Brassard's OT winner lifts Columbus over Anaheim
Hockey Betting Lines
02/04/2012 - Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Derick Brassard scored two goals, including the game-winner at 3:55 of the overtime period, leading the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.
Brassard poked the puck out to the neutral zone and raced up the left wing on a 2-on-1 with Rick Nash. Brassard looked off the defenders and wired a slap shot past Jonas Hiller from just inside the left circle to wrap up the victory for the Blue Jackets, who snapped a six-game losing streak.
"We found a way, I'm pretty excited right now," Brassard said. "In practice I try to go short side. I trusted my shot it, went high on the glove side and it worked."
Jeff Carter also scored for Columbus, which got 33 saves from Curtis Sanford in the victory.
Teemu Selanne scored both goals and Jonas Hiller stopped 18-of-21 shots in defeat for the Ducks, who have lost three of their last four games.
The Ducks opened the scoring just 1:46 into the game. Ducks defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky ripped a slap shot from the right point that Sanford knocked down with his blocker, but the rebound came right to Selanne, who put it home.
Columbus drew even at 14:47 of the second period when John Moore ripped a shot from the point that was stopped by Hiller, but he left a huge rebound and Brassard slammed it home.
Anaheim came right back to take the lead with a power-play tally at 16:52 of the second stanza when Corey Perry outworked his checker in the right corner, spun and found Selanne, who one-timed the puck past the stick side of Sanford for his second goal of the game.
But the Blue Jackets answered with a power-play goal of their own 2:05 into the third period when Vinny Prospal threw a shot on net from the left point that made its way to Antoine Vermette in front. Vermette shifted the puck to his backhand and slid it through the legs of Ducks' defenseman Francois Beauchemin to Carter, who chipped it into an open net to tie the game at two.
"We were ready but a couple of mistakes cost us," Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler said. "We didn't play to our capability tonight. A loss is a loss. We got one point but we needed two."
Game Notes
The Ducks are 2-9-2 against the Central Division this season, while the Blue Jackets are 5-8-0 against Pacific Division opposition...Blue Jackets defenseman Brett Lebda left the game in the first period with a hand injury...It was Brassard's first career multi-goal game...Selanne now has 655 career goals and is one behind Brendan Shanahan for 12th place on the NHL's all-time goals list...Columbus finished 1-for-4 with the power play, while Anaheim converted one of five power play chances.
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FOOTBALL BETTING
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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