Devils edge Rangers in chippy affair

Hockey Betting Lines

02/21/2007 - East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Zach Parise scored the game-winning goal in the third period and Martin Brodeur made 35 saves, as the New Jersey Devils edged the New York Rangers, 2-1, in the start of a home-and-home series.

Brian Rafalski also scored and Scott Gomez added a pair of helpers for New Jersey, which has won three of four. The Devils were without the services of their leading point-scorer, Patrik Elias, as well as leading goal-scorer, Brian Gionta. Elias sat out with the flu, while Gionta was sidelined with a groin injury.

Petr Prucha had the lone tally for New York, which lost for just the second time in its last six games. Henrik Lundqvist was solid in net, making 24 saves.

With the game tied, 1-1, New York rode the momentum into the third period, putting heavy pressure on Brodeur before the Rangers' Colton Orr dropped the gloves with Cam Janssen. Orr landed a couple of solid blows and took Janssen to the ice, though both players were clearly tiring in the end.

New Jersey then turned the game around, as Brodeur came up with a couple of huge saves before the Devils went the other way in an odd-man rush. Gomez was leading the charge, but it was Parise who failed on the backhand, collected his own rebound off the right side of the net and flipped it over the goal line with 7:54 remaining.

Brodeur came up with some crucial saves down the stretch, including a late flurry with under a minute remaining. The Rangers pulled Lundqvist in favor of the extra attacker, but failed to convert on the man-advantage.

New Jersey opened the scoring in the first period on Rafalski's tally. Sergei Brylin drew a crowd below the right circle before dishing cross-ice, with the feed glancing off the skate and through the legs of Gomez. Rafalski read the one-timer perfectly, and from all alone in the slot, rifled a slapshot off the left post and past Lundqvist on the stick-side at 8:16.

The Blueshirt pulled even with just three minutes left in the middle stanza, but the controversial score nearly ignited a brawl.

Rangers' forward Sean Avery was camped just in front of the crease and appeared to make contact with Brodeur, who failed to stop a slapshot by Aaron Ward that deflected off the skate of Prucha and into the net.

Brodeur and Avery briefly jawed at one another, before Brodeur pushed the left winger. Avery then returned the favor by sending Brodeur to the ice, but several players came to the netminder's aid, including Rafalski, Brylin and John Madden. Avery was whistled for goaltender interference and roughing, while Rafalski was also given a minor for his part in the skirmish.

Game Notes

The teams will meet again Thursday night at Madison Square Garden...New York was also missing its leading goal-scorer, as Brendan Shanahan continues to recover from a concussion suffered Saturday against Philadelphia...The game marked the last time these teams will face each other in the Meadowlands. New Jersey will move to a brand new arena next season...Jaromir Jagr had a six- game point streak snapped for New York...The Devils lead the season series, 4-2-1.

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Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.

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