About the Flyers - 11-13-08

A preview of the Flyers.Record: 5-6-3Leading Scorer: Mike Richards (above), 17 points (5 goals, 12 assist)Last Game: 3-1 road win against the Islanders, Tuesday.Last Game against the Penguins: 3-2 road loss Oct. 14. Pascal Dupuis blew a slapper by Antero Niittymaki in overtime for the win.Flyers Player We Would Bet Money On Scoring: Richards. He has a six-game scoring streak.Ex-Penguins: Joe Mullen,assistant coach.Useless Flyers Trivia: Flyers defenseman Derian Hatcher (who is currently on injured reserve) is one of players still on an.nhl roster who can claim they wore the Minnesota North Stars' jersey during their career. The other is Mike Modano who is still with the franchise which is now located in Dallas.Best Flyers YouTube Video We Could Find: Former Flyers forward Eric Lindros once allegedly bit Sharks goon and former Penguins defenseman Marty McSorley during a game: NOTES-Rob Scuderi's foot is not broken.He is considered as day-to-day.-Don't expect to see Flyers forward Daniel Briere. He will be out of the lineup for approximately a week due to a groin injury.-Our live blog begins at approximately 6:30 p.m. Please tune in.EMPTY NETTER ASSISTSPenguins-Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (above) can score some points.-The price tag on the Penguins' new arena went up $31 million. The Penguins want to add this wing to the arena that can score 30-goals a season or so. (Was that joke lame?)-Matt Cooke is no Jarkko Ruutu.-If Rob Scuderi is out for an extended period of time, who would the Penguins recall from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton?-AHL Penguins forward Dave Gove is slumping.-Which team is a more realistic model for re-building a franchise: The Penguins or Capitals?-Yinz Luv 'Da Guins caught Tuesday's epic game against Detroit with some displaced Yinzers in a New York bar: (Kudos to EN reader Troy Piekarksi for the heads up.)-EN contributor Eric Politowski compiled the Penguins' goals from Games No. 8 through 15: Atlantic Division-Nikolai Zherdev's (right) two goals helped the Rangers trounce the Devils, 5-2.-The Rangers demoted forward Patrick Rissmiller to Hartford of the AHL. -Injured Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur is bored. All 132 fans of the Devils wake up and slap their heads in in irony.-Islanders rookie forward Josh Bailey didn't exactly have a stellar debut Tuesday.Northeast Division-Tim Connolly, Adam Mair and Henrik Tallinder each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres who edged the Blues, 4-3.-Shootout goals by Blake Wheeler and P.J. Axelsson gave the Bruins a 2-1 win at Chicago.-Someone wants Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas in the All-Star Game.-Senators forward and former Penguin Jarkko Ruutu claims his elbow to the head of Montreal forward Maxim Lapierre wasn't malicious.-With Ruutu suspended two games for the hit, Ottawa recalled forward Ryan Shannon from Binghamton of the AHL.-The Maple Leafs don't know what to do with forward Jason Blake.-Don't be surprised if a lot of Canadiens end up in the All-Star Game.-The Maple Leads admitted they want to hire former Ducks general manager Brian Burke. In other news, a North Atlantic iceberg admitted it sunk the Titantic.Southeast Division-Alexander Semin (right, with Alex Ovechkin) had two goals and three assists for the Capitals in a 5-1 win at Carolina. The five-point outburst gave Semin 27 on the season, which is tops in the league. He has three more than the Penguins' Evgeni Malkin. Jerk.-Washington goaltender Brent Johnson suffered a hip injury last night.-Craig Anderson made 24 saves for the Panthers in a 4-0 shutout of the Lightning. Gregory Campbell contributed two goals.-Tampa Bay was pretty sad last night.-Carolina activated forward Brandon Sutter off injured reserve and demoted forward Dwight Helminen to Albany of the AHL.-Hurricanes forward Eric Staal isn't shy about taking shots.-The Thrashers recalled goaltender Ondrej Pavelec from Chicago of the AHL.-Atlanta wants to get its fans drunk relatively cheap.Central Division-The Blackhawks retired the No. 3 jersey in honor of Keith Magnusson and Pierre Pilote (above with Bobby Hull).-Here's the video that was played at the United Center in honor of Magnusson and Pilote: -Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom called himself out in the wake of Tuesday's collapse to the Penguins.-Tuesday's loss was a wake up call or the Red Wings.-Detroit coach Mike Babcock isn't exactly excited about the return of defenseman Brett Lebda.-Babcock felt turnovers hurt his team more than the way it played defense Tuesday.-Babcock denied that he courted free-agent-to-be Marian Hossa in the handshake line following the Stanley Cup final.-Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood and his teammates plan on rebounding from the loss.-The Blue Jackets activated goaltender Pascal Leclaire from injured reserve.-Columbus defenseman Marc Methot is dealing with a knee injury.Northwest Division-Marek Svatos and Wojtek Wolski scored shootout goals to give the Avalanche a 2-1 win in Vancouver. This loss snapped a three-game shutout streak for Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo.-The Vancouver Sun has an online petition to give Luongo, the team's captain, an actual "C" on his jersey.nhl rules prevent goaltenders from wearing a "C" or "A" on their jersey.-Colorado forward Ben Guite is dealing with a rib injury.-The Canucks demoted former Penguins forward Michel Ouellet to Manitoba of the AHL.-Flames forward and former Penguins goon Andre Roy is a funny guy.-The WIld isnt talking about the contract situations of forward Marian Gaborik or goaltender Niklas Backstrom.-Edmonton goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers (right, above) has been on overnight sensation.-Conan O'Brien recently showed some love for Oilers fans: Pacific Division-Shane Doan had two goals and an assist for the Coyotes in a 5-2 win at Columbus. Phoenix has won three consecutive games.-Since a recent call-up from San Antonio of the AHL, forward Garth Murray has provided some grit to the Coyotes.-The.nhl did not suspend Stars forward Brenden Morrow (right) for getting an instigator penalty in the final five minutes of play Tuesday against the Kings. Additionally, Dallas coach and former Penguins forward Dave Tippett avoided a $10,000 fine.-The returns of Jere Lehtinen and Sergei Zubov should help the Stars rebound from a rough start.-The Kings weren't happy with Stars forward Mike Ribeiro pulling a Chad Johnson.-Forward Devin Setoguchi has been a big part of San Jose's big start this season.-Sharks forward Torrey Mitchell is recovering from a leg injury.-Brian Burke is the reason Anaheim is a top-notch franchise.-Burke's departure leaves the Ducks' future uncertain.(Photos: Richards and Zherdev-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Malkin-Chris McGrath/Getty Images; Semin-Karl B. Delaker/Associated Press; Pilote-Brian Kersey/Getty Images; Drouin-Deslauriers-Al Bello/Getty Images; Morrow-Matt Slocum/Associated Press)Source

A Statement Game in a Two-Team Division Race

The Caps and 'Canes entered Wednesday night tied for first in the Southeast with 18 points. It's rare that you'd ever identify a November game as a "big" one, but with conventional wisdom suggesting that the Southeast champion likely to emerge between Washington and Carolina (they've won six of a possible nine Southeast titles), and with Washington prevailing in the opening mathchup on November 6, and now just six games scheduled between division foes, going up 2-0 home and away well could carry an important swagger for the Caps. Mission seriously accomplished."Statement" games. If they exist, this qualified. I was particularly impressed with the opening two minutes of the third period, when the Caps were in command of the game, on the road, and with their hot goalie out of the lineup. They might have been expected to go into a shell then, but they came out and applied serious pressure on their hosts and carried the play throughout the third. It was a spectacular 60-minute effort.Color me mystified by Peter Laviolette's decision to sit Cam Ward -- merely one of the planet's best goaltenders. Ward has enjoyed terrific success against the Caps in his career (10-5-0-1, pretty stellar save percentage and goals-against), and while he laid an egg against Atlanta November 9, that's all the more reason to come back with him in a showdown game. So sayeth the blogger.The last thing you want to see happen to a hot goalie like BJ is an injury, however minor, but tip your hat to Jose Theodore, who came in cold with the game still very undecided, made a few stellar stops early in period 2 (particularly on Eric Staal on the doorstep) and may well have reversed some bad debut MoJo by keeping the 'Canes at bay.If you thought Alexander Semin's Player of the Month October was fluky, think again. Back in the summer, one of the storylines I identified for the Caps in 2008-09 was whether or not Alexander Semin could elevate his game to a level commensurate with his skills -- that of an superstar. I've seen enough this season to make that determination. Expect the 'other' Alex to be lodged at the very top of the league's scoring leaders all season long.Semin was a -18 a season ago. This morning he is +17.Ovechkin's slump = over. Very. Nick Backstrom, too, looks like a different player from October. Mike Green does have a young, aggressive offensive defenseman's propensity to cough up the puck, but he's now a +10 on the young season. He is a joy to watch play. Please, please, let us not Larry Murphy Hall of Famer) him.The Caps have won four straight, and all foes at the time of playing had winning records. This stretch goes a long way to washing away the concern of a conspicuously mediocre start through November 4. Consider, too, that some key cogs (Sergei Fedorov foremost among them) are out of the lineup. Ahead looms a home and home with New Jersey club that's never been as vulnerable since Marty Brodeur became the Devils' no. 1 between the pipes. Source

Making Money In Sports Betting

The Los Angeles Lakers are the only unbeaten team left in the NBA, and they'll be looking to keep it that way at home on Friday night. Here's your Daily Sports Roundup. The Gridiron Spotlight The only college football game on the Friday schedule has No. 22 Cincinnati at Louisville . Who will cover? The top sports handicapping site has the answer on tonight's college football, college basketball and NBA betting. The Bearcats (7-2, 4-4 ATS) knocked off West Virginia 26-23 last time out; that was their second straight victory over a ranked opponent, as they beat South Florida 24-10 back on October 30. The Cardinals (5-4, 4-4 ATS) were thumped 41-7 by Pittsburgh in their last outing. Cincinnati is a 3.5-point road fave in this Big East game. Other Notable Events Kobe Bryant and company ran their record to 7-0 on Wednesday night with a 93-86 road win over the Hornets. That marked Los Angeles ' second win in two days - they also got past the Mavericks 106-99 on Tuesday. The Lakers have also been paying off for their supporters so far this year, posting a 6-1 mark against-the-spread. The team's next challenge will come on Friday night, when they head home to take on the Pistons. There are 11 other games on the NBA schedule for Friday, including 8-1 (4-5 ATS) Boston playing host to the Nuggets. Completing the slate: Utah at Charlotte, Philly at Indiana, Oklahoma City at New York, Atlanta at New Jersey, Washington at Miami, Portland at New Orleans, Milwaukee at Memphis, Orlando at Dallas, Houston at San Antonio, and then finally Phoenix at Sacramento to round out the Friday night schedule. The Rest of the Schedule There are six games on the ice on Friday, including the Capitals playing host to the Devils in Washington . The Caps pounded the Hurricanes 5-1 on Wednesday, with top forwards Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, and Nicklas Backstrom doing most of the damage. Also on the's slate: Columbus at Buffalo, Carolina at Atlanta, St. Louis at Chicago, Nashville at Anaheim, and Detroit at Florida; Panthers netminder Craig Anderson is gunning for his third straight victory, stopping 68 of his last 69 shots. News from the Wire Cowboys tight end Jason Witten is expected to suit up on the weekend despite his sore ribs . . . Saints running back Reggie Bush's status is still up in the air for this weekend - he's been practicing in a knee brace this week. . . Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (torn MCL) isn't likely to return to action for another three weeks . . .Flyers forward Daniel Briere is injured again; he's expected to be out for the next week with a groin pull. A Peek at the Future No. 1 Alabama will get a visit from Mississippi State in college football action on Saturday; the Crimson Tide are 21.5-point favorites. Elsewhere around the Top 10 it's No. 24 South Carolina vs. No. 3 Florida (-22.5), No. 4 Texas (-13) vs. Kansas, No. 6 USC (-23) vs. Stanford, Indiana vs. No. 7 Penn State (-36), No. 8 Utah (-30) vs. San Diego State, No. 9 Boise State (-36.5) vs. Idaho, and No. 10 Ohio State (-9.5) vs. Illinois.OffshoreInsiders.comSource

GAMENIGHT 11.14.08

No real aftermath following the Flyers game.We were hoping to get a positive I.D. on middle-finger guy.But there is other aftermath to touch upon.CRAIG E. spotted this article from the EDMONTON SUN.The Oilers have a good one in Steve MacIntyre - big, strong, intimidating, and capable of squashing the odd opponent like a bug on a windshield.But in the world of heavyweight enforcers, one punch can bring it all to an abrupt end, and MacIntyre was put on ice for the next eight to 12 weeks courtesy of Pittsburgh Penguins enforcer Eric Godard.SABO spotted Charlie's dad at the Wings game.Uncanny.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::It's not even funny anymore.Barry Melrose = Fired. PUCK DADDY::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::War zone this morning. Good times.In honor of today's c-blog, we'll keep naming lines.Every line PITTSBURGHLER types will be called the gayest line ever.woooooooooo::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::New Jersey heads to Washington.Washington straight-up to win.Carolina heads to Atlanta.The over isVunTwoThreeFourFiveFive and a half.We're taking the over.Go Pens.Source

Anderson Hire Looking Good

The Thrashers lost to the Flyers last night. If they had beaten Philly that would have nudged me more towards thinking they might find a way to sneak into the post-season. But they didn't so my expectations remain at "close by no cigar" for this years.In some ways the Flyers game was something of a miniature of the season. The team played one bad period but otherwise they were fairly competitive. Ultimately they came up one goal short in the end. That pretty much describes the year so far--good effort, fairly competitive, but just not quite enough to put them over the top.Coach Anderson is certainly getting more out of this lineup that any other coach in Thrasher history. His players pressure the puck and are allowed to be creative. Their style is evolving into an exciting brand of hockey. Sure, they still make mistakes and they've had a couple of rough periods here and there, but they play much more like a team than past Thrashers clubs. They play with much more energy and fluidity than past Thrashers teams. The old Thrashers seemed to labor just to get the puck up the ice and and the offensive zone, while the current club keeps getting better at making quick outlet passes and explosive breakouts that put pressure on the opposition defense.One thing that seems notable about Coach Anderson's team so far is just how stable the lines have been. Hartley constantly shuffled his centers around. As a new head coach I would not have been surprised to see Anderson try a bunch of combinations early in the season to see who worked best with whom. However, Anderson has favored consistency over experimentation which allows linemates to work on their chemistry. My guess is this goes back to his days as a player--he probably believes consistent lines are more productive than shuffling players around.Personally, I'd wish he had given Brett Sterling more of a shot and Eric Perrin more ice time. I also probably wouldn't have been as patient with Erik Christensen or Jason Williams. To his credit he got Williams rolling, although Christensen has remained fairly cold--only getting his first goal after 20% of the season had passed. But I will say this about Christensen--if the Thrashers are going to come up short of the playoffs--they need to discover whether Erik is a top six player. They have to play him enough to find out if he is just a slow starter or if he one of those talented teases that never quite deliver on their promise.The Thrashers still have holes (another top six forward would really help) and they still have problem areas (penalty kill) but Anderson is getting quality play out of this team and I'm enjoying watching them play. It is really unfortunate that the past season turned off so many fans because these is the kind of fun hockey that hockey newbies could get turned on if they were watching it.Source

Pens Top Thrashers

I missed my first home game of the year last night as the Thrashers took on Pittsburgh. I've been battling a cold for two days and it was much worse on Thursday. So I'll keep this one short.The team worked hard again, they were out-shot again (22-16 at Even Strength) and they were both a bit unlucky and lucky. They were lucky on the first two goals when a rebound came right to open Kozlov (Darren Eliot referenced the "lucky or good" debate by saying that they were in fact fortunate but credited them with doing the hard work to take advantage of a good bounce). Jim Slater threw a blind shot at the net that caught Sabourin with his five hole open.They were unlucky when Satan got away with interference on Exelby that led to an odd man break against and a subsequent Penguins Power Play as Thorburn made a diving play to make sure that Pittsburgh did not score. On that power play, the Penguins worked hard but also benefited from a friendly off-the-stick-shaft deflection that won the game.Before next fall the Thrasher must choose who their number one goalie will be for the future. My guess is that the choice will be Pavelec because he is younger, cheaper and may have more long run potential. Exhibit #1 in the case to prove Ondrej Pavelec is capable of being an starter can been found by watching the Thrashers kill off a Penguins 5 on 3 power play. Pavelec was spectacular.I hate to see anyone get injured, and I especially hate seeing possible concussions such as the one Todd White appeared to have suffered in the game. If there is a silver lining to White being out for a period of time, it would be a renewed opportunity for Eric Perrin to show Coach John Anderson his offensive skills playing on the Little-Kozlov combo. Assuming White is out for a while, someon will be called up from Chicago. Will it be a skill guy like Sterling or a checker such as LaValle?I wasn't in the building because of the aforementioned cold, but it looked embarrassingly empty on television. The first five rows were nearly bereft of fans the sections to the right and left of center ice. The tickets distributed number was under 14,000 which usually means the turnstile attendance was several thousand below (The "attendance" number is not the number of bodies that come into the doors but rather the number of tickets distributed). I have to say I'm surprised that Crosby and Malkin didn't pull in more of the casual fans. The sad thing is that so many people bought season tickets last year and watched a wretched hockey club most nights and this year the team works hard and is entertaining but nobody is there.Source

Bring Down the White Whale

I have three thoughts after watching the Thrashers win yet again and run their streak to five games.1) This team deserves your attention Atlanta hockey fans. They work hard, they hustle and they support one another out there on the ice. Last year's squad was shockingly unprofessional in the way they would just fold up like a cheap tent in the 2nd game of back-to-back nights. This club has been competitive in 14 of their first 16 games and have looked very good on the 2nd night of back to back games.2) The second thought is keep your expectations in check. The Thrashers are in the midst of the easiest month on their schedule--they should be winning more games than they are losing. In fact, it is crucial that they keep rolling through this month of November collecting as many standings points as they possibly can--rough waters lay ahead in December and January! Once the team gets past the two Pennsylvania franchises another stretch of beatable teams is on the docket: Columbus, Toronto, Washington, Nashville and St. Louis3) The Thrashers must finally slay the dragon. The Flyers have haunted this franchise from day one. It is time for them to break whatever spell the Flyers have over this team and end the string of losses. Time to bring down the Moby Dick of this franchise--the Philadelphia Flyers.Finally, I'll conclude by saying that in my gut I still don't think this team has sufficient talent to qualify for the playoffs. But with a lot of hard work and a measure of good luck they just might be able to squeak in or at least make things interesting in the spring. Making a serious run at the post-season and playing a smart and entertaining version of hockey is precisely the sort of thing that will help this franchise next summer when they are trying to attract free agents (or re-sign some of their own).Updated Eastern Standings (adjusted for games played)+7 NYR+7 BOS+6 MON+6 WSH+6 PIT+5 BUF+1 CAR+1 TOR--------------- PLAYOFFS+0 NJD+0 ATL-1 PHI-2 OTT-2 TBL-3 FLA-4 NYISource

Playoffs: What it would take

Could this team make it to the post-season? What would it take to get there?The fundamental problem for the Thrashers is that they continue to get out-shot nearly every game. Yes, you can win while being out shot--the Thrashers did it last night versus the Hurricanes--but to win while being out shot you must:Finish scoring chances at a higher rate than other clubs.Prevent goals on shots at a higher rate than other clubs.Both of the above.Right now the Thrashers are being out shot 454 to 533 so far this season. Should we expect this to improve dramatically? If you look at the Shots For and Shots Against for the first 16 games that is a strong pattern.31-43 = -1233-39 = -626-26 = 025-35 = -1037-30 = +733-38 = -533-46 = -1332-33 = -124-31 = -729-33 = -420-32 = -1231-21 = +1027-27 = 026-32 = -622-37 = -1525-29 = -4The Thrashers have been out shot if 12 of the 16, they tied in two game and won the shot battle just twice. I have no strong reason to think that will suddenly change. So if we assume the team will continue to be out shot to the tune of 28-33 each night--what would it take for them to stay in the playoff race?Let's assume the Thrashers are able to keep their current Shot Percentage all season 10.3% (Which ranks 8th in the) what sort of goal tending performance would it take? Roughly a 91.0% Save Percentage would keep them in the playoff race. A 91.0% Save Percentage is basically league average (14th). So there's your answer--average goal tending plus above average shooting (8th) would give them a shot at the post-season.Right now though the Thrashers have above average shooting (8th) and below average puck stopping (20th).Other scenarios that would keep this team in contention while being outshot include the following.Amazing shooting 12.5% (1st) and poor SV% .893%(20th)Great shooting 10.3% (8th) and average SV% .910% (14th)Average shooting 9.9% (15th) and amazing SV% .916% (9th)A little above average in both, ST% 10.085 (12th) and SV% .915 (11th)Conclusion: If you're going to be out shot most nights you have to extraordinary at something to get into the post-season.Source

Leveille Named CCHA 's Top Rookie

HTML clipboardFrom the CCHA (Central Collegiate Hockey Association):MICHIGAN STATEâ??S DAULTAN LEVEILLE NAMED CCHA ROOKIE OFTHE MONTHSpartan forward has an immediate impact for MSU. FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. â?? The Central Collegiate HockeyAssociation announced today that Daultan Leveille of Michigan State has beennamed the CCHA Rookie of the Month for October. Leveille leads MSU with three goals and five points in seven games, helpingthe Spartans to a 4-2-1 record. Two of his goals are game winners, which ishalf of the Michigan State total. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound forward finishedthe month with a +2 rating. Leveille, a 2008 first-round draft pick of Atlanta, started off hiscollegiate career with two assists, including a helper on the game-winninggoal, in his debut against Massachusetts. The 18-year old forward scored hisfirst goal in his second conference game, Oct. 25 vs. Northern Michigan, andfollowed it up with his first career two-goal game on Oct. 31 vs. WesternMichigan. Michigan State is undefeated when the St. Catharines, Ont., nativeregisters a point. Leveille also had two power-play points in October. Goaltender Scott Greenham of Alaska, goaltender Cody Reichard of Miami,forward Alex Hudson of Nebraska-Omaha, forward Billy Maday of Notre Dame,forward Zac Dalpe of Ohio State and forward Greg Squires of Western Michiganearned special mention for CCHA Rookie of the Month for October.In case you don't recall, Daultan Leveille was the player drafted with thepick that the Thrashers got from Pittsburgh in the Marian Hossa trade.Source

Potpou-rumor-ri

Darren Dreger spreads the rumor that..."Tampa Bay is eager to shed salary and Lightning general manager Brian Lawton is fielding interest in any number of players, including veteran goaltender Olaf Kolzig and forward Radim Vrbata. Kolzig makes $1.5 million this season and may soon become an affordable option for those teams in need of a goaltender."And if you're thinking it....no.*****Mike Knobler writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution..."...the Thrashers rank last in thenhl standings. Their general manager suggests the best way to get the team out of last place is to leave the roster the way it is." Got that "91" jersey ready to go, eh?*****Spector is linking to stories about a number of goalies possibly heading to New Jersey... Nikolai Khabibulin, Dwayne Roloson (the Oilers are carrying three goalies at the moment), Martin Gerber. Funny... no talk of Kolzig.*****We thought Mats Sundin was linked to a bunch of teams... well, we have another player in the running for prom queen -- Brendan Shanahan is linked to six teams.And if you're thinking it...no.*****Speaking of Sundin, Bruce Garrioch has him as the apple of the eye of nine teams.No...don't even think it.*****Source

Thursday Obama Cabinet, NFL, NBA Odds and College Football Betting Line Info

The National Football League returns to Thursday night this week with the Broncos paying a visit to Cleveland . In college football, it's Maryland and Virginia Tech as well as TCU against Utah . Thursday night football picks are up from the nation's elite football handicappers. If your handicapper is one of those dinosaurs Docs who let technology bypass them are more washed up than Leanna Creel from Starsky and Hutch or his claims more fake than Lisa Rinna nude pictures, OffshoreInsiders.com picks hotter than America Olivo and is ready to get you the betting fan man well into the plus side and singing rue la la. Here's a look at the matchup in your Daily Sports Roundup. The Gridiron Spotlight The Browns didn't like what they saw from Derek Anderson in their 37-27 loss to the Ravens last week, so they're giving the starting QB job to Brady Quinn against the Broncos on Thursday night. Quinn has yet to throw a pass in a game this season. Cleveland 's loss to Baltimore dropped them to 3-5 on the season, but they're 5-3 ATS. The Broncos don't have a quarterback controversy, but they have lost three games in a row. Jay Cutler struggled in Denver's 26-17 loss to the Dolphins last time out, throwing for 307 yards and two TDs but getting picked off three times and posting a QB rating of just 60.7. The Broncos are now 4-4 on the season, but they're way down at 1-6-1 ATS. The oddsmakers have the Browns listed as 3-point home favorites in this contest, with the total at 46 points. Cleveland is 3-5 on the OU so far this year, with Denver at 4-3-1 . Other Notable Events There are three ranked teams in action in college football on Thursday, with No. 23 Maryland at Virginia Tech, and No. 11 TCU at No. 10 Utah. Maryland (6-2, 4-3 ATS) is a 3-point road dog against Virginia Tech (5-3, 2-5 ATS), with that total at 42.5. Meanwhile, TCU (9-1, 7-2 ATS) is pegged as a 2-point road favorite against Utah (9-0, 4-3-1 ATS), with the total at 43.5. The Frogs and Utes are fighting for top spot in the Mountain West. Obama Betting If you bet that Robert Gibbs would be the Obama White House Press Secretary, you won your bet. The sportsbooks have quite a few other options, even the possible 2012 nominees for President with Palin, Pawlenty, and Romney leading the way. The Rest of the Schedule The has 11 games on its slate for Thursday, including the Oilers playing on the road against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. Pittsburgh got past St. Louis 6-3 last time out to improve to 6-4-2 on the season. Rounding out the schedule: Toronto at Boston, Carolina at Washington, Tampa Bay at the Rangers, the Islanders at Atlanta, Philadelphia at Ottawa, Minnesota at Colorado, Nashville at Calgary, Phoenix at Vancouver, and Florida at Los Angeles. As well, the Blues will be playing in San Jose . Finally, there are just two NBA games on Thursday to round out the day's schedule: Philadelphia at Orlando , and Houston at Portland . The Magic dropped their first two games of the season, but they've since bounced back with two straight victories to sit at 2-2 (just 1-3 ATS). Orlando slipped past Chicago by a score of 96-93 in their last outing. News from the Wire Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin returned from a personal leave of absence against the Senators on Tuesday night, but was held pointless in a 2-1 Washington loss . . . unrestricted free agents Mats Sundin and Brendan Shanahan still haven't settled on teams for this season . . . Knicks guard Stephon Marbury still finds himself on the team's inactive list . . . Rockets forward Shane Battier is still rehabbing his sore foot. A Peek at the Future The lone college football game on Friday sees Nevada at Fresno State (-1.5) . . . the NFL Sunday nighter has the Giants playing the rival Eagles in Philadelphia; the Eagles are 3-point favorites . . . Carl Edwards is pegged as the 5/1 Vegas favorite to win the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix this weekend, with Jimmie Johnson at 6/1, Greg Biffle at 8/1, and each of Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, and Matt Kenseth at 10/1 odds. Hollywood Headlines Oh no, Larry King's 18th wife Shawn King, the former Shawn Southwick, cheated on the old man. And Larry is such the monogamous guy himself. Check out Hollywood and entertainment betting odds for more. OffshoreInsiders.comSource

Gamenight: How To Gamble On Hockey

For those who don't have Home Ice, Versus is actually showing a decent game: Thank God.It's usually Boston/Philadelphia or Detroit/crap.Because we like to gamble and because we get bored,we figured we'd try and handicap this game.Dicks.For those familiar with throwing cash money around on football point spreads,hockey is a little bit different.All spreads are 1.5, plus or minus.So, for example, here is the line on tonight's Wild/Blackhawks game:Too much info is sometimes the best, even at the risk of insulting some people's intelligence that we know you have.Whichever team is minus ( - ) is favored.Therefore, the Wild are favored to win the game tonight by 1.5 goals.The Blackhawks are the underdog.If you bet on the Hawks, and they lose 2-1, you win, since they lost by less than 1.5.If they lose 3-1, you're taking out a mortgage.If they win, you win. Obviously.Conversely, if you take the Wild, you need them to win by two or more.The money line, which is the second column, is just like football betting.You're just picking a team to win the game, straight up.If you put $5 on Chicago at +145, you would get you $7.25 for the win.If you put $5 on the Wild to win, you get $3.03.The last column is the over/under: another familiar line to football gamblers.This one is easy.You bet on whether the teams will score more or less than 5 goals combined.Now, you can do several things.You can make a straight bet on any of these wagers, or you can parlay them.For example, you can take the Wild to win or cover, and the under.The more you parlay, the more you can win. You can even do multiple games in a night.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::True hockey gambling storyBill Simmons once quoted someone who said:"A good bet is like a good women, you only meet a few, and you remember them all."Back in our college days, we threw some money around from time to time, never really touching hockey because it is tough to pick a winner every night.Well, we had a solid weekend, making 150 bucks, and we were feeling lucky.But after Monday went by, we had nothing to put any action on.The year was 2005, and the Pens were awful in October.It was on Tuesday, October 25, that we bet our first hockey game.The Penguins had to win sometime, and they were playing the Panthers at home.We put $30 on the Penguins to win.The recap is still archived of the [4-3 ot] loss. Sickening.So yeah, that sucked.Fast-forward to the end of October.The 27th, (three-year anniversay today), and the Penguins were hosting the Atlanta Thrashers.The Penguins hadn't even won a game yet.All the hype surrounding Crosby entering the.nhl and big free-agency signings was just about gone.But they had to win, right? And the Thrashers were never good.We put $120 on the Penguins to cover the spread. They had to win by two goals.The game started at 7:30 PM.And like so many games that year, it was essentially over by about 8:00 PM.The Thrashers went off.They were up 4-0 early, and it was vomit city.$120 ain't no joke when you're in college and you've overdrafted your bank account more times than you care to remember.But as usual, #66 bailed us out. He went off.Scored two straight goals in the first period. Assisted on three more.And as Ric Jackman made it 6-4, we were stunned. Big John Leclair added a huge insurance goal to make it 7-4, and life had meaning again. But, of course Caron had to give up a goal to make it 7-5 late in third. Thrashers could not score again. And thankfully they didn't.We won something like $280.Unreal.Somehow this game is still on the internet: And here is the [recap]This scoresheet might need to be framed:How Lasse Pirjeta was seeing more ice time than Talbot is a sad commentary on Eddie O's coaching career.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::So anyway, we are going to try and get back into gambling on hockey on these game nights.We welcome all of you to join in. We'll try to keep our record.Our pick of the night:Minnesota to win and the over of 5.We'd take the under, but we don't trust the Blackhawks goalie situation.Good luck.Go PensSource

About the Sharks 10-28-08

A preview of the Sharks. Record: 7-2-0Leading Scorer: Patrick Marleau 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists).Last Game: 3-0 win at Tampa Bay Saturday.Last Game against thePenguins: 2-1shootout win at Pittsburgh,Feb. 24.Sharks Player We Would BetMoney On Scoring: Ryan Clowe. He hasa goal in each of his past three games.Ex-Penguins: Todd Richards, assistant coach (He is the formercoach of the AHL Penguins).Useless Sharks Trivia: Former Penguins forward Pat Falloon,who was San Jose'sfirst ever first-round pick in 1991, is still ninth among the Sharks careerscoring leaders with 162 points.Best Sharks YouTube VideoWe Could Find: Jeremy Roenick scoredhis 500th career goal last season. It was a total joke:(Please visit the site to view this media) NOTES:-Dany Sabourin is expected tostart tonight for the Penguins.-The Sharks recalled forwardJamie McGinn from Worcesterof the AHL.-Forward Brad Staubitz wasdemoted to Worcester.-San Jose forward Marcel Goc is questionablewith an unspecified injury.-For the first time in Sharkshistory, the two defending Stanley Cup finalists will play in San Jose inback-to-back games.The Red Wings play at HP Pavilion Thursday.-Sidney Crosby is fairlyanonymous in San Jose.-The Confluence of the ThreeRivershas a preview as well.-Yahoo! will provide streaming video of tonight's game to those within the United States but outside the Pittsburgh and San Jose market. Click here to watch. (Kudos to EN reader T.J. McAloon for the heads up.)-Our live blog begins at10:30 p.m. Suck down some Surgeand stay up with us.-That's our Sharks Starterjacket from eighth grade in the above photo. That jacket changed the course of the1992-93 scholastic year at Norwin Junior High West.EMPTY NETTER ASSISTSPenguins-Maxime Talbot (above) wants to be a leader. Just not awell-groomed one necessarily.-Mark Eaton didn't have agood game in New YorkSaturday.-The Penguins signed defenseman Alex Grant to a three-year entry-level deal. He was the team's fourth-round draft pick in 2007.-The Penguins are the 18thlargest team in the league.-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coach DanBylsma likes Wendy's.And Bill Thomas.-A used car dealer who usedto work for former Penguins forward John Cullen is in some hot water.Atlantic Division-Chris Drury scored his firsttwo goals of the season and led the Rangers to a 4-2 road win against theirrivals, the Islanders.-The Devils put forward BobbyHolik and Brian Rolston, their two big free agent signings in the offseason, oninjured reserve.-New Jersey coach Brent Sutter said the hitIslanders forward Doug Weight put on his son, Hurricanes forward BrandonSutter, was dangerous.-If Weight's hit took placeduring an NFL game, his team would be penalized 15 yards.-The Islanders unveiled theirnew "old" third jerseys.Bill Guerin modeled the duds :-Why have they ever gone awayfrom this look?-Could the Islanders be moved?-With Rick DiPietro on theshelf with another injury, the Islanders recalled goaltender Yann Danis anddefenseman Brett Skinner from Bridgeportof the AHL.-The Flyers will not returnrookie defenseman Luca Sbisa to his junior puppy-drowning team.-Philadelphia is a doing a fathers' trip.-Shockingly, it's not justthe Flyers fans that are disgusting pigs. The Phillies fans are too.Northeast Division-The Senators got two goalsand an assist from Jason Spezza in a 5-2 win at Buffalo.The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Ottawa.-Ottawaforward Mike Fisher had a "fight" with Sabres defenseman and Pittsburgh native Mike Weber last night:(Please visit the site to view this media) -Weber was called up from Portland of the AHL due toan injury to defenseman Henrik Tallinder.-Sabres goaltender and formerPenguin Patrick Lalime appeared in his 400th career game last night.-Dennis Wideman's overtimegoal gave the Bruins a 1-0 win at Edmonton.Tim Thomas made 27 saves in the shutout.-The Maple Leafs announcedthey will not return rookie defenseman Luke Schenn to his junior team.-Sabres defenseman TeppoNumminen's health is no longer an issue.Southeast Division-The Hurricanes recalledforward Dwight Helminen from Albanyof the AHL.-Carolina goaltender CamWard is trying to extend his career record in Montreal to 8-0-0.-Capitals forward AlexOvechkin has taken a leave of absence to tend to his ill grandfather.-Thrashers general managerDon Waddell blames his team's attendance problems on just about everythingother than his mismanagement of the franchise.-Atlanta forward and former Penguin ColbyArmstrong (right) was checked for apotential concussion.-Apparently, part of RyanMalone's big contract with the Lighting involves him helping promote theowner's lame horror movies:(Please visit the site to view this media) -The Lightning denied areport that owner and former Penguins forward Len Barrie is diagramming playsin the locker room.Central Division-Shootout goals by PavelDatsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg gave the Red Wings a 3-2 win at Los Angeles.Detroit'sMarian Hossa scored a goal for the third consecutive game. He has four goals inhis past three games. You know, the Penguins should've tried to sign this guyor something in the offseason.-Hossa's a pretty gooddefensive player too.AND he was named the.nhl's third star of the week.Fire Ray Shero.-Detroit reunited the Grind Line.-The Blue Jackets putgoaltender Pascal Leclaire on injured reserve and removed forward Jared Bollfrom the list.-Last night's game againstthe Ducks, produced the Blue Jackets' lowest attendance ever.-The Blackhawks recalleddefenseman Cam Barker from Rockfordof the AHL.-Having gone through asimilar situation with forward Alexander Semin, the Capitals can relate to thePredators' problems with forward Alexander Radulov.Northwest Division-Mikko Koivu assisted on allof the Wild's goals in a 3-2 defeat of the Blackhawks.At 6-0-1, Minnesotais the only team in the.nhl without a regulation loss.-Canucks forward Rick Rypienis dealing with a sports hernia.-They still don't like Flamesforward Todd Bertuzzi in Denver.-Behold the amazing sight that is the Oilers' throwback jersey. Dwayne Roloson (right) and company wore them last night. The Oilers could be cleaning out horse stalls while wearing these masterpieces and we would still post a photo of it.Pacific Division-The Ducks got a goal and anassist each from Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry and won at Columbus, 3-2.Anaheim has wonfour consecutive games.-Former Penguins defensemanSergei Zubov will be returning to the Stars' line up soon, but he won't fix allof Dallas' problems.-The Coyotes need to reboundagainst the Penguins Thursday.Patrick Division-Scoring is back to thepre-lockout levels.Remember the "new&quot.nhl?-A player from MinnesotaState (no not that one)scored a natural short-handed hat trick.Geez.-Should empty netters count?We certainly hope so.(Photos: Talbot-Jim McIsaac/Getty Images; Drury-BruceBennett/Getty Images; Guerin-New YorkIslanders; Armstrong-Mike Zarilli/Getty Images; Roloson-Jimmy Jeong/CanadianPress) Source