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NHL Preview: Montreal Canadiens (17-22-3) at New York Islanders (22-18-3)

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NHL Preview: Montreal Canadiens (17-22-3) at New York Islanders (22-18-3)

MONTREAL CANADIENS NOTES:

À SURVEILLER CE SOIR / KEEP AN EYE ON…

  • Les Canadiens et les Islanders s’affrontent ce soir pour la 175e fois en saison régulière. En incluant les matchs de séries, c’est le 197e affrontement entre ces deux équipes.
  • The Canadiens and Islanders are facing each other for the 175th time in regular season. Including playoff contests, tonight’s the 197th match-up between the two teams.

DERNIER MATCH / LAST GAME – MTL 4 VS. NSH 3 (@ CENTRE BELL)
Buts MTL Goals – Evans, Dach, Caufield (AN/PP), Caufield (AN/PP)
Buts NSH Goals – Niederreiter, Forsberg, Parssinen
Gardien MTL Goalie – Montembeault (39-40)
Gardien NSH Goalie – Askarov (31-35)
Avantage numérique MTL Powerplay – 2/3
Avantage numérique NSH Powerplay – 0/3
Meneurs MTL Leaders – TOI (Edmundson – 23:51) ; S (Edmundson – 5) ; HT (Xhekaj – 7) ; BS (Edmundson – 6)

MATCHS À VENIR / UPCOMING GAMES
15 JAN. @ NY RANGERS 17 h / 5 p.m.
17 JAN. VS. WINNIPEG 19 h / 7 p.m.
19 JAN. VS. FLORIDE 19 h / 7 p.m.
21 JAN. VS. TORONTO 19 h / 7 p.m.
24 JAN. VS. BOSTON 19 h / 7 p.m.

RAPPORT MÉDICAL DE LA SAISON / SEASON INJURY REPORT
Joueur
Player
Date Blessure
Injury
Matchs ratés
Games lost
Retour
Return
C. Price – Genou / Knee 42 –
P. Byron – Hanche / Hip 42 –
M. Matheson – Bas du corps / Lower-body 11 –
B. Gallagher – Bas du corps / Lower-body 4 –
K. Guhle – Bas du corps / Lower-body 6 –
S. Monahan – Bas du corps / Lower-body 17 –

RÉAFFECTATIONS, SIGNATURES ET TRANSACTIONS / ROSTER MOVES, SIGNINGS AND TRANSACTIONS
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)
Les Canadiens ont cédé l’attaquant Rem Pitlick au Rocket de Laval et ont rappelé l’attaquant Anthony Richard (18/12)
The Canadiens have loaned forward Rem Pitlick to the Laval Rocket and recalled forward Anthony Richard (12/18)

STATISTIQUES D’ÉQUIPE / TEAM STATISTICS – AVANT LES MATCHS DU 13/01 – BEFORE GAMES ON 01/13
PTS (37 – 27e/27th)
V/W (17 – 26e/26th)
BP/GF (109 – 29e/29th)
BC/GA (159 – 29e/29th)
Tirs-PM/Shots-PG (28.0 – 30e/30th)
Tirs accordés-PM/Shots allowed-PG (33.7 – 28e/28th)
MÉ/Hits (790 – 28e/28th)
MP/PIM (537 – 1er/1st)
AN/PP (16.0% – 30e/30th)
DN/PK (74.5% – 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 6-5-2 14 40 44
Métropolitaine 4-5-0 8 25 38
Pacifique 4-6-1 9 30 41
Total 17-22-3 37 113 159
*Inclut les buts en fusillade / Includes the shootout goals

MARTIN ST-LOUIS EN CHIFFRES / MARTIN ST. LOUIS’ NUMBERS…
Matchs/Games : 79
Victoires/Wins : 31
Fiche : 31-41-7
Points de classement/Standing points : 69

CANADIENS VS. NY ISLANDERS
À vie / All-Time
CANADIENS vs. NYI 95-55-15-9 (174 PJ / GP)
Dom. / Home 52-19-9-6 (86 PJ / GP)
Étr. / Away 43-36-6-3 (88 PJ / GP)
Dern. Match / Last game:
D 3-0 L @ NYI (15/04/22)
C. Price 2-19 | I. Sorokin 0-44
BG / WG: Z. Parise

10 DERNIERS MATCHS CONTRE NY ISLANDERS / LAST 10 GAMES VS. NY ISLANDERS:
15/04/22 – MTL 0 @ NYI 3
20/02/22 – MTL 3 @ NYI 2 (TB/SO)
04/11/21 – NYI 6 @ MTL 2
03/03/20 – MTL 6 @ NYI 2
03/12/19 – NYI 2 @ MTL 4
21/03/19 – NYI 0 @ MTL 4
14/03/19 – MTL 1 @ NYI 2
05/11/18 – MTL 4 @ NYI 3 (TB/SO)
02/03/18 – MTL 6 @ NYI 3
28/02/18 – NYI 1 @ MTL 3

CETTE SAISON CONTRE NY ISLANDERS / THIS SEASON VS. NY ISLANDERS:
Match #1: 14/01/2023 @ NYI
Match #2: 11/02/2023 @ MTL
Match #3: 12/04/2023 @ NYI

MEILLEURS BUTEURS CONTRE NY ISLANDERS / LEADING GOAL SCORERS VS. NY ISLANDERS:
1) Brendan Gallagher (8-9-17, 24 pj/gp)
2) Josh Anderson (7-1-8, 16 pj/gp)
3) Evgenii Dadonov (6-3-9, 11 pj/gp)

NEW YORK ISLANDERS NOTES:

LAST GAME
DATE NYI RESULT SCORE NYI SCORERS IN GOAL
Thursday, Jan. 12 Loss MIN 3 at NYI 1 Mayfield Sorokin (33/35)
Scott Mayfield opened the score with his fifth of the season and the Islanders held a 1-0 lead through two periods, but Minnesota’s Frederick Gaudreau tallied the equalizer shorthanded and the Wild added two more, as the New York Islanders fell to Minnesota, 3-1, Thursday night in Belmont Park. Matt Martin and Alexander Romanov tallied assists and Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves in the Islanders’ first of two meetings with Minnesota this year. They will play the Wild again on February 28th.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Jan. 11 Aatu Raty and Robin Salo have been loaned to Bridgeport (AHL).
Jan. 10 Simon Holmstrom has been activated off the team’s IR list.
Jan. 6 Mat Barzal is day-to-day with a lower body injury.
Jan. 5 Cal Clutterbuck has been activated off the team’s IR list.
Jan. 2 Cory Schneider has been returned on loan to Bridgeport. Semyon Varlamov has been activated off the team’s IR list.

INJURIES GAMES MISSED

3 Adam Pelech Dec. 9 –

10 Simon Holmstrom Dec. 23 – Jan. 6

12 Josh Bailey Nov. 29

13 Mathew Barzal Jan. 6

15 Cal Clutterbuck Oct. 13, Nov. 8, Dec. 2- Dec. 6, Dec. 17 – Jan. 3

18 Anthony Beauvillier Dec. 10 – Dec. 13

21 Kyle Palmieri Nov. 23 – Dec. 13, Dec. 17 –

25 Sebastian Aho Oct. 13 – Oct. 20

26 Oliver Wahlstrom Oct. 13, Dec. 29 –

40 Semyon Varlamov Dec. 19 – Jan. 1

Man Games Lost: 79

RECENT RESULTS
Thursday, Jan. 12 vs. Minnesota L (3-1)
Tuesday, Jan. 10 vs. Dallas L/SO (2-1)
Friday, Jan. 6 at Calgary L (4-1)
Thursday, Jan. 5 at Edmonton L (4-2)
Tuesday, Jan. 3 at Vancouver W (6-2)

SEASON SERIES
DATE LOCATION RESULT/TIME
Jan. 14, 2023 UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 7:00pm
Feb. 11, 2023 Bell Centre (Montreal, QC) 12:30pm
Apr. 12, 2023 UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 7:00pm

UPCOMING GAMES
Jan. 16 vs. Washington UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 7:30pm
Jan. 18 vs. Boston UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 7:30pm
Jan. 19 at Buffalo KeyBank Center (Buffalo, NY) 7:30pm
Jan. 21 vs. Carolina UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) 7:30pm
Jan. 23 at Toronto Scotiabank Arena (Toronto, ON) 7:00pm

LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS. MONTREAL:
Apr. 15, 2022 Bell Centre (Montreal, QC) Win (3-0)
Feb. 20, 2022 UBS Arena (Belmont Park, NY) SO Loss (3-2)
Nov. 4, 2021 Bell Centre (Montreal, QC) Win (6-2)
Mar. 3, 2020 Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY) Loss (6-2)
Dec. 3, 2019 Bell Centre (Montreal, QC) Loss (4-2)

vs. THE CANADIENS:
2021-22 2-0-1
Last five games: 2-2-1
Franchise History 64-91-15-4
NYI Home 38-40-6-3
NYI Away 26-51-9-1

TEAM NOTES
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Tonight, the New York Islanders host the Montreal Canadiens in the first of three matchups between the two clubs this season. These teams met three times in 2021-22, and the Islanders collected at least one point each time, a 2-0-1 record. The last time these teams played was on April 15, 2022 in Montreal. Brock Nelson, Noah Dobson and Zach Parise each scored to help the Islanders earn a 3-0 victory at Bell Centre. The Canadiens’ last visit to UBS Arena was February 20, 2022. Nelson scored with less than three minutes remaining to help the Islanders capture a point, but they fell to Montreal 3-2 in a shootout.

AGAINST THE ATLANTIC
The Islanders have faced an Atlantic Division team just four times in the last two months, but have collected at least one point each time they have played one in that span, posting a 3-0-1 record against the Atlantic since November 14 in Ottawa. They have outscored their four opponents (Ottawa, Toronto, Boston, Florida) 15-9 in that span. They began the season 0-4-0 in the Atlantic. The Islanders have an 11-8-1 record against Eastern Conference opponents this season, but are 4-2-1 against Conference foes since the beginning of December. Their last three home victories have come against teams in the East.

NHL Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets (12-27-2) at Detroit Red Wings (18-15-7)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets (12-27-2) at Detroit Red Wings (18-15-7)

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS NOTES:

Jan. 14, 2023 Game No. 42 (12-27-2, 26 pts.)
at Detroit Red Wings (18-15-7, 43 pts.), Little Caesars Arena Road Game No. 18 (2-14-1, 5 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. 12, 2023 – CBJ 2 vs. CAR 6
CBJ Goal Scorers: Kuraly (8), Gaudreau (12)
CAR Goal Scorers: Pesce (3), Burns (6), SH – Chatfield (3), Pesce (4), Slavin (3), Jarvis (7)
Goalies: CBJ – Korpisalo (35/41; 60:00); CAR – Andersen (21/23; 60:00)
CBJ PP: 0/3; PK: 4/4 | Shots: CBJ: 23 / CAR: 41
3 Stars: 1. Pesce, CAR; 2. Burns, CAR; 3. Slavin, CAR
Noteworthy: CBJ fell for 3rd consecutive game… CBJ trailed 2-1 after the 1st period and 3-1 after the 2nd… CBJ scored at 15:27 in the 3rd to make it 5-2… Korpisalo played in his 200th career NHL game… Gaudreau took over team lead in goals… Laine tallied an assist for 2nd-straight game (0-3-3)… Boqvist recorded an assist in 3rd consecutive game played (0-3-3)… Bayreuther registered an assist, giving him points in 2-straight outings (1-1-2).

OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT
Danforth (torn labrum); Placed on Injured Reserve (Oct. 25); 6 months (35 games)
Voracek (concussion); Placed on Injured Reserve (Nov. 4); out indefinitely (30 games)
Werenski (torn labrum); Placed on Injured Reserve (retro to Nov. 10); rest of regular season (28 games)
Bean (shoulder); Placed on IR (retro to Nov. 15); out indefinitely (26 games)
Jenner (thumb); Placed on IR (Dec. 19); approximately 4 weeks (11 games)
Chinakhov (ankle); Placed on IR (Dec. 20); 4 weeks (10 games)
Tarasov (upper body); Placed on IR (retro to Dec. 30); day-to-day (7 games)
Robinson (upper body); Placed on IR (retro to Jan. 3); day-to-day (5 games)
Meyer (oblique strain); Placed on IR (Jan. 11); 6-8 weeks (1 game)
Merzlikins (illness); day-to-day (1 game)
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 279

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
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 RED WINGS
2022-23 Series: 0-2-0 (0-0-0 at DET)
2021-22 Series: 2-1-0 (1-1-0 at DET)
All-Time Series: 45-49-1-13 (19-27-0-6 at DET)
Last 10 (Overall | Road): 4-6-0 | 6-3-1
All-Time GF/GA: 258/328
All-Time SF/SA: 3,050/3,534
All-Time PP: 58-of-439
All-Time PK: 334-of-416
THE LAST GAME VS. DET: DEC. 4, 2022 – CBJ 2 vs. DET 4
CBJ Goal Scorers: PP – Bjork (2), Johnson (6)
DET Goal Scorers: Czarnik (2), PP – Kubalik (10), PP – Raymond (7), Copp (3)
Goalies: CBJ – Korpisalo (31/35; 56:42); DET – Husso (32/34; 60:00)
CBJ PP: 1/3; PK: 3/5 | Shots: CBJ: 34 / DET: 35
3 Stars: 1. Copp, DET; 2. Hronek, DET; 3. Jenner, CBJ
Noteworthy: Both CBJ’s goals were scored by rookies… Jenner tallied his 5th multi-point/2nd multi-assist game of the season (0-2-2) to extend his points streak to 3-straight games (1-3-4)… Gaudreau recorded his team-leading 18th assist of the campaign, while extending his assists streak to 4 consecutive games (1-7-8)… Johnson scored to make it 3-2 DET 1:58 into the 3rd and to give him points in 2-straight contests (1-1-2)… Bjork scored his 1st career NHL PPG… Roslovic tallied an assist for a 2nd consecutive game (0-2-2).

SEASON SERIES LEFT: Series is complete.

NOTED (Team Highlights vs. DET)
CBJ are 26-10-3 vs. DET since the start of the 2012-13 season, including 12-4-2 in road games over that stretch… Winning team has recorded 3+ goals in 18 of the last 20 contests… CBJ have killed off all 9 DET PP attempts in the last 4 road contests… CBJ have posted 8 of 21 shutouts in series, as teams each picked up their most recent shutout in a 1-0 SO CBJ win on 4/27/21 (CBJ-Merzlikins, 41; DET-Greiss, 33)…Most goals scored at DET: 8 (3/7/09)… Most goals allowed at DET: 7 (3/26/12).

NOTED (Player Highlights vs. DET)
Chinakhov made his NHL debut on 10/19/21 at DET and scored his 1st career NHL goal on 11/15/21 vs. DET… Danforth made his NHL debut on 11/15/21 vs. DET… Robinson played his 100th career NHL game on 3/28/21 at DET… Roslovic notched his 2nd career hat trick in his 300th career NHL game on 4/9/22 at DET.

PLAYER NOTABLES vs. DET
• Gaudreau– 5-15-20 in 15 career GP, including points in 9 of his last 10 games played (5-11-16)

• Jenner – 11-13-24 in 29 career GP, including points in 12 of his last 13 outings overall (7-7-14) and points in 6 of his last 7 games at Detroit (3-4-7)

• Nyquist – 1-7-8 in 9 career GP, including multiple assists in 2 of the last 4 games (0-4-4) and multi-point efforts in 3 of his last 7 (1-6-7)

• Roslovic – 6-3-9 in 15 career GP, including 3-2-5 in his last 2 games

DETROIT RED WINGS NOTES:

LAST GAME
RED WINGS 4 vs. TORONTO 1 (1/12/23)
1ST PERIOD: DET Raymond (Larkin) 8:48-EV
2ND PERIOD: DET Fabbri (Berggren, Kubalík) 3:49-PP; TOR Sandin (Tavares, Liljegren) 6:18-EV
3RD PERIOD: DET Chiarot (Raymond, Larkin) 18:07-EN; DET Seider (Walman, Raymond) 19:40-PP
SHOTS: DET 23 (9-6-8) / TOR 33 (8-8-17)
GOALIES: DET Husso (W, 32-33) / TOR Samsonov (L, 19-22)
PP: DET 2-5 / TOR 0-3
MAN GAMES LOST (games missed / out since)
Filip Zadina – lower body (29 / Nov. 5)
Matt Luff – upper body (27 / Nov. 8)
Robert Hägg – undisclosed (14 / Dec. 8)
Total Man Games Lost: 207
Individual Man Games Lost: Robby Fabbri (35), Jakub Vrána (33), Tyler Bertuzzi (29), Elmer Söderblom (13), Gustav Lindström (11), Oskar Sundqvist (7), Olli Määttä (4), Ville Husso (2), Michael Rasmussen (2), Dylan Larkin (1)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
1/13 – Reassigned defenseman Donovan Sebrango from Grand Rapids to Toledo (ECHL)
1/10 – Activated forward Tyler Bertuzzi from injured reserve
1/8 – Assigned forward Elmer Söderblom to Grand Rapids
1/4 – Assigned goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to Grand Rapids to conditioning … Activated forward Robby Fabbri from injured reserve
… Assigned forward Jakub Vrána to Grand Rapids

TONIGHT’S GAME
RED WINGS vs. BLUE JACKETS / 7:00 P.M. EST / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
TONIGHT: 109th all-time meeting, 53rd in Detroit … Third of three games this season, only game at Little Caesars Arena
ALL-TIME vs. CBJ: 62-30-1-15 / HOME: 33-11-0-8 / LAST 10: 6-1-3 / IN 2021-22: 1-1-1 / THIS SEASON: 2-0-0
DET top scorers vs. CBJ: David Perron (18-30-48 in 47 GP), Dylan Larkin (6-17-23 in 24 GP), Filip Hronek (4-9-13 in 17 GP),
Tyler Bertuzzi (10-2-12 in 14 GP), Andrew Copp (3-6-9 in 12 GP), Lucas Raymond (3-5-8 in 5 GP), Dominik Kubalík (3-4-7 in 14 GP), Jordan Oesterle (1-3-4 in 7 GP), Moritz Seider (0-3-3 in 5 GP), Jonatan Berggren (0-1-1 in 2 GP)
CBJ top scorers vs. DET: Johnny Gaudreau (5-15-20 in 15 GP), Patrik Laine (6-8-14 in 17 GP), Jack Roslovic (6-3-9 in 15 GP), Gustav Nyquist (1-7-8 in 9 GP), Adam Boqvist (2-3-5 in 9 GP), Marcus Björk (1-0-1 in 2 GP), Kent Johnson (1-0-1 in 2 GP)

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES EST)
Monday, Jan. 16: RED WINGS at AVALANCHE / 3:00 p.m. / Ball Arena / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Tuesday, Jan. 17: RED WINGS at COYOTES / 9:00 p.m. / Mullett Arena / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Thursday, Jan. 19: RED WINGS at GOLDEN KNIGHTS / 10:00 p.m. / T-Mobile Arena / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM

LAST TIME OUT
Jan. 12 vs. Toronto – 4-1 W
Detroit earned a 4-1 victory over Toronto to improve to 18-15-7 overall and 11-8-3 inside Little Caesars Arena … Lucas Raymond finished with a goal and two assists for his second-consecutive three-point game … Raymond has tied Filip Hronek for third place among Detroit skaters with 29 points (12-17-29) through 40 games … Raymond has logged 13 points (5-8-13) in his last 11 contests dating back to Dec. 17 vs. Ottawa … Raymond scored his 35th career goal to tie Gordie Howe for the third-most by a Red Wings skater before age 21, trailing only Steve Yzerman (83) and Dylan Larkin (40) … Raymond also picked up his 50th career NHL assist with the primary helper on Ben Chiarot’s empty-net goal … Larkin recorded his 22nd and 23rd assists of the season, passing Hronek for the team lead in that category … Larkin has 10 points (4-6-10) in his last 10 contests since Dec. 19 at Washington … Robby Fabbri scored what proved to be the game-winning goal on the power play … Fabbri, who has netted the game-winner in back-to-back contests, has tallied a goal in each of his last three appearances … In total, Fabbri has six goals in his last eight games dating back to March 4, 2022 at Tampa Bay … Chiarot added an empty-netter for his third goal of the season before Moritz Seider wrapped up the scoring on the power play with his third goal of the campaign … Jonatan Berggren had the primary assist on Fabbri’s power play goal, giving him seven points (3-4-7) in 10 games since Dec. 19 at Washington … Dominik Kubalík also collected an assist on Fabbri’s power play goal to become the second Detroit skater to reach the 30-point mark this season (13-17-30 in 40 GP) … Kubalík and Raymond pace the Red Wings with 14 power play points … Jake Walman picked up an assist in his 100th career NHL game … Walman is currently on a three-game point streak (2-1-3 in 3 GP), and has registered five points (3-2-5) in eight games since Dec. 28 at Pittsburgh … Ville Husso stopped 32-of-33 shots to earn his 14th win of the season … Husso has allowed one goal or fewer in nine starts this season … Additionally, Husso is 7-0-1 this season when making 32-or-more saves … Detroit is 10-5-6 this season when scoring first, and 7-4-2 when doing so on home ice … The Red Wings have scored the opening goal in each of their last four games … Detroit is 12-0-2 this season when leading after two periods, and a perfect 7-0-0 when doing so on home ice.

Boxing Preview: Efe “The Silent Roller” Ajagba (16-1-0 13 KO’s) vs Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw (18-0-0, 13 KO’s)

Fight Editor
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Boxing Preview: Efe “The Silent Roller” Ajagba (16-1-0 13 KO’s) vs Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw (18-0-0, 13 KO’s)

January 14: Efe Ajagba-Stephan Shaw Heavyweight Showdown Tabbed as New Main Event at Turning Stone Resort Casino LIVE on ESPN – Shaw replaces Oscar Rivas, who was forced to withdraw with an injury

Ajagba-Shaw & Guido Vianello-Jonnie Rice heavyweight doubleheader will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

WHEN IS AJAGBA VS. SHAW? DATE, START TIME
Date: Friday, January 6
Main card: 3 a.m. GMT / 10 p.m. ET
Main event ringwalks (approx): 5 a.m. GMT / 12 a.m. ET
The fight will take place at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona.
US viewers can watch Ajagba vs. Shaw live on ESPN+ while in the United Kingdom, the event will be broadcast on Sky Sports.
The main card is set to get underway at 3 a.m. GMT / 10 p.m. ET with the Ajagba vs. Shaw ringwalks scheduled for 5 a.m.

The matchups have changed, but a high-octane heavyweight doubleheader will still go down Saturday, Jan. 14, at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

In the 10-round main event, Efe “The Silent Roller” Ajagba will now take on St. Louis native Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw. Oscar Rivas was originally slated to fight Ajagba but had to withdraw with an eye injury.

Guido “The Gladiator” Vianello, who was scheduled to fight Shaw in the co-feature, will now face the upset-minded Jonnie Rice in a 10-rounder.

Ajagba-Shaw and Vianello-Rice will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ and includes a 10-round junior lightweight tilt between Adam “BluNose” Lopez and Abraham “El Super” Nova.

“Stephan Shaw stepped up and has a tough task against one of the division’s biggest punchers in Efe Ajagba,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “We’re pleased that Guido will remain on the card against a formidable opponent in ­Jonnie Rice. This will be a fantastic heavyweight doubleheader at Turning Stone.”

Shaw (18-0, 13 KOs) went 3-0 with two stoppages in 2022, including a shutout eight-round decision over Rydell Booker in November. Ajagba (16-1, 13 KOs) is one of the heavyweight division’s hardest punchers and is coming off a second-round stoppage over Jozsef Darmos in August.

Vianello (10-0-1, 9 KOs), a 2016 Italian Olympian from Rome, has won three fights since a 2020 draw to Kingsley Ibeh. Rice (15-6-1, 10 KOs) has faced a host of heavyweight hopefuls, including Ajagba and Shaw. Following back-to-back losses in 2020, Rice re-energized his career with a fifth-round TKO over then-unbeaten prospect Michael Coffie in July 2021. He repeated the deed on New Year’s Day, outlasting Coffie via a 10-round unanimous decision.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets priced from $49 to $89 are on sale now and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Resort Casino Box Office, charge by phone by calling 800.771.7711 or online at Ticketmaster.com.

AJAGBA VS. SHAW FIGHT CARD
Efe Ajagba vs. Stephan Shaw; Heavyweight
Adam Lopez vs. Abraham Nova; Super featherweight
Guido Vianello vs. Jonathan Rice; Heavyweight
Floyd Diaz vs. Edwin Rodriguez; Super bantamweight
Brian Norman vs. Rodrigo Coria; Welterweight
Haven Brady Jr. v. Ruben Cervera; Super featherweight
Rohan Polaco vs. Julian Smith; Welterweight
Dante Benjamin vs. Emmanueal Austin; Light heavyweight
Bruce Carrington vs. Juan Antonio Lopez; Featherweight
Bryce Mills vs. Margarito Hernanez; Super lightweight

Revolution Sign Andrew Farrell to Contract Extension

MLS Editor
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Revolution Sign Andrew Farrell to Contract Extension

Five-time Revolution Defender of the Year and club’s all-time service leader set to begin 11th MLS season

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution have signed defender Andrew Farrell to a one-year contract extension using Targeted Allocation Money for the 2023 MLS season, with two additional option years for 2024 and 2025. Farrell, the Revolution’s all-time leader in games played, starts, and minutes played, is set to begin his 11th MLS season in 2023, all with New England.

“Andrew Farrell is an important player in our team and has represented the Revolution with the utmost class throughout his decade with the club,” Revolution Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena said. “Andrew’s durability on the field and leadership in the locker room will continue to benefit our team. We are happy to reward Andrew with this new contract.”  

Farrell begins the 2023 campaign as one of the league’s top ironmen with the most regular season appearances (304), starts (301), and minutes played (26,792) in MLS since he joined New England as the first-overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. The Louisville, Ky. native has been voted the Revolution Defender of the Year five times by local media, including back-to-back honors in 2021 and 2022. Farrell, who has never missed more than five games in a season over his 10-year MLS career, has also amassed 13 MLS Cup Playoff starts with New England.

The Revolution are back in action at the Socios.com Training Center in Foxborough with the 2023 MLS preseason now underway. New England will travel to Florida on January 29, where the team will play five preseason exhibitions against MLS opponents. New England then begins the 2023 MLS Regular Season on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Charlotte FC (7:30 p.m. ET), before the home opener at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, March 4 vs. Houston Dynamo FC (7:30 p.m. ET). Every Revolution, MLS, and Leagues Cup match airs on MLS Season Pass – all in one place, with no blackouts.

MLS Season Pass: MLS Season Pass will launch on February 1, 2023 – introducing an unprecedented subscription service to fans that features every live MLS and Leagues Cup match, as well as hundreds of MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT games. MLS Season Pass will be available on billions of devices through the Apple TV app Apple TV app on Apple devices,smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, and on the web at tv.apple.com.

Starting February 1, fans can subscribe to MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app for $14.99 per month during the season or $99 per season, and Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up at a special price of $12.99 per month and $79 per season. As an exclusive benefit of their full-season membership, New England Revolution Season Members will receive one MLS Season Pass subscription with each account. Visit Revolutionsoccer.net or call 1-877-GET-REVS to learn more about becoming a Season Member.

TRANSACTION: New England Revolution re-sign defender Andrew Farrell for the 2023 MLS season using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM), with two additional option years for 2024 and 2025, on Jan. 13, 2023.

Andrew Farrell at a Glance:

  • Leads MLS in minutes played, appearances, and starts since entering MLS as the first-overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft.
  • The Revolution’s all-time leaders in starts, games, and minutes across all competitions.
  • Voted the club’s Defender of the Year five times by local media, including four of the last five seasons (2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022.
  • Owns 13 MLS Cup Playoff appearances, all starts.
  • New England’s 2018 Humanitarian of the Year for his notable work with Special Olympics Massachusetts, among other causes.

#88 ANDREW FARRELL

Pronunciation: FAIR-ull

Position: Defender

Height: 5-11

Weight: 185

Hometown: Louisville, Ky.        

Date of Birth: 04/02/1992 (Louisville, Ky.)

Nationality: United States

How Acquired: No. 1 pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft; Re-signed in January 2023.

NHL Preview: Calgary Flames (20-14-9) at Dallas Stars (25-11-7)

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NHL Preview: Calgary Flames (20-14-9) at Dallas Stars (25-11-7)

CALGALRY FLAMES NOTES:

FLAMES LAST GAME RECAP
JANUARY 12, 2023 – CALGARY FLAMES [4] vs. ST. LOUIS BLUES [1]
The Calgary Flames continued a five-game Central Division road trip on Thursday night for their second of back-to-back games against the Blues. It was a busy opening 20 minutes of play with the teams combining for 28 first frame shots with the Flames holding a 16-12 shot advantage, but Dan Vladar and Thomas Greiss stood tall to keep the game scoreless after one. The game remained knotted at zero’s with less that five minutes to go in the second until Walker Duehr took a pass from Nazem Kadri and rifled home his first career NHL goal to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. The Blues would draw level just 20 seconds into the third, but the Flames would battle back with Dillon Dube reclaiming the lead for Calgary, followed by a late dagger from Blake Coleman. Dube would add an empty-netter for his second of the night to put the game out of reach, and the Flames prevailed 4-1.
CGY GOAL SCORERS: Duehr (1), Dube (9, 10), Coleman (8)
GOALIE: Vladar (25/26, .962 Sv%)
PP: 0/1 (0%)
PK: 3/3 (100%)
FLAMES LAST FIVE RESULTS, RECORD: 2-1-2

DATE RESULT GWG CGY GOALIE OPP. GOALIE
January 12, 2023 CGY [4] at STL [1] Dube Vladar Greiss
January 10, 2023 CGY [3] at STL 4 Thomas Markstrom Binnington
January 8, 2022 CGY [3] at CHI 4 Domi Markstrom/Vladar Stalock
January 6, 2023 NYI [1] vs. CGY [4] Coleman Markstrom Varlamov
January 3, 2023 CGY [2] at WPG [3] Gagner Markstrom Hellebuyck
*shootout winning goal

FLAMES UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
DATE TIME
(MST) OPPONENT VENUE
January 14, 2023 12:00pm at Dallas Starts American Airlines Center
January 16, 2023 6:00pm at Nashville Predators Bridgestone Arena
January 18, 2023 7:30pm vs. Colorado Avalanche Scotiabank Saddledome
January 21, 2023 1:00pm vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Scotiabank Saddledome
January 23, 2023 7:30pm vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Scotiabank Saddledome

TONIGHTS STORYLINES & STATS
This is the first of three matchups this season between the Flames and Stars. The Flames recorded points in every game against the Stars last season going 2-0-1. This is a Pacific Division versus Central Division matchup; The Flames have an overall record of 5-3-2 against Central Division opponents this season and a record of 13-6-4 against Western Conference opponents.

LAST SPRING VERSUS THE STARS:
This is the first meeting between Calgary and Dallas since their playoff matchup last spring. The Flames and Stars met in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs and the two teams split the first four games. In game five Calgary scored three third-period goals off the sticks of Mikael Backlund, Andrew Mangiapane, and Trevor Lewis to take a 3-2 series lead. The first do-or-die game of the series was in game six, the Flames overcame a two-goal deficit in the second period, but the Stars would stave off elimination and force game seven with a 4-2 win. In game seven, Dallas scored just 40 seconds into the game and held the lead until Tyler Toffoli tied the game in the second. The teams traded goals and through 60 minutes of play the score was deadlocked at two’s, forcing overtime. Calgary prevailed thanks to Johnny Gaudreau who scored to send the Flames to the second round for the first time since 2015.

DALLAS STARS NOTES:

LAST DALLAS STARS GAME
Jan. 12, 2023 – STARS 1 at RANGERS 2 (OT)
Just 0.9 seconds away from what would’ve been a 1-0 shutout victory, the Stars instead fell 2-1 in overtime to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Goaltender Jake Oettinger was perfect up that point, but defenseman K’Andre Miller’s shot through traffic beat the buzzer to force overtime. Then, just 1:16 into sudden death, defenseman Adam Fox sent a backhander over Oettinger’s shoulder to steal a win for the Rangers. Forward Tyler Seguin (1-0—1) opened the scoring at the 17:53 mark of the second period with a power-play tally on assists from forwards Mason Marchment (0-1—1) and Denis Gurianov (0-1—1).
PP: 1-1 | PK: 1-2 | SF: 25 | SA: 31 | DAL TOI: Heiskanen (24:41) | Attendance: 18,006
Three Stars: 1. NYR – A. Fox 2. NYR – I. Shesterkin 3. DAL – J. Oettinger

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time (CT) Location TV/Radio
Sat., Jan. 14, 2023 Calgary Flames 1 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSW/KTCK
Mon., Jan. 16, 2023 Vegas Golden Knights 5 p.m. T-Mobile Arena BSSW/KLIF
Wed., Jan. 18, 2023 San Jose Sharks 9 p.m. SAP Center TNT/KTCK
Thu., Jan. 19, 2023 Los Angeles Kings 9:30 p.m. Crypto.com Arena BSSW/KTCK
Sat., Jan. 21, 2023 Arizona Coyotes 7 p.m. American Airlines Center BSSW/KTCK

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Dec. 12 – Recalled forward Riley Tufte from Texas (AHL)
Dec. 15 – Acquired defenseman Oskari Laaksonen from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Joseph Cecconi
Dec. 23 – Loaned forward Riley Tufte to Texas (AHL)
Dec. 27 – Recalled forward Fredrik Olofsson from Texas (AHL)
Jan. 1 – Loaned forward Fredrik Olofsson to Texas (AHL)
Jan. 1 – Signed forward Joe Pavelski to a one-year contract extension through the 2023-24 season
Jan. 2 – Recalled forward Fredrik Olofsson from Texas (AHL)

INJURIES
Man-games lost, 2022-23: 16
NAME INJURY # OF GAMES DATES
D Miro Heiskanen Upper body 3 Oct. 25-29
G Jake Oettinger Lower body 4 Nov. 1-8
F Denis Gurianov Upper body 6 Nov. 11-21
F Roope Hintz Lower body 1 Nov. 19
F Roope Hintz Upper body 2 Jan. 10-pres.

DID YOU KNOW?
The Flames and Stars have met in the first round of the playoffs twice since the 2019-20 season with both teams each winning a series. Dallas won 4-2 in 2020, Calgary won 4-3 in 2022. The Flames lead the NHL in first period goals with 47. Two Flames players played their first career NHL games against the Dallas Stars. Milan Lucic skated in his first NHL game at the American Airlines Center on October 5th , 2007 and Michael Stone made his NHL debut against the Stars on February 18th, 2012.

CALGARY FLAMES vs. DALLAS STARS
ALL-TIME HOME AWAY L10 STRK
CGY vs. DAL 79-66-25-9 44-25-14-6 35-41-11-3 4-4-2 W2
GAME INFO:
Calgary Flames vs. Dallas Stars
1:00pm CT
American Airlines Center
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet Fan 960
2022-23 Season Series: 0-0-0 (Home: 0-0-0, Road 0-0-0)
Jan.14, 2023 – CGY at DAL
Mar. 6, 2023 – CGY at DAL
Mar. 18, 2023 – DAL at CGY

2021-22 Season Record vs. DAL: 2-0-1 (Home: 1-0-1, Road: 1-0-0)
Last Home Win vs. DAL: April 21, 2023 – Dallas [2] vs. Calgary [4]
Last Road Win @ DAL: February 1, 2022 – Calgary [4] at Dallas [3]
Last Home Loss vs. DAL: November 4, 2021 – Dallas [4] vs. Calgary 3
Last Road Loss @ DAL: December 18, 2018 – Calgary [0] at Dallas [2]
2022-23 CALGARY FLAMES

FLAMES RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
Dec. 18 – recalled Dennis Gilbert (D) from Calgary (AHL); placed Chris Tanev (D) on IR (retroactive)
Dec. 20 – recalled Nick DeSimone (D) from Calgary (AHL); placed Dennis Gilbert (D) on IR
Dec. 20 – reassigned Radim Zohorna (F) to Calgary (AHL)
Dec. 24 – reassigned Matthew Phillips (F) and Nick DeSimone (D) to Calgary (AHL)
Dec. 27 – recalled Radim Zohorna (F) from Calgary (AHL)
Dec. 28 – activated Dennis Gilbert (D) from IR
Dec. 29 – reassigned Dennis Gilbert (D) and Radim Zohorna (F) to Calgary (AHL)
Dec. 30 – recalled Radim Zohorna (F) from Calgary (AHL)
Jan. 7 – recalled Jakob Pelletier (F) and Walker Duehr (F) from Calgary (AHL); placed Brett Ritchie (F) on IR
Jan. 13 – reassigned Radim Zohorna (F) to Calgary (AHL)

FLAMES RECENT INJURIES (Total man games lost – 32)
Noah Hanifin – illness (1 game: Oct. 21)
Chris Tanev – upper-body (5 games: Nov. 3 – Nov. 10)
Jonathan Huberdeau – upper-body (3 games: Nov. 8 – Nov. 12)
Michael Stone – lower-body (11 games: Nov. 7 – Nov. 25)
MacKenzie Weegar – non-COVID illness (1 game: Dec. 12)
Elias Lindholm – upper-body injury (1 game: Dec. 12)
Chris Tanev – upper-body injury (3 games: Dec. 14 – Dec. 18)
Radim Zohorna – non-COVID illness (1 game: Dec. 18)
Dennis Gilbert – lower-body injury (4 games: Dec. 20 – Dec. 27)
Brett Ritchie – upper-body injury (3 games: Jan. 8 – Jan. 12)

DALLAS STARS NOTES
TONIGHT’S GAME: The oddity that is the midway point of the 2022-23 Dallas Stars regular-season schedule continues today as the team returns home for an afternoon affair against the Calgary Flames at American Airlines Center (1 p.m. CT, TV: Bally Sports Southwest, Radio: The Ticket 96.7-FM/1310-AM). Today’s matchup continues a stretch that’s seen the Stars traverse from one coast to the other with a home game split in between. Dallas had road games Jan. 3-4 in LA and Anaheim, respectively, returned for a home game against Florida, then traveled to the East Coast for games against the New York Islanders and New York Rangers earlier this week. Following today’s game, the Stars will head back on the road for games against Vegas, San Jose and LA.

I PUT ON MY OVERCOAT AND WALKED INTO WINTER

  • The Stars and Flames meet today for the first time since Game 7 of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 15, 2022.
  • Dallas went 1-2-0 against Calgary last season, earning a split at Scotiabank Saddledome and losing 4-3 at American Airlines Center on Feb. 1, 2022.
  • The Stars enter today’s game with points in nine of their past 12 (8-3-1) and 11 of their past 16 games overall against the Flames (10-5-1).
  • The Stars are 75-69-35 all-time against the Flames, including a 44-28-18 mark at home.
  • Dallas also has points in four of the past six home games against Calgary (3-2-1).
  • Defenseman Miro Heiskanen led the team with four points (0-4—4) while averaging 24:46 TOI in three games against the Flames last season.
  • Heiskanen has seven points (1-6—7) in nine career games vs. Calgary and leads active Stars in TOI/G against them (24:37).
  • Captain Jamie Benn has points (2-2—4) in four of his past five home games against Calgary. He leads active Stars in goals (20) and ranks second in points (20-15—35) in 37 career matchups vs. the Flames.
  • Forward Tyler Seguin enters today’s game with 12 goals and 24 points (12-12—24) in 26 games against the Flames. He shares the lead in game-winning goals (4; with Benn) and is one of three active Stars with overtime winners against them (also Benn and Joe Pavelski).
  • Forward Joe Pavelski has eight points (2-6—8) in his past eight home games against Calgary and leads active Stars in assists (36) and points (16-36—52) in a team-high 58 games against them. Pavelski also paces the club in power-play goals (7) and shots on goal (173) and ranks second in game-winning markers (3) vs. Calgary.
  • Forward Denis Gurianov has points (2-2—4) in each of his past four games vs. Calgary.
  • Defenseman Ryan Suter has 28 points (5-23—28) with a team-best +11 rating in 57 games against the Flames.
  • Goaltender Jake Oettinger is 0-2-0 with a 3.56 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in two career appearances vs. Calgary, while netminder Scott Wedgewood is 0-2-0 with a 2.87 GAA and .924 SV% in two career games against them.

2022-23 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
Jan. 14 vs. Calgary
March 6 vs. Calgary
March 18 at Calgary

NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 14, 2023

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NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 14, 2023

* In true Connor McDavid fashion, No. 97 celebrated his 26th birthday by becoming the fastest player to reach the 80-point mark in a season since Mario Lemieux (31 GP), Jaromir Jagr (37 GP) and Ron Francis (44 GP) in 1995-96. 

* Rookie Cole Perfetti tallied a three-assist outing en route to a franchise first as the Jets matched the idle Central Division-leading Stars in terms of points. 

* Connor Bedard dazzled with a hat trick and five-point night as a follow-up to his career-high six point showing in his last game on the day he was named the No. 1 ranked North American skater for the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft as the NHL Central Scouting Bureau released its mid-season rankings presented by BioSteel.

BIRTHDAY-BOY McDAVID BECOMES FIRST PLAYER TO 80 POINTS IN 2022-23
While celebrating his 26th birthday, Connor McDavid (2-1—3) opened the scoring to become the first player this season to reach the 80-point mark and Leon Draisaitl (1-2—3) recorded his 70th career three-point outing while skating in his 600th NHL game as the Oilers scored seven to sink the Sharks at SAP Center. 

* McDavid (37-45—82 in 44 GP) became the third player in Oilers history to record 80 points in 44 or fewer games in a season, following Wayne Gretzky (7x; best: 28 GP in 1983-84) and Jari Kurri (2x; best: 38 GP in 1984-85).

* Draisaitl became the seventh player in Oilers history to record at least 70 games with three-plus points. He joined Gretzky (301x), Kurri (137x), Mark Messier (115x), McDavid (95x), Glenn Anderson (92x) and Paul Coffey (86x).

JETS FLY CLOSER TO THE TOP OF THE CENTRAL DIVISION
Blake Wheeler (1-1—2) and Mark Scheifele (2-0—2) each climbed Jets/Thrashers all-time lists, while Cole Perfetti (0-3—3) achieved a franchise first with his second three-assist outing of 2022-23 as Winnipeg (28-14-1, 57 points) matched idle Dallas (25-11-7, 57 points), which sits atop the Central Division standings, in terms of points.

* Wheeler scored his 38th game-opening goal as a member of the Jets/Thrashers and surpassed Bryan Little (37) for sole possession of the third most in franchise history, behind Scheifele (50) and Ilya Kovalchuk (48).

* Scheifele recorded his 156th career multi-point game and surpassed Kovalchuk (155) for the second most in franchise history, behind only Wheeler (194).

* Perfetti fell one shy of Kovalchuk’s Jets/Thrashers rookie record for most assists in a game (1-4—5 on Jan. 19, 2002), but did become the first rookie in franchise history to post multiple outings with three-plus assists in a single campaign (also Nov. 29, 2022). Perfetti (6-19—25) now has 19 helpers on the season and tied Arizona’s Matias Maccelli for the most by a rookie in 2022-23.

HUGHES HITS 50 POINTS ON #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The most recent edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured Jack Hughes (2-1—3), who became the fifth player in Devils/Scouts/Rockies history to record consecutive 50-point seasons at the age 21 or younger and is now on pace for 100 points.

BEDARD SITS AT TOP OF MID-SEASON DRAFT RANKINGS
Connor Bedard, a center from the WHL’s Regina Pats and the 2023 World Junior Championship MVP, ranked No. 1 among North American skaters for the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft when the NHL Central Scouting Bureau released its mid-season rankings presented by BioSteel on Friday. Leo Carlsson, a forward for Orebro in the Swedish Hockey League, topped all international skaters.  

* Click herefor #NHLStats: 10 Things to Know About Connor Bedard – a mix of on-ice achievements and off-ice storylines including the time he brought a hockey stick on vacation to Hawaii, set Team Canada records at the World Junior Championship and skated in on a 2-on-1 with Connor McDavid (as told by Patrick Kane).

NHL PODCASTS WEEKLY ROUNDUP

* NHL Fantasy (Jan. 9): Fantasy waiver wire pickups: Week 14
* NHL Fantasy (Jan. 9): Action Network Collab: Week 14; Awards races
* Draft Class (Jan. 10):Jason Bukala, Sportsnet scouting analyst
* NHL @ The Rink (Jan. 11):Tom Gulitti joins; Red-hot Kraken, Trophy Tracker, more
* La Tasse de café LNH (Jan. 11): Déboires des Canadiens et retour sur le Championnat mondial junior
* The Chirp w/ Daren Millard (Jan. 12): John Forslund joins for Kraken talk
* NHL Fantasy (Jan. 12): Mailbag; Frederik Andersen’s value; guest Chris Meaney

QUICK CLICK

* Alex Ovechkin cheered by more than 800 kids for goals mark at Capitals skate
* 2023 NHL Draft: Connor Bedard atop Central Scouting midterm rankings
* Martha’s Vineyard high school hockey team subject of new documentary
* NHL All-Star Game Twitter fan vote underway
* Erie Otters to wear special jerseys for Martin Luther King Day game

HNIC DOUBLEHEADER ON A 14-GAME SLATE
The NHL’s busiest day since the turn of the calendar will feature a doubleheader on Hockey Night in Canada, beginning with the Maple Leafs (26-10-7, 59 points) visiting the Bruins (32-5-4, 68 points) at TD Garden and concluding with a clash between the Oilers (22-18-3, 47 points) and Golden Knights (28-13-2, 58 points).

* The Bruins are one home win shy of 20 on the season (19-1-3, 41 points) – the most among all teams in 2022-23. Boston can reach the 20-win mark at home in 24 or fewer games for the sixth time in franchise history and the first since 1973-74, when they did so in 23 contests. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have won each of their past four games against the Bruins dating to Nov. 6, 2021, with Mitchell Marner (2-6—8 in 3 GP) leading his team in assists and points over that span.  

* Logan Thompson, a native of Calgary, Alta., leads all rookie goaltenders with 18 wins through 29 appearances this season. Should Thompson tend the net against Edmonton on Saturday, the 2023 NHL All Star can become just the sixth rookie netminder in the past 20 years to record 19-plus wins through 30 appearances in a campaign – he would join Jordan Binnington (22 in 2018-19), Matt Murray (20 in 2016-17), Frederik Andersen (20 in 2013-14), Ray Emery (20 in 2005-06), Ryan Miller (20 in 2005-06) and Sergei Bobrovsky (19 in 2010-11). 

SEATTLE SEEKS TO SWEEP SEVEN-GAME ROAD TRIP
The Kraken (25-12-4, 54 points), who sit third in the Pacific Division, enter Saturday’s 14-game slate with the NHL’s longest active winning streak at seven contests (7-0-0 dating to Jan. 1), with six of those victories coming on their current road trip which they will close out in Chicago (11-25-4, 26 points). They can become the seventh team in the past 30 years to begin a calendar year with eight or more consecutive wins, joining the Blackhawks in 2016 (10), Devils in 2006 (9), Avalanche in 2018 (8), Capitals in 2017 (8), Hurricanes in 2006 (8) and Predators in 2005 (8).

* Martin Jones has shutouts in each of his past two games – only five active goaltenders (min. 1 GP in 2022-23) have extended their run to three games: Brian Elliott (3 GP in 2011-12, 2012-13 & 2015-16), Jonathan Quick (3 GP in 2011-12), Sergei Bobrovsky (3 GP in 2016-17), Andrei Vasilevskiy (3 GP in 2020-21) and Semyon Varlamov (3 GP in 2020-21).

* Jones (6-0-0 dating to Jan. 1) can tie the longest winning streak by a goaltender this season (also Brian Elliott w/ TBL, Tristan Jarry w/ PIT & Pheonix Copley w/ LAK). He has posted a run of seven or more consecutive victories three times in his career: 8-0-0 in 2018-19 (w/ SJS), 8-0-0 in 2013-14 (w/ LAK) and 7-0-0 in 2017-18 (w/ SJS).

NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (24-19) at Portland Trail Blazers (19-22)

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NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (24-19) at Portland Trail Blazers (19-22)

Luka Doncic just prevailed in a duel with LeBron James and now he has back-to-back shootouts with Damian Lillard on the slate.

Two of the most dangerous shooters in the NBA will be firing away this weekend, beginning Saturday night when the Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks visit Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Dallas has beaten Portland six straight times by an average of 25 points entering the two-game set. The finale is Sunday, also in Portland.

Doncic leads the NBA in scoring at 34.3 points per game and has tallied 40 or more points on nine occasions, including outings of 50, 51 and his career-best 60.

Lillard ranks ninth in scoring at 28.2 points and is coming off a 50-point effort in a 119-113 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was his 13th career 50-point output during the regular season.

Yet the Trail Blazers have lost a season-worst five straight games and 10 of their past 13.

Meanwhile, Doncic was dealing dagger beams on Thursday night when the Mavericks recorded a 119-115 double-overtime road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

He hit a tying 3-pointer with six seconds left in regulation and another with 47.8 seconds to play in the first overtime to keep the Mavericks alive. Dallas eventually prevailed to improve to 1-2 on a five-game road trip.

Doncic had 35 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists for his 10th triple-double of the season.

The most stunning detail of the night to Doncic was being singularly covered by Dennis Schroder in the final seconds of regulation.

Teammate Christian Wood is in his first season with the Mavericks but is getting used to seeing the Luka show in action.

The 23-year-old Doncic has failed to score at least 20 points just once all season — that coming when he had 19 when ejected with two minutes left in the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 19.

While the Mavericks ascend, Portland is sliding in the competitive Western Conference.

Thursday’s loss to Cleveland was painful as the Trail Blazers never trailed until 4:40 remained on a night their star player was hotter than lava despite playing on two sore ankles.

Lillard, 32, was limping in the first quarter after a Cavaliers’ player landed on one of the ankles but just kept firing away. He feels the squad made progress despite blowing a 14-point lead.

NBA Preview: Philadelphia Sixers (25-16) at Utah Jazz (22-23)

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NBA Preview: Philadelphia Sixers (25-16) at Utah Jazz (22-23)

Utah rookie Walker Kessler, coming off one of the best all-around games of his young NBA career, is pumped up to play against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers in Salt Lake City on Saturday night as the Jazz complete a back-to-back home set.

In the Jazz’s 112-108 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday, Kessler finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven blocked shots.

The former Auburn big man, selected 22nd overall in the 2022 draft, also flashed one of the biggest smiles of his career after making a pair of clutch foul shots with 11.1 seconds remaining to help secure the win. Those free throws came after Kessler, who is starting in place of Kelly Olynyk (ankle), was fouled while grabbing an offensive rebound.

As nice as the 7-footer’s big game was, his statistics pale in comparison to the outing his next opponent compiled in their last meeting.

The Jazz will have to contain Embiid more than they did in their first matchup this season. The center scored a career-high 59 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out eight assists and swatted a season-high seven shots, carrying the Sixers to a 105-98 home win on Nov. 13.

Embiid became the first player to total at least 50 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots since blocks became an official stat in the 1973-74 season.

Embiid scored 26 of the Sixers’ 27 points in the fourth quarter. He produced a game-clinching sequence in the final minutes, first blocking Collin Sexton’s layup attempt with 1:19 remaining and the Sixers up 101-98, then sinking a bucket on the other end.

Philadelphia had Friday off after taking a 133-114 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. Embiid had 30 points and 10 boards, but the 76ers fell apart in the middle two quarters en route to the defeat.

It was a 50-point turnaround from the Sixers’ game on Tuesday, a 147-116 home rout of the Detroit Pistons.

The Saturday game kicks off a five-game Western Conference road trip for Philadelphia, a trek that includes stops in Utah, Los Angeles (against the Lakers and Clippers), Portland and Sacramento.

Utah is looking for its first winning streak of more than two games since shortly before playing at Philadelphia in mid-November. The Jazz, who got off to a blazing 10-3 start this season, won a second game in a row Friday for the fourth time in the past eight weeks.

NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (27-16) at Minnesota Timberwolves (21-22)

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NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (27-16) at Minnesota Timberwolves (21-22)

The streaking Minnesota Timberwolves play the second leg of a back-to-back set on Saturday in Minneapolis, facing a Cleveland Cavaliers team looking to finish a five-game, Western Conference road trip on the right side of .500.

Minnesota scored its fifth win in the past six outings on Friday, beating the visiting Phoenix Suns 121-116. Anthony Edwards scored 31 points, leading six Timberwolves who finished in double figures. It was Edwards’ fourth game of 30-plus points in his past eight outings.

Edwards scored eight points in the final 1:30 on Friday, helping Minnesota avoid a late collapse. The Timberwolves led the Suns by as many as 24 points but were outscored in the fourth quarter 41-29.

Minnesota ranks among the league’s most turnover-prone teams, averaging around 16 per game. The Cavaliers are forcing just shy of 15 per game.

More central to Cleveland’s league-leading defensive yield of 106.9 points per game than takeaways, however, has been the Cavaliers holding opponents to just 38.9 made field goals a contest. That’s the lowest figure in the NBA.

The Cleveland offense was key the last time out, as the Cavaliers come into Minnesota off a 119-113 win at Portland on Thursday. Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland combined for 70 of the Cavaliers’ points, led by Mitchell’s 26.

Allen and Garland both recorded double-doubles, with Allen posting 24 points and 10 rebounds, as well as six assists, while Garland added 20 points and 10 assists. Along with Evan Mobley, who scored three of his 17 points in the final 1:44, the group helped power a 32-22 fourth quarter for the comeback win.

Mitchell, who scored 71 points in a victory against the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 2, lauded Allen’s offensive contributions following the win over the Trail Blazers.

The interior offense of Allen and Mobley will face a stiff challenge on Saturday against Minnesota. The Timberwolves rank among the NBA’s best when defending 2-point field-goal attempts, thanks in part to Rudy Gobert’s presence in the paint.

Gobert is averaging 1.3 blocked shots per game — his lowest average since his rookie season in 2013-14 — but Jaden McDaniels (1.1), Naz Reid (0.9), Kyle Anderson (0.7) and Edwards (0.5) are helping Minnesota rank near the top of the league in blocks per game.

Mobley and Allen average 1.3 and 1.2 blocks per game, respectively, to help bolster the stout Cleveland defense.

NBA Preview: Atlanta Hawks (20-22) at Toronto Raptors (19-23)

NBA Editor
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NBA Preview: Atlanta Hawks (20-22) at Toronto Raptors (19-23)

The Toronto Raptors will shoot for their fourth straight victory and a winning homestand Saturday night when they face the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta defeated the Indiana Pacers 113-111 on Friday night at Indianapolis on a tip-in by John Collins in the final second of the game.

The Raptors are 3-2 on their season-high, six-game homestand after defeating the Charlotte Hornets 124-114 Thursday to sweep a two-game set. Toronto has won three straight for the first time this season.

Pascal Siakam scored 35 points on 11-for-13 shooting from the field for the Raptors on Thursday. Toronto shot 51.8 percent (43-for-83) from the field.

Gary Trent Jr. scored 19 points and O.G. Anunoby had 15 points and four steals on Thursday. Anunoby leads the NBA in steals with 2.26 per game.

The Toronto reserves scored 23 points on Thursday, led by Precious Achiuwa, who had 10 points and a career-best five steals.The Raptors had 30 assists on Thursday after having 32 assists on Tuesday vs. the Hornets.

The Raptors and Hawks have split their first two meetings this season.

The Hawks’ victory on Friday was just their fourth in the past 11 games. Trae Young had 26 points and 11 assists for Atlanta. De’Andre Hunter added 25 points, and Onyeka Okongwu had 18 points and a career-best 20 rebounds.

The Hawks feel they are capable of being better than their 20-22 record.

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