On July 1, 2008 The Blackhawks made a huge splash in the hockey world and signed free agentdefenseman Brian Campbell. The cost for Campbellwas steep, an eight year contract with an approximate $7.1 million salary cap hit per season. This was a bold move and was done for a couple of reasons.

The Hawks were becoming arelevant sports story again in 2008 and the resurgence was due in part tomarketing guru John McDonough who was hired in November of 2007. Shortly after McDonough arrived there were rumblings the Blackhawks would pursue Campbell.

Back then the word goingaround indicated two main reasons the Hawks desired to sign Campbell.

First they wanted to make abig splash to let fans and players around the league know the Blackhawks wanted to be serious Stanley Cup contenders. Up until then free agents often shunned Chicago and when they didsign here a bad team premium had to be paid. Campbell was in the right place at the right time in a soft free agent market and GM Dale Tallon had a fat check book.

Campbell was also viewed as avaluable on ice commodity as he fit into the fast paced, transition game theHawks sought.  No doubt Campbell was overpaid but he became animportant member of the Stanley Cup winning squad. What may have begun as amore of marketing/media splash worked out on the ice as well.

Now rumor has it the Hawksare very interested in upcoming UFA defenseman Ryan Suter. This sounds very similar to the Campbell whispers aroundin late 2007 and the summer of 2008. Rumblings indicate the Hawks want to makeanother big splash and blow away some of the stink that has surrounded thefranchise this summer.

There is bad optics toovercome, starting with Patrick Kane’s shenanigans and a front office mentioned to be in disarray on Canadian TV.  So farthis must be a spring from hell for McDonough who has to be concerned with preserving the image of his resurrected Blackhawks.

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Red Wings' goalie Jimmy Howard is a possible candidate to play for Team USA in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Photo by MPR529.

Jimmy Howard and the rest of his Detroit Red Wings’ teammates were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 20, but that hasn’t stopped Howard from continuing his season by representing his country.

Howard is currently the number one man between the pipes as a member of Team USA in the 2012 IIHF World Hockey Championships, which is held in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden.  He has back stopped the Americans to five wins (four in regulation, one in overtime) in the tournament and has a 2.16 goals against average and a .918 save percentage, including an 18-save performance in a shutout win against the defending champions, Finland this past Sunday.

Before he missed three weeks with a broken left pinky on February 2, Howard was among the top three goalies in the NHL and was having an all-star season, possibly on his way to a Vezina Trophy nomination (31 wins, 2.03 gaa, .924 save percentage in 44 games). However, his game went a tad south when he returned. Howard still finished the regular season with more than respectable numbers: 35-17-4,  2.12 goals against average, .920 save percentage and six shutouts (five before the finger injury).

Since the US has advanced to the quarter-finals (starting with a rematch with Finland tomorrow morning), Howard’s next games in the tournament will help further his resumé in the international hockey scene. If Howard and the rest of the Americans take home at least a bronze medal this weekend, Howard could better his chances of receiving a ticket to Sochi.

He has looked good during the tournament and is getting a small sample size of what it will be like against the world’s best in the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics, which is only 21 months away and will be held in Sochi, Russia. That is, if there is a new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL, NHLPA and the IIHF (the current CBA expires September 15), but I’m going to assume that all parties will work something out, which is why I’m writing this blog.

As of  right now, Los Angeles Kings’ goaltender Jonathan Quick is making a case as the best goalie in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If he takes the Kings to the Cup Finals and makes life difficult for either the New Jersey Devils or New York Rangers, he could end up winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff MVP. As for regular season hardware, he’s my choice for the Vezina Trophy, and he’s got the numbers to show it (35-21-13, 1.95 gaa , .929 sp, 10 shutouts).

Since teams in the Olympics are required to carry three goalies, another name who could also be given a ticket to Sochi is Cory Schneider of the Vancouver Canucks. His spectacular play this past regular season (20-9-1, 1.96 gaa, .937 sp, 3 shutouts) is forcing the hand of the Canucks’ front office to ship Roberto Luongo out of Vancouver.

Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres is another American-born goalie that shouldn’t be counted out. It was over two years ago when he played the best hockey of his career and everyone took notice when he played at the Winter Games in Vancouver. Even though the US lost to Canada in overtime, Miller backstopped his team to a silver medal and was the MVP of the tournament. His numbers in Vancouver were jaw-dropping: 5-0-1, 1.35 gaa, .946 sp.

The downside on Miller is that there were two different players wearing #30 for the Sabres last season. The first #30 was 5-6-0 in 11 games with a 2.86 gaa before suffering a concussion when he had his bell rung by Boston Bruins’ forward Milan Lucic in early November. After he returned to the lineup, he eventually tightened his game and played like the Ryan Miller that we’re accustomed to seeing and finished with a record of 31-21-7 with a 2.54 gaa, .916 sp and six shutouts. Two knocks are against him—his inconsistent play last year and his age (he’ll be on the south side of 33 by the time the 2014 Olympics will start).

Now, I’m not saying that being 33 is old for a hockey player. It’s not, but Howard, Quick and Schneider will be 29, 28, and 27 respectively by the time the Winter Games start. By then, they’ll still be in the prime of their of their careers.

I would expect Howard to return to pre-injury mode for the Red Wings next season. And if he has another all-star season, his stock will soar even higher for making the cut as one of the three goalies headed to Sochi. If USA Hockey decides to select three out of Howard, Schneider, Quick or Miller, they will have an advantage over the rest of the teams (including Canada) when it comes down to goaltending.

Imagine being a fly in the wall inside the room where the selection process will take place. If he returns as general manager of Team USA, Brian Burke will have some very difficult decisions to make. The goaltending situation will be the most tasking.

Red Wing fans, whether he starts or is behind the bench, what do you think of the idea of Jimmy Howard representing the US in 2014?

The teams which are left standing in the NHL post season play a consistent style and they look very comfortable doing so. That is probably why they are still alive in the quest for Lord Stanley. When the going gets tough they stick to their systems for the most part. Players on each club trust each other and don’t try to do too much. The same can’t be said about the Blackhawks over the previous two seasons.

Some are quick to point out that hockey isn’t a complicated sport. There aren’t as many set plays as in football or basketball and that can’t be argued. In some ways hockey is a simple game, but make no mistake, it is difficult to play consistently well. The Kings, Coyotes, Rangers and Devils all have very good goalkeeping and they have players which fit their style.

Each playoff survivor has a roster which meshes well. Each team can hide weaknesses and exploit strengths. For the Blackhawks to make a long playoff run they need to have a more defined style and a roster which allows them to excel.

Currently, it is difficult to know exactly what the Blackhawks strength is, although goal scoring would come to mind first. Last season when Joel Quenneville got his club to be more responsible on defense the scoring dropped off. Averaging two goals per game in regulation over the final two months against playoff caliber teams doesn’t scream explosive offense.

The normal course of business for NHL clubs concerning changing coaching personnel is to do so quickly once their season ends. The biggest reason is so coaches who won’t be retained are not in involved in making plans for the following season. In that way, strategy and off season wish lists are kept in house.

In Blackhawk land things can be different.

Mike Haviland was fired after exit interviews and organizational meetings were conducted. Quenneville mentioned GM Stan Bowman gave him permission to make coaching changes following the playoffs, but yet he waited. Actually, Quenneville waited so long he gave Haviland the bad news over the phone, after he had gone back home to his family.

Those wanting to connect the dots have reason to believe there was a verdict reached by Rocky Wirtz which led to releasing Haviland. It appears the Montreal head coaching vacancy may have pushed Hawk management to give Quenneville his wish to have two handpicked assistants. Wirtz could have been caught between a rock and hard place and decided keeping Quenneville was the best option for the Hawks.

Sacrificing Haviland, who had been well thought of in the organization couldn’t have been easy, but Quenneville is a proven head coach. Haviland “might” be an outstanding head coach someday and whispers indicate he was stunned when he got the news from Quenneville. As far as this summer is concerned, Haviland’s dismissal won’t be the only change for the Blackhawks.

Scuttlebutt is Hawk players aren’t happy Haviland is gone. Many times an assistant is the buffer between players and the head coach. Quenneville may have been bothered Haviland was close to many players but his dismissal is not likely to make remaining assistant Mike Kitchen any more popular.

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Next article will be out on Friday.

New Jersey Devils' forward Zach Parise will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Photo by rubyswoon

The first day of NHL free agency begins on July 1, which is just weeks away, and expect the Detroit Red Wings to be in the middle of it all. Without a doubt, this will be the most crucial off-season in some time. The last time that the Red Wings struck it rich was in the summer of 2001 and we all know what happened.

The Red Wings added more talent to their already star-ladened squad when they went “Stanley Cup or Bust,” trading for All-World goalie Dominik Hasek and signing free agents Brett Hull and Luc Robitalle. The end result: the 2001-02 Red Wings, who are among the greatest teams in NHL history, skated their way to their third Cup in six seasons.

Now I’m not saying that they they will go for players that have the talent of Hull and Robitaille, whom are both Hall of Famers (Hasek will be elected in his first year of eligibility). Times have changed since 2001, especially with all 30 teams under the salary cap. The Red Wings have plenty of cap room and are in line to land two or three key free agents.

New Jersey Devils forward and team captain, Zach Parise, should also be on the Red Wings’ radar. Parise will be the head of the 2012 free agent class as he will be on the open market July 1. He would be a more-than welcomed addition to any NHL club.  Besides, imagine Parise playing on a line with Pavel Datsyuk; not a bad one-two punch, eh?

As much as I want to think that Parise will come to Detroit and play for the Red Wings, there is a red flag. The problem is that his Devils are in the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Rangers. His stock has risen dramatically in the playoffs, especially against the Philadelphia Flyers, where he excelled on both sides of the ice. If he leads the Devils to the Stanley Cup, I see the chances of him signing with the Red Wings between slim and none. Slim will leave the building if Commissioner Gary Bettman tells Parise to come and get the Cup. If the Devils are eliminated by the Rangers, expect the Red Wings’ front office to open up the checkbook and say to Camp Parise, “How much?”.

This will be a crucial off-season for Red Wings’ general manager Ken Holland. Team Captain Nicklas Lidstrom remains undecided if he will return for his 21st NHL season and it’s Holland’s job to not start a domino effect if Lidstrom retires. Whenter or not Lidstrom comes back, if Holland signs Parise and makes serious pitches to Ryan Suter and maybe Alexander Semin, the Red Wings are back in business to make a run at another Stanley Cup. What do you think?

Here is the leader-board through the first two rounds of this year’s playoffs:

1) Woodward –> 9-for-12

2) Philp –> 6-for-12

3) Levin –> 2-for-4

4) Muscat –> 6-for-12

5) Cohen –> 5-for-12

Eastern Conference

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Devils’ Record-Breaking Penalty Kill vs. Rangers’ Lifeless Power-Play

Philp– Devils win in 7. X-Factor –> Martin Brodeur

Muscat– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Rangers’ Third Line

Levin– Devils win in 7 . X-Factor –> Adam Henrique

Woodward– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> New York’s Power-Play

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen–  Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Mike Smith vs. Jonathan Quick: Who Cracks First?

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

Muscat– Kings win in 5. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Levin– Kings win in 6. X-Factor –> Drew Doughty

Woodward– Kings win in 6. X-Factor –>Mike Richards/Jeff Carter Line

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen (Edit #2)– Rangers Over Kings

Philp (Edit #2)– Devils Over Coyotes

Muscat (Edit #2)– Rangers Over Kings

Levin–                    Devils Over Kings

Woodward (Edit #1)– Kings Over Rangers

Conn Smythe Award

Cohen– Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)

Philp– Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils)

Muscat– Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)

Levin– Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey Devils)

Woodward– Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings)

- Brown on having a few days off before the next series – “I think physically and mentally it’s pretty good, probably more on the mental side of things. When you get to this point in the year, physically you can find a way to get yourself going. But, mentally, you’re in a high-stress, high-pressure situation, day in and day out. So, just to have a day to not really think about hockey or the nerves and type of pressure that comes with being in the playoffs – it’s nice to get away from the game for a day or two and kind of let your mind reset.”

- Brown on using a wrist shot vs. slap shot in the playoffs – “Wrist shots are ultimately a lot quicker and a lot more accurate. The quicker you get your shot off, I find, the less time the goalie has to make the save. With a slap shot, you give him an extra second – just by winding up, it gives him an extra second. I don’t take all that many slap shots, partly because I don’t really have a good one. But, I find the more quickly you shoot the pucks, the more likely you are to have a chance at scoring. So, probably the wrist shot or snap shot, is definitely the quicker of the shots you can select from.”

- Does the back checking in the league/playoffs create pressure that prevents a big wind up? “Yeah, definitely. Not only the back checking and the pressure on you, but the pressure in front of you,” said Brown. “Blocking shots has really become a big part of the game and it’s not just one or two guys doing it. You’ll have three or four guys trying to block your shot in zone. It’s just a challenge to get it on net sometimes. It’s not really necessarily how hard you shoot it, but how quick and where you shoot it.”

- Brown on top players playing well in the playoffs – “We’re all clicking right now. A lot of it has to do with, we’re getting big games from different people each and every night. It’s not just our top guys that are playing well and getting us big goals. We’re getting depth scoring, which is huge at this time of year. Going along with that, no one is really having off nights, in the sense that we don’t have guys making mistakes. There’s guys who aren’t maybe finishing their chances every night, but every one is doing all the little things right and that goes a long way toward being successful. Just thinking about game three vs. Vancouver, we won that game 1-0 and that was because we had one opportunity to score a goal and we did. Every other opportunity, every other little play, was made from top to bottom – which allowed us to win a game 1-0. That’s what playoff hockey is all about, having everybody buy in and having big players step up.”

- Brown on physical conditioning – “A lot of the feeling good (physically) at this time of the year is (based on) what you do in the summer in getting yourself ready to play an 82-game season and beyond. The other side of it is taking care of yourself off the ice on a day-to-day basis. I think that’s something everyone is pretty good at at this level, getting the proper rest and eating right and doing all the little things that make you feel better at this time of year. The other thing is managing the practice times and all that. We have a day off today and that goes a long way in helping guys recover from a physical standpoint.”

- Brown on what it means to be a leader – “With the Kings, it’s one of those things where I was named captain and I probably didn’t really know what it meant to be a leader when I was named. It’s been a learning process for me. With this team in particular, it’s just setting an example on the ice, in the way that I play. I think if I do all the little things right and play the right way, it makes it really easy for everyone else to kind of fall in line. And being in LA, with the type of team we have, it’s not just me – it’s not just me and Kopi and Greener either. We have 10 or 13 guys in the room who are leaders. So, when it comes to the whole leadership responsibility, it’s not the burden of just one or two guys, which makes it a very comfortable place where you can lean on each other in times of need. That goes along way in having strong leadership.”

- Brown on maintaining focus when you’re only half way to the ultimate goal – “With this time off, it’s nice to get mentally and physically recovered. But, like I said, and this kind of touches on the group of guys that we have in the room – we have a lot of guys who have been through this before and have the experience. So, it’s just a matter of bringing awareness to it. This team, this group of guys has been really focused, not getting ahead of ourselves. In both series we had a 3-0 lead and found a way to close it out. When you get up 3-0, you could have a tendency to look ahead. We’ve been really focused – not only on game to game, but shift to shift. We need more of that over the next week here – just focusing in and not looking ahead. It will be a little easier once we know who we’ll be playing. Then, we can start getting ready, from a video standpoint and their tendencies. Then, you can start to really key in on what you need to do to be successful once we start playing again.”

Now, Dustin Penner – who had five points (one goal, four assists) and was a plus-5 in the sweep of the St. Louis Blues…

- Penner on how he’s feeling – “Dustin and I talked about it after the game (Sunday) night. We thought it would be a good chance to regroup mentally and physically, but more importantly, just that mental aspect because of the grind and the stress you go through on a daily basis when you’re focusing in on the task at hand.”

- Are you helping with the leadership in the room, given your experience in 2007? “I try not to stick my nose in too much. Maybe I look for the opportune times,” said Penner. “For me and the guys who have made long playoff runs before and won the Cup, I think we help out in a similar fashion. It’s more with more of the mental side of things. I see a lot of similarities between the Ducks run and this run we’re currently on. There’s still eight more wins to go. But, the mentality of the team, the focus and intensity we have each shift and each game – even at practice, the way we’re moving the puck – it’s breeding confidence. That’s a byproduct of our success. We’ve all bought in. You can tell by the way we carry ourselves as a team and as individuals on a daily basis.”

Penner on Brown as a leader – “He was named captain a while ago for a good reason. Everybody is becoming privy to that now. He’s a relentless, tireless worker. It helps open up the door for his skill to shine through. He’s a quiet leader, in terms of how he talks to the team. But, they say actions speak a lot louder than words and he’s yelling his leadership on the ice with the way he plays. We get the same Dustin Brown every night. It doesn’t matter who the other team is or if it’s (Daniel/Henrik) Sedin or (David) Backes or whoever, he is making them work for every inch of ice when he’s on it.”

Penner on moving from the third line to the second line – “I thought I played well with Stolly and Lewis. We had a good series with Vancouver. Yet, the one thing I think a team does when they make a long run is they adjust and adapt to each individual game and series. I was moved up to play with (Mike Richards and Jeff Carter) and we’ve worked well together as a line. They’re really good players. They’re both multi-faceted, talented players. It’s really easy to play with them and I’ve tried to step up my game so I could adequately support the line.”

Penner on what type of linemates he needs to bring out the best in him – “I don’t know. I’ve always thought I needed a big centerman to play with. That’s not the case, Ricky (Richards) plays big. But, it’s just learning as you get older, learning to adapt to different styles of players that you play with. That’s what I’ve done with Ricky. He’s a great centerman, he’s great on draws, he’s a defensive specialist, he has high-end offensive talent and the same goes for Carts. They’re both guys who have played center and know the game well. So, they’re easy to read off of.”

Yesterday, we also posted an in-depth interview with Kings GM Dean Lombardi on MayorsManor. You check out what he had to say about Brown, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick, etc. by clicking here.

Follow @mayorNHL//

Let’s start off with some good news which came out of Tuesday’s media conference call after the firing of assistant coach Mike Haviland.

For all those worried about Joel Quenneville being dismissed as head coach to take the same position in Montreal, that’s not happening. Quenneville stated he wants to finish out the final two years of his contract with the Blackhawks. So Quenneville is about as secure as a head coach can be, for now.

Evidently Blackhawk management is all in on Quenneville. GM Stan Bowman determined the root of the problem last season to be some dysfunction in Quenneville’s coaching staff. Following their playoff elimination, according to Quenneville, he was given the opportunity to replace any of his assistants.

Mike Haviland, who wasn’t an original hire of Quenneville, was fired Tuesday. Interestingly, Haviland was thought to be in line for the Hawks head coaching spot once Quenneville was gone. Some would say that’s the main reason Haviland is no longer around. Others believe Quenneville deserved to pick his own coaching staff and never had the chance. Then there are some who think there was going to be a fall guy and Quenneville was never going to dump his close friend and assistant coach Mike Kitchen.

Blackhawks fans can determine for themselves or take one of the reasons above as to why Haviland was shown the door. What was certainly apparent Tuesday is Quenneville spent a great deal of time defending Kitchen.

The power play and penalty killing units were both bad last season. The power play especially was consistently awful throughout the campaign. Many had the view Kitchen was the one who designed the power play and led practices. Quenneville admitted the same and maybe that’s why he felt a compulsion to defend his buddy.

Quenneville mentioned Haviland started out directing the power play for the first 15 games. At that point, the Hawks ranked last in the league in power play efficiency and Quenneville gave the assignment to Kitchen. That means through the next 67 regular season games and six in the playoffs, it was Kitchen who was mostly responsible for the power play. That would be mostly accountable for the power play of the assistants, because head coach Quenneville is ultimately responsible for everything.

The Blackhawks power play, except for a brief period ranked close to the bottom of the league. For the regular season, the Hawks ranked 26th out of 30 teams. They scored only one time out of 19 opportunities during the postseason. Maybe that’s why Quenneville spent much of the time defending Kitchen on Tuesday citing that his character shouldn’t be questioned.

Quenneville was bothered by the criticism Kitchen has taken from fans and media alike during the season. That’s understandable but measured on performance, Kitchen could easily be taken to task.

Quenneville was careful not to lay the blame completely on Haviland. That was wise considering Haviland apparently was only chiefly responsible for the power play for 15 games. Quenneville did make one admission, and he would have been wrong not to do so. He admitted he stuck with the same players too often on the power play. Quenneville seems to be implying that some entitlement has entered into the thinking of certain players.

It sounds good to say power play should be earned. It also makes sense for Quenneville to share the blame because no matter how much his assistants had to do with designing the power play structure it is Quenneville’s job to put the players on the ice. Although it is not Quenneville’s job to create the roster, that’s on GM Bowman.

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When players don’t perform adequately the results are obvious and there is little mystery. When a team’s shortcomings are brought about by mismanagement the cause of problems isn’t as apparent. In the NHL when a head coach and GM aren’t on the same page and a plan of action appears scattered, eventually on ice results suffer. In this case, bickering may have already led to poor results.

For teams already eliminated from the NHL playoffs, this should be a time to look ahead for better days. The best scenario is when fans can easily ascertain a definable plan for the future so they can stay engaged in the process. Today, Blackhawk fans should be looking ahead with optimism, but that is easier said than done.

Currently, the Blackhawk franchise isn’t beaming with confidence and gushing with enthusiasm. It stands to reason fans which pay close attention are having doubts, and some must wonder if this strong core of elite talent will ever win another Stanley Cup. If reports are accurate, Joel Quenneville and Stan Bowman aren’t seeing eye to eye.

On Sunday night in front of a large hockey audience, the Hawks front office was exposed as being in disarray. The word of apparent turmoil was relayed on the CBC Hotstove telecast. That’s not the place to have a franchise image sullied. A comparison would be to have a Fortune 500 company receive negative press on 60 Minutes.

Owner Rocky Wirtz and others in the Hawks front office must have cringed. Those who have watched things unfold, or who speak to contacts close to the situation, couldn’t have been surprised. That said, if scattered management prevents this club from achieving on-ice success it would be a waste. Many won’t realize how good the collection of talent presently assembled is until we speak of current players in past tense.

Instead of Blackhawk fans looking toward the June Entry Draft and the July 1 free agent signing period as hope for improvement, there is uncertainty. It will take more than skillful players to win another Stanley Cup, it will take a well-structured team. Without coaches and the front office following the same script, long playoff runs will be unlikely.

As was written here about a week ago, this is the time for Wirtz to be a true leader. He must end the disputes and stifle the criticism that will harm the Blackhawks brand. It’s not as if Rocky isn’t familiar with dysfunction, red ink, sparse crowds and a lack of media attention. Wirtz knows how awful it is to be connected with a franchise that is the subject of constant criticism and failed expectations.

Wirtz must try to get the Hawks back in balance and under the current structure that won’t be easy. Every misstep could cost Wirtz financially and he already has done his share of eating bloated contracts.

At first blush, to have the strong voice of the legendary Scotty Bowman on board sounds like a great idea. Although when the GM and the club’s chief advisor always side together, the head coach could be in a more difficult spot. Battling a father and son duo isn’t an easy task.

During the Hotstove telecast on Sunday night, the possibility of Quenneville leaving the Hawks and becoming the next Canadiens head coach was discussed. On the surface, this option seems like a quick-fix to the Quenneville-Bowman saga and a way to save some money for Wirtz.

The cost savings would involve Wirtz not having to eat the last part of Quenneville’s contract, which is two more years most likely. New Montreal GM Marc Bergevin and Quenneville are friends, so it is natural for dots to be connected.

These days in the NHL there couldn’t be a player or other compensation sent to Chicago if Quenneville jumped ship to Montreal. Simply, the Hawks would have to fire Q. and then he would be allowed to take the bench boss job in Montreal.

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Desperate.

No tomorrow.

Pick whatever cliche that you want, this is where the Predators find themselves against the Phoenix Coyotes. The task before them is monumental as they had to win a game at Jobing.com Arena in front of an amped up crowd of Coyote faithful.

The Predators task was simple. Play every shift all out. Play each period for a full 20 minutes. Play Predator hockey.

Once again, Pekka Rinne would duel with Mike Smith, but more importantly for the Predators, the team in front of Rinne had to outplay their Coyote counterparts.

The first period saw both teams play with good jump and both goalies made some good saves. The Predators got the only power play of the period, but could not convert. Both teams were excellent on the forecheck, disrupting the offensive flow. The Predators did a good job of fighting through the forecheck and creating chances, but could not solve Smith. For the period, the Predators out shot the Coyotes 10-5.

This was the kind of period that the Predators had to play in this contest, but for them to be successful, they were going to have to finish some of their chances.

Phoenix nearly scored early in the second off a Shane Doan breakaway that Rinne turned aside with his pads. The Coyotes were pressing the Predators and they capitalized off a shot from the blue line by Derek Morris at 3:54. Rinne was screened in front and the shot appeared to re-directed by Rinne.

Roman Josi was called for interference 4:19 of the second, and the Predators PK was going to have to come up big to keep the game in hand. The Coyotes power play was short circuited by Martin Hanzal as he was called for hooking and the teams skated 4 on 4 for the next 1:27.

In the abbreviated power play, the Predators had some great chances around the Coyotes net, but could not cash in as the puck bounced over the stick of an open Alexander Radulov at the side of the net.

The Predators kept the pressure on the Coyotes , and on the power play, a Shea Weber bomb beat Smith but clanged off the post. The Predators had done everything but score so far in this game.

The Coyotes extended the lead to 2-0 as Martin Hanzal scored on a shot through traffic that Rinne never saw. The score came at 15:09 of the second period, and now the hill was getting incredibly steep for the Predators.

Although the offensive push by the Predators was good, they could not get a puck past Smith. The scoring chances for the Predators saw them unable to finish. Part was just bad puck luck, but much credit had to go to the Coyotes, who were clogging up the prime scoring areas in front of Smith and preventing the Predators from getting to loose pucks.

The Predators out shot the Coyotes 12-7 in the second, but staring a ta 2-0 deficit, the season was coming down to to the final 20 minutes. The Predators had to figure out a way to get a puck past Smith or the season was going to come to a quick end.

You could not fault the effort by the Predators in the third period. They were throwing everything they could at Smith and the Coyotes, but just could not get a puck in the net. They were controlling play in the offensive zone, but the old bugaboo of not being able to finish scoring chances was once again biting this team in the ass.

The Predators finally solved Smith at 14:01 of the third as David Legwand sent a perfect pass from the half boards to Colin Wilson as he was driving the net. Wilson got his stick on the puck and tipped it over the shoulder of Smith to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Predators had life, but the clock was quickly becoming the enemy of the Predators.

Despite a final furious flurry by the Predators, they could not score the game tying goal and fell to the Coyotes 2-1 to end their season.

The Predators effort was solid, but the lack of a scorer that could finish them doomed them in this contest and in this series. Credit has to go to the Coyotes for the solid team game they played in this game and in this series. In a contest between two teams that were fairly evenly matched, they took advantage of the mistakes the Predators made and punished us for them. From start to finish, the Coyotes were the more solid team, and deserved the series.

For the Predators, this is a disappointment. To win this series and compete for the Cup, they had to have their best players be the best. Unfortunately, they were not.

This leaves an off season of questions about the roster and how to get this team over the hump so they can win a tough series.

There will be plenty of time now to ponder those questions.

To say their backs are against the wall is an understatement.

The Predators offense was ineffective and rarely threatened Phoenix netminder Mike Smith. When they did threaten, Smith was equal to the task

The Coyotes Shane Doan scored at 14:25 of the first period as he went into the slot and fired a shot at Rinne that he got with his blocker, but it flipped over his shoulder, off Roman Josi, and into the net. for the only goal of the game.

The Phoenix defense made that goal stand up as they forechecked the life out of the Predators, rarely letting them come through the neutral zone with any speed, and one the Predators got into the offensive zone, choked the life out of them.

The Predators struggled to get any offensive rhythm because of the pressure the Coyotes put on the puck and throughout the game had more energy and jump than the Predators.

The offensive effort was disappointing to say the least, but give credit to the Coyotes for their play, because they ere better than the Predators tonight.

And therein lies the problem for the Predators. Their best offensive players were average and failed to create quality chances. It’s telling that Colin Wilson, Marty Erat, Gabriel Bourque, and nick spaling all mustered just one shot on goal each. Jordin Tootoo, Sergei Kostitsyn, Matt Halischuk, and Paul Gaustad had none.

The Predators were 0-3 on the power play, as the Coyotes did a good job pressuring the puck and not letting the Predators get quality chances on Smith. The Predators did score on a power play late in the third period, but the goal was waved off as the officials struck with the dreaded “intent to blow” call.

The fact is that the Predators were outplayed throughout the contest. Rinne was exceptional, especially in the first period , stoning Mikkel Boedker alone in front of the net on one sequence. Frankly, without the strong play of Rinne, who seemed to be the only Predator ready to play, the score could have been much worse.

The Predators sat Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn for the second straight game after their curfew violations before game 3. While many may second guess that decision, I concur with the call made by Head Coach Barry Trotz. The Predators squad on the ice tonight was the same one that played a dominant game 4 an captured a 2-0 victory. That squad that was so effective in game 4 did not come to play tonight.

The Predators have dug an immense hole. The task before them is monumental.

It is not insurmountable.

It will require each player that puts on the sweater Monday night to commit to win puck battles, to play balls to the wall on every shift.

Do that, and the series will come back to Nashville.

Fail to do so, and your backs will no longer be against the wall.

They will be out of the playoffs.

My three stars:

1: Mike Smith

2. Shane Doan

3. Pekka Rinne

Blackhawk fans looking for some real change may enjoy this summer. For the first time since the 2010 Stanley Cup parade there appears to be a solid chance a core player will be dealt. If my source is correct, and he has been frequently in the past, third line center Dave Bolland is on the trading block.

It isn’t a big shock Bolland is the one made available out of the untouchable seven (Bolland, Hossa, Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Sharp and Toews). My view has been it will be unlikely any of the core group will be traded unless there are going to be major changes on West Madison Street. It would seem unlikely trading Bolland alone would be enough to cure the Hawks woes. Actually losing his experience could create other issues.

If Bolland is traded there would be a sizeable hole to fill and it isn’t a lock anyone on the current roster could excel in his role. Marcus Kruger may continue to improve or maybe not. Highly thought of prospect Phillip Danault is very young and unproven at the NHL level. Trading Bolland is risky but the Hawks will have to give to get. At this point it is unclear what GM Stan Bowman is trying to get in return.

Dealing Bolland for a second line center makes some sense, although Bowman appears to have Patrick Kane penciled in for that role. Maybe that isn’t so and Bowman was only posturing at his recent press conference. It also seems logical the Hawks will have to sweeten the pot if they are in the market for a proven pivot.

Bolland will be a sought after because of his ability to shut down top offensive players, but quality second line centers don’t grow on trees. Maybe the end game for the Hawks is to strengthen a couple of positional needs or to open up more salary cap space to pursue free agents.

Bowman can go in a few different directions. If Bolland is dealt for a defenseman, maybe the Hawks don’t pursue free agent Johnny Oduya. Possibly Niklas Hjalmarsson or Viktor Stalberg will be included in a trade package as Bowman might want to make a bigger splash.

It is early, actually earlier than usual for these types of trade rumors. It appears Hawk management realizes first round exits are failures and now there is some urgency. Maybe trading a popular player like Bolland will lead to a major free agent signing. There are a couple of big name, unrestricted free agents that could help many clubs.

Early speculation has the Blackhawks in the (b)Ryan Suter(b) sweepstakes, and he would be a huge acquisition.  Nashville will want to retain upcoming UFA Suter who is normally paired with Shea Weber to form one of the best defensive duos in the league.

If the Suter-to-Chicago rumblings are true, Hawk fans may feel like they are about to enter the twilight zone.

Brian Campbell was traded to Florida last summer in a transaction that can be simply defined as a salary dump. Campbell is a $7.1 million salary cap hit and is signed through 2015-2016. Suter will probably get similar money and should want at least a five year commitment if he leaves Nashville.
 
Call me cynical but that puts the Blackhawks in a similar cap position as they were in before Campbell was dealt. No doubt Suter is a better all-around defenseman, but Campbell was a nice fit here considering his puck rushing ability.

Maybe Blackhawk management finally realizes Campbell’s departure left too big of a hole on the blue line. If so, this summer they may commit a sizable amount of cap space to fix the problem. Beyond roster changes a Suter acquisition could mean the Hawks are going to look to play a more conservative system.

There are two overriding questions concerning Suter’s future in Nashville. Will the Predators want to have three $7 million players on their roster? Does Suter actually want to stay in Nashville?

The answer to question one is probably yes, Weber is up soon for a big raise and Pekka Rinne has already signed a lucrative contract extension. My gut feeling is the correct response for question two is Suter will want to move on. Possibly if the Preds make it the Stanley Cup Finals Suter will be more likely to stay. Then again, maybe he is already set on looking for a big market home and there are reasons Chicago could be his choice.

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The Predators scored 2 first period goals, and the strong goaltending of Pekka Rinne made those two markers stand up as Rinne recorded his first playoff shutout.

The Predators opened the scoring at 8:10 of the first period on a gift from Coyotes netminder Mike Smith. Smith went to play the puck behind the net and slid the puck toward a Coyotes defenseman.Gabriel Bourque was in hard on the forecheck and wrestled the puck away and passed to David Legwand in the slot. Legwand buried the puck past Smith, who was scrambling to get back in his crease to give the Predators a 1-0 lead and send the partisan crowd into a frenzy.

Just 66 seconds later, Marty Erat fought for the puck along the boards in the Coyote zone and won the puck battle. He got the puck to Sergei Kostitsyn who appeared to have a shot from the inside the face off circle to Smith’s left. He instead passed to Mike Fisher, who was alone at the side of the net, and Fisher chipped the puck over Smith to give the Predators a 2-0 lead at 9:16 of the first period.

Although the Coyotes out shot the Predators 10-8 in the first period, they never really threatened Rinne. The Coyotes did hit a post with one shot, but the Predators did a good job of keeping the front of the net clear and forcing the Coyotes to the outside.

The second period was a scoreless 20 minutes, but it was notable for the Predators aggressive forecheck and their ability to keep the Coyotes back on their heels. The Coyotes possess a group of forwards that can be explosive, but the Predators did a good job of limiting their offensive efforts, keeping the Coyotes on the wall for much of the period. Most of their shots were from the outside and not from the dangerous scoring areas. Although the Coyotes out shot the Predators 12-8 in the second period, the Predators continued to play god defense, blocking shots and forcing the Coyotes to the outside.

In the third period, the Predators continued to forecheck aggressively and put pressure on the Coyotes. Their effort continued to thwart the Coyotes offense and minimize their scoring chances. The Coyotes had a good opportunity to get back into the game as Sergei Kostitsyn was called for hooking at 12:59 and Marty Erat was called for tripping at 14:19. With 41 seconds of a 5 on 3, the Coyotes had a prime opportunity to get back into the game.

Instead, the Predators PK did a good job of getting into the shooting lanes and continued to keep the Coyotes to the outside. When the puck got in on Rinne, he was able to snuff out the scoring chances, and the Predators seized the momentum with an outstanding penalty kill.

The third period ended with Smith out of the net for an extra attacker in the final 2 minutes, but the Coyotes could not generate any serious threats, and as the clock wound down, the Predators had captured a 2-0 win and had energized the team and the fans.

The Predators played this game without Andrei Kostitsyn and Alexander Radulov, who were suspended for this game for a violation of team rules. They are eligible to return for game 4 Friday night.

I do not expect them to play.

The Predators won tonight with grit, determination, and a balls to the wall effort. As Marty Erat said after the game, “We played for 60 minutes and we played with some balls.”

It is going to take that same kind of effort Friday night against a very god Coyotes team. They will not lay down, and they will come back with determination.

To come with any less of an effort will be disappointing for the Predators.

The effort tonight was a total team effort. All lines contributed, and more importantly, everyone wearing a gold sweater played Predator hockey.

One game doesn’t make a series. The Predators trail 2 games to 1.

But the Predators showed tonight that when they play Predator hockey, they are hard to beat.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Mike Fisher

3. David Legwand

Pavel Datsyuk will play in his fifth IIHF World Championship tournament. Photo by Patxi64.

The Detroit Red Wings’ season ended a couple of weeks ago, but it won’t stop them from taking a trip to Europe. No, they won’t be taking a Griswold Family Vacation, but they will be lacing up the skates once again in the upcoming  IIHF World Championship to be held in Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland.

Several Red Wing players will play for their respective countries in the tournament, which starts this Friday and concludes with the semifinals and medal round games in Helsinki on May 19-20.

Playing in the tournament is the next best thing for the players who aren’t currently in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For some of the Red Wing players who will take part, the opportunity to play for their country at this time of the year doesn’t come that often.

Valtteri Filppula hopes to continue his play from the regular season as he represents Finland, who are the defending champions. This is the first World Championships for Filppula, who represented his country in the 2002 World Under-18 Championships and is also a two-time participant in the World Junior Championships (2003, 2004).

Pavel Datsyuk is arguably one of the best all-around players in the world. Not only has Datsyuk displayed his skills for the Red Wings, he has also showcased his talents by playing for his home country, Russia. Datsyuk played in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and is a three-time participant of the Winter Olympics (2002, 2006, 2010).  In 29 World Championship games, Datsyuk registered 10 goals and 13 assists and will make his fifth appearance in the tournament.

Even though Tomas Tatar is only 21 years old and a top-five prospect in the Red Wings’ organization, this will be the second time that he will play for Slovakia in the World Championships. He looks to improve his stats from last year’s tournament, where registered two goals in six games.  Tatar has also participated in the World Junior Championships in 2009 and 2010, where he netted a total of 10 goals and seven assists in 13 games played. Tatar is projected to be a top-six forward and his stock could rise over the next few weeks.

As for last year’s runner-up Sweden, the additions of  Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, and Niklas Kronwall bolster their chances to reach the finals once again. Zetterberg and Kronwall, along with Nicklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom and then-Red Wing Mikael Samuelsson, were the team’s version of the Swedish Fab Five that captured the Gold Medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Zetterberg began representing his country in the final European Junior Championships in 1998 and captured the Gold Medal in the process. He also took part in the 1999 and 2000 World Junior Championships as well as the Winter Olympics in 2002, 2006 and 2010. This will be the sixth time that Zetterberg will take part in this tournament. In 44 career games in the World Championships, Zetterberg tallied eight goals and 21 assists.

Like Zetterberg, Kronwall has had his fair share of international experience. The two were teammates in the final European Junior Championship as well as the 2000 World Junior Championships. Kronwall once again represented Sweden the following year for the World Juniors in 2001 and then reunited with Zetterberg at the World Championships in  2003 and 2005. His coming-out party was at the ’06 tournament, where he got two goals and eight assists in eight games, helping Sweden capture the Gold Medal, and raising some eyebrows among the Red Wing brass.

Franzen will participate in the tournament for the third time. During the 2004 and 2005 tournies, he found the net only once and had three assists in 13 games for Sweden.

Since he retired from international competition in 2010, Lidstrom will not take part in the tournament, but another Red Wing will take his spot. Jonathan Ericsson will play in his second international tournament as a member of Team Sweden.

Even though he’s not with the Red Wings just yet, Jarnkrok will get a small sample size of what the pro game will be like when he plays alongside many of the NHL’s best. Jarnkrok, the 51st overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, had a stellar season with Brynas of the Swedish Elite League, scoring 16 goals and adding 23 assists in 50 games. He is no stranger to international competition, representing Sweden in the 2009 Under-18 World Championships and in the 2011 World Junior Championships. Expect Jarnkrok to sign with the Red Wings and start his pro career with the Grand Rapids Griffins this fall.

Jimmy Howard will be between the cage for the U.S  for his first World Championship tournament. Howard played for the U.S. National Team’s Developmental program in the 2000-01 season and also represented the Red, White and Blue in the World Under 18 Tournament in 2002 as well as the World Junior Championships in 2003. Abdelkader will take part in the upcoming competition, but this won’t be the first time that he played for the U.S. as he represented his country in the 2007 World Junior Championships.

For those who are suffering from “Red Wings Withdrawal,” this will be the perfect remedy to see some of the team’s top players in international play over the next two weeks. They may not be playing for the Stanley Cup, but playing for their country is just as good. The tournament starts this Friday as the U.S. plays France at 5:15 am Eastern Time. Note that all of  Team USA’s games will be televised on the NBC Sports Network.

Here is the press release from the Predators,

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn will not play Game Three of the team’s Western Conference Semifinals series vs. the Phoenix Coyotes as result of violating team rules.

“The Nashville Predators have a few simple rules centered around doing the right things,” Poile said. “We have always operated with a team-first mentality and philosophy. Violating team rules is not fair to our team and their teammates.”The Predators trail the Coyotes in their semi final series 2-0. Tthe third game of this series is in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena.

While this certainly removes two offensive threats from the Predators line up, I commend GM David Poile and the team for the consistent application of the team rules and not bowing to playoff pressure.

The nature of the violation is unknown at this time. Both Kostitsyn and Radulov are on the ice at the morning practice for the Predators.

Possibly expectations were too high last season and now my judgment is clouded with disenchantment. Maybe, but it seems the Blackhawks wouldn’t be the current favorite out of recent winners to hoist the Cup again the soonest.

Little was made clear at last week’s post-mortem media day when Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville commented on the failed season. The picture painted was cloudy. The GM pointed his finger at coaching and the head coach threw unnamed players under the bus. What remains to be seen is who owner Rocky Wirtz finds at fault.

As presently constructed, the Blackhawks are stuck in the middle. It is apparent leadership with a specific plan needs to surface. The Hawks are somewhat in a state of flux and Wirtz might have to be the one to put the franchise back on a Stanley Cup course.

What should happen before one free agent is signed or a trade pulled off, is for management to establish what kind of team they want to become.

The Blackhawks were not good enough to play air tight defense and consistently win low scoring games. If the Hawks concentrate on shoring up defensive shortcomings their offense seems to suffer. At least that was the case against Western Conference playoff teams in the final two months of the season.

Nashville and Los Angeles win during the regular season and in the playoffs by playing low scoring games. It is more difficult to win in the postseason by relying on outscoring opponents like Philadelphia does, but they are doing fine this year. Washington has transformed itself into a defensive oriented team from their high flying, gamble and score often mentality.

Different styles of play can work but what doesn’t do well is when a team can’t stay consistent. Unfortunately that describes the 2011-2012 Blackhawks, unable to bring the same type of effective effort game after game.

Quenneville seems as if he doesn’t want to change very much, but then again he does waiver. GM Bowman needs to acquire players who complement each other, but a specific direction must be defined.

Bowman and Quenneville need to get on the same page or not much will be accomplished this summer. For now, it appears neither is able to admit any wrong doing. That leads us to Wirtz who can’t be too happy and like most of us must be a little confused.

Many Hawk fans are bewildered but maybe the best hope is Rocky will be more anxious to admit mistakes than either Quenneville or Bowman. After all, the biggest loser is Wirtz if playoff disappointment keeps happening and the Hawks buzz goes quiet.

The Blackhawks may not have to fight as hard next season for Chicago media attention after the unfortunate injury to the Bulls Derrick Rose. The Bulls disappointment shouldn’t mean the Hawks front office will be content with recent results. Those who want to believe the wait list for season tickets is endless and the United Center will be sold out for decades have short memories.

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Next article will be out on Friday.

The Predators needed to have sense of desperation and intensity in this contest. Going back to Nashville down 2-0 would not bode well for the Predators.

The Predators were once again going to rely on Pekka Rinne in net, while the Coyotes had their stalwart Mike Smith manning the pipes.

Both teams started the game skating well and throwing shots on net, but both goaltenders were able to handle the offensive thrust.

The Coyotes struck first at 8:32 of the first period as Keith Yandle took the puck just outside the right face off circle and found Antoine Vermette streaking to the net. Yandle’s pass across the slot was right on the tape of Vermette’s stick and he had a wide open net in which to deposit the puck. Vermette beat Marty Erat, who was late getting back in coverage and left his man wide open.

Phoenix seized momentum and were peppering Rinne with shots and being much more physical than the Predators. The Predators looked as if they were just holding on and trying to survive the Coyotes pressure and get out of the period.

That changed Kevin Klein took the puck through the neutral zone and went into the Phoenix zone. As Klein was being checked to the ice, he slid a pass to Andrei Kostitsyn. AK46 broke in alone on Smith and buried a forehand to tie the game at 1 at 17:13.

This was a huge goal by the Predators to take back momentum and give them some confidence. Responding as they did shows the fight in this group, and they will need it against the tough Coyotes.

The first period ended tied at 1. The Coyotes out shot the Predators 12-9.

The Coyotes took a 2-1 lead at 3:47 of the second period as Radim Vrbata drove to the net ans was forced wide by the Roman Josi. Vrbata centered the puck from behind the net through the legs of Rinne and onto the stick of Martin Hanzal, who beat Kevin Klein driving to the net. Hanzal had an open net to shoot the puck into as Rinne could not recover after sliding to the post on Vrbata’s drive.

Both Coyotes goals had occurred because the Coyotes beat Predator defenders to the net. This was not the type of hockey that the Predators had typically played, and if they did not correct these mistakes, then this series would end quickly.

The Coyotes stymied the Predators, who had a great flurry in the offensive zone but could not get the puck past Smith. The Coyotes got control of the puck and came in the zone 2 on 2. A shot fluttered over the and the puck came to David Legwand, who inexplicably threw the puck over his own net. Rinne certainly did not expect that, and he was bumped off balance as the puck landed on the tape of Radim Vrbata. Rinne was sprawled on the ice and Vrbata flipped the puck into the top of the net to give the Coyotes a 3-1 lead at 7:05.

There are no words to describe the stupidity of the play by Legwand.

Ray Whitney was called for slashing, and the Predators power play was dominant, controlling the puck for the entire power play in the Phoenix zone. As the power play was winding down, Ryan Suter took a shot from the point and Patric Hornqvist deflected the puck past Smith to make it 3-2 at 11:20.

The Coyotes answered the Predators goal almost immediately as Shane Doan drove down the wing past Roman Josi and put a shot on Rinne that he deflected out into the slot. Taylor Pyatt was able to drive the slot unmolested and he batted the rebound out of mid-air past Rinne to give the Coyotes a 4-2 lead at 11:50.

The inability of the Predators to keep Phoenix from scoring after their tallies was frustrating to say the least. In this game, the Predators defense had been uncharacteristically loose and sloppy, and it had cost them.

Down 4-2 at the end of the period, the Predators were facing a desperate 20 minutes of hockey. They had been out shot 31-24 and had ceded the physical play to the Coyotes. Their defense was woeful to this point, and the hole they had dug was deep.

It would be a blinding flash of the obvious to say that the Predators had to play their best 20 minutes of the season to have a chance to win this game.

The Predators started the third period 4 on 4, but quickly got a power play. With the Predators moving the puck, Ryan Suter got open and blasted a shot off the shoulder of Smith and into the net just 53 seconds into the period.

THAT was certainly the start the Predators needed.

Now they had to play solid defense and play their style of hockey.

That didn’t happen. The Coyotes once again answered the Predators goal as Derek Morris took a shot that was re-directed by Shane Doan to make it 5-3 Coyotes at 3:36. The play was set up by a clean face off win in the Predators zone by Antoine Vermette.

The Predators inability to keep the Coyotes from scoring when they get close is a matter of desire, in my opinion, and effort. To this point in the series, the Coyotes have outworked the Predators and their effort has been rewarded with goals.

As much as the Predators needed offensive push to get back into this game, they were thwarted by the forecheck and the work of the Coyotes. The pressure the Coyotes put on the Predators suffocated any offense the Predators tried to generate. After the initial goal to open the period, the Predators rarely pressured Smith, and appeared to be completely knocked out of kilter by the Coyotes forecheck.

Pekka Rinne was pulled with 2:13 to go in the game, and even with the extra attacker, the Predators were still being outworked by the Coyotes and could not set up their offense. The Coyotes beat Predators to the puck and out manned the Predators on the puck. There was absolutely no offensive flow at all from the Predators.

David Legwand took a penalty with 46 seconds remaining and Boyd Gordon took a coincidental high sticking penalty. Nashville now had a 5 on 4 with Rinne pulled, and still the Predators could not get their offense going.

The Predators could not threaten Smith, much less score, and the game ended with Coyotes dominating the Predators and the scoreboard 5-3.

This game was particularly disappointing for the Predators, as their defense was horrific. The guys in front of Pekka Rinne owe him a big apology for their sloppy play.

Also disappointing is the fact that throughout the game, the Predators were outworked. The Coyotes forecheck dominated the Predators and they had no answer. The Predators have long prided themselves on their work ethic, and tonight, the Coyotes showed the Predators what a real work ethic looks like.

Having dug a 2-0 hole, the Predators now face a gut check. They can come back to Nashville and play Predator hockey and make a commitment to outwork the Coyotes. If they do, they can capture the games on home ice in front of their raucous crowd.

If they do not, then the Predators are looking at embarrassingly getting swept with this kind of play.

The choice is yours, boys.

My three stars:

1. Radim Vrbata

2. Antoine Vermette

3. Ryan Suter

Eastern Conference

(7) Washington Capitals vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Marc Staal

Philp– Capitals win in 7. X-Factor –> Capitals’ Penalty-Kill

Muscat– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Rangers’ Third Line

Levin– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Michael Del Zotto

Woodward– Rangers win in 6. X-Factor –> Dan Girardi

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers

Cohen– Flyers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Philp– Flyers win in 5. X-Factor –> Philadelphia’s Prolific Power-Play

Muscat– Flyers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Levin– Devils win in 7. X-Factor –> Patrik Elias

Woodward– Flyers win in 5. X-Factor –> Martin Brodeur’s Ability To Overcome Father Time

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (2) St. Louis Blues

Cohen–  Blues win in 7. X-Factor –> David Perron

Philp– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> The Blues’ Defense

Muscat– Blues win in 7. X-Factor –> T.J. Oshie

Levin– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> Jamie Langenbrunner

Woodward– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –>Mike Richards

(4) Nashville Predators vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Fisher

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

Muscat– Predators win in 5. X-Factor –> Alexander Radulov

Levin– Predators win in 5. X-Factor –>Patric Hornqvist

Woodward– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Phoenix’s Secondary Scoring

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen (Edit)– Rangers Over Predators

Muscat (Edit)– Blues Over Rangers

Philp (Edit)– Capitals Over Coyotes

Woodward (Original)– Rangers Over Predators

Phoenix was dominated in the third period and in the OT session, but managed to get a puck past Nashville goaltender for the game winner at 14:04 as Ray Whitney slipped a puck in on the backhand for the winner.

How did we get here?

As expected, special teams would play a critical role in the outcome of the game.

Phoenix tallied first in the first period as Radim Vrbata would launch a puck at Rinne that hit his shoulder and caromed under the crossbar to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead at 7:23. Kevin Klein had put the Predators down a man when he turned the puck over at the Predators blue line and was guilty of tripping to prevent a breakaway. The potent Coyote power play went to work and made the Predators pay for their transgression.

The Predators tied the game up at 1 on a goal that was a fluke. Francis Bouillon dumped the puck into the Phoenix zone, and it appeared that it was going around the glass and behind the net. Phoenix netminder Mike Smith went behind his goal to play the puck, but the puck ricocheted off the glass and back to the slot, where Brandon Yip gathered in the puck and slapped it into the open net at 14:09 of the first period.

In the second period, the Coyotes took a 2-1 lead as Rusty Klesla was able to bury a shot off a puck that was blocked by Roman Josi. Klesla tried to slip the puck across the slot, but it was blocked by a sliding Josi. The puck came right back to Klesla and he had an open net to fire the puck as Rinne had slid across his crease to play the pass. The Coyotes score came at 3:05 of the second period.

Once again, the Predators tied the game as Andrei Kostitsyn corralled a rebound of a Patric Hornqvist shot and slipped the puck past Smith at 11:19 of the second period.

The Coyotes regained the lead at 16:27 of the second period as Mikkel Boedker continued his strong play. Boedker was able to get a puck past Rinne for his third goal of the post season and give the Coyotes a 3-2 lead. Boedker broke in on a 2 on 1 as Andrei Kostitsyn, who had rotated to the blue line for a pinching Francis Bouillon, fell and the Coyotes blue line. Kevin Klein was back on defense, and took away the pass, but Boedker dangled the puck and beat Rinne to the far post.

The third period was all Predators as they out shot the Coyotes 16-1. That offensive pressure finally paid off with Marty Erat tallying on the power play at 15:18. For Erat, this was his first goal of the post season, and it was a result of the pressure that the Predators exerted on Smith and the Coyotes defense. Boyd Gordon was in the box for holding the stick, and the Predators did a good job of moving the puck and were rewarded as Erat was able to tally.

Once again, the Coyotes were heading to overtime, familiar territory for this team. The Predators had a decided territorial advantage, and out shot the Coyotes 9-6, but it was the Coyotes that capitalized as Ray Whitney slid a backhand shot past Rinne for the game winner at 14:04 of the the OT.

For the Predators, this is a disappointing loss. They played well enough to win, but this is a series that will be decided by which team makes the fewest mistakes. Tonight, this was the Coyotes. More importantly, the Coyotes capitalized on the mistakes that the Predators made.

The Coyotes are an opportunistic team, and the Predators gave them the opportunities they needed to win this game. For the Predators, the key to winning game 2 will be eliminating some of the mistakes that victimized them in game 1 and capitalizing on the opportunities they have.

There is no doubt that Mike Smith is a good goalie, but when the Predators put pucks on net and crash, they can create scoring opportunities. They have to do that in game 2, and do it more consistently, to have success.

This will not be an easy series for either team. The first blood was drawn by the Coyotes, as they made the most of their chances.

The Predators put 42 shots on net in this game to 24 for the Coyotes. The difference was that the Coyotes made the most of their chances. The Predators did not.

That has to change for the Predators in game 2.

My three stars:

1. Mike Smith

2. Mikkel Boedker

3. Marty Erat

Pavel Datsyuk was nominated for the Frank J. Selke Trophy for the fifth straight year. Photo by JPowers65.

It’s been a week since the Detroit Red Wings’ season ended with an early playoff exit, but one of the team’s best players is up for an award.

Red Wings’ center Pavel Datsyuk is one of three players nominated for the Frank J. Selke which goes to the NHL’s top defensive forward. The other nominees are Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and David Backes of the St. Louis Blues.

For the fifth straight season, Datsyuk is a finalist for the Selke Trophy and joins Bob Gainey (1978-82) and Guy Carbonneau (1986-90) for the longest streak. The award was first given out in 1978, which Gainey won and took home the award three more times before the Boston Bruins’ Steve Kasper snapped the streak by winning it in 1982. Carbonneau won the award two years in a row from 1988-89.

In the 2011-12 regular season, Datsyuk scored 19 goals and added 48 assists in 70 games, but other parts to his game were instrumental of being one of the top two-way players in the game. He had a plus/minus rating of +21, posted 97 takeaways, which ranked third in the league, and was the team’s top faceoff player with a 56.2 percentage.

Datsyuk had won the Selke Trophy for three straight seasons (2008-10), but the Vancouver Canucks’ Ryan Kesler snapped the streak by winning the award last year. If  Datsyk were to win, he would join Gainey as the only other four-time winner of the award.

Backes, who was nominated for the first time, was tied for the Blues’ scoring leader with 54 points (24 goals, 30 assists) and posted a plus/minus rating of +15, but playing for head coach Ken Hitchcock, playing a defensive game is a top priority. He led the team with 72 blocked shots and 226 hits, ranked second with 50 takeaways and even though he led the team in faceoffs, he won 48.6 percent of them.

This will also Bergeron’s first time in the running for the Selke. He was second in team scoring with 64 points (22 goals, 42 assists) and led the NHL with a +36 rating and was second in the league with a 59.3 faceoff percentage. If he were to win, Bergeron would join Kasper as the only other Bruins’ player to win the Selke Trophy.

The winner will be announced June 20 at the 2012 NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

The Coyotes, winners of the Pacific Division and the third seed, will have home ice advantage over the 4th seed Predators, with the first game of the series on Friday night at Jobing.com Arena.

These two teams are very similar, and this should be a very close series. Let’s examine the key components of this match up:

GOALTENDING

The Predators Pekka Rinne is reasonably considered to be one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL, and his second consecutive Vezina nomination is a testament to his caliber of play. The Coyotes Mike Smith has thrust himself into that conversation with his play this season and in the first round of the playoffs. In the playoffs, a goaltender has to elevate their game if their team is to have a chance to advance, and both netminders have done just that. Rinne finished the regular season with a .923 save %, and after the first round of the playoffs, his save % has increased to .944. Smith finished the regular season with a .930 save %, and that has increased to a .950 save % after the Chicago series. Both goalies are a mirror image of each other: big men that are athletic; track the puck well; and are positionally sound. Both do an excellent job of controlling rebounds. This series may well be decided by which goalie blinks first, and neither have shown a tendency to crack under the pressure their opponents bring. The key for each team will be getting lots of bodies to the net and creating havoc around the crease. Even with this, both Rinne and Smith have shown that they are able to handle this type of pressure.

ADVANTAGE: EVEN

DEFENSE

The Predators are lead by the dynamic duo of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, and they have shown that they are capable of shutting down the other team’s best forwards. The Predators are hoping to get Hal Gill back for this series, and the massive defenseman will be a welcome presence of they can utilize his services. Kevin Klein will look to continue his stellar play from the first round. Rookie Roman Josi has a playoff round under his belt, and that experience will serve him well against the Coyotes. Frankie Buoillon is a solid defender that will log some tough minutes.

While the Coyotes do not have the big name defensemen that the Predators do, they still have some very good talent on the back end. Keith Yandle had 5 points in 6 games against the Blackhawks; Rusty Klesla had 4 points; and the talented Oliver Ekman-Larsson had 3 points. The Coyotes D has the talent to score and are very willing to jump into the play. Derek Morris provides some grit, and Michal Rozsival and Adrian Aucoin add depth and experience.

Yandle, Morris, and Dave Schlemko (who played in game 6 of the Hawks series) were the only three Coyotes defenders that were a positive +/- in the Chicago series. Adrian Aucoin was an even +/-. It will be critical that the Predators forwards challenge the Coyotes defenders for territorial advantage in front of the net.

Look for the Predators defense to exert themselves and make it difficult for the Coyotes forwards to get to the net. Every Predators defenseman was a positive +/- or even in the series with the Wings. The Predators will look to continue to get sound play from the blueliners, and if they do, they should be able to make it difficult for the Coyote forwards to score.

ADVANTAGE: PREDATORS

FORWARDS

Alexander Radulov lead the Predators with 5 points in 5 games against the Wings. Only one of those points came from a goal, and the Predators will need continued offensive contributions from Radulov, especially in finding the back of the net. Surprising rookie Gabriel Bourque led the Predators with 3 goals against the Wings, and this contribution was very welcome. Bourque has been moved to the second line with David Legwand (4 points in the first round) and Radulov, and this line needs to continue to gel and score. The Predators are looking to get their first line of Mike Fisher, Marty Erat, and Sergei Kostitsyn going and finding the back of the net. If they can do this, they will put tremendous pressure on the Coyotes and Smith in net. Once again, the swing factor could be the Predators third line of Nick Spaling, Andrei Kostitsyn, and Patric Hornqvist. This line has the ability and potential to present problems for the Coyotes with their ability to go hard to the net and create scoring chances.

Shane Doan is the heart and soul of the Coyotes, and he will bring maximum effort in every game. The Coyotes are very similar to the Predators in that they get opportunistic scoring from Doan and their forwards. Antoine Vermette has resurrected his career in the desert, as has Gilbert Brule. Mikkel Boedker was a Hawks killer, scoring two OT game winners, and Ray Whitney is a talented and experienced veteran that can create match up problems for the Predators defense.

Looking at both teams, there is a tremendous amount of similarity: good players that can score and have jam to their game. Both groups of forwards do an excellent job of capitalizing on the mistakes of the other team.

This series will be decided by the forwards that capitalize of the infrequent scoring opportunities that they can create.

ADVANTAGE: PREDATORS

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Predators had the number one power play in the NHL’s regular season, but it sputtered in their first round match up, going 2 for 22, a 9.1% success rate. The Coyotes were more successful with the man advantage, going 4 for 19, a 21.1% success rate. It is stating the obvious that for the Predators to have success against the Coyotes, the power play has to improve.

The Predators PK was good but not great against the Wings, giving up 4 power play goals in 23 attempts for an 82.6% success rate. The Coyotes were outstanding on the PK, giving up 1 goal in 19 short handed situations for a 94.7% success rate.

With two evenly matched teams, the play of the special teams can be the deciding factor in this series. The pressure is on the Predators play on special teams to produce in this match up.

ADVANTAGE: COYOTES

COACHING

Both Barry Trotz and Dave Tippet are excellent coaches that get the most out of the players they put on the ice. Trotz has the advantage of taking his team to the second round last season, so this will not be a new experience for Trotz and the staff or the team. Trotz will do a good job of keeping the team focused and on an even keel.

Tippett has done an exceptional job of keeping his team focused on their play in spite of all the off ice distractions that have surrounded the team. The Coyotes respond well to Tippett’s leadership, and he has them playing with confidence. Having home ice advantage and the control of the match ups on the ice works to Tippett’s advantage, and look for him to exploit that to the maximum.

ADVANTAGE: EVEN

INTANGIBLES

The Coyotes are making their first appearance in the second round, and one has to wonder if they will experience an let down after the emotions of winning their first ever playoff series.

The Predators face the weight of the expectations of this team. Trade deadline acquisitions and the return of Radulov have many believing that the Predators are a team that can contend for the Cup. Handling the pressure of those expectations will be critical for the team.

ADVANTAGE: EVEN

So, looking at all these factors, who wins the series?

This will be a hard fought series, and the team that makes the fewest mistakes and can capitalize on their opportunities will emerge victorious. It’s cliche, but your best players have to be your best players in this match up, and I believe the Predators have the best players.

MY PICK: PREDATORS IN 6

Some Hawk fans are disgusted with another first round playoff exit and are looking for big changes. Quite a few have seen enough of Corey Crawford and are looking for different coaches and maybe a new GM as well. Others feel the team needs a few additions but nothing major and better days are to come. That’s the great thing about sports, everyone can have an opinion.

Back in the summer of 2010 many around the league thought the Hawks would keep Antti Niemi and most likely trade either Patrick Sharp or Dave Bolland. Some may remember Bowman called an impromptu press conference to say Sharp was not going to be dealt.

Hardly ever will a GM respond in that way over the summer. In this case it was a nice gesture to Sharp as he was about to get married. Sharp had heard the rumors and Bowman put his mind at ease and also stopped his own phone from ringing.

Earlier that summer a source told me the Blackhawk front office identified the following as their core and all would be back for the 2010-2011 season. I called the group the untouchable seven and they were; Bolland, Hossa, Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Sharp and Toews.

The chances of one of the core being traded are higher now than before, although still likely. My view is all will be back next season and when Blackhawk management mentions the core, those are the players they are referencing.

GM Stan Bowman – Joel Quenneville

My criticism of Bowman’s summer signings goes back for months. To take it a step further, Blackhawk pro scouting needs to improve as the so called “core” can’t do it alone. Bowman banked on Dan Carcillo and others to turn the personality of the Hawks into a tough team to play against. What actually happened is the Hawks became a tougher team for fans to watch as they had an inconsistent campaign.

Joel Quenneville didn’t have the best of years but roster issues made his job a more difficult task. Coach Q. wasn’t very flexible and it appeared at times he and the Hawks front office might be on different pages. There is no way to tell how much Quenneville had to do with some of last summer signings. Certainly he has more input than many head coaches and has the resume to back his opinions.

Bowman without question will be the Hawks GM come October, winning a Stanley Cup adds security, and Quenneville should be back as well. The head coaching leash on Quenneville could be shorter than in the past but he is not in a bad spot.

If the Hawks start off poorly, Quenneville could be reassigned to serve out the remainder of his contract. If Quenneville is stripped of his head coaching position and would want to leave Chicago he wouldn’t have to wait long for another job offer. Quenneville has his detractors but in a difficult season the players didn’t quit on him.

Bowman as well as Quenneville need to figure out a style of play for the Hawks. After listening to comments my feeling is they are somewhat conflicted. They both like the current team but realize changes need to be made. Bowman admitted the team is built to skate pucks over the blueline rather than to dump and chase. It could be time to acquire players who can do both.

The Blackhawks have a lot of high end talent but lack size and grit. There needs to be a blend, and Bowman and Quenneville must decide on a design and acquire players to fit into the group. Right now it is difficult to tell the extent of changes to come this summer. It wouldn’t be a shock if Bowman or Quenneville don’t yet know the exact course of action.

Corey Crawford

No doubt Corey Crawford must be better. His playoff performance reflected the entire season for the team. Crawford’s efforts were scattered, he held his own with Mike Smith until two soft goals in overtime of Game 3 and Game 4. Some will conclude Crawford lost the series because of those two softies.

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Today, Rinne received his second consecutive Vezina nomination, acknowledging the quality of his play.

Joining Rinne as Vezina nominees are Jonathan Quick of the L.A. Kings and Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers.

Rinne lead the NHL in games played with 73 as well as wins, with 43. Rinne was 43-18-8 in the regular season, with 5 shutouts. He finished the year with a .923 save % and a 2.39 GAA. He also lead the NHL in assists by a goaltender, with 5.

Quick accounted for 35 of the Kings 40 wins this season. His record was 35-21-13 with a .929 save % and 1.95 GAA. He lead the NHL with 10 shutouts.

Lundqvist was 39-18-5 with a .930 save% and a 1.97 GAA. He had 8 shutouts during the regular season.

Each goalie was integral to the success of their team and strong case can be made for each to claim the Vezina.

Rinne faced the most shots of any of the nominees (2,153), and often the Predators relied on Rinne to preserve the lead in a low scoring contest.

Quick backstopped the offensively challenged Kings, who were 29th in scoring at 2.29 goals per game. Quick’s 1.95 GAA was the second best in the NHL.

Lundqvist’s 39 wins were a career best, as was his save % and GAA. He is the first goalie to have at least 30 wins in his first 7 seasons in the League.

The winner will be announced at the NHL awards show in Las Vegas on June 20th.

The Predators resident mad scientist, GM David Poile has been very adept at blending all these components into a successful team, not only this season, but throughout the history of the franchise.

This has been acknowledged once again by his peers, the 29 other General Managers in the League, as for the third year in a row, Poile has been nominated as GM of the Year. The award has been in existence for only three years, and this speaks volumes about the job he has done with the Predators, and more so the perception of his fellow General Managers.

Poile has guided the Predators from an expansion franchise to one that is consistently in the playoffs, all in a small market and with a limited budget. Additionally, Poile is the only GM to have served for over 1,000 games for two different teams, having previously served as the GM of the Washington Capitals.

His experience and the hockey lineage in his family (his father, Bud, is in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Builder) have allowed Poile to maintain a long term perspective about not only the development of the players in Nashville, but the development of the coaching staff as well. Stability has been the hallmark of this franchise, and that characteristic has been vital during some tumultuous stretches in the history of the Predators.

Along with Poile, Dale Tallon of the Florida Panthers and Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues have been nominated. The winner will be announced at the NHL Awards ceremony on June 20th from Las Vegas.

Congratulations to David for the recognition of the work to build an expansion franchise to one that is contending for the Stanley Cup.

The Blackhawks threw everything they had at Smith in the opening period outshooting the Coyotes 16-2. The shot differential was a true indication of the Blackhawks dominance. The Hawks carried through with the same type of effort to start the middle frame but the Coyotes found a way to score first on a power play goal at the 13:16 mark. Once the Coyotes took the lead they never looked back.

It was a humbling ending to the Blackhawks season as they were beaten 3 times at the United Center. The Hawks scored a total of 4 goals in 3 games played on home ice. The Coyotes did an outstanding job of keeping the Hawks best players off the score sheet. The Coyotes were a problem for Chicago in the regular season and to my surprise, they were an even more difficult opponent in the playoffs.

The goal total for the Hawks top 5 regular season scorers was 3. Patrick Sharp scored 1 time and Jonathan Toews had 2 goals in the series. Marian Hossa only played in 2 full games but he was held without a point. Patrick Kane and Viktor Stalberg did not record any goals.

Smith had a big role in frustrating the top skill players but scoring issues have been a concern with the Hawks for quite awhile.

During February, March, and April, the Hawks played a total of fifteen contests versus Western Conference playoff teams. In those games the Hawks scored on average only 2 goals per game in regulation. No doubt Smith won Game 6 and had a big hand in winning the series, but the Hawks did not close out the season having a potent offense. Many might be surprised as to how little the Hawks offense produced against better competition later in the season.

The first goal for Phoenix came after Jonathan Toews was whistled for an interference penalty. In the purest sense Toews was guilty of interference as he bumped into defenseman David Schlemko at the Phoenix blueline. If Toews would have made contact with a Coyote forward instead and he went down to the ice in the same way there might not have been a penalty issued. Schlemko going down and being a defenseman, while the Hawks were advancing the puck into the Phoenix zone, may have given the referee more of a reason to send Toews to the penalty box. That call allowed Phoenix to convert on their second power play attempt on the evening.

All series, the Coyotes have been better at getting shots through from the blueline while a screen is set in front of Corey Crawford. Martin Hanzal is a big center that was able to stand directly in front of Crawford while defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson sent an on target slap shot past shot into the net.

At the time of the goal the Hawks had a 22-6 shot advantage and the period ended with the Coyotes leading 1-0. After the power play the Hawks didn’t wilt but couldn’t solve Smith. The Hawks became more aggressive and did cause some problems for Smith by setting screens and crashing the net.

In the third frame, the Blackhawks didn’t start out as well as in the opening 40 minutes. They were then guilty of standing and watching the puck while the Coyotes were in the Hawks zone. The result was a Gilbert Brule goal at 2:24 of the third frame which sucked the life out of the United Center.

The Coyotes were patient although they were getting outplayed in the opening 40 minutes. Smith bailed them out big time and allowed his club time to wait for the Hawks to give them scoring opportunities.

Before the Coyotes took a 2 goal lead, they didn’t break from their structure and never over committed in the offensive zone. After Phoenix built a 2 goal cushion they were able to become more aggressive, but still didn’t take unnecessary chances. The Coyotes spent quite a bit of time in the offensive zone during the third period and Smith recorded a well-deserved shutout.

Joel Quenneville commented after Game 6 that the turning point in the series was losing Marian Hossa. No doubt Hossa is someone the Hawks couldn’t replace but the Coyotes suffered some injuries as well.

Maybe the outcome would have been different if Hossa was healthy and able to perform in the entire series. Maybe the Blackhawks would have defeated the Coyotes if Smith was average instead of great. Both points could be made, although we will never know for sure.

What is apparent is the Blackhawks couldn’t put forth an effective effort throughout any contest in the series. The Hawks had games where they played better than Phoenix over 40 minutes, like Monday night, but they didn’t carry the same effort over 3 periods.

The Coyotes didn’t appear to find a magic formula to start the playoffs. They were simply doing the same things that allowed them to qualify for the post season. Phoenix’s bench boss Dave Tippett outcoached Quenneville in this regard; he kept his group playing more consistent hockey throughout.

All season long my impression of the Blackhawks was they were too comfortable. They weren’t as good as their record indicated before Christmas and they struggled when injuries started happening in January.

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In the case of the Blackhawks, putting out effort isn’t necessarily the same as trying hard. Now almost a day doesn’t go by without some in local media as well as Hawk fans feeling disgust because this group seemingly brings a part time performance. As some would say, the Blackhawks don’t care enough until their backs are to the wall.

That type of thinking is reasonable, to a degree, but in reality putting forth effort isn’t the issue. The problem is this team exhibits the wrong type of effort, so even though they are trying hard the results aren’t as consistent as most fans would like. In the playoffs, more so than a Tuesday night in January versus Edmonton, the players are focused. They are trying their hardest to win but sometimes not working together in a way to have the most opportunity for success.

The Blackhawks as a team still struggle for an identity. Their current roster doesn’t give them the opportunity to consistently win in the same way as when they won the Stanley Cup. A different style of play is needed, one not only based on speed and pretty plays.

The game has changed in the last few years, penalties are called differently and teams must be able to crash and bang to win. Even a top skill level club like Washington has changed the way it plays because regular season success didn’t lead to long playoff runs.

Over last summer I heard a recorded interview with Scotty Bowman. He was asked if he was surprised the Washington Capitals had so much trouble winning in the playoffs. Bowman commented he really wasn’t surprised because the Capitals could win games with offensive skill alone in the regular season. So when they needed to play a tight checking-style they would have problems, like in the playoffs. When the going got tough they resorted to what helped them win during the season. The same type of effort didn’t work in a playoff series.

Bowman, who is a senior advisor for the Hawks, made reference to winning without the correct effort. Correct effort or effective effort is what the Blackhawks sometimes lack. Over the course of this season, Joel Quenneville and some players have admitted the same. Interestingly, this year it finally appears the Capitals can play an effective style in the playoffs.

When the Hawks began this season, they were winning although not playing the way the coaching staff was instructing them. It’s not easy for coaches to make a point about playing differently when a club is still having success. Human nature dictates and if the wrong type of effort isn’t followed by a bad consequence, it is more difficult to change behavior. The Hawks changed moreso after their nine game losing streak.

When the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, they could win in a variety of ways. They could chip pucks in and retrieve them, they were fast and strong along the boards. Most often they would skate pucks into the offensive zone and look to quicken the pace. Eventually the Hawks would wear down an opponent because of their depth and high skill level. The Cup-winning team had the physical ability and net presence to score from close in and that is a must in today’s NHL.

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Next article will be out tomorrow.

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