Playoff-bound Avs visit Oilers

Hockey Betting Lines

04/07/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Now that they are headed back to the playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche will try to build some momentum in the final week of the regular season.

The Avalanche will also complete their road schedule tonight when they visit the lowly Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place.

Colorado finished last in the Western Conference last season, but on Tuesday night were able to get back to the playoffs for the second time in three years. The Avs became the eighth and final team in the West to earn a trip to the postseason by winning in Vancouver on Tuesday and getting help from San Jose, which beat Calgary to eliminate the Flames from playoff contention.

The Avs will now focus on trying to move up from the eighth seed as they are three points behind Detroit for the seventh spot. The Red Wings host Columbus tonight, and like Colorado, Detroit has three games left in the regular season.

Colorado's shootout victory over the Canucks on Tuesday was the second straight victory for the Avs after losing their previous four games, Matt Duchene scored in the third round of the shootout to lift the Avalanche to the 4-3 victory at GM Place.

Duchene was the last skater as all previous five shooters were stopped. He came in on net and faked to the forehand before stuffing the puck between Roberto Luongo for the win.

"Our goal all season was to make the playoffs and silence all the critics who said we were going to be 14th or 15th in the West," said Duchene. "To now clinch a playoff spot it feels amazing."

Duchene leads all rookies in goals (23) and points (54) this season and is a leading candidate to win the Calder Memorial Trophy.

Colorado played its first game without forward Peter Mueller, who has nine goals and 11 assists in 15 games with Colorado since coming over from Phoenix in a trade deadline deal. Mueller scored twice and had an assist in Sunday's overtime win against San Jose before suffering a concussion in the third period when he was driven into the boards by San Jose's Rob Blake. Mueller is out indefinitely.

The Avalanche have a 19-16-5 record as the guest this year and snapped a four- game road losing streak with the win in Vancouver. Colorado will host Chicago on Friday before capping the regular season Sunday against visiting Los Angeles.

Assured of the worst record in the NHL this year, the lowly Oilers were able to end a five-game losing streak in their last game. Edmonton ended its slide with a win against another team that will not be seen in the playoffs, beating the visiting Minnesota Wild by a 4-1 count.

Devan Dubnyk stopped 25 shots to lead the Oilers. Ethan Moreau and Dustin Penner each had two goals for the Oilers.

"We have very good support from our fans and we're very aware of the fact," said Moreau. "We talk about that believe it or not before the games and in practice that we have to find some energy to play for the people that support us and I think we've done a relatively good job of that of late."

Edmonton needs three points over its final three games to avoid tying the club record for lowest point total in a season. The Oilers currently have 58 points, leaving them two behind the record of 60 set back in 1992-93.

The Oilers, who are 17-19-4 as the host, will get one last chance to play in front of a home crowd tonight. Edmonton will close the season on a two-game road trip, making stops in Los Angeles and Anaheim this weekend.

Colorado has taken three of five from the Oilers this year and has outscored Edmonton by a combined 9-0 margin in the last two meetings. The Avalanche have taken six of 10 overall in the series, but have dropped four of their last seven in Edmonton.

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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

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