12/05/2008 - Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Martin Hanzal had a hat trick in the first two periods and Steve Reinprecht scored twice in the third period, including the game-winner, to lift the Phoenix Coyotes to a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Derek Morris and Ed Jovanovski each collected two assists while Todd Fedoruk also scored for the Coyotes, who have won four of their last five games on the heels of a six-game skid (0-4-2).
Mikael Tellqvist was aiming for a chance to do some damage against his old club in making his second straight start, but allowed three goals on just nine shots. Ilya Bryzgalov was called upon to make the final nine saves, picking up the win for Phoenix, which finished off a four-game homestand 3-1-0 and is 8-4-1 overall as the host this year.
"I did it more to push the team, more than the fact that I took Tellqvist out," Coyotes head coach Wayne Gretzky said of the goaltending change. "Bryzgalov has worked hard the last three days and we needed a pressure cooker out of him in the third -- and he went in there and made a couple big saves,"
Alexei Ponikarovsky notched a pair of goals and Jason Blake scored once and tallied two assists for Toronto, which ended a three-game west coast road trip 1-2. After defeating the Kings on Monday the Leafs lost in San Jose on Tuesday for the first time since Brian Burke officially took over general manager duties last Saturday.
Vesa Toskala was beaten six times on 26 shots to take the loss, Toronto's seventh in the last nine games overall.
"We didn't look like we had anything in the tank in the third period -- they got us on our heels and we never, ever got it going," Leafs head coach Ron Wilson said. "We just need everybody with a better effort."
Phoenix took a 4-3 lead early in the third with a goal 5:21 into the frame. Shane Doan gathered the puck behind the net and sent a pass out to the right point for Morris, who let fly a wrister that was deflected by Reinprecht on the way in.
The two combined again with 5:38 remaining to gain a 5-3 edge. Morris' shot from the high slot was knocked down in front and Reinprecht collected the disc down low and ripped the puck past a screened Toskala.
Viktor Tikhonov set up Fedoruk between the circles for a goal into a wide open net less than two minutes later as Toskala was out of position and the Coyotes skated away with the win.
"We feel great -- in the locker room everyone feels good and you want to get on that long streak," Hanzal said.
Hanzal found the back of the net on a wrister just 2:07 into the game but Ponikarovsky answered with a rebound in close off a shot by Blake less than two minutes later to even the score.
Hanzal then swatted the puck past Toskala off a carom from an errant shot from Mikkel Boedeker wide of the net with 7:55 remaining in the period to regain the lead. Ponikarovsky, though, had the answer again, taking a feed from Dominic Moore for a quick shot down low that beat Tellqvist with 5:47 left.
Hanzal completed the trick with a short-handed marker just 27 seconds into the middle stanza, taking a feed from Zbynek Michalek in the neutral zone and faking Toskala down to the ice to bury the disc top shelf.
But with 5:05 left in the frame Blake made it a 3-3 game with his fourth of the season. Moore intercepted an errant pass in the neutral zone and carried it into the offensive zone, firing a shot that caromed off Tellqvist before Blake swooped in to pounce on the rebound.
Tellqvist finished off the second period before being replaced by Bryzgalov to start the third.
Game Notes
Phoenix has won its last three versus Toronto, but the Leafs have still won seven of their last 12 against the Coyotes franchise...Tellqvist spent three- plus seasons with Toronto before being traded to Phoenix during the 2006-07 season. He had never faced his former team before Thursday...The Maple Leafs are now 5-7-2 as the road team this season...Moore finished with two helpers for Toronto...It was Hanzal's first career hat trick and also his first career multi-goal game...The Leafs have allowed 33 goals in the last nine games and gave up five-plus goals for the ninth time this season.
<< Abrams career night helps Texas hold off UCLA
Austin, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A.J. Abrams scored a career-high 31 points, as
eighth-ranked Texas held on for a 68-64 win over 12th-ranked UCLA in a Big
12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series matchup at the Frank Erwin Center.
Damion James finished
<< Rivers and Chargers crush Oakland
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philip Rivers threw for three touchdowns and
Vincent Jackson set a career-high with 148 receiving yards, as the San Diego
Chargers routed their AFC West-rival Oakland Raiders, 34-7.
Rivers finished with 2
<< Report: Washington tabs Sarkisian as new head coach
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Southern California offensive coordinator
Steve Sarkisian will reportedly become the next head coach of the Washington
Huskies.
According to The Seattle Times, Sarkisian will take over for an
<< Nowitzki and Mavs down slumping Suns
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dirk Nowitzki poured in 39 points to go along
with nine rebounds, as Dallas trounced struggling Phoenix, 112-97, in a
Western Conference showdown.
Jason Terry scored 19 points and dished out six assi
Spurs crush Nuggets >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tony Parker scored 22 points with eight assists
and Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili added 21 apiece, as San Antonio pounded
Denver, 108-91.
Matt Bonner added 14 points with eight rebounds and Duncan pul
Abrams' career night helps Texas hold off UCLA >>
Austin, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A.J. Abrams scored a career-high 31 points, as
eighth-ranked Texas held on for a 68-64 win over 12th-ranked UCLA in a Big
12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series matchup at the Frank Erwin Center.
Damion James finished
Lakers close out road trip in Washington vs. Wizards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One of the best teams in the NBA visits one of the worst,
as the Los Angeles Lakers close out a three-game road trip tonight against the
Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center.
The Lakers are 1-1 so far on the trek and 6
Reeling Grizzlies welcome woeful Clips to Memphis >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The struggling Los Angeles Clippers will continue a four-
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overall, inclu
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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