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NHL Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs (13-5-5) at Detroit Red Wings (11-5-4)

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NHL Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs (13-5-5) at Detroit Red Wings (11-5-4)

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Score: Toronto 4 at Pittsburgh 1
Date: Saturday, November 26, 2022
TOR Goals: Marner, Holmberg, Nylander, Matthews
PIT Goals: Rakell
TOR Goaltender: Källgren, 25/26, .962 SV%
PIT Goaltender: DeSmith, 37/41, .902 SV%
TOR Power Play: 0-for-3
TOR Penalty Kill: 2-for-2

Player Notes: – Mitch Marner opened the scoring for Toronto 40 seconds into the first period extending his point streak to 16 games where he has posted 22 points (5G, 17A). In improving to a 16-game point streak, Marner is currently tied for third on the franchise leader board for the longest point streak during a single season. Marner also posted the primary assist on Holmberg’s goal. Marner recorded his sixth multi-point game of the season.

  • Pontus Holmberg scored the game-winning goal for the Maple Leafs at 9:55 of the second period. Holmberg has scored two goals through his last three games, both of which were the game-winning goal.
  • William Nylander scored for Toronto at 10:50 of the second period and recorded the secondary assist on Matthews’ goal. Nylander has scored in back-to-back games. Nylander registered his fifth multi-point game of the season.
  • Auston Matthews scored for the Maple Leafs at 14:36 of the third period, posted the primary assist on Marner’s goal and recorded the primary assist on Nylander’s goal. Matthews posted his second three-point game of the season and third multi-assist game of the season.

TONIGHT’S GAME
2022-23 Matchups vs. Detroit: First of Four
2021-22 Record vs. Detroit: 4-0-0
Toronto Season Record: 13-5-5
Toronto Road Record: 6-3-2

TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
The Maple Leafs face-off against the Detroit Red Wings tonight in the first of four matchups between the clubs this season. The Maple Leafs have earned at least one point in their last 13 games against the Red Wings while collecting at least one point in their last seven games at Little Caesars Arena. Toronto is entering tonight’s game with three-straight wins, having earned at least one point through their last eight games (6-0-2). Toronto improved to 5-0-0 on the road during the month of November with a 9-1-3 record overall during the month.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Sportsnet RADIO: TSN 1050
Toronto Maple Leafs: Media Notes
NEXT GAME

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
November 23, 2022 The Maple Leafs acquired defenceman Conor Timmins in a trade with the
Arizona Coyotes.
November 22, 2022 The Maple Leafs have recalled defencemen Mac Hollowell and Victor
Mete from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

INJURY REPORT
Jordie Benn Upper Body (IR)
TJ Brodie Oblique (IR)
Carl Dahlström Shoulder (IR)
Jake Muzzin Neck (LTIR)
Morgan Rielly Knee (LTIR)
Ilya Samsonov Knee (IR)

ALL-TIME VS. DETROIT RED WINGS:
First Matchup between Clubs: January 4, 1927 (Toronto 2 at Detroit 1)
All-Time Record: 297-281-93-5 (676 Games)
All-Time Record at Home: 177-108-47-3 (335 Games)
All-Time Record on the Road: 120-173-46-2 (341 Games)
Last Road Win vs. Opponent: February 26, 2022 (Toronto 10 at Detroit 7)

ACTIVE LEADERS VS. DETROIT RED WINGS:
Games Played: Wayne Simmonds (37), John Tavares (29), Mark Giordano (29)
Goals: Auston Matthews (15), John Tavares (13), Mitch Marner (10)
Assists: John Tavares (28), Wayne Simmonds (14), Auston Matthews (12)
Points: John Tavares (41), Auston Matthews (27), Wayne Simmonds (21)
Penalty Minutes Wayne Simmonds (49), Mark Giordano (22), Mitch Marner (12)

2022-23 AVERAGES AND RANKINGS
Points % GF/Game GA/Game PP% PK% SF/G SA/G FO%
Toronto .674 3.00 2.57 24.3 78.4 30.7 28.3 51.7
Detroit .650 3.25 3.00 23.3 82.0 29.3 31.2 46.4

Date: November 30, 2022
Opponent: vs. San Jose Sharks
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Broadcast Information: Sportsnet (TV), Sportsnet 590 (Radio)

THE MAN ADVANTAGE IN 2022-23
Power Play: 24.3%
Power Play Goal Leader: 7 – Tavares
Power Play Point Leader: 13 – Tavares (7G, 6A)
2021-22 Power Play: 63/231 (27.3%)
ON THE PK IN 2022-23
Penalty Kill: 78.4%
Shorthanded Goal Leader: 1 – Järnkrok, Giordano
Shorthanded Point Leader: 1 – Järnkrok (1G), Brodie (1A), Kerfoot (1A), Giordano (1G), Kämpf (1A), Marner (1A)
2021-22 Penalty Kill: 192/234 (82.1%)

FAST FACTS
Monday games 4th of 7 (4 home, 3 road)
Back-to-Backs played 5 of 14
Record in first game of back-toback 2-3-0
Record in second game of back-toback 4-0-1
November games 14th of 15 (9 home, 6 road)

DETROIT RED WINGS NOTES:

LAST GAME
RED WINGS 4 vs. ARIZONA 3 SO (11/25/22)
1ST PERIOD: DET Copp (Raymond, Hronek) 12:01-PP
2ND PERIOD: DET Hronek (Berggren, Bertuzzi) 4:02-PP; ARI Schmaltz (Chychrun) 8:32-EV; DET Oesterle (Bertuzzi, Raymond) 9:00-
EV; ARI Moser (Keller, Schmaltz) 15:31-EV
3RD PERIOD: ARI Chychrun (Gostisbehere) 19:34-EV
OT: No scoring
SO: ARI Schmaltz (miss), DET Raymond (save); ARI Bjugstad (save), DET Perron (save); ARI Keller (save), DET Larkin (goal)
SHOTS: DET 36 (11-12-9-4) / ARI 24 (8-8-6-2)
GOALIES: DET Husso (W, 21-24) / ARI Vejmelka (SOL, 33-36)
PP: DET 2-4 / ARI 0-4
MAN GAMES LOST (games missed / out since)
Robby Fabbri – lower body (20 / Oct. 10)
Jakub Vrána – personal (18 / Oct. 17)
Filip Zadina – lower body (9 / Nov. 5)
Matt Luff – upper body (7 / Nov. 8)
Elmer Söderblom – lower body (7 / Nov. 8)
Gustav Lindström – lower body (6 / Nov. 12)
Total Man Games Lost: 89
Individual Man Games Lost: Tyler Bertuzzi (13), Oskar Sundqvist (7), Michael Rasmussen (2)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
11/23 – Claimed goaltender Magnus Hellberg off waivers from Seattle
11/18 – Assigned forward Austin Czarnik to Grand Rapids

TONIGHT’S GAME
RED WINGS vs. MAPLE LEAFS / 7:00 P.M. EST / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
TONIGHT: 677th all-time meeting, 342nd in Detroit … First of four games this season, first of two at Little Caesars Arena ALL-TIME vs. TOR: 286-290-93-7 / HOME: 175-116-46-4 / LAST 10: 2-7-1 / IN 2021-22: 0-4-0 / THIS SEASON: 0-0-0 DET top scorers vs. TOR: Dylan Larkin (8-9-17 in 21 GP), David Perron (1-10-11 in 15 GP), Andrew Copp (5-6-11 in 16 GP), Filip Hronek (3-4-7 in 9 GP), Lucas Raymond (2-3-5 in 4 GP), Moritz Seider (0-5-5 in 4 GP), Jordan Oesterle (0-5-5 in 8 GP), Tyler Bertuzzi (3-2-5 in 9 GP), Dominik Kubalík (3-1-4 in 4 GP), Joe Veleno (2-2-4 in 4 GP), Oskar Sundqvist (1-2-3 in 6 GP), Jake Walman (0-1-1 in 2 GP)

TOR top scorers vs. DET: John Tavares (13-28-41 in 29 GP), Auston Matthews (15-12-27 in 18 GP), Wayne Simmonds (7-14-21 in 37 GP), Mitchell Marner (10-10-20 in 18 GP), Mark Giordano (9-7-16 in 29 GP), William Nylander (7-7-14 in 20 GP), Michael Bunting (5-4-9 in 3 GP), Alexander Kerfoot (2-5-7 in 10 GP), Justin Holl (0-5-5 in 6 GP), Rasmus Sandin (1-1-2 in 4 GP)

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES EST)
Wednesday, Nov. 30: RED WINGS vs. SABRES / 7:00 p.m. / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: TNT / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Saturday, Dec. 3: RED WINGS vs. GOLDEN KNIGHTS / 7:00 p.m. / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Sunday, Dec. 4: RED WINGS at BLUE JACKETS / 6:00 p.m. / Nationwide Arena / TV: BSD EXTRA / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM

LAST TIME OUT
Nov. 25 vs. Arizona – 4-3 W
Detroit captured a 4-3 shootout win over Arizona to improve to 11-5-4 overall and 7-2-2 inside Little Caesars Arena … The result extends Detroit’s winning streak to a season-best four-straight games … It marks Detroit’s longest winning streak since earning five-consecutive victories from Nov. 24-Dec. 4, 2021 … Detroit also improved its point streak to five-straight games (4-0-1), matching a season high lasting from Oct. 14-23 … Dylan Larkin tallied the lone goal in the shootout, marking his fourth career shootout-deciding goal … In total, Larkin is 8-for-25 (32.0%) in shootouts during his NHL career … Larkin also set a season high with nine shots on goal … Andrew Copp opened the scoring on the power play for his second goal of the season … Copp has four points (1-3-4) in his last four games, and nine points (2-7-9) in 12 contests dating back to Oct. 31 at Buffalo … Filip Hronek recorded a power play goal and an assist for his third-straight multi-point game … Hronek continues to pace all Detroit blueliners with 18 points (6-12-18) and a plus-10 rating through 20 games … Hronek scored in his fourth-straight game and matched the longest goal streak by a defenseman in Red Wings 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) … Additionally, Hronek (6-4-10 in 6 GP) 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) … Hronek extended his point streak to six games and became just the third Red Wings defenseman in the last decade to record a point streak of at least that length, joining Moritz Seider (8 GP in 2021-22) and Niklas Kronwall (6 GP in 2017-18 & 6 GP in 2013-14) … Lucas Raymond logged a pair of assists for his fourth multi-point game of the campaign … Raymond has four assists in his last three games, and 12 points (6-6-12) in his last 13 contests since Oct. 29 vs. Minnesota … Raymond (29-42-71 in 102 GP) required the fewest games in nearly 30 years by a Red Wings player to record their first 70 NHL points … Among players to debut with the franchise, the most recent player to reach the 70-point mark in fewer than 102 games was Vyacheslav Kozlov (89 GP; March 22, 1994) … Tyler Bertuzzi also dished out a pair of assists for his first multi-point game of the season … Jonatan Berggren tallied the primary assist on Hronek’s power play goal, giving him five points (1-4-5) in seven games to begin his NHL career … Jordan Oesterle gave the Red Wings a 3-1 lead with his first goal/point of the season … Michael Rasmussen recorded a fighting major in his 200th career NHL game … It marked Detroit’s first fighting major of the season … Ville Husso made 21 saves to earn his fourth-straight victory … Husso also finished a perfect 3-for-3 in the skills competition to collect his first career shootout win … In all, Husso is 9-2-3 with a 2.39 goals-against average, a 0.919 save percentage and three shutouts in 14 games … Detroit finished 2-for-4 on the power play, and is 8-for-20 (40.0%) on the man advantage since Nov. 12 at Los Angeles.

RED WINGS TO DEBUT REVERSE RETRO 2022 JERSEYS
The Red Wings will debut their Reverse Retro 2022 jerseys tonight vs. Toronto. The jerseys are also slated to be worn on Dec. 13 vs. Carolina, Dec. 31 vs. Ottawa, Jan. 10 vs. Winnipeg, Jan. 24 vs. San Jose and Feb. 11 vs. Vancouver.

  • The Red Wings honor their 1991 NHL 75th Anniversary jersey remixed in a black and red colorway.
  • The uniforms present an all-red execution combining the jersey, pant, socks, gloves and helmet accented with black trim.
  • The crest features a DETROIT wordmark inspired by the 1920s Detroit Cougars jersey.
  • The pant features a black and white version of the iconic Winged Wheel logo.
  • This is the first time ever Detroit has integrated black into its uniform.
  • The current NHL Shield logo is remixed in vintage orange and black colors.

FIL THE THRILL

  • Filip Hronek ranks among the team leaders with six goals (T3rd), 12 assists (T2nd), 18 points (3rd), a plus-10 rating (1st), 12 penalty minutes (T3rd), two power play goals (T4th), eight power play points (2nd), 46 shots (4th) and 22:10 average time on ice (2nd) through 20 games.
  • Currently on a career-high four-game goal streak (5-2-7 in 4 GP) and six-game point streak (6-4-10 in 6 GP).
  • His four-game goal streak matches the longest goal streak by a defenseman in Red Wings 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).
  • Also became the third Red Wings defenseman in the last decade to record a point streak of six-or-more games, joining Moritz Seider (8 GP in 2021-22) and Niklas Kronwall (6 GP in 2017-18 & 6 GP in 2013-14).
  • Scored a pair of goals – including his first career GWG – on Nov. 19 at Columbus for his first career multi-goal game.

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 leads all NHL goaltenders with three shutouts in 14 starts with the Red Wings. He 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 seven of his 14 starts with Detroit.
  • 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.

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 64 points (23-41-64) through the first 20 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 dished out a pair of assists on Nov. 19 at Columbus for his second multi-point game of the season. Copp, who picked up an assist in his 500th career NHL game on Nov. 17 at San Jose, has four points (1-3-4) in his last four contests.
  • Austin Czarnik (AHL) netted his first goal/point in a Detroit jersey on Nov. 8 vs. Montreal. The Metro Detroit native has also tallied 14 points (6-8-14) in 12 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
  • Robert Hägg ranks among the team leaders with 33 hits (6th) and 17 blocks (6th). He registered an assist on Oct. 21 at Chicago and Oct. 25 vs. New Jersey.
  • Dominik Kubalík ranks among the team leaders with nine goals (T1st), 12 assists (T2nd), 21 points (2nd), four power play goals (T1st), 10 power play points (1st), one overtime goal (1st) and 54 shots (2nd) through 20 games. He scored on the power play with 2:17 left in overtime on Nov. 6 against the New York Rangers.
  • 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 has registered seven points (2-5-7) and a plus-six rating through 20 games. He is one point shy of matching his scoring total with Los Angeles in 2021-22 (1-7-8 in 66 GP).
  • David Perron has totaled 16 points (6-10-16) in 20 games, including a pair of game-winning goals. Perron, who recorded his 400th career NHL assist on Nov. 12 at Los Angeles, authored a five-game point streak from Nov. 12-23 (1-7-8 in 5 GP).

EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND

  • Lucas Raymond has collected 12 points (6-6-12) and a 25.0 shooting percentage in 13 games since Oct. 29 vs. Minnesota.
  • Required the fewest games in nearly 30 years by a Red Wings player to record their first 70 NHL points (29-42-71 in 102 GP). Among players to debut with the franchise, the most recent player to reach the 70-point mark in fewer than 102 games was Vyacheslav Kozlov (89 GP; March 22, 1994)
  • Has netted six goals – including two GWGs – in his last seven home games dating back to Oct. 29 vs. Minnesota.

MICHIGAN MEN
The Red Wings have three Michigan-born players on their active roster in forwards Andrew Copp (Ann Arbor) and Dylan Larkin (Waterford), and defenseman 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.
  • Dylan Larkin was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after logging 47 points (15-32-47) and 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.

FRENCH CONNECTION

  • David Perron ranks among the team leaders with six goals (T3rd), 10 assists (4th), 16 points (4th), a plus-five rating (T5th), two power play goals (T4th), six power play points (T4th), two game-winning goals (T1st) and 53 shots (3rd) through 20 games.
  • Had a five-game point streak from Nov. 12-23, logging eight points (1-7-8) and a plus-nine rating in that span.
  • Recorded his 400th career NHL assist on Nov. 12 at Los Angeles to become the fifth active Quebec-born player to reach the mark, joining Patrice Bergeron (592), Paul Stastny (521), Kris Letang (517) and Jonathan Huberdeau (422).
  • Also the fourth player from the 2007 NHL Draft class to hit the 400-assist mark, joining Patrick Kane (763), Jakub Voracek (583) and Jamie Benn (454).
  • Can reach the 1,000-game milestone as early as Dec. 10 at Dallas.

CZECH MATE

  • Dominik Kubalík has collected 10 points (5-5-10) and three power play goals in his last 11 games since Nov. 3 vs. Washington.
  • Paces the Red Wings with seven multi-point games, including four-straight multi-point outings from Oct. 17-25 (3-6-9 in 4 GP).
  • Recorded eight points (3-5-8) through his first five games with Detroit. The last skater to record more points through their first five career contests with the franchise was Paul Coffey (2-8-10 in 5 GP) in 1992-93.
  • Over the past 10 years, only three players had more points through their first five contests with any NHL club: John Tavares (6-4-10 with Toronto in 2018-19), Matt Duchene (2-7-9 with Nashville in 2019-20) and Zach Parise (5-4-9 with Minnesota in 2012-13).

SWEDISH MAFIA KEEPS GROWING

  • Jonatan Berggren has recorded five points (1-4-5) in seven games to begin his NHL career.
  • Scored on the power play for his first career NHL goal on Nov. 15 at Anaheim.
  • Tallied an assist in his NHL debut on Nov. 10 against the New York Rangers.
  • 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.

GERMAN ENGINEERING

  • Moritz Seider set career highs in assists (3) and points (3) in his 100th NHL game on Nov. 19 at Columbus.
  • Has 51 assists (8-51-59 in 102 GP) in his NHL career and moved past Nicklas Lidström (11-49-60 in 80 GP) for the most by a Detroit defenseman before age 22.
  • Netted his first goal of the season on Nov. 17 at San Jose, which proved to be the GWG. He led all NHL rookie defensemen with four game-winners in 2021-22.
  • Also recorded a pair of assists on Nov. 6 against the New York Rangers for his first multi-point game of the season. He had eight multi-assist games in 2021-22 en route to winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.

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 nine goals (T1st), 14 assists (1st), 23 points (1st), a plus-nine rating (2nd), four power play goals (T1st), eight power play points (T2nd), one shorthanded goal (T1st) and 71 shots (1st) through 20 games.
  • Authored a five-game point streak from Oct. 29-Nov. 6, logging seven points (2-5-7) in that span.
  • With an empty-net goal and an assist on Nov. 3 vs. Washington, he boosted his career totals to 371 points (153-218-371 in 514 GP), passing Johan Franzén (187-183-370 in 602 GP) for 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 – 381
  4. Johan Franzén – 370
  5. Marcel Dionne – 366
  6. Shawn Burr – 362

CAPTAIN CLUTCH

  • Dylan Larkin tallied his 156th career NHL goal on Nov. 23 vs. Nashville. He is currently two goals shy of 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 – 156
  5. Ray Sheppard – 152
  6. Bruce MacGregor – 151
  • Larkin recorded a power play goal and two assists on Nov. 19 at Columbus. He is now two assists away from tying Marcel Dionne for 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. Marcel Dionne – 227
  4. Dylan Larkin – 225
  5. Marcel Pronovost – 217
  6. Shawn Burr – 214

IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
The Red Wings own an 11-5-4 record (26 points), marking the team’s best start through the first 20 games of a season since going 14-4-2 (30 points) to begin the 2010-11 campaign.

NHL Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning (12-7-1) at Buffalo Sabres (9-12-0)

NHL Editor
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NHL Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning (12-7-1) at Buffalo Sabres (9-12-0)

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING NOTES:

LAST GAME
Lightning 5 vs. St. Louis 2
The Tampa Bay Lightning got back in the win column with a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Friday night at AMALIE Arena…The Bolts improved to 12-7-1 on the season with a home record of 7-3-1…Brayden Point opened the scoring with his seventh goal of the season 3:29 into regulation with Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov picking up the assists…Alex Killorn quickly made it 2-0 when he scored his seventh goal of the season at the 3:57 mark of the first as Nick Paul and Steven Stamkos recorded the helpers…The two goals 28 seconds apart were the fastest two goals scored by Tampa Bay this season…Point scored his second goal of the game with 11:56 remaining in the first period to give the Lightning a 3-0 lead with Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev picking up the assists…Pavel Buchnevich got the Blues on the board with a power-play goal at the 16:50 mark of the first to make it a 3-1 game…Jordan Kyrou pulled St. Louis within one when he made it 3-2 with 13:36 left in the second period…Hagel scored his sixth goal of the season just 18 seconds after Kyrou’s goal to make it a 4-2 game with Kucherov and Point collecting the assists…Paul recorded his ninth goal of the season when he found the empty net with 3:48 remaining in regulation as Killorn and Stamkos picked up the assists…Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves on 27 shots against for his eighth win of the season…Alex Barre-Boulet made his season debut for the Bolts and logged 10:01 time on ice with one shot and one takeaway…Cal Foote returned to the lineup after missing five games with an upper-body injury…Ross Colton also made his return to game action after a one-game absence due to an upper-body injury…Rudolfs Balcers left the game with an upper-body injury and did not return.

PP: TBL – 1-2 STL – 1-3
SOG: TBL – 27 STL – 27
Attendance: 19,092

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Lightning and the Sabres are playing the second of four matchups this season and the first of two meetings at KeyBank Center…Tampa Bay defeated Buffalo 5-3 in the first meeting Nov. 5 at AMALIE Arena as the Bolts beat the Sabres for the seventh-straight time at AMALIE Arena and extended their home point streak against Buffalo to 10 games (9-0-1), tied for their longest active run against a franchise (also: 8-0-2 vs. MTL)…After falling behind 3-2 at the 4:25 mark of the third period, the Lightning rattled off three straight goals from Brandon Hagel, Nick Perbix and Nikita Kucherov to earn the victory…Brian Elliott got the start in goal and made 24 saves on 27 shots against in the win…Kucherov factored into the final four goals of the game for Tampa Bay with one goal and three assists…Kucherov’s linemates Hagel (1-2—3) and Brayden Point (1-1—2) also recorded multi-point efforts in the victory…Perbix’s goal was the first of his NHL career and also served as the game-winner…The Bolts have won 10 of the last 11 games against the Sabres and 11 of the last 15 meetings at KeyBank Center…Tampa Bay is 49-48-8 with five ties all-time vs. Buffalo, including a road record of 25-24-3 with two ties…Kucherov has recorded points in 10 consecutive games against the Sabres (10-8—18) with goals in three straight (5-3—8) and has notched a point in 19 of the last 20 meetings (14-15—29)…Steven Stamkos has picked up points in three straight games vs. Buffalo (1-4—5) and eight of the last 10 meetings overall (3-8—11)…Hagel, who was drafted by the Sabres in the 6th round (159th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft, has played two career games vs. Buffalo and recorded four points (2-2—4)…Stamkos (19-22—41) holds the TBL all-time record for career points vs. the Sabres.

TBL ALL-TIME POINT LEADERS VS. BUF

  1. Steven Stamkos – 41 pts. (19-22—41, 46 GP)
  2. Martin St. Louis – 40 pts. (15-25—40, 47 GP)
  3. Vincent Lecavalier – 38 pts. (19-19—38, 49 GP)
  4. Nikita Kucherov – 35 pts. (17-18—35, 29 GP)
  5. Alex Killorn – 26 pts. (9-17—26, 36 GP)

TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
Tampa Bay is playing the first game of a three-game road trip, tying their longest road trip of the season thus far…The Bolts will play just four of their 13 games in November on the road…The Lightning are 3-1-0 against Atlantic Division rivals this season…Tampa Bay is 5-4-0 on the road this season and have won three of their last four road contests…Since the start of the 2017-18 season, the Bolts have posted an NHL-best .648 points percentage (120-62- 14) on the road…The Lightning are playing the first game of their fourth back-to-back set this season and have posted a 2-1-0 record in the previous three back-to-back opening games.

INJURIES
2022-23 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 55
Current Injuries:
Anthony Cirelli (Shoulder surgery; Out) 20 Games
Cole Koepke (Upper-body injury; Day-to-day) 3 Games
Nick Perbix (Lower-body injury; Day-to-day) 3 Games

TRANSACTIONS
Nov. 25 – Recalled F Alex Barre-Boulet from AHL Syracuse
Nov. 12 – Claimed F Rudolfs Balcers off waivers from FLA

KLUTCHEROV
Bolts forward Nikita Kucherov recorded three assists Nov. 25 vs. STL for his 27th career three-assist game…Since Kucherov entered the NHL in 2013-14, only Connor McDavid (33) has recorded more three-assist games…Kucherov owns the TBL franchise record for three-assist games and his 59 career three-point games rank third behind Steven Stamkos (91) and Martin St. Louis (73) for the most three-point outings in franchise history…Kucherov (10-21—31) required just 20 games to hit the 30-point mark for the second time in his career (also: 2017-18, 18 games)…Kucherov has recorded three or more points in four games this season, including two of his last three contests…Kucherov’s 19 points (7-12—19) in November are tied for the third-most among NHL skaters…Kucherov leads all TBL skaters in points, assists, power-play points (14), game-winning goals (3) and is tied with Stamkos (10- 13—23) for the team lead in goals…Kucherov ranks fifth among NHL skaters in points and tied for third in assists…Kucherov has recorded points in seven of nine road games this season (4-8—12) and 16 of 20 games overall…Kucherov is the only TBL skater and one of seven NHL players to record a 10- game point streak this Season…Kucherov also recorded an NHL-best (tied) six-game goal streak Oct. 25 – Nov. 5 (7- 5—12)…Kucherov’s 14 power-play points are the fourth-most among NHL skaters…Kucherov’s 1.11 career point-per-game average is the highest among all skaters in TBL franchise history…Since the start of the 2016-17 season, only Connor McDavid (1.48 P/GP) has recorded a higher point-per-game average than Kucherov’s 1.34.

NHL P/GP LEADERS SINCE 2016-17 (MIN. 100 GP)

  1. Connor McDavid – 1.48 P/GP (239-446-685, 463 GP)
  2. Nikita Kucherov – 1.34 P/GP (188-310—498, 371 GP)
  3. Leon Draisaitl – 1.25 P/GP (243-343—586, 470 GP)
  4. Brad Marchand – 1.21 P/GP (204-319—523, 433 GP)

GAME POINT
Lightning forward Brayden Point recorded his first three-point game of the season with two goals and one assist Nov. 25 vs. STL…Point has five points over his last three games (2-3—5)…Point has recorded three multi-point games in nine road contests this season…Point (8-13—21) ranks third in points, fourth in goals and tied for third in assists among all TBL skaters…Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Point’s 35 game-winning goals are tied for the fourth-most among all NHL skaters…Point’s 37 career game-winning goals are the fifth-most in TBL franchise history…Point (175-214—389, 437 GP) has posted a 0.89 career point-per-game average, the fifth-highest average for a third-round pick in NHL history.

NHL ALL-TIME P/GP LEADERS, THIRD-ROUND DRAFT SELECTIONS (MIN. 100 GP)

  1. Mark Messier – 1.07 P/GP (694-1,193—1,887, 1,756 GP)
  2. Charlie Simmer – 1.00 P/GP (342-369—711, 712 GP)
    T3. Jake Guentzel – 0.92 P/GP (171-189—360, 393 GP)
    T3. Brad Marchand – 0.92 P/GP (357-455—812, 887 GP)
  3. Brayden Point – 0.89 P/GP (175-214—389, 437 GP)

BETTER CALL PAUL
Tampa Bay forward Nick Paul scored his ninth goal of the season and added an assist for his fifth multi-point game of the year Nov. 25 vs. STL…Paul has scored five goals in his last six games and seven goals in his last 10…Paul has picked up points in nine of his last 13 games (8-5—13)…Paul (7-3—10) is tied with Nikita Kucherov (7-12—19) for the TBL lead in goals in November, while his plus-11 rating leads the team…Paul (9-6—15) ranks third in goals and is tied with Brandon Hagel (6-9—15) for the sixth-most points among all TBL skaters…Paul leads all TBL skaters with a plus-13 rating…Paul’s 15 points are the most he’s had through the first 20 games of a season in his NHL career…Paul leads all TBL forwards in shorthanded time on ice (55:26) and faceoff win percentage (51.2%).

TBL FACEOFF WIN PERCENTAGE LEADERS (MIN. 100 FACEOFFS)

  1. Nick Paul – 51.2% (127-of-248)
  2. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – 50.5% (93-of-184)
  3. Steven Stamkos – 50.4% (125-of-248)
  4. Brayden Point – 46.4% (115-of-248)
  5. Vladislav Namestnikov – 38.5% (42-of-109)

STAMMER TIME
Lightning captain Steven Stamkos picked up two assists Nov. 25 vs. STL and extended his point streak to a season-long six games (3-7—10)… stamkos has picked up points in eight of his last 11 contests (3-11—14)…Stamkos (10- 13—23) is tied with Nikita Kucherov (10-21—31) for the team lead in goals, ranks second behind Kucherov in points and is tied with Brayden Point (8-13—21) for the third-most assists among TBL skaters…Stamkos leads all TBL skaters with six power-play goals…Stamkos’s 491 career goals are tied with Jean Ratelle for the 48th-most in NHL history…Stamkos became the second player in TBL history to record 500 assists with the franchise Nov. 15 vs. DAL (also: Martin St. Louis, 588 assists)…Stamkos (491-504—995) has recorded more career goals and points than any player in TBL history.

TBL ALL-TIME POINT LEADERS

  1. Steven Stamkos – 995 pts. (491-504—995, 942 GP)
  2. Martin St. Louis – 953 pts. (365-588—953, 972 GP)
  3. Vincent Lecavalier – 874 pts. (383-491—874, 1,037 GP)
  4. Nikita Kucherov – 647 pts. (256-391—647, 582 GP)
  5. Victor Hedman – 613 pts. (135-478—613, 916 GP)

KILLER INSTINCT
Bolts forward Alex Killorn scored a goal and added an assist Nov. 25 vs. STL to extend his point streak to three games (2-2—4)…Killorn has recorded points in nine of his last 12 games (6-8—14)…Killorn has picked up points in five of his last six contests (3-6—9)…Killorn (7-10—17) ranks fifth in goals, assists and points among all TBL skaters…Killorn’s plus-nine rating is the second-best plus/minus rating among all TBL skaters (best: Paul, plus13)…Killorn (5-7—12) is tied with Mikhail Sergachev (3-9—12) for the fourth-most points among all TBL skaters in November.

HOW ABOUT HAGEL?
Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel scored a goal and added an assist Nov. 25 vs. STL for his fourth multi-point game of the season… Hagel has collected a point in 10 of his last 15 games (6-9—15)…Hagel’s six goals rank sixth and his 15 points are tied with Nick Paul (9-6—15) for the sixth-most among all TBL skaters…Hagel leads all TBL skaters this season with 24 takeaways…Hagel’s 17 takeaways in the month of November are the second-most among all NHL skaters.

NHL TAKEAWAY LEADERS, NOVEMBER

  1. Jaccob Slavin – 22 TkA (13 GP)
  2. Brandon Hagel – 17 TkA (11 GP)
    T3. Evgeni Malkin – 16 TkA (13 GP)
    T3. Mark Stone – 16 TkA (13 GP)

STORM SERG
Bolts defenseman Mikhail Sergachev recorded his 15th assist of the season Nov. 25 vs. STL…Sergachev (4-15—19) is tied for the eighth-most points, seventh-most assists and ranks fourth overall in power-play points (9) among all NHL defensemen…Sergachev, who was drafted ninth overall by MTL in the 2016 NHL Draft, leads all defensemen selected in 2016 in games played (382) and points (40-153—193)…Sergachev is the only player in NHL history to have played more than 75 playoff games (91) and won two Stanley Cups by the age of 24…Sergachev (0.51 P/GP) ranks fourth all-time among Russian defensemen in points per game (min. 100 GP), trailing only Sergei Zubov (0.72), Sergei Gonchar (0.62) and Andrei Markov (0.58).

ANDREI THE GIANT
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves on 27 shots against for his eighth win of the season Nov. 25 vs. STL…Vasilevskiy’s 418 saves are the 14th-most among all NHL goaltenders this season…With his win Nov. 25 vs. STL, Vasilevskiy won his 135th career home game in his 200th game at AMALIE Arena. Only Jacques Plante (138) recorded more wins in the first 200 home games of his career…Vasilevskiy holds the TBL franchise records for wins (237), starts (370), saves (10,565), shutouts (28) and assists (16).

BUFFALO SABRES NOTES:

LAST GAME
Friday, Nov. 25
New Jersey 3 at Buffalo 1
Goal: Olofsson
Goalie: Anderson (41 saves/44 shots)
PP: 0/1; PK: 1/1; Shots: New Jersey 44 – Buffalo 34

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 48)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Eric Comrie (Lower body, Nov. 19; IR) – 4 games
Rasmus Asplund (Upper body, Nov. 23) –2 games
Jacob Bryson (Lower body, Nov. 25; IR) – 1 game

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
11/22: Activated D Mattias Samuelsson from IR; Assigned F Riley Sheahan to Rochester (AHL)
11/25: Activated F Kyle Okposo from IR; Placed D Jacob Bryson on IR
11/27: Placed F Riley Sheahan on unconditional waivers

UPCOMING GAMES
Wednesday, Nov. 30: Buffalo at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 1: Colorado at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 4: San Jose at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 7: Buffalo at Columbus, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9: Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

TONIGHT’S GAME
LIGHTNING at SABRES
• This is the second of four meetings between the Sabres and the Lightning this season.
• Last meeting: Tampa Bay defeated Buffalo 5-3 in Tampa on Nov. 5, 2022.
• Next meeting: Friday, Dec. 23, 2022 in Buffalo.
• The Sabres are 1-8-1 in their last 10 games against the Lightning; 3-6-1 at home.
• This is the 111th game all-time between Buffalo and Tampa Bay; Buffalo has a 56-45-9 series record.
• The Sabres are 27-22-5 at home against the Lightning all-time.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• Victor Olofsson has recorded a goal in each of his last two games.

• A goal in tonight’s game would give Olofsson a goal in three consecutive games for the third time in his career, and for the first time since he recorded a goal in three straight games from April 4 to 8, 2022.

• An assist in tonight’s game would give Casey Mittelstadt an assist in three consecutive games for the second time this season.

• Mittelstadt tallied five points (1+4) and notched at least one assist in three straight games from Oct. 18 to 22.

• Tage Thompson owns 23 points (12+11) in his last 14 games.

• Jeff Skinner has recorded nine points (6+3) in his last six games.

• Dylan Cozens (1+3) and Jack Quinn (2+2) have each tallied four points in their last four games.

• A point in tonight’s game would give Cozens five points in five games for the first time since he recorded five points (1+4) from March 28 to April 5, 2022.

• If Quinn tallies a point tonight, it will mark the first time in his career that he has recorded five points in a five-game stretch.

DOWN BY THE BAY
• Tage Thompson has notched three points (0+3) in his last three games against Tampa Bay.

• A point in tonight’s game would give Thompson a three-game home point streak against the Lightning.

• In 27 games against the Lightning in his career, Craig Anderson has recorded a save percentage of .915 and a goals-against average of 2.63.

• Owen Power recorded two assists in his only game of his career against the Lightning.

TERRIFIC TRIO
• According to Natural Stat Trick, the line of Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch owns a corsi for percentage of 63.47 and an expected goals for percentage of 55.41.

• When on the ice together, Skinner, Thompson and Tuch have recorded 22 goals and allowed just 11.

• The trio has recorded a combined 32 goals on the season, 42.11 percent of all goals scored by Buffalo skaters in 2022-23.

• Skinner (6 multi-point games), Thompson (6 multi-point games) and Tuch (5 multi-point games) have all recorded multiple points in at least five games in 2022-23.

THREE’S COMPANY
• According to Natural Stat Trick, despite just 38.24 percent of the their faceoff opportunities coming in the offensive zone, the line combination consisting of Dylan Cozens, JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn has produced 22 high-danger chances for the Sabres in 55:22 of ice time together.

• All but one of their high-danger chances for have come at even strength.

• The line’s expected goals for percentage is 64.75 and their corsi for percentage is 59.17.

• Cozens (21), Peterka (20) and Quinn (21) are all 21 years of age or younger.

THE GOLDEN TAGE
• According to NHL Stats, Tage Thompson is just the ninth Sabres skater in franchise history to record four or more points in a single game on multiple occasions through the team’s first 19 games of a season (Donald Audette, Jack Eichel, Dale Hawerchuk, Pat LaFontaine, Rick Martin, Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert, Thomas Vanek).

• Through Buffalo’s first 21 games, Thompson is on pace for 102 points and would become just the sixth Sabres skater to record 100 or more points in a single season (Pat LaFontaine, 148 points in 1992-93; Alexander Mogilny, 127 points in 1992-93; Gilbert Perreault, 113 points in 1975-76 and 106 points in 1979-80; Pierre Turgeon, 106 points in 1989-90 and Rene Robert, 100 points in 1974-75).

• Entering play on Sunday and dating back to Oct. 29, Thompson ranked second in the NHL in goals (12) and points (23) and was tied for fourth in points per game (1.64).

• Thompson leads all Sabres skaters in goals (13), points (26), points per game (1.24), shots (97) and power-play goals (5).

• Thompson is also tied for the team lead in even-strength points (16) and shorthanded goals (1).

• Thompson ranks second among all Sabres forwards in time on ice per game (18:23), trailing just Alex Tuch (18:28).

• Thompson is tied with Rasmus Dahlin for the team lead in time on ice per shift (0:50)

• According to Natural Stat Trick, Thompson leads all Sabres skaters with 43 individual high-danger scoring chances.

• Entering play on Sunday, Thompson ranked fifth in the league with 97 shots on goal and was one of nine NHL players who had recorded 90 or more shots in 2022-23.

• Thompson owned the second-highest shooting percentage among the nine (13.4).

A LITTLE RAS-LE DAZZLE
• Rasmus Dahlin is on pace for 93 points this season, which would shatter Phil Housley’s single-season franchise points record by a Sabres defenseman (81).

• Dahlin is also on pace to become the first NHL defenseman to score 32 or more goals in a single season since Kevin Hatcher (34) in 1992-93. He would also be the second Sabres defensemen, and the first since Phil Housley (31) in 1983-84, to record 30 or more goals in a single season.

• Entering play on Sunday, among NHL defensemen this season, Dahlin ranked second in goals (8), third in points (23), fourth in points per game (1.15), tied for first in power-play goals (4), second in power-play points (12), third in time on ice per game (26:09) and tied for fourth in shots (72).

• Through his first 20 games, Dahlin has only failed to record a point on four occasions (Oct. 27 vs. Montreal, Nov. 12 vs. Boston, Nov. 23 vs. St. Louis and Nov. 25 vs. New Jersey).

• Dahlin (522:58) is the only Sabres skater who has logged more than 500 or more minutes of ice time through the team’s first 21 games.

• Entering play on Sunday, only 15 total skaters in the NHL had skated 500 minutes or more this season.

• Dahlin and Cale Makar were the only two skaters with 20 or less games played and 500 or more total minutes of ice time entering play on Sunday.

POWER UP
• Entering play on Sunday, Owen Power ranked third among rookie defensemen in points (9) and was tied for second in even-strength points (6).

• Entering play on Sunday, Power led all rookie skaters in time on ice per game (23:37), with the next closest rookie at 21:03 (Jake Sanderson).

• Through Buffalo’s first 21 games, Power has recorded multiple points on three separate occasions (Oct. 20, 0+2; Nov. 2, 0+2; Nov. 5, 0+2), tied for the most among rookie skaters in 2022-23 entering play on Sunday.

• Entering play on Sunday, Power was tied for third among all NHL defensemen in primary assists (8) this season.

SABRES AMONG LEAGUE-LEADERS (Sabres’ league rankings before 11/27 games)
• Buffalo Sabres: 76 GF (6th), 3.62 GF/GP (4th), 25.9 PP% (6th)

• Rasmus Asplund: 1 SHG (T-6th)

• Rasmus Dahlin: 26:09 TOI/GP (3rd), 12 PPP (T-9th)

• Casey Mittelstadt: 1 SHG (T-6th)

• Victor Olofsson: 1 OTG (T-3rd)

• Tage Thompson: 13 G (T-5th), 1 SHG (T-6th), 97 S (5th)

• Alex Tuch: 4 GWG (T-1st)

SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Shots: Thompson (97), Dahlin (72), Skinner (63)
Hits: Dahlin (36), Lyubushkin (33), Cozens/Samuelsson (20)
Blocked Shots: Dahlin (38), Bryson (31), Power (27)

SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK]
1-10: 7-3-0 (14), 43/28, 9/38, 25/32
11-20: 2-8-0 (4), 32/42, 12/42, 23/34
21-30: 0-1-0 (0), 1/3, 0/1, 1/1

OVERTIME RESULTS (1-0; 131-146 all-time)
Oct. 29 vs. CHI: W, 4-3 (GWG-Olofsson)

SHOOTOUT RESULTS (0-0; 84-77 all-time)
N/A

NHL Preview: New Jersey Devils (18-4-0) at New York Rangers (10-8-4)

NHL Editor
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0
NHL Preview: New Jersey Devils (18-4-0) at New York Rangers (10-8-4)

NEW JERSEY DEVILS NOTES:

Washington Capitals 1 New Jersey Devils 5
(9-11-3—21 PTS) (18-4-0—36 PTS)
Three Stars: 1. J. Hughes 2. V. Vanecek 3. D. Mercer
Goals:
WSH: J. Carlson (PPG)
SCORE 1
ST 2
ND 3
RD OT SO FINAL
Washington 0 0 1 – – 1
DEVILS 1 2 2 – – 5
New Jersey Devils: Media Notes
NJD: N. Hischier (PPG), Jack Hughes (3), Zetterlund

INJURIES/ILLNESS

PLAYER INJURY OUT SINCE GAMES MISSED
Jonathan Bernier – LTIR Lower-body, hip 2021-22 22
Ondrej Palat I.R. Lower-body Retro-active to Oct. 24 16
Mackenzie Blackwood Lower-Body, MCL sprain Nov. 3 11
2022-23 Total Man-Games Lost to Injury/illness: 54

DATE PLAYER ACTION
11/5 Andreas Johnsson Reassigned to Utica
Akira Schmid Recalled from Utica
11/12 Nico Daws Recalled from Utica
Mackenzie Blackwood Placed on I.R. retro to Nov. 3
11/13 Nico Daws Reassigned to Utica
11/22 Kevin Bahl Reassigned to Utica
Alexander Holtz Reassigned to Utica
11/23 Tyler Wotherspoon Recalled from Utica
11/27 Tyler Wotherspoon Reassigned to Utica

Jersey’s team enters tonight’s contest riding a nine-game winning streak on the road, which is tied for the second longest in franchise history. The last time that the team won nine consecutive games on the road:

Oct. 8, 2009, to Nov. 12, 2009
The Devils’ longest road winning streaks are below:
10 Feb. 27, 2001-Apr. 7.
9 Oct. 8, 2009-Nov. 12
9 Oct. 20, 2022-PRESENT

After Saturday’s win, the Devils improved to 15-0-0 when leading after two periods of play this season, which ranks first in the NHL, while Boston ranks second at 12-0-0.

The team is 12-1-0 for the month of November, which set the franchise record for the most wins in November: Prior 10 wins: 1997-98 (10-4-0).
The 12 wins for the month of November also tied an NHL record for the most wins earned in the month of November by a team. There are eight other instances when an NHL team earned 12 wins for the month of November:

TEAM RECORD SEASON
Toronto 12-2-0 2021-22
Chicago 12-2-0 2013-14
Boston 12-0-0 2011-12
Vancouver 12-1-0 2002-03
Philadelphia 12-2-0 1985-86
NY Islanders 12-1-2 1980-81
Montreal 12-2-1 1975-76
Buffalo 12-2-3 1974-75

Head coach Lindy Ruff became the fifth bench boss in NHL history who earned 800 wins. Only four other NHL coaches all-time are in the “800 club.”
S. Bowman: 1,244 wins
Joel Quenneville: 969 wins
Barry Trotz: 914 wins
Ken Hitchcock: 849 wins

The Devils are 9-1-0 in their last 10 games played. As of Nov. 27, 2022, that marked an NHL best. After Saturday’s win, the team improved to 12-3-0 when the team scores first in a game this season. As of Nov. 27, that was tied for first in the NHL with Boston (12-3-0) and Vegas (12-2-0). New Jersey enters tonight’s contest with a 3-2-0 record vs Metropolitan Division opponents for 2022-23. The Devils’ nine road wins (9-1-0) are tied for first in the NHL with Vegas (9-1-1), while the team’s .900 points% on the road ranks first in the NHL. Vegas ranks second at .864% on the road. The Devils rank (tied, Seattle) second in the NHL after allowing 21 total goals against on the road, while Minnesota ranks
first with 16 goals against on the road. While Jersey’s team was outshot 38-29 on Saturday vs Washington, the Devils are 4-0-0 when outshot in a contest this season. The Devils are the only team in the NHL this season that entails zero losses in the NHL when they’re outshot in a game.
Keep in mind that the Devils are 14-4-0 when outshooting opponents this season, which ranks first in the NHL. Boston ranks second at 12-2-0. Jersey’s team is 16-0-0 when Nico Hischier recorded a point in a game this season and 8-0-0 when Jack Hughes scored a goal in a game for 2022-23. Keep an eye on…As of Nov. 27, the Devils ranked first in the NHL with 32 goals scored in the second period of play this season (PIT, 2nd, 31 GF). The team’s +12 goal differential for the second period of play this season also ranked first in the NHL, while Detroit ranked second at +11, as of Nov. 27. The Devils have allowed 1, or fewer, goals against eight times this season in a game. Jersey’s team allowed one, or fewer goals against, in a game just eight times all of last season. The Devils are fresh off recording a season-high 26 blocked shots in a game, after Saturday’s win vs Washington. The team’s prior season-high for blocked shots in a game was 21, which was earned twice in 2022-23, last earned: Nov. 15, 2022, at Montreal, 5-1, W. The last time that the Devils logged more than 26 blocked shots in a game was on Jan. 27, 2020, at Ottawa, which resulted in a 4-3 shootout win. As of Nov. 27, the Devils ranked first in the NHL with a 2.18 GAA, while Boston ranked second at 2.24 GAA. Yet, Jersey’s team also ranked third in the NHL for goals, per game, at 3.73 (BOS, 1st, 4.00, DAL, 2nd, 3,82). As of Nov. 27, the Devils ranked first in the NHL in shots against, per game at 25.8, while Carolina ranks second at 25.9. Additionally, as Nov. 27, the Devils are ranked second for shots on goal, per game, at 36.4 behind the Florida Panthers (40.2). Since 1994-95, the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship, the Devils have finished a season averaging under 25 shots against, per game seven times:

23.7 1997-98
24.7 1998-99
24.7 2000-01
23.2 2001-02
23.6 2002-03
24.4 2003-04
23.1 2012-13

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

DHN QUIZ QUESTION
While Jack Hughes earned his first-career hat-trick and the team’s first hatty for the 2022-23 season on Saturday, which Devils player earned the team’s last hat-trick vs the Rangers? The Devils officially announced and revealed their second-ever Adidas Reverse Retro sweater, which turns back the clock and nods to the franchise’s Colorado roots. The team is scheduled to wear the sweaters four times this season and twice on the road:

Dec. 3, at PHI, 7:00 P.M.
Dec. 9, vs NYI, 7:00 P.M.
Dec. 30, at PIT, 7:00 P.M.
Jan. 7, vs NYR, 1:00 P.M.

2022-23 TEAM STATS

RECORD ON DAYS OF THE WEEK
The Devils record on Monday in 2022-23…1-1-0…at home: 1-1-0…road: 0-0-0
Record in night games in 2022-23…15-4-0…home: 7-3-0…road: 8-1-0
Record in day games in 2022-23…3-0-0…home: 2-0-0…road: 1-0-0
2022-23 Alternate jersey record…2-0-0

RECORD WHEN SCORING FIRST
Scoring first…12-3-0…Trailing first…6-1-0

GOALS BY PERIOD
PERIOD GOALS FOR/AGAINST DIFFERENTIAL
1 21-15 +6
2 32-20 +12
3 26-13 +13
OT 3-0 +3
TOTAL 82-48 +34

As of Nov. 27, the team’s +34 goal differential ranked second in the NHL, while Boston ranked first with a +37 differential.

BACK-TO-BACK GAMES
Overall: 3-1-0
First game: 1-1-0 | home: 0-1-0 | road: 1-0-0
Second game: 2-0-0 | home: 1-0-0 | road: 1-0-0

NEW YORK RANGERS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Edmonton Oilers 4, New York Rangers 3 – November 26, 2022 – Madison Square Garden
NYR Goals: A. Lafreniere (3), C. Kreider (10), J. Gauthier (4)
EDM Goals: E. Bouchard (1, 2), D. Holloway (1), L. Draisaitl (12)
NYR Goalie: I. Shesterkin (L – 28/32)
EDM Goalie: J. Campbell (W – 20/23)
NYR Shots: 23
EDM Shots: 32
NYR PP: 0/3
NYR PK: 1/3
Game Summary | Event Summary
RECAP/NOTES: The Rangers returned home after nearly two weeks on the road and fell to Edmonton, 4-3, after carrying a 3-0 lead into the third period. In the loss, Ryan Lindgren recorded his first multi-point game of the season (2A), eighth of his career, and first since April 9, 2022 against Ottawa. Alexis Lafreniere scored his third goal of the season, giving him 10 points on the year (3G-7A) and three points (1G-2A) in his last three games.

RANGERS RUNDOWN

  • The New York Rangers host the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden (7:00 PM ET – TV: MSG Network, NHL Network – Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). New York will play four of its next five games at home.
  • New York has won nine of its last 10 games against the Devils dating to March 4, 2021. At home, the Rangers have won four-straight contests against New Jersey.
  • Tonight is Hockey Fights Cancer Night at MSG.
  • The Rangers rank sixth in the NHL in shots per game (34.0) and tied for the fifth fewest shots allowed per game (28.5).
  • New York ranks fourth in the NHL with 651 hits.
  • The Rangers have tallied a total of 26 second period goals, tied for the ninth most in the NHL and have compiled 284 shots in the middle frame, the third most in the league. New York’s plus-9 goal differential in the second period is tied for the fourth highest in the league.
  • When scoring first this season, the Rangers are 8-2-1.
  • The Rangers have been tied after two periods 11 times this season and carry a 6-1-4 record in those games. Their six such
    wins are the most in the NHL.

DATE/TIME OPPONENT/LOCATION TV RADIO
Nov. 30/7:00 PM Ottawa/Canadian Tire Centre MSGSN ESPN 1050 AM
Dec. 2/7:00 PM Ottawa/MSG MSG Network TBD
Dec. 3/7:30 PM Chicago/MSG MSG Network TBD
Dec. 5/7:00 PM St. Louis/MSG MSG Network/NHLN TBD
Dec. 7/10:00 PM Vegas/T-Mobile Arena TNT TBD

DATE OPPONENT RESULT
Nov. 26 Edmonton L, 4-3
Nov. 23 at Anaheim L, 3-2
Nov. 22 at Los Angeles W, 5-3
Nov. 19 at San Jose W, 2-1
Nov. 17 at Seattle OTL, 3-2

INJURIES (23 MGL)
PLAYER INJURY DATES MISSED CONS. GAMES MISSED

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
November 23 – Acquired fifth round pick in 2025 NHL Draft in exchange for Ryan Reaves

Boxing Preview: Troy Williamson (19-0-1, 14KOs) vs Josh Kelly (12-1-1, 7 KOs)

Fight Editor
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Boxing Preview: Troy Williamson (19-0-1, 14KOs) vs Josh Kelly (12-1-1, 7 KOs)

It’s title time on the Tyne, with the epic North-East battle for the British Super Welterweight Championship confirmed between Darlington’s Troy Williamson (19-0-1, 14KOs) and Sunderland’s Josh Kelly (12-1-1, 7 KOs) at the Utilita Arena, Newcastle on Friday December 2, live on Channel 5. Click here to buy tickets!

Kelly expressed his desire to compete for Williamson’s Lonsdale belt as the two came face-to-face in July after ‘PBK’ beat Lucas Bastida to claim the WBO International Super Welterweight Title on July 30 at Newcastle’s Vertu Arena.

With the champion equally keen to get the fight on, Williamson since added a win of his own to his undefeated record as he stopped David Benitez in the sixth round on September 17 at the University of Bolton Stadium live on Channel 5.

“We’re two fighters flying the flag for the North East, but only one of us holds that British title,” said Williamson. “Every fight is going to be a tough fight at this level, especially when belts are on the line.

“I’m the champ, I’m undefeated, and I don’t think there’s anything he can throw at me that’ll stop my reign as Super Welterweight king as I move on to bigger and better things. One thing is for sure, and that’s fireworks.”

“This is set to be one of the North-East’s biggest fights in recent memory, and you can see exactly why,” said Kelly.

“Troy is British Champion for a reason and he’s obviously a good fighter. However, he’s just another obstacle in the way of me achieving what I’m destined to achieve, and he’ll be taken care of on December 2.”

After producing a stoppage win over Ted Cheeseman to become the British Champion in October of last year, Williamson has since defended his title against Mason Cartwright to set up this hugely anticipated clash against Kelly.

“The last time we ventured to the North-East, the people clearly showed their passion and love for boxing,” said Wasserman’s Head of Global Boxing, Kalle Sauerland.

“This time it is on another level as we bring one of the most hotly anticipated domestic dust-ups available. Two of the North-East’s own battling it out to boast the title of Britain’s best. Newcastle is about to host one of its biggest nights in the sport, and I cannot wait to be in the arena for an electric atmosphere come fight night.”

Williamson vs Kelly for the British Super Welterweight Championship tops a huge night of boxing in the North-East on Friday December 2 at the Utilita Arena, Newcastle with more major fights to be announced soon. Promoted by Wasserman Boxing in association with William Hill and Infinitum Entertainment, all the action will be shown live and free on Channel 5.

WHEN IS WILLIAMSON – KELLY? DATE, START TIME
Date: Friday, December 2
Main card: 4 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. GMT
Main event ringwalks (approx): 6 p.m. ET / 11 p.m. GMT
The fight will take place at the Utilita Arena, Newcastle, England
The fight will be shown on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom
The main card is set to get underway at 4 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. GMT with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 6 p.m. ET / 11 p.m. GMT.

Troy Williamson vs. Josh Kelly; For Williamson’s BBBoC super welterweight championship
Matty Harris vs. Jiri Surmaj; Heavyweight
Ben Marksby vs. Olaide Fijabi; Super lightweight
Aaron Chalmers vs. Ryan Broten; Light middleweight
Jordan Barker-Porter vs. Sheila Martinez; Women’s lightweight
Katharina Thanderz vs. Edina Kiss; Women’s lightweight
Lyndon Arthur vs. Joel McIntyre; Light heavyweight

Stephan Shaw Remains Undefeated with Unanimous Decision over Rydell Booker in New York City

Fight Editor
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Stephan Shaw Remains Undefeated with Unanimous Decision over Rydell Booker in New York City
NEW YORK – Last Tuesday night at The Edison Ballroom in New York, Stephan Shaw remained undefeated with an emphatic eight-round unanimous decision over Rydell Booker in a heavyweight bout.

Shaw is managed by Split-T Management.

Shaw dominated the action boxed very well and showed why he is one of the top American heavyweight prospects as he busted up Booker with good jabs and right hands that Booker’s nose was bleeding badly in the seventh round.

Shaw, 234.4 lbs of Saint Louis, MO won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 18-0. Booker. 256.6 lbs of Detroit, MI is 26-7-1.

Shaw is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Top Rank.
Photos by David Algranati

Lightning re-assign F Alex Barre-Boulet to Syracuse

NHL Editor
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Lightning re-assign F Alex Barre-Boulet to Syracuse

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned forward Alex Barre-Boulet to the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League today, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced.

Barre-Boulet, 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, has played in one game with the Lightning this season on November 25 against St. Louis, logging 10:01 in ice time. He has played in 16 games with the Crunch this year, recording four goals and 24 points. Barre-Boulet ranks third in the AHL for points and paces the league for assists with 20.

The native of Montmagny, Quebec has played in 32 NHL games with the Lightning and Seattle Kraken, recording six goals and nine points, including two power play goals. Barre-Boulet has also played in 218 AHL games, all with the Crunch, registering 89 goals and 223 points.

Barre-Boulet was signed by Tampa Bay as a free agent on March 1, 2018. He was claimed off waivers by Seattle on October 11, 2021 and then re-claimed by the Lightning 11 days later on October 22.

NHL Morning Skate – Nov. 28, 2022

NHL Editor
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NHL Morning Skate – Nov. 28, 2022

* Josh Morrissey assisted on three of Winnipeg’s seven goals to match the franchise record for most in a game by a defenseman and continued his strong start to the 2022-23 season.
 

* While Erik Karlsson accomplished a franchise-first for the Sharks, his opponent Quinn Hughes guided the Canucks to an overtime victory Sunday.

* Matty Beniers outdueled Trevor Zegras and recorded his second three-point outing in three games to help the Kraken tie the franchise’s longest winning streak.

JOSH “NORRISSEY” PROPELS JETS TO SEVEN-GOAL OUTING AT UNITED CENTER
Josh Morrissey (0-3—3) assisted on three of Winnipeg’s season-high seven goals, including a primary assist on the game winner as the Jets scored at least five goals in consecutive road games for fifth time in team history. The Jets/Thrashers franchise has never extended their streak to three straight contests as the visitor.

* Josh “Norrissey,” as he is now known among his teammates, has factored on each of Winnipeg’s past three game-winning goals after netting overtime winners on Nov. 21 and Nov. 25 (Nov. 23: 6-1 L at MIN). Only two defensemen in Jets/Thrashers history have factored on a longer stretch of the team’s winners: Dustin Byfuglien (0-5—5 from Dec. 9, 2011 – Feb. 2, 2012) and Alexei Zhitnik (1-3—4 from March 16-31, 2007 w/ ATL).

* Morrissey’s string of success in 2022-23 includes a 4-19—23 stat line through Winnipeg’s first 20 outings – the third-most assists among all defensemen behind Erik Karlsson (21 in 24 GP) and Quinn Hughes (21 in 18 GP). His 19 helpers are also the most by any Jets blueliner through 20 contests of a season.



HUGHES GUIDES CANUCKS PAST KARLSSON, SHARKS IN OVERTIME VICTORY. . .
While Erik Karlsson (0-2—2) played a part in San Jose’s game-tying goal with 5:15 remaining in regulation, Quinn Hughes (0-1—1) collected an assist on Andrei Kuzmenko’stally 1:12 into overtime to guide the Canucks (9-10-3, 21 points) to their fifth win in six contests.

* Hughes (0-21—21 in 18 GP), who found the score sheet for the 15th time in 18 contests this season, has notched 167 assists through his first 223 career outings (19-167—186 in 223 GP). His 0.75 career assists per game since entering the NHL in 2018-19 is tied with Cale Makar (147 in 197 GP) for the highest such total among defensemen through that span (min. 25 GP).

* Meanwhile, Karlsson has two games remaining in November (Nov. 29 at MTL & Nov. 30 at TOR) and has currently registered 5-16—21 since Nov. 1 to become the first defenseman in Sharks history to register a 20-point month.



. . . WHILE BENIERS OUTDUELS ZEGRAS AS KRAKEN WIN FIFTH STRAIGHT
Matty Beniers (1-2—3) and Trevor Zegras (0-3—3) each had three-point nights but it was the Kraken rookie who prevailed, leading Seattle (13-5-3, 29 points) to its fifth straight win in a back-and-forth, nine-goal affair. The Kraken tied the longest win streak in franchise history and improved to 9-1-1 in November while the club’s .864 points percentage through that span trails only the Devils (.923) for the highest among all teams.

* Beniers, who became the first rookie to post a three-point game with the Kraken on Wednesday, recorded his third multi-point outing in four contests and fourth overall in 2022-23 – the most among all rookies. Beniers now has 7-11—18 (22 GP) on the season and has opened a five-point lead over Coyotes forward Matias Maccelli (1-12—13 in 18 GP) in the NHL’s rookie points race.



* On the other side, Zegras recorded his fourth career three-point game, tied with Ryan Getzlaf for the second most by a Ducks player at age 21 or younger and trailing only Paul Kariya (12 GP). It was also Zegras’ third career three-assist outing – the most by any Ducks skater before their 22nd birthday.

KAPRIZOV TIES FRANCHISE RECORD, SETS CAREER HIGH IN WIN

The Sunday edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates watched Kirill Kaprizov (1-2—3) extend his assist streak to eight games to tie a franchise record and establish a career high with a point in his ninth straight contest as Minnesota held off a late rally by Arizona.


QUICK CLICKS


* Lindy Ruff continues to adapt, becomes fifth NHL coach to win 800 games

* Golden Knights Reverse Retro jerseys look amazing in the dark

* Zizing ‘Em Up: Cheers or jeers for Panthers Matthew Tkachuk in Calgary return?

* Jim Johannson‘s influence earned him place in U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

* Rookie Watch: Calen Addison, Wyatt Johnston among best in Central Division


NHL LEADERS READY TO TAKE TO THE ICE MONDAY

Several clubs and players having a November to remember will look to add to their totals Monday as each of the top two teams and the top two scorers so far this month take the ice during a six-game slate.

* The Devils (18-4-0, 36 points) can overtake the idle Bruins (18-3-0, 36 points) for first place in the NHL standings when they play their final game of November – a month in which they have posted a League-best 12 wins and 24 points so far. New Jersey can become the first team in NHL history to win at least 13 games in November. They also can equal a club record for wins in any calendar month – the Devils went 13-2-0 in March 2001, one of 14 instances of an NHL team claiming 13 victories in one month.

* The club with the second-most points so far this month will hit the ice for one of its two remaining contests before the calendar turns as Toronto takes its 9-1-3 November record (21 points) into Detroit to face the Red Wings – owners of a four-game winning streak and 4-0-1 record in their past five contests. Mitchell Marner will put his League-best point streak on the line as he aims to become the third Maple Leafs player with a point streak of at least 17 straight games. Marner also can become the first player in franchise history to factor on Toronto’s first goal in seven consecutive contests.

* The top two point-getters to date in November 2022 will hit the ice in St. Louis when Jason Robertson (14-11—25 in 13 GP) and Jamie Benn (10-11—21 in 13 GP) aim to add to their totals in Dallas’ final contest until Dec. 1. They already are the highest-scoring Stars duo in any calendar month, with their 46 combined points sitting behind only three pairs in franchise history: Tom McCarthy and Dino Ciccarelli in November 1983 (50 points in 13 GP w/ MNS); Dino Ciccarelli and Neal Broten in January 1984 (48 points in 14 GP w/ MNS); and McCarthy and Broten in November 1983 (47 points in 13 GP w/ MNS). 

NBA Preview: Indiana Pacers (11-8) at Los Angeles Lakers (7-11)

NBA Editor
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NBA Preview: Indiana Pacers (11-8) at Los Angeles Lakers (7-11)

LeBron James is back, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ offense is firing better than it has all season, with another test waiting at home Monday night from the Indiana Pacers.

After missing five games because of a groin injury, James returned for a two-game road set against the San Antonio Spurs beginning Friday. The Lakers won both contests, including a 143-point offensive eruption on Saturday.

After a 2-10 start to the season, the Lakers have won five of six.

That the most recent victory came without Anthony Davis made it even more impressive.

James scored a season-best 39 points on Saturday — making seven 3-pointers — and added 11 rebounds.

There was the matter of the Lakers’ defense allowing 138 points in the second victory over the Spurs. That type of effort could spell doom against the Pacers, who have won eight of their past 11 games, even with a 114-100 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

The Spurs delivered a season-high output in points against the Lakers while plummeting toward an eighth consecutive defeat.

Davis, who had been dealing with back tightness this season, was out because of a bruised left calf, although his absence was characterized as precautionary.

The Lakers received another scare during the game when Russell Westbrook came away with a bloody forehead after receiving an elbow from San Antonio’s Zach Collins. Despite a significant amount of bleeding, Westbrook returned to the game. Collins was ejected.

The Pacers played a Sunday matinee against the Clippers and led by eight points less than nine minutes into the game, were tied just before halftime and watched it slip away from there. Indiana went down by double digits midway through the third quarter and never mustered a late run.

Jalen Smith had 23 points and nine rebounds for Indiana, while Tyrese Haliburton had 15 points and 11 assists. But 12 total third-quarter points were a season low as the team went 0 of 12 from 3-point range in the period. The Pacers entered with an average of 30.2 points in the third quarter this season.

The Pacers shot a season-worst 38.3 percent for the game, 21.4 percent (9 of 42) from 3-point range and never seemed to find Clippers big man Ivica Zubac on the court. Zubac delivered 31 points and a career-high 29 rebounds in 36 minutes.

NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (13-7) at Toronto Raptors (10-9)

NBA Editor
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NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (13-7) at Toronto Raptors (10-9)

The Toronto Raptors hope to have some of their injured players in the lineup soon, perhaps as early as Monday night against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers.

Pascal Siakam (adductor strain) and Scottie Barnes (sprained knee) were among the injured players who participated in Toronto’s practice on Sunday and appear close to a return.

Toronto will catch Cleveland on the second night of back-to-back games. The Cavaliers, also dealing with injuries, had only 10 available players Sunday for their 102-94 road win over the Detroit Pistons.

If Siakam does not play Monday, he could be ready for the road game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

After defeating the visiting Dallas Mavericks 105-100 on Saturday, the Raptors are 5-5 since Siakam was injured on Nov. 4. Barnes has missed the past two games.

Both players were listed early Monday morning as questionable for the Cavaliers’ game, as were Dalano Banton (sprained ankle) and Justin Champagnie (lower back).

Precious Achiuwa (sprained ankle) and Otto Porter Jr. (dislocated toe) were listed as out.

Fred VanVleet, who missed the loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday because of illness, returned on Saturday to score 26 points — 18 in the first half. O.G. Anunoby also had 26 points, and reserve Chris Boucher scored a season-best 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Cleveland’s injury list on Sunday included Jarrett Allen (lower-back contusion) and Caris LeVert (sprained left ankle).

They joined Kevin Love (fractured thumb) and Lamar Stevens (illness) on the sidelines in Detroit on Sunday for the middle game of a three-game trip. LeVert has not played since Nov. 20. Allen played 12 minutes in the 117-102 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

Robin Lopez, who made his first start for Cleveland in Allen’s place on Sunday, but played just less than four minutes.

The Cavaliers still had Donovan Mitchell (32 points) and Darius Garland (19 points, 10 assists) on Sunday. Cleveland outscored Detroit 29-16 in the fourth quarter, led by Mitchell’s 14 points.

With Allen unavailable, Evan Mobley had more responsibility at both ends of the court, particularly on defense. He responded with 20 points, 13 rebounds and one blocked shot.

Bickerstaff was disappointed by his team’s shooting — 42.9 percent overall and 28.6 percent from long range.

Toronto defeated the Cavaliers 108-105 at home on Oct. 19 in the opening game of the season for both teams.

NBA Preview: Orlando Magic (5-15) at Brooklyn Nets (10-11)

NBA Editor
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NBA Preview: Orlando Magic (5-15) at Brooklyn Nets (10-11)

Nets take on Magic, look to get back to .500

Players returning from injuries or offseason surgery normally sit out a portion of a back-to-back set, but the way Brooklyn’s Seth Curry performed Sunday afternoon against the Portland Trail Blazers might make it a harder-than-usual decision for the Nets.

After Curry’s 29 points and seven 3-pointers helped the Nets successfully start their season-high seven-game homestand, Brooklyn will attempt to reach the .500 mark for the second time this season when it hosts the Orlando Magic on the back end of a back-to-back on Monday night.

Brooklyn is attempting to reach .500 for the first time since it beat Toronto in the second game of the season after getting blown out by New Orleans in the season opener. The Nets were one game under .500 twice last week but followed both instances with losses (in Philadelphia and Indiana).

After collapsing in the fourth quarter Friday, Curry helped the Nets pull away in the final 12 minutes of Sunday’s 111-97 victory over the Blazers. He scored 13 points in the quarter, including 11 in the time Kevin Durant spent getting a rest.

The 29 points was Curry’s highest total in 30 regular-season games since becoming a Net along with Ben Simmons in the trade for James Harden. Following offseason ankle surgery, Curry is averaging 11.4 points a game and shooting 43.9 percent (25-of-57) from 3-point range.

Curry played 18 minutes in his season debut Oct. 29, he and scored 22 points on the front end of a back-to-back against the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 12 before sitting the next night against the Lakers.

Whether Curry plays or not, the Nets hope to follow one of their better defensive efforts of the season. Brooklyn allowed 40 points after halftime and allowed 36.8 percent shooting from the floor in the second half.

Orlando will try to avoid matching a season high with its fifth straight loss and is 1-6 over its past seven games. Since allowing 87 and 97 points in consecutive wins over Dallas and Phoenix Nov. 9-11, Orlando is allowing an average of 117.4 points on 50.3 percent shooting from the field.

Orlando’s latest loss also was its most lopsided, as the Magic allowed 72 points in the paint and tied a team record by allowing 64.9 percent shooting in a 133-103 home setback to Philadelphia on Sunday night.

While rookie Paolo Banchero scored 18 points in his second game following a seven-game absence due to a sprained left ankle, Orlando had little else to help the top overall pick of the 2022 draft.

Jalen Suggs sat out with an ankle injury, Wendell Carter Jr. missed a fourth straight game with a foot injury, and Markelle Fultz had his season debut pushed back to at least Wednesday due to a fractured toe. The Magic also lost Mo Bamba to back spasms and Terrence Ross to an illness, though both could play Monday.

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