Results tagged “Ducks” from The Sports Desk

If you're looking for big improvement in the Kings and Ducks in the NHL season that gets under way for the locals tonight (Ducks at San Jose, 7:30 p.m.), you must know something the oddsmakers don't.

The Stanley Cup odds at thespread.com make the Ducks 12-1 to win the championship, fifth on the board, after they tied for the league's fourth best record last season, and the Kings 100-1, in a cluster at the bottom, coming off a tie for the worst record.

The complete NHL odds, broken down by divisions:

Western Conference

Pacific
San Jose 10-1
Anaheim 12-1
Dallas 20-1
Phoenix 50-1
Kings 100-1

Central
Detroit 7-2
Chicago 20-1
Nashville 20-1
St. Louis 60-1
Columbus 100-1

Northwest
Edmonton 20-1
Calgary 25-1
Minnesota 25-1
Vancouver 30-1
Colorado 40-1

Eastern Conference

Northeast
Montreal 8-1
Ottawa 20-1
Buffalo 30-1
Boston 40-1
Toronto 100-1

Atlantic
Pittsburgh 8-1
N.Y. Rangers 15-1
New Jersey 20-1
Philadelphia 20-1
N.Y. Islanders 100-1

Southeast
Washington 15-1
Tampa Bay 30-1
Carolina 40-1
Florida 40-1
Atlanta 100-1

One in an occasional series about the people behind the Los Angeles Newspaper Group's sports bylines:

When Elliott Teaford began his first season on the Lakers beat for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, he had no idea it would still be going and hitting its dramatic peak here in June. Teaford, 46, who was born in Milwaukee and grew up in Philadelphia, has spent his entire sportswriting career in Southern California and has covered high school sports, major-league baseball and hockey as well as basketball. But he says none of those experiences matched this one, on which he been on the scene practically every day watching the Lakers rise from the controversy of last summer to the NBA Finals that open Thursday in Boston. Elliott is used to asking the questions, not answering them. But he had some interesting thoughts when I posed some questions to him on-line ...

Let's see how closely you read the Daily News sports section Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Ten-question quiz. Answers at the end.

1. What got UCLA coach Rich Neuheisel upset during football spring practice?

a. Offensive linemen kept losing focus against the defense's third-down nickel package
b. Players ditched Tuesday's practice in keeping with the school's "Going Over the Wall" tradition
c. He needed Memphis in the NCAA tournament final

The sports world has a lot going on the rest of April. I've written down nine big events, leaving room for your suggestion to make it an even 10. My question is: Which event in the next couple of weeks are you really looking forward to?

The Masters (through Sunday): Tiger Woods goes for his fifth green jacket, batting arch-rival Somebody Else.

Ducks in NHL playoffs (round 1 continues Saturday): The champs have to dig deeper after Thursday's 4-0 loss to Dallas.

Lakers' stretch run (regular season ends Tuesday): They can finish anywhere from first to sixth in the conference.

Dodgers, Angels face San Diego, Seattle (this weekend): With Bay Area clubs weakened, these might be the rivals.

Final Kentucky Derby preps (Saturday): In Blue Grass, Pyro and Cool Coal Man try to scare Fla. Derby winner Big Brown.

Long Beach Grand Prix (April 20): It's the last go-round for Champ Cars before the circuit merges with the IRL.

Hollywood Park opens (April 23): The 70th anniversary meet for the Inglewood track whose future is in doubt.

NFL draft (April 26-27): An ESPN mock draft has the Raiders using No. 4 pick on Heisman runner-up Darren McFadden.

Champions League semifinals (April 22-23, 29-30): Chelsea vs. Liverpool and Barcelona-Man U. will set May 21 finalists.