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12/27/2008 - Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andrei Kostitsyn registered his first career hat trick to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 triumph over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Mellon Arena.
Carey Price was in top form, holding the high-powered Pens to just two goals on 34 shots, while making 17 saves in the third period to quash any chance of a comeback.
Tomas Plekanec twice set up Kostitsyn on similar plays from behind the net as Montreal won for the third time in four games in kicking off a four-game road trip.
The Habs are now 8-5-2 as the visiting team this year and halted a two-game skid away from the Bell Centre.
Sidney Crosby and Pascal Dupuis scored for Pittsburgh, which has now alternated losses and wins over its past nine games in a 5-7-1 month of December.
Dupuis also assisted on Crosby's marker while Marc-Andre Fleury allowed the three scores on just 19 shots. Pittsburgh is now 8-7-2 as the host this season and has dropped three straight and four of five at the Igloo.
Kostitsyn finished off the hat trick and handed the Habs a 3-2 advantage with a blast from outside the right circle that went through the legs of both a Pens' defender and Fleury 2:21 into the final period.
Fleury, though, rolled his body and got a piece of a Maxim Lapierre breakaway moments later to keep it a one-goal game.
Pittsburgh had three power-play opportunities in the third, the last of which came with 3:08 remaining, and Price made a pair of point-blank saves off cross-ice, one-timers over the final minutes to keep the Pens from tying the game.
Montreal got on the board first just 1:15 into the contest. Josh Gorges shot wide from right point and Plekanec picked up the carom behind the net as Fleury lost sight of the puck. Plekanec skated out from behind the net to the left of Fleury, setting up Kostitsyn in front for the easy score.
Pittsburgh used a favorable bounce off the boards to even the score with 5:16 left in the period. Dupuis rifled a shot from the right circle wide of the net but the puck came back off the boards and hit the back of Price's skates and went in.
The Canadiens reclaimed the lead just before the frame was to expire with a nice effort from Plekanec. He threatened with the backhand before skating around the right side of the net, put on the brakes behind Fleury, and set up Kostitsyn again in front with just over one second showing on the clock.
The Pens, though, evened things again 5:51 into the second as Crosby received a dump-in behind the net and quickly moved out to Price's left for the wrap- around score.
Game Notes
This marked the first of four encounters between the Pens and Habs this year...Montreal has taken six of the last 10 in this series overall...The Canadiens have also picked up wins in three straight trips and six of its previous nine stops in Pittsburgh...Penguins defenseman Kris Letang missed a third straight game with an undisclosed lower-body injury.
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The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
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