11/28/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Stars haven't had much momentum this season. Dallas will try again for back-to-back victories for the first time this year as it hosts the San Jose Sharks tonight at American Airlines Center.
At 7-10-7, the Stars have had a pair of three-game losing streaks already this season, but have failed to string together consecutive wins even once. That means Dallas hasn't enjoyed a winning streak since four straight triumphs from February 22-28 of last season.
Dallas halted one of its three-game skids on Wednesday with a 4-3 win in Minnesota. James Neal collected the first two-goal game of his career, while Loui Eriksson posted the game-winning goal in the third period to give him two goals and three assists over his last three games.
Brad Richards added a goal and an assist for the Stars, while Marty Turco made 25 stops for his sixth win of the season.
Mike Modano, the all-time leading scorer among American skaters, finished without a point, leaving him two shy of 1,300 for his career.
Dallas won despite not having the services of Steve Ott, Brenden Morrow and Jere Lehtinen. Morrow is lost for the season due to a right knee injury, while Ott (broken right hand) and Lehtinen (upper body) are out indefinitely.
The Stars have lost their last three at home (0-2-1) and are 2-3-3 as the host club this season.
The Sharks enter this game coming off a 3-2 overtime win on Wednesday. The club was sparked by the return of Evgeni Nabokov, who had missed the last seven games due to a lower-body injury and made 24 saves to get the win.
Backup netminder Brian Boucher had filled in admirably for Nabokov while he was out, posting a 5-1-1 record in the seven games Nabokov missed.
Joe Thornton scored the game-winner 45 seconds into overtime, as the Sharks extended their winning streak over Chicago to 13 straight games. Rob Blake and Patrick Marleau each scored in regulation to help San Jose win its fifth straight game overall and improve to 12-0-1 at home.
Devin Setoguchi had an assist, as he is one of three San Jose skaters currently riding a six-game point streak. Setoguchi has five goals and six assists over his run, Thornton has posted four goals and seven assists over his streak, while Marleau has four goals and five helpers over his.
San Jose is 6-3-0 on the road this season.
These clubs split four meetings last year, but the Stars had the last laugh when they eliminated the Sharks in six games in last year's Western Conference semifinals. San Jose drew first blood in the series this year, winning a 2-1 home decision over Dallas on November 8.
<< Ovechkin tries to extend point streak as Caps host Habs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off his first hat trick of the season, Washington
superstar Alex Ovechkin will try to lead the Capitals to a second straight win
when they welcome the Montreal Canadiens for tonight's test at the Verizon
Center.
Ove
<< Rangers, Panthers begin home-and-home in Sunrise
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers begin the first
portion of their home-and-home series with a test tonight in Sunrise at the
BankAtlantic Center.
The Rangers enter this game having won two in a row and five of the
<< Preds seek rare victory in Atlanta
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nashville Predators will try for their first win in
Atlanta in nearly nine years tonight, when they visit the Thrashers and
Philips Arena.
The Predators have not picked up a win at Philips Arena since December 6,
1999
<< Malkin leads Pens into Buffalo
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off his first hat trick of the season, Evgeni Malkin
will try to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to their sixth straight win over the
Buffalo Sabres tonight in a battle between the two clubs at HSBC Arena.
Malkin, who
Man United set to add Serbian international Tosic >>
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Serbian international Zoran Tosic has
moved a step closer to sealing a transfer to Manchester United after being
granted a work permit.
The 21-year-old Partizan Belgrade winger is now expected t
Wasted Talent >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When I think about Stephon Marbury's
career, I can't help hearing Lorenzo "the bus driver" from 'A Bronx Tale' in
my ear.
For those of you who may have overlooked this gem of a film, 'A Bronx Tale' is
the
Kinnear to coach Newcastle for rest of season >>
Newcastle, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Newcastle has confirmed that Joe Kinnear
will remain as the club's manager until the end of the season.
The former Wimbledon, Nottingham Forest and Luton Town boss was appointed
interim manager at
Giants/Cowboys to remain on Sunday night for Week 15 >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NFL announced its final schedule for Week
15 and decided to keep the contest between the New York Giants and Dallas
Cowboys in the Sunday night slot.
There were two time changes. The Pittsburgh Steel
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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