Again without Ovechkin, Capitals visit Hurricanes

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03/18/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Capitals hardly seemed to miss Alex Ovechkin on Tuesday night and the Southeast Division champs will shoot for another win this evening without the Russian superstar.

Ovechkin will complete a two-game suspension tonight while his Capitals visit the Carolina Hurricanes at RBC Center.

Despite Ovechkin's absence from Tuesday's contest at Florida, the Capitals slammed the host Panthers by a 7-3 score. Brooks Laich led the way for Washington with two goals and an assist.

Ovechkin is serving a two-game suspension for shoving Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell into the boards from behind in Sunday's 4-3 overtime win.

Campbell is out for 7-to-8 weeks with a fracture to his clavicle and ribs as Ovechkin, who was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for the hit, was suspended for the second time this season.

"We tried harder because the game's No. 1 player wasn't there," Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau said of his team's response to Ovechkin's absence. "When he's not there, we don't rely on big brother."

Brendan Morrison had a goal and two assists while Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin each added a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who have won two of their last three.

Jose Theodore stopped 34 shots in the win for Washington, which sealed up its third straight division title last week and holds a commanding 16-point lead over New Jersey and Pittsburgh for first place in the Eastern Conference.

Tonight marks the third stop on a four-game road trip for the Caps, who are 21-10-5 as the guest this year. Washington will complete the swing Saturday with Ovechkin in tow against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Hurricanes made it all the way to the Eastern Conference finals last spring, but it appears they will miss the playoffs for the third time in four seasons this year. Carolina is 14th in the East and 10 points behind Boston for the eighth and final postseason berth.

Carolina has lost two straight and three of its last four games and was slammed Tuesday by visiting Boston. Mark Recchi was one of three Bruins to record a goal and an assist, leading Boston to the 5-2 win at RBC Center.

Eric Cole scored both goals for the Hurricanes, while Manny Legace allowed all five goals on 37 shots in the loss.

"I was awful. I have to make some saves," Legace said. "It's as simple as that. There's no one else to blame but me."

The Hurricanes are 18-14-3 as the host this year and are completing a four-game homestand tonight.

Washington has won three of four meetings with the Hurricanes this year and the Caps have a superb 16-3-0 record against the Southeast Division as a whole this year.

The Capitals have taken eight of 12 overall in the series, but have dropped seven out of 10 in Raleigh.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year

Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.

Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.

With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.

Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.

Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.

Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to bet on the NBA. With the regular season about to hit the homestretch, it is important to point out that MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.