Promising goalies poised for breakout

Hockey Betting Lines

08/06/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The parity of the cap-era NHL claimed another victim this past week when the Chicago Blackhawks traded Stanley Cup winning goalie Antti Niemi in favor of an aging Marty Turco and a paltry $1.45 million in cap relief.

Whether this move pays dividends for the Hawks is unknown, but walking away from a 26-year old goaltender who put up impressive numbers in the regular season and didn't wilt in the playoffs could prove as a major source of dismay.

What's even more surprising is the number of young goalies who enjoyed tremendous success a season ago.

Aside from Niemi, fellow freshmen Tuukka Rask and Jimmy Howard had no trouble cutting their teeth as everyday starters despite having combined for only 10 games NHL experience prior to last season.

Expect more of the same this year, and look for other netminders to make their mark and perhaps steal away a job from a seasoned starter.

In Los Angeles, Jonathan Quick better look over his shoulder because Jonathan Bernier is quickly approaching everyday duties and could be poised for a breakout year.

Despite putting up respectable numbers and backstopping the Kings to their first playoff berth since 2002, Quick could find himself battling for minutes with Bernier, who was named the American Hockey League's Most Outstanding Goalie for the Manchester Monarchs last season.

In his brief three-game stint with the Kings in 2010, Bernier went 3-0 with a 1.30 goals-against average, .957 save percentage and a shutout.

Although Quick is a promising youngster himself, the future throne in L.A. looks to belong to Bernier.

Another goalie looking to emerge from the shadows of obscurity is San Jose's Thomas Greiss.

Having trained under the wing of KHL-bound backstop Evgeni Nabokov, Greiss will have every opportunity this season to show he is ready to steal the spotlight.

His competition between the pipes will be newly acquired Anterro Niittymaki, who will be likely pegged to receive the majority of starts.

But unlike the many serviceable years provided by Nabokov, the Sharks no longer have the luxury of relying on a clear-cut number, giving Greiss a perfect platform to prove he can get the job done.

While he didn't see much action last year, the Cologne, Germany native proved capable of weathering the storm when called upon, a fact reflected by his sparkling .922 save percentage.

Speaking of sparkling, Jacob Markstrom, the shiniest of goaltending prospects, has made the move from Sweden and should challenge for a position on the Florida Panthers roster this season.

With Thomas Vokoun the clear-cut starter, the 20-year old Swede will have to win the backup role from journeyman Scott Clemmensen.

This past year, the 31st overall pick in 2008 put up astounding numbers for Brynas IF of the Swedish Elite League while also representing his country at the 2010 World Championship. As a result, the 6'4" phenom has drawn favorable comparisons to fellow countryman Henrik Lundqvist.

It wouldn't be shocking to see Markstrom start the year in the AHL, but based on his raw skill and athleticism, Panthers GM Dale Tallon might be forced to give the kid a shot sooner rather than later.

Whether it's parity or productivity, the emergence of young goaltenders has proven to become a staple of success for many franchises across the NHL landscape.

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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

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LaDainian Tomlinson Favorite to be 2007 NFL MVP

With the first NFL preseason game less than two weeks away, it is time to start thinking about football once again at MySportsbook.com. Reigning NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson is currently the 5-1 co-favorite to win the award again alongside Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning.

This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone after his all out assault on the record books last season. For those suffering from amnesia or were under a rock last football season, all L.T. did last season was set the NFL record for rushing touchdowns (28), total touchdowns (31) and total points scored (186) to go along with his 1815 rushing yards and 508 receiving yards. At 6-1, Tom Brady is next in line which isn’t surprising considering all of the firepower the Pats added over the off-season. With the addition of Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker; it would be quite difficult for Brady’s numbers not to improve from last years 3529 yards and 24 touchdowns. There appears to be some decent value in Drew Bees at 10-1 considering he probably would have won the award last year if it wasn’t for L.T.’s record breaking season.

There is no reason to think the Saints will come back to earth this season and playing in a weak NFC, they should have as good a shot as any to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. At 15-1, Donovan McNabb could also be worth a look. Remember, many felt he was the MVP of the first half of the season before going down with a season ending injury. Reportedly, he is in great shape and well ahead of schedule to return to form. Also, he could have some added motivation to put up big numbers this season with the Eagles using their first pick in the draft on McNabb’s future successor Kevin Kolb.

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