Betting Odds - Graffiti Wall

(Sunday, November 16th)

Final Score: Denver 24, Atlanta 20

Atlanta, GA - Jay Cutler’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham in the latter half of the fourth quarter lifted the Denver Broncos to a 24-20 come-from-behind win over the Atlanta Falcons. Cutler completed 19-of-27 passes for 216 yards for the Broncos (6-4), who have won two straight and lead the AFC West by two games over San Diego. Brandon Marshall made six grabs for 89 yards, while rookie Peyton Hillis added two rushing scores. Matt Ryan connected on 20-of-33 pass attempts for 250 yards with one interception for Atlanta (6-4), which had a two-game winning streak snapped and trails the front-running Panthers by two games in the NFC South. The Falcons host Carolina next Sunday. Michael Turner rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries for the Falcons, who suffered their first blemish at home in five games. Roddy White led all receivers with 102 yards on five receptions, but couldn’t haul in a potential game-winning touchdown in the late stages of the contest.

Final Score: Carolina 31, Detroit 22

Charlotte, NC - DeAngelo Williams had two rushing touchdowns while Jonathan Stewart had one on the ground as the Carolina Panthers downed the winless Detroit Lions, 31-22, at Bank of America Stadium. Williams finished the game with 14 carries for 120 yards while Stewart had 15 carries for 130 yards for the Panthers (8-2), who have won their last four games. Jake Delhomme went 10-for-19 with 98 yards and a score as Carolina maintained its one-game lead over Tampa Bay, which won on Sunday, for first place in the NFC South. Daunte Culpepper, making his second straight start in place of an injured Dan Orlovsky, went 20-for-35 with 207 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and one rushing touchdown for the Lions (0-10), who have dropped their last 11 games overall and remain the last winless team in the NFL. Kevin Smith had 24 carries for 112 yards.

Final Score: Philadelphia 13, Cincinnati 13 (OT)

Cincinnati, OH - Shayne Graham’s 47-yard field goal attempt with seven seconds left in overtime was wide right, and the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals played to a 13-13 final; the first tie in the NFL since 2002, and only the eighth tie since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970. Donovan McNabb was picked off three times, tying a career-high, and lost a fumble while completing 28-of-58 passes for 339 yards with one touchdown for the Eagles (5-4-1), who played to their first tie 11 years to the day after their last stalemate, a 10-10 final in Baltimore against the Ravens in 1997. T.J. Houshmandzadeh had 12 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown for the Bengals (1-8-1), who squandered a 13-3 lead and earned their first tie since November 9, 1969, a 31-31 finish at Houston against the Oilers. Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 29-of-44 passes for 261 yards with one touchdown for Cincinnati, which took a tie despite being outgained 391-282.

Final Score: Green Bay 37, Chicago 3

Green Bay, WI - Ryan Grant ran for 145 yards and a touchdown as the Green Bay Packers crushed the Chicago Bears, 37-3, in an NFC North battle at Lambeau Field. Aaron Rodgers was an efficient 23-for-30 with 227 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while Greg Jennings and Donald Lee each caught a touchdown for the Packers (5-5), who snapped a two-game slide. Kyle Orton, who missed last week’s loss to Tennessee with an ankle injury, went just 13-for-26 with 138 yards and lost a fumble for the Bears (5-5), who have dropped their past two games. Matt Forte had 64 yards on 16 carries in the loss. Coupled with Minnesota’s loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday, the NFC North now has a three-way tie for first place between Chicago, Minnesota and Green Bay.

Final Score: Indianapolis 33, Houston 27

Indianapolis, IN - Joseph Addai rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown, adding 48 yards and a receiving score on four catches, as Indianapolis snuck past Houston, 33-27, at Lucas Oil Stadium. Peyton Manning completed 30-of-46 passes for 320 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Colts (6-4), who have won three games in a row. Reggie Wayne added seven catches for 90 yards, and Marvin Harrison registered 77 yards and a score on nine receptions. Adam Vinatieri also chipped in by hitting on all four of his field-goal attempts. Steve Slaton led all rushers with 156 yards on 14 carries, with a touchdown, for the Texans (3-7), who have dropped three straight games. Sage Rosenfels threw for 192 yards and a costly late interception on 13-of-18 passes, while Ahman Green added two rushing TDs in defeat.

Final Score: New Orleans 30, Kansas City 20

Kansas City, MO - Pierre Thomas racked up 144 total yards and a TD with 88 rushing and 56 receiving on four grabs as the New Orleans Saints survived a spirited effort from the Kansas City Chiefs with a 30-20 win at Arrowhead Stadium. Drew Brees threw for 266 yards on 25-of-36 attempts with a TD and interception. Lance Moore caught eight passes for 102 yards and a score while Deuce McAllister also rushed for a touchdown for the Saints (5-5). Saints running back Reggie Bush was inactive again as he continues to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery. Tyler Thigpen put together another encouraging performance despite the Chiefs’ second consecutive close loss, hitting on 19-of-38 pass attempts for 235 yards with a pair of TD passes to Dwayne Bowe, who finished with seven grabs for 53 yards. Former Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson was back in the fold following a four-game suspension and rushed for 67 yards on 19 carries. Tony Gonzalez made five receptions for 39 yards before leaving with an undisclosed injury suffered during a third-quarter goal-line series for Kansas City (1-9), which has lost five straight and 18 of its last 19 dating back to last year.

Final Score: Miami 17, Oakland 15

Miami, FL - Dan Carpenter kicked a 38-yard field goal in the final minute, and the Miami Dolphins escaped their matchup against the Oakland Raiders with a 17-15 victory. Johnnie Lee Higgins had just returned a punt 93 yards to the end zone for Oakland with 4:48 to play in the game to give the Raiders a 15-14 edge, but Chad Pennington guided Miami 61 yards down the field to set up Carpenter for his game-winning field goal. Pennington finished the game 16-for-22 passing for 174 yards for the Dolphins (6-4), who have won four straight to pull to within one game of the AFC East-leading New York Jets. Ronnie Brown ran for 101 yards on 16 carries, and Ted Ginn and Patrick Cobbs each had rushing touchdowns in the win. JaMarcus Russell threw for 156 yards on 15-of-22 throws for Oakland (2-8), which has lost four straight games since defeating the Jets in Week 7. Ronald Curry caught six passes for 73 yards, while Zach Miller had four receptions for 67 yards in the loss. Justin Fargas led the paltry Raiders rushing attack with 57 yards on 17 carries.

Final Score: NY Giants 30, Baltimore 10

East Rutherford, NJ - Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw powered a Giants rushing attack that piled up 207 yards on the vaunted Ravens run defense, as New York kept rolling with a 30-10 pounding of Baltimore. Jacobs gained 73 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns on the ground, while Bradshaw gained 96 yards on nine carries for the Giants (9-1), who won their fifth straight after their lone loss of the season, at Cleveland on October 13. Eli Manning completed 13-of-23 passes for 153 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and Aaron Ross returned a tipped pass 50 yards for a touchdown for New York. Joe Flacco completed 20-of-33 passes for 164 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for the Ravens (6-4), who had won four straight. Derrick Mason had seven catches for 82 yards, but it was his drop that led to Ross’ interception in the third quarter. With the loss the Ravens now sit one game behind Pittsburgh for the AFC North lead.

Final Score: Tampa Bay 19, Minnesota 13

Tampa, FL - Matt Bryant kicked four field goals and B.J. Askew rushed for his first career touchdown, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers edged the Minnesota Vikings, 19-13, at Raymond James Stadium. Jeff Garcia completed 23-of-30 passes for 255 yards, while Jerramy Stevens caught six balls for 84 yards for Tampa Bay (7-3), which has won four of its last five games. Warrick Dunn rushed for 53 yards and had four grabs for 65 yards in the win. Tampa Bay is in second place in the NFC South, one game behind Carolina, which defeated Detroit on Sunday. Buccaneers running back Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, who was activated off the physically unable to perform list earlier in the week, was inactive, still recovering from a torn patellar tendon suffered in a contest against Carolina on September 30, 2007. Gus Frerotte finished 14-of-20 for 138 yards, including a four-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Wade. Adrian Peterson rushed 19 times for 85 yards in defeat for the Vikings (5-5), who had won their previous two, but now sit in a three-way tie with Green Bay and Chicago for first place in the NFC North.

Final Score: San Francisco 35, St. Louis 16

San Francisco, CA - Shaun Hill threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score, and Frank Gore rushed for two more TDs, as the San Francisco 49ers crushed the St. Louis Rams, 35-16, at Candlestick Park to give interim head coach Mike Singletary his first triumph with the club. Hill tallied 213 yards through the air, barely missing his career-high of 217 yards, on 15-of-20 passing for the Niners (3-7), who saw their six-game slide become history. Gore racked up 106 yards on 18 touches, while Bryant Johnson and Vernon Davis had TD receptions. Isaac Bruce had one catch for 20 yards in the first game against his former team. Marc Bulger was an 34-of-53 for 295 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions for the Rams (2-8), who have dropped four straight contests. Antonio Pittman gained 95 yards on 14 carries, while Donnie Avery grabbed a career-high nine passes for 93 yards. Dane Looker had a touchdown grab and Josh Brown made 3-of-4 field goal attempts.

Final Score: Arizona 26, Seattle 20

Seattle, WA - Kurt Warner threw for 395 yards while J.J. Arrington ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass, as the Arizona Cardinals fended off a late rally by the Seattle Seahawks and held on for the 26-20 win. Warner finished 32-of-44 with an interception for the Cardinals (7-3), who have won three straight and own a four-game lead over San Francisco in the weak NFC West. The duo of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald turned in a dazzling performance. Boldin made 13 grabs for 186 yards and Fitzgerald added 151 yards on 10 receptions. Neil Rackers kicked four field goals and rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had two interceptions for Arizona. Matt Hasselbeck looked to spark an anemic offense in his return from a five-game absence due to a back issue. The veteran quarterback completed 17-of-29 passes for 170 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions for the Seahawks (2-8), who have lost three games in a row since besting the 49ers in San Francisco on October 26. T.J. Duckett ran for a pair of scores in defeat and Deion Branch caught four passes for 54 yards in his return. Branch, the Super Bowl XXXIX MVP as a member of the Patriots, had been hampered by a bruised heel that kept him out for the past five games.

Final Score: Tennessee 24, Jacksonville 14

Jacksonville, FL - Kerry Collins and Justin Gage connected on a pair of long touchdowns, including a back-breaking, fourth-quarter toss, as Tennessee shook off an 11-point halftime deficit to move to 10-0 for the first time in franchise history with its 24-14 triumph over Jacksonville. Collins completed 13-of-23 passes for 230 yards, and also threw a TD pass to Brandon Jones. Chris Johnson and LenDale White combined for 116 yards on 31 carries for the Titans (10-0). Tennessee also extended a franchise- record with 13 straight regular-season wins dating back to December 16 of last season and notched its seventh straight road victory in the process. Maurice Jones-Drew gained 66 yards on 17 carries and scored both touchdowns for the Jags (4-6), who ended a two-game slide with last weekend’s blowout victory over the winless Lions. Jones-Drew also had three catches for 27 yards to pace the Jags’ receiving corps while David Garrard was just 13-of-30 passing for 135 yards and a pick in the loss.

Final Score: Pittsburgh 11, San Diego 10

Pittsburgh, PA - Jeff Reed’s 32-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a narrow 11-10 victory over the San Diego Chargers at a snowy and blustery Heinz Field. Ben Roethlisberger went 31-for-41 passing for 308 yards for the Steelers (7-3), who hold a one-game edge over Baltimore for the top spot in the AFC North after the Ravens lost to the Giants. Willie Parker ran for 115 yards on 25 carries, and Hines Ward caught 11 passes for 124 yards in the victory. Philip Rivers struggled to fight the wintry conditions, completing 15-of-26 passes for 162 yards and two interceptions for the Chargers (4-6), who sit two games behind first-place Denver in the AFC West after the Broncos’ victory over the Falcons on Sunday. LaDainian Tomlinson led the team in both rushing and receiving, garnering 100 total yards and a score on 18 carries and three receptions.

Final Score: Dallas 14, Washington 10

Landover, MD - Tony Romo returned after a three-game absence and hit Martellus Bennett with a 25-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown that proved to be the game-winner, as the Dallas Cowboys pulled out a critical 14-10 win over NFC East rival Washington. Romo, playing with a heavy bandage over a broken pinkie on his throwing hand suffered October 12 against the Cardinals, did enough to win in his return to the lineup, throwing for 198 yards with two interceptions on 19-of-27 passes for Dallas (6-4), which dropped two of three without its star signal-caller. Marion Barber rushed for a TD and was effective in running out the clock in the fourth quarter, finishing with 114 yards on 24 carries. Barber also had six catches for a team-high 39 yards. Jason Campbell threw for a mediocre 162 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 22-of-34 efficiency for Washington (6-4), which has dropped two straight. Clinton Portis, who was a game-time decision after suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee in a November 3 loss to Pittsburgh, carried the ball 15 times for 68 yards in the loss. Chris Cooley led the Redskins in receiving with seven grabs for 47 yards.

(Sunday, November 16th)

Final Score: Toronto 107, Miami 96

Toronto, ON - Chris Bosh scored a team-high 27 points and had seven rebounds, and Jermaine O’Neal had 11 points and 18 boards as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Miami Heat, 107-96, at Air Canada Centre. Will Solomon chipped in with 15 points and a career-high 11 assists, while Andrea Bargnani had 12 points for the Raptors, who snapped a brief two-game losing skid. Toronto has won five straight over Miami. Dwyane Wade had a game-high 29 points and added eight assists, and rookie Michael Beasley had 13 points and six boards for the Heat, who have lost three of their last five.

Final Score: Orlando 90, Charlotte 85

Charlotte, NC - Hedo Turkoglu scored a game-high 20 points, as the Orlando Magic wrapped up a three-game road trip with a 90-85 win over the Charlotte Bobcats. Rashard Lewis added 17 points and six rebounds for the Magic, who went 3-0 on the trip and have won seven of eight overall. Mickael Pietrus finished with 18 points, while Dwight Howard ended with just four points and seven rebounds before fouling out. Keith Bogans had just seven points, but made several key shots and free throws at the end of the fourth quarter to boost Orlando to the win. Gerald Wallace scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Bobcats, who have lost three of four. Raymond Felton and Adam Morrison each scored 14 points, as no other Charlotte player ended in double figures.

Final Score: Dallas 124, New York 114 (OT)

New York, NY - Dirk Nowitzki scored a season-high 39 points and hauled in 15 rebounds to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 124-114 overtime victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Josh Howard added season-highs of 31 points and 14 boards for the Mavs, who snapped a five-game skid. Jason Terry poured in 20 points and had four steals, while Brandon Bass and James Singleton had 12 points apiece. Zach Randolph chipped in 27 points and 18 boards for the Knicks, who lost for just the second time in their last seven games. Quentin Richardson had 17 points in the loss, while Jamal Crawford and Chris Duhon had 16 points each.

Final Score: Denver 90, Minnesota 84

Denver, CO - The acquisition of Chauncey Billups continues to pay early dividends for the Nuggets, as the guard scored a game-high 26 points, including a critical three-pointer in crunch time, to seal Denver’s 90-84 victory over the reeling Minnesota Timberwolves. Billups, acquired in a November 3 trade that sent Allen Iverson to Detroit, added five assists and five rebounds for the Nuggets, who have won five of six with Billups in the lineup. Carmelo Anthony contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds to the winning effort. J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza came off the bench and posted 14 and 11 points, respectively, for the victors. Al Jefferson’s 20 points and 14 boards weren’t enough to snap Minnesota’s seven-game slide. Randy Foye recorded 18 points, six assists and five rebounds in defeat.

Final Score: Phoenix 104, Detroit 86

Phoenix, AZ - Amare Stoudemire scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns in a 104-86 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Steve Nash chipped in 17 points and seven assists for the Suns, who have won two straight and four of their last five. Boris Diaw gave 13 points and Grant Hill 11 in the win. Richard Hamilton led the way with 19 points for the Pistons, who saw their three-game win streak come to an end. Rodney Stuckey had 12 points and Rasheed Wallace 11 and nine boards in defeat. Shaquille O’Neal was whistled for a flagrant foul two as he threw Stuckey to the ground chest-first as Stuckey went for a layup with 5:19 left in the second quarter. O’Neal had 12 points before his ejection.

Final Score: San Antonio 90, Sacramento 88

Sacramento, CA - Tim Duncan finished with 20 points, which included the game’s final two baskets, as the San Antonio Spurs held on for a 90-88 win over the Sacramento Kings. Duncan also had 10 rebounds, while Michael Finley scored 21 for San Antonio, which has won two in a row. Roger Mason added 18 points in the win for the Spurs, who hadn’t won two games in a row this season entering Sunday’s matchup. John Salmons led the way with 31 points for the Kings, who have lost two in a row. Beno Udrih had 16 points for Sacramento, while Brad Miller added 10 points and eight rebounds, but missed the potential game-tying shot late in the game.

(Sunday, November 16th)

Final Score: (6) Michigan State 100, Idaho 62

East Lansing, MI - Chris Allen and Raymar Morgan both scored 21 points, as sixth-ranked Michigan State opened the 2008-09 season with a 100-62 rout of the Idaho Vandals. Morgan shot 7-of-8 from the floor while Allen finished 7-of-12, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, for the Spartans (1-0), who were bounced by Memphis in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament last season and are expected to challenge for the national title again. Kalin Lucas had 13 points and nine assists for Michigan State, which improved to 88-22 all-time in season openers. Goran Suton scored 10 points and Marquise Gray grabbed eight rebounds. Mac Hopson posted 13 points and dished out five assists to pace the Vandals (1-1), who got 10 points and eight boards from Brandon Wiley.

Final Score: (8) Duke 82, Rhode Island 79

Durham, NC - Kyle Singler scored 21 points and made the go- ahead free throws with 19.4 seconds remaining in the game, as eighth-ranked Duke got a scare but came back to edge Rhode Island 82-79, at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Singler finished 6-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-8 from three-point range and converted 6-of-8 free throws for the Blue Devils, who extended their win streak to 62 straight over non-conference opponents at home. The Blue Devils have now won 192 of their last 195 non-conference home games. Jon Scheyer scored a team-high 23 points, while Nolan Smith and Lance Thomas each chipped in with 10 points for Duke (3-0). Gerald Henderson had nine points. The Blue Devils opened up their season last week by routing both Presbyterian (80-49) and Georgia Southern (97-54). Jimmy Baron had a strong game for the upset-minded Rams (1-1), finishing with a game-high 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Delroy James contributed with career-high 21 points and eight boards, while Keith Cothran had 10 for Rhode Island.

Final Score: (9) Notre Dame 94, SC-Upstate 58

South Bend, IN - Luke Harangody logged 30 points and 14 rebounds to jump-start his All-American campaign as the ninth-ranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame opened their season with a 94-58 blowout victory over South Carolina-Upstate at the Joyce Center. Harangody, the 2008 Big East Player of the Year, hit 12-of-21 from the field, while Luke Zeller netted four three-pointers en route to an 18-point effort for the Irish (1-0), who finished last season with a 25-8 record before bowing out miserably in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Zach Hillesland and Kyle McAlarney dropped 13 and 10 points, respectively, in the win. Bobby Davis finished with a team-high 14 points, and Nick Schneiders posted 12 points and seven rebounds for the Spartans of USC Upstate (0-2), who dropped their season opener Friday against Georgia.

Final Score: (19) Florida 81, Bradley 58

Gainesville, FL - Dan Werner scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting to lead the Florida Gators to a convincing 81-58 victory over the Bradley Braves in the 2008 O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. Nick Calathes added 13 points and seven rebounds, while Walter Hodge also had 17 points in the win for Florida (2-0), which started off its season with an 80-58 win over Toledo. Chandler Parsons had 10 rebounds to go along with four points for the 19th-ranked Gators. Florida went 14-of-32 from three-point range in the win. Dodie Dunson scored 15 points to lead the Braves (1-1), who were coming off a win over Illinois-Chicago. Chris Roberts scored 13 points, while Sam Singh added six points and seven rebounds off the bench.

Final Score: (24) Kansas 71, UMKC 56

Lawrence, KS - Sherron Collins scored 16 points to lead 24th- ranked Kansas past the UMKC Kangaroos, 71-56, in the season-opener for the defending national champion Jayhawks as part of the O’Reilly CBE Classic. Cole Aldrich added 13 points and five rebounds for Kansas (1-0), which hosts Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday. Tyrel Reed had 12 points in the win, while Markieff Morris had just seven points but grabbed 15 rebounds. Kansas, at 37-3 last year, won its third national championship and first since 1988 with an overtime victory over Memphis. Dane Brumagin scored 14 points for the Kangaroos (0-2), who will play at Wichita State on Wednesday. Reggie Hamilton had 13 points in defeat, while Latreze Mushatt grabbed 10 boards. The Kangaroos finished with an 11-21 overall record and a 6-12 mark in Summit League play last season.

Final Score: (25) Wisconsin 68, Long Beach State 61

Madison, WI - Marcus Landry scored 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and 25th-ranked Wisconsin held on for a 68-61 win over Long Beach State in the Badgers’ season-opener. Jason Bohannon scored 12 points, but made only 3-of-12 shots for Wisconsin (1-0), which struggled to pull away from its opponent out of the Big West. Donovan Morris led the 49ers (0-2) with 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting. Arturas Lazdauskas had eight points and nine rebounds for Long Beach State, which drew even with the Badgers with under five minutes remaining, but couldn’t wrestle the lead away from the defending Big Ten regular season and tournament champions in the final minutes.

(Sunday, November 16th)

Final Score: Carolina 3, Tampa Bay 2 (SO)

Raleigh, NC - Tuomo Ruutu scored the game-winner in the shoo tout, as the Carolina Hurricanes handed Tampa Bay’s new head coach Rick Tocchet a loss in his coaching debut with a 3-2 win over the Lightning at the RBC Center. Ruutu was the first shooter and he buried a wrister past Mike Smith. Vincent Lecavalier went to the backhand and tried to slide the puck between the five-hole, but Cam Ward closed it up. After Rod Brind’Amour flicked a wrister under the glove of Smith, Jussi Jokinen had to score to keep the game alive, but he stopped in front of the net and shot the puck off the left post. Wade Brookbank and Brind’Amour each had a goal in regulation while Ward made 26 saves for the Hurricanes, who snapped a three-game skid. Martin St. Louis and Lecavalier each had a goal while Smith made 28 saves for the Lightning, who have lost four straight and six of seven overall. The Lightning made the coaching change Friday, relieving Barry Melrose of his duties after just 16 games and replacing him on an interim basis with associate coach Tocchet.

Final Score: Montreal 3, St. Louis 2 (SO)

St. Louis, MO - Alex Kovalev scored the lone goal of the shootout and Andrei Kostitsyn had a goal and an assist in regulation as the Montreal Canadiens edged the St. Louis Blues, 3-2, at Scottrade Center. Robert Lang also tallied, while Carey Price was solid between the pipes, stopping 24-of-26 shots for Montreal, which had dropped four of its previous five. The Canadiens won despite going scoreless in 10 chances with a man advantage. Steve Regier accounted for both St. Louis goals, the first two of his NHL career. The 24-year-old Regier, who was recalled from the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Peoria, was playing in only his 19th career NHL contest. His previous 18 games were with the New York Islanders. Manny Legace made 24 saves for the Blues, who have lost nine of their last 11 games. After the first five shooters were unsuccessful in the shoo tout, Kovalev skated straight in on Legace, faked the forehand shot, then put the backhander past the netminder to the glove side just under the crossbar to give the Canadiens the two points.

Final Score: Philadelphia 4, Atlanta 3

Philadelphia, PA - Simon Gagne registered a goal and two assists as the Philadelphia Flyers ended Atlanta’s bid for a franchise record sixth straight win with a 4-3 victory at the Wachovia Center. Antero Niittymaki continued his dominance over Atlanta, moving to 11-0-0 for his career against the club. Niittymaki also started the October 28 7-0 rout of Atlanta, earning his fourth career shutout in the process. Mike Knuble notched a goal and assist for the Flyers, who have won 12 straight and 15 of the last 16 encounters between the two clubs. Erik Christensen, Slava Kozlov and Bryan Little each notched a goal while Ilya Kovalchuk had two assists. Johan Hedberg made 28 saves for the Thrashers, who also had a two-game winning streak as the visitor snapped. The Thrashers, who have also dropped five straight and nine of 10 in Philadelphia, last beat the Flyers on November 18, 2005.

Final Score: San Jose 6, Chicago 5

Chicago, IL - Dan Boyle scored twice, and Devin Setoguchi netted the deciding goal late in the third period to give the San Jose Sharks a wild, 6-5 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Joe Thornton added a goal and assist, while Joe Pavelski had three helpers for the Sharks, who have won two in a row and also scored six goals in each contest. It was San Jose’s ninth victory in the last 11 games. Brian Boucher made 28 saves for San Jose in place of Evgeni Nabokov, who remains sidelined with a lower body injury. Kris Versteeg netted a pair of goals for the Blackhawks, who have lost three in a row. Brian Campbell and Cameron Barker each finished with a goal and two assists in the loss. Cristobal Huet made 25 saves for Chicago, which has dropped 12 consecutive games to the Sharks.

Final Score: Anaheim 2, Los Angeles 0

Anaheim, CA - Jonas Hiller made 29 saves to notch his first career shutout, as the Anaheim Ducks posted a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Corey Perry and Bret Hedican tallied for Anaheim, which snapped a three-game losing streak. The Ducks have won four of the past five meetings between the clubs, which includes another shutout — 1-0, in overtime — just 12 days prior to Sunday’s contest. Erik Ersberg made 24 saves in a losing effort for the Kings, who have lost two in a row after a four-game win streak. Los Angeles has been shut out four times this season.