Canucks (5-9-1) have lost 10 of their last 11 games heading into Sunday's home game against the Dallas Stars (6-6-3), who have won the last 10 meetings. Despite going 1-5 on a just concluded road trip that ended with a 3-1 loss in Detroit, the Canucks outshot their opponents in four of their past six games.

They have also displayed a reasonably strong defense and solid goaltending. But a rebuild-on-the-fly effort has failed to produce offensive dividends. Winger Loui Eriksson, who was signed to a six-year, $36-million contract in the offseason, has only one goal in his first 15 games as a Canuck. Meanwhile, Sven Baertschi, who was looked upon for offense after coming on strong late last season, also,has one goal.

Twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin, 36, lead the team with five goals apiece. As a team, the Canucks have only scored 28 times. Accordingly, coach Desjardins, whose future has become a matter of daily debate, is refusing to blame bad luck and wants his team to "be better."

"You're saying that you know what you want to do and you've gotta go out and you've gotta do it," Desjardins said. "I talked to this group (Saturday) morning and I said 'you know, what? We have more. It's not like you didn't do some good things, but we have more (to show.)'"

More goals from a struggling power play would definitely help. The Canucks have scored on only 8.7 percent of their man-advantage opportunities. As a result, Desjardins was contemplating different power-play strategies and combinations with the exceptions being that the Sedins will retain their usual spots.

But the Canucks also want to be careful with a Dallas squad that beat Calgary and Edmonton on back-to-back road games in its last two outings.

"They've got a lot of speed and that's something we could gum up," Desjardins said. "They've got a few injuries right now, but they're still a team, with (Tyler) Seguin and (Jamie) Benn as good as they are, where they can can capitalize quickly. And, I think that (John) Klingberg is good on the back end. They still have some real good players in that lineup."

The Stars have been less potent much of the season without forwards Patrick Sharp (concussion), who could return Sunday; Jason Spezza (lower body); Ales Hemsky (hip surgery); Cody Eakin (knee); Mattias Janmark (knee); and Jiri Hudler (illness).

But Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller, who will make his second consecutive start, still expects a strong showing from coach Lindy Ruff's crew.

"Generally, they have a lot of firepower," Miller said. "I think, right now, they're a little bit beat up on the front end. So it's going to be different line combinations. But they still have some of their top scoring guys, so they're always going to be dangerous. I imagine this there's going to be a little bit more puck pressure and pucks will get in deep a little bit more."

Miller made a fantastic glove save as he prevented an empy-net goal against Detroit as he raced back to his goal after starting to skate off for an extra attacker in Detroit. The save was still a hot topic of conversation Saturday. But the usually calm netminder is finding it difficult to follow his mantra of playing within himself as the Canucks struggle.

"It's not easy," Miller said. "It's definitely frustrating. I feel like I've had nights where I've played good hockey and nights when I've made a couple of (key) saves. But you feel like, over the course of the season, those games get kind of spread out where you can't get away with closes losses. You're not going to get away with much right now."

The Stars got away with a lot under adverse conditions in Alberta. Before pulling off the back-to-back triumphs in Calgary and Edmonton, they had lost six of seven games.

The Stars scored seven goals against the Oilers and Flames while goaltender Kari Lehtonen posted both wins.

"I think we're finding defense," Seguin told reporters in Edmonton. "We're finding ways to defend. With the guys out of the lineup, that's a lot of speed and a lot of goal scoring. Our main focus and discussions have been how we're going to defend."

Former Canucks defenceman Dan Hamhuis has been helping out on the back end after signing as a free agent in the offseason. Hamhuis, a Smithers, B.C., native who played six seasons in Vancouver, plays his first game against his old team Sunday.

Hamhuis had a reunion with Desjardins and some other Canucks before the Stars worked out at UBC on Saturday.

"Dan is such a good individual, good person," Desjardins said. "Every game, he played hard. I think he liked being a Canuck. He was great in the community, so there's just lots of good things to say about him. It was pretty amazing last year. He came back from that bad (facial) injury and played some of his best hockey. He's always a character guy in the (dressing) room."

It remains to be seen how soon the Canucks will show some character. Captain Henrik Sedin said losing has put a strain on the entire organization, but the team can not afford to have a letdown -- which is common -- in the first game back from a long road trip.

"To have a good home stand here puts us right back into the (playoff) race," Sedin said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wild (7-5) at Senators (9-5)

Date: November 13, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

OTTAWA -- - When the Ottawa Senators were looking for a new coach last spring, Bruce Boudreau was a leading candidate.

But after he was interviewed, Minnesota Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher swooped in and hired the 61-year old former bench boss of the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks. Senators GM Pierre Dorion almost immediately signed Guy Boucher, insisting he was always the team's first choice.

At this point, both men are making a positive impact in their new surroundings.

The Wild and Senators face off at Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday for the first time this season, each with a winning record. The Senators have cleaned up defensively, which was their top priority. They are 9-5-0 and have won five of their last seven games, holding opponents to only eight goals over that span.

The Wild dropped a 3-2 decision in Philadelphia on Saturday as their record slipped to 7-5-1, but have also allowed a league-low 27 goals. Minnesota is 1-3 in its last four games but prior to that stretch had three consecutive shutouts.

The Wild got off to a good start against the Flyers when winger Nino Niederreiter scored 21 seconds into the game, but ultimately lost a 2-1 lead just past the midway mark of the second period and could never catch up.

"If you can score the first shift you are doing something right," said center Eric Staal, who assisted on the goal and has points in seven of his team's last eight games. "After that I don't think we did enough."

The Wild chose to go with No. 1 goaltender Devan Dubnyk against the Flyers, which means Darcy Kuemper will start in goal against the Senators.

After winning only six times in 21 games last season, Kuemper is 1-1 while giving up eight goals in 2016-2017.

The Senators are coming off a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday that saw them rally with two goals in the last 3:54 of the third.

Craig Anderson starts in goal for the Senators, who are averaging 2.29 goals per game against that is ranked 27th in the league.

"You just have to keep the faith," Anderson said when asked Friday about his lack of support. "You just don't know when the offense will come. We started to get momentum in the third and it was just a matter of time. The guys were playing hard and we're keeping things out of our end really well and giving ourselves opportunity."

The Wild will be without top line winger Zach Parise (lower body), defenseman Marco Scandella (high ankle sprain) and winger Zac Dalpe (knee).

Defenseman Chris Wideman skated with the Senators on Saturday but after missing six games with an injury will need a little more practice time before getting his spot back in the lineup.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canadiens (13-1) at Blackhawks (10-3)

Date: November 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The Montreal Canadiens started play this weekend by dispatching another Original Six team. Repeating the feat against the Chicago Blackhawks is possible but not probable.

While an unbeaten home record has pushed the Canadiens to the top of league standings, they'll take the ice on Sunday evening on Chicago's West Side against the Blackhawks, who have registered points in 10 straight games.

After failing to win a Stanley Cup for nearly 50 years, Chicago (10-3-2) has raised three championship banners since 2010 and is playing with the intent of adding more drapery to the rafters.

The Blackhawks dropped three of five games to start the season, but even with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals on Friday night, they've gone 8-0-2 in their last 10 games -- outscoring the opposition 32-18 -- to move atop the Western Conference.

"We've been in this stretch for a while now, and we've been extremely fortunate a lot of nights," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We can be better in ways, but we'll take it."

Recent history in the series between two of the league's legacy franchises has Chicago with a decided edge. In nine matchups dating to October 2009, the Blackhawks are 7-0-2, including 5-0-0 in Chicago.

Several players are the driving forces behind the Blackhawks' current points streak. Marian Hossa, Artem Anisimov, Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin have combined for 21 goals and 23 assists, and Corey Crawford has gone 6-0-2 with a 1.36 goals-against average, .957 save percentage and two shutouts, both on home ice.

Of all those players, Hossa might be the most important. The soon-to-be 38-year-old right winger has scored seven of his eight goals in the last 10 games. He had just 13 in 64 games last season in which he was dinged by nagging injuries.

"I think he's shooting the puck better, scoring some big goals for us as well. It seems like he has the puck even more than he did before," Quenneville said.

Not far behind in importance would be Crawford. The Montreal native is 5-0-2 with a 1.42 GAA, .955 save percentage and one shutout versus his hometown team.

Anisimov, who is tied for the team lead with Hossa in goals (8) and Kane in points (17), remains day to day with an upper-body injury.

While Blackhawks know something about championships in recent years, they've got nothing on Montreal. The Canadiens have won 23 of them, but none since 1993.

And while few teams have been able to stop the Blackhawks so far, Montreal (13-1-1) would easily be their toughest foe.

The Canadiens set a franchise record for best home start (10-0-0) with a 5-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. Carey Price posted his second shutout and league-best 10th win, and reduced his league-best GAA to 1.40.

However, Montreal is 3-1-1 on the road, and will be playing away from the Bell Centre for the first time since backup goaltender Al Montoya was hung out to dry in a 10-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 4.

The Montreal Gazette reported late Saturday that Montoya, a Chicago native, will start Sunday. He's 1-1-1 with 2.92 GAA and .909 save percentage in his hometown.

"You hate to see what happened to him in Columbus," center Andrew Shaw told the Gazette. "You can't blame him, you blame us. We were not there for him, we didn't compete for him. We didn't battle. We didn't fight. We didn't try to box out. We didn't block shots like we need to. We owe it to him."

Shaw is making his return to Chicago coming off his best game of the season. A two-time Stanley Cup winner and fan favorite for his rugged play, Shaw spent five seasons with the Blackhawks before being dealt to Montreal for two second-round picks on June 24, and signed a six-year extension worth $23.4 million four days later.

On Saturday, he scored his first goal since opening night and added two assists, doubling his points total to six.

"I haven't been playing that well, but I feel I'm taking steps in the right direction," Shaw told the Gazette. "I'm trying for that snowball effect and build off it, every shift, every game."

Quenneville told the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights that Shaw was tough to replace and that he will be excited to face his former club.

"It'll be a good challenge for us. Let's be aware of Shawzy on Sunday," Quenneville said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bruins (9-6) at Avalanche (6-7)

Date: November 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Colorado Avalanche got a much-needed win against Winnipeg on Friday, but it came at a price.

Leading scorer Matt Duchene is out for Sunday's game against the Boston Bruins and could miss a few more games. Duchene took a stick in the eye area in the second period of the 3-2 overtime win over the Jets and is experiencing concussion-like symptoms.

He didn't take part in practice Saturday and will be further evaluated Sunday before the 5 p.m. MDT start for the game against the Bruins.

"Tomorrow will be a big day, see how he comes in and then we can kind of go from there," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told HockeyBuzz.com on Saturday. "He's day to day at this point, so we just have to see if he feels good and can skate, and then he'll probably have to do another test to see if he's able to play or not."

Duchene has been centering Colorado's top line between Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. MacKinnon will move to center. Gabriel Landeskog, who skated with MacKinnon and Rantanen at practice Saturday, is expected to take over at left wing for Sunday's game.

"He's one of our best players and we rely heavy on him," Landeskog said of Duchene to HockeyBuzz.com. "Other guys have to step up. Really, that's the bottom line. Matt's been playing a lot of minutes in all different situations, but we have a lot of confidence in the group that we have in here. It means that we have to find ways to win hockey games without him."

The Avalanche take on a Bruins team that is coming off a 2-1 win at Arizona on Saturday night. Boston has been up and down this season but is encouraged by the play of 20-year-old forward David Pastrnak, who is having a breakout season after two underwhelming campaigns.

He continued his strong play with another goal against the Coyotes, his 10th of the season

"Last year I was worrying about all that stuff...about making a mistake," Pastrnak told CSNNE.com. "Now I know I'm going to play the right way. The mistakes are going to be there. Everybody makes mistakes. But I'm trying to limit them. I'm just trying to play the right way every single game."

Pastrnak has nearly matched his career high in goals, 15, in the first 15 games of the season. He told CSNNE.com that the work he put in Boston over the summer helped him.

"The five weeks I spent here working out with the guys from the team really helped," Pastrnak said. "Right now I feel pretty good. On the ice I feel stronger and way heavier. So far I feel good and just want to keep it going."

He and the Bruins face a Colorado team struggling to find consistency. The three goals the Avalanche scored Friday were their most in six games. Losing Duchene won't help the offense get back on track. Colorado will also be without right winger Blake Comeau, who will miss his fourth game with a groin injury.

"This groin thing's been going back and forth for him," Bednar told HockeyBuzz.com. "So I think the plan for him is to have three or four good days of skating and when he feels real strong and explosive, then get him in the game, so something's not acting up on him again."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (11-4) at Oilers (9-5)

Date: November 13, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

Through the opening weeks of the season, the Edmonton Oilers emerged as something of a pleasant surprise as they strung together wins and moved atop the Pacific Division.

But the season is one long grind, and their next opponent is no pushover.

The Oilers will try to avoid their first three-game losing streak on Sunday night when they meet the New York Rangers, who come to Rogers Arena with the league's most potent offense.

New York (11-4-0) is going for its third win in four visits to Edmonton and first two-game season series sweep of the Oilers since 1998-99.

Edmonton (9-5-1) began the season winning seven of eight, but the Oilers have coooled off by going 2-4-1. That included a 5-3 loss to the Rangers on Nov. 3 at Madison Square Garden, where New York erased a third-period deficit with three consecutive goals.

After wrapping up a five-game Eastern swing with a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night, the Oilers were beaten 3-2 on Friday by the injury-riddled Dallas Stars.

McLellan wasn't citing any residual effect from the road trip as a reason for coming out flat.

"It's always an excuse when you lose," McLellan told the Edmonton Journal. "If we come out and play a great game, we're not talking about playing five games in eight days on the road. It's the NHL. We have to do it eight times a year and so does everybody else. No excuses. Show up to the rink ready to play."

Edmonton's Connor McDavid drew an assist Friday, giving him five during a three-game streak. McDavid, who also had an assist against the Rangers this month, is tied with Alexander Wennberg of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the league lead with 13.

However, the Oilers' 19-year-old captain remains stuck on five goals as he has failed to score in seven straight games.

Another player who has struggled for the Oilers is goaltender Cam Talbot, who backed up the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist for two seasons before being dealt to Edmonton in June 2015.

Talbot is 1-3-1 with 3.39 goals-against average and .890 save percentage this month after going 7-2-0 with a 2.04 GAA, .936 save percentage and two shutouts in October.

Edmonton still leads the Pacific Division with 19 points, one more than the San Jose Sharks and two points in front of the Anaheim Ducks. And in spite of the Oilers' recent play, center Mark Letestu told the team's official website Saturday that there's no reason why Edmonton can't keep up with the Rangers.

"If we can take anything from that game at Madison Square Garden, it's we're right there with them," said Letestu, who has two goals and four assists in 15 games. "There should be confidence in this room that we can beat them and we should play with that kind of bravado and swagger out there.

"This is a team that's coming into our house and we expect to win so I think it's going to be a great game. Two good teams, real fast, we'll see how it goes."

The Rangers' run through western Canada as part of a four-game road trip got off to a flying start with a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.

Michael Grabner, Derek Stepan and rookies Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich each scored for New York, which is averaging 4.13 goals per game.

"It's impressive to see how we create chances every game," said Lundqvist, who came within 8:48 of a shutout. " ... It gives the team a lot of confidence knowing we can score if we really have to."

Grabner has a team-high eight goals in 15 games. That matches his total in 34 games with the New York Islanders in 2014-15, and is one off the nine he had in 80 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season.

Grabner, who notched a goal and an assist against the Oilers 11 days ago, has one career assist in five games in Edmonton.

Lundqvist made 35 saves on Saturday and has been outstanding in his last eight starts, going 7-1-0 with a 1.88 GAA, .934 save percentage and a shutout.

"He's making key saves, especially early in the year and early in games," Grabner said of Lundqvist. " ... He's one of the best goalies in the world."

However, his last appearance in Edmonton was forgettable. Lundqvist surrendered five goals on 33 shots and was lifted 2:40 in the third period of a 7-5 loss on Dec. 11, 2015.

Rangers center Rick Nash has three goals and four assists in a four-game points streak against Edmonton. Nash also has three goals and six assists in his last eight games in northern Alberta.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - November

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
11/1 12 66.5 57 UNDER
11/2 3 16.5 16 UNDER
11/3 12 65.5 65 UNDER
11/4 3 16 24 OVER
11/5 13 69 70 OVER
11/6 6 32 33 OVER
11/7 3 15 14 UNDER
11/8 10 55.5 60 OVER
11/9 3 15.5 11 UNDER
11/10 10 54.5 54 UNDER
11/11 6 31.5 30 UNDER
11/12 11 56.5 61 OVER
11/13 6 - - -
11/14 1 - - -
11/15 13 - - -
11/16 2 - - -
11/17 10 - - -
11/18 5 - - -
11/19 11 - - -
11/20 5 - - -
11/21 7 - - -
11/22 5 - - -
11/23 12 - - -
11/24 2 - - -
11/25 11 - - -
11/26 9 - - -
11/27 6 - - -
11/28 2 - - -
11/29 12 - - -
11/30 3 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Sunday’s games

Winnipeg won four of its last five games with the Kings; over is 4-0-3 in last seven series games. Los Angeles lost four of its last six visits to Manitoba. Kings lost last two games 4-1/2-1; they’re 2-6 on road, with four of last five staying under total. Winnipeg won three of last five games with four of last six going over total- they’re 4-4 at home.

Dallas Stars won their last ten games with Vancouver; five of last seven went over total. Stars won last four visits to Vancouver by combined score of 12-6. Dallas won its last two road games after losing six of first seven; three of their last four games overall went over total. Canucks lost 10 of their last 11 games, with three of last four going over the total.

Ottawa won eight of last ten games with Minnesota; under is 3-0-2 in last five series games. Wild lost four of last five visits to Ottawa. Minnesota lost three of last four games after losing in Philly last night; they’re 3-5 on road. Under is 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Ottawa won five of its last seven games- nine of their last ten games stayed under the total.

Chicago won its last five games with Montreal; under is 6-3-1 in last ten series games. Canadiens were outscored 20-10 in losing last five visits here- over is 3-1 in last four series games played here. Montreal won its last four games, outscoring foes 17-7; their only loss in regulation was 10-0 in Columbus. Blackhawks won seven of last eight games; under is 3-1-1 in their last five.

Road team won nine of last ten Boston-Colorado games, with Avalanche winning three of last four; six of last seven series games stayed under the total. Bruins won four of their last five visits to Denver. Boston won in Arizona last nite, has won six of last eight games. Under is 3-1-1 in their last five road games. Coyotes lost six of last nine games; under is 5-3 in their last eight.

Rangers won three of last four games with Edmonton; last three series games went over total. New York won three of its last five games in this building. Rangers won in Calgary last night, have now won six of last seven games; four of their last five games went over. Edmonton lost four of its last six games; seven of their last ten games stayed under the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Clippers extend NBA-best mark
By The Sports Xchange

MINNEAPOLIS -- Blake Griffin scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and J.J. Redick added 18 points as six players scored in double figures for the Los Angeles Clippers in a 119-105 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Luc Mbah a Moute chipped in a season-high 15 points for Los Angeles, which extended its NBA-best record to 9-1 and the best start in franchise history. Chris Paul had 19 points and eight assists for the Clippers.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points for Minnesota (2-6). The Timberwolves shot 44.9 percent and had 13 turnovers against Los Angeles� league-best defense. But the Clippers shot 52.6 percent, including 11 of 24 from 3-point territory.

Jazz 102, Heat 91
MIAMI -- Gordon Hayward scored 25 points as Utah completed a successful Eastern Conference road swing with a victory over Miami.
The Jazz never trailed after Rodney Hood's jumper gave Utah a 29-28 lead 1:52 into the second quarter. Hood finished with 17 points. Hayward shot 10 of 20 from the field and finished with nine rebounds as the Jazz ended 4-1 road trip.
Utah extended a five-point lead halftime with 10 unanswered points to start the second half. Hood's 3-pointer with 8:28 remaining in the third period capped the run and stretched the Jazz's lead to 62-47.

Pistons 106, Nuggets 95
DENVER -- Tobias Harris scored 19 points, Andre Drummond had 14 points and 12 rebounds and the Pistons beat Denver for its first win in Detroit in seven years.
Marcus Morris scored 17 points and Jon Leuer had 14 and 10 rebounds points for Detroit, which won on the road for the first time this season. Six players, including all five starters, scored in double figures for the Pistons, who snapped a seven-game losing streak in Denver.
Emmanuel Mudiay led Denver with 19 points and Danilo Gallinari had 18. The Nuggets have lost four of their last five and fell to 0-3 at home.

Bulls 106, Wizards 95
CHICAGO -- Jimmy Butler scored 37 points, grabbed eight rebounds and distributed nine assists to lead Chicago to a win over Washington.
Nikola Mirotic finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds to help the Bulls erase a 12-point deficit in the first half. Dwyane Wade added 14 points.
Chicago claimed its third victory in the past four games.

Raptors 118, Knicks 107
TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points and added seven rebounds and four assists as Toronto defeated New York.
DeRozan made a three-point play on a layup and a free throw with fewer than 30 seconds left in the game to give Toronto a seven-point lead.
There were 27 lead changes and 20 ties in the game.
Norman Powell scored 19 points and Kyle Lowry added 16 points for the Raptors, who have won two in a row. Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and eight rebounds.

Hawks 117, 76ers 96
ATLANTA -- Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. sparked Atlanta's productive bench with a game-high 20 points and helped the Hawks roll to a win over Philadelphia at Philips Arena.
The reserves scored 20 of their combined 53 points in the second quarter, seven of those from Hardaway, to help the Hawks change the direction of the game and post their fourth straight win.
Hardaway even shook off an injury. He went to the locker room with a right hip contusion with four minutes left in the third quarter but returned midway in the fourth quarter to hit two 3-pointers and help the Hawks hold off the upset-minded Sixers.

Celtics 105, Pacers 99
INDIANAPOLIS -- Isaiah Thomas scored 12 of his 23 points during the final 4:19 and Boston defeated Indiana in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Thomas led Boston and Kelly Olynyk added 16 points, helping the Celtics hand the Paul George-less Pacers their first home defeat.
George, who is averaging 21.9 points, suffered a sprained left ankle in Friday night's overtime loss at Philadelphia and could not play.

Lakers 126, Pelicans 99
NEW ORLEANS �-- Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points, D'Angelo Russell had 22 and Lou Williams, the NBA's leading scorer off the bench, added 21 points to power Los Angeles to a victory over New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center.
The Pelicans, who fell to 1-9, averted an even worse fate when Anthony Davis returned to the court in the third quarter after appearing to have suffered a lower-back injury.
Davis had scored 13 consecutive points to keep the Pelicans within striking distance, and his floating layup with 8:13 left in the third quarter cut the Lakers' lead to 63-62.

Bucks 106, Grizzlies 96
MILWAUKEE -- Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27 points and Jabari Parker added 15 as Milwaukee snapped a two-game losing streak with a victory over Memphis at the Bradley Center.
Antetokounmpo added six rebounds, five assists, four steals and four blocked shots while hitting 9 of 13 shots from the field to pace an offense that connected at a 52.9 percent clip.
The Bucks got a big boost off their bench from Michael Beasley, who hit 6 of 8 shots from the floor to finish with a season-high 19 points. Malcom Brogdon also added 12, including two 3-pointers.

Spurs 106, Rockets 100
HOUSTON -- Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili delivered timely scoring bursts that enabled San Antonio to carve out a victory over Houston at Toyota Center.
The Spurs relied on balanced scoring to subdue the Rockets, who played just their second home game after opening the season with seven of eight games on the road. Forward LaMarcus Aldridge posted a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) while guard Tony Parker added 16 points and center Pau Gasol 15.
Ginobili finished with 12 points, eight during one crucial stretch after the Rockets sliced a 15-point deficit to 69-63 on the stretch of four consecutive 3-pointers. Ginobili responded with two 3s and a reverse layup for an 82-70 entering the fourth.

Nets 122, Suns 104
PHOENIX -- Brooklyn forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had a career-high 20-plus points and tied a career high with 13 rebounds for his first career double-double in the victory over Phoenix at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
Hollis-Jefferson, who hit two free throws during the Nets' game ending 20-4 run, had a season-high 13 rebounds.
Trevor Booker had 19 points and eight rebounds and Sean Kilpatrick and Joe Harris also had 19 points for the Nets, who won their first road game in four tries this season and have won three of five.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (6-2) at Cavaliers (7-1)

Date: November 13, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

They always played the same position and were part of the same draft class. Now Kemba Walker is joining the elite class Kyrie Irving has already occupied, too.

Irving has long been considered one of the best point guards in the league since winning the Rookie of the Year award. Walker is joining that conversation following his terrific start.

They will meet Sunday at Cleveland when the surprising Hornets (6-2) visit the defending champion Cavaliers (7-1).

Both point guards lead their team in scoring. LeBron James has led his team in scoring in each of his 14 years in the league, but he has willingly turned over a lot of the responsibility to Irving, who is 24 and entering his sixth year in the league.

Irving is among the top 10 scorers in Cavaliers' history, moving past Campy Russell for ninth place in Friday's win at Washington.

"Kyrie is a guy who can score and we want him to be aggressive and attack the basket because nobody can stop him," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said.

"LeBron can do both. He can facilitate and so can Kyrie. We have a great balance right now, we just have to keep it going."

Walker, meanwhile, has scored at least 20 points in each of the Hornets' last seven games.

In Friday's loss to the Toronto Raptors, he became the first point guard in Charlotte history to score 40 points, grab 10 rebounds and pass for six assists, according to the Charlotte Observer.

It's early, but the 26-year-old Walker is averaging career highs in points, field-goal percentage and 3-point shooting.

"He's lightning quick," Jazz coach Quin Snyder told the Observer. "He's one of the better ball handlers in the league as far as his command over the ball. He can get where he wants to go."

Irving was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, while Walker went ninth. For his first few years in the league, Irving was tied to Brandon Knight, who went one spot ahead of Walker to the Detroit Pistons.

There was a theory at the time of the draft that the Cavs, who held the first and fourth picks, should select Derrick Williams No. 1 overall and take Knight fourth.

Clearly selecting Irving first and Tristan Thompson fourth was the better alternative. Six years later, Walker is emerging as the second-best point guard of the class.

He has improved his 3-point shot dramatically over the last two years, which is a big reason why he finished second last year in the NBA's Most Improved Player voting.

Now Walker is poised to lead the Hornets back to the playoffs for the third time in the last four years.

But if they keep playing at this level, just making the postseason won't be good enough. Charlotte hasn't advanced to the second round since 2001-02 and it has never reached the conference finals.

"I can't really think that far ahead," Walker told the Observer. "The goal for the regular season is to get to the playoffs, then get there and think about things like that. ... But I will say I'm super-confident in my team."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lakers (6-4) at Timberwolves (2-6)

Date: November 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves seemed to be two teams on similar paths; young rosters filled with high draft picks to develop with new coaches.

While Minnesota's youth seemed to be further along and the Timberwolves were considered an upstart team to begin the season, Los Angeles has adapted the quickest with its new pieces gelling under coach Luke Walton.

The two teams get their first chance at each other Sunday as each will play the second game of back-to-back situations.

The Lakers (6-4) showed their growth again on Saturday night in New Orleans, cruising to a 126-99 victory against the Pelicans. Los Angeles has won five of its past six games.

"I think our guys love competing," Walton said. "I think they feel more challenged in the second half to go get it done. It's almost as if when the game starts, you know we have 48 minutes to get it done. Obviously, we don't want that ... but it's a process."

Under coach Tom Thibodeau, Minnesota has struggled to open the season, especially on the defensive end. The Timberwolves (2-6) lost at home to the league-leading Los Angeles Clippers 119-105 on Saturday night, giving up 21 fast-break points to Los Angeles and allowing the Clippers to shoot 52.6 percent from the field and make 11 of 24 3-pointers.

"Right now we're not consistent enough," Thibodeau said. "We have to build the right habits. Defensively it's hard to win when you give up 119 points."

Defensive improvement was expected under Thibodeau for a team that has long struggled to stop opponents. The transition is proving to take time. Minnesota has allowed 119 points in two of its past three games. Opponents have scored more than 102 in all but one game.

The Timberwolves did get point guard Ricky Rubio back in the lineup on Saturday after he missed five games with a sprained right elbow. Rubio had seven points, six rebounds and six assists in the loss.

"I'm trying to find a rhythm, trying to find how to run the team too," Rubio said. "First game back after a couple weeks, just get the rust off."

Minnesota's talent has shined at times on the offensive end. The Timberwolves have two players averaging more than 20 points per game in forward Andrew Wiggins (23.8) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (22.1). Guard Zach LaVine was also above the mark before he was held to 15 points on 7 of 15 shooting on Saturday.

Wiggins struggled against the Clippers' league-best defense on Saturday. He scored 22 points but was constantly harassed and shot just 8 of 24.

The Lakers had no trouble shooting Saturday against New Orleans, particularly from Los Angeles' guards and bench.

Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points and Williams added 21 for the Lakers, who entered the game leading the league with 48.8 points per game from their bench.

"Me and Lou are going to be real aggressive coming in. We're trying to do a good job of leading this second group, bringing the energy, scoring the ball, pushing the pace," Clarkson told the Associated Press. "Coach gave that to us. That's our role and that's what we're going to do."

Including starters DeAngelo Russell (22 points) and Nick Young (15), the Lakers' backcourt accounted for 81 points on 31-of-51 shooting, including 15 of 25 from 3-point range.

"We got some great guards -- we got some killers," Russell said. "It's up to us to go out there and maintain it and do it every game."

Los Angeles rookie Brandon Ingram left Saturday's game with a sprained ankle but told the Associated Press he could have returned if the game was closer.

Of course, these are two teams used to integrating high draft picks. Towns was picked No. 1 overall a year ago, one spot ahead of Russell. In 2014, Wiggins was the top pick by Cleveland before being traded to Minnesota. The Lakers took Julius Randle seventh overall.

Ingram was this year's second pick and the Timberwolves went with Kris Dunn at No. 5.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (3-6) at Thunder (6-3)

Date: November 13, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The departure of Kevin Durant in the offseason was a monumental moment for the Oklahoma City Thunder. When he left the team to go play for Golden State, it swallowed up all the attention for much of the offseason.

However, the Thunder lost another key figure to the franchise's growth. Serge Ibaka was dealt to Orlando in a trade involving Victor Oladipo. Ibaka had been in Oklahoma City almost as long as Durant and was a cornerstone to the team's success.

However, with Ibaka making his return to Oklahoma City tonight for the first time since being traded in June, there doesn't seem to be the same animosity as toward Durant.

"I know that it's going to be exciting there to go back and play where I used to play for seven years," Ibaka told NBA.com. "I still have a lot of friends there. But my mind is just going to be focused on the game. Try to help my team get a win."

The visiting Magic and Thunder will tip-off at 7 p.m. ET at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Ibaka was drafted by Oklahoma City in the first round of the 2008 draft. After playing a year in the Spanish league, he joined the Thunder in the 2009-10 campaign.

In his seven seasons with the franchise, Ibaka led the NBA in block shots twice and made the All-Defensive team three times. With trips to the Western Conference finals and the NBA Finals, Ibaka will be reminded of a lot of history, on and off the court.

"It was tough," Ibaka said. "Everything is tough in the beginning. I just keep my head up and try to learn. I was getting my English class every time I can. I know I'm going to see my ex-teammates. I know it's going to be fun for me to compete against them."

Yet, Ibaka contends he will be focused on only helping his Magic squad earn a victory. After losing 87-74 to Utah on Friday, Orlando has a record of 3-6 and players are struggling to adjust to new roles.

"We've got to play unselfish and trust the next guy -- that's the bottom line," Magic center Bismack Biyombo told NBA.com. It's kind of frustrating that at this point we're still playing like that. If we're not making plays that are unselfish, then we're not about winning. We have to be willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes.

"Games like today you have to willing to get out there and do whatever it takes and we just didn't have enough."

Scoring points hasn't been Oklahoma City's problem in its back-to-back losses. The Thunder posted 108 points Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

However, just over a week after holding the Clippers to 83 points in a road win, Oklahoma allowed L.A. to come into their house and post 110 points.

The Thunder know if they don't tighten up their defense, the Magic can do the same thing.

"They're a high-tempo team," Oladipo said of his former team. "They have a lot of guys who can fill it up. They have a lot of guys who are talented. We have to do a great job of slowing them down. Their bench is really good as well so we have to be ready to play in all aspects of the game."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Suns (3-7) at Warriors (7-2)

Date: November 13, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- One of the hottest shooting guards in the NBA hooks up with one of the coldest shooting backcourts in the league Sunday night when the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns meet for the second time this season.

Kevin Durant poured in 37 points when the clubs dueled Oct. 30 in Phoenix, leading Golden State to a narrow 106-100 victory.

Stephen Curry hit nine of his 17 shots, including five 3-pointers, that night, but things have since changed for the league's reigning Most Valuable Player.

Curry had his record-breaking, 157-game streak with at least one made 3-pointer end three games later against the Los Angeles Lakers, and he's been making opponent pay ever since.

He set another record three nights later, burying 13 from long range against New Orleans, and followed that up with a total of 11 more in subsequent wins over Dallas and Denver.

Curry enters Sunday's game having scored 103 points in his last three games, making 24 3-pointers and 34 of his 55 shots in all.

"Not at all surprising," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Curry's 46-point barrage against the Pelicans on Monday. "He's done it throughout his career where he comes right back off of a bad game and lights it up."

The bad news Sunday for the Suns is that another Warrior -- Durant -- has a bounce-back motive after seeing his run of 72 games scoring at least 20 points come to an end in Thursday's victory at Denver.

Durant had 18 points in the win, which was Golden State's third in a row.

Having been off since Thursday, the Warriors face a Suns team that endured a tight game Saturday night, and then traveled after it.

The Suns were beaten 122-104 at home by the Brooklyn Nets, a game Phoenix trailed 102-100 before the visitors ran off 17 straight points to send Phoenix to its third defeat in its last four outings.

The loss was as much a product of bad shooting by the Suns as it was the late flurry by the Nets. Suns guards Eric Bledsoe (1 for 8), Devin Booker (5 for 18) and Brandon Knight (2 for 13) combined to miss 31 of their 39 shots on a night when Phoenix shot a season-low 37.4 percent.

Suns coach Earl Watson said his guards fell right into the trap set up by the Brooklyn defense.

"This is the first team that played defense the way they played it," the coach observed after the game. "They did a great job of taking away the paint."

The Suns fired up 107 shots, most in the NBA this season. Almost one-third of them (33) were 3-pointers, probably not a good idea for a team that's shot 29.4 percent from beyond the arc this season, the third-lowest figure in the league.

One reason the Suns have found themselves shooting more from the perimeter of late has been the absence of center Tyson Chandler, who has missed the last three games following the death of his mother.

The Suns are hoping to get Chandler back for Wednesday's game at Denver.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nuggets (3-6) at Trail Blazers (6-4)

Date: November 13, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Trail Blazers hope for a couple of trends to continue when they play host to the Denver Nuggets Sunday night at the Moda Center.

The Trail Blazers (6-4) have beaten Denver (3-6) six straight times at home and are 14-2 against the Nuggets at the Moda Center since the start of the 2008-09 season. Portland has won 12 of its past 13 matchups overall with Denver dating to the start of the 2013-14 season.

The Blazers beat Denver 115-113 in overtime at the Pepsi Center on Oct. 29, scoring nine unanswered points in the final 1:26 of regulation to force the extra session. Damian Lillard scored a game-high 37 points on 15-for-28 shooting, including the game-winning field goal with .3 of a second remaining. Lillard has averaged 29.3 points on .485 shooting over the past three games against the Nuggets, having scored at least 30 in two of those games.

Lillard is tied for fourth in the NBA in scoring at 30.6 points per game and has totaled the most points (306) in the first 10 games of a season in Portland history. The previous best was Kiki Vandeweghe's 282 in 1986. Lillard becomes the first player in Blazer annals to score at least 30 points in six of the first 10 games of a season.

Lillard scored 36 points to lead Portland past Sacramento 122-120 in overtime Friday at the Moda Center.

"A pretty gritty win," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "It's a positive that this group is able to find ways to win a close game."

Portland is 4-1 in games decided by six points or fewer and 2-1 in overtime contests this season.

The Blazers are going without power forward Al-Farouq Aminu, who has missed the past three games with a straining left calf. "(Aminu) will be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks," Stotts said.

In the meantime, the fifth-year Portland coach will choose from among Meyers Leonard, Noah Vonleh, Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe for the fifth starting spot, depending on matchups.

"We'll do whatever I think is best that night," Stotts said.

Denver guard Will Barton, a former Trail Blazer, has missed the past six games and will sit out Sunday's contest with a sprained left ankle. Forward Darrell Arthur (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game.

The Nuggets continue to have trouble taking care of the ball. They rank last in the league, averaging 18 turnovers per game after totaling 15 in a 106-95 home loss to Detroit Saturday night.

"We cannot continue to turn the ball over 18, 19 times a game if we want to give ourselves a chance to win," Denver coach Mike Malone told reporters.

The Nuggets hope to get one of those turnovers reversed -- and get a chance to turn a loss into a defeat in the process. In Tuesday's 108-107 loss at Memphis, referees ruled the ball was touched by the Nuggets before it went out of bounds with .7 of a second left, a call that was upheld by replay. Denver was leading by one point; the Grizzlies went on to win on Marc Gasol's buzzer-beating basket.

The next day, NBA officials ruled the ball should have been awarded to Denver. The Nuggets have filed an official protest with the league and hope to replay the end of the game the next time they play Memphis Feb. 1 in Denver.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Sunday’s games

Cavaliers won six of last seven games with Charlotte, covering five of last six. Four of last five series games went over total. Hornets lost last four visits to Cleveland, are 0-3 vs spread in last three. Charlotte is 3-0 on road but they were favored in all three games; they’re 0-2 as a home dog. Cavaliers are 1-4 as a home favorite; their last three home games went over the total.

Lakers won four of last six games with Minnesota; six of last eight series games went over the total. LA covered four of last five visits here (2-3 SU); they’re 5-1 as a road underdog this year after spanking the Pelicans last night- over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Minnesota lost at home to the Clippers last night; they’re 2-6 this season, with last three games going over.

Thunder won nine of last ten games with Orlando, but Magic covered seven of last eight series games- four of last five series games went over the total. Orlando lost its last three games, by 32-13-16 points; they’re 1-3 vs spread on road, 1-2 as underdogs. Oklahoma City lost its last two home games, is 3-2 as a home favorite. Five of their last seven games stayed under total.

Warriors beat Suns by 6 in Phoenix couple weeks ago; they’ve won last eight games with the Suns, but Phoenix covered the last three. Four of last six series games went over total. Suns got whacked at home by Brooklyn last night; they’ve lost three of last four games- their last seven went over total. Warriors are 2-2 as a home favorite; their last three games all went over.

Portland won nine of its last ten games with Denver, covering three of last four. Seven of last nine series games went over total. Nuggets lost last five visits to Portland (2-3 vs spread), with three of last four going over. Denver got beat at home by Detroit last night; they lost four of last five games, with three of last four going over total. Portland won four of last five games; they’re 2-1 as home favorites.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Chattanooga Moccasins (1-0) at North Carolina Tar Heels (1-0)

Date: November 13, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina coach Roy Williams isn't assuming anything when divvying up playing time for the Tar Heels.

He's more than willing to see how things pan out. After just one game, that's a plan he might stick with for a while, including in Sunday's matchup with visiting Chattanooga.

"We did have 10 guys play double-figure minutes," Williams said following No. 6 North Carolina's 95-75 road victory against Tulane. "It was a plan that we wanted to do. We wanted to play a lot of guys and get a lot of time in for guys."

Sunday will mark the home opener for the Tar Heels, who last season finished as the national runners-up.

Junior swingman Justin Jackson's career-high 27 points and Joel Berry II's career-best 23 points supplied a large chunk of offense in the Tulane game.

Making it difficult for Williams to determine lineups and rotations is something positive for the Tar Heels.

"I think it's going to be hard for Coach," senior forward Isaiah Hicks said. "The way practice is going, everybody is knocking down shots."

Part of the comfort level is having junior guard Berry II, who's trying to build on what was often a series of splendid late-season performances last winter and spring.

"He leads more by example than anything," Williams said. "He has had a good preseason."

North Carolina's starting lineup in the opener included sophomore guard Kenny Williams instead of senior guard Nate Britt. With Theo Pinson expected to be out until at least late December with a foot injury, others will have chances to show how they can contribute.

Coach Williams attributed that decision on the starting lineup coming in part because of the multiple options he has with this team.

"I just felt like it was probably something I was going to do," the coach said, pointing out there could be varying lineups, including from the start of games to the start of second halves.

Sunday's game also will mark the home debut for North Carolina freshman post player Tony Bradley, whose first college game resulted in 10 points and five rebounds. He's considered a potential option to fill in for forward Kennedy Meeks to give the Tar Heels a different kind of presence in the lane.

Chattanooga should arrive with plenty of confidence after opening the season with Friday night's 82-69 victory at Tennessee.

Though just one game into his second season, coach Matt McCall has guided the Mocs to a 12-4 road record. McCall said the ability to excel in Tennessee's environment is something the team will need to replicate against other major-conference opponents, including by playing North Carolina at the Smith Center.

Senior Tre' McLean said the team's season-opening performance is bound to build good vibes.

"As a team, we have a lot of confidence," McLean said. "The young guys really don't know what we are completely capable of with them not seeing last year's success. It was great to have them contribute and show them how good we can really be."

The outing against an in-state rival was inspirational and senior Justin Tuoyo said the Mocs thrive in big environments as they go from facing a Southeastern Conference team to an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.

"You just really get into these," said Tuoyo, whose 22 points led the way against Tennessee. That was one more point than McLean scored.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Canisius Golden Griffins (0-0) at Kentucky Wildcats (1-0)

Date: November 13, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Fresh off its 87-64 season-opening victory over Stephen F. Austin on Friday, Kentucky returns to action just two days later when Canisius visits Rupp Arena.

Coach John Calipari is excited for Sunday's game because he anticipates a completely different test than the one presented by Stephen F. Austin first-year coach Kyle Keller.

"I don't think Canisius will play that type of man-to-man, which makes you play a little different," Calipari said. "That team denies wings. Kyle has them denying passes, denying wings, which could lead to turnovers.

"What they do is they disrupt your offense, they take you out of what you want to do and make you play one-on-one. The issue is we're pretty good at playing one-on-one," Calipari said. "Canisius, I don't know. But I'm glad they played us some zone. We got the ball right where we wanted it, we didn't make the plays, but we'll watch the tape and show them what was there."

Canisius was only 14-19 last season, its 12th losing season since the turn of the century. The Griffins have not won an MAAC regular season title since 1994, and its last trip to the NCAA Tournament came in 1996.

The Griffins are led by Phil Valenti, the top returner in points (14.6), rebounds (6.1) and assists (2.1). The 6-foot-7, 200-pound senior started all 33 games last year. He topped double figures scoring 24 times, including a career-best 33 in a MAAC Tournament win over Niagara. Valenti needs 122 points this year to top 1,000 for his career.

Canisius also returns 6-3 junior guard Kassius Robertson, who also started all 33 games. He averaged 14.1 points per game while attempting the most field goals at 213. Next closest was 127.

Kentucky will be coming into the game after beating Stephen F. Austin by 23 points. It was a debut in which the Wildcats put five players into double figures - Isaiah Briscoe, 17; Derek Willis, 15; De'Aaron Fox, 12; Malik Monk and Wenyen Gabriel, 10.

"What I like is five guys in double figures and the other two with nine and eight. That is how we play here," Calipari said. "Now you say, well, they're all McDonald's All-Americans, they scored 30 points a game in high school. Yeah, you're not playing that way here."

When Kentucky takes the court on Sunday, Calipari will be looking for continued improvement of a simple game plan.

"I don't want to put any more in right now," Calipari said. "Let's just get good at what we are. We only have a few things, you saw us, I'm not out there running 17 different offenses, we're just not ready for that. I'm more concerned about defense and rebounding and blocking shots."

One word of caution for Kentucky: Beat Canisius in regulation. The Golden Griffins outscored opponents last year 21-4 during the third overtime period.

Kentucky's game with Canisius will be the final tune-up before a nationally televised battle on Wednesday against Michigan State in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York.

"Michigan State just lost. So what we're going to be playing a mean dog up in New York," Calipari said. "So these three games to start off the year when we're a bunch of freshmen, it's going to be a rough go."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cal State Northridge Matadors (1-0) at UCLA Bruins (1-0)

Date: November 13, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

One game into the season and plenty is unknown about Cal State Northridge and No. 16 UCLA, but one element of both teams is certain as they prepare to play Sunday night at 9 p.m. Eastern time at Pauley Pavilion.

Both teams can light up the scoreboard with efficient scorers. UCLA and Northridge combined to score 215 points in their respective season-openers on Friday night.

The Bruins defeated Pacific 119-80 behind a school-record 18 3-pointers and 29 assists. Northridge beat Pomona-Pitzer 96-72 with four players scoring at least 15 points, led by Washington transfer Darin Johnson, a junior guard who had 20 points and seven rebounds.

UNLV transfer Kendall Smith, a junior guard in his second year at Northridge, contributed 17 points for coach Reggie Theus, a former Running Rebels star under Jerry Tarkanian who is engineering a run-and-gun offense in his fourth season.

"It's nice to be deep as we are because you can get different guys in the game," said Theus, whose roster includes eight transfers from other Division I institutions, including his son Reggie Theus Jr. from South Carolina.

Nine Matadors made their debut for Northridge, including Theus' son, Johnson, Connecticut transfer Rakim Lubim and Texas A&M transfer Dylan Johns.

UCLA coach Steve Alford expressed concern over a quick turnaround from Friday's game preparing for an experienced Northridge team.

"We're playing a really good opponent that had a lot of transfers sitting out last year," Alford said. "It's a seasoned team we're playing Sunday."

The Bruins do not have as much college experience as Northridge, but they have dynamic freshmen in guard Lonzo Ball and wing T.J. Leaf. Ball had a near-triple double against Pacific with 19 points, eight rebounds and a game-high 11 assists (with only one turnover) while Leaf contributed 22 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

"They are unselfish guys," Alford said of his freshmen standouts. "I'm more impressed with them as young men than I am as basketball players, and I think they are very good players."

UCLA senior guard Bryce Alford was one shy of his career record with 30 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range. Reserve point guard Aaron Holiday, who started all 32 games as a freshman last year, had 18 points with five assists and no turnovers.

"We just had a lot of really good things that took place," Alford said. "We want to be a team that will stretch the floor because we have that ability. We have zero (personnel) issues. The culture has been terrific."

Northridge has the confidence it can run with the Bruins after posting 20 fast-break points and 50 points in the paint against Pomona-Pitzer. The Matadors were not as potent from behind the 3-point line as UCLA, making 8 of 17, but Smith and Johnson were each 4 of 5 from that range.

"We are going to have to play a lot better basketball to beat UCLA," Theus said. "We are going to watch a little bit of the film. It's a great challenge for us to go up to Pauley Pavilion. I'm looking forward to that."