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Premier League TODAY 12:30

Man City

v

Chelsea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		23/20	5/2	13/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MAN CITY	RECENT FORM
A WH WH DA WA DA W​ Most recent​	3 - 0 1 - 1 2 - 0 0 - 1	H WA LA WH WA WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Man City are unbeaten in their last 14 home fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: There is a long way to go in the Premier League title race but this clash between Manchester City and Chelsea could have an important bearing on the outcome. Victory for either side would give them a huge psychological edge over a key rival but the teams are well-matched and a draw looks likely.

RECOMMENDATION: 1-1 draw
1


REFEREE: Anthony Taylor STADIUM:

Spanish La Liga TODAY 15:15

Barcelona

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Real Madrid

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		17/20	16/5	16/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BARCELONA	RECENT FORM
A LA WH DA WA DA D​ Most recent​	1 - 2 2 - 1 1 - 2 2 - 1	A DH WA WA WH WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Both teams have scored in 19 of the 20 Clasico meetings

EXPERT VERDICT: Goals are almost guaranteed when these giants of the game meet and it should be no different at Camp Nou with Barcelona trying to eat into Real Madrid’s six-point advantage in La Liga. Lionel Messi has scored 19 goals in 16 outings for Barca this term and is the man most likely to break the deadlock.

RECOMMENDATION: L Messi first goalscorer
1

Spanish La Liga TODAY 12:00

Granada

v

Seville

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS3		15/4	5/2	4/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT GRANADA	RECENT FORM
H DA LH DA DA LH W​ Most recent​	2 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 2 1 - 2	H WH LA WH LH WA W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Granada are winless from their 13 La Liga matches this term

EXPERT VERDICT: Seville have seemingly put their dismal away form behind them after claiming seven points in their last three matches on the road and they can extend that run at Granada. The visitors, who trail league leaders Real Madrid by six points, have flourished under manager Jorge Sampaoli this term losing just two of their last 13 La Liga matches, while struggling Granada are yet to win this season.

RECOMMENDATION: Seville
2

Premier League TODAY 15:00

Tottenham

v

Swansea

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		4/11	9/2	8	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT TOTTENHAM	RECENT FORM
H DH LA DH WA LA L​ Most recent​	2 - 1 3 - 2 1 - 0 1 - 0	A LH DA LH LA DH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Tottenham have scored in each of their last 14 home league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Swansea are confident after a rollercoaster 5-4 triumph against Crystal Palace, but it was a win which confirmed existing weaknesses rather than illustrating new strengths. Tottenham away is an entirely different prospect and the home side should win this well after a decent show in defeat at Chelsea last time out.

RECOMMENDATION: Tottenham-Tottenham double result
2


REFEREE: Jonathan Moss STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 15:00

West Brom

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Watford

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		6/5	23/10	11/4	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WEST BROM	RECENT FORM
H DA LH LA WH WA D​ Most recent​	0 - 1 5 - 0 1 - 1 3 - 1	A WA DH WA LH WH L​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: West Brom have won only two home games this season

EXPERT VERDICT: West Brom are unbeaten in three games and only Liverpool and Manchester City have beaten them in their last nine league outings. However, Watford have lost only two of their last seven matches and have avoided defeat in four of six Premier League away games this season.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1


REFEREE: Graham Scott STADIUM:

Premier League TODAY 15:00

C Palace

v

Southampton

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		13/5	12/5	6/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT C PALACE	RECENT FORM
H LA LH LA LH LA L​ Most recent​	1 - 0 1 - 3 0 - 1 0 - 2	H WA LH DA LH WA W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Crystal Palace have won only one of their last six meetings with Southampton

EXPERT VERDICT: Crystal Palace’s woes continue, with the Eagles having lost six league games on the spin after last Saturday’s extraordinary 5-4 defeat at Swansea. But Southampton are not at their most impressive on the road, winning once in six outings and averaging just a goal a game.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
2


REFEREE: Neil Swarbrick STADIUM:

Maddux?

NHL roundup: Sharks hold off Canadiens
By The Sports Xchange

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Goalie Martin Jones outdueled Carey Price as the San Jose Sharks continued their home domination of the Montreal Canadiens with a 2-1 win on Friday night at sold-out SAP Center.
Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski scored first-period goals and Jones made 31 saves as the hosts wrapped up a busy portion of their schedule -- 10 games in 18 nights -- in impressive fashion. In winning for the sixth time in seven games, first-place San Jose increased its lead in the Pacific Division to three points over idle Anaheim.
In addition, the Canadiens dropped to 0-8-2 since last winning in San Jose in November 1999. Montreal was held to two or fewer goals for the sixth time in seven games. The Canadiens were able to break through on the second half of the double minor and deny Jones' shutout bid when left winger Artturi Lehkonen scored a six-on-four power-play goal with Price pulled for the extra attacker at 18:43 of the third period.

Flames 3, Wild 2
CALGARY, Alberta -- Kris Versteeg and Sean Monahan scored in a shootout to lift Calgary past Minnesota.
Versteeg and Mikael Backlund scored in regulation for the Flames, who have won two straight and four of their past six. Chad Johnson made 23 saves and has won six of his past seven starts.
Chris Stewart and Mikko Koivu replied for the Wild (11-8-4), who have lost three straight. Jason Pominville got the Wild's shootout goal.

Preview: Hurricanes (9-9) at Rangers (16-8)

Date: December 03, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

Because of an odd scheduling quirk, the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon will meet at Madison Square Garden for the second time in five days.

The Rangers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Hurricanes 3-2 on Tuesday behind a goal and an assist from left winger Rick Nash. There was no momentum carried into New York's next game in Buffalo, as the Sabres won 4-3 to prevent the Rangers from winning consecutive games for the first time in more than two weeks.

What has been the biggest problem for the Rangers over the first two months? Oddly, it hasn't been offense, as the team is averaging a league-best 3.64 goals-per game. Instead, it's been goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, whose .914 save percentage would be his lowest since 2007-08.

Lundqvist ranks 17th in save percentage, which is well below the standard he has set throughout his career. He lamented allowing a long goal to Buffalo's Jack Eichel that led to the Rangers' fifth loss in eight games.

"It just froze me," Lundqvist said to the New York Daily News. "It looked like he was gonna pass it. It's a hard shot but you need to stop it. I need to challenge that more. I was expecting a pass. I was already thinking about what was gonna happen next and instead he goes for the shot, and that's what good players do."

The Rangers haven't done much to help their goaltenders over the past five games. They've been outshot in four of those games and by an overall margin of 162-119. That's stark change from a team that had been dominating opponents to start the season, but center Derek Stepan says teams have adjusted to the New York's speed.

"I do know that we built an identity for ourselves and teams understand that they can't afford turnovers against us, so they're getting it in and forcing us to come the full length," Stepan said to the New York Post. "They're making us do what we want to force teams to do, which is defend. Teams are ready for us. They've adjusted. Now we have to."

The Hurricanes were one of those teams that stifled the Rangers, holding them to 21 shots Tuesday. Goaltender Cam Ward allowed three goals and wasn't at his best, although he bounced back in Carolina's 2-1 shootout loss to the Bruins in Boston on Thursday. He stopped 34 of 35 shots and will likely get a chance to redeem himself against the Rangers.

"Cam continues to play great, making all the saves that he can see," Hurricanes defenseman Ron Hainsey said.

A problem for the Hurricanes for most of this season has been finding the extra point in overtimes and shootouts. They have played six games that have gone beyond regulation and have won just once. Those five points they've left on the table are the difference between their current 14th-place spot in the Eastern Conference and a wild-card spot.

"There's no frustration. You've got to find a way to get the next one, right?" Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said of the Boston loss to the News & Observer. "You've got to get to three (goals). Three's a real good number. We got one on the power play and theirs wasn't an even-strength goal in the game.

"We had some even-strength chances. We've got to find a way to score."

Preview: Bruins (13-10) at Sabres (9-9)

Date: December 03, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Jack Eichel has returned for the Buffalo Sabres, and as a result so has their scoring.

The league's lowest scoring team has been playing at an entirely different level since the superstar sophomore returned on Tuesday. Eichel missed the first 21 games of the season with a high ankle sprain and has reignited Buffalo's offensive attack.

Eichel had a goal and an assist in his first game of the season, helping to lead the Sabres to a 5-4 road win over the Ottawa Senators.

He was even better in Buffalo's 4-3 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday night. Eichel had two late goals in the third period to lift the Sabres over the top team in the Metropolitan Division.

The Sabres (9-9-5) will look for more of the same in a matinee matchup against the Boston Bruins (13-10-1) at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

"He's a difference-maker. He can open up a game at any time," Sabres captain Brian Gionta said of Eichel. "He's feared out there. He's a threat every time he's on the ice. You have to be aware of him. Other teams have to be aware of him, and it gets them back on their heels.

Eichel has added a much-needed dose of speed along with a pure scoring touch that has been lacking for the Sabres for much of this season.

"It just kind of shows what kind of player he can be, what kind of player he is," Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma said. "He's a dynamic player and he brings so much to our team with speed and attack. And everyone feeds off it."

The Sabres may be without one of their top defensemen against the Bruins. Veteran Josh Gorges was injured blocking a shot in the win over the Rangers.

"He got an X-ray after the game, he's going to get some more testing on it," Bylsma said, according to the team's website. "We're just kind of waiting to see the results of the next test."

Robin Lehner will return between the pipes for Buffalo after suffering a hip injury on Tuesday against the Senators. Lehner has a record of 5-7-0 this season to go along with a save percentage of .921 and a goals against average of 2.40.

The Bruins are coming off a 2-1 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak scored in the shootout for Boston, and Anton Khudobin was terrific in net after missing time this season with an upper-body injury. Torey Krug tied the game for Boston with 31.5 seconds remaining in regulation.

"It wasn't our prettiest game, it wasn't necessarily a good game by our standards. But those are goals throughout the season you feel like you earned and you deserved," Krug said. "So we worked and we worked, and it didn't matter how long it took in the third. Ultimately, it would pay off, and it did."

Brad Marchand leads the Bruins in scoring with 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in 24 games.

Preview: Blackhawks (16-6) at Flyers (12-10)

Date: December 03, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA -- Jonathan Toews is practicing but the 28-year-old captain did not make the trip to Philadelphia and will miss his fifth straight game on Saturday when the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Flyers at 1 p.m.

The Blackhawks placed Toews on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 24, to make room for forward Trevor van Riemsdyk, the younger brother of former Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk. Trevor van Riemsdyk has missed all but two games this season with an upper-body injury.

Toews can be taken off injured reserve any time and the Blackhawks (16-6-3) hope their captain will return during their four-game homestand, which begins Sunday against his native Winnipeg.

"It's never fun to miss any time, especially when the team is playing as many games as they are," Toews told CSNChicago on Friday. "It's so nice to get back out there and move around and get going a little bit."

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said he's willing to give Toews all the time he needs.

"You gotta be fully recovered and we want to make sure guys are 100 percent before they can play," Quenneville said. "Jonny plays at a certain pace and it's all out, so let's make sure he's more than ready when he's coming back."

The Blackhawks are 3-0-1 in their last four while the Flyers (12-10-3) have won three games in a row. Both teams are coming off overtime wins on Thursday night, the Blackhawks getting a game-winner from Marian Hossa against the New Jersey Devils, and the Flyers getting an overtime winner from Claude Giroux in a two-goal performance by Philadelphia's 28-year-old captain.

Excluding the 2010 playoffs, when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in Philadelphia in Game 6 on a phantom goal by Patrick Kane that slipped under Michael Leighton, the Flyers have lost at home just once to Chicago since the Wells Fargo Center opened in 1996. The Flyers have won 12 straight regular-season games against the Blackhawks at home.

Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford (12-6-2) is expected to make his 21st start of the season while Steve Mason (7-8-3) is expected to get his 17th start for Philadelphia.

Mason has won back-to-back games for the first time since late last season, allowing two goals in each of those wins, and is above .500 for the first time this season.

"I think we're still striving for consistency," Mason told Philly.com. "The last home game (a 3-2 shootout win over Boston) wasn't a great home game. We found ourselves lucky to get the two points there. (Thursday) we came back with an effort that wins you hockey games."

Blackhawks center Artem Anisimov returned to the lineup Thursday night after leaving Tuesday's game against the Florida Panthers with a heel injury, while Blackhawks forward Jordin Tootoo and defenseman Gustav Forsling were healthy scratches.

The Flyers have cleared defenseman Brandon Manning, who missed the past two games with a concussion. Flyers center Scott Laughton has been scratched three games in a row, while defenseman Nick Schultz has been scratched 10 straight.

Preview: Devils (10-7) at Predators (11-8)

Date: December 03, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

Pekka Rinne is feeling good. Not surprisingly, the Nashville Predators are winning hockey games.

The Nashville goalie, who was named the NHL's First Star of November after going 9-1-2 with a 1.49 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage, looks to put his team over the .500 mark for the first time since opening night when they host the New Jersey Devils in a Saturday matinee.

November marked the lowest goals-against average and save percentage in any month of Rinne's career, which is saying something considering he's a five-time All-Star. What's more, Rinne's play is quieting critics that popped up after a down season in 2015-16, as well as during a 2-5-1 October.

"We all feel good, we all feel we've come together as a team," he said after Tuesday night's 5-3 win in Colorado. "It's a good feeling in the locker room right now. There's been a few injuries, but we've had guys step in and that's a good sign. We'll need that all season."

Backing up Rinne's point, the Predators (11-8-3) won Tuesday night without top goal-scorer James Neal (upper-body injury), top four defenseman Ryan Ellis (upper-body injury) and center Colton Sissons (upper-body injury). What's more, they lost third-pairing defenseman Anthony Bitetto Tuesday night to a broken hand that will sideline him for six weeks.

But Nashville got a goal and an assist from center Ryan Johansen, who's hit his stride after a slow start offensively, two assists from defenseman Roman Josi and a Gordie Howe hat trick -- goal, assist, fighting major -- from fourth-line forward Austin Watson.

Coach Peter Laviolette was particularly pleased with the effort of Watson, who when playing well is the kind of depth forward every good team needs.

"He was great, he was physical, he was good defensively, his line played really well. He had a big game," Laviolette said of Watson. "Whether it's offensively or defensively, he's been out there just trying to make a difference."

While the Predators shoot for their seventh straight win in Bridgestone Arena, where they're 8-1-1 this season, New Jersey (10-7-6) attempts to avoid a seventh straight road defeat. The Devils fell 4-3 in overtime Thursday night against Chicago despite a hat trick from center Travis Zajac.

New Jersey went toe-to-toe with one of the league's best teams, matching the Blackhawks' 33 shots, winning 55 percent of the faceoffs and out-hitting them 20-14.

"For the most part, we played a game that we are proud of," said Devils left winger Taylor Hall, who returned Thursday night after an eight-game absence. "If we play that way every night, we are going to get points and we are going to get wins."

New Jersey nearly won in overtime, but Mike Cammalleri clanged a point-blank chance off the goal post. Seconds later, Marian Hossa sent the Devils to their fourth consecutive defeat.

While acknowledging he and his teammates played a solid game, Zajac also admitted he'd trade the hat trick for the win.

"It would have been nice if that goes an inch the other way," Zajac said of Cammalleri's shot off the iron, "but that's the way it goes. That's the game of hockey. It's tough not to pick up a second point."

Preview: Maple Leafs (10-9) at Canucks (10-12)

Date: December 03, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Erik Gudbranson is not plotting Matt Martin's death after all.

Gudbranson, a Vancouver Canucks defenseman, vowed that Martin, a pesky Toronto Maple Leafs winger, was "dead" after he caused havoc in a fight-filled game in the teams' last meeting Nov. 5. The Canucks rearguard was furious after the Maple Leafs won 6-3 at home.

But as the Canucks (10-12-2) prepared for Saturday's return engagement against the Maple Leafs (10-9-4) at Rogers Arena, a calm Gudbranson chalked up his threat to "a fit of rage."

"Do I mean it?" he said Friday. "No. That's the honest truth. I'm not gonna kill the guy. But I was just frustrated at that point. Unfortunately, (the public reaction) got taken to a level that I didn't expect."

The best way for the Canucks to get revenge, he said, is to get two points for a win. That will be hard to do in a building that is guaranteed to be raucous - as is the case whenever the Maple Leafs visit Vancouver.

The Maple Leafs, one of the NHL's Original Six franchises, have a legion of West Coast fans who make their presence known in the arena while the Canucks' faithful battle to be heard.

"That's the exciting part," Gudbranson said. "The rink's going to be buzzing tomorrow. We feed off that, for sure."

But Gudbranson stressed the need for the Canucks not to get too excited ahead of time.

"Within this dressing room, it's huge for us just to stay focused and be calm going into games like that," he added. "Building it up is one thing. But if we're coming in all amped up, that's when systems fall apart and mistakes happen."

The Canucks were upset with Martin for punching rookie defenseman Troy Stecher while he was down on the ice in Vancouver's end late in the Nov. 5 game. Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller came to Stecher's aid, and a brawl ensued with Miller and Toronto netminder Frederik Andersen both getting tossed out.

But Stecher, 22, who began the season in the minors and has played a prominent role with veteran defensemen Chris Tanev (ankle) and Alex Edler (finger) out with injuries, shrugged off the potential for more fireworks on Saturday.

"It's a hockey game," he said. "Tempers are gonna fly high. You've gotta just try to stay in the moment. I think, if you do that, everything will just take care of itself."

Stecher, who was born and raised in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond, B.C., will play his first game against the Maple Leafs in his hometown after previously witnessing the exuberance that Toronto-Vancouver games generate. He called the opportunity "exciting" but also downplayed it.

"Obviously, the buzz around town is pretty high," Stecher said. "But for us, it's just another hockey game."

However, the Canucks do not want to produce another game like they did Thursday in a 3-1 home loss to Anaheim. The Ducks dominated for most of the non-contest.

Accordingly, the Canucks expressed more concern about the need to improve on that showing than avenge past misdeeds by Toronto.

"I don't know what kind of game it's gonna be (Saturday)," Canucks defenseman Luca Sbisa said. "All I know is that we're pretty well-prepared. We weren't happy (with) the way we played (Thursday) night. So we're gonna try and make up for it (Saturday)."

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs were also calling for calm. Martin did not pay much heed to Gudbranson's threat, which was uttered as the Canucks' defenseman stormed into their dressing room after the loss in November.

"I am sure he was emotional after the game," Martin told reporters Friday. "I don't know. He made comments, I guess, that you (media) guys heard. I didn't. But that is what it is. I'm not going to get into too much detail about it."

The Maple Leafs are looking to rebound from a 3-0 loss in Calgary on Wednesday night. Center Nazem Kadri told the Toronto Sun this week that he expects some hostility in Vancouver, but he also believes that cooler heads will prevail. Kadri was also a target of Canucks' scorn after he nailed veteran winger Daniel Sedin in the previous outing.

The Canucks had hoped Kadri would receive a suspension for a head shot, but the league decided otherwise. Kadri downplayed the incident Friday and expressed his respect for Sedin.

"I mean, I don't want to revisit this too much," Kadri told reporters. "I just tried to be hard on him, finish my check. I'm happy the league saw it the same way. By no means do I want to see anybody hurt out there, and I know he's a very important player to their team, and he's been in the league for a lot of years. So I respect him a ton."

Toronto coach Mike Babcock, whose youth-laden team is 5-4-1 in its last 10 games, is not expecting a repeat of the November shenanigans. He contended that both teams will want to stay disciplined in order to avoid giving up power-play goals.

Also, heavily hyped games do not usually live up to their billing.

"What I have found over the years is that there is always a lot of talk - and nothing happens," Babcock told reporters.

Preview: Capitals (13-7) at Lightning (13-11)

Date: December 03, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Lightning return home licking the wounds of a winless three-game road trip, faced with the task of facing a frustrated Washington Capitals squad on Saturday.

Tampa Bay enters Saturday's meeting having lost four consecutive games and has allowed four or more goals in four consecutive games for the first time under head coach Jon Cooper.

The Capitals are coming off back-to-back regulation losses for the second time this season after being shut out by the New York Islanders on Thursday.

For the Capitals, facing a Lightning team struggling to keep the puck out of the net might seem to be the right remedy for an offense that has scored two goals in the past two games and for a power play that went 0-for-6 against New York, five coming when the game was scorless.

"We'll just keep trying," Washington head coach Barry Trotz told NHL.com. "We'll maybe look for some tip plays. We'll look for that type of thing if they're going to get in the lanes. We're going to have to adjust, no question."

Some of those adjustments were made ahead of Saturday's game as John Carlsson and Marcus Johansson moved back up to the first power play unit, Evgeny Kuznetsov was dropped to the second unit while former 2014 first-round draft pick Jakub Vrana, who made his NHL debut on Thursday, worked with the second power play unit, according to the Washington Post.

"Sometimes I think when you don't have the results that you're looking for and you're used to having good success, which this group is, maybe you start trying to pick the corner a little bit too much rather than shooting for the second opportunity," defenseman Matt Niskanen told NHL.com. "We've been talking about a few things and we'll keep at it here."

The Capitals remain without forward T.J. Oshie, who is out with a shoulder injury. Though he took part in practice on Friday, Oshie did not travel with the team to Tampa and will miss his sixth consecutive game. Paul Carrey, who was recalled from AHL Hershey on Wednesday but missed the game due to illness, is expected to be in the lineup against the Lightning.

Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is looking to solve its defensive zone issues that have crept in to its game during the four-game slide while the penalty kill allowed three goals to St. Louis.

The 19 goals allowed by the Lightning are the most in a four-game stretch since Cooper took over behind the bench. Tampa Bay has also allowed four-or-more goals in four consecutive games since Feb. 7-14, 2013, a month before Cooper took over for Guy Boucher.

"I know people are frustrated with us but we're more frustrated than anybody," center Tyler Johnson said. "We expect more of ourselves. We expect to win. We've got to do the little things to do that."

Tampa Bay showed signs of snapping out of it in Thursday's loss at the Blues despite the setback. The Lightning fell behind 2-0, 4-1 and 5-3 to pull to within a goal on three occasions.

"I thought we played well enough to get points, and that's kind of how you come out of these things," Cooper said. "Sometimes you don't get the points, and maybe next game we will."

Preview: Red Wings (11-10) at Penguins (14-7)

Date: December 03, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- As the Detroit Red Wings begin a three-game road trip Saturday against Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena, it almost seems as if for every player in the traveling party, there's one who remains behind because of injury.

The latest to get hurt is power forward Justin Abdelkader, who left Thursday's 2-1 overtime loss to Florida. Friday, the Detroit Free Press reported that he will be out at least two weeks because of a sprained medial collateral knee ligament.

Detroit has at least one point in five games in a row but has lost three straight as the injuries that are piling up are taking a toll.

"The guys who come in do a good job, but we're mixing and changing the lines," Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "We had a good thing going here. We stuck together with the lines for a bit, had some chemistry in a lot of lines, but it's hard when guys go down and you have to move around a little bit."

Abdelkader, who had four points in six games before he got hurt, had been playing with Frans Nielsen and Luke Glendening. Already out with injuries before he got hurt were goalie Jimmy Howard, forwards Andreas Athanasiou, Darren Helm and Tyler Bertuzzi, and defensemen Alexey Marchenko and Brendan Smith.

It's likely all will miss the road trip.

The Red Wings also have hurt themselves with penalties, 20 minutes worth over their past two games -- and Abdelkader is one of the team's prime penalty killers.

"It's going to be long nights if we keep doing that," Niklas Kronwall said. "We have to play a lot more disciplined and a lot more mature all over the ice, really."

It would likely especially help to avoid putting Pittsburgh on the power play.

The Penguins are on the opposite path in terms of injuries -- winger Chris Kunitz and defenseman Derrick Pouliot appear close to returning from lower-body injuries -- and the recent return of winger Patrik Hornqvist provides a missing dimension on the power play.

Hornqvist scored Pittsburgh's first five-on-three goal of the season Thursday in a 6-2 win against Dallas after the Penguins went 0-for-16 on the power play over their previous five games.

Pittsburgh missed Hornqvist's feisty net-front presence while he was out recently for six games because of a concussion.

"He draws attention there and he competes hard," linemate Sidney Crosby said.

Much to the annoyance of opponents. Kunitz plays a similar role, so getting at least one of them back helps.

"I think it's just essential to have that guy that's willing to go there and take a crosscheck and get in the goalie's eyes," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "It makes it really hard on our opponent's goaltender. Sometimes they may make a positional save but they can't control the rebound, and sometimes opportunity presents itself. (Hornqvist is) one of the best. I think he takes pride in it and creates opportunities for other guys around him."

Regardless of who is available for either team, Sullivan sees a similarity in scheme.

"It's another team that likes to play a speed game," he said of the Red Wings. "I expect it to be a fast game at both ends of the rink. Obviously, teams that play a speed game play a pretty good transition game, and Detroit's one of those teams.

"So we're going to have to take care of the puck, make sure we make good decisions coming through the neutral zone, force them to have to defend and expend energy having to defend."

Preview: Jets (11-13) at Blues (14-7)

Date: December 03, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS -- When the St. Louis Blues went through an offensive drought earlier this season, coach Ken Hitchcock and the players did not believe there was any reason to panic.

It turned out they were right.

After scoring just two or fewer goals eight times in a nine-game stretch from Oct. 25 to Nov. 10, the Blues have turned around and scored three or more in each of their last nine contests, including a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.

That win was the sixth in a row at home for the Blues, who will try to extend that streak on Saturday night against the Winnipeg Jets.

"We had a tough time from you guys (the media) and it was so many bad words about our offense," said right winger Vladimir Tarasenko, who registered the third regular-season hat trick of his career on Thursday.

"But we just keep working. We just fight for each other every game and try to stay on our program. The most important thing is we believe in each other. We believe in our game."

Three of their goals against the Lightning came on the power play. They had nearly 10 minutes of power-play time on seven opportunities and have converted 6 of 17 opportunities with a man advantage in their last four wins.

Alexander Steen, returning to the lineup after missing six games because of an upper-body injury, moved to center on a line with Tarasenko and left winger Robby Fabbri. He made his biggest contribution on the power play, earning three assists.

"It helped obviously to get some power plays in the beginning, to get a feel for the puck," Steen said. "It felt pretty good."

While the Blues' power-play has been clicking, and the team has been playing well at home, the Jets come into Saturday night's game going in the opposite direction.

Winnipeg allowed three power-play goals in a loss to Edmonton on Thursday night and is riding a five-game losing streak on the road coming into a weekend when it will play the Blues in St. Louis followed by a game against the Blackhawks in Chicago on Sunday, both Central Division rivals.

"It's a huge weekend," Jets center Mathieu Perreault said.

Coach Paul Maurice knows the Jets will have to improve their play if they hope to have success in their next two games.

"We didn't check hard enough and we weren't physical by any means," Maurice said after Thursday night's loss. "Three (power-play) goals are a function of the 5-on-5 game. We didn't defend hard or quick enough. Pucks at our net, we were late getting back to them and they were banging in rebounds."

Backup Carter Hutton will start in goal for the Blues, who are 9-0-2 in their last 11 home games.

Preview: Panthers (12-10) at Senators (14-8)

Date: December 03, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

OTTAWA -- When the Florida Panthers visited Canadian Tire Centre on Nov. 19, they left with a healthy 4-1 victory.

Since then they have grabbed seven of an available 12 points around the firing of coach Gerard Gallant.

Under his successor, Tom Rowe, the Panthers (12-10-2) have lost a 2-1 shootout in Chicago and scored a 2-1 overtime victory in Detroit.

So far, life is moving on just fine for the Panthers without the popular Gallant. Florida takes another stop in Ottawa on Saturday.

"I think we were all sad when Gerard was let go, but we are professional athletes who want to win," goalie Roberto Luongo told The Miami Herald. "Once you're back on the ice, you do what you know and you don't think about the other things. At the end of the day, it's about guys in the locker room and not who is behind the bench. Coming together as a team, playing as a team, is what will make us successful."

After winning four in a row last week, the Senators (14-8-2) have managed to take just one of four points on home ice, losing 5-4 to Buffalo and dropping a 3-2 overtime decision to Philadelphia. Against the Flyers, Ottawa had a 2-0 lead disappear in a minute late in the second period, then suffered a costly defensive zone break down in overtime.

"We had a good first, good third, but our second, we definitely could have been better," said coach Guy Boucher. "We stopped shooting, created less momentum in the offensive zone. They grabbed that. I think we did a much better job in the third period to reload from that."

But not good enough to get back on the winning track.

Luongo, who has held a hot hand of late, is expected to start his third game in a row Saturday. In four of his last five he has given up a single goal, including a 39-save performance against the Senators in which he was brilliant.

Ottawa's goaltending situation is still up in the air, as it's not known whether Craig Anderson will be back from a visit with his wife Nicholle, who is undergoing cancer treatment in New York. If Anderson returns in time, he'll play. Backup Mike Condon made 29 saves against the Flyers, but he'd like to have another chance at the two regulation time goals he allowed.

The Senators will again be without second-line right winger Bobby Ryan, who is out with a deep bone bruise in his hand. The status of defenseman Marc Methot is unknown. He missed the Flyers game but was considered day to day.

With defenseman Fredrick Claesson also suffering an injury against the Flyers, the Senators recalled defenseman Andreas England and winger Buddy Robinson.

Winger Mike Hoffman is on fire for the Senators, scoring four goals in his last two games. Panthers winger Jaromir Jagr, who has 90 points in 75 career games against Ottawa, has two goals in his last four outings.

Both teams were given Friday off by their coaches.

Preview: Blue Jackets (13-5) at Coyotes (8-11)

Date: December 03, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Puck management is a helpful lens through which to view the Columbus Blue Jackets and Arizona Coyotes before their meeting on Saturday at Gila River Arena.

Columbus was abysmal in that department last season on its way to the NHL's fourth-worst record, but the maturation of defensemen Zach Werenski and Seth Jones played a major role in lifting the surprising Jackets into the upper half of the league's possession rankings this season, and into its top 10 in points.

Despite an emphasis on puck possession that extends back at least to the 2011-12 season, when Arizona advanced to the Western Conference Final, the Coyotes consistently struggled to hang onto the puck this season. They rank dead last in the NHL with a Corsi For percentage of 45.08 percent, and they are tied for last in the NHL standings with 19 points.

"We bring so much trouble on ourselves it's frustrating," coach Dave Tippett said after a 4-3 loss at home to Los Angeles in which the Coyotes committed a critical late turnover that led to the Kings' game-winning goal. "We just need some people that can do the job. Sometimes, it's just a simple play to gain a line. When you don't get them made it comes back to bite you."

It's been all the more painful for Arizona this season because it played so many tight games. Nine of the team's last 10 games were decided by one goal and only six of the team's 22 games this season have been decided by more than one goal.

"We've got to be better at puck management," left winger Tobias Rieder said. "We've got the puck on our sticks a lot of times and we turn it over and that's how we get scored on. We're always talking about gaining zones, so we've got to get the puck in deep and get our forecheck going."

Jones' emergence as a No. 1 defenseman, and Werenski's emergence as a Calder Trophy candidate at age 19, is making a world of difference for the Jackets when it comes to quick, clean zone-exit passes from their defense to their forwards.

"You can see how (Zach) can control the game with the puck," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "We have a lot of teaching to do with him without the puck, but the God-given ability that he has, it's at a different level than a lot of other players in this league."

Columbus' improved possession game is impacting multiple other facets of its play. As of Friday morning, the Blue Jackets were tied for the second most goals per game (3.18) in the NHL, and they were fifth in goals allowed per game (2.23).

Cleaner zone exits have ignited an underrated cast of young, skilled forwards. Cam Atkinson leads the team with 21 points in 22 games and Nick Foligno is tops in goals with nine, but Columbus has eight players with five or more goals.

The Jackets are also suppressing shots, allowing 29.5 per game, which ranks 11th. Last season, they were 27th at 31.1. The lesser workload is allowing goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to regain his form of two seasons ago. Bobrovsky is tied for 13th in the NHL in save percentage (.929) and 11th in goals against average at 2.08.

"They've got a lot of good young players that I don't think the league knows about yet," Tippett said of the Blue Jackets. "You're starting to see the fruits of their labor. John has done a good job. They look like they're playing well."

As of Friday afternoon, Tortorella hadn't named his starter in goal between Bobrovsky and Curtis McElhinney, but the Jackets did activate left wing Matt Calvert (head) off injured reserve.

Mike Smith is expected to start in goal for Arizona, which is healthy other than center Brad Richardson (broken tibia and fibula). Richardson is out indefinitely.

Preview: Stars (9-10) at Avalanche (9-12)

Date: December 03, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Colorado Avalanche are searching for answers, trying to find a way out of the tailspin that has them 0-3-1 on their homestand.

They might have a kindred spirit in Saturday's opponent, the Dallas Stars, who visit Colorado on Saturday night in the homestand finale. The Stars lost the first three of their four-game road trip and four of their last five overall, including a 6-2 setback to Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

It's a tough stretch for Dallas (9-10-6), which won the Central Division last season, but it's not an unfamiliar feeling. The Stars had stretches last season where they went 1-5-2 and 1-6-0 but bounced back.

"We went through this last year," coach Lindy Ruff told The Dallas Morning News. "I think we're struggling and saying, 'There's got to be an easier way.' But there is no easier way. You have to put the work in."

Similar sentiments are being said in the Avalanche camp. Colorado (9-12-1) played poorly at home all season, going 4-7-1 at Pepsi Center. It failed to capitalize on a decent road record to build momentum, often going stretches of games with a lack of intensity.

It hurt in Thursday's 3-2 loss to Columbus.

"We have fits and starts of really good hockey, but it's not long enough," Matt Duchene told HockeyBuzz.com. "We have to make sure that we're the team that's taking control; it's just more of a killer instinct, more of an attitude to make things happen instead of worrying about making mistakes."

The Avalanche fell behind 2-0 Thursday before a couple of goals in the second period got them even. They took three straight minor penalties in the third, and although they killed them off -- including Columbus having a two-man advantage for 40 seconds -- a turnover soon after they got back to full strength led to the Blue Jackets' winning goal.

One of the Avalanche goals was scored by Samuel Henley in his NHL debut. He, along with Gabriel Bourque, were assigned to San Antonio on Friday after being recalled Thursday.

Colorado scored the first goal in just six of its 23 games and is 5-10-1 when trailing 1-0.

"It's the start of games, the start of periods (when) we're just not ready, as ready as we should be, and I'm not sure why," Duchene told HockeyBuzz.com. "It'd be nice to strike first and dictate the game a little more. I think that's a big key to success in this league, playing with the lead and dictating the game. We have to be more determined to do it early."

The Avalanche scored first in their opener against Dallas on Oct. 15 and went on to win 6-5. They would like to mirror that effort but eliminate the part where they nearly gave away a three-goal lead before holding on.

The Stars, on the other hand, want to avoid a repeat of that game, and they want to start a winning streak. Dallas, like Colorado, has not won more than two in a row this season.

"When I get my top guys on the right side, then we will win games on a consistent basis," Ruff told The Dallas Morning News. "I'm looking at the job I've been doing, and it hasn't been good enough because the guys I take so much pride in aren't on the right side for me, and that bothers me."

Preview: Ducks (12-8) at Oilers (13-10)

Date: December 03, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Edmonton Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks Saturday. They'll also host the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.

Host is the key word here. The Oilers are playing their first season at the new Rogers Place, but it's been anything but home sweet home. At 8-4-2, Edmonton has the best road record in the NHL, but has won just one of its last six home games.

Maybe the Oilers can find a way to paint a Ducks logo at center ice before Saturday's puck drop and ask to wear their road white jerseys at home.

"I don't have an explanation for that," Oilers coach Todd McLellan said about the huge drop-off between his team's road and home performances. "Our road record is better than our home record. No explanation for it. It's something that we're looking to work on and improve. There is no rhyme or reason for it. There's nothing we can find statistically or in the play that we can put our fingers on."

That's not entirely true. There is a statistical anomaly. The Oilers' power play, despite the presence of NHL leading scorer Connor McDavid (34 points in 25 games), only has a 10.5 percent success rate at home, third worst in the league. It's at 26.8 percent on the road, third best in the league.

On Thursday in Winnipeg, Edmonton got three man-advantage goals, including two from center Mark Letestu, who was promoted from the fourth line to the power play.

"I had success last year doing it here, did it in Pittsburgh, played with good players before," said Letestu. "And I know I am out there for a reason and not just defer to guys who might be more skilled than myself."

As for McDavid, who is now building a cushion atop the NHL scoring race, McLellan has run out of superlatives.

"He's a tremendous player," said the Oilers coach. "I don't know what to say about him anymore. You guys ask me every day and I'm kind of running out of comments. You just have to watch him play."

The Ducks (12-8-4) arrive in the Alberta capital on a three-game winning streak, despite scoring just eight times over those games. They've only given up four goals during the streak -- and they know that to be successful, they can't be one of the more exciting teams in the NHL to watch.

"That's what we're trying to sell, that we're not really an offensive juggernaut by any means," said Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle. ""We're just trying to buckle down and have our group win games 2-1, 1-0, that's going to be enough to win. If we can do that over the course of the next 55-60 games, then hopefully going into the playoffs and, being a playoff team, we don't have to change our style much."

"We're getting better at playing as a group night in and night out," said Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf, who has just two goals but 17 assists in 21 games played this season. "Our guys are doing a great job surrounding our net and not giving a whole lot up."

The Ducks defeated the Oilers 4-1 in Anaheim on Nov. 15. It was one of the few blemishes on the Oilers' road ledger.

Grand Salami - December

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.


NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
12/1 12 64.5 70 OVER
12/2 2 10 8 UNDER
12/3 12 - - -
12/4 7 - - -
12/5 4 - - -
12/6 9 - - -
12/7 4 - - -
12/8 10 - - -
12/9 6 - - -
12/10 10 - - -
12/11 8 - - -
12/12 2 - - -
12/13 10 - - -
12/14 4 - - -
12/15 8 - - -
12/16 7 - - -
12/17 10 - - -
12/18 6 - - -
12/19 5 - - -
12/20 12 - - -
12/21 2 - - -
12/22 10 - - -
12/23 12 - - -
12/24 No games scheduled - - -
12/25 No games scheduled - - -
12/26 No games scheduled - - -
12/27 10 - - -
12/28 5 - - -
12/29 12 - - -
12/30 4 - - -
12/31 11 - - -

NHL

Saturday’s games

Rangers won seven of last nine games with Carolina; home side won seven of last nine series games. Hurricanes were outscored 15-6 in losing last five visits to Manhattan. Carolina lost four of its last five games; under is 5-0-2 in its last seven games- they were outscored 9-5 in losing last four away games. Rangers lost three of last four home games; over is 5-3-1 in their last nine games overall.

Bruins won three of last four games with Buffalo; under is 3-1-2 in last six series games. Bruins won last four visits to western NY, outscoring Sabres 14-5. Boston lost last three road games, outscored 7-3; they’re 3-5 in last eight games overall. Under is 3-0-2 in their last five games. Buffalo won four of last six games, including three of last four at home; over is 3-2 in their last five games.

Flyers won three of last four games with Chicago; under is 3-1-2 in last six series games. Blackhawks were outscored 15-7 in losing last four visits here. Chicago won three of its last four games, but lost three of last four on road; under is 4-1-1 in their last six games. Philadelphia won its last three games, last two in OT/SO; Flyers are 4-3 in last seven home games. Under is 4-2-1 in their last seven games overall.

Devils/Predators split last ten games; New Jersey is 3-2 in last five visits here. Three of last four series games stayed under total. Devils lost four in row, seven of last eight games; they lost last six road games. Over is 4-0-1 in their last five games overall. Nashville won four of last five games; they’ve won five in row at home. Three of last four Predator games went over the total.

Maple Leafs won five of last six games with Vancouver in series where home side won seven of last eight meetings. Toronto lost four of last five games in this building- four of last five series games went over total. Leafs lost four of last six games overall, four of last five on road. Over is 3-1 in Toronto’s last four games. Vancouver is 4-0 in game following its last four losses, 2-3 in last five home games. Over is 3-1-1 in Canucks’ last five home games.

Washington won eight of last ten games with Tampa Bay; eight of the ten games went over total. Caps won three of last four games in this building. Washington lost 4-2/3-0 in last two games; they were outscored 11-4 in losing last three road games. Over is 4-4-2 in their last ten games. Lightning lost last four games, outscored 19-9; over is 4-0-1 in their last five games. Tampa Bay is 6-4 at home this season.

Penguins won five of last seven games with Detroit; seven of last eight series games went over total. Red Wings lost three of last four visits to Steel City. Detroit is 3-2 in its last five games, with four of those five games going OT/SO. Red Wings scored total of five goals in last three games. Under is 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Pittsburgh is 0-4 in game following its last four wins; Penguins won three of last four home games- their last six games went over the total.

Blues won three of last four games with Winnipeg; four of last six series games stayed under the total. Teams split last four series games played here. Jets lost six of last eight games, were outscored 20-6 in losing their last five road games. Under is 5-3-2 in their last ten games. Blues won three in row and seven of last eight games; they’ve won last six home games, four by one goal. Last five St Louis games went over total.

Florida won four of last five games with Ottawa; under is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Panthers won three of last four visits to Ottawa. Florida lost three of last five games; under is 5-0-1 in their last six games. Panthers are 4-3 in last seven road games. Senators won four of last six games overall but lost four of last six home games; four of their last five games overall stayed under total.

Columbus won five of last seven games with Arizona, winning two of last three visits to desert. Four of last five series games went over total. Blue Jackets are 7-3 in last ten games, winning three of last four on road; under is 4-3-2 in their last nine games. Coyotes are 3-7 in last ten games, losing four of last six at home; under is 6-1-3 in Arizona’s last ten games overall.

Dallas Stars won three of last four games with Colorado; over is 5-2 in last seven series games. Stars lost three of last four visits to Denver. Dallas was outscored 13-6 in losing its last three games; they’ve lost five in row on road (over 4-1). Colorado lost its last four games, outscored 17-10; they’ve lost five of last six home games. Over is 2-0-2 in their last four games overall.

Anaheim won nine of last ten games with Edmonton; Ducks won won last five games in this building, outscoring Oilers 14-7. Under is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Ducks won their last three games, allowing total of four goals; they won three of last four road games. Under is 2-0-7 in their last nine games. Edmonton lost three of last four games; over is 5-3 in their last eight games.

NBA roundup: Raptors roll to fifth straight win
By The Sports Xchange

TORONTO -- Kyle Lowry scored 24 points and dished out seven assists, DeMar DeRozan added 16 points with six assists and the Toronto Raptors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 113-80 Friday night to extend their winning streak to five games.
The Raptors (13-6) led from the outset as the Lakers (10-11) lost for the second time in three games on a four-game trip that ends Saturday.
Toronto led by six points after the first quarter, by 21 after the first half and by 22 after the third quarter.
The Lakers cut the lead to 17 early in the fourth quarter before the Raptors went up by 28 with 7:30 to play on Lowry's field goal and the ensuing free throw, and the lead reached 33 points.

Spurs 107, Wizards 105
SAN ANTONIO -- Kawhi Leonard capped his 23-point performance by drilling a game-winning 17-foot jumper with 6.1 seconds to play as San Antonio outlasted Washington in a furious finish at the AT&T Center.
The Spurs ruled the final minute of the third quarter, stretched a six-point lead to as many as 10 in the first half of the fourth and weathered a final Washington run in the last two minutes.
The Wizards' Bradley Beal poured in a 3-pointer to give Washington a 103-102 lead with 53.4 seconds remaining. San Antonio's Patty Mills missed a 3-pointer with 28.9 to play but LaMarcus Aldridge corralled the rebound to give the Spurs another chance.

Bulls 111, Cavaliers105
CHICAGO -- Jimmy Butler scored 26 points, Dwyane Wade had 24 and Taj Gibson finished with 23 as Chicago used a balanced scoring attack to beat Cleveland at the United Center.
Gibson hit on 10 of his 13 field-goal attempts for the Bulls, whose starters all reached double figures. Chicago also got a triple double from Rajon Rondo, who had 15 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. Robin Lopez rounded out the strong effort from Chicago's starters with 10 points.
LeBron James scored a game-high 27 points for the Cavaliers, who lost their third straight game. Kyrie Irving scored 20 points to go along with 15 from Kevin Love for Cleveland.

Clippers 114, Hornets 96
NEW ORLEANS -- Blake Griffin overcame a chilly offensive start to score 13 of his game-high 27 points in the decisive third quarter to lift Los Angeles to a victory over New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center.
Griffin missed six of his first eight shots but wound up 12 of 22 from the field. He also grabbed 10 rebounds. Reserve guard Jamal Crawford added 21 points for the Clippers, who culminated their six-game road trip with a 3-3 record.
Chris Paul added 17 points and 13 assists, including back-to-back passes that led to 3-pointers by Crawford and Luc Mbah a Moute that put the Clippers up 104-90. Paul also had eight rebounds, finishing two boards shy of a triple double.

Pistons 121, Hawks 85
ATLANTA -- Detroit, which started the season 1-8 on the road, completed a 3-0 trip by handing slumping Atlanta its fifth consecutive loss.
Former University of Georgia standout Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had a big homecoming with 23 points and the Pistons got over .500 for the first time since early November with a rout of the Hawks.
The Pistons made 17 of 29 3-point shots, with Caldwell-Pope going 5-for-8 and Jon Leuer 4-for-5.
Tobias Harris had 18 points and Leuer scored 16 as the Pistons put eight players in double-figures while tying a team record for 3-pointers made in a game.

Knicks 118, Timberwolves 114
NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony popped in 29 points and Kyle O'Quinn posted his first double-double of the season to lead New York to a win over Minnesota at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks swept the home-and-home series. New York claimed a 106-104 win at Minnesota on Wednesday.
O'Quinn, starting at center in place of injured Joakim Noah, had 20 points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots. Justin Holiday, making his first start at point guard for injured Courtney Lee, added 13 points and seven rebounds. Derrick Rose chipped in with 24 points.

Celtics 97, Kings 92
BOSTON -- Al Horford scored a season-high 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help lead Boston past Sacramento at TD Garden.
Horford's previous best this season since joining the Celtics on a four-year deal worth $113 million last offseason was a 20-point outing at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 21.
Isaiah Thomas had 20 points and seven assists, Jae Crowder added 16 points and Avery Bradley contributed 15 points and nine boards for Boston (11-8), which had lost two of three coming in.
DeMarcus Cousins totaled a game-high 28 points and nine rebounds, Rudy Gay added 13 points and eight boards and Matt Barnes chipped in 12 points and 16 rebounds off the bench for Sacramento.

Magic 105, Sixers 88
PHILADELPHIA -- Orlando was coming off a difficult loss. Philadelphia was coming off three days of rest.
The Magic nonetheless beat the Sixers as Aaron Gordon scored a season-high 20 points to lead six players in double figures.
Orlando also nailed a season-high 13 3-pointers in 26 attempts and limited Philadelphia to 37.9 percent shooting from the field.

Rockets 128, Nuggets 110
DENVER -- James Harden had 20 points and seven assists, Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson scored 18 each, and Houston never trailed in beating Denver.
Trevor Ariza had 16 points and seven rebounds before leaving after falling in front of the scorer's table with 4:03 left. He appeared to reach for his back and after a few minutes stood up and walked to the locker room.
Seven Houston players scored in double figures.