NHL Playoff Morning Papers (Monday Edition): Marian Hossa versus Pittsburgh is getting closer, Blackhawks angry with officiating and Patrick Roy apparently offered coach and GM job in Colorado

3rd Round Playoff Matchups

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Carolina Hurricanes (6)

• “That would definitely be really interesting,” said former Penguins winger Marian Hossa about meeting the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final.  It is hard to believe Dan Bylsma could have imagined things would have come to him this fast.  While most think the series is over, Pittsburgh still knows there is some work to do.  Meanwhile, Sidney Crosby’s beard is leaving much to be desired.  Speaking of Crosby, with extra time off between games two and three, coach Bylsma was able to get his two superstars some extra ice time.  They are up 3-0 in the series, but that doesn’t mean Brooks Orpik is satisfied.
• Needless to say, the Penguins aren’t anticipating that the Hurricanes have thrown in the towel quite yet.  Luke Decock thinks the Hurricanes have looked completely worn down in Round 3.  Obviously coach Paul Maurice sees a bigger issue and that has been the Hurricanes’ poor defensive coverage.

Western Conference

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

• The Blackhawks were embarassed on home ice yesterday afternoon, writes Dave Dye of the Detroit News.  Embarassed by a team without its captain and leading goal-scorer no less.  Keep in mind that Detroit players were very surprised to be without Nicklas Lidstrom on Sunday.  Chicago was clueless yesterday, writes Steve Schrader of the Detroit Free Press.  Marian Hossa had a lot to do with yesterday’s dominating performance.
• “We witnessed probably the worst call in the history of sports [Sunday] at the end of the [first] period there,” said coach Joel Quenneville about the call on Matt Walker at the end of the first period.  Rick Morrissey thinks Quenneville knows the Red Wings are just too good.  Meantime, Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune cannot get over how bad Sunday’s game was.  It is fair to say people were pining for Nikolai Khabibulin after Cristobal Huet’s performance.  “We can’t win three games at once, so we just have to worry about Wednesday’s game in Detroit,” said Patrick Kane, as he tries to put Game 4 behind him.

Teams that are not in the playoffs:

• Bruce Dowbiggen thinks Hockey Night in Canada condones head shots.  (Writer’s note:  I think Dowbiggen is getting carried away here.  That may have been interference, but it was certainly not a head shot.)
• Adrian Dater tells us that reports out of Montreal have Patrick Roy being offered the head coaching position and the open GM position of the Avalanche.
• Perhaps the Lightning will decide to keep the number two overall selection in the NHL Entry Draft instead of trading it?
• Gary Loewen of the Toronto Sun says, among many other things, that the NHL’s third round has been a dud.
• Who is ready for the Don Cherry movie?
• Heather Schroeder sure loves her Phoenix Coyotes.
• Top Capitals prospects Karl Alzner has not been able to suit up for Hershey in the AHL playoffs the past two weeks because of a concussion.

AHL Playoffs

• Even though they’ve dropped two consecutive games to Houston, the Moose are not panicking at all, writes Gary Lawless.
• The Providence Bruins blew another 2-0 lead in Game 4 and now trail their best-of-seven Conference Finals 3-1 to the Hershey Bears.

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