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04/22/2010 - Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Boucher made 28 saves to record his second career playoff shutout and first in 10 years, and the Philadelphia Flyers closed out their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with a 3-0 Game 5 victory over the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.
Boucher was the goaltender for the Flyers as a rookie when the team blew a 3-1 lead in the 1999-2000 East finals to Martin Brodeur and these same Devils, but he helped make sure history wouldn't repeat itself. Boucher was not Philadelphia's first choice as the starting netminder in the playoffs, but injuries to Ray Emery and Michael Leighton forced the club's hand, and he has helped the Flyers advance to the conference semis for the second time in three years.
Claude Giroux scored twice for Philadelphia, which, with the 4-1 series win, will face Washington, Pittsburgh, Ottawa or Boston in the next round. Giroux also added an assist, while Danny Briere had a goal and an assist in the win.
Mike Richards added two assists and finished with eight points in the series for the Flyers, who will look back at their penalty kill as one of the reasons why they advanced. Philadelphia, one of the most penalized teams in the NHL, was able to kill off 28-of-32 penalties faced, including 8-of-8 in the decisive Game 5.
Brodeur, the NHL's all-time leader in wins by a goaltender, made 18 saves for the Devils, who failed to get out of the first round for the third straight year despite winning the Atlantic Division in each of the last two seasons.
New Jersey's season again ends in disappointment despite making a big splash at the trade deadline to acquire star winger Ilya Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, tallied two goals and four assists in the series.
Both teams took a penalty in the opening two minutes, and the Flyers capitalized on their brief power play 3:16 into the contest. Giroux took a pass from Richards in the left circle and sent a backhand pass to Briere, who flipped it into the net from in close before Brodeur could get into position.
Philadelphia almost made it 2-0 midway through the frame, but Brodeur snared James van Riemsdyk's backhander before it crossed the goal line.
The Devils then had a couple chances, but Boucher stopped David Clarkson point-blank while on the penalty kill, and Travis Zajac's chip-in attempt was swatted away by Briere just before it went into the net.
Giroux gave the Flyers a 2-0 lead 11:48 into the second, winding up for a slap shot as a loose puck drifted toward him in the slot. He sent a laser into the top left corner of the net, giving Brodeur no chance.
Just two minutes later, Giroux recorded a power-play tally. Briere's shot from the point was stopped by Boucher, but Scott Hartnell corralled the rebound and sent it across the crease to Giroux, who flipped it into the open net.
Boucher made nine saves in the second period and 10 more in the third, helping the Flyers kill off three penalties in the final 20 minutes to record the shutout and series win.
Game Notes
Kovalchuk is now 1-8 lifetime in playoff games...Philadelphia is now 8-7 in Game 5s when leading a series, 3-1...The Flyers won despite playing without forwards Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne, both of whom sustained foot injuries in Game 4. Carter is out indefinitely, while Gagne will miss the next three weeks. Ville Leino and David Laliberte filled in for the pair...Philadelphia has won three of the five playoff series played with the New Jersey franchise...The Flyers went 2-for-6 on the power play Thursday and 8-for-29 in the series...Philadelphia won nine of 11 games overall against the Devils this season...Boucher's last playoff shutout was April 16, 2000 versus Buffalo.
<< BCS announces automatic bid formula
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Bowl Championship Series released its
automatic bid formula Thursday, which could result in a seventh conference
like the Mountain West, to possibly qualify for a BCS bowl game in 2012 and
2013.
<< 49ers, Chargers, Eagles move up in first round via trade
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers
and Philadelphia Eagles all made trades to move up in the first round of the
2010 NFL Draft.
The 49ers began by trading for the 11th pick to select Rutger
<< Blackhawks' Campbell returns to lineup for Game 4
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks welcomed defenseman
Brian Campbell back to action on Thursday in Game 4 of the club's Western
Conference quarterfinal series against the Nashville Predators.
The 30-year-old Ca
<< Richard returns home to take over at Monroe
Monroe, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Louisiana-Monore has named LSU
assistant Keith Richard as its new men's basketball coach. Richard becomes the
seventh head coach in the school's history, as he takes over for Orlando
Early,
Saints take CB Robinson in first round >>
METAIRIE, La. (AP) -The New Orleans Saints have selected cornerback Patrick Robinson out of Florida State with the 32nd overall pick in the NFL draft.The move gives the defending champions the flexibility to move last year's first-round choice, corn
Colts select DE Hughes with 1st-round pick >>
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -The Indianapolis Colts have taken pass-rushing defensive end Jerry Hughes of TCU with the 31st overall pick in the NFL draft.Hughes, chosen Thursday night, fills a hole left by the release of versatile defensive lineman Raheem Bro
49ers get 2 offensive linemen in first round >>
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -The San Francisco 49ers significantly upgraded their offensive line in a matter of 30 minutes.San Francisco has selected Idaho offensive guard Mike Iupati with the 17th selection in Thursday's NFL draft, following up their
Broncos trade with Baltimore to select Tebow in first round >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos traded three picks to the
Baltimore Ravens for the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, which they
then used to draft Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.
Tebow has been arguably the mo
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.
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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 |
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Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.
"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."
Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.
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