Vokun stops 31 in win over Carolina

Hockey Betting Lines

03/06/2010 - Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tomas Vokoun's 31 saves set the tone for Florida's 4-1 victory to snap the Carolina Hurricanes' seven-game win streak at Bank Atlantic Center.

Kamil Kreps scored twice, including an empty-net goal, while Michael Frolik and Cory Stillman picked up the scoring slack in the Panthers' second straight win following a season-long seven-game losing skid.

Jussi Jokinen scored for the Hurricanes, who remain 11-3-0 over their last 14 games. Justin Peters had 26 saves in his fourth start of the season.

Frolik was able to bat in a loose puck at the right side of the net to open the scoring at 13:58 of the first at the conclusion of a Panther power play.

Just 1:11 later Nick Tarnasky set up Kreps for a one-timer in the slot to make it 2-0.

Vokoun's sturdy play between the pipes kept it that way through the first two periods with 16 saves.

Jokinen knocked in a fluttering puck off the rebound of a Brandon Sutter offering to finally break through for Carolina at 7:58 of the third.

Steven Reinprecht snuck out from behind the net a short time later to set up Stillman's one-timer from in close for some breathing room at 3-1 with 3:30 left to play.

Kreps empty-netter sealed it just outside the final minute.

Game Notes

The Hurricanes' streak was their longest since a nine-game tear from March 18- April 7 of last season...They also had a three-game road winning streak broken in the first of three away from Raleigh...Florida will kick off a three-game road trip Tuesday in Minnesota...Florida's Bryan McCabe had three assists.

Wwwkitanabaker Hockey Betting News

<< Theodore, Caps blank Rangers
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jose Theodore stopped all 30 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season, as Washington posted a defensive-oriented 2-0 victory over the New York Rangers at Verizon Center. Eric Fehr and Eric Belang

<< ETSU wins Atlantic Sun for second straight year
Macon, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Justin Tubbs led a balanced scoring attack with 18 points, and the East Tennessee State Buccaneers secured their second consecutive Atlantic Sun tournament championship with a 72-66 victory over Mercer.

<< Raiders release RB Fargas
Alameda, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Raiders released long-time running back Justin Fargas on Saturday. The team indicated Fargas had failed a physical and issued a statement thanking him for his contributions over

<< Celtics add guard Finley
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics officially announced the signing of guard Michael Finley on Saturday. Finley was waived at his request Monday by San Antonio after his playing time dwindled upon returning from a spra

<< Misremembered wins Big 'Cap and Alphie's Bet takes Sham
Arcadia, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Misremembered, ridden by Martin Garcia, held off Neko Bay down the stretch to win Saturday's 73rd running of the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap (Big 'Cap) at Santa Anita Park. The four-year-old covered the

Summit League Tournament Recaps >>
Sioux Falls, SD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Larry Wright scored 16 points, and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies advanced to the semifinals of the Summit League Tournament with an 85-70 win over UMKC. Keith Benson and Derick Nelson each sco

Winthrop wins Big South >>
Conway, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mantoris Robinson finished with 14 points, as Winthrop defeated Coastal Carolina, 64-53, in the Big South Tournament final to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Matt Morgan finished w

Cyclones shock Kansas State in Big 12 finale >>
Manhattan, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scott Christopherson scored 18 points and made two key foul shots with 3.2 seconds left in overtime, as the Iowa State Cyclones upended fifth-ranked Kansas State, 85-82, in the regular-season finale

Bobcats knock off road-weary Warriors >>
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - D.J. Augustin scored 19 points off the bench, as the Charlotte Bobcats took down the Golden State Warriors, 101-90, at Time Warner Cable Arena. Gerald Wallace added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Bobcat

Kessel nets SO winner as Leafs nip Sens >>
Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phil Kessel got the game-winner in the shootout to help the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place. After Jonas Gustavsson stoned Alex Kovalev on the first shot, Kes

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts MasterCard needs.