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Backstrom, Wild shut out FlamesHockey Betting Lines03/04/2010 - Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Niklas Backstrom stopped 29 shots to pick up his second shutout of the season, as the Minnesota Wild handled the Calgary Flames, 4-0, in a battle between two Northwest Division foes. Mikko Koivu and Andrew Brunette each had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who dominated Vancouver, 6-2, prior to the Olympic break. Martin Havlat and Kyle Brodziak also lit the lamp for the victors. Minnesota was active before Wednesday's trade deadline, acquiring a 2010 second-round draft pick from the Washington Capitals in exchange for center Eric Belanger. "When you come in and you're chasing a team ahead of you, you're more focused and more prepared," Wild coach Todd Richards said. "We were opportunistic tonight and when we got our opportunities we were able to finish. Tonight from top to bottom we had four lines going." Miikka Kiprusoff turned aside 17-of-21 shots for the Flames, who beat the Ducks, 3-1, before the Olympic break. Calgary made numerous moves during the trade deadline. The Flames acquired defenseman Andy Delmore from the Detroit in exchange for forward Riley Armstrong, and received a 2010 fourth-round pick from Nashville in exchange for forward Dustin Boyd. Brodziak got the Wild offense going with 1:04 left in the first period. Owen Nolan led a 2-on-1 rush down the right side of the ice and slid a pass over to Brodziak, whose shot beat Kiprusoff. Backstrom made nine saves in the first frame. Brunette's wrister at the 10:12 mark of the second period gave Minnesota a 2-0 edge and Koivu's slapper with 5:55 remaining made it a three-goal game. Backstrom had his best performance in the middle stanza, stopping 13 shots. Havlat jammed home a rebound at the 12:20 mark of the third to extend the Wild's margin to 4-0. Backstrom sealed the victory by making seven saves in the final period. "I am not pleased with the way we played tonight," Flames coach Brent Sutter said. "It's unacceptable; every game is such a big game for us. It was like a river hockey game out there. I don't know what to say, I am surprised by what took place here tonight. We need to have guys pay a bigger price." Game Notes Minnesota leads the season series with Calgary, 3-0...Also on Wednesday, the Flames acquired goaltender Vesa Toskala from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for goaltender Curtis McElhinney...Minnesota's 2-1 overtime victory over the Flames on December 11 snapped a string of seven straight losses in Calgary, where the team has gone 3-15 with one tie in its last 19 visits.
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Online Sportsbook Football BettingColts give the ‘D’ its dueThe Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain. They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities. "They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure." Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line. New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest. Not so sound on the ground If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU. Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com “We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star. Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground. Brees says bring it on Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites. Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship. Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game. "I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time." SportsBooks ready for a shootout Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses. “This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.” New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts. The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game. “Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.” |
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