Kings cruise past listless Blue Jackets

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03/09/2010 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jonathan Quick needed to stop just 11 shots for his third shutout of the season and Los Angeles scored four first-period goals on its way to a 6-0 clobbering of Columbus.

Alexander Frolov had a goal and three assists while Michal Handzus and Fredrik Modin each added a goal and an assist for the Kings, who snapped a two-game losing streak.

Steve Mason was tagged for four goals on 13 shots and did not survive the first period for the Blue Jackets, who have dropped their past five games. Mathieu Garon stopped 20-of-22 shots the rest of the way.

It's been a difficult sophomore campaign for Mason, who won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie last season. Coming into Monday's contest, he had a 3.08 goals against average and .899 save percentage, posting a 16-20-7 record.

"That was embarrassing," LA's R.J. Umberger said of the loss. "We didn't play smart. We are our own worst enemies out there."

Los Angeles dominated this game start to finish and scored the only goal it needed 5:49 in, as Wayne Simmonds caught up to the puck in the neutral zone, skated down to the right circle and blasted a shot under the glove of Mason.

Drew Doughty made it a 2-0 game with 6:36 left in the first on a one-timer from the slot, and Handzus scored 1:14 later when he jammed home his own rebound from the left side on the power play.

Frolov made it a 4-0 game with a power-play goal thanks to a one- timer from the top of the left circle.

The Kings took a 5-0 lead 4:20 into the second with their third power-play goal of the game when Modin skated into the slot and lifted a backhand past Garon.

It was 6-0 halfway through the second as Brad Richardson slammed home a rebound off a Jarrett Stoll shot that was sitting in the crease.

Columbus, which managed just three shots in the first period, had two in the second and six in the third.

"Mentally it can be a bit of a battle to stay focused a full 60 minutes, but the team played great the whole game," Quick said. "It was real easy for me. We had some big goals, and it was just a great game."

Game Notes

The Kings hit the road for a pair of games in Chicago on Wednesday and Dallas on Friday...The Kings took three of four against Columbus this season...Quick has seven shutouts in his career...LA scored on three of its six power plays while Columbus failed to score any of its four attempts.

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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