Eastern Conference

(8) Ottawa Senators vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Brandon Dubinsky

Muscat– Rangers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ryan Callahan

Philp– Rangers win in 5 . X-Factor –> Henrik Lundqvist/Rangers’ Physicality

Woodward– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Chris Phillips/Filip Kuba

(7) Washington Capitals vs. (2) Boston Bruins

Cohen– Bruins win in 6. X-Factor –> Nicklas Backstrom

Muscat– Bruins win in 4. X-Factor –> Brad Marchand

Philp– Capitals win in 7. X-Factor –> Alexander Ovechkin

Woodward– Bruins win in 6. X-Factor –> Boston’s Power-Play

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (3) Florida Panthers

Cohen– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> David Clarkson

Muscat– Devils win in 5. X-Factor –> David Clarkson

Philp– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> A Healthy Martin Brodeur

Woodward– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> Florida’s Secondary Scoring

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

Cohen–  Penguins win in 7. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Muscat– Penguins win in 6. X-Factor –> Marc-Andre Fleury

Philp– Penguins win in 5. X-Factor –> Pittsburgh’s Depth/Matt Cooke

Woodward– Flyers win in 7. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (1) Vancouver Canucks

Cohen–  Canucks win in 6. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Muscat– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Philp– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Woodward– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

(7) San Jose Sharks vs. (2) St. Louis Blues

Cohen– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> Andy McDonald

Muscat– Blues win in 5. X-Factor –> Alex Pietrangelo

Philp– Sharks win in 6. X-Factor –> Joe Thornton Exorcising Playoff Demons

Woodward– Blues win in 5. X-Factor –> Antti Niemi

(6) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen– Blackhawks win in 6. X-Factor –> Keith Yandle

Muscat– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith

Philp– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith/Phoenix Defense

Woodward– Coyotes win in 7. X-Factor –> Corey Crawford

(5) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Nashville Predators

Cohen– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Alexander Radulov

Muscat– Red Wings win in 7. X-Factor –> Pavel Datsyuk

Philp– Red Wings win in 6. X-Factor –> Detroit’s Special Teams

Woodward– Predators win in 7. X-Factor –> Detroit’s Second Line

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen– Penguins Over Predators

Muscat– Red Wings Over Penguins

Philp– Red Wings Over Penguins

Woodward– Rangers Over Predators

With Saturday’s conclusion of the regular season and Sunday’s revelation of this year’s postseason match-ups and schedules, now is as good a time as any to make my first round predictions. Today’s blog will feature three of the Eastern Conference’s four series. Being that the Bruins are the team I cover, I’ll have a more detailed preview of their series with the Capitals before it kicks off on Thursday at the TD Garden.

8) Ottawa Senators vs. 1) New York Rangers

Forwards– In years past, the Rangers were thought of as an offensively incapable bunch that could only reach victory through solid defense and world class goaltending. However, that image has been wiped clean this season through the addition of top-line pivot Brad Richards and the finally healthy Marian Gaborik. The Blueshirts have emerged as one of the league’s top offensive squads, posting a 2.71 goals per game average on the season, good for 11th in the NHL. However, an underrated Ottawa forward corps — led by Jason Spezzza and Milan Michalek — have brought the Sens the NHL’s fourth most potent offense this season.

Advantage– Ottawa

Defense– Outside of Norris Trophy favorite Erik Karlsson, the Ottawa d-corps leave a lot to be desired. While Sergei Gonchar is capable of an occasional offensive spark, he’s never been known to handle himself well in his own zone. While Filip Kuba and Chris Phillips do provide the Sens with a solid defensive presence night in and night out, the Ottawa defense group simply can’t compare to the well-rounded Rangers’ blueline. With offensively explosive d-men like Michael Del Zotto and Ryan McDonagh to go along with  shut-down rearguards Dan Girardi and Marc Staal, the Blueshirts back-end is one of the best in the league.

Advantage– New York

Goaltending– Despite Craig Anderson’s success in Ottawa over the past two seasons, I think it’s fairly obvious that the Rangers hold the edge here. Henrik Lundqvist can often steal a series on his own.

Advantage– New York

Intangibles– After besting the East’s number one squad on three of four occasions this season, the Sens may hold a bit of a mental edge on the Rangers heading into their series.

Advantage– Ottawa

Prediction– The Sens will make this one a lot closer than many of the experts suggest, forcing the Blueshirts into a decisive seventh game at Madison Square Garden. However, the Rangers’ depth and collective toughness will simply be too much for the Senators.

RANGERS IN 7

6) New Jersey Devils vs. 3) Florida Panthers

Forwards– Up front, the Devils posses far more offensive dynamic forwards than the Cats, with the likes of Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk and long-time Devil Patrik Elias. The late-season addition of former Cup winner John Madden will undoubtedly help the Panthers in the experience department, but their lack of production from any offensive unit outside the top line will be the Cats’ eventual unraveling.

Advantage– New Jersey

Defense– Powered by two blueliners who are never shy about jumping into an offensive play in the form of Jason Garisson and Brian Campbell, the Cats’ defensive unit is solid all the way around. Both sides seem to be even in this category.

Advantage– Florida

Goaltending– With the age of veteran ‘tender Martin Brodeur, this one’s a bit more of a toss up than many people think. I’d have to give the Devils the slight edge, just based on the fact that they have a capable backup, should anything happen to the 39-year-old Brodeur.

Advantage– New Jersey

Intangibles– The most interesting stat that I’ve come across here is that the Panthers have more players on their current roster (five) with a Stanley Cup ring than do the Devils (three). I don’t think many of us would have guessed that.

Advantage-- Florida

Prediction– Many pundits have New Jersey pulling off the upset here — if you even want to call it that — and rightfully so. After backing into the post-season, I don’t believe the Cats will be able to take down the Devils in round one.

NEW JERSEY IN 6

5) Philadelphia Flyers vs. 4) Pittsburgh Penguins

Forwards– The Philly offense is deep, strong and fast, but the Crosby and Malkin factor — along with the emergence of James Neal –  give the Pens a decisive advantage in this category.

Advantage– Pittsburgh

Defense– If Kris Letang can return to the Norris-favorite form he enjoyed early in the season, the Pens will also hold the advantage on the back-end, but if he can’t, I’d have to give the Flyers the nod, simply because of their amazing defensive depth, in holding eight NHL-capable rearguards.

Advantage– Philadelphia

Goaltending– Without doubt this is the hardest category to predict of them all. Couple Marc-Andre Fluery’s recent struggles with the enigmatic nature of Ilya Bryzgalov and you’ve got a complete and total toss up when it comes to the netminders in this series. Assuming Bryzgalov can return to form, Philadelphia will hold the edge here.

Advantage– Philadelphia

Intangibles– With most of the roster still intact from the 2009 Stanley Cup winning season, the Pens hold a decisive intangible advantage over a rookie-filled Flyers’ lineup.

Advantage– Pittsburgh

Prediction– In what will undoubtedly become one of the greatest postseason series in recent memory, these two cross-state rivals will lay it all on the line. In the end, I believe that the Flyers will outlast the Pens, stealing game seven on the ice of the CONSOL Energy Center.

PHILADELPHIA IN 7

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New Jersey Devils (96 Points) Record Against: 4-0-0

Strengths: Arguably the most defensively responsible team in the Eastern Conference, each and every line – with the exception of the top unit – is better than solid in the defensive zone, while still possessing the ability to contribute on the offensive end. The Devils are also a team built with hoards of veterans, who have been to the rodeo a time or two. Aided by the league’s top penalty kill unit, aging netminders Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg have posted a respectable 2.54 goals against average this season.

Weaknesses: Outside of the top line of Ilya Kovalchuk, Adam Henrique and Zach Parise – which is without doubt one of the NHL’s most lethal forward trios – the Devils struggle to find consistent secondary scoring. While the return of Travis Zajac will likely go a long way to helping solve that problem, New Jersey is fairly heavily reliant on production from the star-studded Kovalchuk line.

Conclusion: While unlikely that these two squads will make acquaintances in round one, I’m fairly confident that I’d give the Bruins the nod if and when they meet the Devils in the playoffs.

 Ottawa Senators (90 Points) Record Against: 4-1-0, 1 Left To Play

Strengths: Armed with the Northeast division’s most lethal power-play unit (18.3%) and a 3.00 goals per game average, the Sens are one of the more offensively prolific teams headed for the post-season. Anchored on the back-end by hands-down Norris Trophy favorite Erik Karlsson (19G/58A) and former-Bruin Sergei Gonchar (4G/31A), the Senators also possess the league’s best tandem of puck-moving defenseman. Lead by superstar pivot Jason Spezza, Ottawa’s front line consists of youthful and extremely dynamic forward corps.

Weaknesses: Outside of veteran captain Daniel Alfredsson and a few others, the better part of the Sens’ roster hasn’t experienced the intensity of playoff hockey. Also, the Sens aren’t known to be a physical team. With the exception of enforcer Chris Neil, Ottawa does not employ many physically imposing skaters, something that could put them at a severe disadvantage against a bruising bunch like the Bruins.

Conclusion: Without doubt, this would be the match-up I’m sure most Bruins’ fans would like to see the most. The B’s have fared well against Ottawa this season and could likely easily wear down the Sens over the course of a seven game series.

Washington Capitals (88 Points) Record Against: 1-2-1

Strengths: With the return of puck-handling whiz Nicklas Backstrom and his subsequent reunion with uber-star Alexander Ovechkin, the Caps once again find themselves in possession of one of the most dynamic top lines in all of hockey. The Caps unquestioned ability to score has been complimented this season by the additions of gritty forwards Joel Ward, Jeff Halpern and Troy Brouwer.

Weaknesses: After three consecutive early playoff exits – despite holding one of the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference – the Caps’ ability to “win the big one” has still yet to be answered. Whether it’s due to a character issue in the Washington room , as many in the mainstream media like to call it, or a variety of outside factors, the Capitals will be tethered to that identity until they’re able to escape round two.

Conclusion: Boston hasn’t exactly matched up well with the Caps this season and a first round match-up with Ovechkin and the gang wouldn’t work in the favor of the defending Cup champs. Despite all of their playoff struggles, this Washington group can still be extremely dangerous simply because of their immense offensive talent.

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Projected Standings: (Team–Projected Point Total–Point Differential From Last Season–Seed Differential From Last Season)

1) New York Rangers 115 Points –>+22 Points –> +7 Spots

2) Boston Bruins         102 Points –> -1 Point –> +1 Spot

3) Florida Panthers    93 Points –> +21 Points –> +12 Spots

4) Pittsburgh Penguins 106 Points –> EVEN –> EVEN

5) Philadelphia Flyers  102 Points –> -4 Points –> -3 Spots

6) New Jersey Devils 98 Points –> +17 Points –> +5 Spots

7) Ottawa Senators 94 Points –> +20 Points –> +6 Spots

8) Winnipeg Jets 88 Points –> +8 Points –> +4 Points

9) Washington Capitals 87 Points –> -20 Points –> -8 Spots

10) Buffalo Sabres 86 Points –> -10 Points –> -3 Spots

11) Tampa Bay Lightning 84 Points –> -19 Points –> -6 Spots

12) Toronto Maple Leafs 82 Points –> -3 Points –> -2 Spots

13) New York Islanders 81 Points –> +8 Points –> +1 Spot

14) Carolina Hurricanes 80 Points –> -11 Points –> -5 Spots

15) Montreal Canadiens 73 Points –> -23 Points –> -9 Spots

STATS:

–> Largest Points Improvement …..     New York Rangers (+22)

–> Largest Seeding Improvement …..  Florida Panthers (+12)

–> Worst Points Drop-Off           …..     Montreal Canadiens (-23)

–> Worst Seeding Drop-Off       …..      Montreal Canadiens (-9)

If Sidney Crosby (Above) makes a return to the Pittsburgh lineup, these number may change drastically.

–> Now, things can always change rapidly and a team could fall completely out of the playoff race or one could jump right into it by putting together a nice winning streak, making this system far from a perfect prediction tool.

–> Last season, it took 93 points from the New York Rangers to secure the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. This year it looks like 90 will once again be the magic number with one or two teams perhaps finishing below that mark and still sneaking into the dance.

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Click here to view the embedded video.

“I’m not (happy). I’ve been walking around for two days with a headache. Just because I didn’t decide to lay on the ice and get carted off doesn’t mean it wasn’t a cheap shot. In my opinion, he saw my numbers and took an opportunity to seek revenge from the game prior (for his own hit against Turris). Hopefully he’s a man tomorrow and he’ll stand up when I come after him. I’m not going to try to hurt him. I’m going to try to fight him.” — Joe Corvo

Well, despite being on the ice together on numerous occasions during Tuesday night’s game, Corvo did nothing in the way of even check Turris, never mind drop the gloves with him. The former Carolina Hurricane claimed that Turris declined his invitation to fight during his post-game media session.

“I asked him and he wasn’t interested.  It ended like that. His teammates said he wasn’t going to fight me so that’s it.  I wasn’t going to be the idiot chasing him around.” – Joe Corvo

Taking Corvo at his word (because I have no reason not to), one can easily assume that Ottawa’s undersized forward likely did refuse to fight the Boston blueliner. Even if Turris had declined his invitation for fisticuffs, one would think that the Bruins’ 6’1″ rearguard would at least exact a bit of “revenge” through physical play or (clean) hits. Corvo wanted no part of it.

Now, with eight NHL defenseman in the fold, head coach Claude Julien has been given a variety of options when it comes to how he will organize the back-end of his squad. With this in mind, after actions (or lack thereof) tonight that may cause some to question number fourteen’s character, as well as yet another lackluster defensive performance, I don’t think it’s farfetched to think that Corvo could find himself joining us scribes in the press box sooner rather than later.

The game did not begin the way the B’s envisioned it as it took them nearly seven minutes to register their first shot on goal against Sens’ rookie/sophomore ‘tender Robin Lehner. Things went from bad to worse for Boston as two first frame penalties put the Bruins into a hole. While they were able to successfully kill of the first Ottawa man advantage, the Sens were able to jump ahead after defense prodigy Erik Karlsson blasted a point shot past Thomas amidst their second power-play of the evening. The goal was Karlsson’s league leading (amongst defensemen) 15^th of the campaign as the 21-year-old Swede continues to run away from the rest of the pack in the race for the Norris Trophy. Despite a late period power play chance, the B’s went to the locker room facing a 1-0 deficit.

“Our power play’s got to come through.  I think that was the let down tonight.” — Joe Corvo

The second frame was much of the same for a Boston club that simply couldn’t supply the energy needed to compete in such a pivotal divisional contest. The B’s only managed 15 total shots through the first two periods of play against a young Senators goalie that was making only his third start all season.  Luckily for the B’s, Tim Thomas stood on his head throughout the game, denying the Sens any chance to extend their lead.

“He’s a fantastic goaltender and a huge role model for me having grown up liking him a lot. I watched him last year while we were in the playoffs down in Binghamton and how huge he was for this team and he came up big every single night and helped them win a Cup. He’s a great goalie and it was an honor playing against him tonight.” – Robin Lehner

In the third, the B’s were once again lucky enough to be put on the man advantage with countless opportunities to even the score at one. With only 2:09 remaining in the game, Senators’ blueliner Sergei Gonchar was whistled for hooking, resulting in Boston’s fourth power-play of the evening. Unfortunately for the 17,565 Black and Gold supporters that packed into TD Garden on Tuesday, the B’s still couldn’t muster much in the way of a quality scoring chance, even with Thomas pulled for the extra attacker.

The 1-0 defeat marks the Bruins’ eight loss in thirteen February contests and the fifth time that they’ve been shutout during the month. Boston’s streak of consecutive games without stringing together back-to-back wins has now extended to a staggering 21 contests, dating back to January 10^th through the 12^th.

Being unable to build momentum after a victory has been a serious issue for Boston as of late. During the aforementioned 21-game stretch, the B’s have scored only eleven goals in the nine games following a victory. The Bruins have won exactly zero of those nine games.

More importantly, tonight’s win moves the Senators into a point of first place in the Northeast division.The Bruins do have the luxury of having four games in hand over the Sens, but that shouldn’t diminish the accomplishments of this Ottawa squad. Just one year after finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference, GM Bryan Murray and new head coach Paul MacLean have completely turned the Ottawa franchise around. Never has “what a difference a year makes” been a truer statement in the NHL.

“I don’t think we knew what to expect going into this year. We worked hard to get where we are. I don’t think we took anything for granted. It’s always hard work, always trying to get better. Also I think we have a great group and we have a lot of fun together. I think during a tough schedule like an NHL season, it’s important to use the off days to gather some energy, I think this team sticks together, doing activities together and having fun so it doesn’t feel like such a drag.” – Daniel Alfredsson

Ben’s Three Stars:

1) Robin Lehner (32 Saves)

2) Tim Thomas (37 Saves)

3) Erik Karlsson (1 Goal, 4 Shots)

What’s Next?

– Up next for the B’s as they continue on their three game home-stand will be Zach Parise and the New Jersey Devils on Thursday evening at the TD Garden.  The B’s will then finish up the three-game set on Saturday afternoon against the New York Islanders. The Sens will be off until Friday when they host the Chicago Blackhawks at ScotiaBank Place.

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Records: Ottawa 33-23-8 (74 Points) ,Boston 37-20-3 (77 Points)

Location: TD Garden , Boston, Massachusetts

Time: 7:00 P.M. (EST)

TV/Radio Info: NESN (Edwards, Brickley, Funayama) – 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers)

Last Game: Bruins 5 , Senators 3 ……. New York Islanders 2 , Senators 5

Tonight’s Lineup (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS:

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Kelly–Krejci

Pouliot–Rolston–Caron

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE:

Chara–Seidenberg

Ference–Corvo

Mottau–McQuaid

GOALTENDER:

Thomas

Rask

Scratches– …… Andrew Bodnarchuk , Max Sauve , Greg Zanon

Injuries:

Nathan Horton (Concussion) – Boston’s top right winger remains sidelined with a concussion he suffered back on January 21.

Rich Peverley (MCL) – Peverley will sit out his fifth consecutive game as he continues to rehab his MCL injury.

Johnny Boychuk (Concussion) — The B’s top-pair D-man will miss his first game in quite some time as he sits out with what’s being called a “mild concussion” stemming from the hit he took from the Sens’ Chris Neil on Saturday in Ottawa.

Last Time We Met: Bruins 5 , Senators 3

– The last time these two Northeast division rivals made acquaintances was just three days ago as the Bruins held off a late charge by the Sens to win a 5-3 contest at ScotiaBank Place in Ottawa. Despite a pair of late goals from Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson, Patrice Bergeron would seal a Boston victory with an empty net tally with under a minute to play in the game.

Stat Of Note: Tonight’s contest will likely mark the Bruins debut for at least one of yesterday’s additions made by team GM Peter Chiarelli. Brian Rolston and Mike Mottau have already joined the team in Boston and it’s been reported that Greg Zanon will arrive in the Hub at some point before game time.

Prediction: Something tells me that the streak of 20 consecutive games without back-to-back wins that the Bruins have been mired in for the past month and a half will finally come to a close tonight. I think that the Bruins will be rejuvenated by yesterday’s deadline acquisitions and will pull out a big victory over their division rival on home ice this evening.

Senators 2 , Bruins 5

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Records: Boston 36-20-3 (75 Points) , Ottawa 32-22-8 (72 Points)

Location: ScotiaBank Place , Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Time: 7:00 P.M. (EST)

TV/Radio Info: NESN (Edwards, Brickley, Funayama) – 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers)

Last Game: Bruins 1 , Buffalo 2 (SO) ……. Washington 2 , Senators 5

Tonight’s Lineup (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS:

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Kelly–Krejci

Pouliot–Camper–Caron

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE:

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Corvo

Ference–McQuaid

GOALTENDER:

Thomas

Rask

Scratches– …… Andrew Bodnarchuk , Josh Hennessy

Injuries:

Nathan Horton (Concussion) – Boston’s top right winger remains sidelined with a concussion he suffered back on January 21.

Rich Peverley (MCL) – Peverley will sit out his fifth consecutive game as he continues to rehab his MCL injury.

Last Time We Met: Senators 3 , Bruins 4

– The last time these two Northeast division rivals made acquaintances was back on January 31 when the Bruins erased a 3-1 deficit late in the second period and held off the Sens for a 4-3 victory at TD Garden. The B’s have won each of the three contests with the Senators this season, by a combined 14-8 score.

Stat Of Note: Tonight’s contest marks the 60th game of the season for the Black and Gold and their final outing before Monday’s 3 P.M. trading deadline. While highly unlikely — at least in the eyes of this scribe — tonight’s game could be the last of someone’s career with the B’s. I find it hard to believe that GM Peter Chiarelli would tinker with the chemistry of the team that won him a Stanley Cup just one season ago. This leads me to believe that IF anyone is moved off this roster Joe Corvo and Benoit Pouliot would be your likely candidates.

Prediction:  A tough loss last night in Buffalo undoubtedly hurt a Bruins’ squad that hasn’t put together back-to-back wins since January 10th to the 12th. Despite the absence of starting netminder Craig Anderson, something tells me the Sens will be able to edge the B’s on home ice tonight.

Bruins 3 , Senators 4 (OT)

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Recovering from a 1-0 deficit after allowing a Zdeno Chara power-play goal, the Sens would quickly adjust and build a 3-1 lead by the mid-point of the second frame.

The goals were scored by three men who are sure to be integral pieces of the hockey scene in Ottawa for many years to come; rookie Colin Greening, sensational sophomore Kyle Turris and all-star blueliner Erik Karlsson.

However, late in the second period the B’s were able to cut the deficit to one and more importantly swing the momentum back into their favor when Milan Lucic took a slick cross-ice feed from Rich Peverley and wristed one past Craig Anderson to make it a 3-2 game as we entered the final frame.

“We know we played a terrible second period, they scored on us a few times on breakdowns in the neutral zone and the defensive zone and for us to get momentum going into the third definitely helped us come back in this game.” – Dennis Seidenberg

The third and final frame would not be too kind on the Senators as Boston would jump all over them, out-shooting Ottawa 13-7 and scoring the only two goals of the period. “We started playing like ourselves in the third, we did a great job finding a way to win and at the end of the day that’s what matters” quipped Brad Marchand. After a Karlsson penalty put Boston on the power-play, it wouldn’t take long for the undersized winger to knot the score at three when he outworked a couple of Sens’ defensemen and poked a rebound into the Ottawa goal.

The fourth Boston tally was without doubt the least spectacular of them all as it was Dennis Seidenberg who would wind up and blast one past Anderson….. from the red line. The goal was far from pretty, but as they say “it’s not how, it’s how many”.

“It skipped and it turned and it twisted. Those things are going to happen, we can’t point any fingers about that. Every once in a blue moon, that’s going to happen.” – Paul MacLean

Boston would salvage this one-goal lead and hold one to secure their third victory in three tries against Ottawa this season. In what’s becoming more and more of a trend here in the Hub, the B’s are relying heavily on strong third periods to bail them out of games in which they haven’t been at their best. While being able to win games in which you don’t have your best stuff is obviously a fantastic trait that many teams would love to possess, members of the Black and Gold know that they must improve their game and come out with more sixty-minute efforts.

“It almost feels like we’re waiting for the third to come around. If we can just stay close and play our standard third period then we’ll win the game. But like I said, that type of play doesn’t last very long.” – Joe Corvo

Playing their third consecutive hotly contested tilt against the B’s, the Senators proved tonight that they should be taken seriously in the Eastern Conference.  Being able to hang with the defending Stanley Cup champions is no small feat, especially for a young Ottawa team trying to make a name for itself.

“I think we played good throughout most of the game but we just didn’t play good enough for sixty minutes.  That’s why we lost this game. I think that when we’re at the top of our game we can compete with any team in this league.” – Erik Karlsson

KEY STATS

Goals–                  OTT (3)        BOS (4)

Shots–                  OTT (33)      BOS (30)

Power-Play–      OTT (0-0)    BOS (2-4)

Penalty-Kill–      OTT (2-4)     BOS (0-0)

Ben’s Three Stars– ….. 3.) Milan Lucic ….. 2.) Erik Karlsson  ….. 1.) Brad Marchand

What’s Next?

The B’s will be back at it on Thursday as they continue their home-stand against Eric Staal and the Carolina Hurricanes. The Sens will make a return home to ScotiaBank Place where they will host the New York Islanders on Friday evening.

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Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Krejci–Peverley

Pouliot–Kelly–Hamill

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Corvo

Kampfer–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Thomas

Rask

Scratches– …… Ference (Suspended) , Caron (Healthy) , Horton (Concussion)

NEWS & NOTES

– Nathan Horton, who was absent from practice on Monday, is expected to miss his second straight contest after suffering his second concussion in eight months on Sunday against the Flyers. Also, defenseman Andrew Ference will be serving the third and final game of the three game ban he was given for his boarding incident against the Rangers’ Ryan McDonagh.

– Tonight will mark the third of six match-ups between these two squads and the second of three to be played here in Boston. The Black and Gold have won both contests thus far by a combined 10-5 margin. The first of which was back on November 1 when the B’s pulled out a come-from behind win at TD Garden that sparked an impeccable 12-0-1 streak. The second match-up was back on December 14 when a pair of Daniel Paille goals lead Boston to a 5-2 win at ScotiaBank Place.

– Team captains Daniel Alfredsson and Zdeno Chara will go head to head once again after leading their respective all-star squads into action this past weekend during the annual All-Star Weekend up in Ottawa. Alfredsson’s team dominated Saturday’s skills competition, but Chara’s team won the game 12-9 on Sunday night thanks to big performances from Marians; Gaborik and Hossa.

– B’s forward Patrice Bergeron has scored two goals and added one assist in the two games against the Sens this season, the year after scoring his first career hat-trick against the team hailing from Canada’s capital. Boston’s alternate captain has always fared well against Ottawa and it’d be wise for one to look for him to have yet another big performance against the Red and Black in this evening’s contest.

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However, something happened on the way to making the NHL more palatable to the masses. You might have noticed that your favorite player or players have been missing in action quite a bit this season.As of Thursday, 51 NHL players have been lost to concussions this season. On that list is the player many believe is the league’s best, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby has played in just eight NHL games since suffering a concussion on Jan. 5, 2011.

That list has become a gargantuan story this season, much to the alarm of the league and teams, who have in the past attempted to minimize what independent medical experts have been citing for years: hockey has a concussion epidemic on its hands.

< READ MORE ON CBS New York >

Other pieces on CBS by BD:

HOW PLAYERS, NOT THE ISLES COACH WILL WALK PLANK THIS SEASON

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE? TELL THAT TO NY ISLANDERS FANS! 

Forwards ($38.05 MIL)

Line 1:

Phil Kessel (Toronto) $5.4 MIL — Jason Spezza (Ottawa) $7.0 MIL — Joffrey Lupul (Toronto) $4.25 MIL

I like the chemistry shown between Lupul and Kessel up in Toronto; throw in Jason Spezza’s world class play-making abilities, and you’ve got one of the best first lines in the league.

Line 2:

Brad Marchand (Boston) $2.5 MIL — Tyler Seguin (Boston) $3.5 MIL — Max Pacioretty (Montreal) $1.65 MIL

Boston’s duo of sensational sophomores have proven themselves as legitimate top-six forwards in this league. Their speed, coupled with the size and strength of Montreal’s budding power forward would provide a difficult match-up for any D-pairing.

Line 3:

Nick Foligno (Ottawa) $1.2 MIL — Patrice Bergeron (Boston) $5.0 MIL — Clarke MacArthur (Toronto) $3.25 MIL

You have got to love the versatility of this line. All three of these players can be counted on in any situation, including on both sides of special teams.

Line 4:

Daniel Paille (Boston) $1.1 MIL — Gregory Campbell (Boston) $1.1 MIL — Zenon Konopka (Ottawa) $0.70 MIL

Konopka and Campbell are two of the best face-off men in all of the NHL, while Daniel Paille can be a very valuable asset on the penalty-kill. All come at a very reasonable price and provide the team with the necessary grit to excel in today’s NHL.

13th Forward: Nathan Gerbe (Buffalo) $1.4 MIL

Defense ($19.85 MIL)

Pair 1:

Zdeno Chara (Boston) $6.9 MIL — Erik Karlsson (Ottawa) $1.3 MIL

Easily the two biggest no-brainers on this team, Chara and Karlsson provide the perfect balance of defense and offense on the squad’s top pair.

Pair 2:

P.K. Subban (Montreal) $0.85 MIL — Dennis Seidenberg (Boston) $3.25 MIL

Subban and Seidenberg also provide a great mix of offense and defense. Seidenberg’s veteran savvy and poise should be able to assist the young Subban’s development.

Pair 3:

Luke Schenn (Toronto) $3.6 MIL — Andrej Sekera (Buffalo) $2.75 MIL

The youngest pairing of the three, both players should be good enough to one day become top-pair defensemen. Meanwhile, both come at relatively inexpensive cap hits.

7th Defenseman:  Jake Gardiner (Toronto) $1.20 MIL

Goaltenders ($7.75 MIL)

1.) Tim Thomas (Boston) $5.0 MIL

2.) Carey Price (Montreal) $2.75 MIL

Boston’s Tim Thomas is once again putting up Vezina-worthy numbers, furthering the notion that he truly ages like a fine wine. Meanwhile, Carey Price, who comes with a manageable price tag, has also asserted himself as one of the best netminders in the game.

Recap:

Total Salary: $65.65 MIL

Cap Space: $0.00

Representation: Boston 8 , Toronto 5 , Ottawa 4 , Montreal 3 , Buffalo 2

General Manager: Peter Chiarelli (Boston)

Head Coach: Claude Julien (Boston)

– It’s hard to argue with the defending Stanley Cup champion head coach and GM combo.

Home Arena: Bell Centre (Montreal)

– One of the loudest buildings in the league, this one was an easy choice.

– NHL salary cap information courtesy of CapGeek.

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On Wednesday night, for the second consecutive evening the Boston Bruins won their second straight game without the services of captain Zdeno Chara. In a game filled with turnovers, brawls, penalties and everything in between, the Black and Gold were able to pull out a 5-2 victory over the division rival Ottawa Senators.

In a game that saw the Sens throw 49 shots in the direction of B’s netminder Tim Thomas, the reigning Vezina trophy winner was able to get in the way of 47 of them, the only exceptions being Daniel Alfredsson’s early second period wrister and Jason Spezza’s garbage-time tally from the top of the circle. Coming off an “off-night”, especially by his standards on Saturday in Columbus, Thomas wanted to make sure he silenced all those who expected him to fall into a cold streak in a place where he’s now won 21 of 31 career starts.

Notching five goals on a night when your first line doesn’t produce any points is surely nothing to scoff at. Undoubtedly the star of the show on Wednesday was the often misfortunate fourth line winger Daniel Paille. The 6’0″ native of Welland, Ontario, who has already been sidelined with two separate injuries this season (Facial Surgery, Concussion), was the deciding factor in Boston’s win over the Sens, registering both his fourth and his fifth goals of the season. Any fan of the sport of hockey can appreciate a night that rewards a player who works as hard as Paille, killing penalties, blocking shots and doing whatever coach Julien asks of him.

In what would become the prevalent theme of the night, Boston’s depth was on full display on Wednesday evening. Apart from the unlikely contribution of two goals from Daniel Paille, the B’s were also treated to a pair of tallies from their third unit. The emergence of Chris Kelly’s offensive presence continued to persevere, as the former Senator chipped in with his 12th of the year late in the second frame, to go along with the ever-so-versatile Rich Peverley’s early first period tally. The always reliable Patrice Bergeron would contribute his 6th goal of the season as Boston’s championship caliber depth was once again the key to victory.

Despite his team winning it’s third consecutive contest and improving it’s record to 17-2-1 over their last 20 games, Boston head coach Claude Julien wasn’t satisfied with his team’s effort on Wednesday night in his hometown.  (Quote transcribed from CBS Boston Sports Radio).

“Let’s not kid ourselves, I’m not sure we were the better team tonight. Not because of injuries, but we’re going through something as a team that’s a bit of a challenge right now. I don’t think we’re executing well, I don’t think we’re battling as well as we should be. Part of that is our emotions are not as good as they were when things were going well. We need to pick up our game.” — Claude Julien

Now, as anyone who knows anything about the Bruins, these words are very much out-of-character for a normally conservative head coach like Julien. While it can be argued as to if his words were directed to a certain player, a certain line or if he simply wanted to deliver a strong message to his team that they are not meeting his expectations. Perhaps it could have been directed at a certain sophomore forward who began the season on a white-hot type production streak (11 goals in his first 15 games) and has seen his production fall off a cliff ever since (2 goals in the last 14 games)? Could it have been at a first line that has produced zero points in five of the B’s past six contests?

Those are questions we’ll all just be left to ponder. It’s most certainly interesting to see coach Julien call out his team in a public manner, something we have not seen from him since being hired by GM Peter Chiarelli back in June of 2007. Perhaps these players will use these words as motivation, and begin to skate with a bit of a chip on their shoulder in hopes of proving their coach wrong. The B’s better hope they bring they’re A-game on Saturday, as they prep for a rematch of opening night against the Flyers in front of the cameras for HBO’s “24/7″ series.

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People are always asking me, do I know about Brian Burke?

It was right in everyone’s face Brian and I just made it visible, it was right on the tip of everyone’s tongue, Brian and I just gave it a name, it was an event searching for a venue and we gave it a barn by Lake Placid

Gentlemen, welcome to NHL Fight Club

The first rule of NHL Fight Club is you do not tweet about NHL Fight Club.

The 2nd Rule of NHL Fight Club is you do not retweet BizNasty’s tweets about NHL Fight Club.

3rd Rule: If someone says “stop” or goes limp, taps out, the fight is over. Unless they’re a little fake artist.

4th Rule: is the Third Man in Rule … huh maybe we should make that the third rule

5th Rule: Only one fight at a time fellahs, unless NFL Fight Club is also running, then no fights allowed at all.

6th Rule: No shirts, No shoes …… jesus Rob Ray put your pants back on.

7th Rule: Fights will go on as long as the linesmen think they have to

8th Rule: If this is your first night at NHL Fight Club … you have to fight. Lay off Konopka, this is your 9th ‘first night’ in a row

What’s that Smell?

GOON:

In our support of the lack of hockey movies, comes this info from the movie company to us.

“We have a great throwback hockey movie coming out and we would love to get your support. Its violent and insanely funny.”

Starring Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill and Liev Schreiber
Written by Jay Baruchel, Evan Goldberg (SUPERBAD and  PINEAPPLE EXPRESS)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Synopsis
Labelled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of underperforming misfits to semi-pro hockey glory, beating the crap out of everything that stands in his way.

The film opens on VOD on 2/24 and In Theatres 3/30

Based from the book “Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey”

www.goonthemovie.com

Official Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/GoonFilm

Some more on the movie comes from Slash Film

On Tuesday night, the Boston Bruins absolutely had to have a victory. That’s right, the defending Stanley Cup Champions were in a must-win situation…..on November 1. Coming into Tuesday’s game against Ottawa, the B’s had lost 3 straight and seven of their first ten this season, with a 2-5-0 record at the TD Garden. Sporting a 3-7-0 record, good for dead-last in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins were in desperate need of a victory. Fortunately for Boston, the defending Cup Champs where able to deliver.

Despite a lack-luster 1st period that saw the B’s go down 2-1 to a young Ottawa Senators squad, Boston was able to recover and defeat the Sens 5-3 at the Garden. In a game in which frustration was sure to boil over, the B’s went down early after Ottawa scored a fluky-type goal, that bounced in off of Adam McQuaid, at the 5:19 mark of the 1st period. Boston was able to respond when Milan Lucic tied the score at 1 as he knocked home the rebound of a Zdeno Chara point shot on the power-play. Unfortunately for the B’s, a mere 0:16 seconds later, the Sens regained the lead on former Merrimack College forward Stephane DaCosta’s 3rd goal of the season.

Being able to respond in the 2nd period was crucial if the Bruins wanted to come out of Tuesday’s game with their 4th win of the season. At the 4:21 mark of the 2nd frame, B’s alternate captain Patrice Bergeron tied the game at 2 as he fired a wrist shot past Craig Anderson’s blocker-side after receiving  a beautiful cross-ice feed from Tyler Seguin. It wasn’t until the 18:00 mark of the 2nd period that Boston would take it’s first lead of the night after some hard-work and cycling behind the net from Rich Peverley led to a one-timer goal for Chris Kelly.

“I think it was a great play by Rich and I think everyone was kind of focused on him because he entered the zone with so much speed. It was a great pass by him and I happened to find that area up in the high slot.” – Chris Kelly

The ability to bounce back after getting behind twice early, was a huge factor in tonight’s win for Boston. “When they scored to tie it, we didn’t get down on ourselves…..it’s nice to see us come back hard” said Bruins’ forward Daniel Paille.

When Ottawa rookie defenseman Jared Cowen potted his first career goal at the 5:04 mark of the final frame, it appeared as if the Bruins might once again find themselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard. Tuesday night, the B’s were not going to allow that to happen. Only 1:37 after the Sens had tied the game, Boston jumped back on top as Johnny Boychuk blasted a slap-shot through a screen and past Anderson to give the Bruins the lead.

“It’s obviously a huge goal for us. That’s exactly what we needed to respond right away, almost right after. It showed that tonight everyone was on the same page and it paid off. ” – Patrice Bergeron

The Bruins would not look back from there, extending their lead to 5-3 on a breakaway goal from Daniel Paille, a mere 0:37 seconds after Boychuk gave Boston the lead.

In what many consider a more well-rounded effort from the Black & Gold, B’s forward Chris Kelly saw great improvements in the overall play of his team:

“I thought, for the most part, that was the most consistent effort that we’ve had so far this year. There were still times that I thought we could’ve been a bit better, but we played well.” – Chris Kelly

Consistency, which has been the Bruins’ biggest Achilles heel in 2011-12 was definitely not an issue on Tuesday, as the B’s received solid offensive contributions up and down the line-up — 1 goal from each forward line, 13 skaters registered a point — and were able to assert themselves physically in all three zones of the ice. Boston must build off Tuesday’s victory and bring the same type of effort on Saturday, when they visit the division leading Maple Leafs.

“Tonight was a start, and it has to carry over to next game. That’s where we have to be determined to want to bring those kind of efforts with us in the next game (Against Toronto) which is going to be as tough a team to play right now as any.” – Claude Julien

 

KEY STATS

Goals–                  OTT (3)        BOS (5)

Shots–                  OTT (26)      BOS (41)

Power-Play–      OTT (0-3)    BOS (1-7)

Penalty-Kill–      OTT (6-7)     BOS (3-3)

Three Stars– ….. 3.) Nick Foligno ….. 2.) Patrice Bergeron ….. 1.) Rich Peverley

What’s Next?

The Bruins will once again be the beneficiaries of an extended period of days off, as their next game is not until Saturday evening when they visit Phil Kessel and his 1st-place Toronto Maple Leafs. When the two teams met on October 20 at the TD Garden, Boston dominated, winning 6-2 in front of their home fans. On Saturday, Kessel –the league’s leading goal-scorer– and the Leafs will look for revenge, on the ice of the Air Canada Centre. For Ottawa, it’s a return home to the confines of ScotiaBank Place for a 3-game home-stand that will feature visits from Jacques Martin’s Montreal Canadiens, the Sabres, and the Rangers.

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Tonight, two teams at opposite ends of the NHL hockey spectrum will face-off at the TD Garden, when the Ottawa Senators pay a visit to the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins. One team has been clicking on all cylinders, reeling off 6 straight victories. Meanwhile, the other squad has lost three-in-a-row and seven of their first ten. At first glance, one would think that the defending champion Bruins are the team that is on a hot streak, and it is the lowly Senators who sit last in the Eastern Conference. However, in an unexpected role reversal of sorts, it is the Ottawa Senators who sit in 4th place in the East with a 7-5-0 (14 Points) record, while the Boston Bruins sit in dead last in the East with a 3-7-0 (6 Points) mark. Tonight the Bruins will try to crawl out of last place as they seek their 4th win of the 2011-’12 season.

Tonight’s Projected Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Horton–Krejci–Lucic

Caron–Kelly–Peverley

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE

Chara–Seidenberg

Ference–Boychuk

Corvo–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Thomas

Rask

Scratches– ….. Pouliot, Kampfer

– Tonight’s game can be seen on NESN (Edwards, Brickley) and heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers), the flagship radio station of the Boston Bruins.

KEY NOTES & STATS
– The Sens will be without Captain Daniel Alfredsson  who suffered a concussion on Saturday against the New York Rangers.

– The Bruins have a 1-4-0 record in 1-goal games, which matches their position in the standings at 29th in the NHL.

– Ottawa’s top-line center Jason Spezza has 6 goals and 9 assists in 12 games this season, and has 37 points in 43 career games against Boston.

– Bruins centerman David Krejci, who has registered only 1 goal and zero assists in 7 games this season, has 20 points (7 goals/13 assists) in 23 career games against the Senators.

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This move was made necessary following Andrei Markov’s slow progression back from a knee surgery. Markov has been skating solo in the past few weeks and doesn’t seem ready to comeback any time soon. The 27 year-old was without a contract after becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.

Campoli, who will join the Habs’ training camp in Montreal tomorrow, can man the point on the second power play unit. He’ll sneak in for the back-door play and can make some decent passes. He has an accurate , but not overly powerful shot. He makes good outlet passes out of the defensive zone. Yet, in the defensive zone, he can get running around after big forwards as he has trouble pinning them and Campoli is not overly physical.

He will be a good 5-6th defensemen with the Canadiens.

Probable defensive pairings on opening day:
Hall Gill-P.K. Subban
Jaroslav Spacek-Josh Gorges
Chris Campoli-Alexei Yemelin
Spare: Yannick Weber
Injured: Andrei Markov

Depth defensemen: Raphael Diaz, Jeff Woywitka and Mark Mitera

We’ll know more as the team is slated to make its first round of cuts late tonight or tomorrow after a four-games in four nights weekend ending tonight at Bell Centre against the Boston Bruins.

You can follow me on Twitter for more information and updates about the Habs and the NHL in general.

Following the game, the B’s returned their 2011 3rd round draft choice, Anthony Camara to the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, and assigned Tyler Randell, Yannick Riendeau, Stefan Chaput, Calle Ridderwall & Kyle MacKinnon to the  Providence Bruins.

In a bit of bad news for the Black & Gold, new defenseman Joe Corvo left the game early in the first, after suffering a mild lower body injury. This coming before news broke this morning that center David Krecji left B’s practice in Wilmington, after feeling the effects of lower body tightness.

Tonight, the Bruins officially kick off their 2011 Pre-season schedule, in Ottawa at ScotiaBank Place. The game starts at 7 PM, and will be broadcast on 98.5 The Sports Hub, the radio home of the Bruins.  Unfortunately, the game will not be carried on local television. Today, the Bruins have announced the roster for tonight’s game against the Senators:

FORWARDS

Benoit Pouliot-Patrice Bergeron-Jamie Tardif
Jordan Caron-Tyler Seguin-Jamie Arniel
Max Sauve-Ryan Spooner-Chris Clark
Lane MacDermid-Chris Kelly-Shawn Thornton

DEFENSE

Andrew Ference-Colby Cohen
Matt Bartkowski-Adam McQuaid
David Warsofsky-Dougie Hamilton

GOALTENDERS

Tuukka Rask
Anton Khudobin

It is expected that Goaltender Tuukka Rask, will play the full 60 minutes tonight, barring something crazy and unexpected.

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HOCKEY LEGENDS PAT LAFONTAINE AND STEVE WEBB TO RIDE 550 MILES FOR W20
FOUNDATION AND COMPANIONS IN COURAGE FOUNDATION

NEW YORK (September 19, 2011) –NHL alumnus Steve Webb and Hockey Hall
of Fame inductee Pat LaFontaine began a 550-mile bike ride this morning
from the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto in route to the NHL Powered by
Reebok Store in New York City in support of their respective charitable
efforts, the W20 Foundation and the Companions in Courage Foundation. Both
are expected to complete their historic ride on Wednesday, September 21 at
12:00 p.m. ET with a special celebration at the NHL Powered by Reebok Store
in midtown Manhattan.

“The NHL is proud to support these two hockey legends as they embark
on this epic charitable ride. On behalf of the NHL family we proudly salute
Pat and Steve, and wish them the best of luck” said Ken Martin, Jr., NHL
Vice President of Community Affairs.

LaFontaine’s Companions in Courage Foundation is an official
philanthropic partner of the National Hockey League (NHL) and helps to
create “Lion’s Den/NHL Legacy Classrooms” featuring Cisco System’s online
conferencing system, WebEx, which allows young patients to connect to
family, friends, schools and teachers anywhere in the world during a
hospital stay.

The Foundation has now opened 12 Lion’s Den rooms throughout North
America, including two with the NHL in Boston, Calgary and Montreal. The
NHL unveiled the first fully functional “NHL Legacy Classroom” at North
Carolina Children’s Hospital to commemorate the 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend.
Plans for an “NHL Legacy Classroom” in Pittsburgh were unveiled during the
2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic to commemorate the outdoor game.

Webb’s W20 Foundation provides young student ice hockey players with
partial academic scholarships to continue the pursuit of their hockey
dreams. Now the organization also highlights athletes as influential agents
of change and creates opportunities for athletes to give back in their
communities. Webb will also commit a portion of the ride’s proceeds to fund
Alzheimer and dementia research in Ontario.

The riders will be joined by a support team that includes Graham
Fraser, founder of Centurion Cycling, host of North America’s premier
series of distance bicycling events.

For more information on how you can support this please visit
www.CiC16.org
or www.w20Foundation.org.  To follow the progress of the ride, fans are
encouraged to visit www.W20Foundation.blogspot.com. ]]> http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/bdgallof/38698/feed/ 0 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/penguinsmarch/38506/ http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/penguinsmarch/38506/#comments Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:03:14 +0000 Adrian Fung http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=38506 The Pittsburgh Penguins lost all three games of the 2011 NHL Rookie Tournament in Oshawa, Ontario, falling by a lopsided composite score of 13-2 in three games over four days.  Today, the Penguins’ prospects fell 4-1 to Chicago’s prospect squad in a game that turned near the end of the second period when after Pittsburgh failed to capitalize on 5-on-3 and 4-on-3 power plays, Chicago scored two quick goals to go up 3-0 at second intermission.  Of course, cogent followers of these types of fast-paced mini tournaments will know that the wins and losses mean as little as wins and losses in pro camp exhibition games.  Only evaluation of individual performances, skill development or skill regression matters.

twitter.com/PenguinsMarchHockey Independent on Facebook

Staging rookie tournaments is simply a method for teams to analyze, in game action, its top minor league, collegiate or major junior talent, many of whom are years away from seriously contending for an NHL roster spot.  If a team rests some top prospects or starts a lower-on-the-depth-chart goaltender, the chances of winning the game decrease if the opposition ices its best players.  In Saturday’s opener, the Penguins dressed top prospect Eric Tangradi and one of their best goaltending prospects, Patrick Killeen but rested prized young blueliner Simon Despres.  On Sunday night and this afternoon, Despres and amateur tryout netminder Maxime Lagace played but Tangradi and Killeen rested.

Despite the 0-fer, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton assistant coach Alain Nasreddine, who specializes in mentoring the defencemen, was positive about what he saw from some of the young Penguins’ blueliners immediately after Sunday’s loss against the Maple Leafs.

“I just actually talked to all the ‘D’.  I’m pretty proud of what they did.  It’s not an easy task.  They want to make an impression in camp, to work hard and compete and that’s what they did in the full sixty [minutes] with 5 ‘D’,” referring to the quintet of defencemen who had to soldier on after Robert Bortuzzo left the game in the first period with an injury.  “There were some penalties that we had to kill.  They battled all the way through.  They were tired but they battled and competed and that’s all we ask.  Starting the game with six [defencemen] and ending the game with five, especially going down early with Bortz [Bortuzzo], they really did a good job.”

The five blueliners Nasreddine commended were QMJHL defenceman of the year Simon Despres, 2011 first round pick Joe Morrow, 2011 second round pick Scott Harrington, Alex Grant and Philip Samuelsson.

Nasreddine gave a wry smile when recalling a severe injury suffered by Grant in the first game of the 2010 Rookie Tournament.  “Last year we got used to it as it happened with [Alex] Grant … Sure, we didn’t like it but like I said, they want to make an impression, they want to play good, they want to play well and I think they all did a pretty good job tonight.”

Nasreddine said he tries to keep set defence pairings but knows he must quickly adapt to in-game changes.

“There’s a pattern you try to establish, so we try to stick with it so that everyone gets equal time but you’re going to get penalties, you’re going to get power plays, penalty kills so it often changes but in general they all get a lot of ice time so they had a good opportunity to show what they can do and I thought they did a good job.”

“I thought Morrow had a really strong game, he showed a lot of skill.  I think you could tell it was his second game and he was a lot more comfortable out there.  Harrington was solid and Grant and Samuelsson too.”

For his part, Samuelsson, a 2009 second round choice of Pittsburgh who played the last two seasons at Boston College, was unfazed by the losses.

“I think the games are moving pretty fast.  The ice has been pretty good.  I think we’re coming together as a team.  A couple of bounces here and there and we’re right back in it.  I think we had a good game today.  We just weren’t able to capitalize on our chances and unfortunately, we had some lapses on defence that they were able to capitalize on so if we tighten up in the D zone, and bury our chances, I think we should give Chicago a run for their money on Tuesday.”

He reflected on the difference between college hockey and the competitive nature of this quick tournament, playing with and against top prospects.

“It’s huge.  It’s good to see what the pace is at now and kind of know you have to ramp it up a level to keep up and to play at your game.  It’s been a great experience for me to be a part of this.  You always want to win games – it doesn’t matter if it’s a pick-up game in the summer or rookie camp here.  You’re always going to go your hardest and that’s what I have to do to be successful as a player.”

No matter where he ends up this season, Samuelsson is working as hard as he can to make a positive statement with Pittsburgh scouts and front office.

“Definitely, I want to make a good impression on the Penguins and hopefully, one day be able to crack that roster.  I don’t know if that’s going to be this year or a few years down the road but I’ll try my hardest at this camp and see where it goes from there.”

twitter.com/PenguinsMarchHockey Independent on Facebook

Pittsburgh opened the game with a quick goal 13 seconds after the opening faceoff when centre Zach Sill who sat out the first game yesterday afternoon, dumped the puck in.  Linemate Brandon DeFazio found it near the net and rammed it into the goal past Toronto netminder Garret Sparks for the abrupt 1-0 lead.

It was classic Penguins’ hockey in the opening third of the first period as the Pens effectively maintained consistent offensive zone time through hard forechecking and their puck possession system.  Momentum started to swing when rugged Jamie Devane found Josh Leivo behind the Pittsburgh defence.  Leivo unleashed a hard wrist shot but Pittsburgh goaltender Maxime Lagace was able to blocker the puck away.

About one minute later, the Leafs raced 2-on-2 into the Pens’ zone.  As defenceman Joe Morrow fell down at the left of the net, his partner Philip Samuelsson had his pocket picked by McKegg who whipped the puck in front to Josh Nicholls whose goal tied the game at 7:47.  McKegg earned a second assist midway through the period when he fired a cross-crease laser to Mitchell Heard during a 4-on-3 power play.  Heard waited patiently, then fired the puck to the far corner behind Lagace to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead.  Toronto was successful at controlling the tempo of the second half of the period and was successful at winning puck battles below the Pittsburgh goal line.

The second period was frustrating for the Pens but not for lack of effort.  They continued to establish a good forecheck and cycled the puck well, winning many battles in the corners but could not solve Sparks.  Toronto increased its lead to 3-1 when David Broll passed to Sam Carrick who cut across the crease from the left boards and flipped the puck by Lagace’s left pad.  Three minutes later, Pittsburgh had two good chances to score when Tom Kuhnhackl and Joe Morrow skated into the Leafs’ zone 2-on-1.  Kuhnhackl elected to shoot but Sparks kept the puck out.  Moments later, Paul Thompson got the puck alone in the slot but his backhand attempt was stopped.

Later Brian Gibbons was absolutely robbed on a toe save by Sparks when a tap-in attempt looked like a sure goal.  With two minutes left in the period, Morrow’s centre-point shot was deflected high by Sparks’ trapper.

The Leafs iced it in the third period when McKegg scored his third point and first goal of the night after receiving a stretch pass.  He sped by Pittsburgh defenceman Joe Morrow then deked Lagace and tucked a low backhand into the net to make it 4-1.  With about 2 1/2 minutes left, Tyler Brenner scored a gift goal when the puck skipped through Morrow’s legs at the Pens’ blue line.  Brenner scooped up the puck and slipped it under Lagace to complete the victory.

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Earlier in the contest, a Blackhawks’ prospect who ended up earning second star honours, looked like he might be the game’s hero. Left wing Brandon Saad, a native of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, assisted on Chicago’s first goal then with a burst of speed, powered to the net and flipped the puck in for the go-ahead goal that gave the Hawks a short-lived 2-1 lead.  This afternoon, he scored two goals, one on the power play but the Hawks fell 6-5 to Ottawa.

Hockey Independent talked to Saad when he appeared in the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Skills Competition and Game back in the winter at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. At the time, Saad was considered one of the top draft-eligible players, ranking #8 among all North American skaters in the NHL-Central Scounting Service rankings released in January.

Saad was enjoying a hot start in his initial OHL campaign, scoring 23 goals and 20 assists for the front-running Saginaw Spirit when he appeared in the invitation-only event in Toronto. Unfortunately, Saad suffered a nagging groin injury that hampered his production and his pre-draft stock fell considerably to the point where he was no longer considered first round material anymore.

As for his general impressions of the first Rookie Tournament game for the Blackhawks, Saad said, “I thought it was pretty good. It was high-tempo out there. Everyone’s trying to make the team. It was a good first game.”

While many are already concluding that Saad, 18, will return to Saginaw for his second year of major junior action, Saad is trying not to think about his ultimate destination this weekend.

Brandon Saad (43) grew up in Pittsburgh studying Jaromir Jagr's game. Saad, 18, has already scored 3 goals in 2 Rookie Tournament games this weekend in Oshawa.

“Everyone’s trying to make the team. It’s a tryout. We just come and work hard and learn from our experiences here with older guys and things like that.”

He noted the Chicago coaching staff have not written down set lineups for the final two games of this brief tournament meaning he did not know absolutely if he would suit up against the Senators this afternoon (he did) or the Penguins on Tuesday.

“I’m not sure, really. It’s going to be day-to-day with that. I’ll know further, obviously, in the [near] future.”

“I want to keep the consistency and work hard out there,” Saad continued, identifying areas of his game he wanted to improve. “Obviously we want to get two wins here, so I’ll do what I can to help the team win.”

Recently-repatriated former Penguins’ star Jaromir Jagr was Saad’s favourite player as a youth growing up near Pittsburgh and Saad tried to model his game after the Czech winger.

“It’s going to be exciting definitely,” Saad remarked, smiling at the thought of the long-time Penguin suiting up for arch-rival Philadelphia this autumn. “Hopefully, I’ll get to play against him. It’s definitely nice to get him back in the league.”

Saad had time to return to Gibsonia in the summer and got to rest “a little bit after the season, but after that you just get back to working at it. It’s a lot of hard work to get in game shape,” and he admitted that the groin injury “lingered a little bit. I worked on strengthening it – things like that over the summer so that definitely helped and I’m feeling back at 100%.”

Whether Saad beats heavy odds to earn a roster spot in Chicago or returns to Saginaw for a second season, he knows hard work and steady improvement will be expected at all times now that he is property of an NHL organization.

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“I thought it was a very competitive game – both sides,” said Pittsburgh (and Wilkes/Barre-Scranton) head coach John Hynes.  ”That first period, I thought both teams were very fast and physical.  There wasn’t a lot of time or space on the ice.  We wound up down 2-0 after the first period but I thought it was good and as the game went on, it was kind of back and forth.  There was a lot of energy; we could have used a little bit better execution but there was definitely work ethic and passion out there.”

Penguins’ 2011 first round draft choice Joe Morrow, a defenceman who played for the WHL Portland Winterhawks last year said the opening game was “a good experience to get out there.  The guys are twice as big and twice as strong and everything’s really fast.  It was exciting to go from junior to that.  Slowly as the game went on, I was able to adapt a little better and I should continue to get better throughout the week.”

He said that Hynes told the prospects post-game “to be more consistent throughout the entire game.  There were spurts where we felt we played well and the team kind of clicked but you can’t play in spurts in a sixty minute hockey game.”

Hynes noted that Morrow and fellow 2011 draft choice Scott Harrington acquitted themselves well in their first games as Pittsburgh Penguins.  ”Early in the game there was a little bit of an adjustment period for them just as far as physical presence and the lack of time and space on the ice.  As the game went on, both of those guys started to make more plays and feel more comfortable.  For two young guys to be in their first professional game, I thought they did very good.”

The two teams opened the game with a fair balance of scoring chances with Pittsburgh earning the first power play at 6:36 when Cowick went off for boarding.  The Penguins were unable to convert and a little over a minute after the penalty expired, Cowick connected with centre Derek Grant on a 2-on-1 play.  Grant lifted a shot over the blocker of Pittsburgh netminder Patrick Killeen to give Ottawa the opening goal at 9:54.  Late in the period, Grant returned the favour when he found the puck behind the Pittsburgh net after a dump in and quickly passed to Cowick standing to the left of Kileen.  Cowick buried the pass to put the Sens up 2-0 at first intermission.  Winger Shane Prince, a 2011 draft pick of Ottawa nearly made it 3-0 with half a minute left when he whistled a sharp-angle shot at Killeen that was deflected into the netting above the glass.

The second period produced the season’s first two fights, in rapid succession.  At 2:04, a pair of defencemen squared off – Alex Grant of the Penguins who was quickly taken down by Ottawa blueliner Mark Borowiecki.  Two and a half minutes later, Pens’ winger Jessey Astles, on an amateur tryout with Pittsburgh and who incurred 129 penalty minutes in 59 games with the WHL Kelowna Rockets last season skated from blue line to blue line to drop the gloves with Ottawa’s Darren Kramer.

Pittsburgh’s Nick Petersen generated a number of scoring opportunities for Pittsburgh.  Ninety seconds into the period, he skated down the left wing and rang an open shot off the glass behind Senators’ netminder Robin Lehner.  Six minutes later, he almost connected with Scott Harrington inside the Ottawa zone but Harrington could not get a full shot off at the side of the net.  Petersen was thwarted by Lehner again on a partial breakaway when Petersen’s shot was trapped in between the Swedish goaltender’s pads.  Petersen was a 2009 fourth round selection by Pittsburgh and scored 71 points in 65 combined games at the ECHL and AHL levels.  Moments later, Lehner was sharp again stopping a one-time shot by Ben Street off a pass from behind the net by Paul Thompson.

Hynes agreed that Petersen played a solid game this afternoon.  ”I thought Nick Petersen and Ben Street played well as the game went on, particularly in the second and third periods.  Those guys had some offensive chances and showed what they can do.”

“I thought that Dominik Uher played well.  For a younger, first-year guy, he came in and had a very good work ethic and played well,” Hynes continued.  ”Brian Strait – on D for us, I thought he was very good – played solid, defended well, moved the puck very solidly.”  Hynes commented that Strait who was shaken up early in the third period, “just took a puck in the chin and got a couple of stitches; he’s good; he’s fine.”

Pittsburgh pressed in the third period but was unable to solve Lehner.  At the other end of the ice, Killeen continued to look sharp stopping Ottawa’s top 2011 draft choice Mika Zibanejad and Jakub Culek from in close early in the frame.  At 9:39, Cowick scored his second goal of the game to give Ottawa a 3-0 bulge and Andre Petersson finished off the Pens with a high backhand at 18:16 moments after Pens’ defenceman Alex Grant slid across the crease to break up an Ottawa pass.

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Such is the case with various NHL Rookie Tournaments across North America over the next week.  The fun of summer is in the past and now, it is time for young hockey prospects to get to work.  Typically bringing together 3 or 4 clubs’ top prospects, Rookie Tournaments give young players a chance to make a positive statement to scouts, coaches and general managers in the ultimate quest to land a spot on an NHL roster.

Of course not all prospects are at Rookie Tournaments looking to join the parent club right away.  Many know they are destined for another season with their major junior or AHL team.  Some players have exhausted their major junior eligibility and will be attempting to make the rare jump straight to the NHL or more likely, will use the Rookie Tournament as a primer on the level of competition they are about to face when they turn pro in the AHL.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will send a roster of 26 players (two goaltenders, ten defencemen, fourteen forwards) to General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ontario to compete against fellow prospects from the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.  The schedule for Pittsburgh will be identical to last year’s Rookie Tournament: a Saturday afternoon game against Ottawa, a Sunday night contest against the Leafs and a Tuesday matinee against Chicago.

Last year, the Pens sent seven blueliners: Robert Bortuzzo, Simon Despres, Alex Grant, Joe Rogalski, Reid McNeill, Carl Sneep and Brian Strait, to the Rookie Tournament in London, Ontario and all seven will suit up again in Oshawa.  They will be joined by Philip Samuelsson and the Penguins’ first two picks in the 2011 Entry Draft, Joe Morrow and Scott Harrington.  Despres is the most heralded of Pittsburgh defence prospects after winning silver at the World Junior Championship last winter with Team Canada while individually earning top defenceman honours in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  He was an integral part of the MasterCard Memorial Cup-winning Saint John Sea Dogs, opening the scoring in the championship final game by sniping a shorthanded goal.

Goaltender Patrick Killeen returns for another Rookie Tournament after splitting last season between the AHL and ECHL and he will be accompanied by Maxime Lagace.

Wingers Eric Tangradi, Keven Veilleux, Nick Petersen, Tom Kuhnhackl and centre Zach Sill were members of last season’s tournament squad.  Tangradi is the only Penguin with NHL experience after making his debut in the final regular season game of 2009-10 followed by 15 games last season, a campaign marred by a concussion received during the infamous Long Island Brawl in February.  Kuhnhackl played on a line with Tangradi and Dustin Jeffrey in the opening Rookie Tournament game last year –  a win over Ottawa, and was praised by coach John Hynes for his “good hockey sense and compete level”.  The German born forward then jumped from the German Elite League into his first OHL season and broke out in a big way, scoring 68 points in 63 games for the two-time defending MasterCard Memorial Cup champions, Windsor Spitfires, before adding a team-leading 23 points in 18 playoff games.