Coach Tortorella

Hendrik Lundqvist

Ryan Callahan

Henrik Lundqvist

Ryan Callahan

Brian Boyle

Coach Tortorella

Here is some of the insight Andrew was able to give us on the Rangers.

Andrew on Brad Richards’ decision to come to New York:

“He talked a lot about wanting to come back East when it was said and done. He talked a lot on his conference call about his grandfather who lives in PEI and stays up and watches the game, and talks about how tough the games out West were on his grandfather. The fact that his parents were able to fly out to New York When he was introduced the other week…All those little things just added up for Brad.

Read more quotes from Andrew Gross after the jump.

“You can’t over emphasize the previous relationship with John Tortorella. It turns out, since John Tortorella was hired here in Feb ’09, he’s been talking Glen Sathers’ ear off on what a perfect fit Brad Richards would be. Glen was not all that familiar with Brad Richards the person, they hadn’t interacted prior to these negotiations. Glen said because of Torts talking about Brad all the time, he felt like he knew this guy already. That was a huge factor as well”

On the contract situation of Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky

“They have arbitration dates, they’d like to get it done before arbitration, I still think it will get done. Dubinsky was in New York today; the Rangers are running a summer youth hockey camp, Dubinsky was the guest today, he said some very flattering things about the Rangers organization. There doesn’t seem to be any animosity certainly on Dubinsky’s part, that he went through two years ago when he was a training camp holdout. Setting up these arbitration hearings guarantees one way or another that these players will be in camp, this is going to e settled by the end of the month, it’s just reaching a fair number.”

“Cali and Dubi are reaching between $4 and $4.5 million, and that’s fair market value. It’s a matter of Glen and his team of capologists, making sure they can fit everything together. From everything I’ve been told, they haven’t settled on a price, there’s no animosity, things are progressing.

To listen to the full interview with Andrew Gross, download Part 1 of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show and skip to 25:23. iTunes users can subscribe to the podcast here. Non-iTunes users can subscribe via RSS.

The next episode of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show will air LIVE on Sports Radio 1290 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on Monday July 18, 2011 from 6pm-8pm CST.

Part 1 of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show – July 13, 2011

New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils

These teams don’t like each other and never have.  Tonight’s game marks the second of the season for the Devils, after the team was dominated by Philadelphia on Saturday night in Jacques Lemaire’s return to Jersey.  Needless to say, Martin Brodeur wasn’t at his best in the team’s first game (he allowed five goals) and said in the morning papers that he was looking to change a thing or two about his positioning after the opening night loss.

The Rangers started the season by getting defeated in Pittsburgh but then returned the next night and beat Ottawa in the team’s home opener.  In positive news, Marian Gaborik looks healthy and motivated, so the Rangers are going to try and ride the Gaborik train as long as they can. 

Columbus Blue Jackets at Vancouver Canucks

Well, some are already calling this game a “must-win” for the Canucks.  First off, that is absurd, as it is the third game of the season.  Regardless, the Canucks started poorly in Calgary on Thursday and only really started playing in the second half of the game.  Unfortunately for Alain Vigneault and company, his team didn’t fare much better in Colorado on Saturday afternoon and the team is faced with an 0-2 record.  While there shouldn’t be panic in B.C., Vigneault hasn’t wasted any time calling out his non-Sedin lines.  Something tells me the Canucks will be mighty motivated tonight.

As for Columbus, this is a team that defeated the Wild 2-1 on Saturday and is a confident bunch.  Unfortunately for Ken Hitchcock and company, the Jackets play three straight home openers starting with tonight in Vancouver.  That said, Hitchcock will have his much improved team ready to roll.  Expect a higher scoring affair than in the team’s first game of the season.

As a result, the Rangers are attempting to remake their team from one that focuses on defense first, to one that focuses on an ultra aggressive forecheck and non-stop intensity.  Will the change work out?  Well, it may have an effect, but at the end of the day, it is the players on the ice that will make the biggest difference in any conceivable Rangers turnaround.

So, let’s examine the Rangers roster to see what we should expect in 2009/10.

Forwards:

The Rangers made a couple huge moves this summer, first by parting with Scott Gomez and second, by signing the dominant, but oft-injured, Marian Gaborik to a long-term deal.  The Rangers signed Gaborik to a five-year deal, worth $7.5 million per season.  So, they clearly think he is the man to take them to the next level.  While I agree with the team’s talent assessment, the organization better hope Gaborik does something to change his long injury history.  Over the past four seasons, Gaborik has played in 207 games total, or 52 games per season.  Considering his age, 27, and his past injury history, it seems unlikely that Gaborik will suddenly return to full health, but at $7.5 million per season, that is what the Rangers are banking on.

Surrounding Gaborik up front will be team leader Chris Drury.  Drury is making $8.0 million next season, so the team is expecting a rebound from last year’s 22 goal, 56 point performance.  Unfortunately for Rangers fans, Drury has only scored more than 30 goals in a season once before and is now 33 years old (hard to believe, isn’t it?), so expectations of return to his Buffalo form seem to be fairly unrealistic.

Well, we just accounted for $15.5 million of the Rangers’ cap and are not sure if the above duo will eclipse 40 goals total.  Worried Rangers fans?  You probably should be.  Now, there is hope up front for New York in youngster Brandon Dubinsky.  Dubinsky, just recently signed to a two-year deal, brings a lot of good qualities to the table.  He is big, has good net awareness and plays a solid two-way game.  He is a key player the Rangers should be building around and with his new deal signed, expect him to excel over the next few seasons.

Joining the aforementioned forwards in the top six will be Chris Higgins, Sean Avery and Vaclav Prospal.  Higgins, acquired from Montreal in the Scott Gomez deal, is a New York native who is ecstatic to be returning to his home state to play hockey.  The rugged winger kind of got lost in the fold in Montreal, but his grit and willingness to go to the net should be a welcome addition to the Rangers’ forward unit.

Along with Higgins, we find the man who gets more press than everyone not named Crosby or Ovechkin—Sean Avery.  Aside from my dislike of his consistent on-ice and off-ice antics, you cannot take away the effect he has when playing for the Broadway Blueshirts.  For whatever reason, Avery feels at home in NY and his play exhibits that.  He played just under 17:00 per game for the club during the regular season and tallied a respectable 12 points in 18 games.  Don’t expect Avery to maintain that scoring pace next season, but his worth to the team is in a variety of different areas—mainly energy and agitating the opponent.

The final addition to the team’s top-six was a late summer acquisition; Vaclav Prospal was bought out of his contract with Tampa Bay and found himself on the free agent market.  Whomever said Prospal and John Tortorella don’t get along must have been wrong, as you’d have to think Coach Tortorella had a direct connection to New York’s signing of his former player in Tampa Bay.  Prospal will bring the Rangers some much needed help on offense.  The Czech winger hasn’t missed more than two games in a season in eight years, so he is a perfect reliable complement to the team’s core injury prone forwards  On top of that, he has good hands that make up for his average (at best) skating ability.

Before moving onto the team’s depth forwards, we should talk about Ryan Callahan.  I don’t have him listed in the top-six because I see the team moving him around all season, but his contributions cannot be overlooked.  Callahan is an energizer bunny and his hitting ability (265 hits led the Rangers), speed, and penalty killing ability will be to the Rangers’ chances.  In fact, his penalty killing ability will be especially vital because the Rangers lost both Blair Betts and Fredrik Sjostrom this off-season—the team’s two top penalty killers in 2008/09. 

Ryan Callahan's energy is key to the Rangers' season. (Picture courtesy of Flickr)

We also cannot forget the signing of Ales Kotalik which should help the team’s second and third wing spots, as well as the team’s point-man play with the man advantage.  Kotalik is big, but doesn’t play that way; however, his shootout skills and power play versatility motivated the Rangers to bring him in for three years, at $3 million per season.

In terms of depth forwards, the Rangers boast Donald Brashear (hated by all Rangers fans last season), Enver Lisin (good offensive skills, lack of defensive awareness) and Aaron Voros (rugged fourth liner).

New York is also hoping that draft-day acquisition Brian Boyle, a huge center, will find his way on the team’s fourth line and gain the confidence he lacked in the Los Angeles system.  Along with Boyle, the team is hoping that Artem Anisimov can make the jump to the NHL after a successful AHL campaign in Hartford.

Defensemen:

Some may have gripes about the Rangers’ forwards, but the defense contains a lot more promise in terms of young talent.  The Rangers are set on the back-end with Marc Staal anchored in as a top pairing defenseman for the foreseeable future.  The 22 year old Thunder Bay native has acquitted himself well to his NY surroundings through two seasons of play.  He is poised, skates extremely well for a player his size and is as positionally sound as they come.  His offensive skills aren’t tremendous but he still makes a very good first pass and has a very active stick in the defensive zone.  Staal is due for a big payday after this upcoming season.

Playing shotgun with Staal is the underrated Daniel Girardi.  Yes, it is true that a player can play in New York City and still be underrated.  Girardi took a while to develop but at 25 years old, entering his prime, he has gained some much needed confidence and his play demonstrates just that.  Girardi was second on the team in ice-time last season, and he plays on the penalty kill, power play and at even strength.  His ability to play in all situations combined with his physical play (207 hits led all Rangers defensemen) makes him a very important player on this team moving forward.  Sure there may be concern over his -14 last season (worst of all Rangers defensemen) but he has the necessary skill and awareness to improve on that.

After Staal and Girardi, the Rangers have two players, who most categorize as overpaid, in Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival.  Redden will make $8.0 million this season, so it is hard to argue that he is not overpaid.  Even so, Redden still logged 22:00+ minutes last season for the Blueshirts and was on the ice more than any other Rangers all season long.  His offensive skills are not what they were in Ottawa and he appears a step slower than he used to be, but he is still an efficient puck-mover who can move the puck from his own zone and is fairly strong at reading the play.

In Rozsival, the Rangers have a player entering the second year of a four-year, $20 million deal.  Is Rozsival worth $5 million per season against the salary cap?  Again, that is hard to argue, but he does bring some valuable assets to the table—he led the Rangers defensemen in ice-time per game (22:30), led the team’s defensemen in points (30) and power play points (14).  Unfortunately, Rozsival is inconsistent and the team was looking to move him this off-season.  With that salary, Glen Sather could not find someone to bite, so expect another season of Rozsival on Broadway.

After the team’s top four, the Rangers have a load of talented defensemen in the system—namely Bobby Saguinetti, Michael Del Zotto and Ryan McDonough but it is expected that defenseman Matt Gilroy will make an immediate impact on the team’s back-end.

Did the Rangers hit the jackpot with Matt Gilroy? (Picture courtesy of tsn.ca)

Gilroy was signed in a much-heralded bidding war for his services late last spring, and ended up deciding on signing in NY for two years at $1.75 million per season.  By all accounts, Gilroy is worth it.  While some are sceptical of his NCAA production considering his age (25) versus younger competition, the consensus is that the talent to move the puck and read the game well is there.  The Rangers seem to have hit the jackpot with Gilroy—especially taking into account the fact that they gave nothing up, aside from money, to get him.

After the team’s top five, it looks like the sixth spot will be up for grabs.  The talent is there in terms of the aforementioned youngsters, however, Tortorella has stated he’d prefer the team pickup a veteran before the regular season begins, so this bears watching.

Goaltending:

Any questions that I may have of the Rangers at forward or defense, do not exist when it comes to netminding.  Henrik Lundqvist, for all that is written about Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo, may be the best netminder in the world.  He has an Olympic Gold Medal on his mantel and almost single-handedly defeated the Capitals in the first round of the 2009 playoffs.  “The King” as he is known to Rangers fans posted a .916 save percentage last season (tied for 11^th in the NHL), as well as a 2.43 G.A.A. (11^th in the NHL). Simply stated, Lundqvist is a brilliant netminder with terrific positioning, flexibility and net awareness.  He is the team’s MVP and there is not much more to say.

"The King" will decide how far the Rangers can go. (Picture courtesy of sportsnet.ca)

Backing up “The King” is the large framed Stephen Valiquette.  The 32 year old Toronto native stands in at 6”6 and leaves little of the net unfilled.  He isn’t the quickest of goaltenders but tries to play the angle and positions himself quite well.  His .907 save percentage is certainly suitable for a backup, especially with Lundqvist playing so many games. 

Prediction:

If the team’s cap situation was not as dire as it appears, and the money was there to give long-term deals to Staal, Girardi and Dubinsky, I’d feel pretty good about the Rangers moving forward.  Alas, that is not the case and I feel as though the Rangers are a playoff team but not a legitimate Cup contender.

Ceiling: The team gels well under Tortorella, gets the usual exceptional netminding from Lundqvist and Gaborik stays healthy.  2^nd in the Atlantic Division and 5^th in the Eastern Conference.

Floor: Tortorella’s system doesn’t work with this group of forwards, Lundqvist wears down from too many shots against and the competition intra-division from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New Jersey proves too much.  4^th in the Atlantic Division and 10^th in the Eastern Conference.

A week after the New York Rangers walked away from Nikolai Zherdev’s salary arbitration ruling, making the forward a free agent, Zherdev has reportedly signed with a team in the Russian based KHL.

According to RDS.ca, Zherdev signed a deal with Salavatovo Yuleav Ufa, a team that also employees former NHL’ers Alexander Perezhogin and Alexander Radulov.

Read the story here.

No real surprise here.  When I broke down where Zherdev could end up last week, I prefaced the piece by saying “if Zherdev doesn’t sign in the KHL.”  This move makes sense for Zherdev as he will probably be more comfortable back home and will probably be making far more money than he would have in the NHL.  We may eventually see him back in North America, but I wouldn’t bet on that being anytime soon.

From TSN:

The New York Rangers have decided to walk away from a salary arbitration ruling to Nikolai Zherdev, making the forward an unrestricted free agent.

Zherdev was awarded a one-year, $3.9 million contract following his hearing on Friday. He was looking for $4.75 million, while the Rangers were offering less than $3.2 million.

”With the additions we’ve been able to make this summer, we feel we’ve been able to add scoring and offense from the wing position,” Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather stated. ”Following the arbitration process and subsequent award given, we feel it is in our best interest to walk away and continue to explore all available options to improve our roster.”

First off, this is hardly a surprise.  Larry Brooks of the NY Post, among others, has been predicting this for some time now.  The Rangers, with their activity this off-season, clearly did not have Nikolai Zherdev as part of the team vision.

While I understand those sentiments, they seem short-sighted to me.  In order to explain myself, I am first going to post the Rangers’ possible top two lines heading into next season.

Line 1: Higgins-Dubinsky-Gaborik

Line 2: Avery-Drury-Kotalik

These lines are certainly formidable, but what if Marian Gaborik gets injured?  We all know how likely that is, and if it happens, the team will have a gaping hole up front. 

Just how big will that hole be? Well, the other five top forwards have collectively only exceeded the 30-goal mark on one occasion (Drury’s 37 in 2006/07). 

That is where Nikolai Zherdev comes in.  I know he is horrible defensively and I know he does not “bring it” every night; that much has been established around the National Hockey League.  That said, Zherdev has scored 99 career NHL goals and is only 24 (i.e., he is currently in the prime of his career).  Additionally, his career points-per-game is 0.65 and is fairly likely to improve, if not stay the same.

Even though Zherdev did not see eye-to-eye with coach John Tortorella (or even Tom Renney or Ken Hitchcock–yes I see the theme), he brings offensive talent to the table and could certainly be of use to some team in the NHL. 

My argument against the Rangers’ decision today is that the team is wasting an asset.  Today the Rangers decided to give away Zherdev without receiving any compensation in return. The Rangers have allowed a 24-year old talented winger, with 99 career goals before his 25th birthday, to leave town for nothing.

His $3.9 million salary award, while high, was not exorbitant.  The team does have to sign Brandon Dubinsky, but getting under the salary cap was workable if the team really wanted to do just that.

Now the Rangers are left with a lack of offense if Gaborik gets injured (fairly likely) and have received nothing of value in return for the talented Zherdev (Fedor Tyutin: Where art thou?).  Even if they could not have acquired anything for his services right now, every team incurs injuries during the course of the season and I’m sure, at least a few teams, would have been willing to trade something of value for Zherdev (with only a one-year contract commitment) for the stretch drive.

In today’s day, when asset management is so important, I believe the Rangers erred in the decision to let Nikolai Zherdev go for nothing.

What could be better than watching Capitals versus Penguins for two weeks?

Here was Ari’s Methodology:

Washington’s % Chance to win the series = 1/(odds win G5 * odds win G6 * odds win G7)

OR

1/(1.54*1.83*1.51)= 23.47%.

So, instead of tracking Washington’s chances at an arbitrary number, Ari calculated the Capitals’ chances of winning each game when determining their odds of a comeback.  As you can see, the team’s chances were far higher than 8.7%, as he had the Capitals at just under 25% to comeback in the series.

Well, now that the Capitals are tied 3-3 with the Rangers heading home to the Verizon Center for Game 7 tonight, Ari now has the Caps as having a 70.2% chance of making the next round.

Can the Rangers beat the odds?

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

• Could Chris Clark return to the Capitals lineup tonight to replace the suspended Donald Brashear?  The Capitals have a chance to redeem last season’s Game 7 heartbreak versus Philadelphia tonight at the Verizon Center, writes Mike Wise.  Nothing like ESPN reporting that Mike Green would be suspended.
• According to coach John Tortorella, the Rangers have absolutely nothing to lose tonight.  Jay Greenberg takes issue with Tortorella’s methods in this morning’s NY Post.  Tortorella aside, the Blueshirts have a chance if Henrik Lundqvist stands on his head.  If hockey was on people’s radars, then maybe there would be a big outcry about the two Game 7s of the NY area being aired at essentially the same time.

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

• Amazingly, Jamie Langenbrunner had knee surgery after Game 2 of this series and somehow came back to play Game 6.  The Devils’ top young duo of Travis Zajac and Zach Parise is nervous but looking forward to tonight’s Game 7.  As Mike Rupp says, the team that is the most relaxed will win tonight.  Stopping Eric Staal may be the key to winning tonight’s game.  Off the ice, Lou Lamoriello is reportedly going to be relieved of his business duties with the team.  That report is now being denied.
• Sure it is Game 7 tonight, but the Hurricanes have learned that every game is important.  Don’t expect any lineup changes by Paul Maurice.

Second Round Matchups

Detroit Red Wings (1) versus Anaheim Ducks (7)

• Kris Draper thinks he will be able to return for the start of Round 2.  Darren Helm, who has picked up the slack in Draper’s absence, played extra physical in the first round.
• Helene Elliot says that last night’s result in favor of Anaheim proves that the regular season means very little.  Ryan Getzlaf led the Ducks from beginning to end, writes Dan Wood.  “I thought we were hungrier,” said Teeme Selanne.  Yesterday’s game was good old playoff hockey.

Vancouver Canucks (3) versus Chicago Blackhawks (4)

• If the Canucks were going to take the next step this season, they had to replace Markus Naslund, opines Ed Willes.  Coach Alain Vigneault is confident his entire defense corps will be ready for the start of Round 2.  Speaking of Round 2, the Canucks now know their opponent.  If you think the Canucks are taking it easy at practice, you are sadly mistaken.
• The Blackhawks defeated Calgary on Monday, marking the first time the organization has won a playoff round in thirteen years.  Yesterday’s series victory was an impressive feat for the young Hawks.  Even post-series, Adam Burish claims he was never told by any teammates or coaches to stop yapping.  The Seabrook brothers have a great bond, explains Shannon Ryan.

Boston Bruins (1) versus TBA

• Tim Thomas is now recognized around the NHL as one of the league’s top netminders, so he won’t be surprising anyone anymore.  Earlier this playoffs, Matt Hunwick had his spleen removed, so he’s hoping the Bruins make a long run to enable him to return to the fold.  It doesn’t appear the Bruins will start Round 2 until Friday.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus TBA

• The Penguins don’t know who they’ll play in Round 2, but they know they’ll probably play on Thursday or Friday.  During Dan Bylsma’s day off, he paid a visit to Wilkes-Barre.  More talk on whether fighting can change the momentum of a game.  (Writer’s note: Good points by Starkey, but I still don’t agree in this case.)

Teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs:

• The San Jose Sharks lost in the first round for the first time since 2001.  Mark Purdy says the Sharks never got a hold of the series.
• Jarome Iginla says he didn’t do enough in the Flames’ six-game series loss to the Blackhawks.  Last night’s loss means that the Flames have lost four first round matchups in a row.  Miikka Kiprusoff says fatigue was not a factor in his playoff performance.  Excuses may be for losers, but the Flames did have some valid reasons for losing to Chicago.  Mike Keenan was outcoached, writes Eric Francis.  What will become of the Flames’ pending free agents?
• Steve Mason’s first time in Vegas this June for the NHL Awards should be fun.

Teams that did not make the playoffs:

• After undergoing hip surgery, Niklas Backstrom got some good news yesterday, writes Brian Stensaas.
• If Sabres fans don’t knoiw the name Jhonas Enroth, they should get to know it.
• Apparently the Oilers are interested in Tom Renney for the vacant head coaching position.

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

• Did you know Mark Stuart and Shane Hnidy were only on the ice for one Montreal goal against in the entire first round?  For now, the Bruins are just watching the playoffs to see which team they will meet in Round 2.
• Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette says the Habs are an awful bunch from top to bottom.

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

• The Capitals defeated the Rangers at MSG yesterday and now hold all the momentum going into Tuesday’s deciding Game 7.  If Henrik Lundqvist was in the Capitals’ heads earlier this series, he sure isn’t anymore, writes Dan Steinberg.  For a guy who was booed out of New York, Sunday’s four point performance must have been sweet revenge for Tom Poti.  Speaking of defensemen, Mike Green is back on track offensively for the Caps.
• “You look at the score of the last two games, it’s hard to say we worked hard enough,” said Chris Drury.  The Rangers just don’t look very good right now, explains Jay Greenberg.  Subject to an elbow from Donald Brashear, Rangers center Blair Betts will miss Game 7.  Meanwhile, Brandon Dubinsky claims he was bitten during Game 6.

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

• “One team played like there was no tomorrow; the other team played like there was,” said Devils coach Brent Sutter after his team’s 4-0 loss last night.  You play all season for home-ice advantage and the Devils are hoping that will give them the edge in Game 7.  Home-ice won’t even matter if the Devils’ best players don’t come to play on Tuesday.
• With a terrific performance from Eric Staal, it all comes down to Tuesday night for Carolina.  Has Paul Maurice finally found the right combinations for the Hurricanes’ lines?

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

• Evgeni Malkin has had some important fans in the stands to cheer him on.  It was sure important for the Penguins to avoid a Game 7 with the Flyers.  Penguins GM Ray Shero is happy his team has faced some adversity during this season’s playoffs.
• The Flyers seemed at a loss for words when it came to identifying what went wrong this season.  Here is the team’s free agent situation heading into the summer.  Don’t expect the Flyers organization to panic after the series loss, says Comcast President Peter Lukko.

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks (1) versus Anaheim Ducks (8)

• As long as the Sharks keep sarcifing their bodies, they have a chance to win this series, opines Mark Purdy.  If the Sharks are to win the next two games, they need Joe Thornton to play like he did in Game 5.  Are the Sharks similar to the 2007 Dallas Mavericks?
• Teemu Selanne is keeping a positive attitude, even though he’s only tallied one assist all series versus San Jose.  Having short-term memories really does help the Ducks from game-to-game, writes Dan Wood.

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Columbus Blue Jackets (7)

• Here are the teams that the Red Wings could face in Round 2.  The legendary Jimmy Devellano reflects back on his time with the Red Wings.

Vancouver Canucks (3) versus St Louis Blues (6)

• Kyle Wellwood has played really well so far this playoffs but he may be even more proud of the way his brother has played in the OHL playoffs.  When it comes to who they may match up against in the second round, the Canucks don’t care.  Ryan Kesler has become a beast for the Canucks, writes Grant Kerr.

Chicago Blackhawks (4) versus Calgary Flames (5)

• “We believe we can win in their building,” says Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith.  They may have confidence they can win in Calgary, but the Hawks know it won’t be easy.
• If the Flames want force Game 7, they will have to eliminate their mid-game lapses, writes Eric Duhatschek.  “We don’t want it to be over, and we don’t believe it will be over. We believe we’re going to win that game and force Game 7,” said Flames captain Jarome Iginla.  In injury news, Dion Phaneuf is still listed as day-to-day.

Non-Playoff Teams/Stories:

• Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star says fighting isn’t always responsible for changing the momentum of the game.  (Writer’s note: Maybe he’s been reading this site, as I’ve been arguing the same thing for the past two days)
• Not surprisingly, Canada dominated Hungary at the World Hockey Championships.

FINAL		T
	Washington	5
	NY Rangers	3
Game Preview
Game Scoresheet
Team Game Threads Japers’ Rink Blueshirt Banter
Game Recap

Expect Donald Brashear to get suspended for the next game as he had a brief physical encounter with the Rangers Colton Orr in the pre-game warm up.  Even though it wasn’t a signficiant altercation apparently the NHL has a zero tolerance policy for any contact during the pre-game warm up as rule 47.9 suggests.

NHL Rule 47.9 states:

Fighting Other Than During the Periods of the Game – Any teams whose players or goalkeepers become involved in an altercation, other than during the periods of the game, shall be fined pursuant to 47.20, in addition to any other appropriate penalties that may be imposed upon the participating players or goalkeepers by supplementary discipline or otherwise.

Players involved in fighting other than during the periods of the game shall be assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct. Should one player be deemed the instigator of the fight, the game misconduct shall not be assessed to his opponent.

Any player or goalkeeper who would be deemed to be an instigator pursuant to this ruleat a time other than during the periods of the game shall be suspended pursuant to 47.20.

So Brashear doesn’t appear likely to suit up for the Caps in game 7.  If they are looking for a fighter perhaps they can get the fan who wanted to fight Tortorella.

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

• Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe tells us that David Krejci is for real. Some people believe Marc Savard was basically Joe Thornton’s replacement in Boston, and he is sure demonstrating who the better player is this post-season.  In injury news, Patrice Bergeron’s foot is still bothering him, but not enough to hold him out of any games.
• Stu Cowan is critical of some of Carey Price’s decisions in this morning’s Montreal Gazette

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

• The Capitals’ win in Game 5 has put some doubt into the minds of the Rangers.  With all the attention given to their forwards, the Capitals defense has quietly become very solid.  The first goal will be huge this afternoon.
• The irony surrounding the Rangers really is amazing, writes Mark Herrmann of Newsday.  Rangers coach John Tortorella has been suspended for Game 6.  Larry Brooks is critical of John Tortorella in this morning’s NY Post.

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

• Jamie Langenbrunner returns for the Devils tonight, however, Bryce Salvador is not expected to play.
• With the recession in full force, the Hurricanes are having trouble selling playoff tickets.  For some reason Versus waited until tonight to start broadcasting the Hurricanes/Devils.  Tonight’s do or die for the Hurricanes.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

• The Penguins came back yesterday from a 3-0 deficit and sent the Flyers golfing, writes Dave Molinari.  Evegeni Malkin is looking forward to getting some rest.  Many are saying that Maxime Talbot’s fight turned the game around for Pittsburgh (Writer’s note: Garbage.  Talbot challenged Carcillo and got served hard.  In fact, he was pretty much embarassed and the crowd got jacked up as a result.  Just because the Penguins happened to score a couple fluky goals to tie the game, does not mean Talbot was the reason for that.)
• When you blow a 3-0 lead at home, you do not deserve to win.  With the season complete, expect another goalie controversy in Philadelphia.  Forget goaltending, Jeff Carter is blaming himself for the Flyers’ fortunes.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Kevin Paul Dupont wonders if we will see Bob Gainey step down in Montreal?
• Francois Giguere speaks about his firing with Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

• The Bruins have no problems with waiting until late next week to start Round 2.  “You have to take the positive out of it. It gives us an opportunity to rest and we’re actually a pretty healthy team right now,” said coach Claude Julien.  In Round 1, Boston did a very good job of staying out of the box.  Simply, Zdeno Chara is the man.
• Could both Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis be part of the Habs’ off-season plan?  Dave Stubbs wonders if Saku Koivu has played his last game as a member of the Canadiens?  Here is Red Fisher’s Saturday Notebook.

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

• Matt Bradley did not just score once last night, he scored twice, as the Capitals forced a Game 6 back at MSG.  Some guy named Ovechkin was pretty good last night too.  Stephen Whyno thinks the Rangers missed Sean Avery.  It also didn’t hurt that Henrik Lundqvist decided to take off his cape and take a night off from being Superman.
• Make no mistake, the Rangers are John Tortorella’s team.  One of the ways Tortorella has made his mark as Rangers coach was by benching Sean Avery for last night’s contest.  Avery wasn’t against his benching saying, “I totally stand behind what Torts did.”  During the third period of yesterday’s frustrating loss, Tortorella got into a fight with a fan.

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

• It looks like Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner will be back in the lineup for Game 6.  John Madden has made it clear that the Devils want to end things tomorrow night.  If this series goes seven games, it really could be an all-time classic.
• Tomorrow is put up or shut up time for the Hurricanes.  Luke Decock of the News & Observer says it is time for Eric Staal to step up.

Pittburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

• If the Penguins win today, it will allow them to forget that the Flyers have really been in control the past three games.  Not unexpectedly, Bill Guerin has taken on an important leadership role fo the Penguins.  Speaking of veteran leaders, if the Penguins do win this series, their veterans need to pick up the pace.  A seventh game wouldn’t surprise anyone.
• Forget hockey, one of the Flyers’ scouts actually saved the lives of a mom and child last week.  Meanwhile, Phil Sheridan gives John Stevens some credit for being patient with his team.  The Flyers are doing their best to forget the long odds of coming back from down 3-to-1.  Surprisingly, rugged forward Daniel Carcillo has been one of the keys to the Flyers’ turnaround.

Illegal Curve is now on Twitter and Facebook.

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

• After being so injured last playoffs, the Bruins realize just how important rest is during the playoffs.  This Boston team just has a quiet confidence about them.  Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara has been nominated for the Norris Trophy.
• It appears the sale of the Montreal Canadiens this summer is inevitable.  It may be an understatement to say that Bob Gainey is not a fan of the Tampa Bay management.  Carey Price sat and faced the bright lights of the Montreal media on Thursday.  What’s next for long-time Canadien forward and leader Saku Koivu?  If there is talk that Bob Gainey won’t be back next season for Montreal, it doesn’t appear to have come from Gainey himself, as he says he has work to do when it comes to the Habs’ off-season.  Alexei Kovalev has voiced his interest in returning to the Habs.

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

• The Capitals have the same difficult task they were faced with last season against Philadelphia, writes Barry Syrluga.  You’d be surprised to know that Alexander Ovechkin reads Capitals message boards.  Capitals defenseman Mike Green has been nominated for the Norris Trophy.  Illegal Curve’s Ari Baum-Cohen calculated the Capitals’ odds of coming back in this series.
• John Tortorella wouldn’t say whether he’d healthy scratch Sean Avery for Game 5 tonight.  Chris Drury has his team pumped up for tonight’s possible clinching game at the Verizon Center.

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

• After blowing the game late in Game 4, the Devils hung on to defeat the Hurricanes 1-0 yesterday at The Rock.  The Devils are now focused on Sunday’s Game 6.  It is truly amazing how clutch Martin Brodeur is.
• The Hurricanes were shutout by Martin Brodeur last night, but they are holding their heads high.  With last night’s game behind them, the Hurricanes’ focus has shifted directly to Game 6.  Anton Babchuk was a healthy scratch on Thursday night.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

• “We didn’t play as well as we could,” said Penguins veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar about his team’s performance in Game 5.  Petr Sykora was not in the lineup for Pittsburgh on Thursday and was surprised to find out the news.  Give Dan Bylsma credit for making a difficult lineup decision concerning Sykora.  A storm in Atlanta caused many Penguins fans to miss the majority of yesterday’s game on television.
• Claude Giroux is becoming a Flyers fan favorite with his play in the first round.  Giroux is becoming a favorite, but the Flyers couldn’t have won last night without a terrific performance from Martin Biron.  Depth helps; as Flyers fourth liner Arron Asham turned the tide of Thursday’s tilt.  Right now, Philadelphia simply has to focus on one game at a time.

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks (1) versus Anaheim Ducks (8)

• It will all come down to Saturday for the Sharks, after a terrible performance last night in Anaheim.  The Sharks just are not playing with any purpose right now, opines Mark Purdy.  When are the Sharks going to trade Joe Thornton?
• Anaheim’s performance in Game 4 was their best of the series so far, writes Dan Wood.  Bobby Ryan is playing a ten-year veteran for the Ducks, writes Helene Elliot.  Ryan’s linemates were pretty darn good too.  In surprising news, the Ducks finished with less penalties than the Sharks.

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Columbus Blue Jackets (7)

• Not only did the Red Wings sweep the Blue Jackets, but they didn’t even trail in the series once.  The Wings really looked like a well-oiled machine the entire series.  Columbus fans were not happy after a late third period penalty call and actually hit Wings coach Mike Babcock with debris.  In non-playoff news, Nicklas Lidstrom was once again nominated for the Norris Trophy.
• Sure the Jackets were down 3-0 in the series heading into last night’s game, but the way they lost the series may sting for a while, writes Aaron Portzline.  For all the anger from the Blue Jackets team and fans, GM Scott Howson says the officials got the late penalty call right.  Last night’s loss may have been painful, but there is nothing for the Columbus player to be ashamed of.

Vancouver Canucks (3) versus St Louis Blues (6)

• Just how important is Roberto Luongo to the Canucks’ success?  Luongo doesn’t have the best record of playing well after long layoffs, but he is not worried about the past.  The Blues were a perfect appetizer for the Canucks, writes Cam Cole.
• Blues defensemen Jay McKee and Eric Brewer will both be undergoing post-season surgery.

Chicago Blackhawks (4) versus Calgary Flames (5)

• Eric Duhatschek talks about the similarities of Eric Nystrom to his father.  Andre Roy has been suspended by the NHL for Game 5.
• After a tough Game 4, the Hawks aren’t suddenly going to lose confidence in Nikolai Khabibulin.  For a young team, do not expect the Blackhawks players to panic, writes Tim Sassone.  Interestingly, the Hawks were given Thursday off.  More Chicago players have to play like Kris Versteeg.

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

• “We got beat by a better team,” said Canadiens coach and GM Bob Gainey.  The Bruins conquered some of their demons yesterday night, writes Kevin Paul Dupont.  “It was definitely a good feeling to beat your old team here in Montreal and get the last one,” said former Canadiens winger Michael Ryder.  Of course Milan Lucic and Mike Komisarek had a chance to go at it last night.  Any talk about David Krejci being tired should be put to rest, as the young center was tremendous in the series.  Looking to Round 2, Andrew Ference is moving closer to a return to the lineup.
• Pat Hickey says Carey Price has clearly regressed over the past two seasons.  “People were rude, people were unfair, so he stood up for himself. What’s wrong with that?” said Bob Gainey about the Canadiens fans’ treatment of Carey Price.  Red Fisher wonders if Bob Gainey will be back next season?

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

• NHL teams that are down 3-1 in a series like the Capitals comeback to win only 8.7% of the time.  Mike Wise says that the pressure is on Alexander Ovechkin to take his team past the first round like his superstar counterpart Sidney Crosby.  The Capitals just were not desperate at the start of Game 4 and it showed.  At least Brian Pothier has played well since being put into the lineup after Game 1.
• Chris Drury is just plain clutch.  For everything the Capitals throw at the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist is inevitably there to catch it.  “That’s why they pay me the big bucks,” said the netminder also known as the King.  The Rangers now sit only one win away from a huge upset, writes Larry Brooks.

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

• The Devils have to have a short memory when it comes to the no-call at the very end of Game 4.  Is an angry Martin Brodeur exactly what New Jersey needs?  The Devils most likely will not have Jamie Langenbrunner and Bryce Salvador for Game 5.
• It is impossible to predict what will happen next in the ultra tight Hurricanes/Devils series.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

• “A team doesn’t get any more desperate than in a situation like that,” says Sidney Crosby about the Flyers tonight.  Tyler Kennedy knows what it is like to blow a series lead, so he doesn’t want to be on a team that does it again.  Craig Adams has really helped the Penguins in the face-off department.  Do the Penguins need to sit Petr Sykora?
• While the Flyers have probably outplayed the Penguins in three of the four games, the Flyers fans just want results.  Philadelphia has more confidence down 3-1 versus Pittsburgh this playoffs than they did last playoffs.  Let’s be honest though, Marc-Andre Fleury hasn’t been the team’s only problem.

The Western Conference Morning Papers will be a little late this morning. I apologize for the delay.

• The Ducks let the Sharks get their confidence back last night.  Too many stupid penalties by Anaheim.  You’d think at some point the players would stop taking useless penalties to allow the dangerous Sharks power play countless opportunities. 
• Blake Wheeler has not been nominated for the Calder.  He had a good season but wasn’t as good as the top three finalists.  I’ll say this, he certainly surprised me his output this season.  One of Peter Chiarelli’s shrewd moves.
• No Mathieu Schneider tonight for the Habs and Carey Price is starting in net.  This team will look a whole lot different beginning with the draft at the Bell Centre.
• Brent Sutter is happy his team battled back last night, but wasn’t happy with the team’s overall performance.  This series really is too close to call.  It feels like a Game 7 overtime series to me. 
• Bruce Boudreau thinks Mike Green can be better for the Capitals.  He seems to lack confidence right now.
• The Penguins are calling for a white-out tonight at Mellon Arena.  Come up with your own ideas and stop stealing this idea from the former Winnipeg Jets.
• Alexander Ovechkin talks about Sean Avery.  Prediction: Caps 3, Rangers 2 tonight.

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

• The Bruins won’t be getting ahead of themselves like they did five years ago, writes Stephen Harris.  The Bruins definitely do not lack depth this playoffs.  They have so much depth that someone who does not deserve to sit will be in the press box tonight.  Steve Montador has fit in perfectly with his new Bruins teammates, proving to them he is the ultimate team player.  The story of Matt Hunwick’s spleen.
• “Everything is possible,” is the message being sent from Habs captain Saku Koivu.  That said, there is little reason to believe the Habs will be the third team to ever comeback from down 3-0, writes Sean Gordon.  Pat Hickey instructs Habs fans to stop booing the U.S. anthem.  If the Habs lose tonight, the cops will be ready.

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

• Since allowing a goal to Ryan Callahan, Simeon Varlamov has made 55 consecutive saves for the Capitals.  Varlamov has developed probably faster than the Capitals organization had anticipated.  Even with a wonky groin, Tom Poti will suit up tonight for the Rangers.
• New York needs to recapture the momentum they earned from winning games one and two.  “No one in this room thought it was going to be easy, and that we were going to win four straight games,” said Rangers defenseman Derek Morris.  A fed up John Tortorella has challenged his team’s top players to improve their play.

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

• It sure was an eventful game, but Martin Brodeur was furious after last night’s loss at Carolina.  “It’s a tough way to lose with that little amount of time left,” said Brian Gionta after the Hurricanes scored the game winning goal with 0.2 seconds left in the third period.  Not only did the Devils lose the game, but they also lost Bryce Salvador to injury.
• “Huge game, huge win for us,” said Game 4 star Jussi Jokinen.  After being a healthy scratch for the second and third games of the series, Dennis Seidenberg came back into the lineup and made his mark for Carolina.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

• So much for any talk about Marc-Andre Fleury not having what it takes, as he stood on his head to almost single-handedly lead the Penguins to a Game 4 victory on Tuesday night.  The Penguins’ face-off taking skills have improved to such a point where they now sit second in the post-season in face-off percentage.  If the Penguins/Flyers is going to turn into a genuine rivalry, the Flyers are going to have to win one of these times, writes Joe Starkey.  Whose fans are louder?
• Generally when you put 46 shots on net, you are likely to win, but the Flyers were out of luck against Marc-Andre Fleury last night.  If the Flyers want to pull a comeback in this series, they need Jeff Carter to get going.  Worry not Flyers fans, the team has pulled off comebacks before.

Western Conference papers are up next…

And you thought Ovechkin was only good as a forward.  Check out that ability to get back.

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Boston	4					Washington	4
	Montreal	2					NY Rangers	0
Game Preview						Game Preview
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Team Game Threads: Stanley Cup of Chowder Four Habs Fans						Team Game Threads: Japers’ Rink Blueshirt Banter
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T
	Chicago	2
	Calgary	4
Game Preview
Game Scoresheet
Team Game Threads: Second City Hockey Matchsticks and Gasoline
Game Recap

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.

• Lundqvist with his 3rd career shutout.  Osgood picks up his 14th career shutout.
• Good news for the Wings, Hawks, Canucks, Bruins and Rangers as teams that take a 2-0 series lead end up winning 87% of the time.

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	NY Rangers	1					Columbus	0
	Washington	0					Detroit	4
Game Preview						Game Preview
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Team Game Threads: Blueshirt Banter Japers’ Rink						Team Game Threads: The Cannon Winging it in Mowtown
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Montreal	1					Calgary	2
	Boston	5					Chicago	3
Game Preview						Game Preview
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Team Game Threads: Four Habs Fans Stanley Cup of Chowder						Team Game Threads: Matchsticks and Gasoline Second City Hockey
Game Recap						Game Recap

Red Wings vs. Blue Jackets 3 Stars:

• 1st Star:  Chris Osgood:  He wasn’t as stellar as he was last night but he once again showed why he has won so many playoff games.  And he also managed to shutout the Jackets.
• 2nd Star: Detroit’s Power Play:  3 of the 4 goals tonight came on the power play and they showed why you can’t get penalties against the regular season’s #1 power play.
• 3rd Star:  Pavel Datsyuk:  He doesn’t just score, he also hits and he played as physical a game as I’ve seen him play all year long. 

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

• Matt Hunwick got quite the welcoming to the NHL playoffs on Thursday.  Milan Lucic continues to prove he is made for prime time, writes Fluto Shinzawa.  Bruins enforcer Shawn Thornton appears to have grown tired of comments from Georges Laraque.  One player who won’t back down from the Bruins’ physical play is defenseman Mike Komisarek.
• The Habs got a little feisty after the whistle last game, writes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette.  In injury news, Andrei Markov is back on the ice for Montreal but won’t play in Game 2.  The Habs just want to get over “the hump”.  Meanwhile, Red Fisher talks about the high number of firings in the NHL this season.

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

• Jeff Schultz has an undisclosed injury and has been pulled from the Capitals lineup in favor of Brian Pothier.  Washington has noticed the increased aggressiveness of the Rangers since John Tortorella was hired.  Mike Wise of the Washington Post has an interesting article on the career of Sergei Fedorov.
• The Rangers had a huge scare at practice yesterday, as Henrik Lundqvist was shaken up.  With two days between games, the Blueshirts want to make sure they maintain the momentum they created in Game 1.  New York better be good today because Jose Theodore won’t be worse than he was in Game 1, opines Larry Brooks.  In other Broadway news, the team signed highly-coveted young defenseman Matt Gilroy to a two-year deal.

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

• New Jersey not only lost the game yesterday in overtime but they may have lost captain Jamie Langenbrunner for a prolonged period of time, writes Mark Everson.  Brian Rolston will have to pick it up for New Jersey.  Paul Maurice was happy with his team’s improved intensity after a 4-1 loss in Game 1.
• Eric Staal seemed to create more for himself and the whole Hurricanes team brought an increased intensity in Game 2, writes Chip Alexander.  Everywhere you look there is a Sutter.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

• The Penguins knew they had to score on their 5-on-3 in overtime, and they did just that.  Those two penalties on Philadelphia ended up being the difference, writes Shelly Anderson.  (Writer’s note: Penalties should be in quotations because the cross-check they called was absolutely not a penalty in my opinion.) Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the Penguins deserved last night’s victory.  Marc-Andre Fleury was clutch.
• At least the Flyers improved over Game 1, writes Sam Carchidi.  Sam Donnellon thinks experience is the difference in this series.  Luca Sbisa is making quite the transition on the fly.

Western Conference papers up next.

Boston University free agent defenceman Matt Gilroy has signed a two-year deal worth $3.5 million with the New York Rangers.

It is a one-way contract however, he is not eligible to play for the Rangers in this year’s playoffs. He will be eligible for free agency in three years.

Last week, Gilroy was named the winner of the Hobey Baker Award as the best U.S. college hockey player.

Read the story from TSN here.

Sorry Leafs fans.   You won’t be getting the most coveted college free agent defenseman on the market.  Gilroy is supposed to be that good considering 20+ teams were interested in his services.  Never mind the 2 years and $3.5 million he just signed for before ever playing a NHL game.  This move is a good one by the Rangers, as it only cost them money and no other assets.  In addition, they can throw him on the back-end with talented youngsters Marc Staal and Daniel Girardi to develop a nice three-defensemen core to add to Redden and Roszival.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

• The Bruins blew a two-goal lead, but got a huge third period goal from Zdeno Chara and are off to a 1-0 series lead.  Now is the perfect time for the Bruins to capature the Boston marketplace.  The Habs do not exactly look intimidating, writes Kevin Paul Dupont.  P.J. Axelsson does all the important things many fans don’t notice.  Former Bruin Glen Metropolit is playing an offensive role for the rival-Canadiens.
• The Habs didn’t play poorly, but they still need to play a lot better, explains Pat Hickey.  Former Habs coach Claude Julien doesn’t want to take credit for the resurgence of former Hab winger Michael Ryder in Boston.  Roy MacGregor felt like Carey Price looked shaky last night.

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

• The question in Washington is who will man the net for Game 2?  It looks like Jeff Schultz will miss tomorrow aftrernoon’s game for the Capitals.  Viktor Kozlov can finally relax after scoring his first ever NHL playoff goal.  Sergei Fedorov’s leadership and experience is helping keep the young Capitals confident and relaxed.
• Coach John Tortorella was very happy with the play of Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival in Game 1.  Wade Redden’s experience is helping the Rangers on the back-end.  Easy on proclaiming a Wade Redden turn-around, opines Larry Brooks.

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

• “We got some of our confidence back, our swagger,” said Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner.  The playoff beards are in full force on the Devils’ blue line.  Fear not Jersey fans, Johnny Oduya will be in the lineup for Game 2.
• Eric Staal and Zach Parise have been going head-to-head since they were young kids.  After a poor performance in Game 1, Cam Ward is not down on himself.  Paul Maurice says his team is not tired.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

• Speaking of a Staal brother, Jordan has become a dominant third line center for the Penguins.  Pittsburgh is expecting a vastly improved Flyers team tonight at Mellon Arena.  If this series is going deep, the Flyers need to be far more discplined.  The acquisition of Chris Kunitz has worked wonders for the Pens.  (Writer’s note: That trade has been a great one for both teams.)
• The Flyers have to get off to a quick start in Game 2.  Daniel Carcillo will not be in the lineup tonight due to his one-game suspension.  The stupid penalties need to stop, writes Phil Sheridan.

• Drury has been scratched from the Rangers lineup for Game 1.
• Sidney Crosby scores the 1st goal of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
• Alex Ovechkin with 6 shots and 6 hits in the 1st period.  Scores 1st goal of series in 2nd.

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	NY Rangers	4					Philadelphia	1
	Wasington	3					Pittsburgh	4
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Blueshirt Banter  Japers’ Rink						Broad Street Hockey  PensBurgh
Game Recap						Game Recap

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Carolina	1					St. Louis	1
	New Jersey	4					Vancouver	2
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Threads:						Game Threads:
Canes Country  In Lou We Trust						St. Louis Game Time  Nucks Misconduct
Game Recap						Game Recap

A few interesting things to note about the predictions:

1) The New York Rangers might as well not bother to show up. Eight predictors, eight Washington victories predicted.

2) The goaltending disparity between Chris Osgood/Ty Conklin and Steve Mason is weighing heavily on the minds of the predictors.

3) Anaheim is a team to be feared and avoided? Not according to the IC team who feel, by a seven to one margin, that the Sharks will get by their in-state cousins.

4) Four series are to close to call (Car-NJ, Pitt-Phil, CBJ-Det, and Cgy-Chi). Despite this, the only team to receive two votes for Cup champion are the New Jersey Devils, who four predictors believe won’t even get out of the first round.

5) Along the same lines of the Devils winning the cup, Zach Parise receives two votes for Conn Smythe.

6) We invite all of our Illegal Curve readers to submit their own predictions. I would be pleased to add it to the chart below upon receiving them. If we get enough entries, perhaps we will even offer a touque as a prize once I figure out some sort of convoluted scoring method. Please send your predictions to drew@illegalcurve.com . If you don’t want to be subjected to ridicule over bad predictions, but still wish to comment on our predictions (cowards!), please comment below.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (8)

• According to an EA Sports simulation, the Bruins will beat Chicago in six games to capture the Stanley Cup.
• The Canadiens have been more than just a playoff nemesis to the Bruins, they have flat-out owned the Black ’n’ Gold over the years.
• Considering that the Bruins just delivered their finest regular season in 37 years, how about just giving every player, coach and manager an A-plus.
• Georges Laraque said he’s not surprised that he has been pencilled into the lineup for Game 1.
• Looks like the feisty Habs revel in their new underdog role instead of favorite as they were last season.

 Washington Capitals (2) vs. New York Rangers (7)

• The biggest question facing the Washington Capitals as they prepare to open the Eastern Conference first round against the New York Rangers is whether José Theodore can catch fire.
• Tarik El-Bashir was on Washington Post Live to preview the Caps’ first-round series with the Rangers.
• Maybe there is hope for the Rangers going into their opening-round series against the high-powered Capitals, but if you’re going to think that way, it’d help to have evidence.

New Jersey Devils (3) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• It could be the bounce in Martin Brodeur’s step, the beneficial result of an injury-shortened season that leaves the Devils goalie well-rested and anxious for the playoffs to begin
• Brent Sutter coached Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward for three seasons of junior hockey at Red Deer (WHL).
• Midseason coaching changes are as much a part of the NHL’s culture as playoff beards.  But how teams respond to the first phenomenon has a lot to do with whether they even get to grow the second.
• There was a time in January when the Carolina Hurricanes looked nothing like a team capable of reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs, much less one that would sizzle during the stretch run of the NHL season.
• Cam Ward has waited three years to return to this stage, this chance to prove what he did last time he was here was no accident.

 Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (5)

• It is the contemplative aspect of angling that appeals to Pittsburgh interim coach Dan Bylsma, so it doesn’t bother him that no one can corroborate his definitive fish story
• Penguins interim coach Dan Bylsma didn’t rule out using enforcer Eric Godard against rough-and-tumble Philadelphia.

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks (1) vs. Anaheim Ducks (8) 

• It’s not as if the Sharks don’t know the Anaheim Ducks. After all, the two teams knocked heads three times in the last month of the season, twice in its final week.
• Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have united to help revive the Ducks and form a dominant line.
• The one and only Don Cherry voiced the original opinion that the NHL officials should let the Ducks play.

Detroit Red Wings (2) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (7)

• The Chris Osgood factor.  The Red Wings, trying to become the first to win back-to-back Cups since they did it in 1997 and ’98, are dangerous if …
• The NHL’s salary cap is a farce.  All you have to do is look at the decade-plus contracts of Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen to know that.

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs. St. Louis Blues (6)

• The Vancouver Canucks were likely preparing to face a different, higher-profile goaltender named Mason in the first round of the playoffs.
• Written off in a brutal slump in January, the Vancouver Canucks are suddenly the hottest ticket in town.
• St. Louis Blues goalie Chris Mason will be playing his 39th consecutive game and making his 34th start in a row Wednesday against Vancouver.
• Although there were indications from the Blues that Paul Kariya could be available for Game 1 Wednesday, he hasn’t made the trip to Vancouver.

 Chicago Blackhawks (4) vs. Calgary Flames (5)

• What has been a tumultuous season for Nikolai Khabibulin could well be his last one with the Blackhawks.
• As the Flames prepared for Game 1 of their playoff series against the Blackhawks, Rene Bourque skated with Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen on the top line.
• The smile on Jarome Iginla‘s face fades, ever so slightly, at the mere suggestion his Calgary Flames rank as underdogs heading into Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
• As the Calgary Flames get ready for Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, bar owners, police and residents around the Red Mile are preparing for potential celebrations.

Non-Playoff Teams

• The NHL holds its draft lottery tonight with five teams having a chance at landing the No. 1 pick — and most likely Tavares.  TSN has ranked who they feel with be the top 14 picks.
• It’s not the playoffs in any sport until Las Vegas puts down its odds.
• The questions echoed off the empty locker stalls over and over Monday. What went wrong? What needs to be fixed? How can the Buffalo Sabres return to the playoffs?
• Bryan Murray spoke to the media for one last time this season, touching on everything from the failed campaign to the futures of individual players in Ottawa.
• Four different networks are gearing up to broadcast the NHL playoffs to the masses starting Wednesday and their assortment of experts are already busy making their opinions known.
• Thrashers‘ priorities this offseason: Job No. 2 for the Thrashers this summer is signing Ilya Kovalchuk to a new contract.  That might be impossible unless they complete job No. 1, finding Kovalchuk a few new teammates.
• Andrew Brunette and Mikko Koivu revealed the seriousness of their knee injuries as the Wild packed up for the offseason.
• The voice of the Oilers goes silent for a moment as he packs up his gear and leaves the broadcast booth with a cherished gift, a seat cushion, tucked under one arm.
• The Predators roster that finished the 2008-09 season may look a good bit different than the one that begins the 2009-10 campaign.
• The Dallas Stars will have to plug holes next season on a budget, co-general manager Brett Hull said as the team held exit interviews and physicals with players.
• With numerous free agents, the face of the Coyotes could dramatically change.

Goaltending:

This one is not even close.  The Rangers have Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes and he is easily one of the top five netminders in all of hockey.  With an Olympic gold medal on his mantel, you cannot say the Swedish netminder lacks intense playoff-like experience.  His form is terrific, his ability to maintain his focus is tremendous and he is the ultimate competitor.  He is hands down the Rangers’ best player and if he struggles at all, the Rangers won’t be long for this series.

In Washington’s net, you have the exact opposite of Lundqvist with Jose Theodore.  The former Hart Trophy winner can be Patrick Roy one night and Jocelyn Thibault the next.  Consider last season, when he was tremendous against the Wild for Colorado and then terrible against the high-flying Red Wings.  Theodore will get plenty of goal support from the team in front of him, but if he starts letting in goals at the wrong time it could spell the Capitals’ downfall.  To be honest, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Simeon Varlamov get a shot in the Capitals net if he struggles.

Edge: Rangers

Defense:

You read names like Wade Redden and Derek Morris and instantly recognize these players as being big-name guys.  They once were but aren’t anymore.  Add in Michal Rozsival and Paul Mara and the Rangers have an easy defense to identify.  However, in reality, it is the team’s two young defensemen that are the key.  New York’s best defenseman is Marc Staal and he will be an extremely important player in this series, as his job will be to lockdown on Alexander Ovechkin.  Staal is a tremendous defensive defenseman who somehow doesn’t really get much press in NY, but his ability to play big minutes will be one of the reasons NY has a chance against the high-flying Capitals.  Staal is joined by the underrated Dan Girardi who has been the team’s second best defenseman this season.  With that six-man unit, the Rangers are strong when it comes to moving the puck but not overly physical.  The big question is if they can skate with the high-flying Capitals?

On the Capitals’ back-end you have the odds-on favorite to win the Norris Trophy in Mike Green.  Green is not arguably the game’s best offensive defenseman, he is the game’s best offensive defenseman.  His shooting prowess and willingness to join the rush, puts pressure on opposing teams and put them on the defensive.  Joining Green on the Capitals’ blue line is an unknown group that doesn’t get much press.  After Green, only Tom Poti logs more than 20 minutes of ice-time.  Poti is no longer an offensive weapon, but he is still a smart player who uses his long stick to his advantage.  Throw in Jeff Schultz, Shaone Morrison, Milan Jurcina and Brian Pothier and you have a solid core.  Nothing tremendous but they’ve been getting the job done all season long.

Edge: Tie

Forwards:

The Rangers will be relying heavily on Chris Drury to pick up his game in the playoffs as he always does.  The veteran forward is the glue that holds his team together and will be looked upon to score big goals when needed most.  New York’s most talented offensive player is Scott Gomez and he too needs to be in high gear if NY has a shot.  Toss in Markus Naslund, Nikolai Zherdev and Nikolai Antropov and you have some solid scoring forwards.  However, the difference makers for the Rangers are probably going to be Sean Avery and Brandon Dubinsky.  If this team can get offense from three lines, then every game should be very tight.

The Capitals have one of the best groups of forwards in the NHL. You have the NHL’s top sniper in Alexander Ovechkin, one of the game’s top passers in Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin’s wicked shot and the likes of Laich, Kozlov, Fedorov and Nylander as well.  Simply, this team is loaded offensively.  With the depth the Capitals have, it is hard to imagine the Rangers slowing them down consistenly.

Edge: Capitals

Coaching/Special Teams/Intangibles

Washington’s power play is 2nd best (percentage wise) in the NHL and that surprises no one.  The Rangers, on the other hand, are 29th in the league.  However, New York has the best penalty killing percentage in the NHL and Washington is middling at 17th overall.  Special teams could be the difference in this series and I guess we will see if a good power play beats a good penalty kill, or vice versa.

As for coaching, Bruce Boudreau has gone a great job with his group since taking over last season but has never done it in the playoffs.  I know this is only his second year on the job but John Tortorella has a Stanley Cup ring and that gives him the edge in my opinion.

Finally, I’d say the leadership and willingness to sacrifice of both teams is a wash. 

Edge: Tie

How the Rangers win this series: Get to Jose Theodore early and cut his confidence down heading into crazy MSG, shutdown the Capitals’ power play and get tremendous goaltending from Lundqvist.

How the Capitals win this series: Don’t let the playoff pressure bother them, use their speed on the Rangers’ defense and Boudreau has to win the matchup battle.

Prediction: Washington in 6 games.

• 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**

• The Ducks could lose the momentum they’ve gained recently because they don’t play until Friday.  Odd schedule, but the rest should only help the key veterans on the team like Niedermayer, Pronger and Selanne.
• It looks like Phil Kessel is close to returning to the Bruins lineup, as he has joined the team on its way to Ottawa.  It really is important for him to get into some game action before the playoffs begin.
• Patrick Lalime is done for the season with a hip injury.  This won’t affect the team’s playoff hopes at all.
• The Stars lines from practice today if you still care.  It really has been a disaster of a season for a team many considered to be Cup contenders.
• No Kristian Huselius again Wednesday because of a concussion.  Not something you want to rush with a possible matchup against the hard-hitting Flames in the first round.
• Craig Anderson gets the chance to continue the Panthers’ chase for the playoffs.  What a pleasant surprise he’s been this year.
• No Mathieu Schneider or Andrei Markov tonight for Montreal.  Only the team’s two best puck-moving defensemen and point-men on the power play.
• The Rangers think Nikolai Antropov will be able to play tomorrow against Montreal.  He is probably this team’s best goal-scorer right now.  Scary thought for the Blueshirt Faithful.
• Brent Sutter prefers not give players rest heading into the playoffs.  Sutter has some great lines in there.
• Simeon Varlamov will start tomorrow night in Atlanta for the Capitals.  Chance he plays in the playoffs?

• No Phil Kessel (undisclosed) for the Bruins tonight.  He is expected back next week.
• Mike Keenan was not in a good mood after last night’s loss.  Flames fans need to relax.  This team isn’t “tanking,” if anything, they are playing a lot better defensively.
• Who will man the net for the Stars versus the Kings?  Heika raises a good point.  The Stars are done, so why not dress some youngsters.
• Was last night’s penalty on Sean Avery a reputation call?  Well, when you are Avery and continually do things to attract attention to yourself, you are going to have to deal with the odd reputation call.
• Mike Green back on the ice at practice after missing yesterday with the flu.  The Caps lines are in that post as well.