NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Previews and Season Reviews

Here are the morning papers for Monday, April 13:

Playoff Teams

Eastern Conference

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

• The Bruins will spend a day reflecting on their magical season before turning their attention to the Canadiens.
• Here is the schedule for the Bruins’ first round match-up against the Habs.
• Bruins writer Fluto Shinzawa on Tim Thomas and performance bonuses.
• Montreal Gazette writer Pat Hickey on why history favours the Habs in their opening round match-up.
• Highlights and lowlights of the Habs’ 100th season.

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

• Ryan O’Halloran profiles Nicklas Backstrom.
• Here is a playoff preview from the Washington times of the Capitals-Rangers series.
• The Rangers erased three separate deficits in yesterday’s win over the Flyers.
• In order for the Rangers to succeed, Scott Gomez must be at the top of his game

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

• Here is a preview of the Devils-Canes series.
• Martin Brodeur may not be playing his best hockey right now, but at least he is well rested.
• The Hurricanes and Devils will meet in the playoffs for the fourth time in nine years.
• Carolina and New Jersey have no shortage of Stanley Cup rings on either team

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

• Here is a preview of the Pens-Flyers series.
• Evgeni Malkin is focused on the playoffs.
• Finally, the Flyers are healthy.
• The Flyers made things more difficult on themselves with yesterday’s loss to the Rangers.

Western Conference

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

• David Pollak has questions worth asking about the Sharks-Ducks series.
• Here is a preview of the Sharks-Ducks series.
• The Ducks defense will be tested by a balanced Shark attack.
• Helene Elliot of the Los Angeles Times discusses the Ducks chances of advancing past the first round.

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

• The Wings know they will be facing a hot goalie in Columbus’ Steve Mason.
• Detroit limps into the playoffs after losing their home and home series to the Blackhawks.
• The Blue Jackets are looking forward to playing their biggest rival.
• According to Coach Ken Hitchcock, if the Blue Jackets are to win, they must reduce their penalties.

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

• The Canucks will be in for a tough, physical series against the Blues writes Jim Jamieson of the Vancouver Province.
• Here is the playoff schedule for the Canucks-Blues series.
• The playoffs were a dream just a few weeks ago, but with their win over the Avs yesterday, the Blues secured the sixth seed.
• Here is the tale of the tape for the Canucks-Blues series.

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

• Who would have thought injury prone Martin Havlat would lead the Hawks in scoring?
• After yesterday’s win over the high-flying Wings, the Blackhawks will have momentum heading into the playoffs.
• Here is the schedule for the Blackhawks-Flames series as well as the other series’.
• Calgary Flames players are happy the regular season is finally over.

Non-Playoff Teams

• Now that it’s the offseason, the Panthers organization must figure out what to do with Jay Bouwmeester.
• Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff will coach Team Canada at the world championships.
• A numerical look at the Senators’ season reveals their struggles.
• The season is over for the Leafs, but Brian Burke is busy trying to sign Matt Gilroy and Jonas Gustavsson.
• Damien Cristodero reviews the Lightning’s dismal season.
• Will Rick DiPietro be ready for training camp next year?
• The Wild finally started to play well at the end of the season, but it was too late.
• The Predators are staying home this spring because of a lack of offense.
• Oilers defenseman Taylor Chorney made the most of his brief time with the club.
• A disappointing season + an economic downturn = lack of Dallas Stars ticket sales, writes Tim Cowlishaw.
• The Coyotes showed promise this year, but had too many young players.
• The have the cap space, but will the Kings make a free-agent splash in the offseason?
• The Avalanche’s 1-0 loss to the Blues yesterday was their 42nd one-goal game of the year.