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NHL roundup: Predators get first shootout win
By The Sports Xchange

PHILADELPHIA -- Filip Forsberg sent the game into overtime and defenseman Ryan Ellis scored the only goal of the shootout, leading the Predators to a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Pekka Rinne stopped 30 of 31 shots, including shootout saves on Nick Cousins, Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek to give the Predators their first shootout win of the season. The Predators entered the game as the only NHL team without a victory beyond regulation (0-5).
Defenseman Andrew MacDonald scored the Flyers' only goal, and goaltender Steve Mason stopped 30 of 31 shots, plus two in the shootout.

Ducks 3, Maple Leafs 2
TORONTO -- Cam Fowler scored on a power play in the third period to break a tie, and Anaheim held on to defeat Toronto.
The go-ahead goal came soon after Toronto had tied the score at 2 on a goal by Nazem Kadri. Ryan Getzlaf and Nick Ritchie also scored for Anaheim. Ducks goaltender John Gibson made 33 saves.
Auston Matthews had the other goal for Toronto. Frederik Andersen stopped 25 shots in the Maple Leafs' goal.

Flames 4, Coyotes 2
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Mikael Backlund, Troy Brouwer and Kris Versteeg scored power-play goals, and a shaky Brian Elliott made 24 saves in his first start in nearly a month as Calgary snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over Arizona.
The Coyotes had allowed just three power-play goals on home ice all season -- the fewest in the league -- but the Flames went 3 of 6. They have at least one power-play goal in eight straight games for the first time since 2005, and they have produced 13 power-play goals during that stretch.
Versteeg took a soft pass from Sean Monahan at the right of the net and pushed a puck past Mike Smith (24 saves) for the winner at 12:25 of the third period.

Oilers 3, Blues 2 (OT)
ST. LOUIS -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored 2:55 into overtime to give Edmonton a win over St. Louis.
Nugent-Hopkins scored off a pass from Connor McDavid, who earned his league-leading 40th point of the season. It was the sixth time in the Oilers' past nine games that they went to either overtime or a shootout.
St. Louis native Patrick Maroon scored his first career goal in his hometown to tie the game at 2-2 at 5:47 of the third period. He deflected a shot by Brandon Davidson past goalie Carter Hutton.

Red Wings at Hurricanes, ppd.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The scheduled game between Detroit and Carolina was postponed after a malfunction with the ice cooling system at PNC Arena.
A broken seal on the main compressor that runs the ice chiller was discovered by arena officials around 6 p.m. EST, about an hour before the scheduled start of the game as the ice rose to an unsafe 30 degrees. The issue ultimately forced the game's postponement.
The leak was fixed around 8:45 p.m., but Carolina president Don Waddell said it would have been more than an hour before the ice would have cooled sufficiently enough for action, pushing the start time past the NHL's rule in which teams can't play back-to-back games in less than 22 hours. Detroit plays at Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

In the Crease - Week 11
By Joe Williams

Streaky Teams
Wins and Losses Streak Over/Under Streak
Calgary 5-1-1 past seven road Anaheim Over 6-1-1 past eight overall
Chicago 5-0 past five overall Arizona Under 7-2-1 past 10 overall
Columbus 9-0 past nine overall Edmonton Under 4-0 past four overall
Tampa Bay 2-7-2 past 11 overall Ottawa Over 5-1-1 past seven overall
Washington 6-1 past seven overall Vancouver Over 5-1 past six overall

Road Fire
The Calgary Flames are just 5-6 in their past 11 games at home, and 7-9 in 16 games overall at the Saddledome. However, the Flames have been snuffing out plenty of teams on the road, going 5-1-1 in their past seven games away from home. The past two road wins have come at the expense of the Coyotes, but the Flames also have impressive road wins in Dallas, Boston and Columbus during the stretch. The next two Tuesdays the Flames will be in San Jose and Colorado looking to stay hot on the road.

Imperfect Storm
The Tampa Bay Lightning have really struggled with their captain Steven Stamkos (knee), who is expected to be sidelined at least another three to five months after surgery to repair a right lateral meniscus in his knee. Tampa is 2-7-2 in their past 11 games overall, and 1-5-2 over their past eight games on the road. The Lightning have picked up the pace offensively lately, however, posting 13 goals over their past four games (3.3 GPG), and it's no surprise the 'over' is 4-1 in their past five outings. The 'over' is also 4-1 in Tampa's past five games against Western Conference foes. Remember that Thursday when St. Louis pays a visit to the Ice Palace.

Looking Ahead

Tuesday, Dec. 20
On paper the Islanders-Bruins game appears to be a mismatch, and with the Islanders 0-4-1 in their past five games it appears Vegas is right installing the B's as a -175 favorite. However, the Bruins are a rather marginal 8-8 at home this season, and they have dropped three of the past four on home ice. The Islanders are just 2-11 in their past 13 games on the road, and 6-18 in their past 24 against teams with a winning overall record. New York has struggled in Beantown, too, going 5-12 in the past 17 games at TD North Garden, and 8-22 in the past 30 meetings overall.

The Rangers and Penguins renew acquaintances in the Steel City, and both teams have been hot lately. New York is 4-0 in their past four road games, 6-1 in their past seven overall and 9-4 in their past 13 against a team with a winning record. For Pittsburgh, they are 24-8 in their past 32 divisional games, 39-13 in their past 52 at home and 6-2 in their past eight against teams with a winning percentage over .600. While the road team has won five of the past six in this series, the Rangers are just 2-8 in the past 10 meetings overall. The 'over' is 3-0-1 in the past four meetings, and 4-0-1 in the past five in Pittsburgh.

Wednesday, Dec. 21
There are just two games on the docket Wednesday, but one is a very highly anticipated Eastern Conference tilt. The Capitals invade the City of Brotherly Love looking to drop the Flyers. The Caps haven't had a lot of success in Philly, going 4-9 in their past 13 trips to Philly. The Caps have won six of their past seven overall, while the Flyers are 6-1 in their past seven at home. Something's gotta give. Total bettors might want to hammer the 'under' in this one. The under is 5-1-2 in the past eight meetings in this series, and 5-2 in the past seven in Philadelphia. The 'under' is 15-7-4 in the past 26 for Philly against teams with a winning percentage over .600.

The Coyotes are really struggling, but perhaps facing the Oilers will be the elixir to cure their ills. Arizona has won just once in the past five tries on home ice, and they're 3-9 in their past 12 games overall. The home team has won five of the past seven in this series, and Edmonton has really struggled in recent seasons against Arizona. The Oilers are 3-14 in their past 17 games in Glendale, and 5-26 in the past 31 meetings overall with the Coyotes.

Thursday, Dec. 22
The Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres meet for the second time in four days, and the home team looks to avenge a 2-1 shootout loss to the Hurricanes last Saturday. The Sabres are 4-0-1 in their past five meetings with the Hurricanes, and they have won four straight on home ice against Carolina. The 'over' has been the play when these two get together. While the most recent meeting was an 'under' result, the over is 6-1-4 in the past 11 encounters.

The Bruins pay a visit to South Florida, and the road is where the Bruins have been most comfortable this season. They are 4-2-3 in their past nine games on the road, and they have had plenty of success in Sunrise, too. Boston has won each of their past three road games with the Panthers, and they're 5-1 in the past six meetings overall. Three of the past four, and six of the past 10 meetings, have resulted in one-goal outcomes. The Cats are 5-4 in their past nine home games, including a 2-1 loss to the Bruins back on Nov. 1.

Friday, Dec. 23
In the final day before the Christmas holiday break, there are a total of 12 games on the schedule. The Canadiens have likely had this date circled on their calendar for quite some time. Montreal visits Columbus, as they look to avenge a 10-0 rout at the hands of the Blue Jackets back on Nov. 4. It was Montreal's first regulation loss of the season, and it matched the most embarrassing loss in Habs' franchise history. Since that game the Habs are a dismal 3-5-1 in their past nine games on the road. The Jackets have rattled off nine straight victories, and they are averaging 4.0 GPG during the impressive win streak.

Edmonton and San Jose meet for the first time this season. The Sharks are 14-3-4 in the past 21 meetings in this series, and they are 7-1-1 in their past nine home games against the Oil. The series hasn't been as lopsided as it sounds, however, as six of the past 10 battles have resulted in one-goal games, with one game decided in overtime and two requiring a shootout to decide a winner.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (16-13) at Blue Jackets (20-5)

Date: December 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

John Tortorella reached a personal milestone in his last game. Next he'll try to guide the Columbus Blue Jackets to a team milestone.

Seeking their 10th straight win, the Blue Jackets open what might be their toughest stretch of the season on Tuesday night when they take on the Los Angeles Kings to start a four-game homestand.

Columbus matched the franchise record for longest winning streak and delivered Tortorella's 500th NHL win -- a first for a coach born in the United States -- with Sunday's 4-3 overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

The 58-year-old, who won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, also guided the New York Rangers to three straight playoff appearances followed by one stormy season with the Canucks.

When all is said and done, Tortorella's finest work behind the bench might be with the Blue Jackets (20-5-4), who have the fewest regulation losses in the league while surrendering the fewest goals in the Eastern Conference (61) and posting a plus-37 goal differential.

Columbus also has converted six of its last 14 power-play chances in the last four games and has the league's top power-play unit, which has converted 27.7 percent of its opportunities with the man advantage.

"We're happy to have him at the helm. He's really helped push this group forward," said Columbus captain Nick Foligno, who has assists in four straight games against Los Angeles.

The Blue Jackets last won nine straight from March 18 to April 4, 2015. The team failed to make the playoffs that season, and have only been in the postseason twice since entering the league as an expansion team in 2000.

The Jackets' top two scorers during the winning streak are Cam Atkinson (four goals, seven assists) and Sam Gagner (six goals, five assists).

Atkinson is two goals and two assists short of 100 in each category for his career. Gagner, the club' leader with 13 goals this season, hasn't scored a goal in seven straight games when facing Los Angeles.

It's fair to say Tuesday's game kicks off a key portion of the schedule. On Thursday, the Blue Jackets face the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins followed the next night with a game against the Atlantic Division-leading Montreal Canadiens.

After the Christmas break, Columbus closes the homestand on Nov. 27 against the Boston Bruins.

If Columbus is to extend its streak and set a record, it will have to avenge a 3-2 loss in overtime on Oct. 25 in Los Angeles. The Blue Jackets also are 2-5-2 in their last nine games against the Kings at Nationwide Arena.

Los Angeles (16-13-2) comes to Ohio's capital at the midpoint of its longest road trip of 2016-17. The Kings dropped to 2-2-0 on their nine-game trek with a 1-0 loss to the Bruins on Sunday.

"We played our (butts) off again today," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said after pointing out that the team played for the fourth time in 5 1/2 days. " ... They left it all out there."

Los Angeles managed just 18 shots on goal playing without former captain Dustin Brown (day to day, upper-body injury), who has just four assists in seven games in December.

Playing in Columbus could help veteran and first-year captain Anze Kopitar turn around a season that has been nothing short of disappointing.

After averaging 24.3 goals in his first 10 NHL seasons, Kopitar has just three in 26 games so far. However, 10 of Kopitar's 14 career goals against the Jackets have come in Columbus.

The Kings also played Sunday without Marian Gaborik, who was a healthy scratch and whose status for Tuesday has yet to be determined. Gaborik has been limited to nine games after suffering a foot injury during the World Cup of Hockey in December. He has just one goal and three assists this season.

The Kings are 6-9-1 on the road this season and 0 of 14 with the man advantage in five road games this month.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (14-12) at Devils (12-12)

Date: December 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Two teams that have had similar home and road splits this season meet Tuesday night when the New Jersey Devils host the Nashville Predators at the Prudential Center.

The Devils are happy to be back home, where they own an impressive 8-1-2 record. They just concluded a winless four-game road trip (0-3-1) on Sunday with a 3-2 shootout loss to the New York Rangers, dropping their road mark to an unsightly 4-11-5.

"(Sunday) was a step forward for us because recently we've lacked a good compete level for a full 60 (minutes) on the road, but (Sunday) night we had that," said Devils rookie forward Miles Wood, who scored a goal and led the team with six shots on goal against the Rangers.

"It's certainly exciting to be heading back home, where we've played better this year; and if we compete like we did (Sunday), we'll be just fine."

The Devils will have played 19 of their 29 games on the road in November and December, a difficult schedule which has already worn this team down. New Jersey heads into play Tuesday winless in their last six games overall (0-5-1) and just 3-9-4 since Nov. 17.

However, as Wood pointed out, the Devils played a solid game against the Rangers, despite surrendering a pair of third-period leads. They were tenacious on the puck all night, scored their first power-play goal in five games, outshot an opponent for the time in 16 contests and received a throwback performance from goaltender Cory Schneider.

That this performance followed on the heels of another well-played contest, albeit a 3-1 loss in Ottawa on Saturday, is not lost on the Devils' players or coaches either.

"There's lot of encouraging things going on here recently," New Jersey head coach John Hynes said. "We are a team that is trying to build itself into being competitive and relevant. Let's give credit to the players, the way they've worked the last few games, gathered themselves and are now working in the right direction. We're going to come out of this in the right way."

Like New Jersey, the Predators have been very good at home while struggling on the road this season. Nashville, which did open its brief two-game East Coast road swing Monday with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, is just 4-9-2 away from Bridgestone Arena - as opposed to 10-3-3 on home ice.

Also, like the Devils, Nashville's overall game has been compromised since late November. The Predators have not won consecutive games since Nov. 25 and their overall record since then is just 4-5-2.

Despite being one of the league's top defensive teams in the month of November, the Predators have since allowed three goals or more in nine of their last 11 contests.

"We have to find ways to win and get rolling and move up in the standings," Predators captain Mike Fisher said to the team's official web site. "We know we can be better. We have to be better."

The Predators were certainly better Monday night as goaltender Pekka Rinne made 31 saves though regulation and overtime before stopping all three shots he faced in the shootout. Ryan Ellis scored the decisive goal for Nashville.

The struggling Filip Forsberg tied the game, 1-1, midway through the third period with his fourth goal of the season for the Predators. In a sign that his scoring touch may be returning, Forsberg, who netted 33 goals a year ago, scored for the second time in his last four games.

"It's a huge win for us," Rinne said to reporters after the win. "We've been struggling on the road and any points, any wins we get right now, is big."

Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban missed his second straight game Monday due to an upper body injury. He will not play in Tuesday's contest against the Devils.

This will be the second and final meeting between the Predators and Devils this season. On Dec. 3 in Nashville, the Devils erased a 4-1 deficit with three third-period goals and capped their rally on Michael Cammalleri's game-winning score at 4:42 of overtime for a stunning 5-4 victory.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (23-10) at Penguins (20-7)

Date: December 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- It might be difficult to label a game as a first-place showdown when it comes before the Christmas break, but certainly there will be a good story line Tuesday when the New York Rangers visit the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.

With a regulation win, Pittsburgh (20-7-5) would tie the Rangers (23-10-1) atop the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference, although New York has two games in hand.

By pretty much any measure, the Metropolitan has been the NHL's best division this season, and recent hot streaks by the Penguins, Rangers, Philadelphia and Columbus have underscored that. Add in Washington, and five of the division clubs are above the 40-point mark.

New York, just a point behind Chicago atop the league standings, has won six of its past seven games. Pittsburgh is 7-0-2 in its past nine games and is coming off back-to-back overtime losses.

"There's no doubt that at this present time in the NHL, we are the dominant division," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "You go back a couple years, the West looked like they had the better teams, but right now, (it is) our division, because of the wins.

"But I look at the league and the parity. Every night, players bust their gut to try and get two points."

There might be a little extra burst in their skating stride when they play games within the Metropolitan.

"We pay attention. It's hard not to," Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said of the division standings, according to the New York Post. "You can fall behind pretty quick with teams like that that keep streaking. It's something we looked at the other day when we were within three or four points of like six, seven teams. So you have to keep getting points."

The teams split a home-and-home series in their first two meetings of the season, with New York winning 5-2 at Pittsburgh Nov. 21 and the Penguins playing what they called one of their best and most complete games in a 6-1 win Nov. 23 at Madison Square Garden.

After Tuesday, the Rangers play their next five games outside of the Metropolitan.

Pittsburgh, in contrast, is beginning a stretch of five games against division clubs sandwiched around the NHL's holiday break.

"I just think every game's hard," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "It doesn't matter who you play in this league. Every game is hard. It's a good league. There's a fine line between winning and losing, regardless of who your opponent is.

"If you don't come with the necessary commitment and the focus and the discipline and that type of a mindset, you run the risk of getting beat, regardless of who your opponent is. I know we've got a capable group. When we play the game the right way, we can play with anybody in the league."

Pittsburgh has an extra challenge right now. Two of its top defensemen, Kris Letang and Trevor Daley, got undisclosed injuries in the past week and are expected to miss this stretch against Metropolitan Division rivals and probably beyond.

Among defensemen, Letang leads the Penguins with 19 points and Daley is second with three goals.

"It's going to be hard," fellow defenseman Olli Maatta told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review of filling in for the two swift-skating players. "When you don't have those two guys, there's not that one guy that can jump in there and fill in. They're that good of players."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Islanders (11-14) at Bruins (17-13)

Date: December 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

BOSTON -- While the Boston Bruins figured out a way to win without their leading scorer Sunday, the New York Islanders continued their plunge in the NHL standings.

The Bruins, who won in the first of what looks like at least two games without David Pastrnak, host the Islanders on Tuesday night. New York has lost five in a row and fallen into last place in the Eastern Conference.

"There's a lot of fight in that room," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said after Sunday's 6-2 home loss to the Ottawa Senators. "When teams lose it, they start quitting, and they don't work, and there's no emotion. That hasn't happened with this group."

The Isles, who have the third-worst points total in the league, are in the midst of their third losing streak of at least three games this season.

It's still early, but they are a distant 13 points away from the last playoff spot. They have been losing close games as they've been tied after two periods and led in one of the contests. But they have been outscored 11-0 in the five third periods.

They are 1-for-12 on the power play and have yielded eight power-play goals in the 15 chances during the streak.

What's most puzzling about the slide is that the Islanders were 5-0-1 in the six games before the losing streak.

The Bruins haven't been great, winning two of their last seven. But they have points in four of those games.

Facing a tired Los Angeles Kings team on Sunday, they played two days after Pastrnak underwent minor right elbow surgery and fashioned their best defensive effort of the season in a 1-0 win. Tuukka Rask recorded his fourth shutout of the season.

"It's one of those games that you only need one bad bounce or one really good chance for them to tie it, and (Sunday) we didn't even give them that," Rask said after his 34th career shutout, this one tying Devan Dubnyk for most in the league this season.

The Islanders have used three different goalies during their losing streak, J-F Berube playing both games over the weekend.

Rask faced only 18 shots in blanking the Kings and figures to take his 10-3-0 career record against the Islanders into this game.

"We score a lot of goals but I think we have the depth we can provide more scoring from other guys too," Rask said. "We seem to like to win these tight games, these low scoring games. That's all right. But yeah, I think our team defense overall today was tremendous."

They can score goals, but the stats say they have scored two goals or less in 22 of their 33 games. And without Pastrnak, who has more than twice as many goals as anyone else on the roster, defense has to be key.

They hope to have added some offense Monday when Frank Vatrano was recalled from a conditioning assignment after recovering from foot surgery. He had eight goals in 39 games last season and scored in both rehab games in the American Hockey League.

While the Islanders have been having trouble with their power play, the Bruins are experiencing the same, going 2-for-31 with the advantage over the last 10 games. Obviously, they hope to cash in on the Islanders' penalty killing woes.

The Bruins have won the last five games between the teams, sweeping three meetings last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sabres (12-11) at Panthers (14-13)

Date: December 20, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Not much has gone right so far this season for the reigning Atlantic Division champions, the Florida Panthers.

But the Panthers (14-13-5) do lead the league in one category at least - most road games played (19).

Florida finally returns home after playing 13 of its past 17 games on the road to host the Buffalo Sabres (12-11-7) on Tuesday.

Now, though, the trend goes the other way. The Panthers will play eight of their next nine games at home.

Will being at home matter?

The Panthers are 8-5-0 at home and 6-8-5 on the road. So, yes, maybe that extra bit of success at home can get Florida back in playoff position.

After all, the Panthers reside just four points behind the Boston Bruins for third place in the Atlantic, which would be good enough for a playoff berth.

"If we can string a few wins together," Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie told the media, "we can be in pretty good position in 15 days. But we have a lot of work to do to climb the standings."

It would certainly help the Panthers if they could get healthy. Jonathan Huberdeau, who normally skates on Florida's top line with Jaromir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov, is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. Defenseman Alex Petrovic, who was off to a great start and is still a team-best plus-8, is recovering from a broken foot.

Both players are about a month away.

A third injured Panthers player - forward Jonathan Marchessault - is trying to come back from a groin injury. He missed four games, returned for one and then missed the past two after aggravating his injury. Despite the time missed, he still leads the team with 10 goals.

Buffalo, meanwhile, is led by 22-year-old defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who is fifth in the NHL in minutes played. He also entered Monday ranked fifth in the NHL in points by a defenseman with 21.

Ristolainen has two goals and 10 assists in his past nine games, and a lot of his damage comes on the power play. He is 13th in the NHL with 12 power-play points.

"You are seeing him develop into a force," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma told the media. "He's our shut-down guy. He's a horse back there - very tough to play against."

Ristolainen, who is just one point behind Kyle Okposo for the team lead, is part of a young Sabres' core that also includes centers Jack Eichel, 20, and Sam Reinhart, 21.

Eichel, who was the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, has five goals and three assists. But injuries have limited Eichel to just nine games. He missed the first six weeks of the season but is now healthy, producing two goals and one assist last Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings.

Reinhart, who was the second overall pick in the 2014 draft, has six goals and nine assists in 30 games.

Those young Sabres will match sticks and skills with the 44-year-old Jagr, who is just three points shy of Mark Messier for No. 2 on the NHL all-time list. Only Wayne Gretzky ranks ahead of Messier.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Wings (14-14) at Lightning (15-14)

Date: December 20, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. -- Not much has gone right for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the last 11 games, and their penalty kill is among the biggest problems.

In going 2-7-2 in the last 11 games, the Lightning are giving up goals on 34 percent of opponents' power plays, with 14 goals in all, including both goals in a shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.

"Killing penalties has cost us points down the stretch," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of his team's recent struggles. "That's an area you have to be good at."

The Lightning (15-14-3) are depleted by injuries, and that includes forward Ryan Callahan, out the last nine games with a hip injury and a key part of Tampa Bay's penalty kill unit.

What could help that short-handed slump for the Lightning is a Tuesday home game with the Detroit Red Wings (14-14-4), who rank 29th in power-play percentage, ahead of only the New York Islanders by converting only 13 percent of their opportunities.

The Lightning continue to count on their power play as a strength, with 26 power-play goals this season, second only to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Tampa Bay was supposed to be getting Detroit on the tail end of a back-to-back, but Monday night's game at the Carolina Hurricanes was postponed after a compressor in PNC Arena's ice-freezing machine blew out.

Detroit had to wait two hours as the game was initially delayed with hopes of starting before the 9:30 deadline for a game the night before a team plays another NHL game, but at about 8:45, the game was called. It will be rescheduled.

Detroit had bounced back nicely Saturday with a 6-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks, ending a four-game losing streak in which they had scored a total of three goals. They're 1-3-1 in their last five, so the Lightning also present them with a chance to get back on track, even on the road.

Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg said players had a good sense the game might not be played because of ice conditions but waited until they had official word. They'll arrive in Tampa earlier than they would after a normal game, and they'll have a morning skate instead of an optional skate now as a result.

"A little different," Zetterberg said. "We prepared for it as a normal game. ... We just killed some time. We had a feeling pretty early that it wouldn't be a game. ... The biggest concern was the safety of the players."

Tampa Bay-Detroit is a rematch of last year's opening-round playoff series that the Lightning won in five games. Tampa Bay beat Detroit 6-4 in Tampa in the season opener, then 4-3 in Detroit.

After Tuesday's game, the teams don't meet again until doing so twice in seven days in late March.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ducks (17-11) at Canadiens (20-7)

Date: December 20, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

MONTREAL -- After a character win against a tough foe, the Montreal Canadiens will be looking for more of the same against a Western Conference heavyweight.

One night after leaving Carey Price out to dry, the Canadiens put together one of their best efforts of the season on Saturday night against the Washington Capitals. With Price back in net, Montreal held the Capitals' talented roster to a mere 21 shots on goal while the lone goal came on a two-man advantage.

They were the only two penalties the Canadiens took against Washington and marked the fourth time in their last five games that they've allowed their opposition three or fewer power plays.

On Tuesday, the Canadiens (20-7-4) will look to maintain that level of discipline when they welcome the Anaheim Ducks to the Bell Centre.

"We just played a team that was very confident (in Washington) and that should give us some confidence," Montreal captain Max Pacioretty said after practice on Monday. "We're playing an opponent that's once again a measuring-stick team. We keep saying that but the bigger teams like (Anaheim) kind of cycle down low and use their body. I think it's normally a good recipe for a good game against us because we clash so much with styles of play. It'll be fun and we've got to pick up where we left off last game."

Anaheim skated away with a 3-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night and used the power play to get the job done. Cam Fowler connected midway through the third period to improve his team's record to 2-2-0 on their current six-game road trip. The Ducks (17-11-5), who own the NHL's second-best power play, went 2-for-5 with the man advantage against Toronto and are now 8-for-19 in their last five games.

"It was an important night for us, sometimes you need your power play to keep you in the game when you're not getting many chances five-on-five," Fowler said. "I was happy to see that one go in in the third."

With his goal, Fowler tied Fredrik Olausson (22) for second on the franchise's all-time power-play goals list among defensemen while also hitting the 200 point mark in his NHL career. That milestone also moved him into a tie with Matt Cullen for ninth on the club's all-time points list.

"He's been unbelievable this year," goaltender John Gibson said after the game of Fowler, who leads the Ducks' defensive corps with nine goals and 22 points and ranks fifth among NHL defensemen in scoring. "He's out there in every situation and everything we ask him to do he comes up with. He's been great."

Montreal, meanwhile, could be without its top-scoring blueliner. Andrei Markov, whose 19 assists and 21 points lead the Canadiens' back-end. He left Saturday's game with a lower-body injury and did not practice on Monday, taking a "therapy day" instead, per the team.

Head coach Michel Therrien said the 16-year NHL veteran, who turns 38 on Tuesday, is day-to-day and questionable to face Anaheim.

He's formed a solid second pairing with Jeff Petry, who is starting to pick up offensively after a lengthy drought. Petry has scored three times in the last four games - including the game-winner on Saturday - while recording 13 shots on goal. Six of those came against the Capitals.

"Lately, he's playing probably his best hockey of the season," Therrien said of Petry. "He's very active, he's solid defensively and he skates well. He's capable of joining the rush and he makes great decisions as to when to pinch. He's played an important role in our team's success."

After Gibson got the nod in goal for the Ducks on Monday, Laval, Quebec, native Jonathan Bernier could get the call against Montreal.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Avalanche (11-18) at Wild (18-8)

Date: December 20, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

It's hard to find a hotter team in the NHL's Western Conference than the Minnesota Wild.

Under coach Bruce Boudreau, the Wild have won seven in a row to improve to 18-8-4 on the season. No team in the NHL is allowing fewer goals per game than Minnesota (1.9), and only a handful of teams are scoring at a higher rate than the Wild's 2.9 goals per game.

Tuesday's opponent in St. Paul, Minn., is trending in the opposite direction. The Colorado Avalanche have lost three straight to drop to 11-18-1 on the season. The Avalanche are on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Wild in terms of goals per game, allowing an NHL-worst 3.2.

Those numbers aside, the Avalanche are 2-0-0 so far this season against the Wild. Colorado topped Minnesota 1-0 on Nov. 5 and stole a 3-2 victory on the road 14 days later.

"They seem to play really good against us ," Boudreau told NHL.com. "They've got some dynamic players, and when they're all on top of their game, they're really good."

But things haven't gone well as of late for the Avalanche. Since its latest win over Minnesota, Colorado has won just three times over a 13-game span. The glaring contest in that stretch was a 10-1 loss to Montreal on Dec. 10.

Now the Avalanche will try to get back on track against a Wild team that has only lost three times since falling to Colorado one month ago.

"You can't worry about the past, especially when you're going through something like this," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told the Denver Post. "You gotta get ready for the next game. Our group has done a good job of doing that. And then we come out to play the next night, but when things don't go your way early or something ends up in the back of your net, you can see the frustration setting in for sure."

Minnesota's lineup may include a new face, as longtime minor leaguer Pat Cannone was recalled from the Iowa Wild. It's the first time in his six-year minor league career that the 30-year-old Cannone has been recalled by an NHL team.

"It's a great opportunity and I'm really looking forward to it," Cannone told NHL.com. "You play for that, you work hard for that. It was a long time coming."

Cannone was recalled after Erik Haula suffered a lower-body injury Saturday. Haula will not play Tuesday against Colorado.

The Avalanche will welcome back goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who missed the last three games with a groin injury. Varlamov is 6-12-0 with a 3.21 goals-against average in 18 starts in net this year.

"I'm feeling good. I'm ready to play (Tuesday)," Varlamov told NHL.com. "If you feel like you're not ready or something's bothering you like a past injury, you have to continue to do treatment and then make sure you're ready 100 percent when you want to get back on the ice."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (17-11) at Stars (13-14)

Date: December 20, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

DALLAS -- The St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars look to finish 2016 with some momentum and correct some notable issues heading into the flip of the calendar to 2017.

For St. Louis (17-11-5), that issue is simple: being more effective at finishing games. On Monday night, the Blues lost 3-2 in overtime to the visiting Edmonton Oilers despite leading 2-1 after two periods.

The defeat continued a recent trend, as St. Louis fell for third time in the past four games it led after 40 minutes of play.

"Grit, determination, technique (is what this boils down to)," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said after the loss to the Oilers. "But that's a team thing. You've got to get it done."

The Blues, who eliminated the Stars in seven games in the second round of the 2016 playoffs by winning Game 7 in Dallas, are 4-4-2 over their past 10 games and 4-9-1 on the road.

Backup goaltender Carter Hutton got the nod between the pipes for the Blues on Monday night, meaning No. 1 netminder Jake Allen, who is 5-2-0 with a 2.38 goals-against-average and two shutouts in eight career games against the Stars, likely will start Tuesday evening at American Airlines Center.

Allen stopped 30 of 36 shots in his last start, a 6-4 home loss to Chicago on Saturday.

Dallas (13-14-6) heads into Tuesday's Central Division tilt fresh off a 3-1 win against Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon, a victory that ended the Flyers' 10-game winning streak and made the Stars 9-5-2 on home ice.

Against the Flyers, fourth-line grinder Adam Cracknell delivered the eventual game-winning goal in the third period. Cracknell was signed late in preseason and has been a welcome addition to the lower end of the Dallas lineup, delivering solid, workmanlike shifts and also scoring a few goals.

Cracknell made his NHL debut with the Blues in 2010, so the veteran forward is looking forward to facing the team that afforded him his first shot in the league.

"They gave me an opportunity," Cracknell said after practice Monday. "I had a great career with St. Louis, up and down a little bit, but all in all, a great experience and got some playoff experience as well. Always excited to play against those guys."

Dallas is 4-6-0 over its past 10 games, and the Stars continue to pace the NHL with 101 goals allowed. However, fourth-year coach Lindy Ruff is more than a bit encouraged by his team allowing an average of just two goals per game over its past eight contests.

"Well, I think first (reason for that drop in goals allowed is) a greater commitment from the group," Ruff said. "Second part, we made a system change I think has helped everybody. It's helped our defense, and all the guys like it."

Special teams figure to be critical on Tuesday, especially with the Blues having the NHL's second-best penalty kill (88.5 percent) and No. 7 power play (21.9 percent), but the Stars' special teams will be impacted by two key absences, Johnny Oduya and Patrick Sharp.

Oduya sustained a lower-body injury against Philadelphia on Saturday and did not practice on Monday.

"Johnny will just be day-to-day," Ruff said Monday. "He went out after practice to see how it feels, probably know more (Tuesday). He's in the category of unlikely probably."

Oduya missed 10 games with a lower-body injury before returning to the lineup Dec. 11 at Chicago.

Sharp is a former teammate of Oduya in Chicago, where the two played for several Stanley Cup champions, but the veteran forward will miss a ninth consecutive game with concussion-like symptoms.

Sharp sat out 14 games with similar symptoms earlier this season before returning Nov. 19. He then played the next six games before experiencing symptoms during a game at Pittsburgh on Dec. 1, which was the last time he played.

"Yeah, he obviously practiced full (Monday), so he's getting closer to a return," Ruff said.

Dallas is looking to rack up points at home during a five-game homestand and a month that will see them play nine times at home. The Stars are 2-1-0 during the homestand thus far.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Senators (18-11) at Blackhawks (22-8)

Date: December 20, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The Ottawa Senators found a way to win on back-to-back nights by keeping things simple.

The challenge will increase in difficulty on Tuesday when the Senators play for the third time in four days against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Senators piled up plenty of scoring in a 6-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Sunday night to put together a two-game winning streak. But against the league's top team, the Blackhawks, Ottawa will need to find a way to beat a Chicago squad that has won five straight.

The Blackhawks (22-8-4) continued their winning ways on Sunday with a 4-1 victory over San Jose as Chicago snapped the Sharks' four-game winning streak with four straight goals. Scott Darling, who continues to thrive in net for the injured Corey Crawford, improved to 5-2-1 in eight straight starts with 33 saves.

Crawford, who has sidelined following an emergency appendectomy, could return as early as Friday. But for now, Darling continues to get the job done as Chicago keeps winning in a midst of a stretch in which the Blackhawks have played six games in 10 days.

"I felt good," Darling told reporters after Sunday night's victory. "Sure, that many games and traveling, all that stuff catches up with you, But we work hard to be ready for that stuff."

With Crawford still ailing, the Blackhawks played Sunday without one of their top offensive performers, center Artem Anisimov, who didn't play after suffering an upper body injury Saturday night against St. Louis. Coach Joel Quenneville told reporters that Anisimov is day-to-day.

Still, Chicago managed to win again behind goals by rookies Ryan Hartman and Vincent Hinostroza as well as Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane.

"We're just finding a way to play the right way," Quenneville told reporters Sunday night. "You try to make sure when it's time to press with your best, you do it, and sometimes, you have to be aware when there's a little more balance. But you're in that game to win it and you have to play accordingly."

For the Senators, continuing a busy stretch will be key. But Zack Smith has fueled Ottawa's offense of late with five points in two games. Smith tallied two goals and had an assist against the Islanders, including a short-handed empty-netter in the third period.

Like the Blackhawks, who were also playing for the second time in as many nights, the Senators scored four straight goals in their latest win as the defense took care of the rest.

"It was a good (win) especially for a back-to-back," Smith told reporters after Sunday's game. "We played a tight, stingy game. ... We didn't give them much."

Mark Stone also had three points for Ottawa, which played through losing goalie Andrew Hammond to an ankle injury. Mike Condon was forced back into action after playing the night before.

"(Coming in in relief is) part of the job coming in and being ready," Condon told reporters. "It can happen at any moment. That (win) bodes well for our confidence."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jets (15-16) at Canucks (13-16)

Date: December 20, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets have no scores to settle yet this National Hockey League season.

But that situation will change this week as the teams play a rare doubleheader in Vancouver with the first game going Tuesday night at Rogers Arena. Both the Canucks (13-16-2-1) and Jets (15-16-2-1) are looking to win more consistently as they play their final two games below the Christmas break.

The Canucks, struggling to rebuild on the fly, have only won four of their past 10 games while the Jets, who appear to be a much tougher and more talented team have five wins and as many losses during the same span.

"We know what it takes," said Vancouver winger Jannik Hansen. "We need to string some wins together. We had an opportunity (Sunday in a 4-3 shootout loss to Columbus.) We are going to get another opportunity on Tuesday. That's what we need. We are playing good hockey now, consistently well. It's the end result that has to come as well."

The Canucks have picked up their play markedly since losing nine straight earlier in the season. But they are battling injuries on the back end with Alex Edler (finger) continuing an extended absence and Erik Gudbranson, who has missed the last two games, also due to be out on a long-term basis due to a wrist problem that made surgery necessary.

Although center Brandon Sutter is on a three-game scoring streak, the Jets will not have to worry about many obvious scoring threats. However, the Canucks are clear on who they want to hold in check.

Jets rookie Patrik Laine ranks among the league's top scorers with 18 goals. He is also coming off a three-point game following Sunday's victory over Colorado, when he had a goal and two assists.

"He's a strong player," said Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller. "He's not afraid to shoot the puck. He has some confidence and seems to slow the play down just a little bit to give himself some space. A lot like (Sunday) we are going to have to be skating, chip some pucks, make him go a long way. Maybe get their team a little frustrated. That seems to be the game plan most nights."

The Jets, who also boast sharpshooters Mark Sheifele, who has 14 goals and 30 points, and Blake Wheeler (24 points) can ease some frustration by moving above .500 with a win Tuesday and another Thursday, when the mini-series concludes.

"We kinda limped into the mini-break we had there, got some rest here at home and took care of business," Jets captain Blake Wheeler told reporters following Sunday's win over Colorado. "We had to get back on track. It was two huge games here at home, two huge games in Vancouver now and we want to go into this break feeling good about ourselves."

The Jets are also feeling better physically. Former Canucks Shawn Matthias and fellow forwards participated in Monday's practice after being absent due to injuries. Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice told reporters that at least one of the three would play in Vancouver.

But one player's status remains in limbo even though he is healthy. Center Alexander Burmistov has been a healthy scratch for the last five games and has suited up for only three of the last 12 contests after falling out of favor with Maurice.

"You know, I feel great, working hard -- watching games," said Burmistrov, who has only two assists in 23 games this season and is a minus-six, told the Winnipeg Free Press. "It's tough, tough for me because I do not know why I'm not playing, you know. I never have a conversation with the coach, so he never (told) me why I'm not playing."

Maurice begged to differ, contending that he has spoken frequently to Burmistov, who returned to the Jets this season after leaving the team following the 2012-13 campaign for the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League.

All other Jets have been getting plenty of rest lately after starting the season with 32 games in 60 days. The Jets had three days between games last week before getting two days off prior to Sunday's contest, and they will have had another two-day break before Tuesday's opening faceoff.

"Physically we are quite a bit stronger and when you are a little better rested you can stop and start and win battles," said Maurice.

He will soon find out whether that applies to a pair of battles against the same team in Vancouver.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (17-15) at Sharks (19-12)

Date: December 20, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks are one of the NHL's better teams this season when playing at home. However, they experienced issues in recent years when the Calgary Flames came to northern California.

Prior to the league's Christmas break, San Jose begins a two-game homestand Tuesday night against Calgary, which features surging special teams play and two players trying to increase lengthy scoring streaks, Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau.

The Sharks (19-12-1) are looking for their seventh win in nine games at SAP Center, but they are just 1-3-2 over their past six home games against Calgary with three of the losses coming by one goal, including one defeat in overtime and one in a shootout.

San Jose, 10-4-0 at home this season, returns from a successful road trip that ended on a down note. After posting wins over three eastern Canadian teams, the Sharks surrendered three third-period goals Sunday in a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

"It's a nice stretch, for sure, but you get the three (wins) ... you want the four," the Sharks' Joe Pavelski told the league's official website. "This was the game we were worried about and wanted to win."

The Tuesday contest will be the 1,400th in the NHL for the Sharks' Joe Thornton. The top overall pick by the Boston Bruins in the 1997 NHL Draft will be the 37th player to reach that mark, the third to do so in a Sharks uniform, joining current teammate Patrick Marleau and Teemu Selanne.

At 37 years old, Thornton isn't slowing down. He leads the Sharks with 18 assists and is tied with Logan Couture for third with 20 points.

"I feel good," Thornton told the San Jose Mercury News. "I try to get better as the months go on so I kind of peak at the end of the year. That's my goal again this year. I think (my training) allows me to do that, and it's been effective in the past and hopefully for years to come."

On Nov. 3, Thornton drew an assist against the Flames, but San Jose dropped a 3-2 decision at home. That was the 30th assist and 37th point in his career against Calgary. "Jumbo Joe" is 25th on all-time scoring list with 1,361 points, needing nine more to move past John Bucyk.

Brent Burns, the Sharks' leading scorer (13 goals, 17 assists), comes in with five goals with five assists in an eight-game points streak. Burns also has assists in four straight home games, and he needs one more to reach 300 for his career.

In his past four games versus the Flames, Burns has three goals and four assists.

After giving up a total of 10 goals in back-to-back losses, Calgary (17-15-2) scored three times in the third period Monday and finished with three power-play goals in a 4-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes.

"That's one piece of the puzzle in this league is the specialty teams game, and you can see what happens when you win it," Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said.

Monahan and Gaudreau each recorded an assist in the Flames' third straight road win.

Monahan, now in his fourth season, is on the longest point streak of his career, having tallied five goals with seven assists in 10 games. That's a huge turnaround from the five goals and three assists he recorded in his first 24 games.

Gaudreau is playing his best hockey since coming back Dec. 4 after a 10-game absence caused by a broken finger. Gaudreau has recorded at least a point in seven straight games, totaling two goals and nine assists.

Neither player, though, has fared particularly well on the road against the Sharks.

Monahan, the sixth overall pick in the 2013 draft, has three goals and two assists in eight career games vs. San Jose, while Gaudreau has just three assists in six such games.

The Flames also will try to keep a red-hot power-play unit going. Over the past eight games, Calgary has converted 39.4 percent of its chances (13 for 33) with the man advantage.

"To get those power-play goals, obviously you generate momentum from that as well," Monahan said.

Calgary is 2-2-2 in the second games when playing back to back.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - December

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
12/1 12 64.5 70 OVER
12/2 2 10 8 UNDER
12/3 12 63 58 UNDER
12/4 7 36 40 OVER
12/5 4 21 30 OVER
12/6 9 49.5 49 UNDER
12/7 4 20.5 29 OVER
12/8 10 54.5 58 OVER
12/9 6 30.5 26 UNDER
12/10 10 53 68 OVER
12/11 8 42 32 UNDER
12/12 2 10.5 10 UNDER
12/13 10 54.5 69 OVER
12/14 4 21.5 30 OVER
12/15 8 42.5 49 OVER
12/16 7 37 34 UNDER
12/17 10 52 50 UNDER
12/18 6 31 31 PUSH
12/19 5 OFF OFF
12/20 12 - - -
12/21 2 - - -
12/22 10 - - -
12/23 12 - - -
12/24 No games scheduled - - -
12/25 No games scheduled - - -
12/26 No games scheduled - - -
12/27 10 - - -
12/28 5 - - -
12/29 12 - - -
12/30 4 - - -
12/31 11 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Tuesday’s games

Kings won eight of last ten games with Columbus, winning three of last four in this building (over 3-0-1). Los Angeles won three of last five games, both overall and on road; under is 3-1-2 in their last six games. Blue Jackets won their last nine games, allowing 14 goals; under is 4-2-1 in their last seven games.

Devils won three of last four games vs Nashville, with last two wins in OT; under is 4-2-3 in last nine series games. Predators lost three of last five visits to Garden State. Nashville lost six of its last nine games, three of last five on road. Over is 8-2 in their last ten games. New Jersey was outscored 25-8 in losing its last six games; five of those six were on road. Over is 4-1-4 in their last nine games.

Rangers lost eight of last ten games with Pittsburgh; over is 5-1-1 in last seven series games. New York won two of last three visits here. Rangers won six of last seven games with their last two wins in SO’s; they won last four road games, allowing two goals. Under is 5-0-2 in their last seven games. Penguins lost last two games, scoring once, after winning seven in row before that- their last three games went OT. Over is 8-2 in their last ten games.

Islanders lost their last five games with Boston; three of last four series games stayed under. New York lost 3-1/2-1 in last two visits here. Islanders were outscored 24-12 in losing last five games; six of their last eight games went over total. Boston lost five of its last seven games, three of last four at home; over is 5-3 in their last eight games.

Florida won seven of last ten games with Buffalo; Sabres lost three of last four games in this building. Over is 4-3-1 in last eight series games. Buffalo lost three of last four road games; four of their last six games overall went to OT. Under is 3-2-2 in their last seven games. Panthers lost six of their last eight games; over is 5-1-1 in their last seven games.

Lightning won eight of last nine games with Detroit, whose game last night was postponed due to bad ice in Raleigh. Red Wings lost last six games in this building; they were eliminated in five games by Tampa Bay in playoffs LY. Over is 4-2-2 in last eight series games. Tampa Bay lost eight of last ten games, two of last three at home. Four of their last five games went over total.

Ducks won four of last five games with Montreal; teams split last four meetings in this building. Under is 6-2 in last eight series games. Anaheim won four of last six games but lost four of last five on road. Over is 6-0-1 in their last seven games. Canadiens are 4-5 in last nine games, 2-2 in last four at home. Over is 4-2-1 in their last seven games.

Minnesota is 6-4 in its last ten games with Colorado; under is 4-1-1 in last six series games. Avalanche lost three of last five visits to Twin Cities. Colorado lost eight of last ten games but split last four on road; three of their last four games stayed under total. Minnesota won its last seven games, giving up total of ten goals- they won last four at home. Over is 2-0-1 in their last three games.

Blues are 5-3 in last eight games with Dallas (over 5-0-3). St Louis won three of its last four games in this building. Blues lost three of last four games, with last three going over total; they also lost three of last four on road. Dallas Stars won three of last four home games but are 4-6 in last ten games overall; three of their last four games stayed under total.

Home side won eight of last ten Ottawa-Chicago games; Senators lost last five visits to Windy City, scoring total of eight goals. Over is 4-2 in last six series games. Ottawa won 3-1/6-2 in its last two games but is 4-6 in last ten, 2-3 in last five on road. Over is 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Blackhawks won its last five games, scoring 20 goals; over is 2-0-1 in their last three games- they won three of last four home games.

Home side won eight of last ten Vancouver-Winnipeg games; Jets lost four of last five visits to Vancouver. Over is 2-0-1 in last three games played here. Winnipeg won 4-3/4-1 in last couple games but lost last two road games. Under is 2-1-1 in their last four road games. Vancouver lost four of last five games; five of their last six games went over. Canucks won three of their last five home games.

Flames won six of last nine games with San Jose; they won four of last five visits here. Over is 4-2 in last six series games. Calgary won seven of its last nine games, winning last three on road; three of its last four went over the total. Sharks won four of last five games overall, three of last four at home; over is 4-1-2 in their last seven games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Pacers win in final second
By The Sports Xchange

INDIANAPOLIS -- Thaddeus Young sank a driving short jumper with slightly less than a second left to give the Indiana Pacers a 107-105 victory over Washington Wizards on Monday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Washington's Bradley Beal missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Paul George led the Pacers (15-14) with 27 points and teammate Jeff Teague added 23. Myles Turner fouled out with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Beal, who hit both two free throws to narrow the Pacers' lead to 105-103 with 50.1 seconds left, tied the score by hitting a jumper with 15.7 seconds left.

Hawks 110, Thunder 108
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Dennis Schroder and Paul Millsap combined to score 61 points in leading Atlanta to a victory at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Schroder scored 31 points on 10 of 16 shooting to go along with eight assists. Millsap poured in 30 points, 11 rebounds and hit 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Thabo Sefolosha added 15 points as the Hawks raised their record to 14-14.
Oklahoma City was led by Russell Westbrook, who had a game high 46 points. He also racked up 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Timberwolves 115, Suns 108
MINNEAPOLIS -- Two days after blowing a lead late, Minnesota held onto a late advantage to escape with a win. The Timberwolves pulled away late to beat Phoenix at Target Center. The win for the Timberwolves came two days after they let a 12-point lead slip away with just over two minutes to play against Houston. The Rockets eventually won that game in overtime.
On Monday, Wolves center Karl-Anthony Towns scored 28 points and grabbed 15 boards for his 18th double-double of the season -- and his eighth straight. Andrew Wiggins had 26 points in the win, and Zach LaVine chipped in 23.

Bulls 113, Pistons 82
CHICAGO -- Rajon Rondo narrowly missed a triple-double with 10 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds, and Chicago rolled to a win over Detroit.
Jimmy Butler added 19 points as the Bulls led by double digits for all but the game's first four minutes. Taj Gibson contributed 16 points on 8-for-8 shooting.
Chicago snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 8-5 at home. The Bulls set a season high with 69 points in the first half.
Jon Leuer came off the bench to lead the Pistons with 16 points and five rebounds. Tobias Harris added 10 points as the only other Detroit player to score in double digits.

Nuggets 117, Mavericks 107
DENVER -- Nikola Jokic tied a career high with 27 points to go with 14 rebounds and nine assists, and Denver beat Dallas.
Gary Harris scored a career-high 24 points for Denver, which has won three straight for the first time this season. Emmanuel Mudiay had 18 points and seven assists for the Nuggets, who are averaging 125.3 points during their streak.
Deron Williams scored 23 points and handed out eight assists, and Harrison Barnes added 19 points for the Mavericks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pelicans (9-20) at 76ers (7-20)

Date: December 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis is coming off one of his worst games of the season. Philadelphia 76ers rookie center/forward Joel Embiid is coming off his best.

The two big men square off Tuesday night, when the Pelicans (9-20) close out a three-game road trip against the Sixers (7-20) in Philadelphia.

Davis, the NBA's second-leading scorer (29.6), managed 12 points in Sunday's 113-100 loss in San Antonio. It was his second-lowest total of the season, and came two days after he was limited to 22 minutes by a left lower-leg contusion in a 122-100 loss in Houston. He scored 17 points in that one.

Embiid, meanwhile, piled up a career-high 33 points in Sunday's 108-107 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, and added 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.

"For the first time, all over, he wanted to dominate the game," coach Brett Brown said.

Embiid said he was feeling the effects of a head cold before the game, but he nonetheless made 12 of 17 shots from the floor and added 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. His 3-pointer with 2:43 left put the Sixers ahead to stay, as they snapped an eight-game home losing streak.

Philadelphia has, however, won just three times in its last 13 games.

There is also some intrigue with the Sixers, as Brown announced before Sunday's game that center/forward Nerlens Noel will not be part of the team's frontcourt rotation for the foreseeable future. Noel missed the season's first 23 games following minor knee surgery, then sprained his left ankle upon returning last Sunday in Detroit.

That caused him to miss last Wednesday's loss to Toronto, and he saw only eight minutes of court time in Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Afterward he complained about his role, as well as the fact that management has failed to alleviate the team's logjam at center. Noel, Embiid and Jahlil Okafor, all highly drafted players in recent years, are all best suited to playing that position

Brown, however, is now starting Embiid and Okafor in tandem, then alternating the two of them at center. The coach believes that trying to find minutes for Noel disrupts the "balance and flow" of the Eastern Conference's worst team.

On Monday general manager Bryan Colangelo told reporters that Brown "didn't mean Nerlens wouldn't play at all," though Brown did say Noel would only see the court if someone gets in foul trouble or something of that nature.

"We're trying to determine if (Noel) is a fit for this roster," Colangelo told reporters.

Colangelo also said there is "considerable interest" in Noel throughout the league, but also "trepidation" about trading for him, since he has barely played. Colangelo went on to say that he doesn't feel he has to make a deal before the end of this season.

Embiid managed 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting in the Sixers' 99-88 victory over the Pelicans on Dec. 4 in New Orleans. He also contributed seven rebounds.

Davis had 26 points and 11 boards for New Orleans that night, but shot just 8 for 21 from the floor.

He was also limited to two points on 1-of-7 shooting after the first quarter of Sunday's loss in San Antonio. He missed seven of 12 shots in all.

The Pelicans' other top scorers this season are ex-Sixer Jrue Holiday (14.6) and Tim Frazier (10.9).

New Orleans forward Dante Cunningham returned Sunday after missing the previous 12 games with a fractured right fibula. Solomon Hill is not with the team because of the birth of a child, and Quincy Pondexter (knee) is out.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lakers (11-19) at Hornets (15-13)

Date: December 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The end of a four-game losing streak could be the new beginning the Charlotte Hornets seek.

The Hornets hope for some carry-over from Saturday's road win over the Hawks when they face the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

Before dropping four in a row, the Hornets, leaders of the Southeast Division, had been victorious in three straight and five of seven games. However, a lack of physicality has been central in the Hornets' recent troubles, coach Steve Clifford said. They wrapped up their road trip with a 1-4 mark.

"I've been telling them for three weeks now: (Other teams are saying) 'Make it hard on them. Bump them off every cut, bump them off every screen.' Sooner or later, we have to respond," Clifford said, according to the Charlotte Observer.

The return of point guard Kemba Walker from a one-game absence (personal reasons) helped boost the Hornets past the Hawks. Walker delivered 18 points and 10 assists against the Hawks.

Walker has been a steady force offensively all season, reaching double figures in scoring in each of his 27 games. He leads the Hornets at 22.4 points per game.

In addition to Walker, forward Nicolas Batum has made solid contributions, averaging 13.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Center Cody Zeller, who contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds against the Hawks, is shooting a club-high 58.7 percent, which is the fourth highest mark in the NBA.

The Lakers have hit hard times in December, dropping nine of their last 10 games. A 100-89 win at Philadelphia over the 76ers on Friday is the Lakers' lone win this month. In its last outing Saturday at Cleveland, Los Angeles lost 119-108 to the Cavaliers despite a season-high 32 points from Nick Young.

Injuries have hurt the Lakers' cause recently. Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell, who missed 12 games with a sore left knee before returning Dec. 11, sat out the Cleveland defeat because the Lakers didn't want to play rush him into back-to-back contests yet. Russell is listed as questionable for the Charlotte game, but Lakers coach Luke Walton indicated he would play.

"He was great today," Walton said after Monday's practice, according to the Los Angeles Times. "He came in and worked out yesterday. Did a one-on-zero (private workout) yesterday. Today was pressuring the ball, pushing it on offense. He looked good today."

If Russell is unable to play, rookie Brandon Ingram could get another start. Ingram, who started against the Cavaliers, collected 10 rebounds, nine points and nine assists against Cleveland. The 19-year-old Ingram fell just short of becoming the youngest NBA player to post a triple-double. Ingram, the No. 2 pick of the NBA draft last summer, will be returning to North Carolina to play as a professional for the first time since he left Duke after his freshman season.

Lakers forward Tarik Black (ankle) is listed as questionable for the contest, too. Black also didn't play against the Cavaliers.

Backup point guard Jose Calderon remains out with a right hamstring strain.

The Lakers are 1-3 on their current seven-game road trip.

The Hornets have captured the last three meetings between the two clubs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (7-19) at Raptors (19-8)

Date: December 20, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

TORONTO -- After a poor defensive effort in losing to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, the Toronto Raptors tightened up to defeat the Orlando Magic 109-79 on Sunday.

The Brooklyn Nets, on the other hand, continue to lose on the road as they dropped a 108-107 game to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday after losing in Orlando on Friday.

The Nets (7-19) make their next stop in Toronto to play the Raptors at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night.

"I thought that was a good bounce-back for us after our lackluster defensive game against Atlanta but that's the way we have to play," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said after the win on Sunday. "If we're going to be important or relevant in this league, we have to play with that defensive intensity every night."

It was the same old story for the Nets, who are 1-12 on the road.

"We just couldn't get over the hump," Nets center Brook Lopez said after the game on Sunday. "I don't know if there's that much analysis to it. ... "We just have keep playing the right way. We don't have any room for error. We have to hold each other accountable. We just have to be better. We have to play a complete game for 48 minutes."

Lopez had 22 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four blocks Sunday and is scheduled to be rested on Tuesday and not play against the Raptors, who have won 11 of their past 13 games.

Former Raptor Luis Scola could be Lopez's replacement on Tuesday.

The Raptors continued to show their depth on Sunday. Backup point guard Cory Joseph could not play against the Magic because of flu symptoms. Fred VanVleet stepped in and scored four points, dished four assists and had three steals.

"Fred came in and there was no let-up," Casey said. "I told somebody Cory better hurry up and get well, footsteps are behind him."

VanVleet has been shuttled between the D-League and the Raptors.

"It has been a grind for sure, going back and forth with a lot of basketball, but it's part of the process," he said. "Just lucky I got guys like Norm (Powell), who have already done it and paved the way so you can pick his brain a little bit about how he got through it. At this point, it's about the experience and the exposure. It's not punishment. Just something you have to go through and you try to play well every time you go out there."

DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors on Sunday with 31 points.

Jonas Valanciunas rebounded from a mediocre game against the Hawks to score 16 points and grab 13 rebounds against the Magic.

The Nets' weakness has been allowing offensive rebounds and second-chance points.

"Yeah, it's definitely an issue, definitely one of our weaker points defensively,' Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. "We definitely have to do a better job, and guard rebounding is huge for us, and we have to do it collectively. This is going to be a big challenge."

DeRozan was named Eastern Conference player of the week of Dec. 12-18 on Monday.

It is the second time DeRozan has earned the honor this season (Nov. 7-13) and the third time overall in his eight-year career.

DeRozan led the NBA last week averaging 31.5 points and shooting 60.5 percent (46 for 76) from the field in four games. He also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. DeRozan led the Raptors in scoring in all four games, scoring at least 30 points and shooting 50 percent or better from the field as the team had a 3-1 record.