Blue Jackets continue playoff quest versus Lightning

Hockey Betting Lines

03/24/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets will continue the quest for the franchise's first-ever playoff berth when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at St. Pete Times Forum.

The Blue Jackets have never qualified for the postseason since entering the league as an expansion club for the 2000-01 campaign. With a franchise-record 82 points, Columbus is currently sixth in the West and five points ahead of eighth-seeded Nashville for the conference's final playoff spot.

Columbus has helped its postseason chances recently, as it has won two straight and six of its last seven games.

The Blue Jackets were last in action Saturday at Florida and recorded a 3-1 decision. Raffi Torres scored twice late in the third period as Columbus came from behind to defeat the Panthers, 3-1, at BankAtlantic Center.

Antoine Vermette added a late empty-net goal for the Blue Jackets and has registered eight points (5 goals, 3 assists) in seven games since coming over from Ottawa at the trade deadline. The veteran forward has combined for 14 goals and 36 points in 69 games with the Jackets and Senators this season.

Rookie Steve Mason stopped 22 shots to improve to 30-17-3 on the year.

Columbus has won three straight on the road and is closing out a two-game tour of the Sunshine State tonight. The Blue Jackets are just 15-17-4 as the visiting team this season.

With 62 points, the 14th-seeded Lightning are headed for a second straight season without a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Tampa has not fared well in the spoiler role recently, as the club has dropped three straight and seven of its last nine games.

However, the Lightning have managed to record a point in five of their last six, posting a 2-1-3 record over that stretch.

The Bolts were handed a shootout loss their last time out, losing Saturday's 4-3 decision to visiting Atlanta. Slava Kozlov scored the first goal of the game and netted the winner in the shootout, as the Thrashers edged Tampa Bay, 4-3, at the Forum.

After the first three shooters in the extra segment were turned away, Kozlov fired a wrister past the stick side of Karri Ramo. Martin St. Louis was then stopped by Johan Hedberg to end the game.

Steven Stamkos lit the lamp twice, while Vaclav Prospal had the other goal for the Lightning. Ramo turned aside 33 shots for Tampa Bay, which fell to 3-10 this season in shootouts.

St. Louis recorded an assist in the loss and has reached the scoresheet in eight straight games, notching five goals and six helpers during the run. Stamkos, meanwhile, has four goals and two assists during a five-game point streak.

The Lightning have gone winless (0-1-2) on a four-game homestand that ends tonight. Tampa has lost six in a row on home ice and is just 11-15-11 as the host this season.

Columbus has won two of the last three meetings with the Lightning, but has just one win in four all-time trips to Tampa. The clubs last met at the Forum on January 13, 2006, when the Lightning recorded a 4-2 decision.

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Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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Pacific-10 Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Stanford

Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.

Should be in:

Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.

Southeastern Conference odds
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State

It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.

Work left to do:

Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.

Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.

Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile.

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