Coach Capuano

Travis Hamonic

John Tavares

Evgeni Nabokov

Coach Jack Capuano

Coach Jack Capuano

Andrew MacDonald

Evgeni Nabokov

PA Parenteau

John Tavares

Michael Grabner

Listen to the post game thoughts from the following:

Michael Grabner

Travis Hamonic

Jack Capuano

While it has been many years since the Islanders have seriously competed, almost two decades since they’ve won a playoff series and thirty years since the glory days of the early 80′s when they won the first of four Stanley Cups the Island is ready for some change.  But instead of chasing a few free agents with the hope of making the playoffs (but without the depth to challenge) it appears instead that GM Garth Snow will be implementing a long term startegy that might just see the fortunes of these Islanders change and perhaps see the team return to the glory years.

Forwards:

The Islanders were almost last in every statistical category during the 2008-09 season.  They finished 29th overall in goals per game, 30th in 5 on 5 goals for/against ratio at an abysmal 0.68, 29th in faceoff wining % (45.7) and 29th in goals for (201).  So how is this going to change?

It seems pointless to start talking about lines (especially since I had the recently crunched Kyle Okposo on my top line) as the starting line combo’s change up many times before the regular season.

(Photo: Ted Rhodes, Calgary Herald)

First overall pick John Tavares seems to be saying all the right things as he talks about adjusting to the NHL. We could speculate as to who Tavares will be playing with but as I said above, the players that he was anticipated to be on a line with, like Doug Weight and Okposo have been sidelined with injuries.  Expectations around the league are already pretty high for the youngster as John Grigg of the Hockey News suggested back in August that Tavares would be the natural choice for the calder saying:

Expect J.T. to win his team’s scoring race and make those around him better just about every night. This kid is special because he rises to the occasion when it matters most – the mark of a superstar, albeit in-the-making. There may not be too many occasions worth rising to on the Island this season, but Tavares will be out to prove all year why he’s been touted as the next great goal-scoring center since he was a 14-year-old. Now that’s a personal challenge worth rising to.

How will he do with such pressure?  I expect Coach Scott Gordon will not put Tavares in situations where he feels his confidence will be rattled.   Instead he will slowly work him in to boost his confidence and this should really help the #1 overall choice as his professional game develops this season.

With veterans such as Andy Hilbert, Mike Sillinger and Dean McCammond all gone, there are several spots up for grabs.  Josh Bailey figures to play a more prominent role this season and will be counted on to supply some offense, as will Blake Comeau, who may be poised for a breakout and is a favorite of head coach Scott Gordon.  Other youngsters looking to make their mark include Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim, Matt Moulson and Joel Rechlicz, who recently fought Oilers behemoth Steve MacIntyre to a draw.

Greybeards Jon Sim,Richard Park, Trent Hunter and the aforementioned Dough Weight will be counted on to provide leadership to this young and inexperienced group.  As discussed earlier, its far too early to put together any potential line cominations or to even guess who the 13 or 14 forwards will eventually be. The good news for Isles fans is that the competition for jobs should be intense, and the team can start off the season with considerable momentum.

The bad news is that because they are relying on so many youngsters, it could be another long year on the Island. Don’t get me wrong, there is some talent there, but until the new group finds defined roles and gels, the learning curve could be tough.  Some of the new additions have experience at the NHL level (Jeremy Reich, Matt Moulson, Greg Moore) but the goals might still be hard to come by. Both Moulson and Moore have scored well at the AHL level, and Moulson should benefit from getting a longer look with the Islanders (he was a victim of depth with the Kings), but the on the job training is not really a good way to build a winner.

All the same, it should be an interesting year on the Island as the team grows together. Since not much is expected of the team, they are free to experiment and find out just who can play at this level.

Defense:

The Islanders are truly absent any big name defencemen.  What they do have instead are some pretty solid players.  The first pairing would likely see offensive swingman Mark Streit and Bruno Gervais who is a solid, dependable counter to Streit’s offensive inclinations.

The second pairing would have steady but unspectacular Brendan Witt playing with Radek Martinek, who is seen as a player who makes excellent break out passes as well as a being a very good two way defenseman.

The final defensive pairing would have Andy Sutton who brings size and toughness to the blueline playing alongside former collegiate all star Freddy Meyer.

The seventh player for the Islanders would likely be Jack Hillen who split time between the Islanders and Bridgeport last season.

Goaltender:

The Islanders goalie of the future Rick DiPietro missed the most of the 2008–09 NHL season due to post-arthroscopic surgical swelling in his right knee.  Prior to last season he had three decent years playing over 62 games and averaging about 30 wins per season.  The big question on Long Island is whether or not he can stay healthy following his surgery and if so, can he be that consistent tender that the Islanders desperately need?

When speaking to Katie Strang of Newsday, DiPietro had this to say about recovering from his injury which likely means that he will start the season on the Long Term Injured Reserve while he rehabs:

He is being cautious and easing his way back onto the ice. He began skating last week, will skate more again this week, get into pads soon and go from there. Given the organization’s initial timeline (DP to begin skating in August, will be with team for Camp in September) and their off-season moves (signing both Roloson and Biron to ensure DiPietro doesn’t rush back prematurely), it should not be surprising that he is where he is for the time being.

GM Garth Snow’s past life as a goalie will probably serve New York well as he brought a solid but aging Dwayne Roloson from the Oilers and serviceable Martin Biron who comes in after he was left out in the cold by the Flyers.  I’ve always been a fan of Roloson and despite his “advanced age” (39) he should be solid enough to give the Islanders a chance to win some close games.  Martin Biron has been itching for an opportunity to be a #1 starter and perhaps if Roloson gets off to a slow start, and with RD on the LTIR, this might finally be the chance he’s been waiting for.

Class of Competition:

Which leads us to the final question for the Islanders this season; Can the improvements by their Atlantic Division competition, prevent them from rising up?

New Jersey Devils – Here is what Ezzy of IC fame, thought about the Devils ceiling: The Devils can finish as high as second in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference if they get secondary scoring from their younger players and Marty B. stays healthy all year.

Pittsburgh Penguins – One gets the feeling that the Penguins after winning their 1st Stanley Cup in 16 years are even hungrier this season.  The team remains extremly solid and will push the Devils for 1st in the conference.

Philadelphia Flyers – This is now the team that is being discussed as a possible Stanley Cup contender this season.  Having added an all-star in Pronger to solidify the defence and a goalie with a chip on his shoulder in Emery, the Flyers are only looking up.

New York Rangers – This is a team nobody really talks about until the playoffs roll around.  The biggest question is will Henrik Lundqvist get the support that he needs?  Bit of a wild card team but with the mix of experience and youth and with such a solid tender, you have to think they will be in the mix.

My Predictions:

Ceiling- While the Islanders have certainly improved, they just haven’t got enough tools to finish any better than 5th in the Atlantic division.  While I realize that a ceiling is to project if everything goes right, I still don’t see these young Islanders winning more than 30 games next season.  If Atlanta’s goaltending situation doesn’t pan out then I could see the Isles passing the Thrashers and finishing in 14th overall.

Floor- Well unfortunately if my ceiling was 14th overall, then there is only one way to go for my floor.  If Roloson doesn’t play well, RD doesn’t return to help the team in time, 1st round pick Tavares struggles and the team trades away vets like Weight, then this team could easily finish last overall.

Islander Blogger Thoughts:

In addition to the above analysis I thought it would be a good idea to get a quick thought from Islander bloggers.  These guys follow Long Island through the ups and downs of each season, so who better to get a quick hit from them then?

Dominik from Lighthouse Hockey said:
Generally speaking, no one’s expecting a miracle. People are realistic about Tavares’s effect (although the projections of his goal tally varies wildly and amusingly). This is still an Atlantic basement team, unless the Rangers implode — which is always an enticing possibility. People toss around which prospect they’ll get with a Top 10 pick next June.

That said, there are a few reasons to expect some promising improvement:
1) Goaltending: Two experienced veterans, as opposed to last year’s backup show. For any team, that’s big. For a young team, that’s really big.
2) Injuries: The Isles have been at or near the top of the league in man-games lost to injury for three years running. Last year was an amazing 583 games. Surely, that’s bound to change, right? Every Islander regular spent time on the shelf last year. There was no continuity, which was tough for a first-year coach. Which leads me to…
3) Experience. Scott Gordon has a full year at this level now (he didn’t arrive until August last year), and now Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, and Blake Comeau have a full year under their belts. The first three are definitely legit players, and Comeau is at least a PP scorer, too. If even two of them make reasonable progress, that’s a big improvement to the top two lines.

Add Tavares to that mix and…well, more goals scored this year, fewer allowed.

Most fans seem to realize this is a work in progress. While some are expecting some Penguins-like rise by next year, most are just looking for signs of progress and that the rebuild is headed in the right direction. Personally, I think it is: The Islanders are drafting pretty well and finally showing the patience to do the rebuild they should have carried out a decade ago.

One wild card is if the Lighthouse Project becomes bad news and the possible specter of a relocation becomes a distraction. But I don’t think that will. Both sides are serious about getting something done, but neither fully trusts the other, so there will be a few more episodes of poker and grandstanding before things move forward.

Paul from Islanders Blogger said:

The Islanders should be much better than what they were a year ago. There are severeal reasons why, but the biggest one is health. Last year the Islanders led the League in man-games lost to injury. A healthier team should improve the point total at the end of the season.

Better goalies. Most people had their fun with the Islanders having signed three goalies. However, everyone knows who they are. Other than your own division, can you name other backups, not named Conklin, Anderson or Clemmenson? I didn’t think so. You have two number one goaltenders to start the season; you know that the Islanders will be in it for most of those games. DiPietro will come back on his own time and then the Islanders will still have a deep plethora of goaltending.

A healthier defense always helps a goaltender also. If the defense stays healthy, they could be a difference maker when you have quality goaltending to support you.

There should be more confidence in the younger players. The last twenty or so games for the Islanders last year was crucial because the younger players were given bigger roles, and they flourished in it. Players like Bailey, Comeau, Okposo, Tambellini, and Neilsen are all on the same page and have more confidence going into this season, and I believe that it will show on the score sheet and in the overall record.

John Tavares. Everyone on that team has taken him under their wing, especially his current roommate Doug Weight.  Fans need to give him time. He’s learning a lot, having fun, and he’s getting used to his first pro training camp, pre-season, and of course a new professional system.

Forwards: Islanders should have 4 20+ goal scorers (Okposo, Bergenheim, Hunter, Tavares).

Defense: Look for Streit to lead the way, but look for a breakout year from Gervais, and a comeback year from Sutton.

Goaltenders: Roloson, and Biron will hold the fort just fine while DP recovers. They will keep the team in most, if not all the games, and may even steal a few.

Coach: Scott Gordon now has his coaches in place with most players in the organization knowing his system. Players no longer think about what to do, it’s just natural.

Ken from Islanders Outsider said:
Any forecast of the Islanders’ 2009-10 season would have to include the words mostly cloudy with the potential for hazardous conditions. From a competitive standpoint, the Islanders are in no better position this September than they were last September. Before you knew that they were about to face an intolerable number of man-games lost to injury, it would have been generous to say that the 2008-09 Islanders had a 25% chance of finding their way into the playoff race and a 75% chance of finishing near or at the bottom of the league.

But here they are again with a younger team and no promises other than that the current makeup will get a legitimate shot to grow into something special without being boxed out of important minutes by 30-year-old 20-goal scorers.

And, finally, Islanders fans are okay with that.

They were rewarded for last year’s tumble to 30th place with the drafting of an offensive talent not seen in these parts since Zigmund Palffy. Fans will tolerate another season of swimming against the current because they know that’s what it takes to turn the corner in the current NHL.

The good news is that things almost have to get better—or at the very least be more fun—and they can do so without necessarily spoiling the chance for another high draft pick.

You have to assume that the team will be more healthy, enabling it to remain competitive on a more consistent basis. Having more of the team’s popular players in the lineup more consistently also gives the fans more incentive to remain engaged with the season.

John Tavares will be something to watch. And on this franchise, with its current culture, he can probably post a 40-50 point season without being run out of town. Anything better in his rookie season will be gravy, because…

It’s not as if people have lost interest in the development of Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. Okposo proved himself in the second half last year and there’s great anticipation to see what level his game lands on next. Bailey did not fully distinguish himself in his rookie season. While most of North America only has eyes for Tavares, Islanders fans know that the development of Bailey into a major offensive contributor bears watching. For this season, it is probably more important than the immediate impact of Tavares, especially with Franz Nielsen returning to New York with knee trouble.

For the first time in a while, the Islanders are actually set in goal. Garth Snow’s tandem free agent signings of Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron give the Isles one of the more solid combos in the league. Expect their presence to inspire greater confidence in the players in front of them, even if those same players, being good teammates, never expressed anything but confidence in Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis. (And, if you’re a pessimist, expect to see Scott Munro and Nate Lawson pressed into duty by November.)

The goaltender position may actually be point of intrigue 1A next to the arrival of Tavares this season in New York. With Rick DiPietro surprisingly facing shots already on his way back from two hip surgeries and two (or three) knee surgeries, the crease watch may be on sooner rather than later. Both the Islanders and DiPietro have pledged to be extremely conservative with the goalie’s rehab this year, a goal they can achieve thanks to the presence of Roloson and Biron. But if Biron performs well and DiPietro recovers his best form, the Islanders will find themselves with a decent trading chip sometime between December and March. Snow will be under some pressure to convert that chip, but its value already seems a little inflated (i.e., don’t be shocked to hear grumbles of, “More draft picks?!”).

The other area where the Islanders can show improvement is in their comfort level with each other and with coach Scott Gordon and his quick-footed and quick-witted ways. The always moving, always thinking coach can focus less on getting his players to do things a certain way and more on getting them to do everything better, sharper, and crisper—and on winning games.

So, about that forecast. Bring your umbrella, your galoshes (does anybody still say galoshes), and your slicker (ditto). And your hand-crank radio with flashlight and special National Weather Service band. But if you look at things from the proper perspective, the Islanders 2009-10 season may just feel like a light summer rain.

Here is the video:

Playoff teams:

• All three of Erik Cole, Scott Walker and Tuomo Ruutu missed practice today.  Don’t worry Caniacs, all three are expected to play tomorrow.
• Tim Sassone has some concerns about Cristobal Huet being the Hawks’ starting netminder next season.  Huet certainly didn’t inspire confidence with yesterday’s performance.

Non-playoff teams:

• The Habs have signed Swedish winger Mikael Johansson.  His stats aren’t jumping off the page, but aside from money, it doesn’t cost the Habs to take a look and see what he can bring to the table.
• If Game 7 were a regular season contest, rest assured that Marc Savard would have been nowhere near the Bruins lineup.  He had to have been hurt because he was better than his performance demonstrated.
• Scott Gordon loves Kyle Okposo.  He’d better, he is supposed to be one of the cornerstones of that franchise moving forward.

Playoff teams

• Brian Campbell is getting roasted this morning.  I still don’t understand how Campbell can say that he would make the same move on the ice again?  It was a poor decision and led to the game-winning goal?  Maybe he’s just stubborn.
• The Penguins have been getting a lot of goal production from their defense.  Teams continually collapse around the net, so if you can find your pointmen and they can get their shots through, you are in business.

Non-playoff teams

• Randy Carlyle wants Bobby Ryan to continue his off-season training progress he began last year.  Ryan became a real force this season and looks like he may develop quickly enough to be on Team USA 2010.
• Milan Lucic would not use his team’s long layoff as an excuse.  I can’t see how that hurts the Bruins.  They were well rested after beating a poor Habs team, had some time off and then played a team that had played a fast and hard seven game series.  Great teams win that Round 2 series, so the Bruins still have some work to do to get to that next level.
• Some Islanders draft talk with Greg Logan.  If the Islanders don’t want Tavares or Hedman (which I strongly doubt) then they’d be best to trade into the three slot and make a move with Colorado if the Avalanche is interested.

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

• Michael Ryder stuck it to his old team yesterday at the Bell Centre.  Boston did miss Milan Lucic, but Byron Bitz did a terrific job filling in.  For all intents and purposes, this series is now over.
• The Habs had their chances last night but they just couldn’t capitalize, writes Pat Hickey.  Red Fisher says the Canadiens miss Andrei Markov more than anyone thought they would.  Last night’s game was played without Alex Tanguay and Mathieu Schneider.

Washington Capitals (2) versus New York Rangers (7)

• Talk about a bounce back performance, the Captials went into MSG and let it be known the series is far from over.  Simeon Varlamov is as cool off the ice as he is on it.  Nicklas Backstrom was a force for Washington.
• After such a strong start to the series have the Rangers already lost the momentum?  Chris Drury’s apparent hand injury is cutting into his productivity and his ice-time.  “We stunk; it’s simple,” said Rangers coach John Tortorella after yesterday’s game.

New Jersey Devils (3) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• Zach Parise has been carrying the Devils through the team’s first three games against Carolina.  We already know Parise is a star, but Travis Zajac is becoming one as well, writes Rich Chere.
• Both David Clarkson and Chad LaRose have worked hard to get to where they are today.  If the Hurricanes want to win this series, they are going to have get their offense going.  If you watched the Devils/Canes Game 3 on DirecTV you missed the overtime goal.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

• Did the Penguins struggle in their own zone last game because they haven’t been in their own zone lately?  Sergei Gonchar knows what it is like when teams focus on being physical with a player for an entire series.  One person who doesn’t mind the physical play of the series is Chris Kunitz.  Give credit to Penguins GM Ray Shero for saving the season, writes Joe Starkey.
• Daniel Briere’s line has been a perfect compliment to the top two lines in Philadelphia.  The Flyers want to make sure they play a desperate game tonight.  Hockey is put into perspective when you read about Matt Carle’s brother and the heart condition that forced him to retire from hockey at 18 years old.

For now, here’s what beat writers are saying this afternoon:

• Here is the lineup the Bruins expect to roll out for tonight’s game in Montreal.  Bitz, while not the player Lucic is, brings many of the same qualities.
• Predictions on tonight’s Flames/Hawks games from the Calgary Herald writers.   I’ve got the Flames winning 4-1.
• Here are Calgary’s lines for tonight’s game.  At least until the first three shifts.
• Antoine Vermette has replaced Manny Malhotra on the number one line in Columbus.  Malhortra just doesn’t have the offensive game to be a top-two line centerman.
• Some numbers on the Ducks/Sharks series after Anaheim took a 2-0 lead last night.  San Jose still has a shot but only if their best players show up at John Wayne Airport…
• No word yet on who is starting between the pipes for the Habs.  I suspect Halak, but we’ll see in due time.
• Some quotes from Rangers coach John Tortorella heading into Game 3.  That first period tonight should be a real doozy.
• With the Blues down 3-0, Andy Murray is changing things up.  This playoffs has been a great learning experience for the young Blues, but they are done
• Bruce Bourdeau on tonight’s game.  The critics will be after Boudreau if his team loses tonight.

Non-Playoff teams

• John Tavares the third best prospect in the NHL draft?  Not buying this.
• There has been lots of reflecting after a lost season in Buffalo.  That team was far too talented to miss the playoff.

• Andrew Ebbett has quietly been very productive for the Ducks since being called up from the AHL, writes Billy Witz.
• A number of the Thrashers players are heading to the World Championships.
• Add Chuck Kobasew to the list of Bruins players that are injured, explains Kevin Paul Dupont.  Even though Boston has clinched first place in the conference, they will be geared up to face the Habs tonight.
• With yesterday’s victory at Toronto, the Sabres stayed alive in the playoff race.  Sure they stayed alive, but after reading Bucky Gleason’s article this morning, you will realize they have no chance of getting in.  At least the future looks bright, as Sabres prospect Nathan Gerbe has won AHL rookie of the year.
• The Flames are aiming to ‘get that swagger back’.   Eric Francis tells us the Flames are banking on the return of Rene Bourque and maybe even Rhett Warrener, with all the injuries they have sustained.  It is clear from listening to the Flames players that their goal is the Stanley Cup or bust.  Calgary has had its cap issues, but if you are wondering, no team can go over the cap.
• Little known Chad LaRose has been a bargain of an impact player for the Hurricanes. 
• The Blue Jackets denied the Hawks‘ bid to clinch the fourth spot in the Western Conference.  With the Hawks leading more games, Adam Burish has been involved in less fights. 
• Peter Budaj may be having a difficult season numbers wise, but his attitude is certainly respected in the room.
• “I don’t know if it has quite sunk in yet,”, said Rick Nash after his team clinched the first ever playoff spot in team history.  The fans are just as excited as the players are about the team’s first ever playoff birth.  Meanwhile, coach Hitchcock wants  Jiri Novotny to continue to play hard.
• The Stars must take a hard look at themselves.  J.J. Taylor guaranetees Mike Modano‘s return to Dallas next season.  Learn more about Stars rookie Ivan Vishnevskiy here.
• In Detroit, the Wings are expecting Andreas Lilja to miss the start of the playoffs.  If we are talking matchups, it appears the Wings are hoping to duck Anaheim.  In contract news, the Wings have tabled an offer to Johan Franzen.
• Disappointment was the catch phrase around Rexall Place on Wednesday.  With the Oilers out of playoff contention, Dwayne Roloson is finally going to get some rest.  Sam Gagner is taking the Oilers’ struggling finish to heart.  At least they can bring over Linus Omark….maybe not.
• Florida Panthers coach Pete DeBoer said he is going to make his decision on whether he starts Vokoun or Anderson today.
• In Los Angeles, Kings owner Phil Anschutz should take the Kings’ fate personally.
• Concussions have been an issue in the Wild room this season and a serious one continues to keep a frustrated Brett Burns off the ice.  The youngsters’ struggles in Minnesota may be the reason the Wild is probably going to miss the playoffs.
• Bob Gainey is searching for a winning lineup in Montreal.  Tough economy or not, there are many suitors who are aiming to purchase the Habs franchise. 
• Consecutive wins may not be enough for the Predators to make post-season play.  At least Nashville is not intimidated by Detroit, their matchup tonight.  David Legwand’s hopes of returning for the team’s final two regular season games was taken away when doctors told him his injury is still too fresh.
• The up-and-down Devils can clinch the Atlantic Division title tonight.  Martin Brodeur admits that it is tough getting in a groove when you’ve missed most of the season.
• Bill Guerin has been grateful for the opportunity to move from the Island to Pittsburgh where he has a chance to compete for the Cup.
• If the Rangers defeat the Flyers tonight, they make the playoffs.  The Rangers know they control their own destiny.
• The Senators players were happy for coach Cory Clouston on Wednesday, as he was allowed to smile upon signing a two-year contract extension.  Is Alex Auld going to stick around with Clouston?
• Flyers coach John Stevens gives you his take on a possible matchup with Carolina.  Daniel Carcillo is moving in the right direction.  Former Flyers center Keith Primeau is doing his best to help further concussion research.
• Petr Prucha has been excited about getting more ice-time in the desert as compared to NY.
• Next goal for the Penguins: Some rest, tuning up for playoffs.  Should the Pens have locked up Sid and Geno longer?  Ruslan Fedotenko has really found his game as of late.
• Patrick Marleau and Ryane Clowe are expected to return to the Sharks lineup tonight.  Ray Rotto lays down the gauntlet for the Sharks, saying it is Cup or bust.
• Injury prone defenseman Jay McKee‘s turnaround has really given the Blues a boost.  The Blues are close to throwing a big party, writes Bernie Miklasz.
• The Lightning organization is not any more stable than it was last summer.  Martin St. Louis is a great team guy.
• Cujo, May record milestones, as Leafs fall 3-1 to Sabres.  One Leafs milestone was celebratory, one wasn’t, writes Lance Hornby.  Could the Marlies be getting help from the Leafs for the AHL playoffs?
• In Vancouver, the Canucks are getting back to basics.  The Canucks have to ensure they don’t have a letdown against the Kings, with the division yet to be wrapped up.
• Caps’ Rookie Goaltender Simeon Varlamov wins confidence From Boudreau.  The Capitals have some nice organizational depth between the pipes.
• Lastly, here is an update on injured hockey player, Derek Zike from the NAHL, who appears to be recovering well.

**The IllegalCurve.com Radio Show archives of yesterday’s show with Dan Wood of the OC Register and Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail should be posted on the website early this afternoon**

**Also, special thanks to David who gave a nice helping hand for the morning papers**

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	New Jersey	3					Montreal	6
	Buffalo	2					Toronto	2
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
In Lou We Trust  Die by the Blade						Habs In/Out  Pension Plan Puppets
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL SO		T				FINAL		T
	Philadelphia	3					Tampa Bay	1
	Ottawa	4					NY Islanders	3
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Broad Street Hockey  Silver Seven						Raw Charge  Lighthouse Hockey
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL OT		T				FINAL SO		T
	Pittsburgh	2					Columbus	4
	Carolina	3					Nashville	5
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
PensBurgh  Canes Country						Light the Lamp  On the Forecheck
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL OT		T				FINAL		T
	St. Louis	4					Vancouver	3
	Dallas	5					Edmonton	5
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
St. Louis Game Time  Defending Big D						Nucks Misconduct  Lowetide
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Anaheim	5					Phoenix	1
	San Jose	2					Los Angeles	6
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Battle of California  Fear the Fin						Five for Howling  Battle of California
Game Recap						Game Recap

Congrats go out to the Michigan State Spartans who make the National Championship Game.   Go State!

FINAL		T
	Michigan State	82
	U Connecticut	73
Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:
Game Recap

• Are the NY Islanders already looking for Free Agents?  Would you sign in Long Island right now?
• Update around the Sens world. 
• Flyers fans are upset with the B’s play by play announcer, Jack Edwards.  His laugh is rather maniacal.
• Preds a lock to achieve key attendance goal.  Impressive that with all the talk of a move, the fans continue to show up.
• Alex Burrows hair pull that’s being heard around the world.  I’ve used this move on my sister.  Works everytime.
• Top Av’s of all time: #6 (on the list) Rob Blake.  I usually think of him as a King first.
• Defending Forest Gump and Sidney Crosby.  In a strange sort of way her argument makes sense.
• A message to Dallas Stars fans. 
• Alexander Semin: “The Playoffs can’t start soon enough”.  It seems like the Capitals are just waiting around for the playoffs to start.
• The Swedish machine that never breaks, Nicklas Backstrom.  Guys a beast.
• Panthers fans are irate with Steve Ott.  Bet lots of NHL teams feel the same.
• The future of the Thrashers is discussed. 

• Are the Canadiens forging a new identity?
• Too much fixation on a non-issue for the Rangers?
• Hejduk wants to play (for Avs) beyond current contract.

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Tampa Bay	3					Toronto	3
	Washington	5					Buffalo	5
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Raw Charge Japers’ Rink						Pension Plan Puppets Die by the Blade
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL OT		T
	NY Islanders	2					New Jersey	2
	Detroit	0					Chicago	3
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Lighthouse Hockey Winging it in Mowtown						In Lou We Trust Second City Hockey
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Vancouver	4					Edmonton	5
	Colorado	1					Anaheim	3
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Nucks Misconduct Mile High Hockey						Lowetide Battle of California
Game Recap						Game Recap

• Anyone ever wonder what its like to cook with Evgeni Malkin? 
• Madden and Gionta want to remain Devils.
• The Thrashers are dealing yet again with another early spring.
• After last night’s shootout loss to Anaheim, Nashville‘s choice of shooters are analyzed.

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Florida	3					Minnesota	6
	Buffalo	5					NY Islanders	2
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
The Litter Box   Die by the Blade						Hockey Wilderness Lighthouse Hockey
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Ottawa	1					Calgary	0
	Carolina	2					Pittsburgh	2
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Silver Seven Canes Country						Matchsticks & Gasoline Pensburgh
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL SO		T				FINAL		T
	San Jose	5					Anaheim	7
	Chicago	6					Colorado	2
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Fear the Fin Second City Hockey						Battle of California Mile High Hockey
Game Recap						Game Recap

• Blackhawks Eager suspended for three games.
• Caps coach: Ovechkin celebration won’t happen again.
• Brad Richards breaks hand in return.
• Rangers chemistry far from uns-avery.
• Betteman: Ban on fighting ‘not going to happen’.
• No. 1 pick is not Isles priority.
• Elias clears many hurdles to set Devs’ scorig marks.
• Former NHL player Walt Poddubny dies. 
• Jagr confirms Oilers rumors, says he won’t terminate contract.
• Kudos to The Litter Box for bringing us this hockey fan.
• Players react to Ovechkin’s 50th goal celebration.

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Dallas	2					Toronto	5
	San Jose	5					Montreal	2
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Defending Big D Battle of California						Pension Plan Puppets Habs Inside/Out
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	NY Islanders	2					Buffalo	3
	Ottawa	5					NY Rangers	5
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Lighthouse Hockey  Black Aces						Die by the Blade Blueshirt Banter
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Washington	1					Columbus	3
	Carolina	4					Florida	1
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Canes Country Japers Rink						Light the Lamp The Litter Box
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL SO		T				FINAL		T
	Atlanta	4					Vancouver	1
	Tampa Bay	3					Phoenix	5
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Bird Watchers Anonymous Raw Charge						Nucks Misconduct Five for Howling
Game Recap						Game Recap

• NHL awards show moves to Vegas. 
• St. Louis Blues say forward Keith Tkachuk is OK after injury scare.
• Martin Brodeur is closing in on another record.
• Hockey surviving, barely, on rebuilding Gulf Coast.

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Minnesota	0					NY Islanders	4
	New Jersey	4					Carolina	5
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Hockey Wilderness In Lou We Trust						Lighthouse Hockey Canes Country

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Philadelphia	6					Los Angeles	1
	Buffalo	4					Pittsburgh	4
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Broad Street Hockey Die By the Blade						PensBurgh

FINAL		T				FINAL SO		T
	Detroit	6					Edmonton	5
	Atlanta	3					Chicago	4
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Winging It in Mowtown						Second City Hockey

FINAL		T
	St. Louis	3
	Calgary	2
Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:
St. Louis Game Time  Matchsticks and Gasoline

Here is a video I took of the Red Wings powerplay in the 3rd period which ends with Rafalski’s PPG and a roar from the 20,066 fans in attendance. 

My Winnipeg Jets hat was underappreciated except by one hard core hockey fan.  Has it really been that long?  Alas I was unable to start a Go Jets Go chant.  I expected to see a few Wpg jerseys but it appears I was the lone Manitoba resident at the game.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Calgary	1	0	1	2	37	M. Kiprusoff (L) , C. McElhinney
	New Jersey	0	2	1	3	31	M. Brodeur
Scoring Summary:
CGY:  Jokinen, O. (David Moss, Michael Cammalleri), Glencross, C. (PPG, Michael Cammalleri, Dustin Boyd)
NJD:  Langenbrunner, J. (SHG, Colin White, Paul Martin), Rolston, B. (PPG, Niclas Havelid, Brendan Shanahan), Parise, Z. (Jamie Langenbrunner, Travis Zajac)
Attendance: 14,598
Headlines:
Brodeur moves within 2 wins of record. A summary of the game from Calgary Flames.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Buffalo	1	0	1	2	29	P. Lalime (L) , M. Tellqvist
	Philadelphia	1	0	4	5	33	M. Biron
Scoring Summary:
BUF:  Afinogenov, M. (Teppo Numminen), Hecht, J. (Paul Gaustad)
PHI:  Hartnell, S. (PPG, Claude Giroux, Mike Richards), Carter, J. (Joffrey Lupul, Scott Hartnell), Richards, M. (PPG, Kimmo Timonen, Simon Gagne), Carter, J. (Joffrey Lupul, Scott Hartnell), Hartnell, S. (Kimmo Timonen)
Attendance: 19,421
Headlines:
Carter dominate in Flyers victory. A summary of the game from the Flyers. And one from Die By The Blade.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Boston	0	0	0	0	35	T. Thomas
	Columbus	0	0	2	2	34	S. Mason
Scoring Summary:
CBJ:  Torres, R. (PPG, Antoine Vermette, Jason Williams), Nash, R. (EN, Mike Commodore)
Attendance: 16,675
Headlines:
Mason makes 35 saves for 9th shutout. A summary of the game from Puck-rakers. And one from The Bruins Blog.

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	NY Islanders	2	0	0	0	2	30	J. MacDonald
	Toronto	1	0	1	1	3	28	M. Gerber
Scoring Summary:
NYI:  Okposo, K. (Sean Bergenheim, Frans Nielsen), Comeau, B. (Josh Bailey, Mike Iggulden)
TOR:  Stempniak, L. (Jeff Finger, Jason Blake), Ponikarovsky, A. (unassisted), Grabovski, M. (IN OT, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Anton Stralman)
Attendance: 19,041
Headlines:
Grabovski‘s goal drought ends in OT.  A summary of the game from TMLfans. And one from Lighthouse Hockey.

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Edmonton	0	3	0	0	3	32	D. Roloson
	Montreal	1	1	1	1	4	26	C. Price
Scoring Summary:
EDM:  Cogliano, A. (Steve Staios, Sheldon Souray), Souray, S. (Ales Hemsky, Patrick O’Sullivan), Gagner, S. (Marc Pouliot, Denis Grebeshkov)
MTL:  Tanguay, A. (Mathieu Schneider, Josh Gorges), Metropolit, G. (Mathieu Dandenault), Koivu, S. (Andrei Kostitsyn, Alex Tanguay), Koivu, S. (PPG in OT, Mathieu Schneider, Andrei Markov)
Attendance: 21,273
Headlines:
Habs win Gainey‘s debut.  A summary of the game from the Oilers. And one from Habs Inside/Out.

FINAL SO		1	2	3	OT	SO	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Florida	0	3	0	0	0 (0-2)	3	21	T. Vokoun
	Pittsburgh	1	0	2	0	1 (2-3)	4	50	M. Fleury
Scoring Summary:
FLA:  Boynton, N. (David Booth, Keith Ballard), Kreps, K. (Nick Boynton, Cory Stillman), Ballard, K. (Ville Peltonen, Radek Dvorak)
PIT:  Malkin, E. (Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang), Staal, J. (Matt Cooke, Tyler Kennedy), Crosby, S. (Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz), Letang, K. (00:00 in SO)
Attendance: 17,132
Headlines:
Penguins rally for seventh straight win.  A summary of the game from PensBurgh.

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Phoenix	1	0	1	0	2	25	I. Bryzgalov
	Detroit	1	0	1	1	3	43	T. Conklin
Scoring Summary:
PHX:  Hanzal, M. (Brandon Prust, Todd Fedoruk), Doan, S. (PPG, Ed Jovanovski, Steve Reinprecht)
DET:  Filppula, V. (Johan Franzen, Niklas Kronwall), Rafalski, B. (PPG, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg), Franzen, J. (In OT, Brad Stuart, Valtteri Filppula)
Attendance: 20,066
Headlines:
Franzen ties a career high with his 27th in OT. A summary of the game from Detroitredwingsfansite.

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Washington	0	1	0	1	2	44	J. Theodore
	Nashville	1	0	0	0	1	28	D. Ellis
Scoring Summary:
WSH:  Backstrom, N. (Alexander Ovechkin, Viktor Kozlov), Fedorov, S. (In OT, Viktor Kozlov, Alexander Semin)
NSH:  Suter, R. (Shea Weber, Martin Erat)
Attendance: 16,064
Headlines:
Ellis 42 saves not enough for Preds.

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	San Jose	2	1	1	1	5	23	B. Boucher
	Minnesota	0	1	3	0	4	29	N. Backstrom
Scoring Summary:
SJS:  Thornton, J. (Travis Moen, Christian Ehrhoff), Moen, T. (SHG, unassisted), Thornton, J. (PPG, unassisted), Michalek, M. (Ryane Clowe, Dan Boyle), Ehrhoff, C. (In OT, unassisted)
MIN:  Olvecky, P. (Cal Clutterbuck, Marc-Andre Bergeron), Bouchard, P. (Kim Johnsson), Nolan, O. (Marek Zidlicky, Mikko Koivu), Nolan, O. (Mikko Koivu)
Attendance: 18,568
Headlines:
Sharks blow 3 goal lead but win in OT. A summary of the game from Hockey Wilderness.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Dallas	0	2	0	2	22	T. Stephan
	St. Louis	3	2	0	5	27	C. Mason
Scoring Summary:
DAL:  Neal, J. (PPG, Mike Modano, Trevor Daley), Ribeiro, M. (unassisted)
STL:  Backes, D. (Alexander Steen, Jay McKee), Perron, D. (Carlo Colaiacovo, Mike Weaver), Winchester, B. (PPG, David Backes, Roman Polak), Perron, D. (T.J. Oshie), Tkachuk, K. (PPG, Brad Boyes, Carlo Colaiacovo)
Attendance: 17,708
Headlines:
Blues continue playoff push.  A summary of the game from St. Louis Game Time. And one from Defending Big D.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Atlanta	0	2	1	3	36	K. Lehtonen
	Colorado	0	0	0	0	35	P. Budaj
Scoring Summary:
ATL:  Bogosian, Z. (Ilya Kovalchuk, Bryan Little), White, T. (PPG, Slava Kozlov, Ilya Kovalchuk), Peverley, R. (EN, unassisted)
Attendance: 13,608
Headlines:
Lehtonen gets 2nd shutout in last 3 games. A summary of the game from Mile High Hockey.

• Ovechkin practices, ready to face Crosby, Penguins.
• Tocchet will return to Tampa with extension.
• Claude Lemieux: Injury Leaves Sharks Thin

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Chicago	0	1	2	3	35	C. Huet
	Boston	1	2	2	5	39	T. Thomas
Scoring Summary:
CHI:  Toews, J. (PPG, Patrick Kane, Cam Barker), Versteeg, K. (Matt Walker, Andrew Ladd), Kane, P. (PPG, Brian Campbell, Jonathan Toews)
BOS:  Recchi, M. (Chuck Kobasew, Patrice Bergeron), Krejci, D. (Andrew Ference, Dennis Wideman), Recchi, M. (Dennis Wideman, Patrice Bergeron), Kessel, P. (Marc Savard, Milan Lucic), Axelsson, P. (EN, unassisted)
Attendance: 17,565

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	New Jersey	0	2	1	3	38	M. Brodeur , K. Weekes
	NY Islanders	3	3	1	7	28	J. MacDonald
Scoring Summary:
NJD:  Gionta, B. (Colin White, Mike Mottau), Langenbrunner, J. (Bryce Salvador, Zach Parise), Elias, P. (PPG, Paul Martin, Bobby Holik)
NYI:  Martinek, R. (Dean McAmmond, Jeff Tambellini), Okposo, K. (PPG, Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen), Tambellini, J. (Mark Streit, Joe Callahan), Bergenheim, S. (Mike Iggulden, Jack Hillen), Comeau, B. (PPG, Josh Bailey, Andy Hilbert), Bergenheim, S. (Mike Iggulden), Bergenheim, S. (EN, Jack Hillen)
Attendance: 15,524

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Minnesota	2	0	1	3	24	J. Harding , N. Backstrom
	Los Angeles	2	2	0	4	24	J. Quick
Scoring Summary:
MIN:  Nolan, O. (Andrew Brunette, Kim Johnsson), Veilleux, S. (James Sheppard), Belanger, E. (Andrew Brunette, Dan Fritsche)
LAK:  Quincey, K. (unassisted), Calder, K. (Jack Johnson), Kopitar, A. (Michal Handzus, Matt Greene), Purcell, T. (PPG, Alexander Frolov, Kyle Quincey)
Attendance: 18,118

• Sid the Kid was succesful in his return to the Penguins.
• Sean Avery was an asset to the Rangers. 
• Predators beat up the Jackets for their 6th straight win.
• Coyotes help the Bruins to 9th loss out of last 12.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Phoenix	1	1	0	2	18	I. Bryzgalov
	Boston	1	0	0	1	26	T. Thomas
Scoring Summary:
PHX:  Upshall, S. (PPG, Joakim Lindstrom), Reinprecht, S. (Nigel Dawes, Peter Mueller)
BOS:  Kobasew, C. (Patrice Bergeron, P.J. Axelsson)
Attendance: 16,818

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	NY Rangers	1	1	2	4	23	H. Lundqvist
	NY Islanders	0	1	1	2	30	Y. Danis
Scoring Summary:
NYR:  Zherdev, N. (unassisted), Drury, C. (PPG, Nik Antropov, Brandon Dubinsky), Gomez, S. (Nikolai Zherdev), Naslund, M. (PPG, Paul Mara, Chris Drury)
NYI:  Comeau, B. (Dean McAmmond, Joel Rechlicz), Hillen, J. (Blake Comeau, Dean McAmmond)
Attendance:  16,234

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Calgary	4	0	1	5	41	M. Kiprusoff
	Philadelphia	0	0	1	1	36	M. Biron , A. Niittymaki
Scoring Summary:
CGY:  Cammalleri, M. (PPG, unassisted), Jokinen, O. (Jarome Iginla, Michael Cammalleri), Jokinen, O. (Michael Cammalleri, Jarome Iginla), Leopold, J. (Curtis Glencross, Craig Conroy), Conroy, C. (Curtis Glencross, Adrian Aucoin)
PHI:  Knuble, M. (Mike Richards, Simon Gagne)
Attendance:  19,513

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Toronto	0	0	2	2	29	M. Gerber
	Washington	0	0	1	1	38	J. Theodore , M. Neuvirth
Scoring Summary:
TOR:  Stempniak, L. (Alexei Ponikarovsky, Matt Stajan), Kubina, P. (John Mitchell, Jeffrey Hamilton)
WSH:  Semin, A. (Nicklas Backstrom)
Attendance:  18,277

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Edmonton	0	1	1	2	26	D. Roloson
	Ottawa	1	2	1	4	32	B. Elliot
Scoring Summary:
EDM:  Gagner, S. (PPG, Denis Grebeshkov, Tom Gilbert), Gagner, S. (Steve Staios, Ladislav Smid)
OTT:  Spezza, J. (unassisted), Comrie, M. (Jason Spezza, Chris Phillips), Campoli, C. (PPG, Mike Comrie, Dany Heatley), Heatley, D. (Anton Volchenkov, Daniel Alfredsson)
Attendance:  17,904

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Pittsburgh	0	1	3	4	47	M. Fleury
	Florida	0	1	0	1	32	T. Vokoun
Scoring Summary:
PIT:  Crosby, S. (Bill Guerin, Brooks Orpik), Kennedy, T. (Matt Cooke, Jordan Staal), Letang, K. (Brooks Orpik), Kennedy, T. (Evgeni Malkin, Ruslan Fedotenko)
FLA:  Dvorak, R. (Gregory Campbell, Ville Peltonen)
Attendance:  18,933

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Columbus	0	2	0	2	33	S. Mason
	Nashville	0	3	1	4	23	P. Rinne
Scoring Summary:
CBJ:  Williams, J. (Kristian Huselius), Nash, R. (Kristian Huselius, Manny Malhotra)
NSH:  Fiddler, V. (Antti Pihlstrom, Jordin Tootoo), Jones, R. (Wade Belak), Sullivan, S. (Jason Arnott), Erat, M. (Ryan Suter, David Legwand)
Attendance:  13,064

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Dallas	0	4	0	0	4	23	M. Turco
	Los Angeles	0	2	2	1	5	40	J. Quick (W) , E. Ersberg
Scoring Summary:
DAL:  Eriksson, L. (Mike Modano, Brian Sutherby), Ribeiro, M. (Steve Ott, Mark Parrish), Neal, J. (Fabian Brunnstrom, Mark Fistric), Ott, S. (Mike Ribeiro, Loui Eriksson)
LAK:  Handzus, M. (PPG, Kyle Quincey, Alexander Frolov), Frolov, A. (Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar), Handzus, M. (PPG, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty), Kopitar, A. (Teddy Purcell, Drew Doughty), Handzus, M. (Jack Johnson, Alexander Frolov)
Attendance: 17,430

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Minnesota	0	2	1	1	4	36	N. Backstrom
	San Jose	2	1	0	0	3	35	B. Boucher
Scoring Summary:
MIN:  Koivu, M. (Marc-Andre Bergeron, Brent Burns), Bouchard, P. (Kim Johnsson), Zidlicky, M. (Kim Johnsson), Koivu, M. (Brent Burns, Martin Skoula)
SJS:  Pavelski, J. (Ryane Clowe, Milan Michalek), Clowe, R. (Rob Blake, Milan Michalek), Pavelski, J. (Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Milan Michalek)
Attendance: 17,496

Caught part of the Detroit/Nashville game and behind the power of Jason Arnott’s 8th career hatrick, the Preds took it to the Wings powering them to an 8-0 victory.  Amazingly Nick Lidstrom managed to stay even despite the 8 goals scored against the Wings.

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Washington	1	1	1	1	4	32	J. Theodore
	Boston	1	1	1	0	3	37	T. Thomas
Scoring Summary:
WSH:  Backstrom, N. (Alexander Semin, Mike Green), Ovechkin, A. (Matt Bradley, Milan Jurcina), Fleischmann, T. (Brooks Laich, Tom Poti), Semin, A. (in OT)
BOS:  Hunwick, M. (Marc Savard, Phil Kessel), Kessel, P. (Marc Savard, Matt Hunwick), Chara, Z. (Mike Green, Jeff Schultz)
Attendance: 17,565

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Florida	0	1	1	2	17	C. Anderson
	New Jersey	2	4	1	7	46	M. Brodeur
Scoring Summary:
FLA:  Peltonen, V. (Jassen Cullimore, Radek Dvorak), McCabe, B. (Keith Ballard, Radek Dvorak)
NJD:  Parise, Z. (Jamie Langenbrunner, Paul Martin), Parise, Z. (unassisted), Shanahan, B. (David Clarkson, Brian Rolston), Zajac, T. (Zach Parise, Patrik Elias), Rolston, B. (Brian Gionta, Colin White), Clarkson, D. (Brendan Shanahan, Johnny Oduya), Zubrus, D. (Patrik Elias, Brian Gionta)
Attendance: 16,256

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Anaheim	2	0	2	4	18	J. Giguere
	Dallas	0	2	1	3	33	M. Turco
Scoring Summary:
ANA:  Niedermayer, S. (Andrew Ebbett, Bobby Ryan), Ebbett, A. (Chris Pronger, Bobby Ryan), Perry, C. (Ryan Getzlaf, Drew Miller), Selanne, T. (Andrew Ebbett)
DAL:  Ribeiro, M. (Steve Ott, Darryl Sydor), Niskanen, M. (Mike Ribeiro, Stephane Robidas), Ribeiro, M. (Steve Ott, Jere Lehtinen)
Attendance: 18,171

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	San Jose	0	2	0	2	48	B. Boucher
	Montreal	3	0	0	3	21	J. Halak
Scoring Summary:
SJS:  Pavelski, J. (Milan Michalek, Dan Boyle), Thornton, J. (Patrick Marleau, Christian Ehrhoff)
MTL:  Markov, A. (Tomas Plekanec, Mathieu Schneider), Gorges, J. (Matt D’Agostini, Saku Koivu), Koivu, S. (Andrei Markov)
Attendance: 21,273

FINAL OT		1	2	3	OT	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Toronto	2	0	1	1	4	38	C. Joseph
	Ottawa	0	2	1	0	3	32	B. Elliot
Scoring Summary:
TOR:  Mayers, J. (John Mitchell, Tomas Kaberle), Stapleton, T. (Jason Blake, Dominic Moore), Kubina, P. (Nik Antropov, Mikhail Grabovski), Kubina, P. (Ian White, Matt Stajan)
OTT:  Shannon, R. (Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley), Ruutu, J. (Mike Comrie, Shean Donovan), Alfredsson, D. (Mike Fisher)
Attendance: 20,050

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Buffalo	0	0	0	0	31	P. Lalime
	NY Islanders	0	1	1	2	34	Y. Danis
Scoring Summary:
NYI:  Bergenheim, S. (06:13 in 2nd), Bergenheim, S. (17:58 in 3rd)
Attendance: 14,198

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Colorado	0	1	0	1	24	A. Raycroft
	NY Rangers	4	1	1	6	30	H. Lundqvist
Scoring Summary:
COL:  Smyth, R. (Milan Hejduk, John-Michael Liles)
NYR:  Callahan, R. (Brandon Dubinsky, Chris Drury), Zherdev, N. (Lauri Korpikoski), Prucha, P. (Lauri Korpikoski, Paul Mara), Gomez, S. (Marc Staal, Nikolai Zherdev), Drury, C. (Scott Gomez, Markus Naslund), Naslund, M. (Scott Gomez, Dmitri Kalinin)
Attendance: 18,200

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Carolina	2	0	1	3	35	C. Ward
	Atlanta	0	1	4	5	32	K/ Lehtonen
Scoring Summary:
CAR:  Ruutu, T. (Eric Staal), Samsonov, S. (Jussi Jokinen, Patrick Eaves), Babchuk, A. (Tuomo Ruutu, Eric Staal)
ATL:  Kovalchuk, I. (Todd White), Peverley, R. (Marty Reasoner, Ilya Kovalchuk), White, T. ((Ilya Kovalchuk, Bryan Little), Peverley, R. (Ilya Kovalchuk, Slava Kozlov), Kovalchuk, I. (Ron Hainsey)
Attendance: 17,796

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Detroit	0	0	0	0	30	T. Conklin, C. Osgood
	Nashville	5	1	2	8	23	P. Rinne
Scoring Summary:
NSH:  Koistinen, V. (Shea Weber, Cal O’reilly), Legwand, D. (Jerred Smithson, Joel Ward), Ward, J. (unassisted), Pihlstrom, A. (Jordin Tootoo, Kevin Klein), Arnott, J. (Ville Koistinen, Ryan Jones), Arnott, J. (Steve Sullivan, J.P. Dumont), Weber, S. (Steve Sullivan, J.P. Dumont), Arnott, J. (J.P. Dumont, Steve Sullivan)
Attendance: 17,113

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	St. louis	0	1	2	3	30	C. Mason
	Phoenix	0	0	1	1	27	I. Bryzgalov
Scoring Summary:
STL:  McClement, J. (Alexander Steen), Perron, D. (David Backes, Patrik Berglund), McDonald, A. (Keith Tkachuk, Brad Boyes)
PHX:  Jokinen, O. (Keith Yandle, Peter Mueller)
Attendance: 15,893

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Minnesota	2	0	0	2	45	J. Harding
	Edmonton	1	2	0	3	30	D. Roloson
Scoring Summary:
MIN:  Brunette, A. (PPG, 06:14 in 1st), Miettinen, A. (PPG, 19:25 in 1st)
EDM:  Hemsky, A. (12:47 in 1st), Stortini, Z. (05:03 in 2nd), Gilbert, T. (15:22 in 2nd)
Attendance: 16,839

 Marty Brodeur got a welcome return to the NHL with the 99th shutout of his career.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Anaheim	0	0	0	0	35	J. Giguere , J. Hiller
	Boston	1	4	1	6	27	T. Thomas
Scoring Summary:
BOS:  Hunwick, M. (Blake Wheeler, Michael Ryder), Ryder, M. (David Krejci, Blake Wheeler), Kobasew, C. (Zdeno Chara), Ryder, M. (Tim Thomas), Kobasew, C. (Dennis Wideman, Andrew Ference), Bitz, B. (Andrew Ference, Matt Hunwick)
Attendance:  17,565

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Colorado	0	0	0	0	24	A. Raycroft
	New Jersey	1	1	2	4	32	M. Brodeur
Scoring Summary:
NJD:  Langenbrunner, J. (Travis Zajac, Zach Parise), Elias, P. (Paul Martin, Zach Parise), Parise, Z. (Jamie Langenbrunner, Travis Zajac), Zajac, T. (Paul Martin, Johnny Oduya)
Attendance: 16,107

FINAL SO		1	2	3	OT	SO	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Toronto	1	1	2	0	1 (2-3)	5	33	V. Toskala
	NY Islanders	0	1	3	0	0 (1-3)	4	44	J. MacDonald
Scoring Summary:
TOR:  White, I. (Ian White, Niklas Hagman), Moore, D. (Jason Blake, Jonas Frogren), Kubina, P. (Mikhail Grabovski, Jason Blake), Antropov, N. (Matt Stajan, Ian White), Stapleton, T. (00:00 in SO)
NYI:  McAmmond, D. (Bill Guerin, Jon Sim), Bergenheim, S. (unassisted), Streit, M. (Bruno Gervais), Sim, J. (Mark Streit)
Attendance: 12,201

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Florida	0	0	2	2	22	C. Anderson
	NY Rangers	1	0	0	1	41	H. Lundqvist
Scoring Summary:
FLA:  Booth, D. (Stephen Weiss, Keith Ballard), Horton, N. (Richard Zednik, Bryan McCabe)
NYR:  Naslund, M. (Scott Gomez, Dmitri Kalinin)
Attendance: 18,200

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Atlanta	1	1	1	3	24	K. Lehtonen
	Washington	2	1	1	4	40	M. Neuvirth
Scoring Summary:
ATL:  Kovalchuk, I. (Todd White, Slava Kozlov), Peverley, R. (Niclas Havelid, Tobias Enstrom), White, T. (Ilya Kovalchuk, Marty Reasoner)
WSH:  Semin, A. (Sergei Fedorov, Alexander Ovechkin), Laich, B. (Mike Green, Alexander Semin), Green, M. (Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin), Fehr, E. (Shaone Morrisonn, Dave Steckel)
Attendance: 18,277

FINAL SO		1	2	3	OT	SO	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Buffalo	0	1	0	0	0 (0-3)	1	37	P. Lalime
	Carolina	0	0	1	0	1 (1-3)	2	32	C. Ward
Scoring Summary:
BUF:  Kaleta, P. (Clarke MacArthur, Paul Gaustad)
CAR:  Babchuk, A. (Michael Ryan, Eric Staal), Jokinen, J. (in SO)
Attendance: 18,219

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	San Jose	0	2	0	2	24	B. Boucher
	Ottawa	1	0	0	1	24	A. Auld
Scoring Summary:
SJS:  Michalek, M. (Joe Pavelski, Marc-Edouard Vlasicnd), Marleau, P. (Jeremy Roenick, Joe Thornton)
OTT:  Fisher, M. (Chris Campoli, Dany Heatley)
Attendance: 17,791

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Phoenix	0	1	0	1	26	I. Bryzgalov
	Nashville	1	1	2	4	47	P. Rinne
Scoring Summary:
PHX:  Jovanovski, E. (Olli Jokinen, Daniel Carcillo)
NSH:  Sullivan, S. (J.P. Dumont), Arnott, J. (unassisted), Ward, J. (Martin Erat, Dan Hamhuis), Legwand, D. (Joel Ward, Shea Weber)
Attendance: 14,954