Sunday, April 5, 2026
ScoreBig - Get Tickets for Less
Home Blog Page 2868

NHL Preview: Dallas Stars (36-17-13) at Seattle Kraken (37-22-7)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Dallas Stars (36-17-13) at Seattle Kraken (37-22-7)

DALLAS STARS NOTES:

LAST DALLAS STARS GAME
March 11, 2023 – STARS 4 at KRAKEN 3 (OT)
Down to their final minute and change in regulation and trailing by a goal, the Stars found the equalizer when forward Joe Pavelski (1-0—1) buried a one-timer from beneath the left faceoff dot. Then, with under two minutes remaining in overtime, defenseman Miro Heiskanen (1-1—2) scored the game-winning goal to lift the Stars to a 4-3 OT victory over the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday. It gave Dallas victories in the first two games of a season-long six-game road trip that began with a 10-4 triumph in Buffalo
two nights prior. The Stars have gone 6-3-1 in their past 10 games and maintain first place in the Central Division with 85 points (36-17-13). Forwards Roope Hintz (1-1—2) and Mason Marchment (1-0—1) founded out the scoring for the Stars, while forwards Ty Dellandrea (0-1—1), Max Domi (0-1—1), Evgenii Dadonov (0-1—1) and defensemen Jani Hakanpää (0-1—1), Ryan Suter (0-1—1) and Esa Lindell (0-1—1) added assists. Goaltender Jake Oettinger made 28 saves on 31 shots, including 14 stops in the first period alone.
PP: 0-1 | PK: 3-4 | SF: 25 | SA: 31 | DAL TOI: M. Heiskanen (27:57 – game high) | Attendance: 17,151
Three Stars: 1. DAL – M. Heiskanen 2. DAL – J. Oettinger 3. SEA – R. Donato

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time (CT) Location TV/Radio
Mon, March 13, 2023 Seattle Kraken 9 p.m. Climate Pledge Arena BSSWX/KTCK
Tue, March 14, 2023 Vancouver Canucks 9 p.m. Rogers Arena BSSW/KTCK
Thu, March 16, 2023 Edmonton Oilers 8 p.m. Rogers Place BSSW/KTCK
Sat, March 18, 2023 Calgary Flames 9 p.m. Scotiabank Saddledome BSSW/KTCK
Tue, March 21, 2023 Seattle Kraken 7:30 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSW/KTCK

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
March 1 – Placed forward Luke Glendening on injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 17
March 2 – Signed defenseman Gavin White to a three-year entry-level contract
March 2 – Acquired forward Max Domi and goaltender Dylan Wells from Chicago for goaltender Anton Khudobin and a 2025 second-round draft pick
March 2 – Assigned goaltender Dylan Wells and loaned forwards Fredrik Karlstrom, Fredrik Olofsson and goaltender Matt Murray to Texas
March 4 – Acquired forward Scott Reedy from San Jose for forward Jacob Peterson
March 4 – Recalled goaltender Matt Murray and forward Fredrik Olofsson from Texas (AHL)
March 5 – Loaned forward Fredrik Olofsson and goaltender Matt Murray to Texas (AHL)
March 6 – Recalled forward Fredrik Olofsson and goaltender Matt Murray from Texas (AHL)
March 8 – Signed defenseman Christian Kyrou to a three-year entry-level contract
March 10 – Signed forward Kyle McDonald to a three-year entry-level contract

INJURIES
Man-games lost, 2022-23: 49
NAME INJURY # OF GAMES DATES
D Miro Heiskanen Upper body 3 Oct. 25-29
G Jake Oettinger Lower body 4 Nov. 1-8
F Denis Gurianov Upper body 6 Nov. 11-21
F Roope Hintz Lower body 1 Nov. 19
F Roope Hintz Upper body 7 Jan. 10-21
F Joel Kiviranta Lower body 11 Feb. 8-Mar. 4
F Luke Glendening Undisclosed 10 Feb. 18-pres.
G Scott Wedgewood Undisclosed 1 Feb. 22-25
Undisclosed 6 Mar. 1-pres.

  • Glendening placed on injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 17

DALLAS STARS NOTES
TONIGHT’S GAME: An extended stay in the Emerald City has the Stars facing the Seattle Kraken for the second game in a row tonight
at Climate Pledge Arena. (9 p.m. CT, TV: Bally Sports Southwest Extra, Radio: The Ticket 96.7-FM/1310-AM). The Stars had a similar
two-game stretch last season when they played in Anaheim twice in a row and winning both games. Dallas hopes to do the same
against Seattle, opening this two-game set with a 4-3 OT victory on Saturday. These clubs will meet again on March 21 in Dallas to
close out the season series.

2022-23 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
March 11 at Seattle – W, 4-3 OT
March 13 at Seattle
March 21 vs. Seattle

SEATTLE KRAKEN NOTES:

LAST GAME
Dallas 4 at Seattle 3 (OT)
Goals: Eberle, Donato, Bjorkstrand
Goalie: Grubauer (21/25)
PP: 1/4 PK: 1/1 Shots: Dallas 25 – Seattle 31

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 170)
Joonas Donskoi (upper body; IR) – 66 games – no timeline for return
Andre Burakovsky (lower body) – 16 games – week-to-week

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
N/A

UPCOMING GAMES
Thursday, March 16: Seattle at San Jose, 7:30 p.m. PT
Saturday, March 18: Edmonton at Seattle, 1 p.m. PT
Tuesday, March 21: Seattle at Dallas, 5:30 p.m. PT
Thursday, March 23: Seattle at Nashville, 5 p.m. PT
Saturday, March 25: Seattle at Nashville, 11 a.m. PT

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• Tonight’s matchup is the second of three games the Kraken will play against the Stars this season and the final time the teams are facing off in Seattle this year.

• Tonight’s game is also the second of two consecutive games the Kraken will play against Dallas in Seattle. It marks the second time in franchise history that the Kraken are facing the same team in back-to-back games in the same location. They played the Kings in two-straight games in Los Angeles last season on March 26 and 28, 2022, going 1-1-0 in the two-game series.

• Tonight’s matchup is the 16th of 25 games the Kraken will play against Central Division teams this season. Seattle has an 8-2- 5 record against the Central Division this year.

• With the Kraken’s four-goal outing in their game on March 3 against Columbus, they surpassed their goal total from all of last season in 20 fewer games. Seattle has scored 232 goals in 66 games this season compared to 213 goals in 2021-22. The team’s 232 goals this season were the fourth-most in the NHL entering play Sunday, trailing only the Edmonton Oilers (258), Boston Bruins (240) and Buffalo Sabres (237).

• Since the start of the New Year, the Kraken are ranked third the league in wins (19, tied) and points (41). The team’s 115 goals since Jan. 1 were the second-most in the league entering play Sunday.

• Jordan Eberle’s goal in the Kraken’s game on March 3 at Columbus was his 50th point of the season. It is the sixth time in his career and first time since 2017-18 that Eberle has recorded 50 or more points in a season.

STAR GAZING
• Ryan Donato has five points in his last six games against Dallas (four goals, one assist) and has scored goals in two of the four matchups the Kraken have had with the Stars.

• Alex Wennberg has recorded three assists in his last three games against the Stars.

• Vince Dunn has five points in his last five games (all assists) against Dallas and has recorded multi-assist performances in two of the games during that span, once with St. Louis and the other with the Kraken.

• Carson Soucy has three assists in his last three games against the Stars.

KILLING IT
• Since Feb. 14, the Kraken have gone 31-for-32 on the penalty kill. The team’s 96.9 percent success rate on the penalty kill since Feb. 14 was the best mark in the NHL entering play Sunday. The Kraken and the Carolina Hurricanes were the only two teams to only allow one power-play goal since Feb. 14 entering play Sunday.

• The Kraken went eight consecutive games without allowing a power-play goal from Feb. 14 to March 2, which set a franchise record, and they enter tonight’s game having not allowed a power-play goal for four straight games.

• Jared McCann has scored two shorthanded goals since Feb. 14 – on Feb. 16 and in the Kraken’s game on March 9. His two shorthanded goals give the Kraken a plus-1 goal differential on the penalty kill since Feb. 14, which was tied for second in the NHL entering play Sunday.

• Among defensemen that have played at least 70 minutes on the penalty kill this season, Will Borgen, who has totaled 99:30 of shorthanded ice time this year, was ranked ninth in the NHL with 4.82 power-play goals against per 60 entering play Sunday.

NHL Preview: Colorado Avalanche (36-22-6) at Montréal Canadiens (26-34-6)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Colorado Avalanche (36-22-6) at Montréal Canadiens (26-34-6)

COLORADO AVALANCHE NOTES:

UPCOMING GAMES

Date Opponent Time (MT) TV Radio
Mon, Mar. 13 at Montreal 5:30 p.m. Altitude, Sportsnet 92.5 FM
Wed, Mar. 15 at Toronto 5 p.m. TNT 92.5 FM
Thu, Mar. 16 at Ottawa 5 p.m. Altitude 92.5 FM
Sat, Mar. 18 at Detroit 11 a.m. Altitude, NHLN 92.5 FM

TONIGHT’S GAME
COLORADO AVALANCHE (36-22-6, 78 PTS) at MONTREAL CANADIENS (26-34-6, 58 PTS)
5:40 p.m. MT / 7:40 p.m. ET – Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec
Altitude TV, Sportsnet / Altitude Radio (92.5 FM)
The Colorado Avalanche opens a four-game road trip tonight in Montreal against the Canadiens … This trip will include stops in Toronto, Ottawa and Detroit … Colorado is 8-3-1 in itslast 12 games and 16-5-3 (.729) in itslast 24 contests … Only Boston (18-4-1, .804), Carolina (17-4-1, .795), and New Jersey (16-4-3, .761) have a better record since Jan. 14 … The Avs are 7-2-1 in their last 10 road games … Colorado is in a busy stretch of 15 contests in 26 days from March 4-29.

ON THE CALL
Altitude TV: Marc Moser (play-by-play), Mark Rycroft (analyst), Katie Gaus (reporter)
Sportsnet TV: John Bartlett (play-by-play), Garry Galley (analyst) and Kyle Bukauskas (reporter)
Altitude Radio: Conor McGahey

LAST GAME
March 11 – Colorado 3, Arizona 2 in OT
Cale Makar scored 1:38 into overtime to give the Colorado Avalanche a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes at Ball Arena… Nathan MacKinnon scored a power-play goal and had an assist for the Avalanche and Denis Malgin also lit the lamp for Colorado … Mikko Rantanen added two helpers and Alexandar Georgiev made 18 saves.
SF: 44 SA: 20 PP: 1-3 PK: 1-1

Makar’s overtime winner was the fifth of his career, passing Tyson Barrie (four) for the most OT goals by a defenseman in franchise history …. It was Makar’s 18th career game-winning goal, tying Barrie for the most GWG by a blueliner in franchise history MacKinnon scored a goal in his ninth consecutive home game, a new franchise record … He broke the mark of eight straight home contests with a goal set by Michel Goulet in 1983-84 and matched by Joe Sakic in 2000-01… MacKinnon extended his home point streak to 16 games (14g/13a) MacKinnon extended his overall goal-scoring streak to four games The Avalanche are 11-6 in games decided beyond regulation this season, including a 7-3 record in overtime. Colorado held Arizona without a shot in the third period, the second time in franchise history the club has allowed zero shots in a single frame (also: Feb. 16, 2015 vs. Arizona). The Avalanche’s PK unit went 1-for-1 and has killed off a season-high 16 straight opponent power plays Colorado is 13-5-1 against Central Division teams this season, 6-1-1 at home Colorado improved to 6-1-0 in day games this year, 4-0-0 at home The Avalanche are 14-4-0 (.778) on Saturdays this season, the most wins of any team in the NHL

CURRENT INJURIES
Pavel Francouz – lower body (Feb. 14 – present)
Darren Helm – lower body (Jan. 14 – present)
Erik Johnson – ankle (Feb. 14 – present)
Gabriel Landeskog – knee (Oct. 12 – present)
Kurtis MacDermid – lower body (March 9 – present)
Josh Manson – lower body (March 4 – present)
Total Man-Game Lost: 361

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Mar. 6 – Jonas Johansson recalled from the Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Mar. 5 – Keith Kinkaid reassigned to the Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Mar. 4 – Ben Meyers reassigned to the Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Mar. 3 – Keith Kinkaid, Brad Hunt, Ben Meyers recalled from Colorado (AHL) … Gustav Rydahl acquired from the NY Rangers in exchange for forward Anton Blidh and reports to Colorado (AHL) … Cale Makar activated from IR
Mar. 1 – Ben Meyers recalled from Colorado (AHL) … Lars Eller acquired from Washington for a second-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft … Cale Makar placed on IR (retro to Feb. 18) … Brad Hunt recalled from the Colorado Eagles (AHL) … Justus Annunen, Brad Hunt, Ben Meyers reassigned to the Colorado Eagles (AHL)

TONIGHT’S OPPONENT – MONTREAL CANADIENS
The Avalanche and Canadiens wrap up the season series with the second and final meeting of 2022-23 … Colorado won the first matchup 2-1 on an overtime goal by Mikko Rantanen at Ball Arena on Dec. 21 … The Avalanche swept the season series last year and have won four straight and six of the last seven (6-1-0) against the Habs.

SCHEDULE vs. CANADIENS
Dec. 21 vs. MONTREAL (W, 2-1 OT)
Mar. 13 @ Montreal

RECORD vs. CANADIENS
THIS SEASON 2021-22 ALL-TIME SINCE 1995-96 PLAYOFFS (all Quebec)
Overall: 1-0-0 Overall: 2-0-0 Overall: 62-72-15 Overall: 23-10-3 Series: 5 (2-3)
Home: 1-0-0 Home: 1-0-0 Home: 41-28-5 Home: 14-2-1 W-L Record: 14-17
Road: — Road: 1-0-0 Road: 21-44-10 Away: 9-8-2 Last: None since relocating

2022-23 SEASON NOTES
EAST SIDE STORY
The Avalanche are 14-10-3 against Eastern Conference teams this year … Colorado finished 22-8-2 against the East last year, its most wins and tied for its most points (46) ever against the other conference… Since Jared Bednar was hired in 2016-17, the Avs are 104-64-18 (.608) against the Eastern Conference, which includes a 57-24-9 (.683) mark since 2019-20, the best of any Western Conference team over the last four seasons.

VIEW TO A KILL
The Avalanche’s penalty kill unit has killed off a season-high 16 consecutive power plays … Colorado has given up only one man-advantage goal over the last seven contests, killing 18-of-19 shorthanded situations (94.7%) … Since Feb. 11, the Avs have extinguished 90.7% (39-43) of the opposition’s power-play chances.

GRAND CENTRAL
Colorado is 13-5-1 against Central Division teams this season, 6-1-1 at home and 7-4-0 on the road.

BACK-TO-BACK
Colorado is 11-5-2 in back-to-back games this season, going 5-3-1 in the first contest and 6-2-1 in the second … The Avalanche had a stretch of three consecutive sets of back-to-back games from Feb. 14-25, with the club earning 11 of a possible 12 points during that span … All three back-to-backs required travel in between (either home/road or road/home) and all three opponents on the second half of the back-to-back were waiting for the Avs, with Colorado sweeping all three games … The Avalanche posted a 15-5-2 (.727) combined record in back-to-back games last season, the second-best mark behind Minnesota (.732, 19-6-3) … The Avs finished 7-3-1 in the first game and 8-2-1 in the second.

MONTREAL CANADIENS NOTES:

À SURVEILLER CE SOIR / KEEP AN EYE ON…

  • Les Canadiens et l’Avalanche s’affrontent ce soir pour la 150e fois en saison régulière. En incluant les matchs de séries, c’est le 181e affrontement entre ces deux équipes.
  • The Canadiens and Avalanche are facing each other for the 150th time in regular season. Including playoff contests, tonight’s the 181st match-up between the two teams.

DERNIER MATCH / LAST GAME – NJD 3 @ MTL 1 (@ CENTRE BELL)
Buts MTL Goals – Gurianov
Buts NJD Goals – Bastian, Hischier, Tatar
Gardien MTL Goalie – Allen (34-36)
Gardien NJD Goalie – Schmid (23-24)
Avantage numérique MTL Powerplay – 0/0
Avantage numérique NJD Powerplay – 0/0
Meneurs MTL Leaders – TOI (Matheson – 27:03) ; S (Gurianov – 4) ; HT (Anderson – 7) ; BS (Matheson – 5)

MATCHS À VENIR / UPCOMING GAMES
14 MARS @ PITTSBURGH 19 h / 7 p.m.
16 MARS @ FLORIDE 19 h / 7 p.m.
18 MARS @ TAMPA BAY 19 h / 7 p.m.
21 MARS VS. TAMPA BAY 19 h / 7 p.m.
23 MARS @ BOSTON 19 h / 7 p.m.

RAPPORT MÉDICAL DE LA SAISON / SEASON INJURY REPORT
Joueur Player Date Blessure Injury Matchs ratés Games lost Retour Return
C. Price – Genou / Knee 66 –
P. Byron – Hanche / Hip 66 –
J. Evans – Bas du corps / Lower-body 23 –
B. Gallagher – Bas du corps / Lower-body 28 –
J. Slafkovsky – Bas du corps / Lower-body 22 –
S. Monahan – Bas du corps / Lower-body 41 –
C. Caufield – Épaule / Shoulder 20 –
A. Xhekaj – Épaule / Shoulder 13 –

RÉAFFECTATIONS, SIGNATURES ET TRANSACTIONS / ROSTER MOVES, SIGNINGS AND TRANSACTIONS
Les Canadiens ont rappelé l’attaquant Anthony Richard du Rocket de Laval (09/03)
The Canadiens have recalled forward Anthony Richard from the Laval Rocket (03/09)
Les Canadiens ont cédé le défenseur Frédéric Allard au Rocket de Laval (06/03)
The Canadiens have loaned defenseman Frédéric Allard to the Laval Rocket (03/06)
Les Canadiens ont rappelé le défenseur Frédéric Allard du Rocket de Laval (04/03)
The Canadiens have recalled defenseman Frédéric Allard from the Laval Rocket (03/04)
Les Canadiens ont acquis l’attaquant Denis Gurianov des Stars de Dallas (26/02)
The Canadiens have acquired forward Denis Gurianov from the Dallas Stars (02/26)
Les Canadiens ont cédé le défenseur Corey Schueneman au Rocket de Laval (25/02)
The Canadiens have loaned defenseman Corey Schueneman to the Laval Rocket (02/25)

STATISTIQUES D’ÉQUIPE / TEAM STATISTICS – AVANT LES MATCHS DU 12/03 – BEFORE GAMES ON 03/12
PTS (58 – 27e/27th)
V/W (26 – 26e/26th)
BP/GF (176 – 28e/28th)
BC/GA (234 – 25e/25th)
Tirs-PM/Shots-PG (27.7 – 30e/30th)
Tirs accordés-PM/Shots allowed-PG (33.8 – 28e/28th)
MÉ/Hits (1278 – 28e/28th)
MP/PIM (766 – 4e/4th)
AN/PP (15.7% – 31e/31st)
DN/PK (73.9% – 29e/29th)

LES CANADIENS CONTRE CHAQUE DIVISION L’AN DERNIER / THE HABS VS. EVERY DIVISION LAST SEASON
Adversaire Opponent Fiche Record PTS Buts pour Goals for Buts contre Goals against
Atlantique 9-14-3 21 84 89
Centrale 3-9-4 10 39 65
Métropolitaine 6-17-1 13 55 103
Pacifique 4-9-3 11 43 62
Total 22-49-11 55 221 319
*Inclut les buts en fusillade / Includes the shootout goals

LES CANADIENS CONTRE CHAQUE DIVISION CETTE SAISON / THE HABS VS. EVERY DIVISION THIS SEASON
Division Fiche Record PTS Buts pour Goals for Buts contre Goals against
Atlantique 4-12-1 9 35 72
Centrale 8-5-2 18 48 45
Métropolitaine 8-8-2 18 51 65
Pacifique 6-9-1 13 46 54
Total 26-34-6 58 180 236
*Inclut les buts en fusillade / Includes the shootout goals

MARTIN ST-LOUIS EN CHIFFRES / MARTIN ST. LOUIS’ NUMBERS…
Matchs/Games : 103
Victoires/Wins : 40
Fiche : 40-53-10
Points de classement/Standing points : 90

CANADIENS VS. COLORADO
À vie / All-Time

CANADIENS vs. COL 72-57-15-5 (149 PJ / GP)
Dom. / Home 44-19-10-2 (75 PJ / GP)
Étr. / Away 28-38-5-3 (74 PJ / GP)
Dern. Match / Last game:
DP 2-1 OTL @ COL (21/12/22)
J. Allen 2-36 | A. Georgiev 1-20
BG / WG: M. Rantanen (P/OT)

10 DERNIERS MATCHS CONTRE COLORADO / LAST 10 GAMES VS. COLORADO:
21/12/22 – MTL 1 @ COL 2 (P/OT)
22/01/22 – MTL 2 @ COL 3 (P/OT)
02/12/21 – COL 4 @ MTL 1
05/12/19 – COL 3 @ MTL 2
12/01/19 – COL 0 @ MTL 3
19/12/18 – MTL 1 @ COL 2
14/02/18 – MTL 0 @ COL 2
23/02/18 – COL 2 @ MTL 4
07/02/17 – MTL 0 @ COL 4
10/12/16 – COL 1 @ MTL 10

CETTE SAISON CONTRE COLORADO / THIS SEASON VS. COLORADO
Match #1: 21/12/2022 @ COL – DP/OTL 2-1
Match #2: 13/03/2023 @ MTL

MEILLEURS BUTEURS CONTRE COLORADO / LEADING GOAL SCORERS VS. COLORADO:
1) Mike Hoffman (9-11-20, 21 pj/gp)
2) Sean Monahan (7-13-20, 23 pj/gp)
3) Brendan Gallagher (5-2-7, 12 pj/gp)

MEILLEURS POINTEURS CONTRE COLORADO / LEADING SCORERS VS. COLORADO:
1) Mike Hoffman (9-11-20, 21 pj/gp)
2) Sean Monahan (7-13-20, 23 pj/gp)
3) Brendan Gallagher (5-2-7, 12 pj/gp)

MENEURS MINUTES DE PÉNALITÉ CONTRE COLORADO / MOST PENALTY MINUTES VS. COLORADO:
1) Mike Hoffman (8, 21 pj/gp)
2) Sean Monahan (8, 23 pj/gp)
3) David Savard (6, 17 pj/gp)

NHL Preview: Buffalo Sabres (32-28-5) at Toronto Maple Leafs (40-17-8)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Buffalo Sabres (32-28-5) at Toronto Maple Leafs (40-17-8)

BUFFALO SABRES NOTES:

LAST GAME
Saturday, March 11
NY Rangers 2 at Buffalo 1 (OT)
Goal: Skinner
Goalies: Luukkonen (24 saves/26 shots)
PP: 0/2; PK: 2/3; Shots: Buffalo 33 – New York 26

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 118)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Alex Tuch (lower body, Feb. 26; IR) – 8 games
Eric Comrie (lower body) – 0 games
Rasmus Dahlin (upper body) – 0 games
Mattias Samuelsson (upper body) – 0 games

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST SEVEN DAYS
3/8: Loaned D Lawrence Pilut to Rochester (AHL)

UPCOMING GAMES
Wednesday, March 15: Buffalo at Washington, 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 17: Buffalo at Philadelphia, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 19: Boston at Buffalo, 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 21: Nashville at Buffalo, 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 24: New Jersey at Buffalo, 7:00 p.m.

TODAY’S GAME
SABRES AT MAPLE LEAFS
• This is the third and final meeting between the Sabres and Maple Leafs this season.
• Last meeting: Toronto defeated Buffalo 6-3 in Buffalo on Feb. 21.
• The Sabres are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games against the Maple Leafs; 4-5-1 on the road.
• This is the 225th game all-time between Buffalo and Toronto; Buffalo has a 120-76-28 series record.
• The Sabres are 47-45-19 on the road against the Maple Leafs all-time.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• A win today would also give Buffalo 33 wins on the season, one more than they earned in 82 games in 2021-22.
• Buffalo last earned 33 or more wins in 2018-19 (33).
• With a point in tonight’s game, Ilya Lyubushkin would earn the second three-game point streak of his career.
• Lyubushkin also recorded at least one point in three straight games from Dec. 31, 2022 at Boston to Jan. 3, 2023 at Washington.
• Kyle Okposo has tallied a goal in two of his last three games.
• Rasmus Dahlin is one assist away from becoming the first Sabres defenseman since Phil Housley in 1989-90 (60) to record 50 or more assists in a single season.
• With an assist, he would join Housley and John Van Boxmeer as the only defensemen in franchise history to reach 50 assists in a single season.
• In his last eight games, Dylan Cozens has collected seven points (5+2).
• Tage Thompson has recorded 36 points (16+20) in his last 32 games, including 17 points (7+10) in his last 13 games.
• Thompson needs one goal in tonight’s game to become the first Sabres skater to record 43 or more goals in a season since Thomas Vanek (43) in 2006-07.
• In his last 44 games, Jeff Skinner has notched 52 points (24+28), including 16 points (9+7) in his last 13 games.
• JJ Peterka has notched four points (1+3) in his last six games.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Score: Toronto 7 vs. Edmonton 4
Date: Saturday, March 11, 2023
TOR Goals: Acciari, Marner, Nylander, Tavares, Tavares (PP), Matthews (PP), Acciari (EN)
EDM Goals: Ekholm, Kane, McDavid, Draisaitl (PP)
TOR Goaltender: Murray, 22/26, .846 SV%
EDM Goaltender: Skinner, 31/37, .838 SV%
TOR Power Play: 2-for-5
TOR Penalty Kill: 2-for-3
Player Notes:

  • Mitch Marner recorded four points (1G, 3A) in Toronto’s win. Marner posted his second game of the season with four or more points. Marner has recorded six points (2G, 4A) through his last two games. With his third period assist, Marner recorded his 538th career NHL point, claiming sole possession of 10th on Toronto’s franchise all-time points list, surpassing Rick Vaive (537). With four points registered, Marner improved to 83 points this season (24G, 59A). Per NHL Stats, “Marner became the sixth player in Maple Leafs history to record consecutive 80-point seasons, joining Darryl Sittler (8x from 1973-74 – 1980-91), Lanny McDonald (4x from 1975-76 – 1978-79), Mats Sundin (2x from 1995-96 – 1996-97), Doug Gilmour (2x from 1992-93 – 1993-94) and Eddie Olczyk (2x from 1988-89 – 1989-90).” Marner has reached the 80-point mark on three occasions during his NHL career (2018-19, 2021-22, 2022-23).
  • William Nylander scored his 34th goal of the season, tying an NHL career-high and recorded the secondary assist on Tavares’ second goal of the game. Nylander extended his point streak to four games where he has posted six points (1G, 5A). Nylander has posted a multi-point outing in back-to-back games while recording his 21st multi-point game of the season.
  • John Tavares scored twice and added an assist in Saturday’s win. Tavares marked his fifth multi-goal game of the season. With his second goal of the game, Tavares scored his 30th goal of the season, reaching the 30-goal mark for the sixth time in his NHL career. Tavares recorded his fifth game of the season with three or more points.
  • Auston Matthews scored on a Toronto power play opportunity at 10:50 of the third period and posted the primary assist on Tavares’ first goal of the game. Matthews posted his 30th goal of the season, marking his seventh-consecutive season where he has reached the 30-goal mark. Per NHL Stats, “Matthews became the 10th player in NHL history to score 30 goals in each of his first seven career seasons and just the second active player joining Alex Ovechkin (15 from 2005-06 – 2019-20). Matthews is also just the third player in Maple Leafs history with at least seven consecutive 30-goal seasons. The others: Darryl Sittler (8 from 1973-74 – 1980-81) and Rick Vaive (7 from 1980-81 – 1986-87).”
  • Noel Acciari scored for the Maple Leafs at 3:05 of the first period and recorded his second goal of the game at 19:10 of the third period. Acciari tied an NHL career second-best with two goals scored during a game. Acciari recorded his third multi-goal game of the season and the seventh multi-goal game of his NHL career. Acciari is now two points away from 100 career NHL points.

Team Notes:

  • The Maple Leafs scored seven goals during Saturday’s win, tying a season-high which they have marked on one other occasion this season (Dec. 13 vs. ANA).

TONIGHT’S GAME
2022-23 Matchups vs. Buffalo: Third of Three
2021-22 Record vs. Buffalo: 1-3-0
Toronto Season Record: 40-17-8
Toronto Home Record: 24-6-4

TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
The Maple Leafs are scheduled to face-off against the Buffalo Sabres tonight in the third of three matchups between the clubs this season. Toronto has posted a 2-0-0 record against the Sabres during the 2022-23 campaign and have earned a 6-2-0 record through their last eight home games against Buffalo. The Maple Leafs are playing in their second game of a four-game homestand. With a win in their first game of the homestand against Edmonton, Toronto improved to a 24-6-4 record on home ice this season, currently the third-best home record in the league. The Maple Leafs have won four-consecutive home games, dating back to February 15th against Chicago. Toronto has outscored their opponent by a 19-8 margin during their four-game winning streak on home ice.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Sportsnet RADIO: Sportsnet 590

NEXT GAME
Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Opponent: vs. Colorado Avalanche
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Broadcast Information: Sportsnet (TV), TSN 1050 (Radio)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
March 12, 2023 The Maple Leafs recalled forward Alex Steeves from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
March 3, 2023 The Maple Leafs acquired forward Radim Zohorna from the Calgary Flames in exchange for
forward Dryden Hunt.

INJURY REPORT
Carl Dahlström Shoulder (LTIR)
Victor Mete Lower Body (LTIR)
Jake Muzzin Neck (LTIR)
Ryan O’Reilly Broken Finger (LTIR)
Nick Robertson Shoulder (LTIR)

ALL-TIME VS. BUFFALO SABRES:
First Matchup between Clubs: November 18, 1970 (Toronto 2 vs. Buffalo 7)
All-Time Record: 86-109-18-11 (224 Games)
All-Time Record at Home: 52-42-12-5 (111 Games)
All-Time Record on the Road: 34-67-6-6 (113 Games)
Last Home Win vs. Opponent: November 19, 2022 (Toronto 5 vs. Buffalo 2)

ACTIVE LEADERS VS. BUFFALO SABRES:
Games Played: Luke Schenn (45), John Tavares (40), Wayne Simmonds (32), Morgan Rielly (32)
Goals: John Tavares (24), Auston Matthews (12), William Nylander (7)
Assists: John Tavares (26), Mitch Marner (18), Morgan Rielly (18)
Points: John Tavares (50), Mitch Marner (24), Morgan Rielly (21)
Penalty Minutes: Luke Schenn (29), Wayne Simmonds (27), John Tavares (20)

2022-23 AVERAGES
Points% GF/Game GA/Game PP% PK% SF/G SA/G FO%
Toronto .677 3.43 2.68 25.8 80.9 32.2 28.9 53.3
Buffalo .531 3.65 3.62 24.7 72.7 32.4 33.4 45.5

THE MAN ADVANTAGE IN 2022-23
Power Play: 25.8%
Power Play Goal Leader: 13 – Tavares
Power Play Point Leader: 32 – Marner (7G, 25A)
2021-22 Power Play: 63/231 (27.3%)

ON THE PK IN 2022-23
Penalty Kill: 80.9%
Shorthanded Goal Leader: 3 – Marner
Shorthanded Point Leader: 4 – Marner (3G, 1A)
2021-22 Penalty Kill: 192/234 (82.1%)

FAST FACTS
Monday games 6th of 7 (4 home, 3 road)
Back-to-Backs played 10 of 14
Record in first game of back-to-back 6-4-0
Record in second game of back-to-back 6-3-1
March games 6th of 14 (5 home, 9 road)

NHL Morning Skate – March 13, 2023

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Morning Skate – March 13, 2023

* Jack Hughes matched a single-season franchise mark with another multi-point outing as the Devils moved into a tie in standing points with the Hurricanes atop the Metropolitan Division.

* Kris Letang lifted the Penguins to victory with the winner in the extra frame and moved into third on the NHL’s all-time overtime goals list among defensemen.

* Maple Leafs look to set franchise benchmark for fewest games to 90 points in a season when they face the Sabres at Scotiabank Arena on a three-game Monday.
 


DEVILS DEFEAT HURRICANES, MOVE INTO TIE IN STANDING POINTS ATOP DIVISION
Jack Hughes (1-2—3) factored on all three of his team’s goals as the Devils (44-16-6, 94 points) blanked the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes (43-14-8, 94 points) and moved into a tie with the club in standing points – Carolina, which has now occupied first place in the division for 84 straight days since Dec. 20, holds a game in hand.

* Hughes recorded his 27th multi-point outing of 2022-23 and matched Taylor Hall (27 GP in 2017-18) for the most by a Devils/Rockies/Scouts skater in a single season. He also posted his 26th career multi-assist game – only four U.S.-born skaters had more before age 22: Phil Housley (39 GP), Jimmy Carson (34 GP), Patrick Kane (33 GP) and Jeremy Roenick (33 GP).



CROSBY, LETANG HELP PENGUINS PREVAIL IN OVERTIME
Sidney Crosby (0-2—2) collected an assist on two of Pittsburgh’s three goals, including Kris Letang’s third overtime winner of 2022-23, to record his 12th career 80-point season as the Penguins (34-22-10, 78 points) prevailed at PPG Paints Arena and gained a two-point lead over the idle Islanders (34-26-8, 76 points) for the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh has two games in hand against New York.

* Crosby (29-51—80), who also hit the 50-assist mark, surpassed Mario Lemieux (11x) for sole possession of the most 80-point seasons in Penguins history. The only other active skater with 10-plus such campaigns is Alex Ovechkin (10x).

* Letang’s three overtime goals are the most among all defensemen this season. Only two blueliners in NHL history have had more in a single campaign: Shayne Gostisbehere (4 in 2015-16 w/ PHI) and Scott Niedermayer (4 in 2001-02 w/ NJD).



WESTERN CONFERENCE’S WILD CARD RACE FEATURED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The latest edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured a number of notes on the Jets (38-26-3, 79 points), Flames (30-24-13, 73 points) and Predators (33-24-7, 73 points), who are all a part of the Western Conference’s tightly-contested playoff race.

* Mark Scheifele factored on one of his team’s three goals to hit the 60-point mark (38-22—60 in 67 GP) and helped Winnipeg leapfrog idle Colorado (36-22-6, 78 points), which is in action tonight, for third place in the Central Division standings. It marked Scheifele’s eighth consecutive 60-point season dating to 2015-16, surpassing Blake Wheeler (7x from 2013-14 to 2019-20) for the most in Jets/Thrashers history.



* Roman Josi (0-2—2) collected two assists and became the fifth active defenseman to record at least six 40-assist seasons, alongside Erik Karlsson (8x), Brent Burns (6x), Kris Letang (6x) and Victor Hedman (6x), as the Predators defeated the Ducks in overtime and moved within five points of the idle Avalanche for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

* Elias Lindholm (1-1—2) factored on two of his team’s five goals, including scoring the 200th of his career, as the Flames kept pace in the race for the final Wild Card position. It marked Lindholm’s 27th game-winning goal with Calgary, tied with Gary Roberts for ninth place on the franchise’s all-time list.


QUICK CLICKS

* Daniel Briere confident he can lead Flyers rebuild after being named interim GM

* Shakira attends Islanders game, hangs with former ‘Voice’ colleague Carson Daly

* Marc Joannette discusses ‘overwhelming’ emotions after 1,500th NHL game

* Nick Bonino week to week for Penguins with lacerated kidney

* Penguins don special warmup jerseys for women’s team on Her Hockey Day

SABRES, MAPLE LEAFS SET TO CLASH ON THREE-GAME MONDAY
A three-game Monday features an Atlantic-Division showdown broadcast nationally in Canada (TVAS, SNO, SNW & SNP) as the Sabres (32-28-5, 69 points) visit the Maple Leafs (40-17-8, 88 points) at Scotiabank Arena. Toronto can require the fewest games in franchise history to reach 90 points in a season (65 GP entering play) – its current best is 67 outings, accomplished in 2021-22 (43-19-5).



* Rasmus Dahlin (14-49—63 in 61 GP) can become just the third different defenseman to record 50 assists in a single season with Buffalo – Phil Housley (60 in 1989-90 & 53 in 1984-85) and John Van Boxmeer (54 in 1981-82 & 51 in 1980-81) both achieved the feat twice.

* Toronto’s 24 home wins are tied with Tampa Bay for the second most among all teams this season, behind only Boston (27). William Nylander (23-26—49 in 34 GP) leads all Maple Leafs skaters in points at Scotiabank Arena and can become just the third player in franchise history to reach 50 at home in 35 contests or fewer. He would join Doug Gilmour (33 GP in 1992-93) and Darryl Sittler (34 GP in 1977-78).

NBA Preview: Milwaukee Bucks (48-19) at Sacramento Kings (40-26)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Milwaukee Bucks (48-19) at Sacramento Kings (40-26)

The Sacramento Kings host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, the second game of a three-game West Coast road trip, bringing together two of the best teams in the NBA.

The Bucks, who led the Eastern Conference going into their trip, had won 19 of their last 20 games. However, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, a former two-time MVP, out against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, another two-time MVP was the difference. Milwaukee lost the overtime game 125-116 to Golden State thanks to 36 points from Steph Curry late in the game.

The Bucks suffered their third defeat since Jan. 16. The last time they lost consecutive games, on Jan. 12 and 14, they travel to Sacramento for the game on Monday.

Bobby Portis’ 33rd double-double of the season contributed to Milwaukee’s comeback from a 13-point deficit in the second half against Golden State to advance to overtime. 19 points, five assists, and four steals were added by Khris Middleton.

After missing 43 games due to injuries, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer has remained cautious with Middleton’s usage, even though he played 34 minutes and shot 3 of 4 from three-point range.

After missing three games due to right hand soreness, Antetokounmpo, who averages 31.2 points per game and is second in the league in rebounds with 11.9, may be ready to play on Monday.

The Kings have won eight of their last nine games, including two straight against teams eligible for the playoffs, heading into Monday’s matchup. Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double of 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in Sacramento’s 122-117 victory over the New York Knicks on Thursday.

Sabonis, who leads the NBA with 12.3 rebounds per game, recorded his ninth triple-double of the season on Thursday. Since the All-Star break, it was his third triple-double performance.

On Saturday, Sabonis added 17 points and eight rebounds to his previous performance. He was one of four Rulers players to score something like 17 as Sacramento outperformed the Phoenix Suns 128-119.

De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk each scored 18 points in Sacramento’s road victory. Harrison Barnes scored 19 points.

Metu scored nine focuses and made three takes off the seat.

Sacramento has reached 40 wins for the first time since 2006, moving into a tie with Memphis for the best record in the Western Conference.

The hot teams haven’t played each other since Dec. 7, when the Bucks beat Milwaukee 126-113.

In that game, Antetokounmpo scored 35 points, and Jrue Holiday added 31. Throughout the season, Holiday has scored 30 or more points six times; Four of those have occurred since the year 2023.

NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (37-30) at Golden State Warriors (35-33)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (37-30) at Golden State Warriors (35-33)

When the Golden State Warriors take on the Kevin Durant-less Phoenix Suns on Monday night, they will avoid an opponent’s superstar for the third time in a row.

The Warriors have won seven straight games at home, including a 125-116 overtime thriller on Saturday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, who were without their star player Giannis Antetokounmpo because of a sore right hand.

The difference-maker in the victory was Stephen Curry. He scored 11 points in the final 1:51 of regulation to send the game into overtime, and he scored nine more in five minutes of overtime to help the Warriors defeat the top team in the Eastern Conference.

Despite the fact that the Grizzlies were without Ja Morant, who was out while the NBA looked into a gun incident, the Warriors had lost their previous game, 131-110, to Memphis on Thursday.

Durant, who was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets at the February trade deadline, injured his left ankle during warmups for the Suns’ home opener on Wednesday.

Due to a pre-existing knee injury, he missed his first six Suns games. However, earlier this month, he helped Phoenix win three straight on the road, averaging 26.7 points.

Durant, who won two championships in three seasons with Golden State, also missed a January trip to San Francisco with the Nets because of a knee injury.

The Suns defeated Oklahoma City for the fourth time in a row before losing 128-119 to the visiting Sacramento Kings on Saturday night, despite witnessing Durant limp off the court prior to the game.

They will now play the Warriors and Bucks in consecutive games on Tuesday, with Milwaukee traveling to Phoenix.

Monty Williams, the Suns’ coach, walked away from the high-scoring loss to the Kings sounding a lot like Steve Kerr, the coach of Golden State, after his veteran team’s recent string of poor efforts on the road.

Monday should be a big day for both teams. The Warriors are just two and a half games behind the Suns, who are in fourth place in the West and have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Phoenix has already won the season series, defeating the Warriors by 29 and 11 points at home and 125-113 in San Francisco.

However, that was prior to Durant’s arrival, when defensive end Mikal Bridges was present to harass Curry. Curry has been held to 24 or fewer points in eight of his last 11 games against Phoenix.

Bridges was part of the package that was needed to get Durant away from the Nets, so he won’t be around to challenge Curry this time.

Curry, who will be 35 on Tuesday, may require a break. In the overtime victory, he played a season-high 43 minutes, and ESPN asked him after the game, “You look tired. Are you alright?

Curry scored 36 points for Golden State, ending a three-game losing streak.

NBA Preview: Boston Celtics (47-21) at Houston Rockets (15-52)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Boston Celtics (47-21) at Houston Rockets (15-52)

As the final stretch of the season got underway, the Boston Celtics lost their position at the top of the Eastern Conference due to four losses in five games and a monster winning streak led by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Celtics’ response to their sudden vulnerability, which was the first glaring example of adversity faced by Boston this season, was certainly interesting.

With their 134-125 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the first game of a six-game road trip that continues on Monday against the Houston Rockets, the Celtics appeared to have regained their footing.

In its rout of the Hawks, Boston shot 54.7 percent from the floor, made 20 of 42 3-pointers, and missed only two free throws, proving that any speculation regarding fallibility was premature.

Jayson Tatum (34 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists against the Hawks) and Jaylen Brown (24 points, seven assists, and two steals) typically play a significant role in this formula, as do the Celtics’ numerous veteran options. During an 82-game season, even the league’s best teams stray from the path. The most important thing is always to get back on track.

Houston experienced a third back to back misfortune and tumbled to 2-7 since the Elite player break with a 119-111 home difficulty to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, one that included another late-game breakdown.

The Rockets were successful in keeping the Bulls at bay after taking a 13-point lead early in the second quarter. They were able to stop Chicago after the deficit fell to one point later in the first half and even after the Bulls pulled even twice in the fourth quarter.

The Rockets took a 106-102 lead when reserve guard Josh Christopher made a three-point play with 5:40 left in the game. After Houston missed six shots in a row and committed three turnovers, the Bulls took control with a 13-0 run, giving Chicago its first lead since the game’s opening basket.

By coming unraveled down the stretch, the Rockets tarnished one more adjusted scoring assault that highlighted seven players in twofold figures paced by youngster forward Jabari Smith Jr., who matched a group high 20 focuses with 10 bounce back.

Houston’s egalitarian offensive strategy has resulted in modest success recently. Against the Bulls, the Rockets assisted on 28 of their 41 made field goals, but their progress was hampered by miscues and a late cold snap.

NBA Preview: Memphis Grizzlies (40-26) at Dallas Mavericks (34-34)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Memphis Grizzlies (40-26) at Dallas Mavericks (34-34)

The Memphis Grizzlies will play Dallas on Monday night to begin a three-game road trip without Ja Morant, hoping to win for the third time in a row.

Due to an off-court incident that occurred on March 3 at a Colorado strip club, Morant is likely to miss his fifth consecutive game. After it appeared that the star point guard flashed a handgun during an Instagram live video, authorities announced five days later that Morant would not face criminal charges. His return to action is still unknown.

Desmond Bane scored 25 points and rookie David Roddy scored 24 points off the bench, both career highs, in Memphis’ hard-fought 112-108 home victory over the Mavericks on Saturday.

Roddy scored 17 focuses in the final quarter and assisted the Grizzlies with beating a 83-77 Dissidents lead entering the game’s last edge. He made seven of eight shots, including three of four attempts from the three-point arc, as Memphis overcame an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to claim its 40th victory of the season.

The Grizzlies and Mavericks, who were without Luka Doncic in Saturday’s defeat due to a left thigh strain, played their first game in three days. Due to pain in his right foot, newly acquired Kyrie Irving also did not participate.

Doncic scored 15 points and provided eight assists in the team’s 113-106 road loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. He left the game in the third quarter. Doncic’s left thigh was not damaged by an MRI, so he is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against Memphis.

Irving played 41 minutes against the Pelicans before being scratched 90 minutes before the Grizzlies’ game. He is expected to play in the rematch against Memphis and scored a team-high 27 points against New Orleans.

In the absence of Morant, Memphis’ starting point guard is Tyus Jones. He’s averaging 10.1 focuses and 4.8 helps per game. In the absence of Morant, Bane (21.3 points per game, 4.2 assists per game) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (17.0 points per game, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 blocks per game) are being used more frequently on the offensive end.

Dillon Brooks has played 34 minutes per game for the Grizzlies over the last two games, but his offensive production needs to improve after scoring eight points in Saturday’s victory over Dallas.

In Saturday’s defeat to Memphis, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds. Christian Wood scored 14 points off the bench, and Josh Green had a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds.

The Mavericks will once again need Hardy, Hardaway, and Green to take over on the offensive end if Doncic and Irving are unable to play.

NBA Preview: Utah Jazz (33-35) at Miami Heat (36-33)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Utah Jazz (33-35) at Miami Heat (36-33)

In preparation for their game on Monday against the Utah Jazz, the Miami Heat now have point guard Kyle Lowry back from the injured list.

Lowry, who hadn’t played since Feb. 2 because of a problem with his left knee, played 36 minutes on Saturday when Miami lost to the Orlando Magic 126-114 in overtime. Lowry hit 4 of 8 shots, including 3 of 6 3-pointers, and had 12 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals.

Lowry had not played as a reserve in ten years.

Despite Jimmy Butler’s strong performance on Saturday, when he scored 38 points, the Heat have lost four of their last seven games. He hit 14 of his 25 shots from the floor and 8 of his 8 shots from behind the arc.

Miami will play Utah for the first time on Monday, after defeating Utah 126-123 on New Year’s Eve.

Due to a knee injury, Butler was unable to play in that game; however, Heat starters Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, in addition to backup Victor Oladipo, took his place.

Oladipo finished with 23 points, Adebayo had a game-high 32 points, Herro had 29 points and a team-high nine rebounds, and Adebayo had a game-high 32 points. Herro hit a one-leg three-pointer at the buzzer that won the game.

However, the Jazz are rebuilding in the West while the Heat are 22-13 at home and seventh in the Eastern Conference race for a playoff spot.

Nonetheless, Utah entered Sunday’s game in 10th place in the Western Conference, which would place the Jazz in the play-in round. This season, the Jazz are 13-22 on the road.

The Jazz, who have a new coach in 35-year-old Will Hardy and a rebuilt roster, put together an impressive performance. Hardy took over for Quin Snyder, who left after eight seasons.

Danny Ainge, a former executive with the Boston Celtics who was hired by Utah in December 2021, started a huge rebuilding project this offseason by trading Royce O’Neal. Since then, Ainge has traded Rudy Gobert, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Donovan Mitchell, a four-time All-Star, Mike Conley, and other players for eight first-round draft picks, three pick swaps, and 13 players.

Talen Horton-Tucker, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who scored 37 points in Utah’s 119-111 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, now leads the roster. Horton Exhaust made 14 of 24 shots from the floor, remembering 2 of 5 for 3-pointers.

Lauri Markkanen, 25, who leads the Jazz in scoring (25.4 points) and rebounds (8.5), is one of several young players with notable experience. and 7-1 center Walker Kessler, 21, who averages 8.5 points and 8.1 rebounds and leads the team in blocks (2.3).

These three players were acquired by Utah in recent Ainge trades.

NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves (34-34) at Atlanta Hawks (34-34)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves (34-34) at Atlanta Hawks (34-34)

When the Atlanta Hawks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, they will attempt to boost their fleeting hopes of avoiding the play-in tournament.

The Hawks are coming off a 134-125 defeat to the Boston Celtics on Saturday. They are four and a half games behind the New York Knicks in the race for the No. 6 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 14 games remaining. The top six teams will not participate in the play-in tournament, so Atlanta is in seventh place, 1/2 game behind Miami.

Minnesota is in a better playoff position than Brooklyn, which it lost to 124-123 in overtime. Dallas and the Timberwolves are tied for the No. Seventh in the Western Conference They trail No only one game. 6 Golden State, despite the fact that four of their next five games are away.

The two teams meet for the first time this season, in this one. The teams’ last five encounters have been won by Atlanta.

After the All-Star break, the players of Atlanta and their new coach, Quin Snyder, continue to get used to one another. He took over three games. After the Hawks allowed the Celtics to make 20 3-pointers, Snyder wants to see more emphasis placed on defense, particularly on 3-pointers.

Trae Young of Atlanta and Marcus Smart of Boston got into a fight, which resulted in both players getting tangled up on the court and Smart being kicked out. Snyder stated that there were other issues that were of greater concern to him, while Young stated that he had “nothing much to say” regarding the incident.

Young, who scored 35 points and had 13 assists in the game against Boston, now has the most Eastern Conference games with at least 30 points and 10 assists.

The Hawks will need to find a way to slow down Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, who was the No. 1 pick out of Georgia after one season. 1st overall pick in the 2020 draft. Edwards is currently averaging 24.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. He’s likewise hitting 2.7 3-pointers per game and making 36.8 percent of his endeavors from the bend.

Brooklyn was defeated by 32 points from Edwards. After scoring the same number of points in a defeat to Philadelphia, it was his 20th game with 30 points and his second 32-point game in a row. In his past four games against Atlanta, he has scored 14.3 points on average.

Karl-Anthony Towns continues to play for Minnesota despite missing 47 games due to a severe calf sprain. The previous week, he participated in some on-court drills, but he is still unable to practice. Austin Rivers missed Friday’s game with back spasms, and Jaylen Nowell has missed six games in a row with a left knee injury.

With tightness in his back, Atlanta’s Bogdan Bogdanovic missed the previous game.

1...2,8672,8682,869...3,991Page 2,868 of 3,991

Contact us: info@sportsgamingjournal.com

* PLEASE NOTE: THE INFORMATION CONTAINED AT THIS SITE IS FOR NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. ANY USE OF THIS INFORMATION IN VIOLATION OF ANY FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL LAWS IS PROHIBITED.

FOLLOW US

TODAY"S TOP CATEGORIES

© Copyright 2024, Sports Gaming Journal. All rights reserved.