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NHL Preview: Detroit Red Wings (13-9-6) at Minnesota Wild (15-11-2)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: Detroit Red Wings (13-9-6) at Minnesota Wild (15-11-2)

DETROIT RED WINGS NOTES:

LAST GAME: RED WINGS 0 vs. CAROLINA 1 (12/13/22)
1ST PERIOD: CAR Skjei (Jarvis, Kotkaniemi) 17:20-PP
2ND PERIOD: No scoring
3RD PERIOD: No scoring
SHOTS: DET 27 (8-13-6) / CAR 27 (10-6-11)
GOALIES: DET Husso (L, 26-27) / CAR Kochetkov (W, 27-27)
PP: DET 0-3 / CAR 1-2

MAN GAMES LOST (games missed / out since)
Robby Fabbri – lower body (28 / Oct. 10)
Jakub Vrána – personal (26 / Oct. 17)
Tyler Bertuzzi – upper body (19 / Nov. 30)
Filip Zadina – lower body (17 / Nov. 5)
Matt Luff – upper body (15 / Nov. 8)
Olli Määttä – non-COVID illness (3 / Dec. 6)
Robert Hägg – undisclosed (2 / Dec. 8)
Total Man Games Lost: 143
Individual Man Games Lost: Elmer Söderblom (13), Gustav Lindström (11), Oskar Sundqvist (7), Michael Rasmussen (2)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
12/14 – Recalled forward Elmer Söderblom from Grand Rapids … Placed defenseman Olli Määttä on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 6
12/13 – Recalled defenseman Steven Kampfer from Grand Rapids … Placed defenseman Robert Hägg on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 8
12/11 – Recalled goaltender Magnus Hellberg from Grand Rapids
12/10 – Reassigned goaltender Victor Brattström to Grand Rapids from Toledo (ECHL)
12/9 – Activated forward Elmer Söderblom from injured reserve and assigned him to Grand Rapids … Reassigned goaltender Victor Brattström from Grand Rapids to Toledo (ECHL)

TONIGHT’S GAME
RED WINGS at WILD / 7:30 P.M. EST / Xcel Energy Center / TV: TNT / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
TODAY: 65th all-time meeting, 32nd at Minnesota … Second of two games this season, only game at Minnesota ALL-TIME vs. MIN: 38-16-3-7 / AWAY: 17-10-2-2 / LAST 10: 4-5-1 / IN 2021-22: 0-1-1 / THIS SEASON: 1-0-0 DET top scorers vs. MIN: David Perron (15-23-38 in 46 GP), Dylan Larkin (3-10-13 in 13 GP), Lucas Raymond (5-0-5 in 3 GP), Filip Hronek (0-4-4 in 6 GP), Moritz Seider (0-2-2 in 3 GP), Joe Veleno (0-2-2 in 3 GP), Gustav Lindström (1-0-1 in 1 GP) MIN top scorers vs. DET: Mats Zuccarello (5-11-16 in 21 GP), Matt Dumba (2-6-8 in 10 GP), Joel Eriksson Ek (3-4-7 in 9 GP), Matt Boldy (5-1-6 in 3 GP), Kirill Kaprizov (4-1-5 in 3 GP), Frederick Gaudreau (0-5-5 in 4 GP), Jordan Greenway (3-0-3 in 6 GP)

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES EST)
Sat., Dec. 17: RED WINGS vs. SENATORS / 1:00 p.m. / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Mon., Dec. 19: RED WINGS at CAPITALS / 7:00 p.m. / Capital One Arena / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Wed., Dec. 21: RED WINGS vs. LIGHTNING / 7:00 p.m. / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: BSD EXTRA / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM

LAST TIME OUT
Dec. 13 vs. Carolina – 1-0 L
Detroit fell to Carolina in a 1-0 decision to move to 13-9-6 overall and 7-5-3 inside Little Caesars Arena … The result marks the first time Detroit has been shut out this season, and the first time the team has been blanked on home ice since Jan. 13 vs. Winnipeg … Ville Husso stopped 26-of-27 shots to move to 11-5-4 with a 2.48 goals-against average, a 0.918 save percentage and three shutouts in 20 appearances with Detroit … Husso has surrendered one goal or fewer in eight starts this season … Detroit is 3-2-6 in one-goal games this season, and 18-3-16 in one-goal games since the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign.

FIL THE THRILL

  • Filip Hronek ranks among the team leaders with six goals (5th), 18 assists (1st), 24 points (3rd), a plus-11 rating (T1st), two power play goals (T4th), 10 power play points (2nd), 65 shots (4th) and 22:34 average time on ice (2nd) through 28 games.
  • Tied for the team lead with seven multi-point games. He has 16 points (6-10-16) and a plus-seven rating in 14 games dating back to Nov. 12 at Los Angeles.
  • Set a franchise record for the longest season-opening road point streak (4-11-15 in 11 GP), eclipsing Sergei Fedorov who set the mark in 1993-94 (9-10-19 in 10 GP).
  • Became the second defenseman in NHL history to post a road point streak of 11-or-more games from the start of a season, joining Paul Coffey who notched a point in each of Edmonton’s first 12 road games in 1986-87 (4-16-20 in 12 GP).
  • Also became the third Red Wings defenseman to post a road point streak of 11-or-more games, following Brian Rafalski (12 GP in 2007-08) and Paul Coffey (15 GP in 1994-95).

NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER

  • Filip Hronek totaled 14 points from Nov. 3-30 (6-8-14 in 13 GP), which were the most by a Red Wings defenseman in a calendar month since Nicklas Lidström in December 2010 (8-8-16 in 16 GP).
  • Had a career-high four-game goal streak from Nov. 17-25 (5-2-7 in 4 GP) and six-game point streak from Nov. 12-25 (6-4-10 in 6 GP).
  • His four-game goal streak matched the longest goal streak by a defenseman in franchise history, joining Mathieu Schneider (4 GP in 2005-06), Nicklas Lidström (4 GP in 2000-01) and Reed Larson (4 GP in 1980-81).
  • Became the first Red Wings defenseman to record six goals in a six-game span since Reed Larson did so from Jan. 29-Feb. 8, 1981 (6-3-9 in 6 GP).
  • Scored a pair of goals – including his first career GWG – on Nov. 19 at Columbus for his first career multi-goal game.

SWEDISH MAFIA KEEPS GROWING

  • Jonatan Berggren has recorded nine points (4-5-9) in 15 games to begin his NHL career.
  • Became the eighth Red Wings rookie in the past 30 years to record six-or-more points through their first nine contests, joining Lucas Raymond (4-5-9 in 2021-22), Moritz Seider (0-8-8 in 2021-22), Filip Zadina (1-5-6 in 2019-20), Taro Hirose (1-6-7 in 2018-19), Dennis Cholowski (2-4-6 in 2018-19), Dylan Larkin (2-5-7 in 2015-16) and Henrik Zetterberg (3-3-6 in 2002-03).
  • Registered seven points (4-3-7) in seven games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to begin the 2022-23 campaign.
  • Made his North American professional debut with the Griffins in 2021-22 and set franchise records for a rookie in assists (43), points (64), game-winning goals (7) and overtime goals (3) in 70 games.
  • Named AHL Rookie of the Month for April after totaling 20 points (6-14-20) in 14 contests. He finished the season with 26 points (7-19-26) in his last 18 games, including a season-high 11-game point streak (6-13-19) to close out the year.

EARLY RETURNS
Detroit forwards Andrew Copp, Austin Czarnik, Dominik Kubalík, Matt Luff and David Perron, and defensemen Ben Chiarot, Robert Hägg and Olli Määttä have made an immediate impact to begin the 2022-23 season. The eight players, all signed as free agents by the Red Wings in July, have combined for 86 points (29-57-86) through the first 28 games of the campaign.

  • Ben Chiarot netted his second goal of the season on Nov. 19 at Columbus. He recorded a goal and an assist on Oct. 15 at New Jersey for his first multi-point game in a Detroit uniform.
  • Andrew Copp has tallied six points (1-5-6) in his last seven games since Nov. 30 vs. Buffalo. He ranks second among Detroit skaters with 15 even-strength points (2-13-15), trailing only Dylan Larkin (5-12-17).
  • Austin Czarnik tallied a goal on Nov. 8 vs. Montreal and Dec. 4 at Columbus. The Metro Detroit native has also racked up 14 points (6-8-14) in 12 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
  • Robert Hägg (IR) ranks among the team leaders with 36 hits (T7th) and 17 blocks (T8th). He registered an assist on Oct. 21 at Chicago and Oct. 25 vs. New Jersey.
  • Dominik Kubalík places among the team leaders with 10 goals (T1st), 15 assists (3rd), 25 points (2nd), five power play goals (1st), 12 power play points (1st), one overtime goal (1st) and 77 shots (2nd) through 28 games. He is the first Detroit skater to average a point-per-game through their first 25 career contests with the franchise since Marián Hossa in 2008-09 (14-14-28 in 25 GP).
  • Matt Luff (IR) earned his first goal/point with Detroit on Nov. 6 against the New York Rangers. He registered seven points (3-4-7) in five appearances with Grand Rapids to begin the 2022-23 season.
  • Olli Määttä (IR) has registered 10 points (2-8-10) and a plus-11 rating through 25 games. With a pair of assists on Dec. 4 at Columbus, he surpassed his scoring total from the 2021-22 campaign in 42 fewer games (1-7-8 in 66 GP with Los Angeles).
  • David Perron has totaled 21 points (9-12-21) in 28 games, including a pair of game-winning goals. Perron, who scored a goal in his 1,000th career NHL game on Dec. 10 at Dallas, has notched 13 points (4-9-13) in 14 games dating back to Nov. 12 at Los Angeles.

BIG VILLE STYLE
Detroit acquired goaltender Ville Husso from St. Louis in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft (Aleksanteri Kaskimäki) on July 8 and subsequently signed him to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $4.75 million.

  • Ville Husso has posted three shutouts in 20 games with the Red Wings, tying Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck and Carolina’s Pyotr Kochetkov for the league lead. Husso had three shutouts in 57 appearances with the Blues from 2020-22.
  • Became the third Red Wings/Falcons/Cougars goaltender with three shutouts prior to his 15th appearance with the franchise, joining Hap Holmes (4 in 1926-27) and Dolly Dolson (3 in 1928-29).
  • Has allowed one goal or fewer in eight starts this season.
  • Stopped all 29 shots he faced in his Red Wings debut on Oct. 14 vs. Montreal, becoming the second goalie in franchise history to post a shutout in his team debut, joining Dave Gatherum who did so on Oct. 11, 1953 vs. Toronto.

EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND

  • Lucas Raymond ranks among the team leaders with seven goals (4th), nine assists (7th), 16 points (6th), four power play goals (T2nd), eight power play points (T4th), three game-winning goals (1st) and 54 shots (5th) through 28 games.
  • Has five goals in three career head-to-head meetings against Minnesota, scoring both of Detroit’s goals in a 2-1 victory on Oct. 29.
  • Became the third member of the 2020 NHL Draft class to reach the 30-goal mark, joining Tim Stützle (44) and Alexis Lafrenière (36).
  • Has five career game-winning goals, trailing only Steve Yzerman (8), Dylan Larkin (6) and Alex Delvecchio (6) for the most GWGs in franchise history at age 20 or younger.

GERMAN ENGINEERING

  • Moritz Seider set career highs in assists (3) and points (3) in his 100th NHL game on Nov. 19 at Columbus.
  • Recorded six points (2-4-6) in a five-game stretch from Nov. 17-28.
  • Became the fourth defenseman in franchise history to register 60-or-more points (9-53-62 in 110 GP) at age 21 or younger, joining Steve Chiasson (15-48-63 in 139 GP), Reed Larson (19-42-61 in 89 GP) and Nicklas Lidström (11-49-60 in 80 GP).
  • Also moved past Nicklas Lidström (11-49-60 in 80 GP) for the most assists by a Detroit defenseman before age 22.

MICHIGAN MEN
The Red Wings have five Michigan-born players on their active roster in forwards Andrew Copp (Ann Arbor), Austin Czarnik (Washington Township) and Dylan Larkin (Waterford), and defensemen Steven Kampfer (Ann Arbor) and Jordan Oesterle (Dearborn Heights).

  • Andrew Copp recorded 81 points (40-41-81) in 107 games at the University of Michigan from 2012-15, serving as team captain during his junior season. Prior to his collegiate career, Copp skated with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2010-12.
  • Austin Czarnik attended Romeo High School before playing with the NTDP from 2008-10.
  • Steven Kampfer played four seasons at the University of Michigan from 2006-10, amassing 60 points (7-53-60), 134 penalty minutes and a plus-65 rating in 147 games. He is a product of the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey program.
  • Dylan Larkin was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after logging 47 points (15-32-47) and 38 penalty minutes in 35 games at Michigan during the 2014-15 campaign. He was also selected to both the 2014-15 Big Ten All-Freshman Team and the All-Big Ten First Team, in addition to being named an AHCA Second Team All-American. Larkin previously skated with the NTDP from 2012-14.
  • Jordan Oesterle attended Dearborn Divine Child High School before tallying 34 points (7-27-34) in 113 games at Western Michigan University from 2011-14. He helped the Broncos win a CCHA tournament championship as a freshman.

LOVE TO ‘C’ IT

  • Dylan Larkin is in his third season as Detroit’s captain and eighth NHL campaign. He was named the 37th captain in franchise history on Jan. 13, 2021, becoming the first Michigander and native metro Detroiter to wear the ‘C’ for the Red Wings, assuming a captaincy that had been vacant for two seasons following the end of Henrik Zetterberg’s career in 2017-18 due to injury.
  • Ranks among the team leaders with 10 goals (T1st), 17 assists (2nd), 27 points (1st), a plus-six rating (5th), four power play goals (T2nd), nine power play points (3rd), one shorthanded goal (T1st) and 94 shots (1st) through 28 games.
  • Currently places 22nd on the franchise’s all-time points list (see list below):
  1. Vyacheslav Kozlov – 415 career points with Detroit
  2. Igor Larionov – 392
  3. Dylan Larkin – 385
  4. Johan Franzén – 370
  5. Marcel Dionne – 366
  6. Shawn Burr – 362

CAPTAIN CLUTCH

  • Dylan Larkin tallied his 157th career NHL goal on Dec. 10 at Dallas. He is currently one goal away from tying Kris Draper for 22nd place on the franchise’s all-time list (see list below):
  1. Mickey Redmond – 177 career goals with Detroit
  2. Red Kelly – 162
  3. Kris Draper – 158
  4. Dylan Larkin – 157
  5. Ray Sheppard – 152
  6. Bruce MacGregor – 151
  • Larkin recorded his 228th career NHL assist on Dec. 3 vs. Vegas, passing Marcel Dionne for sole possession of 22nd place on the franchise’s all-time list (see list below):
  1. Syd Howe – 248 career assists with Detroit
  2. Gary Bergman – 243
  3. Dylan Larkin – 228
  4. Marcel Dionne – 227
  5. Marcel Pronovost – 217
  6. Shawn Burr – 214
  • Larkin scored his fourth career shootout-deciding goal on Nov. 25 vs. Arizona, passing Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar for the sixth-most in franchise history. He trails only Pavel Datsyuk (11), Todd Bertuzzi (7), Henrik Zetterberg (7), Frans Nielsen (6) and Jiri Hudler (5).
  • Also has seven career overtime goals, which is tied with Herbie Lewis and Henrik Zetterberg for the fifth-most in franchise history. He trails only Sergei Fedorov (12), Brendan Shanahan (9), Steve Yzerman (9) and Pavel Datsyuk (8).

MINNESOTA WILD NOTES:

SERIES NOTES
UPCOMING WILD GAMES
GAME BROADCASTS
DETROIT RED WINGS
All-Time Wild Record: 23-29-12 (12-10-9 at Xcel Energy
Center, 11-19-3 at Detroit)
2022-23:Minnesota fell to Detroit, 2-1, in the series opener (12/29)…LW Kirill Kaprizov (1-0=1) scored the Wild’s lone goal, assisted by RW Mats Zuccarello (0-1=1) and C Freddy Gaudreau (0-1=1)…G Filip Gustavsson stopped 23- of-25 shots faced for Minnesota…LW Lucas Raymond (2-0=2) scored both of Detroit’s goals, assisted each time by C Dylan Larkin (0-2=2)…LR Adam Erne (0-1=1) and LW Dominik Kubalik (0-1=1) also recorded assists…G Ville Husso stopped 30-of-31 shots faced for Detroit.

WILD LEADERS: Zuccarello leads Minnesota with 16 points (5-11=16) in 21 games against Detroit…D Alex Goligoski has 10 points (1-9=10) in 25
contests…D Matt Dumba owns eight points (2-6=8) in 10 games…D Jared Spurgeon has seven points (0-7=7) in 26 games…C Joel Eriksson Ek has seven points (3-4=7) in nine matches…C Ryan Hartman owns seven points (2-5=7) in 11 games.

WILD GOALIES: G Marc-Andre Fleury is 12-9-1 with a 3.32 GAA, a .894 SV% and one shutout in 22 career starts against the Red Wings…Gustavsson is 0-1-0 with a 2.07 GAA and .920 SV% in his lone start againts Detroit.

RED WINGS LEADERS: LW David Perron leads the Red Wings with 38 points (15-23=38) in 46 games against the Wild…Larkin owns 13 points (3-10=13) in 13 contests…C Andrew Kopp has eight points (3-5=8) in 23 games.

RED WINGS GOALIES: Husso is 6-0-0 with a 2.43 GAA, a .923 SV% and one shutout in six career starts against Minnesota…Nedeljkovic is 0-1-1 with a 5.50 GAA and a .828 SV% in two starts.

FAST FACTS: Minnesota is 11-5-3 in its last 19 games against Detroit with 10 of those games decided by one goal…The Wild has earned a point in seven of its last 10 games in Detroit (5-3-2)…Minnesota has earned a point in 15 of the last 18 meetings at Xcel Energy Center (9-3-6).

INJURIES
Brandon Duhaime: upper body
Ryan Hartman: upper body

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Dec. 3, 2022 – Dec. 13, 2022
12/13/22 Reassigned F Nic Petan to Iowa
12/11/22 Reassigned D Andrej Sustr to Iowa
12/9/22 Recalled F Sammy Walker from Iowa and reassigned
F Joseph Cramarossa to Iowa

ON THE POWER PLAY
• Through 28 games the Wild has converted 25.0 percent (23 of 92) of power-play opportunities, ninth-best in the NHL.
• The Wild have converted 34.0 percent (16 of 47) of power-play opportunities at home this season, third-best in the NHL.
• Minnesota recorded a power-play goal in a season-high six consecutive games from Nov. 23 – Dec. 4, going eight-for-19 (42.1 pct.) during that span. The streak tied for the fifth-longest in franchise history

PENALTY KILLERS
• Since Nov. 8, Minnesota is seventh in the NHL with a 82.0 penalty-kill percentage (50 for 61).
• Minnesota is fifth in the NHL with a 83.3 penalty-kill percentage (40 of 48) on the road this season.

TOTAL TEAM EFFORT
WE’RE HEADED TO OVERTIME
• Since Oct. 25, the Wild is tied for sixth in the NHL with 14 wins and tied for seventh with 29 points.
• Since Oct. 25, Minnesota is giving up 2.48 goals per game (tied for fourth in NHL), allowin 28.7 shots per game (sixth in the NHL) and recording a .914 save percentage (seventh in the NHL).

WE’RE HEADED TO OVERTIME
• Since Oct. 25, the Wild is tied for sixth in the NHL with 14 wins and tied for seventh with 29 points.
• Since Oct. 25, Minnesota is giving up 2.48 goals per game (tied for fourth in NHL), allowin 28.7 shots per game (sixth in the NHL) and recording a .914 save percentage (seventh in the NHL).
• This season, Minnesota has five victories in games decided past regulation, tied for fifth-most in the NHL. The Wild have two overtime wins and three shootout victories.
• Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Minnesota leads the NHL with 21 victories in extra-session games.
• During the 2021-22 season, the Wild ranked second in the NHL with a franchise record 11 overtime wins and ranked tied for second with five shootout wins, good for 16 total extra-session victories.
• Minnesota went 16-7 in 23 extra session games during the 2021-22 season – its most extra session contests since 23 in 2013-14. The 16 extra session wins are the second-most in team history (17 in 2006-07).

NO FREE HANDOUTS
SHORT (HANDED) KINGS
• Minnesota is averaging 6.07 giveaways per game (170 in 28 games) this season, the lowest rate in the NHL.

SHORT (HANDED) KINGS
• Minnesota is first in the NHL with six shorthanded goals this season.
• The total is the team’s highest in franchise history through a season’s first 28 games.

NHL Preview: Montreal Canadiens (14-12-2) at Ottawa Senators (12-14-2)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: Montreal Canadiens (14-12-2) at Ottawa Senators (12-14-2)

MONTREAL CANADIENS NOTES:

À SURVEILLER CE SOIR / KEEP AN EYE ON…

  • Les Canadiens et les Sénateurs s’affrontent ce soir pour la 160e fois en saison régulière. En incluant les matchs de séries,
    c’est le 171e affrontement entre ces deux équipes.
  • The Canadiens and Senators are facing each other for the 160th time in regular season. Including playoff contests,
    tonight’s the 171st matchup between the two teams.

DERNIER MATCH / LAST GAME – MTL 2 VS. CGY 1 (TB/SO) (@ CENTRE BELL)
Buts MTL Goals – Anderson, Dach (TB/SO)
Buts CGY Goals – Huberdeau (AN/PP)
Gardien MTL Goalie – Allen (34-35)
Gardien CGY Goalie – Markstrom (37-38)
Avantage numérique MTL Powerplay – 0/7
Avantage numérique CGY Powerplay – 1/6
Meneurs MTL Leaders – TOI (Suzuki – 25:53) ; S (Dvorak, Hoffman – 6) ; HT (Slafkovsky – 4) ; BS (Edmundson – 5)

MATCHS À VENIR / UPCOMING GAMES
15 DÉC. VS. ANAHEIM 19 h / 7 p.m.
17 DÉC. VS TAMPA BAY 19 h / 7 p.m.
19 DÉC. @ ARIZONA 22 h / 10 p.m.
21 DÉC. @ COLORADO 20 h / 8 p.m.
23 DÉC. @ DALLAS 20h30 / 8:30 p.m.

RAPPORT MÉDICAL DE LA SAISON / SEASON INJURY REPORT
Joueur Player
Date Blessure
Injury
Matchs ratés
Games lost
Retour
Return
C. Price – Genou / Knee 28 –
P. Byron – Hanche / Hip 28 –
M. Matheson – Haut du corps / Upper-body 17 19/11/2022
B. Gallagher – Bas du corps / Lower-body 6 –
M. Hoffman – Bas du corps / Lower-body 8 10/12/2022
J. Drouin – Haut du corps / Upper-body 13 –

RÉAFFECTATIONS, SIGNATURES ET TRANSACTIONS / ROSTER MOVES, SIGNINGS AND TRANSACTIONS
Les Canadiens ont rappelé l’attaquant Rem Pitlick du Rocket de Laval (01/12)
The Canadiens have recalled forward Rem Pitlick from the Laval Rocket (12/01)
Les Canadiens ont cédé l’attaquant Rem Pitlick au Rocket de Laval (18/11)
The Canadiens have loaned forward Rem Pitlick to the Laval Rocket (11/18)
Les Canadiens ont rappelé l’attaquant Rem Pitlick du Rocket de Laval (16/11)
The Canadiens have recalled forward Rem Pitlick from the Laval Rocket (11/16)
Les Canadiens ont placé l’attaquant Rem Pitlick au ballottage (07/11)
The Canadiens have placed forward Rem Pitlick on waivers (11/07)
Les Canadiens ont cédé le défenseur Corey Schueneman au Rocket de Laval (26/10)
The Canadiens have loaned defenseman Corey Schueneman to the Laval Rocket (10/26)

NOTES DES CANADIENS / CANADIENS NOTES
STATISTIQUES D’ÉQUIPE / TEAM STATISTICS – AVANT LES MATCHS DU 13/12 – BEFORE GAMES ON 12/13
PTS (30 – 20e/20th)
V/W (14 – 18e/18th)
BP/GF (80 – 26e/26th)
BC/GA (97 – 23e/23rd)
Tirs-PM/Shots-PG (29.3 – 30e/30th)
Tirs accordés-PM/Shots allowed-PG (33.1 – 24e/24th)
MÉ/Hits (480 – 30e/30th)
MP/PIM (344 – 4e/4th)
AN/PP (14.4% – 32e/32nd)
DN/PK (80.8% – 10e/10th)

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 3-2-0 6 12 17
Centrale 3-3-1 7 22 23
Métropolitaine 4-3-0 8 22 25
Pacifique 4-4-1 9 28 32
Total 14-12-2 30 84 97
*Inclut les buts en fusillade / Includes the shootout goals

MARTIN ST-LOUIS EN CHIFFRES / MARTIN ST. LOUIS’ NUMBERS…
Matchs/Games : 65
Victoires/Wins : 28
Fiche : 28-31-6
Points de classement/Standing points : 62

CANADIENS VS. OTTAWA
À vie / All-Time

CANADIENS vs. OTT 81-59-5-15 (160 PJ / GP)
Dom. / Home 45-27-4-5 (81 PJ / GP)
Étr. / Away 36-32-1-10 (79 PJ / GP)
Dern. Match / Last game:
D 6-4 L @ OTT (23/04/22)
C. Price 6-26 | A. Forsberg 4-48
BG / WG: M. Kastelic

10 DERNIERS MATCHS CONTRE OTTAWA / LAST 10 GAMES VS. OTTAWA:
23/04/22 – MTL 4 @ OTT 6
05/04/22 – OTT 6 @ MTL 3
19/03/22 – OTT 1 @ MTL 5
26/02/22 – MTL 2 @ OTT 1
05/05/21 – MTL 1 @ OTT 5
01/05/21 – OTT 2 @ MTL 3 (P/OT)
17/04/21 – OTT 4 @ MTL 0
03/04/21 – MTL 3 @ OTT 6
01/04/21 – MTL 4 @ OTT 1
02/03/21 – OTT 1 @ MTL 3

CETTE SAISON CONTRE OTTAWA / THIS SEASON VS. OTTAWA
Match #1: 14/12/2022 @ OTT
Match #2: 28/01/2023 @ OTT
Match #3: 31/01/2023 @ MTL
Match #4: 25/01/2023 @ MTL

MEILLEURS BUTEURS CONTRE OTTAWA / LEADING GOAL SCORERS VS. OTTAWA:
1) Brendan Gallagher (10-13-23, 41 pj/gp)
2) Evgenii Dadonov (7-6-13, 15 pj/gp)
3) Josh Anderson (7-4-11, 24 pj/gp)

MEILLEURS POINTEURS CONTRE OTTAWA / LEADING SCORERS VS. OTTAWA:
1) Brendan Gallagher (10-13-23, 41 pj/gp)
2) Sean Monahan (6-10-16, 25 pj/gp)
3) Jonathan Drouin (5-10-15, 26 pj/gp)

MENEURS MINUTES DE PÉNALITÉ CONTRE OTTAWA / MOST PENALTY MINUTES VS. OTTAWA:
1) Brendan Gallagher (57, 41 pj/gp)
2) David Savard (27, 21 pj/gp)
3) Josh Anderson (24, 24 pj/gp)

LIENS MONTRÉAL – OTTAWA CONNECTIONS

  • Josh Anderson et David Savard ont été coéquipiers avec Anton Forsberg à Columbus de 2014 à 2017, tandis que Joel Edmundson a joué avec Forsberg en Caroline durant la saison 2019-2020.
  • Anderson et Savard ont aussi joué avec Tyler Motte à Columbus en 2017-2018.
  • Savard a aussi joué avec Nick Holden en 2012-2013 à Columbus.
  • Savard a également joué avec Mathieu Joseph à Tampa Bay pour une partie de la saison 2020-2021.
  • Evgenii Dadonov, Mike Hoffman, Mike Matheson et Sam Montembeault ont côtoyé Derick Brassard en Floride en 2018-2019.
  • Kirby Dach et Alex DeBrincat ont joué ensemble à Chicago entre 2019 et 2022.
  • Rem Pitlick et Austin Watson se sont côtoyés à Nashville en 2018-2019.
  • Pitlick a aussi joué avec Cam Talbot en 2020-2021 au Minnesota.
  • Sean Monahan a lui aussi côtoyé Talbot en 2019-2020 à Calgary.
  • Monahan et Travis Hamonic ont joué ensemble à Calgary entre 2017 et 2020.
  • Trois joueurs de l’édition actuelle des Canadiens ont déjà joué à Ottawa durant leur carrière : Hoffman (2011 à 2018), Dadonov (2020-2021) et Chris Wideman (2015 à 2019).
  • Josh Anderson and David Savard were teammates with Anton Forsberg in Columbus from 2014 to 2017, while Joel Edmundson played with Forsberg in Carolina during the 2019-20 season.
  • Anderson and Savard also played with Tyler Motte in Columbus in 2017-18.
  • Savard also skated with Nick Holden in 2012-13 in Columbus.
  • Savard also played with Mathieu Joseph for part of the 2020-21 season in Tampa Bay.
  • Evgenii Dadonov, Mike Hoffman, Mike Matheson and Sam Montembeault played with Derick Brassard in Florida in 2018-19.
  • Kirby Dach and Alex DeBrincat played together in Chicago from 2019 to 2022.
  • Rem Pitlick and Austin Watson skated together in Nashville in 2018-19.
  • Pitlick also played with Cam Talbot in 2020-21 in Minnesota.
  • Sean Monahan skated with Cam Talbot in Calgary in 2019-20.
  • Sean Monahan and Travis Hamonic played together in Calgary from 2017 to 2020.
  • Three current Canadiens players have played in Ottawa throughout their career: Hoffman (2011 to 2018), Dadonov (2020-21) and Chris Wideman (2015 to 2019)

JOUEURS AVEC LE PLUS DE MATCHS AVEC LES CANADIENS / PLAYERS WITH THE MOST GAMES WITH THE
CANADIENS
Rang/Rank – Joueurs/Players – Matchs/Games
28 – Shayne Corson – 662
29 – Brendan Gallagher – 660
30 – Aurel Joliat – 655

MEILLEURS MARQUEURS DES CANADIENS / CANADIENS’ ALL-TIME TOP SCORERS
Rang/Rank – Joueurs/Players – Buts/Goals
24 – Bobby Rousseau – 200
25 – Brendan Gallagher – 197
26 – Larry Robinson – 197

MEILLEURS PASSEURS DES CANADIENS / CANADIENS’ ALL-TIME ASSIST LEADERS
Rang/Rank – Joueurs/Players – Aides/Assists
44 – Aurel Joliat – 194
45 – Brendan Gallagher – 192
46 – Petr Svoboda – 190

MEILLEURS POINTEURS DES CANADIENS / CANADIENS’ ALL-TIME POINT LEADERS
Rang/Rank – Joueurs/Players – Points/Points
36 – Réjean Joule – 408
37 – Brendan Gallagher – 389
38 – Bert Olmstead – 383

GARDIENS AVEC LE PLUS DE VICTOIRES AVEC LES CANADIENS / GOALTENDERS WITH THE MOST WINS IN CANADIENS HISTORY
Rang/Rank – Gardiens/Netminders – Victoires/Wins
1 – Carey Price – 361
2 – Jacques Plante – 314
3 – Patrick Roy – 289

GARDIENS AVEC LE PLUS DE JEUX BLANCS AVEC LES CANADIENS / GOALTENDERS WITH THE MOST SHUTOUTS IN CANADIENS HISTORY
Rang/Rank – Gardiens/Netminders – Blanchissages/Shutouts
1 – George Hainsworth – 75
2 – Jacques Plante – 58
3 – Carey Price – 49

OTTAWA SENATORS NOTES:

LAST GAME: Dec. 12, 3-0 win vs. Anaheim: Talbot turned aside all 32 Anaheim shots he faced as Ottawa emerged with their first shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory at Canadian Tire Centre. The blanking saw him move into a tie for ninth among active goaltenders in shutouts (28) while earning his 16th career victory over the Ducks, his most against any one franchise. DeBrincat paced the Senators with his 27th career multi-goal game – the seventh most among league skaters since 2017-18. With both goals coming on the man advantage, Ottawa saw their third contest in their last four with multiple markers on the power-play. Kelly had previously opened the scoring for the home side at 5:42 of the opening stanza with his first of the campaign becoming the 19th different skater to provide a goal for the Senators this year. Giroux added two assists for Ottawa. Dostal took the loss for Anaheim in making 35 saves during his first start of the season. Scratches: Gambrell, Heatherington; Injuries: Bernard-Docker, Joseph, Norris, Zub; Shots: OTT – 38, ANA – 32; PP: OTT – 2-4, ANA – 0-3.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: This evening’s game against Montreal will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet and RDS. On the radio, the game will be available locally via TSN 1200 (English) and 94,5 Unique-FM (French).

WHAT’S NEXT: Ottawa begins a three-game road trip against Detroit on Saturday at 1 p.m. The contest will mark the first of four regular-season meetings and the first of two matchups at Little Caesars Arena.

INJURY REPORT: D Bernard-Docker, RW Joseph, C Norris and D Zub are on IR and will not oppose the Canadiens this evening.
Total man-games lost: 69.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS: Re-assigned D Heatherington to Belleville (AHL) on Dec. 13.
OTTAWA vs. MONTREAL – History:
2022-23 (0-0-0): Dec. 14 @ Ottawa, Jan. 28 @ Ottawa, Jan. 31 @ Montreal, Feb. 25 @ Montreal
2021-22 (2-2-0): 2/26/22 @ Ottawa (2-1 loss), 3/19/22 @ Montreal (5-1 loss), 4/5/22 @ Montreal (6-3 win), 4/23/22 @ Ottawa (6-4 win)
Series record: Overall: 74-70-5-11; Home: 42-31-1-5; Away: 32-39-4-6
Last Ottawa win: @ Ottawa: 4/23/22 (6-4); @ Montreal: 4/5/22 (6-3)
Last Montreal win: @ Ottawa: 2/26/22 (2-1); @ Montreal: 3/19/22 (5-1)
Last OT result: 5/1/21 (3-2 OT loss) @ Montreal
Last shootout: 2/23/21 (5-4 SO win) @ Ottawa
Most goals, game: Scored: 6, (12/19/14, 6-2 win); Allowed: 5, (4x, Last: 3/10/20, 5-2 loss); Both teams: 8, (12/19/14, 6-2 win) Last Game: 4/23/22, 6-4 win @ Ottawa; OTT Goals: Kastelic (x2), Watson, Kelly, Norris, Formenton; MTL Goals: Pitlick (x2), Caufield; OTT Scratch: Mete; OTT Injuries: Brown, Ennis, Joseph, Murray, Pinto, Sanderson, White, Zaitsev; OTT Goalie: Forsberg; MTL Goalie: Price; OTT PP: 0-5; MTL PP: 0-4; Shots: 26-48.

Career vs. Montreal: Giroux leads all players in career games played (40), in goals (11), in assists (19) and in points (30); Tkachuk
leads in penalty minutes (45) against Montreal.

SWEATER WEATHER: The Senators enter their third season of wearing a primary logo which sees the organization return to its roots with the implementation of the modified original “2D” logo. The team has earned a 66-80-13 all-time record (11-13-2 this season) while wearing its current sweater. Ottawa unveiled their Reverse Retro jersey on Oct. 20 and will wear the sweater on five occasions in 2022-23 (1-1-0 this season). The Senators hold an all-time record of 113-76-7-25 when wearing an alternate; 27-19-2-5 when wearing a red alternate, 85-56-5-19 when wearing a black alternate and 1-1-0-1 when wearing a cream alternate.

HOME ON THE RANGE: Ottawa has a record of 7-8-0 at home this season … Claude Giroux is the Senators leader with eight goals at home while Tim Stützle maintains the club lead with 13 assists at Canadian Tire Centre … Through 15 home games, Stützle leads the team with 19 points on home ice … The Senators earned a record of 15-22-4 at home through 41 home contests in 2021-22.

ROAD SCHOLARS: The Senators have a record of 5-6-2 on the road this season … Tkachuk leads with six goals on the road this season while also ranking first with nine assists while the Senators serve as visitors … Through 13 road games this season, Tkachuk maintains the club lead with 15 points … The Senators registered an 18-20-3 record over 41 road contests in 2021-22.

FRANCHISE RECORD: Ottawa has posted an all-time record of 1,016-996-115-178 over 2,305 games … The Senators are 555-443-60-97 through 1,155 all-time home games and 461-553-55-81 through 1,150 all-time road games.

BACK-TO-BACK GAMES: Ottawa will play back-to-back games on 12 occasions in 2022-23 and will open their second set of the season on Saturday when they visit Detroit ahead of a trip to Minnesota the following afternoon … The Senators played 17 back-to-back sets last season and earned a record of 6-9-2 in the first half of contests on consecutive nights (1-0-0 this season) while posting an 8-8-1 record (1-0-0 this season) in the second half of games on consecutive days.

ON THE POWER PLAY: The Senators are 29 for 106 (27.4%) on the power-play in 2022-23 … Drake Batherson and Alex DeBrincat lead with five power-play goals while DeBrincat maintains the club lead with 14 points while the team enjoys a man advantage … Ottawa has recorded multiple power-play goals eight times in an individual contest in 2022-23 after having done so 11 times in 2021-22.

ON THE PENALTY KILL: Ottawa has overcome 81 of the 103 occasions the team has been shorthanded in 2022-23 to maintain an efficiency of 78.6% through 28 regular-season games … The team has registered one (Joseph) shorthanded marker this season after recording nine such goals in 2021-22.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
COACH SMITH: D.J. Smith was introduced as the Senators’ 14th head coach in franchise history on 5/23/19. A native of Windsor, Ont., Smith spent the four previous NHL seasons as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Prior to joining the Maple Leafs (which was also the team for which he made his NHL playing debut in 1996-97), Smith guided the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals to a record of 135-53-3-13 over three campaigns which included his having been recognized as the OHL’s Coach of the Year in 2013- 14. One year later, he helped the team capture the Mastercard Memorial Cup. His 93 head coaching victories with Ottawa see him rank sixth in franchise history.

SECOND SEASON AS CAPTAIN FOR CHUCKY: Two-time NHL All-Star Brady Tkachuk was appointed the 10th captain in Senators franchise history on 11/5/21. A native of St. Louis, Tkachuk succeeded Erik Karlsson who served in the role for four seasons from 2014- 15 to 2017-18. The bronze medal winner with Team U.S.A. at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship is the first American-born skater to serve as team captain. Tkachuk is assisted by full-time alternates Thomas Chabot and Claude Giroux.

DEBRINCAT POWERS THROUGH: With two power-play goals on Monday evening, Alex DeBrincat registered his fourth career multigoal game on the man advantage to move into a tie for the team lead (five). The tallies have now seen the Senators record at least two power-play goals in three of their last four contests and at least one goal in eight of their last 10 games to sit at 29 total goals with the extra skater, tied for third leaguewide. DeBrincat’s 27th career multi-goal game now sees him sit behind only seven players since entering the league in 2017-18 in two-plus goal games (Ovechkin, Matthews, Draisaitl, McDavid, Pastrnak, Aho, Connor) while his 57- career power-play goals in the same time frame see him placed in a tie for ninth in the NHL. The native of Farmington Hills, Mich. now sits tied for seventh (Modano) in career power-play goals by a U.S.-born player prior to the age of 25 (Carson, Roenick, K. Tkachuk, LaFontaine, Carpenter, Matthews).

ALL-TIME LEADERS: Chris Phillips is the Senators’ all-time leader in games played (1,179) … Daniel Alfredsson leads in goals (426), assists (682) and points (1,108) … Following Phillips is Alfredsson (1,178), Chris Neil (1,026), Wade Redden (838), Radek Bonk (689), Jason Spezza (686) and Mike Fisher (675) … Neil leads in penalty minutes (2,522) while Patrick Lalime holds the lead in shutouts (30) and ranks second (283) to Craig Anderson (435) in games played among goaltenders. Anderson leads in wins (202).

NHL Morning Skate – Dec. 14, 2022

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NHL Morning Skate – Dec. 14, 2022

* Three’s company in the NHL’s 800-goal club! The prestigious cohort features Mr. Hockey, The Great One, and now, The Great Eight, who netted a hat trick Tuesday to join the League’s most exclusive goals list.


* With the “Road to 800” behind him, Alex Ovechkin sets his sights on his next stop – sole possession of second place on the NHL’s all-time goals list, a feat he is now just two tallies away from achieving.


* A plethora of other players put up big performances Tuesday, including Leon Draisaitl who joined teammate Connor McDavid as the second skater to reach the 50-point mark this season.


THE GREAT EIGHT SCORES HAT TRICK, WRITES HIS NAME ON RARE LIST WITH 800TH GOAL
It’s not often you see a standing ovation or hear the name of an opposing player chanted at a team’s arena, but that’s exactly what happened Tuesday night as Alex Ovechkin (3-1—4) scored a hat trick and became the third player in NHL history to reach 800 career goals, causing “Ovi! Ovi!” chants to echo through the stands at United Center.
 


* An #NHLStats Pack on Ovechkin joining Wayne Gretzky (894)and Gordie Howe (801) in the 800-goal club can be found by clicking here, with the document featuring a detailed breakdown of his milestone markers as well as eight #NHLStats for The Great Eight. Some highlights include:

* Ovechkin (162 GP) required the fewest games to go from goal No. 700 to goal No. 800. Gretzky skated in 231 games from Jan. 3, 1991 (700) to March 20, 1994 (800), while Howe played in 256 NHL contests – over the course of more than 11 years – from Dec. 4, 1968 (700) to Feb. 29, 1980 (800). Ovechkin averaged 0.62 goals-per-game from one milestone to the next, compared to 0.44 for Gretzky and 0.39 for Howe.

* Ovechkin has averaged at least 0.60 goals-per-game in his entire NHL career, since he turned 30 and over the course of his jump from 700 to 800 goals. Using that rate as a guide, The Great Eight is on track to overtake The Great One as the all-time goals leader in his next 158 games – or sometime within the first-third of the 2024-25 season. Ovechkin should pass Howe before Christmas.
 


* Ovechkin has scored in 46.4% of his appearances (605 of 1,305 GP). That includes 133 contests with exactly two goals, 25 with exactly three goals and four with exactly four goals – a total of 162 multi-goal performances (second-most in NHL history) and 29 hat tricks (sixth-most in NHL history). Since 2005-06, Ovechkin has 71 more multi-goal games than the next-closest player (Sidney Crosby: 91).

* Ovechkin’s hat trick came against Petr Mrazek, with the first of his two opening-frame goals coming just 24 seconds into the game. Mrazek is one of 165 different goaltenders that The Great Eight has scored against throughout his NHL career, while the Blackhawks are one of 24 franchises he has tallied against at least 14 times.
 


TUESDAY NIGHT WAS OVI NIGHT, BUT MORE #NHLSTATS CAN BE FOUND IN LIVE UPDATES
While the night was dedicated to Alex Ovechkin’s historic achievement, there were a number of highlight-worthy performances inside Tuesday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates.

* Leon Draisaitl (21-30—51 in 30 GP) and Connor McDavid (26-33—59 in 30 GP) had five and four points, respectively, and became the fifth pair of teammates in NHL history each with at least 20 goals and 30 assists through 30 games in a season.

* Craig Anderson (40 saves) became the second NHL goaltender since 1955-56 (when shots on goal were officially tracked) with a 40-save shutout at age 41 or older, following Johnny Bower who did so twice (Nov. 1, 1967 & Jan. 13, 1966).

* Mitchell Marner (11-21—32 in 23 GP) had two assists to extend his franchise-record point streak to 23 games and become the 12th different player in NHL history with a run of that length.
 


QUICK CLICKS


* 8 #NHLStats about The Great 8

* All 800 of Alex Ovechkin’s goals
* Alex Ovechkin career timeline: Draft to 800 NHL goals
*Alex Ovechkin gives young fan the stick he scored goal No. 800 with

* #NHLStats on the Pursuit of 800 Goals (Through Goal No. 793)


WEDNESDAY FEATURES SPORTSNET, NHL ON TNT DOUBLEHEADERS
Wednesday’s slate features a pair of national doubleheaders, with Sportsnet carrying the Canadiens-Senators game and NHL on TNT showcasing the Red Wings-Wild contest before both networks cover the Canucks-Flames finale.
 

NBA Preview: Minnesota Wolves (13-14) at Los Angeles Clippers (16-13)

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NBA Preview: Minnesota Wolves (13-14) at Los Angeles Clippers (16-13)

The Los Angeles Clippers are “oh, so close” to being whole again and just showed what their full potential can be in advance of a meeting with the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.

The Clippers got off to a hot start Monday, overcame a second-quarter lull and cruised to a 113-93 victory over the NBA-best Boston Celtics. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George led the Clippers in scoring as expected, with a combined 51 points, but it was the Los Angeles defense that showed why the team is finally becoming one to reckon with.

The Clippers held the Celtics below 100 points for the first time this season, showing a complete package in just the eighth game this season that Leonard and George have played together.

Close to a return is sharpshooter Norman Powell (groin), who would give Los Angeles its full array of talent. After missing the last seven games, Powell could be back as soon as Wednesday.

As well-rounded as the Clippers can potentially be as a team, it is Leonard that was expected to guide the way. His 25 points Monday came mostly on 10-of-12 shooting from the field.

Against the Timberwolves, the Clippers could match a season-best, three-game winning streak.

Minnesota hopes to be where Los Angeles is soon, as a team with its stars back in the fold. The Wolves will play without Karl-Anthony Towns (calf strain) for the seventh consecutive game and his return isn’t expected for another two weeks, if not more.

Without Towns, Minnesota has managed to break even at 3-3, but is coming off consecutive road defeats against the Portland Trail Blazers. The most recent defeat was a 133-112 decision on Monday when the Wolves saw their opponent shoot 45.7 percent (21 of 46) from 3-point range.

D’Angelo Russell scored 23 points for Minnesota and Rudy Gobert grabbed 20 rebounds in the defeat. It was Gobert’s fourth game with at least 20 rebounds this season.

Minnesota shot a respectable 49.5 percent from the field but was outrebounded 54-37 overall despite Gobert’s best efforts while also missing nine of its 19 free-throw attempts. The Wolves made 10 of their 27 3-point tries (37.0 percent).

The Wolves do not take a large number of shots from distance, especially without Towns, falling middle of the pack at 33.0 per game. Head coach Chris Finch said that defending the 3-point line is critical in order to keep opponents within reach.

NBA Preview: Washington Wizards (11-17) at Denver Nuggets (16-10)

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NBA Preview: Washington Wizards (11-17) at Denver Nuggets (16-10)

Every game in the NBA matters, but the one between the host Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards on Wednesday night might have a little more meaning.

The game will be a homecoming of sorts. Washington head coach Wes Unseld Jr. was an assistant on Denver head coach Michael Malone’s staff, while Monte Morris and Will Barton were integral parts of the Nuggets’ recent rise from the lottery to postseason mainstays.

It is also a reunion for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who was traded to Denver by the Wizards last offseason — a deal which included Morris and Barton.

More important for Washington is pulling out of its funk on Wednesday night. The Wizards have lost seven in a row and 10 of their last 11, in part due to injuries that got worse in Monday’s loss to Brooklyn. Kristaps Porzingis left the game in the third quarter with lower back tightness and may not be available Wednesday night.

If he cannot go, he joins Morris (groin), Bradley Beal (hamstring), Rui Hachimura (ankle) and Delon Wright (hamstring) on the sidelines. Morris has missed two games and Beal four, while Hachimura and Wright have been out for an extended period.

Unseld said it is hard to practice with so many players out.

Denver is close to full health, although Michael Porter Jr. (heel) remains out with no timetable for his return. The Nuggets are a deeper team than in past seasons and have been able to overcome Porter’s absence the past two games — a road win Thursday at Portland and a home victory against Utah on Saturday night.

Jamal Murray was instrumental in both, while also posting a fourth quarter at the Trail Blazers that was reminiscent of his play before he tore his left ACL in April 2021. He missed all of last year and Morris stepped in as the starting point guard. He averaged 12.6 points and 4.4 assists in 75 games (74 starts) for Denver and ranks second on Washington in assists this season with a career-best 5.2 per game.

Barton is coming off one of his best games with the Wizards with a season-high 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists after missing two games with foot soreness.

Wednesday night will be the first time Barton and Morris — if the latter can play — face Denver since the trade. Malone praised what each player meant to the Nuggets in their time with the team.

NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (17-11) at Dallas Mavericks (14-13)

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NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (17-11) at Dallas Mavericks (14-13)

Free throws have been especially costly this season for the Dallas Mavericks, who host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Dallas is 14-13 while shooting just 72.7 percent from the foul line, which ranks 29th in the league. Memphis is the only team with a lower percentage (70.2).

Dallas showed some improvement in its last game, a 121-114 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. The Mavericks snapped a two-game losing skid while making 21 of 25 (84 percent) from the foul line.

Luka Doncic returned after missing one game to rest his right quad contusion and tallied 38 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Spencer Dinwiddie recorded his first double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 assists.

Doncic has opened the season by scoring at least 20 points in 34 straight games, matching Mark Aguirre’s 1983-84 Mavericks record.

The Mavericks have won seven of the past eight meetings against Cleveland. They will face the Cavs twice in the next four days, as Dallas hosts Portland on Friday before starting a four-game road trip Saturday in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers are looking to bounce back from a surprising 112-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points to lead the Cavaliers, while Caris LeVert added 23 points, Darius Garland had 18, and Evan Mobley contributed 17 points and 13 rebounds.

The loss was Cleveland’s first this season to a team currently more than a half-game below .500.

Mitchell is averaging 29 points on 49.6 percent shooting, with 41.9 percent from 3-point range — all career bests.

Cleveland’s league-leading defense is allowing 105.1 points per game with small forward Lamar Stevens a key part of the effort. The third-year pro is averaging 6.7 points and 3.7 rebounds.

Stevens has moved into the starting lineup ahead of LeVert, who is settling in nicely as the team’s sixth man. LeVert has scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games.

Cleveland’s defensive gameplan will understandably focus on Doncic, but guard Tim Hardaway Jr. remains a consistent threat from the perimeter.

Now in his 10th season, Hardaway has made at least five 3-pointers in six of his last eight games. He is averaging 20.3 points over that eight-game stretch while shooting 46.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The Cavaliers are 5-9 on the road compared to 12-2 at home.

Mavericks reserve guard Josh Green has missed the past two games with a sprained right elbow and is listed as day-to-day.

NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers (15-12) at San Antonio Spurs (9-18)

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NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers (15-12) at San Antonio Spurs (9-18)

Spurs need to corral Blazers’ Damian Lillard for 4th straight win

The San Antonio Spurs will be in search of a season-high fourth straight win when they host the surging Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

To do so, the Spurs will have to find a way to stop Portland’s Damian Lillard, who shot the Trail Blazers to consecutive home wins over Minnesota and is on fire heading into San Antonio.

The Spurs have rebounded from an 11-game losing streak by winning their past three contests, including a 112-111 home victory over Cleveland on Monday. San Antonio hit key shots down the stretch and produced defensive stops in the waning seconds.

Josh Richardson scored 24 points off the bench and Keldon Johnson blocked the potential game-winning shot in the final seconds as San Antonio came up big at the end after nearly coughing up a 16-point halftime lead.

Johnson added 21 points for the Spurs, with Devin Vassell scoring 16, Tre Jones hitting for 15 and Charles Bassey taking 11 rebounds (six offensive).

Rookie Jeremy Sochan returned after missing five games with a quad injury but Jakob Poeltl (right knee bone bruise) will likely not be available for Wednesday’s game.

The Trail Blazers travel to San Antonio for the beginning of a six-game road trip after a dominating 133-112 win over Minnesota on Monday. Lillard matched his career high of 11 3-pointers and scored 38 points in three quarters of action.

There are few players in the world that can get hot like Lillard can and he was feeling it on Monday, calling for the ball and letting it fly from 35 and 40 feet away at times.

Lillard tied his franchise-record total of 11 3-pointers in a regular-season game for the third time. He canned 12 in a playoff contest against the Denver Nuggets in June 2021.

Jerami Grant added 24 points, and Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and 16 rebounds as Portland completed a two-game sweep of Minnesota in a home mini-series. Shaedon Sharpe had 14 points and Anfernee Simons added 12 for the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers won the first contest of the series with the Timberwolves on Friday behind Lillard’s 36 points.

Portland has won four of its past five games, with the only loss in that stretch by one point at home against Denver when Lillard scored 40.

NBA Preview: Miami Heat (13-15) at Oklahoma City Thunder (11-16)

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NBA Preview: Miami Heat (13-15) at Oklahoma City Thunder (11-16)

It has been an uneven start for the Miami Heat this season.

After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the Heat have yet to make it over .500.

Miami started a four-game trip with an 87-82 win over Indiana on Monday night, drawing back to within two games of the break-even point.

Miami will look to continue building momentum when it continues the trip Wednesday night against the Thunder in Oklahoma City. The three opponents remaining on the trip — the Thunder, Rockets and Spurs — have the three worst records in the Western Conference.

Miami is just 4-9 on the road this season after going 24-17 away from home a season ago when posting the best regular-season record in the Eastern Conference.

Wednesday’s game will be the first of two meetings between the Heat and Thunder this season. Miami has swept the series in each of the past two seasons.

The Thunder haven’t played at home since Nov. 30 and have played seven of their last eight on the road.

After winning the first two games of a season-long five-game road trip, Oklahoma City has lost its past three games heading into a season-long seven-game homestand.

One of the bright spots recently for the Thunder has been the play of rookie guard Jalen Williams.

In Monday’s 121-114 loss to Dallas, Williams played a season-high 38 minutes, going 8 of 13 from the floor while scoring 17 points.

NBA Preview: New York Knicks (14-13) at Chicago Bulls (11-15)

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NBA Preview: New York Knicks (14-13) at Chicago Bulls (11-15)

The New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls needed two days off for entirely different reasons.

The surging Knicks hope to get point guard Jalen Brunson back while the Bulls aim to bounce back from an agonizing last-second loss when New York visits Chicago on Wednesday night in the opener of a home-and-home set.

The Knicks won their fourth straight game Sunday night, when they defeated the visiting Sacramento Kings 112-99.

The Bulls’ two-game winning streak ended Sunday when A.J. Griffin converted an alley-oop turnaround jumper at the overtime buzzer to lift the visiting Atlanta Hawks to a 123-122 win.

The winning streak has lifted New York over .500 (14-13) for the first time since Nov. 16 (8-7) and into sixth place — the last guaranteed playoff spot — in the Eastern Conference, as of Tuesday. The four-game winning streak is tied for the Knicks’ longest since the start of last season, when they were on the fringes of the play-in race during a four-game run from March 23-28.

In addition, three of the Knicks’ victories during this winning streak have come over teams currently occupying a playoff or play-in spot. Just four of New York’s first 10 wins were against teams that entered Tuesday in a playoff or play-in spot.

New York, which fashions itself a defensively minded team under head coach Tom Thibodeau, has allowed 102 points or fewer in all four games after doing so just once in the first 23 games.

The Knicks have won their last two games without an optimal roster.

Power forward Obi Toppin is expected to be out until at least Christmas with a broken right fibula suffered against the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 7. Brunson injured his right foot twice against the Kings and is listed as questionable for Wednesday night. Thibodeau said Tuesday that Brunson — who has started all 27 games this season — was “feeling a lot better.”

For the Bulls, the 72 or so hours between games provided an opportunity to absorb the chaotic final minutes of their loss to the Hawks. With Chicago down 110-109, Derrick Jones Jr. was fouled on a layup with 0.4 seconds left in regulation and made the first free throw before missing the second.

In overtime, Trae Young hit a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining to put the Hawks ahead 121-119. But DeMar DeRozan got fouled by Bogdan Bogdanovic on a desperation 3-pointer with under a second left and hit all three free throws.

The Hawks then pulled out the unlikely win when Jalen Johnson lobbed an alley-oop pass to Griffin, who sank the turnaround jumper as time expired. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for the Bulls, who were trying to win three straight for the first time since a six-game winning streak from Feb. 9-24.

NBA Preview: Sacramento Kings (14-12) at Toronto Raptors (13-14)

NBA Editor
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NBA Preview: Sacramento Kings (14-12) at Toronto Raptors (13-14)

Raptors, Kings set to determine which team can better overcome adversity

After losing two games in a row on the road to the Orlando Magic, the Toronto Raptors will be out to make amends Wednesday night against the visiting Sacramento Kings.

The Raptors have played better at home, where they are 10-3 this season. They will be catching the Kings on the second half of a back-to-back.

The Kings lost 123-103 to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday and have dropped three of the first four games of a six-game road trip.

The Raptors had hoped for better results against the Magic, who lost 121-108 at Toronto on Dec. 3 and have one of the worst records in the league.

The Raptors shot 40 percent overall (30-for-75) and 24 percent (6-for-25) from 3-point range on Sunday in losing 111-99 to Orlando.

At Philadelphia on Tuesday, the Kings trailed 80-55 at halftime.

After missing two games with a sore foot, De’Aaron Fox returned to the Kings’ lineup on Tuesday and scored 13 points on 5-for-15 shooting, including 1-for-7 from deep.

Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Malik Monk had 16 points off the bench.

The Kings did outscore the 76ers 48-43 in the second half, but the game was beyond reach.

After visiting Toronto, the Kings end their road trip against the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

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