Minus Howard, Red Wings visit healthy Oilers
Hockey Betting Lines
02/04/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings seem to finally be hitting their stride on the road, but they'll be without the league's leader in wins for the rest of their swing.
Minus goaltender Jimmy Howard, the Red Wings look for their third straight road victory on the season and eighth in a row overall versus the Edmonton Oilers, who try to extend a four-game point streak of their own this evening in the return of first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Detroit is currently in possession of a club-record 17-game winning streak at home and is 20-2-1 as the host this year. That is compared to a 15-14-0 record on the road and the Red Wings were below .500 as the guest before returning from the All-Star break with wins at Calgary and Vancouver. Detroit was routed 7-2 in Montreal on Jan. 25 to begin this five-game swing.
Thursday's 4-3 shootout win over the Canucks did come at a price as Howard suffered a broken finger that will sideline him for the final two games of Detroit's trip. The Red Wings wrap the swing on Monday in Phoenix and Howard will be reevaluated when the club returns home.
Howard picked up his NHL-leading 32nd win on Thursday and is also among the league leaders with five shutouts. He made 22 saves versus the Canucks and stopped both skaters faced in the shootout.
Pavel Datsyuk and Jiri Hudler both scored in the deciding frame, while Danny Cleary, Drew Miller and Hudler scored in regulation. Miller's third-period goal with 7:55 left put the Red Wings ahead, but the Canucks forced the extra time on Mason Raymond's tying tally with 4:24 to play.
"We dig ourselves too many holes when we are on the road," said Detroit head coach Mike Babcock. "We can't do that all the time and expect to keep coming back."
Detroit, which leads the New York Rangers by two points for the most in the league with 71, recalled Joey MacDonald from the minors on Friday to back up Ty Conklin, who gets the start tonight. He'll be looking to slow down Sam Gagner, who matched an Oilers record with eight points in an 8-4 win over the Blackhawks on Thursday.
Gagner came into the game with just five goals through 43 games this year, but tallied four versus the Blackhawks. He also assisted on goals by Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Cam Barker and Ryan Whitney to match the club's single-game points record held by greats Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey.
"It's something I will never forget," said Gagner, who notched his second career hat trick. "It definitely feels good, it felt like everything I touched went in."
Hall, who has a goal in three straight, and Eberle both added three assists for the Oilers, who are 3-0-1 in their past four, still leaving them 14th in the West and 12 points back of a playoff spot. Devan Dubnyk stopped 43 shots in the win.
Barker played on Thursday for the first time since he suffered an ankle injury in November, while Nugent-Hopkins is slated to play tonight for the first time since sustaining a shoulder injury on Jan. 2. The top pick of the most recent draft has 13 goals and 22 assists on the season and still leads all rookies with 35 points.
"I'm pretty certain I'll be back tomorrow," Nugent-Hopkins told Edmonton's website.
"It's been a long road to recovery, but I'm feeling good and I'm excited to get back out there. It'll be important for me to get into the game right away, whether it be taking a hit, giving a hit or getting a couple of shots on goal."
Edmonton could use all the help it can get as it has lost seven straight to Detroit, which has points in 20 of the past 21 encounters in this series (14-1-6). The Red Wings have also won three straight while going 6-0-4 in their last 10 in Edmonton.
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Problem with Bears?
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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