Saturday, April 25, 2026
Mikey Balhan Sports
Home Blog Page 2976

NBA Preview: Toronto Raptors (32-34) at Los Angeles Clippers (34-33)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Toronto Raptors (32-34) at Los Angeles Clippers (34-33)

The Los Angeles Clippers prioritized getting Russell Westbrook into the flow, but it now appears that the team’s primary focus is a renewed commitment on the defensive end.

When the Clippers play host to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, they will have a great opportunity to work on defensive principles. Toronto was 23rd in the NBA with 112.6 points per game, while Los Angeles was just 22nd with 112.7 points per game.

In a double-overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 24, the Clippers were blown out by 176 points. Since that night, they have given up 131.7 points per game and gone 0-5. Westbrook made his Clippers debut in the team’s 176-175 loss to the Kings.

The Clippers gave up 129 points even in their victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, 51 of which came in the third quarter alone. In the fourth quarter, Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue changed his defense, which helped the team win.

While the Clippers defeated the Grizzlies with a 17-0 fourth-quarter run, their opponent was severely depleted, missing four key contributors, including star Ja Morant.

On Monday, the Raptors lost on the road to the Denver Nuggets by a score of 118-113.

One of the Raptors’ better victories of the season may have come against the best team in the Western Conference. However, Toronto’s Scottie Barnes was called for a technical foul after teammate Jakob Poeltl was called for an inside foul while Denver was leading by one in the final minute.

The Nuggets won the game by making all three of their subsequent free throw attempts.

In the loss, the Raptors were led by Fred VanVleet, who scored 21 points and had 14 assists. Pascal Siakam scored 19, while Poeltl scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Barnes scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

The Raptors, who have won nine of their last ten games since February 3, play the Lakers on Friday in Los Angeles. After that, Toronto only plays one away game over the next eight games before a crucial five-game road trip just before the regular season’s end.

NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (31-34) at Phoenix Suns (36-29)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (31-34) at Phoenix Suns (36-29)

When the Phoenix Suns play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, Kevin Durant will be able to experience homecourt cheers for the first time with his new employer.

Durant was procured from the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 9 while he was sidelined because of a knee injury. He started playing again on March 1 and has played in three games on the road; however, the Wednesday game will be his Phoenix debut.

Durant has performed admirably for the Suns thus far, scoring an average of 26.7 points and shooting 69% (29 of 42) in three victories. On Sunday, the 13-time All-Star scored 37 points on 12-of-17 shooting in a 130-126 road victory over the Dallas Mavericks. He looked close to his peak performance.

Talk that Durant and star guard Devin Booker might not get along well was also quickly put to rest. In Durant’s first three games, Booker, the Suns’ longtime leading scorer, scored an average of 36 points on 56% shooting (42 of 75).

After being traded in the middle of the season for the first time in his 15-year career, Durant stated that he is adjusting.

The matchup against one of Durant’s former teams is getting a lot of attention, but Phoenix coach Monty Williams has no interest in the fever-pitch excitement.

Phoenix had a rough start to the season while Booker was out with a groin injury. Nonetheless, the Suns are presently burning with 15 successes in their beyond 20 games and live in fourth spot in the Western Gathering.

At this point, Oklahoma City has won three games in a row, and eight of those 10 games will be played on the road.

In the three victories, the Thunder scored an average of 132 points, including a 137-128 victory over the visiting Golden State Warriors on Tuesday and two victories against the Utah Jazz.

Along with his 17 points and 11 rebounds against the Warriors, Giddey also had a career-high 17 assists. It was his seventh triple-double of his career and his third of the season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an All-Star guard, scored 33 points against Golden State. Since returning from a five-game absence, he has scored an average of 35.5 points in two games. Gilgeous-Alexander, on the other hand, and Jalen Williams, who has a wrist injury, will not play against the Suns.

In the competition for the two remaining play-in spots in the West, Oklahoma City is one of five teams separated by one game. The Los Angeles Lakers, who are in ninth place, trail the Thunder by half a game.

The Suns have won six of the beyond seven gatherings, remembering a 124-115 home success for Feb. 24. Isaiah Joe scored a career-high 28 points for Oklahoma City, while Booker scored 25 points for Phoenix.

NBA Preview: Chicago Bulls (29-36) at Denver Nuggets (46-19)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Chicago Bulls (29-36) at Denver Nuggets (46-19)

Despite losing two straight and nine of their last 12 games, the Chicago Bulls are still in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament hunt.

When they travel to Denver to play the burgeoning Nuggets, who have the best home record (30-4) in the NBA, they have a chance to strengthen their position.

Chicago is coming off a home loss to Indiana of 125-122, which hurt its postseason hopes. Despite Zach LaVine’s 42 points, the Bulls were unable to defeat the Pacers. LaVine has been on a tear recently.

LaVine scored 27 on Friday against Phoenix and 41 on March 1 against Detroit.

LaVine, who has surgery on his ailing left knee at the conclusion of the previous season and now scores 24.7 points per game, ranks second on the team in scoring. He has begun to play as expected for Chicago.

However, the Bulls as a whole have had difficulty maintaining consistency. They are seven games underneath .500 yet at the same time get an opportunity to play past the ordinary season, which is the reason the misfortune to Indiana on Sunday stung.

Nonetheless, they have 17 games remaining and will not rest until they are eliminated.

Denver is headed to the postseason for the fifth year in a row, barring a major setback, and is competing for the Western Conference’s top seed for the first time since the team joined the NBA.

With 17 games remaining, the Nuggets are comfortably in first place and have won eight straight at home.

A week after needing overtime to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers at Ball Arena, they won against Toronto on Monday night.

In the Raptors game, Nikola Jokic missed out on his 26th triple-double of the season with an assist, but his defense in the final minutes helped secure the 118-113 victory. He stole Fred VanVleet to start a 13-2 run to win the game, and he stripped Scottie Barnes, which was initially ruled a foul but was overturned by a successful challenge.

Jokic’s team believes that his defense is underrated, despite the fact that he is averaging a triple-double and being known for his all-around offensive game.

NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (34-32) at New Orleans Pelicans (31-34)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (34-32) at New Orleans Pelicans (31-34)

The Dallas Mavericks didn’t use their recent homestand to its full potential. However, at least they came out on top.

It is of the utmost importance for the New Orleans Pelicans to make the most of their four-game homestand that begins on Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks.

In the midst of a highly congested battle for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs and play-in tournament, neither team is moving forward.

Dallas defeated Utah 120-116 on Tuesday night, ending its season-high six-game homestand.

After acquiring Kyrie Irving and combining him with Luka Doncic to form one of the NBA’s most explosive scoring tandems, the Mavericks have not integrated as quickly as they had hoped.

However, Dallas improved to 3-5 in games in which both Irving and Doncic have appeared, as Irving scored 17 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter and Doncic scored 29.

After scoring a total of nine points in each of its three home losses, Dallas prevailed in a close game.

After the Pelicans’ 123-108 defeat at Sacramento on Monday night, they have lost six of their last seven games and 17 of their last 22.

Against the Kings, New Orleans played well in the first half, and the score was tied at 59 at halftime. Be that as it may, Sacramento changed to a zone safeguard in the second from last quarter, which lost the Pelicans’ offense. Even though D’Aaron Fox, the Kings’ leading scorer, was out with an injury, the Kings outscored New Orleans by 38-20 in the period and cruised to victory.

Green has been trying to get his players to make at least 35 3-pointers per game to make it easier for opponents’ defenses to stop them and give them more room to move. Against Sacramento, the Pelicans shot 11 of 29 from beyond the arc.

In 26 days, New Orleans, which is 20-11 at home, will play only its second home game.

The Pelicans will attempt to level the season series, which has been won by the home team in each of the previous encounters. On October 25, New Orleans won 113-111, Dallas won 127-117 on January 7 and 111-106 on February 2.

NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (41-26) at Miami Heat (35-31)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (41-26) at Miami Heat (35-31)

The Miami Heat have largely escaped Donovan Mitchell’s wrath despite his damage to every opponent.

The four-time All-Star guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers has scored more than 20 points per game against every NBA team throughout his career.

Mitchell will take aim once more when Miami plays Cleveland on Wednesday night. Mitchell has scored 21.8 points per game against Miami in 12 games over his career.

That is not a low number, but it is lower than Mitchell’s 24.4-point scoring average over his entire career.

Mitchell has shot just 42.6 percent from the field, 27.8 percent on 3-pointers, and 70.7 percent on free throws in his career against the Heat.

In his career, he has shot 44.6 percent from the field, 36.5 percent on 3-pointers, and 84.0 percent from the foul line.

Mitchell was held to 13 and 16 points, respectively, in Miami and Cleveland’s two meetings this season.

Mitchell, on the other hand, just scored 40 points in Cleveland’s 118-114 overtime victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday.

Four Cavaliers have started more than 55 games this season, including Mitchell, who is averaging 27.6 points. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are the others.

Garland has a team-high 7.9 assists and an average of 21.9 points. On Monday, he had 12 assists.

Mobley scores 16.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per game on average. Allen has a team-high 9.7 rebounds and an average of 14.5 points.

Additionally, Mobley and Allen provide excellent rim protection, averaging 2.6 blocks per game. On Monday, Mobley scored 25, grabbed 17 rebounds, and made three blocks.

In contrast, Miami has won two straight games against the Atlanta Hawks. In those games, Miami held superstar Hawks guard Trae Young to an average of 16.5 points, well below his season average of 26.6.

The Heat scored 59 bench points, a season-high, in Monday’s 130-128 victory. Victor Oladipo led Miami’s bench brigade with 22 points, followed by Caleb Martin with 21, and Duncan Robinson with 14.

The three of them did more than just grind. They shot 16-for-26 from the floor, including 9-for-13 from three, demonstrating a high level of skill.

However, Miami’s stars will be on high alert due to Cleveland’s core four of Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, and Allen.

Jimmy Butler (21.9), Bam Adebayo (21.2), and Tyler Herro (20.3) are Miami’s three elite scorers. Adebayo has the most rebounds for Miami (9.7), and Butler has the most steals for the Heat (1.9).

Kevin Love, a power forward, and Kyle Lowry, a point guard, were not present for the Heat’s game on Monday. Love is unable to work because of a rib injury. Since February 2, Lowry has not played due to a knee injury.

A Heat team that plays a lot of close games, including the two-point win on Monday, is what remains.

NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers (31-34) at Boston Celtics (45-21)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers (31-34) at Boston Celtics (45-21)

In their first meeting this season, the struggling Boston Celtics will face the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night and will attempt to end a three-game losing streak.

In the 118-114 overtime loss to Cleveland on Monday, Boston was without its leading scorer Jayson Tatum (knee), Al Horford (back), and Robert Williams III (hamstring). At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Celtics held a 14-point lead.

Although he did not provide any specifics regarding Tatum’s injury, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla stated that he did not anticipate Tatum to be out for a significant amount of time. Williams is unlikely to return until next week. New York defeated Boston 131-129 in double overtime on Sunday.

After defeating Detroit 110-104 on Monday, the Trail Blazers have won back-to-back games for the first time since Feb. 3.

Damian Lillard recorded his third career triple-double with 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists, making it his second triple-double of the season.

The most that Lillard has ever pulled down in a game this season is 13 rebounds. His prior record was 10.

Despite having a 25-9 home record, the Celtics have lost their last two Boston games. On the road, the Trail Blazers are 14-19.

Boston will play six games on the road after Wednesday’s game, stopping in Atlanta, Houston, Minnesota, Portland, Utah, and Sacramento.

The last time Portland defeated a team with a winning record was on February 8 when it outscored Golden State 125-122. Twelve of Portland’s remaining 17 games are against teams that are above.500.

NBA Preview: Atlanta Hawks (32-33) at Washington Wizards (31-34)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Atlanta Hawks (32-33) at Washington Wizards (31-34)

When the Washington Wizards host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday for the first game of a two-game series, they will have a chance to gain some ground in the race for the playoffs.

The Wizards, who beat the Detroit Cylinders 119-117 at the bell on Tuesday, are in tenth spot in the Eastern Meeting, the last spot in the play-in competition. The Hawks lose. 8 after their road loss to the Miami Heat on Monday, 130-128, and they are only one game ahead of Washington.

On February 28, Washington defeated Atlanta for the first time this season, winning 119-116 on the road. Before concluding the series on April 5 in Atlanta, the teams will meet once more on Thursday in the nation’s capital.

By defeating the Pistons, who were in the cellar, Washington ended a two-game losing streak. With one second left, Bradley Beal missed a driving shot, but Daniel Gafford was able to tip in the rebound for the winning points.

In the victory, Beal shot 14-for-21 from the field to score 32 points. This season, he has scored more than 30 points 11 times, including in consecutive games.

Beal, who scored 37 points in the previous game against Atlanta, had one steal against the Pistons. This gave him 763 career steals, more than Greg Ballard, who had the second-most in franchise history. With 976 thefts, John Wall holds Washington’s record.

After missing the first game against Atlanta because of soreness in his left knee, Kristaps Porzingis will be available for the Wizards on Wednesday. One of only three players in the league who is averaging 20 points, eight rebounds, and one block is Porzingis, who scored 24 points on Tuesday. Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers are the other two.

The Hawks have scored without issue. The most they have scored in 601 quarters against Miami was 43 points in the first quarter on Monday. In 2022-23, they had seven players score in the double digits for the sixth time.

The Hawks have scored at least 100 points in 40 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak in the NBA and tied for third in franchise history. The team has shot 49.3% from the field, 37.4% from 3-point range, and 81.8 percent from free throw range during that time period, averaging 119.7 points per game.

However, Atlanta’s success has not always matched its points, and the team is currently one game below.500.

Since Nate McMillan was fired as coach during the All-Star break, Atlanta has lost two games in a row and is now 3-3. Quin Snyder, the new coach, said that he cares more about the big picture than the immediate results.

NHL Preview: Anaheim Ducks (21-35-8) at Vancouver Canucks (26-32-5)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Anaheim Ducks (21-35-8) at Vancouver Canucks (26-32-5)

ANAHEIM DUCKS NOTES:

LAST ANAHEIM DUCKS GAME
MARCH 7, 2023 – ANAHEIM 2 at SEATTLE 5
The Ducks had their season-high five-game point streak snapped with a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken Tuesday night at Climate Pledge Arena. Trevor Zegras scored the opening goal for the Ducks, his 21st of the season and 54th point, extending his team lead in points and goals. Scott Harrington earned his first point as a Duck with an assist on Zegras’ goal, his seventh of the season. Cam Fowler extended his assist streak to three games (0-3=3). Max Comtois scored his sixth goal of the season at 18:33 in the third period. Ryan Strome and Jakob Silfverberg each tallied assists. John Gibson stopped 26 shots in his 43rd start of the season.
PP: 0-3 PK: 1-2 SF: 22 SA: 31 TOI: Cam Fowler (24:03)
Three Stars: 1. J. McCann 2. M. Beniers 3. P. Grubauer

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (PT) TV / AUDIO
Mar. 10 Calgary Scotiabank Saddledome 6 p.m. BSSC / Ducks Stream
Mar. 12 Nashville Honda Center 6:30 p.m. BSSC / Ducks Stream
Mar. 15 NY Islanders Honda Center 7 p.m. BSW / Ducks Stream
Mar. 17 Columbus Honda Center 7 p.m. BSSC / Ducks Stream
Mar. 19 Vancouver Honda Center 5 p.m. BSW / Ducks Stream

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
Mar. 3 Acquired Brock McGinn and a 2024 third-round selection from Pittsburgh for D Dmitry Kulikov. Acquired D Andrej Sustr, C Nikita Nesterenko and a 2025 fourth-round selection from Minnesota for D John Klingberg. Acquired D Chase Priskie from Buffalo for D Austin Strand.

ANAHEIM DUCKS INJURIES
Man-Games Lost: 339

PLAYER INJURY/ILLNESS EXPECTED ABSENCE GAMES MISSED
John Moore Upper-body Indefinite 64
Jamie Drysdale Torn labrum (shoulder) 4-6 months 56
Urho Vaakanainen Hip surgery 5-6 months 14
Anthony Stolarz Lower-body Week-to-week 12
Adam Henrique MCL sprain Week-to-week 6

ANAHEIM DUCKS NOTES
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Anaheim Ducks face the Vancouver Canucks tonight at Rogers Arena in the second game of a back-to-back matchup and the midway point of a three-game road trip (7 p.m. PT, TV: TNT AUDIO: Ducks Stream). Anaheim enters tonight with points in five of their last six games (4-1-1) and a 4-2-2 mark the last eight contests. The Ducks have also earned points in 10 of the last 16 games overall (8-6-3) and are 9-7-3 the last 19 contests. The Ducks conclude their ninth set of back-to-back matchups tonight, posting a 2-11-4 mark overall (1-7-0- in the second contest). Anaheim continues its 14-game March schedule (1-1-1 to date), consisting of 10 home contest and four on the road. Following tonight’s game, the Ducks will head to Calgary for their third and final game of the road trip Friday, March 10 (6 p.m. PT) before returning to Orange County to face Nashville Sunday, Mar. 12 (6:30 p.m. PT).

ON THE MOVE: At the conclusion of the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline on March 3, Anaheim made seven transactions. The club acquired LW Brock McGinn, D Scott Harrington, D Andrej Sustr, C Nikita Nesterenko, D Chase Priskie, C Dylan Sikura and LW Josiah Slavin, and added two 2024 third-round selections and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS NOTES:

CANUCKS vs DUCKS
TV: Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet 360, TVA Sports, TNT
Radio: Sportsnet 650

MATCH-UP INFO
• Tonight marks the second of four meetings between the Canucks and Ducks this season: Nov. 3 (8-5 W vs ANA), Mar. 8 (home), Mar. 19 (away), and Apr. 11 (away).

• Vancouver is 52-49-9-7 all-time against Anaheim, including a 28-27-2-3 record at home.

• The Canucks are 2-2-1 in their last 5 games against the Ducks (3-5-2 in their last ten).

• J.T. Miller (4-9-13 in 16 GP) and Conor Garland (3-10-13 in 19 GP) both lead active Canucks skaters in career points against Anaheim with 13.

• Elias Pettersson has 12 points (4-8-12) in 11 career games against the Ducks.

• Quinn Hughes has nine points (1-8-9) in seven career games against the Ducks.

• Andrei Kuzmenko has four points (3-1-4), including his first career hat-trick, in one career game against Anaheim.

• Tyler Myers leads all active Canucks skaters in career games played (22) against Anaheim.

• Thatcher Demko is 1-2-0 in three career games against the Ducks.

• Collin Delia has yet to face Anaheim in his career.

QUICK NUMBERS
• Elias Pettersson has 23 points (11-12-23) in his last 15 games.

• Quinn Hughes has 15 points (0-15-15) in his last 13 games.

• Andrei Kuzmenko has 12 points (7-5-12) in his last 10 games.

• Anthony Beauvillier has 12 points (6-6-12) in his last 12 games.

• J.T. Miller has eight points (3-5-8) in his last eight games.

LAST MEETING – NOV. 3/22: VAN 8 vs ANA 5
Bo Horvat tied the game with his fifth powerplay goal in three games, at 19:40 in the first period…Elias Pettersson, and J.T. Miller each notched second period goals to give Vancouver a 3-2 lead after two periods…Dakota Joshua tallied his second goal of the season at 5:30 in the third period before Andrei Kuzmenko recorded a hat-trick for the first three-goal outing of his career…Horvat added an empty netter to seal an 8-5 victory for Vancouver…Elias Pettersson recorded his third career five-point game (1-4-5) and tied a career high for shots in a game (8)…Andrei Kuzmenko (3-1-4), Bo Horvat (2-1-3), and Quinn Hughes (0-2-2) also all recorded multi-point games…11 Canucks skaters factored on the scoresheet…Luke Schenn led the team in hits (5), while Ethan Bear led in blocks (5)…Vancouver had their most shots in a game (47) since Oct. 30/19 at LAK (49)…Spencer Martin faced 31 shots.

2022.23 TEAM RANKS
VAN ANA
Goals For/Game 3.32 (t-10th) 2.51 (31st)
Goals Against/Game 3.87 (31st) 4.03 (32nd)
Power Play % 22.8 (t-10th) 16.5 (30th)
Penalty Kill % 67.9 (32nd) 73.6 (30th)
Penalty Min./Game 9:14 (20th) 11:51 (29th)
*Rankings are accurate as of 4:30pm PT on March 7, 2023

LAST GAME PLAYED – MAR. 6/23: VAN 4 vs NSH 3 (SO)
Elias Petterson registered his 300th career NHL point with the first goal of the night at 4:28 in the first period…Andrei Kuzmenko and Anthony Beauvillier recorded assists on the play…Vasily Podkolzin would reclaim the Canucks’ lead at 10:56 in the first…Kyle Burroughs got his first assist of the season with the primary helper…Christian Wolanin was credited with the secondary assist…Dakota Joshua scored his ninth of the season at 5:43 in the third period…Nils Åman and Quinn Hughes recorded assists…Elias Pettersson scored the game-deciding goal in the third round of the shootout…Arturs Silovs registered his first career shootout win by stopping all three Nashville attempts…J.T. Miller and Joshua co-led the team in hits (7).

LAST 5 vs ANAHEIM
• Nov. 3/22: VAN 8 vs ANA 5
• Feb. 19/22: VAN 4 vs ANA 7
• Dec. 29/21: VAN 2 at ANA 1 (OT)
• Nov. 14/21: VAN 1 at ANA 5
• Nov. 9/21: VAN 2 vs ANA 3 (OT)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
• Guillaume Brisebois committed to a two-year contract extension, Mar. 7
• Arturs Silovs reassigned to Abbotsford, Mar. 7
• Arturs Silovs recalled under emergency conditions, Mar. 6
• Wyatt Kalynuk traded to New York Rangers in exchange for future considerations, Mar. 3
• Christian Wolanin, Noah Juulsen, Vasily Podkolzin, and Phillip Di Giuseppe assigned to Abbotsford (AHL), Mar. 3
• Aatu Räty, Christian Wolanin, Noah Juulsen, and Vasily Podkolzin assigned to Abbotsford (AHL), Mar. 3
• Curtis Lazar traded to New Jersey in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick, Mar. 3

NHL Preview: Minnesota Wild (36-21-7) at Winnipeg Jets (36-25-3)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Minnesota Wild (36-21-7) at Winnipeg Jets (36-25-3)

MINNESOTA WILD NOTES:

SERIES NOTES
GAME BROADCASTS
WINNIPEG JETS
All-Time Wild Record: 28-17-5 (17-6-3 at Xcel Energy Center, 11-11-2 at Winnipeg)

2022-23: Minnesota is 2-0-0 in the season series with Winnipeg… The Wild won the first game, 6-1, at Xcel Energy Center (11/23) and the second game, 4-1, at Canada Life Centre (12/27)…LW Matt Boldy (1-3=4) leads Minnesota with four points in the series…LW Kirill Kaprizov (1-2=3) and RW Mats Zuccarello (1-2=3) each have three points…G Filip Gustavsson is 2-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .957 SV% in two starts, stopping 59-of-61 shots faced…LW Kyle Connor (1-1=2) and D Josh Morrissey (0-2=2) lead the Jets with two points each…LW Pierre-Luc Dubois also has an assist…G Connor Hellebuck is 0-2-0 with a 4.52 GAA and .864 SV% in two starts for Winnipeg.

WILD LEADERS: D John Klingberg leads the Wild with 25 points (5-20=25) in 29 games against Winnipeg…LW Marcus Johansson has 22 points (5-17=22) in 30 contests…Zuccarello has 20 points (11-9=20) in 23 meetings…LW Marcus Foligno has 18 points (9-9=18) in 28 games.

WILD GOALIES: G Marc-Andre Fleury is 22-10-0 with a 2.59 GAA, a .909 SV% and one shutout in 32 career games (31 starts) against the Jets…G Filip Gustavsson is 4-0-0 with a 1.25 GAA and a .958 SV% in four starts.

JETS LEADERS: RW Blake Wheeler leads Winnipeg with 40 points (14-26=40) in 42 games vs. Minnesota…C Mark Scheifele has 30 points (12-18=30) in 35 contests…RW Sam Gagner owns 20 points (4-16=20) in 47 matches…Connor owns 18 points (7-11=18) in 19 games.

JETS GOALIES: Hellebuyck is 9-9-2 with a 2.84 GAA, a .911 SV% and three shutouts in 23 games (22 starts) against the Wild…G David Rittich is 3-0-1 with a 2.89 GAA and a .917 SV% in four starts.

FAST FACTS: Minnesota is 11-4-0 in its last 15 games with Winnipeg…The Wild is 8-2-0 in the last 10 contests at Xcel Energy Center…Minnesota’s sweep of the Jets in 2018-19 (5-0-0) marked the third time in franchise history Minnesota swept a season series of more than four games: 5-0-0 vs. Chicago (2015-16) and 6-0-0 vs. Edmonton (2010-11)…The Wild fell, 4-1, in its first-ever postseason meeting against the Jets in the 2018 First Round.

INJURIES
Brandon Duhaime: upper body
Jonas Brodin: lower body
Gustav Nyquist: upper body

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
3/6/23 Signed D David Spacek to a three-year, entry-level contract
3/3/23 Acquired a second-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft and a fifth-round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for LW Jordan Greenway. Buffalo previously acquired the 2023 second-round selection from the Vegas Golden Knights
3/3/23 Acquired C Oskar Sundqvist from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft
3/3/23 Acquired D John Klingberg from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for D Andrej Sustr, the rights to F Nikita Nesterenko and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Anaheim retained 50% of Klingberg’s salary
3/3/23 Reassigned D Dakota Mermis to Iowa

FINDING THEIR GROOVE
• Minnesota is first in the NHL with 21 points since Feb. 11 (9-1-3).

• The Wild’s current 10-game point streak (8-0-2) is the team’s longest of the season and tied for the third-longest in franchise history

• Since Feb. 11, the Wild leads the NHL with a .954 team save percentage and has allowed a league-low 1.31 goals against per game.

ON THE POWER PLAY
• The Wild has converted 27.2 percent (28 of 103) of power-play opportunities at home this season, fifth-best in the NHL.

• Since Jan. 19, Minnesota ranks tied for fifth in the NHL with 13 powerplay goals.

PENALTY KILLERS
• Had a streak of 27 consecutive successful penalty kills across 14 total games snapped by allowing a PPG to Vancouver (3/2). Did not allow a power-play goal in 12 consecutive games from 2/8 – 2/28, the longest streak in the NHL this season, tied for the longest streak in franchise history and tied for the 13th-longest streak in the NHL’s Expansion Era (since 1967-68 season)

• For the season, the Wild is eighth in the NHL with a 82.5 penalty-kill percentage (165 for 200).

• Since Nov. 8, Minnesota is fourth in the NHL with a 84.3 penalty-kill percentage (140 for 166).

• Minnesota is sixth in the NHL with a 82.5 penalty-kill percentage (85 of 103) on the road this season.

COOL UNDER PRESSURE
• Minnesota has 18 one-goal victories this season, fourth in the NHL behind Los Angeles (20), Vegas (20) and Carolina (20).

• Minnesota is 32-5-5 (.821) this season when obtaining a lead at any point in the game, the fourth-best point percentage in the NHL in such situations.

• Minnesota is 12-1-7 (.775) this season in games that were tied with five minutes left in regulation, tied for the third-most victories and the sixth-best point percentage in the NHL.

LOCK-DOWN DEFENSE
• Minnesota has conceded less than two goals in 24 total games this season, tied for most in the NHL. The Wild holds a 21-1-2 record when allowing less than two goals.

• In 37 games since Dec. 10, the Wild has posted a 2.16 GA/Gm average, the second-best mark in the NHL during that span.

WINNIPEG JETS NOTES:

Scene Setter
The Winnipeg Jets end the three-game homestand on Wednesday when they play the Minnesota Wild at Canada Life Centre for the second time this season. The Jets lost 3-2 in overtime to the San Jose Sharks on Monday to fall to 1-0-1 during the homestand. After Wednesday’s game, the Jets play eight of their next 10 games on the road, starting with a three-game road trip through Florida, Tampa and Carolina.

Tale of the Tape
WPG Stat MIN
64 GP 64
36 W 36
25 L 21
2 OT 7
75 PTS 79
199 GF 182
179 GA 169
21.0% PP 22.1%
83.5% PK 82.5%

Next Five Games
Date Opp TV Radio
Mar. 8 MIN SN CJOB/Power 97
Mar. 11 At FLA SN CJOB/Power 97
Mar. 12 At TBL TSN CJOB/Power 97
Mar. 14 At CAR TSN CJOB/Power 97
Mar. 16 BOS TSN CJOB/Power 97

Recent Five Games
Date Opp SC Res Streak
Feb. 26 NYI 4-0 L 3L
Feb. 28 LAK 6-5 SOL 4L
Mar. 3 At EDM 6-3 L 5L
Mar. 4 EDM 7-5 W 1W
Mar. 6 SJS 3-2 OTL 1L

Broadcast Information
TV: Sportsnet
Play-By-Play: John Bartlett
Analyst: Jamal Myers
Rinkside: Sean Reynolds
Radio: 680 CJOB/Power 97
Play-By-Play: Paul Edmonds
Analyst: Jamie Thomas
Host: Kelly Moore

Upcoming Schedule
Wednesday, March 8
Morning Skate 9:30 a.m.
Jets vs. Minnesota Wild 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 9
Practice – Canada Life Centre 9:00 a.m.
Friday, March 10
Practice – Panthers IceDen 11:00 a.m.
All Times Local

Last Game
San Jose Sharks 3 (OT)
Winnipeg Jets 2
Jets Scorers: Niederreiter (19), Schmidt (6)
Sharks Scorers: Lorentz (7), Hertl (17), Couture (22)
Jets Goaltender: David Rittich (21 sv, 3 ga)
Sharks Goaltender: James Reimer (36 sv, 2 ga)
Jets PP: 0-for-6
Jets PK: 2-for-2
Recap: Nate Schmidt scored at 14:53 of the third period to give the Jets their first lead of the game, but the Sharks tied it with 11 seconds left and Logan Couture won the game for San Jose 1:21 into overtime. Nino Niederreiter also scored for Winnipeg for his first goal with the Jets. Kyle Connor paced the Jets with six shots.

Tough Road Ahead
The Jets play four of their next five goals against teams that currently hold a playoff position… They have an average points percentage of .669… The handful games ends against the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins, who hold the top two positions in the NHL’s standings.

Positive Difference
The Jets hold an even or plus positive goal differential in each period this season… Winnipeg’s best period has been in the third with a plus-nine goal differential… The Jets also boast a plus-20 goal differential on home ice.

Central Rivals
The Jets are 14-5-0 against their Central Division counterparts this season, which is tops in the Central Division… Winnipeg has won nine of their past 12 games against Central Division teams… Winnipeg went 14-6-6 against their Central Division rivals last season and have a winning record in each of the past five seasons in which the Jets have been in the Central Division… Josh Morrissey (6G, 18A) leads the Jets in scoring against their divisional foes this season with 24 points in 19 games, while Blake Wheeler (9G, 13A) has 22 points in 18 games… Seven members of the Jets have at least 10 points against the Central Division this season, while Mason Appleton has seven points (2G, 5A) in seven games.

Home Comforts
The Jets are 21-10-2 at Canada Life Centre this season, which is tied for fifth in the NHL and first in the Western Conference… Kyle Connor (15G, 25A) and Josh Morrissey (13G, 27A) lead the team with 40 points in 33 home games… Mark Scheifele’s 19 goals at home leads the team and has him five goals behind his career high 24 goals he had at home during the 2018-19 season… Connor Hellebuyck has been stellar on home ice this season, going 17-8-1 with a 2.36 goals-against average, .924 save percentage and three shutouts… Winnipeg is 250-159-38 all-time at Canada Life Centre and have posted a .500 record or better at home in six consecutive seasons.

PK Prowess
Winnipeg is second in the NHL with a penalty kill successful 83.5% of the time… Winnipeg had to kill of a season high nine power plays on Friday in Edmonton… It was the first time since Oct. 11/18 at NSH that Winnipeg’s opponent had nine power plays in a game… The last time the Jets had a penalty kill better than 82% was in 2013-14 when they finished the season at 83.2%… The franchise record for penalty kill percentage in a season is 85.2%, which occurred in Atlanta during the 2003-04 season.

Jets vs. MIN Records
Overall Record
GP W L OT
50 21 24 5

Home Record
GP W L OT
24 13 10 1

Away Record
GP W L OT
26 8 14 4

Jets vs. MIN Notes
Season Series
Wednesday’s game is the third of four meetings between the Jets and Wild this season. The Jets lost 6-1 to the Wild in St. Paul on Nov. 23 and 4-1 in Winnipeg on Dec. 27. Winnipeg makes another trip to St. Paul on Apr. 11 for the last of the four games.

Recent History
The Jets are 4-3-2 in their past eight games against Minnesota, including winning the past two of the past four meetings.

In Winnipeg
Winnipeg had its three-game winning streak against the Wild at Canada Life Centre snapped on Dec. 27, but have still won six of the past nine games.

Player Notes
Blake Wheeler is averaging nearly a point per game against the Wild in his career with 40 points (14G, 26A) in 42 games. Five of Wheeler’s goals are game-winning goals… Mark Scheifele has 30 points (12G, 18A) in 35 career games against Minnesota. Six of his 12 goals have come on the power play… The only two players on Winnipeg’s roster with shootout attempts against Minnesota are Sam Gagner (2-for-5) and Blake Wheeler (1-for-3).

Jets vs. MIN Past 10 Games
Date Opp Res G GA S PPO PPG PIM SA PPOA PPGA PIMA
04/02/2019 @Min L 1 5 33 2 0 4 28 2 0 4
10/10/2019 Min W 5 2 32 2 0 6 40 2 0 6
12/21/2019 @Min W 6 0 31 4 1 13 31 3 0 15
01/04/2020 @Min OTL 2 3 21 5 2 12 44 5 1 10
10/19/2021 @Min OTL 5 6 30 6 2 17 44 5 3 19
11/26/2021 @Min L 1 7 31 3 1 10 38 4 0 8
02/08/2022 Min W 2 0 29 4 1 17 27 1 0 23
02/16/2022 Min W 6 3 31 2 1 4 36 2 0 4
11/23/2022 @Min L 1 6 29 2 0 19 39 5 2 13
12/27/2022 Min L 1 4 32 2 0 4 28 1 1 6

NHL Preview: Chicago Blackhawks (22-36-5) at Detroit Red Wings (28-26-9)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Chicago Blackhawks (22-36-5) at Detroit Red Wings (28-26-9)

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS NOTES:

TONIGHT’S BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: TNT – Kenny Albert (PxP), Keith Jones (analyst) and Darren Pang (analyst)
RADIO: WGN-AM 720 – John Wiedeman (PxP) and Troy Murray (analyst)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, March 10 at FLA, 6:00 p.m. CT (NBCSCH, WGN Radio)
Saturday, March 11 at TBL, 6:00 p.m. CT (NBCSCH, WGN Radio)
Tuesday, March 14 vs. BOS, 7:30 p.m. CT (NBCSCH, WGN Radio, Univision (Spanish))
Thursday, March 16 at NSH, 7:00 p.m. CT (ESPN+/Hulu, WGN Radio)
Saturday, March 18 at ARI, 9:30 p.m. CT (NBCSCH+, WGN Radio)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
March 3 – Recalled Anders Bjork from Rockford … Activated MacKenzie Entwistle from IR … Activated Nikita Zaitsev from non-roster … Assigned David Gust, Brett Seney and Isaak Phillips to Rockford … March 2 – Recalled Lukas Reichel from Rockford … Feb. 27 – Activated Jarred Tinordi from IR … Feb. 26 – Activated Alex Stalock off IR and assigned Jaxson Stauber to Rockford … Feb. 25 – Placed Reese Johnson on IR retroactive to Feb. 20 … Activated Jujhar Khaira from IR … Feb. 23 – Signed David Gust to a two-year, two-way contract and recalled him from Rockford … Feb. 21 – Placed MacKenzie Entwistle on IR.

LAST TIME OUT
Score: Chicago (5) vs. Ottawa (0) – Mon., March 6 – United Center
CHI Goals: Kurashev (9), S. Jones (9), S. Jones (10), Dickinson (9), Reichel (2)
OTT Goals:
Goalies: CHI – Stalock (35/35, 60:00) OTT – Sogaard (16/21, 59:35)
CHI PP: 0/5; PK: 4/4
OTT PP: 0/4; PK: 5/5
Recap: The Blackhawks earned their third shutout win of the season, defeating the Red Wings 5-0 on Monday night … Seth Jones scored twice, extending his goal streak to three games (4G), tying his careerlong stretch (2017-18 w/ CBJ) … He’s the fifth Blackhawks defenseman in the past 30 years to post a three-game goal streak … Philipp Kurashev (1G), Jason Dickinson (1G, 1A) and Lukas Reichel (1G) each scored for Chicago … Andreas Athanasiou notched two assists … Alex Stalock made 35 saves, the most shutout saves of his career, besting a 30-save outing against the Jets on Oct. 11, 2014 (w/ SJS).

TONIGHT’S OPPONENT – DETROIT RED WINGS
The Blackhawks and Red Wings face off in the final of two matchups scheduled in 2022-23 on Wednesday night … Chicago enters Friday’s tilt boasting an 12-4-0 record against the Red Wings over their last 16 … The Blackhawks have also earned wins in six of their last eight and eight of their last 11 games at United Center against the Red Wings … Seth Jones has six assists over his last four games against Detroit, including two multi-point efforts … Petr Mrazek has wins in each of his last three decisions against the Red Wings … Mrazek boasts a 6-1-1 record in his last nine appearances against them dating back to the 2019-20 season, tied for the second-most wins by any goaltender against the Red Wings over that span … Andreas Athanasiou was originally drafted by the Red Wings in the fourth round (110th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft and compiled 154 points (83G, 71A) in 294 career games.
2022-23 Schedule/Results: HOME: Oct. 21 (4-3 OT) | AWAY: March 8
All-Time Record: 294-361-95 | Home: 175-144-58 | Road: 119-217-37
Last Home Win: Oct. 21, 2021 (4-3 OT)| Last Road Win: Jan. 26, 2022 (8-5) | Last Home Loss: Oct. 24,
2021 (3-6) | Last Road Loss: April 15, 2021 (1-4)

ACTIVE BLACKHAWKS VS. DET ALL-TIME
GOALS: Tyler Johnson, 9; Seth Jones, 4; Philipp Kurashev, 3
ASSISTS: Seth Jones, 19; Tyler Johnson, 12; Connor Murphy/Nikita Zaitsev, 4
POINTS: Seth Jones, 23; Tyler Johnson, 21; Connor Murphy, 6

BLACKHAWKS RECORD ON…
One-Day Rest: 13-15-1
Two-Days Rest: 4-4-0
Three+ Days Rest: 2-2-2
First Game of a B2B: 2-6-1
Second Game of a B2B: 1-9-1

BLACKHAWKS RECORD BY DAY
Monday: 1-2-0
Tuesday: 3-8-1
Wednesday: 1-6-0
Thursday: 4-5-1
Friday: 5-2-1
Saturday: 5-7-1
Sunday: 3-6-1

DETROIT RED WINGS NOTES:

LAST GAME
RED WINGS 1 at PHILADELPHIA 3 (3/5/23)
1ST PERIOD: DET Perron (Copp) 4:51-EV
2ND PERIOD: PHI Deslauriers (unassisted) 6:53-SH; PHI Cates (Seeler, Ristolainen) 12:57-EV
3RD PERIOD: PHI Laughton (unassisted) 18:12-EN
SHOTS: DET 26 (10-5-11) / PHI 37 (14-9-14)
GOALIES: DET Husso (L, 34-36) / PHI Hart (W, 25-26)
PP: DET 0-2 / PHI 0-3
MAN GAMES LOST (games missed / out since)
Michael Rasmussen – lower body (7 / Feb. 25)
Total Man Games Lost: 242
Individual Man Games Lost: Filip Zadina (37), Robby Fabbri (35), Jakub Vrána (33), Matt Luff (32), Tyler Bertuzzi (31), Robert Hägg (15), Elmer Söderblom (13), Gustav Lindström (11), Lucas Raymond (8), Oskar Sundqvist (7), Olli Määttä (4), Ville Husso (3), Jake Walman (3), Jordan Oesterle (2), Dylan Larkin (1)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
3/6 – Reassigned goaltender John Lethemon from Grand Rapids to Toledo (ECHL)
3/5 – Assigned goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to Grand Rapids
3/3 – Recalled goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from Grand Rapids under emergency conditions … Signed forward Alex Chiasson and goaltender John Lethemon to one-year contracts for the remainder of the 2022-23 season … Acquired a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft from Minnesota in exchange for forward Oskar Sundqvist … Acquired a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and forward Dylan McLaughlin from St. Louis in exchange for forward Jakub Vrána (Detroit will retain 50 percent of Vrána’s salary) … Loaned forward Dylan McLaughlin to Springfield (AHL)
3/2 – Recalled forward Adam Erne from Grand Rapids … Activated defenseman Jordan Oesterle from injured reserve … Placed forward Michael Rasmussen on injured reserve … Acquired a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft from Boston in exchange for forward Tyler Bertuzzi (Detroit will retain 50 percent of Bertuzzi’s salary)
3/1 – Signed forward Dylan Larkin to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $8.7 million … Acquired a conditional first-round pick and a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft from Vancouver in exchange for defenseman Filip Hronek and a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft … Signed forward Alexandre Doucet to a three-year entry-level contract 2/28 – Signed defenseman Jake Walman to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.4 million

TONIGHT’S GAME
RED WINGS vs. BLACKHAWKS / 7:30 P.M. EST / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: TNT / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
TONIGHT: 751st all-time meeting, 374th in Detroit … Second of two games this season, only game at Little Caesars Arena ALL-TIME vs. CHI: 372-277-84-17 / HOME: 221-111-33-8 / LAST 10: 3-5-2 / IN 2021-22: 1-1-0 / THIS SEASON: 0-0-1
DET top scorers vs. CHI: David Perron (19-18-37 in 60 GP), Andrew Copp (6-11-17 in 23 GP), Dylan Larkin (6-9-15 in 19 GP), Robby Fabbri (3-7-10 in 16 GP), Lucas Raymond (3-2-5 in 3 GP), Gustav Lindström (0-3-3 in 5 GP), Dominik Kubalík (1-1-2 in 1 GP), Pius Suter (2-0-2 in 3 GP), Moritz Seider (1-1-2 in 3 GP)
CHI top scorers vs. DET: Seth Jones (4-19-23 in 31 GP), Tyler Johnson (9-12-21 in 36 GP), Colin Blackwell (0-2-2 in 4 GP), Andreas Athanasiou (1-0-1 in 2 GP), Caleb Jones (0-1-1 in 2 GP)

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES ET)
Saturday, March 11: RED WINGS at BRUINS / 1:00 p.m. / TD Garden / TV: ESPN+, ABC / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Sunday, March 12: RED WINGS vs. BRUINS / 1:30 p.m. / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: TNT / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Tuesday, March 14: RED WINGS at PREDATORS / 8:00 p.m. / Bridgestone Arena / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM

LAST TIME OUT
March 5 at Philadelphia – 3-1 L
Detroit fell 3-1 at Philadelphia to move to 28-26-9 overall and 13-14-5 on the road … The Red Wings are 6-3-1 on the road against Metropolitan Division opponents this season … David Perron opened the scoring with his 16th goal of the season … Perron has nine points (2-7-9) in 14 games since Feb. 9 vs. Calgary … Perron (16-23-39 in 63 GP) gained sole possession of second place among Detroit skaters with 39 points … Andrew Copp picked up the lone assist on Perron’s goal, giving him five points (1-4-5) in seven games since Feb. 23 against the New York Rangers … Ville Husso stopped 34-of-36 shots … Husso is 11-1-2 this season when making 32-or-more saves … Husso has allowed two goals or fewer in 22 starts this season, including seven of his last 11 games … Detroit is 18-10-7 this season when scoring first, and 8-5-5 when doing so on the road … The Red Wings are 11-4-2 this season when leading after one period, and 5-3-2 when doing so on the road … Detroit finished 33-for-54 (61.1%) at the faceoff circle … Larkin was 13-for-22 (59.1%) on the draw, while Pius Suter went 5-for-6 (83.3%) and Joe Veleno went 7-for-9 (77.8%).

1...2,9752,9762,977...4,086Page 2,976 of 4,086

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.