05/08/2008 - Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tomas Holmstrom posted a goal and an assist, as the Detroit Red Wings downed the Dallas Stars, 4-1, in Game 1 of their Western Conference finals series from Joe Louis Arena.
Brian Rafalski, Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula also scored for the top- seeded Red Wings, who will host Game 2 on Saturday night. Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall both had two assists, while Chris Osgood ran his playoff record to 7-0 by stopping 20-of-21 shots.
Detroit eliminated Nashville in six games during the opening round and then swept an injury-riddled Colorado squad in the conference semifinals to reach the conference finals for a second straight year. The Red Wings lost to eventual Stanley Cup champion Anaheim in six, hard-fought games last season.
Brenden Morrow lit the lamp for the fifth-seeded Stars, while Marty Turco was victimized for four goals on 31 shots.
The Stars are in the conference finals for the first time since 2000. Dallas ousted Anaheim in six games in the first round and raced out to a 3-0 series lead against San Jose in the conference semifinals before moving on with a 2-1 victory in the fourth overtime of Game 6.
Detroit opened the scoring in the series with a power-play goal at the 4:28 mark of the first period. A scuffle in front of Turco resulted in rookie defenseman Mark Fistric being sent off for roughing, giving the Red Wings a two-man advantage. Detroit needed only nine seconds to connect, as Lidstrom's slap shot from the top of the left circle rang off the far post and came out to the high slot, where Rafalski gathered the puck and snapped it past a screened Turco.
The red-hot Franzen continued where he left off in the second round, notching his league-leading 12th goal of the playoffs with 4:26 to play before the first intermission. The 28-year-old Swedish centerman scored nine goals against the Avalanche, including a pair of hat tricks.
With the Red Wings skating a man up, Franzen parked himself in front of Turco and redirected Kronwall's blast between the pads of the Dallas netminder to give Detroit a 2-0 lead.
Detroit cashed in on the power play again at the 6:40 mark of the middle stanza. Henrik Zetterberg held the puck in at the blue line and dished to Lidstrom, whose shot from the left circle deflected off Holmstrom and in behind Turco.
Filppula netted the first even-strength goal of the series with 4:23 remaining in the second, beating Turco on the stick side.
A turnover in the defensive zone by Detroit led to Morrow putting the Stars on the board. Filppula couldn't handle Kronwall's pass and the puck went right to the stick of Steve Ott, who quickly fired the puck on net. Osgood made the initial save, but Morrow managed to bang home the rebound with 1:07 to go in the frame.
Game Notes
Detroit won three of the four regular-season meetings, outscoring the Stars 12-5...Detroit has won all three of its postseason meetings with the Stars franchise. The teams last met in the 1998 conference finals when the Red Wings beat Dallas in six games en route to their second straight Stanley Cup crown...Franzen extended his goal-scoring streak to five games, tying a Red Wings playoff record (Gordie Howe in 1949 and 1964; Ted Lindsay in 1952)...Detroit finished 3-for-7 on the power play, while the Stars went 0- for-4.
<< Treanor, Cantu power Fish past Brewers
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Treanor went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer,
and Jorge Cantu finished with a two-run shot, as the Florida Marlins beat
Milwaukee, 7-2, to sweep a three-game series with the Brewers.
Luis Gonzalez went 3
<< Rangers activate Gabbard from DL
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers activated Kason Gabbard
from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday, allowing the left-hander to start
against the Seattle Mariners.
Gabbard was placed on the disabled list on April 24 w
<< USA edges Germany at Worlds
Halifax, Nova Scotia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Zach Parise's third-period power-play
goal proved to be the game-winner, as Team USA held on to defeat Germany, 6-4,
in a Group F Qualifying Round game at the 2008 World Hockey Championship.
Parise f
<< Youkilis, Beckett lead Boston past Detroit
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run homer, as Boston
topped Detroit, 5-1, in the finale of a four-game series at Comerica Park.
Jason Varitek also drove in two for the Red Sox, who won three of four in the
set and
Navarro's grand slam in 13th helps Rays push past Blue Jays >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dioner Navarro belted a grand slam as part of a
five-run 13th frame, leading Tampa Bay past Toronto, 8-3, in a lengthy extra-
inning affair at Rogers Centre.
A game going on at a brisk pace came to a streakin
Customers wait hours for 23-cent pizzas in Ohio >>
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) -Maybe Cleveland Cavaliers fans can hope for cheap gas if an oil company insults All-Star LeBron James.Lines were so long Thursday at some of the 86 Papa John's stores offering a large, one-topping pizza for 23 cents th
Sexson ejected after charging mound and throwing helmet >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seattle first baseman Richie Sexson was
ejected in the fourth inning of Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers.
With two outs in the inning, Keith Gabbard came up and in with a fastball that
caused
Smith named head coach at Alcorn State >>
Vicksburg, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alcorn State named Larry Smith it's new
men's basketball coach Thursday.
Smith lettered for four years at Alcorn State and was part of the undefeated
1979-80 team at the school before moving on to an
Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).
Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.
A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.
Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.
"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.
De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.
The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.
The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.
De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.
Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.
But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.
Sportsbook betting odds favor Europe in Ryder Cup
September 19, – Despite holding a decided edge in the all-time series, with 24 wins, 2 ties and 10 losses, Team USA is the underdog again heading into the Ryder Cup in Kidare, Ireland this weekend, according to MySportsbook.com. The Europeans have captured four of the past five editions, including their largest victory ever, an 18 ½ to 9 ½ thumping in Michigan in 2004. Current Ryder Cup betting odds favor the Europeans to continue their winning ways; they are a 4-5 bet to take the title, compared to 6-5 for the Americans.
Despite being knocked out in the first round of World Match play by Shaun Micheel, Tiger Woods is predicted to lead the US charge and be their highest point scorer for the week, with odds listed at 9-4 that he outpoints all other American players, including Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco to name a few. Team USA has four relatively unknown players on the roster but all four are 2007 tournament winners and have posted some of season’s best performances, each earning over $1.5 million on the PGA TOUR. They include Zach Johnson, Vaughan Taylor, JJ Henry and Brett Wetterich.
The experienced European squad includes the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Darren Clarke, who’s emotions will be tested after the passing of his wife to a battle with cancer. Donald and Garcia are in particularly good form and each is a 5-1 bet to lead the European squad in the points race. Donald has proven he can go head to head with Woods at a major event after a run for the $1.2 million purse at the PGA Championship. Garcia’s Ryder Cup credentials prove he’s ready for battle too.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your golf sportsbook needs.
Ryder Cup Odds| Europe Tie USA |
4-5 10-1 6-5 |
| Tiger Woods Jim Furyk Phil Mickelson Chris DiMarco David Toms Stewart Cink Chad Campbell Scott Verplank Zach Johnson Vaughan Taylor JJ Henry Brett Wetterich |
9-4 4-1 5-1 7-1 8-1 12-1 15-1 15-1 25-1 30-1 30-1 50-1 |
| Sergio Garcia Luke Donald Padraig Harrington Colin Montgomerie Darren Clarke David Howell Lee Westwood Paul Casey Henrik Stenson Jose Maria Olazabal Paul McGinley Robert Karlsson |
5-1 5-1 6-1 13-2 8-1 9-1 9-1 11-1 12-1 12-1 20-1 25-1 |
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com
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