10/10/2008 - Raleigh, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carolina got goals from six different players and erased an early two-goal deficit with a 6-4 win over the Florida Panthers in a Southeast Division battle and the regular-season opener for both squads from the RBC Center.
Dan LaCouture wound up with the eventual game-winner in the third while Tuomo Ruutu and Ray Whitney had first period goals. Rod Brind'Amour and Joni Pitkanen tallied in the second for the Hurricanes, who won the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup title in 2006 but missed the postseason in the two years following that triumph.
Cam Ward halted 29-of-33 shots to get the win while Tim Gleason notched a pair of assists.
"There were some good things and certainly some things we can do better. I thought it was important for us to come back from 2-0, we showed some character there," 'Canes head coach Peter Laviolette said of the effort.
Former Hurricane Cory Stillman and David Booth had a goal and assist each for Florida, which has the league's longest current postseason drought, having last made the playoffs in 2000.
Tomas Vokoun allowed five goals on 23 shots and the Panthers lost in head coach Peter DeBoer's debut behind the bench.
"We didn't lose because of Tomas Vokoun. It's early in the season and I think there's a lot of things we need to work on as a group," DeBoer said. "We'll get back to the drawing board. We did a lot of good things we'll dwell on the positives and move forward."
Carolina did a good job of clogging the crease with bodies and Pitkanen snapped a shot from along the right boards that found its way through and past Vokoun to surge ahead 4-3 with just over five minutes remaining in the second.
Vokoun coughed up a rebound on a relatively easy but low shot from Niclas Wallin 3 1/2 minutes into the third and LaCouture was there to put home the rebound for a two-goal advantage.
Florida's Wade Belak took a minor penalty for holding six seconds later but the Panthers killed it off and went on a man-advantage of their own at the 11:31 mark when Dennis Seidenberg was boxed for kneeing. Nathan Horton took a pass from Stillman at the right circle, skated in and fired a shot past Ward on the far side to make it a 5-4 game.
Florida got a man-advantage late when Ruutu took a hooking penalty at the 15:11 mark but came up empty. The Panthers then pulled Vokoun with under a minute to play and Matt Cullen put one in the empty net for the 6-4 final.
Florida took an early lead just over four minutes in when Booth picked up a loose puck just inside the zone, skated between two defenders and flipped the puck up and over the left shoulder of Ward.
Less than two minutes later, the Panthers tallied on a 5-on-3 advantage when Stephen Weiss fed Stillman in front from below the right circle.
Carolina ate into the lead just past the midway point of the opening period with a power-play goal following an interference call. Seidenberg's shot from the right point was tipped by Ruutu and past Vokoun.
Whitney tied things up 2-2 when he grabbed a loose puck from below the left circle, skated out in front and lifted one over Vokoun's left shoulder.
A power-play tally from Brind'Amour 6 1/2 minutes into the second period gave Carolina a 3-2 lead. The captain tipped a shot coming in from the point from Frantisek Kaberle, then grabbed his own rebound and fired a shot that trickled under Vokoun.
Florida tied things 3-3 with just under seven minutes to play in the second. Ward stopped a shot by Booth with the right pad but the rebound kicked out into the left slot and Radek Dvorak rammed it home.
Game Notes
Carolina went 5-3 against the Panthers last year and has taken 13 of the last 16 matchups between the clubs. Florida is just 1-15 with a tie in its last 17 trips to Raleigh...Injuries have reared their ugly head for Carolina prior to the 2008-09 campaign, as speedy winger Justin Williams was lost for the next four-to- six months with a torn right Achilles and forward Scott Walker is expected to miss the next six weeks after undergoing surgery on his left hand....Brind'Amour underwent surgery on his left knee just over three weeks ago and was listed as doubtful to play...Panthers defenseman Bryan McCabe left the game with a back injury after taking a hit along the boards in the second period...Kaberle had two assists for Carolina...Whitney's goal was his 200th point with the Hurricanes...Among those tallying their first points with new teams were Stillman, Pitkanen and LaCouture...Brandon Sutter got his first NHL point with an assist in his league-debut for Carolina.
<< Brodeur sharp as Devils edge Isles in opener
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Patrik Elias scored the eventual game-winner
and Martin Brodeur was his usual stingy self as the New Jersey Devils came
away with a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders in the season opener for
both cl
<< Dubinsky leads Rangers past Blackhawks
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Dubinsky scored and had two assists,
and the Rangers won their official home opener, 4-2, over the Chicago
Blackhawks.
Aaron Voros and Nikolai Zherdev each had a goal and an assist for Ne
<< Leishman leads by three in Midland
Midland, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marc Leishman fired a six-under 66 Friday to
grab a three-stroke lead after two rounds of the WNB Golf Classic.
Leishman, who is looking for his first Nationwide Tour title, completed 36
holes at 11-unde
<< Myers, Victorino pace Phils to 2-0 NLCS lead
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shane Victorino and the hot-hitting Brett
Myers combined to drive in seven runs, as the Philadelphia Phillies downed the
Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-5, in Game 2 of the National League Championship
Series.
Little comes up big for Thrashers in wild season-opener >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bryan Little started a three-goal outburst in
the third period as the Atlanta Thrashers downed the Washington Capitals, 7-4,
in the season opener between two Southeast Division rivals.
Little finished with
Bombers run over Argos >>
Winnipeg, MB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Smith and Fred Reid each ran for 100-plus
yards and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hammered out a 25-16 triumph over the
Toronto Argonauts in a pivotal Eastern Division matchup from Cannad Inns
Stadium
Tkachuk leads Blues to season-opening win over Preds >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Keith Tkachuk recorded a pair of goals, and
St. Louis had four power-play tallies en route to a 5-2 win over the Nashville
Predators in the season opener for both Central Division clubs.
Barret Jackman, Br
Nash nets OT winner to lift Columbus over Dallas >>
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rick Nash scored with 21 seconds remaining in
overtime, as the new-look Columbus Blue Jackets opened the 2008-09 season with
a 5-4 victory over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center.
Jakub Voracek
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
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