Habs gain respect the hard way

Hockey Betting Lines

05/13/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When the Montreal Canadiens knocked top- seeded Washington out in the first round, everybody wanted to talk about how Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals collapsed. As if the eighth-seeded Habs did nothing but sit back, watch and reap the benefits when Washington imploded.

After they ousted the defending Stanley Cup champions in Round 2, it's become impossible to ignore the Canadiens.

Montreal came back from a three games-to-one deficit to defeat the Capitals in seven games during the opening round, so the Habs weren't supposed to have anything left for Sidney Crosby and the mighty Pittsburgh Penguins.

As it turns out, Montreal never really appeared to be overmatched by the two- time defending Eastern Conference champions, standing toe-to-toe with the Penguins and ultimately eliminating Pittsburgh in Game 7 on Wednesday night.

To make it even sweeter, the Canadiens' triumph in Game 7 will also stand as the final game in the history of Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena. Brian Gionta, and a few other Montreal players, referenced closing down the Igloo as additional motivation.

Now the Canadiens are one of four NHL teams that will still be playing hockey in Round 3. Not bad for a team that is not only the No. 8 seed in the East but also the 16th-ranked club out of the 16 playoff teams entering the postseason.

So, just how have the Habs been able to do it? With a total team effort on defense, timely goal-scoring from Gionta and Michael Cammelleri, and superb puck-stopping from Jaroslav Halak.

Halak, Gionta and Cammalleri are getting much of the credit for Montreal's postseason upsets, and rightfully so. Cammalleri and Gionta, with 12 and seven goals, respectively, have accounted for nearly half of the Canadiens' 39 goals in this postseason. Halak, meanwhile, has stopped 390 of the 420 shots thrown his way for a mind-boggling .933 save percentage.

But, as cliche as it sounds, this truly has been a team effort for the Canadiens. Cammalleri and Gionta are providing most of the offense, and Halak is taking care of business at his end, but in between are a group of guys that have completely bought into the system put in place by head coach Jacques Martin.

This emphasis on team was clearly illustrated in the series victory over Pittsburgh. Already without defenseman Jaroslav Spacek since early in the Washington series, the Canadiens lost their top blueliner Andrei Markov to an ACL tear in Game 1 against the Pens. Of course Markov's injury meant more responsibility for defensemen like Hal Gill and rookie P.K. Subban, but Martin also needed his forwards to step up and help slow down Pittsburgh's relentless offense.

And that's just what Montreal did, the club came together and made it their sole purpose to frustrate the Penguins and it worked time and time again.

"We just all have this feeling that if something doesn't work out or goes wrong, it's OK because you know that someone is going to be there to back you up," said Gill. "That's what a good team does."

The good news is Spacek returned for the final two games against Pittsburgh, and there is speculation that Markov could return for the next round after it was originally believed he would miss the rest of the postseason.

The important thing is that the Canadiens have already proven to themselves that they can beat the best without Markov. The Habs have learned how to share responsibility, and that has made their sum total as a team much greater than the individual parts that general manager Bob Gainey has cobbled together.

"This started coming together for us in the second half of the season," said Martin. "They've learned how to overcome adversity. They've learned to play together."

Still, there are those who wish to reason away Montreal's accomplishment, believing that the Penguins were simply worn out after reaching back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals and winning last year's title in seven games against Detroit. That sort of logic borders on the disrespectful, and will likely only serve as a reminder to the Canadiens that they must work for every last bit of respect.

Although the Caps and Pens bowing out to an eight seed is what garners the headlines, the story is no longer about the vanquished giants of the East. It is all about the Canadiens, and not the Montreal dynasty of old, but of this current group of Habs, who have seemingly built up enough confidence to last them for a run at 25th Stanley Cup title.

"I think after the Washington series we knew were onto something here," said Montreal forward Scott Gomez, who knows about winning it all, having been a part of two Stanley Cup titles with the New Jersey Devils

"The dance has only just begun and we've got our ticket. I've got a couple of rings and you need a little luck to get there. But like I've been telling the guys: this is when the fun starts."

GAME 7 HEAVEN

Of course, before the Canadiens' fun begins, they have to wait for their opponent in the Eastern Conference finals. The only thing Montreal can be sure of at this point is that, as an eight seed, it will start the next round on the road, a fact that didn't seem to scare the Habs in their first two series.

Philadelphia will visit Boston for Game 7 on Friday night and the Flyers are chasing a special piece of history. The Bruins, on the other hand, are desperately trying to skate away from a dubious distinction.

The Flyers have forced a Game 7 despite falling behind three games to none in the conference semifinal series. Philly is just the sixth team in NHL history to push a series to seven games after facing a 3-0 deficit and on Friday at TD Garden, the Orange and Black can become just the third team to win a series after losing the first three games. Of course, the last team to pull off that feat was the 1975 New York Islanders, who rallied to beat Pittsburgh in the opening round that year.

Obviously, Philadelphia has the momentum in this series, but this has been a close series throughout and Game 7 should be no different. The Flyers and Bruins each have an OT win in this series and both clubs have won a pair of games by one-goal margins.

Whatever way Game 7 happens to go, either the sixth-seeded Bruins or the No. 7 Flyers will have home-ice against Montreal in the conference finals. Not that either club will need the extra motivation for Friday's game.

Wwwlakings Hockey Betting News

<< James, Cavs try to stave off elimination in Boston
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - You can blame it on the balky elbow, a shaky supporting cast or the numerous off-court distractions that follow the NBA's best player around on a daily basis. Whatever the excuse, LeBron James will head to TD Garden tonigh

<< Saints lawsuit going to arbitration
GRETNA, La. (AP) -Former New Orleans Saints security director Geoffrey Santini has withdrawn his lawsuit against the club because the team's lawyers are sending the matter to an arbitration judge.The motion filed on Thursday says Saints attorneys wa

<< Bengals re-sign TE Kelly
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed tight end Reggie Kelly on Thursday. Kelly suffered a rupture of his Achilles tendon in training camp last season and missed the entire 2009 campaign. Over his career,

<< Rockies to begin series with surprising Nationals
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Slowly but surely, the Washington Nationals are creeping up the National League East standings. They will continue their nine-game road trip tonight in the first of four straight games against the Colorado Rockies. The Nat

<< Red-hot Padres set sights on sweep of rival Giants
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres can further distance themselves from the San Francisco Giants atop the National League West standings today, when they shoot for a second sweep of their division rivals this season in the finale of a thre

FC Dallas signs Colombian striker Rodriguez >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Colombian striker Milton Rodriguez will join FC Dallas when the summer transfer window opens July 15, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate, the team announced Thursday. Rodri

England's Terry fine after injury scare >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - England and Chelsea midfielder John Terry will play Saturday in the FA Cup final against Portsmouth and the World Cup, saying Thursday "everything is okay" after an injury scare Wednesday. Terry was ta

Western Conference Finals Preview - LA Lakers vs. Phoenix >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Both the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers must have thought they were getting paid by the hour in the second round of the NBA playoffs. The result was a pair of sweeps with the Suns besting their long-time nem

Russia downs Belarus at Worlds >>
Cologne, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Semyon Varlamov stopped 19 shots to lead Russia to a 3-1 victory over Belarus Thursday at the 2010 World Championship. Sergei Mozyakin had a goal and an assist while Artyom Anisimov and Alexander Ovech

Kingston shoots 65 to lead in Spain >>
Son Servera, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - South Africa's James Kingston fired a five-under 65 to take the first-round lead Thursday at the Iberdrola Open Cala Millor. Kingston mixed six birdies with one bogey on the Pula Golf Club course to

Chiefs' Treen Green out for Sunday's game

How long Trent Green will remain sidelined is unknown. Coach Herm Edwards said Monday he will miss a second straight start Sunday when the Chiefs host the San Francisco 49ers.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Green was going into a feet-first hook slide when he was knocked unconscious by a thunderous, head-snapping hit from Cincinnati's Robert Geathers.

Oddsmakers at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com currently have the Chiefs listed as 7-point favorites versus the 49ers.

The 49ers got beat by Philadelphia 38-24 as a 6.5-point underdog last week. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (42.5).

Alex Smith completed 27-of-46 passes for 293 yards with a touchdown. Michael Robinson rushed for 29 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five carries.

The Chiefs lost 9-6 to Denver last week as an 11-point underdog. The combined score was well UNDER the posted over/under total (38).

Larry Johnson rushed for 126 yards on 27 carries. Damon Huard completed 17-of-23 passes for 133 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

To visit this online sports book got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.