Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The following analysis was taken from the show.

Columbus receives: Jack Johnson, a conditional first round pick

Los Angeles Receives: Jeff Carter

Tale of the tape:

Jack Johnson: age 25, under contract until 2017-18 at a cap hit of $4.35 million per season.

Jeff Carter: age 27, under contract until 2021-22 at a cap hit of $5.27 million per season.

This is a trade that must be looked at through two different perspectives. The first is looking at the trade as a single trade. The second view is to look at it on a whole, meaning, Columbus effectively traded Jakub Voracek and the 8^th overall pick (Sean Couturier).

Off the ice, the reasons for trading Carter were about his contract, and his character, says Illegal Curve Hockey Show analyst Richard Pollock:

“I don’t think Columbus did as badly as I thought they would have, because there was no market for Jeff Carter. It was restricted by the fact he has ten years left on his deal, which restricted him to a couple of teams, and other teams were concerned about his character.”

“The market for him was very small, the fact they were able to get the first round pick, and Jack Johnson, who’s game I have concerns about, but does have potential, was fine work by GM Scott Howson on an evaluation of just this trade. If they can nail the draft pick, they can make it look like an all around good deal.”

“Jeff Carter is a good skater, a good stickhandler, he’s got a terrific shot, he can distribute the puck, but he’s not great at it. He’s good defensively, he can play in all situations, he’s an all around really good player.”

Host of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show Drew Mindell added, “he’s a regular 30 goal scorer, which doesn’t ocme easily.”

Pollock continued on Jack Johnson saying, “he’s as good of a skater as Zach Bogosian, good slapshot, good offensive talent, can join the rush. His hockey sense and defensive awareness leave much to be desired.”

In terms of contracts, Johnson’s is more favourable to Carter’s, as it is for less years and money, he is also younger, and defenseman tend to peak at a later age.

Pollock was not in favour of the deal overall, and would not pick a winner. It was a move of desperation for both teams.

Columbus receives: 2^nd round pick in 2012, conditional 5^th in 2013 and Curtis McElhinney

Phoenix receives: Antoine Vermette (age 29, under contract until 2014-15 at a cap hit of $3.75 million per season)

Off the ice: It is interesting to note that this is a salary dump by Columbus, who is assuredly losing money this season, to the NHL owned Phoenix Coyotes.

Antoine Vermette is a limited player offensively, he skates well, and can handle the puck, but is not a point producer (27 points in 62 games this season). Vermette is a player who is better defensively than offensively.

Columbus is shedding a bad contract, at $3.75 million with three years remaining is a lot for a guy who is not a point producer. The value that they are receiving in this deal is in the 2^nd round pick, as well as the removal of his contract on the salary cap. The Blue Jackets can fill the hole left by Vermette with players such as RJ Umberger, Derick Brassard and the return they get for Rick Nash (assuming he is traded before next season).

Curtis McElhinney is a throw in, a back up goalie who’s been injured all year. He is not the answer for Columbus’ goaltending situation.

From a Phoenix perspective, they are getting a player who fits well into their system. Phoenix loads up on veterans who buy into their boring trap style system. Vermette’s speed can create pressure on the opposition and he can play in all situations. He is a “tweener” a 2^nd or 3^rd line player, and on the Coyotes squad he will play a bigger role. He fits the veteran defensively responsible type player that coach Dave Tippett wants.

This is a good move for both teams.

New Jersey Receives: Marek Zidlicky (age 35, cap hit of $4 million until 2012-13)

Minnesota Receives: Kurtis Foster, Nick Palmieri, Stephane Veilleux, a 2^nd round pick In 2012, a conditional 3^rd round pick in 2013 (if New Jersey makes the conference finals this season or next).

New Jersey is filling a need by getting an offensively talented defenseman who can skate and move the puck. From watching New Jersey this season, it is easy to tell they are missing an offensive defenseman. Players such as Anton Volchenkov, Henrik Tallinder and Bryce Salvador are defensive types who can block shots and hit. They did not have a guy with the ability to lead the power play and move the puck out of the defensive zone well enough.

Zidlicky should have no problem fitting into the dressing room with fellow countrymen Petr Sykora and Patrik Elias. He’s signed for next season at $4 million, which is a lot, but offensive defenseman like Zidlicky don’t grow on trees.

Minnesota was in a situation where they were not playing Zidlicky, and he fell out of favor with Coach Mike Yeo.  They receive ex-Wild Kurtis Foster who’s contract comes off the books next season, he is a big body who can chip in with his point shot.

Stephane Veilleux , also an ex-Wild is 13^th forward and his contract expires after the season.

Nick Palmieri has the potential to be a 3^rd or 4^th line player for Minnesota.

Comparing the deal to the Hal Gill deal, the Predators gave up a 2^nd round pick and Blake Geoffrion for Hal Gill. Because the Foster and Veilleux contracts expire at the end of the season, the Devils gave up Nick Palmieri and a 2^nd round pick. If they do reach the conference finals, they will be happy to relinquish the 3^rd round pick.

This is an even trade for both teams.

Colorado receives: Steve Downie

Tampa Bay receives: 1^st round pick from Detroit.

Detroit receives: Kyle Quincey

While this was two separate trades by Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman, it should be looked at as one move.

The trades Yzerman has made leading up to the deadline show that the former Detroit Red Wing is ascending up the ranks as one of the top GMs in the NHL.  He is aware that his team is not a Stanley Cup Contender this season and is selling off assets in order to build for the future. As of February 26, 2012, Tampa Bay now has six picks in the first two rounds of the 2012 draft.  The net result of this trade is that Tampa Bay receives Detroit’s first round pick in exchange for Steve Downie.

Detroit adds depth to their defense in Kyle Quincey. Quincey who was drafted by Detroit in 2003 is a player who skate well, can move the puck, but isn’t the most physical. He is brought in to play the 3^rd defense pairing with Jonathan Ericsson, which should take some pressure off of rookie Jakub Kindl. He  fits into Detroit’s system,  and will be an RFA after this season so they will be able to retain him.

Colorado receives Steve Downie who gives their team some much added toughness. He’s a player who can get in your face, go to the net, hit, and move around in the lineup. While he doesn’t have great hands, he can provide 10-15 goals and 30-35 points. Ideally, he’s a 3^rd line right winger. Downey will be an RFA after this season.

A reasonable deal for all sides.

Philadelphia receives: Pavel Kubina

Tampa Bay receives: Jon Kalinski, 2^nd round pick in 2012 or 2013, 4^th round pick in 2013.

This is a depth acquisition by Philadelphia, which may not have been completely necessary, but he is a big body who fits in well with the Flyers team.

Steve Yzerman is stockpiling picks and building for the future.

The bottom line: An even deal.

Florida receives: Jerrod Smithson (age 33, under contract until 2012-13 for $800,000)

Nashville receives: 6^th round draft pick in 2012

Jerrod Smithson is a 4^th line centre who is better than incumbent John Madden. He is a depth acquisition, whose skill lies in winning draws, playing a defensively responsible and killing penalties. Smithson won’t be counted on to provide offense.

Nashville is a well run club and if hey are giving away players for 6^th round picks, this means they have no use for Smithson. His $800,000 salary will come off the books for next season, making this a quasi-salary dump. The Predators are looking to make a run for the cup this season, the trade also opens up a roster spot for additional moves.

This isn’t a significant move, that shouldn’t be overrated.

Tune in to TSN 1290 all day on trade deadline Monday for round the clock coverage. Drew Mindell and Richard Pollock of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show will be on from 12pm-4pm breaking down all the trades, as well as previewing the Winnipeg Jets contest against the Edmonton Oilers.

Shane Doan

IC’s Ezra asked him what the standing ovation meant to him and he gives quite a heartfelt response.

Following the Coyotes skate, we caught up with some Coyotes players and the coach.

Shane Doan (I had some 1 on 1 time with Shane at about the 6 minute mark of the audio.  He discusses his time in Winnipeg, the last game in Winnipeg and even talks about his favourite Winnipeg Restaurant, which may come as a surprise – can you say soup, salad and breadsticks).

Kyle Turris

Coach Dave Tippett

Central Division

• If this is just Marian Hossa’s adjustment period, it will be scary to see what he can do at full steam, writes Chris Kuc.  “I think we can learn off some of the things he does with and going into puck areas. A lot of good things happen when he’s on the ice,” said coach Joel Quenneville about Hossa’s presence.
• Derick Brassard lacks a bit of confidence so far this season, explains Tom Reed.  One of Derek MacKenzie or Mike Blunden could find themselves going through waivers this week.  Here are the Blue Jackets’ projected lines for tonight’s game.
• Valtteri Filppula had his cast removed on Tuesday and is slated to return later this month.  With many injuries on the team, Justin Abdelkader has been given more responsibility and coach Mike Babcock has been happy with his play.
• Martin Erat recorded a hat trick last night, which prompted Barry Trotz to talk about the value of getting shots on net, as the Predators defeated the visiting Canucks.  Meanwhile, the Predators are hoping Jerred Smithson’s penalty on Alexandre Burrows is rescinded.
• Many Blues have had scoring trouble this season, so coach Andy Murray had his team practice hitting the goalie and going to the net on Tuesday.

Northeast Division

• Playing without Robyn Regehr has been the Flames’ downfall in the past, so Flames fans have to be hoping that his injury isn’t serious.  Colby Armstrong will have many family members in the Saddledome tonight when the Thrashers visit the Flames.
• Joe Sacco was happy enough with his club on Tuesday that he gave them the day off, explains Terry Frei.
• Jim Matheson answers reader’s questions in the Edmonton Journal.  Lubomir Visnovky and Ladislav Smid have developed some nice chemistry on the Oilers’ back-end.  Jeff Deslauriers has played well enough that he’s made people stop asking when Nikolai Khabibulin is returning to the lineup.
• Mikko Koivu was many people’s pick for Wild captain prior to the season and he is sure proving his worth in that position, explains Michael Russo.
• “Right now we have guys who can play a lot better, who have to play a lot better,” said an angry Alain Vigneault after yesterday’s loss to Nashville.  Mikael Samuelsson was so unhappy after the game that he refused to talk to the media.  When is Cody Hodgson going to return from a back injury?

Pacific Division

• Just when you had the Ducks written off, the team stormed back from a three-goal deficit and pulled out an important overtime victory at home against Dallas, writes Eric Stephens.  With Teemu Selanne injured, both Bobby Ryan and Joffrey Lupul will be counted on to carry the load.
• “That can’t happen, it just can’t happen,” said Stars captain Brenden Morrow after the team blew a 3-0 road lead to Anaheim.  Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News likes what he’s seen from youngster Ivan Vishnevskiy.
• Wayne Simmonds has taken advantage of the opportunities that coach Terry Murray has provided for him this season in Los Angeles.
• There are a number of reasons why the Coyotes are surprising the NHL, but strong penalty killing is definitely one of them.
• After some early season struggles, Ryane Clowe has found his game in the Bay Area.

If you are looking for a holiday gift and want to support IllegalCurve, take a look at our touques that can be purchased for only $9.99 plus shipping.  Also, if you want to add IllegalCurve on Twitter, click here.

Every professional sports team in metro Phoenix, along with Arizona State University’s football team and the annual Fiesta Bowl, has had trouble selling tickets this year as growing unemployment and declining wages are keeping fans home.

Teams have been forced to try promotions once considered unthinkable as the drop in attendance cuts deeper into revenue and costs jobs. For example, the Phoenix Suns saw their 153-game streak of sellouts at US Airways Center end Nov. 1, and a few days later the team laid off about 10 percent of its workforce.

Now I’ve discussed the situation in Phoenix quite a bit.  The revelation that the economy is doing poorly and is adversely affecting sports teams isn’t shocking. However, when you see the really established, popular teams like the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and last year’s Super Bowl finalist Cardinals struggling with attendance woe’s it becomes apparent that the Coyotes, a team that isn’t in the top tier of Arizona sports is not going to have the immediate recovery everyone is expecting.  Sure the NHL “saved” the team from moving but when you consider the state of the economy, the location of the arena and the fact that even after 15 years in the desert, the Coyotes haven’t established themselves as a top tier team in this market it just doesn’t appear likely that the recovery time will be a anytime soon.

In that same article a local Phoenix ticket broker summed up the situation in the desert:

It’s always difficult to scalp tickets in this market when a team is playing poorly, but it’s even tougher now.

“The economy is terrible,” Fettman said. “Even if the team is good, people don’t have the money to go out and spend. . . . .”

Now people might say “too bad”, that they have had plenty of time to develop a base that could support this team, given the metro size of the area.  Some have called fans of the Coyotes fair weather and bandwagon hockey fans but with all of the above factors, coupled with a summer from hell, don’t they deserve some time to recover?  Or is it time to cut the losses and move the team somewhere else? 

Put another way, as the Coyotes continue this trek through the desert, which began in 1996, have they finally come to the Oasis which can sustain them or is this simply another Mirage which casts a false illusion?  If you have an opinion on what should happen to the Coyotes, share it here.

Earlier Monday, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Redfield T. Baum approved the Coyotes’ sale to the NHL with the league intending to find a buyer committed to keeping the franchise in Glendale. The conclusion of the team’s bankruptcy proceedings didn’t help the Coyotes avoid a franchise-record low announced crowd of 5,855.

The season opener is starting to look more and more like an anomaly as the crowd size has significantly decreased almost every home game the Yotes have played since that opening night crowd of 17,532.  Since then the crowd’s have fallen off;

vs. St. Louis – 6,899

vs. Boston – 9,162

vs. Detroit – 11,938
vs.  Los Angeles – 7,968
vs. Anaheim – 6,495
vs. Los Angeles – 5,855

So right now the Coyotes are averaging 9,407 at home.  If you remove the opening night crowd from this total, the average nightly crowd to see a Phoenix game is 8,052.  Of course this is the announced crowd, which is generally not reflective of the actual crowds in attendance.

You have to wonder why they aren’t putting on 1001 different promotions every night in the desert.  I have to think that butts in the seats, even if the tickets are dirt cheap, would be better in terms of selling concessions as well as to give the city a bit of a psychological lift from the constant threat of relocation which has been hanging over their heads since the summer.

IC reader Ross laid out some of the problems the Yotes are facing;

Having been to every Phoenix home game, including pre-season, this year I will attest that attendance has been disappointing, but not unexpected. The summer of uncertainty, coupled with the fact that they were not even SELLING season tickets for about two months (from May 5th through late June), has greatly harmed ticket sales.

The best way to increase this, as has been said along, is to win games. It feels like there’s already a bit of a buzz going around the city. The team that everyone had written off is playing well to start the season! If they continue, you will slowly start to see attendance pick up, but it will take time–possibly even most of the season. That’s if they play well… 

However it is time to get past that.  They have a good, young product on the ice which is winning, and it is time that someone actually starts watching the games.  Judge Baum granted the Coyotes to the NHL and Commissioner Bettman will do whatever it takes to ensure they will remain in Phoenix. 

While the fans showing up to support the team doesn’t ensure that they won’t become a lame duck franchise, if they truly appreciate NHL hockey and want it to survive in the desert, they need to at least give it a chance and start attending some games. 

The arena seats 17,799 for hockey.  There were 9,162 in attendance. 

What do you think Shane Doan and Mark Recchi were discussing?

At the end of the day it was a Saturday night, the Bruins were coming to town and perhaps fans stayed away because they knew that Milan Lucic wasn’t going to be playing.  Whatever the reasons the arena looked empty again tonight.

The people showing up are the die-hard fans.  Yes, there are hard core hockey fans in the desert.  There are also the  band wagon jumpers and perhaps with each additional win, more of the latter will show up and begin to develop into the former.  Regardless more fans better start showing up or else it won’t matter if the Yotes win or lose because they will be doing it somewhere else. 

After tonight’s victory this team sits 3rd in the Western Conference and 1st in the Pacific and let’s hope  that for the next home game against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night that the crowd is above 10,000. 

The Coyotes team deserves it the way they are playing.

*photos courtesy of dafoomie

Now many pundits felt the true test would be whether or not the crowds would keep up once the fervor of the home opener died down.  While I’m sure many expected to see a slight drop from the home opener’s sellout crowd of 17,532 the pictures from Game 2 would seem to indicate that there has been a significant drop off.  When I initially saw these pictures, I thought that perhaps fans in Phoenix, like those in other cities (I’m looking at you Toronto), spend half the period out of their seats and that since the pictures were taken a minute into the 2nd period this was the reason that the building looked half empty.

But then you see this picture that was taken from the upper bowl of Jobing.com arena at the 13:47 mark of the second period and you realize that there just wasn’t anyone at the game;

Now I am not sounding the death knell of the Yotes.  Clearly Shane Doan, who is just a tremendous player (and person) thinks a lot of Phoenix;

It’s just a special place here, and these fans really do care,” Doan said. “The whole team is just grateful for the people who do support us so passionately.”

But the question I have after seeing these pictures is, where have they all gone?  The Coyotes are going to have to continue to make major concessions to the people of Arizona to get them to come out.  Still, you would think that the second game of the season would have been a little better attended than what it appeared to be.  It should be interesting to see what the “announced crowd” will be.  Any guesses?

Update:  Announced attendance 6,899.  Dear Mama.

Update #2:  A look at all the Coyotes home games.

*Photos from Bluechipper

“This was a difficult decision that I’ve thought long and hard about,” Gretzky said in a statement. “We all hoped there would be a resolution earlier this month to the Coyotes ownership situation, but the decision is taking longer than expected.  Since both remaining bidders have made it clear that I don’t fit into their future plans, I approached General Manger Don Maloney and suggested he begin looking for someone to replace me as coach.  Don has worked hard and explored many options.  I think he has made an excellent choice, and so now it’s time for me to step aside.

Read the story here.

That was a pretty clear explanation from Gretzky.  In my opinion, it was really his only option, as there are already enough distractions surrounding this young team, and Gretzky’s presence would have made it an absolute circus.  The Great One has to wonder where it all went wrong in Phoenix, but today he made the right decision to step down.

I’d love to see him coach or manage in the future, but considering his ties to California, I do not know how likely that possibility is.  A consulting role seems like the next step for Gretzky unless he gets the itch and decides to move.

Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail provides his take on today’s news.

If Balsillie wins his bid for the Coyotes, a season of sparse crowds is expected. (Picture courtesy of flickr)

From TSN:

Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie has pledged to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale this season if he wins an auction for the financially troubled club.

His lawyers say the club would play in Glendale this season, which opens Oct. 3, but Balsillie still intends to move the team to Hamilton as part of his US$242.5 million bid.

The revised offer came during an emergency hearing Wednesday before bankruptcy Judge Redfield T. Baum, who called Balsillie’s proposal “a fairly significant change.”

Read the report here.

Well, this really is not a surprise to me.  If Balsillie wanted this team as badly as he has said he does, then keeping the team in Phoenix for the season was a must.  I mean, how on earth was he actually planning on moving the team before/during the season?  That is simply an impossible task. 

With this declaration, and with Judge Baum’s comments in the report, you have to think Balsillie’s chances are gaining steam.  Personally, I thought his chances were low from the outset, but he continues to prove me wrong, so I guess I will just have to stop betting against him.

Courtesy of Pulse2.com

Where to start with the Coyotes? Lost amid all the summer hubbub is the fact that a young team with a great core calls the desert home. Despite a 36-39-7 record last season (79 points) and a 13th place in the West finish, the Coyotes have some pieces in place that should allow them to more forward should the find a home and/or have its’ affairs settled.

One of the bonuses of being a poor team for so long is the draft picks (ask Chicago). Off-ice woes aside, the Desert Dogs have been able to draft fairly well in recent years, with many of these picks finding their way to the NHL already. Kyle Turris, Peter Mueller, Martin Hanzal and Keith Yandle are all regulars on the team and are slowly but surely forming what should be a solid core.

The recent addition of Dave King (seen here reacting to the news that he has been hired by the Coyotes) suggests that current coach and owner Wayne Gretzky (a former player himself) may be done with the team. If King is to take the helm, he will be counted on to use his considerable teaching skills to help along the young squad. Though the team is led capably by Shane Doan and features a host of talented young players, don’t expect the team to set the desert on fire.

Lets break the team down by position, starting with the forwards.

Forwards:

Courtesy of zimbio.com

Led by the seemingly ageless Shane Doan (good thing the Oilers picked Steve Kelly), the Coyotes are blessed with excellent talent amongst their forwards corps. There has been significant off-season movement with the team, as they shipped out Garth Murray, Ryan Lannon, Nigel Dawes, Brian McGratton, Brandon Prust, Steven Reinprecht, and Enver Lisin. Replacing these skaters are Taylor Pyatt, Lauri Korpikoski, Vern Fiddler and Radim Vrbata.

While this provides a lot to talk about, it also makes it difficult to ascertain how the forward lines will shake out and who will mesh with who. Captain Doan (73 points last season) will most likely be a fixture on the first line, and could be centred by Matthew Lombardi. Coach King/Gretzky has a couple of options for the right side, as both Radim Vrbata and Peter Prucha would likely fit. The line provides the Coyotes with some offensive punch, and both Lombardi and Doan are responsible enough to go against other teams’ top lines.

My guess for the second unit would have deadline day acquisition Scottie Upshall on the left side, with youngster Peter Mueller up the middle and either of Vrbata or Prucha on the right. In what is more of a 1A line, Mueller will be counted on to take the next step offensively and be the straw that stirs the drink for this troika. Upshall will be given a larger offensive role with the ‘Yotes and the choices for RW are both capable of putting up points. In addition to taking on the soft minutes role, I would imagine that whoever is behind the bench will have these big bodies doing their fair share of forechecking. Upshall is a load and excels at the power forward game, and Mueller is no stranger to the aggressive cycle game.

So, you might wonder who is going to handle the tough minutes? Reinprecht is gone, and there isn’t an ideal candidate to replace him. Vern Fiddler is likely to get some time with this unit, having experience with the defensive side of the game. Martin Hanzal  is the most likely candidate for the 3rd line centre role. He is a responsible guy who is very aware of what he needs to do in his own zone, and can chip in on offense as well. Capable in the face off circle, watch for him to take draws on the PK as well. Rounding out the unit is more of a mystery. Rookie Mikael Boedkker could get a look, as could Daniel Winnik, who doesn’t produce much but is a grating player to skate against. Taylor Pyatt is also a good bet to get a look here (if not on one of the top two units), as he is another veteran who can play a variety of roles.

The fourth line could see any number of personnel getting a look. Highly touted youngster Kyle Turris was thought to be a good fit on this line, but has been demoted to the AHL. Rookie Brett McLean may get a look here given his offensive acumen, so might the speedy Kevin Porter, who showed very well in limited time last year. Viktor Tikhonov could find himself on the 4th unit too, as he is too talented to spend a lot of time on the farm, but isn’t quite consistent enough to crack the top 6. Also in the mix is Lauri Korpiskoski, whose versatility could be a boon here.

Though this group is a little light on experience, they can certainly all play and should be fun to watch. A tough guy might still be necessary here, and an actual checking line could keep them in a lot more games. I would think that the team will unfortunately play second fiddle to the courtroom for the time-being, so don’t expect any big changes til this is all resolved.

Defense:

The blue-line is a little easier to figure out. Veteran Ed Jovanoski is the big dog for the Coyotes, and will see the lion’s share of ice-time should he stay healthy. Defenseman of the future Zbynek Michalek (pictured) will get every chance to skate with Jovo on the top pairing. He put up a respectable 27 points last season, and despite going -13, is a competent defender who is just getting better. Veterans Adrian Aucoin and Kurt Sauer form the most likely second pairing. Aucoin has lost a step but still possesses the big shot and plays a tough game. Sauer is more of an underrated type who will quietly help the team, who will need all the help they can get defensively.

The third unit will be the tough guy Jim Vandermeer, the resident heavyweight-by-default, paired with Keith Yandle the puckmover. Each player fills a specific role, tough guy and puck mover, and shouldn’t see a ton of ice time 5 on 5. Nevertheless, they should get plenty of action on special teams, as their skills sets are tailored to these niche roles.

Sami Lepisto and Jonas Ahnelov are prospects that may well get a look in top 6, and should fight it out for the 7th spot. Lepisto likely has the insde track, as he is 25 years old and has plenty of pro experience (though mostly in the Finnish league an AHL).

The defense seems to be a stable, if unspectacular unit. A little shy on the skating and puck moving skills so valued in today’s game, this group will be still be unpleasant to play against. I wouldn’t expect a lot of production outside of Michalek and Yandle, but they should get their fair share of PIM’s.

Goaltenders:

Courtesy of Sports Illustrated.CNN.com

There are no real surprises expected between the pipes. Ilya Bryzgalov has cemented his status as the team’s number one goalie, and its very unlikely that he lets that status slip. Jason LaBarbera was brought in to compete for the backup spot with prospect Al Montoya. Fellow prospect Josh Tjordman is also in camp, but is expected to be sent out.

Predictions:

As you can see, Team Turmoil doesn’t have a great deal going for it right now. There is some talent there, but they aren’t likely to put it all together this season, even though the team held a playoff spot til the mid-way point last year.

I envision this team with a ceiling around 11th in the West. Most teams have made at least minor improvements to their team, and the Pacific is a strong division getting stronger as LA improves.

The floor for this team is unfortunately 15th, dead last in the west. Unless Colorado really tanks, these guys might find themselves being the doormat.

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart says it is “kind of surreal” to have your season success determined by just one game.  Wings GM Ken Holland says that in this situation, you cannot let your mind wander off.  Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma really doesn’t remember Mike Babcock’s Game 7 speech from 2003.  Drew Sharp says that the Wings have all the pressure tonight.  Speaking of pressure, it does not bother Chris Osgood.  Wings defensemen Brian Rafalski is a favorite in his home state.  Not only is Rafalski the favorite son in Michigan, but he is also very experienced in Game 7s.  The distance in this game tonight is between never and forever, writes Mitch Albom.
• Evgeni Malkin has been dreaming of holding the Cup with Sidney Crosby.  With Game 7 only hours away, the talk does not matter anymore; all both teams have to do is play.  Once the puck is dropped, adrenaline should carry the players through the entire game.  All the numbers in favor of Detroit winning tonight do not mean anything to Pittsburgh.  The Stanley Cup has a special place in Dan Bylsma’s mind.  Mario Lemieux has full confidence in his Pittsburgh players.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• It appears that long-time Avalanche checker Ian Laperriere has one foot out the door.
• People in Minnesota believe that Todd Richards is still the favorite to be hired as the new coach of the Wild.
• John Gonzalez of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if Ray Emery brought his baggage with him back from Russia?
• Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle examines the Sharks’ outlook for next season.
• Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal says Dany Heatley is exactly what the Oilers need.  In other Oilers news, the team has let go Pete Peeters as goaltending coach.
• The province of Quebec is willing to give a loan to any Quebec based groups interested in buying the Canadiens.

The Marc Crawford hiring

• “His biggest asset is the way he holds all his players accountable,” said Stars center Brendan Morrison, who played for Marc Crawford in Vancouver.
• Joe Nieuwendyk went about hiring Crawford the old school way, writes Mike Heika.
• Here is a recap of former Stars coach Dave Tippett’s tenure in Dallas.
• Most people in the game, do not believe Dave Tippett will be out of work for long.

The Coyotes situation

• “If the Buffalo Sabres’ silence means that they are working against Hamilton’s bid, then Hamilton and the surrounding area residents should join in boycotting the Buffalo Sabres along with the Toronto Maple Leafs,” said a Hamilton city councillor.
• Jim Balsillie is convinced that a June 22nd auction is good for his efforts to bring the team to Hamilton.
• Can the city of Hamilton afford an NHL team?
• Stephen Brunt of the Globe & Mail questions the NHL’s due diligence process.

AHL Calder Cup Final

• Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press sets the stage for tonight’s Game 6 of the Calder Cup.  With so many veterans on the roster, the Moose are not panicking.  Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun explains that the Moose organization didn’t set up the team’s homecoming at the airport two days ago, rather, it was the Winnipeg Airport staff.  (Writer’s note: Nice gesture by the airport staff to get behind the local team.)

In a one-sentence notice issued Thursday, Judge Baum said he will make one ruling on all of the issues heard Tuesday.

“The court advised those present that he will not be setting a separate hearing on relocation and fee issue. It will be dealt with in the court’s ruling from the [June 9] hearing,” Judge Baum said.

Read the entire article here.

Judge Baum is trying to speed up this proceess as much as possible…until the appeal process hits and someone else has to deal with this whole situation.

Ted Rechtshaffen was performing due diligence for a client who is looking to sell his share in a current NHL team when he started crunching numbers on such things as ticket prices, attendance and market size to see which NHL markets made sense.

His conclusions? Size of market, unlike the case in most instances concerning the NBA, Major League Baseball and even the NFL, does not have much to do with where it is viable to support NHL hockey. What matters in most instances is geographic location, with the league’s strongest franchises located in places where the game of hockey has a long history and it at least part of the cultural fabric.

Read the entire story here.

This article doesn’t surprise me, but it sure sheds a little bit more light on something that I’ve believed for a while now.  Market size doesn’t matter that much when the people in that market just don’t care about the sport.  Last night, on The Score television in Canada, there was an excellent piece explaining the lack of attention that the entire Jim Balsillie controversy is getting in Arizona.  The sports radio stations hardly talk about it, it isn’t the main story on the Arizona Republic sports page and people just generally don’t care.  I know the Phoenix area is highly populated, but what does highly populated mean when those people couldn’t care less anyways? 

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Writing for USA Today, Jacques Demers likes the Wings in Game 7.  (Writer’s note: Kelly Hrudey also picked the Wings last night on the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show.)  (Second writer’s note: You figure if Demers is submitting a piece to USA Today, they could at least spell his name right!)  If Detroit wins on Friday, Helene St. James thinks Chris Osgood is a shoe-in for the Conn Smythe.  Meantime, Michael Rosenberg disagrees with Wings coach Mike Babcock and says Marian Hossa is indeed pressing.  Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press thinks Friday night will be a showcase of the next great hockey rivalry.  Good thing for Wings fans that home-ice has been a huge advantage in past Game 7s.  That said, in Game 7s, it is just 60 minutes of play, so predictions carry very little weight.  If people are wondering, Chris Chelios has no intention of retiring at season’s end.
• Tomorrow night is Dan Bylsma’s shot at Game 7 redemption.  Look for Petr Sykora to miss tomorrow night’s game.  Penguins fans ask Dave Molinari if the Penguins can win in Detroit?  Many of the players have already played Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in their imagination as little kids.  Sidney Crosby has gone two games without a point, but has never gone three post-season games in a row without getting on the scoreboard.  Winning in Detroit may be hard, but the Penguins are optimistic.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• This year’s rating for Game 6 of the Final were down from last season, however, last season’s game did not go up against the NBA Finals.
• Ducks goaltending coach Francois Allaire has left the organization to join the Leafs in the same position. 
• Meanwhile, Paul Hunter provides the Toronto perspective of the Francois Allaire hire.
• Brian Burke was not done with the hire of Allaire, as he made some other staff changes yesterday.  Here is more on those changes from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun.
• The Molson Brothers have bid on the Canadiens.  “We think our offer has all the ingredients to be well received by the potential seller and the National Hockey League,” said the Molson family. 
• One thing is for certain, buying the Habs will not come cheap.
• Apparently Cory Clouston is not Dany Heatley’s only issue with the Senators organization.

Stars fire Tippett

• Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News points out that Tippett’s expected replacement, Marc Crawford, has not had any more recent playoff success than Tippett.
• The truth is, the Stars have not finished higher than third in their division over the past three seasons.

Flyers sign Emery

• Apparently the Flyers brass holds Ray Emery in very high esteem.
• “I don’t view it as a big gamble“, said Flyers GM Paul Holmgren about Emery.

The Coyotes situation

• Former Coyotes executive Jeff Shumway has accused the Glendale City Manager of trying to destroy a document, which would be illegal under Arizona law.
• If the Coyotes were to stay in Arizona and possibly be viable, they’d need concessions from the City of Glendale.
• The NHL may be looking to add an indemnity fee to the requirement for a relocation fee.
• Mary Ormsby of the Toronto Star takes a closer look at Judge Redfield T. Baum.
• Damien Cox wonders if maybe the Leafs should cut a deal with Balsillie now, so the organization doesn’t risk getting low indemnity payments handed down by the Court.
• David Shoalts tells us that a team in Hamilton would be worth at least $300 million, and some think a whole lot more.
• Word out of Phoenix is that if Balsillie’s bid fails, the Coyotes will be put up for auction.
• Jeff Blair of the Globe & Mail tells Balsillie to just cut the cheque and prove to everyone that you are for real.
• Toronto aside, the Buffalo Sabres are worried about the possibility of a Hamilton franchise.

AHL Calder Cup Final

• Scott Arniel does not want his Moose players to feel content about bringing this series back to Winnipeg, he wants their focus strictly on forcing a Game 7.  Paul Friesen wonders why Moose fans were so giddy yesterday, when the team hasn’t won anything yet?  Mark Fistric luckily only lost clear vision in his eye for about ten seconds, after taking a Karl Alzner shot to the face.

Balsillie has offered US$212.5 million to purchase the Coyotes, conditional on a move to Hamilton and closing by month’s end. However, Balsillie lawyer Susan Freeman said her client would walk away if the relocation fee was too exorbitant.

On Wednesday, Balsillie seemed to leave the door open.

“However it works out, the issue of a relocation fee, while a new development, does move us one step closer to bringing the Coyotes to Hamilton,” the co-CEO of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion said in a statement. “I am fighting for Canadian hockey fans because I know you’ve been out there fighting for my bid.”

Read the entire story here.

Again, Balsillie is making fans and analysts read into his comments, as he hasn’t exactly been forthright with information over the past week or so.  Either way, reading into these comments leads me to believe that Balsillie is going to be willing to pay a relocation price for the Coyotes–provided it isn’t very, very high.  The question of course is: What is too high for Balsillie? 

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Drew Sharp says that Chris Osgood was really the only Wing that came to play last night in Pittsburgh.  Ted Kulfan disagrees and has some high praise for Henrik Zetterberg.  Detroit played like a team that could lose yesterday, opines Mitch Albom.  Bob Wojnowski agrees with Albom but says that the Penguins deserve credit for their performance last night.  Helene St. James reminds readers that the Wings have only lost one game at home all playoffs.  Game 7 will be the ultimate hockey game, explains Dave Dye.
• Marc-Andre Fleury made the biggest save of the series last night on Daniel Cleary.  Jordan Staal is one of the main reasons there even is a Game 7, writes Shelly Anderson.  Joe Starkey compares Game 6 to an NFL contest.  Petr Sykora checked back into the lineup yesterday for Pittsburgh.  Here are some notes about the Penguins.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• Gordie Howe was a tough character on the ice, but he is admittedly having a tough time since his wife passed away, writes Larry Lage.
• Some of the Thrashers players took batting practice yesterday with the Braves.  In other Thrashers news, the team has agreed to terms with forward Andrew Kozek.
• The Columbus Blue Jackets are close to naming a new goalie coach, a coach who has a personal relationship with Steve Mason.
• In Dallas, Mike Heika tells us that this particular Stanley Cup Final is exactly what the NHL needs.
• A deal has been reached between Ray Emery and the Flyers, reports Ed Moran.  “We think Emery’s a better goalie than Marty,” said an anonymous Flyers executive.

Brent Sutter’s resignation

• Brent Sutter endorses Paul MacLean as the next coach of the Devils.
• Steve Politi of the Newark Star-Ledger believes it is time for MacLean to lead the Devils too.
• Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner was disappointed to see Brent Sutter step-down.
• Sutter says his family is very happy about the decision he made to head back home.
• Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek was disappointed to see Sutter go.
• Sutter says he made his decision on Monday, after his first good sleep in a long time.
• With the decision made, Darry Sutter is now expected to contact Lou Lamoriello regarding Brent Sutter’s availability.
• The Flames job does really seem tailor-made for the former Devils bench boss.
• “There’s no guarantee he would get more out of the team than Keenan did. It’s still up to the players,” said an NHL insider to Alan Maki of the Globe and Mail.

Dany Heatley’s trade request

• Dany Heatley has apparently asked to be traded because he doesn’t have a good relationship with Senators coach Cory Clouston.
• Ken Warren goes over possible destinations and returns for Heatley.  Bruce Garrioch does the same.
• Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen has a very interesting piece on Heatley in this morning’s paper.

The Coyotes situation

• Paul Waldie says Gary Bettman gained the upper-hand with yesterday’s news.
• Some may think it is a victory for Bettman, but Bruce Arthur of the National Post thinks that the extra $100 million fee is definitely worth it.
• The issue of relocation fees stole the spotlight at yesterday’s hearing, writes Carrie Watters of the Arizona Republic.
• Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star runs down the possibile rulings that Judge Baum could hand down.
• Here is a video of Scott Morrison with the latest on the story.
• No wonder Judge Baum is stalling, explains Randy Turner of the Winnipeg Free Press.

AHL Calder Cup Final

• Hershey played a strong game, but Cory Schneider shut the door, so the Moose and Bears are headed back to Winnipeg to play Game 6 on Friday.
• The Moose have one person to thank for forcing a Game 6 and that is Cory Schneider, after the young netminder stole the show in Hershey last night.
• Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun says that without Schneider, the Moose had no business being in yesterday’s contest.

**Tonight is the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show with guests James Mirtle (Globe & Mail and From The Rink) and Kelly Hrudey (former NHL netminder and current Hockey Night in Canada analyst for CBC).  The show starts at 7pm Central Time and runs until 9pm Central Time.  To read more about IllegalCurve Radio, click here.**

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Mike Babcock made few, if any, adjustments for Game 5, writes Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe.  Dan Bylsma tells readers what Babcock does that makes him so successful.  If the Wings do win the Cup, Marian Hossa’s move to the Motor City will be justified.  Pavel Datysuk’s return to the Wings lineup has made this an even fight, writes Mitch Albom.  Wings GM Ken Holland was never worried about Chris Osgood.  Drew Sharp tells us that there is no such thing as momentum in this series.  The Red Wings’ discipline is something to behold.  Is Larry Murphy hoping for Detroit or Pittsburgh?
• The Penguins are motivated by the fact that they don’t want to see Detroit skate around the Mellon Arena again with Lord Stanley’s Cup.  Bill Guerin, knowing this may be his last chance at a Cup, doesn’t want the season to end on Tuesday.  If people think the Penguins have lost confidence in Marc-Andre Fleury, they are wrong.  Joe Starkey wonders if Marc-Andre Fleury can be the reason the Penguins comeback in this series?  Dan Bylsma doesn’t want this series to mirror the series he lost to New Jersey as a player in 2003.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• So far in these playoffs, television rating are up in the United States and down in Canada, writes Chris Zelkovich.
• In some great news, Brent Burns is back working out for the Wild and has been symptom-free for a month after suffering a bad concussion late in the season.
• Ed Moran of the Philadelphia Daily News says goaltending is always the story in Philadelphia.
• Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette figures Jacques Martin will lead the Habs no farther than the second round of the playoffs, then eventually be fired for not taking them to the next level.

The Coyotes situation

• Don’t be surprised if Jim Balsillie wins this case, writes Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star.
• Here are some of the arguments from both sides.
• Gary Loewen of the Toronto Sun wonders if Bettman will be at Game 6 tomorrow or the court room?
• Both sides are going back and forth at each other with the case soon to be decided, writes Paul Waldie of the Globe & Mail.
• Apparently Balsillie’s camp is relying largely on the argument that this case is very similar to the one that saw the Seattle Pilots baseball team move to Milwaukee.
• Stephen Brunt tells readers to not take the alternate bids for the Coyotes, that would see the team stay in Phoenix, at face value.
• Anyone interested in purchasing the team, should realize just how much money its lost.
• Some think Judge Redfield Baum doesn’t want to decide this case, and would obviously much prefer these two sides come to an agreement on their own.

AHL Calder Cup Final

• A too many men on the ice penalty proved costly for the Manitoba Moose on Sunday, writes Tim Campbell.  Down 3-1 in the series, the next game is win or you’re out, says Mike Keane.

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Since Pavel Datsyuk has been out of the lineup, Henrik Zetterberg has been counted on even more.  In fact, Mike Babcock says that Zetterberg has been overused.  By the sounds of it, Datsyuk will be back in the lineup tonight.  Although nothing is for certain as of yet. (Writer’s note: Bob Duff said on the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show last night that he expects Datsyuk to be in the lineup and that he looked great at practice on Wednesday.)  The Wings are hoping that Game 4 continues to be Marian Hossa’s lucky game tonight.  Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press says one of the reasons the Wings have struggled on the penalty kill is the injury to Andreas Lilja.  Here is a Q & A with Ken Holland.
• It may be a 2-1 series score like last season, but the Penguins feel different this year, writes Dave Molinari.  If the Penguins continue to say that things are different this season, then Joe Starkey says they have to go out and prove it.  Pittsburgh’s maturation from last season to this season has been very evident in the Final.  Evgeni Malkin is showing his comfort level with the media now, with his constant jokes and more relaxed demeanor.  Meanwhile, Penguins fans asking for more emotion from Dan Bylsma shouldn’t hold their breath.  Liyun Chin tells us the value that a hockey team provides to the businesses surrounding the team.  These days, Mario Lemieux is as engaging as ever.  Apparently Bill Guerin’s brother John doubles as Superman in his spare time, as he helped a lady get her stolen tickets back.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• Television ratings in the U.S. have been up on NBC.
• Even though he is undergoing hip surgery today, the Bruins feel very comfortable having David Krejci signed to a contract extension.  Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald says many see Krejci as a potential 100 point scorer.
• After undergoing two surgeries, Sabres netminder Patrick Lalime says he feels good now.
• More details on the prospective sale of the Florida Panthers.
• Todd Richards, Craig MacTavish and Peter Laviolette have been mentioned as being coaching candidates for the Minnesota Wild.
• If Lou Lamoriello has a contingency plan in place in case Brent Sutter heads back to Alberta, he sure isn’t telling anyone.
• The Flyers feel Ray Emery is worth taking a chance on, writes Ed Moran.  Are the Flyers set to target Jay Bouwmeester next?
• In Tampa Bay, Brian Lawton is getting to know each of the projected top three picks for this month’s Entry Draft in Montreal.
• Did the Leafs get a steal in the 4th round of last year’s Entry Draft?  Brian Burke has stated he wants to move up to draft John Tavares, but if he can’t, he is interested in Brayden Schenn.
• Randy Turner of the Winnipeg Free Press thinks it could be a very messy summer for the NHL.

The Avalanche coaching and management moves

• Terry Frei tells us that the Avalanche never really considered going outside the organization to fill the GM seat.
• Woody Paige suggests the Avalanche hire current Manitoba Moose coach Scott Arniel to become the next Colorado head coach.
• In the midst of his exit, Tony Granato handled himself with class, the way he always does.
• Pierre Lacroix’s health issues are luckily under control, but the Avalanche President remains in the hospital.

The Coyotes situation

• The other big three professional sports leagues know the precedent that could be set in the Coyotes’ case.
• Suddenly Jim Balsillie is conducting polls now too.
• Jim Balsillie and Gary Bettman are disputing the value of his bid to purchase the Coyotes.

AHL Calder Cup Final

• The Winnipeg Free Press lists the biggest goals in Moose franchise history.  Moose defenseman Zack FitzGerald may have saved the series for his team when he blocked a puck going right for an open cage in Game 2.  Hershey and Manitoba are just so evenly matched it is difficult to pick out significant differences.

The key figures of note from this past season? For one, the announced gate figure is an incredible 3,923 higher than the number of people who actually went through the turnstiles for each game, a total pegged at just under 11,000.

The good news? A lot of those tickets that weren’t used were at least paid for (this season anyway). Paid attendance figures are actually up significantly from where they were in the first season after the lockout, when the team apparently sold just 11,340 per game and yet announced attendance of 15,570.

Read the entire post here.

The disaster continues for the NHL.  As I commented over at FTR, this has been an unmitigated disaster for the NHL.  Even if they win the case versus Balsillie, so much information has been leaked that had once been private.  Furthermore, that information is generally of the unflattering nature and makes Phoenix’s situation look more dire by the day. 

Considering all the statistics and numbers we’ve been privy to, why on earth would someone want to buy this team and keep them in the desert?  It looks like a guarantee to lose money.  Even in the strongest economical times that isn’t a desireable option for someone more affluent; but especially in today’s economic climate it seems like it would be even less desireable than ever.

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Detroit played extremely well at five-on-five last night.  However, the team needs to solve its penalty killing problems, writes David Shoalts.  Mitch Albom believes last night’s game turned when Pittsburgh scored its second goal.  Bob Wojnowski thinks the Wings let a great chance slip away.  Marian Hossa wasn’t cheered on Tuesday, but it wasn’t as harsh a reception as anticipated.  You may see Darren McCarty on television being interviewed but his name won’t be on the Cup if the Wings win this time around, explains Bob Duff.
• The Penguins were due for some bounces to go their way, and they did last night, writes Joe Starkey.  Penalty killing has been a problem for Detroit, and the power play has been a strength for Pittsburgh, explains Dave Molinari.  After three assists last night, it is fair to say that Evgeni Malkin is making up for his poor performance in last year’s Final.  With Game 4 up next, now the series gets serious and it is going to be up to the superstars to decide who wins, explains Mike Prisuta.  Marian Hossa wasn’t exactly welcomed back to the Mellon Arena last night.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe has the details of David Krejci’s contract extension.  (Writer’s note: I feel like Chiarelli did very well in these negotiations.  By maybe even that second year, Krejci could prove to be a very big bargain.)
• The Stars have signed two goalies in their system to one-year, two-way deals.
• With a new owner coming to town, Greg Cote of the Miami Herald says nothing can be worse than the Alan Cohen era.  Here are more details on the proposed sale.
• Head shots? What head shots?  Read Brian Burke’s take on this situation.
• Pending unrestricted free agent John Madden says there has been no contact between him and the Devils.
• Looking for hints of which way Islanders GM Garth Snow is leaning for the number one pick?  Well, he’s not giving any.  Meanwhile, here is the latest on the Islanders’ Lighthouse project.  (Writer’s note: If you have any questions on either Islanders topic, send it into our mailbag because we are scheduled to have Greg Logan of Newsday on the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show tonight.)
• The renovations scheduled for Madison Square Garden have been pushed back to 2012.
• Former Rangers broadcaster and current Blues executive John Davidson has been selected to receive the Foster Hewwitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame.  (Writer’s note: He’s done a terrific job in St. Louis but he is definitely missed in the broadcast booth.)  “It’s a tad overwhelming,” said Davidson.
• Comcast Cable has come to an agreement with the NHL Network.
• The Lightning have begun the search for a new assistant coach.
• Speaking of the Lightning, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun says Vincent Lecavalier is readily available via trade.
• In Toronto, the Leafs are expecting a visit from highly-coveted free agent netminder Jonas Gustavsson within the next two weeks.
• One of the proposed owners of the Habs, wishes Bob Gainey had waited some time before selecting his new coach.

The Coyotes situation

• Here are a club official’s reasons as to why NHL hockey does not work in Phoenix.
• June 9 is the important date coming up.
• If the Coyotes do move to Hamilton, Balsillie’s group assumes they’d be playing in the Western Conference.
• Apparently Jim Balsillie has 22 letters of reference.
• John Davidson says Balsillie should follow the rules.
• Is Balsillie’s offer not actually $212 million?
• How are the Coyotes going to rebuild the team’s name if they stay in the desert?

AHL Calder Cup Final

• A late goal from Jason Jaffray allowed the Manitoba Moose to split the first two games of the Calder Cup Final with three games in Hershey on the horizon.  “That’s the biggest goal I’ve ever scored,” said Jaffray after last night’s contest, in which he scored a hat trick.  Cory Schneider was very sharp last night, writes Randy Turner.  Alain Vigneault was at the MTS Centre last night to watch the Moose play and talked about his time in Manitoba.

**Remember that tonight is the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show from 7pm to 9pm Central Time.  Our guests are: Bob Duff (Windsor Star), Greg Logan (Newsday) and George Richards (Miami Herald).**

Bettman cited the Pittsburgh Penguins as an example of a team that was once in dire financial shape, but was eventually turned around in its own market.

“We didn’t walk out on Pittsburgh,” said Bettman. “We fought to fix their problems – and we’re fighting with everything that’s going on for Phoenix, because of our covenant with the team and the fans there.

Read Duhatschek’s recap of Saturday’s conference here.

This analogy doesn’t fit in my opinion.  You are comparing a franchise in Phoenix that has apparently yet to make a profit since moving to Phoenix in 1996.  That means, that this franchise didn’t even make money when it made the playoffs, never mind not making the playoffs. 

On the other hand, Pittsburgh is a franchise that was in trouble until Mario Lemieux came and saved the franchise.  However, since Lemieux came there, Pittsburgh became a hockey town.  The team won back-to-back Stanley Cups and the Igloo was consistently a packed and loud house.  Now, I realize people will say, “Hey, Phoenix has never won and that has been the bigggest problem.”  Sure, but the Penguins weren’t a winner in Lemieux’s first few years and it is not as if the Coyotes lack for young exciting talent.  Now, I’m not comparing Peter Mueller to Mario Lemieux but toss in a bunch of the other young Coyotes players and the team’s brand new arena and there are a lot of reasons to watch the Coyotes play.

The biggest difference for me is the fact that the Coyotes are located in the deep south, where hockey is not exactly on the minds of the public.  Take newspaper coverage as an example.  I post the papers each morning and there are a ton of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review articles about hockey each morning.  In the Arizona Republic, you don’t even have a beat writer travel with the team on the road.  Considering that aside from Five For Howling, there is a distinct lack of Coyotes hockey blogs as well, and you don’t exactly have many avenues for following hockey if you live in Phoenix or follow the Coyotes.

As for Pittsburgh, the Penguins are located in the Northeastern, US.  Hockey is a big deal on the East Coast.  I’d bet that almost everyone in Pittsburgh knows of the Penguins.  How many people in Phoenix do you think are concerned about the Coyotes’ every move?

So, while I understand where Bettman is going with this comparison (To be honest, it is his job to make the situation look viable–so I’m not so certain he believes the analogy himself), I believe the differences outweigh the similarities.

• 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.

At a hearing Wednesday, judge Redfield Baum called the relocation issue “the 10,000-pound elephant in the room” and said it needed to be resolved quickly.

He set a hearing for June 9 and promised a ruling shortly thereafter. All briefs and declarations must be submitted by June 5. The relocation hearing had been scheduled for June 22, but Balsillie has said he will withdraw his US$212.5-million offer if the sale is not completed by the end of June.

Read the entire story here.

As the article states, the NHL is going to appeal if it loses and that will serve two purposes.  Number one is obvious, in that it gives them a chance to win the case.  Number two, is the fact that an appeal process would continue to push back a resolution date, thereby making it harder for Balsillie to set the wheels in motion if he were to win the case.

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• The Penguins themselves are in awe of both Crosby and Malkin.  Pittsburgh has held its own it the face-off circle this series.  Good teams have that killer instinct, and that is exactly what the Penguins demonstrated last night.  Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review thinks the Penguins are better this season than last.
• “This isn’t going to be a four-game series,” said Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason after his team fell behind 3-0 in the series.  Cam Ward has not been at his best in this series.  The combination of Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby is proving to be overpowering.

Western Conference

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

• The Red Wings are going to do their best to get to Cristobal Huet.  Dave Dye of the Detroit News thinks it is doubtful that Pavel Datsyuk will play today.  Kris Draper is also doubtful.  The aftermath of Niklas Kronwall’s hit should make this series more heated.  Remember when Chris Chelios said he’d never play for Detroit?
• The Blackhawks are still mad about Kronwall’s hit.  Even though he was hit hard, the Hawks are hoping Havlat can play today.  If Martin Havlat cannot dress today, Colin Fraser is expected to take his place.  Here is an interesting profile of Hawks forward Patrick Sharp.  “What’s going on in Chicago is fantastic,” said NBC boss Dick Ebersol.

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

• Here is Kevin Paul Dupont’s Sunday notes article.
• Bruins defenseman Aaron Ward has been taken aback by the harsh feelings towards him in Carolina.
• In Bucky Gleason’s Inside the NHL, he discusses Scotty Bowman’s time in Chicago.
• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch is calling for an annual best GM trophy to be presented at the NHL Awards Show.
• In his Wild Insider, Michael Russo tells us that new Panthers GM Chuck Fletcher really values draft picks.  Lou Nanne thinks the Chuck Fletcher hire is a great one.  Fletcher already has permission to interview Todd Richards for the Wild head coaching job.
• Larry Brooks says the Devils should let Brent Sutter out of his contract.
• Rich Chere talks about the falling cap levels expected the next two seasons.
• Jim Matheson wonders whether Kevin Dineen could be the next coach of the Oilers?

AHL playoffs:

• Having blown a 3-0 series lead, and now only being up 3-2, the pressure is on the Manitoba Moose, writes Tim Campbell.

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• The Penguins should be ready for Cam Ward’s best tonight.  It works to the Penguins’ advantage that they continue to outshoot everyone.  Well, that and the fact Evgeni Malkin has been a dominating force lately.  Additionally, the Penguins should anticipate one of the loudest crowds they’ve ever played in front of tonight.  Even though he hasn’t played in a game for a while now, Pascal Dupuis is keeping a good attitude.  Off the ice, the Penguins have named Jason Botteril new assistant GM.
• Paul Maurice has changed some since his first tenure with Carolina.  What about coach Maurice’s contract?  Luke Decock with a funny cliche filled article.  If the Hurricanes want to win, they have to slow down Evgeni Malkin.  Slowing down Evgeni Malkin is important, but Eric Staal stepping out his game is probably most important.

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

• Michael Rosenberg gives the Blackhawks credit for their resilience.  Nicklas Lidstrom’s stick breaking was the key that led to Patrick Sharp’s goal.  Niklas Kronwall’s hit was legal, says Detroit.  The hit was illegal, says Chicago.  Meanwhile, Mike Babcock knows Brad Stuart’s game takes a step up at playoff time.
• “We’re a pretty confident group. Our third period was one of the strongest we’ve played all playoffs,” said overtime hero Patrick Sharp.  The Blackhawks just don’t know how to win without excitement.  Cristobal Huet was perfect in the third period and overtime after coming in to replace Nikolai Khabibulin.  Apparently Khabibulin has a lower-body problem.  If the Hawks don’t have Martin Havlat for Game 4, that is a huge loss for Chicago.

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

• Here is Eric Duhatschek’s weekly notebook, easily one of the best reads of the week.
• Bruins defenseman Matt Hunwick made a lot of progress this year and was very much missed against Carolina.
• Apparently prized free agent Jonas Gustavsson is considering signing in Colorado.
• New Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher wants the WIld to play an up-tempo style next season.  Read Cliff Fletcher’s take on his son’s hiring.
• Mark Everson is reporting that Bobby Holik is going to retire.
• Steve Stamkos really proved himself at the World Championships.

Mike Keenan firing

• Former Flames GM Craig Button says Mike Keenan isn’t the only one to blame in Calgary.  Flames center Craig Conroy was surprised by the move.  People are still calling for Darryl Sutter to return behind the bench.  Robyn Regehr thinks Keenan was a coach better off in the 80′s and 90′s.  Brent Sutter feels bad about Mike Keenan’s firing.  “Our team did not meet expectations,” said Darryl Sutter.
• Brent Sutter has told the NY Post that Mike Keenan’s firing will not affect his decision to return to the Devils or not.  Sutter has also told Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger he doesn’t want to work under his brother.

The Coyotes situation:

• What if the City of Winnipeg followed the Green Bay Packers model?
• The largest creditor of the Coyotes supports Jim Balsillie’s bid.

The AHL Playoffs

• The Manitoba Moose are heading home to play a sixth game against the Houston Aeros, after last night’s overtime loss at the Toyota Center.
• The Providence Bruins blew a big lead last night and lost Game 3 to Hershey.

**The IllegalCurve.com Radio Show has permanently become two hours and can now be heard Wednesday nights from 7pm CST through until 9pm CST.  Next week’s guests include: Kelly Hrudey (Hockey Night in Canada) and Darren Eliot (Sports Illustrated)**

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• Evgeni Malkin was that dominant on Thursday, explains Dave Molinari.  The Penguins’ other supersatar tied a record last night.  Nice to see the Staal brothers bickering over face-offs.  What was Chris Kunitz’s play like before he finally scored last night?  For all the success of the Penguins’ stars, where have the Hurricanes’ best players been?  Last night’s game was more intense than Game 1.
• “We’re just finding a hard time finding that push,” said coach Paul Maurice after last night’s game.  The Canes just could not stop Evgeni Malkin.  In good news, Erik Cole said he felt good after playing last night.  Meanwhile, Ryan Bayda may get suspended for his late game actions.

Western Conference

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

• Jeremy Roenick is claiming that Mike Babcock doesn’t like Chris Chelios and American players in general.  Speaking of Chelios, Mitch Albom quizzes the veteran defenseman about Chicago compared to Detroit.  It appears Pavel Datsyuk could possibly miss Game 3.  If that is the case, Detroit’s depth will become that much more important.  Some are wondering if the Wings can keep playing this well without their top scorers performing at normal levels? Meantime, the Wings players know that the United Center will be as loud as ever tonight.  For whatever reason, journeymen players always look great playing for the Wings.
• Rocky Wirtz says people still don’t really know what Versus is.  On the ice, Patrick Kane knows it is time for him to improve his play dramatically.  The Blackhawks defense has to stop with the uncharacteristic turnovers immediately.  As well, Nikolai Khabibulin has to outplay Chris Osgood tonight.  Chicago was physical in the first two games of this series, but they hope the home crowd makes them even more physical in Game 3.

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

• Should we take Todd Richards’ name off the list of possible candidates to coach the Oilers next season?
• Phil Kessel is expected to be out of commission for 4-6 months after undergoing successful shoulder surgery.
• Andy Vuong of the Denver Post thinks the Avalanche are going about their next coaching hire the wrong way.  Staying in Denver, Adrian Dater reminds us that greatness on the ice is certainly not a guarantee of success behind the bench.
• Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune says the Wild made a good choice for GM.  Sid Hartman says the Wild got its first choice, a much better deal than the Timberwolves were able to pull off.  Chuck Fletcher is a tremendously qualified candidate, writes Michael Russo.  Here is his portfolio.  (Writer’s note: This really is a great hire.  I thought Fletcher probably should have been considered the favorite from the outset because of his vast experience in so many different areas.  Look for Fletcher to do a great job in the land of 10,000 lakes.)
• Niclas Havelid isn’t playing in the NHL next season.

The Coyotes situation:

• Randy Turner of the Winnipeg Free Press wants Jim Balsillie to be a little bit more honest about his dream of a seventh franchise in Canada.
• Some NY Senators oppose the Coyotes relocation to Southern Ontario.
• What about the Coyotes’ lease?

The AHL playoffs:

• Providence netminder Tuukka Rask thinks he is ready for the NHL.

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• Evgeni Malkin has almost already surpassed his playoff point totals from last season.  Sidney Crosby affects the game in so many ways it is scary.  Just as their parents would want it, the Staal’s were 50% against each other on face-offs in Game 1.  Dave Molinari touches on the Penguins’ defense and its propensity for scoring goals this playoffs.  Rob Scuderi may not get on the scoresheet, but he does all the little things that his teammates notice.  The NHL has chosen not to suspend Matt Cooke.
• Luke Decock of the News & Observer says the Hurricanes have to be better in every facet of the game tonight.  That task could be a lot more difficult, as it appears both Erik Cole and Tuomo Ruutu could miss tonight’s game.

Western Conference

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

• Mikael Samuelsson just scores big goals, writes Helene St. James.  Samuelsson may be clutch, but Chris Osgood is a salary cap MVP, explains Drew Sharp.  Mike Babcock was sure to give his team Wednesday off.  After being a healthy scratch for the past three games, it looks like Kirk Maltby will be checking back into the lineup for Game 3.  The odds of winning this series seem pretty good for Detroit.  Are the Wings destined to repeat?
• The Blackhawks may have lost in overtime on Tuesday, but Versus won with big ratings in the Chicago area.  “It’s a goon game now“, says the great Glen Hall about today’s game.  Chicago may be down 2-0 but they feel like they were better in Game 2 and still have room to improve.  Tim Sassone says the Hawks need to stop turning the puck over so much.  Barry Rozner tries to scare Chicago fans by warning them that the Wings haven’t played their best game yet.

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

• Pierre McGuire really wants the GM spot in Minnesota.
• In Boston, Manny Fernandez may be backing off his mid-season comments about retirement being a distinct possibility.  Staying with the Bruins, Peter Chiarelli has been selected Executive of the Year.
• The more you read, the more you think Patrick Roy is on his way to the NHL, probably with the Avalanche.
• Jim Day will apparently no longer be a part of Fox Sports Ohio’s Columbus Blue Jackets coverage next season.
• Mike Richards comments on the difficulties of having two shoulders surgically repaired in the same summer.

The Coyotes situation:

• The National Post tells you everything you need to know about the Coyotes issue.
• Mediation 101 courtesy of the National Post as well.
• Looks like there could be a local buyer in Phoenix that could bid on the team if given the chance.  (Writer’s note: After looking at these numbers, I’m not so sure anyone would want to do that.)
• Phoenix versus Canada.
• This whole Coyotes situation reminds Damien Cox of the Saskatoon controversy from years back.
• Regardless of what everyone else is saying, Balsillie sure seems confident that his dream will come true. 

The AHL Playoffs:

• The Moose’s ten-game winning streak came to an end last night, as the Houston Aeros won Game 4 of the Western Conference Final by a score of 5-4.
• A rib injury will keep Byron Bitz out of the Providence Bruins lineup for the remainder of the AHL playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma was impressed with the Hurricanes’ performance in Game 1.  The Penguins need some offensive production from Chris Kunitz.  One of the keys for Kunitz breaking out of his struggles, is to put more shots on net.  Brooks Orpik comments on his on-ice rivalry with Erik Cole.  The Penguins’ power play is rolling right now.  Who is former Steelers coach Bill Cowher hoping for in Round 3?
• “I do not think it looks good for either player,” said Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford about the playing statuses of both Tuomo Ruutu and Eric Cole for Game 2.  The conspiracy theorists are out in full force for this series.

Western Conference

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

• “You need your goalie to win games for you in the playoffs, and Ozzie did today,” said Henrik Zetterberg about Chris Osgood’s performance last night.  Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press is already prononcing this series over.  Mitch Albom thinks the Hawks missed their best chance to make a dent in this series.  It is amazing the Wings are playing this well, even without goals from the team’s big-time scorers.  “We need two days in between games so bad, it’s not even funny, just to re-energize,” said Wings coach Mike Babcock after Game 2.
• “It was a brutal loss today,” said Chicago coach Joel Quenneville after yesterday’s heartbreaker.  Brian Campbell says that he’d make the same play at the blue line again, even though his turnover led to the Wings’ winning goal.  Campbell should have known better, writes Barry Rozner.  Rick Morrissey thinks the Hawks are probably done.

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

• Here are the top 10 highlights from the Ducks’ season.
• It appears Phil Kessel could find himself on his way out of Boston this off-season.  Speaking of Kessel, both he and David Krejci are set to undergo off-season surgery that will most likely see them miss the beginning of next season.  Meanwhile, Bruins rookie Blake Wheeler already wants to get back on the ice and prove his worth.
• Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post says that if Patrick Roy is smart, he won’t take the Avalanche coaching job.  Find out what Patrick Roy’s mom thinks of the situation.
• Daniel Briere’s eye surgery was deemed a success.

The Coyotes situation:

• Craig Harris of the Arizona Republic updates readers on what happened during yesterday’s court hearing.
• The City of Glendale is now getting involved in this mess.
• Both sides can find reasons to be optimistic after yesterday’s results, writes Kevin McGran.
• Jim Balsillie’s lawyer took yesterday’s hearing to be a plus for his side.
• Damien Cox explains to readers what judge Redfield Baum was like yesterday.
• Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch finds himself rooting for the Coyotes to move north.
• Regardless of the outcome, this is a zero-sum game for both sides, writes Bruce Dowbiggen.
• Don’t expect a successful appeal of Judge Baum’s final ruling.
• While the case continues in the desert, Winnipeg politicians chime in on the possibility that a NHL team may one day return to Winnipeg.  (Writer’s note: Somebody tell Hugh McFadyen that teams plays 41 home games not 80.)

The AHL Playoffs:

• For whatever reason, Jason Krog always finds himself playing for a league championship at the end of most seasons.  Kirk Penton of the Winnipeg Sun says the Moose can play better.

**Remember to listen to the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show tonight from 8pm CST until 10pm CST.  Tonight’s guests include Allan Maki of the Globe & Mail.**

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

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

Western Conference

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

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

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

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

The Coyotes situation:

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

AHL Playoffs:

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

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)

• “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.

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.

Balsillie’s potential seventh franchise– particularly one in southern Ontario– might decrease the chances of being denied a Canadian series for Saturday nights during the first round of the playoffs. So add CBC to the list of everyone– minus Bettman– who sees the logic in Balsillie’s plans.

Read the entire article here.

Dowbiggen is right. There is no way that CBC wouldn’t be on board with having another team in Canada, never mind in Southern Ontario.  It appears this move has a fair amount of support behind the scenes, but that does not mean it gets done; it looks like there is going to be a big battle ahead.

The first thing you need to know is that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was in Phoenix today, ostensibly to put the finishing touches on an intent to purchase agreement from Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, whose intention was to apparently keep the financially-troubled Coyotes in their current home of Glendale, which is also home to Reinsdorf’s spring-training baseball facility (a mile away from the Coyotes’ Jobing.com Arena). That offer was expected to materialize within the next few days.

We don’t know a lot about the Reinsdorf deal but suffice to say it likely wasn’t in the $212.5 million range.

In any case, today’s events clearly caught everyone, from the Coyotes’ staff to the NHL head office, completely off guard.

Read the entire story here.

This situation continues to get more messed up by the hour.  Ostensibly, it is Balsillie’s lawyers versus the NHL lawyers and both sides think they have a very valid case. 

In terms of Reinsdorf, I am surprised he’d purchase this team, even if it is a sweetheart deal and is close by the White Sox spring training complex.  This team has proven to be a black hole and even if Reinsdorf is extremely wealthy, which he is, nobody likes losing money.

I’m sure this situation will continue to change throughout the day, so we will do our best to keep you abreast of the situation.

Eastern Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Western Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Non-Playoff Teams

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