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Jim Feist's Bonus Play for Tuesday, Nov 10, 2015

(505) LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS (506) MIAMI HEAT

Take: UNDER THE TOTAL.

Reason: Your Bonus Play for Tuesday, January 6, 2015 is in the NBA scheduled contest between the LA Lakers and the Heat in Miami. The L.A. Lakers play their third straight road contest on the East Coast with the offense slumping to 95 points the last game in a loss. The under is 11-4-1 in the Lakers last 16 road games vs. a team with a winning home record and 6-2 against a team with a winning record. They face a Miami team that is 25th in scoring, third in the NBA in field goal shooting defense allowing .409%. Miami is on a 6-0 run under the total, 4-1 under at home. And when these teams meet the under is 8-2, including 8-3 under at Miami. Play Lakers/Heat Under the total.

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FREE CFB play Tuesday 11-10-15

Kent State +7

NHL notebook: Rangers F Nash to return Tuesday
By The Sports Xchange

New York Rangers forward Rick Nash will return to the lineup Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, coach Alain Vigneault said Monday.
Nash practiced Monday after missing games against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday and Arizona Coyotes on Saturday with back tightness.
"He told me he was good to go, so we're going to play him," Vigneault said.
Nash has one goal and five assists in 12 games this season.

---The San Jose Sharks recalled forward Melker Karlsson from the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League.
Karlsson, 25, has posted two assists and 10 shots on goal in four games with the Barracuda this season. Karlsson was named the Sharks' Rookie of the Year in 2014-15, ranking seventh amongst NHL rookies in goals (13) and tied for 15th in points (24) in 53 games.

---The Nashville Predators recalled goaltender Marek Mazanec from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on emergency conditions.
The team also placed forward Eric Nystrom on injured reserve with an upper-body issue. He has three goals in 10 games this season.

---The Minnesota Wild recalled forward Kurtis Gabriel from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League.
The 6-foot-4, 212-pound native of Newmarket, Ontario, was originally selected by Minnesota in the third round of the 2013 NHL draft. Gabriel, 22, has not appeared in an NHL game.

---The Winnipeg Jets reassigned forward Patrice Cormier to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.
Cormier, 25, was recalled by the Jets on Nov. 4 and played in Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Preview: Blues (10-3) at Devils (6-5)

Date: November 10, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The New Jersey Devils' longest home win streak last season lasted just four games and didn't reach its climax until their 30th contest at Prudential Center in late February.

Playing only their ninth game of this season's home slate, the Devils can match that streak Tuesday night if they can solve Jake Allen and the St. Louis Blues.

New Jersey (8-5-1) has missed the playoffs for three straight seasons and finished seventh in the Metropolitan Division in 2014-15. The club's 46 points in Newark were its fewest in a 41-game home schedule in team history.

The Devils showed few signs of improvement to start this season, losing three straight at home as part of a 0-3-1 overall start. However, they've bounced back by going 8-2-0 with wins in four of five at home, including three straight after Kyle Palmieri scored with 1:27 left in overtime of Sunday's 4-3 win over Vancouver.

"You want to make home ice a tough place to play. That goes a long way in an 82-game season," Palmieri said. "You want teams to know the identity you have."

Palmieri is helping New Jersey carve out that identity, scoring four goals with five assists in the past six games after getting three points during the first eight. He has four points through the first two of this three-game homestand.

The Devils, though, are 1-5-1 in their last seven meetings with the Blues and 1-3-1 over the last five played in New Jersey. They dropped both matchups last season, beating Allen on just three of 53 shots.

Allen made 26 saves in a 1-0 win at Prudential Center on Nov. 4, 2014, and he'll reportedly get the nod again. He's won five of his last six starts overall with a 1.03 goals-against average and two shutouts.

Allen made a career-high 45 saves in Saturday's 4-0 win at Nashville as St. Louis (10-3-1) got its fifth win in six games. The Blues have 10 goals in their last two, going 3 for 5 on the power play after coming up empty on 21 chances over the previous six games.

"You need to win the special-teams game if you expect to win on the road," coach Ken Hitchcock said.

Special teams is what delivered the club's previous win in New Jersey with Vladimir Tarasenko scoring a power-play goal in the third period. Although the right winger has scored just one of his seven goals this season on the power play, he's collected 11 of his 13 points in eight road games.

Colton Parayko has five goals and five assists, but the rookie defenseman has seven of those points in his past seven. He got his team-leading second power-play goal Saturday.

It's unclear if the Devils will be without defenseman Adam Larsson, who could be facing a suspension from the NHL for his hit on the Canucks' Jared McCann in the third period Sunday. He was assessed a 5-minute major for interference and a game misconduct.

Preview: Avalanche (4-9) at Flyers (4-6)

Date: November 10, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

It could go either way.

Up next might be the lengthy road trip that saves Colorado's season or the one that lets it snowball out of control.

The Avalanche hope to start rolling in the right direction when they open their longest road trip in six years Tuesday night against the struggling Philadelphia Flyers.

Colorado (4-9-1) is buried at the bottom of a stacked Central Division as one of three NHL teams with single-digit points. The Avalanche are 2-4-0 on the road and will need to find themselves away from home if they hope to straighten out soon.

A seven-game road trip that starts in Philadelphia matches the franchise's longest since relocating to Denver after the 1994-95 season. Colorado, which also played seven straight road games from Oct. 8-21, 2009, has 14 of its next 18 away Denver.

"This is a huge trip for us," defenseman Tyson Barrie told the team's official website. "It's a chance for us to play some good road games and string some wins together and get back in this thing. It's a chance for us to bond and get tighter as a team."

The pieces haven't fit together yet. Colorado has lost four of five, is 2-7-1 in its last 10 games and still hasn't won two in a row.

Finding a solution in net would be a good place to start.

With Semyon Varlamov struggling to a 3.26 goals-against average in 10 starts, the Avs have turned to Reto Berra of late. Berra made 31 saves in a 2-1 home loss to the New York Rangers on Friday and will start against the Flyers.

Berra is just 1-3-0 despite his 1.85 GAA and .943 save percentage. He has lost all three of his career starts against Philadelphia with a 3.11 GAA.

Coach Patrick Roy is looking anywhere to spark a change.

"We've been involved in eight one-goal games, and we're 1-7. Obviously, we have to find something that will make the difference," he told the team's official website.

Colorado has lost four straight in Philadelphia, but the Flyers (5-6-3) have experienced their own struggles of late. They snapped a six-game skid with a 3-0 victory at Winnipeg on Saturday in the final game of a 1-3-1 road trip.

Coach Dave Hakstol insists there isn't a permanent change in net despite Michal Neuvirth becoming the NHL's first goaltender with three shutouts after making 28 saves against the Jets. Neuvirth ranks among the league leaders with a 1.81 GAA and .945 save percentage in eight games, seven starts.

Hakstol, though, said Steve Mason is still his No. 1 goalie despite a 3.34 GAA in eight appearances.

Neuvirth is 0-3-0 with a 3.38 GAA against Colorado while Mason is 4-1-1 with a 1.99 GAA in his last six meetings.

"I want both our guys to battle to be in the net," Hakstol said. "I want both guys to have the mentality to go out every day and work to earn the spot in the net."

Mason isn't threatened just yet.

"No, it's not making me sweat," Mason said. "It's good for him personally and it's good for the team."

One of the biggest reason for Philadelphia's struggles is the non-production of Jakub Voracek. The eighth-year forward has no goals and five assists in 14 games after tying for fourth in the league last season with a career-high 81 points.

Preview: Hurricanes (6-8) at Rangers (10-2)

Date: November 10, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The likely return of Rick Nash could hand the New York Rangers one more advantage in a series they already control.

Nash hopes to return Tuesday night when the Rangers try to push their winning streak to six games while continuing their dominance against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.

New York (10-2-2) has won six straight against Carolina and 16 of 17 dating to Feb. 22, 2011. The Rangers haven't lost to the Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden since Oct. 29, 2010, going 9-0-0 with a 27-9 advantage on the scoreboard.

That dominant stretch is quite similar to the spurt they're on now. New York has gone 7-0-1 following a three-game skid, outscoring opponents 28-9 in that span.

The previous two wins of the Rangers' current streak came on the road and without Nash, who injured his back during practice Thursday in Denver. He sat out a 2-1 win over Colorado the next night before also missing Saturday's 4-1 victory at Arizona.

Nash, whose teams have gone 15-1-0 against Carolina since Dec. 29, 2007, practiced Monday and told coach Alain Vigneault he would be ready to play.

"I'm assuming he's full go, unless I'm told otherwise," Vigneault said. "When I talked to him on the ice this morning he said he was good to go. So if he's good to go, he's going to play."

Nash would rejoin the club's top line alongside Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello and try to put to bed his offensive issues. He's scored only once after piling up a career-high 42 goals last season.

Brassard and Zuccarello, however, have benefited from Nash's presence, combining for five goals and five assists in three consecutive wins Oct. 25-Nov. 3 with him on the line before recording just one assist in the last two games without him.

Even worse for Carolina would be seeing Henrik Lundqvist in net. Lundqvist is a big reason for New York's hot start and owns an 11-1-0 record, 1.62 goals-against average and .945 save percentage during the team's stellar 17-game stretch against the Hurricanes.

Lundqvist has surrendered three goals just once this season and has a 1.55 GAA and .952 save percentage in his last seven starts.

This marks the only road contest for the Hurricanes (6-8-0) during a 10-game stretch that ends Nov. 22. They opened the span with a 2-2-0 homestand capped by a dramatic 3-2 overtime win over Ottawa on Saturday.

Jeff Skinner tied it with 3.3 seconds left in regulation before Jordan Staal ended it with nine seconds remaining in the extra period.

"Every time you get a comeback, it can raise the spirits quickly," Staal told the team's official website. "Hopefully we can ride that emotional (high) and bring a solid effort into New York against a good team, try to sneak out with a win and go from there."

Staal has scored his first three goals in each of the last three games, and he added his third assist against the Senators.

In the same time that Lundqvist has owned the Hurricanes, Cam Ward has struggled to a 1-6-2 record in the series. He holds a 3.42 GAA and .896 save percentage in those games.

Preview: Canucks (5-4) at Blue Jackets (4-11)

Date: November 10, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

John Tortorella's lone season coaching the Vancouver Canucks can only be described as disastrous.

He'll face the Canucks for the first time since they fired him at the end of the 2013-14 season as he tries to guide the Columbus Blue Jackets to their first home victory Tuesday night.

Tortorella signed a five-year contract with Vancouver before the 2013-14 season, joining a veteran-laden franchise that had captured five straight Northwest Division titles and won the Western Conference in 2010-11.

He was let go one year into that deal after the Canucks went 36-35-11 for the West's third-worst record. The tumultuous season included a 15-day suspension for trying to start a fight with Calgary coach Bob Hartley, with Tortorella attempting to get into the Flames' locker room following a line brawl.

Vancouver received a second-round pick from Columbus as part of compensation for Tortorella being hired.

The coach spent time reflecting on his rocky tenure with the Canucks while unemployed, and Columbus (4-11-0) has shown signs of improvement under Tortorella, going 4-4-0 despite seven of those games being on the road.

The club's only home game since the coaching change was a 3-2 loss to Winnipeg on Oct. 31. The Blue Jackets are 0-5-0 at Nationwide Arena.

Columbus won two of three in California, failing to sweep the trip by losing 4-2 to Anaheim on Friday. Scott Hartnell scored twice, giving him five goals in his last six games.

However, Nick Foligno has one point in his last six games while Ryan Johansen has gone 11 straight without a goal. Those players were first and second on the team in points last season.

"I think we took steps in the right direction," Tortorella said. "We still need to get our top guys going more consistently, more in the right direction; Nick, Joey (Johansen), they need to produce for us.

"Hartnell's filling the net right now, and I think we're getting play from a lot of people but we need to get everybody going consistently."

Vancouver (6-4-5) has dropped three straight following Sunday's 4-3 overtime defeat at New Jersey. The Canucks are 0 for 12 on the power play during this slide.

Every Vancouver loss this season has been by one goal.

"We've played some great opponents and we've been in each and every game but again, you get on the wrong side of these games when you keep making mistakes, that's what we have to cut down," captain Henrik Sedin said.

Rookie Jared McCann has a team-high five goals but he and Alex Burrows haven't scored in the last four games. Radim Vrbata, who led Vancouver with 31 goals a season ago, has none in the past five games.

"We need more and it's not just one unit, it's both units, we need to generate more," coach Willie Desjardins said.

Defenseman Christopher Tanev, second on the team in ice time, missed the Devils game and is day to day.

One factor in Vancouver's favor is former Blue Jackets winger Derek Dorsett is 3-0-0 at Nationwide Arena as a visiting player.

Preview: Flames (5-9) at Panthers (5-6)

Date: November 10, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Consecutive wins for the first time this season is restoring confidence in the Calgary Flames. It may only grow further against the struggling Florida Panthers.

The Flames' trio of young stars looks to continue the club's revival in the opener of a four-game road trip Tuesday night.

Calgary (5-9-1) was one of the league's biggest surprises last season, reaching the playoffs for the first time in six years and advancing to the second round.

That run looked like a fluke as the Flames opened 2015-16 by losing nine of their first 11. However, they've started to turn things around by winning three of four, including two straight after beating Pittsburgh 5-2 on Saturday. Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and rookie Sam Bennett combined for four goals and three assists.

"It's not only the wins. It's the way we played. The confidence is coming back," coach Bob Hartley told the team's official website. "The swagger is coming back. As long as we keep top teams like this to 10, 12 chances a game, I like our chances."

Hartley should also like the production he's getting out of Gaudreau, Monahan and Bennett.

Gaudreau is among the league leaders with 17 points in his second full season.

The 21-year-old Monahan has eight points in 10 games after getting two in the first five, while Bennett, 19, has collected eight of his nine points in the last six.

"My job with the Gaudreaus, the Monahans, the Bennetts, all our young players is to play them," Hartley said. "Put them in all kinds of situations. It's an investment and it's a great investment. Those guys have so much to offer."

That was evident at Florida on Nov. 8, 2014, when Gaudreau had one goal and two assists and Monahan added two points in a 6-4 victory.

Calgary is 4-0-1 in its last five road meetings with the Panthers (5-6-3), who enter this matchup on an 0-3-2 stretch. They haven't endured a longer slide since dropping nine straight from Oct. 22-Nov. 10, 2013.

Florida has mustered just seven goals during its current skid and hasn't scored in the third period in any of those games. The Panthers showed few signs of pulling out of the spiral Saturday at Los Angeles, getting outshot 35-19 and giving up three goals in a 4:38 span of the second period to fall 4-1.

"We're a better team than what our record shows, and I think that's what's more shocking than anything," defenseman Erik Gudbranson told the team's official website. "Unfortunately we get into these little five-minute spurts during games where the wheels fall off, and we've really got to clean that up. There's no excuse for it."

Jaromir Jagr leads the Panthers with six goals and 10 points, but he has none in four games - three since returning from a lower-body injury that sidelined him two contests.

The 43-year-old right wing has just one point in his last six meetings with the Flames.

Florida's Roberto Luongo is 12-3-3 with a 1.85 goals-against average in his last 18 starts against Calgary. He's allowed two goals or fewer in 14 of those games.

Preview: Sabres (5-8) at Lightning (7-7)

Date: November 10, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The previously high-scoring Tampa Bay Lightning are slumping offensively, though a difficult early schedule hasn't done them any favors.

Playing the Buffalo Sabres for already the fourth and final time Tuesday night at home, though, could continue to provide a temporary elixir for their struggles.

Tampa Bay (7-7-2) has played a league-high 11 road games. Six of its next seven are at home - where it's just 2-3-0 - while Buffalo's five road contests are tied for the fewest in the NHL.

The Lightning averaged 3.4 goals through their first eight contests but have managed 11 during a 2-5-1 stretch, scoring one or none in six of those games. Plus, Tampa Bay has wasted strong defensive efforts during that span, surrendering 15 goals in the eight games.

The Lightning lost 1-0 at Minnesota on Saturday, getting shut out for the third time despite 31 shots on goal.

"We created a lot of chances," defenseman Anton Stralman said. "(Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk) made some unbelievable saves. You can't take those away from him. However he saves them, he did it. Some of them, we definitely want back. It's just the way it goes for us right now."

The loss of Ondrej Palat won't help, as the left wing will miss three to five weeks with a lower-body injury after leaving in the second period. Palat's seven points are tied for fourth on the club.

"When you see somebody like him go off the way he did, it's never encouraging," coach Jon Cooper said. " ... You don't want to lose anybody, but he's a big part of our team."

Nearly half of Tampa Bay's victories have come against the Sabres (6-8-0), whom it's outscored 10-3 in sweeping three meetings despite being outshot 88-75. The Lightning own a 25-5 edge in goals during a seven-game series winning streak.

Center Tyler Johnson has four goals and nine assists in his last 12 meetings.

Buffalo has won three of four, the only loss coming by a 4-1 score at home to Tampa Bay on Thursday. Rasmus Ristolainen scored his second goal with 16.8 seconds left in Saturday's 3-2 win over Vancouver, while Jack Eichel had two assists for his first multipoint game.

Linus Ullmark stopped 35 shots after getting pulled from Thursday's defeat after surrendering three goals on 11 shots in the first period.

"It was pretty exciting," Ristolainen said. "But two points are a big thing for us."

Eichel has four points in his last four games after recording three in his first 10, but has managed one point in the three meetings with the Lightning.

Ryan O'Reilly leads the Sabres with 13 points, though he's gone without one in a season-high three straight games.

Ben Bishop has won eight straight starts against Buffalo while posting a 1.48 goals-against average. He's lost his last five overall starts despite a 1.63 GAA.

Nikita Kucherov is pointless in five career home games against Buffalo, though he has four goals and two assists in his last six matchups overall.

Preview: Capitals (9-3) at Red Wings (7-6)

Date: November 10, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Another goal will make Alex Ovechkin the top scoring Russian-born player in NHL history, and if he does it in his next game, it'll come against a franchise that's featured some of his country's greats, as well as a long-time teammate.

Washington visits Detroit Tuesday night with Ovechkin seeking a goal in his fourth straight game - No. 484 to move him past former Red Wings star and Capitals teammate Sergei Fedorov - as Mike Green faces his former team for the first time.

Fedorov, who is part of this year's Hall of Fame class, will also be honored at the game.

"I respect what he did for Russian hockey, what he did for my career and what experience he gave me," Ovechkin told the team's official website. "It's going to be a special moment."

Ovechkin matched Fedorov - whom he played with in Washington in 2008-09 - with a goal in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win over Toronto and also converted the decisive shootout chance.

"That's what (Ovechkin) has done here for a long time - big goals at big times," coach Barry Trotz said. "When you needed him to step up, he does. That's what stars do, and he's a star. There's no question, he's a golden star."

His goals helped the Capitals (10-3-0) match the 1991-92 team for the best 13-game start in team history. Since a 5-0 loss to San Jose in the second game of the season, they've averaged 3.36 goals per game.

"It's just a continuation from last year," said forward Brooks Laich, who's probable to play with a lower-body injury. "Last year, I think the first 20 games we were maybe .500, still figuring things out with the new staffs, the new systems and the new terminology and a couple new players.

"This year, it's just a continuation. It's the same system, same structure, same staff. I think it's pretty easy on us players. Everything is in your mind and your body from last year, so it allows you to just free up and play."

It's a system Green came to know well in 10 seasons with the Capitals before signing with Detroit this offseason.

"I obviously know their habits and how they play," Green told the team's official website. "We expect them to come out pretty hard. They're a very offensive-minded team. We'll be prepared for sure."

His time in Washington included plenty of recent success against Detroit with the Capitals going 6-1-1 in the series dating to the start of 2011-12, including 3-0-1 at Joe Louis Arena.

The Red Wings (7-6-1) had a three-game winning streak come to an end in Sunday's 4-1 home loss to Dallas. They've been limited to five goals in the last three games, and offensive help isn't far off with Pavel Datsyuk returning to practice, though he won't play Tuesday.

Instead they'll hope for Justin Abdelkader to break out. The forward is without a goal in 12 games after scoring four in the first two games of the season. He's scored three in his last three games against the Capitals.

"I've had chances," Abdelkader said. "â?¦ I think I can do a better job around the net and on the forecheck. We're going through a tough time as far as goal scoring five on five. The league's tight. We have to find ways to score and find ways to be better."

Jimmy Howard left the game against the Stars after being kneed in the head, and despite passing concussion tests, Petr Mrazek will face Washington.

Mrazek faced the Capitals for the first time last season, losing twice with a 2.12 goals-against average.

Washington's Braden Holtby has won his last two starts with a 1.46 GAA and is 3-0-0 in Detroit.

Preview: Senators (4-4) at Predators (6-3)

Date: November 10, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Somehow the Nashville Predators have lost all five games in which they have registered at least 34 shots while winning all eight in which they have finished with fewer.

The Predators have been a bit baffled by their results as they get ready to host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.

Nashville (8-3-2) was shut out for the first time with Saturday's 4-0 loss to St. Louis despite a 45-28 edge in shots. It went 0 for 5 on the power play and was stymied by Blues goalie Jake Allen.

'It wasn't from a lack of trying,' coach Peter Laviolette said. 'Attempts, opportunities, quality scoring chances were all heavily stacked."

Frustration is evident for a Predators team ranked second in the NHL with 31.6 shots per game yet 18th in goals with an average of 2.5. Nashville has dropped all three games in which it has at least 40 shots; the rest of the NHL is 14-12-5 in such contests entering play Monday while teams went 118-72-28 in 2014-15 with at least 40 shots.

"There's a lot of good things that are happening, there's always things you can do better in the course of a game but lots of positives," Laviolette said. "We need the score to start reflecting what takes place."

Ottawa (7-4-3) was one of the teams to have at least 40 shots and lose when it outshot Nashville 41-25 in a 4-3 shootout defeat Oct. 17. James Neal scored twice for the Predators and Roman Josi added two assists.

That contest marked the NHL debut of Senators defenseman Chris Wideman, who saw action for the first time in six games Saturday and took advantage with his first goal in a 3-2 overtime loss at Carolina.

"It was a pretty cool feeling," Wideman said. "At the time it was a big goal so I was pretty excited about it."

Wideman's tally gave the Senators a 2-1 lead in the second period. They conceded the tying goal with four seconds left in regulation, getting outshot 18-5 in the third period and 46-21 overall. Ottawa allows a league-worst 34.4 shots per game but has gone 5-2-1 when yielding at least 34.

'You've got to play hockey all the way through,' coach Dave Cameron said. 'You've got to execute. You've got to do everything for 60 minutes. Frustrating is a good word to describe tonight.'

Mike Hoffman has no goals and two assists in three games since returning after he missed four with a lower-body injury. Hoffman scored four times in four games before being injured, including two against the Predators.

Defenseman Cody Ceci returned to practice Monday after missing Saturday's loss with a lower-body injury, and Cameron confirmed Craig Anderson - 1-4-2 with a 2.79 goals-against average in seven starts at Nashville - will start in goal.

Pekka Rinne, expected to start for Nashville, has lost consecutive home starts after winning his first four there.

The Predators are 2 for 21 on the power play in Nashville as they continue a five-game homestand.

"We've got four more at home here and we wanna be really solid at home and make it a hard building to play against and we've got to be ready Tuesday," said center Mike Fisher, who is sixth on the Senators' all-time list with 167 goals.

Preview: Jets (8-5) at Wild (8-3)

Date: November 10, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Wild know it won't be easy to continue to win without Zach Parise.

The Winnipeg Jets recognize how important this four-game trip against division opponents could be down the road.

The Wild can improve to 7-1-0 at home Tuesday night by avenging a loss to the Jets last month in what figures to be a tight contest.

Minnesota (8-3-2) played for the first time without Parise in Saturday's 1-0 victory over Tampa Bay. Devan Dubnyk made 31 saves for his second shutout and defenseman Jared Spurgeon scored his second goal.

Parise is out for at least a week with a sprained MCL. He has a team-high seven goals with no other Minnesota player registering more than four.

'We're going to miss him,' Dubnyk said. 'There's no replacing what he brings to this team, there's no replacing him in the league, for that matter. It's an opportunity for each person to kind of step up their role in the lineup, and we're going to have to find ways to win while he's gone and count the days until he's back.'

Coach Mike Yeo said he expects his team to have to win low-scoring games and do the little things. He gave center Christoph Bertschy his NHL debut Saturday and credited the play of the fourth line.

Yeo said he wasn't sure if the 5-foot-10 Bertschy will be a part of that unit against the rugged Jets.

"We've got Winnipeg coming in here and is that going to be a different type of game?" he said. "Do we need a different type of player?"

Six of Minnesota's seven home games have been decided by one goal.

Winnipeg (8-5-2) starts a trip consisting solely of division opponents after not facing a Central club away from home. The division is the only one in which six teams have at least eight wins, and the Jets know how critical these matchups are.

"You look at our division, how tight it is, these games that are against divisional opponents are huge points so have to take advantage," winger Drew Stafford said. "If you try and gain ground out of conference that helps but if you can get the job done within your division, that's the most important part."

Stafford scored twice and Blake Wheeler had two assists in a 5-4 home win over the Wild on Oct. 25. Wheeler is tied for fourth in the league with 17 points.

The Jets are 2 for 21 on the power play in their last nine games after getting five chances in Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Philadelphia.

"We had a lot of power plays, couldn't really generate anything on the power plays and that kind of kills the momentum for us so we're going to have definitely have to try to find something better on the power play," center Mathieu Perreault said.

The Wild average 6:05 penalty minutes for the league's second-lowest mark, with opponents going 1 for 8 on the power play in the last seven contests.

Minnesota is expected to start Dubnyk and Winnipeg Ondrej Pavelec after neither started the first matchup.

Preview: Maple Leafs (2-8) at Stars (12-3)

Date: November 10, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

The Dallas Stars have lost three times in their first 15 games, but the most recent setback came against the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs.

Back on track since that defeat, the Stars can set a record for the best 16-game start in club history with a fourth consecutive victory Tuesday night against the visiting Maple Leafs.

Dallas (12-3-0) continues to remain humble while sitting atop the Western Conference with the franchise's best start through 15 games.

"It's important, but we're only a couple of wins out of sixth, seventh place,' said forward Tyler Seguin, who is tied for the NHL lead with 23 points. 'It's a long journey ahead.'

Though the Stars now have a chance to break the team-record 12-4-0 start from 2006-07, they have no reason to take Toronto (2-8-4) for granted. The Maple Leafs are mired in a 1-6-3 stretch but that victory came 4-1 over Dallas on Nov. 2.

'I don't know if we deserved to win,' said coach Lindy Ruff after the Stars failed to generate much offense while owning a 44-26 shot advantage in their only loss through the last seven games.

Since then, the Stars concluded a four-game trip by outscoring their three opponents 13-5 and going 4 for 8 on the power play. Dallas' 54 goals are second in the NHL, and the Stars have yielded one in each of the last two.

'We've got guys who can score, but the big key is we're buying into playing well at both ends of the ice,' general manager Jim Nill said.

Seguin has five goals and eight assists on an eight-game point streak. Patrick Sharp has totaled all but three of his 12 points while recording six goals and three assists in the last seven. Seguin and Sharp each had a goal with an assist in Sunday's 4-1 victory at Detroit, and both recorded an assist at Toronto last week.

Dallas' Antti Niemi has a 3.43 goals-against average in his last five games and hasn't started since facing Toronto. Kari Lehtonen has a 1.67 GAA in the last three games but yielded eight goals while losing both starts against the Maple Leafs last season.

One night after falling 2-1 in overtime to Detroit, Toronto lost 3-2 in a shootout at Washington on Saturday. A regulation defeat Tuesday would leave the Maple Leafs with the third-fewest points through the first 15 games in club history.

"It's disappointing not getting an extra point," defenseman Dion Phaneuf said. " But I thought it was a really good effort by our team in both games this weekend.

"We have to keep pushing forward, and pushing each other. ... If we play the way we've been playing we're going to get results."

Beginning with that 43-save performance against the Stars, James Reimer has a 1.96 GAA while making four straight starts in place of the injured Jonathan Bernier (lower body).

Joffrey Lupul had two goals with an assist against Dallas but has one assist in three games since. He has four goals and that one assist in the last two at home against the Stars but no points in his last two at Dallas.