Leafs-Oilers not what it used to be

Hockey Betting Lines

03/15/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There was a time when the Edmonton Oilers playing the Toronto Maple Leafs on a Saturday night was a glittering affair.

In the 1980s, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Co. would come in to Maple Leaf Gardens and dismantle the Leafs, as they did most other teams, but it was OK because it was a chance for fans to see the Brantford-born Gretz and his fast- skatin', high-scorin' teammates up close.

There was a buzz in the air, scalpers were giddy with the outrageous premiums they received for even their lousiest ducats, and transplanted Albertans living in Toronto could rejoice as their team stuck it to the self-absorbed, big-city Leaf lovers.

These days, not so much.

Only the truly puck pious - and there are many in Leafs (Abomi-)Nation - could get excited about Saturday's matchup pitting the NHL's 29th-place team (Leafs) against the 30th-place team (Oilers). Only the Boston Bruins, who hold Toronto's first-round pick in each of the next two entry drafts, could muster excitement for this clunker.

That said, the storyline was Pat Quinn coaching his first game for another NHL team in Toronto since the Leafs fired him following the 2005-06 season. Not surprisingly, the barrel-chested Irishman was featured in a welcome-back video during the first period. It was a nice touch, but the Leafs will likely do a welcome-back video for Jamal Mayers and Matt Stajan, too, so there you go. And don't rule out a Pavel Kubina bobblehead at some point.

CROSS-CANADA CHECK-UP

MONTREAL CANADIENS: The Montreal Canadiens are hot. The Habs have won 10 of their last 14 games and eight of those victories have been backstopped by Jaroslav Halak. Nothing like a goaltending controversy to send the always-rabid Montreal hockey media into a full, salivating frenzy. Will Halak stay? Will he go? Will Carey Price be traded? Who knows? Who cares? As long as the Canadiens keep winning, fans will love them - win or tie.

OTTAWA SENATORS: From mid-January to the Olympic break, the Sens won an amazing 14 of 16 games, which made my good friend Brett very, very happy. You see, he is a lifelong Sens fan, and I'm not sure he's ever fully recovered from the 2007 Stanley Cup final and Ottawa's less-than-stellar performance in a five- game series loss. Since the Olympic break ended, however, the Sens have lost five of six. In those six games, Ottawa has scored eight goals. The team has scored more than one goal in only one of those six games since the medals were presented. Jonathan Cheechoo, after scoring 56 goals in 2005-06, had five in 61 games this season before being dispatched to AHL Binghamton on the eve of the Olympics. In 13 games with the Baby Sens, Cheech has four goals and four assists.

CALGARY FLAMES: The Flaming C's have won five of six games as bronze-medal- winning goalie Miikka Kiprusoff continues his mule-like workload with apparently few negative effects. The Flames are now one point behind Detroit for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Anyone else wondering if there is just a wee bit of awkwardness between Canucks teammates and Olympians Roberto Luongo (Canada) and Ryan Kesler (USA)? And is teammate Pavol Demitra (Slovakia) looking at Kesler and saying, "If it weren't for that ridiculous save Louie made in the dying seconds of the semi-final, it coulda been me in the gold-medal game"? The Canucks have won eight of their last 12 games and are tied with the surprising Phoenix Coyotes for third in the West. More importantly, the Canucks survived a 14-game, month-and-a-half road trip because of the Olympics. They welcomed fans back Saturday with a convincing 5-1 drubbing of the Ottawa Senators in their first home match since January 27.

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Stephen Knight is a Toronto-based writer who has written about hockey since 1994.

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Football Sports Lines: Offensive Rookie of the Year Awards

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

Bet NFL Sports Lines

Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

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