Coach Carlyle

James Reimer

James Reimer

Coach Randy Carlyle

Phil Kessel

Tyler Bozak

Matt Frattin

Coach Ron Wilson

Joey Crabb

Jonas Gustavsson

James Reimer

Luke Schenn

Ron Wilson

Before examining the Leafs’ options for eventual improvement, let’s take a look at the team’s cap situation.

The Leafs will have the following players under contract for 2010/2011 season (numbers courtesy of nhlnumbers.com):

Forwards:

Phil Kessel—$5.4 million ($5.4 million cap hit)

Jason Blake–$3 million ($4.00 million cap hit)              

Niklas Hagman–$3 million ($3.00 million cap hit)

Mikael Grabovski–$2.975 million ($2.9 million cap hit)

Colton Orr–$1.00 million ($1.00 million cap hit)

Jay Rosehill–$0.525 million ($0.512 million cap hit)

Viktor Stalberg–$0.785 million ($0.123 million cap hit)

Defensemen:

Mike Komisarek–$4.625 million ($4.5 million cap hit)

Tomas Kaberle–$4.25 million ($4.25 million cap hit)

Francois Beauchemin–$3.6 million ($3.8 million cap hit)

Jeff Finger–$3.5 million ($3.5 million cap hit)

Luke Schenn–$0.875 million ($2.975 million cap hit)

Carl Gunnarsson–$0.630 million ($0.626 million cap hit)

Buyouts

Darcy Tucker–$1.00 million cap hit

Andrew Raycroft–$0.733 million cap hit

Total Cap Hit

So, for the 2010/11 season, the Leafs are slated to have $37.638 million dollars tied up.  This season, the salary cap is set at $56.8 million, so taking into account the struggling economy and expected dropping of the cap, let’s hypothetically set the salary cap at $55.00 million.

With that in mind, let’s see how the Leafs can turn the ship around for next season.

Keeping Own Free Agents

Before moving onto external options, there are probably a number of restricted free agents and unrestricted free agents that the Leafs will look to bring back to Toronto.

Own UFAs

We should first examine which unrestricted free agents will almost certainly be goners from Toronto either during this season via trade, or over the summer. 

Lee Stempniak: Stempniak may play a responsible game but he is highly overpaid at his current contract of $3.5 million.  With unrestricted free agency upcoming, Stempniak will be lucky to earn over $2.0 million on the open market.  I don’t see the former Blues forward re-signing in Toronto.

Matt Stajan: Matt Stajan is only 25, although it feels like he’s been around for 100 years.  For a while Stajan’s name has been bandied about in trade rumors and it appears that he will be moved prior to this season’s trade deadline—probably for draft picks.

Matt Stajan seems to be on his way out of the GTA. (Picture courtesy of Yahoo!)

Alexei Ponikarovsky:  The big Russian forward is underrated by many, and continues to quietly produce offensively in Toronto.  Last season he was the team’s second leading scorer with 61 points and only received 15:47 minutes of ice-time per game.  I could see the Leafs offering him a $3.00 million deal for the next two or three years, but he may look to play elsewhere. 

Wayne Primeau: If Primeau is brought back to Toronto, it won’t be at his current $1.4 million salary.  Rather, it would probably be at the league minimum.

Jamal Mayers: See Wayne Primeau.

Rickard Wallin: Wallin has found himself in the press box this season and seems like more of a stopgap option than anything.  I don’t expect him to return next season.

Mike Van Ryn: If Van Ryn was not injury prone he would have been a pretty solid defenseman in the NHL for a long time but the right-handed shooting rear-guard just cannot stay healthy.  The Leafs have enough bodies on defense, so this is clearly his last season in Toronto.

Garnet Exelby: Exelby provides the Leafs with toughness but the Leafs aren’t lacking in that regard, so I’d be surprised to see the mammoth defensemen return.

Vesa Toskala: At $4 million per season, Leafs management will be happy to have Toskala off the books.  I’d be surprised if he wasn’t dealt before the trade deadline this season, but if not, I don’t see him returning in the summer anyhow.

Own RFAs

Nikolai Kulemin: Kulemin is only 22 years old and did show some flashes of skill last season.  This season he has found himself in the press box and hasn’t been able to fully establish himself.  Even so, he is young and has potential, so expect him to be back at just around $1.00 million next season.

John Mitchell: John Mitchell is a speedster who has been miscast as a scorer at certain times in Toronto.  The 24 year old worked his way up from the Marlies last season and could be a nice third line center for the Leafs.  This season Mitchell is making $500,000, so a slight pay raise is in order but nothing substantial.

Ian White: White has been the Leafs’ best defenseman this season but when you look at the above defenseman salaries, how is this team going to fit him under the cap?  Well, there are a number of possibilities: 1) Trading of Tomas Kaberle; 2) Buyout/AHL demotion for Jeff Finger (more on this below); 3) Trade White this season.  This will be an interesting situation to monitor, and is also examined more below.

Jonas Gustavsson: The Monster is expected to be the Leafs’ netminder of the future; however, unless he plays amazingly over the final three quarters of the season he will probably want to sign a short-term contract in order to re-estimate his value in a year or two.

Unrestricted Free Agency

There are obviously going to be plenty of UFAs next summer, but here are some names that either have been mentioned or probably will be mentioned as possible Leafs targets (Note: The lack of defensemen on this list is due to the team having much of its salary cap  allocated to defense at this current time):

Ilya Kovalchuk: There was some talk over the weekend that Kovalchuk does not want to play in a market where the media pressure will be intense.  If that is not true, it is certainly possible Kovalchuk could hit the free agent market this summer and hold out for a max-offer from a big time team.  You would have to think the Leafs would be interested, but the Atlanta brass seems fairly confident that the organization has a good shot at re-signing the sniper.

Marc Savard: By all accounts the Bruins are close to re-signing their best playmaker.  Savard is from Southern Ontario but his future seems to be in Boston.

Ray Whitney: Whitney doesn’t seem like a Burke type player but he does provide instant offense and wouldn’t require a long term (Burke doesn’t like long term deals), big-time contract.

Olli Jokinen: Jokinen fits the size model for Burke but he has not been the effective player he was in Florida.  In fact, for the past two seasons he has been very poor offensively—and he isn’t exactly a defensive dynamo.  Leafs fans would grow tired of Jokinen quickly.

Rene Bourque: Now here is a player that would be an asset to the Leafs, but does anyone think the Flames will let him get away?  He has arguably been Calgary’s best forward this season and only seems to be flourishing under Brent Sutter.  So, expect Darryl Sutter to do what he can to get a deal done prior to July 1.

Raffi Torres:  Now this would make total sense for the Leafs.  Torres is an Ontario boy, but cannot squeeze top-six duty in Columbus.  He has size, is tough and when he has confidence he can be a good scorer.  Torres could play a bigger role in Toronto and seems to be the perfect type of fit for the Buds.

Raffi Torres could be a good fit for the Maple Leafs. (Picture courtesy of Yahoo!)

Alexander Frolov: Frolov is actually a good two-way player with a high skill level but there may not be a worse fit for a Brian Burke team than a player of his caliber who lacks intensity from time to time.

Tomas Plekanec: Plekanec has had a very good start to the season in Montreal and is probably the team’s best playmaker along with Scott Gomez.  Considering the Habs’ need for top-end talent, expect the Habs to put the full press on to re-sign the Czech center.

Chris Higgins: Higgins is a NY native but has had a difficult time getting accustomed to Broadway.  The former Hab winger/center is a big boy and goes to the net—both traits Burke likes.  If he cannot seem to find his way in New York, he could be a target.

Matthew Lombardi:  Lombardi would make some sense for Toronto, as he is only 27 and skates like the wind.  He could provide the Leafs with more skill up the middle and possibly replace the production of an outgoing player like Matt Stajan. 

Matt Cooke: Cooke played for Brian Burke in Vancouver and is just the type of high energy, gritty player that Burke likes on his team.  Unfortunately for Toronto, Cooke seems to have found a home in Pittsburgh and will probably opt to stay in Steeltown.

Patrick Marleau: If Ron Wilson is around, don’t expect Marleau to show up anywhere near Toronto, as they were not exactly best of friends in the Bay Area.

Brendan Morrison:  Another player with Burke history, Morrison is having a bounce back season in Washington, partly due to the team’s style of play and offensive talent level, but he is generally healthy and could be a nice offensive weapon on the relatively cheap.

Restricted Free Agency

Any talk about possible significant offer sheets being tendered by the Maple Leafs should be put to rest.  The Leafs do not own either of their two first picks over the next two seasons which precludes the team from tendering any kind of offer sheet to another team’s top restricted free agent. 

Trades

When trade talk is brought up around Leafland, the name that always surfaces is Tomas Kaberle.  Kaberle, while certainly not the greatest defensive defenseman, is a tremendous puck distributor and easily the Leafs’ best offensive rearguard.  For all the talk about him being on his way out of town, Brian Burke has recently said he won’t ask him to waive his no-trade clause.

Next on the trade talk list is generally Matt Stajan.  Stajan, unlike Kaberle, seems poised to be headed elsewhere this season.  If the Leafs can add draft picks for the young centerman, look for the team to jump at that opportunity.

Aside from Ian White, no other Leafs player seems to carry much value on the trade market.  White, as touched on above, has been the Leafs’ best blueliner.  Does the team really want to trade its best defenseman? Or will Burke find room for the Manitoba native?  He will certainly generate interest, but with Schenn struggling, and White adding a nice offensive element to the blue line, he may re-sign with the club instead of being dealt.

Sending Players to the AHL, buyouts and waivers

The Leafs have two prime candidates for this category.  The first candidate for being sent down to the minors is Jeff Finger.  Finger has certainly not lived up to the massive contract he signed seemingly out of nowhere two summers ago and the team could opt to send him to the Marlies.  If the Leafs were to do this, Finger would come off the salary hit but MLSE would still have to pay his salary in full.  If the Leafs did do this and were to attempt to bring him back up to the big club, then Toronto would be on the hook for half the remainder of his deal (if he was claimed by another team).  If Burke does opt to send Finger to the minors, do not expect him to bring the big defenseman back up to the big club soon thereafter.

If the Leafs want to clear cap space, Jeff Finger is a prime candidate for a demotion. (Picture courtesy of Yahoo!)

The top candidate for a buyout would be former UND Sioux forward Jason Blake.  Blake was signed by Burke’s predecessor John Ferguson Jr. and still has $3.00 million on his contract (dollar wise) for next season and the season after that.  Blake was productive offensively last season and actually hasn’t been that bad this season but he is a veteran player and tends to hold onto the puck too long and look for his shot first and foremost.   If the Leafs were to buyout Blake’s deal, the team would be on the hook for two-thirds of the contract spread out over a four year term ($900,000 per season against the cap).

The Leafs also have the option of waiving the above contracts, however, Finger would assuredly go unclaimed.  It is possible, but unlikely, that some team would claim Blake.

Own Prospects

We have already included Viktor Stalberg above, so here are the other Leafs prospects that may crack the team’s lineup either later this season but almost assuredly (at least in the first three cases) next season.

Tyler Bozak: Bozak was arguably the most-coveted college free agent available last summer and Leafs apparently hit the jackpot with that signing.  So far this season in the AHL, Bozak has dealt with the flu but is back in the lineup now and has posted nine points in sixteen regular season contests.  His talent level is high and he will almost certainly start next season in Toronto.

Christian Hanson:  Hanson isn’t said to have as much offensive talent as Bozak but his performance in the AHL this season should give the Leafs brass confidence.  Thus far, Hanson is playing at a point-per-game rate, is a plus player and leads the team in goals with eight.  Like Bozak, expect Hanson to become a regular in Toronto sooner rather than later.  In fact, he was just called up to replace the injured John Mitchell.

Jiri Tlusty:  When he isn’t posing in naked pictures, Tlusty can actually play a little bit.  With maybe more sheer talent than the players listed above, Tlusty cannot seem to put it together at the NHL level.  The competitive flow of the NHL game has not suited Tlusty well but he is still posting solid offensive totals in the AHL and will most likely get another chance to prove his worth.

Nazem Kadri: Kadri impressed all at Leafs training camp and was very good in the exhibition season too.  Having said that, the youngster hasn’t posted mind-blowing totals in London of the OHL this season (24 points in 21 games) and his offensive game seems to be suffering with the loss of the likes of John Tavares to the NHL.  If he is ready next fall, he will make the club, but don’t expect Toronto’s management to rush him. 

Draft

This is the thorn in the side of Toronto fans.  If the team finishes in the lottery this season, Brian Burke may never hear the end of his trade for Phil Kessel.  That is because the Leafs do not possess a first round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft as a result of the deal that brought  the young sniper Kessel to Toronto.

The Leafs re-acquired the team’s second round pick for 2010 but are without the aforementioned first round pick and are also without the team’s fourth round pick in 2010 as a result of the Bryan McCabe for Mike Van Ryn trade.

The Leafs are also without the team’s first round pick in 2011 and the team’s third round pick in 2011.

Conclusion

What does this all mean?  Well, aside from trades, the Leafs do not exactly have many avenues to improve their team.  In free agency, it does not appear that any superstars will hit the free agent market (and if they do hit they do not appear likely to land in Toronto). 

Additionally, being without their next two first draft picks will not allow for the Leafs to use the prospect of an offer sheet as a motivating factor in working a trade.

Combine that with the team’s lack of significant draft picks for the next two seasons and the Leafs will have to build from within and augment that talent through trade and mid-level free agent deals.

Prior to next season, the Leafs already have $37.638 million locked up as the team’s salary cap hit.  If the team re-signs its four fairly talented RFAs listed above (Kulemin, Mitchell, White and Gustavasson), that would account for approximately $5.00 million more on the cap. 

This would leave Toronto with a cap hit of $42.638 million accounting for nine forwards, seven defensemen and one goaltender.  If we estimate the salary cap to slot in at about $55 million, the Leafs would still have a fair bit of room to manoeuvre via free agency or trade.  Of course if the team wanted even more room, it could buyout/waive/send down to the AHL players like Jeff Finger or Jason Blake—as touched on above.

Looking at forwards such as Raffi Torres and Matthew Lombardi, along with bringing up prospects like Bozak and Hanson could give the Leafs nice depth throughout the lineup.  As well, the team will almost certainly look to add a veteran backup to complement Jonas Gustavsson between the pipes.

All in all, the Leafs are not as bad as people think this season and there is room to improve over the next few seasons.  Unfortunately, it seems less and less likely that the Leafs will improve via big free agent splash.  Instead, this team looks like it will be built from the inside out with some Brian Burke type younger free agents added in to create depth, competition and added offense and leadership to this club.

So while some may have already written the Leafs off as a potential playoff team, or already exiled them to an embarrassing last-place finish, the basic math of the NHL points system says neither is the case at all. In fact, improving just slightly on the pace of the past week in which five road games netted five points would see the Leafs improve on last season’s 81-point output.

Let’s put it another way.  The Leafs currently sit with a record of 1-7-4 which has earned them a total of six points in the standings.  Last season, it took 93 points to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.  So, while Damien points that the Leafs need to play slightly better than a point-per-game hockey in the standings from here on out, that isn’t true based on last season.  The Leafs have 70 games remaining, so even if the team recorded 85 points in the remaining 70 games, the Leafs would still sit with 91 points in the standings–two back of what it took to make the Eastern Conference playoffs last season.  Leafs fans shouldn’t fool themselves, this stretch of play has almost certainly cost this team a chance at a playoff spot.  To accumulate 87 points from here on out (or 93 points total), the Leafs would have to finish 44-26.  Obviously overtime losses will play a factor there, but does anyone in their right mind think the Leafs can play .630 hockey from today until the end of the season?  I’d bet the answer is  resounding no.

Here is an excerpt:

Brian Burke is a shrewd general manager and surely would not part with two significant assets (the two first round picks) if he thought that even one selection would be in the top ten of the next two NHL entry drafts.  With five of the team’s first seven games at the Air Canada Centre and momentum from a successful pre-season (six wins in nine games), a fast start was almost expected from Leafs Nation.  Well, the opposite has happened.  In fact, the Leafs have not won a game yet this season (0-6-1) and have been outscored by a whopping 18 goals (14 goals for, 32 goals against) in the team’s first seven games.

Read the entire article here.

The question now is:  Will the Leafs be a much improved team on the ice?

Forwards

If there is one weakness on the 2009/10 Maple Leafs it is a lack of offense.  Sure the team posted the tenth most goals-per-game in the National Hockey League last season, but even team GM Brian Burke has admitted there is a lack of top-six talent on the roster.

Burke attempted to address this issue just recently by trading two first round picks and a second rounder to division-rival Boston for Phil Kessel.  Kessel is a terrific skater who possesses great hands and great vision.  Once he was added to the Leafs roster, he immediately became the team’s most reliable scorer.  Unfortunately for Leafs fans, Kessel is not slated to return before early November, so we’ll have to wait to see how the former Golden Gopher fares without Marc Savard feeding him passes.

The Leafs’ next best offensive forward may very well be Mikhail Grabovski.  The rookie forward scored 20 goals and added 28 assists in 78 games last season.  He is a good skater, has soft hands and has a real fire to his game.  In fact, that last element of his game has caused both Brian Burke and Ron Wilson to grow fond of Grabovski and the 25 year old former Hab should be able to improve on those numbers this season.

Last season, the Leafs were led offensively by Jason Blake.  The former UND Fighting Sioux forward tallied 25 goals and 63 points last season in 78 games.  Blake played just over 18:00 minutes per game in 2008/09 and was a respectable -2 in +/- rating on a team that had a lot of significant minus players.  The speedy winger has pretty good hands but is not exactly known for his passing skills and with a $4 million per season cap hit, if Burke can dish off Blake prior to the trade deadline, it would be difficult to believe that he wouldn’t jump at the opportunity.

The problem with the Maple Leafs is that the team has many of the same-type forward.  In Lee Stempniak, the Leafs have a 26 year old forward that has offensive skill but has never topped 53 points in a season.  At $3.5 million this season, it is fair to say Stempniak is overpaid; although that is not an indictment of the winger’s motor, as he makes up for his lack of size with a strong work ethic.  Rather, Stempniak simply does not have the hands necessary to score 30+ goals in a season.

Alexei Ponikarovsky had a respectable 61 point season in 2008/09.  Most impressive about Ponikarovsky’s totals was that he tallied 48 of those points at even strength.  He may not be the fastest, but he has started to use his size (6″4, 220 pounds) to his advantage when controlling the puck and is a UFA after this upcoming season.  Considering Ponikarovsky only played 15:47 minutes per game last season, with some extra ice-time, Ponikarovsky could quietly enter the 70 point range.

Niklas Hagman is admittedly one of my favorite Maple Leafs.  Hagman works hard and plays the game the right way.  He sets a good example for the team’s younger players and can contribute at even strength.  Hagman is able to play on the power play and penalty kill and would be an ideal third line winger if the team had more offensive talent up front.

Niklas Hagman brings a nice leadership element to the Maple Leafs' forward corps. (Picture courtesy of cp24.com)

In Matt Stajan, the Leafs have a player that some fans think highly of, while others are skeptical.  Regardless of your opinion on Stajan, the 25 year old pending UFA had his best offensive season in 2008/09.  Some people wrongly attribute that increase in point production to Stajan’s ice-time, even though he played more per game in 2007/08 than he did in 2008/09.  While his power play time per game was up a little bit over 30 seconds per contest, entering a contract year, should we be surprised to see Stajan at least put up similar totals this season?  I really don’t think so.

Along with Stajan, the Leafs have John Mitchell, a player known for his speed.  The 24 year old paid his dues for three seasons in the AHL and worked his way up to the NHL level.  In 2008/09, his first full NHL  season, Mitchell played just under 14:00 minutes per game, and posted a total of 29 points.  Mitchell’s speed causes trouble for opposing defensemen, especially on the forecheck and he should see a little bit more ice-time in 2009/10.  If he can move up to around the 18-20 goal mark, the Leafs will be awfully happy.

Most people did not know who Viktor Stalberg was prior to training camp.  The big (6″3) Swedish winger played in the NCAA last season and posted respectable totals of 23 points in 39 games.  So while the 23 year old clearly has offensive skills, a great skating ability and a good work ethic, as demonstrated this pre-season, he will still need some time to develop.

Along with Stalberg is the more well-known Tyler Bozak.  Last season, a signing war took place over the 23 year old Saskatchewan native who posted impressive totals in one and a half season with the University of Denver.  Bozak is solid (6″1, 180 pounds) and has terrific skills, evidenced by his 23 points in 19 games in the WCHA last season.  He has good puck awareness, good hands and is wise beyond his years.  Bozak could contend for the Calder Trophy this season.

In Rickard Wallin, the Leafs brought over the former Minnesota Wild center who is known as a responsible two-way player with limited offensive upside.  The downside of signing Wallin was minimal, as he costs only $800,000, so the Leafs could do worse.

In terms of depth forwards, the Leafs boast rugged center Wayne Primeau, pugilist Coltor Orr and and dressing room leader Jamal Mayers.

The Leafs are improved up front, but they still have a ways to go.

Defense

As solid as the Leafs were offensively last season, the team was just awful defensively.  The Buds allowed a terrible 3.49 goal against per contest which placed them last in the entire league.  As a result, Brian Burke set out to change the team’s back-end and successfully did just that.

Burke’s first significant addition to the team’s back-end was the signing of former Habs defenseman Mike Komisarek to a five-year deal for a $4.5 million cap hit per season.  While I have my reservations in terms of that pricetag for a fairly limited defenseman when it comes to offense, there is no doubt Komisarek brings the exact type of attitude and style of play that Burke covets.  Last season, Komisarek only played in 66 games and still led the Habs in hits with 191.  Moreover, he led the team in blocked shots with 207.  Additionally, the American logged over 20:00 minutes per contest and led the team in penalty killing minutes per game with 3:24.  So, the Leafs have added a classic defensive defenseman to the fold.

The next significant defensive move Burke made was to sign the underated Francois Beauchemin.  Burke is very familiar with Beauchemin having acquired him from Columbus as part of the Sergei Fedorov trade when he was GM of the Ducks.  Beauchemin brings some quality attributes to the table; namely, he is a great skater, good puck mover, can quarterback the power play and plays a physical game.  While he missed almost the entire 2008/09 regular season due to injury, Beauchemin logged just under 25:00 minutes per game in the 20 games he played, and played  significant minutes on both the power play and penalty kill.  His invitation to the Canadian Olympic orientation camp should solidfy any doubts you have about the unheralded rearguard.

Joining Komisarek and Beauchemin in the team’s top four is Tomas Kaberle.  Yes, Kaberle is still a Maple Leaf even with all the trade rumors involving his name all summer long.  Rumors aside, Kaberle brings a much-needed offensive element to the team’s back-end.  Kaberle isn’t physical and loses battles in his own zone (if he engages) but he makes one of the best outlet passes in the NHL, is one of the best passers in the game and has great vision.  He may not fit the Brian Burke prototype, but the GM was smart to not trade him for anything lower than full value.  With two years remaining on his reasonable $4.25 million contract per season, it will be interesting to see where Kaberle finishes the season.

Filling out the team’s top four is youngster Luke Schenn.  The 18 year old led the Leafs in hits last season with 206 and finished third on the team in blocked shots with 119.  Schenn is on his way to becoming the long-time captain of this team and surpassed any expectations the organization had for him in 2008/09.  Having logged 21:32 minutes of ice time last season, Schenn should be probably slot in around that total again this season–especially considering the two key additions mentioned above.

Luke Schenn will be a fixture on the Toronto blueline for sometime. (Picture courtsy of yahoo.com)

The Leafs’ final two defense spots will be comprised of the offensively gifted Ian White, overpaid Jeff Finger, injury-prone Mike Van Ryn and rough and tough Garnet Exelby.  So, it is safe to say this team is much improved on defense as compared to last season.

Goaltending

Even with Brian Burke’s vote of confidence for Vesa Toskala, it is clear to most onlookers that Toskala is merely warming the net for soon-to-be starter Jonas Gustavsson. 

Last season, Toskala posted a horrible .891 save percentage (44th in the NHL) and a 3.26 G.A.A (45th in the NHL).  The diminutive Finnish netminder has become a whipping boy for Leafs fans and doesn’t help himself with a tendency to allow clearly weak goals.  Sure his defense last season was horrible but a save percentage that low leaves less reason for optimism.

Jonas Gustavsson could be the Leafs' best netminder since Eddie Belfour. (Picture courtesy of yahoo.com)

On the other hand, the Leafs signed Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson this off-season and expectations are sky high for the Swedish youngster.  Gustavsson posted a .932 save percentage in Sweden last season for Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League and has looked good in limited time this season.  Gustavsson is big (6″3), quick and athletic and I’d be surprised if he was not the Leafs’ starting netminder by game 50 of the 2009/10 season.

Prediction

Ceiling: The Leafs vastly improve their goals against, improve immensely on the penalty kill and score enough to win  a lot of one-goal games.  2nd in the Northeast Division; 6th in the Eastern Conference.

Floor: The Leafs struggle to score, Toskala struggles again and Gustavsson needs a while to develop and the team struggles to live up to playoff expectations placed upon them by Burke.  5th in the Northeast Division and 13th in the Eastern Conference.

Lots of other NHL topics were also discussed.

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We hope you enjoy.

Sincerely,

The IC Team

• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch previews the Maple Leafs heading into 2009/10.  That group of top-six forwards is going to be really exciting to watch on Hockey Night in Canada every Saturday…
• If silence fuels speculation, then let the speculation begin about the Predators’ interest in Vinny Prospal, explains John Glennon.  He would really be a perfect fit on one of the Preds’ top two lines.  I think this type of deal makes sense for both sides and if I were Poile, I’d press to get it done.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Wayne Primeau from the Calgary Flames for defenceman Anton Stralman and forward Colin Stuart, the teams announced Monday.

The Leafs will also receive a second-round draft pick in 2011 while Calgary will take a seventh-round pick in 2012.

Read the story here.

I have to say that I do not totally understand this deal from Calgary’s perspective.  Now, I realize that Wayne Primeau makes $1.4 million next season (thank you NHL Numbers–boy, they are quick), and this trade takes the team’s cap hit down to $53.74, but a second round pick is a valuable commodity in today’s NHL. 

First, let’s throw the seventh round selection out the window, because it carries little value.  So, the Flames gave up a second round selection and Wayne Primeau (which is a benefit to them, as he isn’t worth close to $1.4 million) for Anton Stralman and Colin Stuart. 

Stuart is a checking forward who will see time on the fourth line of Calgary at best.  His size is an asset (6″2, 205lbs) but his hands are nothing special (never scored more than 18 goals at any level). 

Stralman adds depth to the Flames’ blue line, as his strength is moving the puck, but they already have Phaneuf, Sarich, Bouwmeester, Pardy, Regehr and Giordano under contact for next season.  So, at best, Stralman slots in as the team’s seventh defenseman.  That is not exactly the toughest spot in the lineup to fill; especially considering the ice-time that Phaneuf, Bouwmeester and Regehr will eat up.

So essentially, the Flames dumped off an expensive veteran center for two fringe NHL players and a second round pick.  Was a second round pick worthy of dumping that contract?  Not in my opinion. 

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.

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.

• As much as San Jose didn’t bring their “A” game last night, the Ducks most certainly did.  Just a great performance by the veteran group.
• Sergei Samsonov’s status for Game 6 has not yet been decided.  They could use him in Game 6, but I don’t see it being the determining factor.
• More reaction to the penalty call late in the Jackets/Wings game.  Straight up, that was a penalty.  It really wasn’t close Jackets fans.
• Both Jamie Langenbrunner and Bryce Salvador are questionable for Game 6.  With a Game 7 back home, I don’t see the Devils pushing it here if it is too close to call.
• Have trade deadline acquisitions paid off in the playoffs?  Great piece.
• An interesting interview with John Davidson.  We miss JD in the booth, but he has done a tremendous job turning that organization around.
• Taylor Pyatt has returned to the Canucks and issued a statement.  Hockey has to be the last thing on Pyatt’s mind.
• It is going to be a wild one tonight at the Verizon Center.  Desperation will definitely kick in tonight for the Caps.

Plus, some other NHL stories from around the league:

• Eric Duhatschek thinks Bob Gainey has probably closed the window on Vincent Lecavalier if he publicly called out Brian Lawton yesteday.  Great point by Duhatschek.  He mentions Briere as a possible trade candidate for Montreal.
• Elliotte Friedman isn’t convinced the Lecavalier to Montreal window has closed.  Tampa is desperate to get rid of salary, so that point is well-taken.
• Could Pierre McGuire end up being the next Wild GM?  Would be an interesting choice, as there are few who know as much about the game as McGuire.
• Rogers and TSN2 may finally be close to an agreement for GTA customers.  Stupid situation from the outset.
• Sharks fans just wanted to see some passion from their favorite team last night, but they didn’t get it.  Just an awful performance from San Jose.  They brought nothing to the table.
• Chris Higgins has been added to the U.S. squad for the World Championships.  I’m sure he’s trying to end his season on anything but the sour note that was the Habs’ “playoff run”.
• Damien Cox on video talking about the possibility of two NHL teams in Toronto.  Again, this makes too much sense for the league.  Whether there is ever any progress on this matter is another story.

• As linked on IC yesterday, apparently Jay Feaster has an interest in the Colorado GM job.
• Mike Heika wonders whether the Stars franchise will continue to move forward with a two-GM arrangement?
• The Oilers fired Craig MacTavish on Wednesday and Robert Tychkowski is calling the franchise a mess right now.  Many changes are on the way.  Derek Van Diest has the reaction from Steve Tambellini’s press conference.  Decisions have yet to be made on the team’s assistant coaches.  Don’t expect MacT to be out of a job for long.
• Here is a post-season chat Michael Russo had with Wild fans about the team’s disappointing season.
• More layoffs from Lightning ownership on Wednesday.
• Brian Burke is already burning up the phones lines trying to move up in the draft, writes Paul Hunter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Regina native is a very strong two-way centre who many in the hockey world believe has the skill set to become a top-6 forward.  At 6”1, the right-handed shooting Bozak is considered to have more offensive upside than Hanson. While he missed most of this season with a knee injury, he did finish with 8 goals and 15 assists in 19 games.  And, at 23 years old, he is considered to be NHL ready.

While Bozak and Hanson are certainly no guarantees to be NHL mainstays (just look at Robbie Earl), their signings represent a very important step for the Leafs. Burke is sending a clear message to the Leafs faithful; that they are truly committed to their youth movement. Next year’s Leafs squad will likely be one of the youngest rosters they have put together in years.  It will include the likes of Schenn, Kulemin, Tlusty, Grabovski and Mitchell. As well, the Leafs are still in pursuit of soon-to-be college free agent Matt Gilroy, defencemen for the Boston University, who along with Hanson and Bozak, is considered to be the top college prospect. And let’s not forget that the Leafs have 3 picks in the top 50 in this year’s upcoming NHL Entry Draft, including a top-10 pick.

What is most important about these signings is that the people are clearly buying into the Leaf’s plan.  There is no chance that Ferguson Jr. or even Fletcher could have landed either of these college stars.  However, with Burke running the show for the foreseeable future and Ron Wilson behind the bench, the Leafs finally have stability in their organization which goes a long way in attracting free-agents and having the players buy into their system.

Whether Hanson and Bozak turn out to be more like Martin St. Louis instead of Robbie Earl remains to be seen.  But, one thing is certain; Burke has a plan and these signings are just the beginning.  It is going to one busy off-season in Leaf Land.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Ovechkin gets goal #50.
• Canucks trying to avoid twin distractions.
• Surging Penguins seek to clock Kings.

FINAL OT		T				FINAL		T
	Los Angeles	3					Montreal	4
	Boston	2					Ottawa	5
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Recaps:						Game Recaps:
Inside the Kings Stanley Cup of Chowder						Habs Inside/Out Black Aces

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Washington	5					Toronto	1
	Tampa Bay	2					Florida	3
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Recaps:						Game Recaps:
Japer’s Rink Raw Charge						Pension Plan Puppets  Litter Box Cats

FINAL		T				FINAL		T
	Edmonton	8					St. Louis	0
	Colorado	1					Vancouver	3
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Recaps:						Game Recaps:
Cult of Hockey Mile High Hockey						St. Louis Game Time Nucks Misconduct

FINAL OT		T				FINAL SO		T
	Anaheim	3					Nashville	2
	Phoenix	2					San Jose	3
Game Scoresheet						Game Scoresheet
Game Recaps:						Game Recaps:
Ducks Blog Five for Howling						Tennessean Mercury News

In other hockey related news congrats to Martin Brodeur who passed Patrick Roy at the Prudential Center this evening in a victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Chicago	0	1	1	2	32	N. Khabibulin
	New Jersey	2	1	0	3	30	M. Brodeur
Scoring Summary:
CHI:  Barker, C. (PPG, Brian Campbell, Patrick Kane), Byfuglien, D. (Matt Walker)
NJD:  Langenbrunner, J. (Zach Parise), Zajac, T. (Zach Parise, Paul Martin), Gionta, B. (SHG, Patrik Elias, Mike Mottau)
Attendance: 17,625
Headlines:
Game Review (Second City Hockey – Chicago)  Game Review (In Lou We Trust – New Jersey) Brodeur sets NHL Win record

FINAL SO		1	2	3	OT	SO	T	SOG	GOALIES
	NY Rangers	0	1	2	0	1 (3-3)	4	42	H. Lundqvist
	Montreal	0	1	2	0	0 (2-3)	3	29	C. Price
Scoring Summary:
NYR:  Antropov, N. (Chris Drury, Wade Redden), Zherdev, N. (Scott Gomez, Marc Staal), Callahan, R. (Brandon Dubinsky), Drury, C. (in SO)
MTL:  Kovalev, A. (PPG, Andrei Markov, Mathieu Schneider), Lapierre, M. (Andrei Markov), Markov, A. (Guillaume Latendresse)
Attendance: 21,273
Headlines:
Game Review (Rangers Report – NY Rangers)  Game Review (Habs Blog – Montreal)

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Buffalo	2	0	0	2	13	M. Tellqvist
	Ottawa	0	2	2	4	36	B. Elliot
Scoring Summary:
BUF:  Lydman, T. (Henrik Tallinder, Jason Pominville), Pominville, J. (Thomas Vanek)
OTT:  Heatley, D. (Jason Spezza, Chris Neil), Bell, B. (PPG, Daniel Alfredsson, Filip Kuba), Alfredsson, D. (PPG, Jason Spezza, Filip Kuba), Bell, B. (PPG, Filip Kuba, Ryan Shannon)
Attendance: 20,053
Headlines:
Game Review (Die By the Blade – Buffalo) Game Review (Silver Sevens – Ottawa)

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Atlanta	1	1	0	2	20	J. Hedberg
	Pittsburgh	2	3	1	6	31	M. Fleury
Scoring Summary:
ATL:  Little, B. (Todd White, Slava Kozlov), Boulton, E. (Chris Thorburn, Eric Perrin)
PIT:  Gonchar, S. (PPG, Bill Guerin, Evgeni Malkin), Kunitz, C. (PPG, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin), Staal, J. (Tyler Kennedy, Kris Letang), Malkin, E. (Sergei Gonchar, Kris Letang), Malkin, E. (PPG, Sergei Gonchar, Sidney Crosby), Eaton, M. (Sergei Gonchar, Evgeni Malkin)
Attendance: 17,088
Headlines:
Game Review (PensBurgh – Pittsburgh)  Malkin surpasses 100 in Pens’ win.

FINAL SO		1	2	3	OT	SO	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Toronto	0	1	2	0	1 (2-6)	4	39	C. Joseph
	Tampa Bay	1	2	0	0	0 (1-6)	3	22	K. Ramo
Scoring Summary:
TOR:  Mitchell, J. (Jason Blake, Anton Stralman), Blake, J. (Lee Stempniak), Hamilton, J. (Boyd Devereaux, Matt Stajan), Mitchell, J. (in SO)
TBL:  Lecavalier, V. (PPG, Cory Murphy, Martin St. Louis), Stamkos, S. (PPG, Martin St. Louis, Karri Ramo), Pettinger, M. (Martins Karsums, Lukas Krajicek)
Attendance: 18,793
Headlines:
Game Review (Pension Plan Puppets – Toronto)  Game Review (Raw Charge – Tampa Bay) Artyukhin Gaining A Reputation

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Washington	0	1	2	3	27	J. Theodore
	Florida	0	0	0	0	19	T. Vokoun
Scoring Summary:
WSH:  Laich, B. (SHG, John Erskine), Kozlov, V. (Michael Nylander, John Erskine), Green, M. (EN, Alexander Semin, Alexander Ovechkin)
Attendance: 14,650
Headlines:
Game Review (Japers Rink – Washington)  Game Review (The Litter Box – Florida)

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Philadelphia	1	1	0	2	26	M. Biron
	Detroit	0	1	2	3	48	C. Osgood
Scoring Summary:
PHI:  Hartnell, S. (Braydon Coburn), Lupul, J. (Jeff Carter, Scott Hartnell)
DET:  Datsyuk, P. (Johan Franzen), Franzen, J. (Pavel Datsyuk, Brad Stuart), Zetterberg, H. (Mikael Samuelsson, Jonathan Ericsson)
Attendance: 20,066
Headlines:
Game Review (Winging It in Mowtown – Detroit)  Game Review (Broad Street Bullies – Philadelphia)

FINAL SO		1	2	3	OT	SO	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Colorado	0	2	0	0	0 (1-3)	2	26	P. Budaj
	Minnesota	0	1	1	0	1 (2-3)	3	29	N. Backstrom
Scoring Summary:
COL:  McLeod, C. (Ben Guite), Smyth, R. (Wojtek Wolski)
MIN:  Veilleux, S. (Martin Skoula, Eric Belanger), Schultz, N. (Dan Fritsche, Eric Belanger), Zidlicky, M. (in SO)
Attendance: 18,568
Headlines:
Game Review (Hockey Wilderness – Minnesota)  Game Review (Mile High Hockey – Colorado)

FINAL SO		1	2	3	OT	SO	T	SOG	GOALIES
	St. Louis	0	1	0	0	0 (0-3)	1	32	C. Mason
	Edmonton	1	0	0	0	1 (1-3)	2	34	D. Roloson
Scoring Summary:
STL:  Backes, D. (PPG, T.J. Oshie, Brad Boyes)
EDM:  Souray, S. (PPG, Denis Grebeshkov, Sam Gagner), Kotalik, A. (in SO)
Attendance: 16,839
Headlines:
Game Review (St. Louis Game Time - St. Louis)  Game Review (Edmontonoilers.com – Edmonton)

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	Dallas	1	0	1	2	26	M. Turco
	Vancouver	1	2	1	4	25	R. Luongo
Scoring Summary:
DAL:  Robidas, S. (PPG, Mike Modano, Steve Ott), Ott, S. (Chris Conner, Mike Ribeiro)
VAN:  Sedin, D. (PPG, Henrik Sedin, Kevin Bieksa), Kesler, R. (Pavol Demitra, Mats Sundin), Sundin, M. (PPG, Kyle Wellwood, Ryan Kesler), Bernier, S. (Mason Raymond, Kevin Bieksa)
Attendance: 18,630
Headlines:
Game Review (Defending Big D – Dallas) Game Review (Nucks Misconduct – Vancouver)  Canucks win 10th straight at home.

FINAL		1	2	3	T	SOG	GOALIES
	San Jose	0	1	2	3	36	B. Boucher (L) , E. Nabokov
	Phoenix	3	0	1	4	20	I. Bryzgalov
Scoring Summary:
SJS:  Thornton, J. (PPG, Jonathan Cheechoo, Rob Blake), Thornton, J. (Rob Blake, Jonathan Cheechoo), Marleau, P. (Joe Thornton, Rob Blake)
PHX:  Turris, K. (Shane Doan, Peter Mueller), Turris, K. (PPG, Shane Doan, Dmitri Kalinin), Kalinin, D. (PPG, Kyle Turris, Shane Doan), Doan, S. (PPG, Scottie Upshall, Kyle Turris)
Attendance: 15,563
Headlines:
Game Review (Five for Howling – Phoenix)  Game Review (Fear the Fin – San Jose)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Coming off an oustanding performance against Tampa Bay, Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice is hesitant to change his lineup.  Interesting matchup tonight against NYR, as both teams have been winning since the deadline.
• The Blue Jackets lines from practice today.  The Jackets finally have some nice depth.
• Brian Sutherby is close to inking a two-year contract extension with the Stars.  Obviously the Stars have been impressed with the big checking line centerman.
• Devils lines from practice today.  Wouldn’t want to be the Devils’ next opponent.
• Give credit where credit is due, Dave Staples was right about Jaromir Jagr.  Staples is a reputable source.
• Nathan Horton has broken his finger and will be out of the Panthers lineup for an undisclosed amount of time.  He hasn’t exactly been setting the league on fire, but he’s still one of the team’s best scorers.
• Rich Hammond of the L.A. Daily News interviews Terry Murray.  Focuses on Kopitar’s resurgence.
• Steve Valiquette starts tonight for the Rangers.  The ‘Canes have been scoring like crazy the past couple games, so Valiquette better be ready.
• Rob Blake and Evgeni Nabokov did not accompany the Sharks on their trip to Minnesota. Both don’t seem major.  The post also includes the latest Sharks lines.
• Brent Sutter isn’t surprised that Martin Brodeur had an off-game.  He’s right.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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