Coach Oates

Troy Brouwer

Brooks Laich

Mike Ribeiro

Coach Oates

Alexander Ovechkin

Nicklas Backstrom

Troy Brouwer

Host Michael Remis (filling in for Drew Mindell) and Analyst Richard Pollock break down the Jets play against the Capitals.

Coach Oates

Braden Holtby

Eric Fehr

Tonight’s audio is pure gold.  Laich responds to Ezzy’s question about a developing rivalry with a comment about not liking the Jets and having a long memory.  Ovechkin’s response to the Crosby’s better chant is classic Ovie.  Brouwer gives the crowd some kudos.  Is anyone else wanting to jump to next Friday?

Karl Alzner

Alex Ovechkin

Brooks Laich

Troy Brouwer

Coach Hunter

Michal Neuvirth

Cody Eakin

Coach Dale Hunter

Alex Ovechkin

Alexander Ovechkin - Impact of Dale Hunter on team.  How he is playing under the new system.  Frustration with his game.  Talks about first two games against Winnipeg, mentions Pavelec’s success.   Atmosphere at MTS Centre.    

Nicklas Backstrom – Difference in Caps team under new coach.  Difficulty in learning new system?  . 

Jeff Halpern – Speaking about playing other southeast division teams and difference in coming to Winnipeg.    MTS environment.  Speaks about Jets and Winnipeg.  Keys to solving Jets team.  Changes in Washington systems.    

Cody Eakin -   Playing in his 1st season.  Transition to new coach.   Playing in front of hometown fans.  Who to lean on.

Coach Hunter – Transition to head coach.  What he likes about his team.  Top 3.  Scouting report on Jets.  Being back in Washington, leading the team.  Trying to turn the team around.  Caps goaltending.  Winnipeg fans.

Update:  We also have post-game audio from Neuvirth, Ovechkin, Eakin and coach Hunter.

Post game audio from the Caps room:

Cody Eakin

Brooks Laich

Is this finally the year for the Washington Capitals?  Will the Stanley Cup that has eluded them since their inception in 1974 finally come to the U.S. nation’s capital? 

The questions that require answering by the Capitals as this upcoming season is about to get underway are the following, namely; 1) Does Alexander Ovechkin have enough of a supporting cast? 2) Will the goaltending situation sink the Caps chances for post season success? and finally 3) Can the improvements by their Southeast Division competition, knock them from the top, and prevent them from making the Stanley Cup Finals?

Forwards:

This Caps team that finished with 50 wins and 108 points saw some significant player changes during the off season.  Aging veterans Sergei Fedorov (KHL), Viktor Kozlov (KHL), and Donald Brashear (Rangers) are out and Brendan Morrison and Mike Knuble are in. 

Perhaps the biggest problem for the Capitals on forward is who they still have on the roster.  Michael Nylander, who they tried to move all summer, and his $4.875 million per season (3rd highest on team) is still on the team.  Despite not playing in most of the playoff games last season and no pre season games to start 2009/10, he remains a Cap. 

Not unexpectedly this team begins and ends with back to back winner of the Lester B. Pearson (outstanding player), Hart (MVP) and Maurice Richard (Most goals) trophies, Alexander Ovechkin.  This is his team and this is the year all the pressure is on him to win.

If there is one thing you take away from seeing him compete is that he doesn’t like to lose.  But possibly even worse than losing is being upstaged and right now he isn’t seen as the most dominant Russian player in the NHL. That title goes to his former rival turned quasi friend Evegeni Malkin of the Pens.  With Malkin and Crosby winning the Cup last season, expect Ovechkin to be playing with added incentive this season. 

The emergence of Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom has really allowed the Capitals to go from a one trick pony, to a team with a number of dangerous weapons on forward.  Probably the most important change to Semin’s game is he has gone from a -18 in 2007/08 to a  +25 in 2008/09.  Backstrom on the other hand is really developing nicely and should see an increase in his offensive totals this season.

Newly acquired Mike Knuble is expected to play with Ovechkin and Backstrom.  He adds some nice grit to this skill line but that isn’t to say that he is unable to find the net himself.  He’s had six straight 20+ goal seasons and brings some Stanley Cup experience to the team.  (he played for the Wings in 98 when they ironically knocked off the Capitals).

The second line should be comprised of Semin’s quick shooting, matched with Brooks Laich who will play a similar role that Knuble does and is not afraid of going into the dirty areas to produce points.  Centering this line will be long-time Vancouver Canuck Brendan Morrisson whose passing ability should be an asset to Semin’s scoring touch.

Rounding out a third, more defensive line would be Caps captain Chris Clarks (say that 4 times fast), David Steckel who was stellar as a member of the Hershey Bears and Quintin Lang.  Clark’s worth is felt as much on the ice, as in the room and there is a reason he wears the “C’ on this team.

Previously I had Lang on the 4th line but that was before the Caps put Chris Borque, son of hockey legend Ray Bourque on waivers (he was subsequently picked up by the Pens).  It looked as if the Caps were going to give him an opportunity but it appears that he is a casualty of the salary cap as Tarik El-Bashir reported;

The Caps plan to recall minor-league forward Boyd Kane to skate on the left side of the fourth line.

Coach Bruce Boudreau said Bourque was waived on Tuesday so that the Caps could squeeze under the salary-cap ceiling of $56.8 million.

But here’s the kicker: Bourque earns $577,500 and Kane earns $500,000. So that means the Caps were less than $77,500 over the cap yesterday.

The fourth line which under Boudreau doesn’t see a lot of playing time should be comprised of Boyd Gordon and Matt Bradley with Boyd Kane rounding out the trio.

Tomas Fleischmann remains sidelined indefinitely with a blood clot.  Winkler, Manitoba’s Eric Fehr could step into the line-up once he is healthy.

The Washington defence begins and ends with Mike Green.  Say what you will about his hair, it sure doesn’t affect his play on the ice.  His numbers have grown increasingly gaudy as he matures.  In his first full season in 2006/07 he played 70 games and scored just 2 goals.  He followed that up with 18 goals in 82 games in 2007/08 and then 31 goals in 68 games last season. 

Physical play will be necessary to keep the opposition forwards off Jose Theodore. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Erskine-Pothier and Sloan-Schultz were your third and fourth pairings at practice this morning.

Perhaps the biggest question mark facing the Capitals this season is who will emerge as the number one goaltender on the team.  Coach Bruce Bodreau has been unequivocal in his support of veteran Jose Theodore.   The question is can he return to the form that saw him win Hart and Vezina trophies in 2002. 

If the Caps are going to get through the East, Theodore is going to have to stop the Sideny Crosby & company. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

If the Capitals hope to compete then they are going to need that type of play from Theodore.  This means he will have to improve on last season’s 2.87 GAA (36th) and .900 save % (40th).  With a $4.5 million cap hit for one more season the soon to be free agent had best hope that he can return to form.

In case Theodore was to falter, his back-up will be last season’s playoff darling Simeon Varlamov.  He is the rookie sensation that took over in the playoffs for Theodore and looked great, until he was exposed by the Penguins.  Despite Boudreau’s shot of confidence don’t be surprised to see him give Varlamov an opportunity if Theodore falters in any way.  His 4-0 regular season record gave way to a seven wins and six losses in the playoffs.  He is going to need more regular season seasoning before he is given the reins, unless the wheels totally fall off for Theodore, and then he will be thrown into the fire.

Big expectations if Theodore fails in any way.

Finally 2006 Czech draft pick Michal Neuvirth took the team’s AHL affiliate Hershey Bears to the Calder Cup Finals last season, where he helped to defeat the Moose in six games, winning MVP honors.  He was limited to five games for the Capitals last season compiling a 2-1 record.

Class of Competition:

Which leads us to the final question for the Capitals this season; Can the improvements by their Southeast Division competition, prevent them returning to the top of the Southeast?

Carolina Hurricanes – This is the one divisional team that can challenge Washington.  This is a group that has developed together, Stall is still improving and they could challenge the Caps.  While I still expect Washington to finish 1st, I don’t anticipate the points differential being 11 as it was in 2008/09 between these two teams.

Tampa Bay Lightning –  As Rusty said in his preview their power play looks lethal, they can move the puck and the big guns look motivated.  Having Adam Oates to teach them PP skills should help.  I see them passing Florida and Atlanta but a lot really depends on goalie Mike Smith.

Florida Panthers – Young team without the scoring of Tampa.  Biggest question will be the play of goalie Scott Clemmensen.  We will find out if his win totals were a function of the Devils system, or his own talent.

Atlanta Thrashers– As I said in my Thrashers preview, the stars would need to align and Kovalchuk would have to play out of his mind for them to make waves this season.  Expect Evander Kane to be returned to Vancouver.  They will battle with the Panthers for the last spot. 

My Predictions:

Ceiling - This team should and could challenge for Eastern Conference supremacy.  As long as Alex the Great stays healthy, the surrounding cast steps up; there is no reason why these guys couldn’t compete for the Cup.  Expect a 1st place finish in the Southeast and 1st-3rd in the East.

Floor - Injuries to Ovechkin, Semin Backstrom or Green would severely cripple this team.  They aren’t one dimensional but with the loss of any of these four (especially A.O.) and the Caps offence would be extremely limited.  This could cause them to fall to 2nd in the Southeast and 6th in the East.

Capitals Blogger Thoughts:

In addition to the above analysis I thought it would be a good idea to get a quick thought from Caps bloggers.  Unfortunately their pens were mostly silent in response to my request.  Fortunately the #1 Caps blogger on the internet took the time to pass along his thoughts on the Capitals for this upcoming season. 

J.P. from Japers’ Rink said:
It’s easy to say, “It all comes down to whether Jose Theodore can rebound and/or Semyon Varlamov can prove he’s the real deal,” or “Their defense, as presently constituted, isn’t quite good enough,” and both of these assertions, to an extent, are true. But these are the same goalies and the same defense that won 50 games last year and that pushed the Champs to a Game 7… except they’re all one year more experienced, one year hungrier. 

• Landon Ferraro has impressed so far at Wings prospect camp.  It’s in the bloodlines, plus you always have to trust anyone that the Wings’ brass believes worthy of a high draft pick.
• Here is a look at Nikolai Khabibulin’s new Oilers helmet.  Nice looking mask.
• The Canucks don’t want this travel issue to affect the team’s already ridiculous travel schedule.  I see this situation getting worked out.
• Capitals prospect Joe Finley has apparently been injured on the first day of Capitals camp.  No word on the severity of the injury for the massive defenseman turned forward.

The Washington Capitals have signed unrestricted free agent center Brendan Morrison to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

A 5’11”, 181-pound native of Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Morrison has had 50-plus points six times, including four 20-goal seasons. He has played 755 career games with four teams – Dallas, Anaheim, Vancouver and New Jersey – spanning 12 NHL seasons. Morrison has 175 goals and 330 assists (505 points) in his NHL career, with career highs in goals (25), assists (46) and points (71) coming in 2002-03 with the Canucks.

Read entire post here.

The signing doesn’t cost much (JP says it’s for $1.5 million) and is only for one year, so I don’t really see much downside.  Morrison is a good passer but he has slowed down significantly the past couple of seasons.  The Capitals have snipers like Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin that will benefit from playing with a passer like Morrison–especially on the power play.  However, Morrison is not the player he was earlier this decade in Vancouver, so expectations need to be kept in check.  A rebound to the 50-55 point mark seems reasonable if he plays with some of the Capitals’ offensive players.

If you want more Morrison information, Japers’ Rink has put together Morrison’s career statistics.

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.

• 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.

The Washington Capitals could be losing another player to the Kontinental Hockey League.

RDS is reporting that forward Viktor Kozlov has signed a deal to play with Salavat of the KHL for next season. Details of the contract were not reported.

Read report here.

I have to be honest, the names here (Kozlov and Fedorov) have far more cache than the players are actually worth at this point in time.  Fedorov is not the player he used to be and that has been apparent for the past few seasons considering his inconsistent play and inability to crack the scoresheet even while playing with talented offensive players.  As for Kozlov, he’s the epitome of untapped potential.  He played alongside many of the Capitals’ talented offensive players this season and did not exactly make himself an offesnive weapon.  It is easy to fall in love with Kozlov’s skills, adept passing, tremendous stick-handling and a great shot, but once you get past those skills, you realize the output doesn’t live up to the skill-set.  If these reports prove to be true, the Capitals won’t miss these two players as much as some may think.

Playoff teams:

• The Hurricanes have been looking in the mirror the past couple days.  They can look all they want, but this series is over. 
• Chris Osgood hasn’t had a chance to watch the other series going on because the team hotel doesn’t have Versus.  Just what the NHL wants to hear…
• Disappointing that Osgood has missed it, because the Penguins have been putting on quite an offensive show.  Crosby/Malkin, Malkin/Crosby, Crosby/Malkin, Malkin/Crosby.

Non-playoff teams:

• Curtis Zupke asks Ducks fans if the team should re-sign James Wisniewski.  I think they absolutely should and will.  Wisniewski played well for the Ducks down the stretch, can move the puck well, plays bigger than his 5’11 frame and is the team’s only offensive blueliner that shoots from the right side. 
• The Oilers have called a news conference.  No word yet what it is about.
• Apparently the Sergei Fedorov to the KHL deal isn’t done yet.   Rest assured, the Capitals will not be offering him anywhere close to that amount of money–and rightfully so.  If it is about the money, then Fedorov is going to play in the KHL next season.

Update: On Oilers major news conference from Allan Maki of the Globe & Mail.  Click here for more details.

Update 2: See story above.  Props to reader Curtis from Crash the Crease for calling this story in the comments section.

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.

FINAL		F
	Pittsburgh	3
	Washington	4
Game Preview
Game Scoresheet
Team Game Threads: The Pens Blog Japers’ Rink
Game Recap

What can you say? This series is incredible.  Crosby and Ovechkin are living up to all the hype.  Four goals in two games each? Are you kidding me.  I can’t wait until Wednesday.

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.

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

The unknown, inexperienced rookie (Varlamov), versus the former ballyhooed junior star (Fleury). Both proved their worth in the first round, especially Varlamov, entering the Capitals-Rangers series in game two after it had become abundantly clear the Caps (rightfully) had no faith in Jose Theodore. The question now is, can Varlamov do it again, as this time the Penguins are in another stratosphere as compared to the offensive “talents” of the New York Rangers. We know he can make the saves when he faces 18 pucks a night being shot by the likes of Nik Antropov and Blair Betts, but can he do the same when he faces 35 shots a night from Crosby, Malkin et al?

On the other end of the ice is Marc Andre Fleury. After overcoming some early jitters in his career, he has proven himself worthy of being a first round selection. Although he has the occasional tendency to give up a soft goal, he has the big game experience, and the undisputed backing of his team-mates, both of which are especially valuable in the playoff season. His play in the first round against the Flyers was especially solid, exemplified by his 45 save performance in stealing game 4 for the Pens.

Edge: Penguins

Forwards

Where to begin? Crosby and Malkin? Ovechkin and Backstrom and Semin? Talk about a murderer’s row of the best and brightest talent any hockey fan would ever want to see offered up on one juicy platter.

The Penguins are led by Sidney Crosby and Hart Trophy nominee Evgeni Malkin. Easily the driving force behind the Penguins offensive juggernaut, these two superstars combined for 8 goals and 17 points in their 6 game series victory over the Flyers. The next best line for the Penguins was their defensive/energy line of Jordan Stall, Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke which did a tremendous job in the first round. Unfortunately, the secondary scoring for the Penguins dried up at this point, and players like Chris Kunitz, Bill Guerin, Ruslan Fedotenko and Petr Sykora were MIA and need to step it up in this series. Sykora especially, as he was a healthy scratch late in first round. Without these players providing some extra scoring, the Pens could be in trouble.

Over in the Capital city (pardon the pun), the Caps are undoubtedly led by another Hart Trophy nominee Alexander Ovechkin. Alongside Ovechkin comes Niklas Backstrom, he of the 88 point regular season (if you need that sort of thing), and the third weapon in their triumvirate, Alexander Semin. Quite probably the best threesome this side of Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell and Denise Richards in Wild Things. Brooks Laich, David Steckel and Matt Bradley provided the Caps with their energy line and energy boost in the series versus the Rangers, and the veteran presence of Sergei Federov, Viktor Kozlov, and the returning from injury Chris Clark cannot be over-emphasized in importance to this team.

Edge: Capitals

Defenseman

If these teams have an Achilles heel, it is on the back end. While both teams boast an excellent offensive defenseman (the Capitals Mike Green, and the Penguins Sergei Gonchar) for the most part after those two they are thin on the back end.

The Capitals were far and away better defensively versus the Rangers than most people expected them to be. Was that a by-product of the Rangers offensive struggles? We will find out in this series as Penguins and offensive struggles mesh as well as oil and water.

Led on the back end by the aforementioned Mike Green, they partner him with solid stay at home, no nonsense, Shaone “can you spare a letter” Morrisonn. John Erskine and Brian Pothier were both solid against the Rangers and Tom Poti exercised some revenge against the team the booed him out of town by playing very solid hockey and registering a goal and three assists. Milan Jurcina winds out the Capitals back end contingent.

The Penguins too have a relatively no-name defence once you get passed fringe hall of famer Sergei Gonchar. However, as is often the case with “no-name” players, what they lack in name value, they make up with in solid, no-nonsense play. Facing off against a vaunted offensive team like the Flyers, the Pens defence managed to shut down the league’s second leading goal scorer Jeff Carter, holding him to only one goal in the first round match-up. Credit where credit is due, and the Penguins back end success is due to the solid, workmanlike play of Kris Letang, Mark Eaton, Rob Scuderi, Hal Gill, and Brooks Orpik. Can they keep it up versus the offensive dynamo that is the Washington Capitals? That is the million dollar question

Edge: Even

Final Analysis

This series should be everything the NHL is hoping it will be. Two teams, featuring the two marquee players the NHL has to offer, battling neck and neck, evenly matched in skill sets. If anything was going to move the proverbial ratings dial for the NHL in the United States, this is the match-up that will do so. Ultimately, I think that the Capitals extra little depth on offense will be too much for the Penguins to overcome, and I think the Caps make it two straight series with game 7 home ice victories.

Capitals in 7

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

Here was Ari’s Methodology:

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

OR

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

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

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

Can the Rangers beat the odds?

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

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

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

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

Second Round Matchups

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

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

Vancouver Canucks (3) versus Chicago Blackhawks (4)

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

Boston Bruins (1) versus TBA

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

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus TBA

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

Teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs:

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

Teams that did not make the playoffs:

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

Washington forward Donald Brashear has been suspended for six games by the National Hockey League and will miss Tuesday’s Game 7 of the Capitals’ Eastern Conference Quarterfinal round series against the New York Rangers for his action both prior to, and during, Sunday’s Game 6.

Read the story from JP’s site here.

Rightfully so.  The NHL has begun to crackdown heavily on pre-game actions and Brashear was taped doing so.  So, that is no surprise.  As for the hit on Betts, he broke his orbital bone as a result and the hit was plain uncalled for.  This suspension is certainly warranted.

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

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

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

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

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

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

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

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

Western Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chicago Blackhawks (4) versus Calgary Flames (5)

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

Non-Playoff Teams/Stories:

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

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

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

NHL Rule 47.9 states:

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

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

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

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

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

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

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

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

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

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

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

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

Other Articles of Interest:

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

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

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

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

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

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

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

Pittburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

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

Illegal Curve is now on Twitter and Facebook.

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

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

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

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

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

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

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

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

Western Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chicago Blackhawks (4) versus Calgary Flames (5)

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

Boston Bruins (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

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

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

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

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

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

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Philadelphia Flyers (5)

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

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