Sharks hope to end skid vs. struggling Caps

Hockey Betting Lines

02/21/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling teams meet this evening in the nation's capital, where the Washington Capitals host the San Jose Sharks at the Verizon Center.

The Capitals have dropped four games in a row, while the Sharks come into the matchup having lost their last three contests. San Jose hasn't lost four in a row since December 22-28, 2005.

Washington was in action Tuesday evening at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens posted a 5-3 victory, as Chris Higgins and Michael Ryder netted two goals apiece.

Jamie Heward finished with a goal and two assists while Brent Johnson came up with 27 saves for Washington, which is 12 points behind Carolina for the eighth and final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference.

Washington played its third straight game without starting goaltender Olaf Kolzig, who is sidelined indefinitely with a torn MCL in his left knee.

Caps star forward Alexander Ovechkin, who leads his team in goals (34) and assists (38), was held without a point once again in Tuesday's contest. The 21-year-old Russian has been scoreless in three straight games and has just one goal and one assist over his last eight contests.

Starting this evening, the Caps will play five of their next six games on home ice. Washington is 14-12-4 as the host this year.

Meanwhile, the Sharks haven't played since losing an important test in Dallas on Sunday. Mike Ribeiro and Jere Lehtinen both scored a pair of goals to lift the Stars to a 5-2 triumph at the American Airlines Center.

The Sharks and Stars are tied for fifth place in the Western Conference standings with 73 points apiece. The teams are also seven points behind Anaheim for the top spot in the Pacific Division.

Mark Bell and Mike Grier scored Sunday for the Sharks, while Evgeni Nabokov stopped 16 shots.

San Jose captain and leading scorer Patrick Marleau is questionable for tonight's game after missing Tuesday's practice with an illness. Marleau has 29 goals and 35 assists on the season.

The Sharks are expected to have forward Curtis Brown back in the lineup tonight after he missed the last two games due to the birth of his third son. Brown has seven goals and eight assists this year and is key component of San Jose's penalty-killing unit.

Tonight marks the sixth test of an eight-game road trip for San Jose, which is 2-3-0 so far on the swing and 18-11-0 as the visiting club this season.

This evening's game between the Sharks and Capitals marks the only time this season the clubs will meet. San Jose has dominated the series in recent years, winning nine straight overall matchups and five in a row at Washington.

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Chiefs' Treen Green out for Sunday's game

How long Trent Green will remain sidelined is unknown. Coach Herm Edwards said Monday he will miss a second straight start Sunday when the Chiefs host the San Francisco 49ers.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Green was going into a feet-first hook slide when he was knocked unconscious by a thunderous, head-snapping hit from Cincinnati's Robert Geathers.

Oddsmakers at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com currently have the Chiefs listed as 7-point favorites versus the 49ers.

The 49ers got beat by Philadelphia 38-24 as a 6.5-point underdog last week. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (42.5).

Alex Smith completed 27-of-46 passes for 293 yards with a touchdown. Michael Robinson rushed for 29 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five carries.

The Chiefs lost 9-6 to Denver last week as an 11-point underdog. The combined score was well UNDER the posted over/under total (38).

Larry Johnson rushed for 126 yards on 27 carries. Damon Huard completed 17-of-23 passes for 133 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

To visit this online sports book got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.

Barry Bonds Watch: Giants Slugger Says He'll Be Back

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Contract negotiations could get started as early as next week. Let's see which team has the deeper pockets. Will MLB baseball betting lines despite allegations of steroid use? Bet On It at www.MySportsbook.com .

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