John McConnel

Here are the morning papers for Friday the 10th of April: The Ducks can qualify for the playoffs if they defeat the Stars tonight. "Remember what's at stake," Randy Carlyle told his players during practice on Thursday. Zach Bogosian is one goal away from having the most goals ever for a Thrashers defenseman. They aren't getting any league awards, so may as well give away some team awards. The city of Boston will host next year's Winter Classic. Patrice Bergeron looked like the Bergeron of old, as he helped the Bruins defeat the Habs 5-4 in overtime. Former Bruins center Glen Metropolit would love to play Boston in the first round. No games match the intensity of the Bruins/Canadiens. Buffalo's win last night matters not, as the Sabres were eliminated from playoff contention. Pending UFA Jaroslav Spacek would love to stay with Buffalo. Miikka Kiprusoff will only play Saturday night if the division is still on the line. Is Dion Phaneuf's injury worse than he ever leads on? Sticking with Phaneuf, the Flames players have the utmost confidence in Phaneuf when he's on the ice. Calgary's defensive depth is sure being tested these days. Darryl Sutter quietly signed David Moss to a 3 year deal. Paul Maurice should have given Cam Ward some time off last night. Carolina's winning streaks came to an end on Thursday, as they were defeated by the Sabres. The Blackhawks aren't just happy to be in the playoffs, they have high expectations, writes Chris Kuc. Joe Sakic will not be returning to the Avalanche lineup this season, writes Adrian Dater. The Avanche won't be drafting later than fourth in June. Ken Hitchcock doesn't want his team getting complacent over the final two games of the regular season. Fedor Tyutin in the shootout was a bold selection by Hitchcock on Wednesday. John McConnel would have gotten a lot of joy from the Blue Jackets' success. Mike Ribeiro's shootout goal was the only exciting part of yesterday's Stars/Avalanche game. "I think we’re doing a lot of good things tonight, and we have to take those things with us, but we’ve got to play 60 minutes," said Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. Mike Babcock was happy with the play of Chris Osgood. Jonathan Ericsson is tougher than some may think. Edmonton fans may be done with him but Hockey Canada is interested in Craig MacTavish as they decide who will coach at the World Championships in Switzerland. Dwayne Roloson isn't asking for rest now that the Oilers are out of the playoff race. The Oilers came into this season with unrealistic expectations. The Panthers were very disappointed to see that their efforts came up short in the chase for the playoffs. That is eight straight years with no playoffs in Southern California. The Wild has to win two games and still get a lot of help, if they have any shot at the playoffs. Marian Gaborik is likely skating in his final two games as a member of Wild. It looks like the Habs and Bruins will be having more tilts like last night, as the teams most likely will play each other in the first round. Mathieu Schneider returned to the Habs lineup yesterday, proving how tough he really is. With a great comeback against the defending champions, the Predators are still alive in the Western Conference playoff race. Martin Brodeur wants to play in the Devils' final game of the regular season. Patrik Elias returned to the Devils lineup last night, as they defeated Ottawa. The Islanders are the favorites to get the first selection in the upcoming entry draft. It has sure been an eventful season in NY, but entertainment or not, the Rangers finally clinched a playoff spot on Thursday. "All that stuff that's happened, it ends when the new season starts," said Scott Gomez. As per usual, Henrik Lundqvist was the reason the Rangers won last night. At least the Senators have some prospects on the blue line to look forward to. The Flyers were definitely unhappy about the Rangers first goal against Martin Biron. What a thrill for little-known David Sloane last night. The Penguins won on Thursday, but they won't know their first round opponent until after Saturday's game at the earliest. We do know that the Penguins cannot finish lower than sixth in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh has placed Miroslav Satan on re-entry waivers. Joe Thornton doesn't want to take any games off. Meanwhile, Patrick Marleau has been named Sharks player of the year. Will bringing Paul Kariya back into the lineup ruin the Blues' on-ice chemsitry? (Writer's note: C'mon. This isn't even an issue. If he is ready to go, he HAS to be put into the lineup.) Steve Stamkos set the Lightning rookie record with 22 goals in a season. Yesterday in Tampa Bay, Don Koharski reffed his last NHL game. Will the Blue Jackets' success keep Rick Nash from signing in Toronto next season? Toronto needs some organizational goaltending depth. Depth in net is an issue, but a desire to play net for the Leafs is not. Roberto Luongo is looking very sharp heading into the playoffs. Ryan Kesler was voted the Canucks' MVP. The Capitals are now entrenched in the number two spot in the Eastern Conference heading into next week's playoffs.

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition): Boston to host 2010 Winter Classic, Don Koharski hangs up the skates and Rick Nash’s future