Ovechkin's hat trick keys Caps' OT comeback over Pens
Hockey Betting Lines
02/07/2010 - Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Knuble scored on the power-play with 2:11 remaining in overtime, and Alex Ovechkin recorded a hat trick, as the Washington Capitals fought back from a three-goal deficit to edge Pittsburgh, 5-4, and extend their franchise-record winning streak to 14 games.
Eric Fehr also tallied for the Capitals, while Washington goaltender Jose Theodore made 31 saves.
The last club to win 14 in a row were the Penguins when they set an NHL record with 17 consecutive victories from March 9-April 10, 1993.
Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal each scored twice for Pittsburgh, which didn't arrive to the team hotel until 2:15 a.m. (et.) because of the blizzard that struck the Nation's Capital.
Marc-Andre Fleury allowed five goals on 34 shots to take the loss.
Staal scored two goals in an 84-second span in the second period to give Pittsburgh a 4-1 cushion. His second tally came off a nifty setup by Evgeni Malkin at 13:07.
Fehr put a backhander on net and buried his own rebound to make it a two-goal game with 2:48 remaining in the middle stanza.
The Penguins lost to the Canadiens on Saturday and were forced to take a flight from Montreal to Newark, New Jersey and then endure a five-hour bus ride to Washington because of the crippling storm.
The difficult circumstances might have caught up to the club as the Caps rallied in the third period.
Ovechkin swatted a rebound after deflecting a Tom Poti shot at 6:51 and completed the trifecta a little over four minutes later. Ovechkin, who now boasts a league-leading 42 goals, took a drop pass from Knuble after a Nicklas Backstrom faceoff win and snapped the puck behind a stunned Pittsburgh netminder.
Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik caught Washington forward Alexander Semin with a high stick at 2:26 of the extra session and Ovechkin unloaded a shot from the left wing that hit the post before Knuble pushed in the rebound.
Crosby staked the visitors to a 2-0 lead before the game was 10 minutes old.
The Pittsburgh captain picked off Tyler Sloan, who went for the stretch pass from his own zone, and beat Theodore on the backhand at 6:59. Crosby converted a power play exactly three minutes later.
Ovechkin scored on a breakaway to put Washington on the board at the 9:01 mark of the second period.
Game Notes
Backstrom and Malkin both had two assists...The Caps haven't lost since a 7-4 setback at Tampa Bay on January 12...Theodore has won 10 consecutive starts...Left winger Chris Kunitz returned to the lineup for Pittsburgh. He missed 15 games after undergoing abdominal surgery.
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MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds
With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.
Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season. Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money.
This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy. A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.
Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:
| Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame) Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma) Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State) Michael Bush (RB, Louisville) Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia) Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville) Chris Leak (QB, Florida) Mike Hart (RB, Michigan) Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State) Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame) Drew Tate (QB, Iowa) Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal) Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn) Chad Henne (QB, Michigan) Kyle Wright (QB, Miami) Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State) Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama) JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU) Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State) Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina) Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech) |
5-2 7-2 7-1 10-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 18-1 18-1 20-1 30-1 35-1 35-1 40-1 50-1 50-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 |
For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.