10/10/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Canadiens will open their 100th year of existence on the road tonight against the Northeast Division-rival Buffalo Sabres in the season opener for both clubs at HSBC Arena.
Montreal is trying to build off an impressive 2007-08 campaign in which it led the Eastern Conference with 104 points and reached the second round of the playoffs. The Canadiens surprised everyone with their strong run to the postseason and head coach Guy Carbonneau is optimistic his team can move even further in 2008-09. Montreal defeated Boston in the opening round of the playoffs before bowing out to Philadelphia in the next round.
The Habs added some new faces to their roster as the team acquired veteran forward Alex Tanguay from Calgary on draft day and signed free agent enforcer Georges Laraque. Montreal also traded for veteran Robert Lang from Chicago to play alongside stars Alexei Kovalev and Saku Koivu. Kovalev had a team-high 84 points last season (35 goals, 49 assists) while Koivu ended the year with 16 markers and 40 assists (56 points). Center Tomas Plekanec added 69 points with 29 goals and 40 assists for the Canadiens, who went 47-25-10 last season.
Carbonneau and company open the season with three straight road games against the Sabres, Maple Leafs and Flyers. Goaltender Carey Price will surely feel the pressure away from home and went 24-12-3 with a 2.56 goals-against average as a rookie last season.
It has been reported the Habs granted Carbonneau a contract extension. He is entering the final year of a three-year contract, first signed when the former Montreal captain was named head coach prior to the 2006-07 season.
Buffalo will try to get back on track after a disappointing 2007-08 campaign. The Sabres went 39-31-12 last year and had a string of back-to-back playoff appearances come to an end. Head coach Lindy Ruff, whose team captured the President's Trophy with 113 points in 2006-07, is back behind the bench and, like Carbonneau, is expecting a big year from his players.
The Sabres avoided any contract problems by signing a few of their corps players such as goaltender Ryan Miller and forwards Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek and Jochen Hecht. Miller compiled a 36-27-10 record with a 2.64 GAA in a career high 76 games and has veteran Patrick Lalime to back him up. Lalime inked a deal in the offseason to provide more depth between the pipes.
Roy led the way with 81 points in 2007-08 and registered 32 goals and 49 assists. Pominville ended with 80 points (27 goals, 53 assists) and Vanek lit the lamp 36 times and added 28 assists. Hecht had 22 goals and 27 helpers for a total of 49 points as the Sabres were eliminated from postseason contention in the final week of the regular season.
After the Sabres host the Canadiens, they will pay a visit to the Islanders and Rangers.
Montreal has won three straight against Buffalo and went 5-3 in the season series a year ago, including a 2-2 mark as the visitor.
<< Sharks open promising season at home vs. Blue Jackets
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One season after a surprising march to the Western
Conference finals, the Dallas Stars open up their 2008-09 campaign with a home
test versus the Columbus Blue Jackets at American Airlines Center.
The Stars ended
<< Phils try to go two up on Dodgers in NLCS
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia tries to take a two games to none lead in the
National League Championship Series this afternoon when it plays Game 2 against
the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park.
Philadelphia drew first blood in the
<< Upstart Rays welcome Red Sox to the Trop for start of ALCS
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays will battle for the
right to represent the American League at the World Series, as the best-of-
seven ALCS gets underway this evening at Tropicana Field.
While the defending world ch
<< Sweden leads by 11 at Women's World Amateur
Adelaide, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Caroline Hedwall shot an even-par 73,
Anna Nordqvist had a one-over 74 and Sweden increased its lead to 11 shots
after three rounds of the Women's World Amateur Team Championship.
Playing on the G
Hurricanes, Panthers square off at RBC Center >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of teams on quests to get back to the playoffs will
begin their 2008-09 seasons against each other tonight, as the Carolina
Hurricanes welcome the Florida Panthers for a Southeast Division battle at the
RBC Cen
Rangers return to New York to host Blackhawks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Rangers are back in North America for their
official home debut of the 2008-09 season, as they welcome the Chicago
Blackhawks to Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts opened the regular season w
Devils kick off season at home vs. Islanders >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last year, New Jersey didn't have a home game until October
27, but the Devils will begin their 2008-09 schedule at the Prudential Center
as they welcome the New York Islanders to Newark for an Atlantic Division
battle.
Browns TE Winslow hospitalized >>
Berea, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Browns starting tight end Kellen
Winslow was hospitalized Thursday night with an undisclosed illness, head
coach Romeo Crennel stated on Friday.
Winslow, who missed Thursday's practice, is
March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets
With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship. Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92. After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points. Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1. Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years. With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed. UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern. Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier. OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak. Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta. But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.
Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props. Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000. Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.
MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:
| EAST | National Championship | Region |
| Arkansas | 300-1 | 50-1 |
| Belmont | 1000-1 | |
| Boston College | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Eastern KY | 1000-1 | |
| George Washington | 75-1 | |
| Georgetown | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| Marquette | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Michigan State | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| New Mexico St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| UNC | 6-1 | 6-5 |
| Oral Roberts | 500-1 | |
| Texas | 15-1 | 5-1 |
| Texas Tech | 200-1 | 5-1 |
| USC | 75-1 | 20-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Washington State | 40-1 | 15-1 |
| WEST | ||
| Duke | 50-1 | 10-1 |
| Florida A&M | 1000-1 | |
| Gonzaga | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Holy Cross | 300-1 | |
| Illinois | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Indiana | 75-1 | 40-1 |
| Kansas | 5-1 | 13-10 |
| Kentucky | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Niagara | 1000-1 | |
| Pittsburgh | 40-1 | 8-1 |
| Southern Ill. | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| UCLA | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| VCU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Villanova | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| VA Tech | 50-1 | 15-1 |
| Weber St | 1000-1 | |
| Wright St | 1000-1 | 300-1 |
| MIDWEST | ||
| Arizona | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Butler | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Davidson | 300-1 | |
| Florida | 4-1 | 4-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 75-1 | 25-1 |
| Jackson State | 1000-1 | |
| Maryland | 30-1 | 6-1 |
| Miami-OH | 300-1 | |
| Notre Dame | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| ODU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Oregon | 40-1 | 6-1 |
| Purdue | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Texas A&M CC | 1000-1 | |
| UNLV | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Winthrop | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Wisconsin | 15-1 | 7-2 |
| SOUTH | ||
| Albany | 200-1 | |
| BYU | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Central CT St. | 1000-1 | |
| Creighton | 100-1 | 35-1 |
| Long Beach St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| Louisville | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Memphis | 30-1 | 4-1 |
| Nevada | 75-1 | 35-1 |
| North Texas | 500-1 | |
| Ohio State | 7-1 | 6-5 |
| Penn | 500-1 | |
| Stanford | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Tennessee | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas A&M | 12-1 | 11-5 |
| Virginia | 75-1 | 18-1 |
| Xavier | 100-1 | 40-1 |
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