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Giguere seeks to continue hot streak as Leafs host SharksHockey Betting Lines02/08/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The new-look Toronto Maple Leafs will test themselves tonight against the top team in the Western Conference, as they host the San Jose Sharks at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs ended January on a six-game losing streak, but have won two of three since pulling off a pair of trades last Sunday to acquire goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere and defenseman Dion Phaneuf from Anaheim and Calgary, respectively. Phaneuf has started quietly, with just one assist in three games with the Leafs, but Giguere has been a revelation in net for Toronto. The veteran backstop is 2-0 with the Maple Leafs and has yet to allow a goal in posting a pair of shutouts with his new team. Giguere stopped 30 shots in Tuesday's 3-0 home win over New Jersey, and after sitting out Friday's road game against the Devils, posted another shutout in Saturday's meeting with visiting Ottawa. Giguere once again stopped 30 shots as Toronto brought the Senators' 11-game win streak to a screeching halt with a dominant 5-0 victory at Air Canada Centre. Giguere, a former Conn Smythe winner with the Ducks, has three shutouts on the season and 34 in his career. The 32-year-old is the first goalie in Maple Leafs history to record shutouts in his first two games with the team, and he is expected to get a crack at a third straight blanking when he gets the start again tonight. "It's a young man's game; when you get into your 30's, you're getting old," said the 32-year-old Giguere. "It's nice to have those young guys, it's refreshing. They have a lot of energy, they're youthful. They'll make mistakes, but they're honest mistakes. We can all accept that. It's a learning process for everybody, but right now everybody is very focused." Phil Kessel and Luke Schenn each scored twice and had an assist for the Maple Leafs. Tyler Bozak also scored for Toronto. The Maple Leafs, who are tied for last in the Eastern Conference with 49 points, are just 11-12-5 as the host this year, but have won three of their last five at ACC. San Jose, meanwhile, comes into tonight as the top team in the West with 85 points and trails Washington by just three points for most in the NHL. The Sharks have won two straight and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 outings. The Sharks have won the first two tests of a six-game road trip that will take them into the NHL's Olympic break. San Jose earned wins in St. Louis and Nashville to improve its road mark to 19-6-2 on the season. San Jose posted a 4-3 decision in the Music City on Saturday, as Dany Heatley's power-play goal in the third period proved to be the game-winner at Nashville's Sommet Center. Heatley finished with two goals and an assist while Rob Blake and Brad Staubitz each lit the lamp for the Sharks. Evgeni Nabokov stopped 35 shots in the win. "The ice was bad, the puck was bouncing a little bit," Heatley said. "There were a lot of mistakes. Fortunately, we took advantage of a couple of power plays." Tonight marks the only scheduled meeting of the season between the Sharks and Leafs. San Jose notched a 5-2 home victory in the lone encounter between the teams in 2008-09 and has won three straight in the series. Each team has three wins and a tie in the seven last matchups held in Toronto.
<< Ramblers try to cool off red-hot Bulldogs
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The red-hot Butler Bulldogs continue their run at a perfect Horizon League campaign tonight, as they host the Loyola Chicago Ramblers at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs are enjoying another terrific season
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Avalanche will try to forge a tie atop the Northwest Division standings tonight, when they welcome the St. Louis Blues for a battle at Pepsi Center. The Avalanche have 70 points and are two behind idle Vancouv
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MySportsbook.com is operated by Sportingbet, a UK gambling company which is publicly traded on the AIM on the London Stock Exchange. To visit this sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs. Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana Should be in: Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it? Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel. Work left to do: Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third. Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim. Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either. Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim. For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com Additional sports lines can be found at: www.Sportsbooks.com To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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