Ovechkin returns as Capitals visit Canadiens

Hockey Betting Lines

02/04/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Ovechkin will try to help the Washington Capitals avoid their first three-game slide in over two months, as the star forward returns from suspension today to battle the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.

Ovechkin was banned for three games for an illegal hit on Pittsburgh's Zbynek Michalek on Jan. 22 and Washington went 1-1-1 without him. The Russian sniper also opted to skip the All-Star weekend in Ottawa even though his suspension did not apply to the league's midseason showcase.

Ovechkin, a two-time Hart Trophy winner, is having a down year by his standards, but the 26-year-old Russian is still leading Washington with 20 goals and is second on the team with 39 points.

Both the Capitals and Canadiens will be seeking their first win after the All- Star break today. The Habs have dropped two straight in regulation since the break, while Washington suffered an overtime loss in Tampa on Tuesday before losing a key divisional matchup the following night at Florida. The Caps haven't lost three in a row since an 0-4 stretch from Nov. 25-Dec. 1.

The Capitals are currently sitting ninth in the East standings and are trailing Toronto by two points for the conference's last playoff seed. Washington is also three points in back of Florida for first place in the Southeast Division and the third seed in the East.

Washington missed an opportunity to keep first place in the division when it visited the Panthers on Wednesday. The Caps entered the game leading Florida by a point, but the Panthers posted a 4-2 win to leap past Washington and into first. Mikael Samuelsson tallied twice and Shawn Matthias provided a late insurance goal for Florida.

Brooks Laich and John Carlson tallied for the Capitals, while Michal Neuvirth allowed three goals on 37 shots for the loss.

"I thought we played hard. You don't like to lose like this," said Capitals head coach Dale Hunter. "We were in the game, but it's one of those things where you don't get the breaks you want."

Washington has dropped its last four games on the road and is completing a three-game swing today. The Caps are just 8-14-3 as the guest this year compared to an 18-6-1 mark in D.C.

The Canadiens were dealt a 3-1 loss by visiting Buffalo on Tuesday and then dropped a 5-3 decision Thursday in New Jersey. Montreal held leads of 2-0 and 3-1 over the Devils, but ultimately lost in regulation.

Andrei Kostitsyn, David Desharnais and Mathieu Darche all had goals for the Canadiens, while Carey Price gave up four goals on 21 shots in the loss.

"It's tough to blame the bounces, it was more that we didn't stick together for 60 minutes tonight," said Darche. "It's never over till it's over, but we've dug ourselves a big hole and losing these two games didn't help."

With 47 points, the Canadiens are tied for last in the Eastern Conference and are 11 points out of a playoff spot.

Montreal is kicking off a three-game homestand today and is just 9-10-7 in Quebec this season.

The Canadiens and Caps have met just once this season and that was in Montreal on Jan. 18, when Washington notched a 3-0 win to take its third straight decision in this series. Neuvirth made 31 saves to post the shutout in that outing and Ovechkin scored one of Washington's three goals.

Washington has also claimed three straight in Montreal and is 4-0-1 in its last five trips to the Bell Centre.

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Super Bowl XLIV Odds

Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.

Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.

That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.

Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.

After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.

The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).

To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.

NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV

New England Patriots 8/1

Dallas Cowboys 9/1

New York Giants 10/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1

Indianapolis Colts 12/1

San Diego Chargers 12/1

Baltimore Ravens 14/1

Tennessee Titans 16/1

Carolina Panthers 18/1

Philadelphia Eagles 18/1

New Orleans Saints 20/1

Atlanta Falcons 25/1

Denver Broncos 25/1

Green Bay Packers 25/1

Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1

Minnesota Vikings 25/1

New York Jets 25/1

Arizona Cardinals 30/1

Chicago BearS 30/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1

Buffalo Bills 35/1

Houston TexaNS 35/1

Miami Dolphins 35/1

Washington Redskins 35/1

Seattle SeahawkS 50/1

Cleveland Browns 55/1

Cincinnati Bengals 60/1

San Francisco 49ers 60/1

Oakland Raiders 75/1

St. Louis Rams 75/1

Detroit Lions 100/1

Kansas City Chiefs 100/1

Odds as of: 2/2/09

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.