Remember Ray Emery? I didn’t. I’d forgotten about the guy. I assumed he was eating out of a trash can in an Ottawa alley or getting ready to watch the Super Bowl betting matchup through the window of an electronics store.

Nope — Emery lives, and he probably won’t bet on Super Bowl XLIII. He’s out in Russia, playing for Atlant Mytischi. Or, well, he was. Who knows if he’ll keep that gig now. After getting the hook in a 5-1 loss a few nights ago, Emery lost it on his trainer, who was trying to make him wear a ballcap for sponsorship reasons:

Was he just looking for attention or what? Maybe Emery and Sean Avery should just join Pros vs Joes…Spike TV is right up their alley. NHL betting fans might hate them less if they had the proper outlet for their insanity.

Less than 80 hours until Super Bowl XLIII betting ends…

Ah! Sidetracked again. I know, this is a hockey blog. But c’mon, it’s Super Bowl betting. It doesn’t get much bigger than that.

Anyway, onto hockey. Ho hum, another monster game for Michael Cammalleri last night. Give him eight goals in his last four games. Did anyone who follows NHL betting think the Kings got a good deal with they shipped him to Calgary last summer? Sure, the Kings ended up with the 12th pick in the draft (D-man Colten Teubert) as a result. But it’s hard for those who bet on hockey to understand their logic, isn’t it?

Let’s see. L.A. is a basement dweller who has stockpiled draft picks and is finally starting to rise in the standings on the wings of its “young guns.” So…I guess they decided they had to ship out “old guys” like the 26-year-old Cammalleri? Who had an 80-point season before spending much of last year on the shelf due to injury?

I suppose the Kings would argue to NHL betting fans that they traded to pick Teubert since they needed more blueline help and have enough good young forwards. But they already have Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and Kyle Quincey. So I can’t see why they dealt Cammalleri.

The Flames are reaping the rewards and dominating. This is what happens when Jarome Iginla has another teammate who can score goals.

Here are some highlights from Cammalleri’s Kings days. All those goals just scream “run this guy out of town.”

As I wait for the horrible weather to go away and wish I could fly to Tampa Bay to enjoy my Super Bowl 43 betting, I’m about to do what many NHL betting fans hate: talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yes, the NHL is a big league, and the Leafs shouldn’t always be the centerpiece…especially when they’re as crappy as they are right now. But online sports betting fans can’t ignore the so-called “hockey mecca” all year long…and besides, when have I gabbed about the Leafs on this blog so far?

I’ll try to keep this short ‘n’ sweet. Brian Burke, I have two warnings for you…

1. DO NOT TRADE FOR CHRIS PRONGER. Hey, I have nothing against him as a player. I love the guy, actually, and he’s captured the hearts of those who bet on hockey over the years. But the rumor that Brian Burke is exploring a deal for him is troubling for Leaf Nation. Acquiring an expensive 34-year-old means trading something to get him. And the Leafs cannot deal away picks or waste our key trading chips on a guy past his prime.

2. DO NOT TRADE FOR JAY BOUWMEESTER. Am I crazy? Not trade for the Chris Pronger of 10 years ago, but with more offenisve upside (albeit less physicality)? Hold your horses. Acquiring Bouwmeester would be a great move for Toronto. If I’m Burke, I make a strong play for him when he’s an unrestricted free agent this summer. But trading for Bouwmeester before the deadline could be disastrous. It would entail dealing away a valuable piece — say, Tomas Kaberle — when the Leafs could sign Bouwmeester in July without surrendering any players or picks in return.

Burke has to use his trading chips to get picks and prospects. Pronger doesn’t fit that mold at all and Bouwmeester can be had without giving anything up. Remember that, NHL betting fans and Brian Burke!

If super bowl betting is raging onward, we know the NHL All-Star break is over, and that means the stretch run has officially begun. It’s been an exciting NHL season, with some powerhouse teams exploding to the top of the standings and some horrible teams sinking deep to the bottom. NHL betting fans have to wonder, though — who’s primed for a fall? And who will bounce back? Those who bet on hockey should keep reading…

POST-BREAK RISERS

1. Pittsburgh Penguins – the worst is over. Don’t get overexcited and expect them to return to NHL betting glory, but they should crawl into a low playoff spot.

2. Vancouver Canucks - they survived without Luongo. Now he’s back and Sundin should find his legs eventually. Hard to imagine them not improving.

3. Ottawa Senators - like the Leafs of two years ago, they’re in denial. Their pride alone should squeeze out a handful of wins…but they won’t make the playoffs.

FALLERS

1. Phoenix Coyotes — the future looks bright, but they’re slightly ahead of schedule. I don’t see them making the playoffs with the current goaltending breakdown.

2. Carolina Hurricanes – technically, the fall has already started. Currently eighth place, but they’ve allowed 21 more goals than they’ve scored. Stay away, NHL betting fans.

3. Chicago Blackhawks - don’t get me wrong — they’re a great team and could win a playoff series. But they’re still young. They may tire a bit down the stretch and lose home-ice advantage.

This may be a lost NHL betting season for Jean-Sebastien Giguere and the Anaheim Ducks. While Jiggy is far from done as an effective NHL goalie — he’s only 31 and he’s one of the top “big game” puckstoppers of the last decade — 2008-2009 looks like a write-off for him. Understandably distracted by the death of his father, he’s posted some downright ugly numbers this year (3.08 GAA). Now Jonas Hiller is pushing him hard for the starting job and appears poised to steal at least a 50/50 split for the balance of the NHL betting season.

Those who bet on NHL lines probably realize yesterday’s All-Star game likely didn’t help Jiggy, who was somehow voted in as a starter. Take a distracted,  goalie with confidence issues and put him in a glorified road hockey game in which he allows four goals in one period on national TV? Uh, yeah, that’s not exactly gonna boost his spirits.

For now, I’d avoid the Ducks in most NHL betting matchups. They’ll bounce back eventually, though — it just may not be until next season.

While we fidget and toss and turn in our beds, waiting for Super Bowl betting to arrive, let’s gab about the NHL All-Star game.

My thinking: justice will be served — all those Montreal fans who picked undeserving all-stars will get a rude awakening when their team, missing Sidney Crosby and loaded with Habs, gets pummelled by the stronger West. I’m thinking the Thornton-Marleau connection dominates this game. Make the West your online betting pick this NHL betting weekend.

Put the Super Bowl XLIII betting chatter on the back burner for just a moment. Something crazy is happening in NHL betting.

Let’s a play a trivia game.

The Devils are 29-15-3. They’re first in the Atlantic division. Patrick Elias is averaging well over a point per game. Their stalwart netminder is 19-9-1 with a 2.29 GAA and .922 save percentage.

…OK, NHL betting players. What year is it?

If you said any year from 1994-2008, you’re WRONG. Those are the Devils’ current season stats. The superb goalie numbers belong to the immortal Scott Clemmensen.

That’s right — the Devils are doin’ it all without Martin Brodeur.

What the hell? Weren’t they supposed to tank without him? Wasn’t Marty on the fast track to becoming the best goalie of all time?

Sheesh…maybe it was the defense after all. I’ve always had just a tiny inkling that Brodeur was a bit overrated, and this only fuels the fire. Those who bet on hockey must be worried too, though we won’t really know the truth unless the Devils have to play without Marty in the playoffs…

Are you counting down? I know you are. It’s all anyone in the sporting world can think about.

You know, that big game…the one on a Sunday…nationally televised.

I’m talking about the 2008 Super Bowl odds. You didn’t think i was gabbing about NHL All-Star Game betting, did you?

The way I see it, the more contact a sport has on a day-to-day basis, the crappier the all-star event is, since the gameplay barely resembles the real thing. The baseball all-star game is by the far the best, as it allows for exciting pitcher-versus-hitter matchups that mimic what you’d see in any game. The NHL All-Star game may not be the worst of all — the Pro Bowl has to take that honour — but it can certainly put NHL betting fans to sleep.

I’ve got some ideas to spruce up the All-Star weekend…here they are, in random order. And don’t worry, NHL betting fans — the chimp isn’t involved. I changed my mind.

1. Sports cliche contest

Hockey players are as good at spouting out cookie-cutter cliches as any athletes. Why not see how many times they can spit out “just gotta keep working and pucks will start going in. thanks” in, say, a minute? Online sports betting fans would be smart to go with wily vet Mike Modano in this one.

2. Replace pylons with children

The puck control relay and fastest skater need some danger. Dangling around a screaming child would make Rick Nash seem that much more badass, wouldn’t it? Sportsbook odds may favor him with Pavel Datyuk nursing a hip flexor injury.

3. Fighting tournament

Maybe there’d be less fighting in the game if each team sent one enforcer to the All-Star game and let the tough guys engage in a one-night, winner-take-all tourney? Imagine the TV ratings and the sportsbook bets for those NHL lines! It would compete with the 2008 Super Bowl betting.  It almost happened several years ago, but I suppose some wet blankets out there realized there would probably be multiple deaths. Pussies.

4. Co-ed events

The NBA tried it…and it was, uh, a “hit,” wasn’t it? Why not find some of the best international female players and have them team up with NHL All-Stars for events? No shoulder pads allowed. Or shin pads. In fact, why don’t they just wear this:

5. Make the game “worth something.”

Simple, yet effective. After the MLB tie-game debacle, Bud Selig implemented the winner-gets-World-Series-home-field rule. The baseball all-star game has never been better.

Stay tuned for more on NHL All-Star Game betting. There’s still plenty of fun to be had before you bet on the Super Bowl!

The sports world seems a little topsy turvy of late, doesn’t it? I mean, we all must be dreaming if the Arizona Cardinals won enough football games on purpose to reach Super Bowl XLIII betting. Has there ever been a more absurd matchup for those who bet on the Super Bowl? In addition to the crazy Super Bowl betting matchup, something weird is happening to the hockey betting stratosphere…and it’s going down in Columbus.

The Blue Jackets have won seven of 10 and they sit just one point out of eighth in the Western Conference. How’s that for an online sports betting shocker? Even though Rick Nash is the man…

…he hasn’t been the main reason for the Jackets’ surge. Why is Columbus suddenly a respectable sportsbook pick? Two words: Steve Mason. This kid has been unstoppable, posting a 17-10-1 record, 1.91 goals against average, .932 save percentage and six shutouts so far this year. Those numbers would blow away any NHL betting fan.

Somehow, though, Mason isn’t even an all-star. Forget that snub — it’s time to consider him not just as a Vezina Trophy frontrunner, but as a legit MVP candidate. Remember, “valuable” is the operative word — there are better players than Mason right now, but there’s just no way Columbus would be where it is in the standings without him. While Mason is due to come back to Earth, hockey betting fans should start mentioning him in the same breath as M-V-P.

So, I was wrong when I made my NHL betting pick last week and told you to pick Detroit. What can I say? I was hypnotized by Emma Andersson. In what many are calling the “game of the year,” the Sharks beat the Wings 6-5 in a thriller. How big of a hockey betting matchup was it? The two combatants had the highest combined win percentage for a regular season game in NHL history.

Heading into Saturday’s contest, those who bet on hockey were on the verge of anointing Detroit as the hockey betting “team to beat.”

What now? The Wings trounced the Sharks 6-0 in December, then the Sharks bounced back and triumphed Saturday. Maybe we have to call them online sports betting Pick 1 and Pick 1A as the top sportsbook choices. Mind you, San Jose just called up almost-fossilized Claude Lemieux. Could he help the Sharks in the clutch the way he used to help Montreal, New Jersey and Colorado? We’ll see.

Here’s the goal that really Put Claude on the map — a series winner with the Habs in 1986. After that came plenty of goals, turtling and cheapshots..