Thursday 1-10-19 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

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New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NHL Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

The New York Rangers are in the midst of an ugly tailspin and face the prospect of trying to get back on track against one of their biggest nemesis when they host the New York Islanders on Thursday night in the first leg of a home-and-home series. The Rangers shut out the Islanders 5-0 on Nov. 21, ending an eight-game losing streak (0-7-1) in the series.

The Rangers are 0-4-0 in 2019 and have been outscored by a staggering 22-5 margin after dropping a 4-2 decision at red-hot Vegas on Tuesday in the finale of a three-game road trip. "Any time you play a rival, it gives it more juice," Rangers coach David Quinn said in looking ahead to the upcoming matchup versus the Islanders. "But we've certainly got to get out of this rut we're in." The Islanders had a six-game winning streak halted Tuesday, giving up a pair of late goals in a 4-3 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. "It's tough, we were obviously on a roll," forward Brock Nelson said after the team's second loss in 11 games. "We wanted to come back at home and keep it going."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG Plus2, MSG

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (23-14-4): Backup netminder Thomas Greiss received the start Tuesday due to his success against Carolina this season, but Robin Lehner likely be back in net Thursday. Named the NHL's Third Star of the Week on Monday after compiling a 3-0-0 mark with a 1.99 goals-against average and .935 save percentage, Lehner has won his last seven decisions while surrendering a combined eight goals in that span. However, Lehner has struggled in his career against the Rangers, giving up all five goals in the Nov. 21 loss to drop to 2-5-2 with a 3.86 GAA and .892 save percentage

ABOUT THE RANGERS (17-18-7): Mika Zibanejad, who ended a nine-game goal drought against the Golden Knights to boost his team-leading total to 35 points, has one goal in nine games versus the Islanders since joining the Rangers -- although he does have six assists in that span. Chris Kreider, who has a team-high 20 goals, has not scored in the past five games but had a goal and set up another in the victory over the Islanders on Nov. 21. Kevin Hayes scored in each of the two meetings versus the Islanders and had multiple points in six of 11 contests overall before sitting out the last three games.

OVERTIME

1. The Islanders have won 12 of the last 14 meetings in the series.

2. Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist is 1-5-2 in his last 10 appearances against the Islanders.

3. Islanders F Anthony Beauvillier had three goals and an assist in a 7-5 win over the Rangers on Nov. 15 but has not scored in eight games.

PREDICTION: Islanders 4, Rangers 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. New Jersey Devils Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NHL Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

The Toronto Maple Leafs have answered their third five-game winning streak of the season with a bit of a power outage, as the club has been shut out twice while sustaining losses in three of its last four games. The Maple Leafs bid to locate their offense on Thursday when they visit the Prudential Center to face the New Jersey Devils.

Toronto had little difficulty keeping the scoreboard operator busy in the first two encounters with New Jersey, as John Tavares (team-leading 27 goals) found the net in both a 6-1 home romp on Nov. 9 and a 7-2 rout in Newark (N.J.) on Dec. 18. The 28-year-old Tavares, who resides one goal shy of 300 for his career, recorded 15 points (nine points, six assists) in an 11-game stretch before joining the rest of the team in being blanked in Monday's 4-0 setback versus Nashville. Like the Maple Leafs, the Devils also fell for the third time in four outings after surrendering five goals in the second period of Tuesday's 5-1 loss in Buffalo. Travis Zajac, who scored New Jersey's lone goal in the first meeting with Toronto, set up Blake Coleman's career high-tying 13th tally for his fourth assist during the four-game road trip.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN4 (Toronto), MSG-Plus (New Jersey)

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (27-13-2): Forward Zach Hyman participated in practice on Wednesday for the first time since sustaining a groin injury Dec. 18 against New Jersey. The 26-year-old Toronto native skated on a line with Tavares and Mitch Marner, forcing coach Mike Babcock to shuffle William Nylander to a line with Nazem Kadri and Patrick Marleau while Auston Matthews was reunited with Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. Goaltender Frederik Andersen also attended Wednesday's session and told reporters that he is eyeing a Saturday return from a groin injury that has sidelined him since Dec. 22.

ABOUT THE DEVILS (16-19-7): Reigning Hart Trophy recipient Taylor Hall (club-best 26 assists, 37 points) is likely to be a bystander for the eighth straight game as he deals with a lower-body injury. Kyle Palmieri, who leads the team with 20 goals, resides one point behind Hall despite being held off the scoresheet in four of his last six contests. Former NHL top overall pick Nico Hischier has 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in his last 18 games, including a goal in the blowout loss to Toronto on Dec. 18.

OVERTIME

1. Toronto G Michael Hutchinson has posted a 1-2-0 mark with one shutout, a 2.71 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in the last three games.

2. Devils G Keith Kinkaid surrendered 11 goals on 53 shots in two outings versus the Maple Leafs this season.

3. Toronto's eighth-ranked power play is mired in a 1-for-15 rut.

PREDICTION: Devils 3, Maple Leafs 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NHL Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

The Boston Bruins have plenty of reasons to feel good about themselves, winning a season-high five straight games, but they will get a true test of where they stand on Thursday night. Boston will try to halt a 13-game losing streak against the Washington Capitals, who routed the Bruins 7-0 in the season opener and have won their last six visits to TD Garden.

"We've got to get over the hurdle," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said of facing Washington. "They're the defending Stanley Cup champions and if you want to be the best you've got to beat the best." The Bruins have outscored the opposition 19-9 during their winning streak and will be looking to complete a perfect four-game homestand after blanking Minnesota 4-0 on Tuesday night. The Capitals answered a three-game slide (0-2-1) with back-to-back victories over Detroit and Philadelphia to remain atop the Metropolitan Division. Washington has won 15 of its last 16 games against Eastern Conference opponents, including eight in a row on the road.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN Plus, TVAS, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, NBCS Washington, NESN (Boston)

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (26-12-4): Second-year forward Jakub Vrana posted the first three-point game of his career in Tuesday's 5-3 win over Philadelphia, scoring twice to push his goal total to 14, eclipsing his previous high of 13. "You can see what he can do with his legs, and somehow his hands move just as fast," said linemate T.J. Oshie, who also had a pair of goals Tuesday. "He is a big part of our team moving into a bigger role for us, and he has been a big player so far this year." Center Nicklas Backstrom sat out Tuesday's game due to illness but he was on the ice at Wednesday's optional practice.

ABOUT THE BRUINS (25-14-4): Forward Danton Heinen has struggled to follow up his 16-goal season as a rookie in 2017-18, enduring his third goal drought of at least 11 games before opening the scoring to ignite Tuesday's win over the Wild. "We're having contributions from everyone right now and the fourth line is kind of leading the way with that and they've been great," forward Brad Marchand said of Heinen's unit. "We need everyone to chip in." Marchand matched linemate Patrice Bergeron with a goal and an assist Tuesday to give him six tallies and 14 points over his last nine games.

OVERTIME

1. Bruins G Jaroslav Halak, who has allowed four goals in his last eight starts, is 9-9-0 with a 2.79 goals-against average versus Washington.

2. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has one goal in his last 10 games but has 22 tallies and 47 points in 45 contests against Boston.

3. Bruins D Charlie McAvoy, out the past six games with an infected foot, practiced Wednesday and expects to return on Saturday.

PREDICTION: Bruins 4, Capitals 3

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NHL Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

The Carolina Hurricanes put a season-high five-game winning streak to a major test Thursday night when they visit the NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning, who will attempt to improve to 12-0-0 against Metropolitan Division opponents. The Hurricanes have scored 21 goals during their streak after holding on to edge the New York Islanders 4-3 on the road Tuesday to move within six points of playoff position with two games in hand.

"It's kind of a snowball effect, just like losing is," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour told reporters. "It's really hard to get out of either one. You obviously want to keep the winning one going. We're just finding ways to win right now without playing our best. That's really the key and that's a good sign. We know we can get better." Tampa Bay has won four of the last five meetings, including a 4-2 victory Oct. 16, and rebounded from its first regulation loss since Nov. 27 with a 4-0 triumph against Columbus on Tuesday. Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, who leads the league with 71 points, also recovered from seeing his 12-game point streak end in the 5-2 loss at San Jose on Saturday by registering a goal and an assist in Tuesday's victory. Kucherov is the 10th player in the league to register 50 assists in 43 team games and the first since 1995-96 while becoming the first player to reach 70 points in the same span since Jaromir Jagr in 1999-2000.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Carolina), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (20-17-5): Veteran forward Justin Williams has three goals in the last four games, including the tally that put Carolina ahead for good Tuesday, to pull within one of 300 for his career. Sebastian Aho boasts six of his team-high 45 points in the last four games and fellow forward Teuvo Teravainen recorded five of his 34 in the past four while team's power play is perking up by going 5-of-10 in the same span. Defensemen Jaccob Slavin (goals in back-to-back games) and Dougie Hamilton (three goals, four-game point streak) have been productive of late.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (33-8-2): Andrei Vasilevskiy was named to the All-Star Game Tuesday and went out and validated it later that night, turning aside 31 shots for his 14th career shutout - tying Nikolai Khabibulin for second on the franchise's all-time list. "It's a pretty good feeling," Vasilevskiy told reporters. "Especially considering I haven't been as consistent as I wanted coming back from my (foot) injury." Brayden Point scored twice Tuesday to push his team-leading total to 26 and is second on the team with 57 points while captain Steven Stamkos has scored 23 times.

OVERTIME

1. Carolina F Greg McKegg has recorded two goals, two assists and a plus-3 rating in three games since being recalled.

2. Tampa Bay D Victor Hedman can pass Pavel Kubina (662) on Thursday for the most games played by a defenseman in franchise history.

3. Hurricanes C Victor Rask needs one assist for 100 in his career after recording three in his last two contests.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Hurricanes 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Montreal Canadiens vs. St. Louis Blues Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NHL Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

The Montreal Canadiens have been treading water at the Bell Centre throughout the season, but they have managed to stay in contention for a playoff slot in the Eastern Conference due to their success away from home. Montreal looks to fatten its 12-7-3 road record on Thursday night when it visits the St. Louis Blues, one of the league's worst home teams.

The Canadiens have struggled in St. Louis, losing five of the last six meetings there, but they snapped a five-game losing streak to the Blues with a 3-2 home win on Oct. 17. Montreal won for the seventh time in its last 10 on the road with a 3-2 victory at Detroit on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the Blues were not able to carry their momentum over from a 3-0 win at Philadelphia on Monday, dropping a 3-1 decision to Dallas the following night to fall to 10-13-2 at home. "We've got to be better at home. That's the biggest thing for me," coach Craig Berube said after St. Louis was held to one goal for the third time in its last five at Enterprise Center.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, RDS, TSN2 (Montreal), FS Midwest (St. Louis)

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (23-16-5): Montreal's No. 1 line is in a slump with Max Domi mired in a 14-game goal drought and Jonathan Drouin scoring three times in the last 16 games, which could lead to some changes in the near future. "We feel that duo has done well, but lately they haven't been doing as well and I have to consider if doesn't get better down the road we're going to separate them," coach Claude Julien said after Wednesday's practice. "That's not out of the question." Julien also had the team working on the power play, which has failed on its last 11 chances and is converting a league-worst 12.6 percent.

ABOUT THE BLUES (17-20-4): Alexander Steen was placed on injured reserve Tuesday and is out at least two weeks while fellow forward Tyler Bozak is expected to miss his third straight game while dealing with the flu. Although the offense has has been in a rut, forward David Perron has scored in back-to-back contests to give him four goals and seven assists during a career-high eight-game point streak. Star forward Vladimir Tarasenko has not scored a goal on home ice since Nov. 24 and has labored against Montreal in his career, notching one goal in 10 games -- tied for his fewest against any opponent.

OVERTIME

1. Canadiens G Carey Price is 8-3-2 with a 2.41 goals-against average on the road entering Thursday's start.

2. Blues D Vincent Dunn was being evaluated for a lower-body injury that caused him to miss Tuesday's game.

3. Canadiens F Brendan Gallagher scored the winning goal in October -- his fourth in 10 games versus St. Louis.

PREDICTION: Canadiens 3, Blues 1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Winnipeg Jets vs. Minnesota Wild Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NHL Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
Jets vs. Wild Preview and Predictions

by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

The question now for the Minnesota Wild is can it build off a successful road trip entering Thursday's home contest with the Winnipeg Jets. The Wild have struggled throughout the first half of the season but claimed six of a possible eight points on a four-game trip, and while the swing concluded with a 4-0 defeat Tuesday at Boston, Minnesota views victories at Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal as a potential jumping-off point with five of its next six games at home.

"Obviously, you're disappointed with the result (Tuesday)," Wild forward Eric Staal told the media after Tuesday's loss, concluding a trip that lifted Minnesota back into the Western Conference playoff race. "But we had some good wins this trip ... we've got to take that home with us." The Wild entered Wednesday holding the final wild-card spot, 11 points behind the conference-leading Jets, who have shaken off their offensive slumber with 12 goals in the past two games. Seven players scored in Tuesday's 7-4 home victory over Colorado, sparked by four points from forward Blake Wheeler. "We love playing with each other and we had a few games where things weren't going in for us," Jets center Mark Scheifele told reporters afterward. "So, it was nice to see a few go in for us."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS Network, TSN3 (Winnipeg)

ABOUT THE JETS (27-13-2): Wheeler recorded a goal and three assists against Colorado, and began Wednesday two assists off the league lead with 48. Forward Bryan Little has two goals and an assist in his past two games after a six-game pointless streak, and forward Kyle Connor also has goals in back-to-back games. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will get the start Thursday after making 37 saves for his 19th win of the season, moving him into a tie for third in the NHL.

ABOUT THE WILD (21-18-3): Forward Zach Parise leads the Wild in goals with 19 (three in the past five games) and averages 18:21 of ice time - tops among Minnesota forwards. Alex Stalock made 23 saves against the Bruins, making his first start since Dec. 6 and giving Devan Dubnyk the night off after Minnesota's 1-0 victory Monday at Montreal. The power play continues to struggle, going 0-for-3 on Tuesday, and has just one goal in 23 chances across their past 12 games.

OVERTIME

1. Jets F Patrik Laine was tied for second in the NHL in power-play goals (11) entering Wednesday, but has one assist and a minus-3 rating in his past four contests.

2. Wild C Joel Eriksson Ek logged 13:16 of ice time Tuesday after being recalled from Iowa (AHL), replacing C Eric Fehr after he injured his head Monday.

3. Parise picked up two assists and Dubnyk made 26 saves in a 3-1 victory at Winnipeg on Dec. 29.

PREDICTION: Wild 5, Jets 4

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NHL Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

The Florida Panthers vie for a rare season sweep of the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday when two teams meet at Rogers Place. The Panthers snapped a 10-game winless skid when the Oilers visited South Florida on Nov. 8 after Roberto Luongo turned aside 26 shots in a 4-1 victory.

Luongo wasn't as fortunate on Tuesday, as the 39-year-old yielded four goals -- including a pair of short-handed tallies -- on 16 shots in the first 29 minutes as Florida dropped its third straight following Tuesday's 5-1 setback in Pittsburgh. "Obviously, we try to prepare as best as we possibly can. It's on us as the leadership group to get the room ready, have the room prepared to play each night. We haven't done that," defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. Like the Panthers, the Oilers have fallen to the NHL's version of .500 following losses in eight of their last 10 games. Captain Connor McDavid, who leads the team in goals (24), assists (39) and points (63), boosted his point total to 14 (five goals, nine assists) in his last eight games after setting up Alex Chiasson's power-play goal in the first period of Tuesday's 7-2 loss to San Jose.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Florida, Sportsnet West (Edmonton)

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (17-17-7): Captain Aleksander Barkov was credited with his second goal during his three-game point streak when he tallied late in the second period versus the Penguins to boost his point total to 15 (six goals, nine assists) in his past 11 games. The 23-year-old Finn, who resides three point shy of Jonathan Huberdeau (46) for the team lead, set up Evgenii Dadonov's game-opening goal in the second period of the previous meeting with the Oilers. Mike Hoffman, who joined Vincent Trocheck with two assists in that encounter with Edmonton, has scored five goals and set up two others in his last eight games overall.

ABOUT THE OILERS (20-20-3): Alex Petrovic's availability for his first career game versus the Panthers is up in the air after he exited Tuesday's tilt with an undisclosed injury. The 26-year-old Edmonton native was acquired from Florida last month for fellow defenseman Chris Wideman and a conditional 2019 third-round pick, ending a run in which he played 254 career contests over seven seasons since being selected by the Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NHL Draft. Leon Draisaitl is certainly a go for the Oilers, with the 23-year-old recording 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in his last eight games overall and scoring his team's lone goal in the first meeting with Florida.

OVERTIME

1. Edmonton G Mikko Koskinen is 7-3-0 with a 2.02 goals-against average and .937 save percentage at home this season.

2. Florida has played just three games versus Pacific Division representatives this season (1-2-0).

3. Ten of Chiasson's career-high 17 goals have been scored at home.

PREDICTION: Oilers 4, Panthers 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Arizona Coyotes vs. Vancouver Canucks Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NHL Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

Vancouver's Elias Pettersson, the prohibitive favorite to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie, will not play when the Canucks host the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. Pettersson was placed on injured reserve Tuesday after he was injured during last Thursday's 2-0 loss in Montreal but Vancouver coach Travis Green and the rest of the organization are breathing a sigh of relief.

"(Pettersson has a) slight sprain in his MCL, it's not too bad," Green told reporters about the 20-year-old Swede, who leads all rookies and the Canucks with 22 goals and 42 points. "Probably as good news as we could have hoped for. ... We're not going to rush him back. He'll be back when he's good and ready." Arizona received worse news Wednesday when it was announced that Nick Schmaltz, who recorded five goals and 14 points in 17 games since being acquired from Chicago, will miss the rest of the season with a lower-body injury. "Nick came to us and was the dynamic, difference-making forward we had hoped he would be," Coyotes general manager John Chayka told the team's website. "He's a big loss for our team, but the injury provides more opportunity for our young players. The group has done an admirable job of filling in and competing hard every night." Vancouver sits just outside of playoff position as it begins a six-game homestand after completing a 3-3-0 road trip with a 5-0 loss to Toronto on Saturday while Arizona - five points behind the Canucks in the Pacific Division - salvaged the finale of a four-game homestand (1-2-1) with a 5-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver)

ABOUT THE COYOTES (18-21-3): Rookie winger Conor Garland, whose broken hand in the preseason delayed his NHL debut until mid-December, has three of his five career goals in his last two games after scoring twice Sunday. Alex Galchenyuk has four of his seven goals and six of his 14 assists in the last eight contests. Arizona is third-worst in the league at 2.52 goals per game with Brad Richardson (11) and Christian Fischer (10) the only players with double-digit goals while Clayton Keller leads the club with 30 points after recording his ninth tally Sunday.

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (20-21-4): Adam Gaudette, who has seven points in seven games with AHL Utica this season, was recalled to take Pettersson's spot on the roster and could receive more opportunities than he got while recording two goals and six points in 31 games with the big club this season. Bo Horvat is second on the team in goals (17) and points (36) but recorded only one assist in the last five games and hasn't scored in seven. Brock Boeser, the 2018 Calder Trophy runner-up, has 14 goals and 28 points but has been kept off the scoresheet in the last two games after recording two tallies and three assists in his previous four contests.

OVERTIME

1. The Coyotes boast the top penalty-killing unit in the league at 88.4 percent and face a power play that is 4-for-33 in the last nine games.

2. Arizona D Kevin Connauton (plus-1 in 33 games) has missed the last two contests with a lower-body injury.

3. The Coyotes prevailed in the first of four meetings this season 4-1 on Oct. 25 behind 27 saves by Darcy Kuemper, improving to 5-1-1 in the last seven encounters with Vancouver.

PREDICTION: Canucks 3, Coyotes 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

San Jose Sharks vs. Vegas Golden Knights Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NHL Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

The surging San Jose Sharks have been getting by with a lot of help from their new friend as they prepare to visit the even-hotter Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. Two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, in his first season with San Jose, became the fifth defensemen in NHL history to record an assist in 14 straight games with three in Tuesday's 7-2 victory over Edmonton - the Sharks' fourth straight win.

"He's been great," San Jose captain Joe Pavelski (team-high 25 goals) told reporters about Karlsson. "He's really established his game in our structure. Everybody feels pretty comfortable playing with him because he makes those plays and he makes the outlet pass and he's got that speed coming out of our end with it. He's been a big piece to our success lately." Karlsson, who has three goals and 41 points overall, started slow with seven assists in his first 18 games this season, and has 24 during his historic streak. Vegas has won seven straight after its 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday behind goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury's league-leading 25th win. The Golden Knights rolled 6-0 on Nov. 24 in the first meeting since ousting the Sharks in the second round of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs behind two goals from Max Pacioretty and 33 saves by Fleury, who is 8-3-3 with a 2.04 goals-against average and .940 save percentage versus San Jose.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (San Jose), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Vegas)

ABOUT THE SHARKS (25-13-7): Lost in the Karlsson shuffle is the performance of late by fellow Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns (team highs of 41 assists and 49 points), who has four goals and 10 assists in his last seven games. Burns and Karlsson are carrying the blue line with Marc-Edouard Vlasic (undisclosed) missing the last three games, while defenseman Justin Braun (knee) is expected to sit for the fourth consecutive contest. Evander Kane (16 goals, 33 points) scored twice Tuesday for his second two-goal game in the last three contests while Joonas Donskoi (24 points) also tallied twice against the Oilers and has seven of his 13 goals this season in the last six games.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (27-15-4): Fleury (25-10-4, 2.46, .912) has won five straight starts, allowing six goals and compiling a .956 SP during that span. Jonathan Marchessault (14 goals, 31 points) snapped a seven-game scoreless streak Tuesday and has only two goals and two assists in his last 11 contests while fellow forward William Karlsson (team-high 15 goals) hasn't scored in five games. Pacioretty joined Marchessault and Karlsson on the top line Tuesday and has two goals and an assist in three games since missing seven with an undisclosed injury.

OVERTIME

1. Paul Coffey holds the record for consecutive games with an assist by a defenseman at 17 set in 1985-86 followed by Brian Leetch (15, 1991-92), Bobby Orr (14, 1970-71) and Phil Housley (14, 1992-93).

2. San Jose is 7-for-16 with the man advantage in the last five games with Karlsson recording a power-play assist in each contest.

3. Vegas scored a power-play goal Tuesday after going 0-for-16 in the last six games.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 3, Sharks 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Ottawa Senators vs. Los Angeles Kings Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NHL Predictions 10th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/10/2019

The Los Angeles Kings ended December strong, winning five of their final six games of the month. January has been a different story, however, as the Kings have dropped three of their first four contests heading into Thursday's matchup against the visiting Ottawa Senators.

Los Angeles' latest defeat was a 3-1 setback at San Jose on Monday in which captain Anze Kopitar scored for the second time in two games. The 31-year-old Slovenian has notched a point in three straight contests and 11 of his last 14. Ottawa neither ended last month nor began this one with success as it was on an eight-game slide (0-7-1) before kicking off its three-game California trip Wednesday with a 2-1 overtime victory in Anaheim. Former Duck Bobby Ryan forged a tie midway through the third period and Colin White scored 1:34 into the extra session as the Senators won for the first time since edging Nashville in overtime on Dec. 17.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TSN5, RDS (Ottawa), FS West (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE SENATORS (16-23-5): Matt Duchene did not accompany the team on its trek through the Golden State as he remained in Ottawa to be with his wife for the birth of their child. The 27-year-old, who ranks second on the team in both goals (18) and points (42), has landed on the scoresheet in each of his last four contests - collecting three goals and two assists during the streak. Mark Stone notched an assist against the Hurricanes, giving him a team-leading 48 points overall and five during his four-game streak.

ABOUT THE KINGS (17-24-3): Nikita Scherbak was assigned to Ontario of the American Hockey League prior to Monday's loss after recording one goal and a minus-4 rating in eight games with Los Angeles. The 23-year-old Russian right wing, who was selected by Montreal with the 26th overall pick in the 2014 draft, was claimed off waivers on Dec. 1 after registering five tallies and two assists in 29 contests with the Canadiens over the previous two seasons. Dustin Brown has notched an assist in each of his last three games, bringing him within eight points of 600 for his career.

OVERTIME

1. Kings C Jeff Carter has scored only eight goals in 43 games but leads the team with five power-play tallies.

2. Ottawa LW Mikkel Boedker has registered four assists over his last seven contests and is one shy of 200 for his career.

3. Los Angeles C Carl Hagelin has notched two assists in seven games since being acquired from Pittsburgh, with which he registered three points in 16 contests this season.

PREDICTION: Kings 3, Senators 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NCAAB Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

Cincinnati visits Tulsa on Thursday night looking to bounce back from an upset loss at East Carolina last weekend, but winning at the Reynolds Center and avoiding its first losing streak of the season certainly won't be an easy task. The Golden Hurricane have won 15 straight and 24 of their last 26 in their home arena.

The Bearcats stumbled in their first American Athletic Conference road game Saturday against a team with a record barely above .500 despite nearly rallying after trailing by six points with 20.9 seconds remaining. Justin Jenifer's 3-pointer and two Tre Scott free throws closed the deficit to two points with six seconds remaining and then Cincinnati forced a five-second violation to get the ball back, but Jarron Cumberland's shot on a drive to the basket was blocked in the final second. Tulsa opened AAC play with a loss at No. 15 Houston and then came back to beat South Florida at home Saturday with a buzzer-beater by Curran Scott. Among the Golden Hurricane's home-court victims this season are Oklahoma State and then-No. 15 Kansas State of the Big 12.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT CINCINNATI (12-3, 1-1 American): Coach Mick Cronin was disappointed with the defensive effort in the loss at East Carolina that saw the Bearcats allow a season-high 73 points and 51 percent shooting from the field. Cincinnati also struggled with its shooting, hitting 3-of-19 3-point attempts, and Cronin is mulling lineup changes against Tulsa. The current starters all average eight points per game or higher, led by Cumberland at 16.7 (team-high 18 points, five rebounds and four assists versus East Carolina).

ABOUT TULSA (11-4, 1-1): The Golden Hurricane have lost six of the last seven games against Cincinnati and are in search of their first win over the Bearcats since February 2016. DaQuan Jeffries scored 20 points in Saturday's dramatic win over South Florida and the Oral Roberts transfer leads the team at 13.8 points per game and ranks second in rebounding at 5.7 per game. Right behind Jeffries at 13.3 points per game is Martins Igbanu, who at 6 feet 8 is the only Tulsa starter taller than 6-5.

TIP-INS

1. Jenifer leads the country with a 10.17 assist-to-turnover ratio.

2. Cincinnati is holding opponents to 59.2 points per game, which was seventh-best nationally through Tuesday, but four of its last five opponents have scored 60 or more points.

3. Tulsa announced Tuesday that reserve guard Zeke Moore, who was averaging 2.6 points in 10.5 minutes, left the program and plans to transfer.

PREDICTION: Tulsa 67, Cincinnati 65

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Southern Methodist Mustangs vs. Connecticut Huskies Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NCAAB Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

Dependable senior guard Jahmal McMurray leads the way as SMU seeks back-to-back road victories and a 3-0 start in the American Athletic Conference when it visits hungry Connecticut on Thursday night. McMurray has scored at least 14 points in 10 straight contests and is averaging 22.5, including 9-of-20 from 3-point range, in the first two conference games as the Mustangs opened 2-0 for the fourth straight season in the American.

"Jahmal is just an amazing scorer," SMU coach Tim Jankovich told reporters. "He just has a way. What a big lift (he gives us). Sometimes he can just bust a game." McMurray scored 25 points in a 74-65 victory at Tulane on Friday and the Mustangs, winners of four straight and eight of nine overall, continue to improve defensively while holding the last three opponents to 37.5 percent shooting or worse and the first two American foes to 9-of-43 from 3-point range. The Huskies have dropped three in a row overall and the first two in conference play, but showed plenty of improvement from a road loss at South Florida last Wednesday by giving red-hot Central Florida all it could handle before succumbing 65-53 on Saturday. "I think we played together, played with energy and effort," UConn sophomore guard Alterique Gilbert told reporters. "But now there's another level where we have to play smarter."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

ABOUT SMU (10-4, 2-0 American): McMurray leads four Mustangs averaging in double figures scoring (18.9, third in the American) and has drained 42.6 percent (sixth in the league) of his attempts from behind the 3-point arc. Sophomore forward Ethan Chargois contributes 13.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while junior guard Jimmy Whitt Jr. (12.4 points, team-high 4.4 assists) scored 11, hauled in 11 rebounds and added five assists to go along with four steals against Tulane. Freshman forward Feron Hunt had a season-high 12 boards in the league-opening win over East Carolina and tops the team in rebounding overall (7.1).

ABOUT CONNECTICUT (9-6, 0-2): Gilbert is averaging 15 points over the last six games, including 18 on Saturday, to push his season mark to 12.8 and is draining 43.3 percent of his tries from behind the arc - 4-of-8 versus UCF. "(Gilbert's) got the heart of a lion," coach Dan Hurley told reporters Saturday. "He's going to keep getting better because he's made of the right things. Al Gilbert will eventually be a real difference maker in this program, in games like this against the best teams." Senior guard Jalen Adams tops the Huskies in scoring (16.6) on 50.3 percent shooting, but was just 2-of-10 from the field for eight points against UCF.

TIP-INS

1. UConn junior G Christian Vital is averaging 15.8 points the last five games and tops the team in rebounding (5.0) overall.

2. SMU sophomore F Isiaha Mike is averaging 8.3 points the last three contests after recording 15.8 per game the previous five.

3. The Mustangs have won four of the last five meetings, including an 80-73 victory in the American Tournament last season.

PREDICTION: Connecticut 72, SMU 68

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Michigan Wolverines vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NCAAB Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

Fourth-ranked Michigan puts its perfect record on the line when it visits Illinois on Thursday in Big Ten action. The Wolverines are one of three remaining unbeaten teams nationally following an impressive 74-63 win against No. 24 Indiana on Sunday and hope to improve to 16-0 for the third time in program history by extending their conference winning streak to 14 in a row, including Big Ten Tournament games.


"I'm really pleased with our overall effort and our team defense," Michigan coach John Beilein told reporters. "It's all about the team and it's not something that we have to preach." Illinois is left to pick up the pieces following a heartbreaking 68-66 loss to in-state rival Northwestern on Sunday. The Fighting Illini, who were held without a 3-point field goal for the first time since Nov. 29, 2008 en route to their fourth straight loss, hope to avoid falling to 0-5 in Big Ten play for the second consecutive season by pulling off a seismic upset at home. "We have a great opportunity with Michigan coming in here," Illinois coach Brad Underwood told reporters. "When you look statistically they're very good on both ends of the court and I've been very impressed watching them defensively."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1


ABOUT MICHIGAN (15-0, 4-0 Big Ten): Charles Matthews scored 18 points and pulled down six rebounds while Jordan Poole also added 18 points to go along with five boards in the win against Indiana. Zavier Simpson tallied 12 points and dished out three assists while Ignas Brazdeikis went 6-of-7 from the free throw line en route to 10 points against the Hoosiers. Freshman Brandon Johns produced a career-high eight points and eight rebounds while deputizing for Isaiah Livers, who has missed the last two games with back spasms and will be a game-time decision on Thursday.

ABOUT ILLINOIS (4-11, 0-4): Freshman guard Ayo Dosunmu is starting to find his groove as the highly-touted recruit scored a team-high 18 points against Northwestern and is averaging 19.7 over his past three games. Adonis De La Rosa chipped in with a season-best 12 points and Da'Monte Williams tallied 10, but it wasn't enough as the Fighting Illini were undone by an 0-of-11 performance from 3-point range against the Wildcats. Illinois received some good news on the recruiting front as five-star center Kofi Cockburn committed to the Fighting Illini earlier in the week.


TIP-INS

1. Michigan has won 29 of its last 30 games dating back to last season.

2. Illinois has dropped 13 straight games against ranked opponents.

3. The Wolverines have won eight of the last 10 meetings with the Fighting Illini.


PREDICTION: Michigan 76, Illinois 68

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Washington St. Cougars vs. Colorado Buffaloes Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NCAAB Predictions 9th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/09/2019

Washington State and Colorado are two of the coldest teams in the Pac-12 with the Cougars having lost a conference-most four straight games and the Buffaloes having dropped four of their last five. They'll see who can right the ship when Colorado hosts Washington State on Thursday night.


The Buffaloes' recent woes are primarily offensive-oriented as they've failed score more than 68 points in any of their last five games after entering the stretch with a hefty 84.3-point average. Last week's Pac-12-opening trip to Arizona featured season game lows in points (56 versus Arizona) and field-goal percentage (32.8 percent versus Arizona State) for the Buffaloes while they committed 32 combined turnovers. "Confidence is not a commodity that you can go buy at the store," Colorado coach Tad Boyle told reporters earlier this week. "I always say if it was, the NCAA would probably ban it. It would be an illegal substance. So what we have to do is get them in the gym and get their mojo going because that's the only way you get confidence, is getting in the gym. It's the only way." Washington State also is looking for a confidence booster after getting routed 85-67 by rival Washington in the schools' Pac-12 opener last Saturday, and the possible return of leading scorer and rebounder, senior forward Robert Franks, could go a long way toward that end.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network


ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (7-7, 0-1 Pac-12): Franks, who is averaging a conference-leading 22.1 points per game while pulling down 7.9 rebounds, has missed two games since suffering a hip contusion Dec. 23 against New Mexico State. Coach Ernie Kent thought Franks might be ready to play against Washington, but he was later ruled out, and an additional five days to recover makes it more likely he'll return Thursday in Boulder, although nothing was certain at mid-week. In Franks' absence Saturday, freshman forward CJ Elleby scored a season-high 26 points and snared 10 rebounds against the Huskies and is averaging 16.4 points and 7.7 boards on the season.

ABOUT COLORADO (9-5, 0-2): Sophomore point guard McKinley Wright paces the team with 13.9 points and 5.4 assists per outing and was the only Colorado player to score in double figures in both contests on the Arizona trip. Forwards Lucas Siewert (11.5 points) and Tyler Bey (10.8) also average double digits but the Buffs have shot better than 36 percent only once in their last four games after hitting at least 42 percent of their shots in each of their first 10 outings. Bey leads the squad and ranks third in the conference with his average of nine rebounds for the Buffs who rank fourth overall in the Pac-12 with an average rebound margin of 5.6.


TIP-INS

1. Colorado leads the series 12-4 and has won three of the last four contests despite a 73-69 road loss in their last meeting on Feb. 15.

2. The Buffaloes will be playing be their first home game since Dec. 8 after a stretch of seven road/neutral-site contests and have won all six of their games in Boulder this season.

3. It's just the opposite for Washington State, which will be playing its fifth straight road/neutral game and is a combined 0-6 away from home this season.


PREDICTION: Colorado 81, Washington State 76

[Can'tPickAWinner]

UCLA Bruins vs. Oregon Ducks Preview and Predictions 2019-01-10

NCAAB Predictions 10th January 2019 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 01/10/2019

Oregon and UCLA were picked to finish first and second in the Pac-12 Conference's preseason media poll back in October. But both teams, who meet for the first time Thursday night in Eugene, have already had to face their share of adversity heading into the second week of conference play.

UCLA axed head coach Steve Alford after an embarrassing 73-58 home loss to Liberty but rebounded to sweep Stanford (92-70) and Cal (98-83) at home to open conference play last week under interim coach Murry Bartow. Oregon, meanwhile, enters Thursday night's contest with an 0-1 conference mark after losing at home to Civil War-rival Oregon State after 7-2 freshman sensation Bol Bol had season-ending foot surgery while another key starter, 6-8 sophomore forward Kenny Wooten, is also sidelined for about a month after having surgery to repair a broken jaw. Wooten, who is averaging 6.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks this season, is being fitted for a face mask and could possibly return in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime Oregon coach Dana Altman said his team will have to figure a new way to win games. "We've got to play with what we've got and then hopefully we do get (Wooten) back some time," Altman told the Oregonian. "But our team early had a defensive identity, right now we don't. ... Our defensive identity has to change."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT UCLA (9-6, 2-0 Pac-12): Bartow has decided to play at a faster tempo than Alford did, a move that has so far been greeted enthusiastically by the Bruins who topped the 90-point mark in both of their victories last week. "When you give great players confidence, you never know what they can do," guard Jules Bernard said after scoring 12 points in the win over Cal. "We can take this thing really far." Three Bruins are averaging in double figures led by guard Kris Wilkes (17.3) and followed by 7-1 freshman center Moses Brown (12.2) and sophomore guard Jaylen Hands (11.3) with Brown also grabbing a team-high 8.9 rebounds and blocking 2.4 shots per contest.

ABOUT OREGON (9-5, 0-1): The Ducks lead the Pac-12 in scoring defense (63.6) and and field goal percentage defense (38.3 percent), but those numbers were helped greatly by the shot-blocking abilities of Bol and Wooten. Junior point guard Payton Pritchard is the only healthy player averaging in double figures (12.4) -- Bol was averaging 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks before his injury -- and needs 15 points to become the 37th 1,000-point scorer in school history. Louis King, a 6-9 freshman forward, is averaging 8.3 points but is coming in off a breakout game in the loss against the Beavers when he recorded his first career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

TIP-INS

1. UCLA is averaging 95 points on 52.3 percent shooting in two games under Bartow after averaging 65 points on 41.6 percent shooting in its final four games under Alford.

2. Oregon is 115-9 over the last six seasons when holding an opponent to fewer than 70 points.

3. The Bruins have gone 19-26 over the last five seasons in Pac-12 road games.

PREDICTION: Oregon 73, UCLA 68