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02/11/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins are trying not to panic during their recent skids. The two clubs look to get right this afternoon as the Predators visit the Bruins.
Though Nashville is 14-4-1 over its past 19 games, the club has lost three of its past four and Thursday's 4-3 loss in Ottawa dropped the club two points behind St. Louis for second place in the Central Division and fourth overall in the Western Conference.
The Predators got a goal and an assist from Martin Erat in Thursday's loss, giving him two goals and six points in his past three games, while Patric Hornqvist and Gabriel Bourque added scores. Ryan Suter notched two assists.
"I thought we weren't as engaged as we needed to be," Predators head coach Barry Trotz said. "We were very sloppy and if you're going to play against a desperate team, you can't play a sloppy, light game."
Pekka Rinne was touched for all four goals on 29 shots and has now allowed seven goals in back-to-back losses after yielding more than two just once over his club-record 11-game win streak from Jan. 7-Feb. 4.
Nashville played without Brian McGrattan due to an upper-body injury and he is questionable for this game.
The Bruins' struggles have gone on a bit longer than the Predators as the defending Stanley Cup champions are 5-6-1 in their last 12. They now trail the Rangers by five points for the top spot in the East and their lead over the second-place Senators in the Northeast Division has dipped to five.
Boston was humbled in Buffalo on Wednesday, dropping a 6-0 decision. Ryan Miller made 36 saves for the Sabres, while Tuukka Rask got the start for the Bruins and was touched for three goals on 10 shots before getting lifted early in the second period.
Rask was replaced by Tim Thomas, who made 16 saves on 19 shots.
"We just have to pick ourselves up off the ground and come to the next game ready to give the best effort we can," said Thomas.
Boston was coming off a 4-1 win over Washington last Sunday, but failed to win two straight for the first time since Jan. 10-12.
The Predators have won two of their past three versus the Bruins, picking up both triumphs beyond regulation. That includes a 4-3 overtime win at home on March 17 of last year, with Shea Weber netting the winner on a power play and Rinne making 35 saves.
Rask got the start for the Bruins and ended with 27 saves.
The Bruins did log a 3-2 victory in the Preds' last trip to Boston on Oct. 21, 2009.
<< Frustrated Kings visit Islanders
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It has been an offensively-frustrating road trip for the
Los Angeles Kings, one they will continue this afternoon against a New York
Islanders club that failed to post a point for the first time in six games
last time out.
<< Clippers continue road trip in Charlotte
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers continue their lengthy Grammy Road
Trip by visiting the Queen City to take on the hapless Charlotte Bobcats.
Chris Paul buried a game-winning shot with 3.2 seconds remaining on Friday as
the Clippe
<< Nuggets aim to snap skid in Indy
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets will try to halt a season-high five-game
losing streak when they visit the Hoosier State to take on the Indiana
Pacers.
The Nuggets have hit the skids and hit them hard, dropping four of five during
the
<< Panthers shoot for rare win in Jersey
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers hope to reclaim sole possession of
first place in the Southeast Division with a scarce road win against the
Devils this afternoon in New Jersey.
The Panthers have posted a 5-5-4 record over their last
Spurs take Rodeo Road Trip to New Jersey >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Antonio will resume its annual Rodeo Road Trip on
Saturday in New Jersey by welcoming back Manu Ginobili to the lineup.
Ginobili, who has missed more than a month with a broken left hand, will
likely come off the bench
Sens try to build momentum vs. Oilers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With a lengthy losing streak finally over, the Ottawa
Senators hope they can keep heading in the right direction when they host the
Edmonton Oilers today at Scotiabank Place.
The Senators went 0-6-1 from Jan. 21-Feb. 7, bu
Staal set to return as Pens host Jets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The well-rested Pittsburgh Penguins hope a three-game
homestand and the return of Jordan Staal can get them back on track today, as
they'll try to avoid losing for the fourth time in five games when they host
the Winnipeg Jet
Georgia seeks upset of No. 20 Mississippi State >>
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A good old-fashioned dog fight will take
place in Starkville today, as SEC foes Georgia and Mississippi State do battle
at Humphrey Coliseum.
Georgia comes in with an overall record of 11-12, and the team's
Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
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