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 scene is set before game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, which the Rangers won, 3-0.

For the second series in a row, the New York Rangers took their playoff series to the limit, and for the second series in a row, got past their opponent to move on. For the first time since 1997, they are in the Eastern Conference finals, battling against an old nemesis, the New Jersey Devils.

So much of this run has had fans looking at parallels to 1994. Of course this is 2012 and the teams are nothing alike – with this one focused on a young homegrown core instead of being a win-now, guns-for-hire group that stripped the franchise of so much of its up-and-coming talent to go for it – but it is hard not to. After all, they faced the Washington Capitals in the second round that year (defeating them in 5 games) and then faced the New Jersey Devils in that epic 7-game series that sent the Rangers to the finals. In an ironic twist of fate, should this year’s game 6 take place it will be on May 25th, the anniversary of the game Mark Messier “guaranteed” the Rangers would win (and they did, thanks in part to a hat trick from the captain). Game 7 would take place on May 27th, the same date as the double overtime “Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!” game that ended that series.

The fans were certainly ready to go last night, getting the “Marrrrtyyyy” chants going even before the puck dropped. Once again, the FDNY Emerald Society drummed behind the penalty boxes to get the night started. For the first time all playoffs, the pregame videos were projected on the ice, rather than strictly on the scoreboard. Stephane Matteau was brought to encourage the 18,200 in attendance to put on the blue t-shirts that had been handed out as fans walked in. Once again, Ron Duguay made an appearance to try and get the crowd going.

There’s been talk heading into the series about how no team has gone on to win the Stanley Cup after going the 14-game distance in the first 2 rounds. There’s been talk about how the week of rest the Devils earned by dispatching the Philadelphia Flyers in 5 would benefit them, compared to the Rangers being less than 48 hours removed from eliminating the Washington Capitals in 7. With or without any encouragement, the Garden Faithful were certainly ready for this installment of “The Battle Of The Hudson.” But would the Rangers be? In the end, the answer was “yes,” as the Rangers shut out the Devils, 3-0 to take a 1-0 series lead.

Looking at the score alone is deceiving, as the game was far closer than one would think by looking at those numbers. Henrik Lundqvist made 21 saves, but made them count, especially in the second period when the Devils surged and had the better of the play. The Devils flashed the aggressive penalty kill they’ve become known for this season. But Lundqvist came up big, stoning Zach Parise on 3 consecutive tries while killing off an Andy Greene slashing penalty, to keep his team in the game.

“As a goalie you always have to step up when the team needs you not when you feel good and you have your moments,” the Vezina trophy candidate said after last night’s game. “A lot of times it’s when the team’s struggling you have to step up. And it’s fun, too, to be there and try to make the difference sometimes when the team is going through a tough stretch.”

His strong play set the stage for a third period in which the Rangers finally broke through against Martin Brodeur. As good as his defensive partner Ryan McDonagh was, notably using his speed to catch Parise on a breakaway and to neutralize Ilya Kovalchuk as he came in 1-on-1 on his goaltender in the first, Dan Girardi had a rare rough night defensively. Girardi had a ghastly turnover in front of the net that Lundqvist was able to stop and then also had to shake off the painful after effects of blocking a shot and a cut near his eye when he was boarded by Steve Bernier midway in the 3rd period. But this can be a game where a hero can become a goat in an instant and vice-versa. Girardi found redemption when he struck 53 seconds into the 3rd period off a pass from rookie Chris Kreider, a goal that Lundqvist would make stand up as the game winner. Kreider would add an insurance goal on the power play, snapping it past Brodeur off a pass from Artem Anisimov at the twelve minute mark. Anisimov would seal the deal with 1:27 left and Brodeur pulled for the extra skater. Mike Rupp took a roughing penalty with 38 seconds remaining to put the Devils up 2 men, but Lundqvist denied them to earn his second shutout of the postseason.

The Rangers now find themselves in familiar territory – up 1 game to 0 in the playoffs and will look to go up 2-0 in a series for the first time in the 2012 playoffs Wednesday night.

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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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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)

Rather than be down in the series 3-2 and have to fight for their playoff lives in game 6, they were up 3-2 with a chance on Wednesday to knock the Capitals out in front of their home crowd. Sadly, the Rangers didn’t really bother to show up. They got behind early after Anton Stralman took a tripping penalty 1:35 into the game on which Alex Ovechkin converted. Jason Chimera added the second goal in the second period and that was all the Caps would need. The Rangers’ power play that came up clutch for them in game 5, was nowhere to be found in this one. They went 0-for-5 on the night, the lowlight going shotless on Jeff Halpern’s double-minor for high sticking John Mitchell midway through the second period. A Marian Gaborik goal with 51 seconds left in the game with Lundqvist pulled prevented Braden Holtby from recording the shutout, but it was just window dressing on a night where no one (with maybe the exception of Lundqvist, who made some great saves to keep the Rangers close) really had a notable game for the Blueshirts.

Instead of opening up the Eastern Conference Finals at home Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils, they are hosting a game 7 against the Capitals. As they’ve done many times over the course of this season following a lackluster performance, they’ll have to find a way to bounce back. So how do they do that?

Score first. Heck, they just need to find a way to score, period. In the first 6 games of the series, the team that has scored first has won. With the exception of game 1, which the Rangers won 3-1, every game has been decided by either a 2-1 or 3-2 score, so goals have been hard to come by. Part of the credit has to be given to the Capitals taking a page out of the Rangers’ book when it comes to defensive hockey. A large part of it though falls on a  team with an anemic offense and an awful power play. With the way both have been going, a 1- or 2-goal deficit can seem insurmountable.

In practice Friday, John Tortorella reunited Chris Kreider with Derek Stepan and Ryan Callahan. The line was effective early in the series, until Kreider  made a major gaffe in game 4 that led to an Ovechkin goal. It was a game the Capitals wound up winning. Kreider wound up playing 7:43 in that game, followed by 6:57 in game 5 and 6:06 in game 6. As we’ve learned with Tortorella, and as we’ve seen with Kreider, ice time depends on trust. But in a game 7, and starving for offense, he has to play and just hope that, if the kid does have a defensive lapse, the other 5 players on the ice for the Rangers can bail him out. With their backs to the wall, the reward outweighs the risk.

Then there’s the power play that still has yet to find any regular effectiveness after 95 games. Move the puck quickly, cut down on the cutesy passing and just take the shot. Cycle. Get in front of the net. Easy for me to say, but it’s now or never for them to find success.

Get At Holtby and Outplay Him. Can the 22-year-old rookie, who became a father on Thursday, push that out of his mind  and keep focus for a few hours? We saw what happened in game 1 when he wasn’t focused, mostly because the Rangers only took 14 shots on him. He’s been good for the Capitals when he’s needed to be. The Rangers have to throw everything at him, and not just shots in the hopes of creating rebounds. Crash the net. Create screens. Staal scored the overtime winner from the point in game 5, a shot Holtby admitted he can’t see.

Like it or not, this game 7 will fall squarely on the shoulders of Lundqvist. There’s been quite a bit made in the last few days about the Capitals “finding” his weakness. Anyone who has seen Lundqvist since 2005 knows that high glove is the way you’re going to beat “The King.” A 1.73 GAA and a .936 save percentage ideally should be good enough, but when the 18 skaters aren’t generating any offense, it’s not. Lundqvist is going to have to have the game of his career for the Rangers to have any chance of playing on Monday night.

Get Back To Playing “Rangers Hockey.” While they failed to score, the first period of game 5 was probably the last time they played the kind of hockey the Rangers have come to be known for this season. For 20 minutes there was high energy, physical, controlling hockey by this team. That is the kind of effort they’ll need tonight.

Take Advantage of Home Ice Advantage. The Rangers worked all season to earn the number one seed and have home ice advantage. During several of the home games in the first 2 rounds the crowd was so into it during the anthem you couldn’t even hear John Amirante sing. Even when the team has gotten down in games, the crowd would cheer to encourage them to get back into it. There’s no reason to expect that the fans’ passion will be any less tonight. It’s not only about the Garden Faithful, some of whom will pay a pretty penny on the secondary market to be in the building (average price for a ticket per seatgeek.com is $441.00). It’s also about getting more desirable matchups with the last changes, which will be critical when trying to keep the likes of Ovechkin off the scoreboard. History doesn’t mean much, but for those who look for anything for some optimism, the Rangers are 4-0 in game sevens at Madison Square Garden. Why can’t they make it 5-0?

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- 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.

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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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Part I –> Top Six Forwards

Part II –> Bottom Six Forwards

Part III –> Defense Group

Part IV –> Extra Skaters/Call-Ups

Part V –> Goalies

Part VI –> Coaching/Management

Each day over the next week, I will update this blog with the addition of one player (in numerical order). For the bottom six, I will start with Gregory Campbell.

#11 Gregory Campbell

Age: 28

Contract Status: $1.100 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2012

Regular Season Stats: 78 GP, 8 Goals, 8 Assists, 16 Points, -3 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 0 Goals, 2 Assists, 2 Points, -2 Rating

– Duplicating a career season is a tremendously difficult task and one that players throughout the sports world often fall short of achieving. After falling just a goal or an assist shy of reaching the thirty-point mark (13G/16A) for the second time in his career during the 2010-’11 season, Campbell saw his offensive production sliced nearly in half this year (8G/8A). However, as anyone who has watched even a minute of Bruins’ hockey over the past few seasons would tell you, the true value of the 28-year-old London, Ontario native comes in the form of his unmatched grit and intangibles. Surpassing the century mark in the hit column and blocking over fifty shots whilst eating up valuable minutes on the penalty kill, the second-year Bruin’s contributions can not be overlooked. Slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, along with fellow bottom-six forwards Daniel Paille, Benoit Pouliot and Chris Kelly, Campbell will likely seek a slight raise from his last contract, which paid him $1.1 million dollars each year. In all likelihood, the Bruins will bring back just one of the two centermen with expiring deals (Campbell and Kelly). If that is the case, General Manager Peter Chiarelli will face a tough decision in determining whether Kelly’s ability to produce offense on a more consistent basis is worth the presumably hefty difference in the price tags of the two Canadian pivots.

Final Grade: B

#20 Daniel Paille

Age: 28

Contract Status: $1.075 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2012

Regular Season Stats: 69 GP, 9 Goals, 6 Assists, 15 Points, -5 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 1 Goal, 0 Assists, 1 Point, -1 Rating

– After struggling to find a spot in the Boston lineup for much of the 2010-’11 regular season — seeing action in only 43 of 82 games –, Paille looked to be the odd man out once again as the 2011-’12 campaign began. With former first round draft choice Jordan Caron — who plays a similar style to Paille — waiting in the wings, it seemed as though the former-Buffalo Sabre would once again become a press box regular. However, the 28-year-old left wing began the season with a strong training camp and earned his spot alongside Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton on the Boston fourth line. The Welland, Ontario native went on to enjoy another solid season for the Black and Gold, picking up nine goals and six assists, while seeing time on the B’s top penalty-killing unit. With his contract set to expire on July 1, and a pair of youngsters in Anthony Camara (3rd Round (81st Overall)/2011 Entry Draft) and Lane MacDermid (4th Round (112th Overall)/2008 Entry Draft) ready to take on a bottom-six role with the big club, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Paille pulling on a different sweater come October of 2012.

Final Grade: B-

#22 Shawn Thornton

Age: 34

Contract Status: $1.100 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2014

Regular Season Stats: 81 GP, 5 Goals, 8 Assists, 13 Points, -7 Rating

Playoff Stats: 5 GP, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, 0 Points, EVEN Rating

– Since arriving on the scene in the summer of 2007, Shawn Thornton has met and exceeded everything that was expected of him by fans, coaches and the Boston Bruins organization. Fresh off a Stanley Cup championship with the Anaheim Ducks, the 34-year-old veteran brought with him the type of toughness and attitude that demands respect throughout locker rooms across the league. His personality, style of play and commitment to the city of Boston have made the Oshawa, Ontario native an ice hockey staple in the Hub. The 2011-’12 campaign was nothing out of the ordinary for Thornton, chipping in with a handful of goals — the most remarkable being his back-hand roof-job against Winnipeg’s Ondrej Pavelec on a penalty shot — while collecting over 150 penalty minutes and dropping the gloves whenever the situation called for it. After sealing a brand new two-year pact in March, Thornton will remain in Boston for at least the next two seasons, earning $2.2 million dollars over the life of the contract.

Final Grade: B

#23 Chris Kelly

Age: 31

Contract Status: $2.125 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2012

Regular Season Stats: 82 GP, 20 Goals, 19 Assists, 39 Points, +33 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 1 Goal, 2 Assists, 3 Points, +1 Rating

– General Manager Peter Chiarelli‘s prized acquisition from the 2011 trading deadline, Chris Kelly went far and above expectations in his first full season with the Black and Gold. Posting career-bests in goals, points and plus/minus during his contract season, Kelly has set himself up to sign a lucrative (and well-deserved) new deal on July 1. The hero of Boston’s game one overtime win against the Capitals in the first round of the postseason, Kelly was also one of the few Bruins’ forwards that fully lived up to his playoff expectations in 2012. While Kelly’s increased offensive production (20G/19A) in 2011-’12 came as a surprise to many, the six-foot Toronto-native once again lived up to his billing as a defensive zone stalwart, winning a number of key draws for the Bruins and posting the league’s third highest plus/minus rating (+33). Unfortunately for B’s fans, Kelly may have just played his way out of Boston. After a career year in 2011-’12, Kelly will undoubtedly be looking for significant raise on the deal that’s paid him $2.125 million dollars over the past two seasons. It will be interesting to see if Chiarelli is willing to offer Kelly the type of deal he signed fellow third-liner Rich Peverley to last fall (3 years/$3.250 MIL per).

Final Grade: A

#49 Rich Peverley

Age: 29

Contract Status: $3.250 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2015

Regular Season Stats: 57 GP, 11 Goals, 31 Assists, 42 Points, +20 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 3 Goals, 2 Assists, 5 Points, EVEN Rating

– Despite missing nearly the entire second half of the season after suffering a torn MCL, Boston’s most versatile forward was still able to surpass the 40-point mark for the second time in his career. In the absence of the concussed Nathan Horton, Peverley did an admirable job filling in on the Boston top line, and was solid in his role at center — after the Patrice Bergeron injury — during the B’s first round series with the Capitals. Peverley’s five points (3G/2A) in seven playoff games was good for first on the team as number 49 was without doubt the most consistent producer amongst the Boston forward group in the 2012 postseason. Signed to a brand-new three year contract extension (worth a total of $9.75 million dollars) in October, it is evident that the 29-year-old Ontario-native is a major part of GM Peter Chiarelli’s long-term plan for the success of the Bruins.

Final Grade: B+

#67 Benoit Pouliot

Age: 25

Contract Status: $1.100 MIL Cap Hit/ Restricted Free Agent On July 1, 2012

Regular Season Stats: 74 GP, 16 Goals, 16 Assists, 32 Points, +18 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 2 Points, -1 Rating

–

Final Grade:

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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.

Now a week and a half removed from Boston’s game seven loss at the hands of the Washington Capitals at TD Garden last Wednesday, it seems we’ve reached the perfect time to begin my six part series of Bruins’ postseason report cards. The order will look like this:

Part I –> Top Six Forwards

Part II –> Bottom Six Forwards

Part III –> Defense Group

Part IV –> Extra Skaters/Call-Ups

Part V –> Goalies

Part VI –> Coaching/Management

Without further ado, I present to you part one, detailing and grading the 2011-’12 seasons of each of the Bruins’ top six forwards.

#17 Milan Lucic

Age: 23

Contract Status: $4.083 MIL Cap Hit/ Restricted Free Agent On July 1, 2013

Regular Season Stats: 81 GP, 26 Goals, 35 Assists, 61 Points, +7 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 0 Goals, 3 Assists, 3 Points, +2 Rating

– For the second straight season, Boston’s resident power forward posted a solid sixty-point campaign whilst easily exceeding the century mark (135) in the PIMs category. Lucic’s 2011-’12 regular season was very much on par with what we’ve come to expect from number 17 on a year-in/year-out basis. However, also for the second straight season, his postseason performance left a lot to be desired. In an NHL playoff series, its awfully tough for any team to come out victorious without even a single goal from their top-line left wing. It may all shake down to the fact that even at his best, Lucic isn’t a true first line player in this league. That is by no means a knock on the 6’4″ bruiser but merely a recognition that his playing style is best suited for a second line role, where he isn’t expected to produce 70-point campaigns.

Final Grade: B-

#18 Nathan Horton

Age: 26

Contract Status: $4.000 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2013

Regular Season Stats: 46 GP, 17 Goals, 15 Assists, 32 Points, EVEN Rating

Playoff Stats: Missed Postseason Due To Post-Concussion Syndrome

– Without doubt, Nathan Horton is the toughest to assign a grade of any of the Bruins’ top six forwards simply due to his absence from the lineup for nearly the entire second half of the season. Number eighteen was able to recover from a poor start to the 2011-’12 campaign (five points in twelve games) by picking up 15 goals over the course of the next 34 games he participated in before suffering a concussion in Philadelphia on January 22. It’s tough to gauge where the Bruins will go from here in regards to their 2011 playoff hero. In the same way he declared that Horton would be back before the season ended this year (at the trade deadline), general manager Peter Chiarelli proclaimed last week that he expected the Welland, Ontario native to be ready to go by the start of the 2012-’13 season. However, as anyone with a working knowledge of concussions will most certainly tell you, it is near impossible to predict the return to normalcy for anyone suffering from post-concussion syndrome with complete accuracy.

Final Grade: C+

#19 Tyler Seguin

Age: 20

Contract Status: $3.550 MIL Cap Hit/ Restricted Free Agent On July 1, 2013

Regular Season Stats: 81 GP, 29 Goals, 38 Assists, 67 Points, +34 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 2 Goals, 1 Assist, 3 Points, +3 Rating

– Boston’s sophomore phenom came out with guns blazing in 2011-’12, leading hockey pundits everywhere to believe that number nineteen had reached the level of the player he’d drawn so many comparisons to during his final season of junior hockey in Plymouth, Michigan: Steven Stamkos. Picking up twenty-four points (12G/12A) over the first two months of the season (23 games), it looked like the Brampton, Ontario native had already reached superstardom. However, things slowed down for Seguin as the season went along and he ran into a few bumps in the road, including the infamous Winnipeg alarm clock situation that made headlines in Boston last December. Over the course of the entire campaign, Seguin emerged as a consistent force on the Boston front line, often flaunting the amazing skill and speed that made him the second overall selection in the 2010 Entry Draft. As the dawn of his third season in the NHL approaches with training camp this coming September, it’s clear that the 20-year-old Seguin is well on his way to becoming a true superstar in this league.

Final Grade: A-

#37 Patrice Bergeron

Age: 26

Contract Status: $5.000 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2014

Regular Season Stats: 81 GP, 22 Goals, 42 Assists, 64 Points, +36 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 0 Goals, 2 Assists, 2 Points, EVEN Rating

– Twenty goals, sixty points, a league-best plus-36 rating, a 59% success rate in the faceoff dot and a Selke nomination. Sounds like a pretty phenomenal season, right? It would be for a number of players in the NHL. Yet, all of it was simply business as usual for Boston’s incumbent alternate captain who enjoyed the most consistent season of any forward in the Bruins’ top six forward group. The Quebec-native once again proved himself invaluable to the B’s in 2011-’12, leading the team in both assists and plus/minus while facing the task of shutting down an opponent’s top line on a nightly basis. It’s impossible not to feel good for the oft-underrated Bergeron who is finally receiving the recognition that he’s deserved for many years with his first career Selke nomination. After playing through a debilitating oblique injury and posting only two points in seven games during the Bruins’ opening round defeat at the hands of the Capitals, Bergeron made no excuses, taking full responsibility for his uncharacteristic lack of production. Just another likeable trait that makes the 26-year-old pivot one of the classiest players in the game today.

Final Grade: A

#46 David Krejci

Age: 26

Contract Status: $5.250 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2015

Regular Season Stats: 79 GP, 23 Goals, 39 Assists, 63 Points, -5 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 1 Goal, 2 Assists, 3 Points, EVEN Rating

– While David Krejci’s sixty-two point season in 2011-’12 was nothing to balk at, it sure made me look awfully silly after predicting the Czech-born centerman to surpass the 80-point mark in one of my many pre-season blog entries. This year’s campaign can all be boiled down to one word for No. 46: Inconsistent. During the months of December and March, Krejci looked like the top line pivot that Peter Chiarelli hoped he would eventually become. However, in October, February and April, he was nothing but a passenger, collecting only three goals and three assists in 24 games. After competing for the Conn Smythe – eventually won by Tim Thomas — in 2011, Krejci’s playoff performance fell off a steep cliff in 2012. Following up a 12-11-23 line during last year’s run to the Stanley Cup with a pedestrian 1-2-3 output during this season’s playoffs, questions about Krejci’s reputation as a clutch player have began to come to the surface. Don’t get me wrong, Krejci is a phenomenally skilled player — one that any team would be lucky to have on their roster — but much like Lucic, seems to have reached his ceiling (20G/50-65 Points) when it comes to offensive production.

Final Grade: C

#63 Brad Marchand

Age: 23

Contract Status: $2.500 MIL Cap Hit/ Restricted Free Agent On July 1, 2013

Regular Season Stats: 76 GP, 28 Goals, 27 Assists, 55 Points, +31 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 2 Points, -1 Rating

– Boston’s favorite agitator did nothing but improve in 2011-’12 after a breakout rookie season last year. Falling just two tallies short of the 30-goal mark, Marchand reached fifty points for the first time in his young career whilst taking on an expanded role with both special teams units. Admittedly, his two-point effort this postseason was nothing to write home about, the Halifax-native’s overall performance this season has cemented his place in the Boston lineup – alongside Patrice Bergeron –  for many years to come, as a sturdy two-way forward that head coach Claude Julien can rely on in any situation.

Final Grade: B+

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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

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Andy Greene is a superstar.  However, he’s the perfect workman-like player for the Devils lineup.  His poise with the puck and specifically while under pressure, he’s typically able to move the puck forward, out of the zone and typically onto the stick of a teammate.  He has good timing in terms of knowing when to jump into the play.  A good example of this was the winning goal by Alexei Ponikarovsky in overtime last night.  Take a look at the replay of the goal.

Click here to view the embedded video.

While Ilya Kovalchuk circled around back into his own zone, Andy Greene slips behind Wayne Simmonds and Daniel Briere to help create the 2-on-1 rush that led to the winning goal.  Greene entering the zone pushed back Andres Lilja and helped to create the space Ponikarovsky utilized to get the shot that led to the rebound which led to the goal.

Did Greene receive anything on the stat sheet to show his contribution?  No, but he definitely had an impact on that winning goal.  Keep in mind, we’ve only talked thus far about Greene’s contributions on the offensive side of things while in reality, it’s on the defensive side of things where Greene truly has his biggest impact on the game.  Here’s an example of another under the radar type of play that helped the Devils to a Round 1 victory.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Greene basically prevents a Panthers goal, as he neutralized the ability of Florida’s Scottie Upshall to put in the loose puck.  It’s another example of a play that doesn’t hit the stat sheet,  but has a major impact on the outcome of a game.  It’s the type of play Greene makes pretty often and why Greene is so valuable to the Devils that how the Michigan native earned a four-year $12 million contract.

It’s just another example of how Andy Greene makes contributions that go well beyond the stat sheet.  Most successful teams will need a guy like Andy Greene in their lineup.  Teams that go far in the playoffs tend to have players like Greene, who do the little things teams need to win.  Paired with Mark Fayne, the duo have been invaluable to the Devils in the playoffs, especially in Round 2 against Philadelphia.  If the Devils are to continue on and win the series over the Flyers, you can expect Andy Greene to play a major role in it.

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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Photo taken seconds before the Rangers are told they don't get paid extra for overtime.

I’ve loved the game of hockey for over 40 years. Yeah, I’m old. But there have been a lot of times, particularly in the late nineties/early aughts that I felt the love was unrequited.

Then there was last night in the Verizon Center.

This was a game that really didn’t decide anything – it was Game 3 in a best-of-seven. Hell, there’s still every chance that the New York Rangers may go home after this series is over, despite winning last night’s epic triple-overtime game against the Washington Capitals.

And, in the record books websites all that will be in the final tally of the postseason series will be:

NYR 2 WSH 1 – 3OT

Is that fair? There is a romance to having some exalted status for games like last night, some way to let people know years and decades from now that there was something special that happened last night. Maybe an asterisk, or a larger font. Stars around it or something.

Instead, we’ll have to look elsewhere to be able to tell people about the sheer will of Ryan Callahan. Somewhere, someone will have pictures of Brian Boyle and Dan Girardi’s sweaters with blood stains. Mike Knuble looked like he had been bobbing for french fries after he was patched up. Heretofore unknown Braden Holtby and Vezina finalist Henrik Lundqvist looked like they were going to stop pucks for all eternity. A game in Nashville both began and ended while this one was going on.

NYR 2 WSH 1 – 3OT

Sure, there are things that will be there for statistical perusal. Ryan McDonagh played 53:21 of this game. Marc Staal played 49:30. But those are cold numbers. Shouldn’t there be some way for a box score to scream, “Holy crap, these guys were on the ice for almost an hour!”?

NYR 2 WSH 1 – 3OT

There were a combined 95 shots on goal in this one – 49 for Washington and 46 for New York. 92 of those pucks were stopped. For those of you keeping stats, that’s a combined .968 save percentage for Holtby and Lundqvist. That doesn’t even include the 41 shots that Rangers skaters blocked, or the 40 by Caps skaters. I guess the combined 105 hits can give some indication to the type of game that occurred, but in the end, it will still be:

NYR 2 WSH 1 – 3OT

As if the Hockey Gods knew what was in store, these teams get a little extra rest before they meet again, getting until Saturday afternoon before locking horns again in a series that is far from decided.

Fortunately, they gave us an incredible amount of hockey to hold us over until then.

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

The last time the Maple Leafs selected a forward with a top five pick in the draft, was in 1989. The Toronto Maple Leafs took Scott Thornton with the third overall pick. Before that, it was Wendel Clark, first overall in 1985.

Of course, The Maple Leafs do not have to take a forward. They could very well select a defenseman with the 5^th overall pick, assuming they don’t trade it. The last time they took a defenseman, they selected Luke Schenn, at number five. The young defender has had his fair share of ups and downs throughout his young career, and will be looking to bounce back in his 2012-2013 campaign, whether it is with the Leafs, or another club.

Outside of who many believe is the consensus number one pick this year, in Nail Yakupov, the draft seems to be quite open. Many scouts have different top 10s, which is expected. There are plenty of talented players available, but the real questions surround team need. You can certainly make the case that the Edmonton Oilers could, and should trade the first overall pick. In which case, many Leafs fans would be salivating at the opportunity to draft Yakupov. However, a first overall pick hasn’t been traded since 2003, and while the Oilers will likely be more open to listening to potential offers on their pick, it just doesn’t seem likely they’d move it.

Brian Burke has made his fair share of draft day trades. Whether it be making a trade to select the both Henrik and Daniel Sedin in 1999 while with the Vancouver Canucks, or most recently moving up to grab Tyler Biggs with the 22^nd overall pick, in last year’s NHL Entry Draft. Burke has already come out and talked about how he expects the team’s biggest moves in the offseason to come via trade, and likely not free agency.

Going into his final year of his contract as President and General Manager of The Toronto Maple Leafs, one would think Brian Burke will be feeling the pressure to get things done this upcoming year. With so many question marks surrounding the team, you have to think something is going to get done. The time for waiting until the right deal comes along is over. The pressure is immense, and everyone, including Brian Burke, know it.

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.

Once the finalists were announced, it was obvious that Malkin was the prohibitive favorite to win the award. The social media world exploded with opinionated outbursts claiming Stamkos didn’t deserve to be a finalist, mainly because his Lightning team failed to make the playoffs. One of the most boisterous was yours truly. I was full of snarky comments like this:

I set out to prove this point After crunching the numbers, I found myself shaking my head over my previous, uneducated rant. The numbers don’t lie. They show just the opposite.

Steven Stamkos is as deserving a Hart Trophy finalist as Evgeni Malkin.

*For the sake of this discussion, I am not including goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Comparing a goaltender and a skater is a research project for another time.

The Malkin File

Won the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in points with 109.

First player since 1995-96 to score five points in a game four times.

Finished second in the NHL (behind Stamkos) in goals with 50.

The Stamkos File

Won the Maurice Richard Trophy for leading the league in goals with 60.

First player since 2007-08 to score at least 60 goals.

Finished second in the NHL (behind Malkin) in points with 97.

Led the NHL and set a league record with five overtime goals.

Led the NHL with 48 even strength goals – The most since 1992-93.

Side By Side Comparison

*Goals Created-Calculated by adding goals scored to 0.5 times assists, then multiplying by team goals divided by team goals plus 0.5 times team assists.

Analysis

Stamkos played more games, had more goals, more game winning goals and a much higher shooting percentage.

Malkin had many more assists, points and shots, but a lower shooting percentage.

Stamkos was the more physical player, outhitting Malkin by 80 hits. Malkin blocked more shots.

Malkin had many more takeaways, but also gave away the puck 28 more times than Stamkos.

Both players dominated the bad teams (Maple Leafs, Islanders, Canadiens, Oilers and Blue Jackets). Malkin scored more goals and Stamkos had more points versus the playoff teams.

Stamkos scored more overtime goals (5) than anybody in the history of the NHL

Malkin dominated Stamkos in +/- rating.

The two were virtually even in faceoff percentage, penalty minutes, power play goals and average time on ice.

The competition is just as close in the area of “percentage of team” statistics. Stamkos has a slight advantage as he scored a higher percentage of his teams goals, power play goals and points, while Malkin had a higher percentage of his teams assists.

Both the Lightning and Penguins sorely needed the duo to appear on the score sheet. When Stamkos didn’t have a point, Tampa Bay’s record was 5-15-2. When Malkin didn’t have a point, the Penguins went 5-9-0.

Certainly this exercise proves beyond a shadow of doubt, that Steven Stamkos deserved a Hart nomination. Does he deserve the award?

If you look only at the numbers and base your decision solely on the individual statistics and the players worth to his team…The answer is yes, he deserves it just as much as Malkin does. If you look at the team results, Malkin wins the award easily as he led his team to a fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski put it this way:

In the end, I believe Stamkos is a worthy finalist and it would be hard to argue if he won the award, based on his numbers. But the fact that the Bolts finished out of the playoffs cannot be ignored.

Given the choice between Malkin and Stamkos, Evgeni Malkin is your Hart Memorial Trophy winner.

*Statistics courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com and NHL.com.

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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

Photo: Flickr

After the celebration of the 2011 “break up day” last June, the Boston Bruins were quickly snapped back to the harsh reality of what normally constitutes a locker clean out day for most NHL squads. During which, the B’s brought to light the injuries that hampered them throughout the postseason as well as their reflections on both their first round exit and the 2011-’12 season as a whole.

While the most prominent emotion echoed throughout the locker room on Friday was of shock and disappointment, there also seemed to be a bit of collective “relief” in the fact that they’d now get the chance for some time to recuperate and re-energize after partaking in 196 games over the course of the last eighteen months.

“As players, we need to take full advantage (of the extended off-season), to get our rest and get focused and geared up for next year.” – Milan Lucic

“It’s been a long couple of years and right now I think the best thing to do is just rest.  We have to use it to our advantage.” – Brad Marchand

“If there’s one positive to take out (of the long off-season), it’s that everyone can recover.” – Dennis Seidenberg

After eighty-two regular season games in 2010-’11 followed by twenty-five playoff contests en route to the team’s first Stanley Cup championship in nearly four decades, the Bruins had the benefit of only two-and-a-half months of summer before returning to training camp in early September. Couple that with the eighty-two games that comprised this year’s slate and the seven playoff meetings with the Washington Capitals and the B’s seem to have been playing nonstop hockey for nearly a year and a half. Milan Lucic even compared it to the type of grind baseball players endure on a yearly basis while playing through an extraordinarily long 162-game schedule.

“It almost felt like one long season. It was almost like a baseball season.” — Milan Lucic

Tasting first round defeat for the first time since an April evening at the Bell Centre when they were the eighth seed in 2008, there is little doubt that the Bruins came up far short of what they expected to achieve this season. Workhorse defenseman Dennis Seidenberg described the thought of being eliminated so early as leaving him “with an empty feeling” — an emotion that’s likely uniform around that locker room.

An old adage that’s become commonplace in sports is that “you have to learn how to lose before you can learn how to win”. As any fan of the Black and Gold will attest, the Bruins have certainly been dealt their fair share of heart-wrenching defeats. The most obvious of which being the historic collapse of May 2010 against the Philadelphia Flyers. In a sense, the Bruins had to endure the hardships of losing playoff series’ in the manner they did in order to learn exactly what it would take to bring home the Stanley Cup, as they did in 2011.

Now, after another crushing game seven home-ice defeat — their third in the past four years –, the Black and Gold squad will look to use their early exit this spring as added motivation to fuel their attempt to re-capture Lord Stanley in 2012-’13.

“In the future it definitely gives you that extra drive, that extra motivation to get back to where we were (in 2011). It makes you appreciate more and more what happened here last year. It gets that fire boiling inside.” — Milan Lucic

“Watching those games (the remainder of the playoffs) makes you want to be there next year. It makes you want to be part of it and be playing for the Cup again next year. It definitely helps us to get that hunger back.” – Dennis Seidenberg

Successfully repeating as Stanley Cup champions is arguably the most difficult task in all of sports. Especially with the league’s increasing parity and competitiveness. An astonishing statistic to consider? 29 of the NHL’s 30 teams — sorry, Toronto — have qualified for the postseason at least once since the completion of the 2004-’05 lockout. Couple that with the pure exhaustion — that no hockey player will ever admit to — caused by playing in so many games in such a minimal time frame and it becomes near impossible to even come close to retaining the title.

With nearly their entire roster under contract for at least next season and a full off-season to recover from the wild whirlwind ride that’s encompassed these past two years, there is no reason to suggest that the Boston Bruins won’t be right back in the thick of things next spring, competing to bring Lord Stanley’s Cup back to Causeway Street in 2013.

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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