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01/01/2009 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jiri Hudler scored twice and added an assist, as the Detroit Red Wings tallied five consecutive goals en route to a 6-4 win over the Blackhawks in the 2009 Winter Classic at Chicago's Wrigley Field.
The clubs put on an offensive show unlike the 2008 version, in which the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Sabres in a shootout, 2-1, at a snowy Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo.
Brian Rafalski had a goal and two assists, while Marian Hossa and Henrik Zetterberg each had three helpers for Detroit, which swept the home-and-home between the clubs. The Red Wings notched a 4-0 victory over the Blackhawks on Tuesday.
Detroit netminder Ty Conklin made 33 saves to pick up the win for the second year in a row in the Winter Classic, having guided Pittsburgh over the Sabres in Buffalo on the first day of 2008. He has now played all three outdoor games the NHL has staged, as he was with the Oilers when they played Montreal in Edmonton in the 2003 Heritage Classic.
"The memories really get better when you win these games," Conklin said. "It's neat and I've had a great time playing in them."
Martin Havlat had a goal and two assists, and Kris Versteeg ended with a goal and one assist for Chicago, which has dropped two in a row since reeling off a franchise-best nine consecutive wins.
Cristobal Huet started in net for the Blackhawks, but was pulled in the third period after allowing six goals on 30 shots. Nikolai Khabibulin came in and stopped all 13 shots he faced.
Whereas Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, had a capacity of nearly 74,000 for the 2008 version, Wrigley Field offered a more intimate venue for this year's Winter Classic. The Friendly Confines hold a little more than 41,000 fans, normally rooting for the Chicago Cubs. But on Thursday, hockey fans packed the seats to see the rink, which stretched across the infield, between first and third base, with the players walking down the covered basepaths to their benches.
The clubs donned throwback sweaters, with Detroit wearing those from the franchise's first season in 1926-27, when they were known as the Cougars. Chicago had sweaters from the 1936-37 campaign.
On a mostly overcast day with whipping winds and a temperature around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the Red Wings fell behind 3-1 after the first period, but completely dominated the second frame to grab the lead.
Hudler tallied just 1:14 into the second, and added his second goal a little more than 11 minutes later to even the game. With a loose puck bouncing around the crease, Hudler batted at it twice, never making full contact. But he hit it enough for it to cross the goal line with 7:17 left to make it a 3-3 game.
Pavel Datsyuk then gave Detroit the lead on a breakaway, as he split two defenders, fighting one off with his left arm while skating toward the net. He approached the goal from the left side, but veered right and slid a backhander between Huet's pads with 2:43 remaining in the middle frame for a 4-3 Red Wings edge.
The Detroit surge continued in the third period with two goals just 17 seconds apart. Rafalski had a power-play marker at the 3:07 mark, when his backhander trickled through a small opening between Huet's pads. Then, at 3:24, Brett Lebda's blast from the top of the slot hit off Huet's arm and caromed into the upper section of the net.
Initially it was not called a goal, but after a review the score counted, giving Detroit a 6-3 lead.
The rest of the third period went by, with the sun coming out briefly, without a goal until Duncan Keith scored on a power-play for Chicago with 9.2 ticks left. But Detroit had too large a lead and held on to complete the sweep of the unusual home-and-home set.
The Blackhawks initially pleased the home crowd by dominating the first period, as Versteeg got Chicago on the scoreboard just 3:24 into the game with a power-play tally. Havlat blasted a shot, and Conklin didn't control the rebound, leaving the puck sitting in the slot. Chicago's Dustin Byfuglien skated by the disc but couldn't get a stick on it, though Versteeg came barreling through and banged home the rebound for a 1-0 lead.
At the 9:50 mark, Mikael Samuelsson evened the game with a power-play goal for Detroit off a nice pass from Zetterberg behind the net. But the Blackhawks countered with two goals in a row, the first one again on the man-advantage.
Versteeg made a backhanded pass to the slot for a one-timer from Havlat, who buried the puck in net with 7:23 remaining in the first.
Then, with less than a minute remaining, Ben Eager made a quick move behind the net and tucked the puck past Conklin to give Chicago a 3-1 lead going into the first intermission.
Game Notes
Hall-of-Famer Bobby Hull, the all-time goal scoring leader in Blackhawks history with 604, and who finished with 1,153 points in 1,036 games for Chicago, dropped the puck in a ceremony prior to the game. Also standing on the red carpet were fellow Hall-of-Famers and Blackhawks greats Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito, and Denis Savard, who was Chicago's coach for two-plus seasons before being fired in October...Also at the puck drop were Cubs greats and baseball Hall of Famers Ferguson Jenkins and Ryne Sandberg.
<< Doak Walker winner Greene to turn pro
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Big Ten MVP and Doak Walker Award-winner Shonn
Greene announced after his MVP performance in the Outback Bowl that he is
forgoing his senior season and entering the NFL Draft.
The consensus All-American r
<< Greene, Iowa run over Gamecocks in Outback Bowl
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shonn Greene capped his Doak Walker Award-winning
campaign with a 121-yard, three-touchdown performance in Iowa's 31-10
drubbing of the South Carolina Gamecocks, in the 23rd annual Outback Bowl at
Raymond
<< Howard still top vote-getter for All-Star game
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Orlando center Dwight Howard continues to lead
all NBA players in returns for the 2009 NBA All-Star balloting, while Los
Angeles Lakers guard and reigning MVP Kobe Bryant leads the Western Conference
in vote
<< Rangers sign Turnbow, two others to minor league deals
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers have signed former All-Star
pitcher Derrick Turnbow to a minor league contract with an invitation to
spring training.
Texas also inked pitchers Casey Daigle and Elizardo Ramirez to sim
McNeal helps Marquette upend Villanova >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jerel McNeal logged 24 points and seven
assists, as the Marquette Golden Eagles dropped the 15th-ranked Villanova
Wildcats, 79-72, in the first Big East Conference tilt for both clubs.
McNeal and
Ducks D Huskins out >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Anaheim Ducks announced on Thursday that
defenseman Kent Huskins will be sidelined for the next two to three weeks.
The 29-year-old blueliner suffered a broken bone in his right foot during
Wednesda
Sanchez, USC stop to smell the roses in rout of Penn State >>
Pasadena, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Sanchez passed for four touchdowns, as
fifth-ranked Southern California won the Rose Bowl for the third consecutive
season with a 38-24 win over sixth-ranked Penn State.
Sanchez did most of his dam
Lightning's Heward leaves game on stretcher >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jamie Heward
left Thursday's game against the Capitals on a stretcher midway through the
third period.
With just over 13 minutes left in the stanza, Alex Ovechkin check
MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds
With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.
Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season. Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money.
This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy. A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.
Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:
| Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame) Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma) Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State) Michael Bush (RB, Louisville) Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia) Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville) Chris Leak (QB, Florida) Mike Hart (RB, Michigan) Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State) Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame) Drew Tate (QB, Iowa) Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal) Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn) Chad Henne (QB, Michigan) Kyle Wright (QB, Miami) Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State) Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama) JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU) Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State) Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina) Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech) |
5-2 7-2 7-1 10-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 18-1 18-1 20-1 30-1 35-1 35-1 40-1 50-1 50-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 |
For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.
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