Monday, May 4, 2026
Jackery Solar Battery Portable Generator
Home Blog Page 3113

NHL Preview: Florida Panthers (21-20-5) at Montreal Canadiens (19-23-3)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Florida Panthers (21-20-5) at Montreal Canadiens (19-23-3)

FLORIDA PANTHERS NOTES:

BAPTIST HEALTH INJURY REPORT

  • F Anthony Duclair | Games Missed: 46
  • F Patric Hornqvist | Games Missed: 21
  • G Spencer Knight | Games Missed: 5
    Total Man Games Lost Due to Injury: 137

LAST GAME
Panthers 4, Maple Leafs 5 [OT] – Jan. 17 – Scotiabank Arena
FLA Goals: Verhaeghe (21), Lundell (6-SHG), Mahura (4), Barkov (12-PPG)
TOR Goals: Hunt (3), Kerfoot (7-SHG), Matthews (22-PPG), Nylander (23, 24-OT)
FLA Goalie: Bobrovsky (OTL) – 32 Saves
TOR Goalie: Samsonov (W) – 11 Saves | Murray – 4 Saves
FLA Shots: 19
TOR Shots: 37
Notes: Aleksander Barkov recorded two points (1-1-2), extending his point streak to a season-long five games (3-4-7)…Carter Verhaeghe tallied his team-leading 17th even-strength goal, his second goal in as many games (2-1-3 in 2GP)…Anton Lundell scored his second shorthanded goal of the season, his second goal over his past two games (2-0-2)…Sam Reinhart notched an assist for his fifth point in as many games (1-4-5)…Brandon Montour logged an assist, extending his point streak to three games (1-2-3)…Radko Gudas logged a season-high nine hits…Sergei Bobrovsky stopped TOR’s W. Nylander on a penalty shot…FLA PP: 1-3, FLA PK: 5-7

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

  • Jan. 16: F Grigori Denisenko recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
  • Jan. 15: F Zac Dalpe loaned to Charlotte (AHL)

PANTHERS vs. CANADIENS
ALL-TIME vs. MTL: 52-38-6-11
ALL-TIME ROAD vs. MTL: 23-19-3-6
2022-23 vs. MTL: 1-0-0

CATS STATS

  • The Panthers lead the NHL in goals by defensemen (28), ranking fourth in points by blueliners (111).
  • Sergei Bobrovsky is 3/3 on penalty shots in his career with the Panthers.
  • Aleksander Barkov has amassed 36 points (22-14-26) over 28 career games against the Canadiens.

MONTREAL CANADIENS NOTES:

À SURVEILLER CE SOIR / KEEP AN EYE ON…

  • Les Canadiens et les Panthers s’affrontent ce soir pour la 108e fois en saison régulière. Ces deux clubs ne se sont jamais affrontés en séries.
  • The Canadiens and Panthers are facing each other for the 108th time in regular season. Those two opponents have never faced each other in the playoffs.

DERNIER MATCH / LAST GAME – MTL 4 VS. WPG 1 (@ CENTRE BELL)
Buts MTL Goals – Dadonov, Hoffman, Dadonov, Anderson
Buts WPG Goals – Connor (AN/PP)
Gardien MTL Goalie – Montembeault (25-26)
Gardien WPG Goalie – Hellebuyck (24-28)
Avantage numérique MTL Powerplay – 0/3
Avantage numérique WPG Powerplay – 1/2
Meneurs MTL Leaders – TOI (Savard – 22:11) ; S (Dadonov – 6) ; HT (Pezzetta – 11) ; BS (Edmundson – 4)

MATCHS À VENIR / UPCOMING GAMES
21 JAN. VS. TORONTO 19 h / 7 p.m.
24 JAN. VS. BOSTON 19 h / 7 p.m.
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.

RAPPORT MÉDICAL DE LA SAISON / SEASON INJURY REPORT
Joueur
Player
Date Blessure
Injury
Matchs ratés
Games lost
Retour
Return
C. Price – Genou / Knee 45 –
P. Byron – Hanche / Hip 45 –
M. Matheson – Bas du corps / Lower-body 14 –
B. Gallagher – Bas du corps / Lower-body 7 –
K. Guhle – Bas du corps / Lower-body 9 –
S. Monahan – Bas du corps / Lower-body 20 –

RÉAFFECTATIONS, SIGNATURES ET TRANSACTIONS / ROSTER MOVES, SIGNINGS AND TRANSACTIONS
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)
Les Canadiens ont rappelé le défenseur Justin Barron du Rocket de Laval (27/12)
The Canadiens have recalled defenseman Justin Barron from the Laval Rocket (12/27)

STATISTIQUES D’ÉQUIPE / TEAM STATISTICS – AVANT LES MATCHS DU 18/01 – BEFORE GAMES ON 01/18
PTS (41 – 26e/26th)
V/W (19 – 24e/24th)
BP/GF (116 – 29e/29th)
BC/GA (163 – 28e/28th)
Tirs-PM/Shots-PG (28.0 – 30e/30th)
Tirs accordés-PM/Shots allowed-PG (33.8 – 28e/28th)
MÉ/Hits (847 – 28e/28th)
MP/PIM (554 – 1er/1st)
AN/PP (15.9% – 31e/31st)
DN/PK (74.8% – 23e/23rd)

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 3-6-0 6 18 36
Centrale 7-5-2 16 44 45
Métropolitaine 5-6-0 10 28 41
Pacifique 4-6-1 9 30 41
Total 19-23-3 41 120 163
*Inclut les buts en fusillade / Includes the shootout goals

CANADIENS VS. FLORIDE
À vie / All-Time

CANADIENS vs. FLA 49-47-6-5 (107 PJ / GP)
Dom. / Home 25-18-3-5 (51 PJ / GP)
Étr. / Away 24-29-3-0 (56 PJ / GP)
Dern. Match / Last game:
D 7-2 L @ FLA (29/12/22)
S. Montembeault 7-41 | S. Bobrovsky 2-27
BG / WG: A. Barkov

10 DERNIERS MATCHS CONTRE FLORIDE / LAST 10 GAMES VS. FLORIDA:
29/12/22 – MTL 2 @ FLA 7
29/04/22 – FLA 2 @ MTL 10
29/03/22 – MTL 4 @ FLA 7
21/03/22 – FLA 4 @ MTL 3
01/01/22 – MTL 2 @ FLA 5
07/03/20 – MTL 1 @ FLA 4
01/02/20 – FLA 0 @ MTL 4
29/12/19 – MTL 5 @ FLA 6
26/03/19 – FLA 1 @ MTL 6
17/02/19 – MTL 3 @ FLA 6

CETTE SAISON CONTRE FLORIDE / THIS SEASON VS. FLORIDA
Match #1: 29/12/2022 @ FLA – D/L 7-2
Match #2: 19/01/2023 @ MTL
Match #3: 16/03/2023 @ FLA
Match #4: 30/03/2023 @ MTL

NHL Preview: Chicago Blackhawks (12-26-4) at Philadelphia Flyers (19-19-7)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Chicago Blackhawks (12-26-4) at Philadelphia Flyers (19-19-7)

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS NOTES:

TONIGHT’S BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: NBCSCH – Chris Vosters (PxP), Troy Murray (analyst)
RADIO: WGN-AM 720 – John Wiedeman (PxP) and Caley Chelios (analyst)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Saturday, Jan. 21 at STL, 7:00p.m. CT (NBCSCH, WGN Radio)
Sunday, Jan. 22 vs. LAK, 6:00 p.m. CT (NBCSCH, WGN Radio, Univision (Spanish))
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)

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 (4) vs. Buffalo (3) OT – Tues., Jan. 17 – United Center
CHI Goals: Murphy (4), Kurashev (6), S. Jones (3), S. Jones (4)
BUF Goals: Olofsson (18), Thompson (32), Krebs (4, SH)
Goalies: CHI – Mrazek (30/33, 61:43) BUF – Anderson (22/26, 62:24)
CHI PP: 0/1; PK: 2/2
BUF PP: 0/2; PK: 1/1
Recap: The Blackhawks posted a 4-3 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night … Chicago has now posted wins in four of the last five games (4-1-0) … The Blackhawks were 0-for-1 on the power play and a perfect 2-for-2 on the penalty kill, marking the third-straight game the team has not allowed a power play goal against … Seth Jones logged three points (2G, 1A), including the gamewinning goal in overtime … Philipp Kurashev also posted three points (1G, 2A) on Tuesday, establishing a new career high … Tyler Johnson recorded two assists against the Sabres for his third multi-point game of the season … Connor Murphy lit the lamp and led all skaters with four blocked shots in Tuesday’s contest.

TONIGHT’S OPPONENT – PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Chicago kicks off a two-game road trip on Thursday as the team travels to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers …The Blackhawks went 1-1-0 against the Flyers in 2021-22, including a 0-1-0 mark on the road … Jonathan Toews led the Blackhawks with three points (1G, 2A) against Philadelphia last season and comes into Thursday’s contest having earned points in each of his last two and three of his last four games (1G, 3A) against them … Patrick Kane has notched assists (2A) in back-to-back games against the Flyers and has logged 12 points (2G, 10A) in his last 11 games against them … Seth Jones has scored four goals and has six points (4G, 2A) in his last eight games against Philadelphia, while he’s logged seven points (3G, 4A) in his last eight road games against them … Tyler Johnson leads all current Blackhawks with seven goals and shares first with 19 points (7G, 12A) in 23 career games against the Flyers.

2022-23 Schedule/Results: HOME: April 13 | AWAY: Jan. 19
All-Time Record: 48-65-31 | Home: 32-20-19 | Road: 16-45-12
Last Home Win: April 25, 2022 (3-1) | Last Road Win: Nov. 9, 1996 (4-1) | Last Home Loss: Oct. 24, 2019
(1-4) | Last Road Loss: March 5, 2022 (3-4)

ACTIVE BLACKHAWKS VS. PHI ALL-TIME
GOALS: Tyler Johnson, 7; Seth Jones, 6; Patrick Kane, 5
ASSISTS: Patrick Kane, 14; Tyler Johnson, 12; Jack Johnson, 8
POINTS: Tyler Johnson, 19; Patrick Kane, 19; Seth Jones, 13

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS NOTES:

UPCOMING GAMES
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME BROADCAST INFO.
Sat., Jan. 21 Detroit Red Wings Little Caesars Arena 7 p.m. NBCSP, 93.3 WMMR
Sun., Jan. 22 Winnipeg Jets Wells Fargo Center 7 p.m. NBCSP, 97.5 The Fanatic
Tue., Jan. 24 Los Angeles Kings Wells Fargo Center 7 p.m. NBCSP, 97.5 The Fanatic

CURRENT INJURIES
PLAYER INJURY DATES GAMES MISSED
Cam Atkinson IR-upper body 9/25-present 45
Sean Couturier IR-back 9/19-present 45
Ryan Ellis LTIR-groin/hip/back 10/11-present 45
Tanner Laczynski IR-lower body 12/7-present 19
2022-23 TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 245

FLYERS VS. BLACKHAWKS: HEAD-TO-HEAD
FLYERS BLACKHAWKS
66-48-30 ALL-TIME RECORD 48-65-31
46-16-11 HOME 32-20-19
20-32-19 ROAD 16-45-12
4-1-0 LAST 5 MEETINGS 1-4-0
7-3-0 LAST 10 MEETINGS 3-7-0
440 GOALS SCORED 420
24.2% POWER PLAY 28.6%
71.4% PENALTY KILL 75.8%
van Riemsdyk: 9 pts (7-2=9) in 15 GP
Hayes: 8 pts (5-3=8) in 14 GP
Braun: 8 pts (2-6=8) in 24 GP
TEAM SCORING LEADERS Kane: 19 pts (5-14=19) in 19 GP
T. Johnson: 19 pts (7-12=19) in 23 GP
Jones: 13 pts (6-7=13) in 22 GP
Hart: 2-0-0, 2.00 GAA, .944 SV% in 2 GP
Ersson: Has not faced CHI
TEAM GOALTENDERS Mrazek: 2-3-0, 3.10 GAA, .906 SV% in 8 GP
Stalock: 3-0-0, 2.20 GAA, .896 SV% in 5 GP

TEAM NOTES
QUICK HITS

  • Philadelphia is 8-2-0 in their last 10 games, outscoring their opponents, 37-26, and outshooting their opponents, 319-297, since Dec. 29. The Flyers rank T-1st in the NHL in wins and sixth in goals in that span.
  • The Flyers have earned points in 13 of its last 20 games (11-7-2), including a season-high four-game win streak, Dec. 29-Jan. 5.
  • Philadelphia has allowed the opposing team to score first in 29 of its 45 games this season. Philadelphia ranks T-3rd in the NHL with 11 wins when trailing first in a game. The Flyers have scored first in five of their last eight games, ranking T-1st in the NHL in wins when scoring first since Jan. 2.
  • Philadelphia set a season-high 41 shots Dec. 11 at ARI and have outshot their opponents in 13 of the last 23 games, posting an 8-4-1 record in those 13 contests.
  • The Flyers recorded a franchise-best 59 hits Nov. 12 vs. OTT. The 59 hits are tied for the ninth-most in a regular season game in NHL history.
  • Philadelphia leads the NHL with 1,313 hits and ranks second with 772 blocked shots.

VS. THE WEST

  • The Flyers play a Western Conference opponent in six of its seven contests from Jan. 17-28 and eight times during the month of January.
  • Philadelphia is on a five-game win streak against a Western Conference opponent, 6-1-2 in its last nine contests and 9-4-2 on the season.
  • The Flyers are 4-1-2 against the West on the road and 5-3-0 against the West on home ice this season.
  • Philadelphia swept the California road trip, Dec. 29-Jan. 2, for the first time in franchise history.

NHL Preview: Boston Bruins (35-5-4) at New York Rangers (25-13-7)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Boston Bruins (35-5-4) at New York Rangers (25-13-7)

BOSTON BRUINS NOTES:

TONIGHT’S GAME

  • The Bruins visit the Rangers tonight in the 2nd of 3 games between these teams this season and the 2nd of 2 visits to Madison Square Garden.
  • They are the NHL’s only 30-win team this season at 35-5-4 overall and are 14-4-1 on the road … They are 20-3-2 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.
  • The Bruins play their 7th of 14 sets of back-to-back games this season (4-1 win on 1/18) and 1/19 at NY Rangers … They are currently 6-0-1 in the 1st game of those sets and are 5-1-0 in the 2nd games so far.
  • The Bruins conclude a 2-game trip at the NY Rangers on 1/19 …They will then return to Boston to host San Jose on 1/22.

RECENT GAMES:

  • The Bruins have won their last 3 games with a 4-3 win vs Toronto, 6-0 win vs Philadelphia and 4-1 victory at NY Islanders … They are 14-1-3 in their last 18 games and are 18-2-4 in their last 24 contests.
  • They are 7-0-1 in their last 8 road games.
  • The Bruins are 21-1-3 in their last 25 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 vs Toronto 3 … The Bruins got goals from Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, A.J. Greer and Matt Grzelcyk (GWG at 18:44 of 3rd period) … Linus Ullmark earned the win in goal … SOG: Bos 34, Tor 21 … PP: 0/2 … PK: 1/2
  • Boston 6 vs Philadelphia 0 … David Krejci had 3A while playing his 1,000th NHL game with linemates Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak having 2-1=3 totals each, Brad Marchand and Matt Grzelcyk had 1-1=2 totals each and Charlie McAvoy added 2A … Jeremy Swayman had his 1st shutout of the season and the 6th of his career … SOG: Bos 29, Phi 29 … PP: 1/2 … PK: 0/6
  • 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

INJURIES (Total man-games lost in 2022-23: 47)

  • Jake DeBrusk: Hand and lower body injuries, IR

BOSTON vs NY RANGERS, LIFETIME SERIES

  • The Bruins and Rangers are meeting for the 665th time in their histories with the Bruins having a 303-252-97-12 record and 2,084-1,925 scoring advantage in those games.
  • The Bruins are 128-146-55-5 lifetime in New York with the Rangers having a 1,014-934 scoring edge in those 334 contests.
  • The Bruins won the 1st game of this season’s series with a 5-2 win in New York on 11/3.

FUN FACTS

  • The Bruins currently have 23 players on their roster … 11 were drafted by the team, 4 were acquired in trade and 8 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 5-1-0 in the 2nd games so far.
  • The Bruins are playing game 9 of their 14-game January schedule tonight (5 hm/9 rd, 7-1-0) … 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.

NEW YORK RANGERS NOTES:

LAST GAME
New York Rangers 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 1 – January 16, 2023 – Nationwide Arena
NYR Goals: M. Zibanejad (20), B. Goodrow (9), V. Kravtsov (3)
CBJ Goals: A. Peeke (4)
NYR Goalie: J. Halak (W – 24/25)
CBJ Goalie: E. Merzlikins (L – 30/33)
NYR Shots: 33
CBJ Shots: 25
NYR PP: 1/5
NYR PK: 4/4

RECAP/NOTES: The Rangers defeated the Blue Jackets in the second half of the back-to-back, earning their 25th win of the season. On the road, the Rangers have now earned a point in nine of their last 10 contests (7-1-2) and 16 of their last 19 games (13-3-3) away from home. Vincent Trocheck skated in his 600th career game in the win. The only players on the Rangers’ current roster to have played in more career contests are Mika Zibanejad (730 GP), Chris Kreider (696 GP) and Jacob Trouba (642 GP).

RANGERS RUNDOWN

  • The New York Rangers return to Madison Square Garden for a meeting against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night (7:00 PM ET – TV: MSG Network – Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). The Rangers will play three of their next four games at home before the All-Star Break and six of their next seven contests at MSG.
  • The Blueshirts have won three of their last four, six of their last eight games and have earned points in eight of their last nine games (6-1-2). Dating back to November 30, Rangers have points in 18 of their last 22 contests (15-4-3).
  • At home, New York has won seven of its last nine games dating back to December 5. In that span, the Rangers’ .778 point percentage at home ranks third in the league.
  • The Blueshirts have won four of their last seven games against the Bruins and have played more regular season games (664) and have earned more regular season wins (264) against the Bruins than against any other opponent in their 96-season history.
  • New York ranks tied for third in goals against per game with a 2.62 mark and has allowed a combined four goals in its last three games (1G – 2x, 2G – 1x).
  • The Blueshirts have recorded the eighth most (tied) shots per game (32.9) and have allowed the eighth fewest shots per game (29.2) in the NHL.
  • The Rangers defensemen group has collected 112 points, the third most in the NHL and 88 assists, tied for the third most. 28.7 percent of all Rangers points this season have been contributed to a defenseman. With K’Andre Miller and Adam Fox having 25-plus points, the Rangers are one of three teams in the NHL (TBL, FLA) with multiple defensemen with 25 or more points.
  • New York’s 12 comeback victories are tied for the sixth most in the NHL and its five third-period comebacks are tied for the fifth most in the NHL.
  • The Rangers are 10-1 in games decided by two goals, the second most such wins the league.

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES ET)
DATE/TIME OPPONENT/LOCATION TV RADIO
Jan. 23/7:00 PM Florida/MSG MSG Network ESPN 98.7 FM
Jan. 25/7:00 PM Toronto/Scotiabank Arena TNT ESPN 98.7 FM
Jan. 27/7:00 PM Vegas/MSG MSG Network ESPN 98.7 FM
Feb. 6/7:30 PM Calgary/MSG MSG Network TBD
Feb. 8/7:30 PM Vancouver/MSG MSG Network TBD

LAST FIVE GAMES
DATE OPPONENT RESULT
Jan. 16 at Columbus W, 3-1
Jan. 15 Montreal L, 2-1
Jan. 12 Dallas OTW, 2-1
Jan. 10 Minnesota SOW, 4-3
Jan. 7 at New Jersey OTL, 4-3

INJURIES (30 MGL)
PLAYER INJURY DATES MISSED CONS. GAMES MISSED
Chris Kreider Upper Body Jan. 12-16 3
Julien Gauthier Upper Body Jan. 15-16 2

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
January 17 – Ryan Carpenter re-assigned to Hartford.
January 15 – Ryan Carpenter recalled from Hartford. Julien Gauthier placed on IR.

ALL-TIME RECORD 264-299-97-4 (629 PTS)
2022-23 0-1-0
2021-22 2-1-0
NYR HOME 151-127-55-1 (358 PTS)
NYR AWAY 113-172-42-3 (271 PTS)
LAST FIVE MEETINGS 3-2-0
LEADING SCORER(S) – CURRENT RANGERS IN CAREER G: Zibanejad (15) – A: Panarin (11) – Pts: Zibanejad (23)
LEADING SCORER(S) – ALL-TIME IN GAMES W/NYR G: Bathgate (64) – A: Bathgate (116) – Pts: Bathgate (180)

SPECIAL TEAMS

  • New York has allowed the fifth fewest PIM/GP with a 7.6 mark.
  • The Rangers’ plus-33:07 special teams time differential is the fifth highest clip in the NHL.
  • The Blueshirts have scored seven power play goals in their last eight games.
  • The Rangers have scored multiple power play goals in seven games this year.

NHL Preview: Anaheim Ducks (12-28-5) at Columbus Blue Jackets (13-29-2)

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Preview: Anaheim Ducks (12-28-5) at Columbus Blue Jackets (13-29-2)

ANAHEIM DUCKS NOTES:

LAST ANAHEIM DUCKS GAME
JAN. 17, 2023 – ANAHEIM 2 @ PHILADELPHIA 5
The Ducks dropped a 5-2 contest Tuesday night in the second half of a back-to-back matchup at Philadelphia. Adam Henrique scored for the third straight game (3-1=4), marking his team-leading 15th goal. Trevor Zegras record an assist on the goal to push his point streak to three games (2-2=4) and John Klingberg added a point (assist) for the second straight game (1-1=2). Frank Vatrano tipped a Kevin Shattenkirk point shot on the power play for his seventh goal of the campaign, and Ryan Strome added the secondary helper, his second assist in as many games (0-2=2). Anthony Stolarz made 34 saves. Simon Benoit appeared I his 100th NHL game.
PP: 1-3 PK: 4-5 SF: 27 SA: 39 TOI: Cam Fowler (21:39)
Three Stars: 1. K. Hayes 2. R. Ristolainen 3. M. Frost

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (PT) TV / AUDIO
Jan. 21 Buffalo KeyBank Center 9:30 a.m. BSSC / Ducks Stream
Jan. 24 Arizona Mullet Arena 6 p.m. BSSC / Ducks Stream
Jan. 26 Colorado Ball Arena 6 p.m. BSSC / Ducks Stream
Jan. 28 Arizona Honda Center 7:30 p.m. BSW / Ducks Stream
Feb. 6 Dallas American Airlines Center 5:30 p.m. BSW / Ducks Stream

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
Jan. 1 Reassigned G Lukas Dostal to San Diego (AHL). Activated G Anthony Stolarz from Injured Reserve (IR).
Jan. 2 Recalled D Colton White from a Conditioning Loan in San Diego (AHL).
Jan. 5 Assigned D Nathan Beaulieu to San Diego (AHL) on a Conditioning Loan.
Jan. 10 Placed C Justin Kirkland on Injured Reserve (IR).
Jan. 11 Activated LW Max Jones from Injured Reserve (IR).
Jan. 15 Recalled D Nathan Beaulieu from a Conditioning Loan in San Diego (AHL).

ANAHEIM DUCKS INJURIES
Man-Games Lost: 236

PLAYER INJURY/ILLNESS EXPECTED ABSENCE GAMES MISSED
John Moore Upper-body Indefinite 45
Jamie Drysdale Torn labrum (shoulder) 4-6 months 37
Isac Lundestrom Broken finger 6 weeks 21
Derek Grant Lower-body Day-to-day 20
Justin Kirkland Car accident Day-to-day 5

ANAHEIM DUCKS NOTES
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Anaheim Ducks hit the midway point of a season-long six game road trip tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide (4 p.m. PT, TV: Bally Sports SoCal AUDIO: Ducks Stream). The Ducks enter tonight’s contest having killed 34 of the last 40 penalties (85.0%) dating to Dec. 21 (spanning 12 games), fifth among Western Conference teams. The power play has tallied goals in four of the last five games (4-of-16), clicking at 25% in that span. Anaheim is in the midst of a 13-game January schedule (2-5-1), consisting of seven home and six road contests. All-time, Anaheim is 164-145-38 in the month of January. Since the start of 2013-14, Anaheim is 60-44-10 in January, picking up points in 70 of the 113 contests (.619%). Following tonight’s game, the Ducks will start the back half of the road trip when they face the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Arena on Friday, Jan. 21 (4 p.m. PT). The road trip also includes visits to Arizona (Tuesday, Jan. 24, 6 p.m. PT) and Colorado (Thursday, Jan. 26, 6 p.m. PT).

DUCKS-BLUE JACKETS: Anaheim and Columbus begin a two-game season series tonight at Nationwide Arena. The Ducks have earned points in seven of their past 10 games against the Blue Jackets dating to 2016-17 (6-3-1) while the Anaheim has earned points in eight of their last 10 contests at Nationwide Arena dating to 2011-12 (5-2-3). All-time, the Ducks own a 32-22-9 record vs. the Blue Jackets, including a 15-12-4 mark in Columbus. In the 2021-22 season series, the Ducks swept the two-game set, earning a 2-1 SO win Dec. 9 in Columbus and a 6-4 win Apr. 17 in Orange County. John Gibson has posted a 6-3-1 record with a 2.52 GAA and a .914 SV% in 10 career appearances vs. Columbus. Trevor Zegras (1-1=2 in 2 GP) and Troy Terry (2-1=3 in 3 GP) are each averaging a point per game against the Blue Jackets to begin their careers. Kevin Shattenkirk (5-17=22 in 33 GP) leads active Ducks skaters in career scoring and assists vs. the Blue Jackets, and Cam Fowler (9-9=18 in 22 GP) leads active Ducks in career goals. These two teams will conclude the season series Mar. 17 at Honda Center (7 p.m. PT).

ANA-CBJ SEASON SERIES:
DATE LOCATION TIME / RESULT TV / AUDIO
Jan. 19 Nationwide Arena 4 p.m. PT Bally Sports SoCal / Ducks Stream
Mar. 17 Honda Center 7 p.m. PT Bally Sports SoCal / Ducks Stream

ANA-CBJ ALL-TIME SERIES:
Overall @ Anaheim @ Columbus
All-Time Series: 32-22-9 17-10-5 15-12-4
Current Streak: Two ANA wins One ANA win Three ANA wins
Last ANA Win: Apr. 17, 2022 (6-4) Apr. 17, 2022 (6-4) Dec. 9, 2021 (2-1 SO)
Last CBJ Win: Jan. 7, 2020 (4-3) Jan. 7, 2020 (4-3) Dec. 1, 2017 (4-2)
ANA Last 10: 6-3-1 6-3-1 5-2-3

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS NOTES:

Jan. 19, 2023 Game No. 45 (13-29-2, 28 pts.)
vs. Anaheim Ducks (12-28-5, 29 pts.), Nationwide Arena Home Game No. 26 (10-14-1, 21 pts.)
The Blue Jackets Press Box website, which includes game notes, stats, releases and video/audio clips as well as the 2022-23 Media Guide can be accessed at bluejackets.com/pressbox. Follow @BlueJacketsPR on Twitter for comprehensive information and updates on the team.

THE LAST GAME: JAN. 17, 2023 – CBJ 1 at NSH 2
CBJ Goal Scorers: Nyquist (9)
NSH Goal Scorers: Glass (5), Trenin (6)
Goalies: CBJ – Tarasov (26/28; 59:09); NSH – Lankinen (39/40; 60:00)
CBJ PP: 0/3; PK: 3/3 | Shots: CBJ: 40 / NSH: 28
3 Stars: 1. Lankinen, NSH; 2. Glass, NSH; 3. Trenin, NSH
Noteworthy: Teams split season series with home team winning each game… NSH scored the 1st 2 goals of the game (5:42 and 16:55 into 2nd period) with CBJ scoring their lone goal 9:01 into the 3rd… Nyquist scored a goal, giving him points in 2-straight games (1-1-2)…Roslovic tallied his 21st assist of the campaign and now has assists in 3 consecutive contests (0-4-4)… Bemstrom recorded his 7th assist of the season to give him 0-2-2 in the last 3 outings… Laine tied the franchise record with 10 shots on goal (13th time).

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT
Danforth (torn labrum); Placed on Injured Reserve (Oct. 25); 6 months (38 games)
Voracek (concussion); Placed on Injured Reserve (Nov. 4); out indefinitely (33 games)
Werenski (torn labrum); Placed on Injured Reserve (retro to Nov. 10); rest of regular season (31 games)
Bean (shoulder); Placed on IR (retro to Nov. 15); out indefinitely (29 games)
Chinakhov (ankle); Placed on IR (Dec. 20); 4 weeks (13 games)
Meyer (oblique strain); Placed on IR (Jan. 11); 6-8 weeks (4 games)
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 297

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Jan. 14 Activated Jenner, Robinson and Tarasov off Injured Reserve and assigned Bjork to Cleveland (AHL)
Jan. 13 Assigned Greaves and Fix-Wolansky to Cleveland (AHL)
Jan. 12 Activated Blankenburg off Injured Reserve, placed Robinson on Injured Reserve retroactive to Jan. 3 and added Greaves to the roster on emergency recall from Cleveland (AHL)
Jan. 11 Placed Meyer on Injured Reserve and added Fix-Wolansky to roster on emergency recall from Cleveland (AHL)
Jan. 11 Assigned Greaves to Cleveland (AHL)
Jan. 10 Placed Tarasov on IR retroactive on Dec. 30 and added Greaves to roster on emergency recall from Cleveland (AHL)

TONIGHT’S GAME BROADCAST INFO
7pm ET | Bally Sports Ohio | 97.1 The Fan

AGAINST THE DUCKS
2022-23 Series: 0-0-0 (0-0-0 vs. ANA)
2021-22 Series: 0-1-1 (0-0-1 vs. ANA)
All-Time Series: 30-26-1-5 (16-12-0-3 vs. ANA)
Last 10 (Overall | Home): 4-3-3 | 5-3-2
All-Time GF/GA: 166/175
All-Time SF/SA: 1,805/1,998
All-Time PP: 49-of-292
All-Time PK: 208-of-254

THE LAST GAME VS. ANA: APR. 17, 2022 – CBJ 4 at ANA 6
CBJ Goal Scorers: Bean (6), Bean (7), Kuraly (14), Sillinger (14)
ANA Goal Scorers: Terry (35), Terry (36), Mayhew (9), Zegras (21), Fowler (9), EN – Grant (15)
Goalies: CBJ – Berube (26/31; 59:07); ANA – Gibson (31/35; 60:00)
CBJ PP: 0/2; PK: 1/1 | Shots: CBJ: 35 / ANA: 32
3 Stars: 1. Terry, ANA; 2. Getzlaf, ANA; 3. Fowler, ANA
Noteworthy: CBJ fell in both games of season series (0-1-1)… CBJ tied game at 1 before trailing 3-1 after the 1st and tied game at 3 through 40 minutes… Bean recorded 2nd career 2-goal game (11/3/21 at COL)… Kuraly (goal) has points in his last 4 GP (3-2-5)…Nyquist tallied an assist for his 4th-straight game (0-6-6)… Voracek notched his 50th assist of the campaign.

SEASON SERIES LEFT: Mar. 17 at ANA

NOTED (Team Highlights vs. ANA)
CBJ have collected points in 6 of the last 7 games at NWA (4-1-2) but the Ducks have won the last 3 in Ohio (CBJ; 0-1-2) with all 3 victories 2-1 finals… 5 of the last 11 meetings have been decided after regulation with 3 in OT and two in SO… CBJ have killed off all 26 of ANA PP chances in last 11 contests dating back to 2/11/16… The clubs played in 5-straight one-goal games prior to Anaheim’s 6-4 home victory in the most recent meeting on 4/17/22… CBJ own 4 of the 7 shutouts in the series while the ANA have 3 of the 4 hat tricks… Most goals scored vs. ANA: 5 – 2x (MR: 3/24/15)… Most goals allowed vs. ANA: 5 – 3x (MR: 2/12/12).

NOTED (Player Highlights vs. ANA
Boqvist notched his 1st career NHL goal on 11/3/19 at ANA… Laine skated in his 200th career NHL game on 1/13/19 vs. ANA… Roslovic scored his 1st career NHL goal on 1/25/18 at ANA and notched his 1st career NHL hat trick on 2/2/19 vs. ANA.

SCORING NOTABLES vs. ANA
• Gaudreau – 5-22-27 in 29 career GP, including 6 multi-point efforts overall and assists in each of his last 5 contests vs. the club (1-8-9) and 8 of his last 9 (1-11-12)

• Korpisalo – 2-1-1, 2.47 GAA, .906 SV% in 4 career GP, including a 2-1-0 record with a 2.29 GAA in 3 career home games

• Laine – 2-4-6 in 10 career GP, including 1-3-4 in his last 5 appearances against the Ducks

• Merzlikins – 1-0-1, 1.92 GAA, .939 SV% in 2 career GP, including stopping 25-of-26 shots (.962 SV%) in the 2-1 SO loss in the last game at Nationwide Arena on Dec. 9, 2021

• Nyquist – 3-6-9 in 19 career GP, with points in 5 of the last 8 meetings against the Ducks (2-3-5)

• Roslovic – 4-3-7 in 9 career GP, including his 1st career hat trick and 4-point game on Feb. 2, 2019 vs. Anaheim

NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 19, 2023

NHL Editor
-
0
NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 19, 2023

* Steven Stamkos joined the 500-goal club in style, becoming the eighth player in NHL history to score a hat trick and reach the milestone in the same game.

* The Sharks staged their first three-goal comeback win in the regular season in over five years to stun the Stars and force them out of top spot in the Western Conference.

* Thursday’s slate is highlighted by Connor McDavid and the Oilers clashing with the Lightning on ESPN, as well as Ryan Miller having his No. 30 retired by the Sabres.

* The remaining roster players for 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend (2 skaters, 1 goaltender per division), as voted by fans during the 2023 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by Guaranteed Rate, will be announced Thursday during the first intermission of the Lightning-Oilers game on ESPN, as well as on Sportsnet and TVA Sports programming during the same window.
 


STAMKOS JOINS 500-GOAL CLUB AND POSTS HAT TRICK PERFORMANCE
Steven Stamkos joined the 500-goal club in style, scoring his 11th career hat trick while joining Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby as just the third active skater to reach the prestigious milestone. The captain’s three-goal performance helped the Lightning (29-13-1, 59 points) earn their fifth straight win to pull within two points of the idle Maple Leafs (27-11-7, 61 points) for second place in the Atlantic Division.

* Stamkos became the eighth player in NHL history to score a hat trick and reach the 500-goal mark in the same game, joining Mats Sundin (Oct. 14, 2006 w/ TOR), Jaromir Jagr (Feb. 4, 2003 w/ WSH), Brett Hull (Dec. 22, 1996 w/ STL), Mark Messier (Nov. 6, 1995 w/ NYR), Mario Lemieux (Oct. 26, 1995 w/ PIT), Wayne Gretzky (Nov. 22, 1986 w/ EDM) and Jean Beliveau (Feb. 11, 1971 w/ MTL).



* Jon Cooper recorded his 21st win streak of at least five games with the Lightning. He became the 20th head coach in NHL history to achieve at least 21 win streaks of five-plus contests and just the third to do so with one franchise. The others: Glen Sather (23x w/ EDM) and Toe Blake (21x w/ MTL).

SHARKS BITE BACK WITH THREE-GOAL COMEBACK AGAINST CONFERENCE LEADER
The Sharks staged their first three-goal comeback win in the regular season since Dec. 7, 2017 to stun the Stars, who entered the contest as the No. 1-ranked team in the Western Conference. San Jose recorded the 12th three-goal comeback win of the season and became the 11th club to do so (EDM has 2).

* It marked the first time since Feb.1, 2011 that San Jose won in regulation after trailing by three or more goals – and just the fourth time ever that they’ve done so.

* Erik Karlsson (1-3—4) posted his ninth career four-point game – the most among active defensemen and his fifth with San Jose. He accounts for five of the 11 four-point games by defensemen in Sharks history – four of which have come in 2022-23.

*Karlsson (15-47—62 in 46 GP) became the fourth blueliner in NHL history to hit 60 points in 46 games or fewer in a season, following Bobby Orr (6x; fastest: 32 GP in 1974-75), Paul Coffey (5x; fastest: 39 GP in 1988-89 & 1985-86) and Denis Potvin (2x; fastest: 44 GP in 1975-76).


TKACHUK, McAVOY LEAD TEAMS TO VICTORY IN FRONT OF SPECIAL FANS
A captain with a Boston connection (Brady Tkachuk; Boston University) and a Bruins defenseman playing not far from his hometown (Charlie McAvoy) each had memorable nights on national TV on Wednesday:


* It was a special night in more ways than one for Tkachuk(1-3—4), who scored the overtime winner and tallied a career-high four points on Sportsnet while being cheered on by Make-A-Wish recipient Daniel Maloney. Tkachuk, who Maloney cited as his favorite player, factored on each of Ottawa’s final four goals in a back-and-forth affair that featured four game-tying tallies. The Senators captain finished the scoring 25 seconds into the extra frame – his six career overtime winners trail only Mike Fisher (7) for the most in franchise history.



*McAvoy(1-1—2) recorded his second straight multi-point outing to help Boston (35-5-4, 74 points) once again boost its lead atop the NHL standings. With his family in attendance, the Long Beach, N.Y., native, improved his career point totals against the Islanders to 2-13—15 (21 GP) – tied with the Sabres (1-14—15 in 21 GP) for his highest against any opponent. McAvoy grew up roughly 30 minutes from where UBS Arena is now located and played minor hockey for the Long Island Gulls with Adam Fox, who he’ll face off against Thursday when the Bruins visit the Rangers. McAvoy and Fox spent a decade of their youth hockey careers together.

RANTANEN, ROBERTSON HIT 30-GOAL MARK ON #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
Stars forward Jason Robertson hit the 30-goal mark in San Jose to follow Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen who had done so earlier in the night in Calgary, with both milestones featured in #NHLStats: Live Updates.
 

* At this point in 2021-22 (through 713 GP) – which ended as the highest-scoring season in 26 years (6.3 G/GP) – there were three 30-goal scorers (Chris Kreider: 33; Leon Draisaitl: 32; Auston Matthews: 31).

QUICK CLICKS

* Start Time Update: Blackhawks-Sharks game on Feb. 25 set for 7 p.m. PT
* Predators’ Michael McCarron reinstated by NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program
* Coyotes unveil “Desert Night” as official third jersey, designed by Rhuigi Villaseñor
* Canucks unveil “The Skate” as official third jersey, honor fan favorite Gino Odjick

* Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award accepting nominations for 2023

THURSDAY HIGHLIGHTED BY McDAVID, OILERS CLASHING WITH LIGHTNING ON ESPN

A total of 26 teams are in action Thursday, including League scoring leader Connor McDavid (38-46—84 in 46 GP) and the Oilers (25-18-3, 53 points) hosting Nikita Kucherov (18-46—64 in 43 GP) and the Lightning (29-13-1, 59 points) on ESPN.


* McDavid is one point shy of 85 on the season and would be the fastest NHL player to reach the mark since Penguins teammates Mario Lemieux (34-52—86 in 32 GP) and Jaromir Jagr (36-51—87 in 42 GP) in 1995-96. Kucherov (25-63—88 in 57 GP) required 57 contests to hit 85 during his franchise-record 128-point campaign in 2018-19 (the point totals listed for Lemieux, Jagr & Kucherov are through the game where they reached the 85-point mark).

* McDavid needs two tallies to reach the 40-goal mark for the second time in as many seasons and fourth time in his NHL career. He would become the fourth player in franchise history to record four or more 40-goal campaigns, following Wayne Gretzky (9), Jari Kurri (7) and Glenn Anderson (4). Leon Draisaitl (26-44—70 in 44 GP) is also on pace to record his fourth career 40-goal season.



BUFFALO SET TO RAISE MILLER’S No. 30 TO KEYBANK CENTER RAFTERS
Ryan Miller, the winningest goaltender in franchise history, will become the eighth player to have his number retired by the Sabres and first since fellow netminder Dominik Hasek (No. 39) on Jan. 13, 2015. The others are Tim Horton (No. 2), Rick Martin (No. 7), Gilbert Perreault (No. 11), Rene Robert (No. 14), Pat LaFontaine (No. 16) and Danny Gare (No. 18).

* Miller amassed a career-high 41 wins in 2009-10 to establish a new single-season franchise record, eclipsing the previous mark of 40 he set in 2006-07. Miller won the Vezina Trophy in 2009-10 and became the fifth goaltender in franchise history to capture the award, following Hasek (2000-01, 1998-99, 1997-98, 1996-97, 1994-95 & 1993-94), Tom Barrasso (1983-84), Don Edwards (1979-80) and Bob Sauve (1979-80).


* Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) played for St. Louis, Vancouver and Anaheim following his 11 seasons with Buffalo and concluded his NHL career with 391 wins, the most by a U.S.-born goaltender in League history. Miller represented his country at two Winter Olympics (2014 & 2010) and three World Championships (2003, 2002 & 2001).
 

NBA Preview: Toronto Raptors (20-25) at Minnesota Timberwolves (22-24)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Toronto Raptors (20-25) at Minnesota Timberwolves (22-24)

Scottie Barnes appears to be rounding into form with the Toronto Raptors, who face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday in Minneapolis.

Last season’s Rookie of the Year has elevated his game this month, averaging 18.4 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting a team-high 48.8 percent from the field.

Barnes recorded his 12th double-double of the season in a 130-122 loss to the host Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds. After struggling to find his shot early in the season, Barnes has scored 20 or more points in four of his past six games.

At five games under .500, the Raptors have been one of the league’s more disappointing teams. However, Nurse believes his squad has the talent to push for a playoff spot.

Toronto has won its past three meetings against Minnesota, which is looking to bounce back from a 122-118 road loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.

Jaden McDaniels led seven Minnesota players in double figures with 18 points in the defeat. Kyle Anderson had 13 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

Naz Reid started in place of Rudy Gobert (sore groin) and scored 17 points. Gobert is listed as day-to-day.

Minnesota shot 12 of 32 (37.5 percent) from 3-point range in the loss and was outscored by 11 in the fourth quarter.

With center Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined due to a calf injury, Minnesota has relied heavily on guard Anthony Edwards. The third-year pro has been up to the task, averaging 23.2 points in nine games this month.

The Wolves are 8-14 on the road but 14-10 at home. Now past the midway point of the season, Finch is still trying to figure out his perplexing squad.

Minnesota’s search for consistent play continues against Toronto guard Fred VanVleet, who has averaged 36 points over his last two games. The Raptors have also received a boost from center Pascal Siakam over the past month. The seventh-year pro has averaged 27.1 points in his past 16 games.

Siakam recorded a triple-double in Toronto’s last matchup against Minnesota, recording 12 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in the Raptors’ 125-102 home win on March 30, 2022.

NBA Preview: Philadelphia Sixers (28-16) at Portland Trail Blazers (21-23)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Philadelphia Sixers (28-16) at Portland Trail Blazers (21-23)

Two perennial All-Stars coming off 40-point games go head-to-head Thursday night when Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers visit Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Embiid put on quite a show in back-to-back games at Los Angeles on Friday and Sunday, putting up 35 points in a 113-112 victory over the Lakers, then 41 in a 120-110 triumph over the Clippers.

Embiid has scored 30 or more points in six straight games, wrapped around a three-game absence for a sore left foot, with an average of 35.7 points per game in the run.

Lillard has a similar six-game run, with an average of 39.0 points in the stretch. Lillard scored 40 and 44 points in his last two outings, the latter coming in a 122-113 road loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.

The stars from opposite conferences have gone head-to-head just four times in their careers, with each team winning twice. Lillard has gotten the better of the individual duel, thanks to a 51-2 scoring difference in 2020 when Embiid sprained his left ankle in the game’s sixth minute.

They’ve met once since, with Embiid enjoying a 35-30 scoring advantage, but the Trail Blazers had the team edge in a 118-114 home win in February 2021. Embiid did not play in either of the Sixers’ games against the Trail Blazers last season.

The 76ers have opened a five-game Western Conference road swing with three straight wins, having also recorded a one-point win at Utah last Saturday. The trip ends this Saturday at Sacramento.

Embiid has been far from a one-man show during his Western showcase. Tyrese Maxey has averaged 19.7 points in the three wins and Tobias Harris 17.5 in the last two games, while James Harden had a pair of double-doubles averaging 27.5 points and 12.0 rebounds to get the trip rolling.

Harden has a far more extensive head-to-head history with Lillard than Embiid. The former Houston Rockets standout dueled Lillard to a virtual standstill (Harden 26.8 points per game, Lillard 25.5) in a 4-2 Portland series win in the 2014 playoffs. They have met 28 other times in the regular season, with Harden averaging 32.8 points in those games en route to a 15-13 edge in wins.

The 76ers and Trail Blazers are seeing each other for the first time this season.

Portland will be tipping off a six-game homestand after the overnight trip to Denver. All told, the Trail Blazers are in the midst of playing 10 of 11 at home over a three-week span.

Before facing Denver, Portland won two of their four consecutive home games, beating the Dallas Mavericks on consecutive nights Saturday and Sunday. Lillard (40), Anfernee Simons (20), Jerami Grant (20) and Jusuf Nurkic (20) combined for 100 points in Sunday’s 140-123 victory.

Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups did not feel that Tuesday’s loss at Denver stunted the team’s momentum moving forward.

NBA Preview: Brooklyn Nets (27-16) at Phoenix Suns (21-24)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Brooklyn Nets (27-16) at Phoenix Suns (21-24)

Injuries to make an impact as Nets, Suns meet

The status of Kyrie Irving might not be known until close to game time when the Brooklyn Nets visit the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.

Irving is bothered by right calf soreness and was scratched prior to Tuesday’s 106-98 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the opener of a five-game road trip.

Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn was hopeful that Irving wouldn’t require an MRI exam and doesn’t expect a long-term absence.

In fact, Vaughn is holding out hope that Irving might suit up against Phoenix, which has dropped 12 of its last 14 games.

Irving’s absence against the Spurs also marked the third straight game without Kevin Durant (knee). Brooklyn fell to 0-3 since the loss of Durant.

The Nets scored just 15 points in the first quarter against the Spurs and 17 in the third. They committed 21 turnovers and were a woeful 3 of 23 (13 percent) from 3-point range.

The setback without their two stars reminded some Brooklyn players of last season.

There was a point when both Durant and Irving were out of the lineup and the third star, James Harden, was dejected about the situation. Irving recently took a shot at the now-departed Harden and teammate Nic Claxton delivered his own after the loss to the Spurs.

T.J. Warren scored a team-high 19 points in the loss to San Antonio.

The Suns are in a deep freefall that is tied to the absence of guard Devin Booker, who remains sidelined with a groin injury.

Booker has missed the last 11 games and the Suns are just 3-13 without their star this season.

Phoenix is opening a five-game homestand after being annihilated 136-106 by the host Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

In addition to Booker, the Suns were without Chris Paul (hip), Cameron Payne (foot) and lost Josh Okogie (nose) during the game. They were also without Cameron Johnson (knee), who was injured on Nov. 4, but he is set to make his return on Thursday.

Paul is questionable and in danger of missing his sixth straight game. Payne, his backup, will sit out for the seventh straight game.

The loss to the Grizzlies was one of two blowouts on a four-game trip. Phoenix was routed 126-97 by the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 11.

Mikal Bridges scored 21 points and Deandre Ayton had 18 against Memphis. The Suns were outscored 68-41 in the second half.

Phoenix swept two meetings from the Nets last season. Booker averaged 32.5 points.

NBA Preview: Golden State Warriors (22-22) at Boston Celtics (33-12)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Golden State Warriors (22-22) at Boston Celtics (33-12)

The surging Boston Celtics can even their regular season series with the visiting Golden State Warriors when the teams meet Thursday night.

Golden State, which beat Boston in last year’s NBA Finals, defeated the Celtics 123-107 at home on Dec. 10. Klay Thompson (34 points) and Stephen Curry (32) led the Warriors’ offense in that victory. Curry’s 32-point effort included six 3-pointers. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 31 points and nine rebounds.

Brown has missed Boston’s last three games with a groin injury that occurred against the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 11. He is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game.

Brown is averaging 27.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said he expected Brown to miss “about a week.”

The Warriors (16.3) and Celtics (15.6) enter Thursday’s game ranked first and second among NBA teams in 3-pointers made per game. It will be Golden State’s first trip to Boston since clinching its fourth championship in eight seasons in Game 6 of the NBA Finals last year.

The matchup also features two of the league’s top scorers in Boston’s Jayson Tatum at 31.1 points per game and Curry at 29.3 points, although with 30 games played, Curry is just outside of qualification for the scoring-title chase.

Tatum passed Larry Bird for most 50-point games in Celtics’ history when he scored a season-high 51 points during Boston’s 130-118 victory over Charlotte on Monday. It was the fifth time in his NBA career he scored at least 50 points in a regular-season game and his first 50-plus point effort since last season. Bird scored at least 50 points four times.

Tatum scored 49 in a win over Miami earlier this season, and had a career-high 60 points against San Antonio in 2021.

Monday’s victory extended Boston’s winning streak to seven games. What has been the key to the recent success?

Curry tossed in 41 points in Golden State’s most recent game, a 127-118 road win against the Washington Wizards on Monday. The Warriors entered that contest having lost four of their last five.

Jordan Poole added 32 points in the win, and Golden State received 17 points, 10 assists and six rebounds from Draymond Green.

The game was close until Curry and Poole made back-to-back 3-pointers that handed the Warriors a 123-114 lead with 1:29 remaining.

Boston guard Malcolm Brogdon cut his forehead during a collision with Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball with 7:13 remaining in the second quarter Monday. He left the game but returned later in the quarter.

Golden State has a 5-17 record in road games this season.

NBA Preview: Chicago Bulls (20-24) at Detroit Pistons (12-35)

NBA Editor
-
0
NBA Preview: Chicago Bulls (20-24) at Detroit Pistons (12-35)

The Detroit Pistons will “host” one of their Central Division rivals on Thursday afternoon but they’ll be nearly 4,000 miles from their home arena.

They will play the Chicago Bulls in Paris. It’s the first NBA game in Europe since 2020 and the league’s 12th in France since 1991.

The Bulls played two preseason contests in Paris in 1997. The Pistons, who are playing for the first time in France, have played regular-season games in London (2013) and Mexico City (2019).

Chicago has defeated Detroit 12 straight times, including a 132-118 win on Dec. 30 when Zach LaVine poured in 43 points.

It will be a special game for Pistons third-year guard Killian Hayes, who grew up in France as well as Florida. He also played professionally in France before getting drafted.

With Cade Cunningham sidelined by a season-ending shin injury, Hayes has become a fixture in the Pistons’ lineup. He’s started 31 of 44 games, averaging 10.0 points, 5.7 assists and 1.3 steals. He’s averaging 14.6 points and 8.0 assists this month.

The Pistons, depleted by injuries, have lost five of their last six games. In their last outing on Sunday afternoon, they fell at home to the New York Knicks 117-104.

Chicago snapped a three-game losing streak that same day by defeating Golden State 132-118. Center Nikola Vucevic tied his career high with 43 points.

Vucevic will look for another highly productive outing in a city he has visited many times.

DeMar DeRozan hasn’t played the last three games due to a quad injury but could be back in action on Thursday. Even if DeRozan plays, Bulls coach Billy Donovan wants to make sure Vucevic continues to get plenty of offensive touches.

1...3,1123,1133,114...4,120Page 3,113 of 4,120

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.