Entering the season it was clear what the Ducks were: A team with a plethora of high-end talent at the top of their lineup, but also a team that lacked the depth necessary to compete in the Western Conference. Through the 23 games Anaheim has played in this season, that fact has been reiterated more times than Ducks’ fans can count. With the exception of Teemu Selanne, the Ducks’ so called “second line” of Saku Koivu (4-7-11) , Andrew Cogliano (5-4-9)  and Brandon McMillan (0-3-3) has produced a dismally low total of 9 goals and 14 assists in a combined 69 games of action.

A lack of production from the second and third lines is nothing new for Anaheim, what’s ailed the Ducks in 2011 has been the abnormally poor play of the “R-P-G Line” of Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Through 23 games in this season, the Ducks’ top line has only accounted for 21 goals, 32 assists and 53 points. To make matters worse, the three of them are a combined -29 on the season!

With no clear solution in sight, and GM Bob Murray handcuffed by strict budget constraints, the team does not have many options to right the ship. While many believe head coach Randy Carlyle is on the hot seat, it’s yet to be proven if ownership in the O.C. would allow for him to be fired, being that he just recently signed a multi-year contract extension.

Well, according to Sportsnet’s Daren Millard, who last night reported via Twitter that an NHL executive had told Nick Kypreos (Rogers Sportsnet) that GM Bob Murray is shopping Bobby Ryan. With it being reported last week that team captain Ryan Getzlaf was untouchable and defending Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry clearly off-limits, the notion of trading Ryan seems completely feasible. The 24-year-old Cherry Hill, NJ native has averaged 33 goals over the past three seasons and has registered 8 playoff tallies in 17 career post-season games.

This leads me to the Bruins, and the early-season struggles of 24-year-old Czech center David Krejci. Let’s go over a few of the pros and cons of a potential Krejci for Ryan blockbuster.

Pros:

– With Krejci slated to become a restricted free agent at year’s end, it is unknown what the price tag will be for the Bruins to keep no. 46 in Black and Gold. Ryan, on the other hand is signed to a very team-friendly contract that pays him $5.1 MIL this season and for the next three seasons afterwards.

– Moving Krejci would allow the Bruins to move Tyler Seguin back to his natural position of center. If Boston is to commit long term to Krejci it would create a log-jam down the middle, with either he or Seguin being relegated to third line duty.

– A player like Bobby Ryan would not only give the Bruins the legitimate top-line scorer that they’ve been without since the departure of Phil Kessel, but it would also give them a second threat in the shootout to match up with Seguin.

Cons:

– Perhaps the fear of disturbing the locker room chemistry of the defending Stanley Cup Champions is the biggest hurdle in a potential B’s–Ducks swap. Will Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli be willing to take that risk?

– As reported by the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont, it would take more than just David Krejci in order for the B’s to pry Ryan lose from the Ducks’ grasp. Dupont points out, Boston might have to part with prized defense prospect Dougie Hamilton and  a 2nd round pick as well as David Krejci in return for Ryan.

– Despite his phenomenal point-per-game start to the season, it’s unclear in the Bruins’ brass believes that Tyler Seguin is ready to take on a full-time role as a top-six center in the NHL.

– If the B’s are to unload perhaps their the their three biggest trade assets in a deal for Ryan, it leaves them with an inability to make a deadline deal for a legitimate no. 2 defenseman, which is arguably their biggest need.

This of course is all merely speculation at this point, but with multiple reports indicating Ryan’s availability, why not have a little fun? If your Peter Chiarelli, would you deal Krejci, Hamilton and a pick for Bobby Ryan?

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Please feel free to add your personal list of players you hate in the comments citing the reason why they should be listed.

#10 Maxim Lapierre, Vancouver Canucks
One of the biggest yapper of them all, Maxim Lapierre is not the kind of player who plays dirty, but he is always in your face trying to push you to the max without ever dropping his gloves. And when he decides to drop them it’s against players like PJ Axelsson, Brian Lee and Petr Prucha. He ended finding his niche with the Canucks last season and was a key cog of their Stanley Cup run. Lapierre has decided to play hockey this season and has reduced his talking on the ice and started playing more intelligent hockey.

Certified stupid moment:

Click here to view the embedded video.

#9 Milan Lucic, Boston Bruins
While Lucic has turned into a very good power forward in the NHL, he’s been known to be a dirty player over the years, checking Jaroslav Spacek from behind during last year’s first-round playoffs and sucker-punching Freddy Meyer in December 2010. Lucic is not afraid to drop the gloves and can defend himself. So far his reputation as an elite forward, as allowed him to avoid being suspended for his antics on the ice, but Saturday’s dirty hit on Ryan Miller will certainly put Lucic on Brendan Shanahan’s radar.

Certified stupid moment:

Click here to view the embedded video.

#8 Steve Ott, Dallas Stars
Steve Ott is a pesky player and a shit disturber. His job is to get under your skin and he is very good at doing it, but there’s a fine line between being a pest and being a scumbag. Steve Ott charges, hits high and gouges eyes. As with most pests nowadays, he only drops mitts against smaller players and turtles a la Claude Lemieux when he is confronted by a heavyweight. However, Ott is also a pretty good hockey player as shown by his eight points in eleven games this season.

Certified stupid moment:

Click here to view the embedded video.

#7 Scott Nichol, St. Louis Blues
Declared a repeat offender under the CBA, Nichol seems to enjoy getting suspended. He likes to hit, crosscheck, blindside, punch, he does it all. Nichol was given a four-game suspension for a blow to the head of defenseman David Schlemko of the Phoenix Coyotes last season. He has been fairly quiet this season with the Blues, until he does something stupid.

Certified stupid moment:

Click here to view the embedded video.

#6 Sean Avery, New York Rangers
Sean Avery’s erratic behavior has made him one the most hated player in the NHL. He is hated both by the fans and the other players. Avery was even arrested for battery on a police officer this past August. Avery is arrogant, and does not think things through. From his Sloppy Seconds remark about Dion Phaneuf to his turtling and diving and his insults about French Canadians, his goal seems to become the NHL’s villain and he reached his goal admirably. Avery would be more suited for a role in Hollywood than in the NHL. Avery even made a cameo appearance in the Rocket (movie about Maurice Richard) as former NHLer Barry Dill.

Certified stupid moment:

Click here to view the embedded video.

#5 Chris Neil, Ottawa Senators
One of the most despised player in the league, Neil’s job is to get under the opponent’s skin and he’s fairly good at it. Known for his cheap shots, Neil also likes to drop the gloves and have a good scrap. He doesn’t mind fighting smaller opponents or even tough guys like Donald Brashear or Andrew Peters. However, his opponents must have their head up when he is on the ice because Neil’s elbows have a tendency to get very high and nasty.

Certified stupid moment:

Click here to view the embedded video.

#4 Jordin Tootoo, Nashville Predators
The #1 cheap shot artist, Tootoo has always been an agitator even when he was playing junior hockey in Canada. Tootoo likes to charge his opponents, to hurt them and to hit them blindsided. He has been suspended more than once for his conduct on the ice. Recently, Tootoo has entered the NHL substance abuse program because of off-ice problems.

Certified stupid moment:

Click here to view the embedded video.

#3 Matt Cooke, Pittsburgh Penguins
While Cooke has decided to play hockey so far this season, he has earned a reputation for being a dirty player around the NHL. Cooke was suspended twice last season for a dirty hit on Fedor Tyutin and an elbow to the head of Ryan McDonagh that earned him a 17-game suspension. I bet most of the NHL was cheering when Evander Kane handed Cooke a beating last January.

Certified stupid moment:

Click here to view the embedded video.

#2 Daniel Carcillo, Chicago Blackhawks
Now with the Chicago Blackhawks, Carcillo has been a pest his whole career in the NHL. He has been suspended numerous times throughout his career and his dirty reputation was pressed into metal by a lot of hard, hard work over the years. Carcillo even racked up 324 penalty minutes in only 54 games during the 2007-08 season with Phoenix. Paul Bissonnette is a saint compared to him. Carcillo has been suspended four times during his career, most recently in October 2011 for a check from behind on Joni Pitkanen.

Certified stupid moment:

Click here to view the embedded video.

#1 Patrick Kaleta, Buffalo Sabres
Kaleta is the ultimate pest and cheap shot artist. He hits your star players, he talks all the time, but he rarely fights. His is well-known among referees as a diver and a complainer. He was suspended last season for head-butting Travis Zajac and has been suspended for dirty hits in the past.

Certified stupid moment:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Honorable mentions: Steve Downie, Derek Dorsett, Cal Clutterbuck, Corey Perry, Brad Marchand, Alexandre Burrows, Todd Bertuzzi, Chris Pronger, P.K. Subban, David Clarkson, Sidney Crosby.

Fred is a freelance sports write and translator, as well as a featured Montreal Canadiens blogger on http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/ and a baseball columnist on http://www.dobberbaseball.com/. Fred also joined www.habsaddict.com in time for the 2011-12 season.

Heck, let’s just call it the way it was. The Ducks were their typically classless and dirty selves.

The Predators set the tone for the contest by scoring just 14 seconds into the contest as Patric Hornqvist banged home a rebound of his own shot past Ducks netminder Jonas Hiller to make it 1-0 Predators.

The Ducks dirty play began at 7:14 of the first period as Francois Beauchemin hit Mike Fisher in the head from the blind side in open ice, knocking Fisher out of the game. Kevin Klein cam over to seek retribution against Beauchemin, but the Ducks defenseman turtled and wouldn’t fight. Both players were assessed four minute double minors.

The Predators made it 2-0 at 18:59 of the first period as Marty Erat, playing in his first game since the opening game of the season, gained the zone and left a drop pass for Jordin Tootoo. Tootoo made a sweet pass to Erat, who one timed the puck from just inside the face off circle past Hiller. It was good to see Marty back on the ice and playing a strong game tonight.

Pekka Rinne started his 10th straight game for the Predators, and was strong in net in the first period. Although he didn’t see a lot of work in the first- the Ducks only had 7 shots- he made some quality saves to keep the Ducks off the board.

The Predators tallied 16 shots on net in the first period. Yes, you read that correctly. The Predators outshot their opponent by a wide margin. The two first period goals were a direct result of making Hiller move and scramble throughout the period.

The second period was scoreless, with the Ducks outshooting the Predators 10-7. The Predators generated some scoring chances, but could not get one past Hiller. Once again, Rinne locked down the net for the Predators.

Throughout the contest, the Predators did a good job of limiting the Ducks on secondary scoring chances. Often, the Ducks would get one shot on goal and the Predators were in good defensive position to prevent shots off rebounds.

The Ducks reverted to form in the third period, taking four penalties, the cheapest of which was a Corey Perry spear of Jordin Tootoo. Tootoo had a strong game all night, and was clearly under the skin of the Ducks. Perry’s frustration boiled over with his egregious cheap shot. If there is any justice, he will hear from the Shanahammer and be suspended for this cheap shot.

The Predators made it 3-0 at 2:14 of the third, as Shea Weber notched his first goal of the season on the power play with a blast from the blue line that Hiller never saw with a screen in front. It is good to see the big cannon unleashed from Weber and finding the back of the net.

Any thoughts of the Ducks getting back into the game were erased when Sheldon Brookbank to a double minor high sticking penalty at 14:05. The Predators stifled the Ducks for the remainder of the period to capture their second win in a row on home ice by a 3-0 margin.

Congratulations to Pekka Rinne, who recorded his 100th win for the Predators and his 22nd shutout, a franchise record. Rinne was solid, and his level of play has been consistently strong even when the team in front of him has struggled.

Now that it appears the team has found their identity and has begun to play Predator hockey, this team could start to make some noise.

With the win, the Predators go to 5-4-1 and 11 points. The positive aspect of this is that the team is starting to play Predator hockey. They are skating hard, aggressively forechecking, and the defense has begun to settle down and play sound hockey. This is Predator hockey, and it is a winning formula for this team.

We all knew that there would be growing pains for this young squad, and it was going to be important that they grow quickly. They last two games show me that they are starting to “get it” and hearing what the coaches are telling them. They are playing Predator hockey.

And that is winning hockey.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Patric Hornqvist

3. Jordin Tootoo

Hello again, and welcome to Part II of my 4-Part NHL season preview.  In part I, I gave you all my Eastern Conference Predictions. In part 2, I will give you my predictions for the Western Conference.  I will approach these predictions a bit differently than I did those for the Eastern Conference. Today, I will give some strengths and weaknesses of each of the 8 playoff teams out west. I will be upfront here in saying that I do not usually follow the Western Conference as much as I do the East, over the course of the season, so many of you may have differing opinions here. Like always, feel free to chime in with your opinions below.

1) Vancouver Canucks

Strengths:

The defending conference champs return in 2011-12 as without a doubt one of the clear-cut contenders for a Stanley Cup. Arguably the deepest team, top to bottom in the entire NHL, the Canucks will once again be lead by former Hart trophy winners Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Ryan Kesler returning to full health will also be a welcome sight for Vancouver’s offense.  Perhaps the biggest strength of the Canucks, will be the retribution factor. The Canucks’ were so close to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, they could taste it. They always say that a team must learn how to lose, before you can learn how to win;  and in 2010-11 , the Vancouver Canucks sure learned how to lose.

Weaknesses:

Truth be told, there isn’t much to put here. The loss of puck-moving defenseman Christian Ehrhoff will undoubtedly play a role in the Canucks’ success in 2011-12. However, a team that employed 9 NHL-quality defensemen in 2010-11, a replacement should not be hard to find. The only real question mark in Vancouver, is the ability of star goaltender Roberto Luongo to bounce back from a rough finish to the post-season of 2011. But even if Roberto is to falter, young Cory Schneider will be ready and willing to carry the load.

2) Los Angeles Kings

Strengths:

The popular favorite in the West, is without a doubt the LA Kings. After losing out on key free agents Ilya Kovalchuk and Brad Richards over the past two summers, GM Dean Lombardi opted to pull the trigger on a trade sending Wayne Simmonds and  uber-prospect Brayden Schenn to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for  former Flyer-captain Mike Richards. Richards should make an immediate impact on the LA roster, and provide perhaps the best 1-2 punch at center, along with all-star pivot Anze Kopitar.

Weaknesses:

While the addition of Mike Richards went a long way to solidifying the Kings 2nd line, the team’s lack of depth after the top 2 lines is perhaps the team’s biggest achilles heel. Beyond Richards, Kopitar, Williams and Stoll, the Kings lack much skill on the offensive end. In order to be successful in 2011-12, the Kings will need improved production from the likes of Kyle Clifford and Brad Richardson.

3) Chicago Blackhawks

Strengths:

The 2010 Stanley Cup Champions are perhaps the deepest team in the entire NHL. Led by stars, the likes of Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Pat Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Sharp, the Blackhawks will be back and looking for a return to the Cup Finals. Look for Chicago to once again be near the top in the Western Conference for most of 2011-12.

Weaknesses:

After making some solid depth acquisitions this offseason, the Blackhawks only true weakness entering 2011-12 is the play of young goaltender Corey Crawford. While Crawford did have an excellent rookie season, it is unclear whether or not he can continue his strong play, going forward. The sophmore slump can be a huge issue in hockey, and it will be critical to the Blackhawks success, that Crawford is able to battle through.

4) San Jose Sharks

Strengths:

Scoring. San Jose is one of few teams that can legitimately run 3 very productive offensive units. The addition of Brent Burns will also significantly help out on the back end, and go along way to replacing Rob Blake as an offensive force from the blueline, who retired last summer.

Weaknesses:

The swap of Dany Heatley for Martin Havlat will be sure to pay dividends for San Jose in the post-season , but it is unclear whether or not Havlat can produce at the same rate as Heatley can, during the regular season. However, on a team with Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, Patrick  Marleau and Ryan Clowe, I am sure goal scoring should not be an issue.

5) Detroit Red Wings

Strengths:

With Captain Nicklas Lidstrom returning for what looks to be like 1 final year in the league, 2011-12 looks like it’ll be Detroit’s last crack at the Cup for  a few years. Look to the Red Wings to rely on top end talent and a bevy of experience to lift them to the top of the Western Conference.

Weaknesses:

Perhaps the only weakness of the Red Wings, is age, and with age, comes a proneness to injuries. Star pivot Pavel Datsyuk missed most of 2010-11 with a wrist injury, but looks to be 100% entering training camp. However, if the Wings want to succeed in 2011-12, they must get key contributions from younger depth players.

6) Nashville Predators

Strengths:

The biggest strength, of a cash-strapped Nashville squad, is none other than the man standing behind the bench, Barry Trotz. Trotz, arguably the best coach in the game, always finds a way to get his Nashville team to over-achieve and get into the post-season.

Weaknesses:

Uncertainty over the futures of the big 3; Ryan Suter, Shea Weber, and Pekka Rinne, will surely cause a stir in Nashville, as the season draws on. It will be up to those 3 all-stars to put away thoughts of contracts and focus on hockey, if Nahville wants to once again be a playoff team, in 2011-12.

7)  Anaheim Ducks

Strengths:

The RPG line is unquestionably the most dynamic scoring line in hockey, and will once again be relied upon to provide most of the Ducks’ offense. The RPG line is perhaps the only line in hockey that can truly carry a team to the playoffs.

Weaknesses:

The biggest knock on the Ducks, is that they are a very top-heavy squad. Beyond the RPG line, there really aren’t many reliable offensive forwards on the Anaheim roster. Also, beyond Lubomir Visnovsky and budding superstar Cam Fowler, there isn’t a whole lot of depth on the Ducks’ blueline. Also, concerns over the health of goaltender Jonas Hiller will be huge in determining the Ducks’ success in 2011-12.

8) Columbus Blue Jackets

Strengths:

The Blue Jackets have finally found a true #1 center to play along side Rick Nash. It is my belief, that given the chance to play with a legit play-making pivot, Rick Nash can be one of the top-5 players in all of hockey. He is mean, nasty, big, strong, has a fantastic shot, and really knows how to finish. He has now been given that opportunity, thanks to GM Scott Howson’s acquisition of Jeff Carter.

Weaknesses:

The biggest issue for Columbus is their depth, or lack there of. There really aren’t many proven NHL defenders on this roster. The addition of James Wisniewski will do wonders for the Jackets’ Power-Play, however, beyond Wiz, I do not see much strength on that blueline.

9) St Louis Blues

10) Minnesota Wild

11) Calgary Flames

12) Edmonton Oilers

13) Phoenix Coyotes

14) Dallas Stars

15) Colorado Avalanche

Thanks For Reading!

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The NHL’s Southeast Division was formed in 1998 as a part of the Eastern Conference due to expansion. It has had two Stanley Cup winning teams, the 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning and the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes.

Each month we will link you to the relevant news and notes of all five Southeast Division teams.

Florida Panthers (30-40-12, 72 points, 5th in the Southeast)

• At the World Championships, defenseman Dmitry Kulikov played a role in the Russian victory over Slovenia by scoring a goal, giving them a 3-2 lead 6:15 into the third period. He finished with a goal on two shots and a minus-1 on 14:21 of ice time. Full story.
• Winger Jack Skille and defenseman Clay Wilson helped the USA team come from behind and defeat Norway at the World Championships. Full story.
• Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov had a rough game as the Russians beat Slovakia 4-3 at the World Championships. Kulikov had one shot on goal, a penalty and was a -2 in 10:40 of ice time.  Full story.
• Former NHL player Paul Healey was named Director of Coaching for the Florida Junior Panthers. Full story.
• Forward Jack Skille finished with two shots on net and a minus 2 in 13:37 of ice time (17 shifts) while Clay Wilson had a shot on net and a minus-1 in 15:14 of ice time as the USA fell to Sweden at the World Championships. Full story.
• Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov finished a minus 1 with 12:46 of ice time (17 shifts) as the Russians outlasted the Danes, 4-3 at the World Championships. Full story.
• Quote:  “He finally emerged this year and showed he can be a full-time NHL defenseman in the future. The way he played in the last half of the season showed some confidence with the puck. It made sense, he can be in our top seven and contribute regularly.’’ – Panthers Assistant General Manager Mike Santos on newly signed defenseman Keaton Ellerby.
• Video:  A Randy Moller tribute.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Atlanta Thrashers (34-36-12, 80 points, 4th in the Southeast)

• Evander Kane and Tim Stapleton never would have guessed that they’d be perfect linemates. Full story.
• The Thrashers have seven players suiting up for their respective countries at the 2011 IIHF World Championships. See how they’re doing. Full story.
• Quote:  “There are some people we are talking to, but nothing that is far enough along at this stage that it deserves further comment.” – Michael Gearon Jr., Part Owner Atlanta Thrashers.
• Quote:  “Atlanta is my first option. Like I said, I like it here. I have been here only for a short time but a great experience. I see the future as very bright. They were at the eighth spot for a lot of the season. I strongly believe we have a great chance next year.” - Unrestricted free agent forward Radek Dvorak.
• Video:  Will the Thrashers relocate?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Carolina Hurricanes (40-31-11, 90 points, 3rd in the Southeast)

• The ‘Canes have agreed to terms with defenseman Justin Faulk on a three-year, entry-level contract, beginning with the 2011-12 season, Full story.
• Forward Jeff Skinner has been selected as one of three finalists for the 2010-11 Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year. Full story.
• Goaltender Cam Ward has been selected by his teammates as Carolina’s nominee for the 2010-11 King Clancy Memorial Trophy. It marks the second time that Ward has been nominated for this honor, which is annually awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy contribution in his community. Full story.
• Quote:  “I’m confident in my abilities. I can play at this (AHL) level, I know. And hopefully in the next year or two I can make the jump.” – Jared Staal, Hurricanes prospect.
• Video:  A May 6 anniversary.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Washington Capitals (48-23-11, 107 points, 1st in the Southeast, lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals)

• Hockey Independent’s own Jeremy Scriven writes about another Capitals playoff failure in his article The Capitals Fooled us Again. Full story.
• Capitals defenseman Mike Green, Los Angeles Kings center Dustin Brown and Vancouver Canucks forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin are the finalists for the 13th Annual NHL Foundation Player Award, the National Hockey League announced today. The award recognizes an NHL player who applies the core values of hockey – commitment, perseverance and teamwork – to enrich the lives of people in his community. Full story.
• The Washington Capitals raised $17,920 for Washington Capitals Charities through the team’s first Mystery Mini-Helmets fundraiser, which took place at the Caps game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on May 1. The fundraiser featured 450 Capitals replica mini-helmets, autographed by various Capitals players that sold for $40 each. The mini-helmets went on sale at 6 p.m. when the doors opened to Verizon Center and sold out before the start of the game. Full story.
• Capitals owner Ted Leonsis congratulated the Tampa Bay Lightning and gave a hint about the teams future in his blog “Teds Take.” Full story.
• Quote:  “Someone said he’s not a ‘playoff coach.’ There’s no difference between a ‘playoff coach’ and a ‘regular-season coach.’ You’re either a good coach or you’re not. He’s a good coach.” – Capitals General Manager George McPhee on Bruce Boudreau.
• Video:  Happier times.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Tampa Bay Lightning (46-25-11, 103 points, 2nd in the Southeast, Eastern Conference finalists)

• Yours truly, WB Philp runs down the Lightning’s surprising sweep of the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference semifinals with a game by game summary of articles. Full story.
• Forward Sean Bergenheim has stepped into a leading role with the Lightning. Full story.
• The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) announced today that Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks, Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks and Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning have been selected as finalists for the 2010-11 Ted Lindsay Award. The Ted Lindsay Award is presented annually to the “Most Outstanding Player” in the NHL, as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA. Full story.
• Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeffrey Vinik had no idea the Bolts turnaround would be so quick. Full story.
• Quote:  “Most athletes, they tend to think of the results a little too much. You turn your motivation and your activation level so high at some point because you think of the end result that you become very anxious and anxiety doesn’t send you in the right direction.” - Lightning Coach Guy Boucher.
• Video:  The Lightning win the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Click here to view the embedded video.

While Marty certainly deserves the nomination, it will be a huge upset if he wins the award. Look for Sedin or Perry to take home the hardware.

It was obvious that the Ducks were going to try to exert their physical will against the Predators. The Ducks finished their checks with vigor, but the Predators answered with some thunderous checks of their own. As the period wore on, the Predators gave a solid physical response to the Ducks, showing that the physical play would not back them down.

The Ducks over aggressive play led to a cross checking penalty by Matt Belesky against Kevin Klein. The Predators made the Ducks pay for their transgression with the first goal of the playoff series with a blast from Shea Weber from the point that blew past Dan Ellis at 4:13 of the first period.

Pekka Rinne was called upon to make some big saves for the Predators, and the most amazing was a right pad save on Teemu Selanne. Selanne took a cross crease pass and had an open net, but Rinne was cat quick in sliding across and getting the pad on the shot.

The Predators were determined to put pucks and traffic on the net and did that often in the first period. Dan Ellis made some good stops with an abundance of traffic in front of him.

The second period was like a heavyweight fight with both teams trading checks and probing for the others weakness. Play was intense and up and down the ice. As the period wore on, the pace slowed a bit, but the Predators kept up a strong forecheck that bottled up the Ducks offense. When the Ducks did establish their offense, Rinne was strong in net.

The Predators finally cracked the Ducks defense when Cody Franson chipped the puck off the glass to the far blue line. Steve Sullivan gathered in the puck and broke in alone on Ellis, who stopped the first shot sprawling to the ice. Sullivan did not give up on the puck and was able to get his stick on the rebound lying in the blue ice and tap it under the pads of the prone Ellis at 15:16.

The Predators kept the pressure on the Ducks and capitalized at 18:08 when Mike Fisher  took a pass from Patric Hornqvist and blistered a shot over the shoulder of Ellis from the left face off circle.

The Predators outshot the Ducks for the period 14-8 and held a 22-16 advantage through two periods. So far, the defense had done a great job of shutting down the weapons of the Ducks.

You knew the Ducks would come out flying in the third as they attempted to get back in the game. Mike Fisher thwarted that momentum and ripped the heart out of the Ducks with his second goal of the game just 56 seconds into the period off an assist from Jonathan Blum. Fisher split the defense and rifled a shot from just inside the blueline that handcuffed Ellis for a 4-1 Predators lead and Fisher’s second of the game.

The fourth goal by the Predators was a Dan Ellis problem, as he was pulled and Ray Emery came into the game.

The Ducks reverted to their thuggish ways in the third and goaded the Predators into penalties.Blake Geoffrion and Luca Sbisa got coincidental roughing penalties at 9:30. David Legwand got a hooking penalty at 9:50. Kevin Klein got a double minor for roughing and Corey Perry got a minor for roughing at 10:28. With a 5 on 3 advantage, the Ducks were finally able to find the back of the net as Teemu Selanne tallied at 11:24.

Since the Ducks could not solve Rinne and could not outscore the Predators at even strength, their strategy was to try to run Rinne and get the Predators to take penalties. For the most, the Predators did a good job of keeping their emotions in check and continuing to frustrate the Ducks.Keeping those emotions in check proved to be a Herculean task as the Ducks took every opportunity to try to draw penalties, hit after the play, and run at Rinne. Kudos to the boys for keeping their composure.

The best way to deal with the goons from Anaheim? Shane O’Brien did it when he pointed at the scoreboard after a late game scrum.

The Predators closed out the Ducks by playing solid defense and staying disciplined for the remainder of the game.

This feels good, but the Predators have to remember they are playing the NHL’s equivalent of the Hell’s Angels. The Ducks are a dirty team- witness Corey Perry’s spear of Pekka Rinne at the end of the second period- and they will attempt to goon it up in the rest of this series. The Predators are going have to be physically AND mentally tough to survive this series. They cannot let the Ducks goad them into penalties. They have to control their physical play. This series will be a war. Be ready.

Punish the Ducks for their play, but do it within the confines of the rules.

This is one. One win out of 16 that you need for the prize. Your second step toward that prize comes on Friday night.

My three stars:

1. Mike Fisher

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Steve Sullivan

Yet many individuals within the organization still have something to play for in the three remaining regular season games against the Oilers, Wild and Flames this week.

Like twin brother Henrik last year, Daniel Sedin is attempting to close out an outstanding regular season in a compelling bid for the Hart Trophy and the NHL scoring title. Daniel and Henrik could become the first brother-brother tandem to ever win the Hart in back-to-back years, emphasizing the twins’ determination to continuously grow better as players, pushing each other as they go.

The Sedins also have a shot at finishing the regular season NHL scoring race as the league’s top two players. Daniel Sedin currently has an eight point lead over brother Henrik with 100 points; however Martin St. Louis and Corey Perry stand in the way of a top two finish after 79 games played.

In addition to the twins’ dominance this season, Ryan Kesler appears to be a lock to finally win the Selke trophy. After two consecutive nominations for the Selke in the past two regular seasons, the third time will likely be the charm for the agitating two-way center from Livonia, Michigan. In addition to his defensive prowess, Kesler has battled for the team scoring lead with potential Hart Trophy candidate Daniel Sedin all season long.

In the crease, both Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider have more to play for than playoff preparation. Luongo has played his way into Vezina nomination territory with the league’s most wins among goaltenders at 37. Luongo currently sits third among NHL goaltenders in both major statistical categories with a .927 save percentage and 2.14 goals against average.

Like Luongo, Cory Schneider can also make a last-ditch effort to put his name on an NHL trophy. Schneider needs to “appear” in 25 games in order to be eligible for the Jennings Trophy that is awarded to the NHL’s stingiest team. With 23 appearances to date and three games remaining, one would think a quick switch could afford Schneider his name on the trophy after contributing significantly towards the Canucks’ success during the regular season.

Ben Kuzma of The Province attempted to get to the bottom of Schneider’s Jennings bid after an agitating practice for the Canucks coach in which he vocally called out his team.

“He’s not going to get to 25,” said Vigneault. “In the big picture, Roberto is the guy and we’ve got to make sure he’s ready for the playoffs.”

Roberto Luongo later seemed to open the door for Schneider to get an opportunity to secure the appearances necessary.

Luongo admitted he didn’t know of the appearances-versus-starts criteria for the Jennings.

“I think he’s got one more start and obviously, if we have a chance to win it [together], I’d definitely let him play,” said Luongo. “I’d give him a minute. I’d give him a minute,” joked the Canucks starter.

One would hope Vigneault was confused or seeing red after a lazy team practice and what Cory Schneider has brought to the team this year. Schneider may be short of the 25 game minimum, but his impressive play in relief of Roberto Luongo has been a major part of the Canucks’ surge this season. The Canucks have flourished with abundant confidence in both their goaltenders, rather than riding Luongo in front of previous less reliable backups.

If only for a minute, Schneider deserves to find his way into two of the three remaining games this season. Luongo’s name may not be on the Jennings if not for Schneider, so why not slip him the garbage minutes he needs? If there is any hope in Vigneault throwing his backup a bone during the last games of the regular season, expect the team to have to earn Schneider the privilege after a sluggish practice Monday.

While the Canucks have achieved every team goal possible during the regular season, the team cannot afford to take their foot off the gas pedal so close to the beginning of the NHL’s second season. Vigneault is wise to protect the team from becoming complacent during potentially meaningless games.

In the Eastern Conference the Philadelphia Flyers have begun a tailspin towards the playoffs going 3-3-4 in their last ten. Unlike the Flyers, the Canucks have avoided any late-season let down, winning 12 of their last 14 in a strong effort to avoid backing-in to the regular season like so many great first season teams before them.

While their three final opponents may not be playoff bound, the Canucks have three games to sharpen their game and recuperate collectively as a team as much as they can before the playoffs begin in several days time.

With familiar playoff rivals like the Chicago Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks likely lined up for the Canucks in a first round playoff matchup, the team has a week to prepare for an aggressive first round series.

After an impressive month of March the Vancouver is incapable of backing-in to their reserved playoff parking spot. While shifting into neutral would be an easy solution, the Canucks are better fit to speed ahead and drive forward towards their playoff destiny.

For last minute stats, links, news, notes and all the hockey chatter you can handle, follow me on Twitter @PuckheadKvan.

The Tampa Bay Lightning (41-24-11, 93 points) are on the verge of clinching their first playoff appearance in four years. The Bolts played a solid game at the St. Pete Times Forum and beat the Ottawa Senators 5-2 Tuesday night.

The Carolina Hurricanes won their game forcing the Lightning to wait at least one more game to clinch a playoff spot. If the Hurricanes lose to the Canadiens on Wednesday night, the Bolts will qualify for the post season tournament. If Carolina wins, the Bolts can clinch by beating the Penguins on Thursday night in Tampa.

Five Lightning players had multi-points. Dominic Moore and Marty St. Louis each lit the lamp twice and Superstar Steven Stamkos scored his 44th goal into an empty net. The goal tied Stammer for the league lead with Anaheim‘s Corey Perry. Stamkos also had an assist earlier in the game, his first point since March 14. I have been hard on the young superstar, but his play in this game was nothing short of outstanding. He ripped 12 shots, eight on goal and was solid with the puck and on defense.

Simon Gagne continued his red hot play with two assists, Dana Tyrell had two assists and Vincent Lecavalier had a helper to extend his point streak to five games.

Dwayne Roloson was brilliant between the pipes, stopping 31 of the 33 shots the Senators fired at him. One of those goals should have been disallowed as the replay clearly showed that it was kicked in.

The Bolts played another complete game and seem to be getting on a roll. Their stars are playing like stars and Dwayne Roloson is looking confident.

Game 77: Lightning 2 – Penguins 1 “Playoff Bound”

What’s that? Ah — Playoffs? Don’t talk about — playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? Believe it. After what  seems like a lifetime of organizational turmoil the Tampa Bay Lightning (42-24-11) are going to play in the NHL’s second season thanks to a well deserved win over their likely first round opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 at the sold out Forum Thursday night.

Goalie Dwayne Roloson was the star of the night as he stopped 36 of the 37 shots the Pens fired at him. He was spectacular in the penalty filled second period where he stopped all 14 shots.

Marty St, Louis scored his 30th goal of the season and Steve Downie also had a goal . Simon Gagne extended his point streak to four games with an assist and Superstar Steven Stamkos had a point for the second consecutive game, his first such streak since early March.

The Lightning has won three in a row after a dismal four game losing streak.

The game was a physical one and the Bolts outhit and outplayed the Penguins. This was a huge confidence builder for Tampa Bay as they proved that they can play a tight checking, physical, playoff style game and win. This win will provide strength for the Bolts if they play the Penguins in the first round, which is all but certain. They mustered the strength to fight through a frenetic Pittsburgh rally in the third period.

With Downie and Malone back in the lineup providing a physical edge, the Lightning can be a daunting team.

Game 78: Lightning 3 – Wild 1 “Workmanlike”

The Tampa Bay Lightning put in a very workmanlike effort and beat the Wild 3-1 Saturday in Minnesota. The Bolts have won four straight and seem to be peaking for the playoffs.

Goalie Dwayne Roloson sparkled again as he stopped 29 of 30 Minnesota shots, including all 11 in the third period. Over the last three games, all wins, Roloson has stopped 96 of 100 shots for an unreal .960 save percentage. His goals against average in that time is 1.33.

Steve Downie, Ryan Malone and Sean Bergenheim scored for Tampa Bay. For Malone it was his first goal since January 9.

The Bolts went 0-4 on the power play, but killed off all four Wild man advantages.

Superstar Steven Stamkos went without a shot on goal in over 20 minutes of ice time.

One of the differences in this team over the last week is that they seem more confident in the third period and that comes from the superior goaltending of Roloson.The Bolts are also a different team with Malone and Downie back in the mix. They are providing the grit that was missing in their absence.

The Lightning now has 97 points, three behind the fourth place Pittsburgh Penguins in the battle for home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Game 79: Lightning 2 – Blackhawks 0 “Smith Shines”

The Tampa Bay Lightning (44-24-11) were badly outshot 31-14, but thanks to goalie Mike Smith they were able to shutout the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 on Sunday night. Smith was brilliant in making big stop after big stop. The Bolts offense took the night off but the total team defensive effort was outstanding.

The 14 shots by the Bolts were a season low.

Vincent Lecavalier scored at 7:56 of the first period to run his point streak to six games and Nate Thompson scored an empty netter with 22 seconds remaining for the Lightning. Vinny has scored 13 goals since the All-Star break. Simon Gagne assisted on both goals.

The Bolts played without Ryan Malone who was being rested and Eric Brewer who has a minor lower body injury. They also played much of the game without Lecavalier who took a high stick to the left eye in the second period. He received some stitches and did not return. The injury is not believed to be serious but management will be careful with him.

Although the Lightning have been outshot in the last five games, they have managed to win all of them.

Tampa Bay now has 99 points and is just one point behind the fourth place Penguins in the Eastern Conference.

Where They Stand

Tampa Bay is 44-24-11 with 99 points (7th in the NHL). They have officially clinched fifth place in the Eastern Conference. There are three games remaining in the regular season. The Bolts are one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the fourth seed in the Conference and a home ice advantage in round one.

By the Numbers

The return of forwards Steve Downie and Ryan Malone has had a positive effect on the Bolts. In the seven games that they have both played in, they have a combined three goals, 24 hits and  a +1 rating.

Steven Stamkos is second in the NHL in goals with 44, three behind Anaheim’s Corey Perry.

Martin St. Louis is second in the league in points with 94, six behind Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin. Marty is also second in assists with 64, nine behind Henrik Sedin.

The Bolts have the best power play in the Eastern Conference, scoring 20.4% of the time with the man advantage.

In the last six games, Simon Gagne has ten points, Martin St. Louis has nine points, and Vincent Lecavalier has seven points. Steven Stamkos has four points in his last three games and Dominic Moore has four points in his last three games.

Transactions

The Lightning reassigned Blair Jones and Mattias Ritola to Norfolk of the AHL and sent goalie Jaroslav Janus of Norfolk to Florida of the ECHL.

With the imminent return of defenseman Randy Jones, the Lightning will have nine defensemen. That means Matt Smaby and Marc Andre Bergeron are on the bubble.

Injury Update

Defenseman Randy Jones is traveling with the team and skating, but isn’t expected back from an ankle injury for at least another week.

Vincent Lecavalier was cut above the right eye in the Blackhawk game on Sunday night. He received three stitches, but did not return. He has a slightly scratched cornea and has some vision problems.

Lightning goalie prospect Dustin Tokarski, was cut by a skate blade during Norfolk’s loss to Hershey on Saturday and needed 27 stitches to close the gash under his chin along his jaw line. The gash was not deep and he should play later this week.

Three Stars of the Week

Dwayne Roloson – Three wins with a 1.33 GAA and a .960 SV%.

Martin St. Louis – Two goals and three assists.

Simon Gagne – Five assists.

The Upcoming Week The Bolts play Tuesday at the Sabres, Friday versus the Panthers and Saturday at the Hurricanes to end the regular season.

Game 73:  Lightning 2 – Islanders 5 “Dazed and Confused”

Make no mistake about it Lightning fans…It’s time to panic. Tampa Bay (39-23-11) was soundly beaten at home by the Islanders, 5-2 Tuesday night for their third straight loss.  The Bolts have won only two games in their last eleven tries. They have now fallen seven points behind the Washington Capitals in the battle for Southeast Division supremacy.

Nate Thompson scored a little over a minute into the game, but the Lightning then gave up four straight goals. The Bolts allowed two more shorthanded goals in the game, making it four shorties given up in the last three contests. Tampa Bay continues to lead the league in this dubious category, giving up a total of 15 goals while on the power play.

The Lightning’s vaunted power play was an impotent one for six, with Dominic Moore getting the only power play goal.

Superstar Steven Stamkos has three goals in nineteen games and was non-existent last night as he didn’t register a single shot on goal. Simon Gagne had one shot and was a -3 for the night.

Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson, facing his former club for the first time since a January trade sent him from the Isles to the Bolts, gave up four goals on just 27 shots.

This team is limping badly into the playoffs and will be an easy first round and out team unless it fixes things immediately.

Game 74:  Lightning 3 – Hurricanes 4 “Collapse Continues”

Tampa Bay (39-24-11) lost again Friday night:  This time to the desperate Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 at the St. Pete Times Forum. This time they played without passion for 53 minutes. They have lost four straight and have won only twice in their last 12 games. They continue to give the puck away. They are a team that has lost their way. They are a team that is collapsing down the stretch. They are a team… in trouble.

Superstar Steven Stamkos played almost 20 minutes and managed only a single shot on goal and had four penalty minutes. That makes a total of one shot on goal in the last two games. He has totally disappeared offensively and it is hurting the Bolts badly when he is on the ice. In the last 14 games, Stammer has three goals and is a -10!

For 53 minutes, the Bolts played the most uninspiring hockey I’ve seen in a long time. Their second period ineptness said it all:  Shots on goal for the Lightning…3.

Simon Gagne scored two goals and Vincent Lecavalier netted the other for the Bolts. Dwayne Roloson was unspectacular in stopping 35 of 39 shots while Carolina goalie Cam Ward saw only 21 shots.

While things seem bleak at the moment, if you asked me prior to the season if I would be satisfied if the Lightning had 89 points on March 25, I absolutely would have said, “Yes!” So, the Bolts late season disappointment is born of their early season success. What bothers me is the team’s lack of aggression early in games. Being first to the puck and transitioning from defense to offense quickly were staples of their early season play.

Game 75:  Lightning 4 – Hurricanes 2 “A Complete Effort”

Simon Gagne scored a pair of goals to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning (40-24-11) over the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 and snap the Bolts four game skid. Gagne has scored 16 goals this season and six have been scored in his five games against the Hurricanes. The loss dealt a death blow to the ‘Canes playoff hopes and cut the Lightning’s magic number in half..

The win gives the Bolts their third win of the month and their first since March 14th. With just seven games remaining, Tampa Bay’s playoff magic number is down to four points, either through Bolt wins or Hurricane losses.

Martin St. Louis tallied his 27th goal of the season and had an assist for Tampa Bay. Dominic Moore also scored and Vincent Lecavalier had two helpers.

Erik Cole and Eric Staal scored for Carolina.

Goaltender Mike Smith played a solid game, stopping 33 of the 35 Carolina shots. Smith was brilliant in the last half of the third period with the Lightning protecting a one goal lead. The game looked eerily familiar, but ended differently as Gagne scored into an empty net to give the Bolts a much needed victory.

The Lightning took the game to Carolina and finally showed some much needed grit, highlighted by defenseman Eric Brewer’s fight with Brandon Sutter and Dominic Moore’s scrap with rookie Jeff Skinner.

Superstar Steven Stamkos went pointless again, while firing four shots and hitting the post once. Anaheim’s Corey Perry scored twice last night and now leads Stamkos by one goal in the scoring race.

Where They Stand

With seven games remaining, the Lightning (40-24-7) is fifth in the Eastern Conference with 91 points. They are five points back of the fourth place Pittsburgh Penguins and four points up on the sixth place Montreal Canadiens. If the playoffs started today, the Bolts would face the Pens with Pittsburgh having the home ice advantage.

Philadelphia, Washington and Pittsburgh have already clinched playoff births. For the Lightning to clinch, they need a combination of four points earned by them or lost by Carolina.

They are the only team of the top eight in the Eastern Conference with a negative goal differential (-5). They have a solid record of 22-11-5 at the St. Pete Times Forum and an above .500 record (18-13-6) on the road. They play three of the last seven games at home against Ottawa, Pittsburgh and Florida while traveling to Minnesota, Chicago, Buffalo and Carolina.

By the Numbers

Superstar Steven Stamkos is now in second place in the goal scoring race (43), one behind the Ducks Corey Perry.

Marty St. Louis is now second in the NHL in points (89),, six behind Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin. Marty is also second in the league in assists (62), eight behind Daniel’s twin brother Henrik Sedin.

Defenseman Brett Clark is 20th in the league with 142 blocked shots.

Tampa Bay’s power play is the best in the Eastern Conference and 6th in the NHL, scoring 21.2% of the time. The penalty kill has fallen to 82.8%, 9th in the Eastern Conference and 14^th in the NHL.

The Bolts are getting over 32 shots per game, 5^th in the NHL while giving up 28 shots per game, 4^th best in the league.

A disturbing statistic trending downward is that the Bolts are winning only 84.8% of their games when leading after two periods, while most playoff positioned teams in the Eastern Conference are near 90%. Despite the league changing rules to encourage wide open offensive games, the NHL is still a game that is all but over after two periods.

Who is the Lightning’s best faceoff man with at least 600 attempts? If you guessed Adam Hall, you’re right. Hall wins 55.2% of the time, followed by Nate Thompson (54.6%), Dominic Moore (53.4%) and Vincent Lecavalier (50.3%). Vinny has taken almost 200 more draws than the next Lightning player.

Seen Stamkos?

Superstar Steven Stamkos has left the building. The young phenom is struggling badly. In his last 20 games, dating back to a February 12 contest against the Carolina Hurricanes, he has been…well…awful. In that span, Stammer has just 3 goals, 10 assists, 18 penalty minutes, is a -11 and is 0-3 in shootouts. The Lightning sniper is averaging less than three shots per game and has had seven games with one or less shots.

Transactions

The Lightning signed undrafted free agent goaltender Pat Nagle to a two-year entry-level contract. Nagle, 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, played in 37 games with the Ferris State (MI) Bulldogs this season, posting an 18-14-5 record with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.  He ranked fifth in NCAA Division-1 in GAA, tied for ninth for shutouts with three and tied for 10th in save percentage.  Nagle also set school records for GAA and was tied for second in save percentage.

Injury Update

Forward Steve Downie returned to the lineup on Friday night against the Hurricanes.

Ryan Malone is cleared to play and is working on conditioning. Look for him back in the lineup on Thursday night versus the Penguins.

Defenseman Randy Jones is still out with an ankle injury. A return date has not been set, but Jones is believed to be ahead of schedule for his return.

Mattias Ritola missed Friday’s game with a lower body injury.

Three Stars of the Week

Vincent Lecavalier – Three goals and three assists.

Simon Gagne – Four goals.

Martin St. Louis –. A goal and four assists.

The Upcoming Week

Tuesday versus the Senators. Thursday versus the Penguins. Saturday at the Wild and Sunday at the Blackhawks.

*Statistics courtesy of NHL.com.

…….“Yep, I meant to hurt him”.

2. Did Blackhawk fans believe it would be March 25, 2011 and two of four center positions would still be up for grabs?

3. Will the Coyotes or Thrashers survive two more seasons without being relocated north of the border?

4. Besides Madison Square Garden is there another cold weather arena with worse ice than the United Center?

5. Is there another stadium where the glass pops out as often as the UC?

6. Is there a better perimeter player than Patrick Kane? 

7. How long before the NHL realizes home teams should wear white for 20 games? 

8. Did anyone think Drew Doughty, Mike Green and Duncan Keith would have no chance of winning the Norris Trophy this season? 

9. Can anyone name two referees that do a consistently good job? 

10. Is Corey Perry the most underrated player in the league? 

11. How many more seasons will Chelsea Dagger be the goal song?  

12. Will the Blackhawks write an offer sheet this summer on RFA Andrew Ladd?

13. If the Hawks make the playoffs will Jonathan Toews be named league MVP? 

Al’s Shots 

Through March 23…Man Games Lost=100….Last season’s total=220

Marcus Kruger looked a lot like I thought he would…Like a young kid afraid to make a mistake. First bit of advice for Marcus….Shoot the puck when you are within 15 feet of the net. 

Call me silly but the Blackhawks played the opening period vs. the Panthers as if it were the first week of the season. New faces, different linemates and unfortunately they are still feeling each other out. 

Did Bryan Bickell and Troy Brouwer decide not to hit any Panthers? One hit each doesn’t cut it. 

If I were Stan Bowman …..I would be praying everyday Michael Frolik will be good enough to center for Marian Hossa next season. Right now Frolik is almost making me a believer. 

One of these days Corey Crawford is not going to bail out the dmen after a turnover. 

I’m not sure Viktor Stalberg will be good enough along the wall to keep playing with Toews and Kane. 

I can live with Kruger winning only 40% of his faceoffs in some games but not when Ryan Johnson wins only 44% of his draws. 

Saturday night’s game will be the fifth in eight days for the Ducks and the third in a row on the road…..No excuses allowed for the Hawks. 

The Predators opened the game with a very strong effort against Anaheim netminder Jonas Hiller, who was making his first appearance after missing 16 games due to suffering from vertigo. The lack of playing time would show for Hiller, as he allowed three goals on just seven shots.

Sergei Kostitsyn open the scoring for the Predators at 2:04 of the first period as Patric Hornqvist took a shot from the right side of the net that leaked between the post and Hiller and was laying in the blue paint. Kostitsyn drove the net and tapped the puck home into a wide open net for a 1-0 Predators lead.

The Predators would extend the lead to 2-0 at 11:18 of the first when Jonathan Blum fired a shot wide of the net and Nick Spaling jumped on the rebound off the end boards and shoved the puck under th pad of Hiller for his 8th goal of the season. This was a smart play by Blum to put the puck in a scoring position and a great hustle play by Spaling to get to the puck and jam it under Hiller’s pad.

Just 19 seconds later, the Predators would stretch the lead to 3-0 as Patric Hornqvist would launch a shot toward the net that Sergei Kostitsyn would re-direct past Hiller. 7 shots and three goals and the rusty Hiller would enjoy the rest of the night from the bench as former Predator Dan Ellis would come in to replace the shell shocked starter.

Anaheim would cut the deficit to 3-1 at 16:11 of the first as Corey Perry was left alone at the side of the net. Bobby Ryan found him with a quick pass and he jammed it into the open net past a defenseless Pekka Rinne. The defensive coverage broke down and Rinne had no chance with Perry stationed alone at the side of the net.

The Predators dominated the second period, limiting the Ducks to just five shots on goal and controlling the play in the neutral zone and in the defensive zone. The Predators generated some great offensive chances and were frustrated by Ellis, who made some great saves to keep the Predators off the board.

Rinne was not often challenged, but made a key glove save on a breakaway by Andreas Lilja to keep the Ducks scoreless. Rinne has owned the Ducks this season, and it appeared that the Ducks knew they could not solve the Finnish wall.

The Predators ran their advantage to 4-1 as Jordin Tootoo tallied his fifth goal of the season. Shane O’Brien fed the puck to Tootoo in traffic in the low slot, and he managed to get the shot off and it hit Ellis on the inside of his left leg and found the back of the net. Tootoo played a strong game and was rewarded for his efforts with the marker at 18:20 of the second.

In the third period, the Predators would make the score 5-1 with a short handed goal by David Legwand. With Shane O’Brien in the box for delay of game, Legwand broke into the offensive zone with Joel Ward. Ward drove to the net and was screened Dan Ellis. Legwand ripped a shot that hit the far side post and then into the net as Ward was checked into Ellis by Saku Koivu but Ward was called for goaltender interference after the score. A bizarre call to say the least.

The Ducks would score just 10 seconds later on the 5 on 3 power play as Teemu Selanne tallied his 24th goal of the season.

Selanne would notch his second 5 on 3 goal at 15:14 of the third to cut the lead to 5-3 Predators. The puck was tipped off the stick of Ryan Suter past Rinne, who had no chance on the re-directed puck. Frankly, Anaheim was not going to score unless it was the Predators allowing them to score with their mistakes.

And the Predators would make a lot of mistakes in the third period.

Corey Perry would strike again at 19:34 of the third period to make it 5-4. On this weird score, Ryan Suter would try to kick the fluttering shot of Perry out of harms way, but instead would kick the puck over the shoulder of Rinne and into the net.

The Predators would hold off Anaheim for the final 26 seconds to secure an all important win and gather the two precious points, but dang, that third period was stressful.

The truth is that the Predators dominated the Ducks, and if they had not made in essence two scores for the Ducks, the game would have been a rout. Perhaps more importantly, the Predators have to realize they cannot let teams climb back into games with them. The Predators were guilty of opening the door for the Ducks with penalties and with scores on their own goalie.

Fortunately for the Predators, their offensive explosion was enough to vanquish the Ducks. Play this haphazardly against the teams that remain on the schedule and the outcome will not be as favorable.

It goes without saying this was a big win for the Predators, not only from the standings but from a mental aspect as well. This was a challenge for this team, one that could very well determine a playoff spot. The Ducks were coming off an improbable win against Dallas the night before and had momentum. The Predators jumped on the Ducks early and kept the pressure up throughout the game. Erase the last 10 minutes of the contest and this was a textbook game.

You can’t, however, erase those last 10 minutes. What the team can do is learn from the mistakes that were made and correct them. The remaining games on the schedule are going to be a war, and it will be imperative for this team to correct these types of mistakes and bring their best effort.

The bottom line: the Predators won the game and picked up the points. Build on this momentum and take care of business when Dallas comes to town.

My three stars:

1. Sergei Kostitsyn

2. Corey Perry

3. Teemu Selanne

Honorable mention:

Patric Hornqvist

Dishonorable mention:

Ryan Suter (scoring two goals for the Ducks)

You can click here: 2011 NHL All-Star rosters to see the players that will participate in this year’s All-Star game in Raleigh, NC.

James had the first pick and promptly chose Team Eric Staal, so I got Team Lidstrom. His alternate captains named by the NHL are Ryan Kesler and Mike Green, while mine are Martin St. Louis and Patrick Kane.

Below you will find our mock draft picks and the projected lines for the game.

Team Staal projected line-up:

Line combos:
Alex Ovechkin-Eric Staal-Rick Nash
Steven Stamkos-Jonathan Toews-Paul Stastny
Matt Duchene-Ryan Kesler-Jeff Skinner
Patrick Elias-Claude Giroux-Phil Kessel

Defensive Pairings
Zdeno Chara-Duncan Keith
Shea Weber-Mike Green
Marc Staal-Dan Boyle

Goalies:
1st Period: Cam Ward
2nd Period: Marc-Andre Fleury
3rd Period: Carey Price

Team Lidstrom project line-up:

Line combos:
Daniel Sedin-Henrik-Sedin-Martin St. Louis
Loui Eriksson-Brad Richards-Patrick Kane
Patrick Sharp-Anze Kopitar-Corey Perry
David Backes-Danny Briere-Martin Havlat

Defensive pairings:
Kris-Letang-Nicklas Lidstrom
Keith Yandle-Dustin Byfuglien
Brent Burns-Erik Karlssson

Goalies:
1st period: Tim Thomas
2nd period: Jonas Hiller
3rd period: Henrik Lundqvist

Forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, Henrik Zetterberg, Jarome Iginla and Ales Hemsky, as well as defenseman Tobias Enstrom will miss the All-Star week-end due to personal reasons or injury.

The 2011 NHL All-Star draft will be aired on Friday January 28th at 8PM, while the Super Skills will be on Saturday January 28th at 7PM Eastern time. The All-Star game will be played on Sunday January 29th at 4PM Eastern time.

You can also follow me on Twitter for updates on the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL in general.

In the St. Louis Blues 4-3 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes it was two lapses in play that tore away two points in a key match-up for playoff positioning.

After a fairly well played opening 20 minutes the Blues came out lame yet again. The Yotes pushed the pace and scored twice to wipe away David Backes’ first period tally. Lauri Korpikoski netted his 10th on a deflection. Another instance where the Blues failed to box out the forward establishing net presence coming off a cycle play. Lee Stampniak’s 9th summed up where this game was heading.

As the Blues gain the zone and begin their rotation Erik Johnson cmmits himself to a high risk move with no support. Taking the puck from the bench side he curls on his backhand between the tops of the circles and the blueline. Stempniak is high in the zone, reads the play, steps up and strips EJ. Yet another instance where Jaroslav Halak has been hung out to dry against a breakaway by the former 1st overall pick. Johnson completely missed his pairing partner Carlo Colaiacovo swinging in to open space back towards the bench. Instead of draw two or three defenders to the far side for a reverse, he coughs up the turnover.

Halak was strong in net aside from the tip and breakaway so coming in to the final set the Blues just needed to get back to work. Which they did. The rediscovered tempo lead to a pair of goals in 20 seconds time. First was Matt D’Agostini’s 10th when he sniped one past Jason LaBarbara after picking up his onw blocked shot. Brad Winchester made it 3-2 when he visited his favorite hangout, the crease. He banged in a lose puck from a Jay McClement rebound to raise his goal total to 8.

With 3/4 of the period left the Blues looked to be in good shape. Then the allegedly exorcised demons of 2009-10 made their presence felt. Halak gave up a pair of soft goals to give Phoenix the win. As good of a shot as Kyle Turris has, the third Yotes goal shouldn’t have ended up behind Jaro. Perhaps a little too deep in his crease? If he is on top versus sitting towards the middle he has that in his glove. Taylor Pyatt broke the tie at the 16:48 mark with a warp around attempt Halak stops 99 times out of 100. A very inopportune time to not get the paddle down and leave space between the pads. He just didn’t look ready for that play. As if he expected the energy line winger to dangle. That’s not how those guys operate.

Quick Hits vs. Coyotes

- Davis Payne deserves a little tongue lashing for putting the 4th line out inthe third period in a 1 goal game. Their inability to hold the offensive zone lead to the Turris goal. TJ Hensick, Chris Porter and Cam Janssen were a combined Minus-6. Compare that to Phoenix’s 4th line who notched the game tying and winning goals.

- Alex Pietrangelo lead the Blues with 22;42 TOI with a Plus-2, 3 Blocked Shots, 1 Hit and a Takeaway.

- How was Johnson not credited with a Giveaway for his part in Stempniak’s goal?

- D’Ags is playing his way in to an interesting niche. He, like Vladimir Sobotka, has been perceived to be a 3rd or 4th line contributor, but has stepped up with impressive performances alongside Backes. He isn’t the powerful forward Rene Bourque can be, but his progression could be something similar. A winger with some skill playing in a lesser role shows a strong scoring prowess at even strength and becomes something more. His goal and assist moves his totals up to 10 goals and 21 points. Has 3 goals and 8 points in his last 10 games.

- Halak stopped 29 of 33. LaBarbara stopped 33 of 36.

- How often do the Blues control the face-off circle? Not often, but they did against Phoenix. Winning 33 of 61 draws, 54%. Backes lead the way with 7 of 12 won.

- Colaiacovo was a Minus-3. Blindly quoting Plus/Minus rarely properly describes a players play, but in this case it does. On the ice for three of the four scores and didn’t contribute much else.

- After this game there is little doubt, or there should be, that Backes is a difference maker. When the fires hot and under control he is a beastly force.

- Yes, Janssen and Bissonette got in to it. Cam got in tight early, but BizNasty2Point0 took over with the size and reach advantage. Bam Bam is a gamer, but he was outmatched.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Big Back to Back Set

The Blues head out to a much warmer climate for a three games in four nights California road trip. First stop in Anaheim Wednesday night and Los Angeles the day after. Can the Blues find their 2010 version of the Boston Miracle or will they find a deflating swing like they did out West back in 2008?

When Last They Met

Anaheim: All the way back on October 11th the Blues defeated the Ducks in a afternoon goonfest. The outcome was positive for the Blues. A galvanizing 5-1 win that held club over till the parade of injuries began. The Ducks were in a tailspin of poor performances and trying to work their way out of it. Backes and Andy McDonald scored 6 seconds apart in that game. Halak stopped 13 of 14 Anaheim shots. Jonas HIller was chased and Curtis McElhinney filled in the gaps. The duo stopped 48 of 53 shots.

LA: On December 16th Sobotka and Backes lead the way with a goal and an assist each to a 6-4 victory. Without that W the Blues would have had a third 5 game losing streak as it is sandwiched between a pair of two game skids. Alex Pietrangelo, McDonald, TJ Oshie, David Perron and Roman Polak were all out of action. Ty Conklin stopped 25 of 29 shots and Jonathan Quick stopped 25 of 30.

Storylines

The Blues face what could become their third 5 game losing streak. A win in Anaheim not only stops the bleeding, but would bring a much needed moral boost. The players aren’t showing the dip in confidence, but its creeping in. Both the Ducks and Kings are in similar positions to the Blues. Sitting in the cluttered 5th-12th spots in the West. With just 4 points separating the three clubs, regulation wins are a priority.

Anaheim is 6-4-0 in their last 10 games. Five of those minus team leader Ryan “Gold” Getzlaf. In his absence Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan must carry the offensive burden. However, Goaltender Jonas Hiller is carrying the team. Stopping all 64 shots in the last two games. His back to back shutouts coming against San Jose and Columbus.

LA is swinging the opposite of their neighbors. The Kings are 4-6-0 in their last 10.They’ve allowed 33 goals in that span. An half a goal increase per game over their season average. Their scoring hasn’t taken a dip though. Putting 29 behind the enemy netminder for a clip equal to their season average. Be on the lookout for Anze Kopitar. He leads the club with 46 points (15 goals, 30 assists) in 42 games.

Lineup

With Phil McRae and Ryan Reaves recalled (more on that in a minute) and TJ Hensick sent back to Peoria, the lines will be shaken. Not positive on where Payne makes his tweaks. Here is a guesstimate on where he could go.

Phil McRae – David Backes – Matt D’Agostini
Alex Steen – Patrik Berglund – BJ Crombeen
Brad Winchester – Jay McClement – Brad Boyes
Chris Porter – Vladimir Sobotka – Ryan Reaves/Cam Jansse

Eric Brewer – Roman Polak
Barret Jackman – Alex Pietrangelo
Carlo Colaiacovo – Erik Johnson

A flip of the coin may decide who gets the nod in net, but expect Thursday starter to be Wednesday’s backup. Will Payne go with the historical approach? May not matter too much as Conks is 6-1-0 with a 2.30 GAA and .914 save percentage vs. LA and 4-0-0 with a 1.25 GAA and .951 save percentage vs. Anaheim.

The Winchester, McClement, Boyes line has been good lately. As have Backes with Sobotka and D’Ags. With the failures of the 4th line against Phoenix, Sobotka stabilizing that line is an option. Leaving McRae a chance to fill in a role he is more accustomed to.

(UPDATE: Per Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, McRae practiced between Porter and Reaves/Janssen. How effective will he be on the 4th line? Not much , so why pay him a NHL salary for 5 minutes of play? Trust in Payne for making a reasonable move, but this is a little odd.)

(UPDATE #2: Per Rutherford, Brewer paired with Johnson and Colaiacovo with Polak. McRae to wear #25. He will center Porter and Reaves. Go Go Peoria Line! Janssen looks to be the scratch.)

Bluenotes

- In a surprise move the Blues recalled 20 year old forward Phil McRae from the Peoria Rivermen. The 3rd rd pick in 2007 had a productive OHL career and was a role player in the US’ Gold medal efforts at the 2010 WJC. With the Rivermen he has 11 goals and 22 points in 37 games. He may be the closest thing to a scoring power forward the Blues have in their system, but he is far from that playstyle in the NHL. He has serviceable skating ability and deft hands to make plays. The only knock on him is the ability to absorb the physical abuse and react quickly to the big league pace. Which is hopefully where #42 comes in. Backes creates space while McRae can pick up pucks and find D’Agsotini. The door is open for Phil to open eyes, he just has to keep it simple and skate straight through.

- Backes will represent the Blues as their lone All Star. Should Halak feel jipped? He did lead all Western Conference goalies in fan voting and has good enough numbers. However, the rest an All Star Game brings is a better option for him. On a personal note, as a huge David “Inglorious” Backes fan, I’m quite happy. Though Alex Steen more than deserves some attention as well.

- News broke Tuesday, via Bob McKenzie of TSN, that the Blues were signing Kyle Wellwood. According to General Manager Doug Armstrong, it’s not going to be soon. he confirmed interest, but there is concern over his contract status with his KHL club. Sportsnet Insider Nick Kypreos reported yesterday it could take the weekend to get the requisites completed. While the Blues would love to add scoring, this move is about adding depth down the middle and winning draws. In 2009-10 he won 390 of 725 draws (53.8%) and in 2008-09 he won 357 out of 621 (57.5%). The Blues won’t balk at his potential to chip in upwards of 10 goals through season’s end as well.

- Just thinking out loud… Sobotka seems to factor in to the Blues mid range plans now. His ability to jump from 1st to 3rd to 4th line duties and produce results is a big bonus to Payne. Who prefers to roll three all around effective lines and use the 4th to go north and hit defensemen. Jay McClement found a role over the last three seasons as an effective checking / shutdown center. Securing his roster spot and contract over the likes of a capable Ryan Johnson due to payroll concerns

Is another turnover approaching? Could Jay be moved and then use Sobotka as the third centerman?

So far McClement has had mixed results in 10-11. Playing more of a two way role versus shutting down the opposing top line. Could his $1.25 million contract for 11-12 be moved in hopes of freeing up more money to pursue a difference maker in the off season. The Blues are a much better team on the ice with Jay, than with a draft pick. However, if cheaper depth can be found (Wellwood?) is he available for a team that doesn’t need him to score at all? One that just needs that stopper? Flyers? Caps? Options are great to have and Armstrong has been making solid ones in his first full season as Blues GM. He has been king of the periphery player type moves so far.

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The Panel

Josh Sargent (@Josh_Sargent)- Minnesota Wild correspondent for NHLHotStove.com.

Andy Ajer (@FightNightAtJoe) – Detroit Red Wings blogger. Runs Fight Night At The Joe.

Mike Murgani (@Draft_Mike) – LA Kings correspondent for NHLHotStove.com.

Kevin Navarre (@Jabberwockkie) – Dallas Stars Correspondent for NHLHotStove.com.

Brian Haenchen (@Brian_Haenchen) – Covering the St. Louis Blues on HockeyIndependent.com and operates HanksSportsBlog (@HanksSportsBlog).

Christina Roberts (@franzenmuth) – Detroit Red Wings Correspondent for NHLHotStove.com.

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Are the Red Wings back as an elite force in the conference after a slight let down in 2009-10? Why or Why not?

JS: I don’t think they have changed, the only difference between this year and last is that the talent in their division is a little lower, all last year they had to try and keep up with Chicago and may have put too much pressure on themselves.

AA: Yes, the let down last year was mainly because of the 311 games lost to injury, but this year’s team is scarily deep and once they get over their inability to play a full 60 minutes they are going to be even better than they are now.

MM: The Red Wings really never went anywhere. No team in the league drafts as well or develops talent better then Ken Holland. With a team decimated by injuries the Wings still managed to finish 5th in a tough conference and won a playoff series. That just proves the depth the Wings have in the system.

KN: Yes. The Red Wings are healthy again (until Datsyuk went down to injury) and doing what they do best which is intimidate every opponent with that winged wheel.

BH: When healthy, the Detroit Red Wings have proved themselves to be a very good team in the Western Conference. Just based on their experience and skill, I’d say they are the team to beat in the Central Division. However, I think it’s too early to label them as an elite force in the conference.

First of all, the Western Conference standings are such a mess right now. The top 12 teams are all within striking distance of each other meaning that a team currently sitting outside of the playoffs all together could find itself atop the conference with any sort of significant win streak.

Also, I’m not completely sold on Jimmy Howard. I think the juggernaut Detroit has offensively makes up for any shortcomings Howard has. Don’t get me wrong, Howard’s a damn good goaltender, but I question his consistency and it will be interesting to see how he and the team as a whole respond to the recent injury to star forward Pavel Datsyuk.

CR: At the start of the season, I would have immediately said yes, the Wings are an elite force. But the stuttering for the past few weeks has me thinking that they may not be “elite.” But they’re still a force to reckon with. Despite the losses as of late, they’ve only lost eight games in regulation. And their blue line is deadly. As of last Monday, they were ranked second for the most offensive with eighteen goals, just behind Atlanta’s twenty goals. The 2009-2010 season had everyone wondering if age was finally catching up with the Red Wings (which is thrown around after pretty much every season now), but if you look at the team’s stats from after the Olympic break, they were back in that prime form, having all of their major injuries back in play. And the second-round loss to the San Jose Sharks gave them a few extra weeks of well-needed rest. Pavel Datsyuk’s injury will also be a test of how well the team can cope without him and whether Datsyuk can come back and perform to the same level he had before; it was a Hart Trophy season prior to the injury

Are the Dallas Stars the biggest surprise or biggest overachiever in the conference?

JS: They are the overachiever in the Pacific but what is helping them out the most is that San Jose, Los Angeles, and Phoenix are not playing up to their levels. I think second half of the season Dallas falls out of the top.

AA: Surprise for sure. But they are dependent on staying healthy and their top players performing cause they definitely aren’t the deepest team in the league.

MM: I feel the Stars are the most over rated team in the NHL we are almost 3 months into the season and the Stars have played the most home games in the league and have yet to go on more the a 3 game road trip and that trip had 5 days off between games. Also the Stars have only played 2 back to backs fewest in the league. The Stars have no more the a 3 game trip the rest of the season and a season high 9 game home stand in March and only 3 more back to backs.

KN: The Stars are definitely surprising and turning heads and I follow the team and feel that way.  The big “if” this year was defense and goaltending and they’re getting a good effort in the former and an A++ in the latter with the same offense they ha last year.  We all thought they could be as good as they are but a couple years down the road.

BH: I have been shocked with how well Dallas has been playing this year. Heading into this season, I definitely thought the Stars were a playoff team, but I did not see them battling for the top spot in the Western Conference at any point during the season.

Right now, they’re a team that seems to have everything going for them. Brad Richards is having a solid year offensively and their goaltenders in Andrew Raycroft and (now that he has returned) Kari Lehtonen have been good enough in tight games to help ensure the team manages to get at least a point each game.

I don’t think anyone could have predicted the 30-year-old Richards to be having the season he’s been having. Right now, he’s on pace to set a career high in goals scored and could come close to matching his career high point total from last season.

It will be interesting to see if the Stars are able to maintain this pace over the long haul. I think these next few games will be very telling as to if this team is a legitimate Conference Title contender or just a flash in the pan.

Right now, I see Dallas sustaining this high level of play and contending with Vancouver for the Western Conference title. Between the one-two punch in net with Raycroft and Lehtonen and the offensive production from Richards, the Stars should have no problem hanging in there with the other division leaders.

CR: I would say neither, though I would probably lean more toward the overachiever part of it. But thinking about it, the Stars made it to the Western Conference Finals three years ago and had to struggle with injuries these past few seasons. Finally getting healthy and consistent and picking up some solid players they needed (like Adam Burish and Andrew Raycroft) and although it’s hard to say, getting rid of Mike Modano certainly helped them align themselves much better. They seem to have found that groove they’ve been grasping for the past two seasons and if people were paying closer attention, maybe it wouldn’t be such a surprise to them.

Which team is the biggest underachiever to date?

JS: With the addition of Jaroslav Halak to the Blues along with a healthy Erik Johnson I thought they would be a lot better but can’t completely place blame on the team when they are missing key players on IR.

AA: The Kings and Coyotes are both better teams than their point totals indicate at the moment. I’d say the Kings, I think they should be good enough to challenge for the division title.

MM: I feel the St Louis Blues getting a starting goaltender would improve the club, but the Blues have struggled all season.

KN: I’d have to go with LA.  they started off hot and dangerous but have fallen down quite drastically.  on paper I don’t see many weaknesses but maybe they lack the confidence or the expectations this year are weighing them down.

BH: Calgary Flames. Jarome Iginla is heating up, but it’s not enough to make up for the lack of production from his teammates and the underwhelming performance thus far from Miikka Kiprusoff.

CR: Calgary. This team has struggled the past few seasons and hasn’t really found its groove just yet to get on a hot streak and parade up the rankings. But with star players like Jarome Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff, Jay Bowmeester, and Alex Tanguay, wouldn’t you think this team should be doing better than they are? Right now, they’re sitting three points above fifteenth in the conference, but look at the flip side and they’re only seven points out of eighth. They do still have a chance to make something of this season; it hasn’t hit the halfway point quite yet.

Who has done the best coaching job as of the end of December?

JS: Colorado’s Joe Sacco, at the start of the season I thought that Vancouver was the clear winner in the Northwest but he has this Avalanche team believing they can win the division.

AA: Hate to say it, but Marc Crawford in Dallas and Joe Sacco in Colorado have both gotten very good stuff out of rosters that should have holes and that in Sacco’s case have seen a flurry of injuries.

MM: Barry Trotz. Losing 2 of your best forwards one of your best blue liners and your starting goaltender and sill in play off contention amazing.

KN: I would like to be a homer and say Marc Crawford but I’m not a fan. Probably go with Alain Vigneault as the Canucks are even more dangerous this year and flying under the radar.

BH: Davis Payne. The Blues have been decimated by injuries and are playing with a roster chalked full of AHL call-ups. Yet, Payne has kept his team motivated and, as a result, in a position to make a run at a spot in the top 8 of the Western Conference.

CR: My initial response is Mike Babcock, just with how much he’s been able to help his team rebound from last year’s injury-riddled season (not to mention how he still managed to get them to yet another 100+ point season) and remain at the top of the Western Conference so far this season. Dealing with Pavel Datsyuk’s injury will be a difficult task to see how the team can fare; the loss of Modano is something Babcock has had to work around as well. Thankfully this season, injuries haven’t been as serious and numerous as last year and Babcock has enough “healthy scratch” players to come up and fill in the gaps to the best of their abilities. I’d throw Joe Sacco into the mix as well. Colorado’s a team that shouldn’t be undermined for how well they’re doing. But his challenge will be to see if the team can stay afloat with the injuries so far this season.

Who is the conference MVP to date?

JS: Tossup between Cory Perry and Brad Richards due to the fact that I didn’t see either of their teams being viable playoff contenders but both players giving their teams hope and leading by example along with averaging over a point per game

AA: The best player has probably been Pavel Datsyuk, he is really on this season, but Brad Richards is the one that is most valuable to his team. Without him Dallas would be in trouble.

MM: Henrik Sedin

KN: No question but Brad Richards is an elite force this year and has done and is going to do some amazing things. I can’t imagine where the stars would be without their MVP.

BH: Brad Richards – Dallas

CR: Honestly, you can name at least a dozen players that deserve the MVP title for the conference so far. But I’ll settle for the guy who received the Conn Smythe trophy in 2002: Nicklas Lidstrom. Last season, his play was mediocre to his normal standards of beyond-human defense. His offensive side struggled, too, and this led everyone to wonder if age was finally catching up to “The Perfect Human.” But it seems that it was due to half of his teammates being injured that hurt Lidstrom’s output last season. Look at his statistics after the Olympic break and you’ll see that he definitely was back on track once the team was healthy.

Contrary to all of that, so far this season he’s looked like a twenty-five-year-old playing hockey. He’s nearly everyone’s favorite to win the Norris for the seventh time. And just last week, he managed his first career hat trick at the nice young age of forty and currently has 28 points in 34 games; it puts him on pace for 66 points this season, just below his output in his Cup-winning 2007-2008 season. That sounds like a pretty good MVP, right?

The top 8 in the East were dramatically outscoring the top 8 in the West. Is the style of game play out west more about defense and goaltending than before?

JS: I think that style of play between the 2 conferences are starting to become more alike. Colorado is the highest scoring team in the league while only 2 teams out east have outscored the #8 seed Chicago at the moment. The lower scoring teams such as Nashville, Dallas, and Anaheim have to play more defensive to stay competitive and in the playoff hunt.

AA: The West plays a much sounder game with more focus on a two-way game, while the East is more run and gun with more sloppy play and turnovers.

MM: Simple, the goaltending in the west is much better also there is a tighter style played in the west. Take a look at the top teams in the East and how many have goaltending issues. Tampa, Philly, Washington, cant decide on a starter New Jersey Buffalo injuries. Other then Carey Price and Tim Thomas tell me who is playing well in the East.

KN: I think the quality of the teams in the west is better and so with fewer high quality teams in the east, the upper echelon east teams can score more against the bottom feeders.  The stars finished 12th last year in the west and had the same number of points as the 7th & 8th place teams in east. Enough said.

BH: The West is definitely more about defense and goaltending than before. While the East has an advantage in terms of star goal scorers, the West is far superior between the pipes. Teams seem to be much more balanced in the Western Conference compared to the East. Teams in the East (i.e. Washington) seem to rely completely on their offense while in the West you could look at teams like Detroit, Vancouver, and Dallas who have been successful due to their balance of goal scoring and solid goaltending.

CR: I think it’s more about the defense and goaltending in the West than the East for sure. Games in the West seem to be much closer than in the East. In the East, you have the scoring demons on particular teams that jettison them over their opponents (Crosby and Malkin, Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Semin to name the well-known combos); in the West, you have those same combination (Getzlaf, Ryan, and Perry, Datsyuk and Zetterberg, Sedin and Sedin), but even if these lines are dominant in a game, that doesn’t mean they’re the only ones scoring or even blowing the opposition out of the water. But I think more of the factor is how the conference standings are much tighter in the West. The top eight teams in the east are so much better than the bottom seven in the east. If you look at the standings, in there’s a decent gap. In the East, it’s ten points separating first and eighth and twenty points separating eighth and fifteenth. But compared to the West, it’s so much tighter; ten points separate eighth and fifteenth while six points separate first and eighth. The tight play makes for a harder push on solid defense and goaltending.

First impression of the kids out in Edmonton?

JS: Very bright future in Edmonton and can’t wait to see what they will do to build around Hall, Eberle, and Paajarvi. 2-3 years and the Oilers could be the class of the conference.

AA: They have played pretty well and are exciting, but they’re not gonna turn the team around without some help and a few seasons of experience.

MM: What impression? The Oilers are the Kansas City Royals of hockey. They are a very good AHL team playing with the big boys. Taylor Hall is just a skater and the rest of them will not stay around in Edmonton to see it threw. First chance they get there gone.

KN: Talented but green.  Fun to watch though.

BH: I haven’t seen enough of Edmonton this season to answer this question, but I will say from what I’ve heard and the few games that I have seen, they’re a team that’s headed in the right direction.

CR: Taylor Hall has some great potential in him for sure. I was lucky enough to see him play when he was on the Windsor Spitfires (I saw him play against Tyler Seguin, no less) and he impressed me then, too, even though he didn’t score on the penalty shot he received. He will definitely be a player to watch in the upcoming years. First overall draft picks are usually like that.

Jordan Eberle seems like a solid player. I haven’t been able to see as much of him as I would like, but to me he seems like he could be one of those excellent players that sneaks under the radar a lot of the time. But maybe not – I mean, his first NHL goal coming on a penalty kill will definitely make people look at him twice.

And Linus Omark just now caught people’s attention with flashy shootout attempts? Did people not see the one when he was playing in Sweden, the one that Datsyuk replicated against Chicago last season? Omark will be a great player for sure, just as long as his flashiness doesn’t get the best of him.

Which team in the league is the toughest to play when 100% healthy?

JS: Detroit is a stacked team from top to bottom and full of players that know what it takes to play at the top level of hockey.

AA: Detroit should be. Their lines can match their equivalent on any other NHL team. Vancouver can be a tough team too. For both of those it is as much about being ON as it is about being healthy though.

MM: Simple, Detroit Red Wings

KN: Detroit

BH: Detroit. They may not be an elite force in the West, but they’re still sick.

CR: I’ll go off on what could be considered a crazy limb here and say Montreal. After the upsets in last year’s playoff run, with Jaroslav Halak playing like a brick wall, and then proceeding to trade Halak away from the team and relying on Carey Price, everyone’s kept an eye on this team. And honestly, they are delivering. I went to the Original Six matchup game at Joe Louis Arena when the Habs visited and after the game, it was decided unanimously between me and my hockey-crazed brothers that a Wings/Habs Finals matchup would be absolutely epic. The Habs can definitely give the Red Wings a run for their money. Their play is amazing to watch.

The top line in the conference is?

JS: The Sedin line in Vancouver, it doesn’t matter who you put with them they are an unstoppable force that racks up points. I can’t prove it but I am pretty sure that they have some kind of twin ESP thing going on.

AA: I’m a total homer here, but Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmström, or the Circus line as we call it is probably the best. It has two of the best players in the league on both ends of the ice and they tend to play real well together. It also works great when Cleary plays instead of Homer. But Babcock has switched it all up lately, so who knows when we will see this one again.

MM: Getzlaf,Perry,Ryan

KN: Richards-Eriksson-Neal

BH: When Datsyuk’s in there, Detroit’s top line.

CR: Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan is definitely one of the top lines out there. This is one of the most annoying lines to play against. I honestly believe they are on the ice for about 57 minutes of every game; they are that annoyingly good. They dominate the play when they are out on the ice together; right now, they have a combined 46 goals and 58 assists. Compare that to the Sedin-Burrows-Sedin line, which has 33 goals and 68 assists, or the Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom line, which has 33 goals and 61 assists. The Getzlaf line definitely can be ranked up there among the elites.

Which team currently out of the top 8 (as of the Hlidays) has the best chance at making it back in?

JS: I don’t think Anaheim can keep up with everyone in the West. They are the only team that is in the top 8 with a minus in GF/GA and think that LA will make the jump in the second half to take their spot.

AA: The LA Kings will make the playoffs. They are way too good to miss them. The Coyotes should also have a pretty good shot.

MM: Los Angeles Kings

KN: Since 9 points separate 1st through 12th (as of this questions answering) I’d say at least 4 different teams.  Of the 4 currently out, I say for sure LA makes it back in by seasons end.

BH: St. Louis. Alex Steen is heating up. Oshie could be back sooner than expected. Defense is improving which only benefits an already solid goaltending tandem in Halak & Conklin. Oh, don’t forget they’re only 7 points out of first place despite all these injuries.

CR: With how close the standings are in the West, it’s honestly hard to say because one day, they could be in and the next day, they could be out. The St. Louis Blues seem fairly consistent and have a great chance. And with their goaltenders – Jaroslav Halak and Ty Conklin – always seeming to play solid games, it gives them a fighting chance. And their goalies have to be solid when their top guys like T.J. Oshie and David Perron are sidelined with injuries. When those guys come back, I’d watch out, honestly. This team can be dangerous.

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Look for further Q&A discussion regarding the West with another blogger as well as an Eastern Conference panel coming soon.

Sidney Crosby was born and bred for this moment.

In a country that elevates its sublimely talented hockey superstars to iconic status, it was only appropriate that out of the many star players populating Team Canada’s roster, the wunderkind from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia would emerge as the one who seized the moment that asked for a hero.

Out of the many, Sidney.  E pluribus, Crosby.

Yesterday afternoon, at 2.54 pm local time, with over 15-million alarmed fellow citizens anxiously looking on, Crosby took one small step toward Ryan Miller, flicked the puck past him, then took one giant celebratory leap for Canadian mankind.  OT game-winning goal.  Gold medal-winning goal.  On home ice.  Lights out, Vancouver.

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Did you seriously think it would turn out this way?

Of course you didn’t.  After all, Hollywood is an American institution and surely, Canadian hockey fans never believed that a script worthy of an Academy Award next weekend would play out in living colour on the silver screen of Canada Hockey Place.  In a Winter Olympics that has simply been magical for host Canada, it was stretching the bounds of reality to ask for one more storybook, golden moment.  Oh sure, Canadians could envision winning gold in a business-like, non-fairy tale fashion over the United States, and it certainly looked likely when Jonathan Toews scored in the opening frame and Corey Perry scored mid-way through the second period to give Canada a 2-0 lead.

However, when Ryan Kesler cut the lead in half five and a half minutes later on a deft deflection, Doubt cast her dark shadow clouds over sunny Vancouver.  When American Zach Parise scored the tying goal with Miller on the bench during the United States’ last, desperate push with just 24 seconds remaining in regulation time, not only was a storybook golden moment unlikely, it was completely out of the question.  Even the possibility of a business-like golden finish became questionable.

Every Canadian in the arena or watching at home, at the corner pub, or pressed up against the windows of an electronics store looked up and down that home team bench and wondered about all the many talented, battle-tested players and asked the same question: Who would be the one to rescue Canada?  Who would be the overtime hero?

Out of the many, Sidney.  E pluribus, Crosby.

In Canada, there is a reason why we label Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux “hockey icons” and place them on a higher tier than their merely “star” contemporaries.  For Gretzky and Lemieux, their natural gifts, their stratospheric accomplishments and their uncanny ability to succeed in pressure-cooker situations gave them the right to be labelled “icons”.  Crosby traces his hockey ancestry to this royal lineage.  It was Gretzky who tabbed a then 14-year old Crosby, fresh off a 193-point season in Nova Scotia Minor Hockey, as the one who had a shot at breaking his records.  It was Lemieux, the King Penguin, who drafted Prince Crosby and welcomed him into his castle, where they both still reside together.

Icons identify the moment; icons seize the moment; icons create one frozen moment that will be remembered for all time.

Every great achievement Crosby has earned thus far in his still young career was but a prelude to what we witnessed yesterday.  Youngest to score at the World Junior Championship.  Youngest to win a scoring title.  Youngest captain ever.  Youngest captain to hoist the Stanley Cup.  All, mere arrows pointing to this frozen moment that was waiting for him from the day he was born, a prodigy on skates.

Some critics lamented, even as late as Saturday evening, that Crosby was underachieving and not scoring as much as he should in the Olympics.  They wanted Crosby to rediscover his finishing touch in the same manner that Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Rick Nash seemed to do as the tournament proceeded.  What the critics constantly fail to grasp is that there is no need to fret about the performance of icons.  Out of the many stars on Team Canada, some will score in bunches and some will periodically slump.  As we speak, out of the many Canadian teenagers, mesmerized by the hockey that they observed the last two weeks, some will in four years, populate a portion of the next Olympic roster.  Out of the many, there will be stars but likely, no icons.  Out of the many, there will still only be one hockey icon for this generation, ever to the rescue.

Out of the many, Sidney.  E pluribus, Crosby.

Anticipation of a rematch with Russia who eliminated Canada 2-0 in the quarterfinals of the last Olympics.  Hope that the somewhat willy-nilly changes to line combinations by the Canadian coaching staff would finally produce a consistently cohesive, winning combination against a competitive opponent.  Hope that Canada’s best hockey was still ahead and all the self-loathing that some Canadian fans put themselves through after last Sunday’s loss to the U.S. would be rendered groundless.  Hatred, definitely for Alexander “Drago” Ovechkin, and for one day, Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar, normally viewed as beloved members of the Penguins by this writer, but today, enemies.  Love, for country, and love for Canadian hockey, the common lifeblood that courses through the nation.

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Would Sidney Crosby and/or Ovechkin raise their game to even higher heights on the highest of all stages??  Would the bold decision by Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock to reinstate Roberto Luongo as the starting goaltender be the right move?  Would a lesser light like Patrice Bergeron or Danis Zaripov emerge as a difference-maker?  Would a late tie-breaking goal by a latter-day Paul Henderson or Mario Lemieux move this game into the pantheon of classic Canada - Russia contests?

As it turned out, the game was anticlimactic: Canada surprisingly blew away Russia 7-3, advancing to the semifinals on Friday night at 9:30 pm EST / 6:30 pm PST to face either Sweden or Slovakia.  The win ended an eight-game Olympic losing streak by Canada to Russia/Unified Team/U.S.S.R. that began at the 1964 Games in Innsbruck, Austria.  Canada came out guns blazing, opening the scoring at 2:21 of the first period courtesy of Ryan Getzlaf converting a quick centering feed from a pinching Dan Boyle.  In classic Canadian style, the hosts aggressively bodychecked and fired shot after shot on goal to test Evgeni Nabokov and soon discovered little resistance in Russia’s defence and neutral zone puck control.  In the first period alone, Canada recorded a whopping 21 shots on goal and a game total of 42, pumping their tournament lead in that category to 215.

Boyle on a power play, and Rick Nash scored 46 seconds apart mid-way through the opening frame to suddenly give Canada an unexpected 3-0 lead.  Nash’s goal came on a 2-on-1 that was simply the result of outhustling the Russian defence.  Mike Richards made an outlet pass to Jonathan Toews and skated hard in tandem with Nash who finished the play by firing the puck over a sprawling Nabokov.  After Dmitri Kalinin cut the lead to 3-1 with a shot from the top of the left circle, Brenden Morrow took the wind out of the Russian sails with a late goal on a backhander that he somehow stuffed past Nabokov, who appeared to have the area inside the left post sealed off.

Early in the second period, Corey Perry found a wide-open net off a rebound for his third goal of the tournament and 57 seconds later, the rout was on.  As two Russians were preoccupied with pinning Jarome Iginla to the boards by the benches, Jonathan Toews picked out the puck from their skates and headed into the offensive zone.  He found Shea Weber with a pass and the Nashville defenceman pounded the puck by Nabokov.  6-1 Canada.  Nabokov, out; Ilya Bryzgalov, in.

Though Maxim Afinogenov and Sergei Gonchar later scored, sandwiched around a second goal by Corey Perry, it was far too little too late.  In a microcosm of the tough night he would experience, Ovechkin was checked hard into the half-boards and knocked off the puck by young Canadian defenceman Drew Doughty about eight and a half minutes into the first period.  Neither Ovechkin nor Crosby recorded a point on the night.  Even though Crosby was held off the scoresheet, he was, as always, an influential presence on the ice.  His speed drew a holding call against Anton Volchenkov in the first period giving Canada its first power play, a man advantage situation in which he had a scoring chance.

Crosby nearly set up Jarome Iginla for yet another goal in the third period when his pass from the far circle was deflected by his fellow assistant captain off the left post.  As for Luongo, the “hometown” goalie vindicated his coach’s choice by turing aside 26 of 28 shots against the first upper-tier opponent he has faced at the Olympics.  Luongo has quietly posted a 1.67 GAA, fourth-best among goaltenders with at least three games played.  He induced the loudest “Luuuuuuuu!” cheer from the Canada Hockey Place crowd with under five minutes left in the game when he stoned Evgeni Malkin on a breakaway.

After a triumph like this, is the proper emotion pure joy?  Or is it relief?  Probably a bit of both.

Canada’s reward is just one full day of rest before the battle begins again on Friday night.

Each is comprised of 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies. Every NHL team has at least one representative at the game; therefore some players had to be left out of the all-star selections.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Forwards
Sidney Crosby PIT
Nicklas Backstrom WAS
Steven Stamkos TB
Alexander Ovechkin WAS
Ilya Kovalchuk ATL
Zach Parise NJ
Marian Gaborik NYR
Tomas Plekanec MTL
Martin St. Louis TB
Evgeni Malkin PIT
Eric Staal CAR
Daniel Alfredsson OTT
Alexander Semin WAS

Defensemen
Mike Green WAS
Tyler Myers BUF
Tomas Kaberle TOR
Tobias Enstrom ATL
Chris Pronger PHI
Mark Streit NYI
Zdeno Chara BOS

Goaltenders
Tomas Vokoun FLA
Martin Brodeur NJ
Ryan Miller BUF

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Forwards
Henrik Sedin VAN
Joe Thornton SJ
Patrick Marleau SJ
Dany Heatley SJ
Daniel Sedin VAN
Brad Richards DAL
Patrick Kane CHI
Corey Perry ANA
Rick Nash CBS
Paul Stastny COL
Mikko Koivu MIN
Jarome Iginla CGY
Dustin Penner EDM

Defensemen
Duncan Keith CHI
Dan Boyle SJ
Drew Doughty LA
Stephane Robidas DAL
Shea Weber NAS
Erik Johnson STL
Nicklas Lidstrom DET

Goaltenders
Evgeni Nabokov SJ
Ilya Bryzgalov PHX
Roberto Luongo VAN

Teams with the most all-stars:
San Jose would have four players selected.
Washington would have four players selected.
Vancouver would have three players selected.

Who would you pick that is not included in the players listed above and why?

Below you will find the three groupings for the 2010 Olympic hockey tournament:

GROUP A: Canada, United States, Norway, Switzerland

GROUP B: Russia, Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovakia

GROUP C: Finland, Sweden, Germany, Belarus

The countries in bold are the four tournament favorites, without disrespect to the other eight countries.

Tournament format:
Each team will play the round robin portion of the tournament, facing the other three teams of their respective group and the best four records will advance to the quarter-finals.

Then the remaining eight teams will move on to play a qualifying playoff round to decide the other four quarter-final spots. The final eight teams will face each other in the quarter-finals until the Gold Medal Winner is decided.

Canada’s schedule will be fairly easy as they will play their first game on February 16th against a weak Norwegian team. Norway is most likely the tournament’s weakest team and should give Canada an opportunity to find some chemistry and chase those olympic butterflies.

After that game Canada has a day off, before they take on the Swiss on the 18th. Finally, Team Canada will conclude the round-robin portion of their tournament with a emotional match-up against their North American foe, the United States.

Who would you select as Team Canada’s captain?
Scott Niedermayer?
Jarome Iginla?
Sidney Crosby?

I would personnally give the C to Niedermayer as he is a proven winner with plenty of experience in the NHL and on the international level. Iginla and Crosby are great leaders too, but Niedermayer is the most experienced.

Potential final line-up for Team Canada:
Forwards:
R. Nash-S. Crosby-J. Iginla
B. Richards-R. Getzlaf-C. Perry
P. Marleau-J.Thornton-D.Heatley
R.Smyth-M. Richards-E. Staal
Jonathan Toews as the 13th forward.

Defensemen:
C. Pronger-S. Niedermayer
D. Keith-M. Green
D. Boyle-S. Weber
Drew Doughty as the 7th defensemen.

Goalies:
M. Brodeur
R. Luongo
M-A Fleury

Noteworthy considerations:
Forwards:
Shane Doan, Patrice Bergeron, Mike Fisher, Michael Cammalleri, Brendan Morrow, Martin St-Louis, Dustin Penner, Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos, Jeff Carter, Jordan Staal

Defensemen:
Brent Seabrook, Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf, Stephane Robidas, Robyn Regehr, Brent Burns

Goaltenders:
Cam Ward, Carey Price, Steve Mason

Who would you pick on your team as of December 21st, 2009?

While it’s still extremely early in the season, there’s no doubting that after a 6-1 demolition of the hometown boys thanks to the at-the-time winless Anaheim Ducks following the steam-rolling of Carolina last Saturday, the fans in the Hub are beginning to wonder what they’re in for this season.

My best advice? Don’t jump off the bridge when there’s still 79 games of hockey left.

Heading into tonight’s showdown at the TD Garden, the Bruins were seemingly back to their offensive-juggernaut ways after lighting up the ‘Canes for 7 goals during a Saturday night physical affair in Boston. Tonight however, Jonas Hiller and the rest of the Anaheim (no longer mighty) Ducks were more than ready. After getting peppered by 19 shots by Boston in the first period of play and only letting one Marco Sturm slapshot get by him, the feeling that this was going to be a difficult night for the Boston offense was beginning to reverberate throughout the minds of the Garden Faithful.

From there on out, it was all Anaheim.

Following an interference call on Matt Hunwick for his rather bizarre knock-down to 6’4″ Evgeny Artyukhin and questionable hooking call against Marco Sturm, the Ducks, who boasted the fourth best powerplay in 2008-09, were set up with one minute and 53 seconds of a five-on-three advantage. Turns out they’d only need a minute and thirty seconds of it to jump ahead.

It was a Teemu Selanne bullet that went by Tim Thomas, who was being screened by Corey Perry uncontested that tied that game and wouldn’t you know it, it was Teemu again who put the puck by a sprawled out Tim Thomas a minute later to give Anaheim a lead they would never relinquish.

After Corey Perry’s goal midway through the second period put the Ducks up 3-1, the Bruins seemed simply unmotivated to win, a sight similar to last week’s home opening against the Washington Capitals. Anaheim, who adopted the idealogy of quality over quantity finished the period with three goals on just six shots whereas the Bruins were held to just one goal on 30 shots through 40 minutes of play.

In similar fashion to the aforementioned game last week,  Bruins netminder Tim Thomas gave up three more soft goals in the third period, including a very bizarre shorthanded goal by Corey Perry with under a minute to play and the Bruins were done.

When it comes to tonight’s loss, the Krejci line can simply not feel good about the way they played tonight. Frequently offsides and defensively irresponsible is no way to go through a game, boys. All three members of the Bruins’ second line, Blake Wheeler, Michael Ryder and David Krejci finished the night with an upsetting -3.

Kudos to Boston’s fourth line tonight, which was creating offensive chances and throwing the body around all at the same time. Shawn Thornton, who has a knack for scoring highlight-reel goals was kept off the scoresheet but had a very impressive night when it came to moving the puck around and skating.

All and all, the story of tonight’s loss rests on the unsuccessful powerplay put forth by Boston. The Bruins were 0-6 on the advantage, falling to 4-19 on the season.

Dumb Quote of the Night

“*Sarcastic cheers*” – As Thomas stopped the puck after giving up the sixth goal in the closing minute of tonight’s loss.

Yes, Thomas did get shelled tonight, yes he was looking foolish at times, but why are you booing the Vezina Trophy winner from last season after a rough game? For one, the Bruins defense was not giving Thomas any help whatsoever and secondly, wouldn’t you prefer Thomas to work out the kinks from the off-season in October as opposed to in April?

Jersey-Spotting of the Night

A man walking throughout the balcony tonight in Section 314 was sporting a lovely Boston Red Sox away jersey, bearing the last name “Yankees Suck”, featuring the number 24:7. Interesting to say the least as this last name was so long that it makes Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson look like a nameplate belonging to Steve Ott.

What’s Next?

The Bruins will take to the ice in Boston on Saturday night as John Tavares makes his TD Garden debut when the New York Islanders come to town. The Isles are 0-0-2 on the season following an overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators in Canada’s capital tonight. I’m about 95% sure that following tonight’s frustrating effort put forth by Tim Thomas, who stopped 24 of 30 shots, that the Bruins will give the nod to Finnish phenom Tuukka Rask.

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