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NHL Preview: Los Angeles Kings (25-17-6) at Chicago Blackhawks (14-26-4)

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NHL Preview: Los Angeles Kings (25-17-6) at Chicago Blackhawks (14-26-4)

LOS ANGELES KINGS NOTES:

JAN. 22 vs. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS – 6:00 PM CT (4:00 PM PT) // Venue: United Center // TV: Bally Sports West // Radio: iHeartRadio

  • The LA Kings visit the Chicago Blackhawks for the third, and final, meeting between these two clubs this season (2-1 OTL on Nov. 3; 2-1 OTW on Nov. 10).
  • The Kings and Blackhawks have gone to overtime the past two consecutive games between the clubs.
  • Tonight’s game marks the second stop of a six-game road trip prior to the NHL All-Star Break (5-3 L on Jan. 21 at NSH; Jan. 24 at PHI; Jan. 27 at FLA; Jan. 28 at TBL; Jan. 31 at CAR).

WARM-UPS
1) Tonight marks the second game of the Kings’ sixth set of back-to-backs this season. Prior to this weekend, the team is 5-2-3 in back-to- backs (4-1-0 in the first game, 1-1-3 in the second).

2) Mikey Anderson is one point shy of establishing a new career-high point total. In 46 games this season, Anderson has tallied two goals and nine assists for 11 points.

3) Alex Edler’s 30 points (6-24=30) against the Blackhawks are tied for fifth-most among active defensemen.

4) Drew Doughty (29) needs one game-winning goal to surpass Rob Blake for sole possession of seventh place on the Kings’ all-time list.

5) With a win in regulation tonight, the Kings (79) can become the eighth team in the league with at least 80 regulation wins over the Chicago Blackhawks all-time, joining Detroit (355), Montreal (294), Toronto (655), Boston (264), NY Rangers (236), St. Louis (123) and Dallas (109).

vs. CHICAGO ALL-TIME:
All-Time Record: 91-90-17-7
Home: 49-41-8-4
Away: 42-49-9-3
OT: 12-7 (10 ties)
Shootout: 3-2
2021-22: 2-0-1
2022-23: 1-0-1

FRANCHISE LEADERS vs. CHICAGO:
Marcel Dionne – 42 GP, 58 PTS (21-37=58)
Dave Taylor – 44 GP, 43 PTS (20-23=43)
Butch Goring – 46 GP, 42 PTS (15-27=42)
Anze Kopitar* – 49 GP, 35 PTS (11-24=35)
Bernie Nicholls – 22 GP, 34 PTS (22-12=34)
Luc Robitaille – 48 GP, 34 PTS (16-18=34)
*-denotes active roster player

LAST MEETING vs. CHICAGO: Nov. 10, 2023 – LAK 2 vs. CHI 1 (OT)
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
LAK Goals: Danault (5), Fiala (4 – OT)
CHI Goals: Raddysh (4)
Goalies: LAK: Quick (W, 31 saves, 32 shots) CHI: Mrazek (OTL, 33 saves, 35 shots)
LAK PP: 0-for-4
LAK PK: 3-for-4

THE NEXT THREE:
Tues., Jan. 24 | at Philadelphia Flyers | 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT) | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
The LA Kings have points in nine of their last 10 outings against the Flyers in Philadelphia (7-1-2), dating back to Feb. 13, 2011.

Fri., Jan. 27 | at Florida Panthers | 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT) | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network Anze Kopitar has 10 points (3-7=10) in his last six games against the Panthers.

Sat., Jan. 28 | at Tampa Bay Lightning | 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT) | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
The LA Kings look for the season series sweep versus the Lightning (4-2 W on Oct. 25, 2022).

INJURY & MGL REPORT
Player, Games Missed, Date(s), Status
F Alex Iafallo, 23 games, Oct. 18 – Dec. 3 (lower-body)
F Brendan Lemieux, 18 games, Nov. 14 – Dec. 20 (lower-body)
F Arthur Kaliyev, 13 games, Dec. 22 – Pres. (lower-body)
F Trevor Moore, 11 games, Dec. 27 – Pres. (upper-body)
F Quinton Byfield, 6 games, Oct. 27 – Nov. 5 (illness)
F Viktor Arvidsson, 3 games, Oct. 13 (illness); Oct. 25 (illness); Jan. 11 (illness)
D Sean Durzi, 2 games, Nov. 19 – Nov. 22. (lower-body)
F Carl Grundstrom, 2 gams, Jan. 19 – Pres. (lower-body)
D Drew Doughty, 1 game, Dec. 11 (lower-body)
F Gabriel Vilardi, 1 game, Nov. 27 (lower-body)
2022-23 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 80

RECENT TRANSACTIONS (as of 1/22/23)
Jan. 9 – Jordan Spence (D) recalled from Ontario (AHL).
Jan. 15 – Rasmus Kupari (F) loaned to Ontario (AHL).
Jan. 17 – Rasmus Kupari (F) recalled from Ontario (AHL).
Jan. 19 – Tobias Bjornfot (D), Samuel Fagemo (F) and Alex Turcotte (F) recalled from Ontario (AHL).
Jan. 19 – Carl Grundstrom (F) placed on injured reserve.

LA KINGS TEAM NOTES:
KINGS VS. THE HAWKS
The LA Kings skate into Chicago with points in 13 of their last 16 games against the Blackhawks (11-3-2), dating back to the 2016-17 season. The team’s .750 points percentage (PTS %) vs. Chicago in that span ranks fifth overall:
Best points percentage vs. Chicago since 2016-17
Team GP PTS %
Tampa Bay Lightning 19 .921% (17-1-1)
Vegas Golden Knights 14 .821% (11-2-1)
Carolina Hurricanes 20 .800% (15-3-2)
Boston Bruins 11 .773% (8-2-1)
LA Kings 16 .775% (11-3-2)

In those 16 contests, the Kings gave up 36 goals, which is the lowest goals against-per-game vs. Chicago among any one team:
Lowest GA/GP vs. Chicago since 2016-17
Team GP GA/GP (goals allowed)
LA Kings 16 2.25 (36)
Boston Bruins 11 2.27 (25)
New York Islanders 11 2.27 (25)
Tampa Bay Lightning 19 2.32 (44)
Carolina Hurricanes 20 2.35 (47)
Nashville Predators 30 2.37 (71)

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS NOTES:

TONIGHT’S BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: NBCSCH – Chris Vosters (PxP), Troy Murray (analyst) and Colby Cohen (analyst)
RADIO: WGN-AM 720 – Joe Brand (PxP) and Caley Chelios (analyst)
SPANISH RADIO: Univision Sports Radio 1200 AM – Miguel Esparza (PxP) and Jorge Moreno (analyst)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Jan. 24 at VAN, 9:00 p.m. CT (NBCSCH, WGN Radio)
Thursday, Jan. 26 at CGY, 8:00 p.m. CT (NBCSCH, WGN Radio)
Saturday, Jan. 28 at EDM, 9:00 p.m. CT (NBCSCH, WGN Radio)
Tuesday, Feb. 7 vs. ANA, 7:30 p.m. CT (NBCSCH, WGN Radio, Univision (Spanish))
Friday, Feb. 10 vs. ARI, 7:30 p.m. CT (NBCSCH, WGN Radio, Univision (Spanish))

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Jan. 17 – Recalled Jaxson Stauber from Rockford … Jan. 14 – Activated Patrick Kane off IR and assigned Jaxson Stauber to Rockford … Jan. 13 – Assigned Lukas Reichel to Rockford … Jan. 11 – Recalled Jaxson Stauber from Rockford and assigned Brett Seney to Rockford … Jan. 4 – Recalled Lukas Reichel and Brett Seney from Rockford … Placed MacKenzie Entwistle and Jujhar Khaira on IR … Dec. 19 – Activated Alex Stalock off IR and assigned Arvid Soderblom to Rockford … Placed Jarred Tinordi on IR and recalled Isaak Phillips from Rockford … Dec. 13 – Activated Tyler Johnson off IR and assigned Filip Roos to Rockford … Dec. 12 – Activated Petr Mrazek off injured reserve and assigned Jaxson Stauber to Rockford.

LAST TIME OUT
Score: Chicago (5) at St. Louis (3) – Sat., Jan. 21 – Enterprise Center
CHI Goals: Dickinson (4), Lafferty (6; SH), R. Johnson (4), Athanasiou (10), Domi (14)
STL Goals: Kyrou (22), Barbashev (7), Leddy (1)
Goalies: CHI – Stauber (28/31, 60:00) STL – Binnington (3/7, 23:59), Greiss (10/11, 33:13)
CHI PP: 0/2; PK: 3/4
STL PP: 1/4; PK: 2/2
Recap: The Blackhawks wrapped up their two-game road trip with a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night … Chicago has now posted wins in each of the last three and six of the last seven games (6-1-0) … The Blackhawks were 0-for-2 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill, ending the team’s four-game streak of not allowing a power play goal against … Goaltender Jaxson Stauber made his NHL debut in the game and turned aside 28 of the 31 shots he faced for his first career NHL win … Eleven separate Blackhawks players recorded a point on Saturday … Jason Dickinson led the team with three points (1G, 2A) for his second three-point game of the season … Sam Lafferty tallied two points (1G, 1A), including scoring his third shorthanded goal of the campaign … Andreas Athanasiou netted the game-winning goal for his 10th goal in 2022-23 … Seth Jones tallied an assist to extend his point streak to four games (2G, 6A).

TONIGHT’S OPPONENT – LOS ANGELES KINGS
The Blackhawks host the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday in the third and final matchup scheduled between the two teams this season … Chicago is 1-0-1 against the Kings so far in 2022-23, including a 1-0-0 mark on home ice … The team has now logged points in six of the last eight games against Los Angeles (3-2-3), including posting a 2-1-1 record in the last four games at United Center … Jonathan Toews leads the Blackhawks with two points (1G, 1A) in two games against the Kings this season and now has points (1G, 2A) in three of his last four games against them … Toews has logged points (1G, 1A) in back-to-back home games against Los Angeles and has six points (3G, 3A) over his last seven games against them at United Center … Taylor Raddysh has one goal against the Kings this season and has earned five points (3G, 2A) in seven career games against them, including in two of three career home games (2G, 1A) … Max Domi tallied an assist in the last game against the Kings on Nov. 10 and now has assists in three of the last four games against them (3A) … Domi has recorded six points (1G, 5A) over his last eight games against Los Angeles and has 14 points (4G, 10A) in 19 career games against them.

2022-23 Schedule/Results: HOME: Nov. 3 (2-1, OT), Jan. 22 | AWAY: Nov. 10 (1-2 OT)
All-Time Record: 97-80-28 | Home: 52-39-12 | Road: 45-41-16
Last Home Win: Nov. 3, 2022 (2-1, OT) | Last Road Win: March 24, 2022 (4-3 SO) | Last Home Loss:
April 12, 2022 (2-5) | Last Road Loss: Nov. 10, 2022 (1-2 OT)

BLACKHAWKS VS. LAK ALL-TIME
GOALS: Jonathan Toews, 19; Patrick Kane, 15; Max Domi/Tyler Johnson, 4
ASSISTS: Patrick Kane, 27; Jonathan Toews, 22; Max Domi, 10
POINTS: Patrick Kane, 42; Jonathan Toews, 41; Max Domi, 14

BLACKHAWKS RECORD ON…
One-Day Rest: 9-11-1
Two-Days Rest: 2-4-0
Three+ Days Rest: 2-2-1
First Game of a B2B: 1-4-1
Second Game of a B2B: 0-5-1

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

NHL Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins (23-15-7) at New Jersey Devils (29-12-4)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins (23-15-7) at New Jersey Devils (29-12-4)

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS NOTES:

LAST 2 GAMES
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

Jan. 18: Ottawa 5, Pittsburgh 4 (OT) – Canadian Tire Centre
PIT Goals: Zucker, Malkin (PP), Friedman, Rakell (PP)
Multiple Points: Malkin (1G-2A), Crosby (3A), Pettersson (2A)
Goalie: DeSmith (35 saves, 40 shots)
Key Stats: Sidney Crosby’s eighth three-point night helped Pittsburgh earn a point.
PP: 2-5
PK: 5-9

INJURIES
Position Player Status Consecutive Games Missed Total Games Missed
F Josh Archibald Lower-Body 13 15
D Kris Letang Lower-Body 10 16
F Ryan Poehling Upper-Body 9 14
D Jan Rutta Upper-Body 3 3
F Kasperi Kapanen Lower-Body 1 1
2022-23 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 106

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Date Transaction
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.
Jan. 17 F Kris Letang removed from non-roster status and placed on injured reserve.

Pittsburgh’s All-Time Record vs. Devils: 114-113-27
In Pittsburgh: 64-52-10
In New Jersey: 50-61-17
OT Record vs. New Jersey: 8-10-11
Shootout Record vs. New Jersey: 2-1

2022-23 Results: Pittsburgh is 0-1-0.
Penguins All-Time Point Leaders vs. DEVILS:
Mario Lemieux- 74GP, 135 PTS (47G, 88A)
Sidney Crosby- 79GP, 87 PTS (38G-49A)
Evgeni Malkin- 62GP, 59 PTS (25G-34A)

TONIGHT’S GAME

  • The Penguins hit the road to take on the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center (TV: AT&T SportsNet; Radio: 105.9 The X).
  • Pittsburgh is 8-3-1 in its last 12 games against New Jersey.
  • Here at the Prudential Center, the Penguins have won five-consecutive games and six of their last seven (6-1-0).
  • Pittsburgh is 5-4-2 versus the Metropolitan Division this season.
  • Pittsburgh plays four games this week starting today. Following that, the team won’t play for 10 days due to the bye week and NHL All-Star Break.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS NOTES:

LAST GAME
New Jersey Devils 3 Seattle Kraken 4 (OT)
(29-12-4—62 PTS) (27-14-4—58 PTS)
Three Stars: 1. A. Burakovsky 2. R. Donato 3. M. Jones

Goals:
SEA: R. Donato, R. Donato, B. Tanev, A. Burakovsky (OT-GWG)
SCORE 1
ST 2
ND 3
RD OT SO FINAL
Seattle 1 1 1 1 0 4
DEVILS 0 1 2 0 0 3
New Jersey Devils: Media Notes
NJD: D. Severson, E. Haula (SHG), N. Hischier
Game Summary | Event Summary

INJURIES/ILLNESS
PLAYER INJURY OUT SINCE GAMES MISSED
Jonathan Bernier – LTIR Lower-body, hip 2021-22 45
John Marino Upper-body Dec. 21 13
2022-23 Total Man-Games Lost to Injury/illness: 137

DATE PLAYER ACTION
1/1/23 Ryan Graves Activated from I.R.
1/1/23 Tyler Wotherspoon Reassigned to Utica
1/5/23 Tyce Thompson Reassigned to Utica
1/5/23 Akira Schmid Recalled from Utica
1/5/23 Ondrej Palat Activated off I.R.
1/6/23 Akira Schmid Reassigned to Utica
1/10/23 Nolan Foote Recalled from Utica
1/19/23 Nolan Foote Reassigned to Utica
1/19/23 Nate Bastian Activated off I.R.

The Devils concluded their final game for a season-long five-game road trip on Thursday and earned nine of out 10 points for the journey (4-0-1). While Jersey’s team witnessed a seven-game road winning streak end, the team did earn points in eight consecutive road games. The Devils also witnessed a five-game winning streak end, which dated to Jan. 7, vs the New York Rangers (4-3, Wo). The Devils are now 6-1-2 for the month of January. The team is now 4-3 for games decided in overtime. After Thursday’s loss at Seattle, the Devils pulled the netminder for an extra attacker while down one goal and converted in consecutive games.

Per NHL Pr, the last time time that the Devils swept a California road trip was in the 2000-01 campaign from Nov. 22, 2000, to Nov. 25:
at ANA, 5-2, W
at LAK, 6-1, W
at SJS, 3-2, W

The recent trip to California marked the second time in franchise history that the Devils swept a full three-game California road trip. Per NHL Pr, The Devils are the first team in NHL history who swept an Eastern and Western Canadian road trip, in addition to a California road trip. The guidelines for this matter are below:

• A “road trip” as being consecutive games played on the road
• The team must have played at least two of the teams mentioned sequentially
• Eastern Canada (TOR, OTT, MTL), Western Canada (WPG, EDM, CGY, VAN), California (ANA, LAK, SJS)

The Devils swept VAN, EDM & CGY via Nov. 1, 2022, to Nov. 5.
Jersey swept MTL, TML & OTT via Nov. 15, 2022, to Nov. 19.
The Devils swept ANA, LAK & SJS via Jan. 13, 2023, to Jan. 16.

The team’s 29 wins after 45 games played from the start of a season is the second most in franchise history.
32 wins: 2009-10
29 wins: 2022-23
28 wins: 1997-98

Jersey’s season-long five-game road trip:
1/10 at CAR, 5-3, W
1/13 at ANA, 6-2, W
1/14 at LAK, 5-2, W
1/16 at SJS, 4-3, Wso
1/19 at SEA, 4-3, Lo

Jersey’s team opens a two-game homestand on Sunday and then hosts Vegas on Tuesday. The Devils are 21-0-1 when leading after the second period this season, which ranks second in the NHL behind Boston (25). The Devils surpassed their win total from last season, which was 27 and in 39 games less played. The team’s 29 wins after 44 games played from the start of a season are the second most in franchise history.

32 wins: 2009-10
29 wins: 2022-23
28 wins: 1997-98

The Devils are 9-1-2 when outshot by an opponent this season and 19-11-2 when outshooting teams. The Devils are 1-0-0 when shots are even vs an opponent for 2022-23. The Devils are 16-10-2 vs the Eastern Conference and 8-5-2 vs the Metropolitan Division. Jersey’s team is 27-4-4 when scoring three-or-more goals in a game this season. The Devils have allowed 1, or fewer, goals against 10 times this season in a game. Jersey’s team allowed one, or fewer goals against, in a game just eight times all of last season.

LIGHTING THE LAMP
Jersey is one of five teams that hasn’t been shut out this season. Last season, the Devils suffered their first shutout in the team’s eighth game, which occurred on Nov. 2, 2021, at Anaheim (4-0, L). The franchise record in a single season is 80 consecutive games without being shut out from the start of a season, which occurred in 1987-88. The Devils were not shut out for the duration of the 80-game regular season in 1987-88. The current streak is the longest stretch of games from the start of a season without being shut out since 2012-13, when the Devils experienced 36 games without suffering a shutout. Jersey’s team is 24-4-4 when Nico Hischier recorded a point in a game this season and 15-5-2 when Jack Hughes scored a goal in a game for 2022-23. The NHL announced on Thu.,Jan. 5, that Jack Hughes was named New Jersey 2023 NHL All-Star. Hughes was a first-time NHL All-Star last season at Vegas. John Marino skated with the team on Saturday, but wore a non-contact jersey.

2021-22/2022-23 Comparison After first half of season (41 GP)
2021-22 2022-23
Record: 15-21-5 Record: 26-12-3
Pts%: .427 Pts%: .671
GF/GP: 2.85 GF/GP: 3.44
GA/GP: 3.44 GA/GP: 2.63
PP%: 17.0 PP%: 20.0
Opp. Shot%: 11.3 Opp. Shot% 9.64

The team clinched a playoff berth in six of those seasons, while winning a Stanley Cup championship in 2002-03, plus advancing to the Stanley Cup final in 2000-01. The team didn’t clinch a playoff berth in the shortened (lockout year) in 2012-13. Since 1994-95, the team’s highest shots per game total is 33.1, which was earned in 1999-00. The team then won its second Stanley Cup championship.

DATE/TIME OPPONENT RESULT
Oct. 18, 7:00 P.M. vs ANA 4-2, W
Oct 28, 7:00 P.M. vs COL 1-0, W
Dec. 6, 7:00 P.M. vs CHI 3-0, W
Dec. 13, 7:00 P.M. vs DAL 4-1, L
Jan. 1, 3:00 P.M. Vs CAR 5-4, Lso
Jan. 5, 7:00 P.M. Vs STL 5-3, L
Feb. 6, 7:30 P.M. Vs VAN
Feb. 21, 7:00 P.M. Vs MTL
Mar. 30, 7:00 P.M. Vs NYR
Apr. 11, 7:00 P.M. HOME FINALE Vs BUF

VS STEEL CITY
The Devils and Pittsburgh meet for the second of four matchups this season:
Feb. 18, at PIT, 5:30 P.M.
Apr. 4, vs PIT, 7:00 P.M.

Jersey defeated the Pens in the first matchup this season on Dec. 30, at Pittsburgh in a 4-2 win. The Devils were 2-2-0 vs Pittsburgh last season. The last time that the Devils won a season series vs Pittsburgh was 2018-19 (3-1-0).

ALL-TIME vs THE PENS
Record: 123-108-17-6
Home: 65-47-13-3
Road: 58-61-4-3

DID YOU KNOW…
The most goals in franchise history earned in a single game vs Pittsburgh is nine, which was earned on Oct. 28, 2000, at Pittsburgh in a 9-0 win. The most goals that the Devils allowed in a single game vs Pittsburgh is nine, twice, last logged on Dec. 13, 1990, in a 9-5 loss. The most shots that Jersey earned in a single game vs Pittsburgh is 49, twice, last logged on Oct. 11, 2008, in a 2-1 win at Pitt. The most shots that the Devils allowed in a single game vs Pittsburgh is 49, on Nov. 26, 2011, in a 4-3 shootout loss at Pitt. The last time the Devils shut out the Pens was on Mar. 24, 2016, in a 3-0 win at Pitt. The last time that Pitt. shut out the Devils was on Jan. 26, 2016, in a 2-0 loss at Pitt.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE .
Tue. Jan 24, vs VGK, 7:00 P.M. E.T.
Thu. Jan. 26, at NSH, 8:00 P.M. E.T.
Fri. Jan. 27, at DAL, 8:30 P.M. E.T.
Bye Week/All-Star break

LAST TRADE
The Devils acquired defenseman John Marino from Pittsburgh in exchange for blueliner Ty Smith and a 2023 third-round draft pick on
July 16, 2022.

NBA Preview: Memphis Grizzlies (31-14) at Phoenix Suns (23-24)

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NBA Preview: Memphis Grizzlies (31-14) at Phoenix Suns (23-24)

The Memphis Grizzlies will look to return to the win column on Sunday night when they continue their season-high five-game road trip against the Phoenix Suns.

The Grizzlies squandered a 13-point lead in the third quarter and saw their franchise-record-tying 11-game winning streak end with a 122-121 setback at the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.

Ja Morant said his team’s downfall was due in part to giving the Lakers additional looks at the basket.

Morant collected 22 points and eight assists and Steven Adams added 16 points and 17 rebounds for his 14th double-double of the season. Brandon Clarke and Tyus Jones each added 20 points off the bench for Memphis, which made just 26 of 40 attempts from the free-throw line.

Clarke missed an attempt from the line with 1.2 seconds remaining that would’ve tied the game.

Now, it should be noted that the NBA released its Last Two Minute Reports on Saturday, and it revealed that Lakers guard Russell Westbrook committed a lane violation that was not called. In short, Clarke would have received another attempt to tie the game.

The Grizzlies also were on the wrong end of a non-call that saw Lakers guard Dennis Schroder rip the ball out of Desmond Bane’s hands before scoring the go-ahead basket with 7.1 seconds remaining.

The Grizzlies have won two of the previous three meetings against the Suns this season.

Morant, who boasts team-leading averages in points (27.2) and assists (7.9), scored 34 points in a 125-108 setback to Phoenix on Dec. 27 before tallying 29 in a 136-106 victory on Monday.

Mikal Bridges scored 21 points in the most recent meeting with Memphis. He scored 22 points as the short-handed Suns recorded a 112-107 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.

Josh Okogie collected 24 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks for Phoenix, which has answered a dismal 1-9 stretch by winning consecutive contests to begin its five-game homestand.

In addition to Devin Booker (groin), the Suns played without Chris Paul (hip), Cam Johnson (knee-injury management) and Deandre Ayton (non-COVID illness).

NBA Preview: New York Knicks (25-22) at Toronto Raptors (20-27)

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NBA Preview: New York Knicks (25-22) at Toronto Raptors (20-27)

The Toronto Raptors will have one final chance this month to take advantage of their home court when they host the New York Knicks on Sunday before going on a seven-game road trip.

The Raptors have dropped three straight after losing 106-104 to the injury-depleted Boston Celtics on Saturday to open a brief two-game homestand. They were 1-2 on their previous road trip, defeating the Knicks 123-121 in overtime on Monday.

The Raptors, who led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter Saturday, took a four-point advantage into the fourth against the Celtics, who were without Jayson Tatum (wrist).

The Knicks also have dropped three straight after losing 139-124 to the host Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

The Hawks opened the fourth quarter on a 20-4 surge as the Knicks showed how much they missed center Mitchell Robinson, who had thumb surgery on Thursday.

The Hawks had a 39-34 advantage in total rebounds against the Knicks.

Jericho Sims sat the bench for five consecutive games until Robinson was injured Wednesday in the first quarter of a home loss to the Washington Wizards, but he started on Friday and had 12 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes.

Backup center Isaiah Hartenstein remained on the second unit and had two points and six rebounds in 17 minutes.

The Raptors played without Fred VanVleet (rib soreness) on Saturday and lost O.G. Anunoby (ankle) in the third quarter. Nurse said VanVleet was questionable for Sunday, while Anunoby’s availability is unclear.

Pascal Siakam had 29 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Raptors on Saturday.

Toronto has won two of three from New York this season. Sunday’s meeting will be the final game between the Atlantic Division foes in the regular season.

NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 22, 2023

NHL Editor
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NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 22, 2023

* The 23rd annual Scotiabank Hockey Day In Canada concluded with the Flames, Canadiens, Jets and Oilers all picking up wins, highlighted by Connor McDavid becoming the first player to 40 goals this season.

* Canadian players across the League also celebrated the day with strong performances of their own as Dylan Cozens, Matt Duchene, Alex Pietrangelo and Carter Verhaeghe each helped their teams to victory Saturday.

* Sebastion Aho scored three straight goals, including the game winner, to register the League’s third natural hat trick of 2022-23.
 


McDAVID CAPS HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA WITH 40TH GOAL
Storylines were aplenty during the 23rd annual Scotiabank Hockey Day In Canada, including Connor McDavid (40-48—88 in 48 GP) scoring his NHL-best 40th goal of the season to help the Oilers (27-18-3, 57 points) extend the League’s longest active win streak to six games. He required the fewest contests by an active player to reach the mark in a campaign, besting Auston Matthews (49 GP in 2021-22).



* McDavid’s tally extended the League’s longest active point streak to 10 games dating to Jan. 3 (8-8—16 in 10 GP) – his third double-digit stretch of the 2022-23 campaign (also 17 GP from Nov. 26 – Dec. 30, 2022 & 10 GP from Oct. 26 – Nov. 12, 2022). His 10 career point streaks of 10-plus games are tied with Sidney Crosby for the most among active skaters.

* The Oilers captain also moved within two assists of 50 in 2022-23 with his 239th career multi-point game – one shy of Glenn Anderson (240 GP) for the fourth most in Oilers history. Wayne Gretzky (472 GP), Mark Messier (300 GP) and Jari Kurri (296 GP) rank first, second and third, respectively. His total is 49 more than the next-closest skater since his debut in 2015-16 (Leon Draisaitl: 190 GP).

* McDavid, set to appear in the NHL All-Star Game under the 3-on-3 format for the sixth time, is one of only three active players with 40 or more goals prior to the All-Star/Olympic break joining Alex Ovechkin (42 in 2009-10 & 40 in 2013-14) and Crosby (42 in 2009-10).


* With Montreal facing a two-goal deficit after the first period, Josh Anderson (Burlington, Ont.) and Rafael Harvey-Pinard (Saguenay, Que.) pulled the Canadiens even before Rem Pitlick (Ottawa, Ont.) scored his first career overtime goal to complete the comeback against the Maple Leafs. Twenty-five of 49 games between Montreal and Toronto since 2012-13 have featured a comeback win, the second-highest combined total between two teams behind Pittsburgh and Philadelphia (26 in 45 GP).
 

* Dillon Dube (Golden, B.C.) and Tyler Toffoli (Scarborough, Ont.) each had 1-1—2 as the Flames (22-16-9, 53 points) defeated the Lightning and kept pace with the Avalanche (25-17-3, 53 points) for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Saturday’s matinee at Scotiabank Saddledome also featured Jakob Pelletier (Québec, Que.) making his NHL debut with Calgary.

* Mark Scheifele (Kitchener, Ont.) had 2-1—3 to help lead Winnipeg past Ottawa in an all-Canadian matchup as the Jets (30-16-1, 61 points) eclipsed the 60-point mark in 47 games – the club has hit 60 points in fewer contests just once in franchise history (2018-19: 45 GP). Scheifele’s three-point outing marked the 58th of his career – the most in Jets/Thrashers history and four more than the next-closest skater (Ilya Kovalchuk: 54 GP).
 

OTHER CANADIAN-BORN PLAYERS LEAVE THEIR MARK SATURDAY
Notable performances by Canadian-born players weren’t limited to Scotiabank Hockey Day In Canada games Saturday:

* Dylan Cozens (Whitehorse, Y.T.) opened the scoring in highlight-reel fashion and Peyton Krebs (Calgary, Alta.) corralled two goals during the afternoon victory for the Sabres. Cozens (33-60—93 in 165 GP) climbed within seven points of 100 in his NHL career and would become the second player born in a Canadian territory to reach a triple-digit total, joining Geoff Sanderson (Hay River, N.W.T.) who had exactly 700 (including 65 with Buffalo from 1997-98 – 1999-00).



* Nineteen-year-old Wyatt Johnston (Toronto, Ont.) scored one of four goals for the Central Division-leading Stars (28-13-7, 63 points). Johnston, who ranks second in goals among rookies in 2022-23 (12-8—20 in 48 GP), is one of three teenagers in Stars team history with at least a dozen tallies in a single season joining Valeri Nichushkin (14 in 2013-14) and Miro Heiskanen (12 in 2018-19).

* Matt Duchene (Haliburton, Ont.) scored two goals, including the game winner, as the Predators (22-18-6, 50 points) earned a comeback win against the Kings to move within three points of the Avalanche (25-17-3, 53 points) for the final Wild Card position in the Western Conference. Duchene’s first goal occurred at 0:39 of the first period following a quick game-opening tally by Mikael Granlund (0:19), making Nashville the 15th team in NHL history to score twice within the first 39 seconds of a contest and the second this season (also CGY: 0:30 on Dec. 20, 2022).

* Alex Pietrangelo (King City, Ont.) assisted on two of Vegas’ six goals to help the Golden Knights (29-16-2, 60 points) overtake the Kraken (27-14-5, 59 points) for first place in the Pacific Division. Pietrangelo boosted his career totals with Vegas to 25-73—98 (159 GP) and surpassed Nate Schmidt (21-76—97 in 196 GP) for second-most points among Golden Knights defensemen – only Shea Theodore (57-171—228 in 371 GP) has more.

* Carter Verhaeghe (Toronto, Ont.) and Sam Reinhart (West Vancouver, B.C.) were among five Panthers players to find the back of the net Saturday as Florida (23-20-5, 51 points) gained ground on idle Pittsburgh (23-15-7, 53 points) for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Anton Lundell (19:47 of P1),Verhaeghe (19:32 of P2) and Reinhart (19:21 of P3) combined to mark just the second time in over a decade that a team has recorded a goal in the final 40 seconds of all three periods.


AHO’S NATURAL HAT TRICK FEATURED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES

The latest edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured notes on all teams from a 14-game Saturday, including Carolina’s Sebastian Aho (3-0—3) scoring the NHL’s third natural hat trick of the season and the first for the Hurricanes since Justin Faulk on Feb. 13, 2018.


* Aho (199-242—441 in 484 GP), who moved within one goal of becoming the sixth player to score 200 with the Hurricanes/Whalers franchise, ranks sixth among Finnish-born players in NHL history with six career hat tricks behind Jari Kurri (23), Teemu Selanne (22), Patrik Laine (10), Tomas Sandstrom (8) and Olli Jokinen (7).

QUICK CLICKS


* Chris Snow’s son reads Calgary’s starting lineups ahead of game Saturday
*Ryan Miller participates in ceremonial puck drop ahead of Sabres game
* Cole Caufield out rest of season for Canadiens, will have shoulder surgery
* Blake Wheeler gets 900th NHL point in Jets win against Senators
* Johnny Gaudreau ready for ‘fun’ 1st trip back to Calgary with Blue Jackets


SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE SET TO FEATURE SPORTSNET DOUBLEHEADER
Sunday’s five-game slate is highlighted by a Sportsnet doubleheader with the Penguins (23-15-7, 53 points) visiting the Devils (29-12-4, 62 points) at Prudential Center and the League-leading Bruins (36-5-4, 76 points) hosting the Sharks (14-24-9, 37 points) at TD Garden.
 

NBA Preview: Los Angeles Lakers (21-25) at Portland Trail Blazers (21-24)

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NBA Preview: Los Angeles Lakers (21-25) at Portland Trail Blazers (21-24)

The Los Angeles Lakers literally stole a victory on Friday night.

Now the Lakers are hoping to continue the momentum when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.

The victory was just the second in six games for Los Angeles, which resides in 13th place in the Western Conference standings. Portland has lost 11 of its last 15 games and is right above the Lakers in 12th place.

Los Angeles trailed the red-hot Memphis Grizzlies by as many as 13 points and was still down 114-107 with 3:04 remaining.

The Grizzlies were later up one and had the ball when Dennis Schroder stole it from Desmond Bane and drove for a layup and was fouled with 7.6 seconds left. He made the free throw to give the Lakers a two-point edge and Los Angeles eventually won 122-121 to snap an 11-game Memphis winning streak that matched the longest in franchise history.

Schroder recorded 19 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals in the victory. Russell Westbrook led the Lakers with 29 and LeBron James scored 23.

James was just 8 of 21 from the field and Los Angeles was outrebounded 63-47. But the Lakers committed just nine turnovers and figured out a way to prevail.

Los Angeles is hopeful that star big man Anthony Davis can return to the lineup late next week. Davis has missed the past 18 games while dealing with a foot issue. He is averaging 27.4 points and 12.1 rebounds but has played in just 25 games.

The Lakers and Trail Blazers split two games in Los Angeles earlier this season. James averaged 31 points.

Portland has fallen on hard times and even a heavy stretch of home games isn’t ending its slump.

The Trail Blazers are 2-4 during an 11-game span in which 10 are at home. They lost 105-95 to the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

Portland scored 14 points in the opening quarter and trailed 57-34 at halftime. Star guard Damian Lillard was 1-of-10 shooting in the first half and the Trail Blazers missed 13 of 14 3-point attempts and committed 12 turnovers in the half.

Lillard finished with 25 points and 11 assists but was just 6 of 21 from the field. Jerami Grant added 24 points.

But the Trail Blazers were out of the game early despite a second-half push making the final score look respectable.

Lillard scored 41 points as Portland posted a 106-104 win over the Lakers on Oct. 23. He missed the 128-109 loss to Nov. 30 due to a calf injury.

NBA Preview: Brooklyn Nets (28-17) at Golden State Warriors (23-23)

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NBA Preview: Brooklyn Nets (28-17) at Golden State Warriors (23-23)

It’s likely to be Curry vs. Curry, but definitely not Durant vs. Green, when the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors steal the national basketball spotlight Sunday night in San Francisco.

Billed since the schedule was announced as Kevin Durant’s first appearance in Chase Center with a live audience, the Nets instead will have to rely heavily once again on Kyrie Irving as they attempt to win a second straight on the road.

Durant was dealt by the Warriors to the Nets following the 2019 NBA Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors, having helped the franchise win two titles in three years.

After sitting out the 2019-20 season with an Achilles injury suffered in the Finals, Durant visited San Francisco in February 2021 and saw a video tribute before contributing 20 points to a 134-117 win. But no fans were in attendance because of COVID restrictions.

The Warriors had the video queued for the fans last January, but Durant didn’t make that trip, out with a strained left knee.

The 34-year-old has already been ruled out of Sunday’s game, which will be his sixth straight absence due to a right MCL strain that’s expected to keep him sidelined at least two more weeks.

Brooklyn lost its first four games after Durant suffered the injury Jan. 8 at Miami, then finally got into the win column with a 117-106 triumph at Utah on Friday night. Irving exploded for 48 points in the win.

Seth Curry was among three of Irving’s supporting cast who scored in double figures, chipping in with 10 off the bench on the eve of a matchup with his brother, Warriors star Stephen Curry.

Irving noted Friday’s win might not have occurred without a key late 3-pointer by his sharpshooting teammate.

If the matchup comes off, Seth’s older brother Stephen will enter Sunday’s 13th reunion with a significant advantage in points per game (26.1-10.1) and team wins (9-3) in their previous career head-to-heads.

The Golden State standout did not play when the clubs met in Brooklyn in December, a game in which the Warriors also held out Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson on the final day of an Eastern trip. Durant had 23 points and Seth Curry 12 in a 143-113 blowout in which Irving also was sidelined.

The Warriors had a similar “throwaway” game at the end of a trip Friday, but that one had a surprising outcome as eight players contributed 3-pointers to a shocking 120-114 win at Cleveland that Curry, Wiggins, Thompson and Draymond Green all watched.

Jordan Poole led the way with 32 points, but the unexpected contributions of Ty Jerome (22 points), Donte DiVincenzo (17) and Anthony Lamb (four 3-pointers) — as well as the timely returns of JaMychal Green (13 points) and Jonathan Kuminga (10) — allowed the Warriors to cap a 3-2 trip.

Having missed 14 straight games with an illness and then a leg infection, JaMychal Green credited Kerr for some simple advice before the game.

Stephen Curry, Wiggins, Thompson and Draymond Green are all expected back for Sunday’s game.

NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (22-24) at Denver Nuggets (33-13)

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NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (22-24) at Denver Nuggets (33-13)

The Oklahoma City Thunder have surprised this season despite not having rookie Chet Holmgren available, working their way into the playoff hunt with some impressive victories.

One team they haven’t solved is Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets, who have won the first three meetings between the teams and will go for the season sweep when they host the Thunder on Sunday night.

Holmgren, the 7-footer who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft, went down with a foot injury over the summer and had season-ending surgery. The Thunder have found their way behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who leads the team in scoring at 30.6 points a game. He had 37 in a 118-113 loss at Sacramento on Friday that snapped a four-game winning streak.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging nearly twice as many points as the Thunder’s second-leading scorer, Josh Giddy, who is at 16.0 per game. Gilgeous-Alexander has been solid against Denver this year, averaging 32.0 points and 7.0 assists in the three games.

Oklahoma City nearly took the last meeting between the teams on Nov. 23, but the Nuggets rallied from 15 down in the fourth quarter and won 131-126 in overtime. Nikola Jokic had 39 points in that game without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. available.

Friday was the Nuggets’ third game without head coach Michael Malone, who was placed in health and safety protocol on Tuesday.

Murray and Porter are back healthy while Jokic sat out Friday’s 134-111 win over Indiana with left hamstring tightness as the Nuggets extended their winning streak to nine games.

Even if Jokic does sit out Sunday, the Thunder will have a tough time slowing down the streaking Nuggets, who also have won 16 in a row at home. Murray was the star Friday night when he notched his first career triple-double — 17 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds — while Denver got contributions throughout the lineup.

Aaron Gordon had a game-high 28 points and continued his strong season.

The Nuggets hope Malone and Jokic can return, if not Sunday then on the upcoming three-game road trip through New Orleans, Milwaukee and Philadelphia.

NBA Preview: New Orleans Pelicans (26-20) at Miami Heat (25-22)

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NBA Preview: New Orleans Pelicans (26-20) at Miami Heat (25-22)

If there is a bright spot to the Miami Heat’s uneven and unpredictable season, it’s the play of reserve guard Victor Oladipo.

The Heat, who will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday afternoon, are thrilled that Oladipo finally seems healthy. The last time he played even half a season was in 2017-18, when he was a first-time All-Star.

Since then, he has not played more than 36 games in any of the following four seasons.

However, in Miami’s 115-90 loss to Dallas on Friday night, Oladipo scored a team-high 20 points making 9 of 12 shot attempts, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Despite the disappointing loss to Dallas, Miami is a solid 9-5 over its past 14 games. The Heat haven’t lost consecutive games since dropping two straight one month ago (Dec. 20-23).

The biggest concern going forward may be the way Dallas took Heat star Jimmy Butler out of the game on Friday, double-teaming him repeatedly. That strategy could be a road map for the Pelicans and other teams against Miami.

Butler, who leads Miami in scoring (21.7 points per game), was held to 12 points against Dallas. He didn’t take many shots (3 of 7) and never got in the flow.

Miami’s other key players are Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Adebayo is averaging 21.5 points and leads Miami in rebounding (10.1). Herro, who turned 23 on Friday, is averaging 20.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists.

Meanwhile, the Pelicans have lost three straight. That includes their worst loss of the season by margin, falling to the visiting Heat 124-98 on Wednesday.

The Pelicans now get a chance at a rematch. However, New Orleans is missing its top two players — Zion Williamson (right hamstring) and Brandon Ingram (left toe) due to injuries. When healthy, that duo combines to average 46.8 points per game.

New Orleans is 7-7 when missing both stars, and that includes a 2-6 mark in its past eight games without that pair.

Pelicans fans have voiced frustration with Williamson, who missed all of last season due to a foot injury. This season, he has played just 29 games.

The frustration over Ingram is similar as he has played just 15 games this season.

Pelicans guard CJ McCollum has picked up the slack, averaging 21.3 points and a team-high 5.8 assists. He is lethal in the mid-range game.

Defensively, the Pelicans are powered by 6-foot-8 small forward Herbert Jones and 6-foot guard Jose Alvarado. Jones leads the team with 1.5 steals per game, slightly ahead of Alvarado (1.2).

In New Orleans’ 123-110 loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday, Jones returned after missing four games due to a back bruise. He finished with 10 points in 19 minutes.

McCollum led New Orleans with 23 points but made just 2 of 11 on 3-pointers.

Jonas Valanciunas added 20 points and 10 rebounds and Trey Murphy III added 18 points, although he was not pleased with the Pelicans’ defense.

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

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

The Los Angeles Clippers’ injury-plagued season has been marked by constant lineup adjustments and inconsistent play, but there are promising signs ahead.

The Clippers look to build on their best-shooting game of the season when they continue their four-game road trip against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

Despite its .500 record, Los Angeles remains a viable title contender thanks to stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. When the pair is on the court together, the Clippers are as dangerous as any team in the league. The problem has been keeping them both on the floor.

Los Angeles has struggled to build momentum with Leonard and George missing a combined 41 games due to injury or illness. Friday was just the third game the duo played together this month.

Not surprisingly, the Clippers looked like a different team with both stars in the lineup. Leonard led the way with a season-high 36 points in Friday’s 131-126 win over the San Antonio Spurs. The five-time All-Star also contributed seven assists, four rebounds and two steals.

George added 16 points and 12 assists for the Clippers, who shot 63 percent from the field and 53.6 percent from 3-point range.

The Clippers had lost nine of 11 entering Friday’s contest, but coach Tyronn Lue said the victory over the Spurs could signal a new beginning.

Los Angeles is looking for its second straight victory over Dallas after winning 113-101 at home on Jan. 11. The Clippers won despite another stellar performance by Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who had 43 points and 11 rebounds.

The game marked the ninth time in 27 regular-season and playoff games that Doncic has scored 40 points against the Clippers.

Dallas snapped a three-game losing streak with a 115-90 victory over the Miami Heat on Friday. Doncic had 34 points and 12 rebounds, Spencer Dinwiddie added 19 and Reggie Bullock scored 15 on 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.

Bullock has struggled from 3-point range for much of the season but is 19 of 29 (66 percent) over his past four games.

Bullock’s scoring will be needed without Christian Wood, who is averaging 18.4 points but will miss multiple games with a broken left thumb.

The Mavericks turned in an improved defensive effort against Miami after coach Jason Kidd criticized their effort in a 130-122 loss on Wednesday.

The Mavericks also received a spark against Miami from two players who recently rejoined the lineup. Dorian Finney-Smith scored 10 points in his second game after missing 14 with a right adductor strain.

Josh Green played his second game after missing 20 with a right elbow sprain. He finished with 12 points off the bench.

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