Round 2 Game 2 Results

Nashville Predators @ Vancouver Canucks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdvPsebzqAc&feature=channel_video_title

Nsh 2 Van 1

Series tied 1-1

First Period:

none

Second Period:

(Van) (SHG) Alex Burrows (4) from Ryan Kesler (5)

Third Period:

(Nsh) Ryan Suter (1) from Martin Erat (3) and Joel Ward (3)

Overtime:

none

2 Overtime:

(Nsh) Matt Halischuk (2) from Nick Spaling (3) and Ryan Suter (4)

(Van) Roberto Luongo-44/46

(Nsh) Pekka Rinne-32/33


Detroit Red Wings @ San Jose' Sharks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnZG-CvT_XQ
Sjs 2 Det 1
Sjs leads series 2-0
First Period:
(Sjs) (PPG) Ian White (1) from Dany Heatley (3) and Ryan Clowe (4)
Second Period:
none
Third Period:
(Sjs) Niclas Wallin (1) from Ryan Clowe (5) and Logan Couture (5)
(Det) (PPG) Henrik Zetterberg (1) from Pavel Datsyuk (6) and Tomas Holmstrom (3)

(Sjs) Antti Niemi-33/34
(Det) Jimmy Howard-35/37


Tampa Bay Lightning @ Washington Capitals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-VTq4AFcBY
Tbl 3 Wsh 2 (OT)
Tbl leads series 2-0
First Period:
(Tbl) (PPG) Vincent Lecavalier (3) from Martin St. Louis (5) and Ryan Malone (2)
Second Period:
(Wsh) Brooks Laich (1) from Niclas Backstrom (2) and John Eerskine (1)
Third Period:
(Tbl) Martin St. Louis (5) from Teddy Purcell (6)
(Wsh) Alex Ovechkin (4) from Jason Arnott (3) and Brooks Laich (5)
Overtime:
(Tbl) Vincent Lecavalier (4) from Teddy Purcell (7) and Randy Jones (1)

(Wsh) Michal Neuvirth-20/22
(Tbl) Dwayne Roloson-35/37


Boston Bruins @ Philadelphia Flyers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uySCRpe3wbc&feature=feedu
Bos 3 Phi 2 (OT)
Bos leads series 2-0
First Period:
(Phi) James van Riemsdyk (6) from Claude Giroux (11) and Nikolay Zherdev (2)
(Phi) (PPG) James van Riemsdyk (7) from Danny Briere (2) and Kimmo Timonen (5)
(Bos) Chris Kelly (4) from Michael Ryder (2) and Tomas Kaberle (3)
(Bos) Brad Marchand (4) from Patrice Bergeron (9) and Mark Recchi (4)
Second Period:
none
Third Period:
none
Overtime:
(Bos) David Krejci (4) from Nathan Horton (2)

(Phi) Brian Boucher-32/35
(Phi) Sergei Bobrovsky-6/6
(Bos) Tim Thomas-52/54

Million Dollar Missing Puck

I'm not sure if any one of my followers have been following the case prior to this web site, but after Patrick Kane scored THIS goal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdVn42-vOt8, and after the celebration of the team, and more importantly, of the fans, everyone wanted to know: WHO GOT THE GAME WINNING PUCK AND WHERE IS IT???? Patrick Kane, who people would think went back to claim it after all the hoopla, said he never received it.
There was speculation that Chris Pronger of the Philadelphia Flyers took it. After a couple of games earlier in the series, Pronger skated to where the puck was and took it with him off the ice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NxcVm1G7uY (fast forward to the 3:10 point) So people honestly thought that Pronger was up to no good again after game 6's loss. But Pronger claimed he didn't have the puck. People still are skeptical about believing him but there's no lead with him.
People were even saying Leighton took the puck out of anger so Kane couldn't get it. But once again, no proof of this.
After almost a year, people finally had a hint as to who has it. ESPN reported that NHL linesman Steve Miller, who reffed the game, took the puck out of the net during the celebration. Here's a video of the explanation. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6398708. Miller claimed he never touched the puck though. He was later interviewed about it by ESPN's Wayne Drehs:

WD: "If not you, then who has it? Who should I talk to?"

SM: "I honestly don't have a clue, Honestly, I don't know where it would be. It's a mystery. Who knows? [Leighton] could have shot it away right away. And I may not have even seen it. It looks like I'm looking down there."

WD: "Steve, It looks like you're looking right at it."

SM: "From the picture it does, yeah. But I can honestly say that I didn't … when we came off the ice there was all the director of officials and all that kind of stuff, and they asked where the puck was. They wanted to know right there. The Hockey Hall of Fame wanted it."

So from there it seems that we may never know where it will be. Miller has been deflecting away almost every question. In the mean time, the NHL defended their linesmen but had to bench him for a few games in the playoffs because, hey, he was accused of stealing a piece of NHL history and there would be too much focus on him if he continued reffing. 

A video was posted on the Flyers blog "Crossing Broad". Someone sat down and for hours, watched different videos of the game and the celebration and closely followed the track of the puck. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64wMuZCx5lk&feature=player_embedded. An excellent job. It tells us everything we need to know. The NHL has to make sure they crack down on where it is. Because the more attention that they get on this scandal, the less attention is paid to this years playoffs (which have been freaking great). 

Flyers need an Answer in Net

This isn't a new story for Philly. Last year also they juggled through 7 different goalies in the regular season and then it took a conjoined effort of Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton in the playoffs to make it to the finals. This year they thought they found their man in Sergei Bobrovsky. But he got injured and then he didn't play much by the beginning of the playoffs. They finally settled on what they called "a safe bet" with Leighton and Boucher as their 2 goalies for the playoffs. But Boucher struggled against Buffalo and then Leighton almost blew game 7 but then Boucher bailed them out to win that series.
Now in the second round, playing a tougher team than Buffalo, Boucher goes out and gives up 5 goals (and then the newly brought up Bobrovsky gives up 2 more) and they got skunked by the Bruins 7-3.
People kid that the Stanley Cup Playoffs is just a tournament where the team with the best, and most durable goalie wins. It's obvious that in order to win games, you need to surrender less goals. But out of all the teams remaining in the playoffs, the Flyers have given up the most goals (25 in 8 games). They desperately need good goaltending out of ANY of their 3 guys. They've been juggling goalies all post season long. It will be a quick post season if they don't figure this out soon.

Round 2 Game 1 Results

Nashville Predators @ Vancouver Canucks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLaNOdPsLFY&feature=channel_video_title
Van 1 Nsh 0
Van leads series 1-0
First Period:
none
Second Period:
(Van) Chris Higgins (2) from Maxime Lapierre (1) and Kevin Bieksa (3)
Third Period:
none

(Van) Roberto Luongo-20/20
(Nsh) Pekka Rinne-29/30


Tampa Bay Lightning @ Washington Capitals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hch4UT1i5uY&feature=channel_video_title
Tbl 4 Wsh 2
Tbl leads series 1-0
First Period:
(Tbl) Sean Bergenheim (4) from Steve Downie (7) and Mike Lundin (2)
(Wsh) Alexander Semin (4) from Marco Sturm
Second Period:
(Wsh) Eric Fehr (1) from Jason Chimera (1) and Marcus Johansson (3)
(Tbl) Steve Downie (3) from Vincent Lecavalier (5) and Teddy Purcell (5)
(Tbl) (PPG) Steven Stamkos (3) from Eric Brewer (5) and Vincent Lecavalier (6)
Third Period:
(Tbl) (Empty Netter) Dominic Moore (2) from Adam Hall (2) and Victor Hedman (2)

(Wsh) Michal Neuvirth-20/23
(Tbl) Dwayne Roloson-26/28


Detroit Red Wings @ San Jose' Sharks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3sukIDCODk
Sjs 2 Det 1 (OT)
Sjs leads series 1-0
First Period:
(Det) Nicklas Lidstrom (1) from Pavel Datsyuk (5)
Second Period:
none
Third Period:
(Sjs) (PPG) Joe Pavelski (4) from Joe Thornton (4) and Dan Boyle (4)
Overtime:
(Sjs) Benn Ferriero (1) Logan Couture (4) and Dan Boyle (5)

(Sjs) Antti Niemi-24/25
(Det) Jimmy Howard-44/46


Boston Bruins @ Philadelphia Flyers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgJrTLatXdo
Bos 7 Phi 3
Bos leads series 1-0
First Period:
(Bos) David Krejci (2) from Nathan Horton (1) and Dennis Seidenberg (3)
(Phi) Danny Briere (7) from Braydon Coburn (2) and Ville Leino (2)
(Bos) Nathan Horton (4) from David Krejci (1) and Dennis Seidenberg (4)
Second Period:
(Bos) Mark Recchi (2) from Patrice Bergeron (6) and Brad Marchand (5)
(Bos) David Krejci (3) from Adam McQuaid (3)
(Bos) Brad Marchand (2) from Patrice Bergeron (7) and Andrew Ference (4)
(Phi) James van Riemsdyk (5) from Sean O'Donnell (2) and Claude Giroux (9)
Third Period:
(Phi) (PPG) Mike Richards (1) from Kimmo Timonen (4) and Claude Giroux (10)
(Bos) Brad Marchand (3) from Patrice Bergeron (8)
(Bos) Gregory Campbell (1) from David Krejci (2) and Daniel Paille (1)

(Phi) Brian Boucher-18/23
(Phi) Sergei Bobrovsky-8/10
(Bos) Tim Thomas-31/34

Weak Playoffs

Don't get me wrong. These have been the most memorable playoffs in some time. The high energy first round games gives some new fans, ehem ehem, http://bleacherreport.com/articles/358168-nfl-nba-lockout-explained-finally, something forward to look for. One thing is lacking from this season's playoffs however.

Last year the NHL inspired the fans with their "History will be made campaign". Like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qc7fBl7vO0 . The advertisement was a complete success and they redid them this year but a little differently. Still inspiring and still with great NHL moments. Here is one from this year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxnDeb-TLhE&feature=channel_video_title . They are just as good, if not better than the ones from last year (the cheesy rewind was getting old). One problem though this year.

NOT ENOUGH PARODY'S ON THEM!!!

Last season we had millions of parody's of the commercials.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QPQtPCq5Zg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3W6kjmxx0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEMzM8JNW-U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-DSd7sJFrc&feature=related
These were both famous moments and FUNNY for hockey fans and other casual sports fans as well. There were millions of other videos just as funny. This year? I think I've seen 1 good one. That's it. It comes from my good friend (he's answered Q's I've asked him before) HockeyWebCaster http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsEFtPOBNJQ This was histerical. The NHL needs more of these. It's fantastic publicity for the NHL that fans help along and these spoofs make people interested. Lets get more of these up on youtube, shall we?

Best Goals of the First Round

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL4T1VX229o - Helm
Datsyuk tried the same type of move earlier in the series with the same big rebound but noone was there to bang it home. This time, however, Darren Helm cleaned up the trash in front of the net for the impressive assist for Pavel. People said he did it just to show off but that is not the type of player he is. He systematically created a better shooting angle for himself. The result just happened to look goddamn amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7D4PcS5r3k - Gagne
This goal for the Lightning made it onto the list because of the slick passing and creative teamwork that was displayed. 8 crisp passes followed by a shot off the crossbar and then the finisher by Gagne. This was in the midst of an 8-2 skunking of Pittsburgh in game 5. Tampa later went on to win the series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PNHJJ26FSc - Vanek
With a possible advancing for Buffalo, Vanek scored this big goal to push their lead up to 2. It was a big cushion goal at the time from their big star player. He pulled a Malik (or Sedin if you prefer) and stuffed it 5 hole on the Flyers goalie. A very nice goal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hwLhWZmRWk - Ryan

Easily the best of the first round. He undressed Legwand on Nashville and then deked out a sprawling Rinne for the goal. Keep in mind, however, that Legwand isn't a defenseman, just another forward playing the point on the powerplay. But it doesn't take away from the individual effort by Bobby Ryan. Unfortunately, this was the only good thing about the Ducks in this years playoffs.

Best game: Game 7 Chicago @ Vancouver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQbDqeEPkE8&feature=channel_video_title

Just awesome. Every hockey fan enjoyed the hell out of this instant classic.

Second Round Predictions

1st round results:
I get half a point for every winner I get right and if I get the amount of games then I get 1 point.

*I just want to point out, that I got 7/8 teams correct. Screw you Boston*

Rangers-Capitals
I said Caps in 6
Caps won in 5
.5

Sabres-Flyers
I said Flyers in 7
Flyers won in 7
1

Canadiens-Bruins
I said Canadiens in 6
Bruins won in 7
0

Lightning-Penguins
I said Lightning in 4
Lightning won in 7
.5

Blackhawks-Canucks
I said Canucks in 5
Canucks won in 7
.5

Kings-Sharks
I said Sharks in 7
Sharks won in 6
.5

Coyotes-Red Wings
I said Wings in 5
Wings won in 4
.5

Predators-Ducks
I said Preds in 6
Preds won in 6
1

out of 8 points I got 4.5 which is very impressive if you ask me. Now off to the second round predictions!

1 Washington Capitals vs. 5 Tampa Bay Lightning
Capitals won season series 4-2

The NHL didn't get their always-anticipated Pens-Caps rematch in the playoffs but this year they may be happier that they didn't. Sure if Crosby made a return in that series it would have been pretty cool to see but it still would not have been the same series that everyone would expect it to be. Instead the NHL has the superstar-filled Tampa Bay team with Stamkos, St. Louis, and Lecavalier against the high powered Washington team with Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Green. Goaltending on both sides are both surprisingly great so far. Rookie Neuvirth has answered the call for the Caps and soared through the first round relatively problem free. Dwayne Roloson has also been spectacular for his club. He faced a ton of shots against Pittsburgh and played like he did when he went on a playoff run with Edmonton in '06. Tampa has that advantage. Right now, the Bolts are hot, coming back from down 3 games to 1 and won 3 straight to defeat teh Penguins. The Capitals have had a while off since beating the Rangers in 5. So my predicion is that Tampa might steal a game or 2 on the road early but fall apart by the end.
Capitals in 7

2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. 3 Boston Bruins
Bruins won season series 3-1

A rematch of last year when history took place. Philly came back from down 3 games to 0 and even came back from a 3-0 deficit in game 7 and won the series. Both teams just held on to seven game series wins from round 1. Boston gave Montreal a lot of opportunities to come back in the series because of many bad penalties that they took. Philly just got Pronger back so their powerplay should look forward to ending their slump. Boston does have better goaltending as Philly had to juggle through netminders in several games in the first round. It'll likely be Boucher and Leighton as their combo. Both goalies played in the Boston series last season and I believe it was Leighton who won the games against them last year. Philly is very gritty and home ice will play a factor in this one. Both buildings are very loud. This one can go either way but I think Philly will win with their grit and their powerplay goals.
Flyers in 6

1 Canucks vs. 5 Predators
Season series tied 2-2

Vancouver just came off of an emotionally draining series that went the distance against Chicago. Now they face a team with not a lot of scoring power but great core defense and scoring punch when needed. Good news for Luongo though because I think he'll make a rhythm for himself and he'll play better in this round. Rinne looked shaky in net at times for Nashville who have a false-sense of security after a series win against the Ducks. They'll soon realize that Anaheim is barely close to the level that the Canucks are on and Vancouver should dominate this series. The Pred's only hope is if Rinne stands on his head, Luongo remains shaky from the Chicago series, and the rest of the Canucks are drained from the Chicago series. But this is Vancouver's year.
Canucks in 5

2 San Jose' Sharks vs. 3 Detroit Red Wings
Sharks won season series 3-1

A rematch of last years Western Conference Semi-Finals. San Jose' won it last year and this year they are a better team in my opinion. They finally got goaltending they needed for the playoffs and, hey, their team got more experience. Franzen said he'll hopefully be back for game 1 after missing a couple of games in the 1st round for Detroit. Zetteberg on the other hand, still has A LITTLE  recovering to do before coming back. The Red Wings, who swept Phoenix, hasn't played for a few weeks and San Jose' seems warmed up for this battle. I think San Jose' will win a few and then the Wings might win 1 or 2 (perhaps from waking up or from Zetteberg's potential return) but the Sharks will eventually win this one out.
Sharks in 6

Dirty Hit By Ference Not Called; Another OT Thriller

Andrew Ference has been a topic of discussion throughout the Boston-Montreal series. His French Salute after his goal gave him a $2500. Montreal fans still don't forgive him for this obscene gesture.

Now, in game 7, he does something that was perhaps even worse.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffiQUe1tfqM&feature=feedu In a tie game in the third, for no reason, he lays into Jeff Halpern behind the play. Halpern lay on the ice motionless for several minutes. At first Boston fans booed because they thought he was milking the injury. But they didn't see the hit and neither did the refs so I'm assuming (and giving the benefit of the doubt) that they missed the play because, well, they missed the play. Halpern was helped off the ice but returned several minutes later. The protocol is that he has to spend up to 15 minutes in a quiet room after a head shot but he didn't follow the relatively new rule. This caused minor uproar from more Boston fans along with analysts. "They have those new rules in for a reason. But Halpern disregards his safety and comes back," said one commentator. How can you blame Halpern though? It's game 7. He was playing an excellent game and his team needed him desperately. Additionally, the refs didn't call a penalty for the headshot, so why should he treat it like a head shot? So I have no trouble with Halpern returning almost immediately.

As for Ference. What could have been going through the young defenseman's mind? Having gotten away with his middle finger to the Habs fans without a suspension, he risks getting kicked out of a game 7 by a stupid unnecessary hit behind the play. Lucky for him, the refs didn't see it. But he'll be punished shortly. I would say he should  get a 3 game suspension from the league. Yes I'm biased and bitter, but hear me out. He technically could have gotten suspended for what he did in game 4. Now, he's a repeat offender when it comes to dirty play. Also, he wasn't penalized during the game and they may make up for it for the next few games Montreal was automatic on the powerplay tonight and in a close game like that, it could have made the difference. And most importantly, he injured Halpern. Halpern did return but he wasn't forechecking as hard, skating as fast, or playing as well as he did earlier. So these are the three things going against Ference and I hope that son-of-a-b*tch pays the price this time.

Looking at the game, I was not able to appreciate it as much since I had connection to it. But I still realize how intense it was. Several friends notified me that they were also sitting at the edge of their seats throughout. Montreal battled back down 2-0 and then scored late in the third on the powerplay. It went into overtime which is a recurring theme this post season. The 14th overtime in the first round Second most all time. Also, it was the 9th day in a row that a game went into the sudden death frame. Kudos to Boston and to Nathan Horton who had his second overtime GWG of the series. As anticipated, this was a great series between a great rivalry. We (Montreal) were robbed though.'

Edit: It enrages me to say this but no suspension (or a fine or any punishment for that matter) was handed to Ference. He had a phone meeting with the NHL and got off scott free. I don't understand why or how but that's just how it turned out.

Game 7 Results

Buffalo Sabres @ Philadelphia Flyers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU00R9AuBqEPhi 5 Buf 2
Phi wins series 4-3
First Period:
(Phi) Braydon Coburn (1) from Danny Briere (1)
Second Period:
(Phi) (PPG) Danny Briere (6) from Mike Richards (5) and Claude Giroux (7)
(Phi) (PPG) James van Riemsdyk (4) from Claude Giroux (8) and Chris Pronger (1)
Third Period:
(Phi) Ville Leino (3) from Matt Carle (4)
(Buf) Tyler Myers (1) from Drew Stafford (2) and Jochen Hecht (1)
(Phi) Daniel Carcillo (2) from Kris Versteeg (5) and Kimmo Timonen (3)
(Buf) (PPG) Brad Boyes (1) from Derek Roy (1) and Tyler Myers (5)

(Phi) Brian Boucher-26/28
(Buf) Ryan Miller-24/28
(Buf) Jhonas Enroth-7/8


Chicago Blackhawks @ Vancouver Canucks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQbDqeEPkE8
Van 2 Chi 1 (OT)
Van wins series 4-3
First Period:
(Van) Alex Burrows (2) from Ryan Kesler (4) and Mason Raymond (3)
Second Period:
none
Third Period:
(Chi) (SHG) Jonathan Toews (1) from Marian Hossa (4) and Brent Seabrook (1)
Overtime:
(Van) Alex Burrows (3) unassisted

(Van) Roberto Luongo-31/32
(Chi) Corey Crawford-36/38


Montreal Canadiens @ Boston Bruins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orSXPiDlxfA&feature=channel_video_title
Bos 4 Mtl 3 (OT)
Bos wins series 4-3
First Period:
(Bos) Johnny Boychuk (1) from Brad Marchand (4) and Patrice Bergeron (5)
(Bos) Mark Recchi (1) from Andrew Ference (2)
(Mtl) (PPG) Yannick Weber (2) from Roman Hamrlik (3) and Michael Cammalleri (7)
Second Period:
(Mtl) (SHG) Tomas Plekanec (2)
Thrid Period:
(Bos) Chris Kelly (3) from Andrew Ference (3) and Rich Peverley (4)
(Mtl) (PPG) P.K. Subban (2) from Tomas Plekanec (3) and Brian Gionta (2)
Overtime:
(Bos) Nathan Horton (3) from Milan Lucic (2) and Adam McQuaid (2)

(Bos) Tim Thomas-34/37
(Mtl) Carey Price-30/34


Tampa Bay Lightning @ Pittsburgh Penguins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFygTk6pMMg&feature=channel_video_title
Tbl 1 Pit 0
Tbl wins series 4-3
First Period:
none
Second Period:
(Tbl) Sean Bergenheim (3) from Dominic Moore (3) and Steve Downie (6)
Third Period:
none

(Pit) Marc-Andre Fleury-22/23
(Tbl) Dwayne Roloson-36/36

More Round 1 Records

To start off:

HOLY CRAP! WHAT A GAME!!!!
It is now 1:18 on Wednesday morning. Alex Burrows just capped off an unusual night for him (goal, missed penalty shot, turnover that led to tying goal with just minutes left, almost fatal penalty early in overtime, game winning goal in OT in game 7)
I am still hyped about this epic game and have a few more statistics that may seem great for this years first round.

Today was the eighth day in a row that there was a game that went into overtime. The sudden death in the playoffs is a thing in sports that may be the most exhilarating. And to have an opportunity 8 days in a row to see such great games such as these is truly historic. There are 2 more game 7's tomorrow night. Boston-Montreal and Pittsburgh-Tampa Bay. It's on everyones mind: make it 9 nights in a row!

Also, this was the 13th overtime in the first round. 13/47 of the games so far. This is the second most out of any playoff season since 2001 when they had 15 overtime games in the first round. There are still two more games to be played and this total may be equaled.

This first round has been memorable for hockey fans around the world. I'm sure the rest of the post-season won't disappoint us.

Game 7's galore

For the first time since 1995, the NHL has produced 4 first round 7 game series. The Lightning in Pittsburgh will be on Wednesday at 8 o' clock. The Canadiens at Boston will be Wednesday at 7 o' clock. Tonight Philly is looking like they will beat Buffalo as they are ahead 4 in the third in their game 7 in Philadelphia. And later tonight (at 10) Vancouver hosts Chicago at home.

All of these series have been magical. The Lightning battled back from down 3 games to 1 and won game 5 convincingly 8-2. Game 7 should be an offensive explosion. Buffalo came into the playoffs hot and put up a fight against the heavily favored Flyers but couldn't get the job done tonight (or in game 6). The Habs finally won at home and now can win the series in Boston in what was the most anticipated first round matchup. And of course the rematch of the Hawks and the Canucks. This series was just awesome and Chicago is looking to do what the Flyers did last year. Come back from a 3 games to none deficit.

If the first round is any indicator, we are in for a hell of a playoff season.

Coyotes in Trouble

Things are not looking too good in Phoenix nowadays. Their team was just swept out of the first round of the playoffs, they have 7 players that become unrestricted free agents in the summer, AND to top it all off, they might have to relocate for next season.

The disappointing playoff performance by the Yotes left their fans heartbroken yet again. They were empty for a couple of the games and looked very monotonous in the 3rd period of game 4. Their all-star caliber goaltender gave up 2 weak goals in game 4 to give up the lead and he didn't look good in the other games either. They somehow looked unmotivated eventhough it seemed like the state of their team remaining in Phoenix depended on their performance. But now all they (the players and fans) can do is just sit and wait and watch until a decision is made.

The Coyotes also may have a different looking team entirely next year. 7 players may be lost due to free agency. Who's on that list? Vernon Fidler, Petr Prucha, Andrew Ebbett, Radim Vrbata, Ed Jovanovski, and goaltenders Ilya Bryzgalov and Jason Labarbera. The importance of these players? Well to begin with, both goalies have been excellent. Labarbera displays a lot of promise and Bryzgalov has been very good for them as well. Bryzgalov, however, already expressed he's probably going to go to the KHL for next year. Jovanovski played well for them on defense and Vrbata was their only shining star in the playoffs this year. Prucha and Fidler also played exceptionally well. The Coyotes might have a tough time signing these guys and will definitely have a new look by next season.

And of course, they may not be in the desert anymore next season either. The still ownerless Coyotes were moved to Phoenix from Winnipeg (formerly the Jets) in 1996. They've made the playoffs 7 times in their 15 years in the desert but never made it past round 1. They could potentially have an owner in Matthew Hulsizer but no deal has been made yet. Bettman has done all he could to keep the team in Arizona. He thinks it's a big market and could draw a lot of attention. Surely, if the Coyotes had an owner, it'd make it easier to breathe and they could focus more on the hockey. Also, this franchise (including the Jets era) has always had a problem selling out for their games. But now the people in Winnipeg are hungrier than ever for a hockey and built a new arena. They even started to try to sell tickets to prove they can keep a team http://liveflashscore.com/winnipeg-season-ticket-drive-to-prove-canada-really-likes-hockey/. Theres no doubt that the fan base in Winnipeg will be more aggressive with their team and better supporters than what they have now in Phoenix. A tiny 200 people showed up to a rally to keep the team in Arizona. An estimated .01 percent of the population of Phoenix went to that rally. That's not gonna be enough I don't think to keep an NHL team.

To sum it all up, I have to say that the Coyotes may very well end up in Winnipeg next season. Those die hard  Jet fans will have a team back and everything will go back to normal. I do feel bad for the fans in Phoenix that actually DID care about their team (and yes. there were people like that). But sports is a business and soon everyone will realize.

HOCKEY IN CANADA > HOCKEY IN THE DESERT

EDIT: Well last night there were meetings in Glenndale to decide about the Coyotes' future in Glenndale. I DID watch some of it. A few interesting points were made by hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike. In the end though, they decided to bring back the team to Phoenix for the same deal of $25 million for the 2011-2012 season. This is probably a good thing for the team because players like Ilya Bryzgalov may not have wanted to make the trip to Winnipeg. (once again kudos to Puck Daddy for the video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFkaPlIdQgg&feature=channel_video_title

Where's Stamkos????

As Tampa Bay will face possible elimination on Saturday in Pittsburgh, Lightning fans as well as NHL fans want to know one thing

WHERE THE HELL DID STEVEN STAMKOS GO?!?!?!?

The top 3 most electrifying players in the NHL, one of the best scorers in the game has essentially disappeared. The guy who scored 45 goals over the season has yet to score in the first four games of the playoffs. Teams NEED their star players to take things up a notch in the playoffs and Stamkos hasn't been able to do so. St. Louis has done most of the heavy lifting scoring-wise so far and perhaps if Stamkos involved himself a bit more, this would be an even series. His time out on the ice hasn't really increased much in the postseason than from the regular season so that's not an excuse for him. It might be the pressure that has gotten to the 21 year old superstar who made his first playoff appearance this year. Whatever the case, he only has 1 point (a secondary assist in game 3) and if Tampa has any idea of making a comeback in this one, he needs to wake up. Because the guy who averages a little over a point a game in the regular season, should not be averaging .25 points a game in the playoffs.

EDITOR'S NOTE: He answered the call today. Must've read my article. He had 2 goals and an assist.

Goalie Slumps (and Greatness) In the First Round

(Van)Roberto Luongo-10 goals given up in the last 2 games. (15 in 5 games overall)
Especially game 5, they were not all entirely his fault but he must do better if the Canucks wanna win the cup this year. He has not been playing like the all star goalie he could be. He must suck it up and don't be surprised if he bounces back for a big game 6 performance in Chicago

(Lak)Jonathan Quick-12 goals given up in the last 2 games (15 in 5 games overall)
Quick has faced the most shots than any other goalie so far in the post season and he has the most saves. But untimely goals have been his and the King's demise. That dreaded comeback when they were up 4 was unacceptable and they didn't show up mentally in game 4 either.

(Phx)Ilya Bryzgalov-17 goals against in 4 games
His team is a defensive team that desperately needs their goalie to give up less than 3 goals a game. The Red Wings overpowered their defense and Bryzgalov didn't answer the call this year. He gave up 2 dreaded goals to blow game 4 and they lost the series. Who knows.It may have been the Coyotes relocation that preoccupied his mind.

(Nsh)Pekka Rinne-15 goals in 4 games
Much like Bryzgalov, Rinne's team needs him to be spectacular. He wasn't. Lucky for him, however, his team has been able to put points up on the scoreboard and make this a series. Rinne, for me, has been one of the biggest disappointments of the playoffs. A great regular season but doesn't perform as well in the playoffs. But I'm not gonna count out him and the Predators yet. The series is tied and he still his time to get back to his old self.

There has been unexpectingly  good goaltending though too. For instance, rookie Corey Crawford has played very well against the best offense in the league and is helping Chicago with their desperate comeback. Antti Niemi continues to impress people and looks just as good as he did last year in the playoffs. Rookie Michal Neuvirth has been good enough for the Caps who've been looking for goaltending in recent playoff years. Ray  Emery stepped up for the Ducks and has played solid for them in their series. And of course the 41 year old journeyman Dwayne Roloson has played very, very well for the Bolts (even though his team hasn't).

Goalies can sometimes be streaky though so any goalie can turn things around in a snap.

Game 5 Results

Chicago Blackhawks @ Vancouver Canucks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSBIbJxyXqM&feature=channel_video_title
Chi 5 Van 0
Van leads series 3-2
First Period:
(Chi) (PPG) Marian Hossa (1) from Duncan Kieth (1) and Corey Crawford (2)
(Chi) Duncan Kieth (3) from Ryan Johnson (1) and Marc Kruger (1)
(Chi) (PPG) Patrick Kane (1) from Duncan Kieth (2) and Brian Campbell (2)
Second Period:
(Chi) Marian Hossa (2) from Patrick Sharp (1) and Bryan Bickell (2)
(Chi) Duncan Kieth (4) from Marian Hossa (2) and Patrick Sharp (2)

(Van) Roberto Luongo-8/12
(Van) Cory Schneider-13/14
(Chi) Corey Crawford-36/36


New York Rangers @ Washington Capitals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OL1tQw5qAY&feature=channel_video_title
Wsh 3 Nyr 1
Wsh wins series 4-1
First Period:
(Wsh) (PPG) Mike Green (1) from Alex Ovechkin (3) and Brooks Laich (3)
Second Period:
(Wsh) Alex Ovechkin (3) from Scott Hannan (1) and Brooks Laich (4)
Third Period:
(Wsh) Alexander Semin (3) from Marcus Johansson (2) and Marco Sturm (1)
(Nyr) Wojtek Wolski (1) from Bryan McCabe (2) and Sean Avery (1)

(Wsh) Michal Neuvirth-26/27
(Nyr) Henrik Lundqvist-24/27

NEW YORK RANGERS ELIMINATED
WASHINGTON CAPITALS ADVANCE TO ROUND 2


Buffalo Sabres @ Philadelphia Flyers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6xVa-MWTf0&feature=channel_video_title
Buf 4 Phi 3 (OT)
Buf leads series 3-2
First Period:
(Buf) Tyler Ennis (1) from Rob Niedermayer (3) and Jordan Leopold (1)
(Buf) Thomas Vanek (3) from Patrick Kaleta (2) and Paul Gaustad (2)
(Buf) (PPG) Marc-Andre Gragnani (1) from Tyler Myers (1) and Jason Pominville (3)
Second Period:
(Phi) James van Riemsdyk (2) from Andrej Meszaros (3) and Claude Giroux (3)
(Phi) Andrej Meszaros (1) from Sean O'Donnell (1) and Claude Giroux (4)
Third Period:
(Phi) Danny Briere (3) from Mike Richards (2) and Kris Versteeg (3)
Overtime:
(Buf) Tyler Ennis (2) from Mike Weber (1) and Steve Montador (1)

(Phi) Brian Boucher-8/11
(Phi) Michael Leighton-20/21
(Buf) Ryan Miller-36/39


Nashville Predators @ Anaheim Ducks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlkAqRVOeEw&feature=channel_video_title
Nsh 4 Ana 3 (OT)
Nsh leads series 3-2
First Period:
(Nsh) Kevin Klein (1) from Jordin Tootoo (1) and Nick Spaling (1)
Second Period:
(Ana) (PPG) Jason Blake (1) from Saku Koivu (4) and Luca Sbisa (1)
Third Period:
(Ana) Bobby Ryan (3) unassisted
(Nsh) Joel Ward (3) from David Legwand (2)
(Ana) Jason Blake (2) from Teemu Selanne (1) and Saku Koivu (5)
(Nsh) Shea Weber (3) from Cody Franson (4) and Mike Fisher (3)
Overtime:
(Nsh) Jerred Smithson (1) from Jordin Tootoo (2) and Nick Spaling (2)

(Ana) Ray Emery-33/37
(Nsh) Pekka Rinne-23/26


Montreal Canadiens @ Boston Bruins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ-YUqVBz3Y
Bos 2 Mtl 1 (2OT)
Bos leads series 3-2
First Period:
none
Second Period:
none
Third Period:
(Bos) Brad Marchand (1) from Patrice Bergeron (4) and Tomas Kaberle (2)
(Mtl) Jeff Halpern (1) from Lars Eller (2) and Mathieu Darche (1)
Overtime:
none
2 Overtime:
(Bos) Nathan Horton (2) from Milan Lucic (1) and Andrew Ference (1)

(Bos) Tim Thomas-44/45
(Mtl) Carey Price-49/51


Tampa Bay Lightning @ Pittsburgh Penguins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWHes0JMmzc
Tbl 8 Pit 2
Pit leads series 3-2
First Period:
(Tbl) Simon Gagne (1) from Teddy Purcell (2) and Vincent Lecavalier (3)
(Tbl)Steven Stamkos (1) from Steve Downie (2) and Adam Hall (1)
Second Period:
(Tbl) Vincent Lecavalier (2) from Steven Stamkos (2) and Martin St. Louis (3)
(Tbl) Simon Gagne (2) from Dominic Moore (1) and Mike Lundin (1)
(Tbl) (PPG) Steven Stamkos (2) from Eric Brewer (4) and Martin St. Louis (4)
Third Period:
(Tbl) (PPG) Pavel Kubina (1) from Teddy Purcell (3) and Marc-Andre Bergeron (1)
(Tbl) (PPG) Pavel Kubina (2) from Teddy Purcell (4) and Steve Downie (3)
(Pit) Michael Rupp (1) from Alex Kovalev (1) and Max Talbot (1)
(Pit) Chris Conner (1) from Max Talbot (2) and Kris Letang (4)
(Tbl) (PPG) Dominic Moore (1) from Sean Bergenheim (1) and Nate Thompson (1)

(Pit) Marc-Andre Fleury-10/14
(Pit) Brent Johnson-7/11
(Tbl) Dwayne Roloson-31/33


Los Angeles Kings @ San Jose' Sharks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8YtH3586pA
Lak 3 Sjs 1
Sjs leads series 3-2
First Period:
(Lak) Wayne Simmonds (1) from Kyle Clifford (2) and Rob Scuderi (2)
(Lak) Kyle Clifford (3) from Wayne Simmonds (2) and Brad Richardson (3)
(Lak) Dustin Penner (1) from Kevin Westgarth (2)
Second Period:
(Sjs) Patrick Marleau (2) from Niclas Wallin (3) and Joe Thornton (2)
Third Period:
none

(Sjs) Antti Niemi-1/4
(Sjs) Antero Nittmaki-18/18
(Lak) Jonathan Quick-51/52

Boston's Andrew Ference Obscene Gesture

A beautiful shot. A gorgeous goal; bringing your team back into the series. And then this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjF9-rns5Ng&feature=feedu
In case anyone missed it, this was Bruin's Andrew Ference's reaction after scoring a big goal for the Boston Bruins in Montreal. This is another example of emotions running high in the playoffs and this was in no doubt brought on by the die-hard Montreal fans in the Bell Centre. What will be expected from this? I think a fine will be given out by the league. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if he were suspended for also for the obscene gesture. As a matter of fact, I would be surprised if he weren't suspended. Hockey players and athletes everywhere are supposed to be role models to everyone including children. The league should do the right thing and slap a 1 game (I think 2 is a bit too much especially during the playoffs) suspension on him for this.

Another player in this game, James Wisniewski (Canadiens) had an incident somewhat similar to this earlier in the year. When James was on the Islanders, he couldn't resist but to taunt Sean Avery. Here is the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JYeKEA5AoY . Result of this gesture? A 2 GAME SUSPENSION! So don't be surprised if in the next day or two, if you see Ference being suspended. I'll keep you updated.

EDIT: No suspension for Ference. NHL did slap a $2500 fine on him and that was all. It might be because playoffs are more important.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsEFtPOBNJQ&feature=feedu

Another Suspension dealt

Yet ANOTHER  suspension was enforced by the league. Jarkko Ruutu of the Anaheim Ducks collided with Martin Erat of the Nashville Predators. Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPd8LJvIpgI The announcers expressed alarmed because they didn't see any illegal play. I understand why the penalty was called though. The ref thought he saw a slight attempt to get to the head. Erat went down and he thought it was a no-brainer (pardon the punn) headshot by Ruutu. Ok so a bad call on the ice happens. But the fact that the NHL jumped in and then handed Ruutu a 1 game suspension (missing game 5 in a close series) is beyond me. There was no clear intent for the head and no dangerous elbow thrown. I might be because Erat (who's injured with what the team is calling an "upper-body injury") is missing game 5. Anyway, I think the NHL got this call wrong.

Top Plays (hits, goals, saves) of the Year

goals of the year: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=17&id=109484
hits of the year: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=17&id=109483
saves of the year: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=17&id=109482

My Actual Pre-Season Predictions and their results:

1)      Blackhawks will disappoint everyone and miss the playoffs and Marty Turco will be the reason. They almost missed it if it weren’t for Minnesota to bail them out. Not such a bad season though thanks to Corey Crawford. Turco was less than spectacular. As expected he got the wins (11 in 29 games) but gave up a crap load of goals (82 tallies). .897 SV% and a 3.02 GAA. I’m giving myself half credit for getting the Turco part right. Half right

2)      The Oilers WILL make the playoffs and will look good doing it. Not even close. Edmonton finished last in the league. However don’t turn your back on them because many feel their future is bright with Hall, Omark, Paajarvi, and Eberle. wrong

3)      Only 3 Canadian teams will miss the playoffs again. For the first time since before the lockout, less than 3 teams made it. Only Montreal and Vancouver are in the hunt this year. The Flames, Oilers, Senators and Maple Leafs all fall short. Toronto 8 points back and the Flames a mere 3 points out of the last playoff spot. wrong

4)      Carey price will play well enough to ensure Montreal a playoff spot. Criticized for weak play before the season. He was spectacular though and made it to the all star game. The Canadiens are the six seed. right

5)      Washington will wait until the finals to choke. They choked in the second round.

6)      The Bruins will be embarrassingly bad this year. Thomas saved them and everyone played great. Don’t know where this prediction came from but I could not have been more off. wrong

7)      Capitals will win the Presidents’ Trophy again. Not this time. Ovechkin plagued with injury and slumps. Goaltending wasn’t stable enough. Capitals still made it to the one seed in the east but Presidents’ Trophy won with EASE by Vancouver. wrong

8)      Kovalchuk nets 35 and Parise has over 40. Had Parise stayed healthy this may have been close. Kovalchuk had 30 in the end and Parise would have done very well during the Devils run for the playoffs. But this was a tad off its mark. wrong

9)      Stamkos proves he isn’t a fluke. The Coyotes and Bryzgalov do the same. Right on all cylinders. Stamkos 2^nd in goals and 5^th in points. Lead the Bolts to the playoffs and it should be interesting what they’ll do there. Pheonix finished 11^th overall in the league. Very balanced system and a great team to watch. Another Vezina caliber season for Bryzy. Plays great for his team and a reason why they are in the playoffs. Stats aren’t overwhelming (.921 SV% 2.48 GAA ) but solid and he certainly gets the job done. right

10)   Daniel Sedin proves he is as good as his brother. My favorite prediction. After his brother Henrik dominated the league and became captain of Vancouver, it appeared people have forgotten how good Daniel is. Daniel finished first in the league in points claiming the Art Ross Trophy and is a candidate for this year’s Hart Trophy, a year after Henrik won the honours. right

11)   Whatever injury/ies Gaborik missed last year, he will get this year. Gaborik missed a good handful of games this year as he finishes with 14 fewer games played than last year. He suffered a few injuries but nothing TOO major. He also scored 20 less goals than last year and 38 less points.  right

12)   Nash will demand to be traded and disaster will ensue in Columbus. Neither things happen. Columbus got off to a hot start but eventually cooled down. Not as bad as people expected and Nash another productive year as he remains in the train wreck that is hockey in Ohio. Wrong

13)   Tavares will have another OK season before beginning to stand out. A little better than last year. A very solid year for John and the Islanders. We’ll see next year how he does. It should be even better than this year as he continues to show promise. Right

14)   Craigh Anderson will single handedly get Colorado a playoff spot. Anderson got hurt early on and Colorado struggled without him. By the time he came back it would be a tough climb back to the top. After being traded though, he played very well for Ottawa. Colorado finished 14^th in the West. Wrong

15)   Hossa will finally NOT make it to the finals. Finally!!!!! right

16)   The Capitals will continue the streak of Winter Classic teams making it to the finals. False. The Capitals, Penguins, Flames, and Canadiens all didn't make it.

17)   The Rangers will fall just short of a playoff spot again. Soooooooo close with this one as it goes down to game number 82 again this time for another game also in which the Rangers didn’t control their fate. However they luck out and sneak in. wrong

18)   Cam Ward will remain in Carolina for some reason. Pre-season speculations busted as Cam and Carolina just miss the playoffs after a good season. Right

19)   Martin Brodeur will play less than 75 games this year as he finally begins to slow down. 56 is the number this year. A few injuries and slumps left him sidelined throughout the year. He was brilliant at a few points but it appears his career is winding down. Right

20)   Hart-Ovechkin

Vezina-Luongo

James Norris-Lidstrom

Calder-Hall

Lady Byng-Parise

Selke-Datsyuk

Jack Adams-Guy Boucher

Masterton-(at the time not enough info. Probably Tim Thomas though)

Lindsay-Stamkos

Messier-H. Sedin

Foundation-…who cares

8.5/16 almost half of them right

Your NHL award nominees and predictions:

GM of the Year:
Vancouver Canucks - Mike Gillis
Nashville Predators  - David Poile
Tampa Bay Lightning - Steve Yzerman


Prediction:
I don't know too much about the greatness of these GM's. What I do know is how well each team has played this year. Vancouver dominated everyone this year and won the presidents trophy. Nashville has a strong team and it seems that they'll have a playoff team for years to come. Tampa turned around a bad season and was impressive in their run. Based on the teams I think that Poile is going to win for how solid Nashville is throughout their lineup. However, based on the type of person he is, my prediction is that Yzerman is going to win. In his first year as a GM, the hall of famer turned around the Lightning and created a great atmosphere for the team. I know at one point this year, they had a goalie carousel with Mike Smith, Dan Ellis, and now settling with acquired Dwayne Roloson.


Calder Trophy (rookie of the year):
San Jose' Sharks - Logan Couture (C)
Carolina Hurricanes - Jeff Skinner (C)
New York Islanders - Michael Grabner (RW)


Prediction:
It's Skinnermania in Carolina and I think the youngest player in the NHL will win the Calder this year. Grabner lead all rookies in goals with 34 (and Couture had 32) but Skinner (31) caught up by the end of the season during the Hurricanes run for the playoffs. I think it's going to go down to who was best for his team. Couture is on one of the best teams in the league and is surrounded by goal scorers. Skinner, on the other hand, is on a Carolina team that isn't exactly known for putting the puck in the net so they had to rely on guys like Skinner to get the job done. And Jeff Skinner answered the call.


Lady Byng Trophy (good sportsmanship with a high level of playing):
Dallas Stars - Loui Eriksson (LW)
Detroit Red Wings - Nicklas Lidstrom (D)
Tampa Bay Lightning - Martin St. Louis (RW)


This is a hard category to predict but I think St. Louis will repeat. After winning last year, St. Louis played great and clean. He only had 12 penalty minutes and lead his Lightning into the playoffs. Eriksson has the least of the 3 in terms of penalty minutes but I think St. Louis isn't only better, but he's more important to his team.


Vezina Trophy (best goalie)
Boston Bruins - Tim Thomas
Vancouver Canucks - Roberto Luongo
Nashville Predators - Pekka Rinne


Wait..Luongo? You mean the guy that has given up 10 goals in 2 games and was pulled from both of them just prior to the announcement? Yup! So bad news for Price/Lundqvist who didn't qualify to be finalists. I'm not gonna waste any time with this. Tim Thomas will win the Vezina again. He was super-duper this year and won back his job with ease. He was focussed and played excellently for the 3rd ranked Bruins. Thomas set the NHL record in save percentage (since this stat started) with .938. Rinne came close AGAIN but no cigar for him.


Norris Trophy (best defenseman)
Boston Bruins - Zdeno Chara
Detroit Red Wings - Nicklas Lidstrom
Nashville Predators - Shea Weber


No Question in my mind it will be Nick Lidstrom. The 40 year old had yet another fantastic season. He's been the best in the league for several seasons now and he will win the top honours yet again.


Bill Masterton Trophy (perseverance and dedication towards hockey)
Anaheim Ducks - Ray Emery (G)
Philadelphia Flyers - Ian Laperriere (RW)
Calgary Flames - Daymond Langkow (C)


This is always a tough trophy to predict. We'll dissect each candidate piece by piece.
Emery: plagued with injuries throughout his career, he underwent a grueling hip surgery and most people felt he wouldn't be able to play this season. However, Anaheim needed a goalie for their playoff run and took a chance on Emery who played very well for them. He went 7-2 during the regular season and played in the playoffs for them and did a pretty good job. If this was based solely on performance after an injury then he would win it for sure. But it isn't. So he won't.


Laperriere: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqDvaA7onaU He knew what he was doing. He had to get in front of the shot. That shot caused a major injury for Laperriere who was hit in the face earlier last season as well. Many thought the injuries were too much for him and he would call it quits. But he made a truly emotional return for Philly http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kE20QvCe1TM in a couple of weeks. While he didn't play a minute this year, his inspiration for recovery has given the Philly team and their fans hope throughout the year. So he may win because of the inspirational factor.


Langkow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK7X8w8216E a now infamous injury. Watching it just makes someone cringe. Many feared at the time that the puck that hit Langkow squarely on the back of the neck, had paralyzed him. People felt he'd be lucky to be able to walk again. But he's a hockey player. Langkow, who's been a more-than-reliable secondary scorer throughout his career, made his return to the NHL almost a year after the incident. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y0h8dLV4dU This was the result in his first game back. A secondary assist (happens right at the beginning of the video). In my extremely biased opinion (I LOVE DAYMOND LANGKOW) Langkow deserves this one.


Selke Trophy (best offensive defenseman)
Detroit Red Wings - Pavel Datsyuk
Vancouver Canucks - Ryan Kesler
Chicago Blackhawks - Jonathan Toews


Most people (including me) felt at the beginning of the year that Datsyuk would repeat yet again and win the Selke. Why? Because of plays like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhZrAm-nVs8 which he pulls almost every year. But over the year I had a change of heart. Ryan Kesler is one of the most unappreciated players in the league. He has a fantastic scorers touch and is fearless in terms of forechecking. He also has a nice goal forechecking. From when? Did you watch the Olympics? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAlrt9JSSu8&feature=related So after watching him play several times this year, I think this type of grit and determination will win him the Selke and break Datsyuk's streak.


Hart Trophy (most valuable player)
Vancouver Canucks - Daniel Sedin
Anaheim Ducks - Corey Perry
Tampa Bay Lightning - Martin St. Louis


The criticism for Perry is that he played on the best line in hockey. The highest goal scorer in the league lines with Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan who are both stars in the NHL. I think, however, that people overlook the fact that when Getzlaf missed a couple of weeks due to injury, it was Perry who stepped up for the Ducks offensively. He was there for his team consistently throughout the year. Also, the same argument  can be made for Daniel Sedin. He plays on a line with his brother super star Henrik and other great forward in Mikael Sammuelson. If I lined with these guys, I'd be a Hart Trophy candidate as well. But at the end of the day I think it's going to go to Perry.


Jack Adams Award (best coach)
Pittsburgh Penguins - Dan Bylsma
Nashville Predators - Barry Trotz
Vancouver Canucks - Alain Vigneault 


I think Trotz is gonna win it. With him as the coach, Nashville overachieved yet again. The seemingly weak team can beat you in many ways and Trotz is the mastermind behind it all. You might think Vigneault would win because Vancouver had the best team. But I'd be a Jack Adams candidate if I coached the Canucks also. There was a major discussion on a Puck Daddy blog about Bylsma. People were saying how the shootout wins (10 which is most in the league) helped him get the nomination. They said that since the coach picks the players for the shootout, he plays a major part in it. My argument against that is, it's not rocket science. How many times have you watched a hockey game in a shootout and say, "I think it's going to be Parise, Kovalchuk, and Elias going for the Devils" and then bam! Parise, Kovalchuk, and Elias are in the shootout. Especially with the Penguins who are not short on superstars, it shouldn't be too difficult to pick the shootout lineup. 


Foundation Award (using the core values of hockey to enrich your community)
Vancouver Canucks - Daniel Sedin
Vancouver Canucks - Henrik Sedin
Los Angeles Kings - Dustin Brown
Washington Capitals - Mike Green


Living in New Jersey, I honestly have no idea what goes on in places like Vancouver, Los Angeles or even Washington. I'm just going to say Henrik Sedin wins it on account of being a nice guy.


Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player)
Anaheim Ducks - Corey Perry (RW)
Vancouver Canucks - Daniel Sedin (LW)
Tampa Bay Lightning - Steven Stamkos (C)


Often synonymous with the Hart Trophy for season MVP, ever since they started handing out the Ted Lindsay award (formerly Lester B. Pearson Award) in 1971, there have been 24 players who received both the Lindsay award for most outstanding player and the Hart Trophy for league MVP. I predicted Perry to win the Hart but I feel Daniel Sedin will take this years Lindsay. Daniel had a great year. His 41 goals were the third most in the league while he was 1st overall in points in the NHL with his 104 (he was also the only player in the league with over 100 points). But what I think is most impressive is that he has a +30 rating which wasn't only 5th in the league but he was 2nd among all forwards which is something to brag about. So I think Daniel's gonna get this one. At least Ovechkin's streak of 3 years straight winning this award will be obsolete.


Mark Messier Leadership Award (great leadership as a captain)


Out of all the captains in the league, I think it's a no-brainer who's gonna win this one. Henrik Sedin stepped up big time in his first season of being the captain of the Vancouver Canucks. Former captain was Roberto Luongo and they had to take the pressure off of their all star goalie and they gave it to the right guy. Now I can't say I was in the locker when he gave a great speech to his team of when he helped a younger player out with his game during a practice. But you can tell by the way he plays on the ice that he wants his teammates to succeed. It already happened once this year in the playoffs that he was on a 2-1 and he gave up his clear shot just to give the other player his chance (the broadcasters went on to criticize Henrik for this because he had the open shot). So ya. Henrik Sedin

Boudreau regretting comments

After Game 3's loss in New York, Washington Capitals coach, Bruce Boudreau went on a rant criticizing Maddison Square Garden. He ripped on everything from the locker room, to the benches, and even made a slur about the fans at MSG. "...the reputation of being in Madison Square Garden is what makes it famous. Also, our building's a lot louder, too. So I mean, they can say what they want, but it's not that loud in there."

This of course fueled up the Ranger fans and motivated them for game 4. Right before puck drop, the arena erupted in a "Shut Up Bruce" chant. Washington forward (and eventual game winning goal scorer) Jason Chimera stated “We were laughing quite a bit on the bench when they were saying 'Shut up Bruce' before the puck dropped." The Ranger fans were not done. When the Rangers had a (seemingly) comfortable 3-0 lead with a few minutes left in the second, they broke out into a "Can You Hear Us?" chant. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiqjWPhiOUo . Yes. We can hear you. 

After the Rangers 3 goal lead meltdown loss in double overtime, Boudreau stated "I might have made a mistake saying what I said. Lets leave it at that."

I think it's safe to say that the Ranger fans showed up and performed the entire game (unlike their team)

2 More Suspensions handed out

Another 2 suspensions were given by the NHL, both accuring in Pittsburgh-Tampa Bay Game 3. First was Tampa's Steve Downie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5E90MtPMYg
Downie received a 1 game suspension and missed game 4's overtime loss to Pittsburgh tonight. A penalty was called on the play (as it should have). Downie left his feet and made contact with the head of Lovejoy. I see it being a suspension. The hit was vicious but I think if he didn't leave his feet he would have gotten away without the suspension. But I think the NHL got this one right.
Next was Pittsburgh's Chris Kunitz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjkJYQXPtWk
This was a penalty and clearly a suspension. There was no way he did not target the head and the elbow of Kunitz hit Simon Gagne' pretty hard. Gagne' went down but got up and continued playing just fine. This may be why Kunitz only got 1 game for the elbow.

Game 4 Results

Vancouver Canucks @ Chicago Blackhawks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-QCatFsUjU&feature=channel_video_title
Chi 7 Van 2
Van leads series 3-1
First Period:
(Chi) Bryan Bickell (1) from Michael Frolik (2) and Dave Bolland (1)
(Van) (PPG) Sami Salo (1) from Alex Edler (2) and Mason Raymond (1)
Second Period:
(Chi) Brian Campbell (1) from Patrick Kane (3) and Corey Crawford (1)
(Chi) Duncan Kieth (2) from Michael Frolik (3) and Dave Bolland (2)
(Chi) Dave Bolland (1) unassisted
(Chi) Michael Frolik (1) from Dave Bolland (3) and Niklas Hjalmarsson (1)
Third Period:
(Chi) (PPG) Patrick Sharp (2) from Patrick Kane (4) and Jonathan Toews (3)
(Chi) (PPG) Patrick Sharp (3) from Marian Hossa (1) and Chris Campoli (1)
(Van) (PPG) Daniel Sedin (4) from Christian Ehrhoff (3) and Ryan Kesler (3)

(Chi) Corey Crawford-21/23
(Van) Roberto Luongo-22/28
(Van) Cory Schneider-6/7


Philadelphia Flyers @ Buffalo Sabres
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT6ductZMR8
Buf 1 Phi 0
Series tied 2-2
First Period:
(Buf) Jason Pominville (1) from Rob Niedermayer (2) and Tyler Ennis (1)
Second Period:
none
Third Period:
none

(Buf) Ryan Miller-32/32
(Phi) Brian Boucher-28/29


Pittsburgh Penguins @ Tampa Bay Lightning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0j3Gq7U4NI
Pit 3 Tbl 2 (2OT)
Pit leads series 3-1
First Period:
(Pit) (PPG) Tyler Kennedy (2) from Zbynek Michalek (1) and Mark Letestu (1)
Second Period:
(Pit) Arron Asham (3) from Ben Lovejoy (2)
(Tbl) Martin St. Louis (4) from Vincent Lecavalier (2) and Teddy Purcell (1)
Third Period:
(Tbl) Sean Bergenheim (1) from Martin St. Louis (2) and Pavel Kubina (1)
Overtime:
none
2 Overtime:
(Pit) James Neal (1) from Jordan Staal (2) and Paul Martin (2)

(Tbl) Dwayne Roloson-50/53
(Pit) Marc-Andre Fleury-29/31


Washington Capitals @ New York Rangers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-UuOEvXufM
Wsh 4 Nyr 3 (2OT)
Wsh leads series 3-1
First Period:
none
Second Period:
(Nyr) Artem Anisimov (1) from Chris Drury (1) and Michael Sauer (1)
(Nyr) Marian Gaborik (1) from Ruslan Fedetenko (1) and Brandon Dubinsky (1)
(Nyr) Brandon Dubinsky (2) from Ruslan Fedetenko (2)
Third Period:
(Wsh) Alexander Semin (2) unassisted
(Wsh) Marcus Johansson (1) from Brooks Laich (2) and Mike Green (4)
(Wsh) Marcus Johansson (2) from John Carlson (1) and Karl Alzner (1)
Overtime:
none
2Overtime:
(Wsh) Jason Chimera (2) unassisted

(Nyr) Henrik Lundqvist-49/53
(Wsh) Michal Neuvirth-36/39


Anaheim Ducks @ Nashville Predators
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYGH2K2oLeA
Ana 6 Nsh 3
Series tied 2-2
First Period:
(Ana) (PPG) Cam Fowler (1) from Corey Perry (5)
(Ana) Saku Koivu (1) from Jason Blake (1)
(Nsh) Patric Hornqvist (2) from Sergei Kostitsyn (4) and Shea Weber (2)
Second Period:
(Nsh) (PPG) Joel Ward (2) from Cody Franson (3) and Steve Sullivan (1)
(Ana) (PPG) Teemu Selanne (5) from Ryan Getzlafa (4) and Cam Fowler (3)
(Nsh) Matt Halischuk (1) from Kevin Klein (2) and Jonathon Blum (2)
Third Period:
(Ana) (SHG) Corey Perry (2) from Brandon McMillan (1)
(Ana) Ryan Getzlaf (2) from Corey Perry (6)
(Ana) Brandon McMillan (1) from Todd Marchant (1) and Lubomir Visnovsky (2)

(Nsh) Pekka Rinne-23/29
(Nsh) Anders Lindback-9/9
(Ana) Ray Emery-19/22


Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEEHrCqnbkU
Det 6 Phx 3
Det wins series 4-0
First Period:
(Det) Tomas Holmstrom (2) from Pavel Datsyuk (4) and Mike Modano (1)
(Phx) Taylor Pyatt (1) from Ed Jovanovski (1)
(Phx) Shane Doan (3) from Kyle Turris (2) and Kieth Yandle (5)
(Det) Patrick Eaves (1) from Darren Helm (2)
Second Period:
(Phx) (PPG) Martin Hanzal (1) from Radim Vrbata (3) and Ray Whitney (2)
(Det) (PPG) Niklas Kronwall (1) from Dan Cleary (1) and Jiri Hudler (2)
Third Period:
(Det) Dan Cleary (1) from Valtteri Filppula (3) and Todd Bertuzzi (2)
(Det) Todd Bertuzzi (1) from Dan Cleary (2) and Valtteri Filppula (4)
(Det) (Empty Net) Patrick Eaves (2) unassisted

(Phx) Ilya Bryzgalov-34/39
(Det) Jimmy Howard-24/27

PHOENIX COYOTES ELIMINATED
DETROIT RED WINGS ADVANCE TO ROUND 2




Boston Bruins @ Montreal Canadiens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXEVkN-BuOc&feature=feedu
Bos 5 Mtl 4 (OT)
Series tied 2-2
First Period:
(Mtl) Brent Sopel (1) from Michael Cammalleri (4) and David Dsharnais (1)
Second Period:
(Bos) Michael Ryder (1) from Thomas Kaberle (1) and Chris Kelly (1)
(Mtl) Michael Cammalleri (2) from Brian Gionta (1) and Scott Gomez (3)
(Mtl) Andrei Kostitsyn (2) from Tomas Plekanec (1) and Travis Moen (1)
(Bos) Andrew Ference (1) from Brad Marchand (2) and Patrice Bergeron (3)
(Bos) Patrice Bergeron (2) from Brad Marchand (3) and Dennis Seidenberg (2)
Third Period:
(Mtl) (PPG) P.K. Subban (1) from James Wisniewsi (2) and Michael Cammalleri (5)
(Bos) Chris Kelly (2) from Rich Peverly (1) and Michael Ryder (1)
Overtime:
(Bos) Michael Ryder (2) from Chris Kelly (2) and Rich Peverly (2)

(Mtl) Carey Price-30/35
(Bos) Tim Thomas-34/38

San Jose' Sharks @ Los Angeles Kings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCh7eGljQtw&feature=channel_video_title
Sjs 6 Lak 3
Sjs leads series 3-1
First Period:
none
Second Period:
(Sjs) Ryan Clowe (3) from Marc-Edouard Vlasic (1)
(Sjs) Jason Demers (1) from Logan Couture (2) and Dany Heatley (2)
(Sjs) (PPG) Ryan Clowe (3) from Logan Couture (3) and Ian White (4)
(Lak) Brad Richardson (2) from Ryan Smyth (3)
(Lak) Justin Williams (2) from Willie Mitchell (1)
Third Period:
(Sjs) Joe Thornton (1) from Patrick Marleau (2) and Kyle Wellwood (2)
(Sjs) Joe Pavelski (3) from Dan Boyle (3)
(Sjs) Torrey Mitchell (1) from Kyle Wellwood (3) and Ian White (4)
(Lak) Alexei Ponikarovsky (1) from Jack Johnson (3) and Trevor Lewis (2)

(Lak) Jonathan Quick-21/27
(Sjs) Antti Niemi-35/38

Service Announcement

Due to the passover holiday, I will be unable to post anything until next Thursday. Don't worry though. I will hopefully be able to post a lot afterwards.

Cities get a taste of double playoff action

This year, there are several cities that have a team in the NHL playoffs AND a team in the NBA playoffs.

New York Rangers and the New York Knicks (same building)
Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia 76ers (same building)
Boston Bruins and the Boston Celtics (same building)
Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago Bulls (same building)
Los Angeles Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers (same building)
Tampa Bay Lightning and the Orlando Magic (close enough)

What it means for these places is very special. In 2003, when the Devils and the Nets were both making impressive runs to the finals, I recall the entire state being excited and supportive. The Devil games seemed a lot more exciting as did the Net games. Especially the fans were more intense as well. It seemed that the teams were playing off of each other's success. It was as if they were siblings and they didn't want to disappoint the other by losing and getting knocked out.
Both teams made it to the finals. The Devils were in their 3rd Stanley Cup Finals round in 4 years. The Nets were making it for the first time in quite a while. The Devils were facing the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, a young team that surprisingly made it all the way. The Nets were faced off against the best team in the league in the San Antonio Spurs.
The Devils beat off the Mighty Ducks in 7 games but the Nets lost to the Spurs in 6. It was a bittersweet ending for all of New Jersey (I was happy though). It could have turned out better, but it also could have turned out worse. But for that month and a half, the Continental Airlines Arena was filled with excitement and determination from the fans and from the players.

In 1994, the Rangers and the Knicks won the Stanley Cup and made it to the finals. Now I wasn't alive then, but I've seen/was told by others how magical Maddison Square Garden was during their runs. The city of New York was united as they watched their team fight through the playoffs and win it all.

This year there are 6/16 possible places that could have this rarity. So keep your eye out on these teams in both sports as they look to unite their OWN cities and come back with a couple of more trophies.

Game 3 Results

Washington Capitals @ New York Rangers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeNbAoBRCMI&feature=channel_video_title
Nyr 3 Wsh 2
Wsh leads series 2-1
First Period:
none
Second Period:
(Nyr) (PPG) Erik Christensen (1) from Wojtek Wolski (2) and Bryan McCabe (1)
(Wsh) Alex Ovechkin (2) from Jason Arnott (2) and Mike Green (3)
Third Period:
(Nyr) Vinny Prospal (1) from Marc Staal (1) and Brandon Dubinsky (1)
(Wsh) (PPG) Mike Knuble (1) from Nicklas Backstrom (1) and Alex Ovechkin (2)
(Nyr) Brandon Dubinsky (1) unassisted

(Nyr) Henrik Lundqvist-23/25
(Wsh) Michal Neuvirth-32/35


Anaheim Ducks @ Nashville Predators
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-cH6YUkHxc&feature=channel_video_title
Nsh 4 Ana 3
Nsh leads series 2-1
First Period:
(Nsh)(PPG) Martin Erat (1) from Cody Franson (2) and Joel Ward (1)
(Nsh) Jordin Tootoo (1) from Jerred Smithson (1)
Second Period:
(Ana) (PPG) Teemu Selanne (3) from Corey Perry (3)
(Ana) Teemu Selanne (4) from Corey Perry (4)
Third Period:
(Nsh) David Legwand (1) from Ryan Suter (2) and Martin Erat (2)
(Ana) Matt Beleskey (1) from Saku Koivu (3)
(Nsh) Mike Fisher (3) from Sergei Kostitsyn (3) and Ryan Suter (3)

(Nsh) Pekka Rinne-13/16
(Ana) Ray Emery-33/37


Vancouver Canucks @ Chicago Blackhawks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LV8YJYv8NM&feature=channel_video_title
Van 3 Chi 2
Van leads series 3-0
First Period:
(Chi) (PPG) Duncan Kieth (1) from Jonathan Toews (1)
Second Period:
(Van) (PPG) Christian Ehrhoff (1) from Henrik Sedin (3) and Daniel Sedin (2)
(Van) Daniel Sedin (3) from Alex Edler (1) and Kevin Bieksa (2)
(Chi) (PPG) Patrick Sharp (1) from Jonathan Toews (2) and Patrick Kane (2)
Third Period:
(Van) Mikael Samuelsson (1) from Henrik Sedin (4) and Christian Ehrhoff (2)

(Chi) Corey Crawford-23/26
(Van) Roberto Luongo-30/32

Bruins could be in trouble without Zdeno Chara

The Bruins missed their biggest and best defensemen for game 2 against Montreal and they struggled without him. They gave up a bad defensive goal less than a minute into the game. This goal was easily preventable and having Chara out on the ice should have negated the chance. Then, a couple of minutes later, Montreal struck again. This gave the Canadiens a big 2-0 lead just 2:20 seconds into the game. The Bruins tried to comeback but the early deficit was just too much and they lost 3-1. Not only did Boston miss Chara on defense but their powerplay went 0-5 without him in game 2. He is their captain and they will need him back if they want a chance to come back in the series.

He tried to warmup before game 2 but when he got off the ice, he was fatigued, sweaty, and dizzy. The doctor said there was going to be no way that Chara would be able to play in the game. Officially, it was called dehydration. "He deserves so much credit for what he did tonight, coming to the rink and going out there for a warmup," said Boston coach Claude Julien of his captain's efforts to play.


Now Boston has to go into Montreal and hopefully win 2 games if they want to be back in the series. To do that they'll need an impressive game 3 victory. Chara was 6th in the league with time on ice per game. He is usually on the ice for nearly half of the game. There has not been a definite answer as to whether he'll be in the lineup come Monday night. The Bruins didn't practice today to give the team (and Chara) more rest. The Bruins are hopeful, however, that their captain will play in the 3rd game. I'm sure Chara will want to help his team out. If anything, he'll at least be out there during warmups.

Game 2 Results

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Pittsburgh Penguins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqdsdAxu-Yo&feature=channel_video_title

Tbl 5 Pit 1

Series tied 1-1

First Period:

(Tbl) Eric Brewer (1) from Simon Gagne (1) and Victor Hedman (1)

(Tbl) Vincent Lecavalier (1) from Simon Gagne (2) and Martin St. Louis (1)

(Tbl) Nate Thompson (1) from Steve Downie (1) and Eric Brewer (1)

Second Period:

(Pit) Craig Adams (1) from Arron Asham (1)

(Tbl) Martin St. Louis (1) from Simon Gagne (3) and Eric Vrewer (2)

Third Period:

(Tbl) (Empty Net) (SHG) Mattias Ohlund (1) unassisted

(Pit) Marc-Andre Fleury-16/20

(Tbl) Dwayne Roloson-35/36

New York Rangers @ Washington Capitals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s4OzEhDc7s&feature=channel_video_title

Wsh 2 Nyr 0

Wsh leads series 2-0

First Period:

none

Second Period:

(Wsh) Jason Chimera (1) from Marcus Johansson (1) and Brooks Laich (1)

(Wsh) (PPG) Jason Arnott (1) from Mike Green (2) and Alex Ovechkin (1)

Third Period:

none

(Wsh) Michal Neuvirth-22/22

(Nyr) Henrik Lundqvist-16/18

Chicago Blackhawks @ Vancouver Canucks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqow5bmHjQ4&feature=relmfu

Van 4 Chi 3

Van leads series 2-0

First Period:

(Van) Jannik Hansen (2) from Daniel Sedin (1) and Henrik Sedin (1)

Second Period:

(Van) (PPG) Daniel Sedin (1) from Christian Ehrhoff (1) and Ryan Kesler (2)

(Chi) Ben Smith (1) from Bryan Bickell (1) and Brian Campbell (1)

(Van) Alex Edler (1) from Cody Hodgson (1) and Alexander Burrows (1)

Third Period:

(Chi) Viktor Stalberg (1) unassisted

(Van) Daniel Sedin (2) from Henrik Sedin (2) and Dan Hamhuis (1)

(Chi) Ben Smith (2) from Michael Frolik (1) and Patrick Kane (1)

(Van) Roberto Luongo-23/26

(Chi) Corey Crawford-23/27

Nashville Predators @ Anaheim Ducks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z-FYDkQiLo&feature=channel_video_title

Ana 5 Nsh 3

Series tied 1-1

First Period:

(Ana) (PPG) Corey Perry (1) from Saku Koivu (2) and Lubomir Visnovsky (1)

(Ana) (PPG) Teemu Selanne (2) from Cam Fowler (1) and Ryan Getzlaf (2)

Second Period:

(Nsh) (PPG) Shea Weber (2) from Sergei Kostitsyn (1) and Mike Fisher (2)

(Ana) Bobby Ryan (1) from Ryan Getzlaf (3) and Francois Beauchemin (1)

(Ana) Ryan Getzlaf (1) from Corey Perry (1) and Francois Beauchemin (2)

Third Period:

(Nsh) (PPG) Patric Hornqvist (1) from Shea Weber (1) and Sergei Kostitsyn (2)

(Nsh) Joel Ward (1) from Martin Erat (1) and David Legwand (1)

(Ana) (Empty Net) Bobby Ryan (2) from Cam Fowler (2) and Corey Perry (2)

(Ana) Ray Emery-31/34

(Nsh) Pekka Rinne-23/27


Montreal Canadiens @ Boston Bruins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vai24vl1Jo&feature=channel_video_title
Mtl 3 Bos 1
Mtl leads series 2-0
First Period:
(Mtl) Michael Cammalleri (1) from James Wisniewski (1)
(Mtl) Mathieu Darche (1) from Michael Cammalleri (1)
Second Period:
(Bos) Patrice Bergeron (1) from Brad Marchand (1) and Mark Recchi (1)
(Mtl) Yannick Weber (1) from Lars Eller (1) and Roman Hamrlik (1)
Third Period:
none

(Bos) Tim Thomas-23/26
(Mtl) Carey Price-34/35


Buffalo Sabres @ Philadelphia Flyers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkmBdN0eawE&feature=channel_video_title
Phi 5 Buf 4
Series tied 1-1
First Period:
(Phi) Claude Giroux (1) from Kimmo Timonen (1) and Braydon Coburn (1)
(Buf) (PPG) Thomas Vanek (1) from Marc-Andre Gragnani (2) and Jason Pominville (1)
(Phi) Daniel Carcillo (1) from Kris Versteeg (1) and Matt Carle (1)
(Buf) (PPG) Thomas Vanek (2) from Drew Stafford (1) and Tim Connolly (1)
(Buf) Andrej Sekera (1) from Patrick Kaleta (1)
(Phi) James van Riemsdyk (1) from Claude Giroux (1) and Andrej Meszaros (1)
Second Period:
(Phi) (PPG) Ville Leino (1) from Kimmo Timonen (2) and Andrej Meszaros (2)
(Phi) Danny Briere (1) from Scott Hartnell (1) and Matt Carle (2)
Third Period:
(Buf) Cody McCormick (1) from Rob Niedermayer (1) and Michael Grier (1)

(Phi) Sergei Bobrovsky-4/7
(Phi) Brian Boucher-20/21
(Buf) Ryan Miller-29/34


Phoenix Coyotes @ Detroit Red Wings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_WIs6CyOGw&feature=channel_video_title
Det 4 Phx 3
Det leads series 2-0
First Period:
(Det) (PPG) Pavel Datsyuk (2) from Nicklas Lidstrom (1) and Todd Bertuzzi (1)
(Det) (PPG) Brian Rafalski (2) from Pavel Datsyuk (1) and Tomas Holmstrom (2)
(Det) Darren Helm (1) from Pavel Datsyuk (2) and Nicklas Lidstrom (2)
Second Period:
(Det) Tomas Holmstrom (1) from Valtteri Filppula (2) and Pavel Datsyuk (3)
(Phx) (PPG) Radim Vrbata (2) from Shane Doan (2) and Kieth Yandle (1)
Third Period:
(Phx) (PPG) Shane Doan (1) from Martin Hanzal (2) and Kieth Yandle (2)
(Phx) (PPG) Shane Doan (2) from Kieth Yandle (3) and Radim Vrbata (1)

(Det) Jimmy Howard-30/33
(Phx) Ilya Bryzgalov-27/31


Los Angeles Kings @ San Jose' Sharks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmj3P_JItjo&feature=channel_video_title
Lak 4 Sjs 0
Series tied 1-1
First Period:
(Lak) (PPG) Jack Johnson (1) from Drew Doughty (1) and Michal Handzus (1)
(Lak) (PPG) Drew Doughty (1) from Ryan Smyth (2) and Jack Johnson (1)
Second Period:
(Lak) Drew Doughty (2) from Kyle Clifford (1) and Rob Scuderi (1)
Third Period:
(Lak) Kyle Clifford (1) from Brad Richardson (1) and Drew Doughty (2)

(Sjs) Antti Niemi-19/23
(Lak) Jonathan Quick-34/34