Surging Flames visit Canucks, GM Place

Hockey Betting Lines

03/14/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Flames are getting hot at just the right time. Calgary will try to match its longest winning streak of the season tonight when it visits GM Place to take on the Vancouver Canucks.

The Flames have won four straight as they try to repair the damage caused from a 4-10-4 stretch they posted from Jan. 11-March 3. Once challengers for the Northwest Division title, Calgary now finds itself a point back of Detroit for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with a game in hand. The Flames are also just two points behind the seventh-seeded Predators.

Calgary, which won five straight from Dec. 28-Jan. 5, is coming off Thursday's 2-0 shutout of Ottawa. Miikka Kiprusoff made 33 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and 34th of his career.

"It's a big two points for us," said Flames head coach Brent Sutter. "We found a way to win in a game where we weren't at our best. We weren't all that sharp but we did things well enough to find a way to win. With the situation we're in we can't give up points, we need points."

Jamal Mayers and Chris Higgins scored for the Flames, who have lost six of their last nine on the road.

Kiprusoff is 3-1-0 with a 3.51 goals-against average in the Flames' four games versus the Canucks this year and made 19 saves in a 3-2 shootout win at GM Place when the clubs last met on Jan. 9. Jamie Lundmark had the game-tying goal and netted the winner in the shootout.

Vancouver, which has still won seven of its last 11 at home versus the Flames, had to wait nearly two months but it picked up its sixth straight win at home last night with a 5-1 victory over Ottawa. The Canucks were playing at GM Place for the first time since Jan. 27 due to a 14-game road trip that was needed because of the city of Vancouver playing host to the Winter Olympics.

Mikael Samuelsson scored twice to give him 30 goals on the season as well as nine tallies and 12 points over a six-game point streak. Alexandre Burrows, Daniel Sedin and Sami Salo also scored for the Canucks, who went 8-5-1 on their NHL-record road trip.

"We came out and had a great first period, and I think we played one of our best games of the year tonight," said Roberto Luongo, who made 13 saves. "I think we were just excited to get back. It's been such a long time since we've played here."

Sedin pushed his point streak to nine games (2 goals, 12 assists), while Ryan Kesler had a helper to give him five goals and nine assists over a 12-game run of his own.

The Canucks, who own a five-point lead over the Avalanche for first place in the Northwest Division, won the opener of a five-game homestand and improved to 24-7-1 as the host this season.

Luongo is 1-2-1 with a 3.21 GAA in four games versus the Flames this year.

Wwwwildjacks Hockey Betting News

<< Jazz visit Thunder in key Western Conference matchup
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the Western Conference's top teams jockey for playoff position in Oklahoma City Sunday as Kevin Durant and the Thunder welcome the Utah Jazz to town. The Jazz are currently the fourth seed in the jumbled West, 1 1/2

<< Magic shoot for 9th straight win; host Bobcats
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Charlotte Bobcats continue their push for the franchise's first postseason berth tonight against a streaking Orlando team in search of its ninth straight win. The Magic, who are currently the second seed in the Eastern

<< Heat host hapless Sixers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat continue their push toward a postseason berth when they host the lowly Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. The Heat are coming off a huge win over Chicago on Friday in which Quentin Richardson made 7-of-11 three-p

<< Sharks visit Ducks aiming for season series sweep
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After three straight come-from-behind victories, the Sharks finally ran out of magic on Saturday. Good thing they haven't need much when facing the Ducks this year. San Jose kicks off a six-game road trip this evening vers

<< Thrashers shoot for rare victory over Coyotes
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Thrashers couldn't have picked a worse time to post their second-longest losing streak of the season. A visit from the Coyotes on Sunday could extend the winless drought by another game. Atlanta will try to snap a five

Suns resume homestand vs. fading Hornets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Suns hope to get back on the winning track Sunday when they resume a season-long seven-game homestand against the fading New Orleans Hornets at US Airways Center. The Suns fell to 1-2 on their residency Friday

Wolves, Kings clash in Sacramento >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams headed for the NBA Draft Lottery tangle in Sacramento tonight as the Kings play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sacramento lost for the fourth time in five outings on Friday when Brandon Roy poured in 28 poin

Reeling Raptors finish road trip in Portland >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The reeling Toronto Raptors haven't been playing like a team headed toward the postseason and will try and salvage the finale of a four-game road trip Sunday night against the surging Portland Trail Blazers. The Raptors fe

James, Cavs welcome Celtics to the "Q" >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of Eastern Conference heavyweights clash Sunday afternoon as LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers play host to the Boston Celtics. James returned to the Cavaliers lineup Friday in Philadelphia after missing a p

Franchitti takes pole for season-opener in Brazil >>
Sao Paulo, Brazil (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti will start on the pole for the Sao Paulo Indy 300 after posting the fastest time in Sunday's qualifying on the streets of Sao Paulo. One d

Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch

Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.

Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.

"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs.