Saturday 12-1-18 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Boston Celtics vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NBA Predictions 1st December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/01/2018

The Minnesota Timberwolves have done well to recover from the Jimmy Butler saga and can move above .500 for the first time this season when they host the Boston Celtics on Saturday. A 128-89 rout of the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday gave the Timberwolves four straight wins and seven in nine games since they traded away Butler.

Robert Covington, one the players who came over from Philadelphia in that blockbuster deal, led the way with 21 points and nine rebounds as Minnesota improved to 9-3 at home while holding its opponent under 100 points for the third straight time. "It's big time when you get a team like that and play an organization like that, and we come out and play defense the way we did," center Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters after Wednesday's win. "It's a wonderful sight and it shows the hard work we're putting in day-in and day-out." The Celtics are also coming off a lopsided win after toppling Cleveland 128-95 on Friday. Kyrie Irving scored 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting as Boston shot a season-high 53.3 percent in its best offensive effort of the season.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBA TV, NBCS Boston, FS North (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE CELTICS (12-10): Boston has averaged 126 points in its two straight wins, which happens to coincide with Marcus Smart stepping into the starting lineup in place of the injured Jaylen Brown (back). Smart had 12 points and team highs of seven assists and three steals in the win over the Cavaliers and his play has left Brown wondering if he'll be forced to return to a bench role. "Possibly," Brown told reporters when asked about playing as a reserve when he comes back. "Especially if we are winning. Whatever it is that needs to be done to figure it out. Everybody has talent, everybody has ability, but obviously we have to make something work here. ... If we're winning, everything else will be fine."

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (11-11): Covington is averaging 22.5 points in two games since a 1-for-18 shooting effort against Chicago, but he is being lauded for his impact on the defensive end. "Overall just bringing that defensive mindset here is very contagious and a lot of people are picking up on it," Covington told reporters. "That's part of my character. I'm very approachable and I talk to guys in a way that I know how the game is going." Towns and Derrick Rose added 16 points apiece in the win over the Spurs while rookie Josh Okogie chipped in 12 in only 10 minutes.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Brown told reporters he hopes to return for this one.

2. Rose hit 4-of-5 3-pointers Wednesday and is shooting 48.6 percent from beyond the arc.

3. The Celtics have won each of the last four meetings.

PREDICTION: Timberwolves 104, Celtics 101

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chicago Bulls vs. Houston Rockets Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NBA Predictions 1st December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/01/2018

The Houston Rockets look to follow up their best performance of the campaign when they host the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Houston halted a four-game slide with a convincing 136-105 rout of the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and faces a Chicago squad that has dropped a season-worst five straight games.

The Rockets were big disappointments over the first 20 games of the season but were outstanding in contest No. 21 while establishing season bests for points and 3-point baskets (22). "We have to build on this victory," Rockets center Clint Capela said during a postgame television interview. "We just have to stay locked in and remember what we did (Friday) and re-produce it (Saturday) night and we'll be OK." There certainly is a chance for another strong showing against Chicago, which has lost six consecutive road games after Friday's 107-88 setback against the Detroit Pistons. The Bulls are 2-9 on the road as they make their third stop on a four-game excursion.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)

ABOUT THE BULLS (5-18): Rookie forward Wendell Carter Jr. was the bright spot against Detroit as he scored a season-high 28 points on 11-of-18 shooting. It was the second time Carter - the seventh overall pick - topped 20 points, the other being a 25-point effort against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 31. "Wendell was hot, so I had to get him the ball," Chicago shooting guard Zach LaVine (season-low eight points) told reporters. "He had a career night with all those points and with good defense, but the rest of us didn't play well enough to win."

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (10-11): Point guard Chris Paul (hamstring) returned from a three-absence and contributed 14 points and 10 assists in the dismantling of the Spurs. "When I'm out, we're a different team," Paul told reporters afterward. "When James (Harden) is out, Eric (Gordon) is out, any of us are out, we're a different team. I think we get a chance to alleviate a little bit of pressure on each other, and we played the right way." Harden recorded 23 points and 10 assists while the red-hot Gordon made seven 3-pointers and scored 26 points, and is averaging 26.8 points and connected on 23-of-48 3-point attempts over the past four games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Rockets have won the past five meetings, including 96-88 on the road Nov. 3.

2. Houston backup C-PF Nene (calf) is slated to make his season debut Saturday.

3. Chicago PF Lauri Markkanen (elbow) took part in Friday's mid-day shootaround and is expected to make his season debut sometime next week.

PREDICTION: Rockets 125, Bulls 94

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NBA Predictions 1st December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/01/2018

The Toronto Raptors will hope to avoid a letdown when they follow up a dramatic home win against the defending champs with a visit to the sinking Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. The Raptors have won a season-high seven in a row, including Thursday's 131-128 overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Kawhi Leonoard scored a season-high 37 points and two others had at least 20 as Toronto boosted its NBA-best record to 19-4. "We were able to make shots, we were able to get some stops in overtime," Leonard told reporters after the win. "It's a building block for us, and I'm happy we got the win." The Cavaliers have dropped three in a row, including Friday's 128-95 loss at Boston. Rookie Collin Sexton made 6-of-18 shots from the floor in the defeat but he still managed to hit the 15-point mark for the ninth time in his last 11 games.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TSN (Toronto), FS Ohio (Cleveland)

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (19-4): Paskal Siakam emerged as a significant scoring threat in November, averaging 16.9 points on 65.8 percent shooting during the month. "His confidence is very high," coach Nick Nurse told the media of Siakam. "It just keeps inching along." Kyle Lowry shook off a rough shooting night (4-for-14) to produce 12 assists against the Warriors and he continues to lead the league in that category with 10.3 per game.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (4-17): Friday saw the team debut of guard Alec Burks, who was acquired in Wednesday's deal that sent veteran Kyle Korver to Utah, and he finished with 15 points, six assists and four rebounds off the bench. Cleveland is still operating without Sam Dekker (ankle) George Hill (shoulder) and Davis Nwaba (knee). Guard Jordan Clarkson is averaging 20.5 points over his last two games and has a total of one turnover in 54 minutes during that stretch.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Lowry had 27 points in a 116-104 victory over Cleveland at home earlier this season.

2. Cavaliers C Tristan Thompson recorded his ninth double-double in a span of 12 games with 13 points and 12 rebounds at Boston.

3. Toronto is averaging 120.3 points during its seven-game winning streak.

PREDICTION: Raptors 114, Cavaliers 105

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Indiana Pacers vs. Sacramento Kings Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NBA Predictions 30th November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/30/2018

The Sacramento Kings are beginning to fade after a hot start and dropped the first two of a three-game homestand to fall a game under .500. The Kings will try to avoid a winless homestand and get back to even when they host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.

Sacramento, which embarks on a four-game road trip beginning Tuesday that includes a stop in Indiana, surrendered 133 points each to the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers in the first two games of the homestand to watch the overall slide reach three in a row. "For us this year, it's been defense," Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox told reporters. "That's the end of the court that we have to be able to get better at. If we do, I think it will be a surge in the team. When our defense is up, our offense picks up even more." The Pacers took the first two stops on their four-game west coast trip at Utah and Phoenix before dropping a 104-96 decision at the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. "Three and one (on a road trip) is really good, especially on the West Coast," Indiana point guard Darren Collison told reporters. "It would be our fault if we lose our minds and don't get the next game (at Sacramento). Let's focus on the next game. We know we didn't play our best basketball (at Los Angeles). Neither one of us shot the ball well. The NBA is about bouncing back. Let's see what we do next game."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, NBCS California (Sacramento)

ABOUT THE PACERS (13-9): Indiana power forward Domantas Sabonis is enjoying a solid road trip and collected 20 points and 15 rebounds in 29 minutes on Thursday to notch his fourth straight double-double and second consecutive game with at least 20 points and 15 boards. "He's playing really good basketball," Pacers coach Nate McMillan told reporters of Sabonis. "(We) tried to play him pretty much that whole second half. He's doing some good things for us, but we need (it to be) collectively. As a unit, (we) need to be collective out there and play good basketball." Sabonis leads the team in shooting percentage (65.2) and is averaging 15 points and 10.2 rebounds in just 24.8 minutes off the bench.

ABOUT THE KINGS (10-11): Sacramento's offense is led by Fox, but a host of young players are getting involved and are enjoying success along with the team. Shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, 26, scored a team-high 26 points in 35 minutes off the bench during Thursday's 133-121 loss to the Clippers for his second straight 20-point outburst and third in 10 games this season. Rookie power forward Marvin Bagley III collected 18 points and 10 rebounds on Thursday for his third double-double in five games before leaving with back tightness.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Kings PF Nemanja Bjelica went 8-of-9 from the floor in the last two games and is shooting 54.3 percent on the season.

2. Pacers All-Star SG Victor Oladipo (knee) sat out the last six games and is questionable for Saturday.

3. Indiana took the last four in the series and scored 106 points in each of its last two trips to Sacramento.

PREDICTION: Pacers 126, Kings 122

[Can'tPickAWinner]

San Jose Sharks vs. Ottawa Senators Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NHL Predictions 30th November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/30/2018

Two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson plays his first game in Ottawa since a blockbuster trade to San Jose during the offseason when the struggling Sharks visit the surging Senators on Saturday afternoon. San Jose dropped the first three contests of its five-game road trip as Karlsson was kept off the scoresheet while a combined minus-3 in those contests, making him a minus-9 this season - second-worst on the club to No. 2 defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (minus-10).

"I think we understand, the 25-game mark you have a good feel for your team, and you should,'' San Jose captain Joe Pavelski told reporters after scoring in Wednesday's 5-3 loss at Toronto. "When (coach) Peter (DeBoer) first got here it took 40 to 50 games, and we've got some big pieces here and a lot of new faces so we'll keep building, keep working towards finding it a little bit better." Ottawa has won two straight after Thursday's 3-0 victory over the Rangers in New York as Craig Anderson halted a four-game losing streak with 27 saves for his first shutout of the season. "This was one of the few games that we've actually come together for a full 60 minutes," Anderson told reporters. "We've had spurts of games where we show what we can do, offensively and defensively, and tonight was a full 60 minutes. It was just outstanding to be back there for the guys." Senators forward Matt Duchene, who becomes a free agent at season's end, recorded a goal and an assist Thursday and leads the team with 12 scores and 33 points.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, NBCS California (San Jose), TVA, TSN5 (Ottawa)

ABOUT THE SHARKS (12-9-5): Pavelski, 34, is on pace to surpass his career-high goal total of 41 set in 2013-14 with 16 this season - three in his last two games and 11 in his past 13 contests. Timo Meier (13 goals, 23 points), who has scored only once in his last nine games, missed Thursday's contest with an upper-body injury. Logan Couture (eight goals, 25 points) has two goals and six assists in his last six games, including three assists in the past two.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (11-12-3): Duchene, who has two goals and four assists in his last four games, is a minus-13 with nine goals and 17 points in 25 games versus San Jose. Thomas Chabot has taken over Karlsson's offensive-minded role on the blue line with 29 points - first among NHL defenseman entering Friday - and he's already surpassed his 25 points from his first full season of 2017-18. Mark Stone (11 goals, 28 points) has recorded two goals and two assists in his last three games while Ryan Dzingel (10 goals) registered his 100th career point with an assist Thursday.

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa has the worst penalty-killing unit in the league at 70.1 percent despite not allowing a power-play goal in the last four games (seven chances) while San Jose is 6-for-15 with a man advantage during that span.

2. Senators D Mark Borowiecki is eligible to return from injured reserve after missing the last four games with an undisclosed injury.

3. The clubs have split the last two season series (four meetings) with San Jose F Tomas Hertl scoring three goals in 2017-18 to give him six in eight contests versus Ottawa.

PREDICTION: Senators 3, Sharks 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Dallas Stars vs. Vancouver Canucks Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NHL Predictions 30th November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/30/2018

Brock Boeser's first two goals since returning from an injury that cost him nearly a month wasn't enough for the reeling Vancouver Canucks as they lost 4-3 to Vegas on Thursday - their 10th defeat in 11 games. The Canucks will look to turn the page on a terrible November when the Dallas Stars finish up a four game road trip in Vancouver on Saturday afternoon.

Another closely contested battle ended in defeat for Vancouver Thursday as William Karlsson's shorthanded game-winning goal late in the third period handed the Canucks their seventh one-goal defeat in their last 11 losses. "It stings a little bit more knowing we played a good game," Vancouver defenseman Ben Hutton told the media. "There are going to be times when you don't play your best and still get two points, but tonight we played well for 60 minutes. We've just got to stick to the system because there's the sense that we're playing well." Dallas is looking to leave Western Canada with consecutive victories after Tyler Seguin scored 24 seconds into overtime to give the Stars a 4-3 win in Calgary Wednesday. Captain Jamie Benn made up for the two minor penalties he committed in the third period - his second leading to a game-tying goal by Johnny Gaudreau - by assisting on Seguin's OT winner that gave the Stars their first win in five chances this season on the second night of a back-to-back.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas), Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver)

ABOUT THE STARS (13-10-3): Benn scored his team-leading 10th goal in the second period Wednesday but it was the drive he showed in needing to redeem his miscues that caught the attention of his teammates. "Obviously he played that overtime with a little guilt," Seguin told reporters. "I'm happy how hard he worked. He's our leader and captain and everyone follows him." The Stars are holding on to the last wild-card spot in the West as they have four wins in 10 games since they lost defenseman John Klingberg to injury and they have missed their power-play anchor while going 3-for-29 with the man advantage since he went down.

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (11-14-3): The Canucks got the production they needed Thursday from their top guys with Bo Horvat chipping in with two assists and rookie Elias Pettersson recording his 22nd point in as many games with a highlight no-look pass to Boeser to open the scoring. Defenseman Alex Edler potted his first goal of the season against Vegas and is expected to play Saturday despite being put through the league's concussion protocol after a heavy hit late in the third from the Golden Knights' Ryan Reaves. Vancouver's health - or lack thereof - continues to be a story as Edler was in his third game back after missing 15 games with a knee injury, forward Antoine Roussel was a late scratch against Vegas with a shoulder injury, and they have three experienced regulars already on injured reserve - forwards Sven Baertschi, Brandon Sutter, and Jay Beagle.

OVERTIME

1. Stars G Ben Bishop (lower body) is expected to return between the pipes Saturday after a five-game absence.

2. Vancouver had nine points (3-8-3) in November - second-fewest in the league to the Blackhawks' eight (3-8-2).

3. Vancouver leads the NHL with the most power play goals against (25) and most times shorthanded (105).

PREDICTION: Stars 2, Canucks 1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Minnesota Wild Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NHL Predictions 30th November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/30/2018

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made themselves at home on the road by winning nine of their first 10 contests away from Scotiabank Arena before falling short in each of their last two. The Maple Leafs hope to end that modest road skid when they begin a stretch of seven of their next eight games away from home on Saturday against the Minnesota Wild.

Auston Matthews returned from a 14-game absence due to a shoulder injury to score two goals and set up another in Toronto's 5-3 victory versus San Jose on Wednesday. The former top overall pick has recorded multi-point performances in eight of his 12 games this season with the Maple Leafs, who have won three in a row and 10 of their last 13. Minnesota, conversely, has cooled off with back-to-back losses and four in its last six heading into a tilt versus Toronto, against which it is 8-1-0 in its last nine meetings and 7-2-0 all-time in St. Paul, Minn. "It is the Maple Leafs, it's Hockey Night in Canada, most of us are Canadian," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. "You want to put your best foot forward. A lot of your family and friends are watching and you don't want a clunker when they're watching."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBC, Sportsnet1 (Toronto), FS North-Plus (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (18-8-0): John Tavares recorded his third multi-goal performance of the season by scoring twice in the first period against the Sharks to give him three goals and an assist during his three-game point streak. The recent spurt aside, the 28-year-old Tavares still has collected 18 of his 30 points on the road and has notched 12 (six goals, six assists) in 13 career matches with Minnesota. Linemate Mitch Marner set up a career high-tying three goals for the second straight contest and has eight of his NHL second-best 30 assists in his last three contests.

ABOUT THE WILD (14-9-2): Zach Parise extended his point streak to six games by scoring the ninth of his team-leading 12 goals in the last 13 contests during Thursday's 4-2 setback to Columbus. The Minneapolis native has recorded 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 32 career encounters versus Toronto while fellow forward Eric Staal had three assists in last season's series to boost his point total to 50 (23 goals, 27 assists) in 45 career matches with the Maple Leafs. While Devan Dubnyk owns a 5-2-1 career mark with one shutout in nine games against Toronto, St. Paul native Alex Stalock turned aside all 28 shots he faced in a 2-0 win over the Maple Leafs on Dec. 14.

OVERTIME

1. Minnesota C Mikko Koivu has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in his last eight games.

2. Toronto D Morgan Rielly has 11 assists in 13 contests against Western Conference opponents this season.

3. The Wild have scored a power-play goal in 11 of their last 15 games.

PREDICTION: Wild 4, Maple Leafs 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NHL Predictions 30th November 2018 by Gracenote
Flyers vs. Penguins Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 11/30/2018

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers find themselves far removed from last season's respective second- and third-place finishes, as the former sits in sixth in the Metropolitan Division while the latter's last-place standing resulted in an organizational purge this week. The Keystone State rivals meet for the first time this season in Pittsburgh on Saturday since the clubs' high-scoring first-round playoff series in the spring.

Captain Sidney Crosby's 11th career hat trick was upstaged by the performance of fellow Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, native Nathan MacKinnon (one goal, three assists) in Pittsburgh's 6-3 setback to Colorado on Wednesday. The two-time Hart Trophy recipient, who has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in his last eight games overall, has tormented Philadelphia to the tune of a staggering 93 points (38 goals, 55 assists) in 63 regular-season contests and 13 (six goals, seven assists) in the teams' first-round series in April. The Flyers have fallen a long way since that postseason appearance, ultimately leading to the firing of general manager (Ron Hextall) on Monday and assistant GM (Chris Pryor) and assistant coach (Gord Murphy) two days later after the team squandered a two-goal lead in the third period of Tuesday's 4-3 setback to Ottawa. "For me right now, it doesn't matter who we're playing," Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol said. "Obviously, playing Pittsburgh should add a little bit to it for the group in here. I know it does for our fan base. But this is about us and what we're doing, and we've got to really take that to heart and take it upon ourselves here."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, NBCS Philadelphia, AT&T Sports Net-Pittsburgh

ABOUT THE FLYERS (10-12-2): With Philadelphia having been shut out twice and scoring just 15 goals in its last seven contests (1-5-1), Hakstol shuffled James van Riemsdyk and Wayne Simmonds to the second line with Nolan Patrick in Friday's practice while Michael Raffl, Scott Laughton and Jakub Voracek comprised the third. "Me and Simmer have had some good chemistry out there," the 29-year-old van Riemsdyk said, per Philly.com. "Even though we do some things pretty similarly, I think there's some different elements that we both kind of have, and (can) expand our games a little bit because we don't have to be the ones relied on to always be standing at the net." Top-line center Sean Couturier (team-leading 10 goals) has been held off the scoresheet in back-to-back contests after erupting for 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in his previous 11 games.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (10-9-5): Jake Guentzel set up Crosby's first goal in the second period against the Avalanche to push his point total to eight (five goals, three assists) in his last six games, during which Pittsburgh has posted a 3-1-2 mark. The 24-year-old flustered Philadelphia with 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in six games during the first-round series while Patric Hornqvist added six (two goals, four assists) in four contests -- including a goal and two assists in the series-clinching 8-5 win on April 22. Hornqvist could be back in the lineup after returning to practice on Friday following a three-game absence due to a concussion.

OVERTIME

1. Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux has seven (one goal, six assists) of his club-best 29 points in his last five games.

2. Pittsburgh C Evgeni Malkin (team-leading 21 assists, 30 points) has followed a seven-game point streak with a minus-4 rating in the last two contests.

3. Philadelphia's Michal Neuvirth (lower body) will back up fellow G Anthony Stolarz on Saturday after being medically cleared to return to the lineup.

PREDICTION: Penguins 5, Flyers 1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New York Islanders Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NHL Predictions 30th November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/30/2018

The New York Islanders return "home" to face the surging Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday as Nassau Coliseum opens its doors to an NHL regular-season game for the first time since 2015. New York, which has called Brooklyn's Barclays Center home since the start of the 2015-16 season, will play 20 of its remaining 30 home games this year on Long Island - where they won four Stanley Cups (1980-83) - with more to come as its new arena at Belmont Park is scheduled for a 2021 opening.

"I love that building. I love playing there," Islanders forward Josh Bailey told reporters about the Coliseum. "It seemed to get a bad rap from people once in a while because it was a little older. But the atmosphere that goes in that rink, I think, is unmatched around the league." Columbus doesn't seem care where it plays, seeing as it owns the best road record in the Metropolitan Division at 8-4-1 and is 8-2-1 in its last 11 overall following Thursday's 4-2 victory over Minnesota. New York, meanwhile, hopes a return to its old haunts will give it a boost as the Metropolitan is shaping up to be the most competitive division in the league. "I think you have to understand that's the parity of this league, that's the NHL," New York's Anders Lee told reporters after scoring in Thursday's 2-1 shootout loss at Boston. "It comes down to an inch or two or a bounce. You just keep your head up, keep focused. Understand it's a long year."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Columbus), MSG Plus (New York)

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (15-8-2): Artemi Panarin has scored in his last two games, giving him nine points in his last six contests and raising his club-high total to 27. Cam Atkinson (299 career points, 26 this season) also scored Thursday and has 10 of his team-most 16 goals over the last nine games. Center Pierre-Luc Dubois had two assists versus Minnesota, giving him two goals and three assists in the last two games and 12 of each this season while defenseman Zach Werenski has an assist in two straight contests, giving him 99 career points.

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (12-9-3): Josh Bailey, who shares the team lead with 21 points, has been kept off the scoresheet in five of the last six games - the club is 1-3-1 in those contests - and is two shy of 400 for his career. Mathew Barzal (club-most 18 assists, 21 points) has two goals and seven assists in his last 10 games but is a team-worst minus-10 this season. Lee has scored five of his eight goals on the power play while all nine of Brock Nelson's club-high nine goals have come at even strength.

OVERTIME

1. New York is 0-for-12 on the power play over its last six games and has killed only 3-of-6 penalties over the past three contests.

2. Columbus coach John Tortorella told reporters that LW Anthony Duclair (eight goals), who missed Thursday's game, is "dinged up" and day-to-day.

3. The Blue Jackets have won three of four games in each of the last two season series with Atkinson and Dubois scoring three goals apiece in 2017-18, giving Atkinson 13 goals and 23 points in 21 games versus the Islanders.

PREDICTION: Islanders 3, Blue Jackets 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Winnipeg Jets vs. New Jersey Devils Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NHL Predictions 30th November 2018 by Gracenote
Jets vs. Devils Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 11/30/2018

Patrik Laine ended one of the best months for any player in NHL history with a flourish and hopes to continue producing when December begins as his Winnipeg Jets visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. Laine scored twice in Thursday's 6-5 victory at Chicago to finish with the most goals (18) in a calendar month in almost 25 years and became the fourth-youngest player to reach 100 goals in his career.

"I knew (100) was going to come eventually," the 20-year-old Laine told reporters after scoring the most goals in any month since Pavel Bure recorded 19 in March 1994. "When you work hard you're going to get it at some point. Good to get it out of the way and try to chase 200 now. It was a good win." Wayne Gretzky, Jimmy Carson and Brian Bellows are the only players to reach 100 at a younger age than Laine, who had a goal in eight of 12 games last month to push his season total to a league-high 21 and a point in nine of them, but was blanked in a 5-2 victory over New Jersey on Nov. 11. The Devils have lost four straight and six of seven after a 6-3 loss at Washington on Friday, dropping to the bottom of the Metropolitan Division after a 4-0-0 start. Reigning Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall had two assists against the Capitals to reach 500 career points and is two goals from 200.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet360, CITY (Winnipeg), MSG Plus 2 (New Jersey)

ABOUT THE JETS (14-8-2): While Laine was grabbing all the headlines in November, fellow forward Nikolaj Ehlers was finding his top form with seven goals and 11 points in 12 games after his hat trick Thursday. "He's just one of those really dynamic guys and when he's on his game he's really tough to get a handle on," Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler told reporters of Ehlers, who had one goal in October. "He darts in and out of holes; he's proven he can be a pretty explosive scorer." The Jets are inexperienced on the blueline with Joe Morrow (lower body) questionable and Dustin Byfuglien (concussion) along with Dmitry Kulikov (upper body) out.

ABOUT THE DEVILS (9-11-4): Hall leads the team with 26 points and Kyle Palmieri (team-best 12 goals, nine assists) is second with 21, but the veteran right wing has only one point in his last seven contests. Former first-overall pick Nico Hischier (15 points) snapped a mini slump with a goal and an assist Friday and fellow center Travis Zajac ended a six-game point drought with his eighth tally of the season. The Devils are not getting much help from their power play, which is 1-of-28 over the last 12 games after coming up empty in five attempts against Washington, and they have given up 19 goals during their current losing streak (0-2-2).

OVERTIME

1. New Jersey F Michael McLeod, the 12th-overall pick in the 2016 draft, logged 5:36 of ice time in his NHL debut Friday.

2. Wheeler leads the Jets with 32 points and registered one goal to go along with six assists in the past three games.

3. Winnipeg has won the last five meetings with the Devils after C Mark Scheifele scored twice earlier this month.

PREDICTION: Jets 5, Devils 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Detroit Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NHL Predictions 30th November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/30/2018

The Detroit Red Wings stumbled out of the gate with seven straight losses to open the season and the most lopsided defeat was an 8-2 beating at the hands of the Boston Bruins. The Red Wings earned a measure of revenge for that drubbing with a 3-2 overtime win on Nov. 21, but they will look to end a nine-game losing streak in Boston on Saturday night.

Detroit actually had dropped 11 in a row (playoffs included) at TD Garden, last winning a regular-season game in Beantown more than five years ago (Oct. 14, 2013). The Red Wings ended a more modest slide with Wednesday's 4-3 win over St. Louis, halting a string of three straight losses to improve to 10-4-1 since an ugly 1-7-2 start to the season. The injury-riddled Bruins have won three of four since the loss in Detroit and are 4-1-2 in their last seven despite scoring two goals of fewer six times in that span. "If we want to win games, we have to be dialed in and can't really afford to have a night off until we get our offense going," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Detroit Plus, NESN (Boston)

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (11-11-3): Forward Todd Bertuzzi showed he has a knack of rising to the occasion, scoring twice on his own bobblehead night and delivering the game-winning goal in the third period. Bertuzzi had scored only once in the previous 10 games before banging home a rebound for the decisive tally. 'He's one of those guys that doesn't just work, he competes," coach Jeff Blashill said. "He finds ways to win pucks, gets stick on puck. We talk about hounding in the O-zone and hounding on the forecheck and that's what he does. He goes to the net and he's really good around the net."

ABOUT THE BRUINS (14-7-4): Despite the paucity of offense over the past two weeks, the Bruins have thrived behind the goaltending tandem of Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. Rask had a shaky first month of the season but posted a 1.96 goals-against average in November and will make back-to-back starts for the first time since mid-October. "I don't know. Maybe I just don't want to play in October," Rask said of his turnaround. "I don't know. You just kind of work hard in practice, try to get some shots and work with the goalie coach, and then when the game time comes, you try to be there."

OVERTIME

1. Red Wings F Andreas Athanasiou has seven goals in the last 10 games, including two against Boston on Nov. 21.

2. Bruins D Brandon Carlo is expected to return to the lineup following a nine-game injury absence.

3. Red Wings D Trevor Daley will miss Saturday's game after suffering a lower-body injury on Wednesday.

PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Red Wings 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NHL Predictions 30th November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/30/2018

The New York Rangers are at a loss for their struggles away from home and they will seek their first regulation road victory of the season when they visit the skidding Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. The Rangers opened the two-game road trip with a 3-0 loss in Ottawa on Thursday night -- their 10th defeat in 12 games (3-7-2) away from Madison Square Garden.

New York's players are flummoxed by the wide disparity of success at home versus the road -- the Rangers are 10-4-0 at home but all three road wins have come beyond regulation. "I feel like it's not just one game, it's starting become a road thing and that's something we need to adjust and correct real quick," Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said. The Canadiens have more pressing concerns than New York -- Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Carolina marked the team's fifth consecutive defeat overall (0-3-2) and third in a row at home. "Obviously, it's a situation we got to turn around," Montreal captain Shea Weber said after Friday's practice. "We keep repeating ourselves: we did a lot of good things, but we didn't win last game."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG2 (New York), TVAS, Sportsnet (Montreal)

ABOUT THE RANGERS (13-11-2): Though New York has dropped three of four and been shut out twice, forward Chris Kreider has six goals and 10 points in his last 10 games overall and seven points in the last seven matchups versus Montreal. The team's leading goal scorer with 13, Kreider was not interested in excuses for the lack of success on the road. "I know we're a young team, but we've got to figure out how to play on the road," said Kreider, who also is tied for the team lead with 21 points. "There's no road way to play, there's no home way to play - there's a right way to play."

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (11-9-5): Weber made his season debut in Tuesday's loss and did not ease back into the lineup, playing a game-high 25:19 and drawing an assist on Montreal's lone goal by Phillip Danault. Although Weber echoed Danault's sentiments that the Canadiens had two solid practices this week, he said he prefers game action. "I'd probably just rather play a bunch of games, get back into games," Weber said after Friday's practice. "It's good to practice and get things going that way, but I've had time to practice before and it wasn't the same as a game."

OVERTIME

1. Rangers rookie G Alexandar Georgiev will make his seventh start of the season Saturday.

2. Canadiens coach Claude Julien said he was undecided on the goalie rotation for the weekend back-to-back set.

3. New York recalled D Vinni Lettieri from Hartford of the American Hockey League.

PREDICTION: Canadiens 3, Rangers 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NHL Predictions 30th November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/30/2018

The Tampa Bay Lightning look to build off a successful homestand when they start a three-game road trip against teams out of playoff position Saturday night against the Sunshine State-rival Florida Panthers. The Lightning won four of five games on their homestand after edging Buffalo 5-4 on Thursday, but have some injury concerns as they head out on the road, where they are 7-3-1 on the season.

Ryan McDonagh, who has played at a Norris Trophy candidate level with 18 points and a plus-17 rating over the first 26 games, suffered an apparent head injury in Thursday's contest and is considered day-to-day while fellow top-four defenseman Anton Stralman (upper body) is still out. Tampa Bay has won four straight - two this season - and six of the last seven meetings with the Panthers, who knocked off Buffalo 3-2 in overtime on captain Aleksander Barkov's goal Friday. It was Florida's third win in nine games, but the Panthers gained a point for the third time in four contests (2-1-1) as they attempt to climb out of the Atlantic Division cellar. Left wing Jonathan Huberdeau has done his part recently for Florida, recording a goal and eight assists over the last four games to take over the team lead with 26 points.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), FS Florida

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (18-7-1): Rookie Erik Cernak (four assists, plus-6 rating, in nine games) has filled in nicely for Stralman and Slater Koekkoek, who played well when Victor Hedman was injured, would get the call if McDonagh can't go. Right wing Nikita Kucherov boasts three goals and 14 assists during his eight-game point streak and leads the team with 35 points - two more than linemate Brayden Point (team-high 18 goals). Louis Domingue has started nine straight games since No. 1 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (foot) went down, but could give way to rookie Connor Ingram at some point on the trip.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (10-10-4): Evgenii Dadonov scored his 11th goal Friday, one behind Mike Hoffman for the team lead, and boasts five points over the last four games to close within two of Huberdeau. Barkov recorded 14 points in 15 games during November and scored six of his nine goals over the past 12 contests while defenseman Keith Yandle had an assist Friday for the 399th of his career. Roberto Luongo (4-3-0, .902 save percentage), who has been out four games with a lower-body injury, has been skating with the team and could make his return to the lineup as early as Saturday.

OVERTIME

1. Florida F Jared McCann has registered four of his five goals on the season in the last seven contests.

2. Tampa Bay C Cedric Paquette owns five goals in 25 games, already matching last season's output in 56 contests.

3. The Panthers recorded a pair of power-play goals Friday and have scored at least one in 14 of the last 15 games.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Panthers 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

St. Louis Blues vs. Arizona Coyotes Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NHL Predictions 1st December 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 12/01/2018

The Arizona Coyotes look to ride the wave of momentum after an impressive two-game road trip when they come home to play the struggling St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. The Coyotes edged Minnesota 4-3 on Tuesday to open the trek before rookie Adin Hill, forced into the net with the top two goalies injured, turned aside 29 shots for his first NHL shutout in a 3-0 victory at Nashville on Thursday.

"I thought we came out flying," Arizona center Nick Schmaltz told reporters after recording a goal and an assist Thursday in his second game with the team since being acquired from Chicago. "We had some good looks there, and I thought we stuck with it throughout the game and didn't get frustrated. ... We kept working and got rewarded." Schmaltz, who came over from the Blackhawks for forwards Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini, hopes to keep it going as the Coyotes seek a third straight win over the Blues. St. Louis looks to post back-to-back wins for the first time since Nov. 6 and 9 after coughing up a two-goal lead before beating Colorado 3-2 in overtime on defenseman Colton Parayko's goal. It was only the third victory in the last 10 games for the Blues, who own the second-least points in the league (21), and the second in five contests since Craig Berube took over as interim coach.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Midwest (St. Louis), FS Arizona

ABOUT THE BLUES (9-12-3): Right wing Vladimir Tarasenko has answered a 10-game goal drought with tallies in three straight games and owns 20 points - second on the team and seven behind center Ryan O'Reilly, who was kept off the scoresheet Friday. Parayko's goal was his first since Nov. 1 against Vegas and his first point in 10 games while fellow defenseman Joel Edmundson had a pair of assists. Veteran forward Alex Steen, who scored his sixth goal Friday, left the game with an upper-body injury after taking an elbow from Erik Johnson and his status for Saturday is uncertain.

ABOUT THE COYOTES (11-11-2): Hill, who has stopped all 35 shots in the three games he has played in the NHL this season, got his first start with Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper sidelined due to lower-body injuries. "You are putting a guy in that position and he wasn't nervous at all," Arizona coach Rick Tocchet told reporters of Hill, who made four starts with the team last season. "You're playing in a tough building, one of the best teams in the league and he did a nice job." Forward Clayton Keller has two of his team-leading seven goals in the last three games and tops the Coyotes with 15 points.

OVERTIME

1. St. Louis D Robert Bortuzzo returned to the lineup Friday after missing 16 games with a lower-body injury.

2. Arizona claimed G Calvin Pickard on waivers from Philadelphia on Thursday.

3. The Blues went 3-of-6 on the power play over the last two games after going 1-of-24 across the previous nine contests.

PREDICTION: Coyotes 4, Blues 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators Preview and Predictions 12-01-2018

NHL Predictions 30th November 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 11/30/2018

The Nashville Predators have struggled to put the puck in the net of late while the Chicago Blackhawks generously have been allowing opponents to do precisely that at an alarming rate. The Central Division rivals will look to change the narrative at the other's expense on Saturday when they meet at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

Nashville found itself shut out for the second time this season in a 3-0 setback to Adin Hill and Arizona on Thursday, falling to 1-2-0 on its season-high five-game homestand while mustering just 27 goals in its last 10 contests (4-5-1). "It's frustrating getting held off the scoreboard in our own rink against a new goaltender like they had," Predators forward Colton Sissons said. "It's pretty disappointing. We're just in a little bit of a funk here." While that may be true of the Predators, the Blackhawks are mired in a full-blown disaster as they've seen their goals-against average balloon to an NHL second-worst 3.65 per game following a 3-10-3 mark in their last 16 contests. "This hasn't been good enough and it's not OK," Chicago forward Marcus Kruger said after Thursday's 6-5 setback in Winnipeg. "I think we're all sick of losing here. We just got to be better."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FS Tennessee (Nashville)

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (9-12-5): Patrick Kane boosted his team-leading assist (16) and point (29) totals by setting up a goal against the Jets to push his point streak to three games (one goal, three assists). Alex DeBrincat also had an assist to give him at least a point in four straight contests (one goal, three assists). While the offensive production has been nice, Corey Crawford hasn't been too stingy of late as he has surrendered six goals in back-to-back outings and 20 during his four-game losing skid, although he turned aside 65 of 68 shots to split a pair of encounters with the Predators in 2017-18.

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (17-8-1): Pekka Rinne has yielded three goals on 25 shots in back-to-back outings to see his NHL-leading goals-against average elevate to a still-slim 1.85 this season. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner aims to get back on track versus Chicago, against which he turned aside 113 of 118 shots to post a 2-0-1 mark in last season's series. Filip Forsberg leads the team in goals (14) and points (22), although he has just two and four, respectively, in his last eight games.

OVERTIME

1. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews has scored eight of his 11 goals on the road this season.

2. Nashville C Ryan Johansen (club-best 17 assists) has been held off the scoresheet in six of his last eight contests.

3. Blackhawks C Artem Anisimov has four (two goals, two assists) of his 13 points in the last five games.

PREDICTION: Predators 3, Blackhawks 1