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NFL
Long Sheet

Week 11

Monday, November 21

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON (6 - 3) vs. OAKLAND (7 - 2) - 11/21/2016, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 9-0 ATS (+9.0 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in road games in November games since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 1-0 against the spread versus OAKLAND over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 1-0 straight up against OAKLAND over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

NFL

Week 11

Trend Report

Monday, November 21

8:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. OAKLAND
Houston is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland's last 6 games
Oakland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

NFL
Short Sheet

Week 11

Mon – Nov. 21

Houston at Oakland, 8:30 PM ET
Houston: 19-8 ATS in road games in November
Oakland: 6-17 ATS after 3 or more consecutive wins against the spread

NFL
Dunkel

Week 11

Monday, November 21

Houston @ Oakland

Game 475-476
November 21, 2016 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
129.236
Oakland
137.757
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 8 1/2
42
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oakland
by 5 1/2
46 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(-5 1/2); Under

NFL

Week 11

Monday's game
Texans (6-3) vs Raiders (7-2) (in Mexico City)— Oakland won six of last seven games, covered last three, scoring 93 points (10 TDs on last 37 drives). Raiders ran ball for 163.3 yds/game last three games- both their losses this year came at home. Texans got first road win in Jacksonville last week; they’re 1-3 away from home, with all three losses by 18+ points- they’re 2-2 as an underdog this year. Oakland is 7-2 despite being favored in only three of nine games (1-2 as a favorite). Houston won six of last nine series games. Raiders are 2-11 in last 13 post-bye games but they covered last four. AFC South teams are 6-8 as non-divisional underdogs; AFC West teams are 8-6 as non-divisional favorites. Over is 7-2 in Oakland games, 4-2 in Houston’s last six games.

NFL's biggest betting mismatches: Week 11

Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders (-5.5, 46)

Texans' interior D-line troubles vs. Raiders' stacked O-line

The Raiders find themselves in a three-horse race atop the AFC West in what has shaped up as the best division race in the league. Coming into the week tied with the Kansas City Chiefs and a half-game ahead of the Denver Broncos, Oakland faces a stiff test in Week 11 against a Texans team that has the outright lead in the AFC South. But the Raiders have an enormous advantage it will look to exploit against visiting Houston this weekend.

Oakland has built one of the most impressive offensive lines in the game, a group that deserves much of the credit for the successes of quarterback Derek Carr, running back Latavius Murray and receivers Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper. Three of the team's five starting O-linemen - LT Donald Penn, LG Kelechi Osemele and C Rodney Hudson - have Pro Football Focus grades of 84.8 or better. Simply put, the left side of the Raiders' offensive line is second only to the Dallas Cowboys' front.

Houston has elite ends to counter the Oakland periphery - DRE Jadeveon Clowney (79.2 PFF grade) and DLE Whitney Mercilus (83.9) are certainly capable of pressuring the quarterback. But the interior duo of DRT Vince Wilfork (45.7) and DLT Christian Covington (42.3) is among the worst in the league, and could make things incredibly difficult for the Texans' next level of defense, particularly against Oakland's stout rush attack.

Daily fantasy watch: RB Latavius Murray

NFL injury report

HOUSTON TEXANS at OAKLAND RAIDERS on Monday night
HOUSTON TEXANS
--Out: RB Alfred Blue (calf), RB Jonathan Grimes (illness), WR Jaelen Strong (ankle)
--Questionable: WR Will Fuller (knee), RB Jay Prosch (hamstring), DT Vince Wilfork (groin)
OAKLAND RAIDERS
--Questionable: WR Amari Cooper (back), C Rodney Hudson (knee), DT Stacy McGee (ankle), RB Latavius Murray (ankle), G Kelechi Osemele (knee), CB Sean Smith (shoulder)

Opening Line Report - Week 11
By Marcus DiNitto

Here are the opening betting lines for Week 11 of the 2016 NFL season, with insight from Ed Salmons, oddsmaker at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

Numbers listed are the Vegas consensus as of Sunday night at about 11 p.m. ET, and early moves and differences among sports books are also noted.


Monday, Nov. 21

Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders (-5)

The Westgate opened Oakland -3.5 but went to -5, a move based more on the market price than on action, Salmons said. Some shops, in fact, were dealing 5.5 as their opening number.

“We’re more anti-Houston than pro-Oakland,” Salmons said. “….There’s not a lot to like about Houston, even though they won (Sunday). That says more about Jacksonville.”

Despite their 7-2 record, Salmons isn’t too high on the Raiders. He rates Denver, Kansas City and Pittsburgh all a notch higher in the AFC, in addition to the Patriots, obviously.

“I’ve got a bunch of teams I like better than them,” Salmons said.

NFL opening line report: Cowboys heavily favored over visiting Ravens in Week 11
By PATRICK EVERSON

Through 10 weeks of the NFL season, the team with the best record in the land is the one that lost its starting quarterback in the preseason. We talk about the Week 11 opening lines with Peter Childs, risk management supervisor.

Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders (-5.5)

Oakland is in unfamiliar territory for this time of year, tied atop the AFC West with Kansas City, and both those teams share the conference’s best record with New England. The Raiders (7-2 SU, 6-3 ATS) will be well-rested, coming off their bye week after stuffing defending Super Bowl champion Denver 30-20 as a 1-point chalk in Week 9.

Houston (6-3 SU, 5-3-1 ATS) maintained its lead in the lackluster AFC South by beating Jacksonville 24-21 catching 3 points on the road Sunday.

“The Raiders are coming off arguably their biggest win in franchise history in the past 10 years,” Childs said. “They beat the defending Super Bowl champs at home in a Sunday night prime-time game. They are playing with a ton of confidence, having won three straight and six of their last seven games.

“But the Texans are off a solid win on the road, albeit against a very bad Jags teams. It was Houston’s first road win of the season. We opened Raiders -5.5, and all the early action is on the Raiders, so we just went to -6 this morning.”

NFL Week 11 lines that make you go hmmm...
By PETER KORNER

Longtime Las Vegas oddsmaker Peter Korner sizes up this week’s NFL schedule and picks out some of the lines making him go “hmmmm…” in Week 11:

Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders (-6, 46)

My first instincts said this line was too low for the home favorite. I was mistaken with Houston this past week against Jacksonville and overvalued the Jaguars’ level of play and expectant result. But this is not a last-place 2-7 Jacksonville team. This is a first-place 7-2 Oakland team on the back side of two consecutive road games.

My gut call on this line was -7. But again, I realize why oddsmakers made this lower with what Houston has done to this point. All the more to our advantage if you like the Raiders as I do this week. Both teams beat Jacksonville away - Houston by three, Oakland by 17. But where Oakland really grabs my attention is its three-game win streak, the last being a 10-point win over Denver at home then a nice break this past week with the bye week.

A possible letdown game? I don’t think so only because this Raiders team has momentum and a chip on its shoulder. Kick in the fact the Silver and Black are in a close fight with Kansas City and the Broncos, all within a half-game of each other for the top spot in the West, I see the Raiders rolling in this one and collecting another feather in their helmet, beating another first-place team.

As far as where the money goes, I’m not as sure that Houston won’t have its backers so you might want to wait and see when the first crack in the line appears and go from there.

Preview: Texans (6-3) at Raiders (7-2)

Date: November 21, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- The easiest thing to do is to acknowledge the rising star power featured by the Oakland Raiders and acknowledge its role in landing atop the AFC West.

There is no denying that quarterback Derek Carr, receiver Amari Cooper, and defensive end Khalil Mack are integral to the Raiders' foundation. Oakland (7-2) emerges from its bye week on a three-game winning streak set to face the AFC South-leading Houston Texans (6-3) on Monday night in Mexico City's Estadio Azteca.

The Raiders' recent collection of early-round draft picks have emerged ahead of schedule and have matched expectations relative to their individual talents. But the Raiders have become the talk of the NFL thanks in no small measure to their depth, and a number of their rotation players were serendipitous discoveries.

The Raiders feature 19 undrafted players on their current roster and those players have combined to start 29 games this season.

Behind Carr, Cooper (58 receptions for 843 yards and two touchdowns) and receiver Michael Crabtree (49 receptions for 596 yards and six touchdowns), Oakland ranks sixth in the NFL in passing offense at 278.3 yards per game. The Raiders are even better in pass protection, pacing the league with Carr operating behind an offense line showcasing undrafted tackles Donald Penn and Austin Howard.

While Penn has started all nine games this season, Howard has made five starts at right tackle. Toss in undrafted rookie guard Denver Kirkland, who has made four starts as an extra lineman, and the Raiders have parlayed line stability into success.

"The number of (undrafted players) that made our team jumps out," Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said. "For us, it's been a process. It's not like all of a sudden we look up and we're shocked by it because we've been working with these guys and developing these guys and they've been giving great energy and effort every day."

What is vital to the Raiders is maintaining the momentum they've cultivated winning six of seven games. Their success has generated conversation throughout the league, and how the Raiders handle their lofty status atop the division will be revealed in how they perform against the Texans after their scheduled break.

"We've just got to get back in the swing of things and keep our same focus," Raiders defensive tackle Dan Williams said. "Right now, we're in good position to achieve our first goal, which is to win the West. I think everybody has the same focus. We've definitely matured from a year ago and I think we're going to get back where we left off."

Penn said, "Things are coming together. I can't wait to see where it's going to go."

The Texans removed one monkey from their collective backs by winning on the road for the first time this season, outlasting the Jaguars in Jacksonville on Sunday.

What should galvanize the Texans was the performance of their rushing offense against the Jaguars.

Before the break, Houston posted just 105 rushing yards against Detroit, its third-lowest total this season. The Texans rebounded for a season-best 181 rushing yards in Jacksonville to offset another subpar effort from quarterback Brock Osweiler and provide hope for an uneven offense moving forward.

"I think it's good," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said of the running game. "I think there's always things we can improve, but we ran for 180 last game and ran it pretty good against Detroit, so I think it's been good.

"But every week's different. This is a very, very stout defense. They've got big guys inside, good guys on the edge and fast, athletic guys on the inside at linebacker, so it's going to be a different challenge."

Mack has been a terror in the past four weeks, producing 18 tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. In a 15-12 Raiders win over the Denver Broncos last season, Mack sacked Osweiler five times.

Taking that exceptional individual performance into account, Osweiler and the Texans will have a keen eye on Mack.

"It's very important," Osweiler said. "You know, any time you play against a player like Khalil Mack, you need to respect what he brings to the table and you need to have answers for what he brings to the table.

"We're very fortunate to have a phenomenal offensive coaching staff here, led by (offensive coordinator George) Godsey and Coach O'Brien. I'm sure they'll have answers for him. But without a question, we are well aware of what Khalil Mack's capable of doing -- obviously I experienced it firsthand last year -- and we will have answers for him."

Monday Night Football Predictions: Houston Texans vs. Oakland Raiders Odds & Picks
by Alan Matthews

Let's not get into an election argument here, and it doesn't matter to me whether you voted for Trump or Hillary. But I think even the most ardent Trump backers had to be a bit taken aback by some of the things he has said about Mexicans. Whether he actually deports all those illegal immigrants and builds a wall we will have to see.

I'm quite sure that back when the NFL announced it was playing this Monday night's game at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City that the things Trump said weren't even a second thought. But I do think it will be interesting to see what happens Monday before the Texans-Raiders game regarding the American National Anthem.

Here's hoping that nothing detracts from what could be a very important game and matches division leaders. Why pick these two teams for the league's first game south of the border since Oct. 2, 2005, and first-ever international Monday night game? The Raiders are a popular team in Mexico because of their colors, nickname and outlaw image. I do wonder whether Oakland officials now regret giving up a home game with the team a Super Bowl contender. And the Texans are a natural with the proximity to Mexico.

Texans at Raiders Betting Story Lines

Houston (6-3) entered Week 11 up two games in the loss column on Tennessee and Indianapolis in the AFC South, and those two teams play each other on Sunday. The Texans already own one win over both but still have to visit Indy and Nashville.

This past Sunday, the Texans got their first road win of the year, but barely: 24-21 at Jacksonville. Brock Osweiler has been largely a $72 million bust and has been the NFL's worst road quarterback. He wasn't much better in that game in throwing for just 99 yards on 27 attempts. How is that even possible? On the bright side, he did have two TD throws and didn't turn it over. But this team is going nowhere if Osweiler doesn't improve his NFL-worst 5.61 yards per attempt. The Texans have play-making weapons in running back Lamar Miller and receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller, although Fuller has really tailed off after a quick start and missed the Jacksonville game injured. The rookie should play this week as should nose tackle Vince Wilfork and cornerback A.J. Bouye, who both missed the Jags game.

The Raiders (7-2) come off their bye on a three-game winning streak and are tied for the AFC's best record -- yet if the postseason started right now would be a wild-card team. That's because Kansas City is also 7-2 and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. Those two play again Week 14 on a Thursday in K.C. The Broncos are just a half-game back of the Chiefs and Raiders but have played one more game. Frankly, both the Chiefs and Broncos were incredibly lucky to win Week 10. The AFC West has three seven-win teams through Week 10. That hasn't happened in any division since 1999. (AFC East and the Patriots weren't one of them!)

With the first pick of the 2014 draft, the Texans took South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. At the time, that was fine because he was the No. 1 overall prospect and dominant in college. What I have an issue with was Houston taking UCLA guard Xavier Su'a-Filo with the first pick of the second round when that franchise badly needed a quarterback. Just three picks later, the Raiders took Derek Carr out of Fresno State, and he's a rising superstar and MVP candidate. Carr has 17 touchdowns and three interceptions this season and his 5.67 TD/INT ratio is the best mark in the league among players with at least 15 touchdown passes. Houston ranks No. 3 in the NFL against the pass.

The Raiders have a Super Bowl-caliber offense, although I'm not totally sold on running back Latavius Murray. There are two good rookies to complement him in Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington. The defense started terribly but has been better of late, particularly Khalil Mack. In the four games before the bye, Mack ranked third in the NFL with six sacks, including two multi-sack performances. Stopping him will be job No. 1 for that so-so Houston offensive line. Osweiler has been sacked 17 times.

Texans at Raiders Betting Odds and Trends

Oakland is a 6-point favorite (-110) with a total of 46. On the moneyline, the Raiders are -245 and Texans +205. On the alternate lines, the Raiders are -6.5 (-103) and -5.5 (-117). Houston is 5-3-1 against the spread (1-3 on road) and 4-5 "over/under" (2-2 on road). I'm going to give Oakland's road numbers too: the Raiders are 6-3 ATS (5-0 on road) and 7-2 O/U (4-1 on road).

Houston is 2-5 ATS in its past seven vs. teams with a winning record. It is 1-8 ATS in its past nine on Monday. The Raiders are 4-0 ATS in their past four after a bye. They are 10-4 ATS in their past 14 vs. the AFC. The under is 6-2 in Houston's past eight after a win. The over is 5-1 in Oakland's past six.

Texans at Raiders Betting Prediction

Houston is 6-3 all-time in this series and won the most recent matchup, 30-14 in Week 2 of the 2014 season in Oakland. Ryan Fitzpatrick was the Texans' starting QB that day. J.J. Watt caught a TD pass and Arian Foster ran for 138 yards and a score. Fitzpatrick is now with the Jets, Watt is out for the season and Foster has retired. Carr threw for 263 yards, a TD and two picks. Oakland turned it over four times.

Maybe Osweiler just stinks in the United States and will find his game out of it. Yeah, probably not. Raiders are healthier and well-rested and have played better away from home. Give the six and go under.

Tech Trends - Week 11
By Bruce Marshall

Monday, Nov. 21

HOUSTON vs. OAKLAND at Mexico City (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET)
Though technically not a visitor, Raiders 5-0 SU and vs. line away TY, 11-2 vs. spread away for Del Rio. Oakland “over” 7-2 TY.
Tech Edge: Raiders and “over,” based on team and “totals” trends.

Spanish La Liga TODAY 19:45

Leganes

v

Osasuna

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS2		10/11	12/5	10/3	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEGANES	RECENT FORM
H LA WH LA LH LA L​ Most recent​	2 - 0 1 - 1	A LH DA WH LA DH L​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Both teams have scored in Osasuna’s last nine away games

EXPERT VERDICT: Leganes have lost their last four matches at Estadio Municipal de Butarque but they notched in defeats to Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla and can be competitive. Fellow-strugglers Osasuna - winners of just two of their last 17 matches in all competitions - have found the net nine times in six away outings and should add to that feat against one of La Liga’s poorest defences.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
1

Premier League TODAY 20:00

West Brom

v

Burnley

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		19/20	23/10	15/4	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WEST BROM	RECENT FORM
A DA DH DA LH LA W​ Most recent​	4 - 0 2 - 2 2 - 1 3 - 0	H WH LA LH WA DH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: West Brom have scored in ten of their 12 matches this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Burnley are riding high following their victory over Crystal Palace but only one of their 14 points has been picked up on the road. In fact, the Clarets have only scored once away from home this season and that could cost them against a defensively resolute West Brom outfit.

RECOMMENDATION: West Brom
2


REFEREE: Mike Jones STADIUM:

NHL roundup: Backlund, Flames burn Wings
By The Sports Xchange

DETROIT -- Mikael Backlund's goal in the third period broke a tie and gave the Calgary Flames a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night at Joe Louis Arena.
Garnet Hathaway got his first career goal and Matt Stajan also scored for Calgary. Dougie Hamilton had three assists and Chad Johnson stopped 21 shots.
Tomas Tatar and Anthony Mantha scored for Detroit, which lost its fourth straight. Jimmy Howard made 23 saves.

Panthers 3, Rangers 2 (SO)
NEW YORK -- Vincent Trocheck and Aleksander Barkov scored during a shootout to give Florida a victory over New York at Madison Square Garden.
Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad had the regulation goals for the Panthers and James Reimer made 33 saves.
Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad scored for the Rangers. Zibanejad suffered a broken leg 51 seconds into overtime. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 28 shots.

Hurricanes 3, Jets 1
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Elias Lindholm scored for the first time this season as Carolina defeated Winnipeg at PNC Arena, extending its winning streak to a season-best four games.
Cam Ward made 28 saves and Victor Rask and Noah Hanifin also scored for the Hurricanes.
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 37 shots for the Jets, who got their lone goal from Mark Scheifele.

Blue Jackets 3, Capitals 2
WASHINGTON -- Alexander Wennberg scored a power-play goal with 53.6 seconds left as Columbus defeated Washington for the second time in five days.
Brandon Dubinsky and Nick Foligno also scored for the Blue Jackets.
Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom scored for the Capitals.

Kings 3, Ducks 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jeff Carter scored two power-play goals within 1 minute, 14 seconds in the second period to give Los Angeles a win over Anaheim at the Honda Center.
Drew Doughty added a goal and an assist while Peter Budaj stopped 28 shots for his 10th victory.
John Gibson finished with 26 saves for the Ducks, who got goals from Antoine Vermette and Rickard Rakell.

Preview: Avalanche (8-9) at Blue Jackets (10-4)

Date: November 21, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Columbus Blue Jackets look to extend their home winning streak to eight games when they host the Colorado Avalanche at Nationwide Arena on Monday at 7 p.m.

The surging Blue Jackets (10-4-2) will be playing the second game of a back-to-back after they beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 at the Verizon Center on Sunday for their fourth straight win. The Avalanche (8-9-0) claimed a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center.

The Blue Jackets hold a 5-0-0 record versus current division leaders (Montreal, Anaheim, New York Rangers and Chicago) and are 2-0-0 versus Washington, the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners. They are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and have won seven stright at home.

One of the reasons Columbus is having consistent success is 22-year-old center Alexander Wennberg. He leads the team with 14 assists and is second to captain Nick Foligno in points with 17.

Now in his third year with the team, Wennberg (3-14-17 in 16 games) is showing more confidence in shooting the puck while showcasing the latent skill the club hoped for when they drafted the Swede 14th overall in 2013.

"He's an important guy for us, for as young as our team is," said Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella. "He's probably one of the most skilled players, most skilled center (on team). It's a big year for him to take more responsibility in his play, away from the puck and with the puck.

"He's still young, but he's a third-year pro. This is a big year for him and I think he's started off very well."

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (10-4-1) has started 15 of 16 games for Columbus, holding a 2.19 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage.

The Avalanche are 4-6-0 in their last 10 games. They are without the services of two of their centers and team leaders due to injury. Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog has a lower-body injury suffered in Los Angeles last Tuesday and assistant captain Matt Duchene suffered a concussion on Nov. 11 against Winnipeg.

Duchene hopes to be able to play at Columbus.

"I would say it's definitely a possibility," he told the Denver Post. "I'm not going to say for sure, because I thought I was going to be good for Dallas and then two hours later, I'm sitting on the plane and I'm not feeling good. It's an up-to-the-minute thing. It'll probably be a game-time decision even then."

Despite missing his fourth consecutive game on Saturday, the 25-year old Duchene still leads the team with six goals in 13 games (five assists, 11 points). Landeskog is third on the team in points with eight (four goals, four assists in 15 games).

Center Nathan MacKinnon, 21, leads the club in assists and points, recording 4-8-12 in 17 games.

"We've pushed hard in some of the games, especially the Dallas game, lately," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told the Denver Post. "But we came up short. (Saturday) we kept pushing. It didn't matter what the score was, we tried to stay with our game.

"It's showing the character that our guys have and we're starting to move in the right direction."

The Avalanche are hoping goaltender Semyon Varlamov asserts himself soon. He's 4-8-0 with a 3.01 goals-against average and .901 save percentage in 12 games. Backup netminder Calvin Pickard is 4-1-0 in six games with a 2.07 GAA and .931 save percentage.

Preview: Flames (8-11) at Sabres (6-8)

Date: November 21, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Buffalo Sabres are still having trouble putting the puck in the net and have yet to win consecutive home games this season.

Their next opponent could be coming to western New York at the right time as the Sabres wrap up their season series against the Calgary Flames on Monday night.

Buffalo (6-8-4) enters the contest after surprising the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins with a 2-1 shootout win Saturday behind Cal O'Reilly's goal in the tiebreaker and 46 saves through overtime from backup Anders Nilsson.

The Sabres fell 4-3 in overtime to the Flames on Oct. 18 in Calgary, but results in Buffalo have been far different for almost 20 years. Starting on Oct. 22, 1997, the Sabres have posted a 10-0-1 home record in the series, limiting Calgary to two goals or less nine times while scoring at least three goals eight times.

However, Buffalo is 15th in the Eastern Conference and has scored just 33 goals -- an average of 1.8 per game this season. Nine of those have come at home, where the Sabres have managed one goal in each of the last five games.

Brian Gionta has an idea how the Sabres can improve.

"What we need is to play with a little more urgency, passion," he told the Buffalo News. "That's all part of it being engaged in the game. ... We need guys laying it on the line. Things can change from shift to shift with momentum, so that's the stuff we need to play more desperate.

"We're still continuing to grow and learn, but I think all those experiences are going to pay off. Those tough losses we've had, the games we've kind of given away on our own, those are all things you learn from. Those are how you change your culture by taking those lessons and turn them into positives"

Matt Moulson leads the team with six goals, and he's also the only Sabre with more than one goal at home in 2016-17. Ryan O'Reilly, Buffalo's second-leading scorer (four goals, five assists), took part in an optional skate Sunday, but could miss his sixth straight game with an oblique injury.

Nilsson may get a second consecutive start over Robin Lehner, who's 0-4-1 with a 3.15 goals-against average in his last five games, and took the loss in Calgary last month.

Calgary (8-11-1) began its longest road trip of the season -- a daunting stretch of six games in nine days throughout the Eastern time zone -- with Sunday's 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings.

Dougie Hamilton, who had gone without a point in 10 straight games, drew three assists. Hamilton, who needs one assist for 100 in his career, has two goals and three assists in a three-game points streak in Buffalo.

"This is huge because we're looking at these six games almost like a playoff series," Hamilton said. "We know we have to pick up some wins on this trip and this is a good start."

With captain Johnny Gaudreau out for six weeks with a broken finger, Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said this is a teaching moment for the team.

"We need to play in 3-2, 2-1 games," he told the Flames' official website. "It's going to help us evolve as a young group to learn what it takes on a nightly basis to consistently win in this league, and this injury to Johnny, we're trying to spin as a chance to grow in other departments."

The Flames, who have won three of four, are 2-1-1 in the second of back-to-back games this season.

If Gulutzan decides to stay with the hot hand in goal, he'll start Chad Johnson over Brian Elliot.

Johnson made 21 saves, and is 3-1-0 with a 1.50 GAA, a .937 save percentage and a shutout. Johnson has played for six teams since breaking into the league in 2009-10, and posted a career-best 22 wins during his only season with Buffalo in 2015-16.

Going with Elliott may not be a bad thing as he's 4-0-0 with a 1.75 GAA and .952 save percentage in Buffalo. Elliott, though, has lost in each of his last five starts and is 3-8-0 with a 3.36 GAA and .882 save percentage this season.

Preview: Rangers (13-5) at Penguins (11-4)

Date: November 21, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- There were some difficult questions surrounding Sidney Crosby when he missed the start of the season because of a concussion, especially given his history with that type of injury.

The answers have come swiftly and definitively. The Pittsburgh Penguins center is OK. More than OK.

Going into Monday's game against the New York Rangers at PPG Paints Arena, Crosby has 12 goals in 12 games, putting him into a tie with Winnipeg rookie Patrik Laine for the NHL lead in that category. Laine has played eight more games.

The anomaly in Crosby's game is his goals-to-assists ratio. He has three times as many goals as his four assists. He has never finished with more goals than assists in an NHL season.

"For whatever reason, that's just the way it's worked out," he recently told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I don't feel like I'm looking to shoot any more. That's one thing I have to constantly remind myself of, to have that shooting mentality. I would probably look to pass most times."

Crosby is not shooting appreciably more -- 3.6 shots a game this season, 3.3 for his career.

Since their team captain got into the lineup, the Penguins are 8-2-2.

Overall, Pittsburgh is 11-4-3. That makes Monday's game a showdown for first place in the Metropolitan Division between the Penguins, with 25 points, and the Rangers (13-5-1, 27 points), who are coming off of a 3-2 shootout loss Sunday against Florida in their first game beyond regulation this season.

This is the first meeting between the clubs since the Penguins knocked New York out of the playoffs in the opening round last spring.

Sunday's game -- one made worse by a broken left leg suffered by Mika Zibanejad in overtime -- was the Rangers' second loss in a row, and their four combined goals in those games are uncharacteristic. They have thrived on offense. They have a league-best 76 goals and a plus-31 goal differential. They have 14 players with at least 10 points, and Michael Grabner sits just behind Crosby and Laine with 11 goals.

But New York also has gotten strong goaltending. Henrik Lundqvist missed a shot at his 10th win Sunday. Antti Raanta, who seems likely to start Monday, hasn't played a lot, but he has been effective, going 4-0 with a 2.05 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage.

"I'm not worried at all about Antti," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault told the New York Post recently about Raanta. "We know he's always going to give us a chance to win."

Raanta said it's about finding a good New York backup state of mind.

"I just think about good things and what you're doing and what it takes, and just enjoy the moment," he told the Post. "It's the best league in the world, and you're fortunate enough to be here. Just go there and do your best and, hopefully, you get the win."

Pittsburgh, coming off of a 1-1-1 road trip, lags behind the Rangers in terms of offensive prowess despite returning nearly the same lineup from its Stanley Cup team last season and Crosby's goal production. The Penguins have five players with at least 10 points. It scored just five goals on the three-game road trip. It has outscored its opponents by just two goals, 52-50.

"We're going to keep moving forward. All we can do is control the process and what's in front of us. We're grabbing points here along the way and winning some games," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.

The teams won't have to wait long for their second meeting. This is the first half of a home-and-home. They have a rematch Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

Preview: Lightning (12-6) at Predators (7-7)

Date: November 21, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

As they continue to lose players, the Tampa Bay Lightning keep winning games.

The formula makes no sense, but Tampa Bay has overcome a spate of injuries to win its past four as it tries to finish off a sweep of its five-game road trip Monday night against the Nashville Predators.

A 3-0 win over the Flyers in Philadelphia on Saturday was emblematic of the trip. Already without star center Steven Stamkos (right knee) for four months, the Lightning had to scratch left winger Brian Boyle and defenseman Anton Strelman due to upper-body injuries, forcing coach Jon Cooper to utilize a lineup with seven defensemen and only 11 forwards.

By the second period, center Brayden Point, along with left wingers Jonathan Druoin and Ryan Callahan, were in the trainer's room getting treatment for injuries. Before all three returned for the third period, the team was down to eight forwards.

"I think there was one point I got back on the bench and I was asking where everyone was," center Tyler Johnson said. "I didn't know what was going on. That's always pretty tough. You don't really play like that, except for when you were about 9 years old, so it's been a while."

Johnson must have enjoyed the flashback to his childhood. He scored Tampa Bay's first goal, the only one it would need as Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all 32 Flyers shots to nab his second consecutive shutout.

During its successful journey through the New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Philly, the Lightning (12-6-1) have outscored their opponents 15-4, enabling them to move within five points of first-place the Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division.

"We have a lot of depth on this team," said Drouin, who sealed the Saturday win with a goal at 4:26 of the third period. "We have had a lot of that for the past couple of years. I think everyone is elevating their play with Stamkos out."

While Tampa Bay keeps overcoming adversity, Nashville (7-7-3) continues to create problems for itself by failing to win on the road. A 3-1 defeat to the Blues on Saturday night in St. Louis dropped the Predators to 2-6-2 away from Music City, compared with their 5-1-1 mark in Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators played the Blues even for two periods but gave up two goals in just over four minutes midway through the third period and finished their three-game road trip at 1-2-0.

"Until that second goal, I thought we had a really good chance to get two points in this game, but it didn't happen," Predators defenseman P.K. Subban said.

Based on this season's early form chart, Nashville should thrive this week. The Predators are set to start a three-game homestand that sees the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets arrive in town Wednesday and Friday, respectively.

"It's always nice to go home," Nashville defenseman Roman Josi said. "We've been playing well at home."

Right winger James Neal is the key to the offense lately for the Predators. His six-game goal-scoring streak was snapped in St. Louis, but Neal remains one of the NHL's hottest players with seven goals in seven games.