Gainey steps down as Canadiens GM, Gauthier takes over
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02/08/2010 - Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Montreal Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey has decided to step down from his post and hand the reins over to Pierre Gauthier, the club announced on Monday.
"After a long and difficult period of reflection, I have decided to step down as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens," Gainey said an afternoon press conference. "Effective today, those responsibilities fall to my friend, Pierre Gauthier. I've done my best, and now it's time for me to pass the torch."
Gauthier, who served as the Canadiens' assistant GM since July 2006, will take over as both general manager and executive vice president.
The 56-year-old Montreal native came to the Habs in 2003 after serving with the Anaheim and Ottawa organizations, beginning his career with the Quebec Nordiques from 1981-93 in the scouting department.
Gainey had served as the team's general manager since June 2003, and the Habs have posted a 241-176-46-7 record with four playoff appearances since his hiring.
In 2007-08, the Canadiens went 47-25-10 and finished first in the Eastern Conference with 104 points. Montreal was then upended by the Philadelphia Flyers in a five-game conference semifinal series. Montreal also suffered the indignity of a first-round four-game defeat to bitter rival Boston in last season's playoffs during the franchise's 100th anniversary celebrations.
During his tenure with the club, Gainey also served as head coach for the second half of 2005-06 before handing the job to Guy Carbonneau following the season.
As a player, Gainey spent all 16 years of his NHL career with the team, winning five Stanley Cups in six tries.
Following his time in the NHL, the 56-year-old became the head coach of the Minnesota North Stars in 1990-91, helping the team get to the Stanley Cup Finals. Serving as the head coach until 1996, when the team was located in Dallas, he was also the franchise's general manager from 1992-2002 and guided the Stars to a 1999 Stanley Cup championship.
"The support that we've had from our new generation of fans, along with the old tradition and that the bridge between our old and new fans is complete," Gainey said when asked what he'll remember most about his tenure in the front office. "We've been in the playoffs steadily the whole time and that's been a good thing."
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Colts give the ‘D’ its due
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
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