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NHL Preview: Florida Panthers (23-21-5) at Pittsburgh Penguins (23-15-8)

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NHL Preview: Florida Panthers (23-21-5) at Pittsburgh Penguins (23-15-8)

FLORIDA PANTHERS NOTES:

BAPTIST HEALTH INJURY REPORT

  • F Anthony Duclair | Games Missed: 48
  • F Patric Hornqvist | Games Missed: 23
  • F Eric Staal | Games Missed: 2
  • G Sergei Bobrovsky | Games Missed: 2
    Total Man Games Lost Due to Injury: 148

LAST GAME
Panthers 2, Rangers 6 – Jan. 23 – Madison Square Garden
FLA Goals: Verhaeghe (23-PPG), Barkov (13)
NYR Goals: Fox (10), Zibanejad (21-PPG), Vesey (8), Lafreniere (6), Zibanejad (22), Chytil (13)
FLA Goalie: Lyon (L) – 20 Saves
NYR Goalie: Shesterkin (W) – 33 Saves
FLA Shots: 35
NYR Shots: 26
Notes: Carter Verhaeghe scored a power-play goal for the second consecutive game, extending his point streak to five games (4-2-6)…Aleksander Barkov notched an assist to extend his point streak to a season-long eight games (3-8-11)…Brandon Montour notched an assist for the fourth consecutive game, extending his point streak to six games (1-5-6)…Anton Lundell posted an assist for the third straight game, extending his point streak to five games (3-3-6)…Matthew Tkachuk logged an assist to extend his point streak to four games (2-2-4)…Eetu Luostarinen recorded an assist for his second point in as many games (1-1-2)…Radko Gudas logged three hits to surpass Vincent Trocheck for the most in franchise history…FLA PP: 1-2, FLA PK: 0-1

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

  • Jan 23: G Spencer Knight recalled from Charlotte (AHL) | G Mack Guzda loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
  • Jan. 20: G Spencer Knight loaned to Charlotte (AHL) | G Mack Guzda recalled from Charlotte (AHL)

PANTHERS vs. PENGUINS
ALL-TIME vs. PIT: 42-42-4-13
ALL-TIME ROAD vs. PIT: 15-22-3-10
2022-23 vs. PIT: 0-1-0

CATS AND PENGUINS
The Panthers face off against the Penguins for the second time this season. Florida owns a 2-1-1 record against Pittsburgh over their past four matchups, with wins in four of their past seven meetings (4-2-1). The Cats have earned at least one point in each of their past four visits (2-0-2) to PPG Paints Arena since March 5, 2019, outscoring the Pens 12-9 over that span. Panthers Captain Aleksander Barkov has amassed 20 points (5-15-20) over 24 career games against the Penguins.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS NOTES:

LAST 2 GAMES
Jan. 22: New Jersey 2, Pittsburgh 1 (OT) – PPG Paints Arena
PIT Goals: Crosby
Multiple Points: None
Goalie: Jarry (23 saves, 25 shots)
Key Stats: Sidney Crosby scored his team-leading 22nd goal as Pittsburgh fell in overtime.
PP: 0-2
PK: 1-2

Jan. 20: Pittsburgh 4, Ottawa 1 – PPG Paints Arena
PIT Goals: Rakell (PP), Zucker, Guentzel (2)
Multiple Points: Guentzel (2G-1A), Rust (2A)
Goalie: Jarry (44 saves, 45 shots)
Key Stats: Jake Guentzel’s second three-point night of the year (2G-1A) helped the Penguins pick up a point in their third-straight game (2-0-1).
PP: 1-2
PK: 3-3

INJURIES
Position Player Status Consecutive Games Missed Total Games Missed
F Josh Archibald Lower-Body 14 16
D Kris Letang Lower-Body 11 17
D Jan Rutta Upper-Body 4 4
F Kasperi Kapanen Lower-Body 2 2
2022-23 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 110

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Date Transaction
Jan. 22 F Ryan Poehling activated off of injured reserve.
Jan. 20 D Taylor Fedun and G Dustin Tokarski re-assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL).
Jan. 20 D Jan Rutta placed on injured reserved. D Kris Letang placed on long-term injured reserve.
Jan. 20 G Tristan Jarry and D Jeff Petry activated off of injured reserve.

Pittsburgh’s All-Time Record vs. Panthers: 55-35-11
In Pittsburgh: 32-14-4
In Florida: 23-21-7
OT Record vs. Panthers: 13-5-6
Shootout Record vs. Panthers: 5-2

2021-22 Results: Pittsburgh is 1-0-0.
Penguins All-Time Point Leaders vs. Panthers:
Sidney Crosby – 45GP, 60 PTS (28G-32A)
Evgeni Malkin – 40GP, 42 PTS (15G-27A)
Jaromir Jagr – 29GP, 31 PTS (16G-15A)

TONIGHT’S GAME

  • The Penguins return home to the friendly confines of PPG Paints Arena to take on the Florida Panthers (TV: AT&T SportsNet; Radio: 105.9 The X).
  • The Penguins have points in 18 of their last 22 meetings versus the Panthers (14-4-4 record) dating back to December 20, 2014.
  • Here at home, Pittsburgh is 9-2-0 in its last 11 games versus Florida. Going back further, the Penguins have just three losses against the Panthers at home since Mar. 10, 2009 – a 20-game span (17-3-0).
  • The Penguins have three wins in their last four home games, and just two regulation losses over their last 14 games here at PPG Paints Arena (9-2-3).

NHL Preview: Boston Bruins (37-5-4) at Montreal Canadiens (20-24-3)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: Boston Bruins (37-5-4) at Montreal Canadiens (20-24-3)

BUFFALO SABRES NOTES:

TONIGHT’S GAME

  • The Bruins visit the Canadiens tonight in the 1st of 3 games between these teams this season and the 1st of 2 to be played at Bell Centre.
  • They were the NHL’s 1st 30-win team this season and they are 37-5-4 overall and are 15-4-1 on the road … They are 21-3-2 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.
  • The Bruins open a 5-game road stretch tonight in Montreal, continuing in Tampa Bay on 1/26, Florida on 1/28, Carolina on 1/29 and concluding on 2/1 at Toronto … They are currently in span of 7-of-8 games on the road, having played at NY Islanders on 1/18 (4-1 win), at NY Rangers on 1/19 (3-1 win), and vs San Jose on 1/22 (4-0 win).

RECENT GAMES:

  • The Bruins have won their last 5 games with a 4-3 win vs Toronto on 1/14, 6-0 win vs Philadelphia on 1/16, 4-1 victory at NY Islanders at 1/18, 3-1 win at NY Rangers on 1/19 and 4-0 win vs San Jose on 1/22 … They are 16-1-3 in their last 20 games.
  • They are 8-0-1 in their last 9 road games … It is their longest road point streak since an 11-0-2 record in 2017-18.
  • The Bruins are 22-1-3 in their last 26 home games, including a 22-game home unbeaten at 19-0-3 and a 14-game home win streak, the longest from the start of a season in league history and longest point streak from a season’s start in Boston annals … It was also their fourth longest home point streak overall in team history.
  • Boston 4 at NY Islanders 1 … The Bruins yielded the 1st goal but had goals from Charlie McAvoy (1-1=2 totals), Derek Forbort, Brad Marchand and Trent Frederic, along with Charlie Coyle’s 2A … Linus Ullmark earned his 100th career win … SOG: Bos 24, NYI 27… PP: 1/4 … PK: 0/6
  • Boston 3 at NY Rangers 1 … Pavel Zacha, Patrice Bergeron and Connor Clifton scored and David Krejci and Brad Marchand had 2A each to pace the team … Jeremy Swayman extended his point streak to 6-0-2 in his last 8 starts … SOG: Bos 27, NYR 32 … PP: .0/4 … PK: 0/3
  • Boston 4 vs San Jose 0 … Hampus Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak had 1-1=2 totals each and Nick Foligno also scored … Linus Ullmark (W,17 Svs in 57:25) and Jeremy Swayman (1 Sv in 2:28) shared the shutout after Ullmark suffered an equipment issue … SOG: Bos 22, SJ 18 … PP: 1/4 … PK: 0/2

INJURIES (Total man-games lost in 2022-23: 50)

  • Tomas Nosek: Non-displaced fracture in left foot
  • Jake DeBrusk: Hand and lower body injuries, IR

BOSTON vs MONTREAL, LIFETIME SERIES

  • The Bruins and Canadiens are meeting for the 755th time in their histories with the Bruins having a 288-353-103-10 record and Montreal having a 2,263-2,004 scoring edge in those games.
  • The Bruins are 116-211-47-3 lifetime in Montreal with a the Canadiens having a 1,246-903 scoring advantage in those 22 contests.
  • The Bruins have won their last 7 games vs. the Canadiens.

FUN FACTS

  • The Bruins currently have 24 players on their roster (1 on IR) … 11 were drafted by the team, 4 were acquired in trade and 9 were signed as free agents.
  • The Bruins play 16 matinees this season (local start time 4:00 pm or earlier) … They have a 5-0-1 record in afternoon games so far.
  • The Bruins play 14 sets of back-to-back games this season … They are currently 6-0-1 in the 1st game of those sets and are 6-1-0 in the 2nd games so far.
  • The Bruins are playing game 11 of their 14-game January schedule tonight (5 hm/9 rd, 8-1-0) … They will play 10 in February (3 hm/7 rd), 15 in March (9 hm/6 rd) and 7 in April (3 hm/4 rd) … They went 8-1-0 in October, 11- 2-0 in November, and 9-1-4 in December.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Jan. 5: Chris Wagner recalled from Providence/AHL.
Jan. 11: Chris Wagner returned to Providence/AHL.
Jan. 11: Joona Koppanen recalled from Providence/AHL.
Jan. 13: Joona Koppanen returned to Providence/AHL.
Jan. 14: Pavel Zacha signed to a four-year contract extension.
Jan. 17: Joona Koppanen recalled from Providence/AHL.
Jan. 23: Marc McLaughlin recalled from Providence/AHL.

MONTREAL CANADIENS NOTES:

À SURVEILLER CE SOIR / KEEP AN EYE ON…

  • Les Canadiens et les Bruins s’affrontent ce soir pour la 755e fois en saison régulière. En incluant les matchs de séries, c’est le 931e affrontement entre ces deux équipes.
  • The Canadiens and Bruins are facing each other for the 755th time in regular season. Including playoff contests, tonight’s the 931st match-up between the two teams.

DERNIER MATCH / LAST GAME – MTL 3 VS. TOR 2 (P/OT) (@ CENTRE BELL)
Buts MTL Goals – Anderson, Harvey-Pinard, Pitlick (P/OT)
Buts TOR Goals – Giordano, Jarnkrok
Gardien MTL Goalie – Montembeault (36-38)
Gardien TOR Goalie – Samsonov (28-31)
Avantage numérique MTL Powerplay – 0/4
Avantage numérique TOR Powerplay – 0/2
Meneurs MTL Leaders – TOI (Suzuki – 25:39) ; S (Anderson, Dach – 4) ; HT (Anderson, Pezzetta – 6) ; BS (Savard – 6)

MATCHS À VENIR / UPCOMING GAMES
26 JAN. VS. DETROIT 19 h / 7 p.m.
28 JAN. @ OTTAWA 19 h / 7 p.m.
31 JAN. VS. OTTAWA 19 h / 7 p.m.
11 FÉV. VS. NY ISLANDERS 12h30 / 12:30 p.m.
12 FÉV. VS. EDMONTON 12h30 / 12:30 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 47 –
P. Byron – Hanche / Hip 47 –
J. Evans – Bas du corps / Lower-body 4 –
B. Gallagher – Bas du corps / Lower-body 9 –
K. Guhle – Bas du corps / Lower-body 11 –
J. Slafkovsky – Bas du corps / Lower-body 3 –
S. Monahan – Bas du corps / Lower-body 22 –
C. Caufield – Épaule / Shoulder 1 –

RÉAFFECTATIONS, SIGNATURES ET TRANSACTIONS / ROSTER MOVES, SIGNINGS AND TRANSACTIONS
Les Canadiens ont rappelé l’attaquant Alex Belzile du Rocket de Laval (21/01)
The Canadiens have recalled forward Alex Belzile from the Laval Rocket (01/21)
Les Canadiens ont rappelé les attaquants Rafaël Harvey-Pinard et Rem Pitlick du Rocket de Laval (17/01)
The Canadiens have recalled forwards Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Rem Pitlick from the Laval Rocket (01/11)
Les Canadiens ont rappelé l’attaquant Jesse Ylönen du Rocket de Laval (11/01)
The Canadiens have recalled forward Jesse Ylönen from the Laval Rocket (01/11)
Les Canadiens ont cédé l’attaquant Anthony Richard au Rocket de Laval (10/01)
The Canadiens have loaned forward Anthony Richard to the Laval Rocket (01/10)
Les Canadiens ont rappelé le gardien Cayden Primeau du Rocket de Laval (09/01)
The Canadiens have recalled goaltender Cayden Primeau from the Laval Rocket (01/09)

STATISTIQUES D’ÉQUIPE / TEAM STATISTICS – AVANT LES MATCHS DU 23/01 – BEFORE GAMES ON 01/23
PTS (43 – 26e/26th)
V/W (20 – 24e/24th)
BP/GF (121 – 29e/29th)
BC/GA (171 – 28e/28th)
Tirs-PM/Shots-PG (28.0 – 30e/30th)
Tirs accordés-PM/Shots allowed-PG (34.0 – 28e/28th)
MÉ/Hits (903 – 28e/28th)
MP/PIM (613 – 1er/1st)
AN/PP (15.0% – 31e/31st)
DN/PK (74.0% – 26e/26th)

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 4-7-0 8 23 44
Centrale 7-5-2 16 44 45
Métropolitaine 5-6-0 10 28 41
Pacifique 4-6-1 9 30 41
Total 20-24-3 43 124 171
*Inclut les buts en fusillade / Includes the shootout goals

MARTIN ST-LOUIS EN CHIFFRES / MARTIN ST. LOUIS’ NUMBERS…
Matchs/Games : 84
Victoires/Wins : 34
Fiche : 34-43-7
Points de classement/Standing points : 75

CANADIENS VS. BOSTON
À vie / All-Time
CANADIENS vs. BOS 363-277-103-11 (754 PJ / GP)
Dom. / Home 214-110-47-6 (377 PJ / GP)
Étr. / Away 149-167-56-5 (377 PJ / GP)
Dern. Match / Last game:
D 5-3 L @ MTL (24/04/22)
S. Montembeault 4-41 | J. Swayman 3-26
BG / WG: C. McAvoy

10 DERNIERS MATCHS CONTRE BOSTON / LAST 10 GAMES VS. BOSTON:
24/04/22 – BOS 5 @ MTL 3
21/03/22 – BOS 3 @ MTL 2 (P/OT)
12/01/22 – MTL 1 @ BOS 5
14/11/21 – MTL 2 @ BOS 5
12/02/20 – MTL 1 @ BOS 4
01/12/19 – MTL 1 @ BOS 3
26/11/19 – BOS 8 @ MTL 1
05/11/19 – BOS 4 @ MTL 5
14/01/19 – MTL 3 @ BOS 2 (P/OT)
17/12/18 – BOS 4 @ MTL 0

CETTE SAISON CONTRE BOSTON / THIS SEASON VS. BOSTON
Match #1: 24/01/2023 @ MTL
Match #2: 23/03/2023 @ BOS
Match #3: 13/04/2023 @ MTL

MEILLEURS BUTEURS CONTRE BOSTON / LEADING GOAL SCORERS VS. TORONTO:
1) Mike Hoffman (8-7-15, 28 pj/gp)
2) Brendan Gallagher (8-16-24, 34 pj/gp)
3) Sean Monahan (4-6-10, 15 pj/gp)

MEILLEURS POINTEURS CONTRE BOSTON / LEADING SCORERS VS. BOSTON:
1) Brendan Gallagher (8-16-24, 34 pj/gp)
2) Mike Hoffman (8-7-15, 28 pj/gp)
3) Josh Anderson (3-8-11, 12 pj/gp)

MENEURS MINUTES DE PÉNALITÉ CONTRE BOSTON / MOST PENALTY MINUTES VS. BOSTON:
1) Mike Matheson (39, 25 pj/gp)
2) Brendan Gallagher (27, 34 pj/gp)
3) Chris Wideman (22, 12 pj/gp)

MBB-FBS: Kent State Golden Flashes (16-3) at Northern Illinois Huskies (7-12)

NCAABB Editor
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MBB-FBS: Kent State Golden Flashes (16-3) at Northern Illinois Huskies (7-12)

Fresh off a pair of road victories last week, the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team returns home to host conference-leading Kent State on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the NIU Convocation Center.

Tuesday’s contest is student appreciation night with prizes raffled off for students throughout the game. The first 150 students in attendance will also receive free pizza.

The matchup with the Golden Flashes will be available on ESPN+, as well as 94-9 WDKB and The Varsity Network app.

Last week, NIU won at Miami and at Eastern Michigan as the Huskies improved to 3-3 in conference play. David Coit (Columbus, N.J.) led the way as he averaged 22.5 points per game for the week, shooting 63 percent (17-of-27) from the field and 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from three-point range, he also averaged 4.5 assists per game for the week.

The Huskies led wire-to-wire on Saturday (Jan. 21) at Eastern Michigan, getting off to a red-hot start in the first half shooting 72.4 percent (21-of-29) from the field, its best single half since shooting 75.9 percent (22-of-29) in the second half against Bowling Green on Jan. 23, 2018.

Zarique Nutter (Newark, N.J.) is averaging 16.0 points per game over the last four contest, shooting 52.3 percent (23-of-44) from the field. Darweshi Hunter (Cincinnati, Ohio) is averaging 13.5 points per game during that same four-game stretch, shooting 55 percent (11-of-20) from three-point range.

Kaleb Thornton (Bolingbrook, Ill.) ranks seventh in the MAC in three-point percentage, shooting 41.9 percent (18-of-43), and seventh in assists with 3.5 per contest. In league play, Thornton leads the MAC with 2.8 steals per game.

The Golden Flashes come to DeKalb with a 16-3 overall record, including a 6-0 mark in conference play. Kent State has won 10-straight games, tied for the third-longest streak in the country, and is coming off an 86-65 victory over Ball State on Friday night (Jan. 20). Kent State leads the MAC, and ranks 14th nationally, in field goal defense, holding opponents to 38.8 percent shooting.

Last season, the Huskies and Golden Flashes split a pair of meetings, with both teams winning on the road.

Following Tuesday’s contest, the NIU will be back in action at home on Saturday, Jan. 28, as part of a Huskie basketball doubleheader. The NIU women’s basketball team will host Bowling Green at 1 p.m., followed by the Huskie men’s basketball game against Ball State at 3:30 p.m.

NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 24, 2023

NHL Editor
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NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 24, 2023

*  William Nylander put up a four-point second period to lead the Maple Leafs to a comeback win, getting help from Ilya Samsonov who became the fourth goaltender in the past 40 years to post a 14-game home point streak from the start of a season.

* Owen Power became the fifth Sabres rookie defenseman to net an overtime winner and the first in nearly a decade.

* An 11-game Tuesday will see New Jersey’s Jack Hughes aim to hit the 60-point mark in 2022-23 when his club hosts Vegas during an exclusive broadcast on ESPN+ and HULU.



NYLANDER POSTS FOUR-POINT PERIOD WHILE SAMSONOV EXTENDS HOME POINT STREAK
William Nylander (2-2—4) factored on four goals in the second period and Ilya Samsonov made 31 saves as the Maple Leafs (29-11-8, 66 points) erased two one-goal deficits to earn a comeback win and strengthened their grip on second place in the Atlantic Division standings.

* Nylander, who moved within one point of 400 in his career (163-236—399 in 487 GP), became the first Maple Leafs player to post four points in a period this season. Only three players in franchise history have had more in a single frame: Mickey Roach (5 in P2 on March 6, 1920), Darryl Sittler (5 in P2 on Feb. 7, 1976) and Goldie Prodgers (5 in P2 on Feb. 18, 1920).

 * Samsonov, who has yet to lose a game in regulation at Scotiabank Arena in 2022-23 (13-0-1), became the fifth goaltender in Maple Leafs history to record a 14-game home point streak (at any point in a season), joining Harry Lumley (18 GP in 1953-54), George Hainsworth (18 GP in 1933-34), Jacques Plante (15 GP in 1970-71) and Turk Broda (14 GP in 1947-48).



BUFFALO DEFENSEMEN DAHLIN, POWER PROPEL SABRES TO OVERTIME WIN
Rasmus Dahlin (1-0—1) put Buffalo on the board in the first period with his career-best 14th goal of the season, but with the game tied 2-2 headed into overtime, it was rookie defenseman Owen Power (1-0—1) who scored the winner as the Sabres (24-19-3, 51 points) inched closer to the final Eastern Conference Wild Card spot.

* Dahlin became the first Sabres defenseman since Alexei Zhitnik (15 in 1997-98) to score at least 14 goals in a campaign and is now on track to tally 25 by the end of 2022-23 – a total that only one other blueliner in franchise history has hit: Phil Housley (31 in 1983-84, 29 in 1987-88 & 26 in 1988-89).

* Power became just the fifth rookie defenseman to score in overtime with the Sabres, following Nikita Zadorov (Dec. 13, 2014), Mark Pysyk (Dec. 23, 2013), Marc-Andre Gragnani (April 3, 2011) and Andrej Sekera (March 30, 2008).
 


VLADAR, FLAMES SPOIL GAUDREAU’S RETURN TO CALGARY WITH OT WIN
Despite Johnny Gaudreau (0-2—2) putting up a multi-point performance in his return to Calgary, Dan Vladar made 22 saves to extend his point streak to 12 games (9-0-3) and Andrew Mangiapane (1-2—3) factored on three goals – including Dillon Dube’s winner – to help the Flames defeat the Blue Jackets in overtime.


MARCHENKO, ZIBANEJAD SPOTLIGHTED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES

The Monday edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured a number of notable performances from all four games, including Blue Jackets rookie Kirill Marchenko joining rare company with his 10th goal of the season and Mika Zibanejad (2-1—3) climbing a Rangers’ all-time list.

* Marchenko (10-0—10 in 24 GP) became the fifth player in NHL history to have each of his first 10 or more career regular-season points come solely in the form of goals, joining Joe Malone (16-0—16 in 1917-18 w/ MTL), John McKinnon (13-0—13 in 1926-27 w/ PIR), Howie Morenz (12-0—12 in 1923-24 w/ MTL) and Art Gagne (10-0—10 in 1926-27 w/ MTL).

* Zibanejad scored his 82nd power-play goal with New York, tying Phil Esposito and Jean Ratelle for the seventh most in franchise history.

QUICK CLICKS

* Zach Hyman, Steven Stamkos, Trevor Zegras named “Stars of the Week”

* Josh Norris out rest of season for Senators, will have shoulder surgery

* Color of Hockey: Indigenous players honored with Upper Deck cards

* Darcy Kuemper returns with Capitals to visit Avalanche after ‘special year’

* Women in Hockey: Kaite Doyle


2023 NHL ALL-STARS SET TO FACE OFF IN HULU, ESPN+ EXCLUSIVE
Eleven games are on tap for Tuesday, including a HULU and ESPN+ exclusive that will pit the Devils (30-12-6, 64 points), who hold the second spot in the Metropolitan Division, against the Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights (29-17-2, 60 points).


* Jack Hughes, who has scored a goal in each of his past four games at Prudential Center, needs two points to hit 60 in 2022-23 (30-28—58 in 46 GP). Should the 2023 NHL All-Star reach the mark Tuesday, he will have required the fewest games in Devils/Rockies/Scouts history to do so, eclipsing the previous best of 52 contests accomplished by Taylor Hall (2017-18), Zach Parise (2008-09), John MacLean (1988-89) and Wilf Paiement (1977-78).


* Fellow 2023 NHL All-Star Logan Thompson leads all rookie goaltenders with 19 wins through 33 appearances this season (19-13-1). Should he tend the crease Tuesday, Thompson can become the seventh rookie netminder in the past decade to reach the 20-win mark in 34 or fewer games – he would join Jordan Binnington (27 GP in 2018-19), Frederik Andersen (28 GP in 2013-14), Matt Murray (30 GP in 2016-17), Jeremy Swayman (33 GP in 2021-22), Jake Allen (34 GP in 2014-15) and Michael Hutchinson (34 GP in 2014-15).

KUEMPER RETURNS TO COLORADO FOR FIRST TIME SINCE WINNING STANLEY CUP
For the first time since hoisting the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche last season, Darcy Kuemper is set to take to the ice at Ball Arena when Washington (25-18-6, 56 points) clashes with Colorado (25-17-3, 53 points).

* Kuemper posted a 37-12-4 record with the Avalanche in 2021-22, claiming fifth place on the franchise’s all-time list for most wins in a single season. During the club’s championship run, Kuemper became the second goaltender in Avalanche/Nordiques history to post 10 or more wins in a single playoff year, joining Patrick Roy (6x). 

NBA Preview: Los Angeles Clippers (25-24) at Los Angeles Lakers (22-25)

NBA Editor
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NBA Preview: Los Angeles Clippers (25-24) at Los Angeles Lakers (22-25)

Still searching for the success that would match the optimism they possessed heading into the season, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers meet again Tuesday amid the same old refrain: Better days are ahead.

When the teams met in the first week of the season, the Clippers earned a 103-97 victory in Kawhi Leonard’s return after missing last season because of knee surgery.

The Clippers downed the Lakers again on Nov. 9, prevailing 114-101 as Leonard was in the midst of a 12-game absence caused by residual knee soreness and the Lakers were nearing the end of a gloomy 2-10 start to the season.

When the teams meet Tuesday, the Clippers are expected to have their stars on the court, with some other key pieces close to a return for their injury-plagued roster. For the Lakers, Anthony Davis is showing signs he should be able to return this week from his current 19-game absence.

The Lakers struggled when Davis went down with a foot injury, before LeBron James led a resurgence by averaging 35.1 points over his past 10 games. The Lakers have played 12 total games in that stretch and have shown their improvement by producing an 8-4 record.

The Lakers not only ended the Memphis Grizzlies’ 11-game winning streak at home Friday, but they followed that with a 121-112 road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday when James scored 37 points and they came back from a 25-point halftime deficit.

James hopes for bigger and better things when Davis hits the court again.

On Monday, the Lakers added Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura to the roster in a move that cost them guard Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks.

Not only have the Clippers been playing it safe with Leonard, using frequent load-management of days, but Paul George has missed six games this month because of a hamstring issue. George finally played in consecutive games this weekend for the first time since the injury surfaced, and the Clippers won both.

The pair of road victories came against the San Antonio Spurs, 131-126 on Friday, and the Dallas Mavericks, 112-98 on Sunday. Leonard scored 36 and 30 points, respectively, and his 39 minutes on Sunday represented a season high.

George had 21 points on Sunday as the Clippers defeated the Mavericks for the second time in two weeks, although the Clippers are just 4-9 since Dec. 29.

With the Clippers in search of a point guard they can trust, George has been thrust into the role as of late as John Wall deals with an abdominal injury and Reggie Jackson works to regain the trust of the coaching staff.

NBA Preview: Charlotte Hornets (13-35) at Phoenix Suns (24-24)

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NBA Preview: Charlotte Hornets (13-35) at Phoenix Suns (24-24)

There are several reasons for the Phoenix Suns to be stocked with newfound confidence.

But taking it slow in that category is advised.

“I don’t want to get happy on the farm about all that stuff,” coach Monty Williams said. “I think this group has to play together a bit more. It just takes time to get a team rhythm. Once we do, I think we can be pretty good.”

After losing 12 of 14 games, Phoenix is riding a three-game winning streak and will look to continue building momentum when the Charlotte Hornets come to town on Tuesday night.

The Suns’ victories have come by a combined 12 points, with the most recent win being a 112-110 decision against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

Charlotte has won two games in a row twice this season, but a 120-102 loss at Utah on Monday kept the Hornets from their first three-game winning streak of the season.

The glaring issue for the Hornets was the discrepancy from beyond the arc. Utah hit 16 shots from 3-point range, while Charlotte attempted only 16 treys and made two. The Hornets ended up with the fewest made 3-pointers of any NBA team in a game this season.

“Sixteen is still a small number, but they built their defense on taking threes away,” Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said of the Jazz. “We had 66 points in the paint. I felt like we did a good job with the majority of it. We played a lackluster first half and we were lucky to be that close.”

The Suns hope to be getting in more of a groove with point guard Chris Paul back. In his first game in more than two weeks, Paul posted 22 points in 38 minutes Sunday against Memphis.

The Suns seemed to have cleared one hurdle with Paul back on the court.

The Suns are trying to make the best of every situation as they wait for Devin Booker to return to action from a groin strain. Plus, they will once again be without center Deandre Ayton, who is out with a non-COVID illness.

The Hornets likely will be without guard LaMelo Ball (ankle and wrist injuries) and Cody Martin (knee soreness) in Phoenix as they both sat out Monday night.

Guard James Bouknight and center Kai Jones were both called up from the G League on Sunday, and Jones logged four points in four minutes against Utah. Bouknight didn’t play, though Dennis Smith Jr. provided 15 points off the bench.

Of the Hornets’ 13 victories, eight have come on the road. Tuesday’s game in Phoenix is the last stop on a four-game trip.

The teams will meet again March 1 in Charlotte, N.C.

NBA Preview: Washington Wizards (20-26) at Dallas Mavericks (25-23)

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NBA Preview: Washington Wizards (20-26) at Dallas Mavericks (25-23)

The Washington Wizards leave the comforts of the nation’s capital to begin a five-game road trip against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday already assured their roster will look different when they return.

Currently sitting at 20-26, Washington figures to be one of the more active teams ahead of the NBA trade deadline Feb. 9.

The Wizards made their first move on Monday, when they dealt fourth-year forward Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round draft picks.

Hachimura, who is averaging 13.0 points and 4.3 rebounds, matched a career high with 30 points in Washington’s 138-118 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday.

Hachimura expressed an openness to being traded after the game.

Moving Hachimura alleviates a logjam at forward for the Wizards, who also have Deni Avdija pushing for more playing time.

Washington has won the last three meetings against Dallas, including a 113-105 decision on Nov. 10. Mavericks star Luka Doncic is averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 7.6 assists in eight career games against the Wizards.

Dallas is looking to bounce back following a 112-98 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. The Mavericks have dropped four of their last five games and seven of 10 that followed a seven-game winning streak.

One area of concern for the Mavericks has been their free-throw shooting. Dallas ranks second in the NBA in free throws attempted (26.4 per game), but 28th in free-throw shooting percentage at 74.2 after finishing 15 of 26 from the foul line in Sunday’s loss.

Tuesday’s matchup was expected to mark the first Dallas appearance for Kristaps Porzingis since he was traded from the Mavericks to the Wizards almost a year ago. Instead, the 7-foot-3 center will be sidelined for an extended period following an injury over the weekend.

Porzingis, who is averaging 22.1 points and 8.8 rebounds, is listed as week-to-week after leaving Saturday’s game against Orlando in the third quarter with a left ankle sprain.

Porzingis’ injury could result in more playing time for Avdija, who is averaging 8.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. At 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds, Avdija has also emerged as a strong defensive force.

NBA Preview: Denver Nuggets (33-14) at New Orleans Pelicans (26-21)

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NBA Preview: Denver Nuggets (33-14) at New Orleans Pelicans (26-21)

A little over a month ago, the New Orleans Pelicans had the best record in the Western Conference.

Flash forward to late January and a six-week rough stretch has dropped them to fourth place, while the new No. 1 — the surging Denver Nuggets — are set to visit New Orleans on Tuesday.

The Nuggets saw their nine-game winning streak end with a 101-99 home loss to Oklahoma City on Sunday night.

Denver played its second consecutive game without two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, who has tightness in his left hamstring.

It’s unclear if Jokic will play Tuesday, but acting head coach David Adelman he expects his star to return “very soon.” The offense is a shell of itself without him.

Denver forward Michael Porter Jr. also missed the game against Oklahoma City for “personal reasons.”

In the absence of Jokic and Porter, Jamal Murray became the primary scorer and responded with a team-high 26 points and nine assists.

The Pelicans have had trouble getting over the hump during a losing streak that matched a season-worst four games with a 100-96 loss at Miami on Sunday.

The Pelicans’ offense has been outscored in the fourth quarter of each game during the streak and they took a lead into the final quarter in three of those games.

In those fourth quarters, they were outscored 31-24 on Sunday, 35-19 at Orlando on Friday and 35-22 in a loss at Cleveland that started the slide.

The only game during the losing streak in which they didn’t lead through quarters was a 124-98 loss to the Heat last week in their most lopsided loss of the season. Even with most Heat starters sitting out much of the fourth quarter, the Pelicans were outscored 26-22.

The loss on Sunday came after New Orleans led by as many as 16 points. It hurt itself with 25 turnovers.

New Orleans has lost nine of its last 12 games and is starting to show the wear of not having leading scorer Zion Williamson (hamstring) for the last three weeks. It has not had second-leading scorer Brandon Ingram since late November.

The Pelicans overcame a 14-point first-quarter deficit to defeat the Nuggets 121-106 on Dec. 4 at New Orleans. The season series will conclude with games at Denver on Jan. 31 and March 30.

NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (29-19) at New York Knicks (25-23)

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NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (29-19) at New York Knicks (25-23)

In the past month, the New York Knicks are living the life of an extremely streaky team.

The Knicks enjoyed the highs of a captivating eight-game winning streak along with a four-game run.

The Knicks also endured a five-game slide and take a four-game skid into Tuesday’s visit from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Since falling to 10-13 with a 121-100 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 3, the Knicks are 15-10 in their past 25 games — but how they have reached five games over .500 since then is a streaky display. After the loss to Dallas, the Knicks began an eight-game run with a 92-81 home win over Cleveland on Dec. 4 before starting a five-game skid with a seven-point home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 21.

The five-game skid ended with a 20-point win in Houston on Dec. 31 and was followed by a four-game winning streak and a run of seven wins in eight games. Since a 117-104 win at Detroit on Jan. 15, the Knicks have dropped four straight by an average of 9.3 points.

The last two losses have come without defensive-minded center Mitchell Robinson, who injured his thumb early in Wednesday’s wire-to-wire 116-105 loss to Washington. In two games without him, the Knicks endured a 139-124 loss at the Atlanta Hawks on Friday and a 125-116 loss in Toronto two nights later to waste a 30-point showing from RJ Barrett.

In Toronto, the Knicks allowed 37 points in the first quarter. It marked the third straight game New York allowed at least 35 points in the opening quarter and occurred after it allowed the Hawks to shoot 56 percent.

The Knicks can rescue themselves by playing better at home as they hold the dubious distinction of being the only team with a winning record that has a losing record at home. New York is 11-13 at home but just 3-6 in its past nine, including blowing a 10-point lead in an overtime loss to Toronto on Jan. 16 and a 17-point lead to the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 9.

Cleveland seems likely to get Donovan Mitchell back from a left groin strain after he missed the past three games. Mitchell tweaked his groin Jan. 16 against New Orleans but practiced fully Monday, a sign that he could return against the Knicks, whom he scored 38 against Oct. 30 in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers improved to 3-5 without Mitchell by getting a big night from Evan Mobley in Saturday’s 114-102 win over visiting Milwaukee. Mobley scored a career-high 38 points on 19-of-27 shooting without making a 3-pointer or a free throw.

Mobley reached double-digits for the ninth straight game and also scored 14 points in the fourth quarter.

If Mitchell returns, Caris LeVert would slide back into his reserve role after scoring 58 points and handing out 15 assists in three games in Mitchell’s place.

NBA Preview: Boston Celtics (35-13) at Miami Heat (26-22)

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NBA Preview: Boston Celtics (35-13) at Miami Heat (26-22)

The Miami Heat — and particularly center Bam Adebayo — are bracing for a visit from the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.

And a dogfight it’s been, as the two teams have gone toe-to-toe with each other on some of the biggest stages. Miami eliminated Boston in the 2020 playoffs, when the Heat made it to the NBA Finals. However, Boston got revenge last season, eliminating Miami in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals for a shot at its 18th title.

Adebayo indicated that Boston is one of the teams he respects the most — along with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Miami has gone 10-5 over its past 15 games, surging into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Heat had Monday off after rallying from a 16-point deficit to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 100-96 on Sunday.

Boston, which has the best record in the NBA at 35-13, had its nine-game winning streak snapped on Monday when the Orlando Magic pulled off a 113-98 upset.

The Celtics were short-handed against Orlando, though. Robert Williams III was nursing a left knee injury, while reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart was out with a sprained right ankle. Malcolm Brogdon, who has been an effective sixth man, missed Monday’s game for personal reasons.

Williams is averaging 7.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while shooting 75.4 percent from the floor. He’s served as a rim protector, a dynamic lob threat and a surprisingly good passer, but his injury is especially concerning considering he had surgery on that same knee last March.

Marcus Smart is averaging 11.1 points and a team-high 7.2 assists, while Brogdon is scoring 14.3 points per game in his first season in Boston after being acquired via trade this offseason.

Those injuries put even more pressure on Boston’s two biggest stars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum is averaging 31.0 points, while Brown is close behind with an average of 26.9.

Brown acknowledged the difficulty of Boston’s current predicament, especially with a meeting with the Heat on the horizon.

Miami will counter Tatum and Brown with its big three — Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Adebayo.

Butler leads Miami in scoring (21.6 points per game) and steals (2.1) while ranking second in rebounds (6.1) and assists (5.0). However, he is averaging just 15.0 points while facing consistent double teams over the past two games.

Herro is averaging 20.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Adebayo is averaging 21.4 points and a team-high 10.1 rebounds.

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