Cheecho ends longest shootout in Sharks' history, beats Kings

Hockey Betting Lines

03/15/2009 - San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jonathan Cheechoo scored in the seventh round of the shootout, and Evgeni Nabokov made it stand up following a 23-save effort in regulation, as San Jose got by the Kings, 2-1, in what was the longest shootout in HP Pavilion history.

The Sharks received a lift with the return of Nabokov following a nearly 2 1/2-week absence. Brian Boucher was called upon for seven straight starts with the No. 1 goaltender nursing a lower-body injury.

San Jose had led the Western Conference for most of the season but currently find themselves a point back of front-running Detroit in the standings thanks to losses in five of their previous six games. Milan Michalek got the regulation tally.

Wayne Simmonds scored in regulation and Erik Ersberg was fantastic in a losing effort, turning back 38-of-39 shots for the Kings, who lost their second game in a row and for the sixth straight time on the road. LA has been held to two goals or fewer in five of those road defeats.

San Jose's Joe Pavelski and Jack Johnson got back-to-back scores in the second round to open the scoring for their respective squads in the shootout. The goaltenders took over from there until Cheechoo faked down Ersberg with a forehand flinch before lifting a shot over his left shoulder.

Teddy Purcell had a chance to extend the game for LA, but Nabokov turned aside a forehand shot to seal the win.

San Jose got on the board 5:28 into the contest, as Dan Boyle and Pavelski traded passes out at the point before the latter flipped it on net, where Michalek tipped it home.

Simmonds tied it up just 41 seconds into the second on a slap shot but the Kings wasted a great shorthanded opportunity early in the third period, when Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar couldn't figure out what to do on a 2-on-0. Kopitar eventually wound up with the puck after Brown dished it right before the goal-mouth, and Kopitar slid on by behind the net before shooting at the widest possible angle.

Ersberg allowed things to stay even way with some stellar goaltending play. His 10 saves in the second were followed by a 13-save third frame, which included a point-blank robbing of Rob Blake in the waning moments of regulation.

Ersberg stoned Blake again in the overtime session on a booming slap shot from the right circle to force a shootout. While not as busy, Nabokov made the necessary saves down the stretch to keep the contest knotted at one.

Game Notes

San Jose is 27-3-4 at home this year and will play its next two on the road...Los Angeles is 13-17-1 on the road this year...The Sharks have won all five meetings with the Kings this season and eight of the last nine meetings as well. That includes four straight wins as the host...Blake also returned and against his old team after missing the last two games due to a foot injury. Blake played with the Kings from 1989 through part of the 2000-01 season and then again in the last two seasons before joining the Sharks this offseason.

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NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.

Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.

The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

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