——————

The Winnipeg Jets, in association with the Credit Union Centre, are pleased to announce they will face the Boston Bruins in a National hockey League preseason game at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, SK on September 27, 2013. This game is the rescheduled match-up from the 2012 exhibition schedule. It will be one of two pre-season games taking place in Saskatoon with the Ottawa Senators facing off against the Calgary Flames on September 16, 2013.

“The Winnipeg Jets look forward to visiting Saskatoon and playing an original six opponent in the Boston Bruins” said Kevin Cheveldayoff General Manager of the Winnipeg Jets. “We hope to have lots of support from Jets fans throughout Saskatchewan and are excited to play in Saskatoon.”

The Saskatoon Blades season ticket holders will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets followed by Mastercard Memorial Cup package holders in a pre-sale where fans can buy an NHL Game Ticket with a Blades ticket prior to the Wednesday, March 27th 10:00am general public on-sale. Ticket prices are $42.50 to $92.50 (plus service charges) and are available through all Ticketmaster outlets, on-line at Ticketmaster.ca, by calling 938-7800 or 1-800-970-7328.

The remainder of the Winnipeg Jets 2013 Preseason schedule will be announced at a later date.

Via Sports Road Trips

Coach Julien

Tuukka Rask

Brad Marchand

Shawn Thornton

Johnny Boychuk

Coach Claude Julien

Brad Marchand

Tyler Seguin

Zdeno Chara

Daniel Paille

Jay Pandolfo

Tuuka Rask

Josh Hennessy

Patrice Bergeron

Coach Julien

Tuukka Rask

Shawn Thornton

Rich Peverley

Johnny Boychuk

Tyler Seguin

Coach Claude Julien

Milan Lucic is only 21

Forwards:

The Boston Bruins were the highest scoring team in the Eastern Conference, averaging 3.34 goals/game. Despite their high-octane offense, Boston’s only established offensive star is Marc Savard. Boston’s offensive strength comes from their hard-working and balanced attack. Fortunately for Bruins fans, other than Phil Kessel who will probably not be re-signed for salary cap reasons, and P.J. Axelsson, Boston’s offensive corps will essentially remain intact.

Looking ahead to 2009-2010, Boston’s offense is comprised primarily of young players coming off excellent seasons. David Krejci, Boston’s 2nd round pick in 2004, averaged nearly a point per game as a sophomore and should continue to improve. He should return from hip surgery by the end of October at the latest.

Fan favorite Milan Lucic enters his third season with the Bruins with high expectations. Lucic is already drawing comparisons to Boston legend Cam Neely and could reach 50-60 points this year with 150 penalty minutes. It is hard to believe Lucic is only 21 years old.

Another young player from the 2004 draft class, Blake Wheeler, had an excellent rookie season. The 23 year-old Wheeler recorded 45 points in 81 games and was an impressive +36. Wheeler has been bulking up this off-season and will only get better if he is able to use his size to his advantage.

Patrice Bergeron was nearly a point per game player on the cusp of stardom before a concussion abruptly ended his 2007-2008 season after only 10 games. After missing the rest of the 2008-2009 season, Bergeron looked tentative at times amassing only 8 goals and 31 assists in 64 games. Will he be able to return to his pre-concussion form?

In addition to the many young Bruins forwards, vets Marc Savard and Michael Ryder will provide solid offensive contributions and Marco Sturm will be ready for the 2009-2010 season after missing most of 2008-2009 with a knee injury. Add in the leadership of Mark Recchi and the Boston forward group is talented, deep, and balanced.

Not to be forgotten is Boston’s fourth line, comprised of character players Shawn Thornton, Byron Bitz and Steve Begin. These big, aggressive players can provide energy and wear down the opposition. Boston will, however, miss the services of Stephane Yelle, lost via free agency to Carolina.

Zdeno Chara can contribute offensively and defensively

Defense:

Led by four-time all-star Zdeno Chara and emerging star Dennis Wideman, the Bruins can score from the back end and they can also play responsible defense. Chara and Wideman combined for 100 points and a +55 rating. Chara, last year’s Norris Trophy winner, is firmly entrenched as one of the league’s premier defensemen. Wideman, coming off a breakout season, will need to limit his turnovers and play a more physical style this year.

Boston’s defense should be even better this year, as the only major changes were the trading of Aaron Ward to Carolina and the signing of Derek Morris. The 31 year-old Morris has never lived up to his potential and has bounced around the league, as Boston is his 5th team. Morris is an improvement over Ward, but his $3.3 million price tag may be one of the primary obstacles preventing the Bruins from signing Phil Kessel.

Sophomore Matt Hunwick was a pleasant surprise last year with 27 points in 53 games and a +15 rating. The 2004 7th round pick will continue to improve and adds to Boston’s already impressive collection of defensemen. Finally, Andrew Ference and Mark Stuart are reliable final pieces to complete Boston’s blue line. Stuart is only 25 and still has room to grow. While Ference has proven to be a reliable third line defensemen.

Goaltending:

At least Timmy is finally getting some respect!

Tim Thomas finally got some respect last season, winning the Vezina Trophy. It would be hard to ignore the 35 year-old’s contributions, as he led the NHL in goals against average and save percentage. Thomas earned a hefty raise this year and should remain one of the premier goalies in the NHL.

Tuukka Rask is likely the future goaltender of the Bruins and will enter his first year as Boston’s full-time back up. Rask is only 22 with a ton of potential. The former first round pick shut out the Rangers in his only appearance last year and should play about 20 games this year.

Prediction:

Ceiling – Boston has the potential to win the division, conference and Stanley Cup. They have basically the same team as last year, including many young players that should only improve.

Floor – It’s tough to imagine a scenario where the Bruins do not make the playoffs. With so much talent offensively, defensively, and in net it is unlikely they would drop past 6th or 7th place in the conference.

Note: According to oddsmakers, Boston has the second best chance to win the Eastern Conference and the fifth best chance to win the Stanley Cup.

• Boris Valabik has re-signed with Atlanta for multiple years.  No word yet on the term, or dollars but the massive defenseman could become an effecive player with more seasoning.
• Phil Kessel is the only remaining RFA the Bruins need to sign.  A trade still seems most likely, however, it doesn’t appear Chiarelli has received an offer he deems sufficient.
• Alexei Kovalev wants Dany Heatley to stay in Ottawa.  Of course he does, because they are not going to get an equal return on value for Heatley.  Regardless, Kovalev is right here.  Unless the Sens receive a good offer for Heatley, they should stand their ground and keep him.
• The Devils’ full pre-season schedule can be seen here.  Exciting!
• Seth Rorabaugh tells Penguins fans why they’ll be watching each Penguins game in November.  Aside from those reasons called Crosby and Malkin, of course.

• Randy Carlyle is happy with his team’s moves this off-season, especially the addition of a couple scoring forwards, but his main focus will still be team defense come the fall.  He should be happy.  The team has one of the best top-six forward units in hockey, some nice talent on defense and a great young netminder.  Obviously the loss of Pronger will hurt, but the extra offense should help ease that pain.  Expect the Ducks to be a force in the ultra-competitive Western Conference next season.
• Fluto Shinzawa talks (in video form) about the progress of Bruins prospect Joe Colborne.  I know he’s big and I know his name is Joe, but people shouldn’t expect him to become Thornton-like.  Thornton’s skills were far ahead Colborne’s when he was in his late teens.  So, don’t expect the Bruins to rush Colborne–especially considering the team’s depth at forward.
• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch previews the St. Louis Blues heading into 2009/10.  I think the Blues are going to be better than Columbus next season and could even be the fourth best team in the Conference.  John Davidson, Larry Pleau and Doug Armstrong are running the organization as well as any organization in the NHL.  So yeah, I’m pretty high on the Blues moving forward.
• The Habs were impressed enough with Andreas Engqvist at the team’s development camp that they have signed him to a three-year deal.  Needless to say, not many people know much about this kid.  However, he’s young and has good size and experience playing in a tough league, so there is little, if any, downside to a move of this nature.
• With the Jiri Hudler situation currently under review, John Glennon wonders if the IIHF will show any bite this time around by not allowing his move to the KHL to occur?  Not likely.  As Glennon says, what did the IIHF do last season when Alexander Radulov clearly broke the rules?  Why would we expect things to change?
• Rumor has it Jacques Lemaire is heading back to New Jersey to become the team’s head coach.  Well, that retirement lasted long!  This move really isn’t surprising.  Lemaire and Lamoriello are old friends, and both know what they are getting into.  He’s obviously more than a capable replacement for the departed Brent Sutter and the Devils will be a force to be reckon with next season, yet again. 
• The Hershey Bears have named Mark French as their new coach.  He takes over for Bob Woods, who led the team to a Calder Cup Championship last season.   

NHL

• The Thrashers have signed Nikolai Antropov to a 4 year, $16 million contract.  As well, the team also re-signed Chris Thorburn.  A lot of cash to be throwing at Antropov but really not out of line with the ridiculous spending we’ve already seen the past day and a half.  Antropov gets a lock of criticism but he can be a 25 goal scorer and 60 point player in Atlanta. 
• Mark Recchi has re-signed in Boston for 1 year, $1 million.  Good signing for both sides.  It is reasonable and gives Recchi another shot at the Cup.
• The Flames have signed Riley Armstrong and Garth Murray.  Murray is a plugger who will help to fill out the two-way roster.  Armstrong is also a depth player but he has a bit more scoring touch.
• James Gordon of the Ottawa Citizen asks why the Oilers would even want Dany Heatley?  Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Team Canada

• As Neil mentioned early today, Marc Savard has not been invited by Hockey Canada to the team’s training camp in August.   I like Marc Savard as a player but his representation of Canada has not exactly been exemplary.  Additionally, would he slot in ahead of Crosby, Getzlaf, Richards, Lecavalier or Staal on your team?  It is arguable, but I don’t think he would.
• The Hurricanes will be represented at Team Canada’s camp with Eric Staal and Cam Ward in attendance.  Both worthy invites.
• Ryan Smyth and Joe Sakic have been invited from Colorado.  The question is, will Joe Sakic be playing hockey next season?
• Rick Nash and Steve Mason have been invited from Columbus.  As I said yesterday, Nash’s value will sky-rocket after the Olympics, so Columbus better get him signed before.
• Brenden Morrow and Stephane Robidas have been invited from Dallas.  As Heika says, a big boost in confidence for Robidas.
• The injured Brent Burns has been invited from Minnesota.  If healthy, I think he has a real shot but concussions are tricky to deal with.
• Mike Green was the only Capitals player invited.  He better shore up his defense if he wants to be in Vancouver for the tournament.
• No Steve Stamkos invite from Team Canada.  Still too young and too many good centers ahead of him.  He’ll gets his chance down the road.

The Boston Bruins today announced that they have re-signed center David Krejci to a multi-year deal.

The 23-year-old Krejci was scheduled to be a restricted free agent July 1. In 2008-09 he set career highs in every major category with 22-51-73 totals in 82 regular-season games. He was second on the Bruins in scoring.

Read the entire post here.

The signing is no surprise, as Krejci was the most improved Bruins player last season and became an offensive force.  He is still young and only going to get better but obviously we’ll have to wait until the terms are released until providing more analysis. 

• Luck played a factor in yesterday’s result, writes Mitch Albom.  With Game 2 tonight, Albom believes the Penguins saw many signs that gave them confidence heading into Sunday night.  Last night had to be frustrating for Pittsburgh, explains Bob Wojnowski.  Dave Dye says Marc-Andre Fleury wasn’t as sharp as Chris Osgood.  Jonathan Ericsson probably wouldn’t have played had this been a regular season game.
• The Penguins probably deserved to win on Saturday but a few bad bounces led to a Game 1 loss, writes Dave Molinari.  Pittsburgh needs to be a lot better in the face-off circle.  Penguins coach Dan Bylsma made sure to reinforce to his team that they should not be in awe of the high-powered Red Wings.  In a rare appearance, Mario Lemieux spoke to the media yesterday.  (Writer’s note: Mario looks like he can still play.)  The Penguins’ fans sure travel well.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• Terry Frei says that Avalanche coach Tony Granato would be fighting a losing battle if he coached the team next season.
• Damien Cox likes the fact that the game can take some of the spotlight away from the NHL’s off-ice problems.
• Gary Bettman wants to see stronger drug testing in the NHL, writes Corey Masisak of the Washington Times.

Sunday special articles

• Fluto Shinzawa subs in for Kevin Paul Dupont in this week’s edition of Hockey Notes from the Boston Globe.
• Bucky Gleason warns the Blackhawks of possible salary cap problems down the road. 
• Larry Brooks says Gary Bettman needs to drop his personal issues with Jim Balsillie and negotiate with him to take the Coyotes to Hamilton.

Coyotes situation

• Gary Bettman addressed the Coyotes situation at his league news conference yesterday.
• The city of Glendale has seen some hope in the results of the court hearings so far.
• Chris Chelios is in favor of another team in Ontario.

Calder Cup Final

• Last night, Alex Giroux demonstrated why he was the MVP of the AHL this season, writes Ken Wiebe.  Paul Friesen says last night’s game had all the action one could have hoped for.  “Our pain was self inflicted. We had a number of guys that didn’t bring their A-game,” said Moose coach Scott Arniel.

Playoff teams:

• Pittsburgh could be two-sport champions if the Penguins win the Cup.  The Steel city is enjoying some great success as of late.

Teams not in the playoffs:

• The Bruins ownership wants to get Peter Chiarellin signed to a contract extension this summer.  He has done a terrific job in Boston and with a big summer of decisions ahead of him, it’d be smart to sign him to an extension in the next few weeks.
• There was a lot to remember from the Hurricanes’ 2008/09 season.  Nice post by Alexander.
• Adrian Dater says that Pierre Lacroix gambled and lost on the Patrick Roy situation.  How does Tony Granato feel at this point?
• If Ken Hitchcock is one of the coaches Darryl Sutter is interested, it shouldn’t matter because Hitchcock is happy in Columbus.  He’d actually be a great fit for Calgary but there is no reason for Columbus to let him go.
• David Staples does a good job of clipping together newspaper articles from Pat Quinn’s final days with the Leafs.  I think Tambellini made two great hires yesterday.
• Donald Brashear comments on reports of possible steroids deals involving the Washington Capitals.  This story was broken in the Tampa papers this morning and was included in the Morning Papers.
• Reports out of Russia have the Habs letting go Saku Koivu and re-signing Alexei Kovalev.  Although they may be true, I really don’t believe these reports.  That would mean giving Kovalev a boatload of money and basically make the Habs “his team.”  I’m not sure that’s the best role for Kovalev in any city, never mind the pressure-filled Montreal.

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.

• Luke Decock of the News & Observer thinks Tuomo Ruutu will play on Thursday but Erik Cole will not.  His offensive numbers haven’t been strong this playoffs, but Cole’s loss is still very significant.
• Tim Sassone says the Hawks may very well learn more from losing their current series against Detroit than they did beating either Calgary or Vancouver.  If the Hawks have a chance in this series, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook will have to play ten times better than they did on Sunday.
• People who see Pavel Datsyuk as only a goal-scorer are missing the big picture.  Agreed.  This guy is about as good an all-around player as there is in the game today.
• Maybe Miroslav Satan’s playoff performance shouldn’t be surprising people as much as it is.  Interesting piece.

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

• In Anaheim, Chris Pronger knows it is possible he could be moved this summer.  It will be decision time for Bob Murray this summer.  On one hand, he could choose to ride out Pronger’s remaining year and go for a Cup run.  On the other hand, he could trade Pronger while he still has a year left on his deal before possibly losing him for nothing.  Should be an interesting summer in SoCal.
• It seems like Manny Fernandez is seriously considering retirement.  If you’ve been reading his comments all season long, retirement kind of seems likely at this point.
• In other Boston news, Claude Julien has won Sporting News Coach of the Year.  They may have lost out in the second round, but few predicted so much success for Boston this season and that’s a testament to the job Julien did.
• Erik Erlendsson gained a lot of respect for Mark Recchi this season.  He’s a veteran leader for sure.

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• Shelly Anderson with a quick recap of Game 1.  Many of the Penguins were giving credit to Marc-Andre Fleury for keeping the team in last night’s contest.  Apparently Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist Joe Starkey felt the same way.  Fleury was good, but two unlikely contributors were also the key for Pittsburgh on Monday.  “He was cutting across the middle. I turned sideways to hit him, and he turned the other way. I almost fell over, too,” said Matt Cooke about his hit on Erik Cole.  (Writer’s note: Let’s call a spade a spade.  Matt Cooke is a dirty hockey player and has been for sometime now.  He continually makes cheap plays and last night’s hit on Cole was no exception.)   Penguins fans unfamiliar with Tuomo Ruutu should realize his game is very different from his brother’s.
• He was very, very good but last night Hurricanes fans realized that Cam Ward is, in fact, human.  It is not like the Canes haven’t been down 1-0 before this playoff season.  Scott Walker has more important things on his mind than hockey, but it helps that his wife is tougher than his teammates.

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Chicago Blackhawks (4)

• Mike Babcock wants his Red Wings players to improve in the puck control department for Game 2.  Having been a veteran of so many playoff battles, do not expect Tomas Holmstom to panic because of his current goal-scoring drought, writes George Sipple.  Superstitions are running rampant in the Wings dressing room.  Even though he’s been a Red Wing for a while now, Chris Chelios still has a place in his heart for Chicago.
• Can Patrick Kane bounce back from a poor Game 1 performance?  Jonathan Toews will also try to do the same.  It will certainly help if they leave Game 1′s performance behind him like the rest of their teammates have done.  WIll Wings fans want to fight Bob Probert after hearing that he’s rooting for Chicago?  Many Blackhawks fans probably remember Daniel Clearly from his days with the Hawks, and boy, has he come a long way.  “The thing is against him is you need to be hungry to keep the puck and not give it up,” said Jonathan Toews about playing against Nicklas Lidstrom.  Mike Imrem of the Chicago Herald wonders why Dale Tallon doesn’t get more credit for the job he’s done in Chicago?

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

• Here is some video on the possibility of Teemu Selanne retiring from the OC Register.
• What’s next for the Bruins?  Meanwhile, Bruins netminder Tim Thomas is going to try not to agonize all summer long over the Game 7 overtime goal he let in.  Sure they had a heartbreaking loss, but at least the team is trying to learn from this setback and move forward.  In other Boston news, long-term Bruins forward P.J. Axelsson may have played his final game for the franchise.
• Patrick Roy may deny it, but Adrian Dater is reporting that the choice is up to him whether he coaches the Avalanche next season or not.
• Michael Russo gives readers an inside view at the personality and perspectives of Minnesota Wild acting GM Tom Lynn.
• In Philadelphia, Flyers center Daniel Briere has decided to undergo corrective eye surgery.
• Some notes about the Sharks, courtesy of John Ryan.

The Coyotes situation:

• Could Jim Balsillie be stuck with the Coyotes in Phoenix?
• David Naylor elicits help from Bankruptcy experts in an attempt to predict which way the court will rule today.
• Apparently if Balsillie loses the court ruling, he won’t appeal.
• Winning cures everything, writes Paolo Boivin of the Arizona Republic.
• Craig Harris of the Arizona Republic has an interesting piece examining whether the Coyotes really are viable in Phoenix.
• Did only 7,000 homes tune into Coyotes games on television in the Phoenix area last season?
• One thing is for certain, the other professional sports league are supporting the NHL.

AHL Playoffs:

• The Manitoba Moose have taken a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Houston Aeros in the Western Conference Final.

• Two game sevens at the same time–God bless the NHL
• If you are in the United States, but not in the home television market of one of the four teams playing tonight, and you want to watch both games, get the cheque book out because it will cost you $79.00–way to build an audience for your game NHL.
• Tremendous speed demonstrated by Darren Helm on that second goal for the Red Wings
• The people I am watching with prefer to watch Detroit-Anaheim–I wholeheartedly disagree
• The room is stunned about the multiple game sevens at the same time–especially after I just yelled and ranted about it yet again
• I don’t care how good their production values are, or how many “big names” are on their panel, games just feel more important when they are shown on CBC rather than on TSN
• The room is wondering why Zetterberg seems impervious to pain when he blocks a shot–questioning if he is a cyborg?
• We missed the Boston goal–again, why are both game sevens at the same time?? SOMEONE TELL ME!
• A fourth person has joined our viewing party, and unsolicited of me mentioning anything, he asked, incredulously, why both of the game sevens are at the same time??
• Teemu Selanne just keeps on producing. He has been a pleasure to watch over his entire career.
• Beauchemin blows a tire, and the Red Wings jump on the opportunity to regain their two goal lead
• Hiller is being tended to by the Ducks trainer, after being crashed in the crease–Ducks PP
• Two goals scored in Boston-Carolina–two goals missed because we were watching Detroit-Anaheim
• The Ducks capitalize on an iffy penalty call on the aforementioned “crashing of the crease”, and Corey Perry scores to make it 3-2
• 2 game sevens. Both in intermission at the same time. The disaster of NHL scheduling continues unabated. Silver lining is it gives me unfettered access to the Jays game.
• Bobby Ryan completes the Ducks comeback in Detroit. 3-3 twelve minutes to go. Assist to that stick that caused Samuellson (sp?) such troubles
• I would like to thank ESPN’s Bill Simmons for coming aboard the “my god the NHL doesn’t know how to schedule games” bandwagon. Bill, it’s great to have you with us.
• Huge shot block by Kronwall–that hurt him though
• Third goal in the Boston-Carolina game that we have missed due to having to watch two games at once.
• Newfies represent! Dan Cleary with the go ahead goal in Detroit! 3:00 to go
• I think Peter Laviolette mugged a homeless man for that suit jacket
• Jays lost. I hate the Yankees
• The people I was watching with have left to get food. I am sitting alone in his living room, while his wife and her friend are watching Grey’s Anatomy in their bedroom. Awkward.
• Lucic ties it up for Boston. He’s a beast.
• Ten to go…these two game sevens have been terrific–too bad they are being played at the same time.
• Pierre McGuire–Still annoying.
• Pierre McGuire is so annoying he makes me dislike Milan Lucic simply because Lucic’s play excites Pierre so very much
• Wow. OT.–If i had an overwhelming preference as to who wins, I would be a nervous wreck
• Laviolette’s jacket is still hideous.
• From a Bruin’s blog: “I’m just throwing this out there. If another Bruin scores in this game, they can have my daughter’s virginity. You’ll have to wait 16 1/2 years until she’s legal, but the offer stands.”
• Just to remind everyone–Many Americans have not been able to see the game thanks to the NHL being on Versus and the worst run of the professional sports. Congrats Commissioner Bettman!
• From Bill Simmons’ chat: Patrick (Kansas City, MO): “Never been around, seen, or been interested in NHL before. You piqued the interest, but when I turned on Versus there was a recap show on. How do they not turn on the overtime of the Boston/Carolina? This is probably the NHL’s one shot for me, and they’re blowing it like McGrady in the clutch”
• As Lloyd Mandelbaum said, “it’s go time”
• I don’t want to look down at the keyboard, for fear I miss the goal–The OT ZONE!
• What a defensive play by Lucic! Saved the game!
• Kudos to Pierre for successfully calling that Carolina timeout before it happened. When he doesn’t yell, he can be valuable.
• “next shot wins” says Gord Miller….”Random glitch in a video game comment” says the room of people watching with me.
• Scott Walker SCORES!!! They are going to riot in Boston!
• Thanks folks. This has been fun. Exhausting, but fun. See you for the Conference Finals previews.

FINAL						FINAL 1ST OT		T
	Anaheim	3					Carolina	3
	Detroit	4					Boston	2
Game Preview						Game Preview
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Team Game Threads: Winging it in Mowtown Battle of California						Team Game Threads: Stanley Cup of Chowder Canes Country
Game Recap						Game Recap

Detroit defeats Anaheim and advances to the Conference Finals.

Carolina/Boston: OT Winning goal by Scott Walker

Ongoing Phoenix Saga Daily Tidbit:

• Balsillie’s bid to buy Coyotes ‘illusory at best, a sham at worst’: NHL

Jim Balsillie’s offer to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and the process surrounding the sale of the struggling NHL team are “illusory, at best, and a sham, at worst,” according to court documents filed by the NHL.

In an objection filed to a U.S. bankruptcy court in Arizona, the NHL says the Canadian billionaire and co-CEO of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. has broken fundamental rules in his Coyotes purchase proposal.

Balsillie, 48, offered $212.5 million US on the basis that he can move the team to southern Ontario, an offer that went public last week after Coyotes majority owner Jerry Moyes announced bankruptcy.

Balsillie fired back, arguing that no matter the league’s claim, the Coyotes remain bankrupt.

For complete story, click here.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• Bruins attempt to finish the rally tonight.  Net worth in game 7 as goalie‘s are key factors to winning the series.  Claude Julien reiterated yesterday that Marc Savard will be able to play in Game 7 tonight.  As last night’s Illegal Curve Radio show guest and Boston Herald Bruins beat writer Stephen Harris said, when Savard, during Game 6,  came onto the ice to test whatever was ailing him, he didn’t last long.  Stephen then writes about the unique perspective that Andrew Ferrance has to view the B’s erratic performance.
• Are the Canes loaded for bear because they’ve got a big bad Bruin in their sights and if they don’t step it up they are in for a mauling.  Canes coach Paul Maurice said there could be an adjustment on defense and with the lines for Game 7 against the Bruins.  Carolina Hurricanes’ captain Rod Brind’Amour, then (2006) and now, didn’t have to say much to make his impact felt, but when he thought something had to be said, he said it.

Washington Capitals (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Tarik El-Bashir discusses how the Capitals’ Nemesis took control quickly and closed an otherwise thrilling series with an easy win.  In the end, Crosby was the better player opines Mike Wise.  After last night’s loss, the Caps have nothing but praise for Simeon Varlamov.  What some of the Caps players did to keep their minds off game 7.
• Game 7s, like the one the Penguins and Washington played last night to determine the winner of their second-round playoff series, are always special.  Game 7, the drama, became a comedy or a tragedy depending on your rooting interest with Sidney Crosby as the hero.  The Pens never stopped believing, not after they fell behind two games to none and not after they were beaten at home in Game 6, a 5-4 Capitals victory that necessitated Wednesday night’s Game 7.  With a swipe of his glove, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury sent a message to everyone who doubted his abilities.

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Anaheim Ducks (8)

• A little nastiness to end Game 6, now Game 7 to decide which team keeps its Stanley Cup dreams alive and which one’s season ends abruptly.  What more can you ask for?  The Wings’ response should be to do what they do, which is show poise and experience and skate the feathers off the Duckies.  As I’ve been saying for quite some time, after an MVP-quality regular season, Pavel Datsyuk has slumped at a bad, bad time for the Red Wings.  Detroit’s most dependable distraction, Tomas Holmstrom, is suddenly nowhere to be found.  There isn’t much to hate about Hiller, except this: he is quite capable of standing on his head (figuratively), winning this series (literally) and ripping the Wings’ hearts out.
• To defeat the Red Wings, Ducks will need to outsmart them, and not rely on passion alone.  Could this be the Ducks’ most impressive playoff series victory. Ever.  The Ducks prepare for game 7 and all that entails.

Chicago Blackhawks (4)

• All the Blackhawks and their fans can do is sit back and watch as the other Western Conference semifinal series plays out to determine who the team will face in the conference finals and then try and figure who they’d rather face.  What do the Blackhawks do with all those hats thrown on the United Center ice?  Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane now understands Denis Savard firing.  GM Dale Tallon talks hockey, golf, pressure.

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

• Predators General Manager David Poile came away from a recent meeting with Alexander Radulov believing the talented Russian forward does want to return to the NHL.
• Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke appeared on Toronto radio station AM 640 on Wednesday afternoon to dismiss rumours he was looking to move up in the NHL Entry Draft by making a deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.  A serious error has been committed by Sports Illustrated in judging the Maple Leafs ownership to be the worst in the NHL.
• The Monreal Canadiens have signed defencemen P.K. Subban and Andre Benoit, GM Bob Gainey announced on Wednesday.
• They packed their bags, shook hands, and for some Vancouver Canucks, walked out of the dressing room for the last time yesterday.
• Of all of the coaches in Calgary Flames organization — at the National Hockey League level, at the American Hockey League level — only Mike Keenan has another year remaining on his contract.  Yet it’s his future, above all others’, that seems most uncertain.
• While the Avalanche remains without a general manager and intrigue surrounds its head coaching position, the team did manage to sign a couple of top prospects Wednesday to pro contracts.
• Comcast Corp. has no plans to sell its majority ownership stakes in the Sixers and Flyers because of the weak economy.
• The Atlanta Spirit were named one of the five worst owners in the NHL in a recent ranking by Sports Illustrated’s Web site.
• The Sharks are paying the price for their first-round playoff exit. The team, in a packet to season-ticket holders that included a letter from CEO Greg Jamison calling the loss “disappointing and embarrassing,” announced that season-ticket prices will remain the same for 2009-10.
• As soon as Willie Desjardins told his wife, Rhonda, he’d been chosen head coach of Canada’s next junior team, her reply was: “‘Well, we’ll have to win six.”
• India’s women’s field hockey team have cancelled their tour of Canada this month because of fears over the H1N1 influenza outbreak.

The Phoenix situation:

• Hamilton council approves Balsillie lease option for Copps Coliseum.
• Coyotes can’t be sold to Balsillie, Arizona city says.
• The provincial government is doing the old spinarama when it comes to financial help for BlackBerry billionaire Jim Balsillie’s bid to bring the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• The Bruins performance last night allows for fans to see one of the great events in sports, a seventh game at the Boston Garden.  Marc Savard left yesterday’s game as a precautionary measure, but is expected to suit up for Game 7.  Mark Recchi’s leadership and clutch play are making Peter Chiarelli look good.  Meanwhile, Patrice Bergeron really came to play on Tuesday.  Boston was a motivated group last night.  So much for Carolina’s home-ice advantage.
• “I believe in this hockey team, I really do,” said Paul Maurice after his team’s home loss last night.  With the series heading back to Boston, the Hurricanes are once again the underdogs.  Boston was winning the one-on-one puck battles on Thursday.

Washington Capitals (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Tonight’s game is only the tenth Game 7 ever hosted by the city of Washington.  If Capitals want to win this Game 7, then they will have to stay out of the penalty box.  Combine staying out of the box with solid secondary scoring, and Washington should be in business.  Winning tonight would conquer a lot of Pittsburgh demons for Capitals fans.
• Pittsburgh fans are unhappy with the play of Marc-Andre Fleury.  Game 7 is Fleury’s time to prove just how good he is, writes Joe Starkey.  Sergei Gonchar could possibly be in the lineup tonight against the Capitals.  Experience could be a big benefit for the Penguins tonight.  Off the ice, the Penguins have done a tremendous job marketing their product.

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Anaheim Ducks (8)

• The Wings are going to need Pavel Datsyuk to step up on offense if they want to win Game 7 tomorrow night.  Speaking of Datsyuk, Jonas Hiller turned aside his shot late in regulation, along with 37 others, as he kept the Ducks in yesterday’s game to force Game 7.  Detroit had a slow first period and it took them a while to get going, opines Bob Wojnowski.  Meantime, Niklas Kronwall reflects back on just how valuable his time in the AHL was to his current development.
• A healthy Ryan Getzlaf helped turn his team around yesterday, explains Helene Elliot of the L.A. Times.  Anaheim is doing a good job of keeping Pavel Datsyuk in check, writes Lisa Dillman.  Here is a description of the game play-by-play.  Will the Wings now feel the pressure by hosting Game 7 at home against an eight seed?

Vancouver Canucks (3) versus Chicago Blackhawks (4)

• What’s next for the Vancouver Canucks?  Cam Cole isn’t sure that spending $8 million on a starting goaltender is the right way to do business in the salary cap era.
• Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune wonders if he can change his prediction that the Canucks would win the Round 2 series against Chicago?  Patrick Kane is the real deal and many Chicagoans are finding that out one game at a time.  Tim Sassone says he doesn’t buy the talk that the Hawks don’t care who they face in Round 3.

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

• Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch profiles Ohio State product and Washington Capitals center David Steckel.
• Apparently the Wild want to arrange for second interviews before naming the team’s new GM, but is has become difficult to schedule these interviews with a number of the candidates still involved in the playoffs.
• Johnny Oduya is that good, just ask his agent.
• Tampa Bay players better be ready for training camp, says coach Rick Tocchet.
• Brian Burke has shot down an absurd rumor about what he may possibly give up to move into the number two overall slot in the draft.
• Eric Duhatschek wonders if Canadian teams are going to win the Cup anytime soon?

The Phoenix situation:

• Wayne Gretzky is backing Jerry Reinsdorf’s bid to purchase the Coyotes.
• The Coyotes are asking to see what the possible terms were for a sale to Jerry Reinsdorf.
• Apparently the NHL wants to keep this deal quiet because it is not a high offer.
• Also, if you are in the Phoenix area, the Coyotes’ rally has been relocated.
• Apparently Jim Balsillie will want taxpayers to pitch in for the Copps Coliseum renovations.
• Want more information on the Coyotes situation?  Stephen Brunt of the Globe & Mail has a chat about it later today.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• Aaron Ward is questionable for tonight’s game.  The Bruins are hoping that Blake Wheeler can learn a lot from watching the game up in the press box.  If the Bruins want to win, they will need another monster game from Zdeno Chara.  The Hurricanes haven’t been in this situation this playoffs but know how important it is to close the door at home.  The in Carolina hasn’t been very good this series.
• Carolina need to take care of business tonight.  If you didn’t read yesterday, Scott Walker was fined but not suspended.  Will Walker’s punch unnecessarily motivate the Bruins?

Washington Capitals (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• “He’s a big-game guy,” said Bruce Boudreau about Capitals checking line center David Steckel.  Steckel wouldn’t have had the ability to score the overtime winner, had it not been for Viktor Kozlov’s two big goals.  FSN Pittsburgh recorded the best rating ever for a FSN regional hockey broadcast.  It’s a shame this series has to only go seven games.
• Game 7 should be a classic.  Why are the Penguins being so secretive about Sergei Gonchar’s injury?  The Penguins have been very happy with the play of Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi against Alexander Ovechkin.  Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin have been as good as advertised.  The Game 7 ending is going to be fitting, writes Mike Prisuta.

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Anaheim Ducks (8)

• Drew Sharp says that the Wings have been physically intimidating the Ducks.  Henrik Zetterberg has turned up his game lately.  Zetterberg’s been good, but he’s no Mule.  Brian Rafalski will be a game-time decision for tonight’s tilt.
• The Wings’ depth is one of the big advantages they have over the Ducks.  This Wings team is built to go on a Cup run.  Which Ducks team will show up tonight?  Anaheim does have a lot of players who have never experienced playoff intensity like this before.

Vancouver Canucks (3) versus Chicago Blackhawks (4)

• Roberto Luongo took the blame last night and placed it squarely on his own shoulders.  The Blackhawks were better than the Canucks in all the important categories.  The Hawks’ speed and youthful exuberance seemed to intimidate the Canucks.  Daniel Sedin says the better team won.
• Patrick Kane took over the United Center last night.  Apparently Kane was fired up by some comments made by Willie Mitchell.  What a night, writes Dan McGrath.  Canucks coach Alain Vigneault says he has a lot of respect for the Blackhawks’ defense.  Meanwhile, Tim Sassone recaps what was a memorable night at the United Center.

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

• What the heck is going on in Colorado?
• The NHL is hiding its game by putting it on Versus, writes Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch.
• Mike Modano is returning to the Stars next season.
• Philadelphia should forget about signing Ray Emery, writes Ed Moran.
• The Lighning have made Rick Tocchet the team’s official head coach.  The team also had an open forum yesterday.
• Jonas Gustavsson is currently with his ailing mother, so Brian Burke and the Leafs have decided to give the young man some space.

The Coyotes situation:

• The city of Phoenix is holding a rally to save the Coyotes.
• Are the Stars going to follow the Coyotes and also file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy?
• Apparently Hamilton is close to an arena deal.
• What do Canadians think about Balisillie’s bid?
• Some legal experts expect Balsillie to lose his court battle.
• Even if he loses, Balsillie has set the wheels in motion for another team in Southern Ontario, writes Stephen Brunt.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• “I don’t know that they keep time of possession stats, but if they do, you’ll definitely see a major difference between tonight’s game and the previous three games,” said Bruins netminder Tim Thomas after the Bruins’ impressive 4-0 home victory.  Boston gave its fans what they deserved last night, writes Bob Ryan.  Game 5 looked a lot more like Game 1 than any of the games in between, opines Kevin Paul Dupont.  It didn’t hurt that Zdeno Chara was back to his dominant ways yesterday.  The momentum was already in Boston’s favour, but the massive hit by Milan Lucic on Dennis Seidenberg got the crowd into the game.  The Bruins were mad about a couple cheap shots yesterday.  (Writer’s note: I am not one to defend cheap shots but c’mon here.  Jokinen didn’t exactly two-hand Chara hard.  I mean, the guy is like 6’7 and 260 pounds, a tap like that isn’t going to injure him.  Secondly, Aaron Ward was going after Matt Cullen (who has a bad concussion history) and Scott Walker, one of the more well respected players in the league, stuck up for his player.  Ward, the veteran defenseman that he is, has to be ready to defend himself.  What did he think Walker was going to do?  You go after a player with concussion issues, you are going to have to defend yourself and Ward isn’t exactly a soft player.  It is unfortunate that Ward may have a broken orbital bone, but I didn’t think it was a “sucker punch.”)
• “I think we got sucked into their style of game,” said Hurricanes netminder Cam Ward.  Carolina should not have been surprised with Boston’s performance Sunday night at the Garden.  Claude Julien and Paul Maurice both have their opinions on the alleged cheap shots.

Washington Capitals (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• “And we have to believe that it’s capable of being done, and it is capable of being done,” said coach Bruce Boudreau about coming back against the Penguins.  The Capitals head into tonight’s game confident that their play in must-win games has been very strong.  Who as we kidding? The rivalry between these two teams is personal.  Has Mike Green played himself off the Canadian Olympic team?
• “I don’t think there’s going to be a letdown. We know we’re going to face a team that’s good, that’s dangerous and that’s going to be giving everything they’ve got,” said Penguins coach Dan Bylsma.  The Penguins’ defense has done a great job of blocking shots in front of Marc-Andre Fleury.  Miroslav Satan has come back from the AHL and played very well in this second round series.

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Anaheim Ducks (8)

• Last night’s scoreboard was closer than the play on the ice, writes Steve Schrader.  Johan Franzen’s scoring in the playoffs has been astounding.  The Wings are now playing this series the way the wanted to all along.  “Depth can wear on you over a seven-game series,” said Dan Cleary.
• “We’ll fly home. We’ll re-energize, re-focus. We’ll visit on the things that we have to do and emotionally try to charge ourselves. We weren’t emotionally involved enough on a consistent basis,” said coach Randy Carlyle.  Bobby Ryan wants his team to finish more checks.  Was it the flu that was the reason for Ryan Getzlaf’s post-season point streak ending at eight games?  “We had no business out there. They were better in every area and there’s no excuse,” said Teemu Selanne.

Vancouver Canucks (3) versus Chicago Blackhawks (4)

• If the Canucks are going to comeback from down 3-2, they are going to need their veterans to step up.  Willie Mitchell does have experience mounting comebacks.  “Yes, there will,” said Alex Burrows when asked if there is going to be a Game 7 in this series.  Down on the farm, Cody Hodgson has been assigned to the Manitoba Moose.
• The Blackhawks realize they are one win away from playing in the Western Conference Finals.  Even though they are one win away, Chicago knows Vancouver is going to bring its best game on Monday.  Brian Campbell’s play this playoffs has made critics forget his play during last season’s playoffs.

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

• There will be a Town Hall Meeting for Lightning fans today in Tampa.
• With his play in the World Championships, did Jason Spezza move his way into consideration for Canada’s 2010 Olympic Team?

The Coyotes situation:

• Does the NHL need to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix because of the market size?
• Did the NHL start running the Coyotes in return for cash?
• Hamilton continues to focus solely on working with Jim Balsillie.
• Apparently a deal between Hamilton and Balsillie could be completed as early as this week.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

•  A tremendous Bruins season has come down to the need to win three straight games, writes Fluto Shinzawa.  Bob Ryan is wondering where Jussi Jokinen has come from?  “Our team has picked the worst time of year to play their worst hockey,” said coach Claude Julien.  Meantime, Blake Wheeler continued to struggle yesterday.  The pressure is on Zdeno Chara to step up his game.
• The Hurricanes are not getting ahead of themselves even though they are only one game away from the Conference Finals.  For all the talk before the series about Zdeno Chara shutting down Eric Staal, Staal is proving that certainly is not the case.  Jussi Jokinen has been playing so well the crowd has been chanting his name.

Washington Capitals (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• The confidence the Capitals had coming into Pittsburgh is now gone, as they head back to Washington for tonight’s Game 5 all tied at two.  Simeon Varlamov picked a bad time to have his worst game of the playoffs.  Where has Alexander Semin been?
• Pittsburgh made it an even series with a 5-3 home victory over the Capitals on Friday.  The Penguins were not happy with Alexander Ovechkin’s hit/knee of Sergei Gonchar.  In terms of Gonchar’s playing status for tonight, while it is up in the air, it looks likely that he won’t play.  At least both sides agree the ice during this series has been terrible.  In other news, Sidney Crosby commented on the Alexander Ovechkin threat.

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Anaheim Ducks (8)

• The Wings returned to Motown brimming with confidence, writes Helene St. James.  They may be confident, but they’ll have to play Game 5 without Tomas Kopecky.  Both Kris Draper and Brian Rafalski will miss Game 5.  Good thing Marian Hossa is playing his best hockey of the season at just the right time.
• How will Randy Carlyle react to Mike Babcock’s changes in Game 5?  The Ducks are happy there are two days off between games.

Vancouver Canucks (3) versus Chicago Blackhawks (4)

• If the Canucks want to win Game 5, they will need to get more shots on Nikolai Khabibulin.  Don’t worry Canucks fans, Kevin Bieksa is going to play in Game 5.  Here is some bulletin board material the Canucks can use.  If Vancouver wants to win this series, their best forwards need to step up.
• “Now we’re going there tied and with a confidence boost. We can get in there and get at them right away,” said Hawks center Dave Bolland.  Andrew Ladd has been clutch for Chicago.  Hawks fans should not expect the Canucks to sit back again in Game 5.

Boston Bruins (1) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• Coach Claude Julien gave his players the day off with the hope that time away from the rink will help shake the Bruins from their two-game slide, writes Fluto Shinzawa.  Game 3 was a bad deal from the start, as evidenced by Bob Ryan’s notes and he feels that fate is swaying Carolina’s way.  Marc Savard takes responsibility for his penalty on Cam Ward after reviewing the video.
• Two players who were deemed expendable on other teams played a large part in helping the Canes defeat the Boston Bruins in Game 3.  It wasn’t just fans who erupted in celebration when the Canes made the 2nd round, so did bar owners, hotel managers, store clerks — even high school band parents.  On a lighter note, it appears some people don’t love the music being played during the Canes games.

Washington Capitals (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• The relationship between Caps coach Bruce Boudreau and Pens coach Dan Bylsma dates back more than 15 years.  While Gary Bettman is distracted in Phoenix, Washington Capitals General Manager George McPhee voiced his displeasure with the officiating in his team’s second-round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Dan Steinberg tells us that for their first 33 years of existence, the Washington Capitals never played two playoff games in consecutive nights in different cities. Credit the organization as a whole for putting the team in position to get the most out of its success.
• Max Talbot knows his role on the team. That’s one of the reasons the Pens have been successful. Pens fans wonder if Gonchar needs to be on the power play since it appears he’s lost a step.  The teenager who was questioned in connection with the death threat against Ovechkin has not been charged.  Penguins defenseman Kris Letang follows a ritual before every game, he showers, then stretches, then sits alone in silence inspired by the memory of his friend.  Both the Capitals and Penguins were not exactly ecstatic to hear they were playing back-to-back games in Round 2.

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Anaheim Ducks (8)

• The Red Wings earned the result they wanted, even if it started off on the wrong note, writes Ted Kulfan.  However, this time there were no controversies or premature stoppages of play, as Marian Hossa finally lived up to his reputation.  The entire Wings team contributed to yesteday’s victory although what was probably most encouraging to Wings fans was the play of the team’s stars.  Don’t expect the highly coveted Jim Nill to end up taking any of the current GM openings around the NHL.
• “Our team didn’t play very well,” said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle after yesterday’s loss to Detroit.  James Wisniewski was seething over being elbowed in the head by Tomas Holmstrom while he was reeling from the shot.  Helene Elliot’s questions for the Ducks now is whether they can silence the Detroit offense after it awoke with a roar on Thursday.

Vancouver Canucks (3) versus Chicago Blackhawks (4)

• The Vancouver Canucks lost a game, momentum and maybe a key defenceman Thursday night.  Iain MacIntyre laments on how the Canucks were within three minutes of building a 3-1 series lead against the Chicago Blackhawks.  If you don’t shoot, you can’t score.  Rose Dimanno thinks Mats Sundin is a good fit as a support scorer.  Dimanno also writes about the tragedy that Taylor Pyatt deals with everyday.
• The Blackhawks came to life at exactly the right time on Thursday.  “We had good chances all game and I thought we deserved to win tonight,” said Duncan Keith.  The emotional swings of the NHL playoffs are something else.

Teams that did not make the playoffs:

• Patrick Roy is in Denver today meeting with Pierre Lacroix.
• Pierre McGuire would be the Wild’s gain if they decide to hire him for their open GM spot, opines Bruce Dowbiggen.

The Coyotes situation:

• Who controlled the Coyotes and for how long?
• It won’t matter in a court of law, but Jim Balsillie has much support in the court of public opinion.
• The date to circle on your calendar is May 19, writes Craig Harris of the Arizona Republic.
• Dave Perkins says the owners aren’t going to welcome Balsillie to their club.
• “We were up against a time frame by the NHL that a decision had to be made, this was the only option,” said Jerry Moyes.
• Don’t underestimate Gary Bettman.
• Stephen Brunt of the Globe & Mail tries to figure out how Phoenix got to the point of bankruptcy.
• Here are the arguments of both sides.

• The Ducks aren’t happy with Tomas Holmstrom’s elbow on James Wisniewski.  After watching the first three games, it is plain to see that these teams do not like each other.
• Don’t expect any lineup changes for the Bruins tonight.  Changing the lineup after your first loss of the playoffs is probably the wrong message to send.
• Wings fans aren’t buying the “intent” argument.  It is the rule, so might as well forget about it and move on to Game 4.
• Seth Rorabaugh does a great job taking an inside look at the Penguins’ four lines and the ice-time distribution between them.  Very well done.
• Will Michael Nylander replace the injured Eric Fehr in the Capitals lineup tonight?  Nylander has been benched for a while now, so it’d be an interesting move to throw him back in there on line number four–one that isn’t really counted on to create offense.  Make no mistake, he’s no checker.

Non-Playoff Teams:

• Dustin Penner is the most underrated Edmonton Oilers player and should not be traded.  If his salary wasn’t so high, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• The Bruins are at their best when they are not looking for the perfect play.  “We would just throw pucks at the net. We weren’t patient with it. We didn’t hold onto it. That’s a big key to our game,” said veteran forward Mark Recchi.  That impatience also translated to poor special teams play, writes Steve Conroy.  Over on the other side, Ron Francis is still having a great effect on the Hurricanes organization.
• “I don’t think we have the kind of hockey team right now that thinks this season has been good enough,” said coach Paul Maurice about his Hurricanes squad.  The Bruins are beatable, but it won’t be easy, writes Luke Decock.  What are some ex-Whalers/Hurricanes doing these days? 

Washington Capitals (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• This matchup is somehow living up to all the hype, writes Tarik El-Bashir.  “Thus, in the series’ first two games — both won by Washington — unmatchable hype is being matched, because the two best players have four goals apiece and are delivering the kind of performances that forge true rivalries,” opines Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post.  “I think it’s great for our sport,” said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau after yesterday’s contest.  Hockey historian Joe Pelletier tells us just how rare two hat tricks in the same playoff game has been.  Simeon Varlamov did a good job of holding onto the lead as well.  Tyler Sloan filled in on the back-end for the Capitals last night and did a solid job.
• Where have all the Penguins’ secondary scorers been?  Chris Kunitz doesn’t think his struggles are due to a lack of chemistry with Sidney Crosby.  If you think Sidney Crosby can’t score goals, you haven’t been watching these playoffs.  Simeon Varlamov is frustrating the Penguins with his solid play.  Are the Penguins running Varlamov?

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Anaheim Ducks (8)

• Wings coach Mike Babcock isn’t concerned at all about Pavel Datsyuk’s point struggles so far this series.  Not surprisingly, the Wings did not have a hard skate on Monday.  Dave Dye of the Detroit News says the Wings need more secondary scoring.  With so many veterans on board, Detroit isn’t going to let the downer of Game 2 carryover into Game 3.  Speaking of veterans, both Brian Rafalski and Kris Draper have been ruled out for tonight’s game.
• The Ducks have complete confidence in the goaltending ability of Jonas Hiller.  Even if the veterans on both sides are tired, they won’t be telling the media anyhow, writes Dan Wood.  “Ryan Getzlaf is the best, I really believe that,” said teammate Teemu Selanne.  Meantime, Randy Carlyle wants a better performance from Bobby Ryan tonight.

Vancouver Canucks (3) versus Chicago Blackhawks (4)

• “We don’t want to trade chances with them,” said Canucks winger Alex Burrows.  Sami Salo won’t be dressing tonight for Vancouver.  Do not expect the Canucks to panic after one loss.  Big Dustin Byfuglien is having a huge impact on the series thus far, opines Eric Duhatschek.
• As Duhatschek pointed out, Byfuglien is doing his best to irritate Luongo.  Jonathan Toews has denied rumors that he has a shoulder injury.  The Canucks know they have to limit Chicago’s speed.

Teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs:

• Current televison color commentator and former NHL All-Star Danny Gare has been let go by the Blue Jackets organization.
• Darryl Sutter says he isn’t looking to change up the core of his team in Calgary.
• Markus Naslund was a class act that was never the same after the Todd Bertuzzi incident, writes Larry Brooks.
• Flyers GM Paul Holmgren has confirmed reports that he’s interested in signing Ray Emery.

Teams that did not make the playoffs:

• Short-time Sabres netminder Mikael Tellqvist has signed overseas.
• The top two candidates for the Wild GM post appear to be Pierre McGuire and Chuck Fletcher, explains Michael Russo.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• Kevin Paul Dupont says the Bruins faced a far different Hurricanes team than they faced in Game 1.  Carolina was just the better team last night.  Even though they lost, the Bruins did catch a break at the end of the second period, although Tim Thomas thinks the NHL got the call right.  While people wondered whether that goal went in, Cam Ward didn’t let anything get close to the goal line for the Hurricnaes.  After leaving Boston and having trouble finding a home, former Bruin Sergei Samsonov looks comfortable in Carolina.  Meanwhile, Dan Shaughnessy tells us that Whalers fans still exist.
• Any pre-game obstacles that had existed for Carolina were overcome during Game 2, writes Chip Alexander.  “We haven’t had much luck against these guys going back to the regular season, and this is a big confidence booster,” said Hurricanes star Cam Ward.

Washington Capitals (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Over the past few months Simeon Varlamov hasn’t changed, but the circumstances around him sure have, explains Barry Svrluga.  George McPhee seems to have made the right decision by keeping his young assets at the deadline, including Varlamov.  Varlamov’s success has brought about a role reversal for Jose Theodore.  The Capitals need to put their nerves aside and come out with a good start in Game 2.  In other Capitals news, Matt Bradley has fit in great on the team’s third line.
• Evgeni Malkin says he will be better in Game 2.  With a veteran laden team, do not expect Pittsburgh to panic down 1-0 in the series.  The Penguins are actually taking a lot of good things from Game 1.  One of the aspects of their game they are looking to improve is the power play, writes Rob Rossi.

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Anaheim Ducks (8)

• After yesterday’s marathon affair, Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press tells Wings fans to expect more overtime in this series.  “We have to put that behind us and come out and be ready for the next game,” said Nicklas Lidstrom.  Detroit is hoping Ryan Getzlaf begins to tire in this series from playing too many minutes.  However, before worrying about Getzlaf tiring, they need their big guns to step up.
• For Jonas Hiller’s first marathon contest of his career, he definitely looked calm, cool and collected, writes Helene Elliot.  Randy Carlyle’s roster moves ended up paying dividends.  “The guy that made the play was really Rob Niedermayer driving the middle lane,” said coach Randy Carlyle about Todd Marchant’s overtime winning goal.  You think overtime is hard, try one of Carlyle’s long practices.

Vancouver Canucks (3) versus Chicago Blackhawks (4)

• The Canucks believe they lost Game 2 because of poor breakdowns.  In injury news, Sami Salo didn’t travel with the team yesterday to Chicago.  Elliot Pap says the Canucks need at least one win in Chicago.  The Sedins have made themselves a lot of money since the playoffs began.  If the reports about Markus Naslund are true, will Vancouver retire his number?
• Chicago wants to carry the momentum of Game 2 onto home ice tomorow night.  Steve Rosenbloom says the Hawks know how to beat Roberto Luongo.  One thing is for certain, Chicago will continue to go to the net hard.

Teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs:

• Is Ray Emery going to sign with Philadelphia?  The link is broken on the Ottawa Citizen page but that’s the headline.

Teams that did not make the playoffs:

• The Denver Post’s Adrian Dater already crowns the Red Wings with the 2009 championship.  (Writer’s note: I remember Dater picking Anaheim for the Finals, and then came upon his blog entry from last night admitting such.)
• Damien Cox talks about the possibility of Pierre McGuire being hired by the Minnesota Wild.
• Chris Zelkovich says having a broadcaster stand between the benches has been a great move by NBC.

FINAL		T
	Carolina	3
	Boston	0
Game Preview
Game Scoresheet
Team Game Threads: Canes Country Stanley Cup of Chowder
Game Recap

My apologies for forgetting about Staal’s empty net goal.  I guess I was so shocked by the NHL missing Chad Larose’s goal with 3 seconds remaining in the 2nd that it slipped my mind.  My thanks to hurricanesinsider for pointing out my error.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• Kevin Paul Dupont predicts the Bruins win in six games.  Former Hurricanes defenseman Aaron Ward knows just how good some of the Carolina weapons are.  So far this season, Zdeno Chara has shutdown Eric Staal.  Here are the Canes that Bruins fans have to watch for.  Also, here are the five keys to winning for the Bruins.
• It is hard not to fall in love with the Hurricanes at playoff time, writes Luke Decock.  Decock also provides Carolina’s three keys to winning this series.  That said, there is no secret who the Canes will be relying on to win this series.  Here is a breakdown of the team’s four regular season matchups.  Finally, Decock says Boston in seven.

Washington Capitals (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Corey Masisak of the Washington Times previews every aspect of this series.  (Writer’s note: He did the same on the IC Radio Show this week.  Click here to listen to the show, and fast-forward to the 30 minute mark to hear Corey.)  After dispatching the lowly Rangers attack, Simeon Varlamov’s task gets a lot more difficult.   Ryan O’Halloran thinks a quick start for Washington is imperative.  Check out this interesting profile on Capitals defenseman Mike Green.  Finally, there was even more rest for Ovechkin on Thursday.
• Crosby versus Ovechkin is going to be as good as people are making it out to be.  Since his return from injury, Sergei Gonchar has a been a steadying force on Pittsburgh’s back-end.  Gonchar’s countryman wants the Cup as bad as anyone.  This series is going to have so much intensity, it will be a fan’s dream.

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Anaheim Ducks (8)

• The Wings are hoping they get to Jonas Hiller just like they did Steve Mason.  Mike Babcock isn’t pulling any punches, as he wants all penalties called this series.  Helene St. James breaks down the series position by position.  What is Kris Draper’s injury status? Here are predictions for the series from the Detroit Free Press staff.
• Not surprisingly, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle wants his team to cutdown on its penalties coming into Detroit.  Speaking of Carlyle, there is a clear mutual respect between him and Mike Babcock.  The Ducks are aware just how dangerous the Red Wings are.  Here is a recap of the season series between the two squads this season.  So, who is going to win?

Vancouver Canucks (3) versus Chicago Blackhawks (4)

• The Canucks pulled out a wild 5-3 win at GM Place on Thursday night.  Ed Willes cannot get over how strange yesterday’s game was.  Leafs fans may not recognize this Kyle Wellwood, but he was a game-changer last night.  Vanouver will take the win, but they know they can be a lot sharper in Game 2.  Meantime, the Canucks have added Jeff Cowan to the team’s playoff taxi squad.
• “It’s tough to lose like that, especially with a minute left,” said Blackhawks sniper Patrick Kane.  The Hawks blew a pretty good chance yesterday, opines Steve Rosenbloom.  Even so, there is a lot that Chicago can take from this game.  In fact, Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks yesterday’s performance was a strong statement from Chicago.

Teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs:

• Two Blue Jackets, Jan Hejda and Alex Picard, underwent wrist surgery on Wednesday.
• Jeff Carter was playing in the playoffs with a separated shoulder.  (Writer’s note: He really didn’t look right, so this doesn’t surprise me.)
• The city of San Jose and the entire Sharks organization is mourning the passing of Frank Jirik.
• Sean Avery believes that Rangers coach John Tortorella will make him a better player.  Just how similar are Avery and Tortorella?  Speaking of Tortorella, he came out yesterday and apologized for his water bottle incident. “It was a terrible year, not only the way the team ended, but personally,” said Scott Gomez.
• “We’re 48 hours away from the most devastating loss I’ve had as a coach or a player,” said Devils coach Brent Sutter.  Brian Gionta is an UFA this summer and he says he wants to comeback to play for the Devils.  Meantime, Zach Parise is just plain tired of losing.

Teams that did not make the playoffs:

• Dan Bickley wonders if the city of Phoenix would miss the Phoenix Coyotes in this morning’s Arizona Republic?
• “And if I ever got there (back to the NHL), they would be my No. 1 pick because they showed me the interest first. I never forget that. I respect that and they would be my first pick,” said Jaromir Jagr about the Edmonton Oilers.
• Ilya Kovalchuk has been playing great over at the World Championships.
• Panthers winger Richard Zednik has left the NHL to sign with the KHL.
• Leafs prospect Dale Mitchell has become a bit of a cult-hero in Windsor.  Hey Toronto, remember Paul Maurice?

Goaltending:

Considering Tim Thomas is up for the Vezina Trophy and is arguably the odds-on favourite for the award, you would think that the Bruins would hold somewhat of an advantage in net.  However, I do not think that is the case.  Now, it is not that I have a problem with Thomas’s game.  In fact, I believe Thomas is terrific. His mentality, style and perseverance make him a top NHL netminder and he has proven difficult to beat all season long. 

Unfortunately for Bruins fans, I do not see Thomas having an advantage in net over former Stanley Cup champion Cam Ward.  The former Red Deer Rebel has been terrific since the second half of the season began and has been the constant force moving the Hurricanes from the outside of the playoff race, to a legitimate playoff contender.  His play against New Jersey only cements the fact that he is a great playoff netminder and he should give the Bruins all they can handle in Round Two.

Edge: Tie.

Defense:

I have to admit that Carolina’s defense impressed during Round One.  With Tim Gleason leading the way in terms of physicality and toughness, the Canes have a nice mix of puck-movers like Pitkanen, Corvo and Babchuk, to go along with Niclas Wallin and the smooth-skating Dennis Seidenberg.  With a nice balance on defence, the Hurricanes proved that their no-name unit can do the job effectively. 

Concern:  Whether this fast-skating group can handle the size of the Bruins up front? 

While the Hurricanes’ impressed me in Round One, they just do not have someone like Zdeno Chara to put them over the top.  Chara is just that good and can change the game in so many ways.  Whether it is on the power play, penalty kill or even strength, he is a force to be reckoned with.  Combine Chara with the speed and skill of Dennis Wideman, and you have a nice 1-2 defence combination.  Behind Chara and Wideman, the Bruins have aggressive veterans like Aaron Ward, Steve Montador and Shane Hnidy who bring some great playoff experience to the table.  Let’s not forget big youngster Mark Stuart, who has quietly become a reliable defenceman for Boston.  Something to watch for is the Bruins missing fleet-footed Matt Hunwick this round more than last.

Concern: Whether the big physical defence can skate with the speedy Canes forward?

Edge: Boston because of Chara but I see a high-scoring series for both sides.

Forwards:

These teams are loaded up front.  In Boston, the Bruins line up Marc Savard, David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron up the middle; that is plain scary.  Additionally, their wing depth is terrific, as there is a perfect mix of size and skill.  With scorers Phil Kessel, Michael Ryder and Mark Recchi and physical players like Milan Lucic, Blake Wheeler, the Bruins can play anyway you want.  The fact that this team does not have to rely on one, or even two, lines to do it all is probably the team’s biggest strength.  Think about it.  We just listed off eight quality forwards and have yet to mention Chuck Kobasew, the defensive expert P.J. Axelsson, face-off specialist Stephane Yelle or tough-guy Shawn Thornton.  So, yes, the Bruins are stacked at forward.

Concern: I really have no concerns with this tremendous forward group.

As for the Hurricanes forwards, they are nothing to scoff at.  Led by Eric Staal, who was dominating in Round One against New Jersey, the Canes come at you from all angles as well.  Staal lined up alongside Ray Whitney and Chad Larose for most of the first round and proved to be almost unstoppable by series end.  If the Hurricanes are able to get Matt Cullen, Erik Cole and Rod Brind’Amour playing as well as their fourth line players like Ryan Bayda, Jussi Jokinen and Scott Walker, then this series will be too close to call.

Concern: Secondary scoring dries up like it did in Round One.

Edge: Boston but that can be equalized if Carolina’s capable secondary scorers turn it up.

Coaching/Special Teams/Intangibles:

For all the GMs keen on hiring new coaches out of the AHL (don’t get me wrong I see that rationale), they may want to look at the success of two coaches who have been fired a few times over the past few years.  That is because Claude Julien and Paul Maurice have their respective teams playing above the expectations of just about everyone in hockey.  No one expected the Bruins to be this dominant in 2008/09 and no one expected the Hurricanes to suddenly surge through the end of the season like they did (On that note, for all the people saying Erik Cole was the sole reason for the team’s turnaround, did you even see Cole in Round One?).  These two coaches know what they are doing and I don’t see an edge either way.

In terms of special teams, the Bruins have a distinct advantage on the power play.  With Chara and Savard leading the way, Boston finished the regular season ranked fourth with the man-advantage.  On the other hand, Carolina finished a middling eighteenth.  If you think that Carolina has an advantage on the penalty-kill, you won’t be happy to find out that Boston finished seven spots ahead of Carolina in penalty-killing percentage during the season at twelfth.  Boston’s advantage at special teams may be the most important factor in determining who wins this series.

As for intangibles, both teams are willing to throw their bodies around and have great internal leadership.  I don’t see there being much of an edge in this category.

Edge: Boston because the Bruins’ power play is that scary and both units present problems for any penalty killing unit.

Prediction:

How the Hurricanes win this series: Cam Ward steals at least one game, the Hurricanes forwards continuously use their speed on the Bruins defence and Carolina does not lose one game at home.

How the Bruins win this series: They cycle the puck down low and dominate the time of possession, continue their special teams success and bring intensity every night (unlike their performances against lowly Montreal).

Winner: Bruins in 7.

• Special teams play may decide the Wings/Ducks series.  It most certainly will.  I don’t see the Wings sustaining their tremendous first round power play success, but anything over 20% should spell trouble for the penalty taking Ducks.
• Here was the lineup at Bruins practice today. Nothing new on this front.
• Jarome Iginla talked to the Calgary media on getaway day, but Miikka Kiprusoff did not.  Why are people surprised?  Iginla is the voice of the Flames and Kiprusoff has always been shy and introverted.  Give the guy a break.
• Jussi Jokinen is for real, says coach Paul Maurice.  Another great Lightning transaction.
• The Hart Trophy finalists have been announced.  Russia 2010=scary.
• Here is how Rich Hammond of the L.A. Daily News voted for every award.  I like Hammond’s willingness to publish his voting record. 
• Lou Lamoriello wants Brent Sutter back next season in Jersey.  I bet Sutter will take some time after that loss and make a decision on his future in the next couple weeks.

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.

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…